The Shape of Mercy

I recently read a book which took me all of two days to read. It was easy to get into, especially for someone like me who does not read a great deal of fiction.

The book is called The Shape of Mercy and is by Susan Meissner. I also had the privilege of interviewing her via email. Hopefully the questions asked don't give you too much information. The interview is informative since most people do not get to ask some questions to a writer, so it was also a learning process for me and hopefully for you as well.

Basically the story takes place in the present day, as Lauren is attempting to make sense and transcribe a journal of a girl named Mercy who lived during the Salem Witch trials. Being a lover of history, I was intrigued by the setting and truly appreciated the struggles of Mercy, Lauren, and Abigail (the older woman who asked Lauren to transcribe the journal.) There was a lot to learn regarding who we look at others, good, bad and at times pretty ugly.

This is the type of book which would be great for a book study as Meissner also includes a brief study guide in the back of the book. We will be putting one copy in the church library. It's a moving book, a story about hatred and love, privilege and loss, bitterness, grace and more. Below is a portion of the interview I had with Susan.

You can purchase the book at ~
http://www.amazon.com/Shape-Mercy-Novel-Susan-Meissner/dp/1400074568/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224173092&sr=1-1

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=074563&netp_id=526119&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=covers

INTERVIEW (my questions are in black, Susan's answers in red).

1. How did you come to choose the setting and context for your story? I sense your story could have taken place in any setting, why Salem ?
I’ve had a fascination for what happened in Salem for a long time, beginning when I was 13 and in a play about the same subject and then later in high school when I read The Crucible. The Salem Witch Trials reveal rather poignantly how rushed judgments and fear can bring out the worst in us. Everyone who was executed in Salem in 1692 was later exonerated. Hysteria, not reason, ruled the day for those long months when innocent people were accused of horrible acts. It didn’t matter how long or how loud the accused proclaimed their innocence. In Salem, you were whatever the crowd said you were. I could have chosen Dachau as the setting. Or Rwanda . Salem wasn’t the first setting people died because the crowd accused them of deserving death and no one stood up to say, “Now hold on there.”

2. Do you see yourself in any of the main characters? Since both Lauren’s and Mercy’s sections are told from first person point of view, I did have to imagine myself as being those two young women. As I imagined being each, I know part of who I am and how I think seeped into their characters. That’s inevitable. I don’t know that I could’ve been as brave as Mercy Hayworth, but I do know I make presuppositions about people, like Lauren does, even when I don’t want to. Do you see other family; your husband, parents, papa, in the characters? As part of that question, do you try to distance yourself or family members from characters so that you don't "step on anyones toes?" There is no character that is an exact mirror of one distinct person that I know. My characters are usually mutts; amalgamations of many people that I’ve encountered. I don’t purposely try to do that, it just happens as the story unfolds and the characters evolve. Much of what I know about fathers I have gleaned from my own dad, but I also mine from my experiences of watching my husband be a dad to our kids and every other father – real or fictional – I’ve ever encountered. It really does seem to happen by itself as I’m writing.

3. I noticed you wrote a series called Rachel Flynn Mysteries, would you consider a follow up to Lauren's life, possibly getting her involved in another project which leads to further self discovery?
The Shape of Mercy had sufficient closure for me. If WaterBrook wanted a sequel and readers showed promise that they would buy it, I would consider writing it. But this experience with the diary and with Abigail is what changes Lauren forever. We can’t expect to have many of those in our lives or they cease to change us.

4. Do you find yourself becoming absorbed in the characters of your books, possibly taking on some traits of theirs, as an actor/actress would do?
I do become absorbed in the thought processes of my characters and I very much hope that any character changes that have merit have rubbed off onto me. I want to judge people less and love more, like Mercy did. And I want to assume less and learn more. But the thing is, this book has just released and yet I finished it a year ago. That’s the timeline of publishing. I’ve already written another manuscript in that time. Whatever quirky influences hung around after I was done with The Shape of Mercy dissolved as I immersed myself into the world of new people in a new story. Hopefully, though, the lessons learned stay with me. I have to think they do. or the writing was mere entertainment and I want it to be more than just that.

5. Near the end of the novel (301), Abigail is not certain people will believe Mercy wrote a letter to John Paul, but Lauren states, "Everyone will believe it. They'll want to believe this is what Mercy would have done." Do you find that a true statement about people, i.e., we want to believe in truth and virtue, so we tend to lose ourselves in a book such as this one?
When we’ve embraced a person like Mercy – a virtue like mercy – into our lives, we become ambassadors of hope. People with hope are attracted to the good they see in other people. I think books that reinforce hope definitely keep us from throwing in the towel. Life can be hard. There has to be more than just this life. Hope assures us there is.

6. Along with that, do you prefer fiction, as opposed to nonfiction, because you can write the ending yourself?
I have to say I very much enjoy the Edenic nature of writing fiction. I create something from mostly nothing every time I write a new novel. I believe that appeals to the little bit of the divine in me. We were all made in God’s image. God is creative, among many other things. That part of Him resonates with me. I like being an image-bearer that creates.

7. In terms of the spiritual side of your book, since you do not overtly talk about the "Christian life" (note this is not a criticism) do you believe this book can appeal to a wider audience than only Christian? I certainly hope so. Possibly it can be given as a gift to a nonChristian, who may gain spiritual insights. I would be over-the-moon happy if this book were picked up by readers who aren’t presently enjoying a personal relationship with God. I am perfectly happy writing for the Christian reader, but he or she is already a devotee of truth and redemptive love. Imagine the influence Christian writers could have if more people in the general marketplace began reading our books!

8. As we look at the call of believers in Christ, we often find ourselves condemning our own people, critical and hypocritical . . . how can you be a conduit in the world to help shape and make a difference through the books you write?
We’ve been called to speak the truth in love. Those three words sum it up in total. Speak. Truth. Love. We are to be the voice. We are to share, embrace and shine truth. We are to regard others, those very same others who need to hear the voice of truth, as more important than ourselves. Being a conduit really means being obedient. Speak. Speak truth. Speak truth, always in love not judgment. It’s really kind of simple.

The Way the Church Works

I read a cool story about the way the church is supposed to work, from another pastor, Dave Ferguson, who is the lead at Community Christian Church in Naperville, Il. He wrote,

I love this photo. One reason is because this is a photo right after a baptism. The two younger girls on the outside (Sarah on left and Allie on right) were just baptized.
Another reason is because the one in the middle is my daughter Amy who just baptized Allie.

But the reason I put this photo on my blog (besides being very proud of all three young ladies) is because this is how the reproducing church works. Last Wednesday night Sarah and Allie were baptized as Christ Followers. Allie, who is now a sophomore in high school was Amy's apprentice leader for a junior high girls small group for two years. Amy developed a friendship with Allie and basically asked her to watch her lead and love these junior high girls along with her. When it came time for Amy to go to college this fall, she and Allie both felt like she was ready and she turned over the small group to her. Now Allie is leading that group. And because of their friendship last Wednesday Allie asked Amy to baptize her.

Life on life; friends loving others together. That is how the church is meant to work!

Great Story, isn't it?

Football and Joshua

His final game was against the best team from Elwood, who beat our best team 40-12, last week. Uh-oh. Our team played really well, except for two plays. A trick pass which we told the kids what to do, but they didn't do it, and a kick off return, where we said, don't kick it to a certain player, and we did. That was the score 14-0. We had the ball on the 1 yard line when time ran out. It was a bruising game. Joshua and all of our kids played with a lot of heart, and the other team was scared we would win. We moved the ball on them, but a couple of mistakes and we turned the ball over. Joshua made some good runs, almost broke away for a touchdown, but their best player, was by far the fastest on the field and he caught Joshua from behind, and Joshua looked at him and said, "is that all you've got?" The kid is getting a little fight in him, I like it. We only won one game, but I really think we had the best "team" of the three Alex teams.

Sometime I am going to try to put some video on you-tube for your viewing pleasure.

On another football note, we were supposed to play in a tournament on the 18th-19th, but we are not in it, because of last minute shenanigans from Elwood. They waited until the last minute to make plans for a tournament they knew was going to happen months ago, and frankly, we got jobbed. What makes me mad about it, was the fact that we gave up the Diabetes walk on the 18th to do the football games for Joshua. Now we are out of luck on that, as well.

I just don't get some of the way things get done. If you know you have a tournament scheduled, why wait until two weeks before to get things organized? Then when we tell them who the right party is to talk to, they don't. I'm mad, partly because we gave up something, and lost everything, and the ineptitude of the organizer from Elwood.

Okay, I have now vented. I feel much better . . . thanks for listening.

Saturday Football - Zachary

Zachary's team played their final game on Saturday morning. They won 44-22. Zachary scored two touchdowns, as he got their at the start of the 2nd half (I'll explain below). Zachary did well, running a reverse on two different occasions for 2 touchdowns, completing a pass and having one dropped. He also made a couple of tackles (pulled flags out). He ended up with a scratched neck and a black and blue mark on his arm. He was kind of proud of the bruises on his arm.

In terms of arriving late. His game was moved from 10 am to 9 am, but only the kids were told that. Zachary told us he had to be there at 8:20, but we thought he was wrong, and then he thought he was wrong, too. When Debbie and I coached soccer, we always told the parents, we didn't leave it up to the kids to tell parents. That is one thing I have noticed about all ages around here, they tell the kids and the kids have to tell the parents. It's not bad to teach responsibility, but a quick email works wonders. That is what we did, or we called every parent. Two other kids arrived late as well.

All in all it was a good first season of football for Zachary, he is now wanting to play tackle next year, look out world, since he has no fear.

Doctoral Project

I just received an email that my formatter is finished and in fact hand delivered my project to the doctoral office yesterday. This means all I need to do is pay my final bills at Trinity, which in fact, I received one yesterday, too, and I simply await graduation on December 19.

WOW!! It's amazing I did it. There were so many times I thought about quitting and not finishing. My greatest cheerleader was Debbie. Without her promptings and pushing (lovingly) I would be done, but with no degree.

Thank you, darling!

Anyone a little gassy?

Have you noticed what has happened to the price of gas? I bought gas today at $3.29, and now it is down to $3.13 in Anderson.

I noticed in Dearborn, MI gas is $2.97; while in Springfield, IL it is $3.14; and in Warrenville, IL gas was $3.59. All places we have lived. Amazing to notice the price differences.

Of course if you look at our economy we are nose diving and fast. The Dow is at a 5 year low. Think about your investments, but if you get out now and the market goes up, to buy back in will cost you more money. So what to do? Gas prices have not even reached last years level. Last year gas was $2.75.

I believe this election will be a crucial one, yet, with all of the rhetoric by both candidates, to get anything passed in the house and senate is not that easy. So, as much as we hear good things, to accomplish some of these proposals will be a stretch. Not trying to be pessimistic, but a realist.

All that being said, when is Jesus coming? I'm not sure, but you know the crazy thing, this is all kind of exciting, because so many people are going to realize they need more than themselves, they need Christ . . . and the church (you and I) have a great opportunity to lead people to Christ, who won't solve our financial crisis, but He is the ONE who can bring peace and hope to hearts, spirits, minds and bodies that are fragmented and hurting. Thanks be to God for this indescribable gift . . . named Jesus!

Just a couple of random thoughts at midnight!

FOR YOUNG MEN ONLY

Well this blog is not for young men only, but there is a book entitled, For Young Men Only, or FYMO, which is a must read for guess who. . .? Young Men . . . and I must add, for older men, moms and dads, pastors, youth pastors and on and on.

I wish I had this book when I was a younger man. I'm not sure I was mature enough to understand the insights when I was a teen, but that was light years ago. Since we are seeing teens mature at a quicker rate, there is a greater need for a book like this. I know I will highly recommend this book to some people who have teens. As the father of two boys, almost 11 and 8 1/2, I know this book will help Debbie and I.

The authors, along with their wives did scientific surveys by interviewing young women. Then they had their statistics verified by a professional company. Their findings are great and they break the book down into 7 main chapters, each touching on a vital subject ~

1. Abercrombie Boy vs. Our Hero, Average Joe (Why Ordinary guys have a real chance with great girls)
2. Why Good Girls Like Bad Boys (Understanding a girl's greatest secret fear - and what you can do about it)
3. When Girls Stop Making Sense (A code breaker's guide to baffling female behavior)
4. Breaking Up, Breaking You (Why girls go from "love" to "get lost" so fast - and how to keep from getting crushed)
5. No Dropped Calls (How to talk and listen to a girl without looking like an idiot)
6. What it Really Means to Score (The truth about girls, guys and sex)
7. The Guy Every Girl Wants . . . Really (Could it be that the real you is the real prize?)

Each chapter is filled with great information about young women, and while it is not a "how - to" book for young men, nor a book on "how to pick up chicks", it does have very good practical information about how to pick up the signs, cues and signals from young women; and how a young man should react.

One final note ~ while the book is written from a Christian point of view, it is not filled with 100's of Bible references to help the authors make their points.

I highly recommend this book, and would give it 5 stars because of its relevancy, tone (serious with humor added), creativity.

You can also go to their website at www.foryoungmenonly.com

Click HERE to find this book.
Or on this link: http://www.amazon.com/Young-Men-Only-Guide-Gender/dp/160142020X/ref=ed_oe_h

Other books written in this series includes:

For Young Women Only
For Women Only
For Men Only

Click on any of the above titles to go to Amazon books.

Elwood vs. Alexandria

Yesterday, Joshua's team played a team from Elwood in football. I have to say the kids from Elwood were impressive in their uniforms - they were the Steelers, and had similar uniforms to the Steelers. They had to cost some bucks. Secondly, most of the kids were huge. I mean they looked they were in 6th grade, not a 3rd - 5th grade team. Thirdly, they had about 20 kids on their team, we had 13.

All that said, it's amazing the final score was only Elwood winning, 16-14. We missed one 2 point conversion, that was the difference. They did not substitute many players, and wanted to play another half, but our kids were winded.

I felt sorry for Joshua, he usually runs bootlegs and option plays, but had a hard time doing them because Elwood was bigger and was able to push our offensive line back. He handled the ball well, even when getting hit and spun around. One kid threw Joshua like he was a sack of potatoes. Joshua did score our 2 point conversion and Elwood's first touchdown was on a kickoff return, so our defense did great.

Our last game is on Saturday against a different Elwood team, hopefully more our size. Then Joshua plays on the 5th grade all star team. Zachary's last game is this Saturday, as well.

Football Saturday

Goodday for both boys.

Zachary's team beat the only team which beat them, 12-6. Their first game against this team they lost 40-28, so good defense was the rule. This was the first game Zachary didn't score. He ran the ball to the one yard line, and helped by deflecting a pass and getting others flags.

Joshua's team won their first game, 24-0. They played a much better game on defense. Joshua scored the first touchdown, and made a couple of other nice runs, then on the 2 point conversion, they fumbled the ball and he picked it up, with both knees on the ground, meaning he is down, but the whistle didn't blow and he got nailed (a good tackle), but the play should have been over. He hurt his neck, sat out awhile, then went back in. Later he hurt his knee making a tackle. I think he hit it on the ground or twisted it, because nobody hit him. It still hurts and he sat out most of the 2nd half. Didn't want to take any chances. It still hurts a little, but he is not limping and is running around. We played a little tackle football this afternoon, after the Colts come back. He showed no signs of injury.

They each have one game left. Joshua's team plays Elwood on Tuesday and next week they have an all star team which plays in a tournament.

Zachary's team plays on Thursday.

Candidate Charitable giving

This is by no means an endorsement for anyone, but it is interesting from the candidates tax returns over the past 2 years, how much they give to charity. This is the average amount. It should tell us something about the person.

Any guesses as to who is number 1? Number 4?

Well, without waiting here you go . . .

1. John McCain - 23.1 %
2. Sarah Palin - 2.4 %
3. Barack Obama - 2.2 %
4. Joe Biden - 0.2 %

Interesting numbers. . . disappointing numbers for 3 of the 4. I'd love to hear the reasons from all 3.

Woe is me!

Wow! What a rough two nights for the Cubs. One night it is walks, the next it is errors. Anyone have a broom . . . do ya hear sweeeeeeeep! Kinda sounds like what a mouse might say.

At least the White Sox put up a struggle in game 1 against Tampa.

Hey, I remembered . . . there's always next year . . . ugh!

Football and Joshua

Last night Joshua's team had their third game. Sadly, they lost again. It was a good game. They lost to this team 14-0 on the first game, yesterday the score was 30-24. The other team has one player who scores their touchdowns, he is fast, and when you add poor tackling, that is what you get.

Joshua played a very good game. He was quarterback, had 2 touchdowns and one 2 point conversion. On his 2nd touchdown, someone tried to tackle him, they got his shoe, and he ran around the end for about 25 yards for his touchdown. He also made some good tackles on defense.

It's amazing what a year does in a kids life. Last year, if he got hit, he would be down in second, now he is viewed as one of the best players. He got hit a couple of times, shook off tackles and kept going. I was proud of him. They play again on Saturday. I think we will add a couple of new wrinkles into the game.

I called two plays to run, both were very successful, one a touchdown and the other a 30 yard run. Maybe the Colts need an offensive coordinator?!

Bailout idea

I think this idea has more merit, it is from Dave Ramsey. See what you think about his ideas ~

http://www.daveramsey.com/media/pdf/the_common_sense_fix.pdf

Sunday Reflections

I really appreciated the choir and praise team combining for a song. They not only did a great job, but it was very moving ~ thanks to all.

Kudos to Pastor Doug for his message about climbing the ladder of joy. He even climbed the ladder, it was thought provoking and engaging.

Remember for the next 8 weeks we will be talking about the Beatitudes, found in Matthew 5:1-12. This week will be Matthew 5:3.

Consider what it means to be blessed according to your definition and according to God.

WONDERFUL WEDNESDAYS

I found a great link for the book I will be talking about. If you want to read the book online by Andrew Murray, called ABIDE IN CHRIST, then click on the title of click HERE and you can read the book online. Now there are no excuses not to read this great book about what it means to abide in Christ.

Or if you don't want to click on the above two links, just click on the website below. Now you have 3 options to get to the same page ~ ~

http://www.worldinvisible.com/library/murray/5f00.0562/5f00.0562.c.htm

$85 Billion Ooooops

I was just corrected and tha tis what I get for not adding someone else's work. . . as my boys say, "My bad!"

$85 billion / 2oo million = a whopping $425.

I guess they were using new math, and I didn't check their arithmetic.

Sorry for getting your hopes up. I guess now I'll have to drown my sorrows with an extra double fudge brownie sundae delight (whatever that is).

$85,000,000,000

WOW! That's lots of money and that is part of the AIG proposed bailout . . . 85 billion dollars.

Here is an alternative plan ~

This idea sounds just crazy enough to possibly work, so naturally it won't be given serious consideration -- bureaucracy!

Could it work? What do you think??

Are you for the $85,000,000,000 bailout of AIG?

Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a We Deserve It Dividend.

To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S. Citizens 18+.

Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up.

So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billion that equals $425,000. (Sounds good already!)

Give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a We Deserve It Dividend.

Of course, it would NOT be tax free.

So let's assume a tax rate of 30% (remember the only certainties in life are death and taxes).
Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500 in taxes.
That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam.
But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500 in their pocket.
A husband and wife have $595,000.
What would you do with $297,500 to $595,000 in your family?
Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved.

Repay college loans - what a great boost to new grads.
Put away money for college - it'll be there

Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs.
Invest in the market - capital drives growth!
Buy a new car - create jobs.

Pay for your parent's medical insurance - health care improves.
Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean - or else.

Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.

If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling out a puny $1000 ("vote buy" ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.

If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult US Citizen 18+!

As for AIG - liquidate it.

Sell off its parts.

Let American General go back to being American General.
Sell off the real estate.
Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.

Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't.

Sure it's a crazy idea that can "never work."

But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party!
How do you spell Economic Boom?

I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC.

And remember, this only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.

Now go and have a party!!

Friday Humor

You can only laugh at the demise of the Chicago White Sox . . . or you can cry. I choose to laugh . . . so here is some Friday morning humor . . .

The Picnic
A Jewish Rabbi and a Catholic Priest met at the town's annual 4th of July picnic. Old friends, they began their usual banter. 'This baked ham is really delicious', the priest teased the rabbi. 'You really ought to try it. I know it's against your religion, but I can't understand why such a wonderful food should be forbidden! You don't know what you're missing. You just haven't lived until you've tried Mrs.Hall's prized Virginia Baked Ham. Tell me, Rabbi, when are you going to break down and try it?' The rabbi looked at the priest with a big grin, and said, 'At your wedding.'

The Usher
An elderly woman walked into the local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps, 'Where would you like to sit?' he asked politely. 'The front row please,' she answered. 'You really don't want to do that,' the usher said 'The pastor is really boring.' 'Do you happen to know who I am?' the woman inquired. 'No.' he said. 'I'm the pastor's mother,' she replied indignantly. 'Do you know who I am?' he asked. 'No.' she said. 'Good,' he answered.

Show and Tell
A kindergarten teacher gave her class a 'show and tell' assignment. Each student was instructed to bring in an object to share with the class that represented their religion. The first student got up in front of the class and said, 'My name is Benjamin and I am Jewish and this is a Star of David.' The second student g to up in front of the class and said, 'My name is Mary. I'm a Catholic and this is a Rosary.' The third student got in up front of the class and said, 'My name is Tommy. I am Baptist, and this is a casserole.'

The Best Way To Pray
A priest, a minister and a guru sat discussing the best positions for prayer, while a telephone repairman worked nearby. 'Kneeling is definitely the best way to pray,' the priest said. 'No,' said the minister. 'I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven.' 'You're both wrong,' the guru said. 'The most effective prayer position is lying down on the floor.' The repairman could contain himself no longer. 'Hey, fellas,' he interrupted. 'The best prayin' I ever did was when I was hangin' upside down from a telephone pole.'

Goat for Dinner
The young couple invited their elderly pastor for Sunday dinner. While they were in the kitchen preparing the meal, the minister asked their son what they were having. 'Goat,' the little boy replied. 'Goat?' replied the startled man of the cloth, 'Are you sure about that?' ' Yep,' said the youngster. 'I heard Dad say to Mom, 'Today is just as good as any to have the old goat for dinner.'

The Church and Fleas

An interesting video, even though it is about Play Station 2, can this also describe the church.

Just watch . . . click on the link below ~

http://churchmedic.com/church/life-is-like-a-flea-are-we-just-like-this/

Football and Joshua

Tonight Joshua finally understood more about the joy and pain of sports. He scored his first touchdown ever. He also started at quarterback and was the featured player. He must have run for close to 150 yards. Took some good hits, made some good tackles and at one point came out of the game totally winded.

His touchdown came on an 80 yard quarterback bootleg. He faked the handoff to the right and then turned left and outran everyone. One guy, the best player on the other team caught him, but Joshua put a little move on him and was gone.

Later he almost broke another one, but stepped on the out of bounds line. Eventually, his team lost 20-18. If they had scored on one of their three two point conversions they would have tied. They had the ball late in the game and one of their players had a long run but was tackled.

Many of the kids had tears, it was tough on them, but a character builder. He'll be sore tomorrow. I tried to encourage him and remind him, he never would have thought he would be a starting quarterback. I was proud of him.

I must admit as a parent and coach you get so wrapped up in the game, you forget it is about growing the kids into young men. Winning isn't everything, but . . .

There were some poor calls by the officials and the timekeeper was atrocious. But I learned they really are flying by the seat of their pants. So, I will try to write some rules for managing the clock. Because at times he never turned the clock off, then during the last quarter he stopped the clock after every play. The kids were exhausted by the time it was over. Also, the officials were high school kids who really do not know the rules, which is not fair to them or anyone, and makes the entire game very frustrating for everyone . . . since they don't know what to do and what to look for.

Anyway, Joshua did great!! He gave a great effort and is learning and growing. I know this will add character to him and years to Debbie and I.

Deadliest jobs

I was checking out the headlines and came across the top five deadliest jobs in the USA. It kind of surprised me what they were . . .

The deadliest job is . . .

1. Fishermen. WOW!! Ever watch "The Deadliest Catch" on Discovery. You'll see why. I enjoy watching it and it is hazardous, when you do it for a living in the cold of the Atlantic and beyond.
2. Loggers. Not tree cutting services, but those lumberjacks.
3. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers. I didn't think the safety record was that bad!? Gulp.
4. Iron and steel workers. It's too hot in there for me anyway.
5. Farmers and ranchers. WOW!! Another surprise. As we move into harvest time, keep our farmers in prayer.

The 10th deadliest was what I thought would be higher, sheriff and patrol officers.

Far more men than women die on the job. Of the 5,488 who died at work in 2007, 5,071 were male and 417 were female. For men, the deadliest occupations involve transportation and material-moving (pilots, bus drivers, crane operators and sailors), while administrative-support duties (couriers and stockers) claimed the most working women.

Just extra Tuesday information.

Sunday Reflections

Our ladies were so good today!

Each woman who spoke had a great message about life and faith. They did great, I was proud of them all.

For the next 9 weeks we will take a look at the Beattitudes from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5.

Football and Church

Debbie bought 2 tickets for the Colts game today! What a blast, the crowd was amazingly loud, the fans were rowdy, the guys in front of us would take their shirts off and wave them. We had to stay out of their way a little.

The Colts lost on a last second field goal. Very disappointing. They were outplayed the entire game. Jacksonville had the ball for about 42 minutes, Indy 18. Hard to win when you don't have the ball.

My analysis of the game is similar to the way I view church. . . You need to attack and the Colts did not attack. They played a very passive and soft defense, gave up tons of yards and 3rd down conversions. They had many, many chances to win, yet never attacked the Jacksonville offense. My style of football is to be aggressive. Maybe it comes from growing up in Chicago with great defenses who always attacked, but I see that as a metaphor for church, as well.

Too often we sit back and wait for things to come to us, and when they do, we somehow are not prepared. satan loves for us to sit back and wait. Then he attacks and attacks and we are always on the defensive, putting out fire after fire, but the Christian life is not about that, it is about attacking life by living life, by embracing the beauty and the joy life offers us.

But too often we sit back and complain that life stinks, when it really doesn't. Just a Sunday night thought after yelling and yelling.

Football Weekend

Yesterday (Saturday) was opening weekend for football for Joshua and Zachary. Pictures to follow at a later date.

Since I help coach Joshua's team, we'll start with his game. They lost 14-0, two blown plays and that was the game. His team actually moved the ball, but didn't stop the quarterback bootlegs on two plays. Joshua played well, he missed a couple of tackles he should have made, but he got in the way which helped. He did get in on a couple of tackles, made some good blocks and caught 1 pass and ran about 40 yards before he was tackled. I'll take the credit on that play since I told the offensive coach to call this type of pass. Overall it was a good start.

I was only able to see Zachary's game from the High School field, and watch at a distance. Debbie was with Zach and we called one another to give updates. Zachary scored 3 touchdowns, 2 on runs and one on an interception. He kicked off once and kicked it over the other teams heads. He felt really good about the game and himself, which is the key.

This week Joshua has a game on Tuesday, Zachary on Thursday. It's so much fun to be out there, it's great to see the kids when something connects for them.

Angel Food

Since our church has been approved as a host site for Angel Food, we will be taking Angel Food orders for the month of October.

We are wanting to see how it works with our own folks, get some of the kinks out before we open it to more people in the community.

There are a few menu options. One is the regular menu - $30; there is a seniors menu - $28; and there are special order packages - $21.

If you want to view the menu click on the link below:
http://www.angelfoodministries.com/menu_0810en.asp

Also, all orders must be placed by October 9, and distribution date is October 25 (always a Saturday).

HERE are the MENUS

REGULAR BOX
For fourteen years, Angel Food has provided balanced nutrition and variety through its regular box, with enough food to feed a family of four for a week.
1.5 lb. Ribeye Steaks (4 x 6 oz.)
4.5 lb. (Avg) Split Chicken Breast Family Tray Pack
26 oz. Heat and Serve Meatloaf and Brown Gravy
1 lb. Chicken Breast Fajita Strips
1 lb. Boneless Center-Cut Pork Chops (4 x 4 oz.)
1 lb. Fully Cooked Meatballs
1 lb. All Meat Hot Dogs
1 lb. Frozen Sliced Carrots1 lb. California Blend Vegetables
1 lb. Pasta
28 oz. Marinara Sauce
48 oz. Hawaiian Punch
32 oz. Borden 2% Reduced Fat Shelf Stable Milk
12 ct. Corn Tortillas
One Dozen Eggs
One Dessert Item --- $30.00

SENIOR BOX
Ten perfectly seasoned, nutritionally balanced, fully-cooked meals -- just heat and serve. Each meal has been developed with dietary needs of senior citizens in mind, and contains 3 oz. of protein, a starch & two vegetables or fruit.
BBQ Chicken; Slow roasted chicken diced and served with Western Flavor BBQ Sauce. Served with southern-style Black Eyed Peas and Collard Greens and Cinnamon Apple sauce.
Meatloaf with Brown Herb Gravy; Traditional Meatloaf topped with Herb seasoned Brown Gravy, served with Sweet Potatoes with brown sugar & maple, green peas, mushrooms and green beans.
Sweet ‘n Sour Chicken; Slow cooked chicken chunks served in a sweet ‘n sour sauce over steamed Rice with Steamed Broccoli, Mushrooms and Wax Beans.
Meat Patties with Country Style Gravy and Onions; Lightly Floured and Seasoned and served with a rich Brown Gravy and Onion. Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli with a sprinkling of Cheese along accompanied by Diced Beets.
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce; Spaghetti Noodles served with a rich traditional Italian Meat Sauce. Seasoned Italian Green Beans, Diced Pears and an Oatmeal Cookie.
Salisbury Steak with Brown Mushroom Gravy; Traditional Salisbury Steak Patties with Brown Mushroom Gravy; Mashed Potatoes, Peas and Carrots and diced Pineapple.
Thyme Baked Chicken; Slow cooked chicken chunks served in a savory Thyme Sauce with Parsley Potatoes, Three Bean Salad and Diced Peaches.
Creole Baked White Fish; Delicate White Fish baked with a Creole Sauce served with Red Beans and Rice, Creamed Spinach, and a Chocolate Chip Cookie.
Chicken Curry With Vegetables; Cooked tender chicken with Cut Green beans and Yellow Corn over Seasoned Onion Broth Rice with Broccoli Oriental Vegetables and Diced Pears.
Ground Beef Stroganoff; Tender Ground Beef in a rich Stroganoff Cream Sauce served over Parsley Egg Noodles, Green Beans and Onions, with Fruit Cocktail. --- $28.00

MENUS and order forms will be available at church.

Are you like SHAMU or NAMU?

Remember Shamu and Namu, the killer whales, I heard a talk which referred to them as an example of the Christian life.

Here are some thoughts ~

1. Are we like Shamu or are we more like killer whales?
2. Are we living the life of a tamed creature that is put in a box (cage / aquarium), or are we fulfilling our God designed purpose?

If we want to be more like killer whales,
We must be in the ocean. We need to be connected to the culture. We need to be connected to the real world.
When you stay penned up away from the world, it will make you sick and kill you like it did Namu. Jesus went out into culture. We are not called to critique culture but to create it.

We need to overcome our fears.
The killer whale has no predators. He has no fear. Sometimes Christians need to grow a pair. Fear is one of the devil’s great tools to keep us from doing God’s work.

Action is not only rewarded, it is demanded.
A killer whale kills because he has to eat. He has to survive. Action is what is important. Make sure the work that you are doing is work that will impact people and not just yourself. Figure out your passion, talk to others, as a whale communicates where the next meal is, so should we communicate with one another to swim (serve) in packs or schools.

Shamu has an easy life.
A killer whale feels pain. Our lives will experience some pain. It is the reality of the work and the world we live in. Pain and struggles are normal.

At the same time we are to be as creative as the killer whales and not Shamu’s. We must risk, dream, imagine, envision . . . doing it all with faith and trust in who God is calling us to be.

Formatting and Reformatting . . .

Yesterday, I sent in my final copy, 236 pages for formatting, and today I received an email with 7 more things I needed to do.

• Did you know you can't have underlines and italics in the same document, it's one or the other.
• Scripture references must be in a size 10 font, not 12 which is what everything else is written in.
• Tables cannot have bold for titles.
• Any reference in a parenthetical reference must have a corresponding entry in the reference list.
• There can be no bulleted lists, like this one, instead they must be numerical lists.
• All fonts, even exhibits, must be in Times New Roman.
• No asterisks are allowed.
• and on and on it goes.

I have now sent it in again, hopefully there will only be a few comments from my formatter. I just can't figure out why I'm spending 100's of dollars to have him, have me do the work. Then again, he's the smart one, he's making the money and having me do the work. Hey! I'd like a job like that one . . . not!!

Anyway, I think I'm almost there. Maybe two more weeks before he is done and turns in the project to the doctoral office. Then it goes to the library, then to binding, then I'm on to graduation.

I'm tired and Debbie is sick, time for me to get a little shut eye as well.

Sunday Reflections

Being able to meet with missionaries is a unique perk of the job. To talk to Reuben and Mauricio about their ministry, what is normal (as opposed to our view of normal) is very eye opening. To imagine walking 2 hours to get to church so you can worship speaks of a dedication most people do not have. Think about it, how far would you walk in order to get to worship, even drive?

I appreciated Reuben's comment about our music, Pastor Doug is doing a great job blending together different styles of worship and utilizing the talent in our church.

It was great to be able to pray for one of our members who is going into the mission field, so it was cool to have missionaries speaking. Actually, in hindsight, they should have joined the prayer, since they better understand the ins and outs of missions work.

Next Sunday is American Baptist Women's Sunday. I look forward to the new learnings we can gain from our women.

Some questions to ask yourself ~

● When was the last time you came to church and begged and pleaded with God to have Him
reveal Himself to you?
○ Or . . . is it your goal to get in and get out?

● When was the last time you prayed over your food and GENUINELY did so with a thankful
heart?
○ Or . . . is eating your right, without regard to what you waste?

● When was the last time you prayed before reading the Scriptures and asked God to get
personal?
○ Or do you read the Bible to try and see what is wrong with “those other people?”

● When was the last time you allowed God to place HIS passion into you?
○ Or are you to busy trying to instill your passion into Him?

● When was the last time you encouraged someone else?
○ Or are you to busy trying to make others recognize and praise you?

● When was the last time you looked around you and thanked God over and over again for the
amazing blessings and abundance you already have?
○ Or do you take all that you have for granted, and it is owed you, anyway?
Notwithstanding the question about robbing God's storehouse with leftover offerings.

Enough with the questions, the key is how we answer

We see what we are prepared to see!

God isn’t playing some game of hide and go seek!!! He WANTS us to know HIM!!! Jeremiah 29:13 is a hint as to how! Click on that verse and pray it over and over again. God WANTS us to see Him!!! He WANTS us to grow in Him!

Maybe our prayer needs to stop being for Him to reveal Himself and switch to begging Him to let us see what’s He’s already tried to make obvious.

THAT WOULD BE LIFE CHANGING!

Why are we this way?

I received a very disturbing and sad email from a fellow friend and pastor who recently moved in order to take the lead at a church.

This is part of his email - - -

I will be retiring as of the end of Sept. This has been a difficult
church to deal with. This is a rural church consisting of several
several different families vying for control. It became a power
struggle with us in the middle. So, after much prayer, we decided
that we would not be able to continue doing ministry here.

Why do we do this to one another? I know the root answer is sin. Yet, in the midst of this my heart breaks for this brother in Christ. I am becoming more and more convinced of what Peter calls for in 1 Peter 1:22 ~ "Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart."

What powerful words from Peter. Is that how we really love one another, with sincere, unhypocritical love, a deep, fervent, passionate love, from our heart?

Then John adds these words in 1 John 3:11-24 ~

• 11This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
• 14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.
• 16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
• 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
• 23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

Remember these words are directed at those within the church.

Let the words of Peter and John sink in, then go an love one another!!

Doctoral Update

Yes, it seems that all is over. However, touching up the project, fixing page numbering and header margins, making subtle changes per readers, learning more about subheadings (first, second and third subheadings; more than I ever wanted to know) has become a late night adventure. I have spent lots of hours and now I am exhausted, but I think I only have about one -two hours left to finish up and send to my reader / formatter and get his feedback, which may be the most difficult aspect.

I have reduced my project by changing fonts (legal and at their suggestion) and cut out a large chunk of my appendecies. I am now down to a svelte 236 pages.

You're only a phone call away

The dad of a boy Joshua plays football with gave me a great honor tonight. The dad asked me to call his son (not the son who plays football with Joshua, but an older son). The son is going through some tough times and the dad thought I might have a few words to encourage him.

I am awestruck at the trust this dad placed in me. He dialed the cell phone and told his son, there is someone who wants to talk to him. It's not like I am Tony Dungy or anything, but a great honor to speak some words of enncouragement to this young man.

We need to be cultivating relationships in order to enter into these conversations. Who are you building a relationship with?

Buggy Nights

You remember that old song, "who let the dogs out?"

After tonight, it can be changed to "who let the flies out?"
I felt like we were being attacked by flies or gnats or whatever those things were tonight.
They were out in force all over the football field. It seemed like we were in a rendition of the movie birds, minus the birds, plus the flies.

Sunday Reflections

I am exhausted!

Today makes 6 out of 7 weeks someone came forward to join the church or accept Christ. Something's a happenin' at FBC. How cool!

I am still struck by Peter's words to "have sincere love, to love another deeply, from the heart."

Think about what that means, tonight we spoke about 1 John 3:10ff. John's call to love one another, and all of this is to love one another who are part of the church.

We also had a very good lunch and meeting with some folks who wanted to know more about our church. I think it is something we will do about every 2 months or so.

Well, I'm tired, I was cheering for the Bears and the Colts, at least one of my two favorite teams won!

29-13

WOW!! I certainly did not expect this. The Bears were all over the Colts. I guess if anyone is going to beat the Colts I would prefer it be the Bears, but the way the Bears preseason played out, they were terrible on offense and defense. In fact their defense was offensive.

Oh well! There's always next week for the Bears to show this was a fluke. I predicted the Bears would only go 4-12 for the year. I also predicted the Colts to lose their division to Jacksonville, but make the playoffs.

Anyone for singing . . .

Bear down, Chicago Bears,
make every play clear the way to victory;
Bear down, Chicago Bears,
put up a fight with a might so fearlessly.
We'll never forget the way you thrilled the na--tion
with your T-forma--tion.

Bear down, Chicago Bears,
and let them know why you're wearing the crown.
You're the pride and joy of Illinois,
Chicago Bears, bear down

Obama - longer version

I received an email from a friend on the blog, who directed me to the entire speech Obama gave when the quotes regarding the Bible were made. It is 13 pages, but easy to read, and the statements made in the you tube video can be found at the bottom of page 9, but read the entire speech.

I think reading this speech will be very helpful to better understand his journey and his views.

Click on the link to direct you there . . .

http://www.citizenlink.org/pdfs/06-24-08-obama-call-to-renewal.pdf

Zachary Update

He had a great appointment, no extra shots or blood needed to be drawn from him.

Actually during the day I cried about him. He is such a good boy, still a real child at heart, yet he has had to learn about the difficulties of life too early. When his doctor asked if he had any questions or comments for him, Zachary said, "I just don't want to have diabetes." He didn't say it in a wimpy, whiny voice, just an honest assessment of what he feels and desires.

At the same time that he is strong and resilient, he has been taking one of his stuffed animals from the foot of the bed, and moving just one and laying it on his stomach or putting it next to him when he sleeps. It's a reminder of the innocence and even purity of childhood, and a reminder of the trials and fires we all go through.

Obama on the Bible

I received this you tube video from one of our missionaries, and while I stay out of endorsing any candidate publicly, I will if made available share information about candidates. This is a 2 minute you tube video you can watch by clicking on the link below. Very interesting statements by Obama.

http://www.youtube.com/v/4FCNKwHRCQM

10 Questions to ask

Some general questions to think about as we plan and act on ministry ideas, especially as we come to the close of another year (more specific questions to come later) ~

1. What are we doing that we should stop doing?
2. What are we not doing that we should start doing?
3. Who is doing something we need to learn from?
4. What are we doing that has gotten stale?
5. What area of ministry is under-resourced?
6. Where have we experienced inappropriate spending or needless or wasteful spending?
How and who will resolve this and when?
7. Are we avoiding any problem issues?
8. What are our blind spots?
9. What ministries are struggling? What changes are we making to them in the next 30 days?
10. What do we have to celebrate?

Can you think of other questions to ask?

Doctor time

Remember Zachary on Thursday morning as he has his 3 month pediatric endocrinologist appointment. Usually they are not too bad, but I think this time they will be doing blood tests, which means more needle sticks, and in the arm. I must admit, at 8, he is such a trooper. A little boy at heart and a big boy all in one.

New Book

In an effort to beef up my preaching skills I am starting a new book on preaching called "360 Degree Preaching" by Michael Quicke. It comes highly recommended from my Oral Defense. It's not required reading, but I wanted to read something to improve my skills.

Dr. Quicke is considered one of the better preaching professors in the midwest, and is at my alma mater, Northern Seminary.

Allergy Blues

Allergy Alert!!

They are back in the Deutsch house big time. My eyes are ready to be scratched out. Eye drops and allergy pills are staples again.

Who's Job Is It?

I was in a discussion the other day about First Impressions when someone wondered aloud, "Who’s responsibility is it?" and "Who do I tell?"

Let me think (sarcasm) I wanted to say "why isn't it your responsibility?" but tried to be more gracious.

Here is the deal? Often times it seems as if it is always someone else's responsibility to do what anyone could be doing. You know what I mean. If we do not model what first impressions are, or what expectations are, how will anyone know what to do.
Here is a quick, short list of thoughts to think about as you walk through the church and the church campus. Maybe even it will help as you walk through your home, office or school.:

1. If you can fix it, fix it.
2. If you don't know how to fix it, tell someone, don't just leave something broken and walk away.
3. If parking is an issue help someone find a place to park.
4. When you see someone you don’t know, introduce yourself.
5. Greet and help someone before they even enter the church.
6. Take someone new under your wing for the day? Never walk alone.
7. Don't let them walk alone.
8. If someone looks like they need help, they usually do? Help them.
9. When you find stuff laying around, remove it.
10. If the trash is full, take it out.
11. Pick up trash on your way in and out of church.
12. Straighten signs if needed.
13. If displays look messy, clean and straighten them.
14. Help someone new find a seat before the ushers do. Have them sit with you.
15. Be available to give up your seat up in a heartbeat.
16. If we need more t.p. or p.t. let someone know.
17. If the toilet is backed up, let someone know.
18. If something is not working, let someone know.
19. Look for people in need and serve them.
20. Come early and stay late.

Just some random reflections on a Monday night.

Can You be Too Good!?

That happened to a 9 year old boy in Connecticut. He was a pitcher for his little league team and the league told him he was too good and trhew too hard (40 mph). In one game the other team walked off the fielf when he was going to pitch.

I don't get it. This was not about kids, this was all about parents not wanting their kids to lose or strike out. The amazing thing is that this kid never hit any batters.

Can you imagine the Chinese government telling a great 9 year old basketball player or gymnast they can no longer play in a league because they are too good. It's amazing what we will do . . . all for the sake of winning. What about that boys own desire to play, what might it do to him at a later date about trying something in life and remembering being rejected. Old scars do not always heal quickly, they sometimes take years and lifetimes to heal.

Click HERE to watch the story.

World Pulse Festival Pics

I had mentioned a few pictures were taken at World Pulse Festival, here are couple of Tobymac and Skillet.

Toby is in the white shirt with black vest. There are 3 other singers, 2 guitarists, 1 keyboard and 1 drummer. Not all are pictured in these pictures.



Below are one from Skillet. They electric cello adds a really cool sound.










Now a picture of the crowd, lots and lots of people. . .

Oral Defense - The Day

Amazingly, I had a very easy time falling asleep Monday night. I read over notes and comments to prepare myself. After waking up I ate breakfast and reviewed more notes. Then on to the seminary to meet with the secretary.

We had a good meeting and she went over some final paperwork, the editing process for the final draft and some last minute "free advice."

Finally, the meeting started and we did not talk about the Cubs!

One member at FBC told me they thought I was to teach them something, and I really think it happened right off the bat, as we spoke about my conversion, my main reader and mentor told me about his son in law who makes so much money and is Jewish but has no interest in Christ, whom his daughter follows. I told me my story gives him hope for his son in law (maybe that was part of God's plan).

Anyway, the meeting was intense, out of 24 questions I prepared to review, they asked about 1/4 of 1 question. So much for preparation!

What was vital in this meeting was remaining calm and listening to the questions, which came from theological perspectives, as well as pastoral questions. After about one hour I stepped back, while listening and considered how the hearing was going. I felt pretty good.

By the time it was over, I knew without being told how I did. They were very complimentary about my writing style, had some criticisms, but were overall very positive.

They were very complimentary about the formatting and syntax. Dr. Larsen told me to tell Debbie (he knew she did the work) that she was "magnificent." I really believe good syntax and formatting were very important to the readability of my project. It needs to be shortened, and they gave me some ideas about how to shorten it.

I left the room after 1 hour and 58 minutes of questioning. After 12 minutes Dr. Larsen called me back in and said, "Congratulations Dr. Deutsch." You did very well, in fact, tell your wife, this old man says, "well done, well done." How wonderful those words felt to hear. There were times I wondered if I could complete this project, now I heard the words, "you passed."

On top of that were the comments from the 3 men that I do not need to make any major revisions, I just need to make a few corrections, and consider making a couple of other revisions which are minor in nature . . . AND I do not need to give them a copy to approve. As far as they are concerned, they are very pleased with my work and after I make my changes I can send it in to the person who will help me with final formatting, and await a December 19 graduation.

WOW!!! What a day!

The group

This is a picture of the men who interviewed me for my oral defense.











Dr. Larsen (my main reader, mentor and professor emeritus at Trinity), Dr. Wayne Johnson (director of the Masters of the Divinity program) and Dr. Marty Crain (Director of the doctoral program.)

Hello from Chi-town

Had an easy and uneventful drive this morning and afternoon. Was on the phone with some folks during the day, catching up on life events.

Took a walk and had a Portillo's hot dog. Portillo's is a popular resaturant in Chicago. It's as close to a kosher hot dog I had growing up, it even included what they call sport peppers, yum!

Then I studied and later met my sister Janet for dinner at the Cubby-bear North. Guess what team they root for. Had a good Italian Beef sandwich, back to the hotel, study and read over stuff.

I'm taking a little break, then review and to sleep.

Blessings and remember me in prayer at 11 -1 eastern time.

Oral Defense

One thing which I realized was when you think about praying for me at 10 a.m. eastern time, hold off an hour.

Remember Chi-town is one hour behind us, so my Oral Defense is from 11-1 eastern or 10-12 central time.

Just wanting the maximum prayer protection at the right time.

SUNDAY REFLECTION

The Spirit is Moving

Just a quick thought about our worship lately. I have been feeling the Spirit, note capital “S” moving throughout the church over the past 6 weeks. I've heard many comments about this feeling. We have not had one week where someone did not come forward for prayer, to accept Christ, or to join the church. The singing seems to have intensified (great job Pastor Doug and team). As I was waiting to baptize Aubree this morning, I heard the congregation break into spontaneous applause after My Savior Lives.

I received this email after worship - - - “Had to share how excited I am on Sunday mornings to see so much happening at the end of our services. I love a baptism every week and not just quarterly. I know there is extra work involved to get things ready, but it is such am impact on those of us in the pews. A weekly reminder of our own Big Event! And a fresh testimony to anyone sitting on the fence. These victories are what it is all about! YEAH! I needed to share how awesome God is working in our midst.”

Amen to that!!

Great Story

I came across this story from foxnews.com (click the link) about the son of a Hamas leader who has rejected Islam and is now a Christian.

Here are the first two paragraphs ~

Mosab Hassan Yousef is an extraordinary young man with an extraordinary story. He was born the son of one of the most influential leaders of the militant Hamas organization in the West Bank and grew up in a strict Islamic family.

Now, at 30 years old, he attends an evangelical Christian church, Barabbas Road in San Diego, Calif. He renounced his Muslim faith, left his family behind in Ramallah and is seeking asylum in the United States.

Talk about getting blown away by the radical call of Christ. It makes me really consider what Christ is calling me to be about in my life. This guy not only risked his family, he literally risked his life.

Click HERE

The WILD GOOSE CHASE

Now there is a title. Ever feel like you were going on a wild goose chase. You were chasing after you tail, running in proverbial circles . . . life was getting a little too overwhelming. A number of years ago, John Eldredge referred to the Holy Spirit as the "Wild Goose." Now there is a book which talks about the Holy Spirit as the Wild Goose. What's up?


Think about the Holy Spirit this way, can you tame or catch the Holy Spirit? No, not really. This is why the Celtic Christians called the Holy Spirit a Wild Goose, you just can't tame or track the Holy Spirit, and this is the premise for the new book by Mark Batterson. This is his sequel to his great book, "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day." In book one we are chasing a lion, today we chase a goose.

Wild Goose Chase is a quick and easy read, yet if you read it too quickly, you miss what Mark is driving at. The deeper questions I hear Mark asking is "Are you living your life the way God desires: wild, risk taking, adventurous; or are you just playing it safe until you get to heaven, then you can live?

Mark is an engaging writer, and has some great quotes. Have you ever thought about angels yawning? I never did, but consider this statement from Mark - -

Here's a thought that fired across my synapses not long ago: Do angels yawn? I know it seems like an inane theological question, but I seriously wonder if angels have the capacity to get bored. More importantly, I wonder if some of us are living such safe lives that not only are we bored, but so are our guardian angels.

Will we accept living in a cage? Or do we seek freedom, not from God, but greater dependence upon the Spirit of God which will empower us to seek to live the exceedingly abundant life Jesus offers us in John 10:10?

Wild Goose Chase will challenge you to consider how you live your life. If you are bored, you are not living the life God intended for you to live. If life is "Another day: another adventure." Then good for you, you are chasing the Wild Goose. Remember, God wants to be caught by us, He wants to be found, but after we catch Him, He gives us that sweet kiss, then dashes off, waiting and hoping and longing for us to chase after Him again.

Mark also speaks about life goals. Too many people do not set life goals, but Mark has and is checking them off his list. But our life goals should not be the simple ones, they should be big hairy audacious goals!

Remember what I have often said, "eternal life is not only the promise of a future life, but eternal life starts the day we proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior, Shepherd and Redeemer, Guide and Leader." Why wait to die to live, start living today, and this book will help encourage you to do just that.

You can purchase the book from any major internet bookstore, including ~

Amazon

Christianbooks

I recommend the book!

Pastor Michael

Oral Defense prep

This week my goal is to read about 2-4 hours per day. Yesterday I read for 2 hours, reading about 125 pages of theology. Fun reading . . . (yawn) actually, I enjoyed it.

Keep me in prayer.

Saturday - The Concert

We checked out and drove to World Pulse Festival looking forward to a great day in the sun. It was packed. Pictures to come later. There were an estimated 25 - 30,000 people there. We got there later and put our chairs pretty far in the back and starting walking around. Eventually we walked closer to the stage area and I found a little area in a sea of people that was open. Debbie and the boys stayed there and I began the journey to locate 3 chairs and carry them without smacking people and eventually made it.

• It was not too hot, but Zachary has trouble with the sun beating on him and a few times we needed to walk to the display tents and get some water and get out of the sun.

• The first group was C3. They were from Australia. They were okay.
  
• Next was Mandisa, a former backup singer with Tobymac and runner up in American Idol. She was good, but I missed most of her because I was with Zachary, cooling off.
• Then it was Skillet. They were loud and awesome. They led off with their hit song called "Comatose." They were really good. They know how to get into a rock mode.
  
• Then came Tobymac. If you've never seen Toby at work and the whole group. It is a show, not just a concert. Their actions, their fun on stage is obvious. Toby in did 2 dives into the crowd. He just runs and dives in the air and lands on a sea of people. Not bad for a 44 year old guy.
  
• Then was Casting Crowns. They seemed much tamer and milder than when I saw them about 3 years ago. They were good, but their concert was more of a worship service than a concert. Not bad, but we were in the rock mode. But they are good nonetheless.

Favorites for Joshua were Skillet and Tobymac. For Zachary it was Tobymac. I have to admit it is so cool to see my boys singing along with Skillet, Tobymac and Casting Crowns.

While in the tent I also won a bean bag toss contest. From bethel College near South Bend, you had to throw in 3 consecutive bean bags in the top hole from about 15 feet away. The first bean bag landed just in front of the hole. The next one made it, then I threw a line drive to hit the first bean bag and knock it in and both went in.

Overall, a great weekend, filled with great music and fun. We need to bring a group to World Pulse next year. Tickets are free, you just have to pay shipping and handling for the tickets and pay for parking. Well worth the price.

If you ever want to see Toby in action, we have a live DVD of a concert, which is exactly what they do. Just turn the speakers up, sit back and rock away with Toby and Diverse City. One last comment on the name of the band. You notice it is called Diverse City. But when you say the name fast, it comes out diversity. That is intentional and cool.

World Pulse Weekend Review

It's been awhile since posting, so today, you get to read multiple posts ~
We'll start with the weekend events.

On Friday we drove up to South Bend -

• Our first stop was the campus of Notre Dame.
• Not to make anyone too mad, Notre Dame is my least favorite collegiate team.
• I believe they have received way too many NCAA perks, which skews the competition, plus, my sister Janet is a huge Irish fan, and that is unacceptable.
• We walked around the football stadium which was all locked up, so we could not walk in.
  
• We did walk into the Joyce Center - the men's and women's basketball courts, which was nice. That building also contains and extra gym, athletic offices, National championship trophies, the hockey rink, swimming pool, and more. It was nice to be allowed to have full access to the building and walk wherever.
  
• Then we drove to the football practice field. I could barely see over the tarp covering the 10 foot high fences that the team was practicing. There was no way to see in, except through the main gate, so I thought a 30 second peek and the boys would be impressed.
• However, when we got out of the car the security guard firmly told us no looking at practice. I asked, 'even for 30 seconds for a kid.' The response was a very sympathetic (NOT!) 'get lost' (my internalization).
  
• I must admit, I made a comment under my breath, but loud enough for Debbie and anyone within 10 feet to hear.
  
• So, here is my take. They are arrogant and pompous about who they are! I could see no pictures, no cameras, you have 1 minute to look in and keep quiet, then 'scram.' But not even a kid can get a look. NFL teams allow people to watch their preseason practices. One more reason not to like Notre Dame. Go San Diego State!
• We eventually checked in at the hotel, The Inn at St. Mary's. A very nice hotel with a nice hot breakfast buffet. We went to the riverwalk and hung out at night, played at the play ground and had fun.
• Sleep was difficult since there was a party down the hall, with lots of drinking. We called the desk 2 times and I went down once. That was a first . . . never complained about a group or room before. Eventually it quieted down around 12:30 a.m.
  

Okay, I'll continue the weekend review in another post.

Wild Goose Chase

I was asked to write a review of the book Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson. It will be in bookstores on August 19.

Here is a great quote from the book ~ ~

When we turn Christianity into a noun, it becomes a turnoff. Christianity was always intended to be a verb. And, more specifically, an action verb. Some of us live as if we expect to hear God say, "Well thought, good and faithful servant!" or "Well said, good and faithful servant!" God isn't going to say either of those things. There is only one commendation: "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Michael Phelps

WOW!! Is that guy amazing. I remember my days of swimming, but I cannot imagine the quick turnaround and how much this guy can bring it on.

I read about how much food he eats a day. How about this for a diet . . .

He consumes 12,000 calories per day, or 9,500 more than the FDA recommends for an active, young male.

Phelps has to keep his intake up in order to compensate for all the calories he burns during the 30-hours per week he spends in training. He told NBC that an average day might have the following menu:

Breakfast: 3 fried egg sandwiches, 2 cups coffee, 5-egg omlette, bowl of grits, 3 pieces of french toast, 3 chocolate chip pancakes

Lunch: 1 pound pasta, 2 ham and cheese sandwiches, energy drink (1,000 calorie)

Dinner: 1 pound pasta, 1 large pizza, energy drink (1,000 calorie)

Three years ago, Phelps told an interviewer:
I eat pretty much whatever I want. I don't have a strict diet. It's all about cramming in as many calories into my system as I possibly can. To be honest with you, I have a tough time keeping weight on.

They said in one of his workouts, he expends 4,000 calories. I can't imagine the food bill, but he should not have to worry about money, it's gonna be rolling in soon, and we will be seeing his face all over the place. Then again, he worked for it.

The Week

It's been a week of meetings . . . and frankly, I am a little exhausted. Actually, more than a little. A lot was accomplished, especially in starting to get the greeters and missions teams going. Some good discussions, but we need more people to be greeters, in addition to ushers. Greeters are looking for new people and helping them to feel welcome.

I did play 9 holes of golf today; and played pretty well for not playing much this summer.

Tomorrow afternoon we will leave for South Bend and spend the day touring the Notre Dame campus, try to get in to the football stadium and basketball fieldhouse. Then on Saturday we will head to a day of concerts. We will see the groups, C3, Mandisa, Skillet, Tobymac and Casting Crowns. The boys are especially looking forward to the last 3 groups. Should be a good couple of days.

Spider Bites

Ooooooh, how ominous. Yes, spiders! Over the past few days I have killed 2 spiders, both a little bigger than we would like, and what happened when I killed them was kind of amazing and disconcerting. You see, when I squished the spiders, their little babies came pouring out. There must have been about 30-50 little babes running around. I had bug spray close enough and that barely stopped them. But I think I was able to get rid of them all.

Two points -

1. Next time you go to kill a spider at this time of year, beware of springing more baby spiders into your home.
2. Those babies were really hard to kill with insect spray.
3. God is pretty amazing with creation. I don't like spiders, yet, the miracle of life, even spider life was pretty amazing.

Sunday Reflections

Sunday was a long day. Worship - lunch at Chuck E. Cheese - Deacons meeting - worship.

I was pretty tired at the end of the day. However, it was a good day . . . a wonderful day. Not everyday, actually, only a once in a lifetime occurrence that you baptize your child. That was cool to be able to baptize both Joshua and Zachary in the past 8-9 months. Also to be able to have two other baptisms, that is great. The key being all three yesterday are new believers in Jesus, not transfers, which is okay, but people coming into a new and saving relationship with Jesus. Now that is awesome!!

I was struck by Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 4:7-18. Think about what he is telling us about life, which is fragile, difficult and not always fun, yet he considers our afflictions - light and momentary (vs. 17). As a result, we do not lose heart. How great is that!?!? Because in Paul's world he understood that "inwardly we are bing renewed day by day" (vs. 16). We have this great opportunity to call upon God everyday and be filled again and again and again and . . . . . . . It never need stop. The Spirit of God is always wanting, willing and ready to fill us. What a great God we have!

New Learnings

• Fasted yesterday! Boy does food have power over us (especially me). All I drank was water and a little juice. My age is showing, as I had a cramp in my left calf, something with sugar helped resolve it. I was fasting for someone else, but remembered how powerful fasting can be. I need to do it more often.

Some blogs which have had recent impact upon me and which you should read as well ~

• Read this for temptations a leader faces. It's very good and true. It is titled "WHAT LEADERSHIP DEMANDS."
• Gary Lamb has a great post about taking the easy road vs. the more difficult road. It's for leaders, but really this applies to all of us, in the blog titled, KNOWN ROUTE VS. THE EASY ROUTE.
• Scott Hodge gives some great advice about listening and learning in his blog, TWO EARS and ONE MOUTH.
• Another quick hitter from Steven Furtick. Go HERE and HERE.

That's it! Enjoy and grow in Christ!

Interesting Idea!

I read this at the Lifechurch.tv blog. This is an interesting way of doing church. I have actually heard of this before.


LifeChurch.tv
Think Smarter
Posted: 31 Jul 2008 05:15 AM CDT

Some people work too hard. Instead of working harder, they could work smarter.

On a recent flight, I bumped into Benny Perez. Benny pastors a fast growing church in Vegas. When they ran out of room in their three Sunday morning experiences, they figured out how to add a fourth.

• The church’s first experience now starts at 8:30 a.m.
• Benny begins the experience with preaching instead of worship.
• At 9:00 a.m., worship starts. So does the second worship experience.
• Once worship is finished, the 8:30 crowd is released and Benny preaches again to the 9:00 crowd.

He is thinking smarter.

If you are facing an obstacle, maybe God will show you something you’d never see otherwise.

Think smarter.

How are you and I learning to think smarter?

Prayer Time

I received this picture from a snack time when our resident clown Patty - Watty was with the kids. It's a cool picture of my boy in prayer.

Only issue is it looks like he is scrunching his nose. But it is neat to see that when he is not with Debbie and I and we are praying that he takes it seriously.
Makes the dad and mom feel like something is rubbing off.

Chapman's part 2

If you did not see the interview on Good Morning America, you can read the story here at the Good Morning America web-site. It's a powerful story of a family's love of God and one another; and the grace and hope they experienced.

Steven Curtis Chapman

Tomorrow morning (Wednesday) on ABC - Good Morning America Steven Curtis and his wife will discuss the tragic death of their daughter earlier this year. She was accidently run over by her brother. I have seen part of the interview and the focus is on faith in the midst of tragedy.

It is a powerful testimony to faith in the midst of suffering, pain, loss and uncertainty, where we ask lots of questions, and sometimes receive very little answers, other than 'God is faithful.'

One more television reminder, they will also be on the Larry King show on Thursday at 9 pm eastern time.

Tooth Removal

Joshua had two teeth removed today. Not fun for a kid who hates and fears needles. Of course Novocaine needles are always big and intimidating. I've had my share of them. He whimpered through that portion and when the dentist starting pulling, he actually was laughing. The dentist said, he's never had anyone laugh during a tooth pulling, let alone two.

I was proud of the boy. Good for him! Next week are two more. Now he is not afraid of next weeks pulling. And wow, did those baby teeth have deep roots!

Risking failure

Interesting blog from one that I receive daily called

BRAND AUTOPSY

Business Failure Commandments

Posted: 01 Aug 2008 09:27 AM CDT

---

What you just read is a money quote from Donald Keough’s recently published, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR BUSINESS FAILURE. For years Keough, a former long-time Coca-Cola executive, has been flipping the script by giving presentations on How to Fail in Business. Keough rightly reasons, by learning why companies fail, we can learn what NOT TO DO in order to achieve business success. Now these fail-trap lessons on business failure are available for us to read and learn from.

Keough, like his good friend Warren Buffet, is a smart businessman who doesn’t try to overcomplicate business theory and uses plain everyday language to share smart advice. Thus, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR BUSINESS FAILURE appeals to big business execs, small business owners, and aspiring entrepreneurs.

I was hooked early on when reading the first commandment leading to business failure: QUIT TAKING RISKS. Keough writes...

“Over time, many, many successful companies have failed to take important risks at critical points, and they have paid a price. Some have merely stumbled and found later redemption, but quite a few have not only fallen but disappeared. In the 1980s alone, 230 companies disappeared from the FORTUNE 500. In fact, only 16 of the 100 largest companies that were around in the early 1900s are still with us.”

To support this commandment, Keough gives us a history lesson by retelling classic failure stories from Xerox and Coca-Cola as well as mixing in new lessons in failure such as this one about Apple …

“In business, you can make a good argument for mistakes like Steve Job’s Lisa or Power MacCube because the highly creative Apple environment that spawned them also produced big winners like iPod and iPhone.”

“As Peter Drucker pointed out nearly fifty years agao, it is management’s major task to prudently risk a company’s present assets in order to ensure its future existence. In fact, if a company never has a failure, I submit that their management is probably not discontented enough to justify their salaries.”

---

Go ahead, chew on that last line cause its worth thinking about … “… if a company never has a failure, I submit that their management is probably not discontented enough to justify their salaries.”

MD: Interesting comments when we correlate them back to the church! And remember, in my eyes failure is not risking / not trying. We will always succeed when we step out of our comfort zone, maybe not to the degree we hoped for, but that success or lack of success can lead to greater successes . . . only because we risked in the first place.

Sunday Reflections

• A really good morning of worship. It seemed everything was hitting on all cylinders. Lots of positive comments.
• My sister and niece (with her 3 children) came from Chicago to visit for a couple of days. It was nice and meaningful to have them here. The message was especially appropriate for them, and many from what I heard (about Pain!)
• My niece was asking lots of questions after worship about church, religion, etc. She is married to a Catholic (who does not attend church) and Michelle is wanting to go. How cool is that!
• My sister really thought the music and the entire worship was "very moving." She was even tempted to come forward in the end for prayer. Janet is a Christian, but I'm honored that she was moved by God's Spirit.
• We came for last night's VBS and one of Michelle's children suddenly missed mom and started to scream, so Debbie and I hung out with her until mom came back, then another one just wanted mom with her. Kinda fun for a day or two to have girls around the house. Like I said, for a day or two.
  
• Anyway, good job to all yesterday. Also having Sue come forward to join makes 3 weeks in a row. I like that energy and hopefulness and the end of worship!!
  

Remember to focus on Jesus! He is our life source! Go and make a difference in someone's life this week!