"We Interupt this Regularly Scheduled Program..."

I love my sleep. In fact, I believe that sleep is one of God's greatest gifts to His children. Sleep is the warm, tasty rest that comes over you after being awake for 16 hours or so. Sleep is God's way of letting us know that He is ultimately in charge, and that the world will NOT spin out of control if we take a few hours off. AAhhh sleep; what a wonderful gift you are.

Lately this gift of uninterrupted unconsciousness has become a lot more valuable. Kind of like TIME or anything else that we take for granted, I didn't know how priceless it was, until I lost some of it.

My sleep schedule now depends largely upon the needs and whims of a seven month old little girl who proclaims (very loudly I might add) her desire for my immediate attention regardless of my intended nightly schedule or my convenience. She knows only that she wants me and wants me NOW!

Over time I'm sure that will change. Over time and as she grows, I'm sure that I will eventually explain to her the virtue of patience and carefully explain that she doesn't need to have every impulsive desire met, the moment that she desires it.

However, right now I am amazed at my willingness to be interrupted for someone that I love! Most nights I groggily I make my way up the stairs at 2:00am to comfort her, sing her back to sleep, bring her a bottle or change a wet diaper. To some it may seem like an annoyance and sometimes it feels like it too. But afterwards, as I make my way down the stairs back to my bed, I receive the quiet satisfaction of being inconvenienced for someone I love without expecting anything in return.

The truth is that I love my daughter more than I love my sleep. Time spent with her (even at an inconvenient time) is more precious than my sleep schedule.

When it comes to my relationship with Christ however, I often am not that easy going. I have been given so many good gifts and yet the second I feel inconvenienced or interrupted, I grumble or wonder why this is my responsibility? Even though I am richly blessed, when it comes to being inconvenienced for Jesus, my tolerance for interruption is far less.

What a difference love makes.

Why is it sooo hard for me to understand that interruption is often God's way of telling me that He loves me and desires my immediate attention? Maybe if I sought His face everyday the way that I seek my daughter's, then maybe I wouldn't get so bent out of shape when He gives me the opportunity to meet Him at (what I feel )is an inconvenient moment.

When I love God more than my regularly scheduled routine, maybe I'll finally get it!

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."

-Proverbs 16:9

It's not a head thing...

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He is known for and associated with many things; things like the Civil War, The Gettysburg Address, The Emancipation Proclamation, The abolition of slavery and top hats. His image is so familiar that I don't know many people who would not recognize even a child's rendering of his image.

Jesus of Nazareth, however, was a Jewish man born in Bethlehem around 2,050 years ago. His mother's name was Mary, His father was a carpenter named Joseph, and His cousin was John the Baptist. Jesus taught and preached the coming of God's Kingdom, healed the sick, the blind and the lame and occasionally brought dead people back to life until his crucifixion at age 33. Three days after His death, He rose from the dead and 40 days later He ascended into Heaven on a cloud.

Algebra is probably one of the main branches of what is called pure mathematics. It deals with general statements of relations utilizing letters and other symbols to represent specific sets of numbers and/or values.

Now your probably wondering what Jesus, Abraham Lincoln and Algebra all have in common. To tell you the truth, I can't think of one thing, other than the fact that we often look at Jesus the same way we look at anything else. We can know all there is to know about Jesus of Nazareth. We can study ancient texts and learn exactly where Jesus was born, where He and His family fled to in Egypt in His early childhood, and where Golgotha was geographically located during the Roman occupation of Jerusalem. We can study the Bible, and memorize every parable Jesus taught.

We can learn all that can be known about Jesus and still miss Him completely! I can affirm in my mind all the correct doctrine about Jesus and still not in my heart acknowledge Him as Lord of my daily living. If my Christianity is largely based on how much I know or how much Scripture I memorize, while failing to apply this wisdom, then I might as well be studying algebra because there is as much saving power in the historical person of Jesus Christ as there is in Abraham Lincoln.

"Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." -James 1:22

New Challenges, New Possibilities

Fuzzy Bunz, Happy Hiney's and Bumboozle's are new words that have recently been added to my vocabulary. They all refer to a separate brand of cloth diaper that Sarah and I are trying out on Mia. They all come in bright, fun colors. Some are softer, some more absorbent, and some just look more comfortable. Some have snaps, and some have velcro straps, but all are designed for the same purpose... They absorb life's unfortunate messes.

For the last several months, life for me (as I'm sure many of you) had gotten messy and some parts of it really stunk! With photography demands, church commitments, school work, my father's cancer, my stupid cat and leaky roof, life in general got crowded and uncomfortable! But now that I am a FATHER, I see that it doesn't get less so, but instead simply requires a more disciplined and prioritized schedule and a bright, colorful, strappy group of other villagers to help ABSORB THE LOAD.

On Sunday September 13th, we held a parents meeting to discuss the current and future needs of Mt. Auburn's youth program (to which I owe the turnout largely to Sharon Martin). The meeting was successful and several parents stepped up to the changing table (as I knew they would). I am convinced that better communication, and parent involvement in upcoming events, ministry & fellowship opportunities, combined with the opening of the new OFLC, will God-willing, usher in a spiritual awakening in our individual families and church as a whole.

We also formally introduced Matt Robinette (our college intern) to all those present and I would like to communicate to all parents how pleased I am that Matt has joined our ministry team. He is a senior at the University of Indianapolis, majoring in youth ministry and entrepreneurship, and is genuinely excited about his relationship to Jesus Christ and being part of this youth ministry.

Dick Davis, (a long-time member of Mt. Auburn) is doing his part by offering his artistic services in the new youth rooms. This is a huge undertaking and we are indeed blessed by his generosity.

I truly believe that with God's help, our commitment to work together this fall will usher in the most potent force for Christ that Mt. Auburn has ever seen!

"For we are to God, the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." -2 Corinthians 2:15