My DNA

Free-Wheeling Architect

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Goodbye Relationships - A Devotion for Lent

I have this philosophy which I like to call "goodbye relationships." You'll find it anywhere you find people. More specifically, people leaving other people. I've noticed it every time I have moved towns. I've noticed it in hospitals. I've noticed it on planes. You may not have realized it, but goodbye relationships are all around you. You've probably even been a part of them.

When we, as relational beings, find ourselves in a relationship that is coming to a close, something changes. Something shifts us into relationship survival mode. We begin to shake free from whatever fears or uncertainties may have hindered that relationship in some way. Every time, my wife and I have moved towns, an urgency has come upon us and we found ourselves wanting to spend more and more time with the friends we would be leaving behind. Regrets of not taking more time with friends…sooner. Goodbye relationships are found around every corner in hospitals and nursing homes. Loved ones clinging on to loved ones and desiring just one more moment from someone they've taken for granted in the past.

Here we are…a few days away from Holy Week. This is the time during which we remember the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as he begins his last week of earthly ministry. It was his final week and he knew it. This was his last opportunity to physically be with the people he loved, and he took advantage of it. As we read scripture, we find the urgency in Jesus' actions and his words as he teaches in the temple. His intimacy with his closest friends as they share one last meal together. His intensity as he prayed at Gethsemane. "And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." Luke 22:44

Jesus knew the time was drawing near when he would no longer be with his disciples. He knew there would be a time when he would not be able to go to the temple to teach and answer questions. This was it--His last week. He shifted into goodbye relationship survival mode. Only this wasn't for his survival, it was for ours. He knew what was to come at the end of the week, and he knew we wouldn't understand it. His concern and intensity was birthed from his love for us. He knew we would need some help in order to survive the coming storm. "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:7, 33

Jesus understood that, though he would die and no longer walk the earth as a man, the relationship wouldn't end there. He knew he would send a Counselor (John 16:7) that would come to dwell with man forever. His urgency and intensity was for our benefit. He would and did do all that he could to assure his eternal relationship with his creation. His urgency took him to a cross and then to a grave. But death could not conquer him. Through his sacrifice, we can rest in knowing that there is no goodbye relationship with Jesus, our Savior. If we trust in the Word that he left us and in the love and forgiveness he offers, he will dwell with us forever and we will dwell with him.

The Example - A Devotion for Lent

First there was the monocle. That small piece of glass held in with a squint of the eye.

Could there be more than this? Could we be missing something? Let's add ear pieces to hold them on for us.

Then there were spectacles. Those frames of metal and springs resting on the bridge of our noses.

But these aren't working. They hurt the back of my ears and keep sliding off my nose. Could we find something more convenient? Maybe there's something else we could try.

Contact Lenses. They fit tightly on your eyes. No need to worry about them hurting your ears.

But now I have to spend extra time every morning rinsing with saline solution and keeping them disinfected. Oh, the turmoil. Why can't we just not wear anything?

Ahhh, the wonders of LASIK!!

Let's shine lasers in our eyes. This should take care our problem...for now.

We live in a world of amazing technology, convenience, and comfort. A society that caters to our every whim. If we can dream it up, it's probably available somewhere…or at least it will be tomorrow. Everything from microwaves, TIVO’s, and iPods contribute to our me mind set. We even have 24-hour shopping centers to fit into my time schedule. And when I don’t have any extra time in my schedule, I can just pay my bills over the internet without leaving the comfort of my own home. It’s all about convenience. It’s all about me!!!

We are hard pressed to find examples in our culture that go against the grain and emphasize sacrifice and humility. Very little directs our focus onto what really matters. We do, however, have the example of Jesus Christ. His life and ministry focused, not on His own agenda, but the will of His Father. Even as His earthly ministry was coming to an end, praying at Gethsemane, He knew what was ahead of Him, and still He relinquished His own wants and desires, for the desire of His Father.

“Then He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, ‘Abba, Father! All things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.’” Mark 14:35-36. HCSB

We are bombarded by so many things throughout our day that try to make us comfortable...easy...tranquil, we miss what’s really going on. Satan tries to distract us with these empty substitutes that the world calls good; however, he can’t offer us the best. That is left up to God. God knew there was only one way to redeem the world. He had to make a sacrifice—His Son (Ephesians 5:2). He made a choice to send His Son, and His Son made a choice to carry it through. It wasn’t the most convenient. It wasn’t the most comfortable. But it was the best. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have Life, and we have it abundantly. Today, we, too, have a choice to make. It’s not easy. But it is worth it.

This week, allow yourselves to evaluate your day. What is holding your attention? Now, don’t get me wrong, comfort and convenience are not bad things...UNLESS...it is keeping you from something greater...the Best.

And before I go any further, let me clarify my opening statement, I am not opposed to LASIK (I may even have it done one day). After all, it helps us see more clearly. I pray your vision would, indeed, be clear this week and during this season of Lent. May you fix your eyes upon Jesus Christ and see Him as He truly is...the Savior...the Sacrifice...the Example.

Additional Scripture to meditate on:
Romans 12:1; Luke 9:23; Matthew 20:26-28; Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 10:11-14; Daniel 3:28

Wow, how time flies! I always have good intentions to post regularly and then . . . BOOM!!! . . . life happens and weeks fly by.

Well the road was long and the road was flat, but we finally made it to Texas. We rolled into town at 1:00am after driving straight through without any major glitches in our plans. We made great time--aside from the hour stuck in Memphis traffic after a truck pulling a backhoe decided he wanted to ignore the clearance height of an overpass slamming into it, sending the backhoe flying off the trailer and spreading concrete from the overpass across almost every lane. This did make me me feel much better about my truck driving skills.

Anyway, let’s rewind a little bit. We finally got everything packed up and loaded on to the trucks . . . and yes, I said “trucks” . . . we had two of them. Luckily, the children’s minister for Fairway and her husband flew to Nashville to help us drive the trucks back. What a blessing! We set out early that morning expecting to stop and finish up the next day; however, after 10 or 11 hours, we all still felt really well, so we pushed on arriving in Wichita Falls at not-so wide-eyed 1:00am.

The next day we unloaded the bare essentials into our apartment and then met with a crew (and when I say “crew,” I mean “crew!” About 20 or so) to unload the trucks into our storage unit. Let me tell you, that was impressive! They unloaded BOTH 24 foot trucks into the storage unit in under an hour. WOW!! Under an hours!!! We thought it would probably take, at least three.

My first day on staff was the June 4th, and along with it came excitement, anticipation, nervousness, joy, and peace about how God had led us here. That night, the church held a homemade ice cream social (which, by the way, was scrumptious) and were planning on “pounding” us while we were there. We weren’t quite sure what a “pounding” was, but from the sound of it, we thought we would probably be sore the next day. But, luckily for us, there was no beating involved. It’s actually a tradition of inviting someone into the neighborhood by giving gifts of food and essential “life” items (e.g. flour, sugar, vegetables, paper towels, toilet paper). What an overwhelming gesture!! Danielle and I were both blown away by the outpouring of generosity by the church members.

We are trying to get settled into the groove of things. Danielle is focusing on looking for us a house and taking care of the details of life—getting insurance set up, bank accounts, groceries, etc. And I’m working (it has yet to feel like “work”) on worship sets, websites, etc. I still can’t get over the difference between working and doing something you were created to do.

Anyway, we are getting used to Texas. We love the area, the weather (although hot, very little humidity), and mostly, the people of Fairway. In just over a month being here, we already feel at home. It feels like we’ve been here for years. It’s just another affirmation of God calling us here.

Let The Chaos Begin!!

Well today is my last day at work. For those of you who don’t know, Danielle and I will be moving to Wichita Falls, Texas, where I have accepted a position with Fairway Baptist Church as their Worship Pastor. After almost four months of emails, phone calls, flights, interviews, and stress, the church officially voted on May 7th to ask us to come join their family. And without hesitation, we said, “YES!!!!”

After today, the chaos begins. I’m not a big fan of “the move.” No matter how many lists I write, rewrite, merge together, and write again. I always have this small voice chatting in my head, “Adam, there’s something missing.” “You forgot something.” “What could it be?” “What could it be?” “What could it be?”

Everything from storage units and apartments, to utilities and moving trucks, there are WAY too many details when it comes to moving, especially when trying to do so in less than three weeks. Luckily, I’m married to a woman who obsesses over details just as much as I do...maybe even a little bit more. (Love you, honey) Together we can make bulleted menus of “to-dos,” enter excel spreadsheets, and drain hi-liters with each task completed. It seems to work.....for now.

We plan on loading up the storage unit this weekend and the apartment early next week. We hit the open road on Wednesday and hopefully arrive in our new home on Thursday. And just as we are finishing up the frenzied furry of “the move”, the real chaos begins—ministry.

My first official date on staff is June 4th. This is a date that has been in my mind and on my heart for almost ten years. When I was a freshman in college and began traveling around leading worship at revivals, retreats, and conferences, I knew one day God would call me to a specific church to start full-time ministry. That day is finally here!!!

It is an exciting time for me. Looking back I can see His sovereignty in bringing both Danielle and me to this point. It is so refreshing to feel His presence and realize that during those times of doubt and struggle, He was still moving and molding us for this place in time.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11

What a peace-giver. When I’m screaming at the top of my lungs, “What are You doing? You’ve got it all wrong!!” He sits and waits for me to calm down and then whispers, “Trust me. I know what I’m doing. I’ve got a plan.”

For ten years, He has been sculpting me into “Adam” and fashioning Danielle into “Danielle.” He gave us certain gifts at birth He knew we would later use for His glory. For me, a knack for computers and a bent for music. As for Danielle, the gift of art, a passion for animals, and a listening ear…an ear that truly hears God’s people. And during life, He shaped and tweaked those gifts with life experience, people around us, and with dry times of waiting.

What an encouragement it is to know that the Creator of all things waits for me—waiting for us. Honestly, He patiently waits for you and for me. When we are running around trying to figure things out on our own (and usually messing things up in the process), He waits for us. Why? Because when He thinks of us, He doesn’t see the mess we’ve got ourselves into, He sees the end result—we will be like Jesus. No matter how trivial a situation may seem or how long a dry spell may last, He has planned for it and prepared you for it. And then, that situation will prepare you for another situation in the future, and so on and so on, until our heart and our spirit are like His Son’s. Did you hear that? We are to be like His Son—Jesus Christ.

So through all of the anxiety, stress, worry, waiting, and wondering, there emerges JOY. Joy in knowing that you have become closer to who you were created to be—YOU!!!

So after ten years of waiting, God has said, “Now, Adam. Now is the time. Six years ago you weren’t ready. Not even last year. Last week you were close, but no cigar. But now, now is the time. GO!!!” How exciting!!!......Oh man, now is the time....what am I thinking? I’m not ready!! What if He’s wrong?? What if He read the schedule wrong??

Well, there I go again. I guess I’ll just have to trust and see what happens. How exciting!! Let the chaos begin.

I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.

Department of the Redundancy Department

“Department of the Redundancy Department, can I help you?”

There I lay on my side, in bed, half asleep. A million thoughts going on inside my mind. Nothing really important…just thoughts. Then something grabs my attention. You know, one of those things that once you start thinking about it, you can’t really stop until it all makes sense. Well, there I was, head smashed halfway into my pillow, and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. My breath.

Last weekend, Danielle was sick with sinus, flu, bug, congestion stuff and on Friday night she laid there in bed not being able to breathe out of either nostril, and it hurt breathing out of her mouth. It wrecked her whole body. I didn’t get whatever Danielle had (knock on wood). And tonight, I’m feeling just fine, but for some reason, I’m only breathing out of one nostril. I know what you’re thinking…“You can’t be serious? Is he really talking about nostrils?” Anyway, humor me for a moment. I’m pretty sure the other one wasn’t blocked, but for some reason, my breath preferred my left nostril last night.

Anyway, so I started thinking…which always seems to lead into dangerous territory. If we only need one nostril to breathe well, then why do we have two? Well, the longer I lay there, I figured it out. Redundancy. Why do we have two nostrils? Because they occasionally get clogged. They get gooped up with junk from who knows where. And when one nostril ceases to function for a time, well, the other is there to step up. (Unless you’re my wife who has an uncanny ability to get them both stopped up at once.)

This is when God began to cultivate my thoughts. How amazing it is that God’s truth permeates every aspect of life—everything from human physiology to practical application for His people.

“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20

“Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.” Mark 6:7

“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.” Luke 10:1

Jesus sent his disciples and his followers out two by two. Why? Because he knew what would happen eventually. He knew, somewhere along the way, one of them would get gooped up from life’s junk. One would cease to function for a time. “If one falls down his friend can help him up. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.” Ecclesiastes 4:10,12 Jesus knew we would need backup. We would need someone in our life to help us along our journey.

I’ve always heard the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians, “[The God] who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” Isn't that awesome!! God provides backup when we need it, and then when we have the opportunity, we get to be someone’s backup in return. What an amazing privilege!!

Why do we have two ears, two eyes, two kidneys, two lungs, or four chambers in our heart? Two ears? We can hear just fine with one, but with two we can sense the direction from which the sound comes. God knew that when we have true friends around, we, too, can sense the direction of the softest sounds. How about His whisper? Ever have trouble hearing it? Ask your closest of friends and listen. It’s there. We can see fine with one eye. But with two, we gain perspective. With true friends around, we no longer see in just two dimensions. We’ve gained perspective. Life in 3D!! Depth of field. Isn’t it a lot easier to see when something’s going to smack you in the face, when you have both eyes open? I know there have been numerous times a friend has kept me from getting knocked off my feet, just because they were there with me. Can you think of a time? Probably. Maybe even two or three.

What a wonderful feeling to be able to rest in the comfort of a backup. Doesn’t it put your mind at ease, knowing if you mess up, there’s someone there? Furthermore, what a privilege it is to be a backup. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17:17 God knew we would mess up, forget, tear down, doubt, fall, fall again, and get gooped up. God knew we should have a backup. He knew we would need it.

The world is full of backups. Do you know the world’s largest manufacturer of backups? The Church. It’s how God designed it. He placed it on this earth to seek the lost and to love each other. “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35

Have you been a backup lately? Someone to be leaned on in time of trouble? Have you needed a backup? Has someone comforted you with the same comfort they received from God? Have you thanked them? Maybe you should. Maybe I should. Maybe we should rest in the peace and comfort of knowing we’re not doing this alone.

Maybe, tonight, I’ll let my right nostril take the reins, and give my left one a break.

It's Official...I'm a Junkie. : (

My wonderful wife gave me the most amazing gift for Christmas--IT'S TIVO!!! I'm not sure how familiar you are with this wonderful wonder of freedom that releases us all from the timetable of the tube, but let me share...it's MAGNANOMOUS!!! It has a feature that allows the user to program in, not just one episode, but an entire season, including all episodes at any time on any channel. Now, I'll never miss an episode. HOW EXCITING!!!!

After getting comfortable with the other basic features of this machine from God, I began the task of setting up the various shows my wife and I watch. One after another, I entered show after show. My joy escalated as I felt the shackles of network television fall from remote. And just as quickly as my bonds were gone, another thought filled my mind, "Holy Cow!!! Could it be true?"

As I gazed at the list of my "have-to-watch" TV shows, I could only admit one thing: I'm a TV junkie. I'm not proud of it. But hey, admitting it is the first step, right?

For your viewing pleasure, here is the list that now consumes my TIVO.

24
Amazing Race
American Idol
The Apprentice (The Donald, not Martha)
The Bachelor(ette)
Big Brother
Biggest Loser
Boston Legal
Celebrity Fit Club
CSI (not Miami or NY)
Desperate Housewives
E.R.
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Grey's Anatomy
How I Met Your Mother
Kenny vs. Spenny
LOST
My Name Is Earl
MythBusters
The OC (I know.....shut up!)
RockStar
Survivor