Special Report - Eric Geiger At River Springs

My friend and co-author of the book, Simple Church, will be at River Springs Church in Columbia tomorrow. Let me know if you want to be a last minute add on . . . I will see what I can do.

Eight Super Foods - On Losing Faith

The only place you will get more arguments is politics and religion. I have embraced a list of eight super foods. One person suggested French Fries were left off the list. They were thinking of another list. Here are the eight foods you should eat every day: Oats, Blueberries, Black Beans, Spinach, Walnuts, Tomatoes, Yogurt, Carrots.

BTW, although everyone thinks they know the secrets of what you should eat, I have qualifications for my list. Can I find them at The Pig (Piggly Wiggly)? That makes more sense than needing to order my super foods online from the Middle East, or even worse, to grow them in my back yard. Also, is special preparation is required (although tomatoes are a rare food that is better for you cooked than raw)?

What if life could be reduced to formulas? Swallow this . . . get this outcome. Go here . . . receive this. Five steps to . . . Three Ways . . . etc. Life is not that simple. If a formula or process gets me over a mountain, it may or may not get you over the mountain. Even if it does get you over, there will be another mountain staring you in the face.

Am I losing faith? Not even close. The farther I go, the more I realize I am unable to predict and control outcomes. The more I am unable to predict and control outcomes, the more I embrace Christ. He is the only constant in my life. He is my strength, my ability, and my shield.

I love all 8 super foods. I seldom eat 8 out of 8 each day but I always make five or six. So what will be my outcome? Supposedly less of the things I don't want and more of the things I want. Time will tell. In the middle of the journey, I have something (someone) to embrace, and even greater, someone who embraces me. Ah yes, happy Easter!

World Headquarters today. My friend Eric Geiger (Simple Church) http://www.ericgeiger.com/ will be addressing our team and other movement makers on Tuesday. Fun!

Chicken Farming in West Columbia

I am not sure why, but Abby and I, on a whim, bought two baby chicks. My family was stunned that Mr. he-man pet hater brought home baby chicks. Some men buy sports cars and wear their shirts unbuttoned. I am going with the baby chicks as part of my man identity crisis. I want to be a chicken farmer.

I am getting plenty of enjoyable pay-off with my decision. First, (sorry for the relapse) my most unfavorite Siamese cat, Lilly, is miserable about the baby chicks. Second, I have out natured my good natured, raised on the farm, Elly Mae Clampett, wife, Yvette. She is as perplexed as Lilly about my behavior. They both sit and stare at the cage nervously.

I admire ten things about those baby chicks (Ginger and Nina).

1) The spring in their steps (such perky little things)

2) A sweet tone in their chirps (always upbeat)

3) They stand in their food and water (sense of humor)

4) Don't seem to care about the mess they are in (thick-skinned)

5) They hate and peck at Lilly (core values)

6) They will lay eggs soon (instant results)

7) Chicken feed is cheap (low maintenance)

8) No barky, no barky (no hang-ups)

9) No scratching on the couch (no bad habits)

10) No climbing on the curtains (no issues)

Bottom line, they are the anti-cat/dog and are proud of it. Wish I could keep Ginger and Nina long term. Can't do it unless I move to a farm. Hey, it's no sports car or unbuttoned shirt. Chicken feed for thought, huh?

Ocala Report - Vacation

What fun! Ocala, Florida for about three days. They didn't even miss me at World Headquarters. Boo hoo! I am nobody. Took some time off the blog, too.

Here are the Ocala highlights:

1. Horses - visited a training facility for race horses, Spring Garden Ranch http://www.springgardenranch.com/

2. Manatees - known as sea cows, endangered species . . . we saw four at Blue Spring State Park www.floridastateparks.org/bluespring/

3. Silver Springs - home of the famous glass bottom boats. Gators, bears, fish, giraffes http://www.silversprings.com/

4. Great workout at a world class (Compass) Gym. Stupid free weight activity. I am in pain.

5. Passed John Travolta's house/airport. I am a groupie. Can't help it. I am intrigued by celebs.

6. Hung out with my aunt's cool neighbor, Joe. Joe is 71. He is from Maryland. All three of his sons are in ministry. He is not a person, he is an organization! Never met a more normal guy.

7. Hung out with Jay and Joanna Mitchell from Church at The Springs http://www.thesprings.org/ (Ron Sylvia). Great folks. In a word, movement makers (is that two words?)

Deeper Waters - Resurrection Special Report

Not try to sell a brand of spirituality . . . Becoming a Christ follower is making a discovery, not being sold. I would do what I could to save you (whatever that might mean to you this morning). Problem: My ability to save is limited. I may not even be able to return your phone call or e-mail, much less save you from a sin, hang-up, hurt, or habit.

Jesus is willing to save you this morning . . . and He is able. He proved it when He defeated my deepest fear, my worse case scenario - death. How did He do it? Resurrection!

You don't have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this (John 11:25 MSG)?

Deeper Waters - 5K Special Report

Although I set a record time for me (26.09) and beat you know who, my overall Resurrection 5K performance was a disappointment. Just did not have it for this one. I learned some things. Tune in next week. You know there will be deeper waters (at least for me) flowing from my experience :).

Let Jesus Go Already

Thinking Out Loud has readers from different belief systems. Often I use certain Christian insider language and images. Hopefully the approach does not shut some of you out who are on a different journey. My prayer is that TOL content can interest you in a journey to the heart of Jesus. I could say more and will, but for now, Jesus is alive and worth getting to know.

USA Today (3/10/08) featured an article that created a new religious category: The Nones, as the writer called them, are a group (16% of Americans) that claim no religious affiliation, yet only 25% consider themselves atheists or agnostics. Called religious free agents, the Nones (50% consider their views Christian) represent the health of a spiritual not religious movement. I don't endorse the movement, necessarily, but taking a fierce personal inventory of our journey to Jesus might be a good thing.

For only the second time in the last ten years I am preaching to the same people (Willow Ridge Church) through Easter. I did it for twelve years to the same people in New Orleans. I must confess, the assignment makes the meaning greater. I am required to dig deeper and ask the hard questions in order to communicate for God during this significant time of year.

Let's see. Where does that leave us? Oh, yeah, Good Friday. Bad news for a bunch of Christ followers, or not? Sunday, I am going to tell the story about one of the three famous Marys of the Bible. Mary Magdalene has been called everything from a whore, to the wife of Jesus, from a disciple of Jesus, to a hairdresser. I think most of us have been called those things at one time or the other.

Not enough space to unpack, but read the story (The Bible - John 20). You will discover that on a journey to the heart of Jesus detox and growth is required. One (of many) reasons Good Friday was good was because a bunch of the short term views of Jesus died. Something new and better was coming, a good to great thing, that God was planning. A movement was on the heart of God.

What does a deeper relationship with Jesus look like for you? What needs to die (views of Jesus, selfish motivation, self-promoting religion, judgmental spirit) for you to move closer to His heart? You can cling to the old (Mary M. tried and almost missed the incredible staring right back at her) or you can let it go and discover the after Easter Jesus.

Resurrection 5K (Frogman/Duckman Beware), fun with girls, and Ocala is on the way in the next week. HQ will have to survive without me. I think they will do fine.

I Think I Know Why I Cried

College Road Trip with Martin Lawrence and Raven-Symone will not be a blockbuster. Disney did not have that in mind when they produced the movie. I would say it was another day another dollar for them.

Since I was a little kid passages made me uncomfortable. I love to hold on to the moment. In fact, some of those assessments (tests to see if you are wierd) verify I am an in the moment type person. Mary wanted to hold on to Jesus in the garden. Peter, James, and John wanted to hold on to the apprearance of Jesus with Moses and Elijah. I am not alone.

College Road Trip is about a major passage of a daddy's little girl moving from high school to college. Comfortable relationships are great, but no matter who they are with, they are going to change. The rythm of life demands relationships change. Nothing is more sad than separation. Thank God for unlimited nights and weekends but wow it hurts sometimes.

I think about how fun it was to watch David Letterman with Krista when she was five. I loved the buzz of taking her to King's Island at eleven. At 21 I sat across the table from her this week, a young wife, mother, and credit union employee in downtown Columbia. I admire her, but it is so hard to let go. I wanted to say, hey take the rest of the day off and let's go ride a roller coaster. Instead, I motioned to the waitress, one check please. We had spent the hour talking about grandsons, cars, David, and Weight Watchers. I went back to work and so did she.

As Raven said good-bye to her mother and father at a key point in the movie the cry monkey jumped on my back. Somehow they captured the fact that as much as Raven wanted separation, independence, etc. that at the final moment she was sad too. Nobody likes it, but change is a part of relationships. I am convinced that God pours value in my life as people come and go. Relational space is limited. No one enters and exits without purpose.

World Headquarters for a record third day in a row. Wow. One more day and its vacation. Ocala, Resurrection 5K (get ready to go down frogman), maybe a little golf, and some crazy fun little girls who will not little very long. Do I need it? Yeah, well who cares what you think? I am takin' it!

Welcome to Holland!

I was on a plane last week that was scheduled to land in Spartanburg, North Greenville, Greenville, Greer, and back home to Columbia. I was packed and fully prepared for all the excitement. Planters from U.S./Canada, college students eager to change the world, and movement makers of all ages were part of the itinerary.

Instead my plane landed abruptly in West Columbia, Tuesday afternoon. Two weeks before the big Resurrection 5K, I had one workout and two blogs for the week. Talk about an empty tank. I was face up on a mattress sweating through my fifth t-shirt in two days. No movement makers in sight. Our Siamese cat (who was in heat, btw) Tiger Lilly a.k.a Lilly, was as close as I would be to mulitiplication. Her week didn't go well either.

I wanted my Yvette to call Dustin Willis (Midtown) to pass on my thimble full of wisdom and the keys to my humble ministry in South Carolina before I died of the flu. She called him but he suggested I just text him anything he needed to know and to leave my keys in the mail box. Talk about living in the margins.

What happens when the plane lands at the wrong place? A place you didn't pack for. A place you never wanted to go, etc. Has that ever happened to you?

World Headquarters today. A bunch of catching up to do.

Self Worth - Where are the Bees?

You can really tell what puts more fuel in your tank when you can't do much. I have a lot of inspiring thoughts on paper about be vs. do. Do is such a trap door yet do defines me, unfortunately.

Maybe that is why Jesus had such a heart for the chronically ill and the poor. Helplessness is tough place to be. Your activity or ability to produce results is no longer fuel. People throw you an occasional bone, but those who are in the margins spend most of their time waiting for that someone to come along.

Hey, don't misread this. I am not that person. I have people swarming over me like bees (wife, daughters, staff) now. But just for a moment, if I let my mind wander, I get a faint idea of what it could be like. A scary place . . . out of the main stream of meaningful activity. Wow. I needed that reminder. Who is someone in the margins that you need to connect with today?

Still in rehab but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Quotables - Confession

I am on injured reserve with a pretty impressive case of the Flu. Bad timing. I missed two days of Intensive Church Planter Training, speaking at North Greenville chapel, etc.

Two weekend observations. Observation #1 was an impressive quote from Cleatus Blackmon, missionary in Greer with the Greer Baptist Association: Lord help us finish like we started.

I started with incredible passion for God. Risk was never an issue. Criticism usually fueled me vs. discouraged me. How did you start? Often we get mature and miss God's plan for us to finish well.

Observation #2 - I confess I cried at a movie for the first time in my life (No death or disease btw). Sounds pretty metrosexual doesn't it? College Road Trip with Martin Lawrence and Raven Symone was a heart stopper if you have daughters. The second Disney movie in a row (Game Plan) that implied certain family values. The movie was also rated G. Too much slapstick in College Road Trip at times, but that was probably the G part. Little kids love to see pigs destroy weddings.

Nothing dramatic today. Home and on the mend. I feel like I did when I was a kid. Looking out the window, watching my friends play baseball, knowing I can't play for today. Oh well.

Blind Spots II - Catcher vs. Pitcher

I don't know if Bob Logan was telling me the last 5%. I gave him permission to speak into my life. He took me up on the proposal. He said something to the effect that I was in too much trouble with people. He suggested I stop walking into the room throwing fast balls. Steve Covey would say it this way, Seek first to understand, then be understood. Be a catcher, not a pitcher were Bob Logan's words.

The words stung a bit, however, I got it. I needed it. He pointed out something I was missing in the rear view mirror. The blind spot was dangerous to others. I was putting myself in danger, too. Have I mastered these situations yet? Not at all. But my world changed as I applied the words. I need more people in my life like Bob. I will tell you about another one tomorrow.

Busy days but all good. Yesterday was Rock Hill and Greenville County. Fresh wind. Changing landscapes. Signed up for the Resurrection 5K on Easter weekend. The jog continues. Wonder if you know who will show? Bet he is scared. He knows he can't beat me three times in a row.

Blind Spots

You ever looked in your mirror to change lanes on an interstate, saw nothing, then changed lanes only to merge in front of an on coming car. How did you feel? Embarrassed? Stupid? How many times have you done that?

We normally call it a blind spot. A place where I see nothing, yet something is there. I have noticed at this phase in life I have a solid understanding of my weaknesses. My blind spots are things I may never know about. Driving along causing all types of havoc, endangering myself and others, all for something I am clueless about.

So what should I do? What are my next steps?
1. Surround myself with honest people (Few exist that love you that much).
2. Do life with Jesus (He is always inviting me deeper).
3. Be careful when I change lanes (a belief that my best intentions can be dangerous).
4. Ask those I trust for the last 5% (the hard stuff we think but we dare not say).

Much more coming here. On the road today to Rock Hill and Greenville. Great conversations yesterday with people from all worlds. World Headquarters, Willow Ridge, Yvette, Anna, Abi, David and Owen . . . fun. Hope I was careful changing lanes.

Time Out, While I Go Get My Belt

Who said, Expectations are greater than realization? My dad is the first person I ever heard make the statement. Google did not know. It's scary, when Google does not know.

My mother would say, you should do better and you ought to have known better. I should have used that expectations line on her. However, that was the old days. She would have gone old fashioned on my behind, in spite of Dr. Spock. Mom did not understand the incredible benefit of a time out. Her time out was, time out while I go get the belt.

Would you lower them today? Your expectations? I know that for another blog, another day, another context, we can talk about raising your expectations.

Expect the . . .

• drive through or toilet to be clogged
• waitress to get mixed up
• people around you not to understand
• multiple transactions by the person in front of you
• people around you to miss the deadline
• phone call or email not returned
• cell phone call to drop right when you are concluding the conversation
• boss to be too busy
• wife to be distracted
• car not to start
• project to cost more than you planned
• other expectations as owned or assigned to go unmet

The benefits? Here is a big one. A lower level of anger, stress, and frustration. Why? Because you have learned that life and people will never be perfect, no matter how hard you try.

Day two in Myrtle with movement makers. Heard a lot of stories yesterday. Laughed and learned. We all needed a few giggles and lessons.

Survived 5K

In spite of a billy goat sized mountain for almost a mile, I finished the March for Meals 5K Saturday with a new personal record (26.57). I came in 94th place. Impressive? Not really. Fun? Absolutely. Plus . . . stories. I have to get my courage up one day and tell you about Frog man. He came out of no where to beat me for the second time in the last four months.

What is more important for you this week? Beating someone else or beating yourself? If you commitment is to beat someone else you might be underachieving.

In Myrtle Beach today at a pastor's retreat. Talk about your movement makers. Wow. Great weekend. Another amazingly busy but exciting run the next 2 weeks. More later.