today's newspaper article... and my favorite response so far

Something I
wrote in my
newspaper column
this week:

To The Young Man Who Wants To Marry My Daughter

My favorite reader's email so far is this one:

I AM A 96 YEAR OLD LADY WHO ENJOYS GOOD READING. I LIVE ALONE --MY SONS ARE SR CITIZENS--MARRIED--SO I HAVE NO ONE TO SEND YOUR WONDERFUL LETTER TO. BUT I HOPE MANY GUYS WILL READ YOUR LETTER. IT IS THE BEST I HAVE EVER SEEN--THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.

SINCERELY... CATHERINE

our community on our community - pt 1

This week's newspaper article is online, beginning a new series all this month called "Our Community On Our Community."  What insights do everyday people have to offer us that we may otherwise skip over because it's not our usual vantage point?

Check it out here: http://connectionchurch.org/tonymyles/

You can also read a great post from Aadvantage Cab here: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=141981475812993

a final, real-life spin on L O S T

 

Over the past few days, I've had several conversations involving the finale of the show L O S T.  Today I was able to share some perspective on it via my weekly newspaper column.

Click here to read that article: "L O S T" in Relationships

While much has been said on the topic of how the show ended, I'm more interested in the reason behind the debate it's caused.  Here's what I've been able to discern from the big picture:

• Some people watched the show for the characters: From the "opening" scene to the final "closure," we have been the real eyes that have watched every monumental moment that occurred in the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815.  Along the way we learned about "Others" on the island, and many who were off the island with a tie to what was occurring.  Throw in two more characters who made it all about good and evil and there were many people to care about and despise.
  
  
• Some people watched the show for the mystery:  Once upon a time there was an injured pilot who got attacked by "something" that made weird noises.  Oh, and then there was a hatch in the island - what the heck?  And then "others" who stole a boy?  What about that weird cabin in the woods, or the weird whispers from invisible people, or the Dharma Initiative symbols all over the island?  Can someone please explain the numbers?
  
  All of these questions once were watercooler conversations, until many of those questions were answered.  Some weren't, though.  It seems that has driven a large number of people quite mad.
  
  
• Some people watched the show for the production: Let's face it, this TV show has pulled in some of the best writing, production, and actors in all of entertainment history. What they accomplished in terms of set design on the island of Hawaii was amazing, not to mention the caliber of music that made every ordinary moment epic.  It seemed like even some of the side characters were played by quality actors who could pull off some of the toughest scenes, as if even the "everyman" character (that likely represented you or I) could carry a portion of the show as needed.

I've realized that the people who fall into one category may struggle with the people in the other categories.  For instance, someone who loves that the show has been about characters may not understand the angst of someone who wanted every question answered.  Likewise, someone who enjoyed the show purely on a production level may not understand how attached fans became to the show.

My spin...

• What is the point of LOST: According to the producers, it's about the characters.  That's always been my spin as well.  I wouldn't say that it's only about relationships, but I would say that all the mysteries are more scenery than the point of the show.
  
  I know this is frustrating to people who wanted more of a tidy ending to the show, but consider life... you can argue that the people who were in your life 10 years ago who no longer are were a "waste of time" (i.e. Lost mysteries that were not answered). Or you can see how while they are not directly on your radar right now they contributed to a small or large piece of who you are and how you see life.
  
  For instance, Dharma may seem "useless" since it didn't play into the finale... or did it? After all, wasn't Sawyer the man he was in this final season due to what happened to him during those three years with Juliet? Are Walt's powers as important as what his disappearance did to Michael, which in turn affected the survivor's rallying to go find them, confront the Others, learn about the agenda of the Others, learn about why that agenda existed (i.e. Jacob), and so on?
  
  And what about the people we saw for a season but don't any more?  Was learning about Mr Ecko a waste of energy?  Or those Dharma guys last year?  How about Shannon?  And Boone?  To say they didn't matter is like saying all a plant needs to grow is a seed.  It needs foundation... soil... water... and so on.  Each character on this show has affected another, just like how the person who cut you off in traffic today and made you miss the green light affected you more profoundly than you may ever realize.
  
  In many cases, we should note, it took that one special moment with that one special person for it all to happen.  Kate didn't just wear a mask... she was a mask.  That is, until taking care of Aaron made her become vulnerable.  Jack, likewise, had to realize his goal of getting off the island before he realized that it wasn't what he wanted.  And so on.
  
  Isn't it beautiful how in every failing there is a great victory, and in every victory there is a great failing?
  
  
• What was the point of the "flash sideways?" and the finale?:  When I watched the first episode of this season, I found myself more enlightened than confused.  While many saw two storylines being played out that didn't seem to connect, I saw the same storyline being played out in two ways that I anticipated would merge into one.  On one hand, the characters we knew were able to live out their life as if Oceanic 815 had never crashed.  In another timeline, they were still on the island.
  
  Or were they?
  
  The key was always in Juliet's death.  In her last moments before passing away, she uttered two lines of dialogue that seemed out of character for the moment.  Later in that episode we found out her last thought was "It worked."  That was our clue there that the two storylines would somehow merge.  The question for me became "how?"
  
  At first I wondered if it wouldn't be a sci-fi ending of sorts, with some character (Desmond or Jack) tying up the loose ends.  Soon I realized that again the key was in Juliet dying... she had a near-death vision that she thought meant things had reset.  In reality, she was entering the "afterlife" place that the flash-sideways was.
  
  Then there was the issue of the final scenes... somehow I knew they would have to root us back to the show's core elements - the ensemble cast and the eye of Jack Shepherd.  How fitting that they would both happen at the same time, both in the real-time era of the island and  the non-time era of the afterlife.
  
  Frankly, I know that ticked some people off... but isn't the purpose of any great show or movie to affect you in some way?  To change you?  To get you thinking about your own life versus merely solving why a hatch is on an island?
  
   
• What about _____?: I hate to say this, but let it go.  It's a TV show, and granted... it's one that you invested up to six years of your life into.  Was the point always for you to be satisfied, or was it to be on a fictional journey that in some way played into your non-fiction life?
  
  Consider - how many answers have you found in life, only to realize there is so much more you need to grow into?  In the same way, even for all the things the characters on LOST accomplished there was still more to be done... Jack was Jacob's replacement, but then he needed Hurley; Widmore made it to the island, but didn't fulfill his purpose; Michael got Walt off the island, but their relationship dissolved; the Oceanic Six made if off the island, but needed to come back.
  
  The unanswered questions of this show remind us of our own lives, and that's why we cry "NOT FAIR!"  After all, entertainment is supposed to have the Hollywood ending, but this show reminded us that even when we save the world today we have to save it again tomorrow.  And ultimately we will die and someone else will have to pick up that baton.
  
  One day, that will all change... in the blink of an eye.
  
  But for now, that is the merry-go-round we are on. 
  
  And if you don't like it, then you know how Locke must have felt when Ben kept all the secrets; or how Ben felt when un-Locke kept all the secrets.
  
  Turns out the show keeps on giving, doesn't it? :)
  
  So you can be as stuck in the past as Sawyer, Juliet, Miles, Farady, and Jin were...
  
  or you can remember what today's date is.

So again, I encourage you to read that article up top I wrote and consider how what you've experienced in this show has added perspective to your own life that you may currently be unaware of.

And as a final note, I do appreciate the spiritual conversations that I've been able to have through LOST.  A couple of years ago I did a sermon series on it that walked us through the book of Job, and man whose life truly embodied this scene.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg2tB_xTt9I



But again - this show involves the everyday as well as the eternal... faith and science... redemption and injustice... battles and babies. Maybe it’s understandable why everyone is flipping out - because when mysteries stay mysteries we become keenly aware of how our own life can feel unsatisfying.

Which, as a side point - or perhaps a core point - is worth noting.  How is it that inside of us are we intuitively wired to yearn for resolution?  It's as if deep down we know that there is more than what is in front of us, even though we can't see it.

Sounds like faith.

And in the same breath, we know that there are steps to take to move forward... even though we have to figure them out in real time.

Sounds like science.

Apparently, you can embody both.

covering a decade in one post

It's wild how much happens in a decade, and how certain themes stand out to different people. Be it good times or tough times, God uses so many things shape a person.

In 2000...

• I bought a kerosene heater and filled our bathtub up with water just in case Y2k went down. It was the first house we owned together.
• My wife and I welcomed in the New Year together by counting down with folks from our church. Just a few seconds before midnight, I gave her a pair of diamond earrings.
• I got my first writing assignment from someone... and I gave it away to them for free.
• I went to my first National Youth Worker's Convention.
  
• My wife was a teacher in the public schools, and I was a youth pastor in a great church.
  
• It was just Katie and I... and our dog.

In 2001...

• My son, Joshua, was born to us... what an incredible blessing. His life helped save two others within just months of his birth.
• My dad responded to an invitation to receive Jesus into His life in a new way.
• I went to my second National Youth Worker's Convention. While I was gone, my wife became ill.
  
• A group of guys and I coordinated a huge weekend in Chicago for thousands of teens.
  
• Our senior pastor left to start another church, and so I started doing a lot of the preaching in addition to the youth ministry. It was still a great church, though.

In 2002...

• My son took his first steps... and I saw them.
• I went to my third National Youth Worker's Convention... this time as a speaker. While I was gone, bees infested my home.
  
• I ate the best steak in my life... probably the best meal in my life. Some place in Sacramento that I never caught the name of but could find if given the chance.
• Our church hired a new senior pastor.
• I was unjustly let go from my position at the church. I had to work as a waiter to help my family get by, in addition to anything else I could find. I also had to decide if I wanted anything to do with "church world" anymore... which meant a huge crisis in my faith. Instead of hitting auto-pilot, I entered into some deep soul digging... and came out on the other side more in love with the Lord and His Church ("on it's good days and it's bad days") than ever before.
  
• I entered a new church and took on the youth ministry role there.
• My family and I sold our old home and took on a new home.

In 2003...

• My son, Daniel, was born to us... another incredible blessing. His life filled added to our hearts in so many ways, including an understanding that life is fragile.
• We invested into our new home... painted walls, landscaped the front yard and back yard, put up borders and themed rooms around our boys... added a banister... you get the idea.
  
• I went to my fourth National Youth Worker's Convention... with a dream team accompanying me. While I was gone, my kids became incredibly sick.
  
• Our new church began to plan for a new youth building. I began coordinating and brainstorming ideas for this with key leaders, as well as with staff in the church on what this might look like. A lot of enthusiasm.
• The youth group grew in size and in depth... teenagers were giving their lives to Jesus all over the place. One night, 40 kids came to place their faith in the Lord. It was amazing!
  
• After conversations with my senior pastor and hearing his definition of success... I started to worry for my job.

In 2004...

• I began to become someone I wasn't... to keep my job.
• Katie and I started to work on our garage... these birds used to come into them because the roof wasn't sealed. So we sealed it (with the help of family).
• I spent the spring and summer packing up our old youth building, having high school ministry meet in my backyard, middle school ministry meet under a tent, and desperate to get into the youth building our church was putting up. I wore myself out.
  
• My bride and I celebrated ten years of marriage together.
  
• In September, we met for the first time in this new building.
• In October, I was unjustly asked to step out of my role as a youth worker and reassigned to another role in the church that had a four-month timeline to its longevity. I went home during lunch... and told my wife the news. We sat around the table in one of the rooms we'd invested time into painting and prettying up since owning it. I remember looking at the green carpet in the next room... we'd put that in, too. Funny how you remember certain things like that. That night I showed up to my first responsibility the new job required... with a chosen smile on my face.
• I got the lights. Some of the kids whom I'd impacted TP'd my office. Funny how you remember certain things like that.
• I went to my fifth National Youth Worker's Convention. For the first time... not as a youth worker. During that week, the Lord again challenged me with what I would do with people who give Him a bad name. When I realized I was one of them, and He still loved me, I again fell in love with His church and its potential. ("The church is a whore, and she is my mother." - Augustine)
  
• I started looking for other job options... but knew that I still needed to give my best where I was... so I did.
  

In 2005...

• I was told I was doing an amazing job in my new role... my job was extended another four months. I kept doing my job as best as I can... and I kept looking.
• My wife got to watch a neighbor girl she'd connected with and brought to church get baptized. We call that simple act of loving people around us and seeing what God does with that "The Nikala Factor."
  
• We sold our house. We had to repaint a few of the rooms... tear down some of the borders that we'd chosen to personalize it... that was difficult.
  
• My job ended. I sort of slipped out under the radar... not a lot of fanfare.
  
• We moved into my wife's parents' house... "just for a few months." After all I was sure I was going to get hired somewhere where I was in the final running. They were on vacation... the house was small, but empty. We weren't complaining.
• I didn't get the job. Oh.
  
• I was offered another job. But it wasn't the right fit on my end. And then I wanted another job, but it wasn't the right fit on their end. (you can copy and paste this statement several, several, several, several times)
• I started blogging... not like I had anything to say that anyone would want to read, but I needed a way to try to stay sane.
  
• I was offered my "dream" job - the one I'd always wanted. But God wasn't in it... and I turned it down. Which made me ask, "If that's not my dream job, what is?"
• We were running out of money. Still living at my in-laws modular home, and they'd now returned from vacation. Shared space... one roof... two households.
  
• I started writing professionally... someone actually asked me to write for them and they offered me money. And then someone else read that, and offered me money to write for them, too.
• The church I was let go from in 2001? They lost their senior pastor... and asked me to come back and start teaching there while they searched for a new one. That became a regular job for almost nine months... and I had the chance to reconcile loose ends from the past while making an eternal impact.
• I went to my sixth National Youth Workers Convention - because a buddy of mine let me mooch off of him and another buddy on the top leg of the convention spotted me a registration.

In 2006...

• We were still in my in-law's home.
• My son Joshua started asking questions on his own that inspired him to ask Jesus to be His Lord and Savior. Wow!
  
• My wife and I began to ponder and imagine planting a church. And so we started... and moved to the town we thought it would be best to plant in. We began the process... and then we stopped. And started again. And then stopped.
  
• We were again running out of money... my wife started working at Panera. I took on a part-time job at a Boys and Girls Club... and as a freelance writer for the Kalamazoo Gazette... and still as a Sunday speaker for that former church... and still looking for the "right fit" with a church... job hunting every second of every minute of every hour of every day.
• My oldest son began Kindergarten - homeschooled by the best teacher I've ever known (my wife).
  
• I was offered another writing job... this time one that paid regular money every week. My wife was able to quit Panera. That was a really, really great conversation. That company also offered me a full-time role... which I really pondered taking. "Was this supposed to be my new job?"
  
• The Kalamazoo Gazette began to groom me for a staff role. I had several front page articles... which was weird since I'd never taken a journalism class in my life. "Was this supposed to my new job?"
  
• A church we'd started attending was taking steps to bring me in as a staff member... I might eventually lead a satellite church they would start in a year. "Was this supposed to be my new job?"
  
• I started talking with this church in Ohio. I think it was literally after having spoken with 400 other churches on some level... and I really wish I was exaggerating. So to me the conversation was quite routine. The guy on the other end tells me some stuff, I tell him some stuff, and it ends up being another "non-fit" one way or the other.
• I kept talking to this church. One phone call had members of their staff asking me questions. I was tired of interviewing the "right" way, so I just said what I thought. No masks. No desire to impress. Full disclosure. And strangely... they kept talking with me.
• We were invited for a visit. I came with my family... I knew I'd turn the job down. We got off the highway and suddenly... my heart started to break for the people of this town.
  
• Two weeks later, I went to my seventh National Youth Worker's Convention. And in the middle of it knew I needed to accept the job that had been offered to me by that church.
• My wife flew over, and in 36 hours found our house. We came back a couple weeks later to sign the papers (and for me to preach the Christmas Eve service). We then moved in a week later (and were helped on the Michigan end by everyday people whose lives we'd touched simply by loving them as our neighbor).

In 2007...

• I began serving Connection Church as its Lead Pastor. That was and still is so completely humbling. I determined to never become someone I wasn't to tell people who God is.
  
• My youngest son - Daniel - place his faith in Jesus as His Lord and Savior... and we celebrated!
• My wife and I decided that we would hold everything in our life - our house, vehicles, yards, and so forth - very simply and loosely... just in case wanted to use it for something awesome.
  
• I realized that part of being a lead pastor means cleaning up after people's carelessness... sometimes my own, and sometimes other leaders - past and present. But that's part of the gig, and I won't hide it.
  
• Since our church met in a movie theater, I kept the main projector at home throughout the week. I had a crazy idea to use it on the side of our house and show movies to the neighbors... and we did, and it was a ton of fun.
  
• After many days and weeks of helping and coaching him, Katie and I watched Joshua ride his bike without training wheels!
  
• My first book (with my name on it - not someone else I was ghost-writing for) was published.
• My mom lost her husband... and four days later was served notice that she couldn't sell her house to the only person who was interested in it. She soon began to fight for her house when the city got quite silly and self-seeking. So I called the press and the grassroots fight began. She eventually moved to Ohio near us.
  
• Our church moved out of the movie theater and into a rent-free building (while the next building was being built).
  
• I went to my eighth National Youth Worker's Convention... again as a speaker. My family was sick while I was gone, and of course... I got sick - pink eye, sore throat, stuffy nose - you name it. And my electronics failed in my presentation. I bombed it bad.

In 2008...

• I had the chance to baptize my mom for her faith in Jesus. Wow... another amazing privilege.
  
• Our church started a second service... wow.
• One of my boys called me weird... made me laugh.
  
• My neighborhood and my church did something awesome together for a neighbor who was dying.
• A building was built for our congregation to gather in. I was determined to keep our values with it in check.
  
• I shared my secret with the world.
• I went to my ninth National Youth Worker's Convention... again as a speaker. I think I actually did what I hoped to do that time... of course, my family got sick while I was gone.
• Again... we got caught doing something right. This time it was at Christmas.
  

In 2009...

• I finished writing a book... and used the income from that to take my family on an amazing vacation.
• I found out the book I finished was going to be published by a "big dog" in the publishing world.
• My boys did the sports thing some more... and showed me more of how amazing they are in character. (Not to mention, Joshua scored his first touchdown, and Daniel had a great soccer season.)
  
• My wife and I were floored by God one night.
• Somehow... fifteen years of marriage went by. And by that I mean they were absolutely amazing... which is why my bride and I celebrated it by renewing our vows together and going away on a special trip "just the two of us."
  
• Daniel started Kindergarten... also under the greatest teacher in the world.
  
• Our church blessed our socks off... fun cards and cakes... a great dinner filled with all the trimmings. What a great group of people!
  
• I went to my tenth National Youth Workers Convention - this time as someone behind the scenes who helped support things for the people I've grown to become great friends with.
• We became pregnant with our third child. Totally joyful... totally on purpose... totally a God thing.

Wild.

I know I started out this post simply and ended up doing some dumping along the way. I apologize if that bothered you, but I felt the need to just be honest... a couple of times I pondered deleting some things I wrote, but I'm tired of playing that game. If something is wrong, I'm not going to dance around it.

On the other hand, the reason I went there is because so much of life right now feels "right." Not because it's "good and happy and nice" but because we've been sandpapered by life and backward choices people have made in our direction... and we've sort of learned to recognize what really matters and what doesn't. Like how we need to spend more time in relationships and less on our stuff... and how there is a much larger Story to live in than "how much money?" and "how many did you count?" and "me, me, me."

I think it's why last night Katie and I talked a bit after we put the boys to bed (after the countdown to the New Year). We're so exceedingly grateful to God where we are at, thankful that He's taught us so much about ourselves and people and what it means to serve Him. So again - if it seems like I have some unresolved issues with anything above, it's not... it's more than I've not let those things define me as much as I continue to let them refine me.

Maybe that's the best any of us can hope for from where we've come. Because if you reverse that... you're always stuck in the past.

Me? It's a new day, and a new decade.

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:13-14)

a little more connection in the news

Pretty cool... our church just got a special "shout out" from the paper here: http://wp2.medina-gazette.com/2009/01/02/opinion/cheers-chidings-70/

The original article is here: http://wp2.medina-gazette.com/2008/12/29/accent/connection-extends-blessings-of-the-christmas-season-to-the-community/

I hope it's okay to share this stuff here, because for me it's less about "Connection Church" and more about God making a real Connection into people's lives.

(Am I stoked that Connection Church gets to be a part of that, though? For sure. But our focus is what it is... pleasing the heart of the Lord.)

being the Church

The past couple of weeks, our church (meaning, "people and God") got together to do what Jesus asked us to do - love God and love our neighbor.

I hope you can read this link when you get a chance, compiled by the local newspaper:

http://www.connectionchurch.org/graphics/church/medinagazette_121008.jpg

And the beauty is that you and I can bring an extreme home makeover to the lives of the people around us everyday... all by simply doing what Jesus asked.

So take a look around - at the cubicle next to you, the dinner table you'll be at, the next cell phone ring you'll talk with, or someone on your list of emails you need to reply to.

Who's getting the investment today?

love and marriage

I was talking with someone about an article I wrote for the newspaper recently and realized I didn't ever put up a link here to it. If you're married, I hope this speaks to you.

http://wp2.medina-gazette.com/2008/02/25/accent/religion/creative-dating/

you asked for it: prayer and broken hope

So here goes... the first in a series called "You Asked For It." I'd like to begin with the topic that started the original post - my buddy Scott asked for my thoughts in a blog on the topic of unanswered prayer and broken hope. Here's today's offering...


About a year ago I found myself chatting with my wife about the topic of God seemingly not answering our prayers. As we sat in the kitchen of the house we were renting at the time, we somehow managed to have this serious conversation in the midst of her homeschooling our five-year-old as well as working part-time for Panera Bread and me working 20 hours/wk at the Boys & Girls Club, 10 hours/wk for a church I was regularly doing interim preaching for, 10 hrs/wk for the Kalamazoo Gazette, 20 hrs/wk writing for Sonlife, and the whole business of looking for a full-time job in the process (which is a full-time job in itself). It was this business that brought up the topic of prayer.

Person 1: "Does God even hear our prayers anymore?"

Person 2: "What do you mean?"

Person 1: "Why hasn't He answered our prayers yet?

Person 2: "How do you know He hasn't?"

Person 1: "What do you mean?"

Person 2: "We have no idea how our life would be different if we weren't praying."

Person 1: "I still don't know what you mean."

Person 2: "We keep wanting God to answer our prayers with a final answer, but what if he's been answering our prayers with short-term answers? Like how pray all the time for God to provide for us, and somehow we're in this house and are able to work."

Person 1: "So you're saying that none of that might have even happened if we hadn't been praying in the first place?"

Person 2: "I'm saying I don't know how God chooses to respond to our prayers, but just because the big answer hasn't happened yet it doesn't mean that our current set of circumstances aren't any less an answer to prayer. If we hadn't been praying all this time maybe we'd be somewhere else with a whole different set of circumstances."

And it was in that conversation that my thoughts on prayer became larger than the singular way I'd often thought about it. I'd heard (as you may have) that "God always answers prayer, and sometimes it's with a 'yes' and sometimes it's with a 'no.'" I do believe that, but I also think sometimes God answers prayer with a response of, "That reminds me of something totally unrelated that I'd like to put into your life."


Three examples from the life of Paul:

• God says "YES": Paul is in prison and the believers pray for his release - and suddenly he is released through the divine intervention of an earthquake. (Acts 16)
  
  
• God says "NO": Paul is struggling with "something" and asks God to remove it from him... but the Lord refuses. (2 Corinthians 12)
  
  
• God says "THAT REMINDS ME OF SOMETHING TOTALLY UNRELATED THAT I'D LIKE TO PUT INTO YOUR LIFE": Paul and Barnabas head into Jerusalem to tag-team some theological consulting to the church there. This goes well - slam dunk for the Team... God answers their prayers. Only some time later when they talk about a second tour they get into this debate about whether or not John-Mark should go with them. The situation never gets resolved, so they split - Barnabas and John-Mark become a team while Paul and Silas are the second dynamic duo. So while the original prayer and intent was for the church to receive the strengthening it needs, it gets that - now in the form of two groups of two instead of just one. The ministry of God doubles, even though it wasn't their intention... something divisive becomes something productive because God is involved, showing once again how He is up to things that involve us and yet are beyond us. (Acts 15)

So again - in the midst of "weird spots" in our life where God seems silent to our queries we may need to realize He is quite articulate - only He's providing an answer to a question we haven't yet figured out we're supposed to ask.

Back to a year ago, I truly believed God had led me and my family to the city of Portage, Michigan to plant a church. I never did get a tax ID for the thing or have the first public service of a local church, but we sure did join God in loving people their next steps into this Kingdom. This includes at least four families who are now plugged into God's family who weren't before, as well as some pretty cool connections through my part-time jobs that allowed the Church at large to get resourced and inspired. I think of Eddie, Jared, Lavelle, Mark, Beth, Adolfo, Christine, Cory, Kelly, Aaron, and many others... so just because things didn't turn out the way I'd prayed, doesn't mean things didn't turn out the way I'd prayed.

Yes, I wrote it that way on purpose - read that again.

Here are four brief journal entries of mine during that season of 2006:

• 5/28: There is an amazing church in our community that I really see great potential in. What does that mean for our church plant? Are we supposed to just join them in their thing or become partners through us doing our thing? And is it really anyone's thing other than the Lord's?
  
  
• 5/29: A church plant from the ground up at this season of life would be detrimental to my family. It's a no-brainer not to do it. Also, it's amazing how whenever my wife and I watch the season ending episodes of The Apprentice we discover things related to my profession. Two years ago I got the boot out of youth ministry; last year I found out a church in Wisconsin I was one of the final candidates for and hoped to go to picked someone else over me; this year it's this paradigm shift. Maybe I should go work for Trump... maybe I already have.
  
  
• 5/30: It's awesome to see my wife heal.
  
  
• 5/31: God has saved me not for anything I've done or will do but because of his grace and purpose.

In hindsight, I see it all so clearly now. But then... not so much. Let's just say I have a much greater respect for what I don't know than what I do, and that includes how God is answering prayers I haven't yet even realized I've already unconsciously prayed a novel's worth about.

So I'm not sure if I've answered the question, Scott... but that's my best swing at prayer today utilizing my past, present, and future context. Let me know what else we should explore on this matter.

maybe we can celebrate?

I always feel weird talking about this kind of stuff, but a month ago I started freelancing for the Kalamazoo Gazette. Today they published my second story on their front page... so, um... I just wanted to tell you so you can celebrate with me. No pride intended. :)

Here's the link (although it looks better in the paper with the two pics I snapped).


So does this make me Clark Kent or Peter Parker?

I don't know... all I know is my wife is making me lasagna tonight. :)