Tuesday 10

10 Reasons Why I Feel Blessed

Life usually doesn’t fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. It's not all that uncommon to hear someone bemoan their life. I feel like a pretty blessed guy so I thought I would share why I feel that way. Thanks for checking out the blog!

1. I have a beautiful baby boy. He's twelve weeks old as of yesterday.

2. I have an incredible wife, she is absolutely the love of my life, and our marriage is very healthy.

3. I love my job. It's not perfect, and I'm not wealthy, but it enables me to live out my calling, and get paid doing it; and at the of the day I usually feel pretty satisfied knowing I'm living for a purpose bigger than my own greed or selfishness.

4. I own my own copy of the Bible.

5. I'm self aware, not like a deranged robot from cheesy sci-fi, but I have a pretty good take on who I am. I try to regularly evaluate myself, and invite people close to me do the same. If something needs to change, I make an effort to change.

6. I can read.

7. I grew up in a nuclear family. My parents weren't, and aren't, perfect, but they are pretty close. They are the most selfless-tender-hearted people I have ever met.

8. I learned both; the power of imagination, and the worth of critical thinking at an early age, and then I started using them.

9. I am blessed with some incredible friends--guys that I am so close to, they feel like family.

10. Probably the most important reason why I feel blessed is not because I am good but because God is good. I haven't hit on the magic formula for how much money to put in the offering. I haven't figured out the number of good deeds I have to do in a day. In fact I really have no idea why I feel so blessed. All I know is it must have something to do with the goodness of God and very little to do with me.

GO12: Hearing

Many in our group have little to no exposure to Spanish. We can't speak the language so communication becomes challenging and tricky. You can't always understand what is being said. Listening becomes incredibly important, and not merely listening, but hearing. Two days ago I challenged our team to go above and beyond the already rigorous schedule of outreaches and activities, and to allow God to speak to their hearts concerning this place, these people, and His will. Here are ten things our team has heard. 1. You are capable of doing things you thought you could never do.

2. My life is not about me. My purpose in life is to serve people.

3. Don't be afraid. It's ok to show your emotions, raise your hands, and stand up.

4. Let go of pride.

5. The most amazing thing is that even though we can't understand each other sometimes, we all worship God in the same language.

6. It's ok to be committed. Have no fear in your commitments.

7. You did a good thing today.

8. Everyone is different and you have something to add to the team.

9. We in the U.S. are the true poverty stricken. We depend so much on our material possessions that we are pour in Spirit.

10. Love is unconditional and without boundaries or borders.

To read more about GO12 see one of these stories. Challenges Going Learning Jordan Hearing Doing Grant Dakota Home What's next?

GO12 Videos Waterfight

10 Things I Want To Do This Summer

Life usually doesn’t fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. Finals are over. Grades will post in the next twenty four hours. Summer is here.

Summer is always a mixed bag for me. I love it because it means more family time, more time to relax, and more time to indulge in my hobbies. The relaxed schedule just seems to make the days seem as though they have a little more openness to them. Of course, summer break also means separation from my students which is refreshing at the outset because it allows for a chance to relax and recharge, it is also heart wrenching because they are why I love my job.

It will be August before I see most of them again. Here are ten things I plan to do between now and then.

1. Read a lot of good books.

2. Finish Skyrim.

3. Spend a lot of time with my family.

4. Record my first studio album.

5. Travel to the Dominican Republic with an awesome group of student missionaries.

6. Make something with my hands.

7. Finish section two of the book.

8. Swim

9. Watch Avengers, Dark Knight Rises, and The Amazing Spider-Man (not in 3D).

10. Prayerfully brainstorm the 12-13 academic year.

10 Ways to Be More Awesome

Life usually doesn’t fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. Late again this week, but who's keeping track. We could all stand a little more awesomeness in our life. Here are ten ways to make it happen. Many of these are things I am trying to do, have done, or want to do soon. Thanks for reading and sharing.

1. Do something generous. Ex: buy a $30 Starbucks gift card and have the barista use it on as many consecutive orders as it will pay for. Watch and enjoy the kindness induced confusion from your seat as you enjoy your caramel late.

2. Learn something you don't know how to do.

3. Teach it to someone else.

4. Stop overindulging.

5. Read a non fiction book.

6. Turn off the TV in your house for a week/month/forever.

7. Have regular meaningful conversations with the important people in your life.

8. Stop demonizing people you don't agree with, even if they are idiots.

9. Stop thinking you're awesome and especially stop trying to tell people how awesome you are.

10. Get in shape. Your body deserves it.

10 Things God is Not

Life usually doesn’t fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. Better late than never, here is my incredibly short and almost altogether inscrutable list of things that God is not.

1. A magic trick

2. Santa Claus

3. An angry bully

4. A scorekeeper

5. A political party

6. A man made idol

7. Dumb

8. American

9. A crutch for the weak

10. Inactive, dead, or distant

10 Keys to Doing Something Well

Life usually doesn’t fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. This is definitely not an all inclusive list, but if you're looking to improve at something, here are ten tips to get you moving in the right direction--and if you're not looking to improve at something then please stop doing it.

1. Want to do it well.

2. Find someone that already does it well, and learn as much as you can from them.

3. Self-evaluate

4. Be honest with yourself.

5. Submit your work to others for critiquing.

6. Know the difference between positive and negative criticism.

7. Acquire tools that will help you succeed.

8. Practice

9. Understand that practice makes permanent. In other words, if you continually practice something a certain way...then you will keep doing it the same way.

10. Accept that there is always room for improvement, perfection is rarely attainable.

10 Things You Will NEVER Hear Me Say

Life usually doesn’t fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. I'm pretty comfortable with who I am, the things I like, my own general overall awesomeness, and sarcasm. Here are ten things that you're not gonna hear erupt from my vocal chords.

1. Hey, let's watch NASCAR.

2. What do you think of my new sweater vest?

3. Twilight is the best.

4. I hope my son grows up to love baseball and golf.

5. I believe in gun control.

6. I listen to Glen Beck all the time.

7. Who is Captain America?

8. I don't believe the Bible is meant to be interpreted literally.

9. I just bought a new motorcycle.

10. Pass the sweet 'n sour chicken.

10 Things I Am Not Good At

Life usually doesn’t fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. There are so many things that I'm just not good at. Here are ten of them.

1. Dancing. I dance like a midget in a hurricane.

2. Baseball. I played for years, and never really achieved much in the way of skill--plus I hate it.

3. Lying. This just seems to come naturally for some, but I find the truth to be much easier. There is incredible freedom in truth.

4. Being sympathetic to those who make poor choices. This is partially because of #5 on this list, but I am earnestly trying to improve in this area of life. I'm not there yet.

5. Overcoming personal self-righteousness. I'm a smart guy. I know this and have known it for most of my life. As a by product of that self-awareness I often fall into the trap of thinking I know better. It's not that I think I am better, I just often find myself thinking I know a better way to do or say just about anything--especially where my faith is concerned. This is an unhealthy habit that I've been made aware of by the Holy Spirit in recent months and am trying to work on.

6. Playing music by ear. Many talented musicians can hear a melody and join right in. Not me. I usually need to have sheet music, and some time to practice. However, in nearly twenty years of playing music, I have become really good at looking like I know how to play by ear when only playing as an accompanying instrumentalist.

7. Eating slowly. Many people eat slowly so as to savor the flavor of whatever delectable bit they're biting. I inhale it, because frankly I would rather be doing something else.

8. Doing nothing. I need my brain to be nearly constantly active. Sitting still, menial labor, and other mindless activities are a challenge. In school I overcame this by drawing on everything. Not much has changed in thirty years.

9. Remembering short term. I can tell you vivid details of conversations from twenty years ago, but I might not remember what I went into the kitchen to do when I get there.

10. Determining proper cooking portions. If I am cooking for more than 4 people, which is fairly often, I am horrible at determining the proper amount of food to prepare. I always cook way too much.

10 Awkward Things Only Health Practitioners Can Get Away With Saying

Life usually doesn’t fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. Jamie and I have spent a lot of time around doctors the last nine months. We've had some awkward conversations with healthcare professionals. Here are some of the awkward things that we could remember.

1. Do you feel it when I touch you here?

2. Don't worry, I'm not gonna sneak up on you.

3. You may feel a small pinch.

4. Are you allergic to latex?

5. I need you to undress and put this on.

6. When was your last bowel movement?

7. Pee in this for me.

8. Would you like a circumcision?

9. Don't worry, it will fall off in one to three weeks.

10. I need you to bend over and put your elbows on your knees.

10 Things I Can't Wait to Do with My Son

Life usually doesn’t fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. My son will be born any day now. This is my list of ten things that I'm really looking forward to doing with him. This list could have been soooooooo much longer. Thanks for reading.

1. Shoot a weapon.

2. Write and illustrate a kids book.

3. Watch Toy Story.

4. Talk about God.

5. Shop for mommy's birthday.

6. Play video games.

7. Build a Lego castle, spaceship, and other speculatively creative construct.

8. Sing and play music.

9. Basketball

10. Share the meaning of his name

10 Annoying Social Media Quirks

Life usually doesn’t fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn’t keep me from trying.  Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. Social media is dominant in our society.  Facebook is quickly approaching the 1 billion accounts mark.  Most of us use it and love it, but not everything is great.  Some things people do or say on social media are just incredibly annoying.  Here's my take on ten of the things that annoy me most about social media.

1. Profile pics: The "Bathroom Mirror self portrait." Really?!? The "This is my cute kid, but not me," "This is my favorite sports team," and "this is my political affiliation" profile pics. No, it's supposed to be a picture of you. Use your cover pic for the rest of that crap. Actually, no, don't do that either please.

2. Facebook social game apps.

3. People who cry every time there is an update or change. Seriously guys, timeline is not the end of the world.

4. People that try to be clever, and fail in a way that's not funny enough for the rest of us to laugh about.

5. Creepers.

6. Shared accounts. Please, please, please, MrandMrs Sharedaccount, just stop. We all know it's really Mrs that does all the posting anyways. It's kind of confusing and weird. When Jesus said you would leave your mother and father and become one flesh I'm pretty sure he didn't have Facebook in mind.

7. My Space, LinkedIn, and Google +.

8. Slutty Twitter whores that unexpectedly follow you and tweet random virus riddled links with your name in them.

9. People who comment on trending topics just to show up in the feed. Even worse, people who double dip by putting multiple trending topics in one statement.

10. People who actually think online drama is real and then threaten to delete their Social Media accounts in order to gain attention. This really is the "grown up" version of running away.

10 Lessons from Luke 15

 Life usually doesn't fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn't keep me from trying.  Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten.

Today I'm taking a look at the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke.  It's an incredibly interesting bit where Jesus shares three parables with a mixed crowd of both "sinners" and the religious Pharisees.

1.  v2 The religious people thought Jesus fraternizing with the "lost" was scandalous.

2.  v7, 9, & 10 Heaven rejoices over the salvation of the lost, and so should we.

3.  v13 Just because we have it, doesn't mean we should spend it.

4.  v14 Don't waste it, you might need it.

5.  v17-19 Your journey to forgiveness starts with your realization that you need forgiving.

6.  v20 The Father welcomes back the lost without condition.

7.   v21 Confession is important.

8.  v22-24 Nothing but sonship will do.  God doesn't make us servants.  He makes us family.

9.  v25-27 Don't be so caught up in your works that you miss God working.

10.  v28-31 Stop trying to earn what the Father already gave you.

10 Goofy Preacher Idioms

 Life usually doesn't fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn't keep me from trying.  Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten.

Preface: People I love, admire, and respect frequently say things from this list. This is me poking fun at my colleagues, friends, and mentors. It's meant to be in good fun.  So, if you're an oversensitive type person quickly close your eyes and turn off your computer before you get your feelings hurt.

1. "If I was going to title this message I would title it, ________."
You just titled it.  Skip the whole first part of that.

2. "Pray with me."
We are.  You're the one with the microphone and a dozen floor monitors pointed in your direction.

3. "I'm preaching better than you're shouting." 
If you have to say this, then you are not, or you just don't know your audience very well.

4. "Can I get a witness?"
Yes, we all just saw or heard you say that. What about it?

5. "Under the spout where the glory comes out."
There simply has to be a better way to say this that doesn't involve or imply strange claustrophobic plumbing imagery.

6. "God showed up and showed out."
No, no he didn't.  God is not an infant.

7. "I don't know why people will shout more at a football game, than at church."
Probably has something to do with that whole being reverent thing.

8. "Fire insurance."
What kind of deductible does that come with?

9. "Take on hell with a water pistol."
What about that whole our weapons are not carnal weapons thing?

10. "In closing..."
If you have to reassure us that you're almost finished by making this statement then you took too long to get there.  I do this all the time, but pretend like I don't know that I did by not making this statement.

11 Books That Changed Me

 Life usually doesn't fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn't keep me from trying.  Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten.  Today I'm adding one.

I learned how to read when I was four and, except for a brief period during junior high when well-meaning English teachers tried to force me to read really boring girly stuff, I have been doing it pretty much ever since.  I've read a lot of books.  I won't even pretend like I know the number.  Some were fun, some were serious, some were both; but a handful really made an impact on me.  Here is a list of ten books that changed me.  I hope you'll pick one, or more, of these titles up soon.

1.The Holy Bible - Obviously this one was gonna make the list.  It's a library in and of itself.  I've been reading it regularly for twenty years.  No other written work has, or could, impact me the way the Bible continues to on a daily basis.

2. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis - It took me almost two years to read it through for the first time because I didn't want to move on to the next page without being able to absorb and understand what I had just read.  I've read it a few more times since and it gets a little easier every time, but it is always challenging.  More than any other apologetic work this book helped me learn to connect my brain to my faith in a way that no preacher, teacher, sermon, or Sunday School lesson ever could. Read it online for free here.

3. Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller - This is an interesting little book.  It challenged me in a lot of ways, but it changed how I look at people, including myself, forever.  This book explains the actual relational aspect of the Christian faith better than any other work I have ever read.

4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl - Before I knew anything about Gene Wilder's whimsical film adaptation, and way before Johnny Depp and Tim Burton vomited their nauseous "artistry" on the mythos; a teacher started reading this book aloud to my class.  I couldn't wait for her to finish, so I checked out a copy from our school library and started reading it on my own.  As a kid with an incredibly active imagination, it was like candy for my soul.  I think my life has been a little sweeter because of it.  And my imagination is just as active now as it was when my little third grade self read the last words of the last page.

5. Wild at Heart by John Eldredge - During the darkest season, of the worst part of my life, a coworker who has sense grown to be a great friend told me to read Wild at Heart.  I didn't learn a single thing reading this book; instead I began to understand myself with an acute awareness that connected me to my heavenly, and earthly, father in such a truly profound way.  In the time since I have taught it's pages, walked dozens of guys through it's principles, and witnessed that same light-bulb light up in other young eyes.  It is incredibly special to my heart.

6. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (and Huckleberry Finn) by Mark Twain - The same junior high English teacher that tried, unsuccessfully, to force me to read The Diary of Anne Frank introduced me to Mark Twain.  In fact, when I saw that Huck Finn was on the list I prepared myself by reading Tom Sawyer instead of the drab diary.  Because of the misadventures of two southern country boys I spent a lot of summers building tree houses and makeshift rafts--and thanks to young Tom, I love exploring caves.  Read it online for free here.

7. Servolution by Dino Rizzo - It's a short story about a church called "The Healing Place" and how a pastor's vision connected with his parishioners.  It has challenged me to love people without condition, and to serve them without any hidden agenda, because that's what Jesus did.

8. Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer - I've been walking though this book a paragraph at a time with a small group of young men for the last seven months.  Each page is like unwrapping a delightful little package of theological wonder.  Truly what goes through someone's mind when they think about God is the most important thing about them.

9. Jesus Freaks by The Voice of the Martyrs - I heard a lot of stories about persecuted Christians growing up; but this book colored in those old ambiguous tales with names, locations, and verifiable facts.  A volume that could easily be depressing if read with the wrong intentions is actually one of the most encouraging books on my shelves.

10. The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien - I grew up in an era when anything with magic, dragons, or imagination for that matter, was pretty much frowned upon by the American Church.  So, in the eleventh grade when my pastor, who was also my English teacher, handed me a copy of The Hobbit: There and Back Again and told me that I would enjoy it, I believed him.  I read it.  I enjoyed it.  In fact, I enjoyed it so much that it began a love for fantasy fiction that I still enjoy to this day.  It also taught me that people can really miss the boat sometimes, and that I should make up my own mind about issues, rather than letting outspoken naysayers make it up for me.

11. Mossflower by Brian Jacques - I worked in a library my senior year of high school for a very wonderful lady.  She frequently let me check out books and one week I picked up Mossflower.  It is a fantasy story about anthropomorphic animals (read "animals that walk upright and talk") written by a former sailor and adventurer for blind children.  I absolutely fell in love with the writing style, the adventure, and the innocence of the story.  By the end of the week I had finished the first four books in the series, by the end of the month I had inhaled the author's entire volume of work and was anxiously awaiting the next in the series.  The way that it changed me though has nothing to do with the story itself.  The best word I know to use is that something about the nature of the writing and the way it connected with me, unlocked a desire within me to write.  I've been writing ever since.  Some I share, some I keep in private to be enjoyed first by my family and friends.  One day I plan to publish a lot of it.

Books are more powerful than we often realize.  I connect with stories on a deep level.  Thanks for taking the time to read this.  This list could have easily been expanded to include twenty or more books.  What are some things that you've read that really challenged or changed you?

10 Tips for Twitterpating

 Life usually doesn't fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn't keep me from trying.  Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten.

In eight years of campus ministry far and away the thing I've counseled people about the most are their romantic relational issues. Love is easily one of, if not the most, talked about issue on the planet.  These are ten fairly blunt things I shared with a group of college students Sunday night.  This list comes from, not only years of discussing these issues with people, but from my own mistakes and experiences as well

  1. It's okay to be single. Society treats single-hood as though it is something to be shunned, feared, or mocked; but that is wrong.  Being single is a lot better than committing relational suicide, sexual sin, or emotional masturbation.
  2.  The "you complete me" line from Jerry Maguire is a giant smelly fairytale lie.  Putting two messed up people together doesn't make one whole person, it makes one messed up couple--and if you're not already solid in God, it becomes a lot harder for you to be obedient to the changes He tries to make in you if you are distracted by romance.  When Jesus said a man and would unite as one flesh He didn't mean actual human being.  He meant one unified representation of the goodness, likeness, and image of God.
  3. Know who you are.  If you have identity issues a relationship will only complicate them.  The healthy way to find your identity is by searching for where your heart and God's heart are joined.
  4. Early affection is a warning sign.  Someone eager for early physical contact is dangerous to your sexual, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
  5. You probably don't know what you want.  Guys are selfish.  Girls want to be wanted.  Sometimes those roles are reversed.  Both are horny.  Neither know what they want at 20ish years old.  Know what you want in a future Mr. or Mrs. you.  Make a list.  Check it more than twice.  Then check it again.  Then let people in spiritual authority over you check it.  Guys, if your list reads like a help wanted ad for a modeling agency, you don't know what you want.  Girls, if your list sounds like a trailer for anything resembling a Disney, Nicholas Sparks, or Ryan Reynolds movie, you don't know what you want.  Cultivate an expectation for a Christian union based around the the principles found in a Christian person.
  6. Relationships don't change people.  A frog doesn't turn into a prince just because you kiss him.  Just because she kissed you doesn't mean you're Prince Charming.  Relationships don't change people; they magnify all the weird little parts of who they really are.
  7. You are no one's puppet.  If every moment with someone is overshadowed by an expectancy to behave, act, or perform in a certain way you are in a poisonous relationship.  Leave now and never look back.
  8. Emotion is a slippery slope.  If it was a ski slope it wouldn't even be a double black diamond.  It would be an uncharted run that required a helicopter dispatch and constantly ran the risk of avalanche.  If all that connects you is emotion--your relationship is destined to fail.  True love is so much bigger than emotion.
  9. Wait for sex.  Wait for sex.  Wait for sex.  If you're not married, don't do anything that can lead to orgasm, or anything that makes you want to do things that lead to orgasm.  The enemy will do everything he can to get you to have sex before you're married, and everything he can to keep you from having sex after you're married.
  10. True love is unconditional.  "Happily Ever After," would make a better episode of Dirty Jobs than Mythbusters.  Can you picture yourself changing their diaper for twenty years?  What about pushing them in a wheelchair or carrying them to bed?  What about listening to them snore or putting up with a really annoying relative?

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXBbgzQmpJw]

    10 Money Insights

    Life usually doesn't fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn't keep me from trying.  Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten.

    Here are ten insights into money management from yours truly.  This isn't an all inclusive list and you may already be well on your way to wise stewarding and living; but trust me--if you're not already using these ten things--they will help.


    1. Make a realistic budget and live by it.
    2. Learn how to cook and eat at home more than you eat out.
    3. Stay away from Starbucks, except on rare occasions.
    4. Don't get caught up in fashion fads and trends.
    5. Don't pay your bills late, ever.
    6. Learn the difference between "want" and "need".
    7. Tithe to your church.
    8. Be generous, but practical.
    9. Repeat after me, "Credit Cards are bad.  Credit Cards are bad.  Credit Cards are bad."
    10. Student loans aren't free money, neither are scholarships.

    10 Things About Home

    Life usually doesn't fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn't keep me from trying.  Welcome to 10 Tuesday where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. This is my short list of ten thoughts about home.  For those of you participating in Campus Church this semester, these are some things you will most likely hear a lot more about in the coming weeks. 1. Home is where you're protected. 2. Home is where you're loved. 3. Home is where you trust. 4. Home is where you're fed. 5. Home is where you're made. 6. Home is where you get clean. (hopefully) 7. Home is where you rest. 8. Home is where you are familiar. 9. Home is where you can ask important questions. 10. Home is where no one is cool.

    10 Tuesday: Make College Life Better

    Life usually doesn't fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn't keep me from trying.  Welcome to 10 Tuesday where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. College life is complicated, challenging, and awesome.  With school set to start back here this week--here are ten bits of advice from yours truly that will help make it better.

    1. Rarely turn on your TV.
    2. Make homework a priority.
    3. Never procrastinate. Don't do it.
    4. Throw away or delete all credit card solicitations instantly.
    5. Don't spend a lot of time in your room, especially alone.
    6. Join a campus organization. I can point you to a great one!
    7. Develop deep relationships with a small number of people.
    8. Learn how to effectively manage your time. If you have a lot of free time something is wrong.
    9. Exercise often. Your heart will thank you twenty years.
    10. Cultivate healthy a diet.  Your waistline will thank you now.