I Love Technology...maybe

Technology is not a bad thing; in fact, I love it! I love the fact that my home has an air conditioner. I love the fact that I can talk on the phone anywhere I want (sometimes!!!) I love the fact that I can listen to hundreds of songs that seem to all fit in this little thingy called an I-pod.

BUT--yesterday I realized how much I depend on technology by the fact that I was frustrated because the computer would not work right. As many of you know--I am A-D-D, and a person like me cannot focus too well on things, unless it is a problem--and then we tend to hyper-focus. I guess I must have tried to figure out the problem about 15-20 times...and that is funny to me since I know nothing about computers.

I finally went home so I could send out some e-mails and check a few things...and there was instant relief. Technology was once again a part of my life and I could rejoice.

So I had a thought this morning...and I am pretty sure it was from God, "Hey Keith, what if you depended on the Lord the way you depended on technology yesterday?"

OUCH!!!

What if I were to be that dependant upon God? How would that look? I know that He is the Vine and I am a branch--but I was challenged to continually surrender every single minute of my day and depend on Him more than my computer or cell phone--WOW--that could relieve some major frustration!

Hurricane Katrina tragedy

I can hardly believe the images showing up on Foxnews and other networks. 80% of New Orleans is underwater, a city-wide avacuation is in effect and massive rescue efforts are underway.

I received an email from a good friend whose family has lost their home and business down in Mississippi. It's horrific.

I'm asking myself how I can and should personally respond to this - as well as how our church community should respond. It seems that responding is always better than reacting - so it's probably best to wait and find out what and where the greatest needs are.

What are your thoughts on how the church (nationally) or individuals can and should respond to this?

I Wonder

Google Talk

Well.....they've done it again. Google Talk. It's the latest application out by the creative folks at Google.

They say talk is cheap. Google thinks it should be free. Google Talk enables you to call or send instant messages to your friends for free–anytime, anywhere in the world. I just downloaded it but haven't tried it out yet. SO...try it and IM me!

I'll have a screen name for it shortly.

Already have it? What do you think?

Here's the link: http://www.google.com/talk/

Hope

Mark and Darlene Zschech of Hillsong Church are sponsoring a large scale relief effort next year in Rwanda. It's being called Hope Rwanda: 100 Days of Hope.

Mark and Darlene, the worship pastors at Hillsong, are outstanding people, and they are being joined by Bill Hybels, Joyce Meyer and others, along with their home church in Australia pastored by Brian Houston. I attended the Hillsong Conference in Sydney last year, where he explained his vision to bring hope to the suffering people of Rwanda and let them know that in spite of our deaf ears during the genocide of 1994, the world has not forgotten them. I was moved and want to do what I can to help.

You can help by spreading the word and by registering at the Hope Rwanda web site. My hope is that Americans and especially American churches of all denominations will get involved - massively.

Here's the link to the website where you can register to help: http://www.hoperwanda.org/

I came, I saw, IKEA

If you have not heard that Ikea opened in Frisco, you must not care about furniture.

Ikea is a 300,000sq/ft monstrosity of low priced, yet supposed high quality furniture. My Mom has been pumped about the grand opening for weeks so she has been waiting for my day off so I could escort her.

The parking lot is HUGE and it was completely full. We were directed by parkers to a spot in a nearby parking lot. We joined a stream of people filing into the store at 11:00 in the morning. The process reminded me of showing up early in the morning and heading into Six Flags.

The store itself is massive. They have about anything furniture related you could want. Ikea had a lot of unique pieces and designs that you will not find at Rooms to Go or a Roomstore, so I give them props for that. We were not in need of any particular piece of furniture so we made it out empty handed, but we were in the minority.

My mom has already planned a trip back (with my Dad...Lord bless him!) if you were curious about her perspective.

As for me, I thought it illustrated the American “bigger is better” attitude (although it is Swedish furniture). They had some cool stuff, and if I am looking for a particular piece I will probably go back. I guess I would sum it up as Ikea was two hours of my life I can never have back… Just kidding, it was not that bad.

By the way...I ran into Pastor Tommy there. He had his Bluetooth on and looked lost...Happy Trails, to you…

Routines

Have you ever noticed that we tend to strive to create routines in life? There is something about having better control of our lives if we can just set up a system of routines.

It can be as simple as your morning routine to get ready for work. You go through the same processes every morning. Even your job probably has routines that you have built into it. Routines aren't necessarily bad. They help us accomplish many things while on automatic pilot. But there is a great need for breaks from routines.

In a way, I think this is one reason why God created for six days and rested on the seventh. To show the need to break from routine. Why do we look forward to the weekends? We know we can break the routines in life. And those times are refreshing to us. They are a much needed part of our lives.

But here is what happens to so many of us, whatever our careers may be. We never break out of our routines and keep doing the same things over and over and over again. Things become stagnant and we get bored or tired of doing what we are doing. Why? We were once excited about the things we were doing. So what has changed?

Every time we create a routine, what we are really doing is creating a process that disengages our minds. And that is never good in the long run. So we have to step back and keep creating new ways of doing things. Creating engages the mind and keeps us sharp. It keeps us excited about what we are doing.

So I am just reminded today that it is a good thing to step back, rest and create new ways of doing things - breaking routines, getting out of the ruts. I know that I will only create new routines, but my goal is to break them in the future too. Routines have a place in our lives, but they should never become our lives. For some of us, that is what is causing us to be so dissatisfied with our lives. So lets throw of the noose that is killing us and create new ways of doing things!

Purpose Driven Rwanda

Rick Warren is not just "selling" the Purpose Driven Life, but he's also trying to make it a reality for......are you ready?

The entire nation of Rwanda.

Wow.

Great job to Rick Warren for putting action behind his message of reaching around the world.

Check out the article here: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1093746,00.html

Things I'm learning

Sometimes I am amazed at all that God teaches me. I don't say that to be arrogant. I really say that because I find out every day how much I don't know. There are things that I should know by now that I am just discovering.

Things like how to pray and really connect with God. Things like what it means to know that God is with me all the time or even more by adding to it that He also knows everything about me. I am living different in light of this reality. And then there is God's power. So great to know that not only does God know me, is there with me, but also that He has the power to change me.

Today I was talking with a guy who just so happened to ask me a great question. He asked me why it would matter in heaven to hang out with God if He already knows everything about us. I thought for a moment and answered with this.

Think of the person that you know the most. Does the fact that you know so much about them deter you from wanting to hang out with them. I doubt it. In fact, it is probably the person we hang out with the most. Add to that the fact that even though God knows all about us, we don't have a very large understanding of Him. Heaven will be full of growing in our understanding of God and that will be like discovering new things about those you are closest to.

What a great question and what a great thought to think about the relationship we are invited to be a part of with God!

I had to share this joke!!

The Pope dies and, naturally, goes to heaven. He's met by the reception committee and, after a whirlwind tour is told that he can enjoy any of the myriad recreations available.

He decides that he wants to read all of the ancient original text of the Holy Scriptures, and spends the next eon or so learning the languages.

After becoming a linguistics master, he sits down in the library and begins to pore over every version of the Bible, working back from the most recent "Easy Reading" to the original script.All of a sudden there is a scream in the library.

The angels come running to him, only to find the Pope huddled in a chair, crying to himself, and muttering, "An 'R'! They left out the 'R'”.God takes him aside, offering comfort and asks him what the problem is. After collecting his wits, the Pope sobs again, "It's the letter 'R'... the word was supposed to be CELEBRATE"

IPod Queen

So I just read that the Queen of England just bought an IPod. A silver 6 Gig IPod mini. What does this mean for everyone else in the world? It means that if you don't have an IPod, then the 75 year old head of England's royal family is more technologically advanced than you. And that isn't cool! So throw your 8-track player out and go buy one!


Here's my other thought: What songs do you think she's purchased from itunes?

Here are my guesses:

"Kings and Queens" by Aerosmith
"God save the Queen" by the Sex Pistols
Queens Greatest Hits
The enture Queen Latifa Catalogue (I decided to throw in a little British spelling just to add a bit of colour).

What songs do you think she bought?

Benefits of good ol' H20

Most people who know me are aware that I gave up soft drinks (even my beloved DrPepper) back on May 8th of this year. To date, I have lost 12lbs alone just from doing that. I came across an article today on CNN that had some interesting stats about water consumption here in the US. Here's the main bullet points...

WATER
1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger-pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily, decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Now, the question is, would you like a soda or a glass of water??

Top 5 baseball movies of all time!

I have a theory...that there has never been a bad baseball movie. So I decided to share my top 5 favorite baseball movies of all-time:

#5 - The Rookie (The final scene was filmed here at Ameriquest Field!)

#4 - Major League (How can you not love Willie Mays Hayes and crew?)

#3 - The Natural (It's hard to put this movie at number 3 because Roy Hobbs is one of the best movie characters of all time)

#2 - The Sandlot (Hands down, the funniest baseball kid movie ever!) You're killing me Smalls!

And #1 - Field of Dreams ("If you build it, he will come" - One of the most classic movie lines ever! I've never been able to watch this movie without getting choked up at the end. Any true fan of baseball must watch this film.)

-What are your favorite baseball movies??

Pimp my M&M's

The mega M&M's are 55% bigger than the originals and come in 6 "adult" colors.

This will be an interesting campaign to follow. Will it be a disaster like New Coke? A big success like Reese's Pieces? Or just a ho-hum? You prophets of markets may enter your predictions by clicking the comment link below.

My prediction is for a ho-hum. I don't believe what their focus groups said, adults want to revisit the M&M experience from their childhoods. They don't want adult colors. They want the look and feel they knew as children. I think when you chuck one of the new mega M&M's into your mouth, your right brain will tell you it's an imposter.

Let's see what happens.

If anyone out there tries them, since I don't eat chocolate, let me know your impression.

Wonka on marriage

I saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory recently. I've always been a big fan of Tim Burton movies, and loved the original version of this film as a kid. The movie was incredible, and I was blown away by the visual effects, and Johnny Depp's charcater development and on screen personality.

I was reading an interview with Depp last night on CNN. Overall, it was interesting to read what he had to say - but the best answer came at the end of the interview, after Depp had just finished talking about his wife and children. He was asked, Is marriage an option? What does it mean to you? And his answer is quite revealing:

Marriage can be whatever you define it as. For example, I don't feel like i need a piece off paper that says I own her and she owns me. I think signing a piece of paper doesn't mean anything in the eyes of God or in the eyes of people. The thing is, if you are together and you love each other and are good to each other, make babies and all that, for all intents and purposes you are married.

Now, before we throw any stones - his answer gave me a lot of insight into a fairly common view in our culture. While I completely disagree with his statement, instead of being negative, I think our desire should be to help people unlock the greater promise of marriage the way God designed it.

Meant to live

"We were meant to live for so much more...

We want more than this world's got to offer...

Everything inside screams for second life."

Switchfoot were right on. And they're not the only ones to express this desire. In fact, everyone is beginning to notice it: when you get to the top, there's nothing there. Yet everything inside still screams for satisfaction...

It's got nothing to do with a Western mindset/mentality, either. The whole of King Solomon's book Ecclesiastes deals with this problem. And, indeed, he suggests that the answer does not lie within ourselves, but it comes from above. But shouldn't this be obvious to people by now?

Thoughts to ponder....HMMMM?

Life is sexually transmitted.

Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.

Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.

Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars and a substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents?

In the 60s, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.

Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.

I had amnesia once - or twice.

Protons have mass? I didn't even know they were Catholic.

All I ask is a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.

If the world were a logical place, men would ride horses sidesaddle.

What is a 'free' gift? Aren't all gifts free?

They told me I was gullible ... and I believed them.

Teach a child to be polite and courteous in the home and, when he grows up, he'll never be able to merge his car onto a freeway.

Two can live as cheaply as one, for half as long.

Experience is the thing you have left when everything else is gone.

What if there were no hypothetical questions?

One nice thing about egotists: They don't talk about other people.

A flashlight is a case for holding dead batteries.

I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure.

The cost of living hasn't affected its popularity.

Is Marx's tomb a communist plot?

Show me a man with both feet firmly on the ground, and I'll show you a man who can't get his pants off.

It's not an optical illusion. It just looks like one.

Is it my imagination or do buffalo wings taste like chicken?

Suburban Starbucks

Here's something you won't see in a suburban Starbucks like in Frisco, Southlake, or my local Starbucks in Grapevine - local artist's work displayed on the walls. Hmmm... I wonder why? Oh yeah, there aren't any "local" artists in the suburbs - they all live in downtown Dallas. The picture was taken at the one in downtown Dallas.

Stuck with You

Summer is almost over and I hope you've done something about it and had some fun. Or have you let life get in the way? Life will get in the way if you don't grab it by the horns and say, "HEY! Over here!" You've got to make some things happen.

Some people sit by a window waiting for a cloud to roll by with their name on it saying, "Hey Buford! Get off your duff and do something with your life!"

Quit waiting on a 'call', we've got a 'command': Go into all the world and preach the gospel.

The good news! That's what 'gospel' means: good news. And, it's good news that, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Isn't that good news? 'Whosoever' - that means anybody. Republican. Democrat. White. Black. Red. Male. Female. Confused. Anybody! If you've got a pulse, that is good news for YOU! You are the walking, talking image of God. Yes, we were broken in 'the fall'. But, nevertheless, there is a light in us that is Jesus. Because it says in His word that He is the light that lights 'ALL' men/women who come into the world.

I love that about God. He has no standards. He'll take anybody.

People have too many standards. If someone doesn't look a certain way, use the same kind of Bible, wear the same kind of hair, think, speak, smell and act like us (or how we think a Christian is supposed to act), we want nothing to do with them. Aren't you glad God isn't like that? He said, "whosoever will may come." And that's only because He came unto His own but His own refused Him. I know it must've hurt like heck -- you go to your own people and they kick you to the curb. I can't imagine that kind of rejection, that kind of pain. But, if they had received Him, we'd still be on the outside looking in.

So, let's hear it for 'His own'. Because, now, WE are His own! And I don't know about you but I'm NEVER gonna reject Him. He's stuck with me.

Spiritual Warfare

Did the title of the post grab your attention? I'll bet it did (obviously--you are still reading aren't you?)

America is obsessed with the spiritual. (Did you see the craze about the new Harry Potter book?) It blows my mind when I ask an unchurched person to come to church and their excuse is that they are not interested in spiritual matters. I always know that the person who responds in that manner is lying. Don't take my word for it--books that deal with spiritual issues ALWAYS top the New York Times best sellers list.

In spite of all of this it seems that the church has not been able to grab the attention of a world without Christ. Why--because many times we do not focus on the spiritual--we would rather stage a boycott of Disney World or fight over whether or not our children should attend public schools...you know...things that REALLY matter in regards to the Kingdom. However, in doing this we miss an opportunity to engage people at their deepest level--their spiritual level.

And then there is another problem...when you talk about spiritual warfare there are often two responses. The first response usually being that people become obsessed with the subject, begin to see a demon behind every tree, and rebuke everything from stray cats to stop lights...and the other response is that people claim that teaching on spiritual warfare does not belong in the church but rather in fairy tales and movie scripts. (For those of you who are C.S. Lewis fans...you will recognize his influence here.)

I had to wrestle with this subject myself. In doing so I did not seek to read books on the subject or go to countless conferences...I simply read the Bible, especially focusing on the Gospels, to figure out what I believed about the subject. I have a few thoughts...

#1 - Spiritual Warfare Is Real - There is no getting around this from a Biblical perspective. Study the Gospels and see for yourself--Jesus encountered an incredible amount of resistance from spiritual and physical forces (that were influenced by the spiritual.) You see warfare in other places as well.

#2 - Angels, Demons, and the Devil Are Real - Now most of Americans have no problem believing in angels; in fact, many of us are obsessed with them. However, I believe we have the wrong perception about them. Let me explain...

We have these little pictures of statues of angels in our homes...and they are usually small, chubby creatures wearing a toga and playing a harp. My question is, "Where in the world did this idea develop?" In reading through the Bible I see over and over that every time an angel appeared to someone they always had to say something like, "Do not be afraid!" In other words, "I am sorry you just messed your pants...but listen, I have a message..." Angels are powerful and often people were even so in awe of them that they would try to worship them.

And demons--they are not just in Hollywood--they are real. There is debate on their activity and their abilities...and I will not get into that here...but I will say that they have influence over our society...if you don't believe me just watch the news.

#3 - God and satan ARE NOT EQUALS - Many people imagine God and the devil as two prize fighters going back and forth, getting in good punches on each other...and that one day God will get in a good sucker punch and finally win this epic battle.

Uh, nope!

According to Scripture...God created satan...satan can't do a thing without God's permission...and God will ultimately destroy him and all of his work!

#4 - We Should NEVER Focus On The Size Of The Enemy--But rather on the size of our God! All too often Christians will cower in the face of the enemy. Don't get me wrong--the devil is powerful...but he's nothing compared to how HUGE God is. In times of fear or frustration I have learned to focus on how big God is...and I have found that in doing so I am released from fear.

In the words of the famous theologian Forest Gump, "That's all I've got to say about that."
See you at CCC this weekend! Be prepared for the service to be a little "different" this week!

Music I'm digging- MuteMath

I want to introduce you to a band called Mute Math. I downloaded them on iTunes and am seriously digging it. I don't know much about them, other than the fact that the lead singer used to be in the band Earthsuit, but I sure like their name - "Mute Math." That is a good subject to mute. HAHA!!

The song, "Control" reminds me of Midnight Oil. Remember them?
They've definitely got an electronica/jazz/rock mix going on.

Random thoughts

Every once in a while I just have a flood of random thoughts...and today I would like to share them with you...

#8 - When people go to the gym...isn't the purpose to work out? I was at the gym once next to a lady with perfect hair, make-up, and perfume! There was another lady the other day that was running and at a very good pace...AND talking on her cell phone at the same time! I was so amazed!

#7 - And speaking of cell phones--how did we live without them? Some people take their cell phone with them everywhere they go! I admit that cell phones are very convenient; however, I had to draw a line in the sand when a few months ago I walked into a public restroom and a dude was in a stall having a conversation on his phone while he was "taking care of business!" There are just some things that should not happen in this great country of ours!

#6 - Why do people get in a real hurry to pull out in front of me...and then they go 20 miles under the speed limit? I don't know about you--but this one really pushes the limits of my spirituality...I know I am a worship leader--but I want to be honest. I know there have been times in my life, and in yours as well, where I wish I were driving a tank or a dump truck. 'Nuf said!

#5 - Christian bumper stickers--WHY? I don't think I have ever seen one that I would actually put on my car. It's not like someone is going to be behind me and say, "Hey Bob, don't get too close to that car--if the rapture takes place it will be unmanned!!!" My other favorite is, "Real Men Love Jesus." I do love Jesus...but that is insulting to a person who might be outside the kingdom, you might as well have another one that says, "And Fake Men Love The Devil!"

#4 - Do radio stations actually play music anymore? Seriously, I was on my way to work this morning and wanted to JAM! (I LOVE loud music!!!) I have 12 stations programmed into my stereo...and on EVERY one of them the DJ's were talking! I know that many of them think that they are funny--but I thought the purpose of a DJ was to play some music every once in a while. And speaking of music...

#3 - What exactly is a "holla-back" girl? I am wrestling with this one...any insight on the matter would be deeply appreciated.

#2 - Why will people go to a football game, sit in the rain, get all wet...and spend money to do it...but if one rain drop falls from the sky on a Sunday morning then they say the weather is too bad to make an attempt to attend church? I have often thought if churches would offer tailgating parties then the attendance would increase!

#1 - Why, when people stick their fingers in their ears and dig, do they always pull their hand away and see what kind of treasure they may have discovered with their finger? I am not trying to be gross--but I have seen this with my own two eyes...and it amazes me that this happens.

Well, that's about it for my randomness for the day...I apologize to those who might have been looking for something deep and insightful...today is not the day for that...I am in a funny mood!

Phone on the way

I just had to order a replacement phone, since my current cell phone is beginning to act up.

So my Nokia 3220 should be here in a couple days. It has a speaker phone (which is a must-have on cell phones nowadays in my opinion) camera with night vision, it can take videos, has flashing lights all over, and can even flash light messages in mid-air. All this for free...T-Mobile Rocks...Cool!!

It's not a flip phone, but the beauty of the GSM technology is that I can switch phones at will, so I've kept my Samsung flip as a backup, in case I get the urge to use the flip now and then.

Need a spot??

One of the most common questions asked in a gym (or health club for the recreational users) is, "Hey, you need a spot with that?"

Let me explain...for those who might not frequent such places...

Let's say a dude is getting ready to do the bench press. He has stacked a lot of weight on the bar--oh, I don't know--315 pounds. You take a look at this guy & figure he might weigh 180 pounds...soaking wet. A battle begins in your mind, "Can this guy really lift that much weight?" As you wrestle with this he begins his pre-lift routine...and you decide something must be done...so you ask him, "Hey man, you need a spot?"

A "spotter" in the gym is there to assure that the weight never becomes too heavy for the other person to lift. In regards to the bench press...if you were spotting the individual in the above paragraph...you would stand behind him, he would lift the bar off of the rack and then bring the weight down on his chest...and if he could not push the weight back up then you would help him. If you are a serious person in the gym...there are going to be times that you need someone to spot you.

Now the problem for me usually comes in the fact that I do not have a regular workout partner...and so I always have to "go and bother" someone to assist me with my weightlifting. But reality is...if I do not ask for help...I could get crushed by the weight I am trying to lift...and so I make the effort to ask for help.

I think we can all learn from this analogy...

Life is tough...that is a fact. Seriously, there are some days that you feel like you are on top of the world...and then there are some days that you feel as if the world is on top of you! However, one of the most awesome things about being a Christ Follower is the fact that we do not have to do this thing called life alone...we've got help.

I must admit that one of the things that I have personally struggled with in the past (and I am sure this is you if you would be honest) is the fact that Jesus is always with me. In my head and in my heart I know this--I have seen His promises in Scripture over and over again...but aren't there times in your life where you need a physical presence...someone who can be there? What do we do in those situations?

It's very simple--we ask for a spot! The weight that we are asked to carry in life will often become unbearable. And I have heard people say that, "The Bible says that God will never put more on us than we can handle." Uh, no it doesn't! The Bible does say that we will not be tempted beyond what we can handle...but Scripture is clear over and over that God will often allow for unbearable weight to be put on us in order to get us to turn to Him AND to one another.

So my solution (and the Biblical one) is that when life is unbearable...ask for a spot. Ask a fellow Christ Follower for help. Ask someone to pray with you. Ask someone for advice. Ask someone if they can just listen to you for about 30 minutes.

I know, I know--this is hard for many people--especially if you are a leader. In my mind there are basically two things that keep people from asking for help.

#1 - Pride - I know there have been times in my life that I feel like I am falling apart--but I wanted to maintain the image that I have it all together. I finally realized one day that this attitude is one of deception.

Here's the deal--many people are clueless to the condition of your heart and soul. They can see your face--but they can't see any type of pain and/or hurt inside unless you are willing to open up and be vulnerable. Don't let pride keep the weight on your chest...ask for a spot!

#2 - Worry - I know that at times I personally have felt as if I don't want to worry anyone with "my little problems." However, the Bible tells us in Galatians 6:2, "Carry each others burdens..."

I heard Andy Stanley say it best once in a sermon on community, "Reality is that I need you...and you need me." That is so true...God did not call us to walk alone. Over and over again in Scripture we see the importance and the beauty of community. (If you want an interesting Bible study...go through the NT and count the number of times Scripture uses the phrase, "one another.")

So...if you are struggling today...ask for a spot. And if you are strong--give a spot, remember in doing so you can be "Jesus with skin on" to a person who is about to be crushed.

And oh yeah...if you are 180 pounds and can lift 315...uh...you are strong...and there was nothing personal about the illustration used earlier. :-)

See you this Sunday at CCC...do you like ice cream?