For too many reasons to explain right now, I’ve been absent from blogging the last few months.  I’ve been wondering, “has anyone even noticed?”  I mean, with so much stuff being written every day and seemingly less and less time available to just casually “browse the web,” who would notice, much less even care, if another blog just sort of fell by the wayside?

Here’s why I’m going to resume blogging; not to find validation from the words and thoughts of others; not to market myself in a world that seems to fall further into a narcissism-of-words and infatuation with self; not to set myself against others by pointing out their faults so as to attempt to make myself look better.  I’m going to resume blogging because God is still speaking, through me, through you, through the world around us.  And I forget all too easily.  There’s a purpose in writing things down, in capturing thoughts, in making marks.  We’re a forgetful people in a busy world that is constantly distracting us from the One True Voice that can give life.

I look forward to jumping back in…

“Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit.” _Galatians 5:16 (msg)

Last night I wrapped up a 4-night speaking tour that I thoroughly enjoyed and that almost thoroughly exhausted me. I love having the opportunity to speak to new audiences about ideas and thoughts I’ve been wrestling with for a while, and being able to serve Christ in such a way is nothing less than a privilege.

I’ve also been enjoying a period of time off from teaching each Sunday at Awaken, having my friend Ken Chester leading us through a 6-week journey through the Chronicles of Jesus. This has given me time to recharge my creative batteries a bit and to focus on some of the details and check the pulse of our vision at Awaken. I have to say that I continue to grow in my admiration for people who are able to keep the creativity flowing on a regular basis, who have guarded themselves well against the crash-and-burn that comes with a sudden loss of creative energy by learning how to pace themselves day to day. I’m still learning.

As I take some time to refuel on this little creative hiatus, I came across a question a few weeks ago in some of my readings that I thought to be quite interesting. It was a creative exercise where I was asked to list 3 “champions” of my creative-self and 3 “enemies.” What I was able to see was how the ‘champions’ I listed all shared a common theme…people who believed in me, who recognized a raw talent and spoke to an area I desperately needed and desired to hear their affirmation (and by the way, I cheated…I couldn’t limit it to 3).

The ‘enemies’ of my creativity were identified as individuals or organizations who have wanted me to ’stay inside the lines,’ to color neatly, predictably, just like others around me. Now, I guess my mom can bear witness to this little fact better than anyone…the fact that I’ve never been able to color inside the lines very well. I still can’t do it well today. Maybe it’s from my figgedy hands that always like to tap on something. Maybe it’s my lack of patience with creating certain things. Maybe it’s what I inherited from my dad who has the handwriting of a doctor. I don’t know. Nonetheless, I don’t color within the lines well and never have.

It’s interesting to see how this has become such a definitive of my journey so far and how it continues to be. I remember my public speaking professor in college telling me several times that I didn’t have a good voice for speaking, that I was boring…all topped off with a “C” for the class. Could it be that I just wasn’t that interested in what I was speaking about? Could it be that there’s a better communicator in all of us than we realize…it’s just that we don’t get to talk about the things we enjoy often enough? Maybe…

When it has come to the ‘champions’ of my creativity, they’ve all been people who’ve seen the value in how I color and the potential of what my coloring could become. People who believed in me, who continue to do so.

Besides, I’m convinced that it’s not those who color inside the lines who necessarily make the greatest marks on the things around them.

Living freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit today…

…never to resurface. A reflection on forgiveness from the worship team at Awaken…

I’m so excited to have my friend and one of my mentors, Ken Chester, teaching this month at Sunday Worship Gatherings. We’ve been working on this teaching series for several weeks now - we’re calling The Chronicles of Jesus - where Ken will be unpacking several different identifying marks of Jesus, beginning with Jesus, The Saving One, and continuing throughout the month with different aspects built around the phrase, Jesus, The ______ One.

Now, I have to share a little secret of Ken’s and how he’s been not only preparing for this series, but how he tends to prepare different thought he writes on daily. While at the downtown YMCA, Ken has told countless stories of fresh encounters with God through both solitude and conversations with others…in the steam-room. Interesting. Which raises the question, “what has God been trying to say to you while your sitting in your local sauna?”

Anyway, I’m praying - along with Ken - that visits to the steam-room this month will be rich, deep, Holy Spirit filled…that God would flood Ken’s heart and mind with fresh thoughts on how to retell an ancient and personal account of the person, purpose and plan of Jesus…The Chronicles of Jesus.

One of the ways I celebrated my “31st” last week was by traveling down to Wilson, NC to speak at an area youth event, organized by one of my former youth students, Auston Jones (who I’m so proud of for having the courage to step out and go after something like this for his high-school senior project) and one of my best friends, Stephen Combs, who is the Worship/Youth Pastor at Wilson Community Church. The event drew students from 9 counties and was focused toward challenging teenagers toward a life of sexual abstinence and spiritual freedom. I was honored to be invited as the speaker for the evening and to rejoin so many of my friends in Wilson. (Special thanks to my friends at WAYnet (Wilson Area Youth Network) for sponsoring the event)

It was especially exciting to have my dad with me - although I have to admit I was nervous when he told me he wanted to go with me. I made sure he was aware that I would be talking to a few hundred teenagers about SEX and that I might say some things that would cause him to feel a bit uncomfortable…but he went anyway, and I’m so glad he did!

I was amazed to watch how God moved that evening and was blown away that He would invite me into such an awesome opportunity. The main point of my talk for the evening was to communicate to students God’s heart for them; not to talk to them about a whole bunch of stuff that God is against, but instead to paint a picture of all He’s for - our lives, our futures, our best interest, a better life than we or anyone else could ever dream up for ourselves. You see, I believe if we could ever really believe that God truly has our best interest at heart that it would radically draw us into a life of repentance and purity. But like the first man and first woman, somewhere in the midst of life, we believe God is holding out on us and we simply aren’t going to wait on Him for a better future. So my desire was for these kids to hear God’s heart for them, perhaps getting a fresh perspective on who He truly is and to know that He is for us.

At the end of my talk, I had two students from Fike High School approach me who just wanted to say how much they enjoyed the talk. One of them indicated that he was an atheist, and though he didn’t believe the same way I did, how refreshing it was to hear a different perspective on God. I was later told that he and his friend were asking middle-schoolers around them to be quiet so they could hear what was being said. Wow. I’m praying God will ultimately capture these guys hearts and that His word would be ’sealed’ and grown like a seed deep within them… Amazing.

Perhaps the most amazing part of the evening was what I heard the following day - that 103 students had indicated they desired to live a life of sexual abstinence and that 41 students had accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives as well! I was and still am blown away…especially with the fact that I didn’t really give an invitation or a call-to-commitment at the end of my talk! For me, it was just a refreshing reminder that when we allow God room to work, what amazing things He can truly accomplish through us! For those of you who know me, I do everything I can to downplay numbers, but as my friend Frank Bishoff would say, every person counts as one in God’s kingdom…and for that I’m thankful.

The night before I spoke, I asked my brothers at Awaken to pray over me for the empowering and anointing of God’s Spirit, not so that I would be successful as a speaker, but so that God heart and His voice would be heard loud, simple and clear through me. Thanks, brothers! I certainly feel that prayer was answered in a powerful way.

There are few things in life that could give me such satisfaction, and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my birthday…

• Please continue to pray for the students who made decisions that evening and for the adults and youth workers who care so much for them, that they’d have the wisdom and courage to follow-up with them.
• Also, send Auston Jones a word of encouragement by clicking here…
• See another posting of this event at GaryCombs.org (Thankful for Partnership)
  

Last week was an amazing week for me, and perhaps one of the best birthdays I’ve ever had. On Friday evening (May 9th) several of our friends from around Greensboro dropped in to celebrate with me over some grilled BBQ chicken-tenders and some delicious side-dishes.

Now, everyone was specifically asked not to bring gifts (a few folks decided to break the rules, but how could I be angry about that?), so I really wasn’t expecting to receive anything; only to enjoy the company of the folks who have poured life into me in so many ways and who have allowed me the privilege of their friendships and the opportunity to journey with them in life. (By the way, thanks to all of you who came and even to those of you who just couldn’t make it…I love you all).

Near the end of our evening together, after getting to cut into one of the most beautiful cakes I’ve ever laid eyes on (a UNC cake that was pretty darn delicious, too!), Molly handed me a bag that contained a gift that was being given on behalf of everyone there and people who couldn’t be there. I reached in and pulled out a black leather journal, my initials engraved on the front, containing page after page of words of encouragement from friends all around. I was totally surprised and overwhelmed at the same time! I couldn’t help but to browse through the pages, where Molly pasted sentence after sentence of words written by people who have meant so much to me over the years. That evening after everyone left, Molly and I sat around the fire-pit while I read every single entry, my eyes flooded with tears, my heart filled with laughter and my mind replaying memory after memory. It made me want to call every single person that night just to say thank you.

So, if I haven’t told you personally already…THANK YOU!

I can’t begin to put into words you how much a gift like this means to me…what an amazing wife I have and for how awesome she is for pulling this together and how much I appreciate her hard work and her creativity just to remind me of my value to her, to Christ and to others…how much my relationships mean to me…how rich and life-giving each word on the pages of this journal truly are…

…how much I wish each person I know could have a gift like this.

Already today so many of you (my family and friends) have called to bless me as I celebrate my “31st.” I looked at Molly this morning in bed and asked her how it felt to be married to someone in their “thirty-somethings.” She doesn’t seem to mind - and besides, how lucky am I to be married to such a young chick now? My girls (Molly and Julia) surprised me with a few gifts this morning, and both of my ‘moms’ sang “happy birthday” to me over the phone. What an awesome morning!

Anyway, thanks to each of you…for your friendships, and for the joy, encouragement and strength I draw from each of you. Out of my need for Christ, I need you in my life. Know how much of a blessing you are to me today - each of you! My friend, Peter Kim, and I were talking yesterday about the amazing gift of having people in your life who not only depend on you, but who you also depend on - a term known as interdependence. What a hope Christ has given us to look at one another in humility and love and say, “I need you and having you in my life makes things okay!” Thanks for being that for me as I hope to pour the same back into you…

Tonight, I will be traveling to Wilson to speak to some teenagers there about navigating through sexuality and God’s plan to move them toward His dream for their lives. I would so appreciate your prayers over this time…that God’s heart would be heard in a clear and simple way tonight through me, and that He would restore hope and bring healing to the kids who are desperate for it, and strength to those who feel like they’re a fish swimming upstream…

Blessings, life and peace today…

Here’s a video my friend Jeff Harris sent me. This is what Julia and I watch on Saturday mornings together. Does this cause you to reminisce?

Struggle. I learned this past year in Fantasy Football that a “struggle” refers to a time when most of your best players just aren’t getting the big stats you’d expect them to.  I came back across this word recently (in a different fashion) in my Scripture readings, a word I feel all-to-well sums up many of my days in life (as a husband, a dad, a family-member, a friend) and in ministry.

This is why we work hard and continue to struggle (or ’suffer’), for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers (Who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth). _1 Timothy 4:10, 2:4

It seems to me that the word “struggle” is often seen more negatively than positively, serving as some type of indication you’re in the wrong place in life or that you’re possibly wasting your time in some way. Now, I’m a huge proponent of seeing people discover their strengths and giftedness, and I personally long to find myself living in my “sweet spot” on a daily basis and seeing others do so as well. (Recently, we had several people at Awaken participate in StrengthsFinder Assessments, and I’ve be absolutely blown away to see folks learn more about their uniqueness, as well as our community affirm one another in those strengths) But when we bring up words like “struggle” and “suffering,” it can often seem to be contradiction to a life lived to the full, to someone truly living in their “sweet spot.”

Now, I’ll be honest here (and this may raise some big questions for some of you reading this blog or cause some concerns in your confidence in me as a pastor) - I’m still not really sure if I’m truly in my sweet spot in life. What has caused me to think this over the last several months has had to do with the daily struggles I’ve encountered personally as a church-planter and in attempting to guide and shepherd a new church as a lead-pastor for the very first time in my life. Some may see it as courageous, but most days I’ve seen it as no more than a struggle.

I think that raises a great question for all of us here: If we’re finding ourselves struggling in some area of life, is that some kind of indication I’m not in my “sweet spot?” We’re all familiar with what it’s like to compare ourselves with others who seem to be “living the dream,” who seem to be right in the middle of their own sweet spots…and oh, how we long to find ourselves there too. However, I believe we often overlook the fact that nearly everyone around us has their own struggles…some just cover them up better than others…

I’ve been learning recently more about what it means to find yourself “struggling,” and yet at the same time in a “sweet spot.” We’re all aware that there are good struggles in life. That’s the difference in asking yourself, “Why must I continue to struggle like this?” verses “What’s the purpose of my struggle? Why do I choose to put myself through this?” But when it comes to a life of following Christ, we often forget that “struggling” is part of the journey. Check out these words penned by the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:29…

For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ, but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together.

I want to know today that my struggling has a purpose. I want to know that I’m not alone in this struggle. And as I’ve been brining before the Lord in prayer, I want find myself fully alive in what I do, no matter how much of a struggle it may be, no matter how exhausting it may be at times or how much suffering may be involved.

I love something Rob Bell pointed out recently about the word “suffer” in Philippians 1:29. It comes from the Greek word pascho, which describes a ‘redemptive suffering.’ A suffering, or a struggle, that has a purpose.

My encouragement today (which I hope will be yours) is that although I may continue to struggle and even question whether or not I’m really in my ’sweet spot,’ I know that at least for today there’s a glorious and redemptive purpose to it all. I know I have the privilege of both trusting in Christ for my future and struggling alongside others to see His life formed in the people around me.

That’s why I choose to struggle…knowing that we’re standing side-by-side, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. (Phil. 1:27b)

I started to write this overly-spiritual explanation as to why I’ve been absent from blogging the last few weeks, but I thought it’d be a waste of words and time. Which raises a great thought I might have to write about soon: why do we sometimes feel we have to spiritualize everything that goes on in our lives? Why can’t we just be and live and enjoy, rather than try to analyze the meaning in everything? So, the short and skinny of it is that with April 15th looming last week, I needed focus on completing my 2007 tax-return online…which I did myself this year - what a huge accomplishment and relief!

So, now that I’m out from under the pile of 1040’s, W2’s, Schedule SE’s, 2140’s and so forth, I’m excited to get back on the blogging bandwagon.

Over the last couple of weeks I was able to be part of helping my friend, Ken Chester, finally get his blog up and going. I encourage you to check it out at ingodsgrip.org. Ken shares insightful thoughts daily (Monday-Friday) centered living whole and complete lives in Christ and refreshing reminders of who we are in Him. You can subscribe to his blog by clicking here.

Thanks for checking in and not giving up on me…

Today in Boone, it is raining outside, the overcast makes visibility low, and the air is warm so that your clothes stick to you. Very few people are out on the streets, but for those few that are, the majority keep their faces to the ground to keep from getting any inch of their skin wet. Water has accumulated in many places, so that it is almost impossible to walk anywhere without getting a sock full of rainwater.

Today is one the most beautiful days in the world. I cannot explain to you the peace I found in just taking a simple walk down to Espresso News and back. With smooth jazz in my ear buds and rain gently falling on my face as I kept it towards the sky, God was there. I wanted to find every opportunity in the world to make eye contact with someone and just smile. I’ve found eye contact, even if just for one second, with a complete stranger, slows down time. Not literally, but it’s one of those instances where you suddenly wonder what town they were born in, and whether they know this God who makes rain beautiful.

I think rain is very symbolic of our lives. Most people see rain as irritable, sticky, and an overall nuisance to our daily life. And, on face value, it is. This can represent the pain and hardships we face in our lives. But, also, think about this. When it’s raining, you cannot help but notice. You’re either going to wear what you normally wear and suffer through it in your mind, or wear a raincoat and get through a little better. Regardless of the choice, your day changed a little because of the rain.When it rains, I see this as God getting our attention. The same is with some of the pains and struggles we go through.
The phrase, “beauty in ashes,” is basically another way of saying, “look at the bright side.” Rain can be annoying, but it can also be revitalizing. Water is one of the strongest images tied to purity and cleansing. As each drop of rain touches your face, think about it this way: every drop represents a single mistake or sin or whatever in our lives that’s holding us down. And every drop, as it hits your face, is God proclaiming, “You are free of guilt and misery. Live free and abundantly.”

Think about this! Ooh man! When a raindrop hits your face, think about how lucky you are! You are the only person who gets to feel that raindrop in the whole entire world. If that doesn’t make you feel unique, I don’t know what can.

I could keep going, but I want you to start where I finished off. Let it be a conversation between you and God.