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Are You Celebrating Valentines?

February 12, 2009 in Family, Holidays, Relationships with 77 Comments

Valentines Day

In case you haven’t already started thinking about it, Valentines Day is this Saturday! This is one holiday that always sneaks up on me.

Valentine’s Day is the second biggest retail holiday of the year. But it appears the economy is forcing some sweethearts to cut back this year.  A survey by the National Retail Federation shows Americans spent $17 billion on Valentines in 2008. This year it’s down to $14.7 billion. People plan to spend an average of just over $100 for gifts, about $20 less compared to last year. It looks the the economy is tough on love. Or at least the commercial expression of it.

There is some good news though. 79 percent of people surveyed said their personal financial situation has had no impact on their frequency of sex, according to a separate survey by Consumer Reports. In fact, five percent of the people surveyed said they’re having sex more often. Who knew?

So here’s what I thought we could do today. Let’s create a think tank of great ideas for Valentines Day. I’d love to hear how you guys are celebrating despite the tough economic times.

What are some things you’ve done in the past that weren’t too pricey, but ended up being significant?

Who knows, maybe you’ll stumble on an idea that will work for you! Not that any of us are waiting to the last minute though.

Courage

January 20, 2009 in Leadership, Relationships, Religion, Videos with 46 Comments

I felt led to kind of stick with the “going first” theme this week on Without Wax. Here’s a video of a young lady here at Cross Point whose going through an awful lot right now but chose to “go first” this past weekend. She risked criticism, pointed fingers, and judgement and in my book that takes a lot of courage.

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/2895945]

My New Year’s Resolutions

December 31, 2008 in God, Leadership, Relationships, Vision with 64 Comments

I know some people are “anti” New Years resolutions.  However, I think this is an exciting time of year to set goals and establish new perspectives. As a matter of fact this blog is a result of one of my New Year’s resolutions from last year.

There are two resolutions I’m making this year.

The first resolution consists of  three commitments  I’m making to my church, Cross Point, for 2009. I’m going to be sharing those this Sunday, so I’ll wait to post them next week.

The second resolution is more of a broad perspective I want to establish throughout my life in this new year. It’s inspired by the following passage in Psalm 39.

4 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.
5 You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
at best, each of us is but a breath.”
Show me, God, my life’s end. Show me the number of my days. Show me how fleeting my life is.

I want to live in 2009 with the awareness of LIFE GOES BY FAST and MY DAYS ARE NUMBERED.

Like everyone else I can get caught up in trying to rush through life acquiring things, trying to attain security, and achieving meaningless goals our culture has deemed worthy.  But so many of the things I focus on and worry about are simply futile.

I waste time regretting things from the past I can’t change. I settle for mediocrity trying to avoid difficult decisions and conversations. I get consumed with trying to be loved instead of loving others. I squander precious moments trying to control things I can’t control.

I don’t want that to be my life. I don’t want that to be my vision… because that vision cannot sustain God’s design for something as splendid as a human life. That is a vision born out of thinking I have an endless amount of time on this earth to make the impact God has designed me to make and this, my friends, is nothing more than an illusion.

So in 2009 I’m making a resolution, a commitment, a promise to view my life (my marriage, my job, my friendships, my purpose) through the understanding that LIFE GOES BY FAST and MY DAYS ARE NUMBERED.

I pray it will help me love deeper, pray harder, focus intently, and seek to make the greatest impact with my one and only life that I possibly can.

So what’s your New Year’s resolution for 2009?


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Virtual Christmas Open House

December 17, 2008 in Cross Point Church, Family, Holidays, Leadership, Relationships, Videos with 42 Comments

As most of you already know I love Christmas. One of my favorite things to do during Christmas is entertain people in our home.

For the past 6 years we’ve always had a Christmas open house where we’ve invited our ENTIRE church over. Generally, we would open our house for a week from 6:00-9:00 and try to facilitate as many people through as possible. It was a great way for people to meet others in the church as well as an opportunity for us to get a few minutes to personally wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Last year we really pushed our luck as our neighborhood was not real happy with all the traffic and parking problems this created (I don’t blame them. I’m sure I wouldn’t be happy about not getting into my driveway either). Then when Cross Point grew in additional 68% this year we knew there was just no practical way to have everyone over again this year.

So I’m bummed, but we’re having a handful of smaller parties this year. However, I promised everyone I would give you a video tour of all the decorations. So here’s part one which covers the outside decorations and later this week I’ll share part two with you which walks you through the inside.

I pray you guys are having a great Christmas so far!

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/2529174]

So what are you doing this year to celebrate Christmas with friends and family?

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I’m Sorry

December 11, 2008 in Family, My Family, Relationships, Religion with 69 Comments

I’m sorry. I was wrong.

Why are those five words so stinkin’ hard to say?

Yesterday morning I had a moment of intense fellowship with my wife. I would tell you what it was over, but you would laugh. It seems so insignificant looking back.

I was mad, so I left the house in a  hurry. Driving to my breakfast meeting I was listing in my head all the different reason I was right. I had thoroughly convinced myself I was right and she was wrong. Right?

OK, maybe not. But even after reality set in and I realized I was the one wrong it took me three (yes, three) separate phone calls to her before I finally got the courage to say it…

I’m sorry. I was wrong.

Do you have any phrases you have a hard time saying?

The Most Important Person of 2008 Is…

December 10, 2008 in Friends, Relationships, Religion with 62 Comments

Time Magazine is starting their campaign for “Most Important Person of 2008″.  A couple notables in the current top ten are Barack Obama at #1 (he has a huge lead), Hillary Clinton at #5, and Sarah Palin at #7 (by the way Tina Fey is #3).

I’m sure all the names listed deserve credit for impacting the world in some way or the other.

But I’m interested in your life. Your world. Your family. Who was the most important person to you in 2008? Who made an impact on you?  Maybe a sibling? A pastor? A friend? A parent? A co-worker?

Who would you nominate and why?

Please Note: You can’t say Jesus as we all know he blows everyone else away.

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I LOVE to HATE OJ

December 8, 2008 in God, Leadership, Relationships, Religion with 52 Comments

All weekend long I heard chatter about OJ. It seems everyone (including myself) was just giddy.  He was sentenced to up to 33 years in prison on Friday for his role in an armed robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers inside a Las Vegas hotel room.

I don’t know what it is about this guy, but it seems we all love to hate him. And I will agree there seems to be a lot to hate.

A seemingly arrogant spirit.

Possible murder.

Blown talent.

Crook.

But why do I LOVE to hate him?

Is it about revenge?

Does it make me feel better about myself?

Does focusing on immorality around me allow me to ignore the immorality in me?

The thing I tend to forget is Scripture is full of people like David and Moses who committed murder and embodied so many other character defects. And yet, God used them. Not only did he use them, they would become the heroes of our faith. The truth is many of the individuals God used throughout Scripture would have NO chance of ever being hired in any of our churches today.

Why don’t we have more leaders in our faith and in churches who have had moral and ethical failures?

Because we love to shoot our own. We love to hate people that have screwed up. We love the sensational scandal.

But let me say this. Giving up on OJ. Giving up on Ted Haggard. Giving up on Brad Johnson.  Giving up on the hundreds of Christian leaders who fall every year is not a statement on them. It’s a statement on our belief in God’s redeeming work.

Do you believe God can redeem OJ’s life? Let me ask a more probing question. Do you really WANT God to redeem OJ’s life?

Maybe the reason we don’t have more OJ’s and David’s and Moses’s leading in our churches today is because as a Christian community we’ve slammed the door on God’s redeeming work in the lives of people who have screwed up.

We’ve stopped looking into the eyes of the fallen and speaking redeeming, loving words. We’ve stopped telling them here is who you can become.

Old habits can change.

Old patterns can be rewired.

You can become the person God had in mind when he thought you into existence.

So who do you love to hate? Who have you given up on? Who needs you to believe in them again?

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