if you would have told me I would be doing these things a year ago...

• I would have never thought I would be a partner in my own business. (Oh yeah, that TEC thing didn't work out. Their loss.)
• (1) That I would be TiVo'ing the Stanley Cup playoffs. (2) That I would actually watch them and enjoy them immensely.
  
• That I would not be in full time Christian ministry.
• That I would be heavily involved in the student ministry of the church I attend...and totally digging it.
• That I would be garnering a reputation as an encourager....who'da thunk?
• That I would be more patient than ever before. Frankly, just a little patience was a big step for me.
• That I would be this focused and happy after all the stuff that's happened in the last eight months.

God alone gets the credit for everything. The biblical challenge of "count it all joy" actually seems like it's possible to attain. At least now more than ever.

Peace.

it's all about the life changing story

Easter is a big day in my faith system. It's actually bigger than Christmas. Christmas is great and everything but, in the worldview of the evangelical Christian, it's simply a precursor to the celebration of the apex of Christianity...the atoning death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I've been doing the church thing from the womb and have seen lots of different portrayals of the life of Christ. I've played the apostle Peter in a Passion play. I've gone to Easter cantatas. I've participated in a bunch of different Easter rituals, including egg hunts. I reckon they have their place. From my perspective, it seems that the focus of all the rituals tends to be on the production rather than how the Passion story can actually change someone's life.

This Easter was different. The church I attend, Chestnut Mountain Church, did a life drama based on the life of a guy at our church. The guy, Chris, had grown up in church and knew the right answers but he never allowed it to change his life. He ended up making some poor choices and lost his job, marriage, and the respect of his friends. The result was multiple run-ins with the law and jail time. After a long, dark road of addiction he ended up repenting and asking Jesus Christ to be his Lord and Savior. The songs, video, personal testimony of Chris, and drama of the conversion were so well done that the focus stayed on the message of God's life changing power. It was balanced. Brutally honest. Crystal clear. Real life kind of stuff.

Yesterday was proof that a church can communicate the claims of Jesus Christ with poignant relevance. Kudos to the leadership of CMC.

Oh yeah...I got to play bass yesterday. Rippin' good fun for sure.

Interesting

I'm always intrigued to see who's been stopping by my blog. I hope it's been good for you somehow.

UNITED...incredible

In the Christian worship music subculture there are some psalmists/artists that receive rock star treatment. It's unfortunate, but it happens nontheless. There is a group of folks from down under that, at least on the surface, seem to be the real deal. The student worship ministry of Hillsong from Australia called UNITED exude genuineness. While I haven't met them personally, it is evident that there is something different about these people.

My wife and I went to see them at 7:22 last Tuesday night. As usual, the production was first class. The UNITED folks were in top musical form and more importantly, led the crowd in some very authentic worship. It was incredible. I know that may seem over the top to some, but that was the perception that I and my wife had of the evening.

I haven't picked up their new CD/DVD combo United We Stand, but I'm sure I'll buy it. Even though I'm a huge fan of ITunes, I'll pick up the good old fashioned hard copy. The DVD's these guys produce are very well done. It's worth the extra few bucks.