Highlight of the Week:  Enjoying taking Susan out for birthday dinner.  Our Christmas cantata was beautiful. 

Drama of the Week: Our church installed a new fire alarm system earlier this year and it has these lasersensors to detect rising smoke high in the sanctuary.  Unfortunately on the balcony side, near the sensor is where we have one of our lighting control panels that are utilized more during the holidays.  This being our first holiday event, we tripped them twice in one week.  More to it than that, like when I silenced the alarm (after knowing there was no chance of danger) and allowed everyone back inside.  It’s not policy but Icannot figure out why these laser sensors have thesame protocol as an actual smoke or monoxide detector. Anyway, while some thanked me from getting them out of the cold, others were not as happy with me. There was no fire, the alarm was piercing loud, it was 30 degrees outside, children, older people, were freezing and no offense but it was taking a real long time for the fire trucks to show (God bless them, I appreciate immensly what they do), at some point human leadership needs to discern and intervene, otherwise, you are living in the Matrix.  So maybe next week I’ll be competing with Evan and jump hunting or our families will be sitting next to each other at The Well on Sunday mornings and at Thomas’ The Plant on Sunday evenings.  

For Advent I’m:  pretty much only doing Advent Scriptures/prayers and poems like Thomas’ on Everyday Liturgy.  We haven’t started decorating or candle-lighting or anything so my plans were pretty much thrown out the window.  Looks like I actually am a good evangelical ;-)

Listening to:  Sufajan’s Christmas albums, Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams and the Cardinals’ “Cardinology”, more Jenny Lewis’ Acid Tongue, and tried Brandon Heath (sorta like Mat Kearney.  It was alright)

Reading:  schoolbooks and everything Ecclesiastes.  When I grow up, I want to be  “Qohelet”  (but less jaded).  

Saw:  4 Christmases with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon.  Funny and cute.  We hadn’t been to the movies for a while but it was alright.  I did like the church scene though.  Not as great as the Little Baby Jesus prayer in Talladega but pretty good.

Looking Forward: to the end of this semester.  I’m enjoying working on this Ecclesiastes paper but will be glad when it’s over too.  Getting more into the Christmas/Advent season.

Procrastinating on: Everything.

Today is my wife Susan’s, birthday.  Every now and then, I think back to what she was thinking when we started dating.  Though it’s hard to imagine, I wasn’t always as amazing as I am now.  In fact, if there was ever a time I could have used a Todd Hiestand re-design, it would have been upon entering freshmen year of college.

Dating Susan was a no-brainer for me but I always imagine her surrounded by dorm friends, pie-charts, plus and minus comparisons, spreadsheets, profile, anaylis, and headshots of other guys, and perhaps a lot of wine at our conservative Christian school trying to navigate the uncharted territory of Christian guys at our school (thank God, I was only up against Christian guys – lol).  Aside from me explaining to her that I was destined to have a lucrative career in youth ministry and that we would have a church van at our immediate disposal (provided that we properly sign it out), I’m not really sure what she was thinking.  Maybe she mooched off her friends too much and their encouragement of me was their revenge.  Maybe her former boyfriends were Kirby vacuum cleaner salesmen, or maybe she is crazier than me and I haven’t realized it yet.  Hmmmm.

Well, it’s been quite the year.  I’ve been saying that a lot lately and I hope (and for all of you) it becomes cliché because it generally means it was a year worth living.  Some of our prayers were answered this year and we’ve entered into a great season of parenthood.  We’re enjoying our church and receiving (and hopefully giving) a lot of love.

For years we’ve had conversations about the will of God and how they may not include our plans and dreams.  We were always convinced that our faith would not waiver for those types of reasons and sought His peace as we journeyed together.  These days, we’re better at doing life, our marriage is stronger, and we’ve been encouraged by God’s goodness once again.  We know that we will be in and out of good and tough seasons but it’s nice to have both kinds of pictures in the scrapbook.

Susan, you have become (and is becoming) an amazing woman.  Your beauty, joy, humor, spirit of forgiveness, and faith are gifts you give each day.  What can I give you on your birthday when material gifts would only dilute these words and my reciprocation wouldn’t measure up?  Still trying to figure that out after all these years, thanks for your patience, I hope our love is enough, Happy Birthday, Susan.  

Highlight of the Week – 1.  Yesterday we dedicated Nathan in our church.  We’ve prayed for this day for a while so that was cool. Also loved the little gathering at our place afterwards.  Wished we could have invited everyone but it was nice to be among family and a couple of friends.  2. Sister, brother-in-law, parent in-laws flew in for Thanksgiving (and dedication) 3. Really nice Thanksgiving Eve service.  (mentioned some of it in my thanksgiving reflection).

Disappointment of the Week – Aside for all the preparations for the dedication, I think my biggest disappointment was one of my fantasy football teams performing so poorly this season.  I really had high expectations this year.  Granted we lost a couple close games and had some tough match-ups but I’m paying a lot of fantasy money here and I really expected some better results.  Fair warning – no loyalties to anyone next year.    I am however, first in our other league. First round bye next week.   Not sure how strong we are heading into the playoffs though.  Haven’t had a good QB  and have been dragging Braylon Edwards the whole season (argh!).  We’ll see if it becomes a showdown between me and Evan.  These are my disappointments, so yeah, it’s been a good week.

Listening to: same as last week.  If you like good music though (as opposed to those who choose crappy music.  you know who you are), the best musician who you may never have heard of – Andy Zipf was named American Songwriter of the Week.  “Andy Zipf has built himself quite a cottage industry by constantly writing, touring and building a fan-base one friend at a time…”  I should blog about him sometime.  He really is the definition of an independent artist.  Owns all his music rights, plays shows constantly and never takes a short cut.  He is also a brilliant artist.  

Just Watched: Charlie Wilson’s War.  Really liked it.  I guess I didn’t realize it was rated R and watched it with some people who I wouldn’t normally watch such a movie with.  All consistent with the title. A little too much sensual gratuity, profanity, (apparently that’s how Charlie rolled according to the History Channel special) and of course scenes of violence (as usually is the case in “War”).  Once again, Tom Hanks is brilliant and a lot of fun to watch.  I couldn’t stop laughing at his wit and humor.  Phillip Seymour Hoffman was fantastic.  (Susan really liked his role).  Oh, and Julia Roberts is in it. I guess you tend to forget that it’s her so I guess that means it was a good performance. 

Youth Ministry Has Been:  off for Thanksgiving.  We had the Thanksgiving Eve service so no youth group that night.  Did have Sunday school and the day before had our annual Turkey Tackle Football game.  Good times.  Was also great to see returning college students too.  Most of them seem to be doing great.

Need To: Do a ton of schoolwork and a million other things.  This was a nice break though.  

Keeping in Mind:  The beginning of Advent and World AIDS Day. Hope to meditate on them both in the upcoming days.  

Though since Nathan was released to Susan and I from the hospital, it’s been easy to be thankful.  As everyone knows, life never really goes as planned.  I’ll turn 32 this Christmas Eve and my wife had thought since we married soon after college that we would have 2 or 3 kids by now and then be talking about adoption.  Today, I wouldn’t have changed a thing but it was a tough road getting here.  Grateful for the endurance that the Lord gives. 

All my life I learned that if there were solutions to almost every problem.  How many times was I struggling in a class but aced the big project and the final and got the A?  In tennis, I prided myself in coming back and forced an extra set?  When you’re sick, go to the doctor and get a prescription for antibiotics.  Feeling distant from the Lord?  Spend some more time seeking Him.  Said something insensitive to my wife?  Spend time seeking the Lord!  Add ministry, family relationships and friendships, car problems, etc, etc, and you get the idea.   But not all problems have solutions. 

At our church, I was given the job of roaming around with the mic for a time a time of sharing during our Thanksgiving Eve Service.  It was nice sharing as a community.  People said some beautiful things and I was touched.  My wife shared too and I was very grateful for her words  (She also went first and I appreciated that as well).

That doesn’t mean it’s been the easiest year.  My grandmother died this year after fighting years and years of a lung disease.  I miss her very much but grateful for her life and faith. Grateful especially that one of my most prayed words were answered when she met Nathan on Mother’s Day.  She had just gotten released from the hospital and we had just got him.  This year  was the first time in years that Susan truly looked forward to the day.  My sister flew in from AZ, all the family gathered at my grandmother’s house – it was great. Since we were without a senior pastor, I was given the privilege of preaching and it became a very special service.  It just all came together that Mother’s Day. 

Besides my family, I am grateful for the students (and their families) that I get to serve.  Thankful for our new senior pastor.  And most days, I sincerely enjoy working with our staff.  I’m honored to be a part of our church and am so appreciative of their support in my seminary education.  Then there are the countless friendships that I enjoy. 

I could go on and on, I am just in that mode right now.  And I know I haven’t written anything on salvation (Please don’t be that guy/girl who comments on that because this whole post is about that).  I spent some time thinking about previous years.  I also thought of those who were hurting this year.  For many it’s the first time without a parent or their spouse, widowed or divorced.  For many, it’s yet another without their child.  I hurt for those who spend their holidays in hospitals or planning funerals.  Car accidents and news reports of terrorists grieve me more on holidays.  So do the genocides all throughout the world and other tragedies.  I know this points to some flawed thinking but truth is, these hard realities plague me almost every day – less of course on the days that I am more self-seeking.

May the Lord be near those who are hurting today.  May the Lord be faithful to those who have praised Him and to those who have forgotten Him.  To Him, I give thanks.

Highlights of the Week: 1.  Crawling baby boy is all over the place and we can’t get him to sit still.  2.  LEAD retreat with Andy Crouch and with Cohort 10.  Also enjoyed being with other cohorts.  3.  The Templeton foundation event was cool too.

Disappointment of the Weekend: Driving home from the retreat on the spare tire sucked.  Took me twice as long (4 hours) and no one carries it. Need to special order it – argh.  I did get to listen to some good music and some podcasts though.  2.  Some ministry disappointments that I am seeking wisdom on.  We need to practice courage. 

Watched: HBO’s The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo and wow, not sure I can process it. From the website:  

“Today, in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, rape is taking place on a scale that is almost unimaginable. In the last ten years, hundreds of thousands of women and girls have been raped – but their suffering goes unacknowledged. Instead, they are invisible, shamed and mute. This is the story of one filmmaker’s crusade to break the silence surrounding this shocking reality, armed with a firsthand connection with the women and men she meets.”

Listening to:  “Acid Tongue” – Jenny Lewis, “A Thousand Sons” – Snow Patrol, and  also enjoying Songs from Jacob’s Well – Even the Darkenss Will Not Be Dark to You – Mike Crawford and his Secret Siblings.  Like Jake Bouma, I picked up this cd at the Rec. Paul Conference and he has been blogging about it.  All I want to add is that it’s worth the hype.

Youth Ministry has been:  really good this week.  We had a crappy gathering about a month ago.  It was like everyone’s puppy got ran over that day.  There was a fair amount of complaining and general bad moods.  We talked about it and I’m happy to say that November has been a great rebound.  Youth Leaders have been more intentional, students have stepped up, and I hope I’ve been faithful to my responsibilities.  We did a series on disappointment (and expectation) called  “Letdown”.  Primary text was John 6; it was three weeks long with the last one was entitled “Is Jesus Enough”?  Last night was a solid student leader’s mtg. – proud of them. Maybe the best part of my week were the personal conversations I’ve been having with a couple of our students.

Not looking forward to:  Aside from the neglected homework and the monster to-do list, not really anxious.

Looking forward to:  Thanksgiving with the family, 2. We are dedicated Nathan next week and I like the Christmas/Advent Season.