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Mowing the Weeds

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My lawn is beyond the point of repair or upkeep. It is beyond the point of little fixes toward maintenance. The weeds have dominated the grass, and at this point, I just keep mowing the weeds to make it look (better word: appear) nice. There is no real beautiful life but for a few patches, and the fact they are beautiful patches does not make the lawn look any better as whole. It only looks...well...patchy.

My lawn needs to be tilled up, re-rolled, and re-planted.

In what part of your life, your leadership, your ministry, are you just mowing weeds at this point?

What part of your life, your leadership, your ministry needs to just be thrown into the green waste bin to make room for whatever NEW BEAUTIFUL THING God is trying to create?

Eating Like a Runner

Sitting in the university cafeteria, I watched as a cross country runner loaded his lunch tray with piles of food. I elbowed a friend of mine and said, "Look how skinny that kid is, and look at his plate of food. I guess all I have to do is eat like that, and I could be as skinny as that." My friend responded, "Yeah, but he also runs about 10-12 miles every night."

James 5:17-18 talks about the prophet Elijah, and it starts off saying, "Elijah was a man just like us."

It is refreshing to know Elijah was just a man, but it is a challenge when you keep reading, "He prayed earnestly."

Take heart knowing, you too, are just a man. Take heed knowing you have to pray earnestly.

The Robin and the Lady Poet

I was meandering the internet for poets and other inspirational spoken word. I came across these two, and I loved it from the beginning. Great artistic chemistry that mixes for an unsafe explosion of beauty. Enjoy! [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlT5JM1fHfM&w=560&h=349]

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Sermon Illustration Rafters

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It is time to honor some of your sermon illustrations with retirement. They served you well, but they are tired and need to be hoisted to the rafters. It is time to retire

- guy crosses the grand canyon on a tight rope asking someone to jump in the wheelbarrow - draw-bridge operator who had to decide whether to close the bridge on his son or let all the train passengers plummet to the ravine - any and every Braveheart quote or reference - Courtroom Scene: God is the judge, we are the defendants, Jesus comes and takes the sentence for us

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What other sermon illustrations need to be retired?

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Support a Ragamuffin Movie

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A good friend of mine is directing a film about, who I might consider, the original ragamuffin, Rich Mullins. The idea of the Ragamuffin life of faith may have been communicated first by Brennan Manning, but it was first lived out in its strongest sense by Rich. Please take a moment to watch this small clip by Rich's little brother and a brief trailer for the film.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1236553116/rich-mullins-a-ragamuffins-legacy-a-feature-length/widget/video.html

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Most Beautiful 3 Minutes of My Day

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I was trailed into my favorite coffee shop by a transient man. He stayed just inside the door as I progressed to the counter. The barista kept his eyes attached to the man, but said under his breath to me, "This is the second day he's showed up. He doesn't do anything wrong, though. So I don't mind him hanging there." First tinge of beauty.

Turning around, I watched the vagrant man hangout in the entry way. It is not especially hot or cold outside. So it could not have been for any relief from the elements that brought him to this threshold two days in a row. He didn't want coffee or money or a handout of any sort. So WHAT does he want here?

Naturally, he has attracted dozens of wandering eyes by now, but the beautiful things begin to show up for me.

He begins bobbing his head and twitching his body to the beat of the dance music on the house system. He is dancing. Subtle...but he is soaking the music like it is a hydration station on a marathon of beggared life.

The song ends and he turns to leave.

Beautiful.

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Most Important Step to Sermon Prep

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When asked, "What is the most important thing you do in preparing to preach each Sunday?" Dr. G.A. Buttrick responded: "For two hours every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, I walk through the neighborhood and make home visits. There is no way I can preach the gospel to these people if I don't know how they are living, what they are thinking and talking about. Preaching is proclamation, God's word revealed in Jesus, but only when it gets embedded into conversation, in a listening ear and responding tongue, does it become the gospel."