Bottle Rockets

Macbook Pro Operation!

Yesterday the unthinkable happened, my MacBook Pro wouldn't start. Instead of launching like normal I got the flashing folder of death. (Dear PC users, yes, my mac had a problem. It's my first one in three years. I would hear your Mac jokes but I can't over the sound of your daily vista frustrations.) Luckily I backed up the day before so I wasn't too worried.

After a little research I learned that the problem was the hard drive. At first I thought I'd have to drop a ton of dough on the Apple techs but then I found some courage deep within and decided to preform the operation myself. After a quick bite to eat and a run to Fry's I headed home to prep for surgery. I laid out the tools and attempted to reboot one last time. Much to my surprise it booted up fine! I couldn't believe it. But I wasn't in the clear yet. Turns out this is common with failing hard drives.

So today, as a preventative measure I decided to install the new upgraded hard drive. With special screwdriver in hand I cracked open the laptop and got to work. The entire surgery only lasted a half hour. I had a little problem booting up at first but after that it worked like a charm. I used Time Machine to restore all my data and about an hour later I was back in business. All the files, my background, my passwords, desktop items, notes on my sticky pads on my dashboard, everything was there! When I opened Firefox it even asked me if I wanted to restore my session! It was awesome. I had to run a serious update but other than that it went great. A hundred bucks well spent. If you aren't backing up with Time Machine I can't encourage it enough. It saved the day and made this horrible experience a quite pleasant one.

Hey Dads, you should check this stuff out

I don't know what's going on. I'm not a Dad but some great Dad links keep coming my way. If you are a Dad you should check some of this stuff out.

FREE ebook by Mark Driscoll called Pastor Dad. It's about being a Father that passes on his faith. It's only 45 pages (can't beat that) and it's free. You can read it online or print it out.

Great Blog post. I read this blog a lot and thought that this post was great.

Great Men spend time with other great men. The Men's Ministry is hosting an awesome event called Striken' N Spiken' on July 17th. I'll be on vacation and bumbed I'll miss it. If you are in town you should be there!

All Pro Dad. I'll be honest, I don't know much about it, but some guys in our church are into this and it sounds pretty cool. Click the link to learn more or call Keith Comp non stop until he spills the details.

Getting Unstuck

A couple of years ago the story of Aron Ralston shocked the country. He was the hiking college student whose hand was trapped beneath a 600 pound boulder. After a couple of days of survival in the hopeless predicament, Ralston did the unthinkable. With nothing but a small pocket knife he first broke his arm then proceeded to cut it off. The country watched in awe as Ralston appeared on the nations gauntlet of morning shows and late night programs. This instant celebrity became famous for getting "unstuck." While he may have gone to the extreme, losing a limb was certainly worth keeping his life.

Our world is full of moments where we find ourselves "stuck."  We often find ways to get unstuck in the physical world, but when it comes to our spiritual world we find ourselves in a rut we can't get out of. Spiritual apathy, habitual sin, or a lack of clear direction become traps whose escape seems hopeless.

Just like Aaron Ralston, maybe we should consider something drastic. It might hurt, it might be difficult, but it may be the spiritual knife we need to cut us free. I believe that fasting may be the kickstart we've been longing for. I grew up seeing fasting as something for the spiritual elite but maybe it is just a tool that I've ignored for far to long. This year I begun to dive into this spiritual discipline and I've still got a lot to learn, but I believe that God can still use this ancient act as a catalyst to my faith and my walk.

I'd love to hear your stories about your walk with fasting and if you need some motivation to get started I've been listening to these two songs on repeat a lot.

-Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of- By U2
-Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Mephis Blues Again by Bob Dylan

The Internet- Learning to Swim

When I was 6 months old my family took it's annual vacation to Panama City Beach, Flordia. Apparently there's a rumor that babies naturally know how to swim. Being the risk takers that they are, and me being only six months old, my family put the theory to the test. It's true, babies can swim, they just can't breath under water! After years of going to the beach I've become a pretty decent swimmer. I love going to the ocean, battling the waves and enjoying God's creation. But every year while we are on the beach we hear stories about drowning accidents, shark attacks and the dangers of the ocean and yet, we continue to go back. I guess there are some things in life that are just worth the risk. Sure you take precautions, you get training, you watch out for warning signs, but ultimately it's worth the risk if you engage it safely.

I believe the internet is the same way. Lists of pros and cons are limitless. There are fantastic advantages and tremendous dangers out there on the web, but I believe that we have to prepare our students for a world that is simply unavoidable. While as a parent you may have varying opinions on YouTube, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, I think it's vital to have an action plan of teaching your child how to use the the web safely.

This past Monday night we had a fantastic Parent Summit where we attempted to tackle this difficult topic. Here are some of the key points that I walked away with.

- Keep the Computer in a public place, never behind closed doors.
- Get a web filter. (K9 Web protection, NetNanny, BSafe Online, etc.)
- Set up clear rules and expectations before they start surfing. Maybe even a contract.
        -Time Limits
        -Sites they should avoid
        -What they are and are not allowed to do (i.e. shop, IM, join social networks, etc.)
- Discuss the importance of integrity on the web. Who they are online matters!
- Define strangers. Knowing their name doesn't mean they aren't a stranger.
- Teach them about scams. Avoid ads and shady links.
- Don't give out personal information or passwords.
- What goes on the web, stays on the web. Forever.
- Go where they go. Experience it with them so you know what they still need to learn about the web.
- If they are on Facebook, MySpace or Twitter you should be too!

It was a great night of discussion and I learned a lot. For more great in formation I found the Focus on the Family website to be very helpful.

Facebook Jesus: Friend Request

I don't know about you but I HATE going to the doctor. There is something about the white walls, bad art and its unique smell that just sends my stomach into knots. I know that hospitals are making an effort to upgrade their decor, but I see right through it. But that is really only one half of my averse reaction to doctors. The other side of the coin is that I'm afraid. I'm scared of what they might say. Even when I go in for something simple like the flu I'm secretly convinced that I've contracted a rare, fatal disease like the ones you see on ER. Even a check up has me fearing the worst. This mental condition has me avoiding doctors at all costs. I pretty much need a spear to the chest to convince me that I need to go in.

Unfortunately, I think that's how we see God sometimes. We think that if we could just hide from Him, avoid Him, and keep our relationship with Him at a distance we'll never have to see just how sick we really are. As if by keeping God at arm's length we are staying healthier. But ignorance isn't healthy. We ARE sick.

This week at Awake we looked at Mark 2:13-17. Despite being surrounded by a crowd Jesus noticed a tax collector named Levi. He calls Levi to "follow him," (the ultimate friend request) and he did. They went to Levi's house and Jesus ate with him and some fellow "sinners." The Pharisee's on the other hand just couldn't understand why Jesus would eat with the lowest of the low. I love how Jesus replied. He said that it's not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

Did that mean that Jesus didn't come for the Pharisees? No! They had just forgotten that they were sick too. If I was honest I'd love to be Levi in the story but I think more times than not I'm more like the Pharisees. It's so easy to forget that I'm sick, hold Jesus at arm's length away and pretend like everything is alright. But it's not alright, I'm sick and so are you. I need the doctor. I need his friend request. But I believe with all my heart that what He said to Levi he is saying to us, "Follow me."

Two Years!

It's hard to believe, but it's already been two years of wonderful marriage to my beautiful wife Laura. Yesterday we celebrated our anniversary by sleeping in, watching our new addiction Friday Night Lights, eating BLT's, running errands together, a home cooked meal for dinner, a walk in the park and to close the night, brownies and a movie. It was fantastic, it was simple, it was cheap and it was romantic. I have an incredible wife who loves me so much.

But two years of marriage teaches you a few things. Here are a few things I've learned in the last couple of years.

Laura is funnier than I am.
She has the ability to shock me more than anyone else and I love it.
I will never be good at taking out the trash.
Laura keeps getting more beautiful every day.
She has a remarkably honest relationship with God.
I will live 20 years longer thanks to my wife improving my frozen pizza and chicken nuggets diet to include fruits and vegetables.
Either Laura is hard on vacuum cleaners or dirt devils are worthless.
I simply couldn't do ministry without her.
I am the luckiest man on the planet.

Thanks sweetheart for being the best wife in the world.

P.S. I got to use the new version of animoto to chronicle our day together yesterday. Check it out.
http://animoto.com/play/kIA1EZTBenbM08miK87fdQ

I almost forgot...

It's funny how time makes us forget. A few weeks ago I was watching the NBA playoffs in awe of Kobe and LeBron, but it seems I've forgotten just how good Michael Jordan really was. I was catching up on some blogs when I came across this. (thanks Barton Damer for reminding me who definitively was the greatest ever)

Facebook Jesus: Friend Suggestion

This week at Awake we kicked off our new series Facebook Jesus. For the next few weeks we are going to think about what it would be like to follow Jesus today. Back then people followed Him from town to town, but today I think we would follow Him online. We'd check out his Twitter to hear the latest question from the Pharisee's, we'd read His blog on the Kingdom of Heaven and we'd look at the pictures of the people He healed on Facebook. If Jesus was walking the streets today I think most of us would follow Him online.

Yesterday we followed Jesus to a moment when He was simply teaching people in a house when the unexpected happened, some guys cut a hole in the roof and lowered a paralyzed man threw the ceiling! Most of the story was as you would expect. The Jesus healed, the paralyzed man walked, the teachers of the Law questioned, but what caught my attention were the friends of this paralyzed man. They would stop at nothing to introduce their friend to Jesus. It was the ultimate "friend suggestion."

But what if they failed? What if their miraculous plan didn't work? Imagine the risk they were taking! Sure they were heroes if it worked but what if Jesus walked out as they were cutting the hole in the ceiling? What if Jesus disapproved of their assumption that He would heal their friend? What if they lowered down their friend in front of a crowd of people and Jesus simply said no? Not only would they suffer total embarrassment but they would also have to repair someone's roof!

And there it is. That's our problem. I think the man reason we don't share our faith, the biggest obstacle to not leading people to Jesus and the cause of our reluctance to make the ultimate friend suggestion is 'what if?' What if I get embarrassed? What if Jesus doesn't come threw? What if God doesn't make their life better? What if it fails?

But John tells us that God is love and Paul tells us that love NEVER fails. It's part of who Jesus is. He never fails. He won't fail you, He won't fail your friend, He never fails. Does He heal every disease? No, but He always heals. Does He make life easier? No, but makes it the fullest. He never, ever fails.

So, what's stopping us? We live in a world of paralyzed people waiting to be taken to Jesus. Who would you cut a hole in a ceiling for?

I'm a home owner!

Last week was absolutely insane. Monday was full of meetings, Tuesday we moved into a new house and on Wednesday we took over 50 students to Six Flags! Let's just say I've been a little busy. So far my infamous eye twitch hasn't returned yet but I've got a sore in my mouth, a swollen ankle and this weird reoccurring charlie-horse thing in my other foot that makes me yell like a little girl. I think my body is mad at me but for now the show goes on.

God has been incredible. After six weeks of plumbing, patching and painting Laura and I moved into our first home! Thank you so much to the people that helped us. We couldn't have done it without you. We've still got a few little projects but that's what owning a house is all about. I'm chomping at the bit to have an open house but we've got a couple of finishing touches to make before inviting in the masses! When we finish up I'll put up some pictures and maybe even a video guided tour.

Bullhorn Guy

This week at Awake we finished our series The Upside Down Kingdom of God. We watched a video about "Bullhorn Guy." You've seen him before. He's that guy that stands on the corner condemning people to hell and letting us all know that we are sinners. It's not that he's necessarily wrong. I'm a sinner and on my own I am going to hell. The only problem is that no one is listening. We walk by and shut out the screams of the bullhorn and we go about our normal lives. For Christians we ignore the message because we have a savior, for everyone else they ignore him because no one likes to be yelled at. There's no appeal.

It's not hard for most of us to stand opposed to a guy like bullhorn guy, but that wasn't the point. The point was what are we doing to combat this image of Christianity. How are we treating the world that is angry with God, intolerant of Jesus and increasingly hostile towards Christians? Are we changing the image of bullhorn guy are we more of the same? Or worse, are we invisible?

After the video we broke off into groups to ask some of these hard questions. It was interesting. There were a variety of responses and directions each table took. It was a great morning and a great way to end the series.

The world will always hate God, at least that's what Jesus said, but they will also always hate bullhorns. I'd rather be rejected because of my King and not just my method. Let's preach the Gospel in truth and in love.