I did seek His counsel on one very important issue regarding this blog, however, and that was the question of whether or not to continue.  I believe He’s answered that with a definitive “yes.”  And for that, I am so very grateful!  I can honestly say I feel ready to return to regular writing and am invigorated to share life through this medium once again.  I’m just not sure about the regularity just yet.  As the last post stated, I have another site that is just beginning and seemingly tons of other weekly responsibilities I have to tend to.  Responsibilities that I am unequivocally called to…I’m sure of that.  And as difficult as it is to admit, this blog plays second fiddle to those responsibilities.

So, I continue to wrestle with those questions and continue seeking God in more deliberate ways this upcoming week.  One way or another, the blog posts will resume.  The interaction will continue.  And the heart of this website will remain.  I’m excited to return, but for at least another week I ask for your patience as I seek God’s heart a bit deeper.  May you be blessed!

UPDATE: While I still hold to the fact that I will continue writing, I won’t be doing a whole lot on this site for the time being.  Sometimes we just have to cut out the things that aren’t necessary for a season, and that’s exactly what I’m doing for now.  I will, however, be doing lots of work with the Open House webpage and blog.  So come by there often to connect!

http://openhouseky.org

Until then, thanks for coming by!  I’m sure I’ll return some time in the future!  =)

First things first:  Tricia, my wonderful, beautiful, awesome and incredible wife is PREGNANT!!!  Holy crap!!!  Most of you reading this have probably already heard this, but it bears repeating again and again:  we’re going to be parents!!!  Tricia’s gonna be a mommy!!!  I’m going to be a daddy!!!  I could write a whole, whole lot about all this…but not here!  In the future, there will be posts about things that impact us here, but I will leave most of the blogging about this whole parenthood adventure to a different place.

Which is the second thing to cover.  There is a new blog I’ve started that is everything Baby Payne and all our adventures along the way, colorfully cataloged for your reading pleasure.  However, my greatest hope for this site is that it might become a place where parents of all ages feel free to comment, leaving their wisdom for us and other new, ignorant, and green parents who follow after.  I hope it becomes a great resource!  Here’s the link to it (and it’s in the sidebar over there, too!):

http://the-green-parents.blogspot.com

There is a high probability that it will move to a better domain in the near future, but I’ve done what I can so far and hope you enjoy it!

The third, and last thing I want to cover is my short absence that will follow this post.  I’ll leave room for one more possible post before Tuesday night, but I won’t promise one, either.  As a community, our church is partaking in the Lenten season.  As a part of that, I desire to draw closer to our great God by giving up some things each week during this time.  This week I’ve decided to put aside all social media and spend more time alone with Him.  What that means is no Facebook, no Twitter, and probably the most difficult, no blogging.  I must say, however, I’ve been faithfully posting three article per week for months and the idea of a bit of a rest sounds pretty nice.  My hope is that I’ll recharge and reconnect, coming back stronger from this time off.  Please keep up with the new blog, though.  I will write there if new things come up!

So, I leave you with that for the next week.  My short hiatus starts Wednesday morning, so I’ll be ready to write once again the following Wednesday.  I look forward to both the rest and the restart.  See you all then…

For me, Buzz went from being a sadly late attempt at a good idea to becoming some folks dark horse in the social media network to ending up simply useless in my own social networks.  At the get-go, I really didn’t see how this effort from Google was worth the time and figured it would fall away slowly and be gracefully retired.  Yet, not long after my post was written and my unflattering review of the service hit the blogosphere, there were news article aplenty that were alight with the promise and potential of the genius I had just spent 750 words tearing down.

Perhaps I was mistaken.  Perhaps it was a “good for you but not for me” situation.

Or, perhaps the stats were a bit misleading.  However many “buzzes” were piled up in the first few days now seem a bit unimportant.  Ramming the Buzz service into every gmail user’s sidebar obviously made people curious and they responded by clicking away at Google’s newest invention.  Fast forward 18 days,  search “Buzz” in Google’s search and see the myriad of news surrounding this newest addition to the social media blitz; it is primarily neutral, full of small praise and large critique, and almost always indifferent.  The feeling is:  do we really need another social network?

My answer is absolutely no.  And my reasoning?  Over the last week I have observed every buzz that comes in when I check my gmail account.  Want to know what I’ve noticed about each and every one?  Sure you do!  They are all 4-6 hour delayed, regurgitations of Twitter posts.  All of them.  Not one “buzz” I saw came from Buzz originally.  Not one.  What does that tell me?  It tells me that we have all the social media muscle we can handle right now with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.  Aggregating other services into your “new” social network (Google, I’m lookin’ at you!) does not equate success.  There are services (Brizzly) and tons of mobile apps that do this very thing.  For a social medium to be a necessary player, original content from that medium should be created by its users…and with Buzz, at this point, it is not.  With Facebook and Twitter continuing their growth and acceptance, I think it’s time for us to concede the fact that these two are here to stay.  I think it’s also a fair statement that, in the realm of social networking, they are all the common user needs.

I could be wrong here.  We might see Buzz make leaps and bounds and take over the social scene.  I just don’t see it happening.  I think it’s too late.

What about you?  What do you think?  Is Buzz worthy to be mentioned with the likes of Facebook and Twitter?  Do you use it?  Like it?  Find it replacing you other social tools?

Love to hear from you!

At least that’s what I thought.

Thankfully, Google Chrome (my internet browser of choice) was smart enough to fend off my apparent stupidity, taking me to what could basically be described as a “are you really sure you want to load this, because I’m quite certain it will ravage you computer?” page.  Funny thing is, I actually gave it a thought.  I’d never run into this before and considered it might be a silly ploy to get me to click something and be courted by a new, better, sleeker virus protection software.  But it wasn’t that at all.  It really was threatening.  Chrome wasn’t just messing with me.

So I backed off and left it alone.

Shortly after, I started wondering exactly what Chrome was protecting my computer from when it said there was “malware” on the site I was attempting to access.  After doing about 90 seconds of research, I quickly found that malware is basically anything that falls under the scope of malicious software:  i.e. viruses.  These are broad terms, understandably, but Wikipedia defines malware as “…software designed to infiltrate a computer system without the owner’s informed consent.  The term ‘computer virus‘ is sometimes used as a catch-all phrase to include all types of malware, including true viruses.”

OK, so I get the basic gist of this.  Good software vs. bad software.  Good vs. evil.  Right vs. wrong.

The nagging question for me, however, is why?  Why bother?  What profit is there in this?  Someone hacking your bank account or other service to steal your identity for the purpose of monetary gain is reprehensible, but at least it follows logical thinking.  Hurt others to gain for yourself.  It’s selfish and terrible, but at least you understand the why.  In regards to viruses and other malware, what good does it do to simply destroy things that others own?  What gain is there?  Where do you benefit?  I can’t for even a single moment begin to understand this.  It would be the same as me walking through a crowded parking lot and randomly dousing cars with gasoline and lighting them on fire.

Pointless destruction.  For what?!!?  Again, I go back to the idea of motive.  If I was an individual that believed in revenge and settling scores and someone hurt me, I would try to hurt them back.  I at least understand that as a concept.  I don’t condone it, but I get it.  It’s the random acts of maliciousness that I can’t seem to comprehend.

If you do this crap, stop it!  You’re being a jerk and don’t even have a reason for it!  And if you are blowing up cars randomly, stop that, too!  (Just thought I should throw that in there after the last paragraph)  I believe, deep down, that there is goodness inherent in people.  It’s junk like this that pushes me to wonder if I’m a fool for doing so.

Has anyone reading this dealt with any of this garbage?  Do you have any understanding beyond what I do?  How does this stuff make you see humanity?  I’d love to hear what you think…

1. I know this is well-rehearsed and scripted, but is it sincere?
2. Is there any way to know for sure?
3. Even if I feel it is sincere, what are others thinking?

The only question I found a solid answer for was the first.  I felt as I watched Tiger say the words “I’m so sorry…” that he actually meant them.  I’m a Tiger Woods fan.  I love watching him play golf and I was devastated on some deep level when I found out what he had been up to.  Not that I felt he was perfect or above reproach, but I simply thought he had things together.  No dirt was ever brought up on him.  No bad press.  No tabloid talk.

Nothing serious, anyway.  

And as much as I never put him on a pedestal, I did think he kept his nose clean for the most part.  Finding out that he had been involved in such a miserable and dirty scandal really tainted my view of Tiger.  All of the sudden, he became absolutely human.  Absolutely flawed.  Absolutely just like me.

And even though he’s fallen down, I believe he’ll get up again.  He’ll move on one way or another.  He’ll return to golf and be the best or as a shadow of his former self.  But what about me?  How do I choose to see him now?  How do I deal with a guy who’s life is so messy?  How do I deal with being a fan of someone who’s done such aweful things off the course?

I suppose I absolutely must extend grace to him.  I must forgive as I’ve been forgiven.  I mustn’t hold judgement and condemnation over him because he has failed.  Instead, because of those simple words “I’m sorry,” I have to hope for his restoration.  I have to attempt, to the best of my ability, to forgive what he’s done.  I must rely on a God who promises His power through the Holy Spirit to enable me to forgive him.  How can I not?  I’ve been forgiven of so much, how can I not extend that same grace?

So, in my mind, the answer to question #1 is a yes.  But what about #2 and #3?  I can’t answer those with any real assurance.  I can only hope they are both yes.  What do you think?  What are your answers?

I’d love to dialogue with you about it just below!

And we were not disappointed.

The collection of facts and theology, from a creationist point-of-view, is breathtaking.  It is stunning and overwhelming all at the same time.  Almost impossible to completely take it, the sheer volume of information is enough, if given the proper attention, to truly move you from a position of fact-seeking to a posture of worship.

Let me explain.

Only 30 minutes into our little journey, we found ourselves in a room that, on our last visit, we moved through entirely too quickly.  This time, however, we made the decision to be more methodical and purposed in taking in all the small details and videos that the museum offers.  And in this particular room, there is a collection of 15 very short videos that range from the complexity of the eye to the complexity of the universe.  Each video is well-made and incredibly interesting, but sitting through all 15 seemed to be a bit of a chore.  After the first four or five had elapsed, I was almost ready to move on.  But I also considered the mindset we sought to stick to; methodical and purposed.  So, we stuck it out.

And my heart moved from a basic fact-gaining posture to a softened worship attitude over the next 20 minutes.

Before I knew it, I was overtaken with a real and palpable ache in my heart.  Not for myself or my relationship with our Father, but for those who don’t know about Him.  As I absorbed all the minute details about the vastness of His creation, from eyes to stars and DNA to erosion, I was moved inexplicably to sorrow for those who have no idea what they are missing when they choose to live without Him.  Those who, because of basic ignorance (ignorance as in “without knowledge”) or run-ins with crass and bullying “Christians,” reject the basic idea of God and any hope of a relationship with Him.

To me, it’s as if there are people who have never heard music in any form.  Never been lulled by a beautiful melody or pushed to the verge of tears by an unexpected crescendo.  Never felt the emotions.  Never moved by the power of a symphony.  Never been a part of a sing-along.  In my book, that would be a total and utter tragedy.  Music, by definition, is powerful and moving.  It is a beautiful wonder.  It is part of every society in one way or another.  It is a defining part of each culture just as much as food or religion.  It is something we can’t imagine living without.

Yet, what if there were folks who only heard dissonant, harsh sounds from the instruments that are defined by the gorgeous sounds they were created for?  What if that’s all they’d ever known of “music?”  What if no one ever introduced them to the wonder that is real music?  That would be a sad thing, indeed.

That would be tragic.

I think that’s what I felt like today.  There is so much about God that is wonderful, beautiful, fulfilling, inspiring, creative, incredible, moving, powerful, and thousands upon thousands of other adjectives that only attempt to describe our great God.  There is so much relief knowing that He has it all in control.  There’s so much bewilderment and wonder at the fact that He commanded, by a word, the creation of the universe.  He is so vast and marvelous, I can’t understand it all.  But His creation is paled by the enormity of His love for us.  It’s real and it’s huge.

Why wouldn’t you want a part of that?  Why wouldn’t you want to be so closely embraced by a God like this?  How could you not stand in complete, dumbfounded awe at the mind-numbing complexity of all He has created?

I honestly don’t know.  But I know that those who don’t see God as I do aren’t going to be drawn to Him because I argue them into it.  I know they won’t believe because I really want to fulfill some personal need to “bring them to Jesus.”  No.  That won’t do.

What I desire is to somehow find ways to extend God to those I come into contact with as if they were someone who’s never encountered the beauty of music and I have an MP3 player packed with great tunes and a Bose speaker system.  I want to feel this pain in my heart that beckons me to share this profound greatness I’ve experienced and continue to experience.  I want to approach those who don’t know God with the softness in my heart that I believe God has all the time.

He’s the best thing I’ve ever encountered.  If you don’t know Him that way, I don’t look down on you…my heart hurts for you because you have no idea what you are missing in Him.  If you do know Him, have you had this happen to you?  Have you felt this yearning for others to really know Him simply because you feel sorry for them having missed out?  It’s so very different than feeling compelled to share Jesus simply out of obedience.  I hope it’s my heart being broken and reshaped by a tender and caring God.  I hope it’s me growing to be a bit more like Him.  I hope it causes me to see others a bit more like He does.

Luckily for me, though, I only get this affliction a couple times per year.  My lips are like the Porche of lips…0-60 so quick it makes your head spin.  I go from normal, no-need chops to a hamburger-like orifice on my face in what seems like minutes.  One minute I’m fine; the next, I’m shriveled and cracked, begging for some moisture.  It’s really bizarre.

If you know me, you know that I don’t like anything that has to do with moisturizing.  I don’t like lotion, conditioner, lip balm, hand cream, etc.  Not that those things are bad, I just don’t like using them and I’m stubborn.  I could probably benefit from all of the aforementioned products, but I really don’t like having ooey-gooey stuff on me and I’m reluctant to re-apply when needed.

I’m just not a moisturizer.

That is, until the chapped lips strike.  At that point, all of my wife’s continual application of her Nivea lip balm starts looking pretty smart.  At that point, everything changes.  Her seemingly unending supply of lip medicine begins to look pretty enticing and very wise, all of the sudden.  The next thing I know, I’m groping for relief, placing my lips’ salvation on a little tube,  scavengering through my desk, car, and everywhere between for a portion of the very stuff I detest every other day of the year.

Why?  Why do I suddenly drop the donkey-like hard-headedness over a bit of nominal pain?  Why do my former convictions fall away so effortlessly?  So quickly?

The answer is simple:  knowledge of necessity.

Once the pain and irritation become great enough to require attention, my attention they receive.  In an incredible twist, all my opinions and reasons for disdain become absolutely moot.  All my stubbornness melts and gives way to open, clear and receptive thought.  The hurt makes me heed.  My discomfort opens my eyes.

Faith is a lot like that, really.  My faith, in particular, followed that exact path before I found the real Savior.  The real Jesus.  Raised in church and around other who casually went there on Sundays, I was no stranger to the story of a virgin giving birth, a boy growing into a man, and a carpenter who was acknowledged as God’s son, giving his life to redeem humanity and raising Himself from the grave.  I heard it.  And like the 20 tubes of lip balm around my house, the story sat in a drawer or on a night stand, unwanted and, in my opinion, unneeded for a long time.  That is, until desperation came.  Until my life became so twisted and painful that I finally recognized my need for Him.

And then everything changed.

All of the sudden I had a knowledge of my necessity for someone or something to save me, redeem me and deliver me from the person I had become.  And that someone was Jesus.  He found me at my lowest point, picked me up and dusted me off.  He offered His life to me, and I’ve never looked back.  But He was always there!  He was always around, waiting on me to realize I needed Him.  Waiting for me to become humble enough to admit that I’m full of sin, dishonesty and pain.  He was waiting for me to understand the depth of my need for Him.  And at the very moment I saw it, He was available and ready to provide.

It was the knowledge of necessity.

What about you?  Are you this way?  Did it take you getting to the end of your rope to see Him clearly?  Have you seen Him at all?  Perhaps not.  Perhaps you are reading this and you’ve never fully realized your need for a Savior.  Your need for Jesus.

Either way, I’d love to discuss it all with you…

At least, I thought I did.

Truth be told, I think being married, being 30, and being completely disassociated with the dating scene makes you forget some things; I forgot completely, I think.

This Saturday, the day before Valentine’s Day, I was out at the mall doing a routine spinal screening for work.  It was early in the morning and we were setting up the booth when a couple girls (mid to late 20’s) walked by and saw the sign that read “Free 5 Minute Massage With Each Spinal Screening.”  The reply that followed left me a bit red in the face.

“So, are you the one doing the massage?” I was asked.

“No.”  I laughed it off and continued, “Our masseuse will be here in a little while.”

“Can I pay extra to get you?” the girl flirtatiously replied.

“Nah.”  was my witty come-back as they went on, giggling a bit at their frankness, I suppose.  Meanwhile, I was left standing there with a face as red as a tomato, a bit speechless.  I just got hit on I thought to myself.  I made a few comments to my boss and to a friend who was there witnessing the whole thing and then carried on with my job.  I was really eager to tell Tricia, though.  I’ve still got it!

And when I told her, we laughed about it and I didn’t give it another thought until Sunday morning.  We were sitting in church and Tricia noticed some sort of crud on my pants.  After pointing it out, inquiring as to it’s origin, and snickering a bit, I began to scratch at the mystery substance.  Unable to fully pry it from my pants, I simply gave up and figured it would come out in the wash.  We both just shook our heads at the fact that I’m basically 12 years old sometimes.  No joke, I am.

And then I started thinking about my wife.  I started considering how much I love her for who she is and all that she brings to my life, but I also love her for what she doesn’t bring:  condemnation.  I don’t have to worry that when I don’t live up to the image she had of me the night of our first date that she’s going to be disappointed or angry.  She’s not going to judge me when I’m just a nasty and disgusting man.  She’s not going to leave because I have a stain on my pants that was still lingering due to the fact that I didn’t get my pants in the wash after their last wearing.

That’s not to say that I don’t still try to impress her.  It’s not to say that I don’t try to keep her excited about the fact that she married me.  It’s just to say that I don’t have to freak out about keeping a facade up all the time to make her happy.  She loves me exactly as I am.  She wants the best for me, but loves me the entire time I’m trying to find that; no matter where or what, she’s there for me.

And that made me think about my little run-in at the mall.  Sure, I was flattered that someone would make such an advance based simply on my looks.  Why wouldn’t I be?  But it only stood to make me realize that outer flattery and surface attraction is so temporary.  It’s so deceptive.  It’s almost fake.  I began wondering what that girl would say if she saw the real me; if she saw the awkward, tech-nerd with chocolate on his pants, would she have said a word?  I’m pretty sure the answer is no, and that is such a wonderful thing.

Because the girl who saw all that goofiness and brokenness said yes.  Yes to me and everything I come along with.

That’s love.  That’s worth everything.

As always, I’d love to hear from you below!

I’m not immune to it, either.  Not getting something for my wife on this day seems callous, yet bowing down to the goofiness of this money trap is almost more than I can stand.  I am among the lucky few who has a wife that honestly doesn’t want the egregiously overpriced flowers on Valentine’s Day, and for that I am so very thankful!  But we still play along with cards and a small gift or two.  Like I said before, I feel like a jerk if I don’t do something!

So today, I was in Hallmark browsing their card collection in hopes of finding either something really nice and mushy or something absolutely hilarious.  I found something in between and settled on it.  It was a good card that lacked a certain characteristic I found troubling in probably 85% of the other cards available.

Apology.

It seems the overwhelming stereotype for men buying Valentine’s cards is that of a mate who, being caring and loving, is basically disassociated with his significant other throughout the year.  Unattached, uncaring and too busy to give a rip, these targeted men seem to be using Valentine’s Day as a time to reconnect, apologize and say, “I love you, even though I never show it or say it.”

This was a bit disconcerting to me.  I’m a married man with a wonderful wife.  This day already aggravates me by assuming I’ll pony over $75 for flowers I should be buying my wife just because it’s Wednesday and she’s marvelous.  It infuriates me by assuming that I’m distant and distracted, selfish and self-seeking, never stopping to appreciate my wife except when culture tells me to.  It now pushes me to the point of not wanting anything to do with it because it infers that it’s OK to be a jerk to your wife, fiancee’ or girlfriend for the year and on this one, magical day, a card and some overpriced flowers will fix everything.

But I’m not like that.

And I would venture to say that there are many men who aren’t like that.

And, if you are like that, you need to stop being that way.  There’s no two ways about it.

The Bible paints this beautiful picture of how we, men, are to love our spouses (and girlfriends if you even entertain the eventuality of marrying this girl).  ”For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her.  (Ephesians 5: 25)

Giving up your life does not mean buying flowers and candy in February.  It does not mean being distant.  It doesn’t mean you can buy your mate’s affection.

What it does mean is giving yourself, your whole self, to the person you love.  Deciding that you’ll put someone else’s wants above your own and keep that person’s wellfare before yours.  I’m no love guru or marriage counselor, I just read this scripture and realize that it’s a big deal.  Jesus gave up everything for us, His bride.  He gave up His pride, His wants, His agenda, and His life.  All I know to do for my wife is attempt, to the utmost of my ability, to live a life that follows and chases after Christ’s model.  In loving Him and allowing the Holy Spirit to fill me and empower me, I love my wife better.  I become less and less self-centered, and I become more outward-focused.  I learn to give myself away.  I learn to lay my life down for others.  And trust me, she’s the first in line for me on this planet.

I’m not saying, “Be like me.”  I’m no one to mimic or follow.  Follow Jesus.  Give Him charge over your life, let Him change you from the inside out, and I promise you, you’ll never be the same.

And you won’t be the husband buying those awful “sorry I never tell you or show you I love you” cards.  You’ll be one who looks at them and thinks, “That’s just not me.”

I’m creating this post using Google Chrome, their most-impressive, sleek, and super-fast web browser.

I love Google.  I really do.

Easily one of the largest and most profitable businesses in the world, Google has little to fret about.  Their search engine dwarfs all others in usage numbers.  Their web apps are used by millions.  Their Google-branded phones are selling like hotcakes with thousands of developers writing apps for them.  All said and done, Google is doing very well.

Enter Buzz, Google’s newest creation.  ”Share updates, photos, videos, and more.
Start conversations about the things you find interesting.”  This is the title statement at the top of the page at google.com/buzz.  All the millions of Gmail users around the world will be redirected to this site on their very next trip to their inboxes and will be confronted with Google’s latest “innovation.”

The problem is, as I shared in an earlier post about the Nexus One, nothing new or innovative is actually present.  If you watch the video on the above-mentioned site, you’ll quickly see that there is not a shred of creativity going on.  None.  This is simply an idea that is working very well in another arena, being aped to look like something new.  It isn’t.  It’s Facebook, only with less features and a fraction of the user base.  It’s a lame attempt to do something someone else is doing far better and has been doing for far longer.  It’s a desperate stab from a corporate giant trying to take down another behemoth that threatens to steal away some of its loyal users.

And it’s a tiny bit pathetic.

With zero integration with Facebook and very limited Twitter connection, Buzz just doesn’t have what it takes to compete.  Not only that, I don’t think it has what it takes to even make a small dent in the monstrosity that is Facebook.  400 million users and counting; that’s what Google’s up against here.  And all of the sudden, in a world where Google’s always been the big boy, there’s a new kid in town who’s not only bigger, but better.  Let’s face it, in the realm of social media, Facebook is the undeniable king.  400 million users is amazing, but even more amazing is the fact that on July 15th, 2009, it was only at 250 million.  The growth-rate is staggering.

If you ask me, Google is too little, too late.  I don’t care how great your search engine, web apps and email interface is.  I don’t care how big you are as a company.  You’re fighting a losing battle, here, Google.

What do you think?  Do you think Buzz has what it takes or is it simply a last-ditch effort for Google to get it’s hands on a market it doesn’t have any control over?  Should we all embrace such an effort or shun it?  Does Google, having so much money, power and control have any right to want more?

And lastly, will Google’s futile effort to gain a voice in the social medium of the internet it helped shape end in failure due to mocking criticism in the very social networks it’s trying to defeat?

Let’s reason together, shall we?  Scroll down and give your opinions below…

1. Doritos – Their campaign focused on consumer-created hilarity…and all their ads were very funny and memorable.
2. Bud Light – Their campaign was, no surprise, all about fun and partying.  Many very funny ads.
3. Hyundai Sonata – Nothing flashy or funny or cutting edge…just a good-looking vehicle from a company making the move from mediocre manufacturer to premium car builder.  It made me turn my head more than once.

And that’s about it.  That was my take-away from all the ad blitz.  The first two companies were not offering any new product or pricing; they were simply attempting to get their product stuck in viewers’ minds, and it worked very well.  The Sonata took a different approach, offering a new vehicle style and build at a shockingly low price.  It really got my attention and made me think, “Maybe I’ll check that out sometime.”  In both cases, they got what they were searching for.  They made me, the consumer, give some of my precious brain time to their product…to the tune of millions of dollars.

All this made me think about those of us who follow Jesus.  In advertising, there is a basic goal in mind:  have something great, incite a desire to share it with others, and figure out how to do that in the most creative and impacting way possible.  Sounds familiar, right?

We, the body of Christ, have something better than great.  We have something that is not only life-saving, but life-changing.  We have the desire to share it built right in.  Now we just have to figure out how to share it creatively.  Pretty simple, right?

So why does it become such a chore to “share Jesus” with others?  Why is this such a hang-up for followers?  Is advertising the answer?  Billboards and signs and catchy jingles and commercials…are these viable ways to reach people with the life-giving message of the Gospel?

I don’t think so.  I think great products in the market place make a long-standing impact when their quality and value are proven over time.  When word-of-mouth sets in and takes hold, there’s no stopping it.  When people take something seriously, they are serious about sharing it with those they know.  I don’t think advertising is a reasonable answer to our dilemma because our advertisements usually don’t focus on Jesus or the power of His Spirit in us, they focus on us.  They focus on our church, our style of worship, our services, our staff, our needs, our childcare, our…our…our.  When is the last time you saw a Doritos commercial about the Kroger or Wal-Mart stores they are sold in?  When is the last time you saw a Bud Light commercial all about a restaurant that serves it?  Easy answer here:  you don’t and you won’t.  These companies are interested in talking about, promoting and touting their “great thing,” not those who house it.

Are you seeing the connection here?

Mass advertising isn’t the answer.  Making our gathering spaces more trendy and cool isn’t the answer.  Attempting to advertise Jesus as a product to be sold takes us nowhere.  People have heard it before.  They are searching for childcare, youth programs and smoke and lights in the sanctuary, but they are blind to what their actual need is.  That need is Jesus.  That need is the saving grace of the Gospel.  And we can put up signs and make a Facebook Fan Page for Jesus, but the truth is, people will respond when they see evidence of the Gospel in our lives.  Word-of-mouth will always be the way Jesus’ teachings will spread.  It’s always been that way and will always remain.  Big-time advertising is disconnected and distant.  The Good News is closer than your skin.  Ads try to get inside your head so the next time your in the market for their product, you choose a particular brand.  Jesus penetrates to your heart and soul, bringing the understanding that there is a void that exists in us all that only He can fill, and He’s the only one that can fill it!  And when that revelation comes, you really want to share it any way you can.

Maybe I’m off here.  I’m not sure.  I just know how I feel about advertising Jesus.  We do have a greatness to share, but how are we to do it effectively?  How do we do this the way Jesus instructed us to?  Is our fear of sharing with others a clear sign that we don’t fully grasp what He means to us and what He’s done for us?  How do we make disciples?  Can you do that by simply throwing info at people over a radio station or television?  The internet?  These are just my thoughts on it…

What are yours?

All that being said, there are hundreds and thousands of critical, political and religious reviews about this movie floating around web, and I don’t plan to add to the noise.  I read many of these reviews before seeing the movie and walked in fully expecting to have some pretty strong reactions to the film.  And that didn’t disappoint, either.  I had to fight back the blogger in me and simply sit back and enjoy the film for what it is:  entertainment.  And after all the tension, adventure and emotional reaction subsided, I found myself walking out of the theater with one word in mind.  

Wow.

After the drive home, however, my mind kept taking me back to a specific point in the movie that I really didn’t react to during my viewing.  I’ll speak in general terms so I don’t “spoil” anything for you.  This particular point of the story is pretty easy to see coming from the opening of the movie, though, so I don’t think I’m giving anything away here.

Near the end, the main character of the movie has basically switched allegiance.  He’s found the Na’vi’s way of life to be a better way.  They’ve embraced him as such, and he sides with them and makes the decision to defy his own species.  Again, pretty stock ideas, here.  But there was a line that the leader of the human army spits out at the main character, Jake Sully.

“How does it feel to be a traitor to your own race?”

Jake’s reply?  A guttural hiss.  A sound that the Na’vi make at enemies throughout the movie.  It was at this point you see his full embrace of the Na’vi’s culture and life.  He has become one of them.  He has decided on a better way.  And of all the politically and religiously charged ideology that exists in the movie, this is what I could not forget.

I suppose it’s because it reminds me a lot of following Jesus.  We are born and raised in this world and more specifically in our culture.  We eat, sleep and breathe it.  We are shaped by it.  We learn to exist within the boundaries that culture dictates and our needs and wants become defined by our surroundings and those surrounding us.  We are part of the system.  We are one of them.

And along comes Jesus, in full measure both God and man, and He brings along a new way to live:  interactions change; reactions change; mindsets shift; life can’t stay the same.  And we get the choice to follow along or not.  The Gospel is extended and we choose to buy in or not.  We choose this drastically changed life or we choose to stick with what we were brought up in.  We all choose.

And when we choose Jesus, His Kingdom, and this new way of life, we also choose a tough road.  We invite upon ourselves the the scorn of our peers when we choose to extend grace instead of judgement.  We volunteer for shame when we don’t respond with the sword.  We risk embarrassment when we become, like our Savior, a servant.  When following after Jesus becomes our life, it’s an all-or-nothing transaction.  He requires our whole life.  He demands nothing less.  And in return for our broken and hurting lives, He gives His life.  But His life is anything but broken.  His life is eternal.  His life produces life in others.  His life builds up what our life tears down.  It’s a radical shift.  It’s doing everything different.

And it’s a better way.

When you choose it, though, there will be those who respond with the question:  ”How does it feel to be a traitor?  How does it feel to turn your back on the things you’ve always done?  How does it feel to be a wimp?  Why didn’t you hit them back?  Why didn’t you tear into them?  Why would you lower and debase yourself by serving them?  What’s wrong with you?  Be a man!”

Who knows how it will play out for you.  I know of many circumstances where following Jesus made me look like a traitor to my culture.  ”Everyone does it” just doesn’t work for me anymore, though.  And I’m OK with that.  Actually, I’m extremely good with that.  Because every time I let go of something that brings glory to God, I gain life and fulfillment like I’d never known before Jesus.

What about you?  Have you had those times where you were tempted to compromise your walk with Christ in order to not have to turn your back on your culture?  Have you ever been made fun of for your choices that you knew pleased God?  Can we be cultural traitors and still function well in our society?

I covet your responses…

Psalm 71 ( <— scroll over to read), at first glance, is just another psalm from David.  It is littered with language of salvation, rescue, hope, trust, rocks and fortresses.  The message from David is very clear.

Save and protect me God.  Life stinks, I need help, and you are the only help I can rely on.

And, as Bible-believing followers of Jesus, this should be our reaction to trouble, right?  Cry out to God and wait for His answer.  Wait for His action.  Wait for Him to kick butt.

Yeah, I said kick butt.  

If we’re all honest, we can all admit that we read and respond to everything around us through the built-in filters we carry.  Our lives, circumstances, hang-ups and baggage all contribute to the way we understand and relate to everything, including the Bible.  And my particular wiring makes me respond to this passage in this way when trouble comes:  ”God, I’m in a mess right now.  Life stinks and I can’t figure a way out of this.  Please show up with Your great strength and power to destroy my enemies, my struggles, my pain, and my problems.  Wipe them out!  Get rid of it so I can be safe and happy.  After all, You are my protector, right?  The scripture is full of language of a God of love and compassion who wants to deliver His people, right?  So please, let’s see some action!  Let’s see some A-bomb force, here!  Do something!!!”

That’s me.  Perhaps you are different.  Perhaps not.  I just know that I expect God to swoop in and set it all right.  By His power and might, I expect big things moved and small things to be trampled under-foot.  I expect a conqueror.  I expect a Savior with a sword in His fist and fire in His eyes, mad as hell that His child has been wronged.  I expect vindication.

But I’m beginning to learn that, while God may respond in this way from time to time, this is absolutely not God’s M.O.  It’s just not how He works.

In studying this passage this week, my eyes were drawn to the many references to fortresses and rocks.  To language of help, protection and salvation.  And as I thought about those words, I found buried slightly beneath them a very different perspective on our multifaceted God.

Imagine for a moment a huge rock or fortress.  What do you use either of these for?  Do you throw the giant edifice at your enemy?  Do you hurl a fortress at them?  No, of course you don’t.  Last I checked, you use these things to hide in.  To hunker-down behind.  To be protected by.  We’re not speaking offense, here.  We’re speaking defense.  Guarding.  Protection.

And I think this is worth noting.  Maybe, instead of seeing God’s provision in times of trouble coming from some sort of attacking, offensive-minded God, we should figure out where God is working in the midst of our pain and trouble to guard and protect our hearts.  Maybe we should be praying for Him to shield us from the bitterness, rage, self-loathing, anger and hate that threaten to tear us apart when tribulation comes.

What if we, as I’ve harped on so many times before, could see the work God is doing in us right in the middle of the suffering and pain?  What if we could really see this stuff as opportunity for God to grow us up a little bit?  What if we could celebrate, as David did, a God who is faithful and who is right there in the midst of the strife?  It’s not to say life isn’t incredibly difficult sometimes; it’s just a new way to perceive  it.  It’s not minimizing God’s ability to step in and intercede in our lives; it’s a greater vision for us to see God shaping us for His mission.  It’s Kingdom thinking.

The difficulties will always exist.  The hard times will always come.  But, in Christ, there is a real hope.  By His Spirit, we can overcome all things and become stronger, wiser, and better equipped for His mission.  Shaped by our circumstances to become more and more like Him.

What do you think?  Do you deal with this?  I’d love to hear from you…

The Super Bowl.

And while fans and general spectators anticipate the game with different levels of urgency, the consensus question among most American citizens in the next few weeks will be, “So, where are you watching the game?”

You know it.  I know it.  Just about everyone knows it.  The Super Bowl is a big deal.  And what largely-publicized event can occur without a few disputes and dramas present?

Watching The Today Show this morning, my attention was nabbed the moment the subject of Super Bowl advertising came up.  On the show with Kathie Lee was a man by the name of Donny Deutsch, and the two of them were discussing a dispute that has evolved in the last few days concerning CBS, a commercial with Tim Tebow that voices a Pro-Life message, and a commercial from mancrunch.com advertising an all-male dating service.  Check the video after the break.  Particularly from 2:15 to 5:45…  

I’m hoping you didn’t pay too much attention to those first couple minutes and stopped the video around 5:45.  That show can be awful sometimes!  =)

The reason this particular segment really caught my attention, though, was near the end of the Super Bowl section (at about 5:00), they began asking some real serious questions.  And I’m not sure whether they really understood the scope of those questions or not.  If you listen, you hear almost a helpless cry for someone to answer the petition:  Who draws the lines?  Who’s right is it to draw those lines?

And in a society marked by a slow and steady distancing from a sovereign God, that question truly becomes both desperate and unanswerable.  And that’s a shame.

You see, without a just, moral, and perfectly righteous Creator, we don’t have a moral compass at all.  That’s not to say we don’t have the innate ability to do good things or help others or make decisions that benefit society, but we don’t do it on our own.  The Bible tells us that God made us in His own image (Genesis 1:27).  We have His fingerprints all over us.  The things we choose to do and not to do are based on a sense of morality that we neither invented nor perfected.  That morality comes directly from our Father.  It’s His goodness in us.  And when we decidedly distance ourselves from Him, we distance ourselves from true righteousness and justice.  We try to draw lines to determine what’s right and wrong, based solely on reason and logic, negating the source of our morality.  When that happens, everything becomes relative.   What’s good for me isn’t for you and vice-versa.  And inevitably, we find ourselves able to justify any means simply for the ends.

That’s a scary place to be.  It’s frightening to think that we could condone basically anything based on a sliding scale of right and wrong.  Lives get destroyed because we don’t want to step on toes.  We don’t want draw hard lines.  We don’t want to offend anyone, even at the risk of lives lost.

This is a huge, debatable, messy conversation to have, but it’s worth having.  What do you think about this?  Who draws the lines?  Is it about standing up for what we believe is right or what God says is right?  Who’s the enforcer?  When do we have to step up and realize that our wrongful actions that go directly against what God instructs only bring about chaos and destruction in our lives?  When do we stop blaming God for having so many rules and start seeing His laws and decrees as life-giving and life-saving?  What will it take for us to see Jesus, not as a political stepping-stone, but as the source of true life?  The centerpiece of our morality?  The reason we have any good in us at all?

And on, and on, and on.  A hundred more questions that cause a thousand more.

What are your answers?  What are your questions?

I covet them both…

And targeted they were.

Only minutes into the game, I knew Kentucky was headed for trouble.  Bad passes, missed layups and general chaos marked the team I had just watched dismantle Arkansas just three short days before.  Where there was once a supremely confident, well-oiled machine of a basketball team, there now stood a group of guys that looked as if they weren’t quite sure what needed to be done and exactly who was supposed to do it.

They were in a funk.  

And they stayed there for the entirety of the game.  All the way to the final buzzer that concluded the first loss of the season for the guys that could seemingly do no wrong.  Was it just a matter of time?  Yes.  Did I know it was coming?  Sure.  Did they need this to grow up a bit as a team?  Absolutely.

Did it feel good to watch it happen?  Not one bit.

And that’s the point.  There’s been a conscious knowing in the minds of fans that this was inevitable.  We’ve all known that the youth of this team would give way, the loss would ensue, and the necessary adapting and growth would hopefully follow.  But knowing something and dealing with it are two very different things.  I never said I’d like it.  I never said I would be upset if it just never happened.  After all, maybe they could do all their growing and maturing through wins all season.

Maybe so, but I think we all know that’s just not how it works.

Instead, the tough times come.  It rains on everyone.  Trials will befall us all.

And in those times, we choose our response.  We choose to become bitter or to become stronger from it.  We choose to grow or to shrink back.  We choose to learn or become more ignorant and callous.  We struggle.  We battle.  We decide.

For me, it always comes back to this single idea:   “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”  It’s not a “we think” statement or a “we’re fairly certain” clause.  This is a “we know” declaration.  We know God has it in control.  We know God is for us.  We know he will cause all things to work together for our good, assuming we belong to Him because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us all.

And this knowledge brings hope.  It brings life.  It extinguishes death.

I try with everything in me to see my failures and challenges in this most difficult of lights, admitting unashamedly that I fail miserably many times.  Humbly exposing my frailty and weakness, but at the same time acknowledging my absolute need for a Savior.  For an unconditional love.  For Jesus.

What about you?  Have you ever carried this attitude into your difficult situations, staring defeat in the face, looking for a way to grow more because of your failure?  Have you let hardships beat you down until you can visualize no apparent hope?  Have you had success in the midst of catastrophe and hope in the middle of fracture because of your faith?

I’ve been all over the board on this one, and as always, I covet your responses…