Friday is Top Five Day

in honor of the coming of the simple service initiative in a couple of weeks, i was thinking about tools.  yeah, tools.

i love tools.  i have a lot of them and i know how to use most of them pretty well.  i have tools that i enjoy using and have sort of a euphoric experience when they are in my hands and performing their tasks.  if you don’t understand, don’t get a headache trying to figure it out.  just accept that i am kind of a closet “tim the tool man”.  if you don’t understand that…well, you’re probably too young.

here are the five tools that i own that are my favorites:

5.  the mighty “rotozip” – a more recent acquisition that performs a variety of cutting tasks.  loud, high-pitched and messy.

4.  vice grips – the ultimate “all-purpose” tool that i have used in almost every type of building or repair project imaginable.

3.  the 6-in-1, changeable screwdriver – there is no question that this is the most used, most functional, most needed tool in my arsenal.  i understand the value of a powered screwdriver, but there is nothing like the torque of your own hand for handyman projects around the house.

2.  the “sawzall” – the ultimate tool of mass destruction.  the tool that is the great equalizer.  there is almost nothing that this piece of machinery cannot conquer.  when all else fails…go get the sawzall!

1.  the short, round-point shovel with a D-handle – you might be surprised (if you care at all) that this is my favorite tool, but it is.  years ago, when i spent my summers working as a laborer doing commercial construction, i invested hours and hours of my life perfecting the art of shoveling cement with this beloved piece equipment.  even to this day, i bet i can still “out-shovel” anybody on cement day in mexico!  talk about an awesome addition to my resume if i need to go job hunting someday…

what about you?  do you have a tool that you cannot live your life without?

Axioms…from my perspective

i’ve decided to dedicate thursdays to giving some of my personal life axioms…truth that, from my perspective, is self-evident.  sometimes practical.  sometimes philosophical.  sometimes whimsical.  but truth, no less.

“treat people well…whether they deserve it or not.”

we interact with people everyday. it takes just as much effort to be aloof, self-centered, rude, mean, or disinterested as it does to be a gracious, friendly, nice person. to be honest, grace is always better.

that whole golden rule thing comes into play here.  somehow, it is so easy to convince ourselves that we are better than others…as if we are never aloof, self-absorbed, crabby, cynical, short, smug, angry, unkind, impatient…need i go on?  on those days when we don’t have our “a” game together, we want…no, need, grace.  why wouldn’t that be true of others?

an old italian proverb says, “he that will have none but a perfect brother must resign himself to remain brotherless.” man, that is so true!  the list of those that are perfect is a short one.  why do we have such a difficult time remembering that?

a.w. tozer once said, “to treat an imperfect brother impatiently is to advertise our own imperfections.” i’m no ad man, but i am in the “pr” business…and there is no way i want my shortcomings broadcasted on a billboard in my world.  i know i’m imperfect.  so does everyone else.  but that’s no excuse for grabbing a megaphone and screaming, “look, i’m an idiot!!”

better to extend grace, love freely, and treat others the way i want to be treated…not the way i deserve.

Papiview

there is nothing quite like this.

i can remember holding chris the exact same way chris is caressing holden.  how did he learn to do that?  wanda didn’t ever hold chris this way.  only i did.  it was my second favorite way of holding him.  i will be watching carefully to see if chris holds holden my favorite way.  i’ve never told him.  i’ll just have to wait and see…

there is something amazing…even mystical…about holding the life of our children in our hands.  both physically and metaphorically.  their little lives are full of hope and promise and they are totally dependent on our touch to lead them.  without us, they would die.  without us, they would be left on their own to figure out all that is important.

this is where it all begins.  somewhere in this touch, there is connection that lasts a lifetime.  at least it should.  in this touch, the essence of relationship is forged.  in this touch, the transmission of value and priority and the soul of ultimate significance takes place.

i never took it lightly.  i pray that i passed that on.

Thursday Night Study Notes

last night we took a look at what scripture has to say about the lordship of jesus christ.  pretty intense topic.  here’s some passages we looked at:

jesus is lord

• 1 corinthians 12:3
• romans 10:9-11
• romans 14:7-12
• 1 corinthians 6:19-20
• philippians 2:5-11

Friday is Top Five Day

i thought i would finish up this “top five” discussion on music at north point with one more list.

i’ve spent over 36 years of my life with a guitar, leading kids in worship.  sometimes with a band, but most of those years it was just me.  that was the way we rolled back in the day.

in the past year or two, since my guitar has been sitting on a stand and collecting dust, i don’t talk much about how much i miss teaching kids how to sing as part of their worship experience.  yeah, i miss it a lot.  but that’s for another post on another day…

i really believe that if the day were to ever come when my friends at north point had to tell me to go find a new day job, i think i’ve got a plan.  i’ve told logan’s dad (he’s a famous preacher in memphis) that he might have to hire me to be his kid’s worship song leader…since that job is already secured at np by pastor mitch!

anyway, all this thinking has caused me to reminisce about some cool fun songs we have sung with kids through the years.  i love to have fun going to ball games and going out to eat with friends and bowling and playing kickball in the auditorium and i think there is room in god’s economy for having fun when we sing (as long as it is full of truth and the fun never turns to disrespect of the holiness of god…a fine line with kids, sometimes!).

here are some of my favorite fun songs that we have done through the years:

• Big House
• Undignified
• So Good To Me
• King Jesus
• Mercy is Falling
• Celebrate Jesus
• His Banner Over Me
• Where Do I Go?

but here is my top five…

5.  The Happy Song – by Martin Smith and Delirious (crazy fun song…i really miss doing this song!)

4.   Shut De Do – by Randy Stonehill (island song that’s been around about thrity years…)

3.   Your Everlasting Love – by Brian Sites (highest “high energy” song we ever did with the youth group…pushed the limit of respect, tho.)

2.   No One Like You – by Crowder (my absolute favorite crowder song to lead…and sing…with kids)

1.   When I Think About You – by Jeff Moody (for all the joking we have done at his expense through the years, this song was not only a homerun, it was a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth!  this was the signature song of our youth ministry in the early years…the first fun song of real substance that layed the foundation for what music at np has become today!)

how about you?  do you have any memories of fun songs we have done…or currently do?

Axioms…from my perspective

i’ve decided to dedicate thursdays to giving some of my personal life axioms…truth that, from my perspective, is self-evident.  sometimes practical.  sometimes philosophical.  sometimes whimsical.  but truth, no less.

“don’t let the sun go down on your anger…don’t go to bed angry.  nothing good can happen from that.”

i’m not really sure where this lesson truly sunk in.  this is one of those commands of god that is easily dismissed as a little proverbial saying that was never meant to be taken literally.  here’s what it says in the bible:

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.  “In your anger do not sin” : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,  and do not give the devil a foothold.  Ephesians 4:25-27

to me, this is one of those commands of god that is so clear, so unmistakable, that to ignore it is gross disobedience!  the problem is that most people who claim to be followers of jesus live as if god doesn’t always really mean what he says.

the command not to let the sun go down on our anger recognizes that we are human and that will react emotionally to people and life events that are difficult or unfair, but that what have about 24 hours to deal with it.  after that, it needs to be history…for their good, and ours.

it’s not easy. it goes against our nature. it’s certainly not the way we have grown accustomed to doing things in our culture. but where are you going to get your truth?

i love baseball. i really do. but…

i’ve got a whole lotta opinions about this a-rod thing.   there are few people who have a greater love and respect for this game than i do.  i’m not saying i have more than others…just few that have more than i.  that’s just the way it is.

baseball, as i was raised with it, is dead.  it has been for years.  a 162-game season changed it.  the designated hitter changed it.  pete rose betting changed it.  steinbrenner’s wallet changed it.  technology changed it.  replays changed it.  and i’m a guy that’s not against change!

i love change.  i love change for change sake.  change keeps things fresh.  change moves us from good to better…and sometimes to best.  but not for baseball.  but i’m a realist.

i still love baseball.  i love the purity and the mysticism of the game.  i love the unwritten rules.  i love that you can look at the way a guy stands or holds his bat or adjusts his cup or how he takes care of his glove…and know whether he is a real baseball player or not.

the zen of baseball is ulitmately unexplainable, but absolutely knowable.  you’ve either got it or you don’t.

but baseball, as we know it, has changed.  it’s a business.  it’s entertainment.  it is the perfect sport wrapped in a contract.  we need to stop thinking it is more than that.  ballplayers are not role models.  they do not live for moral perfection.  we shouldn’t expect it from them.  they shouldn’t use steroids, but they shouldn’t be playing for ungodly amounts of money either.

in a sport driven by greed and not by the love of the game, why are we so picky about other sins…like cheating to get a competitive edge or betting on the side.  why are we not as uptight about the blatant racism in management or ballplayers who cheat on their wives with baseball groupies at away games or the heartless disregard of a young player who no longer performs as expected?  hypocrisy is everywhere.

i say leave a-rod alone.  he cheated.  he got caught.  he apologized.  he probably won’t do it again.  let him collect his bizillions and pay his alimony and drive his bentley and find a new supermodel or rock star to date.  sheesh.  he’s been through enough already…

real baseball is alive and well.  you just have to look for it carefully.  but it’s there.

Papiview

melissa is an amazing mom.  it happened immediately.  instantaneously.  in a blink of an eye…or cut of a scapel, as it were.

i’m not surprised.  but i am overwhelmed.  for nearly nine months, holden camped out in her belly.  i know they had numerous conversations that always felt one-way, but they were clearly dialogue.  each day, as she awaited his coming out party, i know she pictured what it would be like.  she imagined holding him and seeing his face and smelling his baby odor and touching skin she had only read about.  i know she wondered what it would feel like to be a mom.

melissa is an amazing mom.  she doesn’t have to wonder anymore.  the mystery is reality.  being a mom is her nature.  it is her calling.  i watch her and i’m blown away by the look in her eye when she checks him out…by the sound of her voice when she talks to him…the gentle ease she has when she responds to his need.  yup…she’s got it going on.

melissa is an amazing mom.  call it instinct.  call it her nature.  call it preparation.  call it good examples to learn from. call it whatever you want.  i’ll just say she was made for this.  her attention to detail.  her passion for his well-being.  the unconditional love that pours out of her to him. the uncontainable joy she finds in her newfound identity.  there is no question that god has wired her for this.  did i already say that melissa is an amazing mom?

i suppose you could be sitting there and saying, “she’s just like every other new mom.”  well, pardon my humble, myopic, and clearly biased opinion…but my grandson is has the best mom i could have ever dreamed of him having.

Friday is Top Five Day

it has been pretty fun for me to think back over the past thirteen years here at north point and consider all the different songs we have used in our worship experience.  i don’t think for a moment that singing is the only way we worship the creator, nor do i believe that it is nearly the most important…but it is a significant part of it…especially the way we do it here!

on the past two fridays, i’ve list both my favorite high energy songs and my favorite mid-tempo songs.  both serve a purpose for me, though my love for loud, explosive songs of praise will not be denied!

today, i’m going to list my favorite slow, contemplative music.  there are critics who say that our use of music in worship is manipulative and contrived.  don’t get defensive.  it is…sometimes.  there is something about music that moves emotions and stirs my heart.  my feelings are touched, my mind is stimulated, my body reacts, my will is challenged.  it’s potentially powerful.

when that music is offered to god, it can be all of that and more.  here are some of my favorite slower songs that didn’t make my top five:

• Oh How He Loves Me
• We Enter In
• Come Home Running
• Psalm 9
• Come Ye Sinners
• Still
• The Old Rugged Cross
• Blessing
• Lord You Have My Heart
• By The Grace of the Lamb

these are all awesome songs…some we haven’t sung in years…but i will never forget them.  they are permanently part of who i am.  so…here’s my top five:

5.   Word of God Speak – by Mercy Me (short, simple, powerful)

4.   He Knows My Name – by Tommy Walker (i found this song years ago on a calvary chapel worship cd called “dry bones dancing”…i’ve never heard anybody sing it except north point!)

3.   You Are My King – by Chris Tomlin (one of tomlin’s earliest songs…before anybody knew who he was…i don’t normally like the whole “repetitive” thing that goes on in a lot of worship circles…singing the same chorus over and over and over again…but this is one song that always leaves me wanting to sing it one more time)

2.   It is Well With My Soul – by Horatio Spafford and Philip Bliss (maybe the most famous and well known hymn ever…you should do a search and read the story behind the song, if you don’t know it…i like the up-tempo way we do it at north point, but i miss the majesty and power and richness of it’s original ballad form.   there is nothing like it!)

1.   This Road – by Jars of Clay (this song was penned for “voice of the martyrs” and the international day of prayer for the persecuted church six or seven years ago.  i cannot sing it without experiencing polar opposite emotions…radical identification with fellow believers who worship in the most severe conditions of human suffereing…and the absolute wonder that god allows me to experience the life i have).

there you have it.  what about you?  is there a slower song that moves you that’s not on my list?

Axioms…from my perspective

the word “axiom” comes from the greek word ἀξίωμα (axioma) and from the verb ἀξιόειν (axioein), meaning “to deem worthy”.  it also means “to require”, which in turn comes from ἄξιος (axios), meaning “being in balance”.  among the ancient greek philosophers, an axiom was a claim which could be seen to be true without any need for proof.

on thursdays, i’ve decided i’m going to give some of my personal life axioms…truth that, from my perspective, is self-evident.  sometimes practical.  sometimes philosophical.  sometimes whimsical.  but truth, no less.

i know we live in a day where the concept of truth is battered.  it is often vilified or surrendered to the throne of cultural relativity or, worse… shoved to the back room of irrelevance.  but no matter.  i will hold to truth.

and for the record.  all truth is god’s truth.  just because something isn’t written in the bible doesn’t make it automatically questionable.  complex mathematics and intricate scientific process can still be true, even though it is not in the writings of the apostle paul.  music and poetry and fiction  can express beauty and integrity and reality, even though it was not written by king david.  there is truth in the philosophy of eastern mystics and muslim clerics and catholic priests and american politicians.

i’m not suggesting that everything is truth.  i am saying that truth can be found anywhere…and when it is found, it is god’s truth.  undebated and absolute.

i’m looking forward to thursdays.