Dear God,

Please make it stop doing this:

so that I can have a good time doing this:

Love,
Me.

The People I Love: John

My baby brother started taking up space when I was four.  When we were kids, we always shared a bedroom– on bunkbeds of course– me on the top, and he on the bottom.  Every night I would sneak into my parents’ bed at around 1 or 2: am.  Thinking that it would keep me from crowding his slumber, my dad guilted me.  “What if there were a fire, Stephanie?  What would John do?  He wouldn’t know to break the window.”  Naturally, this broke my heart.  As much as he infuriated me by pulling my Barbies’ heads off and trying to flush them down the toilet, I wouldn’t know what life would be without my little brother.  Much to my dad’s chagrin, my nightly routine didn’t stop.  Instead, I would jump down from my bunk, wake my brother enough to get him to follow me through the house and down the hall, and together, we’d find a sufficient place to snuggle and finish the night.

Now that silly little kid is a man.  Yes, the kid who LOVED to sit and play ‘Ninja Turtles’ in the toilet is a fireman and a sheriff’s deputy in the panhandle.  He lives on his own, pays his own bills.  He is a man.  I will never forget the time he spent at boot camp, not long after September 11th.  Eager to serve his country, this child of 17 years packed up and went with his division to Georgia where he wrote letters of both pride and brokenness.  It was here, then, that he became this man.

The funny thing about John is that he is such a sarcastic and silly guy- constantly pretending that he doesn’t care about anything.  The truth– the really blood and guts of it all– is that he loves more than anyone I know.  His heart swells for the people around him.  He cannot say no to a child’s desires.  He is easily wrapped around the finger of a certain lady friend, and not in a bad way.  He is a lover in all senses of the word, and embodies masculinity mingled with sensitivity.  He is a hero.  He always had been, and will always continue to be my best friend.  I cannot wait to have children who will overflow with excitement at the idea of hanging with ‘Uncle Bubs’.

Things that Remind Me of John:

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• “Blue” by Lee Ann Rimes
• Towheaded little boys
• Mountain Dew
• Ephesians 3:8-12

Something’s Wonky Here

Really?  REALLY? [/channeling Jason Kearney]

 The Comedy Hour Church seeks Senior Pastor

Edmond, OK (a suburb of OKC)

Job Description

This is a newly forming church. Job duties will be to set up church from groud up. We have a 5000sf building to start off in and are planning to build a new building as we grow. We have many ideas God has put on our hearts, would like to hear about yours too and see if we feel like a match to grow God’s Kingdom together.

Job Requirements:

Must be very funny!! Please send copy of a cd or dvd.

• Job Category: Senior Pastor
• Pay to relocate: No
• Job Status: Full-time
• Education required:
• Experience required (years): 0

Organization

Developing new age church. The idea is to use humor and comedy to bring people to Christ. With the right Pastor we plan on becoming a rapidly growing mega church soon. We are thinking the church will be called Comedy Hour and be open Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday mornings. We want to show people that being Christians does not mean we can’t have fun. Would like to work with new Pastor to come up with new ideas, so please share what God has put on your heart.

Overview

• Denomination: Non-denominational
• Organization Association: Emerging Church
• Church Size: 0-100
• Worship Style: Gen X / post-modern

Who Am I & What is the Good News?

Lately I’ve been struggling with feelings of disconnect and trying to find a hiding place in my sin.  My sister’s friend David reminded me of how community is to really look this morning, and I recalled this little sermonette by Derek Webb.

“There is a risk that we run as those who are called into community together…  If you divorce the people of God or local community from the Gospel then it CEASES to be the Gospel!  There is no other context for you faith as a Christian then to be in community with other people.  I’ve heard people say over the years, ‘Its just me and Jesus, and that’s all I need!’  Well that’s not the Gospel in Scripture.  If you claim to love Jesus then you and I will be compelled to love what He loved.  But He not only loved but He came and gave Himself for the Church.  Not only are we called to love but we are called to preach the Gospel toward each other.  Now I know that seems like a backwards idea, especially if we grew up in church.  The Gospel? We already know that!  But we just think it is the words that we speak to non-believers in hopes that they may come down the aisles of our church and put their faith in Jesus Christ.  Now it certainly is that.  But it definitely has a primary place in the life of believers.  We gotta hear it everyday.

“There’s this great story from Martin Luther:  He preached to a church week after week about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and a man came and asked, ‘Why do you keep preach week after week the Gospel?’ implying that he thought they were ready to move on.  But Luther said, ‘Well because week after week you forget it. Because week after week you look like a people who don’t believe the Gospel, and until you walk in looking like a people who are truly liberated by the truth of the Gospel I will continue to preach it to you.’  And until his dying day he did.

“BUT if we stop hearing this we will conform to the culture and we will put righteousness as an idol, and that flattery at its very best will only encourage behavior modification: modifying your behavior to act the way you should, to hide the things you do that are wrong, and to try to amplify the things that you do that are right. BUT see here is the truth:  all the behavior modification in the world will never change our hearts, and it will never change our communities.  Jesus, however, can change our hearts, and He will change our communities!  That’s why boldness is called.

“We should have no fear about being honest with each other about who we really are.  Not just offering up the sins we feel safe confessing but being completely bold, completely forthcoming about who we really are, and saying, ‘I’m going to stop hiding from you. And I’m going to tell you who I really am because I believe the Gospel is true.’  Your never going to be filled with joy unless you truly know yourself for who you are.  And until you are a real sinner with a real Savior; you only be a hypothetical sinner with a hypothetical savior.

“If you confess: ‘yeah man, I know I’m sinful.  Scripture tells me!’  but you can’t honestly put your finger on a real sin you’ve done all day, it’s because your view of sin has just become this cultural hiding game and you aren’t experiencing real joy.  Because if all I can express is a knowledge…but not really know I am sinful, then I’m not truly encouraged that I am saved.

“SAVED FROM WHAT?  If I don’t believe I’m truly sinful then whats the big deal? What is the good news?  It’s just news.  But if you know yourself as exposed from the cross,  you will experience true joy.  You will be comfortably exposed in your sin  and boasting in your GREAT Savior.

“Charles Spurgeon once said,  ‘If your sins are small, your savior will be small also. But if your sins are great, then your Savior must be great.’

“And guys I gotta say…our SAVIOR is GREAT.”

Who Am I & What is the Good News?

Lately I’ve been struggling with feelings of disconnect and trying to find a hiding place in my sin.  My sister’s friend David reminded me of how community is to really look this morning, and I recalled this little sermonette by Derek Webb.

“There is a risk that we run as those who are called into community together…  If you divorce the people of God or local community from the Gospel then it CEASES to be the Gospel!  There is no other context for you faith as a Christian then to be in community with other people.  I’ve heard people say over the years, ‘Its just me and Jesus, and that’s all I need!’  Well that’s not the Gospel in Scripture.  If you claim to love Jesus then you and I will be compelled to love what He loved.  But He not only loved but He came and gave Himself for the Church.  Not only are we called to love but we are called to preach the Gospel toward each other.  Now I know that seems like a backwards idea, especially if we grew up in church.  The Gospel? We already know that!  But we just think it is the words that we speak to non-believers in hopes that they may come down the aisles of our church and put their faith in Jesus Christ.  Now it certainly is that.  But it definitely has a primary place in the life of believers.  We gotta hear it everyday.

“There’s this great story from Martin Luther:  He preached to a church week after week about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and a man came and asked, ‘Why do you keep preach week after week the Gospel?’ implying that he thought they were ready to move on.  But Luther said, ‘Well because week after week you forget it. Because week after week you look like a people who don’t believe the Gospel, and until you walk in looking like a people who are truly liberated by the truth of the Gospel I will continue to preach it to you.’  And until his dying day he did.

“BUT if we stop hearing this we will conform to the culture and we will put righteousness as an idol, and that flattery at its very best will only encourage behavior modification: modifying your behavior to act the way you should, to hide the things you do that are wrong, and to try to amplify the things that you do that are right. BUT see here is the truth:  all the behavior modification in the world will never change our hearts, and it will never change our communities.  Jesus, however, can change our hearts, and He will change our communities!  That’s why boldness is called.

“We should have no fear about being honest with each other about who we really are.  Not just offering up the sins we feel safe confessing but being completely bold, completely forthcoming about who we really are, and saying, ‘I’m going to stop hiding from you. And I’m going to tell you who I really am because I believe the Gospel is true.’  Your never going to be filled with joy unless you truly know yourself for who you are.  And until you are a real sinner with a real Savior; you only be a hypothetical sinner with a hypothetical savior.

“If you confess: ‘yeah man, I know I’m sinful.  Scripture tells me!’  but you can’t honestly put your finger on a real sin you’ve done all day, it’s because your view of sin has just become this cultural hiding game and you aren’t experiencing real joy.  Because if all I can express is a knowledge…but not really know I am sinful, then I’m not truly encouraged that I am saved.

“SAVED FROM WHAT?  If I don’t believe I’m truly sinful then whats the big deal? What is the good news?  It’s just news.  But if you know yourself as exposed from the cross,  you will experience true joy.  You will be comfortably exposed in your sin  and boasting in your GREAT Savior.

“Charles Spurgeon once said,  ‘If your sins are small, your savior will be small also. But if your sins are great, then your Savior must be great.’

“And guys I gotta say…our SAVIOR is GREAT.”

THe People I Love: Jessica

When I met Jessica in 2003, she was quiet, sarcastic, and trying to come off drugs.  She’d just quit college and moved back to San Antonio to live with her aunt who just happened to attend my church.  She gave me the best Christmas gift I’ve ever received to date: a mix tape of live John Mayer music at a time that I was completely obsessed.  I moved to Lubbock only a few weeks later.

Upon my return in 2004, she was a new person.  It was incredible to see God’s work in her life.  It was then that our friendship actually began.  Her sarcastic sense of humor and willingness to be a complete dork with me was an easy win-over.

We traveled to College Station for the first ever Webboard get-together, and she experienced Derek Webb for the first time.  Despite her not being a “concert person” she found a new favorite, and I was glad to have won one for DW.   She was also one of the founders of the Feral Female Fantastico annual girls-only weekend.

Since meeting, we’ve spent many hours sitting at Jim’s in San Antonio and talking about nothing and everything.  I’ve seen her get married and graduate from junior college.  She’s seen me finally manage to grow some roots in Dallas, and then join me in the metroplex.  She and her husband, Tommy, now live in Fort Worth, where he attends Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary. We’ve lamented over the tragedy that is our old church and the lies that so many we love have succumbed to… And we’ve laughed until we’ve cried at the “strange” people of the world… especially those we happen to be related to in one way or another.

As she and her husband travel to Thailand in just a few short weeks, I am so thankful for her life, and for the gracious Father who saved it in so many ways.  Her life is a continuing source of perspective for me.

Things that remind me of Jess:

• John Mayer, of course
• Butterflies
• Rosie the Riveter
• Collages
• 2 Corinthians 5:17
• My Name is Jonas by Weezer

What Kind of Beauty Are We Focused On?

Incredible article for single men and women alike.  Check it out.

Tidbits

• I’m chaperoning a youth lake trip this weekend.  We leave tomorrow morning, and I’m beginning to get a little nervous about it.  We’re going to have the lives of eight to ten children in our hands.  At a lake.  Lord help us.
• I started college last Monday, and it’s going really, really well!  My government prof has yet to keep us for the entirety of the allotted time, but the time we do spend there is packed with good stuff.
• I’m picking back up with my health routine next week.  I have an appointment with Dr. Robin on Tuesday evening.  I’m not quite sure what it will look like, but it’s time to get down to business.
• I’m still waiting on Blogathon to get organized this year.  I’m hoping to have my donation site up and going in the next couple of weeks.  It’s a bit frustrating to have to wait this long…
• I chopped my hair off.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I sent 11.5 inches of hair to Locks of Love on Monday, and the end result is this:

Game 3: Spurs, 75-72

How sweet it is… but I sure do wish the Cavs would put up more of a fight…

And Ben Harper was AWESOME last night.

Letters to the Editor, Volume 1

Summer + Andy O. + New Music = sofreakingawesome.

Look & Listen to Letters to the Editor, Vol. 1