Fireproof

Or small group went to see Fireproof on Sunday night. It lived up to the hype. Every married couple should go see this movie. Only one or two real actors were in it, but the storyline more than made up for that. This is a must-see!

Wait 'Til Next Year

I awakened to find that the Cubs had lost. D'oh! Couldn't they at least have made a series of it? Swept two years in a row. And that's what makes them the Cubs.

Why Do I Ever Get My Hopes Up?

I have been a Cubs fan since I was eight years old. That means they have been breaking my heart for 35 years. Yes, they can still pull it off. But they looked like the Bad News Bears last night.

Better Luck Tonight?

This Kicked My Butt

David Foster had a great blog post today:

Seven Things I'd Like to Say to the Men of America

I have a bone to pick, a frustration to voice and here it is. Where have all the men gone? I’m not talking about Neanderthals who drag their knuckles along the ground and beat up women and small children. I’m talking about good men, strong men, godly men; men who stand tall in the saddle.

I’m seeing way too many wimps and whiners; men who cop out and walk away at the first sign of trouble. So here is what I want to say to the men in America based upon what I see in them.

1. Do everything in moderation. Whether it’s drinking, sports, work, or exercise; the watchword is moderation. Everything is good in moderation. There’s nothing wrong with a glass of wine, everything wrong with a bottle. There’s nothing wrong with attending a football game, everything wrong with turning your car into a helmet. Exaggeration and going overboard are what gets us in trouble.

2. Sweat the small stuff. You hear people say glibly, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” I say you do sweat the small stuff. That’s where integrity is won. That’s where trust is kept over time.

3. Fight for your marriage. I’m absolutely amazed at how many tough guys run away at the first sign of a marriage getting hard. Your wife nags you or something doesn’t go your way. You get frustrated and tired and you give it up. If you’re not going to fight for your marriage, what in God’s name will you fight for? And I might add, that’s worth fighting for. You fight for your job, you fight for your team, and you fight for your parking spot. You need to fight for your wife and your kids; to love them and take care of them, to be their hero, and to be there for them.

4. Stop whining. Yes, times could be better but this is a business cycle and if you’ve lived more than 20 years, you know that this has happened before and it will happen again. Things come and they go. Markets correct themselves. That’s the wonder of democracy in an open market. It’s called capitalism. It’s a good thing. You might even say, it’s a God thing. It’s the way life works. So stop whining about how bad things are. You’ve never seen them that bad. Well, you’re 25 years old. Look around at some guys who have a few scars and they’re still swinging. Stop whining and start working. Work hard. Work hard at something you’re good at. Work hard at something you’re good at and that matters.

5. Man up. This simply means be a man. Live up to your responsibilities. Be tough and strong, and most of all, smart. Real men don’t walk away or run away when the going gets tough. Man up.

6. You’re always one bad decision away from wrecking your life. We are people who get up after they’ve wrecked their lives and say, “I made some mistakes.” No, you made bad choices. Every decision has an effect on your future. The smallest thing can open you up for ethical, or moral failure from which you may never recover.

7. Your wife is not your mommy. You didn’t marry a maid or a housekeeper. You married a woman, a good woman, with strengths and talents and abilities who, in many ways, is far superior than you are. You don’t need a mama. You need a lover, a leader, and a good companion. Stop expecting your wife to do for you what your mama did and do it for yourself. Here’s a novel idea: start serving her and loving her. If you want a good example of that, go watch the new movie “Fireproof.” It illustrates it well.

Art Bush

My friend Art Bush sang at Cedar Creek today. He was in town to sing at the Annual Meeting for the Wooburn Christian Children's Home. I have known Art since I was a teenager when he did a concert at my home church in Three Oaks, MI. I have had him come to all the churches I have served. I always appreciate his humble spirit and his servant's heart.

Presidential Debate

I watched the debate last night and thought is was rather boring. Although Obama did much better than expected when he had to speak off the top of his head, without a teleprompter. Both candidates were clearly well-prepared. McCain seems like he has to force a smile when he probably would rather blow his stack. I was waiting for him to go-off on Obama, like Jack Nicholson at the end of A Few Good Men.

Auburn Fair

My family and I went to the Dekalb Free Fair tonight. It was a lot of fun. And the weather was absolutely perfect. A gorgeous autumn evening. Enjoyed some Homemade Apple Dumpling with ice cream. We also caught most of Lady Antebellum's concert.

Podcasts

I got an iPod a couple of years ago and I love it. I do have lots of music on it, but I have several podcasts on it as well. Mostly sermons and stuff dealing with church leadership. I thought I would share some of my faves:


Regularly Listen
The Relevant Podcast
Internet Monk
Catalyst Podcast
ESPN Daily Podcast
Napkin Scribbles (Len Sweet)

Frequently Listen
Jeff Walling
Rick Atchley
Mark Driscoll
Grammar Girl
Savannah Christian (Cam Huxford)
Rochester Church of Christ (Patrick Mead)
John Piper
Andy Stanley
Brian Houston

Occasionally Listen
Jon Weece
John Ortberg
Rob Bell

Recently someone told me about the Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast. It's new (only one episode posted so far). If you are a church leader, you MUST listen to that podcast about assumptions. Good stuff.

So who are you listening to these days?

Yearbook Yourself

Fun with yearbookyourself.com

Cubs Clinch Division

Go, Cubs, Go

Have great weekend everybody!

Cleaning House at Cedar Creek

We have several interns and high school students doing community service at the building today. So we are using the manpower to clean out closets, back rooms, and the attic. Wow, the collection of “Jesus Junk” in this place is incredible. A huge lace depiction of the Last Supper, an antique lighted picture of Jesus (only his neck glows), choral music from the 60’s, the “latest” evangelism techniques from the early 70’s, several generations of hymnals, and more. Typewriters, slide projectors, filmstrips, and of course, flannelgraph. When coming across this stuff, I have to wonder what was going through the mind of the person who stored it: “Hey, maybe we’ll have a use for this again someday. I’d better put it in the closet just in case.” And yes, I have authorized the pitching of several old Bibles (yellowed paperback copies of NIV’s from the 80’s and several copies of “Good News for Modern Man”) – pray for my soul.

Another Dorky Video

Wow.

Dorky Video of the Week

I love how the guitar player is really into it. And the bald guy in the back looks like he wants to be anywhere but there.

Big Z Pitches No Hitter

Awesome Baby!

Sunday at Cedar Creek

We had a great day at The Creek today. There was a lot of energy and enthusiasm as we worshipped together. Our friend Tonja Rose sang a few songs and we announced that we are calling one of our elders to join the full-time ministry staff.