Real Fake

There was an isolated island in which an airbase was set up during World War II. The islanders were taken with the way that the airbase seemed to be able to summon up endless airplanes with food and other useful supplies. When the airport was dismantled after the war, the natives decided to try and summon up airplanes themselves by building runways, bamboo models of radio equipment and so on. Despite the fact that this "cargo cult" went to great lengths to recreate the exact look and feel of an airport, they were disappointed when it failed to deliver the benefits they were looking for.

I want something more than just the look-alike in my life. Part of it is because I want something more for my kids than a knock-off of what I may not even have. How many of us have looked at the generation before us and were convinced that what they had was not real? That we would have the real deal ... the real revival, the real activity of the Spirit, the real fruit and the real character of Christ.

It's easy to believe "they" missed it but we're young and spunky enough to get it right. And, oh, that we would! We must have God. Anything less is certain spiritual death. And certain depression. And certain disillusionment. We have to give our hearts and our energy to Him, to pursuing Him. To invest our heart into drawing Him close to us through wooing Him with our love.

I want to coax Him to come close with my love. I want to draw Him out into the open and drive Him crazy with the attention I give Him. But it takes energy and time. What would He do for my love? Would He draw close?

I've just been looking at the subject of 'The Arm of the Lord", which is Jesus, and at what things are manifested when Jesus is revealed. I don't have a good enough grasp of it yet, but it seems to boil down to a few things. One: salvation. Two: justice. And there are large lists of things underneath those headings ... but I don't really know what to say about it yet.

I just want something real. I want Him.

Drums on Sunday Morning

For all those not able to make it to your respective church this Sunday morning, get on the IHOP website at 10AM central time and you can hear our service for free. While you can do this every week (Friday and Saturday nights as well), I will be playing drums this Sunday morning.

While I'm on the subject, if you have subscribed to the IHOP webstream, you can tap in anytime (it's $10 a month ... and you'll obviously need an internet connection). The sets I play on are Monday at 10AM, Wednesday at 6 and 10AM, and Thursday at 4PM. I do others throughout the month when friends are out of town, but these are my regular slots.

Here's the address to get the free webstream:
http://www.ihop.org/Group/Group.aspx?ID=16910
Scroll down to the Forerunner Christian Fellowship section and either click on "watch" for the video feed or "audio only".

Using that same link, you can tap into the free webstream of our weekend services, called "Encountering God Services" (EGS's). Friday night is used to focus on subjects of intimacy with God and Saturday nights are all about the End Times.

If you ever wanted to peek in on the House of Prayer but couldn't take a week out here, this is an easy way to do it.

Enjoy.

Petting Zoo

Tomorrow morning (or, for me, later this evening) we are going to take the girls to a free petting zoo. Before it gets to be 90*, that is. They love animals, they love being outside and they love feeling like "big girls". We're happy to oblige.

Last weekend we took them to Barnes and Noble to do some reading. After a few minutes of looking around, Maddie climbed up on one of the benches! It was awesome! She's really starting to take some risks. Today she stood on her own in the middle of the floor for about five seconds. Our little girl is growing up ... awww.

Summary of Parenthood

"How do you like being a parent?" We get asked that all the time ... usually by people who are either not married or couples who don't have kids. Because parents know better; they know it's both. "Is it just incredible, or is it terrible?"

D. All of the above.

5:30PM -- The girls greet me at the door with smiles, giggles and arms upraised, asking to be held.
6 -- Still playing with the girls ... lots of laughing, chasing, jumping, spinning...
6:30 -- Dinner for the girls. Spaghetti night.


7 -- Spaghetti will take five minutes to wash off. Then they'll need a bath.
7:30 -- Put them in bed, say our prayers, lots of hugs and kisses.
8, 8:30, 9 -- They're still not asleep. Kayla's in and out of bed, Maddie is upset at her; they both whine. Lots.
9:30 -- We haven't heard whining for about five minutes. Maybe they're asleep.
10 -- Time to do our own thing ... blog, dishes, clean, play catch-up on ten things, edit, relax, you name it.

2AM -- Whining from a certain room. We don't have any pets. My money is on the chilluns.
2:05AM -- I check. "Are you feeling okay?"
2:06 -- Kayla pukes. It wreaks.
2:07 -- Bath time.
2:15 -- Back in bed. Start a load of laundry ... sheets, pillow, the whole bit.
3:30 -- More whining from a certain room.
3:31 -- "What's wrong?"
3:32 -- Puke. Question answered.
3:33 -- One more bath. More laundry started.
3:40 -- Back in bed.
4:45 -- More whining from a certain room.
4:46 -- "Are you still not feeling well?" This time it was Amy to ask the question.
4:47 -- The gurgling starts and Amy holds out her hand to catch the up-chuck. Why? Because we were out of clean sheets, I am told. Still, I know I am a "dad" and she is a "mom" because that never would have crossed my mind. Never.
4:48 -- Third bath of the night. Kayla is happy to splash and play at this point.
4:50 -- Back in bed. More laundry started.
5AM, yes, AM -- The birds are chirping. It's been a long night. And this was on Mother's Day.

Is parenthood glorious? Yes, just alike anything worthwhile. Is it hard? Yes, just like anything worthwhile. It's one of the few inherent epitomes of servanthood that exists. You don't have a choice but to serve, but you get the enjoyment of loving on them and feeling their love back.

The Irony of "Life"

There was a show on tonight that highlighted a magician, David Blaine, as he stayed in a large aquarium for a week ... topped off by attempting to hold his breath for at least nine minutes, which would have been a world record.

I say "would have" because he didn't do it. Granted, he lasted seven minutes, which is more than most anyone can do, but for all the hype, it didn't pan out. The advertisements said he was determined: he would either do nine minutes, or he would die. Die, dead; a soggy, wet, ridiculous death. Like Houdini, but of his own free will instead of by accident. Big talker. That's quite a promise to not come through on.

Immediately following this soggy let-down was a news report: "Australian miners freed after being trapped underground for two weeks."

One guy sits in a public tub for a week, makes a promise, and still doesn't pull through—thousands surround him and cheer him on.

Miners are trapped underground for two weeks due to a freak accident—a few cameras are present to welcome them out of their death trap.

Isn't it weird that we are more interested in the well-being of a pruny magician even though he really didn't do anything, than in the safe rescue of people in harm's way?

Mac Ads

If you haven't seen the new Mac ads, you're missing out. And if you don't have a Mac ... well, that should go without saying.

In the IT office I work at, we have some hard-core Mac people and some hard-core Windows people. Lots of sarcasms fly each hour, but while their computer crashes, I am still up for business. That alone should make you think about it. As Mac says, "Your toaster doesn't crash. Your kitchen sink doesn't crash. Why should your computer?"

The entire office got a good laugh out of the commercials ... mostly because they're true. Check out the "iLife" ad. It's pretty witty. Amen. Let's stand.

Be His

"You will never be happy until you learn to become more of yourself. All that 'God,' 'the creator of the universe,' or 'whatever' wants from you is for you to become more of yourself.” — Oprah Winfrey

Wrong again. Let me just say for the record that I am highly un-impressed with Oprah. She does some decent things, but so does most everyone else. The only difference is the amount of the charity check.

She really missed it on this one though. God never asks us to "become more of yourself." He says we'd be lucky if we could lose ourselves. We'd be lucky if we were more interested in our neighbors, in the names of the trees between our house and our church, and in affecting social justice in whatever ways we could instead of being stuck on ourselves.

God tells us we're eternally winners and we don't need to prove it. Jesus tells us to not worry about ourselves and about what we want to get, but to be more focused on others. Paul tells us to consider everyone else more than we consider our own comfort, to see them as better than we see ourselves, and to give from the perspective of having gained the world instead of "what we still want to buy."

All God, the creator of the universe, wants from us is to be His.

Today's Irony

What is wrong with humans? Doctors only tell us what’s wrong with us, but we continue to go back time and time again. On the other hand, God tells us how much we mean to Him … and we run away. Really now, what's that about?

Props to JTB

Here's a shout-out for the one and only Jackson Bohlender. When my wife picked me up from work this week, she had a special delivery for me—a Dove chocolate bar, dark to be precise—from Jackson.

From one chocolate lover to another, dude, you ROCK! Thanks a lot, you made my week!