The Good Stranger (Neighbor)

I like most of Jesus' teachings and stories ("parables" for you sticklers).
I like the story of the lost sheep and prodigal son. Story of people with logs in their eyes trying to get saw dust out of someone else's. I like the lessons learned in hugging lepers and rubbing mud spit in someone's eye to heal it. Jesus was a great visual and experiential teacher.
BUT
There are a few I have trouble with, such as the parable of the Good Neighbor (Luke 10).
The story goes like this. . . kinda.

An American soldier was walking through the rough part of town, on the wrong side of the tracks, which ever side that is. He got beat up, mugged, and left for dead between two dumpsters.
A public elected official walking by, saw the man laying there and quickly moved on, leaving him because he had an important meeting to attend. He said he would call someone when he got back to the office.
A short time later a Pastor and Elder, on their way from lunch, passed by the man, and quickly hurried on thinking the miscreants might still be around and didn't want to end up in the same shape. They decided the best thing to do is pray for him at tomorrow nights prayer meeting.
Finally, a young Muslim man came by, saw the man between the dumpsters and stopped. He slid the soldier out, took off his t-shirt and quickly made a bandage on his head and other places that needed attention. He then picked the soldier up onto his shoulder and carried him 4 blocks to the Emergency room.
At the hospital, the hurt man didn't have a wallet or ID, so the Muslim man put his credit card on file to cover the medical needs of the hurt soldiers. He then came back the next day to check on his recovery, and each day after that until the man went home.  

Then Jesus asks, "Which of those people showed love to the hurt man?" 

You know the answer, right? The third one.one that stopped to help. The one who got his hands dirty, interrupted his day.

So I have to ask myself. Do I walk by hurting people? I know first aid, CPR, emergency preparedness. But, I don't encounter many mugged people.

Or could those be spiritually hurting people?
Could they be spiritually beat up and left for dead?
Could they be eternally dead and I just walk by choosing to only pray for them or get on to something else?

I think the same thing about another teaching of Jesus. (Matthew 25:31-46)
He told them:

• I was hungry and you didn't feed me. 
• I was thirsty and you didn't give me water. 
• I was a stranger and you didn't welcome me.
• I was naked and you didn't cloth me.
• I was in prison and you didn't visit me. 

Is this a list of physical activities the church is suppose to do? In other words, if you do these things, then Jesus will invite you into his kingdom and there will be celebration. Or if we don't do them we will we be thrown into darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth. I don't think it is that, because we are saved by grace through the resurrection of Jesus, not works.

Could this be a  list of spiritual concern?

• I was spiritual malnourished and you didn't give the Words of Life.
• I was thirsty for righteousness and you didn't give the Living Water.
• I was a stranger to them and you didn't introduce us.
• I was naked and in shame, you didn't tell about the robes of righteousness.
• I was imprisoned by sin and waiting death, and you didn't release me with the free gift of salvation.

A regular neighbor would do the first list pretty easily; water, food, cloths, etc.

A spiritual neighbor would do the second. To see the spiritual beating people take, the darkness they live in. To understand the shame and fear, the nakedness of the soul. 

These beaten and spiritually mugged neighbors all around us need a Good Neighbor to show the love of Jesus. The Life of Jesus. The Grace of Jesus. The take-the-time-and-don't-give-up-on-me-of Jesus. 

This is my on-going struggle with the church being in the world but not of the world. How do we live these teachings out if we isolate ourselves from the hurting world? We have to have time away from it, of course. We have to have time and opportunity to dig into the world, get spiritually trained and built up. To get our skills sharpened apart from the distractions of everyday life. (read into that be together as the church, for edification, education, correcting, rebuking, worshiping Jesus.)

This is my struggle with Boy Scouts. Do I stay because kids and leaders are spiritually beat up and left for dead? Do we stay and try to feed little bites of the Words of Life? Give a taste of the Living water in their canteen? Help them see there is a uniform of righteousness and armor of faith? That wilderness surviving isn't near as important as spiritual thriving?

By leaving BSA, am I just walking by and onto something else easier? Am I just praying for them, but still leaving them to their own devices?

How do I be a Good Neighbor?

We teach boys to burn flags. . . properly.

I love the opportunity to teach and train boys to be men.
Boy Scouts of America gives me a great place to do just that.

In our little country of the USA, there are many conflicting voices; loud, shrill, quiet, calm, violent, or fearful. Undignified and some refined. All have their opinion about things like mayonnaise or mustard, pastels or earth tones, paper or plastic, stand or kneel, burn or dance, tear down or leave it be. I must make two confessions; I believe that not all opinions are equal and not all questions are valid. I hold strongly to the belief that there really are stupid questions in life, and your opinion, if it is trying to be forced on other people, better have something to back it up.

Any person in America has the right to believe or think anything. They even have the right to express themselves, and get together with other like-minded idiotic people of the same OR DIFFERENT mindset to talk about it. Isn't that what the 1st Amendment of the Constitution protects?

I do not want the government or anyone else telling me what I can or cannot teach as a Pastor within God's church and with God's people. That is the duty of  The Holy Scriptures and The Holy Spirit. Because I want to be protected, I will defend the right of a Muslim, Spiritualist, Wiccan, whoever, to worship in their own way. Even if I do not agree with them. I won't help them, but I will protect their right to do so. This is Freedom of Religion, protected under that same 1st Amendment of the Constitution.

So back to teaching boys. The 1st Amendment of the Constitution of the United States is really well seen and taught within the scouting movement. (We practice and teach the 2nd Amendment as well, but that is for another day.) We teach boys to fulfill their duty to God and their country, these two come up a lot together. We teach respect for other faiths. Within our own unit we have Christian, Muslim, Morman, Catholic, and None or the above. We also have a natural born Jordanian, English, and some kid from up the head of a hollow (pronounced "holler").

You know what the ironic thing is, these kids don't realize it. They don't know they are a hodge- podge of abnormality.

In teaching respect for the flag of the United States of America we cover the history, the care, storage, and presentation. We teach about wearing, using it for different purposes and flying the flag upside down (this is a sign of distress). We teach that people in America are free to burn the flag.

One of the boy will always ask the question, "Is it illegal to burn the flag?" we take the same 1st Amendment approach. A person has a constitutionally protected right to burn the flag out of anger, disagreement, protest, or just don't like the color blue. They have the right to jump up and down on it while screaming about their restricted rights. The very flag they hate, is a symbol of their protected right to do so.

Flag retirement done with a BSA Troop

As a side note, we also teach this; If someone is not an American citizen, they don't have to nor should they be expected to Pledge Allegiance to the Flag. It's good to stand out of respect for flag that is protecting you, but you don't have to pledge allegiance. I wouldn't say the Canadian Pledge if I was there for something, but I would stand out of respect for that sovereign nation whose protection I am under at the time. Most all of this teaching time happens in the individual units, packs and dens.

Now back to our real goal of the teaching time. How to properly "burn", let's not use that word, "RETIRE" a flag from service. In this case, at a District event with several Boy Scout and Cub scout units from 3-4 counties.

There is a lot of confusion over how, when, where, and all the details about retiring a flag from service. There are ceremonies written and shared. There are different ways to prepare the flags; quarter them, separate the colors and the field of stars, keep it whole but folded in a square. However it is accomplished it is to be done with dignity. Respect is key to properly retiring a flag from service.

Boy Scouts standing vigil, protecting the fire and flags. Sept 2017

At our district event we had a large amount of flags. The red stripes alone filled 3 garbage bags, as did the White stripes. The blue starry fields filled two bags worth. Something strange happens during this type of ceremony. As a brief history is given of the flag and description of how they were being retired the entire camp is silent.

The Boy Scouts started with the White stripes and then formed a circle around the fire so as to protect it and those participating. The cub scouts followed their lead.

Then we went through the Red stripes with leaders and adults. The cub scouts, these boys who were 10 minutes earlier yelling and laughing, and jostling each other around watched each adult submitted their portion to the flames. This is not a quickly done ceremony. It takes a while for this to happen. I know strange, right.

The blue starry fields are held to last. These were for our military, First Responders, and children of military personnel. The entire group of over 250 people stood. As the first of the blue went into the fire the camp saluted. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited for these flags one last time as they waved in the air as flames. Once the pledge was finished everyone remained standing. They were not asked to stand. They were not told to stand. They were not expected to stand. Everyone stood in silence as Old Glory shown one last time.

The Blue Starry Fields being retired by current and former military personnel. Sept 2017

Everyone left in silence after the last piece was added. The older boys scouts remained and kept vigil over the fire as it died to embers and then dust. The next morning the grommets were collected from the ashes and buried in the woods so no part of the flag could be desecrated or disgraced in any way.

The Flag is a symbol of the protected right to stand or kneel in its presence.
The Flag is a symbol of the protected right to be silent or scream at it.
The Flag is a symbol of the protected right to respect or disgrace it.

The Flag also means I have a responsibility to teach the next generation. To teach the rights and liberties we Americans hold so dearly. To protect people of other faiths and nationality. To allow others to express their beliefs, protests, or ask stupid questions. To also teach the right to make an informed decision while at the same time showing respect to everyone. It doesn't mean we have to help them or encourage them, but respect their right to do so.

All of this happens by teaching boys to burn, sorry, RETIRE, the flag.

Hebrews 11:1

I'm a Christian Pastor in the Boy Scouts of America

This has been a tough trail to walk down. 
Actually it has been a tough decision as to which trail to walk down. 


I grew up in the Boy Scouts. I had an uncle that was a scout, but that is the only family heritage for me. I started as a Wolf and went until I was 18 and my wife said it was time to stop. (Yes, you read that right. Not all scouts are perfect.) I EARNED my Eagle Scout Award. I was a member of the Order of the Arrow. I was a Jr Asst Scout Master. I hiked hundreds of miles. I camped in countless rain and snow storms. I had great scout leaders who taught us how to be men, not just how to earn badges. In fact, for Troop 173, it was never really about the badges and awards. I had leaders that wanted to shape us and turn us into honorable, productive citizens.  


I will never be able to thank my parents, (who were also leaders),Vic, Tommy, Rich, Fred, Kathy, and Anne and and all of the other men and women who gave me responsibility, let me fell, and helped me succeed. They celebrated with me and corrected me. Not to mention the older boys in the troop that taught me the power of peer knowledge. Victor, Jack, Jamie and Mark taught me just as much as the adults did, (and a few things they probably shouldn't had.)

In fact I have done ministry, scouts, church, missions and camps with that same model of expectation. Teach, Show, Let them Do, refresh, let them do again. You have to try. I will be close by, but TRY!

When my boys got old enough scouts was a natural plan for us. I just wanted to drop my son off and let them learn and experience the way I did. I didn't really know how to be a leader in scouts. It seemed so different from what I did. It seemed so "educational". They finally talked me into being a leader of the WeBeLoS, that was 2010. 

I realized a few things really quick. Boys don't have dads much anymore. Boys don't have a moral standard they follow. The words of the Scout Law and Oath are foreign to them. They don't have a grasp on HONOR, INTEGRITY, and REVERENCE. RESPECT, OBEY, SERVE are not in the vocabulary today. Boys don't know how to use hammers and screwdrivers. They don't know how to read a tape measure. They don't know how to do dishes, fold cloths or throw their own stuff in a bag. 

As I looked at this rabble group of boys the words of God to Jonah came to my mind. 

And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left - Jonah 4:11

They really didn't know their left from their right hand, so I became a scout leader. This was my mission field outside the church. I taught the boys respect to parents because the Bible says to Honor your Father and Mother. And that is how I taught them. I taught them to respect our Flag and the President (even though we don't agree with him); scripture says to respect those in authority over us because God placed them there. I taught them to take responsibility for your actions because the Bible says we are all responsible for what we do and accountable for our actions (Romans 3:18-20). And that is how I would teach it. 

A leader can do all of this in a teaching manner. One time a boy wasn't listening to his mom. She seemed tired and worn out, as if she had fought this battle before. LOTS. I very quietly asked him over in front of mom. Reminded him that he wears a uniform that says to the world he wants to be a man. Part of being a man is respecting and honoring our parents. I told him God puts a strong emphasis on boys learning to respect their mother and do as she asked. I reiterated that mom says it's time to leave and he needs to be a scout, gather his things and go with her. When he ran off to get his stuff Mom was crying. She thanked me, gave me a hug and said nobody has ever done that for her. 

"The sport in scouting is to find the good in every boy and develop it." - Sir Baden-Powell

That was the moment that sealed my desire to be a leader. That was the moment that said to me, these boys need Godly men in their lives. I will be the first to tell you that I am a messed up man. I can agree with Paul when he says the stuff I want to do I do not do and what I don't want to do that is what I do. I struggle with many sins and temptations daily, so I DO NOT think of myself as having it together or better than anyone else. (If I ever did start to think that, I will just ask my wife and kids and they will quickly humble me.) I am unapologetic in my use of scripture and prayer, and i do not ask permission.

I fully dove into Boy Scout leadership AFTER the 2013 policy release to not exclude "gay" scouts from the program. I agree with that decision. Just like I would not ask a "gay" kid to leave my church. Just like I would not dismiss a friend for telling me he struggles with alcohol or lying. It is my job as a fellow sinner who has found the right path, to help other people along it. My involvement as a leader was a purposeful calculated decision. Somewhere along the scouting line things got out of hand; I am now serving on a district level in a position (or three) I never knew existed. 

At that same time a group of Christian leaders began a new scouting program called Trail Life USA. I like their stuff. I like their purpose and mission statement. I like their handbook and it's focus on scripture and God. I like the green uniform (which I still have hopes BSA will bring back). I like the emphasis on character and outdoors over merit badges and awards. I like their ranks as a title of maturity and growth as men. I like it. I have a lot of their resources. I do not think less or down on anyone who left scouting to begin this fine organization. In fact I applaud your courage. 

But I have chosen BSA as a mission field. 

This week, however has challenged my decisions. BSA revised their adult leader policy to allow openly (I hear unrepentant) homosexual leaders in the scouts.

 Official BSA announcement as it amends Adult Leadership Policy

This goes against several moral, biblical beliefs. A Christian is to be above reproach. A Christian Leader is to be free from sexual immorality. A Christian is to be repentant of those activities the Bible calls sin. Do I have sin in my life? Yes. Do I have sexual sin in my life? Yes. Do I have emotional sin in my life? Yes. Am I repentant? If I were a catholic priest or monk I would have scars all over my back from self-flagellation. (that would be a YES) At the same time I can not applaud, support, nor encourage the sin of homosexuality.    

As of right now, I do not know of any homosexual, etc, leaders in the scouts. As of right now there is an openness and freedom to still be a Christian leader. I'm sure the time will quickly come when I have to make a decision; will I reach out the Left Hand of Brotherhood and Unity or hold back. Will I unapologetically hold out the words of life to everyone, like Jesus did, or will I step away. Will I treat another scout leader as a fellow sinner who is need of repentance and hospitality or will I leave them to their own demise? 

I hope I can live up to Paul's encouraging words in Philippians 2 "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life.

I hope I can remember I am there for the boys. To teach them and train them in the way they should go, using fun, skills, and games to encourage them into manhood as productive honorable citizens of a country who desperately needs them. I pray I can confidently and gently guide them into the path God has for them. I beg God to help me be the genuine example of God's grace for them to learn what a real Dad and Husband looks like. That I can live up to Sir Baden-Powell's words:

“There is no teaching 

to compare 

with example.”

I am a leader in the Boy Scouts of America. I may not be proud of how the National leadership has flip-flopped and seems to be controlled by financial influences. I am not crazy about the rules and standards in place within the scouting programming and planning. I don't like the emphasis on merit badges. I'm not there for those people. I'm there for the boys. And they need Christian/ Godly men to come along side them and SHOW them the right trail.

By God's Grace, 

I will do my best

to do my duty to GOD and my country,

 and to obey the Scout Law. 

To help other people at all times.

To keep myself physically strong, 

mentally awake, and morally straight.

More than a Backpacking weekend

So, I have to admit, right off the bat, this is a little weird for me.

I'm going to give you the background and history of what I am linking to.

We look good after hiking 10 miles.

Elijah and I have wanted to go backpacking for a long time. Katie has been wanting me to have "THE TALK" (dun, dun, duuuuun) with Elijah for a long time. So she picked up the Passport 2 Purity weekend kit produced by Family Life Today. It is Dennis Rainey's ministry similar to Focus on the Family.

I decided the hike and the P2P program would go good together. We would get away for a weekend, get to go back packing, get in the woods, just be the two of us. The hike was humid, the mountains steep, the views incredible, the food awful, the blisters hot, the water fresh and cold, the sleep was hard. All of the good stuff that goes into a great hiking trip. I loved it. Even the 5 mile detour we took on the second day. I loved every step of it.

Elijah, well, he might of thought it was tough. I haven't challenged myself this way in a long time, physically or relationally. I pushed myself and came out on the other end of the trail with jello legs and felt incredible.

But let me back up.

Eating breakfast and listening to P2P

We were doing the Passport 2 Purity program. It is a really good product. It is funny at times when it needed to be. It also gets series. It went into a good amount of depth and left a lot of unnecessary stuff out. From a Christian father's point of view, I was relieved and thankful for how it was made. Before we went, I sent a message to Family Life Today and asked them to pray for us as we were doing their program that weekend. They assured me people would be praying the entire time we were out and to let them know how it went.

A few days afterwards I did. I thanked them for their prayers and for providing a good quality, memorable weekend for us. They asked me a couple of questions, which I answered and that was it. Well, until a lady contacted us named Mary. She said they shared our story with their staff and everyone wanted to know more about it, because as far as they knew nobody else had done it this way. So a few questions turned into an embarrassing interview and that interview turned into an interview with Elijah, and all of that turned into an article written about our backpacking weekend. Which is right here.

"More Than A Backpacking Weekend" on Family Life Today "The Family Room" ezine

Now it says it's written by me, but it was written by Mary based on our interview. (I wrote what you are reading now, she wrote that, there is a big difference in the quality and refinement.) It also includes a blurb about how the program is structured. Which I am totally fine with.

What Eastern Kentucky Looks like from Pine Mountain on a beautiful June day. 

Now to the dads and moms out there.

If you are unsure about how to have "THE TALK" (dun, dun, duuuuun) this is the way to do it. It is a really relaxing and safe way to have the talk (dun dun duuuuun). It gives a guideline of how to relate your thoughts and experiences within it. It has suggestions (which I kinda changed to match us and hiking). It has a whole parent pre-weekend guide and cd/mp3s to listen to. It has books so you can stay on topic. It has music and stories, and interviews, and all the stuff that makes a good quality resource. It has separate guy/ girl sessions. AND it isn't full of any "Christian Cheese", over spiritualization, disgusting pictures, or other things that have made tools like this terrible. Don't try to be a tight wad and just get the student journal. Buy the whole P2P Getaway Kit. It's worth it. You will be glad you did. You will have more fun and they will remember it better.

If you have questions, contact me. I would love to encourage you in this little adventure, however you choose to do it.

Until then, try to stay on the right trail. Climbing back up is a whole lot of unnecessary work.

Still trying to be worked into something useful,
Mitch

Possible Ramifications of the Supreme Court Decision on Homosexual Marriage

I've been thinking about the new homosexual marriage law handed down by the supreme court for a long time (knowing how our supreme court would rule). This is an especially close matter of concern, due to being a minister of the gospel and having the "privilege" to conduct the ceremony that unites a man and woman in the covenant of matrimony. 

I try to think down the natural progression of decisions, especially since I have made so many bad ones, and a lot of consequences came to mind. Some will begin now, others will be years down the road, but will point to this decision as the turning point.

1. Homosexual/ lesbian sexuality will now become mandatory discussions in sexual education in school. Sodomy and oral sex will be discussed in greater detail as "healthy and normal". 
2. Homosexual activities and interactions will be greatly increased in tv shows and movies with a younger rating attached.
3. Homosexual couples will gradually be more open in public.
4. Lawsuits against churches and religious organizations will sky rocket for "equal treatment".
5. The Church will further split between denominations and a greater divide will open, leading to less fellowship and cooperation between "progressive" and "conservative" interpretations.
6. Churches will spend lots of money protecting themselves and therefore have less to do ministry and less to help for others.
6b. Churches will loose their tax exempt status because they are willfully disobeying the law, therefore have less money to do ministry and help.
6c. People will be told they cannot be helped due to the tax and extra legal insurance, thus society will become less favorable toward the churches "responsibility to help the poor".
7. The Church will experience a "weeding" of people which may result in less attendance and activity.
7b. The Church will grow stronger in unity and devotion to God's word, a revival will occur. 
8. Fewer ministers will perform legal marriage ceremonies where they sign a state legal document/certificate of marriage.
9. Those who hold to the Word of God as authoritative will (are) called hate-filled, hypocritical, unloving, and will be heavily ostracized by the vocal of society.
10. The Church will continue and the Word of God will stand forever.

Through all of this, our number one concern as the church is to point people vertically to Jesus Christ. To hold out the Gospel as the Words of Life. To call people to repentance. Make sure we have our crap together so we are not a hinderance to the Gospel of Jesus. 

"Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life..." Philippians 2:14-15

Until His return, may you be bold and courageous in the love and grace of Jesus Christ. 

So you think God is calling you to Youth Ministry?

My first piece of advice is to go back to God and double check. Make sure He has thought this through. HahaHa!!! No really.

Youth ministry is one of the most rewarding ministries and the most heart-breaking. It is not for the faint of heart or weak stomached. I think you know this, but it is not just fun and games. It is life and death. You are answering a very serious calling and will require you to really think about what you believe and if it matches with scripture.

Students are leaving the church in droves because of reasons of "it's boring" to "not relevant or practical". (https://answersingenesis.org/christianity/church/already-gone/) So to be a youth minister you be aware of this simple, discouraging occurrence. Church leadership may look to you to be the single solution to this phenomenon. Parents may claim it is your lack of attention to their child as the reason for their kid not wanting to attend. Pastors will tell you it is activities and fun outing that keep students involved. Others will say your group is too "clickish", and to fix it. All of these may be true in some simple form, but are by no means absolutes.

Kids do NOT need a Jesus Channel entertainer. They do need to know the Church, The Bible, you, the Pastor, Jesus are really all that you say they are, and will be there no matter what. You will pour your life into kids and they will just walk away one day. Then other kids you would not have thought will turn around and be wanting to be youth ministers themselves.

Another warning is the Bible says we should not be quick to want to be teachers because we will be judged tougher (James 3). I know you know that, but you have to remember, this warning is for you now as well, not just the preacher.

I still have a lot to learn about youth ministry. Here are 10 really big ideas, that I have learned, that I believe make a big difference. 

BTW. I am very proud of you for allowing God to sanctify you this way and following his leading.

1st. Your job is to point people, kids, families to Jesus. That is your number one priority. Ministry has to be vertical. Kids need to look up to see where their help comes from. I really believe the central theme of all of scripture is "giving Glory to God". That is done through Jesus and Jesus alone. ITS ALL ABOUT JESUS. I wish someone would have reinforced this 15 years ago. I know and knew that, but it wasn't always number 1 on my list. It's easy to get caught up activities, surviving, being there, that we forget that at times. If you try to do other things beside teach Christ, you will burn out and run out. Also Kids will not get what they really need; Christ in them to will and to act according to His purpose, for His Glory.

2. Support their parents. Encourage them to follow their parents. Repeat what their parents say. Be very careful in saying a parent is wrong or that you think it should be different. Your age and experience doesn't allow for it. Even with a daughter out of high school, I don't talk against parents or undermine them.This is tough when you see a dad blatantly against the church or a mom putting a daughter down. You have to keep in mind we have to Honor our father and mother. It is the first command with a promise.

3. This goes along with 2. See yourself as a "Family minister" not just youth. Your kids have to live in the home and the best change comes when the environment changes and has support. Also Jesus said he is the dad of this family we call church, so family is the core of the church. You are working to support the core. You can not teach youth and kids apart from their family life. Support it and think about the whole family as you teach, plan activities, costs, theology, etc.

4. Love your youth and kids as Jesus loves you. As messed up and stinky as the boys are, love them. As spiteful as the girls are, love them. Tell them you love them. Give them hugs and tell them you are proud of them for small things. In short, always be encouraging. Search for that little glimmer of something amazing and valuable in your kids, and really bring that out for everyone to see. Then God can show off and he gets the glory.

5. Make the gospel fun. You can have Jesus as the focus and center and it be a blast. It should be a sin to bore a kid with the gospel, or adults for that matter. (I can't remember who said that, but it's true.)

6. Keep it simple, but don't dumb down the Bible. Kids have things dumbed down for them all the time and they realize it. Kids need to be challenged by scripture. The apostles said several times, "This is a hard teaching". If we have to think, we will grow.

7. Get your hands dirty. Jesus was an active teacher and a doer. James said if we have faith we need to prove it. Jesus said if you abide in me you will bear fruit. So find simple projects in the community. Collect stuff for a Christmas food give-away. repair wheelchair ramps or help old people plant veggies in the flower beds. Get dirty. Make their faith seen. Jesus got down in the dirt with people. Jesus in John 15:8 people will see our good works and glorify our father in heaven. Having the kids work with a vertical mindset, point people vertical.

8. Find a unique way to involve kids in worship. This can be tough for some churches. But something like a stick/ dowel rod ministry, or puppets to do for younger kids or vbs. Maybe art to music if you have a really creative kid. something more than handing out bulletins or taking up offering. Something that takes practice. Creative. Takes them out of their comfort zone.

9. Get other adults involved as helpers. If you aren't artsy, I bet there is a lady in the church that is, get her to lead that part and you be a part of it. If you don't know construction, get a dad who can teach the youth how to fix porch rails. Find a little old couple to teach the youth how to plant veggies for people and get the stuff together. God gives us the body to meet all the needs of the church, so use it. It will give more support from the church, which will make everyone more receptive to more people and ministry opportunities.

10. . . could be anything. See what God is doing already and jump on. You don't have to come with everything yourself. But as a warning, every good idea is not for you or your group. Think it through, listen to older wiser believers, and pray you are following God's direction.

  

You can meet anywhere you can move chairs out of the way.
You can teach anything as long as the Bible is open and the primary source.
You can play anything as long as nobody looses an arm or face.
You can go just about anywhere and have a good time together.
But have I mentioned Jesus has to be first. If I didn't keep that in mind. I think you have that as your first thought, but it is easy to get distracted from that fact later on. 

You think God is calling you to be a youth minister? 

Congratulations. Enjoy it. 

Have fun with Jesus.

Point youth vertical.

A Cricket in . . .

A Cricket in . . .

At night I read different books to our kids. We try to read classics and books that have a history of inspiring people. We like to read the book and see how they compare to the movie. There has only been one we liked the movie better, but that is for a different day. We have read stories from Chronicles of Narnia, to Pilgrims Progress (updated to contemporary language), to the Guardians of Ga'hoole.

We recently finished a little book that we were all surprised by. I must make a few confessions first.
1. I didn't want to read the book. I thought a story about a cat, mouse, and cricket would be boring and ridiculous.
2. The book got misplaced about a third of the way through. No, I did not hide it, it legitimately got lost in the Abyss we refer to as the "kids' room".
3. I was disappointing when we found it, but the kids were excited.
4. I cried at the end of the book. (No I didn't see that coming.)

This little book is "The Cricket in Time Square" by George Selden and illustrated by Garth Williams. It was published in 1960 and won a Newbery Award in 1961. It is about a cricket, Chester, who inadvertently moved to, you guessed it, Time square subway station. He gets found by a little boy, Mario, whose family own a newspaper stand. He has several adventures of going to china town to get a cricket cage, becoming a famous singer, and learning the big city. He makes two other friends, Tucker mouse and Harry cat. That is all I will say about the story.

 
This is a beautifully well written story of friendship. Unlikely friendships that developed and the love that grow between them. It is a story of selfless encouragement and different beauty around us. There are many valuable lessons from this story. My favorite lesson is that we are made unique. Unique gifts and talents. Unique backgrounds and experiences. Unique qualities that some times have to be learned or purposefully listened for.

If this story is not on your shelf, it should be in your lap. It is so funny and moving. There are not many stories that have touched me like this one has. Why? Well, I think for me, I was a country cricket who had spent time with wonderful people, in different places, but finally had to go home. I loved the people I was with, and the places I lived. They have made a long lasting, eternal even, impact on my life. I believe, I made an impact on other's lives where I was at. But I, like Chester Cricket, had to return home. The draw of the mountains, the smell of the rains, the love of the people all pulled me into this hollow in the mountain to use my gifts and abilities for the glory of God.

As I read about Chester and his friends, my mind flew back over the last several years. The friends that encouraged me. The people who told me they were praying for me. The lessons that I learned. The unlikely heroes I met. The friends I have left in other places. I, like Chester cricket, have a lot to be thankful for, and a lot of people who love me.

May you, like Chester Cricket, sing your song for all to hear, as only you can sing it.

Reasons to celebrate Easter

REASONS TO CELEBRATE EASTER

We already celebrate Jesus raising from the grave the other 51 Sundays in the year.  

What makes this one day so special? 

1. You look amazing in pastel colors.
2. Peeps are readily available to drop in coffee or hot cocoa.
3. Flowers are starting to bloom.
4. Cadbury Creme Eggs.
5. The excitement of full-contact toddler Easter egg hunts.
6. Even though you don't know what it is, "Passion Play" sounds like it could be exciting. 
7. You love wearing bunny suits, but are afraid of what people will say the rest of the year.
8. Anything that starts with "Good Friday" has got to be worth celebrating.
9. The church only advertises breakfast one Sunday a year, so you take advantage of it. 
10. Your parents let you wear hats to church.
11. Sermon is shorter due to extra special songs being sung.
12. The object lessons make sense. (empty egg = empty tomb, new born chick = new life in Christ)
13. It is the single most amazing event in human history.

I know there are dozens of more reasons to celebrate Easter and you can add to this list. (Especially since it's fresh on your mind.)

The Coffee Psalm

I love when I find new ways of expressing ourselves to God. In looking for a way to teach my kids Thanksgiving and worship I came across this psalm.

There could be the thought, that this psalm is making trite (overused and consequently of little import; lacking originality or freshness) the worship of God. In fact this psalm is doing the opposite. It is relating to God in a new way. Expressing to God our inner thoughts based on what we know, have, and enjoy.

So enjoy this little cup of praise.

One Way to Have Good Understandable Notes

Through this discussion I am using the example of preaching. What I have learned though, applies to all kinds of projects, notes, speeches, preaching, or just getting ideas down on paper. So enjoy my process. I didn't, until the end.

I have tried preaching for a number of years. I do not get a lot of opportunities to preach probably because I'm not good at it.
I love studying the Bible and what was going on in history around the events of the Bible.
I love learning how things were done in the times of the Bible accounts of History as opposed to what we think in our western mind.
I love figuring out what God would have me do with what I learn, or apply it to my life. (Which in reality isn't that difficult, God is pretty clear on most things.)
I love figuring out what is cultural, what is a suggestion and what is a "mandate" from God. (This is mostly so I can play Devil's advocate with people who are hard nosed on non-salvation issues.)

I love compiling these things in my mind and thinking over them, meditating for you churchie peoples.

I do not love writing a sermon.

I feel like it is writing a paper for school or work. I feel life it's pre-programming me to stand up in front of people to be different that I really am. I am purposefully acting outside my character and personality.

I went to Bible college and had excellent men teach me the art and science of preaching. I still use those study notes and format to get myself thinking and processing and compiling in an orderly manner. Thank you Dr. Enyart for your homiletical handbook. The writing of the sermon, that is where I fail myself,and I think God.

What have I taken to the pulpit with me, you may ask. I have tried a full manuscript sermon. Everything is written out word for word. I ended up reading it with my head down, even though I knew it inside and out. I have tried an extremely simple outline, but I would get distracted and not know what I was doing and have to take a second to figure it out. That is embarrassing and does not bring glory to God. I have tried a "heavy" outline, that is somewhere between the two. I have done fairly well, but still get confused or lost, and have a hard time doing it.

I used to drive my wife nuts. When I take notes in a class or church, I draw a lot of my notes. I try not to let people see it, so they don't think I'm just doodling. They are not specific notes. I don't put much detail. I use an ink pen and what I have is what I have. The process does not allow for detail. Key words, images, quotes, and scripture are included in the drawing in one form or another. I spend less time thinking about what the preacher said, thus missing what is said next. I do seem to retain more of the picture, important things.

Along came Paul.

Paul is the Associate Minister at Cornerstone. We were both writing sermons one week and discussing our process. We both hated our outlines and preaching notes. He made mention of a guy that draws his sermon notes. I didn't think too much about it at the time, but the idea stuck, and swirled around until I could see the pictures on the page. After all we think in images. It's completely natural. This sent me to the greatest authority I have at my disposal, Google.

I found a whole world of Sketch-takers.(See how I replaced "notes" with "sketch", oh yeah.)

There is a group called the SketchnoteArmy.com/blog .  Their benevolent holy man and prophet is Mike Rodhe (http://rohdesign.com/) who wrote books called the Sketchnote handbook and Sketchnote workbook. These seem fun and you may have seen Mike Rodhe's commercials on TV, though I forget what they are at the moment. Check them out. (You can get me one of those books for Christmas.)

This got me to thinking. If I like to take notes by drawing. If I think in pictures. If I like drawing. If these other people are doing this, then maybe I can too. So I took my sermon notes and started thinking of them as a Big Picture Diagram.

What I came up with is more like a story board. I printed a comic book page layout I thought would work for me. I put really important notes in red. I wrote scripture stuff in green. I think I used orange and a couple other colors for fun.  I really had to think about what was in the Bible, in order to draw it, and then to describe or make it usable. Again, I kept them simple. I'm not that good of an illustrator, so simple is good.

  

    

So here is what I came up with . This is a sermon on the Apostle Andrew. I was terrified to preach with this method. But the words of the great Yoda returned to me, "Do or Do Not. There is NO TRY." So I went with it.

I was surprised. I didn't get lost in my sermon and scratch the top of my head while I figured it out. I made better eye contact. I told the stories better. I didn't have to think about putting words together, because I just had a BIG word or picture to bounce from. I also believe it made me think of the sermon as something alive. Something that has motion and activity and feelings. It made events take place in time and space, because I had to think about where, when, who, how things were happening in order to draw them. I got all of that from a stick figure with his hands raised standing in the water. I don't know if my sermon was any better, but I seemed to present it better.

Why is this important. I have waited 36 years for someone to tell this is ok. So, if you think this way, IT IS OK. Let yourself draw your notes. I'm not talking about doodling and zoning out. I'm talking about staying engaged and interacting when your brain wants to repel off a cliff, so you can bike down the mountain. If this works for your kid, get them a good mole skin blank paged journal and colored Sharpie pens. If you have to preach or present, try it. Nobody is going to know unless you show them. It may just help you get more out of your topic.

Set your active brain into motion on a direction with a Good Understandable Notes.

6-Plus Tips for Praying with an Active Brain

Most people, according to people who study people, pray everyday. Now I don't know who they pray to, or what they are praying. Most people people think prayer helps and God answers prayer sometimes. Prayer in some form or another is done all over the world in most cultures. Christians pray because we believe and know God, Jesus,and the Holy Spirit will work in our lives to change things, give comfort, guide, counsel, listen, and fix. 

Prayer is a difficult thing and a simple thing. It is simple because we can be honest and open and just talk to God. It is difficult because we have these high ideals that we think we have to live up to. Almost a ritualistic structure that has to happen. We kneel down and solemnly pray quietly with serene look on our faces, pouring out worship and intercession to the loving heavenly Father, at 4am. That is a lot of pressure.

Richard Foster writes in his book Prayer that “none of us will keep up a life of prayer unless we are prepared to change. We will either give it up or turn it into a little system that maintains the form of godliness but denies the power of it—which is the same thing as giving it up.”

I don't want us to give up prayer, just because we have a hard time focusing. Here are a few "methods" I have found that help me to pray with an active brain. 

1. Pray Out loud

I knew someone who wouldn't pray out loud, because she didn't want Satan to know what she was praying. She thought he might interfere with the person or activity. I also knew a guy who always prayed out loud because he thought Satan would know a head of time he lost those particular battles and wouldn't bother them.
I pray out loud because it helps me stayed focused on my prayers. If Satan hears he can do what ever he wants, because God is bigger and stronger anyhow. But our brains take on several ways of staying on track. By praying out loud I am using my brain, my mouth, and my ears. The more senses stimulated for the same purpose adds control and retention. The same is true for learning. Other people pray out loud for the same reasons. It keeps us from thinking about other stuff and wandering down fox trails.
So find you a quiet spot where you can talk, scream, laugh, or cry out loud to God and people will not have to wonder as much about your sanity.

2. Write as Much as I can.

I like to write my prayers at times. Usually these are worshipful are thankful prayers. When I'm mad or scared out of my shorts, I'm not able to write those types of prayer. Sometimes I will get an idea to thank God for a specific thing or specific way and that should be written down. If we are true and the prayer is true, it can be read or prayed several times. I think God is OK with this sort of things, after all there are 150 prayers recorded in what is called the book of Psalms in the Bible.

If you are poetic or words are a gift to you, this can be a very rewarding practice. I love reading prayers of other people, but more about that in a minute.

Writing prayers is also way to be able to come back to our prayers. We are not likely to start writing about the stupid person who cut us off or what we might wear if it rains later.

Lots of people have written about journaling and this is a benefit of that. But most of us can't even keep up with a journal much less know what to write in it. Regardless where, prayers are a great thing to write. It also helps us see our growth, and if you can find your prayer book months later you can write in how God has answered your prayers.

3. Climb a tree.

I had a professor in college who taught me more about prayer than anyone else I've learned from. I was a young broken college student with a young family and thought I had to have all my ducks in a  row and the only thing reason I can think to have ducks in a row would be for a ring toss game. So I had a lot to learn. I really thought being at Bible college was a very short step from the monastic lifestyle. I thought everyone just knew how to pray for hours and study the Bible and prayed for a few more hours. I tried everything. I tried praying at night. I'm not a night person so I usually just fell asleep. I tried to pray first thing in the morning, but I couldn't keep up with all the things I had to do for the day. I tried in the middle of the day literally going into the closet. That caused me a lot of issues I'm not going into here.
Anyhow, this professor everyone called "Doc" because he was one of those cool profs who you could do that with. He would walk to class with one arm stuck out to the side at times. He would walk to class singing and talking to himself. He would ride his bike at extremely fast speeds with lots of focus. So I scheduled a time to talk to him. I told him my problem, and he asked me a lot of questions. He asked me what I liked and disliked. Likes- being outside. Dislikes - my face in the carpet for an hour.

He came up with some suggestions I have modified and added to them:

• Go for a walk with your "arm around Jesus shoulder" and just talked to him. (Oh, that's what he was doing with his arm stuck straight out to the side, I thought he was airing his pits.)
• Climb a good strong tree, and at every branch stop and pray about something or someone. By the time you get to the top of the tree, you will be closer to God. (Get it, closer to God the higher you go? The president of the college caught me climbing the Holy Prayer Oak on campus. That was hard to explain and I immediately through the blame on Doc.)
• Go for a hike when needing to talk about direction or which path in life to take.
• Get on you bike, pedaling hard, and praise God for an awesome attribute of his at each power pole, and by the end of your ride you will better understand His power.
• Chop wood, whether you need it or not, repenting of sin and asking God to cut that out of your life. (Or pray like King David that God would chop your enemies.)
• Pray while mowing the grass. No one else can hear you and you can prayerfully Cut your problems away.
• cooking (lord make me better, God's provisions)
• sewing (keep our marriage bond strong)
• sanding (reconciliation with others)
• building something (the church to grow)
• taking a shower (clean from sin, usefulness of each body part to bring glory to God.)

Hopefully you have the idea by now.

4. Read prayers.

I have a book of Jewish prayers. I have books of prayer and meditation by monks. I have prayers that are from the New Testament. The book of Psalms. The book of Lamentations. Prayers are a great thing to read devotionally because it helps us see we are not the only ones feeling or needing a certain way. I usually read the prayer and if it fits today, that's my prayer and my starting point.

5. Start Small.

Don't expect to sit down and have an hour long conversation with God right off the bat. Some people can, but I can't even do this well with someone in front of me. I have do things in simple forms.
Max Lucado is releasing another book titled "Before Amen" and this is the simple "form" he suggests most all prayers take in the scriptures.

"Father,

You are good.

I need help.

They need help.

Thank you.

In Jesus’ name, amen." 

- Max Lucado

It is a good simple pattern for prayer. It's a simplified version of the Lord's prayer and easy to remember. I pray through the Lords prayer, well, most of the way through, at different times. I say my Father in Heaven, Hallowed is your name", and then I praise him for things. "Give me this day my daily bread"here is what I think my needs are. ""deliver me from evil" I repent of this and this and that and those, and you know the list, I've given it to you before. 

I would think as we are getting started or trying to get "better" God is good with dozens of 5 minutes honest prayers as he is to one hour long prayer. (Please take note, this is an opinion I've devised to make myself feel better about short prayers)

6. Remove Distractions

Have I ever mentioned the idea of removing distractions. Turn off electronic devices. Turn off lights. Get a drink of water. Have a notepad/ journal and pencil on hand. Have your devotional/ prayer book on hand. Turn lights back on so you can read it. Make sure no one else is around if you can.

7. Just talk ... and listen

Just talk to God. The point of going to God in prayer is to build our relationship and make us closer with the Father. The Point of prayers is to be in contact with our Dad who has the strength, power, and ability to change things. So letting God know what's on our heart and our mind is good for us. It opens us up to the seeing where God is working and making changes. If you want a churchie word for that, it's miracles. Our honestness and openness allow God to work in us. So just talk to him. And then listen. He talks to us in different ways. Sometimes it's in our "intuition", church members, always the Bible.
It might could feel like you are talking to yourself. So find a picture or form one in your mind of what God might look like as you are talking to him. Is he sitting across the table with a cup of coffee with you? Is on a bench outside beside of you? Is your arm around him? Is he pulling you up a tree?


Prayer is all about change. Whether it is us who need to change or circumstances, we have to believe God can change things. That is the purpose of prayer. These 7 things are not a formula, program or system. These are just ways I have learned to pray and find meaning and purpose in my prayers based on my personality and active brain. So spend some time with God in prayer. He understands how our brains work, even if we don't.



Some research and further reading on prayer can be found here, if you enjoy those types of number games.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/05/01/5-facts-about-prayer/
http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/150915-us-statistics-on-prayer.html

JESUS SUFFERED WHAT?!? REALLY?!?

I studied through most of the book of Hebrews this past summer. I've really enjoyed it and learned a lot about it and I have a new appreciation of Jesus being one hundred percent God and one hundred percent man. I don't get it, but it makes him cooler than any other God, so there.

It is also easy to see that Jesus is BETTER than everything else. Even better than butterscotch, coffee, or nocturnal horizontal fellowship. 

I came to a phrase I had heard, but always brushed it off and limited to the one place we see Jesus suffering, on the Mount of Olives praying before his arrest and crucifixion.

Hebrews 2:18 says "For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."

Ok, not a big deal. Satan tried to tempt Jesus three ways covering the basic three sins all others are built on, right. That's how we limit this and make it out to be a simple matter for Jesus. He didn't really suffer all those times. 

But if you keep reading you come to Hebrews chapter 4. (You get that, it comes after 2 somewhere)

Hebrews 4:15 says. “We do not have a high priest [Jesus] who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who was tempted in every way, just as we are- yet was without sin.”

Jesus was tempted in EVERY WAY? You mean he was tempted to steal? He was tempted to kill someone? He was tempted to engage a woman in a "biblical way"? Hold on a second. That can't be right. If we follow this on out we have to say he was tempted to lie. He was tempted to gluttony. He was tempted to have relations with things no one should have relations with.

And then to say he SUFFERED in Temptation. 

I looked at this over and over and thought this canʼt really mean Jesus actually suffered when he was tempted in all of these ways.

So I read a few commentaries and study notes. They all pointed to the same idea. Jesus suffered when he was tempted. The text is plain. That is what it says. "Jesus suffered when he was tempted." Jesus was "tempted in every way." This means is wasn't just at the crucifixion. All temptations. They didn't explain it any further than that. Probably because the Bible doesn't explain it any further than that.

So I put on my holy imagination generator cap and tried to wrap my brain around this idea.

1.Jesus is fully God.

2.Jesus is fully man. 

3.Being a man means he would feel the same physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual experience  as anyone else would. 

4. Being fully God means he would feel the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual experience of everything to the absolute fullest degree. He would have the unbridled ability to experience anything at its highest pinnacle of exstacy without physical limitations or concern. This would be for both good and bad stuff. 

We have to remember a few things about temptation. Temptations are natural and all around us, they present themselves to us and we decide whether to take the next step. We decide to engage or flee. We choose to examine it further or consider it. Temptations lead to sins only when we engage it. Some things are harder to resist. 

Jesus knew the effect and experience he could have. Jesus knew it would be extreme to say the least. To chose not to experience something that amazing, for me and every other living human, would be a struggle. Jesus passed by it without sinning. If he had experienced those sin things, he would have sinned as well, thus not being perfect, and unable to die for our sin. 

Jesus had this knowledge. He understands it when we struggle with temptation. He might have struggled more than we can. He understands the powerful pull of temptation. 

What are temptations that we deal with today. Go ahead and name them off?

The good news does not end there with the fact Jesus was tempted. The next verse in Hebrews 4 says,

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in out time of need.” 

He does not leave us alone in out temptations. He offers us grace and mercy before the temptation. He helps keep us from suffering in sin, when we let him.

That is a GOOD God. 

Crowing rooster and laying eggs

The Rooster crowed.

We bought 8 chicks from a farm store this spring. This was a well talked about and planned out decision. We wanted fresh chickens and fresh eggs and fresh fertilizer and someone to till the garden. Well, chickens are perfect for all of that. They live in a mobile chicken coop called a tractor. We move them each day. Have plenty of water for them. Give them garden and kitchen scraps (not dinning room table scraps). They are funny to watch and we no longer use the derogatory term "Chicken" to describe fear. Them things are mean.

Well, we bought mixed chicks so it was a gamble as to how many hens we would get. All eight lived and 5 are roosters.

That Rooster crowed again.

So now that one of them is screaming all the time, it is time for Smokey, Colonel, Crispy and BBQ to take a trip to the freezer. We'll keep the smallest rooster, he'll eat less and let him take care of the edges of the yard around the garage and house in his own little rooster RV, we might name him "Frankie".

The kids love these things and it is their responsibility to take care of them.

Our chickens laid their first eggs. You would have thought we won the lottery, the way it was passed around said be careful a dozen times.

The strangest things have happened. Every since that rooster started crowing, our hens started laying, and I get hungrier. Now it might be that they are all the same age and it would have happened anyhow. It could be that the hens needed to hear that raspy Frank Sinatra style crooning to get their little female bodies into action. I don't know.

But it does make me think.

Jesus told one of his disciples, Peter, that he would deny he knew Jesus. All of this is in Luke 22:31-34. He told Peter Satan asked for him specifically. So was this a conversation Jesus and Satan had over Peter, like God and Satan had over Job? What was said there, "You already have Judas, we both know that, you cannot have the rest. . . . You can try, but you can't touch them." Then Jesus, don't forget now, he is God, gives this statement that shows the power of free will for us humans. "I have prayed that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.

Jesus knew Peter would deny him. There were no "if's" in Jesus statement. It was a fact. And we go on to read that Peter did in fact deny he knew Jesus. He even sworn and cursed to prove how emphatically he didn't know him.

Did you catch what else Jesus said. This denial did NOT do away with Peter's faith. Peter still had faith. Peter still believed in Jesus being the Messiah. Peter still believed the teaching of Jesus. Peter still loved and followed Jesus. Peter was still as bull-headed in his approach to evangelism. Peter still continued on with the disciples. Peter still spent time praying with the other believers. Yeah, he messed up. BUT his faith didn't fail. In fact this became the "Twist" in Peter's action story.

Peter realized he blew it when he heard the rooster crow that morning. I used to think of the rooster crowing as sign of a bad thing, but that may not be true. It is true that it signaled Peter of his sin, making him aware and responsive. He left the area. He got away from the place of his sin. He repented. Jesus told him he would. Jesus didn't make him, but he knew it would happen. Jesus restored him as a leader of the disciples. Peter was reminded  that Jesus was was the rock the church was built on, not Peter.

When we hear something that brings our sin to mind we should be like Peter, turn back.  It doesn't mean our faith has failed, it means our faith has won. It doesn't mean we hide from our brothers and sisters , but we can encourage others.

As I ate my first home raised chicken egg sandwich this morning, I thought about some of the struggles I have with sin. I don't always need a rooster to point it out to me. When I do, in faith in God's forgiveness, I repent right then. I hope you will too. Good things come when the rooster crows.

That rooster crowed again. Time to make room in the freezer..

The Squirrels are after me, they think I'm nuts!!

Standing in the shower this morning, and most mornings is a confusing time for me. I know showers are an every day occurrence. Simple, right, turn the water on, throw the towel over the curtain rod. Toss the pjs in the hamper and climb in. Wash the hair, wash the face, wash the body, right. Nothing to it.
This morning however, I asked the question I ask myself a lot in there, "did I wash my hair". I know I picked the bottle up, but what was I thinking about? Oh yeah, I have to remember to take my allergy medicine and take Elijah's scout popcorn order form to work with me. I hope I can find something to do at work today. I think I was going to go somewhere, I'll have to look on my calender. The hot water running down my face feels really great. How's the best way to breath in while the water runs over my face so i don't drown. . . . Did I wash my hair?" I feel my hair and try to think back to what I'm doing and then go, "I need to try to remember to take those Vitamin B and Ginko supplements to help with memory and focus. I probably should do that before I kiss Katie bye, because she'll ask me a question or tell me something and I will forget to do that. . . . "Did I wash my hair." There's no deep thinking about the meaning of life or the direction I'm going. Last week I forgot to even rinse my body.

I either washed my hair three times, one time, or not at all. As I'm sitting here I still don't know. When i turned the shower off, "Where the Heck did I put my towel? Oh I hung my dry towel on the door to dry.? I know I washed my body because I put shampoo on the scrubber thing first and then added the body wash, the whole time my mind is racing through ideas, all connected by a word, idea, or something I saw in the bathroom.

I wish it was just in the bathroom I do this. Driving to work is exhausting. Having to see everything, not wreck, read bumper stickers, (because if someone is willing to stick little informational decals on a $40K vehicle it might be important, nope just an Obama ad) and make it to the place I originally set out to get to is sometimes iffy.

I know what your thinking. Mitch, you need to just pay attention and get yourself organized. I would agree, but I have calenders, and schedules, and notes, and helps, and alarms, and lists, and so much organizing I don't know which one to look at. I try to keep as little clutter and stuff on my desk as humanly possible, because who knows what I would end up doing with a block of post-it notes sitting in front of me begging for some action to their little stuck-up life. I probably should just have one ink pen ever, because choosing the best one to use is sometimes just as big a hassle as deciding if I washed my hair. It's like living life with constant squirrel attacks.

A number of years ago while working in the mental health field the psychiatrist, on several occasions, "encouraged" me to let him write a prescription for Adult ADD. I said, "Doc, your crazy i don't need meds. I just need to get organized." Before that in college, one of my professors, the one who worked in a psychiatric hospital for 20 years, mentioned based on what he has seen from me, I might would benefit from some medication for ADD. I'm not an active person. If my body moved as much as my brain, I would end up killing people from shear motion and turmoil. I was a B and C student through college and high school. I love to study and learn and read. I can become so enthralled with these activities that I can block almost anything in the world out. BUT I have to reread and rewrite and reread, because I can read something several times and then back and read something I thought I missed, and did. A movie, however, I can fall asleep to before the opening credits are over.

Prayer, well, that is almost impossible. Making myself close my eyes and think in a logical and sequential order and carry on a "one sided" conversation lasts about a minute and a half. I can't even focus on a two sided conversation for long, and it has effected my ability to connect with people.

I'm not even going into the anxiety, fear, and feelings of failure and self-mental abuse I put myself through.

Anyhow, I have been trying to control my mind with non medicinal means. I use brain-gym activities and body movements to stay focused in group settings and teaching times. I take detailed notes to try and keep up with the pastor or teacher. I drink lots of water. I keep Altoids Peppermint with me. I have started taking Ginkgo Biloba and Vitamin B supplements. I have cut back my coffee because too much makes me drowsy. I have cut back on Coke and soft drinks, because sometimes my pants are too tight.  

Out of frustration and constantly letting my wife and family down, I have finally made the decision that it is time to go see a doctor about this. I don't know how to go about it though. It seems too weird to make an appointment to talk about this at 36, when I probably should have done something about it a long time ago. Especially when there are so many people abusing prescription drugs in our area. It could possibly have made me a better employee, minister, father and husband. It may be something else in my life. I may just be a simpleton. I may just be lazy or empathetic, but I don't think so.

If you would pray for me in this, however you see fit or Jesus leads. This has been a long difficult decision, and the doctor may still say I don't need it and just need to man up.  

Letting Him shape me. Mitch