9/2 Time to Be Dissatisfied

As a youth minister many people often state, "I bet you will be glad when summer is over." Actually, no, I will not be glad. Even though summer is very busy, it is something I look forward to every year. Some ask about burnout. However I do not think that burnout comes from overwork. Rather it comes from over-functioning. Over-functioning happens when we take on responsibilities that should not be ours as if they were ours. Over-functioning is the ramp up to burnout. So I am dissatisfied because the pace of the summer cannot continue.

Time to post

2008 quickly slips away.
Frustration, disappointment.
people.
Transition - too fast, way too slow
Power plays when no power is needed
Surprise. Joy. Relief.
Rest
Time passes, it is a repeat
78,88,98,08
2008 quickly slips away.

Tag Five

I like comics strips. I like one frame comics. It was a dark day when the Far Side went away. It was even darker when Calvin and Hobbes was no more (except for repeats). I like being able to read something that is short, to the point and clever. I think these same rules apply to the way I write emails. 

So now I exist on Zits, Adam at Home and Bizarro. I daily read repeats of Calvin and Hobbes. If I could only go to the Far Side again

Tag Four

4. I have failed so far in my life at passing on the "Watching of NFL Football". I have tried. I have sat small children in front of the tv to watch with me. I have asked and invited. I have reminded that "today is a football day" (with much excitement in my voice). I have even tried to get people outside the family to take on the tradition to no avail. My latest project is Ana Grace McKinzie. While being 7 months old is a very impressionable age, she has napped through every Sunday afternoon and her mother is working against me as she is in bed before Monday night football. I only have this season to imprint this desire so the window is closing. My last hope may be grandchildren. I can only hope that this tradition is not ended but only skipped a generation.

Tag Three

I know that you have been waiting for the next installment (the three people who have subscribed to this blog). So here is Tag Three:

3. I enjoy watching NFL Football. This is what I grew up doing. I was first a Packer Fan (so I am told, since I have no memory of it). However, my true loyalty is with the Dallas Cowboys. We watched every week when I was growing up. This grew into a love of Monday Night Football. Being the oldest I was allowed to stay up when my brothers and sisters were sent off to bed. My next tag will express my failures in passing on this tradition.

Tag Two

Read Tag One to understand what is going on:

2. I always have a plan. The plan does not have to go the way I want and it can be adapted (I can be flexible), but never doubt there is a plan. My favorite plan is to plan to do nothing on a Saturday. To my wife this looks like no plan, but do not doubt it is a plan. It is also the plan that is most upsetting to change.

Tag one

I have been tagged. If I tag you, you must follow these rules:

Here are the rules. 1)Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves. (2) People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules. (3) At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. (4) Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Here is my spin: I am only posting one item at a time. I will not even commit to one a day but I will commit to 8.

1. When I get a forwarded email, I find much pleasure in debunking the email using snopes.com and sending the entire forwarded list the link.

Today, Kyle Smith you are tagged.

More to come!

The Smell of LTC

As a father I have witnessed many amazing moments. My kids have surprised me with things they have said or done that continue to bring a smile to my face long after the event. The best ones bring a chuckle as well. I also imagine how God must feel when one of His children does something amazing.

It does not take much to amuse me. But I am still chuckling about Noah's latest. A couple of Sundays ago I had Noah (1st grader) at church with his friend who is a 4th grader. We were taking 3 ice chests back to my closet for storage. The closet has tubs, buckets, puppets, awards, lanyards, dollies with rubber tires, among other things. So when the door was opened it had a good industrial smell going. The 4th grader says, WHAT IS THAT SMELL?!! It STINKS! Noah turned to him and said, "That my friend, is the smell of LTC."

I still smile.

May we become the aroma of all things good and be pleasing to our Father.

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

There are not many things that can scare me. But there are still things still can:

Luby's 60th Anniversary Cookbook

It is now on sale at you nearest Luby's or from lubys.com. Run and hide... as fast as you can.

New Ground

To celebrate blogging where I have never blogged before (this is my seventh post of the year - a new record), a short question:

Why does skiing get two i's?

At least it is a tie!

I have been a very infrequent blogger. I started in late 2004 and had 6 posts. For the entire year of 2005 I also had 6 posts. Now this post will make 6 for 2006. With a month left in the year, I may even break the tie. Just do not expect to much. Someday maybe I will even post as much as Justin Scott. Others of you will be easier to catch.

On other fronts, two great things about last week:
1. All my kids were home. Now that more are out than in, it is really good to get them all home for a few days.
2. I got to see the Tarpleys, Smiths, and McKinzies. Team Arequipa continues to draw closer to leaving for Peru. Keep them in your prayers.

Welcome to Rocktober

Since High School I have loved Rocktober. The celebration of Rock for a whole month! The Germans might have their Oktoberfest, but the rockers have Rocktober. Rock is what speaks to me (not rock and roll). The sound, the vibe, the rhythm. The generation behind me is jealous because they have not yet found anything to equal this rock heritage. I know this as I heard Jimmy Kimmel making fun of Rocktober. I know the strategy- make fun of anything you can not equal or surpass.

Rock on!

The Domino Effect

It has been since the end of August since I posted. I am a victim of the Domino Effect. One missed opportunity crashes into another, as each pile on top and soon it does not seem to matter any more. The moment has passed.

I had a post ready to go and then, Comsifter! The dreaded filter at work blocked my ability to upload just the right picture. I was unable to load it that night and when I wanted to post again the next day- Comsifter! Well one day turned into many and now it seemed I had to many things I did not know what to post. So now on this day when others are remembering 9/11, I write about the Domino Effect.

El Señor es siempre bueno

Más o Menos

Life does not allow us to stand still. Things around are always changing. There is evolution and de-evolution. Things get better and things get worse. There is more and there is less. Why is it that we always dream for perfection in this life when we have never seen it achieved?

Here are a few of the things that are more and less from my life right now:

• I insure 4 cars, but 3 of them are in Abilene and only 1 in Tyler
• I have 5 kids, but only 2 are still at home
• I moved 1 truckload (16 ft) of possessions to Abilene, but 1 truck load came back to Tyler
• I have no middle schoolers but I have a 7 year old that takes up all the slack
• For my 46th birthday I had to leave my third child at ACU

Sarah, you have brought me such joy, I just had to share you smiling face with others!

Otra Vez

Here I go...again. Now that the summer is coming to an end, I am going to try this blogging thing again. I really do not want to set the record for the oldest blog with the fewest posts. I know that in order for people to read, you have to write. Therefore in the image of grace, I start again!

ZEW

One of my favorite weekends of the year is the one before Thanksgiving. For the last 13 years it has been spent with middle schoolers. I is amazing to watch the LORD work on young hearts. ZEW stands for zealous everyday warriors. If they can learn to live everyday in, for and with God, then they can have a taste of the life that he wants for all of us. This year we repeated my favorite theme: SYLO (serve Yahweh love others, or sing your lungs out, etc.) I really like multiple variants on a theme! May God give us all the energy of middle schoolers

From Green to Greed

Here are some thought from a sermon I preached on Sunday 09-18-05 from John 2. the ideas fit the the metatheme of this website:

13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"

We all understand making a profit. You cannot work all the time for free. You must provide for your family. But our interest goes beyond provision.

Noah (my six-year-old) learned early on the difference between brown money and silver money. Brown money will not work in vending machines, and after all life is about getting what I want when I want from a vending machine. It was not too long before he discovered green money. And like all of us he started longing for it. In a phone conversation he had with his grandfather this week he stated, “Pawpaw, It been a longtime since I had some green money”. All of you who are grandparents know the proper response. When my dad got here Friday, he got his green money.

The problem is not the green money. The problem is the change from green to greed is only one letter. I think that illustrates our quickness to use the need for green to excuse our greed for the green. We have all experienced greed: gas prices during a disaster or a coke at a ballgame. Somebody is making a huge profit just because they can get away with.

That’s the thinking that led to the temple courts. The Jewish leaders had the man coming to offer his sacrifice in a bad way. If you brought your own sacrifice they had official inspectors. It seemed they could find something wrong with just about everyone's. And when you animal failed they had just the right answer, an officially approved lamb at an unbelievable price. Before long you just showed up and paid the price. Greed covered by religious correctness was too much for Jesus. He acted. He upset the norm. He scattered the tools of the greedy.

His disciples understood. 17His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."

The Jews asked for a sign. 18Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?" The problem was the sign had already happened and they missed it!!

Do not miss the sign. We have all gone of course because we missed some small sign we did not see. However, this sign is clear. Jesus at the beginning of his ministry sets the pattern. God dwelling among us changes things. The time to act is now. When we see injustice, when we see people taken advantage of, when we have opportunity to make a difference, we must act. In order to be ready for these times we must have the right attitude. An attitude of dissatisfaction with the way things are.We must be dissatisfied with injustice, people pushed down, oppressed. Who else can show the love of God to people who are most open to hearing it?

It is already September 13!

So much for posting every other day. Life is so packed sometimes. Well at least I posted before half the month was gone.

It is amazing to watch people have generous hearts. The Shiloh Church in the last week has given over $10,000 for Katrina refugees, $4000 for building a habitat house as well as keeping their regular commitments. And the time given. There are people doing helpful things everyday.

I miss the summer. I miss the focused energy of trips and camps. I miss wearing shorts to work. I miss daily worship with a group. I miss seeing God transform people daily.

But the transition to the school year is good. FISH, BL!P, Sunday nights, Devo, and coming soon, Quiz, and retreats. God will continue to transform just using different means.

May God use the people around you to continue to mold you in His likeness.

Labor Day

I really enjoyed Labor day. Because of my job, there are many holidays that I am working or do not get off. So it was a good day spent the day with family and friends. God blesses in our work as well as in our rest. May you find the rest you need.