I have a friend who can read individual names out of the white pages during a Sunday morning sermon and people end up giving their lives to Christ.  His undying passion is leading crowds to Christ.  I have tried it myself, and it doesn't seem to work as easily for me (or at all).  I have a friend who is gifted and natural at building systems in order to reproduce growth.  I have built a couple of systems in my day at great time and resources, they seem to flourish in a blaze of glory on the chopping block.  I have a friend who has the ability to motivate and persuade people which creates unstoppable momentum.  I have ...<< MORE >>

     Tonight I went to a farewell party for Alan and Jenny Hannaford.  Alan was the senior pastor of Crossroads Christian Church in Boise for 14 years.  Crossroads has gone through difficult and catastrophic changes and about a year ago began being transformed into a Real Life church--no easy task.  Changing a churches vision, purpose and mission some might say would be an impossible task..but with God all things are possible.  Well, we did it and about 4 weeks ago we launched Real Life Boise out of some of the existing leadership. I am the lead pastor of Real Life Boise, so you can see there might be a little bit of awkwardness in my relationship ...<< MORE >>

Okay, so we have this book in our bathroom here at the Real Life Boise offices.  I laughed out loud today while reading the book, not the best time or location considering there were people working in the offiice today.  Anyhow, I wanted to share part of my comedic therapy with you.  The book is called "A Field Guide to Evangelicals and their Habitats".  Kind of a no holds barred look at the church.  Here is what is written about pastors and their beloved sermons.

"The sermon is the high point of the pastor's job and determines the emotional health for the week to come.  He wants to ...<< MORE >>

I am not proud of my past.  I have frequent nightmares when the distraught memories of tearing it up in places like Club Post Nuclear in Laguna Beach, Marilyns in Pasadena, and Club Metro in Riverside haunt my soul.  If I could live my life again...I would probably pull a fight club on all these places.  My hearing is forever imparied by the obnoxiously disturbing beats of a synth and drum machine.  One thing that I loved about the 80's was the dirty (as in sound) British punk bands like Toy Dolls, GBH, UK Subs, Stiff Little Fingers, Subhumans, and Strawberry Switchblade.  Okay, so I had issues.  In the midst ...<< MORE >>

okay, so we went out to lunch today.  It was Jakes birthday.  Jake turned 20.  Jake is our Connections Intern at Real Life Boise.  So we, that is me, Justin (our associate pastor) and big Cam (our chauffeur --because he has an amazing truck) decide to take Jake to Koyoto's.  It's like a Bennihana at your moms house.  Okay, its cool.  
Our chef comes out and starts going crazy with his weapons of food destruction.  It was a good show.  Then he starts talking about the peppermint rhino and how I should go there.  Awkward.  At first I didn't understand...then he hinted what it was.  Well the ...<< MORE >>

     I find myself very defensive at times.  I am not sure what is wrong with me (well, I have a few ideas).   I don't like it when people tell me what they really think, especially when I know they are correct.  I am not sure how and when I became so defensive-- but I am much more self aware then I have ever been. 
     Okay so what is it that I am trying to protect or prove?  Come on, seriously?  Do I really think I have it all together?  Do I really believe that through out all time and history what I ...<< MORE >>

     Lawrence Kushner writes in a few different books his thoughts on Exodus 24:12.  Kushner states when God calls Moses up to the mountain to get the 10 commandments He asks him to "Come up to the mountain and stay here".  Some translations define the words "stay here" as "be there" or "be here".  The question then becomes if God called Moses to the mountain, wouldn't he already be there with him?  Maybe for some of us we spend too much "headspace" in thinking about yesterday or tomorrow and not thinking about the place we are in, in that moment, with the people immediately around us.  So God tells Moses, come up to the mountain...and be there.  Because too many times when we get to the top of the mountain we are already strategizing on how to get down or get over the next mountain.  The curse of trying to define our successes by our accomplishments maybe. 
     When we look at Jesus, he only spent 3 years in "official" ministry capacity.  By todays standards you would think that he would have filled up his schedule meeting with the top leaders of his day, the best of the best, and starting the church on the foundation of social influence and power.  Yet, interestingly enough, we find Jesus eating with Pharisees, sinners, and tax collectors.  Not at all what I would do to start a movement that would take over the world. 
     So I have some thoughts and questions about this..messed up as they may be.  Did Jesus strategize all of this?  I mean, did he set out before time to use these people to accomplish the task at hand? So when He shows up, he had a couple of meetings and voila the "church" is birthed?  Or did he simply live a life that was "fully present"?  Maybe He worked hard at "being present" wherever He was and was trying to show us that to live the best possible life we need to be doing the same.   Maybe His agenda then became about the people around him, working in that particular moment, and dwelling in that particular place?  In other words because he was fully present wherever He was...it changed the world. 
Or maybe it is a mixture of both-- I don't know.  I'm not sure if I am making sense here.
     Regardless I want to live a life that is fully present.  I want to be a person that sees God in the common and ordinary things that most are unaware of.  I don't want to spend my mental resources wishing I was somewhere else or dealing with the issues of yesterday or tomorrow--for today has enough for today.  I want to live with these people, during this moment in time, and at this particular place.  I guess the challenge for us is to "be here".  Does anybody out there want to join me in living life this way? 

        

Madison and I went to the park today.  Settler's Park is within walking distance of our house, so we decided to walk.  The park has great activities for the kids.  This park has climbing rocks.  Yes, serious climbing rocks.  Amazing.  So Maddy gets up on the rock here in the picture and then freaks out thinking she will fall.  I walk over to her and she is about at chest level to me.  From my perspective I have everything taken care of.  She is safe.  She is secure.  If she falls I will catch her.  From her perspective she is going to fall and get hurt.  It is high.  It is unsafe.  She is unsure of her footing.  She begins to cry.  I laugh to myself because there is no way I will let her get hurt, but she is unaware of the security she has right before her.  I reached out my arms for her.  Trembling and unsure she didn't know what to do.  Then I looked at her eyes and told her to keep looking at me.  She smiled and jumped.  
There is no greater place to be than being able to jump.

                                                                                                                

        

yes..i am trying to get back into shape so Michelle purchased a trainer for me.  I own him.  Well, he owns me.  He is a cross between satan himself and a hammerdrill.  Anyhow, I only have six sessions to shape up with him, and I just finished my fifth one.  He has been quite easy on me until now...because I am an old wimp...but yesterday I think I offended him.  I was late to the gym and he didn't appreciate it.  So he thought he would make me pay.  He added another set of reps to my workout along with more weight.  In fact...he promised...that I would be extremely sore today.  The sweat that was released yesterday was proof of his madness.  Well beelzebub-hammerman I can handle what you dish out.  This morning I woke up and to smite you I HAD NO PAIN.  That's until I attempted to walk down the stairs and found myself falling.  You win.