My Writings. My Thoughts.

Primal by Mark Batterson: Book Review

// December 23rd, 2009 // No Comments » // Book Reviews

I’m a big fan of Mark Batterson. Whether in book, blog or sermon form, I have a tremendous respect for what Mark has to say. Mark’s new book, Primal, is a call to refocus and get back to the basics of Christianity, to “love the your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

I need to go back through the book to fully appreciate, but on first read the part that stuck out to me the most was the call to marvel at the beauty and complexity of God’s creation. Batterson says the soul of Christianity is primal wonder and the mind of Christianity is primal curiosity. What a perfect pair. Primal curiosity leads us to explore and learn about the universe we live in, a universe which is so far beyond our comprehension that that we can’t help but be left in wonder and awe.

The reality is that as we get older many of us stop learning and experiencing new things. We get comfortable and cautious. The things that once inspired wonder grow dull. We lose the childlike curiosity and wonder that made life so exciting and we take for granted all the small and enormous miracles that are around us every day. What was the last time you thanked God for breathing, sight, or hearing? I have no idea how this computer in front of me works and as long as it is working I don’t particularly worry about it. But computers, cell phones, TVs, if you didn’t grow up with them, think back to the first time you used one. Think for a second about all the different processes in your body that are occurring right now to allow you to read this. It is overwhelming. I can’t comprehend everything that is going on between my eyes and brain to allow me to read and process this.

So learn something new today. Slow down and appreciate the wonders and miracles around you that you have stopped noticing. Thank God for all the things you take for granted. Delight in God’s creation. Allow your curiosity and wonder to grow your love and appreciation of God. Then wake up tomorrow and do it all over again.

This book is definitely worth reading. It will challenge you and Mark’s own wonder and curiousity are on display on every page.

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Food For My Soul

// November 26th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

09 Baseball Clinic (65)This past week was a huge blessing. I’m not sure exactly how to describe what I was doing. Mission trip? Retreat? Men’s conference? Baseball evangelism? School of encouragement and leadership? All of the above and more is the right answer. Because it was so many different things, I’m sure the Holy Spirit worked very differently in each of us and we all left with different favorite parts.

For me it was amazing to be around a group of Godly men, to observe them, be encouraged by them, talk about life and God with them, shares struggles and triumphs with them, and just joke and be guys with them. It was food for my soul that I have needed for a long time and even more so after 4 months in the Dominican without real fellowship. A lot of it was like being back in the locker room – the jokes, the ribbing the sarcasm. We had a lot of fun, but if you stopped and listened to the conversations, there was little talk about baseball despite the fact we were giving baseball clinics every morning. The conversations centered around God, family, life, struggles, passions and purpose. Help and prayer were requested. Encouragement, advice and prayer were offered. There was little posturing. There was a transparency and openness that isn’t common to groups of men. People got saved. Lives were changed. Friendships started. Bonds were forged.

More than anything this week I learned how essential it is to have Godly men speaking into your life, encouraging you and holding you accountable. Just doing life together. That is something I’ve always known academically, but you wouldn’t know from my actions I held that information to be true. So often in life I’ve tried to be my own best example and fallen flat on my face. So often I’ve walked the road of life all alone and ended up right right back where I started, falling into the same mistakes and temptations. Fellowship and accountability have fallen by the wayside, victims of my pride.

As we all went home Saturday, the temptation was to go back to business as usual, to go back to being proud and afraid. But most of that pride and fear rests on one faulty assumption: that you are the only struggling, that you are the only one that needs help. So each of us needs to “show some leadership” and be the first to admit our faults and ask for help and then watch as others come forward, empowered by your transparency.

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Learning to Love and Be Loved

// November 25th, 2009 // 4 Comments » // Uncategorized

DSC01457_thumb.jpgSometimes we see things we don’t understand. Sometimes the way we have always reacted to something suddenly seems wrong. Sometimes we grow, change and come to know God more, and that is a good thing.

Last week I visited an orphanage for children with disabilities. As I walked in, I asked God to open my heart to the kids there. I think most of our natural reaction (I know mine has always been) in those kinds of situations is to feel blessed. That day something just felt wrong about feeling humbled and blessed and in the back of my mind saying “I’m glad that isn’t me.” Because on some level, that is what we are really saying isn’t it? I’m not saying there is something wrong with being humbled and appreciating all the blessings God has given us, but I think if it stops there, we have a serious problem.

In order to love these kids, I couldn’t make myself feel better than them. I’m not better. I’m just different. Those kids are just how God made them and so are you. He just made us to serve him differently on this Earth, but in the end, for the same purpose, to know him. Something just felt right about loving these kids and wrong about feeling sorry for them.

Do I understand why God made those kids that way? Nope, but there are lots of things I don’t understand. As I talked with God and hung out with the kids, He told me He loved them and if He loved them, I shouldn’t feel sorry for them but love them as He loves them.

In the end, I think God was telling me He loves me. Just the way I am he loves me. With all my faults and failures he loves me. Not because of anything I have done. Not because of any talents or abilities I have. He gave me all of those anyway. He loves me just as He loves those kids because he formed us for his purposes and knew us before we were born.

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Beach

// November 15th, 2009 // 7 Comments » // Uncategorized

One of the exciting developments since I last wrote has been access to a car on the weekends. One of the things access to a car on the weekends means is… beach!

DSC01233 No that isn’t a postcard.

DSC01234 DSC01247 DSC01264 DSC01250

Yes she is very cute and no I’m not going to give you guys the opportunity to see my awful tan lines.

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Howdy

// November 13th, 2009 // 8 Comments » // Uncategorized

No, I don’t have a good excuse for why I haven’t posted in a bazillion years and I wish I had some exciting and insightful things to tell you guys about, but nothing is coming to mind. I’m not sure if I haven’t been feeling inspired or if I’ve just been lazy, but I figured if I put something up it might get me back in the habit. So here I am. I’m alive. How are you?

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