The Beallwood Chronicles-Part 2: Late Night Visitor

A couple of weeks back I had just arrived home around 11:45 in the evening after a long day working for Teen Challenge, and topping it off with an 8-hour shift at the bucks (Starbucks). Exhausted, I stumbled in the front door of our home with to see my beautiful wife and was greeted enthusiastically by my over-rambunctious Siberian Husky named Moose. I grabbed a glass of cold water and sat at our Chili's booth to begin organizing some receipts from a recent business trip, after a few minutes of piling the tiny strips of register paper there was a knock at our front door. I glanced up to see who our visitor was just as Moose sprinted to the front door ferociously greet our late night guest.

In between growls and barks, I asked my sweaty friend the story of how he landed on my front stoop.

He explained to me how his van had broken down and he needed to call a tow truck to move it, but he was out of money. He shared that he was a pastor of a mission on the south side of town. Warily I asked to see credentials of some sort, which he produced. I did not have any cash so I offered to drive him to the gas station and I would grab him some money from the ATM.

The very next day, Candice was working at the neighborhood Starbucks when our Pastor friend showed up again, with the same story. Apparently he didn't recognize Candice until she untangled his web of lies. Realizing he had been caught, he said nothing more and sprinted out of the Starbucks.

I'm out $20 bucks, but the opportunity for Candice to expose our friend in his lies might make it worth it.

The Beallwood Chronicles, Part 1: Borderline at Best

My wife Candice and I live in the Beallwood neighborhood of Columbus, GA. It’s not a bad neighborhood, but it does have its problems. The fact is, since moving into the neighborhood in April, we have experienced several “less than normal” situations each month- this is an attempt to capture and share those stories with the world (or the 2 people that read this):

In the morning on Saturday, August 15^th, I received a phone call at 8:45am from my beautiful wife, who was working at our neighborhood Starbucks, and needed my help. I rolled out of bed, threw on shorts and a shirt, and headed for the car. The warm sun had begun to evaporate the morning dew and the outdoor air swirled around me in a viscous, muggy, cloud. I walked down our freshly mowed lawn and hopped into the truck, already sweltering in the unforgiving Georgia heat. As the engine cranked I watched the neighborhood kids riding their bicycles down to the abandoned church next to my home in a daredevil attempt to awaken whatever lay inside the weathered doors of the dilapidated structure. As I pulled away the man across the street wiped his sweaty brow in a split second break from mowing down the scale-model Darien Jungle he had started growing earlier in the spring. The blazing white haze from the early morning sun drowned away the homes lining the street, until I reached the end and found shelter in the shade of a large poplar tree. At a slow roll, I glanced to the right and noticed a man of formidable size, dressed solely in white tube socks, urinating off of his front stoop. Now, I will be the first to admit, that we have one bathroom in our house and if my wife is occupying it early in the morning or late at night I have walked into the back yard to take care of business, but never mid-morning, never naked, and never on an active neighborhood street. We’ve seen some great things in our short time living in Beallwood, but it will be interesting to see if anything tops our daytime streaker.

20 Books that Changed America

I've been searching for some different books to read lately in a continuous effort to broaden my perspective. I came across this list of the 20 books that changed America that I am going to work through. I've read a couple of them but I'm pumped about reading some of the literature that helped shape our nation. Here is the list:

Common Sense (1776) by Thomas Paine

A Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792) by Mary Wollstonecraft

The Book of Mormon (1830)

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (1845) by

Frederick Douglass

The Communist Manifesto (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Leaves of Grass (1855) by Walt Whitman

The Interpretation of Dreams (1900) by Sigmund Freud

The Clansman (1905) by Thomas Dixon, Jr.

The Jungle (1906) by Upton Sinclair

The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money (1936) by John

Maynard Keynes

The Grapes of Wrath (1939) by John Steinbeck

Invisible Man (1952) by Ralph Ellison

Howl (1956) by Allen Ginsberg

Atlas Shrugged (1957) by Ayn Rand

Silent Spring (1962) by Rachel Carson

The Feminine Mystique (1963) by Betty Friedan

The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965) by Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley

On Death and Dying (1969) by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

All the President’s Men (1974) by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein

Here's to all the Parents

I only have these two boys for a couple of weeks. It’s minimal commitment, but it’s given me just a taste of what it’s like to be responsible for someone else and have them depend on me. This week I’ve had to resist the urge to just maintain, to become complacent. Let me explain.

Watching 2 boys similar in age, it is easy to turn everything into a competition. At times it’s been the only way I can get them to get things done. Whoever gets in the car the fastest with their seat-belts on gets a piece of candy. Whoever finishes their dinner is the winner. Whoever cleans up the best is the winner. Most of the time there doesn’t even need to be a prize, the title of winner is enough to feed the competitive male nature of attempting to be the best.

While making everything into competitions may get things done, it teaches them that if there isn’t something in it for them then it is not worth doing.

It’s only been two weeks and I’m fighting the urge to just get by and get things done rather than develop the boys into young men.

Here’s to keeping up the fight against complacency. 

20 Questions on Steroids

The past couple of weeks my brother-in-laws have been visiting, Angel is 7, Gabe is 5 and we’ve gotten to spend a lot of time together just the 3 of us. Just so you understand our situation, My sister and I grew up 2 years apart and 2500 miles from our nearest extended family, so I’ve spent very little time around children, and here I am, thrust into taking care of a 5 and 7 year old, its been fun. I’ve learned a lot about myself having these two guys around me all of the time. They are tremendous accountability in my words and actions and Gabe likes to repeat things. I’ve also learned that neither of them can keep secrets, like when I ask them not to tell Candice I gave them Taco Bell for lunch or let them have popsicles for breakfast. I’ve always considered myself a pretty easy going and patient person, but every day, about 1pm, when Angel reaches question number 4000, or when Gabe sneezes in my face, I fail the test. We’ve been working on developing good eating habits, (Which Tbell and popsicles may not seem like good eating habits but as long as they finish all of their food, we’re making progress). My harshest punishment was revoking snack time for not finishing breakfast, which was met with fierce opposition and the shedding of tears, but I didn’t cave.

Every once in awhile a series of questions will come along that I get pumped about, thinking “here is my chance to impart my wisdom (no commentary needed here) and help in the shaping of these young lives.” Here is a synopsis of our discourse I’d like to share with you:

It’s Monday afternoon, we’ve just taken lunch to our friend Brent who is laid up with a broken leg. 

Angel: What does Brent do for a job?

Mike: He is a missionary with me at Teen Challenge.

Angel: What’s Teen Challenge?

Mike: It is a ministry that tells people about Jesus.

Gabe: I like Jesus.

Angel: Is God dead?

Mike: No, he is very much alive. He lives inside you and around you.

Angel: I thought he was in heaven.

Mike: He lives there too.

Angel: I thought only dead people can go to heaven.

Mike: ...

Mike: God can be alive and go there too.

Gabe: What does God eat?

Mike: ...

Having these boys has taught me that there are questions I have never thought of and that I’m pretty sure that I’ll make a terrible father, but I’m pretty pumped about trying someday and I have an awesome wife that is much better with kids than I am and going to make an incredible mother someday.

Now I’m going to go build pinewood race cars with the boys.

God, let me always be willing to ask questions, even ridiculous ones.

Fierce

Thanks to my friend, Kevin Davis, Candice and I picked up a version of the New Testament called The Voice, translated by artists, writers, and scholars connected with Chris Seay and the Ecclesia Bible Society, you should check it out. This morning, amidst the sound of my brother-in-laws, (5 and 7 years old) playing Deca Sports on the wii and spilling Apple Jacks on my dinner table from Chili's I read this story where Paul was recognized in Jerusalem by a group of Jews from Asia, there he was challenged as an enemy of Judiasm. A crowd of Jews descended upon him so swiftly and violently that it drew the attention of the Commandant of the Roman Guard in Jerusalem and the guards were forced to break up the crowd and arrest Paul for causing the uprising. 

As he was being dragged away Paul asked the Commandant, to address the Jewish mob. The Commandant agreed, suprised by Paul's ability to speak Greek.  There on the steps of the temple, in Aramaic, Paul shared the story of his life as a Pharasee and a persecutor of The Way and later his conversion with an angry mob of Jews in their own language. The story is exploding with irony and beauty in the incredible ability God has to empower imperfect people to captivate civilzations with the story of Christ's resurrection. Later on in the story God promises Paul that he will share his story in Rome like he has in Jerusalem.

All throughout the Book of Acts and into his letters, Paul seems to rub people the wrong way. Not just a few people. Crowds of people. Entire Cities. His standard greeting is, "I'm in prison again, so I'm sending a letter." Now, I don't desire Paul's unfailing ability to make people hate him, but I do appreciate his tell-it-like-it-is approach to the Gospel because too often I am guilty of tip-toeing around the message, hoping people will find their way to the Truth in the endless trail of bread crumbs I've left them. I'm sure I'm not the only one.  Paul's very presence in a place pushes people closer toward Christ, Rob Bell describes these people as "fierce with reality." God, allow me to be fierce with reality.

Droughts and Monsoons

Due to the public scourging I've recieved from my friend Grant and the challenges by my wife to find some creative outlets as I haven't produced any significant writing or work of art in the better part of 3 months, I thought I would begin posting again. I guess it is all part of the natural ebb and flow of life, droughts and monsoons. Anything on middle ground is rare form for me. However, a 1/4 of a year without any right-brained activity can't be good for anyone, so it's time to be intentional about changing the seasons. In the words of Mark Batterson, it's time to "play offense with my life", again. Here's to monsoons.

Tithe Rap

Funny Tithing video from 12StoneChurch. Enjoy.

Biggie Fries

This one was hilarious. 

Free E-Book

Here is a great compilation e-book of a number of bloggers with experience in church leadership, planting and development. It is a great read from some creative thinkers. Check it out.

Recovery

I wanted to share with you my friend Kevin's story of Recovery. It is a sobering and transparent story of weakness, failure, brokenness, grace, forgiveness and a new beginning. It is an account of a couple's decision to stay together, through the turmoil of sexual addiction. The fact is, simply, that we are all broken and in pursuit of a Holy God. The specifics of our brokenness may not be the same, but it is there, and Kevin's story should be a challenge to all of us to deal with the things hidden in our lives. Learn more about Kevin and Julie's story.

Tomorrow's Church: God the Father? Part 2

I posted some thoughts from the Theology 1 Class I spoke at in Boston this week at Tomorrow's Church. I'd love to hear your thoughts on God the Father? Pt. 2.

Check out Part 1 also.

Beantown

I spent the early part of this week in between Boston and New Hampshire, hanging out with students at Zion Bible College.

I had a great time connecting with some of the students and sharing with them about the things Teen Challenge was doing to meet the needs of people around the world. They were one of the most engaged group of college students I've met with, they were definitely involved in our conversations. There's something exciting about being around young leaders that want to be involved in something larger than themselves.

While at Zion I got to spend some time with 2 other guys from Teen Challenge, Jesse Owens, planted a church in Princeton, NJ and 10 years ago, at age 65, pioneered a new worldwide ministry called Global Renewal that is partnering with Teen Challenge International to train international Teen Challenge graduates. I also got to spend time with Don Wilkerson, who has dedicated the last 50 years of his life to ministering with Teen Challenge and has been foundational in Teen Challenge growing from the one center in Brooklyn to nearly 1,100 ministry centers in 82 nations. It was one of those times, especially as a young missionary, that you feel you don't belong. My 1 year of missions experience was laughable in comparison to their decades, but we had a great time investing in the future together. 

We taught a 2 hour Spiritual Formation class, 2 chapels, a 6 hour seminar class, and another 2 hour Theology 1 class in just a day and a half. On a side note, I got to cross "Teaching a College Class" off of my list of life goals.

Obama-Me

At the Obama-me website they will take an ordinary picture  and "Obama it" to match his campaign posters. Regardless of political affiliation, you all should enjoy this one.

God the Father? on Tomorrow's Church

Just posted some thoughts yesterday at Tomorrow's Church on the submitting to the authority around you and how our relationship with our parents influences how we perceive our relationship with God after reading Donald Miller's book To Own a Dragon.

You can check it out at the Tomorrow's Church blog, join the discussion.