Two parts, both stupid long

Today I'm going to write about some things I love. Tomorrow, some things that concern me.

I love:

- Jesus. I get teary eyed just thinking of Him...I love Him. I am in love with Him. He SAVED me - set my feet upon solid ground, FREED me from sin, gave me breath to breathe, lavishes love and blessings on me each and every day, well beyond what I could earn or even imagine. You should get to know Him. Seriously.
- My family. I know I love them because I think about them all the time, about how they make me laugh more than any other people in the world. I wish I was near them, but I know we'll be together again someday soon. I still say that my three best attributes are: Jesus, my family and my truck
- My student community. Seriously, I love these people. Here are their names (if you think you do NOT belong in this list or feel like I left you off..just let me know): DanielStevenDavidMichaelAveryTylerNickNickAlexJClayPyleJimmyLarsMajorColtonMarshall
JDHudsonCamChristianLukeLukeFrankieChristianBaumSquadShannonHannahAmandaReagan
MorganMarissaLeighKatieAustynEmilyBrookeMorganChrisStephenKelseyKelseyMeganRiggsy
JacksonBrennanCodyTataBenOwenEvinKellySarahCarolineMollyDrewKyleBenDylanCarson
ArringtonMarkChuckConnorBrendan
- Switchfoot
- The Rocket Summer
- Mr. Joe and Miss Martha..
- Starbucks. But not as much as Land of a 1000 Hills
- Randy Singer books (you should join this if you haven't already)
- Rainy days
- Big dogs
- Scripture
- James 1:22, John 3:30, Provers 19:21, 2 Samuel 23:9, John 14:6, Matthew 6:33...
- Crisis Pregnancy Center
- Crossroads Worldwide
- River Cross Church
- International Justice Mission
- Apple computers
- My crew from Sugar Hill..
- Snow skiing
- Wednesday night small group with middle school dudes. They are insane (literally) but I love them whole bunches
- Matt Orth sermons
- John Piper books and blog posts
- Pete Grieg
- The Braves, the Gators, the Yellow Jackets, the Falcons, the Hawks and anyone playing UGA
- Jason Varitek and John Smoltz
- You, probably
- Natural White Cheddar Cheetos
- Pencils
- Butterfinger Blizzards
- Sleeping really late
- Man vs Wild
- Christ followers who are making culture - not copying it, not taking an original work and tweaking it with a Jesus fish, but really making culture
- Young Life
- Watching a middle/high school student go from a faith that was based on little more than what mom and dad told them, move toward a relationship with Jesus that is very much their own
- Man Tour
- Christmas
- Grandma Konkle
- Jim Bag, Hutch, Ace and the Gator
- The Coates'
- First Colonial's swim team
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch
- Staying up late and eating cereal
- Beards
- Friends, too many to count
- Relevant Magazine
- Cold War Kids, Fiction Family, Mat Kearney, Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie
- More to come...

Brain crunch

"When an evil ^[a] spirit comes out of anyone, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation." - Matthew 12:43-45 (NIV)

When a defiling evil spirit is expelled from someone, it drifts along through the desert looking for an oasis, some unsuspecting soul it can bedevil. When it doesn't find anyone, it says, 'I'll go back to my old haunt.' On return it finds the person spotlessly clean, but vacant. It then runs out and rounds up seven other spirits more evil than itself and they all move in, whooping it up. That person ends up far worse off than if he'd never gotten cleaned up in the first place.

"That's what this generation is like: You may think you have cleaned out the junk from your lives and gotten ready for God, but you weren't hospitable to my kingdom message, and now all the devils are moving back in." - Matthew 12:43-45 (The Message)

I realized after reading Isaiah 58 how often I do what Jesus warned against in Matthew 12 - I try and clean up my own act all by myself...I try and make it happen on my own strength, with my own will power, by sheer determination...but what is that? That's ME believing I can do anything worthwhile for MYSELF... (not the same as the fruit of the Spirit self-control). Why do I do that? Do you do that?

I am commited to giving up thinking I can make it happen on my own accord, on my own strength. Jon Foreman wrote another song that fits here - "Lord, save me from myself". Much love

Wayne

James 1:22

Warming back up

After a 3 week hiatus, I'm back in action: 3 posts by Sunday is the goal. Yea, I know, I'm pretty excited too.

As soon as you possibly can, go read Isaiah 58 (you can click here for the NIV version via biblegateway.com). It is incredible and convicting and awesome and I'm glad that God calls me out as a hypocrite - boy 'o boy do I need that. If you're feeling extra adventurous, read it in the NLT version.

Thoughts?

Not sure if you're fan of Jon Foreman, but you should be. He wrote 4 EP's last year coinciding with the seasons and they are incredible (you can check him out here); a song of his, "Instead of a Show" is based on Isaiah 58 and hurts in my heart every time I hear it.

In ministry, is there a point where you're doing enough? I don't think so - I DO think I need time away from my kids, my church, my life of doing ministry (and thanks to the Coates' for helping me make that happen), but I can't shake the thought that there's more I could and should be doing.

Much love
Wayne
James 1:22