Needing some Light...

My view on the way to work early one morning.

I was up an on the road before sunrise and, lemme' tell you, it was dark outside.

Sort of like this week.

See, last Thursday we heard that friends of ours had lost their 11 year-old daughter to cancer after a three-year battle. Niki and I felt like we'd been punched in the gut when we heard. Then, the very next day, we heard that other friends of ours (our pastors during our early twenties) had lost their 15 year-old son to cancer after an eleven month battle.

Oh man.

The memorial service for the little girl was yesterday and it nearly did the wife and I in. I think it's mostly because our own sense of loss at our brother-in-laws sudden death just short of two years ago is still very close to the surface in our hearts.

The truth is, we're not 'better' yet, and these two most recent deaths have made that abundantly clear.

We need the sunrise...

T

Partytime...

The wife and one of her besties, right before the start of her birthday dance party.

That's right.

We're pastors and we party. Hard.

What I find interesting about being 'that guy' is that I wouldn't be that guy if it wasn't for the influence of my wife.

It's true.

I used to be a fairly stuck up, legalistic, religious guy. I sometimes shudder when thinking about what my life would have ended up like if I'd married within my subculture instead of marrying my wife, a girl who came from the totally opposite side of the tracks, in terms of her faith-experience.

She's really helped me.

T

Make the moment...

That's my morning devotions spot these days.

Here's the pattern.

Drive the kids to school, turn right instead of left out of the school parking lot (left is the quickest way home) and roll on down to the water where I sit with my Bible and read one chapter in the Old Testament (working through Joshua right now) one chapter in the New Testament (Romans) and one chapter in Psalms or Proverbs (I'm in Proverbs right now).

Make notes as I go when something jumps out at me. Review the notes when I'm done and pray into what strikes me most about the moment, then unabashedly ask God to bless the work of my hands, help me to make a difference, and learn to love Him more.

20 minutes.

That's all it takes.

It's a good pattern.

But, here's the thing, it's a pattern that had to be made. I had to decide to make the time in my day, had to decide to make it happen, had to do a bunch of practical things (from getting my Bible before leaving the house, to making sure I had a pen, to turning my phone and radio off so I can focus) to make it happen, then had to just sit in the pattern--not giving up too soon--until that pattern became a habit.

They say it takes 6-8 weeks for a pattern to become a habit.

What's really cool is that these 'manufactured moments' (I am making them happen after all...) have been turning into 'real' moments with God. I'm getting a clear sense of direction and leading as I sit there listening, as well as actual encouragement to keep going.

From something I *made* happen.

Granted, I don't make the 'miraculous' part of it happen--God does that--but I make myself available.

Make the the moment.

Do it. This week.

T

Eyes open...

So that's the shot, straight out of my iPhone, no filter.

The sky was just on fire.

At least a couple times a week I'll be walking somewhere (the above shot was right as I was about to start football practice) and I happen to see something outstanding. I don't make it happen, I don't set it up, it's just there, waiting to be noticed.

I think most inspiration is like that.

It's already there, already in existence, it's just waiting to meet you along the road. Often we are tempted to sit around and wait for something amazing to jump up and grab us by the throat. I think, maybe, the beauty you're looking for is already out there, it's just that you're not, you're stuck in here.

So get a little busier. Who knows what you'll find out there in the rat race?

T

Pre-game...

I have a pre-game ritual.

(or in this case a pre-preach ritual)

I always leave the highlighting of my sermon notes until about a half-hour before I preach. I learned this trick in high-school. No, I wasn't preaching then (although almost) I was studying for final exams.

I would compile my notes (research), organize 'em (outlining), then read 'em over and over (out loud) before finally re-writing the key parts while reading 'em (equivalent to writing then highlighting) to myself, again, out loud.

It worked with Grade 12 English, it works with Galatians.

The other thing about it is the whole 'ritual' part. I learned the importance of ritual while playing University football. I'd go through the same routine before every game. Later, I took that habit to the final moments before going live on TV across the Nation.

Always do the same stuff.

So, today, I make sure to sit down after all my pre-service responsibilities have been taken care of and just spend some time with my notes, a couple highlighters and the Holy Spirit.

Usually the 'groove' I find in those final moments is the same one that ends up happening in Worship and is the same one I ride all the way into the preaching.

T

What a month...

Yeah, that's me these days.

It's been the wildest September I can remember.

In addition to shooting, I've begun teaching (Bible) at my kids new school (so that they can *go* to said school) and my wife has also begun teaching there, doing all their high performance fitness training. So, not only did our four kids have to adjust to a new school and schedule, Mom and Dad did. Not pretty for the first couple weeks but I think we're settled in now.

When the Vice Principal asked me how it was going (week two) I casually answered, "Well, I'm not hating it as much as I thought I would, so that's good..." She laughed, which was what I was going for.

In addition, both boys are in football and I'm head coaching my youngest boy's team. Wow, what an insane time commitment. I'm really enjoying it though. It's very challenging, which has given me a whole new level of respect for Pro-level coaches. I'm blessed to have two excellent assistant coaches working with me. Great dudes.

To add insult to injury we also picked September to move our church from the location we've been in for the last three years to an entirely new space. Let's just say the amount of work was staggering. We're now three weeks in and I think the move was the right call. Our last three consecutive weeks have been the biggest (back to back) in our history, so that's a good sign.

Flew to Philly to meet and greet and pitch, and also met with a publisher about a potential project (more on that as things develop) which I am currently working on.

Reading scripts, writing, starting up a new shell corporation to funnel all our work through.

Good times.

Hope your Fall is treating you well.

T

Oh boy, a month since last I wrote.

Not good.

Truth is, early in the month we were away a bit, which was really nice, and the second half of the month leading into this week has been madness.

Talk about 'back to reality'.

Dude.

Try this on for size...

How 'bout all four of your kids start school at a NEW school? Make it a private school. Now make it so that your wife and you are working (every day) at said school teaching Bible (me) and Fitness (her) so that you can *afford* to send said kids to said school. Add to that shooting 20 episodes of one of your television series and head coaching your youngest sons football team two nights a week while supporting your eldest son at his practice the other two key nights of the week. Oh, and don't forget moving your church to a new location along with all the technical/organizational shenanigans that go along with that. Lastly, make sure Friday has you flying to Philly for a day of pitch meetings and don't forget to prep all 23 of those pitches and get ready to write your sermon on the flight home 'cause Saturday (after your boys football game) you're going to be at the new location building in the tech side all day.

Plus, better preach your butt off Sunday, 'cause it matters.

Phew...

Some week right?

Two things.

One, the wife and I have been pretty stressed this week. This stress has gotten us questioning our life and calling as well as the practical ways in which we're walking that out. I keep reminding her to calm down and not judge her/our entire life based on one crazy week.

Two, when life gets busy (productively so) I tend to get encouraged because I've found that momentum tends to breed momentum and work breeds work. So I'm hoping that this busy run turns into a sustained new 'chapter' in our lives where we take the things we're doing to a whole other level.

Chances are your Fall is feeling a little like ours so, chances are, you should be feeling tired (just like me) and, maybe, just a little bit hopeful at the same time.

T