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To all the people watching, I can never thank you enough for your kindness to me and I’ll think about it for the rest of my life. All I ask of you is one thing: Please do not be cynical. I hate cynicism- it’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.

-Conan O’Brien - in his Tonight Show farewell

It’s not a hill, it’s a mountain
As you start out the climb
Listen for me, I’ll be shouting
We’re gonna make it all the way to the light
But you now I’ll go crazy if I don’t go crazy tonight

Baby, baby, baby
I know I’m not alone
Baby, baby, baby
I know I’m not alone

U2- I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight

Sometimes life is hard and knowing you’re not alone makes all the difference…

Today, Samuel (my 3 yr. old) was pretending to drink out of an empty glass. He was fake gulping loudly, so I asked him what he was pretending to drink. He responded, “I’m not pretending, Dad. I just like to drink air.”

What more can you say…

Yes, for once, I’d have to say I’m siding with the Cuban dictator. Shocking? Probably not as shocking as me saying that “I agree with MacArthur” – so I won’t go that far (because that would be crazy)…

Ol’ Fidel had this to say about our elections and our country:

“…it would be extremely naive to believe that the good intentions of an intelligent person could change centuries of interests and selfishness already created.”

 I think our Communist buddy has it right. Our problem isn’t leadership. Politics won’t fix it. It all comes down to our hearts. 

Your thoughts?

“We are not to find work to do, rather are we to be sent to work by God. Once having understood this we shall truly experience the reality of the authority of the kingdom of the heavens.”

Spiritual Authority – Watchman Nee

In ministry,  often find myself being bombarded with with all sorts of good things to engage in (conferences, work with other ministries, or causes). They all seem like upright and good things for the Lord. But no matter how good and profitable they may be,  if they’re not what the Lord is calling me to do, then they are ultimately a waste of my time. My life is busy and always seem on the verge of getting busier. Knowing the Lord’s will is paramount in doing Kingdom work and also in keeping my sanity. There are many good paths, but only one right one.

I was tucking Samuel (my 3 yr. old) into bed last night and he turns to me and says with great conviction and gruff:

“Daddy, I can fight any animal… as long as it’s a baby animal”

Talk about hittin’ the flippin’ nail on the head.

Say what you will about Brian McLaren, but I like him. I’ve read several of his books and I don’t agree with everything he says, but he certianly challenges me to think.

In his new book Finding Our Way Again he recounts an interview he conducted at a pastors conference with Dr. Peter Senge. It went something like this:

Dr. Senge was saying that in any given bookstore, the best selling books are first, “how to get rich” and second, books on Buddhism.

“Why are books on Buddhism so popular, and not books on Christianity,” McLaren asked.

Senge replied, “I think it’s because Buddhism presents itself as a way of life, Christianity presents itself as a system of belief. I would want to get Christian ministers thinking about how to rediscover their own faith as a way of life, because that’s what people are searching for today. That’s what they need most.”