I have long followed the ministry that is xxxchurch and admired how they have been in the trenches for quite a few years now.  The ministry was created by Craig Gross and Mike Foster, and even though Mike has gone on to other ministries, Craig is still rockin’ the porn shows telling the people there that Jesus loves them.  This is something that I can really get behind.  Too often, we as Christians, tend to judge and condemn those in the industry, while secretly supporting it through our internet activity.  The guys and gals at xxxchurch have decided to stand in the gap and try to show Christ’s love to the people in the industry and at the same time provide help to provide resources for people struggling with porn addiction. If you get a chance to check them out, head over to xxxchurch and see what they are doing. And if you feel led, make a donation so that they can continue to be Jesus to those that are suffering.

Last night, Iliana and I were on our way back from dinner and a trip to Wal-Mart.  While we were at Wal-Mart, Iliana spotted a toy that she wanted.  It was a mermaid Dora.  She said that she really wanted it.  I told her that if she was good, then she might be able to get it for her birthday.  Well, she thought about it for most of the way home.

Well, we were almost to the house and something got her thinking about Christmas.  Then she said, “Maybe I can get the Dora mermaid for Christmas.”

So I said, “Well, your birthday comes before Christmas.  Maybe you can get it then.”

Then I decided to take this opportunity to include “baby sister.”

me:  Iliana, when the your baby sister is born, are you going to teach her about Christmas?

her:  Yeah.

me:  You are?  What is Christmas about?

her:  It’s about Jesus and love.

me:  That’s right, sweetie!  It’s about love and Jesus.  What is it about Jesus that Christmas is about?

her:  It’s Jesus’s birthday.

me:  That’s right, sweetie!  It’s Jesus’s birthday!  We celebrate the gift that God gave us in Jesus.

her:  Like Easter.

me:  Yeah, sweetie.  What does Easter mean?

her:  It means love.

me:  (Okay, I’m almost crying at this point.)  That’s right!  Easter is about love.  The love that Jesus had for us.

her:  That’s when Jesus died on the cross.

(Okay, I am crying at this point)

It’s amazing what they pick up on.

Yoda was wrong.  Yeah, I said it.  Don’t get me wrong; I still love the guy, but he was wrong.  In one of his more famous quotes he said, “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”  Implying that suffering is equivalent to the dark side.  I read something today that proves that he is not quite as all knowing as we would want to believe.

“And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”  -Romans 5: 2-5

So, suffering does not equal the dark side.  It leads to hope.  I think the Apostle Paul trumps Yoda.  Did Yoda ever meet Christ on the road to Damascus?  I think not.  Did Yoda, single-handedly ever carry and extend the banner of a religion to the world?  Well, maybe not single-handedly, but he helped promote Jedi-ism or whatever it’s called  (Are you a Jedi?).  But did Yoda ever die for his actions in preserving that religion?  No.  Yoda died like a chump in a hut in a swamp.  Paul loudly proclaimed the saving grace of Christ even as his executioners drew near.

Yoda may have had a really cool light saber, but Paul “put on the full armor of God.” – Advantage:  Paul

Yoda may have used the Force, but Paul was a force to be reckoned with.  You know, writing God’s Word and all. – Advantage:  Paul

Okay, they both had really cool robes.  – Advantage: tie

Yoda did nothing but sit up in that Jedi temple all day.  Yeah, he taught some classes.  But it was the equivalent of those easy Freshmen Seminar classes everyone has to take in college.  Paul was not only the greatest missionary in history, he also made tents to support his ministry. No way he was gonna sit up there and live off the backs of other.  – Advantage: Paul

Paul didn’t have a cushy desk job and tenure in the Jedi Academy.  He risked his life to spread the Gospel and be burdened with that thorn in his side.  What did Yoda have to do?  Hide out in a swamp hut on Degobah?  When he was getting too old to teach anymore?  Granted, it’s not where I would want to retire, but it was far from suffering.  – Advantage:  Paul

Also, let’s look at eloquence.  Granted, I certainly can’t stand in judgment, but Yoda couldn’t even piece together a complete thought without sounding like someone who just learned to speak English 5 minutes ago. “Ready are you? What know you of ready?”  “Never his mind on where he was.”  “Named must your fear be before banish it you can.”  But Paul…Paul has a great resume when it comes to eloquence.  You may have heard of it or read some of it.  It’s called the New Testament.  Of the 27 books in the New Testament, Paul wrote 13 of them. – Advantage:  Paul

Yeah, Yoda could perform the best Rope-a-Dope.  Suckering Sith in to a fight and whip out that amazing Jedi/Light saber Kung-Fu.  But Paul…Paul, he could….  Okay, Yoda wins that one. -Advantage:  Yoda

I’m sure there are more things that Paul totally dominated Yoda in.  Please leave a comment and let me know your arguments.  Pro-Yoda or Pro-Paul.  Doesn’t matter, just bring it.

(This is what happens when my men’s Bible study does the book of Romans.)

Upside Down on Vimeo on Vimeo

via Upside Down on Vimeo.

I know I haven’t blogged much lately; been busy. But this is a pretty cool video. Thanks to Dustin for this link.

Merry Christmas to all.

I hope that everyone is enjoying their Christmas and if you are traveling, please stay safe.

Now for the cheese:  Jesus is the Reason for the Season.  As campy as that sounds and as overdone as it is, it’s still true.  I encourage all of you to take time out today to reflect on why it is that you celebrate Christmas.  Is it an excuse to get a lot of presents?  Is it an excuse to give a lot of presents?  Is it a time of family get togethers?  Or is it a time to celebrate the birth of Christ?

Enjoy the day and think of little baby Jesus.

Everyone needs to check out this website. Looks like a very worth while charity and something that we as Christians need to do more of.

“Sounds like somebody’s got a case of the Mondays”

Immortal words spoken by one of Matt Judge’s characters from the cult classic “Office Space.” Every Monday I am reminded of this quote. Until this morning.

My daughter got up really early this morning. As in 5 am early. She went to bed early last night because we had a big afternoon and she didn’t have a nap. Which translated into a very early wake up call. She came into our room saying, “Mommy, I got a boogie.” Meaning, she had a booger in her nose that was bothering her. All you people that don’t have kids, yes, this is the type of wake up calls we parents get. Amy got up and tried to get Iliana to go back to sleep in her bed and I decided to go ahead and get up. When I got out of the shower, they were both in our bed. And both were wide awake. I tried to be quiet and finish preparing for the day in the kitchen. Then I heard the all too familiar sound of a short 3 year old trying to open our bedroom door. (This usually involves a lot of banging on the door. Hanging on the doorknob, letting gravity pull her and, in turn, turning the knob, and then using her body weight to slam into the door to open it.) I go help her and when she comes out, she reaches up and gives me the universal “pick me up” sign. She then proceeds to give me a big hug and kiss and tells me she loves me.

That was the best beginning of a Monday that I have ever had.

It got me to thinking about other firsts on Mondays. Then I tried to imagine what Monday was like for the disciples after the resurrection. After all, Christ rose on a Sunday and appeared before the disciples, who were in hiding. Imagine what that next day was like. The Son of God had appeared to them the day before. Less than 24 hours earlier, they were just frightened men, cowering for their lives. Now, they were men with a mission. Men called by God Himself to spread the Good News that Christ had risen. Men were transformed into missionaries. Brave men that stared persecution and death in the face. Men who would not, could not back down from the truth. And it all started that day.

What a Monday.

When Monday gets you down, realize that great things were started on Mondays. Maybe we can re-define the phrase “case of the Mondays” to mean the beginning of something great.

I just finished reading an amazing book called The Shack by William Young. I had heard a lot about this book from a few of my friends and how it had a profound impact on them. So, I thought I would have to give it a shot. After all, I love a good book and if it can teach me something new, I’m all for it. I gotta say, I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it was. I mean, one of the blurbs in the front was from country singer Wynonna. But as I read it, I began to put myself in the shoes of the main character, Mack. Without revealing too much of the plot, Mack looses his youngest daughter, Missy. This loss creates what Mack refers to as The Great Sadness. Being the father of a 3 year old daughter, it is my greatest fear that I could lose my daughter. This loss also creates a rift between Mack and God.

And then one day, Mack gets a letter from God, inviting Mack to spend the weekend with him at the shack in the woods where Mack lost his daughter. The question now is does Mack go or not go. Do yourself a favor and go pick up the book.

Much has been made about the authenticity of the book. A lot of people look at it as gospel truth. And on the other side, a lot of people don’t want to believe that God would interact with us while we are still here on this earth. Whatever you believe, this book provides a fresh look at how we should interact with each other. Even if you don’t think that Jesus or God would say some of the things in the book, you have to admit that a lot of what they say can be backed up by the Bible.

If you want to read a little more about it, check out their website.

I just found my new favorite blog:

Stuff Christians Like

Read it. Now. Seriously, click on the link. You’ll be glad you did.

TIP: Start from the beginning and read them in order.

I receive a daily devotional through my email. It’s from the Purpose Driven Life folks. It’s usually pretty good, but I must admit that here lately, I’ve just been skimming over it, feeling too guilty to delete it without reading it. Well, I’m really glad I read it today because I think it has a good point. Check it out:

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Someone else’s problems

by John Fischer
Evangelicals often put being saved and going to heaven in the same sentence, as if heaven were the only goal of our salvation. But the truth is, we are saved to serve. Heaven is important, but heaven can wait. God saves us because he has a job for us to do in his Kingdom here on earth. If heaven is the whole point of our salvation, then what do we do while we wait? Change the channel on our Christian entertainment?
It’s amazing how many of our own problems dissipate when we begin caring about other people’s problems instead of focusing on our own. We’ve picked up some very bad habits from our culture. We have a tendency to be preoccupied with our own needs and constantly trying to fulfill them. Advertising plays into this self-indulgence, promising that one more product will be the thing that will finally satisfy us. The truth of the matter is: Getting will never come close to the satisfaction that giving affords.
Think of someone you know who is truly happy and I venture to guess you will find that someone busy serving others. If, in fact, our troubles will never go away (and I don’t believe they ever will in this life), then to focus on them and try to solve them is going to be nothing but a broken record. Make one problem go away, and watch another one crop up immediately. To give ourselves to the task of attending to the problems of those around us may not make our own problems go away, but it will make them less of a drag. Focusing on our own problems can lead to anxiety, frustration, and even depression. Focusing on other people’s problems leads to usefulness and a greater sense of health.
So today, when we are tempted to look in, to our own needs, let’s look out, instead, to the needs of those around us and see if our own needs diminish by comparison. Who knows, we may even forget about ourselves in the process.
Jesus hung on a cross and thought of those who were putting him there, and even pleaded their case before his Father, because he knew they didn’t realize the full impact of what they were doing. Can you imagine having even a fleeting thought about someone else if you were in that much pain yourself? But that’s just the thing about Jesus: He was always thinking of someone else.

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Call me crazy, but I think he has a good point. I’ve always said that nothing can beat the feeling of giving. Too bad I don’t practice it more often. If anyone is interested in getting the devotional, you can sign up for it here.