BORN 2 B WILD: September 2006

Life is like coaching soccer? What?

God reveals truth to me in all sorts of ways. Today, it was losing our most important soccer game of the season. Not just losing, but getting totally destroyed and having to watch it all from the sidelines. My team has come a long way. They came from being really bad to nearly decent. Ok, so maybe we haven't come a long way, but we are heading in the right direction. I'm starting to discover some of the frustrations of coaching or just leadership in general. One frustration is giving your team all the right instruction and practicing all the right techniques that are necessary to play as a team and be successful. We practice over and over again. We review over and over again. I ask them what they need to do, and they repeat it right back to me. Up until game time, it seems like I have elite soccer machines on my hands. But then, it's game time! Time to put all of the practice into action. Time to see what we're really made of. Then the whistle blows, and my kids suddenly turn into a swarm of ball chasing 8 year olds. Everything they've learned seems to have been immediately repressed into the depths of forgetfulness. I used to think it was a focus problem. Maybe they just need to be reminded a lot. So I would scream and yell and tell people to "Mark up" and "Get open." It's like my words hit a brick wall and bounce back so hard that they slap me in the face. I'm usually blue in the face by halftime. At halftime, I ask them what they need to do to be successful, and they say all the right things. But I look at their faces and all I see is frustration, doubt, and discouragement. After the game tonight, I was wondering how I could turn them around. There had to be some way to engrain soccer ability into their bodies and brains. I was borderline frustration too, just like them. I honestly felt like maybe there's no hope. Then I thought about God. He points us in the right direction over and over again. He says joy and life are found in obeying and seeking Him. He says there's nothing better. We say we believe it. We say it right back to Him. Then its tomorrow, and we turn into a swarm of pleasure/money/fame/etc. chasing fools. What's the problem? It's not that we didn't hear the truth. It's not that we don't at least somewhat believe it. It's not that we don't have the grace to pursue it. I think the problem is that we have no idea how wonderful the treasure of abundant life really is. I think that if we really knew how amazing life could be, we would stop missing it. We would stop chasing other pursuits b/c we would know that they pale in comparison to what God has for us. If my team only knew the joy of playing soccer well and the thrill of giving it your all and winning, I don't think they would be ok with losing anymore. They would put all of their effort into getting it again. Yes, it takes effort. It takes everything we have, but it's so worth it it. One time Peter said to Jesus, "We've left everything for you." Jesus replies, "you'll receive a hundredfold of what you've given, and inherit eternal life." Make it a goal to know the life, the joy, the peace of pursuing the kingdom and belonging to God. I think I've quoted this before, but I'm quoting it again b/c it's C.S Lewis. "Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." So I'll never give up on my team and I'll never let them give on themselves b/c I want to see them succeed. They have the potential. I can't wait to celebrate with them when it finally all comes together. God will never give up on us either. He is waiting to celebrate with me and you.

Taking the trolley to Ft. Myers beach

Ft. Myers beach. It's the beach, so it's ok. And I got some good skimboarding in, but it's still not the same. I guess it's cool if you don't like waves, but like crowds instead.

Me getting contemplative on the trolley with my xtreme gulp slurpee refill that only cost me .89 cents. That's right, I still drink slurpees.

My roomate getting contemplative on the trolley with his frosty.

Trolley drivers are the coolest!

DEATH LIVES IN OUR GARAGE!

It doesn't anymore, thanks to my shoe and the wall I smashed it against.

Aggressive forgiveness

Is God's grace amazing to me? What God did through Jesus in this world, on the cross, and through the ressurection, does it all truly inspire me? Can I fully grasp the hugeness and greatness of the gospel? See, I don't think any of us can ever fully appreciate the awesomness of God's grace. It's just too awesome. Look how simple the phrase is: God's grace. Does that small phrase ignite our minds to ponder how glorious it really is. In Ephesians it says that the main reason we have been redeemed from sin and death and given eternal life is to "show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." How great is His grace? I think that I live most of my life oblivious of how much I needed and still need and will need His grace. Do I really believe that I was a wretch, an enemy of God worthy of death, evil, full of disobedience, and headed straight for hell where I deserved to be. I still do some pretty wretched things that make me feel very unworthy of God's favor, but this is the point right here! Our complete lack of merit as candidates for eternal life with a perfectly holy, just, and good God is exactly what makes God's grace so amazing! Because even though we were despicable and unworthy, God still gave grace. All the glory to Him! And how perfect and powerful is His grace? There is absolutely nothing, no sin at all, that could keep you and me from God's grace. We can't be bad enough. In Romans 5, the message version says this: "All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn't, and doesn't, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it's sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that's the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life—a life that goes on and on and on, world without end." Sin doesn't have a chance. Grace wins hands down every time. Grace is inviting us all. The hole is never deep enough, the darkness is never black enough, the haze is never thick enough, the wound is never painful enough to conquer the aggressive forgiveness of God. He went on the offensive for our lost cause, faced death, and won, hands down!

Mo'nin mix

I said I'd keep you posted on what I'm listening to. So here it is. This is a playlist that I've been in to lately. Just like a good cup of coffee, it helps get me started in the mo'nin.
1. Marvelous light - Charlie hall
2. Everything - Lifehouse
3. Praise goes out to You and Salvation is here - Hillsong United
4. Take my hand - Shawn Mcdonald
5. Take the world but give me Jesus - Matt Redman
6. Majesty - Delirious
7. Grace is enough - Chris Tomlin
8. When I think about the Lord - Shane and Shane
9. Thank you for loving me and There is no one like You - David Crowder
10. Love song - Jason Morant