Two mountains

I'm looking forward to meeting two children that Julie, Tabs and I sponsor through Compassion International. Godfrey and Bakari live in Tanzania, Africa. Over Labor Day weekend I'll be traveling with my good friend and Jesus-following partner, Tom Patton, to walk the dusty trails of the Dark Continent. We'll visit villages devastated by the AIDS virus . . . villages that are alive with hope because of the love of Jesus Christ.

On our journey we will be joining six other leaders for what promises to be quite an adventure. We're going to climb Mount Kilimanjaro together. 18,500 feet above sea level. Yesterday I sent in my deposit for the climb. That made it real! I can already feel the exhilaration.

Two mountains. One to help children out of poverty. One to see Africa from its rooftop.

I want to grow old like that

I had coffee with my dad this morning. He just returned from a week long trip to Peru. Not a vacation. A work trip to help rebuild areas destroyed by their recent earthquake.

My mom says he's been crying very easily since he's been home. Exposure to poverty will do that to you.

What I love is that my dad is 70 years old and still experiencing life. Still saying, "I want to go to the front line for Jesus."

I want to grow old like that. (Not that 70 is all that old dad.)

I will not be ignored!

In Releasing Your Church's Potential, Robert Logan and Tom Clegg said, "I believe that the enemy divides all people into two categories: those he can ignore and those he has to fight. I want to be one of those he has to fight."

I have to agree with Bob and Tom, I want to be one of those that the enemy has to fight.

For me, that means that I care for the poor, rescue discarded children, network with other churches to change the world. It means that I daily fall to my knees to ask God's protection and guidance. That I dilligently and ruthlessly ask God to examine my life and mold me into a servant leader. That I see every person the way God sees him--as an eternal being that will spend all of eternity either in the presence of God or separated from Him. That I examine my finances to see if I am being a good steward of that which God has entrusted to me. That I listen, really listen, to those around me and to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. That I submit to those in authority over me. That I live with authenticity, a heart filled with generosity and a commitment to collaboration that will see God's Kingdom expand regardless of who gets the credit.

I am reminded of the quote by the missionary, C. T. Studd, "Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell, I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell."

I will not be ignored!

Stock market trader

I met with this amazing man last night. Mark Cook is a stock market trader who lives in the small town of East Sparta, Ohio. Mark's financial worth is lots of millions of dollars. But you would never know it by looking at him, where he lives or what he drives.

I had a fascinating two hour conversation with Mark. He was quick to point out that his life is not about making money, but rather it's about serving God and loving people. I gained some very imortant insights from Mark:

*When money is your God, you will get into all kinds of trouble. Money just doesn't matter.

*One of the pitfalls of most of us is that we don't have a financial plan for our lives. We let money "happen" or "not happen" to us. Where do we want to be in 3-5 years?

*The vast majority of Americans live beyond their income always expecting next year to be better. Unfortunately, for most, it's often worse.

Mark had a framed article hanging on his office wall from a story Forbes Magazine did about him. In the article it asked him what he did for relaxation. He responded, "When life gets too stressful, I shovel manure." (Mark lives on his family farm.)

Julie and I are going to be working with Mark to put a financial plan together for our lives. A strategy that will help us be more responsible, more frugal, more generous. Do you have a plan?

Numero uno

I was reading this morning in 1 John and came across a verse that caused me to pause and examine my life. It simply reads, Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your life. (1 John 5:21)

I am asking myself the very probing question, "Is there anything in my life that I have allowed to take God's place?"

And of course, God's place is position one. Numero uno. First priority in everything I do. Every decision I make. Every motive. Every thought. Ummm, perhaps the question isn't so simple.

It's easy for me to put Greg Nettle in God's place. My wants. My needs. What I think should be my priorities.

How about you? Is there anything in your life that you have allowed to take God's place?

Are you living the adventure?

My wife, Julie, said to me this morning, "I just want to thank you for this adventure." "What adventure?" "This life we get to live."

We just returned from a quick trip to Colorado Springs where we spent time at Compassion International's headquarters. I spoke in Chapel to Compassion's 500 employees. Julie toured the facility. We had dinner in the home of Wess and Donna Stafford (Wess is the CEO of Compassion).

Upon arriving back in Ohio we welcomed a little nine year old girl into our home. Anna (not her real name) is in the foster care system and we are providing respite care for the weekend.

I believe that the life of being a Jesus-follower is meant to be an adventure. It is not safe, nor is it easy. But it is forever life-changing, frequently heart-rending and always draws us near to the heart of God.

A couple of notes about this week's experiences . . .

I continue to be amazed and humbled by the ministry of Compassion International. They operate frugally and yet with extreme excellence. I am very confident that the money we invest in caring for children on the margins of society could be invested in no better organization.

Wess Stafford picked us up from our hotel in Colorado and drove us to his home for dinner. Wess and his family live in a small ranch home that looks nothing like what most CEOs of major corporations would live in. At one point during dinner Wess said, "Someday, I would like to get a John Deere tractor . . . when I can afford it." I clarified, "Wess, you make a good living. The issue isn't that you can't afford the John Deere, isn't the issue that you choose to give your money away?" And that is exactly the case.

Wess' wife, Donna, said, "We work with poor children. We have enough." Much of our conversation while in Colorado centered around how much is "enough?"

Back in Ohio. When Anna was dropped off at our house for the weekend, I had to go to my office to keep from weeping. Anna is a very sweet little girl. A little girl who should not have had perpetrated upon her what life has delivered. I know that it breaks God's heart . . . and it is breaking mine.

This life is short. Are you living the adventure?

Skin color, gender or heart?

The Presidential election is upon us. Primaries, debates, water cooler discussions and of course opinions shared around the kitchen table in our homes.

The amazing thing about this Presidential election is that once you sift through our involvement in the Middle East, the declining state of our economy, health care concerns and how to respond to the terrorist threat, the conversation almost always turns to one of race and gender. Is the United States ready to have a woman as its leader? Will America vote for a black man? Unfortunately, as I listen to a variety of opinions, sometimes subtle and at other times blatant sexism and bigotry begin to emerge.

I have heard comments that Obama will be assassinated if he is elected simply because of the color of his skin. That Hillary will never be elected because she doesn’t have enough testosterone flowing through her veins (I’m not so sure about that). And that the United States will be less of a respected nation in the world if we don’t have a white man at the helm. Ummm, perhaps we should look at the variety of skin color and gender leading the nations of the world today?

In the Bible, in Galatians 3:28, God announces his opinion on this issue very clearly. He states: Now there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female . . . It would appear that God is not concerned about race, income status or gender. What God is most concerned about is a person’s heart. What they believe. What they stand for.

In actual fact, several thousand years ago, when God was choosing a King for the nation of Israel, the Prophet Samuel was quick to choose a man who “looked the part.” God, on the other hand, chose David (who became the greatest King Israel has ever known). In choosing David, God said, “The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

As we continue down this tumultuous path toward November fourth, perhaps we should make sure we are looking beneath the color of skin or the style of hair? Perhaps we should explore, as deeply as is possible, the condition of a candidate’s heart?

In no way am I attempting to endorse a particular candidate. However, I am simply asking all of us not to discount a Presidential possibility solely on the way a person looks. I have to wonder if tall, gangly (and quite frankly—homely), Abraham Lincoln would ever have been elected based on much of the criteria that the American public uses today?

Love or condemnation?

I have two family members, that I love, who happen to be homosexual. I also have numerous friends who are living the homosexual life. And I know that I'm not alone.

Every time I speak publicly about the relationships I have within the gay community I am amazed at how many people who happen to have parents, children, siblings, co-workers, etc., who are homosexual as well, stay after to talk with me.

The questions are almost always the same: How do we express love for the person of homosexual persuasion while at the same time not condoning the lifestyle? I wish there was an easy answer.

Here's one very important breakthrough that I have had in my own life as of late. Most Christians, whether accurately or not, are thought of as intolerant of gays--even to the point of being gay-bashers. As a Pastor, unfortunately, I am almost always labeled with the "evangelical right" stigma. As a result, in any relationship I establish with a person who happens to be homosexual, I am almost always beginning in a negative hole.

I used to think that what I needed to do was balance what I believe to be God's grace and truth. What I have come to realize is that because of the world's perception of Christians, truth is shouting (if not screaming) simply because of my title as Pastor. Consequently, I work very hard to express God's grace to everyone God has placed in my life. To build bridges rather than create barriers. To be loving rather than filled with fear.

In my understanding of the Jesus to whom I have committed my life . . . Jesus-followers are to be known by our love, not by our condemnation.

How I read 50+ books per year

One of the questions I repeatedly am asked is "How do you read more than 50 books a year?"

I've had to do some reflection on this, but maybe these tips will help you get to that book or pile of books you've always been wanting to read.

1. I make reading a priority. It fills my tank. I am intentional about it. I personally believe that reading is one of the great ways to continue expanding my mind and transform my life.

2. I keep a "to be read" shelf or shelves of books to choose from that I will read next. This saves me time from having to browse at a bookstore. Many times I will ask God to guide me to the next book He wants me to read.

3. I keep a book with me at all times. If I'm caught in traffic, delayed at the dentist office, sitting on the . . . 'Nuff said.

4. I read widely. For me, reading in only one genre gets old fast. I might read a few books that pertain to my work and then take a break to read something completely out of my field of expertise.

5. I don't feel guilty about reading just for fun. My mom let me read comic books when I was a kid which began my love for reading. "Beach reads" or "burn through reads" are a great diversion and help spur my creativity.

6. I don't watch a lot of television. Most of what I watch is sporting events. And sporting events tend to afford many opportunities to read--in between pitches, during time outs, etc.

7. I don't read junk. And what I mean by junk are books that don't come highly recommended. There are far too many great books and life is too short to read trash.

8. I read quickly . . . but I don't skim. The more you read, the faster you will learn to read.

9. I keep a dictionary on my desk. If I don't understand a word, I look it up. Not only does it improve my reading arsenal but it improves my future reading speed.

10. I keep a list of the books I've read. I write down the book title, author and the month I completed it. I then rank the book with 1 to 4 stars. I've done this for the past 20 years and it's very fun to go back and review what I've read.

Do you have some reading tips? I would love to hear them.

Bombs bursting in air

I just read an article in USA Today that informs us that several commercial airlines will be arming their flights with missiles--missiles designed to intercept rockets fired by terrorists on the ground with shoulder launchers.

This is supposed to make me feel more secure when flying???

It gives a whole new meaning to those cheap headphones they pass out for inflight entertainment. I'll make sure I get them every time. Perhaps they'll muffle the sound of the bombs bursting in air!

Most important read

With all of the books that I read in 2007, I would be remiss if not mentioning the most important book that I read and continue to read. Virtually every day I read two, three or four chapters of the Bible. I'm not writing this to sound overly spiritual. The truth of the matter is that as enjoyable as many books are and as helpful as many books have been, all pale in comparison to the life transformation that reading God's Word brings.

I am absolutely convinced that the Word of God is living and active. I am convinced that God speaks into my heart as I read His revelation. I am convinced that no other book is as important as the Bible.

So, in this new year, if you haven't made regular Bible reading a practice, let me encourage you to do so.

Begin with the book of John in the New Testament. From there perhaps move to First, Second and Third John. You don't have to begin your reading in Genesis and try to read from cover to cover. Many people have tried that approach (and some are successful) but most bog down and quit when they get to Leviticus or Numbers.

Over the past many years it has been my practice to read the New Testament twice in one year and then to read the Old Testament the next. The Bible is, by far, my most important read.

Best reads of 2007

I read 81 books in 2007. Here are the best of the best of the year that I would recommend.

Made To Stick by Chip and Dan Heath. This is a must read for every communicator. Jesus was the master at transfering ideas and concepts in a "sticky" way. For those of us who teach, market or simply as parents wanting to transfer knowledge to our children, we need to learn to communicate just as effectively.

Busting Vegas by Ben Mezrich. Ben writes about several MIT students who discovered a system to beat the odds in Vegas and every other gambling capital in the world. This true story is both fascinating and riveting.

20 Things Adopted Kids Wished Their Adoptive Parents Knew by Sherrie Eldredge. Of course this book was especially meaningful to both me and my wife (we're in the process of adopting). If you are considering adoption or have been adopted, this book will be very helpful.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. This was my favorite read of the year. Hosseini's tale about life for women in a conservative Muslim culture is gripping and heart wrenching.

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows by J K Rowling. What can I say? I have enjoyed all of the Harry Potter books. This final instalment in the series doesn't disappoint.

This Beautiful Mess by Rick McKinley. For anyone who is a Jesus-follower, this book is an encouraging and insightful read on the state of the world and our responsibilities within it.

What Is The What by Dave Eggers. The true story of a "lost boy" moved from Africa to America. A book like this is invaluable to help us understand the plight of hundreds of thousands in our world who have experienced and are experiencing incredible terrors.

Contrairian's Guide To Knowing God by Larry Osborne. I gave this one to several friends for Christmas. Larry gives us a surprisingly fresh perspective on how to grow in our relationship with God.

Humility by Andrew Murray. It wasn't until I put this little gem down that I realized how much it had impacted me. It will be one I read again and again.

Act One by Moss Hart. This was the best surprise of the year. Moss Hart was a boy who grew up in poverty in New York City to become one of America's greatest playwrites. The prose are beautiful and the storyline compeling.

The vast majority of the books I read come from the recommendation of others. What were the best books you read in 2007?