Bold Faith Via "24"

Wow. It's been almost a year and a half since I updated. No good. In that time, we've:

• Celebrated our 5th Anniversary
• Watched Zachary turn 4
• Started as Worship Pastor for FBC St. Rose
• Jessica started as a teacher at the NOBTS Preschool
• Had another baby (Tyler, born June 17th, 2011)
• Left my position at FBC St. Rose.

So, I guess I'm still looking for a job...maybe not much has changed after all.

As to the title of this post, if you know me well, or have known me long, you know that I love the show "24." While it might not be on Jon Acuff's list of things I shouldn't know exist, it is probably not the best TV show to enjoy as a Christian. Not many of Jack Bauer's actions or justifications echo Christ. Still, it was a wonderful show, and I do hope to see a feature film sometime soon.

But what does that have to do with "bold faith?" Well, again, if you know me, you know that I am a Twitter guy. I love it. I like following people, I like posting, I like staying connected.

Recently, I noticed that James Morrison, the actor who played Bill Buchanan on "24," was on Twitter. I decided to follow him, thinking I might see a few "24" related nuggets, and some interesting insight. What I got was a test of faith and paitience, and ultimately a growth of bold faith.

You see, Mr. Morrison and I disagree on almost everything he says politically, spiritually, and socially. However, I do believe it is his goal to make his followers think. He and I have bantered back-and-forth several times, and I have found that standing up for my beliefs in love has helped grow my faith to be bold.

Christ was bold. He didn't just say, "let's agree to disagree," and move on. He was vocal about who He was and what He was doing. He didn't hit people over the head or start wars, but He did challenge the authorities to drop the formal rituals and pretense, and worship God as we were intended to do. He challenged His believers to take the Gospel and share it with all; to love unconditionally; to be humble; to put others first. Now that is being bold.

So, while I am sure Mr. Morrison wouldn't agree with my conclusions, I do want to thank him for challenging me to remain steadfast in faith while showing love to all...even those who don't accept the Gospel as I do. I must follow my Savior as He calls me, no matter the cost, and no matter what others think. I must be bold.

Just Catching Up...

Man, time managent is a difficult skill to master! It has been a few weeks since I wrote anything here, so I figured I could drop a little line for everyone.

We're doing really good. Over the past few weeks, both Jessica's parents and my parents have come to visit us. I've sung in a few concerts with the "Seminarians," an all male vocal ensemble. And I've had a few tests and papers. All in all, life is busy.

Zachary is growing like a weed. Jessica cut his hair Sunday evening, and it looks good. It's pretty short, but I like it. Zachary is, however, obsessed with parades and beads. He is always playing parades in the house - marching, pretending to be on a float, throwing beads, etc. If we end up leaving New Orleans, he will be so heartbroken without those Mardi Gras parades.

I have been looking for a job, but nothing yet. I have my resume in to several engineering places, as well as about 6 churches. We're praying God will show us which one is right, and lead them to make us an offer. He has provided so far, no reason to think He will stop now.

~E~

A Theological Dissection of a "Miraculous" Victory

Several thousand years ago, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit were sitting around in a pre-creation planning meeting. They were going over God's calendar of events for the universe, when they came to February 7, 2010. Jesus saw "Saints win Superbowl," and, being a bit puzzled, pointed at the date. He then looked at God and asked, "Who Dat?"

Thus, the legend was born.

In all seriousness, here in New Orleans, things are crazy. A lot of claims are being made right now, the most popular being that this was destiny, or that God had planned this. As a Christian, a seminary student, and a (relatively new) Saints fan, I wanted to dissect that claim.

First of all, we know that it was God's will for the Saints to beat the Colts, otherwise, it wouldn't have happened. To get all Calvinist, God had this planned from before time began. None of this surprised God.

Now, so many people in the French Quarter last night were drinking their "spirits" and celebrating like hooligans, shouting into news cameras that this was God's plan, and that this was a team of destiny. There was even a guy dressed as "Breesus," mocking Jesus himself, spouting claims that were, in essence, that "God's team won."

While I agree that it was God's plan, and that this team is a team of destiny, I don't agree that this team is more special than any other. Don't get me wrong, I have totally immersed myself into the Saints, and I do love the team. But in actuality, every team is a team of destiny. The Detroit Lions last year were just as much a team of destiny as the Saints were this year. So were the Pittsburgh Steelers in Superbowl XLIII, the New York Giants in XLII, etc. God has it all mapped out.

Now, the other thing I hear is that God was showing New Orleans kindness for all they had to deal with, with Katrina and the issues there. And that may be true, but I just think that this victory is more of an object lesson for believers in this area. We just have to look for the lesson.

You see, I found myself wondering: Why would God give such joy to a populace who constantly reject and mock him?

See it yet?

Jesus suffered and died for a people that laughed at Him, spit on Him, ripped His beard from His face. They didn't deserve it. They deserved death and punishment. But they were given love, joy, peace. We are given love, joy, and peace. Except the peace, joy, and love of Jesus is worth more than a thousand Saints Superbowl victories.

Seminary Started...

Well, I am finishing up my second week here at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and I am just now getting a few moments to bust out a new blog post. I'm going to keep this short, because I have tons of reading to do, and I really need to get back to it.

Anyway, for those that don't know, I am trying to get my Masters of Divinity degree in Worship Leadership, focusing on Music. It will probably take me 3 years (or more) to get done with the degree, so we will be here for at least that long.

We really enjoy it here. The campus is beautiful, and very family-centric. Outside these walls is a different story, but, as one of my professors said, this just shows what light looks like in the midst of darkness.

For those wondering, I am taking 4 classes this semester: Intro to the Cooperative Program, Baptist Heritage, Exploring the New Testament, and Technology in Worship Music. So far, I like my classes, but it is hard getting back into the swing of doing school work. Time management is key!

Jessica is babysitting a couple of our neighbor's kids. It can be frustrating at times, going from one child to three, but it is good for Zachary. He gets interaction with older kids, and it is helping expand his communication (not to mention, stretch his ability to share).

Over all, we really love it here, and are glad we listened to the Lord's call in our lives.

Anyway, that is about it for now. Love you all, and see y'all soon!

Press the Pause Button...

Have you ever said something in the spur of the moment that you immediately regretted?

With Twitter, Facebook, text messaging, and the like, it is easier than ever to stay connected. Right now, I am typing this blog post on my mobile phone.

However, it is also invariably easier to be too quick to speak, and, in doing so, speak without thinking. Just this past week, the Kansas City Chiefs suspended running back Larry Johnson because of his devisive comments on Twitter. Because of, and in spite of, our technological advances, and our reliance on social networking, we have lost something. Chuck Olliver, sports radio DJ in Atlanta, said it best: "We have lost our ability to pause." In normal conversation, we usually take the time to think through our thoughts. But, in social networking communication, we tend to "speak our peace," without stopping to think about what we are saying (or typing).

The Bible says in the book of James that we are to be "quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger" (James 1:19). We need to take the time to pause. Whenever your boss treats you unfairly, don't immediately post it on Facebook. When your wife isn't listening to you, don't tweet it on your way to work. Take a step back. Take a breath. Hit the pause button. Think it through. Try to see the other side.

Slow to speak, quick to hear, slow to anger. Trust me, it'll be worth the wait.

~E~

The Agent: An Unfinished Tale...

Well, to anyone who saw my tweet earlier today, I ran across a story I had started writing five or six years ago. It is a story of intrigue and action; suspense and daring...well it would have been, had I ever finished it!

It is a story about a secret government agent, Derek Williams. I had some really big plans for this story, but I never got around to finish it. In fact, I never really got it completely started.

I think the story is pretty good, if I do say so myself, but definitely needs some touching up (in addition to finishing it, or course--seeing the pattern?)

Anyway, if you care to read it, it is here.

Busy Busy Busy....

Well, things have been crazy busy lately. The project I am working on at work is deploying, meaning I am in the field (thankfully it is local), and so I haven't been able to update the blog much.

I am using Twitter now, so if you really need to keep up, you can check me out at http://twitter.com/bigeasy60.

Super Dad

Being a dad is not for the faint of heart. When you become a father, God entrusts you with another life -- a whole person that you are supposed to mold and shape into something that is pleasing to God and functional to society. Society's demands on what a man/woman should be are pretty high, but God's standards are higher...much higher.

We, as fathers, are stewards of our children, just like we are stewards of our time, talents, and money. We will ultimately answer to God for how we have raised our children -- and that should send a chill up your spine. Paul wrote that we should not "exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart." (Col 3:21) He also stated that we have the responsibility to discipline and educate our children in the Lord (Eph 6:4). Those are big responsibilities to have. We are responsible for how our children turn out.

Tonight, I was delivered a wake-up call of sorts from my 2 year old son. There is no doubt that he loves his daddy. But I, like most fathers, tend to have a hard time actually spending time with him. When I get home from work, I want to relax. I want to zone out and watch TV, or something. But all Zachary wants is for his daddy to play with him. He is craving some attention from me. Most nights, I confess, I just want him to play on his own, and stay out of trouble. But tonight, it hit me how important it is for me to spend time with him. Why I must make time for him.

After his bath tonight, I got him into his PJs. Tonight, his shirt was a Superman shirt. After I got him ready for bed, I left him to play in his room, while I went to our bedroom. Jessica and I were sorting through some old clothes. As we have both lost a little weight recently, we were looking to see if any of the old clothes fit. I grabbed an old t-shirt that had a Superman logo on it, and decided to try it on, since Zach was wearing his (it fit, happily). As I was putting it on, Zach came into the room, and saw my shirt. He started saying "Superman!" and pointing at my shirt. He was saying it over and over, "Superman! Superman!"

I pointed to his shirt, and asked him, "are you Superman too?" His reply: "No! Superman Daddy! Superman Daddy!"

My son thinks I am Superman. It's time I started to act like it. Maybe it is time for you to act like a Superman to your kids too.

Brave New World...

Well, it has been a while since I posted something sports related, so I figured today I would talk about what has been going on with the Atlanta Braves. The Braves are 26-26 this year, and sit in 3rd Place in the NL East, 6 games back of the Philadelphia Phillies.

But, the big news out of Atlanta this week was this: Tom Glavine was released in order to make room for rookie standout pitcher Tommy Hanson.


I guess this move wouldn't bother me so much, if the Braves had handled the situation better. I understand the cost and the liability of having Glavine pitch a game you think he will end up losing, but the man did all that you asked him to do. Why wait until he is about to make his season debut to do it? To save yourself $1+ million?

Now, don't get me wrong, Hanson does make the Braves a better team. But he is still a rookie, and Glavine is a 300-game winner, hall of famer. From a baseball perspective, it was the right move. From a personal perspective, it was bad. You gotta treat people better than that.

Now, on to the other move that went down last week: Nate McLouth is an Atlanta Brave!
McLouth is a career .261/.339/.462 hitter, with 60 career HR, and he won a Gold Glove in CF last year. He was an All-Star for the Pittsburgh Pirates last year, as well. He is under contract through 2011, with a club option for 2012.

Many people wonder what the aquisition of a center fielder does to Jordan Schafer's place in the organization. Schafer is a much better defender than McClouth, and both men can play all three outfield positions. So, I don't see that this causes any problems. More than likely, it will allow Schafer a year in AAA to get his swing back together, and he will patrol CF next year with McLouth in LF. That does mean that Jeff Francoeur will have to step up his game in RF, or he may find himself playing somewhere else.

I really like the McLouth trade. The guys we gave up were pretty good, but we needed a bat in the outfield, and McLouth is young and a decent fielder. Assuming the Phillies start playing like humans, and not baseball-programmed robots, the Braves still have a good shot at winning the East.

Only time will tell, but I do have a good feeling about this Braves team. Or, as Zachary would say, "Go Braves!"

Gone to the dogs...

So, I was going through some old pictures, and I found a few of Zachary with Grandma's last set of puppies. I thought they were cute enough to share. Enjoy!





He's a mess, but he loves those puppies!

Remembering Chris...

I got a call yesterday, informing me that a good friend of mine from SPSU, Chris Shaffer, had died. He collapsed on the bus on his way to work. He was 29. Please pray for his wife Jennifer, and their two young children, Makayla and Ben.

This is a picture from one of our labs at school.

Chis was a jokester, and the sign "I Love Digital!!" was a dig at the professor taking the picture. It was an Electronics 2 lab exercise, and Professor Hodges was an analog guy. So, for fun, Chris made up that sign.

We spent countless hours together working on projects, or playing paintball, or just hanging out.

I hadn't seen Chris in a while, and had talked to him a few months ago. He seemed well, and happy. It is sad that someone so young is now gone. It is a statement to how short life really is, and that we are never promised a tomorrow.

R.I.P. Chris.

Format Changes

So, I decided to shake things up a bit. Changed my layout, etc. Gotta keep you all on your toes.

Hopefully I will have a new post sometime this week.

Weekend Adventures

This weekend, we had a few family adventures. Saturday, we decided to go to Stone Mountain, and take the walk-up trail.



We actually made it all the way up to the top! Zachary did a good job climbing up there, and seemed to have fun. The climb down was a bit rougher for him, because he was really tired, and it was really HOT Saturday. But we had a lot of fun.


On Sunday afternoon, we went out to Patrick and Holly's and grilled out some ribs! Before we left, Zachary had to go see the horses. He actually petted a couple this time!


It was a good weekend, and we had a lot of fun!

~E~

Making Brownies...

So, we decided to make some brownies last night. Zachary wanted to help. Here he is helping mix them up (although we had already poured them up at this point, he still wanted to mix).


Here, he figured out he could lick the spatula.

"Mmmmmm...these are yummy, mommy!"
"I like making brownies!"

It was a lot of fun, although he had more on his shirt and face than he had in his tummy.

~E~

Gwinnett Braves Game

Saturday evening, we went to the Gwinnett Braves game. It was opening weekend for the new Gwinnett Stadium, and it was pretty packed. We got seats on the outfield berm, and it was pretty fun.


Out in the berm, they have several of those blow-up bouncy things for the kids to play on. Zachary had fun playing on one of those.


He also enjoyed watching the game (for about 2 minutes), and cheering whenever we did something good.


It was a lot of fun, and something we will probably do a lot more!

~E~

Stone Mountain Choo-Choo Ride...

On Saturday we went to Stone Mountain for a picnic lunch, and walked around a bit. It was a lot of fun. While we were there, we walked over to the "Walk-up Trail" and took the train back to the village. We took the train because Zachary loves trains. We figured, since he slept through his ride at Dollywood last fall, we would see how he liked this one.

He did pretty good. We were far enough back that it wasn't too loud, so he seemed to enjoy it. He actually wanted to get back on and ride again!



~E~

"Then"

Heard this song the other day, and I had to put this here. This is for you, Jess:



I love you, baby!

~E~

Get on your trike and ride!

So, we went up to see Nana and Papa this weekend, and took some time to ride Papa's newest toy, his Harley-Davidson Tri Glide. It is a factory direct trike from Harley and it is sweet.

It was the first time I had ever ridden a motorcycle, but I didn't do too terrible -- I only killed it a couple of times. It was a blast to ride, and everyone enjoyed themselves.


Zachary isn't really sure about it yet, though. Loves to see motorcycles and even Papa's trike, but he doesn't want to get on it yet.

I'm sure that will change sometime soon.

~E~

Happy Birthday Nana!

Today is my mom's birthday! She's a wonderful....well, I'm not going to say how old, because I value my life ;).

Love you mom!
~E~

What Happened?

Well, so much for seeing Junior Griffey in a Braves uniform.

Apparently miffed that the AJC reported he was going to choose the Braves, Griffey backed out of talks with the team, and decided to head back to where it all began for him, in Seattle.

I gotta say, I am disappointed. I was really hoping to see him in Atlanta this year. Oh well. It is what it is.

~E~