Deep Fry

Poetic cliché aside, it truly has been a December to remember. And given we’re now in the wake of Yuletide euphoria, I’d say it’s a fitting time to reminisce on the highlights and milestones of 2013. Truth be told, it’s hard to condense a year into a measly little page, but if the richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten, how much more richness would exist if we commit to retaining it*? Thus, in the spirit of good tiding and immense gratitude, I dedicate this blog to the many I hold dear to heart. Now when it comes to assessing any period of time, I’m a fairly frugal judge. So for me to say 2013 was the second consecutive “best year ever” is worth noting...and celebrating for that matter. For the second straight year, I felt I wasn’t simply starting a new chapter, but an entirely new saga altogether. So one shouldn’t be surprised when I say I can hardly relate to the man I was two, even three, years ago. It simply comes with the territory of accelerated redemption. And ...

Do you ever feel like Charlie Brown bemused to what Christmas is all about, or like Hermey the Elf, wondering where in the world is my place amidst the holiday bedlam? After all, it’s easy to feel lost at Christmas time. We tread through our annual routines, hoping flickering lights, peppermint mochas and the dream of a white Christmas will offer a doubleshot of whatever we’re in desperate need for. Not to mention the marathons of personal enterprise we engage, trading sorrows for stopgaps, all for the sake of getting through the holidays. Truth is : Some people need decked halls and falling snow for it to feel like Christmas at all. But although white pines, laced tinsel and December flakes are truly timely sights to behold, there’s merit in wondering who or what is driving the heart of Christmas. For instance: are we aiming to medicate ourselves through tradition and productivity or are we allowing the light of Christmas to impact our giving and benevolence? For almost anyone ...

We pardon this feast for a moment of ‘nation identification’…you’re listening to the sound of Thanksliving. So stop, look around, breathe in the moment. What do you see? How do you feel? Are you snug in good cheer? Are you smittenly cozy? Or do you hear sound of one far from prosy*? Today we gather as people of blessing, amidst the cranberries, the yams and the dressing. But I have a query that may sound quite quirky: What are you stuffed with and please don’t say ‘turkey’?  It’s good to be full, but ‘of what’ is key.  If we’re made to “run over”**, I’d say start with glee. But a season of thanks goes way beyond joy. It’s loving a grace we’re called to employ. It’s being FULL of what is worth giving. And this, friends, is why I call it Thanksliving. For today is not marked by Macy’s or glace, it’s finding delight in what tends to lose place. Like recalling how God has moved in your life, the glory of motion and favor in rife. So at the risk of sounding outrage...

As October fades into the yuletide preseason, I continue to be stirred in a rather unique way. If you’ve been a follower of my blog for long, then you’ve probably come to realize how part of my heartcry is to grow as a “ minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me…to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations …” (Colossians 1:25-26 ESV). However, in this day and age, arguably the hardest time to pastor in church history, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to believe this desire can be wholesomely satisfied. Let’s face it: people are busy…very busy. And though many can supply a résumé to support the fact, it’s not like a piece of paper can mask how we prize personal ambitions over fellowship. Within Christian community, many claim to value balance, yet wear loaded planners like a badge on the sash of misaligned priorities, oblivious to the growing discrepancy between what is hoped for and what is realized. And th...

Last Sunday, we witnessed a video centered on the physical evidence of God's reality & nature (specifically God’s saving grace and restoration plan through the ark account). Today we're going to focus on the spiritual evidence: a changed life - the greatest miracle this side of heaven. In John 3, Nicodemus, a ruler and leader among the Jews and Pharisees, approaches Jesus and claims He must have come from God based on the signs and wonders worked through Him. In response, Jesus tells him:  “ I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.” In other words, Jesus was challenging Nicodemus to change his worldview and belief system by “ being born again .” Consider the parallels: Before you are born, you are conceived – an internal phenomenon which ultimately develops into an external presence. Before you are born agai...

Previously, we looked at Pink’s “Try”, and discussed how trying can only take us so far - how trying should lead to doing because of our being (i.e. 3D Principle meets 3B Principle). But while we may know and believe this fact, often times, it’s the application – the real-life troubleshooting that provides our toughest challenges. This week, we’re focusing on “Hey Ho” by the Lumineers, and as we listen to the song, note some of the repeated words and themes laced throughout the lyrics. Upon further review, it’s no secret the Lumineers capitalize on strong emotional conditions, especially the desire to belong and be loved. And as the case with many songs streaming through the airwaves of pop culture, the Lumineers hit this popular tune in pulsating fashion. Let’s face it : some of us don't know where we belong. We don't know what true relationship looks like. We’ve heard hundreds of sermons on what makes a good person, yet we haven’t learned how to sustain them...

Last week, we talked about how in Pink's song, 'Try', she places the emphasis on “try” (*shocker*). We also talked about how we shouldn't set the ceiling at 'try' concerning our pursuit of imitating Christ; it’s better to see “try” as a progressive means to the “do”. In addition, we introduced the 3D Principle : Our decisions determine our direction, which ultimately determines our destination. Tonight we're taking the next step in connecting the “do” to the 'be'. In other words, what's the relationship between who we are and what we do - what are actions are? Are we what we do? Or is what we do a byproduct of who we are...or who we think we are? You probably have heard the popular phrase: “Be yourself.” I know for me, the expression immediately conjures up a picture of the genie buzzing around Aladdin's ear in attempt to help him realize an important truth. But in a spiritual decapitated society, can you see how subjective this ...

We all have passions we burn for. Maybe it’s a goal or a risk we envision taking, such as talking to someone outside our comfort zone or taking a stand for what is right. Maybe it’s praying early in the morning and starting the day on the best possible note. The thing is, every time we find these flammable points, we run the risk of being burned. Maybe it's failing. Maybe it's losing friends or popularity. Maybe it's losing comfort or sleep. But so often, those things that run the biggest fire risk also provide the greatest opportunity for return. And sometimes the biggest burns create the most fruitful environment. Take a forest fire. The fire might be devastating, but the nutrients that come from it make the most fertile soil around. Truth is: fear is never a good reason not to move forward. Even if you fall, fail, mess up or lose something in the process, it doesn't mean the end is imminent. But if you fail to start, you are done before you ever took a ste...

  The concept of “river” is quite unique, as it is a fitting symbol for life and the Holy Spirit. As a metaphor of life, a river possesses both positive and negative connotations. For instance, a river can have peaceful moments marked by tranquility, but occasionally be rocky and turbulent. Sometimes, we feel buoyant, enjoying the thrill of the rush; other times, we feel like we’re sinking, barely keeping our head above the water. As a metaphor of the Holy Spirit, a river is a current of God’s nature, channeled through the Spirit to us. Unlike the prior comparison, the river as Spirit is a purely uplifting allegory. For instance, a rushing river, according to Scripture, is a symbol of peace and intimacy with God, in addition to a place where we can feel safe and secure. In the Bible, multiple authors compare life with the Spirit to being known in a prosperous habitation, and life without the Spirit as being lost in a desert wasteland. In John 4, Jesus dialogues with ...

How often are we overcome by the world’s negativity and its effect on us? How often are we overwhelmed by depravity and despair fogging up our understanding of who we are, what we’re supposed to do and why it all matters? Why is it we’re afraid of being known, but also afraid of being overlooked (“I could use some friends for a change, some nights I’m afraid of you’ll forget me again ”)? Why is it we split our spiritual drive in half by occasionally pursuing the right thing the right way and pursuing the right thing the wrong way other times. Should we be surprised to end up dazed and confused, frozen by fear? What will it take for us to realize how turning the light on, even in weakness, is all it takes for God to do something powerful within us. The question then becomes: are we putting ourselves in position to do just that? Are we placing ourselves in situations to look up and reach out when the quicksands of life seek to pull us under? We can become blindly satisfied (“ I was ...