Tag: Living for God

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Thoughts On Technology In Worship

If you’ve never heard of it, there’s this new thing in churches called Environmental Projection. There’s a new company dedicated to expanding worship spaces using- you guessed it- projectors. This is just the latest in a long line of technology-driven “improvements” in worship services.

My initial reaction to this was disbelief, then understanding, then skepticism. I totally understand why it works, and I think it’s extremely cool. But deep down, I’m very cautious of things that we add to the worship service just to make it “more appealing.” Now, before you think I’m a fool, I don’t mean we should try to make the service unappealing. We’re not Franciscan monks. This does bring up a very valid point of discussion, however, and I’d like to indulge in it. There are generally two lines of thought on this. One, we should use whatever means possible to reach the lost and bring people closer to God. This is hard to argue, and with newer technology, it’s getting more and more prevalent. There are even Seminary degrees for Church Media Arts.

The flip side to this is that it is very easy for things like beautiful sanctuaries, large orchestras, feel-good preaching, and so forth to take the focus away from God and His message. If you can only worship in a sanctuary with 360° projectors, a full orchestra, and nice padded seats, then are you worshipping God, or something else? Are we including new technology to reach the lost, or are we simply catering to a specific crowd? Honestly, I don’t really think churches are using technology to “Reach people” as much as they are using it to satiate their existing membership (or woo other churches’ members).

*Disclaimer* I am a born-again techno-geek Renaissance Man. I love technology and the possibilities it brings. I’m also a Bible-believing man, who recognizes God, and more specifically, God personified in the form of Jesus Christ. I like technology, but I also understand that it is simply a tool, a means to an end, not an end in and of itself. I do not believe in technology for its own sake! Everything should have a purpose, and apart from that, it is by definition unnecessary.

So where do I stand on this? Where should the Church stand on this? Well, I wish it were simple, but there’s a few things to consider. Continue reading “Thoughts On Technology In Worship”

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FOMO Is Ruining My Life

2 Corinthians 10.

I have a problem… and chances are, you have the same problem, too.

I hate missing out. In modern culture, this tendency is called “FOMO,” or “Fear of Missing Out.”

And after I sit and think about it for a while, I realize just how pervasive and deep-rooted this is in my life. The more I look, the more I realize it’s driven almost every aspect of where I’ve been and where I’m going. Social Media has only made it worse.

And why shouldn’t we hate missing out? We should experience life to the fullest, right? We should reach for the stars, climb the highest heights, go big or go home! Right? Right??

But that’s not how it works. It’s taken me a long time, but I’m realizing that everything costs something. Every time I want to go run off and experience some cool new thing, there’s something else in my life that has to give. When I want to go catch a concert (because hey, I may never see it again!) there’s consequences. Someone else pays for my spontaneity. Continue reading “FOMO Is Ruining My Life”

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Scars Are Not A Sign of Weakness

I’ve noticed that in the last few years, I’ve accumulated a lot of scars. Everything from ant bites to major surgery seems to leave a scar on me. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t even care if I have scar spots all over my hands, arms, and legs… it’s pretty much unavoidable.

But why do we spend so much time trying to hide our scars? Are we trying not to be judged? Will people think I’m not as attractive if I have staple marks on my head, or discolored lumps on my thigh? What about wrinkles and age spots?

I hate to say it, but I’m not young anymore. Not physically, anyway. I’m pushing 40, which is a long way from 18. Further away from 18 than when I was born. When I look in the mirror, I’m presented with a mix-n-match splatter of skin tones, based upon how long ago the scar was formed. Some of them you almost can’t see. You wouldn’t know they were there if I didn’t show you, but each and every one has a memory tied to it. They remind me of times when I was more reckless… more spontaneous… and less inclined to care.

I have a lot of spiritual and mental scars, as well. They don’t show up often, as I’ve learned to hide them well. We all do. However, you can’t hide scars from everybody, and you can’t hide anything from God. If you’ve been hurt, He knows.

Some people will say “It’s God’s fault I have scars!”

Well, yes. It’s also a doctor’s fault I have an 18″ scar running down my left leg. If it weren’t for that scar, I would probably have never walked without crutches or a cane. It’s a scar I’m willing to deal with, because it’s a sign of healing. The damage underneath would have been much worse without the scar.

Some of my scars are from my own stupidity. Like the time I cut my fingertip with a razor knife. Or the other time I cut a different fingertip with a pair of scissors. Or the time I… well, you get the idea. Sometimes it’s just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I have a lot of scars like that. Bug bites, scratches, cuts, you name it. After a while, I tend to forget they’re there. They blend into my self-image so that even I don’t see them. And I look good in the mirror.

But every now and then my scars will itch, and remind me of my past. I have one particular scar that is over two years old, and it’s still healing. Still discolored. Still itches and aches when the weather changes. It’s still ugly, but it’s in a spot where nobody can see it unless I show them. It is fading- slowly- but at this rate it will be decades before it turns the same color as my skin, and it will probably never smooth down to where it’s not noticeable.

I’m okay with scars now. It’s taken some time, but over the years, God has healed my wounds inside and out. Every time it happens, I think “Man, what an ugly scar!” but it’s proof that God is there, pulling me through, healing me. Now I tend to get scars from almost everything. And you know what? It doesn’t bother me.

I’m not done healing. It may take some time. In your life, it may take some time, too. You might have some pretty big wounds, but God can heal them all. They do leave scars, but underneath, there is real healing going on.

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Change “I Want” to “I Will”

Recently, I was reading a Charlotte Mason book on homeschooling, and came across this quote:

Children should be taught to distinguish between “I want” and “I will”.

And it got me thinking. This is primarily directed towards teaching and training children, but it struck me how applicable this is to everybody, especially in today’s ridiculously backwards society.

How many times have we said to ourselves, “I just want….” or even “I’d really like it if…” when we really are saying “I wish things were different.” The truth is, we can’t change anything except ourselves, which includes our attitudes.

What if instead of saying “I want to know more about God” we say something like “I will spend twenty minutes a day reading my Bible.” Did you know you can read through the entire Bible in about 90 days if you read 20 minutes a day?

Instead of saying “I want to write a book” we say “I will spend an hour today writing.” Did you know if you can write 1500 words a day, you can write a novel in about a month?

Instead of saying “I want to save for retirement” we instead say “I will stop eating out and wasting money, and put that into my 401K.” Did you know you can retire early (and even be debt-free!) if you do simple things like this? It’s not as difficult as it sounds.

What if instead of “I want to lose weight and get in shape” we say “I will eat smaller meals, and get a little more exercise?” Did you know, just controlling your meal portions and getting a few hours of exercise a week is all it takes? Like 40 pounds in 3 months.

What it boils down to, then, is that we always want things to happen, but we’re not willing to take the first step. And truthfully, most things we want to accomplish are easily doable if we just take it one step at a time.

How do I know this? Because I’ve done all four of these things. I’m not a superhero, either. And they weren’t that hard if you break them down into manageable chunks. It’s not magic! It just takes the willingness to take the first step.

So… don’t just say “I want.” Nothing will change.

Get up and take the first step.

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Two Years And Counting: Looking Back

I can’t believe it’s been two years. It seems like much longer, considering.

Two years since what?

Two years since I had my life turned upside down, through no fault of my own, and ended up laid out in a hospital room with my femur shattered in about 8 pieces, indebted to the hospital for $100,000.

It’s kind of a bittersweet remembrance. Of course, there are parts of it I wish I could forget, like the feeling of being slammed into a car’s windshield. I wish I could forget when they installed a traction pin through my knee with a cordless drill. I wish I could forget screaming at the top of my lungs when they moved me from table to table to table in order to get MRI scans. I wish I could remember everything that happened in the hospitals, the people who visited me, the things people told me about when I wasn’t strung out on painkillers.

But it’s not just about what I do and don’t remember. If life were just a series of random events, then all we’d have to do is wait for it to be over. Instead, I’ve chosen to look and actively see what God is trying to show me. Sometimes it’s obvious, and sometimes it’s not.

It’s not about what I do and don’t remember from the last two years that gets me. When I look back and try to remember the things I learned about myself, and about God, it reminds me that there is so much more to life than just waiting out your time.

I learned that God is extremely patient- to a point. Eventually He will get your attention.

I learned that no matter how strong you are, there are always situations that can and will break you.

No matter how broken you are, God still loves you, and He will bring you through it if you let Him.

It’s easier to hear God when you’re immobilized in a hospital bed with nowhere to go and nothing else to do but listen.

Sometimes listening to God is hard. Sometimes it’s painful, but necessary (like surgery). Sometimes it’s like a breath of fresh air. It always puts me at peace.

I learned that nothing in life is more important than spending time with God. Nothing. Without that, everything else kind of falls apart.

I learned that I could speak honestly with people, and more often, if I shared my hardships with them. People don’t want to listen to advice from someone who’s never been through hardship.

Hardships are well, hard. Sometimes unbearably hard. That’s okay, sometimes. You just have to lean on God.

There are many other things I learned while I healed, and I’m trying every day to remember them and live them out. Once your life has been turned around by God, you begin to understand how He works, and how He works through the rough times. He’s there.

Some days I wish I didn’t have a messed up leg. Every time it rains, my whole leg aches. It itches. It twinges and aches when I exercise, it hurts even more when I don’t. It’s a constant reminder of how I could have died… but didn’t. It reminds me that God is with me, every day, in every circumstance.

I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

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38 Years, Looking Back

I admit it, I’m an old fogey. Sometimes I get grumpy, and I am getting to where I like things just so. I get irritated with noisy neighbors, I eat my vegetables, and gosh darn it, some days I just feel old.

But on the other hand, I’ve seen a lot of amazing things in the 38 years God has blessed me with. I’ve seen people’s lives turned around, I’ve traveled the country, I’ve begun an incredible journey into being a husband and father- and been blessed with outstanding children (not to mention my one-of-a-kind wife) and so I have nothing to complain about. In the last two years, I’ve been at my lowest, and my highest, and everything in between. I’ve stared God in the face and what He reflected back to me was something I’ll never forget. It’s humbling, it’s encouraging, it’s exciting, and it’s frightening all at the same time. I now know what I am to do with the fleeting days that God has given me. It’s just up to me now to live them out, and do the very best I can at it.

I’ve come to realize that if I’m being the father I’m supposed to be, it doesn’t matter if I never get a publishing deal, or a recording contract. Those things are cool, but they’re fleeting. They don’t last. I am thoroughly happy doing whatever God wants me to do. For now, it’s writing on my blog. Tomorrow, it might be writing a national bestseller. I don’t know.

All I know is, without God in your life, you don’t have much of a life. Do you know where your life is headed?