In the Zone

A few years ago, someone showed me this video at a conference I attended. I laughed because, in a lot of ways, it's realistic in a sarcastic kind of way.  The music, the speakers, even the videos are riffs on things I've seen at big churches and ministry conferences. However, at the 1:40 mark or so in the video, the "music guy" makes a statement that makes you laugh, but upon closer inspection, makes you think. While calling for the ushers to come down, he says your giving is "between you and God...but we're tracking it."  It's a funny line.  Until a few years ago, I didn't think much of it.  I look at it differently now. You see, a few years ago, God convicted me of my tithing.  While reading Matthew 6:1-4, I was struck how Christ said we are to give in secret so we would seek heavenly praise instead of earthly praise.  I couldn't get past that phrase "give in secret." I'm a bit old school.  I was taught to give in...

When I was younger, I didn't know how to cope with anger, betrayal, or opposition.  Instead of getting angry or dealing with awkward situations, I often shut those people completely out of my life. Literally, I would stop speaking to them.  Not in a casual way.  No, I made a big production out of it.  I acted like they no longer existed.  I stopped greeting them, looking at them or even acknowledging them.  They could say something to me and I would just glare in their direction.  If they bagged my groceries, I would walk away. Not my finest hour, I admit.  I was immature, naive and socially inept.  Thankfully, I grew out of that stage of my life.  Now I know how to vent, prank call and terrorize their families.  (And please, that is JUST A JOKE.) As I matured, I realized you can't hold grudges forever.  It eats away at you and does little damage to the other person.  I no longer ignore people but try to resolve co...

I’ve always been a bit of an introvert.   Instead of verbalizing my thoughts and angers, I internalize them and share them with no one.   As a natural writer, my anger and shame usually manifested into something on a written page.   Sometimes it was a song.   Other times I would write a note or letter.   During my freshman year of junior high school, it often found its way onto my folders.   I would write thoughts, song lyrics, and band names all over them.   However, in one class, I found myself writing nasty things about a teacher that I didn’t like.   Right next to my Metallica logo would be a nasty comment about this teacher. Some of it was almost vulgar (“almost” depending on your definition of the word vulgar.)   Looking back now, I’m not very proud of what I wrote.   At the time, it was the only outlet I had to express my anger at being called upon or asked to do extra work.   I wrote these things all semester until...

As a society, we don't keep our commitments any more. We give to church, as long as money as extra money is flowing into our bank accounts.  We play on the team as long as our playing time is equal to or greater than the other players.  We play in the band as long as it's fun.  Worse yet, here are some startling statistics: Marriage commitments aren't as strong.  Couples living together has skyrocketed from 430,000 in 1960 to 5.4 million in 2005.  Eight out of 10 couples who live together will break-up before getting married or will end up getting divorced.  Couples who live together have a 50% higher rate of divorce than couples who do not.  We stay pure until we feel left out or pressured or prude, then we go back on our word.  One study of True Love Waits found that only 12 percent of teenagers actually keep their promise of abstinence until marriage. Too often today we just don't mean what we say.  We don't want to offend anyo...