Have you ever seen this? Automatic sprinklers running while its raining? Talk about wasted resources!

Now, this isn’t to say that I have a problem with sprinklers. In fact, I think irrigation is a good thing. God has created plants to need water and also provides rain. But he has also given us dominion of the earth – and with that, the responsibility to take care of it.

However, unless we’re trying to set up an irrigation system in anticipation of the future, I believe that it is totally ludicrous for us to irrigate while God is providing rain. Unless God has directed us to do so, there is no need or reason for us to try to do what God is already doing.

All too often, however, we start something that is necessary at the time and then never check to see if it’s still needed. We set up a system and never actually manage it. We just turn it on and walk away. We pay our spiritual water bill and assume the investment of our resources is actually needed.

This applies to ministry too

How often do we set up spiritual automatic sprinklers and just let them go to town? Do we set things in motion and then never re-evaluate whether we need to continue? What are we trying to provide that God has already provided?

Let’s take a look at our lives and ministries. Is there anything that we’re trying to take care of – to provide – that God has provided? If so, thank God for his provision. And then let’s ask him if he wants us to continue in it.

It’s possible there’s something else he wants us to do – but that we won’t have the needed resources because we’re investing them elsewhere.

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• It’s a Twestival!
• In Honor of the Rain
• What is the Answer?

I’ll say it again – a word from God is precious. It’s a lamp for our feet, a light for our paths, truth, life, awesome, guidance, preservation, strength, correction, encouragement, and hope – and this is just from Psalm 119.

But how can you know that you’ve heard from God? For that matter, does God even speak to people?

Well, I believe God does speak to people. I believe that he does it in historically demonstrable ways. And I believe that you can know when God has spoken to you.

Where’s the checklist?

Many posts like this would continue on with a checklist of things you could look for – a checklist that you might be able to use to weigh out a word that a prophet has spoken. Or to weigh out a sense of direction or purpose in your life and so on.

I would like to start with a few ground rules but I don’t want that to be the focus of this post or of your interaction with God’s voice.

• A word from God will not contradict the counsel of Scripture
• A word from God will glorify God, not you or somebody (or something) else
• A word from God is true and will come true

But here’s where I want to focus my energy:

The key to being able to understand whether you’ve heard from God is to know the voice and nature of God. In short, to know God. This will take an investment of time in prayer, Bible study, and relationship with other followers of Jesus of Nazareth.

These three elements are interwoven in such a way that they are difficult to dissect. They form a living, dynamic feedback loop that increases your knowledge of God. You become simultaneously more familiar with the Holy while increasing your awe of his nature (if I can momentarily debase him with the word “nature”).

As you grow in study, prayer, and fellowship, you begin to understand what God has said in his written word. You know what he’s already said, the kinds of things he says, how he says them, and how they impact you and others. You see the way Jesus modeled the will of the Father and how others model the will of Jesus. You begin to know the voice of the Holy Spirit through the Bible, through personal revelation, and through the words and lives of others as he reveals Jesus to you and convicts you of sin. You begin to know God.

And as you grow in the knowledge of God – as he becomes simultaneously more familiar and awesome – you begin to know the voice of God. You begin to be able to understand when God is speaking and what he is saying. And you begin to follow more closely.

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• The Big “D”
• 4 Things You Can do Every Day to Improve Your Spiritual Effectiveness
• Small Groups

Some of you may have noticed that I haven’t posted any blog updates in the past couple of weeks. For that I apologize first and then explain second.

I’m sorry that I haven’t posted anything in the past couple of weeks. I’ve actually been busy being the Body of Christ. I’ve been presented with a number of “divine interruptions” and haven’t updated. I guess I figured it was more important to live the Gospel than to write about it.

I do hope to post more frequently in the future. I think you deserve that of me.

In the meantime, I would like to recommend a couple of excellent books. Both were recommended to me by my good friend John Key the director of Community Servants in Smyrna, TN.

First, if you wonder how the story of grace intertwines with sowing and reaping, you should check out The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Andy Stanley. In it, he reminds us that our destination in life is determined by the path we choose. This is highly recommended if you’d like a better understanding of how the choices you make affect your destiny.

Second, When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor. . .and Ourselves presents a comprehensive view poverty and of the Gospel and how it affects our lives, relationships and poverty. This is not another presentation of the “prosperity gospel,” the “social gospel,” or the “personal piety gospel.” I’m definitely going to have to go through this one again – it’s rocking my boat. I believe it’ll rock yours as well.

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• What Can I Do?
• How Can Spouses be Good to Each Other?
• Jesus is the Center

This evening I had to make a quick run to the grocery store to pick up some flour for Katherine – my amazing wife. On the way home I was struck by God’s amazing gifts in the mundane miracles.

As I drove, I began to see the transition towards autumn and hear frogs singing in the background. Dusk is coming earlier and the temperature is dropping. The weather is shifting towards mist and intermittent light rain. Soon the leaves will begin to change colors as nature prepares for winter. In short, it’s comfortable, mundane, and beautiful.

What are Mundane Miracles?

This is one of God’s mercies in my life. One of his mundane miracles – the miracles that flow from the mind of God daily. The miracles that we miss if we don’t realize that all of creation glorifies God – sings his praises if you will – but that we recognize if we just take the time to ponder the mundane. The little miracles that we think are just part of the cycle of life and seasons. The miracles that we miss if we focus too much on our destinations, arrivals, and goals and forget to enjoy the journey.

God didn’t have to make dusk comfortable to me. He didn’t have to make a song specific to frogs. He didn’t have to fill my life with his presence. He didn’t have to do anything. And yet he did.

Reflect and Respond

Take a few minutes to reflect on God’s mundane miracles in your life. What are they? What is your response to the mundane miracles? What is your response to God?

Lord Jesus Christ, creator of all, thank you for your presence in my life. For your miracles, revealed and hidden, mundane and extraordinary. Thank you for your gifts of grace into my life, for the comfort of dusk, for the joy in a glance of my wife’s smile, for the softness of a cat’s fur, and for purpose in life and work. You are already more than I deserve – beyond compare – and you still bless me with more. Thank you.

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• Purpose 1
• What’s Free?
• Why Should Spouses be Good to Each Other?

The question: What Hinders Spiritual Growth?

To say that some things assist in spiritual growth, while others can stymie spiritual growth is elementary. And yet, it’s easy enough to forget that spiritual growth requires personal growth – that a spiritual life must be lived.

We’ve already reviewed some very basic things that you can do every day to facilitate spiritual growth and to increase our spiritual effectiveness. Let’s now take a look at what might hinder our growth (or at least what has hindered my spiritual growth in the past).

One Major Hindrance

Failure to submit my life and my actions to Jesus.

That’s it. I could probably try to break down my experience into categories such as sin or lack of knowledge. Or talk about selfishness or laziness or pride. Or perhaps knowing the Word of God but not living it. But ultimately it comes down to that one thing – not submitting my life to Jesus.

When I fail to spend time with God in personal devotion, I’m not submitting to God.
When I don’t express God’s love to somebody, I’m not submitting to God.
When I choose my pleasure instead of God’s best for me, I’m not submitting to God.
When I fill my life with things other than God, I’m not submitting to God.

It’s My Fault

My failure to grow is not the fault of my circumstances. Or the work of the devil. Or the fault of society. Or a plot by the educational system – or whatever else might be the recipient of my blame. The fault is mine.

The Solution is Simple

• Submit and draw near to God
• Resist the devil
• Purify my life, heart, and thinking
• Be sober-minded

In short – repent and seek God’s forgiveness.

James 4:7-10
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

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• Life is a Spiritual Exercise
• Hallelujah
• Look Around. God’s There.

We are heading out for a marriage retreat this weekend. While I’m looking forward to learning more about myths of marriage, solid foundations for marriage, and what spouses can do to be good to each other, I’m most looking forward to spending some quality time with Katherine – my amazing wife – and some quality time with God.

We have never been on a marriage retreat before, so this will be a new experience for us. We would certainly appreciate your prayers over the weekend. Without the hand of God, we’ll just be spending time away from our usual weekend.

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• What Can God Do? (bdentzy.com)
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• Why Should Spouses be Good to Each Other?
• Life is a Spiritual Exercise
• I’m Walkin’

A couple of weeks ago I wrote something about spouses being good to each other and why spouses should be good to each other. These were in response to a message brought by Pastor Barbie Loflin (@sheteaches on Twitter). I’d like to follow those two “theoretical” posts with a post dedicated to making theory into practice.

I Want Your Comments

Before I even head down this road I would like to say that I don’t begin to know all of the answers. In fact, I’m hoping that I hear many great ideas from you. And that because I am a follower of Jesus, my comments will certainly be bent towards the perspective of living the Gospel.

My (Incomplete) List

Here are just a few ways that spouses can be good to each other.

• Pray
  Spend some time with God each day. Make sure that you are putting some time and effort into maintaining your relationship with God. Pray for your spouse. Pray for your family. Pray for your enemies.
• Read the Bible
  The Bible is the foundation for Truth in your life. It is how God has chosen to reveal himself to humanity.
• Learn Your Spouse’s Love Language
  Learn your spouse’s love language. And make every effort to build them up using their love language.
• Encourage Your Spouse
  Encourage your spouse as a person. Recognize success and growth. Find at least one thing a day about which you can praise your spouse.
• Date Your Spouse
  Go do something your spouse enjoys. Play a game. Talk for a while. Walk down the street holding hands.
• Brag on Your Spouse
  Brag on your spouse – whether he or she is present or not. Recognize his or her good qualities. Recognize what he or she brings to the relationship and adds your family and your life together.

Now for Your Comments & Stories

How about you? What is missing from my list? Do you have a story of how your spouse has shown love to you? Of how your spouse has lived the Gospel?

Share those in the comments section.

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• Why Should Spouses be Good to Each Other?
• After My Hiatus
• How to Improve Your Relationship With God

Dave Ramsey says that one of the chief cause of financial woes is a disease that he calls “stuffitis.” I would say that stuffitis – the pursuit of “stuff” – is one of the chief causes of all kinds of woes ranging from financial to interpersonal to spiritual to emotional.

Stuffitis has at its root the lie that has afflicted all of us since Adam and Eve bought the first lie in the Bible – if you eat this fruit, you’ll be like God. You can take care of your needs. You can indulge yourself. You know better than God.

I know this lie has afflicted me in a number of ways. Several years ago I had a “thing” with home audio equipment. I subscribed to several high-end audio magazines and spent hours each week worshiping them and the life they promised me. I knew exactly what I wanted – a Wadia CD player, a Krell amplifier, and Thiel loudspeakers. Never mind that I didn’t have the $250,000 that I would have needed for those three components.

Then, one day I was thinking about my obsession. Sure, I love music and sound. But what was really going on?

I was trying to create my own heaven.

This propensity continues to this day in my life. I still want an iPhone and a new MacBook. Never mind that I have a PC from work that cost me nothing, that I have an iMac from a couple of years ago, that my wife has a perfectly good MacBook already, that I have an iPod Video and an iPod Shuffle. Why in the world would I need more stuff?

Stuff (like any addiction) never satisfies.

We know it’s true. We’re addicted to stuff. We know that the “next thing” will not satisfy. But we long for it. We thirst for it. Like any addict, our minds are filled with thoughts of how to get our next “stuff” fix. We ponder what we’re willing to trade away for it. We spend hours trying to figure out how to justify it to ourselves and others and telling ourselves that we will be the exception – that it will really work this time.

We know they’re nothing more than a mirage in the desert of a God-deprived life but we believe the lies. We believe the lies we tell ourselves. We believe the lies that others tell us. We believe that we can heaven outside of God – that we can take charge of our own fulfillment.

And we fail to believe that God is sufficient.

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• What’cha Got in That Bag?
• Look Around. God’s There.
• Read the Label

Often, a single interaction can make or break our opinion of something. And while it’s possible to overcome a first impression, it takes a whole lot more work than just getting it right the first time.

Based on a first impression with a person, we may assume that person is either open or closed, warm or cold, focused or distracted, and so on. But what if that person is also representing a community?

It’s the same with community

A first experience with a community will leave an impression of whether it’s an open or closed community, warm or cold, engaging or disengaging, interested, disinterested, or self-interested. But here’s the rub: if you’re a part of a community, somebody’s first reaction to that community could be their interaction with you – whether you want to believe it or not.

Followers of Jesus are part of a community

As followers of Jesus of Nazareth, we are part of a global, multi-generational, multi-ethnic community that was established before the foundations of the earth. We are ambassadors for Christ and ministers of reconciliation.

What is true on the grand scale is also true on the local scale. And is even true on the personal scale. We are always ministers of the Good News of Jesus Christ. We always represent him and his body – the Church.

It is this way whether we know it or not. Whether we want to admit it or not. Whether we are warm or cold. Whether we’re tired or energetic. Whether we – as individuals, as communities, as the Church universal – represent God well or poorly.

Here are my questions

I’m asking them to myself. I’m not sure I like the answers.
Do you like the answers when you ask yourself?

• What kind of first impression do you give?
• What kind of first impression does your spiritual community give?
• Do you like your answers to these questions?
• If not, what can you do to change your answers?

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• We’re Not Alone
• Unfulfilled Expecatations
• The Lillies

A couple of days ago I wrote that Community is a Gift from God. I’d like to spend just a little time working on a definition of “community.” At least community as I understand it.

The word “community” can be used to describe a number of things – loosely defined as “a group of interacting organisms sharing an environment”. This could describe nearly anything from a bacterial culture to a city to the entirety of the earth’s population – human, animal, and plant.

I’d like to be a little more specific – I’ll be working with a community of people. I’d like to look at what we might consider some of the generic elements of communities of people.

Here’s my working definition of community:

A network of human relationships built fundamentally around proximity and sharing.

First, a community must contain more than one person.
This is nearly a given. A community must be a group of people. Anything less cannot be a community.

Second, a community must involve sharing.
At the very least, a community must share an environment, though most communities share much more than just an environment. Whether voluntary or involuntary, explicit or implicit, sharing is involved.

• Shared Location – House, City, Land, Meeting Place
• Shared Resources – Natural, Intellectual, Spiritual, Financial
• Shared Identity – Ethnicity, Morality, Name
• Shared Goals – Achievement, Purpose, Direction

As we look through different examples of community – families, educational communities, municipalities, spiritual communities, online communities, ethnic communities, professional communities, and gated communities – we see both relationship and sharing. Some relationships are mature and balanced. Some are not.

In an “ideal” community, we would see sharing and depth of relationship as described in Acts 2:42-47. A place where people are called to action by love and submission to the will of God, not by the constraint of man or the fear of the Law.

And with that I’d like to leave you with a few questions.

• As you think through your relationships and communities, how well do you share?
• Are your communities “tight-knit” or loosely bound?
• Are they healthy? How healthy? What makes them healthy?
• Are your communities marked by liberty or law? Must behavior be legislated?
• Do you trust God in your communities?

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• Jesus is the Center
• The Greatest in the Kingdom
• Community is a Gift from God

Lately, there I’ve heard and read quite a bit about community. It’s becoming a piece of popular culture as would-be gurus are telling us how we can build “community” to sell products, how we can harness the power of social media and communities, and how relationships are strengthened (or weakened) by digital media. Shucks, I’ve even thought a little about how I might benefit if I could create community.

To be sure, there is always a buck to be made by somebody who figures out how to “work the system.” But these miss the point of community. Community – true community – is a gift from God and flows from him. While we can create infrastructure to facilitate community, we can’t actually create community.

We were created in the image of God – a Triune God who has existed since before eternity in community with himself (Genesis 1:26). In his image, we were created and put into right relationship with God, with each other, and with all of creation. But when we fell from grace because of our sin, we lost that right relationship.

Since that time, we have been unable to live in right relationship – in right community with each other. It is because of sin that we have wars and selfishness and oppression, fear and self-protection, lying, cheating, and stealing. It is because of sin that all of our best efforts to build community (even the selfless efforts of idealists) fall short.

It is only through the work of God in our lives that we can begin to live out true community. When we accept the gift of God through Jesus of Nazareth we can begin to be open and honest, living in the light of God’s Holy Spirit in relationship with each other and without fear (1 John 1:7).

Cherish community and defend it vehemently. It is a gift from God.

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• Jesus is the Center
• Make a Great First Impression
• How to Improve Your Relationship With God

Over the last few days I’ve been thinking quite a bit about the Gospel because of a blog posting that I read at Signposts 02 asking what is or is not the Gospel. In fact, I’m writing this in response to a request by specksandplanks. To be fair, this is probably a post I should have written some time ago and I would definitely like to thank specksandplanks for calling me out on it.

Before I begin, though, I would like to say that of all the responses I read, there was one that stood out to me, posted by Teddy. It’s a video of John Piper’s presentation of what the gospel is (an event, an experience, etc), which I also shared with my Facebook friends. If you haven’t already seen the video, you should definitely check it out here.

The Gospel is both simple enough that a child can understand it and so beautifully faceted and shaded with nuance and glory that it will take the full understanding of all those who name the name of Jesus to begin to understand it.

The Gospel begins with God.

Actually everything begins and ends with the Triune God – Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit.

There is no other place to begin and God is big enough that I can’t begin to describe him. That said, here is my feeble attempt. God is absolutely holy. He is the creator, owner, and sustainer of absolutely everything. He is the definition of beauty and love and light and all that is magnificent. He is without compare. He is the totally righteous judge and yet the author of mercy and grace. He is beyond definition. All of creation speaks of his invisible attributes – his divine wisdom and power – and yet all of this is not enough to describe him. Everything that is created exists within him. He is the lover of the unlovely. He protects the widow, the orphan, and is a father to the fatherless. He is the very source of all life and all of time and eternity rests within the palm of his hand.

The Gospel addresses the human condition.

We are messed up. We are all sinners, born into sin and a cursed world.

We are separated from a right relationship with God because of our sin, completely unable to be made right with God of our own efforts. We are damned to an eternity without God, unable to exist in or even enter his manifest presence. We are without hope. There is absolutely nothing that we can do to obtain God’s favor.

(this is the small section because the Gospel is really about God, not us)

The Gospel focuses on Jesus of Nazareth.

Through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, we can be restored to relationship with God.

It was always God’s plan for humanity to be restored to right relationship with him. But because we were (and are) unable to be made right with God, Jesus, out of obedience to the Father’s plan, came to do that which we are unable.

Jesus of Nazareth, God incarnate, fully God and fully man, lived a perfect life of obedience to God so that he could offer himself up as a sacrifice for our sins. He took our punishment on himself so that we could receive the gift of eternal life, which is to “know God, the one true God, and Jesus Christ” (John 17:3).

The Gospel is a free offer.

You don’t have to do anything but accept it by faith.

God extends us this offer – a free offer – to be restored to right relationship with God through faith in Jesus of Nazareth. You don’t have to – in fact you can’t – do anything to get it.

• You don’t have to earn it. You can’t earn it.
• You don’t have to buy it. You cant.
• You can’t bypass or circumvent it.

It is only through faith in Jesus of Nazareth that our sins can be forgiven and we can be restored to right relationship with God. But if we do come to God through faith in Jesus Christ, he restores us to right relationship with himself and makes us completely new – reborn if you will.

There are some other things I would like to discuss here – wonderful things that God has put in the Bible. But these things are all results of the Gospel. They are effects or byproducts of the Gospel. But if they were all to fall away, the Gospel alone remains and is more than sufficient.

Please, if you have questions or comments, feel free to contact me directly or leave them below.

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• Community is a Gift from God
• A Word from God is Precious
• What is the Answer?

God has a high calling on our lives. He has given us amazing things to do. But there’s always more to do than the time to do it. We continually have to make trade-offs. We either make them by choice or they are made for us when we run out of time.

How do we know what we should do? How do we decide what is the best thing for us to do with our time?

Check out this video of Craig Groeschel at the Leadership Summit.

Here are the questions that Craig asks on this video:

• What are you doing that you should stop doing?
• What opportunity are you not seeing?

Ask yourselves these questions. And keep asking them.

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• We Traded Our Future For…
• Who Does God Love?
• Life is a Spiritual Exercise

From time to time I find myself in discussions around tithing and giving. Questions and comments come up such as “Why does the Church need my money?” or “The New Testament doesn’t tell us to tithe.”

My wife and I tithe – we do it as a couple because the Bible says that the “two shall become one flesh.” It is something that we discuss and work on together. We also give to the church, to charities, and to individuals above our tithe.

I’m not going to spend any time here arguing for or against the tithe. My purpose here is not to lay out any lofty arguments or to prove that I am (or am not) clever and intelligent. Rather, I’m just laying out why I (we – my wife and I) tithe.

• I see it in the Bible – I see it clearly in the Old Testament. And I see the principle at work in the New Testament. Further, I don’t see any mandate in the New Testament that negates the tithe.
• Everything belongs to God – Tithing is one way that I can acknowledge with my will and with my actions that everything I “have” is God’s and is under his control. It goes well beyond a tithe – but that’s where it starts for me.
• It’s my statement of faith and prosperity – Tithing says that my God has so blessed me that I don’t even need all that he has given me. He has given me so much that I can return 10% to him and I am still blessed beyond all measure.

The following are not some reasons I tithe.

• My tithing is not manipulation so that God will bless me – God can’t be manipulated
• My tithing is not to get forgiveness – I’ve already been forgiven because of what God has done for me through Jesus of Nazareth.
• My tithing is not because I’m afraid – I am not motivated by the fear that God will take something away if I don’t tithe.
• My tithing is not to “buy” God’s love – I can’t purchase what has been freely given

I have already been blessed beyond measure. How can I do any less than to honor God with at least 10% of my income?

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• A Wealth of Choices
• Why Should Spouses be Good to Each Other?
• Why I Need the Church

A couple of days ago, I wrote about a right (Biblical) relationship between a husband and wife. How submission and surrender can be freeing and can help the “two become one flesh” (Mark 10:8). I trust that you went to listen to Pastor Barbie’s sermon, where she laid out a beautiful picture of how this can look. A picture filled with grace and freedom, not condemnation and legalism.

So now the question follows: Why?

Why should a wife an wife pursue a right relationship with each other? What’s the point? Here are five reasons, just off the top of my head. Perhaps you have some more – share those in the comments section below.

1. It’s in the Bible (Ephesians 5:21-33) – For a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, this alone should be a good reason.
2. A right relationship between husband and wife improves their marriage.
3. When things are right at home, we are free to minister to others.
4. The relationship between a husband and a wife reflect on the nature of God (refer again to Ephesians 5:21-33).
5. We are better role models for our children – when we model a good relationship, we give our children a chance to have a marriage relationship that is as good as (or better than) our own.

Perhaps you know of some reasons as well. Perhaps you have a story of how your parents’ relationship has affected your life. You should share those in the comments section below. I’d love to hear your stories.

I’ll close with the chorus from “Daughters” by John Mayer. Fathers and mothers, be good to your daughters (and sons). Treat them well. Raise them well. And model a Biblical marriage relationship.

Fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too

John Mayer “Daughters”
Heavier Things Sony 2003

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• Spouses Be Good to Each Other
• How Can Spouses be Good to Each Other?
• Marriage Retreat Weekend

In the Epistle to the Ephesians, Paul tells us that wives should “submit to their own husbands.” This, however, is not a license to subjugate women to the whims of men. In fact, teaching this is a misuse of the word of God and requires that we ignore the context of this passage.

At the risk of being accused of taking scripture out of context, I’m only including a small portion of this passage. You can however, view the section here, to see whether I’m looking at all of it.

Ephesians 5:22-23
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

Ephesians 5:25-27
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Here’s the thing, though. While I’ve known for some time that this prescription for marriage relationship was much more beautiful than a man saying “do this,” I’ve never had a good understanding of how to explain it.

Enter Pastor Barbie Loflin (Twitter, Facebook, Blogger). She presented the most beautiful picture of submission and surrender in the context of a marriage that I have ever heard. Of the holy embrace of husband and wife as they work out their relationship, endeavoring to become one flesh.

There’s no way I can do her message justice. You should check out the whole thing here.

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• Why Should Spouses be Good to Each Other?
• Marriage Retreat Weekend
• How Can Spouses be Good to Each Other?

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day in Nashville. I sent out a quick survey on Twitter and Facebook, asking people what was their favorite “summer” song. These little “surveys” are fun and help us get to know each other in non-threatening ways.

First, the Twitter post:

It’s a beautiful day in Nashville. What’s your favorite “summer” song?
@bdentzy on Twitter

Here are your responses. Links provided to Twitter profiles since they’re public. As always, protecting privacy while giving props.

@RAM1950 – Daydream – Luvin’ Spoonful
@stevegrossman – “Walkin’ On Sunshine” is all I can come up with. Let the shouting me down begin…
@MARYE_2010 – Summertime- Kenny Chesney.
@epecho – Summertime by Will Smith. Yell at me all you like! I like the Fresh Prince. I know parents just don’t understand.
Edwin Britt – At the moment the complete album “Days of Future Passed” by the Moody Blues..Beautiful orchestration and symphonic melodies.
Jamie Crabtree – Dust” by Augustana. It’s got a great slow and lazy bass that’s perfect for driving around with the windows down at night.
Jesse Fletcher – Gotta go with “In the Summertime” by Mungo Jerry. Although just about any Beach Boys tune will do.
Rodney Boyd – What about a little…Slicin’ Sand by Elvis?
Teri Mo – “Lido Shuffle” by Boz Scaggs. It just SOUNDS like summer.
Rodney Boyd take 2 – “Take off your shoes…let down your hair…turn on the music and you’ll get somewhere…Oooooooooo baby hold my hand… we’ll have some real rockin’ fun in the sun…slicin’ sand.”
Katherine Entzminger – Wipeout – The Fat Boys and Beach Boys

The ones that have been running through my head for the past 2 days:

• Blue Skies – Willie Nelson from Stardust
• Sunny Side of the Street – Willie Nelson from Stardust
• Convertibles – Whiteheart from Don’t Wait for the Movie

Now before you go all postal on me, no, I’m not a huge fan of country music. I will say, however, that I am a fan of good music – even if it’s by a country artist. Willie Nelson has an amazing voice and does a great job of interpreting these two jazz standards.

If you missed the contest, you can still head over to bdentzy.com and vote by leaving a comment. Or you can just make sure we all know if you agree/disagree with one of the songs above. Have a good time and get to know some people.

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• In Honor of the Rain
• Looking for e-Lationship
• Marriage Retreat Weekend

The other day I was driving to work and ended up going past a (then-deceased) skunk lying in the middle of the road. Believe it or not, there was a particularly pungent odor around the skunk. I could smell it well before I saw the skunk and it’s scent lingered even after I had passed that cute little varmint.

The skunk wasn’t ugly. Actually, it was kind of cute. But that cute little bugger packed an odoriferous punch that was nearly beyond compare. There was certainly no way that a little Febreez would have covered the malodorous air of our furry little friend.

I believe that our our sin stinks. It makes it impossible for us to be in close relationship with God – and there’s no way we can cover up the smell. And we sure can’t pretend our sinful stench simply isn’t there.

That’s where I’m going to leave this one. I have other posts related to forgiveness and the grace of God. You should definitely check those out.

But we do need to remember that these are not an excuse to continue in sin – it still stinks.

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• It Takes a Village
• After My Hiatus
• The Way Back Machine

Every part of life is spiritual. We simply can’t get away from it. We are created in the image of God and, fallen from grace as we are, we are still formed in the image of God, living here on earth.

Every element of our lives is an opportunity. An opportunity to give and receive grace. An opportunity to commune with God, the Father and creator of all. An opportunity to succeed. Or not.

I think that we often see this the other way around. We view life through the lenses of fallen experience, not holy opportunity. Whether individually or as a community, we tend to focus on the negatives. We focus on resisting temptation (a good thing) rather than moving towards God. We focus on becoming “less bad” rather than allowing God to be good in and through us.

It’s time that we reset this paradigm. We need to realize that every temptation, though real, is an opportunity for us to choose well. Every stress and difficulty is an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to work in us. Every time we are tempted not to love, we have the opportunity to choose to love.

When we do so, we are submitting to the will of God. We are being formed into the image of Jesus of Nazareth, growing into the high calling that is on our lives. Our God is amazing and does amazing things in and through us when we will let him.

So, here’s my encouragement to you. Set your hearts and minds on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy (Phillipians 4:8). Spend your time allowing God to make you into a person who exudes love, joy, peace, patience, self control, goodness, and humility (Galatians 5:22) – this is the work that the Holy Spirit does in us.

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• Devotion – A Functional Body (pastorpaulvbsblog.blogspot.com)

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• Unfulfilled Expecatations
• Community is a Gift from God
• How to Improve Your Relationship With God

It was raining this afternoon in Nashville. I popped out a question on Twitter, Facebook and around work because it seemed like the thing to do. I received some amazing responses, so I thought I’d post them here. Props are given and links to Twitter profiles (since they’re public).

Here’s the question I asked:

It’s raining in Nashville. What’s your favorite rain song? Mine is Raindrops are falling on my Head – B.J. Thomas.

Here are your kickin’ responses:

@stevegrossman – Purple Rain (Prince)
@thefourmckays – mine is “Singin’ In The Rain!”
@RAM1950 – Mine is Penny Lane. (…the fireman rushes in from the pouring rain, very strange.)
Derek Evenson – Feels like Rain (Buddy Guy)
Joe White – Raindrops are Fallin’ on my Head – B.J. Thomas
Nicole Vilhauer – I sing…”Rain, Rain Go Away!” especially in the winter! Although today it would be “Sing in the Rain” we need it!
Mindy Rott Mateuszczyk – I Wish it Would Rain Down – by Phil Collins.
Nicole Moore Batey – ‘Rainy Days and Mondays….’ : The Carpenters!!!!
Joe Veil - Lluvia caei by Enrique Iglesias Its in Spanish
Pamela Jean Syverson – Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain & Bring On The Rain
Jamie Crabtree – Thunder- Boys Like Girls. Shameless and unabashedly romantic.
Jesse Fletcher – CCR-Who’ll Stop the Rain
Rodger Shimp – It’s Raining Again – Supertramp
Kenn Stilger – My God Rains ! :)
Jamie Crabtree – Not necessarily a rain song, but Sara Bareilles “Come Round Soon” has some good lines in it about rain and thunder.
Chris Unick – “Thunderstorms and Neon Signs” – Wayne Hancock
Mike Wrye – God didn’t make little green apples and it don’t rain in indianopolis in the summertime (Roger Miller)
Katherine Entzminger – Rainy Days and Mondays

And my absolute favorite of the bunch (though I didn’t think of it):

John Fett – Aint No Sunshine – Bill Withers

Thanks to all of you who sent me your favorite rain songs. If you didn’t respond before, please feel free to post a comment below to let me know what is your favorite rain song.

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• Songs in Honor of Summer
• Enjoy the Little Things
• Looking for e-Lationship