last night, at the Christian Campus House, nine students and myself gathered (despite the wind and snow) for a time of concentrated prayer. we called it a 'concert of prayer.'

as we were finishing up our time together, i sensed the Lord drawing us into our new prayer room. we stood around the room and prayed over it, setting it aside to be a room where our lives, our campus, and our world are changed.

we have been circling ephesians 3:20 as we strive to become a people of prayer. (read my post about the 7 most powerful words on prayer.) a few students stenciled those words on to the wall.

over the rest of this school year, students will write their prayers, praises, and requests on one wall. then next year, we will fill the next wall. the year after, the third wall. and by the end of the fourth year, all four walls will be covered with prayers. and all four walls will be a testimony to the God who hears those prayers.

after we prayed, we signed above the doorframe. it's our way of slamming our staffs into the dirt and drawing a circle around ourselves, our ministry, and our campus.

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ephesians 3:20-21 (esv)

"now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory..."

able :: God is absolutely able to do anything.

ask :: God is absolutely able to do anything we ask for in prayer.

think :: God is absolutely able to do anything we ask for or think of in prayer (some translations say "imagine").

all :: God is absolutely able to do anything and all we ask for or think of in prayer.

abundantly :: God is absolutely able to do anything and all we ask for or think of in prayer...and to do so abundantly.

more :: God is absolutely able to do anything and all we ask for or think of in prayer...and to do so more than abundantly.

far :: God is absolutely able to do anything and all we ask for or think of in prayer...and to do so far more than abundantly.

paul has just highlighted some very bold and seemingly impossible prayers right before he writes this verse. but he prays bold and impossible prayers because of these seven words. he is conveying the idea that God can answer our prayers infinitely abundantly more.

i feel like i am looking at the ocean for the first time. i can scarcely comprehend it all. the possibilities and dreams are endless.

these seven words have completely changed how i pray. i no longer pray small or safe. i am no longer afraid to dream in prayer. i can ask for a lot. i can think of even more. and i pray much more boldly knowing God is able to do all i could ask for or think of...and to do so far more abundantly.

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last year, a few students and i had the opportunity to visit haiti and see the need and the solutions firsthand. while there we had the privilege of serving orphans and their caretakers, students and their teachers, and the least of these.

but we fell in love in the mountains.

after a long hike straight up, we met the friendly residents of a very remote village. life is rough for them; the nearest water supply is not near at all, the land does not farm well, and the people have little to no access to medical care, education, and other basic necessities.

this year, we are heading back. from may 9th through may 16th, myself and several students will devote an entire week to the beautiful people in the mountains. we have three objectives:

1) we will provide materials to build a permanent structure for their church/school. once this structure is up, we will be able to collect rainwater from the roof, thus providing access to some clean water.

2) we will distribute as many bibles in their native language as we can get our hands on.

3) we will provide goats to families in the community to stimulate the local economy and jump-start the family’s ability to earn an income.

and this is just the beginning of what i imagine will be a 3-5 year series of projects in this community!

1) will you pray for me, for my team, and for haiti? if so, please email me at mynameisbrandon [at] gmail [dot] com and put “haiti prayer team” in the subject line. i will add you to our prayer email list and we’ll send occasional updates to you so that you can pray knowledgeably.

2) will you financially support me? i need to raise at least $1,200 to cover the trip expenses. you can give securely online by clicking on http://cscea.donortools.com and selecting my name from the list. or you can send a check with my name in the memo line to: Christian Campus House, 904 College Avenue, Maryville MO 64468.

i am aiming to have my funds raised by march 1st.

thanks so much in advance!

See the full gallery on Posterous

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perhaps you have heard my wife and i are expecting our 6th child in early october. and we are thrilled.

this blog is all about value and public service. and since this is not our first rodeo, i thought i might offer you six things to avoid saying to us...or any couple expecting a child.

1. you know how that happens, right?
uh, yes. yes we do. but thank you for your implied willingness to share with us about the birds and the bees. you just happen to be 9 years and 6 babies too late.

2. do you guys want to be exactly like the duggars.
exactly like them...except with 13 less kids.

3. did i ever tell you about my friend's labor that lasted 36 hours?
no, but please do. you have 36 seconds.

4. so, was it planned?
actually, it was. see, first i went out and bought some flowers. and then i made the bed with some satin sheets. i bought our favorite wine and then we...oh, is this getting uncomfortable for you? am i being inappropriate?

5. how many kids are you going for?
a million. do you think we'll make it?

6. when is that baby going to pop out?
oh, believe me...there will be no popping. unless it's my wife popping your nose.

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i love wednesdays. one of the reasons i love wednesays is because it's essentially my day off. my wednesdays in campus ministry are like most preachers mondays in local church ministry; i have a holy hangover. i need to sleep it off.

but another reason i love wednesdays is because it's "take one of my kids out on a date" day.

every wednesday, i take one of my kids out for some one-on-one time. we have some basic guidelines for our "dates":

• we do whatever they want to do (within reason).
• it's just the two of us.
• no cell phones are allowed to make an appearance.
• we don't call them "dates" if it's daddy and one of the boys. it's "man time."

we'll go to the park and play. we'll go to the local muffin shop. we'll stay at home and play the wii. whatever they want to do. it doesn't have to cost much and it doesn't have to be a long time. usually our dates cost less than $5 and are about an hour long.

this is, obviously, amazing for my relationship with each of my kids. but, spending time with my kids is also an incredible way to love my wife. it's a way i can truthfully communicate to keri that i don't simply love our family in word only. i love them in action.

and honestly, when i spend time with my kids...my wife looks at me like a hero.

and so...the challenge for the week: if you have children, take them out on a date! it'll be amazing for you and your kids and it'll communicate the depth of your love to your wife.

(not sure what to talk to your kids about? read this great post on 50 things you must say to your children. pick a few...and then say them!)

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$20 million in salary last year.
another $10 million in endorsements.
one of the best football players on the planet.
five super bowl appearances.
three super bowl rings.
seven pro bowl appearances.
two NFL MVP awards and 2 super bowl MVP awards.
a brazilian lingerie super-model for a wife.
dashing good looks.

tom brady apparently has it all.

or does he? in this interview from 2008, he wonders if there is more to life than all this.

(granted, this interview is a bit old...prior to his marriage to the brazilian lingerie super-model, at least.)

tom brady kind of reminds me of king solomon.

more money than he knows how to spend.
wisdom beyond measure.
the honor and admiration of all the people.
thousands of women at his disposal.
(but, no super bowl rings).

and, in the book of ecclesiastes, you can hear solomon saying: "there's gotta be more than this."

solomon lands on this conclusion:

remember your Creator in the days of your youth.
seek truth.
fear God and keep His commandments.

i hope tom brady finds what he is looking for. and i hope those of you reading this don't fall into the deception that fortune, fame, or females will fill that hole in your chest.

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i have blogged exclusively about 'facebook free february' for the past week.

(read all the F3 posts here).

and soon, i'll blog about something else.

but for now, it's time to begin.

as of this evening, i will be logging off of facebook for 29 days. i will remove the app from my phone. i will say "thank you, and good night" to facebook-land. and i will be free.

in the interest of full disclosure, i am not deactivating my facebook. my wife will change the password on my account so that i cannot access it. (i think this is the way to go for F3. temptation to log in will come after you. you can fight back with this measure of accountability.) 

also, i will still receive facebook messages. many folks from all over contact me via the messaging feature in facebook. it really is just another email inbox for me. those folks may not know that i am going facebook free and i want to be able to receive and respond to their messages.

but i will not be logging on to scroll through my feed or comment on anybody's status updates or wall or RSVP to your event. 

also, you may notice that it appears i am updating my facebook while i am away. i guess that technically would be true; my facebook profile will be updating. but that is because this blog and all of my tweets are connected to my facebook account. and so, when i update this blog or send out a tweet, it'll appear there. i'm not cheating. promise.

if you need to get in contact with me during february, i would love to connect with you on twitter. twitter has finally decided to emerge as my social media drug of choice.

or you can email me at mynameisbrandon [at] gmail [dot] com. we like old-school around here.

and now...go! leave facebook behind for a season and invest your newly re-discovered time, create something beautiful, and concentrate more.

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last week, my friend mike posted some great thoughts on how our interaction with technology (including facebook) is affecting our ability to think and read deeply. and we are called to do both. but one quote from mike's post, attributed to howard hendricks, jumped out of the screen and judo-chopped me in the face.

"the secret of concentration is elimination."

boom.

we are not calling folks to give up facebook because facebook is inherently bad. not at all. this is not an anti-facebook campaign.

this is really more of an experiment designed to help us understand how facebook affects us. and, i believe if we will eliminate it for 29 days, our ability to concentrate will be magnified. i think we'll all find that less really is more.

less facebook is more concentration.
less facebook is more depth.
less facebook is more comprehension.
less facebook is more creativity.
less facebook is more time.
less facebook is more real relationships.
less facebook is more ____________________.
less facebook is more.

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if you haven't heard yet, 'facebook free february' will soon be in full effect. you can read the original post here and this post on all the productive ways you can invest you soon to be found free time.

if you are the typical facebook user, you are consumed with consuming. you quickly scan your feed. you read some status updates and look at some pictures. you may or may not click on a link to read an article or blog post. chances are you are barely reading anything on the screen at all (but that's a blog post for monday).

and that's about it. i feel that facebook is good at feeding our already-in-place consumeristic tendencies.

it's hard to contribute when all you do is consume. sure, you may throw up a funny status every now and again. you might post a comment on a friend's post occassionally. you might even write one of those annoying "dear john" posts every once in awhile that goes something like this:

dear lady at walmart,
you shouldn't wear those pants.
sincerely,
the rest of us who don't like throwing up

but that is the extent of your contribution. funny, yes. valuable, no.

(please don't hear what i am not saying: i believe there are valuable things happening on facebook. but, how many of us are actually contributing those things of value or beauty? most of us are simply "sharing" what has been created by someone else. and that's different.)

i believe we are made in the image of a Creator. and because we are made in His image, we are created to create. create things of beauty and things of value. and with that in mind, here are some ideas for how you can use facebook free february to create.

1. write poetry.
2. or, if you're not arty-fartsy, write a paper.
3. start a blog where you can share your poetry or your paper. (this is what my friend hannah did. check it here.)
4. start a journal.
5. grow a plant.
6. handwrite a letter to a family member or friend. with a paper. and a pen. and then mail it to them. in an envelope. with a stamp.
7. make an incredible meal to share with your friend or family at a dinner party.
8. start a business.
9. do art (whatever that may look like for you).

don't use the excuse "it won't be good" to keep you from creating. that's not the point. the point is to contribute and release yourself from the bondage of consumption only that facebook relentlessly facilitates.

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earlier this week, i extended a challenge for folks to accept the 'facebook free february' challenge. and people are responding! we have dozens of students in our ministry, as well as a handful of folks from around the country, who are jumping in.

and i want to encourage you to do so as well.

why, just think about all the extra minutes (or hours) you will have on your hands each day with which to do something productive! i estimate that i will have (at least) one extra hour every single day. that's like finding free money!

the question is, how will you invest your newly recovered time? if you don't find something productive to do during those moments you would normally be on facebook, you will not gain anything. in fact, you will easily and quickly succumb to the temptation to log-in to your account.

so, for fun, let's make a list of some valuable and lasting things you can do with all this time you will have on your hands:

1. take a friend to coffee.
2. do some homework.
3. take a nap.
4. read a book (any book will do; even a textbook!)
5. ask your roommate how they are really doing.
6. read your Bible.
7. pray.
8. build a relationship with a new friend.
9. go for a run or a walk.
10. write a book. or your research paper.
11. secure global peace.
12. memorize a passage of Scripture.
13. take an international student to walmart.
14. clean something.
15. learn to play racquetball (i am always up for a game!)
16. learn to bake something tasty and healthy.
17. raise some funds and awareness for a charity (i could recommend a few.)
18. call your mom.
19. buy your favorite campus minister an americano, decaf, with room.
20. create something. you are, after all, made in the image of the Creator.
21. bake some cookies and take them to the local hospital ER staff or the police station.

leave a comment and add your ideas.

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(edit: there have been a lot of hits on this post. i want you to read the follow-up F3 posts. here they are: 21 things to do with all your extra time, 9 ways to create and not simply consume, a humorous look at why we are doing this, less facebook is more, and it is time.)

have you ever thought about giving something up...only to shudder in fear and trembling? 

perhaps the idea of giving up your morning coffee (or other caffeinated beverages) causes you to panic? you think to yourself, "i could never do that."

maybe you've entertained the idea of giving up your favorite, guitly-pleasure gossip or reality TV program. and you shake your head, conceding you don't think you can do it.

have you ever thought of down-grading your smart phone to a regular, old grandma-style flip phone? what was your reaction?

i think our reaction to these thoughts and ideas reveal what controls us. if you mutter under your breath that you "just can't give up __________," then it just may be a good indicator you need to give that thing up.

it's controlling you. it's dictating to you. it owns you.

and i'm convinved we shouldn't be owned by any thing. paul refers to getting drunk on wine in ephesians 5. he says we should be full of the Holy Spirit instead of wine. the implication here is that only one thing can control us at a time. 

so what controls you?

for those of us in the college context, i am convinced that facebook is in control.

it consumes so much of our time and energy. it's everywhere. it distracts us. it beckons to us. it butts its way into line ahead of studying, resting, community, and good, old-fashioned face-to-face relationships with three-dimensional people and with God.

and i'm tired of being its slave. and i'm tired of my students being its slave.

and so, in february...we are going to take our life back. allow me to introduce you to facebook free february.

there will be more details in future posts, but it seems pretty self-explanatory. starting february 1st and going through february 29th, i am going to be...and i challenge you to be...facebook free. 

(if you read that last paragraph and thought to yourself, "no way! no facebook for a month! i could never..." then you need to do this.)

but it's not enough just to give something up. if there is no purpose behind it, you're really just torturing yourself. after all, fasting for spiritual purposes is powerful; skipping meals with no purpose is just a crash diet. 

there will be more in the coming days, but here are a few purposes behind F3.

• regain control of your time.
• regain focus on things that matter; not whose relationship status changed or who had a ham sandwich for lunch.
• use your new found "free" time to build face-to-face relationships.
• use your new found "free" time to read God's word, pray, and grow your relationship with Him.
• read a book. any book. (just not facebook.)
• and lots more...

stay tuned for more. in the meantime, if you'll join us for facebook free february...leave a comment below!

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i am quickly learning that romancing your wife does not have to be hard, time consuming, or expensive. this week's challenge is super simple. i've broken it down into easy steps, so even the most thick-headed husband can accomplish this.

1. go to wal-mart or a hallmark store or any retail location that sells greeting cards. even a gas station might have cards.
2. buy a romantic card that says nice things to your wife. not a funny card. not a card that sings songs or has star wars characters on it. not a card with body parts on it. something with a flower on it will do.
3. write "i love you" and sign your name. you can do this. bonus points if you tell her how happy she makes you or you refer to your future together with her. note: don't say something silly or stupid that negates the nice things you hope to convey. if you are new to this, it might be best just to let the card do the talking.
4. slip it under her pillow. you want this to be a surprise, so don't try to sneak it under her pillow while she is sleeping. the secret is this: hide the card when she isn't looking.

see, any husband can do this. make it your goal to do so in the next 7 days. if you're so inclined, leave a comment here and let us know how it went.

good luck!

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today, i turn 34. and this blog is entitled "things i think i think."

to celebrate, i am combining those two things and sharing with you 34 things i think i think. you're welcome.

1. turning 30 sucked. turning 34 is no biggie.
2. i haven't felt healthier (spiritually, physically, or emotionally) in years.
3. i love sweet tea.
4. i never want to be a collegiate or professional football coach. those guys don't have a snowball's chance in hell.
5. if i ever move again, it'll be south.
6. campus ministry is, i believe, the vital link to the next generation of worldwide missions.
7. american league baseball is not real baseball. if the pitcher doesn't bat, it doesn't count.
8. there are a few hills worth dying on. and many that aren't. choose your battles wisely.
9. consistent prayer is hard. in fact, almost everything worth doing in life is.
10. my kids and have killed at least 25 trees between school and the children's program at church. the amount of paper they bring home every week is insane.
11. less is more.
12. my sweet spot is in discipleship and teaching. i will not be distracted from these two things.
13. jackelopes aren't real. i learned this when i was about 25. i'm still haven't dealt with the shock.
14. sweet & spicy doritos are the kings of the chip world.
15. i will never understand girls who wear shorts and snow boots at the same time.
16. i have a jack bauer shaped hole in my heart.
17. i also miss ross, joey, chandler, rachel, monica, and phoebe.
18. the way my wife manages our household absolutely amazes me. i could never, ever do it as efficiently as she.
19. i hate spending money on cars. buying them. fixing them. all of it.
20. i am seeing more and more that raising my kids is a sacred endeavor. and they don't necessarily teach me about God; they teach me about me.
21. living through your 20s is hard. it's like there is a no-man's land between getting out into the real world and having kids. our 30s have been much better.
22. in our world of ever-increasing noise, silence is the only thing that is heard.
23. i don't drink enough water.
24. the same old message of "don't have sex before you're married because the Bible tells you so" isn't working. Christian kids are having sex at an alarming rate. we need to have a new kind of conversation. and it can't just be about what we say; there needs to be relational investment, open dialogue, and grace-filled honesty.
25. we must learn the art of asking great questions. this is the best way to learn and to teach.
26. i have an unhealthy obsession with finding the right ink pen.
27. it's unreasonable to expect to be perfect overnight. each day, make progress. gain a slight edge.
28. i've never seen a blog post before with a picture of a crab wearing a birthday hat. i'm glad to contribute to the betterment of of your blog reading experience.
29. i like the fact that i have (for the most part) stopped caring about what people think of me.
30. the older i get, the more i love my parents and my sister.
31. i have decided that taking a girl to eat chicken wings on a first date would be a massive mistake. i plan on telling my male college students this.
32. i haven't watched a newscast in months. and my entire outlook on humanity is better because of it.
33. i can't imagine sharing my life with anyone other than my wife and children.
34. His grace is sufficient, even for me.

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"A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on the installment plan."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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mark batterson is one of my favorite pastors and writers out there. his blog is on my must-read list, and it should be on yours, too.

a week or so ago, mark posted about journaling. he states that journaling is a spiritual discipline; it's the vehicle by which "write the vision" (a la Habakkuk 2:2) and by which we "take every thought captive" (a la 2 Corinthians 10:5).

and i think he is absolutely right.

i have used a moleskine journal for several years. however, i have not yet definited my journaling style. sometimes i create prayer lists. sometimes i write my prayers out in a narrative style. sometimes i write things to pray for on certain days and sometimes i don't. i write...and usually consistently...but it's the scribblings of a direction-less wanderer.

and that irks me. maybe it shouldn't. but it does.

i wish mark would allow comments on his blog. i would love to see how he sets his prayer journal up.

but since he doesn't, i'll ask you.

what is your journaling style? do you use a journal? why or why not? how do you organize and use your journal for prayer? share your ideas.

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(i am filing this one under "rant." thanks for listening.)

we like our slogans. they define us and set us apart. they distinguish us.

just do it.
tastes great...less filling.
they're grrrreeeeeaaaaat!
can you hear me now?

i am a part of a fellowship of Christians called the "restoration movement." and we have our slogans as well.

no creed but Christ, no book but the Bible.
Bible things by Bible names.
where the Scriptures speak, we speak; where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent.

it's these slogans that distinguish us. but i have a fear that we have felt so distinguished that we have forgotten another one of our slogans:

we are Christians only, but not the only Christians.

from the conversations i've had with folks within the restoration movement, it seems pretty clear that we have embraced the first phrase. we are Christians only. that's the name we go by. we require no other name, denominational or otherwise. we get that.

also from my conversations, however, it seems we have forgotten the second phrase. we may have bought into the idea that our names are the only names that fill the Lamb's Book of Life. we hesitate to partner and colloborate with those other guys. we fear contamination by their "bad theology." we are right and they are wrong.

and this is bad. very bad.

what is meant to distinguish us actually makes us like everyone else. there is already plenty of "brand exclusivity" in the church. the idea that we are not so arrogant as to think we have the market on heaven cornered is truly distinguishing.

the tough question is: what does this look like?

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none of this is rocket surgery or brain science, but it's always good to be reminded. and i post things here so you know that i practice what i preach.

yesterday was our wedding anniversary. keri and i have been married for 12 years. and to celebrate, my kids and i brainstormed up a list of small gifts that we knew she would like. we wanted to find 12 things, one for each year of our marriage. we gave them to her at dinner time and we were all heroes.

here is what we landed on:

and here are a few lessons i learned about the romantic and intentional sharing of small gifts:

1. it doesn't have to be expensive: all in all, these 12 items cost me under $12.
2. it doesn't have to be elaborate: originally, the kids and i wanted to do a whole scavenger hunt thing. we simply ran out of time. we were kind of bummed, but it really didn't matter in the end.
3. it doesn't have to be a lot: originally, we wanted to come up with 12 different items. in the picture, you can see that 8 of the 12 items are packets of hot chocolate. and that's OK.
4. involve the kids: the kids have fun, you have fun, and the wife thinks you're a hero.

so, get at it. while i did this for our anniversary, you don't have to wait until then. you can do this today.

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