Heaven is Whenever

My roller-coaster search for a job continues. Lately I had a job interview where I was quite sure that I nailed it and a job offer would be forthcoming.

The people I interviewed with didn't get that memo.

So while I was bummed about that gig not working out, I have had several other opportunities come up. I get cautiously optimistic, not wanting to get too excited for fear that I will "jinx" it and lose out once again.

The whole process is very draining. But I do sense that I'm traveling along the path and that there's a bigger picture being painted. My problem is that I just want to hit fast-forward and get to the end, where I have a great new job and my life becomes Easy Like Sunday Morning.

God doesn't really work that way. I want him to, but where's the fun is that, really?

I was reminded of that recently with this great quote I saw by Craig Finn in the latest issue of Rolling Stone. Finn was talking about his excellent band (The Hold Steady) and their excellent new album (Heaven is Whenever). As The Hold Steady like to do, it's a concept album, and Finn was explaining his concept behind the record:

"I was thinking a lot about struggle and reward - about how the struggle is part of the reward. With anything you care about, from having a relationship to being in a rock & roll band, there are going to be days that suck. The key is understanding those days as part of the euphoria. If you're playing a show for 20 people somewhere in the middle of South Dakota, you can't think, "We just have to get through this, and it'll get awesome.' It has to all be awesome."

I've got to fully adopt this state of mind. That whether it's finding a new job or finding my path and becoming the man God wants me to be, some days are going to be a struggle. But that's part of the beauty. It only magnifies the view from the top when you get there.

It's time to experience heaven wherever and whenever.

God Is In the Gaps

As someone who is spending a lot of time "in the gaps" these days, I really appreciated today's blog from Dr. Chris Stephens. Hope you do, too.

Hey Friends,

We are in our third week of the series, Eyes Wide Open. The series is about dreams and helping others you love achieve their dreams. This weekend we are going to deal with delayed dreams. All dreams are delayed to a certain extent because when we achieve them, they are no longer dreams.

Remember, life happens while we are on our way to our dreams! The journey is more important than the destination of our dreams. Let’s face it – we get discouraged in the meantime. We get discouraged when there are delays in our dreams. I think we will call them the “gaps.”

By definition there is a gap between the receiving of a dream and achieving it. We hate the gaps, but as Chuck Carringer said: “God is in the gaps.” Abraham had a gap, Joseph had a gap, and so did every other biblical character that actually achieved their dreams. For some of them the gap was decades long. Some gave up before the dream became reality.

Do you sense God in the gaps? Do you look for God in the gaps? When our kids were younger and we went on family trips (purgatory) they would ask, “Are we there yet?” “I wish we were there.” It is so easy to wish our lives away and try to skip the gaps when they really are the biggest part of our lives. To enjoy them is to experience the life Jesus bought for us on the cross.

You may be in a gap right now and He is with you. He promised He would be. I love receiving dreams and achieving them, but God’s revealed desire for us is to delight in the journey.

Are you?

Pastor Chris

Anything's Possible - Dr. Chris Stephens

Amazing story of God's faith and redemption on an amazing man: Dr. Chris Stephens. Watch this when you can...

Plan B

I'm always on the lookout for a great book. But the best books somehow have a way of finding me.

That is what is happening with me right now with Plan B by Pete Wilson. I'm just a few chapters into it, but already I can tell it is just the right book at just the right time. The fact that one of my best friends surprised me by buying a copy for me to read only makes it even more providential.

Pete is a pastor of Crosspoint Church in Nashville. I've been following him on Twitter for a while. And recently I've been impressed and inspired by the work he and his church have been doing in the wake of the terrible Nashville floods. Being a Nashville native and having seen the damage first hand (my 2 sisters both had flood damage to their homes) I was very thankful and moved by how Pete and his congregation have witnessed and worked in the midst of this tragedy.

As I kept hearing about Pete's work in Nashville, I also kept hearing about his book. Plan B is about what we do when things don't work out the way we wanted them to. What do we do when God doesn't come through the way we thought he would or could or should? How do we deal with disappointment?

It's so ironic, because in many ways my hometown is going through one great big Plan B experience. No one expects the greatest amount of rainfall in over a Century to happen in a matter of 24 hours. But it did. So what is our response as Christians?

Personally, I feel like I'm going through my own Plan B right now. Actually, somedays it feels like I'm on Plan G...or H...I...J...K...

Some days I feel like my plan is like a big bowl of alphabet soup.

I didn't expect for my agency to hand me my last check almost 3 months ago and say "we're closing the business." I didn't expect to still be out of work. I didn't expect my father-in-law to still be living with us, almost 1 year after he first got sick. But that's where things are. So do I whine, complain and moan about "the good ol' days"? Do I spend my time and energy wishing things were somehow different?

The healthier response is to stop clinging to Plan A and trusting God that Plan B can work. Notice I said it was healthier...not easier. In fact, being ok with Plan B has been one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.

But I'm trying. And I have a feeling that by reading Pete Wilson's book, it's going to help me tremendously along my new path.

My hero

Steve Nash is a total bad-ass. His performance last night was so beyond next level. That went into Willis Reed/Chuck Norris territory. Draining 30 footers and dishing Magic-esque dimes in a NBA playoff game w/ one eye!?!?!? AMAZING!

Favorite. B-Baller. Ever!

Word to Your Mother

Mother's Day is upon us and the older I get, the more I realize that mothers rule. Seriously. I have a wonderful mom and am married to an equally awesome mom to my 2 wild childs. Hopefully that's enough to compensate for the crazy father of theirs.

Here are two posts from some amazing moms and good friends of mine:

Patti and her awesome adoption story of her son Samuel.

Katie and her inspiring story of her oldest son who is struggling with drug addiction.

2 amazing stories. 2 amazing mothers.

To all of the other amazing moms out there...HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!