Great thoughts from an old friend

Posted on January 30, 2006 by Jason

I received an email today from John Stephenson, an old friend of mine from Kingsport, TN. When Sunny and I began our ministry with the Northeast Church of Christ in Kingsport, we were so blessed to get to know John and his wife, Alice. We eventually bought a home in their neighborhood, which only served to deepen our friendship. John, I still miss our late night prayer sessions. Last spring, John and Alice welcomed little Caleb into their lives. John shared a devotional thought with me in his email, and I thought I’d post it as a guest blog. I only wish you knew the man behind the words…
JB
_______________

My wife and I just finished watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. It is basically the only television show that we consider worth an hour of our time. Have you ever seen it? It is truly a great program. If you’ve never seen it, here’s the premise. A group of designer/carpenters show up at a deserving family’s home and send them on a week long vacation while they build them a totally new home. The typical family either has had a rough time with illness, a death in the family, or some type of misfortune. Other families are chosen because of the amount of their time and money that they give to others while their needs go unmet. The house that’s built for them is gorgeous and HUGE. The family comes home after a week away and they are introduced to their new abode by cheering throngs of well wishers as the family shouts, “Move that bus!” A huge touring bus (which is initially parked in front of them to block their view) pulls away, and their hearts go in their throats at the initial view of their home. I’ve been known to shed a tear or two during an episode. Well, maybe most episodes. OK, pretty much every episode chokes me up. You’ve gotta watch that show.

The reason I bring it up is that it is truly amazing what is accomplished over 7 days. There are literally hundreds of workers and volunteers who work around the clock to finish the home IN ONLY 7 DAYS! And this isn’t just any home. We’re talking about thousands of square feet that are decorated like all those homes you only see in the magazines. It gets me thinking about what Northeast could accomplish if we were all to do our part to make our church the most loving, spirit filled, and God devoted place it could be. What role can you fill in constructing God’s spiritual house at Northeast? All roles large and small are needed. Please consider and use the talents God has given you whether its leading in the worship assembly or any other area of ministry.

Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Psalm 127:1

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. I Peter 2:5

Posted in Devotional | 2 Comments

Happy (Belated) Blogiversary

Posted on January 26, 2006 by Jason


One year ago yesterday, I made my foray into the blogsphere with little fanfare. Originally conceived as a repository for my devotional writings for the teens in my youth group, this little page has become a means for me to find my voice on a variety of issues: social, spiritual and secular. My blog has evolved into an outlet for me to not only satiate my inner writer but also as an opportunity to articulate my personal experiences, my doubts, my joys…my LIFE basically. Sports, music, Scripture, family, books, God, movies…these are the elements that comprise my existence and, consequently, this page.

My blog’s title, Already & Not Yet, succinctly expresses not only a theological truth but a developing worldview for me. Life is lived “already and not yet”. It’s about who we find ourselves to be in this moment coupled with the recognition that we’ve not fully arrived. It expresses something about how we are to value life lived today with a nod toward the hopeful anticipation of something more on the horizon. It’s acknowledging that I’m a member of a Kingdom that is both a present reality and a future development. It calls me to live faithfully as a member of this inbreaking Kingdom NOW with an understanding that the beauty of this life is fully realized in a Kingdom yet to come. It is this beautiful tension that most fully expresses the most fundamental truths of the abundant life we find in Christ. On my good days and, perhaps most especially, on my bad days, I most desperately need to be reminded that I am both “already” and “not yet”. This is a truth I hold most dear.

So, for those of you who make this little lemonade stand a part of your regular Web routine, I say thank you. You honor me with your thoughts and your comments. Silly as it may be, the practice of blogging has taught me something about my intrinsic desire for community and relationship. Thank you for listening, thank you for commenting, thank you for enriching my life with your presence. Here’s to one year down and (hopefully) many more to come!

Peace and grace,
Jason

Posted in Blogging | 8 Comments

A Moment to Brag

Posted on January 26, 2006 by Jason

New high score on the tile game: 2190. Yeah, baby!

Posted in Games, Random | 2 Comments

Me, Me, Me…

Posted on January 25, 2006 by Jason

In light of the recent news stories regarding the collapsed Ron Artest trade to Sacramento (which looks like it might happen after all), I have a question: Who would get your vote for the most self-centered personality in sports today. Here’s my list of nominees: all you sports buffs, feel free to weigh in with your own.

1. Terrell Owens – “T.O.” epitomizes everything wrong with professional sport. After throwing teammate Jeff Garcia under the bus, Owens essentially talked his way out of San Fransisco. After balking at a proposed deal to the Ravens, Owens teamed up with Donovan McNabb to lead the Eagles to last year’s Super Bowl. What a difference 12 months can make. Owens single handedly wrecked the Eagles season with his preseason holdout and his cancerous antics. He stands as the most self-centered figure on the sporting landscape.

2. The aforementioned Artest – 6 weeks after requesting a trade from the Pacers, Artest nixed last night’s proposed deal to the Kings. The Pacers were relying on Artest to be a key contributor in their run at Eastern Conference dominance, but his self-centered attitude torpedoed those aspirations. Anyone who takes on this headcase can expect more of the same. Remember this is the same guy who wanted to take a month off at the start of the ’04 season to promote a rap album. He followed that up with the ugly incident we’ll always remembe him for: rushing into the crowd to confront a fan.

3. Chad Johnson – Mr. Self Promotion. Everytime he performs one of his asanine end zone celebrations, I long for the humility of Barry Sanders, who ALWAYS tossed the football nonchalantly back to the ref after every TD. The reason: he didn’t want it to look like he’d never scored a touchdown before. Class.

4. Barry Bonds – Every sport has a few prima donnas, but none are as egotistical as Mr. Balco. From the lazy boys in the clubhouse, to the big screen that can only be seen from HIS locker, to his refusal to even shag fly balls with his teammates, Bonds communicates loud and clear that he’s different than the rest of his teammates. It says something about a guy when he hits his 500th career home run and none of his teammates so much as move a muscle to congratulate him. Bonds may stand atop the MLB homer list someday but rest asurred, he will stand there the same way he played the game…alone.

5. Latrell Sprewell – Mr. “I’m just trying to feed my family” continues to be unemployed. In light of the poverty figures I cited yesterday, I can’t even dignify Sprewell’s idiocy with further comment.

Posted in Sports | 11 Comments

Poverty in America

Posted on January 24, 2006 by Jason

It’s fitting that we’ve been going through a series on Treasure, since January is Poverty Awareness Month in America.

Today, 37 million Americans live in poverty. Nearly half of that number (15.6 million) are living in severe poverty – with incomes below half of the poverty line. Since the year 2000, the number of impoverished Americans has grown by over 6 million. Our state has the 7th highest poverty rate in the US, with our neighbor Mississippi ranking first. The statistics pile up around us, screaming almost, begging for our attention.

Jesus said the poor would always be among us. But at the outset of His ministry, as He read Isaiah 61 in the synagogue in Nazareth, He made the proclamation of “good news to the poor” a central tenet of His mission — a mission His followers are called to share in.

Poverty is a worldwide problem. But it goes on in our own backyard, often unnoticed. It’s time for God’s people to make a difference. How? Become conscious of your discretionary, “throw away” spending. What if each of us gave up one Starbucks coffee a week? How many people could we feed if we took the money we ordinarily spend on just one fast food meal a week and donated it to a local poverty relief organization? Get involved in your church’s ministry to the poor. If your church doesn’t offer this type of ministry, start one. Solicit help. Become vocal in your circles of influence. We could do so much and it would require so little.

If not us, who?

If not now, when?

Posted in Poverty, Social Issues | 5 Comments

On Fallenness

Posted on January 23, 2006 by Jason

I fancy myself an articulate, verbal conversationalist. I have, on occasion, been known to peruse the dictionary as a means of expanding my vocabulary. Among my peers, my communicative prowess is quite legendary. (I have, at times, been affectionately referred to as “Mr. Thesarus”.) So imagine my shock, indeed my utter horror, as I came across a sentence in tonight’s grad school reading that contained a word I’d never seen before.

Saul appears, in short, to be an innocent victim whose peccadilloes are far outweighed by his punishment.

pec·ca·dil·lo, n, Latin – a petty or unimportant offense or fault

Thanks, Dictionary.com.

Saul was indeed a man fraught with peccadilloes, though Scripture is clear his offenses were neither petty nor unimportant. His actions in 1 Sam. 13 and 15 stood as bold violations of the explicit command he received from God through Samuel. As a result, Yahweh summarily rejected him, tearing the Kingdom from Saul and his line, metaphorically illustrated at 15:27, 28. Saul is introduced in the text as an incompetent, unfit shepherd (1 Sam. 9), foreshadowing his failings as a steward of the LORD’s inheritance (1 Sam. 10:1). Saul illustrates, perhaps more than any other OT character, the spiritually corrupt condition infecting humanity after the Fall.

I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting today…reflecting about sin and our fallen nature and our inability to fully live the God-life. These truths are more self-evident on certain days, and this was one of those days. Some news came my way today that reminded me of the ugly hold sin can take over us. What do we do when heroes fall? How can we reconcile life in the Spirit with life in the flesh? When we’re faced with the reality of sin and it’s painful residue, all our doctrine and theology can seem like so much pietistic posturing. The question that runs over and over in my head is this: can we live the kind of life we’re called to live?

The answer is no.

No, we cannot live a life worthy of our calling.

Not on our own.

I once heard it said that the Christian life is impossible for us to live; only one Person ever lived it perfectly and He did it well enough that they named it after Him. The amazing thing to me isn’t that Christ lived blamelessly and without sin (would you expect anything less from Deity?). What blows me away is that He offers to live that life again in me. He is the only remedy for my fallenness. Only He can mend me in my broken places; Christ alone empowers me to live the God-life.

Because He lives it in me.

This life, full of the Spirit, conforms me into His image, the image of Christ.

These are the days I need to hear that message most.

And as the Spirit of the LORD works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more. — 2 Corinthians 3:18, NLT

Hear our prayer, Lord Jesus.

Posted in Devotional, Theology | 5 Comments

Alone yet not alone

Posted on January 23, 2006 by Jason

Let me just say I’m through making NFL picks after being shut out today. Go Steelers, I guess. Has there been a Super Bowl in recent memory that mattered less?
__________

I’m at Lipscomb this week, taking another grad class. It’ll be kinda lonely…I’m in a dorm room by myself, no TV, no roommate. That’s actually a good thing; my professor for this class is notoriously tough. So I’ll probably need all the extra solitude for studying. Pray for me!

Tonight as I’m a few hundred miles away from them, I thank God for my wife and my children. I never realized how much I treasure relationship until just recently. The blessings God has poured out on me through Sunny, Abby Kate and Joshua are beyond my comprehension. Tonight I thank God that He’s given me the great privilege of being Sunny’s husband, J & AK’s father. I’ll be called a lot of things in my life — none sweeter than those two monikers.

So forgive me tonight as I wax poetic about my family and the families I know and love. Solitude lends itself toward such wistful reflection from time to time.

I pray, O LORD, and thank You for my family.
Who am I that you should esteem me so highly?
He who is weak has been made strong;
He who was without a home has been taken in.

I pray tonight, LORD, for those families being formed…
For the frail little ones you’re busily knitting…
For the soon to be mothers , pregnant with hopeful anticipation…
For the becoming father, already swollen with pride…

You are the author of life, indeed the author of relationship.
For drawing us into relationship, we thank You.

For giving us each other, we thank You.

For becoming one of us, one with us…
we thank You.

Holy Father, tonight we rest in Thee
Even Thee alone.
Monday, Jan. 23, 2006, 1:15AM

Posted in Grad School, Kids, Prayer, Sunny | 9 Comments

Something in the water

Posted on January 20, 2006 by Jason

First it was Tom & Katie. Then Angelina & Brad. Now the baby boom has reached near epidimic proportions. Sunny and I know of at least 7 or 8 couples that are expecting, with the Morrow’s setting the bar pretty high with their trifecta of babies! Lots to be praying about, that’s for sure.

And no, we’re not expecting anytime soon. The last thing we need is something else that poops.

Scott, isn’t it about time for you and Tracy to have another girl?

Posted in Random | 1 Comment

Things I’m Lovin’

Posted on January 18, 2006 by Jason

Here are a couple of things I’m loving right now:

1. Our Wednesday night Treasure series. We’ve had two great weeks studying our blessings and our charge to lay up treasure in heaven. Tonight’s Road Trip promises to be another great night. Join us at 7PM in the Student Center.

2. Tuesday night TV. Last night was an excercise in sedentariness for me. Not only did I sit through two hours of American Idol, I also caught the pilot of “Love Monkey” (looks promising, I must say). And I taped an hour of Scrubs (I love that show). I don’t know what I’m going to do when The Amazing Race comes back on in February. Oh, and I’m also into House. Quandries, quandries. I need to get me some of that TiVO.

3. Sunny’s enchilladas. I know I put this on my list everytime, but the woman has a gift for cooking and this is definitely my favorite dish. I’m a blessed man.

4. The NFL Playoffs. I can’t quite explain it, but I’ve been more into this NFL season than any in recent memory. Although I’d love to have seen my boy Peyton get a ring, I’m intrigued by this weekend’s matchups. Denver vs. Pittsburgh in the AFC Title game looks to be epic. Two great running teams, two stout defenses, two great coaches. I’m picking Denver. Besides, I’m digging Plummer’s mountain man look. The Panthers are hot; they have the look of one of those “teams of destiny”, in spite of being SI’s preseason pick.

5. The Mercy Seat by Johnny Cash. This one is from his American III: Solitary Man album. It’s one of the most haunting songs I’ve ever heard. Check it out.

6. Jack’s back. This week marked the return of the most intense hour of TV, Fox’s perennial hit 24. I loved the way last season ended and I thought this might be the season this great show jumped the proverbial shark. But so far, so good.

7. Third Day. David Crowder Band. March 3rd. Memphis, TN. I’m there, baby. Looking forward to watching DCB rock it out on Foreverandever etc.

8. The Tile Game. I hate that I can’t break 2000. Sigh.

9. 30 days until pitchers and catchers report!

10. The Book of Samuel. Been prepping for next week’s grad course by reading up on the text. Such a rich narrative with great application for us. I love David’s comment in 2 Sam. 24:24 when Araunah offers him oxen for the burnt offering at no charge. David’s response: I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing. Sacrifice at no cost is no sacrifice at all. If such a principle governed our giving….

Posted in Cash, Games, Television, What I'm Loving | 8 Comments

I Can’t Stop!

Posted on January 17, 2006 by Jason

This is the most addicting game ever. I can’t get my high score over 1295. Agghhh!!!

Posted in Random | 8 Comments