We Made it to Ireland!

We made it to Ireland! After flying through the night and loosing six hours, we arrived in Dublin, picked up our car, bought groceries, and drove out to Slane Farm Cottages in County Meath. There’s never much to report the first day since you feel like the walking dead until you adjust to the time difference.

Our phone number here is 011 353 87 664 5183. Please remember, we are six hours ahead if you decide to call. If there is no answer, it’s because we’re sleeping or in a meeting.

Here are some pictures from day 1…

A snack before taking a serious nap!

A snack before taking a serious nap!

Piling in the car to go eat.

Piling in the car to go eat.

Irish signpost.  Going in to Slane.

Irish signpost. Going in to Slane.

Ancient road marker across the street from our cottage.

Ancient road marker across the street from our cottage.

Dinner at a proper Irish pub

Dinner at a proper Irish pub

Vanessa, Bethany, and Jarica barely awake and ready to eat something besides airplane food.

Vanessa, Bethany, and Jarica barely awake and ready to eat something besides airplane food.

Another update to come tomorrow!

My Life Sung by Four Voices

Here’s one from a while back I wanted to share with you…

I was listening recently to a 500 year old benediction, sung in Latin, by a four voice choir.  There were several things that struck me about the piece.  One was the way the song sounded so full and rich, even though it was only four voices, no accompaniment, no effects or processing.  Just four voices lifting praises to God.  Another was how beautiful and melodic the music was.  It seemed to gently rise and flow like small waves on the water.  It was a far cry from the four chord wonders we play in church today.  Lastly, even though I understood not one of the words being sung, I was moved. Moved to tears, moved to meditate on God’s great beauty and, because the choral was birthed from Psalm 51, moved to repentance.  I found myself asking forgiveness for my severe inadequacies in expressing worship to The Father, my inability to communicate to Him beyond simple, base expressions, and for the shallowness my own spiritual well.

I’ve often thought about the idea that my life could be a song to The Lord.  I’ve even sung it in church “My life’s a love song to you”.  But what kind of song am I?  I’ve also watched movies and thought, “If my life were a movie, what kind of movie would it be?”  A complicated drama directed by Oliver Stone?  A heartwarming romance starring Hugh Grant?  A Will Ferrell comedy?  Or a sprawling epic of bravery and history making events?  I would love to believe that my life is an epic story of heroism and courage.  Unfortunately, I live much of it like a Disney, straight to DVD forgetable film. The difference?  Like movies, it’s often the cost that separates the great from the mediocre.  It simply costs too much to do great things. Constant devotion to their instrument makes a musician great.  Hours every day in front of a canvas allows a painter to make color and shade come alive.  And a focused life of prayer, fasting, worship, and selfless service equips a person to do great things for God, spilling over with beauty that inspires others to do the same. Like I said, the cost we are willing to pay is what makes the difference.

So what am I?  What do I want my life to be?  A four chord wonder or a radiant benediction swelling with a depth and sincerity?  Am I a made for TV movie or a massive life-changing film? I guess that depends on how much I’m willing to spend and whether or not I stick to my commitments to God and not be tempted by what comes easy.  I guess it comes down to Psalms 19:14, “May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Am I going to produce the movie of my life to please God, or my self?  Am I singing the song of my heart for God’s enjoyment or to impress others?

“Lord, as the song of my life is sung, let it be a masterpiece that is lovely to your ears and compelling to all who hear it.  Give me the grace to keep living the epic when what is easy, comes natural, and is safe is calling my name.  I love you!”

Images of Praise

I saw these pictures taken by photographer Brian Cowen and decided to share them.

There’s something about the image of passionate praise that moves me.  Especially the humble, sincere, “Your lowest point is greater than my highest point” kind of praise.

I often wonder what praise will be like in heaven.  Our expressions of it here are so inadequate when it comes to giving our appraisal of an all-powerful, universe creating, ever reigning, forever loving God.  I’m sure it would blow our minds if we caught a glimpse of it.  However, when I see pictures like these, I think what we have for now is pretty cool…

Praise 1

Praise 2

Praise 3

Praise 4

Praise 5

A New Blog

Thanks for checking out my new blog. A while ago, I felt The Lord nudging me to communicate about the power of the invisible church.

So often, in our Western church culture, we look to the platform ministers, the professionals, the staffers, and the rock stars and think, “If only I could do something great for Christ the way they do.” We mistakenly believe that greatness equals recognition, credential, or even fame (why the word “fame” is even used in ministry is beyond me!)

Don’t misunderstand me, I am NOT against platform ministry, Christian recording artists, or conference speakers (I’m a licensed minister, public speaker, and conference goer myself). It’s just that I’m convinced that, when we all arrive in eternity and our eyes are opened, we’ll find that the greatest works were done by people we never heard of. That the greatest impact was made by the Average Joes, the Nobodies, and the sea of nameless, faceless faithful ones who gave what they had because they were crazy enough to believe they could make a difference even if they never took up any space under the spotlight.

My hope is that this little blog might inspire Everyday Saints to write history with their prayers, their passion, and their partnering with God’s activity on the planet. Please don’t get upset with me if I go off topic, post pictures of my kids, or just rant about something really random. After all, I’m just a regular person like you.

Just don’t forget, we’re regular people who happen to reflect the Glory of The God of the Ages!

At the foot of the cross.

At the foot of the cross.