upwards basketball...

i help coach eric's upward basketball team.  each practice, half way through the practice we have a devotional time.  this is how tonight's went down.

we were talking about why Jesus came.  what it is like to be found versus being lost, Luke 15...etc...  so, i asked the question.  do you guys know what sin is? eric raised his hand and started to answer...  this is what he said, 

sin is what Jesus came and died on the cross for.  and it is what gets in our heart and keeps our heart from beating and....

i looked at the other coach, and we both started laughing out loud.  not at him, but just his answer...  the other coach said, that is exactly right buddy!

and i guess, if you think about it... theologically, it is exactly correct.  sin keeps your spiritual heart from beating and bringing life to the rest of your life.  thanks for the insight eric cooper !!! :-)

sunday/monday morning

we decided to visit CFC yesterday.  it was good to go back and visit with people we had not seen in a long time.  it was also very good to worship with my buddy leading...we have visited a lot of churches, big and small, the group at CFC has got to be one of the most authentic group of lead worshippers i have seen.  it is just good!  chris jones brought the word...it was good.  challenging, thought provoking...very good!  

so, this morning i went to work out.  i decided to push myself a little bit...i normally run/walk for about 25 minutes or 2 to 2.25 miles.  this morning i decided to set some new goals for myself...35 minutes, which ended up being a little over 2.75 miles.  not very far for the time...but i am building up to it.  i love getting the day started like that.  itunes going with a good mix of nickelback, charlie hall, DCB, daughtery, a little U2 and a few others...  

i think it makes me think more clearly throughout the day.  sounds good, anyway!  lol   gotta run...later

daddy

i had a moment this afternoon when God spoke to me.  not like, HEY DANIEL, or anything like that. but like this, i told my little girl..."i love you baby!"  she kept playing at her table. the rest went like this:

me -  kiki...do you love your daddy? 

kinley - yeah

me - why?

kinley -  just because

me - is it because i love you?

kinley - uh-huh

the Holy Spirit - that is why you love me, right daniel? that is why you love me.   that's  how it works with you and me.  and i love you way more than you could ever love that little girl.

 

it is from this verse

murphy's law

everytime you get in a routine, it could get interrupted.  post a desired schedule of what routine you are trying to get into on the internet...it will definitely get interrupted!  had to be in OK at 8 this morning...

be back tomorrow...

i'm back...

well i'm back. not that i ever took an announced "leave" from blogging. i just gave it a rest for a week or so. i started this morning posting some thoughts as i read through the book of colossians over on the other site....
i am about 5 days into a fitness routine. 5 AM is early! but i have to say...what a great way to start the day. i am only doing 25-30 minutes on the treadmill and then some free weights. i try to get done by 6-6:15. that way i can get home and spend some time praying, reading and posting on just9moreminutes ,before i need to leave the house.
i am happy that our small group gets back to meeting tonight! we have had about a month break...so it will be good to be back in somewhat of a flow.

well. i need to get some work done. hope you have a great day!

update from africa

a few of my friends are in africa at the moment.  they have been there for a little over a week.  i have been getting prayer updates on the team this week.  i received this one this evening...

Dear Prayer Team,

I have an amazing report from the team in Africa!  Tonight, they went to the village called Maurena to show the Jesus Film.  There were over 700 people there to watch the video and after it was over, 58 people came forward to receive Christ!  Praise God for what He is doing in Mali!

how stinking cool is that!!!  according to luke 15, 58 parties in heaven!  58 people's lives changed for eternity...half way around the world...  

no more words...

it's time

i started working out this morning.  one of my resolutions...to take better care of this body that God gave me.  my mom got me a membership to a local fitness place, so...thanks mom!  as i was working out,  run/walking and later doing a few reps of free weights, i had a memory.  you know how things totally un-related pop into your head at the weirdest times? 

i went to a national youth workers convention in ... i think, 2003.  maybe late '02, doesn't matter.  anyway, i was  relatively new christian, someone bought me a ticket to this thing and it helped to impart a vision that God had for my life.  it changed the trajectory of my life.  i hadn't thought about it for a long time.  the theme was RENOVATUS, the latin word that we get our word, renovate.  That is what working out is to me, tearing you down and kicking your ___! in order to make you better.  I often forget the latter part of that statement, mostly because i don't think about it when i am in the process.  i think about how hard it is to get up at 5 AM and run, or to get up in the morning and pray.  huh?  i thought you were talking about your physical body, working out...what happened???  FOR ME, it is the same with my spiritual work out as well.  in order to restore something, you must first tear it down to the core of what it is.  you must strip away all of the imperfections, all the rust, dirt, grime, old paint, old ugly shag carpet...whatever it is, you have to tear it down in order to restore it to it's once beautiful condition.

i think that could be my theme for 2009.  renovatus.  be honest with yourself and others and rip away every bit of imperfection in me, so that He can restore me... 

if you got serious about restoration, you might find you would be like one of these people with a cardboard testimony.

back and forth

one of the coolest things about leading anything is when you have someone you led, lead you.  i am not the greatest leader by any stretch of the imagination.  i am not in any category of great leaders, but i was a leader when a kid named aaron hill was in a youth group at hopedale baptist church.  i cant really claim any of his accomplishments or anything...but it was a cool night, to say the least.

tonight he preached his first sermon...he did awesome!  i didnt think he was nervous or fidgety, he didnt stutter or say, umm, 50 times.  and he taught the word of God.  he encouraged me and challenged me.  he taught from romans 12....and the one thing that stuck with me was when he commented on the fitting together of the body of Christ.  paul writes this in verses 4-6 (the MSG) 

• In this way we are like the various parts of a human body.  Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around.  The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people.  Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body.  But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we?  So just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.

aaron and i had lunch on wed.  i told him about where i was with church and ministry and all that stuff.  kind of in a place of seeking/learning/resting...but what aaron had to offer on this passage encouraged me to maybe move along a little.  i would hate to be a toe and not be functioning as a toe.  to just be cut off, not being a toe...that would suck!  and it wouldn't only suck for me...according to aaron and..well, paul...it wouldn't be good for the body to not have a toe, either.  

thanks aaron...very cool to see leadership go back and forth!