"this week the trend" or "my barnabai"

reading Ezra 7:10 today in t.t.b.t.t.y. by john stott was a culmination of a least a week of lessons/thoughts. i would love for that to be the summation of my life: to have set my heart to studying, doing and teaching the Law of the Lord!

to reach a goal, however, requires individual steps in the interim. mom always talks about wishing that she could just think and be somewhere, but the reality is that traveling takes time and effort. along that journey, i think that it is important for us to have pauls and timothys and barnabai (or barnabases, if you prefer). these would be ones who are more mature who can help train, mentor and encourage us, those for whom we are playing that role, and those who are our companions progressing at relatively the same level.

God has surely blessed me with pauls too numerous to list - godly men, not only from the united states, but all over the world whose live have impacted mine. men from whom i have been able to sponge wisdom. i am also grateful for books that have allowed me to learn at the feet of men of other generations.

the Lord continually makes timothys readily available, and by His grace, i am learning how to be more effective in pouring into their lives.

the hard one for me sometimes (because youth ministry has me spending much of my time with teenagers) is the role of barnabas - "the son of encouragement" who grows along with me. it is easy to wallow in that "i am all alone" attitude or to soldier on as a "lone ranger."

this past week, i have been reminded of the need to be intentional about developing these kind of relationships ("to have a friend, you've got to be a friend"), and the Lord has been overwhelmingly faithful in showing me just how many opportunities there are around me.

so thank You Lord for the board of deacons (may we grow together in the ministry of mercy). thank You for wednesday lunches. thank You for the pkn and friends to spill my guts to. thank You for a brother in Christ who messaged me with a doctrinal question out of the blue to make me think. thank You for 3 hour lunches at the hot dog shop talking about God stuff. thank You for a brother who is growing up and getting married and seeking to develop a greater depth of relationship. thank You for a friend to work out with and to hold hands with afterward and pray in the ymca parking lot (a masculine arm wrestling type hand hold - see illustration below). thank You for a friend to save me a seat at the high school choir concert. thank You for a new book coming at just the right time. thank You for Psalm 108 being sung to the tune of "rise up, o men of God." O Lord, keep my eyes open for these opportunities!

Rise up, O men of God!
Have done with lesser things.
Give heart and mind and soul and strength
to serve the King of kings.

Rise up, O men of God!
The kingdom tarries long.
Bring in the day of brotherhood
and end the night of wrong.

Rise up, O men of God!
The church for you doth wait,
her strength unequal to her task;
rise up, and make her great!

Lift high the cross of Christ!
Tread where his feet have trod.
As brothers of the Son of Man,
rise up, O men of God!

THIS NOT

a challenging quote

"neglect of prayer signals serious defects in a ministry even if other signs of success have not diminished." - bryan chapell

love songs and weddings

have i mentioned that i really like the shuffle feature? whether it's on my cd player, my blog playlist, itunes or my ipod, i like to let random songs play. well, what came on over the ipod this morning? for better, for worse by slick shoes!

and since i'm going to be at two weddings next week, it got me thinking in a couple of different directions:

1. what are some of my favorite love songs?

2. marriage... especially Ephesians 5:22-33 and praying for adam and heather and matt and becky (and brendan and pam and machia and elizabeth) - that their marriages would be a reflection of Christ and the church, as well as thanking the Lord for allowing me to be in a role to speak truth into these lives (as well as praying for continued guidance and wisdom to do so).

so what songs came to mind besides the aforementioned for better, for worse?
1. droned (in love version) by starflyer 59... "you're the best thing, easily."
2. coupleskate by joe christmas... "hold my hand, stay with me. round and round with the girl of my dreams."
3. i can be her man by the lassie foundation... "seraphs, sages..."
4. the weight by thrice... "love is a loyalty sworn, not a burning for a moment."
5. 5 years to write by john reuben... "this song about my wife took me 5 years to write"
6. new york to california by mat kearney... "for you i would crawl... from new york to california"
7. bicycle by plankeye... "yesterday she lost. her car broke down, so now i ride a bicycle"
8. fell in love at 22 by starflyer 59... "this is our life, our old times"
9. portrait by dear ephesus... "they're a portrait of grace in many shades. how he's growing, learning more each day. oh she loves him in spite of all his ways. they're a portrait of grace in many shades."
10. brightest by copeland... "she said that i was the brightest little firefly in her jar"
11. the romantic balloons by joy electric... "i'll come to greet you soon, and bring to you the romantic balloons" (followed by much synthesized joy)
12. learning me by mars ill... "without a doubt the rose petal tamed the hurricane"

well, there they are... "for better, for worse" LOL! may God truly bless these marriages!

oh yeah, and slick chicken by joe christmas... "so,uh, what are you doing for the next 40 or 50 years? you wouldn't mind uh um marrying me much, would you?"

profound poetry

i have been reading "whiter than snow: meditations of sin and mercy" by paul david tripp, a series of 52 meditations based on Psalm 51. today's poem really struck me (and reminded me a little of some stuff i have written):

"I wish I would live with You in view;
Eyes to Your glory
Ears for Your wisdom
Heart for Your grace.
But I live with me in view.
Eyes to my kingdom
Ears for my opinion
Heart captured by my will.
I know I was made for You,
I know that Hope
Meaning
Purpose
Identity
My agenda for every day,
Is to be found in You.
But I want my own kingdom
I love my own glory
I define my own meaning
I delight in my control.
I know You are not fooled
By my burnt offerings.
There's a war that never ends;
The battleground is my heart.
It's a moral skirmish
Between what You have ordained
And what I want.
So I don't find pleasure in Your glory,
I don't delight in Your law.
But my heart doesn't rest;
I know there's a better way.
I know You are God
And I am not.
My sin is more than
Bad behavior
A bad choice
Wrong words.
My sin is a violation of the relationship
That I was meant to have with You.
My sin is an act
Where I replace You
With something I love more.
Every wrong thing I do
Reflects
A lack of love for You,
Reflects
A love of self.
Help me
To see
To acknowledge
To weep
And say,
'Against You, You only have I sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight.'
And then help me to rest
In Your mercy
In Your tender mercy
In Your faithful love,
Even as the war goes on."