Have You Punched Your Pastor Today?

Yep... That's what they said.

And, believe it or not, this was a GOOD thing!

There is NO doubt that God has called Inspire to be a different church, & this statement was a PERFECT example.

It happened while we were welcoming our guests & letting them know how glad we were to have them as part of our church family today. One of the presenters, Felicia, was telling our guests that Jennifer & I would like to meet them after church at our Guest Reception. She said our guests could meet us, talk with us, punch us, tell us their stories, etc. Then Kenny asked the BIG question, "Have you punched your pastor today?"

Everyone started laughing. Not because it was a slip of the tongue, but because it fit who we are.

Kenny commented, "I wonder how many churches would ask you that question."

Not many, I'm sure.

But I am SO glad I'm a part of "that pastor-punchin' church"!

We have an amazing church family... I am SO honored to be a part of what God is doing at Inspire!

So...

Have YOU punched YOUR pastor today to show him how much you love him?

Like Reading a Good Book

"It's an AWESOME ride... If you can handle it."

Those are the words I often from my dad when we talk about how wild & crazy it can be following Jesus.

My journey--just like yours, I'm sure--has always had challenges and rewards. For me, the last couple of years have been especially challenging. There have been rewards, too... In fact the rewards have been like nuggets of gold dug out of the turmoil and heartache.

But recently, there seems to have been a shift... Like a break in the clouds when the sun comes beaming through.

And it has been AMAZING!

These are things I have prayed and longed for for years... Things I KNEW God wanted to do, but--honestly--things I had never seen before!

I don't just mean here, either. Jennifer & I lived through 6 years of revival at Brownsville, & I never saw these things then, either.

But I'm seeing them now!

And it is SO exciting!

It's an honor to be a part of it, too!

I was thinking today about how much fun this has been, & the perfect description came to mind.

Have you ever been reading a really good book, looking forward to turning the next page, and wondering what kind of excitement you'll find?

Well, that is EXACTLY how I feel.

And I hope you persevere in your journey long enough to get to this place.

It's like reading a good book!

Family Day, the Vieux Carre, & Hard Rock Cafe

Today is Family Day for the NOLA Oettles.

I learned a LONG time ago that families in the ministry suffer by default--unless you prioritize time away just for them.

My wife--the textbook definition of a helpmate--has forced me to live by that principle over the years. And I am NOT complaining! Her insistence that we dedicate a day each week to our family has done more to keep us close than any of my "parental heroics." I love & appreciate her for that!

One of the things she got me to do while the kids were still VERY young (I think we started with each of the girls when they turned 5) was Daddy-Daughter Dates. If you & I are facebook friends, I'm sure you've noticed how important those are to me. Oh... Did I mention that those were Jen's idea?

I guess at this point that any remnants of thought that I'm a great dad are now giving way to thoughts of giving credit (to Jen) where credit is due (to Jen). I'm happy to have busted your bubble, if you had one. ;)

Anyway...

So, we started the day with Faith helping me make chocolate-chip pancakes, scrambled eggs, & bacon. (I LOVE bacon! I asked Jen to choose another insult this morning when I was eating too much; "pig" made me feel a little too canabalistic!)

After some clean-up, we were off to the Children's Museum. It took us FOREVER to get downtown (there's ANOTHER festival/parade in N'awlins--just like every other weekend, it seems!) and we found a spot right in front!

I should've listened the spirit of pessimism that was riding in the truck with us because we spent about 10 minutes putting money in the meter, piling out of the truck, & walking inside only to find that they were closed for a special event. Ugh.

Jennifer--never one to miss an opportunity for retail therapy--commented that Urban Outfitters was just a few blocks away in the French Quarter (Vieux Carre if you're from N'awlins) & [Gasp!] they were having a sale that she'd been wanting to check out anyway! Honestly, if going to the Children's Museum had been her idea (it was Faith's), I'd have been REALLY suspicious.

So, we made our way over to the Quarter & dropped Jen off while the rest of us parked the truck. We went up to the Riverwalk so the girls & Judah could play. (Fortunately for me, the girls haven't yet caught their mommy's shopping bug. Don't misunderstand me, though: they can hold their own in the mall!)

Mommy came out with her bag of loot & her excursion into bargain hunting had apparently given her quite an appetite. The kids were hungry, too (they always are!), so they were THRILLED to hear that she wanted to eat.

And [another gasp!] Hard Rock Cafe just "happened" to be right there.

So we enjoyed some food, enjoyed our family, and enjoyed our Family Day.

Why I LOVE Apple

My PC-loving friends just don't get it.

Neither does anyone else that has never used a computer.

Or lost a paper to a "crash."

Or a virus.

Or... I think you get the point.

But it's not just because Apple products are made BY geeks FOR geeks like me!!

I LOVE the way the strive for excellence... And today I got a glimpse into WHY Apple is excellent.

I got up early this morning to stand in line & buy a new iPhone 4s for Jen... She's been waiting MONTHS for this (& I've been married long enough to understand the power of the brownie points I could score here)!

One of the big deals is Siri, a suped-up voice-command app that does just about everything for you.

No, really... Just about EVERYTHING the iPhone can do!

If that weren't excellent enough, Jen asked it this afternoon, "Siri, will you marry me?"

What did Siri answer?

"I'm sorry; I don't understand?" Nope.

"Please rephrase your request?" Uh-uh.

How 'bout this: "Let's just be friends, OK?"

Siri-ously (sorry: I couldn't resist)... That's how Siri responded.

I heard someone said, "Siri, I love you!"

Siri replied, "I bet you say that to all your Apple products."

Apple could've programmed Siri with no personality, no humor, no sarcasm, but THEY DIDN'T!

And it is THAT kind of attention to excellence that makes them LIGHT YEARS in front of everyone else... & why I LOVE Apple!

Welcomed to the Club!!

Thursday, I turned 40.

Yep... "The Big Four-Oh."

For some reason, I was really looking forward to 40. 30 wasn't a downer for me (like a lot of people I know), & 20 was no big deal. I don't remember being excited about a "milestone" birthday since I was 16.

For some reason, I have a real sense of expectancy with this birthday. I was talking with Jen that night when a thought occurred to me: the number 40 is a time of testing throughout the Bible--Moses was in the desert 40 years & on the mountain 40 days (twice, back-to-back!), and Jesus had 40 days in the wilderness.

And I've had 40 years on this earth.

My friends that have experienced their 40s say they are/were some of their best years... I'm looking forward to finding out for myself!

What if It Was YOUR Daughter?

Sometimes people are REALLY insensitive.

Even cruel.

I'm sure that doesn't surprise you (it doesn't surprise me)... It's just one of those inescapable facts of life.

But sometimes God slaps me in the face with perspective.

Yesterday was one of those days.

Late in the afternoon, I decided to check the headlines--kind of take a break from the business of the day--when I saw that Amy Winehouse had been found dead in her London apartment.

I'm a little ashamed to admit that I was only surprised for the .87 seconds it took for the initial shock to wear off. Even though I felt some sadness, my actual THOUGHT was something along the lines of, "I'm not surprised, given all the drug-abuse problems she is reported to have had."

Wow. THAT was callous, Jeff! (I feel ashamed again as I re-live this to write it down.)

That's when the perspective backhanded me...

"What if that were Hosanna? Or Faith? Or Leili? Or Jennifer?"

Ouch.

I wasn't so calloused anymore.

Regardless of how we feel/think about Amy Winehouse, she was SOMEONE's daughter. SOMEONE loved her. SOMEONE is hurting horribly today because their beloved little girl!

Today, someone is remembering--through HORRIBLE heartache--the day they found out they were going to have a baby... A baby that became Amy Winehouse.

They're remembering today--through tears--her first steps. Her first words. Her first day of school.

The first song she wrote.

The first time they realized that she was talented. Extraordinarily talented.

I doubt they imagined at that moment that they would be mourning her death at just 27 years old.

I doubt they imagined that they would outlive their "Baby Amy" (or whatever cute little nicknames they gave her).

I doubt they imagined that people would say such cruel things about her untimely death. (Is it just me or do some people seem to be almost celebrating?)

But then again, I doubt if anyone ever imagines that their beloved son or daughter passes into eternity before they do.

Have you?

I haven't, even though I lived it.

So, before you pile on the "we all saw this coming" bandwagon like I did, please... Please... PLEASE...

Ask yourself...

"What if it was YOUR daughter?"

I Don't Need Your Help, Sir!

So, it's 5pm central time here in N'awlins...

Nothing particularly significant about that, really.

Well... Unless you consider the end of the world "significant."

Oh, yeah... The world was supposed to end today. So far, so good.

Don't misunderstand... I think the world still being here is great news. I just wish this Mr. Doomsday Predictor (whatever his name is) would have identified himself as a false prophet BEFORE all this foolishness. Not than any of us would've paid any attention to him if he had (not that any of us DID pay any attention to him), but I'm just REALLY tired of people saying & doing stupid things 'in the name of Jesus."



To be honest... It seems to me like we Christians have a hard-enough time earning credibility with the world that God commands us to reach. The LAST thing need is some (other) knucklehead out there shooting his (or her) mouth off for the sake of his (her) proverbial 15-minutes of fame.

The fact that today's little Oops-the-world-didn't-end-so-I-guess-you're-a-false-prophet "fiasco"thistle current clown's SECOND time to ride this pony (I just learned today that this wingnut did this back in 1994, too) just rubs salt in my wounds.

What really bothers me isn't that this guy shot his mouth off & made a fool of himself. (Knock yourself out, Dude.)

Actually, it's not even that he provides (another) opportunity for people to make fun of Christians. (Like we need to provide opportunities.)

It's not even that people lump ME in with other "ministers" like this guy. (That comes with the territory.)

Come to think of it, it's not even that I look like a fool thanks to this idiot. (Vicarious association can be a real bugger!)

What REALLY bugs me about it is that I am MORE than capable of looking like a fool ON MY OWN MERITS!

I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP, Mr. Camping...

I'm doing just fine making a fool of myself, Sir!!

The Gospel according to Jeremy

I've got a brother-in-law with an AMAZING sense of humor & a PROFOUND touch of God on his life.

This past week, he decided to write an in-my-own-words overview of the Bible. If you know Jeremy, you know that he is VERY witty & EXTREMELY creative. I started reading his "paraphrase", expecting to be entertained... And I was! But I was amazed at the depth of doctrinal accuracy in what he wrote--not because he doesn't know it, but I just wasn't expecting it. I enjoyed it so much, I decided to quote him as the first-ever "guest poster" on my blog.

His "masterpiece" follows... I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

-------------------------------------------
by Jeremy Brown on Monday, April 11, 2011 at 2:43pm

In the beginning God up and decided to invent a bunch of stuff, and he saw
that it was cool. Then he thought, "I'm gonna make some guys that are strikingly similar to me, only way smaller. I'll call them mens."

Well, fast forward a few thousand years and the aforementioned mens were quite plentiful, and they were pretty much wreaking havoc all over the place. They were killin', rapin', pillagin', and lots of other bad stuff. In other words, they were pirates. A lot of them had even forgotten that God existed or had whittled their own gods out of whatever they had laying around. Well, God saw that the world had become a perilous place and said to himself, "This is not cool."
So God turns to his son Jesus and says, "You gotta get down there stat. I got a plan." So Jesus goes to earth to save the mens, but he's got to wait a bit because at first he's just a baby.

Anyhoo, when he was like 30 years old, Jesus hands in his two week notice to the carpenter shop and heads down to the wharf, goes up to these guys and says, "Dudes, follow me I'm gonna travel around and tell everyone about my Pops and how this life down here ain't all there is." So for like 3 years, that's exactly what they did. They helped a lot of folks out of some tight spots and did a lot of cool things called miracles. However, the church people didn't take too kindly to ole Jesus telling everybody that God was his daddy so they cooked up a plan to kill him. Well, one of the perks of being God's son was that he already had that intel; and was cool with it. Jesus was really a big picture kind of guy. He wanted everyone to come and kick it in heaven because it's the bees knees, but he knew that if the mens kept doing stuff contrary to their hearts (sins), they wouldn't make it.

Soooo, Jesus decided he would never sin and offer himself as a sacrifice on their behalf. That way, once and for all, mens could come before God with a clear conscience like they were originally intended to do.

Anyway, Jesus manned up and let the church people kill him so that he could fulfill his Daddy's plan to reconcile everybody. He even asked God to forgive the people that were killing him because they had wool over their eyes. But death couldn't even hold our hero down, because in three days he walked out of the grave and went and chilled with his peeps. He told them, "Dudes, my work here is done so I'm gonna go back to Dad's house. BUT I'm sending Holy Spirit to live in those who accept me and my work, as a reminder that I'm always with you." Then Jesus went outside and BOOM, he took off and sure enough he did send his Holy Spirit, and he's been here ever since. And this…is not the end.

The not-so-delicious irony of human hypocrisy

I like irony.

Literary irony, situational irony, linguistic irony... I like it just about every way I get it.

And you probably know the old saying, "Revenge is a dish best served cold?" Well, here's a little twist on that: "Irony is a delicious dish however it's served."

But tonight I am pondering a not-so-delicioius irony: the hypocrisy of humanity.

I've seen several things lately that gave me cause to pause & ponder, but tonight took the cake (since I'm using all the eating analogies... I'm not hungry, I promise!).

I was sitting next to my wife, minding my own business, when I noticed that she was slogging through a "fun" (irony intended there) facebook conversation with someone who... Well... Let's just say the irony was as thick as pea soup (there I go with food again!)

As I watched her get increasingly frustrated, a thought occurred to me:

"Why is it that some people claim to be 'friends', but treat you like an enemy?"

She put it quite nicely: "YOU asked ME to be your friend... But you obviously don't consider me one."

No emotion. No drama. (I would've LOADED that with drama, but not Jen!) No hyperbole.

Just a statement of fact so blunt that if it were a knife it wouldn't cut warm butter.

Then I thought a little more...

"Why is it that some people preach tolerance, but only tolerate people who agree with them?"

Isn't that...

Dare I say it?...

Intolerant?

Maybe it's just me, but I find both of those realities ironic.

But NOT in the way I like it.

Maybe you know exactly what I mean?

Realistically, I'm probably just as guilty as everyone else (probably more) when it comes to this issue.

Oh, wai...! Just got word of another situation...

Oh, how fun!

How delicious!!

How ironic!!!

I'm not listenin' ta yew... You Craaasssyyyy!

Nacho Libre may be one of the funniest movies EVER!

There are SO many great one-liners to pull from Nacho, but this particular one stands out more to me than the rest.

Maybe you're asking, "Why?"

If so, you're either a very hearty soul, feel tremendous sympathy for me, a glutton for punishment, or some bizarre mixture of the three.

Well, it's probably NOT what you think.

Comic wit? Yes... But that's not it.

Hilarious accent? Of course... But that's not it, either.

Jack Black? Absolutely... But no.

So what is it, you ask?

It's because of this: it's my 2-year-old son, Judah's, favorite line... And he quotes it PERFECTLY!

Tonight while I was making dinner, he said to me in perfect "Nacho"...

"I'm not listenin' ta yew... You Craaasssyyyy!"

When Dreams Come True

It seems like most of our life is spent seeking the dreams that burn within us.

Rarely does it seem like we actually experience the fulfillment of those dreams. On those few-and-far-between occasions when do, though, it can seem like a glimpse of Heaven.

I have the incredible privilege of living in one of those small windows of blessing right now. I'm not gonna kid you: it's amazing!

I am not foolish enough to think that it'll last much longer--much less become the norm--but I am enjoying it while I can! After all, once it's gone, it's gone!

I look around & see God doing things that I have looked for & longed for some 10 years or more... and all I can say is, "Wow!"

So, why does God allow these brief, mountain-top views of the world we slog through day-by-day?

That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?

Well, here's my million-dollar answer: idunno.

But I'm willing to take a crack at it, so here goes nothing (you might say "There went nothing" after you read this).

God is the Giver of dreams and the fulfiller of them, too. (Let's face it: if we can fulfill our dream, it wasn't much of a dream to begin with!) In fulfilling the dream, He develops the dreamer, since we are not ready to play our part in the dream until He has prepared us.
Our preparation is like any growth process, involving both expansion & collapse, tearing down & building... Like breathing: inhale & exhale. Both are necessary. Both are critical. Neither is expendable.

Striving for the dream and fulfillment of the dream are the same way... If all we ever do is strive for the dream, we burn out from frustration, longing, & a broken heart. If, on the other hand, all we ever do is live in fulfillment, we get lackadasical, complacent, & a cold heart.

So, there ya have it... My 2 cents. I'll let you judge whether or not that's a fair price.

If It's Worth Suffering For, It's Worth Suffering Through

Why do we think that we'll live our dreams without a struggle?

Well, in the immortal words of some philosopher (whose name has escaped me), "I have no idea."

(Okay... I made that up.)

Seriously... I don't know. I'm trying to figure that out, to be honest. But I can certainly tell you a couple things that I've learned on my journey toward living my dreams, especially about the struggles involved.

For one thing, the things I've suffered for are the things I appreciate. Conversely, the things that have come easy I seem not to appreciate--even neglect.

Another thing I've learned is that the struggle is essential to fulfilling the dream. No struggle, no fulfillment. The struggle is the white-hot fire, anvil, & hammer that forge the metal of who God has created us to be. In the military, we put it this way: "The hotter the fire, the tougher the steel."

Here's another thing: when we catch a glimpse of the dream God has for us, the suffering we endure gets put into perspective. If we can just keep our eyes fixed on the prize God has set before us instead of the tumult surrounding us, it will not overwhelm us. In fact, we'll often be thankful for the tumult in the long run. (I didn't say we'd enjoy it, but we will appreciate it's place in our development.)

The thing about suffering, though, is that it doesn't last forever. It's actually quite short-lived. You WILL get through it. And when you get through it, you can look back on the winding path of suffering & enjoy the view.

When all is said & done, the dream & the suffering are inseperable... But a dream worth striving for is a dream worth suffering for.

And if it's worth suffering for, it's worth suffering through.

Eating Elephants & Climbing Mountains

Somewhere along the way, I got this crazy idea that everything I do has got to be done now.

And done perfectly. Like, perfectly perfect. The first time. No exceptions. And no excuses.

Is it my perfectionism? (I have wrestled with that over the years, but I don't think that's it.)

Is it some character flaw or odd personality trait? (Well, I certainly have plenty of both, but I don't think that's it, either.)

Genetic quirk? (I, uh... Have more-or-less normal parents, so... Probably not.)

Maybe I'm still trying to prove myself to my father? (Nah. Dad's always been supportive of me.)

So... What could it be?

Why do I have this insane desire to get it right the first time or not do it at all?

Why do I get paralyzed pursuing perfection?

Why can't I ever settle for "progress" & "improvement"?!

I mean, seriously: I NEVER get it right the first time! Not even close!

Or the second.

Usually not the third, either.



And then I usually quit.

Why can't I just learn to "eat an elephant" or "climb a mountain" when it comes to those projects & tasks that are clearly big than me?

You know what I mean: you don't eat an elephant all at once (now, that provokes a disturbing visual, doesn't it?!), nor can you climb a mountain all at once, either... You have to take it one bite (for the elephant, obviously) at a time & one step (for the mountain; duh) at a time.

But if you keep biting & if you keep stepping, eventually you get there.

So tomorrow, I'm going to grab a bite of elephant & head off to Mount Everest.

Wich me luck! ;)

The Waiting Game

OK. Confession time.

If you don't know me, then you probably have no idea that I'm a huge Michigan football fan. (If you DO know me, then you probably DO know that.)

The last several years have been HARD to be a fan! It started back during the last several years of Lloyd Carr's regime, when he managed to squeeze annual top-5 recruiting classes into 7-5 seasons that included at least one loss to someone who never should've even been one the field with Michigan. Hello, App State?

It got so bad that I actually went on strike the last 3 years of Lloyd's tenure, refusing to buy any UofM gear (& I'm sure UofM athletics felt the sting of my wrath).

But then Lloyd retired.

And then Rich Rodriguez was hired.

Truthfully, I was super-excited about RichRod (that was, however, before I knew justnhow bad things would get).

Truthfully, I was sad to see him fired (I feel like he got shafted from day 1).

Truthfully, I am ready to see good football in maize & blue again (like something less than 40 points scored by everybody but the Lakeside State School for Girls... Who only scored 38).

Truthfully, I wouldn't have minded Jim Harbaugh. Or maybe Brady Hoke. (But, O Lord, PLEASE not Les Miles!!)

I noticed that Urban Meyer is currently unemployed... I'm just sayin.

So there's only one major bowl game left for the 2010-2011 season: the BCS championship tomorrow night.

But all of us Michigan fans are playing another game...

The Waiting Game.

1-1-11

Have you noticed how many weight-loss commercials are on TV right now?

Seriously, I don't ever remember a post-holiday surge of focused advertising like this beforeI

It makes sense: we all just chowed on turkey, ham, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, pie, bla, bla, bla... You get the point. So it seems logical that Jenny Craig would trying to make some new friends!

But the voice within us crying, "Oh, my gosh I've gotten fat! I've gotta DO something about this" is not exactly known for its persistence over the long haul. But why do our New-Years' resolutions seem to fall so quickly (and so hard)?

And is it possible that something birthed on the New Year CAN actually survive until February ( or even longer!!)?

Time is an amazingly objective critic and a great revealer of many things... I wish that weren't so true.

One thing is certain: what God does is in NO WAY temporary! Even if it's just "for a season," it's still eternal in its scope, impact, and result.

I'm SO glad that I get to be a part of what God is doing in this season!

Here's to 2011 making an eternal impact for the Kingdom of God!