Stopping to Smell the Roses... And They Smell REALLY Good!

This-past Sunday was the 6-month-iversary of our church.

In order to encourage our amazing team about the impact they're having in our community & in peoples' lives, I shared some statistics.

Some of these statistics blew me away & I wanted to share them with you, too.

So... Here it goes!

Hang on!

Since Launch Day, JUST 6 MONTHS AGO…

…people have decided to follow Jesus at least 82 times!

…79 people have visited Inspire for the first time! 

That's just over 3 each week for both!

…our average attendance has been 48 people!

…our highest attendance was 91 people (on Launch Day)!

…10 people have joined our Dream Team!

…3 new leaders have stepped up!

Can we celebrate together?!

I am blown away at God's goodness to us!

And Then it Hit Me...

One of the most-difficult things I've had to learn is to be content where I am.

I am a goal-oriented person, & severely driven (yes, I meant to say "severely"). While that has it's advantages, it has its disadvantages, too.

The same drive that helps me reach my goals can cause me to get frustrated & discouraged when I don't see "enough" progress toward those goals.

Full disclosure: "enough progress" is completely subjective & subject to my mood at the moment... Another disadvantage of being so driven.

So, having said that, I have gotten used to frustration & discouragement.

In fact, if I can just be transparent for a moment, I get frustrated & discouraged every Sunday around 2 pm.

Well... I USED to.

See... I've KNOWN for a long time that I needed to learn how to be content, even while I remained focused.

This has NOT been easy for me.

But one of the things I've learned this past year is how to celebrate the successes I've experience. Not just my own personal successes, but the successes of our team--both as a whole AND as individuals.

And as I've learned to do THAT, something has changed... In me!

In fact, I wasn't really even thinking about it... Which is a miracle in & of itself, believe me!

I was just driving along, thinking about how much fun I'm having & how thankful I am for my church family.

And then it hit me...

I am FINALLY content where I am... Even though I have so much more I want to do!

I don't really know when it happened...

But I am SO glad it did!

The Last Exit Before THE Exit

Have you ever taken a car trip?

Ya know that feeling you get when you cross certain "checkpoints"?

Like when you cross the halfway point?

Or you see the "Welcome to Florida" sign on your way to Disney World?

Or when the miles to your destination city start showing up on those green signs on the right?

I think my FAVORITE one, though, is when you come up to the last exit before THE exit.

I had the same feeling today when we had the AMAZING privilege of seeing the 80th person commit to Jesus since Launch Day.

Even sitting here typing, my eyes are tearing up.

Honestly, we aren't anywhere near our destination, but God is doing something VERY special at Inspire, & I sometimes can't believe that I get to be a part of it!

One final word... Because it just wouldn't be right to talk about these 80 people without mentioning the people who made it possible: our Dream Team. They are absolutely incredible & I love every one of them!

Thank you, Lord... My cup is running over!

Tis Better to Learn & Learn Again... Than to Learn & Yet Forget

It seems like a lot of what God is teaching me lately are things He's already taught me before.

(Full Disclosure: If I'd learned it well enough already, He probably wouldn't HAVE to be teaching me again. But, I digress.)

So, on one of my many "take another lap" moments, I noticed that I was feeling really aggravated at myself. ("I know I'm thick-headed, God, but COME ON!")

And can you guess what God spoke to me?

Any idea?

If you said, "Not a dang thing!" you are today's big winner!

'Cause that is EXACTLY what He spoke to me: NOTHING!

Zip.

Zilch.

Nada.

El-ZERO-mundo!

So there I was, left with my thoughts.

And as I thought about it, I realized that some of the most-deeply felt lessons that have carved me out of the rock that I used to be were the ones that I didn't learn the first go-round.

Or the second.

Or the third.

And yet somewhere, someway,  some HOW, God managed to teach me something that has forever changed my life.

As the frustration started to ease, it occurred to me...

It truly is better to learn & learn again (& again & again & again)... Than to learn & yet forget.

Thank You, Lord, for not giving up on me!

P.E.R.S.P.E.C.T.I.V.E.

Seeing people suffer is one of the things I HATE about being a pastor, but I am so honored to be able to be there at the same time (talk about conflicted!).

So... Can I just cut to the chase on this-week's post?

('Cause, honestly, I really don't want to dwell on this topic any longer than I have to.)


This past week, Jennifer & I had the honor & privilege to stand with a family enduring a horrible tragedy.

And 2 things stood out to me above all else...

1. If you love somebody... TELL THEM!

2. If your mad at and/or offended by somebody... RECONCILE!

Don't outlive them & regret that you didn't. Either one.

Seriously.

Ya Know What?! God's GOT This!

One of the things I have had the, um... Privilege (?) of learning is that trusting God is an act of the will.

The way I've learned it is by being in situations--over & over & over again--where I have to decide whether or not I'm going to trust Him.

Which, of course, means being in situations--over & over & over again--where things don't look so good.

Now, I don't know if I'm just hard headed or a slow learner....

(Well... Yes I do. I'm hard-headed AND a slow learner. But that's another story.)

....But I seem to have to KEEP learning this lesson--over & over & over again.

<sigh>

The process usually goes something like this:

1. Difficult situation presents itself.

2. Panic sets in.

3. God slaps me upside the head (often through my wife).

4. I'm overwhelmed by guilt for being filled with fear of what COULD be (almost always the worst-case scenario, of course).

5. I FINALLY take the matter to God in prayer.

6. I ask God to forgive me for not trusting.

7. God reminds me of EVERY OTHER TIME when He's come through.

8. I decide to trust Him (Finally!)

9. Rinse & repeat.

Maybe you don't have this struggle, but I do.

And I am going through the process again as I write this. I'm currently somewhere between #s 8 & 9.

So, as of this moment, I can say with great confidence, "Ya Know What?! God's GOT This!"

Practicin' What I'm Preachin' & Preachin' What I'm Practicin'

This past Sunday, my message was about being the incredible freedom that comes from being thankful in the midst of our circumstances--regardless of what they are.

I worked all week preparing my message (as I usually do), & went into the weekend relieved that I didn't have any last-minute cramming to worry about (unfortunately, that happens sometimes, too). I was glad to enjoy Father's Day weekend with my family!

Then, on Friday, while I was mowing, one of the glass panes in our patio slider door spontaneously started shattering. And if you've ever seen that, it's CRAZY!

I Googled it & learned that it's not all that uncommon. I also learned that the tempered glass keeps the shattered window in place instead of millions of little pieces falling all over the place. Good idea!

...when it works!

I walked out the front door and into the front yard, relieved that the issue wasn't as bad as it could've been if the glass fell out.

As I came back inside & the front door closed behind me, I heard an unmistakable--and sickening--sound....

Let's just say the tempered glass did NOT stay in place! In fact, it made one of the biggest messes I've ever seen!

So, there I stood, looking out a 3-foot round hole in my slider & trying to figure out what the heck I was gonna do to fix it.

I tried plastic first. Bad idea: the AC just pushed it through the hole!

And made the hole even bigger.

About this time, I started getting so frustrated (angry) that cuss words started running through my mind. (I was in the Navy for 10 years, y'all, so I've got quite the cussin' vocabulary!) Then I started making up new ones!

And then it hit me.

"I'm living out the lesson for Sunday's message!"

Duh!

So, right then & there I decided that I was going to put into practice what I was gonna be preaching: I was gonna CHOOSE to be grateful. I didn't FEEL grateful, but I was gonna BE grateful anyhow.

The moment I did, my head started clearing, my blood pressure started dropping, and I started laughing. Not a belly laugh, but a little chuckle. Just for a moment.

In a matter of minutes, I'd put a plan together to temporarily fix the window, executed the plan, AND decided that it was time to replace the slider with those french doors that Jennifer's been wanting for so long.

Sunday's message may not have been for anybody else, but it certainly was for me!

Feeling Pretty Grateful!

Last Sunday, we started a new message series at Inspire about the power of Gratitude to bring freedom to our lives. I've really enjoyed the brainstorming sessions with our Creative Team. I've enjoyed the research & studying for the messages. I enjoyed delivering the first message yesterday.

But, most of all, I've enjoyed living the message I've been sharing!

Today is a perfect example of why.

We've had a financial challenge for the last 3 years that has been extremely trying! Part of what's been so frustrating has been how long it's been drawn out.

But today, the answer came!

Not only did the answer come, but it came with some unexpected surprises... The REALLY-good kind!

It turns out that some of the frustrating challenges along the way ended up being the very reason we were pleasantly surprised in the end!

So, today... I am feeling pretty grateful!

Life's Little Pleasures Oughtta Be a BIG Deal!

The other day, I was driving home from the office through a residential part of town. I happened to be behind a big tractor trailer.

Up ahead and off to the right, I noticed a woman in one of those motorized scooters/wheelchairs that they give to people who can't physically get around on their own anymore.

My heart went out to her as I approached... The look on her face seemed to say that she wasn't really "living" anymore, but pretty much just "existing." She was alone and didn't seem to notice me--or much of anybody else, for that matter.

But something caught her attention.

The big rig.

As her eyes locked onto the truck, the lifeless look on her face evaporated and a mischievous little grin turned the corners of her mouth into the smile of a little girl.

Keeping her focus on the semi, she thrust her right hand straight up in the air, clenched her fist, and pumped it up and down in the "Honk your horn, Mr. Semi" gesture.

The semi driver must've noticed the lady, too, because as soon as she started pumping her fist, he let out a big, long blast on his horn! (God bless that guy!)

As soon as residential peace & tranquility had been successfully shattered, her little-girl smile turned into full-on grin! Her pumping fist was joined by her other hand in a triumphant, "We just won the Super Bowl!!!!!"-type celebration.

As I passed, I could read her lips as she threw her head to one side & declared with some attitude, "Yes, inDEED!"

I couldn't help myself... I just HAD to chuckle.

I was happy for her! Happy because she had seemed so UNhappy just a few moments before! And such a small little thing brought her so much joy.

And that's when it hit me: I'd be a LOT less stressed if life's little pleasures were a big deal to me, too.

They oughtta be!

From now on, they're gonna be!

And Now for Something COMPLETEly Different...

Yeah... The title of my post today is a little "shout out" to all of my fellow Monty Python fans.

It's not "just" that, though, because I have got to share something REALLY different... At least for me!

Last night, I had some spicy mustard.

Now... Let me give you some perspective: I LOVE (like, love-ity love!) spicy foods! I like to eat spoonfuls of Tobasco sauce. Does that help you to understand what I mean when I say, "I love spicy"?

So, as I  was saying.... I had some spicy mustard. And I mean, it was HOT!

Each bite was almost tear-provoking.

And I was LOVING it!

But...

This morning when I woke up, I had the weirdest sensation in my mouth!

My entire mouth--lips, gums, tongue--were numb!

When I drink anything carbonated, it stings!

When I eat anything even remotely spicy, it stings!

When I eat something (temperature) hot, it stings!

Sooooooooo...........

I'm just curious: is that normal?!

I don't remember this EVER happening to me before!

If it's ever happened to you, I'd LOVE to know what you did to make it better!

It's REALLY weird!

A BIG "What If"

Yesterday was Mother's Day.

Most of us took time to honor (or at least acknowledge) the women we call "Mom" in our lives.

I've noticed something--and I'm sure you've noticed this, too: Moms really appreciate being honored.

Here's something else I've (we've) noticed: everyone appreciates being honored!

I wonder what would would happen if we lived our lives honoring others every day.

Like, what if we honored Mom like it was Mother's Day EVERY day?

What if we honored Dad like it was Father's Day EVERY day?

What if we honored our bosses... EVERY day?

Our co-workers?

Our employees?

Neighbors?

Friends?

Kids?

The people that check us out at the grocery store?

Other drivers? (Doh! I went there!)

Our servers? (Even if he/she doesn't get everything perfect on our order.)

The people that don't necessarily deserve it?

Idunno... Call me crazy, but it just seems to me like our world would be significantly different if we lived this way.

I'm not so foolish as to think that it's easy to start doing. Nor am I so naive as to think that there won't be times when I don't want to honor someone, but to tell them off instead.

But I do know this: it's up to ME to make this change in my life. And it's nothing I can't learn to do if I make it a priority in my life.

And I also know THIS: everyone around me will be glad if I do!

All for One...

I am SO thankful that every single Sunday at Inspire, SOMEONE has responded to God's tug at their heart! In total, 42 people have responded in 11 weeks!

So, first of all... "Thank You, Father, for calling & drawing people to Yourself at Inspire!"

We believe that only God can draw someone to Jesus, and that the best thing we can do is partner with Him by getting rid of anything that might hinder that experience.

Obviously, there are tons of things we can't do anything about, but we're learning that there are lots of things we CAN do something about!

In fact, we're learning that there are more things we can have an impact on than we realized!

We haven't figured it all out--NO WAY! But we have worked really hard & every week, we are seeing the results!

We do it all for our guests, but it'd be worth it even if it was just...

All for One!

Two of My Heroes

Holy COW it's raining hard in New Olreans today!!

To give you an idea of just how hard... I just saw a parade of animals walking 2x2!!

No... I didn't really. In case you're wondering.

But anyway...

After church, I was in the foyer talking with our guests. During one conversation, we were talking about just how hard it was raining, when I noticed two of our Dream Teamers out in the rain loading up our equipment into the truck!!

I couldn't believe my eyes at first, but I walked out onto the covered front entryway, and--sure enough--it was them: Rene & Jessica!

And they were SOAKED!!!

Did they complain?

Nope.

Did they have a bad attitude?

Nope.

Were they having fun?

NOPE!

But it needed to be done... So they did it!

No one told them to.

No one ASKED them to.

No one needed to.

Yep... That's the kind of people we have on our Dream Team.

Rene & Jessica, you are amazing!

You both blew me away with your service to Jesus & Inspire today!

You are my heroes!!

Jumping Up & Down On My Spinal Chord

Today after church, Jennifer & I were watching House Hunters on HGTV. We like that show.

Usually.

But today, the couple the show spotlighted were from an area of the country where I used to live.

Having been in the military, I've lived in quite a few places. There were some things about each place that I really liked. And there were things about each place that I...

Didn't.

And--like the others--the area on this episode had some things about it that I really liked.

BUT...

One of the things that I did NOT like about this area was the accent people spoke with.

And I really didn't like it.

REALLY.

Holy cow... That accent!

I recognize it every time I hear it.

Some accents are awesome. Some are amusing. Some are just downright annoying.

Like... Jump-up-&-down-on-my-spinal-chord annoying.

This accent is one of those.

And after 30 minutes of spinal-shord disco, I can't tell you how glad I was to see the end-of-show credits!

Jennifer just laughed at me.

But she did thank me for moving away from there.

Is Jesus REALLY "My Homeboy"?

I don't get offended by most of the jokes aimed at Christians--at least told at our expense--for three reasons:

1. The guy in my mirror.
2. If it walks, looks, & quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck.
3. Honesty is STILL the best policy.

Let me explain what I mean.

1. The guy in my mirror...

I tend to take myself WAY too seriously! But when I look into the mirror, what I see looking back at me is just downright funny sometimes! And there's nothing quite as liberating as being able to laugh at yourself!

2. If it walks, looks, & quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck.

The thing that makes a joke funny is often the element of truth in it. At let's be honest... We deserve a good bit of the fun poked at us.

3. Honesty is STILL the best policy...

I'd rather someone be honest in their rejection of Jesus or their disagreement with my portrayal of Him than for them to conceal it by saying & doing the "right" religious things. Religion almost killed me, & I've noticed that people don't get free of religion's deathgrip until they let go of their pretense.

I've also noticed something else...

Sometimes people poke fun of Jesus not because of who Jesus is, but because of how we portray Him.

I'm not the most-persuasive person in the world, but when I meet someone like that, my heart leaps inside of me & I desperately want to share with them the Jesus that I know & love!

I don't meant the "religious" Jesus hanging in a frame in somebody's house or around somebody's necklace, or on their T-shirt, I mean the One that reached down into the pit & pulled me out, even though I was anything but deserving of it!

I'm STILL not deserving of it!

If I had the chance to sit down with them & share my heart with them, I'd tell them why Jesus is NOT the weak, wimpy, masochistic, ignorant, pacifistic fool I so often see Him portrayed as.

I'd show them how Jesus is like NO ONE else there has ever been!

I'd show them how Jesus is NOT just some religious leader!

I'd show them how Jesus is truly unique... And why they should care.

In fact, I think I will... Beginning this Sunday!

It's a new series called, "Unique: Who Is Jesus... And Why Should I Care?"

If you don't have a church you call home, will you be my guest, please?

If you have friends &/or family who aren't interested in religion but are hungry for something real, will you bring them & be my guest, please?

We are Inspire, & we meet in the Rivertown Theater at 325 Minor Street in Kenner, Sundays at 10am.

I hope to see you there... Because God has MUCH more for you to experience in this life!

A Divine Disclaimer

Ever read or heard a disclaimer?

You know... One of those legal "CYA" phrases companies tack on their products or at the end of their commercials so somebody can't sue their "A" off?

Maybe you've seen one of these (or something similar)...

• No animals were harmed in the making of this film. 
• Names have been changed to protect the innocent. 
• Some assembly required. 
• Batteries not included. 
• Kids, get you parents permission before calling. 
• Compensated re-enactment; not an actual [fill in the professional]. 
• Actual [product name] customers; NOT a paid endorsement.
• Offer void where prohibited. 
• Offer not available in all 50 states or where prohibited by law.

Then there's the one on my hair dryer...

• WARNING: RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK! Do not use in the shower!

Seriously?! Someone actually TRIED that?!

And then there's the ones they speed-read at the end of those pharmaceutical commercials... WHOA! Does ANYONE know what those people are saying?!

And my all-time personal favorite...

• CAUTION: The beverage you are about to enjoy is extremely hot!

No... REALLY?!

Wait! Lemme get this straight: when I go to Starbucks... And order a hot coffee... It's gonna... be... hot?

Who'd of thunk it?!

So, now that I've got THAT out of the way, let me tell you what happened to me this morning!

I met with one of our overseers this morning & shared a particular issue I'm wrestling with during this chapter of my journey. He shared some GREAT perspective & gave me some GREAT advice!

I left our time together grateful for him & for our time together.

Within an hour, someone sent me a text & asked if I could talk. I called them & guess what?

They're wrestling with the EXACT issue that I'd just received fresh perspective & insight for!

Wow! Small world, right?

Or, maybe it's better put this way: Big God!

You see, I believe that everything we endure (say it with me: "E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G") is for the benefit of someone else, if we'll just open up & let God use it (us).

So, after sharing that, let me share one more disclaimer--A Divine Disclaimer--with you...

DISCLAIMER: All coincidences actual or imagined are purely intentional on the part of God Almighty.

Ba dop bop ba baaaaa...

Wow!

Launching Inspire has been one of wildest, funnest, most-exciting rides I've EVER been on!

I am continue to be amazed at the way our Dream Team just keeps giving & giving... They are my heroes!!

I get to chat with other church planters just about daily through various avenues and media. As I do, I get to reflect on what God & our Dream Team have done. With each story, I find my heart swelling with pride. I almost want to pinch myself because sometimes it seems too good to be true.

Our Inspire Kids cast is absolutely amazing! Here's one example of the impact they're making: this past weekend, one little boy asked if he could keep his lanyard, "'Cuz I'm comin' back NEXT week!"

Our First-Impressions cast continues to make our guests feel like they're part of the family (in a good way!) from the moment they set foot on the campus! One guest told me Sunday, "I feel SO welcome & appreciated here!"

Our Worship cast is incredible, too! One lady told us that she felt God's presence during the

Jennifer & I have been dreaming about the kind of church we wanted to be part of for over 12 years... And we have had the unspeakable joy of experiencing that church for the past three weeks!

And it's not because of US... It's because of TWO things: God and our Dream Team!

It reminds me of that McDonald's jingle...

Ba dop bop ba baaaaa... I'm lovin' it!

It's Nice to Be Needed... It's Better NOT to Be!

Late last night, I posted here some thoughts about my personal journey in planting a church.

What I intended to share was how amazing & awesome our Launch Team has been... What came across, however, was something TOTALLY different!

I don't know if I was distracted, tired, or just having a fit of stupid, but if I came across to you as doing ANYTHING other than bragging on our Launch Team, then I am deeply sorry... WIll you please forgive me (ESPECIALLY if you're on our Launch Team)?

Thanks.

So... I'm gonna try this again. Let's see if I can get it right this time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Planting the church you've always wanted to be a part of is really exciting! It's really hard work, but it's SO worth it!

One of the things that has made it so rewarding for me has been watching God transform a group of people into a team.  And a huge part of that has been seeing the vision that God gave Jennifer & I become the Launch Team's vision!

For the last 6 months, they have put aside their preferences & plans to be a part of launching Inspire. During those 6 months, there were times when they didn't see the vision the way Jennifer & I did, but they believed in God & they believed in us & they kept going.

During those days when they loved us (but hadn't yet caught the vision), one of my chief responsibilities was to keep the vision before them. You see, before they saw the vision, they needed Jennifer & I to see it & tell them what we saw.

But somewhere along the journey, the got it... They SAW the vision for themselves! Some of them were seeing it & knew it;  others were seeing it, but didn't know it yet. (They do now, by the way!)

And once they saw it for themselves, they didn't just follow us anymore... They no longer needed Jennifer or me to keep seeing & telling them what we saw.

They saw it for themselves!

They grabbed ahold of the vision and started carrying it for themselves.

That shift from needing us to see the vision for them to seeing it themselves has been one of the most-amazing things I have ever witnessed or had the privilege of being part of!

And let me just tell you, I couldn't be more proud of our Launch Team! They absolutely knocked it out of the park on Launch Day (and week 2, I might add)!

Jennifer & I have been waiting 12 years to be a part of a church like Inspire... A church that is life-giving, creative, diverse, & passionate!

And now we get to!

And let me confess: it ain't because of me & Jennifer that Inspire is like this... It's because of our Launch Team. (They're called the Dream Team now, since the launch is over.)

Let me tell ya: it's nice to be needed, but when it comes to vision, it's SO much better NOT to be!

Thanks, Inspire Dream Team for making our dreams come true... And this is JUST the beginning!!

Jennifer & I love y'all!

Jeff

It's "GO!" Time!!!

I almost can't believe it!

6 months ago, we shut down our church so that we could start over again as a new church, with new DNA, new values, new vision, new purpose, and--most of all--new focus.

It was an interesting meeting, when Jennifer & I told the congregation that we weren't having services again until we launched.

There were many stunned looks of disbelief staring back at us in that meeting, but as we talked about the WHY behind the WHAT we were doing, something seemed to click inside each one of them.

"This makes sense," several said, sounding like they almost didn't believe the words they were hearing out of their own mouths.

But now, 6 months later, the very things God spoke to Jennifer & I about Inspire are the very things we're seeing.

And not only are WE seeing them, so is our Launch Team!

In fact, our Launch Team OWNS this! This isn't "my" vision anymore, or "Jen's" vision... It's "our" vision! It belongs to this Launch Team & they are giving everything they have for Jesus AND for those guests that are going to come to know Him through their hard work, sacrifice, & love.

We've worked and worked and worked...

We've done all WE can do, now it's time for God to do what only HE can do!

It's "GO!" time, Baby!

And I'm SO glad I get to be on this adventure with them!

God is STILL Creating Out of Chaos!

Today was our first of 2 Launch-Day rehearsals.

Jennifer & I spent the last week running around like chickens with our heads cut off, trying to get everything we needed for today.

That did NOT happen.

Turns out there are two things going on in town that have... Ummm... "Hindered" us a bit.

Maybe you've heard of them: something they like to call "The Super Bowl" and then this other little local festival called "Mardi Gras."

Oh... You've heard of 'em?!

Yeah, well, as you can imagine, "hinderances" prevented today's rehearsal from having all of the equipment we needed.

Despite that, we were able to get everyone into position & start putting the last 6 months of planning into practice.

And it was... (Anyone wanna guess what I'm gonna say here?)

CHAOS!

Yep: pure, unadulterated, OMG, what-have-I-gotten-myself-into, how-are-we-gonna-pull-this-off-in-two-weeks chaos.

I felt like the villain in some old Kung Fu movie: "Ahh, Chaos... Welcome. We have been expecting you."

And we were expecting some chaos.

And we got some chaos.

A LOT of chaos.

At the end of the day, we told everyone that this chaos was normal & that we'd work through it next week. And that's all true: we will... But judging from the looks on their faces, many of them weren't buying it!

So, after the meeting was over (& copious amounts of lunch were ingested), I decided to send out a little word of encouragement to our Launch Team.

As I was typing this thought came to me: "Out of chaos, God created everything."

Whoa! That was good!

I thought it again (this time on purpose!): "Out of chaos, God created everything."

Then I thought about the chaos of our meeting today: "Judging from today's meeting, He's gonna hafta do it again!"

Then I put the two thoughts together: "Out of chaos, God created everything. Judging from today's meeting, He's gonna hafta do it again!"

Then I remembered WHO we're talking about: God!

And the most amazing peace came over me. It added one more thought to the two previous: "God creates out of chaos EVERY DAY... He's God!"

So I put it all together & sent it to our Launch Team: "Out of chaos, God created everything. Judging from today's meeting, He's gonna hafta do it again! But that's OK... That's WHAT He does!"

In fact, He has never STOPPED creating out of chaos... That's one of the things that clearly identify Him as God!

And He has called US--you & me!--to be part of this wonderful mess... This divine disorder... This creative chaos... THROUGH which & IN which God is always working to accomplish His will.

Yes, my friends, I am happy to report that God is STILL creating out of chaos!

When Not Enough Becomes Too Much

So, here'e the deal: Inspire launches in just 21 days!

Seriously, y'all... 21 days is NOWHERE near enough time! In fact, Panic Mode officially set in for me late last week.

SO MANY things to do...

SO MUCH still left to do...

My task list is supposed to be getting shorter as we get closer to Launch Day.

But it seems to be getting longer!

Aaaaaarrrrrrrgggggghhhhhh! (And that's NOT Pirate-ese!)

But thank God for one of our overseers, Monte Young, who gave me some GREAT advice! He said,

"Dude, enjoy Launch Day: you only get to do this once! Here's the reality: you're GONNA launch. You've got a GREAT team. You're probably not gonna "nail" everything. But that's okay... Everybody knows it's your first service."

I needed that! (Thanks, Bro!)

Ya see, I have the kind of personality that gets SO focused (read: is SO anal!) on making sure every detail is squared away that I can TOTALLY miss the amazing things going on around me.

I do NOT want to miss the amazing things God is doing on Launch Day!

And a funny thing happened once I set my mind to enjoy Launch Day...

That 21 days that was "not enough" time to get everything done became "too much" time til we see God what only He can do!

When "Why" Get's Lost in "What" & "How"

42 DAYS LEFT TIL LAUNCH!

You may have some sense of the excitement I feel when I type that (it is, after all, all caps), but I am equally sure that you probably do NOT feel the stress that I'm feeling!

When I say "stress," I really mean "SSSSSSTTTTTTRRRRRREEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!"

Ya see, I am a VERY focused person... It is definitely one of my greatest personal strengths.

BUT...

Sometimes, it can become my greatest weakness.

You see, my ability to focus on a project means that I am very good at setting my sights on a goal, then creating the necessary steps to move me & my team toward successful accomplishment of the goal.

But what I learned this week is that I can get SO focused on the goal--the "What" I'm doing--and the necessary steps--the "How" to do it--that I forget what is actually the most-important thing... The "Why" I'm doing it.

The "Why" may not matter in a number of pursuits, but planting a church is not--I repeat, NOT--just any pursuit!

Planting a church is all about making Jesus real to people.

THAT is the "Why."

Don't misunderstand: the "What" & the "How" are super-important, but they are not NEARLY as important as the "Why!"

And--unfortunately for me--it's FAR TOO EASY for the "Why" to get lost in the "What" & the "How!"

When that happens, I MUST go back to the "Why" & get everything else back into its proper place.

And once I do, I find that the "What" & the "How" flow much more easily from the "Why."

Go back to the "Why," my friend... Go back to the "Why."

Ahhh, 2012... I remember it like it was yesterday.

Ummm... It was, Jeff.

Oh, yeah. My bad.

But what a year it was!

Like any year, there were ups & there were downs.

There were good times & there were not-so-good times.

And let's not kid ourselves, there were some bad times, too.

But one thing that really stands out from 2012 to me is the sense of turning the corner.

Kinda like when you're driving in really thick fog and--all of a sudden--the fog clears.

Yeah... That kind of thing.

And today, the first day of 2013, I just have this sense that E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G is about to break through the fog!

Whoa! I can't wait!!