New Name, New Home

Ok, so this is officially the new place to catch updates on life in China.  I sure would feel special if you'd keep up with me.  And keep our Work in your Thoughts.  So thanks.

At Dawn, Look to the East

We are moving to China. You will hopefully be able to read about it at 7chinafriends.com. Love.

More Like Boo Lights

A couple of weeks ago, Kris and I went to Zoo Lights at the Memphis Zoo. Kris had been dying to visit the zoo for a long time (she loves pandas) and I was also looking forward to seeing some caged beasts. Unfortunately, the only animals we saw were some lame goats and ducks with no shame (pictured below).

The trip was not a waste- Kris and I had a great time. We took lots of pictures and I got to wear my new, very stylish winter hat (thanks, Kyle and Becca). We also decorated "free with the price of admission" sugar cookies and ate fake snow that turned out to be soap.

When we arrived at the Zoo, everything more than met our expectations. The lights outside were just like the picture on the website. When we got up to the line, a little man let us in the side door because we had already purchased an e-ticket. What a blessing! The inside track! Before we could fully take in the joy of passing all of those losers in the line, we noticed that it was snowing in the zoo!

Yes, snow was falling on our heads. It was sticking to my coat and Kris' hair. Joy! From where we stood, we looked into the zoo. We saw lion cages up ahead! And a horse and carriage ride!? Merry Christmas to us! But as we skipped happily along, we realized why Zoo Lights admission is half the price of regular Zoo admission- they hide the animals during Zoo Lights so all you get is the smell of animals and Christmas lights in the shape of the Eiffel Tower and the White House. Plus the carriage rides were not "free" like the sugar cookies and the snow was mysteriously limited to the area immediately in front of the entrance.

Still, we held out hope that there were animals somewhere. Kris was cut deep when we discovered the door to Panda World was locked. It sounded like there was something going on within the Panda World Fence, but we couldn't see any Panda World Action. It was probably a Panda Party. We were not invited- salt in the wound. However, there was a ruckus over in the farm area, so we went to investigate. Maybe there was an animal? It turns out the ruckus was a group of elderly folk fighting for a good vantage point of a dozen or so ducks "wrestling" on an island in the middle of a pond. I was, of course, offended by their immaturity. Clearly, the ducks were trying to make scene. There were plenty of private areas to procreate, but they chose to do the business on Duck Island for all to see. I can't say I blame them- this is probably the only night of the year that they are the main attraction. They would normally be overshadowed by more exciting animals like chickens.

Since we were already in the Farm Zone, we decided to take a look around. We were pleased to see there were goats and sheep and even some reindeer. The goats looked very scared. The sheep were very busy pooping, which really freaked out a funny black lady who, evidently, never expected to see animal poop at the zoo. The reindeer looked tired, probably because it was only a few days after Christmas and they hadn't fully recuperated from their lap around the world. We couldn't fully enjoy these animals, however, because it was at this time that we noticed a man who seemed to be on safari. He had one of those safari-man mustaches and he was dressed in all khaki. He had the hat and everything. If he would have been wearing a monocle instead of glasses, I would have pinned him as Panama Jack. And I think he was following us. Actually, I'm sure of it. However, I'm not sure he fell for our "go over there and I'll pretend I'm taking your picture" gag.

Before visiting the gift shop on the way out, we followed the sound of Christmas carols not to real carolers, but mannequins and a speaker. The carols sounded good enough, but the faux carolers were a might bit scary. Kris discovered she makes the same face when she sings "Felis Navidad." It's not so scary when Kris makes this face, as you can see. I wanted to take a picture with the scary caroling mannequins, too, but a gang of hispanics walked by and I didn't want to look foolish in front of them because they looked pretty cool. Not pictured here was the tenor-singing-scary-mannequin, whose sideburns grew into a fine mustache.

I hope I haven't given the impression that Zoo Lights was a drag. Yes, we were upset that there were no animals, but we didn't really come to see animals, but to have a good time together. All in all, that's exactly what we did. In fact, I think this will go down in the books as one of the best times I've ever had with my wife. And I am not going to hold this against the Memphis Zoo at all. I mean, where else can you be hunted by Panama Jack, be hatched out of an egg, impersonate plastic carolers, scare little children, visit the White House, and learn the birds and the bees from a dozen ducks? Only at Zoo Lights.

There were many more exciting Zoo Light moments that I simply couldn't put into words. A few of these moments were captured in stills. I have included these stills below. Thank you.

Somewhere Between Hearing and Doing

On work days, my wife and I study the Bible together, sort of. With our schedules, it's easier for us to study the same thing at different times- on our own, but together. She usually studies during her lunch break and I just do it whenever I am awake. Sometimes we talk about what stood out to us in the reading that day. Lately, we have been reading with a mind to obey in the book of Luke.

Usually, we read a chapter and I pick out a handful of verses for us to really focus on. We write out those verses verbatim, so that it sinks in deeply. Then we write them again, but in our own words. That way, we know for sure that we understand what's being said. Finally, we write "I will" statements- ways in which we will obey the imperative found in the words of God.

Today, we were in Luke 6. We chose to look in-depth at the last section, which talks about foundations, hearing, and acting. It's a direct hit on what I have been wanting to do lately (see O Man, 1-3). In a lot of ways, I have been the foolish man who hears, but does not act on what he hears. Jesus says that ultimately, that approach to spirituality leads to great ruin.

But how do you become that wise guy who hears and acts? Especially if you've been the fool for so long? Are there steps missing from the equation? Shouldn't there be something between Hearing and Doing?

Jesus' Steps to Obedience:
1. Hear
2. Do

My Steps to Obedience
1. Hear
2. Consider what will happen if I do
3. Weigh the consequences of doing versus not doing
4. Look around for anyone else who might be doing or not doing
5. Decide doing is worth a try
6. Do, but only half-heartedly
7. Fail several times
8. Decide it is undoable
9. Come back and give it another try
10. Do

My steps are obviously less tidy than the ones Jesus laid out. They take longer, too. But I don't think they would be so bad if I actually made it from step one to step ten. The problem is, I usually get lost and turned around somewhere in between Hearing and Doing.

Maybe I should lose the extra steps?

O Man, Part Three

... It may require something radical. Or maybe not.

I thought about calling this radical obedience because to us, 100% obedience seems radical, and because it just sounds cool. Radical obedience. Sounds cool. But then I decided that there is no such thing as radical obedience. There is no such thing as full obedience. There is only obedience and disobedience. If there is anything radical about it, it is the paradigm shift that needs to happen within me. A decision must be made in my noggin that compromise results not in "partial obedience," but flat out disregard for the commands of God- disobedience. And the result of regular disobedience? Stagnant spirituality.

Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments... One ho has my commandments, and keeps them, that person is one who loves me. One who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and reveal myself to him."

So I will be using this blog as a tool. Call it accountability if you like. It might even be appropriate to call this a spiritual experiment. My plan is to systematically begin reading God's word with a mind to obey it. Not to know it, memorize it, or even apply it, but to simply obey it. I'll share what I am reading on this blog and lay out my plan for immediate obedience. I'll also be sharing my results and struggles with obedience. All of this I'll do in hopes of growing more like a disciple of Christ and less like an observer of Christ. The time has long passed to get off the bleachers and step into the game. Here we go.

O Man, Part Two

... I believe the day I stopped reaching my spiritual potential was the day I accepted partial obedience as the norm.

Somewhere along the way in my spiritual walk, I got confused. I began to elevate knowledge over obedience. Spiritual maturity was displayed in facts recalled, not commands obeyed. Early in my Christian days, I knew very little and obeyed most of what I knew. Now, I know a lot, but obey only a fraction of what I know? Is this experience common? Can you see it happening in your life? What is better, to know one hundred things and only obey ten of them, or to know ten things and obey nine out of ten? I think I would rather be the latter fellow, but introspection tells me I am more like the first guy. Oh, but I want a change. How wonderful it would be to have knowledge with complete obedience.

I think knowledge with complete obedience is what we all shoot for to begin with. I am not sure what cases us to compromise and settle for partial obedience instead. Maybe it is because we look around and partial obedience is widely accepted. Maybe it is because we know that we cannot be perfect, so why not lean as heavily as we can upon grace? Maybe it is a slow numbing that we don't notice until we have moved far, far off the path we wanted to travel. Maybe it is a combination of all of these things and more? Like I said, I'm not sure.

So how do I (or we if you'll join me) get back to that place where full obedience is a natural way of life? It may require something radical. Or maybe not.

O Man, Part One

I realized the other day that at age 24, I have been a Christian over half of my life.

You would think I’d be a little further along by now.

I know I’ve grown in a lot of ways… I guess I have honed some talents in leadership, teaching, public speaking, and the like, but those personal improvements don’t necessarily indicate spiritual growth, do they? I guess I have grown some in knowledge… I can quickly turn to any book in the Bible. I can quote some verses. I can answer most doctrinal questions pretty easily. But is that spiritual growth? Sometimes I wonder if I am any better than I was five years ago. Am I more like Jesus than I was five years ago? I have a beard now… maybe that counts for something. But have I grown in the things that really matter?

As long as I can remember, I have looked up to people who seem to have it going on spiritually. Maybe you can think of someone like this. They seem to be on a higher plane. They seem to always say and do the right thing at the right time. You know who I’m talking about. They are the ones you want to have vouch for you on judgment day. I have tried before to pinpoint what sets these people apart from the rest of us- we Christians who desperately want to grow, but feel like we are spinning our wheels in the mud. Well… I was thinking that maybe I’ve figured it out.

Sometimes I feel like a little sprig of grass in the middle of a forest. There was a time, early on, when my spiritual growth was on par with everyone else. In fact, there have been times when I seemed to zoom past others in this area. But now the forest has grown up around me and I'm still just a little shrimp. What happened? What exactly went wrong? What did I do? What didn't I do? These are frustrating questions I have asked myself over and over again. And now finally I think I have a decent answer. I believe the day I stopped reaching my spiritual potential was the day I accepted partial obedience as the norm.