Category: Uncategorized

Manger Throne, a New Classic

All across the nation and around the world, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. However, it many houses of worship, even those with the best decorations, it doesn’t yet sound much like Christmas. There are many reasons for this (and I’ll write more in future posts) but one reason is that the sound and feel of many Christmas carols and songs are often quite different from many modern worship songs. Christmas carols are filled with nostalgia and wonder, yet many are written in mysterious sounding keys with varying time signatures and often have hard to understand lyrics. On the other hand, worship songs are often written in straightforward time signatures with predictable (I mean that in a good way) lyrics and (dare I say it) easier to play keys. 

It is possible to have the best of both worlds, but like many good things, it takes some effort. That’s why I’m always pleased to hear new Christmas worship songs that are strong musically and lyrically and quite frankly, work well for powerful worship experiences. One of my new favorites is the new Christmas anthem Manger Throne, written by Jonathan Smith and Tony Wood and released by Phil Wickham. 

Here’s what Wickham recently shared with CCM magazine: “More than a Christmas song, this is a worship song… Every Christmas season, when I take the time to think on it, I am amazed in a greater way of the moment when Creator stepped into creation. God in human flesh. Heaven walking on earth. Everything about how Jesus came was different than what we would have expected, and also far better. He met us right in our humanity.” 

Check out Manger Throne at one of the links below. 

*Click here for the official music video 

**Click here for the lyric video 

***Click here for ccm article mentioned in the post.

Merry Christmas!

*Image courtesy of ProChurch Tools

by Categories: Christmas, Church and Christian Life, Creativity, Response, Review, Uncategorized, WorshipTags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

Who is the Center of Your Nativity Scene?

A few years ago, my wife invited a mom and her preschool daughter to our home to help decorate for Christmas. She asked the young girl if she would place the Nativity scene figures in a small stable that was sitting on an end table near our sofa. The little girl smiled upon hearing the opportunity. She looked carefully at each piece before placing the Baby Jesus figure, who was of course lying in a manger, in the center of the stable. Then, she slowly placed Mary and Joseph, the animals, the shepherds, the wise men, and finally, the angel.

Sounds pretty normal, right? Most people would probably use the same process.

Except… 

Instead of facing the figures outward, this young girl placed them facing the center of the stable.

I remember thinking, “What has she done? These characters aren’t facing the people who will be looking at the nativity scene. They look like they’re just focused on Jesus.”

Then, I realized that she had it right. Jesus is the center of the story. It’s all about Him. Why would the figures look at anything or anyone else but Him? 

That’s a good life lesson for us all as well. This year, let’s fix our eyes on Jesus. Let’s make Christmas all about Him.

by Categories: Christmas, Church and Christian Life, Creativity, Devotion, Uncategorized, WorshipTags: , , , , , Leave a comment

Is Christmas Really the Birthday of Jesus?

I hear the question every December: “Is Christmas Really Jesus’ Birthday?”

In short, yes and no. 

The argument, as I see it, is less about Christmas and more about December 25th. 

Many people believe that Christmas is actually based on Saturnalia, a pagan festival for Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture and time. This festival began as a single day held on December 17 yet by the first century before Christ, it had expanded to a seven day festival. Saturnalia was a holiday for everyone, even the enslaved. Homes were decorated with wreaths and greenery. Saturnalia led to another Roman holiday connected to the winter solstice which recognized the birthday of the Roman sun god Sol Invictus.

On the other hand, some theologians believe that the Annunciation (when the angel Gabriel shared with Mary that she would give birth to the Son of God) took place on March 25. Therefore, since the average term of a human pregnancy is 9 months, the due date for the Messiah must have been December 25. 

The Roman Emperor Constantine was raised in the cult of the Unconquered Sun God and most likely celebrated Saturnalia and worshiped Sol Invictus. However, Constantine converted to Christianity in 312. Shortly after, he declared it the official religion of the Roman empire. He made a conscious effort in turning the culture of his day away from paganism and toward Christ. Because of his influence, western Christians began celebrating Christmas (Christ Mass) on December 25 in 336. Constantine’s efforts were continued by Pope Julius 1st, who declared in 385 that Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus, would be observed on December 25. 

So, when was Jesus born? Lee Strobel, author of The Case For Christmas, states that it must have been in the spring because shepherds were watching their flocks by night, which they would have done in the spring when ewes bore their young. 

That makes sense to me. 

But does it really matter? 

Several years ago, my wife wished our niece a happy birthday on her actual birthday. “Thank you,” she replied, “But my mom changed my birthday this year so tell me again this coming Saturday.” Her mother didn’t really change her birthday, just the time of the celebration of her birthday. But we still had cake and presents and sang “Happy Birthday” to her on the day of celebration.

Point being, the date didn’t change the importance of our niece’s birthday. In a similar way, we celebrate the birth of Jesus on the 25th of December, knowing full well He could have just as well been in March, April, or August. Celebrating the birth of Jesus is what’s important, not the date. 

But what about those practices that came along with Saturnalia? Are we somehow worshiping the sun god as we hang our wreaths, drape our garland, go caroling in our neighborhoods, and exchange gifts? 

I believe the answer lies in intentions.

It’s doubtful, at least to me, that the ancient Roman Christians were trying to trick us all into worshiping the sun. They were most likely seeking an alternative to Saturnalia and wanted to focus on Jesus instead of the pagan god, so they began celebrating Christmas instead. Overtime, the intent of Saturnalia was overtaken by the celebration of Jesus’ birth. In a sense, this festive time of the year was redeemed by these early saints.

There are probably some people who hang their decorations and celebrate Saturnalia instead of Christmas, but that is not my intent. I imagine it’s not your intent either. 

So, Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday, Jesus.

*Image courtesy of Jonathan Borba

by Categories: Christmas, Church and Christian Life, Devotion, Uncategorized, WorshipTags: , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Turning Door Handle at Midnight

It was midnight. 

I normally would have been asleep, but my wife was on a work trip, 

and I was so engrossed in my projects that I had forgotten to go to bed.

Suddenly, I heard scratching at my window.

Then, the door handle began turning…on its own. 

I froze.

“Someone. Is. Trying. To. Come. Inside.”

I watched in silence. I didn’t talk. I didn’t move. I didn’t breathe.

The door handle turned again up and down.

“Hello, Fear.”

I heard mumbled cursing from outside.

“God, please let the deadbolt hold firm.

Then, the intruder began pounding on the door.

“Lord Jesus…”

“Who is it?” I asked.

After a moment, someone answered, “It’s me.”

“What do you want?”

“I want you to let me in,” he answered.

I paused for a moment, then replied, “No… go away.”

“LET ME IN!” he yelled as he pounded the door.

“Hello, Terrified.”

“I’m calling the police!” I cried. “Go away!”

I heard him step back. 

I looked through the peephole and was glad that I didn’t see a gun pointing at me. What I saw was two men, obviously intoxicated, checking the doors of my neighbors.

I called the police. When they finally arrived, they saw nothing and left. 

As if on cue, when the police leave, the bad guys return to my door, demanding to be let in, 

Once again, I called the police. 

Once again, the bad guys leave. 

Second verse, same as the first…the police arrive, search the bushes, shrug their shoulders, and tell me to keep my door locked and to not let anyone inside.

“Oh, ok,” I responded dumbly as if I was going to set out drinks and a charcuterie board for the bad guys.

Needless to say, I didn’t sleep at all that night. 

Instead, I sat on the sofa and watched the door handle…

All. Night. Long.

Fortunately, the drunk guys finally left and I was ok, but there’s a bigger issue for me.

Here I am, a holy, Spirit-filled man of God. I’ve surrendered my life to the Lord, dedicated my life to serving Him, I read God’s Word and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit – I allowed myself to fall prey to fear. 

With God on my side, I’ve faced challenges and frightening people time and again, from Post Soviet Central Asia to inner city New Orleans and every in between, and the Lord helped me through each one. 

And yet here I was, frozen in fear, losing sleep, watching the handle of the door.

I was like Elijah, who having just defeated hundreds of prophets of Baal, ran in fear because of the threats of Jezebel. In the midst of fear and self-pity, this is what Elijah experienced:

“And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire but in a still small voice.” 1 Kings 19:11-12 NKJV

Elijah found the Lord in the still, small voice.

God spoke to Elijah through a whisper.

He was able to do so because He was close.

When we are afraid, as I was that night, we should call on the Lord and then remember that He’s already there, right beside us. He will never leave us nor forsake us.

He loves us.

Even in the scary times.

Even when the bad guy is getting closer and the door handle is turning.

*Image courtesy of Henry and Company

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Transparent Houses

Have you noticed that many newer houses are transparent?

I don’t mean invisible, I mean you can see right through them because of the windows.

One new house in my neighborhood has a new painted brick privacy fence around their backyard. (Yeah, they painted the bricks right away. Why do people do that?)

I assume the owners don’t want others gawking at them as they swim in their pool, lounge on their deck, or soak in their hot tub. Their painted brick privacy fence ensures that their next door and backyard neighbors won’t see them while they are in their backyard, that is, unless they walk in front of their home. Through the front windows, which cover the entire front of the house, the entire back yard, including the pool, deck, and hot tub can be seen from the front sidewalk, not to mention the entire living room, kitchen, and dining area.

Many houses now also allow passersby to view their staircase 24/7. (I guess this means no more late night refrigerator raids in your underwear).

At least you can’t see into the closets or the bathrooms… Or can you?

Houses are now often built with “bonus” windows, allowing outsiders a view of their ceilings of certain closets and bathrooms. I don’t know about you, but if I’m changing clothes or making use of the facilities, I’m not interested in people being able to view any part of my closets or bathrooms (you know, in case there are hidden cameras or strategically placed mirrors).

Finally, I think people have started building themselves like these houses – There’s a high backyard privacy fence and a state of the art security system which you’re definitely going to need because everyone (neighbors, postal employees, friends, weirdos, and bad guys) can see everything of value through their front Instagrammable windows. 

Someone once said that “Transparency is sharing my imperfections with others.” Not many of us accomplish this well. We build brick walls around our secrets and insecurities, not realizing that the front doors of our lives which we designed to show off our we’ve-got-it-all-together-ness are betraying us. 

King David, after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba, plotted the death of her husband, built his own brick wall to cover his sin. But after being confronted by Nathan the prophet, he finally confessed his sin to the Lord in full transparency. 

He prayed: “For I was born a sinner-yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. But You desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.” (Psalm 51:5-6)

Truth produces many benefits, emotional, physical, relational, and spiritual.

Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free,” (John 8:32)

Truth leads to transparency. Having nothing to hide will help us withstand whatever trials and tests that may come our way. 

*Image by Wilhelm Gunkel

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Jimmy Buffet’s Aloe Vera Plant

“You can’t be here without a name tag!” snapped the lady in front of us. 

My wife and I were visiting a park in Long Beach, Mississippi when we happened upon a group of tables covered with house plants. We thought they were for sale. We were wrong.

The offended lady pursed her lips. “You are walking through a private gathering of our plant exchange club. The only way you can participate is by having a nametag.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “We didn’t realize. There were no signs, so we thought it was some kind of farmer’s market.”

“Well, it’s not,” she remarked. “And since you don’t have a nametag, you’ll have to leave.”

As we turned to exit, we noticed a woman waving us to her table. 

“Hi,” she said. “We have one more plant to trade or sell. Would you take it so we could leave?”

“I’m sorry,” I said, “But we were just told we had to leave because we didn’t have a nametag.”

She knowingly smiled and shook her head.

“Nonsense,” she said. “Now this Aloe vera plant is yours if you want it. But, it comes with a story that you must hear if you’re going to take it.”

We were hooked.

“What’s the story?” I asked.

“Well,” she smiled. “This is Jimmy Buffet’s Aloe vera plant.”

“Does he know you have it?” asked my wife.

“Yes,” she laughed. “I grew up in the country down the road from Jimmy’s grandma near Pascagoula, Mississippi. She had a lot of these plants behind her house. After she passed, they were blown over and the pots broke. By the time Jimmy visited and we walked across the property, the plants were about to die. He told me I could have them if I wanted them. I saved a few and this is one of its descendants. Would you like it?”

“How much?” I asked.

“It’s free as long as you agree to tell your friends you have Jimmy Buffet’s Aloe Vera plant.”

Which is what I’m doing right now. 

Today, I learned that Jimmy Buffet passed away peacefully on September 1st. I’m sorry for his family. I’ve listened to some of his music, but the truth is, I had to remind myself of his songs by opening Spotify. Margaritaville, Brown-Eyed Girl, It’s Five O-Clock Somewhere, and Cheeseburger in Paradise were a few songs I remembered well.

In case you’re interested, Jimmy Buffet’s Aloe vera plant has completed several propagations. We have at least five or six pots with its offspring. I’m not surprised his grandma’s neighbor was trying to give one away. They multiply really fast.

And to think, we almost missed it because we didn’t have a name tag.

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The More Things Change…

It seems the more things change, the more they stay the same. 

This is the lesson I learned on New Years Day of Y2K.

Y2K is the abbreviation for the Year 2000. It referred to computer problems expected when the 1999 changed to 2000.

Nothing of note happened that day around the world. 

However, where I lived a truck drove into the electrical plant and shut off everyone’s power.

This was before most people had mobile phones, so I was convinced that power outage was worldwide. I jumped into my Cutlass Supreme and started it up.

A Cutlass Supreme was a midsize car produced by Oldsmobile from the mid 60’s to mid 90’s.

So, back to the story…

Uh, Oldsmobile was a 20th century automobile brand which produced over 35 million cars. 

Anyway, I drove off to see if things were impacted beyond my street. 

I quickly drove into the Kmart parking lot. 

Uh, well, Kmart was an American chain of department stores. 

However, the lights were already off and the doors were locked.

So, I drove across the street because I saw a car at the Blockbuster Video.

Um, Blockbuster was a video rental store chain which ceased operations in 2014.

You know, they had VHS and DVD rentals

Yeah, VHS stands for Video Home System which plays movies on large black cassettes.

So, anyway…uh, DVD stood for Digital Video Disc. It ended up replacing the VHS tape.

Anyway, since the power was out, I went home and ate my leftover tacos from Chi-Chi’s.

ChiChi’s was a Mexican food restaurant chain in the 80’s and 90’s.

I washed them down with a bottle of Fruitopia.

Fruitopia was a beverage of “fruit integration” which went away in the early 2000’s.

Finally, the electricity came back on, so I kicked back and watched Freaks and Geeks.

Freak and Geeks was a one season show about a 1980’s high school which launched the careers of Seth Rogen, James Franco, Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, and Busy Phillips. Even though it was incredibly popular, it was canceled after one season. But I’m not bitter.

Ok, whatever. I guess things really have changed a lot.

*Photo courtesy of Florian Klauer

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Our Battle Against Gluten

Last year, my wife noticed she had a skin condition. When it didn’t clear up, she saw a doctor. In fact, over the next three months, she visited six doctors, some multiple times, including two dermatologists. One said she had dry skin. Another said she had contact dermatitis. A third was certain it was shingles. Finally, Doctor #7, aka Dermatologist #3, ran a series of tests because he suspected she had Celiac disease.

Celiac is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the ingestion of gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley) leads to damage in the small intestine. In other words, when my wife eats gluten, her body goes on the offensive against itself and mounts a serious immune response which attacks and damages her small intestine. 

Dermatologist #3 said, “It might be Celiac disease. Stop eating gluten.” Then, in drop the mic fashion, he left the room. 

There was no applause.

“That’s it?” my wife asked the nurse. “Is there any information that will help me be gluten-free?”

She shrugged and replied, “Don’t eat gluten.”

How insightful. 😑

The next week, Dermatologist #3’s assistant called my wife and said, “It’s confirmed. You have Celiac disease. So, stop eating gluten and start taking iron pills. 

Even though we expected it, my wife didn’t expect such an abrupt call. She asked the nurse if she could send the information about the diagnosis and further instructions over the hospital portal so she could read over it thoroughly. Later that day, she received the following message over the portal: 

“You have Celiac disease. Take iron pills.”

Doctor #7 then referred Kathy to a rheumatologist (Doctor #8). He confirmed her diagnosis and said, “Act like you have an extreme allergy. Rid your home of gluten. You can’t even smell bread.”

Back at home, I went through our kitchen to rid it of gluten. I carried a big box of glutenized items to my office. Apparently, we were living in Gluten Central. 

But no more. We now live in a gluten-free home.

Some people have said to me, “You can have gluten in your home. She just can’t eat it.” That’s true, but since it’s just the two of us, we’ve found it easier just to be gluten free at home. I don’t want her to have to read labels at home before she eats. 

We’ve learned a lot over the last year. My wife took an online course, visited specialists, we both met with counselors, and we even went on a cruise designed for people with Celiac (check it out at www.celiaccruise.com. It was great.) 

Living with Celiac has been a huge shift in our lives. Do I miss gluten at home? Sure, but I’m getting used to it. 

And she’s worth it. 

Every bit. 

*Image courtesy of Michiel Annaert

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Buc-ee’s…

Next time you’re headed to Gulf Shores, Alabama and find yourself with several hours to spare, check out Buc-ee’s off I-10 at the Robertsdale exit. I was searching for just the right words to adequately describe Buc-ee’s, so I asked Siri who pronounced it as “Buc-eeeeeeee’s” and gave me directions to Bucky’s taxidermy in Loosas Armpit, Manitoba. My Google phone app came to the rescue and offered a description. It says Buc-ee’s is “a chain of convenience stores for snacks and drinks, plus eclectic T-shirts and knickknacks.”

Way off, Google. Especially since visiting Buc-ee’s is sort of like using Google for the first time – an endless supply of ways to blow your money and waste your time while seemingly having an ok time.  

Let’s take an imaginary tour of this gas station theme park named after a giant rodent. First, you start seeing Buc-ee’s billboards about 750 miles before you arrive (exaggerated). They’ll have cute sayings on them like “Only 123 miles away, you can hold it,” “Jerky, one of the five basic food groups,” and “Restrooms so clean we put mints in the urinals” (not exaggerated).

When you finally arrive at the exit, the traffic line is backed up to the interstate. (Who do they think they are, Chick Fila?) It may take 15 minutes or so to follow the leader up the ramp, around their employee parking field, past their field of Tesla charging stations, and through the bumper-to-bumper traffic until you make it to one of their 200-300 gas pumps. (Not joking, the last time I filled up, I was at pump 250. I desperately wanted to pay inside just to say “Yes, $25 on pump #250.”)

After pumping gas and parking in southern Egypt, you check your step counter and begin making your way across the parking lot. Before entering the “convenience store,” you are forced by your peers to stop and take a selfie with the statue of Buc-ee the friendly beaver. You smile because you have to, take the shot and move inside past the rows of “snacks and drinks,” and wait in line once again for some of the cleanest restrooms in convenience store history. All joking aside, they are pretty impressive. These restrooms are so clean you almost forget you’re in a mall posing as a convenience store/gas station/Tesla charging station. 

Afterward, you squeeze through the crowds and check out the snacks. Buc-ee’s is famous for their breakfast tacos, beef jerky, barbecue, chicken jerky, gummies, turkey jerky, beaver nuggets, elk jerky, klobasneks (I don’t know either), Bohemian recipe Garlic beef jerky, meat and cheese cups, Bohemian Rhapsody Garlic beef jerky, Sizzlin’ saltines, deli sandwiches, trail mix jerky, Beaver chips, Buc-ee’s Nug-ee’s, pralines, double fudge brownie jerky, and banana pudding. And that’s just on aisle one. 

Then of course you have to buy either a Buc-ee’s t-shirt, a disposable cooler, some hunting gear, any type of home decor, or update your life insurance (when you start to doubt you’ll ever make it out alive). Then, you finally walk across the parking lot once again to your car, where you wait in line to get out of the parking lot, get back on the interstate, and realize you already have to use the bathroom again.

All joking aside, if you’ve never visited Buc-ee’s, it is worth the experience, just try to go when it’s not so crowded, like 5:30am on a Tuesday. 😊

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The Lose It App at the One Year Mark

I did it! Well, more or less.

As of yesterday, I have officially been using the Lose It App for one year. In that time, I’ve lost and kept off 42 lbs. I’ve also wanted to throw my phone into Lake Pontchartrain 27 times, not because the app has done something wrong or malfunctioned, but because I get tired of being disciplined.

Weight loss is hard work and I’m not talking about entering the foods I eat. I mean the decision after decision to not eat something when I really want it. I mean the decision to exercise at least three times each week. I mean the extra steps I take when I really want to veg out in front of the tv. I mean the decisions to skip dinner when I’ve already used up my calories for the day.

It’s been a long year of hard work (with a little bit of cheating) but all in all, I’m glad I decided to use Lose It. It’s been a disciplined route to weight loss without pills, without shots, without surgery, and without anything weird. Just tracking diet and exercise with a longterm goal in mind.

It works, so I renewed it yesterday for another year.

Thanks Lose It.

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