AJ Says...

God & Noodling?!

2011-08-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

I'm a "city boy" to the core, but I have a great appreciation for all-things-outdoors. Earlier this week, while watching Hillbilly Handfishin' - a reality TV show about "noodling," (that is, fishing for catfish using only one's bare hands) I heard something that reminded me of the Christian walk.

The men on the show used two terms that caught my attention. The first term was "Feel the Thunder," which seems to refer to the moment when the catfish rams into you as you are blocking its hole as it tries to escape. The second term is "get bit," because the catfish will bite your hand and this allows you to catch it.

What is interesting to me is that these terms, which don't initially sound positive, are! Feeling the thunder, to me, would seem to mean "a strong storm is coming." Living in places (TX, New Orleans, Indiana, KY) where weather can be severe and dangerous, I'll pass on "feeling the thunder" in its normal context. Getting bit would not seem, in any way to me, to really be a good thing. I think of mosquitoes, babies with sharp teeth, angry dogs, bats and Dracula. No dice on feeling good about getting bit. On Hillbilly Handfishin' these terms are both good things, because feeling the thunder and getting bit means you might be near a place of receiving your prize...the catfish.

As Christians feel the thunder and get bit in life, I pray that the results are good..."Better than Catfish" good. May the result of adversity, challenge and struggle in our lives be a great reward, in heaven and on earth. It is not always easy to believe for a great reward when times are tough. God is on our side. His plan is good - even when we feel the thunder and get bit.

Blessings,
adaryll

Thank You, Christ-Follower.

2011-08-23T07:48:00.000-07:00

I sense some Christians need to hear this: "Thank you for your generosity."

I'm working on an upcoming class. I paused in the middle of my preparation to thank God for Christ-followers who faithfully, obediently and cheerfully give.

A collection of people go to churches - both mine and yours - regularly and give. As a result of the generosity some time ago from Christians where I live and attend church, my church was able to buy a copier. This copier helps serve and resource THOUSANDS of people, every week, from age 0-(really old).

I truly believe the Lord loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9) and just want to encourage all of you who cheerfully give. It is no small thing to me that I am able to prepare for a class, am able to access a copier, and consequently am able to port a small stack of papers instead of lugging multiple books around.

Thank you, God's people, for giving. I know it's no small thing to give in today's economy. Your giving does have a large impact. Your giving does more than pay for a copier. Your generosity helps serve people around the world. Your giving provides clean drinking water, sends out and supports missionaries, helps provide housing and all other sorts of things. I just wasn't sure, today, if you - giver - hear the words "Thank You" enough. That's why I wrote... today. Thank you! For the copier, and for everything else your generosity does.

(In case someone's wondering, I will recycle the paper. God's people ought to take care of the earth. That's another conversation for another day). :-)

#disciple

2011-07-18T07:52:00.001-07:00

"Our life is not a dress rehearsal. You have to live every day and get something out of it. Don't make any excuses.”
– Herman Edwards

It all starts today, every single day. As I approach my fortieth birthday at the end of this year, I’m feeling what everyone said one might feel around age 40 – physically, emotionally and spiritually. In a word, “Wow!” Everything changes. If I had not been prepared for this and for other monumental stages in my life, I’m fairly certain I might be freaking out a little bit right about now. Forty years? I mean, chances are I have fewer years left on the other side of 40 than the first. And it only feels like yesterday that I was very young. Time flies…fast!

Life is difficult, but through the investments that have been made into my life I can say “Life is so good.” Perhaps the best thing that has happened to me in my life is the men of the Christian faith who have poured into me, men like John Strappazon, Curt Hall, Jerry Abbott, and Ed Newell. These men have really helped me understand what it is like to live the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ.

What can I ever do to repay them? I finally get it. Just.Keep.Discipling. Or “#disciple” as I will start talking about more often on Twitter. Be a disciple, make a disciple. These are the aims of my life, and I will be one and make one with everything I’ve got for as long as I live (and who knows, I might even get more than 40 more years on the other side of 40!).

Disciple is both a noun and a verb. Check this out:
*dis•ci•ple
[dih-sahy-puh l] verb, -pled, -pling.
–noun
1.
Religion .
a.
one of the 12 personal followers of Christ.
b.
one of the 70 followers sent forth by Christ. Luke 10:1.
c.
any other professed follower of Christ in His lifetime.
2.
any follower of Christ.
3.
( initial capital letter ) a member of the Disciples of Christ.
4.
a person who is a pupil or an adherent of the doctrines ofanother; follower: a disciple of Freud.

–verb (used with object)
5.
Archaic . to convert into a disciple.
6.
Obsolete . to teach; train.

It’s true. Life really is not a dress rehearsal. I’ve tried to, by the Spirit of Holiness, give it everything I’ve had, but I can still improve on leading in His strength, His knowledge and His wisdom. After all, that’s what a “#disciple” does? Right? No excuses. I have dreams, I have plans, and somehow I believe God has even bigger plans and dreams for me in His story.

Simply put, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, I’m going for it, and I’m going big! I expect great things, no excuses.

How about you? Everyone is a disciple. Everyone follows someone or something. Who are you following? What are you expecting? Any advice for me as I “go big” in my journey?

*Source: dictionary.com

Plucker!

2011-04-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

'Carpe' translates literally as 'pluck', with particular reference to the picking of fruit, so an accurate rendition (of 'Carpe Diem') is 'enjoy the day, pluck the day when it is ripe'. The extended version of the phrase 'carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero' translates as 'Pluck the day, trusting as little as possible in the future'.
Source: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/carpe-diem.html

With all due respect to "Seize," "Pluck," in my opinion, is a pretty cool word. What kind of "Plucking" are we doing?

Have you ever sensed the tension of both going full-out and resting? I find myself in a phase of life where I'm just beginning to appreciate the balance of work and rest. When I work, doing it all for the glory of God, I find myself even more effective and excellent when I follow up the full-out "plucking" with a good, intentional time of rest.

I believe there are times to "pluck" or seize the day and there are times to retreat. Additionally, I believe there are several different areas of life to "pluck" at varying times of life. Unfortunately, I sometimes feel I need permission to rest. Additionally, I am a hypocrite in this area. I preach resting far more than I practice it. I am thankful for folks who bully me into balance. If you own a Covey Planner, you know about planning your week according to your Roles - Physical, Social/Emotional, Mental, and Spiritual, and to plan each "Big Rock," or the one big thing you'd like to see occur during that week. I believe a balanced life is lived more effectively when we pluck balance. Work and rest.

I oftentimes ask my children, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" No matter how they answer, my next question is always the same, "What else?" I don't do that to be mean or to try to over-burden them. Instead, I am simply, in a small way, trying to prepare them to understand they will, as individuals, each have several roles. Within each role, there will be the opportunity to Pluck the day and there will a necessity to rest and retreat...so that the next time to "pluck" will be even more effective.

How are you doing with life? With balance? I am fully aware there are lazy people out there, but most of the friends I have chosen are go-getters. They are aggressive "Pluckers." Have you, friend, learned to aggressively rest so that the next time you pluck you are doing so in a healthy way? Are you plucking to the detriment of those around you? Is your plucking being done in excellence, or is it the dry bones, "all I have left" kind of plucking that really is not all that excellent? What kind of plucking are you doing? Do you pluck only as you work or have you begun to understand the importance of being a "Plucker" for rest? I'm asking myself the same question, often.

Thanks for listening. I'd love to hear your responses either here or on Facebook.

I Couldn't Have Said It any Better

2011-04-12T05:59:00.000-07:00

I want to share today some words from a wonderful Christian apologist, Ravi Zacharias:

The Scandal of the Cross
There is a striking verse in the New Testament, in which the apostle Paul refers to the cross of Jesus Christ as foolishness to the Greek and a stumbling block to the Jew. One can readily understand why he would say that. After all, to the Greek mind, sophistication, philosophy, and learning were exalted pursuits. How could one crucified possibly spell knowledge?

To the Jewish mind, on the other hand, there was a cry and a longing to be free. In their history, they had been attacked by numerous powers and often humiliated by occupying forces. Whether it was the Assyrians or the Babylonians or the Romans, Jerusalem had been repeatedly plundered and its people left homeless. What would the Hebrew have wanted more than someone who could take up their cause and altogether repel the enemy? How could a Messiah who was crucified possibly be of any help?

To the Greek, the cross was foolishness. To the Jew, it was a stumbling block. What is it about the cross of Christ that so roundly defies everything that power relishes? Crucifixion was humiliating. It was so humiliating that the Romans who specialized in the art of torture assured their own citizenry that a Roman could never be crucified. But not only was it humiliating, it was excruciating. In fact, the very word "excruciating" comes from two Latin words: ex cruciatus, or out of the cross. Crucifixion was the defining word for pain.

Does that not give us pause in this season before us? Think of it: humiliation and agony. This was the path Jesus chose with which to reach out for you and for me. You see, this thing we call sin, but which we so tragically minimize, breaks the grandeur for which we were created. It brings indignity to our essence and pain to our existence. It separates us from God.

On the way to the cross two thousand years ago, Jesus took the ultimate indignity and the ultimate pain to bring us back to the dignity of a relationship with God and the healing of our souls. Will you remember that this was done for you and receive his gift?

You will then discover that it is sin that is foolishness. Our greatest weakness is not an enemy from without but one from within. It is our own weak wills that cause us to stumble. But Jesus Christ frees us from the foolishness of sin and the weakness of our selves.

This is the very reason the apostle Paul went on to say that he preached Jesus Christ as one crucified, which was the power of God and the wisdom of God. Come to the cross in these days given for our contemplation and find out his power and his wisdom.

Ravi Zacharias is founder and chairman of the board of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

I Want...A Lot!

2011-03-28T00:55:00.000-07:00

Have you ever asked yourself, "What do you want?" In an exercise of honest self-discovery, I realized, I want a lot! I learned, for starters:

I want to be the best disciple of Jesus Christ I can be.

I want to be the very best husband in the world.

I want to be the best dad to a son.

I want to be the best dad of a daughter.

I want to be the best friend I can be.

I want to be the best dog owner.

I want to be the best pastor I can be.

I want to be the best saxophonist I can be.

I want to be the best softball player I can be.

I want to be very, very good cook, especially on outdoor equipment.

I could have gone on, but I stopped there. Will I get all of this stuff? Life is short, you know? I believe it's a good thing to turn to Scripture for an answer. I am reading, almost exclusively, from the Psalms and Proverbs these days (except for Bible studies or church sermons when I absolutely have to read somewhere else). These Wisdom books are just so meaty to me in my life right now, I just tend to camp out on these great passages. Psalm 145 is wonderful. I encourage you to read all of it, today. Among it's many wonderful verses is one that spoke particularly to my issue:

"You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing." v. 16 (NASB)

What an amazing God we serve! I don't know about you, but sometimes, I feel a little low and a little pessimistic about life, the world, and my present state. However, when I re-evaluate my situation in light of passages like Psalm 145, I remember I serve a gracious and merciful God. Situations and circumstances are seen in a brand new light.

What do I want? What should I want? I can want anything I want! But ultimately, I hope I want what He wants - the Glory of His kingdom.

God has always taken care of me, no matter what. I am not sure why I lose that perspective sometimes. He has been so good to me. I will praise His name. I am tremendously blessed.

What do you want? How can I help you? Better, how do you believe the God who created us will help you?

The Boy

2011-02-21T09:40:00.000-08:00

I am really excited about my son's life right now. He is 8 years old. He gave his life to Jesus Christ when he was 4. He did so most sincerely. If you ask him, to this day, when he crossed the line of faith, he will tell you exactly what was happening when he was 4 years old and how he took the steps of faith.

Before my children were born, I decided my children would have to really be accountable in their steps of faith. I would lay a solid foundation, but the Christ-walk was to be "owned" by them.

My son is owning his faith. I have placed hurdles in front of him to test his faith. He has passed every test. I had decided, again before my children were born, that they would own their testimony. My vision of their baptisms? "This is my child, and this is their testimony..." Then THEY speak, then I baptize. I'm not throwing them any bones. To me, the stakes of following Christ are too high. Own your faith kid. You'll have to do it the rest of your life, so your baptism is a great place to show the world, this is MY faith! The boy has recently told me how he plans the logistics of his baptism to go. Way to man up, boy! :-)

He is no angel. he is a normal little boy. Mischievous, disobedient at times, and just flat-out "you're gonna get yourself killed" crazy a lot of times as well.

But the boy is truly, daily, growing in the understanding he is forgiven. The boy finds, more and more, his identity in Jesus Christ. The boy is growing in his faith every day.

Do you know, that in Christ you are a new creature? Do you know that in Him, the old has gone and the new has come? Do you know that in Him you are covered by the blood, paid for - once and for all - at the ultimate price. I just can't get over HIS wonderful grace. I'm thankful that even a child can get it.

Are you like the boy?

After the Altar - Sex

2011-01-26T23:50:00.000-08:00

Hello After the Altar Community!

First of all, thank you for braving the elements to attend class tonight.
Also, it appears some of my notes did not make it to all of you, so I am placing them here. If you have any other questions about tonight's talk, please email me at ajordan@southlandchristian.org.

Only 2 more classes for After the Altar and then...(We'll see!!!)

Resources to check out:
Books: Red Hot Monogamy, Sheet Music, Intended for Pleasure
Seminar: Wellspring, Feb. 18-19
Videos: Song of Solomon http://www.gotothehub.com/ and Love and Respect
Christian Sex Expert: Joe Beam
Blogs: The Generous Wife, The Generous Husband, Simple Marriage

Questions
What is one thing that you heard tonight that will cause you to think and discuss more about Biblical sexuality in your marriage?

What reasons do you believe caused the failure in church history to remain faithful to the Bible’s positive approach to sexuality?

Is there any sexual activity in marriage that you feel is clearly not appropriate for Christians? Why?

After the Altar Community

2011-01-20T09:03:00.000-08:00

The "After the Altar" Blog is not up yet, so I will be writing here until it's ready to go on the Southland Christian website.

Until then, enjoy getting to know me through past blogs

25th MLK Day

2011-01-17T09:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day everyone. Today is the 25th Celebration of the National Holiday.

I fear there is still much work to do to really honor the day.
If I hear, on Thanksgiving, "we should be thankful EVERY day;" on Christmas, "We should celebrate the birth of Christ EVERY day;" on Easter, "We should celebrate our sins being covered by the blood of Christ EVERY day;" then what does it look like to celebrate the meaning of this holiday every day?

I think it looks like celebrating Hope.
I think it looks like celebrating Opportunity.

As an African-American, it's easy for me to happy today. I am a little disappointed that the holiday seems to be politicized. This is not a day only for members of any one political party! [I'm not a Democrat, a Republican, or any of those U.S. political party members. I am a child of God, and that means more than being a part of any political party. It means, on a day-to-day basis and for an eternity, I get to be a part of THE party - here on earth and for an eternity in heaven when my soul leaves this flawed body.]

No, this is a day for ALL of us. It's about Hope. It's about Opportunity. If African-Americans were not around, you can bet some other group would be the victim of discrimination this very day. We live in a fallen world. Yet, on this day we have the opportunity to celebrate.
Hope. Opportunity.

I have hope in my relationship with Jesus Christ. I have opportunity to impact this world through His power. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a flawed man like you or I, but he took advantage of his opportunity and shared hope.

I pray we all take advantage of our God-given hope. And opportunity.

If you agree (or disagree), holler!

2011 - New Things!

2011-01-12T10:54:00.000-08:00

After over a year of not blogging, I have discovered reasons to take up writing again.
My family now lives in Lexington, KY and I currently serve at Southland Christian Church.
(www.southlandchristian.org)

I am looking forward, tonight, to beginning a class called "After the Altar" at Southland Christian Church. I pray for marriages everywhere, and for a blessing on the folks who will attend this class to strengthen their marital relationships.

In the class we will discuss Pain, Money, Sex, Power and Discipline. If you are in the area, I hope you can join us, for 5 weeks in Lexington beginning tonight, Wednesday, January 12 at 7 PM in Bldg. B.

Until then, stay warm!

Indescribable

2009-11-26T16:51:00.000-08:00

Leading pre-service worship music on saxophone at Hill Country Bible Church - Northwest, Austin TX

Influence

2009-06-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

Mi familia - as we began our 2009 family summer break

I've had the privilege of having my life touched by some wonderful people. I just returned from a trip designed to visit a few of them. I feel the Lord Jesus has really blessed me by the people He has placed in my life. I credit Him for the timing and order in which He has placed each and every person.

So here are some photos of my vacation. A few years ago, my wonderfully wise wife helped me realize I get "the summer blues" in ministry every year. I suppose when the summer rolls around and people are in and out of what I consider their "normal" places, this people-oriented pastor gets a little down. She has been instrumental in helping me take myself a little less seriously. I realize many of you only see the sunshiney-happy side of me, but she sees...a lot.

So, thank you God for the awesome people YOU have placed in my life, starting with my wonderful wife, Jen and including, but not limited to, others including (this is my way of signing off and saying "Enjoy the photos." I'll make a photo album in Facebook as well):

John & Wanda Strappazon with the kids and me.

John and Wanda had to deal with super-raw Adaryll.

John discipled me in the faith, leading to the re-commitment of my life to Jesus Christ which led to a call to pastoral ministry.

Young Adults of Traders Point Christian Church

God gave me the great privilege of ministering at this wonderful church for 5 1/2 years of my life right after leaving New Orleans Seminary.

Tom Nelson, the family and me
For 8 years of my life I was encouraged and challenged as a member of the Song of Solomon Conference team with Tommy. Tommy told Elena how Jen and I drug Elias around to some conferences with us beginning when Elias was ~ 3 months old!

I pray that whoever and wherever you are, God will place some fantastic influences in your life as well - that is, people who will help you grow more into the image of Christ Jesus. There's nothing like it!

Continuing On, Patriotically...

2009-04-26T15:13:00.000-07:00

My last post being a day at the Texas State Senate, why not continue that patriotic spirit by presenting to you my performance of the National Anthem at the Round Rock Express baseball game? Round Rock (Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros) played against the New Orleans Zephyrs (Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets) that night, for you sports fans.

Big Day at the Texas State Senate

2009-04-24T07:50:00.001-07:00

I had the privelege of opening the Texas State Senate with an invocation on April 15. It was an amazing experience. Thanks Tim (Hawks - lead pastor at HCBC Northwest) for the opportunity. There was way more activity going on there than I care to describe in a blog post. Here are a few things I found interesting about the day:

I never saw the Governor that day, but I saw a lot of activity around his meeting rooms. I did not know until later he was speaking at the T.E.A. Party protests that day
One of the senators had a bagpipe procession that day
Colt McCoy visited the Senate that day
The hallway behing the back part of the Senate chambers, where the food is served and near where I was to report, reminded me a lot of the 2nd floor of the Northern Ireland Assembly. I told my host it felt like deja vu
Emmit Thomas, honored in the NFL Hall of Fame, was honored in the Senate that day
There are 31 TX State Senators. They all seemed like they enjoyed each other's company...see, they are really GOOD politicians!
Below, a photograph of my TX State Senator, Stephen Ogden and me.

Punched in the Face?!

2009-03-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

No, my son was not punched in the face.

He did get hit in the face with a baseball during the warm-ups before each of his 1st two baseball games last week, but that's not why he looks like this (photo below).

Elias is in the "losing teeth" phase of life and when one of his two most loyal buddies (Holloway Raulie) lost his front tooth recently, reports came in from teacher and mommy (Jen) that Elias had been wiggling his front loose tooth vigorously to be...I don't know, 1 front tooth-less brothers?!

Sunday afternoon I heard loud laughing from Jen and some playful hollering from Elias going on upstairs in our home. When I came up, this is what I saw - he didn't get punched in the face, but my oh my, he pulled it himself:

Jordan Men

2009-03-04T16:35:00.000-08:00

My dad, my son & me!

It Begins!

2009-01-23T14:05:00.000-08:00

House of Commons

Buckingham Palace and surrounding

I am so glad I am here. I am excited to serve this country and the other countries in Europe. We expect large crowds at our concerts, and our vocalist has a radio interview coming up on BBC London (I think tomorrow).

I am thankful for the opportunity to experience one of the "great" post-Christian cities in the world and I am super-duper-crazy-excited about what the Lord is going to do.

I appreciate your continued prayers. Financial support, accepted through a week or two after my trip, may be mailed to this address:

Communication Institute
4699 Auvergne Avenue Suite 10
Lisle IL 60532

Thank you, and may God bless us all!

-aj

It's A Trip (My Life Right Now and How You Can Help)!

2009-01-19T10:48:00.000-08:00

I am scheduled to embark on quite an adventure beginning this week and I'd like to let you know all about it and ask for your help.

The short and sweet details:

WHO: Me and a couple of folks from Piladelphia, PA in participation with Communication Institute, a ministry out of the Chicago, IL area
Communication Institute4699 Auvergne Avenue Suite 10Lisle IL 60532

WHAT: A Mission Trip. In this post-Christian culture we are going to perform jazz concerts speaking about the roots of the music (African-American, spirituals, jazz) and highlighting how the Spiritual roots of all of them point towards Jesus Christ

WHERE: Europe - U.K., Ireland, Hungary and the Czech Republic

WHEN - beginning Thursday through Feb. 2. Raising support from now through Feb. 9

HOW - through the grace of God, prayer and financial support

HOW MUCH - total to be raised (from this point) $4000

The WHOLE STORY:
I am writing to tell you about the Heaven in a Nightclub: The Spiritual Roots of Jazz Tour and to ask for you to consider supporting me in this quickly approaching mission trip. Let me explain.

I have been asked to serve as a musician in a jazz group for an overseas mission trip! Beginning January 23 through Feb 1, 2009, we will be serving the European Church by enabling the key leaders of 4 countries (United Kingdom, Ireland, Czech Republic & Hungary) to hold evangelistic outreach concerts at their churches.

Jazz is an international language. Europeans have a great appreciation for this musical genre and this jazz tour will encourage the believers in a very secularized European culture. Most importantly, our brothers and sisters in Christ in Europe will use these events to reach out to the very large number of Europeans who do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jazz music is a very easy entry point, and our team is equipped to share the gospel through jazz music!

It may be helpful for me to explain a bit about the music group with which I’ll be participating and the tour:

“Heaven in a Nightclub”

Description of the Program: short version (written by Dr. Edgar)

"The jazz group is called Renewal. William Edgar, the pianist and presenter, is a Professor at Westminster Theological Seminary. He studied musicology at Harvard, and ethnomusicology at Columbia, and has written widely on subjects related to African-American aesthetics. Our vocalist is the renowned Ruth Naomi Floyd, one of the great gospel-jazz singers of Philadelphia. She now has five CDs on the Contour label. (She's on youtube.com Here is one of her many clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPZVltM1iD8&feature=related).

Our philosophy is that jazz ought to entertain, but that its background is in the spiritual experience of African-American people, reared in slavery and nurtured on the Gospel message.

It carries the twin themes of suffering and hope, so characteristic of Black culture. We hope our audiences will sense the realism, the passion and the joy as we perform.

Specifically, we take the audience through some of the history of African-American music, both sacred and secular, mixing narrative with music. We outline the problem of finding spiritual roots in the music, and then go on to explore specific genres, including ragtime, blues, spirituals, funeral bands, etc. The program lasts around one and one half hours, but that can vary."

“So be wise and satisfied with the joy that comes to you through the reflection and miracle of God, such as all the wonders and beauty we live with and are exposed to on earth.”

~ Duke Ellington ~

I am very excited about this unique opportunity I have been given to share the Gospel message through music, teaching, and proclamation. I am believing on God to raise $4000 this month for participation on the trip and I would be grateful if you would support my participation.

I would ask four things of you:

1. Pray that I, and the other members of the music group/Mission team, will be able to serve the European leaders on the tour.

2. Pray for the European leaders hosting each outreach concert event, for God to powerfully use the tour and that the Europeans are encouraged and helped by this evangelistic event. Also, please pray that many Europeans would come to a relationship with Jesus Christ by hearing the Gospel message at each event.

3. Pray for safety in travel. This is a "planes, trains and automobiles" kind of mission trip and I am depending on the Lord to keep us all safe. Also, please pray for our families at home.

4. Consider supporting me in this mission trip. If you would like to support me, please send a check made out to Communication Institute* and send it to them (address included).

Thank you so very much,

In Christ,

Adaryll D. Jordan
ajordan.music@gmail.com

Communication Institute

4699 Auvergne Avenue Suite 10

Lisle IL 60532

*Communication Institute is based in the Chicago, IL area. I served with the institute for the first time in the summer of 2007 with the European Leadership Forum. To learn more about the wonderful ministry of the Communication Institute, please see: http://euroleadership.org/ and http://communicationinstitute.us/

Song of Solomon Facilitator Training

2008-12-04T16:47:00.001-08:00

A couple of weekends ago I dropped into Dallas for a Song of Solomon Facilitator's Training. I got to catch up with some dear folks and wanted to share some photos.

DFW friends, I hope to catch up with y'all when I'm actually in town for a longer period of time (maybe after Christmas this year)

Pastor (Denton Bible Church), author and speaker emeritus of Song of Solomon Conferences - Tom Nelson

Head Dawg of Hudson Productions and Song of Solomon Conferences - Doug Hudson

Facilitator trainers Roger and Denise Friesen of Nebraska. I attended a dinner party at their home once. They have taken ~ 500+ through the materials

Friend and former Hudson Productions staff Ashley Jones - whoput up with Michael Armstrong and me making fun of her for many years

Employed across the highway from the host church - I popped in for a quick visit to see my sister, LaToya Lowery

Gitcho YUM on!

2008-11-13T17:45:00.000-08:00

(As promised, a more light-hearted blog)

It's been 9 months and I'm re-assimilating well into Texan culture.
I don't think it's allowable to be a Texan male and not know how to cook some good beef.
The good Lord blessed me with a smoker shortly after moving here, and I have been practicing my craft.

Eric Hoehn, one of HCBC's small groups pastors and the guy unfortunate enough to have to answer most of my questions at work, gave me a GREAT recipe for brisket that tastes just like...Rudy's! I kid you not. (If you don't know what Rudy's is, there's just another reason for you to visit!)

This is what the process looked like. It was yummier than the photographs suggest.
I'm willing to make it again for out-of-town guests (hint, hint):

Just Wonderin'

2008-11-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Proverbs 3:5-6

"We can have facts without thinking but we cannot have thinking without facts"

John Dewey

My blog has, in the past, been critiqued as sometimes being too "heady," too serious, and oftentimes not fun or funny enough, especially considering my goofball sense of humor.

I'm willing to accept the criticism and my response has been that my sense of humor is most often a response to the goings on in the world.

What's going on in my world today?

In a lot of ways I'm seeing no "let down" of the political harshness towards "the other side(s)" even after this political election, and that includes hundreds of people I call my friends.

I find this fact to be both interesting and sad.

So, here's my question, and I welcome your sincere response - though neither my question nor your response may be considered fun or funny:

If I were to say to you (and I am) that Keith Olbermann is not fully correct and Bill O'Reilly is not fully correct - but that the God who created you is, would that statement make any difference in your life today?

Simple question, but I sincerely and humbly ask it and hope for your response.

My promise to you is that the next blog will be more fun!

Thanks for being my friend.

What's Up, Doc?!

2008-11-06T07:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday afternoon I made my first trip with my son to his doctor. My wife asked, "You've never been here before, huh?" I had not.

What a place! My son's exam room was everything one might stereotypically expect from Austin. You see, I try to explain to my out-of-state friends that - to put it nicely - Austin is a little eclectic.

My son's room was a lime green, funk-tified lighted, lava lamps all over, beads hanging from the ceiling themed room.

Whatever it takes to keep an Austin kid chilled out about a visit to the doctor...I guess!

Here's a photo:

Oct. 29, 1994

2008-10-29T05:49:00.000-07:00

I remember so many details of that day as if it were yesterday.

Texas Tech whipped the University of Texas in football, (easy to remember since we've only won fourteen out of fifty six games), the Goin' Band had performed magnificently (that was a common occurrence), and I was off to Barn Dance.

When I arrived, I saw several sad faces. My first thought was, "That must be our friends from the U.T. band we invited." After a while, however, I began to see sad faces that I recognized. Upon parking the car I was told, "Heath has been in an accident...he died."

Numb. Numb from sadness, numb from anger, numb from dread. If you were a friend of my fraternity brother, Heath Denton, I suppose you remember where you were and what you felt when you heard about Heath's death as well. I encourage you to share your story in the comments section of this blog.

Yesterday a few brothers from the Alpha Omicron chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi gathered together to visit the place where Heath was buried. The cemetery is in Burnet, TX, about an hour's drive from where Ryan Butler and I live. Joining Ryan and I were Heath's big brother, Tim Stewart - currently of the San Antonio Area; Steve Makelki - currently living in the Houston Area; and Jon Caspell who flew out from Lubbock to attend.

There are many powerful take-aways for me from yesterday's gathering. I will share the one I think is most important:

Jesus Christ, the only Son of the living God, gave His life so that we may live eternally in Him. God knew Heath while Heath was in his mother's womb (see Psalms 139). God had a specific purpose for Heath's being here on earth. 20 years later, we recognized that Heath's death in a strangely similar way led us to life as well. Yesterday we gave testimony to the fact that Heath's life, death, funeral, and legacy created in us a desire to live for Christ.

Heath's headstone reads, "...God's Friend." That is exactly what he was here on earth and what he is today in heaven.

Here are some photographs from our visit. Again, I encourage you to share your comments to others who read this blog by linking to the comments section.

Thanks for being my friend!

Voter Guide

2008-10-21T07:54:00.001-07:00

No remarks from the peanut gallery on how long it's taken me to blog, or that I owe you a "Friends, Pt. 2."

I just read a great story that almost completely captures my thoughts and ideas about voting in this year's U.S. presidential election.

The fact is, I really like both guys running. You know me - I've got friends who are liberal and conservative, Christian and agnostic, straight and homosexual, every race color and creed in existence. I beleve that every one I know is an immortal soul whom God has placed in my life for a specific purpose.
I like both guys running for president and, regardless of who wins, I will pray for him every day at noon like I always do.

That being said, I'm not enthused or excited about the idea of either candidate actually being president. However I do believe this, I trust the Holy God of the universe to be acting out His will for the election. This is especially easier to accept considering - once again - I'm not "waving my pom-poms" for either.

How then did I arrive at a conclusion for my vote?

When I was in college I had a candidate that I liked best in an election year (no comments on how many election years passed throughout my undergraduate years). A week or so before the election I stopped and actually prayed to God about who to vote for. As I walked to the voter booth a strange thing happened. I could not, in good conscience, vote for the guy I liked! It was the oddest thing for someone who had not experienced a feeling like that before and, if you've never felt that - that is, a guidance from the Holy Spirit of God in your actual day-to-day activities - you probably think I'm crazy (yeah, I know, some of you think I'm crazy regardless of what I say).

So, I went to the voter booth wanting to go one direction and I truly feel God didn't allow me to. Well, the guy I liked the best still won but I am very glad to this day that my consience did not allow me to vote for him. (I voted 3rd party that year. My conscience was clear. That guy didn't have a chance!) I would be embarrassed on this day in my life had I voted my way, for I feel 'my guy' really made a mockery out of the presidency during that particular term of his service.

My friend, I believe the Bible teaches we are responsible for our actions here on earth. One of the biggest actions we can make on earth as an American is voting. We will be held, by God, to accountability for our voting! That means - 1. We should actually be registered, be informed and vote; 2. We should vote in a way that pleases Him.

Regardless of your presidential choice and/or your feelings about God, my challenge to you is that you will pray this or something very similar every day until you vote:

"God (add 'If you're there' if you're one of my agnostic friends - by the way, He is!) would You please, by the power of Your Spirit guide me to vote in a way that pleases you?"

His answer may surprise you and, if You follow Him in your voting, you are in the clear for eternity!

God is not a Democrat or a Republican. He is in it for His own glory and His is the only party with which I am truly concerned.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for being my friend.
I appreciate you!

Friends! Part 1

2008-08-15T21:35:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 18:24 - A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

I've had an interesting past two weeks.
There have been extreme highs and lows in both my and my friends' lives. I don't wanna talk about any of it right now. Still processing...God is faithful, I know that much.

I thought I'd take a moment to blog about friends (boy are they gonna be surprised!)
I should probably do this one at a time:

1st up - Matt Cothern. Matt is a dear friend from Kappa Kappa Psi and jazz band. We were pretty darn close in college and, don't get him started, 'cause he could tell you a gazillion stories about me - and many of them during my "who cares about honoring God" days. [For example, I believe there is one story in there about me and some of the brothers kidnapping him from his dorm at ~ 5 a.m., taking him to a restuarant I believe in his jammies and my standing up on a table loudly singing Happy Birthday to him in a Marilyn Monroe style...frat days!].

Through all the craziness, there are 3 moments I will always treasure in my mind about ole Matt:
1. When his softball team, "Fresh Meat" (or Fresh Meat II, again, frat days) were getting their habitual hiney kickin' in their killer softball division and Matt thought it was a good idea as a catcher to stop a runaway train of a man with his hand. Moments I treasure - those hours in the hospital Matt and I spent together! I realize now in my life that I did all I could during those college days to build walls in my life to keep people at a distance. I even made more "friends" so that I wouldn't have to go "deep" with anyone. Matt was one of the few people at that time I truly let into my life. He helped me learn the value of true friendships.

2. The Bet. For the life of me, I cannot remember what the bet was, but the wager of the bet I do remember. I was a hard-core liberal at the time and Matt was the polar opposite. We spent much of our greeting time daily attacking one another's political stances. Well, the wager was, loser had to vote in the the winner's political party primary and, essentially, join that political party. I became a Republican (I consider myself a conservative independent today) because I lost a bet to Matt.
I decided to look at what some of the candidate's in the Republican party were all about and, to my surprise, many of them said they operated their life and work out of their faith in Jesus Christ. Kinda made me say, "What guides me in my day-to-day?" Somehow, through that wager and several other Spirit-led people and events in my life, I ended up re-dedicating my life to Jesus Christ sometime soon after I "became a Republican." [I put that in quotes because I honestly believe no political party has a lock on God...the story is just a piece of the puzzle God used to change my life].

3. The Church. So, I ended up being hired on at Hill Country Bible Church - Northwest and the pastor and my supervisor say, "There's a guy here who knows you...Matt Cothern!" "Really?!" I had been looking for Matt on the internet for years and had completely lost touch. We ended up meeting at the place that is common ground for both of us. Oh how God has brought both of us through crazy times! (I'm sparing Matt's crazy stories to protect the...guilty!)
Well, one of the "extreme highs" of the last two weeks was HCBC's Concert of Praise. My wife posted a video of me playing sax at a rehearsal - I could blog about that...I thought I was the one who was going to get to post music...my wife is a "Blog Hog" - on her site (myjordanfamily.blogspot.com) Standing next to me, my dear friend, on trumpet, Matt Cothern.

I am thankful to God for the friends He has placed in my life.
Next blog, "Steve."

"6 Months," "Better than Shaun Groves," plus New Blogging Format update

2008-07-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

Howdy friends!

"6..."
It's been 6 months at Hill Country Bible Church - Northwest. It has been quite a journey so far and I'd like to write more about it. Before I do though, you can help me with my blog post about it.

When I write about my first six months at HCBC-NW, I would like to answer any questions you may have. Simply leave a reply of your question(s) here at my blog comment section or email me at ajordan.music@hcbc.com and I will happily answer your questions.

"Better than Shaun Groves?!"
You may have heard about the weekend illness that attacked the Jordan Family (My wife wrote about it on myjordanfamily.blogspot.com).
I was blessed not to fall ill to the crud. When Elias went down I told Jennifer, "I'm not going to get sick...(my Pentecostal/Charismatic friends will like what I said next)...I'm rebuking this illness in the name of Jesus...(my Contemplative/Conservative friends will like what I did next)...and I began using every immunity booster I've ever purchased. Props to Airborne, Echinacea, Elderberry extract with VirusBloc, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Sovereign Silver, Acai,soap and water, apple juice...

When Jennifer gave me word that Elena was ill on Sunday morning, in addition to missing my 1st Sunday at HCBC (I am not legalistic, I just LOVE attending church here - so that was a bummer), on my 6-month/half-anniversary date (I get corny over things like this) I did not immediately remember that Christian Recording Artist Shaun Groves would be leading worship at our church that day. I would have been crushed that I missed a star, unless what happened...happened!

What I will ALWAYS remember about this date is the fact that my sick precious 2-year-old daughter, whom former co-worker Matt Mehaffey once said "...had me wrapped around her finger before she was born," crawled up into my lap in her rocking chair in her room at around 9 a.m. - the time when our 1st service begins - and stayed there until around 12:15 p.m., approximately the time our 2nd service ends, as I rocked her, hugged her tight, sang to her and occasionally dozed off with her.

I can't get this moment out of my mind perhaps because I know one day she will be a teenager and may not even acknowledge my existence! It was a sweet and unrepeatable moment in time. So, while I would have love to have been at church under the worship leadership (sermon) of my awesome senior pastor Tim Hawks and (music) guest artist Shaun Groves, and while I would rather my family never be ill, I will treasure the moment I had on Sunday for all of my days. I'd have to say, having my little one in my arm was, to me, better than Shaun Groves!

New Blogging Format Update
Finally, I have obtained some recordings of myself on saxophone, but I don't know how to edit DVD's down to make it fit my blog. Can anyone help me?

In the meantime, I am gathering my devotional thoughts, so once I learn to edit DVDs I should have one kickin' blog!

Thanks for being my friend!
aj

Hoorah for God!

2008-07-11T08:53:00.001-07:00

A praise report from HCBC's Evangelism Pastor regarding what God has done so far this week through Backyard Bible Clubs & Extreme Adventure:

"What a week! What a harvest!

Our mighty God showed up once again to bring in the harvest. Can I hear a drum roll...

Backyard Bible Clubs:

2300 participants
359 conversions
54 recommitments

Xtreme Adventure:

500 participants
19 conversions
28 recommitments

(These are not final numbers, but they are very close.) "

When I saw those numbers I prayed for every children's and student ministers everywhere.
God bless you in your efforts to lead people to the life-changing reality of Jesus Christ today, this summer and every day!

What a significant impact you make on the kingdom of God!

My Church Family and My Blog News

2008-07-08T08:10:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with you some information about the summer at my church, Hill Country Bible Church - Northwest, and some changes I'm making to my blog.

CHURCH
At church summer is the time for "The Great Adventure." I'm not sure of all of the history as I'm still relatively new here, but I can give you some idea of what I'm experiencing now in 2008.

The Great Adventure officially began on Sunday, June 6 with "The Concert of Prayer," one of the most dynamic and exciting prayer services I've ever experienced. (I once attended a revival prayer service with Henry Blackaby, author of "Experiencing God," and that was pretty life-changing as well). The Concert of Prayer service's music was led by The Dutton Band who lead worship regularly at The Heights Church in the DFW area. We prayed for Backyard Bible Clubs (K-4th grade), Xtreme Adventure (5th grade - 7th grade), SummerFest and GO (Global Outreach) trips.

Our senior pastor, Tim Hawks gave the church these points for prayer:

"Here are some specific things you can pray about over the coming weeks:
145 Backyard Bible Clubs will be held throughout the community with over 225 student leaders (July 7-10)
Xtreme Adventure: The Ultimate Knockout will bring over 500 fifth through seventh graders to our campus (July 7-10)
SummerFest takes place Friday, July 11 here on campus. We expect well over 6,000 people in our community to attend!
345 students and adult leaders will take the good news of Jesus Christ to East Austin, Toronto, Chicago, Mexico, Wales, Central Asia and Peru. "

You can help HCBC - NW impact every man, woman and child's life in the greater Austin Area by briefly praying for these things as well.

Jennifer and I host a Backyard Bible Club. Last night was the first one and I thought it went really well. I am expecting God to do great things in many people's lives - children and parents - through this club.

BLOG
When I decided to blog I knew it would be a little more high-maintenance than folks told me it would be! I've been persuaded to make some changes to make my blog better and, beginning next week, this is the format I'm going to try:

1x/week - blog a devotional/thoughts from the Holy Bible
1x/week - blog impressions from society or personal life (I currently call that "Wacky Wednesday")
1x/week - blog myself playing music

Apparently, people still like to hear me play music and, since I've been fortunate enough to make friends from high school, Texas Tech, New Orleans Seminary, and Indiana who are now spread all over the world - if you want to hear me on saxophone, you will be able to do that soon through this blog. (It won't be a professional-quality recording but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway).

I'm hoping to blog in a Monday/Wednesday/Friday format beginning Monday July 14.

If you have any comments, suggestions, or ideas regarding my blog, I welcome them.
You may leave comments on my blog's comment section (listed at the bottom of each post) or through my Facebook Notes section.

Until later, thanks for your prayers and your comments!

Wacky Wednesday 4 - Citizenship

2008-07-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

How patriotic are you? Are you a really a good citizen of these United States of America?
Lest I become conceited, I thought I'd take a quiz to confirm my patriotism during this July 4 week's edition of Wacky Wednesday.

I invite you to take the MSNBC Citizenship quiz and report back to me how you did:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25461301/

As for me, with a score of 70%, I received this evaluation:
"65-80%: Hey, you may make a good citizen yet! Look at your wrong answers and a little revision should do the trick."

Take the quiz and leave me a comment, good or bad, regarding your score!

National Anthem

2008-06-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

Here's the video from the Round Rock Express game on 6/28/08
I've always wanted to do something like this and am glad I had the opportunity.

Smell the Color 9, Hacks!

2008-06-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

That was the title of a Chris Rice Album...cool song.
Anyway, I chose that title because of softball.
I am going to miss two games in a row, and I'm hatin' that. However, our team is 2-0. Gotta love that, even if my sole goal for each game is to avoid injury!

9 runs and a win in softball don't usually go together. In fact, our small group administrative assistants reportedly loss their game last night scoring 9 runs. No, a softball winning score is like, 20+ in my opinion. Still, our team has won twice scoring exactly 9 runs. I guess we're playing good enough defense as the losing teams have scored 6 and 4 runs.

We didn't have a team name officially until a few hours ago. Our coach's last name is Tanner. He told us we could write our names and jersey numbers down and he would draw from a hat a name to be the winner. The winner would choose the team name and team color(s). He is a pretty humble guy (and all of my Indiana friends are saying, "There are no humble Texans..." I know, but he is!) and didn't like my teasing him saying, "If I win, we are going to wear tan shirts and call ourselves 'The Tanners." Well guess what, I did win, but I submitted a team name suggested by another pastor on staff, "The Hill Country Hacks!"

Our team colors, red, white and black of course (Go Tech and Go Buckeyes!).
I can't wait to get back on the field in a few weeks.
Until then, Go Hacks!

Wacky Wednesday 4 - "Crazy little thing called love (of God)"

2008-06-25T10:33:00.000-07:00

"Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor."
-Romans 12:10 ESV

Today's Wacky Wednesday subject is...me.
Sometimes I get so crazy with the "goings on" of my life that I forget to stop and do the simple things. When I fail to enjoy or ignore intentionally loving people...man, that's crazy!

Yesterday I thanked my administrative assistant for all of the work she's doing to get me prepared for Sunday at HCBC. If you read my previous post, Sunday is the 1st New Member Celebration (I called it New Member Orientation in Indiana) at Hill Country Bible Church. She responded to my email with, what I described to her later, as one of the greatest compliments I could ever receive:

"Thanks Adaryll. I appreciate you too. Your commitment to this church and your family is amazing!"

She ministered to me in 3 sentences. Truly my two top priorities in life are to love God and to love my family. I actively try to live out loving God by loving His church for which His Son died. He fills me with His Holy Spirit so that I can overflow with His love onto others, beginning with my family. What a compliment! I got blessed by 16 words. How crazy am I to not remember to continually obey the command of this passage and bless others more often?

God gives us commands for our good. What a great God!
Moment by moment, day by day, we have the opportunity to do this.
what are you going to do to obey God and not be 'Wacky' today? This week? This Month? This Year? In your lifetime?

The Week That Is...and Is To Be

2008-06-23T19:24:00.000-07:00

You know, sometimes human beings just encounter interesting weeks.
I'll start with Saturday.

- Rough night. Hard Sunday morning.

Sunday
- Scheduled to facilitate Newcomers Gathering, held every Sunday at HCBC, only 1 couple attended this week...which is a really odd occurrence. Handing my duties off to a volunteer couple, those guests reportedly gave their lives to Jesus Christ that day!
- Got to hear author David Marshall at our church in the evening. He wrote a book called, "The Truth Behind the New Atheism." Whether you are a Christian or not, you owe it to yourself to read that book. Wow!

Monday
-My 1st HCBC Pastoral Title change...jokes flew - "is it to Senior Pastor?" "We'll say you got a promotion." Actually, the change is much simpler. My official title now is Small Groups & Connections Pastor. I like it!
- As circumstances (vacation) would have it, I received for the first time the list of 1st time visitors to call. One person who didn't list her phone number ended up being a neighbor 2 doors down. She and her husband are in the midst of a separation. The sermon on Sunday was about marriage. So I ask you...coincidence I just happened to get this list? Coincidental sermon topic? God doesn't do coincidences.
- Before I leave my office today I receive a phone call from the Round Rock Express (Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Baseball Club). I had auditioned and was accepted to play the National Anthem at a game this year. I'm on...this Saturday!

Upcoming
Tuesday - long day. Long meeting but will get to hear about AIDS and the urban community
Wednesday - gotta get some fillings (for teeth) in the morning, but in the evening - Texas Softball!
Saturday - Jose', can you see?!
Sunday - 1st ever New Member Celebration at HCBC and Elena's 2nd Birthday.

What a week it has already been and promises to be.
I'll pray for you, you pray for me!

Summer Softball

2008-06-20T07:53:00.000-07:00

Those of you who have spent years with me in Indiana or Lubbock know that I really enjoy playing softball. If this is a new fact to you, I'll snitch on myself here and say, "it's kind of a big deal" to me.

Softball history for me: I started playing softball in a YMCA league when I was a kid. I played in college and our men's teams got whipped like dogs. Our fraternity co-ed team was neither great nor awful. I coached a dorm team that was a runner-up in our division, which at Tech means T-shirts! In Indy, once again our men's teams were whipped heartily. Our co-ed team...the best I've ever played on. One off year (not in contention for prizes) but the other years included 2nd place to another team at our church, winner and winner again. NOW I'm back in Texas. Our first game was Wednesday and I thought I'd share today some of the differences in softball between Indy and Austin. Happy Reading:

Driving Distance to Field
Indy: Not very far (Brownsburg to NW Indy)
Here: Very Close (Both in Leander, I go off my street to end of neighborhood, make one turn…2 miles and I’m there)

Time of Games
Indy: Usually steady, 3 or 4 p.m.
Here: Always Shifting, 6:15 – 8:15 start times

Temperature Expectation
Indy: Upper 80’s
Here: Upper 90’s, but first game was 106 degrees

What “Co-Ed” Means
Indy: 5 girls
Here: 3 girls

Cost
Indy: ~ $40
Here: ~ $25

League
Indy: City
Here: Church (Hill Country Bible)

League Established
Indy: A while ago!
Here: This year

Purpose of League
Indy: Profit
Here: Outreach

Level of Competition in Co-Ed Play
Indy: Fair - Good
Here: Very Good (One of our Administrative Assistants was very concerned about their 1st game versus a group of former college players. Her team battled back to win by 1 point in the last inning. My team won our game 9-6…seemed more like a baseball game than softball)

League Format
Indy: Games + Tie Breaker/Championship if necessary
Here: Games + Playoffs + Championship Game

Field Description
Indy: Ballpark Complex
Here: City Park (No fences…if you miss, RUN!)

My Position
Indy: Pitcher
Here: 1st Base

Prize(s)
Indy: T-shirt for top team in league, Plaque
Here: T-shirts for top 2 teams, Trophy

Ball
Indy: 1 Ball for all players
Here: Girls hit 11” ball; Guys hit 12” ball. Balls are switched out as necessary

Me in the Batting Order
Indy: Last
Here: 5th

Grand Goal Week-by-Week; League End
Indy: Win Every Inning; Win Championship
Here: Survive; Try not to embarrass myself too much in front of my son!

We won our 1st game 9-6. We don't have a team name or jerseys yet. I'll let you know about that when we get them.

Wacky Wednesday 3

2008-06-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday one of our church plant pastors, Denny Henderson of Hill Country Bible Church _U.T. (University of Texas), did an excellent job exegeting Scripture in a sermon called "Grade-A Passion."

In the sermon, Denny preached through 1 Cor. 7:1-7 and supported his text & preaching with most of the book of the Song of Solomon. Denny's 1st point in his introduction went something like this - according to my notes: "Paul celebrates singleness because he knows...singles have more to offer Jesus than the married." I thought that was an excellent point.

SO WHAT'S WACKY?!?!

If Denny was right, and again i think he was, then what's up with the Japanese...and this?

Japanese Firm Creates Robot Girlfriend for Lonely Men
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,368282,00.html

Seriously, I need someone to 'splain this to me!

Wacky Wednesday 2

2008-06-11T11:45:00.000-07:00

Joel Madden is in the band Good Charlotte and is boyfriend and baby-daddy to Nicole Richie. His brother Benji, also from the band, is boyfriend to Nicole's BFF Paris Hilton.

Joel said something that I thought is kind of wacky so I'd love to hear what you think (from Parade Magazine): "Benji and I are from a classic broken home, so we question the necessity of marriage. What is a 'holy union'? Can't you have a true bond without the legality of marriage?"

So lots of questions floated in my brain when I read this and I'd love to hear your responses:

Do celebrities have access to dictionaries?
How certain are those outside of marriage they have a "true bond?"
What is a "true bond?" What are its elements of success?
If you are married, how do you handle the topic of marriage with non-married friends who live together? Why did you get married?

I'm a married guy so either I'm a little off-base or Joel is wacky. Hollah back.

Sports, Work & the Spirit

2008-06-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

I am a HUGE college football fan. It is my very favorite sport to watch and attend. Pro and high school football pale in comparison to my love for the college game (although, I am looking forward to introducing my son to Texas high school football this year). There is so much passion, tradition, and history!

Yesterday I picked up a copy of Lindy's Big 12 football magazine. I keep up with many different teams and I'm predicting Georgia and Ohio State in the BCS Championship game this year. As for my beloved Red Raiders, I predict...good things. Maybe ten wins this year?

Some of my favorite times and best memories of connecting with people occurred at or had something to do with college football. How about you? Is there a sport that you absolutely love to watch? More importantly if you are a sports fan, how will you make relational connections with friends as a result of watching sports? (Hint, one word, TAILGATE!!!)

Work

Awesome. Busy. For my Indiana friends, I am trying to create a New Member Orientation experience here at my new church home. I just completed a format change of our Newcomers class, which occurs every Sunday, to make it more relational and informative about the church versus the Sunday school format that was in place. Now every Sunday visitor not only gets to enjoy a light breakfast, but they meet other guests to the church, hear about the DNA of our church, hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ presented, and are offered a tour of the facility. The volunteers have received the changes well. Finally, since Easter I've been working out the distribution of 1st time guest bags. We've distributed ~ 500 so far and are changing colors, contents, and all of that stuff. It sounded really fun to me until I started dealing with bag distribution companies. Argh! We've finally found a good company though and now every 1st time guest to HCBC - Northwest can receive a beautiful forest green gift bag filled with more information about the church and small gifts.

The Spirit

I've really enjoyed the Disciple-making program I'm in called "Discipleship With A Purpose." It's a 20-week gig filled with lots of great Bible study and Scripture memory. I haven't done any disciple-making material this intense since college! I absolutely love the challenge.

We had a guest pastor in yesterday who preached a sermon called "Sex in the City" as part of our 1st Corinthians series. Besides telling you it was absolutely phenomenal I only suggest you go to iTunes and download the video sermon. Great stuff!

All in all, I'm loving Austin, enjoying new people, missing my Indiana friends like crazy and wishing I could share this wonderful Texas food with them as well. Visitors welcomed in Austin, but you may wanna wait 'til the summer is over...whooo--eeeee! It's hot!

Next time on the blog, (after Wacky Wednesday that is), I'm talkin' food!

The Blahs?

2008-06-07T12:56:00.001-07:00

There's a lot going on in the world and maybe your own life. Do you ever get a case of the blahs?
I was reading (listening) to Scripture yesterday, and if you have a case of "The Blahs," may I suggest the book of 1 Peter?

Peter was speaking to a persecuted church community and he himself would eventually face death through martyrdom. With everything going on in your life or in society, if you get discouraged for yourself or others, may I suggest a quick read of that book?

I found it very encouraging.

If you read it, tell me what you thought!

Wacky Wednesday

2008-06-04T11:45:00.000-07:00

The rules are very simple. I will report to you some event in someone's life - real or fictitious, famous or plain, personal or not - whatever made me, sometime the week before Wacky Wednesday say, "That's Wacky!" I will give you the "411" then I want to hear your take on the situation.

My friends' personalities and opinions can be all over the map and I'd really like to hear your thoughts, so here we go...(by the way, play nice - both to the 'subject' and to each other)

Wacky Wednesday Subject June 4, 2008 is...Susan Sarandon

I think she's a terrific actress.
Sarandon charged that if John McCain wins the '08 election, his American New York will no longer be safe.
Sarandon said, in a clarifying letter to "The View," "I ...have faith in the American people."

To get you started...

How much influence does an actress, musician, etc. have on your personal voter decision-making?
As it pertains to the election, who or what do you "...have faith in..." and why?
Joy Behar of "The View" said that Sarandon and her husband are "...two of the most patriotic Americans that we have in the media." Do you agree? Why or why not?

I look forward to hearing from you!

-aj

Orientation

2008-06-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

Now that I have "converted" to blogspot I've been asked, "What are you going to blog about?"
The answer to that question is - whatever is on my mind, the things I've heard, and how it relates to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I really plan to follow the lead of my wife in a lot of this as well. Especially as it pertains to the frequency of blogging. She does a great job at myjordanfamily.blogspot.com

For instance, instead of "Wordless Wednesday" I plan to have a "Wacky Wednesday" that I will post tomorrow. Wacky Wednesday will deal with some type of news in the news world, include a Biblical response, and will solicit your response. I don't care that you agree with me, I just care that you care.

All in all, if you know me, you know I've probably some opinion on a lot of things, so this should be fun!

See ya tomorrow with the 1st "Wacky Wednesday." Tell your friends!

Blessings,
aj

Blogging 2.0

2008-05-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty impressed with the features of Blogger, so here I am!
I am dedicating myself to learning more about blogging.
All encouragement is welcomed.