Veritas

I've started picking up a few watches. This is a picture of a Elgin Veritas made in 1908. The movement tells all. Year made, Jewel count, Adjusted, and many other things. This is a Railroad Watch, made to keep accurate to to ensure the safety of the passengers and the cargo. The detail of these watches is incredible. Each part serves a purpose. It one thing is not working correctly then the effects can be disastrous. In 1891 a train conductor's watch stopped for 4 minutes then restarted. He didn't know it. There was a collision that took the lives of a great number of people. All because a part in the watch didn't do it's job.
We are created the same way. Each person is significant. Intricate. Designed for a specific purpose. I hope that I do what I was intended to do today. The results can be great! Veritas, the name of this movement, is Latin for "truth." I know the Truth. I hope He can direct my life this day.

I'm Your Venus, Ok, Maybe Not

We came out of worship at camp tonight and one of the guys I'm working with pointed out Venus just below the moon. (I took this with my 7D handheld with a 24-105 on f4-love my gear) That song from the 80's popped into my head but I had the wisdom to leave it there. I did have a great day filled with love. Most of all I was challenged by a powerful message to demand more of myself because of who Jesus is. But second, and by a long-shot I must add, I had the chance to visit with some friends I'd made while living in Alaska. The Bingham family showed me so much love when I lived there as a single GI and as a college student and as a young youth director. We shared stories and talked about where people are now and just enjoyed the time. I slept on their couch one time after driving 27 hours straight. I stopped by to say I'd made it back up and fell asleep in their living room. I woke up the next day. They just lived their life around me! It was awesome. I may get to see a couple of them later this week but today my stars were definitely in alignment. No, God, in all His goodness, gave me a glimpse into His family. Thankfully I'm a part of it. I have a couch if any of you old friends is tired from a long trip.

Stuff Christians Like

Ok, so a friend recommended this book and a blog that Jonathan Acuff publishes. I've now read about 50 pages of this little satirical book and hate to admit that I kind of like it. I know. It makes fun of some pretty serious stuff, but I think perhaps it is ok, and perhaps we need to know just how insider we church folks tend to be. I saw the cover and laughed, and cried. The awkward side hug. Last year we had several foreign exchange students join our youth group. Two from Germany and one from Israel. After a month or so I felt comfortable enough to hug them, they being girls and all. I did the awkward side hug and the expressions on their faces spoke louder than anything. Our cultures just clashed and they didn't have a clue what I'd just done. I think someone explained it to them later because the got pretty adept at giving the side hug. They left last week and gave me a real German and Israeli hug. I hope I don't get fired. 

Super Summer and the Cowboys

We are here in Abilene at Hardin Simmons for
Super Summer and the camp pastor is former Dallas Cowboy Gordon Banks. He is currently pastoring in Washington State. He played for Tom Landry from 1985-1988. He has only spoken one time so far, just a preview really, but it was easy to see that he is passionate about Jesus. I spoke with him for a little while and cannot wait to hear more from him this week. He has sought to follow Jesus since he was a boy and continues to do so, putting much of the same energy into preaching and pastoring as he did playing football. I think the 2,000 students here this week are about to experience something great. I pray that I do as well! I'll be posting more this week on this blog and on our student web site, hbcstudent.org  Hope you benefit from the few things I'll have to say.

time

I can be obsessive compulsive and maybe I am. Ask people who know me. When something gets my interest it tends to take over. So now it's time pieces. Maybe just time. I don't know. I've always had a thing for clocks, watches, time pieces in general. I have two hour glasses. And I know that they are within 3 minutes of being accurate almost every time. I own a watch my dad got from his dad. An Elgin Deluxe wrist watch with seven jewels. I had it fixed and wear it from time to time. I have a pocket-watch that was my dads. It was repaired and keeps good time when I use it. I have a nice Swiss Army watch my family gave me. It adds a touch of class. I bought a Suunto Vector on ebay because my brother said they are amazing. It tells altitude, barometric pressure, has a compass, and other stuff, oh, and keeps good time! Growing up, we had two old clocks in the house. A grandfather clock my parents bought in Germany in the early 60's. It is black walnut and beautiful to look at. I think it has stopped working. My sister has it. There was also an old mantel clock. I'm not sure what happened to it. It may be in a box somewhere or gone. But I've always liked the looks and sound of a good mantel clock and grandfather clock. So a month ago I bought this clock at an estate sale for $15. No key and they were unsure if it worked. So I took it to our local clock repair man, The Clock Doc, and $80 later it sits in my office ticking and chiming. They sell on ebay for $100-300 and the Clock Doc said mine is worth $350ish. I just like it. I did some research and have been watching them on ebay. I have almost bought about 10 more but held off or was outbid. My mind says, "get a few that have different chimes" so I started looking. There are a bunch. But alas. Time is funny. Once I have a few pieces, what will be the next thing that occupies my time?
When I close my eyes I hear the steady tick of the clock. I remember the grandfather clock ticking at night when I was a boy. Could it be that long ago? I'm glad my time is not "up" but I am prepared.
I think there may be more to write about but I'll end this...my clock just chimed.

Holy Moses!

Our children's choir put on a musical last night named, Holy Moses! It was pretty good and funny as well. It was written to model the show, Trading Spaces. A few adults participated as well, adding humor and crossing some generation gaps. I videoed and took a few pictures. I'm still learning to video with my Canon 5D Mk 2. I used it last year to video but the audio was poor. I sat in the balcony with a good lens and mic but the actors were not miked so it was not great, although the video was. This year I sat on the front row but had to use a 17-40 mm lens. Some distortion but the audio is great. Ideally I need to be seated on a platform about 5 rows back and be able to move some. But I am not a professional. This is a children's musical, and to do much more would really distract.

I love the Canon 5D mk 2 by the way. I have been using it for a year or so and continue to be awed by what it is capable of, if I were only half as capable.

More on Hebrews & graduates

Just a followup. Of course it is always hard to comment on a sermon. Well, it is always easy to comment on a sermon that is someone else's but care should be given when commenting on your own(and other peoples too). I said what I believed to be needed. I wish we had a pod cast. But alas, no. But what I wanted to comment on is the senior group. They looked stunning and so grown up. They were 5th graders when I came here. Now they move on. Faith in action really. Four of the eight are the majority of the praise band for our student ministry. I am number 5. Should be interesting! The reception our church showed them following the service was great. The love was real. This church has poured into these kids for a long time. I am grateful to have been their minister.

Faith and Hope

I'm preaching in the morning for graduate recognition. I'll mainly be looking at Hebrews 11:1-3 on faith and hope. We will recognize our graduates in the service and I want to encourage them to continue on with the journey of faith in Christ. Hebrews was written to believers who were worn out and struggling to continue. The message is relevant for many churches and people in transition. The journey IS tough at times. For some, most of the time. But the writer urges the believers to continue to have faith. From faith comes hope. Hope doesn't come without faith.

We will gather in the morning by faith to meet with the Faithful One.

Gravity in action, the Mustang 427R

I parked near a red 2010 Mustang 427R yesterday. The owner had parked about 15 spaces from anything so as not to get a ding or whatever. I walked over, took a couple of pictures with my phone, wiped the drool off my chin, prayed for forgiveness for coveting, then went to purchase graduation gifts for our seniors. I walked back out about 15 minutes later and there was a shopping cart up against the side of the car. Where did it come from? Of all the open spaces at that end of the lot it found the one area blocked. It had to maneuver through about 70 cars to have made it that far. Plus, none of the shops, to my knowledge, even have shopping carts!
It is seldom the thing we are worried about that gets us. We are blind-sided by random things. And the damage is rarely as bad as we make it out to be, but we dwell on it just the same.
I bet this car will be about 30 spaces out next time. But gravity will win and something will come near and you know it's already weighing heavy on the mind of the owner.
There is a lesson in there somewhere.

Graduation

Sunday will be the twenty-first graduating class that I've had the privilege to serve as Youth Minister. 21 years. Not that I'm old or anything! But the amazing thing is that some of the early years in ministry, those students could easily have kids that are graduating! Now that is scary. Ok. I am old.