The thing about facebook

i took Soo out on a facebook date tonight.
It included watching "The Social Network", talking about facebook and spending some time on facebook.

The movie was great! Great story-telling & great casting (but that is to be expected with Aaron Sokin & David Fincher).
It reminded me how much i liked facebook when it was clean & simple - and not the mess of applications it is now.
And how much better the facebook was when it was exclusive.
But yeah, it was an intense movie, great character development, fun.


It also showed me how much facebook has changed the world... i mean, we can know things about people we barely know at all...

i do often wonder what my life would have been like if facebook was around when i was in college. i'd have 500+ more friends... i think it would have made dating easier (knowing who was single and who was somewhat interested) but also more difficult (b/c i wouldn't know how to talk to people in person).
And would i have graduated?


I'm interested in seeing what people interaction's will be like in a few years- when all they've known is facebook. Will they really know how to talk with each other? Will they go out and make new friends? Will friends really be friends - or will they stay at superficial levels.
Will freshman in college have to go out and make new friends, or just stay in their room staying in touch with highschool buddies?

i am thankful for facebook now, i have reconnected with a buddy from college who i haven't talked to in a decade and a buddy from high school i hadn't talked to in 12 years... + i can keep up with people while living a continent away!


On our date, we discussed how can facebook be detrimental to our walk with God?
And how can we use facebook to advance God's Kingdom, serve God's purposes, glorify God?

Detrimental:
1. obviously wasting time
2. similarly: turn to facebook instead of God as a default
3. could keep from actually knowing people, initiating
4. could judge people w/o knowing what is going on

for glorify God:
1. pray for people- reminds us to pray, know better how to pray
2. write encouraging notes on people's walls
3. write notes, status updates that could encourage, challenge others by talking about God's Word.
4. make people aware of prayer requests
5. write praises, make people aware of God
6. post sermons, videos
7. contact old friends, build relationships, use for Evangelism


There were a few more things we did, could have done... We prayed for people on the date. We uploaded some pictures. we talked about stuff in our information section: tv shows, books, activities...
It was pretty fun.


Back to facebook: My first 2 fb friends: Nate Racklyeft & Laura Shunta... when i first started fb when i accepted friend requests i would write a note to them to say why i considered them a friend... that stopped pretty quickly. Paul Gustafson was the first person to write on my wall.
And being on facebook as a staff was a key insider move. When i left Michigan i i said "I'm not a student, but i am on facebook."


Go watch the movie.
Go spend time with your wife and/or friends, and don't waste all your time on facebook.
And spend your time on facebook wisely and to serve God's purposes.

the one with memory verses

Last week a friend sent me a list of verses i could read to Soo during labor. It was great!

i knew several of the references - but i couldn't remember the verse! Others i would read and was like i should know that.

When i was younger i was in AWANA clubs and memorized a lot of verses.
Back then it was kind of a game.
But now i know Scripture memory isn't a game. It's part of the WAR!
Jesus used Scripture to fight off the devil when He was being tempted.
And my favorite memory verses to start with is this: Psalm 119:11:
     "Thy Word I have hidden in my heart that I may not sin against You"

i was struck by how little i had remembered. i used to spend a lot of time in God's word: so that even when i wasn't actively memorizing, i remembered things. And at time i worked hard to memorize.
At one point i said this is my new favorite verse and this is my new favorite verse and my friend Greg said "Yeah my favorite verse changes every time i read the Bible." There is so much good stuff in there!

i think i fell into that stage of cynicism, that so many slightly older Christians fall into.
i can look at new Christians or New Staff and just think it's a stage...
Really, i love being around New Christians- they bring life to me. i need to feed of their zeal, enthusiasm and excitement.

But maybe now i can rub off some on you.

i made a list of 100 verses(passages) to memorize & meditate on.
Soo & i will be working on one a day.
Will you accept this challenge with us?
We'd love for you to join us. We could give each other accountability. We could talk about it together. We can encourage one another.

Who's in?

Verses to memorize

1.     Psalm 73:25-26

2.     Philipians 3:7-8

3.     Eph 3:14-21

4.     Matt 11:28-30

5.     Pslam 16:6

6.     Det 6:4-9

7.     Psalm 63:3-4

8.     Psalm 34:8-10

9.     Col 3:15-17

10. Col 3:1-4

11. Phil 3:12-14

12. Psalm 19:14

13. Psalm 20:7

14. Deut 8:2-3

15. Col 3:12-14

16. Lam 3:21-23

17. Jeremiah 29:13

18. Phil 1:9-11

19. Deut 30:15-20 (Deut 11:26-28)

20. Heb 9:11-14

21. Heb 11:13-16

22. Romans 13:8

23. Romans 13:14

24. Deut 8:1-10

25. Deut 7:6-9

26. I Peter 1:13-16

27. Psalm 16:8-9

28. Deut 8:11-20

29. Deut 6:10-12

30. Psalm 63:7-8

31. Psalm 37:3-7

32. Pslam 99

33. Lam 3:24

34. Deut 6:13-15

35. II Cor 5:18-20

36. Deut 30:11,14

37. Psalm 96:3, 10a

38. Isaiah 40:8

39. Col 1:9-12

40. Ezekial 35:25-27

41. Isaiah 41:10

42. Psalm 13

43. Psalm 95:1-7

44. Col 2:20-23

45. Philipians 3:7-11

46. Psalm 34:1-3

47. Joshua 24:14-15

48. Jude 24-25

49. Matt 6:19-21

50. Col 2:6-7

51. Prv 3:3

52. Ezekail 33:11

53. Isaiah 55:1-2

54. Deut 7:6-11

55. I Cor 2:1-2,5

56. Eph 1:15-22

57. Rev 19:6-9

58. Rev 19:10

59. Matt 5:13-16

60. Psalm 63:1

61. Rom 8:37

62. I Peter 1:3-9

63. Pslam 16:1-2,5

64. Psalm 96:7-9

65. James 1:2-4

66. Joshua 24:23-24

67. Psalm 100

68. II Cor 4:8-10

69. Isaiah 40:18-19, 21-23,28-31

70. Psalm 96:4-5

71. Isaiah 40:12-17

72. James 4:6-7

73. Prov 3:7

74. Ezekial 34:11-16

75. Deut 10:16

76. Deut 10:12-13

77. II Cor 2:14-17

78. Psalm 33:16-17

79. James 3:13-18

80. Psalm 1

81. Psalm 31:1-3

82. Isaiah 43:1-7

83. Isaiah 55:6-7

84. Isaiah 45:22

85. Deut 11:18-23

86. Lam 3:25-26

87. Phil 1:27

88. I Peter 3:8

89. Romans 15:5-6

90. Romans 14:19; 15:2

91. Lam 3:31-33

92. Psalm 32:1-5

93. Psalm 33:18-22

94. Psalm 31:7-8

95. James 1:17

96. I Peter 2:9-10

97. I Peter 2:11

98. I Pet 4:7-10

99. James 4:17

100. I Timothy 6:11-12

We already started... and may not do it in exact order (We're reading Godward life by Piper and i'm studying Isaiah - so that may influence us).

So, who's in?

The thing about Giving

The Lord has struck me recently about giving.

It is an interesting thing, when you set your own salary.

We determine our salary based on what we think we need.

So, what do we do?

I create a budget

I think of what a reasonable salary would be.

The first thing I do, is think of the 10% giving to the Lord… then I consider the obvious big payments like rent, utility bills, phone, transportation, date nights, and of course food. I also have to consider entertainment, clothes, gifts… and then a huge chunk for savings. Really most of our budget is savings… cuz I don’t buy anything… but I want to be able to buy/go whatever/wherever I want. (but I don’t want to buy wasteful things).

Here’s the thing though… it’s easy.

It’s easy to give, when I can set up a salary that covers all my needs.

Sure, I may live modestly. Some couldn’t imagine living on the salary we live on. We have to have someone co-sign because our salary is so little. We get all our money back from taxes.

But, we have been blessed. So many things we just got. Where we live is cheap. Our parents paid for all our schooling. We don’t own a house or have a car payment.

We’re not living in need.

We have enough to give to others.

We give 10%

But this isn’t sacrificial giving.

Sure, a lot of people don’t even give 10%. The average is 3%

But if I have a budget, and I know I can handle the other costs… am I giving by faith? Am I giving sacrificially?

So… what if we not only gave the budgeted amount… but also gave from our other allotted expenses?

What if we spent one month’s clothes budget to help the homeless?

What if we spent some money each month from our food budget to feed someone? You know, I could fast a meal and give that money to someone else.

What if we took some of our money set aside for date night, - to invite someone else over and cook them a meal… or baby-sit someone’s kids so they could have a date night?

What if instead of buying a book for myself, I bought a book for a friend?

And what if I allowed others to use stuff freely- even if it meant it’s come back damaged?

I want to give the Lord my first-fruits… and then I want to give sacrificially after that. Give money, give time, give energy, give resources : for the Lord’s purposes, to honor Him.

The Lord loves a cheerful giver.

And when we give, we become like Christ, and experience Christ more fully. It is a great thing.

(side note: read in “Radical” how a church raised 23 million for a building project, and $5,000 to help Refugees in Sudan… )

We want to give to the local church, we want to give to world missions, and we want to give to help the poor and needy. But in all we want to give by faith, give sacrificially, give cheerfully and give to the Lord!

It is more blessed to give than receive!

the one where God doesn't need your help

God doesn’t need our help.

He didn’t create us because He was lonely.

He’s not sitting up in heaven right now wondering what to do, and just hoping humans will come to the rescue.

He did leave the job of proclaiming the Gospel to the church… but this does not mean He needs us. In fact, we need Him in that process.

When Jesus was betrayed, his disciples took out knives to fight people with swords, and Jesus rebuked them. He could call angels… and let’s face it, He didn’t need the angels either!

So, why are we so persistant in trying to help Jesus out these days?

The Gospel message is not enough… we need to package it to make it more appealing. We need to market Jesus to make Him more attractive.

The Word of God is not enough, people won’t come to Church… unless, we make the seats comfortable and the building look grand. We need entertaining videos and colorful powerpoint slideshows.

Didn’t we see this in the Bible. David wants to make God a great big temple- but He is fine in a tent.

People will never follow God’s Word… unless we can paint pretty pictures for them… we can make clever slogans  ….we can appeal to their fleshly desires…  we make it simple…

We don’t expect people to change, we don’t expect God to work.

Even more so, we see it how we pray. We pray to give God a break, make it easy for Him to answer our prayers. We don’t pray specific, we don’t pray big. And even if we do ask for something, we cover it up with making a “good feeling” just as good as actual healing. We don’t want to corner God.

We’re afraid to ask for actual conversions- because we can’t control that.

Wait, are we only supposed to pray for things we can control?

True, sometimes we’re the answer to our prayers- but not most of the time, and certainly not all the time. If we’re praying in a way that we can answer our prayer requests- are we really praying to God?

We need to pray in a way that only God can answer. We need to pray in a way & act in a way, that if God doesn’t show up- we’re in “SUaR”  ( a whole lot of trouble).

What really got me thinking about this was K-Love. And not in a good way K-Love. I like the music, but I can’t listen to the station anymore. You say the right things with your lips, but your heart is far from God.

Their recent fund-raising(which has been extremely ridiculous before) got to a new low.

DJ 1: “How much money do you think we can raise in the next ½ hr?”

DJ 2: “I think we can get ___ much in” (can’t remember the exact amount)

DJ 1: No. No that’s too much. I know God is big, but he can’t do that much.

DJ 2: Let’s prove DJ 1 wrong. Let’s show him how big God is.

Are you kidding me?

You’re not trusting God- You’re trusting your deceitful, conniving words to work for you.

But don’t we all do something like this?

Instead of praying for someone to come to salvation, we pray for an opportunity.

- sometimes an opportunity is a big deal. In fact, I’d love an opportunity these days, and I am praying for it… but I want to pray bigger. I can make an opportunity, I don’t need God for that. What I do need God for is: boldness, courage… and for Him to work in the person I’m talking with

Instead of giving sacrificially, we make a budget, then give some money… but only while we still have a job.

Or instead of raising support, and trusting God will continue to provide, we raise more than is needed, so we always have a buffer.

And instead of just sharing the Gospel or challenging our brother, and letting God work thru that… we wait for the perfect time to speak up… we wait til we feel comfortable… we try to come up with the perfect anaology… we use methods from the latest book… we try to use entertainment.

Don’t get me wrong. We can & should use insights to the culture and people around us. We need to be wise about our decisions and actions. We need to pray in humility.

But we don’t need to help God.

He doesn’t need our help. He is powerful & able enough.

And quite frankly, our “help” can get in the way of God’s work… and steals from His glory… which He doesn’t like.

Let’s stop trying to help God, and just join Him in what He’s doing, walk by faith and not lean on our own understanding.

The one with names

i created a poll for the name of our daughter to the right...
She is due in one month!

Names used to have meaning. Nowadays, it seems like people just want to give their kids unique names... we kind of think if we give our kids normal names now, their names will be unique compared to friends... but hopefully not old sounding...

Where we work & live names still have meaning.
And it says something about the person.

Of course, Soo is afraid of giving our daughter a name she has to live up to... so, we won't name her happy...

i was named after my Mom's Dad, and my brother after my Dad's Dad. We certainly can honor people with the names we choose...

For a long time i've dreamed of having a daughter and naming her after my sister who passed away a few years ago.
As it turns out, Soo's sister is also named Elizabeth.
Soo agreed with the name and even told her sister. However, after we found out we were having a girl, Soo revealed the truth- she wasn't convinced on the name. Unfortunately, we already told her sister, so now it's going to stick.

We both like the name Grace- perhaps Gracie better... but it seems every other Korean girl is named Grace, thus why Grace is a middle name - but we will call her Gracie...

Philip Yancy calls Grace the last best word. Grace, not as in gracious or graceful - but to reflect on God's grace to us- in giving us a daughter, in His Salvation, as in what He gives us every day and we need so desperately...as in Amazing Grace.

i actually suggested the name Hallelujah. i love that word. i love saying Hallelujah! It means praise the Lord. Every time we would see or call our daughter we'd be reminded to praise the Lord.

We were talking about it with our friends The Schooeys - and they suggested Halle for short... we kinda like it...


Not that we want to put pressure on our daughter, but since she will never meet my sister here, it may help her know who my sister was. And it gives honor to her and helps me not forget.
And the more spiritual names- well, we want to point her to God, right from the get-go.

So, we're looking at calling her Halle (like Halle Berry) (though i will call her my little Hallelujah), or Gracie

Of course some people will change their names later on...

Girl's names i like
1. Elizabeth
2. Grace (Gracie)
3. Halle
4. Hope
5. Joy
6. Merci
7. Hannah
8. Emma
9. Mae (beautiful in some countries)
10. Sophia (Sophie) (means wisdom)


i guess any of those could be in the running
Seven & Soda come from Seinfeld... and Muncie would be a good dog's name...

i think there are a lot more boy's names i like
1. Josiah
after the King, followed God, followed His word
2. Joshua
means salvation
3. Samuel (Sammy)
i just like the ring- i guess Sam could work for a girl too- but Samuel the prophet
4. David
it's majestic isn't it- and i do like King David... he could go by DJ
5. Timothy
again i like the Bible character, and have a lot of friends named Tim
6. Andrew
for some reason my favorite disciple... could go by Andy or Drew
7. Micah
8. Daniel
i think it'd work good for a middle name... maybe JD James
9. Jimmie (he'd be Jimmie James)
10. Montgommery (like Jackson, now he'd have a last name for a first name)
11. Sean
12. Jackson (see Montgomery)
13. Levi (My mom wanted to give me the middle name Levi)
14. Noah
15. Jeff
16. Judah
17. Zach

i like Biblical names, even if it may seem cheesy or "Christian." i like the Bible. i want our kids to think about the Bible early. i want their names to carry meaning


What names do you like?
What do you think about naming philosophy?
Don't forget to vote!

The thing about raising support

i don't really like raising support. It's awkward.
i tend to avoid awkwardness at all costs.
i mean, a lot of us do. That is why guys don't ask their friends out on dates and girls usually don't say yes. It's why we avoid dating in the office-place. It's why guy's don't initiate with other guys. It's why we avoid eye-contact while singing worship songs. It's why we use the bathroom at home and not at a friend's place. It's why we're careful about what subjects we talk about.

And everything about support-raising is awkward. The phone is always awkward. Talking about money is always awkward. Asking people for help is awkward. Let alone, talking to someone you haven't talked to in a long time or a complete stranger.

Most of the time i see support-raising (or MPD) as a necessary nuisance.
It's important.
i need people to pray for me.
And i need people to support us financially - or i don't eat, i don't have a place to live and i can't fly overseas.
We need partners, because we need the body of Christ and we need community.

Still, i wish there was a better way.


Well, that's not true. What i wish for is: An easier way.


Having people support us is a good way, it is God's way.
The body of Christ is supposed to support one another. We give to others also. And we partner with those who give.

Talking with people about what God is doing, sharing our needs, communicating - that's great. People need to know. People can be encouraged. People can be challenged.


So, when i say a better way, what i mean is an easier way. And my way wouldn't be better. It may feel easier, but it probably wouldn't be as effective- and certainly wouldn't be as good.


The time of support-raising feels useless. i would rather be out doing ministry.
But the reality is: this is a ministry. We get to challenge people to give: to give to God's work, to give to needy nations, to give sacrificially, to give joyfully, to give for God's sake and not for themselves, to give for the glory of God.
(i really need to learn how to convey this again and have this attitude).
It is a ministry because we challenge people out of their comfort zones. And we challenege them to follow God and to give to God.
It is also a ministry because we can make people aware of God's work in the nations and what God is doing and exalt God.
It is also a ministry because we can encourage people of God's faithfulness and power and provision.
It is also a ministry because we can make people aware of the needs of the lost and challenege them to reach out to others

This is an important ministry we have. i need to learn to embrace it. i need to learn to challenge.


It is also a blessing. A blessing to me and a blessing to the people i share with.
i was encouraged yesterday by a response of a friend who responded with "Thanks for asking about support!"
During my initial support-raising process i actually did have a few people thank me for the opportunity to give and support me.
This is a blessing for them. This is an opportunity for them to give to the Lord. It is an opportunity for them to be part of God's work. It's an opportunity to use their gifts. It blesses them as it does us.

And it is a blessing for us to be encouraged by how God uses people in our lives. It is a blessing to see God provide. A blessing to see God's faithfulness, sovereignty and power. And we are blessed by the kind words of encouragement, the love, the prayers and the faithfulness of people behind us. What a blessing indeed!

And it is a blessing because this is where God us right now! He knows exactly what we need. (to help us grow, to help us see Him). He is using everything to work in our lives. He is sovereign & He is taking care of us.

He certainly is teaching me, renewing me & reminding me of things i forogot. i am learning dependence and faith and seeing God even more.

Thank God for His blessing & leading on our lives.

It shows us the Gospel doesn't it? People give up, so we can go out. People sacrifice, so we can live.


MPD is a blessing, a ministry, an opportunity!

One with ten lists of ten

i like making lists... and you like reading them.

(idea stolen from Matthew Berry) Ten lists of ten

Cd’s to get

1.     Pieces of a broken heart ~ Sanctus Real

2.     Where light meets dark ~ Tenth Ave N

3.     Shelter ~ Jars of clay

4.     “Long fall back to earth” ~ Jars

5.     “Addison Road” ~ Addison Road

6.     “Awakening” ~ Passion

7.     “Spring” “summer” ~Jon Foreman

8.     “Leave this town” ~Daughtry

9.     “The far country” ~ Andrew Peterson           

10. “Just like you” Allison Irahetta

Top songs since I’ve been back

1.     Lead me                                    Sanctus Real

2.     Stand                                                Joel Houston

3.     This is where the healing begins             Tenth Ave N

4.     Walking on the stars                        Group 1Crew

5.     Short skirt long jacket            cake

6.     Airplanes                                    B.o.B. (feat Paramore)

7.     Rhythm of love                        plain white T’s

8.     Empire state of Mind                        Jay-Z

9.     Follow you                                    Leeland

10. Restless                                    Audrey

Favorite bands

1.     Jars

2.     Tenth Ave N

3.     David Crowder band

4.     Caedmon’s Call

5.     Bethany Dillon

6.     Brandon Heath

7.     Matchbox 20

8.     U2

9.     The weepies

10. Nichole Nordeman

  

Ten places to go eat next

1.     Mongolian BBq – free meal?

2.     Red Robin – free burger (expires Oct 9)

3.     ColdStone: free icre cream 

4.     TGiF – coupon (expires Oct)

5.     Buffalo wild wings (free dessert by Oct 10) watch a game there

6.     Texas Roadhouse – soo wanted to go.

7.     Noodles- twice (buy one get one free coupon – Oct 9)

8.     Skyline- close by & haven’t gone yet

9.     Outback

10. KFC : for a double-down

My Ten keepers for next year fantasy baseball

1.     Tulo

2.     David Wright

3.     Car Go

4.     Robinson Cano

5.     Adam Wainright

6.     Jon Lester

7.     Buster Posey

8.     Prince

9.     Andrew McCutcheon

10. Hunter Pence

Ten places I want to see still

1.     Jerusalem, Israel

2.     Rome, Italy

3.     Egypt (pyramids, sphinx, Africa)

4.     Yosemite National Park

5.     The Grand Canyon

6.     Athens, Greece

7.     Yellowstone National Park

8.     NZ or Australia

9.     London Baby! (and Stonehenge)

10. Seattle (Mt Ranier & friends)

Next ten books to read

1.     baby-wise

2.     Radical

3.     My Wife thinks I’m an Idiot

4.     Shepherding a Child’s heart

5.     His Needs, Her Needs (for parents)

6.     Coming Back Stronger

7.     Doctrine

8.     The Me you want to be

9.     It All goes Back in the Box

10. The Gospel we almost forgot

Ten movies I want to see

1.     HP7

2.     The A-team

3.     Narnia (Dawn Treader)

4.     The Social Network

5.     Dinner for Schmucks

6.     Amelia

7.     Due Date

8.     Terminator: Salvation

9.     Knight & Day

10. Shutter Island

Ten bad habits to get under control

1.     making lots of lists

2.     writing & rewriting to do lists & schedules

3.     forgetting where I took off my glasses, put my keys, etc

4.     going to bed  late

5.     eating junk food

6.     facebook, fantasy sports

7.     chewing my fingernails

8.     chewing on my shirt

9.     thinking w/o doing

10. not paying bills on time or not cancelling on time

Ten things I want to do every day (first seven are in the morning)

1.     pray for the day, submit it to God

2.     stretch my hastrings, belly & back

3.     jog/walk or run

4.     read a chapter of a book

5.     read from the Bible & journal about it

6.     spend some time with Soo, pray with Soo

7.     eat a small breakfast

8.   call or see a friend

9.     journal in the evening & give thanks

10. write a blog