I'm Back (and Black)

You know, after you come out of a coma, I would suspect there is a lot of rehabilitation and therapy that is needed to completely recover. I've had neither after my blog coma. Nonetheless, here is my attempt again to give you a peek at my mind and my heart. It's a bit dangerous to get in my mind because there is so much (or maybe so little) in there. Thanks to everyone who actually visits this blog and constantly remind me that I haven't written in it! Way to make me feel guilty. Seriously, thank you.

I began this blog as a way to become more disciplined in my life. I just returned from the Zoe Worship and Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tn. I was reminded in many forms that one of the troubles I have in my life, my family and my ministry is my lack of discipline, rhythm and order. I so passionately desire to be more disciplined that it is driving me crazy to be so out of sync.

As such, I am beginning (restarting) a plan I had devised a while a go but didn't stick to it. O wrote down a list of goals and separated them into 4 categories. The four categories were: (1) personal goals (2) family goals (3) ministry goals and (4) business goals. Consequently, each set of goals has elements of discipline. Take for instance my personal goals listed below:
1. Daily Lectio or Bible reading & Prayer
2. Read One Book a week
3. Get my diabetes under control
4. Exercise daily
5. Eat Better
6. Write in Blog regularly (Yeah right!)
7. Be Honest

What a tough list for me. Given my busy and hectic schedule, how do I find time to do all this? I don't know! But, I need to do it. I have to find rhythm in my life. I want to model discipline and rhythm to my family and to my church. I desire to be authentic and honest in my calling (as husband, father and minister. And I need to be honest. In all four lists of goals, "being honest" is included. In order to be an effective man of God in my personal life in my family family, in my church and in my business, I have to be honest. Honest enough to say no when I want to say yes. Honest enough to set priorities. Honest enough to not to make excuses for my laziness.

Honest enough to lay bare and broken before God and to admit "I need You O GOD!"

Tonight's Menu: Chicken in Cream Sauce, Rice and Peas w/carrots

A Blog Coma

That's my story! I was in a blog coma for five months. I was just unconscious and I have come out of the coma thanks to the grace of God. I want to thank everyone who prayed for me to come out of this blog coma. If not for your prayers... I don't want to think about where I would be if not for your prayers. I would be in blog heaven I suppose. I would be surrounded by the heroes of blog faith. We would be exchanging blog stories and blog experiences. Surely I would be the junior member having only blogged a few times before going in to a blog coma. But I would be in great spiritual blog company. But I'm back. I have come to blog conscientiousness and I am blog happy! It's kind of like McHappy, but better!

Do you catch my drift? I stink at blogging! But I am back to give it a try. Thanks to all of you who reminded me that I haven't blogged since October! Funny thing is that it's about the same temperature today in April than it was in October when I last wrote. I won;t bore you with the old "I'm going to be more disciplined this time!" I'll just say I'm back for now, and let's see what happens!

What better time to start than today because last evening, the CHURCH youth group met at my house last night. For dinner we had fried CHICKEN and we talked about... you guessed it... CHRIST! It was as if the Spirit was preparing me to re-enter the blogosphere! Isn't funny how the Spirit works? But in all seriousness, that fried chicken was good!

I re-enter my blog journey by posing some questions for deep reflection:

1. Who framed Roger Rabbit?
2. Are you lonesome tonight?
3. What's Eating Gilbert grape?
4. Who's Johnny?
5. How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?
6. Why did the chicken cross the road?
7. Where in the world is Carmen San Diego?
8. Why do we drive on the parkway and park in the driveway?
9. What happened during pre-toilet tissue days?

And finally...

10. Who let the dogs out? Wooh... Wooh...

I pose questions because that seems to be what my life is full of... questions. Who, what when, where and how are the favorite words of my daughters. Hourly and minute by minute, Kaitlynd and Kyra are asking questions. And while this persistent questioning sometimes bothers me to death, i have come to realize that they are doing nothing more than acting like mommy and daddy. you see, mommy and daddy are always asking questions too. Why did that happen to that innocent little girl or boy? Why did Katrina happen? Why did 9/11 happen? Why does racism exist? When will this war end? When is the weather going to get better? Do you love me?

These and other questions I ask the Lord repeatedly during the day. I wonder if He gets bothered with my questions. Or does he smile because of all the people or powers that I could ask a question, I chose Him? Do you think my questions come before the Lord as evidence that we are in relationship with each other? Look at me, I have more questions. And the more questions I have, the more I have to go to God. And that's alright by me because I have a blessed assurance in God in that with all the questions I have, ultimately, God will have the answer!

Tonight's Menu: Tacos, Mexican Rice & Kool-Aid