Laugh. Love. Learn.

I wonder what Tanner is thinking.

“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.”
Psalm 127:3 [NLT]
I pray I always look at them with awe.

This is the most excited I’ve been since we got the Food Network in High Definition. (Which, by the way, has different programming than the regular Food Network!)

1) Did you know Kraft recently introduced Whole Grain Macaroni & Cheese? My family loves blue-box-macaroni, but I’ve been hesitant to buy these delicious refined carbohydrates. Now I’ll buy them like a champ. (Only when they’re buy-one-get-one-free, of course. That’s my rule about pretty much everything inside the perimeter of Publix. At some point in time it will go on sale half-off.)

2) Simply Homemade with Sandra Lee is lame because she’s a cheeseball, but there really are all kinds of possibilities for jazzing up box mix derived baked goods. Let me know if you want some recipes.

3) One of the coolest things I ever did was have my grandmother write down my favorite 3 recipes that she made for me. They’re framed and hanging on the wall in my kitchen, in her handwriting. Now that she’s passed away, I’m really, really glad I thought to have her do that. (If your grandma’s still alive, do it.) In case you were wondering, the 3 recipes are: Chicken Lynn (a basic chicken casserole,) Mexicali Rose (think Frito Pie but the meat is a Rotel-containing chili-esque concoction,) and Asparagus Casserole.

4) My Gran used to make me this pie I loved called “No Name Pie.” It’s really just vanilla egg custard with meringue on top. But we call it No Name Pie because in the 1940’s my Gran asked her housekeeper to make a pie and the lady agreed. Gran asked her what kind it was and she said, “It ain’t got no name…it’s the only kind of pie I can make.” And there you have it.

5) I realize people are either pro-casserole or anti-casserole, but I pray for the conversion of the adversaries…cause casseroles are a gift from God! Chicken Casserole, Squash Casserole, Asparagus Casserole, Ground Beef Casserole, Hashbrown Casserole, Grits Casserole, French Toast Casserole, Green Bean Casserole, Broccoli Rice Casserole, Corn Casserole, Vidalia Onion Casserole, Breakfast (Egg) Casserole….I mean seriously, the possibilities are endless.

6) My favorite kitchen utensil is the Pampered Chef Quikcut Paring Knife. They retail at $1.50, and are the most effective knives I’ve ever used. I think I have 10. Literally.

7) Though my parents disagree, I’m determined it’s sometimes cheaper to eat at a restaurant than cook. For example, Monday night Kids Eat Free at Moe’s in Snellville. Our entire family can eat for $10.90. Try to cook tacos (including meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, and sour cream) and buy tortilla chips, salsa and drinks for $10.90. I dare you.

8) Anything involving sour cream, cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, and/or ritz crackers is pretty much always divine.

Apparently this 8 Random Cooking Things business is blog-taggable, according to Heather. So Morgan, Katie, and Leah – tag, you’re it.

Katelynn likes Halloween.

Tanner does not.
Any guesses on who designed our pumpkin this year?

Halloween, anyone? The start of a new series at The Vine always means a crazy weekend at the Moon house. Friday and Saturday Lindsey came to visit, which was awesome cause we miss her like nuts. We checked out Katelynn’s last cheerleading game, which was cute as usual. 7-year-old football players closely resemble bobbleheads because their helmets are bigger than their bodies.

We also accepted the Food Network Halloween Treat Challenge. Okay, maybe not, but we hooked Gus up with some themed snacks for his youth group costume party. I mean honestly, what kid wouldn’t return to a youth group that served chocolate spiders?

The new series for November is called Heroes, and is, obviously, based on the hit television series. I’m pretty stoked about the creative elements for this series…two things in particular, life-size cut-outs of the characters and live painting. We chose 5 congregation members who represent the traits of the 5 “Heroes” we’re highlighting, photographed them, and displayed their images true-to-size. It’s phat. Seen here are 4 of our champions, and Murray hugging…um, himself. Can you tell which Murray is real?

The painting component was off the chain. One of our worship design team members is an artist by trade, so she was the obvious candidate to “Paint the Future.” To integrate live art and foreshadow week five, Jeannette’s painting behind a scrim during both services for the whole series. (shout-out to Theresa for hooking us up with her scrim.) J’s in a separate room, painting, and the image is transferred to the projection screens via video camera…all you see is her shadow. The 5th week, “Painting the Future” week, she’ll be unveiled, as will her artwork. Sweet! It’s the coolest thing we’ve done since the sermon interview via iChat.

My friend Morgan also showed up at The Vine today; I was so excited! After church we grubbed with the ‘rents at Braselton Grill…three words – Fried Green Tomatoes. They’re quite the southern delicacy. Yum. Seriously though, Morgan made my day. And she got one of the coveted Vine first-time visitor coffee mugs…pretty stinkin’ cool if I do say so myself.

I think she’s more like 12 pounds now, but Tanner continues to teach me things everyday. I’m still astounded by the creativity and craftsmanship the Lord demonstrated in making her so perfectly…frequently I just marvel at her beauty. Also, since she’s the Lord’s child, made in His image, I can’t think of a better way to honor Him than by caring for her the best I can, which is awesome! It’s my joy…for real. More things I’ve learned:

Sometimes when Tanner’s upset, she just needs to hear my voice. The same is true with us and God. [John 10:27] [Isaiah 30:21]

I wish I could take pain for her. When Tanner had to get an IV after she was born it made me so upset…I would have done anything for them to stick me instead of her. I can’t imagine how much it pained Jesus to watch us living in sin…to the point he took death for us on the cross. [2 Corinthians 5:21] [1 John 2:2] [Romans 5:8]

Though I want her to be happy, if she wants to cry all day I still want to listen. [Isaiah 61:1-3] [Hebrews 4:14-16] [1 John 5:14-15] [Psalm 34:17-19] [Jeremiah 29:13]

I just want to hold her. (yes, she’s spoiled; it’s my fault, and I don’t regret it for a second!) The Lord just wants to hold us. He wants us to sit still at his throne and spend time with him through prayer, worship, reading, and silence. [Luke 10:38-42] [Psalm 51:17] [Mark 1:35] [Micah 6:8]

I love when she loves me. Granted, that statement could easily be misunderstood…it drives me nuts when parents lets their kids do whatever they want to buy their love…but when Tanner lays her head on my chest, makes sustained eye contact with me, and snuggles her little body up next to me if I lay her on the bed, I know she loves me. I think the Lord wants us to do that with him as well. Jesus said loving God is the first and greatest commandment. [Matthew 22:36-40] God repeatedly asked the Israelites to love him by walking in His ways and serving Him with everything they were…
I also love how Deuteronomy 11:22 says to “hold fast to him.” [Deuteronomy 10:12] [Deuteronomy 11]

In conclusion, I didn’t know I could love someone so much.
In fact, having Tanner has made me love Katelynn more.
I am so thankful to Jesus for my family…being with them makes me feel fully alive! [Romans 8:38-39] [John 10:10]

You, the reader of my blog, will be occasionally subjected to exposure to my favorite artists and song lyrics. Though my musical (and literary) interests are quite varied and cross into multiple genres, there are a select few artists whose material sticks like…cake in an ungreased pan. (Yep, nice simile.) One of said artists is Derek Webb. Derek’s been my favorite for more than 12 years, which is almost half my life. He’s only surpassed by Amy Grant and DC Talk, who are most definitely old-school. Derek is past, present, and future. Not only can homeboy own the 12-string guitar, his lyrics are intriguing and profound. Today’s highlight is from “This Too Shall Be Made Right” off his new album, The Ringing Bell.

I don’t know the suffering of people outside my front door
I join the oppressors of those I choose to ignore
I’m trading comfort for human life
And that’s not just murder it’s suicide
This too shall be made right

If that’s not convicting I’m not sure what is. There are so many people I ignore because it’s just not convenient to care about them. Frequently I convince myself that I do care, but I don’t know how to help. Lame excuse. Did you know there are more than 2000 homeless children in Gwinnett County? Did you know that my next door neighbor is a stay-at-home-mom whose husband travels 3 out of 4 weeks a month, and I don’t even know her first name? Have you thought about the fact that Georgians are freaking out right now because Lake Lanier’s disappearing, but there are millions and millions of children – children whom God made in his image – who have never had clean drinking water, much less running water? I know we live in America and it’s “just cultural,” but sometimes I feel a little guilty drinking my $4 latte knowing I could save that money 8 times a month and sponsor a child. Could that guilt be conviction? And how long should it take for me to respond and be moved to action? Is it possible that, by ignoring people and allowing them to die – physically, emotionally, spiritually, and eternally – we’re actually dying inside? Jesus is LIFE. Are we effectively representing Jesus? Here’s an example. This organization is cool because their motto is “living with less so we can give more.” But the question is, when the time comes that I’m financially able to purchase a new car, will I go for it or choose to drive the trusty Taurus and give that money away? That’s the thing…you, I, have to actually give it away. Not just redistribute it into your personal budget. I’m praying that I have the courage to actually give it away. More, and more, and more. I want my kids to know that giving is key to living. Who do you choose to ignore? Where’s the line between wise provision for your own household and wasteful, culturally-influenced spending?

In a recent post, Craig Groeschel says he believes the future of the Church will be comprised of believers who:
- Are sick of living in material comfort while millions starve to death.
- Make money to give more than they consume.
- Believe in the power of prayer and fasting.
- Are willing to suffer for the cause of Christ.
- Will be engaged in missions both locally and internationally.
- See it as their role to lead people to Christ.
- See it as their role to help people in need.

I want to prove him right.

If you’re interested in high-quality entertainment and thinking so hard your brain hurts, hear Derek Webb live at Eddie’s Attic November 16th. All the cool kids are doing it. (Or, just Heather and I so far…but, you know.)

On Sunday DW told a story about this guy named Nicander who wrote a recipe for making pickles in 200 B.C. First he says to “Bapto” (immerse) the cucumber in boiling water. But does that make the cucumber a pickle? No. He says to take the cucumber from the boiling water, and then “Baptizo” (immerse and overwhelm) the cucumber in vinegar. Now is it still a cucumber? No. It’s been immersed and overwhelmed; it’s been changed. It’s officially a pickle!

Because I’m a nerd and I graded standardized science essay exams before I retired from teaching, this illustration makes me think of chemistry. I can’t tell you how many bad essays I’ve read on this topic. Here’s some info I ganked off the internet:

1. A physical change is reversible; a chemical change is not. For example, the freezing of water would be a physical change because it can be reversed, whereas the burning of wood is a chemical change - you can’t “unburn” it.

2. A physical change is a change in which no new substance is formed; a chemical change results in the formation of one or more new substances. Again, consider the previous examples: Freezing water into ice just results in water molecules which are ’stuck’ together - it’s still H2O. Burning wood results in ash, carbon dioxide, etc, all new substances which weren’t there when you started.

There are two questions for determining whether a change is chemical or physical:
1) After the change, does it look the same?
2) Can you change it back?
If the answers are yes, the change is physical every time.
If the answers are no, the change is chemical every time.

Ouch.
In Romans Chapter 6 Paul was talking to people who claimed to know Jesus, but their lives had not changed. When we are baptized, we are raised with Him, through the glory of the Father, to experience NEW life. We have died to sin, and we have been changed because we’ve been immersed and overwhelmed with Christ Jesus. We are no longer bound by sin and by death, and we can live free from bondage! When you die to self, and are risen with Christ, change is expected.

So the difference here is in the verb. I think many people are dipped in Christianity (Bapto) but not overwhelmed and changed (Baptizo) by Jesus. It saddens me that so many Americans walk into churches on Sundays because it’s just the thing to do, but they have no idea about the life-changing, life-saving relationship Jesus offers them. I’m so thankful Jesus captured my heart and changed my life. I don’t look the same, and I can’t be changed back! Sometimes things happen that make me remember who I used to be and how I used to think, and it’s repulsive. Thank you, Jesus, for making me someone new…please continue to overwhelm me with a desire to become more like you everyday, and help me to be cognizant in the moment of the best way to act like You when faced with life.

Okay, so I’ll admit it: I’ve seen people get baptized so many times I’ve memorized that statement. But something was different this weekend…it was such an exciting time in the life of The Vine! Sunday we offered baptism for the first time, and it was amazing. I’m not sure if it was the small setting or the fact that I’ve got so much investment in the community and the people who attend the church…but i felt the Spirit big-time. We had an adult baptism at the 9:30 service, and then a baby baptism and a baby dedication at the 11:00 service. Adult baptism always sends chills down my spine because it reminds me of when I was baptized and what that symbolizes. It almost takes my breath away, and it makes me excited because the entire family of the gentleman who got baptized will be affected by his decision to follow Jesus!

The babies were, of course, absolutely precious. Tyler’s only 5 weeks old so he was quite content nestled in his dad’s arms, and Henry cracked me up…homeboy wanted to dive into the pool headfirst! Perhaps he has a future in Olympic swimming

After baptism, we distributed Sharpies and asked people to write the names of people they knew who needed Jesus…it reaffirms why we do what we do to see real names of real people who don’t know the Lord. We’re praying that each of those people come to new life in Christ!

Also, I need to give props to our serve teams…apparently Satan wasn’t down with people giving their lives to Jesus because the spiritual warfare was in full effect…first we realized there was no outside faucet at our meeting location, so the enormous portable baptismal had to be filled with buckets of water, and then the breaker on the heating & air tripped (and we couldn’t find the breaker!) so it was a million degrees in the worship center…but our tireless serve-team heroes solved both problems and Satan’s schemes were defeated, once again! And never fear…Tanner and Carley were completely oblivious to all the drama…can you imagine sleeping this soundly? Wow.

My friends Katie & Chris had a beautiful baby yesterday (Congratulations, guys!) so, naturally, I can’t stop thinking about Tanner. I’m not sure how you could ever stop thinking about a face like this:

One of the coolest things about Tanner is that she continuously teaches me about how the Lord feels about us. Because I consider Tanner to be such a huge component of my redemption story, I’ve always had this overwhelming, surreal feeling of astoundment that I get the chance to be her mom. There’s nothing I could have done to earn such a privilege. It seems kind of ridiculous that I’m so proud of her, but I am. You’d think she was some brilliant rocket scientist and I taught her everything she knew…but the truth is she just eats, poops, and smiles…frequently in that order. And I think she’s the most amazing little person ever.

Here are some ways Tanner has taught me about my relationship with the Lord:

[Part One]

Poop. I’m not a big fan of poop. When I was a baby, my parents took me to the doctor because I gagged when they changed my diaper. No kidding. But it’s my joy to clean hers up, even when it’s all the way up her back to her neck. I want her to be clean! And I don’t need her to be clean before I want to hold her…I’ll hold her just like she is, even if I get poop on my shirt. I’ll hold her first, and clean her up later because I love her. The Lord wants us to be clean, but he wants us right now just how we are. He’ll work on cleaning us up for the rest of our lives. [Psalm 51:6-7] [1 John 1:9] [Jeremiah 33:7-9] [Hebrews 9:13-15]

I want what is best for Tanner, even if she doesn’t like it or she doesn’t understand it. (for example, when she takes a bottle, she needs to burp half-way through…it’s hilarious to watch her get so enraged.) [Proverbs 5:21] [Romans 8:28] [Isaiah 55:8-9]

She needs me. Tanner loves to put all things in her mouth…her fist, her fingers, other people’s fingers, towels, blankets, toys…but I have what she needs for nourishment. If she chooses something else, she’s on a quick spiral towards failure to thrive. Regardless of what we try to fill our souls with, the Lord says we need Him…Jesus…Living Water…to survive. [Matthew 4:4] [John 4:9-13]

to be continued…

Today’s the day. I’ve been contemplating reasons for blogging, and even faux-blogging for a while now; finally I’m crossing the threshold of the blogosphere. I’ve attended two large conferences in the last two weeks, Innovate 2007 in Granger, Indiana, and Catalyst 2007 at Gwinnett Arena, and my brain is so inundated with new knowledge I almost can’t think. Processing is both challenging and exhilarating.

Andy Stanley always captivates me with his intense scripture focus and polished delivery, and listening to Dave Ramsey usually invokes conviction because my financial decisions are so far from what I think Jesus would have them to be, but there were two speakers who caught me by surprise: Craig Groeschel from Lifechurch.tv and Francis Chan from Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, CA.

I’d heard of Craig and watched some of the videos on his free resources page, (including the SexED videos, which are hilarious,) but I had no idea he was such an engaging speaker. When he finished speaking I wished he’d continue. Craig spoke about practical athesism, that is – believing that God exists, but living as though He does not. Isaiah 29:13-14 describes people who pay lip-service to God, but have a heart that is far from him. Craig said he once heard Bill Hybels say, “The way I was doing the work of God was destroying the work of God in me.” It’s possible to be in full-time ministry, but living as a part-time Christian. Preparation for ministry and the business of doing church can easily become a replacement for personal time with God. *insert conviction #1*

Conviction #1 segues nicely to Francis Chan’s message, where he admitted he sometimes struggles to see his ministry as his calling and purpose, rather than his “job.” This struck a chord with me because I’m living the secular-job-to-ministry transition, and I have the same tendency to forget. Sometimes I get so busy working for Jesus that I neglect Him, and my heart ends up calloused and tired. I want to grasp the excitement and newness that comes with being in the Word and intentionally spending time in conversation with God. Because of the nature of my responsibilities, it’s easy to make worship a noun instead of a verb. And that’s not okay with me. Francis’ explanation of Jeremiah 1, where Jeremiah receives his calling from God, was refreshing. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah’s like…Ummm, God, I can’t do that. I’m not capable. And God replies, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you…” If God designed Jeremiah with a purpose so intentional, unique, and essential that only Jeremiah could complete it, is it possible that the same is true of each of His children? I believe it is.

I don’t want to just go through the motions. I long to be fully-present, fully-alive, and fully-ready to do whatever the Lord tells me to do, with the best of His abilities. Hence, I left Catalyst with lots to think about.