Nothing like a good Quote

There is nothing a quick one or two line quote that throws your mind into deep meditation and realization of the deep struggles you face in your daily life. Here is one that I recently came across:

"The one secret of life and development, is not to devise a plan...but to do every moment's duty aright...and let come - not what will, for there is no such thing - but what the eternal Thought wills for each of us, has intended in each of us from the first"

George MacDonald, author

The Princess and the Goblin

Relish the Game

Today we officially kicked off PICKLEBALL in the Rec Center and we "relish" the game!

Pickleball is sweeping the nation. Just check out http://usapa.org and see how explosive this game is. Pickleball is a simple game played using paddles, a special perforated, slow-moving ball over a tennis-type net on a badmitton-sized court. The ball is put into play and the volley game begins.

Pickleball is offered on Monday nights from 6-9 PM and Thursday mornings from 9-noon for those fifty and over. The game offers great fellowship and exercise movements. Come join us and bring a friend.

Group Time

This morning I had the opportunity to meet with student-athletes involved in the local Fellowship of Christian Athletes. It was a great encouragement to see this group gather on a Friday morning thirty minutes before school in order to fellowship, pray, set times for ministry to other students, and read the scriptures for encouragement and growth.

It's obvious we all need connection, encouragement, and truth in our lives.

For more on Fellowship of Christian Athletes visit www.fca.org.

Lessons From Joe Girardi

This past weekend, Kelly, Brendan, and myself traveled to Baltimore for a weekend of sports. It included a ballpark tour of Camden Yards, autographs with Adam Jones, watching the Capitals on Pratt Street, dinner at Sabatino's in Little Italy, and seeing the Orioles and Yankees (this night it was more of the Yankees).

While going through the ball park tour we saw Coach Joe Girardi hitting and throwing with his son. The tour itself took 1.5 hours and Coach Joe was out there the entire time frame. But one thing really stood out to me as we finished the tour in the bullpens. Joe and his son, Dante, were in the bullpen and one of the Yankees fans quickly asked Joe for his autograph (nothing unusual I am sure for a Yankee fan). And to my surprise Joe said, "Sorry I can't, I am playing catch with my son right now." Wow. What a statement a father just made to his son. With all the pressures and expectations of coaching the story franchise, Joe Girardi just spoke volumes of setting boundaries between his family and his job. During this 2 hour period Joe was focused on Dante and nothing was going to interrupt that time together. The other side of this picture that jumped out to me was that Dante allowed the instruction of his father. It wasn't just Joe pouring into his son, but it was his son giving back to him. It was a picture of a cultivated relationship that was making each other better - Joe a better father and Dante a better baseball player (he has a sweet batting stance).

As dads and people who have the opportunity to invest in the lives of young people, let us learn from the lesson observed: people matter, relationships are cultivated, and time is important.

Dear God, please allow us to develop the discipline of time with people who matter and whom you have entrusted us with.

Finding Friends

Tony Morgan's article entitled, Is the Church Responsible to Find People Friends?, brought out some great insights and thoughts about the church and the use of recreation.

Think about your relationships; how did you find them? Did you seek them out as a child? Did you step out to be involved in an interest group? Or, did someone decide for you the group that would best fit you? Throughout the article, Morgan continues to ask a provoking question: What would happen if we put less attention on organizing relationships and more attention on something people will organize around? Bingo! Great thought. It is true that we set up our people (those who follow Christ and those we pray will follow Christ) to be part of specific groups. There are men's groups, women's groups, age groups, etc. Both Morgan and myself recognize the influence and positives that come from these groups, but what if we allowed people to make relationship decisions on "serving" opportunities? This would allow for people to be a part of community with affinity and passion while still engaging in the Great Commission and discipleship.

That's why I appreciate and see recreation ministry as a community of people who gather with specific interests and passions that allows for natural relationships and life changing conversations. Through sports and recreation, those who follow Christ and those who have yet to make that decision, connect with common purposes. As they gather to coach, play games, referee, exercise, and enjoy the outdoors, community is formed and daily life can be shared naturally.

Look around at where you are. Do you participate in sports and recreation, spend time at coffee shops, belong to book clubs, serve on community boards, etc? Take time with those natural relationships to share Christ and enjoy community. You've been wired that way!

Freedom to wear "I Voted" Sticker

My two favorite things about election day are:

1. The Freedom to Vote in every election (having lived in a country for several years where people did not vote, I have a great appreciation of fulfilling my duty as a citizen of the USA to vote!)
2. The "I Voted" Sticker that you receive once you turn the ballot in. There's something American about wearing that little sticker all day long!

Community Time

Community time was great this week. Kelly and I had the joy of being with several different people in a variety of settings. No matter the people or the setting, the atmosphere of community was great.

We were able to experience a great meal with three other couples of all different ages. Yes the food was good, but the time we spent together learning about each other without a rush was enriching to the soul. We shared stories of our hobbies, families, and struggles. Later in the week we met with two other couples and experienced great food and a walk through the Fan District of Richmond. The time spent at the table and walking the streets, allowed us to share hopes, dreams, and desires. We learned more about each others walk with Christ and our world around us. And last night, we met in the neighborhood court to check out all the costumes and candy grabbers. This group of community consisted of people with diverse religious views, people who actually are at church more than me, and people who were simply passing by.

Inside of us all, we desire community - a place where we connect with others, share ideas, and live life. It's what the early church was all about. And it's what we as followers of Christ should be about. Being a part of a community(ies) allows us to love others right where they are. Some of the community time we will have will be easy. This is the time spent with those we agree with or see eye to eye on certain topics. But some of our time will be spent with those in our community who don't think like us or always act like us. It's this community time that will be difficult for us. Either way, Jesus has called us to have the same love for both community groups when he said, "love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. "

Community is all around us. And inside of community is the opportunity to share the love of Christ with others.