Live. Move. Exist.

Waiting for Dirt

2009-11-10T09:15:00.001-06:00

Waiting for NLC's Dirt Conference to begin. The music is loud (which rocks) and there is actual dirt in the lobby. This is going to be good.

(Moble Post Via BlogPress for iPhone)

For the Glory of God

2009-10-28T13:30:00.000-05:00

I'm at a Methodist church waiting for a funerial to start. I looked inside the hymnal and God reminded me to do all things for God's glory by the inscription inside the front cover.

Everything can and should be done for God's glory...

(Moble Post Via BlogPress for iPhone)

Cycling: My New(est) Hobby

2009-10-19T14:14:00.002-05:00

I took up cycling recently. It is showing promise. It's the only exercise besides swimming that I don't absolutely dread doing. I actually look forward to it and try to work extra miles into my day if I can!

I am glad I found something I like!

I use a really nice app on my iPhone to keep records of what I do. Check out my ride from lunch:

Proverbs: Wisdom Versus Folly (An Introduction)

2009-10-05T14:32:00.002-05:00

Here's a glimpse of the lesson I taught yesterday in the high school small group at Central Baptist Church. Enjoy!

A Lesson from Karate Kid

2009-09-17T11:09:00.000-05:00

Check out my post on my church's blog. Enjoy!

Blogging Worth Doing

2009-09-15T13:00:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since I have done any blogging on either one of the blogs I am affiliated with. Honestly, I just haven't been motivated to do it because I lost the vision, or the "why" of blogging.

As I thought about it, I enjoy reading Dave Whiting's blog, David Henderson's blog, and others; but why? Why am I drawn to them? What keeps me reading?

I think it is this: they blog about life and what they are learning. To me that is what is interesting. I like to hear about Dave's church and family. I like to read the 40 Lists and ridiculously technical things that David posts. I like getting to know these guys and the things they are learning about life.

In this spirit I will begin blogging again. So come, learn about me and the things I am learning!

A Speech to Remember

2009-05-26T14:40:00.006-05:00

One of my youth gave this speech at his high school graduation last Friday night:

I have always considered the class of 2009 to be a very spiritual class. We have endured our share of hardships and disappointments together, and we have overcome adversity in all of its many forms, with a little help. And as we prepare for the challenges of this world, there are a few things that I would like us to keep in mind.

Matthew 5:13 says that we are the salt of the earth. And what that means is that much like the salt preserves food, we are God's way of preserving His people. We are intended to reach out to others through our own faith, and to praise his name without doubting so that He can be carried on. We are intended to use our spiritual gifts in a way that glorifies His name.

Verses 14-16 go on to say: "You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lamp stand, it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." We are that light, His light. And it is our responsibility to put ourselves in a position where others can see our love and trust in Him, and let our spirituality be a guiding light to others that are lost or weak in faith.

This is true for us now more than ever. Spirituality isn't something we're born with. It's not attainable through study, and cannot be defined by religion alone. To be a spiritual being is to experience life, realize that life holds a deeper meaning, and then search for that meaning. As upcoming adults, we will be challenged to both preserve the integrity of our faith and also be leaders toward a better future. We are the salt and light of our generation. And it is my prayer that we let our faith shine through as we live out God's will for our lives, not our own will but God's will. And as a great mind once said: never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.

C Martin, 2009

He did a great job, didn't he? May God raise up more men like him...

Closer Than I Was to You

2009-05-12T10:03:00.002-05:00

So I have a pair of combination locks that I used when I traveled overseas a few years ago. As you can imagine, I had long forgotten the combinations...

To make a long story short, I had to try every possible combination until I opened the lock. That's quite an arduous task...

So I picked up lock one. I decided I would start at 0-0-0, so I dialed those numbers in. Bingo! Unlock! I can't believe that I would set such an easy combination, but I'm glad I didn't have to try too hard on the first one!

The second lock was not quite as easy. 0-0-0, 0-0-1, 0-0-2...1-1-7...2-3-4...4-0-9...5-9-7...6-1-6... Still locked...

As I want through the codes, I knew that I was getting closer and closer to unlocking the combination with every code I dialed in. I was not sure what the combination was, but I did know that it was not 0-0-0 through 6-1-6. With every code I tried, I was closer to the correct combination.

6-1-7! Unlock! Yes!

In the same way, we do not know when our Lord Jesus Christ will return. But we do know that he will just as He promised. Our waiting is like dialing in codes trying to unlock the lock: we get closer and closer until Bingo!

I do not know the time or day. But I know I am closer to His return than I was yesterday. And if He doesn't return today, I will be one day closer tomorrow.

Third Day gives us perspective on this in their song "It's Alright:"

It's alright

It's okay

I won't worry about tomorrow

For I brings me one more day

Closer than I was to you

Full Lyrics

So, keep running the race. Keep fighting the fight. One day it will be the day, then Bingo!

God's Love For Us (Touching Video)

2009-05-11T21:31:00.004-05:00

Remaining Relevant

2009-05-07T13:31:00.000-05:00

Relevant.

1) Closely connected. 2) Appropriate to the matter at hand.

Though some things will continue for decades, everything must adapt to the ever-changing world. Survival often hinges on the ability to stay relevant.

Blasts from the Past.

Jukeboxes are objects that are undoubtedly icons of our past. Slide in a quarter, and you can select the song that plays on the record for all to hear. When I think of a jukebox I see classic cars and 50's diners.

Pay phones are also symbols of our past. Keeping change in the pockets of Americans decades ago, these devices were the mobile communication centerpiece just a few years back.

Of these two objects, only one has remained relevant: the Jukebox.

The pay phone quickly faded after the cellular phone became a mainstay of the American on the go. Today pay phones are simply dirty relics of days gone by.

The Jukebox has remained relevant. The Jukebox moved to CDs and then to mp3s as technology progressed, keeping the latest music in the latest formats. In the past, Jukeboxes could only hold relatively few songs and today they can hold hundreds of thousands. They are still relevant.

How Can We Say Relevant?

God's message never changes. The Good News is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But, the way we present the message has to be constantly up for review.

We cannot use last generation's method because it will not work on the next. We must connect to the next generation in the same way they connect to each other.

This will be a recurring subject of the blog, with more practical posts to come. But what are some of your thoughts?

Live. Move. Exist.

2009-05-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

In Acts 17, Paul gives a rather rousing address to the Athenians. The passage is full of enlightenment on how God moves in history to "seek and save the lost."

In the middle of this great passage, Paul writes, "For in Him [God] we live and move and exist..."

What does Paul mean here?

Live. (Greek: dzah'-o)

1) To live and breathe. 2) To enjoy real life. 3) To have true life. 4) To be fresh, strong, and efficient.

Move. (Greek: kin-eh'-o)

1) To cause to go or set in motion 2) To be moved (as in life) 3) To excite.

Exist. (Greek: i-mee')

1) To be; to exist, to happen, to be present.

What does this mean for us?

In God we "live and breathe."

In God we "enjoy real life."

In God we "have true life."

In God we are "fresh, strong, and efficient."

God "causes us to go."

God "sets us in motion."

God "moves us."

God "excites us."

God caused us "to be."

God caused us "to exist."

God caused us "to happen."

God caused us "to be present."

"For in Him [God] we live and move and exist..."

The purpose of this blog is to call us to live true life, to excite us to action, and to call us to be more present in the here and now.