Who's Your Waitress?

I know that waitress is kind of a loaded term, but "server" didn't quite have the same pizazz when plugged into the title of this post. Regardless, the question is still a good one. When you sit down at a restaurant to enjoy a nice meal, who is taking care of you? What are they like? Are they happy? Are they going through something difficult? Are they in need?

Over a month ago, Terri, the kids and I were eating at one of our favorite restaurants (and by favorite I mean a restaurant where kids eat free at night). Our server was a girl who looked completely familiar to us. After chatting with her a bit it became obvious we had never met, but we had a nice talk. When it was time to pay the bill, Terri and I looked at each other knowing that we had to do something special.

You see, God dropped her right on our hearts. Over the course of our conversation, she told us that she normally doesn't work nights and it was just dumb luck that she helped us that night. Dumb luck or divine providence. We clearly felt God leading us to reach out to her, so we gave her a huge tip (mandatory if you are trying to share Christ with your server, and just a good practice as a Christian in general) and left her a note with our contact info inviting her to church. Before we left, Terri personally invited her to Eagle Creek and told her we were looking forward to seeing her again.

Last week, we went back and asked to be seated in her section. She remembered us and was very friendly. We asked how she was doing and talked about what was going on in her life. Then she told us that she had something to show us. She opened up her little book, rifled through the pages of receipts and order slips and from the back of the stack pulled out the little note we had left her. She had kept it.

She hasn't come to church with us yet, but we are hoping that Easter Sunday is the day. We look forward to taking her out to lunch afterward and seeing what God is doing in her heart. He has a plan for her, and he chose to use us to draw her to him. It is both a huge responsibility and very humbling, and we have been praying that God gets ahold of her the way he has gotten ahold of us and changes her life.

Next time you go out to eat, think about the people who are taking care of you. God may be asking you to take care of them.

Forgotten God

I have been reading a great book that I recommend to anyone who wants to know God better. It is specifically about the Holy Spirit - who he is, what he does and how he works in our lives. Definitely worth the read...

Joan Jett Said It Best

Joan Jett, the rock and roll icon known best for her absolutely awful 80's hair, said it best when she sung, "I love rock and roll!" It's true...I do. I love it! Music has always been very important to me and I enjoy a wide range of styles (kind of a music snob). Even though there are many styles that just don't do it for me (country), I can appreciate everything from jazz to bluegrass (light on the bluegrass). But there is one style that never leaves me cold.

If music were a recipe, my favorite dish would consist of the following ingredients: electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and another electric guitar for taste. Toss in handful of good songs and a dash of reckless energy, stir and serve. Be aware, at this point, the dish may be a little unstable. That is just fine. The more stable this dish is, the less fun it is. It is also very important that it be served at the correct volume. It will be most enjoyed at a volume of eleven, but anything over eight is acceptable. If consumed at any level less than eight, the spice will not come through and the intended flavor will not be appreciated.

Remember, all rock and roll is best consumed fresh from it's original source in album format. Everyone knows that a sandwich from a vending machine is not as good as a sandwich that is freshly prepared. Music is the same. Rock and roll taken from sources such as movie soundtracks, WOW samplers, and American Idol may be improperly prepared and can be far past its expiration date. If consumed from sources that are not trustworthy, you run the risk of ruining the potency of rock and roll in your life forever. You must be able to trust your chef!

In the immortal words of Brian Johnson, "For those about to rock, we salute you."

You Can't Kiss It

I hear a loud thump coming from the bathroom, and, knowing that Calvin (my four year old) is in there, I run to see what happened. The following is a word for word re-enactment of what came next.

Me: (Seeing Calvin laying on the floor with his pants around his ankles with a cry-face on) Calvin, what happened?

Calvin: I was going to the bathroom and I slipped and fell down.

Me: Are you okay?

Calvin: I hurt my bottom...but you can't kiss it.

Weezer and Beer

Sometimes when I am driving I like to put the iPod on shuffle and just see what happens. I have more than 4000 songs in there so every once it a while it feels good to be surprised by a song that I haven't heard in a while. Sometimes I get surprised by a song I didn't even know I had or have never heard. Often I'll hear a song that hits me just right. Yesterday was one of those days.

I had to make a thirty minute drive and needed some unexpected music, so I flipped the iPod to shuffle and got on the road. It was a great trip because every song that came on just happened to be a really good one (yes I have crummy songs on my iPod). The highlight came when Say It Ain't So by Weezer came on. I love Weezer. One of the main reasons I love them is that their lyrics are so real and raw. Rivers Cuomo, the lead singer and primary songwriter, is so transparent in his lyrics that it feels like I'm reading a page out of his very private journal. There is nothing more powerful to me than a song that can transport me into the very heart of an artist, and Say It Ain't So is one of those songs.

It is a song about being raised in the home of an alcoholic step-father and is brutally raw. I found myself getting completely absorbed in the song, almost as if it were the first time I was hearing it, and what I heard was terribly sad:

Dear daddy, I write you in spite of years of silence
You've cleaned up, found Jesus
Things are good so I hear
This bottle of Stevens awakens ancient demons
Like father, step-father
The son is drowning in the flood

Ephesians 5:18 says, "Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life." That is a clear command not to be drunk. Many Christians make the case that alcohol is okay as long as you are not getting drunk. If you are not out of control, it is okay in moderation. That is a legitimate and detailed argument that I cannot punch any holes in, but a friend once made an argument that carried more weight with me.

He was raised in a home where both parents were alcoholics. In explaining his childhood, he described drinking binges happening late into the night. He described cleaning up empty bottles and vomit while his mother lay passed out on the couch until late in the afternoon. He described the pressure he felt trying taking care of his alcoholic mother while still getting ready for elementary school every day. After painting this picture of his childhood, he said, "I've seen the damage that alcohol can cause in a family. I've seen the incredible pain it can cause. Knowing that there are other people out there like me who have suffered under the chaos alcohol can create, how could I possibly tell anyone that alcohol is okay? How could I possibly tell someone who went through what I went through that it is okay?"

Alcohol has a reach that extends beyond those who drink it. It is a thief that perpetually robs the families of those who get trapped in its grasp. How long can a person play with fire and not get burned? How long can a person play with fire without his children thinking it is safe for them to play with it?

Say it ain't so...

Wolfman and Me

Thought I would make a quick video to share a an old friend with the world.

My Work and My Heart

I recently came across a quote from Leonardo da Vinci that stuck with me in a profound way. To call it just a quote is probably not to do it justice, because it is actually the last thing he said as he lay on his death bed.

I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.
~~ Leonardo da Vinci, d. 1519

At the age of 67, da Vinci died one of the most accomplished painters, scientists, inventors and engineers of his era. His art portfolio still contains some of the most valuable and well known paintings and sketches in the world, and he was such a forward thinking inventor that relatively few of his designs were constructed or even feasible during his lifetime. His artistic ability and scientific curiosity made him one of the most capable minds in anatomy, sketching diagrams of the human body that had never been mapped before.

In spite of all of these accomplishments, he carried into the afterlife regret that his work did not achieved the level of excellence he expected of himself. I agree with him. Not about his own work, but about my own. I am my own worst critic and am driven by the desire to constantly reach for and achieve the best in all I do.

I admit that in the past this has been a negative in my life, leaving me dissatisfied and always unhappy with the product of my work. It was a driving force that had no finish line. At what point do you know you have reached your best? It's subjective at best, even if you don't weigh in the fact that it's nearly impossible to effectively judge yourself. I kept pushing and pushing myself to accomplish the impossible - satisfying my own high expectations. That is until this verse from the Bible firmly got ahold of me:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
Colossians 3:23

I may never be able to create the ultimate product that I really want, whether it be a song or a spreadsheet, but I can work at it with all my heart, seeking to honor God by giving him my best effort. Satisfying my expectations is no longer the goal. Pleasing God with the heart behind my work is.

The beauty is that, just like da Vinci, I am not off the hook when it comes to striving to be my best. My responsibility to grow and improve in the gifts God has given me is even greater because it is in the service of one far greater than myself. How could I possibly work as though I were working for the Lord and not put all my effort into it? How could I present something to God that I didn't practice, prepare and plan for? It would be an insult to God and the gifts he has given me.

Ultimately, no matter what I create, make, design or execute, I am not building a work product. I am building my own heart.