Great video

You ever meet someone and just think, "I would love to hang out with him a lot more." This was exactly how I felt after meeting this person. My cousin introduced us and after about 10 minutes, we got into a discussion about the worst cuss word you can say. The opinions were varied and discussion was enlightening and engaging.

Now, after this video, I want to become his best friend...

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10 Things I love more than I should

Here are 10 things that I love more than I should...

1. Radiohead
2. Krispy Kreme Donuts
3. Arsenal
4. Adidas Sambas
5. Top Gear
6. The number 3
7. Golf
8. Guinness
9. my car (2006 MINI Cooper S)
10. 30 Rock

All of these things produce a physical reaction of giddy pleasure more than should be allowed. Typically there is giggling and maybe even the clapping of hands. I am a 36 year old man who still greets his car with a, "Good morning."

Now don't get me wrong. I still love my wife and kids more than any of these things, and Jesus still is at the top of my list. However, I get weak in the knees when I watch 30 Rock and Top Gear.

I have shed tears when Arsenal wins because of the abundance of joy I feel. It is like God is causing His face to shine upon me.

I have played golf in sleet and snow and even now I am a bit nervous to look to the left of my chair because I will see my golf clubs and it makes me sad that I can't afford to play right now.

I refuse to see Radiohead live because I don't want to risk not liking them as much as I do. I usually emit an audible sigh when they come up on my iPod.

If I kiss my wife more than once, it has to be 3 times. She knows this and still has sex with me.

I have owned a pair of Adidas Sambas since the early 1990's. I love them and even when I get a new pair I have trouble throwing out the old ones. I right now have 2 pairs of the exact same shoe.

I don't think I have to apologize for the donuts or Guinness. In 1903, Harry Vardon had tuberculosis during the British Open. He almost collapsed between rounds and was coughing up blood, but sipped on a pint of Guinness for strength and then went out later that day and won. Guinness is wonderful.

What's wrong with me?

Anyone else want to admit to something they love more than they should?

The Search of God and Guinness

Thomas Nelson, the publisher of the book The Search for God and Guinness sent me a copy of the book for my review on my blog. This book, by Stephen Mansfield, tells the almost unbelievable story of Arthur Guinness and his family. Arthur Guinness founded the Guinness brewery in 1759. While the story of the growth and success of Guinness Brewery is amazing enough, what was a real surprise was the story of his family and descendants and how the simple brewing of, what is in my opinion, a wonderful beer truly changed the face of Ireland and possibly the world for the better.

Let me first say, this book will make you extremely thirsty. As Mr. Mansfield described the brewing process and even touched on the health benefits of beer, I found it difficult to resist cracking open a cold Guinness myself. Gladly, I succumbed to the temptation and from then on enjoyed the book even more.

With what appears to be little information on Arthur Guinness himself, Mr. Mansfield's story is one of the Guinness family tree and how they used their fame and wealth to help so many people. I was amazed at the collection of stories of those associated with the Guinness Brewery and all the good they did. While any one of the stories of the family rebuilding St. Patrick's Cathedral Church or one becoming one of the best known preachers in the world or being a pioneer of the concept that a company should care for the health and well-being of its employees, is inspiring, it is the weight of each story on top of the other that made this story truly remarkable and almost unbelievable.

There is a lesson regarding how individuals and organizations should use wealth and influence in making the world a better place, and given the current environment of much suffering due to the greed of those in power, this is something to be heeded. However, what God laid upon my heart was how the family passed down these values from generation to generation. All of us who, wether we are wealth or powerful, should, like Arthur Guinness, pass down eternal values to the next generation. If I can so deeply imprint the principles of God into the hearts of the next generation that those principles are passed on and on, then I have left this world a very rich man.

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Catalyst 2009

Wow, what a couple of days. For some degree of context, I need to tell you that I had a lot of expectations going into this conference. I was really struggling for the few weeks before. The worries of our finances, my professional future, the many decisions we are facing or could face, the insane pressure at work, transitions in our family, and then the obligatory list of small concerns were beginning to weigh on me. I was stressed and I needed God's help. I was close to the end of myself.

God did show up. There seemed to be a pretty constant theme throughout Catalyst this year amongst the majority of speakers. I wonder if others saw the same theme, or if God emphasized something else through the 2 days. What God impressed upon my heart was, God was asking me to run my race, not the race I see others run or trying to run, but my race, the race He has set for me and I should run that race well.

From the first session with Andy Stanley in which he reminded us that God does not come to play a role in our story, but we are designed to play our role in His story. Rob Bell called us all to enjoy the place we find ourselves and not to concern ourselves with others and their achievements or success but just the thing that is now in front of us and obey God in that, then the next, then the next, and walk with Him. Matt Chandler finished up Thursday with a message on running the race before you and running your part well. He said it was ingratitude toward God to desire someone else's place in life. Then Friday morning Priscilla Shirer spoke on leadership and she made gave us the example of Joshua, when crossing the Jordan, did not move until God moved. God was the leader and we should, like Joshua, not move unless God is in it. Jesus claimed He did his Father's will and nothing else. As a result, we should only do those things God asks of us and nothing else. Dave Ramsey was wonderful and challenged each of us to "Figure out our Deal" and then with Intense Focus over Time, with God, we can gain unstoppable momentum. Chuck Swindoll inspired us with some of the leadership lessons he has learned over the past 50 years. He said one concept he has learned is God's way is better than our way.

There were other great speakers and I was inspired and convicted and encouraged by all of them. However, this theme of finding God's calling for me (figuring out my deal) and then pursuing that calling or running that race well and moving only when God does step by step, day by day was something God really impressed upon me.

Right now, it's hard to know what to do. Should I be looking for another job? Should I be blanketing our industry and all my family and friends with my resume so that I can be ready if something goes wrong at my current job? Why does neither my wife or I have any peace about that?

Maybe, going forward, God is asking me to walk with Him step by step and leave the results in His hands.

Andy Stanley said his father lived by this principle: "God takes full responsibility for the life wholly devoted to Him."

That is what I am called to now in this season and throughout my life. To walk with God, day by day in a life fully devoted to Him and leave the results and consequences in His hands.

The future is no more certain now than it was before Catalyst 2009, but there is so much more peace knowing that by daily walking with Him, I will fulfill His perfect plan for my life and I can live in the freedom of leaving the consequences in His hands.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Maybe it is all the uncertainty out there, or maybe it is a change of perspective due to the economy, but I am really looking forward to losing myself in the Christmas season this year.

Every year, my Christmas obsession begins at the first sign of autumn. In Atlanta, it is typically over 90 degrees through August and well into September. In early September my mornings typically include my wife wining how hot it is and that she can't wear her long sleeve t-shirts and how unfair that is since it is September and how the weather is cool in Paris or New Jersey right now and if we lived there...about this point I tune out to keep from crying.

However, there will be one 3 day stretch near the end of September in which we will get a lot of rain mixed with a slight cool front, and I will wake up to a slightly brisk morning with temperatures in the low 60's. I will notice a brown crunchy leaf on the ground. Against my will, a switch is set to the "On" position in a part of my brain that knows how to decorate sugar cookies and thinks the combination of red and green is brilliant.

All the voices in my head simultaneously stop their constant jabbering and begin to softly sing..."It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, Everywhere you go...". It's the one of the few times the voices agree. I see evidence of this everywhere. I see the red and green of traffic lights as decorations. As my son puts together Legos in the living room, I am suddenly transported to Christmas morning in which I attempt to figure out some piece of technology while my beautiful wife and son put together a 500 piece Lego model of the Death Star. The classical music on NPR sounds more like the beginning "The First Noel" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir than Bach. I break out the sweaters and jackets.

Of course, a few days later I regret this as I hear the talking head on the weather channel call for "Freaky Hot in Atlanta mixed with humidity as thick as my over styled hair. If you can go through the day naked covered in ice, that would be best." I sweat through the next few days in a wool sweater and a festive turtleneck, but do not let the pool of perspiration that builds in my pants on the way to work and the fact my eyes burn at the smell of my own body odor diminish the level of my Christmas spirit.

My commitment is rewarded like it was this weekend at Target. We just finished picking out my son's Halloween costume for the year, and I was getting over my jealousy that my son grows up in an age in which full Darth Vader costumes, with full internal musculature and lightsabers, are available where I was forced to pretend to be Obi Won by stealing my parents brown bed sheets and trying to make a broom handle blue with food coloring and crayons. I tell myself to be happy for him as I turn the corner and find myself in the middle of an isle surrounded by decorations for "the most wonderful time of the year." To my left are fake evergreen trees while to my right are enough decorations for all the trees in the world. There are candy canes, and stockings, and garland. I am absolutely giddy. Right now, even the small figurine of Santa visiting the manger of Jesus does not detract from this moment. Christmas is here in all it's glory...at least it is here at the one isle in Target in early October. But it's here.

My wife sees me and knows it has begun. I will soon come home from work with a bag of groceries filled with hot chocolate, smores, and peppermint candy canes. We begin asking each other what we want for Christmas. We both know that these requests are not to be taken seriously. They are fueled by my delirious ecstasy that is the beginning of our Christmas season.

For me Christmas is filled with hope. It is the end of another year and I am filled with hope for next year. Our industry is a lot slower from right before Thanksgiving until the new year. Rarely does a developer want to begin a project at the end of the year. There are parties and get-togethers and time spent with those I love. It is a more relaxed pace and a time we as a family connect and laugh and play games and watch old Christmas movies. We over-decorate our house, as those who have visited can attest. Last year we had 5 trees in our little house, with garland and stockings and lights inside and outside.

But it is so much more. I take the Christmas time and reconnect with God, thanking Him for sending His son to save the world. Not just the people in the world, but to redeem the world itself. There is so much pain and suffering by so many people and that is not what God intended. He loves us so much that He did not give up on us. His plan is to redeem His creation and return it to the perfection we and His creation were created for. That is a comforting thought. I see the glass nativity scene on my mantel in the office and am impressed at the bravery of Joseph and the love and commitment of Mary and the irony of that small baby in the manger. I love that small baby more than anything, more than my wife and kids, more than myself and more everything on His earth. I have devoted my life in serving and saying "Thank You" to that small baby for all He has done for me. God's crazy plan was the redemption of all of creation through a baby. Amazing.

In the midst of all we find ourselves in, all the frustration and happiness, all the broken and realized dreams, all the sadness and joy, all the pain and beauty, I try to remember that He has not given up on me. Christmas reminds me of that.

I can't remember a holiday season in which these words ring so true for me.

We need a little Christmas
Right this very minute,
Candles in the window,
Carols at the spinet.
Yes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute.
Slice up the fruitcake;
It's time we hung some tinsel on that evergreen bough.
For we need a little music,
Need a little laughter,
Need a little singing
Ringing through the rafter,
And we need a little snappy
"Happy ever after,"
Need a little Christmas now.
Need a little Christmas now.

Come on Christmas. If anyone is up for caroling anytime soon, let me know.

I need a little Christmas now.