Sunday Reflections

Good Monday!  Hope it was a great weekend for you!

- Sundays are tough when you are super ill.  This was my first experience preaching while being very sick.  My head was spinning, my stomach churning, my body aching.  I even wrote announcement notes on my hand so that I wouldn't forget.  It was a weird day.  I felt the best while I was preaching, so that is good.  

- If you are a member of Norwood Nazarene, please join in the Angel Tree.  We are getting gifts for the same family that we sponsored last year!  

- Remember, as our scripture taught us, that the Christian life is about more than the forgiveness of sin.  Jesus came for more than the forgiveness of sin.  Jesus is teaching us about discipleship.  We are to live as He lived.  Doing as He does.  Going where He goes.  While forgiveness may be the icing on top, we are called to much more.  

- I always like it when we start breaking out the Christmas music.  Angela and Tom do such a nice job, as well.  

- I am off to my Mother-in-law's graduation next weekend, so I will miss church here.  I hope that you all have a good time in singing Holiday songs.

- I hope you find yourself in the Christmas Spirit.  

Tim

Sunday Reflections

- I did something for the first time ever on Sunday.  Notice?  I didn't use any notes at all for the sermon.  I think/hope it went well.

- Eyes in the Back of our heads...we need to be looking to the coming of Christ as we celebrate his birth.  We cannot separate the baby in the manger from the return of our King.  This is what the lectionary teaches us this year!

- The service flew by.  I didn't preach long, but it was still 10-15 minutes.  Don't know why it was so short, the service that is, but I hope everyone enjoyed beating the baptists to the buffet.

- Angel Food is going so well.  I am excited about how we are going to begin to order two extra baskets a month to give away as a ministry.  How cool?  

- Not sure if you have read the Norwood Times yet this month, but there is a super cool story about our church in there.  Find it if you can!

- I love advent season.  The church is decorated beautiful.  Christmas season is in the air.  And you can feel the tangible expectation in the air of something that people are hoping for.  I hope that God does something spectacular in our lives as we prepare for the coming of the Christ child.

- Hope you all have a nice Advent season.

Tim

Sunday Reflections

- It was an exciting Sunday, to say the least.  68 in worship.  A delicious Thanksgiving meal after church.  

- I hope that I was able to connect Thanksgiving and Stewardship well.  If Jesus was serious in telling of us that we are cared for more than the birds or lilies, then I think that we should be open to being stewards of that which we are entrusted.  Stewardship is not about money, it is about a life orientation.  We should give all that we are/have/dream/want/had to God.  He promises to care for us.

- The music was good this week, huh?  

- I noticed as we invited the congregation to come take communion that the noon Catholic bells went off.  I hate those bells.  I hope that the Spirit was moving in a way that it didn't matter that we went a touch late.

- The Hanging of the Greens was a great time.  The church looks beautiful.  The service was short, but meaningful.  The chili afterward was FANTASTIC!  Thank you to Laura, Linda, Teresa, Nathaniel, Danny, Angela, Cindy T., Gary, Patrick, Megan, Charryse, Mackenzie, Mike for helping.

- Angel Food was fantastic this weekend.  How about the efficiency we showed this time?  The line at the church was great!  I am so excited about how this ministry is shaping up!  We are making some good connections!

- We delivered 18 Thanksgiving meals to folks (well, some picked them up).  What a great ministry!

- I am excited about the future of our church.  Things are really starting to pick up.  I am hoping for a great Advent season!

Sunday Reflections

- I am glad that I do not have to preach on sex every week.  It was tough.  But, I hope that I convincingly showed that God's plan for sexuality within the marriage covenant, just as He has covenanted with His people.  

- I didn't do much the rest of the day.  Unlike many pastors, I usually have energy to spare on Sunday afternoons.  Often I try to play soccer to work out some of the excess energy.  Not this week...I sat on the couch like a lazy person.

- We had 58 folks in church this week.  That is SO exciting.  God is doing good things amongst us.

- Our church had a story written about it in the Norwood Times.  It was well-written by a local college student and did a good job talking about some of things we have been up to lately (especially Angel Food and Don't Go to Church...).

- Music was good this week, I thought.  I am excited about Christmas music coming...always love the season.

- That's it for this week.  Love you guys.

Sunday Reflections

Sorry there was no post last week.  It was so busy!  But, I got some things done, including my preaching calendar for 2009!  How cool!?!  My mom was in town for the last two weeks.  Having her help with Mackenzie was great!  Don't know how I get by without her!

- Yesterday's service was good.  I was afraid to talk so much about myself, but I thought the point would connect.  For those of you not there, I talked about things that were/are important to me.  Things like the Red Sox, my Dad's baseball glove, my schools, etc.  I think most people knew most of this stuff about me.  Then I noted that this was because we have taken the risk of relationship with one another.  Legalism (issue of the day) does not allow relationship.  God is about rules to a legalist.  Our goal in the church should be to foster relationship between God and the world, and allow formation to flow out of that.  

- Missed Alex (our video/slide man) at church.  Where, oh, where was Alex?

- I missed a lot of people on that note.  I love that I get bummed about an attendance of 48!  Remember when that was an outstanding Sunday?

- I hope the Sears and Edwards had fun on their Gatlinburg get away.

- Wednesday night was a great prayer service.  We set Acts to the side, for the week, and we prayed.  We prayed for folks in our church, the new leadership of the country, and more.  It was a powerful time.  In fact, I can't believe you are still missing this if you are still missing this!

- On a similar vein, I am amazed at the heavy needs in our church right now.  The financial crisis is starting to hit some of us square.  I'll be praying for the families of our church, would you be as well?

- On a sports note, it isn't 2007 any more.  All of my teams were dominate in 2007.  I liked 2007 way better!  

- The quarterback position is it in football.  No quarterback, no big season.  Simple as that.  My LSU quarterback was thrown off the team and my Pats QB tore is knee up.  Both seasons are worse than last year.  It is no coinsidence.

Thanks for reading.  Keep me and the church in your prayers!

Sunday Reflections

- Wow, what a great service!  We talked about guilt.  Specifically, how guilt is not a creation of God, but our own inability to allow Christ to destroy the sin in our lives.  Christ dealt with sin, we do not have to.  We talked about Judas and Peter, how they were in the same boat after the cross.  Judas killed himself over the guilt and Peter was restored into service.  

- I hope some of our people were able to give their guilt to Christ to live lives of service.

- The music was good, this week.  No major glitches, which is good.  Missed our drummer.  I still think a lot of people seemed to have powerful times of worship.

- I read a passage from "The Shack."  I read the book last week, and was surprised by how much I liked it.  Was it perfect?  No.  But, it did a good job of helping us break past the things that hang us up in the church: individualism, politics, economics, lovelessness, God as something that s/he is not.  I recommend it.  

- I am planning to ready "Crazy Love"  (Francis Chan) this week.  I also want to finally finish my Brad Meltzer book as well as Galloway's book on Innovative Transitions.

- This week is Halloween on Friday night.  This was one of my favorite events in my first year in Norwood, so I am excited about it again.  Last year we cooked hot dogs as well as handed out candy.  The adults loved this as they often hustled out of work to get their kids ready, forsaking a meal.  It gave us a nice chance to talk with neighborhood people in a very "non-threatening" way.  I hope for more of the same this year.

- We are having "Harvest Fest" this week at church.  A Bluegrass band is coming.  We may or may not be outside (weather permitting).  We plan to invite everyone at Halloween.  Should be good.  The plan is talk about Practical Atheism - believing their is a God, but not living like it.

- Angel Food was great this week.  A total of 13 volunteers helped out.  We gave out $1,800 worth of ordered food.  Should be even bigger next month.  I am amazed, though, that with a ministry of this level that we have a new wrinkle to iron out every month.  Nothing major, just something new every time we expand.

- I think Angel Food is really starting to impact Norwood.

Sunday Reflection

- Ronee Poe was great.  How nice of her to travel all the way here from Columbus on a Sunday morning (leaving at 7 AM, no less).  Her using "International Business" as an asset to a Nazarene Mission Field would have been unheard of 10 years ago...let alone to Bresee and his homey's.  How cool it is that God is broadening our vision to see how we can be an asset to his people in all parts of the world.

- I am thankful for young people, embodying the sanctified life, planning to devote their life to service.

- I need to remember which address goes to the church and which to my house.  Sorry Poe family.  Good thing we are close to the church...

- Another Sunday attendance over 50!  (52 to be exact, after we finished counting).  I am finding myself crushed by attendance under fifty.  A year ago I said the same about forty.  That is a good sign.  Plus, there are visitors every week.  

- We have work to do with the worship set.  We were off key on a few songs.  The words didn't pop up soon enough at the start.  We really have to refine some things to get achieve the excellence that we crave.  With visitors in our pews on a weekly basis, we need to do better.

- Marcy was hysterical portraying an old lady.  As good as that was, she did an even better job explaining the benefits of Faith Promise.  We are lucky to have such a sharp NMI President.

- Mark it down.  November 2 will be "Harvest Sunday" at Norwood Nazarene.  Kevin Sears' dad will be bringing out his bluegrass band and we will worshipping in the parking lot.  That day I'll be speaking on "Practical Atheism."  Please, please join us.  Invite friends.  This will be a fun, fun day!

- Angel Food is booming.  Over $5000 in donations were given this week toward sustaining the program!  Wow!  God blesses those that seek to serve him.  Angel Food, at least in our congregation, is our tangible response to the Sheep and the Goats (one of my favorite passages).  When we work to feed Norwood, it is as if we are feeding Jesus himself.  And God is clearly blessing our efforts to bring affordable food to the families of this community.

- The Red Sox were poor last night.  I am mostly over it, but that doesn't mean that I want or need to talk about it.

- I am off to 1894 today.  Amish country here we come.  Should be a good minister and spouse's retreat this year, still.  Especially since we are starting to get to know some of the people we are retreating with.  Plus, Canton is 30 minutes away, so we are going to see the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Cooperstown would be way better, but you take what you get, you know?!?!

- It was nice to have Charryse's parents here this weekend.  Also looking forward to my mom coming this weekend.  Mackenzie is in gradparent heaven.

- We are talking about guilt this Sunday in church.  Bet you have some.  See if you can't let some of it go by the power of God's freedom in Christ.

Tim

Not Caring is for Rangers Fans

Ok, so I admit, I went to bed.  So did Charryse.  And, this was after I watched a DVR'ed episode of Survivor.  I was mad.  34 runs in four games.  Matsuzaka drinking the same Kool-Aid that Wakefield, Lester, and Beckett drank.  An offense that seemed to be using rope to swing at Tampa pitching.  I was mad.  

At 11 o'clock or so I checked the score, hoping for a reason to stay up.  No such luck.  Seven-nothing.  I had visions of Joe Maddon, B.J. Upton, Evan Longoria, and Scott Kazmir awkwardly and homo-erotically hugging and jumping on each other on Fenway's allegedly spongy grass.  And against all odds, with Tampa Bay written across their chest.  The Rays?  Really?  Isn't this supposed to be the Yankees crushing my spirit?

I remember "watching" Survivor with Charryse.  Well, she was watching Survivor, I was checking the game updates on ESPN attempting to react in an acceptable Christian manner (jury still out...).  While Survivor was on, I was trying to talk myself off the ledge.  Then I asked myself, "c'mon, Tim, is it really that bad?  You just won the World Series last year.  And one three years before that.  One year before that Aaron Boone broke your heart into more pieces than any girl ever had and you convinced yourself that your beloeved Red Sox would never win a World Series...that it was nearly mathematically impossible with thirty teams."  

It was on no condolence.  I was mad.  I was hurt.  It was pathetic.  I went to sleep because I care too much.  Way too much.  Embarrasingly and, perhaps, sinfully so.  I applaud all of my Red Sox fan friends that made it through that...you have bigger onions than I to stand watching what seemed inevitable.

Anyway, I remember within days of the World Series people saying that Red Sox fans would quit caring.  That they got what they wanted, 86 years in the making and all, that the passion would dwindle.  I supposed that could be true.  It wasn't.

I awoke from my faithless slumber to see that the Red Sox had won.  That I was right about J.D. Drew, again (can we as Red Sox nation agree that he is an asset to the team yet?  Two straight years of dramatic post-season altering hits?  Plus the All-Star Game M.V.P., as if that matters).  That even David Ortiz can hit a bad fastball.  That there is still hope (well, actually I was hopeless all day yesterday...now I see the hope!).  

And what is more?  Almost all of my Red Sox fan friends have Red Sox related statuses on Facebook.  Boston Dirt Dogs used its whole home page in response to last night.  Bill Simmons actually wrote an article.  The Globe is in jubilation.  

I think Red Sox Nation announced last night that they still care.  Losing is no longer fun or cute.  We care.  Every year is an opportunity to win it all.

I mean, its not like we are Texas Rangers fans, or anything.

My Article in the Local Paper

Don’t go to church.  It’s a statement that seems to fly in the face of self-preservation.  Quite, the opposite, we are trying very hard to attract people to come to our church.  However, we, at Norwood Church of the Nazarene, have decided that your attendance is not our only objective.  Therefore, we told our churchgoers to not go to church, but to be the church.  The plan is that we can be servants to the people that call Norwood home.  So, in the tradition of the Back To School Bash, we have decided to develop numerous opportunities to encounter the community in which we live. 

                Therefore, October 12, 2008 was officially dubbed “Don’t Go to Church…Be the Church!”  We planned three activities for our people to participate in: the Breast Cancer walk in Cincinnati, write letters of care to our Back To School Bash kids, or to help clean up city parks.  Each of these events were successful.  Check out Victory or Waterworks Park.  Look in your mailbox.  See the money raised for a breast cancer cure.  Did our work touch your life? 

The goal was to see people in Norwood’s life a little better because of the work done on this day.  Perhaps your kids play in a cleaner Waterworks park.  Maybe your neighbor is suffering from Breast Cancer, and a cure is coming.  Maybe your niece or nephew was at the Back to School Bash and will receive an encouraging note in the mail.  Remember how you felt when you got mail before you knew what bills were?  It is that joy that we are hoping to provide to those that we serve.

                Norwood Church of the Nazarene has decided that it does not exist for the sake of existing, it does not exist for itself, and it does not exist simply to be open on Sundays.  No, this church exists for the people of Norwood.  So, telling our people not to simply go to church was a risk that we were willing to take.  Because, to us, is not about being bored, or singing, or listening to sermons.  Church is about bringing something fresh to the world.  It is about fellowship and community.  And it is about demonstrating hope and love to those of us that could use a dose of either or both.  Church is about being something, rather than simply attending.

                We hope that through the many services that we are working to provide for Norwood that we can be something to you.  Something more than a building taking up precious space, something in fact that makes your life better.  Please feel free to drop by for a visit.  We will be giving out candy, hot dogs, and hot chocolate on Halloween.  We also have a wonderful new program called Angel Food that help you save on your grocery bill.  Check out the Church’s web site for more upcoming events.

Sunday Reflection

This is my new weekly concept, stolen, of course.  I am going to review, in my own mind, what happened over the weekend.  I saw Dale Schaffer doing this, and think it is great.  I think Dale is becoming my own personal victim, I am "borrowing" so much from him lately.

- "Don't Go to Church, Be the Church" was a success.  We had positive reviews from all three groups.  I am stoked that we spent some time loving our community.  This is what church is about, I think.

- As far as the cleaning group, I was surprised at how few people were out.  I think if we do this again, we should bring signs to plant in the ground.  Something like "This park cleaned by Norwood Church of the Nazarene."

- I wrote an article for the Norwood Times about our day.  How cool that we were allowed to do that!  

- citizensforabetternorwood.blogspot.com also allowed me to guest post last week about our weekend.  Check it out!

- LSU lost by 30, Wisconsin by 41, Red Sox lost Game 2, Patriots by 20.  Rough weekend for me.  

- I discovered the new Google phone coming out soon on T-Mobile (which Charryse and I have).  I am hoping that having that smartphone (which I hope to get before the end of the year) will help me remember all that is going on in pastoring.  I haven't missed an appointment yet, but I have been surprised how loaded up my pastoral calendar has been getting.  I hope this phone with its calendar and organizational tools will help simplify/organize my life.  Carrying around a big, old calendar is not working for me.  And I am terrified that a man purse is getting close to necessary w/o the phone!

- Mackenzie is crawling, pulling herself up, standing.  Walking is not far off.  I didn't know that a 15 lb. peanut could do this stuff!  (Oh and there is a tooth!)

- I am enjoying our Wednesday night services.  We are studying Acts.  Great, great book!

- This Sunday is Missions Sunday at our church.  Finances are tight, so we are going to have to count on donations beyond tithe in a tough economy to meet our budgets in that area.  Pray for that, if you would.

- I am stoked about our next Sermon Series.  We will be doing "The Elephants in the Church."  It'll be tough on me to talk about the stuff we don't talk about.  But, they are truths that need to be spoken.  Should be great!

- Thanks for listening to me.

Dream Big

Do you believe the stuff that comes out of your mouth?  I mean do you really?  We really throw out some zingers.  Some absurdities.  And frankly, I hate liars.  They drive me crazy.  Almost as crazy as Yankee or Cub fans.

What I really can't stand is when people in the church talk about growing, reaching out, evangelizing, wanting to be like a Paul or Peter Christian and then do nothing about it.  Doesn't that drive you a little ber-zerk as well?  

Peter and Paul, for example, were no liars.  When Peter said that "this promise [of salvation through the crucified and resurrected Lord Jesus] is for you and your children and all who are far off," he believed it.  Not only that, he got to work demonstrating that this was the case.

When Paul declared that "ALL are sinners, yet [ALL are] justified through His grace," he set out to demonstrate this to people who needed to recognize God's work in the world and in their lives.

I guess what I am saying is that aside from believing in the salvation available to them in and through Jesus Christ, they both dreamed big.  Peter got the ball rolling by responding to God's call to go to Cornelius and then defend God's work in the Roman to the Jews.  Paul continued by declaring, in so many words, to the Romans that he would not stop until he had preached to everyone in the Northern half of the known world.  Their vision was HUGE, and it was so because their vision mirrored that of God's vision.

My church is making an effort to expand our vision this week.  Instead of huddling in service this week, we are breaking out of our walls in service of our community.  We are having "Don't Go To Church, Be the Church!" Sunday.  We are going to write letters to kids that came to our Back To School Bash telling them that we love and care for them, we are participating and raising funds for a Breast Cancer Walk, and we are parading around our town of Norwood cleaning up the parks.  We want to show, in tangible ways, that we love the people of Norwood because God loves the people of Norwood.

I am determined to not be a part of a church that lies.  We say we are Christian.  That is a huge statement.  We are like Christ.  We go where Christ goes, do what Christ does.  We act like Him.  We talk like Him.  We serve like Him.  These are the inherent truths that must be lived out when we cal ourselves Christian.  There is no getting around it.  This Sunday, we will be truth tellers.  We will be Christian. 

Can we continue to tell the truth to the world?

The Last Post

You can view the last post if you highlight it!  Sorry if you can't otherwise read it!

Everything You Ever Wondered...about me!

What did you have for breakfast? Oatmeal
Who do you love? Charryse and Mackenzie.  My extended family.  My Church Family.  My Friends.  Lots of love to go around.
Where were you born? New Haven, CT
Where are you? My office at church
Where do you wish you were? Fenway Park.
Are you happy with your life? Yes I am
Do you cry a lot? No
Do you make people angry? Who doesn't?
Do you like who you are? Yes, but I am driven to be better all the time.
Are you random? No.  I am married to random, so I bring the stability to the package.  We're a great team!
Do you like the cold? Used to when I was fat.  Now, not so much.
Do you like the heat? Worse than the cold, but I try not to complain either way.
Are Thunderstorms awesome? Except when they knock out power during games.
Do you like to walk in the rain? I don't mind. 
Isn't walking in the leaves romantic? Does it remind me of Rome?  No.
Do you have any one in mind that you want to walk in the leaves with? Brady, my dog, is funny when she walks through leaves.
Do you like expensive things? I guess so, but I kind of hyperventalate when I see the bill.
Have you been called a slut before? Every guy has.  I think guys think it is funny to call each other that.  I am not a slut, but guys tend to insult one another with weird insults.
Did it bother you? No.
Why do you smile? Life is better when there are reasons to be happy...and happy can be contagious.
What makes you smile? Mackenzie, mostly.  Charryse still does.  Red Sox wins.  Fun church services.
Do people asking you too many questions in a row bother you? no
Why? I am an open book, or I try to be at least.
Do you like cameras? no
Do you like taking pictures? actually no, but Charryse is always making me go get the camera to take pictures of Mackenzie.  Ugh!
What is the weather like out side? Cool, right now.  Give it 3 hours it'll warm up to un-fall-like temps!
Are you happy you are alive? Weird question...but, yes.
What or who makes life worth living? God.
Do they feel the same about you? Yes.
Do you like looking up at the stars? Only when I am out of the city.  If I can see them all, then I love it!
Ever wanted to go into a black hole thinking it may take you back in time or forward in time? No, risk versus reward is not promising.
Ever thought you were in love? I thought I was in love before everyone around me thought it was possible.
Do you like puzzles? Kind of.  There are much better things to do.
How about word searches? Word searches suck!  What is the point?  Crosswords are better.
Do you like coloring? No.
Can you stay in the lines? When I am bored enough to undertake the activity of a two year old, yes, I stay between the lines.  Like it?  This is what I do at Pizza Hut when the food is taking too long and the company I am with is boring!  Who colors?  
What do you like better, colored pencils, crayons, or markers? what?  read above!
Can you type fast?  I set time records for two finger typers!  Does that count?  I got like 50-65 wpm!
What have you been labeled? loud, smart, obnoxious, class clown, a.d.d., engaging, etc.
Do you want to move? no

If yes where do you want to move to? I would like to live in Boston again some day...but I don't have to either.

How come? It's my place!
Do you think the one you love is taking you over? she tries...
Are you a geek? I think that everyone has tendencies in this direction, those that think they don't are hiding something or being inauthentic
Are you good at math? yes, especially word problems and algebra.  I once helped a kid in tudoring with calculus even though I have never had the class.
Are you good at history? Yes.
Are you good at English? Yes 
Are you good at science? This is my worst subject.
What other languages do you speak? Spanish
Can you count in them? yes
Do you think you are a nice person? yes, but I have a nasty habit of picking on the people I like the most.  I can be confusing in that way.
What is the worst pain you've ever felt? kidney stones
Where is your favorite place to be? I am happy to be somewhere new.
Do you want to die? someday, but not soon.  Eternity creeps me out a little, to be honest.  
What did you have for lunch? give me an hour and I'll be able to tell you
What do you have in your cup/bottle? I have Mackenzie's apple juice/water mix in her bottle next to me...but I have Diet Mountain Dew because Cincinnati won't put Diet Coke on sale anymore...
Do you smoke? Gross
Do you drink? I had some wine when I took communion at an Episcopalian Church once...
Do you like swimming? yeah
Have you ever swam in the ocean? Yes, pools suck, too!
Swam on the waves? Of course.
Was it fun? Of course.
Have you ever walked out on the break water to a light house? Yes, my dad was an electrician for the US Coast Guard and he was always going to fix lighthouses.  I got to go with him on occasion.
Ever been inside the light house? Yup.
Ever climbed rocks? yes
Was it fun? yup
Who did you do it with? I've done it a bunch, so lots of people.  Seems that my friend Tim is usually there when I am doing death defying stupid things.
Did they have fun? Tim always has fun when he is with me, thats why we are friends (the reverse is true, as well)
Do you like the ocean? yes
Why? I grew up on the coast.  When my family went swimming, we went to the ocean.
Name two people you miss : Gavin and Jason 
Where are they? El Paso and St. Louis.  I worked with them everyday when I was in Seminary.  I don't work with anyone my age now, so I really miss them.
Have you lost any one close to you? yes
Ever witnessed some one dieing? yes
Do you know who it was? My Dad
Ever been to any funerals? I have performed funerals...
Do you like funerals? No, but I appreciate a well done funeral, when the life is celebrated and people can be freed to laugh and smile.  Funerals should be happier than they are, I think!
Are you morbid? I don't think so, but you may after my last answer
Do you think you are smart? yes
What grade are you in? I am somewhere between my second master's and my first doctorate...
Do you want to go to college? no, but I love to learn
What do you want to be? What I am
Do you have a job? yes
Do you like it? 98% of it...
Do you get along with your boss? Yes, he is fantastic!
Do you get along with your parents? Yes
Do you have any siblings? 1 sister
Do you get along with them? I do
Have you ever been in a fist fight? When I was real young
Have you ever gotten detention? This was my extra-curricular activity in High School.
Have you ever been suspended? No, by the grace of God...
Have you ever been expelled? No
How many nicknames you got? No good ones
What are they? Brooksie was the most common in High School...real creative, huh?
Who gave them to you? footbal teammates
Have you ever passed out from being drunk? yes...wait, you have to drink to pass out?  Oh, no, then.  Never even close...
Do you have any animals? Brady (dog), Logan (dog), Mackenzie (daughter), and Fenway (cat).  I am always trying to downsize the cat..
Are you cold? no
Are you happy? yes
Are you sad? no 
Are you confused? no
What time is it? 10:30 AM
When do you have to go to bed? 11
Do you believe in magic? no
Do you have your own room? no, I sleep in Charryse's room
How many windows are in your room? 3???
What size bed do you have? queen
Do you do your own laundry? Charryse does about 60-65% of it...but all the folding
Do you want to get married? never again
Do you want kids? little late to make that call
Do you like doing surveys? yes
Is any one mad at you? maybe after reading their name in this survey...
What is bothering you right now? a headache
Who do you truly hate? no one 
Does any one like you? the ladies!!!!
Are you shy? I heard of this shy thing once...
Have you ever asked any one out? yes
Whats your relationship status? married
What is your sexual orientation? straight
What color is your room? brown and light blue
What color is your bathroom? mint green
How many times have you moved? 25 times or so, incluing college
Do you like clowns? No, but because they are dumb and worthless, not because they scare me.  And for what it is worth, I always wonder about people that learn to make balloon animals. Creepy!
Do you like cheerleaders? I did when I was 15!
Do you like preps? I think I am one...
Have you ever had heat stroke? No
Do you like going to the beach? didn't this get asked, already?
Who is the last person you went to the beach with? In-laws
Who is the last person you went to the movies with? Charryse, Tim, Jen, Nathaniel, and Danny
Who is the last person you went to the mall with? Charryse
Who is the last person to call you? Charryse
Who is the last person to IM you? Danny
Who is the last person to E-mail you? Charryse, just now!
Who is the last person you IMed. Tim

Who is the last person you E-mailed? Deb Robison
Who is the last person you called? Angela Farmer
What do you use to IM? GMail
What is your home page? ESPN
How many e-mails do you have? 2
Do you hear voices? Only when people are talking
Do you see dead people? That is so 1999!
Do you like to blow bubbles? No...well, to Mackenzie, I guess
Have you ever eaten any bubbles? obviously
Do you like candy apples? no...
Do you like cotton candy? no...
Do you enjoy fairs? no...
Do you like playing with fire? yeah
Have you ever been in an ambulance? not for me, but I toured one once in Boy Scouts
Have you ever had stitches? too many to count, I am in triple digits man...
Have you ever had any ex-rays? I am the Emergency Room King, so yes...
Ever had to have surgery? yes, twice
Who or what were you named after? bible character, I think
What is in your nightstand drawer? no drawers
What is your favorite scent? mom's cooking (when she used to cook).
What is your favorite perfume? Liz Claiborne
What is your favorite store? American Eagle or Gap
Where did you get your clothes you are wearing? See above
Do you like to go to the mall? yes\
What do you fear? falling
What did you have for supper? I ate Pizza Hut last night
ABOUT ME
What is your full birth day? 8-20-81
Where were you born? New Haven, CT...didn't I answer that already?
At what time were you born? 5:10 PM
How old are you? 27
Where do you currently live? Norwood, OH (Cincinnati)
Do you live near the coast? If the nasty Ohio River counts...so no!
What is your favorite month? December
What is your favorite season? Fall
What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
What is your favorite time of day? seven o'clock, I am usually done by then
What is your lucky number? 9
What is your favorite food? pizza
What is your favorite non alcoholic drink? Diet Coke
What is your favorite alcoholic drink? N/A
What is your favorite band? Dave Matthews Band
What is your favorite kind of music? 90's rock
What is your favorite color/s? don't have one
Did you enjoy this survey? sure...

Waiting

I am a terribly impatient person.  I remember as a kid having my mom tell me that patience was a virtue.  I had no idea what that meant, but I figured that virtues were overrated because I thought I was a good kid and, Lord knew, that I had no patience to speak of.  

Need examples of my lack of patience?  I got married at 19 years old.  I took 45 graduate credits in 2006.  I got my driver's license on my 16th birthday.  When my wife was pregnant, I would tell our baby that she could come anytime.  Need I go on?  

So you may understand why I struggle with the first chapter of Acts.  Jesus tells his disciples to "wait for the promise of the Father" (v. 4).  Wait?  Wouldn't it be better if this promise just showed up now?  Think of all the stuff we can get done if the promise were revealed now!

The disciples were on the same page as me.  There was strikingly important work to be done.  You may notice that disciples/apostles get right to this work as well.  They play a scientific game of fate to decide who the replacement for Judas would be.  Good idea fellas, Matthias became intregal to the story of the early church.  (Oh, he didn't?).   

Far be it from me to be critical, however.  I like to be busy as well.  Waiting on God takes patience.  It is, dare I say, boring an unproductive.  There are things to be done.  People who need Jesus.  Tasks to be completed.  And...we...are...waiting???

But as the apostles are trying to fill their time with meaningless tasks, God is making plans in His perfect time.  His perfect timing includes numerous diaspora Jews who are in Jerusalem (those who may not otherwise be in the city).  When God's perfect timing happens, the Spirit errupts.  The believers are filled with the Spirit.  The people are able to hear (2:8) as well as the believers are able to speak (2:6).  Peter becomes an Old Testament scholar and efective speaker.  Ordinary people, 3,000 actually, are drawn into God's kingdom.

Maybe I am wrong, but it seems to me that God's plans were a bit out in front of the apostle's labor.  Sure, it was nice to replace Judas, but what did it accomplish?  Waiting on God's timing, God's Spirit?  Well, that transformed the community.  It created community (2:37-47).  It created the church.

Maybe patience is a virtue.  May God teach me to wait on his timing, and give me the boldness to act when his timing has come and called me to be caught up in it.

Honduras Mission Trip

There are many things that can or should be said after one spends some time in the Third World. A friend along with me for my trip to Honduras noted that often what is said is something like: "Gosh, I am so blessed to be from the United States." This may or may not be true, but often the praise is then heaped onto our Government as opposed to God, to whom all praise is due.

My friends and I have decided to take another route in responding to our trip...to keep working for Honduras. Rather than return to the U.S. and spend our energy reflecting, we have decided to make these people that we have met a part of our lives for the long term. Here is how we are doing it:

On the final two nights of our mission trip we stayed in the Honduras Nazarene Seminary. I was stoked. In many ways, I was looking forward to seeing the Seminary there as much as I was anything on this trip. When we got there, I was blown away. The facility was beautiful. It was brought to my attention that Hurricane Mitch (c. 1998) had hit the school hard and that the Church of the Nazarene raised funds to improve the building there. Some of us commented that the chapel was nicer than the sanctuary that we preached in on Sundays.

However, the awe was soon to end. As our tour continued we made it into a large classroom. The room was nice, but its contents were shocking. The library fit into the classroom (can you believe that?)! There were four bookcases (Check out the Facebook Causes Page I created to see a photo of their library). That was it. That served the entire Seminary community. That was the literary stockpile for the entire Nazarene Pastoral Community of Honduras (which by the way is big enough to be strategizing a split into two Districts).

I flashed back to Seminary. Blinded by the impressive Library that I studied in and the academic arrogance that my robust GPA afforded me, I would say things like: "well, sure, they are starting churches in the Third World, but are they really teaching these pastors holiness theology?" or "Are they just naming people pastors or are they training the called?"

What American arrogance! They do not have the resources to even buy the literature that I once complained that these pastors were not reading!

So, we have decided to extend our Mission Trip. Sure, we are in America again, and may never return to Honduras, but we made real connections with real people there. Real, Christian, Nazarene brothers and sisters. So, some of us have vowed to continue working for these friends in Honduras.

We are raising some funds to help them expand their library there. We (those of us working on this project) know that many of our friends do not have a lot of money, however, we wonder if you can pass on that next book and share the cost with our Christian friends in Honduras? We believe that this small act will make a big impact on the Kingdom of God in this world. What a wonderful sacrifice for the Global Church all of us are capable of making!

PT

P.S. - If you are capable of helping (via check, credit card, debit card, cash) please call (816)333-7000x2320. The lady on the other end can help you. Please tell her that you are calling for the Honduras Library. All donations are tax deductible! If you care not about taxes, contact me at pastortimbrooks@norwoodnaz.org