If I could only [BLANK] then I would feel more significant…
Los

What would people say is your greatest strength?
What would people say is your greatest weakness?
Los

Yesterday I posted an email I received from a good friend who was laid off because he admitted that he struggled with homosexuality.
Go see the post and read the comments if you can stomach it.
Honestly…
If we spoke to each other in real life the way some of the commenters spoke to each other…
It could almost be enough to take a Bic to my ears.
Reminded me of this a bit…
Anyways…
I responded to him BEFORE I ever wrote that post.
While reading the comments I honestly almost decided not to post my reply…
Because I’m not NEAR as smart as most of you.
I mean I read my Bible…A Lot…
But I’m just a beautiful mess of a idiot.
So decided to post it anyways.
Because that is what I said I’d do.
Cause if the only people who can live a “true” Christian life are the smart ones who can read Greek, then we are all screwed.
Look at me. Full of integrity and stuff.
At least once a month or so.
So here is what I wrote my buddy *****.
I know many will want more, less, or whatever…Thank God I wasn’t writing it to the many…just to my buddy.

******,
Dude. That sucks. Sucks. I know your heart. I know your story. I know your struggle.
Well actually, I don’t know your struggle…but you know what I mean.
Listen. I’m not a theologian. I don’t have a doctorate. It took me like 10 years to get my BA.
So what I know is only from walking my journey with Jesus and not a greek dictionary. Here’s the deal.
You admit that it is a struggle. I admit that when a hot chick walks by I don’t always bounce my eyes. I try. But I fail.
That failure, whenever it happens in many other areas of my life as well cause a division between Jesus, Heather, and I.
Whether that be porn, lying, overeating, laziness, whatever. It drives a big fat steak between Jesus, Heather, and I.
Me? I am a lusting man that is on a journey towards redemption by the power and blood of Jesus Christ.
You? You are a gay man that is on a journey towards redemption by the power and blood of Jesus Christ.
Your gluttonous boss? He is a gluttonous man that is on a journey towards redemption by the power and blood of Jesus Christ.
The key to your question for me is “struggles”. This would assume that there is a conviction and wrestling match with sin in both of your lives. If you are struggling with this…and you went to your gluttonous pastor asking for help, and he drop kicked you without trying to come alongside you… Jesus would not have done that. Just an FYI.
But you know what? He’s also not Jesus. He might be trying like hell to be, or heaven, but he’s not Jesus.
So. Now what? As a gay man called to lead people to Jesus…
Love the crap out of your pastor. Love him till it hurts.
You are obviously not meant to work alongside him.
But if you are still the same ****** that I’ve always known…then you are called to ministry. You are.
And your ministry has just shifted… From loving 150 people from on stage… To loving 151 people off stage… And that one extra…love him like you would have wanted him to love you last week.
Jesus first…
second…
and third…
Carlos

In the coming days we will be diving in a bit closer to the heart of this as I interview a good friend of mine who is ready to come out of the blog closet with his struggle with being gay and working in a church…
So keep putting your bullhorn down and pick up a cup of coffee and whisper with me these next few days…
Drip Jesus…
Los

Safe equals protection.
Safe equals a longer life.
Safe equals stability.
Safe equals existing
These are all wonderful things.

The problem with safe is you lose…
Risk.
Failure.
Redemption.
Revival.

I know many would argue that you see those within safety…
But you don’t.

So this week…
As you program your services…
Ad you plan your set lists…
As you write your blogs…
As you plan that strategy…
As you have that meeting…
As you play with your kids…

Risk…Fail…Redeem…Revive…Live
Los

The Christian blogosphere is a crazy place.
It’s full of egos, agendas, jealousy, shadiness, envy, bitterness, and a little bit of Jesus.
Sounds a lot like the church these days huh?

Pot calling kettle here so back off pharitweets.
There are Church ranking sites that rank churches based on influence ect…and the very same bloggers who rip the Church ranking lists proudly display their Blog rankings next to others.
And at the end of the day I have to keep telling myself and you…
It’s crap. It’s all a load of bull. Your stats. My stats. Your amount of comments. Your blog awards.
They are easy to manipulate.
Ready for the secret?
Write about sex, alcohol, rip a church, cuss a little, and ask for retweets and your blog will rise in stats.
That was free.
Jesus is not impressed with your or my blog.
While we are stroking our ip addresses like million dollar family heirlooms I’m fairly certain Jesus could care less and is WAY more impressed with the nun down the street who has given her life to serve others and serve the Lord.
And I’m pretty sure the nun wouldn’t even share the heights and depths of her dedication to the Lord if you paid her.
It’s her Lords alone.
Let’s make sure during this season where we get to remember the Lords sacrifice to us, not to whore our dedication to the Lord out to impress people.
Because remember, the Lord could not be less impressed with you or I.
But the good news is…He loves you WAY more than your most impressed blog reader.

Satisfy us Lord in Your unfailing love…
Los

Los

My Lord God
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following
your will does not mean
that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that my desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope that I have that desire
in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything
apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this
you will lead me by the right road
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem to be lost
and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear,
for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me
to face my perils alone.
- Thomas Merton (1915-1968)

Amen…
Los

Please Share…
Los

I woke up at 615 this morning…got ready…drove my kids 20 miles south to school…drove 40 miles north to Oak Leaf Church…drove 25 miles back south to our pad…picked up the wife and kid and drove 20 miles back south to school again.
I was tanked.
I DID NOT want to play along.
I had literally 45 things I needed to have done yesterday waiting for me.
I had a headache.
My voice is still not 100% and I am leading at New Spring this weekend.
Did I mention the 45 things I needed to have done yesterday?

I sucked it up…
Walked down the hall…
Into the Frogs classroom and Seanna’s smile changed my world.
She started bragging to everyone that her dad can sing and when the kids saw the guitar case…I might as well have been Nick Jonas.
Soon after Sohaila’s 2nd grade class came pouncing in.
There were my 2 girls…looking nervous and excited at what was about to occur.
I taught them about the parts of the guitar.
I sang a few kid songs.
They looked happy.
I was about done when I had the thought…
“WE ARE GOING TO WRITE A SONG!”
I looked for the shy kids.
Me to shy kid #1…”What should the song be about?”
“A chick”, she said.
Me to shy kid #2…”Where does the chick live?”
“In a gate”, shy kid #2 said.
“THAT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE!” screamed not shy kid #1
“Why yes it does. IT makes perfect sense” I assured shy kid #2.
My to shy kid #3…”What does the chick like to do?”
“Ride in her wagon”, she said.
“What color is the wagon?” I asked.
Seanna screamed out…”BLUE”.
She’s not shy.
Me to shy kid #4…”Where is the chick going in the wagon?”
“To the mall”, kid#4 said.
This was getting good.
“What’s the chick gonna buy?” I asked the class…
“CLOTHES!” they all screamed. In unison. Only in East Cobb.
And so I fiddled around with them for a melody for about 60 seconds.
Taught them line by line…
And then it happened.
The song.

The 45 things are still waiting for me…
But my kids are now dreaming of me.
Los

Like right now?
Los