The Bedtime Show

Every couple of Monday nights Kelly has ladies Bible study, so the responsibility for getting Kaelyn to bed falls solely on me (Kaelyn tends to like it because I end up letting her stay up a little longer than normal). For a while now, Kelly and I have used bedtime as an opportunity not just to read her books but to tell her Bible stories. For a small child, she has a pretty good grasp on the minutia of the stories, but now she's starting to ask even more specific questions. There seems to be no way to fully quench her thirst to know more. Last night I had the book of Exodus on the brain because I'm getting ready to start preaching it at Echo over the next year. I decided to read her the Moses story, culminating in the Israelites' passage through the Red Sea escaping Pharaoh's army. While this is a classic narrative, there's a lot in there for young children to question. After some back and forth with Kaelyn, I decided I would try something else. I pulled out my iPhone, YouTube'd a clip from The Ten Commandments (a movie I've seen dozens of times that still fascinates me; it was on last Sunday night), and let her watch a five minute segment as the people of Israel traverse the dry ground between two walls of water.

Now I made sure to explain to her that this was not actual footage, lest she think that she can always opt for the video version of the Bible. But after she went to sleep, I was still thinking about how cool technology is. It basically changed the traditional bedtime story into a live action experience. I don't make this observation to downplay the power of books, nor is it my pre-justification to get an iPad. It's just really hitting me that Kaelyn's childhood will be much different than mine. Lately I learned that one of my nephews (age 6) was criticized at school for having poor computer skills. Yep, Lisa Bonet, it's a different world than where I came from.

Kaelyn's growing up in a time of unparalleled access to information. When I was growing up, I practically wore out our family's World Book Encyclopedias. I loved them. Having all that information about anything was amazing. But as my child continues to grow, she'll be able not only to look up that information online but see video of it—all in an instant. Obviously the impact of this tech runs the gamet of sociological implications. But I'm just now starting to wonder: how crazy will the next twenty years be. What will our children look like then? As a minister, what will I have to do to adjust.

In the midst of these questions, I'm still taking the opportunity to cherish the timelessness of the biblical stories. As Kaelyn repeated asked about the "E-gypt-ans," I knew there were many other tales for her to encounter. And they will still be powerful, regardless of the medium.

Get Immersed in Walnut Hills

There's a lot that Cincinnatians don't know about the neighborhood in which we live and minister. If you're one of those who'd like to know more, here's your chance. For the past few weeks I've been working with a local group of young professionals who have selected Walnut Hills as a location for a community immersion event. Give Back Cincinnati is an organization that allows people to connect and serve at the same time. This event is designed to inform people about our neighborhood as well as to help give back in a short service project. Activities will start at the Parkside Cafe on East McMillan, head up to the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, and make its way back to the Parkside. Food is provided. I'm going to be one of the tour leaders of the event, so I thought I'd send out an open invitation to anyone interested. As long as the weather holds, it should be a good day.

The date is next Saturday April 10th from about 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. You need to register if you want to attend. Click here to get more information and register.

What We Watch

I'm kinda in a blogging funk right now. I have a few things on tap that I'd like to write, but nothing I feel like knocking out tonight. In baseball, you sometimes need an infield single to break a slump, so maybe that's what I need. So to get a ball in play, here's the current list of television shows we watch. It might seem like a lot, but we're paying for cable and the DVR optimizes our viewing experience so . . . judge not and stuff.

SUNDAY NIGHT

• Amazing Race— By far, the best reality show going. Although this season is a weak season (one where the competitors are more lovable than competitive) it's still worth the investment. It's our after church tradition.

MONDAY NIGHT

• How I Met Your Mother— Been watching since episode one. Consistent comedy is hard to find these days. Plus, we're their demographic.

TUESDAY NIGHT

• V— I had great memories of the first series back in the 1980's. It's a little slow, but it's kinda a nostalgia thing.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

• Glee— Even though it's not on right now, it's become one of Kelly's favorite shows. Don't let the music fool you: they have some great writers.

THURSDAY NIGHT a.k.a. THE NIGHT OUR DVR BEGS FOR MERCY

• Community— Perhaps my favorite show on television right now. It's taken the baton from The Office. We're constantly rewinding to catch jokes we've missed.
• Parks and Recreation— They were struggling after Season One but had a great comeback. The show has some interesting characters and a good future.
• The Office— It's Old Faithful. They've had a rough season, but I think they can squeeze out one more.
• 30 Rock— If you remember, it was exactly where Parks and Rec was. I had faith in Tina Fey, but the first episodes were rough. It turned the corner making the payoff way worth it.
• FlashForward— The best show that no one is watching. We're hoping that they at least wrap up loose ends before they cancel it.
• America's Best Dance Crew— We are so cool. I'm not sure anyone beside Kelly and I watch this show.
• Taking the Stage— Filmed locally at the SCPA, the storyline is teeny-boppish, but I enjoy looking at the Cincinnati scenes. They make our town look gorgeous.

FRIDAY NIGHT

• The Soup— Reminds me how pathetic the shows that we don't watch are.

SATURDAY NIGHT

• Saturday Night Live— Been watching it since Junior High. I'm not gonna stop now. Loves me some sketch comedy.

And since I'm at it, here are the shows we've dropped:

• Celebrity Apprentice— It's altered the definition of celebrity and has become unwatchable.
• American Idol— Adding Ellen, subtracting Paula, and losing both Simon and any talented performers— A.I., meet the Shark. Care to jump it?
• 24— Just couldn't do it anymore. I might turn in to the last episode.

Feel free to chime in and compliment/criticize our selections.

My Achilles Heel: My Achilles Tendinitis

My running update: Less than six weeks out from the marathon, and my training has been going . . . well, just OK. This year has been much different than last year. My training has been tougher since my flexible time has evaporated. I was hoping to shave some time off my last year's finish, but my pace is still too slow.

The weather was brutal throughout January and February, resulting in my current hatred for the treadmill. The warmer temperatures drew me outside, specifically to Eden Park, where I started a regimen of running up the hill to the Twin Lakes overlook. I was starting to feel good, but my last two long runs were disappointing. The one before last, the weather was gorgeous but my time was lacking. And, at the end of that run, my leg felt a little tight. The tightness continued throughout my last couple of runs. And then came last Saturday's run.

The weather was pathetic. I checked the radar before I left the house and it appeared the rain would let up. Little did I know, it started to move in a swirling pattern and continued through my entire run (also, the temperature dropped eight degrees in a couple hours). About ten miles in, my leg felt really tight. At one point a felt a sharp pain. Thankfully, Kelly had hopped in the car with Kaelyn and tracked me down, granting me a reprieve. But I could tell something in my leg was definitely not right.

After consulting with Susan, a lady in our church who's doing doctoral work in physical therapy at UC, we discovered it was most likely achilles tendinitis. It occurs when the tendon is overworked, especially when doing strenuous hill work. In some cases, it takes months to heal.

I don't have months.

Reluctantly, I knew I'd have to take it easy this week. Of course, with the amazing weather and the time change, this has been the best running week of the year thus far. This and the injury made me mildly depressed. I'm doing my best to heal: stretching, icing, and taking anti-inflammatory meds, but nothing is guaranteed. My leg is feeling much better, so I'll take a little jog this weekend. And, as I continue training, I'll need to steer clear of the hills and do some flat ground running.

I'm not quite sure what's going to happen. There's a distinct possibility that this could be the demise of this year's marathon. I haven't given up hope by any means, but my focus now is merely on completion. But, ultimately, I find it incredibly humbling. I love conquest—adding accomplishments to my portfolio. But the one predictable thing in our world is unpredictability (for proof, tell me how your NCAA brackets look at midnight on Friday). Even though I can train by the book, I couldn't predict what would happen to my body. It reminds me of what James wrote in his epistle, "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."

Who knows what tomorrow holds? Not me. So we'll see what happens.

Tasty

Not that any still uses Delicious, but I actually have an account where I bookmark interesting things I find on the interwebs. It was easy to set up and, with the Firefox pluggin, I can bookmark on the fly. Back when I changed over my WordPress theme to a basic look, I added some special features to the home page at www.houseofcarr.com. There you can not only see my latest posts, but you can see my latest status updates (via Twitter/Facebook) and my Flickr accoount. Since it had a pluggin for Delicious, I signed up for the service. This way, I don't have to write an entire blog post with hyperlinks to interesting articles.

So if you're interested in what I find interesting: first, get a life. Second, you can track my Delicious Bookmarks.

America: Where A Kid Can Be A Kid

I don't know everything there is to know about this health care bill Congress is trying to pass in the next week (of course, many of these congressmen/congresswomen have no idea what's in this bill either). But one thing I was reading this morning reinforced my irritation towards this bill, suggesting that we're cutting corners in a process that will affect our entire country's population. Part of the proposed health care bill is a requirement that dependent children will be allowed to stay on their parent's health care plan until the age of 26. Even though there are already similar laws on the books of some states (Illinois, I believe, allows this) this is not a good idea.

Think about it: we already recognize that delayed adulthood is an issue in our country but this federal law would practically endorse it. I'm not out of touch: I fully understand that these are harsh economic times and many recent college grads are struggling to find employment opportunities, but why do we have to legislate a quick fix that will not solve the issue? Merely looking at language of the law— basically, calling a 26 year-old a child— highlights the ridiculousness of our society. There are psychological effects to this that I'm not convinced our Congress has explored.

Our problem is that we don't know how to deal with twenty-somethings. We will give them all the rights of adulthood (tobacco, alcohol, gambling, sex) and expect little to nothing in return; this, friends, is how we arrive at The Jersey Shore and every VH1 reality show. Allowing a person in the mid-twenties to be classified as a child/dependent will have repercussions throughout our society, causing us to marginalize these young adults as almost grown-up. Instead of expecting less of them, we should demand more. When we treat them like grown-children, we do them (and us) a great disservice. Ultimately, America suffers when we don't let people become adults.

At age twenty-two, I was out of my parents house, employed, married, living in an apartment, and already saving for retirement. I'm not saying this is the best plan for everyone but I knew that, when college was over, it was my time to step up and be a man.

I know this is just one facet of the health care bill, but the lack of attention to detail here demonstrates that Congress should call a do-over; we do need reform, but not this. They can still improve the lives of millions of Americans without demeaning the lives of millions of others.

The Hunt for Reds October

One more quote for today (from here), comparing Cincinnati to St Louis.

Cincinnati and St. Louis are more similar cities than is often noted. A baseball tradition unrivalled by any city other than New York or Boston. An urban sensibility that's both more cosmopolitan and more backwoods that anyone on either side of the extreme is willing to admit. A downtown area that's far lovelier than people realize and vastly underutilized. The impossibility of grabbing a bit to eat past 9:30 p.m. without having to find a casino. A simmering history of racial divisiveness. The color red. The difference is that, baseball-wise, Cincinnati has been dormant as St. Louis has been ascendant; the Reds are long, long overdue. I've spent many, many evenings in Cincinnati, and that town is rabid to care about its Reds again. If they get hot and are close in September, that place will froth into a frenzy. It will carry them.

Even though they lost their first spring training game (note that Arizona Spring Training is killer on pitchers. Zack Greinke had a plus-9.00 ERA in Arizona last year) I'm excited about this season.

The Complexities of the Queen City

This quote from a former Cincinnatian speaks volumes about my hometown:

Sure, there were troubles in Cincinnati, but it also felt more alive in some way. Cincinnati is an edge place. It’s a meeting of red state and blue state, of urban and Appalachia, black culture and white culture, industry and environmentalism.

Everyone should visit Cincinnati.  It’s an important touchstone for understanding the complexity, the challenges, and the hope of America. A perfect place to hone our elemental media, and practice En’owkin, the Okanagan concept that translates as “Please give me the viewpoint most opposite of mine so I can increase my wisdom."

I have to agree with this perspective. There's obviously a distinct beauty to our city, but it's incredibly challenging to build cohesion among our residents because of divergent perspectives. It's yet another reminder for me that doing ministry in our town will continue to be challenging.

HT: City Kin

An Echo Update

I sent the following message to our church this evening. I know some of you outside our congregation might be interested as well. Church,

In early January, Echo was approached by Walnut Hills Christian Church leadership to inform us that they were looking to shut down their congregation by the end of 2010. In order to maintain our current meeting space, our leadership put together a proposal to take ownership of the church building. We met with their church in late January and laid out our options, offering our desire to work with them whatever the outcome.

Earlier this evening I had another meeting with the leadership of WHCC. Their response is to continue to meet as a congregation and maintain possession of the building. They are exploring the possibilities of renting out the space during weekdays and applying for some possible grants to keep funding their ministry.

The question that you're probably asking is, "what does this mean for Echo?"

First, it means that we'll continue to meet at 1438 East McMillan, at least throughout the rest of this year; our leadership has decided that, as long as we can maintain our location, we should do so. The building suits our needs very well and our relationship with WHCC remains positive. Tonight they affirmed this relationship and, as long as we can keep this going, we plan on continuing to meet there.

Second, it means that we will again negotiate with WHCC for a Sunday morning meeting time. We are setting up meetings with their church to have the logistics settled by Memorial Day. This will give us a morning worship launch date of this fall. There is still much to hammer out here, so I urge continued continued patience and prayer.

Finally, understand that this is a very good thing. We are blessed with a low cost meeting space that is beautiful and convenient. Our effectiveness in Walnut Hills and the city continues to grow. We are finding more and more people that buy into our vision of resonating the voice of God throughout the city and to the ends of the earth. And we're able to give more than 15% of our offerings to missionaries throughout the world. Do not be mistaken: God is most definitely good.

So we continue on, serving the Lord and embracing our future. I'm thankful for your commitment to the ministry and I'm looking forward to worshipping with you on Sunday night.

Believe me, Christians: the best is yet to come.

Blessings and love, Steve

Taking Back The City

I feel really good about the church in Cincinnati. During the past few months the overall vibe at Echo Church has changed. There's an energy that's growing and other people are feeling it too.

And maybe some this excitement surrounds some potential changes with our young congregation.

At the beginning of this year, we were informed that the church from which we rent is contemplating closing their doors. Since this building has been the only home that Echo Church has known throughout our existence, this puts us in a predicament. We had a couple of the meetings with the church [our landlord] and submitted a proposal to take over the operation of the building. This would be a significant move that would change the way that Echo does ministry, that would take a considerable financial investment. But as we are committed to the Walnut Hills community and the surrounding neighborhoods, we embrace the opportunity to plant even deeper roots here. If our proposal is rejected, we will be forced to find a new meeting place by this fall.

So something's gonna change.

No matter what happens, our church is up for the challenge. We're doing some great ministry, both locally and globally. We're growing beyond our time of being a "church plant" and becoming an established congregation. And regardless of what becomes of things, a building won't define us.

And it's not just what's happening at Echo that has me feeling good. There are also some great things are happening at churches throughout the city. Just to highlight a few of them:

• Christ the King Church finally launched in January in a nearby neighborhood and looks to be gaining momentum.
• State Avenue Church of Christ and our friends at Hope Inner City are seeing record crowds at their inner-city congregation. And we at Echo are working with H.I.C. to investigate the possibility of planting a hip-hop church on the westside.
• I finally met Josh Lenon and some of his team who are preparing to plant Red Door Church in northern Cincinnati.
• Legend Community Church made it through their first year and continues to reach out to the Oakley area.
• Covenant First Presbyterian Church, one of our city's oldest churches, continues to thrive under the leadership of Russell Smith.
• And there are these churches called Vineyard and Crossroads that are doing some cool things too.
• And I could spend all night listing the dozens of other churches that are doing great things in the Queen City.

To repeat: I'm feeling really good about how the people of God are embracing this city.

The Time's A-Changin'

When we started Echo, and knew that we would be a church that meets at night, we debated the start time. We picked 6:30, thinking that it would give people the opportunity to eat dinner either before or after the service. What we've discovered is that our younger crowd prefers to eat afterward. And if you go out to a restaurant in a group after our church on Sunday, there's a good chance that you're not getting home until 10pm. This is killer for those who have to wake up early Monday morning and get into the office. And it's tough to miss out on after-church-eats because it's become an almost perfect fellowship time.

So our leadership decided on a time change. Starting tomorrow night (February 14th) Echo Church's Sunday gathering will begin at 6:00pm. We've been prepping the church for this move for over a month now, but I wanted to put something up on my personal blog in case some of our well-wishing friends ever wander by.

It's funny because our family will have to readjust our Sunday rhythm; we have been doing it this way for about four-and-a-half years. But I think that, in the long run, it'll be a great thing for our church.

Hope to see you there.

Over the River and Through the Woods

We drove down to Lexington this afternoon for the grand celebration of my daughter's birth. I've made the drive from Cincinnati to Lexington dozens of times over the past thirteen years, but still consider it a pleasant one. Slightly rolling hills plus tree-lined pastures make for a scenic drive. Still, a ninety mile trek can get monotonous. It's almost right at the border of being both too short and too long. I mean, at sixty miles, it's a trip that lasts less than a hour- a glorified commute. At two-hundred miles, you know it's a longer haul, so you can even schedule stops. So ninety is more of an annoyance. And it was even worse when we live on the northern side of town, which left us another twenty miles from the Ohio River.

But the state of Kentucky must love me, because they've made two changes to Interstate 75 that has made it a better trip. First, in the past couple of years, they upped the speed limit to 70MPH; yes, that extra five makes a huge difference. And second, they've added a third lane all the way through between the two cities. Gradually, over the past ten years, they've worked on getting that extra lane in there. And now that it's there, it's fantastic. The trip is that much better now, despite the fact that the outlet mall in Dry Ridge is now a shanty town.

So thanks Kentucky, not just for a speedier trip, but also for switching things up. It's like a brand new journey now.

Just Keep Swimming

You know you're tired. You know tomorrow will be more of the same. Of course, it would be easier to give up. But you shouldn't.

No, seriously. Stick with it.

If you give up, you'll miss out. Nothing in life comes easy.

The version of Romans 3:4 in the New Living Translation encourages us that, "endurance develops strength of character."

Own the day. Rule the month.

Spring is just around the corner. The season's about to change.

Don't give up.

The Latest at the House

The layers of snow have sapped much of my creativity. Ironic, eh? I finally have a little downtime to write yet I have no spectacular topic to offer. My deepest apologies, but I doubt anyone but me cares. But just so I can remember what's been going on in my life, some bullet points:

• Even with the late season snow, I've done well getting through the winter. I'm marathon training again (well, not in the snow) and I think getting back into shape has helped with my attitude. Still, I can't wait for a little Spring action.
• Church has been very good lately. I feel like we're hitting on most of our cylinders. I'll probably have more to say about this in the next day or so, suffice to say, I love our church.
• Sermon prep has been going good as well. We're wrapping the books of 1&2 Thessalonians. I've been preaching out of the New Testament for all but two months since the summer of 2008. This was by design, because starting on Easter we'll begin the book of Exodus. It'll take about a year for us to get through it, and I'm giddy about it. I love the Old Testament and thoroughly enjoy presenting its relevancy to our modern lives.
• Speaking of the O.T., I'm taking a seminary class on the book of Genesis. I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Dr. Mark Ziese is a professor I avoided as an undergrad because of the amount of work he assigns. I guess this is my penance.
• We were in Lexington last weekend to watch the Wildcats play at Rupp Arena. They have a very good team this year. As for my Bearcats, I have serious doubts about Coach Cronin. It makes me sad: I really like the guy, but his teams have never gelled and they lose as the end of the season. Since the re-upped his contract last year, I think he'll keep his job at least one more season.
• Less than two weeks until pitchers and catchers report. Am I a homer because I like this Reds team's chances?
• The Winter Olympics are coming this weekend. My wife has Vancouver issues (that's a story she can share) and I'm not as into them as the Summer games. I will, however, try to DVR curling. I love that stuff.
• No "24" or "American Idol" this spring. All I have to do is scan Facebook and I get the gist.
• Speaking of Facebook, I actually like the new look, but it seems like the news feed refreshes less frequently. Anyway . . .
• We watch too much HGTV. And I like it. Maybe I should start chewing tobacco.

Will we get back-to-back snow days? I doubt it, but I wouldn't turn it down.

iMSMARTENOUGHTOWAIT

I was one of the disappointed after yesterday's Apple presentation. As one who owns many a Steve Jobs product, I've come to expect a lot from the company. Personally, my disappointment stemmed from no announced upgrade in the MacBook Pro line (I'm in need of a new laptop) But that's not the point of this little rambling. Many of the disgruntled are angry the the new iPad isn't much more than a larger iPhone. It's a stripped down piece of equipment with little memory that's, basically, sealed off from additions. Techies were incredulous that there was no camera on the tablet, which would make online conference calls even cooler.

But if you've read about the iPad, everyone knows why the thing came with few bells and whistles: Apple will add them on in future releases. Sure, they have the technology to add them now but, as with most Apple products, they will become even better at a more affordable price in the near future. I'm willing to bet that by this Christmas, the iPad will have a camera, much more memory, and an attractional price.

This fact should cause the consumer to wonder: why did Apple even put this thing out if it's incomplete?

And the answer: early adopters.

These are the loyal Mac-geeks who will buy anything that "the Jobs" produces. They've probably already ordered their iPad and, on the day it hits their front door, they'll hurry over to Starbucks so someone will see them using it. Since Apple knows fan boys will buy this coolest new toy, why bother outfitting it fully? Ironically, it'll be these same people who will whine when the new version is released (with better accessories and at a better price), moaning that Apple is punishing them when they were committed to the technology from the get go.

They're not punishing them deliberately. They just know that earlier adopters are masochistic.

I'm not sure I have much use for an iPad (at least as is anyway). That's not to say that I'll never own one, but I'd never buy any new Apple toy until the second or third generation.

So feel free to hang on there. Save your money. It's bound to get better.

Politics As Usual

In what some have commented is the greatest political upset of this generation, Republican Scott Brown tonight laid claim to the U.S. Senate seat occupied fir decades by the late-Ted Kennedy. I could not help but remember something I wrote the night of Barack Obama's election to the Presidency. Here I gave some counsel to both political parties:

For those Republican supporters: Don’t fret. While the internet and certain television networks [well, all of them] are saying that this is the end of the G.O.P., realize that this is part of the ebb and flow of the American electorate. The Democrats seem to forget that they most recently experienced this feeling in the late 1990’s. But it is again the Democrats’ time and now the Republican Party will be in a position to freely to criticize big government, its most comfortable posture.

For those Democratic supporters: Good luck. Hope is a most beautiful thing because it’s directed towards something that very well could be. The problem is that unrealized hope is a venomous creature. With full control of two branches of government, nothing should be impossible for the Dems to accomplish. Unless the next few years are fruitful, matching the high levels of hope that now exist, things will revert back to the G.O.P. in eight years.

That's about right.

Looking back on this post, the big thing I might end up missing on was my prediction that Obama would be a two-term president. I have my doubts now. He's a better campaigner than governor, so maybe he'll still hold on to the White House. It'll ultimately depend on who the G.O.P. runs against him.

The lesson for all is to understand that the reality of politics is found in the word's etymology:

"Poly" = many, "Tics" = blood sucking insects

Everybody's Going Off The Deep End

Kelly has told me that I always function better when I'm busy. I'm not sure I believed her, but I looked back at this past week and began to believe it. Just this past week, my slew of activities looks almost impressive: I worked full-time at Cincinnati Christian— recruiting students and preparing an ad campaign, I parented my child, I conducted multiple counseling sessions, I did some repair work on the church building, I spent time with my wife, I trained for a marathon, I went to a preschool open house, I prepared my sermon, I participated in a community council meeting (of which I'm a board member), I participated in numerous meetings (both online and real-life), and I found time to read a book.

And starting this week, I'm taking another seminary class.

And starting next week, I'll be teaching a college course.

And I'm functioning quite well, thank you.

There's a reason why I'm sharing this list, and a vocational one like that: there's a tendency among ministers to keep each other accountable for overworking. True, many ministers have ignored their families for the sake of church work; these people need to understand that God's calling to their family is their greatest responsibility. A larger problem, I'd suggest, is that many of us ministers are lazy.

There, I said it.

A recent survey revealed that clergy are the people most satisfied with their jobs. Many will suggest that this is because they get paid to help people. I would counter that perhaps because it's a sweet gig. While there is some hard work involved with this job, it's no more than any other vocation. Because so few people understand what we actually do, it's difficult to relate to this job stress. My opinion: it could be way worse.

Look, work is work. It's the curse of Eden. But many of us (not just ministers, mind you) loathe it to the extent that we don't see that value in it. While our work doesn't need to define us, it can forge and refine us into stronger people.

I witnessed this firsthand throughout my life. I was reared by a father who was a blue-collar worker who grew up in poverty and by a mother who was an impoverished farmer's daughter. I witnessed first hand their hard work: waking up before dawn, moving from the start of the day until the end of the night, even weekends were devoted to work. They served without ceasing. My parents found pleasure and accomplishment in working hard. My generation is content to outsource.

Sidebar: I wonder how our country will survive when my generation is finally in charge of this thing. Will it be odd when the President of the United States is a gamer?

Now that I'm at the end of this, I'm not quite sure there's a point to my Sunday night rambling. Perhaps it's as simple as this: as you face yet another work week that was the potential for sucktitude, embrace it. Give it your all. Find something redeemable about it. The apostle Paul suggested, "whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Giving To Haiti

Whenever a disaster strikes, especially one from which we're geographically separated, we're usually suspended in a state of helplessness concerning what to do. Since many of you might be looking for a legitimate place where you can send donations, I want to offer up an established organization that you can trust. I.D.E.S. harbors partnerships with missions throughout the world, so when times of calamity occur, they can immediately divert resources to the region. I.D.E.S. has numerous partnerships in Haiti and is already coordinating efforts with local agencies. And the most reassuring part is this: while some organizations shave donations for administrative costs, 100% of your contribution will go directly to Haiti.

So if you're looking for a place to send funds, I'd recommend visiting the I.D.E.S. website.

I Still Believe

I really like maps, and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because they help me realize exactly where things are. Since we started Echo, we take one worship service early in the year to reflect on the past year and look forward at what lies ahead. I'll call it my "mapping" sermon. It's always one of my favorite messages because 1) it doesn't take nearly as much research as a regular sermon; I just make an outline and share what's on my heart and 2) it's a reminder to me where God has brought us.

Tonight was the night of that service. And I enjoyed myself profusely.

I continually forget how amazing these past five years have been for us. In the spring of 2005, the plan for a new church in urban Cincinnati started to take root in our lives. Quitting my job, selling our house, moving downtown were all part of the plan and now I'm finally willing to admit that those were some of the most frightening things I've ever had to do. If I'm really being honest, I didn't want to take those risks. But looking at life on the other side, and I can assert that those were the best days of my young life.

It's all because I had no idea. I didn't know what would be. But I believed.

You see, there's belief, and then there's unadulterated, burning your bridges, downright stupid belief; it's the kind of thing that makes no sense on paper, and even less sense in real life. Although I like to think that I'm a visionary, I had no idea how this thing would look. In fact, the only thing I knew is that it had the potential for becoming a life-defining failure. But even though we really haven't "made-it" even yet, just looking in the past makes me optimistic about the future. God was there yesterday. He'll be there tomorrow. That's my happy place.

And here's the truly inspiring part: tonight, as I was being encouraged while recalling from whence we came, I was surrounded by people who were owning it too. They weren't there with me when I was in seminary, as the DNA of our church was being formed. Neither where they there during a dinner when Kelly shed tears acknowledging that we needed to plant this church. Nor were they present as Aaron Burgess, I, and our wives prayed in a suburban shopping mall for what Echo would mean to our city. But even though they weren't there, they've bought into it; it's all their history too. They've taken possession of this past and will undoubtedly shape Echo's future.

So tonight, I'm thankful for belief; for faith, for patience, for the journey.

Speaking of journey, tonight, as Kaelyn headed off to bed, she sang some lyrics from her father's childhood.

"Don't stop believin' . . . " the three year old belted out.

And her daddy smiled, because he hadn't.

My Unforgetable Aughties

It's been an interesting ten years. We lived in four different dwellings. We lost loved ones. We expanded our family. And after starting the decade employed by Cincinnati Christian University, I end it working there as well . . . with a couple of stops in between.

As we close the door on this decade, we're still not sure what to call it. I'm thinking that people will just reflect back on this decade by referencing groups of years (for example, "sometime back between 2005 and 2007 . . ."). So if we don't know what to call it, how will we remember it?

I've read a few decade-ending retrospectives calling this "the forgotten decade," but, as for me, there was plenty to remember about it. So for my last post of the year, I offer to you, the top ten unforgettable moments from my life past ten years.

10. Buying our first home (September, 2002). I distinctly remember the moment I knew we were going to purchase our place in Deerfield Township: I felt almost ill. The responsibility seemed overwhelming. And God blessed us on the back end, helping us sell it on our own in just three days. We miss that home, but love our current urban abode.

9. The starting of this blog (November 23, 2004). I know, this seems a little vain, but blogging has been a significant part of my decade. I've built relationships with people through this thing. And considering that I've kept it going over five years now as other blogs lay dead along the roadside, I'm thinking this thing will last even longer than I imagined.

8. My academic pursuits (2000-2009). I can't nail down a date for this one, but it was a good decade for adding letters after my name. I never thought I'd be an eternal student, but what I've learned through this schooling will continue to impact my life and ministry throughout future decades. In keeping with this theme . . .

7. My collegiate teaching experience (July 7, 2008). Again, I'm not sure I ever imagined that I'd be an adjunct professor, but I absolutely love it. Well, actually, I love everything but grading papers. I feel almost at home in the classroom. I look forward to the opportunity to teach more in the years to come.

6. My first marathon (May 3, 2009). I use the word "first" because I'm planning on running it again; this is ironic as I swore at mile 26 that I'd never do this again. But the sheer sense of accomplishment I felt after crossing the finish line is something I'll never forget and it's what's motivating me to do it again.

5. My hepatitis (February 2006). Look, it was absolutely horrible. I wouldn't wish it on anyone else. But those two weeks (just after the birth of my daughter) hit me harder than any sickness I've ever had. I wasn't fully recovered for four months. I didn't like it, but I won't forget it.

4. My mission trip to Venezuela (February 2004). I had never really been on mission trip before and yet I was leading this one. Fortunately, my high school Spanish classes were still memorable and I was able to communicate with some of the locals. Caracas was a beautiful city and I hope to make it back there one day.

3. Our vacation to Jordan/Israel/Paris (February-March 2005). This was the trip of a lifetime. Two-and-a-half weeks where all we had to do was soak in the big wide world. It was non-stop memories, with some serendipitous moments thrown in for fun. Israel almost felt like home. We're definitely hoping to make it back there in the decade to come.

2. The founding of Echo Church (October 16, 2005). I really believe that this is the journey that will define my life. It's been a non-stop lesson in faith, patience and perseverance. But the past four years has been an immeasurable blessing. I'm excited to see what the future holds as Echo emerges from infancy towards adolescence.

1. The birth of my daughter (February 12, 2006). I remember it was after a few weeks of hospital waiting; I never took to sleeping in that hospital lounger. I remember snapping a picture with the clock just after 10pm. I remember seeing the doctor holding a gangly leg. And I still remember the wonder that lingers with me still today. Even when she drives me crazy, she makes me smile. Hands down, Kaelyn's the best thing to happen to me this decade.