Stop comparing grass colors

Stop looking at other yards!!!

If yours needs weeding, then take care of it!

If yours needs mowing, then take care of it!

If yours needs watering, then take care of it! 

But the energy you spend comparing grass colors is a waste. There's as many weeds and dog piles and beetles in the other place as where you're standing now. You just can't see them from afar. 

Your marriage. Your friendships. Your church. 

Stop comparing yards! Take ownership of where you're at and make it amazing!

Take off your socks and shoes and squish your toes in the grass under your feet.

Stop checking out the neighbor's yard and dance where you're at.

A needed reminder for when life is turbulent

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, 

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam, 

though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah 

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, 

the holy habitation of the Most High. 

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; 

God will help her when morning dawns. 

The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; 

he utters his voice, the earth melts. 

The LORD of hosts is with us; 

the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 

Come, behold the works of the LORD, 

how he has brought desolations on the earth. 

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; 

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; 

he burns the chariots with fire. 

“Be still, and know that I am God. 

I will be exalted among the nations, 

I will be exalted in the earth!” 

The LORD of hosts is with us; 

the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Psalm 46

I woke up needing to read that this morning.

Maybe you did too.

He is strong. He is present.

Be still.

Don't quit too soon

Seth Godin wrote the following on his blog today.

"I don't even know what I'm afraid of"

This is the fear that kills brands and b2b sales and individual creativity. It's the fear without a name, without a face, without false facts that can be shot down or arguments that can be reasoned with.

This is the amygdala firing, the lizard brain being triggered without rational explanation.

When we are wrestling against the elusive and resilient fear with no name, often the only choice is to live with it, to care enough about forward motion and practical progress that we can come embrace the inner trembling that won't give up.

In market after market paralyzed with fear, this trembling might be the very best sign that you're on to something.

He is speaking about business, but the truth flows into faith and relationships as well.

Life gets shaky at time. Life can bring a ton of uncertainty. Life can be downright scarey. Throw in a side of loneliness or hurt or letdown and things can move from uncertainty to overwhelming in the blink of an eye. 

Living in the red white and blue doesn't like this. We don't like uncertainty nor imbalance and certainly hate the feeling that we have no control. So whenever we find ourselves wrestling with the "elusive and resilient fear with no name" we would rather step away than step up. We'd rather go after balance and wholeness somewhere else than risk facing the unknown outcome of where we are.

So where does faith come in then?

Maybe that shaky, uncertain, scary, lonely, confusing, fearful spot is the most amazing, holy, beautiful, incredibly spot you could be in. 

Maybe you look around with, "God, why do you have me in this impossible situation? 

And maybe God looks around with, "Why not? It's perfect! You get to trust me and I get to show off!"

Easy doesn't produce faith. 

Easy doesn't produce anything.

Imagine what you're on the verge of!

Whether marriage, family, friendship, or church: Avoid backwards. Move forward. Don't give up. Keep on.

Don't quit too soon.

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 10:39-11:1

If it didn't...

If it didn't take hard work it wouldn't be worth building

If it didn't stretch you it would be a complete waste of energy

If it didn't make you feel like giving up at times it wouldn't be worth persevering for

If it didn't feel difficult it wouldn't be worth it

 

Ignore easy.

Keep going.

The pain of miscarriage and the goodness of God

Devastating. 

When talking of miscarriage, I'm not sure if there is a better word that can be used to describe what you're going through. Every person I've ever met who has gone through the experience uses this word when telling their story. 

Good.

When talking of God, this is one of many words we can use when describing Him.  Goodness is part of His defining character. It's who He is...all the time.

How these two words can come together in one story is hard to fathom. Yet, I'm incredibly thankful for my friends Tiffany & Daniel Schaaff. Last week Tiffany shared their story on her blog and beautifully brought these two words together. 

I'd really encourage you to take a minute and read her entry: God is Good...So Good!

Is it possible to stay married for 63 years?

Today my grandparents answer the question with resounding YES!!! 

And not just married for 63 years, but in love for 63 years. 

These are two of the most dear people in the world to me, and I would not be the man I am today if not for them. My thankfulness for their impact on my life is eternal. Our family is more indebted to their steadfast and faithful legacy then we ever will probably realize.

Love you so much Nana and Papa! 

Happy 63rd anniversary!!!

Pray Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani doesn't get executed!

Literally just heard of this within the last 15 minutes. 

And in light of the situation, the reality of the above sentence is in and of itself a complete travesty!!!

Here is the situation, copying from the Washington Post:  

Just days after Iran released two Americans accused of spying, an Iranian court has upheld the apostasy conviction and execution sentence of Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. The 11th branch of Iran’s Gilan Provincial Court has determined that Nadarkhani has Islamic ancestry and therefore must recant his faith in Jesus Christ. Iran’s supreme court had previously ruled that the trial court must determine if Youcef had been a Muslim before converting to Christianity. However, the judges, acting like terrorists with a hostage, demanded that he recant his faith in Christ before even taking evidence. The judges stated that even though the judgment they have made is against the current Iranian and international laws, they have to uphold the previous decision of the 27th Branch of the Supreme Court in Qom. 

Here's the the link to the full article: Christian Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani faces potential execution.

Stunned about this. Heartbroken for Pastor Nadarkhani, for his wife and children. Praying fervently for him right now. 

Taking this from another blog I read about the situation, it sums up actions steps that can and should be taken:

• EDUCATE. Read the story below from the Washington Post and educate yourselves. [here for RSS readers]
• ADVOCATE. Click this email form to write the Iranian embassy, urging them NOT to go ahead with the execution following the trial. I’ve included a copy of my letter in the comments.
• PRAY. Pray. And pray some more.
• SHARE. Share Pastor Yousef’s story and faith. 

I wrote a note to the Iranian Ambassador. If you do so, please be respectful and follow the suggestions given on the site. If you're not going to act in such a manner, then don't write an email.

And pray...pray...pray for Pastor Yousef Madarkhani.

Exciting new part of the Moss fam's journey

In the last couple "Week In Review" posts I've mentioned that big news was coming in regards to what's going on with our family. Well, here is:

No, we are NOT expecting another child. =)

This past Sunday at New Life's Lincoln Park campus, Pastor Mark announced that I would be stepping in to take over for him as Teaching Pastor.  Jeannette & I will be joining with Rick & Sylvia Allen to lead the location and bring the gospel to the Lincoln Park area. My primary responsibilities will include teaching/preaching on Sundays, but also to provide leadership in various areas of the church and to help build up the community.

We've been attending NLLP pretty consistently since February. To say it's an understatement that we are excited about this would be an incredible understatement. The people at LP are AMAZING! There are such great people serving and making things happen, and we are humbled and grateful to be able to join in with them.  

Yes, I'll still be working at Logos and teaching at Moody, to answer the expected questions. Logos is my primary job and I love it, being able to travel the country helping people get equipped for Bible study. I'm fortunate to be able to do both. Going into next semester I'm rearranging my teaching schedule at Moody to only be teaching one day (Mondays), so we're going to see how that goes. 

Because of a couple previous commitments in the church and other things, the official transition/start isn't until around Thanksgiving. Between now and then though I'll be teaching most evenings during the 5pm service and also a couple times in the 10am service. 

We are excited, pumped, freaked out, little nervous, but are so ready and anticipating great things to come!!! Without listing all the names here, there are so many people who have carried us through to this point in the journey. "Thank you" seems inadequate, adding "we love you" still not enough. But I feel both very deeply.

Thankful for yesterday, in awe of today, dreaming about the future.

Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

Give yourself permission today

We are not machines. You were not meant to work 24/7.

God doesn't want you to be like that.

So give yourself permission today to take a break.

Go for a walk

Watch a movie

Play Monopoly

Start a novel

Take a nap

Watch the Bears

Eat ice cream

Play dolls with your daughter

Wrestle with your son

Lock the kids out of the bedroom

Make dinner from a receipe

Sit in a coffeeshop

Visit Lincoln Park Zoo

Get out of the city, go to a forest preserve 

Play Xbox

Go apple picking

Go pumpkin picking

Read your Bible - Try Psalm 139 

Color or paint

Knit

Window shop

Visit Navy Pier

Go on a boat ride

Play guitar

Take another nap

Do something...other...than...work!

Read this or this for some other insights.

You need to take a break. Give yourself permission to do it.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.  Exodus 20:8-11

White Ribbon Day: Remembering 9/11 [VIDEO]

The day after the attacks, my friend Dave Trout came to me with 8-10 hours of 9/11 news footage recorded on one VHS and an idea for a video. The plan was to create for church a montage video, set to the song, White Ribbon Day. After two all nighters, about two hours before services started, the memorial video was finished. 

Here it is:

Mighty Mouse

The conference I was at this past weekend showed the below video.  Apparently it has been out for awhile, but it was the first time I'd seen it.  So funny...



In the words of the great Winston Churchill...

You cannot tell from appearances how things will go. Sometimes imagination makes things out far worse than they are; yet without imagination not much can be done. Those people who are imaginative see many more dangers than perhaps exist; certainly many more than will happen; but then they must also pray to be given that extra courage to carry this far-reaching imagination. But for everyone, surely, what we have gone through in this period - I am addressing myself to the School - surely from this period of ten months this is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.