1-13-10
Well, you must know that I am a Chicago Bears fan – it comes from weeks and months of brainwashing from “The Super Bowl Shuffle” when I was a kid I think. Now please don’t hold this against me, especially this weekend if you happen to be a Seahawks fan. So, on Sunday when the game is on, I will batten down the hatches, turn off all relational attachments but those corporately engaged in frolicking in the joys of football and zone out in happy land (or sad/angry land if the bears get whipped), and maybe become so unruly that I bear only a slim resemblance to my usual self. Now, I may close myself off, but not from fellow bears fans! We relish the time spent together, cheering for our team, even in criticizing the coach’s choices or the players’ performance. And, at the game itself, set in the freezing cold of Soldier Field in January, there will be a community of warmth basking in aggression and excitement, in passion and togetherness, in unity.
It’s interesting, but you know what’s even more interesting? This will be happening at Playoff games around the country this weekend. It will be happening at hockey games and NBA games, and college basketball games and high school games and junior high games and even 4th grade basketball games (I know because my son is on the 4th grade basketball team at his school). Truth? We love sports. We love all of it. We are addicted to it! Men and women, boys and girls…you will rarely see people more excited and animated, angry and passionate, than at any sporting event.
But have you ever looked at it a little deeper and considered what it is about sports that is so wonderful to us? Well, let me give you my opinion and you can tell me what you think.
We love the community of sports, the togetherness, the unity, the common purpose. It taps into something that runs very deeply within all of us. You see, we were hard wired to have relationships, to work together, to enjoy the commonness of mankind. We are just better when we are working together with other people – it feels safe and right and peaceful. We love being united for or against something.
Why is it that the college in my hometown has no problem getting people to give millions of dollars, even in an “economic slowdown”, to new projects, buildings, new developments, while at the same time struggling to keep up with the maintenance on the facilities that they have?
Why is it that it is easy to get people to give money to stop AIDS (project RED) or to stop human trafficking, if they will be joining together with others, but to have them give money to their County Health Department to administer meds to TB infected people immigrating from Vietnam is something that just does not happen?
Why is it that marriages so often are great when they are out attacking the world together, in their early days, but when the years pass, they are sucked into the everydayness of life and they lose the passion and wonder for life? For each other?
But, why have sports become so big? Can’t we have the commonality of purpose, the unity, the wonder in togetherness in some more productive area of our everyday existence? Well, look around. Do you see people who have lots of time, energy, passion, excitement to apply to unity and commonality of purpose in something in their everyday lives? I don’t. You see, the drive to productivity of our society naturally pulls us away from any depth, any commonality, anything other than getting done the next thing that needs to be done. We trudge on minute after minute, hour after hour, day after day – each looking the same as the previous thousand, all bent on, as the recent Monday Night football commercial states, Getting to Monday night. We miss out on the purpose and wonder of life and this longing we have to something more. We want to have this kind of unity. We want to have relationships – we are made for it, but our world does not seem to allow it, at least not without purposefully bucking the system, realizing the futility of our world and our system and intentionally going a different way from the rest of society.
So, what does this ask of us? First, recognize that you are made to love sports – ok, not sports – but relationships and unity of purpose – doing something productive together. You were made to love and be loved…and sports is just a taste – it gets so much better as the depth increases and the purpose develops and extends! You, see, God loves. He loves relationships and purpose and involvement and depth – He hates superficial and meaningless – He hates producing just to store stuff away and to get more and more and more! He loves people loving! This is why sports feel so right! We were made to feel this way! So, the next time you are cheering for your favorite team, with your buds around you, or the other parents around you – you might just smile, notice the wonder and awe with which you were made – enjoy the way God made you! Thank Him for the fact that He loves so much, He does not abandon us to the mediocrity of our society! He wants wonder and awe and passion and purpose for our everyday lives. Invite Him into the moment with you – savor depth for a minute. Second, begin to look for chances to buck the system. How can you begin to let go of the superficiality of our produce more, get more, society, that so pulls us away from the unity and meaning and wonder that we were made for? Begin asking the God who made you the way you are to show you what your life could look like if it were to embrace the passion of sports in everyday life. Now, be careful with passion – passion is not momentary excitement – it is not a license to abandon commitments and the loves currently in your lives – instead, it is an invitation to see all of the commitments and loves with different eyes – to see them with God’s eyes – to open them up with all the wonder of your first Cub game!!!
This, by the way, is what More than more is all about. We are all trying to live our lives this way. We are trying to figure out what God’s way can look like, for real, in the world we live in, but the way we were made – not strumming harps and flying around like angels - but fist pumping, chant cheering, dancing and bash brother embracing, passion! We hope you will join us – we will be getting together to hang out again on January 27th, 6:45-8:00PM, at McAllister Recreation Center, just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette. Go Bears!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
After Christmas - a lull?
Hi everyone. Do you ever wish that you could just hang out with some people who cared about you not because of what you could produce for them, what you could give to them, what you look like, what money you have, or anything other than that you exist and are wonderful simply because you were made? Do you ever wish that you could hang out with some people who actually tell you the truth – like friends are supposed to do?
The truth is that the lull we sometimes feel after Christmas is because we have realized that we cannot buy enough gifts to make people love us – we cannot purchase our way to love. We will never have enough of us to make everyone happy. No amount of earning or spending will make give us meaning! A society of superficial relationships seems to be starving us for real. We are looking for something with substance, something true and real and purposeful. It turns out that people can be loving, caring for others, noticing the amazing things in life and allowing those to really dominate their lives – this is the only way to live - and this is what we are shooting for at More than more.
We accept all who join us, with open arms, and we would love to have you join us – this Thursday night, 6:45-8:00PM at McAllister Recreation Center – just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette. Hope to see you there.
The truth is that the lull we sometimes feel after Christmas is because we have realized that we cannot buy enough gifts to make people love us – we cannot purchase our way to love. We will never have enough of us to make everyone happy. No amount of earning or spending will make give us meaning! A society of superficial relationships seems to be starving us for real. We are looking for something with substance, something true and real and purposeful. It turns out that people can be loving, caring for others, noticing the amazing things in life and allowing those to really dominate their lives – this is the only way to live - and this is what we are shooting for at More than more.
We accept all who join us, with open arms, and we would love to have you join us – this Thursday night, 6:45-8:00PM at McAllister Recreation Center – just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette. Hope to see you there.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
The world...in color
Hi everyone! It has been a crazy couple weeks huh? This time of year is filled with franticness, running to and fro, with more appointments than time to complete them all! Sometimes it feels as if the real wonder and joy of all of it is lost in the to and fro.
So, into thw midst of all this, here's something to think about. Take a few seconds and clear your mind of all the clutter - sit down someplace quiet and give me 2minutes. Now, find something that is a color. I don't care what color it is, but preferably one color.
Now, just settle your mind down and look at the color. Allow your mind to wander about that particular color. What does it remind you of? What memories does it conjure in your head? What experiences do you recall? Maybe brown reminds you of the woods and hunting with your father. Maybe red reminds you of your first bike and the ride (and spills) you took on it. Maybe yellow reminds you of your grandmother's lemon poppyseed bread. It may not be all good - maybe black reminds you of a funeral or white of a wedding day full of promises that were never kept. Whatever it is, for a minute let the memory swallow you up a little. I can almost smell fresh baked bread, can almost feel the dampness of the woods in my lungs, can almost see the smiles of my little ones when they learned to ride their bikes...what do you see? What do you hear? What memories run wild in your mind?
Now, let them run their course and then let's come back to 12-28-10. Consider this: All i asked you to do was think about a color and your mind was transported to vivid memories, thoughts, dreams, smells, feelings, emotions, passions. If you really let things run, you might have even had a heightened sense of your senses as you could almost BE where you were in the middle of what you were remembering. Now, consider this: Your brain did that automatically (ok, I prompted it to some degree, but the direction and memories are yours). It took a color and created an amazing scene.
Do you ever stop and notice color and what is does to you? Do you ever stop and consider that the process of going from the sight of the color to being enveloped in a memory is natural and amazing? You see, some people would argue that the development of all the complexities of humanity is an accident - some cosmic mistake made us here! When we consider color and all that it brings about - the remarkable passion inside us, is there any question that we are wonderfully made? And if we are made, there must be a maker. A maker who gives us all these wonderfully complex bodies and minds!
Now, i would like to suggest to you that you notice. That every once in a while you notice color, let you mind wander to what it conjures in your head and then be thankful for how amazing you are. Have a little chat with the God who made you that way. Allow yourself to escape the everyday rat race of American life and invite the One who made you into the moments of your life. This, my friends, is the beginning of freedom; freedom from being always driven to get more, become more, achieve more, be more, always driving, always pushing, always more, more, more. This will destroy us all. Instead, to focus on the wonder and the things in life that really matter - that is a better way; and to invite the One who made the wonder - that is even better!
I hope this encourages you to find More in your life!
If you are intrigued by this way of going about life and would like to hang with some people who are trying to live their lives this way, we would love for you to join us - all are welcome!
We will be hanging out at McAllister Reacreation Center, just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette, from 6:45-8:00PM, this Thursday night.
There will, as always, be free and excellent child care for you kids.
Hope to see you there!
So, into thw midst of all this, here's something to think about. Take a few seconds and clear your mind of all the clutter - sit down someplace quiet and give me 2minutes. Now, find something that is a color. I don't care what color it is, but preferably one color.
Now, just settle your mind down and look at the color. Allow your mind to wander about that particular color. What does it remind you of? What memories does it conjure in your head? What experiences do you recall? Maybe brown reminds you of the woods and hunting with your father. Maybe red reminds you of your first bike and the ride (and spills) you took on it. Maybe yellow reminds you of your grandmother's lemon poppyseed bread. It may not be all good - maybe black reminds you of a funeral or white of a wedding day full of promises that were never kept. Whatever it is, for a minute let the memory swallow you up a little. I can almost smell fresh baked bread, can almost feel the dampness of the woods in my lungs, can almost see the smiles of my little ones when they learned to ride their bikes...what do you see? What do you hear? What memories run wild in your mind?
Now, let them run their course and then let's come back to 12-28-10. Consider this: All i asked you to do was think about a color and your mind was transported to vivid memories, thoughts, dreams, smells, feelings, emotions, passions. If you really let things run, you might have even had a heightened sense of your senses as you could almost BE where you were in the middle of what you were remembering. Now, consider this: Your brain did that automatically (ok, I prompted it to some degree, but the direction and memories are yours). It took a color and created an amazing scene.
Do you ever stop and notice color and what is does to you? Do you ever stop and consider that the process of going from the sight of the color to being enveloped in a memory is natural and amazing? You see, some people would argue that the development of all the complexities of humanity is an accident - some cosmic mistake made us here! When we consider color and all that it brings about - the remarkable passion inside us, is there any question that we are wonderfully made? And if we are made, there must be a maker. A maker who gives us all these wonderfully complex bodies and minds!
Now, i would like to suggest to you that you notice. That every once in a while you notice color, let you mind wander to what it conjures in your head and then be thankful for how amazing you are. Have a little chat with the God who made you that way. Allow yourself to escape the everyday rat race of American life and invite the One who made you into the moments of your life. This, my friends, is the beginning of freedom; freedom from being always driven to get more, become more, achieve more, be more, always driving, always pushing, always more, more, more. This will destroy us all. Instead, to focus on the wonder and the things in life that really matter - that is a better way; and to invite the One who made the wonder - that is even better!
I hope this encourages you to find More in your life!
If you are intrigued by this way of going about life and would like to hang with some people who are trying to live their lives this way, we would love for you to join us - all are welcome!
We will be hanging out at McAllister Reacreation Center, just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette, from 6:45-8:00PM, this Thursday night.
There will, as always, be free and excellent child care for you kids.
Hope to see you there!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Wonder in a 12 year old
Hey - ever get so caught up in the craziness of everyday life that you seem to forget what it's all about? Ever feel like your schedule owns you and not the other way around? Ever get to the end of the day and feel like you may have totally missed the point of life?
Well, here's a perspective moment:
My daughter, Emily, just had her 12th birthday. Now, as I am being hurled headlong into a world of "cycles" and giggling about boys, a world of dresses and makeup and hairdo's, I am overwhelmed and amazed. You see, on that crazy day - her birthday - which saw 8 - 11 and 12 year old girls spending the night at my house - I stopped for a second, several times actually, and really SAW Emily. There she was, laughing, giggling, running, smiling. She was filled with passion and joy, excitement and awe. She oozes life! She is lovely and amazing. In her i see the true meaning of life - there is something about her life that goes way beyond the everyday grind of get more, become more of the american way.
You see, i remember when Emily was born, she was small and delicate and tiny - she was helpless and she spit up so much that everything in our entire house smelled sour, and yet we didn't care. When she smiled, her whole body seemd to smile - she was amazing - our little blessing.
So, when she was born she was amazing, and when she is 12 she is amazing - all i had to do was stop...and...SEE. I had to notice.
How much of our lives do we miss because we fly right by the truly amazing things that are right in front of us? How much time do we spend on insignificant things when amazing things are there, under our noses.
You see the really amazing thing about Emily is how she is both the same person, the newborn...and the 12year old...both...and together. You see all the people around us, all these kids, they all grow this way - they are all babies, gifts from God and then they grow and develop and they have all that wonder inside them - how could anyone look at the way children change and seriously believe that they are anything short of amazing - certainly no chance that she happened as an accident - She is a beautiful proof of God and His love.
I read somewhere that when God makes us, He is making us because He believes in love so much that He wants to share it with someone - to expand the love(not unlike my wife and i did when we decided to try and have a child) - and that His making of each of us is His gift to Himself! I like to think of that. And I like to think of Emily...and when i do - when i notice her, i sometimes invite God into the moment with me, i thank Him for the amazingness of Emily and her life and His life in her - and in that moment i have broken another of the chains that have been placed on me by the american dream of always getting more - not me - i choose to NOTICE.
If you too are tired of busyness as usual this holiday season, come join us tomorrow night 6:45-8:00PM at McAllister Center - just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette, we would love to hang out with you - and you will not regret it!
Well, here's a perspective moment:
My daughter, Emily, just had her 12th birthday. Now, as I am being hurled headlong into a world of "cycles" and giggling about boys, a world of dresses and makeup and hairdo's, I am overwhelmed and amazed. You see, on that crazy day - her birthday - which saw 8 - 11 and 12 year old girls spending the night at my house - I stopped for a second, several times actually, and really SAW Emily. There she was, laughing, giggling, running, smiling. She was filled with passion and joy, excitement and awe. She oozes life! She is lovely and amazing. In her i see the true meaning of life - there is something about her life that goes way beyond the everyday grind of get more, become more of the american way.
You see, i remember when Emily was born, she was small and delicate and tiny - she was helpless and she spit up so much that everything in our entire house smelled sour, and yet we didn't care. When she smiled, her whole body seemd to smile - she was amazing - our little blessing.
So, when she was born she was amazing, and when she is 12 she is amazing - all i had to do was stop...and...SEE. I had to notice.
How much of our lives do we miss because we fly right by the truly amazing things that are right in front of us? How much time do we spend on insignificant things when amazing things are there, under our noses.
You see the really amazing thing about Emily is how she is both the same person, the newborn...and the 12year old...both...and together. You see all the people around us, all these kids, they all grow this way - they are all babies, gifts from God and then they grow and develop and they have all that wonder inside them - how could anyone look at the way children change and seriously believe that they are anything short of amazing - certainly no chance that she happened as an accident - She is a beautiful proof of God and His love.
I read somewhere that when God makes us, He is making us because He believes in love so much that He wants to share it with someone - to expand the love(not unlike my wife and i did when we decided to try and have a child) - and that His making of each of us is His gift to Himself! I like to think of that. And I like to think of Emily...and when i do - when i notice her, i sometimes invite God into the moment with me, i thank Him for the amazingness of Emily and her life and His life in her - and in that moment i have broken another of the chains that have been placed on me by the american dream of always getting more - not me - i choose to NOTICE.
If you too are tired of busyness as usual this holiday season, come join us tomorrow night 6:45-8:00PM at McAllister Center - just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette, we would love to hang out with you - and you will not regret it!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Tonight!
Hey everyone! Ever feel like our society during this season is taking a bath in the "if you buy it, you will be happy" idea of life?
The problem is that what we find the day after Christmas each year is that all that buying is not what really satisfies us - living life appreciating the wonderful and amazing parts of it - is what really makes the most of each day.
Tonight we will be hanging out and trying to learn better ways of doing life.
We hope you can join us!
6:45-8:00PM McAllister Center - just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette
The problem is that what we find the day after Christmas each year is that all that buying is not what really satisfies us - living life appreciating the wonderful and amazing parts of it - is what really makes the most of each day.
Tonight we will be hanging out and trying to learn better ways of doing life.
We hope you can join us!
6:45-8:00PM McAllister Center - just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Outreach 2010 - Fall
Hey - wanted to update you on More than more's Community Outreach from 10-28. We spent a fantastic day at McAllister Center (which is where we get together every other Thursday, 6:45-8:00PM)! We gave away hundreds of pairs of shoes and free medical care and prescriptions on that day. It was a wonderful thing to be able to share all that we have been blessed with with other people! I even got 3 hugs from one lady!
The great thing was sharing how much what is happening in our lives has made us care about what happens to others around us - we dared to really notice them - to see them - to see their smiles at new shoes and to see their cold feet (flip flops on that 30 degree morning was just not right and neither is babies whose mom's can't afford shoes and so are barefooted!).
We dared to look way past what society may say about them to what the One who made them would say - that they are wonderful and beautiful and meaningful and amazing!!!
That was the life-changing part of that day - the noticing of the people and the giving of love and acceptance to them - for no other reason than that we have this love in our hearts that needs to be shared!!!
You see, the More than more way of living, daring to go past the usual American way, opens up life - God begins to change the way we think and act and almost before we evev realize it, we are putting on orange shirts and giving out all the love we can, because it seems to ooze from us!
This is the kind of life we are learning! We hope that you will consider joining us next time we get together - 11/18/2010 6:45-8:00PM at McAllister Recreation Center - just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette - all are welcome...
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Maybe the American Dream...
It's not hard to look at our world and wonder. I wonder about our future - the future of our country, of our lives, of our world. With the unbelievable debt of our country growing, the trust of the people of this world fading, and the tendency to live a life fully focused on whatever makes ME happy in this moment, the world seems to be bankrupting itself while feeding on selfishness and short-sightedness.
Yet, only a couple generations ago the "American Dream" seemed to be making this the "Land of Opportunity." The people who came here to this country from all over the world, many owning nothing but the clothing they wore, seemed to have a strange sort of happiness and optimism - yes, it was hard and they sacrificed greatly, but they looked to the future for what would become of their family in generations to come because of the love, sweat and tears they poured out - they saw the future with hope and joy!
Now, we have, as a country, achieved all that they set out for us. We are successful - no less than global domination. We have an unbelieveable life - with cars and tv's and warm places to live - looking around the world, we see that we are remarkably close to the dream our dreaming past generations had for us. Yet, are we REALLY happy? Do we find that the end of the American Dream is satisfying and peaceful? Do we find that we savor the moments of our days and spend much of our time just smiling at the wonder and amazingness of our lives?? In each 24 hours, do we find that the majority of our time is spent doing the things we would do if we really could choose what we wanted to do? Do we put our heads on our pillows each night and find the smile hard to escape us because of how fulfilling our lives are?
I think you will find if you look around our country, around your neighborhood, around your house, you will find that the answer is, "No."
So, if we are not happy and full of joy when we have made it to our ancestors' dream for us, then where have we gone wrong? Why were they happier than we are? Why are we so harried and frustrated and stressed out?
The truth is that we have misnamed the American Dream. The real dream of America - the joy and wonder and hope of this country - is not found in success and achievement and power and money...it is not found in pleasure and fun and self-pleasing...it is not found in escape or even in religion and being very successful at your belief system.
The real wonder and amazingness of this country - that made this country great - is love. It is a willingness to sacrifice for someone else...a willingness to see the beauty around and savor it, to be satisfied with what you have in the moment and yet to keep trying to become the best you can be...a lifestyle that lives like each of the people i encounter in a given day is just as important as i am and that i should treat them that way...a desire to see someone else have a great life when i can help them, and to look for ways to make that happen...a really deep knowledge of what is really important and what is not in this life, and a life that shows that you really believe it...
The problem is that it is hard to live this way - there is virtually nothing in our society that is encouraging us to live this way. In fact, everything teaches us to live exactly the opposite. So, how can we return to the real American Dream?
This is what More than more is all about. These things are what we believe in at More than more and we are looking for ways to live this out, to change over our lives to experience life in the fullest. You see, there is a fantastic God who is so interested in our lives and He is so amazing that He set the world up to be lived in this "true" American Dream kind of way - that is why living that way is so amazing!! At More than more we notice the wonder of life and the people around us and this keeps our focus on what is really important. Plus, we invite this amazing God into the moments of our lives and He helps us to see life differently - and we have the chance to celebrate life, not just plod away at it until we die.
It is a great way to live!
We would love to have you join us - we will be at McAllister Recreation Center - just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette, 6:45-8:00PM tonight, the 4th of November and then again on the 18th, same time - we would love to have you join us!
Yet, only a couple generations ago the "American Dream" seemed to be making this the "Land of Opportunity." The people who came here to this country from all over the world, many owning nothing but the clothing they wore, seemed to have a strange sort of happiness and optimism - yes, it was hard and they sacrificed greatly, but they looked to the future for what would become of their family in generations to come because of the love, sweat and tears they poured out - they saw the future with hope and joy!
Now, we have, as a country, achieved all that they set out for us. We are successful - no less than global domination. We have an unbelieveable life - with cars and tv's and warm places to live - looking around the world, we see that we are remarkably close to the dream our dreaming past generations had for us. Yet, are we REALLY happy? Do we find that the end of the American Dream is satisfying and peaceful? Do we find that we savor the moments of our days and spend much of our time just smiling at the wonder and amazingness of our lives?? In each 24 hours, do we find that the majority of our time is spent doing the things we would do if we really could choose what we wanted to do? Do we put our heads on our pillows each night and find the smile hard to escape us because of how fulfilling our lives are?
I think you will find if you look around our country, around your neighborhood, around your house, you will find that the answer is, "No."
So, if we are not happy and full of joy when we have made it to our ancestors' dream for us, then where have we gone wrong? Why were they happier than we are? Why are we so harried and frustrated and stressed out?
The truth is that we have misnamed the American Dream. The real dream of America - the joy and wonder and hope of this country - is not found in success and achievement and power and money...it is not found in pleasure and fun and self-pleasing...it is not found in escape or even in religion and being very successful at your belief system.
The real wonder and amazingness of this country - that made this country great - is love. It is a willingness to sacrifice for someone else...a willingness to see the beauty around and savor it, to be satisfied with what you have in the moment and yet to keep trying to become the best you can be...a lifestyle that lives like each of the people i encounter in a given day is just as important as i am and that i should treat them that way...a desire to see someone else have a great life when i can help them, and to look for ways to make that happen...a really deep knowledge of what is really important and what is not in this life, and a life that shows that you really believe it...
The problem is that it is hard to live this way - there is virtually nothing in our society that is encouraging us to live this way. In fact, everything teaches us to live exactly the opposite. So, how can we return to the real American Dream?
This is what More than more is all about. These things are what we believe in at More than more and we are looking for ways to live this out, to change over our lives to experience life in the fullest. You see, there is a fantastic God who is so interested in our lives and He is so amazing that He set the world up to be lived in this "true" American Dream kind of way - that is why living that way is so amazing!! At More than more we notice the wonder of life and the people around us and this keeps our focus on what is really important. Plus, we invite this amazing God into the moments of our lives and He helps us to see life differently - and we have the chance to celebrate life, not just plod away at it until we die.
It is a great way to live!
We would love to have you join us - we will be at McAllister Recreation Center - just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette, 6:45-8:00PM tonight, the 4th of November and then again on the 18th, same time - we would love to have you join us!
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