Men's "Advance" at Alliance Redwoods

Wow - what an awesome time once again at the Men's Retreat at ARCG this year.  As you may know, I was on the planning team for these men's retreats back in 2004, and led worship for the first two retreats we had.  They were mostly SRAC men along with a few other churches' men's groups joining us for the weekend.  When I came to Tucson in 2006, I was unable to continue participating, but then in 2008, I got a call from one of the camp directors asking if I'd be willing to put together a team and come back.  And every year, it just gets better.

This time, Pastor Albert Tate was the key speaker, and he really brought it.  He challenged the men with every message, and really was in tune with what the Holy Spirit was doing in each session.  As a worship leader, it was a joy to serve with him, but as a pastor, I was really encouraged to do a lot more challenging, especially in giving the hearers a chance to respond by standing or coming forward to commit to something the Lord has taught them that day. 

Pastor Albert taught on the 3 main characters in the Luke 15 account typically known as "the prodigal son" parable.  He said that every man, at least once in his life, plays the role of one of the three main characters in this story.  And some men play all three.  Friday night, he preached on the younger, "prodigal" son, and challenged unbelievers to come home to Jesus.  By my count, I believe somewhere around 40 of the 300 men came forward and were saved!  Saturday morning, Albert taught on the older son - the one who wouldn't go in when the party was rockin'.  He stayed away because he felt wronged, because he'd done all the right things and never had been honored for doing right.  Albert challenged many of us who believe we've earned something with God in being raised in the church all these years, but not really rewarded like the prodigals.  As if we truly believe we have the "right" to any such party.  And Saturday night - he challenged all men to truly BLESS others around us - reminding all who we ARE in Christ.  The father in the parable put a robe on his son, and a ring, and sandals for his feet.  Sandals were a sign that a servant was no longer a slave, but a son!  An heir!  And Albert proposed that men in our churches don't do near enough blessing of other men - even our own sons - and that this is a Biblical principle we are sorely missing.  It was/is a great challenge to live out a great truth.

A special shout out to Mike, Keith, Dylan, Jeff, Matt, and my son Jake for making up the worship team with me - you guys rocked it, and surrendered your talent to Jesus in a way that really blessed the men and our Lord.  And with 300 men singing their hearts out, it was like having a 300-piece choir, as we lifted our voices to our audience of ONE.  And one last shout out to Jon Maves for making the retreat happen.  You rock, my friend!

Good times.  September, 2011 can't come soon enough.

Romans 9

My message this week is based on Paul's question to the Romans: "What then? Is there injustice with God?" (Romans 9:14). 

We've been building up to this question throughout this study (8 weeks into it), and it's time now to give a little background into the two popular theological positions on the issue of salvation: Reformed theology vs. Arminian theology.  Why now?  Because Paul pens Romans 9-11 as more or less a "great parenthesis" to his readers - answering some of the mysterious questions about God and his ways concerning his relationship to man.  These are rich chapters intended for a fairly specific audience.  Paul is clearly writing to believing Jews from the beginning of chapter 9 through 11:10.  Then he makes a clear shift to address Gentiles, as they are "grafted in" among God's chosen people.  To read Romans outside its original context proves quite dangerous.

Therefore, I have attached an in-depth article/study on what Reformed (Calvinist) theology teaches alongside what Arminian theology teaches.  It is 6 pages long, and will take about 10-12 minutes to read in one sitting.  I encourage anyone who is a student of God's Word to take the time to read this.  Especially as we at CrossRoads Church delve into such a deep portion of scripture this Sunday. 

Here's the link.

After you've read it, I'd love to hear you thoughts on the subject.

Blessings!

"From Messed Up to Filled Up"

We've spent some time discussing man's chief end - "to give glory to God and enjoy Him forever." This week, we'll study Romans 3:27 - 5:11, where Paul focuses on man's Faith, which results in Peace with God, which then convinces us of God's Love - even while we were dead in our sins. The big "Aha!" this week is the answer to the question: "What do I do with that?"

A question as we prepare for worship and fellowship this Sunday:
Is God...
... your Friend?
... your Boss?
... your Father?

Indeed, the Bible calls Jesus a friend of sinners. But it's clear we're not to see him solely as a "friend". We simply can't stop there. A "friend" can be very nice, attentive, and loving in many ways, but friends fall short of perfection, obviously.

Some of us see God as the "Big Man in the Sky," treating him like a boss, in many respects. As long as we do what the boss wants, we're accepted and we receive rewards for our actions, behavior, and yes, even how we represent the boss to outsiders.
Still others see God as Father. And this is where Paul directs our attention in Romans 4 and 5.

His point: God's Fatherly love trumps all other thoughts of God. His impartiality is clearly seen in Paul's "Big Aha!" moment in 5:8, that "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

This is such wonderful news for the unbeliever! But it is also FRESH news for the believer! So many of us have had such poor models of what true love looks like, we can't fathom the idea that God's love is free, no strings attached, not rewards-based. To "sit back and be loved" by God is, quite honestly, a foreign concept in our culture. We are a culture of DOERS, and often in the process, we fail to soak in the love of God He so desires us to freely receive. Soak it in, church! God's love is FREE.

Please take about 3 minutes and read Exodus 33:12-18 in it's proper context as you prepare for Sunday's teaching. I pray God reveals His infinite love to you!

See you Sunday!

"Please update your account..."

Does anybody EVER respond to emails like the ones I keep getting from someone claiming to be my Cox provider:

"We are pleased to inform you that due to the numbers of population using our site, we found out that some emails are been used as fraud, therefore we are closing down some unused emails, so if you still want to keep your account with us you are to kindly provide the details below so we can upgrade you.

E.M.A.I.L
P.A.S.S.W.R.D

if upgrade is not made, within 2 days of this notification, your email will be closed and you cant access it.

Thanks"

I mean, the grammar alone ought to give one pause, wouldn't you think?  But my guess is that people do indeed respond and give their personal information away to clowns like this, otherwise, why would such emails keep coming?  Apparently it's working.

We're All Messed Up!

There's a popular teaching these days regarding the words that come out of our mouths. We must be careful not to label ourselves something we're not. And while I agree wholeheartedly, and have taught that we must never put a label on ourselves that doesn't belong to Jesus, there is one exception to that rule. Knowing "who we are in Christ" is the issue.

Who we are in Christ is paramount! The Bible tells us over and over again how we are now accepted by God (John 1:12), secure in our salvation (Romans 8:31-39), children of God Himself (Gal. 3:26), and that we are made righteous and holy (Eph. 4:24).
However, the teaching in question is this: we must not say "I'm a sinner" any longer. That to say such a thing somehow denies the power of Christ and the work of the cross.

I say baloney. So does the Apostle Paul. As we delve deeper into the first few chapters of Romans this Sunday, we will be confronted with Paul's earnest words to believers beginning in Chapter 2: "We're ALL messed up" (my paraphrase) :). Indeed, we are saved from sin - no longer slaves to sin, but are now slaves to righteousness. He goes on to say in Romans 7, "I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate... What a wretched man I am!" The Apostle James says, "Confess your sins (present tense) to one another" (James 5:16) and "Whoever knows the right thing to do and doesn't do it, sins" (4:17).
Both epistles were written to believers in Christ - just like you and me. Both epistles in every way disagree with the popular teaching that we shouldn't say "I'm a sinner."
 
"But," we say, "My sins - past, present, and future - are forgiven in Christ Jesus!"
Very true - totally, Biblically correct.

"So why should I continue to acknowledge that I continue to sin?"

Only one answer suffices: TO BRING GLORY TO GOD. As I've asked in recent weeks, "What is the chief end of man?" Answer: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

If I refuse to acknowledge I'm a sinner saved by grace, then I lead other unbelievers to assume I had a one-time encounter with Jesus when He saved me, and that's all I needed. If I refuse to say "I'm a sinner," I fail to give glory to God for His continual work of sanctification in my life. I miss many opportunities (for every sin I commit and am saved from - from now until the day I go to be with Jesus) to point the world to the Savior, acknowledging again my sincere and desperate need.

Paul follows up his famous Romans 7 passage with this: Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

The Bachelor Pad, Part II

Again, Jake, Joe, and I are on our own.  Have been for nearly 3 weeks.  Jessica spent 8 days in Palm Springs working on a home our friends bought and intend to turn into a rental.  The day after she returned home, we received the news that her grandmother Alice had passed away.  So Jessica got on a plane that morning and has been in Weaverville, CA (with Kerri) helping her mom get grandmother's house in order, and prepare for the memorial service next month. 

I'm such a whiner when it comes to being without my bride.  "It is not good for man to be alone!" :)  But we're surviving, and I'm very much looking forward her coming home Friday.  Kerri will stay in Weaverville until July 25, the day we remember "Great Grandma Gummy Bear."

We appreciate all of your prayers for our family.  G-ma Alice was 98 and knew the Lord, so in truth, this is a joyous occasion! 

God Does Weird Stuff

Proverbs 3:5 says "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding."

A question: Why is it that one of the most famous and beloved passages in all of scripture is rarely followed?

You may think that to be an inflamatory question, but I ask it with the most sincere intrigue. What I intend is for each of us to consider that "our own understanding" is usually the measuring stick for before, during and after any crisis or difficult situation we face. If the solution or outcome "makes sense" to our finite minds, we often say, "That must be from God."

But consider Joshua's encounter with God himself in Joshua 5 and 6. Here the Lord tells him to march around Jericho for 7 days, and on the final day, to have the people shout as loud as they can, and Jericho's walls would come tumbling down. However, the Bible leaves out the fact that this wall is 33 feet thick! Can you imagine being among God's people? When Joshua told you what the Lord said, would you not wonder aloud about his sanity?

Those of you who know the story know that God's people did exactly as God required, and the walls fell flat! But personally, I often wonder what God's people might do if a similar directive were given to his people today. Oh, how many ques-tions we would have for Joshua and the Lord.

Church, it's easy to make the statement, "God DID weird stuff." But is it still true that God DOES weird stuff?

Perhaps you don't have a story that compares with the walls of Jericho crashing down, but I imagine you have a story or two about a time when God's answers to your problems didn't make sense. Sometimes you followed Him, other times not. Let me encourage you once again: "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean NOT on your own understanding."

See you Sunday!

Are You "Ready" to Die?

This week, we open up the beautiful book of Daniel, chapter three. Here we find Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced with a life-or-death scenario, one in which they give no indication they needed "more time" to think about their fateful answer. Putting yourself in their shoes, might you answer the same, or differently?

The account of these three men, King Nebuchadnezzar, and the fiery furnace is one of my favorites in all the Old Testament. It - like every good story - has a great setting, a great conflict, and a great resolution. It has the powerful bad guy, a kingdom of misled loyal servants, a conspiracy plot, upstanding main characters, the threat of brutality, escape from certain death, and much more.

But unlike many other great stories, the moral of this one isn't the "uplifting, feel-good" type you might expect. Many great stories end with the good guys running countless times from the bad guys, and finally besting them at the end. Not so with Shad, Meesh, and Abed. Rather, these men of integrity don't run. And they don't fight. And they don't claim any victory. Instead, they leave their fate in the hands of the one true God. From every angle upon which to view this account, the moral of the story is this: Are you ready to die?

I've heard many times people say, "I can't wait for Jesus to come back!" But every time I hear it, I wonder if they mean it. Wouldn't we want to set our house in order first? Make sure those behind us are cared for long after we're gone? Indeed, these are noble, responsible concerns that should be taken care of. But they don't truly answer the spiritual (and more significant) part of the question.

I hope to see you Sunday, where we wrestle with the text, and focus on individually answering this great question!

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

Some would call that the "question of our time." It's the question everyone wants an answer to, partly due to the fact that most people believe they are "good" and the things they wish didn't happen to them were "bad." But is that the case?

This week, as we continue in our "Chronicles of History" series, we will take a "drive-by" look into the book of Job. Full of beautiful poetry and revelation into God's character, Job reminds us of our role as the created, worshipping and following the Creator.

Growing up, like most children, I asked a lot of "Why?" questions. But I always knew when I'd crossed the line between "why" and "well, that's stupid!" Either my butt got a bit reddened, or at the least, I'd hear, "Because I said so."

Church, the same is relatively true in our relationship with God. The book of Job ends with God essentially telling Job, "When you have your own universe, you can do what you want. But while you're under MY roof, you'll follow my rules!" Of course, Job (nor anyone else) will ever get his own universe, so my parental analogy dies there.

Join me on Sunday, however, because if you're like me, I often wonder where the line is drawn in how I am to approach God when disaster strikes, as it did Job. I often wonder what my friends might say, or whether or not I'll ever know the "good" the Bible seems to promise will come after the present calamity. Basically, if disaster has ever struck you or your family, perhaps some time with like-minded people in the book of Job is where God needs you this weekend. Hope to see you!

For more, check out http://www.crossroadstucson.com/!

Saying Goodbye to Jackson

Yesterday was a difficult day for the Coffin fam.  Our "best buddy," Jackson (black lab) has been living in pain for the last 2-3 months, and he had to be put down.  The vet said he couldn't identify exactly what was wrong with him, but he believed it was likely some form of cancer.

Jack was born on September 9, 2000, In Big Bear Lake underneath Kerri's bed.  His mamma, Kaysie (the fastest dog I've ever known - jumped a 6-foot fence after we moved to Santa Rosa and we never saw her again), had him along with 5 other pups, which we gave away.  We chose to keep Jack because he was the most mellow of all the pups.  And for the first two years of his life, he never knew a leash, as we lived on a dirt road where all the neighbors let their dogs run free and play together. 

After we moved to Santa Rosa, he had to be taught how to walk with a leash.  One of my favorite memories is spending about 2 weeks training him.  He hated it!  Wanted to be free!  Truly, it freaked him out.  with every step I took, he'd jet between my legs and stop.  I'd pull him out from under me, take another step, and he'd jump right between my steps again.  But I didn't give up on him, and eventually, he got used to the new ways of doing things.

He loved natural water ways, especially the stream near our house in Santa Rosa.  When the ducks were there, he'd leap in and swim around until he realized all the ducks had flown off.  And though he wasn't as fast as his mamma, he loved to run as fast as he could to wherever he was headed.

We'll miss our best buddy.  Ryder (our 2-yr-old German Shepherd) still believes Jack is off on a long walk somewhere.  Which, depending on one's dog-ology, might just be true.

So long, buddy.  Indeed you were "fam's best friend."

The Purpose of the Temple

This Sunday is the Global Day of Prayer, where many Tucsonans will gather at the UofA mall to humble ourselves, pray, seek God, and turn from the things we - as individuals, a nation, and an entire people - know to be evil and that place a divide between God and man. It is a time to "press in" to God, as His people did long ago in His temple.

This week, as we continue in our "Chronicles of History" series, I will revisit II Chronicles chapters 6 and 7, looking closely at the primary purpose of God's temple, and both the people's role in it, and God's role in it. Of course, for those who belong to Jesus, our bodies are the temple of the living God. Where we go, He goes.  The Psalmist says, "Where can I go from you, O Lord?" So as we look into the history of the temple, its imperative that we seek His truth with regard to the temple today: Christ in us, the hope of glory.
I look forward to seeing you Sunday, and being blessed together by His word!

Arizona's SB 1070

Have you read the bill?  I'd love to get your thoughts.  As a pastor, I'm often asked what I think of it.  So here it is...

I've read the bill.  It's officially 10 pages long, so unlike the health care bill, it's quite readable.  And it comes down to this:  If one trusts law enforcement officers, this law is fine.  If one doesn't, you're gonna have a problem with it.  Why?  It has the words "reasonable suspicion" in the bill.  But it also mentions that an officer can only ask for proof of citizenship if they've stopped a person for breaking the law such as speeding.  "Reasonable suspicion" would come about if the person stopped couldn't present a valid driver's license, for example.  Which raises the question: does anyone have a problem when retailers, police officers, or websites ask you to identify yourself?  Nobody is up in arms about that.  And you don't get what you're hoping to buy if you don't present proper ID. 

Again, if you don't trust cops, you'll be against this bill.  If you believe cops can be trusted, you have no more problem with this bill than any other law that requires ID be given.

What bothers me is that those who oppose this law are calling those who favor it racist.  I've heard the phrase, "it's "clearly racist," regarding the verbiage of the bill.  Obama has said, "Now, a family can be going out for an ice cream and be thrown in jail!"  No, they can't.  Unless of course, they're here illegally.  And I have no problem with that.  How can legal citizens be affected by this bill?  They can't.  And that's where the line is drawn for me.

If a person is here illegally, the law declares (before this bill was ever written) that they, if found, must be escorted to the border and sent back to their home country.  This bill changes none of that, but rather enforces it. 

So there you have it.  I would love to discuss this respectfully with anyone.  Please respond below.

Sunday Message: "Jonah: It's Not About Me Anymore"

Do you believe in miracles? I think most would say, "Yes!" But let me ask it another way: Do you believe a man could be thrown into the ocean, sink to the bottom, be there long enough for seaweed to wrap around his head, then get swallowed by a giant fish, stay in it's belly for 3 days, then be hurled up onto the shore and live to tell about it?

Do you still believe in miracles? I hope so, because our God is in control of the supernatural as well as the natural.

But that said, the miracle of Jonah's life being saved is not the story in the book that bears his name. Rather, the story is all about God's love for the worst of the worst. Nineveh was a city known at the time to be the most "evil" city in all the world. 600,000 residents had no regard for truth, morality, or the existence of God. And yet, God called out to them.

The real miracle - the one that made Jonah's head spin - was that God truly loved these

blasphemous pagans. The God of the universe - pure, holy, and righteous - had mercy on the most evil city in the land. In Jonah's view, had was thinking, "What business does God have extending grace and mercy to such an undeserving lot? Doesn't he have his hands full with the Israelites already?"

Jonah is a great read. Average readers will finish all 4 chapters in 5 minutes. I encourage you to check it out between now and Sunday, at which point we'll delve into the application together. See you Sunday!

For more information, check out www.crossroadstucson.com

New Message Series: "The Chronicles of History"

Growing up in a fairly traditional church (before the days of affordable video/DVD's), my "Sunday School" teachers used flannel boards to teach Biblical truth. I remember some of the figures: David and Goliath; Balaam and the donkey; Daniel and the Lions... Beginning in May, I'll start a new series, applying these "chronicles" to us today.

Most people, when thinking about "Bible stories," will immediately think of the great account of David beaning a monstrous man named Goliath in the head with a smooth rock shot from a sling. So on May 1, this is how we'll kick the series off. We'll also devote one Sunday message to the following:

Noah’s Ark
Daniel in the Lions’ Den
Jonah and the Whale
Moses and the Burning Bush
The Walls of Jericho
Elijah and the Fire from Heaven
The Life of Samson
 
My wife and I are heading to Boston this week (April 15-22), as Jessica has qualified for the Boston Marathon and will be running 26.2 miles with thousands of others April 19. There's a city transit that runs along the route, so I'll get to meet up with her throughout the race. I'll be EXHAUSTED by the time she's finished. :) Heh, heh...

John Marsicano will be teaching this weekend, and Brian Hagedon will teach April 25.
May God bless you all this week, and we'll look forward to seeing you upon our return.

Worship Team Consulting

I'm beginning something new!  God has placed on my heart to conduct worship leading seminars, one at a time for local churches here in Tucson. 

As a full-time worship leader for 15 years, it was always a huge chore to coordinate (and find room in the budget) getting a good portion of my worship team to travel to a nearby town to attend a worship leading seminar.  The travel, registration, and meals cost alone for 7-10 people was usually in the neighborhood of $700-$1000 (and if we had to stay over night, it was double that!).  These seminars would usually feature a prominent worship leader from a large church conducting a seminar for dozens of church worship teams at one time.  There was very little time allowed for Q-n-A, and even when there was, we were competing with many others asking questions, and might only have time to ask one or two.  The leaders were forced to be quite generic in their training, as many of the attendees were from all sorts of churches (large, small, in-between). 

There are over 200 protestant churches who employ "worship teams" (as opposed to a traditional choir) in Tucson alone.  The concept I'm running with is that the seminar "comes to you" - conducted at your church, exclusive to your worship team.  I'll be offering to attend one worship team rehearsal, followed by a 4-hour Saturday session with the entire team.  The seminar will be conducted in such a way as to enhance the existing worship style at any given church, not to "change" it.  I have extensive experience as a worship leader in both large and small churches, and relate well to differing styles and the problems/obstacles/issues associated with each.

I'm currently in the process of building a website where pastors and worship leaders can go for more information.  On that site, I will be posting "reviews" of me as a worship leader/teacher.  If you've been on a worship team with me, or have been led in worship by me, I'd be honored to have you write a "review" that I might be able to post on my new site.  Since the site is still being constructed, I'd love it if you might just write that review in the comments section of this blog. 

Whatd'ya think?

Happy Resurrection Day!

How was your day?  Did you spend it with family?  Eat lots of chocolate? 

We had an awesome worship time together this morning at CRC.  Jesus is our HOPE!

Jake, Joe, and I have had steak, eggs, and potatoes, and we're chillin' in front of the TV waiting for Jessica and Kerri to get home from CA.

What did you do today?

Are You Ready for Easter?

Isn’t it interesting how we spend an entire month (some folks a lot longer than that!) getting “ready” for Christmas day? We buy gifts, largely due to the gifts that were brought to the baby Jesus by the Magi. And yet Jesus tells us that the greatest gift anyone can give is to lay down his life (John 15:13). So why don't we spend a little more time getting "ready" to celebrate Resurrection Day?

Now, there’s nothing wrong with buying gifts and presenting them to one another at Christmastime. I’m not kicking off a movement to rebel against the norm. However, I’d love to see God start of movement in our hearts, prompting us to “get ready” for the greatest annual day of celebration – Resurrection Day. That’s the day Jesus gave the greatest gift to you and me – life in abundance! He also took away the greatest power of the enemy – death. Praise the Lord!

So how does one “get ready” for this great day? The answer is simple in its verbiage, but quite difficult in its execution: We prepare to give our lives to Jesus in the same way He gave His life to us. We make conscious decisions to die to ourselves. We consider others before ourselves on a daily basis. We act selflessly in our relationships “to the least of these.” Like I said, easier said than done, eh?
 
"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Thank you, Jesus! May You mold and shape us this year once again, to look more and more like You. Amen!

About Worship...

I had an opportunity to consult with another church's worship team here in town tonight.  I have the privilege of going back a few more times to teach and train - I'm really looking forward to it. 

I love discussing what worship truly is, as well as what it isn't.  I also love asking believers their definition of worship.  When you get a moment, please comment, and share your defition.

All Marriages Forever?

Recently, in the middle of a deep and serious conversation, someone asked me, “Do you believe God doesn’t want any marriage to end?” My answer had everything to do with the simple fact that it doesn’t matter what I believe. It doesn’t have to do with what I think is fair, proper, appropriate, easy, hard, or otherwise. I said, “Yes, I believe God is clear: He doesn’t desire any marriage to end.”

People often cite marital unfaithfulness, whether that plays itself out in infidelity, abuse, or in other ways, believing God is "okay" with divorce under these circumstances. While I’m certain God gives us a “way out” by allowing for someone to leave their spouse in these cases, that does not mean God intends for it. Let me explain…

Jesus was asked virtually the same question by the Pharisees in Matthew 19. They said, "Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?" Jesus answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."

Notice he didn’t address what was “lawful”? His answer addressed God’s desire – “let no man separate.” Of course, the Pharisees were up to their usual trickery, and had an ulterior motive. They asked a follow-up question: "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?" Jesus said, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery."

In other words, it’s easy to ask for a divorce when the marriage is nearly broken. It’s hard to continually give your marriage back to Jesus day in and day out, especially if you feel like your spouse isn’t joining you in this process. The words, “I just can’t do it anymore,” have been spoken to me by hurt spouses countless times over the years. And they’re exactly right. They can’t. The natural person is incapable of committing themselves to another human being for a lifetime - even in the best of circumstances. But God is not about the natural. He is the Supernatural. And His desire is to work miracles in your marriage, in your spouse, and in you.

The road is hard, but the answer to the question is simple: “What God has joined together, let no man separate.” God is in the business of reconciliation, not division.
Are you (or someone you know) in a difficult marriage? Feel like you’ve tried everything? Feel alone in your efforts? I beg you to give your marriage back to Jesus. As hard as it is for you to imagine, God can work your marriage into a beautiful masterpiece.  Trust in Him - He has a greater vision for your covenant than even you.

TV Shows

So 24 has been cancelled.  Jack Bauer has finally been stopped.  It's just as well, since the writing this season sucks like a Hoover.  But previous seasons were worth watching. 

The cancelling of one of the better shows leads me to beg the question, what shows are you all watching these days, and why?  We love our DVR, and have recently discovered NCIS.  Not the new one, but the old one - with Mark Harmon.  We've never been CSI fans, due in large part to the corny puns the writers feel are essential to the dialogue.  NCIS has few if any such lameness. 

Some in the Coffin clan have taken to "The Mentalist," but every stinking episode ends like Scooby Doo, IMO.  "If it wasn't for those pesky kids...!"

LOST has been a favorite, but there was one season that just about lost me.  This final season has had it's moments, so we're kinda stuck till the end. 

What are you watching?

The Bachelor Pad

Today, Jessica and Kerri left for Big Bear for a week. They're visiting the Wilsons, and Jessica is working for them on a house Scott bought (repainting and getting ready for a turn-around sale), making spending money for our upcoming Boston trip. This of course means Jake, Joe, and I are home without the womenfolk. Someone might want to call us just to be sure the house is still standing, say, on Wednesday.

The ground rules: their rooms can get as messed up as they want, but the main rooms will be continually cleaned. This includes the kitchen. We shall see...