Reverently Irrelevant

Not Too Much Longer

2011-04-15T08:31:00.002-05:00

About 15 years ago I read No Compromise, the biography of Keith Green written by his wife, Melody. While I was encouraged and challenged as I read of the very real faith and life of Keith Green, one particular statement stuck with me from the moment I read it. Melody wrote something to the effect of watching Keith Green sing and play piano on stage one night and she had a fleeting thought that

31

2010-03-11T09:05:00.003-05:00

So, I'm 31 today. And, rather than bore you with deep thoughts and reflections (both of which I always tend to do on or around my birthday), I thought I would share a rather humourous email that went out to everyone who works for the Grand Rapids Housing Commission. There is a particular employee who sends these types of emails out for everyone's birthday. Enjoy...Hey everybody today is Jake's

I Really Need to Write More

2010-02-08T21:39:00.002-05:00

I miss it. I miss being creative in my writing. I miss the therapy that happens when I sit down and pour out my heart. I miss processing the things going on around me by writing them down for the world (or the three people who stumble upon this) to see. Right now, though, I am tired and would like nothing more than to lay down on the couch and fall asleep. But because there needs to be some

Top 10 of 2009

2010-01-01T12:40:00.002-05:00

At the end of the year (or beginning of the new one as the case may be), I like to do what seems to be the cool thing to do: reflect. Today I will reflect on my 10 favorite records of 2009. A disclaimer, though, is that the following records may or may not have been released in 2009. Regardless of this detail, they were albums that were in regular rotation in my Itunes library and/or car (

A New Question (part 1)

2009-10-15T21:43:00.002-05:00

Who am I? Have you ever really stopped to think about the answer to this question. I was stopped dead in my tracks this week when confronted with these three simple words: "Who are you?" It's easy to answer this with things like, "I'm a property manager for the public housing authority in Grand Rapids," or "I'm a husband and a father," or "I'm a worship leader." But these are not so much who

Passion

2009-10-12T19:27:00.003-05:00

It's been almost three months since I started working for the Grand Rapids Housing Commission. And, I must say, it's going really well. I love the people I work with, as well as the work that I'm doing. My work doesn't feel empty day in and day out. I feel like I'm actually making a difference in people's lives, and that's a very good feeling to have. Speaking of making a difference in

Things I'm Thinking Right Now

2009-07-28T21:49:00.002-05:00

Random, I know, but these are the things that are on my mind:We don't have long, so we should love those around us without holding back.I'm glad to be working with the least of these again.Have we really been married for seven years? Let's hope the next seven are as good as the last seven.I wonder what I'll be doing seven years from now.I can't wait to eat me some bbq for lunch tomorrow.I still

The Seasons Change Again

2009-07-14T17:30:00.003-05:00

I've been working at Stone Falls of Ada, the newest luxury apartment community in Grand Rapids, for about a year. It's been a good ride. I've met a lot of really great people. I've made more money than I thought I would, and in this economy one cannot complain when he has gainful employment. The opportunity to work at Stone Falls came along at the right time for me. But, as it goes, a new

There is Still Hope (or "We're Not All Greedy Hypocrites")

2009-07-12T22:43:00.001-05:00

Opening Act

2009-05-13T21:19:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow I get to open up for Lincoln Brewster. For those of you who don't know, Lincoln Brewster is a worship leader from California. He is one of the best guitarists in Christian music today. He actually played on Steve Perry's (yeah...Steve Perry from Journey) solo album. In other words, he's not some hack of a guitarist, but can hold his own in both the Christian and secular music

Why I Shop at Alger Hardware

2009-05-09T23:00:00.003-05:00

We live in the best neighborhood in Grand Rapids...Alger Heights. I love it so much that I wrote a song about it. Since we own an old home, we have lots of repairs that are constantly needing to be done. We have an amazing hardware store just four blocks from my house. I like to shop here as opposed to stores like Lowe's, Home Depot, and Menards. The prices tend to be a little bit higher (

Three Years in the Psalms

2009-05-04T06:39:00.001-05:00

17 weeks ago I started a journey through the book of Psalms. I’m taking one Psalm each week and reading it, meditating on it, and memorizing (at least parts) of it. It is a slow, sometimes painful process, but it has given me a new heart and passion to worship God in spirit and in truth. There were a few things that made me decide to do this. The first was that I have

How Do We Get Our Name Out There?

2009-04-29T08:15:00.001-05:00

“How do we get our name out there?” I heard this question over and over gain for about a year when I was involved in planting a church. I grew sick of this question. To go along with previous posts of mine regarding church marketing and being relevant, I will continue in that direction today. When we planted that church, we started asking the innocent question, “how

Reverently Irrelevant

2009-04-23T08:09:00.003-05:00

One of the greatest tragedies the Christian Church has faced recently is our quest to become relevant. My sense is that it started sometime around the seeker-sensitive movement in the 90’s. We decided that in order to reach the broader culture we had to make the message one that encouraged and tickled the ears of our listeners. What resulted was a watered down version of

No More Talk...So We Sing

2009-04-16T22:29:00.004-05:00

It's finally happening! I'm going into the studio. After years of people telling me I need to do it, I'm actually going to. The opportunity has arisen for me to record some of the worship music I've written, and I'm so excited. With me is an incredible band (Justin, Brad, Tyler, and Charla)...seriously some of the best players and most passionate worshipers I've played with. I'll be putting

Church Marketing...Ugh.

2009-04-14T22:40:00.006-05:00

A few years ago I was looking for a job in a church...trying to make a living by leading worship. Something that has always bugged me about churches is their cheesy signs. I made a commitment to not even entertain the idea of going on staff at a church if they had a sign with a saying like, "Walmart is not the only saving place," or "God is the Potter, not Harry." The ironic thing is that a

Barbara Walters 10 Most Fascinating People

2008-12-05T10:14:00.005-05:00

It has been too long since I have shared...well...anything on this blog. Not many people have missed it, I'm sure. However, I'm at a point in my life where I'm desiring to write down my random thoughts and rants and raves again. So, I jump back in. I think I'll start with something I was mulling over back in December after the Barbara Walters 1o Most Fascinating People special. I realize the

What Are The Odds?

2008-11-28T23:17:00.002-05:00

On Wednesday afternoon Heidi, Ella, and I hopped in the car and headed to Pigeon. We met my parents in Birch Run to do a bit of shopping at the outlet malls, and then we went to dinner. We just opted for Applebees, as there really isn't much to choose from in Birch Run (although I was really pulling for Halo Burger or Tony's). Anyway, as we were waiting for our table, Heidi asked me to run

It's Good No One's Out to Get Me

2008-11-28T08:55:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I had to work. On Saturday it was pretty busy...meeting with a few new clients, giving tours of Stone Falls of Ada, signing leases with new residents, etc. So, much to my surprise, I came back to the office after a tour and there were three freshly-baked cookies on my desk. Now, part of our policy at work is that we leave the office unlocked when we give a tour so that if anyone

Thanks...

2008-11-27T08:34:00.002-05:00

In no particular order (except for the first two)...for my wifefor my daughterfor my familyfor my in-laws (seriously...no joke)for my housefor my jobfor my church (seriously...no joke...hard to believe, huh?)for facebookfor naps with Ellafor deep fried turkeyfor deep fried anything for that matterfor my Ford Contour that has 183,000 miles on it and is still running strongfor the grace of Godfor

Random Thoughts

2008-11-14T22:07:00.003-05:00

Tonight is full of random thoughts running through my head. Here they are...1. I wonder what would happen if I...and others I know who have experienced similar things...started to call out the people who have socked us in the gut. I'm not talking literal punches. I'm thinking of the ones who really messed with our lives.2. I can't believe it's two weeks before Thanksgiving and I'm going to

A Perfect Day

2008-11-09T22:16:00.002-05:00

5:00am - Ella wakes up to eat. I wake up to feed her.5:20am - Ella goes back to sleep. I go back to sleep too.8:00am - Ella wakes up, I get up with her, we go downstairs and sit on the couch, she falls back to sleep on my chest while I pray.9:00am - Heidi wakes up, we eat breakfast and get ready for church.11:00am - Ella is in the nursery, Heidi and I worship and pray with our church.1:00pm -

Peace

2008-10-06T20:43:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite things to do with Ella is to whisper in her ear. Ella is typically very intense. She doesn’t relax much. She’s always…and I mean always moving. Looking around, standing up (although she obviously needs us to hold on to so she can balance), laughing, crying. The girl doesn’t stop…except when you whisper in her ear.When I put my mouth close to her ear and begin to whisper,

Ella Joy...the Song

2008-09-30T22:25:00.004-05:00

I have been writing music for awhile. You can hear a few rough recordings at my band's website or on my jake.blakeney.music site. There's not much more I love to do more than write music. Most of everything I write is never allowed to be heard by anyone because, well, it sucks. But, every once in awhile a good one comes along, and it must be shared. The following song is one such as this...I

6:30am

2008-09-29T06:23:00.002-05:00

I love this house in the morning. I love sitting in the den with a cup of hot cider. The lamp is on low, no other lights are on. I've got the video monitor out so I can look at Ella while she sleeps. My wife is asleep in our bed. Everything is peaceful. I love this time of the morning, when you can hear a few dogs barking outside in the distance as their owners let them out and get ready for

Evening

2008-08-26T18:39:00.002-05:00

This is weird. I haven't worked past 6pm in years, and yet here I find myself wrapping up a day at the office at a quarter to 8 in the evening. Looks like this is going to be my plight on Tuesdays and Thursdays for awhile. I'm very happy about my new job, but not so happy about the hours. I would much rather be hanging out with my beautiful wife and baby Ella. So, for now, a picture will

Change

2008-08-22T08:39:00.002-05:00

Lots of things are changing in my life right now (and over the past few months). Notably, I became and dad. We became parents. That has been an amazing change. Earlier this week I spend four days in Cincinnati with my new company. I have never been so ready to get home to my wife and baby as I was on Wednesday. I'm not saying that I particularly enjoyed being away from Heidi before Ella was

We turned Sharon's Patio into the Bayou

2008-08-06T21:55:00.002-05:00

At the end of my last entry, I mentioned that the neighborhood was going to have a shrimp boil this week. I was, of course, in charge of this since I was the only one who had experienced a true shrimp boil before. So, on a whim this Saturday, I bought a turkey fryer, which works very good for a shrimp boil. So, yesterday I went shopping to get all of the ingredients. Last night I made some

New Job, Ella, Letterman, Shrimp Boil

2008-07-30T23:25:00.002-05:00

I wanted to quickly update tonight to let you know that the new job is going great. Miller-Valentine seems like a great company to work for. Stone Falls of Ada is an amazing apartment community, and I can tell that I am really going to enjoy working there. Today Ella and Heidi came out to Ada and had lunch with me. It was fun to go sit on the balcony of Schnitz in the Village of Ada with my

6

2008-07-27T16:28:00.001-05:00

Happy Six Year Anniversary to Heidi! It's been an amazing ride so far, and I only expect the next six to be just as much fun as the last.I love you,Jake

Almost Done

2008-07-17T19:35:00.002-05:00

First off, to all of you Facebook users. I feel it necessary to let you know that in order to read the complete post of this blog, you must click the "view original post" link at the bottom. Apparently Facebook will only import so much of my blog. If anyone knows how to remedy this situation feel free to let me know.Second of all, I only have two more work days at Park Place. I am so looking

And Yet Another Change

2008-07-10T21:45:00.002-05:00

As some of you know, I've really been wrestling with my job. See this post to read more of the details. Aside from the ethical issues I've had with my current job, I've also been extremely overwhelmed. Every week I face drug dealers, drug users, a prostitute, and people who generally do not respect anyone (especially authority) or anything. This is evident by the amount of trash and vandalism

Favorite Night of the Year

2008-07-07T06:51:00.002-05:00

I have decided that the 4th of July is my favorite night of the year. Heidi and I have a tradition of going downtown to the Pearl Street bridge and sitting in our lawn chairs or on blankets and watching the Grand Rapids fireworks. Earlier in the day we usually cook out with friends and enjoy the day off. This year was no exception to these traditions. However, this year we took Ella to her

The Sweet Hour of 5AM

2008-06-29T04:19:00.002-05:00

First off, I realize that it has been a very long time since I've blogged. The only excuse I have is that I have been very busy...between work, a new baby, and some worship leading gigs time is a commodity that I don't have any more. If you saw my desk in my office at home, you would easily come to the conclusion that I am busy (or lazy...a messy desk always points to either busy-ness or

Trust

2008-05-30T15:46:00.001-05:00

Easy to talk about, hard to do.

What a Week-and-a-Half Old Baby Can Teach You

2008-05-21T07:33:00.002-05:00

I was reading from Mark 10 this morning, and Jesus says this, "I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will not enter it." I've always known this truth. I've heard about child-like faith. I've preached about child-like faith. I've known that God wants us to be dependant on him. I even remember singing that Jars of Clay song back in high school

Work Sucks When You've Got a Hot Wife and a Baby Girl at Home

2008-05-19T21:08:00.005-05:00

So, I went back to work today. I didn't want to go. As I sat at the light on the corner of Eastern and 28th St., my eyes teared up. All I wanted to do was be at home with my girls. But, I made it to work, got some stuff done, and made it to 5:00 when I got to go home and be with my family.One thing that was very cool about work today was that a guy who lives at Park Place came into my office

How It All Rolled Out...Or Rather, "How SHE Rolled Out

2008-05-12T20:48:00.004-05:00

The family is gone and left in the hospital room are Jake, Heidi, and baby Ella. The room is quiet for the first time since much earlier today. Friends and family have been in and out, passing Ella around, ooh-ing and ahh-ing, snapping pictures, praying. We've enjoyed reading everyone's replies to emails and comments on facebook and here, but I thought it was about time to tell everyone how it

The Newest Blakeney

2008-05-12T08:50:00.001-05:00

Here you go!

Introducing...

2008-05-09T06:25:00.001-05:00

...I bet you thought I was going to introduce our new baby. Nope, we haven't had it yet. But, the suspense is killing me.

The Countdown is On

2008-05-06T06:37:00.003-05:00

It won't be long till I'm a dad and Heidi is a mom. That's all I have to say today.

Last Night's Reverend Larry Moonshine Show

2008-04-26T11:12:00.000-05:00

We here at the Reverend Larry Moonshine camp...meaning us, The Good Reverend and The Moonshine...have decided it would be very fitting and good to spend a little bit of time blogging about our shows and other random happenings. So, we will start with last night's show at the Old Farm Shores Singles Mingle. To preface this, however, we must say that whenever you are in a band that is booked to

29 and Counting

2008-04-20T07:49:00.002-05:00

So crazy! Exactly 29 days from today is the due date of our first baby. I can hardly wait to meet him or her. Heidi had her first shower yesterday, and we got a ton of stuff that we needed. We're almost completely done with the baby's room...along with all the other stuff we've been doing to the house to get ready...which I am very happy about. It seems like my weekends have mostly been

Sabbath

2008-04-05T21:48:00.002-05:00

It's gonna be a busy day tomorrow. I'm pretty sure it's not the way God intended Sabbath to be. Three worship services. When will I rest? Guess it's good I got some rest in today. Even though it will be busy tomorrow, I am excited to lead worship again. Not sure what the crowd at Evergreen Ministries will be like, but I'm praying that God does something amazing tomorrow as we come together

Sleepless Night

2008-03-31T18:43:00.002-05:00

For those of you who know me, you know that I sleep well...anywhere, any time. I'm pretty certain it's a spiritual gift. I have taken amazing naps on airport floors. I've slept through some of the worst thunderstorms. It is very difficult to wake me from my slumber when I am out, and about 2 minutes and 37 seconds after my head hits the pillow, I'm usually asleep. There are a few things that

The Week In Review

2008-03-28T21:49:00.002-05:00

I was thinking this morning about my past week. It is Friday and now I sit here watching Dateline. I just had an amazing meal at The Green Well in the East Hills neighborhood. It was the first time Heidi and I had been there, and we were very impressed. And then you can't go wrong with a little Coldstone for dessert. However, I wanted to talk a bit about my week. It was full. Many

Easter Snow

2008-03-21T23:36:00.002-05:00

A typically three-hour trip to Pigeon ended up taking six. It's times like these that I would like to live down south. At least we had some Phil Wickham, the new Passion album, and Mat Kearney to keep us company.

"Backhanded Compliments" or "It's a Freakin' White Undershirt!"

2008-03-08T11:19:00.005-05:00

This weekend Heidi and I are up at the Grand Traverse Resort. There's this big youth conference/retreat thing with like 1200+ kids here. I'm speaking to the group for morning "devo's" (which is the cool student ministry way of saying "devotions.") It's sort of ironic that they booked me to do "devo's" because I hate calling them "devotions." It just seems like another thing we can check off

She Called Me Ned

2008-03-06T17:26:00.003-05:00

At work, I'm responsible for collecting rent and depositing it in the bank. Our company uses LaSalle Bank, and I've noticed that the tellers are very friendly at LaSalle. They have all learned my name and welcome me by saying, "Hello Jake" when I approach their window. There is one lady, however, who never calls me by the correct name. When I first started going there, I told her my name was

You Learn Something New

2008-03-05T17:35:00.003-05:00

Er, at least I learned something new yesterday. I left the office around lunch time to go visit Heidi where she works. I hung out for a bit, and as I was leaving, noticed some change under the seat of my car. Incidentally, it was enough to buy lunch at the best hot dog establishment in the world. Yes, that's right...YESTERDOG!!! I happened to be in the area, so I swung through. Luckily I

I Really Need to Post More

2008-03-02T19:34:00.002-05:00

That's really all I want to say. My life has been so busy as of late that I rarely have time to write on here any more...and I miss it. So just over 2 1/2 months till Baby Blakeney comes. We had heard that sometimes at this stage of pregnancy, you can actually hear the baby's heartbeat through the mother's stomach. So Friday afternoon I laid my head on Heidi's stomach trying to hear the

Peace, Be Still

2008-01-21T20:29:00.000-05:00

We had our Level 2 Ultrasound this afternoon/evening. Let me first say that throughout the course of this ultrasound they examined and measured everything they could on Baby Blakeney...the heart, the stomach, the brain, the legs, the nose, the spine...I mean everything. First and foremost, we were excited to know that there are no neural tube defects or exposed spine or anything like that.

news no expecting parent wants to hear

2008-01-18T06:45:00.000-05:00

As most of you know that Heidi is pregnant. We are overjoyed that we have the opportunity to be parents and raise a child starting in just about four months. However, yesterday we received some news that no expecting parent ever wants to hear. Apparently the levels of alpha-fetaprotein in Heidi's blood stream are higher than normal. This is cause for concern and could mean a number of things.

Observations Regarding the Church

2008-01-14T21:05:00.001-05:00

My father-in-law gave me a book last Christmas…as in like a over a year ago…and I finally got around to starting to read it last month. I wanted to blog about a passage from it, but rather than talk about my thoughts on it, I’ll just type the text from part of it now…it really speaks for itself. Here it is: In this all-but-universal darkness one cheering gleam appears: Within the fold of

I Wish My Church Bought Some Porn

2007-12-18T21:45:00.000-05:00

I really love what this church just around the corner from my house did. Read the article, then read my commentary on the whole issue.Grand Rapids Church Buys Porn to Keep it out of the Communityby Sarah SellGrand Rapids - A Grand Rapids video store that rented x-rated movies has a new "best" customer. The Tabernacle Community Church in Alger Heights.The three pastors recently purchased 200

Guess Who's Back, Back Again...

2007-11-30T22:57:00.000-05:00

It appears I have come full circle. I find myself back in the apartment industry, managing a property on the Southeast side of Grand Rapids. This week has been good. I've met some great new people who I could see becoming good friends. I will admit that it will be a big adjustment to have to go to an office and keep office hours and such. The last year and a half has allowed me the freedom

Respite

2007-11-23T20:10:00.000-05:00

Here I sit in my parents' kitchen. It's been a relaxing two days...lots of turkey with all the fixings. It's amazing how slow life goes in the Thumb of Michigan. It almost seems like when you hit the Huron County line life changes instantly. It's laid back, it's low key, it's rest. I needed some rest...I still need more, but I must go back home tomorrow and get ready to lead worship one last

Third Time's a Charm

2007-11-19T07:57:00.000-05:00

A little over a month ago I fasted and prayed for eight days. I broke the fast with a wonderful wet burrito from El Chisme (R.I.P.), but I’m not here to talk about fasting or eating today. Today I want to talk a bit about what God was showing me during that fast. As many of you know, fasts are fairly regular in my life. I think it’s a spiritual discipline that helps me retain (or regain)

"It's About Time" or "(in the voice of Nelson from the Simpson's) HaHa!"

2007-11-07T07:05:00.000-05:00

Over the past couple of years, readers of this blog (and my previous ones) have read my rhetoric on tele-evangelists, health and wealth gospels, prosperity gospel, etc. It was just brought to my attention that the US government is now doing an investigation on some very prominent ministries throughout the United States regarding excess wealth for their "Pastors," and shady things done in order to

Positive...

2007-10-31T13:58:00.000-05:00

...that's what the test read when I ran downstairs. It was a warm fall day, I was in my office finishing up work for the day when I heard the yells from Heidi downstairs. I hurried to make sure everything was alright and there stood my wife with a pregnancy test in her hand that read positive! Being the man that I am, I cried. It was unbelievable. It's been such a long journey to get to this

Uncharted Territory

2007-10-19T12:47:00.000-05:00

I think for the first time in my life I don't know what to do. I'm serious...I have no clue.

The Emptiness and the Dryness of it All

2007-10-17T13:12:00.000-05:00

Sunday night was a Godsend for me. I was able to lead worship at an event called OneChurch. OneChurch is several youth groups from around the city of Grand Rapids coming together to worship and hear some teaching. It's about tearing down walls that we've put up around us by denominations and congregations. It's about realizing we are all a part of one body.As most of you know, I've been

The Theology of Being Used

2007-10-03T06:09:00.000-05:00

A lot of times we hear Christians say, "Lord, use me." When, in reality, what they're saying is, "Lord, I want people to know about you, but I'd also like to get a little somethin' somethin' from you as well." I think if we're serious about allowing God to use us, then we can't really expect anything in return. Afterall, didn't we already receive mercy? We get life where we should have gotten

I Had Lunch With Jesus

2007-09-25T13:36:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I've blogged, but I think it's time to start again.I actually ate with a guy named Bob Evans today. He is on staff at Mel Trotter Ministries, a rescue mission in Grand Rapids' Heartside District. The reason I say I had lunch with Jesus is because we ate in the cafeteria where there are homeless people and addicts in recovery all sharing food together. I love being around

Oh the Sadness of it All

2007-07-17T12:34:00.000-05:00

I attended two funerals yesterday. One for Hannah Takens and one for Holli Greenman. I didn't know either of these high school girls, but I know a lot of people who knew them. I will say that it is a shame that two young girls had to leave this life so soon. When they got in the car on Thursday night to head home, they had no idea that their life would end in mere minutes. They had no idea

New Song You Should Check Out

2007-07-12T22:05:00.000-05:00

myspace.com/jakeblakeneymusicCheckout the new song I just put up called Alger Heights...and tell all your friends...get the word out.

Forget Resting in Peace...This is When Life Begins

2007-05-31T23:08:00.000-05:00

And so it goes, and so it goes. And the book says, "We may be through with the past, but the past ain't through with us." This is a quote from one of my favorite movies of all time, Magnolia. This quote rings true for my friend, Danielle. Monday, Danielle passed away in the ICU at the hospital downtown. It was a tragic end to what seemed to be a tragic life. Stories of abuse and addiction

Hell is Here...or at least something like it

2007-05-15T16:44:00.000-05:00

The last two days have been some of the most hellish I’ve every experienced. It’s been a time where I’m reminded of the frailty of life, the depravity of man, and just how much our individual lives have an effect on those around us. I’ve spent the majority of the last 48 hours in a hospital room watching a young girl on her death bed. We’ve prayed, we’ve cried, we’ve laughed. Parts of the day

It's About Time...

2007-04-21T14:37:00.000-05:00

Here I sit on my back deck. Mac in my lap, the sun shining, the breeze slightly blowing, birds chirping, lawn mowers running in the distance. It's peaceful here. And this has the potential to become my new office for approximately the next four months. Who says Michigan sucks?

Just Shut Up

2007-04-11T19:35:00.000-05:00

So, I met my good friend Justin for breakfast this morning at my favorite restaurant, New Beginnings. There was one of those free papers at the entry-way and it was entitled, "The West Michigan Christian (paper). It was filled with "inspiring" stories as well as some "news" pieces that focused on the importance of Christians going out to vote to "ensure that conservatives have a voice in our

And I'll Cherish the Old Rugged...Potato?

2007-04-08T22:01:00.000-05:00

It's 11:00pm on Easter Sunday. I'll admit, I've had better Easters. Church was just alright this morning. The time I spent early this morning praying was very good, though. And, this afternoon at JR and Di's was tremendous...dinner with neighbors and friends...it doesn't get much better than that. But, the reason I felt like writing tonight is that the top story on WOOD TV was about a woman

oh for the new creation

2007-04-04T11:39:00.000-05:00

(note: I started writing this on an airplane somewhere between San Antonio and Chicago, and finished two days later in the comfort of my office)Why can't it end? There's so much pain, so much suffering. So much hell. I find myself on a plane from San Antonio to Chicago, then I have to drive three hours back to Grand Rapids. My wife will be waiting at home for me. I can't wait to see her.

Don't Mess With Texas

2007-04-01T10:08:00.000-05:00

Yeah. Here I am in Austin, TX. Went to Heidi's best friend Melissa's wedding yesterday. It was a fun time. They had the ceremony at this mansion...it was beautiful. And now today, we're going to go hang out downtown for the afternoon. It's been good to get away and relax a bit. Austin is such a cool city. Good food, good places to hang out, and lots of good friends (some new and some old)

What a Glorious Day

2007-03-25T21:41:00.001-05:00

Yes, friends, today was an excellent day. The forecast called for warm weather, so I decided to make today the inauguration of my new flip flops. See, last fall it was determined that my flip flops were about worn out. You could tell by the worn out leather and overall flatness of the sole. So, I made a trip to the mall and found the exact same pair on sale. But, knowing that snow was just

"The State of Things," or "It Wasn't Meant to Be This Way."

2007-03-15T15:17:00.000-05:00

My heart is heavy. No other way to put it. I have seen the destruction that people can cause in the name of Christ. I have seen the result of manipulation and dishonesty. I have seen the result of too much control. I have seen the result of selfish motives. I have seen wolves in sheep's clothing. I have seen what seems like a good and spiritual and Godly thing result in heartbreak, anger,

The Sheer Beauty...

2007-03-07T22:16:00.000-05:00

...of a brand new Macbook Pro. Tremendous I say, tremendous! And it arrived today via UPS. I started the process on February 7, and exactly one month later I have a brand new Macbook Pro in my hands. It cost me a total of $60.33. You may have read a previous post of mine that stated I qualified for a Mac by signing up for trial offers. I deleted that post due to a change in the company's

Restore

2007-02-28T22:35:00.000-05:00

The worship night this past weekend was, for me, excellent. If you were there, thanks for coming, I hope you were able to worship God. Here is what made it great for me. Going into it I was tired. A part of me wanted to go home and sleep, and had I not had the prior commitment of leading worship for a night of worship, I would have. But, I pressed on. Certainly I was excited to play with

Just Like That...

2007-02-26T09:03:00.000-05:00

It's funny how plans change so quickly. We were gearing up for a youth group party at our house on Sunday night...everything was in place. I was ready to head to Spring Arbor on Monday afternoon with JR, then I get the call that my mom fell on ice and broker her hip. So here we are in Pigeon on a Monday morning getting ready to go hang out at the hospital.Pray for her...quick recovery and that

"Lent Loopholes" or "It's Cool to Give Stuff Up for Forty Days"

2007-02-22T09:12:00.000-05:00

First off, I want to thank my Thursday Morning Bible Study group for inspiring me to write about Lent today…especially Lauren. We’ve been meeting at the Byron Center McDonald’s at 6:30am every Thursday, and today we found out that they were giving free samples of iced mochas and vanilla lattes. This realization led to Lauren stating that for Lent she gave up chocolate, but she is allowing

My First Valentine's Day at a Strip Club

2007-02-15T16:51:00.000-05:00

Yeah, that's right. The day of love this year wasn't celebrated on a romantic date with my wife. Instead, we went to all five strip clubs in our wonderful city of Grand Rapids. I didn't actually go inside any clubs, but Heidi did. See, we came up with the idea to give flowers to all of the exotic dancers in town on Valentine's Day.I've had a few different jobs over the past few years, and some of

beautiful

2007-01-27T00:43:00.000-05:00

admirable, alluring, angelic, appealing, beauteous, charming, classy, comely, dazzling, delightful, divine, elegant, enticing, excellent, exquisite, fair, fascinating, fine, gorgeous, graceful, grand, ideal, lovely, magnificent, marvelous, nice, pleasing, pretty, radiant, ravishing, refined, resplendent, sightly, splendid, stunning, sublime, superb, taking, wonderful...and yet, somehow this just

Long Day

2007-01-14T21:52:00.000-05:00

It was a long day...but a good day all in all. Worship gathering at Origins was great today...I don't know if anyone else felt it, but I felt like I connected with God as I led worship. I hope others did, too. Funeral for our friend's father/grandpa. This was hard. I didn't really know the guy, but it makes me think about having to bury my own grandparents probably within the next 10-15

Put Down Your Sword

2007-01-10T22:07:00.000-05:00

Staring into the eyesOf adversaries strongFearful shivers, strained breathKnee-jerk reactions to keepMy world safe from harm's wayProtect, shelter, preserveAt all cost, at all costSword drawn in anxiousAnticipation of the brawl to comeBlood shed, lives lostBrokenness ensuesAnd in an instant, withA miraculous touchThe ear is back, wholenessPut down your sword

New

2007-01-02T11:35:00.000-05:00

I love the new year. I love starting over. There's something so fresh about beginning again. Even though the reality of it is that life continues just as it has in the previous twelve months, there's something magical about waking up and turning the calendar to a new year. It's as if all that has happened so far pales in the light of what's going to happen in the future. It's as if you can

Happy Birthday to Heidi

2006-12-26T19:57:00.000-05:00

Tell her if you see her.

water + juice = no food

2006-12-22T08:14:00.000-05:00

This morning finds me drinking my last glass of orange juice for quite sometime. But it is a joyous morning. My wife, Heidi, and I have been on a journey for the last 19 days that has been extremely challenging and fun and adventurous all at the same time. I’m even going out on a limb to say that it is rewarding. See, 19 days ago, we sensed God leading us into a fast. The idea originally

simple

2006-12-07T17:07:00.000-05:00

nothing to lose, nothing to prove, nothing to hide. i wish more people would live this way. i wish i would live this way more. i've got the nothing to hide part down. i'm pretty good at the nothing to lose part as well. it's the nothing to prove thing that gets me every time. why do i feel the need to prove myself to others?

Porn

2006-12-05T09:08:00.000-05:00

Porn has become a big part of my life. That statement probably scares some, but it’s true. I should clarify, though. I’m not dabbling in porn. I’m not spending countless hours on websites. I’m not hitting the Red Barn adult theater that’s around the corner from my house. So, put your fears to rest. A funny thing happened back in July. This guy named JR moved in to a house two doors down from me,

Here Comes Santa Crap

2006-12-04T13:16:00.000-05:00

Why bother with Advent? I mean, isn’t it enough to celebrate the birth of Christ by stopping for five minutes on Christmas morning to read the story of his birth? Isn’t it enough to attend the Christmas Eve candle-light service? This season is too busy to stop and think about Christ for the whole four weeks leading up to Christmas. And so we don’t. We go to the parties, drink the eggnog,

Collision

2006-11-16T22:45:00.000-05:00

Tonight was good. We did our every-other-week-downtown-hot-dog-cookout, where we go give hot dogs to homeless people and drug addicts. What was different about this week, however, was that it is “homeless awareness week.” Now, I don’t know if this is just something Grand Rapids is celebrating, or if it’s something that’s more on a national level, but it was good

The Journey Continues...

2006-11-15T22:26:00.000-05:00

so, i've used other blogs before. yes, i'm a part of the myspace world, i've used xanga. i'll still use those to keep in touch with people, but this will be my thought space. this will be my place to spill it all. this is where i will craft my writing. this is where you, my readers, will hopefully be challenged and entertained and changed. quite a dream for a modest blog. enjoy. some