The Mercy Tree

In the garden of eternity

There grows an endless mercy tree

Everyone who does believe

Is sheltered by it’s covering

The branches stretch as to embrace

It’s flowers bloom in scents of grace

Breezes blow away the pain

Close your eyes and drift away

Find forgiveness

Find relief

Find rest from suffering

Find healing

Find peace

Underneath the mercy tree

It grows as high as it goes deep

The roots reach back to calvary

How small we are, how great is He

The maker of the mercy tree

by Krissy Nordhoff

(c) 2009 TwoNords Music

My Boys Need Me Now More Than Ever

I'm heading into that time in every Dad's life where it is getting serious.  My oldest is 10 and my youngest boy is 8.  It's hitting me pretty hard. They need me.  They need me badly. I'm hearing a loud voice screaming inside of me saying "They need me now more than ever."  I'm overwhelmed.  About being the dad my boys really need, I feel a mixture of excitement (this is what I've looked forward to since the day I learned I was having a boy) and fear (I'm not equipped to do this at all...let alone do it right).  Here's an article I recently was pointed to from CNN.com... "The Myth About Boys". 

So, this blog post is really just me expressing my fear and excitement about being that Dad that I hoped I would be when I saw and held my son for the first time.  Thanks for letting me ramble a bit. 

Here we go, boys.  I'm doing my best.  I'm going to say "I'm sorry" a lot because I will mess things up from time to time.  Know that I love you anyway. We're going to have a lot of fun, experiences and adventure together over the next 8-10 years, okay?!!

Here's something I plan to attend in 2010 with Alex, my oldest.  AbbasWay Retreat.

Being a Good Leader

by Glenn McClure

Many men (including myself) in our community have been disillusioned
by poor masculine leadership…many of us are desiring to be better and
more loving leaders…found this in Proverbs this morning…qualities that
make a good Christian leader…Eugene Peterson notes that “transforming
leadership is the kind where the first one transformed is the leader.”

Proverbs 16:10

A good leader motivates, doesn’t mislead, doesn’t exploit.

If you notice, the values that we are learning (embodying) in our
community are helping us become better leaders. We should motivate
others and not mislead or exploit them. Can you imagine this type of
leadership in the workplace? Can you imagine a boss (or being the kind
of boss) who motivates with truth and honesty and desires your (
employee’s) ultimate good? What ripple effect would that have on
companies and careers?

What about at home? The best way I know to motivate my wife is to
serve her. She especially loves acts of service. She loves when I help
clean up the house, do the dishes or make sure the kids are bathed and
put to bed. When I serve my wife this way she lights up like a star.
When she gets “Mommy time” and is able to enjoy solitude and recharge
her batteries-she comes home not feeling mislead and exploited but
cherished.

With my brothers-it is the practice of continued honesty, taking my
turn on the mat, bringing current sin to confession-this keeps me from
misleading or exploiting my friends.

As a father, apologizing to my son and daughters when I sin against
them, deposits in them a gift that Dad is leading and loving with
authenticity and not rhetoric. Bottom line: leading with honest
weakness and current struggle will ensure that I am not exploiting and
misleading the people around me.

I'm Drinking Lettuce

Yes, you read that right.  I'm drinking romaine lettuce chopped up in a blender mixed with distilled water.  Why would I do such a crazy thing?!  Well, my father-in-law was prescribed to do this from a natural doctor this year as he was not losing weight and feeling overall drained, worn down and tired every day.  After he drank 4 oz every 2-3 hours of the concoction each day for a week, he began to notice a huge difference in his energy level.  After 3 weeks, he noticed he was losing weight too.  I'm not sure how long he continued drinking the stuff, but it worked for him.  He looks great and he has a lot more energy. 

I decided to do some research on this via Google.  I found several links to blogs that explain what happens when you drink the stuff.  Here they are:

The KeelyNet Blog

Jessie X

Apparently, the health benefits are phenomenal.  My cels get a good cleansing and cholesterol has no way of sticking in my blood.  So far so good. 

Drive Yourself Further

"The man who will drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win." - Roger Bannister (the man who first broke the 4-minute mile mark)

The Great Life

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: . . Let not your heart be troubled."

John 14:27

Whenever
a thing becomes difficult in personal experience, we are in danger of
blaming God, but it is we who are in the wrong, not God, there is some
perversity somewhere that we will not let go. Immediately we do,
everything becomes as clear as daylight. As long as we try to serve two
ends, ourselves and God, there is perplexity. The attitude must be one
of complete reliance on God. When once we get there, there is nothing
easier than living the saintly life; difficulty comes in when we want
to usurp the authority of the Holy Spirit for our own ends.

Whenever you obey God, His seal is always that of peace, the
witness of an unfathomable peace, which is not natural, but the peace
of Jesus. Whenever peace does not come, tarry till it does or find out
the reason why it does not. If you are acting on an impulse, or from a
sense of the heroic, the peace of Jesus will not witness; there is no
simplicity or confidence in God, because the spirit of simplicity is
born of the Holy Ghost, not of your decisions. Every decision brings a
reaction of simplicity.

My questions come whenever I cease to obey. When I have
obeyed God, the problems never come between me and God, they come as
probes to keep the mind going on with amazement at the revelation of
God. Any problem that comes between God and myself springs out of
disobedience; any problem, and there are many, that is alongside me
while I obey God, increases my ecstatic delight, because I know that my
Father knows, and I am going to watch and see how He unravels this
thing.

by Oswald Chambers
taken from "My Utmost For His Highest" daily devotional book.

Walmart.com Offers Quietime Christmas for $7.00

For a limited time only, Quietime Christmas will be available via Walmart.com for $7.00.  Check it out along with all the other seasonal titles offered.

Of course, you can buy it at Lifeway Christian Stores, Amazon.com, and download it on iTunes too.

Quietime Christmas at Walmart.com for $7.00

For a limited time only, Quietime Christmas will be available via Walmart.com for $7.00.  Check it out along with all the other seasonal titles offered.

Of course, you can buy it at Lifeway Christian Stores, Amazon.com, and download it on iTunes too.

Andre Agassi Open

In the last month, two of the sports figures I've admired most as a casual sports-a-holic, have had 'coming out' parties.  One was forced upon him - Tiger Woods.  I'll probably write a post about him later.  For now, I want to focus on Andre Agassi.  The latest chapter in his story ends happily (which is how I think Tiger's will end too).  No news article summarizes how I feel more than this one from Rick Reilly.  I hope you'll read it. 

I first saw Andre in one of his first tournaments at age 16.  He went to the semi-finals and lost to McEnroe there, but I've been a fan of his ever since.  As a tennis player, I admired his return game.  And now, in real life, his return from a seemingly hopeless situation is inspiring.

I plan on reading "Open" by Andre Agassi over Christmas break. 

Thanks Andre - for modeling hope and true manhood in the face of no hope and adversity.

Purchase Quietime Links

To buy Quietime CDs, you have several options. 

1. Go to any Lifeway Store in your area (there are over 140 across the country) and they will all be at the front counter when you check out. 

2. Visit Amazon.com and there are plenty available or

3. Visit Target.com and you'll be able to find them there.

To purchase Quietime music via digital download, simply visit iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody or Amazon.com and download all three Quietime albums: Quietime Devotion, Quietime Hymns and Quietime Christmas.

Great deals - peaceful music.

The Magic of Thinking Big

Excerpt from Dan Miller, 48 Days Newsletter:

"I don't know of anything that can inspire, encourage, motivate and release a higher level of success than reading good books. Many books are worth re-reading. Here's one written in 1959 that I like to read at least once every year. In his little classic book, The Magic of Thinking Big, David Schwartz provides 5 simple actions to help us feel more confident and accomplish more:

1. Be a front seater. Sitting up front builds confidence.

2. Practice eye contact. Looking the other person in the eye tells him, I'm honest and confident."

3. Walk 25% faster. Psychologists link slovenly postures and sluggish walking to unpleasant attitudes towards oneself, work and the people around us. The extremely beaten people, the real down-and-outers, just shuffle and stumble along. They have zero confidence. The walk of a confident person tells the world, "I've got someplace important to go, something important to do." Throw your shoulders back, lift up your head, move ahead just a little faster and feel self-confidence grow.

4. Practice speaking up. As you speak up, you add to your confidence. It's a confidence building vitamin.

5. Smile big. Try to feel defeated and smile big at the same time. You can't do it. A big smile gives confidence. A big smile beats fear, rolls away worry, defeats despondency.

Lou Holtz says he was given this book as a 47 yr.-old unemployed high school coach. It transformed his thinking. He listed 100 things he wanted to do before he died. Last I heard he had accomplished 97 of those goals. I wonder what it could do for you.

Dedication Video for our Daughter

The song was written specifically for our girl, Anthem, and recorded by my wife as a demo. It's called "You Could Only Come From Heaven".

Google Wave

I'm never on top of the latest trends.  I still don't have a DVR and, yes, I don't have an iPhone <GASP!>!  Yes, it's true.  I bought Vinyl records until 1990.  I just started blogging in 2008. I've never been ahead of the curve.

But, I am excited to check out the new Google Wave.  Maybe I'll be ahead of the curve on this one.

Joy

I have a couple of guys I meet with on a regular basis. We've been checking in lately with each other with an emotion that we're feeling right then.  The emotion choices are: Fear, Joy, Anger and Sadness.  We have to pick one and explain why.  We get right to the heart of the issues of our lives.  Needless to say, I'm grateful for these guys and the conversations we have usually impact me for hours or days afterwards. 

Today, I felt joy.  When you say 'joy', usually not much more needs to be said after that.  This time the guys asked me why I felt joy?  I said I was joyful because I was happy with the decisions I had been making lately.  I went on to describe that I felt joyful also because I was letting more things go and not putting too much pressure on myself.  I have fewer goals and that's helped me. 

As I thought about it later in the car on the way home, I began to ask myself.  What is real joy? Is it the joy we feel about ourselves?  Or is it the Joy of the Lord, as mentioned in the bible?  What is true joy?  I can't say that I've felt true joy very often.  Rare.  When I do, it's usually full of love, not a care in the world and an overall burdenless or light feeling.  I can say what I'm feeling is on the path to true joy though.  On the way to joy.  I'd rather be on the way to joy than anger, sadness or fear. 

iTunes Reviews Needed

If you're a regular user of iTunes and enjoy Quietime music, would you take a few minutes to write a review at iTunes.  Just click here and you'll be taken directly to one of the Quietime titles.  The more reviews and feedback they get, the more visibility we get for the Quietime brand.  I appreciate this so much!!

Quietime Hymns - Top Instrumental Album in Christian Bookstores this week

Thanks to Lifeway Christian Stores, Quietime Hymns
became the top selling instrumental album of the week in Christian
bookstores for the week ending 9/20/09.  Combined Quietime Hymns and Quietime Devotion, scanned over 320 units in sales, according to CMTA's Nielsen Soundscan.  Quietime Christmas releases this week in stores nationally. 

Quietime Hymns - Top Instrumental Album in Christian Bookstores this week

Thanks to Lifeway Christian Stores, Quietime Hymns became the top selling instrumental album of the week in Christian bookstores for the week ending 9/20/09.  Combined Quietime Hymns and Quietime Devotion, scanned over 320 units in sales, according to CMTA's Nielsen Soundscan.  Quietime Christmas releases this week in stores nationally. 

What's In Your Wallet?

Last night I finally did it.  I took out everything that wasn't necessary from my wallet and only kept the most important stuff.  What I took out was over an inch in height when I stacked it all together!  WOW, no more back pain...and no more Seinfeld, George Costanza jokes!  What's in your wallet?

First Wave

My little girl made her first actual attempt at a wave today.  Anthem is 5 and 1/2 months old.  She was in her Mommy's arms and she looked over at me and smiled/laughed really big like she always does.  Then, she lifted her arm and twisted her wrist back and forth to wave at me.  I wanted to see if it was an accident, so I looked at her again, smiled and waved.  She smiled and did the same waving motion again.  It was so cute.  I did it a third time, this time with her older brother, Kaden's help.  Sure enough, she smiled and waved again.  There you go, another one of Anthem's firsts.  Another Anthem milestone.

Nobody's Got It All Together

Every now and then (almost daily) I need to be reminded that nobody else has it all together - why should I?

NOBODY'S GOT IT ALL TOGETHER
By Jill Phillips and Andy Gullahorn

Working hard to tie up the loose ends

So hard to decide who you let in

Put your best foot forward with a grin

I can see the fear behind your eyes

Wondering if someone will recognize

You’ve grown tired of keeping up the lies

Don’t whitewash the truth about yourself ‘cause

Nobody’s got it all together

If you want to be like everyone else well

Nobody’s got it all together

I have seen the darkness of my heart

And found a love that taught me its too hard

To walk through life and not let down my guard

What good is it to say please savior come

If there is nothing you need rescue from

Life is something no one has a corner on

Don’t whitewash the truth about yourself ‘cause

Nobody’s got it all together

If you want to be like everyone else well

Nobody’s got it all together

When the parts that are self righteous

Start to disappear

Every other life is

Just another mirror

And life is way too short to run and hide

Don’t whitewash the truth about yourself ‘cause

Nobody’s got it all together

If you want to be like everyone else well

Nobody’s got it all together

(c) 2004 Juvintud Music / St. Jerome Music (ASCAP)