Alex Suber

In late July, I took the trip of a lifetime to spend two weeks in Sydney, Australia. I wanted to see and do as much as possible. Most of my days consisted of leisurely walks through old neighborhoods, popping into cafes for a quick flat-white, meeting new friends and exploring the city. Since before my trip, I knew that I wanted to walk across the iconic Sydney Harbor Bridge. It stands 161 ft above the water, connecting North and South Sydney. I wait until the last few days to try and walk across so, it was now or never.

That morning as I was getting dressed and drinking some coffee , I noticed a slight problem. The weather was the worst it had been for my entire trip. It had gone from sunny with a cool breeze, to rainy with shivering cold winds. However, I was determined to walk across the bridge and knew that this was the only day that my schedule would allow it. So, after borrowing an umbrella from a friend, I set out on my journey.

This being only my second week in Sydney, I used my phone to locate the best route to the bridge. It was a lot longer than I had expected. After a 30-minute bus ride and walks through random neighborhoods and construction sites, I had made it. Now, all I had to do was walk across. I was already tired and the weather on the bridge had only gotten worse.

I walked and walked, stopping periodically to take pictures. As I continued, soaked in water from head to toe, I began to question what exactly I was doing. I could have been back with my friends in the comfort of an apartment, or at a cafe sipping warm hot chocolate. Instead, I was out in the cold getting soaking wet. For what? So that I could say I did it? Or get some good pictures for Instagram? Was it worth it? I began to think that my best option was to turn around and head back home. I looked at my phone to find the nearest bus station and calculated how long it would be before I could change and get warm. In that moment, I caught myself. It was such a simple goal that I had set out to accomplish, yet I was contemplating turning around and never completing it. I think this just might be a reflection of what we go through so often in life.  

How often have you wanted to do something, planned it out, maybe even started but then gave up? Maybe you signed up for a gym, bought all new workout clothes and a fitness tracker, yet gave up after a few weeks. Or what about that business idea you had that you knew was going to be huge but you backed out last minute? We all have these ideas, hopes, and adventures that we dream about. Maybe we've even begun taking the steps to accomplish them yet there is always a point where we want to turn back.

We want to turn back because it’s comfortable. No matter how bad the situation may be, it's more comfortable than stepping out into the unknown, proverbial cold, wet, dark day. It reminds me of another cold, wet day many years ago. In the Gospel of Matthew, we read the story of Peter and his amazing step into the unknown. For Peter, he was physically stepping onto the water to walk out to Jesus. He began to walk on water (crazy I know) but then something happens. He starts to sink. Before it's too late, he cries out to Jesus to be saved and Jesus saves him.  

The miracle is that Peter walked on water, which is amazing. He stepped out into the unknown and did something extremely brave. Although, somewhere between where he was and where he wanted to be (where Jesus was standing) he began to doubt himself and therefore began to sink. So quickly we can begin to doubt what we are doing and soon after we start sinking. Suddenly we find ourselves underwater, even though we were just doing something that was impossible. This is when we begin to wish that we had just stayed where we were. We begin to think about how things could’ve been if we had just stayed on our boat and in our comfort zone.  

Something about the flipping of a calendar from one year to the next, or let’s be honest- our iPhone date changing, causes us to have this incredible feeling of newness. It’s almost as if when the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, that anything is possible. We forget about things that happened the year before and look ahead. You’ll hear people talking about their New Year’s resolutions or maybe how this is going to be “their year.” Gym’s are full and the world just seems to be set right.

Well, there’s one small problem- the world isn’t right. For a moment we feel relief and imagine how much better this year is going to be. That is understandable. I think we all want a better year than 2015, it’s been a crazy year for the world. Unfortunately 2015 was a year of terrorists attacks, a confusing political climate and active shooters almost everyday. But popping fireworks and kissing a loved one doesn’t change anything. We still have to wake up and go to work or go back to school in a couple weeks. We still have projects and assignments from 2015. We still have debts. We still have dysfunctional relationships. Where is the change?!

It’s pretty simple- the change is in you. While we all wish there was a cinderella-esque moment that transforms everything, it doesn’t happen. You don’t need a fairy godmother to transform your life, you just need to decide that you are ready for change. You need to realize that you are the change! It is both affirming and scary, because it means you and I are responsible for what happens this year. From human rights to politics, it’s up to us. It’s beautiful and we are all going to mess things up, it’s just who we are. Don’t stop when you mess up! Imagine this- what if we woke up every day with the attitude that we had on January 1st. That anything is possible, that good things will happen, that we can accomplish our dreams. We can! Everyday can be a fresh start, you can put the past behind you and look forward.

I love to experience cultures that are different from mine, whether that means traveling abroad or going to have dinner in a different neighborhood than I usually do. I love to do this, simply because I love the diversity of people- how we may be more in common than we think, yet we walk it out so differently. This bleeds over into every area of my life, I love learning new things and finding out how other people do things. I especially love experiencing the culture and practices of a new church(by new I mean one that I have yet to experience, not new as in years established).

With every different church there are, of course, challenges and things that could be improved on. I believe that just like you can learn something from every culture, you can in the same way learn something from every church. Recently, I was at the first official service of a new church. The service was electric! The Holy Spirit was moving throughout the worship and the sermon was both challenging and inspiring. The service, though it was amazing, is not what stuck out to me most about the culture of the church. The thing that struck me was something that was said to the team members before any of the churchgoers arrived.

These volunteers, some arriving as early as 6am, are some of the hardest working church leaders that I have ever met. They have to set up all of their kids areas, create their stage designs, put up speakers and projection systems, and set up their welcome center in the foyer- it’s a lot of work to say the least. Before every service all of these amazing leaders gather just before the crowd arrives. They have a time of prayer and encouragement and a little time to get pumped up.

Since this was their first service, they didn’t really know how many people to expect but they wanted to be prepared for any amount. Since it was possible that the auditorium would be full that day, the pastor looked at the volunteer team and said, “Be prepared to give up your seat.”  I don’t think this was in the pastor’s notes or that he meant it to be that weighty of a statement, but it spoke volumes to me.

This was a great day for that church, but I think that the principle of giving up your seat applies to so much more than church services. As leaders, we are called to “give up our seats” in many areas of life. Giving up your seat means sacrifice and as a leader, at some point we’re going to have to make some sacrifices. No one likes sacrifice, but if you want to help others- you have to give up something so that they can receive something. These leaders could have had the mindset of “I arrived here at 6am, I help this service happen, I deserve this seat,” but they didn’t say that. They realized that it is not about them. The whole reason they sacrificed their time and sleep, was for the people they would have to give their seat to. I often see leaders who will sacrifice to a point but then begin to think they deserve something because they have sacrificed. If you think you deserve something after a sacrifice, then that was not a sacrifice.

Leadership is all about sacrifice, especially if you are a Christian leader. It is easy for leaders to ask others to sacrifice, so that the leader can elevate themselves, but this “do whatever it takes to get to the top” mentality is not the mindset of a great leader. Sure, they may climb a corporate or political ladder, but no one remembers these leaders. Nelson Mandela, one of the greatest leaders of the 20th Century, who sacrificed his whole life for the freedom of his people, said this about leadership and sacrifice: "Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people." Of course, Mandela was talking about ending apartheid in South Africa, but all leaders are freeing people in some way.  

Like Mandela and the many others that gave their lives to end apartheid, we must give our lives to lead people into freedom. While I believe in fighting for the political freedom of all people groups, I am not talking about a physical freedom but a spiritual one. Jesus, our ultimate leadership guru, gives us the example of what it is like to give your life for someone’s freedom. I am not talking about martyrdom, but I am talking about sacrifice.

They say there’s no rest for the weary, and I’m finding out how true that is. We live in a world where if you are not constantly working and striving to do more, then something is wrong with you. If you are not always producing or creating then you are lazy. If you are not always connected and interacting on social media then you are anti-social. We're not resting like we should. We are out of balance. This is a problem, and something I struggle with immensely. In fact, I think a lot more people struggle with it that they would like to admit. I find it amusing and almost comical that so many others are beginning to speak about it. As if it is a common thing that the Spirit is speaking to the Church. Pastor Judah Smith of The City Church recently preached a sermon on resting and finding balance in life, title “Rhythms of Grace.” (I totally stole his title, but he got it from the Bible so that’s legal. Right?)

Pastor Judah’s message really hit home with me. I think in our culture rest has become a dirty word. We are busier than ever before and in ways that are possibly more mentally straining that ever before. Back in the “good ‘ole days” you could work your job and then go home. You left your work at the office and would return to it later, times are totally different now. Now you are constantly connected, you have to always be on alert and always be on point or you will be ostracized. And on top of all that- you have social media. A recent study, says that we check our phones close to 150 times a day. This is exhausting. 

I honestly don’t think tired is a proper word for what many of us experience on a daily basis, I think mental fatigue is a much better description. We’re worn out, we’ve been stretched too far for too long, but often it’s our own faults. We have been so accustomed to striving to be better, faster, stronger that we lose sight of finding peace in the moment. Always living in the future and it wears you down. It’s what will cause you to be tired and worn out. So what do we do when we’re worn out? Coffee. 

We all have a coping mechanism, but it only last for so long. Then you fall right back into the routine of feeling like you are drowning in work, that you’ll never reach your dream because you've already wasted too much time, or you need to work harder so that you can be like “them.” After awhile you can become very cynical and wonder if there is really a point. “Why am I just running in circles?” you may ask. That is a dangerous place to be and unfortunately many of us can become this way not only with  our outlook on business and personal life, but also our outlook of God and His Church. You can get tired of doing the same old things and getting no-where.

Jesus knew this would happen. That is why He said this recored in Matthew 11:28-30

28 "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. 29 Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 30 Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.” (The Message)

So you see Jesus has given us a way out of this worn-out, cynical worldview. It’s Him. You’ll get burnt out so quick if you don't position yourself to be focused on God. We have to begin thinking in a way that all we do must be an offering to God. All that we do must be in alignment with His will. This is when we will begin to see satisfaction in the things we do. When we follow after God, he’ll make sure we get the rest we need to do the things He has called us to do. When we begin to walk in what God has called us to do, we will gain a supernatural rest. What should we do when we're worn out? Run to Jesus.

Now a lot of you are probably thinking: “I’m in alignment, I pray, I go to church, what more can I do?”

You may need a sabbath. That’s a really church-y word for a time that you intentionally set aside for resting. We see this in Genesis when God rested after He created the world. He didn't go straight in to the next project and he didn't immediately start improving His work. He stopped and looked at all He had done and enjoyed it. If God who isn't contained within the confines of time and doesn't need to rest, rested; you probably should too. But what does it mean to really rest? Do we really have time for that? 

I recently started living on my own for the first time and I quickly realized that “off time” can actually be translated as “washing clothes” and “sweeping the flooring.” What once was a time of rest and tranquility is now filled with responsibility. So I have had to teach myself to actual rest. To rest doesn't just mean not work. It actually means to recover your strength. Not spending all day watching TV but recovering strength. How you do that depends on your personality. I know some people who like to go on a long run, some like to read, I like to lay down and listen to music in a dark, cool room. 

(Image: Getty Images via BET)

It seems that the over all theme of this summer was hate. Hate in the Middle East, hate in America, and hate in the Church. The world seems as though it is becoming dismantled and the main cause is, destroyed relationships. Relationships are being destroyed because everything is out in the open. Gone are the days when someone could do or say something scandalous and it not be heard around the world. The pseudo-peace that the world once thought existed in The Middle East has dissipated. Racial tensions in the United States similar to the days of Dr. King, that we thought only existed in history books, are raging because of an incident that has been so skewed by the internet and media that no one knows what actually happened. And in the Church there has been a spike of in-church fighting, arguing and accusations. It would seem as if everyone no matter race, social status, geographical location, or religion has had enough of keeping their thoughts to themselves.

They no longer will sit by without their voices being heard. Everyone has an opinion. This can and sometimes is a great thing that because of the internet, especially in the United States, everyone is free to post an opinion on a topic or voice a concern. The problem with this is that most of the people who are posting these opinions have no real connection with the event or person of which they are speaking. They heard about it on huff post, saw an article on Facebook, or watched a video that was taken out of context. What is scary is that regardless to the fact that many times these things can be skewed or fact-less, masses of people will become bent on letting the world know what they think about it.  We've all seen it before: One person will post a link to an article on their twitter, another person reads it but only about halfway and they won't even think about source checking, then they repost it with a very strong opinion. This opinion, which I believe everyone is entitled to have, can quickly turn from an humble statement to a hateful accusation. 

Here's the problem with doing that: it is not helping. That's right. It may seem harsh but it's true, while social media is a great place to raise awareness for good causes and let people know real facts(I have recently done this with regards to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, since I have friends there) it is not a good place to get arguments over things that you have absolutely no say in. I have seen this so much recently in the Church. Christians "correcting" other christians, trying to discredit each other, and many things that could be considered straight libel. I have a term for this, its called "Holy Hate." Why do I say its holy? Well honestly I think it is the exact opposite. I don't think it is holy at all, but many people seem to mask their hate by putting it in the framework of a biblical rebuke. They feel if they are on an assignment, like a modern day crusader. They think what they're doing is a mission from God, that if they could just correct this person that the universe would be put back in balance. But that's just not how it works. 

I know we often think cussing a pastor out in Christianese and throwing 20 scripture we googled at them is going to get them to recant a statement they said, but in reality we all know it's most likely not. Or maybe you think making a statement like "If i could get my hands on them for doing _____,"(which I have seen on my personal Facebook from a Christian) is going to show anyone the light of the gospel- you are severely mistaken. There are some people that do need to be called out for things that they do or say. But if you are having to tell them over twitter or Facebook, you are probably not the one to call them out. If you are truly concerned about a person, and not just jumping on a trend of "holy hate," the best thing you can do is pray they have people in their lives already who can correct them. 

We are all guilty of this. I don't think there is a person who has ever used the internet or social media, who doesn't regret a thing or two they have said. We all make mistakes and say things we shouldn't have, I need as much grace in this area as anyone else. There is not a person in the world who is honest with themselves and says they are completely right in every area of their life. And this isn't something that is new. Father Andrew Pinsent recently said "I think Christians would benefit a lot from just studying their own history more. Many of the questions are not new." Many if not all of the things we struggle with today, Christians of the past have also struggled with. They may have not been on Twitter, but the root cause is still the same. The cause of all this, I believe, is dis-unity. When we as the body of Christ are not unified, everything gets out of whack. When we start seeing people as enemies of what we believe and not brothers and sisters in Christ, it becomes much easier to attack them.  

But when did attacking each other become to norm? God did not call us to attack each other, but instead to be in a relationship with each other. The Bible calls this holy relationship Koinonia,  which can be translated as community or fellowship. We are to have koinonia with both God and our fellow Christians. This relationship joins Christians together so that even when we disagree, we are still unified. Much like we many times feel like we disagree with what God is speaking and yet we follow His will anyways because we are in a relationship with Him.

 Paul in Phillipians 2:1-2 declares this:

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship(koinonia) with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.”

So here's the deal, instead of fighting each other and destroying relationships so that you can have your opinion, lets come together on the higher things, like being unified in one spirit and purpose. Lets come together on love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. You know those radical ideas. What if a post went viral about a pastor teaching on Galatians 5? What if instead of being know as the bigots that always want to argue over the internet, we became know for the things that God actually meant for us to be known for? I think that is when we'll start seeing unity and seeing actual change in the world. When we put aside our agendas and focus on the type of life that God has told us to live. 

Regarding the things that are happening in the world today, we must stand as a unified people. If all we are doing is fighting against each other- we’re not affecting the world around us. No one will take us seriously when we try to share the Gospel if we don't even take each other seriously. If we demean each other, how can we be known as a people whose God’s message is an undeserving love? 

Blogging is not a new thing, but over the last couple years it has reached new heights of participation. It seems that everyone, including myself, has a blog or a vlog. And it’s a wonderful thing. You can learn new things like how to build a coffee table or take better pictures, keep up with the latest trends, or experience new places through other peoples travels. The one thing about blogging is that anyone can do it. Basically, as long as you have an internet connection and some kind of device to type words with, you can do it. 

This is both good and bad.

It is a great tool for people to produce an array of content, but it is also an open format for people to say whatever they want, whenever they want, good or bad.  

The problem I have with blogging is that a lot of times it is very negative. Now, I’m not saying that all blogs are negative or that they even mean to be, but a lot are. Many times these blogs are "speaking the truth in love" or “just doing reporting.” While that can sometimes be helpful, it seems to me they are just stating their biased, baseless opinions. This is gossip. And it surprises me that one of the areas I see this the most is in the Christian blogosphere.

A lot of these blogs claim they are just trying to make us aware so that we can help the person, know about their issue, and pray for them. It's a little like the old adage about the church-goers telling all of someone’s business, but being sure to end it with “I just told you so you can pray for them.”  This is a problem, and something that we need to bring to the light. 

Maybe you don't know what I’m talking about. Over the last several weeks, there has been a lot of buzz in the evangelical Christian community. Some of it very helpful, such as information on the ongoing atrocities in Iraq. Others were not so helpful, if anything they made the Church look divided and misinformed. 

There were two big stories that broke out, and I'm sure if you were on the internet at all you heard about these stories that everyone seemed to have an opinion about. 

Firstly, a well known band, one that has played at Christian conferences and churches, made a statement that many declared to be unbiblical and heresy. I’ve heard both ends of the spectrum on this one. I have heard some calling for their Christian music awards to be taken away and some being totally accepting of their views. I think it's good to find balance between these two points of view, but that’s not what this is about. 

And secondly, a well-known pastor from Seattle and his church were removed from a church-planting network that he co-founded. The reasons were not given, other than he has been acting in ways that do not properly represent Christ. They have also asked for his removal from pastoral leadership of his church. I have followed this pastor for a couple years now and know that he has always been a bit edgy. But I have no idea what has been going on with him personally, so I can honestly not give insight. 

All that being said I have a question for you. Do you think that blogging could be the new form of gossiping? Blogging has become the new norm over the last 5-10 years. It's been around longer but now it seems that everyone has a blog. And since it's on the internet there are no constraints. People can say whatever they want. No matter if it's based on fact or not.

I know I am guilty of making un-founded comments on the internet, so let’s come together as a community and cut down on the gossip, name calling, and libel that litters the internet today. 

In closing, before reblogging, reposting, or retweeting something please do some research on the actual topic. Not just research what people are saying about the topic.

I’m a pretty simple guy, I find pleasure in little things like listening to a new album or watching a good movie. The funny thing is that often, while I’m listening to music and watching movies, I will hear from God. I know it seems a little odd, but God can use anything right? I’m not talking about while listening to the latest Hillsong album or while watching God’s Not Dead. I’m talking about while listening to the Blogged 50 on Spotify or while watching Braveheart. So I thought I would write my thoughts about songs and movies that aren’t necessarily “worship” songs or “christian” movies but that I feel speak of God and our relationship to Him whether the writers/musicians/directors know it or not. I know that some may be offended by the use of “secular” media to explain the character of God, but I firmly believe in using what is being produced in the entertainment industry to glorify God, even if that wasn’t the original intention. I hope you enjoy these blogs. If you have any feedback to suggests please contact me. 

All of Me

Unless you have been on the Moon the last several months, you’ve probably heard All of Me by John Legend. Its a great love songs in which John Legend sings to an unknown lover about his unconditional love for her. By listening to the song it seems as if they have had some rough spots in their relationship- “Drawing me in, and spitting me out.” But the singer is trying to prove his unending love. The chorus talks about how he loves all her imperfections and how he is giving all of his love- hoping that she will return that love. 

Now I know this just sounds like every other R&B song, but to me it had another meaning. How many times in the Bible do we see God giving all of Himself to us- all His love, all of His blessing, even His own son. We have not been good stewards of this love, instead many of us reject this love. We are the imperfect ones, the ones that should have to beg for his love and mercy, but instead He gave it to us before we could even ask. Romans 5:6-8 has this to say about it. 

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

So you can see that God isn’t some far off being who is separated from humanity. He became human so that He could save us. Even when we were continually rejecting Him(sin) He still loved us enough to die for us. Is there any greater love?1 He has already given all of Himself so that whosoever2 can come and be apart of that love. Don’t be like the person this song is written to, you don’t have to run and reject God’s love. God has already given all of Himself to us, now we must give all of ourselves to Him.

Check out this cover of All of Me by Royal Tailor

In 1989, after nearly 20 years of separation, the people of East Berlin and West Berlin were united as one, once again. The city had been separated for nearly two decades, the East being controlled by The Soviet Union and the West being aligned with NATO. Constant struggle and tension occurred over those years, with many escaping from East Germany and seeking asylum in the West. The United States was very vocal in their disapproval of the wall that separated a once united people. One of the most popular sound bytes ever is of President Ronald Reagan proclaim "Mr. Gorbachev - tear down this wall.” in support of the eradication of the wall. And after years of constant tensions and threats of war, East Germany finally allowed its citizens to travel freely across the border. This was an amazing event, not only for the people of Germany, but for people all over the world. It was an end of an era, sure there was still communism and the USSR did not disband for another two years, but people could see that there was unity on the horizon. 

See the Berlin wall was a physical barrier that separated people, many of us have never experienced something like that, but every day we experience walls that we have built up around us. Walls of racism, walls of social status hierarchy, walls of hates, walls of denominations, and walls of education. See it doesn’t take a sociologist to understand that everyone does this. No matter how tolerant or open you think you are, I guarantee that there is something in your life that you have built a wall around. A certain people group, a certain neighborhood, or a certain church. But if we are to be followers of Christ we must tear down these walls. That’s what Jesus did when He was on Earth, He tore down walls of social status, of race, of gender discrimination. Jesus came in like a wrecking ball.

In Luke 10, Jesus eradicated almost every wall that people in His culture had set up.(If you haven't read Luke 10, I highly recommend it at this point.) Starting in verse 25, Jesus basically ruins every excuse for people who built walls to separate themselves from others. This passage of scripture opens with a man who was an expert in religious law, imagine the ego he had, asking Jesus a trick question. He asked “Teacher, how do I inherit eternal life?” Jesus answers his question with another question “What does the law of Moses say?” The Law of Moses can basically be summer up into two statements: Love the Lord with everything you are, and love your neighbor has yourself. The expert already knew this, so he questioned Jesus further. He asked “So who is my neighbor?” The man was basically trying to get Jesus to say that a certain people group were his neighbors, so that he could ignore loving everyone else. Jesus is too smart for that, He tells a story that eludes to the fact that whoever is in need of our love is our neighbor. It is not a certain person, or group, or in a certain area, but everyone. 

This was mind blowing to the people of Jesus’ day. The fact that they had to help people of other races or religions was completely contradictory to what they had been doing their whole lives. And to take it a step further, Jesus went to a dinner party at two sisters’ house.This in and of its self does not seem that crazy or mind blowing. What is mind blowing is that He allows one of the sisters, Mary, to sit at His feet. To understand the significance you have to understand a little something about ancient Jewish culture. Jesus was considered to be a Rabbi, that is why the man earlier addressed him as “teacher,” and to “sit at someones feet” was an expression used to mean that you were learning from that person. But heres the problem, women weren’t allowed to learn the rabbinical teachings, it was reserved for men. 

For the last month, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to serve as an intern at Coastlife Church in sunny Venice, Florida. Coastlife Church was relaunched about three and a half years ago by Pastor Jason Warman and his wife Heidi. And let me just say, what they have accomplished in that short time is simply amazing. Starting with just a few people and limited resources, Coastlife has overcome those odds and is now a life-giving, life-changing church. 

The time I have spent at Coastlife so far has been filled with amazing services, strategizing Easter promotions and services, a quick trip to IKEA, attending gathering with other churches and ministers, and Sunday afternoon beach volleyball games.(Coastlife has three packed-out services on Sunday morning, but I affectionately call our volleyball meet-ups the "fourth service.")

One of the greatest things about having the opportunity to travel to different churches and intern with DLI is getting to meet so many amazing people. I often get to spend one on one time with pastors who share their wisdom and experience with me, as well as attend meetings such as the Association of Related Churches Exchange a few weeks ago in Orlando. This, to me, has beenan unparalleled aspect about my time spent in DLI. The fact that I get to learn from other people and soak up information and ideas is invaluable. I think we often spent a lot of time reinventing the wheel, trying to find answers to problems that have already been solved. Call it arrogance, call it ignorance, call it whatever but I call it counterproductive. Instead of trying to redo what those who have gone before have accomplished, I think it is important we begin to build on the work that previous generations have accomplished for Christ. 

I can remember it like it was yesterday: the day I was finally getting an iPhone. Up until that point in my life, I used handed down phones and the abomination known as “Android.” So there I was ordering my new, white iPhone 4. I could already see in my mind all the crisp photos I would take with the 5MP camera. I knew what apps I would download. And of course, I would finally be a part of Team Apple. It was a magical day. 

But the magical fairy dust, that covered my iPhone, didn’t last long. I can’t remember if it was when I got my first scratch on it, or when the 4s came out, or possibly when I  shattered the entire screen, but at some point that iPhone just wasn’t magical anymore. I wanted something new, and as you know Apple always has "new." 

Apple is notorious for putting out faster, slimmer, and all around better products about two months after you finally save the money to buy the last thing they put out.  They are always leaving us wanting more. And you have to give it to their marketing team, even though we know we don’t need it, we still want it. 

See, I had what I needed but I no longer had what I wanted.

It is the inherent nature of humans to always want more than we need. I don’t need a $175 shirt from a European specialty shop, but I want it. I don't need a new car, but I wouldn’t mind a Range Rover. I’m fairly certain I’m not telling you anything new. You see this in your every day life. We see what we want and we take it. But after we finally get what we thought was so desperately needed, the desperation turns to boredom. It’s on to bigger and better things. 

How many times in our lives have we so desperately needed something from God-a miracle, an answered prayer, or help growing our church-but after He does it, we often celebrate but quickly start asking for new things?

I have recently realized in my life that I am always asking God for the next thing, and it’s not always selfish things. I often ask Him for healing in someone's life, or for growth in a church, or for a better understanding of His Word. But I rarely go back and thank God specifically for the prayers that He has already answered. I continually thank Him for my salvation and for what He has done in my life, but rarely do I recall specific answered prayers. 

For example, when I was pretty young, about 6 or 7, I was almost completely deaf in my right ear. My parents thought that I was ignoring them when they would ask me something, but I simply couldn’t hear. Then one night I had a dream about my ear being healed. I woke up and my right ear was completely restored. Crazy I know, but it happened. 

I am ashamed to say but often I forget about this substantial answered prayer. How different would my life be today if I was completely deaf in one ear or possibly both? But we usually don’t think that way. We think “That’s great, now can you do this for me too?” We have to come to the realization that God is not some random guy, doing us a solid when He answers our prayers. He is continuing in the relationship He already has with us. That relationship is a two-way street. Cliché I know, but it’s still true. We have to remember all of the things that God has done for us, and continually thank Him for those things. Don’t let the amazingness that you once felt fade away. 

Ok. Ok. Before you burn me at the stake for taking “Christ out of Christmas,” give a minute to explain. If you know me, you would know that I am definitely all about The Christmas season. Spending time with family, exchanging gifts, shopping on Christmas Eve(this is a tradition my Poppy started) and of course who could forget watching National Lampoons’s Christmas Vacation. Like that song goes- these are just a few of my favorite things. But of course the reason we celebrate on December 25th in America is to celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ. This is a Christian holiday but many have adopted simply as a time of family fun and memory making. 

If you know me, you would also know that one thing I cannot tolerate is ignorant rants on the internet. I have a personal rule not to get involved with correcting people because honestly it’s not really worth it. Correcting people on Facebook and Twitter could literally be a full time job. That being said, if you have been on any social media for any amount of time lately or even just driven around a city in the Bible Belt, you will see the campaign “Keep Christ in Christmas” or “It’s OK to say Merry Christmas” everywhere. I have seen many people on the internet and in real life who it seems like they will disown you, or at least unfollow you, if you even hint at saying Happy Xmas. Usually these are well meaning Christians who think that by saying Xmas you are saying that Christ should no longer be the reason for the season. This is honestly wrong. There is the other side who really don’t want Christ in Christmas and think that by saying Xmas, they are effectively taking Him out of it. This is also equally wrong. 

Xmas is a commonly used abbreviation for Christmas. Abbreviation, not a replacement. Xmas literally means Christmas. Don’t believe me? Ok. Just keep reading.

In English we say Christ, but as you probably already know the writers of the Bible did not speak English. They spoke and wrote in a form of Greek. So, the original way that “Christ” was written was Χριστος which in English is translated as Christos or Christ. A couple hundred years after the Bible was written, we find Constantine using the the greek letters Χρ with his armies’ standards that were carried into battle. He did this thinking it would give him special favor with God. This is the first time we see the X used for abbreviations. Skip forward to around 1100 A.D. when an Anglo-Saxon writer used the words Xp̄es mæsse, meaning Christ Mass. Yes, as in a Catholic mass. He didn’t quite say Xmas but you can start to see where this is going.

From the mid 1500s to now, the use of Xp̄es mæsse has changed to Xmas. This is simply because people knew that the X was short hand for Xp̄es meaning Christ. Calling Christians “Xtians" was also common. This type of short hand has been very popular for the last several hundred years. Mainly because of well educated Englishmen who knew Greek. Mr. Radcliff of Plymouth even used a similar type of short hand to write the Lord’s Prayer like this “Our Fth wch rt n hvn ; hlwd b y Nm Y Kgdm cm Y wl b dn n rth z it s n Hvn.” And people are still using X as an abbreviation for “Chri” or “Chris” today. If you are a fan of The Voice(which I am) you would know that Christina Aguilera’s team is called Team Xtina, a short way of saying Christina.

So that’s it. Xmas is not some made up, non-Christian term. It’s actually just as correct as saying Christmas. But if you want to be really holy you can walk around telling people “Merry Xp̄es mæsse.” Totally joking. People will probably think you’re crazy. Let’s be honest. There is no point in Christians putting other people down or getting in arguments over something as simple as this. And if you are reading this as a non-Christian, I would like to apologize. In a time that should be about celebrating one of our most core beliefs as Christians, the birth of Christ, some Christians forget about our other beliefs. Such as love and patience. Please do not allow the ignorance of some to define the whole.

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

One is Evil – It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good – It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed the most.”