Do We Pursue God’s Blessing And Not His Heart?
Where is my focus?  Is it only in how my faith impacts my own life and my family?  If I were to take an honest look at how my prayer life has been, I’d say it’s selfish.  ”God, please bless my children.  Help them grow up to know you.  Please bless my marriage and help Julianne and I keep our focus on you.”  Don’t get me wrong, these are great prayers to ask but do these really get at the heart of God?  Where is my prayer about what God is calling me to do in this life with my resources and time?

 Let’s put some context around this.  Do you consider yourself rich?  I originally thought I wasn’t especially when you put it in the context of the country we live in.  What if you put it in the context of the entire world?  Did you know that my family is in the TOP 0.49% of the richest people in the world?  In the world!  Wow!  If I’m so rich, what am I doing with my money?  Who is being blessed by it other than me?  This doesn’t just have to be about money either.  Where are you spending your time?

As Christians, if we were to truly follow the heart of God, we’d be doing more.  A lot more because what I’m doing now isn’t enough.

Faith Alone Saves But Faith Is Never Alone.
What I’m talking about is more than doing things.  This is about taking to heart the idea that someone loved me enough to pay the ultimate price for my sins so that I can share that love with my family AND OTHERS.

“We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 NIV)

This is about believing in Someone I can’t see.  Trusting my wife and my kids to Someone I can’t see.  Surrendering my entire life to Someone I can’t see.  It’s called faith for a reason and at some point you just have to believe.  I’d rather take the risk of believing in God than not at all because if that can help me become a better husband, father, friend and co-worker then it certainly is worth it to me and to those that I am in relationship with on a daily basis.

I believe that my faith in God has saved me but I can’t just rest on that.  I need to live out the “We love” part of the verse above and that is why faith is never alone.  If I really believed what I’ve just written and if I believe that what the Bible says is true, then my faith is going to be accompanied by action.

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.  But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. (James 2:14-18 NIV)

This Is What Is Missing…
Now comes the part where I ask you all to keep me honest.  This is where I actually tell you what I’m thinking about doing and in all honesty, it scares the crap out of me.  Two things keep coming up in my life:

1. Foster Care and/or Adoption
2. Going on a mission trip

These are things that I’m digging into this year.  I’m going to take that first step in each one of those things and commit to following a nudge from God (through others) and seeing where it takes me.  I have no idea where all of this will lead but what I do know is that I can take comfort in knowing that I’ll be doing more for my faith and my family by stepping out of my comfort zone and following the heart of God and serving others.

To The Skeptics…
Some of you might think I’m crazy.  Thank you.  What I’m hoping this does is motivate you to look at your own beliefs and decide if the God I believe in is worth your time.  I’m more determined than ever to live out my faith and let it be a way to have a dialogue with people that might not believe.  You all are out there.  I see it in my Facebook News Feed every day.  I know I’m not going to miraculously convert all of you by the Bible verses I generally post.  I am certainly not going to debate you on matters of politics and religion.  What I am going to do is attempt to live the best life I can that is based on the life of Jesus Christ and the things He did when He was here on earth.

To My Fellow Christians…
Take this to heart and evaluate your own faith.  Is there something missing?  I challenge you to found what your mission in life is and follow it.  More than likely you are only scratching the surface of what your life is all about.  Take a moment and listen.  Keep your eyes open.  Be aware of God’s will for your life and follow it.  If all of us did that, the church could radically change the world as we know it…brick by brick.

If you’re wondering where all of this is coming from, take a look at the video below.  If you’re interested in seeing this series yourself, I invite you to go to Kensington Church and check it out.  In the five years that I’ve been going there with my family, this series will be a catalyst for my faith and how live out my life moving forward.

What about you?  What’s missing in your life?

In my mind, there is a difference between Christianity and Religion and this video from Jefferson Bethke gets at the heart of it.

It’s funny that this video came right after I had read the verse below.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

Can you find power in weakness?

1. A Hopeful Change For The Better
2. Are You Smarter Than A Second Grader
3. Maybe Glenn Beck Was Right
4. I’m A Christian And I’m Sorry
5. Moments
6. How Are You Leading
7. This You.  That You.
8. Throwing Stones First – Ask Questions Later
9. See You Next Year @TEDxDetroit
10. Live It.  Teach It.
11. Look What Happened In 7 Days
12. Peace On Earth

So there it is.  My Top 12 for 2011.  As I was looking back, it was also great to see the posts from other father’s I asked to guest blog for me in my By Dads, For Dads series.  I loved where this was going and look forward to bringing it back even stronger in 2012.

It’s been a great year and I thank all of you for stopping by.  Happy New Year and blessings to each of you and your families in 2012!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~ Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

If you were to ask me a few years ago if I liked minivans, I would have looked at you like you were crazy.  There was no way you’d catch me in the stereotypical family vehicle of choice.  That was until I had 4 kids of my own and a wife that extolled the benefits of said minivan.

As luck would have it, my good friends Charlie and Elena Wollborg suggested The Suburban Collection and I connect for another one of their test drives.  Charlie and Elena drove a Cadillac SRX earlier this summer through this program and they were kind enough suggest me to Dan Boismier, head of all things digital at Suburban Collection.  I picked up the keys on Friday to a 2012 Chrysler Town and Country and had the van for our weekend trip to northern Michigan.

First things first.
The van completely suits our family’s needs.  I posted on Facebook that I liked it.  I had a friend tell me that there are other vehicles that seat 8 comfortably.  True, but what makes a van desirable for us are automatic sliding doors so the kids can easily get in and out and easily putting my 3 year old in his car seat.  The sliding doors ease the worry of my  7 year old throwing doors open without a care for the car that happens to be right next to me.  The other basic need…CARGO ROOM.  Chrysler has always had fold flat seats which also allows for more cargo room than most vans.  A family of 6 (plus a dog) is no small task to pack for and when you do, you end up bringing everything!  Being able to pack everything in the back and leave the passenger area free and clear was fantastic.

It’s the simple things.
Chrysler thought of everything.  The pull up shades on the sliding doors and rear windows.  How great it would have been to have those this summer when the sun was shining right on my kids faces on our many drives up north.  The power windows on the sliding doors!  When we went to the dancing light show near our house, it was great to be able to put down the rear windows so the kids could check it out!  And the dual DVDs.  My how those came in handy on the drive home!  Instead of all 4 kids trying to watch a single small screen, each row had a 9″ screen to watch Mary Poppins!  Even Buddy, pulled up a chair in the back and caught some of the show.

Gadgets Galore.
I like gadgets.  I like technology.  The van had both.  It’s UConnect system, synced my iPhone contacts quickly and made hands free driving easy.  I could also play the music from my phone and stream through the speakers.  Included on this vehicle was its blind zone warning system integrated into the outside rearview mirrors, a common safety function offered on many vehicles but new to me.  It made passing other cars a breeze.  We also had a navigation system to play with and SiriusXM satellite radio.  So many things to make this Town and Country a wonderful ride for 5 days.

What I think I appreciated the most was the program that Dan has started at The Suburban Collection.  This is a great social media platform for dealers to engage in the community and for those participating, a great way for them to meet local dealers in their area.  Dan Wiebelhaus and his team at Suburban Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Troy were fantastic.  They made sure I understood the vehicle before taking it for the weekend and were very welcoming when I returned it this morning.  Kudos to them and their social media test drive platform.

As for Julianne and I, Town and Country will certainly be on our consideration list when we are in market.  We had one before and loved it and I know we’d love it again.  Thanks to Dan, Dan and The Suburban Collection.  Merry Christmas!

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post.  The Suburban Collection did provide me use of the 2012 Chrysler Town & Country you see above for a 5 day test drive.  The opinions expressed here are mine and do not represent the opinions of my employer.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:14 KJV)

I just saw the Christmas service from Kensington Church tonight.  A few thoughts.  The 12 Days of Christmas will never be the same again for me.  I never thought Eminem would make his way into a church service.  I had 80′s flashbacks with Devo.  The arts team at KC is simply amazing.

More than anything, the message was one of significance for me particularly as I continue to reflect on Christmas and what it means to me.  This year, the Kensington team went to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ and brought back a story of hope.  A story of people divided politically and literally by a wall separating Palestine and Israel.  We learned about peace on earth.  We learned about people putting aside their labels and bringing forward their humanity.  A humanity that thinks more about the person rather than trying to change a mind or opinion.

It was a great reminder to me to really focus on the people that I come into contact with on a daily basis and honor them.  Respect them.  Love them.  These are the things that come to mind especially when I hear the words “Peace be with you.”  Jesus Christ was and is the Prince of Peace.  When that offering of peace is made, I feel relief, love, hope, and joy.

Peace is often the forgotten message but it can be the unifying message in any discussion or debate.

This week, I invite you to join my Kensington family and experience the hope and peace that was talked about today.  There are a few of you I’m already thinking about that I believe would really get something out of the message and I’m praying for the right opportunity to invite you.  There is also the opportunity to watch from the comfort of your own home as Kensington will be streaming LIVE all 15 Christmas services from its Troy campus at kensingtonchurch.tv.  Whatever you decide, I invite you to join me and renew your sense of peace with a faith and hope that has given me strength over the last few years.

Merry Christmas.  Peace be with you.

If you’re on Twitter, follow #kensingtonchristmas to see what people are saying!

1. It’s about the Philippines
2. It’s about Coke
3. It’s about the real meaning of Christmas

As we get closer to December 25th, I’m hopeful all of us realize that our families are our greatest gift.  More important than any “thing” we get.  The memories of families are what last and not what we got back in 1982.

Ndamukong Suh has had a rough week.  What began as hope in beating the undefeated Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving suddenly turned to shame and disappointment in Detroit’s up and coming football star.  Things got worse after the game with an “explanation” of behavior that didn’t really sit well with…anyone.  I don’t need to relive the drama from last week.  I think everyone knows about it now.

What I’m more interested in is what lessons can be learned from this.  Two things come to mind.

Own It.
We all make mistakes.  We’re human.  Where most people often get hung up is admitting their mistakes and trying to make excuses.  If you messed up, admit it.  People will see right through the excuses but I’m of the opinion that people will respect you more if you just take responsibility for your actions.

Maturity Matters.
Suh is 24 (soon to be 25) years old.   At that age, are most people ready to lead?  Suh has been given a great responsibility as a member of the Detroit Lions.  Given the recent history of performance, his attitude is what the city of Detroit has needed in order to embrace change and shift in attitude with our Detroit Lions.  He has automatically been given a leadership role but is he ready to grasp it?  Given the events of last week, I’d say not.  This city and this team are prepared to follow him but he’s just not ready.

Unfortunately for Ndamukong Suh, the labels are already being tattooed on him.  The true test will be how he performs after his suspension and how he interacts with his team.  I’m hopeful he has mentors on the team that will take him under their wing and have that man to man talk with him.  In his post game interview, he mentioned “The Man upstairs.”  I’m hopeful he has a faith in God that he can rely on for support.

How he acts on and off the field will be scrutinized now more than ever and people will look to cut him down at the first opportunity.  My hope is that the lessons he learns from this can transform him into one of the most feared defensive linemen in the NFL and one of Detroit’s most revered leaders once his career ends.  If you were to ask me who he should model himself after, I offer you the following example…

Bill Laimbeer got it done.  Revered in Detroit and has 2 NBA championships to show for it.  Ndamukong, time to grow up and learn from a Detroit legend.

Black Friday.  Cyber Monday.  Both of these conjure up images of people doing anything and everything possible to get the best deal and the newest stuff for Christmas.  I don’t have any issue with this.  We all want nice things but does this become the most important thing about Christmas?  Does it become so focused on self indulgence that we lose the meaning of what these holidays really should be about?  Family.  Community.

One thing that I’ve appreciated the most about Kensington Church is its ability to deliver impactful messages that make you think about your life and your purpose.  This holds true each year when they talk about The Christmas Revolution.  As we head into this Christmas season, I invite all of you to participate in something my family will be doing again.  Do something radical with the money you were planning on spending for gifts…spend it on someone in need.

If you’re interested in learning more about this program that has raised over $2 million for people in need, go to www.kensingtonchurch.org/christmas.

This has changed the way my family and I view Christmas each year.  We appreciate everything God has given us.  More importantly, we value the people in this world God has given us the ability to bless financially.  Who knows…if enough people participate, we can make this something to look forward to after Thanksgiving instead of something peppery.

As I watched this, I couldn’t help but be amazed at God’s creation.  No wonder on the 7th day God rested…this is awesome.