Many folks have hard times dealing with some sort of anxiety issues or disorder. Sometimes it can get so bad that it can actually become an “injury.” Here’s an athlete who literally went on the DL (disabled list) and is in Triple-AAA right now rehabbing from his struggles. I wouldn’t think athletes performing day in and day out on the national stage would be so crippled by anxiety. But then again, that is a lot of pressure; and there’s plenty of folks who would love to take your spot.

You’d probably be surprised by those who struggle with high levels of anxiety. I think we all would.

The rate among pastors is pretty high. I bet the rate among most folks dealing with life is also pretty high. Fortunately, we have a Savior who offers to be a refuge and fortress (Psalm 91). Now sometimes anxiety does need to be treated by doctors and counselors, but always in conjunction with the one whose yolk is easy and burden is light (Matthew 11:28). I’ve personally benefited so much from all three resources and so will always have a soft spot in my heart for those dealing with this issue. Unless they play for the Red Sox or NFC South……

Well we’ve toyed with getting rid of our land line because the only calls we get are from tele-marketers, Verizon, our alma maters, and charities we’ve given to the last few years. Now we may do that pretty soon, but for the time being, I think we’ve solved the problem. Instead of answering the phone, I now give it to Connar. Works every time. It’s a win-win, for us at least, because I don’t have to talk and Connar likes to “talk” and press the buttons.

Here are some video resources on community groups that are very thoughtful. This hip Brit avoids calling them “groups” and chooses instead, gospel communities, which do seem a bit different. They are more decentralized, not being primarily centered around a specific weekly /bi-monthly meeting.

While I would still emphasize the importance of a weekly meeting time (more of a both-and deal), I think his emphases on actually living out the gospel with one’s community group is a message we need to hear. We need to think in a more decentralized way.

One point he brings up is not to set up a gospel community by interest group such as a NASCAR group as a local mega-church in our area does (though I’m not condemning this creative method) or by relational affinity, but fairly strictly by location. This way, you actually have to live out and apply the gospel to those you would not ordinarily hang out with.

But since the goal is to spend time with, minister with, literally drop in on, serve alongside of, invite, etc…, it might be wise to aim for locale with a sensitivity toward affinity. Then again, if NASCAR gets folks together to really live out and apply the gospel in community and to their community, then go right ahead (although they really only turn left).

These videos are really worth watching and reflecting upon. And because he’s British, they are also easier to listen to, and of course, interspersed with subtle humor.

Here’s a list of books and articles “Dirty” D.A. Carson (nothing to do with his smell, everyone’s name who starts with the letter “D” gets that term of endearment added) has published lo these many years. They are free for download. I picked up a few.

I just picked up a book called Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands: People in need of change helping people in need of change. Unfortunately it is long and since I read slowly, it will take me some time to get through this bad boy. But already I’m a fan of it. Check out this quote:

People struggling with life in a fallen world often want explanations when what they really need is imagination. They want strategies, techniques, and principles because they simply want things to be better. But God offers much more. People need to look at their families, neighbors, friends, cities, jobs, history, and churches, and see the kingdom. They need imagination-the ability to see what is rel but unseen. This is what Paul fixed his gaze on (2 Cor 4). They need to look at a city and see the glorious company of the redeemed being gathered, amidst a brutal spiritual battle, to live in union with God. They need to look at their children and see a Redeemer pursuing their hearts for his own. They need to scan history and see God accomplishing His purpose.

If we look at our neighbors, neighborhoods, our schools, churches, cities and all we see is the aforementioned-and not a spiritual battle for the passion of the individual hearts as well as the collective culture-we’ll not join the work Jesus has already begun. It does indeed take some imagination to join the fight as well as to not grow weary. John Lenin’s material imagination of no heaven or hell leaves us with only the hope of selfish hearts trying to accomplish something of which there is no precedent or power.

Well despite the best efforts of the NBA to match up Kobe vs. Lebron James, the Orlando Magic will be playing the L.A. Lakers in the NBA finals. As soon as Game 6 ended the Cleveland Cavaliers season, this year’s MVP Lebron James vacated the court. He didn’t congratulate the better team, but instead just took off. He didn’t even speak to the media.

He claimed he was simply a competitive guy and didn’t want to shake hands with Olympic teammate Dwight Howard. He later sent him a congratulatory text message. Now that’s personal. Well, I think Tiger Woods is pretty competitive and he still shakes hands when he loses.

Learning how to fail obviously takes experience. Unfortunately, but obviously, that experience is the experience of actually failing! Sometimes it is quite good to lose.

Facebook can be quite helpful in catching up with folks. But it can also allow you to catch up with folks you may not need to be catching up with. Here’s an example of an NFL player who was catching up with an old female friend he probably shouldn’t have been catching up with (allegedly, according to his wife). Not pretty, the situation, that is, not the NFL lineman. I won’t comment on his beauty or lack of it.

Well, even if the Cleveland Indians took down the Rays for like the 14th straight time in Cleveland, the Orlando Magic were able to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in OT last evening. Of course Cavalier guard Mo Williams guaranteed victory.

First of all, guaranteeing victory is kind of like saying, “You are definitely having a boy.” You have a 50/50 shot at it, so if you are correct, that doesn’t say too much about your skills does it?

And 2nd of all, much like guessing the sex of the baby, you really have no control over what comes out. There are other factors at play like Dwight Howard making free throws or whether Lebron James get the foul call 90 % or 95% of the times he touches the ball.

You can’t guarantee something when you don’t have total control of the outcome. But Mr. Williams won’t be the last person to guarantee victory and be wrong, or people guarantee a boy and be right. It’s just that there are some things which cannot be guaranteed, and to guarantee them reduces your credibility even when you’re right.

I’ve seen several previews for the new horror thriller Drag Me to Hell. Now I shan’t be seeing this movie because it looks a bit too scary for my tastes. But I wasn’t too scared to read a few reviews. Here’s a review that really unearths something more scary and far more devastating than any of the computer generated images.

…..The tag line to the movie is “even good people go to hell,” not in America. In America, when we make a mistake and atone for it, we’re saved. Yes, we have to go through hell to clean up our mess, but we don’t stay there…not in America. All the characters in the movie seem to support this theory, but so what. They put up a valiant fight, and create a to do list for her that will chill you to the bone. As one character said, “You’ll be surprised at what you’ll do to keep from going to hell.” Christine fights diligently for her life; she’s a good person at heart that made a bad decision. Everybody makes mistakes. But I guess if you’ve got to make a bad decision make sure it doesn’t involve a person that can cast an evil curse on you and drag you kicking and screaming into hell.…

In the movie the main character can’t atone for her specific sin. Not even by confessing it. But I think the really scary part is the attitude espoused in this review: in America we don’t deserve to go to Hell, and we ourselves can atone for our own sins. Thus America doesn’t see its need for Jesus. That’s the really scary part and another motivation for evangelism.

Well, I’m learning a bit about certainty these days. My life for the past year has been anything but certain. And now our next step is to find some sort of apprenticeship to prepare us for a church plant some day. Where and when that will be is, well, uncertain.

But you would expect some things to to be certain. That you could simply assume that they will come to pass exactly as you would think they would should come to pass. But few things are really certain enough that we can simply assume them (outside death and taxes).

I experienced a few of those “certainties” this weekend. First of all, the Orlando Magic take a 2 point lead in game 2 with one second left only to see Lebron James make a last second 3 pointer. Last night the Rays took a 10-0 lead and then a 6 run lead into the 9th inning only to give up 7 runs and blow the game 11-10.

The condo where we stayed in Boca Grande this weekend was owned by someone who recently died from cancer only 2 weeks after being diagnosed. One might assume he’d have plenty of time to enjoy his 400,000 dollar condo. But you just can’t assume anything. Well, you can, but you’re probably aware of the aphorism which accompanies the idea of assuming.

Yet I don’t think we need to go hyper-existential and assume we can only know ourselves. We can be certain of the end of the story (Rev 21-22), certain of forgiveness (Col 1:14), certain that he who started the work in us will be faithful to complete it (Phil 1:6), certain that the outcome is of the Lord (115:3), and certain that we are to seek His Kingdom and we’ll be provided for (Matt 6:33).

Now this is not an exhaustive list of certainties but it is enough to trust the Lord of all certainty. This knowledge should keep us humble, but help us struggle against materialism (which was hard for me in a place so nice as Boca Grande), anxiety, and despair.