So, one of the students that I mentor here on campus, Shane, is going to be a guest blogger for the Deeper Life Conference (Jill Briscoe). These are some of his highlights and thoughts from session 2 last night:

- Often when we think of worship these days we think of praise. Worship is so much more than praise, it’s work.

- The spirit of Him who lives in us has the power to raise dead bodies.

- There are 2 areas that we get tired: in the work of the Lord, and of the work of the Lord.

- When ever God does something big he does it by his Spirit.

- No matter how tired you never run out of God.

- We (Christians) aren’t supposed to be happy all the time.

- How will you praise Him if you are somewhere you were never meant to be?

- Joy- something deep, deep, deep, deep, down.

- God says, as you pour out,  He’ll pour in

- He waits for your obedience.

 Tonight Jill again talked about the Holy Spirit. She really tried to drive home how the same spirit that is in us is the same spirit that was in Jesus and others raising the dead and doing amazing things.  This is something to think about, something to really ponder. . .

What are we scared of? This is a Spirit that can do radical things a Spirit that changes lives, a Spirit that wants us to listen and wants us to pour out of our selves.

Jill said that we need to keep pouring out. We can’t stop! She gave us an example from the Bible about how this woman poured oil out of this tiny, tiny bottle and she filled tubs and tubs full of oil, she never ran out. She said, like this woman. . . . we need to pour out of our selves and know that we can not run out of God. This doesn’t mean we won’t get tired this doesn’t mean that we will be happy all the time but in all the pain and in all the troubles God is still there he doesn’t run out.

He doesn’t stop pouring into us. When we are tuned into God and when we are listening and living by Him there are no boundaries;  no line He won’t cross. It will take all you have, it will take all of you! Freely we have received! Now freely give!

So, in the Fall here at Bethel we have a series of talks over the course of 3 days that we call the Deeper Life Conference. The guest speaker for these days is Jill Briscoe .

I wanted to give some highlights of this journey over the next few days starting with today’s talk:

- There is no such thing as an ordinary day when it comes to the Holy Spirit

- You don’t learn error/lies by studying error/lies, you learn it by studying the Truth

- When you feel overwhelmed remember that you are over-shadowed by the Holy-Spirit, who has overcome all things!

She encouraged us to do an exercise in learning about the Holy Spirit. She said to go through John 16 and make a list of all the “work of the spirit”
1. He is a Counselor
2. He will convince the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgement
3. He is the Spirit of Truth
4. He will guide you into all truth
5. He will tell you about the future
6. He will bring Glory by revealing to you what He receives from Jesus and the Father

The question then I have for all of us. . . Are these things happening in our lives? How would we know??

I know this may be a reminder for you, but it was one that I needed recently – As one is able to determine the health of a tree by the quality of its fruit, so it is with us, we know by the fruit that we are (or are NOT) producing. . . here is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23):

1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self-control

Fruit happens . . . . . . . let’s make sure it’s the good stuff people!

As a teacher, I just love this video, . . . as a mentor, I just love this video, . . . as someone who has a passion for teenagers, I just love this video, . . . . as a parent, I just love this video. . . as a singer, I just love this video, . . . as a Christ-follower, I just love this video because I can hear God, just like Simon Cowell, looking at every single person in the eye and telling them “you are better than what you think you are. . . . go out now with confidence!!”

Ang and I just want to thank everyone who has taken the time out of their busy schedule to show us love. We could never say thank you enough!! Here are some of the pictures that we have taken with family and friends over the past two weeks. . . . Dane has already changed so much!

Click on the pictures to see it bigger

These first two are videos

[flickr]photo:3368651025[/flickr]

So recently, I have been brainstorming ideas with my friend Ben about some new videos for my non-profit, greenLockers. In my search through youtube for some style ideas, I ran across some videos associated with a cause called “girl effect”. I thought they were pretty well done, and so I just wanted to share them with you:

and another

So, this morning I was facebook chatting with one of my students, Noah. He is on the Pac Rim trip, which is one of the study abroad programs that Bethel College offers each Spring term. Right now they are in China, and I just noticed that he was online this morning, so we struck up a good conversation.  One of the things that I asked him was what was his #1 highlight so far on the trip?

He said that was impossible to answer, but that he has been growing a lot with the “man upstairs.” Of course I knew he was talking about God, but they are not supposed to write anything that concerns God or Jesus because any communication leaving China may be screened. But then the next thing that he said really stuck with me. . . .

“oh and how our struggles shouldn’t be something we should be ashamed of, its a learning experience, that draws us closer to Him”

Far too often I forget that struggles are really growth opportunities disguised as problems.

I have many struggles myself that I rarely admit. Sometimes I think I don’t admit them because then someone else will know that I have them. . . .and be watching me to see if I improve. . . a little something called accountability. Recently; however, I have come to realize that when I withold my struggles from those that are close to me, I am eroding the trust and authenticity that those relationships are founded on . . .AND. . . . destroying the very thing that I was trying to find – true intimacy.

Yes, . . . I know it takes vulnerability to be “real”, and yes. . . . we will get hurt from time to time, but. . . today. . . . my desire to have the FULL life promised to me (John 10:10) is stronger than my fear of taking those risks.

Have you been grazing spiritually lately. . . . OR. . . .Have you recently had a mountain top experience of some sort? – Feeling pretty confident about you spiritual life and your ability to impact people who are hurting and broken? Be careful!!!! You are now more dangerous than ever to the enemy, and you better believe that he is lurking like a lion (1 Peter 5:8) – and he is going to try and bring you down as soon as possible. . . . . are you married? (it doesn’t matter for how long). . . . then let’s talk, because within marriage lies one of the most commonly used attacks of the devil . . . why? – because, unfortunately, it works a lot of the time!

First warning. . . if you think this doesn’t apply to you, and that there really is no need to read this. . . . . I really don’t know why God will ever tell you that. . . .so, you might want to check the source of that thought – AND keep reading! You also might want to pray that God be with you as you read. . . . once again, if that sounds like a ridiculous thing to do?? . . . . . . . that’s not coming from God. . . do it – get Him involved.

First let’s talk about some basic characteristics of the enemy – I recommend you watch the weekend service from Granger Community Church from this past weekend (3/8/09) entitled “Sex for Sale” – watch it here (www.gccwired.com)  – where Mark Beeson explains the 3 hats of satan

Hat #1 – Tempter – trying to sell you lies like -  “this (whatever act the temptation involves) is not that bad. . . noone will know. . . and it doesn’t matter anyway, because it’s not that wrong . . . you can totally handle it. . . other people, stupid people, get caught – but your not stupid. . . . . it’s just this one time. . . . . just a little bit won’t hurt” – and after every step that you take, the enemy tempts you with the next one – and notice. . . . it is usually a slow/gradual process.

Hat #2 – Promoter – after he has tempted you he then tries to sell you lies like “this is going to be the best ever. . . . so fulfilling, it’s going to feel so good – you will feel so taken care of, so complete, so alive, so. . . . . . right – this is what you have been missing out on for soooo long!”

Hat#3 – Accuser – after you have commited the sinful act, he then tries to sell you lies like “I can’t believe you did THAT. . . you are horrible!!! – your toast now – God will never take you back. . . . might as well not even fight it – just give in all the way. . . you can’t resist it . . . you’ve already proven that!. . . . it will never go away. . . there is nothing you can do!. . . you knew it was wrong, but you did it anyway – that is the worst of the worst – not even God wants you back now!”

Let me be very clear. . .satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), which means. . . all he does is tell lies. . . so, these “hats” are ALL LIES – every single one!!

So, what does this have to do with you?

So, what is your weak spot when comes to your marriage?? What do you feel like your spouse is not giving you enough of?? especially things that you think you deserve?? Here is a quick list of some of  these maybe

1. Sex

2. Quality time together . . . that they actually WANT to spend

3. being valued and appreciated for all that you do

4. Sharing an emotional connection – talking about things that are close to your heart. . . . EVEN YOUR FAITH!

5. Passion, desire, adventure, fun

6. A sense of peace (or lack of tension)

etc….

HAVE NO DOUBT IN YOUR MIND that this area of resentment in your life has a huge bullseye painted on it – and it is going to be attacked by the enemy using Hat #1 and Hat#2 above

and if you don’t already have one – there may be someone entering into your life that just “happens” to provide an opportunity to have that resentment fulfilled. . . . . it’s called a strategy. . . and the enemy has been perfecting it for thousands of years!

The question then, reagarding our behavior, is NOT what is right and what is wrong – the question is what standard are you going to hold yourself to -  so as to be the brightest light possible for God’s kingdom – bring Him the most Glory – form the most solid Family – to be an inspiration for your friends/children/grandchildren. . . . . . because they will know, and they are watching. . . . . and in order prevent this, you need to have behavioral guidelines that will protect you from the lies of the enemy. . . especially the one that tells us that this is “really not a big deal”, and that “you can handle it”

Here are some questions to ask yourself (rate each one on a scale of 0-5 – with 0 being “no, not me at all” and 5 being “yes, that is me most of the time”):

1. Am I sharing more of my thoughts/feelings with someone else (of the opposite sex) than I am with my wife/husband?

2. Have I been thinking and getting excited about how I can see someone else (of the opposite sex) a little more often – even if it is with a larger group?

3. Am I, or could I be,  the major spiritual force in someone else’s (of the opposite sex) life right now – turning them towards Christ?

4. Do I have SOME excitement and/or attraction to someone else (of the opposite sex) when we physically touch in a supposed “neutral” way? – hand shakes, welcoming/parting hugs, a touch on the shoulder, arm, or knee, etc…

ok . . . Tally your points. . .

-

- if you have a total of 1 or more then you need to understand that you are most likely being attacked spiritually. . . AND. . . you are losing. . . . . . now what??!

1. Remember that some of the most effective “sells” of the enemy is that “this is not a problem – completely harmless”, and “you can totally handle it on your own.”

2. Remember that Paul tells us in the Bible to RUN from sexual sin and temptation (1 Cor 6:18) – so that means you need to stop cold turkey/put distance between you and him/her, STOP communication

3. This path to sexual sin is most often a very SLOW one – with gradual steps that you hardly notice . . . . it is a slow fade

4. Think about what kind of legacy/model you want for you, your marriage, your children, and grandchildren. . . . because they will remember these types of things forever!

5. Know that in this struggle, you have an opportunity to get even closer to God (who is strong enough to help you through this) and have a witness of strength. . . . . or become one of many who have sinned in this way only to hide and decay in shame and agony – saying to themselves “I don’t know how this happened. . . . . ”

6. Finally, know that sexual sin starts when you even lustfully (not just sex, but also companionship, etx…) think about somone else. . . . many of us have traveled down that path at some point – to differeing degrees. Repenting/confessing/being real with God wipes it all clean – from the one-time lustful thought to the full-fledged adulterous lifestyle that someone has lived for years. Don’t ever believe the lie that God won’t take you back (hat #3 above). . . . . . In fact, you may be reading this post for the exact reason of God desparately wanting you back . . . He’s just waiting on you to ask. . . . . . . . ask Him back in. . . and WHATEVER you have done. . . He is ready – right now -  willing AND capable, to help you turn this thing around. . .

This was like a breath of fresh air to me today! – enjoy this version of Amazing Grace!

I recently had a Bethel student – who was recalling going through some very difficult times – say that “handling adversity is the measure of a man.”

So, how are we doing men??

When our brothers, sisters, bosses, friends, or wives do something that frustrates us – how do we handle that?

Do we seek first to understand and serve even more before blowing up and trying to “control” the situation?? You know the bible talks about how we are supposed to love our wives like Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25). You know how much crap some people in the global “Church” has done in the name of God – I am talking about horrific things – I mean people have been hurt emotionally, spiritually, even killed in the name of God . . . and you think your person has been doing it to you for a long time – some people have been misusing God’s word for hundreds of years.  but when has Jesus ever said “alright that’s it – no more forgiving. . . you know what. . . . I’m not going to love you anymore, I’m no longer going to serve you, no longer going to listen to your prayers, or give you any my time – you don’t deserve it!”. . . . never!

We don’t deserve that type of grace, and maybe our wives, our bosses, our children, our fathers, our friends, or whomever in our life doesn’t deserve it either. . . . . . . . . . . BUT, how you handle those situations/relationships truly is the MEASURE OF A MAN.

Oh, I have seen it many times in adults too. . . . A man can hide behind childish things like throwing fits, walking out, kicking other people out, not talking anymore, locking people out of rooms, avoiding it, ignoring it, drinking, always blaming the other person, never taking responsibility, being filled with pride, belittling or insulting others. . . even our wives in public!, refusing to listen, etc. . . . . -

The bible says that in our anger we should not sin (Ephesians 4:26-27 ) because it gives the devil a foothold in our lives. . . . so where do you think the devil is going to try and attack you and your life? One place for sure will be through your anger. . . the moments when you are seeking control over the situation or the person, but in reality- by becoming angry and childish . . . you have already turned away from self-control (i.e., a fruit of the Spirit). I know this is difficult – especially when you throw in all the other stresses in our lives that are weighing down on us. This is precisely the reason why how we deal with it is such a great measure. . . .
 

And all of this. . . . will show to our children, our wives (present or future), our grandchildren, our sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, our parents, and our friends what we are really made of. . . . how we handle adversity/conflict/difficult times. . . is the meausre of a man. . . . . . it is difficult, but don’t be passive like Adam in the garden watching Eve eat the fruit without saying anything!!!! that attitude of passivity/just letting things be how they always have been – will forever be one of our greatest temptations men! BE DIFFERENT . . . FIGHT FOR THE STANDARD OF LOVE THAT JESUS CHALLENGED US WITH- Let’s step up. . . let’s stop being little boys. . . and start being the men that God created us to be!! . . . Yes, you CAN get there. . . . . and if you don’t know really where to start – try praying this prayer first:

Father, I know that I have messed up, again, – you know all of the childish things that I do when I don’t feel loved or valued – when the people that I want love from the most don’t give it to me. You know that I have tried to stop doing some of these things from time to time, and it just never seems to work. So, I am just asking with all that I am that you transform me in some way so that when tough stuff comes – I will be able to respond in a way that would make you smile and be proud of me. . . I have no idea how to actually make that happen – I need you to show me – to teach me – please help me find a way Father. . .In Jesus’ name. . . Amen.

So two days ago – here was Ang and Dane:

Wow what a day yesterday. . . and now we have a “Square Day” (i.e., because he was born on 3/3/09) baby.  Ang is so amazing, and I could not be more proud of her, she really had to fight for this one! Here is the room setup at St. Joe hospital:

We got into the hospital to start the induction at 6am.  Once again there were some issues in getting Ang’s IV in – only 4 tries this time (thank goodness for the IV therapy people!). Instead of using Pitocin, which is what is typically used for inductions – they have always just used a “cytotek” pill with us. Sure enough – once again, Ang started to have good contractions. By noon, however, she was only dilated 3cm, and so we wait. . . .

Side Note: – People about ready to give birth should not be this cute!!!

By 4pm she was dilated 5cm – even though she was having full-blown contractions, and was in a lot of pain – so we went ahead with the epidural – to try and relax her body a little. At this point, they realized that her previous IV was no longer functional, and so we had to wait for what ended up being around an hour until the IV therapist could make it back. . . . then the 45 minutes it takes to get a bag of fluid into her system, and then the 15 minutes for the actual epidural procedure so, the two hours between 4-6 pm were definitely the roughest (oh, and she was throwing up too during this time!!!) – so thank you so much for all of you praying for us!! The anesthesiologist actually stuck around and personally adjusted the epidural every 10 minutes or so.  The nurses were great, especially Rachel during the day – Bethel nursing graduate, GCC member with a passion for doing mission work in India – coincidence. . . I don’t think so! – we had some great discussions.

Soon, after this little baby Dane Justice was brought into the world, and it was wonderful!!! – this picture was minutes after a 13 hour+ day – 9:45pm birth.

Here is the resident who helped (far left) and our main Doctor – Dr. Cavallo – who was amazing! – he has delivered 3 out of our 4 children – we love this guy!

6 pounds 14 ounces, 20 inches long. . . and a lot of hair!

A little tired after his first breastfeeding – he ate great – no problems at all!!!!

Yes!!. . . I am a proud Dad – it is sooooo great to finally meet Dane - I wonder what amazing plans God has in store for this little guy!

Here is a picture of Dane that looks a lot like Elliana when she was born – one of my favorite pictures so far – gotta love the hair! This was taken soon after I gave him his first bath (I had never done that before for our other kids – that was a great experience!)

Visitation at St. Joseph Hosipital is from 11am until 8pm – people are welcome!! Room 702 – thanks again everyone!!  and Praise God!!!

So, many of you know that 3 times a year Ang and I put on a workshop at our church called “Beyond I Do.”  Typically, this all day workshop (or sometimes spread out between 2 weekends) is for engaged couples within the church. Recently, however, we have had more married couples coming for a kind of “refresher” on some things.

We cover a lot of material, which we break into 4 broad categories of Spirituality, Communication, Conflict Resolution, and Sexual intimacy. Here is a picture of most of the 21 couples that attended this past Saturday (Feb. 28th).

- We had a great time, and I always love working together with my wife to help influence people’s lives!!

Here are my top 10 highlights from the day:

10. A comment from one of the couples “to defray desires becoming expectations, simply imagine what it would be like if you were still alone.”

9. Giving people some insight on how the enemy is going to try and attack your marriage

8. Outlining in detail the “good” fight – conflict is inevitable, and the proper handling of it can make you stronger than ever!

7. Talking about the idea that if the point of communication, especially disagreements, is to truly understand each other. . . .then. . . “winning” – really has very little to do with it!

6. Seeing people “get it” when we talk about some of the gender differences that can lead to all kinds of communicative difficulties.

5. Helping couples begin to pray together, outloud, – some for the first time – ever!

4. Having one of the guys comment in front of everyone – “WOW, I am getting a lot more out of this than I ever expected!”

3. Referring to our very frank Q & A session regarding Sexual intimacy – yes, we talked about _________.

2. Seeing several couples crying during one of the prayer times where we have them look at each other while Ang prays for each one of them – she does an amazing job with this!

1. My amazing wife pausing throughout the day to breath through contractions and back spasms – I am so proud of how tough she is for the Kingdom! One time I even reassured everyone “don’t worry, she’s a professional. . . “