Random Thoughts I’ve Had Recently

*Almost all things Google are awesome. Not sure about Google Wave, but everything else I’ve tried is really good.

*I recently got a new ESV Bible for my birthday. I recommend the ESV.

*The Nacho Cheese Dorito is the best chip ever known to humans.

*Mat Kearney’s music is something I seem to never get tired of.

*I might be as tall as Mavericks back up point guard JJ Berea.

*The internet is not a phase, but seems to be here to stay.

*The shopping carts at Wal-Mart are about the worst ever made. I rarely go in a Wal-Mart anymore, but when I do, it takes me 5 minutes to find a cart that when I push it, doesn’t want to immediately go into a hairpin turn. Almost all of them rattle, squeak, or have wheels that have rocks for ball bearings. Among the many things Target does to dominate Wal-Mart, their shopping carts are Cadillacs. Wal-Marts are Yugos.

*Speaking of shopping carts, all the ones I’ve seen in my travels overseas are 4 wheel drive…meaning, all four wheels swivel, not just the front two. Manueverability is amazing on those things. I wish all four wheels of my truck would swivel.

*Still on the topic of shopping carts, the ones overseas require a deposit. You put in the equivalent of about a dollar, and it unlocks a cart. You return the cart to where you got it, you get your coinage back. Why do we not do this here?

*How did Curling ever make it into the Olympics? Those people cannot be considered athletes.

*It’s possible for almost all nations to compete in the summer Olympics…rich or poor can win in the summer games. Not true for the winter Olympics. For the most part, only the wealthy countries can compete in the winter Olympics. Think about it. It’s true.

*“Words with Friends” app is a huge time waste.

*The most unbelievable app created thus far is Shazam. Amazing. How in the wide, wide world of sports does that thing do that?

*I’m all for supporting our local businesses and companies, but all the nickel and dime(ing) American Airlines continues to do, makes me wish all my airline miles were with Southwest. Charge for checked bags, charge $8 for a pillow, charge for a cracker. Sure wish Southwest was an international carrier.

*I wish The Unit wasn’t cancelled on CBS last year. I think it was one of the best shows on TV.

*The excitement and lure of Facebook has just about run it’s course. I love Twitter.

How To Start A Movement

I saw this video on Tony Morgan's blog. Good stuff.

Seizing Opportunities to Share

Evangelism, sharing the Good News, sharing the Gospel, sharing Your story of how Christ transformed your life is something all of as believers should be active in doing on a consistent basis. Opportunities abound every day, every week, yet so few of us actually take advantage of those opportunities, much less even notice them.

Not trying to cause guilt here, but I’ve written it to remind myself (and possibly you) to seize the opportunities we all have as Christ followers. Not one of us on the planet is so gifted in evangelism, or persuasive or eloquent enough to cause anyone to come to faith. Faith and Salvation are gifts of God, not gifts of Kent, or you, or anyone else. They are gifts of God (Eph 2:8-9). The Holy Spirit moves in hearts. I don’t, you don’t, Billy Graham in his prime didn’t either. It’s a privilege and honor that God chooses to use us though, and we get the chance to see Him move when we act and respond in obedience to share Jesus with others. What a privilege that God allows us to be a part, to see first hand Him moving in the hearts of those who don’t know Him.

This simple truth takes all the pressure off when it comes to evangelism, doesn’t it? After all, since I can’t convince anyone to come to faith, then I don’t have to worry if I mess up, say the wrong thing, or feel like I butchered it. Any words spoken on behalf of Christ, no matter how eloquent or how inarticulate they may seem to be, those words are never wasted! God can use us. He desires to use us. Share Christ, share what He did on the cross, share how the Gospel impacted your life. He will be the One persuading, He will be the One stirring and drawing a heart, and as He desires, He will be the One transforming a life.

143 Million Orphans!

I love the phrase mentioned in this short video, "...begin an epidemic of adoptions within our churches". What would that look like in our home church of First McKinney if an epidemic of adoptions broke out? What would it look like if it happened in your church? How would it affect you personally?

There are approximately 143 million orphans around the world. 143 MILLION! That's utterly ridiculous, and it shouldn't be! But what if God called you to be a mom or a dad to just one of those children? Just ONE?

Maybe He isn't calling you to adopt, but then again, maybe you've never prayed about it either. So, why not pray? See if this isn't what God desires for you. Whether He leads you to adopt or just to care for and be an advocate for orphans, do anything but ignore the issue (James 1:27).

Adoption from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Thanks to my good friend, Tracey Fields, for calling my attention again to this video from Catalyst. Check out Tracey's blog at http://www.lazyfeet.blogspot.com/