Bompy's World

I'm BUSY!

2009-04-08T16:31:00.002-05:00

I’m busy! Sometimes too busy. There are things that happen to us in life from time to time that cause us to slow down and wonder what in the heck are we doing with time and our life? I had one of those moments this week.

My aunt Faye has been battling cancer for several years. She lives in Kentucky where due to distance alone I don’t get to see her a lot. But times I get to see her I have never really taken full advantage of talking to her. You know that talking where you find out about each other, share stories or laugh at each other’s jokes and experiences. I have spent the better part of 31 years in causal conversation of “Hello, I’m fine. How are you? Good to see you” type of dialogue.

This all changed Sunday. She is on her deathbed, the cancer has finally won the battle. I stand over her at bedside. She at this point has become totally comatose and unable to respond. For the first time in my life perhaps I had an urge to talk with Faye. I didn’t know what to say or how to say. The times of me being too busy, too involved in cousins, playing outdoors, talking sports with uncles, blah, blah, blah, began to run through my head. Finally I had the time, more like took the time, to talk with Faye and there was no conversation that could be had.

Don’t get bogged down in the sadness of the story. The sadness comes in when we don’t take the time to cherish moments with family and friends. Too many times we allow our lives to get so crammed and over-packed with OUR stuff we forget to occasionally stop and just let life happen at a natural pace.

As I write these words Faye has gone to be with her true love. I can’t wait to sit down and have that long talk we never got to have here, so for now I will end with the only words I could mutter on Sunday - “I love you and will see you soon.”

At the end of the day God is still God, and He is good!

Girls, Girls, Girls

2008-05-27T10:35:00.002-05:00

They Like Jesus but Not the Church Study 4: "Is the church Male-Dominated, Does it Oppress Women"

Here are the scripture notes and two primary views for your study: Please comment back with your conclusion(s) (partial or complete).

Two Primary Views: (remember that there are various degrees to both views)
Complementarian: The viewpoint that women can serve in many ways in the church, but that leadership roles, such as elder, minister or primary teacher, are restricted to men.

Egalitarian: The viewpoint that women can serve in any leadership role of the church including minister, primary teacher or elder.

Scriptures:
1 Timothy 2:11
I Corinthians 14:34

In conjunction to the above two, what do you do with:
Miriam (Exodus 15:20; Micah 6:4)
Deborah (Judges 4:4-7)
Philip's four daughters (Acts 21:8-9)
Females praying and prophesying (1 Corinthians 11:5)

Mary (mother of Jesus) and other women (Acts 1:14)
Phoebe, the servant/deaconess (Romans 16:1)
Priscilla (Acts 18:24-26)
Mary, mother of John (Acts 12:12)
Lydia (Acts 16:14-15)
Labors equally together in the work (Romans 16:12; Philippians 4:2-3)
Junia (Romans 16:8)
Acts 2:17
Galatians 3:26-4:7

Also do some study of the New Testament word "prophesy"

A few places to look on the web for help:
www.biblegateway.com
www.bible.org
www.biblestudytools.net
http://www.ccel.org/wwsb/

Remember the Goal: Can you intelligently, articulately, loving express or explain your view to someone who may not be where you are at the present time?

At the end of the day God is still God, and He is good!

The Neighbors Must Think I Am CRAZY

2008-05-14T10:44:00.008-05:00

The neighbors, if they saw me in the middle of the street earlier this week must think I am crazy. I went to the mailbox to find a card addressed to me. It's not my birthday, anniversary and I haven't been sick lately. But this card made my day. I opened it up, began to read and literally laughed out loud in the middle of my street. So there I am, standing alone in the middle of my street laughing to myself... Thank you Anderson family for making my day and the day of my neighbors. It was too good not to share.

At the end of the day God is still God and He is good!

Celebrating Life's Little Victories!

2008-05-07T13:26:00.004-05:00

To an alcoholic it is just one full day of sobriety. To those slightly over-weight and dieting, it is saying no to a Krispy Kreme when they are laying there so tempting in the office kitchenette. To those head of heels in debt it is finally paying off the credit card with the lowest balance. To those with multiple kids it is riding in the car all the way home without them fighting, screaming, throwing things, pulling each others hair, etc… (in essence going to sleep). To Boston Celtics fans it is winning game 1 of the series against Cleveland. To the American Idol contestant it is getting the first song of two right and having Simon praise you (by the way, Jason Castro is off tonight).

For me, the little victory in life I celebrate today is going home at lunch and finding Keightley, our new puppy, not having pooped or peed in his cage. HOORAY for ME!

At the end of the day God is still God and He is good!

Have You Ever Noticed?

2008-04-15T10:57:00.003-05:00

Our secretary, Elaine takes the best pictures. The one pictured here was taken this morning outside her house while standing on her head…Now that would be a good picture to have, Elaine on her head. If you can’t tell this is a dandelion clock. It’s the almost dead, on its last leg, leftovers from the little yellow flowers in your yard. You know the ones you pay good money to kill out of your lawn. This was taken early in the morning will the dew was still sitting. If you look close you can see the small drops of water on the intricate, feather like seed steams. I just thought this was a beautiful, many times missed moment or snapshot of God’s creation.

I don’t know how many times in my thirty years I have walked by, stepped on or even stopped to pick one of these dandelion clocks up and blown them into the wind. But I have never noticed the neatness or uniqueness this picture shows me. I suppose I was feeling pretty soft or reflective this morning because I immediately wonder what else I miss, walk by or blow off in my life. Especially people! There a lot of people we encounter that are pretty void of what the world would consider as colorful or vibrant. Kind of like a dandelion clock…seemingly on its last leg, societal leftovers. Jesus was always attentive to these people.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is Jesus and the woman at the well. She was definitely a dandelion clock to society. It is after the disciples get back from getting food they inquire of Jesus “what are you doing and why were you talking to her?” Jesus’ response is priceless and very pointed! He says in John 4:35 “Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are white for harvest.” I don’t know exactly what crop he was referring to but the point was they are lot of people we just look right over and they need Jesus. And guess what, those people are not always the most colorful, prettiest, best smelling…Jesus just calls them plain ol’ “white”.

I want to encourage you to open your eyes and take a look at the fields of life around you. What are you missing? What are you not seeing? What are you just walking past or blowing off into the wind? Invest in people! The return is great!

At the end of the day God is still God and He is good!

Is God deaf or just not listening?

2008-04-08T14:40:00.005-05:00

If your church is anything like mine it has had its fair share of problems surrounding the Sunday AM worship. Our church has dealt with the “contemporary” issues to the point that I think we missed the point all together. We are study a series in one of our adult classes right now based on the book by Dan Kimball called “They like Jesus but not the Church” The deeper we get into this study the more I see the foolishness of fighting over hand clapping, hand raising, praise teams and dramatic preaching. Because I have got to question is God even hearing or recognizing any of it – Traditional or Contemporary?

Here is where I am coming from: Amos 5
As Amos calls these people to repentance he makes the statement in verses 11 and following that they built stone mansions but would not live in them and planted vineyards but would drink of its wine. Why? Because they had become so self serving that according to verses 11 & 12 they had forgotten to be servants to mankind, especially the poor. If fact they had stripped not only of material needs but robbed them of even justice and fairness. They had become corrupt taking bribes and oppressing righteousness.
What this was doing to Israel is the same think it is doing to us a God’s people still today: it is undoing the promises of God to us. You know the promises of peace, unity, freedom and yes, potentially even salvation. We need to be sure to realize that is not God reneging on His deal, it is us who refuses to see and focus on the demands of God. Look at the simplicity of what God, through Amos is calling for:
Verse 4 “Seek me and live”; verse 6 “Seek the Lord and live”; verse 14 “Seek good not evil that you may live”

When we have our vision clouded with internal issues of worship we miss out on the simplicity of God’s command “Seek HIM” and serve others. In doing this you find yourself experiencing freedom in ways you may not have known to exist. And you may just forget how the guy next you is seeking God in a way that is just a little different than yourself.

There will be more to come on these thoughts but meanwhile give me yours.

At the end of the day God is still God, and He is good!

Providence: a place or a plan?

2008-02-26T10:38:00.002-06:00

Just recently in our area we have seen an area in Mt. Juliet explode with new and exciting growth. This area is called "Providence." The slogan is "Live, Shop & Play: Setting a New Standard of Living in Middle Tennesee." People flock there from all around to shop, catch a movie, eat a nice dinner, etc... It PROVIDES everything that you need have a night out or live in comfort. Kinda like a relationship with God...?

The Lord says, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13

What do you think of when you hear the word Providence? I think of the above mentioned verse and the idea or concept of God providing for you life. I also thing of the idea that bad times can’t last forever that God is always going to provide an outlet for those who trust and seek Him. The thing that sometimes slips my mind is that God is constantly or continuously hovering the earth, His kingdom seeking to preserve and bless His people.

Consider this: through His providence God controls the universe (Ps 103:19); the physical world (Matt 5:45); the affairs of nations (Ps 66:7); man's birth and destiny (Gal 1:15); man's successes and failures (Luke 1:52); and the protection of His people (Ps 4:8).
God preserves all things through His providence (1 Sam 2:9; Acts 17:28). Without His continual care and activity the world would not exist. God also preserves His people through His providence (Gen 28:15; Luke 21:18; 1 Cor 10:13; 1 Peter 3:12).

So what do we have to worry about if we serve a God who seeks constantly to shower His provision on His people? However, we have to keep in may the latter part of the scripture quoted from Jeremiah. We must be attentive or be drawn into words like “call, pray, seek and all your heart.” God wants to hear from us during the good and bad times of life. His plans or His providence cannot kick into effect unless we are seeking His will and calling on His name.

So remember no matter how dreary or blurry the future may look for you, God through His providence is seeking to bless and provide an outlet for you. Are you seeking Him with all your heart?

At the end of the day God is still God, and He is good!

Reality Check...

2008-02-01T10:32:00.000-06:00

I got a called late yesterday evening from my cousin, Darrick who lives in Kansas. Darrick is about as close to a brother as I will ever have. We have experienced much of life together. He has such a heart for ministry and his life exemplifies that to a tee. Today he is experiencing ministry in a different and painful way that no one wants to experience it. Late yesterday evening his father-in-law, Mike, at age 50 died suddenly with a massive heart attack. Mike was not only a father-in-law but a friend, an influence in the community, an influence in the church and an influence in his young family. The pain doesn’t end there because not too far into the past Mike’s younger brother died of a heart attack at age 43 just a couple of years ago. So here is Darrick, a 27 year old preacher who has the blessing but challenge of ministering to his wife who just lost a father, a family who lost a husband, son, etc.., a church who lost a leader and community who lost a friend. WOW. Please keep Darrick and Katherine in your prayers.

But in all this it caused me to stop and think about my life. I began to think if this was me I only have 13 or in Mike’s cause 20 years left. The reality then hit me and the truth said if may not even have thirteen years. Life is short and then it’s gone, sometimes when you least expect it. How would like differently if I knew? What stresses would I discard if I knew? What would I become more committed to if I knew? How would my ministry change if I knew? What petty issues would I stop fight about and what fundamental truths would I start defending for if I knew? I don’t know! So here I sit today mindful of the gift of life and I begin inventorying my life and what I hope to achieve in it. The fact is I am tried of killing myself slowly with stress when Jesus calls me to peace. It is time for me to breath a breathe of God’s glory. Start living life in such a way that screams commitment but at the same time screams enjoyment and true fulfillment.

I know that our tendency is to forget about tragedy that makes you think about or want to change certain aspects of life. So my prayer is that God makes us people that does not need consist reminder but people who get what life is really about and lives in such a way that it fulfills its purpose.

At the end of the day God is still God, and He is good!

Life in the FAST Lane...

2008-01-09T09:12:00.000-06:00

Fast

Does this word describe your life? The concept of acting or moving rapidly, done quickly or running ahead of time? For most of us it does and we wish, if only for a second, things would slow down and we could catch our breath. Here is your chance. The word fast doesn’t only mean rapid movement and speed. In the Scripture the word fast is used to convey a spiritual discipline designed to get you to slow down, clean up your body and spend some time with God.

I want to invite you to take a trip, experience life in the FAST lane over the next 30+ days with me and my youth group. It is called the Daniel Fast. Below are the guidelines, but feel free to modify them to fit your needs or your heart. The important thing is that you slow down and spend some much needed time with God.

The Daniel Fast

Below is the information you will need in order to embark on the spiritual journey known as the Daniel Fast. Prepare to be spiritually formed and shaped in some way over the next 30-40 days.
Time: Now until Feb. 15 (Winterfest Friday Evening)

STEP ONE: BE SPECIFIC IN YOUR OBJECTION:
Daniel was not vague in his objection to the Babylonian diet. He defined the problem immediately. 1. The king’s food was against dietary laws.2. Daniel and his friends had vowed against wine.3. The king’s food had been offered up to idols/demons.

STEP TWO: FAST AS A SPIRITUAL COMMITMENT
The Daniel Fast involves a spiritual commitment to God. “Daniel proposed in his heart that he would not defile himself” (Dan. 1:8).

STEP THREE: REFLECT INNER DESIRE BY OUTER DISCIPLINE
Many people have an inner desire for better health, but they can’t discipline themselves to avoid junk food, and other foods that were not good for health. The physical health you seek from God may be more than an answer to prayer. Your physical health may be linked to any of the following factors: a. Your food choices.b. The level of your spiritual commitment as reflected in constant prayer during the fast.c. Your time commitment. If you determine to fast for a certain time, keep it. For example, if you determine to fast 10 days, don’t stop on Day 9.d. Your testimony commitment. Your fast is a statement of faith to God that you want Him to heal your body. Faith is foundational to the Daniel Fast.

STEP FOUR: PRAY TO PERCEIVE SIN’S ROLE IN POOR HEALTH
Notice James 5:13-16: • Sin is something related to the cause of sickness.• Lack of health/healing may be the result of spiritual rebellion.• Lack of health/healing may be due to sin of wrong intake, i.e. drugs, pornography.• Repentance is linked to health according to James.• Elders have a role in healing both spiritual and physical health.• Sick people must desire to be well• The anointing oil could mean 1. medicine for healing, or 2. symbolic of the Holy Spirit • Prayer alone may not gain healing, faith is the major factor.• In Greek there are several words for “sick”. James uses “Kanino”, which not only includes disease, but also means weak or weary.• Attitude is important. James said, “are there any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.”

STEP FIVE: FAST AS A STATEMENT OF FAITH TO OTHERS
Daniel was making a statement of faith when he asked for only vegetables to eat and water to drink, then dared the overseer to compare the appearance of the four sons of Israel with the young men who ate the king’s food.

STEP SIX: YIELD ALL RESULTS TO GOD
Daniel said, “as you see fit, deal with your servants” (Dan. 1:13).
REMEMBER: • The Daniel Fast will lead to spiritual insight. “to those four young men God gave knowledge”.• The Daniel Fast is longer than one day. These young men fasted for ten days.• The Daniel Fast is a partial fast. They ate, but only vegetables and water.• The Daniel Fast requires abstinence from party or junk foods.• There is no indication that they ever began to eat the king’s food.

GUIDELINES FOR DANIEL FAST
(Foods We May Eat) You may break the meat portion of the fast on Sunday only but it must be with a low fat cut of meat/poultry/fish and can not be a bigger portion than the palm of your hand. Unless you choose not to eat any and continue the fast on Sunday.
Whole Grains: Brown Rice, Oats, Barley
Legumes: Dried Beans, Pinto Beans, Split Peas, Lentils, Black Eyed Peas
Fruits: Apples, Apricots, Bananas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Boysenberries, Cantelope, Cherries, Cranberries, Oats, Figs, Grapefruit, Grapes, Guava, Honeydew Melon, Kiwi, Lemons, Limes, Mangoes, Nectarines, Pomegrante, Papayas, Peaches, Pears, Pineapples, Plums, Prunes, Raisins, Rasberries, Strawberries, Tangeloes, Tangerines, Watermelon
Vegetables: Artichokes, Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chili Peppers, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Garlic, Gingerroot, Green Beans, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Mustard Greens, Okra, Onions, Parsley, Potatoes, Radishes, Rutabagas, Scallions, Spinach, Sprouts, Squashes, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Turnips, Watercress, Yams, Zucchini Seeds, Nuts, Sprouts
Liquids: Spring Water, Distilled Water, 100% All-Natural Fruit Juices, 100% All Natural Vegetable Juices

Foods to Avoid:
Meat White Rice
Fried Foods
Eggs
Dairy
Caffeine, Carbonated Beverages
Foods Containing Preservatives or Additives
Refined Sugar
Sugar Substitutes
White Flour and All Products Using It Margarine, Shortening, High Fat Products

Was it Manna from Above or Red Oak? Hmmmm.

2008-01-07T10:42:00.001-06:00

Have you ever been in a situation or a place in life where you just did not know how you were going to survive or get through it? Kind of like the people in Exodus 16. Do you remember the Old Testament story of the people of Israel going hungry in the desert? You know the one where a million + people are walking around after been freed in the middle of desert looking for something to eat. Sounded and looked like an impossible situation, you know the story. Where was Moses going to find enough food to feed 100 people, much less over a million? God has always looked out and looked to bless His people! God looked down from His throne and did the unexpected and unimaginable. Verse 4 says “God rained down bread (manna) from the heavens” The people ate for days and were filled. Keep this in mind…

I was visiting my sister in Mississippi over my vacation/Christmas break/conference/moving furniture escapade/trip. For those that don’t know my sister and her husband have been trying desperately to finish a house that he had started before they got married. The idea behind the house was to finish it and sell it. With the gas prices going out the roof, building supply prices have sky rocketed. So to say the least they ran out of money from their original plan. They are soooooo close to finishing it (by the way a beautiful house) but were struggling trying to figure out where to get the money to finish the kitchen cabinets. Keep this in mind…

My sister and Jarred came home a few nights ago and the electricity was out at their house. Now the odd thing about this was it was on at both neighbors. They had paid their electric bill so what was the problem? Jarred calls the electric company to inquire. They told him to go out to the pole and listen for a humming sound at the transformer. He grabbed a flashlight, went to the road but didn’t hear anything. The guy told him to look up at the transformer for a fuse. He said sometimes a bird or a squirrel would bump or break the fuse. Nothing seemed to be wrong. Look around the bottom of the pole for a dead bird or squirrel the guy told him. As Jarred looked around he found the problem. Early that afternoon a log truck came through, lost a log that went end over end, bounced up and hit the electric pole and knocked out the electricity. So laying at the foot of the pole in the weeds was a 12-14 foot long, 18 inch round RED OAK log with no markings. Oh I forgot to mention that Jarred’s dad owns a portable saw mill and can cut the wood into usable, cabinet ready, house finishing lumber.

God seeks to bless us in situations that we see no solution. Whether it is manna or Red Oak it all comes raining down from above. WOW, how good is our God?

At the end of the day God is still God, and He is good!

Scared?

2007-12-18T10:07:00.000-06:00

What scares you? I am a big guy and not a lot scares me. In fact, I sometimes seek out certain situations that might invoke a degree of fear. For an example when most people have to go the church building past dark they walk in and try to find the first light switch available. Not me, when I have to go the building past dark I don't turn on the lights. There is a degree of excitement walking through the old main building, especailly the kids wing, not knowing what the darkness has in store for you. I love haunted house, scary movies and hearing strange noises at night. I am not afraid of accidential things like car wrecks, afterall I ride with Shane frequently. If you can survive going 120 mph and cutting up, under and around two eighteen-wheelers on the interstate, you get over that fear pretty quick. I love to fly on a plane, if I could afford to I would fly everywhere. It would cut my drive time from Hickory Hills to work down to about a minute and half. I am probably sounding like a crazy man at this point but stay with me.
I may not be afraid of the darkness, "scary" things, car wrecks, plane rides or death but there is one thing that scares me to the deepest part of my soul....experiencing life ALONE. This past saturday my wife threw me a "surprise" birthday party. It really wasn't a complete surprise since my dad and Kevin are terrible liars. But when I got off the elevator and saw all the people there for me I was speechless, which doesn't happen very often. I was speechless because what do you say, what can you say about people who care about you to give of their time to be a part of your life.
Think about it what makes events in life so grand. Things like sports, movies, concerts, meals, church, work, etc... Sharing it with other people. Who wants to watch the big game and not talk to someone about the outcome or complain about the poor officiating? What wants to eat alone all the time? Who wants to work day in and day out alone, without the office enivornment or a co-worker getting on your nerves? No one! Life if fun and fulfilling because of the people that we share it with.
Who do you enjoy sharing life with? Let them know that you enjoy, cherish and appreciate their friendship. Pray that God grants you many more days to enjoy life and the relationships that make them worth living.

At the end of day God is still God, and He is good!

The Big 30

2007-12-14T09:09:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is the big day, the day I have been waiting for thirty years to come. December 15, 2007, I will turn the landmark age of 30. (I love Best Buy if anyone is looking for gift ideas, gift cards are fine, I am picky) I have been told a mixed bag of wisdom and remarks. Some who I suspect are much older than thirty (Laura, Kevin or Jen) tell me that life is just getting started and begins to get good at age thirty. It puts you in a different category, a more mature category. You are no longer in your twenties, therefore it separates you from the college age and most of the newly weds and inexperienced job hunters. Others who I suspect are much younger (my youth group) tell me man you're old! They say things like 'you're like double my age!' According to them I am no longer capable of relating, knowing anything about pop-culture, playing video games or driving past dark. To them I have moved into the age of many of their parents and have separated myself in age from anyone they "hang out" with, since some of them do hang out with early twenties college kids.

So which is it? Is life over and full of doom and gloom or is life just beginning and is full of new found respect? I suppose the latter is what I am hoping for. But more than that I am hoping that God uses me in new and exciting ways. I am looking forward to this new chapter in my life. One that know puts me in a true Christ like mold of ministry.

I think of Christ starting his ministry at the ripe old age of thirty. Just stop and consider the things he was able to accomplish. The lives he impacted and transformed. The deeds of love and compassion he showed. The authentic, meaningful relationships formed with thousands. The stories told and real life sermons preached. And to think he did all this in three short years. Started at thirty at a wedding party and ended at thirty-three on a cross. His mere three years of ministry is the pattern for us to pattern our entire lives after.

What will I do after thirty? Better yet what would I do if I knew I only had three more years to accomplish it? What relationships would I build, what lives would I look to touch? What acts of love would I seek to share? What would my heart long to be compassionate toward? I guess what I am realizing as I approach the eve of life beginning or ending, depending on your perspective, is that life is a flash and what I do with it means everything. This is a new chapter in my life and I am going to strive to max it out when it comes to being Christ-like. How about you? Commet back something you would like to change or do better. And remember it doesn't take a big landmark b-day to begin to change.

At the end of the day God is still God and He is good!

WHY? What Were You Thinking?

2007-12-13T09:56:00.000-06:00

I am sure by now most you of you who read this got Lorrie and I's Christmas card. If not look to the left for what you missed out on. Let me also clear up on small issue...This was my wife's idea totally, 100%.

I have received calls from friends and family ask pretty much the same questions... "What were you guys doing?; Why?; Where you at an 80's party?; or What were you thinking?" These questions were followed by streams of laughter. In fact my mom could not ask the questions due to laughing, every time she went to say something she just laughed.

That's it! Laughter! Sometimes you don't have to have a good reason do something. You simply do it, hoping someone will smile, laugh or benefit from it in some small way. I don't know how beneficial this card was to you but I do know that when people's lives are touched when they are given something out of love. I am not necessarily talking about a physical gift but small things like time, an ear for listening, an act of gentleness and understanding, an act of kindness, patience, a warm, heart-felt greeting, etc... I know it benefits them because you can see it on their faces. You can see it in their body language. You can see in how they in return treat someone else.

The beautiful thing about this card is the same beautiful thing about the gifts talked about above...You don't have to have a good reason to do it other than you just wanted to for a moment impact some one's life in a positive, make them smile kind of way.

What smiles, laughter, acts of love will you share today? It may not come in the form of a goofy, down right stupid Christmas card but be creative and you will find a way to achieve giving the ultimate gift.

At the end of the day God is still God and He is Good!

You gotta be S#@%ing Me!

2007-12-12T09:00:00.000-06:00

I live not only to be surprised but to surprise. I love to see shocked faces, l live to hear the response “you gotta be s#@%ing me!” Let me explain. A while back a good friend of mine, who is in ministry as well, and I were at Keva Juice (a little health conscience, smoothie place and anyone who knows me knows this is right up my ally since I am so health conscience). My friend and I were in rare form that day. We were in one of those moods were you laugh at anything, your wit is sharp and quick, life was good. As we waited in line we cut one joke after another, probably annoying everyone around us, even though several of them were laughing (not sure if it was with us or at us). We got our smoothies , I got a razzamajazz or something like that, and moved on.

After visiting another store my buddy said he needed a hair cut and there was a place a couple of shops down from Keva, so in we went. Low and behold the girl who would cut his hair was the girl behind us in the smoothie line. Sometimes you feel free to act stupid because you think you will never see those people again, but here we are seeing them again. He sat down in her chair, I sat watching, and as beauticians do they talk. After making small talk about the smoothie line side show we were putting on, she asked the question all good hair dressers do…”So what do you guys do for a living?” We replied “we are ministers.” The next line out of her mouth was priceless…”you gotta be s#@%ing me! Now the stuff at Keva was funny but that takes the cake.” We spent the next few minutes trying to convince her that we were legit but she wasn’t buying it. Finally I had to go the car and pull out business cards to convince her to believe.

What’s my point? She went on to tell us that she never meet minister like us. Most of the pastors she knew were tight, dressed in a suit, older, always frowning, preachy, judgmental, etc… She said you guys don’t fit the mold. We weren’t dressed the part or acting the part at all. It wasn’t that we were doing or acting immoral and didn’t fit the mold. It was that we seemed and conducted ourselves as if we were real people. I live for that reaction! Because if I can seem real and I can seem approachable then I have the chance to make an impact. Jesus warned us about appearing churchy or religious but having nothing to offer (Matt. 23:23ff). Strive to be real today, strive to surprise someone in a good way that you are a Christian. The best sermons that preach and penetrate into the hearts of people are not the ones you hear on Sunday but the ones YOU live out through the week.

At the end of the day God is still God and He is good!

Senselessness

2007-12-11T10:57:00.000-06:00

Who or what is Bompy? The term at this point may not make sense to you...well that is okay I am sure there will be things posted on here from time to time that won't make sense! But just go with it and humor me.

Have you ever despised someone in life to point you would like to remove them from your memory or recollection of even knowing them. That would be Bompy for me! I hated (maybe really dislike is a more "PC" way of saying it) this guy. Bompy was not his real name, just a nickname given to him by his grandkids. I hated him for multiple reasons. I desperately wanted to forget him and leave him in my past. Well as fate would have it I would be stuck with this name in my head and my life perhaps forever.

A good friend of mine, Shane, thought it would be amusing to have his, at the time two, now three girls call me Bompy for a laugh. They did and it was funny, like cancer is funny. In fact, I think I was the only one who didn't laugh. I tried to quickly dismiss it and have them move on to something else. Well to say the least that didn't happen. Here we are almost five years later and my nickname forever more is and will be Bompy. My youth group calls me that, our churches pre-school kids call me that and yes, Shane's girls still call me that.

You know the oddest thing about all this is that I actually embrace it now...I know it doesn't make sense to embrace something that you once hated so much. But that is life, things happen, sometimes they make sense and sometimes they don't. Sometimes you feel in control of what people can and do say about you and sometimes you don't. Sometimes you choose what people call you and sometimes you can't.

It does not make sense to those preschoolers or Shane's girls why they call me Bompy. They don't know the story, they just know it's me. That is what makes life so grand. The unexpected, sometimes unappreciated and unwanted senseless surprises make life worth living. We serve a God that loves to see His people laugh and enjoy every twist and turn of life. The thing is He doesn't even make sense to me all the time. He does things or doesn't do things that may or may not make sense to me but He does them anyway. And these seemingly senselessness moments is why I love him so much.

At the end of the day God is still God and He is good!