Trips and Trials

This past month I’ve had two very different trip experiences. The first one was a family vacation to Perdido Key Florida. My wife, our two kids and I loaded up the mini-van with everything we would need, plus things that we wanted to bring. We brought the normal load of clothing, and swim wear, sun screen and beach towels, toiletries and such. We toted toys, and stuffed animals, a CD player to help the kids sleep and fan to help us sleep. We carted an entire bag full of crafts and games to fill our time in the condo. And we outfitted the van to be as kid friendly as possible, we put the DVD players in with a collection of the kids favorite movies. We purchased hand held V-Smile(educational video games for children) systems, of course one for each child. We had snacks, books, magazines and toys within an arms reach – some things for the kids and some for my wife and I. We loaded up and headed out.
The trip itself was a “win” for us. The kids are getting old enough to behave well in restaurants, to enjoy the pool and the beach, and to keep themselves entertained. We had a great time at the beach, after all the beach was the destination, that’s why we went. The goal of getting to the beach was why we loaded all that stuff up, it’s why we drove nine hours. The Martin family went to the beach, we got their safely, we enjoyed our time and we came back. It was successful.
The second trip was starkly different than the first. The second trip was a motorcycle ride to Dallas with two of my friends Kirk and Rob. We had a goal in mind; we were going to Dallas to attend the Catalyst one day conference. But the conference quite honestly was secondary to the journey. As I loaded up my bags, being light and nimble where in the forefront of my mind, and as I thought about what to take, my decision was based on the journey not the destination. I had to think through what was absolutely essential to take. To be completely real about it, I choose to pass my bag off to one of our car driving co-workers, but I packed in such a way that I could have taken my bag and strapped it to my bike with no problems. On the bike, I had no CD player, I choose not to take my I-Pod, I have no windscreen, no floorboards, no super comfy seat. My bike for lack of a better word is simple.
My journey to Dallas and back was my first trip on a motorcycle, though I’ve been riding for four years now, I just had never had anybody to take a trip with until a few months ago when both Rob and Kirk converted and became motorcyclists. I learned a lot about motorcycle touring, and myself on the ride.
During the ride I learned very quickly that it takes the human body time to adjust to life on a motorcycle for miles of high speed riding. Our destination in Dallas was about 270 miles from our starting point. And 30 miles in to our trip I was confident I wouldn’t make it. The sky was grey, the wind was blowing hard against us, and my rear was already hurting. Our first scheduled stop was still 60 miles away, and I wanted to quit. I sucked it up, partly out of pride (I didn’t want to be the loser who couldn’t hack it) and partly out sheer determination of wanting to accomplish this ride. I was relieved to learn upon our first stop that my companions were experiencing the same level of discomfort that I was. We rested a bit, complained a lot, and got back on our bikes headed to the next stop.
The sun finally came out, and the wind either stopped blowing as hard or I got used to it. I found my grove, the rhythm of the bike, the road and the body and arrived at check point two much better off than check point one. I still hurt, but was much more confident that I had done the right thing in sticking it out.
We made it into the Dallas area with little problem, and after a few wrong turns eventually found our way to the hotel, thanks to a battery operated GPS system my friend Rob brought with him. In fact we made it to the hotel earlier than expected, and waited for the rest of our group, which arrived about 45 minutes after us. We slept hard that night, got up in the morning and headed to the conference. That evening we made a trip to Wal-Mart in search of ways to make the ride more bearable. To make my ride a bit better I bought a pair of gel shoe inserts for my boots, the insides of them felt like they had been chewed up. I also got a pair of earplugs to help with the wind noise, some superglue to keep my mirrors from coming loose – which they had on the way up, and some foot corn pads for my shifting toe, which felt like it had been beaten with a hammer. A bit more thought put into it, and I should have bought a second pair of gel inserts and used some double sided tape to put on my saddle. I have to say that each item was well worth the money spent on them, where would our country be without Wal-Mart?
The trip back to Houston was considerably nicer. Good clear weather, gentle breezes and most importantly we added two more stops, and took a bit more scenic route. Don’t get me wrong, by the time we pulled into Houston I thought my tail bone was going to need to be surgically removed from my seat, my ear plugs had lost their ability to conform to my ear and I was exhausted. It was a success.
I will do some more day trips in the future, with some slight modifications to my bike and gear. I’ve started my list: a good set of custom fit ear plugs, a gel seat cover, floorboards, highway pegs and more luggage space.
Two trips, two definitions of success and two great times!

The Right Tool

For the past 4 weeks I’ve embarked on the most ambitious motorcycle maintenance/repair that I’ve ever dared attempt. I’ll spare you the details and the insider jargon but the lessons that I’ve relearned are worth sharing.

When I was kid my dad passed on to me and now I to you, that 50% of doing any type of home or auto repair well is about having the right tools. The other 50% is knowing how to use the tool right.

The right tool, used rightly. I don’t know if the percentage break down is exactly 50/50 but anecdotally I have experienced the truth, that doing anything well requires the tools and knowledge to use the tool in the right way. Now I confess that I have used tools improperly – I have used flashlights, shoes and screwdrivers as hammers, and who among us haven’t been creative in the use of duct tape in a pinch. But, I do know that having the right tool and using it rightly can and will make the job easier, and better.

I’m challenged then to evaluate the tools that I’m using in my spiritual life, to grow deeper roots, and become a stronger and more faithful follower of Christ.
Tool #1 – The Holy Spirit – without the guidance, teaching, and revelation of the Holy Spirit I have no hope of growth.

Tool #2 – the bible – its revelation of God, His commands, His desires, His heart – I cannot follow nor pursue that which I cannot recognize. With out the bible I’d be on an eternal snipe hunt.

Tool #3 – the church – theology is not hashed out in private and seclusion – heresy comes to light in the context of others. Truth is found and understood with the help of others. Life change is the result of the Holy Spirit prompting, biblical understanding and a community of support and accountability. With out the church we cannot become who God is shaping us to be.

I know far too many who use a pod cast as a substitution for church, and who use blogs as a substitution for the bible and personal intuition for a substitute for the Holy Spirit. We must be people who use the right tools and use them rightly.

Duct tape is great, but I don’t want my surgeon using it instead of sutures.

My Israel

The outreach of the church is only as effective as the ability of Christians to make genuine friendships and connections with people who are not Christ followers. The big problem for all of us is that the longer we are Christians, and the more “Christian” our lives become, i.e. going to “Christian” concerts, going to “Christian” school functions, watching movies with “Christian” themes, shopping at “Christian” book stores, etc. The less contact and the less in common we have with those who are not Christian. I don’t view this as a small problem, but it is one with a simple yet challenging answer. We have to go to where they are.

This answer is by no means new; in fact it is exactly the formula that we are given in scripture. The disciples where sent out to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” In Matt 10:5. And then the scope becomes wider in Matt 28:19 where we are commanded to go and make disciples in all the nations. Acts 1:8 again we are commanded to be witnesses in all the earth. And this is implied in the command to love your neighbor, how can you love someone you do not know, how can you show someone love unless you engage them on some level.

I am convinced that I am doing something wrong, that I have very little contact with lost people. Jesus not only commanded us to know and love the lost, but He gave himself as the example to follow. Christ was much more likely to be found with prostitutes, drunks, and adulterers than He was to be found with priests or in the temple.

Several years ago, I made it a point to go to comic book stores frequently. There I find my people, we talk a similar language, and we have a shared story, and instant kinship. I got to know the names of the people that worked there and saw regulars every Wednesday (new comic book day) and even for an introvert it was easy to strike up conversations. I stopped going to the comic book store because it was expensive, time consuming and bit too geeky at times. But, I can’t help but think that it was there in the comic book shop that I engaged in “real” ministry, much more real than what takes place on the stage on Sunday mornings. Maybe it’s time to go back to the comic book store, and look for opportunities to minister? Maybe it’s time to go to them, my Israel and be a witness?

How about you, where is your Israel?

Future Potential

“Who is in the stands cheering for you in the marathon of life?
We’ve all had people in our past who believed in us when we didn’t have the strength to believe in ourselves. Being a youth worker means that you get the privilege of doing this for someone else. So keep up the good work. Keep encouraging. Continue to remember names. And dive deep into the lives of the students you are walking through life with.” Doug Fields

I pass this on to you in light of several things God is working in me. I recently started reading a book entitled The Climb of Your Life, by Dr. Chris Stephens. That name is likely not very familiar to you, but to me he has had an incredible impact on my life. Chris was one of my Youth Pastors when I was a teenager. Chris has an incredible testimony of how Christ rescued him from a life of drug addiction, and the mess that type of life creates. He is now the senior pastor of a church in Knoxville TN, which was named one of the fastest growing churches in the United States. As I read through this book I can see Chris on every page, what he has written about is what he has really been living out for over 20 years. The main point of the book is this; we (Christ followers) are all on a climb/journey in life and just as someone who climbs a mountain needs others to make it to the top we also need others in our lives to push us, pull us and prod us to achieving more than what we ever thought possible.

As a teenager I had the privilege of seeing Chris live this out. He challenged me to know what I believe and why I believe it. He set an example of a missional life style. And he boldly proclaimed God’s word, whether it was to one or to a thousand.

There is also a warning to us, that while we are able to be influenced to be more, we are equally able to be dragged down to be less of whom God has called us to be. We need to make wise choices as to who we tie ourselves to as climbing companions if we are to reach the peak of our potential.

FEAR Part 2

I went to see the movie The Watchmen opening night, and refrained from writing anything about it to give me adequate time to process the movie. I don’t intended to review the movie at this point other than to say that it is very thought provoking and raised a number of emotional responses in me. Not to ruin the movie for anyone but the concept is an interesting twist on what is a rather common theme in modern literature and cinema. The idea is that as a separated world we are a danger to ourselves, on an unavoidable collision with self destruction. The answer to world peace is presented as a form of the Arabic proverb, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” I won’t belabor the examples that I could point to but the enemy that threatens humanity becomes the source of unity. I think back to movies such as Independence Day, were an alien invasion and thereat of world wide destruction leads to common purpose and therefore understanding and peace among the nations. Armageddon staring Bruce Willis is another example; the earth is threatened by a massive meteor that again threatens the human race, so the common enemy to survival draws us near. And recently with The Watchmen, a super being is seen as a universal threat that brings the warring world to a halt and refocuses its energies to a common goal.

Maybe there is some truth to this premise, that which we universally fear draws us nearer to one another. What if instead of a universal fear of alien invasion, super beings, or devastating natural disaster we began to understand and universally fear the Lord our God. Over and over again in the Bible we are taught, and shown that we are to fear God. In fact we are told in Proverbs 1:7 that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;”

What if we as humanity all learned to live in the fear of the Lord our God? What if we as Christians, all over the world began to live in the fear of God? Would we see peace? Well no. The Bible is clear that until Christ’s return and rule we will have war (see Matthew 24:4-31) But we are also told of day when there will be no more death, sorrow, crying or pain (Revelation 21:3-4)

So if you are a believer what do you have to fear? Fear the Lord, and all of these other fears that we have will fade away.

Future Fear

What would you do if you weren’t afraid? I think this is one of the most helpful questions I have asked myself in recent times. I have to confess an incredible lack of action because of the fear that I have. I fear what others will think. I fear what will happen if I fail. I fear wasting time and resources on something that doesn’t pan out. I fear, therefore I stay safe – doing the safe things.

Now I understand that there is such a thing as healthy fear. It is fear that keeps us from doing stupid things. It is fear that keeps us civil, and it is fear that preserves life. However, there are times when fear hinders growth; it stops us from being innovative and trying new things. And at the end of it all, safe is not compelling, there is no risk and no reward. Safe is simple, but stepping out and breaking the mold is hard. I have often heard the saying, “if it’s easy than it isn’t worth doing.” Taking the hard road, blazing new paths takes risk, it is hard work and it may not pay off.

I am being challenged by Craig Groeschel’s “IT” as he quotes Robert F. Kennedy who said, “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” Craig goes on to share that churches, ministries and leaders that have the “it factor” about them fail and fail often, because they are always trying new things, they are living into creativity and innovation, and often failure comes before you can learn how to do it right.

We understand this principle in some areas of life, like sports and the arts. To become a great basketball player you have to be willing to endure some losses, to miss the shot, to cost the game. If you desire to be an excellent guitarist, you must first be willing to be an awful guitarist. No one picks up a guitar and starts playing with precision, without first picking away some clunkers. But, when the stakes get higher our fear entangles us.

What if instead of fearing failure, we started to look at failure as the road to success. What if instead of viewing others failures with negativity, we viewed them as one step closer to achieving something great.

What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

Future of Motorcycles

I have been watching the market and things really seem to be taking a turn. Remember about a year and a half ago when shows like Build or Bust, Biker Build-off, and American Chopper where getting a lot of attention? It seemed like you couldn't open a magazine without being bombarded with raked out, tricked out and heavely fabricated art/machines.

This was, as I assumed, a fad. Sure you still have a number of high priced eye candy art possing as motorcycles. But the future my friends is the PAST. Just look at the new MotoGuzzi V7 classic, the Triumph Boneville, Ducati Sport Classic, MV Augusta Brutale, even Harley is going retro with their XR 1200. And don't count Yamaha and Suzuki out either. The "new" Suzuki TU 250 and the recently unveiled concept bike from Yamaha called the Sakura are revisiting the past for future innovation. Retro is in!! And, I for one am ecstatic about this new old turn. Admittedly I was just a kid in the '70's (don't feel bad, I'll be old someday too) but I can't get enough of these bikes. I love those old UJM's, and Britt bikes of old. They're timelessly cool, and these new retro's have all the cool and all the new tech to keep them on the road more than in the garage.

Maybe this is what the market is demanding, goodlooking low frills bikes that can handle a multitude of tasks. After all the economy is in bad shape, and the days of having 3 bikes in the garage are possibly a thing of the past. So looking for a bike to commute to work, do some lite touring and bar/cafe hopping just makes a ton of sense.

The industry has been lamenting for years that my generation just isn't interested in the big over sized cruisers, and the cost of keeping up with a sport bike is something that most guys my age just can't do now. Plus, there is a stigma that goes with owning a "crotch rocket" that is just not appealing to me. I am no hooligan or punk kid, and neither are my peers. We're married, have kids, and are in some mid level and mid pay employment. We're not looking to go to the track, or tour 1,ooo miles. We just want a comfortable well made ride that doesn't look like we're trying too hard to look cool.

Beneath all that is a social conscience that speaks to my generation and those coming up behind me. We are conscerned about fuel economy, emissions, and wokers rights. Harley, Honda, BMW are you really listening to what we want, or are you listening to a bunch of old guys that are already loyal to your company? By the way the days of brand loyalty are over. Just because we buy a Honda today, doesn't mean we're going to look for a Honda next time we buy a bike. You have to continue to prove yourself.

But for now, I'am just as content to keep riding my old bike who knows maybe it will be cool again someday.