Well, we are 7 weeks into renovating a 90 year old home in Fort Worth, Texas. One more week and we will be moving in!  We’ve moved 8 times in 8 years (Here are 88 Reasons) & it’s time to settle down!  I love my church, my family & my calling in life.  If you are interested in seeing the progression of our recent home renovation, here is Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5 & Week 6.  

So several weeks ago, Joe the Bricker gave me the run down on what work he was contracting to do for us…

 Here is what we were looking at during the vid above: 

So about half way into the job I pull up to find Joe’s crew scratching their heads trying to figure out what to do.  Here was Joe…

I wasn’t too worried.  But I checked to see if he was still breathing…

Come to find out, Joe was up all night at the local hospital visiting a close friend who is dying of cancer.  Crazy story, we talked at length about his friend, about life and why bad things happen to good people.  It was a great opportunity to chat.  Here is Joe’s work below…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, what do you think about his work?  One more week for tile, plumbing, cleaning and moving in!  Think we will make it?

For more posts on creativity, leadership, social media or faith, subscribe to receive free email updates out to the right.  Thanks for visiting TheWayItCouldBe.com, a blog about personal & spiritual tranformation and cultural impact.

Think about a pimp that pimps out young girls for a living.

Think about the Superbowl coming to my town (Dallas/Fort Worth) and these young girls being pimped out, sold, abused and… I can’t even go into it (big events increase the demand for this type of thing, therefore supply must increase by finding and often taking young girls).

Think about this pimp dealing with, stealing, abusing, selling your daughter, your wife, your baby girl.

Then think about this… While God invariably hates the actions of this pimp, this defiler of often innocent human lives, He, at the same time, loves this pimp.

He loves him no less than you, no less than me. It doesn’t mean He justifies the pimps actions, but he does truly long for this person’s life to belong to Him.  He truly loves him.  I mean, Jesus may have even been thought of as a pimp as He hung out often with with prostitutes and thieves.

Does this bother you?  When was the last time you were bothered?  It sort of bothers me.  I feel like I am a better person than the pimp.  I feel like I am some how on a different level of “goodness” in God’s eyes.  I feel like I am somehow entitled to more love than the dirty, swindling pimp.

But… I am not… While there is no doubt different, more hurtful and permenant consequences to the actions of the pimp, my filthiness is no less filthy and my goodness is no more good.

I am (we are) no better than the dirty, swindling, pain-inflicting pimp, wreaking havoc in our own subtle, human ways.  

And yet, somehow I am called to love this pimp.  I am somehow no better than this pimp. The only thing that distinguishes me is that I seek out the mercy of the Creator and call on his name and I turn from my old ways even though they come back and I am still no better.  And the pimp does not yet know this love.  The pimp has not yet given up his intentional acts.

I am not, therefore He is. I become less, so that He may become more through me.

Who is your pimp? By this I mean who is the next-to-impossible for you to love?   Where is your religious blind spot?  By this I mean, where could your view of yourself be a bit off?   Comments?

This is Jesus & Pimps.

You never know when a simple invite to church can change someone’s live. Check out what happened when this banker stepped out and invited a customer to church…

Why is sometimes difficult to invite others to church?  Are we afraid our relationship may be affected?  What is it?  Love to hear your thoughts in the comments…

A key volunteer of ours shot this a few years ago at our church. Yes, it is over the top and yes I’m giving you a heads up ahead of time.   Please send your complaint emails to Chad@yesiworkwithcrazypeople&thingsjustendupthisway.com 

Well, which one is your favorite?  Do you think we went a little too far?  I think I know the answer…  Love to hear in the comments! 

For upcoming (and perhaps less ridiculous) posts on church, community, etc., please  subscribe to receive free email updates to the right!

If you like Iron Man or babies, you may like this… (or be offended by it):

Seriously, I am a dad and I think about raising an Iron Baby!  Not in the physical sense, but more in a spiritual influence/global influence sense.  Here are questions I ask myself daily:

Am I speaking into this child what/who I believe she is destined to be in life?

Am I living out what I say I believe so that my family gets the most real view of faith as possible?

What is my family doing about injustice in the world?  What Am I leading them to do?

What passions are inside my kids that I can help bring to life?   

Am I helping my Iron Baby know uncondition love so that she will know how to show it to herself or others?

Do I know unconditional love- that I will never be the perfect man, husband, father?  This will probably affect all the other ?’s…

What questions do you ask yourself as a parent?   We’d love to know in the comments!

Meg danced the other night every time I sang this song from Tommy Boy….

Do you think she looks like Chris Farley in Tommy Boy? I do (minus a few lbs).  Is she sweet or what? 

It’s Time To Let Go When…

You hang on to the past and can’t break free.  It’s time to let go.

Your worries drown out your joys. It’s time to let go.

Bitterness becomes perfectly comfortable. It’s time to let go.

Your mind can’t fathom it, but you know you are being called.  It’s time to let go.

You are being electrocuted. Haha.  It’s time to let go.

You define what could be in life only by what has been.  Dream some!  It’s time to let go.

You only hear the voices of the critics instead of what you know is the truth.  It’s time to let go.

You allow daily distractions to steal life’s precious moments. Live in the moment.  It’s time to let go.

The prayer is over, and you’re still holding hands.  It’s time to let go!

Ok, your turn. It’s Time To Let God When…… (drop a comment below).

Check out this new promo rolling at our church to promote serving in the community!

When you hear someone say that the world us waiting for your gifts, abilities and talents, what do you think? Is this intimidating or exciting?

Ok, so I live in the city, drive a car, work with one of the most innovative churches in the country, deal in real estate and have an all-out appearance of a city boy.  But….. most people don’t know my country side.  I grew up in East Texas.   They say you can take the boy out of the country, but you can never take the country out of the boy.  Don’t believe me?   Here are 40 Reasons I’m Still A Country Boy At Heart:

1. Red Wing boots (11 years old).
2. Tony Lama boots (9 years old).
3. Aaron Watson albums (Honky Tonk kid. We taught ourselves to play guitar together in college at Abilene Christian University).
4. A few pearl snap shirts hanging in the closet.
5. Still say “mam” sometimes to ladies that looks older than me.
6. Still listen to country radio every so often.
7. Have a Willie Nelson tape collection (seen him live over a dozen times).
8. The West Side Cafe is my favorite restaurant.
9. The Dixie House Cafe (Home of the Big Buns)  is my second favorite restaurant (Not because of the name at all, but becuase of the food).
10. One of my good friends has a washer board (like horseshoes, but with large washers) with a Texas flag painted on it.
11. Borrowed the washer board the other day.
12. My country accent still comes out from time to time.
13. Drove a truck from age 15 to 29 and still think about it alot (especially when I get no respect on the road in my Taurus).
14. One of those trucks was a Ford.
15. The next was a Dodge.
16. The last one was a 4X4 Chevy.
17. There is a loaded Winchester shotgun in my house; come on over some time in the middle of the night and I’ll demonstrate it.
18. Had gum surgery in college. I’ll let you guess why.
19. Chicken fried steak is still my favorite.
20. Have three camo shirts in my drawer.
21. Still have a favorite pair of Levi jeans.
22. Was a horseback trail guide in college.
23. Went on a search for a man as a trail guide and found him dead up in the mountains. Sad story, but true.
24. Would go see George Strait if he came to town.
25. Say howdy (comes out more like ‘ha-ddy’ to people in Fort Worth).
26. Helped burn down a hay field growing up. This doesn’t really mean much today, but it sure makes for a funny story!
27. Number 6 on my radio dial is a country station.
28. Order my steak medium rare.
29. Love Jesus and try with every part of my to share Him with the world.
30. When I turned 21 (over 10 years ago), my dad and grandmpa took me fishing.
31. My first date with my wife was at a steakhouse in Abilene, TX.
32. Wrote this post while listening to CMT radio in my friends truck (Toyota but it still counts).
33. Just wrote a book review for a book called Transforming Church in Rural America.
34. Like sunsets and watch them whenever I can. Make fun of me all you want, just remember the loaded shotgun…
35. Own a fishing pole and a tackle box.
36. A few years ago, I was asked to go deer hunting (on a wildlife management hunt) in south Texas and killed 5 deer (the place was over-populated and the deer were all were starving).
37. I got in trouble in college with the law at a Merle Haggard concert, don’t ask!
38. My ears have chronic ringing from guns and probably fireworks and loud music as a kid.  What you say?
39. I own a Taylor guitar and can sing a bunch of country songs.
40. I blog about still being a country boy!!

Wow, I really made it to 40!  Maybe I’m more than a country boy at heart… I would bet there are many of us that look “all city,” but still have a little country running through our veins.  Are you a country boy or country girl at heart? If so, let us know why in the comments…  Anyone want to add to the list?  Go for it!

I’m not messing w this ag comm. candidate from Alabama.  He’s mad & packs heat!  Check out his promo vid, which has received over a million views on YouTube…

Comments??