Q Crashing

So I heard the news of the bombings throughout the weekend.  Bombings of Syria and bombings in Egypt. Then shootings in another school in Southern California.  And I remember this is why Jesus came.  We are so lost on this big planet.  We can't figure it out.  How to get along and how to coexist and how to sustain peace. I watched the video of the police officer who stopped the suicide bomber and made him go through the metal detector.  Such a small act saved many lives.  The officer probably just thought I'm doing my job, but he was extending life for people without realizing it. As a one of us on this planet I find myself wishing I could change it.  I wish I could change people to not hate.  Make them not judge.  Cause them to be peaceable.  But then I start focusing on how I really want them to just be like me?  And I'm not so sure I'm the best model.  It hit me that maybe I shouldn't be focusing on trying to change...

I've got to start writing again.  Even if no one sees it.  It is an enormous release and relaxer for me. So I'm going to try to end the days with some meaningful or gleeful or totally abstract words that if you read may or may not make an impact.  But they will be mine. I'm not going to jump back in with some long expose.  Let's keep it light. Top 3 and Bottom 1 of the day. 1.  Deci and Sinatra:  My daughter is studying Frank Sinatra for a project at school.  I can't tell you how happy this makes me.  I didn't discover Sinatra until after high school.  But Old Blue Eyes is timeless.  She actually said to me today that "Fly me to the Moon" was her favorite.  Makes a dad smile. 2.  Mike at Bible Study:  There is a guy who goes to church with us named Mike and he is an amazing blessing.  He zips in sometime during the week to check the baptistry.  See if it needs drained and cleaned or some chlorine or whate...

Upright citizens bless a city and make it prosper, but he talk of the wicked tears it down. Proverbs 11:11 I don’t know if we think about blessing our city near enough.  I’m enamored with it. And to be honest I used to be the opposite.  I was the guy who always griped about what the city wasn’t doing and how there wasn’t anything fun to do in the city and when I grow up I’m not living here.  That was me.  But it is funny how time, perspective, and scripture can help to change a man.   A pastor at a conference I attended recently said we need to be critics less and students more.  It’s easy to criticize things we don’t like or agree with, but it’s not really a fair criticism until we know the subject.  When it comes to our city, we need to become students of it.  Do you know our city council?  Do you know our mayor?  Do you know the Parks and Rec director?  Have you listened to their ideas for what the future could hold? ...

So she seduced him with her pretty speech.  With her flattery she enticed him. Proverbs 7:21 It really has to do with our insecurities.  We want to say something so that someone will think we are special.  Men want to be impressive and be revered.  Women want to feel loved and desirable.  And we all turn to our words to get a cheap injection of it.  And most of the time we go down the roads of pretty speech and flattery because we were to weak and lazy to do it right.   Let me explain.  We many times choose the cheapest product.  It takes the least resources to accomplish the task.  We might get Dr. Thunder instead of Dr. Pepper.  Cocoa Rocks instead of Cocoa Puffs.  And for the most part we are satisfied.  There might be slight differences, but we are okay with it, because the product is cheaper, which means we had to work less for it.  I remember when that paradigm shifted for me. It was the day I discov...

For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. Proverbs 5:21 So much of our life is hidden at varying degrees from various people.  The first and last of my days usually spent in my bathroom or on my couch are reserved to me.  My wife and kids are spectators to the majority of the time in my home.  It is usually a comedy by the way.  Co workers see me daily at work.  Life group hangs out with me once or twice a week.  Friends get some time here and there.  And on Sunday the whole church gets just a peek at what makes me, me.   But God sees it all.  He sees it clearly.  So clearly that he knows intention behind decision. Intention. I would love to say that the reason I played football was to use the abilities God had given me to create a platform to share his name to the world around me.  My intentions, looked something a bit different.  Girls and glory (mine not God’s).  It was rea...

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.” Proverbs 4:23 There is a term I heard so much growing up that was used synonymously with salvation. It was this: “Give your heart to the Lord.” And the recent church has got up in arms about how this is bad theology and I think they are right. Our salvation is not based on our giving God anything. From what I can tell it is based on our belief in Jesus as our Savior. So I understand why people don’t use it as much anymore. I understand the teaching correcting it. But if I’m honest . . . I really like it. Not as a theological statement on salvation, but as a love story. For me there was this moment when the beauty of God’s love became as clear as I've seen it on this side. His love became so much deeper than all the longings that the world has to offer. His promises were so much richer than anything I’ve ever seen. Career, money, power, notoriety, toys, houses, relationships: they all make offer...

“Never let loyalty and kindness get away from you! Wear them like a necklace; write them deep within your heart.” Proverbs 3:3 I started thinking about the things that can “get away from you” today. Race cars get away from people. “Dale Jr, what happened in the second curve on lap 53?” “Well Stan, she just got away from me, you know.” Diets. “Hey, I thought you were on a diet?” “I was, but I saw this pizza buffet and it just got away from me.” Two year olds. “How did Harlow get in the fire ant bed?” “I was watching her, and then this football play on TV, and she just got away from me.” These things usually happen against our best intentions. The writer says to put loyalty and kindness around your neck. Let people see it. Our own pride and ego tries so hard to make us unloyal thinking that if we talk down those we are under or our bosses that in some way we shine brighter than them. But loyalty squeezes humility out of us. Instead of talking down those...

Proverbs 2 "He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly.  He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity." Proverbs 2:7 Man I love shields.  Sometimes I walk around and pretend I have a shield on my arm and and sword in the other hand.  When you study the Spartans, their greatest weapon was their shield.  It is the quintessential defensive tool but it can also be used as an offensive weapon.  I mean look at Captain America.  Shield Mastery. The shield Solomon is talking about is wisdom and the way to ensure you are protected with wisdom is integrity.  In old farmer talk, "No one believes what you say unless you act like you say." We can spout all the wisdom we like, but if we aren't walking in integrity we are just kidding ourselves. I remember walking into the college weight room for the first time.  I couldn't wait to work out with the other guys and try to show off my strength.  I wanted to impress all my new team...

“For they are simpletons who turn away from me to death. They are fools, and their own complacency will destroy them.” Proverbs 1:32 Don’t quit moving!!! I’ve started working out and helping the Crossville Soccer team. It’s been great. I’ve always loved the weight room and coaching is one of the funnest things I’ve ever done. First day in I told all the guys we have three rules.   Rule 1: We never give up. Rule 2: Encourage your teammate. Rule 3: Always get better. These are great rules in the weight room, but if I’m honest they’re great rules for life in Christ as well. It’s incredible that Solomon writes "their own complacency will destroy them." Wisdom was trying to get their attention but they were just comfortable to let things keep going the same way and not pay attention to the things that really needed to change. That is so me some days, both toward wisdom and toward God! I would like to act as if my pursuit of intimacy and knowledge of God was a g...

So I'm a little nervous to really type this.  It's because I know if I just keep saying it in my head I won't every have to really follow through with it.  I can just keep saying, "Oh, I'll start that tomorrow" or "I'll get back at it after the weekend". But I don't. One of the hardest things for me being back in Alabama is the battle to eat healthy foods.  It's not that you can't find them here in Albertville.  You can.  They are just not the movement they quite were in Eugene. We actually had the ability to get healthy fast food in Eugene.  That actually tasted good.  They used Kale and sprouts and other weedy foods to spruce up and fill in where oil plays main stage on most of our southern foods.  And I'm not blaming the food.  It's my choice.  To be honest, I've just been lazy when it comes to this part of my life right now.  In Eugene it was the cool thing to do.  Eating all my cool health foods, but here there ...

So we added two interns to our staff for the summer.  I can't tell you how excited I am about that.  I love teams and when people join a team they automatically make it better.  That person brings all new perspective, talents, passions, and energy to the group.  Now granted, sometimes people can have a negative impact, but I'm going to be honest.  We have two amazing new teammates. Anna and Jake are who has joined us and I'm so excited to see what these young adults do for us at LifePoint, but also what they accomplish in their lives.  Anna is an amazing young woman with a heart for families and it is staggering to hear some of the ideas she is coming up with at a young age.  She has a fighters heart that loves deeply.  A powerful tool.  Jake is energy personified.  There is such hunger for God's word and love for the mission of the Gospel within him. I wonder how many times we miss out on the gifts that people are in our lives.........

If I had to say what I missed most about Oregon, it's an easy answer. Community!!!! My wife Audrey and I are having to rebuild it in our lives.  And that's so much fun, but also a little sad at times.  Only because as your building community, you think about all the people who use to be part of it.  During our four years in Oregon there became a group of people who knew they were absolutely cleared to drop by anytime and when they did we were happy and our family was better for it.  The cool neighbors that we built friendships with.  There was duck fans, parents of three daughters just like ours, a guy who wore a kilt, and a family that ran a restaurant in the back of their house.  These people were all amazing in their own way and enriched the lives of the Williams clan so much.  We miss them.  We miss the people who had became so close that we could not wait for the next excuse to just sit and talk together.  It really was something spe...

The other day a friend of mine called and made mention that she was stressed out because the students in the College she works at were worried that they weren't going to get their annual Puppies and Chocolate Day.  Yeah, you heard me right:  Puppies and Chocolate Day.  In fact, one person who was running for the next years student government realized  how upset the student body was so she used it for political gain.  Immediately her campaign became, "elect me and I'll bring back Puppies and Chocolate Day". Wow. Puppies and Chocolate Day ended up happening.  There was free Chocolate to eat and Dogs hanging around to pet and all was well in the universe again. Here is some insights. We are all really worried about our own Puppies and Chocolate Day.  It may not be candy and chocolate, but maybe it's the next promotion or the next relationship.  We so desire comfort.  We don't really desire contentment, but comfort.  Puppies and Choc...

So what am I back at... Trying to serve God? Trying to be like Jesus? Trying to show my wife as much love as my heart feels? Trying to be a good dad? Trying to impact a community? Trying to live. Trying to live in a way that is good and right and full. Trying to live in a way that makes others smile and makes God smile and makes me smile. Trying to live free from the constraints of this world. I miss and enjoy at the same time. Miss so many great friends in Oregon and enjoy the old relationships rekindled after four years of smoking. Miss comrades at Izakaya Meji. Enjoying times on the porch. Miss big mountains and enjoy warm water. Miss community and enjoy family. This is just one more step to the end. The end of this life leads to the one that last forever. There try and miss will disappear. I will strive to lead others to that forever. It is better than this. It is everything. It is our hope.

I want to start by saying, in no way is what we have chosen the best or only way out there.   We just feel it's our way this season. But here is why we chose this path:  When we moved to Oregon we knew our oldest would be going into school.  The great thing is that there are many options for school here.  Private Christian Schools, homeschooling, and the county even let's you enter lotteries for any of the many public elementary schools around.  So when the day came, Audrey and I had much to talk about. We really felt that God had led our family to try our best to make big decisions as missionaries walking in faith.  This led us to believe that the school that was literally just around the corner from our house was a prime mission field.  The coolest part is that Decmeber got to be the lead missionary here.  She would dictate relationships and she would be at the center of decisions of our family involvement.  This has been so beautiful t...

GET TO 300:   Last year I loss and kept off around 45 pounds.  I have another 35 pounds to go and I’ll be down to 300.  This is where I entered college at.  It has been a constant struggle for me, but God is teaching me to view it in light of his Gospel.  Less stress eating and more trusting that he is in total control.  More eating for God’s glory, not mine. DATE MORE OFTEN:  I’ve been blessed with 4 amazing women in my life.  My beautiful wife and three super cute and adorable daughters.  I want to find more time to spend with them.  More date nights with my wife and more daughter/daddy dates.  They are the precious gifts God has given me and I want to slow down and enjoy them.  READ MORE FICTION:  I read quite a lot.  But it is mainly Christian authors talking about theology or missionology or ideology or any other ology you can think of....

So I learned today, very clearly, that things are real that I don't understand. Now many of you are saying "No Duh".  But for me it is a bit of a revelation.  For instance, my wife and I have argued forever about migraines.  She would tell me they were super bad headaches that make light hurt your eyes and make you nauseous and can cause you to throw up and want to crawl into a cave and enter hibernation for the next five days.  My response?  All headaches are the same, some folks just have lower pain tolerance. I didn't win the greatest husband award for that comment and I know they are real, but it gives some insight into how I handle situations.  I have a southern highschool football mentality when it comes to life.. "suck it up son" "walk it off" "you hurt or are you injured" "just put some tobacco juice on it" These four comments in my (stupid)opinion have solved the majority of my problems...but not really. To...

So here is the truth.  Being a missionary is HARD! Many days my family longs to be back in our hometown where we have so many long time friends and 30 years of memories.  What is so amazing is when God gives some rest.  Sometimes through encouragement or calls or opportunities. This last weekend it came as a contemplative prayer retreat with some awesome guys.  Five of the guys were from our Crash team and some guys we are planting here with in Eugene joined us.  What did we do?  Prayed and got quiet and listened. (Zach, missionary and amazing friend) We started with the Shabbat meal on Friday night welcoming in the Sabbath.  John Rice was our host and facilitator for the weekend. Then we rested, ate, prayed, and filled out minds with scripture. Here is what I walked away with.  I need to listen to God more.  There is this struggle in my heart to experience the fullness of life.  Many times I think this comes th...

Audrey and I have been married for 3034 days yesterday.  It's been a great adventure.  Thought I would catalog days from time to time.  Here are the highlights. I got up a little later than planned and took up some of the shower time that December needed to get ready for school.  Somehow I feel that it is inevitable for to be shoved out to the little bathroom by the garage.  The girls have began their takeover.  I then had to leave in a rush and left Audrey in a decent position, if you don't count December out of shower with shampoo stuck in her hair, Journey screaming, and Harlow eating anything and everything off the floor.  I got to work at the Eugene Mission which is an amazing place to work.  I get to be a missionary to hundreds everyday.  It started raining as I pulled in, but decided to take the guys for a morning run in the run.  We have 18 men who are participating in what we call the Life Change Program.  This means th...

Honestly, I struggle to lead. I worry I will let people down or mess things up somehow. But really to lead all we need is humility and submission to God. My flesh wants to run from the leadership opportunities that present themselves, but who am I to run from where God places me. I want to live in God's will and do his work and step up anytime he gives me the chance. To lead is to serve. We will fail as leaders, but we will learn, and we will grow. Our failures only make us more broken and humble, which allows us to listen better. In leadership, God's voice is the one that matters. Our voice will falter and quake, but God's is strong, calm, and persistent.