Here's some great accountability questions for spiritual growth...just in case you're interested or looking:
1. How have you grown closer to Christ in the past week?
2. What has God revealed to you during that time? About Himself? About you?
3. What do you have in your life that's keeping you from a growing and maturing in Christ? In other words, what needs to go? What are you doing about it?
4. If you're married: What have you done in the last week to show your wife/husband that you value her/him?
5. If others follow you, at the end of a day, will they end up closer or further away from Christ?

How do you react when you hear the word accountability? Are you apathetic, fearful, convicted, excited, worried? Why?

I have found that without someone holding me accountable, it is extremely hard for me to make any meaningful progress in my journey with Christ. How about you? What's keeping you from taking the plunge? Do you need a new glove?

Stoked,
DpD

One more thing - there's a great little book I'd like to recommend: Let Your Life Speak - Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker J. Palmer.

New links added to the right. Since Dusty is relocating to the beach - there is a "Lake Michigan Forcast."

When my son, Steve, was about 11 years old, we signed him up for little league. This was the first year he would face "live pitching" from a peer. Before that Steve was knocking the daylights out of an imitation hardball that was placed on a large rubber tee. The beauty of T-ball, was that the ball never moved until you hit it, or you hit the tee. This was definitely a hitter's game. Enough said.

On the first day of practice, when I dropped Steve off to meet his new coach and teammates, I stuck around to watch, but yet stayed in the car a fair distance away. I didn't see other dads or moms around, so I thought Steve would probably not want me hanging around the backstop like some kind of wannabe baseball guru.

I could tell Steve was very nervous and uneasy as he slowly walked to the field. He thumped his mitt with every step he took with his left foot, as if he was walking to some kind of baseball cadence. When he approached the backstop, the coach said something to him and after a minute or two, Steve pivoted on one foot and walked back to the car, thumping his mitt in cadence once again. As he walked up to the driver's window, I could tell he was in the middle of a huge internal struggle. His eyes were screaming at me, "Get me out of here. I don't know any of these guys and the coach doesn't seem as nice as my dad :) and I'm flat-out scared." Even though his eyes were speaking volumes his lips were not moving, at least not much. There was a little quiver of his bottom lip that also caused his cheeks to quiver a bit. As he stood there next to the car, pounding a hole in his mitt, I asked him, "What's up, Steve?" He looked me in the eye, and said, "I need a new glove."

I was relieved, even though he wasn't. I told him that we would go out and buy a new glove for him. He turned and walked back to the field to play ball. That summer was a difficult year for Steve, but one he could build the rest of his life on. You see, Steve chose to bite the bullet that day and take on the challenge, even though it was totally out of his comfort zone - even though he was scared - he made a decision, walked back toward the field and played ball.

I believe that was a kairos moment for Steve, a moment that changed things that impacted his future. Steve went on to become a pretty good baseball player. But, more importantly, Steve went on to become a real man of character, a man of God, an outstanding churchplanter, husband, and dad. I was proud of my son that day as he chose to rise above the challenge of the unknown. I am even more proud of my son today. Steve has demonstrated time and again that same level of commitment and do what he knows is right and best. It's part of who he is.

How many of us look at the challenges ahead of us, and try everything in our power to bale out, and then "pound our fist into the glove", turn and walk back into the fray one more time? I know that I learned something from my 11 year old son that day - a lesson I'll never forget. Stay with it!
"I need a new glove"
DpD

What do Osama Bin Laden, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Mel Gibson, Aljazeera, John F. Kerry, and Condoleezza Rice have in common?

They were all named to the Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential list. Senator Kerry was called "a unifier for the democratic party". President Bush was referred to as a "radical gambler." What?

Mel Gibson the bane of Hollywood only a couple of months ago, because he had the audacity to produce and direct a film about Jesus Christ that was true to the Bible, was on the list as well. I'll bet the Hollywood moguls are upset with that one! Money talks in this business.

What I don't understand is our fixation on "top whatever lists" that are released by publications on a regular schedule. They must sell magazines?
Who votes on these lists? Are these people acutally employees of the magazine, sitting in a little conference room casting their ballots? Is there any science to this? I wonder if Rick Warren's name (the author of the best selling Purpose Driven Life) is mentioned on this list? I wonder if my name made it on this list? Certainly, I would stack up well against some of these folks!

Gotta go and buy a copy of Time and check it out....
With fingers crossed,
DpD

Another week closing fast. The older I get the faster these weeks go. Have you heard that before? I think you can add that quote to others like, "I used to walk 4 miles to school and then back home again after 10 hours in the classroom, of course up hill both ways.

Why do we have to make our experiences sound more difficult than other people's experiences? It's kind of a one-upmanship going on here and I just can't figure out what the intrinsic value is? Maybe some of my avid readers have some ideas on this?

The only sure thing I know is that I've worked harder and longer hours, studied harder, endured more hardship and challenges, and basically put up with more stuff, then almost any other person. The mere fact that I pounded that out on the keyboard just now, makes me feel a whole lot better! Maybe that's why we (I) do it?

still overdoing it,
DpD

An encouraging thought from St. John Chrysostom. Be encouraged today.

Rejoice today, both you who have fasted and you who have disregarded the fast. The table is fully laden; feast sumptuously. The calf is fatted; let no one go hungry away. Enjoy the feast of faith; receive all the riches of loving-kindness.

Let no one bewail his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed.

Let no one weep for his iniquities, for pardon has shone forth from the grave.

Let no one fear death, for the Savior's death has set us free: he that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it.

By descending into hell, he made hell captive. He embittered it when it tasted of his flesh. And Isaiah, foretelling this, cried: "Hell was embittered when it encountered thee in the lower regions."

It was embittered, for it was abolished. It was embittered, for it was mocked.

It was embittered, for it was slain. It was embittered, for it was overthrown.

It was embittered, for it was fettered in chains.

It took a body, and met God face to face. It took earth, and encountered heaven.

It took that which was seen, and fell upon the unseen.

O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory?

Christ is risen, and you are overthrown. Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen.

Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and life reigns.

Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave.

For Christ, being risen from the dead, is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages.

Amen.

DpD

HE LIVES! There is hope for a future beyond our comprehension. God has the last word! It's a done deal. Celebrate the resurrection of the Christ!

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus Christ
(John 14:6)

"Let's agree to disagree." You've probably heard that statement repeated once or twice in your life, but can you do it without some feelings of animosity for the person you're disagreeing with? Do you find yourself making disguised efforts to present your side whenever you're given the opportunity?

Why is it so hard for me (us) to move on after a disagreement - one that just can't be resolved? Is it pride? Is it frustration? Fear? There will continue to be times in my life when I will be confronted with these situations of conflict and disagreements. How will I handle them? Will I ever get to a point of saying, "I'm not going to change your mind, you're probably not going to change my mind - let's agree to disagree." Then forget it...and move on. I'm looking forward to that day.

always right,
DpD

Well, spring break is here and so am I. It sure would be nice to get on a plane and head south for warmer weather. However, the sky is blue, with an occassional white snowflake here and there, and sunny. Yesterday was a good day, although attendance was down. I always look forward to this time of year, especially leading up to Easter. Perhaps Christ's passion is more meaningful this year because of the movie, or perhaps I'm just tuned in a bit more...I'm not sure. I still can't comprehend the magnitude of his love.

Michael Card wrote a song about the cross entitled "Why". Why was he betrayed by a friend, why was he betrayed with a kiss, why a crown of thorns, etc. The one "why" that really penetrates my heart dead-on, is the "why did they have to nail his feet and hands to the cross, when his love would have held him there."

Thankful,
DpD