A Christmas on Fifth Avenue

This is the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. I have written about how many people are willing to accept the birth of a baby, but many people are unwilling to accept that the very reason that He came to earth was to die. That is certainly, in my mind at least, the reality of the American culture today. The reality of the manger is that the cross is its intended completion.

While those theological thoughts are always present in my celebration, the practical celebration of the day took me to a set of movies that I happened upon a few years ago. The one that grasped my interest this year was It Happened on Fifth Avenue. This movie presented me with a wonderful thought about the reason why Christmas is such a fine celebration.

SPOILER ALERT

The story is about a wealthy man's house that lies vacant for months each year. A group of otherwise unrelated squatters move into the house and take ownership of it. These vagrants are able to live in all the splendor of this house, with all the benefits of the house, and with most of the rights of the ownership thereof. At one point, the owner of the house moves in with them and lives among them, though he is relegated to the servant's quarters.

The greatest part about this is that the owner lives among them, a fact unknown to most of them, and allows them to continue their arrangement for various reasons. That's really where the similarities end, but I could not help but think that God takes those of us who are spiritual interlopers and allows us to participate in all the benefits, rights, and splendor of the life which Christ lived. Just as the people in this movie get the benefits of a multi-million dollar mansion, so do we get the benefits of a perfect life lived for us.

It is wonderful to remember that the baby Who was born two thousand years ago, and Whose birth we celebrate today, began what become the imputed life we have. And that is a magnificent thing. For us it doesn't necessarily happen on a mansion on Fifth Avenue, but it is still a tremendous gift we have been bestowed.

There are many wise lines from this movie, including when the head of the house of misfits says, "Any house is only what the residents make it." If you find yourself feeling a little ashamed of your financial position in this world, it is great to know that even a servant's quarters can be the place that turns your life around. If you are a little down about your spiritual position in this world, it is great to know that even a miserable life of merely "filthy rags" is enough through the imputation of the One who came to earth for the express purpose of giving us new life!

A Dynasty Like No Other

Apparently there are these things you can use when hunting ducks to call them to where you are. Apparently the people that make these particular whistles are entertaining to watch on television. Apparently there are television stations that eventually notice that their value set is different than the stars of such a show, and when they do, they stand true to their values.

I have a very love-hate relationship with political debates. For much of my formative years, I thought I would eventually run for political office, so I studied a lot about government trends, went to law school, and put together hundreds of stump speeches on a variety of topics, including my bedrock speech about protecting your right to be stupid. This tends to make me think I know everything, which of course, I don't.

The very unfortunate thing about this is that I tend to slip into these diatribes when political issues come forward. I believe the biggest problem with that is our call to be politically savvy and well educated is not the foremost call in our Christian walk. While those of us who reap the benefits of living in a republic should play a part in upholding said republic, the Bible does not promise us a politically easy life. My inclusion in this chosen race mandates that I live in such a way as to bring honor to my Lord, and He says that I do that by submitting to every human institution.

So, I will (for now) avoid all the political permutations and repercussions of this debate, and just say that I believe homosexuality is a sin. I'm guessing that noone on either side of the issue is surprised that this is the belief of these Duck Dynasty stars.

To paraphrase Joe Wright, Scripture says, "Woe to those who call evil good" but that's exactly what we've done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium, inverted our values, and ridiculed the absolute truth of God's Word. We speak to others without love or their best interest at heart. We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle. We have embraced harsh speaking without kindness and called it standing up for what we believe.

I think we need to ask God to search and try us. It's certainly possible to dialog properly. Many will use examples of Jesus being harsh, like when He warned against hypocrisy, cleared the Temple courts, or identified false disciples. In each of these cases, Jesus was dealing with someone who proclaimed God.

I don't think this is a distinction we take lightly. Christ was much tougher on those people, than He was on those who made no proclamation of salvation, like the woman at the well or when He was healing.

I think this is a hard line to walk. We need to overflow with compassion when we are speaking to and about sinners. This is more than just political rhetoric, in fact it is different than much of my political rhetoric. I think we need to be kinder than (we feel is) necessary, because the only reason we are not struggling with that particular sin is the grace of God. And if we begin to trust in our own ability to stay out of sin, we fall into the same trap as those who have no hope.

The most wonderful thing about my particular theology is that I am able to easily recognize that I bring nothing of worth to my own salvation. It makes it easier for me to understand why others continue to live in sin. Regardless of what political agenda that may come from it, I find we need to lovingly give truth. Another wonderful thing about knowing theology is it allows you to understand what the truth is and why it is the truth. It allows you to understand what is really important and which dynasty we should have ruling in our lives.

The real challenge in my life is that I tend to get caught up in a political debate about

• whether the Robinsons have the right to speak their mind or
• if A&E has the right to fire them or
• if we have the right to boycott A&E or
• if we have the right to support A&E more or
• if we really want the Blaze to pick up a reality show (or whatever we're calling this type of show) or
• if we should support either side if we don't care about the station or the show.

The problem is that in my life and yours, the politics are a secondary concern to living the way we ought. Living the way we ought involves knowing what is sinful and knowing the proper way to deliver that message. That is such a challenge that I will, for now, leave the political debates to others who think that is more important!

Peace to Those with Whom He’s Pleased

This was originally written for my church's blog.

As I've been reading along in Desiring God's Advent Book, I came to the December 6 devotional. While I find the entire thing to be an excellent resource to go through as a family that consistently points us back to Christ and the true reason that is worth slowing down our lives and celebrating each December, this particular day stuck with me as I was explaining our hope and blessing to my children.

I had heard for years that suicides around Christmas time spiked. It made sense and in light of reading this devotional, it made even more sense. As Snopes will tell you, that is not quite true. However, the biggest 15-day span of suicides in the year are the two weeks immediately following Christmas. There are so many facts about suicide that can make any generalizations about it difficult to either state or affirm, but this much is certain, "Suicide is a decision made by people who have no hope."

In God's perfect timing, I read this wonderful piece by John Piper just days before I heard about a few people who actually made this decision of suicide, including someone I knew personally and so did many others who might decide to read this. I feel like this act often exacerbates a problem that we have as humans. We tend to characterize people into one general truth, much like Disney movies. If you think of a villain in Disney movie, you are normally hard-pressed to find one positive characteristic.

This is not how it tends to work in the "real world"! People are nuanced. In just the last ten days, two people have died that have caused a great divide amongst people writing on my Facebook wall. The problem with remembering anyone is that despite the fact that they are created in the image of God, they are born with a sinful nature. It can both be true that he did terrible things and that he helped accomplish great ones. Upon his passing, the part you choose to remember is up to you. I just dubbed this Nuanced Lives.

We all have nuanced lives, and this is why making a quick, snap, black and white judgment call on anyone is difficult. Fortunately, when God judges me, it won't be the terrible things for which I am judged. It won't even be on the basis of my accomplishing great things on my own. My only hope for getting a positive judgment in the afterlife is the same as my only hope for having peace while on this earth. hat is something to celebrate and one that most we all hope those we were close to are celebrating right now.

One of the great things that accepting the nuanced life in myself and others is that it will naturally lead to peacemaking. When we realize that we are flawed and others can participate in that same grace that allows us to live redemptive lives, despite our flaws, then we are able to truly grasp what it means to make peace with people. It allows us to build a culture of peace and realize what it means to have peace on this earth, as is suggested in the Luke 2 passage.

I am thankful that I am able to know Peace at this time of year, and really, throughout the entire year. As the devotional says, "The people who enjoy the peace of God that surpasses all understanding are those who in everything by prayer and supplication let their requests be made known to God….When we do trust the promises of God and have joy and peace and love, then God is glorified. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men with whom he is pleased—men who would believe.

Is it the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

This was original written for my business website.

Clearly, the mindset of Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. But how does it effect us in a business sense? This is an important question, as there are clearly some industries where December is a huge part of the business (e.g. anything retail) and some industries where the Christmas season is almost a throw away (e.g. anything education). Where in that spectrum does purchasing real estate fall?

I assert that real estate buyers should NEVER be more active than in December. Because people don't generally prefer moving around Christmas time, there is a hesitancy for most people to buy in that time. Because of that, every December becomes more of a buyer's market. Many people are under the impression, whether correct or incorrect, that selling in the given calendar year will have tax benefits. This also helps buyers.

In today's marketplace there are a large number of short sales and REO/Bank Owned properties, which further cements this principle, as the banks are always benefited by taking non-liquid assets off their books, but even more so when heading into a new calendar year. There are several things that make a quick sale beneficial, but few things that incentivize sellers to hold on to the property into the new year. Even those sellers not handcuffed by bank reaction feel most benevolent during the Christmas season.

With this in mind, every buyer should go crazy. Knowing that competition (i.e. other buyers) will increase as soon as Christmas passes. Knowing that people will be less inclined to sell when the new year hits. Knowing that the general feeling of benevolence and the outside pinch for money (gift buying) will only work in your favor for a limited time. Every potential buying dollar should be put forth to buy as many properties as possible during the month of December.

Because everyone's tax situation is different, it can not be stated that it is always a good tax move to purchase a home, but if you are going to purchase an investment of any sort, it is almost universally better to purchase a year in advance. The only situations where it would behoove the investor to wait to make a purchase until the next calendar year would be where something else has happened in the forthcoming year, which can't be known before the year begins. Therefore, it is almost always better for you to purchase something in the preceding calendar year.

All these things dictate that now is the time to be buying. If you ever want to purchase real estate, now is the time. So, anyone need help?

A Troubling Conversation

Postal Worker: How would you like to pay for that?
Me: With this credit card.
Postal Worker: I don't see your signature on it. You can't use it.
Me: That's my signature right there (as I point)
Postal Worker: I can't see a signature, you'll have to sign it
Me: Fine, I'll sign it again.
Then, I actually sign it again.
Postal Worker: The signature doesn't match your license.
Thinking "Could it be because it was signed twice?"
Me: Well, you just watched me sign it, you have my ID and know it's me. Can't you just take it?
Postal Worker: No. I can't see your signature.
Me: Wait, before you said it didn't match and now you say you can't even see it?
Postal Worker: Must be the pen.
Me: I used your pen.
Postal Worker: Well, try this one.
She hands me a different pen
Me: Fine.
Then, I actually sign it again.
Postal Worker: The signature doesn't match.
Me: I've now signed it three times. Probably gonna look a little weird there.
Postal Worker: There's no reason to get upset.
Me: If you can't take my card, I'll be a little frustrated.
Postal Worker: I can't
Me: Can I see your supervisor?
Postal Worker: Yes
Supervisor: Sir, your signature is not on this card.
Incidentally, I like it when the supervisor actually asks for my side, even if they ignore me afterward.
Me: Well, I've signed it in front of her twice, what would you like me to do?
Supervisor: I need a signed card
Me: That's my signature, right there.
Supervisor: It doesn't match. The first part does, but the second part looks a little different.
Me: What can I do?
Supervisor: Sometimes it's the card.
She applies tape to "remove" my old signature and allow me to sign anew
I actually sign the card, yet again.
Postal Worker: I still don't think it looks the same
Supervisor: I think we should just take it, there's a line of like ten people now.
Me: Thank you. How come noone else gives me a problem for my signature?
Supervisor: We have a different agreement with the credit card company.
Me: I don't believe that.
Supervisor: Oh yeah, if the credit card company comes here and finds out that a card doesn't actually have a signature on it, they won't pay us. Other companies don't have the same restriction. They get paid no matter what.
As I think, "How would the credit card company know if the card has a signature or not if you don't keep the credit card?"
Me: Can I please have my receipt?
Postal Worker: I can't give you one, until you sign this pad?
Me: Well, I certainly have had practice signing things today.
As I sign their little electronic tablet thing.
Postal Worker: Really, what do you do that requires you to sign things?
Me: I try to buy real estate.
Postal Worker: Can I get you anything?
Me: How about the receipt with the tracking number?
Postal Worker: Oh, I didn't think you wanted it, so I don't have one.
Me: What's that on your printer?
Postal Worker: A receipt...............Oh, here you go.
Me: Have a nice day.

Teaching Others Things We Should

How does learning occur? It's a simple question, yet it comes with a nuanced answer. If we look back at our own lives with an honest scope, we know that there was no singular way that knowledge was acquired. It was important to go to school and listen to lectures. Clearly, we learned things from such an event, though the success of Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader displays that we may not have learned (or at least retained) everything that was delivered.

As the Foxworthy-hosted game show exhibited, we do not merely achieve adulthood by retaining the information that was dumped upon us in elementary school. I would submit that we would achieve similar results if we asked questions from middle school, high school, or whatever education you received. I think this would even apply to classes that deal with industries we work with every day.

For example, I teach a real estate class for those attempting to get a real estate license in the state of Florida. This class is taught to people that want to get a real estate license. Upon teaching it, the students need to pass a couple of exams. Yet, if you polled the 100 most successful real estate agents, who have been in the industry for ten years, there would undoubtedly be portions of the test with which they struggle. (I use real estate as an example, but I believe, though I cannot prove, almost every industry would have similar results). Does this mean that those successful agents haven't learned anything?

The reality is that we have a formal education and we have a functional one. There is certainly overlap, and I believe formal education is very important, but I would submit that book learning without any introduction to normal life can lead to situations like Adam from Blast From The Past finally understanding the rules for baseball he learned decades earlier. There must be a presence of a formal education, but that education is best enhanced when combined with real-world experiences that give it meaning.

That paradigm doesn't cease to exist when we talk about the gospel. We must present the gospel, and we should do so succinctly and clearly. However, that presentation should be accompanied by a life that has focus, liturgies, actions, piety, and holiness that points them to that gospel. I think this is what is meant by the Francis of Assisi-attributed quote, “Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.”

Our lives are always preaching to those with whom we live, work, and play. It's a sermon that they hear loud and clear. When that sermon matches what we are saying with our lips, it produces an unmistakable message. It is the way most of us were educated. We had school teachers who poured into our lives. Then we had someone (or multiple someones) who took that knowledge and showed us how we could turn it into a career. Just as the lack of a formal education makes one look incompetent in general, despite his potential excellence elsewhere, so can a great life fall short if you never know or explain why you are the way you are.

The fact that my primary identity does not come from things I do is revolutionary when understood in my life. By the same token, the fact that our lives are coming to reflect that sanctified reality is a gift. We get to play a part in God bestowing that gift to others. My good friend, Bob Collins, used to say, "God uses the church to bring others to Himself! We get to be a part of it!" I think that doing so involves our focus, liturgies, actions, piety, holiness, and lives, in addition to our words.

The New Normal

My life is not the same as it was. This is completely obvious from a maturity standpoint. I have grown up to the point where my parents are no longer actively parenting me on a day-to-day basis. They are still more than willing to help and advise me, but I am in the uncomfortable position of having become an adult.

I am in a stage of life that I find strange. Now, it seems that from out of nowhere, I have become a parent for which I feel woefully unprepared. I certainly am hoping to always be a better parent, but then these philosophical questions come up that seem much easier to answer when the children in question are not my own!

For example, a fellow parent and I were discussing a mutual friend that really provides an enjoyable experience of camaraderie, yet their children are such trouble makers that they give our children a hard time or when they have a "good" time with our children, we fear that our children are becoming more like them, and the net effect is a negative one. Philosophically, I can easily say to avoid that person. In life, I struggle to actually do it.

My life is not the same as it was. This is completely obvious from a physical standpoint. In high school, I played sports and never minded running just because someone asked. Others talked about how I had boundless energy. Now, people talk about how I am quite capable of sitting down for hours at a time. There have been numerous times where I did something that my brain felt would be innocuous and my body cried in complaint for a few weeks.

My life is not the same as it was. This is sort of obvious from an educational standpoint. When I was young, I studied (or at least pretended to study) what other people told me I had to study. As I gradually got older, I gradually had more input on what that was. Now, I never study things about which I do not care, and I never study for a "test" and am solely concerned with getting the knowledge I might use in the future.

Why is this even worthy of a discussion? Well, other than seeing that I hardly ever write about my physical digression, I see that time is marching forward. While that causes me to become nostalgic, I understand that it just isn't that time is moving, but rather that life is changing. For example, my broken foot is making me adjust to walking in an entirely new, slower, more painful way. I fear it may be my new normal.

I watched Ahmad Brooks get fined for a hit that I've been thinking should have been a clean play all week, when Jake saw it and commented on how obvious a foul it was. The difference between a foul in football is not important, but the fact is my son has grown up in a different world than I did. He knows the new normal.

I grew up in a school where in high school I spent ten minutes a week on the computer and was considered one of the best computer people in my class. I now teach in a high school where if students don't spend ten minutes a week online checking their homework and emailing me, they are penalized. This is the new normal. My mom grew up in a world where abortion was illegal. When she looked up pregnant help in yellow pages before my birth, she was shaken into the reality that abortion was now out front and normal. That is the new normal.

My friend and administrative pastor, Mike Graham, pointed out to me that WinAmp is being done away with. This was a way to listen to MP3's in college, a way to distribute homework in grad school, a way to stream my radio show to 7 stations later, and a way to stream my son's favorite radio station into his bedroom. As we move into the future, WinAmp will not be the "normal" way to do any of those things. This is the new normal.

Aaron Carpenter talks about how the "anti-fundamentalists" are, in a way, becoming the new fundamentalists. The culture now has this new normal. The world today has many things that are far better. For those things, I am quite glad that my children get to experience a new and better normal. Unfortunately, there are also many things where culture has become appreciably worse, and I feel sorrow that my children have to live with that.

Yet, the one thing I keep coming back to is that none of it is taking God by surprise. God is still sitting on the throne and making it all happen in this world. The world is not what it was. While we could all bemoan one thing that has changed (or complain about something that hasn't), the fact is that the world will never be the same again. We need to move forward with life, hoping that we adapt, yet never normalize sin in our own lives. I continually feel inadequate to do all the things expected of me in this new normal, but if I can do all this, my life will not be the same as it was!

Looking for a Few Good Men in Southeast Orlando

This originally was posted on my church's website.

There are many services a church provides, and I am happy to be a part of a church that takes all of them very seriously. While every church touts that it teaches, and to some extent they all do, we have a church that attempts to be intentional about its teaching. We have a church that aims to benefit its members and parishoners through everything it does, including the teaching. While this shows up in many ways, many of which you are certainly aware if you attend, I think the most recent example of this is our men's retreat.

We had a fantastic retreat last year, and that teaching certainly benefited us, and hopefully our men have improved in the area building solid foundations and finishing well over the past year. As we are building on on that foundation, our elders thought the men in our congregation could benefit from putting aside bad habits and replacing them with good ones in a few specific areas.

Three of our leaders have been tasked with teaching in areas, where our habits tend to be bad. We learned tonight how to better handle anger, and we will learn tomorrow how to establish better habits in sexual sins and laziness. We value the fact that each of these things is based in something that can be positive. Being righteously indignant, for example, is a way in which we can mirror the God in Whose image we have been created. Rest is something that God did after he created the world. We do not want to continue to abuse these things, but rather, we want to juxtapose them with good habits.

This is a very practical way that our leaders have decided to give our men a time of fellowship, intimacy, and teaching in the same environment. I'm not sure if everything was planned to turn out the way it did, but up to this point, the setting combined with it being all family has spurred good conversation and many teachable moments. I am tremendously excited about what is happening here. I hope that those of you at home are praying for us.

I know that those who are here are growing closer together, and I pray that we continue to do so. I know we are more unified in our vision. I am thankful that this is something we value, and that our church is so intentional. I again propose, since this annual conference leads us to a greater desire to serve and grow the church, that we should do it every year.:)

Revocable vs. Irrevocable Trust

After learning the basics of a trust, a person typically needs to determine a variety of factors about the trust they are establishing. The one that seems to have the biggest long-term effect is whether the trust is revocable. While many of us know the definition of the word, that is not quite enough to grasp the nuances between those types of trusts.

A revocable trust, sometimes called a living trust, is almost always created for the entire purpose of allowing someone to help pass his assets outside of probate, yet allow that person to retain control of the assets during his lifetime. It is more flexible in that it can typically be dissolved at the will of the person given the authority to dissolve it. A revocable trust usually is only "revocable" during the life of the creator/grantor or whomever it names as the person holding the power to revoke the trust.

When creating such a trust, there are no legal restrictions on who is allowed to be a trustee or a beneficiary. The terms of the trust vary as commonly as trusts themselves exist. Many people try to retain complete ownership and control over the trust during their lifetime, yet there are certain risks associated with doing so, and even some lose a homestead exemption.

To an even greater degree than other trusts, consult a professional before moving your homestead to a trust ownership, because of those potential difficulties. So, when putting things in a trust, make sure the things that are desired are, in fact, the things that are accomplished. Even if one's property is put in a revocable trust in such a way that everything post-life is accomplished, the revocable estate property is still subject to estate taxes. So, during one's lifetime, a trust is still going to be taxed at least as much as any other entity of ownership would be.

On the other hand, an irrevocable trust typically transfers assets out of someone's estate, but it cannot be altered by the grantor after it has been executed. While you may be able to avoid estate taxes and probate for the estate, once you establish the trust, you lose control over the assets and you cannot change any terms or decide to dissolve the trust. When putting your assets in an irrevocable trust, you are at the mercy of someone else to make sure what you want to happen, does in fact happen.

While an irrevocable trust might be preferred over a revocable trust if your primary purpose is to reduce estate taxes, a revocable trust is often preferable if you want to maintain more control over your assets. If you want to maximize the control you have, a trust might not be the most effective management tool. It's great to take care of your estate after you go, but it is probably even more important to take care of an estate while alive! Don't be so mindful of dying that you have to live your life in a worse way. I've seen people have money in a trust that they cannot touch and, therefore, be required to live a poor life.

Therefore, while putting a property in trust does in some ways remove the trust assets from your estate, it is important to know in which ways. Being relieved of tax liability on the income generated by the trust assets is nice, yet getting that money back so that you can use it yourself often does away with this benefit because the distribution does usually have income tax consequences. It may also be protected from legal action against you, which is a two pronged benefit. First, people are less likely to challenge you and second, people get less if they succeed in proving you guilty.

All other factors aside, knowing your rights to rescind or adjust the trust after creation is important when forming a trust. There is nothing more frustrating than feeling like assets, which justly seem like your own, are outside of your control to a degree where you dislike what is being done with those assets.

I Live in a Post-Reformation World

As I was celebrating Reformation Day yesterday, someone actually asked me if the Reformation really had any impact on our lives today. The argument went something like, "Martin Luther didn't even really want to establish a new church when he posted the theses. The effect today is even less, as almost no one uses indulgences."

The fact that Martin Luther did not want to leave the church when he posted the theses is true. That is why it is not called the Protestant Emergence, but rather the Reformation. There are several reasons for that, to be sure, but I am going to hypothesize about a couple of them. First, I think they understood that just because you disagree, you needn't separate altogether. This is, I believe, a natural extension of our Rugged Individualism. Also, in a culture where the church you went to depended only on geography, to go against the church was the perceived equivalence of denying God altogether.

So, while it is true that Luther wasn't yet advocating leaving the church, it is true that he starting a chain of thinking that led to that. In today's culture, Protestants think nothing about leaving a church to go to one down the street. While I think we should care about that a little more, the fact remains that it is just a different world. Luther may not have left the church on that day, but he became an outcast from the church as soon as the the events of that day were understood.

This commitment to the authority of Scripture over the commitment to a church is something that I value about this post-Reformation world. The fact that before he left, he wanted to attempt to change the church where he was, is something I value. The fact that he fought for the yielding to Christ above all is something I value. The fact that he worked for decades to translate the Bible so that we all may read it in our own language is something I appreciate.

The benefits of this day are not limited to Protestants. Clearly Roman Catholics view the day differently, but even a good Roman Catholic has the benefits of a Bible in his own language. They benefit by going to a church service that doesn't have to be in Latin, so that they may understand the homily and Scriptures being read. They benefit by having people consistently sharpen them and hold their leaders feet to the fire theologically.

Many people celebrate Halloween on October 31. While there are many elements that are not focused on Christ, we know that the nature of God is to take people and things that are completely contrary to His nature and to make them more like Himself. We see this in people all over and it has happened to holidays. I think we live in a culture that doesn't focus on the proper things, yet we are able to point people to the proper things.

Because of the Reformation, we have Bibles in our own language where we can point people to verses. Because of the focus on education, both of the people in that conversation can normally read. Because of the Reformation, we returned to the Augustinian theology from centuries earlier. Because of the reformation, I am able to write a blog that disagrees with the theology of our leader and not fear being burned as a heretic. This is why I can proudly proclaim and appreciate the fact that I live in a Post-Reformation World.

Showing Paradise With a Paved Parking Lot

Originally posted on my church's website.

Went to church this evening and never made it out of the parking lot, and that's a good thing. There is a big event occurring right across the street from us. There are lots of fun and exciting things going on over there. Unlike many of the others allowing parking nearby, the parking lot we have is paved. The parking we provide is free. Specifically, I was working with a late night crew of six motley men. Our job was to keep people from running over each other and direct the drivers to the correct spot, all while showing the love of Jesus.

Conceptually, it kind of reminds me of my days in college when I first starting trying to apply I Corinthians 10:31 and was wondering how we could eat or drink to the glory of God. Now before I begin to debate the merits of a diet aimed at God's glory, let me just assert that loving your community while pointing out parking spaces can be just as challenging.

You see, most of society does not look for God in the details, and some even try to take the miraculous away from God. When we are busy going about a task that is largely mundane, the tendency of depraved creatures is to think of it in Christ-free terms. We are filling our parking lot with people who come in expecting a merchant-customer experience before attending an event that does not place an emphasis on the atoning work of Christ.

Thanks to the generosity, foresight, and wisdom of our elders, we are able to immediately turn the tables on those expectations. Make no mistake, despite the occasional "thank you," and the surprise of most people at free parking, the gospel is still something contrary to our nature as humans. The fortunate part, for us, is that we aren't wanting to be the ones who change that nature.

We serve a God who created the world and all the people in it. He is able to soften hearts, even with something as simple as free parking. And for those of us who've been working we've seen Him at work. One of the great things about what we're doing is we're allowing the Lord to work, however He sees fit.

While it isn't a thriving Utopic transportation from the real world where everyone goes about praising the Lord with every breath. There are still people littering the parking lot with everything from uneaten funnel cakes to almost full, lit cigarettes. We've had people drive by us with seemingly no regard for the fact that we are standing there and directing them. Nevertheless, we've had people ask us about our church and when the services are. We've had people thank our church for being a beacon of light to a seemingly godless society.

One of my great friends, Bob Collins, used to say, "The church is God's chosen method for evangelism." We're out here attempting to show this culture who our God is. It is not an incredibly hard or thankless task, but it is one required of all those who are called to live a life pointing to God. Thankfully, we have an opportunity before us and we have the backing of the church and other members of the church to make the task easier. For what it's worth, this Friday night crew loved the task (and even got a boost when we heard UCF win their football game minutes after our shift ended). Did others have similar experiences?

What Is a Trust?

If you were to ask me what a day is, I think you would understand that there is a context to that question. For example, there is the scientific answer of a 24-hour time period, there is the meteorological answer separating it from night, there is the philosophical answer of it being what you make it, and I'm sure there are a great number of other answers that you could have based on the conversation. Similarly, to answer the titular question, there must be context. So, the answer will almost assuredly need to be contextualized. It is similar with a trust, as they can be arranged in many ways, for many purposes, and with a myriad of different offshoots.

You can look up the definition of a trust, and get a really good answer, like Fidelity's definition that a trust is "a fiduciary arrangement that allows a third party, or trustee, to hold assets on behalf of a beneficiary or beneficiaries." I like to think of it as something that was originally set up for parents, who had kids that they wanted to "benefit" from their wealth, but the kids were not old enough (legally or practically) to handle that wealth. So, they set up someone that was "trusted" to manage the affairs until such a time as the children were ready to take over. This is from whence we get the names beneficiary and and trustee.

The trustee is the person who controls (from a legal perspective) the asset or property, while the beneficiary is the one who gets the accumulated benefit or wealth. Why such an arrangement might be desired can range from protecting youthful exuberance from itself (or as we prefer to call it, Controlling Your Wealth or Protecting Your Legacy), Keeping your ownership or wealth secret (Privacy), or Tax Classification Savings (Probate, Bypass, Testimonial, or Charitable, to name a few). A trust can serve a variety of purposes, but the basics are always the same.

Some people believe that everything should be shoved into the infrastructure of a trust. While trusts are versatile and can handle a variety of circumstances, they certainly aren't for everyone and they don't make sense in every situation. There are times where another way to organize ownership or assets would be superior. To go over each of those would be impossible, but suffice it to say, there are also instances where a trust makes sense. Stay tuned next week, where we begin to differentiate between specific kinds of trusts.

An Exploration Into Slurping the Volunteers

This blog was written for my church's blog.

It is quite possible that I spend too much time on social media. Yet, this week, something extraordinary happened on Facebook. I was sitting by my computer when I saw that Scott Devor wanted to get volunteers for the parking outreach. Oddly, the very next item on my facebook timeline feed led me to an interesting blog about getting people to volunteer for things at church.

The juxtaposition of these two items could not have been completely random, could it? Therefore, I will try to persuade everyone to help with this ministry opportunity. First, you should help because it is an amazing opportunity. It is a real way to show the gospel to people in an everyday environment. There are very seldom times where we get to bless someone with something that they "should" and could pay for and then inform them that they do not have to do so. Occasionally, some might get to do something for free in their jobs, but the reality is most of us need the money enough that we cannot afford to do something kind that often. This represents such an opportunity.

That opportunity frequently leads to the question about why a church would ever want to do such a thing, which led to several encounters of testimony sharing last year. It also has led to our good name in the community. In a completely unrelated business deal, someone was talking to me and upon realizing that I went to church asked where I attended. Upon answering Orlando Grace, the first response was, "Is that the church that gave away free parking last year?" When I replied that it was, he immediately asked me to share why my life was so altered that I would go to a church that would do such a thing. Having a good reputation in the community is not only our call and goal, but it is also something we can achieve through this event.

Next, you can realize that the event takes very little skill. Not only can I participate (that means it is easy), but my 8-year-old (last year) son assisted, and his (now) five-year-old sister wants to help this year. There is little skill involved in moving your arms, waving, and throwing out the occasional smile. We have some opportunities where you have to posses some small skill, but this is not one of those. This is a skill that virtually anyone can do, and I think almost everyone should. However, I was moved by Ron Edmondson's blog, so I want to answer those concerns.

First, I want to ask as clearly and as blatantly as possible. Please sign up for at least one three-hour shift. It will be fun, rewarding, and if you come during my shift, you can go out for steak n shake with Jake and me afterward! If that is not the proper way to ask, please send me a way to augment my request so that it is more "correct." We have made it as easy as we know to sign up. Go to the spreadsheet linked above and type in your name, or email Scott Devor, or find anyone remotely in leadership and they'll make it happen for you.

To be clear, your job will be directing people as to where to park. Dependent upon your introversion/extroversion placement, you will be able to talk to people or completely avoid them. It really is not difficult, I promise. The only concern I have not answered from his blog is the saying thank you factor. So, I will personally thank you on the blog, write you a thank you note, and do whatever I can to make your thanks feel authentic. Since no one is as exited about my prop-giving, I'll try to get PC to say cool things about you when he returns from vacation.

More than anything, however, you'll hopefully get someone to say something about how great your God must be, and that is super cool!

Texting and Driving

Apparently, it is now illegal to text whilst you are in a car in the state of Florida. I'm not sure of all the permutations of the new law, but if you choose to live on the wild side, you may want to become acquainted with the rules, so that you can follow them appropriately. I find this whole line of law-making, which is apparently now the case in 40 states, a strange course of action.

Now, I think everyone is for more safety in driving. I think that it in incumbent upon us to do what we can to make the roads as safe as possible. Further, drivers are safer when they are not distracted. Texting is a distraction. Virtually everyone supports these two premises, and when juxtaposed with the "fact," we "all" want people to quit texting. Ergo, passing an anti-texting while driving bill is the sway of culture and will eventually be the law everywhere.

I, however, am not so quick to jump in with support. Now, let me confess that I have texted while driving before. I believe I probably shouldn't do it most of the time. I have self-bias, which means I believe that most people are probably even more dangerous when texting and driving than I am. So, why would I not be in violent support of such a bill?

First, I think the bill is far better than the selt belt requirement. Seat belts put my life in danger, while texting has the potential to put other lives in danger. So, I give it marks for being better than some already existing laws, but that isn't usually enough to satisfy me, largely because I think many of the current laws are not well purposed. Second, I think the law may actually have the ability to save lives, if it is followed.

Therein is the rub. People don't follow laws all the time. More importantly, I think that we have made the shift, as a culture, to making laws the standard for morality. If someone asks if you can do something, I believe our first reaction is normally one of answering legality. That's a good thought, but why is it that whether I text (or wear a seatbelt or drive faster than the safe speed) is only based on whether or not the good folks in Tallahassee (or whatever your state capital is) or Washington (or whatever the capital of your country is) have written a law.

We should be governed by our own common sense and not exclusively by the law. I should stop texting not because there is a law against it, which can probably be found with enough loopholes that I could probably sneak by, but rather because it makes the car safer for me and the passengers and the road safer for the others in my path. But the additional reason I recoil at this law is because I don't think we necessarily want the government to determine what is distracting and what is not. I mean, I think talking on the cell phone can be distracting. Listening to the radio is definitionally distracting. Talking to another person is distracting.

This morning, the distraction of talking with my son, Jake, distracted me enough where I drove to my work, before I realized that I was supposed to be taking him to school. Of course, there are times where I've driven on trips, where the very thing I needed was a distraction. Someone to talk to me to take my mind off of things (maybe even to keep me from realizing my own fatigue). Distractions can be beneficial or even necessary. Are we starting down the slippery slope of doing away with them?

I remember years ago when I worked in an office and began having a conversation where I was criticizing those who drive drunk. I realized that a co-worker had, in fact, been arrested for such years earlier. One thing he told me is that he feels that at that time his level of impairment was far less than other times when he had driven while being tired, which is perfectly legal. The fact is you cannot legislate competence, so you just try to eliminate the things you can. Drunk driving is bad, and I believe it should be illegal (as the privilege to drive should come with parameters).

Nevertheless, there is no sleepiness quotient while driving. Texting should be discouraged (and dramatically reduced) while driving, but I'm not going to say that we must do away with all distractions in the car. Some of those distraction keep us awake when we are tired and keep us from going crazy when we're wide awake with a mind prone to wander. So, before I get caught texting in this blog, let me close it by saying that I have very mixed feelings about a law that I wholeheartedly hope makes an impact.

Rules, Take 2

I don't like rules very much. From balking at the "right" of the government to tell me how I need to take care of myself in a car or how I need to take care of my family's medical bills to the "inane" rules about graded material in my children's school or my ability to question said determinations as a parent, I find myself anxious to fight those that want to put themselves in authority over me. It is a difficult thing to allow someone else's will to take priority over mine. What this says about me as a person is another discussion, but what it says about me as a someone who chose to work with laws is this discussion.

I have been known to say, Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly. Some people think of this as career admission for attorneys. I think, however, that the it would be more accurate to say, we need to know what the rules are, so that we can take maximum advantage of their repercussions. For example, there is a law in Florida that states, a driver must have "safety belt which is properly fastened at all times when a motor vehicle is in motion." If someone were desirous to put themselves in a position of less safety, that person could possibly find a way to fasten the belt and yet not abide by the obvious spirit of such a rule.

Moving on to issues in which I like to practice, there are nuances to every real estate contact. Knowing the precision of these laws allows someone to take maximum advantage of options. This is what we attempt to do in our practice. We like to know as much as is possible about the real estate contract, that we know when different ownership interests are most advisable, when a deed is needed, when documentary stamps must be purchased, when to time the sale for different circumstances, when a contract actually exists, and a myriad of other things that may come. When we do, we can advise you with certainty and knowledge.

We have learned many nuances and permutations about laws for all forms of real estate transactions, creating and managing land trusts, writing and reviewing contracts, prioritizing and preparing wills, estate planning and management, elder law issues, and many other related issues. We advise and instruct in all of these issues. We also seek to maintain integrity, our moral compass, and Christian ethics in every thing we do. So, then, why do we need to study the rules so well, if we are attempting to stay within that which is morally correct. The short answer is that what is morally right is not synonymous with legally acceptable.

Every decision, to be sure, should be made with that which you believe is ethically acceptable, but one's individual moral compass is not the standard the Florida legislature uses when writing laws. If there were no questions, you would not be coming to see attorneys at all. Any decision you make upon seeing an attorney is yours, they are merely the conduits who let you know the rules that exist. Many laws are value-neutral, nevertheless knowing those laws is an important step to making an informed decision.

Informed decision is the way to go. You may dislike rules as I do, but ignoring them does not make them go away. And merely doing that which you think is right is usually a recipe for inviting trouble. Ignorance may be an excuse for some things, and you may be able to be square with God for certain actions, but Florida, or any other state in the union, doesn't allow you to use that as an excuse. Therefore, when rules come into our lives, we are required to be aware of them when we act, or we suffer the consequences. And, in certain areas, we might be the best people to talk to before making those decisions.

Rules, Take 1

I don't like rules very much. From balking at the "right" of the government to tell me how I need to take care of myself in a car or how I need to take care of my family's medical bills to the "inane" rules about graded material in my children's school or my ability to question said determinations as a parent, I find myself anxious to fight those that want to put themselves in authority over me. It is a difficult thing to allow someone else's will to take priority over mine. What this says about me as a professional is another discussion, but what it says about me as a Christian is this discussion.

First, it is undeniable that we are commanded to obey authority, as every authority set before us is there because God put it there (Romans 13 tells me so). While we are clearly called to make our church leaders jobs joyful, I'm not sure how far that extends to others placed in our path. Are we, for example, supposed to Honor the President to the degree that his job would be joyful? If so, does the test continue to our children's teachers, police officers with radar guns, parents with unwieldy requirements, or building inspectors with a vendetta?

Honoring is difficult on two fronts. First, I think it would be hard to agree with any elected official on every issue that comes up. We have a right in this country to speak out against those things with which we disagree. Nevertheless, Never confuse your right to do something with doing the right thing.

Second, at least some of the things that are done by various elected officials (the President, in our example) are against our interpretations of the mandates of Scripture. Many people leave churches where they disagree with interpretation of Scripture, and while one could theoretically continually move to another country, that is impractical or impossible for most, even if they could find a country whose leaders they mirror their own scriptural interpretation (those leaders would eventually be replaced with someone who may not anyway). Therefore, people are required to exist under the authority of those with whom they differ!

I think at least part of this is training for our Christian lives. If we, for example, learn to live with a city planner who wants to tear down our house, we should be better equipped to serve in a church that requires someone to work in the nursery. Even more, it gives authenticity to our Christian witness. If we can live with governors who attempt to silence our witness, we can certainly live with leaders who want us to keep our debates about Supralapsarianism out of the public forum (incidentally, you should keep your lapsarian preferences largely private, as the discussion itself is of minimal profit). And, in so doing, we can live above the fray and bless those who are persecuting us in a way that brings honor and glory to our God.

Nevertheless, there are times to speak out, whether or not the law allows. Fortunately, our law allows us to speak out! But I think we should be careful not to confuse personal preference to legitimate sin. We've all met those who confuse their own preference in music style with Scriptural mandate (this isn't to say the Bible is silent on issues of music, because it isn't). We don't want to do the same thing with laws. While I have a readily robust feeling on what government SHOULD do, I can't equate that opinion to Biblical proportions of authority. On the other hand, there are times where the government makes a stand that is completely contrary to allowable interpretation, like abortion.

The very thing that makes abortion such an atrocity, that we were designed with a dignity as humans, makes the leaders who perpetrate these atrocities worthy of honor also. Not to sound too much like Jefferson Bethke, but we are trained to make enemies. We often let our feeling of their incorrectness substitute for our belief that they should be eliminated as humans themselves (or at least put in a vegetative state) so that God's work can be done. Ah, but there's the rub. If we truly believe God is in control (and aren't just giving it lip-service), must we not conclude that God's work is being done through these evil leaders?

I am suggesting that we should state our disagreement very strongly. Yet, in so doing, we must still honor those evil men and women who allow the murder of babies to occur. This is a difficult line to walk, but I think it is still a part of what we must do. As much as we can, we should honor our leaders. At the same time, we need to be able to speak into their lives. We are fortunate that someone did this for us, as we would otherwise be ambling about in our depravity. We cannot learn if someone doesn't present us with an opposing opinion. Usually, an opinion in love is more persuasive, though I will not try to move those of you who believe in delivering any message with proper force.

So, when there are rules with which we disagree, we need to present clear, logical arguments to those in authority, so that we may persuade them. This means our objections must be well thought out and analyzed in our own minds. Therefore, we must ourselves be well-informed; likely, even study those with opposing viewpoints. All of this just to honor those God puts in authority over us? Unfortunately, yes. Which means people like me who naturally resist rules may just be in for a lifetime of study, or perhaps we could just learn, as Paul did, more contentment.

Whither are we Drifting?

It is seldom that a serendipitous thought of reflection stems from a Dobie Gillis episode, but this particular question of reflection was an assignment to answer by essay just before graduation. While it is doubtless that reflecting on this thought process is normal at times like graduation, I assert that there is never a bad time to consider the ramifications of this question.

As Pastor Curt looks back this Sunday, I think it is also important to consider where we are moving forward. We are installing three new deacons and a new elder this week, so that will take the church in a direction, to be sure, but when you survey the history of churches, you find that often the mistakes or downfalls are not a hard turn of those at the helm, bur rather a slow drift.

So, where have we drifted? Well, the obvious start is that we have drifted into a culture of peace. Sure, there is work to be done and there is the distinct possibility that humans can be regressive. Yet, there is no doubt that in the last decade of its existence, Orlando Grace has become a definite Redemptive community, which you may recognize as the "R" in our PRIORITIES.

We certainly are pushing to increase our commitment to Intercessory prayer, Transforming culture, and Outreach to the lost. The leadership is committed to these things, and we are hoping that that vision is both noticed and filters down. As we are continually working toward ways in which to enhance our ministry in these ways. We don't think this "hand component happens without Servant shepherding or Intentional discipleship. So, our elders are continually praying that they will be worthy shepherds.

We certainly feel like we are committed to Reformed theology and Expository preaching. These are bedrock principles that we believe in, stake our reputation on, and advertise ourselves as. We can only continue in these if we continue with a Passion for God and Investing in spiritual gifts. These are our PRIORITIES. This is what we stake our claim on. This is what the new officers on Sunday will agree to uphold.

This is where we believe ourselves to be drifting. If you feel that we are lagging in any of these areas, you need to talk to us. We want to know if we are in fact drifting the wrong way. Let a deacon or elder know if we are falling short in any way you can, because this is our desire, our hope, and our mission.

NASCAR Must not Become Myopic

The race last Saturday was phenomenal drama. In fact, it may be the best race I have seen in several years. Going into the race, where five spots were available for the playoffs and about 10 people had a shot, is a great storyline. The fact that the two guys most directly battling for one spot (Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon) started together on the front row was astounding (not to mention the defending champ, who had only a "puncher's chance" of getting in, was starting third). It was, quite possibly, the most far-reaching drama in a single NASCAR race ever.

Then, the spin-out happened. My immediate reaction was that I thought it was just a little too coincidental that the person to benefit the most was the teammate of the guy who caused the caution. I also noticed (which I think was more coincidental, but still kind of ironic) that the man who was most harmed was Jeff Gordon, whom Bowyer seems to have it out for. At any rate, the thing that made this race special was not the race itself (it was exciting, but nothing ultra special), but rather the intrigue of who would make the Playoffs.

I understand that, on one hand, looking at improper action in this race, when much of it happens every race is seemingly nearsighted. On the other hand, the improper action was not based on this race. There wasn't a concerted effort to allow someone to finish better in this race, because this race was so special. The effort was to improve the standing in this race so as to effect the entire season standings. Therefore, looking at just the results of this race is too short sighted of a view to take when establishing a punishment.

First of all, I am excited that NASCAR did something. I halfway expected them to ignore the issue, and the fact that they acted was very good, in my opinion. While I believe the 50-point penalty was good, as we sit right now, here is the situation. The penalty was given to three teams. One of the teams has a driver who isn't even running for Sprint Cup points this year (the 55 team of Vickers). One of the teams has a driver whose points are getting reset so the negative to him is completely unfelt (the 15 team of Bowyer). The Truex penalty was huge, but, by the same token, a 1-point penalty would have been just as big to him in net effect. So it wasn't the size of the Truex penalty that made it effective, but rather, that there was a penalty at all.

When two of the three drivers don't even notice the penalties, are the penalties effective? This is why NASCAR needs to change the rule from a penalty-driven sentence to one of logic. If you manipulate points to get into the playoffs (it probably only matters in the last race), you aren't in the playoffs. End of rule. No exceptions. And the punishment shouldn't allow denials to matter. When in-car audio juxtaposed with crazy hand movement makes it obvious to an average fan with a driver's license, then he should be punished. Parenthetically, it is crazy to me that Bowyer denies that it is on purpose, yet felt the need to call Ryan Newman to apologize.

To me, I'd rather see Jamie McMurray and Paul Menard in the Chase, then have Clint Bowyer with a shot at winning after what he did. Yet, consider this. Martin Truex, Jr got a penalty, which put Ryan Newman into the Chase Playoffs. Now, that the evidence seems to be that Joey Logano received unfair help, NASCAR could be in a weird situation. Imagine they decide to penalize Logano something between 2 and 10 points. Then, all of a sudden, Jeff Gordon would be in, but Joey Logano would be the wildcard and Ryan Newman would be out. That's a crazy scenario. And to let Penske go when Michael Waltrip Racing was punished so severely doesn't seem like a good idea either.

This is why NASCAR needs to look at the manipulative drivers as something to punish in a different way. They need to not try to treat the race before the Playoff cutoff (or the final race of the year) differently. You cannot treat this race as if it is another race, when the preceding 25 races are nullified in some ways because of it. There's a reason why pass interference on the last play of a "Hail Mary" game is a different call than a ten yard out in the second quarter. An NBA Finals game has a different setup than my high school conference tournament. When eyeballs are watching, action needs to be taken in different ways! NASCAR must make a decision that doesn't treat this like just another race or else the next time a race comes with this much intrigue, people will lose interest, and that is what happens when they become too myopic.

Do I Need to Write a Will if...

I recently solicited questions and there are a variety of questions about someone writing a will. Most people will answer this question with a definitive yes (or a definitive no) and even if that is the answer you think should be given, I feel it prudent to delve into the answer to this question and WHY that is the answer.

First, one must understand what a Will is. A Will is a legal document containing instructions as to what should be done with one's money and property after one's death. So, a will is only needed by those who plan on dying. If you are not planning on dying, you need to come to grips with your own mortality and understand that you will, in fact, one day cease to exist on this planet.

If you have no money or property, a will is also unnecessary for you. Property includes things like children (which might lead me to have a whole diatribe on baptism, dedication, and conversion, but that is a subject for another blog). If you have no money, no property, and no children, you might need to solicit our help on changing at least the first two, so that you do have money and property, but a will is only for people who have something to give away.

Furthermore, some people have a little money and property, but they really have no concern over whether their money goes anywhere specific. Now, those of you who do not care where your money goes, I will provide you with a will, which gives all of your property, after your death, to me. If you have children, you ought to concern yourself with what happens to them after your death, and you should consult many counselors in your life to determine the best course of action.

Now, let's say that you don't take the time to write a will, then what happens? Well, the state of Florida (or, if you are crazy enough to live elsewhere, that state or country) has one written for you. Florida's default will gives your property to people related to you through your grandparents (i.e., no second cousins and no one added by marriage). If you take neither the time to have a will nor the time to have relatives, then the property escheats to the state.

Many will tell you that escheating is where the state cheats you out of your property. I don't like to put it that way, because the property has to go somewhere. And until I can convince the Florida legislature to have the property escheat to me, it goes to the state. Nevertheless, that is what happens when you don't write a will. Therefore, anyone who is going to die, has some property, and cares where that property is going to go, needs to write a will.

Submission

I am self-employed. To some people, the first thing that says is I have not been able to work well with others. While others can answer the truth of this far better than I can (and probably will, if asked), I don't believe that is the defining thing about the self-employed. Nevertheless, I realize that tendency, which I see in myself (and believe is present within us all), to adjust the board to the chips I want to play.

Recently, this line of thinking has come up in a few areas. First, I have been voted in as a deacon at my church. This means getting along with the other leaders and sometimes bending to what others think. Second, I have been asked to run Bible Quiz tournaments with people that live in different states. Some of those organizing with me have not been my choice of people to work with through the years. Finally, some people with whom I work have challenged me to set up completely new ways of accountability within the office.

Lest you believe this to be autobiographical nonsense, I assure you that there is something applicable to us all. You see, while I am relatively certain the specific ways you have been challenged are unique, I know that in this culture, which promotes autonomy so much, your autonomy has been attacked in some way recently.

You see, all of these are lessons in submission. The mere mention of the word "submission" often brings connotations in our culture which are doubtlessly negative, but we know it as a word used in Scripture, most commonly about our relationship with God. This is where I believe the word picture provided by the etymology is tremendous! Sub means to come under (as used in Subway or submarine). Therefore, the word says that we come under God's mission! What a tremendous gift!

There are so many entities to which we must submit (the country, the church, the family, the boss, to name just a few). Our primary goal is to allow them to accomplish that mission. This is why it is important that even when my children actually do know better than I (yes, it happens to even me) that they learn to come under my mission; it's training for the rest of their life. The other thing I like about this word picture, it comes with natural parameters. When authoritarian action frustrates purpose, then the action can certainly be outside the realm of submission and starts to become needless rule creation.

Since my wedding to Kelly, I have learned that some people don't have the same visceral reaction to rules that I do, but attempting to follow a rule that thwarts the mission in question is not submission! For example, if a mission is "Engaging peoples everywhere to pursue ultimate satisfaction in Jesus," then an attempt by said organization to encourage those within the organization to not engage others is anti-missional. To obey such a rule would be to go against the mission.

This is important when you consider that your call is to submit. I also have become abundantly aware of the fact that working with a group of people involves yielding your own will to come together with the group to which you are submitting. If you are submitted to an entity that you trust, then believing in it more than your own logic is normal and even beneficial. Think about this the next time someone to whom you are called to submit (our country, perhaps) passes some rule that you hate.

It is common for an employee to not grasp the decisions of a boss, but yet doing the work heartily can yield positive circumstances. It is wonderful when actions, despite dissonance, bring about fruit that the employee never imagined! Imagine if a group of people in a church so committed to the vision that they bought in and thereby yielded fruit that most never foresaw! Sometimes I think we're like this with God. We continually question those things that don't seem to line up with our preferences or logic, even when God is clear in His word.

This, henceforth, brings it back full circle. As I don't have that boss who will give me assignments, understood or otherwise, I miss out on that one outlet for submission. What I have learned from being that boss, however, is that having people who submit to you, while more honored culturally is a demoralizing task itself. So, pray for those to whom you submit, then pray for yourself to make sure you are submitting to the correct entities!

How Can I Lower My Mortgage Payment If...

Well, If I am the Phat Man, and I'm writing a blog called "Ask The Phat Man," I might occasionally get a question that needs to be answered. So I recently solicited questions. There are a variety of circumstances that lead to someone having a mortgage payment. Almost everyone would like to lower their monthly payment, but when should you.

The first situation is someone who asks, "How, can I lower my payment if my house has dropped in value and just isn't worth what it was when I agreed to my payment?" The best solution would be a mortgage modification. If you call your lender and ask them for a modification, they each have their own set of criteria. Follow that and you can often stay in your house for less money.

The majority of people, even with government programs to encourage such activity, still do not qualify for a modification, which leaves people with a couple of options. 1) Do you continue to overpay for your house that has gone down in value or 2) Do you attempt to do something about it. Some people have a moral compass that pushes them toward #1, but assuming that you are not dissuaded by that, there are limited options. Usually the best option is to sell your house. The reason for this is because over 95% of people qualify for a "short sale" with limited or no deficiency. Almost 50% of short sales in the last few months have included a relocation payment to the seller (meaning you can get $3,000 in pocket to sell your house for less than it is worth).

No earthly situation comes without negatives. The negatives of short selling your house, as one might tell you, are basically in two categories. First, the potential knock to your credit score and second, the potential that someone will not deal with you at all because it is a mark on your permanent record. The first is likely unavoidable, unless you want to just throw lots of money at a house that is underwater. Of course, if you had that money, you probably wouldn't be leveraged to the point of becoming upside down. If you've been making your payments, the actual hit to your credit score is less than you think. If you haven't been making payments, you need not worry, as your score already stinks.

On the other hand, it is becoming easier to work with banks all the time. Recently, the big banks and programs reduced the amount of time to wait to one year. This makes it all the more beneficial to go ahead and sell the house which is more debt than benefit as soon as possible. Regardless of what you might think will happen in the economy, it is undeniable that continuing to pay for something that is worth less than you owe is a worse financial decision, all other things being equal, than to pay for something that is worth exactly what you owe on it.

On the other hand, if the opposite question arises, "What if your home value has gone up but your income has gone down?" This is where a legitimate refinance might be a legitimate option, but you cannot qualify for one, because of your income. You want to take advantage of the potential to lower your payment, but you fear your income is at the point where most companies may not want to give you a mortgage. This is where difficult advice needs to be given. The ratios needed to get loans are in place for a reason. And while Dave Ramsay can teach you better than I can, the reality is that if you are exceeding those ratios, you need to purchase a cheaper home (or cheaper housing option).

The positive of the situation is that you have equity and when you sell your house, you will pocket some change. However, if you cannot qualify to make payments, you are almost assuredly living "above your wage." Those who are self employed and "hiding" income as write-offs and distributions are the exception, but they also know the game they're playing already. Take that equity, buy a less expensive home, and decrease your payment. If you cannot afford any home, pay off your other debt, and start investing in Roth IRA's. When your income is back where you can afford a house payment, purchase again.

If there is some other situation you have, feel free to ask, but often people attempt to lower their payment by refinancing and/or extending the loan they have. This is often counter productive, as it saves a little money now, but it elongates your commitment to pay down the road. Sometimes a little higher payment is advisable. If you can afford a 15-year loan, attempt to do so. If you are paid bi-weekly, attempt to make an extra half-payment on those 3-paycheck months. Pay off your house early. Imagine a life where you are still earning money and you have no house payment! What kind of great life could you have then!

National "Pray for Your Pastor" Day

This is an adaption from a post I wrote for my church's website this last Friday. I realized that while my pastors can use prayer, there are many others (including some of my closest friends) who are also pastors which could use prayer. The Monday in August closest to the 15th is the day where our Nation is supposed to Pray for their pastors. You may not see it on a calendar, and, hopefully, you don't need a calendar to tell you to do it, but you definitely SHOULD do it. Prayer is something that perhaps we should understand better and do more, in general.

Now, churches often fall into some of the same traps as the culture in which they reside. The Pope grew out of the culture of Empires led by a single figurehead person. The American culture is one defined by the business-minded CEO being at the head of a corporation, and many churches fall into the trap of making the hired preacher the person who makes all the business decisions of a church. While that could start an entirely new line of thought, the role of a pastor is more important than making a decision about which color carpet or type of flowers should be in the sanctuary.

While those decisions are somewhat important and probably should be made prayerfully, they pale in comparison to the call of a pastor in Scripture. The command in Hebrews 13:18 to pray for our leaders comes immediately after a reason—they are watching after our souls, for which they will have to give an account. As if that is not enough of an encouragement, in 2 Corinthians 1:11, Colossians 4:3, and Ephesians 6:19 give direct commands to pray for leaders, each with separate potential benefits.

It's hard to not notice when you read the Faith Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11 that even the great men God has used (David, Abraham, Jacob, and Moses, et al) come with limitations and temptations. It is almost impossible to avoid seeing the failings of pastors around us in the world today. I even participated in a facebook discussion recently, where the specific trap of apathy was mentioned. Pastoring is a difficult task and comes with a great burden. We are encouraged to pray for and support them throughout Scripture.

If you need help with how you can pray for your pastor, here are some good ideas from Ligon Duncan. So, pray for all your pastors, especially those who diligently pray for you. You are blessed to have men so dedicated to praying for you, faithfully teaching the Word, studying, keeping themselves accountable, and keeping watch over your souls. So, join me in celebrating National "Pray for Your Pastor" Day! Not only did God command it, but it will help you personally. If God can help persevere our pastors, they will serve us better, and our lives will be forever benefited. Most of all, pray that they will heed the call of God, as they make decisions into the future of our church!

Idols

It is easy for me to sit in judgment of the fools in the Bible who would create a stone statue and then literally bow at its figurative feet to express worship. It's not so easy when someone shows me how I spend countless hours admiring my work on a spreadsheet that I find particularly helpful for the task I want to accomplish. Just because my idols are more sensible to today's society does not make them any less problematic. In fact, I would venture to say that there are quite a few idols that our culture not only accepts, but rather pushes on us.

Recently, a friend was talking to me about the idol of retirement. Let me assert that rest is beneficial. We are commanded to rest, and God himself took a day of rest after creating the world in six days. I, also, don't think it is bad to retire from what you do for a living. In fact, it can be a tremendous asset if you decide to use your extra time for distinct kingdom purposes. Nevertheless, I think too many of us focus on this retirement as if we are entitled to not have to work.

Many people today idolize their own sense of fairness or rightness. Quoting Richard Phillips from his book, Many will say that something is unthinkable for God to do, when it is the very thing He says he does in Scripture. Why are we so hesitant to believe or carry out that which is in Scripture? Well, there may be a variety of reasons, but it often just boils down to the fact that there is something that we idolize more than pleasing God.

Whether your idol is our political system, your own political candidates, money, fame, rest, reputation, or anything else, it can become problematic. I believe most people who care about this are willing to accept this statement. The problem comes in spotting our idols. I go about my world so blind to the fact that things are constantly blocking me from accomplishing what I could or should. I am a wonderful idol-maker. I can idolize something trivial without even realizing it. This is why sometimes, I thank the Lord for my enemies. I recently had someone who I don't believe is my friend point out something on which I made a mistake. I am thankful for that insight into my life (though I could do without the questionable intentions and blow-back after I apologize, but I digress) wherever I can get it.

I think one of idols we have in this culture is wimpy friendships. One of the reasons I need my enemies to tell me some things is because my friends are often either blinded by the same weakness or don't want to ruffle my feathers. This idol unfortunately leads to many of us being "thin-skinned" or unable to deal with even the smallest corrections. My intern this summer told me one of the things he liked about me was that I was "thick" skinned. I believe I am not really, it's just that our culture creates people who are offended so easily that by comparison.

In the last 48 hours, I've spoken with people who are offended by the words a wide receiver made, a bad court decision, and the food that we are allowed to buy in this country. I don't like any of those things, but I think the problem could be that we are making politically correct or acceptable speech an idol, or we make an idol out of American political structure, or we make an idol out of our food. All of these are things that we should care about as citizens and humans occupying the planet, but lest we forget, our sufficiency comes only from Christ.

Similarly, our salvation only comes from Christ. If we think we can save the world through sanitized speech, political involvement, or diet; we overstep the reality of what we can do. We are only able to effect real change with the life-changing gift of Christ. This is why I love a verse in my current memorization chapter—"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase." Paul was able to not make someone else's conversion an idol, but rather just love and minister to them. And, that, is something I want, right after I get back from my day trip where I took three separate internet devices to make sure I could check email.

Where are your Thoughts and Prayers?

Perhaps you have noticed that there are national tragedies—things that affect the psyche of the majority of the country in one fell swoop. Everyone is immune to a tragedy or two having an impact on someone they know, but, for the most part, the last several months have seen Sandy Hook, Boston's marathon, and the Oklahoma tornadoes. If I attempted to make an exhausted list of the last ten years with the assistance of google, I could probably name at least five or six tragedies that hit home to you.

So, without my doing so, think of those specific tragedies and the aftermath of them. I have noticed a trend among people in general, and specifically, people in the media. As a wee lad, when I heard about something devastating (the first I remember was Reagan being shot and that they might postpone the Final Four). Perhaps, I remember it because when growing up you see everything as good guys and bad guys, and a line like, "We're all Republicans today was my first understanding that not everything is always so black and white.

I believe it is very important to be staunch in your beliefs and for those beliefs to encompass every area of your life, yet I am also aware that there are people whose specific brand of being affected by the curse is different enough from my brand of being affected by the curse that we differ greatly in certain political areas. Well-intentioned people who saw the aforementioned attacks in Sandy Hook believe writing laws to disarm people is a positive step, while other well-intentioned people feel that we should start arming teachers. The fascinating aspect to me, however, is where our vernacular has gone.

As recently as ten years ago, I recall hearing people on the news refer to the attacks of September 11 and asserting that our prayers are with those negatively affected. I recall hearing President Bush, at the time, encouraging people to pray. I remember hearing (and to a small degree, witnessing) the statistics on church attendance swell greatly. It was appropriate to call to God in times of disaster. Shortly thereafter, I noticed the addition of the terms "our thoughts" being added to the phrase. This never struck me as negative, as a prayer, I understand that it usually takes thinking about someone to actually pray. Further, my understanding of God and prayer knows that our thoughts are certainly known and understood by Him.

After a recent tragedy, however, I noticed many people saying, "Our thoughts are with them." Eliminating the prayer from the entire sentiment. Truthfully, for most people, it is probably a more accurate sentiment then what they were asserting, so maybe it should not bug me. Nevertheless, I find myself frustrated by the lack of people's assertion of prayer. It is undeniable that when things are missing from a normal phrase it effects us more. Like when people say "one nation, indivisible" in the American flag pledge of allegiance, we notice the missing "under God."

Many would be proud to leave in a nation that is indivisible and don't dislike that sentiment in general. Yet, we are frustrated that the words "under God" are removed (never mind that it wasn't added until the 1940's). I remember a similar argument in my youth about the pledge to the Christian flag eliminating (or, if you have a different perspective, adding) the word "buried." At any rate, I do think we have seen cultural acceptance of certain Christian things be thrown out.

People are judged based on human beliefs of fairness, where logic without the backing of Scripture, is the chief thing to which we appeal. This is why we prize our "free will" as important (of course, why someone wants to tout that they are a failure purely by choice seems weird, but that's another discussion), because our own brain is the chief good. Our own ingenuity is the thing which we most respect. Our ability to process things is the most important. We are a society which believes that our thoughts are more important (or even just as important) as prayers. I remember that effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much, but my thoughts have no such power.

In fact, what is the benefit of thinking about someone whose just had a terrible time at all? I mean, noone ever says, "I'm sitting here without food and shelter, but at least your thinking of me." That fact should sustain me another day until the food and water comes. It's nonsensical to put any weight in our thoughts, unless they are backed up by prayers. And I hope that you are part of a praying people that can assert this!