Idol Thots 27Feb

the final 12 are turning into quite a group. and the wildcard will be very interesting.

Allison is young and a bit shy in interviews, but that girl can sing. i'm thinking she's going to be one who goes far in the competition.

Kris, pretty good, has had some good performances, nothing "stand out" though which could hurt.

Adam is going to be the love/hate guy of this season. kinda like Taylor Hicks. people will love him or loathe him. (heh heh, i got to use the word "loathe")

in watching the preview for the final group next week, i realized i had never really seen 3 or 4 of those people. time to do a little research...

Idol Thots 26Feb

Man, was last night's Idol dry and safe or what? With the exception of 2, maybe 3, it seemed like everyone played it really safe.

Adam Lambert and Nick Mitchell/Norman Gentle both came out with a bang and were totally out there. Adam did a fresh take on the Rolling Stones' classic "Satisfaction" and he's going to be one of those guys who people either love or hate. He has an amazing range and is quite a performer, but is a bit over-the-top at time. i see him going thru easily tonight.

The other standout performer was Nick Mitchell performing as his alter-ego Norman Gentle. This guy totally cracks me up. Shiny shirt, red sweatbands, huge glasses...and singing Dream Girls...how could he go wrong? i really like this guy, but this is the wrong stage for his style. The scary thing is he is memorable and could grab votes and go through.

Mishavonna Henson and Allison Iraheta were the two girls who seemed a step ahead of the others. They didn't come out and really wow, but were solid and showed some great voices.

Megan Corkey has a shot of going though because of the quirkiness factor. She has a great throw-back voice and style and the judges had nothing but praise for her.

The other guys were pretty much safe and unmemorable. Kris Allen could possible get a big bump from the teenage girl vote. He's a pretty good singer, just not breakout. Kai Kalama and Matt Breitzke were way too safe...and boring.

I had high hopes for Matt Giraud, Jessie Langseth and Jasmine Murray. Jessie did ok making "Bette Davis Eyes" a little soulful and bluesey. Matt struggled with a terrible song choice. "Viva la Viva" is not a singing competition song. Jasmine was flat and had no energy and seemed scared and unsure as the first one out of the box.

One other mention - Jeanine Vailes had seen no screen time and came out and totally oversang Maroon 5 to try to make up for it.

Going Through Tonight: Adam for the guys, Mishavonna/Allison/Megan are a toss up for the girls. Nick/Norm (chuckle, chuckle) or possibly Kris could pick up the third spot if one of the girls doesn't.

Thots??

just die

Psalm 116:12-16
How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

i read this the other night and was totally caught off guard by that last verse. i was into the lifting the cup of salvation and fulfilling my vows and the Lord's goodness. and then...God likes it when His people die???

and then...the thinking began. "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." "He must increase, but I must decrease."

i heard it said that dead men don't worry about being embarrassed or hurt. they don't seek their own gain. uh, yeah, they're dead.

this is probably the hardest lesson that i'm still learning. i just wish i could learn it and move on, but for some reason i keep coming around this mountain. my silly pride or sense of entitlement or personal fulfillment rise up and i have to beat them back down. and it always happens just when i think i'm getting somewhere.

just die. no matter what i'm doing or who i'm serving or where i'm at, just die. God sees and considers it something of value. just die. i'm building equity in Heaven.

Why do we do anything?

I came across some sermon notes from Robert Fergusson of Hillsong Church from a talk he gave after he had journeyed to Antarctica.

**Anything of worth:
1. takes time
2. costs a great deal
3. changes your life

12 motivators:
1. Why not?
2. Because it's there - discover, find out about something unknown
3. Follow the footsteps of a hero - live a life to be followed. Have a hero and be a hero
4. Believe in the poetry of exploration - Ps 84:5 - pilgramage
5. Meet the fourth man - fiery furnace - chance for an adventure
6. Fulfill a dream
7. Rite of passage - new vantage point
8. Don't live a vicarious life - your experience not a second hand experience
9. Ambition
10. Soul food - not for your body or spirit but for your will, emotions and thinking
11. Missions - promote the Gospel
12. Be an achiever - run with the big dogs

Waiting

The best is yet to come.

i love this statement. it promises better days ahead. no matter how bad or how good life is today, it will be even better.

my question is "when?"

everytime i think i'm getting "it" i seem to go around the mountain again for another life lesson. i've heard "God must be preparing you for something really big to work on you so much." maybe i'm just more messed up than i thought.

i know God can work in a moment. i'm clinging to that. Moses raised his staff and the Red Sea parted in a moment. Jesus blessed the 5 loaves and 2 fish in a moment and the disciples served 5,000. a leper was restored in a moment. disciples were called and followed in a moment.

i've had my share of moments. but it feels like i'm operating on a calendar now. week turns into week turns into month turns into year.

just be faithful. just serve. just die to self. it's a hard road to have been a significant contributor and then be shuffled to the back.

just be faithful. just serve. just die to self.

Yearning for the Wild

I've been thinking about how tame i am. i work in a cool office. live in a great, comfortable house. have heat and ac in house, car and work.

But something in me wants a fight. i want to run with scissors or climb up on the roof or drive in a blinding snowstorm or play tackle football in a mudpit. i need something untamed.

I've read Wild at Heart and know that as a man, i need a battle. I'm reading a book on the wild Jesus from the book of Mark. but there's something deeper than just reading books.

there is a true craving to roar like a man. Any woman reading this probably won't understand, hopefully the men will. there is something primal that needs to come out. Playing music helps to release that. As a bass player/singer, there is definitely something wild about that rumble of the bass and a good yell or scream.

I think i need some man-time. some camping and hiking, growing a neck beard, finding and cooking your food over a flame. anyone have an empty cabin i could hide away for a few days in? anyone up for some gut-level living? strength, passion, honesty - that's what i'm looking for.

Not quite getting it

Ok, Obama's election i get. But re-electing and increasing a Democrat congress makes no sense to me when they had such a low approval rating makes no sense to me.

I'm sitting a waiting to see how left this new government goes. Obama is the most liberal senator in the senate. He moved waaaaay to the middle for the election, but you know he's going back to the left. and now with Pelosi and Reid with more power, the country will be tipping west.

It's all a wait and see.

So God

After 3 years of renting, we're finally getting a house. We close this week and will be moving next weekend. Yessssss.

We moved to Virginia Beach right at the peak of the housing bubble. We had lived in Ohio for 13 years and owned 3 houses there, not all at the same time, but sold when we moved to Australia for 2 years. So we came to a more expensive area and to extreme sticker shock.

we knew we would rent for a while, until we learned the area. we just weren't ready for even the rental prices and didn't think we'd rent for 3 years. we were blessed to find a townhouse with a garage for storage and a great landlord who was responsive and even took care of stuff we didn't ask about.

But here we are. Packing, cleaning, sorting, Goodwilling. it's always good to go thru your stuff, we just have a lot more with 5 of us in the house.

i'll post more about the move and settling in later. I'm just amazed at God's timing. at the height of a freaky market and housing stuff, He works out an amazing deal on a great house in a great neighborhood. So God.

Tired of it

I just need to blow off a little steam. You see, i work in news. i'm surrounded by monitors carrying all the news of the day - Fox/CNN/MSNBC/Business/Headlines - and also feeds from the wires and email alerts...I'm in it.

I'm really sickened by the wall-to-wall coverage of the financial meltdown. I'm pretty sure it's a nasty situation that started back in the 70's with some dodgy legislation on guaranteeing mortgages. Greenspan didn't help things with some of his controls and then the whole Fannie/Freddie housing bubble thing has really brought this thing to a head. I'm pretty conservative and don't like a lot of government intervention and really don't appreciate some of the measures the government has implemented to bail failing enterprises out.

But i think the media - old and new - have contributed just as much as anything else. When people only see how bad things are, they are going to panic and pull their money and support from pretty much everything that might hurt them. This defense mechanism, while good for protection, is bad for the economy and then makes it tank even more.

I want to, in some way, convince people to take a step back and breathe. If you have money invested, let it ride. Unless you need that money in the next few years, stocks are for the long term. I would suggest also getting rid of personal debt. As the economy turns, companies will probably want the money owed them and i figure it's always better not to owe.

Panic and emotional responses don't really ever solve anything. Cool heads, patience and a trust that God is in control is the way to move forward. God's people are PROMISED that He will never leave us or forget about us - NEVER!! God doesn't need Wall Street or George Bush to bless and care for His people.

More to come...

A Bitter Pill

Have you thought all was on track and you knew exactly what was happening was what was supposed to happen? Have you ever had it all figured out? Yeah, me too. But now...

I keep thinking of that verse that says that God's ways are not our ways. I'm very thankful for that point because i know my ways often mess things up. I'm just trying to figure out God's ways now. I thought i was figuring out my calling and what i was meant to do, but what i thought is just not happening and i don't see in the natural what is going on.

I'm confident in the fact that it only takes a moment for God to move. It's my job to love, worship and serve Him gladly. I realize i'm not the center of the universe and my calling is VERY secondary to God's fame and people coming to know Him.

It's a hard pill for my flesh to swallow, but one my spirit needs. Die to self, serve humbly, love God, love others.

Lil' Nor'Easter

Just a little bit of wind and rain here. Pretty nasty when mixed together. You know it's working towards bad when you see a report on the Weather Channel from your city. Some reporter guy was down on the beach showing the rough waters and beach errosion. all the surfers are happy. I guess it's all about perspective.

Eye opening

I was made aware last night that it was coming up on a year since my last blog entry. I have been keeping stuff on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter if any of you are interested. But i promise to try to keep this up as well.

What a season! Elections, storms, school starting, new season at church, life-coaching. Oh my. These are exciting times to live and God is moving despite what some leaders would have us think. These are time of increase and harvest and blessing! Who knows what circumstances we may face tomorrow or later today? I do know that my God will supply all my needs according to His riches in glory. He is also able to make all grace abound to us, so that in all things at all times, having all that we need, we will abound in every good work.

Be blessed!

Catching Up

Wow! What a summer! A quick trip to Indiana over July 4th - a week is just not enough time to see family and friends. Cheerleading, church camp, work. Church has been pretty much amazing. Over the summer, we've had Jentezen Franklin, Chris Hill, Bishop David Evans, Paul Andrew, Michael Jr and of course Steve & Sharon Kelly, Carl Lentz and Greg Phelps.

My goal for the next couple of weeks is to get some of our recent cell studies online. We've looked at expansion and what it means to be a priest in our home. We're starting tonight on a study on 9 principles for guaranteed success in your life and marriage.

Be blessed and check back again soon.

Bring It!

We started services in our "Ministry Center" for the next 16 or so months and it is amazing in there. It's a much smaller place, but it was electric with excitement. It was hot and loud and bright, but the atmosphere was awesome. You should come visit Wave Church if you're in VA Beach. We have a ton of services to choose from.

Pastor Steve shared from Psalm 100 on Sunday night and i wanted to touch on a few points he made.

the whole Psalm is about coming to church. in verse 4, it says to come with thanksgiving and praise. that is a choice we each have to make every time we come to church. what attitude are we coming with? one other thing - we come with the praise and thanksgiving, we don't rely on the worship team and pastor or the service itself to fill us full of thanks and praise - WE BRING IT!

verse 1 says to make a joyful noise to the Lord. some versions say to shout with joy. Steve asked the question, "What noise are you making?" is it a joyful noise? grumbling or complaing is a noise. whining and woe-is-me are noises. worship and praise and thanks and joy and hope are all noises also. what noise do you make?

Just a couple of thots on what we make of church. WE are the church. we meet at a place with other members, but we are the church and we have the opportunity every time we meet to bring something and build it up by adding to an atmosphere of expectation and joy or tearing it down by complaining, self-focus and back-biting.

Bring It!!

Back to the Church Thing

I think i need to go back to church culture.

I was thinking the other day about how i've changed over the last 5 or so years and i think my view of church has been a big change. i've always loved the church and known it's the bride of Christ, the body of Christ, God's ambassadors to the world...

But there are words that pop up in my thinking and my speech when i think about the church that didn't really pop up before. Words like Expectation, Culture, Atmosphere, Potential, Hope, Local Church, Global Church, This House are a part of me now. My church and christian "DNA" have changed.

i'm so excited to think about church. i'm excited about my church, but also local churches around the world. As we talk with friends and hear what God is doing in Indiana, Ohio, London, Sydney, Norway, California, West Virginia, and i'm sure all points in between, i get so fired up to be called for "such a time as this."

i pray that as you watch this clip, you get excited about The Church - your local church and the global church - the Bride of Christ!

A Good Old Fashioned Ponder

Man, i have just been overwhelmed by stuff to make me think lately. What i'm reading, what i'm hearing in church, talks with my lovely wife, chats with friends - it just doesn't let up. Let me go over some stuff in a little more detail.

I just read Ted Dekker's latest novel called "Skin". I love Ted's stuff! He's so readable and makes some great points along the way. This book really made me think about who do i think i am and who do others see me as. It really brought out the point of real and imagined and what is reality.

After i finished Ted, I started on a book by Dr Henry Cloud called "The Nine things You Must do to Succeed in Life and Relationships". with a title like that, i HAD to read it. it has been increadibly thought provoking - do i do these principles? how can i apply them to my life and current situations. I'm on #4 - i only read about a half a chapter at a time and then chew on it for a while. Great stuff that i don't want to give away, you NEED to read it!

We just had author and speaker John Bevere here at Wave Church. First off, let me say, i was very bummed that Gez didn't make the trip with him - next time, man, or else we're all meeting in the Springs! Anyway, he spoke out of his latest book about the church needing to be more eternally minded, our calling, our rewards, heaven. Probably the two most significant things to me were:
1. What we do with the Cross determines WHERE we spend eternity. How we live out our calling determines HOW we'll spend eternity.
2. As Christians, we won't be judged by what we did, but did we live out our calling.
I need to go through my notes and verses again and dig more out.

Basically, i've really been thinking about my calling and why God has me here for this time in history. Obviously there is a very beautiful Brook and three young ladies who sit at my dinner table every night. But what is the plan God has for me? What are the good works that i should walk in? I'm getting it, i just really have to be focused and not bogged down by the good on the way to the great.

what about you? are you fulfilling God's plan for you life? are you entangled by the stuff that trips us so easily?

A Little Harsh

Ok, i may have been a bit harsh with my last blog. As i thought about it more i'd like to post an update.

Culture. i think that's what it comes down to - Culture. Churches operate in the culture that they have carved out for themselves. if the culture is one of the people of the congregation control every minute detail and decision, that's the way the church will operate. If the atmosphere is one of support and vision - there you go.

Changing culture is one of the most difficult things in the world to do. it's a slow but sadly needed process in some churches.

Not all churches need the same culture and it would be a sad and boring world if all churches were the same. I'm just wanting the church to be all it can be! we all have different styles and likes and takes but the church is the vehicle God chose to impact the world. it's not a social club or a conscience soother, it's the main tool that can change the world.

Let's be who we're called to be. God has saved us and empowered us and filled us with His vision and gifts and talents to fulfill that vision. Let's roll!

The Good and Bad of Easter

I LOVE holidays! i like the family getting together. i like the significance of why we celebrate. i like the fact that people who don't normally go to church tend to go on holidays.

Easter is an amazing holiday - the resurection of Jesus Christ! we've all seen babies being born, or at least know a couple who were, but a resurection - alive again after being dead. I don't know anyone personally that has done that (other than Jesus). This day alone should be one day churches seek out and go after those who aren't saved. (My hope would be all days are days that churches seek to get people saved, but...)

the church we go to had over 100 salvations this past Sunday - I LOVE it! one guy said the pastor couldn't keep up with the hands being raised. the church we were visiting had 10-20 people give their hearts to Jesus over the weekend. again, VERY cool!

but one thing i saw broke my heart. i was watching an Easter service online and the pastor had a prayer for salvation and i couldn't tell how many raised their hands. At the end of the service, he said they had tried to connect with new salvations in a couple of different ways that weekend and "the didn't really work out." that right there gave me a little alert. then he asked for those who said the prayer to come down to the front to meet him AS EVERYONE ELSE WAS LEAVING. That broke my heart.

Churches try to make "getting right with God" some sort of therapy thing or something that you-could-do-if-you-really-wanted-but-it's-ok-if-you-don't-because-we-don't-want-to-offend-you-or-make-you-uncomfortable-so-we-really-won't-commit-to-anything.

To have people who just made the MOST IMPORTANT decision of their life fight a mass of people going the opposite way is kinda crazy. It does nothing to help the culture of the church to say that salvation is something we thrown in at the very end and all the motion of the room is going towards the back while the new christians are supposed to move to the front.

Every service i've been in the last 3 and a half years at Hillsong and Wave have had an altar call no matter what the message was on or what happened in the service and all but maybe 2 have had at least 1 person, normally multiple people, respond and get saved.

it doesn't seem that hard. i guess i'm just not getting American, seeker-friendly mentality. This is the antidote to the greatest disease on earth - sin. How can we pick and choose when we offer it or make it so non-commital that people aren't sure what happened.

I'm really stirred and convicted of my personal example of this and am making a committment to live what i preach. Please come with me - the world is counting on us.

FINALLY!!

Hooray for the Colts! After years of just missing and heartbreak, they put it all together. It wasn't pretty, but it's a Super Bowl victory.

Time to go deep. I want to tie together two things that i love - football and God.

The Colts season is really a great picture of a Christian life. They started strong, winning their first nine games. But the problem was they played just better than the compitition in some of those games. They beat weaker teams by only a few points. Then the losses came and after starting strong they finished 12-4. Good, but no where near what they could've done.

They got back to basics, made the main thing the main thing again and rocked through the playoffs. Then the capper was winning the big game.

It's so easy in Christiandom, especially here in the States, to just "play to the competition." We are just good enough or go to church enough to stay one step ahead of problems or the devil himself. We do enough to keep us saved, but there's no tapping into the true power of the cross.

We (i) need to get back to the main thing - seeking Jesus and living as close to Him as possible and craving, depending, feeding on the power of God alive in us. We don't all face being down 18 points in a championship game against our arch-rivals, but we face health, financial, relational, work, family, emotional obstacles sometimes daily. We really have to keep our cool - know that "greater is He that is in me" and that "nothing is impossible for God" and just keep at our game plan.

I know i'm probably over-spiritualizing the Colts season, but i think the lesson is solid. If you have the Spirit of God dwelling in you, you can't just get by. We are "more than conquerers through Christ Jesus" who lives in us. We win!

Think about that as you watch the fantastic parade as the Colts get back to Indy.

A Chalfant5 Update