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We all want to go to Twinnie World

Our kids are close in every way. Age. Relationally. Proximity. Even though the affection runs down, up and sideways, it’s hard to deny the existence of Twinnie World.

Usually at least once a day, Anna and Mercy take a few minutes to go to Twinnie World.  Twinnie World is where no one else matters. They give one another their full attention.

A few days ago they tipped over a clear plastic storage tub and climbed underneath together to have a private conversation.  The message was clear – we need to talk away from eavesdroppers. We need to plot and dream, laugh at the others and complain about the food. We need to belong – and we know we belong to one another in a unique way.

For years I thought the preeminent question people asked themselves was “Who am I?”    I’m beginning to think that the real question we ask is “Who do I belong to?”

That’s why God identifies you in relationship to Himself, not independent of Himself.  You’re premier identity is as son or a daughter, not a self sustainable adult.

You were made to belong, and anything that stands between you and that is sin.

*Thanks to our marvy friend Michelle Park for the photo.

About that podcast…

In case you missed this morning’s podcast, we’re on a little adventure.

To make it quick, the birth mother of our twins’ is expecting…and due in a few weeks.   Kelsey and I are on the way to Florida right now (as in, literally – thank you Lord for in flight wifi) along with Jackson and Grayson to connect with she and her family and explore the potential of our adopting the twins that she is carrying.

Yes, I said twins.

  • No, I do not know the statistical unlikelihood of two sets of twins in a row.
  • Yes, we do have a vehicle that would carry us all.
  • No, this is not a done deal.

(That pretty much pre-answers a lot of the questions we’re getting.)

There are a lot of moving parts to this story – family, social workers, history, etc.  The moving part that I’m banking on right now is the Holy Spirit.

We do not know if this will all land as we wish, but we have to try.  To make the effort and fail is far less traumatic than to spend the rest of our lives wondering what might have been.  Every podcast and blog post I’ve ever written about risk is smacking me upside the head right now as I lean into what I have always professed to believe – that we are called love with our hands held open.  Thanks Jess Clark for reminding me of this one.

We covet your prayers – for clarity, for the birth mom’s health, for our brood we left behind with a small army of volunteers, and for grace and finances to walk this through as the Lord deems good.

More as the story develops….

So They Burned Your Scroll

Have you ever felt deep in your core that something was right, even when it was unpopular?  Have you ever turned an idea around in your head and finally went public with it, knowing that Joe Public was probably not going to hear you?

Almost every radical, world changing idea was unpopular at some point.  Had it been a popular idea, someone else would have already touted it. Continue reading →

Jesus Killed My Church – Kindle Version Available

Jesus Killed My Church is now on Amazon in digital form!

Thanks to everyone who pre-ordered the Kindle and hard copies – you have helped us get this far with no cash out of pocket (or out of grocery envelope!).   If you preordered the Kindle version, you can expect it to hit your inbox some time on Thursday or Friday.

If you didn’t, here’s your chance to get it immediately along with a little sumpin’ extra.

If you order the Kindle version from Amazon between before midnight, Friday, January 20th and email me your receipt, we’ll give you the audio book download for free.  (email link lower right corner of this page).

Coming out of the gate strong will help us move forward with print books almost immediately - as in a week or so.

Also, if you’ve listened to the audio book and enjoyed it, would you consider reviewing it on the Kindle page?  Your reviews will make a big difference.

Thanks for everyone who has participated in this unusual backwards book launch.  You have been very patient and allowed us to do the whole endeavor debt free.  You’ve also made us think long and hard about a Spirit of Adoption Kindle and audio version!

On MLK Day

History comes alive in Washington, DC.  Everywhere you turn, bricks and mortar put history in your face.  Nowhere is this more true than from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

The perspective is one that you have seen a hundred times on film.  You remember something more than a monument. You remember a moment. Continue reading →

The Most Important Part of Your Job

My tenure at The Vineyard in Cincinnati fell during a time of great transition. Roles were in flux and it was sometimes difficult to determine exactly where the boundaries between jobs lie.  The best advice I got was from a senior leader who told me “Your most important job is to decide what your job is and what your job is not.”

That was good advice because, as the saying goes, “God loves you and others have a plan for your life…”.  In the ambiguity of roles, it was easy for people to put work on you that was not necessarily yours.  It was also easy to ditch very important work that you should have been doing but were not instructed to do by channelling Freddy Prinze and muttering “…is not my job, man.” Continue reading →

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