I would like to give a shout out to my wife today, a.k.a. co-creator of my children, a.k.a. the M.I.C. (Mom in charge).

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I often joke that if my wife would’ve married somebody else, her kids would’ve turned out ugly, but all that know us, know that’s just not the case. 

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All joking aside, the truth is, without her I fully believe our kids would be jacked up.

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My wife is a Christian, a Christian that married an outspoken church hating, God/Christian distancing non-Christian (Me).

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Yet, despite my feelings about church, Christianity etc…. she made sure our kids were raised knowing Jesus.  Every Sunday she faithfully took our kids to church while the heathen daddy stayed home.

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Nowadays I’m so thankful for that, but that’s just a tiny little part of the amazing mother of our kids.

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Over the years I have been awed by her loving, grace, forgiveness, patience, kindness, gentleness etc….  In fact, the way she parents reminds me of Galatians 5:22-23.

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“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” – Galatians 5:22-23 NLT

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My wife is a fruit bearing Galatians 5:22-23 mother.

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I can say with confidence and sadness that I’ve not been a great dad.  There were times, sometimes long stretches, when I was absent (Mentally/Emotionally) as a father and probably husband as well.  My wife will tell you that I’m being too hard on myself, but I know I was a mess for awhile and my family suffered because of it.  That was B.G. – Before God.  I’m much better now.  I still have a long way to go but thank God He nudged me in the right direction.

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Through all of that time, my wife remained a Galatians 5:22-23 Mother.  She made up for me and then some.

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What an amazing and I mean AMAZING mother my kids have!  Being a parent is without a doubt a tough job with so much on the line, but it’s a job my wife consistently knocks out of the park.

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So Happy Mother’s Day to my AMAZING Galatians 5:22-23 Wife, Best Friend and Mother of our Children!

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Words cannot express how thankful I am that God gave me you!

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That is far more than grace.  That is a love that’s hard to comprehend.

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I love you so much Sweetness! 

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Happy Mother’s Day!

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And as far as our kids not being ugly, you’re welcome.

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I just realized that UnlikelyChristian.com turned 1 year old on Thursday.  And just in case any of you are wondering, UnlikelyChristian.com loves chocolate cake – specifically Linda’s Fudge Cake from The Cheesecake Factory

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With any milestone, not that 1 year is a MILEstone, it’s probably more like a QuarterMileStone or 600MeterStone, but regardless of the type of stone you reach, once reached you tend to reflect.  So I spent some time this morning reflecting on the past year of UnlikelyChristian.com

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My single goal when I started UnlikelyChristian.com was to reach people like the guy I used to be – Far from God with no future plans of drawing near. 

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I was an outspoken anti-church/anti-Christian guy, so when God started opening my eyes with His gentle nudges, the last thing I wanted to do was talk to people about Christianity – it was a stupid pride thing.  So for me, checking it out in private was my only option.  I began my search in an old King James Bible but quickly bailed due to the “Thous”, “Thees” & “Begats”.  So I began to search online hoping to find something that catered to me, but I had no luck. 

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So once I became an Unlikely Christian, I felt called to make a website, the type of website that I would’ve benefited from while I was seeking.  And that was the original purpose of this website.

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Since then, I think it has grown into something that Seekers, Unlikelys and most Christians can relate to or at least I hope it has.  I don’t really think about a target audience anymore, I just sit down and write. 

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Okay, continuing down Reflection Avenue, I’m so thankful for you the reader!  Your feedback, e-mails, comments, likes, shares etc…..have been awesome/inspiring!  I didn’t really have any kind of expectations when I started the site other than I hoped I could somehow help people along their journey toward or with God.  And please don’t think I’m patting myself on the back here because all glory goes to God, but I know for a fact that’s happened.  And you guys had a hand in it too.  Because you, “Liked” & “Shared” others read and moved closer.  Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

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It’s also been a really cool experience connecting with and meeting other Unlikelys.  I never thought I’d have new friends because of this site, but sho-nuff, I do.

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I’m also thankful for Doubting Matthew and his regular contributions to UC.  I always enjoy seeing an e-mail with a word doc attachment from him in my inbox.  He’s got great insight and I love the lens he sees things thru.  It’s also been cool watching another Unlikely grow in Christ.  An Unlikely growing in Christ – Now that’s real “Miracle Grow.”  Kind of a cheesy line, I know, but man it’s the truth!

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Stories are powerful and I’m so thankful to have DM’s here on UC.  Others have threatened to send me their’s but I think maybe they’ve forgotten my e-mail address, even though it’s right here on the website.  Well here you go - me@unlikelychristian.com   Special shout out right here to the GP TEX MEX (You know who you are).  The fact that your story isn’t on here yet, is a travesty.  A TRAVESTY I tell you!  So get busy writing or I will shun you next time I see you.   

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As I wrap up my 1 year anniversary special birthday 600MeterStone post spectacular, I’d like to end with this.  I love how God works!  I made this website hoping to reach others, and while I’ve received some great feedback, I think the person who’s benefited the most from this site is me.  From May 2011 to May 2012 I’ve grown so much as a Christian, I’ve added many new friends/iron sharpeners and God has taught me so many lessons and blessed me beyond belief.  Is God good or what?!?!  He never ceases to blow me away!

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As I start year 2 of UnlikelyChristian.com, my expectations are the same in that I hope I (WE) can somehow help people along their journey toward or with God.  And while this year has been incredible, I hope when May 2013 rolls around I can look back and say, “Wow, God was just getting started!”

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So I was just thinking the other day, that I play it pretty safe here at UnlikelyChristian.com, in that I don’t really delve into any topics that are controversial. It’s not a conscience effort on my part, I just write what’s on my heart or whatever comes to mind…..but today….

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Today a pitch came my way that I’m going to take a swing at, and I do believe the subject matter to be controversial. So here it is……

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Church……..wait for it……in a pub.

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Yep, a local church will be holding services in a bar every 1st Tuesday evening of the month.

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Right or wrong?

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I’m not going to beat around the bush here or talk in circles without ever saying which side of the argument I fall on.

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Right or wrong?

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I say right.

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And here’s why.

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Before I became an Unlikely Christian, I hated church and I mean HATED church. Too many negative experiences with Holier than thous, fakers, hypocrites, pastors that seemed more interested in the contents of my wallet than in the destination of my soul, etc…etc…etc… I’ve often said, “The #1 thing that kept me from being a Christian, were Christians”.

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With gentle nudges from God, I eventually tried church again – as a matter of fact, I tried this very church in question. And while it turned out to be a great thing for me, do you know what one of the biggest turning points in my spiritual growth was? When I found out that Christian guys were just dudes…..like me. Now it’s hard to see that in church because too many people have their Sunday Game face on. I shook a lot of hands, had some surface conversations in the lobby but it wasn’t until I got outside of church and really mingled, that I discovered that these Christians were real people. I mean of course I already knew they were real people, but interacting with them outside of church, I found them to be genuine, down to earth, not fake etc… and that was HUGE for me. Once my negative notions about Christians were proved wrong, it really helped me feel better about associating myself with them and eventually coming out of the closet as one.

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I can’t help but think that there are many more of the guys/gals, like the guy I used to be out there. They are NEVER planning on going to church because of some of the reasons I stated above. But if they could see us in a different setting, their setting, maybe they too, can see us in a different light. If that means taking the message to a pub, well then take it to the pub.

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Instead, what many Christians like to do is stay in their safe “Holy Huddles.” How are the lost to be reached if you stay away from where they are? You can’t be fishers of men in lakes with no fish.

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I know this church.  This is all about kingdom gain, and I’m telling you, there’s NO WHERE Jesus wouldn’t go for one of His own lost sheep.

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Yep, even a pub.

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CHEERS to you FOTP!

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Over the years, I have attended church with my wife rather sporadically. I don’t remember ever wanting to go, but I wanted to be with my wife, so I would “grin and bear it” for short stretches. Without fail, we would arrive early to go to Bible Study.  I would sit through these sessions trying my best to glean some applicable ideas for my life, but mostly I focused on finding reasons why the stories I was hearing were ridiculous and the people hypocrites.   I stocked up on lots of useful arguments for my arsenal against Christianity during these “adult story times.”  I could make it through in relative peace by sitting at the back, not making eye contact and never interjecting any thoughts.  Participation was out of the question.  If you are anything like me, the worst moments in these studies were always the beginning and the end. (You know why right?)   The Non-Christian is terrified that they will be called on to say the group prayer.  I would sit tight-cheeked in my seat agonizing over the possibility of the leader saying, “Hey New Guy, would you lead us in prayer today?”  It never once happened, but every time I went, I figured my chances of being called on were growing if only because they knew my name.  That twenty seconds before each prayer was torturous, but somehow I made it out without ever having to turn down their request or, worse yet, explain why I didn’t want to pray aloud.

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Let’s fast forward to the present.  I have come a long way since the early days I refer to as my “Cold-War on Christianity.”  I regularly attend church by my own choice AND I actually enjoy it.  I am actively seeking a healthy prayer life.  It has been difficult making it a priority, but I am getting better.  I find that I have my best prayers in the middle of the night.  Weird yes, but I wake up thinking about something and find myself praying.  For whatever reason this works for me.  I think being partially asleep has helped me to get out of my head in a way.  I don’t worry so much about what I am saying or whether it sounds cheesy or not.  I just speak to God without distractions.  I rather enjoy it honestly.  It feels very deep and genuine and I always wake up feeling like it was time well spent.  I can’t just be normal.  I always have to have my own spin on things.  My prayer life is no different I suppose. 

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So here is where the story gets a little hairier.  A group of people that I would consider to be very loving and compassionate friends were gathered together.  These are people that I have great respect for and wish to emulate in my life.  We were about to part ways and it was decided that there should be a group prayer. 

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I’m thinking, “Okay, I am all good with this.  My praying is coming along.  No problem.”   

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Now,  keep in mind that I haven’t yet moved into the realm of feeling like I am hanging out with my father just having a friendly chat, but I can focus on the words being said and add my own mental confessions, wishes, and the occasional “oh yeah.” (“Amen” still holds some mystique I have yet to overcome.)  

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“I am ready.  Bring on the good words!”

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Then our leader uttered something about “everyone” and “aloud” and it was at that point that I nearly lost consciousness.

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Talk about my worst church nightmare coming true!  Here it was staring me right in the face.  There was never anything I feared more than this scenario… or so I thought!  Oh…  Yes…  It gets better!    I neglected to mention that I was in a foreign country surrounded by about 70 people that did not speak a lick of English.  Well, let me just lay this out there for you:  Not only was I supposed to pray…on the spot…with NO preparation…ALOUD, but then my words would be translated into another language while I was speaking!  Yes, there’s just a little bit of pressure here!

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Thirty seconds warning and the praying begins.  I barely heard a word anyone else said.  I was intently focused on saying something that didn’t make me look like I had never prayed aloud before.  So, being the procrastinator I am, I waited until everyone else had gone. Those 7 prayers gave me approximately 4 minutes to channel Billy Graham.  So with a handful of marbles in my mouth, I mumbled some words that made sense to me and waited for the next person to jump in.  There was an uncomfortably long pause at the end of my prayer due to its extreme brevity compared to the previous submissions, but finally someone spoke up.  The tension was released.  I had done it! My first public prayer!

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I knew it wasn’t awe inspiring.  No one mentioned either the brilliance or the insanity of it so it must have been at least okay.  Though I don’t remember everything I said, I know that it came from the heart and even if nobody else understood it, I felt like God knew exactly what I was saying.  It strikes me now as these words flow out onto the screen, that maybe this is the point.  It isn’t the length or the eloquence of what we say to God as much as it is the honesty, faithfulness and regularity with which we share our thoughts and needs.  God is listening and He wants to hear from us in every breath. 

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My pastor said something today that stuck with me.  I can’t remember his exact words but it was something to the effect of God’s word being fertilizer for your spiritual growth, and that made me think about my yard.

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My yard is a mess.  Yep, I’m that guy on the street.  I used to want the best looking yard on the block but then I came to my senses and just decided I didn’t want the worst looking yard on the street.  Since then I’ve come to terms with, “Hey, somebody has to have the worst looking yard on the street” so I graciously stepped up and volunteered my lawn for that honor.

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The truth is, I’ve never been a yard guy - one of those guys that spends countless hours finely manicuring, caressing and lovingly affirming his yard.  It’s not that I don’t care, it’s just that I spend the time that I could be spending on my yard with God instead.  That’s right, while you’re out fertilizing, weeding, ironiting etc….. I’m studying God’s word, praying, teaching my family etc…..  So every time you drive down my street and look disgustingly at my yard, just remember that I’m much more Godly than you because I have my priorities in order

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Okay, the real truth, I’m lazy.  It’s true I’d rather my yard look better than it does but I’m just not willing to do what it takes to make it that way, and therefore it looks like this.

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It takes a lot to have a nice looking yard.  Fertilizing, watering, weeding, sharp mower blades etc…..  but it’s super easy to have a lousy looking yard.  All it takes for that is a little neglect.  If you don’t frequently fertilize, water, weed, sharpen your mower blades etc…..it shouldn’t come as a surprise that your yard is less than it could be.

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It’s the same with your spiritual life.  If you aren’t frequently fertilizing with God’s word, if you aren’t frequently watering it with prayer, if you aren’t frequently weeding out the sin or sharpening your iron with other believers (Proverbs 27:17) etc…., then it should come as no surprise that your spiritual life is less than it could be.    

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It’s one thing to have the attitude that, “Hey, somebody has to have the lousiest looking yard on the street, why not me?”  You might draw the ire of some neighbors, but overall, it doesn’t really matter that much.  You have a crappy looking yard, life goes on.  But take that attitude with your spiritual life and next thing you know, you are far from God. 

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No Christian wants that.

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If you want a nice looking yard, you can’t be lazy about it.

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It’s the same with your spiritual life.  You want a good spiritual life?  You have to be intentional and diligent!

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Do what you have to do to…….too much is at stake.

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You can start some fertilizing right here by reading the parables in Matthew 13.  This is the very first scripture I ever jotted down in my journal.  Great truths that use the same analogies – Soil, weeds, roots etc…… 

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CONGRATS TO JENNY H & ROCHELLE L !  

WINNERS OF THIS “NOT A FAN” BOOK GIVEAWAY! 

MORE GIVEAWAYS COMING SOON, WELL MAYBE NOT REAL SOON, BUT FAIRLY SOON!

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 A few months ago, Doubting Matthew let me borrow the book, “Not a Fan” by Kyle Idleman. 

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It quickly became a favorite of mine. 

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I’m not much of a book reviewer.  The best I can do is, “I loved it!”  In fact, I enjoyed reading it so much that I thought you might enjoy it as well.  So I bought one for you, well one of you anyway.

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So what’s it about?  Well……

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From the back of the book:

“The dictionary defines a fan as “an enthusiastic admirer.”  Fans want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires sacrifice.  Fans may be fine with repeating a prayer, attending church on the weekend, and slapping a Jesus fish on their bumpers.  But is that really the extent of the relationship Jesus wants?

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Jesus was never interested in having admirers.  It’s not fans he is looking for.

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Not a Fan challenges you to consider what it really means to call yourself a Christian.  With direct frankness that you’re not likely to hear in Sunday school class, Kyle invites you to take an honest look at your relationship with Jesus.  His call to follow may seem radical to us, but Jesus desires it for every believer.

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Interested? 

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Let me warn you, it might convict you a little bit.  It certainly did me, but I’ve found that conviction can be like fertilizer for spiritual growth.

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So who wants it?

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All you have to do to enter is:

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“Like” Unlikely Christian on FB AND leave a comment on this post.

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That’s it.  I’ll draw a name next Saturday – April 28^th  I’ll post the winner’s name on facebook, and once I get your contact info, I’ll send the book your way.  Yep, I’ll even pay the shipping – United States only please.  Sorry to all my international friends.

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So who wants it?

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For more info on the book, check out notafan.com

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Google Earth is amazing isn’t it?  It is difficult not to be awed by a technology that allows us to explore the Earth from far above without ever leaving our comfy office chair.   From time to time I take a quick trip around the world just to see all the places I will never have enough frequent flyer miles to visit in person.  On one such recent excursion, I came across something that really intrigued me.  As I pondered what I was looking at, God helped me put some things in perspective so to speak.

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As I moused over a part of California that my wife was visiting, I noticed a rather peculiar set of giant green circles dotting the land.   From my satellite’s perspective, they were quite beautiful and the more I studied and thought about them the more impressed I was.  What so impressed me about them was not just their massive diameters, but the fact that they were smack in the middle of the desert.  There wasn’t a field of green for what seemed like a hundred miles in any direction, but here were these five stark patches of greenery in an ocean of sunburned sand and rock.   They were quite obviously farmland as the enormous irrigation sprinklers were clearly visible even from a great height. 

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In truth, I really didn’t realize that this was a viable way to farm.   I wondered just who it was that while travelling through the desert one day thought, “Hey! This is it!”  This spot, right here, is going to provide for me throughout my life!  This is where I should plant my seeds!”  I wondered just how much effort it took to establish a steady supply of water to that desolate plot of land. Could it really be worth the effort?  I don’t know if I could sustain the kind of determination it would take to bring water to such a dry place. 

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Then it occurred to me, maybe they didn’t “choose” that particular spot at all.  What if it was where they were planted by their circumstances?  What if they had no real choice in where they would put down roots and try to make a life?  It must be exhausting trying to keep that gigantic field so lush considering those circumstances.  It almost seems as easy to bring the desert to the water as to keep these fields wet.  I don’t know if I would have that kind of fortitude.

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Now, I have no idea what the real story is on those emeralds in the desert, but I have to assume that someone went to great lengths to make the soil fertile enough to encourage such growth in a land that is so unforgiving.  They had to source water and find a way to get it to the roots of those plants so that they could thrive where they shouldn’t be able to.  That is amazing to me and far beyond the scope of what I feel capable of taking on………..Ever.

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Being intrigued by what it would take to make such a thing feasible, I did some quick research.  If you study irrigation (who doesn’t right?), you will find that throughout history humans have gone to extraordinary lengths to bring water to their crops.  Many ancient civilizations relied on canals to channel water from rivers to their fields.  This was highly labor intensive.  It required a great deal of effort to dig interconnected irrigation ditches from the water source to the plants.  This was a very intentional and purpose-driven task that often took a very long time to complete.  It was not a one man job.  Often it took the whole village to complete the task.   Neglecting to adequately supply the crops with water would inevitably result in a loss not just for the farmer but for the whole community.  Everyone had a stake in the outcome.

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Okay…I am no farmer and my 10 minutes of Google research does not make me an irrigation expert, but I do see a parallel here that I think is worth exploring.  Many of us, at one time or another, have lived in a spiritual desert.  Whether we chose to be there or were planted by our circumstances, we know what a life in the desert feels like.  I know I do.  

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This dry and desolate place held no promise of sprouting new life for me or anyone around me, but something extraordinary happened.  God watered me.  For no good reason at all, he brought me to life!  He sent a number of people to the very spot I was at and, one shovel full at a time, they helped channel life-giving water right to my roots.  Of course, there were those that attempted to pull me out and “bring me to God,” but they only succeeded in stripping my outer layer before giving up and watching it grow back thicker than before.  It was only those who brought the water directly to me that were able to soften up the soil and allow me to grow.

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In Job 38:26-27, God describes his ability “to water a land where no one lives, an uninhabited desert, to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass…”

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That is exactly what he did for me.  This work God has done in me gives me conviction to continue the same work in his name.  For me, this blog is a shovel.  It is one tool that has been put in my hands to set about irrigating the desert to help it sprout with life.  I am lucky in that I am now surrounded by fertile soil and have people to nurture me as I grow in Christ.  It was not always this way and I know that there are many out there withering away whether by choice or circumstance and I think it is important to recognize that if we want to “bring people to God,” we really have to do just the opposite…  We have to meet people exactly where they are and bring God to them. 

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This is an intimidating thought for most of us.  It makes us uncomfortable and requires us to be okay with the fact that we might get dirty.  It also brings out all of those fears about who and what we might get ourselves mixed up in.  I think we can dismiss these fears with one simple fact.  If we know who we are and where our strength comes from it is far easier to trust that we can hike into the desert to help and still come back with a full canteen.  I have to remind myself of this constantly.

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Here is my prayer:

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Lord, empower me with the determination and the fortitude to dig far into the desert and quench the thirsty with your word.  Continue to grant me the opportunities to shine a light on the life you promise to those far from your water that they might be given life in you.

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To those believers who are reading this: We must be intentional about how we approach those far from the God we so adore.  What if those people who God sent to help prepare my soil for his life giving water had ignored their purpose?  Well, I can tell you for sure that I would still be a spiritually dry, shriveled up, and lifeless mess.  He sent all of us for this very purpose so I encourage you to pick up your shovel.  His is not a one man job and we all have something at stake.  It may be that you need to put yourself out there and share your story here.  (I happen to know a guy who can hook you up!)  It could be that you need to open the door to a conversation about your walk with God with that family member who you know is pushing back.  Or maybe you just need to walk across the street to talk to that neighbor instead of waving to her as you pull into the garage and shut the door behind you. 

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Everyone has a different tool, but we all know those in the desert and regardless of the circumstances, our charge is the same: We have to meet people where they are and let God water them there.  We don’t have to have all of the answers, just the Source.   We can trust him to do all of the real work on those dry places.  We just have to dig those channels in so he can set about irrigating the desert.  Get busy digging.

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One thing I absolutely loathe, besides politics, is Christians acting a fool.  Now before you go quoting the whole “log in the eye” thing back at me (Matthew 7:3-5), let me just throw out the following disclaimer:

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Disclaimer:

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1.  I am an Extreme-Fall-Shorter.  So when I talk about Christians acting a fool, I’ve been there, done that and will no doubt do it again.

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2.  I’m an unlikely Christian.  I spent over 90% of my life in the “Lost” category.  And when it came to Christians, I wasn’t a fan.  In fact, you know what kept me from becoming a Christian for so long? – Christians did.  The way I used to feel is still fresh in my mind, and it’s from that perspective that I write this post.

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Okay. 

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So who’s the posterboy (if you will) for Christianity?

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Jesus.

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Yep, case closed.

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Except…….that’s not reality for many non-Christians.  Their answer to that question would be – Christians are the posterboys/girls for Christianity.

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They don’t look at Jesus to see if that’s somebody they want to be associated with.  They can’t, because they don’t know Him.  So they look at Christians to see if we’re somebody they want to associate with. 

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Fair?

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NO WAY!  But it’s a reality, and when we’re acting a fool, guess what?

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Sadly, Christians acting a fool isn’t some new thing nor is it compartmentalized to just one action, but today I’d like to focus on just one – “Christian Boycotts”.

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Recently in the news, a Christian organization is calling on Christians to boycott Starbucks because of their stance on gay marriage.

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To an outsider looking in, a bunch of Christians banding together to financially harm somebody that doesn’t share their beliefs, looks like a bunch of Christians acting a fool. 

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Nobody and I mean NOBODY responds well to a “Believe like us or else.”   Organized boycotts are nothing but bullying and doing it in the name of Christianity makes Christians look bad.  Hey disagree if you want but as a former outsider looking in, trust me, that’s exactly how it looks.

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You personally want to boycott something?  Knock yourself out, but please don’t drag Christianity into it.

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Christians are Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), not His appointed judge, jury and executioner.  When we take on that roll, we are acting a fool, which pushes more people further from God than closer.  Not exactly what Jesus had in mind when He spoke of the great commission. 

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“But what if the company uses kitten tears to power the machinery that bags the coffee beans?!?”

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Well, then by all means don’t buy their coffee but please don’t try to organize Christians against it. 

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“But gay marriage is wrong, we shouldn’t support somebody who thinks it’s okay!”

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First of all, ‘Log in your eye’, I call you ‘Log in your eye’ because you have a ‘LOG in your eye‘ (See Matthew 7:3-5 again).  Secondly, how are you helping widows, orphans etc… by organizing a boycott?   How are you loving your neighbor as yourself by not drinking a Tall Double Mocha Chaca Lata Macchiatospressochino?  Huh?

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Come on man!  Quit acting a fool!

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Now I’m not saying we as Christians need to go through life analyzing and worrying about everything we do and how a non-Christian might interpret it.  I just wanted to bring it to your attention that we are being watched, and many times we’re being watched by people who can’t wait to catch us acting a fool so they can feed their negative preconceived notions about us.   

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“Well we can’t worry about those people because they’ve already made up their minds.”

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Well…….I got news for you.  That was me 5 years ago.

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Christians, I implore you, quit acting a fool.

Have you checked out my FREE e-Book yet? - “God or D.I.Y.”

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It’s a super quick read about learning to let go of the ”do-it-yourself” mindset, getting out of the way, and letting God work.

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Not an easy task, especially for a guy like me, but the end result was more than I could’ve ever imagined.

Check it out.

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I love to write.  It gives me time to gather my thoughts, edit, re-edit, re-edit, re-edit, post, re-edit, re-edit, re-edit, lather, rinse, repeat.  Writing allows me to put out exactly what I want to say, and has this awesome button – DEL, which saves you & me from the other stuff.

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But for me, the greatest thing of all about writing is – It’s not talking. 

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I am an introvert, which means I have some comfort zone issues when it comes to social interactions.  It’s not that I don’t like people, because I do, but for me, words don’t come easily in a verbal setting.  They flow like the Nile when I’m on the keyboard but around people, not so much, and that tends to make things a little awkward for me. 

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Sometimes I’ll just say stuff and later, when I’m analyzing, I’ll agonize, “Why did I say that?!?”  And sometimes I can’t think of anything at all to say.  My brain may be full of wonderful information on whatever the subject matter may be, but it refuses to work with my mouth so I kind of just stand there.  Meanwhile, subconsciously, my brain is going into Jason Bourne mode – notating the nearest exits and calculating how many guards I’ll have to take out to make my escape.  Social interactions can be uncomfortable for me, so in the past, I’ve just tried to steer clear of them.

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Need somebody to hold up the wall at your party?  I’m your man.

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A place where you feel most comfortable - What is by myself?  I’ll take World Geography for $400 please Alex.

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A kick to the shins or dinner with people I don’t know?  How hard a kick?  Pretty hard.  Cowboy boot?  Yes.  Dominate foot?  Yes.  How many kicks?  Just one.  Are we talking Beckham here or just some guy?  Just some guy.  Can I pick the shin?  Yes.  Do I have to roll up my pant leg?  Yes.  Okay, let’s go with my right shin.

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Just keepin’ it real folks.  My introversion runs deep and over the years I’ve learned to embrace it.

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But that was much easier to do before I became a Christian. 

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Because when you become a Christian you read stuff like, as Christians we are “Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”” – 2 Corinthians 5:20 NLT

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Great scripture but I’m guessing that’s geared more toward those outgoing Christians.  The ones God gave the spiritual gift of gab to.  That’s certainly not my gift so it doesn’t really apply to me.  Flimsy excuse?  You bet.  Have I used it?  Used it?  I’ve worn it out.      

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But then there’s Matthew 5:14-15 – Scripture with a built-in introvert clause.

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As Christians we are called to be “….the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.  No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.” – Matthew 5:14-15 NLT

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Did you catch the introvert clause in there? 

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It could’ve easily have said, “You are the light of the world, giving light to everyone in the house.”  But instead it addressed the introverts, also known as “Under a basket hiders.”

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What’s an introvert supposed to do with that?

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I’ll tell you what I did.

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I started UnlikelyChristian.com, which is located smack dab in the middle of my comfort zone.

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Is this website what Paul had in mind in 2 Corinthians 5:20?

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Well, I’ve received some wonderful feedback and……

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Is this website what Jesus meant in Matthew 5:14-15?

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Well, He made me this way.  He knows I’m an introvert so He’s…..

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Is this website……..Okay, okay, probably not.  I think it’s part of my light, but the truth is, I know Jesus wants me to get out of my comfort zone.

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Actually I’ve known this for quite some time but Jesus is meeting a little resistance here because I don’t wanna get out of my comfort zone because, it’s like so comfortable and stuff.  I’m talking reclining, massaging, oversized, leather comfy. 

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But Jesus, being Jesus, doesn’t give up.  He’s been nudging me for awhile to put myself out there more and He’s been dangling opportunities in front of me.  I’ve been letting these opportunities go by the wayside by either waiting too long or ignoring all together.  I’m not proud of that, but that’s been the easy thing to do. 

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Lately I’ve really been feeling it though, so I decided to go ahead and give it a shot.

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And just like that, opportunity knocks again.  And just like that, I look out the peephole…..Yeah, I’m not going to answer today.  Maybe next time Jesus.

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“You have mail.”  Yeah……that might be kind of cool and all, but I’ll just go ahead and let that e-mail sit in my inbox for a few days until it’s covered up by several others so much so that I can’t see it anymore and forget about it although I don’t really forget about it but out of sight out of mind is what I’m going with here hey don’t judge me.

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Repeat, repeat, repeat.

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But then I get an e-mail from my church.  The church I know God picked for me.  “Hey Bill…. you are just the kind of guy we would love to have as a discussion leader for our Men’s Study”

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I so gotta do this.

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So I’m gonna. 

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And I start next week.

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I’m looking forward to seeing where God takes me.

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Stay tuned.

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