Has anyone ever been so irritated with a person, or situation, that you start questioning your own salvation? It's almost like your anger is saying, "There is no way that I am showing the love of God to anyone ever!" There are times when I find myself in that exact spot: annoyed at the kid taking my order at the fast-food place, road-raging my way down the street, being impatient while standing in line, or upset with someone for not doing something exactly the way it should have been done the first time. Now, there are some justified moments when a little righteous indignation does a little good, but mostly when I find myself getting upset unjustifiably, I also find that my concern for the needs and hurts of others is easily forgetten as well. These are questions I ask myself: 1. Is my annoyance compatable with humility? Many frustrations can be attributed to a lack of humilty, which causes us to think we deserve more than we really do. 2. Am I seeing all there is to see in this situation? Find the purpose for whatever the issue is. If a person is at the center of the contention there might be a need in that person's life that isn't being met, and they might need you to meet it, and why not in that situation! 3. Can God be pleased with my attitude? I don't want my life to resemble a resounding gong or clanging cymbal. The only way to ensure that it is something pleasing to God is to ensure that I am constantly living out the love of God.

I've forgotten what it was like to be a golf fan until today. Why? Because today Tiger Woods is back in action.

I don't usually make a New Year's resolution because I know how pointless they are, not because change isn't a good thing, but because I know myself well enough to know that it won't last. I decided to give myself one more chance this year, and in doing so I decided that I would stay away from the obvious: losing weight, working out, no more fast food, less XBOX 360, more books. Instead, I took a second to realize how isolated I've become. I've let my relationships become dusty in a lot of ways. I haven't intentionally neglected friends or family, I've simply bought into the lie that I'm just busy enough to not have to put forth effort and it be ok. I think when we are able to let go of our relationships with others, in a way, we are letting go of a major dimension of how our faith is supposed to be lived out and strengthened. Those people that had been major influences, are now more in memory than in fellowship, and I think I suffer a little for it. This is what I've decided to do this year: Be intentional about my relationships with friends and family, allowing myself to be strengthend, encouraged, and even useful. I think we should all try living out this Biblical principle of loving God and loving others.

I'm learning more about the way I truly view life as each day passes. I think I've been stuck for a while in the realm of Christian thought that for some reason seems best suited to stay wrapped up, in all of its complexities, as an idea. That form of Christian thinking is so hard to live out because it isn't practical. Faith is a complex issue, especially Christian faith. There are some amazing concepts that a person truly has to wrestle with and accept. But is it really as hard as we make it? If we are supposed to have the faith of a child, then why do we make our grown-up faith so difficult? What use is it to a person trying to live for Christ if they can win the battle of truly knowing theology and every nuance of the Bible, but when tested, can't do what it says? Our pursuits to know God shouldn't be taken hostage by our minds; almost like the tool God has given us to know Him is sometimes betraying its purpose by leading us around in theological circles and vain pursuits purely for knowledge about God. It is my hope that the more I know about God, the more I will truly encounter Him. My challenge is this: Are my studies hindering or helping? Am I living out what I strive to learn? Am I like Jesus?

Some lessons are better learned by watching others struggle through them, rather than by trying to do it yourself. For you anti-DIY'rs out there, learn a lesson in simple honesty from me. My wife has this unbelievable love for animals-it is almost consuming. The compassion she has for the lost and dying little puppies, kittens, and rabbits of the world greatly impacts whatever schedule or agenda there was previous to the arrival of their helpless condition. On one such occassion I was driving Shannon to work when, with the precision of an eagle's eye, she noticed a helpless little puppy. She made me pull the car over while she got out to rescue this little animal. It was like a scene from a movie; the little guy sprinted into her arms and they twirled around in a loving embrace...Anyway, at this point she's so worked up about finding this puppy's home, she starts knocking on doors asking if anyone knew where it belonged. Of course, no one did. This puppy was about to make her late for work, and so my wife says to me, "after you drop me off at work, I want you to take it to a shelter." At that point, I had to. But, here's the problem, it's a lot harder than you might think to drop a puppy off at a shelter. I don't know how many places I tried to take that puppy and each time I was gently denied. I, too, was on a time budget, and that's when I made the pivotal mistake. I thought to myself, I can drop this puppy off where we found it and surely someone will find it; so that's exactly what I did. I made my mind up that I would go to my grave letting Shannon think the puppy was safe and sound in an animal shelter awaiting its rightful owner. She called me later that day asking about the puppy and I led her to believe that I had indeed dropped the puppy off, and that was the end of it. Or so I thought. The very next day as she was driving to work, guess what she saw? And then I had a lot of explaining to do.

What I am currently doing? I am a student at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and I am loving it. I'm in the process of earning either a Master of Arts in Biblical Languages, or a Master of Divinity; I'm not fully committed to making that decision for at least another semester. What are my passions? I think, like with anything, passions change over time. Right now, I'm focused on learning. I feel consumed by the desire to gain a deeper insight into Scripture, and, for me, the only way I can do that is by learning the Biblical languages. My desire is to someday actually know what I'm talking about. Where do I see myself in 5 years? Hopefully in 5 years I'm finished with my Masters and involved in a New Testament PhD program. I would love to also be involved in some form of teaching ministry.