80's Worship

You know that one time that God is awesome?  By awesome I mean it in the same way that Rich Mullins explained it in his hit song in 1988, "When He rolls up His sleeves He ain't just putting on the ritz, our God is an awesome God," I think it is more meaningful that way.

Regardless, His rolled up sleeves have been evident to me lately in the answering of prayer.  I won't go deep into specifics, but I have a friend who has been in the process of getting a job for several months now.  After multiple interviews and red tape he got a call saying he got the job. 

Pretty awesome, and He wasn't just putting on the ritz.

I know this isn't a life or death situation, and I know a lot of people have to worry about worse things than landing a good job, but I am also keenly aware that we matter to God.  Our hopes and fear, desires and purpose were uniquely crafted for each and every one of us by Him, so why is it that He wouldn't care? 

There are indeed times when I know God is not going to say yes to my prayer and other times when he will just ignore them all together.

Prayer closes doors as well.  Sometimes we get so excited about an opportunity only to have a door slammed on our face, thats okay.  Hard, but okay.

Regardless He has thunder in His footsteps and lightning in His fists, our God is an awesome God.

Baseball is Life

I can remember when I was seven years old I went to a Giants and Dodgers game, I was as close to hell as I ever hope to get, Dodger Stadium.  In that game in 1992 a pitcher named Kevin Gross did the unthinkable to my Giants, he threw what is known in the biz as a no-no.  I was the only person in the stadium crying tears of anger and sadness as I walked out with my Dad who was wearing a Dodgers hat.

That same year on my way home from visiting my aunt and uncle in San Mateo I cried as news broke that the Giants were going to be moved to Tampa Bay.  They ended up staying.

A year later I was at Candlestick park sitting in terrible seats when chants began to ring out, first it was "BEAT LA" then an inning later it turned to, "DODGERS SUCK."

When I was ten I went to a game for my neighbors birthday, I got to run the bases at 3COM park at Candlestick Point.

In 2000 I went with my Dad sat 13 rows behind home plate and watched the fifth game ever played at AT&T Park as Barry Bonds faced off against Randy Johnson.

My Dad slipped into a coma that night he never woke from hours after Bonds broke the all time home run record of 755, he ended with 762.

I took Sarah on our first date to watch the Giants get beat by the Twins.

I took Cooper to his first game at four weeks, and Micah to his first at five weeks, it happened to be game three of the NLCS where Matt Cain shut down the Philadelphia Phillies.

I watched the Giants win their first World Series in 56 year with four generations of fans, the youngest being less than two months old and the oldest being in their 70's.

I watch baseball because I love the game.  I love situations, I love the grass, I love that the game that was invented over 150 years ago has remained largely unchanged, I love that no matter what happens in life, baseball will be there.  The history is rich, the stories have been written since the 1880's.

There is just enough time in baseball to see tragedy and triumph coming at you like a freight train.
There is enough time in life to have no clue what is going to happen.

Baseball, like any other hobby or sport that people love to revel in and waste time on, is great for enriching your life, but terrible for turning it into your life.  There was a successful t-shirt that said, "Baseball is life" I had one, I wore it with me blue and white striped denim shorts in the early 90's.  That shirt is not only wrong, it's sad.

Life is bigger than that, it is more important than that.  We've been entrusted to pass on a message that is better than tracking a team.  What have you dedicated your life to?

Waiting Expectantly

I have had a lot of things get my hopes up in the last few days, the first came on Sunday when I heard for the first time that one of my all time favorite shows 'Arrested Development' is coming back for a fourth season as a prequel to a movie that will be released in 2013.

Today Sarah and I get to put an offer in on a house that we hope will be our home for a very long time.  Yesterday we went to our broker and got pre-qualified for what we are willing to pay for this home and now, we start the wonderfully terrifying journey of purchasing a home.

Today Apple will introduce their iPhone 5.

All of these things have me more excited than the Dodger players getting news that they would still get paid regardless of filing for bankruptcy.  Two of these things I know will go the way I want them to.

Apple will deliver, they always do and I just checked for when I am due for an upgrade, (not
until April unfortunately).  I am pretty sure the new iPhone will do all my work for me, including working out.  Awesome.

Arrested Development will meet my expectations for the simple fact that it has been gone for five years, I have watched the series four times and at this point anything new from the Bluth family is welcome.

The one I am not sure of is this whole house purchasing thing.  The most important financial decision Sarah and I will make in our entire lives is coming to a head in the coming weeks.  This is somethign Sarah and I have soaked in prayer to the best of our ability, God has closed doors on our faces over the past 8 months, we sold a house to buy a specific one only to find out an offer had been accepted the day before we could put an offer in.  We lived with my in-laws, my grandfather-in-law, and now we rent a house waiting and waiting and waiting.

We want our home to be a place of refuge for people when they come over, we want our home to be a way to bless God with what he has given us, we want to make sure we are being good stewards of what we have been entrusted with.

This home could be the home our kids grow up in, get their license in, leave from when they go to college.

Terrifying.

But our home is where we are.  It doesn't matter where we are, we are the Anderson's and where we lay our head at night doesn't change that.

If you have read this far do me a favor and pray for us today, if this isn't where we are supposed to be pray that God would slam the door (gently) and make it evident where he does indeed want us.  Have a good Tuesday waiting expectantly for what God has for you.