My voice is raspy, rough and tired right now. I generally spend about 7 hours a day, 4 to 5 days a week talking & presenting to groups of people. This is my job. There are some days that I get sick of hearing my own voice. Some days I am fairly sure that I have maxed out my word quota and therefore, no more words could possibly escape from my lips.

During my presentations, there is an engagement routine that I use to gather information quickly from my audience. It’s called an “Idea Wave”. This Idea Wave starts out with a question of some sort. Once that question is presented, a few minutes are given for the participants to think about their response. After that brief moment of reflection, a Wave (just like at a baseball game) starts to take place. However, instead of standing up and flailing your arms around, you share your idea or answer to the question.

When I first started using this routine in my presentations, I was defeating my own point of “gathering information quickly” because I would pause the wave to, yeah, you guessed it…talk. So, as I researched the philosophy behind this routine a little more in depth, I realized that the purpose was not for me to interject my thoughts and opinion, but rather to first, quickly share info, but second, to develop, encourage and facilitate listening among the rest of the audience.

This got me thinking about the concept of listening. How often do we actually listen to one another? How often do we actually listen to our conscience? How often do we actually listen to God?

I sometimes find myself “listening” to a friend and interjecting my “2 cents”.  When it comes to my own thoughts I wonder, am I really listening to myself if I don’t follow my instinct? And when it comes to listening to God—-I usually find myself doing most of the talking, and that talking usually consists of questions with no pausing for answers.

The art of listening doesn’t stop with the ears. Studies and research shows that it takes the entire body to demonstrate the message of “I am really listening”. A “good” listener is one that makes eye contact, leans toward the person speaking/sharing, and sends non- verbal affirmations with unfolded arms and nodding of the head.

There is a guy in the Bible by the name of Samuel. One night he was falling asleep in his bed, when he heard his name being called out. He quickly ran to his guardian and asked him what he wanted. His guardian, Eli, said he didn’t call him and to go back to bed. This happened several times, when finally the third time Eli caught on that the Lord was wanting to speak to Samuel, but wanted Samuel to listen….really listen. So Eli advised Samuel that the next time he heard his name being called, that he sit still and say “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” Well, you guessed it. This is exactly what Samuel did. And when Samuel opened up his heart and body to actually listen to what needed to be said, he finally heard. He heard the voice of God.

I wonder how many times I miss hearing my friends true feelings. I am pondering how many decisions I would have made differently had I listened to my instincts. And I can imagine that there have been some pretty cool things that God was trying to tell me that I dismissed because I was too busy running to the wrong source instead of heeding the advice of Eli to posture myself to say “Speak Lord for your servant is listening.”

When some people hear the word “community”, their minds jump back to hippie culture, and they think of free love and living off the land. Well, that or the new sitcom on NBC. That’s not exactly what I’m looking for, although there is a certain amount of beauty found in the harmony that the idea assumes. Since college, I’ve been on a search to find and live in an intentional community. I say intentional because it’s not one that you are forced to be in, or just find yourself stuck in. I say intentional because it implies that I choose to be involved as opposed to choosing to be distant or an individual. Because, let’s face it, everything in life is a choice, even if it seems that it’s not.

If you read through the book of Acts, you’ll get an idea of the kind of community that I’m talking about. Was it a blissful time of agreement for all members? No. Look at Paul and Mark in Acts 15:36-41. Did being part of the community make life easy? Not really. Look at the persecution in Acts 5:17-42. Did amazing things happen nonetheless? Yes. Look at Paul & Silas in prison in Acts 16:16-34.

With all that said, I think the video below is a more recent symbol of what I hope to be a part of. A thief steals a woman’s purse, and the whole community rushes in to protect her, and make sure the offenders don’t escape. I can’t say that I condone vigilante justice, but they certainly display a higher concern for the community as a whole than they do for their own individual safety. The most comforting part of the philosophy of “community first” is that no one has to go it alone. We all have each other, and together we are stronger than any one person is alone. We all have each other’s back.

If you’re wondering if you’re part of something like this, don’t make the mistake of comparing what your friends have done for you recently. Check your heart first, and start seeking to contribute to the benefit of the community.

July 4^th seems to announce the arrival of summer in a most emphatic way.  Fireworks light the sky, barbecue smoke fills the air, beaches are packed (overflowing is more like it), and everyone is thrilled to be staring a brand new summer in the face. Summer feels like a time to take action!

I don’t mean to be a buzz-kill, but soon the excitement and thrill of summer will give way to the crisp yet reflective feeling that comes with fall. The holidays are upon us, a time to spend connecting with family and friends, perhaps a drunk uncle or two. As promised, winter will slowly appear, where snuggling up with a significant other is much more appealing than a night on the town. Things tend to go dormant, perhaps the period of reflection continues.  Spring will soon follow, ushering in the excitement of rebirth, where things are made anew, and life is breathed into what once was inanimate.  We awake from our slumber, ready to make headway in the world, and see what this year has to offer.  Sure enough spring lends itself to summer again where the excitement is back. It’s a time to put all of those possibilities of spring into action. Seasons change….you may have a favorite….but neither one is any more important than the other, because they are all necessary.

What has come to my attention over the past week or so is the way that my relationship with the Lord seems to mirror seasons.  I don’t mean to imply that my relationship with God changes as the seasons change, but rather that everything in life has a cycle, including relationships.  Sometimes it seems like I will go through an entire seasonal cycle with God throughout the course of a day.  Or maybe over the course of a few months, maybe as long as a few years. There are times where my relationship with God seems dormant, where I sit and reflect on previous seasons, wondering why I feel stagnant in my pursuit (winter).  Soon enough our relationship is reborn, and the possibilities of this revitalized relationship seem endless (spring).  Before long I am actively seeking to put these possibilities into practical application, excited about where these possibilities can take me (summer). Finally, I move into a different stage where the excitement of the application is still present, but somehow fading, and I move towards a more reflective state (fall).

I said all of that to say this….no matter what season you are in, whether it be summer or winter, fall or spring …. it’s okay.  I used to (and still do) get upset when I’m in the fall/winter stage of my relationship with God. I want that fire to always be ablaze.  However I’ve realized that without a time to reflect and ponder (dare I say question) my faith, I would never create room for growth. I believe that the time God places you in the dormant/reflective season is where He is pruning your heart, cutting away the clutter and preparing you for the next cycle of growth.

What season are you in? And what does that season feel like?

I am a nerd. Honestly…I really am. Everybody has those subjects in school or topics of interest that just really “click” with them…well mine is anything to do with Science. God has wired me to be extremely inquisitive and detailed, both things that are inherently scientific. While the rest of my peers are watching reality T.V. or catching up on their celebrity gossip, my nose is either buried in a Stephen Hawking book or my eyes are fixed on the Discovery Channel. I will often times catch myself on the edge of my seat, jaw open watching some weirdo documentary…but I STILL haven’t figured out what the heck “GTL” is supposed to mean.

Wanna hear my latest “nerd fact-oid of the day”? Good, here it goes; Did you know that because of gravity if you had two identical clocks, one on the top of a tall building and the other on the ground that they would NOT keep the exact same time? CRAAAZY RIGHT? Well at least that type of thing is crazy to me.

So you could imagine my overwhelming delight with the recent T.V. series’ that have been on like “Through The Wormhole” with Morgan Freeman, or “Into the Universe With Stephen Hawking”. Both of these mini-series deal with the same “big questions” that humans have been trying to answer for thousands of year; How did the universe start?, How does our universe work?, and How will the universe end? And of course, with questions like this, there is the inevitable God vs. Science conundrum. I could probably spend my whole lifetime discussing and writing about all the details of this topic, but for the purpose of this blog…I will keep my points of view short.

For as long as us humans have been on earth we have been trying to figure out these big questions, and in the last couple hundred years we have made significant progress. One day (hopefully during my lifetime) we will have a more clear view from the scientific stand point of what happened during the very early stages of our universe. But for me personally, no matter how much our accepted scientific understandings progress, it always ends up back in the hands of the Creator. I have faith in a Father that is much bigger than this universe, in a Son that I believe walked this earth to be my savior, and in a Holy Spirit that human science could never understand. In my humble opinion Science and Faith are two completely different aspects of my life, two aspects in fact that complement each other in many ways as opposed to conflict the way they do for many people. This is a conclusion that I have come to after much thought, research and prayer…and it is just one that works for me. Although this may not be the most popular topic to sit around and think about all day, it is important to know what conclusion works for you. What is your conclusion?

It’s strange how loaded the word Father is to each of us. It can be a word that brings us joy. It can make us cry. The word Father can cause us to grit our teeth in years of suppressed anger or encourage us with a strength that can seem to come from no other. We use the word father to mean our daddy, a priest, or our God.

As Father’s day approaches this weekend, I can’t help but want to pay tribute….but paying tribute can only seem for those who’s fathers were present, supportive and protective. So what about the rest of us?

I think about one of my best friend’s who lost his dad several years ago. I think about the nostalgia and the tears that accompany Father’s day. I think about how I would want to tell his dad thank you for turning him onto music and making it possible for him to see the band U2 when he was 13 because it brought inspiration and direction to his life. I would want to tell him to be proud of his son that is now a talented drummer and will be opening for U2 in September. I’d also want to tell him, that I wish he could give him some guidance on how to have a successful relationship because he could really use that right now in his life.

I think about my friend, that will have to walk down the aisle without her daddy by her side….not because he is no longer alive, he is. See, he walked out on her and her mother years ago. He sees her on some holidays every other year and maybe calls when he remembers her birthday. I would tell him, if I could, that he is really missing out on getting to know an extraordinary woman with a compassionate heart and a wicked sense of humor. I wonder if she gets that sense of humor from him.

And then there’s my friend that never even knew who her dad was. She grew up without a strong male role model. She always felt like the word rejected never gave her a fair chance in life. I think about how my friend has spent 28 years of her life searching for what it means to really be loved and accepted. She has given herself away way too easy at times and at other times built walls around her wounded heart that seem like they will never come down. I would ask him to tell her that she is beautiful just the way she is.

Oh, how I think about 3 close friends of mine that have become fathers in the last few months! Congratulations! What joy! What love! What an opportunity! You have been given the chance to have and be one of the most influential persons in someone’s life. You get to be someone’s provider, protector, teacher, support, encourager and guide. You get the chance to be just like your father or like the father you wish you had. The bond between a child and their father can only be paralleled by that of the bond between a child and its mother.

However, there is something so unique about the bond with a father, that I am not even sure I can ever do it justice. It seems to be built into our hearts; something innate in our soul that longs for a father, even when we don’t know what a good father should be like. I think that is because our Creator is our heavenly Father. We run into snags, some bigger and deeper than others, when we see our Heavenly Father through the lenses of our biological father. Here is some great news….God is the ultimate Father. He created us, loves us unconditionally and gives us enough freedom to learn the lessons that will refine us. He disciplines us. Sometimes we do not understand why certain circumstances are allowed into our lives, but like a good father, He never lets us out of His sight.

So as we approach Father’s Day, let’s reflect not only on the successes (or the failures) of our dad, but perhaps we try to praise our Father for being exactly what our soul needs.

There are a lot of wise old sayings in the world of addiction recovery, including variations on this one: “If you always do and think what you’ve always done and thought, you’ll always get what you’ve already got.” And that’s true when it comes to our societal addictions to oil, coal, consumption, and violence.

But just as addictions often result from deeper wounds or untreated needs, our self-destructive societal behaviors often spring from unlikely sources – including theological ones.

My most recent book, A New Kind of Christianity, is built around ten questions that I believe are having a transformative impact on Christian theology and practice. The eighth question deals with eschatology, our theological theories of and assumptions about the future:

“As a boy of about eight, having come home from school and found the doors locked and nobody home, I once spent nearly an hour sitting on my back porch, deeply dejected and with rising panic, sure that the Rapture had occurred and I was a child left behind. Who knew a third-grader could feel such terror and despair?

To the uninitiated, this all might sound pitiful or laughable, like wild conspiracy theories shared on strange Web sites or middle-of-the-night AM radio. But surprising numbers of mainline Protestants and Roman Catholics have also been thoroughly catechized in this eschatology through televangelist broadcasts and books in the Left Behind Series, which have broken sales records around the world. If they only focused on speculation about who the Antichrist is (I remember hearing it was Khrushchev, then Henry Kissinger, then Saddam Hussein, and now apparently odds are being placed on Barack Obama!), their eschatological hobby might be harmless enough – like a crazy uncle obsessed with UFOs. But in recent decades, dispensationalism and its eschatological cousins have become significant factors in the foreign policy of the richest, most consumptive, and most well-armed nation in the history of history, and that’s where things get even scarier than a B-grade movie.

If the world is about to end, why care for the environment? Why worry about global climate change or peak oil? Who gives a rip for endangered species or sustainable economies or global poverty if God is planning to incinerate the whole planet soon anyway? If the Bible predicts the rebuilding of the Jewish temple (or requires that rebuilding for its prophecies to work in a dispensationalist framework), why care about Muslim claims on the Temple Mount real estate? Why care about justice for non-Jews in Israel at all – after all, isn’t it their own fault for being on land God predicts will be returned in full to the Jews in the last days? If God has predetermined that the world will get worse and worse until it ends in a cosmic megaconflict between the forces of Light (epitomized most often in the United States) and the forces of Darkness (previously centered in communism, but now, that devil having been vanquished, in Islam), why waste energy on peacemaking, diplomacy, and interreligious dialogue?

… Maybe now you see why I believe that a new kind of Christianity demands a new kind of eschatology….” (p. 192-193)

With the West Virginia coal mining disaster, the Gulf Oil catastrophe, and the Gaza blockade all fresh in our minds – not to mention the most polarized and paralyzed political establishment in over one hundred years – more and more of us agree that it’s time to change what we do and how we think – including the ways we theologize about the future.

The current purveyors of eschatologies of abandonment, evacuation, and despair will no doubt keep broadcasting and publishing, and no doubt the dollars will keep coming in, reinforcing what we’ve already got – in West Virginia, in the Gulf of Mexico, in Gaza, on cable news and in Washington. But some of us must muster the courage to differ – and to do so graciously yet persistently. First, we need to confront the purveyors of these eschatologies with the disastrous social consequences of their message, and challenge them – if they are unwilling to change their views, to at least work to mitigate those disastrous consequences. And second, we need to articulate better alternatives ourselves.

If we do, we could see in the coming years the emergence of a new kind of eschatology – fresh, different, wiser biblically, more mature theologically and more responsible ethically. When you think and believe differently about the future, funny thing … you get a different future. Just as your bad faith will sicken you, and your good faith will make you well.

As a dedicated LOST fan for the last number of years I was sad to see the show go.  But I must admit the show ended on an emotional high for me. I like that questions seemed unanswered and I liked that even though you wanted to get closure it showed that life just does not always give you that.  And being that it was a character driven show it should be messy.  As a “life is crazy” type show, it seemed to hit the nail on the head.  I really enjoyed how the last season was about specific events that triggered people back into the realization of what once was.  Locke getting hit by a car, Sawyer’s exchange at the candy machine with Juliet and of course Sun and Jin’s realization at the ultrasound…

LOST brings up those moments in life that are extremely significant.  Times when we realize something more is out there. Moments where we get a glimpse of what we really are or where we are going.  Traces of what is yet to happen that bring a smile to our faces.  These moments I like to refer to has DIVINE moments.  Moments where the reality of our life is cracked by something greater.

On Wednesday May 26th I had a huge CRACK into my reality when Mina called me while I setting up for symbolic and said, “Um, my water just broke”.  Now if you don’t know my wife, then you wont know just how chill, mellow and relaxed she said it to me.  It was followed by, “I think we should go to the hospital”.  Um, YOU THINK?!??!! It was in that moment where everything got hazy.  I forgot where I was.  I forgot what I was doing.  I did not know what to do next.  I ran to my office and basically dumped the night on Casey and Scott.  Gosh, you would have thought MY water broke!10 minutes later Mina pulls up to the church and I come running out.  Arms flailing, panic look on my face, talking louder then I need to…”Mina, get out of the car I will drive.  I am the dad, it’s my job”.  Yea. She ended up driving.  Again if you don’t know my wife that might sound odd to you.  We were off like a dirty shirt, on our way to the hospital.  My heart is thumping, I can’t remember where we are going.  I am texting people to take over Symbolic. Everything seems like a blur.  I look over at Mina…. Calm. Wind in her hair.  Looking like we are going to the spectrum to watch a movie and eat dinner.  Me…Well, let’s just say thank God she was driving.

I am rehearsing.  Over and over again in my head.  Whats the next step.  Do we park? Do we go to the emergency room? Oh. No. I. Just. Cant. Remember. Mina knowing me well looks over at my contorted face in a deep confusion of trying to map out our next move and says, “Just go in and get a wheel chair”.  Ok, got it, wheel chair.  Just go in and get a wheel chair. I can do that. I got this. We got this. Ok. Ok. Ok.

Just then we pull up and there are expectant mother parking spots.  AWESOME. Of course Mina knew they were there already. Before the car comes to a stop, I am unlocking my door and doing my shoulder roll out of the front seat.  Walking at a super quick pace I go through the automatic doors and walk up to the front desk.  I wanted to yell something like, “Help my wife is having a BABY”.  But I figured that would be to dramatic since LOTS of wives were having babies.  Instead I opted for the cool approach. Well the cool approach went out the door when I saw a sign on the desk that the volunteer was GONE! WTF…My wife is having a baby I need a freaking WHEEL CHAIR PEOPLE! Just as I am panicking, in walks my wife.  It was like a scene out of Sex and The City.  This super duper sexy pregnant lady walking into the Louie Vatton store to by a new bag.  Except we were gonna have a BABY!

Mina looks at me and says, “Lets just walk up”.  Oh gosh. I am the WORST husband ever.  We are gonna get up there and the nurses are going to fire me.  ”Sir, you let your wife WALK up here”.  And I would try to explain that my wife has this thing where she does everything on her own time.  That she is stronger then 15 oxes.  That in her 8th month of pregnancy she was climbing on counters and helping her friend open her bakery working an 18 hour day.  But of course all that was said in looks when we arrived at the “take the baby out” location of the hospital.

What happened from here was a total blur.  There was cutting. Needles. Blood. Open flesh. Talk of the Lakers (wtf) game? Tugging. Yanking. More blood and then…the cry.

The cry that will make any parent flash back on the last 9 months.  Flash back on most of their life. Something happens when that little child takes there first divine breathe of air.  It is literally indescribable.  It makes me think of when Adam took his first breath.  Its probably the closest GOD feeling we will ever have.  Creating life.  Its even more intense for Mina as someone who has carried this child for 9 months.  Feeling her grow.  Feeling her move. Just simply feeling her. And then in a moment hearing her burst out in a cry that announces to this world that she is here.  That she is significant.  That she is worth peoples time.  That she is going to walk on the dirt that humanity has walked on for centuries.  Its the moment where all debates about GOD, who he is? does he exist? what’s he like? does he care? is he interested in me? what does he think about genocide? does he heal? and so on, go out the window and its just about GOD.

GOD is real. End of story.

Change is scary…it’s also inevitable. Change is a fact of life, sometimes it can be the hardest thing to deal with, and other times it can be a huge blessing from God. The thing about change is that it happens everywhere, regardless of who it happens to or who it is affecting. It’s scary when things are changing and we have no control over it. Perhaps your best friend is falling into a bad crowd, or your family is moving across the country from you. However I feel that change is even more terrifying when you DO have control over it, because when change is a choice, there is always that fear that you are making the wrong decision. So how can we combat that fear? How can we be secure in the decisions we make? Decisions that will have a profound effect on our future and the future of the ones we love? I would like to hear all of your opinions on the matter if you wouldn’t mind sharing.

Over the past few months I have been contemplating a huge career change for myself. I have been praying about taking that leap of faith into an entirely different career and industry, and asking God for His will, His guidance in this decision. I’ve always wanted to be a therapist, counseling others in their time of need. I’ve always had a heart for helping others, whether it be my own brother or a stranger on the street. For the past 7 years or so I’ve felt called to be a clinical psychologist. However, feeling called to it and actually making the change are two entirely different concepts. Over the past few months I’ve prayed and prayed about this decision. I’ve talking with loved ones, friends, even strangers about it. I’ve been asking God over and over if this is the right decision for my life. Asking Him “please give me a sign!” As if at some point I’ll be out in the water surfing and a dolphin would pop up and tell me to go get my masters degree in counseling psychology…that was the type of sign I’ve been looking for. But, the fact of the matter is, God has been giving me signs all along, little subtle hints here and there, urging me along in conversations with friends. What I finally realized was that God kept slamming doors shut in my current career, making it harder and harder for me to continue down the road I’ve been on since I was 18. I am starting my masters in counseling psychology in June, and I am incredibly excited about it. I’m also scared, but I know in my heart that this is where God wants me to be. Change is always scary, no matter what, but it can be less daunting when there is a peace in your heart. And that peace can only come through asking for God’s will in your life.

How do you handle change? What makes it less frightening for you?

Here is the latest and greatest about the upcoming trek to AFRICA!

We will be having an informational meeting on Wednesday May 19th at 8:30pm (pst) @ 25975 Domingo Ave. Capistrano Beach CA 92624…for you locals the meeting will be following our gathering at Symbolic. We are going to broadcast this meeting LIVE online here -

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/symbolic

This will give those of you who live far away ca chance to get all information as well. We will giving you ALL the info you need to make a decision regarding traveling with us!

Also…if you have ANY friends that are interested in going as well…please MAKE SURE they are at the meeting physically or via the web. Alright let me know if you have any questions!

May 29th @ 6pm!

‘Ohana means family, including blood-related, adoptive or intentional. It emphasizes that families are bound together and members must cooperate and remember one another. Symbolic celebrates this with food, laughter, and conversation. Want to join our ‘ohana’?

And this OHANA night will be a FIGHT night as well…Fights start at 7pm.  Be sure to come a bit early if you want a good seat.  Food will be served around 6!