G-dub on T-day

"It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favors."

–George Washington, Thanksgiving Proclamation, 3 October 1789

Dam Thankfull

There is a rather large dam in south-central Kentucky that has been leaking since 2005. To say this is a problem is an understatement; Nashville is not too far downstream and Lake Cumberland has enough capacity to cover the entire state of Tennessee with three inches of water.

In response, the Army Corps of Engineers dropped the water level 40 feet and started making repairs. As the water dropped, islands disappeared, and trash and debris emerged, clinging to the widening shore line like dehydrated marshmallows on the inside edge of a hot chocolate mug.

Who knew what was hidden in the depths? During a fishing trip in the summer of my 7^th grade year, I remember watching a friend of mine submerge his empty 7up bottle, sending it to a watery grave on the lake floor. We watched the descent together, staring silently as if attending a junk food funeral. As the shades of green merged and it faded out of sight, he reasoned, "Who will ever see it?" Twenty years later the Corps estimates there is about 84,000 cubic yards of trash to be cleaned up. That would have been enough to fill the first five floors of one of the World Trade Towers. I guess a bunch of other 7^th graders had the same idea.

So now we have a leaking dam, with a $300-600 million repair bill, and mounds of trash to clean up as well. Many people much smarter than myself have concluded that the country's financial systems are in a similar situation: the long ignored cracks are seeping seemingly beyond repair and there's a big 'ole mess left behind to clean up. I'm sure many of you have already felt some of the strain of the financial crisis, but this is not the first time our nation has hit upon hard times.

During the great depression, Harry Truman was serving his first term as a senator. He believed that the underlying problem was avarice, or "wild greed."

We worship money instead of honor. A billionaire, in our estimation, is much greater in these days in the eyes of the people than the public servant who works for public interest. It makes no difference if the billionaire rode to wealth on the sweat of little children and the blood of underpaid labor…. We worship mammon; and until we go back to ancient fundamentals and return to the Giver of the Tables of Law and His teachings, these conditions are going to remain with us…. There is no magic solution to the condition… but one thing is certain – no formula, however scientific, will work without men of proper character.

While reading the Bible with my son one morning this week I was encouraged by Paul's example in the midst of crisis. When locked in prison for proclaiming the peace of Christ, what did he do? He sang hymns of praise and thanksgiving. He was a man of character, with his hope firmly rooted in the "Giver of the Tables of Law."

Giving thanks is such an amazing antidote to so many ills we face. Upset that you wrecked a car? Give thanks that you live in a country that has cars. Perturbed that your spouse burned dinner? Give thanks for an oven. In a lousy job? Give thanks for a job! Most of us are so overwhelmed with material blessings that we don't have a proper perspective on what is and what is not a crisis (this is a real crisis).

As we approach this Thanksgiving, our family wants to be intentional to give thanks for all God's favor in our lives and continually recognize his goodness. Here are some of the things we are thankful for:

• That in the midst of so much unknown he has given us the opportunity to adopt a baby boy in January.

• That we can serve with a ministry seeking to heal some of the hurt that so many families have suffered. This will become increasingly important as many families suffer extra strain during times of financial difficulty. I’ve been working to help update our small group studies to give couples more tools for strengthening their marriage. I'm also helping with a new video based marriage conference. We hope to have a pilot ready in January, so pray for wisdom.

• That there have been 13,000 people attend a Weekend to Remember conference since August, with 500 of those indicating a salvation decision. One couple sent this comment after attending: "Five years ago our marriage was in serious trouble and through your morning broadcasts I was encouraged to pray for my husband. He was involved in a relationship I was not aware of. We went to a Weekend to Remember and things started to turn around slowly. Thank you for your resources and wisdom."

• My Son told me this week that he is thankful that it is "finally cold outside." Day time highs in Phoenix are still in the 80s.

This Thanksgiving, take time with your family to give thanks. While you're eating, take turns around the table to express gratitude for something. We've found Barbara Rainey's book, Thanksgiving, a Time to Remember helpful. Read all or portions of it. If you have lots of preschool children, paraphrase the story. The important thing is to remember why we celebrate Thanksgiving, and for each person to be thankful.

One Man Trying on the Radio

Last week, One Man Trying was featured on the "Phoenix Seminary Presents" radio program, sharing about male spiritual leadership in the home. The program is in two one hour sessions.

For all the guys who are 'trying', you can download the programs here.

A First Time for Everything

This morning I was given this book by a homeless man who was digging through our dumpsters.


We had a nice conversation, discussed some Phoenix history, and he informed me of the best dumpsters in the area, such as the motherload of book dumpsters just a few blocks from our house. His advice? "Head over there, get some books, and start building a library." If he only knew. As we parted I asked him his name, and he just mumbled "I'm only a bum." But he stopped to riffle through his well organized shopping cart, reaching to the depths of the basket to extract the above book. He handed it to me in a way that said, "if you were smart, you'd get over there right now, and this book is proof that you are missing out on your calling in life."

All my paradigms for homeless people continue to be blown away here in Phoenix. I can honestly say this is the first time I've ever been given anything by a homeless person.

Politics or Family

As you prepare to vote today, keep these words in mind:

I hate the negative advertisements just like everybody else.
But those advertisements work on the ignorant, and it gets simple thinkers heated up. We just have to have the discipline to be civil. Many of my friends will vote for McCain, and members of my family too. But it doesn't matter to me. Family comes first, and so do friends. When I'm on my deathbed, Barack Obama and John McCain won't be there, but my friends and family will. So they come first, and they are more important. I just won't let myself get too heated about this stuff. It's not worth it.

These are the words of Donald Miller, popular Christian author, who is actively campaigning for Obama. I don't agree with all of Miller's political views, in fact, I think he has many factual errors in this interview (read the second comment for a response to Miller's statement about Obama actually working to reduce abortions), but i certainly appreciate Miller's perspective on the priority of politics. Keep it mind to day as you vote and discuss politics with friends and family.

Airport Reunions

If you spend much time in Airports,
you'll love this post.

Serving His Country... and His Wife

This post is to honor my brother, Michael Majors.

Here he is with his wife and daughter.

For the last three years he has faithfully served our country in Germany, playing Bassoon (notice the two wood instruments standing tall near the left side. He is holding one of them)



and Bass guitar (he's on the right side) in the Army band.



Here he is with our mother (manly men love their moms), standing in front of the most AMAZING castle in Heidleberg, Germany (look how thick the walls are!)


Within the last month he moved his family home, to the U.S.A., and they are so excited to be back in the mother land. I'm proud of his service, but more importantly, I'm proud of the way he loves and serves his wife.

The following photo, which inspired this post, shows him hard at work, loving and leading his family by mowing his yard. They just moved in and he's already on top of it, fighting the free flowing fescue from the first moment of occupation.

Mowing may seem like a small thing, but let me tell you, it's a huge way to love on your wife, especially if you grew up disdaining those perpetually whirling blades of tortuous, mind-numbing activity which left you feeling as if what you just did mattered oh so little in the grand scheme of things (oh how I wish there were mp3 players 20 years ago).



Thank you, Michael, for serving your country and for being a model of service to men all over the world. I'm proud to call you my brother. I'm proud that you are one man who is "trying."

Lost Mountain

I will preface this book review with a number of statements: I LOVE the outdoors. I grew up camping and hiking all over the great state of Kentucky. I fell in love with the Red River Gorge and the Dairy Queen in Stanton long before I knew my future wife lived there. (Clarification: my wife did not live in the Dairy Queen, nor in Stanton, but rather in Clay City, Stanton's neighboring metropolis of 1,303 residents.)

There are few things I enjoy as much as standing in the middle of a cold river with a fly rod in hand, many miles removed from cities, houses, bait shops, and yahoos. I love nature, but I'm not a tree hugger (Mulch piles are beautiful too). I believe that humans are meant to responsibly "subdue the earth" (key word being 'responsibly', i.e. in a way that doesn't destroy it).

With all that said, This is one of the saddest books I have read in a long time. It exposes so much about human depravity. This book tells the plight of strip mining in the Appalachian region; specifically in Eastern Kentucky. The author is a teacher at the University of Kentucky and spends a year tracking the demise of one mountain top, ironically named Lost Mountain.

The author notes that many scientists believe the Appalachian region is host to one of the greatest forests in the world - even referring to it as the "rain forest" of North America. So the decimation of the forest alone is worth being up in arms over. When I say decimation, I'm not implying that a few trees are cut down so some coal can be cut out, rather everything is turned upside down and poisoned with chemicals. Families that have lived in 'hollers' for generations and have learned to survive off the land are now scared to drink their own well water and can no longer grow food in their gardens. The land becomes completely unusable except for growing field grasses or building box stores - but where is the demand for box stores in the depths of Appalachia?

Sure there are safe strip mining practices. Europe has regulations that require companies to re-establish the previous contour of the land and re-apply the top-soil layer. There are no such regulations in Eastern Kentucky (or they are easily disregarded). Poor people with very little land rights get pooped on because they don't have the means to stand up to the machine. And the worst part of the entire story is the hypocrisy. There is not one strip-mining mogul who would stand for such practices to occur within 100 feet of their estates (which is the legal limit), let alone 100 miles!

How is it that men can so easily disregard Jesus' statement to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you?" Why do people become so careless just for coal? Is making a profit from coal really worth destroying someones home and land, even if it is 'legal'?

I'd encourage you to read the book - especially if you live in Kentucky. In fact, this is a MUST READ for every Kentucky resident. Kentucky has to be one of the most beautiful places on this earth, yet this beauty is being destroyed so that more office buildings can leave their lights on at night. This is a painful book, but very well written and engaging. He writes the story as if the mountain is a family member, or even a girlfriend, and with each explosion, he exposes the ensuing pain in his heart. He visits the families that have been affected, gets to know them and tells their stories. By the end of the book, you feel as if you have spent some time with them as well.

Erik Reece, I applaud you for having the courage to write this book. I'm sure you will receive all kinds of grief from all strata of government and even your own University (with an excellent mining engineering department).

Do I hate all strip mining and all people associated with strip mining? By no means! In fact, I can think of at least one friend that I have much respect for that sells mining equipment. But the process in Eastern Kentucky is broken and serious changes and improvements are needed. Now of course I'm well aware that there is always two sides to every story (Proverbs 18.17). But if even half of the information in this book is true, then this is a serious problem that must be turned around.

Puppy Eyes Don't Evangelize

The college campus is a place of eternal youth, where you are an "old man" at 25. Stroll through the cauldron of culture at your own risk. Frisbees fly by your head. Bikes barrel down the path before you, begging you to play chicken with their rotating rubber weapons. Two young lovers rub noses on the park bench, oblivious to the heat, rain, snow, or whatever elements may surround them.

It is in this environment my wife and I landed to do ministry in 1999. What better place to share the gospel! I was inspired by hearing Bill Bright say on multiple occasions, "If you change the campus, you change the world." How true. Most of our political and business leaders were reared on the University bottle. But the task of reaching the campus was not simple. Eighteen-year olds would stand in line to sign up for a credit card and a complimentary 2-liter, yet walk right past our free pizza.

But we were not the only old dogs on campus. Other groups also tried to share the gospel to these young, open-minded men and women. One group owned a building in the heart of the campus, and their evangelism seemed to consist of standing outside the building and inviting people inside. Various tactics were employed; impromptu volleyball games and free food, both with a heavy dose of sad puppy eyes that cried "won't you come inside… please?" Most students learned to steer clear of that building by week three of their freshman year.

The ministry we served with had no building, so we worked hard to mingle with the students on their territory. In the cafeteria, in the gym, outside of classrooms, in the student center, wherever they gathered, we were there getting to know them, hunting them down, receiving their "who is this old guy?" looks with joy.

One observation has stuck with me from that experience: Buildings are not a good ministry strategy. Sure they have some value, but it seems that merely owning a building creates an unhealthy dependence upon that building.

How shocking when we arrived at a new church and heard the constant refrain to "invite someone to church with you." Why was this the primary evangelistic strategy? Don't they know it does not work! Sure, people may come to the building, but they need something more than a sermon to experience change. Think about the state of our culture: there is an unprecedented amount of information available. People are seeking help for their marriages and life in a wide variety of places.

But even with all that is available, the problem remains. Families are still struggling. A recent poll showed that 44% of women consider leaving their husbands occasionally, some daily. The Census Bureau reports that 6.4 million couples are cohabiting, up from 1 million in 1980.

Lots of information is available, but information alone is not enough to bring about transformation. I know plenty about the negative effects of cheesecake on my waistline, but I still eat it. Smokers cannot avoid the Surgeon General's abundant warnings, yet people still smoke. Information is not bad; it is just an incomplete solution. If information is not enough, then what is it that people need

· Engagement with other people around the Scriptures.

· Experience and wisdom from other couples.

· Encouragement to persevere.

· Examples of success.

Bottom line: People need relationships, and one of the best places for people to experience relationships is in a small group setting. People are starving for relationships. Because of this hunger, many people that would never enter a church building will visit your home. With home based small groups your church can begin to push ministry out into the neighborhoods, where people already gather, instead of relying on a building.

Maybe you are not up for starting a small group yet. Start with having some neighbors over for dinner to get to know them. Or invite another couple to the movie Fireproof with you. Think of ways to begin connecting with your neighbors and loosen your dependence upon the church building for evangelism.

Our church has been emphasizing the power of shared experiences. Having people in your home, and attending movies together are both ways to create a shared experience. It is these shared experiences that lead to conversations about the gospel. Take a step of faith and pray for wisdom for how you can take a small step towards a neighbor this week.

Marriage Advice for Men

I was mountain biking recently with a single guy and he asked me about the nature of timing in communication and conflict with members of the opposite sex. I replied "timing related to conflict is like timing in comedy. Timing is EVERYTHING." Figuring that one out alone will help any guy make better decisions. There are also few other things a man could benefit from knowing about marriage. These guys cover the bases well with their helpful advice in this video:



Disclaimer: Wearing a faux mullet will not necessarily help your chances of actually getting married.