if you haven't heard yet, 'facebook free february' will soon be in full effect. you can read the original post here and this post on all the productive ways you can invest you soon to be found free time.

if you are the typical facebook user, you are consumed with consuming. you quickly scan your feed. you read some status updates and look at some pictures. you may or may not click on a link to read an article or blog post. chances are you are barely reading anything on the screen at all (but that's a blog post for monday).

and that's about it. i feel that facebook is good at feeding our already-in-place consumeristic tendencies.

it's hard to contribute when all you do is consume. sure, you may throw up a funny status every now and again. you might post a comment on a friend's post occassionally. you might even write one of those annoying "dear john" posts every once in awhile that goes something like this:

dear lady at walmart,
you shouldn't wear those pants.
sincerely,
the rest of us who don't like throwing up

but that is the extent of your contribution. funny, yes. valuable, no.

(please don't hear what i am not saying: i believe there are valuable things happening on facebook. but, how many of us are actually contributing those things of value or beauty? most of us are simply "sharing" what has been created by someone else. and that's different.)

i believe we are made in the image of a Creator. and because we are made in His image, we are created to create. create things of beauty and things of value. and with that in mind, here are some ideas for how you can use facebook free february to create.

1. write poetry.
2. or, if you're not arty-fartsy, write a paper.
3. start a blog where you can share your poetry or your paper. (this is what my friend hannah did. check it here.)
4. start a journal.
5. grow a plant.
6. handwrite a letter to a family member or friend. with a paper. and a pen. and then mail it to them. in an envelope. with a stamp.
7. make an incredible meal to share with your friend or family at a dinner party.
8. start a business.
9. do art (whatever that may look like for you).

don't use the excuse "it won't be good" to keep you from creating. that's not the point. the point is to contribute and release yourself from the bondage of consumption only that facebook relentlessly facilitates.

earlier this week, i extended a challenge for folks to accept the 'facebook free february' challenge. and people are responding! we have dozens of students in our ministry, as well as a handful of folks from around the country, who are jumping in.

and i want to encourage you to do so as well.

why, just think about all the extra minutes (or hours) you will have on your hands each day with which to do something productive! i estimate that i will have (at least) one extra hour every single day. that's like finding free money!

the question is, how will you invest your newly recovered time? if you don't find something productive to do during those moments you would normally be on facebook, you will not gain anything. in fact, you will easily and quickly succumb to the temptation to log-in to your account.

so, for fun, let's make a list of some valuable and lasting things you can do with all this time you will have on your hands:

1. take a friend to coffee.
2. do some homework.
3. take a nap.
4. read a book (any book will do; even a textbook!)
5. ask your roommate how they are really doing.
6. read your Bible.
7. pray.
8. build a relationship with a new friend.
9. go for a run or a walk.
10. write a book. or your research paper.
11. secure global peace.
12. memorize a passage of Scripture.
13. take an international student to walmart.
14. clean something.
15. learn to play racquetball (i am always up for a game!)
16. learn to bake something tasty and healthy.
17. raise some funds and awareness for a charity (i could recommend a few.)
18. call your mom.
19. buy your favorite campus minister an americano, decaf, with room.
20. create something. you are, after all, made in the image of the Creator.
21. bake some cookies and take them to the local hospital ER staff or the police station.

leave a comment and add your ideas.

have you ever thought about giving something up...only to shudder in fear and trembling? 

perhaps the idea of giving up your morning coffee (or other caffeinated beverages) causes you to panic? you think to yourself, "i could never do that."

maybe you've entertained the idea of giving up your favorite, guitly-pleasure gossip or reality TV program. and you shake your head, conceding you don't think you can do it.

have you ever thought of down-grading your smart phone to a regular, old grandma-style flip phone? what was your reaction?

i think our reaction to these thoughts and ideas reveal what controls us. if you mutter under your breath that you "just can't give up __________," then it just may be a good indicator you need to give that thing up.

it's controlling you. it's dictating to you. it owns you.

and i'm convinved we shouldn't be owned by any thing. paul refers to getting drunk on wine in ephesians 5. he says we should be full of the Holy Spirit instead of wine. the implication here is that only one thing can control us at a time. 

so what controls you?

for those of us in the college context, i am convinced that facebook is in control.

it consumes so much of our time and energy. it's everywhere. it distracts us. it beckons to us. it butts its way into line ahead of studying, resting, community, and good, old-fashioned face-to-face relationships with three-dimensional people and with God.

and i'm tired of being its slave. and i'm tired of my students being its slave.

and so, in february...we are going to take our life back. allow me to introduce you to facebook free february.

there will be more details in future posts, but it seems pretty self-explanatory. starting february 1st and going through february 29th, i am going to be...and i challenge you to be...facebook free. 

(if you read that last paragraph and thought to yourself, "no way! no facebook for a month! i could never..." then you need to do this.)

but it's not enough just to give something up. if there is no purpose behind it, you're really just torturing yourself. after all, fasting for spiritual purposes is powerful; skipping meals with no purpose is just a crash diet. 

there will be more in the coming days, but here are a few purposes behind F3.

• regain control of your time.
• regain focus on things that matter; not whose relationship status changed or who had a ham sandwich for lunch.
• use your new found "free" time to build face-to-face relationships.
• use your new found "free" time to read God's word, pray, and grow your relationship with Him.
• read a book. any book. (just not facebook.)
• and lots more...

stay tuned for more. in the meantime, if you'll join us for facebook free february...leave a comment below!

i am quickly learning that romancing your wife does not have to be hard, time consuming, or expensive. this week's challenge is super simple. i've broken it down into easy steps, so even the most thick-headed husband can accomplish this.

1. go to wal-mart or a hallmark store or any retail location that sells greeting cards. even a gas station might have cards.
2. buy a romantic card that says nice things to your wife. not a funny card. not a card that sings songs or has star wars characters on it. not a card with body parts on it. something with a flower on it will do.
3. write "i love you" and sign your name. you can do this. bonus points if you tell her how happy she makes you or you refer to your future together with her. note: don't say something silly or stupid that negates the nice things you hope to convey. if you are new to this, it might be best just to let the card do the talking.
4. slip it under her pillow. you want this to be a surprise, so don't try to sneak it under her pillow while she is sleeping. the secret is this: hide the card when she isn't looking.

see, any husband can do this. make it your goal to do so in the next 7 days. if you're so inclined, leave a comment here and let us know how it went.

good luck!

today, i turn 34. and this blog is entitled "things i think i think."

to celebrate, i am combining those two things and sharing with you 34 things i think i think. you're welcome.

1. turning 30 sucked. turning 34 is no biggie.
2. i haven't felt healthier (spiritually, physically, or emotionally) in years.
3. i love sweet tea.
4. i never want to be a collegiate or professional football coach. those guys don't have a snowball's chance in hell.
5. if i ever move again, it'll be south.
6. campus ministry is, i believe, the vital link to the next generation of worldwide missions.
7. american league baseball is not real baseball. if the pitcher doesn't bat, it doesn't count.
8. there are a few hills worth dying on. and many that aren't. choose your battles wisely.
9. consistent prayer is hard. in fact, almost everything worth doing in life is.
10. my kids and have killed at least 25 trees between school and the children's program at church. the amount of paper they bring home every week is insane.
11. less is more.
12. my sweet spot is in discipleship and teaching. i will not be distracted from these two things.
13. jackelopes aren't real. i learned this when i was about 25. i'm still haven't dealt with the shock.
14. sweet & spicy doritos are the kings of the chip world.
15. i will never understand girls who wear shorts and snow boots at the same time.
16. i have a jack bauer shaped hole in my heart.
17. i also miss ross, joey, chandler, rachel, monica, and phoebe.
18. the way my wife manages our household absolutely amazes me. i could never, ever do it as efficiently as she.
19. i hate spending money on cars. buying them. fixing them. all of it.
20. i am seeing more and more that raising my kids is a sacred endeavor. and they don't necessarily teach me about God; they teach me about me.
21. living through your 20s is hard. it's like there is a no-man's land between getting out into the real world and having kids. our 30s have been much better.
22. in our world of ever-increasing noise, silence is the only thing that is heard.
23. i don't drink enough water.
24. the same old message of "don't have sex before you're married because the Bible tells you so" isn't working. Christian kids are having sex at an alarming rate. we need to have a new kind of conversation. and it can't just be about what we say; there needs to be relational investment, open dialogue, and grace-filled honesty.
25. we must learn the art of asking great questions. this is the best way to learn and to teach.
26. i have an unhealthy obsession with finding the right ink pen.
27. it's unreasonable to expect to be perfect overnight. each day, make progress. gain a slight edge.
28. i've never seen a blog post before with a picture of a crab wearing a birthday hat. i'm glad to contribute to the betterment of of your blog reading experience.
29. i like the fact that i have (for the most part) stopped caring about what people think of me.
30. the older i get, the more i love my parents and my sister.
31. i have decided that taking a girl to eat chicken wings on a first date would be a massive mistake. i plan on telling my male college students this.
32. i haven't watched a newscast in months. and my entire outlook on humanity is better because of it.
33. i can't imagine sharing my life with anyone other than my wife and children.
34. His grace is sufficient, even for me.

"A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on the installment plan."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

mark batterson is one of my favorite pastors and writers out there. his blog is on my must-read list, and it should be on yours, too.

a week or so ago, mark posted about journaling. he states that journaling is a spiritual discipline; it's the vehicle by which "write the vision" (a la Habakkuk 2:2) and by which we "take every thought captive" (a la 2 Corinthians 10:5).

and i think he is absolutely right.

i have used a moleskine journal for several years. however, i have not yet definited my journaling style. sometimes i create prayer lists. sometimes i write my prayers out in a narrative style. sometimes i write things to pray for on certain days and sometimes i don't. i write...and usually consistently...but it's the scribblings of a direction-less wanderer.

and that irks me. maybe it shouldn't. but it does.

i wish mark would allow comments on his blog. i would love to see how he sets his prayer journal up.

but since he doesn't, i'll ask you.

what is your journaling style? do you use a journal? why or why not? how do you organize and use your journal for prayer? share your ideas.

(i am filing this one under "rant." thanks for listening.)

we like our slogans. they define us and set us apart. they distinguish us.

just do it.
tastes great...less filling.
they're grrrreeeeeaaaaat!
can you hear me now?

i am a part of a fellowship of Christians called the "restoration movement." and we have our slogans as well.

no creed but Christ, no book but the Bible.
Bible things by Bible names.
where the Scriptures speak, we speak; where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent.

it's these slogans that distinguish us. but i have a fear that we have felt so distinguished that we have forgotten another one of our slogans:

we are Christians only, but not the only Christians.

from the conversations i've had with folks within the restoration movement, it seems pretty clear that we have embraced the first phrase. we are Christians only. that's the name we go by. we require no other name, denominational or otherwise. we get that.

also from my conversations, however, it seems we have forgotten the second phrase. we may have bought into the idea that our names are the only names that fill the Lamb's Book of Life. we hesitate to partner and colloborate with those other guys. we fear contamination by their "bad theology." we are right and they are wrong.

and this is bad. very bad.

what is meant to distinguish us actually makes us like everyone else. there is already plenty of "brand exclusivity" in the church. the idea that we are not so arrogant as to think we have the market on heaven cornered is truly distinguishing.

the tough question is: what does this look like?

none of this is rocket surgery or brain science, but it's always good to be reminded. and i post things here so you know that i practice what i preach.

yesterday was our wedding anniversary. keri and i have been married for 12 years. and to celebrate, my kids and i brainstormed up a list of small gifts that we knew she would like. we wanted to find 12 things, one for each year of our marriage. we gave them to her at dinner time and we were all heroes.

here is what we landed on:

and here are a few lessons i learned about the romantic and intentional sharing of small gifts:

1. it doesn't have to be expensive: all in all, these 12 items cost me under $12.
2. it doesn't have to be elaborate: originally, the kids and i wanted to do a whole scavenger hunt thing. we simply ran out of time. we were kind of bummed, but it really didn't matter in the end.
3. it doesn't have to be a lot: originally, we wanted to come up with 12 different items. in the picture, you can see that 8 of the 12 items are packets of hot chocolate. and that's OK.
4. involve the kids: the kids have fun, you have fun, and the wife thinks you're a hero.

so, get at it. while i did this for our anniversary, you don't have to wait until then. you can do this today.

it has been several weeks since my last BSB update. and, unfortunately for most of us who are trying to lose weight, those several weeks have included the holidays.

it was with much fear and trembling that i stepped on to the scale monday. i feared the worst. i was hoping that Santa Claus and the New Year's Baby hadn't erased all the hard work i put in during 2011.

to my surprise, i had gained 4 pounds from thanksgiving to new year's.

to me, this was a great success, as i had not worked out and participated in the usual holiday fare for 8 weeks. it revealed to me that i had developed healthy eating habits and was not overdoing it.

to go a step further, i got out the tape measure and took stock of my latest numbers. also to my surprise, i have lost 8 inches since this summer. losing weight is not always just about the number on the scale. other numbers are important, too.

this week, like every other american, i am back on the horse. (i actually got a head start in the gym last week, before the new year rang in.)

starting weight: 199.0
last weigh-in (november 9): 182.6
this week's weight: 186.6
total difference: -12.4

(download)

Click here to download:

bringing-sexy-back-part-11-jgdyBwDbxgEaqCzbIBAx.zip (2.91 MB)

last week, drew brees (the quarterback for the new orleans saints) broke the single season passing record that has stood for the better part of 30 years.

while this is clearly an amazing personal achievement, drew brees is a great leader and a great team player. in his post-game interview, he used the word "we" 11 times. he says, "it's not about me" but that it's about the team, the city, and the fans.

the best line in the interview is when brees says "we beat the record."

i am guilty of not using the word "we" enough. i don't think it's because i am selfish or because i am suckered into thinking it's all about me. i simply think my posture as a leader has not developed my vocabulary to the point where i always says "we" before "i."

here is the mp3 from our christmas eve service and the message that i preached.

i was very excited about this message and feel as though it was received warmly. christmas services are difficult; it's always a challenge to present a familiar story in a creative way.

this message is about the stars. in this picture, we tried to create a "starry night" feel in our building.

give a listen. the message is less than 14 minutes long.

Christmas_Eve_2011.mp3

(download)

Click here to download:

Christmas_Eve_2011.mp3 (12.73 MB)

giving credit where credit is due, i first heard a similar message by ben arment.

i have found i am a guy who likes the in-between spaces. what i mean is, i don't like being overly scheduled or rigid. i don't like to-do lists that are prioritized with due dates. i don't enjoy each day being meticulously planned out to the minute. i feel as though this rigidity stifles spontanaity and creativity.

at the same time, i don't like having a completely blank page. i need some direction or the day (or year) will be wasted. i need a vision, even if it is not a map.

and so, my goals for 2012 are meant to be the vision. they give me the direction i need, without dictating to me every minute of every day. here they are:

• i plan on paying off my van loan in 2012 (nearly $6,000).
• i plan on posting regularly to this blog in 2012 (at least 3 times per week).
• i plan on writing at least 24 poems in 2012 (at least 2 per month).
• i plan on writing and publishing at least 4 articles in 2012 (at least 1 per quarter).
• i plan on reading at least 3 leadership books in 2012.
• i plan on intentionally "retreat-ing" for at least one day a month in 2012.
• i plan on working out each day after my shift at my part-time job at the local community center (2 to 3 times per week).
• i plan on "dating" each of my kids every month in 2012 (one kid every wednesday afternoon).
• i plan on romantically and creatively pursuing my wife in 2012.

so, there you have it.

now it's your turn to share. what are your goals for 2012?