Organization OverRated

So, my wife is probably the most organized person I know. She's second only to this lady. (My wife reads her blog religiously).

Now then, I am not known to be the most organized person in the world. I'm organized "in my own way" as I tell Mel all the time. However, I do have this unique and I believe "guy only" trait of remembering driving directions to places after only being there once. I don't know many gals that are good with driving directions. Especially when you start throwing north, south, east and west into the conversation.

So, back to being organized...my wife is. But every once in a while, it backfires on her. For the past 6 months, she's been looking for these Hallmark cards she knows she has. Basically, she buys cards on a regular basis, so they are ready to go when we have a birthday or a holiday that necessitates a card. Keeps us from running to the store last minute...I'm thankful, truly I am. :)

Last night, we're looking in the home office for something I'd misplaced, but that I know is in the office. She tells me, "look in that box up there on the file cabinet." I bring it down and you guessed it...2 shoe boxes full of Hallmark cards. I busted out laughing...they had been up there for over 6 months, "neatly organized," but completely unable to be found.

On another note, I found the thing I was looking for within a half hour and it was inches from where I remembered I put it. Stuffed ever so messily in a coffee cup on my desk with about a hundred other things. Most that know her well call her Monica. (Friends reference and precursor to my next blog post!)

Now Concerning Death

This week I am preaching a funeral and at the same time disheartened by the tragic news affecting the Chapman family. As I am preparing for the funeral service tomorrow, my own thoughts about death have begun to creep in. Seeing children lose their life scares me like crazy...and seeing just how close the above scenario with the Chapman's was to a situation at our house last week I am even more taken back.

I have been in silence nearly the whole day today, just trying to get my arms around God's sovereignty and our inability to comprehend how and why He operates the way He does.

Spurgeon's thoughts on the matter are hammering me right now -

"Should it not be the business of this life to prepare for the next life, and in that respect, to prepare to die? But how can a man be prepared for that which he never thinks of?...Each fading leaf admonishes you. You will most surely have to die; why not think upon the inevitable?...If I do not think of death, yet death will think of me. If I will not go to death by meditation and consideration, death will come to me. Let me then, meet it like a man, and to that end let me look it in the face."

Something happens in my soul when I'm forced to think about death. I begin to look at life from an eternal perspective. I forget about the fact that my lawn has brown spots already starting to grow (it's only May). Instead, I begin thinking about living in a way that makes much of Christ Jesus. I wonder why He isn't a part of more of my conversations. If I believe what I say I believe, then I have the most important and glorious news to share. Yet, my suburban life urges me to pull my car in the garage and "fence" myself from all those around me.

If I think about death, I cannot help but think about how I treat my family and those closest to me. I examine the fact that I am the head of my family and I will either be a blessing or a curse to them. The question is not if I will affect my wife and children's lives, but rather, will it be for their joy or for their sorrow?

I don't know the answers to all the "why's" concerning death and its often unfortunate timing, but I do trust the sovereignty of God. When my fears rise up and I want to put my trust in my mere flesh and inferior understanding, I have to cast it aside and say "Whom have I in heaven but you? and on earth there is nothing that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:25-26

American Idol Recap

So I was wrong...and thankfully so. And by 12 million votes.

Though I still believe it was one of my least favorite seasons, the finale last night was pretty awesome. The song Michael Johns and Carly did was the highlight for me...but second to this little treasure.

Cash Giggling

Having a little fun with my little man. I walked into the room tonight and heard him "talking" to me when he was over on the bed. So I went over to have a chat with him and this is what it turned into. This is a fun stage!!

Cold

I'm going on 3 weeks with this cold now. I shook it for a couple days last week, but it came back with a ferocity I can't explain. However, a couple of my questions to God when I see him will be:

Why is it that when I need to be sleeping, my cough is absolutely the worst? Why not in the daytime when I'm awake and going about my day?

Instead, you stay up all night just watching the digital clock on the microwave move minute by minute. (Yes that's on the microwave, because the couch is the only place that I can sit up and sleep with some sort of comfort!)<

American Idol 08

So, my thoughts are that this was a pretty lame season of AI. Honestly, after Michael Johns was voted off, I really stopped watching. I would let my wife fill me in. :)

I did however watch the showdown tonight between both Davids. I must say David A. did a pretty good job, though I favor David Cook much more. I know all the 10 year olds will vote David A. to be the next Idol, but regardless, Cook was a great contestant and I believe the better performer.

But if you look at the season as a whole, it fell quite short of the previous seasons. I don't think the show is losing its edge, I just think it's tough to hit a homerun 7 seasons in a row. I'll look forward to next year's show and in the meantime, hearing David A. on every soft rock station and David Cook on every top 40 station.

Side note: Did anyone catch Randy say that David A's first performance was the best of 2007?

The Lion and the Cub

Every once in a while, I get the opportunity to lead worship outside of Crossbridge. Over the years, I’ve developed several relationships with friends that love to come and lead with me. I don’t know why they do sometimes…rarely can I pay them more than a fajita taco, but they still come.

This go ‘round, I was leading for 2 weeks out at Clear Creek Community Church in League City. These guys were so kind in our formative years to financially support us while we launched the church and since then have had both Chuck and I out to lead for them.

The past two weeks, I gathered a few of my friends, and we went out to lead their midweek services. On a whim, I thought I’d invite one of my mentors to join me. In the past 5 years, I’ve gained a friendship with a guy named Sam Perry who has really helped to shape me as a worship pastor.

I remember being a senior in high school and all my friends driving up to Waco every week to be in Sam’s worship service and to hear Louie Giglio speak. I would listen to the Choice CD’s thinking, “man, maybe I should go to Baylor and try out for this team. But I can’t sing like this dude Sam.” (I actually longed to be a part of Baylor Showtime, but thought, “hey, this Choice thing sounds cool too.”) I’m sure now there were probably no “auditions” for Choice. Oh the naivety of my 18 year old mind.

Sam went on to lead in the formative years of Passion and then became the worship pastor to Faithbridge out in the Spring area. It’s there that he and I began to meet every quarter or so to talk about being a worship pastor. He taught me about team management, saying hard things in love, putting the cookies on the lower shelf during worship services (making songs accessible to the masses), and how the most important part of my job description is to stay connected to Jesus.

Needless to say, Sam has been instrumental in my journey as a worship pastor, far more than what’s stated above and too much for a singular blog post.

So He agreed to come and lead one of the nights with me…he sat behind the keys and sang back up. We co-led one song and it was a blast. I must say it was like the cub leading while the lion sat back and watched. It was crazy to turn around throughout the service and see Sam looking at me for cues. Talk about an upside down scenario. I must say though, he tore it up on BGV’s and keys. There were so many times I found myself literally laughing and shaking my head in amazement.

Sam is now the worship pastor at Grand Parkway Baptist with Neil McClendon. The good thing is that he’s about a 5 minute drive from my church. Hoping to further our friendship by sheer proximity.

I must say, Wednesday night was one of my favorite worship services of all time. The caliber of leaders I was playing with was amazing (ya'll are awesome, thanks). The crowd really wanted to pursue God in worship, and the speaker was great! Those times are incredibly refreshing for me!

Great and Not-So-Great

Well, I’ve been itching to get back to blogging, but it always seems like it falls to the bottom of my list during this newborn season. In the past 6 weeks, I have realized there are some great things about having a newborn…and there are some not so great things about it. Regardless, our new little boy Cash Harrison Barosh is a stud and I love having a son!

So here’s my list…

Great things:
• Meals made for us every night for a month! Thanks Crossbridge and thanks Sheila for organizing it!
• Swaddlers Pampers (These are the Cadillac of all diapers! And you only get to use them in the beginning cause they only go to size 2.)
• 2 full days at St. Luke’s Hospital. Best in Houston in my opinion. ☺
• That Purell clean feeling…kills lots of germs!
• A baby that only weighs 8 lbs…those days don’t last long.

Not-So-Great Things:
• When the meals stop coming
• Waking up after you’ve only been asleep for 20 minutes
• Shirts that smell like regurgitated milk
• They can tell the difference between you standing and sitting. Standing makes them stop crying…sitting makes them start. Why can’t it be the other way around?
• Sterilizing

Well, I’m falling asleep as I write this…I know there is much more, but I’m going to crash now. Hope to be back soon! For more pictures of Cash, visit my wife's blog.