Cliffhangers: Oct. 17 - 24

A list of some of my favorite articles, photos, videos and good news from the week:

Marty McFly and Doc Brown crashed Jimmy Kimmel Live on 'Back to the Future Day.' Marty McFly on 2015: "2015 kind of sucks:" USA Today

John Mark McMillan gives his take on the new 'worship culture:' RELEVANT

US Forces rescued 70 Iraqi Hostages: The Guardian 

California is getting rain again! (Thanks, El Nino): Phys.org

The OSU Cowboy Sports Network is televising all OSU Men's Basketball non-conference games, making all OSU Men's game available on TV this year. Sweet. OKSTATE

Adele is BACK! Billboard 

The OKC Thunder have signed Mike Cobbins: NEWSOK

An elderly man called a radio station because he was lonely, so the radio station picked him up and brought him by for coffee: 9News

A Koala waiting for the bus stop by near by Flinders University, here in Adelaide, Australia:

Just waiting for the eucalypt-bus (via @Flinders) pic.twitter.com/5xUhnApWt0

— BuzzFeed Australia (@BuzzFeedOz) October 15, 2015

In case you've been living under a rock all week, Star Wars released another trailer. Here is a compilation of all the trailers for the new 'The Force Awakens' movie, set to premiere in December.

Jimmy Fallon thanks Gargoyles for ruining beautiful buildings.

-Cliff

Why Oklahomans Know How to do 'Homecomings'

Sometimes, you have to leave home in order to realize why you love it.

Leaving home is part of growing up, whether it's moving halfway across the state or halfway across the world, and sometimes when you've lived at "home" your whole life, it's easy to take advantage of the things that make it just that - home.

Growing up in small-town, southern Oklahoma, it was easy to take advantage of home. It was easy to take advantage of the acres of flat land, the friendly, easy-going nature of everyone and the gallons of sweet tea available at every store in town (sadly, not all places have back country roads you can drive trucks down or hunting and fishing available in the back yard). It was easy to take advantage of moving on to college at Oklahoma State University and calling Stillwater, Oklahoma home, another small town. There are certain things about these small towns that you can't find anywhere else, and that's what makes them special.

These are the places where the world slows down and the places that remind you of your roots.
These are the places you have to come back to in order to realize why you loved them so much.
These are the places that welcome you back after a long journey like you just left yesterday.
And these are the places where coming home is welcomed back with celebration.

This weekend marks the highlight of America's Greatest Homecoming Celebration at OSU. It's a time where hundreds of thousands of OSU alumni come back to Stillwater from all over the world to see their Alma Mater. For some, it may have only been one year since they've been back, and for others, it may have been 50 years. It's a time when graduates who have moved around the world to bigger cities and bigger jobs have a chance to come home and see friends and family. It's a time when they can come back and see the things that have changed and the things that have stayed the same.

Oklahomans know how to do homecomings because they know what makes home, "home." After all, it's in the name of the state. Oklahomans know that it's the people, the memories and the small things in life that make home. It's being able to come back to a place you may not have been in years and feel like you never left, and it's being able to come back to a family. OSU's homecoming celebration is just a symbol and small part of the 'homecomings' that happen across Oklahoma each and every day, from college students coming home to visit mom and dad to men and women returning from lifelong journeys. I'm proud to be able to call Oklahoma my home, and I'm glad I get to be a part of some of the best homecomings in the country. I can't wait to be back.

-Cliff

-Cliff's Note: Sometimes, you have to leave home in order to realize why you love it.

10 Things Oklahoma State University Graduates Definitely Miss

Oklahoma State University is known for many things. It's known for America's Greatest Homecoming Celebration, Boone Pickens Stadium and the Historic Gallagher Iba Arena. There's no doubt OSU alumni miss each of these things, but there are even more smaller things we graduates miss possibly even more. In honor of Homecoming this week and the 100,000+ OSU alumni that will descend upon Stillwater, Oklahoma, here are a few things most all OSU graduates are guaranteed to miss after the bittersweet transition from student to graduate. 

1) Sitting in the student section

Whether you stand in line hours before game time to get the best seat at Boone Pickens Stadium or arrive just in time to get the last floor seat at a basketball game in Gallagher Iba, there's no better seat than a seat in the student section with a few thousand of your classmates. After graduation, you have to get real tickets with assigned seats, and that's just not as fun as the first come, first serve seat selection process. From the nerves during pregame intros to the post-game singing of the Alma Mater with your arms around friends and strangers, there's no better place to watch a game than the student section.

2) Hearing the Edmon Low Library play the Alma Mater

Photo Credit: Kurt Steiss

Edmon Low has some pipes. You can hear those bells all over Stillwater, but there's no better place to hear them than on campus. After graduation, you'll wish every city had its own Edmon Low to remind you it was time to go to work.

3) Wearing the color orange every other day

Photo Credit: Matt Fletcher

There's something about the color orange that isn't as common in the real world as it is at OSU. If you wear orange two days in a row, people begin to wonder why you're dressing so brightly. It's hard for anyone to understand that after four years at Oklahoma State, half of your wardrobe turned orange and you have no idea how. 

4) The Colvin Center

Photo Credit: Oklahoma State University Wellness

One of the biggest perks to being an OSU student is that you get a FREE gym membership to one of the best university recreation centers in the country. Unfortunately, that runs out after graduation, and what's even more unfortunate? Gym memberships can be expensive. 

5) Walking to class

Photo Credit: Oklahoma State University Registrar's Office

It may sound crazy. Who would miss walking to class? Especially when you have to walk north up Monroe Street when it's 30 degrees outside with a north wind blowing 40 mph in your face. Trust me, you'll miss it. You'll miss the walks with friends to and from class, and you'll miss the random conversations that weren't supposed to last 20 minutes but did anyway, making you miss your next lecture.

6) The Library Lawn/Theta Pond combo

Photo Credit: GW_Bentonville

OSU has one of the nation's most beautiful campuses, and part of that reason is because of Theta Pond and Library Lawn. Remember feeding the ducks or playing the world's largest game of Twister? Yup. Both are great places unique and special to OSU that you won't be able to find anywhere else. 

7) The "small-town" feel

Photo Credit: Oklahoma State University's Office of the Registrar

The campus at Oklahoma State University is like the nicest little town you could ever be a part of. The people can't be beat, there's always something to do and no matter where you go, people are smiling. It's a feeling unlike any other. 

8) The school spirit

Where else in the entire world can you have a cowboy walking around with a 12-gauge shotgun and .357 revolver in hand ready to fire at any given moment sending whoever is within a 300 yard radius into a rousing 'OOOOOO-SSSSSSSS-U!' chant?

9) The buildings

There's something special about the buildings at OSU, and it isn't just that all the architecture matches. The buildings will be there for generations. They will be there if your kids go to school there and if your grandkids go to school there, and you'll be able to say, "I had a class in that same classroom." It's pretty sweet when generations can share memories like that.

10) The friends that become family

There's no place in the world that you'll make friends like you do at OSU. It's the friends that used to just be "random" roommates that you didn't even know. It's a friend that you asked out on an awkward first date. It's the friends that become family that you'll remember forever, and that makes the OSU experience what it is. There is nothing like being a part of the Cowboy Family. 

Go Pokes and Happy Homecoming!

Don't Gain the World and Lose Your Soul

What do we all have that come in all different sizes, while some smell better than others? Souls. And not just the ones on your feet. 

The soul is defined as a "the spiritual or immaterial part of a  human being or animal, regarded as immortal" (it's odd to me they toss 'animal' in there, but hey, I guess all dogs go to heaven). I had to look this up because I really wasn't sure exactly what the soul was/is. To be honest; it's super difficult to define the differences between the heart, the mind and the soul. They all seem to be so intertwined and interchangeably used that it is hard to define the differences, especially between the heart and the soul. You may or may not believe in having a soul. If you believe in an afterlife, you probably do, and if you don't believe in an afterlife, you probably don't. I, however, do believe in a soul. 

I remember reading/watching the Harry Potter series growing up and seeing these creatures called dementors suck out people's souls as a form of punishment greater than death (did anyone else notice they never went for Ron?). It would allow a person to live, but not really "live." In a way, it reveals a bit of how vital a soul is to a human life. I remember reading my Bible and hearing pastors and teachers talk about the soul nearly every week in some form or fashion. The soul seemed important; it was eternal and the driver of life's purpose.

It's with the soul that we do life. Through the soul and from the soul come energy and intensity, so how can someone harness that energy and intensity and not lose it? To lose the soul is worse than gaining the world. How can we keep it safe?

Focus on eternity.

If the soul is the eternal piece of a human, then that's the part that never dies, and that's the part that should matter. However, how much harder is it to focus on eternity and put it into perspective? It's incredibly difficult. It blows my mind just trying to imagine eternity. I have a hard enough time imagining next week, much less 3,000 years from now in a Place I believe to be real but, in reality, have a hard time imagining. Focusing on eternity is difficult because it's difficult to concentrate on something we can only begin to comprehend. 

Jesus questions, "What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" Basically, gaining all of the money, pleasure and power of the world brings no lasting benefit if someone loses his soul to spiritual death and separation from eternity to gain it. Focus on gaining eternity, on gaining soul, not the world. In eternity, nothing worldly gained matters. In the end, you can't take anything with you. The world isn't worth the cost of eternity. Thank God, the cost for Eternity has already been paid.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: The world isn't worth the cost of eternity. Thank God, the cost for Eternity has already been paid.

3 Keys to Keeping the Mind Fresh

The human mind is a miracle. It's a masterpiece of cells, senses, thoughts, feelings and controls that, strangely, go farther than the human mind can imagine. Though it controls all the nerves throughout the body, it's the only organ in the body without any nerves. It doesn't feel pain (not physical pain anyway). The mind starts as a blank piece of paper and is eventually covered in knowledge and information about the world's ins and outs. Just like a desert needs water to grow, it needs information so we can grow. It's a spectacular thing that we couldn't function normally without, and it would undoubtably be my number one place to visit on Mrs. Frizzle's Magic School. 

The mind is where creativity takes place and where our uniqueness can become a reality for others to see. Being the control center for the human body, the mind is a main source for a person's life to function normally and to grow successfully. So, why do we need to take care of it? It's kind of like a city's water supply; it's a life-giving source necessary for life to continue. Not taking care of the mind is just like not taking care of a city's water supply; it would affect the entire city and put all its inhabitants in danger. So, in Cliff Notes form, to take care of the mind is like taking care of a city's water supply: Keep it fresh, don't pollute it and, most importantly, use it. 

Keep it fresh: The mind allows us to take in information, process it and spit out new information, creating a kind of brain cycle (just like there's a water cycle). It's important to refresh your mind with new information and new tasks to keep it fresh and ready to learn. Don't go stagnant and let information sit and get old. Keep learning new things and processing new ideas with others. New ideas are fresh ideas.

Don't pollute it: The mind is a funny thing. It learns behaviors and is easily trained to certain patterns and functions. This can be good, of course, but it can also be bad when filling the mind with the wrong sorts of things. Just like eating habits, it's easy to fill the mind with junk and not the kind of stuff that makes it healthy. It's easy to spend 15 minutes mindlessly scrolling through social media absorbing all of the day's gossip, but it's hard to read a book. It's easy to look at porn, but it's hard to go meet my neighbor next door. It's easy to pollute the mind and harder to keep it clean, but I think keeping it clean is worth it. Absorb the right sorts of information in the right doses and challenge yourself. 

Use it: The mind is a gift from God, so use it; don't lose it. Don't waste it; demonstrate it. We're able to learn for a reason; so we can apply what we learn and teach it to others. Without application, teaching becomes entertainment, and frankly, we have enough entertainment to last a lifetime. Learn a new skill, teach someone your skill or simply just read a new book. Grow in wisdom, stature and knowledge. The mind is special, and if we don't use it, we're wasting one of the coolest parts about being a human- the ability to think and reason for ourselves. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: If you don't want crappy water, don't put crap in it. If you don't want a crappy mind, don't put crap in that either. 

The Heart

What's the heart of a man? Is it simply the organ inside of a body that fuels life, or is it more than that? Frankly, the term "the heart" has always been a bit confusing to me. I learned about the heart in science classes growing up, but I also learned about it in other places too. I learned about it in church, and I learned about it in sports. In church, I was always told that if I asked Jesus to "come into my heart," He would "make a home there" (Christians definitely have the weirdest way to phrase things). That was something we NEVER talked about in science class. In sports, we were taught to have the "heart of a champion" and to "play with heart." These were strange concepts to me, as well, because anytime I would hear those phrases, the only thing I could think of was the movie Rudy, for some strange reason. I guess he had a good heart, but that never really helped me with anything. There was just something missing between science class, sport, church and love. 

This always left me wondering, therefore, what is "the heart" and what does it do? . . . besides pump my blood. It seems like there are different sides to the heart. There's the physical side that we all know and love, there's the spiritual side, the emotional side and, of course, the love side. It seems like a lot for a small organ the size of my fist to be in charge of. 

Yesterday, I wrote about the importance of taking care of what's on the inside of a person, being the heart, the mind and the soul. Now, I want to wrap that up by writing about each of these things individually, starting with the heart.

How can we take care of the heart when it seems there are so many different sides to it and so many different beliefs about it? How can we take care of what is taking care of us? I believe the answer is giving life. I believe the key to taking care of the heart is by giving it life, just as it gives us life. Give your heart something to live for:

Physically: As your heart pumps blood through your body to your muscles and organs, use those muscles and organs. Give your heart a reason to keep sending blood to the rest of your body. Go outside and sweat, work and play. Enjoy the blessings of a body full of life and use the life it gives you to give life right back to it.

Emotionally: What gives you life? Who gives you joy? Find these things and these people and invest in them, love them and be thankful for them. The "heart of a champion" and a heart that's in love are hearts full of passion and selflessness. If we emotionally invest in the people and passions in our lives, surely our hearts can experience life. 

Spiritually: There is no greater joy I've found in my life than when my heart is living for something Greater than me. It's hardwired into me that I experience true life when I'm not living for myself, but for Someone and Something that is much greater than me. It's far more than having Jesus "make a home in my heart." It's about Him giving me a completely new heart and living not only for Him, but because of Him. This is where life is really experienced and where my heart has not just something to live for, but Someone to live for. 

Take care of your heart. It keeps you alive, after all.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Give the heart life, just as it gives us life. 

If it's what's on the inside that counts, why don't I count it?

There's an old, country song by Lonestar called 'Front Porch Looking In.' It's a great tune, if you're into the whole country/western scene. It's about a man who has a great piece of open land to work and farm with a great view from his porch (sounding like most country songs at this point); however, the catch comes when the writer claims that his best view is actually the view from his front porch looking into his home where he can see his wife, kids and family. Essentially, it's a song that speaks to the idea that it's what's on the inside that counts.

We've all heard that saying before: "It's what's on the inside that counts." It's a saying we use to point to the heart of a person, rather than what's on the outside. It's been a saying used to overcome racism and so much more. Being such an important saying that I reckon most everyone would agree with in some form or fashion, it amazes me at just how little we in fact work to take care of what's on the inside.

If it's what's on the inside that counts, why don't we take care of it as much as we take care of our outside? Why don't we make taking care of our hearts, minds and souls a priority? It's so easy to take care of the outside. After all, that's what everyone sees, so that's what should matter the most, right? Everyone can see hair, clothes and skin, so we wash it, brush it and clothe it with the best we can afford. It's a priority to shower every day and put deodorant on (as it should be, especially if you're a man), but why isn't it a priority to wash and cleanse the heart, mind and soul every day?

A big personal conviction of this comes with going to the gym and eating healthy. I'll spend anywhere from an hour to two hours a day at the gym, making sure my body stays fit, while I'll spend (maybe) 20 minutes reading, writing or reflecting in order to assure my 'insides' are doing okay. I'll spend lots of time at the grocery store trying to pick out healthy-ish items I can put in my body to assure I'm receiving all the nutrients I need, but how much time do I spend looking at what I'm putting into my heart, mind and soul to assure that those aspects of my life will remain healthy? Not much, I can tell you that.

It even comes down to when someone asks how I am. My outside is fine, so I say I'm fine. I'm feeling physically good, so I must be good. But what about what counts? What about the inside of the man? Odds are, they aren't usually as good because I don't spend as much of my time taking care of what's on the inside compared to what's on the outside, and I won't tell anyone about that part of my life because that's only for me to know. 

If it's what's on the inside that counts, I should be more apt to care about what I'm putting 'inside' of me (and I'm not just talking about vegetables). If I want my heart, mind and soul to be healthy, it's important to exercise those areas of life just as much, if not more than, I exercise my physical self. When someone asks how I am, maybe it's time to be honest about how I am, both on the outside and the inside. I just want to be healthy, and I want you to be too. Let's take care of our insides this week. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: If it's what's on the inside that counts, count it, take care of it, and exercise it. 

Jesus & Beer

Today, one of the teaching pastors at my church is going to teach me how to brew beer.

^That's a sentence I never thought I would say.

Being taught how to make an alcoholic beverage by someone from the church is something I never thought could happen. As a matter of fact, any sort of relation between alcohol and the church is something I never thought could happen. The only relations to alcohol and the church I ever experienced were negative, aside from the occasional mentioning of Jesus turning water into wine. To be quite honest, alcohol was as much of a mystery to me as it was wrong to partake in.

The first drink I ever had came when I was between the ages of seven and ten when I was watching my grandpa cook fried chicken in the back yard. He was drinking a beer, and because I was between the ages of seven and ten, I just assumed it was root beer, so I took a swig. It wasn't root beer. 

My mom would have the occasional glass of wine around the house during the holidays, but aside from that, I was never really exposed to any alcohol in my day to day life. A plus to that was that the temptation to drink was never really there because I never really knew anything about it (other than that it tasted terrible (from my one memory)). However, a negative to that was that I really only saw the two extremes of alcohol. I would go to OSU football games on Saturdays and see fans walking around smashed and then go to church on Sundays and hear never to drink alcohol at all because it would ruin my witness for Christ. When someone is exposed to two extremes and two extremes only, the only option really becomes to follow one of those two extremes. I chose the latter of the two. 

After I went to college and turned 21, I still chose not to drink, not necessarily because I thought it was wrong, but more because I didn't understand it. I would hear stories of friends going out and getting "black-out" drunk, but I would also hear stories of friends going to grab "a beer," and grabbing "a beer" was a new concept to me; It wasn't an extreme. Not long after that, I had my first real drink and went to grab "a beer" with a roommate of mine who grew up coming from the same background. Guess what. We didn't get drunk. Guess what else. We didn't do anything wrong.

Not long after college, I moved to Seattle, and after I moved to Seattle, I moved to Australia. Both Seattle and Australia are quite different than Oklahoma. Some would say they are more "liberal," and others would say they're "ahead of the times." I'm not sure what I would call it, but I've definitely learned a lot from both, and one thing I've learned is that it's okay to to grab "a beer." It's okay to have a drink and read the Bible at the same time, it's okay to meet a group of guys at the pub for small group and i'm not always going to "lose my witness" or sin by doing any of these things. 

It's still weird for me to say that for a long time, I didn't drink because it was a mystery to me, not because I thought it was wrong. I understand that alcohol can be the most addicting drug and that alcohol is the cause of nearly six percent of all deaths, but I also understand that many things can become addictions and that 96 percent of all deaths are caused by other things. Moderation and mystery are the keys. Be responsible and understand that there are right and wrong ways to drink, for Christians and non-Christians. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding because He came to bring joy. The party is better with Jesus. 

The "What if" Game

When I was little, I would play this game with my parents or older cousins called the "What if?" game. It was a simple game, in my opinion, because it was easy for me, while it guaranteed that whoever I played with would be annoyed out of their minds. Keep in mind, however, that I never told anyone I was playing this game, I would just start playing it. I would begin by thinking of some outlandish subject that only 7-year-olds can think of and formulate a question out of that subject. After asking the first question, I would proceed to ask even more outlandish "what if" questions to each and every response that was given to me. A game would generally look like this:

Me: "How will Santa bring me toys if we're staying in a hotel?"
Mom: "He will bing them grandma and grandpa's house."
Me: "'What if' he doesn't go to their house because they've been bad?"
Mom: "Grandparents are never bad."
Me: "'What if' they are?"
Mom: "Then they'll get coal and you won't."
Me: "'What if' they're allergic to coal and have to go to the hospital?"
Mom: (finally annoyed) "Austin, hush, or you will get all the coal."

It was a GREAT game, except for one thing: it taught me to question everything with "what if."

Do you ever have those moments in life when you're flat out confused while facing a big decision and have no idea what to do? You could choose one thing, but then the "what if" question comes into play. "What if" the other thing is better? "What if" I'm wrong?" "What if" I choose this and not that and the entire earth explodes because I made the wrong decision? <--- That's pretty much my thought process most of the time. I take big decisions and turn them into world-altering determinations. I can go from trying to figure out what to have for dinner to determining that if I don't eat a salad at least once a day I'll gain 50 pounds within the next two years in a matter of seconds. It's a gift.

But really? What's the best way to approach big decisions while avoiding the "what if's" and "grass is always greener on the other side" sayings? After all, no one likes the word regret. I'm at this time in my life where big decisions seem to be a part of the daily schedule. I definitely believe that some of life's biggest decisions come between the ages of 18-25. We're forced to choose whether or not to go to school, where to go to school, what to study in order to choose what career path to take, and then where to live and start a life. It's quite a lot that can happen in seven years, and it's also a seven-year period in which 18-25 year-olds are experiencing a lot of changes themselves in who they are and who they want to be. It's like puberty all over again (without as much acne, but more hair loss). 

I know there are ways out there to help with decision making, but sometimes those are just as frustrating as the decisions themselves. I understand that it's good to be a team player. It's great to bring other people into the decision-making process and to seek advice, but what if the advice they give isn't the advice you want to hear (even though you know they're probably right)? That's always humbling. Then there's the tactic of ignoring decisions. Maybe if I don't make a decision the opportunity or problem will go away. That doesn't always work either, and I've found it's hard to go anywhere, in general or in life, when decisions aren't made. With that, maybe it's just best to simply make a decision and 'go with the gut.' You know that special gut-feeling you get deep down when you feel like something is right or wrong. Maybe that's the secret.

For now, that's what I'm going to do: 'Go with the gut.' However, I can't help but wonder if I'm the only one playing the "what if" game, and if anyone else is playing, are there any tips to the game I don't know about? If you're another "What if" gamer, past or present, share some of your cheats. I'd be interested to hear them.

- Cliff

Cliff's Note: Go with the gut. 

The Art of Staying In Touch

We all know how amazingly disconnected Western civilization has becoming in the past decade or so, with the advent of social media. It was initially thought that being so [digitally] connected would lead to deeper, more satisfying relationships. But alas, that has not been the case. We’re more disconnected than we’ve ever been. I mean, when you think about it, how many neighbors can you name on your street or in your apartment complex? When was the last time you had a conversation of significance with a person you just met? How many of the people you were “doing life” with just 5 years ago do you maintain contact with?

My ability to stay in touch with people through the years seems marveling to some. My best friend and my wife (two different people, but my wife is my best friend too) have separately remarked at how amazed they are that I’m able to maintain so many relationships that aren’t an everyday presence in my life. I guess it’s why Cliff asked me to chime in on the subject, being that we’ve barely really known each other for a year but maintain significant contact whilst he’s galavanting around Australia!

Having been in ministry for over 15 years, many of which were spent working with students, I’ve come to know a lot of people - and many of them I feel personally invested in. So when it comes to staying in touch and keeping up with people, it’s quite simple for me. When I think of someone - and being a Christ-follower, I believe the Holy Spirit is the one bringing them to mind - I take a moment to connect. Life is busy, right? We don’t always have time for a phone chat, but what about a text or e-mail? It’s usually not long, perhaps, “Hey, you came to mind - hope you’re doing well, and praying for you.” 

Because I believe that every life is valuable, and that God put people in my life in different seasons for different reasons - whether for my growth and progress or theirs - I’m genuinely concerned with the happenings of their life. Will they call me or shoot back this amazing update of their life? Probably not - they might not even respond. But will it serve as a moment to reconnect our lives, and perhaps encourage one another? Probably.

Whether it’s been 2 months or 4 years, when the people that mean (or have meant) something to your life come to mind, don’t just shrug it off. Reach out and connect. You never know if you’re the person they’ve needed to talk to for where they are or what they’re going through… or if they’re the person you need to talk through life with. How many times have you been going through life, doing your thing, and randomly wonder if anyone cares? Taking a moment to send a text, write an e-mail, post to Facebook, tweet or however you choose to “reach out and touch someone”, is taking a moment to say, “I care about you.”

Isn’t it amazing that the things that enrich our lives the most really cost us so little? Who is it that you’ve wondered lately, or off and on through the years, how they’re doing? Who’s the person or people that randomly come to mind that you haven’t talked to in a while? What are the moments that you think were some of the best in your life, and who did you share them with that you haven’t connected with in a while? What would it cost to say, “Hey, I was thinking about you… how’s it going?” What might you stand to gain?

- Bryant

Cliff’s Note: The key to staying connected in our disconnected digital age is intentionality.

This was a guest post done by my good friend, Bryant Jones, pastor at The Commons Church in Seattle. Big thanks to him for contributing to Cliff Notes on a topic he knows a lot about.

The O(h)!cean

For the past few days, Emily and I have been holidaying around Fiji, The Great Barrier Reef and Sydney. Since so much of our time has been spent in the tropics, we've been at the beach a lot. With the beach comes the ocean, and with the ocean comes rest, relaxation and the handiwork of God Himself. I'm feeling refreshed and full of a new sense of how God manifested himself in Creation, all for the glory of Himself. 

This may be an opinion, but I believe there's nothing on earth quite like standing beside the ocean. It's completely different than standing next to any pond, lake or river. The ocean is unique to itself, while other bodies of water seem almost hypocritical compared to its vastness. The way it seems to breathe on you with a steady breeze that can be felt coming off of it constantly is something like the sign of life coming from underneath it. The vastness of it stretching further than any eye can see and seeming to disappear somewhere way off in the distance leaves no room for judgment on those who came before us believing the earth was flat and that if you went too far you'd fall off.

Honestly, if God were to wrap Himself up in one natural resource, I believe it would be the ocean. The ocean gives life and takes it, while we sailors merely skim the surface. It covers 70 percent of the earth, while raindrops only form it. It's peaceful and chaotic, and it's absolutely magnificent how it all works. The power coming from the sea can be enough to destroy entire cities and yet gentle enough to float along the shore on a lazy current. It's like the gateway to Heaven that God holds the door to. While we can only see the surface, below it hides a completely different, underwater world full of beautiful colors, life and buried treasure. It's a world we hear about but don't necessarily understand until we see it, and although we can see parts of it, it's something we can never see the entirety of, just like our Creator.

I believe it's true: "This world can be ugly, but isn't it beautiful?"

What are some parts of nature that make you feel small or in awe? Take some time this week and spend a few moments with whatever that is, trees, mountains or fields, and feel small. It'll be good; trust me. 

- Cliff

Cliff's Note: "A smooth sea never made for a skillful sailor."

My Hypocrisy Behind Hope

Fun fact: I used to be an actor.  

This one time in college, I played the role of Oklahoma State University's mascot, Pistol Pete. I played him, but I wasn't him; I wasn't the actual Frank 'Pistol Pete' Eaton. I was never a lawman who avenged his father's death, and I've never had a mustache. No matter how well I learned to twirl a gun or walk like I'd ridden a horse 2,000 miles, I wasn't actually him. It's one thing to pretend to be someone, and it's one thing to actually be someone. It's also one thing to say something, and it's another thing to actually do it.  

I heard a great illustration the other day that went something like this: 

pastor to congregation: how many of you believe in John 3:16? Anyone who believes in Jesus receives eternal life. How many of you have banked your life on that verse? 

congregation: (most everyone raises their hands)

pastor: That's great! Wonderful. Okay, now how many of you believe I can shoot this balloon (holds up balloon half-way blown up) with this BB gun? 

congregation: (90% of people raise their hands) 

pastor: Ah, I see you all have a lot of faith in me. Okay, how many of you would hold the balloon in your hand out to the side while I shoot it? 

congregation: (30% of people raise their hands)

pastor: Okay and out of you all, how many of you would hold the balloon in your teeth and let me shoot it? 

congregation: (one man raises his hand)  

Long story short, the pastor had the man come up and hold the balloon in his teeth, and the pastor aimed, fired and hit the balloon (much to the church's relief). It was interesting to see how many people had initial confidence in the pastor's sharp-shooting abilities, but when it came down to actually proving that trust, only one person out of everyone proved to really believe. What happens when you apply that same situation to the first question? How many folks initially say they believe in God's promises, but when it comes down to actually applying it in the real world, fall short more times than not. Personally, I would raise my hand at first, but would never, ever trust a pastor to shoot a BB gun at a balloon held between my teeth. . . Kind of like saying I would never, ever actually trust God at His Word to have complete control over my life.

I think it's called being a hypocrite (which originally meant to be an actor), and I have to admit, my acting skills are quite good. It means saying one thing, but doing another. You see, it's one thing to hear advice and not apply it, but it's another thing to give advice and not apply the advice you've given. This is something I find myself doing nearly every week. I write a blog giving advice or tips on something, and I don't take the time apply it to myself, making me a hypocrite of hypocrites. If I've given tips on getting rid of stress, what do I do the next week? I stress. I'm a hearer of the word, but not a doer of the word, and this was an issue Jesus couldn't stand.

Knowing I do this personally, I wonder how many others struggle with the same thing? Writing, speaking or giving advice to others, while all the while actually trying to write, speak and give advice to themselves to deal with what their personally struggling with. It's a situation of trying to give help to others while also giving hope to oneself, and sadly I find there's a lot of hypocrisy behind the hope I try to give. The tricky part, really, is actually believing in the hope and applying the words given. For instance, if I write that writing things down relieves stress, do I believe it enough to practice it throughout the week? So far, I usually don't. I find the same types of hypocrisy struggles in my faith life. I say I believe the word of God and all of His promises, but I don't often apply it to my life. It's quite difficult to trust God's plan, or if I do decide to 'trust' His plan or commands, I always have mine as a back up 'just in case.' It's just safer and easier to know that I have things under control.

Talk is cheap, and hypocrisy is cheaper, which may be why I'm so apt to buy into it a majority of the time. Pray for me as I continue to search for the courage, strength and boldness to apply what I write so I can begin to take not only others more seriously, but myself more seriously, as well. 

-Cliff 

Cliff's Note: Talk is cheap, and hypocrisy is cheaper. Don't buy it. 

Lessons from the 'Land Down Under'

There's nothing quite like looking out over the city of Adelaide at night from the hills that tower above the city's skyscrapers. The city literally twinkles, and it's one of the only cities in the world that does so. It's a special place due to it's location where the warmth of the ground creates an upward convection current of air, which refracts the 'twinkling' lights (for all you science nerds out there). If you look out over lights at night, it's as if the city is winking at you from thousands of different eyes, and let me tell you; it's spectacular. 

Mid-semester break is approaching in just 7 days, and we have a two week trip planned to visit Sydney, The Great Barrier Reef and the Fiji islands (you know, where they make that delicious water that costs $5/bottle). It should be a great time to experience some of my favorite things: beaches, friends, exploring, reflecting and food. . . lots of good food. 

Summer is on its way here, and as the seasons are changing, so are the reasons why I thought I was moving here. I have loved my time in Australia, and as in any place one goes, there's always something to learn. Just as one discovers why he loves home when he leaves it, one also discovers home is not all there is to this world we call 'home.' Here are a few things I've learned from this 'Land Down Under' culture that I've been grateful to experience:

1) No time around the dinner table is time wasted
There is something to be said for sitting around a table as a family and sharing a meal. Sure, the meal may only last 20 minutes and the food might just be frozen pizza, but we may sit there for two hours. The meal itself isn't the point. The point is the people, the family. The dinner table is a special place where time just melts away. As stories, advice and jokes are shared, family is formed and love happens. My family valued the time around the dinner table, and I'm stoked to say the family I'm living with here values it just the same. Remember: round, square, short or tall, tables are precious to us all, especially dinner tables. 

2) Stop and smell the roses
If there's one thing I struggle with, it's struggling to find something to do with my hands. I'm the type of guy who's always on the go, always looking for something to do and always trying to be proactive; however, it's about time I've learned to stop and smell the roses. Sometimes it's okay to chill, sometimes it's okay to have a lazy day, and sometimes it's okay to 'piddle.' It shows a great deal of selfish pride to believe I have to do everything myself and that the world will fall apart if I don't. God made it, He takes care of it, and if I don't check my email every day, the world isn't going to go to hell in a hand basket. Let's slow down on this journey of life and sniff a flower or two along the way. 

3) Holidays for days
I don't know if it's because Aussies live hundreds or thousands of miles away from any other civilization, or if it's because they just love to travel, but forreal; Aussies have the best holidays (vacations). They know how to rest well and not make work their entire life. It seems most everyone I talk to here seeks to travel and see the world, and their culture allows for it. It's not uncommon for folks to take months off of work to visit Europe or America and broaden their world view. I've loved hearing the stories of folks' travel experiences and their thoughts on why work isn't life and life isn't work. 

4) Short words are more fun
If you want to change a word to Australian slang, just take off the last three to five letters of it, and add an 'ies.' That's right, they shorten everything over here, and honestly it just makes everything seem a little more fun as you say it. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Sunnies - Sunglasses
• Uni - College
• Millie - Our family's dog
• Brekkie - Breakfast
• Barbie - Barbecue
• Lollie - Candy
  
  Use one this week, and see how many weird looks you get.

5) Choose to smile
A huge thing I've learned since I've been here is that you can choose to smile, or you can choose to frown. Most people I've met choose to smile. Regardless of the day I've had at work or how bad traffic was on the way home, I can actually choose  to walk through the front door with a smile and love those inside to the best of my ability and not take whatever 'bad' happened in my day out on them. It's true it's not good to fake it, and if something's wrong, something's wrong, but it's also true that the action of love starts as a choice, not a feeling. 

Here's to learning life's lessons together from the 'Land Down Under.' 

- Cliff

Cliff's Note: Just as one discovers why he loves home when he leaves it, one also discovers home is not all there is to this world we call 'home.'

What's your 'Christianese' for 'porn'? Just say it.

Last weekend, I attended a conference here in Adelaide called the Lifewell Conference. It was a conference that addressed some of the issues that effect our day-to-day cultural and societal experiences. With that, the conference had a speaker who addressed the issues of porn and the objectification of women, followed by a breakout session. I couldn't believe some of the graphics the woman showed us that were being displayed in our mainstream media; however, more so than that, I couldn't believe how many men seemed unaffected by what we'd just seen and heard. Out of all of the conference attendees, only five guys stayed around for that breakout session, compared to the 20 or so women who showed up (mostly concerned for their sons). I say all that to say this: Guys, where are you at, and why aren't we talking about this more?

As a 24-year-old raging, hormonic male, I would be flat out lying if I said don't struggle with lust or haven't struggled with porn. It's an issue I truly believe 99 percent of all men deal with, but only 50 percent talk about. It's been an issue ever sense Adam saw the fruit and wanted what he couldn't have. 

For some, porn is something to be proud of for watching. For Christians, it's a shameful thing that we're proud to watch when no one's looking. Let's face it, what is there stopping us? It's easy enough to pull it up on our smartphones or computers, erase it from our search history and pretend it never happened. There's no consequence, and in reality, it's rare that anyone could ever find out. Plus, what's more manly than sitting in front of a computer screen with your pants around your ankles? 

It's true, porn is a problem; However, as much as porn is the problem, it's not the only problem. It's also fear, shame and cowardliness. We are cowards while we feel, for a short time, empowered. So many times in Christian circles, we're scared to even say the word 'porn.' It's a word we bounce around and replace with "I stumbled," "secret sin" or the infamous "unspoken." As is said in Harry Potter, "Fear of the name only increases fear for the thing itself."  We don't address the real issues because we won't address the real word for fear of shame and the 'what will others think' syndrome. If we're scared to say the word porn, we're going to be terrified to admit we're actually watching it. 

Just as we hide behind our screens, we hide behind our shame. We're scared to tell even those closest to us, whether it's our best friends, mentors or our brothers and sisters in Christ. We pray for forgiveness, but where then after is the repentance? If and when we do confess to each other, we often receive an, "It's okay. There's grace for that" comeback, without any real challenge or consequence. Here's the deal, though. I don't believe there's just grace to be had. I believe there's more than that - there's power.

Just as God has given us grace upon grace, He has also, and more so, given us the power of His Spirit to overcome the bondage many of us have struggled with in regards to lust, porn and adultery. We have not been given a Spirit of shame, but of boldness, and we have not been given a Spirit of slavery, but of freedom and new life. 

This week, let us begin to be bold and free. Let us simply confess and say the word 'porn' if we need to. The secret to battling porn is talking about it, openly, not awkwardly. Find accountability that actually holds you accountable. Tell someone, anyone, and just talk about it because I promise, you're not alone. If you can't think of anyone to talk to, talk to me. I'd love to trade struggle stories and challenge one another. Let us not be cowards. I promise you this, friends: We will not experience freedom until we experience fearlessness.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: We will not experience freedom until we experience fearlessness

A Post About Coffee

I never thought I would say this before the age of 40, but here it goes: I like coffee.

Okay, maybe lattes aren't a manly man's coffee, but it's still quite a step for me. I once vowed at the ripe age of six to never drink coffee again after trying a sip of my dad's piping hot cup of Folger's and spitting it out all over him (who can blame me though; it was Folger's). As a kid and a teenager, I always thought coffee was a drink meant for coffee dad or for men and women over the age of 40 who wanted something to sip on in the morning while discussing world problems and local gossip. I never thought it was actually something my friends or I would ever like. It was brown and bitter, like liquid earwax.

Oh, how wrong I was. 

From the mountains in Peru to the streets of Seattle, coffee is everywhere. It's an import and an export, and it's a kickstart to many individuals' day worldwide. There are even worldwide coffee competitions now known as battles of the baristas to find out who pours the best lattes. From the retired 'regulars' meeting at the local diner at 5 a.m. to shoot the breeze, to the college student studying for a final exam at 5 p.m., there's no doubt that it really is 5 o'clock somewhere when it comes to coffee.

Coffee isn't just a drink for 'old people;' Coffee is a culture, and here's why:

1) Coffee stokes energy
It's 8 a.m., and you're on your way to work, but you can't seem to keep your eyes open. What do you do? Coffee. It's 11 p.m. and you have a paper due at 12 a.m., and you're only halfway done. What do you do? Coffee. It's -10 degrees outside, there's a tornado on its way and you're out of toilet paper. What do you do? Coffee. It gets you where you need to be. It gives you the energy you need to get there, and it helps give you that caffeine fix in a way that isn't quite as unhealthy as a soda. Moderate intakes of coffee can definitely help improve your morning mood, energy and memory levels. Try it. Just don't get addicted to it or anything.

2) Coffee builds community
Have you ever seen a group of men or women sitting around a table with cups of fresh, steaming coffee in front of them? You'd have thought time didn't exist. They could sit there and talk forever about nothing but make it seem like everything. People meet day in a day out just to sit and share life over a cup of ground up beans mixed with hot water - that's fascinating, and I don't understand it, especially since many of these meetings occur before 7 a.m. There's just something about coffee that builds relationships and friendships and that brings life to a community.

3) Coffee means coffee shops
Coffee shops are awesome, and I mean that in the least hipster way possible. There is just something about the atmosphere. The sounds, the smells, the subtle music in the background and the warmth felt from the place and the people just bring a certain vibe that are unique to coffee shops. They are places that coax creativity and relax restlessness. They are folks' home away from home and work, and they provide that un-awkward place to meet people for the first time, whether it's on a first date or for a business meeting. Coffee shops are that 'safe' third place that people feel like they can meet at in neutrality to talk, work or find relationship. The coffee shop has become this 21st century version of the well in the New Testament where people from all over a community can meet, greet and hangout. You can get to know the workers, and the workers can get to know you, and there's just something special about people getting to know each other.

Yes, I once was a coffee hater, but now I think I'll go get some later. It's 3 a.m. here, so I'll definitely be needing it in the morning. Here's my challenge for the week: go share a cup of coffee with someone, anyone. Go on a date, meet a friend or call me up if you can't find anyone else. I would love to join you.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Coffee isn't just for 'old people;' it's for community. 

So You've Found Your 'Calling;' Now What?

On the kitchen wall of the family's home I live in here in Australia reads this verse from Ephesians 4:

"Live a life worthy of the calling you've received."

If only it were that easy (sigh). It's always easier said than done.

If finding and answering my calling in life was as easy as finding and answering the calls on my iPhone, life would be easy. Unfortunately though, we can't pick life up in one hand and swipe it to the right in order to discover what's next. It usually takes lots of prayer, thought, obedience and more prayer. There's just something about finding life's 'calling' that all people strive for. We all want to love our careers and be able to explore our passions and share those passions with others in order to make some sort of a difference in the world. It's something I've thought about and prayed for a lot, especially since I've graduated college and begun to travel more and broaden my world view. Since then, God has been faithful, and I believe He's shown me my calling in life, but now that He has, what's next and what do I from here? That's the question.

I believe a lot of our calling's come from our backgrounds and upbringings. If we have past experiences that have had negative or positive impacts on our lives, we're more likely to develop passions in those areas that develop into callings and desires to help fix those problems or improve those impacts through justice and reconciliation. For example, if a person has experienced a chronic illness, they are probably highly likely to have an interest in helping cure that illness and helping those dealing with that illness. This isn't always the case, but in my case, it held true. 

I have a passion and a calling to build community. I have a burning desire to see communities come together and be transformed through the Church. It's my passion to network not just church leaders, but also community leaders together to bring unity and transformation to towns, cities and states. I want to do this by:

• writing and telling stories in an effort to change culture and
• casting vision as to why and how congregations can serve those in need
• creating conversations on key issues with key leaders
• developing relationships with leaders with the goal of serving them in their call to love their cities

As of now, I have no idea how the Lord is going to work this calling out that He's laid on my heart, but I'm confident that if He's behind, He's going to provide the answers and the resources. I come from a background of communities with many churches, and I truly believe God brought me up in those environments to help establish this calling in my life. As the saying goes:

"Our past doesn't define us, but it shapes us into who we are."

God is doing a work in His people right now to stir a sense of togetherness, and I feel led to serve in that work in whatever way He calls me to. I believe in the power of unity and in the prayer Jesus prayed hours before He was crucified when He prayed that we, His followers, would be one, as He and the Father are One, so that the world may know Him (John 17). 

I write this not to boast in a calling, but to ask for help and guidance with this calling. I write this as an encouragement to anyone else who is exploring their calling and at a loss for what's next. Pray, seek counsel and seek vision from others. We must keep pursuing our passions, stewarding the gift's He's given us well and believing that the Lord is indeed with us and has gone before us. A 'calling' isn't always a job or a career; sometimes it's just doing the thing that you love to do and sharing that thing with others. If you want to be a writer, blog. If you want to be an athlete, go play pick-up games with friends. If you want to be a musician, play with your church worship band. Pursue passion.  

As I said earlier, I'm still praying and seeking what these next steps are with the calling I've received. I would love anyone's help, support or vision if you have any insight, thoughts or ideas (or if you share the same passion that would be amazing too), so please comment or get in touch with me if you have anything you'd like to share. We can grab a cup of coffee or have a FaceTime session. As for now, I'll continue to fill auto part orders in a warehouse in Adelaide, Australia knowing that I am where I am now for a reason and that it is only preparing me for something more in the future. 

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Don't try to change the world, but instead find something you love to do and do it every day. Through that and the passion that comes from that, the world will change. 

3 Tips to Sink Stress

I'm so sick of worry, and for a guy with "Hakuna Matata" (it means no worries!) tattooed on his left bicep, I sure do worry a lot. Worry wakes me up every morning like an alarm clock going off in my head at 8 a.m. It never fails; as soon as I open my eyes, the thoughts, worries and troubles of not just that day or that week, but the thoughts worries and troubles of 10 years down the road, creep into my head like a lion ready to devour me.

For example, here were a few of this morning's meaningless worries that woke me up that have no real inclination on my life:

• What if I lose my job and can't pay my rent
• What if I don't have enough money to go on vacations 
• What if I have a daughter and she doesn't like me

Notice, they're all "what if's," and most of them deal with money. Worry is evil, prideful and sinful and to see its evidence in my life makes me cringe. If you're like me and full of anxieties, here are a few tips I'm going to be implementing into my own life to help chunk up the deuces to worry and his friends. 

1) Write it Down
There is something about checking things off a list that make me feel productive. In turn, there's something equally satisfying about writing things on a list so as to get them out of my head. Putting thoughts and worries down on paper, whether it's a chore, an errand to run or a future worry, helps take the nagging stress away of having to remember to get that task done. It also helps make that future worry not seem like such a reality. When I read, "I'm worried about having a daughter that won't like me" on paper, it helps me remember that, "Oh! I'm not married, and oh! there is 0 percent chance Emily is pregnant." Poof. Worry gone. 
Write stuff down. Get stuff done. 

2) Ask for Help
I've come to realize that asking for help is not as bad as it seems. I'm not talking about asking for mental help, like from a psychiatrist, but help for getting tasks done if there's too much on your plate. One thing that cause high stress and high worry is having too much going on at once. Whether it's work, family stuff or just day to day life, asking for help can indeed be helpful. Not only is it a sign of humility, but you'll also find that if you ask people that you love and that love you for their help, more times than not, they will be happy to help because they do indeed love you and want to help you. When you ask for help, you begin to talk about your worries openly and get them out of your own hands. As the African proverb goes:

If you want to go fast go alone; if you want to go far go together.

3) Give it God
It's never really occurred to me until recently that worry is a sign of pride. Worry says that "I have to take care of this, that and the other," and it says "All these thoughts are my own, and I'm going to take care of them myself." It's such arrogance, really. In reality, the key to overcoming worry is to hand all our worries over to Someone who cares for us and can take care of all our worries. That person is God. It says in 1 Peter 5:

"Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God so that at the right time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him because He cares for you."

If we become humble enough to admit our worries to Him and humble enough to say, "This (insert worry here) is really stressing me out, Lord. I trust you with it. You are in control. You'll take care of it because You take care of me," then surely we will begin to experience freedom from the day to day thoughts that weigh us down. 

-Cliff

Do you have any tactics for battling worry yourself? If so, I'd love to hear them. Leave a comment below with whatever it is that helps you sink your stress.

Cliff's Note: He'll take care of it because He takes care of you.

What I'm Reading:
Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
 

Why Jesus Knows it all and I don't

If you could wake up tomorrow with any superpower, what super power would you want?

The ability to fly? Invisibility? Being extremely rich to turn into the next Batman or Ironman?

I used to be a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger, and that was okay, but I think now I'd pick the ability to teleport so I could be anywhere at any time in an instant . . . it seems like a good way to see the world at a low cost without having to rely on frequent flyer miles. Honestly though, Some super powers are just better than others. For instance, I'd much rather have super strength than the ability to tie my shoe laces with my mind. That would be lame . . . like so lame I might not even show it for show and tell day. Another super power that, personally, would be rough to have would be the ability to know everything. Just think, you may always get A's in school, but you'd always know what people thought about you . . . the good and the bad and you probably wouldn't have many friends because you'd be a (here it comes) "know-it-all." Really, I just think there's one Person that could have that super power and be able to pull it off well, and thankfully He does.

In the Bible, there is a really special underlying story that takes place in John 13, 18 and 21 between Jesus and Peter. Most commonly, this is the story of Peter's denial of Jesus, but in reality there is so much more to it than that.

In John chapter 13, Jesus predicts that Peter will deny him, while Peter is convinced that he would easily lay down his life for Jesus. Then, in chapter 18, we read that not only does Peter not lay down his life for Jesus, but he openly denies even knowing Him THREE times. That would be like me denying that I even know my best friend not once, not twice, but three times in public while I've actually gone to school with him, ate with him and shared life with him for three years . . . not to mention he's also standing in front of a jury about to be convicted of a crime I personally know he did not commit.

Ouch.

However, in chapter 21 we find Jesus offering Peter a chance for not only redemption, but also a chance to see why Jesus is still bros with Peter, post-denial. Jesus has defeated death by this point and has resurrected from the dead. Now, He's just making the occasional guest appearance at disciple events and proving that He is indeed alive. The disciples have just come back from a morning of fishing when they see Jesus on the shore waving them in for breakfast. As they sit by the fire, Jesus has this amazing conversation with Peter that goes a little bit like this:

Jesus: "Do you love me?"
Peter: "Yes, Lord. You know I love you."
Jesus: "Feed my lambs. Do you love me?"
Peter: "Yes, Lord. You know I love you."
Jesus: "Tend my sheep. Do you love me?"
Peter (probably slightly irritated at this point at being asked the same question three times and references to sheep): "Lord, you know everything; you know I love you."
Jesus: "Feed my sheep."

Don't get me wrong, the fact that Jesus let Peter redeem himself three times after he denied Him three times is a beautiful picture, but what's even more spectacular to me is the way Peter says Jesus knows He loves him. It's this beautiful picture of Peter knowing Jesus loves Him despite his mistakes. Even though Jesus knew Peter would deny him, Jesus still knew Peter's true heart. Regardless of what Peter's flesh did, Jesus still knew Peter's true love for Him because Jesus, being Lord of all, has the gift of knowing everything. Jesus knows us. He knows me, and He knows you. Regardless of how broken and messed up we as humans can be, He knows where our hearts truly reside.

-Cliff

Cliff's Note: Despite our flesh failing, Jesus' love doesn't, and we can know that because He knows us. 

What I'm Reading:
Wild at Heart by John Eldridge
The letter of First Peter

3 Perks to Growing Up

Let's face it; there's just something scary about becoming a "grown up." Grown ups have to pay the taxes, grown ups have to get real jobs that last longer than 4 hours a day, and grown ups have to take care of not only themselves, but also other actual living beings (wives, babies, etc.). That's scary.

I'm on the cusp of turning the ripe age of 24, and a huge part of me wants to go back to being a seventh grade boy. As a seventh grader, the only real thing I had to worry about was what time baseball practice was and what day the garbage needed to be taken out. However, now that I've graduated college and fallen in love and gotten a fiancé, I realize that being a seventh grade boy is no longer a viable option and that growing up is probably my next best option, no matter how scary that may seem.

As the realities of becoming an adult become more and more clear, here are a few of the ideas I've chosen to focus on to help make growing up something to look forward to more than something to fear:

1) Adults get to do cool things
There are a lot of not cool things that adults have to do, and there are a lot of not cool things adults do when they are trying to be cool, but there is no doubt that adults get to do cool things . . . much cooler things than seventh graders. From age 16 and on, the things you get to do become cooler and cooler. From being able to drive, voting, being able to drink and car insurance rates going down, getting older provides a lot of pretty neat opportunities. After a certain point, parents even begin to trust you a little more and you get a little more freedom- like being able to move halfway around the world or something crazy like that. The truth is, without growing up, doing some of life's coolest things wouldn't be possible, and none of us would have hit puberty. AND WE GET TO MAKE MONEY.

2) No more bedtime
Remember those lousy curfews that you had growing up starting at age 3? First it was bed time at 7 p.m., and then it was be back home by 11 p.m. (9 p.m. on school nights). Well guess what, adults don't have bedtimes. Adults also get to get married, have kids and tell those kids they have bedtimes and what better fun is it to get together with your best friend every night and send your little God-given creations off to bed at 7 p.m. so you and your significant other can finally get some of that alone time you've been seeking after since high school. But really, I can't think of anything quite as exciting about growing up as having a family, wife and kids and doing life together through the good times and the 'bed' times (sorry- I had to get my one dad joke in).

3) Growing up is God's plan
You may have a god, and you may have a plan, but you don't always have God's plan. In reality, His ideas are always much better than mine, making His plans always much better than mine. I may think it's a great idea to stay 14-years-old all my life so I can play baseball, have a squeaky voice and have my parents drop me off at the movies, but praise the Lord He doesn't think that's a great idea. I've found it super comforting to reflect on one of my favorite Remember the Titans quotes, which also happens to originally come from Isaiah 40, "Even youth grow tired and weary, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not grow faint." No matter how young or old I am, I'm going to get tired. I'm going to experience trial, change and adversity, but as long as I'm putting my trust in the Grace of God, I can run the race set out for me regardless of how old I get. There is adventure to be had, and that adventure is only going to more epic the older I get as I grow in wisdom and understanding. 

Cliff's note: There will always be life after death and taxes.

- Cliff

What I'm reading:
Wild at Heart by John Eldredge
1 Samuel
the Gospel of John

Applebee's Knows My Neighbor Better Than Me

I feel like I don’t know my neighbor.

To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever really known my neighbor. Whether it was at the same exact house I lived in for 18 years of my life in Duncan, Okla., either of the 4 different places I lived in college or in my residence in Seattle, I don’t think I’ve ever known my neighbor. Quite frankly, that’s sad.

As introverted as I am, it makes meeting people exhausting for me. Yet at the same time, I get a lot of joy out of hearing other people’s life stories because no one’s story is ever the same. A big part of my job now is to meet with strangers on a regular basis for coffee shops and ask them about their families, their churches and their stories. It’s super intriguing, and you’d be amazed at the amount of info someone will share if you just ask them – even after just meeting one time.

As I look back on all the people that I’ve lived only a stone’s toss away from, it makes me feel like someone gave me a stack of New York Time’s Best Sellers that I just poured kerosene on and lit on fire, not caring to even look past the cover. But that’s the truth, isn’t it? How quick are we to know only the cover of someone when in reality, there’s an entire novel to dive into that’s possibly better than any of the Harry Potter series. Personally, I tend to not even know the ‘covers’ of my neighbors. I couldn’t tell you a single one of my neighbors names, whether it’s anyone that has lived beside me or across the street from me. For all I know, I could’ve been living next to John Wayne’s grandson or something. The point is, I’ve really missed out.

There are only a few things I know to be true about knowing neighbors. The main one is the ‘Golden Rule, to “love your neighbor as yourself.” What if that literally means your neighbor? If it does, I’ve royally been breaking the Golden Rule for 23 years. There’s another verse in the Bible that say’s we’re to be “witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” I feel like our minds are quick to forget the “Judea and Samaria” and the places close by jumping automatically to the ends of the earth. I know when I think missions, I don’t think my neighborhood. I think Africa. For some reason, I think everyone thinks Africa . . .

This year is the first year I’ve ever had to share the same room with someone else. As a result, I have three REALLY close neighbors, each with our own twin-sized bed within six feet of each other. One of my roommates and I came to a sad, but true conclusion. We’ve been living an arm’s length away from one another for seven months, and we just went to coffee together for the first time last week. We’re friends now, and we even follow each other on Instagram.

The truth is, Applebee’s knows my neighbor better than I do, and I’ve treated the Golden Rule like fool’s gold for the past 23 years. Flying to Africa is expensive but walking next door isn’t; maybe I’ll try that.

– Cliff