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Church is boring.

Yes, I said it.

Church is boring.

There, I said it again.

Do you remember when church used to be fun? I loved hanging out with our youth group when I was a teenager. Whether it was playing paintball, delivering Christmas gifts, studying the Bible, or even painting the walls, I loved it (with the exception of sweeping dirt off the parking lots in Georgia). It was fun. Honestly, I think we could have scheduled an event to pick ticks off each other and I would have had a good time.

So what happened? Why is church boring?

Maybe church hasn’t changed. Maybe I’ve changed. Maybe the attitude I once had as a teenager has disappeared. Was it the events that made church fun? Not really. Was it the opportunity to hang out with my friends that made church fun? Not completely.

Maybe the attitude that immature 17-year-old me had needs to replace the attitude that 26-year-old me has. 17-year-old me realized the church wasn’t about me. I was there for something other than myself. I was there for Someone other than myself.

26-year-old me is bored with church. 26-year-old me wonders what the church is doing for me. How is the church serving my needs? When will the church center around 26-year-old me and cater to my needs?

17-year-old me got it. 26-year-old me is still struggling to find it.

Church hasn’t changed. I’ve changed.

And that’s why church is now boring.

[Photo Source: http://bit.ly/gmpUi6]

Collecting sports memorabilia has sort of become a hobby for me. I don’t try to buy the expensive autographed jerseys or footballs that cost $599.99. I prefer getting a hold of the memorabilia myself and finding items that are rare and not-so-ordinary. I probably inherited this from my dad. Our basement in Missouri is filled with different types of memorabilia, such as a Missouri Tigers Coke bottle that was put out after they won the Big 8 Championship, North Carolina Tar Heel and Duke Blue Devil soda that was produced after their respective National Championships, an autographed plaque of Nolan Ryan that includes a picture of his 5,000th strike out, a piece of the floor from the Tar Heels 2009 NCAA Championship, part of the St. Louis Cardinals bench, and a box of Warner’s Crunch Time cereal.

For fun, I put together a list of my 10 favorite piece of sports memorabilia. Here they are:

10. Tony Twist autographed helmet
Tony Twist played for the St. Louis Blues and was in the NHL from 1989-1999. In his entire career, he only scored 10 goals. But goals weren’t what he was known for. He was an enforcer and could mix it up with the best of them. When he was signing at a mall in St. Louis, he autographed an old-time hockey helmet for me.

9. Jerome Bettis autographed football
When the Rams moved to St. Louis, Bettis was the starting running back. He did a radio show every Monday night in the St. Louis area. Thanks to some friends, I received this autograph. He can now be seen on NBC.

8. Dirt for Yankee Stadium
This is actually on its way right now. Although I hate the Yankees, there’s no denying old Yankee Stadium is a classic ballpark, and thus it is a privilege to have a piece of the field where some of the greatest players in history played the game.

7. NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite 8 Ticket Stubs
In 2009, Memphis was the host site for one of the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 regionals for the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament. Thanks to a down economy, I was able to get cheap tickets and see my North Carolina Tar Heels defeat Gonzaga and Oklahoma and make the Final 4. Just over a week later, they hoisted the trophy as NCAA Champions!

6. Colby Rasmus autographed baseball and hat
When Colby Rasmus was in Triple A and playing for the Memphis Redbirds I attended a road series here in Nashville. I got to meet Rasmus and a few of the other players, and got him to sign my baseball and hat. (Other players I’ve seen come through Nashville: Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina, and Prince Fielder)

5. Ozzie Smith autographed baseball
My uncle got this for me in the early 90s when I was a little kid. He went down to Busch Stadium before a game and got almost all of the Cardinals to sign the baseball. He had all of the Cardinals sign in blue, except for Ozzie. Since Ozzie was my favorite player, he had him sign in black on the sweet spot. As the years have gone by, all of the signatures have smudged and blurred except for Ozzie’s. In fact, you can’t even read the other names. Ozzie’s is as clear as day…and the rest of the baseball is a big blue blur.

4. Autographed picture of Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg (of Mike & Mike in the Morning)
I got this picture courtesy of Stats, one of the guys who works on the show. He asked a trivia question on Twitter, I was the first to answer correctly, and I won the picture. This is pretty awesome considering this is my favorite morning radio show and two of my favorite non-athlete sports personalities.

3. Dirt from Busch Stadium
Like the dirt from Yankees Stadium, this is actual dirt from the field of Busch Stadium (the previous Busch Stadium). I know this seems crazy to many people, but Cardinals fans can understand. There’s just something special about that place.

2. Autographed picture of Roy Williams
Roy Williams is the current head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels’ basketball team. I received this framed picture from my parents this year for Christmas. The picture shows Roy Williams and several players from the 2009 team receiving the 2009 Championship trophy. Williams signed the picture with a vibrant silver Sharpie, adding to its feel of excellence.

1. Maurice Jones-Drew autographed jersey
This may seem like an odd choice for my #1, but it carries special meaning because Maurice Jones-Drew actually sent me this jersey. He was conducting a trivia contest on Twitter and I was the first person to answer his question correctly (notice a pattern?) For winning the contest, he sent me not just an autographed jersey, but an authentic “on field” jersey with name and number sewn on.

Other notable items:

- Jaime Garcia autographed baseball
- Rex Hudler autographed picture (one of my favorite players when I was growing up)
- Andy Benes autographed rookie card
- Game-used sports cards featuring actual pieces of game-worn jerseys from Drew Brees, Evan Longoria, Jonnny Flynn, Sean May, Ray Felton, and Vince Carter

[Photo source: http://bit.ly/fZ94Z9]

Every January people make new New Year’s Resolutions. By February 11, most people have failed or forgotten about them. It’s no surprise that weight loss is one of top resolutions. Anyone who goes to a gym (people that aren’t me) can tell you that in the month of January, the gym is crowded, machines are always taken, and membership is sky high. Within a few weeks, things get back to normal and only the faithful few remain.

That being said, I’m hoping to put a weight loss plan in place this year that is more than just a resolution destined to fail. I’m really hoping to make this work.

My big goal is to lose 30 lbs by June 1.

Here is how I plan on doing it:

- No fast food or junk food (The only exceptions being special meals at work and healthy Subway sandwiches)
- No soda or drinks that add sugar (this includes regular and diet soda)
- At least 72 ounces of water per day
- Calories under 2000 per day
- At least 30 minutes of exercise 5 days/week
- Eating foods that are low in fat and high in protein
- Using the MyFitnessPal app to track my calories, exercise, and more (It’s FREE)

Another thing that I think will help me is setting smaller goals to get to my overall goal. Right now, I’m not looking at June 1. Right now I have my eyes set on March 1. My small goal is to lose 12 lbs by March 1.

Part of the reason I’m putting this on here is for accountability. At any time, feel free to ask me how my diet/exercise is going. I’ll be honest with you. And even if no one reads this, simply posting this will help keep me accountable to me.

I know there are some like-minded people out there hoping to do the same thing during 2011. If you’re one of those people and want to help keep each other accountable, let me know. There’s strength in numbers and I’m sure we can all help each other out. But just a heads up, if you do want to get in, you better be serious about it. I don’t want to work with whiners, complainers, or people who constantly make excuses :)

[Image source: http://bit.ly/hFOsxk]

The following is a repost from September 18, 2008. It carries special meaning because of the wisdom that was shared, but also because of the people that shared their wisdom:

A couple weeks ago, I posted a blog asking people what books have influenced them in their lives. Over the past couple months, I have been asking that question to many people, including former professors and mentors of mine.

Today, I am posting the responses of President J. Matthew Pinson (President of Free Will Baptist Bible College), Dr. Kevin Hester (Professor at Free Will Baptist Bible College), and Mr. Bert Tippett (former “everything” at Free Will Baptist Bible College).

Mr. Bert Tippett
“It will be hard for me to single out many individual books. One, however, would be The Man In The Mirror, by Patrick Morley. The writings of G. Campbell Morgan and Leon Wood have also been significant in my life.

Dr. Kevin Hester
C.S. Lewis – Mere Christianity and God in the Dock
Augustine – Confessions
Loyola – Spiritual Disciplines
Anselm – Cur Deus Homo
John Wesley – Journal
Leroy Forlines – Biblical Systematics
William Golding – Lord of the Flies
John Steinbeck – East of Eden
George Orwell – Animal Farm
Aristotle – Ethics

President J. Matthew Pinson
“Several years ago, I began to read the Bible with the saints and martyrs of the church’s past. And everything they said—across centuries and millennia, across age groups and generations, across races and cultures, across geographical boundaries—sat in judgment on my narrow modern way of seeing the world. I realized that I was very narrow minded and needed to broaden my horizon, no longer interpreting the Bible and answering life’s inescapable questions from the vantage point of my small slice of reality. This was liberating for me. So I commend the Christian tradition to you. It is a liberating thing.”

Augustine of Hippo
John Calvin
Jacobus Arminius
Balthasar Hubmaier
Thomas Grantham
John Bunyan
Leo Tolstoy
C. S. Lewis
The Vanderbilt Fugitive-Agrarians
Leroy Forlines
Francis Schaeffer
Neil Postman
Kenneth Myers

One of my heroes, Mr. Bert Tippett, passed away last night. For those of you that have met him, very little needs to be said. Even if you were only around him a short time, there is no doubt you were touched by his generosity, kind spirit, and godly attitude. I’d like to share just a few thoughts with you about my relationship with Mr. Tippett and the role he played in my life.

I first met Mr. Tippett during my sophomore year of high school. I was attending the Truth and Peace Leadership Conference, and Mr. Tippett came and spoke to us on Wednesday night. The very first time I heard him speak I was amazed at how well he connected with a bunch of crazy adolescents. During my next two years of Truth of Peace, I always looked forward to Wednesday night because I knew Mr. Tippett would be speaking to us again.

When I got to college, I had some options about what to do on Wednesday nights. I could find a Christian service that met during that time, attend a local church, or attend services on the campus of FWBBC. The choice was easy. Mr. Tippett spoke every Wednesday night he was in town. Listening to him speak was by far one of the highlights of my college experience. His preaching/teaching was educational, applicable, practical, and transparent. He explained the truth of the Bible to us in a very real way. He showed us how the Bible applied to issues we were facing as young adults. But maybe most importantly, he showed us that he loved us and cared for us. He would often stay after the service for long periods of time, talking to and counseling students.

As I continued to attending Wednesday night services and started playing in the praise band, my friendship with Mr. Tippett grew to new levels. He became more than just a teacher. He became a mentor, a counselor, a leader, and a friend to me. When my family experienced a loss, he was the person I talked to. When I went through a breakup, he was the person I talked to. He was always available and was always willing to sit down and listen.

During my senior year of college, the Student Body presented the “Bert and Dianne Tippett Award” to Mr. and Mrs. Tippett for the great work they had done over the years with students. I’ll never forget the look on Mr. Tippett’s face when we gave him the award. With a shocked look, he turned to me and said, “I had no idea!” There was no couple on earth more deserving of the award, and yet the humility of this husband and wife team was evident as they accepted the award in disbelief that the award was being given to them, and named after them.

When I moved back to Nashville several months after graduation, one of the greatest joys was attending church with the Tippetts and seeing their smiling faces on Sundays and Wednesdays. They were always a source of encouragement and so much fun to be around. Even when battling cancer, Mr. Tippett never complained or even talked about himself. He was always wanting to know what was going on in your life and what you were up to.

I used to joke with Mr. Tippett that there was only one thing he said that I ever disagreed with, and I strongly disagreed with it. After a Wednesday night service, Mr. Tippett told me, “I don’t think I connect with college students anymore. I’m too old.” Anyone who has ever known Mr. Tippett can find a good laugh in that statement. Those that sat under his leadership and guidance can attest that age had nothing to do with how well he connected with us. If anything, age brought wisdom and caused us to seek out his godly wisdom even more. While I love all of the administration and staff of FWBBC, no one at the school connected with me more than Mr. Tippett, and I know I am not alone in saying that.

Mr. Tippett will be missed greatly. He set an example as a Christian, husband, friend, mentor, and leader that I hope I can  emulate someday. Words cannot express the thankfulness we all have for this man of God that made a tremendous difference in the lives of thousands of people around the world. Today we are saddened that he has been taken from this world, but we also rejoice that he is in heaven and his sufferings are no more.

Even though he is gone, the legacy that Mr. Tippett left behind still connects with us today.

I didn’t think I’d ever own an iPhone. In fact, I’ve been known to make fun of people whose lives revolve around their phones. I got a little tired of hearing, “There’s an app for that!” when I asked someone for the time or told them they dropped their wallet. However, after months of research, finding an iPhone that was cheaper than $30, and previewing “Angry Birds” a few times, I decided to take the plunge. On Christmas Eve, my new phone arrived at my door.

Fast forward a few days. My parents usually have 3 dogs at their house. This day, there were 4, three of which are under the age of two. When someone arrived at the front door and it was opened, one of the dogs, Lexus, ran out the door and took off. This is not a good thing. Lexus has gotten out before, but she never comes back on her own. Once she takes off running (and trust me, she can run) she usually runs until she has no idea where she is. She doesn’t come home. We have to go find her.

On this night, it was nearly pitch black. There was snow on the ground, ice on the streets, and the temperature was well below freezing. We thought we had seen the direction Lexus went, but after searching for about 10 minutes, we had no luck in finding her and thought she might be long gone.

I went to a different street and started walking up and down, hoping she would hear me and run to me. Nothing. After about 15 minutes I started to head back home. However, I had an odd idea that was worth one crazy last-ditch effort. When I had been messing around with my iPhone and looking at the free apps, I noticed there was an app for a dog whistle. I did a quick search and found it. Within a minute, I had the app downloaded and installed and was walking up the street sounding the whistle.

When I was about 1/4 mile away from my house, I heard a chain rattling and it came toward me. I continued pressing the button. To my surprise, Lexus came running at me from the backyard of a house. Every time I pressed the button to signal the whistle, she would stop and listen, and then come closer. Once she finally realized who I was, she ran with me all the way back to our house.

I know the story is nothing special, but I thought it was something fun to share.

[Photo source: http://bit.ly/dZu0yY]