My "buddy" Phil...

Phil Vischer is one of my favorite people in the world. I’ve never met him, but I’ve watched every VeggieTales episode he produced. His quirky humor makes me laugh out loud. I love his parodies of Star Trek, Rocky, Batman and Spiderman. They take me back to my childhood.

A few weeks back, while looking to find his new book, “Me, Myself and Bob,” on the internet, I stumbled on two sites. The first was www.philvischer.com. This is basically Phil’s blog. I learned all sorts of cool stuff about what he’s up to now. The second was www.jellyfishland.com, the site for Phil’s new media company, Jellyfish Studios. (There are some really, really funny puppet sketch videos on the site.) He'd linked to this site on his blog...and when I got there visa versa.

On the Jellyfish site's "About Us" section, I read Phil’s brief account of his "failure" at Big Idea – the company had to file for bankruptcy a few years ago – and the birth of his new company. There I was reminded of an important truth. God’s in charge and only what we do with his direction will work.

Let me quote Phil here. You can read the whole story on www.jellyfishland.com later if you want. This is just the conclusion.

Through the experience, Phil realized some interesting things. First, our relationships with God are much more important than our work for God. God doesn’t want us to be “busy,” he wants us to be available. He doesn’t want us to focus on “impact,” he wants us to focus on obedience. If we’re walking with Him, we’ll know when He has something specific for us to do. We don’t need to make stuff up. If we’re so wrapped up in the work we’re doing for God that we can’t even make eye contact with the person bagging our groceries, something in our lives is way out of whack.

Second, to be a Christian is to give Christ “lordship” of our lives. That’s what it means. He’s Lord, we’re not. And if we’ve given Christ lordship of our lives, where we are in 20 years is, frankly, none of our business. Where we are in 5 years is none of our business. What is our business, is what God has told us to do today, and whether or not we’re doing it. That’s it.

Phil’s “big idea” died under the weight of Phil’s own ambition. Even though it was ambition to do “good,” it still amounted to a failure to allow God to lead him on a daily basis. A failure to follow. To submit.

So now Phil is starting again, and he wanted the name for his new company to remind him every day of the lessons he’s learned. So he picked “Jellyfish.” Why? Because jellyfish can’t choose their own course. They can’t locomote. They can go up a little, they can go down a little. But overall, they’re completely dependent on the current to carry them wherever they’re supposed to be. For a jellyfish to make a 20-year plan would be ridiculous. An act of ultimate hubris. And so it is with us. Rather than crafting their little plans and laboring to force things to go “their way,” Phil and his new cohorts at Jellyfish are committed to seeking and following God’s direction, each and every day – committed to staying in the “current” of God’s will, and letting Him carry them where they need to be. No long range plans, unless they come directly from God.

It sounds a bit weird. Practically “un-American.” How do you run a company without long range planning? To be honest, we’re not exactly sure. But that’s the Jellyfish experiment.

Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” I believe it. Phil reminded me to live it. Thanks, Phil (a.k.a. Pirate Pete).

Ted Dekker's 700 Club interview

One of my favorite authors, novelist Ted Dekker, was interviewed on CBN's "The 700 Club" yesterday. I happened to see it when I was at the hospital visiting a woman from our church. I didn't watch it then, but made a mental note to check it out on the web. Watched it this morning.

Here's the link...

http://www.cbn.com/700club/guests/interviews/Ted_Dekker041707.aspx

Click on the "Watch Now" button. I think you'll enjoy what you see and hear. If you don't, c'est la vie! (Loosely translated that's French for "Oh, well!")

Only days to go...

With today’s early dismissal, my family's end-of-the-school-year mantra has changed. For weeks, it’s been, “Only 34 and a half days to go” or “Only 22 and a half days to go” or “Only 13 and a half days to go.” Now it’s just “11 days to go.” The half day is gone.

Everyone’s getting excited. My kids are thrilled because fun in the sun is just around the corner. They love to swim. The pool is a block away. My wife is ecstatic because when these eleven days are over she’ll become the new Kindergarten teacher, a dream come true. She’s going to be great! And less stressed...maybe. And me? I’m looking forward to coaching Argonia’s swim team and visiting my brother in Iowa over Independence Day. I haven’t been to his place for years.

Anticipating the good things ahead reminds me today - as it often does - that there is a day coming that will be better than any day I’ve ever lived. That day, the day I die or the day Jesus returns for his bride, will be incredible beyond description. Can’t wait! Okay, I can, but I’m eager for that day. No kicking and screaming from me when it comes...I hope.

This world is not my home. I’m just a passin’ through.

“He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’ Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)

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How's my neighbor?

More on Tom and Dee, Ron and Brandon, Marjorie and Steve. Some of them aren't mentioned by name in this post from Geoff Robinson's Geoffwards words blog, but they're there. Geoff's words are powerful. Take them to heart.

http://geoffwardswords.blogspot.com/2007/05/hows-your-neighbor.html

Names...

Dee. Tom. Ron. Kaye. Jeff. Marjorie. Steve. Ed. Connie. Roger. Tim. Brandon. Brady. Jayne. Deloris.

These are the names of real people, suffering real loss. Some I know. Some I don’t. These are the names of people mentioned in phone calls and emails I received yesterday, people brought up in conversations I’ve had today. These are the names of people who lost their homes, their belongings, their church buildings, their businesses to tornadoes this weekend. Most are from Greensburg, Kansas. A few are from Macksville, Kansas. Tim, the last I heard, was in critical condition in a hospital somewhere. The rest were, at last report, okay…physically.

I wonder how they’re doing mentally, emotionally. And how are they spiritually? I can’t answer these questions. I haven’t talked with a single one of these folks. I’ve only talked with or heard from their families, their friends. Still, my heart goes out to them. I feel something I can’t explain. Deep sorrow. I don’t know how else to describe what I’m experiencing. Maybe it’s God’s heart breaking for these folks and the rest of their devastated communities. Can’t be sure. All I know is that this anguish pushes me to pray for Dee and Tom and Ron and Kaye and Jeff and Marjorie and Steve and Ed and Connie and Roger and Tim and Brandon and Brady and Jayne and Deloris.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

On another site...

This week and next, I'll be writing daily for another site. I probably won't post everything here. Doesn't make sense, at least not to me, to duplicate my posts. I may change my mind later, but for now, if you want to read my daily meanderings, go to www.barclaypress.com and on the 'Conversation Cafe' drop down menu, click on 'A Daily Journal.' From April 30th to May 11th - weekdays only - that will give you access to my thoughts. Enough said.

Well, one more thing. I wrote an article several years ago on this site. It was interesting to read it again while snooping around tonight.