I love Christmas. There’s no denying that.

I love that it makes others happy.
I love the twinkling lights in trees.
I love the songs.
I love that in NJ, we get to associate it with winter, which is otherwise dark and dreary.
I love ribbon and bows and fancy wrapping paper.
I love decorating my family’s tree with my nephew.
I love writing Christmas cards.
I love Christmas parties.

But I could do without all of it.

Take away all those things and what’s left?

For some, nothing. Just an empty holiday.

But for me, and for all Christians, what should be left is the most wonderful miracle of our lifetime: Jesus Christ born into this world as wholly man and wholly God. The perfect king and wonderful savior. The pure sacrifice for all mankind.

And that is enough for me.

I don’t need the over-hyped-commercialism.
I don’t need the fake holiday cheer in the office.
I don’t need the creepy Santas hanging out at the mall.
I don’t need the bad gifts (sorry Mom).

At the end of the day, what I want most on this holiday is to sing to my savior, pray with my friends, and together enjoy the gift that God has given us.

Googled, tested and confirmed:

Pin a small safety pin on the underside of your dress, near the hem.

That’s it!

Something about having some metal on the dress keeps the static electricity at bay. I don’t know the science behind it, I just know it works!

Tested at a wedding (lots of dancing & moving), with a silk-like polyester dress and pantyhose (usually a bad combo for static cling).

It worked like a charm! And personally is a much better option that spraying hairspray (sticky) or buying Static Guard ($).

11/11/07

That’s when I first started attending PAC regularly. I remember it because it was Veterans’ Day and Josh, a former Marine, was preaching so he took a minute to recognize all the armed service men and women. I remember thinking that was nice and that I’d never seen that at a church before.

That day was a little rough. I remember I sat all the way on the left, next to the aisle because I had arrived late, and also because I wanted to make a quick escape as soon as service was over. I felt uncomfortable and so new. I didn’t know anyone and I hated that. I didn’t want to go through that whole process of meeting new people and being fake-polite for God-knows-how-long until I made some friends.

But I got through that day. And I came back the next week. And then I joined a community group. And I got involved in the media team. And I slowly got to know people. And I started liking some of the people I met. And so I persevered. I got to know more people and know them better. I invited people over. I initiated some events. I even invited myself to some things because I knew I wanted to be friends with these people. (Sorry if that seemed rude at the time!)

It wasn’t always easy or pleasant. I cried a lot. I felt lonely quite often. And I wondered what the hell I was doing back in New Jersey.

But two years down the road and I can say now that this is where I belong. They are my family. And I love them.

Two years down the road and I know I’m a better person because of who and what I’ve encountered at Princeton Alliance Church.

So, thank you all. I would be much worse off without you.

I hate arguing about it. I see no point in that.

But I also hate when people assume the opinions I hold because I am a Christian. This happens with both Christians and non-Christians, but somehow it’s the non-Christians who tend to give me the hardest time about it.

Jesus, please come back soon. I don’t think you meant for us to “love one another” through legislation, bills, and angry protests, did you?

I’m not sure if I can work with women. Is this wrong? It feels wrong. It feels really wrong. Especially because I went to an all women’s college.

But in my experience, things get emotional, passive-aggressive, and overly-sensitive when dealing with all women in a work environment. I know this is exactly what some men used to say about us, and why we fought so hard to let women climb the corporate ladder as high as the men could go. But I can’t help but think that some of it is true!

I feel terrible. Someone prove me wrong. Can women work together in peace?!

Back from my first Catalyst Conference!

Not only did I have a great time with my church friends, but I was inspired and renewed during this time away. Well, spiritually, anyway. Physically, I don’t feel so great… a 16-hr bus ride will do that to you.

Here’s a quick recap of some of my favorite moments:

• Hearing Chuck Swindoll preach. I expected his sermon to be littered with nuggets of wisdom that only a 75 yr old preacher and author could know. And it was. But it was also hilarious!

One such nugget of wisdom, on the topic of church leadership:

“It’s hardest at home.  No one tells you that in seminary. But you don’t go home to your kids saying, ‘Dad! How was Catalyst?!?’ You go home and they say, ‘Dad! Your fly’s open!’”

• Rob Bell is also much better and funnier in person. He talked about resting and doing what is set before you NOW. Whether it is big or small. He also referenced, “WTF” and crackpipes and had us all in stitches.

• The end of the first day, we were so psyched to hear Francis Chan speak. I was expecting another inspirational, deep, profound message, but Francis came up and said he was asked to simply talk about the person of Jesus Christ and lead us into communion. It was the best way to end that night… just soaking in God’s presence, casting off doubts, anxieties, and worries, and remembering that even in a room of 13,000 church leaders, we can forget to invite God to the party. (Also, we got pre-packed communion cups! Looks like a coffee creamer cup, but with grape juice and a communion wafer. Ingenious!)

• The many, many, many, MANY ridiculous laughs had with my buddies. Too many inappropriate and ridiculous things to be recounted here.

• 3 days away from the office! I’m not getting paid for those days, so that kind of sucks, but I needed the time away. Monday’s going to hurt, but I’m trying to have a renewed perspective about what God has given me to do there.

• Singing really, really loudly without worrying about mic levels, harmonies, how I blend, etc. It was good to worship so freely with some amazing worship leaders. Names for you to know: Aaron Keyes and Zach Williams (Trinity Grace Church NY, NY)

• Specifically, singing songs that we are singing tomorrow at Refuge. It was good to be ministered to with songs that had become so technical and lifeless in my mind. I’d over-analyzed and over-rehearsed them in my head and it was good to release that and remember the meanings of these songs again.

Overall, it was a great experience. I’m not the type of person to hype up conferences or think that they will necessarily change your life, but I like the content of Catalyst. They have a good and clear vision, and what they do and provide for leaders is important. If you ever have the chance to go, I’d highly recommend it. If you can’t get to Atlanta, there is a Catalyst west coast in California, and several Catalyst One Day events throughout the country.

Check it out at www.catalystconference.com.

Currently listening to: David Crowder*Band’s newest album, Church Music

The lyrics from Shadows that I’m fixated on right now:

Life is full of
light and shadow
O the joy and O the sorrow
O the sorrow

And yet will He bring
Dark to light
And yet will He bring
Day from night

When shadows fall on us
We will not fear
We will remember

When darkness falls on us
We will not fear
We will remember

When all seems lost
When we’re thrown
and we’re tossed
We remember the cost
We rest in Him
Shadow of the cross

So simple and so true. And love the play between darkness, light, and shadows.

This isn’t even the best song on the album, not by a longshot. But still awesome. Go do yourself a favor and download it now using the link above. $8.99 on amazon and DRM-free!

I am amazed that someone as talented as J.S. Bach could write this on each of his pieces:

Soli Deo gloria

To God be the glory

When you are so gifted, isn’t it so tempting to say “to ME be the glory?”

I am not nearly as talented and yet I am tempted to think to this. Many people in the world are not nearly as talented and everyday they think this.

How do you get to the place that Bach did? Where one can embrace his talent to the fullest, but still give all glory to God and not himself? Maybe that’s what made his music even more beautiful.

I want to get there.

There are many things I don’t like about corporate, cubicle, office culture. Many. But for every bad thing, I have learned something good. Here are a few:

• You can be tough and nice. There’s no reason to be a bully at work in order to get things done. A mature, grown adult is able to make hard decisions, work with difficult people, and change people’s minds without being bitchy, obnoxious, or manipulative. The ones who aren’t nice look like they are successful at first, but you’ll soon realize that no one in the office respects them. When you have people’s respect, you can do a lot more. So be nice.
• 9-5 can work in your favor. When I hear my roommate come home at 1 or 2 in the morning, I am very thankful for a 9-5 job. It is sometimes boring or tedious, but at 5pm, I’m free to go and live the rest of my life. Furthermore, a set schedule has taught me to prioritize my time so that I complete my day’s work by the time I leave everyday. That means I don’t have to take any work home with me, and enjoy my evenings guilt-free.
• Lunch breaks are absolutely necessary. Even if a full hour is not feasible everyday, take some time out for yourself. Some states now require non-exempt employees to take at least 30 minutes of break time. It’s good for refreshing your mind, stretching your body, and calming your nerves if you’re having a stressful day.
• Corporate benefits are amazing. I’m a temp right now, so my benefits stink, so maybe that’s why I appreciate corporate-sponsored insurance plans now. The company I temp for has amazing benefits. If I worked for them right now, I’d get medical, dental, vision, and life insurance for about $10 a month. That is insanely good, but even if you can’t get something that cheap, it’s still a lot better than private insurance. If you’ve got a family to take care of, then this is sometimes the difference between staying in a cubicle farm and going out and chasing a long-forgotten dream job.
• People are weird; adapt. I’ve met the weirdest, most awkward, most idiotic, and most evil people through corporate jobs. But I’ve also met the smartest, kindest, most wonderful people too. And that has forced me to adapt to all sorts of people. No one is perfect. Some aren’t even remotely nice. But once you’re exposed to them long enough, you’ll figure out how to work with them. If you learn to adapt to any type of person, you’ll work well anywhere you go.

That’s what I’ve learned. What about you?