Ok, so it's been 9 months.  I said I'd only be updating this blog "occaisionally", but I'll admit that this seems a little ridiculous even by that definition.  Even so, I suddenly feel compelled to write here again.  You see, some big things are going on, and I feel like creating some kind of record is a good idea.  I also feel like putting things on the internet where everyone can see them creates at least some level of accountability, and that can't be a bad thing either.  This might get a little long, but here it goes...

God has been moving powerfully in my life recently.  Period.  He's been challenging me in a big way through sermons and books and people and conversations and in so many other ways to look at the way I'm living my life and make some changes.  Not that the way I'm living now is bad.  Or unusual.  Or even particularly interesting.  That's not the issue.  Rather, I have been reminded again and again over the past few weeks that as a Christian, I'm supposed to be living quite differently than the rest of the world.  Not in a crazy, "I drank the Kool-Aid" kind of way, but in a practical, "My focus is on Christ and so other things don't matter as much" kind of way.  I'm slowly coming to an understanding of how blessed I am, and how often I completely take that for granted.  Now to be completely honest, my lifestyle is already fairly simple and plain by many standards, but I'm also increasingly aware of just how often we overlook the fact that most of us here in America are simply blessed beyond measure.  The more I read and study the Bible and other wise teachings about it, the more I'm realizing that I'm not satisfied with the typical American lifestyle.  Truthfully, that's leading to a lot of changes and shifts in thinking, but there are three big things that I'm really feeling called to right now:

1. I am going to be (starting this week!) embarking on my own verison of David Bruno's "100 Thing Challenge".  This is something I've actually been thinking about for a while, but last week I felt the final push to actually do it.  The basic idea is to limit yourself to 100 personal posessions.  Being legalistic about it is not the point, and there will be some exceptions, but suffice it to say that I'm going to start getting rid of a lot of stuff.  More on all of that later.

2. I've once again started using Professor Horner's Bible Reading System.  I used this system for about 6 months last year and then fell away from it.  Obviously I've still been in the Word since then, but never to the degree and depth that I was when I was using Horner's plan.  So I'm back to it.  10 chapters a day.  No matter what.  Specific post about all of this coming quite soon.

3. No more smart phone.  Well, not yet, but soon.  Beyond the crazy financial cost every month and the fact that I'm tired of being stuck in a contract, I've been thinking a lot lately about the social effects (both positive and negative) of being connected constantly.  So it's time for an experiment - when my current Verizon contract ends in December, I'm getting the dumbest, cheapest pre-paid phone I can find.  Not sure how long that will actually last, but we're going to find out!

Ok, so that's a lot of writing.  Enough for today, I think.  As I said, this is as much about keeping a record for myself as anything, but if anybody's actually reading and has any comments, I would love for you to join the conversation below!  Much more to come...

Just a few quick thoughts about a story that came across the AP wire this morning and caught my eye.  Basically, Iran has arrested 70 Christians since Christmas, just for being Christians.  Christianity is "officially" legal in Iran, and the government there has actually made it a point to tout their religious tolerance over the years, but they largely restrict those activities to mainstream, state sanctioned churches.  These Christians that have been arrested weren't worshipping in those churches, but rather are part of a growing house church movement in Iran.  They are practicing their faith in a way that feels real and genuine to them, rather than allowing their love of Jesus to be restricted by the government.  (To be clear, I'm definitely not saying that Iranian Christians worshipping in state sanctioned churches aren't living their faith, this is just the example I was presented with today)

This story is yet another reminder to me of the religious freedoms we have here in America that we so often take for granted.  I've talked to a lot of Christians who feel that the American church is being persecuted, and while I honestly don't know if I agree with that statement or not, it certainly pales in comparison to what is happening in many other parts of the world.  We as Americans are so blessed to have a constitutional right to practice the religion of our choice (or no relgion at all) in a manner that feels appropriate to us.  I don't know about anyone else, but knowing that there are Christians being persecuted in other countries for living out their faith in a real, tangible way really leads me to take pause and think about the opportunites I have to practice my faith and how often I choose to ignore them.  More about that coming soon.  Keep these Iranian believers in your thoughts and prayers, as well as the others that are continuing on in the practice of their faith despite the government threats.