New Facility is Ready

A quick reminder that we will be worshipping in our new facility this Sunday. We received all the necessary inspections and permits and so it is official.

Also, if anyone has any time today to help get us ready for tomorrow, we certainly would appreciate it.

See ya tomorrow morning

Running On Empty

My wife's brother and his family were in Florida last week taking some vacation. On the eve of their return home, we all decided to meet at Brusters for ice cream. As I rounded the corner to our destination, my car started to sputter...out of gas.

This is the third time I've done this in the past 6 months. The first time was on a trip from PA to Florida. It happened right before our move to Sarasota. My gas light came on, but in my desire to make the best time, I pushed it a little too far. I ran out of gas 1 mile from the exit of South of the Border in S. Carolina. There we were, the towering sombrero that usually beckons road weary travelers now seemed to be taunting us in the distance.

The second time, was only a few weeks ago on my way to work. Once again my gas light was on and once again I pushed it too far, making me and my friend Rei an hour late for work.

It's amazing because every time that little "check gages" light comes on telling me I'm running low, my mind goes into excuse mode and I start thinking like this; "I can make it a few more miles...the manual says I have 30 miles left when the light goes on and I'm sure I've only gone 10."

I'm not sure why I push the envelope when it comes to my on going struggle with my gas gage, however, here's a few reasons as to why this could be...

1. I'm very competitive...and for some reason this spirit kicks in when that little gas light come on. It's almost as if it's daring me to go a little further.

2. I'm a risk taker and I enjoy pushing the envelope in different areas of my life...why should this be any different?

Here's what I'm learning...these two personality traits have served me well in many areas of my life. They have helped me reach my personal goals, given me a drive and a passion for success, and in some ways have broadened my outlook on life itself. Because of this, I embrace them as God given strengths to aid me in accomplishing His will for my life.

On the flip side, they have also served to side line me on the road of life on many occasion, which has always cost me more and kept me longer than I ever intended. I've learned over the years that every strength I have been given, also has the ability to become my greatest weakness.

I've heard it said that in the foundation of every great thing lies the seeds of it's own destruction...I believe that to be true.

On one last note, because of my troubles, I have taken the steps to build in safe guard to being stranded when I run out of gas...AAA. So the other night when I ran out, I called them...then I had a big ice cream cone and waited for their arrival. After all, I paid for their services and I will feel personally cheated if at the end of the year I didn't get my money's worth.

In a Pit, With a Lion, On a Snowy Day

Mark Batterson, a friend of mine that I've known since college, is the pastor of a very successful church plant in the D.C. area. His church and his ministry is getting national attention and he has recently wrote a book that is rapidly taking off.

The book is titled "In a Pit, With A Lion, On a Snowy Day." Below is the manefesto from that work. I found it very encouraging to my daily journey, so perhaps you will to.

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what’s wrong with you keep you from worshipping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.

Chase the lion.

What's Important in Life?

My son and I had a great night last night. We washed both our motorcycles and just hung out spending some quality time together. I love to listen to the things that are going through his mind. His creativity and whitty personality makes me think about things from a different perspective.

I must be honest, there is always something in life that pulls me away from activities like this, a task at hand, a TV program to watch, a book to read.

I was writing an email and taking care of some business last night, when I noticed my son was looking over my shoulder. It was then that I decided to take the time to spend with him. He needs that and I need that. I only have one shot at teaching him the important lessons in life and I want to redeem the time.

There's a lesson in this for all of us. The most important things in life are often the things that don't seem to be pressing at the moment and too often we push them off to accomplish something that really doesn't matter. With all my dreams and hopes for ministry, I have to continue to remind myself of what is most important in life...my family and my friends

Don't Settle for "NO"!

I took the day off yesterday and went to the beach with my family. We had an awesome day.

One of the highlights was me trying to ride my son's skim board. For those of you who don't know what a skim board is, it's kind of like a surf board, but instead of riding a wave into shore, your riding on about an inch of water where the wave meets the shore line. It's a lot of fun if you know what your doing. If you don't however, you end up feeling like I do this morning...sore...very sore.

I'm not sore because my muscles ache, I'm sore because when I do something like this, I go all out, in other words I throw caution to the wind, and in doing so, gravity throws me to the ground. I successfully rode the things twice, but at the end of each run I found myself eating lots of sand, and I've got the bruises to show for it.

After my skim board experience, I limped back to my chair and continued with one of my favorite rituals when I go to the beach...reading. I started a new book called, "Pour Your Heart Into It," (How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time). The book is written by Howard Shultz, who was personally responsible for taking that company to the success it now enjoys.

Howard Shultz talks about his experience in coming to work for Starbucks, which was just a small company of 5 stores upon his arrival. The courtship took place over a period of a year, and at the end of the year, Howard approached the head of the company, Jerry Baldwin, about hiring him. It took him another year to convince him that it was the right move.

At the end of that year, Howard had a sit down dinner interview with the three deciding partners of the company. He thought he had convinced them to hire him, but the next day he received a big "NO". He was devastated, but decided that "NO" wasn't the answer he would accept, so the next day he called Jerry back and told him he thought he was making a big mistake, and that he needed to have courage to convince his partners it was the right move. Jerry agreed, hired Howard Shultz, and the rest is history.

As I think about this story, I can't help but wonder how many people give up on their dreams because someone tells them "NO". I understand that there are times when "NO" is the answer and we need to accept that, but I also realize that "NO" is sometimes a result of someone else's uncertainty or insecurity. They are afraid to risk, afraid to fail, or even afraid they'll lose control.

Success comes from being able to discern the two and knowing when it is appropriate to push the envelope and not take "NO" for an answer. It takes guts, courage, and plenty of self-effacement, but in the end it could pay off big.

Think about the many people who wouldn't take no for an answer...

- Christopher Columbus, who was fighting conventional thought that the world was flat and he would certainly perish, wouldn't take "NO" for an answer.

- Martin Luther King Jr. was told "NO" over and over and over, but wouldn't accept it even to the point of losing his own life.

Pastor Steven Furtick is a church planter in North Carolina whose church has grown from a small handful of people to over 1600 in the past 2 years says this about being told you can't do it...

"Don’t you think every mammoth concept was downright laughable until it was a reality? Inherent in any vision that has the possibility of really taking off is the possibility of really tanking, right? Do you even think that maybe if people aren’t laughing at your ideas, you aren’t dreaming big enough?

George Bernard Shaw once said, "Some men see things as they are and say "why?" I see things that never were, and say "Why not?"

May God give me the wisdom to look at my situation and say "why not?", and not settle for the inferior answer of "NO."

Where Have All the Giants Gone?

I've been thinking about how our paradigms in life change so drastically as a person gets older. For example, my outlook on the world when I was young, was that everything around me was so big. The teens at my church seemed like giants to me when I was little, but when I reached that age myself, I wondered why I didn't feel like one.

I remember visiting a state park in upstate PA when I was around my son's age (10). They had just finished building a dam and we saw it before the reservoir was filled. I can still remember how big that thing was, however I have a feeling if I were to visit it again, it wouldn't be as grandiose as my mind has recorded it.

I have thought about this concept over the years, and flipping through my journal I came across a poem I wrote almost 10 years ago that speaks to this...

Where Have the Giants Gone?

Have you ever wondered where the fantasy has gone
that once ruled our lives?
The giants so big, the rivers so deep,
and the valley's so wide;

As a child I would think
and dream about the time,
when I would go and explore the world
looking for the treasures I would find;

but now I'm "grown", "mature", and "wise"
and reality has come in like the tide;
my childhood dreams, my fantasies,
have since been put aside;

The giants that once were big and strong
are now just very tall men,
the rivers so deep, the valley's so wide
are smaller than they were then.

Oh, where has my childhood gone
with dreams and mysteries untold?
They now live on in my children
as I watch their lives unfold.

As I said, I wrote that almost ten years ago. When I think about it, I realize that my mindset has changed a bit. In fact, as I get older I realize that there are still a great deal of wonder in my life, and sometimes that wonder makes me feel really, really small. I don't look at that in a negative way, but in a positive reality of who God truly is in my life.

What's On My Mind?

The following are some random thoughts that have been recently running through my mind.

1. 1944-2005 We all recognize what a set of numbers like this represent. I think that the dash is what we should pay the most attention to. It's the space between that counts, think about it.

2. Why does it take people in Florida forever to make a right hand turn off of a busy road? Does this get anyone else upset?

3. Are we ever going to move into our new church building?

4. Does exercising ever get any easier? I've been jogging on a fairly consistent basis for over 6 months and I keep to wonder if today is the day that I will start enjoying the discipline...it's wasn't.

5. I think the phrase, "Community of Faith" is a great choice of words to explain what church is all about. It takes church from an abstract idea to a conceptual one that people can better wrap their minds around and even desire to get involved in.

6. I read this on another blog (http://www.benarment.com)today and I thought it was interesting and had some merit...

Fast Company magazine has a great article this month about firms not being bold enough to be hated... so that they can be loved by others. The trouble with the Gap, for example, is that they're clothes aren't courageous enough to be hated... so they're not loved by anyone. Same goes for dating headlines at Match.com. Seventy-five percent of participants use blah-blah headlines like "Hey..." and "Looking for Love" in fear of saying something stupid... but, in turn, stand out from nobody else. How do our churches stand out? Are we playing it safe to avoid being hated... but, as a result, appealing to no one?

This past weekend we took our family to the John and Mable Ringling Museum. What a great place to spend a Saturday afternoon. I love places like this, because of the stories that are looming around every corner. I wonder what it was like when they lived there, what they were thinking, were they happy and fulfilled.

There were a number of different things that were going through my head as I was making my journey through their estate, here are a few of them...

1. True vision lives beyond the person. John Ringling was a visionary in the truest sense of the word. Much of Sarasota, being what it is today, can be attributed to him. His ability to see a positive future left an indelible mark that the world still sees.

2. It's amazing what money can buy, and what it can't. It's interesting when you walk through his estate and see the lavish lifestyle he and his wife lived. There's meaning behind every design, brush stroke, and piece of art. Having money makes a person think differently than others.

Money, on the other hand, can't sustain you. When the great depression hit, it hit the Ringling's as hard as anyone, and seemed to dry up their dreams and hopes. By the end of the depression, both John and Mable had died and the halls of their estate sat empty.

3. John Ringling liked naked statues and paintings...lots of them.

4. My son thinks naked statues and paintings are extremely funny.

5. The Ringling Bro. Circus was the greatest show on earth. When you look at what it took to pull the circus off and the time, money, and leadership put into it, one can learn some incredible principles about what it takes to be successful.

What Do You Hear?

I'm running behind this morning, so I will be quick with this post.

Yesterday in church, a song was sung in which a section of lyrics jumped out and really stuck in my spirit. I've heard the song many times, but for some reason I found myself focusing on them...

"All of my gains now fade away, every crown no longer on display, here in your presence."

These words made me realize how important eternity and the presence of God is to my life here in the present. When I measure my life; my coming and going, my goals and my dreams, I realize how they truly need to be wrapped up in the mission of Christ and anything else is just wood, hay, and stubble.

Are there any songs or quotes that have jumped out and spoken to your heart lately? Click onto my blog and leave a comment. http:ethoughts.tv

Grace-Laced Encouragement

A quick post to add a little to my previous entry on Grace. I made a statement that reads, grace is undeserved encouragement that is laced with the hope of a new day.

I've been thinking about the importance of encouragement in our lives. It's inerrant qualities keep us moving, striving, and hoping for the dawn of a new day.

I came across a couple of quotes in one of my journals that speaks to this...

"The deepest principle of human nature is the craving to bee appreciated ~William James~

"Nothing will improve a man's hearing more than praise." ~C. Wadsworth~

One of my pastor friends says that the first two laws of psychology are: 1.) Everyone wants to be valued, and 2.) everyone wants to be valued...badly.

I believe that the best way to bring value to a persons life is through genuine, grace-laced, encouragement. So let me encourage all of us to find someone to genuinely affirm today.

"But encourage on another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13)

Trophy of Grace

I think I was about 7 or 8 when I first stepped onto the field to try my hand at little league baseball. It was interesting year to say the least. I knew absolutely nothing about the game.

The mistakes I made were laughable. I remember trying to throw a guy out at first base when I was playing left field (I almost took the head off the first baseman because he wasn't looking, and what first baseman would have been). I think I only made connection with the ball twice in my many times at bat, and I'm pretty sure my eyes were closed both times.

The thing that stands out to me about that first year is something that happened about a month after the season was over. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a cool summer evening. My family and I were outside having a great time when my coach pulled up. When he got out of the car, he handed me a brand new trophy.

I had never been so excited in my life. I ran throughout my entire house showing everyone (it was during this time that I ran into a screen door and broke the bat off the trophy...just my luck.)

With the trophy, my coach also gave me a card which had my yearly stats. I don't remember all that the card said, but I do remember the way he worded my experiences at bat..."only struck out 9 times." When I read that, I couldn't believe my eyes...only 9 times...I'm not so bad after all, I thought (looking back now, I was probably up to bat only 11 times).

If I had any thoughts of not returning the next year, they were gone that night. My coach needed me, so I thought, and he was begging me to return. And return I did, and I had a much better year, in fact, it was 3 years later that I lead my team with the highest batting average and I only struck out once.

The trophy my coach gave me was a trophy of grace. I really didn't bring anything to the table to aid the team that year, in fact I was probably more in the way than I was helpful. My coach, however, was a great man who understood how kids think. He knew that a little encouragement could go a long, long way...and he was right.

This is the power of grace...it is undeserved encouragement, that is laced with the hope of a new day.

I'm so thankful that God sees me like my coach saw me. He sees my potential and realizes that all I need is a little encouragement to make it on life's way.

Here's the awesome truth...God sees you the same way.

An Alternative Gospel?

I've been thinking a lot about the Christian faith and particularly about my own personal journey with Christ. I often think about how western civilization has dumbed down and almost created an alternate gospel. One of safety, earthly satisfaction, and self-preservation, and I wonder how it has effected my own life. The question I find myself asking is, am I more concerned with safety than significance, comfort than calling, preservation than perseverance?

I had a great time talking with my parents last night about this very thing. During the conversation, my mind went to a quote I read from the book "The Barbarian Way," by Erwin McManus. Here is an abridged version of it...

"We created a religion using the name of Jesus Christ and convinced ourselves that God's optimal desire for our lives was to insulate us in a spiritual bubble where we risk nothing, sacrifice nothing, love nothing, worry about nothing. Yet Jesus' death wasn't to free us from dying, but to free us from the fear of death...

Is it possible that the transforming power of the church has been lost because we keep inviting people to step into the comfort, safety, and security of Jesus Christ? We've created a religious culture in which - even though we're the most blessed society in the history of the planet - our best selling literature still focuses on how we can be more blessed...

Have we forgotten this? Have we become so refined and so civilized that the benefits of our faith have become more precious and more valuable than the Benefactor of our Faith?"

WOW! This quote really speaks to my heart. It forces me to re-evaluate my life on the basis of what God truly desires for my life. What effect does it have on you?

Wonder and Mystery

"Earth is crammed with heaven. Every bush is aflame with the fire of God, but only those who see take off their shoes. The rest just pick the berries." ~Elizabeth Browning~

This is one of my favorite quotes, because it speaks to the fact that wonder and especially the wonder of God is in danger of being lost.

I think too often we are guilty of reducing God down to a set of principles to follow or a formula to enact, and when we do that we become berry pickers, which to me is the height of apathy.

To be honest, I think we reduce God because we want to remain in control and are afraid to truly trust Him with everything. The Bible tells us that the "fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Truly fearing God is leaving the wonder and mystery of Him in tact in our lives.

I want to be a person who allows wonder to have a place in my heart. I don't want to reduce God to a set of principles or formulas because that diminishes who He is and takes away the wonder of His majesty.

Psalms 89:8 says, "O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O Lord, and your faithfulness surrounds you."

Motorcycle Diaries

WOW!!! What a great weekend. Our Motorcycle trip to Key West, Fl was incredible. We rode almost 700 miles in two days. It was a lot of fun, but I must admit I'm dragging this morning. I'm sure it's a combination of the ride and losing an hour this weekend.

Like any life experience, I learned a few things on the trip and I want to share with you, so here they are...

1. It's possible to get stung by a bee going 75 MPH.

2. When you ride 375 miles in one day, camping out and sleeping on the hard ground is not recommended.

3. When working to reach your goals, don't forget to look around and enjoy the journey.

4. Two is better than one, three is better than two, and community is better than riding solo.

The last point is one that really hit me. I believe we are designed by God to be in community. It's a basic craving inside all of us.

If you think about it, things simply work better in community. On our trip, we all looked out for one another, protected each others back, and we were all safer in the long run because of our togetherness.

I loved the alone time I had when I was riding down the road, but I don't think I would ever want to make that trip by myself. It simply would not have been the same, because two is better than one, three is better than two, and community is better than riding solo.

Motorcycle Madness

Quick post today because I'm in a bit of a rush. Why? A bunch of friends of mine are taking a two day motorcycle trip to Key West, Fl. It's a 350 mile ride one way, so I am sure our behinds will be quite sore by tomorrow night. But, it's going to be a picture perfect weekend so I'm sure it will be worth it.

I'm dedicating this ride to all my northern friends who are stuck in the cold...I'll be thinking of you:)

Anyhow, I won't be posting tomorrow, but I'll be sure to tell you all about next week.

A Proud Moment

Last night on the way to church, Conner and I were listening to Erwin McManus. Erwin is a brilliant communicator whose words really inspire my life, and now I realize that he also inspires my 10 year old.

As we were listening, Conner started asking some really deep questions about God. He would ask, I would pause my iPod and we'd talk, then I would push play only to have another question pop up. This went on for a while, pause...question...play, pause...question...play; until I finally shut it off for the remainder of the ride and we kept talking about God.

I love when I have these moments with my kids, and I realize they bring me as much joy as did their first words (which for Conner was doe...everything was doe, he was like a caveman who just grunted every time he wanted something and somehow we knew what it was), took their first steps, or got on the bus for their first day of school.

Watching my children grow up is such a bitter/sweet experience. When I look at pictures of their younger years, I get so sad because they are growing up so fast. However, when I have moments like last night, I am extremely proud of what they are becoming.

No Place Like Home

It's been a very busy week at the Wulf house. We've had the privilege of having four members of the Watoto children's choir stay with us. They are leaving to go back to Uganda today. Please pray that they would have protection in their travels.

Each on of them is so anxious to go home. I can understand their excitement. I've had the privilege of visiting many places around the world; i.e. Europe, Africa, Canada, etc., and although I've always been so excited to go to those places, the excitement doesn't even compare to the anticipation of coming home. I think that's because home for me, is more than just a geographical place, it's family, it's comfort, it's familiarity and most of all it's the only place where I can find true rest.

Pain, Discipline and Regret

Have you ever noticed how easy it is for things in your life go from a state of simplicity to a state of complexity?

My kitchen is a prime example of this. Let me start by saying that my wife and I are in no way neat freaks at the expense of our sanity, however we do like our house to have a resemblance of order. It's amazing to me, however, how fast our kitchen can go from a state of simplistic neatness to a disaster in the blink of an eye.

Some of the time this is the fault of myself or my wife, however, I can honestly say that most of the time it is the result of my kids and their, what seems to be, inability of being able to clean up after themselves.

I'm on a lifelong quest to teach my kids the importance of discipline. My goal is to teach them that if they do a little a lot, they'll have a lot more in the long run. It's a painful road at times, but I'm convinced it will pay off in their lives.

I know in my own journey, it's so easy to let the patterns of my life stray from being disciplined. Here's why, discipline is painful, it hurts, and I don't like pain. I hate the pain of exercising, I hate the pain of studying, I hate the pain of getting up early, and I especially hate the pain of not eating a second piece of cake.

"The pain of discipline weighs ounces, but the pain of regret weighs tons." This quote has been etched on my mind, and when I'm tempted to push off the pain of discipline, I'm reminded that regrets are much more devastating to my life, because regrets can never be fixed.

A Great Weekend

What an incredible weekend. My family and I went to Magic Kingdom on Saturday with the Watoto Children's Orphan's Ministry from Kampala Uganda.

I have to admit to you that I am not a big fan of places like Magic Kingdom. Waiting in line for 45+ minutes to ride a ride that lasts less than 2 minutes is not my definition of fun (has anyone else ridden the "it's a small world" ride? I lost an hour of my life on that one...what a waste).

Although Magic Kingdom is not my favorite place to be, I did enjoy watching these precious orphan's faces light up throughout the day (it was more enjoyment then any ride could bring).

You should have seen their faces when they saw for the first time,Cinderella's Castle, or the way they screamed with joy during the afternoon parade when the characters of Beauty and Beast rolled out. My favorite part of the day was after they all rode on Space Mountain...they just could not stop laughing.

Throughout the day, I listened closely to their conversations. I heard one of them say..."it would be useless to try to explain this to the people back home...they just wouldn't be able to understand." When we were standing in line for "It's a small world" they saw all the loose change that people had throne into the water and said that if they were back home, every Ugandan would be in the water getting the money instead of riding the rides.

These children and their leaders bless my heart every time I'm around them. They may have less as far as material possessions go, but their hearts and the joy they possess is huge. I learn from them every time I'm with them.

Spring Training

Baseball season is once again upon us, and now that I live in Florida, I can't wait to go to the Phillies spring training camp. My parents are coming for a visit next week and I plan on taking my dad to a game or two.

My father and I have always had an affinity for the Phillies. I'm not sure why, because year after year they seem to let us down. They are a team that is filled with talent, but just can't seem to pull it together. Well, maybe this year will be better for them.

Speaking of baseball, I was reading recently that Ty Cobb had a life time batting average of .367. This is a great accomplishment if your a baseball player, but think about it for a moment, a .367 average means that he failed at bat more than he succeeded.

I think it says a lot about how we are to view failure and success. I think too often we view success as getting a hit every time we come to the plate of life, and when it doesn't happen we get upset and stop trying.

If you look at history, however, you'll see that the greatest achievers are the ones who didn't look at life in this way, but looked at success as a journey. Often their journey's were filled with more failures than successes. So what was it that made them successful? They had a way of seeing every failure as part of the road that led them to the ultimate victory in life.