I'm okay with crazy.

First off, I'm choosing trebuchet as my font simply because I have always wanted to own one.

Now on to the meaty goodness...

If you spend any amount of time with me you will notice that I am... uh... different. I don't do things that an average person would do. I do things an average person would not do. This goes for things I say also. I have never been one to mold to any form of expectation, or personality description, or any other kind of mold... not even the kind that makes penicillin... after all, I'm allergic to that kind of mold.

See! There I go!


Now in a church setting, not fitting "the mold" (or whatever you want to call it) is frequently looked down upon. That's why most often I will just sit and try to be still in most church settings.

For years I have fallen into the understanding that if I am to fully be me that I will be a distraction to the setting around me and keep people from drawing nearer to the Lord.

I have come to believe over the weekend at worship@8500 that this is a lie.

It's not the things that I do or do not do that bless or encourage or aid in building up the Body of Christ. These things that I have to give are not the gift I have to give. I am the gift.

The Lord made me to be the man that I am... crazy and all.

As Jack Taylor encouraged all of us there: I need to stop trying to be anybody else but me, because everybody else is already taken.

I may be the black sheep, but this black sheep is going to help other black sheep understand that it's okay to be who the Lord made them to be. He longs for all of us to be a part of His Family... whether we are white sheep, black sheep, chartreuse sheep, plaid sheep, or even paisley sheep. He made each and every single one of us unique for a purpose. This is one black sheep who is going to stop trying to paint his wool. Well, now that I consider it... I'm probably more of a wacky design than those. If a sheep could have its wool designed like a Pac-Man board, that would be me.

Point is: I'm tired of holding the reigns back on who I am, as I was designed by my Father in Heaven. In addition to that, I am tired of holding back the reigns on the Holy Spirit.

I'm letting loose the crazy.

I'm not talking about wearing a Hawaiian shirt over plaid shorts kind of crazy...

I'm just going to be me.
I'm done striving.
I'm done doing.
I'm just going to be. Period.

The traditions, so-called "logic," and expectations of men are no longer going to get in the way of me being a son of my Father in Heaven, a co-heir with Christ, one who is dearly loved by the most amazing Lover of all time, and of me saying "yes" to the Holy Spirit.

I'm always wanting to get excited about things that are worth getting excited about, but I usually don't because nobody else is excited about it.

I'm always wanting to interact with somebody who is giving a good word because it is a good word. If it's a good word, then shouldn't we let them know it? If a musician plays a good piece of music, don't we let them know it? When was the last time we applauded our pastor at the end of a great Sunday service like we would somebody who just sang The National Anthem really well?

I am a son of the Creator of the universe, as He has adopted and grafted me into His family according to His good pleasure and desire. My Daddy loves me. He made me who I am for a reason and a purpose. If you are standing next to me and I make you uncomfortable, maybe that's just because your butt has been doing unnecessary calisthenics for so long that you have forgotten what it is like to be relaxed. Or maybe your spirit has been doing unnecessary calisthenics for so long that you have forgotten, or worse yet never known, what it is to be free of the chains and bondage of aiming for a tradition or expectation of men instead of being a just being a son of your Heavenly Father. I'm sure I make both kinds of people uncomfortable. My goal in life is not to keep you in your comfort zone. God's plan for you is not to keep you in your comfort zone. This is obviously the case, or He would not have put me in your life.

I don't care if you "get me" or not. I do want you to "get" my Lord. If He can love me and make me a part of His family, as crazy as I am, He can do the same for you. As a matter of fact, He wants to do the same for you.

God's goal isn't to have a bunch of militant enlistees.
His goal isn't to have a bunch of slaves and servants or employees.

God wants a family.

And He wants you to be a part of it.

If there's one thing I know about family, being a family man and having one myself, is that every member of a family is crazy in some way.

So come be crazy with me, in our Father's family.

It'll be good.

He promises.