The Priority Of Proximity

I've noticed something recently: Lex loves Meg and me.

Ha... He's our son, so that is to be assumed; right?

However, I've come to realize that it is not simply because we are his parents. There exists something more than just a familial connection of which he has no true cognitive sense. He connects with us on a deeper level... and I think there is a reason.

When either Meg or I walk into the room he lights up. Whether it be to pick him up first thing in the morning, to change his diaper, to feed him, to spend some time playing with him, to sing with him or simply to hold him in our arms, his little eyes dance with joy when he sees us.

Now, truth be told, he is a happy baby boy, and he smiles a lot.
With his mom and dad, though, Lex is filled with a different kind of joy.

I think it is because of the proximity of our relationship. Simply put, we're with him more than anyone else. We are always there. When there is need, hurt, loneliness, etc., he sees us first.
He associates us with peace. He equates us to fulfillment.

We prioritize our proximity with him. Lex loves to spend time with us. He wants to draw close to us; and as he does, we draw close to him.

Isn't that how we should be with God?
Shouldn't we prioritize proximity with Him?

I can't help but think that if Lex were, tragically, taken out of our home, his little mind would, over time, undoubtedly "love" the person who was closest to him and he would forget us.

It's sad, but true. The very idea breaks my heart.

We would always long to be near our child, but he will fill himself with another love to whom he is in closer proximity.

I wonder if that is what happens in our relationships with the Lord at times. When we prioritize other things, are we pulling those "loves" in closer proximity than God? On a visceral level, have we replaced our first love? I wonder if that breaks the Father's heart?

Lex - The First 6 Months

Today marks 6 months since Lex has joined our family.

What a blessing!

Some of you may have seen this already, here is a video of Lex laughing while playing peek-a-boo. Then, take a look at some pics below.

Here are some of our favorite pics from these first 6 months!

March 22, 2010 - First Look!

First Family Photo

Hanging In The Hospital

Trying His New Bed On For Size

First Easter at Church.

First Bath

Little Hands

First Smiles

His Fav Blanket! (Thanks, Pam! We love you!!)
Notice the characters from X-Treme Squirrels... HaHa!

Swimming in the Pool.

First taste of Rice Cereal...

...aaaannnndddd... he likes it!!!

Our little monkey!

Monkeys laugh too!
(P.S. this may be one of my fav Lex pics!)

Right at 6mos, and sitting up! He's growing so fast!

The Feast Is Ready To Begin

Every year, Son Life Church, the church founded by my parents and my spiritual home for the better part of my life, celebrates the Feast of Tabernacles. Taken from the Jewish tradition where the people of Israel would take time out of their calendars to come and tabernacle with God, rest in His presence and hear His voice.

The Feast at Son Life is a time of celebration, a time of renewal, a time of refreshing and meeting with God. In many ways, it marks the new year for members of Son Life. My entire life, growing up, the Feast was always an event that I looked forward to with great expectation.

Then, I was on staff for several years, and the real work of Feast began. Weeks before the event ever came, we were up countless nights working on music, rehearsing our theatrical production, holding prayer vigils, building set pieces, editing videos, etc., etc... the work before was always tiresome, but none of us were ever short on energy because our expectations were so high. We knew that, in a short while, we would be tabernacling with the Lord and hearing His voice.

This year, the theme of the conference is "Encounter: Exposing A Natural World To A Supernatural God."

I pray for Son Life and all who are attending that this theme be more than just words, but that the members of that local body would receive revelation on how they might positively effect transformation in the world around them by the one thing that truly changes lives --- the immeasurable, supernatural love of Jesus Christ.

The Feast starts this Thursday night at Son Life. Oh, how I wish I could be there.

My heart swells with emotion when I think of those dear saints in Collinsville who earnestly seek after the Lord with all their hearts. My prayer is that their expectation of the tangible presence of the Almighty One would overwhelm their services, that God's Holy Presence would draw near to them as they boldy enter into the throne room of Grace.

My friends in Collinsville, I wish I could be there with you; but know that my heart is with you always and I hope, pray and believe the God is able to make all Grace abound to you. Be filled with His faith, His hope, His love and may this year be a year of vision and breakthrough for you. I love you all!

A Present-Day Experience Of Days-Gone-By

This is an article that my mother wrote this past week.
I thought it might be worth sharing with you.
You can also read more of her weekly articles at her website (click here)
I miss my grandparents dearly, and this article didn't help...thanks, Mom. (HaHa!)

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A Present-Day Experience of Days-Gone-By
by Dr. Patti Amsden


The passing of my parents has greatly altered my life.  Everyday circumstances frequently remind me that they are not around.  A family gathering, an unexpected blessing, an emotional burden, or an attained goal:  these are the things about which I would phone my folks.  They were always on that first to call list.  They were always on that first to support list.  I miss that.  I miss them.


To heighten my awareness of their absence, I am cleaning out the family homestead.  Mom and Dad purchased their house over 65 years ago.  It was my only home until I married.  It was the home to which I brought my children to visit their grandparents.  Every Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and many Sunday afternoons the family gathered at that house, that safe harbor, that sanctuary of hospitality and love.  Now the contents must be dispersed to family members, sold at yard sales, given to charitable institutions, or assigned to the trash.


The work of dismantling the home place is tedious.  The emotions attached to the work run the gamut.  One box of pictures will recall an event with all the joy and laughter the snapshots evoke.  A piece of clothing will stir a memory of Mom’s favorite fashion style or Dad’s signature good taste.  A crocheted handkerchief will reveal the handiwork of Mom’s grandmother and the metal of honor will testify to the faithful citizenship of Dad’s grandfather.  Every work-day is a present-day experience of days-gone-by.


Soon the closets will be bare, the shelves will be empty.  There will be no more pictures on the walls or treasures in the cabinets.  The home will be sold.  The keys to the house will belong to another family.  Within this next short season, the physical evidence of my parents’ life will be dispersed or discarded.  Home life as it had been in days-gone-by on Main Street will never be again.


Although the actual home with all its furnishings and all its temporal aesthetics may pass, the psychological, spiritual, and emotional housing that my parents erected inside of me, my siblings, and the extended family can not so easily be dismantled.  No one can erase the images in our hearts of love, acceptance, or encouragement.  We cannot discharge the sense of honor, integrity, and perseverance that were built into our souls by their words and their lifestyle.  These qualities are not items that can be sold in a yard sale or donated to a charity.


Each day we will still live in the house that Jim and Lela built.  A foundation of faith, support beams of God’s Word, walls of self-discipline, and keepsakes of wisdom belong to that house.  They taught us to view the world through windows of compassion and instructed us to open doors of hospitality to our neighbors.  They insisted that we adorn our house with humility and protect our most treasured assets by sharing them with others.


Yes, within weeks the task of closing up Mom and Dad’s home will be completed.  Yes, within weeks!  Nonetheless, because they were master builders in their own right, our family will never be far from home.  Our past will remain in our present.  Every work-day will be a present-day experience of days-gone-by.

150 Miles and 2 Years

The date was March 24, 1981.

In Troy, Illinois, I sat blowing out my 2-Year Birthday candles. I was surrounded by my family. This was a great day... for more than one reason.

Not only was I being showered with blessings and love by those closest to me; but unknown to me, about 150 miles away in Quincy, IL, a little girl was being born. Her parents named her Megan.

While my family celebrated 2 years of life, her parents celebrated new life.

Meg and I wouldn't meet for another 18 years. We grew up 45 miles apart, her in Jerseyville and me in Collinsville, yet we would meet in Webster Groves, Missouri.

Last month, on August 23rd, we celebrated 7 years of marriage and 11 years of togetherness. We have been blessed by the Lord to have such an amazing life.

Though we started 150 miles and 2 years apart, the Lord brought us together in a miraculous way. I thank God for my wife, my best friend, my lover and the mother of my child.

We have now journeyed from Webster Groves back to Collinsville, from Collinsville to Burbank, from Burbank to North Hollywood, and from North Hollywood to Valley Village. Every step with you is a gift, every journey and adventure. Meg, I love you.

Books I'm Reading Right Now

I am a voracious reader. I love books. I love the idea of a new book, especially one that intriques me.
Now, I have not always loved reading, especially if it was required reading.
I never did well with textbooks because I was forced to consume them, but since college, I read continually.
I am in the middle of a lot of books right now, and I will read just about anything...
...as evidenced from the list below.

Here is a list of books (with Amazon links) I am currently reading (in no particular order)
1. The One-Year Chronological Bible
2. Radical by David Platt
3. Do Something by Miles McPherson
4. The Vanishing Word by Arthur W. Hunt III
5. The Audacity Of Hope by Barack Obama
6. The Writer Got Screwed (but didn't have to) by Brooke A. Wharton
7. Crazy Love by Francis Chan
8. Breakfast With Sharks by Michael Lent
9. The Seven Mountain Mantle by Johnny Enlow

What books are you currently reading? Let me know!

Drive - VS - Discipline

I would consider myself a very "driven" individual.
I get pumped, amped, excited and all-around jazzed about a new idea.
A new start-to-finish project.
I can throw myself into a short-term project 100% (Point of Clarification: anyone who says that they throw themselves into something 110% is exceeding their means and bound to fail. The most you can give is 100%...that's all of it.)

I have a drive that is second-to-none. I want to succeed in ways that most people might think ridiculous, but I shoot for the stars with no thought of landing on the moon.
And no, that's not arrogance.
I just simply believe whole-hearted in my God-given talents.
I have always found myself in positions of favor, and I refuse to settle for an ordinary life.
When it comes to my drive, I am willing to lose countless hours of sleep to get a project done. I work great under pressure and in conditions that allow my creativity to thrive.

However, in day-to-day disciplines, I kinda suck.

QUESTION: does "success" (notice the quotation marks, please) require both?

If you ask me to do simple daily and/or weekly maintenance on a set of systems, I will lose excitement rapidly. I will fall through on simple tasks because I am not a good maintainer. It is not one of my strengths. Neither am I a good multi-tasker. We place a lot of importance on the ability to multi-task in our corporate-driven society. However, if I'm working for and/or with you and you want me to thrive, let me fully throw myself into a short-term project that requires creativity and out-of-the-box thinking with definite results and a definite project-end date.

On the flip side, there is also a lot of credit given to the "out-of-the-box" people, and that may not be your strenght. You may thrive on day-to-day routine. Both are great and neither is better than the other, I'm just telling you where I sit on the spectrum. Meg is a great opposite, indeed a perfect opposite, for me because she is that steady rock that keeps my creative drive in check and makes sure that we get the day-to-day maintenance done.

Now, I know that there are daily disciplines that I must keep (ie: daily Bible reading, daily prayer, daily workouts, daily chores around the house), and I'm trying to gain discipline in certain areas that I have previously faltered in...but it is not always easy!

What about you? Where do you fall on the list?
Are you a short-term, driven, project-oriented person like me, or do you thrive under conditions of day-to-day, steady paced, disciplined areas?

Again, one is not better than the other. They are both needed to keep the world going... be honest, where do you thrive? Are you currently in that situation? Can you make that situation possible for you so that you can offer the most of your God-given talents to the world?

DOG DIARY - VS - CAT DIARY

And now, for something a little...um, er...MUCH lighter than the DDP.
I saw this in an email once and thought it was very funny, so I wanted to repost it here so you, too, could have a laugh. Enjoy!

EXCERPTS FROM A DOG'S DAILY DIARY

8:00am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
6:00pm - Oooh, bath. Bummer.
7:00pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00pm - Wow! Watched TV with people! My favorite thing!
11:00pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

EXCERPTS FROM A CAT'S DAILY DIARY

Day 983 of my captivity.

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.

The dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today, I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Infidels!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power or "allergies." I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage.

Today, I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow --- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. the dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems more than willing to return. He is obviously an idiot.

The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now........

DDP - Exit Journey Part 05

My Humanism looks me in the eyes, challenging me to fight him in what I'm sure would be a self-apocalyptic throwdown of epic proportions. However, this time, I won't react and fight him; but I won't look away from him either. I refuse to lower my eyes.

We stare at each other, knowing each other's thoughts. My dark reflection is me, part of me, the unredeemed side of me that I've allowed to dwell for too long in this cave, unacknowledged.

My Humanism scoffs at my belief in the Divine. He scowls at the very mention of Providence. He believes only in the might of his own hand, his power tactics, his coercive means and his human charm.

Themes of "Might makes right" and "only the strong survive" reflect in his eyes along with whispers of, "you are what you make of yourself" and "always look out for Number One."

He is, for all intents and purposes, a cynic, nothing more. He calls himself a realist; but in actuality, he is a pessimist who looks only at the pain brought about by this physical world with no hope in the Divine Intervention brought about by the loving imminence of a transcendent God.

The irony is: My Humanism ignores the rain that pours around him. He gives no thought to the Presence that shines around him.

Here in this deep cave with stagnant air, a cool breeze brushes my face.
Then, a thought comes to me, almost as a whisper in the wind.
"Pick up your broken pieces."

I reach down and pick up one of the shards.
My Humanism shudders, "What are you doing, Dallas?"

I put the shard in my empty bag.
"You're coming with me," I say to my Humanism, "This cave does not belong to you."

Piece by piece, I pick up my broken soul and place it in the bag on my back.
The Light in the cave intensifies as Revelation sweeps over me.

These pieces of my soul have stayed for too long in darkness, not exposed to the light of Life.
This cave, my cave, is a place of solace, a place to unwind and unplug.
I should not fear this cave. This cave is part of the vast terrain of who I am, nothing to be feared.

Yet, by hiding my darkness here and letting it grow in strength in the darkness, I have allowed this cave to become haunted --- a Deep Dark Place --- rather than merely a place of solitude.
I have empowered those aspects of my unredeemed life by choosing to ignore them.
But not anymore.

I pick up the last shard and place it in the bag.
The cave is empty now, no longer haunted.

My eyes move upward toward the cave's opening, and I begin my ascent.

Later, I emerge from the cave with my backpack of shards.
Here I am a broken man with all of my soul now exposed to the Light.

I now carry my brokenness with me, as both a reminder of my humanity as well as an act of faith knowing that as I carry my brokenness in the light, God will faithfully transform me into a man who is fully redeemed.

At the opening of the cave stands my wife, holding our son, as well as my family and my friends.

A cool wind blows as my eyes scan the landscape of my life.
Hills, Mountains, Valleys, Plains, this Cave.
My Life is panorama of beauty.
I've never forgotten that, but I have missed the view.

I look back into the cave.
Never again will this cave be a place of fear or a place of self-loathing.
It is merely a place of solace.
The DDP is no more.