50 Things I'm Thankful For

1. The new Malcolm Gladwell book. Listening to it on my Thanksgiving drive is possibly going to be the highlight of my day.
2. Running. I hate it. But it's good.
3. Journaling. It forces me to think.
4. Movies. I really like movies.
5. My friend Rachel. She let's me talk a lot, and acts interested.
6. My health. Don't you have to say that on a list like this?
7. The values I picked up from my family. Things like: Loving Jesus, the Church and books.
8. My boss Steve. He's really gone to bat for me.
9. My roommates.
10. The Elders at Journey. We eat together a lot.
11. Don McLaughlin. Amazing mentor back in Atlanta who poured a ton into me.
12. Other pre-San Antonio mentors, like Marvin Crowson, Gailyn Van Rheenan, Barry Alexander, Glenn Robb and Lee Cole.
13. This American Life. Ira Glass is a high point every week.
14. Podcasts. Seriously, I don't remember life before them.
15. Twitter. I like following you people!
16. Traditional and non-Traditional theories of Atonement. It's just great to think about everything God's done for us.
17. A new friend who's given me some much needed hope.
18. Counseling. I am a better person today because of it.
19. Journey Fellowship. It's more than a job or a church for me. It's a home.
20. The dozens of writers of the Bible. Their humanity makes it seem real.
21. The Democratic process.
22. Fall weather.
23. Electricity.
24. My friend Daniel. The guy can talk a lot, but he still knows how to listen.
25. James Holston. Better friend now than when we lived in the same city.
26. Comic Books. Mainly Batman.
27. The Dark Knight movie. Amazing.
28. The swing towards social justice in the church.
29. Bad things that have happened to me in the past. I'm better off now.
30. The growing nation-wide interest in church planting.
31. Refrigerators. I'd make a terrible hunter.
32. Indoor plumbing.
33. Cell phones. I plan to make good use of mine during my two 3 hour drives today.
34. Blogs. Though they are dying off, they made me take my writing public.
35. My Community Group. They have been the people I fall back on, every week.
36. Abraham Lincoln.
37. Our big L-shaped couch. It's what makes our living room.
38. Falling gas prices.
39. My Uncle's desire to have, and fund, a big family Thanksgiving.
40. Being born in America. It's makes me one of the richest people in the world.
41. My Church of Christ heritage. Yeah, there's baggage, but I can harmonize like nobody's business.
42. Scented candles. Because a house full of dudes can smell.
43. The deer that live all around our apartment. They make this place seem wild.
44. Jared Eckman. He fixed my car for free.
45. Kevin Nations. He makes cool movies, and will hopefully make more!
46. The guys in Witness and Castle Rock. They were the first real friends I ever had. Wish I was with you today!
47. Being single. Yeah, it sucks most the time. But can you imagine me dragging a wife through the crap I've gone through the last 5 years?
48. Wycliffe, Luther, Calvin, Arminius, Wesley, Campbell, John Paul, and the other great leaders that have paved the road for the church to be what it is today.
49. YOU!
50. Thanksgiving Day.

Trust gets easier

Recently, I have found the reality of trusting in God to be much more palpable. What's different:

• I've been here before. Difficulties, unanswered questions, etc. Somehow I'm still alive.
• I am asking for help. When you don't try to do it on your own, and you lean in to the church, let it do what it's supposed to do, God's body will take care of you.
• Today's difficulties are the answers to yesterday's questions. As hard as the moment may be, I'm ready for some answers.

It's a good feeling, trusting God.

"I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for." Jeremiah 29:11

Haven't been here in awhile

There's a few reasons I haven't been blogging.

1) I have a ton of things going on, which I look forward to talking about in this forum in the future. But not now.
2) I've been distracted by Twitter. You can follow me at twitter.com/chrismorton82
3) I haven't devoted the time to thinking things out. This blog has served primarily as a venue for me to think about stuff. I have been doing too much going, and not enough thinking.

Some things worth writing about:

-Coffee House Night + Art Show, Friday at 7
-The second ever Church Has Left the Building, December 7
-Holidays
-This weekend's retreat
-The Washington bio I read
-The new Malcolm Gladwell book. It's should be a holiday.

CHLB is Back!

CHLB Week 1 from Chris Morton on Vimeo.

Let's be honest.

Let's be honest.

He's the second black President of the United States.

Could we have gotten here without President Palmer?

A Prayer for Election Day (and beyond)

God, make us a people of Grace. Remind us that all leaders are ultimately chosen by you, for grand purposes we are too small to understand. Help us to respect and pray for those to will be given offices. Keep fear and hatred at bay. Let your people be a shining example of the Kingdom of God, no matter who controls the government.

Making sense of the last ten days or so

I am determined to gather life and leadership lessons from the funk I'm stuck in:

I recently held an event meant to give people a place to bring their non-christian friends. It went off well, except that the 30 people I invited were nowhere to be found. Sharing my frustration, many people noted that they wanted to experience the event before inviting their friends. Lesson: Just making the environment is not enough, you must also help people trust and appreciate it.

I've heard ministers refer to people as "extra grace required." I've had to deal with a lot of that recently. My immediate desire is to box them in, so they can cause as little damage as possible. The problem with that strategy is that it leaves no room for grace.

Another event I was a part of did not go too well. Once I got over my initial anger, I went back and apologized to the organizer, a young leader whom I unfairly gave totally responsibility. I realize now that I threw this person out to drown. It reminds me of the first leadership axiom I was ever taught: Don't expect what you don't inspect.

Finally, I was reminded again of the importance of communication. Rather than talk about a problem, I often let it fester deep within me. This keeps me from having meaningful relationships, and turns me into a bitter person. Just talk about it.

What have you learned lately?