Friday, May 15, 2009 @ 8:04 pm by Josh Burcham

The season has come to a close in great fashion and I still think they should extend the show to an hour slot, but that is just my opinion. If you missed it here is the finale, “Company Picnic,” brought to you by Hulu, which by the way is absolutely a site to visit and fall in love with.

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Wednesday, April 1, 2009 @ 10:57 am by Josh Burcham

I meet with a group of guys every week where I’m challenged, held accountable and encouraged all at the same time. This quote from @john_popovich. It isn’t something new to all of us, but it did hit us in a new way.

Forgiveness never makes sense.

Being a Christ-Follower never makes sense. Christ calls us “to be last … to be a servant of all” and to love our enemies. He calls us to humble ourselves to the point of washing peoples feet. The job of the lowest servant on the food chain in the households of Jesus’ day. He expects us to love people. Jesus is asked which is the greatest commandment and he reply with this, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39. Jesus was asked for the GREATEST commandment, not the top two, but yet He felt it to be that important. “Love you neighbor as yourself”! They go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. We can’t truly love God if we don’t love people.  “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” You’ve heard this before: love is an action. To show love to somebody takes action and to not show love, takes action as well:

⁴¹“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.‘

We were created to love God and love people! Genesis records the creation of the earth and of mankind and Adam’s need for a mate.

“God created the first human, Adam, in His image, and they shared a prefect relationship. But still, God said it was not good. Why? Because Adam was created to love God and love people, yet at this point he was only loving God. The solution to Adam’s problem is Eve. So God created Eve, and Adam went from having a perfect relationship with God to having a perfect relationship with God and Eve. And it was good.” Vince Antonucci in I became a Christian and all I got was a lousy t-shirt.

We are called to love people. We are called to forgive people. And though it doesn’t make sense, we are still called to do so. Even if it feels like we are getting the short end of the stick or justice isn’t being served. We are called to love and forgive. Not an easy lesson I’ve had to learn, but a lesson am glad I learned. It frees me to love God in a way that I’ve never loved Him before.

I don’t care what somebody has done to you. You can’t love God fully if you can’t forgive and know it isn’t going to make sense!

Go into life with that heart and people are going to meet JESUS!

Verses quoted: Mark 9:35, Luke 6:35, Matthew 5:44, John 13:1-17, Matthew 22:34-40, Matthew 25:40.

Sunday, February 8, 2009 @ 2:44 pm by Josh Burcham

There have been a lot of people posting 25 Random Things about themselves over at Facebook and I enjoyed reading friends posts. Hopefully they enjoy reading mine. LOL. But since I live here on my blog and not on Facebook I figured I would post here instead.

The only shows that I watch/follow are The Office, Lost, and House. Mainly due to the fact I don’t have cable at home and only being able to afford those three from iTunes.

I get to work a 1/2 hr. early so I don’t have to go to the floor right away and have time to just sit there are do nothing.

I’m headed back to school to finish off my degree at the end of the month. Should take me about a year. It will be nice to have that behind me.

I’m an introvert and I don’t like being around a lot of people. Hard to believe that I’m call to be a pastor with that trait, but it is true. People actually freak me out.

With Andrew out of the country for the next six months. I have no family in Arizona. Well, blood family. I have plenty of people I consider family that live here. I’m all by myself. You all should come visit.

Speaking of family. I have a great one! And I know you’re jealous of it. If you’re not, it’s because you haven’t met us yet. I don’t say this enough to them…Love you, guys! Mom & Ken, Dad & Dane, Steve, Tiffany & Nick, Wendy & Steve (& the boys), Kris & Laura, Andrew, Jeff, and Nathan. And the Horton’s didn’t forget you guys. Love ya! Damn, I have a big family. (That’s just my immediate family.)

I’m freaked about getting back into hockey. Last month my mom offered to pay for season and now that it could become a reality…I’m a little freaked. It’s been seven years since I’ve played.

I didn’t vote for President Obama (I had to add Obama to my spell check), nor do we see eye to eye on issues, but I’m excited to see what he will be able to accomplish. More interested in politics then when Bust was in office. It’s going to be tough. Our economy is dying right in front of our faces. But I’m eager to see what he can do. (And I might be burned at the stake of this one by some of my christian brothers and sisters.)

Anytime I set my alarm to wake me up. I wake up fifteen minutes, on the second, before my alarm is to go off. Like clock work. Happened this morning.

My view of God, the Church and ministry are completely different then they were a year ago and I praise God for that. Thank you, Jesus!

I’ve been a janitor, knife salesman, Starbucks’ barista, Apple specialist, print designer, church planter and a pastor. And I was only fired from one of those jobs…okay layed off, but fired makes it such a better story.

I love kids and can’t wait to have my own some day.

I have had a gun pulled on me, ran from the cops and been chased in my car. Those are all separate stories and non of them I’m proud of.

Judge me if you will, but I love plays, musical, big productions, etc. I always have. I still remember going to see Nutcracker & Romeo and Juliet at a young age. Probably why service/ministry programing interests me so much.

I keep track of 5 email addresses. Thank you Gmail for your great support. Without you I would have to login to five sperate places and that would suck!

I write people off too easily. If someone wrongs me or someone I care about or makes a poor decision in a place of leadership. I just write them off; not giving them a second chance. But I do expect the same response to my actions. Haven’t grasped the whole grace thing yet, but I’m working on it.

There is music on my iPod that I am ashamed to call mine, but yet I still don’t delete it. I guess I should say, I have music I’m ashamed to say I like.

I’ve never broken a bone or had stitches. I do have a scare on my cheek from my mom’s nail, though.

I attend church services online, but if they don’t air the entire service from start to finish; I get bored with them very quickly.

Made it through school never reading a single book and now I try to read 3-4 a month. Weird how things change. Actually, my mom used to make me do Hooked on Phonics and read into a tape recorder. I think it was more for her enjoyment to hear me try to read, then it was a tool to help me read. But I don’t hold that against her. I was in 6th grade by the way.

I’m inspired by Wendy and Steve (sister and brother-in-law). They probably don’t know that, but I’m always watching them. They have a healthy and godly marriage and are phenomenal godly parents! Thanks for be such a great example.

I always have music playing (or sermon, video, tv show, movie, etc). I might not be listening to it, but I work better with noise. For example, Marvelous Light by Charlie Hall is playing right now in iTunes.

I’m a Mac, not a PC. It hurts me actually to have to go back and work on PCs from time to time. iPhone (not 3G), and 17″ PowerBook G4 (time to upgrade to the new MacBook Pro; thinking another 17″; I’m liking the 8GB worth of RAM in the 17″).

Since traveling to Israel last April (? pretty sure it was April; actually I can’t remember for the life of me when it was and I don’t want to take the time to look it up in Google Calendar. I’m so close to finishing this list) I’ve wanted to travel more places oversees. If you’re planning a trip and wanted to pay my way. I would not decline your offer. No, really I wouldn’t.

For someone that considers himself pretty self aware. It took me freaking forever to write 25 things. I should of number them, because I probably spent more time counting to see how many I had than thinking of what to write next.

Now it’s your turn. 25 random things about you!

Saturday, December 13, 2008 @ 6:34 pm by Josh Burcham

“…they don’t give out black belts for things that are stupid!” – Dwight

Sunday, November 9, 2008 @ 1:53 pm by Josh Burcham

The Office is rocking this season! Laughing every episode.

Classic Quote:
“You think I’m retarded”