Project 53: Week 22 – NBA/ Kardashian Effect

Ok, so reading this title probably makes you wonder “Cody, why are you writing about the Kardashians? You haven’t started “keeping up” with them since you moved to California, have you? Because then I’d be really worried about you…” First off – no, I haven’t started watching that show. I don’t have television, and if that was the only option on TV, I’d go sit outside in the California sun. But, I have encountered friends out here who really enjoy the show. Secondly, I do know that Lamar Odom is married, right?, to one of the Kardashians. And Lamar Odom is a basketball player in the NBA – this is something I know. And Kris Humphries, he’s was married to one of the Kardashians for like a week, and he too plays in the NBA, so I can talk about him!

Anyways, here is why I am writing this – I’ve noticed this interesting phenomenon while out here in California, conversing with my female friends who watch the Kardashians. And it is this – there opinions of these two NBA basketball players most likely differs vastly from the opinion held by the fan bases of those players’ respective franchises. You see, here’s the deal: Kris Humprhies is reviled by pretty much any one who is a fan of the Kardashians. The way the show portrays him, at least, is extremely negative – he apparently was a really bad husband to Kim for the week he was her husband. Lamar, however, seems to be this saintly guy who always treats Khloe incredibly well. Ergo, girls that watch the show love Lamar and hate Kris. I can’t really speak into whether or not these two guys are actually the way they are portrayed on the show (or even if that’s how they come across on TV, I’m simply trusting my friends who watch the show). But what I can speak into is this – these two guys were on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to basketball playing.

It’s funny – before this season, Lamar Odom was the reigning 6th Man of the Year – awarded to the best reserve player in the NBA. He played crunch time minutes and helped the Lakers a ton. Prior to his marriage to Kim Kardashian, no one knew who Kris Humphries was. He played for the Nets, a bottom feeder team in the NBA, and was pretty useless as a player. This year, however, changed everything. Perhaps Kris needed all the hate directed at him to help him focus or something, but he suddenly became a serviceable big man. He had career high averages in points, rebounds, minutes, assists, steals, and blocks. Lamar Odom, however, went in the tank. Prior to the season, the Lakers tried to trade Odom and others to the Hornets for Chris Paul. Although David Stern vetoed the trade (another topic for another post), Lamar decided he’d been slighted by the Lakers and went into this funk. He never recovered. He eventually was traded to the Dallas Mavericks for nothing (just a trade exception that the Lakers didn’t use) because he was too emotionally distraught to play for them. And apparently he was the still too emotionally distraught to play for them, too. By the end of the year, he was simply unceremoniously placed as “inactive” while still on the roster. His teammates voted to deny him his playoff bonus, even though he was technically on the roster. He simply was taking up space on the roster while being forced to not show up for games. That’s right – they simply paid his salary while requiring him to stay away.

Look, I can’t speak into the character of either of these guys. But I can tell you this – I’d much rather have Kris Humphries on my team than Lamar Odom. Kris Humphries, while facing an inordinate amount of outside pressure (he was voted the Most Hated Player in the NBA, this from a guy who wasn’t known about at all prior to this season), took it in stride, even thriving on it. He took the negative energy and became a key part of the Nets (even if they were terrible…). Lamar Odom, on the other hand, took what he saw as a personal slight and basically wasted space for a whole season. While Humphries was turning in career highs in every category, Odom was turning in career lows until his team permanently benched him. Really, I can’t stress how much I am disappointed in how he played this year. He was supposed to be this great pick-up for the defending champs – instead, he didn’t even get to be on the team, really, during the Mavericks first round playoff exit.

So, it’s interesting to see how we can form different opinions of people based on the “venue” or “lens” we view them through. My friends who don’t watch basketball but watch the Kardashians love Lamar and hate Kris. I, who follow the NBA but not the Kardashians, have different conclusions. I mean, I’m not a Kris Humphries “fan,” but I would prefer him in a Magic jersey than Lamar Odom, that’s certain.

Anyways, I just thought it was weird, and I didn’t really have anything else to write on, so there it is. Hope you’ve had a wonderful Memorial Day, and God Bless!

Project 53: Week 21 – Take the Plunge

There I stood, 30 ft in the air, my harness awkwardly tight in all the wrong places, nervously standing on the platform. At the bottom of the tree stood the rest of my 8th grade class, cheering me on. I slowly, cautiously, inch my way forward.
“Ready to fall” I manage to squeak.
“Fall on”

Summoning every ounce of courage I’ve ever had, I close my eyes and leap. The next .5 seconds of free fall seem like forever, and then I stop, my harness and the belaying system working perfectly, and I slowly descend the final 20 feet to the ground. I’ve survived the flying squirrel jump at camp! You see, I have a fear of heights, specifically related to climbing and similar experiences. Not that this has stopped me from doing rock climbing, rappelling, zip lining, the flying squirrel jump, etc. In fact, I’ve loved those experiences. But each and every time, I have to psyche myself up in order to do it, to take the plunge, to jump, to leap. It really hasn’t gotten any easier since that day in 8th grade.

Last night, as I was reading through my old journals, feeling nostalgic, I came across notes from a message I heard as a senior in college. I saw a verse that I had underlined and boxed in my notes, John 21:7. Curious as to why I had marked this verse, and unsure of what it actually said, I flipped open my Bible and looked it up. Here it is, in ESV:

That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.
John 21:7

I immediately re-fell in love with this verse again. Seriously, I love Peter. He doesn’t ever hesitate, or go halfway. I mean, here he is, sitting in a boat with the rest of the disciples. John says “That’s Jesus on the shore,” and Peter, instead of waiting for the ship to cover the 100 yards or so it was offshore, jumps right into the water and swims to Jesus. I mean, I know Peter messed up a lot in his life. He seemed to follow the steps [open mouth, insert foot] a lot, but he also was unashamedly passionate about Jesus. Sure, he doesn’t get it at times, but he’s always trying to get it, trying to love Jesus as much as he can. And he really doesn’t want anything to get in the way.

As I read this verse, I can’t help but feel that I would have sat in the boat and been content with just slowly rowing to shore. And that’s ok, I guess. But it isn’t compelling. It isn’t inspiring. It’s just kind of ho-hum. So maybe it isn’t ok, at least not all the time. I mean, if I see Jesus going somewhere ahead of me, I want to jump out of the boat and get to Him as fast as I can, to run right after Him, to be covered in the dust of His sandals. But I think too often I’m content to play it safe, take it slow, and just sit there as things happen. I’m not passionate enough. I’m not reckless enough to pursue Jesus. I’m too afraid to make a mistake, to screw up, that I’m unwilling to take a step of faith.

Look, some of us are less risk-averse than others. But we could all stand to be a little more daring in our faith. For me, I’m going to try to be more willing and open about my faith with those who don’t know Christ around me. What about you? What is a way that you can ‘take the plunge’?

Project 53: Week 20 – Oh the Places You’ll Go

Dr. Seuss was one of my favorite authors growing up. My parents would read me books by him when I was a kid, everything from “The Cat in the Hat” to “Horton Hatches an Egg” (I mean, an elephant is faithful, one hundred percent. Great times, those were. Anyways, I bring up the good doctor because I’m referencing one of his book titles for my blog post – “Oh the Places You’ll Go.” Feel free to skip this next part if you don’t care about the actual book but rather what I’m talking about

In tangential note, this is a really good book, about “you” and all the things that “you” might do. Really good one, one of my favorite Seuss books. Also, it was the last one published before his death, so it’s just a little extra special. Just remember this little gem from it ”Will you succeed? Yes, you will indeed. (98¾% guaranteed.)” Anyways, we now return you to your regularly scheduled blog and what I’m ACTUALLY writing about today. Hooray!

So, that was a crazy tangent to go on for all of 37 words…ish. I simply title the post “Oh the Places You’ll Go” because of a comment that a friend of mine made during a conversation I was having. It was this – “I think it’s always the people that make a place missable/fun, not necessarily the place.”

With Mother’s Day yesterday, I’m in a nostalgic mood, and so I’ve been thinking about that kind of stuff a lot recently. I mean, 8 months ago I left the only state I’d ever lived in. Of my close family, only my aunt and uncle, and their 4 boys, who live in Alaska, don’t live in Florida. I grew up within 3 hours of all of my close family members, minus them. I’d never known life in a different place. And yet, I don’t really miss Florida a ton. I miss the people much, much more. To be fair, I’d be nostalgic back in Gainesville, revisiting places from my college years. But even then, those places that I’m nostalgic for are given that feeling because of the experiences I’ve had with dear friends there. I mean, there’s nothing special about Courtyards Apt 160, except that for 3 years I got to live there with 3 other great guys. I love the Christian Study Center, because of the fun times I’ve had there studying, hanging out, having iPhone lightsaber battles. So, while I don’t necessarily miss Florida, I do very much so miss the people that have made it a special place in my heart.

What about “you,” the reader? What places are special for you because of the people you know/knew there? I’d love to hear from you, so comment away! And, as always, God bless!

Shoutout: Jonathan Martin

So, I’ve decided to add a new feature to my blog! I know what you’re thinking. You’re think “ZOMG! LOLZ! ISFEICETFW (I’m So Freakin Excited I Can’t Even Type Full Words)!” Take a breath, it’s really not that exciting. But anyways, every so often I’m going to give a special shout-out to someone in the world who influences me, somehow, someway. So, to start the first week, I’m starting with the guy who first inspired me to write this type of stuff. It’s really through no fault of his own, I just thought I’d share about a guy that I love reading and listening to, and who always challenges me when I do. And what better way to do that than to write a blog, right? Right? Whatever, I’m doing it this way anyway!

So, on to the guy. Jonathan Martin is the pastor of Renovatus, the church for people under renovation, in Charlotte, North Carolina (Check them out here). I first met Jonathan at Crossroads Worldwide’s College Winter Conference in Gatlinburg, TN. I honestly wasn’t sure what to make of this giant of a man who was also a Pentecostal preacher. But, from the outset, I’ve always been touched by his humility and grace as he teaches and writes. I still remember his message at Winter Conference my junior year of college. It was on Matthew 28, specifically the fact that, though the disciples were encountering the resurrected Christ, some still doubted.

And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.
Matthew 28:17 (ESV)

His story of wrestling with doubt in his own faith journey really touched me at that time and gave me such encouragement that it’s still stuck with me. Since then, I’ve read his blog semi-regularly and listened to his sermons. I specifically loved his series on Revelation last year. I listened to like 5 or 6 messages as I drove across Florida to play rugby one day. His handling of the Scripture really amazed me, and I will probably go back and listen to that series again whenever I find myself teaching on Revelation.

So, Jonathan, I have no idea if you’ll read this, but thanks for the impact you’ve had on my life, mostly from a distance. If I’m ever in the Charlotte area on a Sunday, I’ll have to stop in and see your church in person. Until then, continue to serve Christ with all you’ve got.

For those of you who don’t know Jonathan, check him out here:
Blog – here
Twitter – @renovatuspastor 

Project 53: Week 19 – Comfort Zone

I wasn’t really sure what to write about this week, to be totally honest. I’ve got several things I’m mulling around in my head, wanting to add to the blog to make it more interesting, more worth your valuable reading time, but I didn’t want to lump them into the Project 53 work, so I needed something else. So here it goes:

This past Friday night, May 4, I went to watch the Marlins and Padres play a baseball game at Petco Park in San Diego. The question I usually get after saying that is “Oh, who with?” The answer: just me. It wasn’t like I intended at first to go alone, but that’s how it worked out. And really, it was great. An absolute blast of a time. The Marlins started off hot, hitting 2 Home Runs in the first inning for a 5-0 lead. The Padres then scored 6 runs in the third to go in front, and the teams traded runs back and forth until the 9th inning, when the Marlins closer came in to save a 1 run game. This was all the more dramatic because a) he has pitched terribly this year and b) he used to be the Padres closer. My 6th inning prediction came true – the fans booed him, he blew the save, and on to extra innings we went. In the end, though, the Marlins won, 9-8, in 12 innings. It was an absolute blast for me.

All that to say that, although I was by myself, I had a great time and chatted it up with a lot of people. For me, sporting events are part of my “comfort zone.” Home or road, whatever sport, I feel like I can connect with anyone around me in that situation. I met a lovely couple from the San Diego area who got free tickets from the girl’s work. His name was James and her’s, well, I can’t remember. Anyway, I had a blast chatting with them, sharing baseball secrets with them (okay, not really secrets. Just explaining the game. It’s great when you get to feel like an ‘expert’ on something, right?). I might not ever see them again, but for 12 innings and almost 5 hours, we were friends – laughing and joking and enjoying a common experience, even if for me it was more fun because my team won. Although I’ve been to games where my team has lost and I’ve had the long walk of shame past the celebrating opposing fans, I can truly say I’ve always enjoyed the people I’ve met at games, and been able to “befriend” complete strangers there.

So, I ask you, my few but faithful readers – what’s your “comfort zone?” What’s a place/event/venue/something along those lines that you feel at home in, a place in which you feel like you can strike up a conversation with any stranger because of this common bond you have simply because you are both there? I’d love to hear from you on it. Have a happy Tuesday and God Bless!

Me at Petco

Project 53: Week 18 – Catalyst West, Lesson 1

Two weeks ago I was able to attend Catalyst West and the CatWest Labs. Catalyst is a conference put on for Christian leaders, headlined by Andy Stanley (www.northpoint.org) and Craig Groeschel (www.lifechurch.tv). It was a refreshing time to learn from a bunch of influential leaders, both in the church and in the world at large. I took copious notes and now have a ton of processing to do with all the information given.

While there are a ton of things I’m still mulling over and processing, there is one thing I can say for certain, and that is that my favorite talk was Andy Stanley’s closing one. The title of it was “Replace Yourself.” And basically, Andy spent his time telling us why we should raise people up to replace us in our positions. He answered fears and reservations we have regarding why we  don’t want to do this. But the story that stuck out to me the most from this message, the one that made the biggest impression on me, was of a federal judge. He allowed his interns to listen in as he had a conversation with a district attorney regarding a case (with the D.A.’s permission, I’m sure). They simply sat in his office with the speaker phone on and took notes on the convo. Andy walked in on them in the middle of it and just sat down, unsure of what was going on. But after the D.A. hung up, the judge proceeded to discuss it with the interns, allowing them to ask him questions about how and why he did things in that conversation. He simply invited them to understand how he did different aspects of his job. What better way to learn how being a federal judge (and a District Attorney, for that matter) works than to be physically present as he does his job then pick his brain on why he did it that way?

It reminded me of another story that Tim Higgins, the president of FCA at UF when I was a freshman, shared. He talked about how he spent time in Israel. He was grouped up with several other guys who followed a “Rabbi.” Disciples were told to be covered in the dust of their Rabbi’s sandals, literally following them as close as possible and doing everything that the Rabbi did. Whenever the Rabbi did something, they would do it too. One day the Rabbi started the morning by picking up a rock. So they all did too. At the end of the day, the Rabbi took the rock out of his pocket and threw it into the woods. So they all did too. And then they did what any one in their shoes would do – they asked the Rabbi “Why did we pick that rock up, carry it all day, and then throw it into the woods?” The Rabbi proceeded to explain how the rock represented that day, and how at the end of the day it was gone. It was a reminder that we should live each day for Christ.

I tell these two stories to ask two questions
1) How closely are we following Christ? Are we “covered in His dust?”, and 2) Who can you be raising up, right now, to replace you?

I’d love to hear from you, especially on ways you can begin to raise up someone to replace you at your job. God bless!

Project 53: Week 17 – Earthquake!

I was going to write about something else today, but a life changing event occurred this morning. An earthquake! To be honest, it was only a brief 3.9 quake, but I was only a couple miles from the epicenter, so I felt the worst of what little quake it was. So I can cross that natural disaster of the list too. Hurricanes have been a mainstay of my life, having grown up in Florida. In fact, senior year of high school was the year that 4 separate hurricanes hit the state. You kind of get numb to them when they happen all the time. Which is the way Californians are with earthquakes – it takes a really big one to get their attention. Me, from Florida, I’m really glad the first experience with earthquakes was a small one and while I had an empty bladder – things could have been much uglier for me otherwise. And after seeing how Californians react to light drizzles, I can’t imagine how they’d handle the torrential rain of a hurricane, let alone the winds that come along with it.

So, to strike up a conversation with you, my reader(s), what sort of things have you grown up with that you’ve become somewhat accustomed to dealing with? Especially things that a Floridian like myself has no clue about – tornadoes, blizzards, earthquakes, etc.

God bless and stay safe!

Project 53: Week 16 – UFRFC

For 4 years, as a member of the UFRFC (University of Florida Rugby Football Club), the University of Tennessee Volunteers was the perennial thorn in our side. My Junior year, in Knoxville, we fell by 1 point to them, missing the playoffs due to that loss. My Senior year, a dream season that saw us claim the state crown and held great promise for us, we fell to them in the South Championship Semi-finals by 3 points, effectively ending our season (had we won we would have qualified for the playoffs). As I lay on the field, exhausted, nose and lip swelling from a kick I had blocked with my face, barely able to see, I wept, knowing my career at UF was ended far sooner than I was ready for it. We crushed South Carolina the next day to secure 3rd place in the South and finish on a high note, but once again, the mighty Vols had managed to stand in the way of my chance at the Rugby playoffs. Last year, UF made the Sweet 16 for the first time in years (if not ever…), but UT had changed divisions and therefore left revenge impossible. But his year, as many of the guys I had bled and sweated with for 3+ years reached their last season of eligibility, a restructuring of D-I rugby led to the creation of the Southeastern Rugby Conference. UT and UF were reunited. In the regular season, UT once again prevailed, in Gainesville, 20-12. It seemed, though I was gone, they’d continue to haunt us. Fast forward to yesterday, April 15. UF and UT had each handily won their semi-finals games and thus they faced each other, a guaranteed spot in the playoffs on the line (though the loser would likely get an at-large berth). UF started fast and led 12-7. But we’ve been there before (both Jr. and Sr. year we led at half, only to falter midway through the 2nd half and be unable to scrape back in before the game ended). And it seemed history was doomed to repeat, as UT scored another converted try to lead 14-12. And then, something happened. The Gators rose up, shook it off, and put two more tries over to win the game 22-14. SEC Champs. The ghosts of haunting losses exorcised. As I read the simple tweet “SEC Champions! Florida Rugby 22 – Tennessee  14,” my heart leapt. They’d done it! UF had beaten the Vols and secured a second straight berth in the playoffs!

I write this post to simply say that I’ve never been more proud to be an old boy of the UFRFC. From a rag tag bunch of guys, with no coach, UF has become a perennial player in the national picture. It’s good to know that the hard work put in by Cormac Walsh, Dave Meehan, Boot, Joe Rosen, Ben Walker and others, carried onward by myself, Ian Foster, Neal Dupree, Reggie Wilson, Matias Tettamanti, etc.(apologies to any I may have left out), has come to fruition with this team. Though there were 15 people only on that field wearing the Orange and Blue, they carried with them the successes and failures, challenges, blood, sweat, tears, dreams of all the Old Boys who had at one time or another donned the Orange and Blue.

The work isn’t finished, there’s a likely rematch in the Elite 8 with UT in Knoxville on the horizon, and ultimately a National Championship to be brought home to Gainesville. But today, I want all the current members of the UFRFC to know one thing – “Moses” is dang proud of you all and what you’ve done for my Alma Mater. You all make me proud to have worn the Gator over my heart.

Go Gators!

- Cody “Moses” Davidson
Lock ’06-’10

Project 53: Week 15 – PEACE and me

So, last week I wrote about the PEACE Plan, Saddleback’s approach to missions. You can read that post here and read more about the PEACE Plan here.

As I hinted in last weeks post, this week I’m going to be sharing about what the PEACE Plan has to do with me specifically. And with that, here it goes – I will be spending 4 months in Buenos Aires this Fall/Winter (Spring/Summer in the Southern Hemisphere, woohoo!) as part of the Scaffolding Team, helping launch Saddleback Buenos Aires!

So, what does that mean? Good question. I don’t really have a specific answer. In short, I’ll be helping with whatever it takes to plant a church in B.A. I’ll be assisting, along with the rest of the scaffolding team going with me, the local pastor(s) who Saddleback will hire to lead that church. We’ll be doing whatever it takes to launch the church – evangelism, surveys, helping with PEACE initiatives, admin work, etc. I’m really excited about this! As I’ll share in the future, I want to one day plant a church, so the opportunity to get hands on experience in actually planting a church is so cool, and hopefully going to be a great blessing in the future. I’m also really excited that I get to be part of planting a church that will, from the outset, be a PEACE center – to help provide holistic care for community health. The vision for these churches is so cool and so compelling that I’m incredibly pumped to be a part of it from the outset. To be part of a church plant who’s goal, from the beginning, is to be an equipping and sending station for missions to the unreached people groups, to be a center for PEACE initiatives, to mobilize it’s members to minister in their communities, it is truly an awesome opportunity.

Here’s the thing – this isn’t going to be easy. I’m going to need help from YOU in order to do this. So, here’s what I’m going to ask – if you are interested in partnering with me in this ministry by praying for me or, if you feel led, to support me financially, I’d be extremely appreciative. If that’s the case, please email me at codyd@saddleback.com and I will be sure to get you the information in regards to that. I know this is what God has called me to do, and He will provide in a miraculous and wonderful way. Please prayerfully consider if you wish to partner with me as I go. Know that I love you no matter what, and what I desire most of all is your constant prayers as I get ready to go on this grand adventure of planting a church in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We serve an amazing God. The verse we’ve been encouraged to consistently go back to as we prepare (and when we are in the field) is this

Now to Him who is able to do more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

- Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)

Man, God is so cool, and this verse is just so encouraging – God is able to do more than we could even ask or think (some versions use imagine). I’m a big dreamer, and my God is able to do abundantly (immeasurably in the NIV) more than I could dream. He truly is infinite and wonderful. So I cling to this, knowing that, though I’m weak and incapable to doing this, that God, who is at work within me, is able to accomplish so much more than I could even think of.

What big thing is God calling you to? What is something God is placing on YOUR heart? Know that He is big enough to carry it through. God bless!

Project 53: Week 14 – PEACE

This past 7 months I have had the opportunity to work at Saddleback Church in Orange County, CA. Pastor Rick has always had huge vision and followed God’s leading, and Saddleback, through his leadership and the leadership of her staff, has always been an ‘innovative’ church. I say ‘innovative’ because Rick will always tell you that much of what Saddleback does isn’t new, it’s based on what churches have done since the Day of Pentecost. One of the mainstays of Saddleback the past 8 years or so has been the PEACE Plan – Saddleback’s mission strategy.

Before I came out here, I had never heard of the PEACE Plan, so I was admittedly in the dark as to what it was about when I got here. But, as I’ve learned more about it and been a part of it here, I’ve come to love this strategy for Local and Global Missions. Basically, PEACE looks to work in the 5 global giants – spiritual emptiness, lack of leadership, extreme poverty, pandemic disease, and illiteracy. By Promoting Reconciliation through Planting Churches, Equipping servant leaders, Assisting the poor, Caring for the sick, and Educating the next generation, the PEACE Plan seeks to be a holistic approach to missions – we want to care for the whole person. One other important tenet of the plan is to always go through the local church – the local church is the hero. Instead of an American church coming in and doing stuff for the locals, we seek to partner with the local church to teach them to do the work. This means that it still happens when we leave, and it blesses that church by giving the community a high view of the local church. Ultimately, we want to see healthy local churches created around the globe that are working to bring health in their local communities.

This year, Rick has unrolled PEACE 3.0, an ambitious plan to reach the 3800 unreached people groups (ethnic groups that have  no church in their midst) by the end of this decade. Our first step is to plant 12 international churches in major cities around the world that will be sending churches to those people groups and PEACE centers for their local communities. The goal is to plant those churches in the next year. It’s crazy, and it’s impossible for us to accomplish on our own. But, as Saddelback has witnessed in the past, if a vision is from God, no matter how crazy or impossible it may seem, God has a cool way of making it work. So we’re stepping out in faith, trusting God to make it happen. It’s risky, and it’s stretching for sure, but we haven’t been called to live a life of safety but of boldness, courage,and faith.

Interested in learning more about the PEACE plan? Visit the website here.

Next week I’ll write to you more about what I get to do as part of PEACE 3.0. God bless!