As promised, a few words on last week's class with Tina Underwood.

I think part of the reason I've been a bit reluctant to make it to any of the Recovery Classes was due to the fact that none of the topics really jumped out at me. I did, however, want to try and get a look at some of them, though. If only for the off chance that there might be a really great teacher or a class more interesting than I might have otherwise guessed. This qualifies for both.

Having heard a lot of good things about Tina Underwood from others, I still left a bit more impressed than normal. These are 90-minute classes - sometimes with no break. And Tina teaches in a way that's compelling in a way that demands interest like few others. If nothing else, I give her immense credit for finding a way to make guys relate to a story that begins with Tina being a cheerleader and rebellious teenager into one that is immenently more relatable from a male point of view. And yet, what I appreciate even more is that the outline offered isn't a substitute for the message she offers - but rather, a complement to it.

The course topic for last week was "Rejected to Accepted." We're warned right up front that this wasn't a feel-good type of class. A quote that Tina offers that I found worth scribbling was that "rejection is meant to take your focus from God." And the more I reflect on that, the truer I realize it is. Every attack that we can point to as originating from Satan isn't meant to make us bow down and worship him ... it's merely meant to prevent us from worshipping God. Think about those moments where you've let rejection, fear, and doubt distract you from that relationship. Tina runs through a veritable encyclopedia of examples in her own life. And I think if we were all being half as honest as Tina was, we'd have no problem putting together a similar encyclopedia of our own. For the sake of brevity, I'll leave my own entry with something along the lines of "Yeah, been there."

Tina does a great thing in closing out her class, praying over everyone individually. We're not talking about a small class here, either. Maybe 50 or so people. It's truly amazing to witness this for the first time when you're on the side of the room she gets to last and you've heard all these great prayers for so many people.

Anyways, treat yourself to a Thursday night at Lakewood. You won't be disappointed.