Hey Sparkle Jesus!

this is ridiculous... it is also a bank! you can store your millions inside Sparkle Jesus, because who would steal a Jesus bank?

sadly, it generated more conversation in the Borders checkout line than I assume Jesus himself would. the cashier even decided "glittery Jesus probably has super powers." what a bizarre thing to make [and sell out of... this was the last one!]

my grandma told me after i made the weirdest $4.00 purchase ever, "i hope you weren't planning on going to Heaven after buying that!" she was kidding [i think...]

There'd be no distance that could hold us back

in honor of the new year, i give you the best present ever: death cab for a cutie.

So this is the new year, and i don't feel any different.
The clanking of crystal, explosions off in the distance.
So this is the new year, and I have no resolutions
For self assigned penance, for problems with easy solutions.

So everybody put your best suit or dress on.
Let's make believe that we are wealthy for just this once,
Lighting firecrackers off on the front lawn
As thirty dialogs bleed into one/

I wish the world was flat like the old days,
Then i could travel just by folding a map
No more airplanes, or speed trains, or freeways
There'd be no distance that could hold us back.

my 2009 prediction: craziest year yet. God is already setting my life up for what seems like the impossible, and if I know anything about God, it's that He always manages to pull through, regardless of my own personal limits. He's cool like that.

Thanks for being awesome and tuning into all my stories of dogzilla, youth group antics, and general life updates this past year. I seriously am grateful that you take the time to stop by. Stick around in 2009, and you may get a free book out of it! I'm excited to start a project that's been years in the making, and even more excited that my friends want to contribute to it [you'll get a chance, too, once the writing process begins]. It's all about the "we" in 2009. you + me. lets do this :)

Pausing on warp speed

Tomorrow will be the first Sunday I haven't had a commitment to do anything ministry-related since graduating college. It's weird for me. I'm even considering going to my home church because I feel like I'll go to hell if I miss. Ha, okay maybe not THAT bad. but you catch my drift. I love teaching Sunday School though, so I'm bummed that I'll miss the kids tomorrow.

This time at home has been really restful, which is good because in the speed of everything, I forgot how to sit still and breathe and just exist. I forgot that life doesn't need to revolve around lists and deadlines. It's about relationships and growing as an individual and a community. That concept has really been buzzing around my head lately, and I'm sure it has something to do with the book and talking to friends about being connected.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that in the rush of 2008, it was easy to focus on tasks rather than who I was doing the tasks for. I wanted to be so efficient that I put myself in warp speed and almost ended up burning myself out. I'm stoked for 2009. I'm stoked that it's another year to make a difference. I feel like it's going to be.a huge year for God and I. I feel like we're going to move mountains :)

This might be a little scatterbrained because it's been a long day ending with a migrane, but sometimes I'm actually clearer when I don't try so hard, but you guys know that:) I hope you all had a great Christmas! Let's change the world in 09, I dare you.

how to become a millionaire

step 1. write a book
step 2. sell it for $17.95 [a fair price]
step 3. sign a contract for 12.5% royalties [which is the highest of the high end]
step 4. convince 45,000 of your closest friends to buy your book.

that's all! haha :)

the meeting with the publisher went well. they're drafting their proposal and I'll get it in early January, and if we agree on things, I'll start writing! how freakin' cool is that? [haha, sorry, sometimes I have flashbacks to when I was 17]. the thing I'm most excited about is that this will be a good resource for churches looking at ministering to the 18-30 age group. We're a crazy amazing group of kids, but we're also one of the hardest groups to minister to right now. I want to do some more interviews for the book so I can say "this is legit. meet _____." I think it'll be a cool project to involve my friends in because they are so diverse and brilliant and wonderful.

excitement :)

Talksheet update

I used the first talksheet in the Middle School book yesterday in Sunday School, and I was pleasantly surprised as to how well my kids did with it. We talked about prophecy versus predictions, and they loved trying to figure out what things would look like in 100 years [The group concluded that everything would run on holograms and virtual reality]. Then we got talking about how the Israelites had all this prophecy about Jesus, but a lot of them didn't believe it, which led to a conversation about how hard it is to "prove" God to people, and that it might be easier for them to see it lived out in our lives. It was a great discussion, and it took about 40 minutes to complete the lesson. I'm excited to continue this book with them, because they seem to respond well to it.

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

I don't know why, but yesterday was my breaking point for Christmas music. I heard the sleigh bells ring, walked in the winter wonderland, and parum-pa-pum-pummed myself to death. So when the Little Drummer Boy came on the radio for the 4th time yesterday morning, I got a little annoyed [Heidi laughed at me the whole time, naturally, being a cheery music-loving person].

Fast forward to around 5 PM, when I was rushing around like a madwoman, trying to get packed to go to Elkhart later that night AND get ready for the Community Christmas Concert at the church. I run out the door [well, more wobble, since my shoes were half a size too small], and as I'm walking to my car, I notice someone standing on the balcony watching me.

Santa.

I know, you're all probably like, "Kara's takin' crazy pills," but really, I saw Santa. Well, I saw our maintenance guy, Ron, dressed up like Santa [he looks like the real deal- white beard, long white hair, bigger guy... this summer, Jon saw him and yelled "HI SANTA!" then told everyone Santa lived at my apartment]. He watched me as I went to my car, and waived as I pulled out to head to church. And suddenly, I felt guilty for being such a Grinch earlier. It almost seemed like one of those "magical" moments in Christmas movies, where the bad guy realizes the true meaning of Christmas.

Christmas is such a weird season. We run ourselves ragged trying to make everything perfect- perfect presents, perfect tree, perfect family- and it can get to the point where everything looks perfect on the outside, but inside we're ready to take the Little Drummer Boy's drumsticks and shove them through his drum. We put so much emphasis on perfect memories this time of year that we lose sight of the real meaning of Christmas.

Now I'm sure all of you are sick of hearing about the real meaning of Christmas, so we're not going to go there. You already get it. But here's the thing- the first Christmas took place in less than perfect circumstances: a teenage mother, accused of adultery. a father trying to understand how to love a baby that wasn't his. a manger, filled with animals and less than sanitary conditions. a hopeless world, looking for something to believe in. And out of all of that imperfection came Jesus, the light of the world and the hope of nations.

Christmas doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to look like a Hallmark card. Don't worry if you burn that batch of cookies, or if money's too tight to buy everything on the lists, or if at the end of the day, you're too tired to commit to one more holiday gathering where you'll fill yourself with cheese ball and peppermint bark. Take some time to relax, spend some time with family. Laugh at the imperfections. Christmas isn't supposed to be about stress and craziness; it's about hope and celebration and freedom from the things that weigh us down. Remember, it was through imperfect circumstances that Christ came into this world.

I'm probably going to take a little hiatus for a few days. I think it's good to unplug every once in awhile. I hope you all have a relaxing, peaceful Christmas filled with love and hope and a little imperfection :)

quote of the day

"If there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."
"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."

from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

More link love

a good post for anyone in a leadership position in ministry:
Rules for Breaking the Rules

Steven Furtick knows what's up.

Talksheets: The Life of Christ [Review]

I walked into the office and found an envelope in my box with the new Talksheets, 50 Ready-to-use Discussions on the Life of Christ by Terry Linhart. I'm excited about these for the following reasons:

1. The information is concise and to the point. These talksheets have one page for students, and on the reverse is a leader's page. Linhart doesn't add a lot of extra fluff like most curriculum does, but that's okay because...
2. The lessons are written well. A lot of times, curriculum books have lessons that look more like recipes. Add a little intro, some questions from section three, a quote from section two, a game from the next book in the series, and you've got something that works 80% of the time with your students. From the looks of it, these lessons are general enough to work for any group, but indepth enough that the gospel isn't watered down.
3. THE CURRICULUM IS AGE APPROPRIATE! hallelujah. I can't tell you how many times I've used High School curriculum for 5th and 6th graders, or Adult curriculum for High School. I feel like a lot of curriculum writers are stuck in the 1950s and don't give students enough credit. Most of our kids are naturally "older" these days because of the culture they live in and, while that's sad, it's the truth and youth workers have to meet them where they're at.
4. The material isn't stale. So much of the curriculum out there has been done before, but even the lessons where kids might say "ugh i already KNOW this!" have a new light on them. I love the part in each lesson where it says "this is what's going on in the scripture; what do you think was going through _____'s head? a.... b.... c.... d...." It pulls the kids in, it makes them think, and it makes the story tangible- three things that all youth workers hope for. plus, there's 51 lessons [50 plus a bonus], so this can take you through a whole year of discipleship, and what better example could you have than the Life of Christ?

My only beef with this book is that the leader's page is crammed. I get that they're trying to make the book tight-knit and one page per lesson, but it can be a little overwhelming when you first see it. Simple solution: get the glasses out.

We're going to start this in our Sunday School program at the first of the year. I'm excited to see how the kids respond. To get your copy of Linhart's Talksheets, click here for middle school and here for high school.

C'mon, get happy!

I have recently discovered a great new link:http://positivesharing.com/

we could all use a little more positivity in our lives, eh?
[ht to DC Curry]

this is priceless

"Bear with me and let me speak. After I have spoken, you may resume mocking me." Job 21:3

[ht to Geoff Surratt]

Dogzilla strikes again

I got dogzilla this new toy... it's kind of like a mix between a puppet and an oven mitt and an alligator. Anyway, I thought it would be like her other toys, where she plays with it a little, but doesn't really tear into it.

wrong.

you know how policemen put those arm pads on and their dogs go crazy and try to kill them? yeah, that's what happens with this toy. i think she may have dislocated my thumb... i've added pictures to prove she's lost her mind.

Mary's Song

This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. It's the song Mary sings after the birth of Jesus, and a great example of what it means to be faithful through trials. She was so young, and yet, she got it. She knew what life was all about. I also love this passage because the things close to Mary's heart also end up being the same things close to the heart of Christ. It amplifies their bond.

And Mary said,
I'm bursting with God-news;
I'm dancing the song of my Savior God.
God took one good look at me, and look what happened—
I'm the most fortunate woman on earth!
What God has done for me will never be forgotten,
the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.
His mercy flows in wave after wave
on those who are in awe before him.
He bared his arm and showed his strength,
scattered the bluffing braggarts.
He knocked tyrants off their high horses,
pulled victims out of the mud.
The starving poor sat down to a banquet;
the callous rich were left out in the cold.
He embraced his chosen child, Israel;
he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.
It's exactly what he promised,
beginning with Abraham and right up to now.
-Luke 1:46-55 MSG

quote of the day

Small context environments often feel a push to be or do what others want them to, but you have to stick to where God is calling you and who He has designed you to be. -Innovate08 @ GCC, Session 7

Granger Community Church is not the spawn of Satan.

My friends up north at Granger Community Church seem to have a target on their backs these days. Just typing in GCC on Google brings up a good sampling of what i'm talking about:

Undeniable Proof that GCC is Producing False Converts
Pop goes the Hype! Granger Community "Church" fesses up
Granger Community Church: Where Van Halen leads worship [this one makes me mad, because i know a lot of the worship leaders at GCC through Bethel, and to say that they're blaspheming God in their actions is a bunch of BS]

Tim Stevens just posted a picture on Twitpic of a page in a new pamphlet manifesto being handed out in Michiana, called "What God thinks about Granger Community Church." It attempts to use scripture to discredit the work Granger Community Church has been doing for the last 20 or so years. According to the pamphlet, you can't find crosses at GCC, and that's BAD NEWS. I don't know if you can find crosses or not, but I know you can find Jesus, and that's what's important.

Now, I get confused when all these arguments and claims come up, because I know Jesus. We're tight. In fact, I gave up everything because I thought He was such a cool guy. And what I know about Jesus is that He has a heart for the people who aren't hung up on religion. His whole ministry was for the oppressed, the poor, the outcasts, the people who didn't think God was for them because their lives didn't fit into the box of religion. In Luke 4, Jesus even says,

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

I've been to Granger; I've been there a lot, actually, for leadership conferences and weekend services, and more than any other church I've seen, Granger gets the message of Jesus. They get that not everyone fits into the mold of religion, and they also get that everyone does fit into the gospel of Christ. Like David with the Psalms, they use the arts to communicate the message of Christ, and that rubs people the wrong way.

I feel like the argument stems back to the old "i am not of this world," which is something we throw around to justify a Christian subculture and crucify anyone who relates to anything cultural. Some Church leaders don't like Granger because they use the language of culture to present the truths of Jesus. It's like if I were a missionary, and I went to Japan with Bibles written in French. That wouldn't do anything, because no one would understand it. Granger knows the language of the community, and they use it to present the truths of the Bible, and they do a great job of it.

When Granger admitted that around half of their guests didn't believe in Jesus [see the articles above], everyone rejoiced and said HA! GRANGER'S WRONG! But think about it: if everyone in your church believed in Jesus, who would you be ministering to? Jesus didn't come for the people who already knew; he came for those who needed healing, who needed love, who needed support. And that's what Granger does: it's not a social club, it's not a closed door ministry. It's a viable community resource, where spiritual needs are met alongside basic human needs. I'd love for all of the people out there who think Granger isn't making a difference in the name of Jesus to watch this video.

quote of the day

from tony morgan's blog:

“You pretend you want God, but you actually want what you think he can give you. -Perry”

Beauty for Ashes

Tonight at youth group, Brittney gave her testimony, and she gave it unashamedly. I'm so proud of her for having the courage and strength to stand up and not only tell her story, but also reveal how God has worked in her life. At age 18, she's been through more than most people go through in their whole lives, but she's sticking it to Satan by turning all of the mess into something beautiful: the revelation of a loving God. It was incredible. I'm so blessed to know her, and so proud of who she's becoming.

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to... provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. -Isaiah 61:1;3-4

Pig Pen

Lilly Lewin is spot on this morning.

Too often I’m more like Pig Pen from the Peanuts cartoons. Charles Shultz is one of my favorite cartoonists and the Charlie Browne Christmas is my all time favorite Christmas special (although the Grinch and Rudolph are close behind, but for very different reasons). Do you remember Pig Pen? he walks around in his own cloud of dirt/dust, he obviously has an issue with personal hygiene. :)

Instead of a cloud of dirt, I carry around a cloud of frustration, confusion, and too often fear. many of us are like Pig Pen.we carry around clouds that are very far from joy.That dust cloud of fear, anger, despair gets all over other people too. We walk around wearing the cloud. We get used to it; It becomes normal. And despair and anxiety, negativity and depression become our norm rather than a cloud of joy.

YET… even Pig Pen danced for joy even with his dirt cloud!

i'm addicted to my new stats counter.

not only did i find out i have people reading my blog from France, Guatemala, and Brazil, but I also found out that someone in Elkhart keeps typing my name into google, and they use a Mac. I asked my dad if he's secretly stalking me, but he swears it isn't him. another interesting fact: my blog has been featured twice on The Wesley Report. i had no idea there even was a Wesley Report [and I'm laughing to myself that the "Accidental Methodist" ended up on a Methodist site haha]

it's crazy to suddenly realize your sphere of influence is a lot bigger than you imagined. i figured only a handful of people were interested in my life, and i'm starting to realize that's not exactly the case. not that it changes much. I'm still me; i will still post random pictures of dogzilla, say things that aren't very kosher, and talk openly about anything and everything. that's me, and people know that getting into this blog. and, people read this blog by choice, so i'm not going to apologize for things i say or do here [not that i really do anything extreme, but you know what i mean].

my mom told me something wise tonight:

if people are going to tar and feather you regardless of what you do, you might as well do things the way you know how to do them. they can never change your core, and that's who you have to be, whether they like it or not.

and that's what people get here: the yellow nail polish-wearing, hip hop-loving, flip flop-wearing Accidental Methodist. so to those of you who are into that kind of craziness, thanks for stopping by :)

New Talksheets are out!

There are two new "Talksheets" resources out- one for Middle School and one for High School- written by my friend and mentor, Terry Linhart. Both books are on the Life of Christ, so I've been waiting to get my hands on a copy. Terry has an incredible heart, and he's really down to earth, so I'm excited to see his presentation. These are definitely two books you'll want to pick up, and you can get yours here: middle school and high school.

we're all headed to the crazy farm

"i think i have to have conversations like this or else i'll end up living on the crazy farm, and we all know i'm not cut out for farm life."

Believing in the Bride of Christ

I have a lot going through my head as I write this, and it's a very emotional post for me as well, so bear with me. And when I say "Church," I mean the universal Church, not one specific church. My journey towards the cross has always involved a love/hate relationship with the Church. I went from being a Church-bashing atheist to a Church-bashing Christian to a Church-loving Christian, all within a five year span. In fact, once I started following God's call into ministry, I made it clear to everyone that I had no intentions of working in the Church. What I saw in the Church was what most outsiders see: hypocrisy, brokenness, betrayal, and downright nastiness towards anyone who wasn't part of the "in crowd," whatever that may have been. I've had a lot of friends, and even family, who looked to the Church to help heal brokenness, and instead, their spirits were crushed even further. That, along with a heart for the people who usually avoid church, made me frustrated with it to the point where I wrote it off.

Fast forward to my senior year of college, where I found myself talking with dozens of people my age, regarding their feelings towards the Church. They expressed the same sentiments as I did, but the more I processed their feelings as well as my own, the more I came to see the Church take on a human-like form, rather than being just a building. I saw the struggles towards purity, the joy of God's miracles, and the confusion of the unknown. I saw the Church as so much more than a body of people; I saw it as the Bride of Christ, as God's first love.

God cares so intently for His Church that, while we spend our days sinning and messing up, He's there for us with the gifts of redemption and grace. While we try to understand our faith in Him, He never lets go of His faith in us. As the identity of the Church started to unfold, I started defending the Church. I started trying to help redeem what sin attempted to destroy in my friends' minds, which is NOT an easy thing to do. After college, I applied at a UMC Church, and here I am, a year and a half later, still trying to understand my relationship with God's beloved.

I think God put that love for the Church in my heart before I left college so that I would be able to survive being on staff :) When you're a volunteer and someone has a problem with what you do, there's always someone on staff to bear the load with you. When you're on staff, that's not always true. And when you're on staff, the problems of the Church become magnified, because people expect you to "fix" them immediately, even if it's an issue that could take years to change. When you're on staff, people expect you to be Jesus, and they're disappointed when they realize you're as human as they are.

It's like being married- on your wedding day, your spouse looks amazing, probably the best they've ever looked; add a few years, a few kids, a few pounds, or a few whatever, and they may not look the same [well, they probably won't]. But you still love them anyway. You've shared joys and sorrows, you've fought and you've made up multiple times, and at the root of it all is that promise to stick by each other no matter what life may bring.

I wish I could say that I always see that commitment within the Church, that promise to see the best in each other and support each other through the worst. I know that's unrealistic though, because the Church is made up of fallible humans, and we're not good at honesty or love or integrity, thanks to a dumb apple and a convincing snake. To see a commitment like that means you have a congregation who's willing to work at it, because let's face it, just like any other relationship, it takes a LOT of work. You have to be willing to see it through, and it has to be your number one priority.

It's easy to see each other's faults. I could sit down and make a list of all the things I don't like about Church as a whole, and it would be a lot easier than making a list about the things I do like. The saddest part though is that I'd probably have more passion while making that list, too. It takes a genuine effort to see the good, and sometimes you have to search for it, but it's there somewhere. And a lot of times, this means setting personal preference aside. Unfortunately, a lot of people [myself included] don't want to take the time to look for the good, because the bad is so much easier to see.

I've been praying a lot lately for the Church and its leadership, that we all would be able to see with the eyes of Jesus, to look for the good in each other and to work together as a team. It's such a hard thing to pray for, because it's so personal and it's a hard thing to have faith in when you have a history of hurt. But I know my God, I know how much He loves the Church, and I know how much He wants to see us succeed, and so I hold onto that hope I have that the Church IS good, that the Church CAN succeed, and that in the end, Christ WILL win. Love will win. Love will always win.

This was a really hard post to write, but I'm all about honesty, and this is where I'm at right now. I'm fighting for the Bride of Christ, I'm doing all I can to help her succeed, and I pray that God will be glorified in spite of our humanity.

quotes of the [yester]day

i forgot to post this yesterday, sorry.

[backstory: I was in the car with Heidi and her 4 year old son Jon; Heidi got hit by a semi last week- she's fine- but she got a rental car since the truck is totaled, and they gave her a PT Cruiser, which is VERY different]

Heidi: it's weird being so low to the ground
Kara: yeah, it's like a race car!
[Heidi steps on the gas for a second, then pulls off]
Jon: Mom, why'd you do that?!
Kara: because she really wanted to hit that squirrel...
Jon: WE HIT A SQUIRREL?!
Heidi: no, Kara's just being funny
Jon: oh... do you want me to punch her in the face?

I laughed so hard that I started crying. That was the most random response I've ever heard, which is why Jon and I are friends. Here's another conversation that took place:

Kara: Gray hair is bad news! If you find a gray hair, you have to pull it!
Jon: Gray hair's bad?
Kara: yeah, gray hair is bad; you don't want gray hair.
Jon: you have some on the back of your head.
Kara: thanks Jon.

I feel like a five year old at Christmas

talk about excitement in the Szyarto family...

Warner Brothers is creating a museum exhibit based around the Harry Potter series. Supposedly, it will be like walking into Hogwarts, and it'll be filled with props and costumes from the movies and updated with items from the new movie as time progresses.

According to a press release, Brad Globe, President of Warner Bros Consumer Products, said "We are proud to present this unique exhibition, which captures the magic of Harry Potter and will give fans of all ages a front row seat to some of the most iconic artifacts and scenic elements from the beloved films."

The exhibit starts at The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, and runs from April 30 to September. Tickets are on sale already for $26 for adults, $19 for children, and $25 for senior citizens, with discounted prices for everyone during the evening hours after the museum closes.

I may be acting like a five year old, but my whole family [well, minus my brother] is into this book series. So this is exciting for us :) I love that a book can get people this excited... that's rare these days outside of HP and Twilight.

let's listen to catchy music

it's too late to be posting such nonsense, but it's not too late on the west coast, so we'll pretend to be on their time for a minute.

i needed to say publicly that i LOVE the song "Be Gentle with Me" by The Boy Least Likely To. It is catchy, upbeat, fun... reminds me of summer road trips. The lyrics are kind of sad... this guy is singing about his last relationship before he dies, which is awful, but the whole story plays out in chimes and "oohs."

The concept reminds me of Beck's "Girl," off of Guero. It's a sad song about a girl who wants to kill herself, but he set it to catchy pop music. I heard him talking on some random indie channel awhile back about how he made it an intentional paradox because he thought it made the story more interesting; he said:

"Originally, the lyrics to Girl were really upbeat, and then it didn't work for me somehow. You need the dichotomy. If you're doing something happy and light, you need the shadows."

that's how "be gentle with me" is, but man, i love it regardless.

Encouragement

This all comes from Steven Furtick's blog. It was too good to pass up, and when I tried to pull out a smaller piece, it wasn't done justice. You need to read the whole thing :)

If you think something good…

I heard Craig Groeschel issue a challenge in a sermon on marriage:
“If you think something good, say it.”I shamelessly ripped it off and used it in my recent marriage series at Elevation.

It’s a phenomenal principal for marriage, and now I’m trying to see just how far I can take it in every other relationship in my life.
I’m challenging my staff to relate to one another this way:
“If you think something encouraging…say it!”

We withhold encouragement from those we care about for lots of (bad) reasons:

We think if we encourage sparingly, it will mean more when we do give it. Then people will really appreciate it.
This works about as well as watering your lawn a couple times a year. Or paying your bills every other month, so the vendors will really appreciate your contribution.

We feel awkward when we do it and we’re not that good at it. Tough. Get over it. Force the sentence out of your mouth: “You really handled that situation well yesterday…I was impressed!” There, it wasn’t that hard, was it?
We honestly don’t think encouraging things because of our distorted self-image, jealousy, or insecurity. We need to pray through these issues, asking God to turn our hearts to see the good in others.
If you think something good, say it!

another interesting video

[PG-13 for some strong language]



i don't know... it's kind of sad, even though it's a comedic piece. people looking for a church and a pastor who keeps damning them to hell because they don't already go.

woman: "well, we're not religious, but we are spiritual."
pastor: "spiritual?! satan, are you testing me?"

this video makes me feel weird. i mean, it seems exaggerated from what i know, but from the eyes of an outsider, maybe it isn't.

[ht to mark riddle]

Quote of the Day

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "The LORD be exalted!" -Psalm 40:16

Coping with Change

a great video about change; if we push people towards change without speaking their language, without helping them understand change on their terms, they just get frustrated and even more confused.

we've got to be able to meet people where they're at; we've got to be able to speak their language. you can't just throw change at people and expect them to conform.

Jesus and Google

I found this while trying to unsuccessfully find a hit counter for my site [google, you need to clean up your gadgets]

Free in Christ Counter
Free in Christ Purity Gadget - records purity start date and number of inpure days or falls, then gives a score

i'm the kind of girl who calls a spade "a spade," and this is dumb for several reasons:

1. "impure" not "inpure"
2. if you're free in Christ, why are you judging yourself with a blogger gadget?
3. every day is new in Christ; every day starts fresh. why on earth would you keep tallies of "pure" and "impure" days [whatever that even means]? Let the past be the past.
4. do you have to get a high score to get into Heaven? what does the score even mean?

sorry, this is probably the cynic in me coming out, but i hate crap like this that makes understanding Christ even harder for some people. Jesus didn't rely on google gadgets to navigate through life and temptation; he relied on God.

iTunes Celebrity Playlists

i love the celebrity playlist feature of the iTunes music store, not because i want to know what bands my favorite jo bro is into [i don't even have a favorite jo bro], but because it's a way to make a very large amount of information seem smaller and more tangible. i like finding new music that way, too. each celebrity puts a small description of why they like the song, and they've got all sorts of people on there.

anyway, i was just going through the playlists, when I saw Andrew Lloyd Webber. Immediately, I was curious. Would he be a jazz guy? a classical guy? would he surprise me with some off-beat french pop band? I mean, he's Andrew Lloyd Webber, a musical genius. He obviously would have excellent taste in music.

Here's his celebrity playlist:
Justin Timberlake: Senorita
Eminem: Lose Yourself
Boyzone: No Matter What
David Bowie: Let's Dance
Avril Lavigne: Sk8er Boi
The Everly Brothers: Love is Strange

this has to be some kind of joke, right?

the update

this weekend was: pretty relaxing. picked up a new book, got all my christmas shopping/wrapping done, organized things a bit. sunday went well, too. all in all, it was an average weekend.

this week: starts another marathon. i have something every day until the 26th, but luckily they're not HUGE things... Christmas plays, band concerts, choir concerts, the Cantata, and our 80s Christmas Party for CCSM.

on my to-do list: i'm actually on top of the list. I have to call a guy about new e-mail addresses, and i have to ship something to a long distance friend, but i'm feeling ahead of the game right now.

excited about: hearing back from thirty:one press. I submitted my proposal yesterday, so we'll see what happens. also, i spent several hours last night catching up with my roommate from college [Rachael], and we're going to get together over Christmas break.

procrastinating about: calling the email guy. i'm so not a phone person.

book i’m in the midst of: Wicked... I wish I would have read the book before I saw the musical, because I keep anticipating... aaand, I keep waiting for them to break out in song. Although there's a lot of backstory in the book that isn't in the musical, so that's interesting.

music that caught my attention this week: old stuff... Billy Joel, The Police, Madonna [the Cherish years]; and then new stuff [or at least new to me]: Laura Marling, The Boy Least Likely to, The Black Keys

6 random things

I got tagged by Marko to post six random things about me, and oddly enough, deena posted something this morning about random blog entries, so here goes :)

1. i cannot stand touching raw meat. it creeps me out beyond anything you could ever imagine, and for various reasons. raw chicken creeps me out because it's slimy, while hamburger creeps me out because of that gross feeling on your hands after you touch it. seriously, i would rather get a lobotomy.

2. i paint my nails every monday night while watching The Hills. i have no idea when this habit started, but i would say i follow through at least 95% of the time. sometimes i think there must be a subliminal message in the opening credits, regarding nail polish, but this has yet to be proven.

3. my last name is the most ridiculous name in the world. only one person in the history of my life has said it correctly the first time, and it was because he could speak 13 languages. i've heard everything from Ziy-R-toe, suh-WAR-toe, SIZ-r-toe. on and on and on. Here's a gimmick to help all of you out [my mom teaches her third graders this trick]: See our finger, See our toe. Szyarto. That's how you say it :) It's Hungarian, and it means Smith. go figure.

4. i have played an ungodly amount of instruments in my life: piano, flute, piccolo, oboe, alto saxaphone, marimba, bassoon, bass clarinet, snare drum, and guitar. i also play a mean tambourine, let me tell you what.

5. i was never allowed to go to summer camp as a child because my mom and dad thought i would never survive in nature. in fact, my girl scout troop never actually camped outside. we did campouts in hotels. i wish i was joking, but i'm not. at one of our "campouts," we blew the fuse for an entire hallway because we had too many hair dryers going. that's when we learned real survival techniques: how to have cute hair without a hair dryer. We also got a jewelry merit badge, and a shopping merit badge [thank God for the "make your own merit badge"]. basically, our girl scout troop paralleled Troop Beverly Hills. anyway, fast forward ten years, and you'd find me as the wilderness coordinator at Impact2818's Camp Lakewood. [note: i still don't like camping/nature, but i can appreciate it more now].

6. the smell of peanut butter makes me sick. i can't stand it. and it's weird, because my nose is hypersensitive to the smell. i could be in a crowded room, and you could hand someone on the other side of the room a reese's cup, and i'd know you did it. i'm not sure what it is about peanut butter that drives me batty, but it's just awful.

there you have it; six random things. i'm going to pass this on to heidi and deena, and whoever else wants to do it. have fun :)

Mr. Bean's Nativity Story

This reminds me of a couple years ago when I snuck a Carebear into our Nativity at my parents' house. The best part was that it took them 3 weeks to notice the pink Carebear lowing with the cattle.

and the deb8 goes on.

[first, read this article]

Jack Black's quoting scripture dressed as Jesus.
Newsweek's getting into the discussion, starting with scripture.

How does the Church join the conversation? Everyone is looking to us for answers, and I feel like we're standing here with our jaws dropped.

Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They'll end up realizing that they're the ones who need a bath. -1 Peter 3:15-16 [MSG]

there's a post coming, on my personal response to all of this. i'm just working out the particulars in my head.

The day the music died [and the rap began]

i remember in 5th grade, being on the playground after school, waiting for the football game to start. i was with the other cheerleaders [um, yeah...] and they started singing "Gangster's Paradise" by Coolio. I had no idea what it was they were singing, but in that moment, I realized I was culturally uncool. That was the day I started listening to the radio and watching MTV. I specifically remember that, the day I started caring about being cool. That was also the day I stopped playing Barbies in my basement. I didn't feel like I could anymore without it being "baby."

Prior to that, I was unlike 99% of my peers. I listened to the Oldies station and knew the lyrics to every Beach Boys song [thanks, Mom]. I loved The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Dragnet, I Dream of Jeannie... I would always try to guess if Dick VanDyke would trip over the ottoman or if he would skip around it. That was my world.

Now I'm sitting here, watching Oprah, and she's got the cast of The Mary Tyler Moore show on. It's like seeing old friends, which is weird because I'm only 24, and that's something a 54 year old would say. But that day I discovered Coolio, I abandoned Mary and crew. It's weird to me that I distinctly remember the day "cool" became an issue.

I wonder how different I'd be if that day hadn't happened. Eventually it would have, I'm sure. But I just look at the junior high kids- even the 5th and 6th graders- and I think about how they're so focused on growing up. They're so excited to be older, to have relationships, responsibilities, etc. How different would their worlds be if we did everything we could to protect their innocence? How different would it be if we just let kids be kids?

How can we as youth leaders, mentors, teachers, help them navigate through culture while also protecting them from growing up too soon? Where are the boundaries? Is that even a legitimate question?

meanderings

i just sent in my book proposal, regarding generations x and y, and our disdain for the Church. i kept meaning to send it in [it's been on my list since September], but i put it off because it made me nervous. see, from here, two things could happen:

1. they'll like it.
2. they'll hate it.

it's a topic near to my heart. it's something i'm passionate about, something my heart beats for. i had a hard time coming to the realization that #2 could possibly happen, that #1 wasn't a given. Zondervan didn't like it, and that's okay. That's their decision [personally, I think Zondervan didn't like that I'm young in ministry, but that's neither here nor there]. The new publishers are a relatively young company, but our hearts are similar: how do we equip church leaders to effectively reach a group of people who don't buy into traditional church practices?

i'm hoping things work out. i'm hoping the timing is right and we can make this happen; i'm hoping that i can use this project to advance the Kingdom. that's the purpose for it, not for fame or money or whatever. I don't want to be the next JK Rowling or anything; i just want people my age to regain hope in the church.

flip

does anyone have one of these?
[i promise it's not another link to random bedazzled junk]

they look cool, but i don't know about the quality. definitely would be fun for short trips.

beDAZZLE

i like shiny things. always have.
my guitar is getting a makeover. see it here. this is what the end result will be.

other shiny, bedazzled wonders that leave me amazed:
this car.
these headphones.
this toilet.

i may have played too much Pretty, Pretty Princess as a child.
[sidenote: this is just too shiny... too much for my tastes.]

the new pepsi ad

it says "one very very very lonely calorie."
thoughts?

The Elephant in the Youth Room

This weekend brings on our second week of "The Elephant in the Youth Room." We're talking about all those topics people like to avoid in church, mainly because with the buzz of the election still maintaining, a lot of issues are "hot" right now. Everyone's talking about the change, and we need to know where Jesus stood on stuff. They need to be able to stand on their own two feet, with Christ as their foundation, when it comes to having conversations with others. So we're talking about it. We're going there.

Last time, it was very loose and free flowing; we talked about abortion, murder, and capital punishment. Basically, I start with a question, then let the students talk. Every now and then, I'll throw in another question. It was cool to watch the kids search for answers, bounce ideas off each other, and keep referring back to the words of Christ. incredible.

This week, we're going to start with Gay Marriage. I've found it's easy to start with a topic some of them feel black and white on, and then let them roll. My guess is we'll keep up this format for awhile, because it seems to work really well. It's funny though, because I saw that St. Mark's is getting ready to do a series like this, and National Community Church did a more indepth, structured series awhile back with their whole church. I started thinking about this back in September, sitting at a tent at GCC, talking with DC Curry. He was talking about a series they wanted to do, then saw at Saddleback when they did their tour, and how it was about all the elephants in the room. Originally, we were going to do our series in October, but then we did an all-church series. I think it definitely worked out for the best that we shelved it though, since election results are in and change is happening. I definitely recommend this kind of a structure with students if you have a smaller group [if you have a large one, you could split them into smaller groups.
1. Students like to debate
2. Students like to be heard
3. Students want to come to belief on their own, rather than just being told

another video

found this on Derry Prenkert's blog, via Seth Bartlette. Another good one.

My last 10 searches on Google

youth group t-shirts
swiss valley ski resort
10lb chocolate bunny
magician's flash paper
advent wreath template
how to win at tug of war
impossible strength trick
inflatable gorilla rental
brobdingnagian

wow

this has to be one of the best videos i've seen come out of Granger.



my favorite is still the MC3 video with PeeWee. That kind of stuff shakes your core. But this video is funny, well-made, and a great conversation piece.

i am second

INCREDIBLE website: i am second.

seriously, take some time to look at it. it's life changing.
Karen Green's video brought me to tears.

incredible testimonies about putting God first in any situation.

prop 8 video

this is an interesting video, not because it's about prop 8, but because of the conversation it brings up regarding Christianity and the Bible. it's seen on a well-visited site [funny or die] and was also featured on Perez Hilton's site. In other words, a LOT of people have already seen this video. [definitely rated PG-13]



i'm not sure how i feel, but it's a good conversation piece.

Power of the People

Last night, Stephen Colbert challenged viewers to all buy his Christmas album off iTunes at 5 PM Eastern today. His goal was to sell more albums than Kanye West. As I watched, I thought, "no way. it's KANYE." He was already #3. Colbert's Christmas album wasn't even on the list.

Sure enough though, when I click on my iTunes store, the #3 spot is occupied by "A Colbert Christmas," with Kanye's "808s and Heartbreak" at #4. It wasn't like this at 4:00, when I last checked.

If the American people have the power to skyrocket a comedy album just for the sake of irritating Kanye West, what else do we have the power to do? Granted, I love Colbert [and Kanye, by the way], but this was a pretty pointless challenge, and they rose to the occasion. They came out and paid $7.99 for an album most of them would probably illegally download for free anyway.

It also raises an interesting point- how much money are we willing to pay to publicly humiliate someone and call it a joke? It's funny at first, but then when you think of the thousands of people who spent $7.99 today, because Stephen Colbert told them he wanted Kanye's spot, when you think of their motives, it's kind of a crap thing to do. I know Kanye can be a jerk [his response on Twitter to Colbert proves it], but does that justify it?

it's such an interesting display of the power we have to make or break someone. i still think it's kind of funny, but i also feel a little bad about it. should i, or is it even a big deal?

Oh, Facebook

MSNBC posted this great article: When you don't want to be Facebook friends.

One woman in the article accidentally friend-requested a relative she had cut ties with. The relative accepted, then the woman "unfriended" her. She "then disappeared from her relative’s Facebook page, although she later heard the woman was devastated when she found out."

When did being friends on Facebook become so important? I'm constantly going through my friend list, deleting people and adding people, all based around three circles. Very rarely will I be friends with someone on Facebook outside of these circumstances:
1. People I'm friends with/ talk to on a regular basis
2. People I know who contribute new information to my life
3. People I know, but don't really talk to on a regular basis

I remember in college, when Bethel first got Facebook [yeah, there was a day where schools had to be approved for it], a girl friend requested me 4 times in a week. I vaguely knew who she was, but we had never met. a "friend of a friend of a friend" situation. The first time, I just denied the request, because we had never met. She tried again and I denied again. Next, she requested, and I sent a message saying, "Sorry, I don't think we've met," followed by a final request of hers that said "A friend of Andy's is a friend of mine!" Not only did her constant requests make me feel like a jerk, but they also made me feel awkward.

Just like any social situation, there will always be awkward periods. The article says,

"In Web 2.0, people have developed expectations of what friending or not friending means. They get put off if their expectations are not met.” One person might want to follow only 200 people on Twitter, for example. Another might prefer to friend only those in the same geographic location. “Everyone has different communication protocols,” Waldman said. “The important thing is defining what your own protocols are.”

It's so interesting how online social networking "rules and regulations" are different than those outside of cyberspace. It's affecting our culture and shifting social definitions and terms. Anyway, it's a good article for youth workers to check out and process.

the update

this weekend was: really good. i spent a LOT of time with my family, which is always a bonus, and then i had a very relaxing Sunday, which is rare since Sundays are usually crazy and high energy.

this week: is going by quickly. i finally got hit with that cold i've been battling off, and it hit hard. now, with the help of 2 pills, a spray, vicks, and tea, i'm feeling a little better.

on my to-do list: SKI TRIP! and developing a fundraising plan during an economic recession.

excited about: seeing my 5th and 6th graders tonight. they're awesome. also, gray nail polish. that's exciting too. but not as exciting as the 5th and 6th graders.

procrastinating about: Christmas shopping, but only because I don't get paid until friday.

book i’m in the midst of: my own. working on the proposal, processing the flow, that kind of stuff. i really want to get it off the ground, but we're not quite there yet.

music that caught my attention this week: i hate to admit this, but show tunes... wicked, spring awakening, jersey boys... i have no idea why.

What does it all mean?

GREAT video... interesting video. worth the 5 minutes of your time. the question at the end is challenging... processing how youth ministry fits into the global nation...



[ht to Rob Wegner]

quote of the day

“I used to be disgusted; now I try to be amused.” -Elvis Costello

oops

it's been a week since I posted. sorry.

things have been nutso around here lately. here's a general list of what i've been up to:

-thanksgiving
-cantata practice
-praise team practice
-youth ministry
-web design [it's done!]
-fighting a cold
-working on a family scrapbook for my dad
-meetings, meetings, meetings

the fighting a cold thing has been huge. i'm on the brink of it... have been for over a month, and you can't get a flu shot while you're already sick, so that's a bummer. it just makes me feel really run down, which is not good this time of year.

on thanksgiving, i realized my family is a lot like the one in The Family Stone. I wouldn't change it, either.

i have something every night this week. yikes. at least thursday brings a camp meeting, so i get to see my favorite co-directors in the world. always a plus.