gigitastic

Context is everything.

2012-01-18T08:03:00.000-08:00

I love how weird some Bible verses are out of context, so I'm way into Dan Kimball's "Wednesday Weird Bible Verse" blog series.

Personally, two of my favorites are found in the book of Micah. I used to tell people that my "life verse" was Micah 1:8b ["I will walk around barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl."] and 4:10 became a joke the summer I worked as Wilderness Programmer for a camp ["Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you must leave the city to camp in the open field."]

While they're pretty great out of context, there's more to the story. I can sit and laugh about the verses out of context, but at their roots, there's a story of pain, of disconnect, of a people longing for the love of their God and a God longing for communion with His people. Everything looks different on the surface.

The same is true with people, with life. Things can look one way on the surface, but at their roots, there's a whole different story. Let's commit to going deeper in 2012- both in our relationships and our understanding of the world around us. There's always more to the story.

An unintentional review of Bethel College's Youth Ministry program

2012-01-10T06:54:00.001-08:00

I just got around to reading the Bethel College alumni newsletter and was pleasantly surprised to see an interview with a fellow youth ministry major and former classmate of mine. After serving in vocational ministry for a year and a half, Kelsey and David are now active in a grassroots kite boarding ministry that came out of Kelsey's interest in the sport.

Looking at the ministry majors I graduated with [I'm counting the class ahead of mine and behind mine because we were all together at some point], we've got people all across the map- teachers [both in the states and globally], youth pastors, interior designers, associate pastors, kite boarders, counselors, children's pastors, public speakers, hair stylists, nurses, some incredibly creative stay-at-home moms, camping ministry folks, and on and on and on... and everyone is putting his or her degree to good use.

One of my favorite quotes [that you've probably seen here before] comes from St. Francis of Assisi: "Always preach the gospel. If necessary, use words." The youth ministry majors and alumni of Bethel College are living out the gospel in all corners of the earth, and it's a testament to how adaptable our education is. Our class load contained leadership and administration, effective teaching, counseling teens in crisis, disciple-making, evangelism, multicultural youth ministry, theology- we were given the tools needed to go and do [see Matt. 28:18-20], wherever "go" and whatever "do" meant. We all had the same training, yet I'm not sure any of our ministries look similar. It's a testament to the diversity of the program and the needs in the body of Christ that all of these ministries are thriving.

I'm proud to be a part of the Bethel Youth Ministry Alumni, and I'm happy to point anyone interested in ministry towards their program not because of alumni pride, but because what I'm able to do as a result of my time there. For more info on the program, check out the Bethel Youth Ministry's program overview or talk to this guy [Tom went through the program and can tell you all about it].

A Catalyst for Community [and a few adventures]

2012-01-05T06:51:00.002-08:00

Over Christmas, I flew down to south Louisiana to spend some time with Cade's family. Everywhere we went, the first question asked was, "What'd you eat so far?" Not "where have you gone? what'd you see?" but, "What meals have you had?" In the short time I was there, it became very apparent that food is a huge part of the culture. When you want to sit down and have a conversation with someone, it's over a plate of food. It's a little different from what I'm used to [coffee/tea and a chat], but it kept bringing me back to scripture and the idea of breaking bread together.

"Day after day they met together in the temple. They broke bread together in different homes and shared their food happily and freely, while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved." -Acts 2:46-47

There's something special about having meals together. Not only are you filled physically, but you connect on an emotional level as well. You're able to laugh together, to share life together, and that does something for your spirit.

I've given myself a goal this year of learning how to cook so that I can become a catalyst for moments like these. I'm blogging that adventure over here, which will be pretty interesting, given that I'm figuring everything out on my own. An example of what to expect? Right before Christmas, I had a recipe that required 4 room temperature eggs. I didn't realize that until I was getting everything together, so I had to think fast, and I ended up sticking the eggs in my pockets while I started the cooking process. Like I said, it'll certainly be an adventure, but it should be fun.

Hope you're all having a great start to the New Year. And, for those of you who are afraid the Mayans might be right about 2012, just remember- if they could really predict the future, there'd still be Mayans ;)

A leadership excercise: What really changed for you this year?

2011-12-22T17:08:00.000-08:00

Terry recently challenged his blog readers to really think about the change that's happened in the last year, as well as the source for each change. Here's the exact challenge:

Before we get to the year’s end, engage in this helpful and challenging leadership exercise: LIST ALL THE WAYS THAT YOU HAVE CHANGED THIS PAST YEAR. What is different about how you think, feel, act, and what you do, care about, or consider now that you didn’t in January. What routines do you engage now that weren’t a part of your life earlier? THEN LIST THE SOURCE THAT PROMPTED EACH CHANGE. Why is it that you’ve changed in each way?

He asked us to post our responses in his comment section, but given the year that I've had, I figured it'd be better suited as a blog post.

I learned to stand up for myself as a human being. /// In the past, I've let myself become a doormat for some people, thinking it was Biblical to let people walk all over me [let 'em hit one cheek, then let 'em hit the other!]. Not only did it hurt my perception of who God created me to be, but it made me feel like crap all the time. I finally realized that I needed to care about myself the way God cares about me when I saw God bring me to a place where I'm accepted and appreciated for who He created me to be, not harped on for who He didn't create me to be.

I learned how to be more independent. /// Moving 12 hours away from home will do that to a girl.

I rely on faith and hope more. /// In a situation where most would say all hope was lost, I stuck it out. I trusted God was going to do something because He promised He would. And He did. And every day I feel blessed because of it.

I'm more conscious of what I'm putting into my body [and I've learned to cook!]. /// A year ago this November, I was diagnosed with PTC, which basically means there's too much fluid around my brain, and it puts pressure on the brain and optic nerve. After having a pity party for a few months because of it, I finally started looking at what I was eating and how much junk was actually in it. Now, I tend to make a lot of my own food, which is pretty fun once you get the hang of it.

Those are the big ones. What about you? How has your life changed in the last year?

Channel your inner Bartimaeus.

2011-12-15T08:03:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite people in the Bible is Bartimaeus.

1. Coolest name ever. Super fun to say.

2. This kid is so incredibly determined. Nobody gets between him and Christ.

The disciples were walking down the street with Jesus, right after He's pulled them aside and said, "hey, here's what's about to happen. Things are about to get rough." Then the disciples battle it out in regards to who gets to sit next to Jesus in Heaven, which like... really guys? Your best friend is telling you, "hey, I'm about to really suffer here," and you're fighting over seats? Cool story, bros.

So all of that happens, and they're walking down the street, and it's loud. There's a "large crowd," and you know people were talking, carrying on. And Bartimaeus is sitting on the side of the road, totally blind, and hearing this whole commotion. Somehow, he picks up on the fact that Jesus is there, and Bartimaeus starts yelling for Him. Actually yelling. "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Bartimaeus must have really been causing a scene, because the Bible says that everyone around him started "rebuking him." In other words, "Oh my gosh, Bartimaeus, SHUT UP. You are SO EMBARRASSING right now..." [that's the youth group translation, huh?] Does Bartimaeus shut up? Heck no! He starts yelling EVEN LOUDER. "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" He's persistent. He's so determined to get Jesus's attention, because Bartimaeus realizes that Jesus is the Son of God, that He's the only person on the planet who can help Bartimaeus see again. So Bartimaeus just goes for it, totally ignoring everything else around him.

Jesus hears Bartimaeus. Jesus heals Bartimaeus.

Faith and persistence helped Bartimaeus see the beauty around him. His determination turned darkness- the only thing he knew- into light. It totally changed his world.

We all have those Bartimaeus moments where we're sitting in the dust, unable to clearly see what's around us. But we can be encouraged that Jesus is able to walk into that situation, whatever it may be. And when molehills begin to pile up into mountains, when the world tells us that faith isn't enough, be persistent. Shout louder. Channel your inner Bartimaeus, for "this too shall pass." Your relationship with God will be much stronger as a result.

Gifted

2011-12-14T08:02:00.001-08:00

We're getting ready to jump into a series on Spiritual Gifts here in the new year, and we're doing a few soft launches before we go big. I just ran an inventory with our Senior High Sunday School class, and our Ministry Council [i.e. Administrative Council] is doing one before our meeting next week. I also tossed one on our church's twitter account for anyone who was interested.

I took the test with my students- it was the test produced for Willow Creek's Network curriculum and has roughly 8,273 questions to go through [kidding- like, 130ish... but it feels like you're taking the SAT's]. From that test, I concluded that I had the gifts of faith, mercy, and administration. Makes sense.

Then, I got the MinCo [my new, hip abbreviation for Ministry Council] test. For the sake of consistency with the rest of MinCo, I just ran through it. It's adapted from "Serving from the Heart," and it's 40-something questions. 48? I don't know. Anyway, I ended up with a six-way tie for #1 [overachiever]: encouragement, faith, knowledge, mercy, shepherding, and teaching. Sorry administration- you're out.

Now, being curious, I decided to see what the online test said. It's 21 questions and super easy to click through [plus, I don't have to do the math. Anytime I can avoid the math, I'll take it]. This test does a "primary gift" followed by a "secondary gift." It also clusters gifts into groupings- nurturing, witness, outreach, etc.- and tells you your strongest cluster... so it's a little different. I start clicking away, then hit submit, and BAM. Six gifts.

Six different gifts.

Primary: Interpretation of tongues; Secondaries: Tongues, shepherding, apostleship, wisdom, and encouragement. So basically I have 2 that cross over. Nurturing was my main cluster, too, which... duh. But let's focus for a second: these results go against what scriptures teach. You can't speak in tongues and interpret them; that can't happen. Or at least, from my understanding, that's pretty much not how those gifts work. One person speaks, another interprets. Otherwise, I could babble something, then say, "Oh, God said His favorite food is lime jello and we have to eat it at every meal," when God really didn't say that. Kara did.

I answered all of my questions honestly, but the problem with the online test was that their interpretation of "tongues" meant foreign languages and cultures, not the tongues we think of when we think "tongues in the Bible." [Although, with the amount of babbling I'm doing on here...] [also, I totally get that tongues is a legitimate gift. I've seen it, I've been a part of several moments with it- several holy moments. I'm just saying that it's not a gift I have.].

So, what'd I learn? I like to take care of people. I get that life is hard and I'm wired to dive into the mess with others, connecting them to the only One who can pull them to the surface. I know that God can and will see them through. I know that God has seen and continues to see me through. And I want to share it because it's the only way we're going to be able to survive in this world- by realizing that Christ is walking through it with us.

[And that I like to talk a lot].

Words of Wisdom

2011-12-14T06:46:00.001-08:00

This list comes from Seth Godin's blog, which I love because he's blunt and skips the fluff in his posts. Great thoughts for today...

Insulate yourself from anonymous angry people
Expose yourself to art you don't yet understand
Precisely measure the results that are important to you
Stay blind to the metrics that don't matter
Fail often
Ship
Lead, don't manage so much
Seek out uncomfortable situations
Make an impact on the people who matter to you
Be better at your baseline skills than anyone else
Copyedit less, invent more
Give more speeches
Ignore unsolicited advice

Preparing to Prepare

2011-11-28T08:15:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about Advent this morning, partially because it started yesterday, and partially because I've never really dug into the idea before. That seems a little crazy, since I've worked in a church the past 4 years, but for the Church, the Christmas season is the busiest [well, along with Lent/Easter]. The month of December is a flurry of events, along with the general madness of the Christmas season- rushing around to find the best deals, overspending, and stressing about how to make all of it work along with your normal routine. The intentional moments of pausing and reflecting on the coming of Christ tend to get lost, or become blips in our schedules- "Christmas is coming- the birth of Christ- and the return of my large family to my small house;" "Christmas means hope has come to the world- a hope I'll need to cling to as I sort through my credit card bills." Trying to mix Advent with the commercial Christmas season can feel like blending oil and water, and it can leave you even more stressed out than you were before you started.

This year, I'm intentionally celebrating Advent- walking through the daily scriptures, focusing on celebrating the coming of Christ, rather than the coming of "Christmas." Instead of spending hours shopping for items I can't afford that family members really don't need, I'm going to pull a page out of Martha's book and get crafty with what I already have, in a way that celebrates the gospel of Christ [a story of love and care for others] rather than the gospel of Santa [a story of love and care for stuff]. I'm intentionally slowing down this season, instead of trying to cram it all in.

If you want to follow the devotions I'm going through, you can check out our church twitter feed for brief daily updates [@groveonline]. I'll also post thoughts on the process here as I'm learning things and reflecting on the season [there also might be a few posts about the craft projects I'm doing, too, in case you're interested]. It should be an interesting journey, and it'll also give me a chance to get back in the habit of blogging [I've been incredibly neglectful this year].

God gets the Glory.

2011-11-16T14:17:00.000-08:00

My posts have been few and far between, but that tends to happen when your life is a whirlwind. I should probably document all of these adventures more often, but one ends, the next one picks up, and I tend to forget about my blog.

Things are going really well- I love my students, love my church- it's a great fit. I've been going back and forth about documenting the healing I've experienced from being on staff here after being torn apart last year, but I'm not sure how productive it would be. Ultimately, God gets the glory in all of this- my calling was rescued, redeemed, and restored through this transition, and I'm able to serve with a new perspective on leadership.

Personally, things are also going well. I don't get tired of being able to be in Philadelphia in 45 minutes, Baltimore in an hour and a half, or NYC/DC in 2 hours. I've yet to venture north, mostly because south splits the distance between Cade and I. I also don't get tired of the view from my apartment, my drive to work, and the view out my office window [I have 2 now! haha]. I love the hills, the trees- there's always some bit of creation that makes me stop in wonder.

The moral of the story- of the last, what? 6 months?- is that God never stops. God's always in the mix, whether we can sense it or not. At one point this summer, Jean urged me to keep the faith, and I flat out told her it felt impossible. That's where I was... now look at where I am. God truly has a funny way of going about His business when we open ourselves up to that plan.

Love God, love others, and love yourself. After all, He does :)

Quote of the Day

2011-11-10T08:50:00.000-08:00

Speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you'll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you're already doing this; just keep on doing it. -1 Thessalonians 5:11 [MSG]

Make your own Glory Days

2011-10-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

Churches are pretty human [duh. they're made up of humans!]. They each have their own personalities, strengths, weaknesses, etc. And while they might be similar to other churches in some ways, they can also be drastically different in other ways. I have friends from college in every single ministry setting you can imagine, and yet, I see the same situation popping up all across the board. I call it the Glory Days Syndrome, and it's something ministries [well, and let's be honest- it happens a lot in secular settings as well] are constantly combating.

The past is easy to grasp, because we've been there. We've lived through it. It's tangible. We can easily recall the highs and lows- but who really wants to remember the lows? Lows = bummers, so we kind of brush them under the rug and settle in nicely into only remembering the mountain top moments. I actually was just doing this last night about high school- I was talking about how great my senior year was when we went to State for marching band, and I didn't bring up freshman year, when we had to bust our butts just to come in next to last.

We'd all like to go back to those high moments- we easily find ourselves living in them today by recollecting them. The problem with this is that when we live in the past, we lose sight of the future. I used to say this all the time at my last church, because we had a real problem with the Glory Days Syndrome for awhile. Anything that's alive should change and evolve at some rate; the moment it stops doing those things, it begins to die. So when we find ourselves living in the past, we're halting change. We're not evolving. We limit our growth, because all we can see is where we've been. We put our lives in jeopardy because we have a hard time trusting in the unknown that the future brings.

I'm extremely excited that our church is going through this new visioning process, because we're being intentional about NOT living in the past. We're looking towards the future and jumping into the unknown with both feet, because we DO know that God is with us in the journey. We're ready to make some new "Glory Days-" days that glorify and reveal the love of our Creator.

If you're in the tension between the Glory Days Syndrome and envisioning the future, I encourage you to be a voice, not an echo. Echos are a passive result of something that's already happened, while a voice is active in the moment. A voice is a conscious decision to take part in the conversation that is happening now. Be a part of the movement and experience the glory of a new adventure with Christ.

The Wisdom of Others

2011-09-27T08:18:00.001-07:00

Here's a handful of blog posts I've enjoyed reading this week. They're a better read than anything I could come up with right now.

Jamie, the Very Worst Missionary: Using your poor kid to teach my rich kid a lesson

Terry Linhart: The attention deficit for Christ

Adam McLane: Three types of busyness

Things are going well over here. Life is good. Life is blessed.

"Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met." -Matthew 6:33 [MSG]

Moving with the Current

2011-09-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

Things have changed around here a lot lately.

I have a new job.

I have a new church family.

I live in a new state, in a new home.

I'm in a new relationship, which always makes me blush.

[and if you want to count it, my birthday was Saturday, so it's a new year of life.]

That's a lot of new. And as someone who is normally teetering on the edge of being a change-a-phobe, I'm surprised at how easy this transition has been. I've been here for three weeks tomorrow, but it feels so natural to be here. So normal. Part of it might be all the newness and excitement, but I think a large part of it is peace in knowing I'm exactly where God wants me to be. I can see there's a bigger picture, and it's thrilling to be a part of it all. God is making giant, game-changing strides in my life, and I am abundantly happy.

Will it always be this easy and this wonderful? No. Nothing in life comes with a 100% Sunshine and Daisies guarantee. But the great thing about that is that when those moments do come, when I'm tested or I struggle, I'm aware that God is with me. He's been with me in all of these incredible moments so far, and He'll be with me in the moments that stretch me, too.

God is moving, and we can choose to swim with the current and enjoy the journey, or swim against the current, struggle, and grow weary. How lucky are we that God gives us the freedom to choose? So lucky. Undeniably lucky, my friends.

Semi-related: Remember how I spent all those years calling myself an "Accidental Methodist?" (I became a member in May of 2010). My new church has been a Methodist longer than the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1773, and the UMC in 1778... and I LOVE that. I love that the denomination I've come to be so connected to started to form right in the same space I occupy every day. It gives me goosebumps thinking about the history of ministry- the lives transformed- right in this place. What an amazing blessing to be included in the story :)

Glory in the Highest

2011-08-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

You are the first, You go before,
You are the last, Lord, You're the encore.
Your name's in lights for all to see.
The starry host declare Your glory.

"Know and rely on the love of God."

2011-08-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. -1 John 4:16-18

I tend to be an anxious person. I plan, and then I plan out a backup plan or two, just in case. I like to know what's coming down the pike so I'm never caught off guard. As a result, I can sometimes be tightly wound during stressful situations.

In just a handful of days, I'm moving across the country to start a new job in a new community. It's an adventure to say the least, and while there's a lot I know about the situation, there's a lot I don't know about it [cue the anxiety].

Here's the thing, though: what I don't know, God does know. And the way this entire situation came about, from losing my job to finding and accepting this one- I've been able to see God moving in all of it. I've been blessed uncontrollably. I've experienced healing from old wounds. I've rediscovered my identity [a continual process, right?].

For awhile now, I've been praying, "Where You go, I'll go. Where You stay, I'll stay." It's a dangerous prayer, because it opens up the floodgates, and it's hard to know where you'll end up. It's asking to be dropped into the unknown, where the only constant is God. With that, though, you have to remember that God isn't going to take you somewhere He won't be with you. And once that truth sets in, you can rest in His love, you can find peace in His wisdom, and you can be stretched by the adventure you're on together.

I know I'll be okay because I know He is with me. I know He's been looking out for me since His spirit hovered over the darkness. I know He'll continue to look out for me well past eternity. And though those two things are probably the only things I know right now, knowing them is enough.

And you thought i was a goner...

2011-08-26T05:32:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer, I deleted my blog. A lot happened, a lot changed, and I felt an increasing tension between the life I was living and the life I wanted for myself. See, for a long time, I was just along for the ride, finding my identity in the person everyone told me I was. Most of the time that was fine, but there were a few key people who told me I wasn't good enough- not about my skillset or abilities, but about my character and the way God wired me. The even dumber part about all of that was that I started to believe them. I came to the conclusion that when I was created, there was some sort of malfunction. Some wires got crossed or something. And I stopped believing I could ever be anything besides someone who fell short.

That kind of life is frustrating and depressing, to say the least.

Then this summer came along, and due to the nature of circumstances, I found myself with a whole summer to rest and reflect- to reboot, if you will. I experienced grace and understanding in the most unusual of places. I learned what it meant to be loved unconditionally. I realized that there were a lot of things about myself that were buried under the scar tissue that had built up over the years. I began to dig- to unearth the person I knew I was created to be, and while I'm still on that journey- maybe I always will be- I feel like I'm able to breathe for the first time in years.

It's just in time, too. In a week, I'll be moving across the country to start a new job at an old church [it's been Methodist longer than the UMC]. I found a great staff to work with who make me laugh until I have tears in my eyes and make me excited about their passion to bring the Kingdom in a loving and gracious way. The kids are hilarious, as only teenagers can be. They're passionate about music and social justice and building community. Their parents are equally as wonderful, and their hearts for student ministry are evident. I've got a fire in my belly to get back into student ministry, and everything is falling into place, as divinely orchestrated things tend to do.

In one week, everything about my life will be entirely different, and I can count it all joy. I'll miss my friends and former students terribly- that's a huge heartache for me- but with the internet and phones and facebook [who ever thought I'd be grateful for facebook?], keeping in touch with them is easier than ever.

Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Friday Prayer Requests

2011-05-06T10:33:00.001-07:00

There has been a LOT going on in my life lately [more on that later, though], and I have some prayer requests:

a sense of peace for my students and their families
i woke up with tonsillitis/sinus infection grossness this morning [not fun]
for all the moms out there celebrating mother's day and those mourning loss
for my fellow youth workers in Whitley County, who have been a huge encouragement
"big picture" faith for all of us- that we can see God always has a purpose

Quote of the Day [week? month?]

2011-05-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself. And the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in everything I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire and I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone." -Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude

Blessings

2011-05-02T17:57:00.000-07:00

I will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. -Deuteronomy 11:14

[purchase Laura Story's music here]

Paul Baribeau's "Ten Things"

2011-04-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

this song is one of my favorites these days...

soon the sun will rise and another day will come.
soon enough the sun will set, another day will be gone.
and right now all you have is time time time yeah,
but someday that time will run out.
that's the only thing you can be absolutely certain about.

[buy Paul's music here]

[excuse the video cheesyness... i picked it because it has the lyrics]

Just like us

2011-04-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

I think it's easy for us to elevate the people in the Bible to some superhuman level- for many, they sit in between being human and being God. And we let them live there, calling them "saints" and "apostles," as artists paint/sculpt/whatever these stoic images of them throughout history. They're set apart and special because we've made them that way.

I was just finishing up my notes for our high school Bible study- we're jumping into Colossians- and at the end of Chapter 4, we find a list of "fellow laborers of Christ" that Paul is so famous for including in his correspondance with the early Church. Normally, these kinds of lists make my eyes glaze over, but today I got to wondering, "why them?" And because I can't just let something like that pass me by, I looked them up.

Most of them are these fabulous people doing fabulous things for the Church. Tychicus was responsible for taking his church's offering to the poor Christians in Jerusalem. Aristarchus gave up everything to follow Paul around, enrolling himself as Paul's servant. Epaphrus was the minister at Colossae. Luke's in there, too [yeah, that Luke]. Just a bunch of really solid dudes that Paul mentions are praying for the Colossians.

Now there are two people worthy of note here: Mark and Demas. Mark [yep, the gospel writer] originally went with Paul and Barnabus on the first missionary journey as their secretary. Things got a little scary, and Mark went home (Acts 13:13)- he bailed under pressure. As a result, Paul was pretty frustrated with Mark, and when the second missionary journey came along, Paul was still carrying those frustrations. Barnabus wanted to give Mark a second chance, and Paul said "no way José," which led to Paul and Barnabus parting ways with each other- they never worked together again.

Demas also frustrated Paul. Even though Demas was big on sharing the gospel, Paul felt he loved the present world too much, and was doing a disservice to the gospel. Barclay [whose commentary I used to find out these gems] said Demas refused to be remade by Christ.

So I'm reading about Paul's beef with Mark and Demas, and I'm sitting there, surprised. Paul? Holding grudges? But he's PAUL. He's this key figure in the New Testament, and he's got beef with people? and then I paused- so what if he's Paul? That doesn't make him exempt from human emotions. That doesn't put him on some holy pedestal of faith, where everything he does is perfect and right and pure. He's human, just like us.

I think that's why I'm so fascinated by stories in the Bible. It's full of average, ordinary people who only seem extraordinary because they relied on God. They seem perfect because they made themselves transparent enough for us to see God working through them. My hope is that I can be one of those people- someone who lets her humanity take a backseat to the glory of God. Will I always get it right? No- I'm not alone in that. But will it always be my number one priority? I'd like to think so.

Thoughts about Boats.

2011-03-02T09:51:00.001-08:00

This morning I was thinking about ships, because I think of unusual things in the morning, and today's "thing" was sailing, or rather boating in general.

I got to thinking about being on a boating crew in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by fog. As Spring has [hopefully] started rolling in, so has the fog around here, and sometimes it's so thick, you can hardly see what's in front of you. And I thought about the boat's crew in this fog, unsure of where they were going, as their vision was unclear.

That's where the leader comes in- the Captain, the one who steers the ship. The Captain, using his or her maps, knowledge, and training- has to step up and lead the crew. The Captain must steer the ship through the fog to the destination. The Captain must remind the team of the end goal when the vision is unclear.

Now here's the thing that got me thinking, because this is totally a "brain to life" example- who's the Captain? Am I the Captain or is Jesus? It's a humbling thing to not be the captain, but every Captain needs a First Mate. Every Captain has that go-to person who's right there, learning along the way, leading others and growing as they lead. And it's just as important for the first mate to help others see through the fog. Two voices are louder than one.

I am not the Captain of this ship. I am not steering it.

Questions to ask:
- What role do I play on the ship?
- Am I helping the Captain move the ship towards its destination?
- Am I helping the crew see where we're going?

Silence in the Noise

2011-02-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

The last time i posted a blog was on Dec. 3rd.- over two months ago- and I'm totally okay with that in this season of life.

I used to blog all the time about anything and everything- a thought would pop in my head, and I'd throw it on here. There was very little privacy, mostly because I didn't really value it in my life- I was okay with being 110% transparent all the time. That can be an exhaustive thing, though- always being on display.

This year, I've really learned to value "sacred space," things in life that are solely mine, whether it's a night of the week, an activity I enjoy, whatever. I've stopped using twitter almost as much as I've stopped blogging, and you'll rarely find me posting on my own facebook account, because I think it's possible to overshare these days. Just because you have the ability to tell everyone what you're doing at every moment might not mean you should.

I've been spending a lot of time processing how I use social media and its purpose in my life, which seems to be in transition. Maybe it's me growing up, or maybe it's all the noise of social media becoming too much, but I'm definitely trying to streamline things these days. Obviously that means things will change around here, and while I'll still be around, it clearly won't be with the frequency of my early days.

What do you think? Is all the "noise" of social media okay or is there a point where it gets to be too much?

Lists and Pianos

2010-11-26T19:31:00.000-08:00

It has been a very busy November, and, while I always say I mean to blog, I never get around to it. So sorry.

Here's what I've been up to:
- hanging out with the most incredible students ever
- taking said students to Epworth Forest for a retreat
- rediscovering God's Kingdom
- working on Breakfast in Bethlehem [Dec 11, 8-11 @ CCUMC]
- thinking about the world
- spending time with family
- learning how to cook [dont hold your breath]
- decorating for Christmas
- teaching a class on Revelation [this has been fun]
- resting when i can [but not as much as i should]
- knitting all kinds of stuff
- breathing :)

among other things... more and more though, i'm learning to rely on the wisdom and strength of God, through others and through myself. I find myself in awe at the work of the Body of Christ in the world, and inspired by the stories of those in the trenches who continue to dream, continue to hope, and continue in their refusal to settle for "good enough." we're designed for greatness, wired for it. A piano makes a great shelf, but when it lives up to its potential, incredible things can happen. lives can be changed.

our shelf days are over. it's time to play.

Christianity and Glee

2010-11-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

Because show choir is a big program in our community, a lot of my students tune in each week to Glee. I hadn't been watching it, and when I'd try to jump in in the middle of a season, I'd get confused, so I opted to wait until I could marathon what I had missed. The past week, I've been trekking through Season 1, and then Season 2, and I came across this episode last night.

The episode revolves around faith, spirituality, and whether God is real. I've had a couple parents talk to me about it, concerned that the message isn't appropriate [Jesus comes in the form of a burn mark on a grilled cheese sandwich]. While at first it seems a little off, I think this episode is incredible because, in an hour, it covers everything our students are facing: life, loss, relationships, questions about faith, questions about religion- it's got it all.

I applaud Glee writers for going there- for being honest and showing all sides to the story. I also think there's a lot in this episode we can use within the realm of youth ministry. What do we do when our faith doesn't play out the way we want it to? What do we do when a friend is grieving? How can we share the love of Christ with someone who wants nothing to do with it?

Christianity and culture have a history of being more like oil and water, but it doesn't have to be that way. The Apostle Paul constantly is referencing the culture of his day throughout the Epistles- he speaks the language of his audience, and to do that, you have to be aware. When shows like Glee or artists like Katy Perry take faith and use it to speak to the hearts of our teens, or even get them thinking, it's a good thing. It's an open door to a conversation we may not otherwise be able to have.

I think God is speaking more and more to this generation through the arts and culture, and I'm not the only one who's seeing this trend. Adam McLane suggests Katy Perry is a prophet to her generation, while Terry Linhart recently hit on the fact that people are seeking visual arts more and more in worship. What does this mean for our ministries? We need to go there. We need to pull a Paul and figure out how to embrace culture and embrace the climate we're in and use it to bring the Kingdom of God to our teens. If the church continues to fight culture and continues to separate itself from the avenues people are connecting with, it runs the risk of becoming irrelevant, which does a complete disservice to our ministries, and more importantly, to the mission of God.

I love my kids!

2010-11-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

I'm like a proud parent, showing off pictures in line at the post office... I just love them so much! It's an honor to be able to partner with parents in raising up such wonderful students- God has definitely blessed our church with a great group of teens!

Money Matters.

2010-10-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today, I cut up my credit cards [again].

See, credit card companies do this thing where, if you don't use yours for awhile, they send you a new one. They're tricky and conniving and really, really smart. Instead of cutting up the replacement cards, I began using them again and backtracked from all the hard work i had put into paying those stupid things off. So I cut them up again, only this time, I did something a little differently: I asked God to bless me.

That seems a little stupid at first- "God, bless me for cutting up my credit cards," like I wanted to be rewarded with a little gold star sticker or something. That wasn't what I asked for, though. I asked God to give me guidance and wisdom, and most of all, self-control. I asked for a Kingdom mindset when it comes to my spending and what I value in life. I asked God to shape my mind.

Money has always been an issue in my life- growing up, I never really had to want for anything, which I know is a blessing, and I'm grateful for it, don't get me wrong. But it also gave me a skewed perspective on want versus need, as well as living above my means. With this new financial campaign at church, I've really been pressed to examine the why behind my spending, as well as whether it has Kingdom impact, and I haven't been a huge fan of what I've come up with.

Dale, our rep from RSI, told us if we can't give something up for God, then we don't own it; it owns us. That was a sobering truth for my life. I want to give God everything that I've got, but it becomes difficult when I've put my own wants before what He wants from me. I want to live in the freedom of Christ, but I find myself living in the burden of financial stress.

So, I cut up the credit cards, wrapped them in duct tape, and stuck them in the back of the freezer. That way, I can't access the numbers for online orders, I can't pull them out "in case of emergency" [which has never been an emergency], and I can start paying them off again slowly but surely.

I have a feeling this is going to be a tough lesson, which is why I handed it over to God. I'll keep you updated on the progress, as well as what God is showing me along the way. The funny thing is, I'm feeling pretty peaceful about it. And, while there will be times when that peace is fleeting, I can rest my hope in the fact that God has already given me all I need.

Consider it Joy

2010-10-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. - Romans 12:12

I have this verse on a scrap of green paper, taped to the wall in my office. In fact, as I face my computer, it's within view. It's placed there with purpose.

Life isn't easy- there are life lessons, struggles, loss, and uncertainty. We can have Plan A in mind, but end up living out Plan C or D. The thing is though, it's still life. We're still breathing, still hoping, still dreaming. Every day we wake up is another day full of endless possibility. We can be in the thick of the hardest trial of our lives, but the fact that we wake up that day means there's a bigger picture. It means that God has something to show us.

It's kind of like when a kid can't wait for his parents to get home, because he has something to show them. He wants to spend that time with them; he wants to share something with them that he thinks will make their lives better. Every day we wake up is a sign that God wants to do the same thing as that child. He's got something to show us about the world, about His people, about His love for us. So, regardless of what ends up on our plate during the day, we can count it all joy, because we have a God who cares enough about us to pass on His wisdom, pass on the secrets of the world.

No matter what, every breath is a blessing, every moment is a blessing, every trial is a blessing. We can count it all joy when we remember we're created by a God who wants to be an active part of those breaths, moments, and trials.

Great Resource for Parents: Dr. Michele Borba

2010-10-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

Dr. Michele Borba is an incredible resource for parents and really anyone working with teens. She's been on a million tv shows and authored a ton of books. I just found out about her a little bit ago, and I figured I'd pass the wisdom on. She's got a great blog over on her site that you should definitely check out.

Here are her last five posts, to give you an idea of what topics she addresses:

- Getting Kids to Open Up About Their School Day
- Mobilizing Bystanders to Stop Bullying: 6 Teachable Skills to Stop a Bully
- Parenting the Middle Child
- 3 First Steps to Bully-Proofing Kids
- 7 Deadly Parenting Styles of Modern-Day Child-Rearing

Jesus vs. Jonah

2010-10-08T08:35:00.000-07:00

I'm in the office today, thinking about responsibility and working out the final draft of my message for Sunday. We're talking about character with HSM, and we're contrasting the story of Jonah with the story of Jesus. Both had a responsibility to share God's grace and love with a large group of misguided people, both had times where they were fearful and straight up human. The difference between the two lies within their attitudes.

Jonah had to preach to the Ninevites and was. not. thrilled. He ran. He freaked out and bolted. Insert a storm, a large fish, some dancing vegetables, and God's love for a broken people, and we find Jonah sitting on a hill outside of the city, waiting for it to burn down. His heart is still just as bitter as it was before the journey began, and he cares more for his own comfort than for the salvation of the Ninevites.

Christ knew His death on the cross was imminent. He knew the end of the story, and He knew that dying on the cross was part of it. He prayed to God, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." He faced His responsibility head on, and, even though the pain was excruciating, He endured. He stuck it out, and the end of the story played out- eternal life and freedom with God in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Two different people. Two different attitudes towards their responsibilities.

So here's the million dollar question: when we're faced with responsibility, when it's staring us right in the eyes, do we man up or do we run? Are we a Jonah or a Jesus? Do we run with God or run from God?

sidenote: i definitely had an "aha!" moment while prepping this lesson. i had no idea there are like, a billion parallels between Jesus and Jonah... Jesus even preached about it: "For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights." way to blow my mind, God :)

A Little NYWC Love

2010-09-30T05:54:00.000-07:00

Youth Ministry is one of the hardest and most rewarding callings in the world... you get to walk alongside teens, mentor them, encourage them, and pour into them, helping them discover the beauty and strength of a consistent God who knows them and likes them and loves them, no matter what. I always tell people I have the best job ever, because I feel really blessed by it all- the kids, the experiences, the personal growth and the growth of others. It's just a really cool thing to be a part of.

I know I'm not alone in these sentiments- there are thousands of youth workers across the country who feel the same way. We love these kids, and we'll do anything for them. We want them to meet Jesus, because He already knows them. And yet, times for youth workers are tough. I'm lucky that my church has been blessed with the funds to hire me full time, but a lot of youth workers are part time and even more are volunteers. They work at finding a delicate balance between ministry, vocation, and family in order to bring heaven to earth for teens, and it can be a real challenge.

That's why I'm so grateful for the National Youth Workers Convention, starting today in San Diego, and in a few weeks, Nashville. Put on by Youth Specialties, this convention provides academic, social, emotional, and spiritual support for youth workers each year. YS does everything they can to pour into the thousands of youth workers that make their way to the convention, with worship, workshops, and large group speakers who minister to the needs of youth workers. They exist to support youth workers so that they can do what God has gifted them to do, and that kind of encouragement is unbelievably valuable in the realm of both Youth Ministry and in the Kingdom.

Please join me this weekend in praying for everyone at the San Diego NYWC, specifically in these areas:
1. the youth workers, that God can speak to each of their hearts and they can be receptive to whatever messages He brings.
2. the YS and YouthWorks! staff, that they can be encouraged as they encourage others, and when difficulties come up, that they'll be able to be flexible and push through, knowing what a difference they're making in the lives of so many
3. the speakers, both in the large room and in the breakouts, that they'll glorify God with their messages of clarity and conviction, as He has called them to do so.
4. the city of San Diego, that they'll be a witness to the spirit of Christ as their city is invaded by all these fabulous youth workers!

It's going to be a great weekend, and NYWC is definitely on my heart in a big way. Make sure you take the time to encourage and thank a youth worker this week~ it means the world to them!

The Benediction

2010-09-28T10:10:00.001-07:00

Stumbled on this through last.fm; Jimmy Needham's "The Benediction."

Quote of the Day

2010-09-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

"Jesus willingly came into my hell so I could fully experience His heaven." -Andy Hyndman

Delicious Link Love

2010-09-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

I'm still trying to figure out del.icio.us- a central hub for sharing links to articles, blogs, whatever... but if you want to see what kind of stuff I'm reading [or rather, what I've enjoyed reading], check me out at www.delicious.com/gigitastic. I've weeded through all of the boring youth ministry articles and saved only the best of the best. Enjoy :)

Quote of the Day

2010-09-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

"If Jesus is calling you to give something up and you can't, you don't possess that thing; it possesses you." -Dale McConnell

Dale's the RSI consultant helping us with our financial campaign. I thought this quote was on point, and it's definitely something I'm not only processing for myself but also passing on to my students [and you guys!]

If we can't give it up, we aren't in control of it- we're letting it control us. Man. Solid stuff.

John 8: Hurt Begets Hurt

2010-09-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

In John 8, we find the story of the adulterous woman- it's one churches talk about a lot. A crowd was about to kill her, and Jesus tells them, "let he among you without sin be the first to condemn." They all put their stones down and walk away. It's a powerful story, emphasizing God's grace and mankind's humanity.

I just read this article about that passage, which shed some light to the cultural side of the story. The story's not about Jesus passing out "get out of jail free" cards, but rather helping us to see that we've all got junk in our spiritual trunk that needs to be dealt with.

The Bible says that the woman was caught in the act of adultery. Legally, for a trial to go through on this matter, there had to be two witnesses. If the they told the same story, the man and woman would both be executed. In this case, the crowd is just going after the woman. The article says it's likely the man was in the accusing crowd, but there's no real evidence of that, other than the fact that it makes a good story. Another legal factor- the witnesses were supposed to be the first to throw stones [Deut. 17:7]. And, interestingly enough, the death penalty could not be legally invoked if the two witnesses weren't present or qualified [i.e. blameless]. Since two witnesses weren't there, and no one in the crowd was without sin, the witch hunt ceased and people went home.

After they leave, Jesus talks with the woman, and it seems like a normal conversation- "Did anyone say you were guilty? No, then neither do I." Legally, no witnesses were able to hold a case against her- no one could say "yes, this happened." And Jesus wasn't there to say whether it did either way [although- it's Jesus; He knew what was up], so He wasn't going to hold it against her, either. But He also told her to get her act together, because she may not always be so lucky.

This story isn't just about grace and forgiveness, it's not just about us dealing with our own junk- it's a story of justice, a story about doing what's right and holding people accountable. A lot of times, we can misinterpret the actions of others. Someone hurts us unintentionally, and we filter every following action through that hurt. We proclaim the worst about a person to avert others from seeing the worst in us. In those moments, we need to remember that Jesus is standing by that person- "Whichever of you is blameless and legally able to condemn this person, go ahead." He leaves no room for our own personal hurts to beget personal hurts in others. He tells us to deal with our crap and take a breath when it comes to going after one another with emotional witch hunts.

We have a very cool God who gets us. He knows how easy it is to get wrapped up in emotions, and how easy it is to bypass the right thing to do. And He loves us enough to teach us about it, instead of spiritually backhanding us, like we probably deserve. It blows my mind how incredibly patient Jesus was during His time on earth. He gave people opportunities and time to learn lessons, and He walked through it all with them. We get the same treatment, and the more open we are to learning and growing, the closer we get to the glory of God.

God is not a Line Cook.

2010-09-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know I'm a nerd for Top Chef. I don't know if it's because I'm a terrible cook and I live vicariously through them, or if it's the weekly challenges that stretch the contestants' creativity, but I love it. A lot. Probably too much.

Anyway, today I was thinking about prayer [I know, we just did a complete 180 topic change, but stick with me], and it can be easy for our prayers to turn into to-do lists for God: God, do this. God, heal me. God, provide for me in this way. We know the outcome we want, and we tell God. Throw it under the "Ask and ye shall receive" umbrella, and it seems pretty theologically sound.

When we reduce our prayers into a to-do list, we turn the "Top Chef" into a line cook. Without even knowing what's on the menu, we order exactly what we want. We have expectations as to what we're served- how it will taste, how full we will get, if it's worth what we paid for it. We have complete control over the situation.

What if, instead of praying a to-do list, we prayed, "God, what do you want from me? What can I do for you?" It'd be like ordering the Chef's Special- we open ourselves up to experiencing God to the fullest. We allow the Top Chef to create something beyond our wildest dreams. We step aside as He blends together various spices and flavors and textures to make a dish that wows us. A dish that isn't just food on a plate, but a memorable experience that enhances our lives. An experience we'll talk about for days.

You can go into any McDonalds in the world, order a Big Mac, and pretty much get exactly what you're expecting. That's why McDonalds do so well in airports- it's familiar food; the outcome is a given. But in order to make it so familiar, it's chock full of junk to keep it that way. It might fill you up, but it won't sustain you. The same is true when we reduce God to a honey-do, list man. We might feel alright about "giving it to God," but we're missing the experience of watching Him create and interact and provide in bigger ways than we could ever dream of.

Quote of the Day: Thomas Merton

2010-09-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

“No one can become a saint or a contemplative merely by abandoning himself unintelligently to an oversimplified concept of obedience. Both in the subject and in the one commanding him, obedience presupposes a large element of prudence and prudence means responsibility. Obedience is not the abdication of freedom but its prudent use under certain well-defined conditions. This does nothing to make obedience easier and it is by no means an escape from subjection to authority. On the contrary, obedience of this kind implies a mature mind able to make difficult decision and to correctly understand difficult commands, carrying them out fully with a fidelity that can be, at times, genuinely heroic. Such obedience is impossible without deep resources of mature spiritual love.” -Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation

via zach lind

Recent searches leading here.

2010-09-13T13:33:00.001-07:00

Every once in awhile, I'll check to see what's leading people to my blog.

You guys are bananas.

-football player in heels
-church staff devotional
-szyarto obituary [what?!]
-dogzilla strikes again
-broad with a laptop
-chandilier tattoos

a pretty good sampling of the randomness that takes place here on a regular basis :)

Your spending shows your focus.

2010-09-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

The concept of materialism, stewardship, and spending has been swirling around my head for a couple months now as God works on my heart, and last week, while looking at hope in the Bible [preparing for a message], I stumbled across Ecclesiastes 2:9-11.

Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind in the dust. What's more, I kept a clear head through it all. Everything I wanted I took— I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, held back nothing. I sucked the marrow of pleasure out of every task— my reward to myself for a hard day's work! Then I took a good look at everything I'd done, looked at all the sweat and hard work. But when I looked, I saw nothing but smoke. Smoke and spitting into the wind. There was nothing to any of it. Nothing

We're responsible for the legacy we leave. Are we actually making a difference in the world, or is it all smoke and spitting into the wind?

If you want to know what's close to your heart, look at your bank account. Don't look at what's around you, look at your spending from month to month. What are you supporting financially? What message are you sending?

Dealing with Pride

2010-09-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

I have a pride issue.

I've been sitting here, trying to come up with some sort of introduction that makes the above statement seem prettier, or not as harsh, but the reality of it is that pride has reared its ugly head in my life, and as someone who values transparency, I feel like I need to confess it and confront it.

God has wired me in a pretty crazy way; I'm an ENFJ with the spiritual gifts of teaching, pastoring, and apostleship, along with some gifts in creative arts. My spiritual gifts all revolve around sharing something I have that others might not have yet. And while God designed all of this in me to be used for His glory, it's the easiest thing in the world to use them for personal gain, regardless of your intentions.

My foundation is in Christ, my heart beats for God, but as a leader, Satan can easily creep in and alter your focus. He can easily convince you that the celebration of God's glory within you is actually a celebration of personal glory. Lately, I've found myself leaning on personal accomplishment rather than God's wisdom and I couldn't figure out why, with everything I've accomplished, I still felt like nothing was getting done! IDIOT! Whose list was I working on? Mine or God's?

Knowing that I'm created for a purpose by God means that, unless I'm working at accomplishing the things of God, I won't feel that Kingdom impact that I'm after. While I may feel momentary satisfaction, it's not the kind that sticks to your bones and carries you through.

I knew this was bubbling up in me, I tried to avoid it. My life was becoming more and more stressful and I felt less and less qualified. I tried to mask it with other things, but when you chase after the Truth, there's nothing that will remain hidden. I sat down with God this afternoon and journaled my thoughts, concerns, requests. Over and over, "God do this," "God do that," "God I want this." And then it hit me.

Why hadn't I asked God what He wanted me to do? Why hadn't I been asking God what He wanted from me? I'd put all my requests on the table and left no room for God. And that's when the light of God's truth exposed the darkest corner of my heart.

People always joke around, saying "the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem," which definitely has an ounce of truth in it. That's where I'm at right now. Instead of setting my list of needs before God, I'm focusing on asking God what He needs from me, how I can use my gifts for Him, and how my unique design can benefit His Kingdom for HIS glory.

Hardwired to be Empathetic

2010-09-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

This video blew me away last night- straight up blew me away.

Rifkin explains that humans are not wired to have that "survival of the fittest"/looking out for number 1 kind of attitude, but rather, we're designed to be in community and to be empathetic towards one another. We're designed to be connected. Our brain is hardwired to feel each other's pain, to be compassionate towards one another, to be linked together and belong.

We are wired to be in relationship. This idea stems from science, not religion. We are designed to be in relationship. We are designed for communal living, not for selfish desires.

The way our body is designed reflects the Creator's purpose for designing us. When we lose sight of that, we become malicious, self-centered, etc. When we lose sight of our purpose on earth, we eat up those sin-driven personality traits.

If you have some time, sit down with this- it's sort of long, but worth every second.

Signs

2010-09-07T15:10:00.000-07:00

Today in staff, Pastor Jean gave us a great devotional, and I wanted to share it with you guys because I needed to hear it, and they always say to preach the messages you need to hear haha :)

Jean's leading a small group study on John right now, and she shared with us this passage from John 6:

The next day, the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks [the feeding of the 5000]. Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into their boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill."

The people were looking all over for Jesus because they knew he could fulfill their needs. It wasn't because Jesus performed a miracle on the shore by turning a few loaves and fish into a feast, it was because He had recognized their need and acted on it.

We spend a lot of time praying for a miraculous sign when God is meeting our needs before our very eyes, but we neglect to see it because we're busy waiting on a beam of light to break through the clouds.

We neglect to see the strength of justice because we were told the Messiah would be a mighty warrior.

We neglect to see the importance of humility because we were told the Son of David would be a king.

We neglect to see the power of community because we were told the Christ would be our personal God.

There's a lot we're missing out on, because we're waiting for our own interpretation of God's promises. How different life would be if we lived as creation and not Creator, if we stopped expecting bold miracles and instead saw the miracles in the everyday.

Taking Questions from Students

2010-09-02T11:53:00.000-07:00

I was just cleaning up some files on my computer, and I came across a list of questions from our 5th and 6th graders in the fall of 2007. It's interesting to see what was on their hearts and minds, even at that age.

• How could God have Jesus as a son if He didn’t have a wife?
• I want to be able to make sure that if I die now I will be saved. I want to say the prayer but not in front of all the 5th and 6th graders.
• Did or do you have/had concerns of death?
• Can we play ping pong?
• How did they come up with the name “Jesus?”
• What is your favorite Bible story and why do you like it?
• How did God make us?
• Does God love the devil?
• Do you believe there is a path to heaven and hell?

This is a great exercise to do with your students- we always hand out index cards and let them go to town with as many questions as they want. Not only does it help you see what topics to hit on, but it also helps you see where your students are at in life.

Our younger students seem to respond to this activity better than our older students. With the high schoolers, we do something called "Elephant in the Church" and we throw out hot button issues [gay marriage, slavery, abortion, war, materialism, world religions vs. Christianity, murder, etc.] and let them wrestle through a discussion about it. I always have my Bible, Counseling Teens in Crisis book [by Parrott], laptop, and a list of what the United Methodist Church's standpoint is on each topic. It's a great activity, but you have to make sure you've got a certain level of trust built up so students can speak freely. I remember the first time we did it, we got into murder/capital punishment and a student said, "If someone came after my family and killed them, I'd want to kill them for doing it. I wouldn't be able to trust the courts to deal with it appropriately." You have to provide a safe space for comments like that, because guaranteed, they'll come up.

Our kids have amazing minds that are constantly wrestling through all kinds of issues. What better place for them to do this than at the church, where not only can they explore the topic, but they can also dig into the theological side of it all.

Passion

2010-08-30T18:30:00.001-07:00

Next Sunday, we're talking about Passion in HSM, and I've been thinking about it a lot today as I started some message prep. Two things stuck out to me:

John 2:15-17: "Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: 'Passion for God’s house will consume me'."

The Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering– physical, spiritual, and mental– of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion.

Christ was passionate about God's people. The scripture above has a lot of layers in it that can easily go unnoticed. All of these salesmen had set up shop in the temple, each one claiming his sheep or doves or whatever were better than the next, and therefore would be a more pleasing sacrifice to atone for the buyer's sins. Instead of the sinner sacrificing his best livestock, he could purchase what he needed at the temple and offer it as a sacrifice. The whole concept became twisted and morally corrupt, when it should have been drawing people closer to God. It ruined the idea of sacrifice, it tainted God's beautiful gift of redemption. It made Jesus angry, and He reacted.

His passion for God's church consumed Him. It fueled every action, every thought, every use of His resources. It was His filter for every word that passed over His lips, and it was the driving force behind His journey to Calvary. "The Passion" is a term that has been around forever, and more recently, associated with the film, but have we ever stopped to realize what that exactly means? Jesus Christ, beaten, exhausted, and standing alone as his friends watched from the back of the crowd, all for His passion.

Are we that passionate about Him? Are we that passionate about anything? Does anything drive us as much as Christ's love for God's people fueled Him?

Link Love: Posts worth a read

2010-08-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

I don't know if it's due to excitement over the new school year or what, but there have been some solid articles and blog posts that have popped up over the last two weeks or so. I keep meaning to compile a list, and since I'm waiting on a turkey to cook [yeah, there's a project], I figured there's no better time than the present.

I've included a snippet from each that really connected with me. These have really got me thinking about the hows and whys behind the way I run my program.

CNN: More teens becoming 'fake' Christians

She says parents who perform one act of radical faith in front of their children convey more than a multitude of sermons and mission trips... But it's not enough to be radical -- parents must explain "this is how Christians live," she says. "If you don't say you're doing it because of your faith, kids are going to say my parents are really nice people," Dean says.

DC Curry: How do we draw Millennials to church?

...Younger generations are growing up POST-Civil Rights Movement. Without US History classes in school most would have NO concept of pre-civil rights way of living. This gen isn’t afraid of other cultures and as a whole, they embrace it.

Adam McLane: When did ministry become an office job?

...Compare the hours per week that your own church spends in the office vs. the amount of time the New Testament church did. They didn’t even have an office! So it was 0%. The biblical model is 0%. God’s Word is true, right? God is unchanging and unchangeable? ...How can we justify 50%, 75%, or 90% of our hours doing office work?

Geoff Cocanower: I almost chickened out

Okay, I'm not going to put a quote from this because I don't want to give away the light-bulb-over-the-head moment. But this REALLY hit home with me, and is definitely worth the read for anyone working with teens in a church setting.

Weekend Wrap Up: Week 1

2010-08-30T06:35:00.000-07:00

Date: Aug. 29, 2010
Audience: Junior and Senior High
Topic: Live Large, Be Different, Shine Bright
Scripture: Romans 12:1-2 [The Message]

We had a HUGE group last night [around 30- three junior high, the rest senior high], which made the night a little crazy, but also gave it that Kick Off feel. It definitely showed that a) i need to recruit more volunteers, and b) we definitely have some spacing issues.

We started off with a new game- Ping Pong launch. Split the kids in 2 teams, and have them shoot ping pong balls with spoons at juice pitchers. The teal team had 44, and the green team had 19, but the best part was seeing 200 ping pong balls flying through the air all at the same time. My prediction: these ping pong balls will last til Christmas :) Our youth room is a black hole for ping pong balls.

The message and the scripture connected together really well. Romans 12:1-2 is a verse my kids are pretty familiar with, so I mixed it up and read it from "The Message." We talked about how they can make brand new choices this school year- that their decisions will affect the outcome of their lives, and only they can make those decisions. I challenged them to Live Large, Be Different, and Shine Bright- to accept the abundant life Jesus has for us, to choose who they follow, and to work together to light up their world.

One key thing I'm trying to do this year is build into the idea that youth group is a safe place to open up about the tough stuff. We talked about how sometimes we get in situations where we feel like our flame for Christ is barely a flicker, struggling to stay lit. In those moments, we need to find the "floodlights" and come at it from a community standpoint. If I've got a flicker and Lucy's a floodlight for Jesus, her light will help shine in the dark spots that mine is too weak to reach. God designed us that way- we're the BODY of Christ, not the BODIES of Christ.

For some reason, we whizzed through everything, so the kids were stoked that there was time for Booty Ball at the end. Everyone stands in a circle with their legs shoulder-width apart, and you try to roll a ball through each other's legs. If it goes through your legs once, you have to turn around and play backwards. If it goes through again, you're out. High intensity game, especially with a large group.

Overall, I'm pleased with how things went- tweaking the schedule a little for next week to add some small group time at the end. We also handed out surveys re: our programming [Sunday School, Youth Group, overall] because we're trying to beef it up this year. I'm excited to see what our students come up with.

Great Media on Digital Harassment

2010-08-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

This video played during "If you really knew me" on MTV tonight- it's from www.athinline.org. A great resource for youth workers and teens.

Quote of the Day

2010-08-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

From Bible study this morning:

"Church has increasingly become an option at a buffet, rather than the main course of the meal."

We continue to serve it, but more and more, people would rather pick the main dish for themselves.

How can we meet in the middle? How can we serve what people are hungry for?

Article: Transference in Youth Ministry

2010-08-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

This is a superb article from Conversations on the Fringe about transference in ministry. It's crazy, too, because I led an adult Bible study this morning, and we ended up talking about exactly that. Here's a clip:

Wherever you have an authority role, a very specific kind of transference happens. The “role” of pastor, not the “person,” but the “role” encourages a complex set of transference reactions.

Students and parents tend to idealize you and then “transfer” to you their unmet dependency needs that they carry over with them. You become the good loving parent they never had. You become “Better than… Purer than… Kinder than… Gentler than… .” The youth pastor, being the human being that he/she is, will sooner or later disappoint people, who in their disillusionment will begin to turn on their leader who failed to meet their needs after all.

The discussion this morning turned towards this idea in regards to the Church [body of Christ] and the world. "Christ was perfect, the Church is the body of Christ, ,therefore the Church should be perfect. But wait, it's not! They must be hypocritical!" There's transference. The Church should be God, rather than be a community on a journey towards the cross. It's an often unmet expectation; the world is looking for a finished product, and we don't deliver.

Why is that? I think a lot of it stems from how we portray ourselves. "Come to our Bible Study and you'll make connections that last a lifetime!" What if I don't connect? "Experience a life transformation with us Sunday mornings!" What if I walk away unaffected? "When we believe in Christ, we receive new life!" What if things don't seem to change, or better yet, they change for the worse? The Church is known in the world for making promises we can't keep.

Are our intentions good? I believe the answer is yes. I believe the Church is passionate about sharing the love and hope of Christ with the world. I also believe there needs to be a level of transparency involved in it. The apostle Paul was bold enough to tell people he was the worst of all the sinners, and yet it's a common misconception that Christians have to have it all together.

We don't. Life is filled with lessons. God gives us opportunities, and we will either succeed or fail. One or the other. It's what we do with the outcome that changes things- do we learn? do we grow? do we share the experience with others? Do we as a Church community provide a space for these things to happen? Or are we expecting perfection, expecting what can only happen beyond this earthly life?

I say it all the time: people are people are people, and people do bonehead things. If you don't learn from it, then you continue to be a bonehead, but if you do learn from it, just think about how the world can change.

Currently Reading

2010-08-09T09:51:00.001-07:00

Thy Kingdom Connected by Friesen
Taking Your Church to the Next Level by McIntosh
Better Safe than Sued by Crabtree

Three big issues I'm currently thinking about [hence, the books]:
1. How can we communicate information clearly and effectively, without adding to the noise?
2. Where is God leading us as a ministry? What's the big picture?
3. The best defense is a good offense. What are we doing well? Where can we improve?

Youth Ministry: The Business of Memory-Making

2010-08-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

our kids are a little goofy :) Mission Trip 2010

One thing that really has jumped out at me over the past year is the importance of memory-making in youth ministry. Maybe the memory involves a teachable moment- an object lesson, a speaker, a chance to serve- or maybe it's the memory of a once in a lifetime experience- throwing a pie at their youth leader, climbing through a wire tunnel forty feet in the air, hearing a camper say "I want to commit my life to Christ."

Are we creating a space where memories can be made? Do those memories strengthen our students' bond with the Body of Christ and with God?

Our students deserve our best- so does our God. How can we use our gifts and passions to create memorable youth programming?

CCUMC Student Ministry Shirt Sale!

2010-08-05T12:53:00.001-07:00

Here's a sneak preview of the shirt graphics for our Shirt Fundraiser :)

Hooded Sweatshirt Design [youth sizes have bright green letters]

Short sleeve T-shirt Design [youth sizes are bright blue with tangerine stripes and white letters]

The fundraiser starts August 15th and runs through September 1st. You can order shirts at the table in the Narthex on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights, or you can pick up an order form outside of the youth room and drop it off in the office in Kara's mailbox with the shirt payment. Proceeds will go towards Youth programming at CCUMC.

youth workers, i have a question for you.

2010-08-04T21:33:00.001-07:00

what do you look for in curriculum?

I have been having the hardest time finding curriculum I like, or curriculum that's volunteer friendly- something that has a lot of substance when it comes to the lesson but a lot of options when it comes to teaching it. I also run into a lot of curriculum that's written too young for the intended audience. Our students are maturing at a faster rate- we as youth workers need to accept this and meet them where they're at. It also seems like curriculum keeps getting more and more expensive as youth ministry budgets are getting smaller and smaller.

Am I the only one facing these kinds of problems?

let's dialogue about this: when it comes to your students, what do you look for in curriculum? what works for your ministry setting? what doesn't work? what does the "perfect curriculum" look like? have you run into any "walls" when looking for curriculum?

*author's note: i'm kind of a nerd when it comes to curriculum, and i can get pretty picky about it. i'm interested in what everyone else is thinking, whether youth pastors, volunteers, mentors, interns, whoever. everyone's got a voice in this conversation, and there's no right or wrong answer, so feel free to pipe in!

Link Love: The Wisdom Test

2010-08-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

Tony Morgan is on point today. Check out his post about wisdom. Here's a clip:

James 3:17 offers a wisdom test for us to evaluate the credibility of a piece of “wisdom.” ...Based on the guidelines in this verse, wise advice should elicit the answer “yes” to the following questions:
Is it pure?
Does it promote peace?
Is it humble/submissive/impartial?
Is the teacher living it out?

Pretty solid advice... dare I say, wisdom :)

Sorry, the joke was there.

Have a great day, guys!

CCSM: Fall 2010

2010-08-04T10:41:00.001-07:00

I just finished our topic list for the rest of 2010; thought I'd put it out there in case any other youth workers were looking for ideas.

HSM has two main series, but they're pretty diverse. The first is Character Counts- we're hitting a lot of character traits and how students are able to connect with Christ and share Him by developing these traits: reflection, passion, hope, transparency, integrity, honor, responsibility, giving, and celebration. Then we're moving into a series called "Family Matters": the myth of a perfect family, expectations, authority and rebellion, parents as friends, sibling rivalry, and counting our blessings. We'll wrap up the year with a Christmas Party at Park Terrace, which was a blast last year.

The Flipside has three series coming up, and they look like they're going to be a blast. We've got some new curriculum coming in called "The Lads: Secrets of the Universe" about three guys in a rock band who help students discover what life is all about. It's got crazy games and activities with it, and it looks perfect for The Flipside. After that series, we're going to dive into what it means to be a disciple, focusing on a couple different examples [John the Baptist, Peter, Paul], the cost of being a disciple, Jesus's prayer for His disciples, and how we can work together as the Body of Christ. The last series is called "Joy to the World!" which revolves around the hope and joy we receive through Christ, which we'll share on the last night of Triple F by heading out to do Christmas Caroling.

Busy busy year, but it's going to be amazing. I'm excited to get the ball rolling and see where God takes us. It's shaping up to be a big year for CCSM, and I can't wait :)

Excitement in the air

2010-08-03T11:05:00.001-07:00

I know my students are dragging about it [not my college students though- they're counting down the days], but I'm excited that school is starting. There's a ton of stuff going on within the youth department at CCUMC, and it looks like it's going to be an amazing school year.

Our theme this year is "Live Large, Be Different, Shine Bright," which came from this great book Simply Youth Ministry put out recently. We're talking about character, purpose, ministry, passions- everything that makes each of our students unique and wonderful. We've got new curriculum in all our classes, and both rooms are getting a much needed makeover [sayanora mice-infested couches!]. There are some new programs coming, along with new opportunities for our students to get involved with. We're going big this year with God, and I'm excited to see where He takes us.

The cool thing about all of this is that there's a group of us working together, and every single decision gets filtered through "How will this help our kids connect with each other and with Christ?" It's the coolest thing, and it gets my blood moving.

The Flipside [5th and 6th grade] starts August 18, and Jr High [7th and 8th] and HSM [9-12th] both start on September 5th. It's going to be a big year, and you won't want to miss it. Parents, help make sure your kids get here. It'll be worth your while.

Taking a Break From the Lord’s Work

2010-08-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

Paul Vitello from The New York Times posted a great article yesterday on clergy health that's worth a read. Here's a clip:

Public health experts who have led the studies caution that there is no simple explanation of why so many members of a profession once associated with rosy-cheeked longevity have become so unhealthy and unhappy.

But while research continues, a growing number of health care experts and religious leaders have settled on one simple remedy that has long been a touchy subject with many clerics: taking more time off.

In planning out my summer, my senior pastor told me I had to take at least a week of vacation once camp and the mission trip were over. I ended up taking a week and a half, and it was a great time for me to relax and renew. I completely unplugged, and as a result, I was able to come back to our congregation with a new sense of passion and vision.

As ministers, it's easy to feel the weight of the world on your shoulders. It's easy to want to answer every call, e-mail, or need that comes our way and answer them quickly. Here's the thing: we are not God. We cannot solve the world's problems on our own. We're vessels for His work, and when we push through the stress instead of taking time to renew, the stress can cause cracks in our ministry, in our lives. It can be damaging to that which we're working so hard to maintain.

Are you resting? Do you have a Sabbath, where you completely unplug? Or are you slapping a quick fix on the cracks, hoping the stress of life won't cause you to crumble? Your health- spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical- is important. It makes up who you are. It honors God. Your current schedule and lifestyle choices will tell you exactly who or what is your god. Maybe it's success, maybe it's pleasing people, maybe it's self-fulfillment. We've got to keep ourselves in check and keep our eyes on who God has created us to be.

Indy racecar drivers wouldn't drive the race in a busted car- they take care of them, they make sure they're in great condition. Mid-race, they'll pull off, get gas, get tires, get things in order so they can keep going. Make sure you're taking that time to pull off the track and get back in working order so you can finish strong.

Integrity and Accountability

2010-07-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

The most important thing you can have as a leader in ministry is not numbers or a large budget or a great space- it's integrity. "Firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values." Sticking to your guns when it comes to doing the right thing.

Wikipedia kind of stretched out the definition: "Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations and outcomes." It's about being consistent. And it is the hardest thing to build and the easiest thing to lose.

See, with integrity comes trust, and with trust comes the ability to develop a relationship. If you don't have trust, you don't have an audience, and if you don't have an audience, you don't have a ministry. All of these things go hand and hand- they're in a delicate balance, and when one gets thrown off, the rest do, too.

Everything rides on your integrity, which is why it's so important to have an accountability system set up around you. Is it fun to get called out for being wrong? No, nobody likes that, but the thing is, you have to remember it's not personal. As a leader, you've been given a huge gift by God to lead His people towards the cross. Where you lead, they follow, good or bad. It's an incredible responsibility and honor to be trusted with God's most prized possession.

The kids and I read through Isaiah last year during Fuel, and over and over, the prophet talks about the importance of integrity and accountability for leaders. He's blunt about it, too.

So the LORD will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day; the elders and prominent men are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail. Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray. -Isaiah 9:14-16, NIV

It's easy to want to sidestep accountability in ministry, but it can be so damaging to the integrity of the ministry. So, with all of this, we need to ask ourselves:

1. Who is holding us accountable? Who has the ability to call us out when we're slacking and celebrate with us when we're getting it right?
2. How do we respond to constructive criticism? Are we open to it or do we brush it off?
3. Are we able to discern the difference between constructive criticism and destructive criticism?
4. Have we protected the integrity of our ministries through our words and actions? How can we build/continue to build into this idea?

Pictures from ICA

2010-07-28T16:48:00.000-07:00

Anna from International Crisis Aid showed us these pictures, and I pulled them from their website to show you what an incredible ministry they've got going on over there.

These are a testimony to their "Food" program, which works to fight world hunger, one family at a time.

Those are the same kids in both pictures. Those are someone's babies. Those are kids who have a second chance at life. It blows my mind that those are the same kids. It gives me so much hope.

Donate to ICA here. They're doing phenomenal stuff over there in the name of Jesus. $40 feeds a family of 6 for a month. $10 provides vaccines for a person in Ethiopia. $30 provides classes for a girl rescued from sex trafficking. $14 feeds an orphan for a week. And it's easy to say, "oh, well that's just one family, that's just one person." We don't have dominion over hunger- we can't solve that on our own. But I know if I was that one person who no longer had to worry about preventable disease killing me because I got a $10 shot, I'd be thrilled. If I was the one woman who knew her family would be able to eat nutritiously for another month, I would be thrilled. It seems so insignificant to us, but for our brothers and sisters around the world, it's life changing. it's life giving.

Being Resourceful

2010-07-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

This summer, our youth group partnered with Dirty Roots Revolution in St. Louis for our mission trip. We talked about a lot of things, with the overarching theme being "Figure out what makes your heart beat, and do something about it." One of the days, Anna from International Crisis Aid came to speak to us, and she covered the four different areas ICA works on: hunger, orphans and widows, medical care, and sex trafficking.

During Anna's talk, she gave us a lot of statistics- and one of them really hit home: most families in Ethiopia live on $91 USD a year. Families, living on under $100 a year. Hearing that was like getting punched in the gut. My whole thing with this mission trip too was putting things in perspective of my world. When we heard that children ages 11-14 were dropping out of school to help carry water jugs miles and miles in the heat, I thought of my 5th-8th graders. I tried to imagine them hauling jugs full of dirty water to help their families survive. When I heard the statistic of $100 a year, I thought about my Nike tennis shoes, my Fossil watch, my DVD collection, my purses- how many families could survive for a year on what I spent on luxury items?

And that's the thing- we can say "well you need tennis shoes, you need a watch." They're luxury items. There are cheaper items in the world that can serve the same function and have the same lasting quality. I throw food out, or have 2 shirts in the same style and color, or have 5 different colors of Old Navy flip flops. That's what I've done with my resources. I've used them on myself.

God definitely put me in check on this trip. "Are you using what I've given you? How have you used your resources to further my Kingdom?" I couldn't answer those questions with the confidence of Christ. I didn't feel good about what I had been entrusted with and how I was taking care of it. I knew it was time for a change.

On this trip, I became friends with people who only had the clothes on their backs, and yet, I had 2 boxes of clothes I still havent unpacked from when I moved a year ago. So last weekend, I started cleaning out my closet. I've taken 4 full trash bags of clothes to Goodwill, and I'm still not done sorting. If I haven't worn it in a year or I haven't used it in the last 6 months, I'm passing it on so someone else can put it to good use.

$91 a year, for a whole family. That still blows my mind. And you know what? $91 is pretty easy to save up and send to organizations like ICA. $91 is staying home and watching movies you already own, drinking water instead of pop or juice, skipping snacks, or cooking dinner at home instead of going out. It's so easy, and it changes the world for someone who God knows by name, who God cares for deeply.

Another random thing that I keep thinking about- how many Bibles do I have? Being a youth worker, I have a ton, in all sorts of translations. I also have access to biblegateway.com, that has all the translations right there, and I've got an app on my phone that does the same thing. Luxury items that we take for granted every single day. It just hits me in the gut.

So the question I'm asking you guys, and the question I continually ask myself: What are we doing with our resources? And, can people see God as a result of the decisions we're making? In my life, I want the answer to be yes. Will I always get it right? no, but will I be able to do my part to make a dent in the world? yes. We all have the ability to make dents in our corners of the world. It's just a matter of having the willpower to step up and do it.

we're getting fancy over here.

2010-07-27T19:46:00.000-07:00

after three years of being a pink and turquoise party blog, i've streamlined this bad boy right on into the future. next thing you know, i'll be a robot and deloreans will be zooming by my head.

just kidding guys, the world isn't ready for all of that yet.

it is a new day for the blog though. i've spent a lot of time over the last few weeks thinking about communication and personal brand, as well as how i can best share my corner of the world with the rest of it. at the same time, i'm in this stage of life where everything needs to be simple and clean. i gave 4 trash bags of clothes to goodwill on saturday, and that was the tip of the iceberg. there's a bigger story with that and a pretty exciting blog post, but i dont want to overwhelm you guys with all sorts of change all at once. i mean, i know you could handle it, but like, i don't know if i'm ready for all these emotions.

there's a lot of change in my personal life right now, but it feels so good to get the ball rolling again.

Random Summer Update

2010-07-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

- The mission trip is next week- we're headed to St. Louis with a team of 22, partnering with The Dirty Roots Revolution.
- I'll be on vacation from July 11-20th. If you need something, call the church office. I'll be unplugged for my entire vacation [scary but needed]
- Because I'll be gone for so long, I made an Out of Office auto reply message. It's pretty awesome. check it out by emailing me at kara@columbiacityumc.com
- We've got a ton of kids headed to camp in July- Katie and Evin are going July 18-20 at Lakewood, and a bunch of our high schoolers are headed to CAC July 18-24th. Please pray for God to move in their lives.
- My college roommate is getting married and moving to Australia. Talk about life change :) Please pray for Rachael and Leon during their engagement and planning, as he's in AU and she's stateside.

Enjoy the summer! You guys are the best.

"You make everything glorious."

2010-06-16T15:16:00.000-07:00

We're three days away from camp, and we're up to 87 campers- 25 more than last year. We have 3rd-6th grade campers coming from all over northern Indiana. Some are coming from homes where kids see the love of Christ everyday. Others might be learning about Jesus for the first time.

One of the things I get to do as Spiritual Director is make cabin assignments- as kids get registered, we put them into one of the 10 cabins at Lakewood. It's been an ongoing project since registration opened in January, and with every name I place, I pray for that camper and his or her family. I pray for the counselors responsible for that camper- that they can love him or her with everything in them. And as we've prepared our counselors, I can directly see God answering my prayers.

This year especially, I'm overwhelmed by what God trusts us with- He's called our team to intersect with the lives of 87 children and share Christ with them. He's prepared the hearts of 77 families who trust us with their most valuable possession. He believes in us more than we could ever believe in ourselves, and it's with His grace, wisdom, and joy that we find ourselves gearing up for camp. It leaves me speechless most days, seeing how much God believes in humanity, seeing what He entrusts to us.

In these final days, I'm asking that you join with me in praying for our ministry next week. It's going to be glorious, God's going to be revealed, and lives will be changed in the name of Christ. I'm praying that everyone- not just the campers, but everyone- is able to catch a glimpse of the glory of God in a personal and inviting way next week.

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
"Come," he said. -Matthew 14:28-29

It's been awhile.

2010-06-16T07:07:00.000-07:00

"Last post: May 27th, 2010." yikes.

Just pretend I'm one of those quiet people who only speaks when they have something good to say. The reality is that I'm up to my ears in projects this summer, but they're all coming together quite nicely.

So, while I'm busy, hit up some of my friends:

Adam Cramer: Adam and I graduated together from Bethel, and he's definitely kept up with reading and learning all sorts of stuff about the world of ministry, which he shares on his blog. He also lived in Africa, which like, instant cool points.
Adam McLane: If you're in any kind of ministry, you should add this to your google reader. Adam isn't afraid to post some challenging stuff, and it's stuff that all of us really should be talking about.
Alecia Carmicheal: my best friend flew across the country this summer to lead up a YouthWorks group. She's never lived outside of northern Indiana before, and now she's planted in San Diego, with earthquakes and an insanely multicultural surrounding- she's sharing thoughts along the way.
DC Curry: DC's the head of Granger's student ministry, and he's great at posting links and ideas and whatnot. Plus, he just had his first child, so like, cute baby pictures for days :)
Terry Linhart: Terry was my advisor/professor at Bethel, and he still keeps tabs on all of us, which you don't see a lot once you graduate. He covers a lot on his blog- spiritual formation, youth ministry, traveling, and it's another that, if you're in any kind of ministry, you should be checking in on.
Our camp blog!: I'm taking 17 of our high schoolers and 16 of our elementary kids to Camp Lakewood next week for an insane week of camp. Total, we've got 86 campers coming in from all over northern Indiana. It's our biggest week of camp to date [we usually clock in right over 60], and this year we have 3rd-6th graders, when we usually have K-4th grade. SO it's going to be a very cool week.

Those should keep you busy for awhile. If it doesn't, just sit and watch this.

Five Guys Philosophy

2010-05-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

I was just on the Five Guys Burgers website [we just got one in Fort Wayne], and I found this under the FAQ's.

Five Guys does not currently have plans to add any items to our menu. We follow the philosophy of focusing on a few items, and serving them to the best of our ability. If we were to add to our menu, then you can guarantee that we would only do so if we could serve the highest quality product possible. For example, there are a lot of great milkshakes out there, and at this point we think that others are doing it better than we could!

Immediately, I thought of ministry [where my brain always is].

I think a lot of the time, our churches feel like they have to do everything and reach everyone. We forget that we're not the only church in town, so we try to cover everything. Sometimes it can create competition within churches, within members- an "our church is better than your church" attitude. Sometimes it seems like we forget we're all working to serve the same God.

It'd be amazing if the Church [i.e. all believers] took on the Five Guys Philosophy-

1. What are we really good at?
2. What are other churches in the area really good at?
3. How can we work together to serve our "customers" in the best way?

We all serve the same God. We all believe in the same Jesus. We all want to share the gospel of reconciliation and restoration with the same people... so why aren't we working together?

The Physical Health of Pastors

2010-05-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

I've been reading Mad Church Disease, by Anne Jackson, and currently she's talking about this phenomenon where, after doing a survey of people in ministry, she found many of them to be affected emotionally or physically- the stress of their position was wearing on them. Digging deeper, she found a survey from Ellison Research that backed up what everyone was saying [all of this can be found on p.48-49 of Jackson's book].

* 71% of those surveyed were overweight by an average of 32 lbs
* 66% of pastors skipped a meal once a day, and 39% skip meals 3+ days a week
* 83% eat food they know they shouldnt once a week, and 41% do it 3+ times a week
* 88% eat fast food once a week, and 33% do it 3+ days a week
* 50% get the recommended minimum amount of exercise; 28% don't exercise at all
* 47% don't get enough sleep 3+ days a week

It's interesting to me that health is such a huge issue within ministry, but it makes sense- there are days I lose sleep thinking about my students' needs or stressful situations in the church. There are weekends where junk has been a staple in my diet because of a lock-in or trip. And there have been weeks where my schedule fluxuates so much that it's hard to get into a routine with going to the gym.

Part of my goal in this next year, but especially focusing on it this summer, is finding balance between who I am and what I do, which I think is at the root of this whole health issue. In ministry, that can be hard- it's easy to define ourselves by our calling, because that's how everyone else defines us. But, I think in that lies a lot of danger- we lose parts of ourselves trying to make other parts stand out. We sacrifice our physical and emotional well-being for the sake of others. This isn't just Pastor-focused, either. It can be true for anyone in ministry, from spouses to teachers to mentors- whoever.

We give up what makes us whole so that we can help others be whole, which is the weirdest, most backwards thing. We preach wholeness and health while brushing our own under the rug. It's kind of like going to the doctor because you have chicken pox, only to find that the doctor treating you also has chicken pox. At some point, the doctor's going to have to take some time to get better before he or she can help others.

It can be hard to take that "me time," but it's crucial, both for our own well-being, as well as for that of the people we serve. In the past couple of months, I've found it helpful to dive into reading- the academic in me craves being challenged by new ways of thinking. There have also been some weekends where I've stayed with my parents and unplugged from work. I turn my phone off at 10 now, and I don't turn it on until I'm headed into work. I don't open my work email on my days off. I'm working at setting up boundaries. I even changed my voicemail so it no longer has my position at work on it. It seems silly, but it's all about reclaiming my identity outside of my ministry.

This post got kind of long, but I think it's so important for people in ministry to address this topic- I'm so grateful Anne did. We can't lead people to wellness when we ourselves aren't well, and it takes simple steps to get to that point. I encourage you to take a look at areas in your life where you're struggling, and then find some simple ways to reclaim it. You, and the people you serve, will be better off because of it.

An update of sorts

2010-05-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

[here's a rundown/brain spew of everything that's been going on lately in my world]

- my best friend left for San Diego, by way of Denver, for her summer position with YouthWorks. so excited for what God's doing in her life :)
- we baptized 2 students and confirmed 14 students and 3 adults who work with our students yesterday.
- i was one of those adults. HUGE step for me, considering where I was at just 4 years ago. so I'm no longer an "Accidental Methodist." I'm a Methodist by choice.
- it is hot like wasabi in Indiana right now, and the only place I've got air conditioning is in my car. It's busted in the apt [getting fixed tomorrow], and off at work [to help save $- cooling a church this size is EXPENSIVE, and our salaries > personal comfort]
- i am horrible at scheduling vacation time. i keep trying to and things keep coming up. i need to just set it and learn how to say no.
- we had our counselor retreat this past weekend. BEST. TEAM. EVER. no kidding- God has placed everyone perfectly. we've got around 80 kids registered, so things are pretty exciting.
- I'm reading Anne Jackson's book, Mad Church Disease. This should be required reading for anyone in ministry. It's all about balancing the ministry you do with the ministry you receive. Huge issue, with huge implications.
- Dogzilla is back at the apt- she got dognapped by my parents for a week or so. I'm sure she's thrilled to come back right when the air conditioning broke down.
- This week, we're doing a phone-a-thon for the summer mission trip. It's a new thing we're doing, but it should be a lot of fun- the kids work better as a team than on their own, and I can definitely see their competitive sides coming out, which will be good motivation.
- I'm continually blown away by the things God is teaching me and the people He's placed in my life. God is definitely good :)

Grocery Store Epiphanies

2010-05-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

Not that this really has much to do with anything, but I'm sharing it nonetheless.

I just got back from the grocery store, where, for the 3rd time in a row, I've saved over 30% of my bill through coupons/ in-store promotions. I also have been trying to think ahead when shopping, and I've been getting creative when it comes to saving money.

For instance... I am a huge fan of flavored water/bottled water/whatever, which is a big waste of money. So I bought a rubbermaid water bottle that I can reuse, and I bought some limes [they were on sale 3/$1]. I sliced up the limes and threw them in the freezer, as opposed to slicing one, leaving it in the fridge, and forgetting about it. Now, when I prepare my water bottle for the day before leaving home, not only will it have great flavor, but it will also keep cool, since the lime will double as an ice cube [if this works out, I'll venture into other citrus fruits... I've been curious about oranges].

I also realized how much better it is to completely avoid the middle of the grocery store. You can get everything you need on the outer edges, and because it's fresh, you're also avoiding a lot of preservatives.

Final realization: ziplock baggies are your friend. Blackberries were on sale 10 for $10 because they had TONS of them, so I bought a bunch and threw the extra cartons in the freezer. I also portioned out a bunch of stuff, which makes cooking/eating easier.

Easy tips, and I'm feeling like a grown up. Dogzilla's not happy though, because the one thing I forgot: her dog treats. Luckily we have enough to make it through the week, or I'd have a real monster on my hands. Think Kujo mixed with that three headed dog from Harry Potter. Just kidding. She'd only have two heads.

Article: Why Church Kids Must Go Bad

2010-04-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

Why Church Kids Must Go Bad by Andy Root

This article... I appreciate this article. I think it's an important one for the Church, not just for youth ministry, because sometimes the Church ends up looking like it's only for "shiny, happy people."

The Church is a place where we can deal with the reality that life is not easy, we will face brokenness, and we will struggle. The Church is a place where we can walk alongside each other, learn from each other, and support one another on a daily journey to the cross.

I am not here to help make "good people." I am here to help people embrace the unending love and grace of God. I am on my own journey to embracing the unending love and grace of God. We're in this together, the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. It's the only way we'll make it through- as a community of believers relying on the power and mercy and love of an omniscient, omnipresent Creator.

Have we communicated that Christianity is ultimately about goodness, about positivity, and has little to do with the reality of the human condition—little to do with suffering, brokenness, and yearning? These good kids have become the role models for others; we have labeled them the good and positive leaders, while the doubting, the yearning, those up against all sorts of impossibility are told (again, maybe more implicitly) to get positive, to get good, to avoid the bad and the heavy if they want to be Christian. Kids that have tasted the shadow side, that have felt its cold darkness touch their broken souls, see little need for youth ministry— see little significance of the youth ministry in the church, for it is too positive, too concerned with goodness, to name, contemplate, and yearn for God to meet them in the shadows of their existence, to meet them up against their brokenness.

My prayer is that we meet each other in the shadows and continue on the journey towards the light.

Football Players in High Heels

2010-04-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

Like most women, I love shoes, especially high fashion shoes. They're intricate, they're creative- one of a kind. You can tell they were created specifically, unlike the flip flops usually found on my feet, which were made in a mold. These couture shoes are created to be unique, to be set apart.

I was just thinking about who God created me to be, and how when I try to live outside of this, I struggle, I fumble, and I'm left with wounds. Like the shoes I love, I was created for a specific purpose. You don't see football players wearing high heels on the field. You don't find models walking the runway in diving flippers. And we all know how it feels to wear shoes that don't fit well- our toes cramp, we get blisters, and we're miserable. We might be able to pull it off for a little while, but ultimately, it's an awful experience.

We might be able to pull off living our lives as someone beyond who God created us to be, but ultimately, it's an awful experience. We'll find ourselves longing to take off the restraints and stretch out, finding comfort in our own skin. I often struggle with being a people pleaser, but often find myself trying to conform to a mold in the process. God created me to be unique, to be set apart, and some people will love that, and some people may not, just as some people may like certain shoes, while others may not. I guarantee you, though, that the designer who created that pair of shoes will ALWAYS love what he's created, will always be proud of his design, just as God will always love who He has created us to be.

i've been painting again

2010-04-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

i have 3 canvases going right now, and eventually this painting will go with those and 2 others to complete a series. i'm thrilled. they're turning out pretty well, considering i havent actually painted for a long time [ive done quick little projects, but i havent put a lot of effort into anything]. it feels great to get back into the swing of things.

Quotable

2010-04-15T11:27:00.001-07:00

I was at the grocery store this morning before coming into the office, and right when you walk in, there are all these magnets with inspirational quotes. Normally, I'm iffy about that kind of thing, but I've always been impressed by the ones from Quotable Cards. Anyway, there were a couple worth sharing:

1. I bought one magnet for my office: Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. -Unknown I've had the habit of being terrified of the unknown, but God has definitely been pushing me out of that. You'll learn more from jumping in than you will from standing on the edge wondering "What if?"

2. "If we did all the things we were capable of, we would literally astound ourselves." This goes along with the message I gave last Sunday night- Jesus only got frustrated with the disciples when they didn't realize all they were capable of. God has given us endless potential. What are we doing with it?

3. "Leap and the net will appear." Ha, I guess there's a theme here. I think sometimes the unknown can be scary because it's not as comfortable as what we know and understand, but it's important to remember that God is God, even in the unknown. He is constantly with us, He never leaves us. Peter took a leap when he stood on the waves- the net appeared. Paul took a leap when he accepted jail time for the gospel- the net appeared.

and finally, the quote that struck me the most: "Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness, and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again." - Og Mandino How incredible would this world be if we all lived that out? if we treated each other with so much love, so much respect and compassion? It would be a world changer. We can be world changers. Christ called us to carry the torch. Being a world changer is never easy, but it's always worth it.

Three.

2010-04-08T09:16:00.001-07:00

I'm working on a couple new series for youth group, kind of going back and forth between a few ideas, and while doing some research, I came across something worth noting.

I was making a list of the parables- the hidden treasure, the lost sheep, the patched garment. Parables by themselves that we say, "oh yeah, sure, I know those." While making my list though, I found three of the parables are repeated in 3 different gospels.

The Parable of the Sower- Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8
The Parable of the Mustard Seed- Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 13
The Parable of the Tenants- Matthew 21, Mark 12, Luke 20

Clearly, if three of the four gospel writers decided to include these, they've got some key ideas we should be paying attention to.

The Parable of the Sower is all about what we do with what we learn. Do we provide fertile soil for God's Word? Do we let it take root? or do we keep it all on the surface, where any wind or predator could take it away?

The Parable of the Mustard Seed is about the Kingdom of God growing in God's people. The more time we spend with it, the more we cultivate it, the bigger- even the stronger- it becomes to those around it. Are we doing everything we can to sustain the Kingdom in the world?

The Parable of the Tenants is about justice. The tenants were left to care for the vineyard, and when the servants came to collect the fruit, the tenants beat them, killed them, broke them. When the landowner sent his son, heir to his inheritance, they treated him the same way. There is brokenness in the world, and evil is a reality, but our God is a fair God and will deal justly with His people.

Spiritual Growth. The Kingdom of God. Justice. Three ideas big enough to include in three parables in three different gospels. Three ideas worth living out, worth rooting in our hearts as we walk towards the Cross. Growth. The Kingdom. Justice.

what do i know of holy?

2010-04-07T08:11:00.000-07:00

Marko posted these lyrics this morning from Addison Road. They definitely resonate with what God has been showing me these days in regards to what it means to follow Him, and what it means to walk with others along the journey. This has been a significant year in my own journey, but that story is for another day.

I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life “its” name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

The Wisdom of Students

2010-03-24T09:42:00.000-07:00

This week at Fuel [our Monday night Bible study], we got to Isaiah 34, where he compares people who aren't following God to jackals, hyenas, goats, etc. It's not very clear about it being a metaphor, and one of the students asked how there were still animals around after God had destroyed this city. The commentary we're using explained the metaphor- that they represent enemies of God; as we were talking about it, one of my students said something incredible that is definitely worth sharing.

"I think it's trying to explain the animalistic nature of man without God. The only thing that separates us from the animals is that we have God's Spirit living in us, so if we decided to stop following Him, it's almost like we'd return to being animals in a sense." -Katie

I told her she gave me goosebumps. It's so cool to see my students connect with the heart of God and connect with His Word, and I love being able to learn from them just as much as they learn from me. That's what the body of Christ is about- sharing wisdom, caring for each other, working together in peace- no matter what age, gender, race, nationality. Such a cool thing to see this week.

Quote of the Day

2010-03-13T13:28:00.000-08:00

"Your job is the relentless pursuit of who God has made you to be." -Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis

We must sort out what God made us to do from what everyone expects of us, then live in that truth, relentlessly, unashamedly seeking His Kingdom. It is painful and freeing, it is honest and uncomfortable, and it is necessary if we are living out anything remotely close to the Gospel of Christ

by your side

2010-03-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

we saw tenth avenue north last night, and i woke up with this song in my head. the lyrics are honest and raw. they're important. last night, i was able to see one of my students connect with this song. she's had a rough year, and when i looked over, she was completely immersed in worship. she was singing to Jesus. she was being restored by the endless love of Christ. her life is a testament to the power of a loving God who never gives up.

'Cause I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

2010-03-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

My friend Jill calls it "thunking." Sometimes I've called it getting slapped with the truth. Any way you slice it, sometimes God goes to extreme measures just to be heard. We get busy with schedules, appointments, meetings, plans. We think it's "taking time" when we're relaxing on the couch while working on our laptops. We think a quick Dear Jesus at the end of the day as our eyes close is good enough to get by. I'm just as guilty of it as anyone. "Well of course I spend time with God- I work in a church! I teach Bible studies! Of course I have a living breathing relationship!" (Insert that "I'm so offended" look here).

God thunked me yesterday.

It can be hard to take that time with Him. It's much easier to float through life on the surface than dive in. Maybe diving in scares you- you don't know what's below the surface. Maybe diving in means learning how to navigate through uncharted waters. Maybe diving in is hard because your friends aren't swimming with you. But diving into the wonders of Christ is not only exhilarating, but it's also life changing. Peter "dove in" when he walked out onto the sea. James and John dove in when they set their nets down. Were they scared? Probably. They're human. But were they telling those stories for the years and years to come? You bet.

Its so important to dive in with God- to go deeper and relentlessly pursue a deep relationship with our glorious Creator. It's a sustaining love that's irreplaceable. It's a love that challenges, moves, equips, and transforms. If God's thunking you, listen. He's trying to let you in on one of the most incredible journeys you'll ever encounter.

Baby Steps

2010-01-31T18:05:00.000-08:00

this morning, Pastor Paul talked about the steps leading to the temple, and how they were so uneven. some were long, others narrow, some tall, others shallow. no two steps were the same. when he showed a picture of the stairs, I turned to Kelsey and said "i would definitely trip on those." she told me when steps are off even a millimeter, they'll cause people to trip. Pastor Paul went on to talk about how the Jewish leaders saw these steps as a metaphor for the faith journey: you had to be very intentional with each step, or you could get pretty bumped and bruised on the way to your destination. you had to be aware of which steps took more effort, which steps were longer. each step required thought.

i got to thinking about what Pastor Paul said along with what Kelsey told me. People trip when the steps are a millimeter off, because they aren't used to the small changes. They're expecting something they've already encountered; they're planning on each step being the same as the others. When the steps aren't what we expect, we struggle for our footing. This happens with life too- we plan on one thing, and when God throws us for a loop, when we get a tall step or a long step, we say, "BUT GOD, THATS NOT HOW THE OTHERS WERE!" After awhile, after walking on several uneven steps, we get used to it, we're prepared for whats to come, and we can say "Thank you God, for helping me to be aware and get through whatever I come up against."

I was really struck by today's sermon, so I thought I'd put this out there for anyone else who was interested. Finding God in the little things like a set of stairs= one of the best parts of being alive.

January.

2010-01-28T20:30:00.000-08:00

i just watched Julie and Julia, and needless to say, I felt compelled to reunite with the blogging world. who knows how often i'll blog- like i said, i'm trying to disconnect a little, after being overly dependent on social media for the last couple years [well, lets face it, since high school].

after a rough start to 2010, including tonsilitis on New Years Day, two friends in and out of the hospital, and loads of stress, things are finally on the up and up. I've decided 2010 is my year. maybe I have said this before about other years, but i definitely have a good feeling about this one.

i've been cooking this year- if you know me, you know how unbelievably frightening this concept is. however, i see each mistake as a lesson learned. for instance, aluminum muffin tins have paper in between them to separate them, not line them. i found this out the hard way when my dough refused to easily peel away from the paper. lesson learned.

i've also decided this is the year to get organized. i've lived in my apartment since august, yet most of my boxes remained unpacked until last weekend. I tore through them- some haven't been opened since college- and i sorted, tossed, and stored. it felt wonderful. tomorrow's project is the closet. if i don't make it out alive, someone make sure Dogzilla gets dinner.

it seems like a spark was lit beneath me this year. part of it comes from extensive conversations with friends, part of it comes from a greater understanding of who i am, and part of it comes from an even greater understanding that this life is mine, and i can do nearly anything i want with it. it's sort of refreshing. i've started diving into art again- music, history, painting. i nearly forgot how much i love art history. i've got a great story about Michelangelo for you, if you're ever interested.

so i guess that's january in a nutshell. i've been working out, cooking, baking, cleaning, organizing, painting, studying, and working. it's been busy. it's been rewarding. it's almost over, which is pretty unbelievable.

if you want less sporadic updates, check out www.twitter.com/gigitastic. i tend to update it more frequently. otherwise, add me to your RSS feed and I'll see you next month!

Last Person

2010-01-04T07:16:00.000-08:00

this is awesome for several reasons:
1. the song is fun. jenny is the best.
2. shervin made a great video.
3. i know maybe half the people in this video, so it's fun to watch :)

it's been awhile.

2010-01-04T06:58:00.001-08:00

i havent entirely abandoned my blog, guys. i know it seems that way. i've just been taking a break, and i'm posting this to tell you that the break will probably continue for a little longer.

i've been thinking a lot about personal brand vs sacred space, as well as blogging vs journaling. part of my personality is that i'm fairly transparent, so i've never really had any hesitation in putting my thoughts and feelings out into the universe. the downside with that is for some, reading my blog seems to replace face-to-face conversations, and general statements are turned into a guessing game, both of which bum me out a little. This year, I'm going to try to find a good balance of public vs private as opposed to just putting it all out there. it should be an interesting journey, to say the least :)

The PT Stocking Project

2009-12-23T07:35:00.000-08:00

i haven't written in awhile- life has been happening- BUT there's something really special that i wanted to share.

last night, i spent a good 2 hours organizing 100 stockings filled with all sorts of great stuff, donated by people in our church for kids at a local housing community. 5 large totes and a giant cooler overflowing with a community's response to God's call.

for a lot of the kids at this housing community, this will be their only christmas present. I know christmas isnt about presents- it's about hope coming into the world- but when you're five years old and youve been waiting for a month to see what Santa will bring you and nothing shows up under the tree, it kind of makes you not feel so great. the goal with this project was to show these kids that people genuinely care for them, and i'm so excited to see their response tonight at the christmas party.

God has been showing up big time in this project- the office manager freely gives Erin and Amy keys to the office; you never see that kind of stuff- "oh, hey stranger, have some office keys." the response from the church has been incredible- eight 25-gallon trash cans overflowing with coats, 100 stockings overflowing with presents, 20 or so extra stockings that came out of nowhere for kids who have just moved in or whatever we need them for- people are responding to Jesus's call to bring heaven to earth, to value each other, to care for one another. it's the coolest thing in the world.

i've had a hard time getting in the christmas spirit this year, just because everything has been so rushed and the weather's been weird, but this, THIS is what Christmas is about- spreading the hope of Christ, sharing life together, not going it alone. i'll post tomorrow with an update and some pictures of the party. if you're not doing anything tonight and you're around CCity, stop by Park Terrace anytime from 5-7 and have a cookie with us. God is at work, and it's unbelievably cool to see His people respond to the call.

Everyone needs to read this.

2009-12-03T09:20:00.000-08:00

Rob Wegner is unbelievably on point with this one.

Here's a snippet:

You were made to slay a giant.

But here’s the question: Do you know which one?

Do you know where your giant lives? Do you know what your sling is? You have a unique set of God-given skills you can leverage to take that giant down.

David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 1 Samuel 17:45 (NIV)

The Hebrew for the phrase can also be translated:
-Commander of the Lord Army’s
-The God of Angel Armies
-The God who is at war.

We live in a world at war, a cosmic battle between Good and Evil. Until we come to terms with war as the context of our days, we will misunderstand life. We will misinterpret 90 percent of what is happening around us and to us. We will misunderstand who we are.

Great Youth Ministry Resources

2009-11-19T11:10:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's because I've been called the "Curriculum Nazi," or because my bookshelf is packed, but I get a LOT of questions about youth ministry books and resources. These are some of my favorites [as well as some of my kids' favorites].

Curriculum
Scary, Gross, and Weird Stories from the Bible- my 5th and 6th graders LOVED this. It's fun and easy to teach, and the lessons are memorable.

Middle/High School Talksheets: 50 Lessons on the life of Christ- alright, so I'm a little biased because Terry was my advisor/professor at Bethel, but we've been using this as our Sunday School curriculum all year, and my students still are challenged by it.

The InterActions series- You have to tweak it and choose topics based on your students' needs [it's written towards adults], but the Pepplers used this for their summer Bible study, and our students easily connected with it.

Books for Leaders
Starting Right- one of our textbooks from Bethel. Super practical, and it connects the academic side of youth ministry with the realities of actually leading a youth ministry.

Helping the Struggling Adolescent- this is a MUST HAVE. it covers every topic your teens will face, as well as provides Biblical insight on how to walk with them through the storms. It's got assessment tests and it's alphabetical, making it a great handbook.

Simply Strategic Volunteers- a great handbook for building and maintaining your team. Easy to read, and easy to impliment.

Web Resources
Youth Group Games- a searchable database with new games that I know our kids havent played before. Easy to use, too.

YouthMinistry.com, specifically their Freebie Library- because i don't know any youth workers who would turn down free [and good] resources.

Planet Wisdom- get this link in your kids' hands. It's a great resource for students ministring to other students. Along with this is Real World Parents for, duh, parents :)

Blogs for Youth Workers
Adam McLane- Adam's blog is probably the one blog I will always take time for when it pops up in my Google Reader. He works for Youth Specialties, and he's got great insight into the workings of the church and youth ministry. Plus, he's from the 'Bend. What up, Michiana?

Josh Griffin- Josh is the High School Pastor at Saddleback. That's not why you should read his blog. Josh often posts from both sides of the youth ministry spectrum: "Here's what's going on with Youth Ministry from an academic standpoint" and "Here's what's going on in our youth ministry." Plus I think it's key for YP's to know what other churches are doing.

Kem Meyer- Kem's the Communications Director at GCC, and I don't know anyone who understands communication better than she does. Whenever I'm making flyers/announcements/etc, I CONSTANTLY have Kem's words of wisdom running through my head. She's on point. Plus, communication in the church seems to be one of the biggest obstacles we run into, so it's nice having Kem's blog to turn to for ideas.

Live your Life.

2009-11-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

Since probably March or April, God has continually been trying to tell me to stop planning out my life the way I do. I'm naturally a planner- I want to know every detail, so as to avoid as many risks as possible. I want my life to be strategically planned out, and when I live in this mindset, I limit not only myself, but what God can do with the unexpected. I feel like I used to not be so neurotic... maybe not... but it's one of those things that suffers from the snowball effect. It builds and builds and builds. I spend so much time worrying about the future that I miss out on the present. My mom and I have been talking about this a lot lately, and she's given me a lot of wisdom when it comes to the topic.

The stupid thing about all of it is that 9 times out of 10, all the options are great options. All the options will make me happy. I just freeze at the thought of picking the wrong one, when in reality, as long as the decision doesn't damage my relationship with Christ or my witness to others- as long as I'm still honoring God- I don't need to stress about it.

As a result of all this soul searching, I'm doing something incredibly random on Friday that will be a constant reminder to live in the moment. I've got to stop stressing about what the future may or may not bring, because the only things I can control are my actions and reactions today. Awhile back, Mark Beeson wrote on his blog, "We must plan for the future while participating in the present." I've been doing a lot of "planning for the future," without enough of the "participating in the present," and that's not how it should be. I don't want to spend my whole life planning for things that may never happen.

Change takes baby steps, and change takes constant reminders. I've found when I relax and go with my gut in situations, as opposed to planning out every step and stressing when things don't go according to plan, I am MUCH MUCH happier. So I'm going with my gut, and I'm incredibly excited about it :)

i have the best readers ever :)

2009-10-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

it's crazy to see something like this. thanks for sticking with me. you guys are awesome, even if you do google things like "mullet for your butt" to get here haha :)

Inspired.

2009-10-26T16:58:00.001-07:00

there was a night last week where I couldn't sleep, and I found myself checking out this season of Biggest Loser. I've seen bits and pieces of it before; I knew the general idea- morbidly obese people get yelled at, work out, and become skinny-minis. that's what i knew. and after watching one episode, i was hooked and changed.

see, there's this woman on their named Shay. Shay is gorgeous- she's unbelievably kind and supportive of the rest of the group, and her spirit is mind-boggling. Shay started out this competition weighing in at 476 lbs, and over the course of 6 weeks, she's dropped 65 lbs.

i am the queen of excuses when it comes to exercise and health.
"there's always tomorrow."
"i can't do it."
"i don't have time."

In the first episode, Shay tried to convince Jillian that these same excuses kept her from working out, kept her from pushing and reaching her potential. And during that moment, something resonated with me. Something clicked.

Friday, I went to the gym and ran 4.33 miles. Saturday, I went to the gym and ran 3.48 miles. 7.81 miles in 24 hours, from a girl who dreaded running the mile during high school gym.

Today, I ran 5 miles in an hour. Today, I proved to myself that those excuses are just head games. And when I got tired, when I wanted to quit, when the excuses popped up, I reminded myself- Shay's doing it, so don't you dare quit. Everyday people inspiring everyday people.

I've noticed some things changing. Yesterday I didn't get a chance to work out because the gym and my job have the same hours, and I was in the worst mood this morning. After I hit the gym, I felt so much better. I've also discovered incredible things like Jenny-O's turkey in a bag [i can cook this!], MetroMint's Chocolate Mint water [sounds gross, but tastes awesome;a chocolate fix without the calories], and greek yogurt [LOVE- plus oodles of protein].

Life is about choices, guys, and we're not guaranteed tomorrow, so we've got to make the best of today. Obesity kills 26,000 people a year. 26,000 preventable deaths, and I'm refusing to be one of them. I'm inspired by Shay. Watch her story below to see why.

Say Cheese

2009-10-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

I'm getting my picture taken for our new church directory in about an hour. At first, I considered bringing Cleo in, and I came up with some pretty creative ideas for our picture:
- Cleo in a hot dog costume, me in a mustard bottle costume
- Cleo in a lobster costume, me dressed as a sailor
- Both of us in matching Cosby-esque sweaters

Then I remembered that my dog is a heathen at best. She's earned the nickname "Rosemary's Puppy" lately, and that's the last thing I need in this picture.

So it will just be me and my argyle sweater, looking incredibly professional and slightly boring. Maybe they'll let me do this Glamour-shots style... somebody get me some Aqua Net and a bedazzled jacket...

we're all in this together.

2009-10-22T06:29:00.000-07:00

interesting conversation over on Steven Furtick's blog:

My friend, who is a senior pastor, had been praying that God would bless his church in a big way. Something like this:

“God, may we reach our city with the love of Christ. May tens of thousands come to Christ through our ministry. May millions of dollars be given to this community through our ministry. May governments and businesses and educational systems be turned inside out for the glory of God through this ministry…”

And my friend felt like the Lord responded to him with a challenging thought:

“What if I do everything you’re asking me to do in your city, but I do it through someone else’s ministry? Would you still pray as passionately? Would you be okay with that?”

What are our motives in ministry? Why do we do what we do?

Our reasoning seems easy enough to explain: we want people to know Jesus. we want people to experience that life-altering relationship. we want to meet the needs of those around us, since we're all in this together. But we have to be careful when we expect that the weight of ministry in our community lies solely on our own church's shoulders.

every church in your community is God's, whether they baptize by sprinkling or dunking, whether they have homemade bread for communion or wafers, whether their pastor wears a robe or jeans. they all belong to God. He's serving your community through all of them. My ministry alone cannot reach every student in Whitley County. That's why I get so excited to hear the awesome stuff happening at other churches, because I know kids are coming to know Christ- and that's the most important thing.

we're all in this together. ministry is not for lone wolves. Church is not for lone wolves. we're a pack- traveling together, working together. and that's a capital C church, as in the global Church, not just the individual churches we attend.

what would ministry look like if every church lived this out? if the competitive nature dropped out? if we started praying for other ministries in our community, not just our own?

Has it really been three weeks?

2009-10-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry guys... I was fairly certain I had blogged more recently than Sept. 30. Oops.

Here's a random list of catching up between you and i:
... a great article on Where the Wild Things Are, and how it ties to our humanity
... i've been following the Ingrid Michaelson tour on twitter [consisting of Ingrid, Allie Moss, Bess Rogers, Chris Kuffner, Dan Romer, Elliot Jacobson, and Greg Holden for awhile]. Great group of people, incredible group of musicians.
... Allison Weiss's new album is coming out soon. She's playing in Chicago on Dec. 21, and Alecia and I are making the trek.
... Lauren Zettler has a Christmas album coming out, too.
... apparently I have been drowning in good music while i've been gone.
... Harrison Ford [my car] got backed into two weeks ago, and he's going to be getting some reconstructive surgery this week. A facelift, if you will.
... my students are incredible. they never cease to amaze me, uplift me, challenge me. they're absolutely wonderful.
... we skipped fall and moved straight into winter. then back into fall. then we had a spring spell. Indiana weather could not be more ridiclous.
... I'm looking at furniture all day, because we're giving the youth room a makeover. it's probably a health hazard right now, and if we don't do something soon, we're going to have to start charging the mice rent.
... i'm looking for a graffiti artist in the Fort Wayne area to push us over the edge on the cool factor. i've got a lead, but it's going to take some digging. i'd love to get some local students in working on it.
... i challenge any dog toy manufacturer to give me a soft dog toy that Dogzilla won't be able to destroy. I got her a new one last night, and she had the stuffing ripped out in less than a minute. She loves soft toys, but i'm paying $2/minute for her to play with them, and thats not financially responsible [or something]
... my office is still not finished. maybe this week? [two month project haha]
... my dad is turning 60 next month! and as my brother will tell you, my dad's moustache is turning 41. exciting times, guys, exciting times.

alright, back to the grindstone [or whatever].

oh, ps. Joe Torre, GIVE ME A CALL. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS WHOLE "LOSING" THING YOU GUYS HAVE GOING ON.

Cultural Conversation Starters

2009-09-30T10:35:00.000-07:00

these bits have popped up in the last couple weeks [some are older, but I just came across them], and they're great discussion starters for your youth group:

- At the MTV Video Music Awards, Jack Black and Leighton Meester came out to present an award, and Jack Black led everyone in a "metal" prayer to Satan. [the video has comments from the person who posted it all over, but you can get the main idea]. What are your students initial reactions to this incident? Is it something to be concerned about? How can they respond?

- On Gossip Girl's episode "The Freshmen," Blair Waldorf invites a group of Christians to a roof top party to embarrass Georgina. The Christians are wearing matching t-shirts, playing tambourines, and handing out evangelism tracks, and they end up ruining the party. How do your students feel about Christians being portrayed in this light? Is there any validity to this? How does it affect their ministry?

-On How I Met Your Mother, Barney explains to Ted that Jesus invented the "three day rule" [that a guy needs to wait three days before calling a girl]. What do your students think about Barney sharing the resurrection in this manner? What impact does it have, knowing that Barney is a womanizer who brags about sleeping with over 200 women?

Bro Montana

2009-09-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

Top Ten reasons my brother is pretty great:
10. He appreciates the finer things in life, like bacon-shaped bandaids.
9. His living room is "Flava Flave Gold."
8. He wants to cage match Danny Tanner from the hit sitcom, Full House.
7. He puts up with Dogzilla.
6. He puts up with me.
5. He lets me play folk songs for 3 hours on his death metal guitar.
4. He can't spell to save his life [send him a tweet asking him to spell his middle name: @jchelseafc]
3. He will never stop loving pirates and ghostbusters.
2. He tries to have these awkward caring big brother moments that make me laugh.
1. He's genuinely a good guy who always puts other people first.

My brother is legen.... wait for it... dary! High five!

Heroes [Guest Blogger: Mark Need]

2009-09-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

[okay, so Mark just left this as a comment, but it's worth sharing with the rest of you, so eat it up]

I believe in heroes.

I'm not sure I'd trust someone who doesn't. It means they have no aim other than themself.

I also don't believe in the cult of personality that worships heroes/anti-heroes.

IMHO, this is the biggest travesty of Post-Modernism (which for the record, I'm totally for...not a hater at all). The elimination of heroes and the "it couldn've been anyone but they were there at the right time" climate of historical work destroys everything that is great about the human spirit trying to achieve great things.

Good character with ability with desire isn't something to hate or disdain. It's something to admire.

Steve Prefontaine was my first hero (this was before 2 movies were made about him). I vividly remember running on the track in Eugene, Oregon where he ran to crowds clapping to his strides. I ran a full 400 meters with goose bumps...imagining the crowds as I ran.

I went back home, and I began practicing harder than I ever had.

That year I ran my best time, and I felt the glory of finding MY stride, my goals, and my achievements. It was an awesome thing...but "Pre" helped me see the possible...and dream the dream.

Listen to this guy

2009-09-30T06:28:00.000-07:00

He doesn't have a record deal.
how?

"4 Chords" at Innovate 09

2009-09-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

I was watching the live feed of GCC's Innovate conference last week and saw this- thought it was brilliant. Thanks DC for posting it!

Be your own hero

2009-09-26T19:02:00.000-07:00

I just got done seeing a sneak preview of Whip It, a new movie coming out in a few weeks directed by Drew Barrymore and starring Ellen Page. It's incredible, to say the least, and the movie's tagline "be your own hero" sums up the story pretty well. It follows Page's transformation from being an awkward wallflower living a reactive life to a confident woman who stands up for herself, all revolving around the world of roller derby.

I was lucky enough to screen this with around 30-40 members and friends of Fort Wayne's Derby Girls, which was a blast. It was pretty great hearing their commentary through the whole movie, especially about a sport they love so much. They've got a charity event coming up next Friday at the Kachmann gallery, raising money for breast cancer research, which will definitely be worth checking out if you're in the area.

needless to say, it was a great night. i met some incredible women, saw a great movie, and had a blast. The FW Derby Girls have their next bout January 9 at 6pm at the FW Coliseum. for more information, check out their website.

quote of the day

2009-09-24T18:56:00.000-07:00

I believe in destiny because I happen to believe in God, and the God I believe in just loves a good story too much to leave the third act to chance. -Alan Sereboff

quote of the day

2009-09-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

You have to let yourself BE yourself. Anything less is a disservice to who God created you to be. This life is a struggle, but always always always do YOU. You'll be happier in the end.