Today's post is more of an obituary to a great American art form (OK, maybe it's not so great.). In the past 5 years give or take a year or two, we've have seen the once fiery obsession of our country with bathroom stall graffiti, extinguished and now facing imminent extinction. For decades now a patron using a public restroom would be privy to a cultural cross section of artistic, political and affectionate expression, strewn in a ball point, pin knife chiseled, smeared pencil tapestry across the walls of the stall. Much like the Egyptians and their hieroglyphs, much knowledge could be gleaned about the culture of the 20th century American by their primitive, yet passionate artwork created on latex paint coated, tablets of stainless steel across this great land.
I have often been intrigued by the depth of relational commentary that is displayed when, while a gentleman is evacuating his bowels, scrawls a great display of his public affection for "his girl". Perhaps this is what the great Willie Nelson was referring to when he penned the classic "You Were Always on My Mind"?
Although, often childish, corny, and explicit, the anonymity of the bathroom stall brought out a certain form a genuine authenticity in people, their expressions while amateurish were truly passionate, and from the overflow of their heart, the pen did write. Needless to say the phenomenon of bathroom stall ping-pong, openly racial slurs, and directions to follow for a "good time" have become a thing of the past, at least in this particular form. I believe we have the invention of social media coupled with the uprising of smartphones in America to thank, or blame for this.
I've read many an article arguing the "phoniness" of people on social media sites, such as FaceBook, Twitter etc. explaining that, for the most part people use these sites and services for their own narcissistic needs, and to put out a persona for the world to see that is vastly different than the real person who sits behind the keyboard. Anyone who has spent enough time around teenagers and people in general know that there are many holes in this theory. For some reason, when many (not all) folks sit down at the keyboard to share their status, upload photos from their latest escapade, or link to their favorite music or amusing news story, they often assume that the bathroom stall anonymity is still there, and they express themselves. Their TRUE selves. Quite possibly because they're posting from their smartphone while in a bathroom stall. Things they would never laugh about, say, express or do around a pastor or youth pastor are on full display, for the world to see.
Facebook is a great tool for us to use in ministry, it's also a window into the lives of our students. Take a look, but with caution, and don't be afraid to have those tough conversations with students, you may end up on someone's blocked list but in the end they'll respect you for keeping them accountable.
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Friday, November 4, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
A Love Song...
Through a set of "internet circumstances" i.e. me following a bunny trail of links longer than I care to admit to. I came across an official "lyric" video for a song that I must admit I've never heard before.
I find the advent of the lyric video somewhat rewarding, as a songwriter I've always prided myself on lyrical depth and content (The Lord knows my melodies were never anything to write home about). I once had an industry pro tell me that music is 90 percent emotion and 10 percent performance and content and I like to think Adobe After Effects and the lyric/typography videos have gained some ground for content in music.
So, I wanted to share this video with you today from Christina Perri. I've scanned her website and there appears to be no hint of her speaking about her faith, a relationship with Christ, or even growing up in church. But as I read the lyrics, I couldn't help but draw the comparison not to a love here on Earth, but to our relationship with Christ and what He did to win us over, and humanities constant struggle to accept Him.
I find the advent of the lyric video somewhat rewarding, as a songwriter I've always prided myself on lyrical depth and content (The Lord knows my melodies were never anything to write home about). I once had an industry pro tell me that music is 90 percent emotion and 10 percent performance and content and I like to think Adobe After Effects and the lyric/typography videos have gained some ground for content in music.
So, I wanted to share this video with you today from Christina Perri. I've scanned her website and there appears to be no hint of her speaking about her faith, a relationship with Christ, or even growing up in church. But as I read the lyrics, I couldn't help but draw the comparison not to a love here on Earth, but to our relationship with Christ and what He did to win us over, and humanities constant struggle to accept Him.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
SYMC '12...
Just wanted to check in today and share a video from a fellow youth worker. This is his interview with Kami Gilmour the mastermind (yet to be determined if she is an evil mastermind or your garden variety mastermind) of the Simply Youth Ministry Conference which is taking place in Louisville next March. You may have noticed my banner for this event on the right.
I had the privilege of meeting and talking with Kami about the conference during my trip to Colorado. And I'm counting the days until SYMC '12. If you've never been, or if you're wondering why should I go again, take a few minutes and watch Tim's interview with Kami.
Video courtesy of Tim Schmoyer at the Student Ministry Network.
I had the privilege of meeting and talking with Kami about the conference during my trip to Colorado. And I'm counting the days until SYMC '12. If you've never been, or if you're wondering why should I go again, take a few minutes and watch Tim's interview with Kami.
Video courtesy of Tim Schmoyer at the Student Ministry Network.
Friday, October 21, 2011
This is My House?
So last night, while doing some feverish cleaning of our home in preparation for some guests this evening. I was straightening the miscellaneous trinkets and random "stuff" that has gathered on the mantle in our living room and giving it a much needed dusting when I realized, that I hadn't actually stopped and looked at this particular corner of my house in longer than I can remember. It was like I was looking at a part of my house that might as well have been someone else's. It was strange and somewhat alienating. Here I was, in the safety of my own home, in a room I spend much of my time at home in, and yet I felt unaware and almost uncomfortable, about my surroundings.
So I naturally turned this into an introspective thought.
- What part of my life, through the busyness and clutter of family, ministry, and work have I just not looked at?
- What about myself have I forgotten or left alone to gather dust and clutter?
- Would someone describe me in a way that I wouldn't recognize?
I don't know that I have answers to those questions at this time. But the wheels are turning. A healthy amount of self inspection can spark growth and creativity. But beware too much self inspection can cause you to second guess EVERYTHING, and too little can cause arrogance and over self confidence.
I'll be seeking God in prayer for the next few days concerning this, and strive for a healthy view of my life, as I continue to find balance.
Blessings,
Jeremiah
So I naturally turned this into an introspective thought.
- What part of my life, through the busyness and clutter of family, ministry, and work have I just not looked at?
- What about myself have I forgotten or left alone to gather dust and clutter?
- Would someone describe me in a way that I wouldn't recognize?
I don't know that I have answers to those questions at this time. But the wheels are turning. A healthy amount of self inspection can spark growth and creativity. But beware too much self inspection can cause you to second guess EVERYTHING, and too little can cause arrogance and over self confidence.
I'll be seeking God in prayer for the next few days concerning this, and strive for a healthy view of my life, as I continue to find balance.
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Monday, October 17, 2011
Preach It...
Almost two months ago I had the extreme privilege to travel to Colorado and attend what was called the "ReGroup Summit". A gathering of nearly 80 youth workers from across the country who attended. We were blessed beyond measure by the hospitality of Group Publishing (The event was hosted by them at their headquarters in Loveland, CO), Simply Youth Ministry and by the gracious and knowledgeable featured speakers of the 3 day event. Mark DeVries and Jeff Dunn-Rankin of Youth Ministry Architects, who shared with us what it means to be an "Indispensable Youth Pastor", not only during a slew of information packed seminar sessions, but by how they selflessly poured into each one of us in attendance. They truly cared and wanted to hear so much about our ministries, and had large amounts of wisdom and knowledge to speak into every situation.
I was even more so fortunate than most, as the final day came to a close, I was still in need of a ride to the airport. (Walking was not an option, the drive was about an hour and a half!) Mark and Jeff were gracious enough to provide me with that ride.
As we rode Jeff displayed his amazing sense of humor and I feverishly took note of his "fantastic" jokes, many of which I used during our next Wednesday night service. And then I was introduced to a great game that Mark and Jeff enjoy when they are on the road.
Preach It. While driving one would spot something unusual, or comment on the current circumstances (a wrong turn, a U-turn, a GPS that was giving bad directions) and then turn to the other and say, "Preach it". At which time he who was challenged, would then have to go into a sermon using said topic as the illustration.
And so, I give you this picture...
I was even more so fortunate than most, as the final day came to a close, I was still in need of a ride to the airport. (Walking was not an option, the drive was about an hour and a half!) Mark and Jeff were gracious enough to provide me with that ride.
As we rode Jeff displayed his amazing sense of humor and I feverishly took note of his "fantastic" jokes, many of which I used during our next Wednesday night service. And then I was introduced to a great game that Mark and Jeff enjoy when they are on the road.
Preach It. While driving one would spot something unusual, or comment on the current circumstances (a wrong turn, a U-turn, a GPS that was giving bad directions) and then turn to the other and say, "Preach it". At which time he who was challenged, would then have to go into a sermon using said topic as the illustration.
And so, I give you this picture...
Friday, October 14, 2011
Feature Presentation...
So I've shared a little bit about The Life Book movement and the awesome people who are running that ministry. But I wanted to take a minute today and share about some of the awesome people who helped out with the crazy event we did surrounding our Life Book Saturation.
Through an amazingly extensive amount of precarious and unfortunate circumstances, I had the most horrific time trying to book a musical act for our Kick-Off rally. So much so that it was the Wednesday prior, and I had Carl and Taylor Blunt coming in, and that was it. (Not that they weren't completely awesome) but we had invited other youth groups, and made this big deal about how big and fun this night was going to be. So, with every passing minute the tension was truly mounting. As I burned up the phones and email circuit, talking/emailing across the country from Nashville to Pennsylvania, to Indiana and Wisconsin, and probably places I didn't even realize I was in contact with, I collected a large number of "Man I wish we could" type responses.
A volunteer of mine suggested I call a local hip-hop group called Divine Soldiers, she had seen them perform and reconfigured them highly. So I checked them out, and the rest is history.
I could talk about how awesome their music is, and it is... But I wanted to just take a minute and thank them for being "in season" when the call came. They embraced, myself, our youth group, and the mission of the Life Book Movement like it was their own. They've been gifted musically, and they continue to heap those gifts back into the Kingdom. Brandon (@SoL_of_DS on twitter) is himself a bi-vocational youth pastor, and through this experience we have sparked a friendship and have had opportunity to build one another up in ministry. I took the long way around to getting to meet Divine Soldiers but God had them ready and I'm thankful for His plans, which are always better than my own.
Please, do yourself a favor and check out Divine Soldiers by clicking here.
You can also find them on iTunes here.
Thanks J-Wal and S.o.L.
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Through an amazingly extensive amount of precarious and unfortunate circumstances, I had the most horrific time trying to book a musical act for our Kick-Off rally. So much so that it was the Wednesday prior, and I had Carl and Taylor Blunt coming in, and that was it. (Not that they weren't completely awesome) but we had invited other youth groups, and made this big deal about how big and fun this night was going to be. So, with every passing minute the tension was truly mounting. As I burned up the phones and email circuit, talking/emailing across the country from Nashville to Pennsylvania, to Indiana and Wisconsin, and probably places I didn't even realize I was in contact with, I collected a large number of "Man I wish we could" type responses.
A volunteer of mine suggested I call a local hip-hop group called Divine Soldiers, she had seen them perform and reconfigured them highly. So I checked them out, and the rest is history.
I could talk about how awesome their music is, and it is... But I wanted to just take a minute and thank them for being "in season" when the call came. They embraced, myself, our youth group, and the mission of the Life Book Movement like it was their own. They've been gifted musically, and they continue to heap those gifts back into the Kingdom. Brandon (@SoL_of_DS on twitter) is himself a bi-vocational youth pastor, and through this experience we have sparked a friendship and have had opportunity to build one another up in ministry. I took the long way around to getting to meet Divine Soldiers but God had them ready and I'm thankful for His plans, which are always better than my own.
Please, do yourself a favor and check out Divine Soldiers by clicking here.
You can also find them on iTunes here.
Thanks J-Wal and S.o.L.
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Not Alone...
As you may or may not have surmised by now, I'm not in this alone. My wonderful wife who is currently taking a break from ministry for the sake of our family has been a huge part of my ministry. She's beautiful, she's intelligent, she's passionate, she's incredibly supportive, and she's started her own blog.
Please do me the favor of check it out and following her blog Married in Youth Ministry
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Please do me the favor of check it out and following her blog Married in Youth Ministry
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
An Object Lesson...
"An object lesson..."
So recently, they spent about three and a half months renovating the bathrooms near my office at my day job. I'm not one to complain about much, but after what has to have been a very expensive contract I noticed right away some failure to think a few things through. Allow me to cut to the chase.
In ministry we have these wonderful people called volunteers, volunteers often serve a very important, useful, and integral role in our ministries, albeit often very different from our own. It occurs to me, there is no better way to stifle that role than to hover too close to them and not give them room to minister in their way. By micro-managing one reduces their effective means of ministering and you in turn make it difficult for others to access you and get the help they need.
The result, no one wins.
Which one pictured is the leader, and the volunteer?
I'll leave that to you to discuss.
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
A response...
And now my response.
To my amazingly supportive wife and sons,
You are ever so right on so many levels, the pace and cattywampus balance that I have been leading our family in has been painful to look back on these past days. Truthfully you have lost out for nearly two years now, when a decision has come down to you vs. ministry, I have to admit the vast majority of such decisions tilted in the favor of ministry. I'm sorry. I thank God for His mercy and grace and allowing me to take a fresh look at life through different eyes. Eyes, that look outside of myself and my preconceived ideas about what "I have to do".
Boys, for one reason or another the decision that we have made concerning your mother's involvement in ministry has truly shaken me to the bones, and has birthed in me a hunger to readjust scales in which all decisions are weighed, whether they are decisions concerning ministry, work, finances, or even the mundane tasks such as discovering the evening's plans for dinner. Please accept my apologies for time lost, I spent a great deal of it paving the road to hell with those good and virtuous intentions we hear so much about.
In short, I miss you.
But still, there is that whole ministry that God has called me to, thing. I'm sure the enemy would love nothing more for my guilty conscious to spur me into an emotional over reaction and force me to step out of such a calling. Well it's quite the opposite. Ministering to the youth of our community is fulfilling the plan God has put together for my life, and the students that God brings through the doors on a particular night are brought their by divine appointment, of this I'm sure. People, young people, need Jesus, and I'll continue to point them towards Him. Only from this point on from a place of health, and knowing that my family is taken care of. There is freedom to be found in making the right choices. Even when they are hard. My prayer is that you will see this played out in front of you through your mother and I as we continue to seek God's will for our lives, our family, and yes, even our ministry.
Love,
Your husband and father.
To my amazingly supportive wife and sons,
You are ever so right on so many levels, the pace and cattywampus balance that I have been leading our family in has been painful to look back on these past days. Truthfully you have lost out for nearly two years now, when a decision has come down to you vs. ministry, I have to admit the vast majority of such decisions tilted in the favor of ministry. I'm sorry. I thank God for His mercy and grace and allowing me to take a fresh look at life through different eyes. Eyes, that look outside of myself and my preconceived ideas about what "I have to do".
Boys, for one reason or another the decision that we have made concerning your mother's involvement in ministry has truly shaken me to the bones, and has birthed in me a hunger to readjust scales in which all decisions are weighed, whether they are decisions concerning ministry, work, finances, or even the mundane tasks such as discovering the evening's plans for dinner. Please accept my apologies for time lost, I spent a great deal of it paving the road to hell with those good and virtuous intentions we hear so much about.
In short, I miss you.
But still, there is that whole ministry that God has called me to, thing. I'm sure the enemy would love nothing more for my guilty conscious to spur me into an emotional over reaction and force me to step out of such a calling. Well it's quite the opposite. Ministering to the youth of our community is fulfilling the plan God has put together for my life, and the students that God brings through the doors on a particular night are brought their by divine appointment, of this I'm sure. People, young people, need Jesus, and I'll continue to point them towards Him. Only from this point on from a place of health, and knowing that my family is taken care of. There is freedom to be found in making the right choices. Even when they are hard. My prayer is that you will see this played out in front of you through your mother and I as we continue to seek God's will for our lives, our family, and yes, even our ministry.
Love,
Your husband and father.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Respite...
And now a word from my family.
Dear Mom and Dad,
Thank you for making the decision to have Mommy step out of youth ministry for a short time, I know it was a hard decision for you to make. She so dearly loves being a part of ministry and speaking into the lives of teenagers, and Dad we know that she has been a huge help to you because she is WAY more organized than you usually are. But truthfully it's been 1 year and 9 and a half months of you two tirelessly putting large amounts of time and energy into youth ministry, and we feel like everything was going into ministry and our home, our finances, and our family were only getting what was left over of you both at the end of the day. For a short time we were ok with it. But that short time has turned into a long time and we are grateful for the change. We know what you do is important, and that you are following the call that God has put on your life and we're happy to know that our dad is listening and not just chasing the "American dream", but we have missed our family time and the way things have been lately has seemed quite unfair. And we feel that you may often need to be reminded of your duties that God asks of you as a father and husband, so don't let that get out of whack either, Bub.
We know that with this change there are some adjustments to be made to handle ministry, and we see those taking shape. We think it's great that you are attempting to be less "busy" but more "intentional" with the time you spend. It's honestly nice to be on the quantity side of your time and not solely the feeble attempts at quality in your leftover time. Thanks again for this season of change and the sacrifice that you have made for our favor, we know that God will bless you for it.
Love,
Your amazingly supportive family
Dear Mom and Dad,
Thank you for making the decision to have Mommy step out of youth ministry for a short time, I know it was a hard decision for you to make. She so dearly loves being a part of ministry and speaking into the lives of teenagers, and Dad we know that she has been a huge help to you because she is WAY more organized than you usually are. But truthfully it's been 1 year and 9 and a half months of you two tirelessly putting large amounts of time and energy into youth ministry, and we feel like everything was going into ministry and our home, our finances, and our family were only getting what was left over of you both at the end of the day. For a short time we were ok with it. But that short time has turned into a long time and we are grateful for the change. We know what you do is important, and that you are following the call that God has put on your life and we're happy to know that our dad is listening and not just chasing the "American dream", but we have missed our family time and the way things have been lately has seemed quite unfair. And we feel that you may often need to be reminded of your duties that God asks of you as a father and husband, so don't let that get out of whack either, Bub.
We know that with this change there are some adjustments to be made to handle ministry, and we see those taking shape. We think it's great that you are attempting to be less "busy" but more "intentional" with the time you spend. It's honestly nice to be on the quantity side of your time and not solely the feeble attempts at quality in your leftover time. Thanks again for this season of change and the sacrifice that you have made for our favor, we know that God will bless you for it.
Love,
Your amazingly supportive family
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Group Me...
I'd like to take just a minute today and talk about an app that I've been using for a while now and give you my pro's and con's for it. I know mostly my posts are for a general audience, but today allow me to talk to my fellow youth workers about this little bit of tech.
Group Me -This app is essentially a group chat room via text message. It allows you to send one text message that will be sent to the members of a specific group. (You can create/become a member of multiple groups) And when someone replies to your message, that reply is also sent to every member of the group. It's a great way to inform your students about events, and even great to start conversations between students. If you have a smart phone you can download the app for all of the major platforms iPhone, Android, Blackberry and even Windows Phone 7 (Sorry no support for Palm) and you will receive your message and be notified via data push (which is great if you don't have unlimited texts).
Pro's
- Quick easy way to communicate directly with your students, volunteers, whom ever you create and invite to your groups.
- Great community builder, students are tied to their phones like an oxygen tank, it's a great way to get conversations going between your students.
- It's free.
- It's stable. (I've heard of a few cases where some messages have been dropped, but I've used this service for about 4 months with several groups messaging simultaneously without any drops in communication.)
Con's
- Stay on patrol! Whenever you have a group of teenagers interacting there are bound to be conflicts, outbursts, and even the occasional hook up. Make sure you and your volunteers on included in each group and be ready to diffuse any situation that may arise.
- Not everyone has unlimited texting or a smart phone. If a group gets excited you can easily find yourself with 50+ text messages in a matter of minutes. We have single-handedly destroyed cell phone bills by adding people without realizing they were on a limited number of texts per month. Be careful!
- Don't let it be your only connecting point. I haven't said this to a student yet, but I would hate to say to someone that they missed out on something important because they aren't a part of a group. "Didn't you get the Group Me message?" is not a get out of jail free card. This is a great tool, but we still need to be intentional when contacting students, volunteers, and parents about important events, details or changes.
For us this tech works well, while it may not be for everyone it's definitely worth a spin.
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
To Put it Bluntly...
As I attempt to work on my back log of blog posts that need to be written. (in no particular order)
It's been an interesting and busy month in ministry for me and I hope to succinctly point out some highlights for you all.
As I've mentioned in previous posts our ministry became a part of the Life Book Movement for a week in September. The experience was in many ways what I had expected, but there certainly were some twists along the way, as well as some very amazing moments.
We kicked off the week long "Saturation" with a rally which featured a couple musical artists and Life Book's very own president Carl Blunt and his daughter Taylor. Taylor is featured in a set of training videos that Life Book sends you to prepare your students for the Saturation.
The days leading up to this event were nothing short of maddening. And believe me, I may just make a series of posts about those days titled "The Madness of Jeremiah".
But I would like to take a few paragraphs if you'll allow me to express my deepest gratitude to the Blunts for not only being a part of our ministry for an evening, but for being such a driving force behind the amazing ministry God has placed in their care.
Carl and Taylor not only came to our rally, but Life Book did not charge a dime for them to come out. (I even tried to cover the cost of the hotel they stayed in, and was graciously declined) And this was after Life Book sent us 1,500 copies of the book for free! Now I'm not completely unaware of the practices of businesses and expenses and write offs etc. But having spent some time with Carl and hearing his background of youth ministry and being allowed a glimpse at his heart for this generation, and his desire to see God's word planted in their lives and hearts I walked away fromt he experience refreshed and hopeful for the students of our community and our nation.
Taylor came and spoke both at our rally and during our Sunday School class. I've often said that teens are the best youth ministers on the market. And Taylor is out there proving it. She has a great ability to relate to other teenagers, and communicate eloquently, and more importantly she is letting God use her by giving up many weekends of her senior year of high school to travel and minister to teenagers who are for the most part scared to death to hand out these little white books to people at school.
I urge all youth workers out there to check out the Life Book, by clicking here.
Even if you are unable to do a saturation of your own, they can always use our prayers and financial support. One dollar gets one Life Book printed and into the hands of a student, you can donate to them easily by clicking here.
I'm not being paid in any way for this post, I believe in the ministry of the Life Book and in the power of releasing God's word into our schools.
Blessings,
Jeremiah
It's been an interesting and busy month in ministry for me and I hope to succinctly point out some highlights for you all.
As I've mentioned in previous posts our ministry became a part of the Life Book Movement for a week in September. The experience was in many ways what I had expected, but there certainly were some twists along the way, as well as some very amazing moments.
We kicked off the week long "Saturation" with a rally which featured a couple musical artists and Life Book's very own president Carl Blunt and his daughter Taylor. Taylor is featured in a set of training videos that Life Book sends you to prepare your students for the Saturation.
The days leading up to this event were nothing short of maddening. And believe me, I may just make a series of posts about those days titled "The Madness of Jeremiah".
But I would like to take a few paragraphs if you'll allow me to express my deepest gratitude to the Blunts for not only being a part of our ministry for an evening, but for being such a driving force behind the amazing ministry God has placed in their care.
Carl and Taylor not only came to our rally, but Life Book did not charge a dime for them to come out. (I even tried to cover the cost of the hotel they stayed in, and was graciously declined) And this was after Life Book sent us 1,500 copies of the book for free! Now I'm not completely unaware of the practices of businesses and expenses and write offs etc. But having spent some time with Carl and hearing his background of youth ministry and being allowed a glimpse at his heart for this generation, and his desire to see God's word planted in their lives and hearts I walked away fromt he experience refreshed and hopeful for the students of our community and our nation.
Taylor came and spoke both at our rally and during our Sunday School class. I've often said that teens are the best youth ministers on the market. And Taylor is out there proving it. She has a great ability to relate to other teenagers, and communicate eloquently, and more importantly she is letting God use her by giving up many weekends of her senior year of high school to travel and minister to teenagers who are for the most part scared to death to hand out these little white books to people at school.
I urge all youth workers out there to check out the Life Book, by clicking here.
Even if you are unable to do a saturation of your own, they can always use our prayers and financial support. One dollar gets one Life Book printed and into the hands of a student, you can donate to them easily by clicking here.
I'm not being paid in any way for this post, I believe in the ministry of the Life Book and in the power of releasing God's word into our schools.
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
A Small Price to Pay...
So I haven't posted in a month... My apologies!
Here are some key words to catch you up on what I've been up to since we last met.
- Colorado
- Group Publishing
- Life Book
- Carl and Taylor Blunt
- Divine Soldiers
- HeyHiHello
- Shine Bright Baby
- Coming soon - Fall Retreat!
I'll most likely blog about all of the above in more detail but I wanted to share a story today about something that happened to me on this past Saturday morning.
A brief back story: Our ministry was fortunate enough to become involved with the Life Book movement, before their waiting list grew to 680+ churches! And last week was our "Saturation". So the whole week we had been cheering on our students to go into their schools and hand out the Word of God to their friends. Well the Lord had been dealing with me throughout the week and questions kept coming to mind about my willingness to be so bold as to hand a few out at my day job. So I did. One to my boss, and a few to some co-workers who are parents of teenagers. Well this boldness was put to the test in a new way on Saturday morning at about 6:50 a.m.
Heading South on I-77 in the dark, going about 80 in a 65 zone. I met State Trooper Mosser. Who kindly pulled me over and made me aware of my transgression. I apologized and handed him the appropriate credentials. While waiting for him to run my plates and ID and write my citation, a question was placed in my mind.
"Don't you have a few Life Books in your bag?" ...oh no.
"Uhmm maybe... well yeah." no sense in lying...
"Give him one." ...oh no.
"Wait a minute, these things are for teenagers, high school students, not law enforcement officials!" I replied.
"Give him one." the argument didn't go much further, I found myself opening my laptop bag and grabbing a Life Book (Turns out, I knew right where they were...).
Upon his return to my car side Trooper Mosser had me sign by an "X" and explained some things to me that I really don't remember, my heart was pounding so loud it rang in my ears, partially because of the adrenaline from getting pulled over, BUSTED, but mostly because of the anxiety of what I was about to do.
He handed me the ticket, and I asked him "I'm sorry, what's your name?" "Mosser" he replied with a somewhat quizzical look. I'm guessing most people only ask for the name of the trooper who just handed them a ticket, after being completely rude or belligerent towards said officer, so as to file some form of complaint with their supervisor or higher up, I was quite the opposite.
I shook his hand, "I know this might seem weird, but I really feel God told me to give this to you." with crazy amounts of nervous energy pumping through me I handed him a copy of the Life Book. Barely able to speak I said "I don't believe nothing happens for.. no reason?" great now I sound like a moron!
"So, thank you for your service to our community, and that's for you..." I finished.
"Ok, thanks.And if you slow down I won't bug you anymore, ok?" he replied, with a look that questioned my ability to tie my shoes much less operate a motor vehicle. "Sounds good." I replied, and with that he turned and headed back to his cruiser, and I eased back into traffic.
Shortly after, I was crushed, the financial burden of the ticket, and the possible effect on my insurance rates weighed on me heavily. I found myself asking what the cost of serving God truly was on my life.(As if the price of a speeding ticket was just way too much!) During my day at work I shared the story with a coworker who is a fellow believer, and as came close to finishing it, he headed me off at the pass. "Did you give him one?!" he asked abruptly. "Yeah!" I shot back quickly. "Good, it's a small price to pay then."
I'd like to say that on my way home Trooper Mosser found me and pulled me over and excitedly told me about how he read the book I gave him and it changed his life right then and there, and he gave his life to Christ on his lunch break! But truthfully he didn't. I may never see him again. He may never read the Life Book, or any version of the Bible. But for 10 minutes one morning God put me on the side of the road, and introduced me to someone I would have never met in under any other circumstances, and had me give His word to him.
It's not about us, it's about doing the work of the Kingdom. It's not about my finances, my driving record, my insurance premiums, any of that, it's not about us. It's about Him.
It's a small price to pay...
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Here are some key words to catch you up on what I've been up to since we last met.
- Colorado
- Group Publishing
- Life Book
- Carl and Taylor Blunt
- Divine Soldiers
- HeyHiHello
- Shine Bright Baby
- Coming soon - Fall Retreat!
I'll most likely blog about all of the above in more detail but I wanted to share a story today about something that happened to me on this past Saturday morning.
A brief back story: Our ministry was fortunate enough to become involved with the Life Book movement, before their waiting list grew to 680+ churches! And last week was our "Saturation". So the whole week we had been cheering on our students to go into their schools and hand out the Word of God to their friends. Well the Lord had been dealing with me throughout the week and questions kept coming to mind about my willingness to be so bold as to hand a few out at my day job. So I did. One to my boss, and a few to some co-workers who are parents of teenagers. Well this boldness was put to the test in a new way on Saturday morning at about 6:50 a.m.
Heading South on I-77 in the dark, going about 80 in a 65 zone. I met State Trooper Mosser. Who kindly pulled me over and made me aware of my transgression. I apologized and handed him the appropriate credentials. While waiting for him to run my plates and ID and write my citation, a question was placed in my mind.
"Don't you have a few Life Books in your bag?" ...oh no.
"Uhmm maybe... well yeah." no sense in lying...
"Give him one." ...oh no.
"Wait a minute, these things are for teenagers, high school students, not law enforcement officials!" I replied.
"Give him one." the argument didn't go much further, I found myself opening my laptop bag and grabbing a Life Book (Turns out, I knew right where they were...).
Upon his return to my car side Trooper Mosser had me sign by an "X" and explained some things to me that I really don't remember, my heart was pounding so loud it rang in my ears, partially because of the adrenaline from getting pulled over, BUSTED, but mostly because of the anxiety of what I was about to do.
He handed me the ticket, and I asked him "I'm sorry, what's your name?" "Mosser" he replied with a somewhat quizzical look. I'm guessing most people only ask for the name of the trooper who just handed them a ticket, after being completely rude or belligerent towards said officer, so as to file some form of complaint with their supervisor or higher up, I was quite the opposite.
I shook his hand, "I know this might seem weird, but I really feel God told me to give this to you." with crazy amounts of nervous energy pumping through me I handed him a copy of the Life Book. Barely able to speak I said "I don't believe nothing happens for.. no reason?" great now I sound like a moron!
"So, thank you for your service to our community, and that's for you..." I finished.
"Ok, thanks.And if you slow down I won't bug you anymore, ok?" he replied, with a look that questioned my ability to tie my shoes much less operate a motor vehicle. "Sounds good." I replied, and with that he turned and headed back to his cruiser, and I eased back into traffic.
Shortly after, I was crushed, the financial burden of the ticket, and the possible effect on my insurance rates weighed on me heavily. I found myself asking what the cost of serving God truly was on my life.(As if the price of a speeding ticket was just way too much!) During my day at work I shared the story with a coworker who is a fellow believer, and as came close to finishing it, he headed me off at the pass. "Did you give him one?!" he asked abruptly. "Yeah!" I shot back quickly. "Good, it's a small price to pay then."
I'd like to say that on my way home Trooper Mosser found me and pulled me over and excitedly told me about how he read the book I gave him and it changed his life right then and there, and he gave his life to Christ on his lunch break! But truthfully he didn't. I may never see him again. He may never read the Life Book, or any version of the Bible. But for 10 minutes one morning God put me on the side of the road, and introduced me to someone I would have never met in under any other circumstances, and had me give His word to him.
It's not about us, it's about doing the work of the Kingdom. It's not about my finances, my driving record, my insurance premiums, any of that, it's not about us. It's about Him.
It's a small price to pay...
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Life Book...
I just want to take a few minutes and tell you about a project we're launching tonight in my ministry. We're partnering with the Life Book Movement, which is a movement to saturate the schools of our country with the Word of God.
Our group will be performing a "Saturation" for a week in mid-September, it's a great opportunity for youth groups to go on a missions trip leaving your hometown! It's literally a way for them to see God change their world!
Tonight is our "GO!" night, and I'll be introducing the concept of the Life Book and giving the group encouragement and a quick message on our Biblical calling to "GO!". And over the next several weeks leading up to the Saturation, we'll be training and encouraging them to make a difference in the lives of their classmates.
I'll be sure to keep you posted, with stories and praise reports from the field as this plays out, I'm hoping you'll join me in praying for our group, and for their classmates that God would do amazing things through this!
The Life Book is a ministry founded by The Gideons International, if you want more information check them out at www.thelifebook.com
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Our group will be performing a "Saturation" for a week in mid-September, it's a great opportunity for youth groups to go on a missions trip leaving your hometown! It's literally a way for them to see God change their world!
Tonight is our "GO!" night, and I'll be introducing the concept of the Life Book and giving the group encouragement and a quick message on our Biblical calling to "GO!". And over the next several weeks leading up to the Saturation, we'll be training and encouraging them to make a difference in the lives of their classmates.
I'll be sure to keep you posted, with stories and praise reports from the field as this plays out, I'm hoping you'll join me in praying for our group, and for their classmates that God would do amazing things through this!
The Life Book is a ministry founded by The Gideons International, if you want more information check them out at www.thelifebook.com
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
First Night/Last Night...
Tonight in my ministry we'll be initiating, I mean WELCOMING our new 7th grade class into the first day of the rest of their scholastic life. And simultaneously bidding a fond farewell to our graduating seniors.
One thing I don't feel I do well is bridging the gap between 6th grade and 7th, many students coming into youth group are either apprehensive or scared to death. There are those who are fortunate (or in their view unfortunate) enough to have an older sibling who is in youth ministry, so they have a better idea of what goes on in the youth room on a Wednesday night. But for those walking in for the first time it can be pretty intimidating.
I don't really have any answers this morning on the subject but I'd love to hear your thought and ideas (proven or unproven) on bridging that gap.
Blessings,
Jeremiah
One thing I don't feel I do well is bridging the gap between 6th grade and 7th, many students coming into youth group are either apprehensive or scared to death. There are those who are fortunate (or in their view unfortunate) enough to have an older sibling who is in youth ministry, so they have a better idea of what goes on in the youth room on a Wednesday night. But for those walking in for the first time it can be pretty intimidating.
I don't really have any answers this morning on the subject but I'd love to hear your thought and ideas (proven or unproven) on bridging that gap.
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Monday, August 8, 2011
The End of what?
Last night as my wife and I sat down to take a quick look at the calendar, to make some decisions about this very busy month, she made a staggering statement to me. "We only have 2 more weeks of summer left..."
Unbelievable.
In fact this Wednesday we'll be saying a very fond farewell to the seniors who have graduated and will be moving away to college or elsewhere (You don't have to go to college, but you can't stay here!) and welcoming our new 7th graders into youth ministry.
This summer has been a whirlwind and, I'm bracing myself for what is shaping up to be a busy and very exciting fall!
So this morning I simply wanted to write a quick word of encouragement, for those who are in the same boat, looking back at a busy summer and getting white knuckled about the fall.
Today I claim 2 Corinthians 4:16 for myself and all of us!
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
On a morning where I feel like a truck just ran me down, (after a long afternoon of competition between our youth group and the college group yesterday, at our annual epic picnic.) I definitely feel as though I am wasting away, but today I am renewed by the grace and mercy of Jesus, and by the joy that comes from knowing Him, and hearing God's call on my life.
Be encouraged, be renewed, and don't lose heart!
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Unbelievable.
In fact this Wednesday we'll be saying a very fond farewell to the seniors who have graduated and will be moving away to college or elsewhere (You don't have to go to college, but you can't stay here!) and welcoming our new 7th graders into youth ministry.
This summer has been a whirlwind and, I'm bracing myself for what is shaping up to be a busy and very exciting fall!
So this morning I simply wanted to write a quick word of encouragement, for those who are in the same boat, looking back at a busy summer and getting white knuckled about the fall.
Today I claim 2 Corinthians 4:16 for myself and all of us!
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
On a morning where I feel like a truck just ran me down, (after a long afternoon of competition between our youth group and the college group yesterday, at our annual epic picnic.) I definitely feel as though I am wasting away, but today I am renewed by the grace and mercy of Jesus, and by the joy that comes from knowing Him, and hearing God's call on my life.
Be encouraged, be renewed, and don't lose heart!
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Monday, July 25, 2011
Parents...
So I'm definitely writing today in excitement for what has been taking place in ministry the past few weeks. And even more so, for what will be taking place in the days, weeks, and months to come!
But, let me start with the days to come. We'll be hosting our annual Parents' Night this Wednesday, which is just like every other Wednesday night service except we openly invite all of our students' parents to come and join us. Now there may be some surprises waiting for them when they show up but, I'll just refrain from keeping a written record of those for the time being.
Every article, book or blog about youth ministry I've read (at least the good ones) all stress the importance of good parent relations, and using your students' parents as allies not enemies. I strongly agree. It is however, not always easy.
I'll list the things that I try to keep up with in order to maintain some level of communication with the parents of our teens, and would love to hear your ideas! Especially if you yourself are a parent!
FaceBook: Yes, it's a fact that much to the chagrin of most teenagers, their parents are on FaceBook. We've started a Parents' Group and invited the parents to join. It's a great central place to put updates and links, and details of upcoming events that their students just might have forgot to mention. I've also enlisted the help of one of my volunteers to run the page. This volunteer also happens to be the parent of 2 teenagers in my ministry. She thinks like a parent of a teenager and therefore is more readily able to convey that info to the other parents!
Email: In today's world it seems somewhat archaic to use email, but it does work and for the most part the information will get to them.
Hard Copy: In the dark ages they used primitive writing utensils toscrawl writings on to scrolls made of animal hides, or papyrus. We use a form of this but with some technological upgrades. We print a weekly News bulletin to give to the teens in our Wednesday night service. We also print up some extras and have them available in the lobby for parents to pick up, just in case a student "forgets" to take theirs home with them. I also try (not that it always happens) to write a parent letter every 3-4 months to recap the events of the past few months and also look ahead and give them a heads up.
I've been really making efforts on all fronts of my ministry to create the "culture" of communication. There are so many issues that often arise simply due to a lack of communication! I'd love to continue to head these issues off at the pass, as it were.
So, in what way do you communicate with your parents?
Blessings,
Jeremiah
But, let me start with the days to come. We'll be hosting our annual Parents' Night this Wednesday, which is just like every other Wednesday night service except we openly invite all of our students' parents to come and join us. Now there may be some surprises waiting for them when they show up but, I'll just refrain from keeping a written record of those for the time being.
Every article, book or blog about youth ministry I've read (at least the good ones) all stress the importance of good parent relations, and using your students' parents as allies not enemies. I strongly agree. It is however, not always easy.
I'll list the things that I try to keep up with in order to maintain some level of communication with the parents of our teens, and would love to hear your ideas! Especially if you yourself are a parent!
FaceBook: Yes, it's a fact that much to the chagrin of most teenagers, their parents are on FaceBook. We've started a Parents' Group and invited the parents to join. It's a great central place to put updates and links, and details of upcoming events that their students just might have forgot to mention. I've also enlisted the help of one of my volunteers to run the page. This volunteer also happens to be the parent of 2 teenagers in my ministry. She thinks like a parent of a teenager and therefore is more readily able to convey that info to the other parents!
Email: In today's world it seems somewhat archaic to use email, but it does work and for the most part the information will get to them.
Hard Copy: In the dark ages they used primitive writing utensils toscrawl writings on to scrolls made of animal hides, or papyrus. We use a form of this but with some technological upgrades. We print a weekly News bulletin to give to the teens in our Wednesday night service. We also print up some extras and have them available in the lobby for parents to pick up, just in case a student "forgets" to take theirs home with them. I also try (not that it always happens) to write a parent letter every 3-4 months to recap the events of the past few months and also look ahead and give them a heads up.
I've been really making efforts on all fronts of my ministry to create the "culture" of communication. There are so many issues that often arise simply due to a lack of communication! I'd love to continue to head these issues off at the pass, as it were.
So, in what way do you communicate with your parents?
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Slacking, but not lacking...
I know it may seem that I have been slacking from my blogging duties. Or more appropriately stated, my self imposed blogging duties, but please be assured that it it not due to my lack of interest in sharing my adventures in ministry with you all. Life and ministry (mostly ministry) have been in high gear over the past few weeks, and as I've taken some time to look forward into the fall, it doesn't seem as though things will be slowing down all that much. But I'm definitely taking some time to re-evaluate the calendar and how it is shaping up, here's why.
Last week from Sunday to Sunday my ministry held it's normal Wednesday night service, a small group Bible study, had an outing to a minor league baseball game, a movie night and a meeting with my volunteer team! While all of that sounds great, and many of the things listed were great fun, it absolutely KILLED me, and my family. Sometimes we need to learn to post-pone, reschedule, or just plain say no to things that are coming down the line. With all the activity we've actually seen attendance drop a little when normally events like these would be well attended. Yes, summer vacations, and family camps and the like have a role to play in that. But I believe even our students are getting burned out a little and the ones who are attending the most, are the ones who truly need an escape from their family life.
Take my word for it, don't burn yourself, your families, your volunteers, or even your students out! Take some time to enjoy the your family and your summer, Fall is on the way quickly and before you know it school, and ministry will be in full gear!
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Last week from Sunday to Sunday my ministry held it's normal Wednesday night service, a small group Bible study, had an outing to a minor league baseball game, a movie night and a meeting with my volunteer team! While all of that sounds great, and many of the things listed were great fun, it absolutely KILLED me, and my family. Sometimes we need to learn to post-pone, reschedule, or just plain say no to things that are coming down the line. With all the activity we've actually seen attendance drop a little when normally events like these would be well attended. Yes, summer vacations, and family camps and the like have a role to play in that. But I believe even our students are getting burned out a little and the ones who are attending the most, are the ones who truly need an escape from their family life.
Take my word for it, don't burn yourself, your families, your volunteers, or even your students out! Take some time to enjoy the your family and your summer, Fall is on the way quickly and before you know it school, and ministry will be in full gear!
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
There and Back Again...
Summer for my ministry is officially under way. Last Thursday through Sunday we were on our Summer Retreat, in Mears, MI. At a camp called Grace Adventures. I can't say enough about the camp facility and staff, they were simply amazing.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Thanks for your prayers...
Not going to write much this morning. Thanks for your prayers last week. Please go to this link for more info.
Blessings to you all,
Jeremiah
Blessings to you all,
Jeremiah
Friday, June 3, 2011
Praying for a Miracle...
I know I've been posting a lot about different ministry events and things going on in my world. But I would like to bring to your attention today a family, who I only know by name, who desperately needs our prayers. Jeremy Bear an old classmate of my wife's, and his wife Carey are unexpectedly, expecting triplets, a few days ago Carey's water broke, (only one of the babies, which I guess can happen with multiples, who knew?) the danger is that she is only 21 weeks along. The complications are mounting and their doctor at this point has said "We can hope". Please read Jeremy's blog for full details and please lift them up.
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Orcs, Elves and Hobbits, oh my...
Today I really want to pick everyone's brains and get some ideas flowing. I am exactly one week out from our Summer Retreat. My team and I have been meeting, praying and planning for some time now, and we're all super excited! Ever since I became Youth Director, we have always run our own retreats. We don't go to the "big" show in town, we rent a camp and run it ourselves. It's lots of fun and lots of work!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Winning...
Next week, I am taking a large number of students from my ministry on our annual Summer Retreat. There will be one big difference this year though, and that will be that my children will be coming along with us. My wife and I attended the Simply Youth Ministry Conference earlier this year, and we realized both while we were there, and when we returned home, that the length of the trip and being without Mom and Dad, took a heavy toll on our little guys!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Love Like a Hurricane...
Another title for this post could be "In Case of Emergency..." or "Duck and Cover..." but I prefer to stay on the upside of things. Wednesday night during our weekly youth service the weather here in Northeast Ohio went from pleasant to treacherous in a matter of minutes.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Strategies for success...
Summer vacation is nearly upon us, for some ministries that means a break from weekly ministry, but for us it means continuing on and adding in more outreach events. This Friday will kick off the first of a monthly movie nights series that will run through the summer for my ministry. We'll be showing faith based films and having a short discussion afterwards. But before we get to Friday, we'll be having some small group discussions about sharing our faith, and about those in our lives we would like to share it with.
So we're employing these strategies:
So we're employing these strategies:
Monday, May 16, 2011
Spent...
I'm sure many of you know the feeling. A busy week, followed by a busier weekend, followed by yet another week waiting to greet you. For me this past week was not only busy, but taxing emotionally and spiritually. I've had a number of issues brought to me by students, and volunteers, and am in the middle of doing what I can to deal with them, and help each individual find a healthy resolution to them.
Friday, May 13, 2011
It's Friday...
Now don't start singing Rebecca Black just because of the title of this post! I just wanted to check in with everyone to see how this week of ministry has gone for you? Or maybe you're just gearing up for your big night in ministry this Sunday? Either way I hope it has gone, or is going well. Please share your weekly routines/traditions with me! I'd love to hear them!
Remember to squeeze in a sabbath this week, and get recharged before the next week rushes up on you! Have a great weekend everyone!
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
It's Wednesday...
For many youth workers Wednesday is THE day! For my ministry it's the night of our weekly service and a good chunk of the week is spent praying, planning, and preparing for this night. Over the past year I've kind of settled in to a nice weekly routine to get ready for Wednesday night, but every once in a while things get a little wonky because of the day job. The good thing is with a routine in place it's easy to get back on track and finish strong.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Gaga's Kingdom?
What's this? A second post in one day? I know, hard to believe. I wanted to link a video here that I found by way of Doug Fields' Blog. I think as youth workers this video has many teachable moments, however the original had a few expletives in it, so I grabbed it and cleaned it up a little, so you won't get any calls from parents, elders or pastors!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Fritter, and waste...
Ok, I grew up in a house that among other things gave me a decent education in classic rock. And when I think of the past few days I've had, the line of an old Pink Floyd song comes to mind "Fritter, and waste the hours in an offhand way". I haven't prioritized my time well, haven't even made a simple checklist of things that need to be done. I know that things are piling up, but I've found little motivation to even start let alone finish any of them.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Friday/Sunday...
Today I want to share with you a video that I produced with my "Core Team" these are the student leaders within my ministry. I gave them about 2-3 days to memorize the script and we shot both sequences in a little under 2 hours. They did an amazing job!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Unexcused Absence...
Well it's been a while since my last post and I apologize for my tardiness in checking in with you all. I found myself consumed with family matters, which piled on to my already full ministry plate, and to make matters worse the day job went a little wiggy too!
Friday, April 15, 2011
It's a Pleasure Meeting You...
I have to apologize for the missing Thursday post yesterday. Life, and ministry, and work all converged in a very inconvenient way yesterday, which made my usual Thursday post an impossibility. In any case, I’m taking today to kick off a short poll, to find out a little bit about who my readers are, and what they find most interesting. So I’d appreciate it if you took just a few seconds and looked over to the right and click a few answer for me!
Thanks so much for reading, and have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Blessings,
Jeremiah
Monday, April 11, 2011
Mondays...
I remember as a child watching the “Garfield and Friends” cartoon show on Saturday mornings. And back when people actually read these things called newspapers, I would dig through the Sunday paper just to find the comic strips, and Garfield was always one of my favorites (probably because it never had too many words in it). There was however always a recurring theme with this large orange feline, and that was his complete and utter distain for Mondays.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Unsent Mail...
It’s occurred to me that over the past few weeks, there have been strange situations pop up in work, ministry, you know, everything. Life in general has been just a little cattywampus. Whether it’s come from strange random criticism, or situations not going EXACTLY how I feel they should, there’s just been a little bit of unrest in the Isley household of late.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Addendum...
You’re going to find this odd. But I’m making an addendum to a post I have not yet posted. I’m fighting the urge to write something about the word addendum, and Beethoven’s fifth symphony, oh wait. Anyway. Last night I had a meeting with my volunteer staff, which was a two and a half hour romp, filled with laughter, tears and plenty of delicious buffalo dip on chicken nuggets. (Don’t scoff until you’ve tried it!) Due, to crazy ministry schedules, personal schedules and life happening, it was the first meeting we’ve had since January, which by the way, is way to long to not have met with them.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Factory Reset...
This morning tragedy was beset upon the Isley household. By all appearances my cell phone had locked itself and was not responding at all! Couldn’t unlock it, couldn’t even power it off. Had to pull the battery to shut it down, this also had no effect. I could get to the lock screen, but the touch screen was completely unresponsive. So as I drove in to my day job, the thought occurred to me that there is one last ditch maneuver I can perform to determine if my phone was indeed a brick… A factory reset.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Sick Day...
Well if you’ve been following this little blog of mine, you’ve noticed that it’s Monday and I’ve yet to post today. And the reason for that is pretty simple. I’m sick. Not sick enough to crawl into bed and sleep the entire day, but sick enough to call of work, and try to get some rest, all the while feeling miserable enough to not want to think. As the evening progresses I feel like I’m coming out of the haze enough to string together a few thoughts as they have occurred to me during this day of being “of the grid”.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Big Doors...
Encouragement in the midst of frustration is often hard to find, and just as often even harder to accept. I’ll be honest the past several weeks my frustration level has been a little higher than usual. There are many reasons for that, which are really of little consequence to the point that I’m working towards, but I will share one reason as follows.
Monday, March 21, 2011
I Felt a Tug at My Left Hip...
So as I referred to in an earlier post, my wife and I had the extreme pleasure of attending the Simply Youth Ministry Conference in Chicago, a few weeks ago. My wife and I came to the conference expecting a LOT, but not knowing WHAT to expect. We definitely looked forward to some time off, and away from home, and with no children. And we got that for sure, but this is a side note.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Inspiration, not Dedication...
I had a different post in mind for today, but with the controversy swirling about the Christian community over Rob Bell’s new book “Love Wins” I feel the need to address something that has been on my heart. Something that may be even greater than the claims that Mr. Bell did or did not make and whether or not he is denying them or trying to reword them in his live appearances.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Spring Ahead...
Spring ahead…
Well here we go again, where I live in the Eastern Standard time zone twice a year we find it necessary to try and play God by attempting to manipulate the Space Time Continuum by setting our clocks ahead or back 1 hour in the middle of a Saturday night. This either adds a much needed extra hour of sleep, or steals away from your already depleted precious time to rest before Sunday, which (in my case) is usually packed full of ministry responsibilities.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
I Have No Business...
I have no business…
There is an interesting fact that has been a re-occurring theme in my life in many ways. And that is, that there are many times when I have found myself saying, I have no business being in the place that I am, doing the things that I’m doing. In my “professional” life shortly after my short lived educational career in audio engineering I found myself landing a job at a recording studio, where I was severely out-engineered by my new boss. I found myself thinking, I have no business working the sessions that I am right now, after all I had only “been” a recording engineer for a short, but intense 5 weeks during my training. But I was always a quick learner and I soon began to hold my own.
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