The power of young people can make a difference.
#KONY2012
March 7, 2012 in Videos with 0 Comments
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Visit Washington D.C. – I haven’t been to Washington since I think eighth grade, and I’d love to take the opportunity to ride my motorcycle from Ohio to D.C. There have been a bunch of new memorials erected since I was there, and I’d love to take the time and visit Arlington National Cemetery as well.
Visit California – I last visited California when I went for a business trip in 2005 to San Francisco. San Francisco was one of the few places I’ve ever been to that met my expectations for what I’ve always seen about the town in tv shows and movies. The reason I want to visit Cali this time though is that my best friend lives out there, and I have yet to go visit him since he’s been in the Los Angeles area. I wasn’t able to hang out with the guys I grew up with this year around Christmas, so I would love to get out there and visit. Plus, who doesn’t love California weather?
Visit Nashville – When my sister graduated from Belmont, I probably got to spend my longest time in Nashville. I love the city, and would really love to live there some day. Plus I love country music, and there’s no better place than NashVegas for that. There are also a ton of people that I know on Twitter that live in Nashville that I’d love to meet and haven’t yet gotten the opportunity. It’s definitely on my list for this year.
Go skydiving – My sister told me last year for my birthday that she would take me skydiving as a birthday present. We’ve not yet been able to work that out, so I’d like to make sure that happens this summer. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. 
Vince Marotte is uniquely qualified to help answer this question. As the internet campus pastor for Gateway Church in Austin, TX, Vince is immersed in this on daily basis. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of his book, Context & Voice, to review, which explains in detail quite a bit about how the church should view the internet and how it can help further the message we try so hard make sure others hear. 
Last Saturday, after a long day volunteering, I went home and rested. Because I was tired. This doesn’t sound like a particularly interesting opening line for a post, but it completely floored me last weekend. As I sat in my warm house on a cold fall evening, sitting on my couch watching Ohio State football, the realization hit me. I had been working with the unhoused (homeless) all day. I had gotten up early, bundled up, went downtown in the cold and helped run an event called Tent City. 
The kids had a blast I think were truly sad to leave Wanda, Raymond, and the others when it came to the end of the second day. In talking with the kids since then, a handful of them still say one of the people they remember most was Wanda.
Perry and Marion have been there leading the effort at Father’s Heart for many years, and I know our students had a great time with a lot of the other guys that were volunteering there that day. It was a LOT of hard work, but definitely a blast!
In talking with our students on the way back to Nyack College, where we were staying, after the day was done, it was great to hear from some of them how they felt. Those that hadn’t ever prayed with anyone before or were uncomfortable with it seemed to be energized and have an increased confidence in their own abilities. For most of our students, and myself included, this was the most impacting day. I’ve had this desire to really help others since I was little, and in the last few years, that push has been increasing within me, I think to a point where I’m going to need to do something about it, and so I left a little piece of my heart at 125th and Lexington that day.
2012 : To Do List
I thought I’d take a little time to post about some of my to-do list for 2012. There are a bunch of things I’d like to do, and I’m hoping to update this post as I add more ideas and hopefully complete some of them!
Photo Copyright Rob Shenk
Photo Copyright Slices of Light
Photo Copyright Buffalo Pundit
Go skydiving – My sister told me last year for my birthday that she would take me skydiving as a birthday present. We’ve not yet been able to work that out, so I’d like to make sure that happens this summer. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.
Get my pilot’s license current – When I was in high school, my dad and I got our pilot’s licenses together. It’s been a while since I’ve flown, although I did get some time over Thanksgiving break. I’d like to get myself current again so I can take people up flying when I want to.
I’m sure there are a lot of other things I want to add to this list, and I’ll try and make updates as things happen during the year.
What’s one thing you want to make sure you accomplish this year? Let’s hear it in the comments.
One Word : Trust
Trust
Eight months ago, that was the word I chose for OneWord2011. When Alece put out the idea at the beginning of the year, that was the first word that came to my mind. Little did I know what I was getting myself into.
Flickr: rights to vagawi
When I picked the word Trust, I’m pretty sure God rolled out the red carpet right down to a WWE wrestling ring full of sweaty, brightly colored mask-wearing situations that would teach me to trust in Him – probably with the help of an RKO or Last Ride. (If you’ve never followed wrestling, these references will be lost on you, kinda like they were on me 
) I guess that’s what happens when you ask God to help you work on your trust. I should have picked something a lot simpler, like working on my ability to not proofread through worship while I’m at church.
So far this year, I’ve had:
- A major job switch
- My heart scrambled
- My heart scrambled again
- And I just volunteered to run a ministry that I can’t get any leaders to agree to help me with.
Do you see anything here that says “You’re gonna have to trust Me on this.”? Yeah, I thought so too. It may not sound like a lot, but trust me, some days it feels like plenty. All this at the same time that I know God has placed it on my heart to do something that helps people. Possibly not just in a “one weekend a month, two weeks a year” kind of way. More like an “here’s what you get to do every day kind of way.” The problem is that He hasn’t told me what that is or what it even looks like at this point. So I’m struggling to trust that God has a plan for me and even though I can’t see what it is, I have to trust that He’s got it under control.
I’m a big fan of John Eldredge. I read Waking the Dead earlier this year, and it talked about trusting in the wildness of God. In the Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis, when writing about Aslan, refers to him in this way:
He may not be safe, but He is good.
I have realized this year that I don’t want a God who’s safe. I don’t want to live a life where I look back when I’m 80 and realize I’ve lived a “safe” life. I want a God who is dangerous, never resting, always standing on the edge. Jesus would not have been killed if he was safe. The pharisees wouldn’t have been worried about a “safe” guy. All I need to trust in is that God is good. Yes, I realize that living a dangerous life in the footsteps of my Creator means that I’m going to get hurt, bloodied, and bruised. I’m going to be attacked by satan (always little “s”, don’t give him the satisfaction of capitalization) because I am dangerous, and it took me until this year to realize what James meant when he said
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds… James 1:2
At the end of my life, when I look back over what I’ve done, I want to be able to say that I lived bravely, loved fearlessly, and attacked relentlessly the calling that I was given. And that is something I wouldn’t be able to say with a “safe” God and a lack of trust. I have to trust in a God that is above all, good. So if this is God’s way of saying I have to rely on His goodness, then that’s what I need to be learning.
He may not be safe, but He is good.
Context & Voice
The internet has become an integrated part of our lives. From smartphones to blogs and tumblogs and tweets, an internet connected lifestyle is now the norm for our society. 35 hours of new YouTube content is created every minute. In 48 hours, more content will be created on the internet than in all of 2003. The question that the “C”hurch is trying to answer is how to most effectively utilize this medium in order to tell people about Jesus.
Context & Voice
I think Vince does a great job of defining both what our problem has been, and then describing the ways in which to correct it. He spends an entire chapter discussing content and answering the question “What is content?” in a way we can all understand.
I love how Vince breaks down content into Relational Content and Front Door Content. I think most churches focus quite a bit on Front Door content and tend to overlook Relational content. One of the things that resonated most with me was that as a church, if we’re going to take the time to produce quality content, it should be remarkable content. Content that people notice and pass along. Regardless of whether we want to admit it or not, out members of our church are creating Front Door content and Relational content completely on their own, and we would be best served to give them remarkable content to pass along.
The most important message in the book I think is the way in which content is accessed from culture to action. Vince discusses each of these stages in the book itself.
It starts with culture and that culture needs to encounter content that moves them into relationship wherein relational content can be delivered and in turn action can be taken.
Once you decide the culture you’re involved in as a church, which I believe truthfully should be a culture that is targeting unbelievers, you tailor your content (Front Door) to that culture. Once culture meets content, it should move them into relationships with others, where specific relational content can be given in a more tailored way to the person, and then action can be taken.
The whole goal of why we do the things we do every weekend and why we have life groups, small groups, flashing lights, fog machines, cafes, and bookstores is all driven by our desire to reach those that don’t know Jesus, and we need to make sure our message is being communicated in the most effective way possible.
I would highly recommend Vince’s book to those of you that are currently running and internet campus or are thinking about starting one. I would recommend this book to pretty much any creative or church staff member simply for the fact that we should always be reviewing our message and how we deliver content to make sure we are reaching those that need to hear about the Jesus we love. And finally, I would also recommend this book to any person who’s a Christian, because we are all creating content every day through our lives and our actions on Facebook, Twitter, and our blogs that should be showcasing the love that Jesus has for others.
What I’m Trying to be as I Grow Up
Lately, I’ve spent a lot of time reading and learning about relationships and the role that I’m supposed to play in those relationships as a Christian guy. I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see that the beliefs by which my parents raised me and and the ideals which they instilled in me are pretty much in line with what I’ve been learning. Whether it’s a friendship or a relationship with someone I’m dating, I’ve always tried to live by these ideals as a Christian guy. They’re certainly not unique to me, but I think what I’ve been learning is worth sharing.
I believe that my primary role in any relationship is to lead both people closer towards God. My focus should always be on how I can get closer to God and bring or encourage others along with me, as well as understand the path that God is laying out. The analogy that we always hear in church of people “racing” towards God I believe is very true.
Secondly, I have a responsibility to fight for and protect those people I have relationships with and care about. I need to make sure I’m actively fighting for their hearts and against the things that are trying to destroy them, whether physically, spiritually, or mentally.
Also, I have to make sure I’m giving; giving of my time, my talents, my money, my heart. I have to use the things God has given me in order to make the relationship better and to show God’s love. There should be no question that the person are important to me and I am cheering them on.
And finally…fun. Lots and lots of fun, excitement, and adventure.
Mother Teresa Had It Right
Harry and Heather at Tent City
The goal of Tent City is simple. Take a weekend, close to election time, and in addition to raising awareness about the plight of the unhoused, lend a helping hand by by providing food, clothing, haircuts, much needed medical services, and ID information to the unhoused in Toledo. This may not sound like a big project, but if you visit the website, you’ll see what I mean. We probably had 600 individuals there on Saturday to receive services. John Mellencamp is somewhat involved. It’s very cool.
But when my day was over, and we’d served dinner to those who were there, I was completely wasted. My voice was gone, my feet hurt, and I was emotionally drained. So I went home. Such a simple statement, but for almost everyone I interacted with that day, the streets were their home. They had nowhere else to go to relax, to get warmed up, to sleep for the night. It was probably in the 40s that night, and I know many of the people that stayed grabbed one of the provided blankets, but their sole bag of belongings under their head, and slept on the ground that night.
It flat out breaks my heart. I so nonchalantly said “I’m going home.”, when most people had nowhere else to go. They had no bed to sleep in, no bathroom to take a shower in, no television to watch, no couch to sit on, no place to be warm. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my “problems” that I completely fail to see those that are in real need. I think this is why I love Matthew 25 so much. It’s a reminder that we’re always supposed to be on the lookout for those that are hurting more than us, and do what we can to make a difference in their lives. It may just be something as simple as a smile and saying hello, but to some people, that’s all they need. Mother Teresa had it right:
The dying, the cripple, the mental, the unwanted, the unloved they are Jesus in disguise.
So tonight as I go to bed, I’m reminded of how grateful I am to have even a roof over my head. Or that I actually get to sleep in a bed, with a pillow.
I’m Not Dead!
No, I’m not dead. I have been really busy though the last few months. Also, to be completely honest, I really didn’t feel like I had a whole lot to write about. It’s not that I didn’t want to write, but every time I thought about writing a blog post, I just didn’t have the interest, or the material. But when I sat down today to work on a client’s site design, I just randomly decided I felt like writing.
Also, I’ve been a little thin on social media for the last few months. I think that has come around because of my new job. Due to their policies, I can’t access Twitter at work, and so I’ve gotten out of the habit of tweeting and commenting on what others say, and by the time I get home, I don’t remember to hit up Twitter on my phone.
So, what have I been doing this summer? Truthfully, mostly working. Because of the new job, I haven’t had any vacation time to speak of. I’ve done some golf tournaments, and saw my sister graduate from law school.(If any of you are looking to hire a really good lawyer, let me know ) BUT, I also managed to negotiate in a trip to New York in late June with a bunch of students from our Vertical high school ministry. I can honestly say this was an amazing experience, for a wide variety of reasons. (one being me driving a 15 passenger van in NY streets and traffic!)
After driving out to New York, and spending the next day visiting a local church and sightseeing, we began the week with two days worth of work at the New York City Clothing Bank. I thought this was a great way to get our kids acclimated to New York and the people of NYC. The Clothing Bank was originally started by mayor Ed Koch as a way to collect and distribute clothes and school supplies to adults and children that couldn’t afford it. It has since been turned into a non-profit and is run by a local priest. One thing this has meant is that there are a lot fewer workers because the city is no longer paying the bill. Wanda and Raymond, who run the Clothing Bank, were incredibly grateful to have us and another group from Texas helping out there for part of the week.
Wanda and Ben
For day three, we were working at The Father’s Heart Ministry Center. Father’s Heart is basically a mission located in the East Village who’s primary goal is to serve the people of the area through meals, education, and any other needs that can be fulfilled. I think it’s safe to say that this was the day that the students worked the hardest. Our primary goal was to get about 13 pallets of all different types of food into the basement of the building. This wasn’t a situation where we just loaded a bunch of pallets into an elevator and took it downstairs. Each individual item came off a stack and was passed hand by hand into the basement.
That board wasn't attached to anything. Every time a box got to the bottom, the top of the board came up and about smacked Greg in the face.
Then came day four. We were going to Harlem with the understanding that we were doing a prayer walk. For those who aren’t familiar with that, like myself, you walk through the neighborhood praying for whatever comes to mind and for those living and working in the neighborhood. When we got to 125th and Lexington though, we found out that instead we were going to be doing a prayer station. Basically, handing out fliers on the closest street corners and directing people to the prayer station if they wanted to pray. Had some of our students known this is what we were going to be doing, I don’t think they would have been as excited. A few of them had never even prayed aloud or for other people before. We came across people with mental illnesses, high on drugs, drunk, homeless, and just hurting. I think it was amazing how many people stopped and asked our students to pray for them right there rather than taking time to go over the the actual prayer station.
Brennyn, Taryn, and Devin praying.
People have asked me a variety of questions since I’ve been back about the trip. One of the most common was would it have been better to partner with a church and work the same thing all week. To be brutally honest, I think that would be a terrible idea for a trip to New York. Sure, it would work and be great, I have no doubt. But I think our students got an exposure to a much wider slice of both life in general and life in New York by working at different places, and different areas of the city, all week. I thought it was amazing how the week progressed to a more “spiritual” focus by the end of the week. I think that unintended plan allowed the prayer station at the end of the week to have an event more important impact and lasting impression on our students than if we had done that all week. The ability of students to spend a couple of days at the Clothing Bank and learn how the city is trying to take care of it’s own, outside of ministry circles, wouldn’t have happened. I truly wouldn’t want it any other way.
I’m already planning how to spend my vacation time for next year so that I can go on the trip again. I wouldn’t miss it for anything in the world. It’s easily been the highlight of my summer.
What’s been the highlight of your summer?
Lincoln Center
Paid In Full
I received this story in my email today. I know it’s slightly corny, but I’ve been asking God a lot lately what my purpose is here on earth, and I think this was just a reminder today that He’s got it all in control and I just need to keep trusting in him until he reveals his plan more to me.
After living what I felt was a ‘decent’ life, my time on earth came to the end.
The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I thought to be a court house..
The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the defense table.
As I looked around I saw the ‘prosecutor.’
He was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at me. He definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen.
I sat down and looked to my left and there sat My Attorney, a kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed so familiar to me, I felt I knew Him.
The corner door flew open and there appeared the Judge in full flowing robes.
He commanded an awesome presence as He moved across the room. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Him.
As He took His seat behind the bench, He said, ‘Let us begin.’
The prosecutor rose and said,
‘My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this man belongs in hell.’
He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole, and In the past when I cheated others. Satan told of other horrible Perversions that were once in my life and the more he spoke, the further down in my seat I sank.
I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t look at anyone, even my own Attorney, as the Devil told of sins that even I had completely forgotten about.
As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was equally upset at My Attorney who sat there silently not offering any form of defense at all.
I know I had been guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my life – couldn’t that at least equal out part of the harm I’d done?
Satan finished with a fury and said, ‘This man belongs in hell, he is guilty of all that I have charged and there is not a person who can prove otherwise.’
When it was His turn, My Attorney first asked if He might approach the bench. The Judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and beckoned Him to come forward.
As He got up and started walking, I was able to see Him in His full splendor and majesty.
I realized why He seemed so familiar; this was Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Savior. He stopped at the bench and softly said to the Judge, ‘Hi, Dad,’ and then He turned to address the court.
‘Satan was correct in saying that this man had sinned, I won’t deny any of these allegations. And, yes, the wages of sin is death, and this man deserves to be punished.’
Jesus took a deep breath and turned to His Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed, ‘However, I died on the cross so that this person might have eternal life and he has accepted Me as his Savior, so he is Mine.’
My Lord continued with, ‘His name is written in the Book of Life, and no one can snatch him from Me.
Satan still does not understand yet. This man is not to be given justice, but rather mercy.’
As Jesus sat down, He quietly paused, looked at His Father and said, ‘There is nothing else that needs to be done.’
‘I’ve done it all.’
The Judge lifted His mighty hand and slammed the gavel down. The following words bellowed from His lips..
‘This man is free. The penalty for him has already been paid in full. ‘Case dismissed.’
As my Lord led me away, I could hear Satan ranting and raving, ‘I won’t give up, I will win the next one.’ I asked Jesus as He gave me my instructions where to go next, ‘Have you ever lost a case?’
Christ lovingly smiled and said, ‘Everyone that has come to Me and asked Me to represent them has received the same verdict as you, ~Paid In Full~’
‘Stop telling God how big your storm is.
Instead, tell the storm how big your God is!’
Nashville In Need
Nashville is a place I love. I’ve been there probably a half dozen times, and each time I come away from the trip loving the South more and more. Maybe it helps that my sister graduated from Belmont, or maybe it’s how friendly the people are, celebrities or not. My sister showed me the fantastic food at McDougal’s and Pancake Pantry, and I’ve loved spending time in Gruhn’s Guitars looking at the amazing guitars and banjos. I can still remember one banjo that was all decked out in gold, red, white and blue. I wanted to take it home, but I think the thing cost like $10,000 or something. These are some of the reasons why I’ve been so devastated by the destruction caused by massive flooding a week or so ago.
Probably more disturbing and disheartening than my memories being irrevocably changed by the flood is seeing the lives of people I know be upended. Some people are trying to dry out their belongings in the hope that some of them can be saved. Others are just throwing everything out because it’s not even repairable. Many people have started gutting their houses, others are trying to find a place to live while they live out of a suitcase and a borrowed room at someone’s house. Flooring, walls, carpeting, furniture, appliances, everything that you use in your everyday life is ruined.
Can you imagine what this does to people’s emotions? I wouldn’t blame most Nashvillers (is that a word?) from curling up in a ball and crying for a while. It’s a proper and acceptable emotion in times like 
this. I know I would spend a fair share of my time doing that. You can only go along so long pretending everything is ok before you hit that wall and just crumple for a little while.
It’s been amazing though to see what most folks in Nashville have been doing. While they struggle through their own devastation and heartbreak, they’ve banded together like never before to help those in need around them. This has been an opportunity for not only the Church to shine in the community, but also for the goodness inherent in all people to come shining through.
Let me commend you all for doing an amazing job of showing true community and love in a horrible situation!
I follow a lot of people from Nashville through Twitter, and I just want to tell you how much I love what Pete Wilson and his congregation at CrossPoint.TV have been doing. This last weekend, CrossPointers banded together and went out into the community to help clean up houses, even though many of them have their own houses to clean out and gut. I know Pete got the opportunity to talk with Anderson Cooper about what’s been going on in Nashville, and CrossPoint has setup a Flood Relief Fund to help out those who have been devastated.
So real simply, here’s how we can help.
I strongly encourage you to click on the link below and donate to CrossPoint’s Flood Relief Fund. I trust them as an organization and know that the money will go towards those that have had their lives upended.
BP Takes it Like a Man
I have, like many of you, been watching the drama unfold in the Gulf Coast over the last few weeks. People’s incomes, ways of life, and dreams have so far become very close to being irrevocably changed. We watch with anticipation as people prepare sand bags, lay containment booms, and pray that the oil doesn’t make it to shore. Fragile ecosystems are in danger of being destroyed, much of the States seafood population is in danger, and one thing has stood out to me during this whole experience so far.
BP has completely stepped up to the plate to accept their share of responsibility. Repeatedly, BP has stated that they will cover the majority of costs for the oil spill and subsequent cleanup. They haven’t skirted around the fact that it was their lease on the well that exploded, even though they had subcontracted the management of the well to another company.
Not only has BP stepped up to the plate and accepted responsibility, but they are doing everything they can think of to shut this well off. BP engineers are throwing every option that even remotely seems possible onto the table if they think there’s a chance that it might fix the problem. I believe if they thought an iceberg would solve the problem, they would cut a chunk off somewhere in the Arctic and ship it down to the Gulf.
I have to commend BP for accepting responsibility for the fact that this was their well, and doing everything they can to fix the situation. In today’s litigious society, it’s nice to see a company, and a multinational company, and an OIL company, step up. I understand that this may involve higher gas prices for us because of the amount this may cost, as gas is already starting to climb. But in an era of “blame the other guy”, it’s good to see such a large company set a positive example in the midst of a life-changing crisis.
Thanks for setting a good example British Petroleum.
