The students in BREAKOUT's youth ministry have really started to connect outside of church! Last night, Sarah, one of our Teen360 Leaders, invited everyone out to see Hunger Games at the Lincoln Theater in Belleville, Illinois. There were at least ten of us that showed up, and we all had a blast! Now, only two of us were guys, so we're obviously going to have to step up our game on the manly side.
I ended up sitting behind a girl that blatantly went into flirt mode with me the entire movie. I stayed nice about it and played it safe, not ignoring her comments but not trying to feed the flame either (if you know what I'm saying); nothing about that says one can't be nice to the person. It was rather awkward after the movie, when a high school student walked up to me and says, "so the girl you were talking to in the movie, she wants to talk to you now if you will, because she really likes you." As it turns out, one of my teens knew her and said, "Tim, she's a junior." I politely responded to the girl's friend with, "Tell her I'm 25." It didn't take long for them to leave.
That's sad for me though. In that situation, I'm not really able to get to know this girl to find out if she is unchurched or not, and now if she did find our youth ministry something she might be interested in connecting with, it could be embarrassing for her, seeing me as the "25 year old youth pastor she had a crush on at the movies", at least for a few weeks. Thankfully, I can pray for her and her friends. They were still pretty cool, and they picked a good movie to watch.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
LIFE
Last weekend me and my Youth Leadership Teen360 team took 8 teens to compete in an art and sports competition called Celebrate Life. I am so proud of our teens bringing home 5 medals this year, and three of them being eligible for regionals to compete in Volleyball, Dodgeball, Bowling, Home Run Derby, and Singing Solo! I was asked to speak for the event on Friday night, and this is the message God laid on my heart.
Matthew 20:11-18, 24-29; Acts 2:42-47
The hills around you are lifeless, and choked by weeds. A giant, roughly cut, rock has been rolled away from a dark, depressing cave. Imagine being Mary, the mother of Jesus, still weeping for the loss of your son, and taking in the dry air of this grave, quite different from the garden your son originally had a hand in creating. Imagine the way you feel as you step to the edge of the rock, and see nothing but an empty cave and loose garments lying shapeless where your son should be.
A beam of light catches the corners of your eyes, and as you turn an angelic host asks why you stand there in tears. You are frantic and try to explain that you are afraid someone has stolen away with the corpse of your son, but the angel stops you, and then calls your name, in a way that seems so familiar. The patience and Love in His voice reminds you of the hope you delivered to the world just thirty three years before.
“JESUS!”, you reply, as your tears of sorrow become that of rejoicing, and you begin to embrace your son for the first time since his brutal torture just three days ago. Then He looks you in the eyes and says, “Don’t hold onto me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and yours, to my God and your God.” Without delay, you run to the disciples with the news that you have seen the Lord, alive, and risen from the dead!
The room is dark. Lights remind you all of the hope that was lost three days before. All you have heard have been the mourning from those who feel like life has been doomed to failure, when an unexpected cry is heard from the distance. Suddenly, The door is swung open, and Mary comes forward with the news that Jesus has risen from the dead!
Imagine being Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples, hearing Mary’s words, after spending three days trying to convince yourself that the painful image of your savior being nailed to a splintery, carelessly built, wooden cross somehow never happened, but finally deciding the hope you had believed in was lost forever. You heard his cries. You saw His blood pouring from His body. You were there when He took His final breath. This news that Mary brings is too much like the fictional stories friends share around campfires; it can be anything but real.
Imagine hearing the others, who you consider brothers and sisters, shouting that they have seen the Lord, alive and walking among them. There is no way you’ll believe it, unless you see the nail marks in His hands, and put your finger where they pierced His skin. Unless you could put your hand into His side, where they struck Him with that spear, there is no way this story could be believable.
Imagine Jesus appears, a few days later, standing before you. He looks you in the eyes and says, “Thomas, put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting, and believe.” You stand speechless before His Majesty, humbled by your disbelief, and your only response is, “You are my Lord and my God!” Then He takes hold of you, and you feel His heart break for the limits of your faith, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
The hands of the clock move fast. Life doesn’t seem to move any slower, but for a brief moment there is time to take a breath. Imagine being in a room with a large crowd of people that are acting as if they’ve just witnessed the greatest miracle on earth! Imagine hearing Peter, who was with Jesus as He ascended into the sky, now speaking to everyone about God’s Holy presence filling everyone with gifts of praise and worship. He speaks of being set apart as God’s people; asked to be adopted into His family. Everyone is devoted to the teachings of those that stand with Peter, and they begin showing what God has done through wonders and signs you’ve only heard people talk about. Imagine not feeling out of place, like you were made for this, and the room is united in fellowship. The people immediately respond by giving to those in need and praying for one another. You hear cheerful singing and testimonies of God’s Love. No one stands in silence, and the chills you feel on your arms are from your desire to invite everyone to experience what you have seen!
Today, in the midst of all of your friends and churches, let these images be the celebration of your life. God has created you with a purpose! His Son, accepted the punishment of sin in your place, went through your death, so that you can spend eternity in His Family! Jesus has had victory over death, has risen, and offers this Love to everyone who will believe!
Does this story remind you of the fictional movie you saw last week? Like Thomas, will you have to see and feel Jesus’ wounds before it could ever be true? Or will you run with it, like Mary, not afraid if you stand alone among those who choose not to believe? Will you take the call, go into our world, sharing this message with others; with the hope that all will experience what you have heard, and use the Gifts God has given you, in praise and worship of His Name?
You are standing in His presence, He is reaching out to you, offering you this gift of life. How will you celebrate it?
Matthew 20:11-18, 24-29; Acts 2:42-47
The hills around you are lifeless, and choked by weeds. A giant, roughly cut, rock has been rolled away from a dark, depressing cave. Imagine being Mary, the mother of Jesus, still weeping for the loss of your son, and taking in the dry air of this grave, quite different from the garden your son originally had a hand in creating. Imagine the way you feel as you step to the edge of the rock, and see nothing but an empty cave and loose garments lying shapeless where your son should be.
A beam of light catches the corners of your eyes, and as you turn an angelic host asks why you stand there in tears. You are frantic and try to explain that you are afraid someone has stolen away with the corpse of your son, but the angel stops you, and then calls your name, in a way that seems so familiar. The patience and Love in His voice reminds you of the hope you delivered to the world just thirty three years before.
“JESUS!”, you reply, as your tears of sorrow become that of rejoicing, and you begin to embrace your son for the first time since his brutal torture just three days ago. Then He looks you in the eyes and says, “Don’t hold onto me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and yours, to my God and your God.” Without delay, you run to the disciples with the news that you have seen the Lord, alive, and risen from the dead!
The room is dark. Lights remind you all of the hope that was lost three days before. All you have heard have been the mourning from those who feel like life has been doomed to failure, when an unexpected cry is heard from the distance. Suddenly, The door is swung open, and Mary comes forward with the news that Jesus has risen from the dead!
Imagine being Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples, hearing Mary’s words, after spending three days trying to convince yourself that the painful image of your savior being nailed to a splintery, carelessly built, wooden cross somehow never happened, but finally deciding the hope you had believed in was lost forever. You heard his cries. You saw His blood pouring from His body. You were there when He took His final breath. This news that Mary brings is too much like the fictional stories friends share around campfires; it can be anything but real.
Imagine hearing the others, who you consider brothers and sisters, shouting that they have seen the Lord, alive and walking among them. There is no way you’ll believe it, unless you see the nail marks in His hands, and put your finger where they pierced His skin. Unless you could put your hand into His side, where they struck Him with that spear, there is no way this story could be believable.
Imagine Jesus appears, a few days later, standing before you. He looks you in the eyes and says, “Thomas, put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting, and believe.” You stand speechless before His Majesty, humbled by your disbelief, and your only response is, “You are my Lord and my God!” Then He takes hold of you, and you feel His heart break for the limits of your faith, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
The hands of the clock move fast. Life doesn’t seem to move any slower, but for a brief moment there is time to take a breath. Imagine being in a room with a large crowd of people that are acting as if they’ve just witnessed the greatest miracle on earth! Imagine hearing Peter, who was with Jesus as He ascended into the sky, now speaking to everyone about God’s Holy presence filling everyone with gifts of praise and worship. He speaks of being set apart as God’s people; asked to be adopted into His family. Everyone is devoted to the teachings of those that stand with Peter, and they begin showing what God has done through wonders and signs you’ve only heard people talk about. Imagine not feeling out of place, like you were made for this, and the room is united in fellowship. The people immediately respond by giving to those in need and praying for one another. You hear cheerful singing and testimonies of God’s Love. No one stands in silence, and the chills you feel on your arms are from your desire to invite everyone to experience what you have seen!
Today, in the midst of all of your friends and churches, let these images be the celebration of your life. God has created you with a purpose! His Son, accepted the punishment of sin in your place, went through your death, so that you can spend eternity in His Family! Jesus has had victory over death, has risen, and offers this Love to everyone who will believe!
Does this story remind you of the fictional movie you saw last week? Like Thomas, will you have to see and feel Jesus’ wounds before it could ever be true? Or will you run with it, like Mary, not afraid if you stand alone among those who choose not to believe? Will you take the call, go into our world, sharing this message with others; with the hope that all will experience what you have heard, and use the Gifts God has given you, in praise and worship of His Name?
You are standing in His presence, He is reaching out to you, offering you this gift of life. How will you celebrate it?
Thursday, March 22, 2012
The Influence of a Teen
Last night, we focused on Matthew 23:27-28. It's Jesus' complaint to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, aka God's Word, that their lives looked more like whitewashed tombs; bright and clean on the outside, warning people of the death and decay on the inside. For more on my take of this scripture, read up on my blog, "Whoa! To the Hypocrites: How to Wake the Dead".
I am so humbled by the way the BREAKOUT worship service went last night. The evening started with a solo by Katie W. Her song choice is what she is competing with this weekend at Celebrate Life. She showcased the talent God has given her by singing Angel By Your Side by Francesca Battistelli.
The SkitGuys put together some very emotional dramas, one of which is called God's Chisel. I had William B. join me with the skit, and gave him the opportunity to showcase the gift in drama ministry God has given him. He played Tony, a man that had just prayed for God to craft him into one of His original masterpieces, and I portrayed God with a "chisel" and hammer. (the chisel resembled more of a screwdriver, but the point was made) Throughout the skit, Tony gets more and more fearful of what God is chiseling out of his life, because with every tap of the hammer comes a little more pain. The message is that if we allow God to be the sculptor, He has already had His eyes on us as one of His original masterpieces, because He never makes junk.
At the end of the night, it was exciting to have the opportunity to sing with the teens in a time of musical worship, and one of the adults even came in to join us! During worship, we had the opportunity to write everything we've held in our lives that separates us from our relationship to God over to Him on little sheets of paper. Those were then brought up to a cross we had roughly made before the service and nailed to it, symbolising letting Jesus have the victory over those areas of our lives. It is very humbling to see teens writing what God has laid on their hearts to give up, and coming forward on their own to hand those areas over to our Loving Heavenly Father.
God is definately wanting to move if we just simply open our eyes to His presence, and humble ourselves before Him.
I am so humbled by the way the BREAKOUT worship service went last night. The evening started with a solo by Katie W. Her song choice is what she is competing with this weekend at Celebrate Life. She showcased the talent God has given her by singing Angel By Your Side by Francesca Battistelli.
The SkitGuys put together some very emotional dramas, one of which is called God's Chisel. I had William B. join me with the skit, and gave him the opportunity to showcase the gift in drama ministry God has given him. He played Tony, a man that had just prayed for God to craft him into one of His original masterpieces, and I portrayed God with a "chisel" and hammer. (the chisel resembled more of a screwdriver, but the point was made) Throughout the skit, Tony gets more and more fearful of what God is chiseling out of his life, because with every tap of the hammer comes a little more pain. The message is that if we allow God to be the sculptor, He has already had His eyes on us as one of His original masterpieces, because He never makes junk.
At the end of the night, it was exciting to have the opportunity to sing with the teens in a time of musical worship, and one of the adults even came in to join us! During worship, we had the opportunity to write everything we've held in our lives that separates us from our relationship to God over to Him on little sheets of paper. Those were then brought up to a cross we had roughly made before the service and nailed to it, symbolising letting Jesus have the victory over those areas of our lives. It is very humbling to see teens writing what God has laid on their hearts to give up, and coming forward on their own to hand those areas over to our Loving Heavenly Father.
God is definately wanting to move if we just simply open our eyes to His presence, and humble ourselves before Him.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Influenced
Before you scroll down and read this excerpt from a blog posted by Carlos Whittaker, one of today's Christian Music Artists, I must confess that I am guilty of this. I saw this clip shared by a friend of mine in his blog, A Shelf Full of Stories, and it has put me in check. I guess the best way to give the 60th entry to this blog is to say I am sorry for the times I have tried to promote myself in this way. Just A Sprinkle's purpose is to identify that I am merely a simple human being, although shaped by God's amazing craftsmanship, created to worship and be a part of the living, breathing, Church. We should have the desire to promote God to the world that has lost Him, and share our lives with our neighbors in encouragement, discipleship, fellowship, and servant hood. How does it change the way you feel when someone shows compassion for your deepest pain, or reaches out a helping hand to support you in your time of need, or rejoices with you when you are blessed beyond measure? I desire to point my neighbors in the direction of others' ministries that are built on glorifying the name of our God and Savior. My prayer is that the words God lays on my heart reflect that.
This is what Carlos had to say about influence:
Influence.
We all want it.
There is an entire genre of books and such set aside for it.
And when we don’t get it, have it, or miss it, we head over to Applebee’s and throw down some babyback ribs along with some really cheap beer waiting for it to slowly kill us.
We all want it.
There is an entire genre of books and such set aside for it.
And when we don’t get it, have it, or miss it, we head over to Applebee’s and throw down some babyback ribs along with some really cheap beer waiting for it to slowly kill us.
But let’s look at the life of Jesus for a second.
He was passed up by every influential leader of his time.
Every. Single. One.
He was passed up by every influential leader of his time.
Every. Single. One.
Jesus did not set out to become an influential leader by getting other influential leaders to fall in love with him.
He set out to see people rescued from the grip of death.
And lives changed was the base of his influence.
Not the words of another.
He set out to see people rescued from the grip of death.
And lives changed was the base of his influence.
Not the words of another.
So while others can surely help you gain influence, that is not the sort of influence you want.
Influence based on lives changed is what you want.
So quit looking for that retweet, that endorsement, that conference slot.
That is not the way Jesus built His influence.
Influence based on lives changed is what you want.
So quit looking for that retweet, that endorsement, that conference slot.
That is not the way Jesus built His influence.
And dare I say that is not the way we should build ours.
Los (http://www.ragamuffinsoul.com/2011/03/jc/)"
Los (http://www.ragamuffinsoul.com/2011/03/jc/)"
Monday, March 19, 2012
The Fruit of the Spirit In Family
On the way home last night, one of my teens hit me with a question that makes you just want to hug the one that asks it; "What was it like growing up with a real dad?" I needed this. I feel like I can relate to the majority of people in some kind of way, I may have never taken part in illegal substances, or tasted alcohol, but I've had a few too many Red Bulls and Mountain Dew that gave me sugar highs or messed with my way of thinking. I may have never started a fight or thrown punches, but I've shielded myself from a few so that I wouldn't become a puddle on the floor. This question reminded me that I can relate to people about the struggles of not always getting along with parents, and sometimes not even wanting to speak to the ones I love, but I have been blessed to have been raised by a dad who I share a bloodline with; a dad who enjoyed playing catch with me when I was growing up, or spent countless hours planning family vacations and taveling for miles to enjoy what God has created for us, a dad who never minded sitting down and offering his advice in times of trouble. I can't necessarily relate to someone who never knew their real father, but there was a time when I didn't know my Heavenly Father, and He accepted me anyway! I am thankful for an earthly father who pointed me to God; Our creater who offers us an eternity in a family that never neglects, ignores, mistreats, abuses, distrusts, hates, despises, or rejects us. A family that believes in Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness, and Self-Control.
I hope to be evidence of that in my life, but it pains me to see a child who wonders what that looks like. Parents, you have a huge responsibility on your shoulders for raising your child(ren), but don't forget about them in the process. You are such a blessing to each other.
I hope to be evidence of that in my life, but it pains me to see a child who wonders what that looks like. Parents, you have a huge responsibility on your shoulders for raising your child(ren), but don't forget about them in the process. You are such a blessing to each other.
Bonding Time
God's Spirit is alive and kicking in His Church at Parkview Nazarene in Fairview Heights! Last night, for our new Time With God, we started the church out by getting the adults and teens together to talk to them about intercessory prayer. The pastor opened the floor up for anyone to present their prayer requests, and my teens flooded the scene with their lists! It was amazing to see the tables turned where the adults were able to hear so many heartfelt desires pouring from the mouth of Junior and Senior Highers, and they inspired others to join in. The prayer time was opened for anyone to lead in prayer and the Holy Spirit guided the night from there. A couple of adults prayed out loud, and then my eyes began to water as I heard one of the teens from junior high begin to lead. His prayer was heartfelt and sincere, pouring out every thought he had of the concerns for people that was in his life, as well as his own. He is one of the newest adopted into the Family of God, and dealing with a lot of temptations, but last night he inspired me with how important prayer is.
Time With God lasted an hour last night. 30 minutes of around eight people leading, and another 30 where people were praying quietly together. What is happening here is in God's control, and that is a beautiful place to be. Deven was the teen that led in that lengthy prayer, but he was not the only teen to lead. Stepping forward was William and Howard as well, and I am so proud of both of them for wanting to "try this prayer thing out". When I began to walk up to the altar I also noticed that Katie had joined her mom already, arm in arm, praying together. I couldn't help but join them. I had prayers of my own, concerns for where God is taking me in life, but in the spirit where the Church is praying together those concerns are so much more easily seen as taken care of. I am so thankful to be a part of the family of God!
William and Deven made a pact to begin an accountabily group. Joining them, I hope to glean my own understanding of how this works so that I can begin one with someone my own age and close to my backyard. We are challenging each other to read 25 chapters of the bible every week, starting in Matthew, and letting God lead us from there. It is good to know you can trust someone with confidence in tough issues like how we are facing our tempations and walking with God.
Time With God lasted an hour last night. 30 minutes of around eight people leading, and another 30 where people were praying quietly together. What is happening here is in God's control, and that is a beautiful place to be. Deven was the teen that led in that lengthy prayer, but he was not the only teen to lead. Stepping forward was William and Howard as well, and I am so proud of both of them for wanting to "try this prayer thing out". When I began to walk up to the altar I also noticed that Katie had joined her mom already, arm in arm, praying together. I couldn't help but join them. I had prayers of my own, concerns for where God is taking me in life, but in the spirit where the Church is praying together those concerns are so much more easily seen as taken care of. I am so thankful to be a part of the family of God!
William and Deven made a pact to begin an accountabily group. Joining them, I hope to glean my own understanding of how this works so that I can begin one with someone my own age and close to my backyard. We are challenging each other to read 25 chapters of the bible every week, starting in Matthew, and letting God lead us from there. It is good to know you can trust someone with confidence in tough issues like how we are facing our tempations and walking with God.
Team Day South
I got a message last week, asking if I would be interested in playing cajon and back-up vocals with the guitarist for worship at the upcoming Illinois Nazarene District Team Day South, in Salem, Illinois. I am always excited about these kind of offers, so this was a great surprise! Last Saturday was that Team Day; a conference consisting of seminars for different areas of ministry, including Sunday School, Youth Internation, Missions, and Pastoral. We started the day with the worship set, and I joined Tim Young Jr. with All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name, My Redeemer Lives, and Lead Me to the Cross. It is such a great feeling to look out and see God's Church standing in worship, humbled by the presence of His Holy Spirit, filling us with the excitement of living for Him!
At first, I didn't know what to think of this year's Team Day. Previous years seemed to have a much better flow, looking at it from before the day would begin. This year was really good for me! The Nazarene church is starting to really push for movement outside of its four walls, and the seminars were geared toward the same.
My first seminar pick was taught by my good friend Tim Sorenson, youth pastor at a Nazarene church in Royalton, Illinois. We got to hear his life-changing examples of teens in his ministry that have effected him and his family, as well as meet one of the mom's, of a teen from his church, that was unsaved a year ago, but is now volunteering and helping out where she can! I cannot begin to tell you how much one teen can change the way we live for Christ, their testimonies speak for themselves.
The second was with Todd Holmann, a youth pastor at Casey, Illinois, speaking about face-to-face ministry. He has a fantastic way fo showing how important humor is in ministry; breaking the ice to begin forming relationships that last a life-time. We started with a few "what if" questions, which got the group laughing and opening up to each other, and he went on about how important it is to form relationships with those in our ministries, because trust is so important in a culture where trust is almost as rare as an endangered species.
Our third part of the day was lunch. (For more on what this lunch consisted of, check out my blog on "40 Days of Plenty" and read my post "Why Yes, I'll Have Another Slice") This lunch was different than in years past, because round table discussions were offered while we ate together in fellowship! I didn't know how this would really go over before it began, but it was really helpful to hang out among those that share the same concerns and excitements I have for serving Christ. It just goes to prove judging a book by its cover does about as much good as burning it and hoping to absorb the details by inhaling the fumes.
The third seminar was on using social networking as a ministry resource. What was great about this class was that it wasn't saying social networking was the only way to go, and it wasn't created with sarcasm to say using technology hurts ministry either. Like me, this class was geared toward having a healthy balance of both face-to-face ministry and media ministry. The teacher, Sharon Autenrieth, started out the class by asking everyone to state their name and what social networking sites we are a part of...the average was one site per person, everyone's heads turned when I started my list. Thankfully, I have been able to tie all of mine together so when I post to one it shows up on the others, otherwise my head would explode. I offered a little piece to the pie by saying social networks are great for speedy connections, but the only place you'll find a connection emotionally is face-to-face. One thing to remember about all of this technology, even for a guy like me who seems to be involved in a never ending list of networking sites, is the best place to find a real relationship is in person.
The final class I had signed up for was with the special speaker, Darrell MacLearn. He is a Senior Consultant of NCS and has an amazing testimony about the home church neighborhood network he has started where he lives. The session he led was about Life Transformation Groups. I had been through a similar course during last years Team Day, but this was a nice refresher and it always helps to have another perspective on a topic! The key point that I take from talking about "Life Transormation Groups" is that no matter what you want to call it, it's beneficial to have an accountabilty partner that you can get into scripture with, talk about it together, hold each other to some tough questions to keep us on guard with the temptaitions we face daily, think of people we can pray will recieve Christ, and pray together. Call it whatever you want, but accountability and support are so important in our walk as fellow followers of Christ!
I always take something home from Team Day, and this year's didn't disappoint.
At first, I didn't know what to think of this year's Team Day. Previous years seemed to have a much better flow, looking at it from before the day would begin. This year was really good for me! The Nazarene church is starting to really push for movement outside of its four walls, and the seminars were geared toward the same.
My first seminar pick was taught by my good friend Tim Sorenson, youth pastor at a Nazarene church in Royalton, Illinois. We got to hear his life-changing examples of teens in his ministry that have effected him and his family, as well as meet one of the mom's, of a teen from his church, that was unsaved a year ago, but is now volunteering and helping out where she can! I cannot begin to tell you how much one teen can change the way we live for Christ, their testimonies speak for themselves.
The second was with Todd Holmann, a youth pastor at Casey, Illinois, speaking about face-to-face ministry. He has a fantastic way fo showing how important humor is in ministry; breaking the ice to begin forming relationships that last a life-time. We started with a few "what if" questions, which got the group laughing and opening up to each other, and he went on about how important it is to form relationships with those in our ministries, because trust is so important in a culture where trust is almost as rare as an endangered species.
Our third part of the day was lunch. (For more on what this lunch consisted of, check out my blog on "40 Days of Plenty" and read my post "Why Yes, I'll Have Another Slice") This lunch was different than in years past, because round table discussions were offered while we ate together in fellowship! I didn't know how this would really go over before it began, but it was really helpful to hang out among those that share the same concerns and excitements I have for serving Christ. It just goes to prove judging a book by its cover does about as much good as burning it and hoping to absorb the details by inhaling the fumes.
The third seminar was on using social networking as a ministry resource. What was great about this class was that it wasn't saying social networking was the only way to go, and it wasn't created with sarcasm to say using technology hurts ministry either. Like me, this class was geared toward having a healthy balance of both face-to-face ministry and media ministry. The teacher, Sharon Autenrieth, started out the class by asking everyone to state their name and what social networking sites we are a part of...the average was one site per person, everyone's heads turned when I started my list. Thankfully, I have been able to tie all of mine together so when I post to one it shows up on the others, otherwise my head would explode. I offered a little piece to the pie by saying social networks are great for speedy connections, but the only place you'll find a connection emotionally is face-to-face. One thing to remember about all of this technology, even for a guy like me who seems to be involved in a never ending list of networking sites, is the best place to find a real relationship is in person.
The final class I had signed up for was with the special speaker, Darrell MacLearn. He is a Senior Consultant of NCS and has an amazing testimony about the home church neighborhood network he has started where he lives. The session he led was about Life Transformation Groups. I had been through a similar course during last years Team Day, but this was a nice refresher and it always helps to have another perspective on a topic! The key point that I take from talking about "Life Transormation Groups" is that no matter what you want to call it, it's beneficial to have an accountabilty partner that you can get into scripture with, talk about it together, hold each other to some tough questions to keep us on guard with the temptaitions we face daily, think of people we can pray will recieve Christ, and pray together. Call it whatever you want, but accountability and support are so important in our walk as fellow followers of Christ!
I always take something home from Team Day, and this year's didn't disappoint.
Friday, March 16, 2012
High School Musical Wizard of Oz
I was privileged to see the O'Fallon, Illinois, High School musical of Wizard of Oz last night! Let's go ahead and get the negatives out of the way so we can move on with the good parts! The whole program ended up being about 4 hours long, but since it was their first night I am sure they'll find a way to reduce the breaks in between scenes so they won't be as long for the rest of the weekend. (hopefully) A couple of the head mics were cutting out, but that was minimal for the amount of movement on the stage. My only other negative is something I have yet to find different at any high school play; the band was not at its best. Of course, when you consider all the line-ups the band has to practice for throughout the length of a school year, some off rythms, sharps, flats, and squeaks are to be expected.
Beyond that, the musical was brilliantly done! The girl who played Dorothy had an amazingly smooth vibrato and her accent fir the part perfectly. Tin Man, Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion fit their parts like gloves, and I wouldn't be shocked to see the girl who played the Wicked Witch of the West have a cameo in a future Broadway Musical showing of Wicked. The cast and crew did a really cool color scheme with Muchkin Land and the Jitterbug scene, with the brightest of colors, blacklight, and some really creative costumes, and the choreographed dance routines included a stage full of cast, and was almost seamless.
The Wizard of Oz was fully set up with a giant screen on the stage that actually worked! The guy that played the wizard had a closeup video playing of just his face, and the sound effects, which sounded a bit like a tin can, worked well for creating the mood they were trying to convey. They even had lightening flashing around him as he spoke.
If there was one scene I would have liked to see more artistic talent put into, it would have been the hot air balloon ride when the wizard is trying to take Dorothy back to Kansas by air. They positioned the cast to where the wizard was almost off stage so they could just lift him up as a group to make it look like he was lifting off into the air. While it worked, the scene would have been amazing with the basket of a hot air balloon attached to some cables that would hoist it up into the ceiling. I would not have been able to resist dropping my jaw for that one.
I have to give props to all the musical talent that exists in the O'Fallon school. This musical was top notch in vocals, even when cast members were singing while dancing or using stairs, they all have a lot to be proud of.
Beyond that, the musical was brilliantly done! The girl who played Dorothy had an amazingly smooth vibrato and her accent fir the part perfectly. Tin Man, Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion fit their parts like gloves, and I wouldn't be shocked to see the girl who played the Wicked Witch of the West have a cameo in a future Broadway Musical showing of Wicked. The cast and crew did a really cool color scheme with Muchkin Land and the Jitterbug scene, with the brightest of colors, blacklight, and some really creative costumes, and the choreographed dance routines included a stage full of cast, and was almost seamless.
The Wizard of Oz was fully set up with a giant screen on the stage that actually worked! The guy that played the wizard had a closeup video playing of just his face, and the sound effects, which sounded a bit like a tin can, worked well for creating the mood they were trying to convey. They even had lightening flashing around him as he spoke.
If there was one scene I would have liked to see more artistic talent put into, it would have been the hot air balloon ride when the wizard is trying to take Dorothy back to Kansas by air. They positioned the cast to where the wizard was almost off stage so they could just lift him up as a group to make it look like he was lifting off into the air. While it worked, the scene would have been amazing with the basket of a hot air balloon attached to some cables that would hoist it up into the ceiling. I would not have been able to resist dropping my jaw for that one.
I have to give props to all the musical talent that exists in the O'Fallon school. This musical was top notch in vocals, even when cast members were singing while dancing or using stairs, they all have a lot to be proud of.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Why I Love Youth Ministry! (Propz and Exclamation Marks)
Sometimes the teens in my youth ministry can drive me crazy, but no matter what, they are trully a blessing. I have got to give them propz!
We've been starting up student-led ministries, where teens can actually take on ministries of their own, and worship God by being leaders with the gifts they've been given. This program has been off to a slow start, but they are finally starting to see where they can put into action what they have to offer. It's exciting to feel the movement of their passions!
Last week, Haylee W. started the youth service off with a special song she is practicing for an upcoming church district competition called Celebrate Life. What's even more special about this is that she is singing it while playing piano. William B. is also coming a long way with his desire to lead worship in song. Last night he started the night off with The Altar and the Door by Casting Crowns, played on his accoustic. For the worship line-up, William led on accoustic, I backed him up with a little ukulele and Cajon, and Katie W. got the powerpoint slides up and running for everyone to follow the words!
Katie has shown a lot of interest in computer aided design, and he talents helped greatly last night. She is showing a desire to do even more with making the lyrics to worship music easier to follow, and helping put together a trip for teens that have a passion for video and photography. St. Louis couldn't be a better place for it!
Howard T. stepped up last Sunday by putting together a basketball practice for the guys heading to Celebrate Life for the tournament. This will be our first year having enough guys participating to form a whole basketball team, and Howard is using his good sportsmanlike attitude on the court to lead people the way Jesus would play the game. What's even better is that not only were the five guys at the practice that are going to the competition, but two others joined in to play as well, and last night, Howard got into a friendly one on one game with a visitor that showed up at our church! You never know who's heart God is softening through a friendly game of basketball.
William B. and Deven M. has taken the challenge to form a prayer team. Now that we have started Quiet Time with God on Sunday nights, an all church prayer and devotional time, prayer becoming more of a natural part of our relationship with God can be somewhat challenging, especially when going it alone. These two teens have teamed up together as trust partners, and have shown a desire to not only pray together, but start up prayer journals so they can follow their progress and stay encouraged. It's exciting to see people working together!
I was proud of Jorden M. last night for stepping up and being willing to talk about some of the struggles she is having, and wanting to make it right between her and God. We prayed it through last night, and she asked for forgiveness of some of those areas of her life that have separated her from her relationship with God! My heart leaps inside of me when I am able to pray with students through times like that! Jorden also talked last night about some of the food she loves to cook, and she is willing to put those gifts into action if she is given the right tools. (I'm leaning towards her being the first teen we ask to help in the kitchen for the supper on Wednesday nights) Howard's dad has also offered to help us with a fundraiser cookout and car wash on Saturday, March 31, at the Valvoline in O'Fallon, Illinois! We love our food at Parkview Church of the Nazarene, and who wouldn't want to share it for others to enjoy!?
Maddy G. is one of our College and Career students. She has recently been expressing an interest in volunteering as a hands on leader in our ministry, and has helped keep a few of our Clusters, small groups, on track on Sunday mornings. With her help, we are looking for ways to start a College and Career extension of our ministry for us to begin reaching out to nearby campuses in the area, like Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, SouthWest Illinois College, McKendree University, St. Louis University, Washington University, Webster University, Fontbonne University, Le Cul Culinaire, and others!
These are just a few of the students that have become more involved with BREAKOUT. They are Building close relationships with God, Reaching non-believing students, Enjoying lives shared with other Christians, Affecting others through their own areas of ministry, and Keeping true to God's Word in faith, hope, and Love. They are moving OUT of darkness and into God's Light! Student-Led Ministry is a privileged opportunity we have available for our Senior High students. It is our goal that these students will be Christ-like examples to the Junior Highers, and begin planting seeds for future leaders. Our Junior Highers already are showing an eagerness to lead, and are coming forward with areas they would love to serve! Our graduate students have the privilege of becoming youth sponsors and shaperones for events, and are even able to begin a hands on ministry by hosting Bible Study Clusters if they feel led to do so.
Once our graduate students feel the desire to serve, they are given the opportunity to join Teen360. This is our Adult Leadership Team, consisting of adults that are hands on by serving as Greeters, Sunday Skool Teachers, and Student-Led Ministry Coordinators. Right now our Teen360 team consists of Sarah L. and Craig H. Sarah plays an important roll in keeping our youth ministry focused, as well as mingling with the teens and showing an interest in their lives. Craig is our newest member of the team, also helping us begin forming our college and career branch.
All areas of ministry are open for anyone to join, and as we branch out, we hope new areas of ministry will continue to open! As God hands us the tools, we look for ways to build His Kingdom as we BREAKOUT into the creation God meant for us to be!
We've been starting up student-led ministries, where teens can actually take on ministries of their own, and worship God by being leaders with the gifts they've been given. This program has been off to a slow start, but they are finally starting to see where they can put into action what they have to offer. It's exciting to feel the movement of their passions!
Last week, Haylee W. started the youth service off with a special song she is practicing for an upcoming church district competition called Celebrate Life. What's even more special about this is that she is singing it while playing piano. William B. is also coming a long way with his desire to lead worship in song. Last night he started the night off with The Altar and the Door by Casting Crowns, played on his accoustic. For the worship line-up, William led on accoustic, I backed him up with a little ukulele and Cajon, and Katie W. got the powerpoint slides up and running for everyone to follow the words!
Katie has shown a lot of interest in computer aided design, and he talents helped greatly last night. She is showing a desire to do even more with making the lyrics to worship music easier to follow, and helping put together a trip for teens that have a passion for video and photography. St. Louis couldn't be a better place for it!
Howard T. stepped up last Sunday by putting together a basketball practice for the guys heading to Celebrate Life for the tournament. This will be our first year having enough guys participating to form a whole basketball team, and Howard is using his good sportsmanlike attitude on the court to lead people the way Jesus would play the game. What's even better is that not only were the five guys at the practice that are going to the competition, but two others joined in to play as well, and last night, Howard got into a friendly one on one game with a visitor that showed up at our church! You never know who's heart God is softening through a friendly game of basketball.
William B. and Deven M. has taken the challenge to form a prayer team. Now that we have started Quiet Time with God on Sunday nights, an all church prayer and devotional time, prayer becoming more of a natural part of our relationship with God can be somewhat challenging, especially when going it alone. These two teens have teamed up together as trust partners, and have shown a desire to not only pray together, but start up prayer journals so they can follow their progress and stay encouraged. It's exciting to see people working together!
I was proud of Jorden M. last night for stepping up and being willing to talk about some of the struggles she is having, and wanting to make it right between her and God. We prayed it through last night, and she asked for forgiveness of some of those areas of her life that have separated her from her relationship with God! My heart leaps inside of me when I am able to pray with students through times like that! Jorden also talked last night about some of the food she loves to cook, and she is willing to put those gifts into action if she is given the right tools. (I'm leaning towards her being the first teen we ask to help in the kitchen for the supper on Wednesday nights) Howard's dad has also offered to help us with a fundraiser cookout and car wash on Saturday, March 31, at the Valvoline in O'Fallon, Illinois! We love our food at Parkview Church of the Nazarene, and who wouldn't want to share it for others to enjoy!?
Maddy G. is one of our College and Career students. She has recently been expressing an interest in volunteering as a hands on leader in our ministry, and has helped keep a few of our Clusters, small groups, on track on Sunday mornings. With her help, we are looking for ways to start a College and Career extension of our ministry for us to begin reaching out to nearby campuses in the area, like Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, SouthWest Illinois College, McKendree University, St. Louis University, Washington University, Webster University, Fontbonne University, Le Cul Culinaire, and others!
These are just a few of the students that have become more involved with BREAKOUT. They are Building close relationships with God, Reaching non-believing students, Enjoying lives shared with other Christians, Affecting others through their own areas of ministry, and Keeping true to God's Word in faith, hope, and Love. They are moving OUT of darkness and into God's Light! Student-Led Ministry is a privileged opportunity we have available for our Senior High students. It is our goal that these students will be Christ-like examples to the Junior Highers, and begin planting seeds for future leaders. Our Junior Highers already are showing an eagerness to lead, and are coming forward with areas they would love to serve! Our graduate students have the privilege of becoming youth sponsors and shaperones for events, and are even able to begin a hands on ministry by hosting Bible Study Clusters if they feel led to do so.
Once our graduate students feel the desire to serve, they are given the opportunity to join Teen360. This is our Adult Leadership Team, consisting of adults that are hands on by serving as Greeters, Sunday Skool Teachers, and Student-Led Ministry Coordinators. Right now our Teen360 team consists of Sarah L. and Craig H. Sarah plays an important roll in keeping our youth ministry focused, as well as mingling with the teens and showing an interest in their lives. Craig is our newest member of the team, also helping us begin forming our college and career branch.
All areas of ministry are open for anyone to join, and as we branch out, we hope new areas of ministry will continue to open! As God hands us the tools, we look for ways to build His Kingdom as we BREAKOUT into the creation God meant for us to be!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
My List of Demands, Written On the Palm of My Hand...Needing More Hand.
I could use some help with my list of goals. Reminders are good.
- Put a roadtrip tour together, for speaking and singing gigs, from here to New York, and back again; one giant loop.
- Get the music video done for my song, Time, and post it on YouTube.
- Get the copy of BMI's songwriter contract in my hands so that I can fill it out and send it in for acceptance.
- Find easier ways to manage my accounts with Facebook, Blogspot, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, and SoundCloud, so they don't consume my day.
- Allow the high schooler I currently help pick up from school to naturally volunteer around the church, instead of thinking I have to give him a list of demands. He can be a great asset to the youth ministry, but not until I can get myself to see him as more than a duplicate of me.
- The same goes for the rest of my Volunteer Leadership Teams; I need to get my mind away from thinking I have to give them step by step instructions, and let them loose to be able to lead in what they have to offer.
- Start offering to teach Ukulele.
- Get dates and ticket information for The Wizard of Oz musical at O'Fallon's High School, Les Miserables musical at Belleville East High School, and find out what this year's musical is at Belleville West High School.
- Design a Prayer Journal/Diary for the teens to have available for Quiet Time with God on Sunday Nights.
- Get resources together for the BREAKOUT car wash on March 31
- Organize A Passion of the Christ Movie Event for Sunday night, March 25, a Youth Pastor Retreat for the Fall, and a 30 Hour Famine for late July.
- Make sure the teens are practicing and ready for District Celebrate Life on March 23 and 24.
- Give the teens enough opportunity to raise funds so they can afford to participate in major events, including camp this summer if they so choose.
- Notify the churches in the section of the district I am responsible for of upcoming youth events, and encourage them to participate.
- Get a team together to take the pressure off of me feeling like I have to do all of the above by myself.
- Get the oil and filter changed in my car.
- Keep up to date with my cell phone and car payments.
- Meet up with at least one different person every day, either for a quick drink, a bite to eat, some kind of extra curricular thing, or just to sit and chat.
- Find a way to spend time with the parents of the teens that come to BREAKOUT; they are very important to the ministry.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Just A Musical Family
Sharing my collection with everyone. From left to right for the ukuleles: a mystery 6 string mini guitar, Aria, Lanikai "Lucy", Luna "Patricia". The keyboard is a Yamaha Porta-Sound, the Cajon is made by Schalloch, and the newest addition to the family...the bass pedal made by Pulse! (Lucy and Patricia are the only two instruments I've named...so far) Thanks for the looksie!
World's Finest
I went on a trip to Mount Vernon on Friday, killing three birds with one stone...beat that ancient hunter! I got to visit with my folks, Dad donated a bass drum pedal to the Just A Sprinkle cause that I'll be using to be able to play Cajon and Ukulele at the same time, and I got to hang out with a few friends, Ryan, Brandon, and Amanda, (as well as anyone else I bumped into) at the Mount Vernon High School Operetta of Guys and Dolls.
Basically, this post is about the Operetta. See, I love the musicals that MVTHS puts on every year; they never cease to amaze me. This year's Guy and Dolls actually blew my mind with what they allowed on stage. First, I must say that I was very impressed with the musical abilities of the singers and the orchestra that backed them up! Grace, Caity, and Nathan did phenominally well with their vocal performances, including some amazing duets. The story cocluded with a high rolling gambler converting to Holy living because of his attraction to the head lady in charge of the Mission, and a floating Crap game host finally marrying his sweetheart lead singer at the Hot Spot after 14 years. The whole play had brilliant colors, and the scenes were well made, but it was the Hot Spot performances that really caught me off guard.
The Hot Spot was a night club in this story, and the singers are "flappers". In today's culture, they would be considered strippers. One of the songs was about how their men buy them gifts, like jewelry and mink coats, but treat them horribly otherwise, and their message is that their men can take back their fancy gifts, because they deserve to be treated better. That message is great in itself: Women shouldn't be treated like all they are good for is pleasure and all they want are men to buy them things. The song was used as a story-line of why these singers are stripping off each item they mention in the song, and that's where it gets a little much. All of a sudden, I'm watching a high school musical, and about nine minors are dancing around the stage wearing nothing but skimpy lingerie! WHAT?!?!? I wasn't sure really what to do in that moment. Luckily, once the coats came off, it wasn't long before they left the stage and moved on to the next scene, but I had to pick my jaw up off the floor at what I had just seen. As a 25 year old youth pastor, I felt rather uncomfortable.
Once it happened, I heard a "YEAH! WOOHOO! *wistle pretty*" behind me, so I turned slightly to see who it was. Apparently the 40 year old man sitting five rows behind me didn't mind that the girls were minors, and getting turned on at such a scene makes him somewhat of a pedifile. Then the girls practically got a standing ovation once their performance was over. I'm so thankful all these parents were so proud of their daughters; the same ones that ask youth pastors like me to help straighten out their kids because they can't figure out why they don't see anything wrong with engaging in sexual activities.
On a positive note, a club was selling candy bars in the lobby, and they were just putting out a fresh pile of caramel filled chocolate bars! At a dollar each, I grabbed two, because the wrapper said "World's Finest Chocolate". Now that I think of it, I guess the whole evening showcased what the world has to offer.
I still have yet to see an MVTHS Operetta that tops 2003 and 2004's Bye Bye Birdie and Anything Goes.
Basically, this post is about the Operetta. See, I love the musicals that MVTHS puts on every year; they never cease to amaze me. This year's Guy and Dolls actually blew my mind with what they allowed on stage. First, I must say that I was very impressed with the musical abilities of the singers and the orchestra that backed them up! Grace, Caity, and Nathan did phenominally well with their vocal performances, including some amazing duets. The story cocluded with a high rolling gambler converting to Holy living because of his attraction to the head lady in charge of the Mission, and a floating Crap game host finally marrying his sweetheart lead singer at the Hot Spot after 14 years. The whole play had brilliant colors, and the scenes were well made, but it was the Hot Spot performances that really caught me off guard.
The Hot Spot was a night club in this story, and the singers are "flappers". In today's culture, they would be considered strippers. One of the songs was about how their men buy them gifts, like jewelry and mink coats, but treat them horribly otherwise, and their message is that their men can take back their fancy gifts, because they deserve to be treated better. That message is great in itself: Women shouldn't be treated like all they are good for is pleasure and all they want are men to buy them things. The song was used as a story-line of why these singers are stripping off each item they mention in the song, and that's where it gets a little much. All of a sudden, I'm watching a high school musical, and about nine minors are dancing around the stage wearing nothing but skimpy lingerie! WHAT?!?!? I wasn't sure really what to do in that moment. Luckily, once the coats came off, it wasn't long before they left the stage and moved on to the next scene, but I had to pick my jaw up off the floor at what I had just seen. As a 25 year old youth pastor, I felt rather uncomfortable.
Once it happened, I heard a "YEAH! WOOHOO! *wistle pretty*" behind me, so I turned slightly to see who it was. Apparently the 40 year old man sitting five rows behind me didn't mind that the girls were minors, and getting turned on at such a scene makes him somewhat of a pedifile. Then the girls practically got a standing ovation once their performance was over. I'm so thankful all these parents were so proud of their daughters; the same ones that ask youth pastors like me to help straighten out their kids because they can't figure out why they don't see anything wrong with engaging in sexual activities.
On a positive note, a club was selling candy bars in the lobby, and they were just putting out a fresh pile of caramel filled chocolate bars! At a dollar each, I grabbed two, because the wrapper said "World's Finest Chocolate". Now that I think of it, I guess the whole evening showcased what the world has to offer.
I still have yet to see an MVTHS Operetta that tops 2003 and 2004's Bye Bye Birdie and Anything Goes.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Something Old, Something New
I am so incredibly thankful for how God inspires His people! Yesterday, I was enjoying a Po' Boy Sub and a Mountain Dew Baja Blast while taking a walk around Moody "Long Acre" Park (interested in that story? Check out my blog of 40 Days of Plenty!) and God used that time as a moment to consider how our church could include the park in, not only our outreach ministry, but to enhance the way we live and breathe Christ on the Sabbath Day!
For a while we have come together for discipleship and worship on Sunday mornings, had some form of fellowship by people asking others to join them for lunch after the service, and ended the day with a Bible study for a handful of people that didn't want to see doing something on Sunday nights disappear. It has been encouraging to be a part of a church family that is so welcoming to everyone and their desire of growing closer in their relationship to God. It's dawned on me that we talk about wanting to get in the habit of praying more, but we get so rushed that prayer ends up being a last minute effort. I've always been told to brush my teeth for 3 minutes to get the best results, but it's even hard for me to spend more than that length of time talking with God. It is definitely a need to get in the habit of prayer, so that it becomes less of a discomfort and more of a natural communication with the very One Who created us.
After I got back to the church from my walk, I wrote out a simple sketch of what Sundays could look like, and talked to the pastor about it. With a little tweaking we worked together and saw how we could start making a new flow happen on Sundays, and this is what we came up with!
Parkview Church of the Nazarene, Sunday's Schedule:
9:30am Sunday School/ BREAKOUT Sunday Skool Clusters
10:45am Morning Worship
11:15am Children's Church
12:00pm Sunday In the Park (we are starting this as an event to celebrate Fill the Pew Sunday on April 29, and then seeing how well it goes and if there are those that want to continue it and how often. Basically, everyone will bring their own pic-nick style lunches, and a little extra if anyone feels like sharing, and after lunch we have the park to enjoy sand volleyball, tennis, walking track around the pond, playground and exercise stations, baseball, soccer, ultimate Frisbee, etc.)
once a month the afternoon will consist of:
3:00pm BREAKOUT Teen360 Huddle (training for our volunteer adult youth ministries team)
4:00pm BREAKOUT Student Leader Huddle (training for students who have accepted Christ and have the desire to use their gifts in ministry)
Sunday evenings focus on finishing the day in our time with God
5:00pm Adult Bible Study/ BREAKOUT Student-Led Ministries (student leaders will head up ministries in Youth Worship Team, Drama Team, Video and Photography Team, Sports Teams, etc. The list continues to grow based on the desires of our student leaders, and each team begins their time with a 5-10 minute devotional and prayer!)
6:00pm Quiet Time with God (we'll start out in prayer, and keep going as the Holy Spirit leads us. How long this lasts is not up to us to schedule. Any time someone feels like they need to use this time to study God's Word in a quiet setting, this will be the place for that too!)
After Quiet Time with God, we'll do what we are calling "Let Loose"
Let Loose (everyone is encouraged to be God's hands and feet outside of the building. Whether that means just continuing fellowship by meeting up at a local place like Duncan Doughnuts, Orange Leaf, or the Bowling Alley, or taking it home to share with the family, that is up to those involved!)
I'm excited about the direction we are heading and couldn't help but share!
*if you're around, feel free to join us!
Parkview Church of the Nazarene (because Jesus was from Nazareth and was a Nazarene, and it's through His sacrifice we can choose His saving grace and spend eternity adopted into the Family of God!)
50 Long Acre Drive
Fairview Heights, Illinois 62864
For a while we have come together for discipleship and worship on Sunday mornings, had some form of fellowship by people asking others to join them for lunch after the service, and ended the day with a Bible study for a handful of people that didn't want to see doing something on Sunday nights disappear. It has been encouraging to be a part of a church family that is so welcoming to everyone and their desire of growing closer in their relationship to God. It's dawned on me that we talk about wanting to get in the habit of praying more, but we get so rushed that prayer ends up being a last minute effort. I've always been told to brush my teeth for 3 minutes to get the best results, but it's even hard for me to spend more than that length of time talking with God. It is definitely a need to get in the habit of prayer, so that it becomes less of a discomfort and more of a natural communication with the very One Who created us.
After I got back to the church from my walk, I wrote out a simple sketch of what Sundays could look like, and talked to the pastor about it. With a little tweaking we worked together and saw how we could start making a new flow happen on Sundays, and this is what we came up with!
Parkview Church of the Nazarene, Sunday's Schedule:
9:30am Sunday School/ BREAKOUT Sunday Skool Clusters
10:45am Morning Worship
11:15am Children's Church
12:00pm Sunday In the Park (we are starting this as an event to celebrate Fill the Pew Sunday on April 29, and then seeing how well it goes and if there are those that want to continue it and how often. Basically, everyone will bring their own pic-nick style lunches, and a little extra if anyone feels like sharing, and after lunch we have the park to enjoy sand volleyball, tennis, walking track around the pond, playground and exercise stations, baseball, soccer, ultimate Frisbee, etc.)
once a month the afternoon will consist of:
3:00pm BREAKOUT Teen360 Huddle (training for our volunteer adult youth ministries team)
4:00pm BREAKOUT Student Leader Huddle (training for students who have accepted Christ and have the desire to use their gifts in ministry)
Sunday evenings focus on finishing the day in our time with God
5:00pm Adult Bible Study/ BREAKOUT Student-Led Ministries (student leaders will head up ministries in Youth Worship Team, Drama Team, Video and Photography Team, Sports Teams, etc. The list continues to grow based on the desires of our student leaders, and each team begins their time with a 5-10 minute devotional and prayer!)
6:00pm Quiet Time with God (we'll start out in prayer, and keep going as the Holy Spirit leads us. How long this lasts is not up to us to schedule. Any time someone feels like they need to use this time to study God's Word in a quiet setting, this will be the place for that too!)
After Quiet Time with God, we'll do what we are calling "Let Loose"
Let Loose (everyone is encouraged to be God's hands and feet outside of the building. Whether that means just continuing fellowship by meeting up at a local place like Duncan Doughnuts, Orange Leaf, or the Bowling Alley, or taking it home to share with the family, that is up to those involved!)
I'm excited about the direction we are heading and couldn't help but share!
*if you're around, feel free to join us!
Parkview Church of the Nazarene (because Jesus was from Nazareth and was a Nazarene, and it's through His sacrifice we can choose His saving grace and spend eternity adopted into the Family of God!)
50 Long Acre Drive
Fairview Heights, Illinois 62864
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Church Is Not An Insane Asylum
I derailed last night. You see, when I come to church my desire is to worship God while surrounded by encouragement and others who want to grow closer to Him. I also want to see the Church working hand in hand to welcome others into the Body of Christ. For several weeks, we have been battling with the atmosphere of a desire to not focus on praising God, but just hang out, play around, eat, and gossip. That is fellowship, but with the desire to refuse to set aside our playtime to humble ourselves at God's feet and desire more of Him, that fellowship becomes negative worship, and the gossip takes the throne. I don't come to the church building to push God aside as if He is just a decoration while the world pushes its way in to taking over. As followers of Christ, we are set apart for something greater than what the world has to offer in all of its riches.
I finally uncapped last night and went off on a tangent that those who are attending church and desire nothing but to interrupt the flow of worship by yelling out that the whole thing is stupid and pointless, and vouching for their right to gossip about people they dislike, should get up and leave. I know that I would not purposefully participate in a program that offers nothing that I am interested in, especially if I'm not willing to give it a chance to see if there may be something about it that I may find an interest in, so I shouldn't expect others to be a part of something they absolutely refuse. Too often we tell people that our church has it all together and it's the only way to go, but we forget that our eyes are small, and there are millions of churches to choose from in the globe. My advice is to find a church that does not hinder your desire to draw closer to Christ, but is a family you want to be a part of. If you want nothing to do with church just from what you've heard about it, I ask that you at least give it a try, but if after trying it you find it to be torturous, don't stay around. The church has no intention of putting you through misery and torture. My hope is that we, as The Church, are a light of how welcoming and truly joyous being a part of it really is.
Don't get me wrong, I find great joy in having a party; Christians do know how to party, and they leave with no fear to others on the road of being too impaired to drive. I love singing, traveling, acting like I know how to hip-hop, and all-in-all just be completely random; I enjoy hanging out with friends without anything really planned. I also love to eat and try new foods! You can tell by some of the foods I describe in this blog, but also my adventures in fasting in my blog, http://40daysofplenty.blogspot.com/. But while all of this is great fellowship, it all means nothing without my time of praising God and being discipled with the Body of Christ; other Christians as The Church.
I'll even throw in a shameless plug for our church for anyone that happens upon this blog and wants to give church a try. I love people, and because of that, I won't leave anyone out of the opportunity to experience the true joy of worship that I feel when I am among friends, worshipping together in the house of the Lord. Here are some programs my church has to offer, but if you know of a church closer to where you are, or know of one that may be a better match for you, please don't hesitate to give it a try!
Parkview Church of the Nazarene
50 Long Acre Drive
Fairview Heights, Illinois 62208
(618) 234-5941
Main Programs
Sundays
9:30AM Sunday School
10:45AM Morning Worship (nursery provided)
11:15AM Children's Church
6:00PM Adult Bible Study
Wednesdays
5:30PM Supper with Kids
6:30PM Adult Bible Study
BREAKOUT Youth Programs (grades 7 - college age 23)
Sundays
9:30AM Sunday Skool Cluster
10:45AM Morning Worship
6:00PM L.A.F. (Lead And Follow)
Wednesdays
5:30PM Supper with Kids
6:30PM BREAKOUT Worship
I finally uncapped last night and went off on a tangent that those who are attending church and desire nothing but to interrupt the flow of worship by yelling out that the whole thing is stupid and pointless, and vouching for their right to gossip about people they dislike, should get up and leave. I know that I would not purposefully participate in a program that offers nothing that I am interested in, especially if I'm not willing to give it a chance to see if there may be something about it that I may find an interest in, so I shouldn't expect others to be a part of something they absolutely refuse. Too often we tell people that our church has it all together and it's the only way to go, but we forget that our eyes are small, and there are millions of churches to choose from in the globe. My advice is to find a church that does not hinder your desire to draw closer to Christ, but is a family you want to be a part of. If you want nothing to do with church just from what you've heard about it, I ask that you at least give it a try, but if after trying it you find it to be torturous, don't stay around. The church has no intention of putting you through misery and torture. My hope is that we, as The Church, are a light of how welcoming and truly joyous being a part of it really is.
Don't get me wrong, I find great joy in having a party; Christians do know how to party, and they leave with no fear to others on the road of being too impaired to drive. I love singing, traveling, acting like I know how to hip-hop, and all-in-all just be completely random; I enjoy hanging out with friends without anything really planned. I also love to eat and try new foods! You can tell by some of the foods I describe in this blog, but also my adventures in fasting in my blog, http://40daysofplenty.blogspot.com/. But while all of this is great fellowship, it all means nothing without my time of praising God and being discipled with the Body of Christ; other Christians as The Church.
I'll even throw in a shameless plug for our church for anyone that happens upon this blog and wants to give church a try. I love people, and because of that, I won't leave anyone out of the opportunity to experience the true joy of worship that I feel when I am among friends, worshipping together in the house of the Lord. Here are some programs my church has to offer, but if you know of a church closer to where you are, or know of one that may be a better match for you, please don't hesitate to give it a try!
Parkview Church of the Nazarene
50 Long Acre Drive
Fairview Heights, Illinois 62208
(618) 234-5941
Main Programs
Sundays
9:30AM Sunday School
10:45AM Morning Worship (nursery provided)
11:15AM Children's Church
6:00PM Adult Bible Study
Wednesdays
5:30PM Supper with Kids
6:30PM Adult Bible Study
BREAKOUT Youth Programs (grades 7 - college age 23)
Sundays
9:30AM Sunday Skool Cluster
10:45AM Morning Worship
6:00PM L.A.F. (Lead And Follow)
Wednesdays
5:30PM Supper with Kids
6:30PM BREAKOUT Worship
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Love and Marriage Goes Together Like A Horse and Carriage
First I want to start out by saying this is not to offend anyone, or point any fingers. My blog is all about sharing my thoughts, and it's open for anyone to read because I feel like my life should be an open book. I have nothing to hide, especially for what I am most passionate about. (If we aren't willing to be open about what we are most passionate about, are we really passionate about it?)
Yesterday I was introduced to a quote from LA Ink. A man on the show said, "Marriage is just a word. It's the commitment that counts." Right off the bat my first instinct was that this was a very inspirational quote, almost proverb-like, but something inside of me kept saying something wasn't right. After about two seconds, I realised my discomfort was that this quote reminded me of how much the world has watered down marriage and love into pleasures we can change at any given time. At the same time, marriage and love takes the abuse and wonders why no one realizes how much we can actually depend on them to remain consistent.
Marriage and Love were created by God. They are constants. When we are looking for what variables to change these remain untouched, but they are always the first ones we blame when we face changes or difficulties in our relationships; "We don't feel the same way about each other anymore, so our marriage has changed", or "I have to make myself look prettier and have sex so that we'll love each other more." We've even gone as far as to loosely call it "making love". The questions I have are these: Was it the marriage that changed? Do we have the ability to "make" love? How does God define these two?
MARRIAGE
Designed for companionship and intimacy
"Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man.' For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Genesis 2:21-24
Commitment to Love, sacrifice, and submission
"And you husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God's word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man is actually loving himself when he loves his wife. No one hates his own body but lovingly cares for it, just as Christ cares for his body, which is the church. And we are his body." Ephesians 5:23-30
Marriage is the fuzing together of more than one entity, a bond unlike what either entity was before; one's valley of faults are filled with the other's mountain of greatness, forming a beautiful blend of balance. When Hershey's Chocolate Syrup and Prairie Farms' 2% milk are married together they make the most delicious glass of chocolate milk, and I can't help but get blessed when musical notes marry together to form harmony. Just like running is an action, so is marriage; the speed and what you put into those actions may vary, but the fact that you are running, or in this case, married, never changes. We can choose to stop the action, but just because we stopped does not automatically mean it no longer exists. In fact, if marriage were to cease to exist in all of creation, everything would fall apart. Even the members of our bodies are formed by being married together; veins, heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, spinal cord, nerves, etc.
It is important to point out how many times the word Love is mentioned in the passage from Ephesians before moving on to what Love is; not the specific number of times it is mentioned, just that it practically floods the entire message given here. Love is the intregal ingredient to the bond of a relationship, and we can see God's view of Love in His sacrifice for The Church; followers of God.
LOVE
Selfless
"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Yesterday I was introduced to a quote from LA Ink. A man on the show said, "Marriage is just a word. It's the commitment that counts." Right off the bat my first instinct was that this was a very inspirational quote, almost proverb-like, but something inside of me kept saying something wasn't right. After about two seconds, I realised my discomfort was that this quote reminded me of how much the world has watered down marriage and love into pleasures we can change at any given time. At the same time, marriage and love takes the abuse and wonders why no one realizes how much we can actually depend on them to remain consistent.
Marriage and Love were created by God. They are constants. When we are looking for what variables to change these remain untouched, but they are always the first ones we blame when we face changes or difficulties in our relationships; "We don't feel the same way about each other anymore, so our marriage has changed", or "I have to make myself look prettier and have sex so that we'll love each other more." We've even gone as far as to loosely call it "making love". The questions I have are these: Was it the marriage that changed? Do we have the ability to "make" love? How does God define these two?
MARRIAGE
Designed for companionship and intimacy
"Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man.' For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Genesis 2:21-24
Commitment to Love, sacrifice, and submission
"And you husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God's word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man is actually loving himself when he loves his wife. No one hates his own body but lovingly cares for it, just as Christ cares for his body, which is the church. And we are his body." Ephesians 5:23-30
Marriage is the fuzing together of more than one entity, a bond unlike what either entity was before; one's valley of faults are filled with the other's mountain of greatness, forming a beautiful blend of balance. When Hershey's Chocolate Syrup and Prairie Farms' 2% milk are married together they make the most delicious glass of chocolate milk, and I can't help but get blessed when musical notes marry together to form harmony. Just like running is an action, so is marriage; the speed and what you put into those actions may vary, but the fact that you are running, or in this case, married, never changes. We can choose to stop the action, but just because we stopped does not automatically mean it no longer exists. In fact, if marriage were to cease to exist in all of creation, everything would fall apart. Even the members of our bodies are formed by being married together; veins, heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, spinal cord, nerves, etc.
It is important to point out how many times the word Love is mentioned in the passage from Ephesians before moving on to what Love is; not the specific number of times it is mentioned, just that it practically floods the entire message given here. Love is the intregal ingredient to the bond of a relationship, and we can see God's view of Love in His sacrifice for The Church; followers of God.
LOVE
Selfless
"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
There have been many times that I have led myself and others through this passage and said, "Now replace the word Love with your name, and see how much of this you can trully say you live up to." This definitely shows us how much we may need to work on in our personal lives, but what doesn't ever change is the fact that Love ALWAYS continues to hold true to every bit of it.
See, the main point is that when it comes to where we don't quite measure up, we very easily look for ways to justify it by putting the blame on anything else but ourselves. "Marriage caused it", "Love changed". I can even say this about myself. When I am not careful, I find myself saying love is different for each person, and because of the relationships I have been in it seems easiest to believe love has its own time card, punching in and out whenever it so chooses. I don't want to believe that someone I care so much about may choose to dismiss love, or even myself for that matter. To say that I have chosen lust or pleasures and pushed Love or Marriage to the side, causes me to recognize my faults, and that's never fun.
But, what is the least fun to me, and causes me the most gut-wrenching pain, is knowing that I am part of a system that looks marriage and love straight in the eyes and says to them, "You don't matter, you're just a word."
Thankfully, God desires to show us the real reason why these were created by Him and holds out His hands to forgive us from not wanting to see it. How much of God's creation do I look at and say, "You don't matter, you're just a word"?
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Opening Act: Season 5
Sunday, March 4, was the day I got to audition for WIBI's Opening Act. I auditioned last year and made the cut for their eight semi-finalists, and ended up getting to sing before Addison Road performed on stage along with the other semi-finalists; Marc Patterson, Lexie Montgomery, Chrystal Groscost, Cammie Burden, Tabitha Cope, and Kaitlin Cleven. (Tess Boyer would have been the eighth one, but she was busy becoming a St. Louis Rams Cheerleader) This year is their fifth season, and they've grown A LOT!
The judging panel consisted of Andrew Patton, CEO of Patton House Entertainment and General Manager of InPop Records, and two of his Artist Managers: Tiffany Rockhold and Mo Thieman. This year's total registrations came to over 300 participants, and the judges have to narrow us all down to eight! (No pressure right?)
After an encouraging Sunday Skool with the BREAKOUT teens, I packed up Patricia, my tattooed ukulele, and started out for Mount Vernon. I arrived at Central Christian Church in Mount Vernon at around 11:45, so I was able to catch the tail end of their worship service. Their message was on how important volunteers are, so all the volunteers had the day off for Appreciation Day. Once the service was over, I got to join the line waiting to check in at the registration table for the auditions.
I may have gotten to the church early (check in didn't start till noon) but I still ended up in the third group. Hey, stay for a worship service and you never know how long you're gona be there! While waiting in line I got to say hi to my former dentist and his wife, and a couple friends of mine from when I lived in The Vern. Plus, it's always fun to see who all shows up for something like this!
While walking in to the auditorium, I saw Kaitlin Cleven from last year had shown up for this audition as well, so we reconnected and took our seats. She showed off the bling bling her fiance got her! (VERY impressive!) and had her guitar with her. This was the first year they let people audition with their instruments, which I thought was a really good idea. Grace McDowell showed up as well, and at first I thought Taylor Hicks had come to join us all! She came and joined us in the pew we were all sitting in as well. (Grace is on the worship team at Central)
This year shined a TON of incredible talent! Every beating second I felt like I was in a worship service for the whole afternoon! To me, THAT is what this competition is all about; not even for the competition, but to join the passion of the Body of Christ, bringing all of our talents together to praise Him! I got my turn at around 4:30.
Going into this audition I was in prayer about what song I wanted to sing. I really felt God's tug this year to do the song that He changed my life with, "He Will Carry Me", by Mark Schultz. This is the song that, when I first started in youth ministry and thought it was a great way to gain popularity, God dropped me flat on my face. While I was angry at Him and questioning why nothing I did was working, He used the radio to show me that I am a broken vessel, yet He wants to hold me together in His arms. Since rededicating my life to Him that night, my life has never been the same since, and I couldn't be happier! The version God has inspired me with can be found here: http://soundcloud.com/tim-sprinkle/he-will-carry-me-cover
The judges had to be picky this year with so many contestants, and it seemed like the theme this time around was the ole, "you played it safe". The response I got was, "It wasn't bad, but there wasn't one thing that really popped out at me either, all in all all it was just a good performance." I'm not sure what exactly to take from that, but I am thankful nonetheless. It is always a blessing to share what God has laid on my heart.
After the audition, each participant had to go through a light interview with Craig Norrenburg of WIBI. I felt a LOT more comfortable in front of the mic this year than I did last year, which is really odd considering last year I was DJing for another radio station at the time. We just had a lot of fun in front of the camera, and I think I even ended up mentioning Spongebob in the conversation somehow. (imagine that)
A family of one of the auditioners invited me to go with them to Buffalo Wild Wings, and being the shy one that I am, I totally said yes!
I am anxious to find out who goes on in the competition, and pray it will all be for God's glory. This year, the semi-finalists get to perform at Church on the Rock in St. Peters, Missouri, and open for Sidewalk Prophets, Josh Wilson, Mark Roach, and last year's Opening Act winner, Lexie Montgomery! The winner gets to open for AgapeFest 2012 in Greenville, Illinois this summer!
Lastly, I believe my question of the day went to GW of WIBI; "Wait, did GW get shorter?"
The judging panel consisted of Andrew Patton, CEO of Patton House Entertainment and General Manager of InPop Records, and two of his Artist Managers: Tiffany Rockhold and Mo Thieman. This year's total registrations came to over 300 participants, and the judges have to narrow us all down to eight! (No pressure right?)
After an encouraging Sunday Skool with the BREAKOUT teens, I packed up Patricia, my tattooed ukulele, and started out for Mount Vernon. I arrived at Central Christian Church in Mount Vernon at around 11:45, so I was able to catch the tail end of their worship service. Their message was on how important volunteers are, so all the volunteers had the day off for Appreciation Day. Once the service was over, I got to join the line waiting to check in at the registration table for the auditions.
I may have gotten to the church early (check in didn't start till noon) but I still ended up in the third group. Hey, stay for a worship service and you never know how long you're gona be there! While waiting in line I got to say hi to my former dentist and his wife, and a couple friends of mine from when I lived in The Vern. Plus, it's always fun to see who all shows up for something like this!
While walking in to the auditorium, I saw Kaitlin Cleven from last year had shown up for this audition as well, so we reconnected and took our seats. She showed off the bling bling her fiance got her! (VERY impressive!) and had her guitar with her. This was the first year they let people audition with their instruments, which I thought was a really good idea. Grace McDowell showed up as well, and at first I thought Taylor Hicks had come to join us all! She came and joined us in the pew we were all sitting in as well. (Grace is on the worship team at Central)
This year shined a TON of incredible talent! Every beating second I felt like I was in a worship service for the whole afternoon! To me, THAT is what this competition is all about; not even for the competition, but to join the passion of the Body of Christ, bringing all of our talents together to praise Him! I got my turn at around 4:30.
Going into this audition I was in prayer about what song I wanted to sing. I really felt God's tug this year to do the song that He changed my life with, "He Will Carry Me", by Mark Schultz. This is the song that, when I first started in youth ministry and thought it was a great way to gain popularity, God dropped me flat on my face. While I was angry at Him and questioning why nothing I did was working, He used the radio to show me that I am a broken vessel, yet He wants to hold me together in His arms. Since rededicating my life to Him that night, my life has never been the same since, and I couldn't be happier! The version God has inspired me with can be found here: http://soundcloud.com/tim-sprinkle/he-will-carry-me-cover
The judges had to be picky this year with so many contestants, and it seemed like the theme this time around was the ole, "you played it safe". The response I got was, "It wasn't bad, but there wasn't one thing that really popped out at me either, all in all all it was just a good performance." I'm not sure what exactly to take from that, but I am thankful nonetheless. It is always a blessing to share what God has laid on my heart.
After the audition, each participant had to go through a light interview with Craig Norrenburg of WIBI. I felt a LOT more comfortable in front of the mic this year than I did last year, which is really odd considering last year I was DJing for another radio station at the time. We just had a lot of fun in front of the camera, and I think I even ended up mentioning Spongebob in the conversation somehow. (imagine that)
A family of one of the auditioners invited me to go with them to Buffalo Wild Wings, and being the shy one that I am, I totally said yes!
I am anxious to find out who goes on in the competition, and pray it will all be for God's glory. This year, the semi-finalists get to perform at Church on the Rock in St. Peters, Missouri, and open for Sidewalk Prophets, Josh Wilson, Mark Roach, and last year's Opening Act winner, Lexie Montgomery! The winner gets to open for AgapeFest 2012 in Greenville, Illinois this summer!
Lastly, I believe my question of the day went to GW of WIBI; "Wait, did GW get shorter?"
Monday, March 5, 2012
Back On Track
Lets go! We have a blog to write!
Ok, so if you've been following my blog, you may now notice a few entries are missing. If you're just now following, this may not mean much to you, and for those of you that aren't following...you're not even reading this anyway. I am new to this, so I am constantly finding better ways to get my thoughts out there so it's not one big giant jumbled mess. (Just keeping it one slightly big jumpled mess is a challenge in itself!)
I have now started up the "Whoa! To the Hypocrites" blog for my series on Matthew 23, and the "40 Days of Plenty" blog for my adventures in fasting my eating out addiction. All of the missing blog entries have been moved to one of those places.
Just A Sprinkle will stay as is; a blog about my life in general and the places I go. I still can't promise it will be all that and a bag of chips, but I can promise you will most likely read about a bag of chips at some time or another.
Ok, so if you've been following my blog, you may now notice a few entries are missing. If you're just now following, this may not mean much to you, and for those of you that aren't following...you're not even reading this anyway. I am new to this, so I am constantly finding better ways to get my thoughts out there so it's not one big giant jumbled mess. (Just keeping it one slightly big jumpled mess is a challenge in itself!)
I have now started up the "Whoa! To the Hypocrites" blog for my series on Matthew 23, and the "40 Days of Plenty" blog for my adventures in fasting my eating out addiction. All of the missing blog entries have been moved to one of those places.
Just A Sprinkle will stay as is; a blog about my life in general and the places I go. I still can't promise it will be all that and a bag of chips, but I can promise you will most likely read about a bag of chips at some time or another.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
How Technology Works
Today I received a blessing. I am learning to look for blessings every day. I received a text message from someone saying they were having a really rough day. I am currently in a youth ministry that is full of teens that have not only thought about suicide, but have attempted it, and several attempted it more than once. I consider it a pure joy that God has placed me here, because I can totally relate to this feeling. I will be the first one to tell you I haven't always felt like life was worth the hassle or the feeling of being alone. It is only because my faith in God's hand of protection and provision has grown that there has been victory over these feelings in my life.
This particular text message I received was simply stated, "bad day, suicide talk."
I have come to realize no one can provide the best explanation of the exact importance of someone's life, except for God. So for me to make suggestions on how to see life as important would be about as helpful as saying, "everything will be ok". My only advice I could give is to say, "I don't have the answer of how, but I do know you are important. Do everything you can to stay encouraged, and try not to surround yourself with people that are negative or depressed; Fill your life with things that bring you down, and you will be brought down.
The response I got was, "Wow! Thank you!" and then apparently my advice was shared with others that were dealing with the same issue.
Because of technology, we have the ability to encourage one another no matter how far away we are. I shared a word of encouragement, and that encouragement was shared to start an circle of friends to keep each other encouraged through their feelings of depression and despair!
This world is a rough place to live, but when we work together, our community can form a bond of hope. God wants to have victory in our lives, let him reign in yours. Let Him speak through you to encourage others daily, and technology can be a tool to make that easier.
This particular text message I received was simply stated, "bad day, suicide talk."
I have come to realize no one can provide the best explanation of the exact importance of someone's life, except for God. So for me to make suggestions on how to see life as important would be about as helpful as saying, "everything will be ok". My only advice I could give is to say, "I don't have the answer of how, but I do know you are important. Do everything you can to stay encouraged, and try not to surround yourself with people that are negative or depressed; Fill your life with things that bring you down, and you will be brought down.
The response I got was, "Wow! Thank you!" and then apparently my advice was shared with others that were dealing with the same issue.
Because of technology, we have the ability to encourage one another no matter how far away we are. I shared a word of encouragement, and that encouragement was shared to start an circle of friends to keep each other encouraged through their feelings of depression and despair!
This world is a rough place to live, but when we work together, our community can form a bond of hope. God wants to have victory in our lives, let him reign in yours. Let Him speak through you to encourage others daily, and technology can be a tool to make that easier.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)