I really could use a quiet place right now but I literally have no privacy. I feel like i have no way out.
I passed several siderails along the road driving back to the city...and thought about driving off the road into them every time i passed one. That's where i am. I literally play those scenes out in my head everywhere I go. Music take my mind off of those thoughts and brings me to a different place, but I have been so active all week that right now i just want to lock myself in a room where no one is in my face about how Im doing. I feel like i have no way out.
My "style" has given me a sense of identity because i don't feel like i have one, and whatever identity i do have i don't know how to define it.
Many of you will probably respond to this by saying you have the answer: accepting a temporary job just to get me on stable feet financially, trusting in God through tough times, praying, reading the bible, become a "working man" because that's apparently what we are "suppose" to be.
Let me set that list straight. I work hard in everything I take on. God has allowed me to go through a ridiculous amount of personal experience so that I am no longer selfish with my actions because of laying it all completely on the altar in front of Him. I refuse to allow myself to fall short by doing exactly what sin chained us to: the CONSEQUENCE of our sin was to work and toil the land in hopes to feel successful. God frees us of our sin and shapes us into His freedom. He brings us back to our original intended purpose; to Love Him, worship Him, and be the caretakers of His beautiful creation.
Are each of us the same type of care taker? No. Adam invested his time and energy into caring for a garden of Eden, where life flowed through and provided nourishment for everything in it. His task was to be creative with the garden and everything in it, for the purpose of it also being a worship to God. He named the animals according to how he could glorify God by how they were created by His hands. He was given a companion to support him in those efforts and provide her creativity in this investment as well.
It amazes me how much we continue to feel like we are dependent on our own power rather than what God provides us, and that truth is soooooooooooo hard to handle.
Now you all know the real me.
Through so much prayer and meditation many will never know the time invested, God has pointed in the direction of finishing my bachelor's degree and attaining it through Greenville College with a Music Business Concentration, serving in music ministry, and being an encourager for others to find places to invest their talents for the glory of God. I am so blessed to have the opportunity of witnessing others finding true joy and peace in the use of what God has given them to serve with.
I need that from others too.
Yet, although the world says one thing, and it begins crushing me with it's opposing direction to God's, I will praise Him! For He saves me from the deepest shadows of darkness. When my mind races with ways to put my own end to the monotonous struggles of this earthly life, my Father in Heaven reminds me of the glory of the power He has to pull me out of that miry pit and keeps my head above it so I can breath. It gets close sometimes, especially when what I am suppose to be able to trust in the most, here on earth, fails me, but my hand is in God's; the Alpha and Omega, Beginning and the End, Omnipotent Ruler, King of all the other kings of earth! In Him there is the promise of a complete future!
I witnessed as child after child stepped forward on their own this week at Children's Camp, with no prodding before-hand, to praise God by telling others their age (grades 2-6) to stand strong and live for Jesus no matter what the cost; no matter what their circumstances are when they get home from camp, no matter how much hope the world takes away from them, to stand. I am 26 and I do face the feelings of being a failure, but when I see children being this strong, how can I stay faint? It is in my weakness that God has the opportunity to show His strength!
This blogpost started out as a venting, and again a thanks for God providing ways to unclutter my mind of all the damaging thoughts that run through it, but it ends with me giving a reminder and a worship to the One who gives me life.
IN CHRIST THERE IS HOPE ETERNAL.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Routine Maintenance
We get into this daily routine of making sure our schedules are constantly filled with doing something so we always feel productive.
I have been realizing that I have these really cool long term dreams that I would love see become a reality, but instead of placing goals as stepping stones toward that dream I end up focusing on the insignificant "gnats" so that, by the end of the day, I can feel good about "how much I've done". When it comes down to it, is how much I've done more important, or how much I've accomplished?
When I glance back on my past 26 years, I find how time has shaped me into who I've become. I don't see the Breadbowl of Baked Potato soup I had from St Louis Bread Company, how far buying that pair of shorts from Hollister got me, or the B i got on my math test in high school when it could have been an A+. That makes me think; twenty years from now, how significant will the choices I am making now be?
That kind of adds a different perspective to my daily routine.
I have been realizing that I have these really cool long term dreams that I would love see become a reality, but instead of placing goals as stepping stones toward that dream I end up focusing on the insignificant "gnats" so that, by the end of the day, I can feel good about "how much I've done". When it comes down to it, is how much I've done more important, or how much I've accomplished?
When I glance back on my past 26 years, I find how time has shaped me into who I've become. I don't see the Breadbowl of Baked Potato soup I had from St Louis Bread Company, how far buying that pair of shorts from Hollister got me, or the B i got on my math test in high school when it could have been an A+. That makes me think; twenty years from now, how significant will the choices I am making now be?
That kind of adds a different perspective to my daily routine.
Mirrors
We are our own worst critics. When I listen to the recordings of my music, I cringe at every flaw and what I hear as a mistake. Yet, when others listen, it feels funny to hear them say things like, "Wow! I love it!". The same goes for giving messages, finishing drawings, and even the response I get from the firmness of my handshake.
The world tells us the image of ourselves in the mirror is most important, so we stand in front of one every morning and work on the image we see until we no longer see any flaws, or at least get rid of as many as we can. We spend countless hours changing clothes till we find the right outfit for the day, hairstyles that show off how we feel, and of course facial hygiene/make-up till all of our blemishes are hidden from sight. The mirror tells us when we are ready to go for the day.
And this is our routine. Every day.
What if the real mirror is in the eyes of others? What if the reason God gave us the responsibility to "Go into the world with the message of God's Love" is because He knew how important we are to each other? The issue we have with that, I think, is that we tend to be judgmental of each other and that keeps us from feeling like we can gather any hope from how others view us. It's amazing how sin attempts to block us from the rewards of God's Kingdom.
Try this:
•Instead of listening for how others criticize you, pay close attention to the good that others see in you. Watch for what others point out about you that you couldn't see in the microscope of your own eyes. It is impossible for us to back away for an arial shot of how we look and influence, we need the perspective from others.
• instead of being the one dishing out the criticism, be the one that gives positive encouragement and the eyes for what others cannot see of themselves. It is easy for us to believe that we are helping others by "warning" them about their flaws and imperfections, but we forget that they are already busy picking themselves apart with the mirror they carry around everywhere they go, and it feels good to focus on their issues so that we can feel like we are taking a break from our own.
God created us and saw the mix He used formed a need for companionship. We are designed to encourage one another and affirm each others strengths. What kind of companion are you?
The world tells us the image of ourselves in the mirror is most important, so we stand in front of one every morning and work on the image we see until we no longer see any flaws, or at least get rid of as many as we can. We spend countless hours changing clothes till we find the right outfit for the day, hairstyles that show off how we feel, and of course facial hygiene/make-up till all of our blemishes are hidden from sight. The mirror tells us when we are ready to go for the day.
And this is our routine. Every day.
What if the real mirror is in the eyes of others? What if the reason God gave us the responsibility to "Go into the world with the message of God's Love" is because He knew how important we are to each other? The issue we have with that, I think, is that we tend to be judgmental of each other and that keeps us from feeling like we can gather any hope from how others view us. It's amazing how sin attempts to block us from the rewards of God's Kingdom.
Try this:
•Instead of listening for how others criticize you, pay close attention to the good that others see in you. Watch for what others point out about you that you couldn't see in the microscope of your own eyes. It is impossible for us to back away for an arial shot of how we look and influence, we need the perspective from others.
• instead of being the one dishing out the criticism, be the one that gives positive encouragement and the eyes for what others cannot see of themselves. It is easy for us to believe that we are helping others by "warning" them about their flaws and imperfections, but we forget that they are already busy picking themselves apart with the mirror they carry around everywhere they go, and it feels good to focus on their issues so that we can feel like we are taking a break from our own.
God created us and saw the mix He used formed a need for companionship. We are designed to encourage one another and affirm each others strengths. What kind of companion are you?
Friday, July 20, 2012
New Addition to the Family: Yamaha Electone
Yesterday was a busy day! I was asked a while back if I would be interested in the organ my grandfather use to have. For those that know my love for unique instrument I do not need to describe how speechless I was to be thought of to take care of it!
I met up, at Lebanon, Illinois, with my Dad and Everett, a guy from my parents' church, to make the drive up to Springfield to load the organ up in a U-Haul trailer my father rented for the trip....at 6:00AM. I live in Granite City, which is a good 40 minute drive away from the meeting spot. That meant I had to get up at 4:30AM to make sure I was showered and ready to go for the day.
I can say to you right now that I have barely known 4:30AM to exist.
The ride was fun and we got to visit with my Aunt Luella and Uncle Owen who had been taking care of the organ since Grandpa Sprinkle passed away around 5 years ago. I love every opportunity to see my extended family!
While we were there, I got to see my Cousin Chris, his youngest son, and my Cousin Kerri too! It is such a blessing to see them.
It took me, my Dad, Everett, Owen, and a piece of cardboard to load e Yamaha organ into the trailer; the cardboard saved many lives. The whole ride to Mom and Dad's house, two and a half hours away, I was literally praying the organ was riding safely over every bump and squiggle in the road. I was thankful we were able to stop halfway to check on its condition and ease my mind.
I am so excited to have a Yamaha Electone in my collection! It's in beautiful original condition and sounds like a crazy dream, and the excitement to include it in a future song is building quickly!
I met up, at Lebanon, Illinois, with my Dad and Everett, a guy from my parents' church, to make the drive up to Springfield to load the organ up in a U-Haul trailer my father rented for the trip....at 6:00AM. I live in Granite City, which is a good 40 minute drive away from the meeting spot. That meant I had to get up at 4:30AM to make sure I was showered and ready to go for the day.
I can say to you right now that I have barely known 4:30AM to exist.
The ride was fun and we got to visit with my Aunt Luella and Uncle Owen who had been taking care of the organ since Grandpa Sprinkle passed away around 5 years ago. I love every opportunity to see my extended family!
While we were there, I got to see my Cousin Chris, his youngest son, and my Cousin Kerri too! It is such a blessing to see them.
It took me, my Dad, Everett, Owen, and a piece of cardboard to load e Yamaha organ into the trailer; the cardboard saved many lives. The whole ride to Mom and Dad's house, two and a half hours away, I was literally praying the organ was riding safely over every bump and squiggle in the road. I was thankful we were able to stop halfway to check on its condition and ease my mind.
I am so excited to have a Yamaha Electone in my collection! It's in beautiful original condition and sounds like a crazy dream, and the excitement to include it in a future song is building quickly!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Flashlight Tag and Church
Time for a blog filled with awesomeness! Yesterday, while I was working at Journeys for Kidz, I get a text from one of my teens.
"We should get everyone together at the park and play flashlight tag tonight!"
I responded.
"Sounds fun! Put it together and I'll be there! Btw, I'm at work."
In less than a half an hour her an her friend came into the store to say hi and again ask if we could get everyone together for tag. I reminded her she didn't have to ask for permission to invite people to hang out in a public park. They both left excited and the result leads to this writing.
I arrive at the park around 8:30 and wait for a good half an hour, starting to wonder if I had come for a no show. My phone rings and it's the girl asking where I am because she ended up parking at the church to walk over (since the church sits next to the park the convenience is perfect!).
I am sitting at a picnic table being eaten alive by the most ferociously annoying insects imaginable when from the shadows of dark trees I hear the voices of teenage girls in the distance. That is a scary sound in itself, but I am sure my silhouette walking toward them, wearing my new "gangsta" hat - as some have come to name it, alone in the dark of night, was not a comforting image. Thank goodness for lighted bathhouses to stand next to!
To my surprise, eight teenagers had come to hang out! Then another car arrived and three more boys joined us. Then another call came, which turned out to add one more guy to the bunch, giving us a total of 13 to play flashlight tag.
We played one round, and then chatted for a while before a couple of us decided we could go over to the sand volleyball courts and ask if we could join in with some of the people already playing there. After letting us join, it did not take long to discover that most of us were not professionals. It also did not take long to realize that their language was a bit more colorful than ours. Some of our own did not claim to have the best relationship going with God, but for the ones that are growing in their faith it made me proud to see a bunch of teenagers being mirror images of Christ out there in a public park!
By the middle of the night, two more of our teens' friends showed up, making 15 all together!
After a few rounds of sand volleyball, the group of 12 we had joined invited us to play a few rounds of Capture the Flag, aka t-shirts. By the time it was time for our teens to head home, I felt like the Sandman from the Marvel comics and Toby Mcguire Spiderman movie. It was worth every second!
I say this story because of the many testimonies included. Because of one teen:
• 27 people under the age of 27 had joined together for an evening of fellowship.
• Growing Christian teens naturally we God's hands and feet in a public world, evangelizing, without even realizing it, to their friends and others that do not yet know what a relationship with Christ has to offer.
• Christian teens ministered by being Spiritual Leaders with their language, sportsman-like conduct, acceptance of all who came to participate, and talked about Christian values throughout the night through natural conversation.
• We worshiped our Creator by using the gifts and talents He has given us and celebrating the gifts and talents of others through encouragement and praise.
What a great picture of the Church!
"We should get everyone together at the park and play flashlight tag tonight!"
I responded.
"Sounds fun! Put it together and I'll be there! Btw, I'm at work."
In less than a half an hour her an her friend came into the store to say hi and again ask if we could get everyone together for tag. I reminded her she didn't have to ask for permission to invite people to hang out in a public park. They both left excited and the result leads to this writing.
I arrive at the park around 8:30 and wait for a good half an hour, starting to wonder if I had come for a no show. My phone rings and it's the girl asking where I am because she ended up parking at the church to walk over (since the church sits next to the park the convenience is perfect!).
I am sitting at a picnic table being eaten alive by the most ferociously annoying insects imaginable when from the shadows of dark trees I hear the voices of teenage girls in the distance. That is a scary sound in itself, but I am sure my silhouette walking toward them, wearing my new "gangsta" hat - as some have come to name it, alone in the dark of night, was not a comforting image. Thank goodness for lighted bathhouses to stand next to!
To my surprise, eight teenagers had come to hang out! Then another car arrived and three more boys joined us. Then another call came, which turned out to add one more guy to the bunch, giving us a total of 13 to play flashlight tag.
We played one round, and then chatted for a while before a couple of us decided we could go over to the sand volleyball courts and ask if we could join in with some of the people already playing there. After letting us join, it did not take long to discover that most of us were not professionals. It also did not take long to realize that their language was a bit more colorful than ours. Some of our own did not claim to have the best relationship going with God, but for the ones that are growing in their faith it made me proud to see a bunch of teenagers being mirror images of Christ out there in a public park!
By the middle of the night, two more of our teens' friends showed up, making 15 all together!
After a few rounds of sand volleyball, the group of 12 we had joined invited us to play a few rounds of Capture the Flag, aka t-shirts. By the time it was time for our teens to head home, I felt like the Sandman from the Marvel comics and Toby Mcguire Spiderman movie. It was worth every second!
I say this story because of the many testimonies included. Because of one teen:
• 27 people under the age of 27 had joined together for an evening of fellowship.
• Growing Christian teens naturally we God's hands and feet in a public world, evangelizing, without even realizing it, to their friends and others that do not yet know what a relationship with Christ has to offer.
• Christian teens ministered by being Spiritual Leaders with their language, sportsman-like conduct, acceptance of all who came to participate, and talked about Christian values throughout the night through natural conversation.
• We worshiped our Creator by using the gifts and talents He has given us and celebrating the gifts and talents of others through encouragement and praise.
What a great picture of the Church!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Stagnant Water
Last week I had the privilege of attending our Nazarene Church's Illinois District Assembly. This is where all the church leadership teams come together from in our district, which covers from the southern-most tip of Illinois to an imaginary "boundary" line somewhere almost horizontally above Springfield - if you would like to create that mental image in your head. I love this concept because it allows us to hear how people are serving in the many cultures and diversity that make up the Body of Christ. It is encouraging to hear reports of how local churches are making waves of connecting with their communities and sharing testimonies of how God's Family has been growing or, in the case of the recent reports, declining in the past few years.
That was the bad news - churches are declining - and not just one or two! The majority of our churches have been showing a decrease every year, and if nothing else staying the same; as I refer to as "stagnant".
The churches that continue to grow are the ones that treat their church center as more of a place where the people have available to come together for a kind of celebration of life with Christ, as opposed to being the "one Holy Place where we must attend to meet God". See, the issue is that Christ lived to show us that we were created to have a RELATIONSHIP with God, our Creator, rather than be shuffled around as depicted in the original "Planet of the Apes" - where a big siren goes off that hypnotizes all humans to walk to a certain place and bow to a bunch of wild animals that have taken over their earth. But even in this relationship, we must not forget His majesty, grace, power, Lordship, and authority.
The way I view this is kind of like how I eat at the dinner table with my family. At the table sits me, my sister, her husband and their two daughters, my mom, and my dad. We do not spend the entire meal with our heads down, waiting for the next command our parents have to give us - instead we sit around and talk about how everyone broke out their instruments and started singing at the last family reunion, the Cardinals beating the Cubs so severally that they should have PETA called on them, and how, "back in the day", one of us had to visit a public restroom and a flatulent turned into more of an explosion they decided to leave as a gift for the next guess. But if mom and dad asks one of us to pray, help clean dishes, or remove our elbows off the table, we would never refer to them as being on the same level as us, and absolutely would we never consider them lower in position. We would immediately listen to their call and respect what they had to say.
God gives us this awe-inspiring opportunity to pull up a seat at His banquet table, talk about our every day lives, share food with each other and pass the plate of desert around for all to enjoy to the fullest extent of our satisfaction, but He also has the ability to take our breath away in one split of a second, or split apart the atoms that make us so our bodies disappear into oblivion. He also has the strength to hold us together as broken vessels, while forming us into an even more beautiful masterpiece! Before that kind of authority, how could we not humbly bow in respect? And yet He is so Loving He wants to spend time with us and share with us in our daily lives, work schedules, family bonding, and practical jokes. He wants to be at the center of it all!
What struck me with utmost sadness was the response our General Superintendent received when he asked the assembly if they would be a part of bringing their local church into the current century, look for ways to encourage and lend a hand in supporting their pastor and family, offer maintenance to their home if needed, and keep their church from being stagnant. The overall response was an overwhelming "eh", with a handful of "amen"'s mixed in.
He asked a second time, but this time giving the assembly the benefit of the doubt by suggesting maybe there was commotion and couldn't hear the response very well, asked us to raise our hands if we would agree to the support of our church and pastor; a handful of hands were lifted, barely visible in the clouded stench of a community of believers that does not seem to care.
A third time our General Superintendent made his appeal - this time asking for us to stand in agreement - and laughter struck the room as a mere 1/3 of the people grudgingly rose to their feet.
I apologize for any harsh words I may have chosen to describe that event, but then again I don't. The truth hurts, and this is one moment when we as the Body of Christ should be ashamed. How can we sit back and watch as our churches, no matter how they are organized - wether it be a fellowship in an organized setting, an institution made up of boards and committees or staff members, or moving organically on our streets - slump into a pool of stagnant water? The stench is unbearable, and we wonder why no one is attracted to come for a quench of their thirst!
"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." - quoted from Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, who gave His life so that we may have freedom from our sins and live eternally, adopted into God's Holy Family.
Why are we trying to offer stagnant water when our Father has so much more to offer?
When I walk through the food court of our mall, I am offered a barrage of food samples from companies that are promoting what they have to offer as the best choice to make. It makes me consider what I do with what God offers - He even hands us abundant plates of it to hand out! We are faced with choices:
• Pitch the plate into the garbage
• Stand there with the plate and partake of it, all for ourselves, before anyone has a chance to enjoy even a fallen crumb
• Hold the plate, with a lack of excitement, complaining of how no one takes it upon themselves to even go for one bite
• Desire everyone experiences what God has to offer, to the extent we do everything we can not to miss one opportunity, and take the plate to anyone we can find to share it with
Am I holding onto my own stagnant water, or am I eager to share the Living Water of Life to build the Kingdom and bring more into the adoption of the Family of God? What do out churches say about our relationship to our Father in Heaven?
That was the bad news - churches are declining - and not just one or two! The majority of our churches have been showing a decrease every year, and if nothing else staying the same; as I refer to as "stagnant".
The churches that continue to grow are the ones that treat their church center as more of a place where the people have available to come together for a kind of celebration of life with Christ, as opposed to being the "one Holy Place where we must attend to meet God". See, the issue is that Christ lived to show us that we were created to have a RELATIONSHIP with God, our Creator, rather than be shuffled around as depicted in the original "Planet of the Apes" - where a big siren goes off that hypnotizes all humans to walk to a certain place and bow to a bunch of wild animals that have taken over their earth. But even in this relationship, we must not forget His majesty, grace, power, Lordship, and authority.
The way I view this is kind of like how I eat at the dinner table with my family. At the table sits me, my sister, her husband and their two daughters, my mom, and my dad. We do not spend the entire meal with our heads down, waiting for the next command our parents have to give us - instead we sit around and talk about how everyone broke out their instruments and started singing at the last family reunion, the Cardinals beating the Cubs so severally that they should have PETA called on them, and how, "back in the day", one of us had to visit a public restroom and a flatulent turned into more of an explosion they decided to leave as a gift for the next guess. But if mom and dad asks one of us to pray, help clean dishes, or remove our elbows off the table, we would never refer to them as being on the same level as us, and absolutely would we never consider them lower in position. We would immediately listen to their call and respect what they had to say.
God gives us this awe-inspiring opportunity to pull up a seat at His banquet table, talk about our every day lives, share food with each other and pass the plate of desert around for all to enjoy to the fullest extent of our satisfaction, but He also has the ability to take our breath away in one split of a second, or split apart the atoms that make us so our bodies disappear into oblivion. He also has the strength to hold us together as broken vessels, while forming us into an even more beautiful masterpiece! Before that kind of authority, how could we not humbly bow in respect? And yet He is so Loving He wants to spend time with us and share with us in our daily lives, work schedules, family bonding, and practical jokes. He wants to be at the center of it all!
What struck me with utmost sadness was the response our General Superintendent received when he asked the assembly if they would be a part of bringing their local church into the current century, look for ways to encourage and lend a hand in supporting their pastor and family, offer maintenance to their home if needed, and keep their church from being stagnant. The overall response was an overwhelming "eh", with a handful of "amen"'s mixed in.
He asked a second time, but this time giving the assembly the benefit of the doubt by suggesting maybe there was commotion and couldn't hear the response very well, asked us to raise our hands if we would agree to the support of our church and pastor; a handful of hands were lifted, barely visible in the clouded stench of a community of believers that does not seem to care.
A third time our General Superintendent made his appeal - this time asking for us to stand in agreement - and laughter struck the room as a mere 1/3 of the people grudgingly rose to their feet.
I apologize for any harsh words I may have chosen to describe that event, but then again I don't. The truth hurts, and this is one moment when we as the Body of Christ should be ashamed. How can we sit back and watch as our churches, no matter how they are organized - wether it be a fellowship in an organized setting, an institution made up of boards and committees or staff members, or moving organically on our streets - slump into a pool of stagnant water? The stench is unbearable, and we wonder why no one is attracted to come for a quench of their thirst!
"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." - quoted from Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, who gave His life so that we may have freedom from our sins and live eternally, adopted into God's Holy Family.
Why are we trying to offer stagnant water when our Father has so much more to offer?
When I walk through the food court of our mall, I am offered a barrage of food samples from companies that are promoting what they have to offer as the best choice to make. It makes me consider what I do with what God offers - He even hands us abundant plates of it to hand out! We are faced with choices:
• Pitch the plate into the garbage
• Stand there with the plate and partake of it, all for ourselves, before anyone has a chance to enjoy even a fallen crumb
• Hold the plate, with a lack of excitement, complaining of how no one takes it upon themselves to even go for one bite
• Desire everyone experiences what God has to offer, to the extent we do everything we can not to miss one opportunity, and take the plate to anyone we can find to share it with
Am I holding onto my own stagnant water, or am I eager to share the Living Water of Life to build the Kingdom and bring more into the adoption of the Family of God? What do out churches say about our relationship to our Father in Heaven?
Monday, July 16, 2012
30 Hour Famine: Saturday, Day 2
If the Friday wasn't packed full of changing lives, Saturday was where the Spirit of God really took over during our 30 Hour Famine! Last weekend was filled with games and opportunities for teens to learn about ways they could start thinking of helping organizations like World Vision and Nazarene Compassionate Ministries reach the lives of thousands by teaching new methods of farming even where there is drought, distilling water for clean drinking, preventing diseases like Malaria, getting children into educational systems to help grow a brighter future, and more! But what about where we live? Are we to sit back and donate to oversea missions while we drive by hundreds of homeless and impoverished neighbors in our own communities?
We teamed up with St. Peter's Methodist Church and Jesus Place Ministries of Granite City, Illinois, to place 20 teens into areas of volunteer service. Saturday morning, St. Peter's Methodist's Soup Kitchen was filled with orange shirts. By this time, these participants had already gone a maximum of 25 hours without food yet, with excitement, volunteered to stand in the kitchen making eggs, pancakes, toast, and sausage and serving people at their seats for two hours! The aroma of food filled the room, and the conversations went from "I can't believe they're making us do this", "I will probably eat some of this food before it's over", to "where else can I help?", "Can I take your place behind the oven while you take a break?", "Are you and your family enjoying breakfast this morning, what else can I get for you to make this more enjoyable?".
After serving these guests for two hours we were taken to the Jesus Place Ministries Soup Kitchen and Worship Center. It wasn't in service at the time, but our participants got a tour of a smaller scale ministry that still did just as much to serve as many as they could. Then we got together in the worship center and listened to a testimony from one of the guyst that helped arrange the service projects, and I gave a small message about our many ways we show worship to God; serving others being one of them. What was most encouraging was the entire group circling together for a time of prayer, where each one of us took turns leading, thanking God for the opportunity to serve Him and asking for hearts to serve others instead of focusing so much on ourselves!
After that time of worship, we were led to the Free Store. Granite City's former automotive manufacturing plant now has been converted into a warehouse where anyone can donate anything from coffee mugs, food, and clothes, to furniture and bicycles. The best part is, people that shop at the Free Store are not there to buy anything, because everything is literally given away for free! This is a place where the needs are really being met without the concern of making a profit off of others' misfortunes. It was a blessing to see our teens volunteering on their own to help organize and move large furniture pieces and whatever else they could help with in the short time we were there for the tour.
When we returned to the church, we had about an hour before it was time to break our fast. This time was spent either picking up trash, packing luggage, or sleeping - depending on how crashed each participant was. Several chaperones helped make spaghetti and rolls, while I put together a simple recipe called "Re:Vive"; consisting of peanut butter, powdered milk, a hint of powdered sugar, and a dash of vegetable oil. Organizations like World Vision gives a similar nutritional package out to individuals who have gone days and weeks without the proper food, helping to build up their stomaches to accept more dense or acidic foods such as spaghetti and fruit.
The conversation and words from participants changed dramatically over the course of this event. Everyone was helping each other with packing, picking up trash, and even coming into the kitchen asking us if they could help with washing dishes or mixing ingredients. In the scope of 24 hours, 30 people went from being self-engaged to community building.
We can make a difference.
Because of this change, I have been asked about making this a district event next year; an opportunity I am deeply humbled and sincerely excited about!
We teamed up with St. Peter's Methodist Church and Jesus Place Ministries of Granite City, Illinois, to place 20 teens into areas of volunteer service. Saturday morning, St. Peter's Methodist's Soup Kitchen was filled with orange shirts. By this time, these participants had already gone a maximum of 25 hours without food yet, with excitement, volunteered to stand in the kitchen making eggs, pancakes, toast, and sausage and serving people at their seats for two hours! The aroma of food filled the room, and the conversations went from "I can't believe they're making us do this", "I will probably eat some of this food before it's over", to "where else can I help?", "Can I take your place behind the oven while you take a break?", "Are you and your family enjoying breakfast this morning, what else can I get for you to make this more enjoyable?".
After serving these guests for two hours we were taken to the Jesus Place Ministries Soup Kitchen and Worship Center. It wasn't in service at the time, but our participants got a tour of a smaller scale ministry that still did just as much to serve as many as they could. Then we got together in the worship center and listened to a testimony from one of the guyst that helped arrange the service projects, and I gave a small message about our many ways we show worship to God; serving others being one of them. What was most encouraging was the entire group circling together for a time of prayer, where each one of us took turns leading, thanking God for the opportunity to serve Him and asking for hearts to serve others instead of focusing so much on ourselves!
After that time of worship, we were led to the Free Store. Granite City's former automotive manufacturing plant now has been converted into a warehouse where anyone can donate anything from coffee mugs, food, and clothes, to furniture and bicycles. The best part is, people that shop at the Free Store are not there to buy anything, because everything is literally given away for free! This is a place where the needs are really being met without the concern of making a profit off of others' misfortunes. It was a blessing to see our teens volunteering on their own to help organize and move large furniture pieces and whatever else they could help with in the short time we were there for the tour.
When we returned to the church, we had about an hour before it was time to break our fast. This time was spent either picking up trash, packing luggage, or sleeping - depending on how crashed each participant was. Several chaperones helped make spaghetti and rolls, while I put together a simple recipe called "Re:Vive"; consisting of peanut butter, powdered milk, a hint of powdered sugar, and a dash of vegetable oil. Organizations like World Vision gives a similar nutritional package out to individuals who have gone days and weeks without the proper food, helping to build up their stomaches to accept more dense or acidic foods such as spaghetti and fruit.
The conversation and words from participants changed dramatically over the course of this event. Everyone was helping each other with packing, picking up trash, and even coming into the kitchen asking us if they could help with washing dishes or mixing ingredients. In the scope of 24 hours, 30 people went from being self-engaged to community building.
We can make a difference.
Because of this change, I have been asked about making this a district event next year; an opportunity I am deeply humbled and sincerely excited about!
30 Hour Famine: Friday, Day 1
This is way overdue, but this past week has just been full of ups and downs and I am finally able to flush it all out into my blogger! (that sounds gross)
Last weekend, three churches combined together in an effort called the 30 Hour Famine. World Vision and Nazarene Compassionate Ministries are the organizations the proceeds from the event goes to. The Famine is basically a weekend where participants agree to go a mere 30 hours without eating; A) to get a small feel for how those suffering with hunger and malnutrition feel on a daily basis, and B) to raise awareness and help fund causes like World Vision's mission teams that go to impoverished places and help start educational systems and give small loans to help with small business ventures; such as farming in areas with drought.
It has been an honor hosting this event for the past four years, and this year we got to combine with two other churches, one of which traveled two hours to participate! Each year we held fundraisers that built up to the event, but since this was a first for the other churches, we focused primarily on how to build the excitement and awareness for the potential to do more next year, and God worked through the hearts of His Church! Over 20 teens came for the weekend, and more than five adults showed up to help chaperone and volunteer!
To kickstart the event, we had the participants tell us why they decided going 30 hours without eating for an entire weekend would be a good idea. (Keep in mind they were to start their own personal fast at 7am, and the event didn't start until 1pm, so most of these teens had already been going since supper the night before simply because waking up before 7:00 is just too early to experience daylight.) their answers ranged from "my friend invited me" to "I just wanted something to do this weekend". We heard a LOT of "I'm already starving", "I may go home early", "I hope you have enough r for me!", "There better be Gatorade", and "I hope I don't get bored"; the focus started out completely focused on the individual self.
World Vision puts together a very cool game every year, called "Tribe". It could easily be compared to the National reality TV show "Survivor". What's another Spirit motivated side to this game is that each challenge includes a time of devotion and reflexion on how it compares to one of God's promises in His Word; the Bible. This year, teens went through a True/False round to determine "Tribal Leaders" and learned fast facts about how hunger effects more than just the stomach, but also causes loss of education and lack of income for families. Participants were then numbered off and placed in Tribes; Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Zambia, Uganda, and Bolivia. Each participant received a card with the identity of a child and had to take on their lifestyle through the challenges; such as blindness, loss of a limb, weakness from hunger or Malaria, or being mute. We had heavy backpacks, sunglasses, duct tape, gloves, and earplugs to make these characteristics more real.
Tribes went through the same challenges actual people go through in the villages they represented: working together to keep other tribes from stealing what little food they had (garbage bags filled with rice and binder clipped to their pockets/belt loops), find food through droughts (balloons filled with food items written on strips of paper), use anything they could to gather water (ladles, cups, milk cartons, buckets that dumped into a kiddie pool), prevent mosquitos from spreading diseases like Malaria (finding pieces of a flashlight and putting them together, then shining it through a bed sheet that represented a bed net), and make it safely across a flood (using items from their overnight packing to get across from one end of a gymnasium to the other).
In the midst of all this fun and excitement we do a candle vigil in memory of the lives of children under the age of five that are lost due to hunger and malnutrition. Because of the help from organizations like World Vision and NCM, the numbers have dropped. Instead of one child dying every 7 seconds, one is lost every 12 seconds. That is still a number that should strike us all as troubling, considering there is enough food in the entire world that, if it were evenly distributed to every person, each one of us would have 4.5 pounds to eat per day. So me and three other chaperones took turns blowing out one candle every 12 seconds to represent a life lost to this preventable cause of death. By the time the last candle is left standing, the image really shows us how important the "light" from one life truly is. This message started spreading throughout the night and really helped begin a new focus on working together and encouraging one another, not only in surviving, but growing as God's Church as well.
We spent the rest of the day playing volleyball and making t-shirts.
Last weekend, three churches combined together in an effort called the 30 Hour Famine. World Vision and Nazarene Compassionate Ministries are the organizations the proceeds from the event goes to. The Famine is basically a weekend where participants agree to go a mere 30 hours without eating; A) to get a small feel for how those suffering with hunger and malnutrition feel on a daily basis, and B) to raise awareness and help fund causes like World Vision's mission teams that go to impoverished places and help start educational systems and give small loans to help with small business ventures; such as farming in areas with drought.
It has been an honor hosting this event for the past four years, and this year we got to combine with two other churches, one of which traveled two hours to participate! Each year we held fundraisers that built up to the event, but since this was a first for the other churches, we focused primarily on how to build the excitement and awareness for the potential to do more next year, and God worked through the hearts of His Church! Over 20 teens came for the weekend, and more than five adults showed up to help chaperone and volunteer!
To kickstart the event, we had the participants tell us why they decided going 30 hours without eating for an entire weekend would be a good idea. (Keep in mind they were to start their own personal fast at 7am, and the event didn't start until 1pm, so most of these teens had already been going since supper the night before simply because waking up before 7:00 is just too early to experience daylight.) their answers ranged from "my friend invited me" to "I just wanted something to do this weekend". We heard a LOT of "I'm already starving", "I may go home early", "I hope you have enough r for me!", "There better be Gatorade", and "I hope I don't get bored"; the focus started out completely focused on the individual self.
World Vision puts together a very cool game every year, called "Tribe". It could easily be compared to the National reality TV show "Survivor". What's another Spirit motivated side to this game is that each challenge includes a time of devotion and reflexion on how it compares to one of God's promises in His Word; the Bible. This year, teens went through a True/False round to determine "Tribal Leaders" and learned fast facts about how hunger effects more than just the stomach, but also causes loss of education and lack of income for families. Participants were then numbered off and placed in Tribes; Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Zambia, Uganda, and Bolivia. Each participant received a card with the identity of a child and had to take on their lifestyle through the challenges; such as blindness, loss of a limb, weakness from hunger or Malaria, or being mute. We had heavy backpacks, sunglasses, duct tape, gloves, and earplugs to make these characteristics more real.
Tribes went through the same challenges actual people go through in the villages they represented: working together to keep other tribes from stealing what little food they had (garbage bags filled with rice and binder clipped to their pockets/belt loops), find food through droughts (balloons filled with food items written on strips of paper), use anything they could to gather water (ladles, cups, milk cartons, buckets that dumped into a kiddie pool), prevent mosquitos from spreading diseases like Malaria (finding pieces of a flashlight and putting them together, then shining it through a bed sheet that represented a bed net), and make it safely across a flood (using items from their overnight packing to get across from one end of a gymnasium to the other).
In the midst of all this fun and excitement we do a candle vigil in memory of the lives of children under the age of five that are lost due to hunger and malnutrition. Because of the help from organizations like World Vision and NCM, the numbers have dropped. Instead of one child dying every 7 seconds, one is lost every 12 seconds. That is still a number that should strike us all as troubling, considering there is enough food in the entire world that, if it were evenly distributed to every person, each one of us would have 4.5 pounds to eat per day. So me and three other chaperones took turns blowing out one candle every 12 seconds to represent a life lost to this preventable cause of death. By the time the last candle is left standing, the image really shows us how important the "light" from one life truly is. This message started spreading throughout the night and really helped begin a new focus on working together and encouraging one another, not only in surviving, but growing as God's Church as well.
We spent the rest of the day playing volleyball and making t-shirts.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
The Fourth of July, and Encountering God
Yesterday, I hung out with one of the teens at the St Louis Arch for the fourth of July celebration. He said he was bringing his guitar. I automatically pictured it shattering into a million pieces in the crush of the crowded MetroLink, which led me to recommend he not bring it. Sometimes I am glad teens don't always listen.
The first place we sat to play music a man from the streets joined us and shared with us some of his blues influence. He talked about playing music from the heart as if no one was there to listen. That really spoke to me.
We were later stopped by another man sitting on the railing of the steps that lead down to the waters edge. He plays a 12 string guitar and introduced us to a song that he wrote about God's Spirit moving through us. He talked with us about being excited to be a part of The Church, outside of the church building, where our lives are truly lived in the presence of this fallen world.
As the night started drawing closer we had several others join us. They were not your average "churchy" crowd. Each one had been drinking alcohol to the point of being unable to balance their cups, clothing cut short to bear the heat of the day, tattoos, piercings, and a vocabulary colorful enough that would not only make Webster shiver in his grave but also put the Urban Dictionary to shame.
What thrilled me was the Love of God that drew them all in. One woman asked if we could play a song where she could be an echo because she loves to sing, a couple of guys went from requesting songs from mainstream acid rock to asking us for more of this Christian type music we play, and another girl came forward from her quietness and said she felt like she wanted what we were singing about! As it turns out, she once had accepted Christ but gave up on things when the world deceived her into thinking God had turned His back. We had the opportunity to talk to her about giving the relationship with Christ another shot, and William, the teen that brought his guitar, got to tell her a little about how hard it has been for him at times when he has felt like life wasn't worth fighting for, yet when he put his faith and trust in God, received the hope to get through and has started finding complete joy through his darkest hours. She agreed to give it another go, and God's kingdom grew by one more soul returning to the Family last night!
Through all of this, I am reminded of a song from The Fray that caused a lot of controversy a while back. The beginning says, "I found God at the corner of First and Amistad where the West was all but won. All alone, smoking His last cigarette, I said 'Where've You been?', He said, 'Ask anything.'" Have you ever thought about who God is speaking through to try and reach you? Is He limited to inly using those of us that look and act a certain way? Is it possible that God can even show us His way by speaking to us through a sinner? And how is a Christian suppose to look? How tattered and worn do our clothes, messy our hair, and smelly our bodies have to be to keep us from a relationship with Christ?
In the end, God Loves each of us, including those we may never meet unless God walks them into our life
I complimented the man on the street's shades. He took them off his face and gave them to me, saying everything we own is rubbish and temporary, if we allow anything to tie us down we will decay right along with it. Our treasure is in Heaven! I was surprised and thanked him. Later that night, when trying them on I realized the lenses were a little blurred - as it turned out, these shades were his prescription lenses...and he gave them to me! How humbling of an encounter that turned out to be! Our vision is important to us; most of us find it annoying not being able to see. This man reached out and handed me his sight!
When you pray, be ready for how God will creatively answer. Yesterday, I encountered God through His people. When I started to say lets move on, God showed up in someone else. He will get through, and He will get you through, but we must stay focused to tune in.
We ended the day sitting by the ricer getting ready for the fireworks. A couple of people around us asked us to sing and play the guitar because no one could hear the live music down where we were. As we were ending Light Up the Sky, the first set of fireworks went off. What a great way to end a day filled with encountering God through His Church!
The first place we sat to play music a man from the streets joined us and shared with us some of his blues influence. He talked about playing music from the heart as if no one was there to listen. That really spoke to me.
We were later stopped by another man sitting on the railing of the steps that lead down to the waters edge. He plays a 12 string guitar and introduced us to a song that he wrote about God's Spirit moving through us. He talked with us about being excited to be a part of The Church, outside of the church building, where our lives are truly lived in the presence of this fallen world.
As the night started drawing closer we had several others join us. They were not your average "churchy" crowd. Each one had been drinking alcohol to the point of being unable to balance their cups, clothing cut short to bear the heat of the day, tattoos, piercings, and a vocabulary colorful enough that would not only make Webster shiver in his grave but also put the Urban Dictionary to shame.
What thrilled me was the Love of God that drew them all in. One woman asked if we could play a song where she could be an echo because she loves to sing, a couple of guys went from requesting songs from mainstream acid rock to asking us for more of this Christian type music we play, and another girl came forward from her quietness and said she felt like she wanted what we were singing about! As it turns out, she once had accepted Christ but gave up on things when the world deceived her into thinking God had turned His back. We had the opportunity to talk to her about giving the relationship with Christ another shot, and William, the teen that brought his guitar, got to tell her a little about how hard it has been for him at times when he has felt like life wasn't worth fighting for, yet when he put his faith and trust in God, received the hope to get through and has started finding complete joy through his darkest hours. She agreed to give it another go, and God's kingdom grew by one more soul returning to the Family last night!
Through all of this, I am reminded of a song from The Fray that caused a lot of controversy a while back. The beginning says, "I found God at the corner of First and Amistad where the West was all but won. All alone, smoking His last cigarette, I said 'Where've You been?', He said, 'Ask anything.'" Have you ever thought about who God is speaking through to try and reach you? Is He limited to inly using those of us that look and act a certain way? Is it possible that God can even show us His way by speaking to us through a sinner? And how is a Christian suppose to look? How tattered and worn do our clothes, messy our hair, and smelly our bodies have to be to keep us from a relationship with Christ?
In the end, God Loves each of us, including those we may never meet unless God walks them into our life
I complimented the man on the street's shades. He took them off his face and gave them to me, saying everything we own is rubbish and temporary, if we allow anything to tie us down we will decay right along with it. Our treasure is in Heaven! I was surprised and thanked him. Later that night, when trying them on I realized the lenses were a little blurred - as it turned out, these shades were his prescription lenses...and he gave them to me! How humbling of an encounter that turned out to be! Our vision is important to us; most of us find it annoying not being able to see. This man reached out and handed me his sight!
When you pray, be ready for how God will creatively answer. Yesterday, I encountered God through His people. When I started to say lets move on, God showed up in someone else. He will get through, and He will get you through, but we must stay focused to tune in.
We ended the day sitting by the ricer getting ready for the fireworks. A couple of people around us asked us to sing and play the guitar because no one could hear the live music down where we were. As we were ending Light Up the Sky, the first set of fireworks went off. What a great way to end a day filled with encountering God through His Church!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Battle of the Judges
Yesterday I admittedly was guilty of being judgmental, and with my life being an open book I should not be afraid to admit that. For this I immediately want to apologize to my readers for.
I am preparing supplies for our upcoming 30 Hour Famine, which connect teens to Nazarene Compassionate Ministries and World Vision in an event where they'll volunteer their time and go 30 hours with no food in an effort to raise awareness for those suffering from malnutrition. It's also way more than just catching a glimpse of how it feels to starve; during the event the participants learn about how hunger effects education, business, society, economics, opens the door for diseases, and so much more. When it comes to an event like this, I want it to be no cost as evidence money is not a necessity when we come together to help each other out. We play a game called Tribe, similar to Survivor, and also offer opportunities for the participants to show compassion in their local communities; such as volunteering at a homeless shelter, serve food at soup kitchens, and lend a hand with yard work or spending time with kids at children's homes and orphanages.
One month prior to the event, I put out a list of needed supplies in hopes they are donated by people in the church. This year, I wasn't seeing much of anything from the list being given, and as I walked in to our youth center yesterday morning, seeing no change, immediately became heated and ranting about why the church has gotten to the point of not giving. By this time all that had been given were a few empty gallon jugs that someone dug out of the trash for me at the end of our church's vacation bible school and a folding table.
I had to leave to catch my breath. I was literally at the point of giving up hope. Such a sad place to be in life; loosing hope for mankind.
I prayed. I asked God to clear my mind and work with what He provided. Once I regained my composer an returned to the church, I noticed a couple of shopping bags on the floor that I overlooked before, (This is when I use a line from a popular Christmas story because of the surprise and joy the discovery made me feel) when what, through my wandering eyes, did appear? Two shopping bags from the dollar store, filled with flashlights, ladles, batteries, water bottles, pens, Sharpies, and more! Donated specifically for Famine use!
It by no means completes the list of needed supplies, but did put a major dent in the start of what we needed for each game of Tribe, which will place the participants in the shoes of those who suffer just to find water halfway clean enough to drink, or have to coss flooded river-beds for safety after their families have been separated by disaster.
I had to stop and ask for forgiveness for my pre-concluded notion that no one really cared. It was still less than what I had hoped for, but far greater are the tools God provides through his people than any I could pull together on my own! Now, when three churches come together to find out what it's like to go a while feeling hungry, they'll see examples of how we can give through means, other than money, to show love to our neighbors. I learned even more about contentment and blind faith through this and continue growing in my relationship with our Creator and Giver of Life! All of this is a gift from Him. How will we invest what He entrusts to our care? Will we look at it and say, "This is not enough!", or be thankful by sharing His Love with others and supporting each other in this daily battle to survive in a chaotic world? Will we spread judgement and dwell on how we feel other people should be living, or pray for our neighbors as part of the Body of Christ and trust God in the molding and shaping of the heart? Do we try to take it upon ourselves to accomplish great things, or let go of our personal desires by placing them fully in the hands of God?
I am preparing supplies for our upcoming 30 Hour Famine, which connect teens to Nazarene Compassionate Ministries and World Vision in an event where they'll volunteer their time and go 30 hours with no food in an effort to raise awareness for those suffering from malnutrition. It's also way more than just catching a glimpse of how it feels to starve; during the event the participants learn about how hunger effects education, business, society, economics, opens the door for diseases, and so much more. When it comes to an event like this, I want it to be no cost as evidence money is not a necessity when we come together to help each other out. We play a game called Tribe, similar to Survivor, and also offer opportunities for the participants to show compassion in their local communities; such as volunteering at a homeless shelter, serve food at soup kitchens, and lend a hand with yard work or spending time with kids at children's homes and orphanages.
One month prior to the event, I put out a list of needed supplies in hopes they are donated by people in the church. This year, I wasn't seeing much of anything from the list being given, and as I walked in to our youth center yesterday morning, seeing no change, immediately became heated and ranting about why the church has gotten to the point of not giving. By this time all that had been given were a few empty gallon jugs that someone dug out of the trash for me at the end of our church's vacation bible school and a folding table.
I had to leave to catch my breath. I was literally at the point of giving up hope. Such a sad place to be in life; loosing hope for mankind.
I prayed. I asked God to clear my mind and work with what He provided. Once I regained my composer an returned to the church, I noticed a couple of shopping bags on the floor that I overlooked before, (This is when I use a line from a popular Christmas story because of the surprise and joy the discovery made me feel) when what, through my wandering eyes, did appear? Two shopping bags from the dollar store, filled with flashlights, ladles, batteries, water bottles, pens, Sharpies, and more! Donated specifically for Famine use!
It by no means completes the list of needed supplies, but did put a major dent in the start of what we needed for each game of Tribe, which will place the participants in the shoes of those who suffer just to find water halfway clean enough to drink, or have to coss flooded river-beds for safety after their families have been separated by disaster.
I had to stop and ask for forgiveness for my pre-concluded notion that no one really cared. It was still less than what I had hoped for, but far greater are the tools God provides through his people than any I could pull together on my own! Now, when three churches come together to find out what it's like to go a while feeling hungry, they'll see examples of how we can give through means, other than money, to show love to our neighbors. I learned even more about contentment and blind faith through this and continue growing in my relationship with our Creator and Giver of Life! All of this is a gift from Him. How will we invest what He entrusts to our care? Will we look at it and say, "This is not enough!", or be thankful by sharing His Love with others and supporting each other in this daily battle to survive in a chaotic world? Will we spread judgement and dwell on how we feel other people should be living, or pray for our neighbors as part of the Body of Christ and trust God in the molding and shaping of the heart? Do we try to take it upon ourselves to accomplish great things, or let go of our personal desires by placing them fully in the hands of God?
Monday, July 2, 2012
Skating Backwards
Sitting here blogging to the beats of a skating rink. I can honestly say I never thought I'd take up skating...but St Louis has its own unique style and I love it! I've loosened up so much more since I started.
Also, today I ran into a ginormous variety of people, which really added breath to the statement that everyone is unique in their own crazy way. Can I please add one thing though? Please, please, please ask yourself why your kid might be making the choices they're making if you are a parent and cuss, drink, smoke, talk about porn, dress like you belong to a nudist colony, and start fights in front of your kids. If you ask me that question, I will stare at you with that look that simply says, "really?".
Also, I don't know how to skate backwards...that would be a good thing to learn.
Also, today I ran into a ginormous variety of people, which really added breath to the statement that everyone is unique in their own crazy way. Can I please add one thing though? Please, please, please ask yourself why your kid might be making the choices they're making if you are a parent and cuss, drink, smoke, talk about porn, dress like you belong to a nudist colony, and start fights in front of your kids. If you ask me that question, I will stare at you with that look that simply says, "really?".
Also, I don't know how to skate backwards...that would be a good thing to learn.
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