Info from Joe

The Plight of the Mythological Creature

2011-03-30T10:09:00.003-05:00

In thinking about storybook creatures and those of folklore, several really cool ones come to mind. Griffins, unicorns, and jackalopes are just a few. But being a dragon would be pretty cool on most days. You'd have a really cool coat of scales, most fly and breathe fire, and to live in a lair with heaping mounds of gold coins and jewels as a couch beats Cribs and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with a stick! Most days you just sit around at home and occasionlly entertain visitors (afterwhich, you eat), and sometimes you go fly about and set things on fire, like trees and villages and whatnot. But there's days where being a dragon wouldn't be so cool. Torch bearing mobs shouting at the mouth of the lair, guys with armor piercing arrows taking cheapshots at you when you're trying to exercise, and the stares you'd get from the general public when you go into town for a coffee. Today is kinda one of those days for me. I feel like I'm a-draggin'. Get it? There's my witty, blogger play on words for the day. A Midnight ambulance run and general restless sleep otherwise with all that's on my plate for the day has got me running pretty slowly thus far. I'm hoping for better things later on.

Forming a Habit

2011-03-25T09:09:00.002-05:00

There was a time, as evidenced by my earliest posts here, that this chunk of space in the www was well tended and flourishing. As with most things, especially my things, one thing led to another and something else pressing came up and the blog entry got pushed aside one too many times. You know how it goes. Anyhoo, I'm hoping ("yeah, you said that 3 years ago!") to be more regular about this. I think it's fun and, after reading over my early posts, gives me some clues as to where I've been and where I need to be. While I probably won't be habitual or "religious" about it (I need to be more religious about so many other things...including religion!), I hope to be more regular. So Frank, Eric, you in the sweats..., and the rest of you who accidentally happen upon these entries, enjoy this one (and the ones to follow) for what it's worth.

A modest reply

2011-03-24T11:45:00.000-05:00

Alright,
I got razzed a couple weeks ago when my father- and brother-in-law found my blog and saw that I hadn't made a post in over 2 years! 'Tis true, loyal readers, I've been bad. Hopefully, I can make it up to you...I'm not sure how I'll go about doing that, though. Anyways, for those of you who have been anxiously awaiting my latest post (the guy who's not moved from his computer room since Vista sounded like a good idea, before Bieber-fever took the world by storm, and tweets were only made by birds is going to be thrilled!), here's what you've missed.

MA in Contemporary Theology in May of 2008
New England trip-Summer 2009
started driving an amblulance-October 2009
Turned 30-May 2010
became an iPhone owner-Christmas 2010
sold my house-March 2011

There you go. Now you're all caught up. I hope you feel better now. And you, sir, Mr. Loyal Reader, can go change your clothes, clean up a little, step outside and get some fresh air. Your family misses you. And you're weirding me out, a little.

Mini Me

2008-01-17T13:59:00.000-06:00

The resemblance is uncanny! I think the little guy's going to go places!

Falling apart, getting old

2008-01-07T10:07:00.000-06:00

We talked about death last night at our high school youth group meeting. It was a good meeting but a little weird. I find it easier to talk about other people dying than actually confronting my own mortality. But I've been put in a position where that (my frail, humanness) has been on my mind more lately. I recently had some blood tests conducted to screen for anything that might be the source of some pain that I've been dealing with over the last few months. Starting in the summer, it was my knees. I did something dumb in the fall and hurt my toe. Well, it still hurts. Seemingly without reason, my shoulder and jaw have been hurting over the last month. Headaches have also been more frequent in the past couple months. Well, the initial tests came back negative for everything that my doc was testing for. I'm still scheduled to see a rheumatologist (look it up) on Jan. 24 for some further testing. But that's where I'm at now. Hopefully, sometime soon the bottom will be gotten to and this chapter in my life will close. For now, I'm just praying that nothing serious is wrong and that whatever I find out, I can deal with it.

Sorry it's been a while.

Bad to Good

2007-12-12T08:42:00.000-06:00

Wow. Yesterday really started out bad. First, I learned that I had misplaced or not saved the revisions that I had done last week on my thesis! For a couple seconds, I was ready to quit (but just a couple. It wasn't like I had lost 70 pages or anything). Then, (actually before the other thing) another incident occurred, the details of which I can't really discuss openly. It completely caught me off guard, but it made me mad. Like, the most mad I had been in a long time! It takes a lot to get me mad, but I was ready to throw down! Or throw in the towel. Being mad is such a weird feeling. It's like being charged with adrenaline, being really motivated & focused, but not able to control the focus. It controls you. I was wide-eyed, my heart was racing, I felt tense like I just needed to do something active or I was going to explode. (Weird, huh?) Anyways, I ran into Fred, one of my fave professors, who's also becoming a good friend, and he gave me some wise counsel about how to deal with it. He told me to respond in love, grace, and humility, and not react out of charged-up rage like I wanted to. In retaliating, or even trying to defend myself to my accusers, I would lose in the long run, he told me. So, after that, I calmed down (even more by that point), finished my re-revisions, and headed home feeling better. Laura also got word that she'd been offered not one, but two new jobs watching triplets! So, she was then in a good position to choose between two really good options. It's neat how God works sometimes. I wasn't expecting either of those scenarios to occur, but they did and we saw God's hand in the results. So , the moral of the story is, even though it might feel good to use your hands to solve your problems, leave room so God can use his to solve it right. (You have to use fewer ice packs that way!)

Waiting for technology to catch up

2007-12-06T08:37:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm waiting on Travelocity to accept my registration for a plane ticket to England. Somehow, they're "experiencing technical difficulties" which is really frustrating. Mostly it's frustrating because I'm waiting all this time and the price on the flight I'm waiting on has gone up twice since Monday! Yikes! So, I'm a little concerned, but I won't lose sleep over it.

I'm just about to finish a year-long Bible reading program. Sad to say, but it's the first time I've ever done it! Yeah, it's a shame. But it's been good. I've read parts of the Bible (all of it) that I hadn't before and learned some things that I hadn't learned, or at least had forgotten since Doc Reece's OT classes.

I recently joined the rest of the world and opened up a community networking page thingy on FaceBook. I'm still a little lost on there, but my wife's been helpful in showing me how to more appropriately and efficiently waste my time. Thanks, honey! (She's so great!) So if you care that much about me, you can find me there, too. That's it. Later.

No better time...right?

2007-12-05T08:51:00.000-06:00

"There's no better time than the present." Someone somewhere said that once. I sorta, kinda believe it. But I'll not take the time to comment on it...at the present time. I guess some people might want to know how things have been in my life. Some don't care. Those people won't read this. For those that do care: Yeah, I really did just fall off the blogging wagon. I really loved writing and posting those little commentaries on Proverbs. They really helped me, even if no one else benefitted from them. They're still there for anyone who's interested in looking at them. I probably won't jump back into that for a while.
LeRoy is a pretty normal little mid-western town. Just like any other, it has its ups and downs. The mindset here is really strange. There is a small contingent of folks who have lived their entire lives here (sidebar: Laura tells me every so often that here greatest fear is that God is going to have us stay here forever! The thought frightens me, too.) and will eventually be buried here. Then there's the folks, like us, who have moved into town because of a job. Being so close to Bloomington, LeRoy has become a bedroom community for State Farm workers and a number of other employers. What sticks out to me as strange is that everyone basically has this mindset of "that's the way it's always been." I suppose that's ok for the born-here group, but how can a person say that after living here only 5 or so years!!! It's a little frustrating at points...humorous at others. Even stranger, many of the kids of this second group of people think like old people! That's what kills me! There are few things more frustrating for a youth minister than having a youth group full of geriatric-minded teenagers!
That's my setting. I'm sure lots of folks can relate. It's not a bad little town, and I don't hate being here (for the majority of the time). I've really come to love some of the people here and I want to do my best to make a positive impact for the kingdom while I'm here. I'm not going to change the minds of everyone in town. I don't even want to try! But, if I can help them see Jesus and be Jesus in this little town, then I've accomplished that for which I've come to do.

Enjoy your day.

Still alive

2007-12-04T11:48:00.000-06:00

Hey there,
Remember me? I'm still here...kickin' it in LeRoy. Sorry I've been delinquent in posting stuff. I kinda fell off the wagon after I moved. I just openned a FaceBook account so you can look at my pretty face there if you'd like. Thesis work has begun and I'm going to graduate with an MA in Contemporary Theology in May...do or die! Laura's good. Cute as ever. If you read this after I posted it, I love her more now than I did when I wrote it. Also, I love Starbucks coffee more now than I did when I posted this (but not in the same way...obviously). Anyhoo, know that I'm well...enjoy your Christmas season...I might get back on the blogging wagon...I might not.
Peace.

Culture Shock

2006-07-05T13:42:00.002-05:00

Hey. Well, I'm still in grad school still seeking those elusive degrees. I feel like Bill Murray, taking baby steps the whole way there. I'm in the last week and a half of my extension of my Greek class and I'm having to learn half the language in that amount of time! It's a bit of a shock to the system. I suppose if I were to act like a special agent getting ready for a secret mission to Greece and I have to become proficient in the language before I can go, it would make it go by easier. It's really not going too bad, although I haven't a clue what kind of grade I'm getting currently. Things are coming so quickly and lots of different parts of speech look alot like other parts of speech and I'm afraid that in translating that I'll end up saying "I'd like to eat your dog on Tuesday" instead of "Let's meet to have prayer on Tuesday". Oh well. I'm not giving up yet. In fact, I'm going to go study now. Go and enjoy your local culture.

blessings

I'm still here!

2006-06-29T10:37:00.000-05:00

So, yeah, I haven't written in over a year and many things have changed in my life since then. I'll update more later. Until then, go with God, don't just take him with you, and by all means, don't leave him behind!

peace & blessings

Crunch time

2005-04-06T11:42:00.000-05:00

I think that it's safe to say that we're officially in "crunch time." By we, I mean anyone who is a student or who works on a school-year calendar. For Seniors at Northview, they have something like 35 school days left, which is roughly 7 weeks. The rest have about 8, I think. For me, I have 5 weeks of school left and 6 before I get married. Woooo!!!! In all my excitement about this, I do realize that the next 6 weeks will be the busiest 6 of my life. I've got quite a bit of work to do for camp, school, BCC, and the wedding between now and then. However, these things do not pose an insurrmountable obstacle. I love the movie What About Bob? In the movie, Bob is always trying to take "baby steps", and that's how I'll do life for the next 6 weeks. Baby steps. Little by little. "How do you eat an elephant?" The answer to the old bit of wisdom: "One bite at a time." So as the days go by and anxious people, like myself and most Seniors I know, keep checking off the squares on their calendars, just remember: watch your step, and chew slowly.

Proverbs 6:9 says, "How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?" This proverb asks the question many parents of highschoolers ask every morning around 7 am. "When are you going to get up? When are you going to start getting ready for school?" Tough questions to answer (especially in the week following Spring Break!). Our greasy friend the sluggard lacks enthusiasm and motivation. I think for the most part, most people going through life do as well, at least on some levels. We get up (with much reluctance), go through the same old routine, go home afterwards, watch some tube ( or flat screen if you're trendy enough), then go to bed dreading that when you open your eyes, you have to go through it all over again. Not an attractive way to go through life. This isn't the life that the Bible promotes, however. I think even most Christians miss this! We're all too often so surrounded by those who trudge through life and simply fall in line with the rest. Status quo. Jesus' life was anything but status quo and far from lacking enthusiasm, motivation, zeal, fervor, excitement...(you get the idea). Jealous yet? Maybe that's the motivation you need! It could at least be a starting point! But what's great about Jesus' life is that he invites us to live the same life even today. Jesus says in John 10:10 that "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly", or "...have it to the full". An abundant life is not one in which a snooze button gets regular use. Try reading through the Gospels to see the enthusiasm that Jesus had for life. Be careful, though. You may just end up jealous and do something crazy...like set your alarm 5 minutes earlier to get a start on your day! Enjoy!

Later...

JBC Report

2005-04-04T10:25:00.000-05:00

All right. I told you that I'd give a review of the JBC Spring Retreat when I got back in the office today, but before I do, I need to give a little background to lead up to the trip. We originally had 12 students signed up to go and slowly that number dwindled to 2! Some had late plans come up over Spring Break, one had miscalculated when his SB started, others had sport or job commitments, and the final kicker, we got bit by the flu bug! I had it on Tuesday but recovered, and then two other families had it for the day leading up to our departure and couldn't make the trip. So, on Thursday morning, Austin, Michael, my Laura, and I headed to Tennessee on a beautiful sunny day for the Spring Retreat. "Smooth sailing" describes the first 3/4 of the trip until we got into TN when we met almost 2 hours of road construction traffic. The craziest part of this was where the traffic was down to two lanes due to the south bound two lanes not being there! A sink hole had formed under I-75 and eventually 3/4 of the road slid down the mountain! Talk about a bump in the road. Anyhoo, we got to campus and hung out there most of the evening. We left for the mountains the next morning amid forcasts of rain (like 99% chance of rain.) We made it to the mountains where we went rock hopping and drove to Clingman's Dome, the highest point in TN, and only got wet at the top! The rest of the daylight hours were great. The Retreat started with a cookout and the Preacher Grand Prix wagon race. Pete Isenberg spoke on "Holy Smoke", out of Isaiah 6. His three sermons centered on three statements out of the first part of the chapter: "The king is dead" (What's on the throne of your life?), "Woe is me!" (Realizing our sin & surrendering), and "Who will go?" (Accepting God's call on our lives). All great stuff. The drive home was about as eventful as the drive down with some added scenery in an attempt to avoid the road construction. We got home late but safe and I'm already looking forward to the next time I get to go down. If you get a chance, ask Michael or Austin what they thought of the trip. Their opinion is more valuable than mine. But you had to read this to find that out!

Proverbs 4:9 says, "She will set a garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of splendor". This section of the chapter begins with a father telling his son to get wisdom and this is one of the results. It is a profitable thing to have and desirable to gain. Garlands and crowns are obvious signs of honor (think Julius Caesar and Queen Elizabeth) and the spiritual rewards of wisdom can be compared to this. It isn't hard to see that the benefits from gaining wisdom can be physical in nature as well, in the form of promitions or even managing money better. These things shouldn't necessarily be the goal, but can still be an expected by-product. The getting of wisdom is ulitmately for God's glory, to live more like Jesus in this world in which wisdom is seriously lacking. But in this world, one with wisdom will stand out like a person wearing a crown.

Later...

Psyched!

2005-03-30T12:31:00.000-06:00

Today is Wednesday which means tomorrow is Thursday! This simple fact shouldn't be a surprize for any of you but in case you didn't know, we leave for Johnson Bible College tomorrow!!! JBC is my alma mater and that area of Tennessee is one of my favorite places on earth. Knoxville is a great little city, the Smokey's are great and near by, plus offer some of the best cycling in the East. JBC's a great school and yearly host the Spring Retreat for high school students, our real reason for going down (not just a short vacation for me)! We're taking a smaller group than last year but there are still some new faces and new blood making the trip. Cheryl will again be accompanying me as a sponsor (she's so cool!) as well as the future Mrs. Willis, my fiancee, Laura. She's never been there before and is excited about getting to go and spend a little time getting to know the yoots a little better. Michael, Amber and Steph are all returning and bringing Matt W. and Austin B. along for the first time. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate with us so that we're able to enjoy the trip to its fullest, as far as I have planned it and thought it through. We're leaving BCC at 8 and plan to arrive on campus around 4 pm. We'll get settled in to our new digs, hang out and recupe from the long drive. Friday am, sees us heading to Gatlinburg for a short day in the mountains before heading back to campus for the start of the Retreat. We'll be heading for home at about 3pm on Saturday and be back around 11 or so. Pray for us, for the travel, for the Retreat, the other students, Pete Isenburg (the speaker, who is incredible!), and for whatever God plans to do in our lives while we're there and after we return. I'll let you know how it goes on Monday!

Proverbs 30:7-9 says, "Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty or riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God". Wow, if we could all pray this prayer, what a changed world and church this would be. This man is praying for the right things here. His two requests are simple yet profound. First, "keep falsehood and lies far from me". Here, the man is praying, I think, both to be an honest man as well as to be surrounded by honesty. The second request is to have just enough. This is something that we don't hear too often. Most of the time, when people pray about provisions, it is for abundance. His explanation for his reasons is simple: that his life may give glory to God. He will not disown God, nor will he dishonor God. Our world would be changed if the church would seek to pray this prayer. I know for a fact that my own life would be changed if I were to pray this prayer as well! Think what a doubting world would see if the church had its priorities in place in regard to its possessions!!! There would be a lot less reasons for doubt and scoffing aimed at God's people. God would be glorified and would be inclined to answer our prayers because they are for the right things. Try and pray this prayer and mean it and see what the Lord does in your life.

Skating tonight for the Youth Group, 6-9 at TH Skate World.
JBC Spring Retreat group leaves bright and early tomorrow!!!! See you Sunday!

Later...

Schedule conflicts

2005-03-23T11:49:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the wait on this one. I suppose I took a break because I've been busy lately, which really doesn't excuse anything since I'm pretty much busy all the time anyways. But seriously! Busy. Biz-ee. And busyness isn't so bad if I'm getting stuff done, which, honestly, I have been. However, I start to have issues with busyness when it infringes on "my time". I don't have alot of it being in youth ministry (ministry in general is on the edge of 24 hours on-call anyway) so I try and protect it. I learned today that the Thursday night "fast rides" in TH have started and, because of my schedule, I won't get to participate in one until a month from now! April 21 is the first possible date that I will be able to get out and enjoy hurting myself (and others!) for an hour a week and guage my fitness against the other hammerheads in the area. I'm looking forward (and have been for some time) to getting outside more and riding with groups again. I miss Dave, Jerry, Peanut, and even Bill (I think I've written about him before). Poor old Feedbag has moved so he won't be there anymore (Jamie, if you're reading this, you have an open invite to come back and join us any time!). But we'll have a few new faces to get to know with the merger of Morris Trucking Velo and Team Bloomington. Fun times. I'm heading to Athens tomorrow to see Laura (woo! Less than 2 months till wedding bells will be a'ringin') and Knoxville next Thursday (the only two good reasons for missing a ride!). I've got to get on with my day so I can be less busy prepping for Big Deal tonight and Sunday School and enjoy a respite in my busy life this weekend.

Proverbs 23:9 says, "Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words". Ok, not speaking to fools would basically mean that we eliminate 99.9% of our opportunities of talking with anyone here on earth. I don't think that this proverb is a strict prohibition of speaking to people who seem to have no need for reason for wisdom. Looking at the verse itself, we see that you're words include wisdom, therefore I believe this presents a scenario where this person needs correction or advice. However, since this person is a fool, its in one ear and out the other. Anything you say will be like spitting into a stiff breeze. It's pointless and potentially bad for you, even with the best of intentions. Wasting one's breath on those who will not listen, as has been said here before, is bad stewardship, a waste of time and energy. This is an example of Jesus' words not to throw pearls to pigs (Matthew 7:6). Unfortunately, I think at best we can hope that these people will see the good lives we live (assuming we live as God desires) and desire to get what we have. Then we might have a chance to use our breath and energy constructively.

Sunday PM Youth Group will not meet due to the Easter holiday (March 27). Spend some quality time with your families.
Next week:
Big Deal will be doing something special for Spring Break. I'll have it confirmed by tonight.
IT'S HERE!!!! The time for heading to the JBC Spring Retreat is finally upon us! All the sleepless nights spent hoping and waiting for the day to come is almost here! We'll be heading out next Thursday morning to Knoxville, TN for a few days of fun, worship, mountains, warm weather, and hot Krispy Kremes (HOT NOW!!!)! Pray for us that the trip will be a great one and we'll come home changed people.

Lay-ta...

Insurance

2005-03-16T10:35:00.000-06:00

I'm heading to Terre Haute today to switch my car insurance. It seems that I've been throwing money away over the last couple years paying WAY too much for what I thought I needed. I won't give figures but I could have built up a killer bike or saved to go on a dream honeymoon with Laura for what I've spent! Yeah, ouch. So, I'm going with Progressive. Good rates, good reps in TH, and the same coverage I'm getting now. It's a no brainer really. I'm just a little frustrated/embarassed/mad at myself for going with something so expensive for so long and my insurance guy for not telling me that I could be saving elsewhere. That probably upsets me more than anything. I have all my insurance in the one office, so I thought I would be getting a deal. Well, that's not the case! I've learned over the past few years that some people will take advantage of you if you are young and trusting. I can't help the former and I refuse to neglect the latter. I suppose I'll have to be a little more educated from now on. I suppose if I were giving advice to the younger readers of this blog I would tell them that they should get educated before making financial commitments. Car buying, insurance, housing, whatever. Don't shrug off any advice from parents, relatives, friends, even total strangers. At very least, weigh it against what you already know. I'll stop here because I don't want this to become a rant. Just be smart and remember to be a good steward with that which God has entrusted you.

Proverbs 16:8 says, "Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice." This is one of those simple and good sounding proverbs that takes a little effort to really swallow. Obviously injustice is not a desirable condition to live in nor is being unjust a good trait to possess. Most people consider themselves "good people" and a select few of them will honestly be seeking righteousness according to God's word. But there's this little problem here with the distinction between "little" and "much". No one really wants little. I don't think that everyone wants to have bajillions of dollars but they at least want to be comfortable. Without getting off track and into a discussion of possessions and paychecks, let's go back to what seems to be the heart of this proverb. The real focus of 16:8 is the distinction between righteousness and injustice. Righteousness is a much higher standard than injustice and is what God desires us to be. Righteousness, no matter what level of social standing or income, is the far great ethic than injustice. It is greater in God's sight to be upright and godly than to be filthy rich and cruel to those around. We are promised God's blessings if we strive to live for him, so we need not worry about amassing things to make our ride through this life more cozy, especially at the expense of others. Seek God and I believe whatever you now have will be that much more enjoyable.

Sr. High...Is your name on my list? It had better be by Sunday if you plan to go to the JBC Spring Retreat. Make your checks for $30 out to Berea Christian Church and have your parents sign the permission slip.

Later...

Deadlines

2005-03-14T10:10:00.000-06:00

I hate deadlines! There is so much pressure associated with deadlines. Even the ones I make myself with retreats and sign-up dates and such cause me undue stress. Recently, I've been taking up the task of applying for FAFSA (If you don't know what this is, you've not been to college recently, have you?) and starting the scholarship app. process for LCS. I'm currently torturing myself with two self-imposed deadlines with the two retreats coming up in March/April. It wouldn't be easier without them, unfortunately. At first, it might seem to be easier to just promo an event then go with whomever shows up. You know, a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of thing. But that leads to problems like not having anyone to go at all, too many people showing up for the transportation you've provided, not having anywhere to sleep because you brought too many people and signed up too late to get any room reservations in the near by hotels, etc. Unfortunately, deadlines are a necessary evil in life, especially for procrastinators like myself. They keep us honest. Sometimes they hurt, though. So, until I can get organized enough to where deadlines are no longer a bother, they will simply continue to be a bother. But a good (*said with much sarcasm and reluctance) bother, I guess.

Proverbs 14:8 says, "The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception".

We've got a good crew going to the Jr. High retreat this weekend. Pray for us that it will be a great time of learning and fun!
Sr. High!!! Only 5 more days to sign up to go to the JBC Spring Retreat on March 31-April 2. Lot's of fun, fellowship, learning, mountains, and Krispy Kremes!

Later...

Wishful thinking

2005-03-10T11:39:00.000-06:00

I keep hearing people say, “Man, I wish Spring were here!”, or “I wish it would warm up”. I resonate with those sentiments on a lot of levels. There isn’t much I can do outside and really enjoy it when it’s bitter-cold outside. Sure, there are activities that you can only do when it’s cold, like snow skiing, snow ball fights, and building snowmen. However, it does not necessarily have to be -17 degrees to be able to do these things. 25 degrees. That’s a good winter temp for being outside and doing something, as long as it is snow related. I have to admit, I like winter and I like snow. I adapt pretty easily to most climates in a short amount of time. But if it’s going to be cold, there had better be snow! Laura hates the cold. She blames me every time it snows because she thinks I pray for it! I love to hear her growl at me when I tell her it’s snowing. She’s pretty great, despite the fact that she’s opposed to the cold. (72 days today or 10 weeks to go on Saturday!!!) All this said, I’m looking forward to the Spring, too, but not so much as to wish away the rest of winter. Spring will get here in time. The sun has come up every morning since the 4th day, so every day, every minute, we’re that much closer to leaves, the smell of fresh cut grass, sandals, and turning off the heat. If only I could apply this wisdom to other areas in my life, I would be a lot better off! So you mono-climatic people out there, don’t think I’m selling you out. I’m ready to go outside and take a deep breath and not have my lungs freeze solid, but enjoy the rest of this season first. Besides, before too long, some folks, and I won’t name names, will be complaining about the oppressive heat and humidity of summer. Some people you just can’t please.

Proverbs 10:8 says, “The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin”. I feel no sympathy for people who don’t know what to do because they talk while directions are being given. I run into that quite often in youth ministry. But it isn’t confined solely to adolescents. They have to learn it somewhere! People in general who think that what they have to say is more important than the one in authority irk me to no end. The wise in heart accept commands. We have established that the wise are attentive, discerning, listen to advice, and are built up when rebuked. The directions given to them don’t simply float off into space, they are taken in and carried out. On the flip side of the proverb, the fool does not accept commands and will come to ruin. One reason why, is that his mouth is more active than his ears. Whether the orders are from a teacher, preacher, or drill sergeant, if we aren’t tuned in, we can be assured that we will screw up. True listening is active. A listener will hear but also interact with and interpret what is being said. The proof of listening is in the actions that follow. If a command is truly accepted, it will be carried out and completed. Tune in to God’s word. Tune in to the commands he gives. Then, you will be assured that you won’t be left not knowing what to do, and be saved from ruin.

Jr. High Retreat deadline is this Sunday, March 13.
Sr. High Spring Retreat deadline is Sunday, March 20.

Later…

The Pause that Refreshes

2005-03-09T10:48:00.000-06:00

I think that's either an old Coca-Cola or Dr. Pepper slogan, but it describes this exact moment in time...right now. I've been busy from the get-go this morning. But it has been a good busy. The kind of busy that makes you feel like you're getting things done. I hope that's true! I'm getting things ready for the Jr. High retreat and the deans and I have a meeting for it and camp this afternoon. Big Deal will be fun to get back into this evening. Last week off was fun (and somewhat, but not near entirely, relaxing) but I think I'm ready to get back into it. I predicted that this Spring would be busy and that has held true. I have 5 big projects to do for school by May 1, the wedding planning is going strong, camp seems to be coming together, the retreats will almost run themselves after today, and then there's the day to day office stuff, getting ready for Wednesdays and Sundays. Wow. With it typed out like that, it seems a little daunting even to me! I'm trying to think how it will get done, and it will, no question. I'll leave it at that so that I can get back to the busyness of my day.

Proverbs 9:8 says, "Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you." This seems a little odd at first glance but makes more sense as I think about it. Not rebuking a mocker seems like it might be a cop out. Remember what has been said thus far in our correspondence about mockers and fools: they don't want wisdom, they don't want to walk the straight and narrow, they don't want to do what is right and good. With this in mind, it is easier to see that trying to correct the wrongs of someone who doesn't want to do right is an exercise in futility. It's simply a waste of time! But, taking the time to correct the wrongs of a person who is trying, to the extent that he is able, to do right (with the right attitude of love, of course) is a wise use of time and energy. Helping a brother or sister in Christ to do the right thing and revealing or leading them back to the right path is benefical to the person, the one leading him/her back, and the church as a whole. The one who is truly wise, even though getting rebuked stings, will be grateful for being led back. I think God wants us to be good stewards of our time. It seems to me, although it may sound a little hard lined, that our time is better spent building up those in the kingdom than wasting it on slackers.

Big Deal tonight at 7:00 pm.
Dead line for Jr. High Spring Retreat @ Camp Illiana is Sunday the 13th.
Dead line for Sr. High Spring Retreat @ Johnson Bible College is Sunday the 20th.

Later...

Bus lag and sore legs

2005-03-07T10:43:00.000-06:00

By now, most everyone knows I’m back from my class last week because most of you would have saw me at church yesterday. If you didn’t see me at church, I’m back (and where were you?). If you didn’t know I was gone, I was, and I’m back. It was a good trip. The class was a Restoration Movement history class and much of it was review. It is good material to review though because the last time I read much of it, I was a disinterested college senior. Now, however, I have a great appreciation for the Movement itself and its plea. Basically, the whole thing is grounded in bringing unity to the church universal according to the Bible and it alone, uniting everyone who calls themselves Christians and getting away from denominationalism. So, there’s your history lesson for today. We went to historical sites in Nashville, TN, Lexington, KY and the surrounding area, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indy. The class itself was made up from a mixed bag of folks, some who had never heard of the movement or its key players. All in all, it was a good but very tiring week. I’m not sure if “bus lag” is an actual term or condition, but I’m feeling it. I’m coming from being very active for the last two months to doing nothing but sit on a bus and try to keep myself upright as we tool through hills and hollers. Not my idea of exercise! So I come home Saturday and get on the bike and felt decent. Sunday, Kim and 3 highschool guys and I took the 3-5 grade boys to laser tag yesterday. Then in the evening, we enjoyed a rousing game of ultimate Frisbee, the first of the year. Needless to say, my legs are aching a bit from the sudden increase in workload. I enjoy it though. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t do it. But I still need a bag of ice and a nap.

Proverbs 7:8 says, “He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house…”. We pick up with the story of our foolish young man in chapter 7. He’s about to be seduced by the adulteress, and we all know it looking in on him. I want to bring out a point here that will resonate with most of us. Unfortunately, it may sting a little if we’re honest with ourselves because we’re all susceptible to it, no matter what age or gender. This fella is walking down the road toward the house of the adulteress. In a tight community, like this one probably would have been, everyone would have known that this is where she lived. He’s basically walking into a trap that he knows full well is there. This is the point: we are so prone to flirt with danger and sin in our lives that we try and get as close to it as possible without falling off or crossing the line. But what seems worst of all, is that as far away as we think we are, sin has such a hold of most of our lives that it often times seems to reach across that line and pull us the rest of the way in! Sure, we have the final choice, but most of us are not used to withstanding temptation for very long. Sorry, but that’s the truth. The cure for this, and it seems so elementary, is prevention. Don’t go down the street in the first place!!! We know bad things lie at the end of that road! Don’t set a foot on it. Stay the course, the straight and narrow. We may think that life will be less exciting if we stay on the boring, old straight path. But as we progress on it, we’ll be conformed to God’s will where we will learn the joys and blessings of following after God’s path for our lives.

Hey, two deadlines are quickly approaching:
Jr. High Retreat: Deadline is Sunday March 13
Sr. High Spring Retreat: Deadline is March 20

Later…

Busy week

2005-02-25T10:55:00.000-06:00

This weekend will lead into my Intensive week class at LCS. An Intensive week class is one that is completed in a week's time with some pre- and post-class work. Before this semester, I didn't really like the sound of this set up, but as this is one of the only required classes offered at a time that I can take it, I didn't have much choice. It hasn't been too bad leading up to the class. Yes, I did put off quite a bit of reading until this week, but I don't have too much left to do. What will be interesting is our time "in class". This will be interesting because it's a traveling class. We're going on a week-long field trip to several Restoration Movement (associated with the Christian churches & Churches of Christ) historical sites, and having our class discussions on the road in the school's van. The first day will be rough. I'm not sure what kind of guy our prof is, whether a morning person or otherwise, but we're leaving campus at 6 am on Monday morning! Sure, that's 7 o'clock my time, but that's still a pretty nasty start to a long week on the road for most of the class. I am looking forward to our time together, though. I don't know many other students at the seminary on a first name basis, so 5 days within 15 feet of one another should be enough of a chance to get to know some folks. I'll update you next week (Monday, March 7) on how things went. Until then, since this will be my last entry for a little more than a week, see you Sunday or talk at you later.

Proverbs 25:8 (NASB) says, "Do not go out hastily to argue your case; otherwise, what will you do in the end, when your neighbor humiliates you?" No one likes a tattle-tale. I'm the oldest of four (and the only boy, mind you) and I have had plenty of experience with tattle-tales. But, I must confess, I have done it myself on occasion. What kid who has been sold out to their parents wouldn't want to give the big-mouthed younger sibling a taste of their own medicine if given the chance? Childishness aside, as adults this doesn't get any easier. If someone at work wrongs someone else, they may not go crying directly to a superior, but how many times over lunch or coffee do people rally support for their cause because they have been slighted or dumped on? We need to be carefull of this, because if we think honestly to ourselves, we know that we aren't perfect. This verse warns us to keep a level head in times of perceived wrong. I say 'perceived' specifically because the scenario that is painted for us is one in which we might end up with egg on our face. If we hear something that sounds a little bit like it might possibly have a chance of having an inkling to do with us without getting the whole story, we are likely to make fools of ourselves over something very minor. People mess up. I think many times in life, we take ourselves too seriously and get miffed over small things. Even when something does happen to us that isn't the greatest, it isn't worth losing minutes of your life stressing out over it. Keep your cool and you'll keep your dignity.

Saturday at 6 pm is People of Prayer.
Jr. High Retreat @ Camp Illiana, March 18-19, $18.
Sr. High Spring Retreat @ JBC, March 31-April 2, $30+.

Later...

Gearing up

2005-02-24T10:26:00.000-06:00

Last night, a handful of our yoots got together after the Big Deal to script out the 2005 edition of the Spring Retreat promo video. If you missed last year's, it was a hoot! Amber and Nick starred (as the only two students who had been before) as a woman on the street reporter (Amber), and Nick picking up the roles of all the others (school bus driver, motivational speaker, hunter, skater, lunch lady, bum, and mail man). This year, our cast is a bit more diverse since we had a bigger group go than the year before. The group loves parodies so we're doing one of the most recent movie candidates running for cult-classic status. Napoleon Dynamite is basically a movie taking a snapshot of the everyday life of this kid named Napoleon. To anyone over the age of 20, it wouldn't seem to be worth the money to even rent because the movie really has no plot line. However, it connects with the craziness of youth culture, so it's here to stay. Look for it soon on the big screen in a local Berea Christian Church near you. (Fine print: JBC promotional video limited to Berea Christian Churches that have big screens. Limited to Berea Christian Churches in Brazil, IN only, and only the Brazil, IN's that appear in the 47834 zip code. Any likenesses, familiarities, and attempts to look and sound like the Napoleon Dynamite movie and characters there in are purely intentional. All rights reserved in non-smoking areas. )

Proverbs 24:8 says, "He who plots evil will be known as a schemer". I love the simplicity of the Proverbs. This basically means what Jesus says later on in Matthew 12:33 "...for a tree is known by its fruit". People will know us by our actions and words, what they see us doing and hear us saying. If you are plotting to do bad things, you will get an appropriate label. If you do good things, likewise, you'll receive a label that states who you are. The youth had to answer a question is our small group time last night at the Big Deal: If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? I wish I would have thought of this Matthew verse last night, but I got it today. This verse is at the heart of this question. Can people tell that you are what you say you are? This is one of those questions that we need to ask ourselves everyday. Good or bad, we will be known by our fruit. What kind of tree are you?

Hey,
Saturday at 6 pm is People of Prayer.
3/18-19: Jr High Winter Retreat @ Camp Illiana, $18.
3/31-4/2: Sr. High Srping Retreat @ Johnson Bible College, $30+food & extras.

Later...

What to do on a day off?

2005-02-21T10:53:00.000-06:00

Read a blog, that's what!!! Or sleep until the sun is starting to go down over the horizon. Today is President's Day and the yoots (youths) are out of school and the mailmen get to stay home too. Unfortunately, Youth Ministers have to work. Oh, well. If I don't work, I don't get paid! So, here I am, toiling away at my desk commenting again on life as I see it. I always loved having days off of school and still get excited for my kids when they're out for a day. I took a quick poll last night in youth group (which, by the way, was one of the biggest groups we've had all year!) to see how many late sleepers and early risers we had. Wouldn't you know that the late sleepers out numbered the early risers by 17 to 2 (Randy and I were the 2!)? I then determined that our youth are normal and well on their way to becoming well-practiced college students (because college students live on sleeping in and having days off from school). Hopefully, they will learn to appreciate these days off while they have them because anyone with a highschool diploma knows that in the real world, days off are few and far between. Unless of course, you become a teacher or a mailman!

Proverbs 21:8 (NASB) says, "The way of a guilty man is crooked, but as for the pure, his conduct is upright". I'm big on body language. I always try and read beyond just what people are saying with their lips when they talk. Some folks are like stone walls and are like reading Chinese, but most people have expressions that are more telling than words. What a person feels will many times come across in how that person looks. Guilt causes a look. Usually included in guilty body language are fleeting eyes, a worried look, and a downward focus. The verse here says the way of a guilty man is crooked. Could it be that the reason for this crooked path is that his guilt is forcing him to look downward? A humorous illustration to this serious subject comes to mind here. One Sunday while getting ready for an ultimate football game, Michael came by and asked to help. I had him "cut the lines" into the field with the push mower. I had set up the cones as a guide and he started in. As he went along though, he didn't keep his focus on the cone ahead, many times staring at the ground in front of him, causing his lines to be very crooked. Staring at the ground instead of focusing on the straight line caused his path to be crooked! The pure have nothing to be guilty of. Their lives are not full of impurities and when they do sin, they don't spend long hours dwelling on what's already been done. They get on working toward the goal. Michael and this verse help us to realize that we can go through life letting our load of guilt force our eyes downward. Living a pure, God-, and goal-focused life keeps our eyes up and our path straight.

This Saturday 2/26: People of Prayer @ 6:00 pm.
Sign up for:
Jr. High Winter Retreat @ Camp Illiana, $18.
Sr. High Spring Retreat @ Johnson Bible College, $30+ food & souvies.

Later...

Falling apart

2005-02-18T10:59:00.000-06:00

There are certain truths in life that one can only deny for so long. Sometimes, these truths are overshadowed by little axioms that are meant to keep us going, to prolong the inevitable. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". "What they don't know won't hurt them". "No pain, no gain". "I'm not old, I'm just experienced". Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but these little sayings only go so far. Three examples from my life right now. All three of which have to do in some way with my favorite pasttime: the bike. First off, I've got a bit of a cold. I've had the sniffles for a while and fought off a head cold about a month ago, but something's back or something new has come in and made its home in the back of my throat and nasal passage. Yuck. Where this affects my bike riding is that you aren't supposed to train through sickness. Long term, it could hinder your progress and take you out of shape, making it harder to get back into shape. Seeing as how I'm in pretty good shape right now, this is a disappointment. Secondly, and this goes along with axioms 1 and 3 above ("If it ain't broke...", and "No pain...blah, blah, blah"), I think I have an overuse injury, but it's not in my legs or feet, but in my hand. Now, hands are important in cycling. They steer and shift the gears on the bike (duh, Joe). Ok, but here also, I run into a problem of ignoring a minor problem now and it hurting me more later. When it's time to get out and ride with the group, if I can't steer well, I lose friends in a BIG hurry. Thirdly, and this is probably the most minor gripe, but still important, is the fact that I've only bought one new pair of shorts in the last 2 years and the ones in my rotation are wearing out at a pretty fast pace. This may not seem like a big problem to most but let me introduce you to a term that should clear things right up when talking about bike shorts showing their age: SADDLE SORES! (Yeah, I thought that would do the trick!) So, I guess I'm taking a bit of a break now to see how things heal up. Hopefully within a few days, my hands, nose, and bum will be ready to get into the meat of the training season with the rest of my body.

Proverbs 18:7 says, "A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul". Ok, today we're back talking about the fool again. I hope that we are getting the idea that wisdom is so incredibly important for us to have and to do well in this world. Fools abound. Some hide it better than others. Some seem less foolish because other fools follow and buy in to their "advanced foolishness", such as movie stars and most pop psychology that you'll find on talk shows and magazine racks. Anyways, fools' mouths are what most often get them into trouble. It says elsewhere in Proverbs that if a fool keeps his mouth shut, even he will seem wise! In our church, we have a great deal of sportsmen of all stripes. Tom has done an aweful lot of trapping in recent years and I've gotten to see some of the traps and even some of the fruits of his labor (most recently, a beaver who was damming up some pond property). These traps are set and baited in strategic places for the desired catch. When the intended comes along and takes the bait, the snare, when touched, will catch and hold the animal in the trap. Where this applies to our fool friend is that his lips, the very mouth on his face, is his snare! When that thing comes open, he becomes trapped by his foolish words. His soul is in danger because of his foolishness. Look at this fella and learn. His life is a good example of what not to do and say! Be wise and don't set a trap for yourself by your words.

Saturday Feb. 26 People of Prayer @ 6:00 pm.
Sign up for these two events:
Jr. High Retreat @ Camp Illiana, March 18-19, $18; Sign up by March 13.
Sr. High Spring Retreat @ Johnson Bible College, March 31-April 2, $30+; Sign up by March 20.

Later...

Brrr!!!!

2005-02-17T15:10:00.000-06:00

Looking out the window on a day like today is a little misleading. You see sun, you think "Spring is on the way", with the weather the last couple days you reach for a lighter jacket, only to go outside and to have the wind slice right through you! And not like surgical tools, mind you. This is like rusted metal pipe cutting through you! Gruesome, sure, but not far from the truth. I adapt pretty well to the climate I'm in. But during these back and forth days, I have a rough time. It's hard to plan for, you know? I didn't plan very well today. I wore a t-shirt because I knew I'd be playing around at Campus Life this morning, but I didn't take into consideration that I usually run back and forth between the office and the church, like, 100 times a day and the wind blows between those buildings like a wind tunnel. So, I've gotten in quite a bit of running so far today. I don't think there's much else to do over there today so hopefully I'll be able to stay put and stay warm for the rest of the afternoon. Hope you are able to do the same!

Proverbs 17:7 says (NLT), "Eloquent speech is not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler". We'll not pick on the poor fool much today, but the point about him is made certain. You just don't hear much worth listening to from foolish people. Although this is true, the verse here uses this poor bloke to set up the last part of the proverb. The focus here is on the ruler, or prince in some translations. Either way, someone in authority is not to be a liar. It just doesn't fit the office. Unfortunately, throughout time and in every culture, authority figures have fibbed their ways through their tenure. Abraham did it, David did it, George Washington didn't do it after cutting down the cherry tree but I'm sure he did before he learned not to, and Bill Clinton has done it. The man in charge needs to be a man of integrity and not one who cannot be trusted or who tells half truths. Lying is a serious deal. It's sin. It's part of the ninth Commandment (about bearing false witness). It's listed as one of the things that God hates (Proverbs 6:17). It is not something that anyone claiming to be a Christian, a child of God, should do. Over the last couple meetings in youth group, we've discussed that our sins don't just affect us. There's nothing that we do that has bearing limited only to us. Eventually, someone will get hurt, form a wrong thought or opinion, or get caught up in something they can't handle because of the wrongs of other people. Think of the lies told by religious leaders and politicians over the last twenty years and the damage that has caused to our society. The position loses respect and authority and truth and rightness go out the window. Lying is a dangerous practice. Don't let it be you who causes another brother or sister to stumble because of your little white lie.

Feb. 26: People of Prayer @ Berea, 6:00 pm
March 18-19: Jr. High Winter Retreat @ Camp Illiana, cost $18!!! Sign up by March 13.
March 31-April 2: Sr. High Spring Retreat @ Johnson Bible College, Cost $30!!! Sign up by March 20.

Later...

Going for 7

2005-02-16T11:35:00.000-06:00

Lance Armstrong announced today that he will ride the Tour de France this year in search of his 7th straight victory. There has been speculation since he won his sixth in July as to whether or not he would try and stretch his record, but nothing official until this morning. Lot's of folks in the cycling world (and the rest of the world, for that matter) have their opinions of whether or not he should or should not race. Arguments range from putting the record way out of sight to waiting a year to come back and challenge the '05 winner. All this aside, what really matters now is that he's committed. And when Lance is committed to something, there's nothing that will stand in his way (exept that whole marriage thing). But, as he himself would tell you, it's a long time till July and even then, it's a LOOOONNNNGGG....race! There are many things that could derail the guy. He trains on open roads and has been hit by cars in the past. He can't get into race shape by just riding a stationary trainer. He has to race! And if you've ever seen footage of a big crash in a bike race, just think NASCAR but without the flames, and ripped spandex instead of bent sheet metal. The worst crash I've ever seen was in the last stage of the TdF in the late 80s when a Russian named Abdujaparov (if you want to complain, YOU spell it!) swerved too close to a barrier in the final sprint and clipped it. He hit the ground headlong doing +/- 40mph and was ran over by at least one, maybe two, other riders. He didn't get up for like 10 minutes, but finally got himself over the line. Sick wreck! So, Lance has his work cut out for him. He has to train, race, plan, travel, train some more, and survive until then. Plus, he's a year older. But he's also the best TdF rider in the whole, stinkin' world with the best team in the whole, stinkin' world! We'll see what happens.

Proverbs 16:7 says, "When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him". O to live like the man whose ways are pleasing to the LORD! How great would that be? Not only would we have the satisfaction of knowing that you life is pleasing to the God of the Universe (really, this is the biggest thing to be considered here) but that our enemies would be civil with us. That's an interesting thought. Now, I've not lived long enough to develop a lot of what I would call enemies, but there have been a few folks over my quarter century of life who have come close on occasion. In second grade, there was this kid named Jesse. He didn't like me for some reason and made life rough for me on a consistent basis. He would chase me around the playground and one day it culminated in the closest thing to a real fight I have ever been in. I'm sure most of us can relate to this on some level. Think about what this verse is telling us: if our lives are pleasing to God, our enemies, whoever they might be, will live at peace with us. I'm not saying that life will always be easy or that kids will never get picked on or that someone in the office will never try to make us look bad. That's just not reasonable. But in trying to live the most godly and Christ-like lives we can puts us in God's good graces and he sticks up for his own. People may not like that you live a better life than them, but it will become more and more difficult for them to do or say any wrong about you or to you. "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us". I think that's the goal: not that we try and rub people's noses in it but that our good lives would honor God and show him to others. Living a God-pleasing life is up to us, we must trust him with the rest.

Hey ya'll...
Sign up on the Youth Board for these two events:
Jr. High Retreat @ Camp Illiana on March 18-19.
Spring Retreat @ Johnson Bible College for Sr. High March 31-April 2.

Later...

Double digits

2005-02-11T00:29:00.000-06:00

Well, the day has finally come when the number of days till I get married is in the double digits instead of triple. 99 days from today is May 21 and I'm exited. I had a kid at North Clay tell me that I would regret it and had made a mistake. I couldn't disagree more. Sure, she and I have had and will have problems that need to be worked out, cold spells to overcome, and times where we annoy one another, but that's just part of life. There isn't a person in the world who can say that you have been 100% delighted by your best friend/favorite co-worker/mailman (I'm stretching for illustrations, can you tell?) at every single moment in life. No! That's silly to think and as unrealistic in other relationships as it is in a marriage. Anyways, I'm still not freaking out about anything yet. She got a phone call yesterday and her dress came in at the shop. The bridesmaids dresses are ordered and ought to be in late March. The wedding party is in place, counseling is almost done, things are getting paid for, and reservations are being and have been made. It's a joy right now, honestly. I'm so pleased with Laura as a person and as a fiancee. I'm grateful to the Lord for making her and for giving us the opportunity to meet. So, I guess I should have someone check my math, but as I calculate, I have less than 100 days till I'm no longer single. It may sound to some like I'm gloating, and to a certain extent I am. I just can't help it! But I'll shut up now so I don't lose any readers who might be finding themselves just the faintest bit queasy right now.

Proverbs 11:7 says, "When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes; all he expected from his power comes to nothing". The wicked live for the now. Their lives are really only focused on what happens from the moment they take their first breath until the moment they breathe their last, however that might come to pass. Power usually seems to be the focus of their life. In various forms, whether as a child it's terrorizing siblings or neighborhood dogs to adulthood, striking fear into the heart of a battered spouse or controling a large crime ring, power is the goal. His only hope in this world is that he finds the power he seeks and keeps the power he has. This verse tells us why. After his life comes to an end, he has no hope. All the hope there was to have he squandered on things that would not last. He misused the time he had here on earth and now has nothing to show for it, because our spirit goes on into eternity. I think that's the essense of a spirit. Of all that we can gain in this world, what we need to seek are the things that will last into the hereafter. Worldly things, like power, will not stand the test of time, in this world or that. In this world, power changes hands quickly. Ultimately, the God who created the universe, the Lord Almighty has all the power and whatever we have has come from him. The things that we can gain in this world that will make a positive difference for us in the next are righteousness, godliness, charity, virtue, love, and goodness. These things will make the passage into eternity a lot more pleasant because we will be rewarded for them. But as the old saying goes, "You can't take it with you", those things that people waste so much of life chasing after will in the end amount to nothing.

Two big events coming up soon:
Jr. High Winter Retreat at Camp Illiana: March 16-17
Sr. High Spring Retreat at Johnson Bible College: March 31-April 2
These events are consistantly good and cost very little. Sign up and put them on your calendars.

Later...

Snowman soup

2005-02-10T11:55:00.000-06:00

I'm using one of my Christmas presents as I write this. I got done with Campus Life this morning and came back to the office knowing that I would be hungry within the next 30 minutes after playing around with Jr. Highers all morning. So I'm thinking to myself, "What am I going to eat?" because I know there's nothing in the office and nothing next door and, really, nothing much at home to eat. So, I go looking around the office to see what I can scrounge up. Across the room to the left of my desk is a little filing cabinet. On top of it was a little plastic bag with a label on it reading "Snowman Soup". Basically, it's hot cocoa mix with a candy cane, a handful of marshmallows, and a few Hershey's Kisses. Now, I'm not so sure that snowmen actually drink this stuff because, well, it's hot! The two just don't mix! Anyhoo, I whipped up the stuff and am enjoying it. Just enough sugar and substance to get me through till lunch. so to that folks who thought enough of me to give me Snowman Soup for Christmas, thanks a bunch! It came through when I needed it.

Proverbs 10:7 says, "The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot". That's a nice mental picture for ya'! Like road kill in the summer, the name of the wicked will rot away over time. It kind of makes you want to treat people a little nicer so that when we are no longer, we'll have good memories that go with our names. I think this principle has far reaching implications for us. Think back over time about people not only in your lives but in history as well. There are the good folks and the bad folks. The good folks are usually only remembered for the good things they did and, obviously, the bad folks for the bad things they did. There aren't too many people known for their fenceriding, but we aren't focusing on that really. When you think back on people who would fit into the "good" category, names like Paul, Augustine, William Wallace, Harriet Tubman, Ghandi, and Ronald Reagan come to mind. In the "bad" category, you have folks like Nero, Attila the Hun, Vlad the Impaler (Count Dracula), Jack the Ripper, Adolf Hitler, and Charles Manson. The things you do in this life will, at least in the minds of the people left behind, will follow you into the next life. No one remembers the Mother's Day card that Hitler got for his mom or the time when Charles Manson stood up for his sister on the school bus. No, they are remembered for being evil people and will continue to be throughout time. Those who are righteous will only continue to flourish because their work was not only for the time at which they existed, but for ages to come. Those who truly seek to make an impact on the world for the kingdom of God will be remembered for their lives. Not just because they were good people, but because the impact that was made was in Jesus name.

Later...

I told you so

2005-02-07T10:55:00.000-06:00

Well, another football season is officially over. Last evening the New England Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21. It was a good game for the duration. Probably not as good at when the Rams won a few years ago but better than others. The first half seemed very defense oriented while the second half seemed to be dominated by offense. Both teams looked very even down the stretch by it seemed like the Eagles started losing a bit of ground later in the 3rd quarter and let NE get a little too far out of reach. However, McNabb and his team looked set to go down the field and tie in the last minute, but they failed as he threw an interception. It was a good year for both teams. The Eagle's trip to the Super Bowl was probably more exciting than the Pats, but Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's team were consistent and underrated all season. It's hard around here to hear much else besides a certain local pro team with a record-setting QB and a high scoring offense, but there are other stories in the NFL. I'm a big underdog fan. I love to see the new guy beat the seasoned pro, the farm kid beat the big city kid. Be that as it may, because there was plenty of chances for a Cinderella story this year, I just had a feeling that the Patriots couldn't be beat. Sorry, Indy fans. Sorry Peyton and Ben. Maybe next year. But pending on how the Patriots' home office treats their guys in the offseason, maybe not. But what do I know about football. I'm a cyclist.

Proverbs 7:7 says, "I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who lacked judgement". I have commented on this passage before but have, until now, taken this basically as a whole. This time I'm going to look at this characteristic of our poor, unfortunate youth. The verse says he "lacked judgement". This leads us to believe a number of things. First of all, this kid's hanging with the wrong crowd. The author finds him among the "simple" (birds of a feather, right?). Unfortunately, he's off to a bad start and is getting helped along by others on the same bad start. Second, he's in the wrong place. If you'll read on, you will find that he is near the corner of the adulterous woman. Some might argue, probably more out of defending this guy's position because they themselves know they're guilty, that he might not have known that this is where she hung out. Come on! Women like this have reputations that preceed them. He's walking into a trap and is doing so willingly. He has no judgement. He's not used to weighing out possibilities, comparing right and wrong, and even then putting that knowledge to work. The bulk of this book is written as a father (or grandfather even) writing to son or grandson, so most of the issues, especially these having to do with temptation and adultery, are guy focused. So fellas and parents of fellas, listen up. You have a responsibility to exercise and teach (you know your role) good judgement. Judgement in what is good and what is not. What kind of people to hang out with. What kinds of girls to date. What to do and not to do with said girl. It's a rough world out there for guys and girls alike. While guys are busy sorting out all the visual and auditory stimuli, girls are being strung along too being told that "this is what boys like and what you need to do to get them to like you". Parents, you have your job cut out for you. I dread to think that parenting is only going to get harder as time goes on because it's hard enough now. The Lord has set out for us a way. Using good judgement will keep us on that way. It's a valuable commodity that is all too often checked at the door (on the way out) or left at church. Use it. It will save you in the long run.

Later...

2005-02-04T10:05:00.000-06:00

Proverbs 4:7 says, "Wisdom is supreme; therefore, get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding". When you know what the best is, you want the best. Nothing else will do. Immitations and bargains will present themselves as options but they do not compare to the real thing. Wisdom is that way. Understand, knowledge is not the same thing as wisdom. Just knowing facts does not make a person wise. There is an application element involved in wisdom. It involves, yes, knowing the right thing to do, then having the presence of mind to do it. Wisdom also involves a little bit of vision. The wise will be able to see and discern or have insight into a situation and know what to do or not to do. These other poser options to wisdom just don't offer that. The info that the world offers as wisdom is limited at best and definitely flawed and misdirected in its aim. The insight offered is cloudy and blurry, like looking through a glass Coke bottle. You are at the mercy of the experience of the person giving the info, and that's a scary thought. Godly wisdom, the kind offered here is different. It is the original, real deal. You need it. Go get it! There is no price tag on this jewel. It will take all you have, great or little. But it is that important and that good. It may leave you poor and scraping for crumbs in this world but it will equip you for the here after which is a longer and incomparably better time span than we can know. It's a high price but it is worth the cost.

Sunday is the Super Bowl! Read my other posts for info (shameless plug!!! But it's MY blog!)

Later...

Second worst place

2005-02-03T00:10:00.000-06:00

I hate zits. I hate them on me and my softer, empathetic side hates them on you, too. They just get in the way and they look bad and some are even painful. There are bad places to get zits. Aside from just getting on on your forehead before the biggest date of you life, there are some places where zits pop up that are simply worse than others . I think that the worst place to get a zit is on the inside of your nose. You know, just on the inside of your nostril where no two fingers can possibly reach in order to pop the little sucker! Those are the most painful and annoying to have because you just have to wait them out. The second worst place to have one, in my opinion, is on your lip. Painful, unsightly, annoying, in the way...all the bad things that zits are, all in one place. This matters because I have one right now...and I hate it! Yeah, it's a little gross but it's a part of life. I've really been trying be good about keeping my face clean and clear of blemmishes lately, but I'm not winning the battle yet. But I suppose like anything else, I have to continue or the work that has already gone in will be for nothing. So for all you out there who are stuggling to keep from looking like Rudolph or a young devil just sprouting horns, I feel you. I don't think I'll be starting a support group for the complexionally impaired or get on the info-mercial bandwaggon and talk up some cure-all facial system, but just keep up with what I'm doing and giving a little more attention to my diet. Somehow it helps. Enjoy your day and keep your nose clean. You don't want to get anything growing up in there!

Proverbs 3:7 says, "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil". Have you every known anyone who is wise in their own eyes? Yeah, that didn't take too long to figure out, did it? I hate to admit it, but there is a little, devilish part of me that likes to see these folks get proved wrong. It's gotten smaller over the years but it still shows up from time to time. But this verse isn't talking about other people. No, this is instructional to us. However much I dislike a know-it-alls, I myself can be one as well. We all must guard against this type of attitude. It's an easy one to get trapped by. Pride is so easy to grasp but it is so difficult to let go. If we are wise in our own eyes, we really don't practice wisdom. In the Big Deal last night, we talked about wisdom and how it relates to service, that serving others is a wise act. But having this bad attitude, we are not able to "serve" in a way that is helpful to others. Also, we wll not be able to have a proper relationship with God. If I think that I know everything there is to know about a subject, there is no reason for me to seek help or to consult another person. If we do that with God, our relationship with him will halt because there is no communication between the two parties. The verse says we are to "fear God": acknowledge him in reverence, and to "shun evil": keep yourself from it! If we live by those two things alone, we fulfill much of the words of wisdom given to us in the Proverbs! Put God first, stay away from evil. By putting God first, we'll have a better understanding of just who we are. We are so small in comparison to his greatness and wisdom. Being wise only to ourselves is really a foolish thing to do. We'll end up impressing only ourselves and depressing those around us as well as the One who is ultimately wise.

Remember: Sunday 6:00 pm is the Super Bowl Party for Jr & Sr High. The Wilsons live in the Haywood Farms subdivision, just off of "Burnsville" road. Girls: drinks, Fellas: snacks, Everybody: $2.

Later.

Groundhog Day

2005-02-02T11:18:00.000-06:00

Anybody know yet? I've not heard whether or not ole' Punxatonny (sp?) Phil has seen his shaddow yet. Cathy and I were just talking and couldn't remember if, when he sees his shaddow, there is 6 more weeks of winter or an early Spring. Technically, the guy has an out because, according to the calendar there ARE only 6 more weeks of winter! Funny, that? I'm not sure how, and am not interested enough to look, how a little town in Pennsylvania with a funny name could start such a hubbub involving an oversized rodent (I think its a rodent) and an obvious happening on a calendar. O well. I wonder if Brazil could get its name on the national scene and the calendar with something? I wonder what it would be? What could our claim to fame be and how on earth would we get the day named after us? I just took a quick poll of the office, all people who have been in Brazil longer than I, and came up with a few. How about Popcorn or Orville Redenbacher Day, since he's from Clay County and EVERYBODY (except me) likes popcorn? Or how about Funky Fountain in the Park day and make it an internationally recognized day celebrating it with our sister city in the real Brazil? These are just a couple but somehow I don't think they will have the staying power of the Groundhog. Again, o well. So go out and enjoy the last 6 weeks of winter and have a bag of popcorn on me.

Proverbs 2:7 says, "He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless...". I think it's comforting to know that the Lord will be there to help us on our way through life. If we are willing to fight the battles in life on the Lord's side, he will protect us. Victory is assured because the ulimate battle is already over. Yes, life is still hard and yes, we will have many trials and opportunities to fail, but if we are earnestly striving to be upright and blameless, he will be there to make sure we make it. We win! He has already won! Victory is in store for us if we side with him.

Super Bowl party @ the Wilsons' on Sunday pm. 6 pm start time, 6:30 kick-off. Girl drinks, guys snacks, everybody $2 for real food.

Later...

Failing math grade

2005-01-31T10:39:00.000-06:00

Well, as it turns out, I have either poor mathematical skills or just blanked out for a bit last week when calculating just how many days it would be until Laura and I get married. Somehow, from January 21 to May 21 came out to be 110 days. That however is incorrect. From TOMORROW, February 1 it is 110 days! Again, I'm not sure what happened. Maybe I figured in the three complete months between now and then and only factored in the 21 days in May without regard for the 10 or so days left in January. I'd like to blame it on absent-mindedness and not have to think that simple math has become a challenge, so I think that's what I'll do. I suppose I'm used to that because, as most of you know, I'm somewhat (maybe considerably) absent minded. I think I get it from my mom, who says of herself "I'd loose my head if it weren't attached!" I can totally empathize! But for now, I've got to get on with what I'm supposed to be doing...

...if I could only remember what that is.

Proverbs 31:7 says (NASB), "Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his trouble no more". These words are from King Lemuel and not from Solomon at this point in the book. Not to be thought less of, the last part of this chapter has become one of the most notable passages regarding what kind of woman a girl ought to try and be and the kind of woman a boy ought to aspire to find. The first part of this chapter deals with alcohol. Now, the verse that we have read would at first glance seem to condone the usage of alocohol, at least on some levels or occasions. However, at the top, the writer says plainly that drinking is not for kings. If they do this, they could face all sorts of trouble from forgetting their responsibilities to misinterpreting the law to perverting justice. That doesn't make for a good king! The leader ought to lead by example, and a drunken example produces drunken followers. No, the booze is left for the down-and-out and the dying. Their situation is grave and there won't be much changing it. I do not believe that this excuses their behavior, though. I can't help but think that these folks who are down here are there by there own devices. I have nothing to prove this except referring to other words in Proverbs lifting up wisdom and diligence and condemning folly, laziness, and greed. I think what we can pull from this is to aspire to be like the King and not choose a life less than the best. Our King has set us an example to follow and if we do not, we are left to live life by our own devices.

Hey, great job to all who were involved in Youth Sunday this week. We had some new faces doing new things and some old ones stepping in at the last minute. I'm proud of you all.

Sunday Feb. 6 Super Bowl Party at Wilsons': 6:00 till the end of the game or your parents come to claim you! Girls bring drinks, gents bring snacks, everyone bring $2.

Later...

Sunday sermon prep

2005-01-28T10:22:00.000-06:00

I'm really excited about finishing up my sermon for this Sunday's Youth Sunday. It isn't just that I want to get it done and out of the way, but it's about the subject matter itself. I don't want to spoil the surprize for those of you who won't know until Sunday what I'm preaching on, but let's just say that the illustrations for this week are near and dear to my heart. They happen to be of the two-wheeled, shaved-leg, tan-lined, watt-pumping, pedal-spinning, high-mileage, heart-bursting-out-of-their-chest type. If you don't know the type I'm talking about, then let me introduce myself because you don't know me very well! There are a lot of life applications to be drawn from sports in general, but I think the one I will draw from this sport in particular has great influence on the Christian walk. Yes, I am speaking in somewhat ambiguous terms but it's to add a little more excitement to our upcoming service in a somewhat limited, passive-aggressive way. Limited in that only the three of you who read this will be able to enjoy this sneak peek, passive in that this sneak peek is in print form, and aggressive in that I want you to know that you really do need to be there!! All that said, I need to finish here so I can finish building my sermon. "Allez, Joe!!!"

Proverbs 28:7 (NLT) says, "Young people who obey the law are wise; those who seek out worthless companions bring shame to their parents". Ever wonder why so many parents are always saying things like, "Choose your friends wisely"? I think it has to do with the amount of words in Proverbs devoted to the company we keep. I don't think it's a new saying for parents to be using and this verse is proof of it. For thousands of years, parents trying to raise good kids have seen their hard work be dashed to bits by the influence of the bad company of their children. Unfortunately for the kids, they (we, because we were all there!) don't listen and understand that this "friend" is bad until after they've gotten themselves in trouble, maybe even sold out by him/her. As we have seen thorughout Proverbs, the child who does what is right, who follows the rules set out to protect him, is praised as wise. This figure presented next is somewhat of a new one for us: the child who seeks out the troublemakers as companions. The first chapter of Proverbs warns the child not to throw their lot in with these evil people. Throughout the book, it is shown that these folks are on the path to destruction. I'm not sure what would lead a child to this kind of desire. In today's culture, with the lack of solid families and thr proper attention and love shown therein, it may be because the child feels that they can have a sense of belonging and rise to a level of importance. This is as far down this road as I am comfortable going, however. I'll save that discussion for the two counselors in my family. Parents, continue to try to do the right thing by your kids. Show them the love they need: acceptance, value, confidence, affirmation, but not forgetting and leaving out important things like discipline, structure, and well-defined expectations. Kids, again, understand that your parents were kids once also. Do your best to do the right thing by your parents (even if you think you are trying harder than them). Working together as a family, as a unit, you will bless one another and be what God set out for you to be.

Sunday-Youth Sunday; PM-SCAMPS concert
Sun. Feb. 6-Super Bowl party @ Wilsons': fellas-snacks, ladies-drinks, everybody-$2.

Later...

Shopping trip

2005-01-27T15:42:00.000-06:00

I went to run some errands in town this morning at Wal-Mart. I was amazed at what I found. I got the things I went in for and then headed down the cereal aisle in the limited grocery section of the Brazil WM. As I was looking for what I would be starting my days off with for the next week or so, I noticed that the price was incredibly lower than it would be for the same thing at the grocery store! Like in the realm of $1.50 cheaper for a big box of cereal! Well, I had noticed this before but it really sunk in this time. I'm thinking to myself, "Self, you need to become a better shopper and learn about these things". It's good food for thought (no pun intended!) since I'll be shopping for two soon! Now ALDI on the other hand is great also, if you aren't concerned with name brand food. For a long time, I always thought that ALDI was like the second-hand store for groceries. I would go in when mom was buying food to feed the 6 of us (gee, do you think she new something?) and not see my Frosted Flakes or Fruity Pebbles and the faces associated with them. Instead, they had these "goofy", boring names (like "Pebbles" isn't a little goofy, and who would want to eat pebbles anyway?) like "Puffed Wheat" or "Frosted Wheat Squares", or Michael's favorite "Apple Dapples". I just assumed an inherent lack in the quality of the box without the tiger or the cavemen. But now that I'm older and wiser, bring on the boring, only-tells-you-what's-in-the-box, titled cereals! Save me some cash, man! I suppose this input will only be enlightening for the younger readers out there. But if you happen to be a vet of spending more money for brand names, maybe my little epiphany has inspired you as well. Either way, happy shopping.

Proverbs 27:7 says, "He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet". It's interesting that both parts of today's entry have to do with food to some degree. I really do enjoy food. I have for most of my life but definitely the defining moment of my love for cullinary arts was my job at the Garden Restaurant back when I was in highschool. I was exposed to many new dishes and gained an appreciation for food prep, especially at that level. I had a ravenous appetite while in highschool because I was always very active in sports and marching band. I was either in a sport or training for the next one. I could eat at the drop of a hat. But I had my limits. Desert was always available at the restaurant and it was always excellent. Sometimes, though, my eyes were bigger than my stomach and I couldn't finish that delectable morsel, no matter how much was left. I was full, and at that point, I wanted nothing more to do with what was on my plate. In working there, I also witnessed a lot of waste. I saw $18 slabs of prime rib thrown into the trash only having been half eaten. I saw $3.00 pieces of the best cheesecake I've ever tasted look like it had only been mashed around the plate without any of it ever entering anyone's mouth. That was the sad part of the job. Because Newton was not a very affluent community, I'm sure that those half portions would have been enjoyed elsewhere. I'm not sure what this verse points to directly but I think we can easily draw a few long-standing principles. "Clean your plate", "Never get more than what you'll eat", "In all things, moderation", and other things including stories of starving kids in Africa. We are so blessed in this country. We are able to enjoy so much more than most of the world. While this is true, this privilege must not be abused. I don't think the Lord is pleased when he witnesses the waste of his blessings. Let's be mindful of what we've been given as we sit down to enjoy or bounty.

Saturday Jan. 29 @ 6 pm People of Prayer.
Sunday Jan. 30-Youth Sunday (remember: no regular PM meeting for SCAMPS concert)
Sunday Feb. 6-SuperBowl Party at the Wilsons', 6 pm till...whenever your parents come!

Later...

Something's gone wrong

2005-01-26T11:06:00.000-06:00

Well, I have to appologize for not being as regular with the blog lately as I would have liked. However, unlike in the past, where I'd go days (even weeks) without writing because I was unmotivated or got burried with doing other things, I haven't had much of a choice lately. The network here in the office has been a little screwy recently. I don't know if it's moisture in the lines from all the rain, the inablility of the guys who put it in, or our service provider just not being able to keep up with everyone. Either way, many times in the past few weeks that I've tried to write or even search the net, the computer just wouldn't go! I don't pretend to know much about computers so me being able to write and describe the situation is a stretch for me. I will refrain from using terminology like "thingamabob" and whatchamacallit" to be sure. So hopefully today's venture won't go for nought. I still hope everyone (all three of you) are enjoying this 3 minutes of your day some 3 or 4 days a week (pending). So for what it's worth, enjoy your day and the rest of your net-surfing experience today.

Proverbs 26:7 says, "Like a lame man's legs that hang limp, is a proverb in the mouth of a fool". Useless. Utterly useless! This is an ammusing proverb to me because of the mental pictures I can associate with it. Like someone confined to a wheelchair is unable to use his/her legs (this unfortunate occurance isn't the ammusing part), I can imagine what it would look like for a fool to have this useful nugget of wisdom just sitting motionlessly on his tongue. Jar-Jar Binks from the new Star Wars flicks comes to mind here. At one point in the "first" episode, he gets his tongue zapped by some kind of energy source in an engine and numbs it completely! He's flailing the thing around trying to get it to work but it just won't. I can remember times in my life and stories of others after leaving the dentist's office, my tongue/lips/mouth full of novacaine, trying to function normally. Funny sight! Drinking a glass of water becomes a spectator sport! Foolishness, although sometimes laughable, is most often times a sad thing to watch. You know what's going to happen when one of these guys attempts something beyond him. Why does it fail? A lot of times it's just that the poor guy just doesn't know what to do. That's what this verse highlights. Wisdom is so foreign to the fool it's like trying to fix your Japanese car with the Japanese instruction manual (with no pictures!). It's useless to him and to those around. If we practice wisdom and make ourselves familiar with it, we then are able to use it when we have opportunity. The Lord has given us the instruction manual and has made it accessible to us. Practice his wisdom so that we won't be left looking like were chock full of numbing agent.

Saturday Jan. 29 @ 6:00 pm in the auditorium is People of Prayer. Come and experience this time of prayer with the Lord.
Sunday Jan. 30 is Youth Sunday!!! I'm preaching on The Domestique. The Singing SCAMPS will be doing their concert in the evening, so no regular youth group meeting downstairs. Come out and enjoy their concert.
Sunday Feb. 6 is the Super Bowl Party at the Wilson's. Bring $2, snacks (fellas), and drinks (ladies). TIME CHANGE!!! The postcard says we'll start at 6:30 but we'll begin at 6:00 pm.

Later...

Fours months from today

2005-01-21T11:13:00.000-06:00

At 1:00 pm this afternoon, it will be exactly 4 months from my wedding date (Laura insists it's her wedding, and that's ok because I'll be there, too!). I'm really exited to think about it. Things are really coming along smoothly for the schedule we're on. She's going to look at wedding dresses today! She told me again last night that I'm more excited than she is, which to this point seems to be holding true. There's still plenty to do but I have confidence that all will get done. I was thinking for a minute this morning about what kind of time is involved in 4 months. It's 1 semester of school. It's 4 car, insurance, electric, phone, etc. bills. Several of the big Pro Tour races will have been completed by then (we'll be in the middle to end of the Giro for you Grand Tour freaks out there). February only has 28 days this year, so it's 110 days away. It's a little less than 16 weeks, which means 13 or 14 Sunday pm lessons to prep for (because we won't have one on the evening of the SCAMPS concert and leaving room for weather and other events). Putting everything in this light, there's not much time until May 21, but there's no doubt in my mind that I'll be ready when the day comes.

Proverbs 21:7 says, "The violence of the wicked will drag them away, for they refuse to do what is right". Have you ever seen The Untouchables? It's a great movie about Elliot Ness and his task force trying to rid the streets of Al Capone and his mob during the Prohibition years. Capone is ruthless in the movie. Only concerned about keeping himself in business, he kills and orders the deaths of several, while providing people with his illegal liquor. He has hundreds on his payroll, even in the police, who cower at the thought of crossing him. But Ness eventually brings him to justice. He is tried and convicted for his crimes. In his last scene, Capone has to be dragged out of the courtroom by force because he's so irrate. That's the picture I get in my mind as I read this verse. Capone was a violent and evil man. He knew that he was outside the law because Prohibition was such a huge issue in those days. Still, he kept up his illegal practices and did so at the cost of many lives. But in the end, his wickedness caught up to him and he was quite literally dragged away. Don't let this happen to you. No, I'm not talking about you forming a mob and selling banned substances (like lawn darts, for instance) underground. What I am saying is what I've said before: wickedness will eventually catch up to us. It hurts us and those around us. So at least for my sake, if you're going to follow in Capone's footsteps, stay away from me, thank you very much! Lessen the evil that will find you by seeking good. Elliot Ness was a cooler character anyway.

Sunday Jan 30 is Youth Sunday.
Sunday Feb. 6 is an all youth group Super Bowl party @ the Wilson's (Pete said it was ok, Jackie). More info to come.
Be on the lookout for info about Acquire the Fire, JBC Spring Retreat, Jr. High Retreat @ Camp Illiana, and Junior Faculty training at camp coming soon.

Later.

"Good Morning Everybody!"

2005-01-20T15:05:00.000-06:00

I know it isn't morning as I'm writing this, but this quote contains significance. Today was our first Campus Life meeting of the semester and as the morning kicks off, I always break into the music and games going on by shouting this greeting. It's fun and the kids seem to get a kick out of it. The rest of the CL crew now knows that I'm engaged. Nancy was funny this morning. She was pretty anxious to tell the news to everyone as soon as I got there. I would have gotten around to it eventually but I guess I was waiting too long! Anyways, it was a good morning indeed. We had a big crowd and Chris gave a good talk. I know alot of the people who show up are only interested in the free donuts, but I'm sure they aren't missing everything that's being said up there. I don't think the Lord would give us that great of an opportunity to have everything fall on 90% deaf ears. But whether we're reaching 10 or 100, it's a great ministry and continues to be one of the highlights of my week.

Proverbs 20:7 says, "The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him." This verse makes me want to be a righteous man if, for no other reason, to bless my kids when they are older and I'm dead and gone. It's so true, isn't it? Think about the good families you know. What makes them good? They are good because the people in them are doing the right thing. You don't build a good family on poor morals, second rate ethics, and bad behavior. A righteous man's righteousness will bleed over into how he raises and leads his family. Righteousness is something that is present in every aspect of life. If it is something that is put on for show out in public and shelved when at home, it is something other than righteousness. As the family grows and the kids get older, they will begin to learn the behaviors of their parents. What a responsibility that puts on parents! But if your life is blameless, your children who are following in your footsteps will be blessed. Blessed not only by your good name, but blessed that they have been given a head start of sorts on an already tough road of life. Blameless is the key. Blameless before God and blameless before people. As we live, whether we have kids or not, let us live as if we are setting the example for those coming up after us.

Sunday January 30 is Youth Sunday. Get geared up!

Later...

We're back!

2005-01-19T11:45:00.000-06:00

Campus Life starts up again today at North Clay. Chris, Nancy, and I will be back during school lunch to hand out cards to start up another wild and wacky semester. At the ball game Friday, I got to see a handfull of kids that I haven't seen all winter break which was cool. They were all excited about learning of my engagement so I'll be able to show them a couple pictures of the happy couple today (that's my fiancee and I!). The eighth grade girls that are always asking about her were probably the most excited for me, other than Michael and my mom. It's always fun talking about it to whoever will listen. Chris and Nancy don't know yet so they will get the news today and the rest of the CL crew will learn about it tomorrow. Campus Life always adds excitement to my week. That age group of kids is a fun one to work with. They are a little less reserved than older teens but bigger and less fragile than your average elementary schooler (which is nice because you can play rougher!). All in all, CL is back and I'm ready!

Proverbs 19:6 (NASB) says, "Many will seek the favor of a generous man, and every man is a friend to him who gives gifts". All throughout life, I've wondered what it would be like to be incredibly rich. Like owning houses in 3 countries, drivin' my Ferrari, flyin' around in my own jet kinda rich! Life would be good. That is until people started seeing my name on the Forbe's 100 Wealthiest People list and started calling me asking for handouts. That's the part of being rich that would soon get annoying. Back here in reality, neither I nor any one reading this blog are in that condition of being freakishly wealthy (but if you are, I would like to ask you to donate to the Put Joe Through Life fund...it's an incredible investment!) but many of us have been blessed to where we can be generous. There are many people in this world who are, but there are more who are there to exploit the generous. According to God's word, there always have been. At points in life, we've all had to deal with this on certain levels. In Kindergarten, who did you want to be at your party? The kid who you knew would give the best presents! The same goes for relatives at Christmas. You can stand a couple more cheek-pinches and smacks on the lips if it will get you closer to that new remote control car or gaming system. But these more innocent behaviors carry over into adulthood for some and becomes a sad display of childishness and greed. The Bible teaches us to be content with what we have and to be humble in the presence of others. Two verses come to mind here. About our possessions, Proverbs 30:8b-9 says "give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God." Also, Jesus says in Luke 14:8 & 11, "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited...For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." I think in these two passages we see good examples of knowing God's place for us in life. We need not schmooze those around us to get ahead in life, but be content and humble before God and he will provide for our every need.

Later...

Winter again

2005-01-14T11:28:00.000-06:00

Well, the short spell of Spring-like weather has come and gone once again. Now we can get back to winter for real. This won't make some people (my fiancee, for one) very happy because they like and thrive on warm weather. These kind of people are wearing layers when it's 80 (my mom used to be one of these people). But one thing that is interesting to me is how much of a mind game air temperature can be. Think about when it's 60 degrees. If there's a day in the summer where it only gets up to 60, people rummage through their closets looking for their jackets and turn on the heat in the house. Now in January when it's 60 degrees, look out because out come the shorts and the sunblock (although till today we haven't seen the sun in over 2 weeks it seems)! I don't know how that works in the minds of people but it seems to hold true pretty much everywhere. I suppose I'm glad that we have such variation in weather patterns though. Otherwise, I would get extremely bored with the predictability of the seasons.

Proverbs 14:6 says "The mocker seeks wisdom but finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning". I'm sure we all have dealt with people in our school days who for some reason just never got it. I'm not talking about those challenged students , but those who were always on the cutting edge of getting into trouble or being first with a snide remark and wondered why they never got any breaks from anyone. I've known a few myself. They are frustrating people to even observe! It's painful! They seem to yell alot too, just so you know that they are there. I think this person is the mocker in our verse today. They never seem to like any of their teachers nor do they think life is fair. But when you see how they act, being unfair and unlikeable, they are a living, breathing contradiction! Even in their boldest attempts to gain some knowledge worth knowing, it's hard coming. Why? Because they have this mocking attitude about them. The attitude of the discerning is just the opposite. They have found that life is a little easier when a.) they are easy to get along with (not mockish), and b.) they have the right attitude. This attitude is one of true desire to learn and do what is right. Their drive for the truth causes them to "see" and "think" more clearly through life. This discernment develops the right kind of mind within them. And because they are seeing and thinking with the right mind, the knowledge which they desire is their for the taking. Jesus spoke of this kind of person when he said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled," (Matt. 5:6). No one strives to be like the mocker because everyone can see that he's a buffoon! If we set our standards higher and seek to have this right kind of mind, we will indeed be filled.

No new announcements, but be on the lookout for Super Bowl party , Jr. High retreat, Acquire the Fire, and JBC Spring Retreat info.

Later...

In the mood for Spring

2005-01-12T11:21:00.000-06:00

Alright, nothing kills me more than this 60 degree stuff in January when I'm tired of being cooped up inside and its getting close to time to the beginning of a new cycling season and all I want to do on a day like today is chuck it all and get out on the bike. But, since Berea doesn't sponsor a pro-racing team, I'm here in my office writing on my blog and prepping for the Big Deal. I do, however, enjoy the trips to the church from the office where I can get some fresh, warm air without having the feeling that the cold was going to peel off my skin (think freezer burn instead of sunburn. Ziplock anyone?). I also feel for the students who are in class now and have no choice but to be inside on a day like today. Mack, Nick, Chan, TB, Grif, my heart goes out to you all. Of course 60 above or 60 below, Griffin and Jordan are in training for track and they'll be outside chuggin' along like they work for the Postal Service (neither rain nor sleet nor storm, eh guys?) Days like today are good for the soul though. I've never been one to get really depressed during long stints of bad weather, but I know people who do. I don't think cabin fever is a diagnosable condition but you can definitely tell its effects on some folks. So even though it's still wet outside, and whether or not you suffer from cabin fever (or are excited about the upcoming cycling season) get about 5 minutes at some point in the day and take in some nice, fresh air. You never know, it might be just what the doctor ordered.

Proverbs 12:6 says, "The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them". Remember on Monday when we talked about violence overwhelming the mouth of the wicked? This verse goes right along with it. If your mind works in pictures like mine does, this could really stir up some graphic thoughts about wickedness. Like the mouth that spews out wickedness, the words of that mouth do nothing but harm. Their very purpose is to cut down, degrade, insult, slander, and back-stab. You can think of them in terms of a trap, that baits a person only to hurt them later, or as ammo in an assult rifle that come on in a full-forced barrage. The speech of the upright is the opposite of this. It is not malicious or destructive. Instead it is life-giving, uplifting, and healing. It is able to get themselves out of trouble (not that an upright person would be in much anyway, but to stick with the illustration) as well as lead others out of it and around it. Remember talking about how the wickedness of the wicked will come back on them? Their speech will eventually turn on them and do the same or greater damage to themselves than they dished out. The upright, righteous person has the opposite to look forward to. Their uplifting words will save them in their own time of need. Choose your words wisely, for in whatever you say, you may be baiting your own trap or setting yourself free.

Fellas, remember I need you at church tonight (today is Wednesday, just in case you lost track) at 6:30 to listen to Harold Boldon speak about the importance of Offering and Communion meditations. IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU BE HERE!!!

Can someone bring snacks tonight? Thanks.

Later...

Out of my element

2005-01-10T14:36:00.000-06:00

Ok, I love going to see everyone at NHS at lunch, but I hate the first day back of every semester. I have to get retrained to where everyone is and is not so that I can see as many people in the lunch hour as I can. And it's hard too because there are new people intermixed in with everyone else and they look at me funny! A lot of people who see me every week look at me funny too, but I guess I'm kind of getting used to that. I'll settle in to the new way of things soon. I think I saw 90% of our kids who were there and talked to 90% of those kids for at least 30 seconds. It's a really fun part of my ministry but it's tough because it's a little (a lot) intimidating. I look forward to seeing my kids and talking some with their friends too, which many of them are starting to warm up to me sooner and sooner in the semesters. I suppose it's one of those things that will just take a little time to get everyone used to. I'm going to continue to do it until it ceases being fun and I don't expect it to any time soon.

Proverbs 10:6 says, "Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked". The Lord promises his people, those who follow him, good things. Throughout Scripture, he has made promises to us that he will be good to those who are for him. From the times in the desert, to the time of Christ, to today, his word remains true. If we honor God with our lives, he will honor us. Like a king or queen kneeling to be crowned, he will put his blessings on us. This picture might not mean much to us in the States but consider the inauguration of a President, the placing of a cape over someone receiving a Masters degree, or the dubbing of a knight in our average King Arthur spin off. Those pictures might give us the picture of being crowned with blessings. On the other hand, for those who oppose God in whatever way, they do not share the security of the blessings of God's people. "Wicked" encompasses a lot of folks but we won't focus in on who all that is here. For those who don't honor God, they can expect violence in abundance. Violence can come in many forms as well aside from the obvious examples of physical and verbal abuse. But the idea here is not so much that the mouth of the wicked person will get bombarded with violence, as in getting beat up, but that the mouth itself is the origin of violence! Violence is all that is there, not blessings. Where as the Lord showers his blessings on us, like a spring rain in during which the sun peeks out and warms everything up, what comes from the wicked person could be compared to a flood! There's just no end to their wickedness. But on the same vein, there is no limit to the blessings that the Lord has in store for his people. The choice is easy to make. It's like being on Let's Make a Deal and being able to see through the doors! I'd rather be showered on than flooded any day!

Wednesday Jan. 12: REMEMBER, I need to see all my baptized, believin' boys on Wednesday evening at 6:30 to talk about Youth Sunday responsibilities. Harold Boldon will be talking with you about offering and communion meditations. PLEASE BE THERE!

Later...

I hope you weren't offended

2005-01-07T11:19:00.000-06:00

I just had to laugh at myself a couple minutes ago. I'm sitting in my office this morning and the phone has been ringing nonstop so far. Most of the calls have been for Tom, but that's not all that important. What is important was that we got a phone call (actually 2) a few minutes ago and Tom was on the phone himself. So as I picked up the phone, line 1 picked up. Well, being the courteous chap that I am, I quickly switched to line two to answer the phone only to be greeted by the dial tone. I thought, "That's odd", and went on my way, as Tom continued his conversation. A few seconds later, we got another phone call and I did the same thing, getting the same result. I'm thinking, "What's going on here?". That's when it hit me: Tom's talking on his cell phone and I've been hanging up on this person thinking I was doing someone else a favor! Oops! (Insert embarassed, red-faced emoticon here). So, if you (whoever you were) are a frequent reader of my blog and couldn't get in touch with whomever you were calling at the office because someone was hanging up on you, I hope this clears things up a bit. No offense, I'm only human!

Proverbs 7:6 says is an incomplete sentence in most translations and doesn't make sense by itself in others. This starts a longer section that tells the story of a simple minded young man who gets secduced by an adulterous woman (I told you the other day that Proverbs spends a lot of time talking about adultery!). There are many things that we could say about this subject here. The verses leading up to this tell of loving wisdom like a sister, tying reminders of it on your fingers, and writing the words of wisdom on your heart. The purpose of this is to protect ourselves (this is especially true for the guys, but girls can apply it too) from when we're tempted by adultery, fornication, or anything closely related to that. There is a constant connection in Proverbs with the gaining of wisdom and holding sin at bay. Listen up guys! We really need to learn to take God at his word as we live out our lives. Do this: the next time you feel tempted, whether it's to do something you know isn't right or to look at someone in a way that you know you shouldn't, ask God for his wisdom. James 1:5 says "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." If you do, the Lord will provide a way out for you (I Cor. 10:13). Take it! If it works, try it again next time. I think that we will find that if we really desire to do what is right, then there will be no reason to ask about this not working. Stay away from her house, brothers! We'll all be better off for it later.

Deadline for CIY Discipleship Conf. is Sunday, Jan. 9.

Later...

Lesson ala carte

2005-01-06T11:54:00.000-06:00

Proverbs 6:6 (NLT) says, "Take a lesson from the ant, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and be wise!" The sixth day of the next few months will be fun because the verses following this one all deal with the ant and Mr. Lazybones, or in other translations, maybe the best Old Testament put-down, the sluggard! Remember the sluggard? This guy just sounds greasy and bloated! Anyways, the writer here tells us to learn from the ant. Why the ant? Remember ants from such great movies as Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and A Bug's Life, and it will be no problem to see why we are referred to them here. Ants, although small, can do a great amount of work by themselves, upwards of lifting 50 times their weight ("50 times?!? That's like benchpressing a bulldozer!!!" from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids). With that kind of power, think of what an army of ants could do! So, we need to learn from our little picnic-ruining friends and a) learn to work hard and b) learn to work together. That way, no one will ever be able to criticize and say the you or I are just taking up space.

I'll have info about the Sr. High Retreat on Sunday for those who are going.
If any Seniors or Young Adults are still interested in the CIY Discipleship Conference, the registration deadline is Sunday the 9th.

Later...

Cold Feet

2005-01-05T14:22:00.000-06:00

No, it's not what you think. I really do have cold feet! I took the long way to the office this morning and walked the driveway to the road instead of cutting across the lawn because of all the rain. If you are in the area, you know that it hasn't stopped raining since it started yesterday. Heading home for lunch, I forgot about the mess that is my lawn and tried cutting across only to get my feet soaked to the core! I was sinking in at every step. Not only was the ground soaked but there is a mole colony that goes under the part of the lawn I use to cross, so it made the sinking deeper. It was a rough trip and was uncomfortable until I got some dry socks on! So I'm sitting here after lunch in the office in sock-feet with my shoes stretched out and open over the heat vent getting toasty warm for the trip home. Be careful out there! It could get slick and walking anywhere after ditching your car will dampen more than just your shoes!

Proverbs 5:6 says, "She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths are crooked, but she knows it not." This passage in Proverbs talks more about the adulteress that seems to pop her head up at just the right (or wrong) time. Just to reiterate: this book spends a lot of time talking about adultery and adulterous behavior. It shouldn't take long to figure out why, especially in our society. In our youth group, we have spent a considerable amount of time talking about staying on the right path this past year. We talked about the path that Christ laid out for us to walk on that is straight and narrow. It involves concentration, focus, and commitment to find it and stay on it, but it is a good road and leads to life. The alternative is the broad road. The broad road accomidates everyone who is not on the narrow road. Fast lanes, slow lanes, whatever you are comfortable with, but this road leads to death. This is the road that the adulteress is on. Back and forth from lane to lane, enticing people to follow her on a joy ride that ends in a lot of pain. The verses before this one say that she's a sweet talker and is very persuasive. However, she is headed in one direction and taking everyone she can with her. What worse than the fact that she cruising headlong for the grave is that she doesn't know or doesn't care! Maybe both ("Ignorance is bliss.")! Apathy is as contagious as the flu in a daycare and if we as Christians don't protect ourselves against it and adultery by getting the wisdom that is offered to us, then we will fall victim to it as well. Try and figure out which road you are on and if you find that you're not on the road to life, don't be stubborn and wait for a convenient exit! Find the right road ASAP!

Big Deal tonight @ 7.
Deadline for Seniors to register for the CIY Discipleship conference is this Sunday Jan 9.

Later...

Odd ducks fly together

2004-12-30T11:18:00.000-06:00

Weather in the end of the year is confusing. It just seems that you can expect a cold snap in the middle of December that lasts a couple of weeks letting you know that Winter is definitely here followed by really mild temps. That's kind of what we've got going on now. It was crazy cold for the last week and a half and now it's almost Spring-like (early Spring anyways). Most of the snow is gone except for the stuff on the north sides of houses and the huge piles in mall parking lots. Since I was a lot younger, I can remember times like this where the weather just decided to play tricks on everyone and do something completely out of the ordinary, like warm up to 60 in the middle of winter! Oh well, I guess it's not all that out of the ordinary since this warming thing happens almost every year. I'm glad I'm a youth minister and not a meteorologist so I don't have to explain why stuff like this happens to folks like me. Of course, I have to field questions about God and eternity and other religions, like that's an easier alternative! So I guess the weather man and I have something in common.

Proverbs 30:5-6 say, "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar." Say you're a medieval knight going to battle. You've got your chain mail, your helmet, your sword, and your shield. If the opposing army shoots a bunch of arrows at you, would you rather have a shield that has a bunch of holes in it and is poorly made, or would you opt for a shield that is solid and strong? I think most of us would choose the strong solid shield. With all the options of things to believe in the world, this statement stands out. God's words are flawless. He is faithful and true. This gives us encouragement to know that if we trust in those words, they will prove trustworthy and able to protect us from the falseness that the world offers. Of course, one ought not try and put words in God's mouth. He's very capable by himself, thank you very much, and doesn't need help from you and me. In our attempt to add something to God's word, we will be shown for what we are: exposed as unruly, lying, and caniving. Like it or not, or know it or not, we are in a spiritual battle for our souls. God is ready and willing to protect us from the things that war against us. Take him at his flawless word and fight knowing you are protected by it.

Sr. High Retreat registration deadline Sunday Jan. 2.
CIY Discipleship Conf. registration deadline Sunday Jan. 9.

Later...

A little behind schedule

2004-12-29T10:53:00.000-06:00

Well, as it turns out, I'm behind. No big surprize, but this time I started that way. Laura sent me to a sight yesterday with a checklist of things that we needed to have done by certain points prior to the wedding. Since we're getting married in a little less than 5 months, we're 7 months behind schedule! Of course, this assumes a year long engagement, which I don't know how anyone could survive through, but I guess it's done more often than not. 5 months is just fine for me. We'll be super busy this spring with planning for youth group, school, spring and summer (camp, trips, fellowships, VBS, etc.), getting myself and her moved, honeymoon, and all that is on top of the actual wedding plans!!! *Whew*! I'm excited about it. I don't feel overwhelmed (yet), however, she might be. I just have to work hard to get myself realistically caught up, stay ahead of school and church planning, and then be a good, supportive fiance' to my future wife. It's do-able. I'll keep you posted on how things go.

Proverbs 29:6 says, "And evil man is snared by his own sin, but a righteous one can sing and be glad". Have you ever tried setting a mouse trap and gotten your finger caught in it? In all my times setting those silly things, I am happy (but with great reserve and humility) to say that I have not. I have come close several times, though. I know the thing won't kill me or cut off my finger or anything, but it's unnerving to think about it. While setting the device, my heart races, I'm nervous, extra careful, and borderline impatient. I don't even like setting them off (unless, of course, there is a mouse in it)! I think if we viewed sin in the way I view mouse traps, we would all be a lot better off. Sin is like a trap that we set for ourselves. We know it's dangerous because we've seen what it can do to others. While doing it, if we're not already too hard hearted and jaded, we are nervous, careful not to get "caught", and certainly in some senses impatient. It's not that we simply ought to be careful around sin, but we should avoid it altogether! It's a trap! Satan tries to lure us in with things that seem attractive, like cheese to a mouse, only to have us give our lives in pursuit of something that will kill us in the end. But to be free of that is something to rejoice about! I just remembered the song the mice in An American Tail sang on the way to the US that went: "There are no cats in America". They were filled with hope that they could be free from that threat of death. Even though there obviously are cats in America (remember Fergus, Molly, Tracy's Mr. Spanky), we can still have hope of a righteous life without the traps of sin. We just have to get into our heads that we no longer desire to set traps for ourselves and seek out the Lord and his promises. Until we do, we will live in fear of that next thing that will snap shut with us in it. And our finger prints are on the trap.

Big Deal tonight @ 7.
Sr. High Retreat registration deadline Sunday Jan. 2.
CIY Discipleship Conf. registration deadline Sunday Jan. 9.

Later...

Dum Dum Dee Dum!!!

2004-12-27T10:45:00.000-06:00

It's official!!! If you weren't at church yesterday (at my church) or I haven't talked/called you yet, you missed the big announcement. I'm getting married! I asked Laura on Thursday and (obviously) she said yes! I'm all bubbly inside. She really likes the ring but it's too big so we'll have to get it sized down. I've had the thing for a month and a half so I'm glad it's out of my hands and finally on hers. We got to spend the greater part of three days together at the end of last week. She came over on Thursday morning, through snow and wind, to see me. We worked on getting final preps made for heading to see my parents in Newton. By the way, I had a pipe freeze and burst under the house late on Wednesday evening (so I didn't have any water until Thursday afternoon). She made a wall hanging with pictures she collected from my sisters and I for my mom. I wanted to take her on a carriage ride through the park and ask her there but they didn't run it I guess due to the cold and snow. So I was forced to improvize. I had been singing Winter Wonderland most of the afternoon. When we got to the park, I had to find a snowman to be "Parson Brown". So when I got to the "You can do the job..." part, I asked her if she was getting the allusion yet. I asked her if she loved me enough to spend the rest of her life with me and knelt down in the snow and gave her the ring. That's how it went! We drove home separately for the next hour and a half (which I wouldn't recommend to anyone!) because she had to drive home on Saturday. We told my parents at dinner and most of our families on Friday either personally or by phone. I went to visit her family on Saturday in an unexpected twist of events. I then drove home in a snow shower on Saturday night. I have a few more personal calls to make but other than that, the important people know (In reading this, you qualify as 'important people'!).

Proverbs 27:6 says, "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses". Kind of make you wonder, with friends like these, who needs enemies? That's not quite the point this verse is making here. Verse 6 draws from 5 which says "Better is open rebuke than hidden love". Five simply says being corrected in public is better than love that is kept secret. That helps understanding 6 in that the wounds being talked about is this open rebuke. See, if a friend really loves you, if they are a true friend, they won't spare hurting your feelings a little if you are in the wrong. In the long run, if YOU are a true friend, you'll realize that this was to your benefit and you will be better off. Now, an enemy's 'kisses' are deceitful. I'm sure we have all known someone who's not afraid to kiss a little tail now and then to get what they want. And after they get it, they're gone, usually leaving the "kissed" in a state of unbelief and pain. An enemy will do this multiple times, which if for no other reason, is probably why they're an enemy! So, as my mom used to say, choose your friends wisely. I think we can learn a lot about ourselves and other people if we try and live this out. We'll be better friends to others, we'll be able to discern people's motives more clearly, and we'll not put up with things that are blatantly wrong, in our own lives nor in others'.

We will be having Big Deal and Youth Group this Sunday and Wednesday.
The deadline for the Sr. High Winter Retreat at Camp Illiana is Sunday the 2nd.
The deadline for the CIY Discipleship Retreat (for Seniors and Young Adults) is Jan 9.

Later...

Chalk up another one

2004-12-22T10:44:00.000-06:00

I got another mouse last night. I think it was more like early this morning because when I picked up the trap to take the thing out (it was pretty big) it slumped over the edge. So it hadn't been there long enough to stiffen up, because the room it was in is pretty cold too. So, with the one in the office, and everyone else accounted for, that's about 6 on the year. Hopefully, the rest of the mouse population of Brazil has bedded down for the winter and won't be looking to relocate soon. Sure, it's a buyers market now, but that really shouldn't matter much to mice I wouldn't think.

Anyways, does anyone have a copy of Merry Christmas Charlie Brown? I need it for tonight. If not, I'll have to rent it. Not too exited about that but I'll survive. Speaking of surviving, I have to survive just one more day and Laura will be here! She's coming over tomorrow and will be here through Saturday morning. I didn't think that we would be able to spend any Christmas together at all, but she got it worked out with her family and jobs. For the first time really ever, I'll get to pamper her for a day. She ought to be pretty sold on me after the day is done!

So, another mouse slain, party tonight, girlfriend tomorrow...Life is good...(God is good!)

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Traditionally, this verse has been somewhat of a fair-weather friend of parents raising kids. It can be encouraging to those trying to raise their kids right and assuring when they misbehave. But what happens when those good kids turn out to be hellians when they get older? What then? I learned in Hebrew class last year that this verse has lost a bit of its original meaning over the years of translating. This way sounds good and has a lot of merrit, but when all the hard work of child rearing seems as if it was for nothing, it leaves a parent wondering if they did enough or made a mistake. The Hebrew reads something like "Train up a child in his way...". Think about it this way. What would training up a child in his way look like? It would look a lot like how many kids are being raised today: no discipline, getting their own way, they rule the house, never having to do without. When a child is raised according to his or her own agenda, they will act like that throughout their lives: lazy, always expecting everything on a silver platter, undisciplined, unruly, etc. So, this can be somewhat liberating to parents if they are raising their children correctly. A parents' first responsibility is to raise their kids and to raise them to do the right thing. That's holding up the parents' end of the deal. If that happens, and the child responds positively to this, the kids will be healthy adults. Even if the raising was good, if the child chooses to reject this, it is not ultimately the parents' fault that their child is a scoundrel. This doesn't make parenting any easier, because parents are still responsible to raise their kids to the best of their abilities, but I believe it will lighten the load of parents thinking they will be the ones to fail if their kids don't make the grade.

Tonight: a Big Deal Christmas!!! Good food, fellowship, gifts and games. Bring your White Elephant gift and wear your favorite Christmas gear! Celebrate Christ tonight, the real reason for the season (Yeah, that last part's cliche, but it's true!)

Later...

Start the clock a'ticking!

2004-12-20T10:05:00.000-06:00

I have a busy start to a short week ahead of me today. This morning we're having staff meeting at 10:30, so that will take up about 1/2 hour of my morning. After that, I have to prepare for my lunch meeting with the youth sponsors over lunch. This afternoon, I'm driving to Oblong to take the Christmas presents to the Children's Home and might stop in Terre Haute to runs some errands on the way through. Those last two events will be the greatest part of my day. So, it will seem like the day has flown past at about 4 this afternoon. That's ok though. On Thursday of this week, Laura is coming to town!!! We're going to spend the 23rd and 24th with my family in Newton and Oblong. We didn't think we would be able to pull anything like this off but she got it worked out at her jobs and here we be! Just a couple more days and we'll be able to spend some real time together for the first time since early October or late summer. Let the countdowm begin!

Proverbs 20:6 says, "Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?" Is the love you claim to have as deep as you say it is? Are you as faithful as you say you are? These questions ought to cause us to stop and think for a bit. Being completely commited is difficult in this world, with all there is trying to get our attention, but it is possible. This verse speaks on many different levels. Dating and marriage relationships, friendships, jobs, family, and so forth. Faithfulness takes a minute by minute decision making process. When opportunity arrises to be unfaithful (on any of these levels above), will you decide to stick to your guns and remain on the path you know you are supposed to be on, or will you stray and decide to lay the object of faith aside for a little while? Faithfulness must be maintained and practiced in order to be strengthened. There is no other way. For there to be faithful people in the world, each of us must first be individuals of faith.

Wednesday 12/21: A Big Deal Christmas (White Elephant gift exchange & party)...Mack...tell anyone you see at school to remember this!!!

Later...

Sorry about yesterday

2004-12-16T10:33:00.000-06:00

Well, I had another one of those mishaps with technology yesterday. As we've been recently networked in the office, Cathy's computer is the hub for it. It has to be on so the other three can work online. Well, as I was getting ready to publish, she had restarted her computer after updating it. As I navigated away from the page, I lost everything. Oh well. I was going to tell you about a close call I had on the road on Monday. I was driving through Springfield when a girl pulled onto the interstate and into my lane. I slowed and veered left and she finally saw me and swerved to the right and overcorrected sending her across the median into the ditch on the other side of the road. She and I were both ok, which could have easily been a much different outcome. Praise the Lord! So, that's all I was going to say.

Proverbs 16:5 says, "The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished". I had a conversation about pride with a friend of mine just last night. It's a subject that many people deal with on different levels. Some are obsurdly proud about everything they are and some just on certain areas of expertise. We usually find that people affected by pride in the Bible are on a road to destruction. King Saul, Nebuchadnezzar, the Pharisees all fell victim to it. There isn't a really easy answer to the question of pride in our lives. But I think that we can start to overcome it by realizing what Scripture says about us personally. The world is the LORD's and all that is in it (Psalm 50:12), "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3), "Do not think of yourselves more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you" (Romans 12:3). These are starting points for overcoming pride. If we see that everything we have and all that we are is from God, it will be harder for us to see ourselves as superior, and easier to act appropriately.

Saturday 12/18: Toys for Tots distribution @ Harmony United Methodist Church (HEY, this starts at 2, be at the church at 1:30. If you're reading this at school, tell anyone you see!)
Sunday 12/19: Holiday Dinner (come hungry!)
Wednesday 12/21: A Big Deal Christmas (White Elephant gift exchange & party)

Later.

The last leg

2004-12-13T08:29:00.000-06:00

It's here! The last Monday of my school semester. This really isn't a huge landmark in the sense that I still have somewhere in the realm of 8 semesters to go in my grad-schooling. However, this has been a challenging semester mentally with a good deal of grunt work involved. I was better prepared for this semester as far as planning for regular class work goes. My next big project is to work in time for big end-of-the-semester projects. Case in point: as soon as I get done with this blog entry, I will pick up where I left off at 2 am this morning on a research paper on the philosophy of eternity. It's a tough subject but I seem to be making due (Much grace as been extended to me. Thank you Lord!). I'm also quite motivated because if I get the silly thing done, I get to spend more time with Laura this evening! There's something about that girl that makes me better. What ever it is, it's having a profound effect on me. Anyways, I can't be much longer. The last leg is not yet finished and I must push through to the line.

Proverbs 13:5 says, "The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked bring shame and disgrace." The two parts of the verse function well by themselves. I will try and bring a bit of connection between the two. The first part of this verse is a good summary statement of all that is said about the righteous. The righteous seek truth, goodness, virtue, and justice. In these things there is nothing false. Falseness is a perversion of the truth, so righteousness and falseness are opposites. On the other side of the comma, "the wicked bring shame and disgrace". Not hard to imaging, no? Shame and disgrace exist where one has strayed from what they know is right. It is not only present with the guilty party, but also with his/her family, friends, and loved ones. If shame and disgrace come from doing opposite of right, then the wicked do not do what is right. If the wicked do not do what is right, then the wicked pervert the truth. If the wicked pervert the truth, then they are not righteous. I hope this makes sense (I hope I've stated it right!). In doing the right thing, that does not mean to do right some of the time, or most of the time. You rarely do things you hate. If you are seeking to be righteous, why then would you do something false? Don't subject yourself and those around you to undue pain by bringing about shame and disgrace. Be true to them and yourself. Hate what is false. True, true.

Saturday 12/18: Toys for Tots distribution @ Harmony United Methodist Church
Sunday 12/19: Holiday Dinner (come hungry!)
Wednesday 12/21: A Big Deal Christmas (White Elephant gift exchange & party)

Later...

"Tisivor"

2004-12-10T10:22:00.000-06:00

If you've seen Cinderella, then you know what "tisivor" refers to. Remember when Jacques finds Gus in the trap? When he went to tell Cinerella, he yelled, "Tisivor, tisivor", which was a spooner for "visitor". Ok, you're all caught up now. So, I had a visitor last night. I got home from the Northview Christmas program a little before 9 and ran back into town right after that. After running that errand, I got home at about 9:45 to be greeted by a car...in my driveway. And it was empty! This was a little startling, because the car had been driven trough the yard from the church's gravel lot and left at a weird angle in front of the house. I drove around looking the place over and called 911. I didn't really have anything else to do! I gave the plate number and a description of the car and the scene and a deputy came out about 10 minutes later. He looked over the scene, I checked out the house, he told me my options, and he took off. Basically, I was left with either leaving it there or having it towed. Once again, I didn't know what to do. I called around for some advice, and about the time I was headed into town again, there were more headlights in the drive. The guys who owned the car had come back with a tank of gas because it was out. I'm thinking to myself, "Maybe you should have looked at your guage to see how full it was before pulling into some dude's yard!" Oh well. They apologized for the inconvenience and drove off. I was left in a state of unbelief! I went to bed thanking God but also asking what the guy was thinking in the first place. Anyways, that chapter in life is over. The mice are still in the office however. That's what really matters.

Proverbs 10:5 says (NASB), "He who gathers in the summer is a son who acts wisely, But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully". Laziness is something that plagues many people in America. I think we've had it so good for so long that many of us have become soft in our work ethic and our resolve to see results, both in our work and in our lives. Now there are a lot of people who are somewhat divided in their laziness. They will work like gangbusters to please a boss or make a buck, but at home or in their personal lives, they are lazy. They don't keep themselves in good shape, they settle for second or third best spirituality, and they invest in quality relationships. This son who acts wisely goes beyond what is required of him at the time. There is really no immediate need to gather crops, wood, fuel, food (whatever) in the summer because these things are readily available. But in the winter, when these things are in short supply or the price has gone up, he'll be ready. On the flip side, the lazy son sleeps in the harvest time! The last chance he has to store up for winter is passing him by while he is soundly tucked (or untucked) into bed. That's absurd! That kind of thing brings shame on the son as well as the family he represents. We all need to take a lesson from these fellows. In working (and working ahead whenever we have time), in seeking God, in making bad relationships good and good relationships great, we need to make the most of every opportunity we have . We can't afford to miss a chance. If we are lazy, chances will pass us by left and right, but we won't be awake to even see them.

Sunday 12/12: Christmas carroling (come ready to sing!)
Saturday 12/18: Toys for Tots distribution @ Harmony United Methodist Church
Sunday 12/19: Holiday Dinner (come hungry!)
Wednesday 12/21: A Big Deal Christmas (White Elephant gift exchange & party)

Later...

Mouse Hunter II: Office Hours

2004-12-09T10:29:00.000-06:00

Have you ever noticed that the subtitles on bad movie sequels are usually really cheesy? In the spirit of all 73 Land Before Time movies, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, and any of the new Star Wars movies, I present to you Mouse Hunter II: Office Hours. Yes, the story of Joe's quest to rid the world (at least his part of it) of vermin continues as he and the mice take the battle to work. The scene unfolds as Joe is sitting quietly in his office one day and, out of the corner of his eye, he sees his sworn enemy scurrying along the floor from the back entryway to the hallway closet. Wanting to bring a quick end to this, Joe follows it to find definite "evidence of habitation" (again, if I have to spell this out for you, you've never had mice...and I still hate you). Unable to do anything at the time, Joe vows that his archenemy won't be there long. Cathy, the secretary catches wind of this and jeers Joe, which makes his resolve to hunt and eliminate go even deeper. She says, "Use poison, I hate emptying traps!" As an act of diplomacy, Joe places two poison packs in strategic locations, along with the trap he set. How will this thriller end? Will this be the end of Apodemus sylvaticus? Will there be rest for Joe? Will the door be left open for a third installment? Stay tuned to find out! (Rated PG-13 for descriptions of graphic violence and strong, musty odors)

Proverbs 9:5 says, "Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed." Ok, you'll have to do a little grunt work on this one. You really need to read at least the first 6 verses to understand what this means and how it fits. Wisdom is inviting all those who will come into her house to be her guest. I know some really great hostesses, ladies who thrive on welcoming and entertaining people in their homes. I've been on the recieving end of that kindness and generosity on several occasions in my life. This is the view of Wisdom we need to have here. She invites the simple and the wise to come and gain to whatever degree they will. The food and wine she offers is like the cookies and milk, or banana bread and hot tea (getting hungry yet?) that the hostess offers her guests. It stands for the good things she has to offer: knowledge, wisdom, common sense. She offers these things in abundance. Like a good hostess, she will never let your glass go dry nor let your plate go empty with out offering more. Wisdom's house is a good place to be. Opposed to this is the woman Folly. She opens up her house and invites people in, too. Although her door is always open, the things she offers do not fill, do not last, and ultimately kill. The end of 9 describes her as "loud and brash". Her delicacies are stolen, not made with love, and her guests have gone to the grave. It's our choice who's house we visit. Wisdom or Folly. Life or death. Assurance or shame. Be wise and choose the "Hostess with the mostest".

Sunday 12/12: Christmas carroling (come ready to sing!)
Saturday 12/18: Toys for Tots distribution @ Harmony United Methodist Church
Sunday 12/19: Holiday Dinner (come hungry!)
Wednesday 12/21: A Big Deal Christmas (White Elephant gift exchange & party)

Later...

Hey Austin!

2004-12-08T10:26:00.000-06:00

Just a reminder to Austin and everyone who knows him: YOU HAVE SNACKS TONIGHT!!! So if you see the man today, let him know. The poor guy was sitting too close to me on Sunday when I remembered that I needed to get someone to bring snacks this week. Chan was there and I asked her, "Who has done snacks this semester?" Then she looked to her right, right at Austin and said, "He's never done snacks!" So there it was. Hopefully, Austin's sweettooth and my sweettooth see eye to eye and we'll have some good munchies tonight.

Proverbs 8:5 (NASB) says, "O naive ones, understand prudence; And, O fools, understand wisdom". Once again, the call has gone out from Wisdom, the personified character here in Proverbs, to all those in the world who need her. Both of these things, prudence and wisdom are needed by all. We have talked extensively about wisdom, so let me talk a bit about prudence. Prudence is a handful of times in the Proverbs in conjunction with wisdom and knowledge. Prudence is basically common sense and good judgement. As we all know, there are some people in the world who are just deficient in this area. The might be a straight A student, have all the book-smarts in the world, but just don't have a shred of street-smarts. I don't think that this verse is condemning these folks, although I think it's safe to say this verse suggests one would be "wise" to try and do better here. I don't understand how, but some people manage to look truth in the face and still turn and to something else. They know what they ought to do but choose to do otherwise. These are the people the verse speaks loudest too! We've seen elsewhere in Proverbs that some folks just won't turn, just won't break, from their foolish and evil patterns in life. While this is true, Wisdom still calls out. There is still a chance for all of us to turn and do right. Common sense is a great tool to have but it's useless if it is ignored. Use what you've been given (in what ever amount) in the way it is supposed to be used.

Wednesday 12/8: Big Deal is back on its regular schedule this week (Austin B. has snacks this week. If you see him, remind him!!!)
Sunday 12/12: Christmas carroling (come ready to sing!)
Saturday 12/18: Toys for Tots distribution @ Harmony United Methodist Church
Sunday 12/19: Holiday Dinner (come hungry!)
Wednesday 12/21: A Big Deal Christmas (White Elephant gift exchange & party)

Later...

Calling

2004-12-06T10:34:00.000-06:00

I went a'calling this morning. My uncle (dad's brother in law) is at Union in Terre Haute today having a heart catherization. He's been feeling bad for some time, just not up to par. So he got checked out and found that he had an "abnormality causing irregular bloodflow". So, they're going in to see what they can see. I was delighted to get to talk and pray with them today. They were surprized to see me but were grateful. It was a good opportunity to see family and learn a little more about one of the essentials of the ministry: hospital calling. It's almost a lost art. I vaguely remember it coming up in school, although we were required to go on one during our internship. I'm not so sure that there's anything in the grad curriculum I'm taking that requires it or teaches it. Anyway, it just has to be done. The whole practice is rewarding. It benefits the family, it benefits the patient, and it's honestly beneficial to me (or anyone doing it). So, all you future YM's out there, take note. Calling must be done and it must be done well. May that be a lesson to us all.

Proverbs 6:5 (NLT) says, "Save yourself like a deer escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net." "Right... save myself from what?", you might be asking. This verse comes on the heels of some advice concerning other people's debts. A cosigner is a person who will sign off on a loan that another person takes out. If that person fails to repay the loan, it is the cosigner's responsibility to pay it back! This is a bad situation to get into! The writer uses vivid language to stress the importance of not doing this in the first place, and if you have, to get out quick. Not many of us ever get put into this situation, but it may come up someday. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Here and now, we can be encouraged to not get ourselves into situations where we would get pulled into a bad deal or drag an otherwise good name through the mud. It's easy to get pulled into situations where a "friend" or other classmate may lie or cheat. Or even if you have lied or cheated and know it (it's hard to do either of those and not know it!). Maybe you have agreed to something that you know isn't a good thing to do. Whatever the situation, it's time to turn things around and make it right. First of all, don't help the loser out, or don't be the loser! Secondly, if you have done something like any of these, get the thing stopped. It may, unfortunately, involve a punishment of some sort, but that will be better than a guilty conscience and a record. It all comes back to "Do the right thing", and life, your's, mine, and everyone's around, will be better for it in the end.

Wednesday 12/8: Big Deal is back on its regular schedule this week (Austin B. has snacks this week. If you see him, remind him!!!)
Sunday 12/12: Christmas carroling (come ready to sing!)
Saturday 12/18: Toys for Tots distribution @ Harmony United Methodist Church
Sunday 12/19: Holiday Dinner (come hungry!)
Wednesday 12/21: A Big Deal Christmas (White Elephant gift exchange & party)

Later...

Strange trust

2004-12-03T10:57:00.000-06:00

I got a call yesterday from a friend of mine that lives back in Knoxville. She and I had not talked since I wrecked my bike at the beginning of the summer. She let me know how she was and what all was going on in K-ville. It was exciting to hear her talk about what she was doing in her church and some other things that were going on there. I was a little shocked when I heard about who was doing the youth ministry there now. I know the girl who's working there and can see how she would do a good job in that setting but just never in a million years would have thought that she would have been doing youth ministry. Just to clue you in on why I'm a little surprized: 1.) She has a degree from U of Tennessee in International Business with a minor in Italian. 2.) She's never been to Bible college. 3.) She grew up in that church. Along with a handfull of other things, its strange to think about (I can only imagine what was going through her mind as she was starting out!) but it works! And it evidently works well! She has a lot of resources and people around her to help fill in the gaps where she lacks experience. But she knows her people and the enviroment in which she works and, most importantly, she is letting God lead. So as my friend and I were talking about our business-major-turned-youth-minister friend, I was just assured of what, interestingly enough, I'll be commenting on below.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Ok, since I've started commenting on Proverbs, I've been excited about doing this one. I'm not sure, but this just might be the most popular Proverbs known to man. Like I said, I'm not sure. It's popularity doesn't make it any easier to live out, though. In fact, it probably makes it a little harder. People toss this passage around like a baseball expecting it to be the end-all and be-all of Biblical pick-me-ups. But when you're on the receiving end of these well-intentioned wise words, it's a hard pill to swallow for a number of reasons (none of which I'll discuss here). It's hard to let go of one's life. To trust in the Lord with all your heart is a hard thing to do! It's not a normal thing to do. We are so used to doing things in our own way, according to what we know. But this proverb tells us not to lean, or rely on, our own understanding of life to guide us. We are to rely on the Lord to lead us. To acknowledge him in all our ways is to consult his will for the answers. When we are faced with a decision, big or small, we go to the Word or we go to him in prayer saying, "Lord, you know and I don't". Know that he's there and know that his will is best. When we do this, we are assured that he will direct the course of our lives. On the few occasions when I have accomplished this, I have been amazed at how well the situation worked out. I would have never thought that that was the way it would happen, but God knows and I don't. It's true that life would be so much easier if we could all get the idea that the Lord knows best and we would have the faith in him that we ought. We would save ourselves from so much heartache and worry we would need to take up another hobby or two because of all the free time we now had. Don't think I'm trying to throw around warm fuzzies here because I know more than anyone how hard this is for me. But if we will all take life moment by moment and allow God to work in each of them, then we will see how our lives will change and our faith in him will grow.

Sunday 12/5: 7 week LIFE group fellowship dinner-no regular Youth Group (come hungry!)Sunday 12/12: Christmas carroling (come ready to sing!)
Saturday 12/18: Toys for Tots distribution @ Harmony United Methodist Church
Sunday 12/19: Holiday Dinner (come hungry!)
Wednesday 12/21: A Big Deal Christmas (White Elephant gift exchange & party)

Later...

In Review

2004-12-02T16:58:00.000-06:00

Well, the thing in Bloomington last night wasn't quite what I expected it to be, but it was nonetheless good. To refresh, I took the youth to B-town to Sherwood Oaks CC for Pure Passion, with Ryan Dobson and a performance by Slingshot 57. The band was pretty good for what they were (kind of a punky-youth-alt-rock sound...if you need an explanation, you won't like it!) but we really couldn't understand the words. On their behalf, this was partially due to where we were seated in relation to the spread of the speakers. Anyhow, Ryan Dobson spoke, and was he funny! I really liked his style of humor. Very animated, lots of sarcasm. He was slated to speak on abstinance but didn't really talk about it directly. There was a video of college students responding to questions about pre-marrital sex and its rightness or wrongness that lead into his talk, but he never referred to it. Basically, he made two points in the two big stories he told. 1.) Girls, for the most part, don't understand that how they dress greatly affects how guys look at them and react to them. As an add on to this point was a subpoint directed at parents. If you [parents] are not setting the example for your kids in your relationship with one another as to what kind of dating relationships your kids will have in the future, and dad's, if you are not "dating" or treating your daughters in the way they ought to be treated by a future mate, you are not doing your jobs as parents. So, girls, cover up; parents, make sure they do; dads, date your wife and your daughter[s]. 2.) He talked about truth and right vs. wrong. He told of an encounter with a guy on a plane who thought truth was relative to the person. Through a series of hilarious illustrations, he helped this guy start to realize that there are some universal truths. Both of these subjects can be related back to abstinence, he just didn't do it. So, in summary, Slingshot was a 6 out of 10, Ryan was a 7, and we all had a pretty good evening out.

Proverbs 2:6 says, "For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." Knowing what we do about the book of Proverbs, this verse fits right in line with what we would expect from God. The book is full of his wisdom, his words. It's only fitting to think that if we seek after it and ask for it that we will find it and get it! This goes right along with Jesus' words in Matthew 7, "Ask...seek...knock...". I think it is important to note that this wisdom and knowledge comes from God's mouth. It follows that relationship with God is needed in order to recieve the fullness of God's wisdom. If we only turn to God when in a fix, we have a very shallow understanding of who God is and what he's about. We assume he's there just to get us out of jams and be a super-holy "Ask Jeeves" site. But if we pursue God to something deeper than what most of us know now, we'll start to know him as he wants to be known and be able to exclaim, like Paul did in Romans 11, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God that that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen," (11:33-36). That's knowing God! And when we know him that way, his wisdom will be in us.

Sunday 12/5: 7 week LIFE group fellowship dinner-no regular Youth Group (come hungry!)Sunday 12/12: Christmas carroling (come ready to sing!)
Saturday 12/18: Toys for Tots distribution @ Harmony United Methodist Church
Sunday 12/19: Holiday Dinner (come hungry!)
Wednesday 12/21: A Big Deal Christmas (White Elephant gift exchange & party)

Later...

Big Plans

2004-12-01T16:21:00.000-06:00

I'm excited about what we're doing in place of Big Deal tonight. I got a flyer in the mail last week promoting an event at Sherwood Oaks CC in Bloomington called Pure Passion. Ryan Dobson, son of Dr. James Dobson, will be speaking and there will be a band (Slingshot 57) and games and such. HOPEFULLY, this will be a great thing. Tonight, Ryan will be speaking on teens and sex. It's a touchy subject for some folks, but for most people in the world, you can't get away from it. Our society, shoot, our world is obsessed with it! It's in the music we listen to, on the TV shows we watch, in the way we dress, everywhere! It will be refreshing to hear what he's got to say about the subject. Apart from the topic of the event, I'm looking forward to spending a couple hours in the van with the youth. Really. Hopefully, they'll talk...to me and to each other. It will be a good opportunity for fellowship. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Proverbs 1:5-6 in the NLT says, "Let those who are wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. And let those who understand receive guidance by exploring the depth of the meaning in these proverbs, parables, wise sayings and riddles." If you don't already, I would like to invite you to make it a daily practice to read one chapter of Proverbs a day. The wisdom for life that are included in this book really do make a difference in a person from day to day. The constant appeal of the book is to get wisdom. If you don't, you will suffer. It's basic to life that the wise amongst us try to get wiser and the fools amongst us, you guessed it, just seem to get more foolish. Why is that? Scripture makes it clear to us that wisdom and folly are polar opposites, thus, so are those who practice each. The wise can see the folly of the fools of the world and want nothing to do with it. In fact, it drives them closer to wisdom. The strange thing is, the same is true of the foolish! They see the wise and, for some reason or another, want nothing to do with that!!! They just go on their way, doing their own thing, and reap the fruit of their foolishness. It's is so strange, but the foolish are only doomed in their folly if they remain there. Wisdom offers several calls to the foolish to come and get wisdom and leave the destructive path on which they walk. The calls are all over the book. Do yourself a favor and get into this book. Learn to live by these principles and just see how different your life can be when guided by the Lord's wisdom.

Pure Passion tonight: leaving @ 5, back at 9:30 (eta)
Sunday 12/5: 7 week LIFE group fellowship dinner-no regular Youth Group (come hungry!)
Sunday 12/12: Christmas carroling (come ready to sing!)
Saturday 12/18: Toys for Tots distribution @ Harmony United Methodist Church
Sunday 12/19: Holiday Dinner (come hungry!)
Wednesday 12/21: A Big Deal Christmas (White Elephant gift exchange & party)

That's all folks

Later...

The Scoop

2004-11-29T10:52:00.000-06:00

Ok, here's the deal about last week. I started the week off well with a good blog on Monday. Tuesday I was at school, so no big deal. Wednesday, I came in, did my research, and sat down to compose one of the best blog posts I had ever done. Great fun, great commentary, I laughed, I cried....*sigh*...it was beautiful. However, I was foiled by my own impatience once again. I clicked to proofread my paper and the spellchecker got IDed as a pop-up. I told the computer to allow it and a window came up with a warning that I quickly got rid of by clicking "yes". Well, the window stated basically that if I navigated away from the page, I would lose anything not already saved. Since I hadn't saved anything up to that point, I lost it all. Oops. It's gone. Not like floating-around-somewhere-in-cyberspace gone, but never-existed-to-begin-with gone! Except for the memmory in my head, there was no post on Wednesday. So I'm back now. Just consider yourself encouraged and enlightened by the fact that you would have been on Wednesday if I would have read just a little closer. Go ahead. There, doesn't that feel good?

Proverbs 29:5 says, "Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet". This verse may not seem to click with most at first, but think about it with me for a minute and we might find ourselves swallowing somewhat hard afterwards. I think people like to recieve complements. Sure, they may turn red and even tell you they don't like to recieve them, but somewhere deep down, it makes us feel good. This can be abused. Consider any teenage TV show from the past 30 years, where the smart but socially defunct student would do anything to be noticed, recognized, or included with the "in crowd" of the school's hierarchy. The "in crowd" ring leader realizes this and drops a few nice sounding words in the direction of the wannabe. this goes on for sometime and even leads to the inclusion of the student, but at a price. He or she is required to do something, usually cheat on homework, to continue the relationship. When the deed is done, when the "in crowd" has what they want, the services of the wannabe are no longer needed and he/she is dismissed. The point I'm getting at here is that flattery builds one up only to be mercilessly let down. If you and I are guilty of this, we are taking on a selfish attitude with a complete disregard for the other person. We basically (like the verse says) "spread a net", set a trap, "for their feet". Shame on us if we use another person to advance our purposes.

Wednesday: Pure Passion w/ Ryan Dobson in Bloomington. We LEAVE at 5 pm (so be here before then) FREE event, just bring money for fast food. We'll be back 9:30-ish. This is in place of Big Deal this week.

Later.

Catching up

2004-11-22T10:33:00.000-06:00

I've gotten to talk to my sisters a lot this weekend. They are all at home right now over the Thanksgiving holiday. Sarah's up from Knoxville for something like 10 days or 2 weeks, which is unheard of for her. Rachel is off-call for the first time since she started her job a month ago and won't be on again until after Christmas. Buffy is finishing school and getting ready for her wedding, and they're all there without me! It's alright, though. I'll be there Wednesday evening to enjoy the Willis family goofiness that we've been known for. It will be short lived, but good times. I spoke with Sarah for just a couple minutes before she handed the phone off to Rachel. We've talked for about an hour and a half over the last 2 days. Not much for most folks, but it's like years for us because we're always so stinkin' busy! Laura got to hang out with the girls on Sunday. They were all trying on bridesmaids dresses in Champaign (IL) and she got to see some more of what makes the Willis' so...um..."special". She had a good time and I'm glad she did. I'll get to see her tonight and I hope to have as good a time or better (hopefully the latter) than they did yesterday. It will be good times catching up with her too.

Proverbs 22:5 says, "In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them." This verse could raise some questions in some people's minds. Before we get to those, let's deal with what this says outright. The wicked will always have things in they're lives to catch, snag, trip, scratch, trap, etc. them up. If you really value your life, don't walk that path! Guard your soul, stay away from what you know will be bad for you. Seems like an easy enough teaching, right? If you've lived longer than a day, you know that this is usually easier said than done. One might ask, "I'm trying to do the right thing in life, but I always seem to get tripped up. What's up?" I can say two things about this. One, life is not promised to be an easy ride, especially for Christians. Satan desires to trip you up and make you fall on the straight and narrow and so he'll try and get you off of it in whatever way he can. Even when you are doing the right thing, life may seem to have thrown you a curve. Just know that Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33) and he will guide us through the troubles of this world. Two, you may be getting tripped up in life because you have stepped off the narrow road and are on the path of the wicked! It's not too hard to imagine. Remember, Jesus said the road to destruction is wide and many are on it (Matthew 7:13). There will be a lot of "good" people thinking they are living "good" lives who walk the wide road. I think they'll be surprised to find what lies at the end. Anyways, we have enough examples of people living wrong lives and doing harmful things to themselves that we can know the results of them walking that path. Guard your soul. Like a sign that says, "DANGER", be smart and stay away.

Joe: Mouse Hunter

2004-11-08T10:47:00.000-06:00

I think I have taken care of my mouse problem for at least a little while. For the last week to week and a half, I have been on a mission to rid my house of vermin. I realized that I'm unable to keep a cat, so I basically have to be ready to defend my house on my own whenever I see evidence of an intruder. I have tried to be better this year about making my house as unhospitable to critters as possible. Methods such as cleaning, not leaving dirty dishes in the sink, and keeping the house at a relatively low temperature all seemed like logical ways to keep clear of mice. However, a couple weeks ago, all my hopes of having a rodent-free Autumn were dashed when, while doing my homework downstairs, I heard the skittering of tiny feet in the ceiling above me. I don't have a dropped ceiling, but somehow, somewhere, they got in and I could hear them. Needless to say, I was ticked. I didn't see much of them for another week or so, but when they showed up, they "made their presence known" (if you need this spelled out, you've never had mice...and I hate you.) Once I knew they were here, I scrambled to do what I could to make sure it was a short stay. However, the mice that were in my house must have been genetically enhanced and escaped from a science lab, because they were outsmarting me at every turn. They seemed to be mocking me by, first of all, eating what I put in the traps, and secondly, taking and hiding my traps! This didn't sit well so I pulled out the big guns...my wallet. I went to the store and bought some poison and set some of that where the box instructed my to. Also, I altered my traps a bit to make them more sensitive to touch so I wouldn't just be feeding the stinkin' things! Well, within 24 hours, I had evidence that the poison had at least been eaten and caught 2 in the new and improved traps. I am proud to say that I have been critter free for 3 days. We'll just have to see how long that keeps up.

Proverbs 8:4 says, "To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind." It's amazing to me how silly people can be sometimes. I amaze even myself sometimes when I'll do some absolutely ridiculous things. Case in point: looking frantically for my keys while holding them in my hand, turning the wrong way down a one-way street, running upstairs or over to the office to do something important and leaving behind what it was that I was doing it for. All these things are silly, and it seems like we all do them. However, what is sad is the abundance of foolishness in the world. People will subject themselves to all sorts of tragedies and potentially bad ends all in the name of getting ahead or making a quick buck. Foolishness is the cause of a lot of people's financial troubles, marital problems, and social blunders. Scripture, especially here in Proverbs, makes it very clear that foolishness is not the only option. You don't have to keep doing stupid things in life if you don't choose to! Wisdom makes her call to everyone. "O men" is speaking to all of mankind, because regardless of gender, we all need wisdom. It is a universal call and it is universally available. Unfortunately, many people will never accept the call. They will go barrelling through life and hurt themselves and people around them on their way. Understand, also, that this call is for youth ministers too (and, boy, do I know I need it!). But, for my sake, because only people I know well and are around a lot read this, accepte the call. Please? At least, when you know you're going to make a bad decision, call me and tell me, and I'll stay indoors that day.

Friday: Bowl-o-rama @ Brazilian Lanes (7 - 9-ish). Meet me there, not at church.

Later...

Big sigh of relief

2004-11-03T10:23:00.000-06:00

Most of you know that I’m not normally one to stay up until unheard of hours of the morning for just any reason. There was a time, though, when I did regularly stay up until those unheard of hours and that time was known as “freshman year”. I may have told some of you this story at some point in time, but its one of the most amusing in my life, so it bears repeating. Upon my arrival at JBC, I was grinning all over myself with excitement just being there. It was a great atmosphere with lots of new people to meet and things to do. My first day there, my roommate, who was a senior, arrived early to move his sister. Used to going to bed at about 10 pm, I settled in for the night. Saturday was done. The next day, I learned Patrick had come in later and found me asleep walking in around 11 or so. That day many of the upper classmen arrived and Patrick had all his friends over in our room that evening. It was awesome! Me surrounded by a bunch of seniors, who were the cream of the crop guys on campus, just sitting in MY room hanging out. Well, when everyone left, it was 3 am!!! I didn’t feel that bad at the time, but I had testing and meetings all day on Monday. So, I set my watch, which I held in my hand while I slept, to wake me up at 7 for our 8:00 meetings. I got up that morning, not at 7 as planned, but at 8:43!!! Evidently, I flinched when the alarm went off and fell right back to sleep! I had missed our freshman class picture and the first half hour of our orientation meeting! It’s a beautiful story. One for the ages. All that to say I stayed up until 3 doing a paper Monday night (Tuesday morning) that was due in the afternoon. I was dragging all day yesterday but I turned in a quality paper. I went to bed last night without setting the alarm, but got up at 7 anyways (Thanks for the wake-up call, Michael). This morning I can breathe a big sigh of relief that that paper is done and out of the way and I can begin focusing on the end of the semester.

Proverbs 3:3-4 says, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man”. Love and faithfulness might be the two biggest requirements God has of us. We are commanded to keep them and never let them leave us. How? It says here to “bind them around your neck” and “write them on the tablet of your heart”. It would be silly for me to ask if anyone has ever seen any of the WWJD? material, so I won’t. But this is a pretty good modern example of this principle if it’s used correctly. The idea is to keep the Word of God in front of you at all times. To “write them on the tablet of your heart” is to know and memorize the Word. In this time, a tablet was a piece of stone where the words were carved into it. They weren’t going anywhere! So to have these words on the tablet of your heart is to keep them close and never let them go. In doing so, we’ll win favor with God and everyone around us. Why is this important? To God, we show our allegiance and devotion and commitment to his way of life. To man, these words and behaviors will start to be lived out and people will take notice of our good lives. So, grab your Bible and your nylon jewelry of choice and start taking this Word to heart.

We’re bowling on the 12th (next Friday). Plan on 7-9 pm.

Later…

I'm blushing

2004-11-01T10:10:00.000-06:00

I did not realize until late Friday afternoon that I had not blogged that day (and I guess the day before, as well!) and would not be able to. I had been so good up until then writing every day that I was in the office (at least for the last couple weeks!), but I guess I had a lot on my mind last week. Anyways, sorry to those of you who I let down and left in despair waiting anxiously for my next commentary on life as I see it and experience it. Of course, I’m really apologizing to about 3 people, so which ever one of you felt slighted, go get a hug from one of the other two.

Youth Sunday went pretty well yesterday. I say pretty well because I never feel comfortable with it. I think I’m going to start working on the next one next week to be sure that all the bases are covered, even though it’s three months in advance! Oh well, it did go well and the KidKonnection did a good job with their production. Hats off to Kim and her crew.

Proverbs 1:4, says, “for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion for the young…”. It’s that time again! When we start over in our daily look at Proverbs in using that to guide us toward making good decisions in life. This snippit comes from the prologue of Proverbs which serves to explain the purposes of the book. Two of these purposes are found here. Prudence is defined as wisdom with regard to practical matters. Simple people need this. Even know someone with tremendous book smarts but zero street smarts? This is a perfect example. Discretion is the power or right to decide or act according to one’s own judgment. Young people especially need this power to act and decide and that is the purpose of Proverbs: to train up young people in the right way in order that eventually they will exercise right thinking and doing. This is so valuable for people of all ages today because it seems more and more people think and do rightly less and less! Personally, this book is great encouragement to me. I often find myself in situations remembering something I’ve read from one chapter or another. I think it’s a good testimony of the enduring nature of the word of God.

Let’s go bowling! How’s about Nov. 12? We’ll talk Wednesday.

Later…

Time Away

2004-10-27T10:06:00.000-05:00

Some of my high schooler’s may have noticed my absence at school on Monday, and probably an equal number didn’t give a single thought (that’s alright, guys, I love you anyway). I got word to some folks on Sunday pm but not everyone was there to hear. Anyways, this week is fall break at LCCS and I have a couple more vacation days to use up so I used one and spent a couple days with Laura over in Athens. We went shopping, baby sat for a friend, and ate with her parents on Monday, and spent most of Tuesday preparing for her Mary Kay party that evening (she did very well, btw). It was time well spent. I just wish I had more of it!

Proverbs 27:4 says, “Anger is cruel and fury is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?” Three powerful forces. Numbers of people enslaved to each. However, as bad and dangerous as the first two are, the focus here is on the third. Anger can be destructive if it is not dealt with properly. It isn’t a sin to be angry, but for most people it is an open door to it. Fury would seem to be the progression of anger. Anger multiplied, like to the power of ten! Someone in a fury doesn’t think, can’t reason, and really can’t stop. That said, the Bible says jealousy is more controlling than the others. A jealous person is driven by that jealousy. Just like anger or fury, jealousy demands a person’s attention, causes pain, consumes a person’s thoughts, and causes the person to act on it. Jealousy isn’t just a kid problem, although we see it many times in adolescents and teens, but affects adults as well. Most of the time its just on a bigger level, over bigger toys or older boys/girls (or what they do/have/get paid/live in). When David was in the service of King Saul, Saul was jealous of David to the point that he tried to kill him several times (I Samuel 18-30). The Pharisees took Jesus before Pilate because of jealousy (Matt. 2718). This is the extent to which jealousy can be carried when it has someone it its grasp. “Who can stand before jealousy” indeed! What do we do about this destructive force that seems to affect everyone at some point in their lives? Galatians 5:22-23 teaches that we should practice love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If these things are practices to their natural ends, there will be no room in our lives for jealousy.

Remember:
Rake-N-Run, Saturday @ 3 (WEATHER PERMITTING)
People of Prayer @ 6 (and Pizza @ 5:30) (RAIN OR SHINE)
Youth Sunday is this weekend

Later…

Humbled

2004-10-22T11:10:00.000-05:00

I was talking to Laura on the phone last night and realized something very humbling. She knows I’m not perfect. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, she knows that I have faults. And it’s not just that I make bad driving decisions from time to time or that I like sauerkraut, but she knows some things about me that only those closest to me know. No, I’m not a serial killer, but she’s seen glimpses of me at my worst. Although, I don’t really like the fact that she knows these things, it’s better for her to find them out now than, say, 6 months into marriage, or worse, after having kids. What’s great about Laura is that she’s willing to help me overcome these things. She’s an inspiration to me to be the man I want to be but am just too lazy to strive to become. I’m glad she’s around. The Lord truly knew what he was doing in getting us together by that strange chain of events (We’ve got a cool story, and it’s getting better every day). So what do we learn by all this? First of all, I have learned that I can’t hide! I have to face up to my shortcomings if I’m going to be able to succeed in life, ministry, and with Laura. I think, secondly, and for all you out there looking for that special someone, good things happen in God’s time. Neither you nor I can rush God in keeping his plans. Laura and I haven’t known each other all that long, but we didn’t learn all that we have about one another in the first week, either. I had to wait almost 24 years to meet a girl this good (and I wasn’t all that good at waiting, either). She’s a little more patient than me, but even when we started dating “officially”, she still didn’t jump in with both feet. She took her time and let God work things out. I don’t want to make this into a sermon, nor do I want to set myself or Laura, for that matter, up as examples of how to do things right or how to date God’s way. But I think, especially on her part, that this is a good example of how important it is for us not to get too ahead of God in our plans and to let him determine our steps, because, after all, it’s his plan being worked out.

Proverbs 22:4 says, “Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life.” My ramblings above go well to supplement this point here about humility. There are a great many examples and verses in the Bible about the importance of humility before God and in life. Compared to God, we have no choice but to be humble. I know my faults and weaknesses and I’m sure if you’re very honest with yourselves you’ll see your own as well. Proverbs says a handful of times that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. This fear, as I think we’ve discussed here before, is reverence and respect for God out of a heart that understands its own weakness and God’s greatness. Wealth, honor, and life are what we gain by our humility and service to God. I don’t think Scripture indicates that these things will be in excess, but that we will be provided with all that we need (Matthew 6:8, Philippians 4:19). God will give us an abundant life (John 10:10) if we live in this way. These good, old words are true throughout Scripture, as James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up”.

Oct. 30-Rake-n-Run (3:00), People of Prayer (6:00)
Oct. 31-Youth Sunday
Nov. 5-Bowling Night @ Brazilian Lanes

Later...

Waking to the smell of bacon

2004-10-21T12:35:00.000-05:00

That’s what my friends did this morning. Well, I guess they didn’t wake to the smell of it, but they sure did shower and get ready by it! It was a good breakfast. We had bacon, scrambled eggs, banana bread, juice and milk. Just so you know, I’m not bragging because I enjoyed it! I was glad to help my friends out. We had a good, although short, time talking last night when they got in. I took off right after Big Deal to get stuff ready and had time to start dishes, warm their sheets in the dryer, watch a little baseball (How ‘bout them Bo-Sox?!?) and talk to Laura. It was fun and they got on their way this morning.
Big Deal went well last night. I felt pretty good about my preparation going into it and we had a good turnout besides the band kids being elsewhere. We brought back an old fave last night with “Would you rather…?” It’s always fun and interesting getting their answers to the questions the book asks. They seem to be connecting with what we’re doing and thinking a lot about what we’re talking about. I hope it keeps up because they’re a good group and getting better. There’s my shameless plug for the youth group.

Proverbs 21:4 says, “Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.” Let’s deal with this in two parts. The first part is about the eyes and the heart of the wicked. This is a pretty easy one to see. Both these have to do with pride, its actions and attitudes. Have you ever seen someone “look down their nose” at someone? I see this a lot in Jr. High and High school girls (sorry, ladies!). Someone with a pretty high view of themselves and the attention to go with it will look at a ‘lesser’ person, especially female, this way. They’ll flip their pretty hair, tilt their head back and a little to the side, look at them with piercing eyes and either smirk or glare, pending on the effect they are going for. Girls are brutal! In other translations, the “haughty eye” here is also rendered a “high look”, which I just described to you. The attitude is how that person feels about themselves compared to others. This isn’t just a girl thing, you see. It’s an everybody thing. Now the second part deals with the lamp of the wicked. “Huh?” Ok, the lamp is used to describe a man’s life, as in when someone is destroyed, his lamp is snuffed out. Ok? It also carries with it the connotation of prosperity in one’s life, which effects that person’s joy, ambition, and actions. It is these things that are sin as well! All this person’s actions, motives, and attitudes, whatever he/she does, are sin because they are done out of their wickedness. Living by God’s word keeps us away from wickedness, pride, and sin, and allows us to be the kind of people that are described as “wise”.

Oct. 30-Rake-n-Run 3:00, People of Prayer 6:00
Oct. 31-Youth Sunday

Later…

2004-10-20T11:46:00.000-05:00

Kind of reminds you of a Mini, doesn't it?

2004-10-20T11:45:00.000-05:00

Lauren, Darcy, and Brailyn (as well as Hanna and Heather, not pictured) are pround of their ride.

2004-10-20T11:43:00.000-05:00

Eddy, Jordan, and Philip at the wheel.

2004-10-20T11:42:00.000-05:00

This is truck was second place. The word "Hot" comes to mind!

2004-10-20T11:41:00.000-05:00

Here's our winner! The chopper from Autumn, Taylor and Lizzie had some serious attitude.

Pimped pics from the Lock-in

2004-10-20T11:24:00.000-05:00

I promised you pictures...here are your pictures! Enjoy.

Joe

Would you like a mint on your pillow?

2004-10-20T11:17:00.000-05:00

I get to play host to a couple of my college friends tonight. Andy and Elisha (pronounced “eh-LEESH-uh”, not like the prophet) and I went to Johnson together and now their also at LCS with me (I suppose I’m there with them, since they’ve been there longer). They are coming through on their way to Bloomington, IN for a psychological evaluation at IU. Why would my friends need such an evaluation you might ask? Because they claim me as their friend? Not hardly. Because their in ministry? Not directly (although, sometimes I wonder about guys like us) but yes. They’re being evaluated by a man who has developed a test that points out certain key character traits in successful church planters (which Andy and Elisha are). The test will not determine but give a probability of their future success in the field of church planting. Good luck, guys! So, since I’m relatively close to IU, they’re coming over for the night. I’m pretty excited about seeing both of them again. It’s good to be able to help a friend out, too.

Proverbs 20:4 says, “A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.” Hmmm…what to say…what to say??? Unfortunately, I can’t point too many fingers on this one because too often I find myself saying, “Man, if only I’d have done this or that back then…” This used to be my mantra, right next to “I’ll do it later”. A sluggard is just a fun Bible word for a lazy bum. It just sounds greasy and lazy! Sluggard! Anyway, this person doesn’t do anything when he needs to. He simply lets life pass by and takes it easy. Well, when he’s hungry and goes to the fridge for a snack, what does he find? Empty space and moldy leftovers! He even put off going to the grocery store. What do we learn from our lazy friend? Don’t be like him!!! I’m working harder not to be as I get deeper into school and I have more responsibilities at church. It’s hard work not to be lazy, but it really doesn’t take that much at all. If you have a five minute task to do, take five minutes and do it. I was talking to one of my profs at school yesterday and he was telling me of his Friday when he vowed not to leave his office until all his little 3-5 minute jobs were completed and he could see the top of his desk again! It doesn’t get any better as you get older, so learn now to keep up and keep ahead. In doing so, we free ourselves up to play and do the Lord’s work, both of which are much more fun than blowing an afternoon cleaning one’s office, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, garage…

10/30 @ 3:00 pm: Rake-n-Run. Meet at BCC & bring a rake.
Also @ 6:00 pm: People of Prayer
10/31 - Youth Sunday. Sign up to be a part of the action.

Later...

Feeling the heat

2004-10-18T11:38:00.000-05:00

It’s amazing, but true! It seems that this little message that I put on here from time to time actually appeals to some people! People read my stuff! A couple of things clued me into this. One, some of my youth (Kellsy and Michael) have posted trying to get a hold of me or pass on info through the blog, meaning, they’ve been here recently. Two, I got a somewhat embarrassing (for me, anyways) post from a rabid fan of mine, or at least the blog, asking if it was broken since I’ve not posted in almost a month (If I were more up to date on my IM-ing, I’d type in the little “embarrassed, red-faced, icon guy right here. But since I’m not, I can’t. ;-( But I can do that! And this…;-)) Anyways, the youth group has been cruising right along this semester so far. I’m so glad I have the group that I do because they’re great for lock-ins. Let me give an example: Our yearly…er…second annual Hootenany/Lock-in was last weekend. At this event, we played games, ate food, and got together for a bit of solid teaching (thanks Ken and Laura [you’re so cute!] [Laura, not Ken]). After this, the majority of the group settled in for the remainder of the morning to watch movies in the auditorium. The few that were left spent their time being creative (and making themselves very tired!) turning a refrigerator box into a customized car (I’ll have pics up Wednesday). And that’s it! They pretty much are a low-maintenance group and I’m grateful for every one. (And I’m fine by the way!)

Proverbs 18:4 (NIV) says, “The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.” (No one said anything about missing the Proverbs commentary, but you’re getting it anyway! It’s good for you and it’s good for me.) In studying this a bit, there’s two ways a person can look at this verse, and I think both are valuable for life. I’ll name them the Positive and the Negative. First, the Positive sees the man as wise and his words as deep and thoughtful, thus welling up life giving words from deep within his heart. The Negative sees the man as a man of the world. His words are “deep” because only he knows the motives for them. The “but” connecting the two parts then presents wise words as a bubbling brook that is clear and, again, life giving. So, regardless of translation, we still get the same out come: know the source. If the depth of wisdom and thoughtfulness is there to be drawn from, great. But be careful in getting advice from shady people because their words are less likely to be that life giving stream.

Take the Challenge: The One Minute Missions Challenge is still going on. Select a missionary and pray for them for one minute a day (that’s all?!?!?) for the rest of the month!
People of Prayer: It seems like forever that we’ve done this so let’s get back into it on Oct 30 at 6:00 pm. Right before this, we’ll do a Rake-n-Run for those older folks in our church. We’ll work till it’s dark, or we get hungry, or close to 6, or all three, then head back to church. We’re done at 7.
Youth Sunday: October 31. Sign up and take part.

Later…

Don’t count your kittens before they hatch

2004-09-09T11:24:00.000-05:00

I have a cat again! Hopefully this time she’ll stay around. The little gray one, now called Mollie, was found hanging around the church again last night. So the kids, knowing that I thought she was gone, brought her to me to let me know that she was back. (I have cool kids in my youth group!) That was just a the beginning of a good night. We had a good game time followed by an object lesson and teaching time and a discussion. I thought it was the best Big Deal that we’ve had for sure this year and maybe a while before that. With all that in mind, what have we learned? Every youth group needs a good cat to bring them together. (No, sorry, that’s not true at all!)

Proverbs 9:7-8 says, “Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you”. This is a strange truth though sometimes hard to swallow. It almost seems backwards to think that the wise man would love you for being rebuked or corrected. But in the end, who will gain more from the correction, the wise or the foolish? Think about it this way: consider some of the kids in your classes from school. Who got into the most trouble? That’s easy. Think about the kids who got into the least amount of trouble. They are/were usually the top students in your class, with the best records, grades, and seemingly the best futures ahead of them. Do you ever remember a time when they were the ones who got into trouble? What happened? What did they do? I can almost assure you that they didn’t repeat the thing that got them into trouble! The guys/gals who are always giving administrators trouble are the ones who don’t learn from their mistakes and keep repeating the acts that bring about punishment. Then they go off in a tirade about how unfair and horrible the teacher/principal/authority figure is! Sounding familiar still? This whole wisdom/foolishness thing is a no-brainer when laid out in these terms. Seek wisdom and stay out of the principal’s office!

Sign up for the Windows of the World/Nat. Missionary Conv. Oct 1-3. Cost will be between $60-80.
The Hootenanny/Fall Lock-in is coming up soon! We’ll have a big couple days planned on Oct 10-11. Talk to your friends and plan to come! Check back for details.

Later…

Dog…err…cat…gone

2004-09-08T10:40:00.000-05:00

Well, I guess I’m not a cat person. The little gray one seems to have moved on as well. Since I’ve gotten out of college, I’ve wanted a dog. But it has occurred to me a number of times, and sometimes not so subtly, that I am gone way too much to have a pet long term. It’s sad but true. I’m glad I learned that lesson with stray cats instead of a dog that I had to pay for, though. I would hate to think that I ruined a dog for life! Listen to me. I sound like a nervous first-time parent! There will come a day, someday, when I’m able to enjoy the company of man’s best friend and have the time and dedication to care for one the right way. Until then, youth ministry!

Proverbs 8:6-7 in the NLT says, “Listen to me! For I have excellent things to tell you. Everything I say is right, for I speak the truth and hate every kind of deception”. I really like these parts of Proverbs that personify Wisdom and Folly, specifically Wisdom. This is another section where she is calling out to all that will hear and giving them the truth. Sometimes she’s gentle and pleading, but others she’s pretty blunt with the fact that people are pretty dumb and need what she has. These two verses serve to reveal a little bit of the character of Wisdom. She says “Everything I say is right”, and she tells us why. First, she speaks the truth. That’s a great start. However, in today’s culture where truth is relative and can be different from one person to the next, this might not hold water for some. I think the second part does well to fill in the blanks. “…And hate every kind of deception” covers the bases that the first may have missed for some. No one likes to be lied to or to be deceived. But if truth only goes so far as being true for you, if someone else’s truth crosses paths with your own and leaves you feeling slighted, deceived, or used, how truthful is that? No, truth is a constant: something that can be proven across the board, for everyone, everywhere. If someone is claiming to give the truth but is himself not truthful, then the message is severely hampered or lost completely. Wisdom hates deception and in the NAS says “wickedness is an abomination to my lips”! An abomination is something that is hated and is disgusting to a person. If deception is that to Wisdom, then you can be assured that what is being said is not deception in any sense. God, speaking through the character Wisdom, is crying out to us today to embrace his words because they are true and excellent.

Big Deal starts at 7 pm and goes to 8:30.
Sign up for Windows of the World/National Missionary Convention Oct 1-3. Cost will be in the neighborhood of $60.

Later…

My NEW, new cat

2004-09-02T11:38:00.000-05:00

If you’ve been to church in the past couple weeks, you may have noticed that we have an abundance of cats in the area. Pending on who you are, this can be a good thing or a bad thing. If you like cats, obviously, then this would thrill your soul. If however, you do not like cats (i.e. you think they are the bane of human existence, wonder if they were a result of the Fall, find yourself saying, “The only good cat is a dead cat”) then this may put a damper on your trips to church. Recently, I took such cat in and made him my own. This was a short lived venture because after a long weekend away, I returned to find that he had sought greener pastures and took up residence elsewhere. This came as a bit of a shock because I thought I had done an adequate job in caring for the little fellow. Alas, he I moved on and so did I. On Monday of this week, the staff started noticing a new cat who is quite friendly. Actually, she’s a little too friendly! And she talks constantly! This is no joke: the silly thing meows almost nonstop when in the presence of anything she thinks she can receive attention from! (I know other girls like this, but we’ll not be discussing them here nor there!) Yesterday afternoon while walking across the parking lot, I discovered yet another feline! This one is dark gray and white. She has a patch of white that goes from below her nose to the middle of her chest, white gloves and socks up to her knees. This cat almost has a super-hero look to her. Anyways, this one wasn’t nearly as annoying as the other, so I took it home and fed it. I’m still out on a name, but we’ll see if it stays around for more than a week before we get too attached. (Post a comment if you want to contribute to name ideas!)

Proverbs 2:7-8 says, “He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones”. On Monday of this week, I talked about the Lord being a shield and his promises being comforting. Here is a good example of that. The upright and the blameless are his people. God will work in the lives of those people who are living for him and keeping their lives straight on his path. As we’re walking on that path, whether we feel like we “see” it or not, understand it or not, or agree with it or not, the Lord will guard the path and protect those who are on it. It’s a simple thing to say, but I’ll be the first to admit it’s hard to live out. I have sin in my life as well as the next guy. Because we sin, we die. That’s life. But that sin isn’t the death sentence it used to be. The life of Christ showed us the path to walk on and Scripture lights that path well. His death on the cross and the resurrection from the dead has taken the death-sting out of sin, if we live for God in Christ. We still sin, sure, but we can’t live in it, or we aren’t truly in Christ. We have the victory because sin no longer has hold of us. Walk the path for it is guarded and it is straight and it has been walked before!

National Missionary Convention/Windows of the World on Oct. 1-3 will be an event that you should not miss. Make a place for it on your calendar today!
There are NO Sunday pm services this week.

Later…

Day one wrap-up

2004-09-01T12:04:00.000-05:00

I made it through my first day of school with no real complaints and with nothing but hopes for a good semester. The moment I stepped out of my car and onto the campus, I blushingly have to admit, I beamed from ear to ear. It was just so good being back there, and I hadn’t done anything other that turn off my car! The first person I saw was my E2 buddy Sonny, whom I ended up staying with and probably will for the semester. We exchanged a quick “Hello”. And I headed in to Titus Hall. I didn’t recognize any one in the lobby, but remember as I had to, that this is a new school year with a lot of new faces. I got checked in and went to my wing. Upon entering, I again didn’t recognize any one right off but that changed soon as I ducked into a busy-sounding room full of my buddies from the past year! I was quickly, but without much resistance, cajoled into playing a quick game of Halo after which I called my Laura. (No comments about priorities, okay?!?) I settled in pretty quickly after seeing Josh and Clayton, a couple of upper-classmen on the wing. The next morning, going to class as somewhat of an authority figure was a switch but was welcomed and exciting. After chapel, I got set up for the school year, getting all the necessary papers signed and what-not, and got ready for class. Both classes, Biblical Worship for Today and Contemporary Christian Philosophy, were mainly focused on introductory/syllabus stuff but we did get into the material a bit. I think I’m going to like both of my profs and playing one in the mornings, too. Now the trick will be to get the rest of me in gear and make sure that the semester has as good an end as its beginning.

Proverbs 1:5-6 in the NLT says, “Let those who are wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. And let those who understand receive guidance by exploring the depth of meaning in these proverbs, parables, wise sayings, and riddles”. Let this little commentary stand as my plug for reading a chapter in Proverbs daily. And this is an especially good time to start, being as today is the first day of the month (It’s September, by the way, if you’d lost track. Three months, 25 days till Christmas.) This passage addresses those people who are already wise in their ways and invites them, and all that read, to expand that wisdom to even greater “depths”. Two thoughts for today: 1.) The knowledge of man and the achievements of man in the last century have been mind boggling, if you really think about it. What a gift we’ve been given in having a creative mind. But on that mind’s best day, it will not come close to surpassing the wisdom of the Mind that created it, in it’s Heavenly Father. Point 2, and I’ll quote this from Romans 11: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths peyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”

Big Deal tonight from 7-8:30

Later…

First day of school (sort of)

2004-08-30T13:49:00.000-05:00

Well, today’s the day! I’m off to school again this evening and am already a little excited about the 3 hour drive that’s ahead of me this evening. Well, I’m not excited so much about the drive, but the fact that at the end of the drive will be LCCS waiting there for me! I’m looking forward to seeing my buddies on E2 (the wing I stay on in the dorm) again. (On a side note: I also get to see my girl on Tuesday!) Likewise, I think it will be a great thing getting into class again both as an educator and as a student. That’s something that I’ve never personally encountered before. It will be a trying semester but I think I’m at, or at least entering, a stage in my life where I can handle it.

Proverbs 30:5 says, “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him”. These words here are encouraging in two ways. First off, this verse says God’s words are flawless. Every single one. Knowing that someone can be trusted because they do not lie or tell half truths will allow you to put your confidence in that person. The same principle also applies to God here. If you’ve never taken the opportunity to take God at his word to see if he’ll pull through, I encourage you to try it and see. It may not happen just the way that you had thought or planned, but the Lord will not fail to back up his promises. The second part of this verse describes God as a shield. A shield is used for protection against swords, arrows, and dragon fire in the medieval sense and laser beams and proton charges in the sci-fi genre. Any way we wish to look at it, God is a protector of his people. He will not fail here either. One thing to be wary of, however, is that a shield does no good to some one who doesn’t use it. We’ll end up crispy critters if we go up against a dragon while leaving our shields hung on the wall at home. Likewise, if we leave God out of the picture, hanging on the wall like a picture, we shouldn’t be surprised if we get attacked and “wounded” by our hostile world. The temptation will be to blame God, but this must be resisted because it was not he who chose to stay on the wall at home.

Big Deal is from 7-8:30 this week and from now on.
Look for info about the Windows of the World conference in the mail this week.

Later…

The Return of School Lunch

2004-08-23T11:13:00.000-05:00

At the close of last school year, I posted an entry lamenting the end of the school year and missing the food that’s served there. Really and truly, I don’t miss the food all that much. However, I did miss the opportunities to sit down with friends at North Clay, Northview, and Lincoln and chat about life over lunch. But the day has come when I get to return to lunches of saturated fats and salty, gooey substances and head back to school. NHS started in the middle of the week which gave a good 3 days for everyone to settle in. the interesting thing for me will now be relearning where all my buddies sit and eat and when they do it. LCC will be a lot simpler. Lot's less people to keep track of, for one thing! I’m excited about getting back into class, but I’ve definitely missed the fellowship with my friends at the school. With this school year also comes a new experience for me in that I’ll be helping out in a youth ministry foundations class as a field consultant or Q&A guy of sorts. I’m looking forward to that as well. I’m sure to benefit from being there as well as helping the students figure out that youth ministry is a wild animal that is not easily trained. All these things are leading me to have a positive outlook on the fall.

Proverbs 23:4-5 says, “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle”. These verses go along really well with what we’ve been talking about on Sunday evenings lately. Matthew 6:19-34 is part of the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus is telling his disciples not to spend their lives trying to attain the things of the world, whatever they might be. Money, recognition, power, clothes, food, etc., are all things that fall into what Jesus speaks of. Restraint is a mark of wisdom Proverbs says. When we restrain ourselves from pursuing the pleasures and things of this life, we show that we aren’t controlled by it. That restraint coupled with the God-focused life that’s described and encouraged by Jesus in Matthew, that produces a life that is pleasing to God and guarantees our position as a child of God. If you’ve ever seen The Karate Kid, remember the scenes where Mr. Miyagi is kneeling at his table with a pair of chopsticks trying to catch a fly. That’s kind of the idea here. We spend a lot of time trying to catch something that is very illusive and sometimes, someone else comes along and gets what we’re after (Daniel caught a fly in one of his first tries) which only frustrates us more. Instead of chasing the illusive, “...seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”, (Matthew 6:33).

Wednesday: Big Deal @ the church 7-8 pm
Saturday: People of Prayer 6-7 pm
Sunday: Youth Sunday…shoot me an email, call me, or post a comment to get involved.

Later…

Rain, rain...

2004-08-20T10:35:00.000-05:00

It’s nice to see rain again. For the last couple weeks, we’ve enjoyed seemingly flawless weather, except for the fact that we’ve not gotten much, if any, moisture. My yard is proof positive of that. There are large patches that that remind me of desert colors as opposed to a nice, rich green that grass is supposed to have. The trees even seem like they needed it. I’m looking out my office window at a house across the road and in their yard, there is a tree with one branch that seems to think it’s October instead of mid August. It’s just been dry but I haven’t noticed it because the blue skies and cool temps have shielded me against the fact that it needs to be cloudy and wet every once in a while in order to give more color to those blue, cool days. So, I’m glad it’s raining today. It won’t be long until we won’t have green grass to cut and enjoy, so it’s good that our yards are getting a shot in the arm here late in the summer. Enjoy it while you can.

Proverbs 20:3 says, “It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel”. Let me also quote the NLT, which says, “Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling”. If you know me and much about my past, you know that growing up I was a “good kid”. That basically meant that I didn’t get into fights at school, got average grades, and my parents didn’t have to beat me in public. I never really understood the idea behind getting into a fight. I just couldn’t get how two guys going to the IGA parking lot or someone’s back yard and hitting one another could settle a difference of opinion or prove that one guy deserved the privilege of going out with whatever girl over the other. Two movies come to mind as I write this. The first is a movie about a group of overworked and depressed guys, would get together once a week and fight. There were rules to be followed, but basically the two guys in the middle would wail on each other until the stress of the day wore off or they forgot what had gotten them fired up and one would tap out. The other is Maverick, in which card shark and gun-slinger Brett Maverick (Mel Gibson), who had a knack for misquoting his sagely father said about getting into a gun fight, “He who runs away today can run away another day”. I think there’s a lot of wisdom in that. Sure, the guys who got all bloodied up can forget about their problems for a while, but the problems are still there. It may seem cowardly to avoid a fight, but the essence of the Scripture here is not creating a problem in the first place. That’s the issue. You aren’t a chicken if you try and live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18). God says that’s a mark of honor. Fools think with their fists (or maybe a war of words)! Keep your blood where it should be (on the inside) and honor God by living at peace.

Hey, Youth Sunday is next week, Aug 29. Sign up for your place of service on my list on Sunday.
Make a spot on your calendars for Windows of the World & the National Missionary Convention, Oct 1-3.

Later…

Thunderstorms and comebacks

2004-08-19T13:47:00.000-05:00

We got our little swimming party in last night. We swam for almost an hour and by the time the thunderstorm moved in, we were all pretty hungry anyways. I personally had a great time. It was fun splashing around, racing back and forth, and throwing TB about 10 feet in the air! Not all got wet. Some entertained themselves by playing cards or toying with the cat. We had 15 there, if my count is correct, which is a pretty good number to start a year off with. I enjoyed hearing about everyone’s first day of school. It’s interesting to me to hear the differences in response between the sixth graders and the Seniors. This year is off to a good start.

While some entertained themselves playing cards, Risk, playing with Tracy’s cell phone rings, and soccer (Autumn, I know you can’t do that on a regular basis!), quite a few of us were gathered around the TV watching the Olympics. It’s funny that everyone is an expert on everything when it comes Olympic time every four years! I know, I’m guilty of it myself so I can’t point fingers. I just lump myself in there with the rest of the world and laugh at the whole lot of us. Anyways, Paul Hamm seemed to be the focus of everyone’s attention last evening. It seemed for a while that he was going to challenge for the win all the way through the end, then it happened. He was on the vault making his run and everything went great until the landing, which, if you saw it, had to have been embarrassing. He ended up stumbling backwards and in trying to catch himself, fell into the judges table! Well, he all but looked like he was going to hang up his hat and be done and the TV commentators had written him off as well. But there were two more rotations and everyone else had to finish. Paul killed both his last two elements and his competition made little mistakes that added up to little deductions that brought the field back together. Hamm pulled it out by 0.012 of a point! That’s insane! Only in the Olympics!

Proverbs 19:3 says, “A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD”. I went through a stage in life where every time something went wrong, I would announce, “It’s not my fault”. This stage didn’t last long because my mom got tired of it really quickly. To this day, though, I struggle placing blame, or at least reassuring myself that the problem, no matter what it is, doesn’t lie with me. If we’re all honest, this is something that affects each one of us. I’m sure you’ve heard people question and even blame God for the bad things that happen to them in life. “If God were a loving God, then [insert bad event] wouldn’t have happened”! Lot’s of variations of this conversation have occurred, but not very often to you hear people say, “You know, if I hadn’t done/said [insert stupid deed/statement] this probably wouldn’t have happened”. We’re always so quick to place blame that we can see that many times we’re products of our own devices. We get what we pay for, we reap what we sow. There’s no quick fix to this problem however. We must be humble in our lives to know when we’re wrong and when we need to fess up to what we screwed up. Even though it’s hard, God promises to exalt the humble and give that person grace. It’s that grace that allows us to get through life without having to prove ourselves at every turn. We can rest in it. Remember: when you point fingers, there’s three pointing back at you.

Later…

New year and new air

2004-08-18T16:19:00.000-05:00

It's here at last! Today was Clay Co. first day of school. I've not talked with any of my youth yet but I'm sure that the day was full of hopes and aspirations as well as a few disappointments. If it wasn't, they probably didn't go to school. I can just imagine that a few would have liked to sleep in and probably would have if given the chance. The different years of school have personalities all of their own, especially on the first day. Sixth graders and freshmen all have the same basic look to them: an open-mouthed, wide-eyed look of wonder and amazement at how much bigger this place is than "my old school". Fear is definitely present and is sometimes covered by the guise of toughness or flirtiness (for guys and girls, respectively). Sophomores and seventh graders all have the (misguided) assumption that they know it all, having been there for one year already. They are quick to speak and give advice to those new up-and-comers, but usually have a knack for getting in to trouble and sticking their feet in their mouths. Juniors and seventh graders share a bit in common in that they know they are no longer the lowest on the totem pole but they aren't to royalty status yet. The junior year has a tendency to be the hardest for most, for some reason. Finally, Seniors and eighth graders have made it to their respective tops. They have paid the dues, done the homework, endured the lectures to finally take their positions as the ones to be hailed and looked up to. If you're a student and find yourself discribed here, whether you like it or not, make the most of your stage in life and don't wish it away.

My day has gone well. I now have an air-conditioner that works! I think it's a good thing, too, since it's warmed up in the last week. And it looks like we'll have a great evening ahead of us for the Big Deal swimming party. Cool.

Proverbs 18:1 says, "An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgement". There are a couple other translations I want to point out as well. The New American Standard says, "He who separates himself seeks his own desire, he quarrels against all sound wisdom". And the Message says, "Loners who care only for themselves spit on the common good". As I started thinking about this, I got visions of monks and hermits sitting on deserted islands (well, not the monks). As I continued, I remembered kids who would sit by themselves at lunch, usually not by choice, and eat in solitude. I don't think that any of these things is what is at the Bible's heart on this subject. It seems to indicate a thought out, purposeful withdrawal from those surrounding a person. Friends, family, loved ones, etc. are all put on the back burner of this persons mind in order to pursue personal gain. The Bible says that this flies in the face of all that is right and sound. It isn't logical, ethical, moral, or even nice. I think that's why we're made to be people in community. We need one another. We can't go it alone. The body of Christ is emphasized in the New Testament for a reason. So, when you see someone you know that might need a friend or a kind word, be there or say it. If you find yourself faced with a person asking if you're ok or need a hand, have the presence of mind to know that you just might need it.

See you tonight at the Wilkinson's for the Big Deal swimming party. 6:00-8:00 pm. Jr high bring drinks, Sr High bring snacks.
Youth Sunday is Aug. 29. If you want to be involved, let me know.
NMC Windows of the World is Oct. 1-3. There will be a sign up sheet posted soon.

Later...

New faces

2004-08-16T14:12:00.000-05:00

It’s always encouraging to me to see new faces at church and in the youth group. At very least, it shows that we/I are doing something interesting. There were several in church on Sunday morning and I know there was one in the pm. (She’s a really good frizbee player, too!) Kudos to those of you who brought friends to church on Sunday. I hope that I, as well as the group, made a good first impression. You only get one chance to make a first impression, you know?

Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed”. Sounds pretty good, eh? I think this is one of those simple truths in God’s word that is really easy to get our minds around, but we get caught up in other things that keep us from actually taking hold of it. There’s a Saturn commercial out now featuring a fellow, obviously, trying to buy a car. The salesman finishes his pitch and the young man asks about “the catch”, to which the salesman replies, “There is no catch”. The young man persists to find out about the hidden cost or expectation in the man’s offer, but he continues to hold to the fact that the offer is as stands. It’s really quite amusing. Anyhoo, I think the same thing is true of our Lord. He offers us a promise that is there for us to take…no strings attached. The verse says our “plans will succeed” if we only commit to the Lord what we do. The Hebrew word used here is better translated as established. Our plans will be established if what we do is for God. Either way you look at it, when we work for the Lord, the things we hope for will be set up and built up before us. No strings attached. Sure, the guy will have to pay for the car. And sure, we will first have to commit ourselves to God’s work. But the trade off seems to be in our favor, because if we are committed to the Lord and working for him, our plans will be his plans, and he will more than gladly give us the desires of our hearts, because they are the things of his heart as well.

Too bad, so sad: There will be no Adventure Trip this weekend. Maybe later in the fall.
Wednesday Aug 18: First day of school, first Big Deal of the year. Swimming party at Wilkinson’s (7224 N Haywood Farms Rd). Sr. High bring snacks & Jr. High bring drinks. See you there.
Oct. 1-3: National Missionary Convention Windows of the World Teen Convention Peoria, IL.

Later…

In review...

2004-08-09T12:07:00.000-05:00

Well, my last post was about how we would be leaving for Cedar Point. So, I suppose you want an update on the trip. We had a good time. 15 of us went and enjoy each other’s company and some really great weather on the trip. There was about 5 minutes of the trip that was rainy, but the rest of it was dry and clear. We got a late start (big surprise) and had to set up in the dark. Our food gurus had us fed pretty shortly after everything was set up. Relative to the time we got there, we went to bed pretty early. The next morning, we got packed and on the road in what I thought was really good time. It didn’t take us very long to get into the park once we got there, then we dispersed to find whatever fun we could cram into the day. All in all, we had a good end-of-summer trip. Now we look forward to the new school year and all that has to offer. Big Deal will start when school does and there will be other events and such to liven up the calendar along the way. Get ready….you don’t have a choice!

Proverbs 9 (read this on your own) is a comparison of the houses of Wisdom and Folly. Both have prepared their houses to invite people in. Both offer an invitation to all and both have plenty for everyone. However, their motivations are diametrically opposed. Let me give you a few opposing elements of the houses: growth vs. immaturity, love vs. hate, selflessness vs. selfishness, good teaching vs. bad teaching, life vs. death, benefits vs. suffering, truth vs. lies. In reading these comparisons, it seems that the decision would be a no-brainer. However, there are people living very comfortably in the house of the Foolish and are quite content with dying. God’s Wisdom is sustaining and it guides us to life. The woman Wisdom seems very intense and concerned, and she should be! She knows what God has to offer and she knows the alternative! If the way of Foolishness and the way of Wisdom are so easy to distinguish, why then do we always look longingly at the house of the Foolish? Sin tempts us in this way to make what it is look so enticing and inviting. But we know from reading this that what lies inside is death. Choose life! Choose Wisdom! Live right and live strong.

Sign up for the Adventure Trip (Aug. 21-22) on the bulletin board.
First Big Deal of the year is Aug 18 at Jerry and Sherry Wilkinson’s pool. 6-8 pm. Bring bathing suits/trunks and towels. Jr. High bring drinks, Highschool bring snacks.

Later

The wheels on the bus

2004-08-04T09:22:00.000-05:00

Today is the day! Praise the Lord, it’s finally here. All the planning and calling and rearranging and more calling comes down to today. Our Cedar Point trip leaves this afternoon! I’m excited about it for a couple different reasons. First off, because Cedar Point is probably the best ride park in the world. 16 coasters, folks! That’s a lot of stomach-swallowing action! Secondly, I’m excited, in a nervous sort of way, because all the work is done. As I write this, 99% of everything that needs to get done before we leave is completed. It’s a little scary for me. I’m usually running around minutes before we leave looking for van keys, a screw driver, Kleenex, or extra storage space. This time, it’s all done before hand. I’m growing up and learning about planning ahead. I vaguely remember my mom saying something about that concept as I was growing up, but I was too concerned about learning the finer points of procrastination. As lovely of a thing as that is, it’s scientifically proven to take years off your life. (Well, I really can’t prove that, but it sure feels like it.) We load up and head out on our little excursion at 1:00 this afternoon. Pray for us as we go. We'll gloat…er…tell you all how it went when we get home.

Proverbs 4:4-6 says, “he [my father] taught me and said, ‘Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her and she will watch over you’”. A father’s job is to teach his children in the way they should go. Again, the book of Proverbs is written from the perspective of a father teaching his son how to live a good life. We ought to heed these wise words as if they were being spoken directly to us. The good words spoken to us by our Father in heaven are meant to bring us life. He encourages us to pursue wisdom in a serious way. It’s interesting to me to see how many people get into car accidents because they were swerving to miss some small woodland creature. Squirrel, rabbit, dog (not exactly woodland, but I digress) whatever, it’s a better alternative than Mack, Freightliner, Kenworth…you get the idea. We aren’t to swerve from the good teaching we receive, no matter how much better we think we understand. But as youth, we tend to do just that. As mom was teaching me to plan ahead and get stuff done while I had the time, I thought there were better alternatives. To this day, I can’t tell you a tenth of what I did fooling around while I should have been doing homework. But I can tell you what I got on my report cards and homework grades (thanks to mom!). Learn to be wise now and save yourselves the trouble of having to do it later. That’s the stuff that matters.

We’re leaving at 1 for CP.
I’ll have the sign up sheet for the Adventure Trip posted on Sunday.

Later.

Writer's block

2004-08-03T10:08:00.000-05:00

I remember an old Golden Girls episode where Blanche was trying to be a romance novelist. (Just for the record, just because I used to watch Golden Girls doesn’t make me old. Good grief, it was a show in the 80’s, so I would have been like 8 when it first aired!) At one point in the show, she complained to the other girls that she had writer’s block. This condition is the bane of all writers. It’s characterized by the inability of the writer to come up with anything beyond what they’ve already got. The ideas just stop flowing. Well, all that to say that I have writer’s block. Well, I did until I remembered that old TV show. Thanks Blanche!

I rode with the Fast Group to Nevins, IL last night. This route is the hilly version of the Thursday ride. A fellow named Bill showed up for the first time (at least as far as I had seen of him) in a while and rode with us. This man is an absolute beast on a bicycle! He rode so hard in the first half of the trip out, he dropped me and another girl who are both usually able to keep up at fast paces. Poor Peanut had two flats and a dropped water bottle that held him up. I had a day like that last week. Anyways, on the way back, I felt good on the hills and rode off the front on my own for a bit, but got reeled back in 2 hills from the finish. The cool thing about the whole ride was that a friend of mine asked me about coming to church! It was great! I just pray that we’ll have more opportunities to talk and keep that line of communication open.

Proverbs 3:3-5 says, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man”. Love and faithfulness are key components in the Christian life. If you’ve been to Youth Group at all this year, you know that our theme teaching has been Love God, Love People, as Jesus said these two are the greatest commandments. Faithfulness moves in two ways. First is our faithfulness to God and his word. Secondly, out of the first comes people knowledge of our faithfulness and their perception of us will be one of a person who can be trusted. I think that’s what this verse is getting at. If these two things are with us all the time, like a necklace or garment (bind them around your neck) and the written law of conduct for our lives (…the tablet of your heart…) we’ll be seen for what we truly are by God and by the people around us. Try and guard against writer’s block when you do this, though. Writing God’s word on ours hearts is not as difficult as it might seem.

*Pray for those of us who will be driving to Cedar Point tomorrow. We leave at 1pm.
*Clear your calendars for the Adventure Trip to Adventure Christian Church on Aug. 21-22. There will be a sign up sheet on the Youth Board on Sunday.
*Big Deal starts up again on Aug. 18! Get ready for a brand new year!

Later.

2004-07-28T12:02:00.000-05:00

Well, I’m back from another week of camp and so will now give you the old speech, “I fully intend to writing on the blog everyday from here on out”. We’ll see. Actually, I only write on days that I’m in the office, but we’ll see about how I can work in the half hour it usually takes to write, edit, study for the commentary part, then publish the blog on the weekdays I’m not in. Like I said, we’ll see.

Camp was a doozy of a week this year. We had a new set of deans who had worked with the fellows who lead it for the last few years and worked well together, so that helped keep a few of the traditions of Sr. High week intact. However, it was definitely a new flavor of camp. One obvious difference in the week was that we had close to 190 campers! 190 is a good Jr. High week. And for those of you who are a little fuzzy on comparing Jr. to Sr. highers, Jr. High kids have very few inhibitions about anything, where as highschoolers are a little more concerned with looking cool and not making waves and usually that leads to smaller numbers at camp. That wasn’t the case this year. And it was good! Our speaker for the week was intense and really in-your-face as well as biblically solid. The worship leader lead only with a guitar and no other accompaniment, which was a different take from the full, electrified ensembles of the past. All in all, it was a good week and I’m really looking forward to starting on next year’s camp with this group. I just hope we (BCC) can bring more kids next year. I really think they missed something by not being there.

Proverbs 28:1 says “The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion”. Have you ever known someone who is completely paranoid or always looking over their shoulder, or ducking authorities? Could it possibly be because they are always doing something wrong and their conscience is, thus, always on the defensive? It’s somewhat amusing to see the lengths to which people will go in order to keep themselves from getting caught. After a while though, it’s just sad. The LORD told the people of Israel in Leviticus that he would punish the wicked with various diseases and invading nations to the point that, even when they weren’t being pursued, they were running. As an alternative to this cowardice, righteousness seems pretty enticing. If being as bold as a lion, like David standing in the face of the giant Goliath (I Samuel 17), is what the righteous are, I want to be righteous. The LORD provides richly for his people even in areas of character, like boldness, if we adhere to his ways. “Meow” or “Roar”. The choice is ours to make.

We’re serving at the Light House Mission in TH tonight. Leaving from the church at 3:30.
Get prepared for a great opportunity to help a young church. On the 21st & 22nd of August, we’ll be heading to Bradley, IL to help serve at Adventure Christian Church. It will be a good thing to get involved with.

Later

Back in the saddle

2004-07-07T12:10:00.000-05:00

Well, at long last, I’m back in the office after a week at camp and a couple days with my girlfriend. It was time well spent (both things included). I think that the weather that we experienced last week while I was at Illiana was the best that I’ve ever seen at a week of camp! 5 straight days of low humidity, sunny skies, and warm weather is about the best anyone can ask for. Now watch, the weather for my next week, Sr. High in July, will be an absolute scorcher. But no sense getting pessimistic, now is there? Camp was went well but was trying in ways that it hadn’t been before. Just like growing up, with the added title of being a dean (even on a team), comes more responsibilities and the need to have all our ducks in a row. This was the first time in years we’ve been without John at the helm and it was our turn (Tim, Brian, Steve, Jennifer, Brenda, and myself) to spread our own wings. We, or at least I, saw some places where we need to work on for next year. And that’s ok. Now I’m back in the office and getting ready for the rest of the summer. On tap is the canoe trip on Monday the 12th. I’ve only got 2 signed up right now, so get on the list! Friday the 16th is a Young Adults (not Youth Group, to be sure) fellowship night at Pizza Inn and Putt-Putt in TH. Come on out. Well, now it’s off to the races…or into the sunset…whatever.

Proverbs 7:4-5 says, “Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister’, and call understanding your kinsman; they will keep you from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words.” Wisdom is to be as close to you as a family member. Sure, some folks don’t get along or even like their siblings from time to time, but we know them inside and out. Many times, wisdom is like that, too. We know what we ought to do but the wisdom of doing the right thing often seems like a killjoy to the fun we might otherwise have. But in the end, wisdom pays off. It keeps us safe. It keeps us heading straight on the safe path. It keeps us away from the harm that is personified in the wayward wife and the adulteress. Bad company corrupts good character, and spending time with these chicks will put you in the grave. Let’s try and spend some more quality time at home with the fam: brothers, sisters, and Father.

Round and round and technicalities

2004-06-25T14:01:00.000-05:00

We had a fun time on Wednesday evening as 14 of us went to TH Skate World. We played tag, ate bad concession-stand food, and had an all-out good time. Tag was fun, however, we were kindly informed that some of us (myself included) were skating too fast. Well, being that it was kids night and there were quite a few little ones, we obliged the staff and called off the game. Matt did notice that one of the rules were "Skate at your own risk" which, technically, we were. We were also looking out for the folks who, technically, were skating at their own risk just by being there. So this was just an exercise in taking the high road. Don't worry Matt, we had a good time there so we'll try and rent the place out some time in the future, when there's no one there but us speed junkies, and skate as fast and as wrecklessly as we want. We'll play tag all night!!! Ha ha!!! We'll show them!!...um...eh hem...It was good to take the high road, guys, yeah. Good show.

I'm going to forego a Proverbs devo for today (I know, you're all broken up) in light of getting my camp lesson finished up. And so you know, I won't be posting for all of next week, not because I'm lazy, but because I really have a good excuse this time. I'll be back at the beginning of the following week with new excuses...um, I mean posts. Yeah.

Get your release forms for the canoe trip on the 12th of July this Sunday.
July 4 is the parking lot party. We'll be hanging out and serving lemonade to the folks who come the see the fireworks from our lot. Invite your friends!

Later... (See you after camp)

A good night's sleep...and a little more

2004-06-21T14:04:00.000-05:00

I slept in this morning. Not like Michael who will waste away 70% of the day's daylight hours sleeping until, like, 2 pm. But I slept until about 7:25, which was enough time to shower and eat b-fast and get to work on time. I sacrificed the morning bike ride because, well, just because the body was telling me I needed the rest after a long and busy weekend. It wouldn't have been very eventful anyways because I'm still not able to actually ride on the road yet. No doctor has said "Yes you can" or "No you can't ride" but it just doesn't seem like it's been long enough to be "safe". Not that staying off the bike will heal me any faster than getting on the bike will kill me any faster. Anyways, it's the trainer for now. I spent a nice weekend visiting my girlfriend and her family this past weekend. If you didn't get to meet her the last time she was here, she's coming the weekend of the 4th, so stay tuned. After that, I preached on Sunday a.m. and all that contributed to my peaceful, longer than normal sleep last evening.

I'm going to see Buffy at after her surgery later this week. She'll be in consultations all day tomorrow and then have the operation on Wednesday.

Proverbs 21:2 says, "All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart". This is much like the verse from the other day so I won't belabor this point. We as people have a way of thinking that we're right all the time and we'll act on those "right" feelings without much concern as to whether or not they actually are right or not. All things considered (motives, biases, grudges, likes/dislikes, etc.), man is pretty self centered. The Lord determines, and already has determined, what is right and what is not. Our thoughts ought to center around God's plan for our lives and not our own. We have no real control over what life dishes out. Life, death, health, bike wrecks. All these things will come and go. God knows the right way, and wishes for us to pursue it. But he also knows the heart of man is centered away from that way. Let God direct your ways for he knows us and knows what is best.

This week: Wednesday @ 6:00 pm we're leaving for TH Skate World. $1 for reg. skates, $2 for speed, & $3 for blades.
July 4 Independence Day Parking Lot Party, invite all your friends and bring some snacks. We'll start at 8.
July 12 canoe trip at Turkey Run. Ken Arini and I will be floating along with you. There will be release forms at church on Sunday. YOU NEED THEM TO GO!!!

Later...

Helping hands

2004-06-16T13:46:00.000-05:00

This morning was the trip into town to the Brazil Emergency Food Pantry. We had 6 come in to help do odd jobs around the place while the ladies who normally work there delegated out our jobs. We finally got into a groove and got some pretty good work done in the time we were there. I want to thank those who came and remind them that the work done there was appreciated and will not go completely unnoticed. Good work, everyone!

I had lunch at Eddie's today with Nick. It's always an experience going in there. Today was the first day that I'd ever eaten inside. It's always a treat.

Proverbs 16:2 says, "All a man's ways see innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD". Isn't that true?!? As much as we try and fool ourselves sometimes and justify the things we do, no matter how trivial they might seem to us, it is God who knows the real reason and is not fooled. I'm sometimes embarrassed when I think about some of the activities I've done in the name of "doing a good deed (where I get most of the benefit)" or "no one will get hurt (or ever know)". We only fool ourselves when we choose to live life in this way. God, who created us, is not going to be faked out by our little games. He knows us inside and out, up and down. This ought to be motivation for us to fill our lives with good things and seek the best for others besides our selves. When we get in selfish or prideful modes, we lose sight of God's way and his plan for us. The very next verse (16:3) gives great application to this thought (but you've got to find it yourself!).

Next Wednesday evening is Skate Night. We're going to Skate World in TH at 6:00. Bring $$$ for skate rental and snacks (if you want). Bring a buddy!!! That's what this is for.
Pete's Cookout for Highschool is Friday at 5 pm. Be there!

Later...

Chillin' & Grillin'

2004-06-15T10:20:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow evening is the first fellowship event for my Sunday school class. I'm hoping that we'll have a good turn out for it because it would be a real shot in the arm for the class. Right now, it consists of 3 (+/-) and myself. True the class has only been around for a school year, and we'll hopefully retain some of our highschool grads, but it's growing rather slowly. It's a whole different ball game trying to teach peers than it is teaching people who are 5 to 10 years younger. Plus, not everyone is like me, so I don't really know what will appeal to folks on a mass level when I'm planning things. Like I said, hopefully we'll have a good turn out and this will be the beginning of some good things for a group who need some good things.

Proverbs 15:2 says, "The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly". I'll come back to the wise in a few, but I want to talk about this other guy first. Don't we all know someone like this? You know, the guy/gal who you just pray doesn't say something because you know it going to be colossally stupid/redundant/meaningless/etc? Sometimes, I just don't know what will help these people more: a swift kick or a helpful word. But in light of any attempt to help that one might conjure up, the Bible tells us that these will pretty much all be in vain. The fool doesn't listen to wisdom, whether it's voiced by a caring, empathetic individual or by my size 9 on his back side! These folks will continue to shoot their mouths off and "gush folly" (great mental images here!) and prove the saying "Better to have someone think you're a fool and keep quiet than to open you're mouth and remove all doubt (or something like that). No, the person that will gain from correction is the wise! The person who seems like they need it the least will benefit the most form it, because it will actually do good! To commend wisdom is to acknowledge that it is good and right, even if that means swallowing one's pride and facing the fact that you might be in the wrong. The wise man will accept this fact and be better for it. We have to face the facts, folks. There are too many foolish people in the world...let's not add to the number. Seek to live and be wise.

Tomorrow morning (Wednesday)-Food pantry (9:45 @ church. We're done at 12)
Saturday-Highschool Sunday School cookout (5:00 pm)

Later...

Skinny tires and headaches

2004-06-14T11:45:00.000-05:00

Well, if you haven't heard yet, I had a bike wreck on Friday morning. If your first inclination is to worry, assuming that this is your first time reading about it, please don't. For the rest of you who have heard the story and seen the show, ignore the next couple sentences.

*I was just starting my ride and proceeded around a corner that was wet and oily and the bike simply went out from under me. Because of the angle of the turn, and the relative lack of speed (so, no, I wasn't going too fast!) I went straight down...on my face! I have several minor scratches on my face and chest, but have a nice black eye and a cheeckbone with 3 fractures. I spent the morning in the Clay Co. hospital, got x-rays, CT scan, blah blah blah...I'm doing much better now, thanks.

So anyways, I have a little bit of a headache this morning because I'm not going to take my pain medicine anymore. Why, do you ask? Well, it's not a matter of being a tough guy, health reasons, or saving the rest to sell on the black market...I just don't think I need it (and my Jiminy-Cricket-esque conscience told me not to!). I rode on the trainer a bit this morning and got the heart rate up, so I was pleased. I'm interested in how the rest of the week will shape up. I've got a busy rest of the month. This week, I'm preparing a sermon and my sunday pm lesson as well as getting ready for a week of camp and a cookout on Wednesday evening as well as helping with the Food Pantry that morning. Oh, and I should mention that I'm heading to Springfield to see my Laura this weekend (Three more days!).

Proverbs 14:2 says "He whose walk is upright fears the LORD, but he whose ways are devious despises him". The person who has respect and reverence for God will live a life that is evident of his commitment to God. The Bible says his "walk is upright", which means he's living a righteous and good life. He's not just a "good" guy, but he's doing the right thing. This person doesn't cut corners or tell "white lies", he's a straight shooter...all the time. On the other hand, the person who is cutting corners in life, making sneaky little deals, and consoles him/herself by saying "It's alright, I'm a good person" is the one who (as the Bible says) despises the LORD. It's amazing to me how many people go around claiming to be Christians and to love God and yet see in so many of their lives where they are deficient in morals, ethics, and character. Doesn't the Savior of our souls deserve a little better than our second best? We need to straighten up and walk upright!

If you're going to the Food Pantry on Wednesday, be at church at 9:45 to load up.
High School, remember Pete's Sunday School Cookout is Saturday at 5 pm. Come hungry!

Later...

Rain out

2004-06-10T09:13:00.000-05:00

Well, I got up at 5:30 to ride and it was a little wet out. It wasn't raining all that hard, if at all, at the time, but I didn't ride anyways. The plan was (and still is) to go to the highschool parking lot and do some laps and accelerate on the straights like I will be on Saturday. But, those plans will have to wait. I have a meeting with some camp folk in Wachington today. I'm looking forward to it. Camp has always been one of the highlights of my summers and something that I always get excited about. I hope that we have a good turn out from Berea for the weeks of camp that I'm going to be a part of because they have always had a good rep for being top notch. Both weeks have new teams leading them but we've worked with some of the best so the weeks will still be great, with a few new flavors.

Proverbs 10:1 says "A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother". Sounds pretty obvious, eh? As the whole book up till now has been talking to kids about getting wisdom, and much of that from their parents, it would seem to go with the flow into this section of little nuggets of wisdom. These sections of Proverbs are great. If you get in the habit of reading one chapter a day (which I highly recommend), even if you don't retain EVERYTHING, you'll hang on to one or two of these nuggets to work on during the day. Anyways, we honor our parents by listening to their wisdom and teaching. They've been where we are. Although it may seem like they're out of touch and can't relate, I think they deserve to be heard. They have made (and hopefully learned from) their own mistakes inthe past, so they aren't perfect. But neither are you! Ha! Try seeking out their counsel and doing the things that will bring them joy and a feeling of "Hey, my boy/girl is going to turn out alright", instead of "Why, Lord, why?!?" Remember: fo the right thing.

We're swimming on Friday (6-8 @ Forest Park)
I'm racing on Saturday (1:30 & 3:20 @ 6th and Cherry in TH)
We're cleaning & stocking Wednesday (Food Pantry on Pinkley 10am-12)

Later

Bad boy

2004-06-09T10:29:00.000-05:00

Well, I have a confession to make. I've not entered a new post since some time last week. I've been on here so little lately that I had to think about my password before entering it! I'll try to be better.

This morning, I rode a little more than 25 miles on my bike. It was a good ride that I made difficult. I'm trying to keep fresh for a race in Terre Haute on Saturday that you should all come to. I'm not able to go to any group rides, including the all important Thursday night Ventures ride, because of VBS, so I have to ride fast and hard on my own. It's difficult but it will pay off. And you should come watch on Saturday at 1:30 and 3:20 at 6th and Cherry.

Find a Bible and read Proverbs 9:1-6. These pictures of Wisdom crying out desperately for those who need it to come to her are neat to me. She's done everything, she's prepared and ready, and she's inviting all to come to her for what they so dearly need. The food and drink that she has is good and life-giving and it's waiting on those who will come and take (as much as they want, mind you). I feel for the girl, though. As well as she's prepared, as good as the food, and as eternal the nourishment, the people that need it don't come! I can't sound more-holy-than-thou and say that I know exactly what she means, because I have kids that just don't seem to listen to me, but many times I'm one of the fools who just walks on by, turning a deaf ear to the truth that's being said. When will we stop? When will we stop throwing life away and grasp the good thing that's been there from the beginning? The Lord is calling to us by his "Wisdom" and offers us understanding and spiritual food that fills and quenches beyond what anyone or anything else can offer. But it falls back to us to choose. Do we go to the house that's strong and established with food that is good and eternal or branch out on our own and let whatever happens happen? Let's do the right thing, eh'?

Updates and other stuff...
Friday is the pool party at Forest Park from 6-8.
Saturday I'm racing in TH at 1:30 and 3:20 (come and yell)
Next Wednesday we're going to the Brazil Emergency Food Pantry to help clean and stock shelves. This service project will benefit them as well as give us an opportunity to learn to serve others.

Later...

Dry Spell

2004-06-02T10:34:00.000-05:00

Wow! Sorry it's been so long since I've posted something (for all three of you out there who read my blog!). A lot has gone on in the last week and a half since my last post. Let me catch you up:

-Wednesday (5/26) was Lizzie's last Big Deal with us until next school year. We'll miss you Derek! Also that evening was the revelation of my "special someone". Yes, the cat's out of the bag. I'm dating and have been for a little over 2 months. She's a great girl and hopefully will be around some for those of you interested in meeting her. Laura, if you're reading this, no pressure!

-Thursday (5/27) was a blur. I had one of those days where I did a lot but felt like I got nothing (next to nothing) done. I know I went to my guitar lesson and did the Almost 12 thing and it rained a lot, but that's about it.

-Friday was a pretty good day. I got most of my lessons done and a good start on my sermon. That evening, Laura and I went to my cousin's graduation in Oblong, IL.

-Saturday, after staying the night at mom and dad's, I came home, sent Laura off, got dinner and worked out the rest of my sermon.

-Sunday was the long-awaited Youth Sunday. It went (almost) without a hitch. Sunday pm was pretty informal. There were 7 for our yg meeting. Then the weather moved in. Warnings and red stuff all over the radar kept us in the church basement for a little while. Then after a short break in the mess, we all scurried out to our respective homes/vehicles and enjoyed then evening indoors.

-Monday and Tuesday were great! I've not had two days off like that in forever. I got to read a book! I chose to read a book for my own enjoyment for the first time in at least 9 months! Tuesday, although it was my day off, I kicked some tail and got some stuff done. I got some needed rest, did my devos, mowed the lawn, went to the bike shop, rode 58 miles and went to bed (after calling Laura).

-Today, I'm finishing the Summer Schedule for Youth and Young Adults and starting on VBS lessons for next week. I'm busy but happy.

Proverbs 2:1-11 "My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands with in you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call ou for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for is as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair-every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you."

I think this one's pretty self-explanatory.

One event to be putting on your calendars is Bowling Night at Brazilian Lanes on June 11 @ 7 pm. We'll go till 9. HEY, BRING A FRIEND!!!

Later

I don't know what I'll do without school lunch

2004-05-24T10:01:00.000-05:00

Today is the last Monday of the school year in the Clay Co. school system. I’m sure that all of you who read this who are in school will be rejoicing. I, for one, am torn. I’m torn between rejoicing with you, because I always enjoyed being out of school and I like it when everyone’s schedules are opened up (a little bit), and lamenting because I’ll miss the regular visits to lunch at the high school. Yeah, the food’s not all that great, but the company is why I’m there. Sure, I’ll see everybody at least once a week on Sundays and whenever we get together for other activities, but there’s just something about that setting. I like hanging out with your friends, sitting at your tables, eating your food. So just so I don’t miss you all this summer, make sure you a) come see me in my little office from time to time and b) come to our fellowship events and bring a friend so I don’t miss them either. Hope your Monday goes well.

Proverbs 24:1-2 says “Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company; for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble”. It’s easy to look at a rich man and say “Man, wouldn’t it be nice…”. We can think of all the ways to spend that money and what we would do with our time because we wouldn’t have to work any more. Think about all the new friends you’d meet and the places you could go. What if that rich man asked you to come and hang out, to be able to enjoy his wealth for a while? It would be nice to have friends in high places! But what if that man, who has all the money and the cars and the mansions and the other rich friends, were a drug dealer or murderer? Would that change your view of him and your desire to associate with him? In our lives, we’ll probably never have to face that scenario but there will be times when we’re tempted to be like someone else or to have something someone else has, even when that person is of low morals or just an outright bad person! It says here in Proverbs that we’re not to envy these folks because to be like them, to have what they have, would cause us to fall into their lifestyle of evil and violence. Their fate is sealed. I, for one, don’t want their end. Yeah, it might be nice to have a little extra padding in my wallet by not at the expense of losing everything…forever. I hope that we can learn to be content with what we have, in little or in much, and keep our lives focused on peace and godliness.

Wednesday: BIG Big Deal 7-9pm!!!!
Saturday: People of Prayer
Sunday: Youth Sunday

Later

Early/Late Start

2004-05-21T13:32:00.000-05:00

This morning was our 5:30 (am!) leadership breakfast meeting. Last night, I set my alarm for 5:00 am and went to bed. Recently, I’ve had a fan going to keep air moving through my house so I can sleep without perspiring so much that I stick to my sheets. Last night, I moved the fan into my room and went to bed. I woke up at 5:14 am, really for no reason at all, because I still couldn’t hear the radio over the sound of the fan. By the grace of God I made it to the meeting on time. After the meeting, I went home to get some things ready for the rest of the day and made up for the time in bed I lost by getting up soooooo early. I was in the office a little before 9:30 (see, it evens out) and am just now (this afternoon) getting to my writing for the day. I’m looking forward to going to Bogey’s tonight (and any NHS student reading this is invited) to help with the Campus Life end of the year party thing at 6:30. It’ll be good fun.

Proverbs 21:1 says “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases”. Definition time. “LORD” is capitalized here because in the Hebrew (woo!) language, one of the titles for God was spelled יהוה (read backwards: YHWH, or Yahweh) and this is the English translation. A watercourse is any kind of flowing body of water. In this context, it refers more to a canal. Why a canal? The one who builds a canal directs it where it wants it to go. It’s the same way with man’s heart. It is the Lord who directs our paths. It is true that many, in fact all of us, resist. There are many examples of kings in ancient Israel who resisted God’s leading and the nation suffered. Many times, the nation suffered at the hand of another nation. However, there are some good examples of godly kings who followed the Lord’s lead and the nation prospered. In Proverbs 3:5-6, it tells us to rely on the Lord and to acknowledge him in everything we do. This takes humility. These kings who obeyed God knew that they didn’t have all the answers and allowed God to do his thing his way. If we allow God to mold us and shape us and don’t give him a lot of flack when he tries to steer us in a way that we aren’t too sure about, we’ll be in for some pretty neat scenery along the flowing path of our lives.

For those of you who missed it: Campus Life party at Bogie’s in TH starts at 6:30. $15 covers everything.
Youth Sunday is next week! Fill a slot, get involved.
Saturday 29th, People of Prayer, 6-7 pm.

Later