Sometimes you gotta blog.

Voting

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 14:57:27 -0500

I really didn’t want to vote for several reasons. One, it was nasty rainy. Two, the lines were an hour long. Yeah, whine, whine, gripe and cry. I’m really not that shallow. I really didn’t want to vote because I don’t like choosing between two candidates I don’t like. I don’t believe either can bring real change and I believe the hope held out to americans can only be found in understanding God’s plan, not in a presidential candidate. Both platforms were very similar and nothing stuck out in either camp as a keeper. I did vote only as my civic duty and to get people off my back and the outcome was just as I predicted. I know thousands have died for my right to vote, but they also voted for my right to NOT vote. I caved and voted.
I will support the new president and honor him because of the position he holds. I will try not to bad mouth or demean his position. I will pray for real change in the hearts of americans. A change to morality and looking out for each other. A change away from greed and money as the bottom line. A change to help the working families who are trying to make ends meets. A change in the working families to get them out of debt. I would write the same no matter who won the election. I think 4 years is only enough time to keep the status quo or mess things up royally. I hope I’m wrong but time will tell.

Dreams Can Come True

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 07:56:37 -0500

After 25 plus comments on my facebook pic joke on a fatboy motorcycle, my wife made my dream come true. I have wanted a motorcycle since I was a kid, watching Evel K. popping wheelies and Frank Poncherello chasing down the bad guys on “CHiPs.” My mother and father made it clear that as long as I lived in their house I would only transport myself on 4 wheels instead of 2.
After a lot of safety talk with Kim, budgeting, and price setting I started looking for the perfect bike.
I researched Harleys first and quickly found it was out of my price range. OUCH!!! I’d have to double or triple my budget to get one to haul my wide load. I knew I wanted something Kim and I both could enjoy. So off to Honda. New bikes were still a little pricey and even more to customize with a double seat and windshield.
Then I saw it... There it was... The right color, right size, right extras, and definitely the right price. A 2000 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500. The original owner took INCREDIBLE care of it. It’s spotless. He traded up for a Goldwing leaving my dream bike there for the taking.
It rides like a dream. Smooth, shaft driven with rear air shocks. After a couple of days getting use to it I took Kim on her first ride. She loved it.
So there you have it. Dreams do come true. I promise to wear my helmet and to be very careful. I will also turn off the music and cell for the 20 minute ride to work and home each day and pass the gas stations with 40+ mpg. I’ll save some $$, enjoy the cool breeze on my bald head (my helmet has vents) and be thankful I have such a cool wife. I’m going to get my motor runnin....

Fatboy

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 11:21:00 -0400

Yeah, I can dream can’t I?

Calm After the Storm

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:43:48 -0400

I have to say the last few months have been rough. With an incredible summer, an amazing mission trip, and a surge in leadership potential from the students, you’d think I’d have been on cloud nine. Well, I wasn’t and for a good reason. I won’t blame my “funk” on God, but I am going to give Him some glory for allowing it. I have learned (re-learned) some very important things. The learning has gone deeper and wider than ever before. I can’t tell you how it came about, but I am revisiting the whole “abiding” thing. Christ in me, me in Christ, when I am weak He is strong, emptying me to make more room for Him, His ways and His character. I’m looking at things differently.
As our church approaches a time of revival preparation I am looking forward to being a part of the process. We have 2 weeks of focused worship, bible teaching and community building. I’m looking forward to “being” instead of “doing.” More on all this later.
I thank God and all who prayed for me this summer. The storm wasn’t so bad...

Vacation?

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:21:51 -0400

What started out as a good idea has not lead to the R&R i desired. I’ve taken the last 4 days off to refocus and rejuvenate my tired mind and body. However, I have no fresh vision of life and ministry. I do have a 4% decrease in stress and pressure from work. Woohoo! Part of me is mad at myself for not completely unplugging from email, cell phone, and work. The other part is glad because I would hate for a wonderful vacation to be wrecked by the land blasting of unresolved issues and dilemmas. At lease I got a head start on putting out some fires. This leads to my post.

Why does it seem all is spinning out of control? Is it real? I want to see the incredible things God has done over the last six years instead of the momentary perceived failures that seem to wreck my heart and mind.

When Kim and I came in the Summer of 2002 we had a God given plan.

Create a SAFE environment for students where everyone is welcomed and accepted.
Develop student leaders so the older ones could lead and mentor the younger ones.
Pull together an adult leadership team that manifests God’s plan for community and the body of Christ.

I would think #3 should come first and foremost, that the leaders would set the example of community and building. Not the case...

One and Two are coming together. We are seeing incredible progress in both of these areas. We are by no means done with the struggles and constant building these goals require, but we are a lot closer than in the last 5 years. New students are visiting, coming back, and STAYING because they are welcomed and accepted. This is a HUGE change that has been seen more and more in the last 2 years. Student leadership is being taught, exemplified, encouraged, and acted out. Again, we have a LONG way to go, but we are making a lot of progress.

Number Three is a whole other monster. Don’t misunderstand. I have some of the most talented youth leaders on the planet. Parents, educators, former athletes, parents, professionals and more. So where are we going wrong?

I blame myself for this, but I’m going to share that blame with the hectic, busy, fast paced lives we think we need to live. Everyone is SO busy and driven in SO many directions that we don’t have time to become a community. It’s possible I use that as an excuse to NOT plan meaningful team building events. Communication, Community and passion for students and their spiritual well being is replaced by frustration and everyones’ ideas of how things should be different. Something has to change. If I realize one thing from this mini-break it is this:

A healthy ministry TEAM should function smooth and easy even if the youth minister steps away from the office for a few days. The fact that it doesn’t means there is a major problem that needs addressing.

Out of three long term goals, we’ve seen significant progress in two. The remaining one must be the focus of the coming months. I pray for an awakening in myself, our adult leaders, and our entire church body to the passion of ministry to students and the building of a community that harbors an incredible, life changing journey with the Father (ooh, that sounded smart). I blame myself the most, but it’s time to break up the pity party and lead. I’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done...DANGIT!!! Hold on, it may get a little bumpy.

Meet Chaco

Sat, 9 Aug 2008 08:44:29 -0400

This is OUR new birthday present (my birthday, our puppy). He is a 7 week old golden retriever puppy named Chaco. We picked him up from a lovely family yesterday and he has stolen our hearts.

What’s in a name? Why “Chaco?”

Kim and I started kayaking this summer. I really wanted a golden retriever to take on the river. His name needed to remind us of our newest hobby. Well, to make a long story longer, I’ve been wearing Teva All-pro sandals for many summers of river rafting (2 pair in 10 years). After the last pair finally gave up its usefulness I found Teva stopped making my favorite all-pro so I had to switch companies. Several friends and students told me about the Chacos brand. Zappos.com had them in a size 15 so I jumped on them and started my new summer kayaking with new sandals. Back to the dog name... We really wanted to give him a river name but “Saluda” (my favorite river) sounded stupid. “Kayak” or “Paddle” was out and “Anchor” was just plain cruel. So “Chaco” it is. A new hobby for me and Kim to do together, a new pair of river sandals and a new river buddy.

So far, Chaco is finding his place in the house. The other animals are intrigued but seem to be welcoming him into the family. We’ll give him a few months before we introduce him to the river. I can’t wait to get him his first life jacket.

Photo Friday

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 08:25:39 -0400

Photo Friday - Beautiful
Kayaking Lake Lure, NC

Honduras Finale

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:42:02 -0400

8:45 PM EST on the plane...

We left the hotel at 9:30 AM Honduras time, made it through our luggage ordeals and flew out of San Pedro Sula. Houston was very simple even though we had to get 22 people through immigration, customs, baggage recheck, and Starbucks all in 2 hours. We made it in plenty of time. The triple grande Caramel Macchiatto was the best I’ve had in a whole week (The only one in a week but it was truly heavenly). We are somewhere over Louisiana about an hour and 45 minutes to home. It has been an amazing trip.
I learned a lot about myself, some things I didn’t want to know. More on that later, but for now I have to say it has been a great trip. I only wish more could have come with us. In 3 hours I will be clean shaven, good smelling, and adjusting my sleep number to 55. I can’t wait to share pics and give more details.

Honduras day 7

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 01:09:46 -0400

It has been an amazing week. I think I have sweat enough to irrigate a small country. We saw God do some amazing things all around and IN us. Living for Christ has a whole new meaning. I leave Honduras with a new understanding of compassion, Love, and Family. I am more than ready to go home and I hope the impact on us and El Triunfo Honduras ripples into eternity. I may post my personal writings later, but right now I just want to process and pray about what we have seen and what God has done. Thanks for your prayers. I will be flying and laying over all day tomorrow.

Honduras day 2

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:52:37 -0400

We spent all morning going door to door with an interpreter sharing the “gospel.” The language barrier was very difficult to overcome but not as much as the culture shock. We were in El Triumfo, a very poor city. We lead one lady to pray to receive Christ in her front yard. We held a fiesta in the park and over 150 children and adults prayed as well. I don’t know how much of those were REAL.
I was sharing with our missionary leader my problem with modern day evangelism and not being sure of what we had done in the park. My mind was driven back to the 14 year old girl on the plane. He suggested that the people who prayed made a “profession of faith.” Whether it was real is not our call to make. It is the call of God and the pastors who will follow up with all of these people, especially the adults. He also said the problem in the US church is not so much how we share the gospel but how we mentor, disciple, and love on those who “pray the prayer.” The gospel, good news, is plain and simple. We complicate it by trying to do the work of the Holy Spirit. Even Peter’s message in Acts 2 was SIMPLE. I don’t know how all this will pan out back in the states, but here, I am going to take advantage of the simplicity of the message, the willingness of the people, and the followup of the pastors. Oh yeah, I guess I’ll trust God to do something as well.

It was a HOT and SWEATY day. The cold shower was a gift from the throne of God. The kids are shaken and loving every minute of it.

Photo Friday

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:45:14 -0400

Photo Friday: Awful

I lost the kids and tore an ACL because of this...

Honduras Bound

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:24:30 -0400

I thumb typed this out on my iPhone as I had time during the day. We are currently 4 days into a 7 day trip. Here’s the play by play

Day One: Tuesday July 22
I'm 1.5 hours into a 7 hour bus ride through the country of Honduras. We are on a huge old school bus with a rebel flag painted on the hood and I am listening to "Chevette" by audio adrenalin. I'm contemplating what we can expect over the next 7 days. It's dropped about 15 degrees as we head into the mountains. This is a beautiful country. The kids are tired from a 4:30 am arrival time @ CAE. We almost missed the connector in Houston, ruining my last chance to consume mass quantities of Starbucks for a whole week. Maybe that’s why we look so tired.
What is going on in the students’ heads. What are they expecting?

The plain from Houston was over half filled with missionaries. I spent a good portion of the flight listening to a 14 year old debate with a young agnostic about God and faith. I thought I would be impressed with the ferver and devotion of the young girl but I wasn't. Instead I listened to her parrot learned responses from the latest witness training course. She made very little impact on the guy and it seemed to solidify his belief that all "Christians" were closed minded and had no idea how to have a good time. Our college minister started talking to him like a normal person and hopefully changed his perspective, at least of some of us. This all reiterates my disdain for modern evangelism. There has to Be a better way.

Almost 9pm EST and I'm sleepy. We have 2 more hours to the hacienda. The kids are hyper and wired after the bathroom stop. We ate dinner at burger king and scored some coffee and donuts at dunkin donuts. I can't wait for tomorrow. I'm glad I'm looking forward to it. I was concerned about the level of desire to come on the trip. The bus driver is playing cheesey Latino music and it just got dark.

We arrived at our house and quickly unpacked. We were in the beds within minutes. It was a very long day. I’m glad it’s over. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

Kayaking the Congaree

Thu, 22 May 2008 14:57:07 -0400

I spent some time with ministry cohorts kayaking down the Congaree River this morning. I’ve rafted a hundred times but I haven’t kayaked since I was 12 with my dad down the Edisto. This was much more fun and relaxed. It was a wonderful morning to enjoy creation, good friends, and some great reflection time. I borrowed a boat. I think I need my own. Yeah...

Photo Friday

Fri, 9 May 2008 06:51:50 -0400

Photo Friday:
Professional

uh, yeah, not my hair, this was doctored by a professional. Don’t try this at home.

A break with my Boy

Sun, 4 May 2008 20:50:44 -0400

Kim was out of town Saturday so I caught up on some yard work. I went over to mom’s to pick up my boy (the furry one) and took a two hour break while dad finished smoking some ribs and chicken. It was a great day and I thought I’d actually start enjoying yard work. Nah, not happenin’. It’s merely a necessary evil.