30 Hour Famine Update

Jonesy, this post is for you...as stated last week, we held our 30 Hour Famine this past weekend...all in all, I would have to say it was a success...some could look at it as not quite a success - we had several no-shows, we didn't reach our financial goal, etc. - but I think it was a success...the centerpiece of the weekend was a game that the 30HF people developed called Tribe...very cool!...it is a Survivor-esque game in which everyone is divided up into tribes which then compete in certain activities for Survival cards...and the games are not just random, have fun-type games...they were fun, but they also had a point to each one...just before each game, facts about the area we were focusing on - Kenya - were read (such as walking 14 miles to go to school)...this made the activities meaningful, instead of just crazy, mash food in your hair kind of stuff...it seemed like the kids enjoyed themselves, and that they learned something during the weekend...a couple of random notes:

• One kid stood out to me the entire weekend...I will keep his name anonymous (we'll call him A)...what stood out to me was how outwardly-focused he was...there was another kid (we'll call him B) who doesn't exactly fit in to the cool kid crowd...so he was often by himself...but not for very long at any time, because it seemed like whenever he was by himself, A would come along and hang with him...at the very last activity, the break-fast meal, B was eating all by himself...but before I had a chance to go sit by him, A sat right down with him and ate with him...A showed to me that he really knew what the weekend was about, and that it wasn't about him...
• Last year, I didn't hear one person complain or get ugly...this year, much of the same...it did get a little ugly at times, but that was mostly in the heat of competition...I think the lack of food, coupled with the desire to win, got to be a nasty combination at times...not real nasty, but we saw a little less kindness than we did when we were just sitting around...
• A good chunk of our Famine was spent at a neighboring church...why, you ask?...they have a gym...I know it's not in the near future for our church, but it sure would be nice to have a large area like that for our youth...just hanging out and playing dodgeball was a blast...we have a great youth area, but size-wise, it is limiting...
• One thing I like about the Famine is that it is one overnight activity that we make the youth sleep during...since we aren't getting energy from our usual source - food - we have to get it some other way...so we require that they sleep...and I'll tell you what, they didn't argue...they were ready to sleep...it was nice to not have to fight with them to go to sleep...
  
• As far as I know, we only had one person afflicted with projectile vomiting...usually, someone stuffs themselves silly at the break-fast meal and pays the price by bringing it all back up...but as far as I know, that only happened to one person this year...of course, that person was me...only three bites of salad and two bites of pasta were enough to send me over the edge...I hope I never have to drink juice again...
• I read a statistic cited from Christianity Today a week or two ago that startled me...it said that it all American Christians started tithing, giving in America would go up $143 billion...and how much would it cost to provide essential service like basic health care and education all of the world's poor people?...$70-80 billion!...we, who have it so good, are not doing our job...

Here endeth my ruminations on the 30 Hour Famine 2005...

30 Hour Famine

If you pop across this blog, please say a prayer for me, our SIMY (those are our adult leaders in the youth ministry), and about 40+ kids...we are doing the 30 Hour Famine this weekend, starting at 6pm tonight...pray for strength and energy...more importantly, pray that this will make a difference in our lives and greatly expand our worldviews...

Uneasiness

I guess that's generally how I feel right now...and it's not just because Marcy just left for a few days to Willow Creek for their Children's Ministry Conference...I feel uneasiness over this whole idea of being in ministry...I don't really know how to explain it except to note a few thoughts that I have had recently:

• This past Sunday, I did a lesson on four of the "I am" statements of Jesus, particularly the bread of life, the light of the world, the door, and the vine...I had a tangible object for each one to demonstrate the meaning of the analogy, such as the loaf of bread we baked and that I ate while I taught (they weren't happy about that one)...overall, I thought it was good lesson and it made the stories more concrete in their minds...what made me uneasy was the thought that I was still performing...I have always had a performance mentality about life, that I need to always be performing for people...I have bad dreams about this, such as being on stage and not knowing how to play the piano I am supposed to play...what happens if I stop performing and just be, what would the ministry look like?...I know the need for authenticity is there, and I think I'm being authentic, but what if I don't craft a good lesson?...will I lose kids?...can I afford to take the risk?...even when I read Scripture in church, people often tell me, "You did a great job reading Scripture. You really make it come to life."...that bothers me...sure, it makes me feel good, but isn't the Word of God living and active all by itself...then it's not me doing the bringing to life part...but I still feel like I need to perform well to live up to some sort of expectations that I place on myself or that are imposed upon me...
• I heard a comment that made me go, "Hmmmm... (props to Arsenio Hall)"...we are having a capital campaign to build a dedicated children's ministry area, which I am totally on board for...but the comment that caused me pause was, "La Croix is church at its best," or something to that effect...wow, that is a huge statement to make!...we do church well, if you can do church well...we are growing, people are coming to know the Lord and growing in their faith...but is that all there is to church at its best?...I wonder if we are doing enough to support the orphans, widows, and aliens in our midst...I wonder if we could be more of a praying church (I know that is one of Ron's desires for our church, which I applaud him for)...are we focusing too much on evangelization, and not enough on promoting the Kingdom of God, whatever that really means?...I think La Croix is a great church, doing lots of great ministry, and I am very grateful that God has opened doors to allow me to work here...we do many things well, but are we "church at its best"?...that's a lofty claim to make...
• I have had at least five of my students tell me that they are thinking about full-time ministry as a career option...that should make me go, "WOO-HOO!" not cause uneasiness, right?...but I wonder how many of those will actually go on to such a future...I hear the statistics about the percentage of college-aged students that go to church regularly (according to Ron, it is 2% on any given Sunday)...and the other day I asked Marcy, "I wonder how many of our students will still be going to church when they are in college."...we have solid kids in our program...I look up to many of them, and I truly believe that they will buck the trend...I believe that a strong percentage of them will still be in church after they graduate...and I believe that some of them will go into full-time ministry...but you never know...and that's what makes me uneasy...
• This doesn't cause me uneasiness, but it makes me wonder: Why do people that smoke roll down their car windows when they smoke? Is it because they don't like the smell? Then why smoke? Just a thought...

Please hear this...I am not doubting my job, my calling, my church, or my kids...this is just a wandering and wondering moment in my life...

Cleveland Deserves Better

So my dad calls me today and tells me about an article he read in ESPN The Magazine...in it, he says, they rank all of the major pro sports franchises - hockey is not a major sports - in terms of such things as performance, coaching, ownership, ticket affordability, fan appreciation, and player likeableness...he asked me to guess where the Cleveland Browns ranked...I knew they would finish quite low, so I shot at 75...he then told me that I was 15 off...the Browns rated as the worst franchise in all of football, baseball, and basketball!...how horribly embarrassing...they have such great history and such great fans...doesn't Cleveland deserve better?...I like Crennel as the head coach...here's hoping he can turn things around so we can finish closer to the top...or at least not dead last...

The Bible and R-Rated Movies

What is one of the struggles parents and youth pastors have with teenagers?...wishing that they would read the Bible more...we recognize the importance of being literate in the Word of God...we stress that they set aside time in each day to spend time reading the Bible, and yet we hear the words, "It's boring," or, "I don't have time," far too often...so we continue to emphasize it...

On the flip side, another message that we hammer into their heads is being careful what they are watching or listening to...whether we are talking about R-rated movies, rap music, or questionable TV shows, we are concerned that what they are consuming will have a negative impact on their thought lives, attitudes and behaviors...so we try to steer them clear of these influences...

These two thoughts forced me to pose a question to Marcy this morning: Why do we tell our students to read the Bible more, and at the same time tell them to not watch R-rated movies?...this came on the heels of me reading Judges 19...in this passage, a woman is raped and abused repeatedly, to the point of death...her master, upon discovering her body, cuts her body into twelve pieces, and sends the pieces to the tribes of Israel as a message that the guilty would be punished...can you imagine a movie being made out of this story?...it would probably have a difficult time getting an R-rating, as would many stories in the Bible...The Passion of the Christ managed an R-rating, but from what I understand, it still did not depict the severity of what Jesus experienced...so how do we tell the students to watch what they are consuming, but also stress reading the Bible?...if they are really consuming the Bible, they are putting some pretty horrible stuff into their heads...Marcy's answer was that movies were more visual and stick with you longer than the written word...my comeback was that The Blair Witch Project was one of the scariest films I have ever seen, and yet they didn't show anything scary...it was all in my mind...so do images really stick with you longer?...

This, then, brought another question to mind: If the Bible were being written today, would it still be written as a book, or would it be something else?...would it be a screenplay for a movie; a weekly sitcom; a computer program; or something else?...what form would the Bible take if written today?...Marcy contends that it would still be a book because they are more timeless than the other media...I think what makes books timeless is the fact that they have been around a long time...let's face it, movies, TV shows, radio, computers, all of these have been around a very short time...and besides, the Bible wasn't written as a book...it was written as scrolls, songbooks(scrolls), told as stories, written as letters, etc....so what would today's Bible looks like?...

Finding Neverland

I went and saw this movie last night with Marcy for Valentines Day...I can never remember if "Valentines" should have an apostrophe or not, but I digress...the movie stars Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet...I have always liked Johnny Depp, and Kate Winslet is quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses, especially after her performance in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind...again, I digress...this movie, Finding Neverland, is an absolute joy...it is the story of J. M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan...the movie is a beautiful look at the power of imagination...we are able to look into the mind of this creative genius as he writes and shows to others their innate imaginative abilities...I won't get into details about the movie; I'll let you see it for yourself...and do this - see it!...you will not regret it...you might cry - Marcy and I both did - but you will still be happy you saw this movie...

The Grammys

A couple of notes from last night's Grammy awards show...let it be known that I watched very little of the show, actually...but on what I saw I feel the need to make some comments:

• Kanye West...I have heard a little bit about this guy and his song Jesus Walks...I was glad that I got a chance to hear him finally...that was a great performance!...I loved the beginning, with Mavis Staples and the Blind Boys of Alabama...then West did a great job with the close...I read this morning that he was the leading nominee of the evening, but only walked home with three Grammys...can't say whether I agree or disagree with him losing so often, but I know I liked that performance...
• On the flip side, I hated the performance for the tsunami relief effort...wow, was that horrible!...the only one that actually sounded decent on the Beatles song was Bono...Norah Jones looked like she had no interest in being there at all (nice stage presence)...and what was up with Steven Tyler shaking the maracas?...like Marcy said, "It's no We Are The World."...OK, Steveie Wonder on the harmonica was great, but the camerawork was awful, as they didn't show him until halfway through it...it's a shame that this is the performance that they are trying to raise money with...maybe if it was a better one, they might make some more money...
• Steven Curtis Chapman won for his pop gospel category, or whatever it was...now don't get me wrong, I like SCC...but hasn't he been putting out the same album for the past several years?...to be truthful, I haven't heard his latest disc, but to beat out Jars of Clay, it had to have been really good...or maybe, the Grammy voters don't really listen to the gospel categories, and instead go off of name recognition...hmmm...
• On a related note, how did Third Day beat out tobyMac?...I'm just asking...
• I was glad to see that Ray Charles raked in eight statues...well deserving...I am looking forward to seeing the movie about him
• Is it just me, or is Usher just a poor man's Michael Jackson, without the weird tendencies?...

I welcome your comments and rebuttals...

Cell Phone Dilemma

My cell phone plan at Cingular just ended in January...that means it is time to re-up, sign up for a new plan and get a fancy new phone...there are so many options out there...do I want another Nokia (my last two phones), or a Motorola, or maybe a Sony Ericcson, or how about an LC or Samsung?...which one is best?...I have no idea...then, do I want a regular candy bar style phone, or do I want to go for a flip phone this time?...judging by the number of times Marcy has accidentally added a random number to the address book or sent someone a text message while the phone was in her purse with the numbers unlocked, conventional wisdom would tell me to get the flip phone...but I've heard they're not as good...then the question of what features I want comes into play...I really like the idea of the speakerphone so I can be safer while driving...I also like the camera phones, but will that get old quick?...what about web surfing or Bluetooth?...as you can see, there are so many questions to be answered...I would love whatever feedback any of you might have for me...I'm really hoping to hear from Jonesy, because judging from his blog, he is a tech guru...anyway, if you have any thoughts, just click on the Comments thing below and add your comments...thanks in advance...

EPIC Stuff

Leonard Sweet came to our church this week for a seminar that was put on by the district...it was called Summoned to Lead and the focus was evangelism in the culture in which we find ourselves...there was so much good stuff, that I may have to make a couple of posts to summarize it all...and then again, I may not...we'll just have to wait and see...one thing that I wanted to make sure I got out there for others to appreciate was the idea that the way we need to reach people is EPIC...one of my good friends, Trey Carey, once told me that the most important thing to know about doing youth ministry is the effective use of acronyms...EPIC, of course, is an acronym that Sweet used to discuss our evangelism...and to spell it out, he exegeted a Starbucks coffee cup (brilliant!)...our evangelism needs to be:

• Experiential
• Going to Starbucks is not about the coffee; it's about the experience
• Starbucks wants to handle the experience, so they give you a cup holder to protect your hands...they don't apologize for the experience - the temperature of the coffee - as some other establishments might
• Every experience needs to be as positive as possible
• His point: Church and a relationship with God should not be about putting on a good show, giving people a good product...it should be about finding ways to allow the individual to experience God in His fullest sense
  
• Participatory
• You can't just order a cup of coffee at Starbucks; you participate in the ordering process (I'll have a double-shot of espresso in my skinny venti latte - totally made that up)
  
• You should have to learn the language that goes into the experience (venti, latte, black eye, etc.)
• Culture is increasingly interactive and participatory
• His point: Church has gotten really good at providing a show for people, but does not give the individual the opportunity to participate...we have gotten away from making the individual learn the language (Doxology, sanctification, etc.)...this culture needs to participate...one way Sweet allows the people to participate is to almost have an open-ended discussion with them as he preaches, while a "dancing partner" is on Google putting images on the screen that relate to whatever they are talking about at the present time - ultra-cool!
  
• Image rich
• Consistent image in all Starbucks...if you go to one in Ohio or one overseas, you will recognize it as a Starbucks
• Starbucks communicates more in their images and less than in words
• His point: He led a discussion of Paul, focusing on his back...he had us describe Paul: was he short? what color hair did he have? intense or carefree? etc....then he looked at the way Paul describes himself in 2 Corinthians 11 (five times he received 40 lashes minus one, three times beaten with rods, once he was stoned, etc.)...then he had us imagine what his back must have looked like after all of that abuse...it put our image of Paul in a much different light
  
• Connection
• There has been a migration in our society from rural (with huge wraparound porches) to urban (small front porch) to suburban (no front porch and gaping garage to swallow you up)...Starbucks created a front porch for us to visit and connect in
• Society has given us relationship ministers (Dr. Phil, Dr. Laura, Oprah)...shows that we are hungry for relationships
• The first commandment in the Bible is to eat freely from any tree in the Garden; the last is to drink freely; everything in between is the table at which we sit and dine with Jesus
• His point: The church needs to be a place where people can connect with one another...also, it is not enough to make the church that kind of place...the Great Commission says to go, so we need to be creating that kind of community wherever we find ourselves

This is a very cursory summary of what Sweet had to say in the first part of the seminar...and not nearly as profound as what he actually presented...needless to say, he gave me plenty to chew on as far as what the youth ministry at La Croix looks like...so much to think about, so little time...

Lessons Learned From The Bunny Slope

This past weekend I went with my wife and her family to Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia for my first ever skiing experience...I have never been a big winter sports kind of guy...my idea of winter sports is watching college basketball while I lay in the recliner under a blanket...I tried ice skating once and almost died when I fell head-first onto the ice...so I was feeling not just a little trepidation for what would happen...to make a long story short, I didn't break anything, contrary to what I thought would happen...granted, I didn't make it off the bunny slope, but people were still getting injured on it, so for me to not get a broken something was still an accomplishment...and while I was there, I recognized quite a few life lessons that can be gleaned from my skiing weekend...it's sort of like Everything I Needed To Know In Life I learned While Skiing (or if not everything, at least a few things)...in no particular order:

• Anything worth having is going to take some work and pain
• Our day started on Friday by getting suited up and starting off with a three-hour lesson...so here we are, in the fog and snow, learning how to do advanced things like taking steps and moving...our instructor, a former Baptist evangelist, was showing us how to walk sideways up a hill...that wasn't so hard, but I can honestly say that my feet have never hurt as bad as they were at that time...I don't know if there was just no support in the boots or if I was just using my feet in a way I had never done before, but I was literally leaning on my wife trying to take some of the pressure off (she apparently was in no pain at all)...I was tempted to quit, but I figured that giving it only a half-hour was not exactly the 'old college try'...
• Then later, as we skiied, going straight was great...but then, at some point, I would have to stop or turn...that was not as great...it wasn't as easy as turning or stopping when walking...I actually had to think about it to do these things..."O.K., now which foot do I put pressure on? What do I do with the other foot? Is it called a wedge or a pizza? Why does this snow taste so gross?"...and invariably, I would wipe out...fortunately, none of my spills were bad; I was, after all, on the bunny slope...but as I watched as lots of other people, young and old, glide down the hill, I thought, "I wonder how many times they fell down?"...I'm sure it took lots and lots of spills and wipeouts to get as good as they are...so I guess if you want to get good at something and get to the point where it is actually enjoyable, you have to put the time and effort in and be willing to deal with some pain along the way...
• Pride doesn't get you anywhere
  
• As mentioned already, I didn't make it off the bunny slope...Marcy's niece, who is eight years old, made it up to the next level, the green slopes...I think, in my past, I would have taken this as a challenge to my manhood..."There's no way I'm going to let an eight year old girl be better than me! I'm going to the black diamond!"...and then they would be picking up my remains off of the mountain...you know what, in certain things, I'm pretty much OK with being a wuss...I may get made fun of, but at least I can walk today...
• Focus on the goal, or the day to day will wear you out
• On the second day of our trip, we went to a tubing run...they had four runs on the side of this huge hill with a mound of snow and ice between each one so you were sure to stay in your lane...we each had an inner tube on which we sat or laid down while sliding down this hill...each of the lanes were basically solid ice, so we were flying down this hill...it was very much fun, even when a group of us hit the wall at the end and I fell on my back on the ice (ouch!)...off to the side was a cable system that would pull us to the top of the hill...we would give the handle of our tube to the worker and he would hook it to this cable and it would pull us to the top of the hill for another run...all except for the first time, I laid on my belly while being pulled to the top...my neck was kinda' hurting from skiing (wrecking) and it hurt to look up, so I was staring down at the ice as it whizzed past while I made my way up the mountain...not a great view, and not very relaxing...but then I forced myself to look up at the top of the hill...it felt very serene to do this as I glided up the hill...I could see the line of people as they laughed and talked while waiting for their next turn to go down...I am reading Visioneering by Andy Stanley, started it on this trip...in it he writes, "God is using your circumstances to prepare you to accomplish his vision for your life. Your present circumstances are part of the vision. You are not wasting your time. You are not spinning your wheels. You are not wandering in the wilderness. If you are 'seeking first' his kingdom where you are, then where you are is where he has positioned you. And he has positioned you with a purpose in mind. (p. 45)"...it's easy to look at the day to day and feel like I am spinning my wheels, like I am just trying to stay afloat, like the ice of life is just whizzing by...but in my life and in my ministry I must look ahead to the long-range goals and plans...the reason I am once again looking for a stupid game to play or video to show to the youth is because I want them to enjoy coming to church so they can begin and maintain a relationship with Christ...the reason I am doing the dishes again or doing another home project is so that I can serve my wife and be an example of what Christ is with the church (I don't always do this example so well)...focus on the finish line, not on the step in front of you...

That's enough for now...I'm sure there is more, but I'm feeling hungry and would like to go to lunch...until later...

Mark DeVries

He came to our church this past weekend for an Understanding Your Teenager seminar...I lined this up to be a ministry to our students by being a ministry to their parents...man, it was a great seminar!...we had close to 70 parents show up...if you are one of my youth ministry friends, or are in another area of ministry, I would highly recommend that you bring this group to do a seminar for your parents...the speaker takes the parents through twelve truths about teenagers and what to do about them...I'm not giving them to you...if i did, you wouldn't need them to come to your church...anyway, I think that the seminar was not only informative, but also very encouraging...Mark said two general things in particular that would be especially encouraging if I had teenagers of my own:

1. If your kids are acting like aliens and you think you are screwing up, you are not alone and you are actually doing your job well.
2. We Win (since the kids end up acting like their parents, much to their dismay, in a sense the parents win in the long run)...funny stuff.

On a side but related note, Mark also provided some very helpful info regarding youth ministry...he has been a youth a family minister in Nashville for several years...the two things that stood out in that conversation were:

1. Leave time each week for "balcony time" (taken from a business book)...what this means is setting aside a couple of hours each week to look at the ministry from above - from the balcony - and to look ahead...where do you want to take the ministry and how do we get there?...it is very easy to get caught up in the day to day and get wrapped up in the urgent...but if you don't take the time to get the birds-eye view, you/I will just be running on the treadmill but not really getting anywhere...maybe I'll start this next week.
2. Tips on recruiting...he suggested that I compile a list of 100 potential youth leaders (which means spending more time in the lobby before and after services and getting to know people)...categorize the list into the Michael Jordans (they would be so money if they were a youth leader, the 'they would be good leaders', and the 'probably would need some work but they would be OK'...this should be done in the early spring (now) to get ready for the fall...from there, start making phone calls, start spreading the vision, and start praying (I added that)...I have my work cut out for me...

On a final side note, Mark was a great guy, very warm and very funny...I was glad to meet him...kinda' strange that he wanted to be in bed by 8pm, but who am I to judge?...heck, he's training for a marathon and I just finished a cinnamon roll...

The Pressure is On

A while back, JD Walt asked me to check out the blog page for Asbury Seminary, which I did...I shot him back an e-mail asking when my blog was going to be featured on the site...mostly I was kidding because I read some of the stuff that was posted there and I knew that mine certainly did not belong...I mean, they talk about theology and important stuff...mostly I talk about sports and movies and junk...well, I glanced at their new updated site and discovered that my blog has been listed...the pressure is now officially on...I need to come up with some deep thoughts about preaching in a postmodern culture or some pithy commentary on the writings of Augustine or a thesis on expressing hospitality in a generation of relativity...or maybe I'll just keep being me and keep writing about Napoleon Dynamite and about how excited I am that the Browns will name a new coach next week...yeah, I like that option...

The Power of a Teenager

This past summer, I had one of our students intern with me...she was going into her senior year of high school...one of her potential career options is to be a youth pastor...this girl, Jen, is 18 going on 35...she shows great maturity for her age...anyway, she did a great job as an intern...one of the things she did was to plan out a night of worship and prayer...it was a great night of connecting with God...towards the end of the summer I told her that I would like her to teach during Freefall and Splash sometime during the year...she said she would...we are right now in the middle of an American Idol series, and last night we talked about beauty...this was the lesson she chose to teach...after she was done, I went up to her and told her to not tell our senior pastor about the night...she said she wouldn't, but why not?...I told her it was because I would lose my job so they could make her the youth pastor...she was AMAZING!...she had command of the group (the largest we have ever had), a great mix of serious and very funny, but most importantly, she brought the Word of God...Jen, if I had a vote, would choose the career path of being a youth pastor, because she would be a great one...this was another great reminder of why I do what I do...

A Great Loss

The other day we learned that Johnny Carson, former host of The Tonight Show, passed away from emphysema...even though he has been absent from the public eye for roughly 13 years, this is a great loss from the world of entertainment...he did more than probably anyone else for kick-starting the careers of great comedians from Jerry Seinfeld to Jay Leno to Drew Carey to David Letterman...stories say that he has been sending jokes to Letterman for him to use on the Late Show with David Letterman, so while he has been out of the public eye, he has still been contributing to the laughter of America...I remember fondly a bit that he tried in his later years...he began by mentioning the classic philosophical question, "If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a noise?"...he then proceeded to tell the audience that he had an audio recording that was made when a logger left a tape machine running in the woods, and when he returned to it, a tree had fallen...so now he, Johnny, had conclusive evidence to answer that age-old question...he pressed play on the tape recording and listened intently as the (blank) tape played...he listened for quite a while, maybe a minute, just waiting to hear something, while the audience nervously chuckled...then someone in the audience shouted out, "I've fallen and I can't get up!" to quote the old lady in the old First Alert commercials...I thought Johnny was going to bust a gut he laughed so hard...as he laughed, he looked up at the man in the audience and said, "Thank you! I didn't have an end to that bit."...classic Johnny, setting someone else up to get the laugh...I think I need to go out and rent one of his DVD collections...

Championship Sunday

This is it, the day that will determine who plays in the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 6th...before last weekend's games, Marcy asked me who I thought would be playing in the Super Bowl...I told her that I thought the Patriots would play the Falcons in the big game...I am sticking with that prognostication (nice word, eh?)...I don't see anyone beating Belichick twice in the same year...he's just too dang smart (wish he had been that smart when he coached the Browns)...and Tom Brady is money in the postseason...and in the other game, I just have a feeling about the Falcons...no analysis, just a gut reaction...the Eagles are turning into the Bills of the early 90s...it's just starting to be kinda' fun to watch them lose in a gut-wrenching way...so there's my prediction for today's games...please do not use this as your basis for gambling on the games...if you do, you're bound to lose some money...

God is funny

I was just talking with Oral yesterday about how The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and anything by Bill Bryson were the only books that made me laugh out loud...that was until this morning...during my QT, I was reading in Joshua...chapter 13 starts with "Now Joshua was old and advanced in years when the LORD said to him, 'You are old and advanced in years...'"...leave it to God to state the obvious...made me laugh out loud...that God sure is a funny guy...

American Idol
Another January means the start of another season of American Idol...I, for one, am grateful...it's true, I am hooked on American Idol...I don't remember that being one of the addictions that Pastor Ron mentioned in his sermon on Sunday...some people - Marcy included - don't like the first couple of shows...they feel that they are too staged and that the judges are too mean...that's what got me hooked in the first place...here are a couple of observations from last night's season premiere:

• mad props to the youth pastor who was the first auditioner that they showed (except for the really awful National Anthem)...he showed that old guys can bring it, and that Christians don't have to be cheesy...in contrast...
• the girl who got up there and told them that God told her that she should be there and that she would be the next American Idol (or something like that)...then, while the judges were judging her, she was acting like God was whispering in her ear right then and there...she made Christians look downright silly (and not a little but hypocritical after her post-audition cuss-filled tirade)...
• the addition of Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray was nice...he was a pretty good judge (not as good as Quentin Tarrantino last year) with good comments and insights, good and bad...but he could have been a little less crass...the repeated comments about the one girl being hot and the other girl knowing how to spank were classless...not that anyone watches Idol for its classiness...
• that was a heartwarming story about the girl who had to pawn stuff to pay for her trip from Belpre, Ohio (Marcy's hometown) to Washington DC...I think she got through solely on her story, not her talent...but if I were her husband, I would be a little ticked off...she pawned her wedding ring(s?) instead of her karaoke machine and CDs?...I'd be less than supportive, too...
• wow, could Toni Braxton's cousin have been any more different than her?...
• Mary Roach was truly awful...I just hope they don't promote her and make her famous like they did with William Hung...the world needs only one of him, if that many...

More could be said, but I will leave it at that for now and let you add your own comments...

TOPIC: Wish I could eat that much...

Was doing a search to find some info for a youth talk, and I came across this blog posting...pictures of a 100lb. girl who successfully completed an 11lb. burger challenge...6 pounds of meat, 5 pounds of bun and other stuff...man, now that's impressive...

TOPIC: My wardrobe...

Apparently there are some people who think that they know the clothes that are in my wardrobe better than I do...last night at our senior high youth meeting, I taught in my socks, as I usually do...afterwards, one of our youth - Ally - came up to me and pointed out that my socks were the exact same color as this fleece thing I have, green with orange trim...I told her that I had no such fleece thing...she insisted that I did...I told her that the only things I had that were fleece were orange with black trim, and solid black...no green with orange...she still didn't believe me...she then proceeded to ask several of the other youth, and THEY ALL AGREED WITH HER!...I told them that they all did drugs before youth group because I had no such article of clothing...she then proceeded to call Marcy who told her that she was wrong, I had no such fleece thing...and as she left youth group, she still proclaimed that she was right and that Marcy and I didn't know what we were talking about...maybe I should check my closet again...

TOPIC: Cliches from hell...

Just a few of the cliches that make me cringe when I hear them:

-I have too much on my plate.
-Think outside the box.
-Work smarter, not harder.
-It's a God thing (I'm going to take some heat for that one).
-He/she wears many different hats.
-Give 110%.
-I'm peachy.
-Too many irons in the fire (closely related to the first one noted).

I'm sure there are others. Just can't come up with them right now. Feel free to comment and add your own...

TOPIC: The Week of Marcy...

The Week of Marcy has come to an end...the week has been in celebration of her 30th birthday, which was on Wednesday...as near as I can tell, she felt quite celebrated...my evidence is the fact that she said today, "I felt very celebrated."...yeah, I'm pretty deductive like that...it started last Friday with a surprise party at Oral's house...she was surprised as evidenced by the fact that, when they started singing Happy Birthday, she said, "It's not Mike's birthday!"...she had not a clue...she was given small gifts, 30 of each...then, part of the way through the party, her good friends Fran and Nina showed up all the way from Kentucky (I knew they were coming)...again, very surprised...we had a great weekend with them...Fran had made up a memory book for Marcy filled with letters from many of Marcy's family and friends - great gift...they left on Sunday...then Wednesday, I took Marcy to Saffron, her favorite Cape restaurant...yum!...then today, I was her chauffer...chaffuer...shofur...driver as I took her to St. Louis so she could shop...so the long-awaited Week of Marcy is now over...

By the way, I have informed Marcy that since I will be 20% older on my birthday, I get nine days for my birthday...can't wait for August!...

TOPIC: Audioblogging...

TOPIC: Bravo MLB...

Apparently, Major League Baseball and the Players' Association have come to an agreement about a tougher steroid testing policy...it includes tougher penalties - including a suspension for first-time offenders - random testing, and off-season testing...it's a good thing and it's about time...speaking as one who works with teenagers, I see how much professional athletes are worshipped by kids...I was at a freshman basketball game last week and I saw a kid make a free throw, after which he held his finger to his lips, making a "Shhhh!" gesture...again, this was a freshman...do you think he made up that gesture all on his own?...no, he saw some cocky, overpaid athlete do it, thought it was cool, and thought he would emulate him...you see it all the time - kids trying to be everything they think their idol is, including having their bad attitudes...what happens when it moves past the childish gestures and it includes putting harmful chemicals in their bodies so they can be built like Barry Bonds or Sammy Sosa?...no one really knows the long-term effects of steroids, but with professional athletes using - allegedly - these products, kids are just going to want to do it, too, not caring about the long-term consequences, potentially sacrificing their health and life for a few fleeting moments of glory...anything the leagues can do to cut down on the steroid and like products is a good thing...again, I say, "Bravo, MLB!"...

TOPIC: The Village

Well, M. Night Shyamalan has done it again for me...The Village came out on DVD yesterday so I made sure I picked it up to watch while Marcy was at small group...not her kind of movie...after the first fifteen minutes or so I thought, "I should have rented Collateral"...by the end I was glad I hadn't...another great movie with a surprise twist or two at the end...Shyamalan was starting out to be the next Alfred Hitchcock...after this movie, I would liken him more to Rod Serling of Twilight Zone fame...just one question (you may want to stop reading now if haven't seen the movie and still want to be surprised): How come they never saw planes flying overhead?...that is just my little nitpickiness shining through...great movie, though...here's how I would rank Shyamalan's movies:
1. The Sixth Sense
2. The Village
3. Unbreakable
4. Signs
I never saw Wide Awake or Praying With Anger...

TOPIC: Free iPod...

I didn't quite get enough money for Christmas to buy an iPod or video game system...I'm thinking about doing one of those free iPod offers that you get 70 e-mails for every day...I saw a news story on them on TV...they seem legit...you just have to complete one of the offers from one of their sponsor sites and get five or so of your friends to complete an offer, too...then, your iPod - or video game system, or computer, or whatever - is on its way...I'm a little nervous about having to complete an offer and I'm wondering my friends will hate me for suggesting that they complete an offer just so I can get free stuff...we'll see...will keep you informed...

TOPIC: Blogs I read...

Ally
Jonesy
JD
Asbury Seminary

TOPIC: A Christmas Poem...

Here is a Christmas Poem that our junior high school youth group helped me create...it's the same Mad Libs poem I did with the senior high...enjoy, and a belated Merry Christmas...

'Twas the grandma before Christmas and all through the meatloaf,
Not a creature was stirring, not even an idiot.
The elevators were hung by the elf with care,
In hopes that Johnny Depp would soon be yellow.
The mice were nestled all snug in their mistletoes,
While visions of pirates danced in their snorkel.
And Mom in her Chapstick and I in my shovel,
Had just settled down for a purple winter's flamethrower.
When out on the car there arose such a clatter,
I danced from my cherry pie to see what was the matter.
Away to the job, I ran like a flash,
Tore open the dog and threw up the bellybutton.
When what to my wondering elbow should appear,
But a blue sleigh and 15 shmelly reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and fast,
I knew in a moment it must be Charles.
More rapid than ducks, the pogosticks they came,
And he licked and shined and called them by name:
On Napoleon Dynamite and Fat Albert,
On Pinocchio and Amanda.
On Tyler and Don Vito,
And Derrick and Billy.
But I heard him jump as he drove out of sight,
"Dumb Christmas to all, and to all a good moustache!"

TOPIC: College football national championship...

Prior to last night's game, all of the prognosticators were saying that the upcoming championship game between USC and Oklahoma was, on paper, the best championship matchup ever...a total of four Heisman candidates on the field at the same time, including a winner on each team (the QB for USC won this year; the QB for OU won last year)...the numbers matched up ever so well...I thought, "How could it possibly be any better than when OSU beat Miami in the 2003 Fiseta Bowl for the championship?"...turns out I was right...last night was not a good game; it was a blowout...it wasn't very fun to watch...I turned it off and continued to read The Last Don by Mario Puzo, one of the three books I am currently reading...woke up this morning to find out that USC won 55-19...the OSU vs. Miami game still, in my mind, is the best college football championship game ever...period.

TOPIC: Catching up...

I've been away for a while...it's time to catch up. so here are some really random and very brief thoughts from the last however long:

• Preaching went well...got many good comments...it was fun preaching in the dark...I did that during the first half to symbolize the darkness that I was speaking on...kinda' hard to see my notes, but we had candles...some would say it was postmodern and experiential...some would say just weird...
• Went home for the holidays...it was nice to see the whole fam damily, but something has to change...the travel is just too much, 10-12 hours one way...and December is crazy enough already...this was the third Christmas that my wife and I have been together, and one or both of us have been sick each time...this time, I had a sinus infection and got a stomach nastiness while there, and Marcy had a migraine just before we left...we may have to alternate Christmases between the families...we'll see...
• How about them Buckeyes?...they came out and whupped up on the lesser OSU - Oklahoma State - in the Something-or-other Bowl...Ted Ginn, Jr. is an absolute freak!...I haven't seen someone that made everyone else look like they were standing still like that since Randy Moss in college...Go Bucks!...
• On another sports note, my Browns suck...they can't even lose right...if they had lost their last game, they would have gotten the second pick in the draft...now, because they actually won a game, they will draft #3...jugheads...
• Fave Christmas gifts, in no particular order: Napoleon Dynamite on DVD, French press coffee maker (and lots of Starbucks!), a quilt made from my old t-shirts, cool orange vest thing, U2 CD, cash money...
• The new Cranium game is great, Cranium Turbo...played it with family over New Years...much fun...
• The Cleveland Cavs got sold for $350 million...I would have bought them, but there is a $200 withdrawal limit from the ATM...bummer...
• Got to see some friends while in Wilmore overnight the other night...man, there are some good memories there...I sure miss that place and those people...it really is a great place...I think Marcy and I will be making a trip there in the spring to spend some more time...
• Big time prayers need to go out to southeast Asia...we cannot imagine the heartbreak that is happening over there...we lament the fact that over 1,000 of our soldiers have died in the year plus since we went to Iraq...150,000 lost their lives almost instantly there...please pray for them, and when you are done, pray again...

That's enough for right now...going to try to straighten up my office...not a fun job...

TOPIC: Preaching soon...

I get the opportunity to preach again in Big Kids' Church this coming Sunday...I really like to do this...ultimately, I love teaching teenagers about the things of God, but I also really dig the chances I get to do it with adult-type people...I am preaching about John 9, the passage of the man who has been blind his whole life, and then Jesus heals him..."I was blind but now I see!"...what a great summary of the Christian life...once we were stumbling around clueless, but then we met Jesus and He helped make sense of things...don't know how many people will be there on Sunday, seeing as how it is the day after Christmas and all...doesn't matter...still looking forward to it...now I just need to hope and pray that I feel better by then...don't want to be sniffling or hacking up phlegm throughout the sermon...

TOPIC: Jury duty...

How did I get picked for jury duty???...I have only lived in this town for a year and a half, and I get picked?...ridiculous...anyway, I went in last week to do my duty as an American...Marcy's first question when I got home was, "Was it interesting?"...in a word, no...it was quite boring...we stood around for a while, then sat around for a long while while we were read instructions, and then questioned, first by the prosecutor, and then by the defense attorney...after a long recess, we were given the results...as it turns out, I was not selected to be one of the twelve...it's probably a good thing that I was not chosen, because the defense attorney was so annoying, so condescending, that I wanted the prosecutor to win on that basis alone...she treated us like we were third graders and had never heard of the judicial process before...I know, how childish of me to base the fate of a man on that...that's why I say that it is a good thing that I was not among the twelve...

TOPIC: A Christmas Poem...

Here is a Christmas Poem that our high school youth group helped me create...it's a sort of Mad Libs...in case you can't figure it out, the words in italics are the ones I had them fill in...enjoy, and Merry Christmas...

'Twas the dog before Christmas and all through the clock,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a snowflake.
The hockey pucks were hung by the moose with care,
In hopes that George W. Bush would soon be smelly.
The monkeys were nestled all snug in their bumper cars,
While visions of dogs danced in their duck.
And Mom in her shovel and I in my snowman,
Had just settled down for a lysdexic winter's tree.
When out on the baby there arose such a clatter,
I skipped from my curtain to see what was the matter.
Away to the gator, I ran like a flash,
Tore open the on/off switch and threw up the boy.
When what to my wondering liver should appear,
But a bright sleigh and 32 ugly reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and greasy,
I knew in a moment it must be Marcy.
More rapid than boogers, the pencils they came,
And he vomited and licked and called them by name:
On Sasquatch and Elvis,
On Dave Matthews and Barbie.
On Tom York and Frosty the Snowman,
And Ashton Kutcher and Napoleon.
But I heard him squat as he drove out of sight,
"Yummy Christmas to all, and to all a good pig!"

TOPIC: Discipline

If you have read this blog at all, you probably know that I have a puppy...she is now a little over 5 months old...for the past several weeks, we have been taking her through obedience classes...that has been very good for her, and for us...this coming week, we actually have to be tested to see if Attie passes and gets her diploma...she has been doing very well, so we had no reason to believe that she wouldn't graduate...then comes last night...it was not a good night of training...it seemed like the things she had learned about stay-ing had been completely removed from her doggie mental framework...I would tell her to stay, and she would stand up and walk right along with me, as if I had never said anything...as a result, she would get quite a yank on her pinch collar...the more and more I did this, the more timid she would get...she also, surprisingly enough, got very loving...she knew something was wrong, and she probably knew I was causing it, but it just made her want to cuddle up to my legs and have me hold her...man, did I feel awful!...I was hurting her, but she just loved on me all the more...I knew what I was doing was for her own good...it still hurt, though...I wonder: does God hurt when He disciplines us?...and why don't we love Him all the more when He does?...hmmmm...

TOPIC: God makes me shake my head

As I type this post, I am listening to an MP3 of my cousin preaching at my home church in Ohio...it makes me think about our family and what we are doing with our lives...here I am, in Missouri, a youth pastor...my cousin that is preaching on my computer right now is a worship leader in Ohio...another cousin is a youth pastor in Pennsylvania...how weird is it to have three people in the same family in full-time ministry?...and my brother is seminary-trained, too...makes me shake my head...this is not to downplay anyone else who works at a job outside of the local church...I know they have a ministry that is just as important as the ones we hold in the church...but as I think about our childhoods (can that be pluralized?), I just find it a little baffling the way that God has directed our lives...He never ceases to surprise me...

TOPIC: Closeness...

I have a good dog...this morning, Attie sat patiently by the back door, waiting for me to finish drinking my coffee and reading my Bible...I finally got up to let her out...she wandered out to the back sidewalk, but instead of running around the yard sniffing leaves or going into the yard to facilitize (go to the bathroom), she started heaving and came back up on the porch with me...I recognized that she was getting ready to throw up, so I tried to get her back down into the yard so as not to make a mess on the porch...but she wanted to stay close to me...so I simply petted her and talked with her while she vomited on the porch - twice...it's like that with our relationship with God...we are happy to run around the yard, footloose and fancy-free, until things are cruddy...then we scamper back up onto the porch to puke before God...the difference is that God never tries to push us back down into the yard...He simply strokes our back and speaks softly to us...I have a good God...

TOPIC: The sports doldrums...

Thank goodness for Lebron James and the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers...if it weren't for them, I would be in a majorly bummed state as far as my sports loyalties go...the OSU Buckeyes never really showed up this year (except for against Michigan, which was nice)...the Browns are pitiful (except that Luke McCown got a start, which I predicted before the season)...and my fantasy football team reeks in a significant way...all I can say is, "Go Cavs!"

TOPIC: I will be the next Head Coach of The Cleveland Browns...

Want evidence? Read the application letter I just submitted below...

November 30, 2004
RE: Head Coaching Position

John Collins
c/o The Cleveland Browns
Training Facility and Administrative Complex
76 Lou Groza Blvd.
Berea, Ohio 44017

Dear John Collins,
It has come to my attention, through my good friend Chris Mortensen (I consider him a good friend as I listen to him regularly on ESPN Radio), that the position of Head Coach of The Cleveland Browns has recently become vacant. It is my deep desire to throw my hat into the ring of possible candidates to fill this opening.

I feel strongly that I have what it takes to be a head coach in today’s NFL. Most people that know me would say that I am sorely under qualified for this position. They base this solely on the fact that I have no professional, college, or high school coaching experience. In addition, I have no experience playing organized football (unless you count soccer, which I played for several years in high school). However, I have one year’s coaching experience at the YMCA Pee-Wee level. And I have been following football – and The Cleveland Browns – very closely for many years and feel that I have a keen mind for the game. When Brian Sipe threw the infamous “Red Right 88” interception against the Raiders in 1980, I knew even before he threw it that he should throw the ball into Lake Erie. When John Elway led “The Drive,” and two seasons ago when the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Browns in the playoffs, I screamed at the TV to not use the prevent defense, which the Browns employed and ultimately lost. And numerous times, I have made comments and observations about various games, to which friends and families have replied, “Wow! You should be coaching this team.” These are just a few of the evidences of my football mind. As a result, I am now looking for my opportunity to make a difference for the Browns.

Thank you for considering me for this opening. I would love to be the next Head Coach of The Cleveland Browns, and I feel that we would be a great match! Please contact me for my resume, if you have any questions, or to set up an interview. Thank you again…

Thank you,

Michael C. Fitzpatrick
MCF/mcf

TOPIC: Thanksgiving

With only a few minutes before I head home for the long Thanksgiving holiday (my local home, not Ohio), there isn't much time to compile a good list of things to be thankful for...but I'll come up with what I can:

-God, and the fact that I can have a relationship with Him...
-My lovely and patient wife Marcy...
-La Croix Church, it's leadership, and the great people I get to work with...
-the awesome youth of La Croix...
-Hostess Ho-Hos...
-all Cleveland sports teams (even though they often make me mad)...
-all the good friends in my life, especially Joe and Trey...
-my fantastic family...
-my puppy (who's quickly turning into a dog) Attie...
-modern conveniences: TV, telephones, computers, microwave, coffee maker, electricity, stereos and CDs, DVDs, etc....
-Adidas sandals...
-my car...
-Evil Dead 2...
-Arrested Development...
-living in the USA...
-reading materials...
-the color orange...
-David Wilcox music...
-Graeter's Ice Cream...
-Quizno's...
-Homestar Runner...
-kids...
-when someone says, "duty" (it makes me giggle because it sounds like "doody")...

This is by far NOT an exhaustive list, but I want to go home now...happy Thanksgiving to you and yours...

TOPIC: New CD in the player...

Currently listening to tobyMac's new CD...borrowed it from a co-worker...most excellent...it is clear that this guy was the driving force and the creative element behind DC Talk...Tait is OK, and Kevin Max went nowhere fast...toby keeps pushing the envelope and coming out with great music...I'll be wearing out this CD, fo sho (that was me trying to sound cool)...

TOPIC: Thank goodness it's over...

The ballots have been cast, and the results are final...I watched as Kerry conceded the election today, and then a short while later, Bush gave his victory speech...I am not only glad because Bush won (yeah, that's who I voted for - it's out there now)...but I'm even more glad that the whole election process is over...these Presidential election campaigns, as well as all the other local and state election campaigns, were U-G-L-Y...namecalling, accusations, twisting truths, and just downright meanness got me all fed up with the election process...not to mention the fact that there will be no political commercials for a while...now we can get back to important commercials, for things like Cialis, Pepto-Bismol, and Kotex...OK, maybe political ads aren't all that bad...I have this weird new fantasy...I want to run for political office and simply be me - t-shirts, jeans, and all - and be really nice..."Hi, I'm Fitz, and I approve this message. If you elect me President, here are the things I will try to accomplish: _________________. Now my opponent, Joe Blow, is saying some negative things about me. That's OK. He's allowed to. That's what makes this country great. Joe is actually a pretty good guy. I don't agree with everything he says, but he has strong convictions, is a good husband, and a great dad..."...anyway, you get the picture...I might actually gain a few votes from people who like nice guys...but you know what they say about nice guys...

TOPIC: The Red Sox...

I am quite glad that the Boston Red Sox finally won the World Series...this is not because I am a Boston fan; I am a lifelong, faithful Indians fan...this is not because I hate the Cardinals; they are currently my National League team, thanks to me living near St. Louis...this is also not because I felt bad for the Red Sox, since they haven't won a World Series since 1918...this is simply because maybe this means they will quit whining already..."WAAAAHH!! We haven't won a World Series in soooo long."..."WAAAAHH!! The Curse of the Bambino."..."WAAAAHH!! Bill Buckner let that ball go through his legs."..."WAAAAHH!! We have it so bad."...give me a break...hopefully this will put an end to all that sniveling and carrying on...

Now we just need to get the Cubs a World Series and we're all set...

Topic: Obedience...

During my current trek through the Bible, I find myself in the Old Testament again...each time I read through the Bible - I have done it several times now - something new shows up...or maybe I should say that something appears new to me...the latest thing that I have discovered revolves around obedience...to be more specific, it revolves around the phrase, "...just as the Lord commanded," or something similar...Noah did everything just as God had commanded him regarding the building of the ark...Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded regarding speaking to Pharaoh...at the first Passover, the Israelites did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron...David did as the Lord commanded him and he beat down the Philistines...you get the picture...

As I read through these passages, I have to ask myself, "At the end of my life, when they write my biography (because they will, you know :-) ), will they write, 'Mike did everything just as God commanded him'?"...I don't see it happening...I try to live my life by God's guidelines, but at the end of each day, I know how unsuccessful I have been...add all those days up, and you have a whole lot of falling short...thank God that my relationship wih Him is not dependent upon my doing everything just as He commands me...is that my goal, what I strive for, what should be my aim?...certainly...but fortunately, God recognizes that I am human and that I will fall short...however, I will keep trying...man, it sure would be cool though to hear those words at my funeral...if I weren't dead and all...

TOPIC: Youth ministry - how fun...

Over the last two days, I have had three students come to me with significant problems in their lives, and a fourth is coming in shortly...apparently I have been here long enough for them to feel comfortable sharing with me their concerns, issues, and heartaches...that is great, because that is part of what I do and part of growing up in Christ...and it would be fine if I didn't have such a feeling-type personality...it would be nice to be able to analyze it and to not get caught up in the emotion of it, but that's just not me...it weighs heavily on me...it would be much easier if it happened maybe once a week, but four in two days is a little overwhelming...I'll get though it, with God's help...pray...

TOPIC: Why do we say that?...

I have something that I need to get off my chest...I have a new pet peeve, for lack of a better descriptor...it's a small, two-word phrase that many people I know use, including myself...but lately I have decided that I would, if I had the power, wipe it from the face of the linguistic earth...the phrase is, "real quick"...it's used as a part of a larger phrase such as, "I need to go to the bathroom real quick," or "I have a story to tell you real quick"...the phrase is grammatically incorrect, but that is not my problem with it...my problem is that it makes me wonder if we are really that busy that others have to give the disclaimer that what they are doing, they will do it quickly so as not to inconvenience us...sure, I have a lot of things going on, but my life needs to be about people, not about my time...Jesus was about people, not time...He didn't wonder if this healing or that personal contact was going to interfere or make Him late for His committee meeting with the Rabbis...He knew that He came to be with people...and I am supposed to imitate Him, not be wrapped up in how busy I am or the ministry is...I need to be about people...so the next time you are with me and you have to go to the bathroom or tell me a story, take your time...I've got it to give...
 

TOPIC: Professional athletes...

Yet another reason to hate professional athletes...if you've watched or listened to any sports broadcasts today, you've heard the story of Frankie Francisco, a relief pitcher with the Texas Rangers...late in the game against the Oakland A's, a fracas erupted, but it wasn't between the Rangers and the A's...it was between the Rangers and the fans of the A's...apparently there were some fans mouthing off to the pitchers that were in the bullpen, and one of the pitchers lost it...he and some of the other pitchers started to go after the fans...and then, out of nowhere, Frankie launches a chair into the stands and hits a lady in the face, breaking her nose...now I know, fans can be idiots...I've witnessed some of them, especially since I watched games from the old Dawg Pound in Cleveland...but couldn't other measures have been taken, like having security remove the fans or simply ignoring them...but no, the athletes think they have certain rights and are above the law...I was glad to hear that he was arrested and not just suspended...not only is this another reason to hate pro athletes...it's also another reason why the new Commissioner of Major League Baseball should be my cousin's husband, Cleveland attorney Stephan Schlegelmilch, Esq...if there is one person that can fix baseball's problems, it's him...Schleg for Commish...

Just thought you might like to meet my new puppy, Attie...although she is a girl, she is named for Atticus Finch from 'To Kill a Mockingbird'...she is absolutely adorable, except when she whines and barks all night long...she's still cute then, too, but also quite annoying...but we still love her...they tell me that this will be good practice for having kids...we'll see... 

TOPIC: The body and the blood...

This past weekend, I got to serve Communion at my church...now this is something I have done countless times, both here and during my time at seminary...there have been times in my life that I have dealt emotionally with the idea of Jesus Christ, the God-man, giving up his life in such a brutal, inhuman way, so it generally doesn't affect me the same way any more...some may call that callousness, I don't know...but something different happened this time...the juice dripped on my hand...maybe it has happened before and I just didn't notice it, but it felt like a new experience...and then it happened again...and again...then one man, as he was taking the juice-soaked bread to his lips, splattered it on his shirt...after I served, I sat down and looked at my hands...there were stains from the juice and small morsels of bread...my mind immediately raced to the soldiers that whipped and beat my Lord to death...I thought of Pontius Pilate and how he metaphorically washed his hands of Christ's blood...I considered those who removed his lifeless body from the cross...how all of them must have been covered in the blood of Jesus, either literally or figuratively...then I thought of myself...I thought of the times I have turned my back on God, the times I knew the right and did the wrong, the times I rebelled against the only one worthy of my entire loyalty...and I thought, "It's not enough."...this small amount of juice and bread was simply not enough to cover for the sins in my life...but fortunately, that wasn't all...it was only a small shadow of what Jesus did when he laid his life down on that cross, when he shed his blood and allowed his body to be broken for me...for me...what a strange thought...he did it for me...Jesus, thanks doesn't cut it...but thanks just the same...

TOPIC: Summer's almost over...

Yeah, it's true...summer's almost over...I can't believe it's already here...it seems like only yesterday that I thought that I had plenty of time to prepare for the new school year, to get all my youth teaching squared away, to get all my calendars put together, and so on...but school starts next week, which means so does the youth programming at church...it was an insane first part of the summer, but the last couple of weeks have been laid back...maybe a little too much so...I think I got a little complacent and am now feeling a little behind the 8-ball...it will be O.K., though...as a wise man once said, "If you wait until the last minute to do everything, it only takes you a minute to do everything."...now there's some true wisdom...

TOPIC: Idol...

Who will it be? Fantasia or Diana? We'll find out tonight...my buddy thinks it's all about Fantasia, but her attitude drives me a little batty...sure, Diana is all bubbly and bubble-gum, but man does she have pipes!...anyway, we'll see what happens...

I love this town (Cleveland)! 

Cool stained glass of Jesus crucified at YS Convention 

TOPIC: Fun game...

Here's a fun game if you are looking for some time to kill and are with some music-literate friends...it's called The Band Game, for lack of a better name...how to play it: one person comes up with the name of a band or recording artist...the next person has to come up with another band or recording artist whose name starts with the last letter of the previous one...so if someone said Brian Setzer, the next person could say Ray Charles, to which the next person could respond with Sly and the Family Stone, etc...the word 'The' does not count as a 'T' name, so The Beatles would be a 'B' band...the 'Y' Rule may need to go into effect after a while...after exhausting the few 'Y' names that there are (Yo-Yo Ma, Yoko Ono, etc.), you can then start using the next to last letter in the name to start the next one...you may need to use it also with 'X'...just played it for two days straight with some co-workers...much fun...

TOPIC: Lazy days...

It's nice to just have some lazy days...my wife is at work, and today is my day off...I got up late (8:30am - not too late) and cooked a huge breakfast...then I got online to send an e-mail and pay some bills...I have ESPN Radio on in the background and I'm still in my PJs...it's lovely...I have some chores to do today, but they will still be there in a little while when I get to them...

TOPIC: New yummy food...

Have you tried French Toast Crunch cereal?...how about French Toast Pop-Tarts?...wow, both are really yummy...and when you toast the Pop-Tarts, it makes the whole house smell really tasty...

TOPIC: Kick in the stomach...

Ever have one of those days...man, I had one yesterday...I was majorly bummed because not as many kids signed up as I wanted for some events we had planned...it put me in a funk...then I had some computer issues and lost some of a document I had put a couple of hours into...it was not a good day at all and I was feeling it...then I went to our midweek worship service...that went a long way toward straightening my attitude out...it reminded me that I am always teaching our kids to not look at your problems but to look at Jesus...I was so not doing that...it feels like a kick in the stomach when you realize that you were not listening to your own words...the worship time was awesome, especially the part led by the little kiddos...and as always, communion focused me...it was great to again focus on Jesus after that...felt much better on the way home...

TOPIC: Great worship...

The music in our church service this morning was awesome!...one group song and one special song had the same theme...Forever by Chris Tomlin was one song, and Emmanuel was the other...both have the theme of God being with us...it's good to be reminded that God didn't just create us and leave us to fend for ourselves...He also didn't create us and simply abandon us when we screwed up...instead, He loves us even though we screw up all the time, and He wants to be involved in our lives on a daily, minute-by-minute basis...all we have to do is let Him...He won't force Himself on us, but if we call on Him, He will respond and be a part of our lives...now that's good news!...

TOPIC: Garage(less) Sale...

Just had a fundraiser yesterday for our youth group...it was a Garage(less) Sale (since we don't have a garage)...people from the church donated all sorts of crud and we sold it, with the proceeds going to the mission trips we will take this summer...went quite well...made over $2,500.00...I'm not gonna' complain about that...I do have to say that garage salers are absolute nuts!...we weren't going to start the sale until 8:00am, but we had people scoping stuff out and claiming it as early as 6:30am...the truck wasn't unloaded and the stuff didn't even have prices on it yet!...finally, by 7:30am, I was kneeling in our parking lot with a line of 20-30 people making up prices and just selling stuff...it was insane!...but it made money, so that's all that matters...

TOPIC: Best series finale ever...

They had a web poll on ESPNRadio.com today...might still be there...the question was, "What was the best season finale ever on TV?"...not surprisingly, they didn't have my fave listed...it was a little-watched show in the 80's called Sledgehammer...I say little-watched because my best friend, Joe, and I were the only ones who watched it, I think...anyway, in the season finale - the season that they were in danger of cancellation - Hammer accidentally set off a nuclear bomb...the caption read "To be continued?" since they didn't know if they would be renewed...they were...the following season, they recapped by showing what happened at the end of the previous season...then they said, "Tonight's episode took place three years prior to these events," so you never found out what happened to Hammer of his cohorts...absolutely hilarious and clever...nice way to get renewed...

Runner-up would have to be Newhart or M*A*S*H*...

TOPIC: Youth ministry...

Just finished yet another book on youth ministry...good one by Andy Stanley and Stuart Hall called The Seven Checkpoints...it was a good read and very practical...here is the problem I am having...there are so many books out there telling you how to do youth ministry that's its hard to know which one is right...they don't generally give you a specific gameplan, but they tell you things like:

-You need a purpose statement
-There are seven things that each student needs to get out of your ministry
-You need this curriculum that will span the Bible and relevant topics over the six years you have them
-Today's youth ministry should be about postmodernism and should reflect vintage Christianity

Which is right?...or maybe the question should be, how much of each is right?...I would love to find the best way to reach the youth in my area...and I know there is no silver bullet that will guarantee 'success,' but it would help if they all got on the same page...I guess it's a matter of trial and error and finding out what works for the kids I get...I'll let you know how it turns out...

TOPIC: Friends...

On Thursday night, Friends will air it's last episode...quite frankly, it's about time...don't get me wrong; I was once a big fan of Friends and still watch it occasionally...but it seems to have run its course...I haven't watched religiously in several years now, but every time I turn it on or see a commercial for it, it seems that Ross and Rachel have some sort of romantic / sexual tension thing going on...enough already!...move on and get healthy, for goodness sakes...and how in the world can these people work not very good paying jobs and afford an awesome apartment in NYC?...the average apartment goes for a million dollars!!!...and the show probably has done more harm for the morals in America than shows like The Sopranos and Sex in the City...why?...because their relativistic morals and sexuality is seen as funny and acceptable, rather than over the top like the other shows...if you can get someone to laugh at immorality and make it look normal and O.K., it's a slippery slope after that...I won't be too sad to see Friends go...but I will be watching on Thursday just to see how everything turns out...

TOPIC: Heroes...

You want a hero?...look no further than Pat Tillman...here's a stud who stood up for his convictions...a pro football player who left a LOT of money on the table so he could go serve our country in the war against terrorism...he had been playing for the Arizona Cardinals when 9/11 happened...he was so moved by this tragedy that he gave up his career in football to serve in the military...how easy would it have been to live the good life while playing a game he had loved?...very...but he chose the hard road and ultimately paid the price of his life, dying last week...the thing that most stood out to me in the life of this man was the fact that he never talked about what he was doing...he could have gotten on his soapbox and said, "Hey! Look at me! I'm a great American because I'm giving up millions of dollars to join the military. What a great guy I am!"...but he didn't...he did it quietly...he just served and gave his life for something he believed in...are you?...

TOPIC: Shielding my eyes from the light...

Had an interesting "A-ha!" moment at the Ichthus Music Festival...it occurred while we were standing listening to one of the speakers (we couldn't sit - too muddy)...as usual, I was located on the left side of the field as I faced the stage, which meant that the late afternoon sun was in my eyes (I haven't yet learned to go to the other side of the field)...and as I was trying to listen to and watch the speaker, I had to shield my eyes from the sun, because it was getting quite uncomfortable glaring in my eyes...made me think about the fact that Jesus said that he was the light of the world...I wondered how many times I had "shielded my eyes" from Jesus because his presence was making me uncomfortable...the closer and closer we get to Jesus, the more and more aware we become of the darkness in our own lives, and it is tempting to try and shy away from that light shining in trying to remove the darkness...try to not shield your eyes from the light...the outcome is worth the uncomfortableness...

TOPIC: Ichthus, continued...

More Fitzie Awards to dole out...

Thankless Job Award: tie, between the police officers who did their best to keep traffic moving and to keep people from getting hit by cars, and the guys who were sucking poo out of the porta-pots..."We're Number One in the Number Two Business"...

Coolest Merch Available: Trucker cap sold by John Rueben that said, "Oh look, another trucker cap...John Rueben"...not to mention the fact that it was in the hottest pink imaginable...

Biggest Surprise: The 35th Anniversary Celebration was way cool...they started by showing a banner from the very first Ichthus and introducing the wife of the recently departed founder of Ichthus, Bob Lyons...then they shot off fireworks while playing lots of great music over the sound system...very exciting, and surprisingly, very worshipful...

Must go put together a talk for tonight's junior high youth meeting...have a great day...

TOPIC: Ichthus Music Festival...

Well, it's day 1 1/2 of recuperation time from the Ichthus Music Festival...I feel sorry for the six kids that went with us that had to go to school the next day...but not so sorry that I'm not enjoying my time off...this morning, I ate Pop-Tarts, drank coffee, and watched Malcolm in the Middle and Arrested Development that I taped on Sunday...I don't know why Arrested Development is getting horrible ratings...very funny show...anyway, back to Ichthus...it's nice that it's not raining outside and that there is no mud on my feet...it's nice that I don't have to put garbage bags on my feet before getting in a car...needless to say, it was a little messy in Kentucky over the weekend...cars were getting stuck all over the festival; people were mudsliding; and the traffic got so bad that the state threatened to shut the festival down because cars were lining the streets heading into the campground...I just hope that it doesn't give the festival a black eye...they do a great job and the only negative feedback I have ever heard about Ichthus is the weather (unlike Cornerstone)...

It's time to give out the first annual Fitzie Awards for Ichthus:

Show of the Year: tobyMac, hands down...I was telling my wife that one of the things I really like about tobyMac's shows is that it never sounds like one of his albums...you know what I'm talking about; some bands in concert, well, you could have heard the same thing if you had just listened to their CD...not tobyMac...he really mixes things up, and his concerts are just as creative as his CDs...as always, lots of energy, including a breakdancing male backup singer/dancer who did a backflip off of the speaker stack...they did a great medley of old school funk/disco/r&b stuff...the other male backup singer dancer did an amazing human beatbox...the female singer had pipes like you wouldn't believe...all in all a great show...

Runner-Up: For All The Drifters...not only are they better musicians than many of the other bigger bands - like Relient K and Pillar (sorry Emily) - but they also mentioned me on stage...very cool...thanks JT...

Most Deafening Performance: tie between Pillar (for whatever reason, they were about 20 decibels louder than the other hardcore band Kutless) and Mike Bickle, the speaker on Saturday night...I guess he didn't realize that you don't have to yell to have your voice amplified; that's what a microphone is for...

Biggest Disappointment: tie between the weather (lots of rain and mud) and Hannah puking and having to miss her fave band, Switchfoot...poor thing...

Funniest Moment: had to be Emily getting her finger stuck in a bottle of spicy water, Ale-8-1...

Best Speaker: Big Poppa, Rick Grigsby (heh-heh-heh...)...he made us laugh, he made us cry, but more importantly, he showed us how we could worship God even when we don't understand or like what God is allowing to happen to us...

I'm sure more awards will come to me, but I must go bake bread now...do me a favor and look around to see where you see God today...

TOPIC: March Madness...I'm mad...

Already my March Madness bracket is suspect...I picked Charlotte to upset Texas Tech - wrong...I picked Southern Illinois to bump off Alabama - wrong by one point...and I contemplated long and hard about picking Manhattan to knock off Florida, but I ended up going with Florida - again, wrong...must learn to go with the first instinct...thank goodness for Maryland and St. Joe's so far...it has the making for a rough March for me...it's a good thing it's only for fun and that there is no money involved...otherwise, it would be hard to pay the mortgage this month...

TOPIC: Professional athletes...

Man, professional sports are really starting to annoy me...actually, I should say that professional athletes are really starting to annoy me...first there is Jason Kidd...the New Jersey Nets sucked until they got rid of Byron Scott as their head coach...was he that bad of a coach?...I think not...it's pretty obvious that Kidd and the cronies that followed him were tanking games until they got their way and got Scott fired...then there was Allen Iverson pouting and refusing to suit up for a game because he wasn't going to start...baby...and finally, Terrell Owens gets his way by saying that he doesn't want to play for the Ravens - who I can't stand, by the way - so he gets the 49ers to trade him to the Eagles instead...since when were the players the ones who dictated what happens and what doesn't?...I guess we don't need head coaches or general managers anymore...professional sports are declining, but since I have been a sports fan for 34 years, it's hard to break the habit...they are like drugs to me; I would like to kick the habit, but I just don't see it happening...

Thank God for March Madness and other collegiate sports stuff...except the BCS...but that's another post altogether...

TOPIC: My cousin, Tylenol PM, and recent viewings...

So I got a phone call this morning...it was my cousin saying that he saw my blogger online...I thought, "Crud! It's been a while since I have updated it."...he also implied that it was cheesy...jerk...just kidding...it probably is cheesy, but I've never claimed to not be cheesy...it's just a part of being me, I guess...

I'm pretty tired this morning...haven't finished my coffee yet, and not sleeping very well...got a lot of stuff on my mind: planning activities for the youth group, visitors coming, etc....when lots of stuff is going on, I don't sleep well...thank God for Tylenol PM...it is my friend, and I anticipate that we will be getting together tonight...

Saw a great movie the other night: Runaway Jury with John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, and Rachel Weisz (yama-yama!)...great stuff!...I knew it would be because my dad recommended it to me, and if he made it through a whole movie, it must be good...he usually loses interest after 30 minutes or so...rent it if you haven't seen it...

Was glad to see that Jon Peter Whatever-his-last-name-is made it through on American Idol...I don't think he has the talent to make it through to the end, but he sure is quirky and fun to watch...we'll see if he gets through tonight...if he weren't in it, I wouldn't be nearly as interested...

Ummmm, so have a great day...

TOPIC: Hunger, movie, and comics...

I'm feeling a little hungry this morning, even though I had my usual Fruit-Loop waffles with peanut butter on them (yum!)...makes me think about this weekend when the youth group that I lead will be doing the 30 Hour Famine...we will be going 30 hours without food while raising sponsors to help support starving kids around the world...right now we support the cutest kid ever from Uganda...we will be supporting him and one or two other kids for the whole next year with the money we raise...it's going to be a good time and an educational one for the kids and for all the leaders...I am very much looking forward to it...

Saw an interesting movie this weekend (actually Thursday): Lost in Translation...I don't know that Sofia Coppola deserves director of the year or that it deserves movie of the year, but it did intrigue me...it was a good picture of how people can get involved in extra-marital affairs...they find someone that they can connect with in a way that they can't with their spouse, and that's how it starts...the main characters didn't have sex with each other, but they had what I would call an emotional affair...it made me want to be even more cautious about my relationships with members of the opposite sex so that I don't fall into the same trap...

Best comic strip of all time: Calvin & Hobbes...Second best: Bloom County...Current best: Foxtrot or Zits...just my $.02 worth...