Some Christmas Cheer!

Just to make you smile:

On Marraige and Divorce

Marriage saves lives, while divorce harms the environment:

We could all extol the benefits of marriage and the consequences of divorce but I was surpsised today by these two articles that appeared side by side on Yahoo's front page this morning. One article says that not only is divorce bad, it is bad for the environment! Then right below that was a link to an ABC video (from Good Morning America, video is on the top right conrner) and a news article about how a wedding ring saved a man's life by deflecting a bullet.

I love the quote from the guy who was shot when he said "I know being married was a good thing, I just didn't know it was that good." And his wife follows up with "I think its a good lesson for men out there to learn: That its a good idea to wear that ring--it could come in handy sometime."

Here is a great quote on marriage from Alfred Adler:
"We only regard those unions as real examples of love and real marriages in which a fixed and unalterable decision has been taken. If men or women contemplate an escape, they do not collect all their powers for the task. In none of the serious and important tasks of life do we arrange such a "getaway." We cannot love and be limited."

or the more pessimistic view stated by Socrates always makes me laugh:
"My advice to you is to get married. If you find a good wife, you'll be happy; if not, you'll become a philosopher."

And for the simply humorous from Rita Rudner:
"I think men who have a pierced ear are better prepared for marriage. They've experienced pain and bought jewelry."

For the pragmatic:
"I got gaps; you got gaps; we fill each other's gaps." --Rocky Balboa

Reveal

If you are in church leadership you need to watch this video called Reveal created by Willow Creek based on research they have done in 31 congregations across the country totaling over 20,000 people. They started asking questions not just based on numbers and participation but deeper questions about their success rate at creating disciples and helping church members develop intimacy with Christ as exampled by people who categorized their relationship with Christ as their top priority and lived as people that demonstrated both a heart for God and a heart for people.

This is a teaser video found on youtube, to see the extended 13 minute video go here. (Which I recommend)

Ask Anything

Pastor Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church in Seattle have created a website called Ask Anything. At the ask anything site you can ask your questions and/or vote on your favorite questions that you would like to see Mark answer. At the end of the year they will calculate the top 9 questions and he will preach a series based on those questions. I think this is an interesting and creative way to "stump the pastor" as it has been called for years.

As the Student Pastor at my church I have been curious ever since I read in one of Mark's books where he stated that Mars Hill would never have a youth group but then said he changed his mind and create a student ministry at Mars Hill. So I asked him my question. I wanted to share with you the opportunity to ask your own question but, even-more-so, selfishly ask you to vote for my question.

In recent months there has been much discussion on whether or not student ministry in the American Church is successful, necessary, or even biblical. Therefore I wanted to know why and how a pastor like Mark Driscoll known for his reformed and conservative theological views would change his mind on this issue. If you are curious as well, maybe you are a youth pastor yourself, consider voting for my question up to 10 times a day.

College Coach attacks media, defends good kid

Wow! I really don't know what to say. This video is powerful and impressive.

The Gospel in 6 Minutes

The Gospel in 6 Minutes is a presentation created by John Piper and his Desiring God Ministries. This is multifaceted in its scope and use, text, audio, and video all accessible on the web. The presentation is clear, precise and succinct.



[Thanks to the Rabbi for pointing me here first.]

How an email message travels around the world

Gmail asked Gmail account holders to help them imagine how an email message travels around the world. All it took was a video camera, the Gmail M-velope ( ), and some creativity. Someone sifted through all the entries and compiled a final version of the collaborative effort. Here it is, along with a link to all the submissions on Youtube.

11 Guys At The Playground

Thanks to Bob Sturm of BAD Radio on 1310 the Ticket for this one. They talked about this video on the Ticket today and I knew I had to check it out. If you ever played a pick-up game at your neighborhood court, local gym, even in church league then you have at one point in time run into everyone of these guys. Enjoy the video.


11 Guys At The Playground - Watch more free videos

Band of Horses

If you don't know Band of Horses, well then you don't know bands or horses and that just makes me a sad, sad audio-equistrian-o-phile. So do me and you and Band of Horses a favor and go to their myspace where you can download their new single, hear other tunes, and pre-order their new disc about to be released on Subpop.

Gotta Love the French!

French Army Knife

Implications?

Watch this video of Malcolm Gladwell, auther of The Tipping Point and Blink. Then discuss if you believe his talk has any implications for church life and missional living.

Fun with Youtube

I found these on Youtube and I believe I should subject you to them as well. Enjoy?:

Superfriends vs. Friends


Ghetto Man Roasts the Superfriends


[Note: This is a clip from a show that did not last very long (for obvious reasons) but some of the others are worth checking out as well.

Check out this if you are interested in spoofs of the famously overdone "Wassup" commercials for Bud. There is Jewish Wassup, Superfriends Wassup and Transformers Wassup to name a few.

Johnny Burnette performing "Lonesome Train" (every day is better with a little Rockabilly)


Introduce yourself to James McMurtry if you haven't already with the video for "Levelland" and then do yourself a real favor and go hear his song about Texoma (North Texas/Southern Oklahoma) called "Choctaw Bingo." (Warning: 'Choctaw' contains naughty language). While you are at it check out The Notorious Cherry Bombs, Robert Earl Keen, and Townes Van Zandt (through this tribute from Emmylou Harris, Willie, and Steve Earl playing Townes' songs on Austin City Limits).

I will leave you with an incredible clip from a documentary about Gram Parsons. If you don't know Gram Parsons then that just breaks my heart. So here you go:

D.A. Carson's Personal(?) Blog

You really really need to check out this blog: The Secret Diary of D.A. Carson. Check it out if you know who D.A. Carson is. IF not it still applies if you know such figures as Paige Patterson or John Piper, or if you study the New Testament, or ever went to Bible College or Seminary.

Trust me it's just for grins and giggles but we need those sometimes. Or at least I do.

Listen to your iTunes Library anywhere?

Does that sound crazy? Probably not. You are thinking, duh, that is what your iPod is for. But what if you are like me? What if you have an 80 gig iPod and yet that holds less than half of your actual (thus far) digitized music library? If you are like me and have way to much music digital or otherwise for you own good (and more than your wife thinks is reasonable), you look for ways to carry as much as possible without having to drive a U-hual everywhere you go.

Enter sites like AnywhereFM and Simplify Media. They are a welcome edition to my assortment of tools and gadgets that allow me to constantly play to soundtrack of my life in the background or forefront of my existence. Depends on what the moment calls for.

I am currently trying Anywhere FM at work and Simplify Media at home. Both work basically the same way. Create an account. Download there software to upload your music. Upload your music. Connect and listen. Simple. Effective. Free. They both include the feature of inviting and connecting with friends libraries to hear their music as well.

Look forward to hearing from those of you out there that are possibly using similar tools or these options to listen online.

On another note, anyone using a Slingbox yet? I would love to hear about your experience and thoughts on this device!

The Bible Web 2.0 Style

In looking online for resources and bible study tools I recently have come across YouVersion.com. Billing itself as "a free online bible like no other" it promises to integrate scripture (multiple versions), community, and collaboration (user-contributed content) to create this interactive opportunity. You can read about it on the YouVersion Blog and check out the tour. In case you are wondering who is behind it: LifeChurch.tv

Check it out and then discuss your thoughts here.

Here are some of my questions that the YouVersion website may or may not address. (I will have to fully examine all the content over time.)

Initially it is a cool idea but my thoughts/questions/concerns are:
Who ultimately controls the content? Will debate be allowed and to what degree? Is it a sight where opposing viewpoints will be allowed Arminianism vs. Calvinism, Pre-mil vs Amil, etc?
What about Jewish, Mormon and Atheist thought, will absolutely anyone be able to contribute their thoughts and material on the bible.

I am just curious. What are your thoughts? I look forward to the beta launch and getting to see the early stages of this new collaborative process.

Insound is a great source for good music...

I subscribe to Insounds weekly email list and have found it to be one of my top sources for good, quality, indie rock. And since I have been leading a busy summer in youth ministry and woefully neglected my blog I wanted to share this quick post from Insound to hopefully help you find some good music that you too may have overlooked or missed out on while surviving the sweltering sweatiness of the summer or even just stuck in the daily grind of a job where your only difference between summer and winter is whether you were a cotton blazer or wool.

INSOUND'S TOP TEN OF 2007 (THAT WE FORGOT LAST WEEK)

Wow, we sure started a controversy with our Top Ten Records of 2007 (so far) list . We received calls and e-mails from around the globe (and around the office) demanding us to explain why we failed to put ________’s album on the list. And we responded with, “sorry we suck so much.” But thinking about it some more, you definitely did have some good suggestions. So we’re going to try this again. We bring you Insound’s Top Ten Records of 2007 (that we forgot about last week) . Zach Hill, a drum roll please: I. The National - The Boxer II. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga III. Richard Swift - Dressed Up For The Letdown IV. Battles - Mirrored V. Gui Boratto - Chromophobia VI. Times New Viking - Paisley Reich VII. Blues Control - Blues Control VIII. Elliott Smith - New Moon IX. Arthur & Yu - In Camera X. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Is Is Are we cool with each other, again? COUPON CODE: toptenforgot (10% off any of these albums till August 8th.)

Where your faith on your sleeve?

I don't normally dig "Christian" shirts, or "Christian" oven mits, or whatever the latest CBA marketing gimmicks are but occassionally there comes along someone serious about their faith and their art equally. Here are 3 clothing companies out there that I have come to believe in think are worth sharing.

Micah (online here and at myspace)

We are an independent clothing line. This is our myspace. Our hope is that through our clothing we can bring joy to a hurting world. We are Christians, but we don’t want to just be labeled a ‘Christian company,’ we want to live like one. We hope for the future. We hope you will join us in our efforts.

Jedidiah (see them here and at myspace)

Jedidiah....a passion for people, branding hope for the world

In 2001, the concept of a clothing brand that would be rooted in love became a reality for a small group of people in southern California. Burdened by what seemed to be an endless onslaught of lifestyle alternatives that promote self-gratification, greed and addiction. Jedidiah embarked on a path of trying to touch the hearts of people through clothing. We feel that serving others is more fulfilling to the human heart than serving yourself.

Prophetik (find them here and at myspace)

Wearable Philosophy
There is a war at hand between the balance of the needs of the individual and the needs of the community…between freedom and order….between passions and principles…between selfish desires and stewardship…short term verses long term.

(* Each picture and quote taken from the designers website and/or myspace)

How to be trendy again!

In case you are like me and don't really love the east coast or the left coast but think they are a great place to visit occasionally here are some tees that will help you with your hipster street cred if you get them before your trendy buddies. You can purchase them here.

Summer lovin, havin' a blast!

Well ministry in the summer for a youth pastor is always crazy busy but when I realized I had not contributed to my blog in over a month I was aghast. I think I was aghast anyway, I am not sure what that means really.

While I do hope to return to some more regularity in my postings I know the summer is still activity laden and its prime time to hang with students outside rather than peck away at a dimly lit keyboard inside.

This summer has already brought great highs and lows in ministry. Here are some highlights:

At VBS, where I lead the closing ceremonies each night and presented the gospel on Thursday night we saw around 25 children saved by grace and acknowledge Jesus as leader and friend; two teenagers as well.

Immediately after VBS we set sail for Colorado, Woodland Park to be exact, for youth camp. Where we suffered in temperatures fluctuating between the high 30's at night and low 70's during the day. We saw students experience regeneration while others experienced restoration and healing. I am so proud of what God the Father did in the life of his children at Quaker Ridge. And I am amazed and broken more than ever at what teenagers are going through and what burdens they are often carrying alone attempting to deal with and live with.

On top of that I got to preach on Fathers Day while our pastor was on vacation. It was awesome as I was delirious with sleep deprivation from camp and the drive back from Colorado. But it was also perfect since it was my first Fathers Day as a father. I had the perfect sermon seeing as how I am the perfect dad and Eli at 10 months is still the perfect son.

On top of that I faced one of the most difficult crisis' and hurts of my whole entire ministry career. While some things are easier to deal with than others I believe restoration, protection, healing and forgiveness will be the outcome of what otherwise could have caused great devastation of lives for some. Of course I will not go into detail here but personally my wife and I experienced: hurt, betrayal, embarrassment, bewilderment, despair, stress, and frustration, among other things. No one ever really sees the consequences of their actions on everyone else until it is much too late.

We had a work day at church like no other. You may know how every church that has been around awhile seems to collect church members stuff that they can't get rid of any other way. Somehow it ends up at the church. We cleaned out at least 4 packed rooms of just 30 years or more of accumulated junk. We finished a major component in the remodeling of our student ministry area. We cleaned, we hammered and we ate pizza and it was the most fun I have had doing manual labor with friends in a very long time.

Eli is growing like a weed. Like a weed that weighs like a 25lb sack of 'taters. He is crawling all over the house faster than a jack rabbit on acid. He pulls up and walks his way up down any furniture in the house that has sharp edges, glass doors, hard pointy corners or handles. He yells to drown out any other possible noise that might be in 5 block radius. He poops in such a way that all bugs and small varmints in the vicinity are temporarily stunned into unconsciousness. He loves the bath more than life itself and at this point seems to be leaning towards a career in either piracy or marine biology.

It is nearly July in Texas and I can't think of a day without rain so far this summer. My yard looks like the Serengeti plain (with out the Zebras or is it Zebri?) Our 3 year old Schnauzer Sammey is afraid of the rain and is apparently on a peep and poo strike until further notice. She absolutely refuses to go outside in the rain but is at least being a sport about it and is not doing her business inside either. It is only a matter of hours before her eyes pop out of her head, her kidneys and bowels explode and we loose our security deposit on our house forever.

It has nearly rained out every outdoor student ministry event on the summer calendar thus far. The rain seems to have no end in sight either. And first and foremost I have truly become convinced weathermen/meteorologists are lying through their teeth each and every time some one points a camera toward them. They have absolutely NO freakin' idea of what the weather is going to do more than a few hours at most before it does it.

Still ahead, Mexico Mission trip, plans for Russia and/or Spain, a boatload of $10 Tuesdays, Wednesday night messages, Lake days, movies, dirty diapers and late night typing sessions to rant and rave about all that goes on in around my tiny little brian.

Lust Control

My friend that Rabbi posted today on Fighting Lust with some links to the Irish Calvinist and a great resource from John Piper. I will direct you there for the serious side of the discussion and some valuable tools he has already listed. But it did remind me of an infamous underground Christian punk band with secret identities, ski masks, and a penchant for the taboo. Luckily the church has come along way since the days of Lust Control and now discussions about sexuality and sex are handled openly and biblically. (in most cases) Thanks in part to this new attitude the identities of the group are no longer a secret either. In fact to my surprise they even have a myspace though they no longer perform or record.

One of their most memorable songs was "The Big M." I'll give you one guess what that one is about. Check out their music and check out the Rabbi's thoughts on the subject.