tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56695062287370148192011-08-01T11:14:37.107-07:00becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.comBlogger241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-69470795589685244272010-05-25T06:25:00.000-07:002010-05-25T06:43:46.792-07:00

It is weird no longer wearing a church name tag or carrying a minister's business card. There are things I confess I already miss. To be entirely transparent, I miss being seen as having something official to say about faith, about God. When you are on staff at a church, people lend their ear to your words on these subjects and they expect you to have something helpful to say. When you no

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-6718091374451753502010-01-17T19:56:00.000-08:002010-02-05T05:51:19.425-08:00

I was recently discussing with my some colleagues the virtues of practicing Sabbath as a follower of Jesus. There were many levels of conversation about what Sabbath-keeping included, and what was outside the bounds of Sabbath. After that conversation I took a moment to read the scriptures to see if I could gain any further insight into this practice foreign to most modern gentiles. There are

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-78771065108810300262009-09-30T09:21:00.000-07:002009-09-30T09:37:12.537-07:00

i have been a U2 fan for a long time. in a household where the only music that could be played was from christian music labels like Sparrow and Word, there was this anomaly. a band of Jesus-followers (3/4 of them anyway) on Island Records, which was I was sure was not a Christian label, or even a very good one. they sang songs which should have found their way into christian bookstores and CCM

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-35855634663796686832009-09-15T08:54:00.000-07:002009-09-15T09:21:31.283-07:00

This past Sunday night as we explored "the Path Project" I told the following story:"Nobody should be treated the way I treated Jo-Cel. I met Jo-Cel Tagnesi at Barboursville Elementary School as we both began our kindergarten adventure together. On the playground Kindergarteners would typically be running around playing tag and kickball. Jo-Cel would not. Her muscular-dystrophy meant she moved

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-25341875626874082762009-09-08T05:48:00.000-07:002009-09-08T06:14:47.791-07:00

youth ministry is always, or i think "should always", include a mixture of same and new. there is a need for a regular, dependable rhythm of connections among students and a need for innovation and unfamiliar territory. there are times when i am very excited about the new ways we are exploring as we seek to become better students of Jesus. our mentor program was one of those exciting moments,

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-13345956274922589472009-08-24T12:19:00.000-07:002009-08-24T12:27:38.927-07:00

on saturday, september 19th we will host a coffee house event for high school students called VOX. VOX is latin for voice. The great part of the event is that the entertainment is provided by high school students for high school students. we are asking contributors to provide their original artwork, or poetry to the event. We are encouraging their original or cover songs, or their short films

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-48738314639742802402009-08-03T11:47:00.000-07:002009-08-03T12:32:23.361-07:00

a few posts back i mentioned that i fear we focus a great deal on knowing and we miss the way that translates into doing and being. "discipleship" programs tend to be heavy on data and fairly light on practice. i mentioned that Jesus' discipleship program would probably not fly too well within our current faith communities. it had a great deal to do with doing things, sometimes scandalous

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-76271667164948108142009-07-28T11:35:00.001-07:002009-07-28T12:02:56.789-07:00

i thought nick was a quiet guy, until i realized he would talk to anyone who cared to talk to him. at the middle school mission camp i attended a few weeks back with 12 of our middle schoolers, nick was alone a great deal of the time. other students from his church did their own thing, leaving him plenty of time to sit by himself. as you may know, my long hair and beard give the appearance of

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-58308320920814015052009-06-29T08:46:00.000-07:002009-06-29T09:26:27.015-07:00

i have been an avid braves fan since 1985. therefore, it was so exciting to make the move from tampa to atlanta 4 years ago, knowing I would be living in the land of "America's team". I get to turner field as often as I can...hitting the game with guys from my small group, my sons, and friends who come in from out of town, needing to feed their baseball fix. i was at the game yesterday when

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-14099380316741944002009-06-17T09:13:00.000-07:002009-06-17T09:54:27.499-07:00

we recently returned from the high school summer retreat where we focused on a hebrew term "t'shuvah" which literally means "return". However, we often read this translated as repent. We get this idea of turning from our sins, and this is partially true. But the idea of T'shuvah is more about turning toward something/someOne than turning away. It is a return to God and to our true selves.

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-91337444754515196772009-06-09T05:59:00.000-07:002009-06-09T06:12:54.377-07:00

This past Sunday Will Hardy taught the Java Hut session around the topic of busyness. He used a video which shared a quotation from a great philosopher which said "purity of heart is to will one thing". In the video a father told a story of being at the beach with his family. His sons had been collecting fragments of seashells all afternoon, when a starfish was sighted bobbing up and down in

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-64065347712665069662009-05-11T12:05:00.000-07:002009-05-11T14:07:28.018-07:00

i think one of the most challenging struggles which christians experience is moving from understanding the message of Jesus as "things to think", "category to check" or "voucher to use", and instead experience it as "way to live". while i think 2000 years of practice (and even longer if you include the headstart given to us by Judaism) has helped us make some strides, it may have also caused us

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-72036957337578919062009-04-20T12:38:00.000-07:002009-04-20T12:45:41.833-07:00

for those who know me well, it is no surprise that i think about the practice of youth ministry a great deal. i am very much a student of the profession to which i have been called, as well as a contributor to the conversation of "doing good youth ministry". as i have mentioned before, in order to continue to become better at doing youth ministry we have to ask some important questions and call

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-68032295913550650762009-03-30T09:22:00.000-07:002009-03-30T09:36:12.580-07:00

the busyness of the season is accurately reflected in my absence of posts for nearly a month. we have had a great March including a Snow Day, Feedback Forum, Confirmation retreat, and Leadership Learning Party. I was even able to spend a full weekend with my boys while Lisa visited friends in Boston. I wanted to blog today about the sentiment explored yesterday in our Leadership learning party

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-63939312890721221142009-03-03T09:53:00.000-08:002009-03-03T13:32:50.743-08:00

if you have an e-mail account you have no doubt come across the story of the "Who You Are Makes a Difference" campaign. If you are only aware of "inbox" as it applies to the overwhelming basket of "tend to me" items sitting on your desk, then let me review. A teacher instituted this program so that her students could share their gratitude and recognition for others in their life. She pinned

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-23715706675599574282009-02-25T08:12:00.000-08:002009-02-25T08:22:02.137-08:00

as i mentioned in my previous post, i am still fairly new to lent. however, in the last several years it has become a very meaningful part of my journey. for the last little bit i have focused on giving up things which you cannot see. this year i think i am being led to surrender "first-ness" for 40 days. i am going to try and give away the opportunities i have to be more important than other

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-54543779135131784532009-02-16T07:53:00.000-08:002009-02-16T08:17:25.515-08:00

i did not grow up within the united methodist expression of the "way of Jesus". Words like advent, lent, and good friday were reserved for my catholic friends. i am not sure i saw anyone with ash on their forehead until i was 22 years old. this is my way of confessing my novice stature when it comes to lent. i am still "getting it", or perhaps it is eventually "getting me". i had heard

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-54148469352481617922009-02-09T09:14:00.000-08:002009-02-12T07:58:00.144-08:00

I apologize for not posting for awhile. A migraine kept me home and away from the computer on my usually blogging day and I have been playing catch-up since. I appreciate those who have added to the conversation begun 2 weeks ago regarding the "effect" youth ministry has on teenagers as a whole. It might help if I back up a bit and provide some clarity on my end. I want to make sure and clarify

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-54573362695847029602009-01-26T08:53:00.000-08:002009-01-26T09:46:02.903-08:00

i need to be honest about a fear i have. it is a fear i share with many other youth ministry professionals within the local church context. we wonder whether what we do is creating event-attenders or Jesus-followers. it is an important question because obviously the mission of the united methodist tribe is not to make event-attenders, but instead to "make disciples of Jesus for the transformation

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-62845499682038588682009-01-12T12:55:00.000-08:002009-01-12T13:39:34.164-08:00

It is amazing that we still believe that there is actually a time filled with stability, predictability, and a "halting". "Once this is over, then..." How many times do we say that? We should stop fooling ourselves. I'm not sure I know anyone whose life is that static. We live dynamic lives, in a dynamic culture...always changing and adjusting. We find ourselves in the midst of that cycle

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-40644714931631767982009-01-05T10:43:00.000-08:002009-01-05T10:58:32.398-08:00

i am wanting more than what has become of Christmas for me. i don't think i get it. don't get me wrong...Christmas eve was memorable and so was Christmas morning, especially with 3 and 7 year old boys. We even got to shoot up to WV for a few days to hang out with my parents, brother, sister, and their families. But I always wonder right around this time of year, if Christmas really holds the

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-24576482582569646122008-12-29T10:53:00.001-08:002008-12-29T11:09:15.195-08:00

i wear the same shoes about 340 out of 365 days a year. i like them. they are black loafers that work fine with jeans or dress pants. they do look bad with shorts... so i do sandals on those days. the obvious benefits of this practice are 1. less money spent on shoes, 2. more room in my closet (though i am sure the point of a closet is not so much roominess as usefulness). my soul enjoys a

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-9966179472888768522008-12-01T09:38:00.000-08:002008-12-01T10:36:11.950-08:00

i don't do new years resolutions anymore. it's not that new year's day isn't a significant mile marker for me. in fact, it's my birthday so it really is a "new year" for me. recently i have started having new year values, instead of resolutions. this puts me less into a pass/fail mentality and instead allows my decisions to be guided by the values i choose to focus on for that era. for the

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669506228737014819.post-38363958047516968892008-11-24T09:08:00.001-08:002008-11-24T09:33:35.489-08:00

i am wondering if I get thanksgiving very well. i have critiqued my ideas and actions surrounding Christmas, but often let Thanksgiving slide through uncontested. basically my rhythm consists of eating too much turkey and watching football. so i worry about whether i'm thankful. and i worry that if i am, that no one knows it. ... i am thankful for the painter's brush and really honest lyrics.

becoming more myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11763076042375473894noreply@blogger.com2