There's an air leak in the system!

Today at the church there was an air leak in the fire alarm system which through off the balance of the system turning the alarms on for about an hour. Todd made a great comment and I thought it also that it felt as if we were in a ship of some kind like in Star Trek and there was a leak in the boiler room and we were on "red alert!" with the lights flashing and sirens going off. It was funny. Just thought I relay the humor.

What I really want for Christmas

A symphonic 5K jingle bell orchestra

This weekend my smokin' hot fiancee came up from Bloomington to visit and go to a symphonic 5K jingle bell orchestra.

Friday we started out with finishing our Christmas shopping for our families (now that we are engaged we really have two to buy for, weird I know) and then just decided to relax with some chocolate pretzels and sugar cookies. But the weekend just got started at this point.

Saturday morning we woke up at 6:30am, ya that is in the morning sometimes I forget. We woke ourselves up and ate and drank some carbs and sugar and dressed up warmly for we were going to go run through the streets of Indianapolis with jingle bells on our shoes and santa hats on our heads for the Jingle Bell Run 5K. What did I learn from my first 5K ever, that I should really run a lot more than 3 miles total before I go run a race like that in the cold. Prepare, prepare, prepare.

We then traveled back to my apt. and died in the afternoon. Just fell asleep, dead. Woke up and had to head back to Indy because we got free Indy Symphony Orchestra tickets at the Scottish Rite temple. Little did we know that this concert was a rather formal event and Megan and I dressed up like we would for church, but ya we were the most underdressed "youngin's" at the performance. Nevertheless, an awesome performance by the ISO. By the way our legs were still dead at this point and the pain starting burning in as we relaxed to beautiful Beethoven. Oh yeah, and an older gentleman was sitting next to us and had a pen and the program out and every once in a while he would click the pen open to write down an ever important note about something. It was the most bizarre thing, I couldn't imagine what was going through his head the whole performance but he seemed more to be at a lecture about the philosophy of the theory of the origin of toe jam football; very intriguing.

Sunday, the in-laws were on their way to Brownsburg to go to church with Megan and I to catch the awesome Children's Cantata at Calvary. What a fun performance by the awesome kids. The grandparents and parents both loved it and enjoyed our lunch out together.

Christmas is in full swing in my life and I love it. The joy of the world, Christ Jesus, Emmanuel stirs up so much love in my small world of the midwest.

I hope everyone can have their own symphonic 5K jingle bell orchestra weekend during this Christmas season.
-A

SANTA......Jesus

I spent some time last night at Wonderful Wednesday Dinner here at Calvary and stayed after for Todd' advent study through some classic Christmas movies and their lessons they teach us about Christmas and life.

A lot of young children are at this study with their parents. We watched the last 30 minutes of Polar Express where Santa is revealed to all the kids and the main character is challenged to believe.

Just through observation I noticed something and wanted to make a comment. When Santa appeared in the video many young children start telling their parents "Santa, Santa, look mom, dad it's Santa!" Always a neat thing when kids put their favorite images with the knowledge they are gaining in life. However, it made me think.

What if we showed a video clip of Jesus being celebrated the same way Santa was being celebrated in Polar Express. During this Christmas season, would the children respond the same way they responded about Santa? Is this a problem or just what children are learning? I was intrigued and if anything encouraged to teach my children, whenever that happens in my life the importance of Jesus so that maybe they would be just as excited about Jesus as they are about Santa.

One more thing that a little girl taught me last night. Todd asked if anyone knew what believe meant. A little girl responded with "it's real." I thought that was an amazing response. If you believe, you are saying that thing you believe is real. That means as Christ believers, we are saying that Christ is real. Even more than that, if Christ is real then isn't that establish Him as reality.

Often we say, "Well the reality is, this world is hard and even though I believe in Christ it's just the reality of our world." I learned from this little girl last night that that isn't true. Christ is reality, because he is real. So the reality is not that this world is hard and even though we have Christ we just have to deal; the reality is Christ and this world is not as it was intended and God is in the business of restoring it back to reality.

Love well,
-A

Wow it's windy out

Windy Out from Douglas Pledger on Vimeo.

Do you believe God loves you?

Do you believe God loves you the way you are no differently than the way you are supposed to be?

Leaks

So I came into the church office today and we found out there is a leak in the tower of the sanctuary. There has been happenings like this before but when we get a really hard rain like we are right now, it really likes to let us know.

So I was thinking, do you have annoying leaks that seem to sneak into your life? You know, like when it rains in your life, no storms really or pouring rain just steady light rain we seem to be able to manage. However, when it really pours in our lives all those leaky parts in our life begin to seep in.

I think about those things in our lives that we ignore as just stupid habits or things we don't need to really worry about because they are not that big of a deal, now. But then it pours. And it doesn't pour when you want it to pour either. But when it does pour, it surely is no trip to the sunny beach. It honesty stanks!! And when that water starts pouring through the leaks in our roofs we start to get afraid that the roof may cave in on us and everything will come crashing down.

However, their is one difference between the leak in the church building and our lives; that's God's unconditional grace. Through Christ, the stupid stuff that we do (that we are the ones who thinks it is stupid) but still don't fix are okay. They will come crashing in on us and pour water in on us when we don't want it to, but God is there if you turn to Him.

On a side note, I find it funny when people say that they can feel that God is near. They don't always say it though. They say it when they are feeling really good about God and some really awesome thing is going on in church or some church function. But God is always near. He never runs away. We are the ones who always run away. We try and try to do what we think is best for us, but then end up turning to Him and saying "I have no idea." We don't have to find Him, God is always there, ready. Christ, the Lord is ready, I mean he was born for this!

Turn to Christ, not only in those times when it pours and it's hard and you can't do it anymore; turn to Christ always and trust Him. Really know that He knows you, better than you do. Therefore, He knows what is best for you in every situation. It's your choice to turn to Him or not. He will always make Himself known to you, it's whether you notice it or not.

When the rain comes, it often pours, but Christ is always near, turn to him.

Upside Down

Upside Down from Pace Hartfield on Vimeo.

This video was extremely popular our high school youth group Sunday night. Check it out, it is awesome during Christmas to read and here the truth.

What we do to our kids during the holidays

I just got a kick out of this picture because it's funny to see what you can do to a kid and they will still love you.

So...here we are

So you are probably wondering why the blog change. It's not my fault I swear! Something happened with my other blog template and I was not able to change it at all so it made the blog hard to read and it just looked bad. Since I have perfection anxiety when it comes to graphic design I couldn't deal with it. So, sorry for the confusion but I hope many of you who check this out are okay. I hope it wasn't too traumatic for you. No matter what, I'm glad that you are here!
-A

Flaming Toolbag

Thought I would share this video in follow up to my post about the space shuttle Endeavor's lost tool bag.

Be a Rebel

Just thinking today about what it means to be a rebel. We always think that rebels are people that go against the norm. That don't follow those into the status quo. Usually, they are the people who are looked down upon in our society.

"If you really want to be a rebel read your bible, because no one is doing that."

That is from a song by Lecrae called Rebel. I find it really interesting that students in particular are considered to be rebels when they start to party, smoke, drink and what not. This is when students begin to lose connection with family, friends and the world and start to "rebel" against the norm. But hold on, have we looked at our society lately. The porn industry makes more money each year than any successful corporation in the United States. Smoking is old habit, drinking is not that big of deal as long as you do it legally. But, I've been to college, no one does it legally. Sex out of wedlock, we know how often we hear about that not only through affairs but in pregnant teenagers.

So are all these students rebels when they step out from their parents and begin to follow what the world is telling them is okay?

I think that lyric says it best; if these students were really rebels they would be going to church every sunday, pursuing the Lord daily, spending their spring breaks and summers in third world countries giving their time and money to those in need of it and reading their bibles. Because to be a rebel in this society you would be doing that. Why is that a rebel? Because no one is doing it. That's not normal. The normal teenager struggles with addictions, lust and anything else they can find in todays society that is said to be normal.

Join the revolution, be a bible reading rebel.
-A

Oops...

At 4:55 on the video above is when the tool bag that slipped away into space happened.

In light of today's news about the big 'Ooops!' that happened on Space Shuttle Endeavor when a tool bag got lost into space because it wasn't properly tethered I thought I would share a site that has some excellent recent Hubble Telescope pictures. Click the big word Oops on the title to check out the site.

Yogurt explosion

Alright, so I have to tell this hilarious story of a good friend of mine Emily Rigsbee.

Last night we had a great night at my house with all of the leaders in our youth group and we laughed, discussed and laughed and one of the funniest things we laughed about was why Emily was a little later than she planned.

Emily called me and said that she was going to be late because, and I quote "Guess who spilled yogurt all over herself?" And I of course responded with "Umm, that other girl over there?!"

Emily had somehow exploded a container of yogurt not only all over her car, but all over her entire body. You would think that if your yogurt would have exploded all over you it would have been all over the front of you. Well, when Emily showed up she had yogurt all over her pants on the front and the back and the front of her jacket and the back of the sleeves. I mean I know she is a chemist but exploding yogurt while eating it isn't something she has studied or done ever at Dow.

For edification and just enjoyment I had to let everyone know this great story. We laughed about this quite a bit the rest of the night.

Emily, keep on exploding stuff, you chemist you, even if you don't plan to.

Saturday

So I was talking to my fiancee tonight. Ya, I have a fiancee! She told me this great story that basically sums up how amazing she is.

She said that she had a friend in a class and they had to find other words in other words. It was like word find but with already created words minus the puzzle stuff. Anyways, her and her classmate were looking for the word 'saturday' and they were looking for a word in it. They found the word 'turd'. So now when she hears or reads the word 'saturday' she always sees the word 'turd".

I love her.

Oh ya, and by the way, saturday is even better because that is the day that we got engaged. So saturday shares two awesome significances in her life.

-A

Write Love on Her Arms...

Today was the 2nd annual To Write Love on Her Arms day. I and many others in the country wrote the word love on our arms in remembrance of those struggling with cutting, teen suicide, depression and pain.

I think that this group is a great place for a story to be told and others to hear and relate and know they are not alone in their struggle.

Be encouraged by this day, especially if you struggle.

-A

You might be able to do more than you think

Just saw this video today and thought you all should know that the simplest thing that you do may be more significant to others. You might be able to do more than you think. You know, baby = Bruce Lee!! Haha, really I just wanted you all to see this hilarious video. Check it.
-A

Delivery for....or not.

Have you ever been disappointed when someone doesn't deliver?  Have you ever felt like it really wasn't that hard to do something as simple as do what you asked, right!?  

I am expecting a package to arrive at my apartment for the last 2 weeks.  Nothing crazy really, but something I am really forward to.  I received a message today that said it was delivered on the 7th of November.  Yup, didn't get it.  So I sent an email to the people I ordered it from and they gave me everything they could and filed a complaint with the shipping company.  

I found it funny that I was that perturbed about a simple package not getting to me the way it was supposed to.  I mean seriously!  

I do this.  I do it in other places, with other people.  I do it with God.  

I want it done this way and don't want it to be difficult to get what I was hoping for.  How funny it is that our world has become a place where what we want is what we get when we want it.  

Do you do this? 

If you do, consider rethinking it.  Have faith in the one who knows better.  Trust in Yahweh.  Trust in Christ.  

-A

"Most good things have been said far too many times and just need to be lived."

-Shane Claiborne 

Who's on First

I thought this was one of the funniest things I have ever heard in a long time.  

Here's the awesome about this.  This video is from 1945!  We sometimes think that comedy is best nowadays, but I really think this comedy is the best there is.  

I am really disappointed what our comedy genre has turned to and how it really just dwells and the perversion.  I enjoy the political comedy and satire, therefore SNL (and if you didn't know I'm what you call a bit of a fan) however when the sexual or perversion stuff comes on I just don't get much of a kick out of it.

Therefore, I thought I would post some good 'ole hilarious comedy.  I hope you laugh as hard and as long as I did to this classic.

Continue doing well.

Robot Parade from Jared Foster on Vimeo.

Just thought I'd post this video for all of those who haven't seen it and for those of you who did but need some more robot parades in your life. Hope this song gets stuck in your head today!

Do well.

creator

I was on the facebook group page for Reflect student ministries just updating some stuff (make sure to join or check it out) and came across my name on the side. It simply had my name and next to it was (creator). It made me feel really weird. Me, creator? naw... I am not good enough to be a creator. But then I thought about it again and laughed because the word was lower case and that me feel a bit better. I'm a "creator" not the "Creator."

Random really, but you know. Check out the video, because I bet you have wanted to ask that guys question.
Continue to do well all.

Grace and peace to you all. I hope all those on fall break are enjoying themselves. Praise God for His previsions in our times of need. Praise God for convictions of myself and those of others that convey often what I cannot.

Woke up this morning too depressed and shamed to leave my bed
Cant stand to see my own reflection so I hang my head
feel like a disappointment like the scum of the earth
I'm so hurt I know you see I cant cover my dirt
my souls dying hearts weak and I cant even cry
I'm sposed to run to you but WHY I'm such an evil guy
The sun's shining but for me it's the darkest of days
Try to pretend it never happened but the guilt remains
I leave the house it feels like everybody knows I did it
Feel like they reading my mind and know the sin I committed
Through your blood I'm aquitted but my heart doesnt get it
Oh God I'm desperate for Help cause I'm grieving your Spirit
I couldn't sing in the sunday service, Lord I felt fake
and when they started communion I just made an escape
I'm in need of your grace/ feels like you hid your face
Lord Lead me back to cross and show me my sins erased


Have you made this cry before, have these words been the words of your heart. Be encouraged they are the words of many who follow Christ. These specific words are the lyrics of Christian rapper Lecrae.

I'm so desperate, I can't believe I've sinned against you
Create in me a clean heart (I'm so sorry)
Your mercy is what I need


Continue to do well.

Food for thought, read this letter from a pretty cool man in our mainstream society:


My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'


My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,


Ben Stein


Do you agree, disagree let me know.

Well I was really pumped tonight after meeting with the building council, the contractor and architect for the building of the youth center.  That place is going to be awesome!  I am really excited to be a part of such an amazing project that is really going to change the way Calvary does youth ministry.  God has placed me here at Calvary for a reason, a purpose and I am blessed.  I have come in at a pivotal time.  God has great plans for the other youth guy that left this summer and that is awesome.  From my side, it is really awesome to see how perfect God is.  I had been waiting for a long time for God to finally show the place to be.  He is faithful and led me to Calvary.  God wants me at Calvary for many reasons and I really don't know any of them, to be totally honest.  Nevertheless, talk about a pivotal time to come into a new ministry, not to mention my first (own) youth ministry.  I am blessed by the church, but most importantly the Lord of the Heavens, the God of creation knows all things and makes them good.  No matter how hard I could have planned for an opportunity like this at Calvary to be used for what God wants to happen, I could not have put it together.  God knows what is perfect because He is perfect.  That is why I don't know the perfect way for my life or my time, because I am not perfect.  Christ has cleansed me of everything that has kept me from God, Christ cleansed me of myself!  I thought I could do it all by myself, me.  I have died to myself and risen with Christ in His resurrection through my baptism and life.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Continue to do well.  

I was watching Planet Earth tonight on Discovery Channel.  This show has to be my favorite show of all time.  I don't think I have seen anything more amazing, no story, no movie no comedy or anything is more amazing than the awe inspiring glory of the Lord's creation.  

I love to watch what the earth has to show us at any given moment.  I am shocked and amazed by the animals, lands and waters that we find that have produce little of what we thought we knew and just give all those who study another place to find out what that area is all about.  Even more amazing are the animals and places that are so uncommon and hard to understand that we still do not know almost anything at all about them.  For example, the Blue Whale.  I was just amazed at the few facts that we have on that ginormous fish.  They can grow up to 200,000 tons much more than any dinosaur recorded.  There used to be about 300,000 of them in the oceans, but not there is said to be only 3% of that remaining.  They eat millions of krill a day and do it with drinking tons of water and sifting out the food in their stomachs.  It's amazing that the worlds largest animals eats one of the smallest animals.  But here's the cool thing for me, that is all we know.  We don't know where they are going, why they do what they do.  We have no idea what they do for mating or anything like that.  We just know weight and diet.  Another amazing thing to me are the Himalayas.  So huge and so much we haven't seen or know about.  So much mountain to discover new creatures and places.  

All these animals and things just shows, to me the amazing glory of God.  Sure animals have grown over the years to learn what to do and not to do so that they can survive and reproduce (commonly known as adaptation or evolution), but God created all of this!  The Lord is huge, unbelievable, awesome, glorious and the God of all everywhere, every time, anytime, anywhere.  

Watch the video up top and enjoy the glory of God, The Creator.  

Do well. 

Hey, well it's been a couple of days since I've written anything, sorry.  Now that I have moved in, started at the church I hope to be writing more frequently.  I like this blog thing because I can just write whatever and its cool.  I like that.  

I am really pumped for the rest of this year and the first few months in Brownsburg.  I am blessed with an amazing staff to work with, some awesome volunteers that I am excited to hang out with and work with as well as obviously all the awesome students that I have met so far.  I look forward to really spending valuable life experiences with everyone and I hope that we all can make tremendous impacts on each other's lives and make even more of an impact on the town and people of Brownsburg and the world.  

Have a blessed rest of the week and I hope to be begin writing more consistently next week.  

Continue to do well.

Rocks

Hey..

I was just looking at the rocks in my parents landscaping today.  I know maybe odd and random, but I was picking out some of the cool looking smooth ones.  I was thinking while I was doing it, "Why am I looking for the good looking ones to take rather than the ugly, deformed ones?"  

Why do we do that?  Why did I do that?  

How come when we look for something that we want the most, we try to find the best looking, the best performing, etc.?  

I know why.  Because we can't see the potential the ugly, deformed, devastated, unloved, poor and weak ones have.  You know what, it isn't that we can't see the potential, it's that we are unable with eyes of this world.  

Cool thing is this, Jesus, Christ, God chose/chooses those of us who are ugly, deformed, devastated, unloved, poor and weak.  Why would anyone in this world want to do such a thing?(Well at least that is what the world has to say)

Christ came here, to humanity and lived.  However, he did not live the way life had been lived. Christ chose to live with the unlikely followers of a King.  Jesus was proclaiming a new kingdom throughout his ministry.  If you are going to do such a thing in a society where the Roman kingdom was the only kingdom, you needed to have the most powerful and amazing people on your side.  Christ did not necessarily.  Look at his disciples.  Ordinary men, some with a little bit of status in the society, but nothing to promote a kingdom.  

Jesus came and proclaimed a new way of life.  An upside down way of living.  Life is not about you having your best life now.  Life is not about receiving and receiving until you feel "full".  

Matthew 25:35-40, 42-45

"'For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'  Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go visit you?'  The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'  ...  For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'  They also will answer, 'Lord when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or need clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'  He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'"

God bless.  Do well. 

 

Hey...good morning!

I am reading 1 Timothy this morning before I head off to church.  I'm reading chapter 1 and came across a verse I wanted to share that is descriptive of my heart and how I feel about what God has set before me at Calvary:

"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service." -1 Timothy 1:12

Have a great Sunday!

umm..... so.... Hey!

So this is my first post on my new blog!  I always liked posting stuff online for anyone to read and hopefully give me feed back about.  So I thought that this would be a great way to do that.  

Also, now that I am the new youth director at Calvary United Methodist Church in Brownsburg, I thought it would be a cool tool to just write stuff with (and Todd and Michelle both have one and we all know how cool they are so....!!).  

Therefore, here goes on my first post.  Just a thought today.  I was just listening to some music that lyrically is all about expressing their thoughts about politics, religion and social struggles that America specifically "deals" with.  As I listen, as I agree and disagree and as I love the tune they are portrayed in I think, "Good for these guys."  Why good?  Well to be honest, I find it great for these musicians to be combining their talent for music and the opinions they have for anything and everything.  

So what?  I just think it is important to talk about anything and everything.  I love to talk, but I always want to encourage everyone I know and meet to do the same.  If you have conversation about something, be in the conversation.  

Two things to a conversation: listening and speaking.  So you HAVE to listen!!  But make sure to talk as well.  Whether it be a conversation about your opinion or just about facts that are current in the world, make sure to discuss, listen and talk.  For me I think this is one of many ways to learn a lot.  By you talking, you get feedback from others who may agree and disagree with you.  That is soooo good.  Then you can have a better view of what others think.  That helps you stay selfless and really helps you think others in all of your opinions and conversations.  By listening, you will learn much that you did not think of or know.  

So there.  I did it.  First post.  Right on, cool.  God bless.