God Bless Our Teachers

Last week teachers in Hillsborough County (Tampa, FL) went back to work. They were preparing their classrooms, preparing lesson plans, receiving training and getting ready for a new school year. The students arrive on Tuesday. In some parts of the country this has already occurred; in other regions it is still to come. In any case, these dedicated men and women prepare to face a new group of students under increasingly difficult situations. Many are not paid as well as they should be. Some face budget crunches that force them to purchase many of their own supplies. They are often forced to teach to testing rather than for the purpose of true education. They will encounter difficult students, difficult parents, difficult school boards...and local politicians who simply don't get it. The simple fact that so many of them return to their schools year after year to fight these battles should earn them our unending respect and admiration.

It should also earn them our prayers. Wherever you are, whether school has already begun or doesn't start for a few weeks yet, make today a day of prayer for the teachers you know. Ask God to bless them, protect them, encourage them and inspire them. And then ask the teachers in your life what you can do to help them this year. We count on teachers to make a difference in the lives of our children. Let's use today as a springboard to make a difference in the lives of those teachers. To those of you who continue in this most noble profession, may God grant you wisdom, energy, insight and serenity as you go through this school year. You are loved!

Because of Jesus,

Doxology

Happy Sunday! I just wanted to take a minute today to thank everyone who offered such kind and encouraging support to myself and my family upon reading yesterday's post. Despite the occasional setback, I continue to know that I am blessed beyond measure to have such a wonderful family and such amazing friends. God is still good all the time. And these words are seldom more appropriate in my life than they feel today:

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise him above, ye Heavenly Hosts;

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost

                                                              AMEN!

Have a blessed day, and live knowing you are loved!

Because of Jesus,

Chaotic Faith

There are "moments" in the lives of most Christ-followers - wild, chaotic, completely out of our hands moments- when faith ceases to be something we have and becomes something we DO. Our believing becomes more intense, our praising becomes more passionate, our seeking becomes more fervent and our loving reaches a much deeper level. Our faith stops being stagnant and becomes a living, breathing organism. It goes from noun to verb. In such "moments" I often find myself remembering scriptures that touch me or the words of songs that move me. And this past week, in the midst of total chaos and incredible blessings, one song has been on my heart as my head hit the pillow each night. It's a song I never really appreciated back in the days when it was part of the worship services I attended each week, because it became a bland ritual to me, devoid of any true meaning. But now...it just screams to be sung in my life everyday- with feeling and 4 part harmony! You my know it...

It is my prayer today- for myself and for all of you- that our faith will be a little more chaotic and alive each day, and that we will never, ever forget the source of our blessings. Have a blessed weekend!

Because of Jesus,

So Blessed...

There was a little old lady at one of the churches I served who would often stop by my office to say hello on weekday mornings. We would exchange pleasantries and when I (or anyone else) would ask her how she was doing she would always respond, "So blessed I can hardly stand it!" What a great approach to life! I freely confess there have been days where I couldn't offer up praise to God with such enthusiasm. But the past few days have been filled with so many blessings that I am left weak-kneed and tongue tied as I try to thank my God, my family and my friends for all the blessings in my life. But I do want to attempt to recognize a few of those blessings this morning, because I am indeed so blessed I can hardly stand it!

• Yesterday Judge DeVane in Waycross, GA terminated my 7 year old probation, thus eliminating the final 3 years of restrictions, curfews and supervision. This was done with the help of many people and many prayers. It hasn't quite sunk in yet what this means, except knowing that I have a lot of catching up to do on visiting people and taking road trips!
• My attorney, Jim McGee, was a man I had never met until I walked into court yesterday. But he fought for me, and I would have not have been able to share that first blessing without his work.
• It was suggested that I take a witness with me to testify if needed as to my character and my rehabilitation, and as he always does Jerry Hanbery stepped up and went with Marilyn, Will and I to Waycross. I can't tell you all the ways Jerry was a blessing to us on the trip- they are too numerous and occasionally inappropriate! He sacrificed much and wound up not be called upon to testify. All I can say is everyone needs a friend like Jerry. Love ya, Sundance! And Melissa- thanks again for loaning him out to us. Remember. there is Ghirardelli's in your future!
• Marilyn was called upon to testify, and was a rock despite being a little unnerved. Plus she and the judge got to talk shop for a moment when he asked her what sort of law office she works in. She and Will have been and will continue to be constant blessings in my life.
• Our old buddy UBD (David White) and his wife Tina from Trinity UMC in Waycross took us to dinner on Tuesday night and then David sat with us at the courthouse all Wednesday morning. I can't express how much it meant to us to have him there.
• I asked for letters of support and reference to share with the Judge, and my extended family came through in bigger ways than I could have ever imagined! So many amazing friends- people like Steve Semmler, Denise May, Tammy Doggett Foster, Susan McBane Tuggle, Marie Allen Duke,  Millie Simmons, Jamie Robinson, Ashley Goad, Ann Saunders Hale, Wayne & Jane Gless, Patsy Hill, Karen Chester, Ashley Miller, Jill Painter Watson, Todd & Kristin Willis, Lauren Carr Cacciatore, Cindy Martin, Jennifer Minnigan Kuramochi, Jacob Lupfer, Lisa Kraus Spires, Teresa Reep Tysinger, Lisa Jewett, Joanne Gastler, Jim & Linda Swenson and Ron & Kristy Starcevic and no doubt a few I have missed- sent letters, texts, notes and offers to write letters. It was so touching. And many of the letters...wow. I firmly believe they helped turn the decision in my favor. Let's just say that even if the petition to terminate had been denied, I would still be feeling incredibly blessed today!
• In addition to those mentioned above, countless others let us know they were praying for us through Facebook and Twitter. We coveted those prayers and could feel the support, and what's more I think the Judge felt it too. He's a part-time pastor. Praise be to God!

In May of 2007 I entered a wilderness from which I was sure there would be no return. I knew God would offer grace and forgiveness; Jesus had already taken care of that. But I never expected to feel the kind of grace, forgiveness, support and love I have had from family and friends over these past 5 years since I came out of hiding and told my story. I can never really repay the blessings I have been given. But I wrote a song once for a stewardship campaign at FUMC-Kissimmee called Blessed To Be a Blessing, and I firmly believe that is true. With my new freedom comes new opportunity to serve the family of God in new ways. I continue to ask for your prayers as I try to find where God wants to use me. And now, more than ever my dear friends, I am here for you. Call on me anytime. I am bursting with joy this morning. That's what happens when you're so blessed you can hardly stand it!

Because of Jesus,

Love Lifted Me (A Devotional)

I'm sure that many of you are familiar with the classic hymn of the church called Love Lifted Me.  Today I would like to share with you an exercise in gratitude that uses the chorus to that simple song as its basis.  The lyrics to the chorus are as follows:

Love lifted me, love lifted me

When nothing else could help, love lifted me

In the song, "Love" represents the love of God whose name is Jesus.  And that love does indeed lift us out of many difficult situations and give us hope when all hope seems gone.  But there are many times when that love comes to us through other people in our lives.  And today, I want you to remember those special people, who have lifted your heart and your spirit when you needed it most.  So sing the entire chorus, or if you don't know the tune, just read the words aloud.  Go ahead.  "Love lifted me..."  Now do it again.  But this time, instead of the word "love," substitute the name of someone who has given you love and hope.  For instance, I might sing, "Marilyn lifted me" or "Will lifted me."  Again, sing the entire chorus.  Keep going, substituting a new name each time.  Recognize how often Jesus works in our hearts through the people he places in our lives.  Finish the exercise by singing the name of Jesus in place of love.   Then take a few moments in prayer, giving thanks for all of the names you have mentioned.


I do this exercise several times a week when I am alone and aware of how important the people in my life who love me are to my spiritual growth.  I encourage you to make this a regular part of your prayer life as well.  We all have known so many people who are blessings from God in our lives, and we should live with an attitude of gratitude.  Have a blessed Sunday, and thanks for being among the many who have "lifted me..."


Because of Jesus,

A Gift For My Fellow Bloggers

So here's the deal about my blog.  I started this thinking no one would ever read it.  I began in the hope that I could blog every day for a year. Now, over 590 straight days of blogging later, I write for my own discipline, my own peace of mind, and to praise Jesus.  There are no ads here.  All I ask of you is to read- and make an occasional comment...

Today has been set aside (in my mind!) as Comment Day for my fellow bloggers!  Today, when you read a blog (and I hope you will read many) I want you to take the time and leave a comment for the writer.  You cannot imagine how special it is is to pour out your soul (or at least a few random thoughts) in a blog post and have someone respond to your words or add to your thoughts.  It is truly a blessing.

I love writing this blog, and it has given me more than I could have ever expected.  It has given me discipline, it has improved my prayer life, it has connected me with old friends I thought were lost and gone forever, and it has given me new friends that I count as blessings.  Many of you have left me comments since I began this adventure, and for that I am beyond grateful.  But today is not about me!  I am going to read at least 30 blogs today and comment on each of them, and I simply ask that you join me in affirming the writers that you love to read. 

If you need help finding blogs, there is a list on bottom right of this page, or you can click on my profile to see even more.  If you would like me to read your blog today, just send me a link at youthguy07@aol.com  or tweet a link to @youthguy07.  And if you would like to read a vintage post of mine just to stay sharp (lol) check out Boy Like Me, Man Like You from September 23, 2009.  It's one of my favorites. 

So go read.  Enjoy.  And comment.  Be a blessing to a blogger today!

Because of Jesus,

500



Marshall & Darek from New Garden

It's been a big week here at I'd Laugh.  We rebooted for a new year and added a new design to the pages of this blog.  We passed the 50,000 hit mark on our little counter- a number I never expected to see.  And yesterday's Underdog post marked the 500th consecutive day I have posted a blog on this site.  There have been two days with a bonus post, so this is actually entry #503- but 500 straight days.  I don't know if you are impressed, but I am.  I began this endeavor thinking that 365 days was a nice goal but highly unlikely.  Now we have passed 500, and I want to take a few minutes to look back- and a few minutes to look ahead.  If you have been with me since the beginning, THANK YOU!  If you are a newer reader, then check out 5 for 5, my Hall of Fame or any of the other pages at the top to get some insight into where we have been, both in my life and on this blog.  And if you'd like to find a topic to read about, use on the label box on the right.


A gang from Springfield

 I have learned so much about myself while writing this blog.  I have remembered so much. Places like The Betsy B, Spanish Wells, Pizza Inn and The Milford Plaza have all come back to life.  Events like Youth Week, The Last Gasp Summer Blowout and Ski Trips seem like they happened only yesterday.  Stories like The Night I Met Batman and Sand, Water, Sand Water, Crab, Crab, Crab made me laugh all over again.  Remembering my own youth group days reminded me of the great influence my youth leaders and my friends had on my life.  Looking back at my first ministry experiences as a counselor at Quaker Lake Camp confirmed that so much of what I did for the next 28 years, I learned there.  Writing about my first real youth ministry position at New Garden Friends Meeting (1979-1983) brought back so many stories.  It also served as a vivid flashback to some of the moments when I knew that God was calling me to student ministry, and to the people who helped me understand that youth ministry could be a life-long calling.  And trust me, in 1979, there were very few people who saw youth ministry as anything other that a stepping stone to "real" ministry.  A number of posts told you of the influence of the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention on my life.  I loved writing all those stories.

Carl's Angels from Kissimmee

I also loved writing about the two ministries that defined my career- Springfield Friends Meeting (1986-1994) and the First United Methodist Church of Kissimmee (1994-2000).  So many great stories, so many incredible people and so much love.  God was so often present in those groups, and it was pure joy to be used in His service.  Re-telling those amazing stories, and getting comments from so many of the folks that made them amazing, was yet another blessing in my life.  In fact, having heard from friends who go as far back as my own high school days, Quaker Lake and every ministry since then has lifted my spirits and kept me going in ways I cannot describe.



Marilyn & Will Jones

 Sharing what God has done and is doing in my life has been important from the beginning, and will be paramount to future of this blog.  I have written on the blessing of my wife and son; I have written of the power of His grace and mercy; and I have written of how I feel called to be part of a Jesus Revolution.  I have confessed that I am sinner.  A few of you know that a major sin cost me my my ministry in 2007, and even fewer of you know what that sin was.  For now, we will keep it that way.  I still have much more story to tell.  I still need to write about the amazing students of Graceland at Wesley Memorial UMC in Tampa.  I still have to write about my final group at Trinity UMC in Waycross, GA.  And I still have much more to write about my wonderful family & friends and the amazing love of God whose name is Jesus -who still rocks my world every day. 

I hope that you have enjoyed the first 500 days.  With God's help, there is much more to come.  I have led a very full life, and looking back I would still have to say- "I'd laugh, but all this happened to me!"   God bless and have a great weekend!

Because of Jesus,

Finding Community

As I mentioned yesterday, the youth ministry of the Union Church of Hinsdale had no sense of true community when I arrived there in 2000. Turning it from a "youth group" into an Acts 2:42 fellowship was high on my list of priorities- although I admit that list was very long.  The more that I became aware that God's purpose for me in Illinois was to Plow the Road, the more important building that fellowship became.  When I started our small group Bible study in the Fall of 2000, I had no idea what God was about to do to my life and that ministry.

The group that was to become the core of our Acts 2:42 project at UC had a lot in common with the disciples of Jesus.  They were a odd collection of ragamuffins, misfits and outcasts.  Many of them didn't own a bible when we started.  Kristen Mann was involved in numerous school activities and never made it to youth group on Sunday.  Greta Staat, though only a freshman, had "leader" written all over her.  One had tried to kill herself twice in the preceding months.  Cara Stevens was much younger than the rest of the group; she was also the furthest along on her spiritual journey.  The three guys who were coming had previously seemed to me like total goofballs.  And almost none of them had strong relationships with one another.  It hardly seemed like a group that could change the culture of an entire church.

But they did just that.  The more we were together, the more they wanted to be together. We were finding community.  We studied the very basics of our faith in scripture.  We prayed together each week- and I discovered only a couple of them had ever prayed out loud before.  We brought in food and occasionally did our study at the Jade Dragon for dinner.  We became a fellowship, sharing life together and learning to lean on one another and on Jesus.  We began discussing life's important issues and how faith could and should be a part of our everyday lives.  It was incredible to watch what happened to that little group in one school year.  And David Knecht- the person to whom I felt God was entrusting the long term care of that ministry- was a part of all of it as well.  When it finally came time for me to leave UC in October of 2001 I had trouble letting to of that amazing, spirit-filled bunch.

When you spend as many years in ministry as I did, hindsight often gives you surprising answers when you seek to determine the people who had the most impact on your life.  The names you see above would fit that description.  And tomorrow I will induct into my Youth Group Hall of Fame a co-worker from Kissimmee who is always on my mind in the Christmas season and should have made the HOF way before now.  See you then!

Jesus- the only hope for me is you...and You alone!

Behind the Scenes

Thanks to everyone for all of the kind words and thoughtful expressions sent my way yesterday, via e-mail, Marilyn's Facebook, Twitter and comments here.  It means so much to me every time I hear from old friends (and a few of the friends I heard from yesterday are getting really old!).  If you would like a CD of The Great Adventure slide show so you can see the pictures in all their glory (keep reading), just e-mail me your address and I will ship one out to you.  You guys are the best!

I have heard from a few people over the past year how interesting it has been to get to see "behind the scenes" of the youth events you attended.  Most students have no idea how close to disaster many youth events are.  When you are a teenager, you don't think about how things happen; you are just glad they do!  Today I want to take you behind the scenes of yesterday's special video- and the story of how it was almost never seen by anyone but my family.

I began working on the slide show for the "blog-aversary (thank you Meagan!)" post a long time ago, searching for pictures and scanning old ones.  About a month ago, when Marilyn and Will left on vacation, I began to work on putting the pictures to the music.  Almost every day I would change or add pictures, trying to get things just right.  It may just look like music and pictures to you, but to me, EVERY picture is in exactly the right spot in the music.  And after all, I was doing this whole thing for me!  So on Tuesday afternoon I finally pronounced the show finished, and uploaded it to YouTube.  It looked wonderful, especially when you looked at it full screen.  Even the really old pictures looked good.  Then Wednesday I watched it again and did the blog post to go with it, so everything would be ready to post on Thursday morning.  I was so psyched...

Thursday morning about 6:15 I posted the whole thing to Blogger, then went to preview it as I always do.  The post was there, but there was one small problem- the video was missing!  It seems that the music company that owns the music of Steven Curtis Chapman does not allow you to make YouTube videos with their music.  My video was no longer available to anyone but me.  After freaking out, and getting Will to check with his phone to make certain it was no longer visible, I began to upload the video using Blogger's video app.  This seemed to take forever, and then after it uploaded I still couldn't see it.  So I did it again.  This time it worked, but I was still not happy.  The pictures, which with YouTube had been clear even with a full screen view, were now small and a bit fuzzy.  The full screen version was blurry.  But there was not one thing I could do about it.  So that is what you saw yesterday, much to my disappointment.  But at least it was there...

Life seldom goes the way we plan.  Hours of hard work and planning often fall apart at the last minute.  Relationships are unpredictable.  Money and power are fleeting.  People will let you down.  Only one thing remains the same, yesterday, today and forever- and that is the love of God as found in Jesus.  He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end.  And I hope that despite the small, fuzzy pictures, God's love was visible in that slide show.  As always, it's all about Jesus! 

Because of Jesus,

Blessings

Marilyn and I were married on August 30, 1986.  During the nearly eight years we lived in High Point, NC and served Springfield Friends Meeting we were often asked when we were going to start having kids.  That question came from our families, our friends and our church family.  Everyone was interested.  My Dad tried to bribe Marilyn, telling her he would take us all to Italy (her dream trip) if she gave him a grandchild.  The fact is that by the late 1980's we were trying.  We just couldn't get pregnant.  By 1992 we were trying hard and feeling a little desperate.  By April 1994, when we moved to Kissimmee, we (and our families) had pretty much given up hope.  I was 35, Marilyn was 34, and we thought after nine years together our window had closed.

But God had other plans.  When we travelled to New York in November of 1994, Marilyn had reason to believe she might be pregnant, but she did not tell me.  Thanksgiving came and went and life seemed to be perfectly normal at our home.  When she finally felt confident enough in the facts to tell me, it was amazing.  Everything changed in that instant.  Plans had to be made.  Parents had to be told.  The church and our youth group family would go nuts.  The next few weeks were an incredible time in our lives, and it was so wonderful to have so many people to share in our joy.  We still wonder why God decided to wait until we moved to Florida to bless us with Will (that's him, now 14, pictured at top).  But we do not question His judgement or His timing.  We are just thankful for His blessing.

The story of how we told my parents is one of my favorites.  For Christmas went to dinner at Ariel's, a great seafood restaurant at Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resort that is no longer there.  While there we gave each of them a Christmas ornament that indicated that they were going to be grandparents.  Since I am an only child, we thought this would be fairly obvious.   It was not.  In fact, they were very confused by the entire thing.  They would claim later they couldn't read the ornaments, but the truth is they were just not prepared for news like that.  They had given up, as had we.  None of us remembered that NOTHING is impossible with God!  When it finally hit them, they totally freaked out.  And that describes the reaction of almost everyone we told, from Elkin (Marilyn's home town) to High Point to Kissimmee.  We were freaked out, joyful and more thankful than I can express in words.  We knew that we had been blessed to be a blessing.  We knew our ministry would continue.  And we knew that nothing- NOTHING- would ever be the same again!  God is good all the time, and all the time God is good!

Because of Jesus,