CCM Thursdays: Since I Met You

"The truth it hit me like a sock in the eye, a revelation that I can't deny

Your love has overtaken every little part of me- You were what I needed!"

When dc Talk came out with Supernatural (their follow-up album to Jesus Freak and #36 on my Top 50 Countdown) back in 1998, Since I Met You immediately became my favorite track from the CD.  It seemed to me like the perfect song for a youth group video, because it could be used to address both sides of the student ministry coin.  The primary purpose of ministry with teenagers is to help them connect with Jesus.  Part of the way you do that is by helping them connect with each other.  Since I Met You could be talking about either of those things- or both.  Think about the lyrics:

"Was at the end of my rope, I had no where to go, was at the end of my rope I had nothing to show until the day that I turned to You..was at the end of my rope...

But since I met You , I feel alright, You turned all my darkness into Light

Since I met You, I feel OK, I feel alright"

For many of us involved in the youth ministry of the First United Methodist Church of Kissimmee in those years between 1994-2000, it was our friends and Youth Counselors who helped us discover what it meant to walk with the Christ.  Today I seek to honor as many of those people as I can by finally giving you the "video" I wanted to make all those years ago.  Many of you may have seen these pictures on Marilyn's Facebook, but they take on a whole new meaning when set to this music.  I hope that those of you who are reading this will pass it along to other friends who may find themselves in these pictures.   We may have all been a little crazy, and goodness knows we did lots of silly stuff along the way.  All of those events and moments contributed greatly to my walk with Jesus, and I am guessing they did for many of yours as well.  None of us are perfect, and God is still working on us all.  I have seen the "end of my rope" more than once in these past few years, and I can tell you that Jesus is always there to pull us back up.  Many of you have given me a pull as well.  The bottom line is still this- "Since I met you (everyone of YOU, and Jesus!)  I've been alright, I've been OK..."   This video is dedicated to everyone who ever "called me crazy."  You did indeed make my day- every day!  I'll see you tomorrow for Will's birthday! 

Elmo's Coming!

Fifteen years ago today the doctors checked my wife Marilyn into Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando, where she would eventually give birth to the handsome young man you see with her on the left.  Eventually...

As you may have read here a while back, in November of 1994 Marilyn found out she was pregnant.  We spent the next few months preparing for the arrival of Elmo.  It was our decision to not learn the gender of the baby before birth, so I gave the unborn child the name Elmo.  Some people actually believed that was what I wanted to name the baby, but it was just something to call him/her while we waited.  There is so much to do to get ready for a new baby, especially if it is your first.  In our case, we had to completely rearrange the house we lived in, turning what had been a den into a nursery.  For those who were around FUMC-K at the time, you may remember that is how the sectional couch we all loved so much wound up in my office.  The church was very excited about the impending new arrival, and helped us out in so many ways.  Michelle Autrey and Leila Lupfer actually painted and wallpapered the nursery.  As summer arrived, my former Springfield Friends Meeting youth, Holly Harward, came to live with us for a few months, and she was a huge help in preparing the house.  She also did some Winnie the Pooh paintings (that was our theme) for the nursery.  Marilyn was doing great (although people keep telling her how HUGE she was!) and everything was coming together nicely.

The week before Marilyn's due date she went to see her doctor, and they decided that this baby was going to be bigger than originally thought.  They put her on a special treatment for a week, and then told her to check in to the hospital on Friday, July 14.  There they would induce labor.  We arrived on Friday morning.  Marilyn's Mom and sister Linda had arrived by then, and my Mom was there as well.  My Dad drove down from NC, apparently breaking the world land-speed record so as not to miss the birth.  As it turned out, he had more than enough time...

They checked her into a room on the wing with all the women they didn't want to go into labor, because she was nowhere near ready to induce.  We spent all day Friday doing absolutely nothing, because Elmo seemed to be showing no inclination to make an appearance.  On Saturday morning they informed us that she would be given a special new drug that was guaranteed to start labor.  Now we would see some action- or so we thought. When nothing happened, another technician came in Saturday afternoon and informed us that this "miracle drug" always started labor, and if it hadn't worked it must have been administered incorrectly.  So this time he gave it to Marilyn, and once again we waited.   We spent another night with absolutely no movement.  We were beginning to question why we were even in a hospital yet.  I was sleeping in a recliner for no apparent reason.  Frustration levels were rising.

On Sunday morning, Dr. Carducci, Marilyn's doctor, stopped in for a visit.  My wife was still not dilated, the baby had not dropped, no water was breaking and I was furious.  The stress was getting to us all.  I told Carducci in no uncertain terms that I thought it was time to do a C-section.  She wanted to wait a few more hours.  So we waited.  Finally, late Sunday afternoon things began to happen (no thanks to the "miracle drug") and we moved to a birthing room.  We had taken Lamaze, and we were ready.  It was time for Elmo to join us.  But the adventure was just beginning...  Don't miss the conclusion to this epic adventure on Friday.  Tomorrow is a VERY SPECIAL CCM Thursday slideshow- be here!

Because of Jesus,

Friends In the Journey

Prayer works!  Brian and Jill are headed back from Russia with a brother for Daniel!  God is good all the time...

Over the years in Kissimmee we were blessed to have some amazing speakers, musicians and artists join us for special events.  Because we had such incredible financial support from the church budget, we were able to explore options that many student ministries do not have.  I have already written of the contributions of Lost And Found and Spooky Tuesday to our ministry; today I want to remember a few more of the artists who joined us on our journey to discover more about Jesus. 

Duffy Robbins-  Duffy was and is one of the cornerstones of the National Youth Workers Convention, and I had become acquainted with him through that event.  He joined in the summer of 1996 to kick-off our Youth Week, and he was amazing.  I remember him telling a story about riding the Swamp Fox, a great old roller coaster in Myrtle Beach, when he was a kid.  Duffy's humor and deep insights into the faith-journey of teenagers made him the perfect guest speaker.  I remember being a little irritated (ego, you know!) a few years later when the same students who could not remember what I said yesterday could still remember everything Duffy said...

Sundry-  I met Danny Stephens when he was the keyboard player for the Smalltown Poets.  A couple of years later he had left that band to go into managing other bands, including a band from Atlanta called Sundry.  He gave me a call and we booked them to play the Fellowship Hall on a Sunday evening.  Sundry rocked hard, and I remember them as being pretty good.  They had just lost their guitarist, and so they had borrowed one from Skillet to fill his shoes.   They were very bold in their faith.  But what I really remember is a stunt they used where the drummer set one of his drums on fire.  It was very cool (and a complete violation of the fire code...).  The band never made it big, but we had them at FUMC-K!

CPR-  There is nothing much funnier than improv comedy when it is done well, and no one (not even Whose Line Is It Anyway?) did it better than Carl, Pete and Rodney (and then later Ringo), the improv group known as CPR.  They joined us for Youth Week '99 and neither Rodney nor Ringo were there; I have no idea who the "R" was that night, but he is pictured with Carl (Carl is on right).  They did their usual hilarious show (in the Sanctuary; the whole church family was invited), and then Carl, Pete and I drove over to Pleasure Island at Walt Disney World and I took them to the improv comedy club there.  Sitting in the crowd with professional improv guys at an improv club was one of the best nights ever.  It was hard to know who I was laughing at- the comedians on stage, or the ones sitting next to me. 

Mike Williams-  Also known as Dr. Comedy, Mike joined us during Youth Week '99 with his unique brand of prop comedy and music.  Mike use to be a writer for some famous stand-ups, but then his faith led him to sharing his story through comedy.  His songs were hysterical; The Thunder Rolls was a parody of the Garth Brooks song that told the story of a man who ate a little too much Taco Bell, and I Wish They All Could Be Southern Baptist Girls speaks for itself.  The crowd was small that night, but those who were there had a blast.

Curt Cloninger-  Yet another friend I made at the NYWC, Curt is a brilliant actor and writer whose one man shows Godviews and Witnesses are legendary.  Curt came to Kissimmee to do his Witnesses show, and once again the whole church family was there.  His performance was riveting; you laughed at Abe the Banana Man, you cried with Doubting Thomas, you were stunned by Barabbas and you celebrated the resurrection with Peter.   Between the video of that show, and seeing it live at least 4 times, I almost have it memorized myself.  Very few things have brought more depth to my own faith walk than the insights of Curt Cloninger.  If you ever have the opportunity to see him, GO!!!

These are a few of the visiting artists who had an impact on our student ministry at FUMC-K.  Those of you who were a part of those years will notice that the name of Geoff Moore is missing.  That story will get its own post at a later date.  Tomorrow, we will begin to take a look at what my lovely wife and I were up to 15 years ago this week.  You don't want to miss it.

Because of Jesus,

This Old Guitar

Over my 28 years of working with teenagers in the name of Jesus many things changed.  There was really only one constant.  From my days at Center Friends Meeting in 1978,through the years at Quaker Lake Camp, New Garden Friends Meeting, New England Yearly Meeting, Springfield Friends Meeting, First United Methodist Church of Kissimmee, Union Church of Hinsdale, Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church and Trinity United Methodist Church, there was one ministry tool that was never far from my reach.  I always had my guitar.  Singing goofy songs, leading worship and singing in church was a part of my life for all of those years.  This is the story of those guitars...

I learned to play guitar on my Dad's 4-string ukulele in the mid-70's, because in that day and age everyone wanted to play acoustic guitar.  I also wanted to learn so that I could someday lead singing and worship at Quaker Lake.  When I began working at camp, my guitar was an Aria that I purchased at the Music Barn in Greensboro.  I loved that guitar, but it was stolen out of my car one night when I was packing the car to move out of an apartment for the summer.  I needed to to replace it quickly for camp, so (not having any money) I bought an Applause.  The Applause was a cheap version of an Ovation, with a rounded fiberglass back and steel neck.  It was perfect for QLC because it was indestructible.  My buddy Jay Osborne once dropped it off the roof of the lodge and did no damage.  I also didn't have to worry about it when I travelled.  It was, in many ways, a perfect youth ministry guitar.  However, it was not a great instrument. 

After my arrival at FUMC-K in 1994, my guitar became more important.  I was leading worship at youth every week.  I was helping lead an alternative worship service on Sunday mornings.  I was recording songs with Hollywood.  I wanted a new guitar, but I just could not afford one.  Word got around that I needed a new guitar, and one day I found a note and a check in my mailbox in the church office.  Sam Lupfer and Craig Lewis (and it seems like maybe one other person) had given me a financial gift with which to purchase a new guitar.  It was an amazing act of generosity.  I used the gift to purchase a Washburn, a beautiful instrument that could also be plugged into sound systems for use in larger rooms.  I was thrilled.  The Washburn became my all-time favorite guitar.  Leading singing in Kissimmee was a true blessing, and my new guitar became a faithful companion. 

In 2002 I was living in Tampa and decided to get a second guitar, so I bought a Alvarez.  I began to use it more and more, and eventually the Washburn became a back-up.  I still loved to play it, but it was now second-string.  Around that same time I won a Baby Taylor guitar from the Jars of Clay website (it was a collector's item), and it became my travelling guitar.  Suddenly, my old friend was third-string.  The Washburn sat in it's case, unused, for a couple of years.

When my ministry ended in Waycross and we moved back to Tampa in 2007, money was very tight.  I took the Alvarez and the Taylor to the local Guitar Center and sold them.  I hated to do it, but it was what had to be done at the time.  Once again, I was left with my Washburn- the one that had been such a gift from God back in my Kissimmee days.  Once again, my old friend was the guitar that kept me company during some very long days.  It is still my only guitar.

That guitar has been with me on sweet summer nights on the porch of the Betsy B; it was with me in Spanish Wells, at the Ocoee Inn (see picture at top) and on many a Ski Trip.  It was with me every week in the youth room of FUMC-K, leading (often along with Darin Miller) the glorious singing that took place there.  And now it is with me in my home in Tampa, bringing hope and comfort when things seemed darkest.  That old guitar is still a dear friend.

Not many will admit it now, but most everyone from my generation who learned to play acoustic guitar was inspired by the late John Denver.  His classic This Old Guitar (see video below) expresses many of my own thoughts, especially the closing verse.  The lyrics are below:

This old guitar gave me life, my living, and all the things you know I love to do

To serenade the stars that shine from the sunny mountainside

And most of all to sing my songs for you, I love to sing my songs for you.

In my case, I loved to sings songs WITH all of you and FOR Jesus.  Thanks, Sam and Craig.  Your gift was far greater than you could ever understand.  And to everyone who ever sang with me, keep singing praise to the LORD.  Enjoy the video.

Romans 5:6-8

Important Reminder:  Today is July 11, or 7/11 on your calendar.  That means that it is the day to get your free 7.11 ounce SLURPEE from your local 7-11 Store!!!  You must go get one for each member of your family; it is a moral imperative!  And besides, Andrew Rogers would want you to...

As we begin today, I would like to mention a few prayer requests for my old Kissimmee friends.  Ben Thompson just arrived in Afghanistan last week, so keep him in your prayers.  He e-mailed me from the desert, and if you would like his e-mail address then just shoot me one at Youthguy07@aol.com and I will send you Ben's.  My lovely wife also tells me that it sounds like from her Facebook posts the Catie Cook will also be deployed soon, so remember her as well.  Brian and Jill Painter Watson are in Russia, hoping to pick up their second adopted son, and they could certainly use our prayer support.  And Sara Thacker Reiter and Meagan Hill Halquist are both doing well in the early stages of their first pregnancies, so hold them in the Light.  Please let me know if there is anything I can be praying for in your life.  It is so great to be a part of the family of God!

I talk a lot on this blog about God's amazing love and forgiveness.  Today I want to share two verses from Romans 5:6-8 that help remind us just what grace really is:

You see, at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love for us in this; While we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Jesus came to save the lost.  He doesn't require us to "get found" before He takes us in His arms.  He died for the ungodly; He died for sinners;  HE DIED FOR US!  Do not beat yourself up for the sin in your life, even as you seek to get rid of it.  God knows it is there, and He loves us anyway.  Confess your sins, repent (turn away from) of your sins and know that we are loved by a God who forgives and forgets.  Quit worrying about how badly you have messed up, and start serving God and loving people.  We can't be perfect; trust me, I know what I am talking about here!  Surrender to Jesus and be free of your baggage.  Because we do have work to do.  The old song We Are the Family of God reminds us of our task:  "He brought us together to be one in Him, that we might bring Light to the world..."   It is time for each of us to let our lights SHINE!!!  Have a wonderful week!

Because of Jesus,

Hall of Fame: Jerry Hanbery

For the past several weeks I have been using Saturdays to remember stories and headlines from our youth group newsletter in Kissimmee.  In August of 1998 The UMYF Enquirer featured a story under the headline So Long, Sundance.  It marked the end of a very special era in my career as a youth minister.  Today we remember that era...

Rev. John Willis had written me before my arrival at FUMC-K in 1994 to tell me of the adults who were working with the student ministry at the time.  He also listed some others who could possibly be enlisted to help, and one of those names was Jerry Hanbery (pictured on one of our famous Luau Nights).  Jerry was a college student who had been a very important part of the youth group during his high school years, and he was thinking (at the time) of pursuing ministry as a vocation.  It turned out that for my first summer in town, Jerry had been hired to serve a small Methodist church in Orlando as their youth leader, so he wasn't around as much as I would have liked.  Even so, I began to learn about him.  I decided to do a student "kidnapping" and get some of our new 6th graders, and Jerry quickly volunteered to serve as the kidnapper.  We rented him a Chewbacca costume, and were supposed to meet at the church at 6 AM on a Saturday morning.  At 5:30 AM, Jerry was knocking on the door of my house, afraid that he was late.  To her credit, Marilyn let him live!  I don't remember a whole lot about that morning, but I do remember Jerry throwing a very startled Erin Augenblick over his shoulder and carrying her out to the van.  It was awesome- and it was only the beginning.

In each of the next four summers, Jerry was my official Summer Intern.  No one has ever been better.  The stories of the things we did are legendary, and you can read many of them by going to the "Search Box" in the upper left-hand corner of this page, typing in his name and clicking.  You can read about the Mystery Trips, Banana Splits, the Nair and so much more.  There are, however, a few things I want to remember right here and now.  Jerry had a tradition on youth trips.  At some point during our adventures, he would always find a way to go Streaking (making a mad dash while wearing no clothes!).  He was always discreet, and most of the youth had no idea it ever happened.  But one night, in south Georgia, he decided to streak from our motel room out to the van around midnight.  It seemed safe enough.  The people sitting in their car right outside of our room seemed a bit surprised to see the naked man go by...   He also went "skinny-dipping" in the Ocoee River at least once.  Jerry enjoyed being naked.   He enjoyed doing outlandish things.  His wife will tell you that he still lives my the motto, "It seemed like a good idea at the time..."  That attitude brought an edge to our ministry that very few church groups ever discover, and even fewer ever turn loose.

Jerry was also a creative dynamo.  He always thought outside the box, and brought so much excitement and variety to our ministry.  The youth absolutely adored him.  Every year the questions would start around February: "When does Jerry get back?"  Many of them turned to Jerry with problems and issues in their own lives, because they knew he cared and would listen.  Most people may look back on his work at FUMC-K and remember the guy in the coconut bra or his night on the bungee swing at Old Town;  I remember the guy who always had time for our students.  His energy, dedication and commitment to what we were trying to do in those days was amazing; and he did it all for what seemed like about $1.75 a summer.  He helped lead two mission trips without me, including the first Spanish Wells trip (the day after my son was born), or as he calls it, "the trip that shall not be named."  He taught Bible studies.  He shared a house with me on the second Spanish Wells mission trip in 1997, eating fresh mango and "Johnny Cakes" for breakfast and sharing great late night chats with Jennifer Minnigan and Teresa Reep, who were staying at the house next door.  That is still one of the best weeks ever!

Jerry is also just an amazing human being.  He has been knocked down and kicked by life more times than most, yet he always gets back up.  No one in his family had ever been to college before Jerry; he now has more advanced degrees than Dr. Phil, and none of Jerry's were from the Internet!  He is currently working as an attorney in Orlando, where he lives with his wife Melissa and their daughter Lorelei.  He calls me on a regular basis just to catch up and check on me.  He has been a guest in our home.  We have always been able to talk about everything- our lives, our failures, politics, religion, music, movies- even when we disagree.  He has shown me love and support in ways I cannot express here.  He is, other than my wife and son, my best friend.  He still connects with teenagers- my son Will just adores him.

I was in youth ministry for 28 years, and without question my very favorite memories come from the four summers (1995-1998) I spent with Jerry Hanbery.  Every Batman needs a Robin; every Kirk needs a Spock; and every Butch Cassidy needs a Sundance Kid.  For those four glorious summers, I had my Sundance.  If you know that movie, then you know that while Butch may have been the front man of the operation, Sundance provided the real muscle.  Together, we accomplished some wonderful things in the lives of teenagers in Kissimmee- and no two guys ever had more fun doing it!  Someday, when my Youth Group Hall of Fame has its grand opening, you will walk through the doors and immediately encounter two exhibits that honor the two people who made my ministry what it was.  The first will feature Marilyn Jones.  The second will honor Jerry Hanbery.  Welcome to the Hall of Fame, Sundance.  I really miss those days, but at least I am safe in the knowledge that I won't ever have to see your naked butt again!  Probably...

Because of Jesus,

Hall of Fame: Jocelyn Sessions

If you read this blog, then you already know her name.  She could have gone in my Youth Group Hall of Fame when I told the story of she and Todd Willis dominating the sidewalks of New York.  I could have inducted her when I told the story of Sculpting Tickets in Atlanta following the Mountain Top mission trip.  She might have gone in the Hall just for her adventures with our Breakfast Club.  She would be deserving of special recognition if her only contribution to our student ministry at FUMC-K had been hosting the first Coffeehouse we had after my arrival and gracing the audience with her signature song:

Oh I wish I was a three-legged doggie, that is what I'd truly like to be

For if I were a three-legged doggie, I wouldn't have to lift my leg to pee...

But there is much more to the story of Jocelyn Sessions (on far right in picture, taken on the Memphis Mission Trip in 1996; they seem to be dancing...) than just those stories.  And today I want to remember all that she brought to our youth family as I induct her into my Hall of Fame.

Jocelyn had been a very active member of the youth ministry of FUMC-K way before my arrival in 1994.  In fact, when I arrived she was president of the Youth Council (a group I disbanded in favor of our Youth Counselor group) and a real leader among the youth.  During my early days there she encouraged me, advised me, and ate lunch with me at D'Angelo's.  She was at youth group every Sunday and participated in the vast majority of our trips and special events.  She never missed a mission trip; her heart was all about serving others.  Jocelyn was also a seeker.  She attended our Bible studies and always asked great questions and contributed in many ways.  Jocelyn was a GREAT youth group member.

And then there were the stories.  Jocelyn always said the funniest things, as witnessed by all of the adventures mentioned at the beginning of today's post.  But my personal favorite took place at the Milford Plaza Hotel in New York.  We were there in March of 1996, and on one chilly Monday night a group of us gathered in my room to watch the NCAA national championship basketball game.  Jocelyn stuck her head in the room and looked at the TV for a moment, then asked if we were watching the Orlando Magic.  Connor Lewis responded that no, we were watching the Final Four.  Jocelyn watched the game for another moment and then asked one of the classic questions ever:  "Where are the other two teams?"  It was an absolute classic...

When the Class of '95 (members of the Hall of Fame themselves) graduated, it would have been very easy for Jocelyn to drop out of our programs.  Her closest friends were gone, and her senior year was incredibly busy.  But she stayed.  She took on more of a leadership role than ever.  Everyone who was a part of that ministry has incredibly fond memories of Jocelyn Sessions.  Today she is a mother and a wife, and she still has the best stories to tell.  I have a feeling that someday when my memory starts to fade and I don't remember all of the things I share here each day, my thoughts of Jocelyn will remain.  And isn't that the very definition of someone who belongs in the Hall of Fame?  Welcome aboard , Jocelyn.  You still have an impact on my life- my son was singing the Three-Legged Doggie Song just last night!  Join us again tomorrow as Hall of Fame Week wraps-up with the addition of one Jerry Lee Hanbery...

Because of Jesus,