#DangerDays: Forward Motion

We all know the feeling I'm talking about today. The rock you get in the pit of your stomach when something you have looked forward to for so long has come to pass and you are left with that awful "So what do I do now?" feeling. After 7 years of waiting, a dream has come true. I am free. It's time to face some new #DangerDays. And like most normal humans, I am not an action hero. I am not likely to go sprinting into the flames in search of a chance to be heroic...or dead. But the time to take a first step into a bold new future is here, and it feels very dangerous to me. I suppose that is why it feels so much safer to keep looking backwards...

The band Relient K once sang the lyrics, "I struggle with forward motion, we all struggle with forward motion...'cause forward motion is harder than it sounds..." I find this to be true in my own life, and especially right now. I want to use my new freedom to revisit my past, to reconnect with old friends and travel to comfortable and familiar places. And those are good things. However...to be satisfied with those things is to admit that I have already accomplished everything God has in mind for me. To stay where I am or to dwell in the past is to forget that we care called to "keep pressing on towards the prize that is Christ Jesus." Asking if God is finished with me is a moot question- I'm still breathing, so I'm not done yet. So the real question becomes where do I go from here?

I'm still praying about the answers to that question, but God has laid a few things on my heart already. I spent nearly 30 years working in churches teaching about the love and grace of Jesus. I have spent the past 5 years trying to share stories of relationships and God's overwhelming love on this blog. But it is clear to me that I have now experienced grace, forgiveness and redemption in a public and concrete way that very few have experienced- and God wants me to keep telling that story. God wants me to deliver the age old message that we can all be forgiven and free through relationship with Jesus. My first dangerous step into what could be a whole new era of #DangerDays is to make myself available. I want to preach again. I want to share my story with small groups and retreats. I want to help church leaders remember that relationships and love are the basis of what we are called to do, not condemnation and judgement. I have many years of experience speaking to churches, national conferences and youth groups, so the speaking does not feel dangerous to me. But telling my story to strangers certainly does. Forward Motion requires that I make myself available and trust that God will us me as God sees fit. And my prayer is to be used.

I also completely understand that putting myself out there is scary. There will be people and groups who would never consider having a person with my past as a guest speaker or spiritual leader. I get that. But I also can't help but think that people who are so quick to pass judgement might be the very ones who could benefit from the stories I have to tell. It's important for me to risk some rejection so that God can get me to the places I am needed. That's part of being bold- it's part of the danger!

Sooooooo...  If you or someone you know would be interested in having me come talk about the love of God whose name is Jesus for your church or group, write for your publication or just come talk about the night I watched The Lion King with Michael Keaton, I'm available. And cheap. Just get me there and feed me and I'm yours. My email is youthguy07@aol.com and my phone is 813-919-3755. It comes down to this for me. I love my past and the many blessings God has given me. But it's time to focus on Forward Motion. Please keep me in your prayers as I think about taking new steps into the #DangerDays.

Because of Jesus.

The Golden Ticket

I have a confession to make.  Like most everyone, I have guilty pleasures in my life that I seldom talk about but really enjoy.  Last night, one of my favorites returned.  American Idol is back.  My family and I will watch pretty much every minute of the show this season, just as we have for the past 5 years.  But it is the beginning of each season- the auditions that determine who will get the opportunity to become famous as the the actual contest begins - that I really love.  I love hearing the folks sing who truly believe they are good, but aren't.  I love hearing the enthusiasm and love of family and friends as their loved ones take their shot at greatness.   I love hearing amazing performances from people who deserve the opportunity to share their God given gifts with the world.  I love the stories of redemption and courage.  I am a sucker for the narrative of American Idol.  I love to see those Golden Tickets handed out as hope lives on for those who head to Hollywood.  


The world was given a Golden Ticket some 2000 years ago.  God loved us so much that he sent Jesus to save the world, and to save us.  And just like with Idol, the real blessing of a life lived following Jesus is found in the narrative.  The day in, day out stories of people living life in a manner that brings glory to God.  We are often off-key (I myself am quite often "a little pitchy...dog!") and seldom as important as we think we are.  But our stories help lift people from the depths of depression and show them how much Jesus loves them.  If all following Christ means to you is winning (making it to heaven someday) them you are missing out on the really good stuff right now.  There are adventures to be lived and stories to be told.  We all know John 3:16 and its promise of eternal salvation, but don't forget John 10:10- that Jesus came to give us an abundant life RIGHT NOW!  Our Golden Ticket doesn't insure us of fame, fortune and the easy life any more than those Idol tickets insure those contestants a chance of winning.  But following Jesus offers the opportunity for a truly abundant life, right here on old planet earth.  And opportunities should not be wasted.


So live the adventure.  Tell your story.  Share Jesus with the world.  And watch American Idol just to hear the stories of faith, perserverence and redemption.  The contest doesn't matter.  Especially this year.  If you watched last night,  then you already know...Phillip Phillips is going to win the whole thing!  :)  You read it here first...


Because of Jesus,

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

In a post this past Wednesday I shared the story of my faith journey.  In it I indicated that my quest to know Jesus has been a life-long adventure, and that I by no means consider myself as having "arrived," even at my "advanced age."  There is so much more I want to know, so much more I need to discover.  But at least one person who read my story had great difficulty with me saying those things.  They sent me a message saying that once you find Christ, your search should be over.  Once you understand that Jesus is the answer, how can you still have questions?  I would like to respond to those thoughts today.


In the third chapter of Philippians the Apostle Paul writes his famous words about "pressing on towards the goal."  Just prior to those words, in verses 10-13, he writes the following:  "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.   Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  Let's take a look at who it was that was stating that he had "not yet taken hold of it."  Paul had been handpicked by God to take the gospel to the Gentiles.  He had been rejected, beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned and spat upon by those who sought to discredit the story of Jesus.  He had taken the message of Christ to the known corners of the world, and along with Peter and other disciples had turned the world upside down for Jesus.  Paul walked as close to the will of God as any human being ever has.  And yet, he spoke those words- "not that I have already attained all that."  Paul wrote those words while sitting in a prison cell, arrested for preaching the gospel.  And yet he knew that there was still more to learn. He knew he had not yet arrived.


When the great band U2 released their amazing album The Joshua Tree in 1987, it was considered to be an album that reflected the Christian faith of several of the bands members, including lead singer Bono.  Yet one of their most deeply spiritual songs, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, created a great controversy at the time.  How could they claim to be Christ-followers and yet still be searching?  I remember preaching a sermon on the subject at the time and pointing out these lyrics from the song:

You broke the bonds and loosed the chains

You carried the cross of my shame

Of my shame

You know I believe it

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

U2 was professing their faith in the Christ who died for us all and confessing their belief in him.  Paul was still searching for more even though he may have been the most committed Christian who ever lived.  People hear me say that I am still searching and jump to the conclusion that I am saying that Jesus isn't enough.  They could not be more wrong.  What I am saying - what Paul and Bono were saying- is that no matter where we are in our faith journey, one question is always valid-  You mean there's more?  And the answer is Yes!  Always!!!  The love, the grace and the wisdom of Jesus surpass human understanding.  Their depth is bottomless.  There is always more for us to learn and comprehend.  I cannot judge you if you think you have already arrived as a Christ-follower.  I just know that I've got to keep pressing on, because I want to be like Jesus- and I'm not nearly there yet.  Have a blessed weekend, my friends!

Because of Jesus,

Blog Challenge, Week 1: Saved!

I grew up in the church.  As a small child I attended Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and all of the worship services and church picnics you can imagine.  By the age of 10 I had memorized my share of bible verses.  I knew the hymns.  I could recite the Apostle's Creed.  And to be honest, I was under the impression being able to do all of those things made me a Christian.  I had yet to learn the truth that going to church doesn't make you a Christ-follower anymore than sitting in a garage makes you a car...


When I was about 10 my parents quit going to church because of a split in a church they loved.  For a few years I stayed home on Sunday mornings- and I enjoyed it.  I didn't miss church at all.  When I was in 8th grade, my best friend Steve Semmler convinced me to go to youth group with him.  I wish I could tell you I went because deep in my soul I longed to know Jesus, but the fact is I went because of a girl.  New Garden Friends Meeting was a very important stop on my faith journey, but we didn't use language like "saved" or "born again."  In fact, that language both scared and confused us.  I remember being at a gathering of youth groups and going around a circle introducing ourselves.  The other youth were saying their names and the exact date that they had been "saved."  We said our names and that we liked to play basketball.  I didn't have a salvation story.  I was learning about Jesus, but I did not yet know him.


My growth continued when I became involved in a Young Life Campaigner Group.  There I studied scripture and shared experiences with a group of guys who came from a different background than I did, and who understood more about giving their lives to Christ.  Living in the way God intended became very important to me, and I was identified more and more as a Christian, by myself and by others.  Volunteering at Quaker Lake Camp and talking with kids about Jesus continued my journey.  By the time I began working at the camp at age 18, I was committed to following the teachings of Christ.  I had seen old friends whose lives had taken a different path from my  own, and who were now living dark, painful lives.  I felt like I had been saved by Jesus.  I would feel that way many times over the coming years. But I still had no definitive date, no concrete answer to the "When were you saved?" question.  


I began working for churches as a youth leader when I was 18.  For the next 28 years I led teenagers in their search for Jesus, always reminding them that while "once saved, always saved" may be a theological truth, the fact is that we are in constant need of saving- and Jesus will never let us down.  Some experience salvation in a magical moment, with trumpets and lights flashing; many of us are saved because we allow Jesus to slowly, deeply consume our hearts.  The problem with the latter is that it doesn't give me an exciting story to tell; it doesn't give me a date to recite.  But it still gives me a Savior, and Jesus has played that role in my life over and over again in my nearly 52 years of life.  


Over the years I have often feared being one of those people I have seen so many times in church or at youth camps who find their "salvation" in an emotional response to a sermon or a tragedy.  I have witnessed as far too many people have walked down the aisle at church to the strains of Just As I Am; they have knelt at the altar just as they are; and they head back to their seats just as they were.  I have often doubted the sincerity of those who could name the date and time of their salvation, because I have wondered if was simply emotion.  But in April of 2007, in the midst of the darkest days of my life, in the midst of repenting of the greatest sin of my life, I found myself in tears, on my knees before God asking to be saved one more time.  And in that moment, I was filled with the Holy Spirit in a new and amazing way.  And I have not been the same since.


I realize this is not a normal testimony, but I have not lived a normal life.  I have been a Christian since a very early age.  I have been a committed Christ-follower since I was a teenager.  As an adult I led many students into relationships with Jesus, and gave my life to him in service.  But if you want to know when I was saved- REALLY saved by the overwhelming love and grace of Jesus Christ- I'd have to say Easter Sunday, 2007.  Walking with Christ, learning to trust him, sharing life with him- all of these things are part of the pilgrimage. And the journey never ends.  Brennan Manning once said that "The worst thing is not crying out in the darkness; the worst thing is having no one in the darkness to cry out to..."  Knowing that Jesus is there in the darkness- not hoping, not thinking, not wishing, but KNOWING- that's my salvation story.  Thanks for listening.


Because of Jesus,

Alpha & Omega

Happy Birthday, Beth Vestal McGalliard!  Love you and miss you!!!


Even though I attended and volunteered at Quaker Lake Camp for a number of years before 1978, that was my first summer of working on the full-time summer staff and thus in my mind the official beginning of my QLC career.  And even though my last summer of being full-time staff was 1983, I always felt a huge part of the camp right up until my final week of volunteering in 2006.  Today, as I wrap up Quaker Lake week, I want to remember 2 very special weeks- one at the beginning, and one at the end.

When I think back on the summer of '78, there is one week that stands out.  It was my first junior high camp, and I was blessed with a great cabin of boys with whom I quickly bonded.  We spent the week playing pranks on the girls, including stealing all of their luggage and putting it out in the cow pasture.  They also spent the week falling in "camp (expires at the end of the week) love" and doing the brilliant Little Theater production of The Ozard of Wuz, featuring Jay Osborne's (as the Tin Man) famous line, "I'm melting...uh, rusting!"  You can read more details of that week by checking out my vintage post, The Empty Cabin.  A cross-section of the gang is in this picture- over 30 years old and taken with my Polaroid.  I remember all of the guys- Paul Farlow, Leslie ?, David Farlow, Jay Osborne and Joey Gardner.  The girls I am less clear about.  That's Jennifer poking her head through, and Robin Davis standing on the right end.  I can never forget 2 out of 3 in front- Cynthia Davis (left end) and Leigh Ann Everhart (right).  I thought Cynthia looked just like a girl I had a crush on in high school, so I gave her lots of attention (and most of my snacks!) that week, and we became close friends.  Leigh Ann became a dear friend who eventually would marry my good friend Terry Venable, and I was in their wedding.  This was the first group of campers that I ever fell in love with and couldn't wait to see again.  Unfortunately, most of us would see each other very soon- for a very lousy reason.  A few weeks after this week of camp, Robin Davis was killed in an auto accident.  Many of her friends came to camp to be with the staff and grieve her loss.  I was one of the representatives from the staff who went to the funeral with them.  We would never forget how we leaned on each other, hugged and cried with one another, and carried each other through that tragedy.  It was unlike anything else I would ever experience at QLC.  It was the Alpha Week...

A very young Heather & fellow HOF
member and legendary QLC staffer Todd Farlow

Fast-forward to 2006.  Heather Beggs Varner, who had been a Hall of Fame part of the youth group at Springfield Friends Meeting in the late 80s and early 90s, as well a part of the famous Buggars (my team competition team at a junior camp in 1987) at QLC, was now the camp director.  She called me in Georgia and asked me to return to my role as camp pastor for senior high camp, and I could not say no to Heather.  It had been 13 years since I last served at QLC for summer camp, and I was a little little nervous.  I didn't need to be.  It really was like riding a bicycle.  I loved every minute of that week.  But there was one thing I hadn't counted on.  I knew I was teaching Discovery (bible study) and leading Vespers (evening worship), but Heather had a surprise waiting for me.  She asked me if I would be willing to take the lead with all of the music.  It turns out that my music leading skills had become somewhat legen- (wait for it!) dary over the years, and her guitar players were a little in awe of me.  I found this to be hilarious, but I was glad to help out.  I asked them to play with me, and we had a killer week leading music together.  I was amazed to find that much of the staff that summer were the children of people I had gone to camp or worked with, and getting to know them made the week awesome.  But mostly, I had an amazing week with Heather.  We found time to talk about the old days, about her work at camp, about her family and about how hard it is to balance ministry and life.  At the closing campfire circle she said some very nice things about how I had impacted her life and ministry, and one last time I found myself shedding tears at the final campfire.


I left camp and headed back to Waycross rejuvenated and inspired.  I had no idea it would be my final time there; Heather had already invited me back for the following summer.  A few weeks later I received a picture in the mail of the 2006 summer staff, signed by each of them, and thanking me for being there for the week.  Much to my chagrin, in the turmoil that surrounded my leaving Trinity UMC a few months later I lost that picture.  It was a loving reminder of the Omega- my final week at Quaker Lake Camp.  Thank you, Heather, for sending me off with such an incredible memory.


Because of Jesus,

Encounters With God: Noah Lomax

I hope that all of you (my readers) are as inspired and encouraged by these first few days of Encounters With God as I am.  Today's guest blogger is Noah Lomax, who reminds us that in the scriptures and in our own lives our experiences with God are not always gentle.  Be sure to leave comments for Noah, and check out his information at the bottom of the page.  Enjoy!

Gut-Checked by a God-Moment
It was like a slap in the face. It was not a touchy, feely “saw a bit of Jesus moment.” But it was certainly an encounter with God.

 I was overseas, ministering in a country where English was not the predominant language. Every day, during my personal worship time, one thought was recurrent in my prayers: 

“God, if it would bring you glory, help me to cross paths with someone who speaks English today so that I could have the privilege of befriending them and sharing the Gospel.”

 I was petitioning for an unselfish, God-glorifying request so I could keep the Great Commission. I would love to tell you this remarkable story about how the stars aligned and against all odds I stumbled upon the only English speaker in this town who pleaded, “Noah, what must I do to be saved?” That did not happen.

Instead, my encounter happened right there while I was praying. Within seconds of the request leaving my lips I was instantly struck with this question: “Noah, almost every person who lives in Watertown, Wisconsin (my hometown) speaks English. How many of them have you given the Gospel to? If you have not been faithful with them, why should I give you the special few here?”

It was like a shot to the heart. I had no ground to stand on. I had no defense. I just cried. God was right. I repented of my unfaithfulness. Then I committed to intentionally building redemptive relationships in my home community.

Although difficult, it was a needed encounter with God. I was reminded that every person with whom I interact is a person I am entrusted with to share the Good News. Will I be a good steward of these opportunities? Will you?

 Are you faithfully sharing the Gospel with those whom God has placed in your daily path?

Noah Lomax serves as the Director of Student Activities at Maranatha Baptist Bible College. He aims to develop strong, character-driven leaders who excel in life and ministry to the glory of God! He also likes ice cream and coffee! Follow him on Twitter @NoahLomax

 

Job Search Misadventures

The Spring and Summer of 2001 found me exploring many different possibilities for life after the Union Church of Hinsdale.  Marilyn and I were seeking a new ministry, and our preference was to head back to Florida.  My resume had been online for quite a while by then, but I had deflected most of the offers for interviews up until that point.  Over those next few months I would spend lots of time on the computer and the phone, sorting through the churches who had an interest in me.  After prayerful consideration (and Marilyn telling me, once again, that we were not going to Las Vegas or Texas!) I began to set up a few interviews.  When it comes to employment, trying to deal with churches can be frustrating.  Witness the following accounts...

One of the first places that flew me in for a weekend was a United Methodist Church on Florida's Space Coast.  It was a fairly large church with a very active student ministry in need of a leader.  I had a great interview with their search committee, and then a dinner with the Senior Pastor.  I was very excited about the possibilities.  I then spent an evening with some of the student leaders of the group.  We had a great dinner together, and afterwards a number of those youth came to me and told me that of all of the candidates they had met so far, the felt I was the best fit. The whole weekend seemed like a huge success.  I returned home to find my in-box full of encouraging e-mails from staff and students telling how much they hoped I would be coming back to Titusville to join them.  And then I never heard from anyone at that church ever again.  It was like the interview never happened.  I called the pastor later on and was only told the position had been filled.  I found out later they had decided to go with a specific model of ministry and hired someone who had been trained in that method.  Ouch.

The weirdness was only beginning.  Another UMC in Florida called and did an extensive phone interview.  They were very positive and liked what they heard from me.  We planned for me to fly down and spend a weekend.  In the meantime, I heard from some old friends from FUMC-K who had moved and attended the church.  They too were very excited.  On the evening before I was to fly to Orlando on a Friday, they called to tell me not to come.  The position had been filled by their current Assistant Youth Pastor.  I have never quite figured out why they didn't know that before they bought me a plane ticket.  I flew down anyway to visit my parents. 

Yet another UMC, this one in southwest Florida (We wanted to come back to FL, but clearly God was trying to tell me something and I wasn't listening!) flew me in for an interview with the church staff, the search committee and some of the youth & parents- all in one evening.  I knew immediately this place was different.  The Associate Pastor was clearly the one in charge.  The Senior Pastor didn't seem to have much going on.  The student ministry was fairy active, but it had one very serious drawback.  Someone had decided to run a youth-friendly nightclub out of their youth building on weekends.  They had been doing it for about 6 months at the time I interviewed.  They were drawing in almost no one from outside of the church, and the entire student ministry budget was tied up in the enterprise.  There was also almost no money to pay a youth pastor.  I was not looking for anything near what I was making in Hinsdale, but this would have taken me back to a 1993 pay level.  It was another no-go, but at least this time I got to be the one saying no!

God still was opening doors for me, and I continued to walk through them. The final two churches I would interview with before accepting a new position in August of 2001 were both quite interesting in their own ways.  Wednesday I will tell you about my weekend in Baton Rouge, LA, where nothing- and I do mean nothing- was as it seems.  Tomorrow the Jesus Revolution continues!

Because of Jesus,

The Radical Sabbatical

Teresa on one of our New York trips.

Sometime around 1997 I was looking for ways to increase spiritual growth in the students I worked with at the First United Methodist Church of Kissimmee, FL.  We had all of the normal things in place- youth group, bible studies, small groups/Sunday School- but I was looking for an idea that would help jump start some of the high school students who wanted to go deeper on their faith journey.  I remembered John Westerhoff had once written that "one overnight retreat is worth 52 weeks of Sunday School."  I remembered that Jesus seemed to have pretty good success working with a group of 12 disciples.  And thus the concept of The Radical Sabbatical was born.  I would accept no more than 12 interested students for a weekend of study and spiritual disciplines.  We would sleep on the floor of the youth room.  It would be intense.  I only wanted those who were serious about pursuing Jesus.  And the group that gathered was just that. It was an awesome, Spirit-filled weekend.

I broke our time together into segments, during which we studied and participated in worship, prayer, bible study, fasting and meditation (both silent and guided).  For myself (and everyone else I heard from) the guided meditation section was the one that was truly memorable.  I led the students through a scenario in which they met Jesus by a lakeside, and He comes over to see each person individually.  I remember that I had the concept in mind as we started and a few notes written down, but that for the most part I was winging it.  In the midst of this improv, it seemed that the Holy Spirit just took over.  This was no longer only a story I was telling- Jesus was there!

After asking about memories of Radical Sabbaticals last Saturday, I received an e-mail from Teresa Reep Tysinger ( a Hall of Fame inductee), who was one of the high school students present that day.  She shared this with me, and told me I could share it with you. 
"...this experience is one of the few moments -- maybe THE defining moment in my personal walk with Christ.  For a teenage girl who often felt awkward, too self-conscious and lacking in many ways, it was such a RADICAL concept for me that Jesus would seek ME out of a crowd of people....amazing that Jesus would be happy to see ME....that I was the person Jesus was looking for.  Awkward, self-conscious, not good enough ME.  It was THE moment I realized this  Jesus guy was sent for ME...died for ME...and would have done it all the same if I was the only one here needing salvation from my sins.  ME."

Teresa went on to say that she also experienced the touch of the Holy Spirit that afternoon, and that she considers that to be the time when she really gave her life to Christ.  All of us who were there knew we had experienced something special.  I continued to lead Radical Sabbaticals for ten years after that weekend, and we had some more special times.  But nothing ever matched that first event and those few moments we all spent standing by a lake with Jesus.  Some things just can't be duplicated.  Like sequels to great movies, the original is usually better.  Except for Scooby Doo...

Those of us in student ministry spend a lot of time, effort and prayer hoping that we are making a difference in the lives of the young people we serve.  I have always said that if in my 28 years of ministry I had done anything that brought even one person into the presence of Jesus that I would be happy and honored.  So thank you, Teresa, for sharing your story, and for the work you still do for the Kingdom.  You didn't know it when you wrote it, but your story completes mine.  They say that one of the problems with being in youth ministry is that you don't really know if you made any difference in the lives of the students you work with for at least 10 years after they graduate.  And now I know.  "To God be the glory, great things He has done..."

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,

Nostalgia

During the past several days the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention has been going on in San Diego.  There is another one in Nashville later this year.  This was an event that I attended 17 times between 1982 and 2006.  In 2004 I was honored to be one of the seminar presenters in Atlanta.  No class, seminar, workshop or event ever had the impact on my life and ministry as the NYWC.  This past weekend I connected with a number of old friends and convention attenders through Twitter- and it has left me feeling a bit nostalgic...

I found myself missing the "Big Room" where great artists like Yohann Anderson, James Ward, Bob Stromberg, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder and Starfield led worship, and great speakers like Louie Giglio, Tony Campolo, Brennan Manning, Philip Yancey and Mike Yaconelli inspired me.  I miss the interaction with all of the great names in contemporary Christian music.  I miss the great workshops and seminars. I miss the Late Night Live sessions with Lost And Found, CPR and others.  And I miss hanging out with thousands of other youth workers, worshipping, playing and sharing.  I miss it all so much- and it hurts because it is due to my own failures that I am no longer there.

One of the dangers of writing this blog everyday is that it tempts me to live in the past.  I have lived an amazing life filled with incredible people, and these daily posts allow me to remember all of that.  And remembering is fine.  Nostalgia, in small doses, helps us to remember who we are.  But I must guard- we all must guard- against being so enamoured of our pasts that we miss out on the present and the future.  As I have reflected this past weekend on some of the best moments of my professional career at the NYWC, I am reminded that God still has work for me to do.  I will never again be a youth pastor.  I will never again attend a NYWC.  But there is still much left for me to do in the name of Jesus.  My primary focus now is to be the husband and father God wants me to be.  I think part of my ministry may be serving as an encouragement to (and prayer partner with) youth pastors.  Much of my new ministry is still being discovered.  I believe this blog is part of that ministry, and I thank my readers for allowing me into your lives in this way.

The past was wonderful, but only because Jesus was there.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  Together with Jesus, we all still have much to do.  In the immortal words of the great Bill Murray at the end of the movie Meatballs-  "FORWARD HOOOOOOOOO!!!"   Join me tomorrow as I look at a web of ministry that includes the past, present and future...

Because of Jesus,

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! 

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,

300

Today marks the 300th consecutive day I have posted on this blog.  As many of you know, my goal from the beginning was to blog every day for one year, and I am approaching that milestone.  I have made no decision yet as to whether or not I will continue to blog in another 65 days, but I can say that the experience so far has been nothing but positive for me.  I have heard from many dear, old friends who are reading.  I have gotten comments, e-mails and (before it died) guestbook signatures from all over the world.  My Uncle Don Dormstetter googled himself and discovered he had been written about in this blog.  It has been great fun, and a learning experience for me. If you have not been reading from the beginning, you might want to check out this link to read a few of my favorite posts, or to visit my Hall of Fame.   I have had three true revelations since Day 1, and I thought today I would share them with you.

1. I assumed that this would be primarily an exercise in telling old stories and having a good laugh.  It has been that, but as it says in the tag line at the top of my blog, it is really all about Jesus.  Every trip, every event, every failure and every bit of silliness and foolishness were a part of a ministry designed to help students connect with the Christ.  I always knew that in my head, but writing everyday about my history as a youth pastor has allowed me to really feel it in my gut, and to praise God for the opportunity to serve students in His name.
2. I had always wondered if my work had made any long-term difference, and I have discovered through this process that the feelings and memories I have about the youth ministries I worked with over the years are shared by may of the students I served.  I have heard from so many, including Marshall Ratledge, Darek Newby, Dann Newby, Laura Wheeler and Terri Johnson from all the way back in my New Garden Friends Meeting/Quaker Lake Camp days, 1978-1983.  I heard from dozens of my old Springfield Friends Meeting (1986-1994) youth and parents of those youth.  I currently hear almost everyday from someone connected to the First United Methodist Church of Kissimmee.  And no matter the year or the story being told, the response is nearly always the same.  The times we shared together meant something, and in many cases, still mean something- to all of us.
3. There was never much doubt in my mind, but writing this blog each day and telling stories of days gone by has reminded me that I was blessed to be in ministry with hundreds of the finest students and adult leaders anyone has ever had the opportunity to serve.  Almost every day the stories, the pictures and the memories bring a smile to my face and a tear to my eye, often at the same time.  The love we shared as we walked our spiritual journeys together was very real, and even all these years later can still lift my spirits and remind me that Jesus loves me, just as He loves us all!  It is also way beyond cool to follow along with many of their lives on Marilyn's Facebook, to see their children, and to know that many of them are still seeking Jesus.

There are many more stories to tell and places to visit over the next 65 days, and I hope each of you will continue to join me on my journey.  My life, with its glorious successes and monumental failures, has always been covered in the grace of Jesus Christ.  May everything I do and everything I write point to Him.

Because of Jesus,

LOST!

The first Saturday after we arrived in Kissimmee Marilyn and I were invited to a baseball game in which one of the college students who helped with the youth group, Brad Watson, was pitching for Valencia Community College (I think).  They told us where the ballpark was, just off Sand Lake Road in Orlando.  We knew where Sand Lake was from our early Disney trips from Springfield.  So we headed out.  There was something we did not yet know about central Florida, however.  Many roads have more than one location.  A street will begin, then end, and then start up again in some totally random place.  Sometimes they will change names at one intersection, and then change back to the original name several miles down the road.  It can be massively confusing. 

We found Sand Lake down near the Florida Mall and began following the directions we had been given.  We soon found ourselves out near the Orlando Airport.  This was not good.  The area we were looking for was closer to where Universal Studios are now.  We drove and we drove; we stopped and asked for directions a few times; we got very lost.  It served as just one more reminder of how little we actually knew about our new area and our new lives.

But as with most of those reminders, there was great joy to be found in the journey.  We finally arrived at the game and got to see Brad pitch.  His father, Vern Watson, was there and we got to spend time with him.  Jill Painter was there as well, and we laughed all afternoon as she tried desperately to get Vern to stick to his diabetic diet- with absolutely no success!  We made two very good friends that day just for showing up to enjoy a baseball game.  It was a reminder of another sort- that God is present in all that we do.  Jesus is with us all the time, but especially when we are lost.  God is good all the time.  Our first Sunday was the next day, and we had so much to be thankful for.  The preliminaries were over- it was time for my first youth group in Kissimmee!  It was time to "Sing Alleluia!"

Because of Jesus,

Tiger Woods & Forgiveness

My favorite definition of GRACE:  "There will always be a second chance...and you will always be on your FIRST try!"

In case you live under a very large rock and haven't heard, Tiger Woods is playing golf at the The Masters this weekend.  He has had a few issues over the past few months (DUH!) and the whole world seems to have an opinion on the man and his transgressions.  Now I don't know Tiger personally (My wife Marilyn did meet him; back in the late 1990's she and her boss went to his home in Orlando to complete a real estate closing on the land where his current Orlando home now sits.  Her memory is of a classic young bachelor whose home was furnished with golf clubs, and she got his autograph for our son Will.)  but I do have some thoughts on one aspect of his story.

I keep hearing and reading that Tiger's reputation and popularity have a chance to be rehabilitated because USAmericans are such a forgiving people.  On that I am afraid I have to call a giant BS!  We might be willing to forgive Tiger, because let's face it- what he did has no effect on us.  We are happy to give second chances to politicians, celebrities and athletes who fall because their sins rarely hurt us.  You can hear this is people's comments about El Tigre.  They say, "I hope he comes back; he messed up but he deserves a second chance.  But if I had been Elin I would have kept beating him with that golf club!"  We seldom forgive those who hurt us.  We are willing to consider redemption if they EARN it.  It's not really forgiveness if it is conditional.  It's not forgiveness if you are willing to overlook it because it didn't happen to you.  It's not forgiveness if you tell someone you forgive them and then hold their sin over their head constantly to remind them how guilty they should feel.  But typically this is the kind of forgiveness we offer in our culture.

Jesus saw forgiveness is a very different light.  When asked how often you should forgive someone, he said "70 times 7"- a infinite amount of times.  He told the parable of the prodigal son (a guy who really knew how to sin!) to illustrate that when we fall, God waits for us with open arms.  We don't have to "do" anything to earn God's grace; it is simply waiting for us when we turn back to God.  And God not only forgives, He forgets.  Our sins, once given to Him, are buried on the ocean floor.  The old saying is so true; "There is nothing you can do to make God love you more, and there is nothing you can do to make Him love you less."  As followers of Jesus, we are called upon to share that kind of love and forgiveness with the world, but we seldom do.  We attach so many strings...

I find myself feeling a little sorry for Tiger.  Certainly no one approves of what he did (hate the sin, love the sinner!) but many seem to have forgotten that he ever did anything else.  I have been through some of what he is going though on a much smaller scale.  I have been publicly condemned for my sins.  I have felt the power of God's amazing grace in the form of unconditional forgiveness from my family and some wonderful friends.  I have felt  conditional forgiveness from some who want me to earn back their love.  And I have felt rejection from some who choose to throw stones.  But mostly, I have felt the overwhelming grace of God reminding me not of my guilt, but of His love for me as shown through the sacrifice Jesus made on all of our behalves. I have learned in new and amazing ways that while I might not be able to earn back your love, I do not NEED to earn anything from God- I already have it!  Jesus doesn't want us to feel guilt; Jesus came that we might be free of our guilt and live an abundant life.  It is Satan (the accuser) who loves guilt, who wants us to forget the grace Jesus came to offer us.  Our pastor, Matthew Hartsfield, is fond of saying "the next time Satan reminds you of your past, just remind him of his future."  God wins!  I feel sympathy for Tiger because he is facing so much and trying to do it without Jesus.  He is facing an often cold, often unforgiving world without the knowledge and comfort of grace.  As someone who has been there, I just cannot imagine that.  Because of Jesus, I know that I know that I know that I am still a beloved child of God, and that God can and will use me in this world.  My sins- your sins- do not define us before God.  Jesus does.

Today's bottom line- when you fail to forgive, or when you seek to use guilt or to make someone earn your love, you are being used by Satan.  It's time that we Christ-followers started offering grace to a world that so badly needs it.  And that begins by offering it to the people who have hurt us most.  Have a blessed Sunday everyone!

Because of Jesus,

Hosanna!

Happy Palm Sunday everyone!  Holy Week is a week full of highs and lows, a week that helps us to remember events that changed the world and changed our lives.  Palm Sunday is a day that, to me, contains the full range of emotions.  We read the story of Jesus entering Jerusalem, of the multitudes waving the palm branches and shouting "Hosanna!" and "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!"  The Pharisees tell Jesus to quiet the crowd, and He rebukes them by saying that if His followers keep quiet, "even the stones will cry out."  This is the Christ at His most popular.  This is Jesus Christ, Superstar.  And we celebrate in many of our churches by having the children wave palm branches as we sing songs of celebration.  We, like the original Christ-followers, believe!  And we shout out His name and would follow Him anywhere.

Yet we know what is coming.  No matter how great our celebration is today, we know that this week holds stories of betrayal, denial and death.  We know that these same people who shouted "Hosanna!" will in a few short days be screaming "Crucify Him!"   We know that on Good Friday the world will turn very black, and all the hope of Palm Sunday will seem to be lost.  And just when things seem to be darkest, we know there is the great light of the resurrection still to come.  This is the advantage we have over those early disciples.  We KNOW how it ends.  We are a Resurrection People!

So today, the question is this:  Will we live our lives like the early believers, shouting "Hosanna!" one day and denying Jesus the next?  It is one thing to sin; we all sin.  It is another thing to live our lives ashamed of the One who saves us from that sin.  This week I encourage you to re-write the story of Holy Week in your lives.  Let there be no denial or betrayal.  Show the world that Jesus is alive, and that He is now and forever your LORD and Savior.  Living for Jesus in the here and now is certainly something to scream "Hosanna!" about!  I hope you all have a blessed day!

Tomorrow we return to tales of Floridays 1993 with another word we enjoyed screaming:  Aruuuuuubaaaaa!  See you then.

Because of Jesus,

That New Thing

In October of 1987 the youth ministry of Springfield Friends Meeting began our new outreach program,which we called TNT.  What TNT stood for was a little up for grabs!  Sometimes it meant "That New Thing."  Sometimes it meant "The Next Thing."  For the most part, we just stuck with TNT!  We had spent a month advertising and talking about it, building interest and enthusiasm throughout the community.  Some of the Trinity High School cheerleaders, friends of our own Robin Simmons, were coming to be part of a pie eating contest (see picture- that's Todd Farlow!).  Not much else about that first Monday night stands out in my memory.  There are a few things I am certain of.  I am certain that we sang, and that one of the songs was the old Olivia Newton John classic Let Me Be There.  The song became a theme song of sorts for us, and was also the last song I ever played and sang with the youth of Springfield at our farewell party in 1994.  I am certain there was a melodrama, and that it almost certainly included a character named Pup (which, spelled backwards, is Pup!).  I am certain we played several games, including our own version of the MTV classic Remote Control.  And I am absolutely certain it was the start of something wonderful.

That first TNT did not attract huge numbers.  That came later.  Eventually we would pull in non-Springfield students from Trinity, Southern Guilford, Ragsdale and High Point Central High Schools, as well as from the middle schools that fed them.  Students and leaders from Archdale Friends Meeting and High Point Friends Meeting became regulars at our Monday night event.  There would be times when we would draw as many as 80 youth to TNT.  In later years we would drive 30 minutes to Greensboro to take kids home after the program.  TNT did the three things we wanted it to do almost immediately.  It connected us to lots of new students in our community and helped us to connect them with Jesus.  It put Springfield on the map as "the place to be" for student ministry.  And it gave our students an outreach ministry.  TNT would have never succeeded if our youth had not invited their friends.  Amy Simmons, Todd Farlow, Jennifer Wood, Laurie Rees, Heather Beggs, Jill Gilbreth, Mike Mercadante and many others were much more responsible for our success over the years than I was.  And we had a great time doing it!

I often think about those days at Springfield and all of the wonderful people I came to know and love.  It always strikes me that so many of the youth who were a part of my life I would have never even known were it not for TNT.  You will read more about some of the people and special nights as this blog rolls along, but for today just understand this:  TNT was used by God to change all of Springfield Friends Meeting, not just the youth department.  We were faithful, and God blessed us.  Tomorrow you can read about how it put us in a national spotlight and headed us on to serving God in new and better ways!

Because of Jesus,