Sausages & coke...

It's Thursday and I'm home. The plan was to sleep in but instead I was awaken by a plumber and an electrician pounding on the door (this is starting to sound like a bad dream or something). I'll let my beautiful wife blog about the flooring debacle.

But after some quality lego building with the kids now REM is playing in the background, sausages are frying and I'm enjoying a caffeine free coke. And the best part is that I'm not even going to think about work today.

Seasons...

It's just one of those seasons right now. I'm tired and a little cranky (ask my wife), I'm a little run down and worn out these days. It happens from time to time. And the problem is I know exactly what I need but I can't get it. It's called "3 weeks in Maui".

These past two weeks have been unlike any I've ever had in ministry before. It's almost like I can't get 30 minutes of work done without a phone call or a drop in. I've had way too many meetings scheduled and I haven't spent nearly enough time at home.

I know it's not normal, but it easily could become so if I don't make some serious modifications to my schedule. I think I'm going to need to revisit Doug Fields' "What Matters Most" sometime in the next week.

I want to see the music...

Tuesday's episode of House was memorable for this. Can anyone name the other guy (who isn't Hugh Laurie) playing the piano?

I've got words for this PC...

And they aren't pleasant. I just finished a lengthy post about hooliganism and a recent movie I watched (Green Street Hooligans) and now it's been swallowed up by a mysterious blackhole also known as "my computer with a mind of its own".

Not wanting to recreate the original post, I've opted instead for a few highlights from a fairly full yet relaxing weekend:

• Enjoyed watching Green Street Hooligans. It's been sitting on the DVR for almost 2 months but I finally found some time. But don't watch it if you dislike violence, football or English accents. Gritty movie.
• Read "MySpace My Kids". Nothing new was said in this book that I didn't already know, but it could be a useful resource for any parent who doesn't have a clue about the wonderful world of MySpace.
• Watched a pile of episodes of "The Unit" and caught up on my "Lost" viewing. The latter keeps getting stranger and stranger. I'm close to giving up on it.
• Watched RV with the kids this afternoon. It makes me want to try an RV vacation...but I'd be the guy who doesn't have a clue how to empty the sewage tank. I guess I'll opt for tents and hotels.

Confessions...

I know it's odd, but I'm as shocked as everyone else. I just finished a book that I started reading yesterday called "Confessions of a Pastor". I'll admit that a few of Groeschel's admissions stuck out to me which is why I wanted to read it. That and I think someone somewhere along the line might have suggested it.

It's a simple read and I would imagine that most pastors would probably resonate and agree with most of the honest confessions. I think it raised an overall question of what churches are doing in order to not only encourage their shepherd to be accountable, but what are they doing in order to promote honesty and transparency with their leaders.

Let's be honest, most pastoral confessions are usually followed by "asked to step down".

I'll admit that while there is a level of honesty that is a little refreshing, there is also an element of too many simple cliches. Comments like "what's happening to you is not as important as what God's doing in you" and "as our faith expands, worry shrinks" tend to make me a little nauseous at times. Yeah, yeah...I get that there's an element of truth in them.

Should I recommend this? Sure...why not. It's not written about your typical topic. Maybe it would be useful if this could pave the way for more pulpit transparency. I don't think it will...is that normal?

Dwight highlight 2...

Thanks to Marko for this one. Funny stuff.

Radical...

Three posts in one day? I'm on some sort of mission. Or maybe it has to so with the fact that my wife believes my first two posts today were actually her property even though she never actually posted them.

Anyways...I don't think I'm emergent. I don't think I even know entirely what it means. Maybe that, in and of itself, makes me emergent. Either way I've never had an overwhelming desire to delve into the whole emergent movement thing. But somewhere along the line I picked up some books and started reading them. Then I started pondering. What resulted was and interesting little journey that has me more intrigued/curious about church in general.

I finished "The Radical Reformission" by Mark Driscoll and I will say that I enjoyed his straight-forward, sarcastic, edgy commentary on how we as a church need to rethink the way we are currently trying to reach people with the Gospel. He's got some good thoughts to ponder.

I'll have to pull this one down off the shelf again and go through the questions at the end of each chapter a bit more thoroughly. But until then, I can finally cross another book of my "must-read-before-I-buy-anymore-books" pile.

Trade deadline...

Today was the NHL trade deadline and I'm one of those guys that is constantly checking the web throughout the day to see who got traded. I was really hoping that Gainey would pull off something significant to strengthen up heading into the playoffs. But when the dust settled the most startling news was to hear that the Oilers had traded Ryan Smyth to the Islanders.

This is indeed a sad say for every Oiler fan. That guy was the heart and soul of the organization. Should be interesting to see if they will have what it takes to make the playoffs. A team that relies on grit needs Smyth in the lineup. I don't think they have a chance this year.

In the words of Riley...

"Sleep, no I never get enough
Always waking up tired"
-"Sleep" by Riley Armstrong

I spent the weekend with 18 of my students and 4 leaders at a retreat. I think it goes without saying that sleep did not come often enough during our time away. In fact the only time that sleep tried to make an appearance was while I was behind the wheel on the return trip. And since I feel an obligation to return students in the shape that I receive them, sleep was not allowed to overtake my activities.

It was a great weekend though. The highlight for me being listening to Shane Claiborne. I've heard him before and I have a great level of respect for him. His heart for Jesus and his heart for people shines through in everything he says and he is just as genuine to those who he meets in person.

I watched a group of my students & leaders stand around after the final session and just talk with Shane. It was obvious that they were processing what he said. What isn't as obvious is what they are going to do with what they heard. I know they were challenged. I just wonder how it will all flesh itself out. I'm grateful for a guy like Shane who takes the time to talk students through some of this stuff.

My prayer is that they will not just forget the challenge, but that they will be moved to action. We'll see what happens.

WWJBP...

What Would Jack Bauer Play?

How about everything Gibson! I personally prefer the sound of an acoustic, but I'd be tempted to buy one of these. It's Gibson's Kiefer KS-336. I was impressed by "Jack's" knowledge of music, and especially of Gibson guitars. He knows his stuff!

It turns out he's quite the musician and has amassed a sweet collection of guitars over the years. Which is sad in a way because I could definitely put one of those guitars on his shelf to use.

Who am I kidding? I don't even have time to play the guitars that I've got.

Anyways, it's not normal to own this many guitars is it?

Hurting...

Today I saw students with broken hearts. Kids who are very obviously aching and hurting and in pain. Suffering with life issues, parent issues, friend issues and a host of other issues that most people never see or take the time to ask about.

Tonight I was very much aware of how much our students need to be loved. Loved by me. Loved by my wife. Loved by others. Loved by our church. Loved by Jesus.

Dwight highlight...

I love The Office. No, I haven't seen the original British version and yes, I do have a Dwight bobblehead on my desk.

Jim's practical jokes on Dwight are by far the highlight for me, so I thought I'd share the joy with one of my favorite moments from the show. Enjoy...

Grammy's highlight...

I finally got around to watching the Grammy's the other night (just like everything I tend to be a little bit behind the times). I'll be honest, I mostly flipped through to watch the musical performances. And while most people seemed to be talking so much about The Police reuniting for the evening, I was absolutely enthralled by the 3 song performance by John Mayer, Corrine Bailey Rae and John Legend. In order to share the experience, here it is...

Outsider...

I've never really fit. I'm not sure if that's just because I primarily work with students, but I have always felt like somewhat of an outsider when it comes to relating to adults. In fact, this past year was the first time since college that I have been in a small group of peers where some of the members are many years older than me and I've felt connected to a group of adults.

Last night my wife and I attended an appreciation dinner that was put on for our pastoral staff by our elders board. I'm grateful for a group like this who is doing what they can to show their support and appreciation of the pastoral staff.

My only addendum is that I was the youngest one there by 5-6 years, and I'm sure that the overall average age was likely around 50. Most of the people in the room could have probably been my parents. Yikes!

Let's face it...I'm young. I just wish that I didn't always feel like an outsider of sorts. Don't get me wrong, I'm not in a hurry to age, nor do I want to change positions with anyone. It's just moments like last night that remind me of how different I am from most of the world...and how different I am from many in our church.

YM frustrations...

I love my job. I know I'm doing what God has called me to do, but I'll be honest and say that there are just some things I don't like about youth ministry anymore. Ok, so it's just one thing: arranging outside events. You know, those ones where students and parents have to sign their lives away so you can cram them into minivans for a weekend.

I'm currently in a pickle trying to re-arrange (yes, in the sense that it was at one point already "arranged") transportation for a youth conference we are going to be attending. Yeah...this part of the job irks me. I'd rather be teaching or thinking big picture or studying or hanging with the students, not phoning and begging and pleading and pulling what little hair I have left from my head.

I hate trying to arrange transportation. I hate the insurance details and the fine print. I know it's there for a reason, but it sure makes life a nightmare for me. If I had my way I would never plan an outside event again.

(*editor's note - this may have been written in the heat of the moment)

Doggin it...

I'm blitzed. It probably doesn't help that it sounds like a smoker is living in my bedroom these past few nights (love ya Erin!), but I'm halfway to blitzville today. It's 4pm and I'm looking at a hundred things I could do (and probably SHOULD do) and I'm trying to come up with 200 hundred ways to avoid doing them.

In other news...I'm having a music crisis lately. Maybe you've noticed the dichotomy in my "tunesworthy" section lately. Matt Redman, Switchfoot and Ben Folds?!?! I've also found a way to find some time this week for Amanda Marshall, Kenny Chesney, Diamond Rio and Matthew Good. Yeah...it's enough change and variation to make your head spin.

Is this normal?

In the news...

I'm not a big fan on posting about the news, unless it involves Manchester United or the Montreal Canadiens, but this has been building for a while. In fact, I think I've reworded this post about 4 or 5 times. Here it goes...

I am officially sick of hearing about this whole Ted Haggard saga. The final straw was hearing on Jon Stewart the other night (or maybe it was Colbert...either way, it's also been in major news as well, lest I appear like one who relies on Stewart & Colbert for my world news reports) that Haggard is now "completely heterosexual" after 3 weeks in counselling.

Here's a few issues I have...

1. James Dobson wouldn't agree to help counsel Haggard when this whole thing blew up. the smart-alec in me wants to say, "What?!?! It's too much for you to give 3 weeks to a friend in need?" Come on.


2. Is it really possible to become "ungay" in 3 weeks? To me this seems to rank up there with every other celebrities attempt at a quick fix (Miss USA, Lindsey Lohan and the guy from "Grey's Anatomy").


3. All this talk about restoration makes me wonder what restoration really means? Is it just removing someone from leadership, forcing them into counselling and then letting them walk away on their own? Apparently the oversight board recommended that Haggard go into "secular work". Is this restoration?

I don't profess to know all the details of this. Some of these reactions may be of the knee-jerk type, but I can't help but want to shake my head. Is this normal?

Oops I did it again...

I apologize for the Brittney Spears reference, but it's all my tiny brain can come up with after a weekend stuffed in our Versa with my wife and kids while we made our way to and from Calgary for my brother-in-law's wedding.

Yes, the wedding was great. All went well. But my Spears-esque reference has more to do with a trip to Christian Publications that my wife and made on Monday morning. You see, they offer pastors a 20% discount. Add to that the fact that Alberta has no sales tax and you can figure out what happened next.

I bought books. Do you think I'm any closer to finishing the last stack of books I bought back in June? Or the ones I bought in November at NYWC? Ummm...not really. Actually, I'm nowhere close.

But how could I pass up this deal? So now I've got these to read...

• No Perfect People Allowed by John Burke
• The Radical Reformission by Mark Driscoll
• Dear Church... by Sarah Cunningham
• This Beautiful Mess by Rick McKinley
• Confessions of a Pastor by Craig Groeschel

When will I ever learn?

Fire alarms, laptops & YM...

Let me preface this by telling you about my current group of students. They apparently love any event that we hold inside the church. They aren't keen on sporting events or going to the waterslides, but they'll come out in droves for a night of Mission Impossible.

So we booked the entire building. The plan was to have leaders with Nerf guns roaming the hallways. All the lights would be out and students were going to be everywhere. The plan was also to do a little skit to introduce the evening and explain the "mission" and the rules. So we decided to go for ambiance. So try to picture this...

Lights are out. Spotlight is on. Mission Impossible theme music is blasting. Fogger is going. Yup...you can see this one coming. Yeah, apparently too much fog sets of fire alarms. And I don't have a clue how to shut anything off or even who I should call. And the custodians are on their dinner break.

The next thing I know I can hear the fire truck. Then I see it. Then I have to explain myself. Then all our student and leaders have to wait in the parking lot for the firemen to clear the fog out of the building.

We started our game over an hour late. But we now have a memory that none of our student will forget. And I doubt I'll ever live this down once the rest of the staff hears about it. I wonder what kind of bill I'm going to get from the fire department?

Saving...

I heard they were releasing a phone but it never crossed my mind that I'd be interested in it. I own an iPod but don't really see the point of having songs on my phone. And while I've always been curious about Apple, I've never jumped on the bandwagon.

But I sat down the other night and was reading an article in TIME about the new iPhone and all I need to say now is that I want one. It's that simple. I will not attempt to explain it. Read the article yourself and tell me why this isn't the coolest thing since the invention of the salad-spinner.

But I'll have to start saving now because it won't be cheap. And I'll have to come up with a good excuse why this will have to be my phone. Sorry Erin!

5 things...

Ok, so I noticed this was going around on a few blogs that I was reading a while back. Apparently if you are "tagged" by someone who has posted it, you are also required to post on the given subject.

I will admit that I was not tagged. But I don't like feeling left out, so here goes. Here are 5 things you probably didn't know about me.

1. I once appeared on 2 episodes of "The Great Canadian Spelling Bee" which would have aired on CKND (the old version of Global) back in the late 80's. I was part of a 5-6 person team who competed on behalf of our school against other schools in the Manitoba area
2. I once cried at an episode of "Boy Meets World". To this day my wife will not let me live this down. But if you watch Topanga leaving without Cory so much as saying goodbye (season 4, I think) and you don't cry, you don't have a heart at all.
3. I played in a band after high school and we actually played a "gig" at a high school graduation after-party. Ok, so we didn't get paid and we were only the "opening act", but this still counts. I distinctly remember playing a song by Matchbox20 called "Push", a song by the Gin Blossoms called "Competition Smile" (where we changed the a phrase about being high to "being dry") and an original song called "Tell Me Why"(written about a failed relationship between a band member and his former grad date).
4. I have collected Star Wars memorabilia since the early 90's. I have 3 giant Rubbermaid tubs of various toys, calendars, pens, lego, masks, lightsabers, cards and magazines. Close to 90 of my figurines are in their original packages (but none are from the 1970-1980's).
5. I enjoy country music. This is something I picked up from some friends in high school. I've alwasy used country music when I need a break from everything else I've been listening to. There's something about being able to tell a story in a song that catches my attention.
   

I'm tagging the 4 people I know that read this on a regular basis. Erin, Bryce, Kelly & Jon. If you're someone else, don't feel left out. Consider yourself tagged!

Online...

We have been depending on dial-up for our interent access for almost 2 months. And after weeks of phone calls and waiting...and more phone calls...and more waiting...Telus got their act in gear and finally solved the problem. So, it was an exciting moment when we arrived home last night from District Retreat to find that little green "ready" light blinking on the DSL modem.

I really have a hard time remembering what it was like to have to rely on the phone line on a regular basis. These last couple of months have been torcherous at times.

Anyways, it kind of feels like I can get back to normal now. But where do I begin?

Snowfall warning...

I awoke to find white fluff covering the lawn. And you already know what that means...

1. People are parked on the hill up to our neighborhood because their car can't make it up.
2. Schools are canceled.
3. I'll be fielding phone calls all day that ask "Is there still youth tonight?"
4. I'll be fielding emails all day that ask "Is there still youth tonight?"
5. People forget how to drive.

Yeah, this seems to be the usual response around here when the frozen stuff falls from the heavens. After last time this is starting to seem normal though.

Someone please press "play"...

I think I hit the pause button in my head and now I can't get it started again. Everything seems to have frozen up. And this is not the best time for it. I have a message to finish preparing for tomorrow night, a parents meeting to prepare for on Thursday night and a youth leader meeting to prepare for on Sunday afternoon.

And then next week I'm off to District Retreat. So I have to have everything prepared for me to not be around. Ad like I said, this isn't the best time for my brain to drift into "stand-by mode".

Life by dial-up...

Yeah...still no broadband at our place. Apparently Telus is in nor hurry to hook it up either because we aren't getting broadband through them. But this is just getting ridiculous.

Anyways, here's a quick look at a few things that happened over my blogging hiatus...

I rescued 3 Clapton tickets from the bottom of a full garbage bag at 2am.

• I had one of those "sit straight up in bed and suddenly realize that you haven't seen the tickets for 3 days since you opened them and left them on the counter" moments. A mild panic attack, and 25 minutes later...and at the bottom of a bag of old spaghetti, other leftovers and miscellaneous crap...they were rescued.

Our youth worship team led in church this past Sunday.

• I can honestly say that this ranks up there with my experiences playing with "Acoustic Skyline". I've missed the days of leading worship on a Sunday morning. And this gave the youth ministry some much needed exposure.

Retreat/conference season is upon us.

• It's that time of the year that everyone who is anyone is trying to convince me to bring my students to their conference. YC Generation, Legacy, Rush, Dare2Share have all been on the radar and I think I've narrowed it down...almost.

Goals for the New Year.

• I have a large list. That way I am sure to accomplish something, right? Actually this one could be a post all it's own, but I wonder if there's any point in putting down on paper what I'll probably forget about in a week's time. Hey, but isn't it the thought that counts? Stay tuned...maybe.

Apologies...

No, I didn't fall off the face of the planet. All though some days I wish it was possible to just drift away into the galaxy...but that's another thought for another day.

As I have noted before not everything was finished in the house before we moved in. And while that didn't seem like the end of the world at the time, it has now become a major form of aggravation and frustration. Sure, the phone line has been fixed and the security system has been installed, but we still have wires hanging out all over the place. After 5 phone calls and almost a week of waiting we find out the guy won't show up until Tuesday to do work that his boss should have done the first time he was at our place.

And then there's the internet access, of which we currently only have dial-up. I know, I know...we're spoiled. But I just don't have the patience for dial-up, especially when I'm wondering if I'll miss a phone call from someone who is actually planning to come and finish up something in the house. This would therefore explain my lack of presence on the web.

Ok, that's enough of my ranting. I should be in a good mood. We have a 3 week break from our crazy student ministry schedule, I'm helping making gingerbread houses in Aidan's class tomorrow, I see my surgeon on Monday about my knee, my Red Devils are 5 points clear at the top of the table, and The Office is an hour long tonight.

And now it's back to work for me.

Too much junk...

I'm beginning to wonder why I didn't get rid of more stuff before we moved out here last year. Now that all our earthly possessions have been crammed in our basement, we are beginning to realize we may not have enough space for everything. I think eBay may be calling...

And while I'm loving the fact that we actually have our own space now, it's a little frustrating to see how much stuff is yet unfinished. The vacuum isn't working, speaker outlets aren't connected, phone jacks aren't even on the walls, coat hooks are missing. And don't get me started on the 60 plus minutes I spent trying to hook up our washer and dryer. (I still think that's the appliance guys job.)

But, it's our home. And by tomorrow most things should be connected or installed. Now we can get our family back to normal. Whatever that looks like!

I dunno...

Maybe there's something wrong with me. Or maybe it's just another one of God-given characteristics that prepares me for working with middle schoolers. Either way, I found this funny. To be honest, I found it way too funny. (Thanks to Marko)

I'm sorry if you just lost all respect for me.

Snow day...

Snow. Lots of it. Well, lots of it if you're living in BC. If you call Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Alberta home, then this really isn't that much snow. But hey, who am I to argue with taking a day off?

I actually drove to work and found a sign on the door saying "office closed". School's have been canceled. People are stuck in their driveways. You cannot see me, but I'm shaking my head in disbelief right now.

Oh, and to all the wonderful "BC drivers"...if you're tires are spinning and you're not making progress through the intersection DO NOT HIT THE GAS HARDER! Sheesh...you'd think that something like this would go without saying.

And lastly, now playing on iTunes is "Christmas Convoy" by Paul Brandt. My wife is loving it!

Clapton tickets...

I tried. But it was finally too late...unless I wanted to pay $125 (plus service charges) to sit behind the stage. Yeah...you can see why I've opted not to go for it.

However, the Clapton ticket saga continues as I found out he'll be in Seattle the night before he's supposed to play in Vancouver. The good news? Tickets don't go on sale until next Saturday! So, there's still a chance this could work.

Ahhh...Friday...

Woke up to the arrival of some friends from our old stomping grounds. It was nice to catch up and share a few laughs and some memories. And it was great to watch our kids. You would never know that it had been almost a year since they had seen each other last.

Anyways, I took off for a little time on my own this afternoon and watched "Deja Vu". Not phenomenal, but certainly not the worst movie I've ever seen. either way, it was nice to just sit and let my brain focus on something else for a while.

In house news...the cleaning people are supposed to be finished today. Then there's still a pile of little things to be done before Thursday. Electrical odds & ends, appliances, shower doors, a bookshelf and a back splash to name a few. But I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that we might be able to move in a bit earlier.

And I know you're all waiting for an update on Clapton tickets. Ummm...I'm a little sad to say that they do not exist...at least not yet. But they still could turn up in the very near future. Quick, someone head over to Erin's blog and tell her that she should buy me some tickets!

On sale Friday...

I'm surfing around tonight after the kids pack it in for the night and I find out that Eric Clapton is going to be in concert next March. I missed out on seeing him back in 1998 when he made a stop in Edmonton and I always hoped he'd make it back north of the border. And at long last that day has arrived.

Tickets go on sale at 10am Friday. Now I just need to convince my wife that this is a good investment for the future. "Yes, I really did see Eric Clapton live."

Please feel free to send your cheques or money orders to me at the following address...

NYWC '07...

I started to post and then I realized that I would say too much and try to be too profound an insightful. Then I stopped and thought to myself, "when have I ever been profound and insightful in my blog?"

So, here it is...the simplified version of what I experienced in Anaheim. It can be summed up by one word that is written in red marker on the back of an American one dollar bill. LOVE.

Everywhere I turned I was being reminded to love.

• The crazy sign people reminded me to love the people that believe differently than I do.
• Efrem Smith reminded me that "God wants to love the hell out of you."
  
• Matthew Barnett reminded me to stop seeking after success and start seeking after the welfare of the people. Again with the love thing.
  
• Mike Pilavachi reminded me "go after the one" and to "love with Jesus' heart". Whole lotta love.
  
• Shane Claiborne (who left me with the dollar) reminded me "don't do great things; do little things with great love!"
• Marko reminded me that I'm also arrogant and I think that's because I'm usually more in love with myself than with other people.
• I was reminded that I need to love my family more.
• I was reminded that I need to love difficult students more.

At one point we were asked to select one word that we felt God was placing on our heart. Then we were asked to write that word on a mirror with a sharpie and then look at our reflection behind that word. What was it that God was trying to reveal in us and through us. The one word for me? LOVE.

I'm still trying to work this out practically. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do with my dollar (go here to read a way better explanation by Kerry). I'm still trying to figure out how to love difficult people. I need to greatly improve how I love my family. I've got to just get better at loving people overall.

4 on a couch...

It's been crazy weather here today. Lots of wind and rain. Ok, so the rain isn't that unusual, but the wind has been sending tress crashing to the ground and blowing small animals into the ocean.

I kind of wondered if any high schoolers would show up. Well, they did. But the mood was a little...umm...I'm not even sure how to describe it. So, instead of our usual routine we opted for playing four on the couch. What is it about this game? This seems to be the one game that every single student will willingly participate in. Go figure...it's the simple things about youth ministry that make this the greatest job on earth!

We also had the power go out with 15 minutes left in the evening, so instead of a mini-lesson we went for a group prayer time. All in all, it's great to have a night like this every once in a while where you can change things up at the last minute and just go with the flow.

Of death & bluegrass...

I started reading David Crowder's book "Everybody Wants to go to Heaven But Nobody Wants to Die (or The Eschatology of Bluegrass)" last week. Then on Friday my wife and I headed over to the AMC in Downtown Disney to watch Stranger Than Fiction (which wasn't a bad flick, by the way).

Suffice to say that I'm more than a little overwhelmed by the subject of death in the past 6 days. That could explain why I wasn't particularly enthused to be on a plane in a rainstorm on Saturday night.

I should point out that I don't have some fascination with death and mortality. I just sort of fell into this. I spent a good deal of Crowder's book wondering just how things were going to come together in the end. He talks at great length about the soul and how it has been viewed throughout history. He also talks a great deal about the origins of bluegrass music. Then he weaves in some of his personal story, some emails, some IMs with a bandmate and even an interesting (yet sometimes confusing) story about three people whose lives intersect due to loss and suffering.

I know..it's a little confusing. Which is why it's good to stick it out to the end. And while the end result is not really anything new, it does serve as an excellent reminder that there is more to life than the here and the now. There is more that just today's suffering. We have hope. With that said, hope doesn't eliminate all the hurt we can feel when we lose someone.

Crowder's wit, humour, honesty and unique outlook on life provide a fresh outlook on a subject that's not often discussed by many. And now I can officially say that I have more of an understanding for (and an appreciation of) bluegrass music.

Dork factor...

It could take me a little while to deconstruct and process everything from NYWC. In this post I shall do neither. Instead I shall try to explain how much of a dork I have become. (And I know what you're thinking, "That shouldn't be too hard.")

A couple of weeks ago I was talking with my high schoolers about journalling and I decided to bring out my journal so I could be a shining example of how a person can commune with God. (Doesn't that sound noble?)

Instead I realized that my "dork factor" increased. Oh well, you've got to embrace it sometime right? So I decided to stop trying to run from it this past weekend and come to grips with who God created me to be...a DORK.

While I want to spare you all the gory details, I fear that you may not completely understand the events that transpired and then make unnecessary and unfounded judgements about me. Please don't. Just try to picture yourself the day you finally begin to embrace your dorkiness.

Anyways...it turned out that Disney was taping their annual Christmas Special which meant a special parade and guest appearances by select "artists" (I use that term loosely because of the first act we witnessed). The overall goal was to watch Daniel Powter perform live in front of the castle and maybe (just maybe) make it onto TV.

And since this post is already too long (and not very profound) I'll just state for the record that neither Erin or myself wanted to witness 2 teens named Aly & AJ lipsynch a song 3 times. Nor did we want to be surrounded by 13 year-old girls swooning over Ryan Seacrest. We wanted to see a Powter concert. Instead we ended up seeing him sing to a background track (yes, 3 times) before being introduced by Seacrest after the songs were completed. Uh...yeah...apparently that's how they do things in Hollywood. Film the intro at the end of the segment.

But I willingly participated in this and so therefore I am now, and forevermore, a dork. You can look for this dork in the crowd on the Christmas Day showing of the Disneyland Parade on ABC (check your local listings).

This can't be normal...

From the south...

The sunshine is certainly better that any rain we were getting back at home and it's also not so bad hanging out with piles of other people who have the same strange desire in life to tell teenagers about Jesus. But occasionally there are strange things...

• people with signs saying that YS leads to hell...(only in America, eh?)
• a band that has a guy dance around the stage all night with absolutely no purpose...except for an occasional tambourine
• a guy that wears an orange jumpsuit and plays horns

Maybe we'll get some pics up when I'm back. As for now I think I'm over my 10 minute limit.

5 hours...

I need to be up in five hours to head for the airport. I should really be in bed but I need to wait for some clothes to get out of the dryer. But by 7:55am tomorrow morning we'll be on our way to Anaheim. I'm looking forward to NYWC and a few days in the shadows of Mickey.

My intern has been left in charge. He's great and I'm sure he'll do an awesome job. But I'm always nervous when I have to pass the reigns off to someone else. I'll probably spend most of tomorrow's flight trying to think of what I forgot to tell him.

Anyways...the packing and sleeping beckons me. We'll try to keep you posted from the sunny south!

Oh yeah...and what's the deal with high schoolers and their crazy desire to light fireworks in the Church parking lot? That's not normal is it?

Soccer, Middle School & Yac...

My son's soccer wrapped up today. Strangest event ever. They lined up and marched out of the room so they could march back into the room and then through the room. Then some woman made them dance, which looked more like a 500 foot line of kids trying not to fall over by holding on to each others waists. Then they got a trophy a water bottle and a soccer ball. Just a proud dad moment.

Then it was back to my middle school group for the evening. It always amazes me how simply hitting each other with a pool noodle or chucking a hacky-sack at each other can be so entertaining.

And 2 days until we leave for NYWC. Woohoo! (That's in memory of Mike Yaconelli)

Dealing with loss...

I watched the Brandon Wheat Kings lose on Friday to the Chilliwack Bruins (yes, I have decided to attend Bruins games again...but at least this time there was no porn). Then I took a group of high school students to watch my Bombers get beat up by the Lions last night. Sheesh...at least Wayne Rooney & Co. were able to thrash Bolton 4-0.

Ok, this next part has nothing to do with loss...

I had a leader meeting today. It went fairly well. I've got lots of youth ministry rookies on my current team, but they all have great attitudes. It would be nice if we could add a few more bodies to the team though before we break for Christmas.

Red...

Ok, so I'm getting very unoriginal and boring with my titles. It's been a long couple of weeks with youth stuff, so I'll blame it on that. My in-laws are heading out on vacation, my parents are coming out tomorrow, it's my b-day tomorrow, we have a youth event tomorrow, a youth leaders meeting on Sunday and I'm hosting the service this week.

I'm seeing red because I just got a call today from an "independent adjuster" who wants to meet with me next week to talk over the facts of the collision I was involved in back in July. Apparently the other driver that hit me isn't too happy about being at fault and they're challenging ICBC. Good grief...now I have to go through the process again.

And here's why I'll be wearing red...With all the craziness going on I got to open a few presents last night. And while my Dwight Schrute bobblehead ranks right up there as one of the best gifts, my favorite is probably my jersey. Yup, another Manchester United jersey, but it's my first one with official patches and even the name and number of the great Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. So cool!

On the ipod...

Thought this might be interesting...If you read this and you have Itunes, give it a try.

HOW MANY SONGS? 4288

SORT BY SONG TITLE:
First is 'Til the Day I Die by Third Day
Last is Zombie Zoo by Tom Petty

SORT BY TIME:
Longest is 38:52 with #41 by Dave Matthews Band (from a live concert in Ottawa in 2002)
Shortest is 8 seconds with Too Much by Dave Matthews Band (actually it's a fake intro they once played in concert)

SORT BY ALBUM:
First is Back to the Future Soundtrack by Various Artists
Last is Youth by Matisyahu

TOP THREE MOST PLAYED SONGS:
1. Wholly Yours by David Crowder Band (56 times)
2. Foreverandever Etc by David Crowder Band (53 times)
3. Here Is Our King by David Crowder Band (47 times)

TOP THREE MOST PLAYED NON-CROWDER SONGS:
1. Second Place Victory by This Day & Age
2. Marvelous Light by Charlie Hall
3. Girl America by Mat Kearney

LAST THREE SONGS PURCHASED:
1. Eclipse by Cary Judd
2. In Your Eyes by Jeffrey Gaines
3. The Great Escape by the BBC Orchestra

LAST ENTIRE ALBUM PURCHASED:
1. No Safe Bet by Pete Schmidt

RANDOM WORD SEARCHES:
"Can't" 37 songs
"Find" 8 songs
"Normal" 12 songs
"Dave Matthews" 383 songs
"Mike" 18 songs
"Erin" 25 songs
"Disney" 48 songs
"Unplugged" 66 songs
"Live" 339 songs

FAVORITE PODCAST SUBSCRIBED TO:
1. Acoustic Tuesdays

This is an instrument...

Richard gets the credit for this post. He pointed out that one of the sounds in the last video I posted was made by an instrument called the Theremin. I'll admit that I had never heard of this so I decided to check it out a little further. And this video is probably the best explanation of the instrument with the best demonstration of the song, all by a guy wearing the best pants ever.

Prepare to be amazed...

Random video...

This year at our youth events I started something I like to call the "Random Video of the Week". Sure, it's not very profound or original, but it is occasionally funny. I think the funniest is watching how the students will react to the videos. Some of them are still trying to figure out the point to many of the videos.

So, I thought I'd share the randomness with this little gem...

Soccer Saturday...

I woke up at 5ish this morning so I could hit the record button on the VCR so I could watch United play at a half-decent time. Unfortunately I missed the first 25 minutes of the game and I was shocked to see a 1-0 scoreline in favor of Wigan. Anyways...I headed back to catch a few zz's and then watched the rest of the game a little later.

I know, this isn't super profound, but it is Saturday. And soccer and Saturday go together so perfectly. Anyways, United battled back to win 3-1. And Solskjaer scored the final goal. It's so good to see a guy putting the ball in the net after being out with a multitude of knee injuries for almost 2 complete seasons. It gives a me some hope that I can actually come back from my knee injuries.

Porn and hockey (part 2)...

I left it alone for a week and I thought that maybe it would stop bugging me, but it didn't. And today I finally reached the breaking point. After some "outside" advice (thanks to the many people who provided their 2 cents), I decided that I had to respond to previous email I received. Here's what I fired off today...

Darryl,I'd like to start off by thanking you for your quick reply.
I've taken some time to process what you had to say and I believe that I need to
respond accordingly. I'm glad to see your emphasis is on families and on
kids. After all, that's one of the reasons I attended the game with my
son. It's great to see organizations that make family entertainment a
priority.

I guess this is what confuses me most about the ad. With so much
focus on families and kids, it seems ill-placed for an ad of that nature.
I would think that "family-focused" would mean going the extra mile to ensure
that all families and kids are in a safe environment. I'm assuming that
you have a large no-drinking section in order to ensure that families have a
safe & comfortable time together when they attend a game. It seems
like a simple step you take that improves the family environment (especially for
those with little children) while still allowing other people in attendance to
enjoy a beer and a game. It makes perfect sense to me.

The problem about the ad is that it isn't confined to a set area, it's open
for everyone (including children) to see. I understand your statement
about "a tanning salon is going to promote itself by showing a tan", but let's
be honest, the only thing you can decipher from 25-30 feet is that it's a naked
woman on the picture. The last thing anyone can see is the quality of the
tan.

I'm sorry to hear you say that this is a morality issue. If not
wanting to expose my children to soft-core porn makes me a "moral" person, then
so be it. It's hard enough being a parent today without the extra
pressures of having to explain to a 5 year old why there's a naked woman on a
blimp at a hockey game. Take this for what it's worth. But if you're
trying to reach families, it probably wouldn't hurt to actually help create an
all-round family environment.

The thoughts of a concerned parent.

I kind of figured the conversation would end there. But I checked my inbox tonight and discovered this...

We have done one thing once I saw the flyer- I thought you were talking about
something else. They can no longer use those unless they are in a closed
envelope. If you see it up close- it looks way better than what it looks like
from 30 feet.

If I could only hear what was going on behind the scenes. I really wonder if they had to deal with other complaints. Either way, it's good to hear that I can head back to a hockey game. The bad news for the Bruins would be that I already booked a trip for my middle school students to attend a Giants game. Oh well...

Porn and hockey...

That got your attention didn't it? Well here's the backstory...

Last Friday I got some cheap tickets for a Chilliwack Bruins hockey game from a friend in our care group. I took my son along thinking it would be a fun evening for us to hang out with some of the other guys in our care group.

All in all it wasn't that bad. Popcorn, pop, and bad hockey made for $27.50 well spent.

My problem was with a remote controlled blimp they have floating around during the intermissions of the game. As it floated overhead you could clearly make out a picture attached to the bottom of the blimp of woman with her arm carefully positioned across her bare chest. To be honest, I thought it was some practical joke and that someone in the crowd had managed to hijack the blimp and stick the picture to it. Then it was up again during the 2nd intermission. My idea of it being a joke was ruled out.

Well, I'm not usually the letter-writing type (except for one occasion of a Dave Matthews concert back in 2002...but I can post about that another time), but I paid a visit to their website and fired off this email:

I attended the game on Friday night vs Swift Current and brought my five year
old son with me. I would just like to inquire about the Tropicana blimp
that floats around the arena during the intermission and why a semi-nude picture
of a woman was attached to the bottom of the blimp. I'm a little confused
as to why this would be deemed acceptable at an event where young children are
attending.

I've contemplated bringing a larger group of students, and I
can honestly say that I am questioning whether or not I will attend future
games. But I would be interested in hearing from someone so I can make an
informed decision. Thanks for your time.

Here's the response I got back yesterday:

Hi Mike. This is Darryl Porter, President of the bruins.

First off I appreciate your support in coming to the
game last week and I want to stress to you that we are a family
entertainment business. Yes, we have alcohol sales and some promotions
adult oriented but our primary theme is families. We have Family Pack
ticketing, After Game skates, a 50 ticket section of donated kids tickets
from our ownership with Tim Hortons, a large emphasis on our mascot, a large
no drinking area of the rink, an average ticket price of $10.00, many in
game contests that are focused on kids, a7th Man promo for a young hockey
player, a primary relationship with the Chilliwack School Board and Minor Hockey, etc.

My position is not to judge others morality. A tanning salon is going
to promote itself by showing a tan. It was my call that their ad did not
go too far and I find it fine for what they are promoting. We would not
allow anything more, have rejected sponsorships for products such as Viagra and
Adult Novelties in the rink for this reason. I hope you do come back to
enjoy Bruins hockey. Darryl

Is it too much to ask that when I take my kids to a family-friendly event that we don't have to see porn? Sure, I get it...it's a tanning salon and the girl is mostly covered. But, if you try so hard to be family-friendly, wouldn't it make sense to stick with that theme in everything?

You might as well make your slogan "Families are our primary theme, but porn is our secondary theme because it pays the bills".

Now I have to decide whether or not I will ever attend another game. It would have made for a fun and affordable youth event, but can you imagine a group of junior high boys every time the blimp came around? I wonder how much tickets are for the Vancouver Giants...

More productive...

You would think that I should have something more productive to do on a Thursday night than stare at a computer screen. It's my "Friday night" (because I have Fridays off) and I've already watched "The Office" and "My Name Is Earl". And now I'm killing time trying to find new tunes to listen to.

I need a life...but until I find one on Ebay here's some random stuff:

• I've noticed from my statcounter that I've got a case of "lurkers"
• Oilers beat the Flames...why do I care? I'm a Habs fan
• I'm part of a fantasy hockey league and I still have no clue how it works
• I bought another book
• Great story of a pornographer that gave his life to Christ
• Need to shop for house stuff tomorrow
• Going to a hockey game

This is why...

I got to baptize one of our high school students today and this reminds me why I do what I do. Not that I needed a reminder...but it's always nice to jog the memory. It's fascinating to watch how God and teenagers intersect and it's exciting to watch students as they respond to Him.

I've been part of a few different conversations lately where people ask how I can work with teens. These individuals seem to have a hard time engaging students in conversation. More than that, it seems most people have a difficult time understanding teenagers.

Ok, now I don't profess to be an all-knowing youth ministry expert. I'll likely never write a youth ministry book or teach a seminar at NYWC. I won't begin a youth ministry consulting firm where I tell everyone what's wrong with their ministry and how they can reach students better. I won't ever make a fortune doing this. I'll never be famous. But I love what I do.

I don't have a profound answer for why I can work with students. I just can. I guess the "spiritual" answer would be that God gifted me for this. Others would say I'm "cursed". Others call me crazy and wonder when I'll grow up and start hanging around people my own age.

Want to know a secret? I have a difficult time with adults. I usually find myself searching for what to say and how to say it. I fidget during the awkward silence at a dinner table. I get nervous when I think about big groups of people that aren't under the age of 18. I'm strange that way.

I'm working on it though. I'm trying to engage in "adult conversation" (it sounds funny to refer to it that way). I'm making progress in terms of talking to parents and board members and other church folks who don't get a huge kick out of hitting others with a pool noodle.

But then again, doesn't everyone love to swat someone else with a pool noodle?

Ok, this post got away from me. I'm just glad I do what I do.

Diggin' it...

Saw this via Marko's blog and I was impressed by this guy's (Matt Weddle) creativity and quality.

Fall is here...

I officially know that fall has arrived when the calendar has more pen marks on it than my high school math tests. Incidentally, I wasn't very good at math.

I'll spare the gory details...

• Fall kick off came and went...it amazes me how good some students are at DDR
• Supertour came and went...it was loud and I've never seen a bigger mess in a sanctuary
• Ministry Plan deadline came and went...I got mine done and need to present it at the board meeting next week
• Baptism 101 came and went...one student ready for next week!
• Saturday soccer came and went...a draw with Reading? Good grief!
• Sunday morning kick off came and went...absolute blast

In other news, I was awakened today with the news that a vehicle we had borrowed from friends had been stolen. It appeared as though someone tried to steal my in-laws vehicle (there were scissors in the ignition) but since they had no progress had decided to steal our borrowed truck.

We called the police and I went to work. I was at work when the police arrived to get my wife to fill out a police report. Then I got the phone call.

"Mike, didn't you drive the truck to church yesterday?"

Umm...yeah. I drove to church early in the truck and parked in the mall parking lot across the street. Erin and the kids came later, parked in a different spot and we all stayed around for our kick off BBQ after the service. When all was said and done we packed up and headed home. In the same vehicle! Being the master genius that I am, I completely forgot the truck in the mall parking lot.

When I stood up in my office and looked at the mall parking lot, I could see the truck that had prematurely been reported stolen. I'm feeling like the biggest idiot ever today! Enjoy a laugh or two at my expense. Everyone else is!

Renovations...

I decided to go for it and change my blog layout by trying a new version that Blogger has out right now. So now I'm slowly in the process of updating my links and maybe adding a few new things. I liked the old design, but I like some of the newer features like labels and customizing my templates. This should make for hours of fun.

Whatcha think?

What's in a song...

I started off watching MuchMoreMusic's "Back in...1995" and somehow I ended up in front of the computer with my guitar playing along with some of my favorite 90's tunes. But it got me to thinking about all the memories that I have wrapped up in songs. It doesn't matter where I hear some of these songs, but I'm always taken back to a specific moment.

The strange thing is that it happens mostly with stuff from the 90's. Is that normal?

Here's a sample of what found it's way onto my Itunes playlist tonight...

• Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth (Primitive Radio Gods)
• The Freshman (The Verve Pipe)
• Two Princes (Spin Doctors)
• 1979 (Smashing Pumpkins)
• Smooth (Santana & Rob Thomas)
• You Get What You Give (New Radicals)
• Stay (Lisa Loeb)
• Good (Better Than Ezra)
• Breakfast at Tiffany's (Deep Blue Something)
• Roll to Me (Del Amitri)
• Various Gin Blossoms tunes

Special day...

My wife not only celebrates a b-day today but she just...get ready for this...started her own blog! Ok, so she hasn't blogged as of yet, but I think she will fairly soon. So, be nice!

It's been a crazy week...and it will only get crazier...but I'll be back here one of these days. But now I've got a hot date watching "House".

Cane free...

Yesterday I returned my cane. Now, for the first time in over a month, I can hold myself up as I walk with my own two legs. But while it's great to have the freedom, it's also easy for me to forget that I'm still injured which sometimes means that I can do stupid things. Little things like getting out of the car wrong or doing the stairs too fast can put me back on the couch very quickly.

My physiotherapist tells me I'm a week ahead of schedule. Again, that would be a good thing except that I tend to think I'm in better condition than I really am. I'm still months away from even being able to run. But while that's still a tough spill to swallow, it's what's driving me. It's been so long since I could run on a soccer pitch and put a ball in the back of the net. I hope I can get there again.

Miracles do happen...

We actually got our car (a 2007 Nissan Versa) yesterday. I was beginning to wonder if we were going to have to find something else, but we finally got the phone call.

I called and talked to a manager on Thursday morning and he apologized and said he would look into things for me. While I was hoping for some "financial considerations" after the hassle we've been through I was unable to get any sort of deal. That's apparently what happens when the car you want is in high demand and low supply.

Oh well...at least we can get on with life now.

Searching for a butt kicking...

I just finished "Searching For God Knows What" by Donald Miller. He's one of the few authors that can evoke almost every possible emotion. There were times that I completely disagreed with him or was just annoyed by what he was talking about and I was tempted to put the book back on the shelf.

But I stuck it out. And I think it was worth it. Miller does a great job in reminding us that our faith is not based on formulas, but rather it is based on relationships. I felt like I got my butt kicked because I often times read the Bible looking for some sort of working formula that I can apply to my life for a quick fix. But, what I need to do is read it as part of a larger story of how God works in and through relationships.

I may not explain this very well. I can never seem to write good book reviews/reports. But I was left thinking, and that is a good thing.

What sticks with me the most is his "lifeboat" analogy. He tells of a teacher who once asked his class what they would do if they were stranded in a lifeboat with a group of different people and then they had to get rid of somebody. Miller talks at length about how we constantly seem to be comparing ourselves to everyone and trying to somehow prove that we are better than others. We try to convince ourselves that we have more of a right to be in the lifeboat than somebody else, when in reality God is not looking at any of us as more important than another.

It was just a really good reminder that I need to be aware of what I'm thinking about others.

Gone but not forgotten...

It's a sad day as the world says goodbye to Steve Irwin, the infamous "Crocodile Hunter". See here for the press release of the Australia Zoo.

I remembered the first time I saw Steve on TV, I was hooked. His antics were a little unusual at times, and maybe even a little crazy, but his way with animals was absolutely amazing to watch.

Sure, he probably shouldn't have made the movie "Collision Course", but hs other videos were (amd are) always a blast to watch.

The great car debacle (part 2)...

Obviously we were in need of another car, unless we want to use a bicycle as our main form of transportation. So we started looking the weekend they told us that the Optra was a "total loss". We've tried everything...and literally driven almost everything. We even had a guy from church who owns a dealership trying to help us out.

The problem is that either we're too picky or we're just too indecisive. Ok, it might actually be a bit of both.

We finally decided that we would try to buy something new and we then narrowed it down further to 2 different models, a Dodge Caliber and a Nissan Versa. Well, it just so happens that both vehicles are extremely difficult to find with manual transmission...go figure. But at long last we were told by one dealership that they had a Versa coming in. They assured us it would be in that week or early the next. We put a $500 deposit. Yeah...that was 3 weeks ago.

I've talked to the salesman about 6 or 7 times since then and he always has the same story. Apparently the car is at the dock and they can't seem to get them to release it. The dealership has said they've been told "you'll have the car in 24 hours", which is what they then tell us. But then there's still no call.

The latest call said we'd have it by yesterday. The manager of the dealership said that if they weren't able to get it for us they would rent us a car (as we our currently borrowing a vehicle from friends at church). But, do you think I got a call yesterday? Nope.

This is getting ridiculous. I'd take my money elsewhere, except that my wife really, really likes the car and we won't be able to find one anywhere else. So we're kind of stuck.

This can't be normal, can it?