Sports Clips

So I'm going to this place called Sports Clips to get my hair cut today at 5pm. I will give an update after, but it's basically a place that you can watch sports on TV while getting your hair cut. I couldn't get any pictures of their website because they are all on a slideshow, but you gotta check it out. The whole place has sports memoribilia, there are games on, you get a nice shampoo and a little massage with a hot towel over your face. Should be good. I'm gonna get their just in time to watch the beginning of the Philly/New Orleans playoff game.

Cleaning Garages Sucks

That's what I did this morning. There is room to park one car now. That's good. But cleaning garages is a horrible task. I don't recommend it.

Barack Update

I liked this headline for my favorite pick in our ridiculous pool for Anti-Christ.

Barack Obama Can Be Whatever He Wants To Be

Does that include Anti-Christ?

Check this story out too. The headline is Bare Chested Barack Obama - A Beach Babe? Are you kidding me? A serious candidate for President and making the Us Weekly/People Magazine rounds. Perfect! He has to be the Anti-Christ.

By the way, one of my criteria for anti-christ is that I have to like the person or at least feel like I want to like the person. Good strategy, heh??

Weight Watchers Update

So I started about 10 days ago on my new diet.
My start weight was 188 pounds (but I weighed myself in the middle of the afternoon with pants and a t-shirt on)
My weigh-in day is Monday and so this past Monday I weighed myself at what will be my normal time of day, right when I wake up, and I was buck naked.
So, my weight as of 1/8/07 - 179 pounds.
The discipline is continuing.

Discipline in eating is a huge part of living simply. You can't just gorge yourself every time you eat and expect to have a disciplined life or a simple life. The simple life requires discipline. This is really hard for me because I LOVE LOVE LOVE food. I still will enjoy an awesome meal with big portions once a week or so, but just not every day or even every meal.

Camping Ministry Evaluation

(please make sure you read disclaimer at bottom before leaving page)

Positives of Camping Ministry:
Away from distractions and some temptations
Focus on God in nature
Time for relational ministry
Awesome camp staff who love students and care for the youth pastors
Quality time for worship
Fun

Negatives of Camping Ministry:
So much focus on "hooking up" by kids
Annoying 19-year-old camp lead counselors that think they know more about youth ministry than the youth pastors (and sometimes act like they know your kids better too)
Kids get so tired that they are almost too moldable
Rec and program leaders create a mob mentality through cheers and competitions
Speakers and worship leaders push for an emotional response instead of allowing the Spirit to work in His time
Too much focus on decisions and not long-term commitment
Decisions don't last down the hill

I think many of these negatives can be placed on youth ministries as well. I think the biggest thing in here is the push and shove for an emotional "altar-call" response. People need an opportunity to make decisions, but sometimes these camp altar calls are all about feeding the ego of the speaker and aren't really even about the kid as much as the mass of kids coming forward.

If any of my friends from Alpine, Ponderosa Pines, Forest Home, or Hume Lake read this I am sorry if this feels like an attack. As I process this, it is less an attack on camping ministry in general as it is a challenge to certain speakers, worship leaders, and camp programmers - including myself.

Live Simply

I'm feeling bad about my covetous post about the iPhone because I wrote on a rock that is a witness against me about trying to live simply this year. It was during an Elevation service where we were making commitments to God and the rock would help us remember like with Joshua and the Israelites at the very end of the book of Joshua.

Now, I'm not sure if this means I will never get an iPhone, but it does mean that I need to stop being so swayed by every gadget and gizmo that I think is cool because there is a part of me that thinks I actually "need" those things.

Apple Rocks!!

I want this so bad.



I just watched the whole presentation by Steve Jobs and I'm coveting. I just bought a Treo so it's gonna be about 18 months before I can get one, but this is the best phone ever made. My friend Reedo who works for Verizon Wireless is going to hate me because I will bail for Cingular (they are the only carrier) so fast they won't know what hit them.

Back from Camp

Well I just got back from the weekend speaking at Alpine for their Jr High Winter Camp Week 1. Overall, it was a good time. The speaking seemed to go well. It was fun playing in the snow with Grace and hanging out with Bea. The band were some cool guys from all over Orange County, but the leader was from First Baptist HB/FV where Ashdown used to work and Steve Gioelli and Bill Staffierri work now. They were pretty good - maybe forcing some dancing and stuff that was cool, but sometimes I just want to be able to worship without some dude telling me what to do all the time.

As for the whole camp as manipulation or brainwashing thing, I feel pretty proud of what we were able to accomplish up there. We didn't do the whole "come forward and cry because I have emotionally charged you up to respond to Jesus" thing. I gave kids an opportunity to pray about believing in Jesus and wanting forgiveness for the sin in their lives. This was just quietly and privately in their minds and hearts - not out loud, no standing up, no coming forward. Then I immediately dismissed them in a discipline of silence to their cabin time where they were to talk with their leader about any decisions they made. A few leaders came up to me at the end of camp today and thanked me for not doing the whole emotional thing. They really appreciated it. I think that sometimes the altar call is more for the speaker than for the student. It feels good to see a bunch of people come forward. But the scary part is that you start to think that it's because of you somehow - instead of from the Holy Spirit.

So yes, I do think that camp can be brainwashing and manipulation, but I also think it doesn't have to be. More thoughts to come...

Up to Alpine

I'm headed up to Alpine this afternoon and I hope to do some observing for my thoughts on "camp as manipulation" post. Maybe this could be a dissertation topic. I'm sure it would ruffle some feathers. I don't suggest this stuff to be mean or hurtful to people in camping ministry. I'm as guilty of this as the next guy. It's just when someone suggested the concept to me, it really got me thinking and I couldn't shake it.

I might have my first day in a few weeks without a blog post tomorrow while I am up there. Maybe I can get to a computer. But if not, I will see you all on Sunday afternoon.

Leading Worship

You know, it's possible that it would be better for me to play my guitar more often than when I'm on stage leading worship or in rehearsal right beforehand. My timing is all off and I haven't been feeling comfortable on stage which makes me think too much and then I'm not worshiping because I'm worrying. My amp or my effects processor or my Rat pedal did something weird during No One Like You. The volume just got crazy loud all of a sudden coming out of my amp, but I hadn't touched anything. I was trying to turn down the volume on my guitar, but it wouldn't do anything. So that song just sucked because I was trying to figure everything out while singing a song that has a lot of lyrics which are hard to keep straight. Aaaggghhh!!!! At least that was just the second song of a two-song first set in Jr High. The second set was much better. The kids seemed to really be worshiping and everything was OK, but in my mind I just wasn't there. I was trying to force myself into being "worshipful" but there was just an odd disconnect in my head and heart. I joked with somebody afterward that I just need to pray more. That's probably more true than I would want it to be.

So my new prescription for better worship leading is pretty revolutionary - prayer and practice.

Sad Day for Coffee Lovers

Today is the last day you can enjoy one of these at the Diedrich's in the Orange Plaza (circle).



It makes me very very sad. Starbucks bought all the Diedrich's franchises which are much less corporate and have Free Wi-Fi. I go there all the time and now I'm just bummed. And guess what, of course there is another Starbucks right across the street. Stupid. At least some of the employees are opening up a small privately owned coffeeshop down the block in a couple months.

Favorites of 2006

Alright, I've been seeing all these different posts on people's favorites of 2006 and so now I will give it a shot.

Favorite Movie - I haven't seen enough to deserve to say.
Favorite Christian book - Simply Christian by NT Wright
Favorite Secular Book - Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klostermann
Favorite Blog by a "famous" person - Marko Ostreicher
Favorite Blog by a "non-famous" person - The Wonderful Noise by Victor Estrada
Favorite Worship Song - Inside Out by Hillsong United
Favorite Sermon I preached - Resetting Our Hearts - Part 2, Malachi 2:1-9. Check it out on iTunes under Podcasts for Calvary Church Elevation - January 22, 2006 or HERE
Favorite News - Finding out that Bea is pregnant - Baby due on July 5

That's enough for now

Camps and Tonight

We just watched the movie Invincible and I loved it. I love football movies and true stories are always cool. This was a nice bit of entertainment for the evening. Then we played a little MarioKart on the GameCube I "bought Bea" for Christmas. You like that?

I spent the morning working on talks for a camp I'm speaking at this weekend. It's a smaller camp called Alpine up near Lake Arrowhead. I love doing camps for Junior Highers. They are the best. They are usually totally into it and enjoy getting to know you as the speaker. Just praying that God will use the time. Camps always feel like it takes a lot of time to give to people you might never meet again. I'm glad that Bea and Grace are coming with me.

I've also been thinking a lot about how camps are potential brainwashing. I will probably post on that more after the weekend. I'm not saying that all camps just brainwash kids, but it's a concern I have. Get them tired, lots of hype, mob crowd influence, and then ask for a commitment...that's what I mean. More to come.

Preaching Yesterday and the New Year

I preached yesterday in our one-service Sunday which means there was probably close to 2,000 people. It's kind of crazy, but fun to speak to that kind of crowd. There was pretty good energy in the room to start. Victor led worship too. It was an Elevation style service but with the older crowd as well. I think everyone seemed to connect well with it which is good because there have been some critical people. I'm sure it was a bit loud for some, but hopefully they were able to see beyond volume.

I preached on a topic I really liked that I talked about in this post a week ago or so. I basically told them about who Jesus is now and and in the future according to John's description in Revelation 1 and from some OT prophecies. And then I challenged them to worship with "every ounce of passion in their very being" and it was a pretty good response. Especially with many people over 60 in the crowd.

I was pretty tired yesterday. We just took it easy and hung out with some friends named the Dahlke's who live around the corner and let the kids play and got CPK takeout. Watched the ball drop, played a really (unfortunately) lame 24 DVD-based board game, and gave my wife a smooch at mid-night.

Happy New Year

This crazy lady and I wish you a Happy New year!!

Death Penalty

I'm still against the death penalty. Even if it includes this guy. I don't rejoice or celebrate when I see this photo. I want to throw up.

D-Day is Coming

I'm starting the diet again on January 2. I'm kind of dreading it, but I need it. If you are a few lbs too heavy, you should try Weight Watchers. It helped me drop 25 pounds last year and will hopefully help me drop the 10 or so that I need to drop now.

Fake eggs, carrot sticks, sugar-free syrup, Subway 6-inch Turkey sandwiches, WW desserts, and turkey bacon - Here I Come!!

Life out of Nothing

I know this kind of image can be a bit over-used in Christian circles, but I still love the imagery. My life has felt pretty desolate at times, even recent times, and I know that God has been bringing life out of that crappiness, but I feel like this image helps me see how God makes something new even in the midst of our brokenness, emptyness, and hurt. This whole pregnancy feels like such a huge blessing of God allowing life to blossom after a period where we truly felt like it could never happen. God broke us and re-shaped us through that trial and then decided to bless us after the lesson was learned. It almost showed me how much more He is in control through the blessing. I thought I had Him figured out near the end of the trial. "Oh, God wanted to teach me patience, surrender, expectation, and worship. That's why we can't have a baby." Then, BOOM, God shows He is stil in control by giving us the blessing we wanted all along. I didn't expect that.



Thanks to Aaron LeBrun for the photo. http://alebrun.blogspot.com/

Obama Gaining Ground

So in our little silly anti-Christ pool Obama is looking like the front-runner still. Check out these quotes from The Week - a magazine that is a compilation of newspaper and news magazine stories.
"I see him as very messianic" - Kelsey Woodward, an artist at a fundraiser that appeared more like a rock concert in New Hampshire.
"If Obama is wildly popular, it's because he has no apparent ideology." - Peggy Noonan, The Opinion Journal.
"What America needs at this dispiriting juncture in history is a president who can offer prose as well as poetry" - LA Times

Any other guesses?

My Next Best Present

So I got these for Christmas and I love them. They are the sweet Noise Canceling ones. I got the Q2, not the newer ones because I like how they cover the ears.



They seriously rock. Worth every penny that my wife spent on me. Oh wait. I guess that's my money.

New CDs listening to on them: Guns N Roses - Appetite for Destruction, Best of Motley Crue, Nirvana - Nevermind, Radiohead - OK Computer. I'm revisiting my Jr High years with the metal stuff, my high school years with Nirvana, and my late college years with Radiohead. Loving it.