No Time To Blog

Sorry, swamped right now no time for blogging. Maybe in the spring. Or than again I could blog at midnight like I did last night.

Scary Movie 4 - I can't Wait!

tags: Scary Movie 4

Worship & the Video Music Awards

Walt Mueller has some great thoughts on last nights Video Music Awards on MTV. His last paragraph is a grabber. He says, “Thank God not as many winners are thanking God.”

You can find the rest of his thoughts at CPYU.org


tags: MTV VMAs Video_Music_Awards

ROC Tonight Is On...

5:30 - 7:00


tags: ROC Northwoods Youth

Pray for New Orleans

tags: Hurricane Katrina New Orleans

Windy Vacation

All this talk of hurricanes reminds me of our vacation to Panama City last June...


Josh, Drew & Laurie brave the wind of Tropical Storm Arlene on Panama City Beach

tags: Tropical Storm

Pray for the Cougars

Godby High Schools opens the 2005 football season tonight in Panama City against Mosley High School. Before every game we have the opportunity to share with the team some truth from God's word through their FCA pre-game meal. If you are the praying type I'm asking you to pray for the Cougars (and other local teams that you may have a connection with).

Here are some specific ways you can pray...

(1) That Jesus followers on the team would walk with character as an example to others.
(2) That God's Spirit would draw some of the players to Himself through His Word.
(3) That the coaching staff would be men of integrity and would have hearts that are soft toward the gospel.
(4) For protection against series injury.
(5) That they would demolish Leon on Sept 9th (just kidding!)

Thanks four your prayers I'll try to keep you updated throughout the season on how you can be praying for us in the Youth Ministry as we serve these guys. If you'd like to be involved in the ministry zap me a comment or e-mail and I'll let you know how you can play a part.
tags: FCA Godby Cougars

Pat Robertson is right

wing and so I can understand why people on the left of the political spectrum are up in arms about his comments calling for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. It also tends to jive with the left's way of thinking. Peace at any cost and there is never a time for war or at least war should reserved for very rare occasions. That is consistent with their philosophy and so I can understand why they would be offended by Robertson's comments.


But what I don't understand it the Christian right's upheaval. I've have never heard any of them up in arms about bombing and killing thousands and thousands of Iraqi citizens in order to rid that country of a dictator. Is that war justified but if you go directly after the dictator without first killing thousands of citizens than that is wrong? Is this just because it is not the 'traditional' way of overthrowing governments? I don't hear much crying about killing 120,000 people, 95% of whom were civilians, in the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Is war only O.K. after we have been directly attacked?


I don't' know enough about Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to know if he is a large threat to the United States or not. But if he is, and if war is justified, which most Christians I know believe there is a time to go war, than it just seems to make sense that you would go to war with the man at the top if you can do that without having to kill thousands of Venezuelan citizens in the process.



These are the issues that Christians should wrestle with and help provide Biblical wisdom for. What we don't need is to simply knee jerk and name call because someone's words don't sound politically correct and may provide bad PR for the church. If good PR is our goal than there are a whole lot of things we believe that we shouldn't say publicly. But the truth is God hasn't called us to be good marketers. He called us to tell the truth and be salt and light in a world that needs to hear the truth.


tags: Pat Robertson Hugo Chavez Venezuela

Mozart Wrote Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Put this in the category of, 'You learn something new everyday'. I had no idea that Wolfgang wrote the tune to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I was listening to a Mozart collection and that song popped up.

tags: Mozart

Ukraine Buzz

If you've ever wondered why people come home from Ukraine with a kind of spiritual buzz that doesn't seem to wear off than read this post from Nicole. Delerious expresses it pretty well...

Delerious Speaks About Their Ukraine Experience

tags: God Ukraine Delerious

Northwoods - Group of the Year

Who would have quessed it?


tags: Youth_Ministry

Anticipation

Heck, yes! Dave and Paul are coming to Tallahassee tomorrow!!! We're so excited!

Todd: So, Rupert G, how excited are you about Dave and Paul coming?
Rupert G: I'm very excited about them coming. How about you?
Todd: Well, Rupert G, I'm so excited I feel like jumping!
Rupert G: You know what, Todd, I feel that urge too!



Rupert G: Well, now that we got that out of our systems.
Todd: I think we need to take Paul and Dave to our favorite place in the western hemisphere tomorrow.
Rupert G: Heck, yes, we do.
Todd: Po Boy’s is the best.
Rupert G: I'm so excited. Waaaahhhh!
Todd: Okay, use your imagination on that sound, people. It was funny.
Rupert G: Well, we're gonna go watch Diary of an Mad Black Woman, cause it's an awesome movie.
Todd: Yeah, and I love Diary of an Mad Black Woman.
Rupert G: And I love Kimberly Elise and Steve It doesn't get much cooler than that.
Todd: Yo Dog! That's what I said! Well, we'll talk to you two tomorrow.
Rupert G: We are SO pumped!


Later!

My New Blog

O.K. Everyone has got an opinion on what the contents of my blog should be. So I've decided to start a brand new blog. It'll be solely about things I care about. You can find my new blog here. Stuff I Care About

This is For You James!

For James :0)
Okay, here's a very, very special interview for James. This is Bob, Frank, Joe, Earl and... da da da, FRED live on speaker phone from South Dakota!

Joe: what should our subject be?
Fred: Listen, I don't care. It doesn't matter, I'm the famous person who gets interviewed. Hold on, I'm gonna hit a truck. Whoa, that was close.
Bob: Hold on! You gotta talk slower.
Joe: So just talk r-e-a-l s-l-o-w.
Fred: O-k-a-y. Ask me a question.
Joe: How was the wedding?
Fred: It was good, okay, listen. It was happy. I've never been to a wedding before and it was happy. So good. It makes me wanna get married now. It's a huge bucket of hope.
Bob: Any prospects on getting married?
Fred: Well, there's Olivia Newton John. But she hasn't called me back.
Earl: Who else?
Fred: I'm not givin' any names. Listen, I'm not getting married. God's wrath. The wedding was good. I drank some Diet Vanilla Coke. I made roast beef hash. It was good.
Joe: We went to Burger King and made the most noise in a restaurant ever.
Fred: Could the restaurant hear me on the phone?
Joe: Yes.
Fred: Good. Good. Okay, so you know I work with cows?
All: yes.
Fred: Well, I'm freakin' scared of them now.
Joe: Why?
Fred: Cause I got freakin' nailed by one in Greenland. The cows are not normal in Greenland. "Did you go to Quincy for your mission trip?" "NO! I went to Greenland!" "Green Patures?" "No, not Green Pastures. Greenland."
Bob: I'm getting eating alive by gnatts.
Fred: Why?
Joe: We're in the car becaus we were charging the phone, but now we don't need to charge it anymore, but we're still sitting out here beause we're lazy.
Anthony: We're eating stale crackers.
Fred: Man, stale crackers were a hot item at camp.
Joe: We were talking about how you wouldn't put cheeseits in your soup.
Fred: But then I changed my ways.
Joe: That's right.
Fred: I'm pretty much never giving Justin pringles again. I'm pretty much gonna crack his skull.
Joe: I'm gonna choke on my stale crackers now.
Frank: They're not stale.
Joe: They're just off-brand. Okay, Fred, Earl was trying to tell you about crackers and she spewed crackers everywhere. It was awesome.
Fred: This is the interview. Ready?
Joe: Okay, go.
Fred: Wait, I forgot. I had something but I forgot it. Oh yeah. Hey, I'm gonna dye my hair purple.
Joe: NO!
Fred: I'm not gonna dye it. I'm gonna highlight it purple.
Bob: How do you highlight purple?
Earl: You would look like Barney.
Fred: you remember when he drew that tatoo fish on me and put her name inside it?
Joe: yeah, who DOES that?
Fred: He said she couldn't resist.
Fred: tell Ed about my sweet pants I bought.
Joe: Okay, so Fred bought these pants, he was going to play at a kid jail, and he didn't have pants to wear so he had shorts and the guard was like, "You need to have some pants to wear."
Fred: And I was like, "do you want me to crap some?" and they were like, "no, go to walmart."
Joe: And then you got those pants that were brown and butt tight.
Fred: they were so tight.
Joe: they're brown and like, polyester.
Fred: Do you remember the peach crate that I had? I have one in my room and it's awesome. I'm touching it now. It's like two shelves. It's like killing two birds with one stone. Like a 2 for 1 sale. 100% profit.
Frank: I think we get it.
Fred: Hold on, I'm watching a video.
All: WHAT?
Fred: Hey are you there? Okay, I'm gonna watch a video. And it's like a music video. Like, one song long. Do you know The Bee Gees?
Joe: YES! I love them.
Fred: Apparently it's pretty good. There's this guy with a moustache and it's 100% fake.
Joe: Tonight we were talking about Little Fred's molestache.
Fred: You were talking about Little Fred?
Joe: Yeah, and how he shaved it off.
Fred: Yeah, he did have a molestache. watching movie- Hey, is that a girl or a boy?
Frank: That's not good if you can't tell.
Fred: This is pretty stupid. Let me give you the lowdown. There's this stage and a girl dancing on stage and there's this coreographer directoring them and he's got a killer molestache and now they're all eating peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches. And now this guy walks in and he's got somethin' stuck to his molestache. Oh, it's great now. Okay, what's up with the interview?
Joe: Bob's been typing everything you said.
Fred: Oh, that's really good. Oh, it's like, you know that game on your computer where Mario teaches typing? I used to play, but only for like five minutes cause I would get [mad]. (filter)
Joe: I think Bob played for like, hours.
Fred: Mario filters my filter.
Joe: Did you take your filter off? because you were doing real good at camp.
Fred: Yeah, I still have it. It's a good one. I was talking to Chaim and he was like, "you have a kidney disease. " Do you know what kidneys are? They're like a filter. He said it was cause my filter wasn't working.
Joe: Yes, we know.
Fred: Do you know what I did today? I worked for 8 hours in the sun welding and cutting and grinding.
Joe: That's hot.
Earl: That's why you have such big muscles.
Fred: It's not the same sun that it is in Greenland.
Joe: Cause we're closer to the equator.
Fred: etla ema eesa ourya unkyfa amptera?
Joe: I said, "Let me see your funky hampster!"
Fred: etla ema eesa ourya unkyfa amptera?
Joe: I said, "Let me see your funky hampster!"
All: I said, mmmch, ah, ah, ah, mmmch, ah, ah, ah,...
Fred: I wore my Camp Okawana jacket today.
Joe: How is that possible, it's so hot?
Frank: Would you rather sweat and look good or be cool and not?
Fred: I went to the wedding in it with my polyester pants.
Bob: i really want a jacket.
Joe: I think she needs an orange one because the missing orange one is hers.
Fred: Listen, you can have mine.
Bob: No, that's okay.
Fred: It doesn't have my name on it.
Bob: wait, does everyone have their names on it?
Joe: No, it just says "Camp Okawana '05"
Earl: No, that's why you can have it. Cause it doesn't have his name on it.
Bob: i'll borrow it in December.
Fred: Yes. December. I need everyone's attention. "Something September".
All: What are you talking about?
Fred: "Something September." [pause.] For a band name.
All: Ohhhh.
Joe: Is it for your new band? Is it pretty much gonna happen?
Fred: yeah, it's gonna be good. We're gonna be recording pretty soon. I think we should have our CD for next summer. We've already come up with some songs. But I don't really know any of them.
Joe: You're just the drummer.
Bob: Oooh, I want a CD.
All: Ya tozhye.
Joe: I wont that.
Bob: Do you have anything to say to Ed?
Fred: Ed, stay away from cows, jellyfish and hedgehogs. Stay away from the mean three and you'll do fine. Oh, and something else. I love you. Can I say that?
All: yes.
Fred: I love you. And I'll text message you if you have a phone. I mean, I'll give you the "TM". "TM" stands for "text message" in case you didn't know.
Joe: Yeah, we know.
all: we love you Fred.
Fred: ewa ovela ouya dea!!!!
All: We love you, Ed!!!!!!


Ed, you're the best! We love you!
oodga uyba!

Seminoles Not Going Away After All

The NCAA reversed it's previous (and stupid I might add) decision to ban mascots associated with Native American tribes. Now schools simply have to receive permission from the tribes to use their names. This won't be a problem for Florida State who has always worked in cooperation with the Seminole tribe of Florida.


tags: Seminoles Florida State NCAA Mascots

Real Men Take Off Their Masks

Max Q

The following are quotes from Max Q. A book by Andy Stanley and Stuart Hall. It is NOT an indictment on students but rather on the youth ministries that are supposed to be equipping them.

'the real problem of lost teenage America is not a lack of evangelism but a lack of substance in the Christian students who live, study, and play among them.'

'the breadth and power of students' influence on their unbelieving friends are directly proportional to the depth of the content of their character. And the effectiveness of our ministries in influencing the unbelieving student culture is absolutely dependent upon the character of our students.'

tags: God evangelism Youth Ministry

Poker is Not a Sport

I'm surfing around last night trying to see if I can see the end of the Boston or Yankee games. Maybe even the Angels or the A's. All of these teams are in hotly contested division races right now. Nope, sorry ESPN is running a Poker tournament. Sorry, guys sitting around, smoking cigars, drinking whisky and playing cards is not a sport.

tags: Poker Baseball MLB

I Counted My Chickens Tonight

They never hatched. I saw two scores both in the 9th inning...Boston down by a run over Detroit and the Yankees up by a run over Tampa. I quickly did the math...the Yankees were about to be only 2.5 games out of first right? Nope...Sox came back and won in 10 innings. Yankees lost in 11 (walked in the winning run with two outs following an intentional walk to load the bases).

tags: Yankees tags: MLB tags: baseball

Florida State Vs. Miami Tickets

I've got a friend looking for Miami tickets. He'd like to have five if possible. He's willing to pay up to $100 bucks each. Let me know if you know where to find any.

P.S. For those of you who keep begging...don't worry. A Yankee post is on the way.

Senior Night

Sixth Graders & Seniors - Where Will They Be in Seven Years?

Last night was cool. Not by anything we planned it just so happened that the week the new 6th graders were coming into the ministry was senior night. For those who don't know (apparently including last nights seniors:D )senior night is the night when all our students who have recently graduated from high school share testimonies about how God has worked in their lives and they offer a challenge to the students who remain.

I thought that it was awesome that the new sixth graders got to experience that. This is the first year it has worked out that way but in a sense they got to ride in a time machine and see what their lives may look like in 7 years. Not that they have to become like those seniors but just in the sense that this group of seniors is a group that is completely sold out to what God wants to do with their lives. That's a good goal. If they have arrived in that place seven years from now I'll feel like we've done our job. Maybe the sixth graders are already there :} but maybe not!

Just think...when that group of sixth graders takes their turn on the stage for their senior night many of the seniors that spoke last night will married and deep into whatever it is God has for them. I'm tempted to speculate but I'll resist. On second thought I will...o.k. I won't. I actually wrote out a couple speculations but thought better of it. I'll let Reid get through paying for college & seminary before he starts worrying about paying for that B I G Texas wedding.

tags: ministry Youth Ministry Seniors

Northwoods Youth Ministry - Juicy Gossip

If there is one thing I grow weary of it's conversations that begin...'well I've heard'. Usually this is how people begin sentences when they've heard of some student in the youth ministry who has made a mistake. Well, here's some juice for you. Here's something I've not only heard...I've seen it...ready...here goes...

There are a ton of youth in the Northwoods Youth Ministry who love Jesus and are living their lives for His glory. There are youth in the ministry right now who God is calling to be pastors, missionaries and salon owners for His glory! There are former youth all over the world doing missions, playing in Christian bands and living life for God's glory. There are youth in the ministry right now who would rather pray for one another than play the latest youth ministry game. As I was leaving the church tonight there was a group of youth who were staying behind to spend more time praying for one another.

So don't tell anyone you heard it from me but be sure God is doing some really cool stuff in the Northwoods Youth Ministry.

tags: ministry tags: youth ministry

Vision

If we came away from our planning week with one theme it was this...

if we are going to have a vision we should organize our ministry around it.

we've had a great vision for a couple of years. we just haven't done the necessary things to see that vision come closer to reality.

let's get to work and begin to see the vision come into reality...




tags: God

Stop the Insanity

If insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results than it's time to stop the insanity. Pray for us this week. We're going away to pray & plan. We'll be praying and planning for the upcoming year. Hopefully we'll stop the insanity! Be back on Thursday. Talk to you than.

Student Life Camp 2005

Student Life Camp was amazing. I kind of put it in the boat of Radooga where words are really inadequate to express the beauty of what God did. Or more accurately, what God has begun to do. I believe this to be a bench mark in the life of our ministry. I believe God has begun a healing process we have been praying for a long time. Unity is the mark of a healthy body. That is something we haven't had for awhile. I now believe God is in the process of restoring that to us. A few hi-lites...

1. Leadership. Our adult and student leaders really stepped up to the plate. Word on the street is that the Family Groups were great and were a hi-lite for many. Thank you guys for a job well done.

2. Loui Gigglio was on his A game. He was obviously listening to God because He spoke what we needed to hear. If I had to sum up everything he said in a sentence it would be, 'It's all about God'. This is one of those rare years when there is more conversation about the content of the preacher's message than the what took place in Late Nite or Celebration. Yea God!

3. Personal decisions and confirmations. I don't want to speak for anyone. I'll let them tell their stories as opportunities come but it's great to see God working in the lives of individuals.

4. Unity. We've all known that unity has been an issue over the last year or so. We just haven't known what to do about it. Now God is beginning to show us all our roles in that disunity and our need to be aggressive in restoring unity to our body. Praise God for what He is doing in this area of our ministry.

I know all of this is a little vague for those who weren't there...but I'm feeling a little vague this morning. I'm sure the details will surface over time. In the meantime just know...God is not done with the Northwoods Youth Ministry!


tags: God Student Life Camp