a weekend project to work on with one of your students

(I've been finding/hearing about a good number of fun Twitter apps and stuff lately and will most likely put a lot of them together in one post. But this one deserves a post of its own)


Are you looking for a good project to work on with one of the students in your ministry? Are you looking for something that will waste a lot of your time? If so, keep reading.

I don't do well with plants. I do not have a green thumb. In fact, we do not have any plants in our house right now, nor do we have any outside. Even with my shortcomings when it comes to keeping plants alive, I doubt I would go to this trouble.

Botanicalls.com has a DIY for getting your plant to send you a tweet on Twitter when it needs water and a thanks when you water it. Wow, it seems like a lot more work than just checking the soil every day or so with your finger. Here is a list of the stuff you need to do this:

1) awesome plant

PARTS:

(1) 2N2222A or 2N3904 transistor
(1) 100 ohm resistor

(1) 10K Ohm resistor

(1) LED

(2) galvanized nails, preferably hot dipped

(1) small breadboard

(1) Adafruit Xport shield

(1) XPort or Xport Direct

(1) Arduino USB board

(1) 9V DC power adapter

hook up wire in assorted colors

solder

USB A to B cable

USB A to miniB cable

USB Serial FTDI adapter (optional)

Ethernet cable

EQUIPMENT:

soldering iron

helping hands

computer with ZTerm or HyperTerminal, Arduino
Twitter account

Here is a picture of the final product. And remember if you have a few extra hours to waste this weekend, you'll want to try this DIY. Oh, and for those in youth ministry, don't forget to call one of your students to help you with this project (now that would be a memory they would never forget)

Or, if you don't want to go to all this trouble, here are a few other suggestions. Send yourself a weekly email to check your plants (via lettermelater.com). Or write a note. You could even just make sure each Monday you check your plants (add it to your todo list). But then again, I could just be too old-fashioned and reluctant to use technology to its fullest.

Teens Lie to their parents

Here is an article from the New Yorker on how teens learn to lie to their parents. Here is the first paragraph:

Kids lie early, often, and for all sorts of reasons—to avoid punishment, to bond with friends, to gain a sense of control. But now there’s a singular theory for one way this habit develops: They are just copying their parents.

Its an interesting article, well worth the time to read. Kind of makes you think about the example you are setting for the students in the youth ministry, or it should.


(gracias a PlanetWisdom)

Twitxr.com: add photos to your Twitter Tweets

twitxr.com is a place to upload pictures to Twitter. A fun little thing to add a bit of color (and sometimes explanation) to your Tweets. Its not too hard to set up. If you want the pictures to show up on twitter, you need to go to your settings and give twitxr permission (ie your twitter screenname and password).

It posts a link in your twitter update to your twitxr account. Though I'm having some trouble getting my text to show up along with the picture.

Photo Friday: Jesus and an Orange Car

I found this photo while going through some pictures on the computer this week. The car looks like my old '76 Pontiac Ventura (my had a soft top, though).

Quote of the Day: Texting

"I hate the talk on the cell phone. I don't like it when I have to call someone instead of texting them. The reason I have the phone is to text."

spoken by a student today during a conversation at lunch. I'm hearing statements like this from a lot of the students I talk to. It doesn't matter if it is a middle schooler or a high schooler - they are all on their phones texting. Are you hearing the same thing from your students?

123 Meme

Patti tagged me for this meme. I think it might actually be the first time I've been tagged for a meme. Here goes...

Here are the rules for this fun little bit of Internet foolishness:

• Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more (no cheating!)
• Find page 123
• Find the first five sentences
• Post the next three sentences
• Tag five people

I've got over a dozen books within arm reach right now. The closest one to me (being that it is on top of a stack) is Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven but Nobody Wants to Die or (the eschatology of bluegrass) by David Crowder and Mike Hogan. (The title itself is 123 pages long)

Sentences 6-8

(Commence to animatedly slapping me, classic Ren & Stimpy style, while calling me an 'eediot.') Upon recovery, I would calmly smile, assert that everything is okay, that the real morsels of this little venture are still on their way, and then direct you to this lovely definition of bluegrass by author and historian Neil V. Rosenberg: Bluegrass is part of country music; it originated with Bill Monroe and his band, the Blue Grass Boys, during the 1940's.

Wow, that was odd. First, let me just say that spilled over onto page 124. Second, man there are some long sentences in this book. Third, let us talk about how sentence six is a parenthetical sentence which also ends the first paragraph. Then the seventh sentence runs over to the next page and doesn't really end because it leads into a multi-sentence quote. (though I counted it as a complete sentence) All that to say, those three sentences together make almost no sense.

This section is taken from the 4th part of the history of bluegrass, in a chapter called "Definitions and Transitions or Gettin' All Academic on Y'all"

I know those three sentences are causing you to want to go out and read the book. If not, wait for my review to show up on this blog. The reason its so close to me is that I've been meaning to write a review of it for a couple months - maybe this will spur me on to actually doing it.

Anyway, the last part is that I'm supposed to tag 5 other people. So I'll tag Jeremy, William, Dr. W, Ben, Mike

Trivia Wednesday #57: Ancient Egypt

answer #56 - Chicago Tribune

question #57 - To ward off evil spirits, newborn babies of ancient Egypt were fed - water, grape juice or honey?

to quote someone else: Gerald May (addictions)

"No matter how religious we may think we are, our addictions are always capable of usurping our concern for God."

taken from Addictions and Grace by Gerald May

A strong statement on the power of addictions; whether they are big or small. Its a great reminder to each of us to never let ourself think we are too "good" to fall victim.

New Poll: What lesson material do you use?

While I have been working on my upcoming Sunday School lessons, I started to wonder how you guys put your lessons together. Or better, what do you use for the material in your lessons? So that is the weekly question.

What lesson material do you use:

1. I write my own
2. We have a team that writes it
3. I use curriculum, exactly as it is written
4. I use curriculum, but I modify it to fit the class

Leave a comment and tell us the pros and cons to using a certain method. Have you used more than one and found one worked better for you? Does one method work better at certain times? Does it make a difference whether you are the one teaching or not?

Poll Results: Have you ever been part of a building program?

Not a lot of votes this time. But a good bit of helpful comments on the post. The results are still telling of the amount of building local congregations are a part of.

50% (2 people) have been involved as a minister
25% (1 person) has been involved, but not as a minister
25% (1 person) has not been involved in a building program

I'm a little surprised. Thanks for voting.

Howcast: a collection of how-to videos

Check out Howcast.

What is it? Here is an explanation from the site:

Founded by veterans of Google and YouTube, Howcast brings together the personality of user-generated content with the quality of a professional video studio to create engaging, informative, and free how-to videos for consumers. It also offers emerging filmmakers an opportunity to gain experience, exposure, and income. With high quality, compelling video content, Howcast opens new opportunities for viewers, video producers, content distributors, and advertisers.

There is quite a variety of videos on this site. You can find anything from cars, first aid (might be handy for the youth worker), gardening, house, kids, pets, holidays, and so many more. Here is one example: How to decorate your locker.




Some of the videos you may not want your students to watch. Like "How to sneak out of your house after curfew." "How to fake being sick."

Others are fun, "How to clean your braces." "How to shave your face." "How to house train your dog."

Know about traffic via twitter app Commuter Feed

Commuter Feed is a twitter application that you use to be notified of traffic in your area. Well, that is as long as you live in the areas on this list. If you do live in one of these areas, you can subscribe via twitter and update when you notice an accident or something affected traffic flow. Its worth a try for those who live in a bigger metro area. I don't think I'll need it in my small town of 2,000.

Youth Ministry Summit at CCU - March 6

YOUTH MINISTRY SUMMIT

BOOST Your Youth Ministry to Excellence
March 6, 2008, 9 am - 5:45 pm

Keynote Speaker:

Steve Carter (Mars Hill Bible Church, Grand Rapids, MI) - Speaking at the 10 a.m. chapel service, plus leading general session workshops: “Putting Together Dynamic Messages for Teens,” & “Recruiting Volunteers”

Other Youth Ministry Workshops led by:

Dick Alexander (Lifespring Christian Church, Cincinnati,OH)—“How to stay in youth ministry without losing your soul”

Michael Kast (Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, KY) “How to survive mistakes, blunders, slip-ups and temporary lapses of sanity.”

Adam Jones (Georgetown Church of Christ, Georgetown, OH), “Overhauling a student ministry.”

Mark Hancher (Kenwood Heights Christian Church, Louisville, KY) “Staff relationships”

Josh Lenon (Countryside Christian Church, Michigan City, IN) “Dealing with the highs and lows of adolescent relationship issues”

Costs: $49 ($59 after February 28, 2008)

Photo Friday: GloWorm

Enjoy this picture of a GloWorm. I think its a little bit artsy and a little bit scary. Did you ever have a GloWorm when you were little?

The struggling heart of a giver (1 of 3)

Our church is in a building expansion project. We have plans and have bids for building it. We just voted to continue with this project. I am excited about all of this and cannot wait to see how God is going to use the expansion in our community.

This will be the first building expansion campaign I have been apart of. My home church did one, after I left for college. The church I attended while in college did one, but I was gone for a lot of it (as it happened a lot over the summer). At my first full-time ministry we were in the beginning of an expansion/move/something when I left. So I've been involved with a few, from a distance. I've seen the benefits of an expansion. I've seen the difficulties that come with the process. But this part of the process has not weighed heavy on my heart. Like I said, I'm excited.

One thing has been heavy on my heart: the amount of money my family can (will) contribute to the expansion. We want to help as much as we can. I've been praying about it for at least 2 months (as I knew this day would come). A few weeks ago, the commitment cards were collected. I know you can give more or less than what you write down, but I didn't want to quickly write a number that can't be met or a number that is "easy" to reach.

Here is my struggle. For the weeks leading up to turning the cards in, I didn't feel like I had an answer to how much we can give over three years. The week before the cards were due, my wife and I sat down to talk more about it. I still didn't have an answer and felt a little frustrated that I didn't know. I felt (still do) particularly obligated to go big with my giving - I am the youth minister after all. I should have a lot of faith to step out and say "here's a months worth of grocery money." And have faith God will provide the food we needed.

I could not say that, though. I did not feel God was leading us to give up that kind of sacrifice. That is where my struggle was. I felt like I should have been able to do that. And I wanted to, at least part of me did. The other part of me wanted to be more practical. (more on the struggle in part 2)

Have you ever felt like you should be able to trust God more than you think you can?

The writer's strike is over

But does this mean we might start seeing less reality shows - I sure hope so.

In a few months we start seeing new episodes back on the air. Though not all of the shows will return. The Office will return! hehe

find The Office info here. Two important facts; the show will return April 10 and the first episode is titled Dinner Party.

Happy Valentine's Day Amy

I love you!

Trivia Wednesday #56: presidential election

answer #55 - 1,200 miles

question #56 -In 1948, which newspaper proclaimed Thomas Dewey winner over Harry Truman?

Need a tax deduction, try taking your brides as an exemption

Company Seeks Tax Exemption for Bribes

A company in JERUSALEM tried it. Here is the opening paragraph from the story:

Some companies request tax deductions for philanthropy, others for restaurants bills. But one Israeli business tried to push the envelope by asking to deduct nearly $860,000 it paid in kickbacks.

The court rejected it, thankfully. Read the rest of the story, here.

Jr. High overachiever, but at what

The other day, during class, I asked the students to write down some of their recent sins. I wanted them to be honest and open - knowing no one else was going to look at their paper. After thinking and writing for a little bit, they started stating how many they listed.

student 1 - I can only think of 3
student 2 - me too, that's all I got
student 3 - I've got 4. I'm an overachiever. (with enthusiasm in the voice)

This student wasn't thinking that having more sins than someone else may not be something to brag about.

Discussion Starter: car driven more than 1 mil miles

I thought we had driven a fair amount of miles in our Saturn (around 125,000). Well, this story puts me to shame.

Man's '91 Pickup Passes the 1M-Mile Mark

That is a lot of miles!

Use this story to spark discussion on dependability, regular check ups (just as important spiritually as they are mechanically), long term goals, staying focused, or reliability.

Would you still drive the church van if it had 1 mil miles?

New Poll: Have you ever been a part of a building program?

Due to the positive vote on Sunday, I am now part of a current building expansion program. To which I am really excited. I've been part of building programs before, sorta. My home church built on while I was in college. The church I went to in college built on, mostly during the summer while I was back home. My first ministry was in the process of building, but nothing happened beyond getting the rezoning for the land and then we were gone.

So, now I am in the beginning stages of what will be my first real building expansion program. I'm curious to how many of you, youth workers or others, who read this blog, have been involved with a building program. So that is my question.

Have you been a part of a building program?
Yes, as a minister
Yes, but not as a minister
No
Why would you want to build?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the whole process. Leave some hints, tips, advice, or whatever in the comments. Thanks

Poll Results: Would you rather be Bert or Ernie?

Well, the results are in and Bert gets no love - ok well a little.

25% (1 person) would rather be Bert
75% (3 people) would rather be Ernie

Maybe its the love of rubber duckies. Maybe its the pigeons. I don't know.

We're expanding our building!

Today was the vote of approval to continue with our building expansion project. This was the one to say the congregation agrees with the elders that spending X amount of money is what we want to do.

As a congregation, we voted to continue. I'm excited to watch this process stretch, challenge, encourage, push and help us reach the community. I know its going to be a benefit to the student ministry and children's ministry. As well as just about every other ministry in the church. (The new kitchen will be nice :))

Now, all that praying we did over 36 hours needs to continue each and every day. I am sure God has some really big stuff in store for us and now we're one step closer to watching it happen.

Youth Ministry Resource: Group Text Messaging

Disclaimer: I do not have text messaging on my cell phone. There are a lot of students who do have it, but I don't. So I do not text them. Therefore, I cannot test this to see how well it works.

There is a site called Swaggle. Their tagline: Group text messaging, on-the-fly coordination. Looks like a good way to send a number of texts out at the same time. You can set up multiple groups and send a message to just one group by specifying that group. Or it will go to the default group if you don't specify.

If you use this, let me know how it works.

How do you get a group text message out to your students? How do you get mass messages to your students other than texting?

36 Hours of Prayer

Tonight, we started 36 hours of prayer at the church. This is leading up to our vote on Sunday to continue with our building expansion. I am excited about this prayer time at the church building.

I get to pray twice tonight. Each slot is a 1/2 hour long. I am scheduled for 11pm and 3am. Not sure exactly why I picked two slots 4 hours apart in the middle of the night. Well, I know why - the 3am slot was still open so I thought I could fill it.

I can't wait to hear from others (and experience myself) what God teaches through this extended prayer time as a church.

Youth Ministry Resource: Dry-Erase Paint

I ran across this cool paint - its a dry-erase paint. You just paint it on like normal. It dries clear, so you still have the "look" you want on the wall. But you can write on it like a dry erase board.

I think it would be cool to have in a middle school or high school classroom. Depending on the size of the room, you could paint the entire wall or just a small section. Then you wouldn't need a dry-erase board or chalkboard. Even if you had a projector you used, you could still use this. Project your screen on the "dry-erase wall" and then you could mark up the screen. You could circle words, highlight points, draw funny faces. You could turn it into part of a game. Take a picture of one of the adults and project it onto the wall, then let students come up and "draw" on that picture (add facial hair, scars...) - then you could change the picture and see how the markings look.

Find more about it at dryerasemagic.com

What other uses can you think of for dry-erase paint in youth ministry?

Photo Friday: People Dec 1, 1980 Cover

I found this magazine in a bag of magazines I got from my grandpa's house. We needed some magazines for a collage project for Sunday School, so I took a bag full of People and a few Readers Digest. And in the midst of the covers about Britney going crazy and a number of celebrity babies, I found this gem. What a great cover!!

Maybe sometime I'll scan a few of the inside pages to put up. It truly is from the early 80's.

Notice the headline for the Kenny Rogers story, "Having made his millions, he's patching up his life." Now that shows us where our priorities should be: money first, personal life second.

Tips on Winter Events: When to Cancel

The longer you are in youth ministry, the more you will have to make that hard decision whether to cancel an event or trip due to bad weather. (You might have to cancel an event due to other circumstances, but we won't get into those now) When you have to cancel due to bad weather it is not always an easy decision, especially if its a matter of "what" the weather will do in a few hours.

Here are a few tips to consider next time you need to make that last minute decision:

1. Err on the side of safety. It will not always be the most popular decision, especially if it is a fun event. Knowing that you are not going to put their children in needless danger is reassuring to a parent and helps build on the trust they have in bringing their children to youth events.

2. Think through the entire event, not just the beginning. When it comes to bad weather, the changes can be quick and drastic. Make sure the roads will be safe not just at the beginning of the event, but also on the way home. No one wants to get stranded for a few hours while you wait for the road crews to make it safe to be on the roads again. Along with that, think about how far your students/parents will be driving and where they will be coming from to drop off and pick up.

3. Talk to your team. Make sure and communicate with the other adults who are involved with the event. Talk to your team and get their feelings. If anyone on your team feels hesitant about continuing then stop to consider why. Ultimately the decision comes down to the person in charge of said event, but this person shouldn't be making it alone.

4. Don't be afraid to hurt feeling - if you need to cancel; cancel. This goes with #1. There will be other concerts. You can go skiing again later. It is better to make sure you are being responsible and keeping your students safe than to risk it and regret it later. Do not let the decision be swayed by the emotions of the teenagers.

5. Have a backup plan or reschedule as soon as you can. This might be one of the tougher aspects of winter planning. Some events (ie. ski trip) need to be planned in advance and rescheduling is difficult, if not impossible. One option is to have a "make up" date on the calendar and publicize it as a rescheduled date if you have to cancel the first. This way parents can already have it on their calendar and can try to keep it open. The rescheduled date may not have the same attendance as the original, but if you announce it ahead of time you will see a higher number than otherwise.

6. Be Flexible. One thing I don't like about the winter is trying to plan events. One thing I have learned is the need to be flexible. Some events will be canceled at the last minute. Some will need to be modified or adjusted to fit. Some will continue as planned, but with less attendance. Some will not be affected at all. As a youth worker, you have to be willing to go with the flow and adjust as needed.

Remember youth ministry is about longevity, not short term.

How have your winter plans been affected by weather? What other tips do you have on deciding when to cancel or modify an event?

Trivia Wednesday #55: Geography

answer #54 - Moth

question #55 - How many miles from the North Pole is North America's northernmost settlement - 800, 1,200 or 1,500?

New Poll: Would you rather be Bert or Ernie

Which Sesame Street character would you rather be, Bert or Ernie? That is what I am wondering this week. Here are your poll options:

• Bert
• Ernie
• Neither
• I can't tell them apart

But beyond just voting in the poll, I'd love to hear (read) your reasons why you picked which one you did. Please leave a comment letting us know the reasoning behind your vote.

Poll Results: did you have a superbowl party?

It looks like all of the people who took the poll had a party. Which leads me to think that everyone had a party. That is a lot of pizza :)

The question, though, turned out to be where the party was held:

2 groups (28%) had the party at the church
5 groups (71%) had the party at someone's house

I've done both before and I prefer the feel you get at a person's house over the church. Not saying the church one's aren't fun (or that we will never do a church one). The church setting allows you to do different things you can't otherwise do - like more games. The one drawback is reception :)

Happy Groundhog Day

Today is Groundhog Day. So, celebrate the groundhog's ability to see or not see his shadow.

Here are a few links to help you:

Official site of Punxsutawney, PA, Groundhog club

the "official" movie IMDB site

the wikipedia site

Kids' crafts and more

Happy Groundhog Day!

Jr. High Quotes of the week

"the 80's were a great time."

"one of his bugs was not even dead yet." (talking about someone's bug collection from last year)

-then they told me the conversation between teacher and student-
Teacher: You know one of your bugs isn't dead.
Student: Yeah, I know. I just put it in there this morning.

Photo Friday: Most Unwanted White Elephant Gift

No one wanted this for some reason.

Reflections on: winter weather

So this week was supposed to be super full and busy. Potentially there was something every night; with two games on Monday & Tuesday, small groups on Wednesday, Winter Jam concert on Thursday, 5th Quarter on Friday. It was going to be full, but it was going to be awesome!

So, I didn't go to the games on Monday/Tuesday because I was already going to be away from home 3 of the 5 evenings during the week. We needed some family time. So, those two days were good and the time spent together was much needed and helpful. (even though baby #3 is months away, this time with my 2 boys is going quickly)

Wednesday was full. Had an extended jr. high small group due to early dismissal.

Ah, then the winter weather hit today...

Tonight (Thursday) we were supposed to go to Winter Jam. But the bad weather started. Sleet, snow, ice, "wintry mix" and below freezing temps. So, we opted to be safe and not try to go.

Tomorrow (Friday) school is closed. This means that there will be no 5th Quarter. So there is another evening that is now open. Granted the weather may not be good, but it is still a major change in the planned week.

So, out of 5 nights of stuff we got 1.

This is why I don't like winter. It is so hard to plan. More accurately, it is so hard to predict the weather. Well, there will be other concerts and hopefully a rescheduling of 5th Quarter.

An even sadder thing is one of my youth ministry team leaders took off work tonight and tomorrow to make sure he could be at both events and neither one is going to happen.

What stories do you have of the winter weather altering your ministry plans/events?

Watch this recap video from Granger CC

Tim Stevens posted this video on his blog yesterday. It is worth the watch (4:49). This is the type of recap video I'd like to do for some youth ministry stuff. Here's a link to his post on it.

#3 is on the way!!!

My wife and I are expecting our third child in late July. :)

We don't know if it is a girl or boy, and we may not find out until the baby is delivered. We have two small boys - so a girl would help bring balance to our house.

I'm excited about this new change to our life and family. The boys keep talking about the baby (not sure if they understand its going to be a long time yet). My wife is excited, and hoping it goes quickly, and is hoping for a girl. This new addition has already meant changes for our family: a new minivan, boys moved up into the next bed size, and more "baby" stuff is showing up in the house.

I'm sure I'll post more as the time comes. Thanks for your prayers.

Trivia Wednesday #54: insects

answer #53 - True

question #54 - Which insect is often fatally mesmerized by bright light?

New Poll: Are you having a Super Bowl Party

There hasn't been any big super bowl party news this year. Maybe churches learned the rules last year (don't charge & don't show it on a TV bigger than 55 inches). Or maybe these churches just are not promoting it very much. Either way, I'm curious - are you hosting/having a Super Bowl Party this year.

Yes - at church
Yes - at someone's house
No

Poll Results: Old Food in the Church Kitchen

The voting is done, and hopefully a few "out of date" items have been thrown in the trash. :)

Seems like some churches are getting better at cleaning the kitchen out on a regular basis.

No one found anything less than 6 years out of date.
33% (1 person) has found something 6-8 years old
33% (1 person) has found something 9-10 years old
33% (1 person) has found something older than 10 years

Next time you use the church's kitchen, remember to help clean it up and not to put any extra in the back corner of a cabinet. Send it home with someone or give it to a soup kitchen.

Question about clothing and the Garden

The other night, my boys and I were reading the account of Adam and Eve for their bedtime story. Like all good scholars we ended up reading it from two different Bibles (both children's versions). After reading the account twice and talking about what happened my three year old asked me a very innocent question, to him. (but somewhat awkward to me) He asked why Adam and Eve didn't have any clothes on in the Garden.

I didn't really want to get into that conversation with him, so I made a few quick comments and then moved on.

I'm just hoping the issue doesn't come up again anytime soon.

Have you had that awkward moment with your children?

Photo of the Week: John Deere Lunchbox

Now, that's a lunch box!

First GodTube, now ChristianTube

The difference between GodTube and ChristianTube is that GodTube is up and running - and is actually a pretty decent site.

ChristianTube is not even up and they are asking for developers to help them get the site up and running. (would have thought this would have been taken care of before you bought the domain name)

We'll have to wait and see what happens. I'm not going to hold my breath.

Accidental Feedblitz deletions

I had some accidental deletions from Feedblitz subscriptions. So if you happen to see this and haven't gotten your email updates - know it was not intentional. Please take a few moments and sign up again. Thank you.

DayZLoop.com: site for teen girls

I heard about DayZLoop.com today and thought it looked pretty interesting. Think: a good site to let the teen girls in our ministries know about. It looks like a good place for teen girls to go online, unfortunately I can't see too much without becoming a member. All the stuff I can see on the home page looks good.

Have you ever heard of it before? Anyone know a teen girl who is a member?

I'm gonna pass it along to some of my parents and teen girls. Thought you might like to pass it along to your youth group girls.

Here is what there "about" page says,

DayZloop.com is the first online infotainment TV network covering all areas of a teen girl's life. This educational and fun environment provides an essential foundation for female youth to connect, learn, interact and have direct access to information, tools and tips that support, inspire and assist them to develop and build their self-esteem.

dayZloop.com covers a full range of topics: lifestyle, spirituality, finance, entertainment, interior design, and society. The content is provided by field experts and updated on a regular basis, incorporating subscribers' topic selection and feedback. This creates organic content growth, increasing the platform's value and relevance.

The content is delivered via online video mini-series, audio shows/podcasts, online discussions & forums; and, more standard means such as publishing and posting online news and articles.

to quote someone else: David Crowder & Mike Hogan (Hope)

"Hope placed in the future inadvertently brings hope into the present, in turn making the present tolerable"

taken from Everybody Wants to go to Heaven but Nobody Wants to Die by David Crowder & Mike Hogan

So true. I felt this when my grandma passed away a few weeks ago.

Trivia Wednesday #53: Olympics

answer #52 - pinch runner

question #53 - True or false? In the first Olympic games in 776 BC, only Greeks could participate?

"Christian Alternatives" to Facebook & Myspace

Out of curiosity, I decided to google "Christian social networking" to see what I would find in the realm of Christian alternatives to myspace and facebook. I was quite surprised with what I found (2,250,000 pages) in just a few minutes.

A few were very simple. One looked a lot like Myspace (can you find it).

Here is what I found in less than 5 minutes, meaning there are probably a ton more out there:


holypal "The premier Christian social network"



mychurch "is the best way for a church to build an online community."


Shoutlife "is a community / social networking website that offers free profiles with complete customization, unlimited photos, private/instant messaging, chat, blogging and more. Our goal is to provide a safe and clean, easy to use community environment with the features you love. At ShoutLife.com, you can connect with your friends as well as amazing music artists, authors, comedians, organizations and more."

5loaves "We are an emerging Christian community of diverse people connecting with one another to build friendships, share resources, nurture our families, and strengthen the global church."


christianspaces Everything (and I mean everything) on this page looks a lot like another social networking site I know of, but which one is it? Not sure what to think about this line from the front page, "101ChristianSpaces.com is a free Christian social networking site owned & run by genuine Christians!" Are other sites not run by genuine Christians?

mypraize - this is mostly a "Christian" music focused version of myspace



mygodlyplace "We are a new Christian MySpace Alternative website offering fun, games, quizzes, photos, photo rating, photo battles, groups, blogs, events, classifieds, polls, forums, IM, videos, music and just plain sharing our love for Jesus Christ as Christians. We are your Family Safe Alternative to MySpace/Hi5/Friendster/Etc. Signup now for FREE! Get your Free profile, edit it, add some photos, videos, music and be on your way to meeting new Christian Friends today!" But the part that made me chuckle was this next line "THE FIRST 10,000 TO SIGNUP ARE ENTERED TO WIN AN IPOD OR PS3...REGISTER NOW, IT'S FREE...GOOD LUCK & GOD BLESS!!!"
They have merch you can buy, but not nearly as much as the last site - Xianz

myfaithconnects "is a fun place for Christians around the world to socialize and connect with each other. We offer a clean atmosphere for Christians of every denomination to express themselves, share their interests, and make new friends in the process."



fellowshipbuilder: Cultivating Christian community


Xianz
My favorite part of this site is all the merch you can buy. For instance you can buy a Framed Panel Print for $50 with Robbie D on it. Don't want that, how about a throw pillow or teddy bear. And so much more...








So, what do you do with all of these (and the many more out there) alternatives?
Do we ignore them and not join?
Do we join them all?
Do we join if one of our students is on that site?

Do your students even know about these alternatives? I'd be curious to take a poll with students in our ministries and see how many of them know there are "Christian alternatives" to Facebook, Myspace, Bebo,....

What do you think about all of these sites? Is it too much? Is the church trying too hard to stay away from the world? Is it a good alternative to keeping our students safer?

Free Prince Caspian Resources from Interlinc

Youth Ministry Ideas posted about some free resources being provided by Interlinc for the upcoming Prince Caspian movie. Check out the info here, and click on the bottom of the page to sign up.

All Jewish Social Networking Site - Koolanoo

It seems there is an all Jewish social networking site. Its Koolanoo.com

I must say two of the ads for it seem a bit violent for a Jewish social networking site.
The other one is just a little too edgy (think Carl Jr's Paris Hilton ad esque). They are definitely going for some viral marketing with their ads.

I don't think it is necessary to cross a line in order to get people to your site. You should have standards as a company. If I were Jewish, the ads themselves might keep me from joining the site.

Later today, I'll post about all the "Christian" social networking sites I found out of curiosity.

SNS taking steps to protect teens online

Found this article about social networking sites (myspace, facebook specifically) taking some steps to keep teens safe online and offline.

I don't think this is enough. Well, I don't even know if it is feasible. I hope it is a way to help protect underage kids from predators. Ultimately, the key is parents knowing what is going on and helping to monitor their children. The article says this:

He said the best way to protect children is educating them about the dangers. Because the teenagers who fall victim to online predators are often alienated from their parents, he said, education programs should directly target children ages 13 to 15.

Here is another excerpt from the article:

In a 2006, Finkelhor found that one in seven children are sexually solicited online and that one in 33 are aggressively solicited. In a separate study he found that, over a one-year period, between 2001 and 2002, there had been 1,000 cases where someone was arrested for sex crimes against a juvenile where the Internet played a role in the crime.

"I really think the attorneys generals did a great thing to step into this vacuum and get this conversation going," Finkelhor said.

But he also cautioned that fears of online predation might be overblown and that the dynamics of such cases are misunderstood.

There is little evidence, he said, that the Internet or online social networks have led to more cases of sexual assaults on children, despite the solicitations.

He noted that since the early 1990s the incidence of sex crimes against children has dropped by about half, despite a steady growth in Internet use.

Social Networking Site for Pets

Yakety Yak Pets is a site for your pets to connect with other pets. Really? My two dogs don't even want to associate with the cats next door, let alone a dog in CA.

Would you sign your pet up for this?

Tips on Starting the New Year Strong

Whether its the start of a calendar year or a school year, the need to start strong is the same. What does it take to begin strongly? Here are 5 ideas to think about when you start planning the new year.

1. Pray. Talk to God about what your group (and individual students) needs. Spend time praying about the spiritual health of the people involved in the ministry.

2. Have a direction in mind. Know where you want the group to move toward (this will come from your time spent praying). As a whole, where do you want them to be? Will the focus be on an upcoming missions trip? Do they need to learn more about their faith? Would it be best for you to do some outreach focused activities?

3. Plan with your team. Once you have spent time talking to God about your group and know where you want the group to go, get together with your youth ministry team. Share with them the direction and passion God has given you. Get their feedback and discuss what you can do to help the students get to the "point" you want them to. (This is definitely not a magic formula and God can always change things up or work however He wants to, but we can't sit back idly doing nothing either)

4. Place the big events on the calendar. (this is one I struggle with) Once you have the first few big events (one a quarter) scheduled, put them on the calendar. Then make sure the parents and students know the dates well in advance.

5. Be Present with the students. Now that the "big stuff" is done (well, you'll still be doing the details) you need to spend your time being present with the students. Go to their games, eat lunch with them, call them, write a note/email/text/IM/write on their wall. Use this time to listen to what God is doing in their life. Be an encouragement. Challenge them to go deeper. Help prepare them for what you feel God is going to be doing in their lives over the next few months.

What tips or ideas do you have for starting the new year strong?

Photo Friday: Glass Bottles

Glass Bottles on a Shelf.

40+ GIMP plugins

Now that you all have checked out Open Source programs and discovered (or already know about) GIMP for photos. Let me throw some more fun freebies at you...

Here is a list of 40+ GIMP plugins.

Though I doubt you could use them all, there are sure to be a few that will be beneficial to you (and your ministry) as you make better images and fun pictures.

a few of my favorites:
-Pandora (Make a panorama from multiple images.)
-DustCleaner (Detect and remove the dust spots in digital images.)
-Photo Effects (a bunch of efforts to help make some fun pics for a website, newsletter, etc)
-GimpPublishr (Publish images to Picassa and Flickr directly from inside GIMP.)

Now, go and make some good pictures even better.

Trivia Wednesday #52

answer #51 - 33,000

question #52 - What is the only way a baseball player can get to first base without ever stepping into the batter's box?

New Poll: What is the most out of date item found in your church's kitchen?

What is the most out of date item you have found in your church's kitchen?

- just a few months
- 1-2 years
- 3-5 years
- 6-8 years
- 9-10 years
- over 10 years
- don't know, no one wanted to get that close


Recently, while I was helping someone go through the kitchen, we found a big can of pudding and a smaller can of something else that were at least 9 years past "good". So really there is no telling how long they had been in the pantry.

Poll Results: Have you ever broke up a fight at a youth event?

The final round is over. A majority of you have never had to break up a fight at a youth event. That is good news :)

Here is the break down:
77% (7 people) have never had to break up a fight
22% (2 people) have broken up a fight

It seems most of us don't deal with physical fights, we just get all the emotional and non-physical arguments and tension.

Reflections on: vacation

My reflections on vacation:

Craziest - Saw a moped rider yesterday. Not too uncommon, until you notice he is carrying crutches on his moped. Makes me wonder if the moped had anything to do with the crutches. Wish I could have gotten a picture - because just thinking about it makes me chuckle.

Unexpected Goodness - non scheduled family time is awesome!

Responsibility - is van shopping on vacation still vacation?

Good Times - friendships grow deeper as the two friends mature. Having a longtime (lifelong) friend makes reconnecting that much easier.

Close, but not close enough - almost got to eat at Chipotle. But they were not open yet, just taking applications. My first impression of the building was that of a used car dealership. Its just a big metal box. Maybe next time I get back "home" I'll get to stop by and try it. (interesting sidenote, the new Chipotle is in the old location of one of my favorite seafood places - Long John Silver's)

Take away thought - you've got to make every minute count or you'll regret it afterward.

Non-negotiable - Spending some quality & quantity time with the family is much better than going to a fancy resort.

Everything by Lifehouse: Drama Format

I was told about this video over a month ago by a parent of one of the high schoolers. Its a good visual to show our struggle to let go of the world and hold onto Jesus.

Here is the version via GodTube...



or for those none GodTube users, here is the YouTube version...



They look (about) the same to me. :)

Free training for young church leaders by Jim Wideman

If you are under 30, a leader in your church, and would commit to praying for Jim Wideman once a week, you qualify for free training.

Jim's training called "The Club" is being offered for free to young guns. Go here to sign up.

Here is the description from the website:

“The Club” is a monthly audio leadership resource. Designed especially for children’s ministers and those who want to take advantage of over 30 years of children’s and family ministry experience without taking 30 years to learn it. Jim has been a proven leader and ministry pioneer during four decades. Since 1995 thousands of ministry leaders have taken advantage of challenging themselves to the bigger thinking and vision that “the club” provides each month. Each lesson is like having your own personal leadership coach to help you. You will learn organization, administration and leadership skills from someone who’s been there and done it with a proven track record of excellence in ministry.

(gracias a ChurchRelevance)

Photo Friday: Sunset

Sunset

Trivia Wednesday #51

answer #50 - 221,184 (you could have a whopper for every meal and still have a different meal)

question #51 - About how many miles is Alaska's coastline - 8,000, 16,000, or 33,000?

Warning labels: Common sense not required

Great Warning label contest.

Enjoy a good laugh with the Wacky Warning Label Contest.

Maybe we should do one of these based on "rules" in a church that were put into place thanks to the youth group.

If you've got a good one, let us know by commenting on this post...

Open Source Living: library of open source "sources"

Do you like open source products? Would you like to have a copy of Microsoft Office (well at least a program compatible) but don't like Office? Do you like free stuff?

Then Open Source Living is the site for you. Some of the "sources" may not be new to you, some of them might be. For some of you, it will all be new.

One thing I really like about the site is the ease of finding what I want. It is all categorized and easy to access.

Overnighter Tip: Shift Help

Even though I know a lot of youth ministers do not like overnighters (for various reasons), we still do them. There are some overnighters that are way too easy and fun to count as work. There are others that just drag on and on and on - which results in taking three days off just to recover. After having done my fair share of overnighters over the years, I have learned a few things. Through a series of posts, I would like to share some tips to think about when planning and participating in a youth overnighter.

Overnighter Tip: Shift Help
*Plan shifts for adults to sign up to help with.

One thing is for sure, getting an adult to help during the entire overnighter is difficult, at best. Most people do not function well on that little sleep. So this year we decided to try something new. We broke the evening up into five shifts. One shift started 30 minutes before the last one ended. This helped with the chance that someone was running late or just slept through.

We set it up so that I was there the entire night, for consistency. There were also a few others who split the night up and stayed a little longer. You need to have at least one person (depending on the size of the group) who knows what has happened and is a consistent figure throughout the night. And it doesn't have to be the youth minister!

I had never done this before and was a little hesitant when it was first mentioned. But I must say I was overwhelmed with how well it worked. It worked on many levels. For one, we were able to fill every spot (now the 4-7:30am spot was a little tough) with at least 2 adults. The students seemed to like the changes in adults. The adults were able to help without getting burnt out and overreacting due to being tired. This point was huge. After 7 hours straight it is easy for certain students to really start "getting to" an adult and this shorter shift schedule helped that not happen.

Here is an example breakdown, for a 7pm to 9am overnighter:
6:30-10:30pm
10-1:30am
1-4:30am
4-7:30am
7-9:30am

Have you done shifts at an overnighter? How did it go?

Photo Friday: dot com store sign

I saw this store front on a recent trip. It is not too often when I see store signs that contain the web address for any store.

New Poll: Have you ever had to break up a fight at a youth event?

Just curious...

Have you ever had to break up a fight at a youth event?

I personally have never broken up a fight.

If you have, leave a comment and explain.

Poll Results: Did you have a New Year overnighter?

Now that it is 2008, lets see how many of you had a overnighter to ring in the new year.

83% (5 people) did not get any sleep
16% (1 person) did get plenty of sleep

I for one had a great time (even without the sleep) at our overnighter. Thanks for giving up a peaceful evening at home. Until next year...

Trivia Wednesday #50

answer #49 - 2 (Mt & Lk)

question #50 - How many ways can you order a Whopper? (closest answer wins)

American Idol & the Robbie Seay Band

While I was watching the GA/HI game tonight I heard Rise from the Robbie Seay Band, but wasn't sure where it was coming from. Maybe it was from my iMac in the other room. It wasn't. It was coming from the TV. A commercial for the new season of American Idol uses the song. Pretty cool. Its my favorite song on the new CD & one of my least favorite TV shows :)

From the bands website:

21 Dec 2007
AMERICAN IDOL & RSB??
Friends. i know. i know. we're having a hard time believing it as well. i mean i've spent many a night trying to dance like Justin Guarini & sing like Ruben Studdard - neither worked out too well, mind you - but never dreamed we'd be a part of the new season in some small way. The fine folks at American Idol are playing RISE on their new commercials promoting the upcoming season starting in January - and we're thrilled about being a part of the ads! What? No my uncle does not work for Simon Cowell, why would you say that? anyway... seriously, you can see for your own eyes.. click on the link below: ...AMERICAN IDOL & RSB COMMERCIAL... Be on the lookout for the spots, airing on FOX (of course) throughout the holidays. There's even a moment when the band name and song title flash on the screen. crazy!

Best of 2007: YMX Nominations

1. Best youth ministry book (copyrighted 2007)
getting students to show up by Jonathan McKee
Speaking to Teenagers by Duffy Robbins & Doug Fields
Youth Culture 101 by Walt Mueller



2. Best innovation (new thing.. chubby bunny need not apply, lifetime achievement there)
taco-in-a-bag (its new to me). Its been a great food idea for big or smaller events. We've also done variations on it - taco in a trash can, taco in a bowl.


3. Best worship song for use in youth ministry (copyright 2006 or 2007)
everything glorious by David Crowder*Band



4. Best Christian artist for youth ministry [who your students like the most; not limited to Christian labels or "CCM genre"]
Switchfoot
Relient K
Aaron Shust

Discussion Starter?: Reserve a Spot in Heaven.com

As a Christian (not to mention a youth minister) I know that there is only one way to get to Heaven: through Jesus Christ. See Jn. 14.6


But there is a website offering another way, its called reserveaspotinheaven.com. And for the right price ($13 for basic & $16 for VIP), you can reserve a spot in heaven for yourself or a loved one (they even have group discounts).

The VIP package description:
This exclusive package contains all necessary materials to get you into Heaven and experience all of the elite areas that are normally off-limits to normal citizens. If you want the entire Heaven experience then this is your package.

Includes:
Heavenly issued certificate of reservation registered in the Book of Light™
A First class ticket to Heaven. Why walk those stairs when you can fly?
The Official Heaven Identification Card so you can get around without getting hassled.
Heaven 101 mini informational guide. Don’t be a victim of culture shock. Get acquainted with the land..
All access VIP pass. This pass will grant you access to “VIP exclusive areas” including the Land of Milk and Honey, where all the elite get together and kick it.
(basic package contains everything except VIP pass)

Use to start discussion on what it takes to get to heaven, salvation, can you buy your way to heaven?

Commitment & Love

All around the world, yesterday was Christmas. At my grandparent's house it was more. It was their 65th wedding anniversary. WOW! 65 years. I remember going to their 50th anniversary party when I was 14 (okay, so its not the clearest memories, but I do remember it).

As a youth minister, I am exposed to all sorts of family structures. I do not know the percentages, but it seems like a lot more of the students come from a broken family. Even some of the families I've known over the years are not separated or divorced. It seems like to some, staying married is not as strong of a desire as it was a few generations ago. Sometimes I get discouraged when I see all of the pain and brokenness that broken families can produce.

I have see some great people come from broken families, but I always wonder what could have been for the others (who do not adjust as well). Yesterday I was reminded that it is possible to stay married for the long haul.

So, there I was with an example of commitment and love standing in front of me. They have been in front of me for years, and each year the example grows stronger and stronger. You should just hear them talk about each other or reminisce about their wedding or just talk about their memories of the other - it is an honor to be a part of it all. Honestly, I do not remember anything but my grandparents being together and living in the same house they live in today. The impact is not new, I've always told people I wanted to grow up to be like my grandparents. I admire them in so many ways - not the least of which is their longevity in marriage. I pray Amy and I have a good 60 years (and more) of life together ahead of us.

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Gen. 2.24

New Poll: Are you having a New Year Overnighter?

Simple Question: Are you having a new year overnighter?

Yes
No


I'm just curious if any of you are having some sort of overnighter for New Year's Eve. If there is anything unique or "cool" about it, please share in the comments.

Poll Results: Do you regift?

The votes are in. The gifts have been opened and some of them are already in the "regifting" pile in the closet. According to our poll...

66% (4 people) of you regift every year
16% (1 person) of you will not regift
16% (1 person) of you wonder why you would give away something that someone else gave to you.
2% of you were lost in the percentages.

Next time you regift make sure you are not giving someone back something they gave you!

Trivia Wednesday #49

answer #48 - "Bah Christmas"

question #49 - How many Gospels contain the nativity story? (bonus if you can name them)

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

May the gift of Jesus Christ be more than enough.

Jesus & Insecurity

Hebrews 4.15 tells us the Jesus understands our weaknesses, that He's experienced all of our temptations - yet He did not sin.

I have had a tendency, at various times in my life, to struggle with the feeling of insecurity. I was wondering, did Jesus struggle with insecurity? Did He ever feel insecure about something He did or said or what others were saying about Him?

I want to say "no." But I can't dismiss it that quickly.

What do you think... Did Jesus struggle with insecurity? If He did, how did He deal with it?

Photo Friday: 1/2 Snow Covered

The other day, by the time I got out to clean off the car, it was already half gone. I love it when the sun gets rid of the snow for me.

Jesus Ashtray

Saw this picture on Gman's site tonight. All I can say is "wow, someone really made that?"








(gracias a Gerrard for the laugh)

study says teens delay sex when taught sex education

I just saw an article that says new research claims sex education helps teens delay sex.

The good news - Teens delaying sex.
The bad news - Teens delaying sex.

One thing about the study mentioned in the article that stands out was this statement:

The researchers did not evaluate the content of sex education programs, including whether students were taught about contraception or about abstinence only.

Another study to look at as a youth worker.

Trivia Wednesday #48

answer #47 - Batman & Robin

question #48 - Originally "Bah Humbug" was going to be "Bah _____" what?

Youth Worker Strike?

I was thinking this morning about the writer's strike. It is greatly affecting the television season and is going to start affecting the movies.

Do you really think that writers are not writing? I tend to think they are still writing something. It may not be a specific script for a specific show. But I bet they are writing scripts of some sort. That is, unless they are not passionate about writing or don't enjoy their job.

I think that most youth workers would have a hard time not working with youth. Even though I'm not a guru at this job, I still love working with youth. I'm constantly learning more about what that means on a daily basis. But I can tell you I would never be able to not be a youth worker if the youth worker union went on strike.

I would find ways to sneak around and minister to teens. I would learn to call it something else.

I think if a youth worker would be fine going on strike there is a problem. It should be a passion, a desire (a fire in your bones), a driving force.

Would you be able to ever be on strike?

Photo Friday: Fire

Do you have a fire inside of you?

Jer. 20.7-13 (esp. v.9)

If only every good book affected us like this...

I just saw this picture over on Tim's blog. I don't know where he got it, but I'd like to share it with ya'll.

(if you have problems reading the book title, click on the link and look at it over on Tim's page.)

Trivia Wednesday #47

answer #46 - False

question #47 - Which comic book character and friend had a successful prime time TV series in the 1960's?

New Poll: Do You Regift

So, with Christmas right around the corner I have wondered how many of you regift. So this new poll asks that very question.

Do you regift?
yes, just once though
no
yes, every year
what is regifting?
why would you want to give away something someone else gave to you?
I will now.


Please share the best/worst gift you have ever regifted. Or the best/worst gift you've been given (that you know was regifted).

Poll Results: Which white item would you rather have

According to our poll ...

33% of you (2 people) want a white squirrel
50% of you (3 people) want a white chocolate candy bar
16% of you (1 person) wants a white head of hair

and no one wants..
a white Christmas
a white jumpsuit
a white wall tire

I hope you get what you wanted.

Restickable Glue Stick

How would/could you use this in ministry?

Restickable Glue Stick

* For most papers, fabrics and photos
* Cap size meets regulations to reduce choking hazards in children under 3 years, as defined by the U.S. Consumer Product Safe Commission
* Restickable formulation allows any piece of paper to self-stick, then remove for repositioning
* Dries clear and is non-toxic*
* Adhesive is acid-free, photo safe

Ideas:
-hang notes around the office
-hang promotional posters/flyers
-hang event signs
-hang set lists
-hang memory verses
-use to put covers on binders/folders
-hang notes to your spouse/children
-hang pictures of who is the teacher in a children's class
-put your sermon notes in your Bible
-glue someone else's book pages together

any others? anyone use this restickable gluestick before?

Discussion Starter: cheap gas - what would you do?

33 cents for a gallon of gas? According to this article, it was at one gas station thanks to a mistake.

So, the question (after hearing that story) is what would you do?

Would you have filled up your car?
Would you have then gone back home and picked up the other car to fill it up, too? Would you have called a few friends to tell them?
Would you have felt guilty and drove off?
Would you have called the police to let them know?

How do you think the employee felt afterward?

Use this story to start discussion on: forgiveness, stealing, right v. wrong, mistakes, taking advantage of someone, honesty, being taking advantage of

DSL has arrived on my office computer

Yesterday, it happened. I now have DSL hooked up on my computer at work. It has been a long wait to get it hooked up for me. It didn't have to be this long, though. All it took was going to get a Compact Wireless-G: USB Network Adapter.

Yeah, it was much easier than the amount of time it took to get it done. :)

One more office to get "wired" up and the whole office will be set.

to quote someone else: Seth Godin (longevity)

"Most people are waiting for the tested, the authenticated, and the proven."

taken from The Dip by Seth Godin

Sounds like a good reason to have longevity as a youth minister. And not just longevity in ministry, but longevity at a specific congregation. People don't really want a flash/bang youth minister. They want to know you'll be around for a long time.

It takes time to be tested.
It takes time to be authenticated.
It takes time to be proven.

Are you in ministry for the long haul? Are you determined to have longevity at your current ministry location? You have to be willing to be there during the good and the bad - even when it gets really difficult.

If you are willing to be there for the long haul, you will see the benefits.

Photo Friday: Sunset

Sunset: a beautiful reminder of God's creation.

Prince Caspian: New Trailer

Here is the first trailer for the next installment in the Chronicles of Narnia series: Prince Caspian. It will be in theaters May 16, 2008.

Trivia Wednesday #46

answers #45 - The Messiah

question #46 - True or false? Most of the world's penguins live at the North Pole.

American Gladiators: They are back!

It looks like American Gladiator is back. On one side, I think its pretty cool. I remember quite a few afternoons watching the original (see videos below) with my brother. But on the other side, its never gonna be as good as I remember it. Anyway, I figure it'll come up sooner or later with the students you work with. So you should at least be aware its coming back.

Here are two clips from the original...





The new official American Gladiator website.

New promo video on nbc.com

Good Idea, Bad Idea: mailing notes

Good Idea:
Connecting with students by sending notes and cards. You can send them for birthdays, to say hello, to let them know you're praying for them, inform them of upcoming events. No matter what the occasion, notes are a good way to communicate and stay connected. You can find cheap ones at the bookstore (8 little notecards for $.99), so they won't break your budget either.

Bad Idea:
Only putting a 26 cent postcard stamp on them. They will not get delivered.


lesson: pay more attention to which stamps you pick up when sending mail out. Or just be willing to face the "embarrassment" of having a stamp and the "post office" stamp on the same envelope showing you messed up.

Strong Tower

The song, Strong Tower by Kutless, really stood out to me the other day as I was driving in my car.

When I wonder through the desert
And I’m longing for my home
All my dreams have gone astray.
When I’m stranded in the valley
And I’m tired and all alone
It seems like I’ve lost my way

I go running to your mountain.
Where your mercy sets me free

You are my strong tower
Shelter over me, beautiful and mighty, everlasting king
You are my strong tower
Fortress when I’m week
Your name is true and holy
And your face all I see
Your face is all I see

In the middle of my darkness
In the midst of all my fear
You’re my refuge and my hope
When the storm of life is raging
And the thunders all I hear
You speak softly to my soul
Now I’m running to your mountain
Where your mercy sets me free.

Where do you run when things are going bad?
Where do you run when your hurt?
To whom do you run when life's storms crash in on you?

Ps 46.7 says "The LORD almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

Do you run to God? He is the best place to go - always comforting and safe.

When your ministry becomes difficult...
When things just do not seem to work...
When people say mean things to you...
When people say mean things about you...
When you mess up and need to apologize...
When others hurt you...
When you feel all alone...

...run to the strong tower.
...run to God.