Inside_Out_Lando's Xanga

Keeping Up

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:40:22 GMT

In case you haven't noticed (if anyone is even reading this), I'm really not keeping this up too much anymore. Most of my writing is happening at our new student ministry blog at www.aucyouth.wordpress.com, so bookmark that or subscribe to keep up with all that's going on with me, us as a family, and our student ministry.

You can also check out our student ministry's main site at www.aucyouth.net or my other blog for those in any kind of leadership (church, voluinteer, secular, educational) at www.leadership101.wordpress.com.

Intimacy with God

Fri, 23 May 2008 14:40:28 GMT

I've been reading this book called I Became A Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt. The writer, Vince Antonucci has a great way of writing - very funny yet very pointed. So, in this one chapter entitled "Monk" the author gives some background as to how the whole monk thing started and why monks move away from the world and live in their monasteries. The basic premise of a monastic life seems admirable at first glance. These men, in their pursuit of living a deeply intimate life with God, saw the world as getting in the way. The solution, get away from the world where their singular focus can be on God and living intimately with Him. No other distractions to take our gaze off the Savior, to draw our attention away and onto someone or something else. The desire of having a singular focus and passion that fixes on God seems to be what all of us a followers of Jesus should be after.

To read the rest, check out the full post at www.aucyouth.wordpress.com .

Excellent

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:12:10 GMT

Someone asked me this morning on the phone how I was doing. I responded, "Excellent!" They replied, "Really? Excellent?" I said "Sure." After all, what could be better than:

- Firing up the bike and going for a ride yesterday
- Having my son ask me if I wanted to "have a catch" with him yesterday
- Jumping on the bike again today to come to the office (love this weather!)
- Having Dean ask me if I would have another catch with him before I came to work this morning
- Being in 1st Place in Fantasy Baseball a few days this week (after a horrific season last year)

Other than Jesus returning today, how could things possibly be any better?

Leadership 101

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:11:09 GMT

Check out my new blog for those in any kind of position of leadership @ www.leadership101.wordpress.com. You can check back there often or subscribe to receive updates regularly.

My Tribute (and a time to mourn but not as those without hope)

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:29:32 GMT

Friday was a somber day for me. That turned the weekend into somewhat of a memorial time. I found out Friday morning that Larry Norman went home to be with the Lord last Sunday. Larry is known as the father (or grandfather) of Christian rock music. He was part of the Jesus-Movement of the '70s. With his long, blonde hair he went around with his old guitar singing songs about Jesus using modern music. To say that he had a profound impact on Christian culture as we see it today would be an understatement. It could be that we would have no contemporary worship songs or services if it hadn't been for Larry Norman. Contemporary Christian Music in all of it's genres began with him and might not exist today if he had not dared to charge that hill, taking the shots from every direction. My life, in many ways, has been influenced by Larry. So has my discipleship. Music has always had a huge influence in my life and my life was dramatically altered when I put away much of the music I had always listened to and began listening to music that pointed my thought life and attitudes and actions to Christ. Music has just always had that kind of grip on me and so the trail that Larry blazed allowed for greater inroads into my soul and it's spiritual formation.

The past several days I have not been able to get so many of his songs out of my head. I find myself humming or singing them as I work or walk along, even when not listening to one of his albums. Songs that we used to sing in youth group when I was a kid like "I Wish We'd All Been Ready," "The Outlaw," "I Am Your Servant." Songs that I've always just enjoyed like: Born to Be Unlucky, I've Got to Learn to Live Without You, Let That Tape Keep Rolling, One Way, Put Your Life In His Hands, Righteous Rocker, Six O'Clock News, The Great American Novel, Sweet Sweet Song of Salvation, The Rock That Doesn't Roll, UFO, and two favorites: Watch What You're Doin', and Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music. And then maybe my all-time favorite. The one that so clearly defines Larry Norman and his passion. Yup, he had plenty of political songs that made statements about our country and it's state back in the 70s. But in my opinion, this song is the one that so clearly defined his life and his passion and why he sang his music:

"Why Don't You Look Into Jesus"

Sipping whiskey from a paper cup,

You drown your sorrows till you can't stand up,

Take a look at what you've done to yourself,

Why don't you put the bottle back on the shelf,

Yellow fingers from your cigarettes,

Your hands are shaking while your body sweats,

Why don't you look into Jesus, He's got the answer.

Gonorrhea on Valentines Day,

And you're still looking for the perfect lay,

You think rock and roll will set you free,

You'll be deaf before your thirty three,

Shooting junk till your half insane,

Broken needle in your purple vein,

Why don't you look into Jesus, He's got the answer.

You work all night, sleep all day,

You take your money, throw it all away,

You say you're going to be a superstar,

But you've never hung around enough to find out who you really are.

Think back to when you were a child,

Your soul was free, your heart ran wild,

Each day was different, and life was a thrill,

You knew tomorrow would be better still,

Things have changed you're much older now,

If you're unhappy and you don't know how,

Why don't you look into Jesus, He's got the answer

I'm so thankful that God allowed me to hear Larry Norman's music when I was younger and for the influenece his music had in my life. I'm equally thankful for the influence Larry Norman had on music itself which has allowded for what we have today. Larry Norman will be missed here but I'll bet Jesus is enjoying having him singing at His feet.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 13:29:22 GMT

It is over. A great night. But now it is time for bed.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:23:46 GMT

The reason why churches are declining in America is because they are self-centered.

“My primary assessment would be because American Christians tend to be incredibly self-indulgent so they see the church as a place there for them to meet their needs and to express faith in a way that is meaningful for them. There is almost no genuine compassion or urgency about serving and reaching people who don’t know Christ."

- Erwin McManus, lead pastor at Mosaic Church in Los Angeles

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:13:12 GMT

Are you lonely???

Don't like working on your own?
Hate making decisions?

Then call a MEETING!!

You can . . .
SEE people
DRAW flowcharts
FEEL important
FORM subcommittees
IMPRESS your colleagues
MAKE meaningless recommendations

ALL on COMPANY TIME!!!!

MEETINGS . . .

THE PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVE TO WORK.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:15:08 GMT

I was reading Hosea 3 today during my devotions. The forgiveness displayed, the grace poured out amazes me. How is it that a man can go grab his wife out of the bed of another man, take her back home, declare his love for her again, and stay with her while we have such a difficult time forgiving others who rarely come close in the ways that they hurt us? Hosea is such a beautiful picture of the love our God has for His people, the nation of Israel, and the grace He desires to lavish on them. And to think that He loves us the same. And yet we can't talk to or have dinner with people who have wronged us or hurt us. I am so glad that God's love and grace are so much greater than ours.

On a different and somewhat humorous note, one of the brethren came up to me yesterday, and with a smile on his face said, "Hey brother, every time I see you wearing that red shirt and tie you remind me of the Antichrist. It's good to see you." I was speechless. My senior pastor's comment when I told him about this conversation: "At least they said you only remind them of the Antichrist. Someone once actually said I was the Antichrist." Where's Dr. McCracken when you need him the most with his famous line, "Edify stupid"?

And yet on another completely different note . . . Went to a Student Ministry Conference last week where Duffy Robbins was the keynote speaker. One of the lists that Duffy used during one of the sessions was "How to know when you're growing old in youth ministry." All of the list was true and very funny as some of us laughed at ourselves. The one that stuck with me was: "You know you're growing old in youth ministry when your lock-ins begin ending at 8:30pm." Our high school lock-in is in two weeks. I should go to bed now to prepare myself myself . . .

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:00:42 GMT

Well, after six weeks I'm finally out of a splint, the button is gone and I can wash this hand/arm again. But getting that button off -- it had me up out of my seat.

Anyway, it has been fun watching God show up a lot recently. Not that He doesn't all the time, I think my eyes are just more tuned into these days. Gray van broke down, full of students, on the way home from wallyball this past Saturday - right in the middle of a three lane highway. In God's providence, it broke down right in front of a Jiffy Lube, Firestone Service Center, and Wendys. The Jiffy Lube guys saw us stuck there and getting the kids out and across the highway to safety on the side of the road. They ran out to help us push the van into the lot. Firestone was still open and not very busy so they took a look at the van. Determined it was going to need a new alternator - old one stopped working. OK, now to figure out how to get these kids home... Wait, they have one in stock? And it'll take only about 30 minutes to put it in? OK, everyone to Wendy for dinner. By the time we finished dinner the van was repaired and ready to go. It was fun to watch God's hand in that and we all had a good time.

Second instance this week. Found out Sunday that the guy we were hoping was going to be able to come be our winter retreat speaker is not able to for health reasons. The search begins again. Monday I'm at a youth ministry conference in Lancaster and run into a good friend. I've been trying to get Todd to be our speaker for 6-7 years now but his retreats are always the same weekend. As we're talking about life, how things are going, it turns out his retreat is a different weekend this year and he is able to speak at our retreat. Very pumped about that and the weeks of beginning a new search were over in a day with God supplying a guy that I didn't imagine we could get. It's going to be a great retreat.

He is so good.