nate's blog

The day after...

2011-09-12T16:17:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, we remembered Sept. 11 and the ten years since. I went to church, led prayer and participated in remembering with everyone else. The images, the feelings, and the heartbreak seem to be as real. I think we, as a nation, are somewhere between anger and acceptance.

I remember ten years ago. I was in college. I had just skipped my 8am class and was watching SportsCenter, stretched out on the couch. Then it happened, and I quickly turned to a cable news channel. I saw the second plane hit live on tv, and the reporter lost it. They cut her audio immediately. I knew what was happening, but doubted whether I was right. Unfortunately, every fear would be confirmed over the next few hours. No one went to class that day, we were all frozen. Two of my friends lost parents. Several people I knew lost friends. Everyone lost innocence. Terror has a new definition when you experience it.

Yesterday, I relived those moments a few times on stage. While leading our church in prayer, the emotion of the memory crept in through my words. It was hard, a couple of times, to stay composed. I don't know what all of this means, but I do know that we have forged ahead. I know we are building things back: the buildings, our lives, our economy, our faith.

The day after 9/11 was real, too. The crash sites were still smoldering. The hope of finding life seemed to fade like a quick winter sunset. The coldness of tragedy had further to sink in. Horrible. It was this day after, ten years ago, no one talks about very much, except those who experienced the most tragedy. For some taking framed pictures to the sites in hopes of finding dad, for some getting an all too sudden confirmation call about family...the dam was leaking even more. On the day after 9/11, more tragedy blossomed.

The day after 9/11, we also began to heal. Just like a gushing flesh wound, it seemed that we were desperately trying to just put pressure on the wound. The blood was furiously gushing. But in the midst of the trauma, true to form, our healers emerged. Firefighters, doctors, police, nurses, and many in the helping professions kept traveling to the sites. We wasted no time when it came to begin healing, even if that meant more sacrifice.

Several people I know hate thinking about national pride and faith together, but in this moment, I know no other conversation. I am grateful that God continues to show his nature through his creation. Yes, tragedy happened, and there are questions that ask why and blame the same God. However, the nature of God is to renew and heal through sacrifice. Jesus is proof of that. I don't like some parts of the story, but I know that I don't understand it all, either. National pride? I suppose, to some extent, because this is my country and my community. I am proud that God used us all.

Yes, God answers prayer through us, creation. The very thing that can never be crushed is this reality.

Romans 8:38-45

New Living Translation (NLT)

³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[a] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Honest Reactions

2011-08-30T09:58:00.005-04:00

We've had quite the few weeks: end of summer, earthquake(s), hurricane, my daughter just got tubes in her ears... So, I have some reactions to a few things, now that they're behind us all (somewhat).

End of Summer:

I'm glad school is back in session. Starbucks is less crowded with the minors, and the "grumpy old man" part of my personality appreciates that.
We had a great series on movies and God this summer. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed teaching in it. I hope we do something even cooler next summer.
Lucy (my kid) spent a little more than two weeks with her grandparents. It sure was nice to catch up on some sleep, and I think the grandparents enjoyed it as well. However, we were happier to have her back each time. I have a feeling that missing her when she's away will only get worse from here.
My wife is entering her final FALL semester at Loyola Grad School. I'm so proud of her. She has a little bit of work left in her degree, and it will be challenging. BUT, she'll knock it out of the park, I have no doubt. We're entertaining all job offers, so if you have a school counseling position available, nab her up asap. Your school will be better with Shauna.

Earthquake(s)

I was sitting in Panera when it happened. I honestly thought my friend, Liz, was shaking the back of my chair. When I realized it wasn't her, I was confused and thought I had vertigo. When I made eye contact with her, and realized what was happening, I instantly became freaked out.
When I say freaked out, I mean it in a "Oh, Lord, the earth is moving and I can't quite wrap my head around this moment enough to react" kind of way. I guess I was in shock.
Afterwards, I felt the best reaction was one of gratitude and levity. So, I took the next few hours to make myself and those around me laugh.
We have a lot to be thankful and grateful for. We didn't experience casualties or anything like that. In fact, others (Californians) chose to make fun of us for our shock and awe. I understand, I do the same thing to them when it rains.

Hurricane Irene:

Again, we're pretty blessed. I'll admit the media coverage annoyed me. It was apocalyptic. We cancelled our church services, and that annoyed me. I love getting together with my church.
Honestly, I was pretty annoyed by the caution and coverage. I really think things get over-dramatized. However, now I am hearing that over 40 people have been killed in this storm. I don't think any of those families are thinking like me...none of them are annoyed by the caution and coverage. Every family is grieving, and I am not experiencing that. My family is ok, we never lost power, and the only thing that really happened is the latch on my back gate is warped. I am so blessed.
Now, I'm annoyed when I hear the pleas for prayer for schools to be cancelled for another day, power to not be interrupted, cable TV to come back on, and our luxurious lives to return to normal. May I suggest we count our blessings, and try to de-prioritize our luxuries? I'm speaking to myself, mostly. I cannot imagine the horror of losing my wife or my daughter. May I also suggest we pray and think of those folks who are not experiencing our blessings? May we actually be able to be the love of God to someone? There's a lesson in here, somewhere, I'm sure.
I'm thankful we were prepared, especially in ways I will never know. Big shout outs to you public service peeps who care. Thank you. And thank God, that not only am I safe, but I have an opportunity to bring healing and love to someone else (you know, the whole freely give type of thing).

My daughter just got tubes in her ears:

Literally, like 3 hours ago. She woke up from the minor/ quick surgery and she was pissed. There's nicer words to use, but pissed pretty much sums it up. I can't blame her.
Now, I think she is eating breakfast and feeling better. She's had 6+ ear infections since June, and she needed the tubes.
Again, we're blessed to have the medical care we have. God is so good.

So, there's some ramblings and reactions. My feelings change with the wind, and I feel that I'm learning and growing through everything. Hope everything with you and yours is doing well, and you realize how truly blessed you are. Once you realize your blessings, you notice where you can bring healing, dignity, help, acceptance, and love. True self reflection leads to more and more outward focus.

Why so quiet?

2011-07-08T09:46:00.000-04:00

God speaks. I read about that in the Bible. I hear people tell stories of God has “spoken” to them. I pray and wait for God’s booming, cloud splitting voice and...nothing. Know the feeling?

It always seems that the moments I really want God to speak loudly, he becomes the most quiet. Why is that? I don’t know. I speculate. I wonder what he would say if he were physically across from me right now.

The times when I really need input are the times that I seem to put more pressure on him. Why so serious, God? Just speak up. Why don’t you answer me? At times, I feel like I’m acting out an Adam Sandler movie rant.

Following Jesus has certainly been irritating, at times. When it seems that God is silent is definitely one of them. I suppose my expectations are for him to answer me like I would answer...loud and fast. Maybe with more fanfare, ya know, a lightning bolt and thunderclap or two. The difficult reality is that I’m not God, nor is He me. That’s a never ending reality shift and, on the surface I totally support it, but deep within I wrestle with.

God isn’t me. He does speak, and he does in his own way, much like me and my daughter. I love my girl, she has just turned one. She has her own language. This morning, it sounded like she was practicing her vowels...AHHH, EHHH, OOOOOH! over and over and over. It was so cute. Her mom and I are teaching her what NO means (it seems like a never ending battle), and we wonder if she ever really hears us. Occasionally, she’ll impress me. For instance, she has this little doll she carries around. Her mom and I will say to her, “love the baby!” and she will hug and give it a sloppy open mouth kiss (more like a bite), and she’ll make happy noises. I love that. The other day, I asked her, “Where is your baby?” and she walked across the room, picked up the doll, and brought it back to me. I was impressed. She actually seemed to understand what I said and brought her doll to me. I have been talking to this child ever since she was born. She is just now beginning to recognize and respond with a bit of understanding. It’s fun to watch.

I can’t help but think that I’m this way with God. He has said so much to me that I probably don’t even realize. His word, his creation, his presence. Paul talks about how all of creation is telling God’s story (Romans 1). How much am I not getting? When I do occasionally “get it” is he impressed? I suppose it’s all about growing.

One of the biggest “getting it” moments I have had centers around a verse in Revelation 3:7: “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open:”

The last part of that verse is key: “What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open.” Here’s my AH HA! moment: God can open and close whatever he chooses. Brilliantly simple, no? This has resulted in my prayer: “God, you see what is lying before me, you see the decision I have to make, you see who will be affected, you know how I will be changed; continue to open the door or slam it shut. Give me your wisdom and discernment. I’m trusting you. If I begin moving in the wrong direction, make it obvious to me, and slam the door shut. In the same way, continue to open the doors and make the way clear for me. Only you can open the doors that no one can close, and only you can close the doors that no one can open.”

So basically, if something doesn’t work out, it is a great answer, in my opinion. If a door continues to open, I am also blessed (and a bit more encouraged than when it slams shut). I’m on this journey with a God who wants me to understand, speak his language, and not be blinded by my surroundings. I can’t help but think that, sometimes, He gets a kick out of my efforts and proudly tells the story of when I understood. I want to be that kid more often.

The Sacred Shelf

2011-06-17T16:31:00.002-04:00

The Sacred Shelf

There is a shelf in my office with books on it. Sure, there are quite a few shelves like it, but one shelf in particular holds 7 books that I hold sacred. These books are incredibly special to me. Each of these books have impacted my life in real ways; my life changed when I read these books for the first time. My life continues to change as I reread them each year. Two of them are written to pastors, but all of them are relevant and powerful. My notes and a few autographs make these books irreplaceable (to me). I wouldn’t sell them. No way.

So here, in no particular order, is my sacred shelf. Read through it and see if there is something that peaks your interest. Let me encourage you to read. Reading continues to change my life.

Under the Unpredictable Plant: An Exploration in Vocational Holiness, by Eugene Peterson. Eugene is my favorite author. You may recognize his name as the guy who paraphrased The Message Bible. I got him to autograph this copy. It is worn and highlighted. He wrote it back in the 80‘s (way before it’s time, in my opinion). This book is what pushed me over the edge to pursue vocational ministry. It is direct, it is challenging, it is uncomfortably authentic. My favorite quote: “A successful writer will discover a workable plot and write the same book over and over all his life to the immense satisfaction of his readers. The readers can be literary without thinking or dealing with truth. Prostitute writer. A successful pastor will discover a workable program and repeat it in congregation after congregation to the immense satisfaction of her parishioners. The church members can be religious without praying or dealing with God. Prostitute pastor.”
Pentecostal Theology and the Christian Spiritual Tradition by Simon Chan. This is a book where I get really nerdy. It isn’t a book, really...it is a journal from the Pentecostal Theology Supplemental Series. It is also out of print and very difficult to find. Anyway, Chan talks in this book on how Pentecostal tradition has defined “Baptism in the Holy Spirit” and he gives clear and researched arguments for traditioning, implementation, tongues, and how the church lives. It is a very practical and “normal” way to interpret tongues in the various contexts. I hate the stigmas that Pentecostals have inherited, and, I feel, if more people were to study Chan’s work, it could be lived out differently and in a more normal way. (So much for ShakeyourbonbonIseethebikini...say it fast...it’s like talking in tongues)
(Re)Understanding Prayer by Kyle Lake. Wonderful, practical book on prayer. Kyle was a pastor in Texas (University Baptist) when he wrote this book. I love it. Very readable and simple. He also speaks my Gen-X language. Kyle died several years ago. This book is great.
The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts by Gary Chapman. It is a foundational book that all couples should read. “Brilliant cheese” is my one liner review. He’s old school, he’s old, and he’s cheesy...but the material is golden. I require all the couples I counsel to read and discuss this book with me (along with Dave Ramsey’s book on money). If you read and apply the principles here, your relationships will be better off. I reread it to stay grounded and challenged to love my wife and my daughter in their own unique way.
A Tale of Three Kings: A Study in Brokenness by Gene Edwards. Classic leadership and brokenness book. I usually have interns and young staff leaders read this book with me in coaching. It is written as a poetic expression of three leaders and three perspectives. It is a very ground level book for leadership, in my opinion.
The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry by Henri Nouwen. This is quite possibly one of the only books that have made me sit in a fetal position and rock back and forth. It is hauntingly personal and developmental for a spiritual experience. It covers three disciplines and weaves their importance altogether: silence, solitude, and prayer. I thought about becoming a monk after reading this the first time. It is deep. It is challenging. Read with caution.
In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership by Henri Nouwen. Henri made the shelf twice! That’s only because he was brilliant (he’s dead). This book is a response of his own leadership findings after a huge life transition. He speaks to the leadership and the big temptations of Christ (to be relevant, spectacular, and powerful). Truly a brilliant work. Very small book, but packs power in its punch. If you are a leader and haven’t read this book, stop and go buy it.

So, what are your favs? Do you have books (or blogs or whatever) that have changed your life? Care to share?

Planning a quick, slow death

2011-06-14T11:52:00.004-04:00

I used to be a week to week type of dude. I looked at a week, I planned for it, and that was that. It worked perfectly. The only time I really needed to work ahead was when I had vacation days coming up. I wasn’t a procrastinator, but I did occasionally find more work at the end of the week than I would have liked.

When I was a youth pastor, a week to week approach worked pretty perfectly. When I started growing my career, I found that it was, well...stupid. I was led to this thinking by several random questions that I kept asking:

Why would a pastor only write a sermon a few days before delivery?
Why would a band work on a piece of music mere hours before it was to be shared with an audience?
Why in the world would I allow my time to be sucked away by poor planning?

The reality is this: crap happens. Week to week is slow death. This lesson is one my teams have helped me to learn, and that we are constantly working on. Everyone affects everyone. That means my sermon prep affects the music folks, and their excitement over new songs affects my sermon prep. When we work together, we have to work out in front of our goals, and we have to work hard.

Right now, I have the privilege of working with 9 different teams each weekend. We rely on each other. Along with that, we work with 4-5 other prep teams for what we have to accomplish. It’s sort of a funny flowchart, but there is no way we could accomplish our goal if we worked week to week. Since I am a part of the teams, from concept to delivery, it is quite daunting to think of the work we have to accomplish, and do so on time. I’m lucky to work with several pros who help this along. I simply ask questions at this point.

Getting to our current planning process (regarding our teaching series) has been quite the journey. I believe each team has to find their own rhythm and chemistry in the implementation. However, if you lead a team, you had better be helping them plan and plan in advance. We work about 3-4 months out on concept before delivery. That means that we work on it before the deadline. Our goal is to get to 6 months out. We’re not there yet.

I’ve included a snapshot of our process. Click on it and enlarge it. Look it over. If it helps you think or change your own normal, awesome. If you have something that can make our lives better, PLEASE SHARE IT.

Of course, Murphy lingers (ya know, Murphy's law?) and causes us to change course from time to time. Our goal is not to be so structured that we can't adapt. Our goal is to be structured enough, so that when we feel the need to change course, we can do so without utter chaos and disorder... but that's another post : )

That's Not My Job

2011-06-09T14:57:00.000-04:00

I used to hear those words and cringe. Honestly, at times I have thought those were some of the most selfish words ever spoken, especially when it comes to working on a team. Over the years, I’ve learned and lived the difference between being willing to serve and being willing to lower the average.

Andy Stanley wrote a book called, The Next Generation Leader. The main principle that I took away is this: do what only you can do. This has applied to me in a lot of different ways. For instance, this week I will do tasks that no one else around me can do as well as I. BUT, when someone joins our team that can do it better than me (or at least 75% as well), I will gladly hand the task off. It hasn’t always been that way, though.

Throughout my time as a pastor (about 9 years...man, I am getting old), one of the things I have been really good at is organizing events: concerts, conferences, humanitarian efforts, mission trips, etc. I actually enjoy doing it. I’m pretty good at it. But, that’s not what God put me in ministry to do...I am not an event planner. I am a leader...I am a pastor...I am a coach...I am a multiplier. If I just planned events over and over, it would be OK. But, if I lean in to my calling and passions, more events get planned. I say this matter-of-factly, and with the text, there’s no emotion attached to it. Many of the events I planned weren’t fun. But, then there is Kenya.

I love Kenya. I love taking teams of people to work with my friends, Danny and Chrissy Bass. The day is fast approaching that I will hand off those teams to others. I dread that day...but I know it is for the best. I am empowering others and multiplying the ministry. I’m like this foundation type of guy...setting it up, doing it, and handing it off. But Kenya, I love this one dearly.

So, what do I do? Do I hold on to leading trips and teams because I am passionate about it? Or do I obey what I know God has called me to do and hand this piece off? What if God has something better planned for my gifts? What if, instead of one team every year or two, He’s getting me ready for something bigger? What if he is getting the work in Kenya ready for something bigger? That seems to be the trend so far. I should be leaning into this with excitement, but I don’t know the end result, yet.

I can empower and release leaders. Others can lead, others should lead. I should empower and release them to lead. If I don’t, not only am I holding back the passion and leadership of others, but I am short changing myself and God’s greater purpose. I want to lean in and do my job...

What has God called you to do that no one else can do? What’s your purpose? Are you chasing after that? Maybe it’s time to take a next step...like I seem to always be doing. Maybe, for you, it’s time to take a first step and discover. What do you think? Where are you on this journey?

Vintage Video

2011-06-05T18:56:00.002-04:00

When I was a youth pastor, we shot this video. Audio is not great, and the dude who did the shooting/ editing is now a big shot living in Cali doing video work and making a name for himself.
Most of the kids in this video have now graduated or is in high school. Man, I'm getting old.
Enjoy.

What is love? (according to kids) from nate drye on Vimeo.

Sidetracked (look! a squirrel!)

2011-06-02T22:27:00.002-04:00

Being sidetracked is a weakness of mine. My brain thinks about several things at once. For instance, right now, I am wondering what the people behind me are doing (I’m on a couch at Panera). Now, I am rereading my words and correcting the spelling/ grammar/ mistypes. Then there’s the temptation to head over to facebook real quick and check a couple of things, and email... Annoying, huh? I suppose another way of saying this is to “stay focused.” But I like the idea of sidetracked. It just hits home for me.

The main point, however we say it, is to not lose sight of the goal. This is true for in the moment, throughout the week, or over a period of years. For those of us who lead people, when we get sidetracked, we lose a lot: time, energy, momentum. Once we lose these things, we can’t get them back, we can only start over. Starting over is sometimes needed. Start over a lot, and you’ll lose.

So, over the years I have learned a few tips to help my sidetracking ways. I’m sure there’s a better list, this one is just mine. I’ll admit, if I could go back in time and read this list as a 20 years old, I would consider it extremely dorky. I don’t expect anyone to be as dorky as I am with this type of stuff. But, if you can get value out of it for your own strategy in leading other people, awesome. Find something that helps you; share it with others.

Make a daily plan.  
I have my “to do” list. It is always evolving and rarely gets completed by the end of the day. It combines work and personal stuff, because they’re both important. I use the app Evernote for this.

Don’t lose the ideas!  
Find a way to catalog them. Again, I use Evernote for this. I call them Brainstorms. I type them in the app as soon as I have them. Every week, I look through them and toss the ones I don’t think will stick. I hang on to the ones that I think are brilliant, and I share a few precious ones with others before they evolve into daily tasks (to do list) and pursue them.

Make a quarterly goal.
 Do this with each team you serve or lead with. Develop your way of getting there. Make that into action steps. Chip away at it throughout the quarter.

Schedule your connections.
 I know this sounds incredibly dorky, but if I don’t limit my email, facebook, twitter, or phone conversations, they will take up my entire day (especially with the blessing/ curse of the smartphone). Turn off the email and the internet and make appointments in your calendar each day to focus on them. I have 3 30 minute appointments during my work day for these. I also use TweetDeck to schedule and update my own posts. Interaction is huge. Give it time. Just don’t let it suck your productivity.

Schedule play time.  
Psychologists tell us that we have a threshold for self control. That means that it is quantitative (I can literally run out of self control). So, it is really important that I have time set aside that has no restraint. That usually happens on my day off, but I also try and make it an everyday thing. Whether it is walking around aimlessly at the office and talking to everyone, or reading blogs that I like, or going golfing...I make it a part of my schedule to do these things. In a way, it’s like I am tricking my inner rebel into thinking that I am wasting time. It’s on purpose.

Determine when you’ve had enough before you have enough. 
Sounds like an eating rule, right? Well, it is. It’s also a good way to schedule your time at the office (if you have that flexibility). I have found that I can always find one more thing to accomplish before I leave the office. The problem lies within that thinking, though...because I can easily work another 2-3 hours without even thinking about it. I have a time limit, and it’s been a challenge to just LEAVE. But, I am getting better...and more productive.

Read. 
Yes, it’s that important. Videos are cool, but reading is essential to leading. I don’t care what anyone else says, reading brings the biggest bang for my leadership buck. It doesn’t even matter if it is a leadership book, there are principles and nuggets everywhere. I have a bookmark folder for regular blog readings that I visit every day. I don’t read every blog every day, but I pick and choose. I read 2-3 books at a time, now. I love it. I usually get a book or two down each week. I am a nerd. I didn’t just get this way, though. I am 12 years into a reading habit. I assume it will get worse. Not a reader? Start with blogs. Read mine. Go to the column on the right and find some that I like. Make a habit of RSS feeds. Start there, every day...see what’s out there. I bet you will find cooler things out there than you could have imagined. Make the jump...those you lead are begging you to jump.

Re-read. 
In my office there is a shelf of books I treasure. I re-read them every year (the titles are another blog post). They are precious books, and there re about 7 of them right now. Find your favorites and re-read at least once a year. Saturate yourself in them. The book of Proverbs is a wonderful place to start. This not only feeds me when it comes to leadership, but as a spiritual person, a father, a lover, and a man.

Work Ahead. 
It’s like debt. Once you get behind, there’s little hope to catching up on your own. Manage your work like you would if you had to be away for a month. Start that habit NOW. It makes those you work with (and for) happier to work with you. this pays HUGE dividends.

Of course, this list is not original. I have gleaned and made personal the principles I have read (Scott Belsky, Seth Godin, and Rick Warren have made HUGE impact on me) and habitually practiced. I don’t do all of these perfectly, and, contrary to my dorky persona, I’m constantly challenged by this list. I hope you find something in this post to inspire you. If you did, share it with others.

End of the World- May 21

2011-05-18T08:34:00.003-04:00

I was recently emailed by our office staff about calls we have received regarding the end of the world prediction on May 21. I was specifically asked how we (as a church) should respond to these calls.

Also, the calls we're getting are mostly from people who have never been to our church before, but they're wanting to know what we think. That part is pretty cool, that people want our opinion and will listen.

Here's my response, and I am sure the office staff will tailor this in a way that will be welcoming and loving.

There's a group of people that surface about every ten years and they make predictions about the end of the world. They like to use scripture with their predictions. Our church has no affiliation and does not recognize these groups as their very predictions contradict the words of Jesus (Jesus said NO ONE knows the day or the hour of his return in Matthew 24 and Mark 13) and they deter people from a true God given mission.

Therefore, we do not study these predictions or the people who make them, or really have anything to say regarding their predictions other than the above (that it is not based on a good interpretation of scripture).

Other pastors may have a more compassionate or wise way of saying this. I tend to err on the arrogant and cynical side of this as it is completely ludicrous, or, at least, every prediction regarding stuff like this has been ludicrous thus far. It seems history is repeating itself again.

What do you think? Too direct? (I have been known for that)

Either way, Saturday will come and go like the ones before, and we will all forget about this until the next prediction. I do like what Matthew Paul Turner has to say about this, as well. Go check that out.

And, for you pet lovers, here's a service for you that you may need to check out (caution: I am being sarcastic--thanks Stacie for the link to this).

God or pizza?

2011-04-21T12:20:00.004-04:00

When I became a follower of Jesus, I was told that I would be able to "hear from God." As I grew (both in age and in my faith journey), I discovered that I would frequently credit God for a lot of things. I remember one night in college after binging on pizza (this particular story only involved pizza and soda...although I am sure other mind numbing vices could have produced funnier revelations, both are ill advised btw) with my buddies, I seemed to have some clarity around what God wanted me to do. Apparently, I have thought that God told me:

Which college to go to
What girl to date
What girl to not date, but hang out with (in retrospect, this one was especially ridiculous)
Which color pants to wear
How much debt I should go into
What scripture verses I should read

And the list goes on. It wasn't until I went to college (ya know, the one "God told me to go to") that I discovered how immature I really was. Once my belief system was challenged, I really started to grow. I studied scripture, asked questions of more mature followers of Jesus, and prayed quite a bit; I learned a few things about how God talks to us:

He has said a lot in the Bible. Many times, all I need to do is dig and pray and I find some "God moments" (moments when scripture takes on more clarity, moments when I know for sure that God is using His word to speak to me right now, moments when I realize what I'm asking for is not really what I'm asking for...)
He doesn't break open the clouds and give the Monty Python moment very often...in fact, this didn't happen a lot in the Bible at all. And, I have never met (nor do I wish to meet) anyone this has happened to outside of the Bible stories
He very seldom gives outright direction for my decisions. I remember occasions where I thought God was telling me to do something (see above list); I understand that it was 99% self driven...maybe even the effects of a late night pizza binge. Now, I am not trivializing God's process and direction, I am trivializing myself and my understanding...there is a difference. What I have found is that God provides us all we need to move forward with our lives...and, contrary to many people's assumptions, God really doesn't care what job I have, where I go to eat tomorrow, what I wear today...what He is concerned with is who I am, how I am growing, are my needs being met, and what I am doing to show Him love (Kingdom work). Before you begin typing your response or rebuttal to this statement, really wrestle with the depth of those words.
He continues to speak through all of nature. Paul talks about how God speaks through creation. That means, I can see glimpses of His Kingdom (direction, hope, love, etc.) by the things I see (nature, entertainment, books, people, all creations). That doesn't mean that these things are sacred, only that the divine can't help but to occasionally leak through His own creation...no matter how flawed we all may be.
He does speak to me. It is always something subtle that I recognize after the fact, though. The writer of I Kings describes it as a whisper, something still and quiet. I find that my conscience leans in to God's direction when I submit myself. That usually means I quiet my own voice to hear another.

I don't know where you are or who you listen to...I don't know if you have ever heard from God or whether you question the validity of that notion. I do know that many people have said they have heard from God (myself included), and I know they have been wrong many times (myself included). So, when you determine how you learn and listen to God, what do you do when someone does something they say God TOLD them to do? Because, this has happened (9/11, crusades, abortion clinic bombing...the list goes on and on).

After having interacted with my share of idiots (myself included), I have some insight and advice. If I come across anyone who says that God has told them to (insert action here), I respond with skepticism. This probably isn't the most healthy of responses, but it's honest. I usually just take a step back and avoid that person because those are bigger words than I care to interact with. However, if I must address and interact with them, I will do the following:

Hold their words up to God's truths (Bible). If it contradicts scripture, RUN.
If the person is dogmatic, close minded, or pride filled with their words, RUN (this causes me to discredit many "rock star" televangelists or evangelical "perch sitters").
Hold their words up to the fruit of their lives. If what they say contradicts how they live, RUN.
Pray for God to grant me peace and understanding about what I have heard, and to "close the door" on the situation/ direction if it is not from Him. (This is the big one)

One thing I know for certain: even when I was immature with my faith, God somehow helped my direction. Paul said it so beautifully, that God will continue to journey with me.

I may mess some things up, other people may mess some things up, we all occasionally may look like idiots, but God is bigger than all of that. He cares, He speaks, and He directs. He may not have directed me to a late night pizza binge that sparked self centered decisions early in my faith, but boy has He seemed to use even that to turn me and point me forward. We never stop growing...

One year ago

2011-04-11T14:52:00.003-04:00

One year ago from today, I was helping set up a medical clinic in one of the poorest places on the globe. I was with 21 of my friends, and we were in the middle of our Kenya missions trip. It's amazing what can happen in a year. I miss Africa.

I'm looking forward to the future, though. We have some exciting vision bubbling up at my church, and I am humbled to help lead some of the next steps. This year, we hope to send a container of medical supplies to Kenya. We've developed some great relationships, and we're pretty sure we have pinpointed the people that will be excited to help own this project. And, who knows, maybe I'll be able to take Shauna and Lucy with me when we go back...I'm hoping for 2012.

Until then, I always have Skype and pictures and videos:

Dear Mr. President

2011-04-08T16:07:00.001-04:00

It’s easy for us to sit on our perch and condemn you. Our government is supposedly shutting down today, and many of us will be losing out because of this. There’s so many things going wrong in our world from outrageous costs to international conflict. We would like to blame you (or some congressman/woman) for everything going wrong (even though we know Glenn Beck had something to do with it).

Seriously, though, we honestly haven’t seen any good come out of our government lately. Our American dream is in jeopardy. The entitlement we have been conditioned to expect tells us that we should be furious. When did “Yes We Can” change to “No We Can’t?” When did “Change We Can Believe In” become something none of us want to accept? This is not how it is supposed to work, is it? Aren’t you supposed to be the almighty hope restorer?

Maybe that title is too great for any one of us. Maybe we were never supposed to put all of our hope in you. Maybe you are human, just like each one of us. Maybe you are awake most nights dreading the next photo op. Maybe you feel the weight of an entire nation’s hope and it is truly too much to bear. Maybe you weren’t really the hope at all, but the hope of something hopeful. Maybe the government is more peripheral than we realize. Maybe hope, trust, dreams, and futures are not to be handed over to some filtered image that asks for a vote, whether it be you or any official. Maybe you’re rolling with the imperfection of it all.

I see all of the Facebook posts and Tweets that prompt me to repost ignorant claims. I can never bring myself to repost or comment on any of that, because no one really cares...even though to laugh makes me feel better. What I really care about is hope, trust, dreams, and the future. I honestly don’t feel you should have ever owned any of that for us. I think the condemnation really rests...on each of us. Our nation has put a God-like expectation on you and our government. In doing so, we sat ourselves on a high perch, consuming entitlement. Not only are you (and our government) not God-like; we are not entitled, and our foundation is shaky.

It’s easy to condemn you, because we don’t want condemnation. It’s easy to trust you, because we can’t trust ourselves. It’s almost as if we have sold out a part of our soul to you...a part each one of us should hold onto very dearly. We placed our hope, trust, dreams, and futures in the wrong hands, and now we’re cynical and ready to throw rocks at your face.

So, for the sake of my hopes, my trust, my dreams, and my future, I am jumping ship. In fact, I believe I began this jump many years ago. I am one of many who cannot put these things in your hands any longer. You, your predecessors, and those that follow you can’t have these things any more. This government can’t have them, either. You know what else none of you can have? You can’t have my soul: that includes my moral compass, my loves, and my desires. These are all too precious to hand over to anyone that is not God-like.

Do you know what you can have? You can have what belongs to you, and yes, that includes money. You can have my forgiveness when you mess up and when my friends die in war. You can have my enthusiasm as we change the world and make it better, like with our swift responses to global crises. You can have my respect as I have no idea the stress you are under. You can have my support, because you were never holding me up. You can have my prayers...because I trust in something greater than you, and greater than me. You can have my sincere apology, for my condemnation and for every single person that tries to make you God.

Hope will come. Trust will be restored. Dreams will be realized, and the future will be bright. However, it won’t be because of you, really. I am sure many of us will still throw rocks and cast blame, but maybe, more individuals will jump ship as well. You are not responsible for my hope, trust, dreams, or my future, because you are not my God. It is only when I lose myself, that I find true life. My prayer is that the largeness of that life will outshine all of these current shadows of death.

I was asked to review an album...

2011-04-04T15:39:00.006-04:00

Last month, Rodney Bowen (marketing director at Propeller) emailed me and asked if I would be willing to review Rebecca St. James' new album, "I Will Praise You" coming out on April 5. I said yes. The album comes out tomorrow.

First of all, I am a bit surprised I was asked to review this album. After all, 30 year old dudes aren't exactly the demographic for this kind of music. I do love Jesus, and so does St. James, so I guess we have that in common. Other than that, there's not much connection for me regarding her music. I know she had some albums in the Christian music world in the

90's that were popular, but other than that, I had to Google her to find out more info. I'm not really a fan of her sound or song writing at all. I'm sure there is a strong market for it, but it isn't me (30yr old dude w/ a family and who loves Jesus). It's with this lens that I review her album (hopefully, Rodney wont hate me for this...he seems like a nice dude).

According to the CD insert, St. James mission is to serve the church and point people to Jesus. I am sure she is succeeding. The album itself starts off with an upbeat title track, and it is produced very well. In fact, I'll say the production on this album, and the music itself, is very good. St. James is really backed up by some great artists on this album. The strings, background vox, mixing...all of it is pretty stellar.

Regarding the album, as a whole product, I wasn't blown away. It's produced well, but it isn't very vocally dynamic. I think the producer tried to cover this with some great music production. St. James has a good voice, but I felt she didn't show much emotional or dynamic margin with it.

When I interact with music, I like to go on a journey with the music (I know this may sound weird to some of you, but just go with me). I like to feel the tension of the music and the lyrics. Not only do I love the building tension of a song, I love the dynamic explosion and emotion of the climax in the song. I didn't feel St. James did this (vocally) with any song. The title track has a few cool production moments, but it, and most of the album, is very clinical (vocally). This probably just a style thing, and many other people may love her style.

Content also matters. There are some great lyrical moments (You Still Amaze Me and Almighty God have some strong, deep lyrics, I would recommend either of these for a good listen), but a lot of the songs were predictable. I felt that I could easily finish many phrases without having previously heard them, and that makes me think cliche. I did love the obvious themes of redemption and hope (In a Moment, in particular is a great content song), and genuine love for God.

I was happy to see her cover a Matt and Beth Redman song, You Never Let Go. This is an underplayed great song. I think she did a good job with it, but again, it lacked dynamics. It carried the same emotion and dynamic throughout the song. That was disappointing. The arrangement was pretty good, but could have taken a few more risks.

My biggest impression was, "my mom would like this cd." So, I am going to send it to her. I think she'll like St. James style and content a lot. I've been given an additional CD to give away. If you would like to have her new album, I'll be happy to have it mailed to you. All you have to do is be the first person to post a comment to this blog (either on facebook or at natedrye.com).

Finally, here's some legal stuff I was asked to post with the review:
“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Comment Cards

2011-03-30T15:27:00.005-04:00

At our church, we use a variety of ways to connect. One of those ways, is the connections cards. I get copied on several of these every week, and, as you can imagine, some of them are negative and some are positive. I love the ones that show someone accepted Jesus, or wants to be baptized. People use these to give feedback as well. Some sign up for classes, some complain, some give praise, some tell us their prayer needs and we pray for them. There's such a variety. Each week, I enjoy getting the email to see how people want to connect.

And then, there's the rare awesome cards. These are not as awesome as someone giving their life to Christ, mind you, but I love these because they're so random. Here's my favs from the past couple of months. These made the dry erase board in my office b/c they just make me laugh. Most of them get trashed. Enjoy.

Album Review

2011-03-10T15:33:00.005-05:00

I don't generally review music too often. I don't like the fights. However, I downloaded the new Passion: Here For You album this past Tuesday. I first went to a Passion conference with a group of extra cool college students back in 2006 (where we first used the quote: "The weather ruins everything."), and since then, I have paid close attention to the music that comes from this magical college student gathering.

So, here comes my opinionated and personal review of the new album (deluxe edition), song by song. but first, an overview:
My first thought when listening to this album was, "Man, they had a lot of fun at Passion this year." That's the thing, the energy of the moments were captured beautifully. Granted, not every song is an epic ballad to be shouted in churches over the next year (nor should every song be that way)...but, there are a few gems. Overall, this could quickly become one of my new fav Passion albums because of a few excellent pieces. I know that the music is written to glorify God, but there is some great artistry to be discovered, here. Also, my one huge critique...the majority of this album is Chris Tomlin. I like Chris. He is brilliant. He is overplayed for a reason. I wish Matt Redman, David Crowder, Fee, Christy Nockels, Charlie Hall...all these folks...got more playtime on this album. Last album, Hillsong United did a piece...it was a typical Hillsong piece but it was a different sound than Christian music's "golden boy" (a term used by almighty Giglio, himself). I'm also surprised they have yet to do a compilation piece of message sound bites in the music. Passion production is so creative...HOW ARE YOU MISSING THAT OPPORTUNITY? With Francis Chan, Louie, Piper, and others...I am sure there were some great moments that could have been captured for an album like this.

Here For You- Tomlin (title track): I like it. Great sing a long. Great theology. Typical Tomlin. Not a title track, in my opinion.
Symphony- Tomlin: I could have done without this song on the album. I'm not saying it isn't a good song, just feels like filler to me (musically). Simple theology but more complex musicality than Tomlin usually gets into.
Waiting Here for You- Christy Nockels: Ok, now I am going to rant a bit. I am so sick of these albums typecasting their female leaders...women can sing more than just introspective slow melodies that build. I know that may seem harsh, and ignorant to others, but I am for real. Christy Nockels has a beautiful voice and can command the attention of a room. Her last album showed how diverse and energetic she can be. I am just sick of only getting the melancholy from the Passion folks with dear Christy. Step it up! That being said, it is a decent song...just bores me when I am flipping through the playlist.
All My Fountains- Tomlin: Nice melody, and great production. I think the lyrics are a bit lazy. However, awesome chorus for a energetic video. Plus, I'm not a big fan of singing about my fountains. I just think it is weird (yes, I get the theology on it).
Shadows (feat. Lecrae)- David Crowder Band & Lecrae: I think DCB can do no wrong. I am a big fan. Plus, this song was my favorite from the Church Music album. It's a great song. I'm glad he did this and it's on this album. The first time I really listened to this song, it made me emotional. It has very deep lyrics, and they mean a lot to me. Lecrae...not bad rapping (of course, I don't know squat about rapping...I just stand there/ sit there and bob my head and pick out a word here and there).
Lord I Need You- Tomlin: Not a bad twist on a favorite hymn. Good job. Don't think it is album worthy, but whatever.
Set Free- Redman and Tomlin: Good production. Love the electronic stuff and sing-ability of this one. I can see youth groups playing this ad-nausea. I don't see our church doing this one anytime soon...more of a pop sound and the collaboration idea is kind of cool...just almost as awkward as tag team preaching.
Forever Reign- Kristian Stanfill: I have to say, I am becoming a huge Stanfill admirer. I love the simplicity and edge to his music. This song..."You are good you are good...you are light you are light..." Ah! Great simple theology! Love this song. This is title track worthy. I can see churches doing this a lot if they can wrestle their music director away from "golden boy."
Sometimes- David Crowder Band: You could tell this song was a moment at Passion. The last choruses are special. I can envision a room of 20K begging God to send them to love. Send me! Send me! I can hear it. Wow. This song is special. I had a moment in the car earlier with this one.
Always- Kristian Stanfill: This is my favorite song on the album. Title track worthy...epic ballad worthy...hands down. Simple theology. Singable and easy melody. Epic builds. This song is perfect...it's the next ballad...I can't love this song enough. Again, car moments happen each time I hear this one and I am alone.
Carry Your Name- Christy Nockels: I am so disappointed, again. That's all I will say. Good song. Strong theology. God is glorified. But even He agrees this isn't a live album song. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to Christy for not being able to rock out live on this album. You should have been given more.
Spirit Fall- Tomlin: Another moment at Passion happened with this song. I am sure of it. The audience actually starts the song. Beautifully done. I am surprised, though. It is a very IHOP-ish type of subject matter, and the Passion crew have usually stayed away from this type of theology (pneumatology for those of you keeping score). Ballad worthy...singable...awesome.
All to Us- Tomlin: Most brilliant lyrics to a worship song written here of late. Awesome. I love the tag at the end (we're using it this Sunday). Love this song. My buddy, Rich, turned me onto this piece about 3 months ago. A ballad for the church. Sing it LOUD.
Constant- Charlie Hall: Oh, Charlie. I didn't buy your last album and I think I should have. This song is so beautiful. "Faithful Jesus Cherished Treasure Our Portion Wisdom and God's Great Life." The bridge of this song kills me: "My God you are here with us, constantly here with us, you are our everything, faithful and true." This has been a prayer every time I hear it. This song ministers to me.
Our God (feat. Lecrae)- Tomlin & Lecrae: You can just see them sending everyone off with this song. It is an epic song. It is a great song. But the energy and excitement that builds here with the electronic loops are really cool. I loved it. The rap was awesome.

Chances are, I'll change my thoughts on some of these songs. I have only been listening to this album since Tuesday. Overall, I love it. Did you buy it? Share your thoughts...call me out...tell me I'm right or wrong, I don't care. It's just my opinion.
Later.

Flexibility- A quick post sans editing

2011-03-06T07:32:00.003-05:00

I first really learned the value of flexibility on my first missions trip. Today, 13 years later, I am still challenged and amazed by it. This is a quick blog post as I'm sitting backstage listening to our band work through a last minute change.

Here's our current challenge: one of our musicians can't sing (winter brings some awesome illnesses...I have been ill for like the past month, myself). So, without that voice, we have no vocal lead on two songs. We have to adapt. After a quick huddle with the band, we made the call for which songs to replace. It also is challenging because we have a music heavy service today.

I'm listening to the band pull off the last minute adjustment. They're working through the keys, the music, and the dynamics of the songs they haven't touched in over a couple of months. We have dedicated and very talented musicians, but we also have something else: teamwork and leadership. See, you don't make these types of changes well without those two things. Sure, many of us have had to be flexible before. But this morning, our audience won't even know about the challenges because the band and the media team will pull this off extremely well. Being flexible and keeping quality are often impossible. We have an awesome team who, while they are challenged by the last minute change, they adapt well.

Oh yeah, we don't currently have a director for our team. My friend, Rich, is leading in an interim role. I think it speaks highly of his leadership that a band "in transition" (read, without a hired director) can do stuff like this. Thanks, Rich.

There's several lessons here. The biggest one: teamwork and leadership enable you to be free and see challenges as an excellent opportunity (there will still be tension, but that's ok). Too often, we are forced to see these moments as daunting challenges to just get through...ya know, grin and bear it and hope it passes quickly. Thanks team...you guys rock (literally...I'm listening to you right now).

From the mouths of babes...(or 20somethings)

2011-02-16T08:51:00.014-05:00

A few years ago, I was being interviewed by the job search team at ALC, and they asked me about my "philosophy of ministry" (or, more simply, what do I believe the church is supposed to be...). I answered the question with a story. I think I said something like, "Well, I'm not sure how to answer that, so I'll just tell a story." Little did I realize, at the time, how connected my answer would be to the mission of ALC (sincere acceptance...being both an invitation and a challenge; to introduce people to God's grace and love).

A few weeks ago, I led a teaching on difficult relationships, and I told the same story, and it again reminded me of this beautiful mission our church has accepted. So, I figured I would put the story to words...I think it is a good story, and I may write more on it in the future. Before I begin, I must tell you that I am changing the names of the people in the story. The people are real, but, I'm going to respect their privacy. The dialogue is also my creation; it isn't verbatim or anything like that. I am telling this story as I remember it being told to me by my friend who experienced it first person. So, here goes...

About seven years ago, a buddy of mine (aforementioned), Mark, worked for a popular coffee shop. Now, there's some things you have to know about Mark: he was about 20yrs. old, he had no boundaries when it comes to personal space (an avid "hugger"), and he got along with everyone. He could best be likened to a goofy Chris Farley character, sans about 80 pounds. No one I knew disliked Mark. He could make friends easier than most people I had ever met.

Mark worked with, predominantly, "churched" people (meaning, most of the employees went to church). They all had the same supervisor, Justin. Justin is openly gay. There was a constant tension among the "churched" employees when they were around Justin. Justin was pretty much ignored, avoided, and left out of conversation, party invitations, etc. It was obvious the environment had taken on a certain "high school hierarchy." Justin never brought attention to it.

Justin couldn't really address it. See, they all worked for a place that discouraged talk around religion, political preferences, and lifestyle. The coffee shop wanted to create a sense of safety for everyone by restricting personal interaction around tense issues. So, the culture just defaulted to an unspoken majority. Mark never really went with the crowd, though...he pretty much created his own crowd. Mark was the exception. Mark grew up in church, but he always treated Justin the same...gave him big ol' hugs, joked around with him, invited him to parties...

One afternoon, Justin asked Mark to take out the garbage with him (and, if you have worked in the food industry, you know what a disgusting and time consuming job that can be). Mark helped him out. While they were outside breaking down boxes and discarding the once precious treasures of the public, Justin looked at Mark and said, "Mark, I don't get you. I know you grew up in church like most of the other people here, but you don't treat me like they do. They avoid me like I'm going to infect them with a disease. I know they can't stand me, and I know it's because I'm gay. We're not supposed to talk about this stuff at work, but I have to know...what's your deal?"

Mark stood there confused, and he clumsily answered: "I guess I just loves ya, man!" (That's right, he said loves ya... I do remember that being verbatim), and with that, Mark gave Justin a ridiculously boundary crossing bear hug. Justin, realizing the laziness of Mark's answer persisted: "No, no. You are different from them. I don't understand that. Does your church just teach from a gay theology? Are they open to that? Why do you act so much differently than all the other 'Christians' I have ever met?"

Mark retreated, and didn't really know how to respond. Justin pressed the issue: "You treat me with more respect than anyone else here. Why?"

And, in a moment of brilliance, Mark stammered: "Dude, I really love you. Not like in a romantic way, but like the way we're supposed to love each other as human beings. And I love those jerks that we work with, too. See, I don't love you because of who you are, I love you because of who I am." And with that sentence, a goofy 20 year old defined ministry.

End scene.

That story is perfect, in my opinion. As followers of Jesus, we are to love because of who we are: rescued, broken, loved by God. We are to share that. It's not our job to judge people (and don't go getting all self righteous and judgmental yourself as you read that, either...it really isn't your job to judge people); that's God's job. It's not our job to save people; that's what Jesus came and did. It's also not our job to convict people; that would be the job of the Holy Spirit (and conviction only happens after a judgment...). Hear what I am saying, here: It is our job, as followers of Jesus, to love. It's more than a job, really...it's our habit...we really can't help but do that when we encounter the love of God ourselves. Now, there is a good place for accountability and leadership and quality control and all that stuff...but, never are any of these things to be placed before LOVE. "And the greatest of these, is love."

I am truly sick and tired of being the type of Jesus follower who judges before I love, convicts before I pray, and ignores before I invite. I am also jaded and need help with my contempt of those I judge who do these things. Lord, help me live out sincere acceptance, and help me do this holistically.

That's why I think ministry is to exist. Thoughts?

Update: Boundaries and Gratitude

2011-02-01T15:35:00.002-05:00

Last year, I blogged about a new boundary I had set for myself. The boundary, which I formed after listening to a teaching by Craig Groeschel, had to do with making my evenings sacred. I was determined that when my daughter was born, she would have a daddy in the evenings. Well, she has been born (and she is awesome), and I played with her on the floor for over an hour last night (which was awesome).

Well, I'm a little over a year into it, and I am pleased to let you know I have done a pretty good job at keeping this boundary. I keep a sharp eye on my calendar, and I rarely have more than one meeting during the evenings each week. I have found that when I control my schedule, instead of the other way around, I get more accomplished (and am less likely to go AWOL).

Enter new challenges: I have recently been given more responsibility at work (which is a good thing, right?). This has forced me to evaluate my time even further. So, back in December, I read Making Ideas Happen. This book transformed the way I set my calendar, organize my files, and prioritize my life...yes, my life. I am even tracking my hours to stay focused each week (I work hard to limit myself to a 50-55 hour workweek). I highly recommend this book if you find yourself banging your head against the wall as you try and fit everything into 24 hours. Lord knows, that is one reason I picked up the book in the first place. We must plan to be successful with our responsibilities. If we just react to the world around us, we'll go nuts.

I am about five weeks into this new challenge of added vocational responsibility, and no one has called for my head (yet...it will happen, I am sure...that's part of leading others). Hopefully, 2012 will roll around (if the world doesn't end first) and I will have another positive update. Accountability is rare...who holds you accountable?

My Official Review of Amazon's Kindle

2011-01-26T06:40:00.000-05:00

I was given a Kindle this past Christmas (thanks mom and dad). I like it. I didn't know if I would jump on the e-reader bandwagon or not. Quite honestly, I love looking at my shelves of books. I love the fact that I have more books than clothes. I guess I like paper...I dunno.

So, at first I was a bit skeptical, because if I indeed enjoyed the e-reading experience a lot that could bring jeopardy to my shelves (and my interior design idea for the coolest office ever, which I will never have 'cause I hate being confined to an office).

The day after I received my Kindle, I purchased and downloaded my first book, The Starfish and the Spider. I got about halfway through, and purchased another book for download. Last week, I downloaded my fifth. Long story short, my fears have been realized: I ENJOY EREADING. In fact, I have started drafting a plan to get rid of several volumes of books (if you want some just message me, I will probably be doing an ebay kind of thing with most of them). There are books I intend to keep. However, I have a new vision for my love of books: it is a clean look that is portable...welcome to my like Kindle.

On to my review of the Kindle. The first step was to find out if I am the ereader type: check.
Here's my pros and cons. I am happy with it overall and there is not another solution I would trade for, so, it has my endorsement (Amazon, you can relax now).

Pros:

Readability: the screen is awesome. At first, I balked at no color, until I got lost in the device. Brilliant job, Amazon. I literally get lost in the reading.
Interface: while not everything is intuitive, the learning curve is small. It is easy to maneuver and I love the size of it.
Connectivity: both 3G and wireless are great. I'm not ever gonna use the browser feature, although knowing I have it at my disposal is comforting.
USB charging: while this is a minor praise, I am a fan of USB charging and connectivity. This also allows me to share more things from device to device.
Interaction: highlighting and note taking are easy. I (think I can) can export notes and highlights if I want to use in teaching and study.
Sharing: When I like something I read, sharing on twitter or facebook is simple and quick. That is cool.
Power: The battery lasts a crazy long time (like 2-3 weeks for me).

Cons:

Power: Wait, didn't I list that as a pro? Well, the power switch on this device is a bit annoying. You put it to sleep. It doesn't always wake up when I try and switch it on and appears to do a hard restart. I searched this issue and a lot of people have it. Sometimes, when I go to read, it can take 3-4 minutes just to get started, and sometimes, the device will power down and restart after I have begun. ANNOYING.
Back light: As in there is none. The last thing I want to do is have screen fatigue, so I understand and value the design. But for real, I don't want to have to use a bulky and nerdy book light for reading in poorly lit places. With the technology out there, Amazon should come up with a fix for this.
Interface: Wait, another pro? Listen up. The keyboard and buttons look cool, but I don't want to type with them or use the DPAD as a mouse anytime soon. Some touch screen features for navigation would be nice, and worth the cost increase. Plus, the keyboard is awkward. I hate it. When I write notes, it is annoying. The buttons are small, and I have big fingers. There's a better solution and Amazon should implement it.

So there ya go. Anyone want to chime in? I almost requested a NOOK, and I am glad I didn't.
Again, thanks mom and dad : )

How to burn out

2011-01-13T13:33:00.007-05:00

This past weekend, I gave a teaching on balance and burn out. This teaching came in the middle of a series called, Life: Where's It Taking You? The whole big idea is that God values balance, and not burn out when it comes to our lives.

Me teaching was pretty simple. I gave two big ideas on ways to burn out and ways to create balance. I referenced stuff from Jesus to Ecclesiastes. If you want to watch it, the teaching video is located here.

If you want the bottom line on it, here ya go:

Ways to burn out:

Try to be Superman.
- Superman reacts all the time. Superman never has a plan to help the world, he just reacts to all the bad things around him. A lot of times, we just react to our day, to our family, to the loudest voices in our head.
- "The person who is available to people all the time isn’t worth much when he is there." (Rick Warren)
- The Bible says in Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Refuse to rest.
- There's a story about when Jesus made the disciples rest in Mark 6: 30-31 (MSG) 30-31: The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, "Come off by yourselves; let's take a break and get a little rest." For there was constant coming and going. They didn't even have time to eat.
- John and Doreen came and told their story. They actually took a sabbatical and time off from ministry and have re-engaged recently: watch their story here.

Ways to create balance:

Have a plan.
- Make time for rest, re-creation, renewal: Take a day off each week.
- Jesus said, “the Sabbath was made for man!” Jesus said, “I made this for your benefit.”
- Exodus 20: 8-11 (NLT) “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
- If you’re not taking a day off you’re breaking one of the Ten Commandments. Do not call it your “Day Off.” Instead, call it your “Sabbath.”
- Rick Warren: "Divert daily. Withdraw Weekly. Abandon Annually."
Have a partner.
- None of us are very good at balancing ourselves.
- The heart is deceitful; we have the amazing ability to lie to ourselves. We are horrible self assessment takers...our resumes always look better than we really are.
- Ecclesiastes 4:12 “…a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”
- Who holds you accountable? Spouse, friend, boss?
- Superman is always alone.

So, where do you fall? Are you like the majority of us and struggle with burn out and balance? What would you add or take away here?

My 2010 Must Read List

2011-01-07T16:26:00.004-05:00

There's a shelf on my desk that holds several books; many of them I make a habit of reading at least once each year. These books are sacred to me, and this year, I read 4 out of 8. Rarely do I add to this shelf. I didn't add to it in 2010.

I've always wanted to be able to read a book a week. Unfortunately, I am not that much of a genius (geniuses read about 2-3 books a week, some of them read more). I like my book load right now; I enjoy it. I read quite a bit of books in 2010 (about 30), and out of that 30, I will probably end up keeping 5-6. Here's my short list (4) of the books that influenced me the most and why:

4. Made to Stick by the Heath Bros.
I must say this book was pure intelligence. I think every public speaker should read this book. It was engaging and smart. Every time I read from it (be it 5 mins or 2 hrs.), I learned something and could apply it.

3. Winning by Jack Welch.
I could listen to Jack talk all day. I had the privilege to listen to him a few times in 2010, and after the 3rd time, I decided to buy his book (which has been out a few years already). He is a leadership guru, whether he likes that word or not. I learn a lot from his philosophy.

2. Narcissistic Leaders by Michael Maccoby.
I learned about this book in a network led by Tim Stevens. In fact, we were able to Skype with Michael (the author) and talk about the book in detail. This book almost made my sacred shelf, and it just may reach it in the next year. Basically, this book is about managing yourself among different leadership styles. It really helped me with a 360 evaluation of my challenges and hopes with leadership. I can't recommend this book enough for pastors.

1. Love Is An Orientation by Andrew Marin. This book made the #1 spot simply because of its challenges and thought provoking manner. I loved the book. I want to work with Andrew Marin now...lol. Basically, this book will challenge any presupposition (and you have many) about the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual, Trans-Gender) community and your walk with Jesus. Don't read this book unless you want to be challenged.

So, there's my list. Do you have any recommendations for me in 2011?

An explanation and some funny reactions...

2010-12-24T22:55:00.003-05:00

So, this year, Shauna and I decided that our Christmas card should be our little family dressed in onesies and fake mustaches in front of the Christmas tree.

Why, you ask? Well, it's simple. We think it is funny, and we aren't normal. Some of you think this was all my idea...well, it wasn't. I equally share the decision with my awesome wife, who not only embraces my weirdness, but makes contributions as well.

Now, most of the reactions/responses from folks have been funny and expected. But, here are the top five responses I find hilarious:

5. "That picture troubled me. I really felt weird looking at you all in your undies."
4. "How could you put a fake mustache on a baby? You and Shauna I understand, but a baby?"
3. "I knew you were going for a 70's look by the way you cocked your head back."
2. "I just hope the fake mustahce didn't hurt the baby."
1. "I think I understand. It's like, satire, right?"

So, to appease any curiosity:
-No, this wasn't photoshopped
-No, the mustache didn't hurt the baby
-Yes, we are all in onesies complete with footies
-It took about 70 tries
-the only editing effect we used was in iphoto to make look it a bit more warm
-that is our actual tree in our living room
-Shauna painted Merry Christmas 2010 on the wall (not really...ok, that was photoshopped in)
-We sent these out on postcards to family and a few friends only...cause we're poor and facebook suffices for most everyone
-this is our third Christmas card (the first was a 1940s looking american gothic golfing motiff, and last year was ugly Christmas sweaters)

If you have an idea for 2011, please send it my way. I am thinking a water feature of some sort.
Merry Christmas.

My how Christmas has changed...

2010-12-22T10:23:00.003-05:00

For me, at least. Being a husband and a dad and a pastor certainly brings different perspective.
Christmas sure has changed for me when I look over the past few years of my life. Here's what's going through my head right now:

I am a dad (big deal); and I am 30 (geez). I feel like, if I have a "young and cool" card, it should be turned in at this point. But I never had one, so there.
My church invests in community transformation this time of year instead of artistic expression (or cheesy Christmas musical/cantatas/plays/poorexpressionsofbiblicalinterpretation). I love this. You can see what we're doing this year by watching vids on this channel.
I am in Baltimore this Christmas. We're going to see extended fam the day after. I am a little sad, but more excited for my first Christmas as a dad to spend with my fam by ourselves.
I work really hard the days leading up to Christmas. I'm not always psyched about that, but the whole "work hard play hard" thing is great when it comes to playing : )
I'm really looking forward to seeing some close friends. It's amazing how much more you appreciate close friendships when there is distance. I wish we weren't so far apart, but it makes me really cherish them when it would be easy to take these things for granted.
I get to buy really cool gifts for people I love. Being older does have some advantages.

I hope your time off and your time with family is great. Cherish it. I know I will.
Merry Christmas.

Reflecting on my own words...

2010-11-28T21:30:00.003-05:00

I had the privilege of teaching at ALC this past weekend, and I made a statement that has been on my mind all week. You see, we're taking about the journey of the Wise Men throughout the month of December, and today was all about their decision to go.

As I was writing and thinking and studying this week for the teaching, I became aware of something: the Bible speaks more about the gifts of wise men than their net worth.

Yeah. Let that sink in. In fact, I would argue that most of the New Testament is centered on what the church (us) does with her gifts, rather than how affluent she becomes. The reality is simple: God created us all with specific gifts, and what we do with these gifts (stewardship) is a pretty big deal. So much so, that the coming of Christ to earth was affected by very affluent world influences (wise men).

So, the question is, am I more concerned with what I am giving while on this journey, or on what I can get? Am I humbled by the gifts and opportunities God has placed before me to transform the world? I hope so.

This Christmas, our church is doing a couple of things to live this out:
1. A special Christmas offering for community transformation (select the Christmas Offering drop down when giving online).
2. Providing Christmas for impoverished families in our community.
If you want to be a part of something like this (giving of yourself to transform our world and make God's Kingdom more of a reality), then you can click the links above to participate.

To be completely honest, it was stuff like this that attracted Shauna and me to ALC in the first place. Instead of investing in Christmas concerts, musicals, banquets... ALC invests in community transformation. How refreshing.

Thoughts of a New Dad

2010-11-04T20:44:00.002-04:00

I love my daughter (Lucy). She is going to be 5mos old soon. Geez, she has grown so much since we brought her home from the hospital. It is pretty scary. She laughs and smiles now. I love that. So, I have learned some things, and figured I would share. I am writing this from a hotel in Indiana as I am away from the fam at a conference. I miss them, and this is helping me cope. thanks for indulging : )

So, here goes:

I can get scary frustrated. I learned this when my daughter cried no matter what I did. It's scary, 'cause I thought I had the anger thing pretty much nailed. Guess not.
Sleep is precious. I don't think I (or my wife) has had a good night's sleep in a long time. I do miss it, but I am not in the least bit regretful for the sleep lost.
Life gets redefined. I guess I always experienced this with big life change, but recently, I was reminded of what is most important. A pic of Lucy brings me to a different place.
I want to be better. Since spending time with this little girl, I want to love Jesus more, be healthier, resolve my own issues before she sees them, and make more money.
Behavior change is a pain in the rear. I really wanted to use several explicit words in this one, but I figure the effect would be misjudged.
Traveling without my family sucks. Enough said.
I have more compassion for people I have judged, in particular, parents I see in the middle of a meltdown. Truth is, I am constantly reminded that will be me more often than I want to admit, and it scares me.
Lucy's face makes my day ridiculously better. There's just something about her smile and her face that brings me comfort. I don't understand it. but I embrace it.
I understand God's love more. The love of a father: I am still learning what this means. But, I am further down that road. It is pretty amazing.
Things come more naturally than I expected. Especially: diapers, spit up, baby talk, middle of the night interactions, lack of sleep, and dressing another human.
I married way out of my league. I always knew this, but now I am seeing more and more what absolute luck I have. I figure that my wife has either been brainwashed into thinking I am pretty cool, or her compassion level is like that of Jesus. It's probably a combo of both.

So, for those of you who have wondered, yes, I do change diapers, and yes, I have embraced this season of life to the fullest. It is such a wonderful journey.

On Apple and the Church

2010-10-07T10:14:00.018-04:00

One thing I love to do is find where good leadership happens and resolve the transferable principles/ideas in the church world. Why? Because I work in the church world, and anything that enables good leadership is pretty great. Another thing I am constantly reconciling is the balance of good leadership and communication when it comes to a predominantly volunteer staff. I have been reading a lot over the past few months with this kind of thinking in mind. I have come across two incredibly helpful perspectives: an article from Fast Company magazine, and a behavioral change specific book by a group of authors.

These resources are valuable to me mainly because they address things I have been wrestling with over my tenure of vocational ministry: leadership and meaningful behavioral change. My intentions here are NOT to just regurgitate something cool (that's what Twitter is for) or to interact with others about something cool (that's what facebook is for), but to write out how I am reconciling leadership ideas with my context and, particularly, in the world I lead (the church).

So, let's begin. My musings here may get lengthy, so I understand if you clock out on me. The resource I am interacting with in this post is an article from Fast Company magazine entitled "Apple Nation." Here's some things you must know: (1) I am an Apple junkie nerd, (2) Steve Jobs was not interviewed for this article, (3) Steve Jobs and Apple were observed and written about, (4) This article does not replace the great truths I have observed from biblical leadership, but rather reinforces and affirms the journey.

The whole article has ten observations from a mythical playbook used by Apple. It is my attempt (this is now beyond reinforcement and has moved into repetition) to marry the ideas and critically value the playbook when it comes to the setting of the church. I am only going to do five out of ten. Ok, here we go:

Go Into Your Cave
Big Points from the Article:
- People are interested about what happens behind the locked door.
- Steve Jobs has never cared much about what the tech industry has had to say.
- Apple knows their audience so well, what the competition (or the trend setters) have to say is largely irrelevant.
My Takeaways for a church setting:
- For us leaders, the locked door should symbolize more than strategy; it should be reflective of the contagious drive of the one to whom we listen. Our area of obsession is not one that provokes mysterious questions, but rather makes it clear what our mission is. This is driven by God; lived out by our listening; and made contagious by our action. Everyone should wonder if they can have this.
- We should care about the competition enough to know what is going on, and to be able to celebrate it. However, we should not let outside strategies drive our mission.
- Our mission should be so clear and focused that nothing penetrates its progress. What if the mission of our church was so "bought into" that an economic recession heightened creativity instead of provided an excuse?
It's Okay to be King
Big Points from the article:
- Few people have the authority in Apple.
- Because of the restriction of authority, Apple can only put out 1-2 new products a year.
- Jobs and his team know exactly what they want.
- "Everybody knows what the plan is..."
- "There's very little infighting..."
My Takeaways for a church setting:
- This is a tough one, but I really believe few people should have the authority in the church: the lead pastor and the dream team (board, deacons, management team).
- We need clear mission for directives...we can't say "No" to anything if we have no shared direction (I mean, we can, but that's lazy).
- Fighting dies down when mission is shared...period.
Transcend Orthodoxy
Big Points from the article:
- Apple happily accepts the music industry's copy protection requirements because they helped it successfully launch the iTunes store. When the restrictions became moot, they were dropped, but iTunes philosophy lives on (talk about leverage).
- The ideas of closed and free aren't in conflict (regarding technology).
- To quote Steve Jobs: "(Our products) offer you freedom from programs that steal your information [viruses and phishing software], freedom from things that trash your battery, freedom from porn. Yep, that's right, freedom."
- Developers have griped loudly that the APP store is closed b/c it dictates how things get built. That's misleading. The problem isn't that it's closed, but that it's rules are arbitrarily hidden, and frequently changing. If Apple embraced transparency, it could avoid most of this debate.
My Takeaways for a church setting:
- There are things in our culture that we can leverage instead of gripe about. For instance: music, television, movies, networking and outreach opps...
- The church, the faith, offers freedom from things that destroy our lives. It's time we leverage this freedom and abstain from lethargic legalism.
- Unlike Apple, I believe a culture of transparency is crucial for the church. No one likes mystery behind the "why" of what's done. This is faith, not a product.
Just Say No
Big Points from the article:
- Jobs' primary role at Apple is to turn things down: "I'm as proud of the products that we have not done as the ones we have done."
- Apple's consistent aversion to complexity has resulted in higher profit margins.
- Apple's products never have a silver bullet approach: they create margin and place to go with their next release. Omitting features creates more buzz.
My Takeaways for a church setting:
- We should value simplicity. We should say NO to stupid things that makes our mission complex. Kem Meyer is a great voice about this within the church. Shared communication and shared values equals more buy in and greater unity.
- With our events and initiatives, we should answer a question, and allow it to evolve. Too many times we try to give a "one size fits all" approach. This is dangerous.
- We shouldn't answer all the questions at one time.
Serve Your Customer. No, Really.
Big Points from the article:
- Apple's customer service goal: to launch stores unlike anything else in the computer industry. They created the hotel concierge experience. Apple "geniuses" will look at anything Apple, no matter where you purchased it from. They will even show you the cheapest way to fix it (My current hard drive is living proof).
- Customer service is a "loss leader." It filters and creates the experience of keeping the customer.
My Takeaways for a church setting:
- When it comes to hospitality, the church employees are really moot. The church as a whole (the people) are either genuinely friendly, or truly apathetic.
- We should create easy ways for people to connect to who we are: be it hospitality teams that serve guests, care about people, and can see further down the road than the immediate scenario (i.e. what if the person walking through the door is the next leader for a global mission team that empowers doctors to heal diseases in a third world country, just sayin').
- What if we helped guests find their place, even if that means another church. This idea and thinking is not unique with me; I saw a church that had a church consulting station (helped you find the right place for you in the community).

As you can tell, there are a lot of thoughts I have on this, and I am not entirely sold on all of them (esp. the ones I didn't share). But, one thing is clear: Apple has a lot of stuff going on and it is going in the right direction (right now).

Death

2010-09-14T13:40:00.003-04:00

Lately, I have been to several memorial services, and I have at least one more to go. I don't like them, and I don't know many people that do, either. Last week, I was able to serve at the memorial service for a long time member from our church. I count it a privilege to serve during these moments in people's lives, even if it is to hug a neck and say a prayer. But, no one really wants to be at a funeral.

I reflect on the words of Jesus and Paul during these moments, you know "We don't mourn like those without hope for those who have fallen asleep..." and "Blessed are those that mourn..." and "Let not your heart be troubled..."

I reflect on my own mortality. I reflect on how much I love my family. I think more about how much I love my daughter, and how many memories I want to make...soon.

Seeing and experiencing grief marks me every time. Today, I was at a "homegoing." I have been able to go to several of these before, and, let me say, a "homegoing" is certainly more uplifting than a funeral. It is different. These words were said: "Her mission was always more important than her circumstances."

I love that statement.

Death is not the end. It's odd sometimes when I feel God pushing me and challenging me. Right now, there's a lot going on in my head and my heart. My prayer is that I will be wise enough to move on it, and sensitive enough to recognize all that is there.

When Jack meets Thomas

2010-08-22T07:24:00.004-04:00

This morning, I walked into my office to do a few final tasks before I take my family on a trip (you know the trip: the inaugural "let's take the two month old back home so she can meet her family and see her roots whether she remembers it or not" trip).

I picked up a couple of books, as I always do, to read while on my trip. When I picked up the books, I couldn't help but notice the broadness of context. I picked up Thomas Merton's Contemplative Prayer and Jack Welch's Winning. Wow, talk about polarity.

But then, I had this "tweet" of a thought: "Every leader should have a Thomas Merton book in one hand and a Jack Welch book in the other." Think about it: a good contemplative "inner" masterpiece, and a practical application leadership primer. Now, I am not endorsing that Merton and Welch are solutions and foundational points of reference, but I am saying that every leader should be immersed in something for inner transformation and something for leadership application. That is probably a better "tweet." We all know, what happens on the inside of our spiritual lives gets translated into outward action. I think the marriage of prayer and good leadership is essential.

It seems like a no brainer, but how many of us leaders consistently work on the inner voice along with the outer? It is true, our inner voice is translated into action, whether we realize it or not.

So, today, I prayed this prayer as I contemplated the past ten minutes:

Dear God, help me as I work on this created being, to respond with more of your grace, and less of my emptiness. Help me cultivate my responsibility as a leader in a way that I always seek growth through the lens of your leading. Help me as I glean from the brilliant voices around me, to always recognize you, the true voice of love. Help me as I lead in your world, to always notice where you are, and to always be sensitive that my words can represent your Kingdom.

Amen.

Practical Leadership Notes

2010-08-12T12:10:00.003-04:00

I had the privilege to watch Jack Welch talk about leadership last week. I must admit, right now, I can't get enough of this guy. I love what he has to say. Here are my personal, bullet point notes. Keep in mind I typed these fast, there may be some that only I will get b/c of the context. Plus, I thought about just posting some of them and commenting, then I figured, "why limit it, let the readers take what they want." So I posted my full notes, unedited. Maybe you'll find a nugget or something vaulable here : )
Enjoy:

Leaders HAVE to be authentic:

Be comfortable in your own shoes
People can see through a phony in a minute
People can see if you are someone they can count on
Some people come out of the womb with vests on; be yourself. Don’t be more proper than you really are; don’t be snooty. People hate snooty.

Leaders HAVE to have energy

Anyone can be a whirling dervish, but you have to energize and excite those around you
If you’re full of energy it doesn't do much for anyone
But if you can energize those around you about the vision and mission, you win
It’s my job to energize people about the mission and vision
Energizing someone is not hyping them, not a cheerleading, but getting them to FEEL where you’re going
Unless the leader FEELS it, he/she can’t pass it along
Tell a story and show them how their lives will change others in this journey
Get them to play act and get their frustrations out
Ask people WHAT they are getting out of their job

On Meetings and Hiring

Most meetings that are good have engagement...
The job of the leader is to always raise the intellectual bar of the conversation
Hire smarter people than yourself
Insecure people hire dopes

Leaders HAVE to emphasize Candor

Candor enables speed, less bureaucracy, less paperwork

Differentiation

The top 20% identified
The 70% vital identified
The bottom 10% of performers: something has to be done quite quickly
Establish a culture of differentiating these people, and let them know where they fall
The kindest thing you can do is tell someone the truth
You can’t have a differentiated organization without having candor as a value
Without candor and differentiation, we don’t learn!
It is all about the appraisal system
You can’t have an employee that doesn’t know where he/she stands!
Everyone already knows the differentiation; some of them just hope you don’t know it.
How you handle differentiation is key.
Most people try to fix the bottom; that doesn’t work. It wastes time. Give them a soft landing and help them move on.
You have to transition them, they know they don’t belong!
Top tier employees: good energy, good values, good people, and a gene that says I love to see people grow (love to give raises, celebrate their people, generosity of spirit). These people hire great people and they don’t have envy.
A mean spirited person hides good people.
The middle 70%, the vital 70%, the B’s: isn’t always there in the clutch, is valuable, hard working, not as valuable as others...
Differentiation isn’t a set in stone mark, but a snapshot.
Here’s what I like about what you’re doing; here’s what I would like to see you improve.
Never write a new appraisal, always write on top of the last one. Seeing progression is the best way to gather the snapshots.
What characterizes a bottom 10% person: not a team player, low energy, acidic (pain in the “arm”), negative energy, they whisper
Disruptive people and boss haters need to be listened to occasionally; they’re loud
Nothing is worse than negative energy in an organization; a hallway whisper is deadly
You have to do everything you can to stop the meeting after the meeting; make the meeting after the meeting an unacceptable event
Covering candor with “niceness” is a bunch of “nonsense”
Compensation is different in the differentiation model: top 20% you do all you can to compensate and recognize them
“Who are YOU to tell me I am in the bottom 10, middle 70” Well, you’re the boss and what you think matters.
...there isn’t a better way to build a better team. Biases, revenge, and immaturity is wrong.
No winning teams ignore differentiation.
People choose to join your team; no one forced them. The outcomes that come from those choices are reality. Figure out the best way to compensate.

Biggest Failure

Moving slowly: you NEVER wish you moved fast enough...go, act, do it, get out there...
Fallout happens with every choice, don’t wait for it. You know what fallout you have if you don’t move.
IF you’re right, you build confidence.
One of the jobs of a leader is to make everyone else around you confident. Pat people on the back. Criticism breeds hesitancy.

Passing the Baton

Started 8 years before he retired
Had 22 people in mind to be the successor.
Dwindled down to 3...they were all long shots in the beginning
You can’t make a selection in advance...people change. At any one snapshot moment, you may make a different choice than you would in the end.
You’ll never know how someone will behave in the next role.

Celebrations

The hardest thing you can get to happen is to have managers spend money on celebrations for small victories; it is SO important and energizes the group
Every budget has slush; celebrate and reward

Inception: A rather skewed review

2010-07-30T22:35:00.007-04:00

On Monday, my wife and I had the privilege of going to see a movie. Privilege because this is our first "date" since Lucy was born. We chose to go see Inception. And boy, was it good.

I had many thoughts throughout the movie, but narrowed them down to a Lettermanish top ten.
So now, enjoy my top ten eclectic, random, and skewed thoughts from my first experience of Inception:

10. This movie could use Morgan Freeman.
9. I always told my band teacher in high school there was an artistic reason for low brass splatting obnoxious sounds...who's the turd, now Mr. Brideson?
8. If I had to create a totem, it would be my belly button ring.
7. Someone please tell me you saw the Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Zack Galifianakis cameo...wait, I think that was just random fat guys with beards...my bad. The Richard Karn one was real, though...
6. If this were a sequel, it should definitely be the sequel for Juno.
5. If we're traveling to level three, and someone needs to stay in level two, but we're all being controlled by someone in level one, at what point does level four become more pertinent? The answer? Donkeys.
4. In the eighties, we would have labeled this film, demonic. And someone with a Pentecostal background would have back masked it to reveal that the message "Larry King is the antichrist" was played over and over in our subconscious throughout.
3. At what point do we encourage the economy to kill itself to kick out of this level?
2. Let's develop this dream level thing, take all the casts from reality tv shows (especially ones on ABC, VH1, MTV, and E!) and put them all in an inescapable state of LIMBO...except Bret Michaels, of course.
1. Eighth grade makes total sense, now.

It was truly, a great film. I would love to go see it again.

Hair extensions or health care?

2010-07-21T13:32:00.004-04:00

The past few days have been a whirlwind, and I am glad to have it behind me. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the experience, I am just tired. Long story short, I got to hang out with some awesome people and get them on their flight from JFK to Kenya. The weekend included a lot of travel, coordinating, parking issues, and me driving a big van (not a fan). But all in all, it needed to be done, and I am glad to have been able to do it.

So, I woke up yesterday at a Holiday Inn Express at JFK airport sharing a room with my wife, my one month old, and my sister. I woke up first and, after taking some friends to the airport, I stopped in for breakfast before going back up to the room. Now, the Holiday Inn Express breakfast is an experience in itself, and I wouldn't recommend it, but I was hungry.

Over breakfast, my eyes and ears were drawn to the big screen showing Fox and Friends. Disclaimer: I could care less about entering a discussion about POTUS, or right wing left wing stuff...

So, I am watching an editorial, at 8:30am (prime morning time) about how POTUS has lied to us about the recent health care bill. Actually (according to Fox News), it isn't so much a lie as it is a way around the truth. Basically, critical (interpret life saving) health care will be provided for illegal aliens (or human beings, as some of my friends like to call them) after all (gasp), and our tax dollars will pay for it. It was only a mildly interesting report to me, until the next segment: PET ACCESSORIES.

Right after that report, there was a special on doggy hair care products, pet hair extensions, pet organic food, pet organic treats... I was amused to see Brian Kilmeade and his guest snacking on the organic food, because "it's just as delicious for us humans, too!" All of these products were advertised for a meager $30-$50 each, and practical for every pet owner. How cute.

So, the message I received was:

I should be upset about spending my hard earned money on any kind of health care for illegal aliens (or, creations of God, my words).
I should smile and welcome consumerist spending over spending money for any kind of health care for illegal aliens.
Doggy accessories are more valuable than humanitarian concerns (a bit harsh, but hey, I find it plausible from what I saw).
I will spend money whether I like it or not.
The morning crew on Fox and Friends are morons (just by their interaction, from what I could see).

And now, let me take this moment to share some of the obvious things I hope my readers understand about me:

I don't really watch news channels, nor welcome political debate.
I think critically about what I spend money on, and I think pet accessories are dumb.
The Holiday Inn Express is no place to gain a holistic perspective on the world, much less life in general.
A television screen is no place to gain a holistic perspective on the world, much less life in general.

I find the perspectives I am given to be a quest in futility at times, mixed with tragic hilarity.
Thoughts?

I'm not a designer, but...

2010-07-06T10:17:00.003-04:00

I read a great article by Scott McClellan in Collide Magazine this past month. What makes it great is, while it was written with church leaders in mind, it is easily transferable to teachers, coaches, yard sale entrepreneurs, or anyone wanting to dabble in the world of marketing. The article is about making flyers. Exciting, huh?

I know what you're thinking: printed type is dead. But, who said flyers were just for print? Your facebook, twitter, or youtube pages can easily incorporate a better design, even if you're not advertising an event. For us in the church, easy how to's like these are golden nuggets. I love how this article welcomes my Pages (Mac's answer to Microsoft Office's Publisher) prowess and shows me ways to look like I'm an expert in Adobe CS5 (which I am not).

So, follow this link, and I hope you get some good use out of it. I would have posted the link directly to Collide's online article archive, but they didn't post this article on the site. Plus, I highlighted the specific steps I found extremely helpful.

By the way, I still love being Lucy's dad. It rocks.

Lucy Norah Drye

2010-06-17T07:13:00.002-04:00

Lucy joined us @ 558 yesterday afternoon. She was 7.6lbs and 19.5ins. She is now 13lbs and 31 ins...kidding.
Mom did wonderful in her fast 5 hrs of labor and is doing well. Dad is awesome as usual (and humble).

Lucy has had a lot of firsts: eating, pooping, and short bursts of what I call the "yell cry." She slept about 5hrs last night and just dozed off again.

We're all doing very well. Thanks for your love, prayers, and money (threw that last one in there just in case lol). Feel free to share the news and see the pics @facebook page. We're a very blessed family and loved by a very big God.

Openness

2010-05-27T13:59:00.003-04:00

One of the things Shauna and I discovered when we first announced we were having a baby was how open dozens of folks instantly became in giving advice. I stiff armed it at first. And then, last week, I approached and gave unsolicited advice about which "pack and play" we decided to go with because of the reviews...I did this to a complete stranger who was about to load a Graco in her cart.

Yeah, pathetic. As soon as I offered my advice, I instantly felt that sting of idiocy and intrusion. Lucky for me, the lady was grateful and seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. After all, we have already purchased, returned, and purchased different pack and plays...and we're not even parents yet.

I became the advice giver...and I know nothing. I find we do this in a lot of areas of our lives, especially in adolescence. We want to offer something, we want to be intelligent, and we want others to know our value and how society would crumble if we weren't around...at least, that's how I think sometimes.

So, I'm pondering these things, about how the advice isn't such a bad thing and about how receptive I can (should) be to good wisdom. Now, that being said, not all advice is good. I have been given some ridiculous advice from good people (you know who you are).

Me and Shauna will be good parents, and I am sure of that. We won't be perfect, we won't be able to give Lucy (that's her name, btw) everything, but we will love her and, if our marriage is any indication, Shauna will give the most love.

So on to advice and openness: do you have any words of wisdom for us? If it is bad, we'll thank you anyway and I promise we won't point it out. But if it is beneficial to us, we'll celebrate it!

So, whatcha got? Any wisdom? Any advice? Any book suggestions? I have been reading these: Boundaries with Kids, Growing Kids God's Way, What to Expect When You're Expecting, and What to Expect the First Year. I also watched a DVD of a live birth; it traumatized me.

A Rolling Stone Gathers No __________

2010-05-15T20:57:00.003-04:00

I love my job. I really do.

Tomorrow, I get to teach in a series called, "God and Bob", and I'm using the song, Like a Rolling Stone. I am excited about this. I love the fact that we are taking one of the most iconic writers and performers of our time and paralleling the echoes from Kingdom thoughts. I'm also a dork, because I did WAY too much research about that one line that everyone knows: "like a rolling stone."

Another thing I really appreciate about my church, is that we have a dream of where we want to be (some people call this vision). When I arrived, a little over two years ago, one of the main things on my plate of responsibilities was our website (which, at the time was a PDF newsletter). I am very energized by vision. We created vision for our website. Now, not everything is in place and the dream is still being realized, but, doggone it, we're taking some exciting steps.

In the last four months, I have been on a journey with our web team and the great folks at Plain Joe Studios out of Corona, Ca (esp Peter and Julie, you guys rock). We've been on a journey that led us up to the release of our new site this past week. I am extremely proud and delighted that our new site release brings a lot of interaction, information, and clarity to our online presence as a church.

Check it out, search through it, and interact. I bet you'll find some things you like (and a few typos if you look hard enough, but that's what updates are for). It's exciting to take a next step, and this was a big one for us.

If I were creating a boy band...

2010-05-14T11:35:00.002-04:00

This clip reminds me of a passage from my favorite book, Under the Unpredictable Plant, by Eugene Peterson:

"A successful writer will discover a workable plot and write the same book over and over all his life to the immense satisfaction of his readers. The readers can be literary without thinking or dealing with the truth. Prostitute writer.

A successful pastor will discover a workable program and repeat it in congregation after congregation to the immense satisfaction of her parishioners. The church members can be religious without praying or dealing with God. Prostitute pastor."

Kind of harsh, but true nonetheless.

So, who wants to fall into a template (gotta admit, it is catchy LOL)?

Deleted

2010-05-10T18:05:00.003-04:00

Today I wrote out a whole blog. It was based on this commercial:

I made this statement: "Every kid doesn't deserve a baseball trophy in little league."

I deleted the blog: on purpose.
It was funny and I couldn't post it, even though it was planned and well researched.

Sometimes, you just need to make a judgment call.

I am talking about the stuff from this deleted post at ALC this weekend. Hope you check it out in person or on the web.

People I love: David

2010-05-05T20:38:00.003-04:00

First, a history lesson:
David and I were roommates at an apartment on a golf course while in college. We both were what you would call "outsiders." Neither of us really participated in campus activities. We both worked in the restaurant business, and we both enjoyed a great meal (to this day, I implicitly trust David's suggestions regarding restaurants and great places to eat; he has never let me down). We were ego driven and elitist in our own eyes (maybe we still are... lol).

In college, no one ever expected David to do anything with vocational ministry; he was, after all, a business major. He had been a pastoral ministries major, but switched. That kind of move will get you ostracized from other ministry majors, btw. For some reason we remained friends: even when we were kicked out a restaurant in Tampa, even after I moved out of our apartment early and broke the lease, even today when I returned to him his car that he let me use while visiting the Chicago area.

Now, the cooler part:
David finished undergrad and then completed his MBA with a specialty in non profit work (the plot thickens). Over the years, he has worked in executive positions for non profits and other charitable organizations (like the Salvation Army). Currently, he is the finance director for a non profit called, Esperanza Community Services, close to downtown Chicago, and he is one of the key leaders for Global Family Rescue.

Later this year, David will be moving to Tanzania to work on the field with villages to better community, education, and social development. He is being sent out. He is doing much more with his life than many (dare I say it) other 30 year olds who went into ministry ten years ago. I am proud of David. I am proud he is my friend. Heck, he was even in my wedding.

David, I am praying for you, man. I have thoroughly enjoyed the past few days of being able to hang out, dream, and (in theory) change the world. Good luck to you in Tanzania. God is really denting up the landscape with you and your gifts. It is so exciting to hear the passion in your voice, but also to see the fruit of the work you do. Thanks for changing the landscape of what it means to shepherd and pastor. Thanks for reaching an unreached people group. Thanks for having the passion of Jesus and the Kingdom in what you do. Thanks for not considering the job done until people see Christ in what you do. Thanks for encouraging me and keeping my gaze wide.

I'm glad your my friend.

Excuses

2010-04-29T11:32:00.002-04:00

Man, if I had only been able to tell my Biology teacher that I couldn't complete an assignment because of a volcano.

I recently received a bill for not showing up to a DR appointment. I was not able to go or call because of a volcano in Iceland. I love that excuse so much that I decided to film my phone convo with the billing department to see what happened.

It's not that dramatic, but it could have been. I like the fact that the excuse seemed to impress the lady I was taking to...
Enjoy:

Volcano Excuse from nate drye on Vimeo.

Africa: Recap

2010-04-29T09:52:00.002-04:00

We have been home for one week. It has taken about this long for the jetlag to wear off for most of us. I am truly humbled and entertained by my team. They were awesome.
When all is said and done, I think we will come in under budget (really counting on that British Airways reimbursement...come on, Willy Walsh). This past weekend, I was privileged to share about our experiences in the Celebrations at ALC. Fast fwd to 8:00 to watch the picture slide show and skip all my talking about how many got saved, cool stories, etc. etc. etc.

Before you ask, no the slide show isn't really available outside this format because we kind of threw it together from some awesome photos taken by Daryl (he is an awesome photographer, visit his site and hire him and buy his stuff), our trip photographer. Our production team is putting together memoir books, a documentary, and some other items we will make available for purchase through my blog and the church. All proceeds will go to future endeavors in Kenya.

Story: Nate shares about the Kenya Team 2010 from ALC on Vimeo.

Last thought before the jet lag coma

2010-04-22T19:30:00.002-04:00

I am home. My team is home. They worked so hard and did extremely well when faced with uncertainty and frustration. I am very proud of all of them, and leading them has been a fun adventure (with some blood, sweat, and tears...still fun, though).

As I sit here and reflect, I am most thankful for the confident assurance I felt throughout this entire ordeal (Africa, volcano, etc.). My faith has been tested and strengthened. Seeing the faith and resolve of a hopeful church in Africa has built my faith. Seeing the faith of a former gang member turned Christ follower has built my faith. Seeing the kingdom of God advanced through the hands of broken people has built my faith. Being with each one of my team members, as heathen as we may be, has built my faith.

I count it pure joy to share this journey. Thank you all for being heavy stones, that weigh down my backpack of memories.

ONE MORE FLIGHT

2010-04-22T04:26:00.001-04:00

We are in Heathrow. We are boarding in less than one hour for Dulles.
Looking forward to seeing all of you.
Almost there!

Check In

2010-04-21T12:28:00.003-04:00

We arrived at Nairobi International Airport at 4:30pm to check in for our 11:10pm flight. We just now, 3 hours later, received our boarding passes and are good to go!

Keep us in prayer...one step closer.
London, here we come.

Mama, I'm coming home...

2010-04-21T05:20:00.002-04:00

Met with security at BA offices again today and spoke with Esther on the phone. I have good news. We are flying out of Nairobi tonight.

BA flight 64 from Nairobi to London 11:40pm
BA flight 217 from London to DULLES arrives in DC at app. 1:40pm EST on Thursday, April 22.

PLEASE, IF YOU ARE PICKING UP SOMEONE, WE ARE ARRIVING AT DULLES AIRPORT INSTEAD OF BWI NOW.

Let's go tell the team :)

...and things move in a positive direction?

2010-04-20T15:52:00.002-04:00

Ok, looks like some positive news from the CAA and NATS: http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=14&pagetype=65&appid=7&mode=detail&nid=1862

This means that airlines will open up flights as they make risk assessments. BA is currently scheduled to begin long haul flights into London by noon tomorrow (5am EST). Keep praying...we COULD get out of here!

I will be calling and finding out more information in the morning (11pm here right now). Hopefully, when you in the US wake up, we'll have a very positive outlook and I will post asap.

KEEP PRAYING

Good News Bad News

2010-04-20T03:28:00.001-04:00

Bad News: The volcano has resumed erupting.

Good News: Long Haul flights are still operating after 4pm as planned, AND the volcano is erupting with lava instead of ash.

This means, we have a CHANCE of getting out of here tomorrow (Wed) night.
Keep praying.

Top eight things I have learned from volcanoes

2010-04-19T15:19:00.004-04:00

Being in Africa, for any amount of time, brings lessons of its own. I realized that my current role as fearless leader has led to some rather boring posts lately, and that's a shame, because there is so much wonderfulness that has taken place in my life over the past three weeks.

So, what is the big memory from this trip?
Is it the memory of watching our teams dig deep in their own lives and pour out a living offering to the streets of Kenya? Is it strategizing and watching things fall in to place over and again declaring the faithfulness of our God? Or, is it the stinking volcano?

Here are the top eight things I have learned, as the captain of the ship, from the stinking volcano:

Volcanoes make you self indulgent again: after spending time giving of yourself everyday, a volcano can bring you back to your true self in no time. Apparently, I am still in need of grace.
Don't ever pray for flexibility. It's like the arch rival of praying for patience.
Volcanoes are powerful. They make Europe and global economies crumble out of a scientific terror of the "what if."
Volcanoes give your team ample opportunity to bite and scratch and make each other bleed, or come together in an unwavering unity and love for each other. Lately, I have seen both (hey, we need grace, right? see #1).
Volcanoes can dominate any memory of what God has done in your life, the life of others, and in your future, if you allow your gaze to be deterred by the floating ash.
Volcanoes gives me, as a leader, more time to hang out and get to know the people on my team. I admit, I have enjoyed listening to the journal entries and laughing at the creativity of these people.
Volcanoes provide an ample opportunity to use the phrase, "kiss my ash", over and again to the prepubescent delight of all immature and comedic geniuses on our team (myself included).
Volcanoes cause some team members to rise to the occasion, whether it be taking on the planning of team meals and cooking, providing leadership where uncertainty seems to dominate, or lending a listening ear and support. It's fun to see us work together.

All in all, we're doing very well. There are a lot of stories, laughter, and character buried deep within this team. I hope that, in our return, you are privy to some of it. I will surely be sharing more.

Holding Pattern

2010-04-19T09:43:00.002-04:00

I showed up to the British Airways office this morning and was greeted by security. No one was allowed to even get close to the office, and they were not answering the phones. You can imagine the frustration!

Right now, we're still waiting and praying for the air space to be restored and our flight to be rescheduled. Please pray for us.

We're also currently doing our best to get some of our medical team on flights home, as their vocation in the emergency room is very crucial. We're working with travel agents and doing our best to get partial refunds to help them with the cost.

There is another NATS update scheduled for right now, and we're hoping and praying for some god news. Thanks for your prayers. Keep them coming!

How to plan for a volcano (pray)

2010-04-18T10:38:00.002-04:00

So, in moments like these, our patience, flexibility, and resolve is tested. Everyone on our team is doing relatively well, considering the continual challenges. We're certainly relying on each other and doing our best to stay sane.

You can probably guess, there is no way to foresee or plan for the largest grounding of aircraft (we will soon pass the 9/11 record). Traveling with 20 other people, and leading them through the challenge, is made much easier with prayer and unity. We're doing our best.

Here's the plan right now: tomorrow morning, I am going back to the airline to find more options. At this point, some time of rerouting, even if it is through Asia, needs to be considered. Please pray for me as I talk and negotiate rates and try my best to get us moving.

Please, please pray for us. We hope to update with great news tomorrow.

Update: Friday Night April 16

2010-04-16T11:16:00.002-04:00

Today, I met with airline officials at the British Airways Nairobi central office. Unfortunately, the earliest we will be scheduled to leave Nairobi is Wednesday, April 21. I will post updates for flights and arrival times as soon as we are confirmed.
This booking could change, due to the uncertainty of the volcanic ash affecting the airways over Europe. We are diligently seeking the fastest and most safe solution for our entire team's return to the US. the is the largest airline grounding since 9/11.

On a brighter note, we have the awesome support of our home church, ALC, and my boss, Dan Mucci, and are being taken very good care of during this natural phenomenon. Funds for our lodging and food are being wired to us now, and our team has a comfortable and good place to reside during our delay. We are not stuck in an airport, we are not stuck in an unsafe part of town, and we are very fortunate. It is no doubt that God has been taking very good care of us through this entire ordeal.

In fact, here in Nairobi, UNICEF is currently having a large conference. There are NO hotel rooms available. Many people are not able to find lodging. We were very fortunate to extend our stay at Heart Lodge, a gated and guarded compound with great food and beautiful gardens.

In the meantime, our team will be spending their time exercising at Windsor (a nearby country club), shopping at Village Market (movie theater, bowling alley, and shopping available), and eating most meals at Heart Lodge. We'll be going to the church where the General Superintendent for Kenya Assemblies of God, Peter Ngiri, worships this coming Sunday. We are also looking for the opportunity God has given us to complete more ministry while extended in Kenya.

Pray for us; and we hope to really see you all soon.
Thanks.

Flight Canceled

2010-04-16T00:29:00.001-04:00

Our flights have, as anticipated, been canceled. We are working with British Airways to reschedule and redirect. Once I have more information, I will post it.

To keep current on the entire volcano situation and flight status, visit: http://www.nats.co.uk/ or http://www.nats.co.uk/.

Volcano Update

2010-04-15T09:42:00.004-04:00

Really? A volcano?
Apparently, volcanic ash is in the air over the UK and much of Europe grounding flights as of about 3 hours ago. This is a big problem for us, because our flight connects through London tomorrow night. Please be in prayer for our team, me, and the "what now" questions we are consistently facing because of this.

Here's what we know:

British Airways is updating with new information as it is available. Click here to view this information.
All flights to and from London are currently canceled indefinitely.
Should we be delayed in our departure, we have a good place to stay here in Nairobi.

Here's what we are figuring out, but we don't have the info yet:

What flights we'll be scheduling should our flights tomorrow evening be canceled.
What information we'll know for sure before our scheduled flight time (11:40 pm; 2:40pm EST).

Once I get firm information and updates, I will post to the blog. Please be in prayer for us, and keep watching the blog.

Thanks.

Safari and No WiFi

2010-04-15T05:48:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone!
We left early on Tuesday morning for the Masai Mara on a tiny prop plane and landed on a dirt airstrip. The airport at the Masai Mara was a dirt strip and a long wooden fence...that's it!

The safari camp had WiFi, but it didn't work. Sorry I have not been able to update lately. Everyone is doing well, but fatigued. Today, we flew back to Nairobi and are taking it easy. Some of the team is visiting an orphanage right now, others are resting here at Heart Lodge. Tonight, the team is sharing one of our final meals together before we leave on Friday night. These remaining hours are bittersweet: I think everyone will leave a piece of their heart in Africa.

At the safari, we were so close to seeing a lion kill: a pride of lions strategically surrounded a herd of zebras and ambushed them. It was very exciting! But, the zebra got away and everyone was a bit let down (except the zebra).

I would love to post many of the beautiful pictures taken over the past few days, but I am on dial up internet right now. I am sure you will see many pictures soon, though.

We love you all, keep praying for us, and we'll see you soon!

Monday Morning

2010-04-11T23:46:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone,

We are moving to another campus tonight, and flying out to the Masai Mara tomorrow morning (think puddle jumper with a dirt landing strip!). We'll be flying back into Nairobi on Thursday, and leaving for the US on Friday night. I am not confident I will have as stable internet the rest of the week, so if it is some time between posts, please be understanding!

Thanks for all the encouraging words. We are all doing very well.

Swahili Church (Sunday)

2010-04-11T13:32:00.005-04:00

Well, another day is passed and we pretty much spent the entire time at church. Church at MCDC has two services: one in English and one in Swahili. I was privileged to teach at both. The English service lasted about 2 hours, and the Swahili service lasted about 5 hours total (that includes cake at the end). It was fun, but L-O-N-G. Teaching at these were fun for me, and I talked about how we should stay strong in our journey with Jesus. Everyone on the team was so appreciated by the people here. They gave each of us a token of their love earlier before we left.

Tonight, Leon Gray (arts team) and Catherine Cruz (medical team) are guest blogging. Enjoy!

Leon:
Being in the military and having been on another missions trip, I thought I was prepared to deal with whatever happened on this trip. For the most part, I was right; but I did not expect to fall in love. For now, I'll give just one example of the amazing love we've been shown during this trip: There is one young boy, named Ernest, that became really attached to me. He would come running every time he saw me. Today, he sat on my lap for most of the first and second church services we attended at MCDC. At the end of the second service, we were lined up in front of the altar and presented with gifts. When Ernest heard that we were leaving, he ran crying to his mother. His mother looked up and made eye contact with me. I almost lost it in front of everyone. This is just one of many experiences from this trip that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Catherine:
Today we went to a celebration. After four days of intense medical clinics serving almost 1800 people, today we celebrated with the people we served at the church services at MCDC. I was asked by my team director, Marie, to do a testimony about my life during the first church service. This was the first time I have ever done this and I was very nervous. I made it through and was very touched by the response that I received. When I came on this trip, my goal was to help people, but I had no idea of the impact that these people would have on me. I have been the crier of the trip. I have been so moved by emotion every day with the children that we have helped, and the adults that we have ministered to. Our last day of clinic is tomorrow, but it will not be my last day to help. I am already making plans for our next trip. I think I have found a purpose and I am glad that God gave me the opportunity to serve in this way.

And Sunday comes to a close.
Good night.

Saturday

2010-04-10T14:00:00.006-04:00

Today, our teams split between two campuses. The arts team conducted their last full day of camp at MCDC; there were over 2000 kids there today. The whole team was quite emotional and moved at the end of it all. I am sure you will be hearing more from them. Our medical team conducted the first clinic ever for a place called Mlango Kubwa (Swahili for "The Big Door"). This campus is deep within the slum. Many people were glad we were there. Tonight, I've asked Veronica Williams (medical team) and Andre Bridge (arts team) to share. Enjoy!

Veronica:
Today was truly an eye opening experience. Working with the medical team at the slums was both awesome and disturbing. When we arrived this morning, many members of the team, including myself, were shocked at the conditions. The smell of exhaust fumes, burning tires, sewage and garbage filled the air. The sea of tin roofed huts stretched three miles. What saved the day for me was the children. They were so happy to see us! A chorus of "how are you" filled the air and on their faces were big smiles. We served 450 today and it is wonderful and truly humbling to know that God is working through us to make the children happy if only for a moment.

Andre:
Morning in Kenya comes with it's own sense of normal. Awakening to the rising sounds of chants and prayers, morning tea and the assembling and loading of the teams in the vans has become normal. Our regular driver's name is Laurence and we thank God for him every time we arrive safely at our location. His calm through Kenya traffic should be considered one of the great marvels of the world. Passing through flocks of goats and occasional truck repairs in the lane we are traveling in seems to be normal. Black smoke rising in the distance caused me to think of an oil tanker that had crashed of the road, however Laurence with steady voice educated me to the fact that those are just Kenyans burning tires in order to get the steel belts from the tires for sale. The sight of bikes and pedestrians darting between the lanes and vehicles, burning piles of trash on the mud walks all seems normal to me now. Kenya has it's own normal.
What was different today was the send off we received from the children. Pastor Samuel and over a thousand children began blessing us as a group and individually. Needless to say after days of eye contact and care to bring blessing to them, we were overwhelmed by their warm hearts and elation of joy to bless us.
This was not a day like all days... it was one I will hold dearly and passionately close to my heart for all the days of my life.

(Nate) God is good, and these people (both our team and the folks we have met in Kenya) are changing the world.
And with that my friends, I say good night.

Day 4 comes to a close

2010-04-09T13:42:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone,
Day 4 was a biggie: 600+ served in the medical clinic (1200+ overall) and 1400+ kids in the arts camp.
Tonight, Marie Reem (she leads our medical team) is guest blogging tonight...enjoy!

Marie Reem:
Today was another great day at MCDC. The medical team saw over 600 patients today and we have really found our groove! It's amazing for me to see this team come together and serve the people, work hard, and love every minute. My hope for this team is that they will also see God in the people they meet and begin to see that God has a purpose for their lives. We are the body...

Goodnight everyone.

Day 4 Begins

2010-04-08T23:32:00.004-04:00

I woke up about a half hour ago. Breakfast is being prepared as I type here in our dining hall at the seminary where we're staying.
I am quite reflective this morning. This is many of our team member's first trip out of the country, much less to Africa, and many of them are seeing Mathare Valley for the first time and processing all the emotion and feeling that goes along with it.

Me? This is not my first time. One would think that since I have been here before that I would be braced and ready for the emotion and reaction to the places I have been. Ironically, these things penetrate even deeper now than they did the first time. Emotion feels more intense, the pain seems to hurt more, and the smells and sights are more vivid.

The words of Christ continue to become more real and needed: In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.
For that, I'm grateful.

And now, here's some low resolution pictures our team eating breakfast:

Day 4

2010-04-08T13:52:00.009-04:00

Hello everyone!
We are doing very well. We're in our second full day of clinics and camp. The medical clinic treated over 800 people the past two days, and the arts camp had well over 1000 kids today. Needless to say, we're busy!

I've invited a couple "guest bloggers" to share their experiences from today. The first is Rachael Banner. She is a nurse on our medical team, and the second is Emily Cusimano, who is one of our arts team members. I hope you enjoy their stories!

Rachael:
The past few days have been an awesome and eye opening experience. Even though we all work in the emergency room, this is so much different. Having the autonomy as nurses to diagnose and treat people on our own is scary and challenging, but there are so little choices for treatment that it becomes routine. We have had several interesting cases: such as the 6mo old baby infected so badly with intestinal worms that they were coming out of her mouth! Or, the young woman that was asking how to get pregnant so she would not get kicked out of her house. These are just to name a couple. We are also challenged by the fact that it is "cold season" here at 75 degrees, so everyone has at least 2 jackets and a hat (even the babies with fevers!). Really, it has been the best experience ever and I can't wait to see what the rest of the trip brings.

P.S. hole in the ground toilet WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

Emily:
God's goodness overwhelms me. We say it so often, but I'm afraid most of us quickly lose grasp of exactly Who we serve. I have struggled throughout my life with the question of how a good God can allow such suffering in the world. I see incredible suffering here everywhere I look, but what I witnessed today on the first day of camp solidified who the person of God is in my mind. I can't even describe to you what its like to see the faces of 300 kids who are seeing bubbles for the first time in their life or to hear the screams of pure ecstasy as we play the same song for the fifth time in one day. Jumping, clapping, smiling, singing, yelling, touching, truly, enjoying . . . To create beings that have the capability of experiencing that extent of joy over a couple minutes of bubbles or one dance with "cha" ("teacher" Emily) is evidence of who the Creator is and how, out of His fundamental goodness, He has chosen to make a people. All praise to Him.

And lastly (Nate talking here), I am so proud of all my team members. We have really developed a great chemistry and are sharing this journey together extremely well.
Until tomorrow...

End of Day Three (ramblings)

2010-04-07T13:25:00.003-04:00

Good News: We have internet
Bad News: It is slow and isn't wireless
Better News: Everyone is doing well.
Best News: Everyone has fallen in love with the people here.

That's about the long and short of it. Not very much bad news at all. unfortunately, with the internet bandwidth, videos and pics are challenging. But we'll have them when we come back, rest assured!
The end of day three was cool. We all sat around the dinner table reflecting on the day and the first big exposure to Mathare Valley. Our production team got the opportunity to go into the slums, and, needless to say, they were quite moved at the reality of the slum and the quality of life they witnessed.

The medical team saw around 200 people on the first day, which was quite relieving and great, considering today we set up, organized tons of meds (literally), and acclimated to Kenyan "organization." The arts team helped out with the medical setup most of the day, which was extensive. The last part of the day the arts team set up the campus for the camp, which begins tomorrow. It was cool having the medical team come in and assist with setup. The camp should run around 1200 kids, but we could be surprised. We have already received a heads up about the clinic, which begins at full capacity tomorrow. Today was a light day that was very busy, and felt quite intense for those recovering from jet lag (everyone is doing very well, though...I think the end is near on the jet lag. I would bet that tomorrow it will be over it for the most part).

Thursday is a big day. We could possibly see close to 1500 kids for the camp and 800 folks for the clinic. We're resting up and getting ready.

Danny (missionary) and I took care of a lot of administrative stuff today. We do have a couple of folks on the team who are experiencing LIGHT illness, but nothing hindering their work and ministry. Honestly, the PA's on the team are looking everyone over and the whole medical team is doing a great job of reminding us to stay hydrated and everything. There's a really great vibe with our team.

The food today was awesome. I loved it. Lunch was like a beef stew with rice and spicy cabbage, and dinner was a pretty good noodle and meat sauce dish (you would call it spaghetti, but I call it a noodle dish with meat sauce, because it really isn't the kind of stuff I would call spaghetti).

Lastly, on a personal note: I woke up and walked the campus this morning and prayed quite a bit as the sun rose and the Buruburu community came to life. I spent a good amount of time meditating and praying, thinking and walking. I am teaching this coming Sunday at MCDC, and I am quite certain I will be using John 16:33 as the key verse. That passage is my personal theme and mantra when in this country. Please pray for me and the team, as we go through the next 5 days of intense clinics and ministry.

I miss my wife. Life in Africa especially sucks without my best friend.
That's all...goodnight : )

Arrival and Day 3

2010-04-07T04:54:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone!
We arrived safely in Nairobi last evening and got settled in at the campus. Had a restful evening and woke up bright and early today. The team is currently setting up a medical clinic and preparing for over 1200 children in a creative arts day camp that begins tomorrow.

As expected, internet access has been a challenge, but we're hoping to get wireless access at the campus set up today.

So far, everyone is adjusting very well, the baggage all came through, and we've been fortunate to have hot water (YEA!).
Keep praying for us, several are still overcoming jet lag. Sorry, no pictures or video currently, but I hope to fix that soon ! :)

Heathrow

2010-04-06T03:34:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone.
We made it to Heathrow (london) all in one piece (or, in 20 singular individual combined pieces of travel smelling awesomeness). I must say, I am extremely impressed with how British Airways has handled our group. It was the most easy check in process ever for me, as a group leader...AND, they checked our bags all the way to Kenya (that's a big deal for a group).

So, we're here and I just got a good English breakfast in the Terminal 5 food court (sans the beans). Everyone seems to be doing well. Several of the group experienced their first international flight, and the jet lag is already sinking in for them. I am confident they'll be great by the time we hit Nairobi. Nothing like some British food and duty free shopping to help one get out of that funk.

We're scheduled to arrive in Kenya around 9pm (2pm EST). DJ posed in the pic with me. We're all doing very well. And, if you're wondering, they do have coke zero in the UK. : )

Thanks for the prayers! Keep them coming.

Kenya VLOG Day One

2010-04-05T08:32:00.002-04:00

I'm leaving today with 20 other people for Nairobi, Kenya; we have three teams led by some awesome folks: Marie is leading our medical team, DJ is leading our arts team, and Chris is leading our production team. We're going to be there 12 days, and conducting medical clinics and an arts camp for kids. We're also shooting a documentary while there, so if you want a copy of that, let me know.

I'm hoping to keep updates by video every day, just to keep everyone informed. Pray for us. We need it! See you soon...
Kenya, here we come!

Kenya VLOG Day One from ALC on Vimeo.

God and Bob

2010-04-01T18:35:00.002-04:00

We have a new series starting at ALC this coming May...and I'm pretty excited about it.

God and Bob from ALC on Vimeo.

I wish there were more teachers that thought like this...

2010-03-22T13:03:00.002-04:00

My sister wrote a blog entry that I felt was worth sharing. She works with children. She is in college. She is turning 21 this year (man, how time flies). She values being a good voice in kids' lives.

The entry is titled: Correction vs. Hatred.
Here are some of my favorites of her points (with my commentary):

"...there is a difference between a voice of authority and a voice of anger and hatred, and I never want to be the latter." This is so true. I remember the voices that shaped me, and I still return to those who treated me with respect. To this day, I avoid the voices I felt harmed by.
"I want to leave an positive impression in their life, not the 'I remember my teacher, Ms. Stacie. She scared me everyday' impression. I have had those people in my life and they did not mentor and help me grow at all." (For real, I fully agree. Voices matter. Words matter. Relationships matter. Influence matters. Well said, Stacie.)
"Correction can be made in many forms." (Very wise statement, actually very wise considering your place in life. It is very easy to fall into habits, or the most easy way to respond. A good response always makes a better impression; a lazy reaction is just selfish.)

If you would like to read the full post, follow this link.
Love you, Stacie...you're going to be such a great influence and mentor for our little girl.

10 Things NOT to say to your pregnant wife

2010-03-20T10:52:00.006-04:00

Since Shauna and I found out we're having a little girl (in June, her name is Lucy), I have learned a lot. Many things I have learned through simple straight out dumbness. Here is some of my empirical wisdom regarding words and my pregnant wife, and for the record, she helped me with this. Now, I have not necessarily said all of these things...

Things NOT to say to your pregnant wife:

Are you laughing or crying? Or both? (it was both, at the same time, fyi)
Hey Big Mamma!
Why are you __________ ? (insert anything: this question is bad because you are searching for a logical reason for an action: you will not understand, so don't ask)
I think the kid will need a break from us, ya know, to help it develop. So why don't we go ahead and schedule a vacation in Cancun?
Ya know, my mom said she had no pain with me when she was pregnant.
I forgot.
I hope the kid isn't color blind.
Don't you "girl up" our child (granted, this was first said when I thought we may have a boy)
How about some Chinese food? (this question is bad because I still ask it after I have been told that Chinese food has now become nauseating; couple with #6 for optimum dumbness)
Have you ever watched yourself brush your teeth? It's so funny! (I then proceeded to impersonate her...)

this troubles me

2010-03-16T19:51:00.003-04:00

Now, it makes sense why this would be troubling, right?

Learning

2010-03-07T19:26:00.005-05:00

I have watched many things since I entered "pastordom" (I may actually make this a word on urbandictionary.com...check it later to see if it has been approved).

One of the things that has had a major, huge, really big, massive impact on me is the writing and teaching of a man by the name Rick Warren. Rick wrote a book in the 90's called The Purpose Driven Church. Most churches that are growing today are doing so because of Rick's insight and wisdom. God has truly used him in the building of the global kingdom. Along with humanitarian efforts and his big church in California, Saddleback, Rick is really a modern day church father. I respect this guy a lot.

I visit Saddleback's website a few times a month, just to see what's happening. I usually pull some good ideas and think and write about them. Sometimes, we implement these ideas. I have always wanted to consider myself a good student of churches. I have always really liked challenging the traditioned mindset in the established church. Rick Warren and his church seems to do that.

I am disappointed in myself, though. I am really a bit miffed at one of the most recent visits to the site: not over any moral issue (believe me, this is not a moral issue in my opinion). This Easter, Saddleback Church is renting out the Angel Stadium for their Easter Celebration. They have been around for 30 years now! What a great way to bring together an entire church family. In the celebration, Rick will be talking about the future. Still cool. Now, the kicker (for me): the Jonas Brothers and Kari Jobe are performing.

Really, Rick? The Jonas Brothers? I know Rick is not the master puppeteer here, and that he has a team that is very trustworthy. But, the Jonas Brothers? Why not Justin Bieber? Or Miley Cyrus? Everyone could definitely bond over a little Party in the USA. Why does this bother me? Is it just a style thing? Is it because I don't like the Jonas Brothers that much? Normal (church people read secular here) music SHOULD be a part of church culture. Art is all around us. Bringing normal art into the church is a good thing. Make no mistake. My philosophy on this is solid. But, the Jonas Brothers?

Now, I ask myself: Is this something I would consider? Can I get past personal preference in this world of art and faith and cast a vote for their kind of art as a catalyst for faith?

I suppose I wrestle with this personal preference thing. After all, most artists and creatives are a bit (read a lot) self indulgent. We want what we like. I would hope, if pushed to make the best decision to create an event, I wouldn't be so close minded. But, then again, these are just my thoughts. Adding input here is valuable, so what do you think? How should one balance personal preference when leading or creating art in the church? It is a valid thought, I think.

Please don't put comments about how "secular" or "worldly" music shouldn't enter the doors or ears of the church. You will be barking up the wrong tree. If you do that, you're missing the point of this post.

That being said, I have lost no respect for Rick. I hope to one day be as lucky as Casey Graham and hang out with him in a Waffle House. That would be cool.

And, since I mentioned it, and in an effort to promote a good sense of humor, here ya go:

Shout out to YOU Taylor Doolittle and Sam Dowell...
And, vote for Taylor, he is apparently running for school president or something...

6 years...

2010-02-21T15:54:00.003-05:00

Six years ago today, Shauna and I were married.
It is the best decision I have ever had the privilege to make. Our wedding was a lot of fun, but due to being in a car accident the day before, and doped up on some meds, I don't remember much (lol). However, I do remember we stayed our first night in an awesome bed and breakfast in Asheville, NC called The Beaufort House. We had the whole top floor. It was sweet.

The rest of our honeymoon was in the mountains of Tennessee. It snowed and we had so much fun.

Thanks for marrying me Shauna. You're my best friend. There is no one else that I would rather share my life with. God is so good.

So, to celebrate, we went to church this morning, played ORIGINAL Mario Bros., and are going HERE for dinner. Did I mention that this is our last anniversary without kids? Some would call it bittersweet...I look forward to the future. There's nothing bitter, here. Bring on the kids : )

What if your church were canceled?

2010-02-19T06:21:00.004-05:00

I work in the church. It is my vocation. I am convinced that if I were not able to receive a salary for working in the church, that I would still have to do it. It is compulsory.

That being said, I understand that many of the things in church that I write about have bias. You see, I really believe the local church is the hope of the world. I am not talking about a building or even a cool brand; but the people that make of the church of Jesus.

I really love the church; I haven't always been able to say that. I love my church. I think we get a lot of things right. Every church (and the word every makes this statement inclusive of all) functions as an organization. Whether you like it or not, the church of Jesus Christ uses the same systems that organizations worldwide use: business principles, marketing, conflict management, etc. This is not a very popular statement with "would be" purists (I am talking about idealistic people who believe that money and economic stability should not be part of the conversation of the church). But, if you have ever led in the church setting, you understand. That being said, I really appreciate and love the way my church spends her money (and not just because I take a paycheck, for which I am grateful and I do enjoy).

At my church, our budget covers common things like: salaries (duh), facility stuff (like electricity and running water), insurance (because it is a public place, and it's like common sense legality stuff, ya know?), and the like. But unlike other organizations, my church pays for things like: utility bills for people on hard financial times, medical clinic establishment in third world countries, counseling for troubled marriages, teaching and training for life development, relationship enabling like groups of people that do life together, school facility renovations, food and boardning for the homeless, and the occasional gift card for the volunteer that has worked hard to enable mission and she deserves a full time salary (but, deep down, the fruit of her labor is worth more than any salary or gift card to her). Stuff like that.

There's a question that goes through my mind from time to time that I was first asked about ten years ago: if your church were taken off the map and didn't exist any more, who would notice? I love working for/with a church that matters. So much so, we shouldn't be surprised when we see God's faithfulness and providence in supernatural (don't worry...I'm not getting weird...think extraordinary and "this normally wouldn't happen" type of stuff) ways.

Case in point: we had to cancel our weekend services the first weekend of February due to 75,000 feet of snow being dropped on us multiple times (it was more like 3-4 ft overall, but ya know...). Now, understand that our services (we like to call them celebrations) are the most common source of income for our organization. We don't exist without the church (think people) buying into the mission of who we say we are (think giving money, time, energy, and prayer). We have online giving, and many people take advantage of that, but honestly, we were a bit concerned. To add to the concern, we already had 40 homeless men and women living at our facility, and dozens of volunteers taking care of them (we were spending money, time, energy, and prayer).

You know what happened? Not only did my church EXCEED our budgeted giving over the first weeks of February, the homeless guests decided to conduct a church service regardless of anyone else being able to be there. Many of our volunteers work on other teams, but this weekend, they preached, sang, filmed, recorded...why, it was as if they refused to allow the weekend snowstorm to stop them! Supernatural.

Just sayin...

Quotes by my pregnant wife (Pt. 2)

2010-02-09T17:37:00.001-05:00

“How did you get to be such a dork?” (this is said to me quite a bit lol)

“You kill me.”

“I don’t think I could date someone while being filmed.” (granted, while she was watching a dating reality show on ABC)

“I was only in there for like, 20 minutes.” (66 minutes was the actual time in Wal Mart while I was in the car)

“You’re gonna be really outnumbered.” (this after finding out we were gonna have a girl)

My First Rated R movie experience

2010-02-05T21:25:00.007-05:00

This post is dedicated to Fun Dip. I love Fun Dip. It was the premier candy for every 12 year old...and I would eat one of the candy sticks before I shotgunned the candy powder...and then I would eat the second candy stick.

It was 1992. I was wearing Reebok Pumps. I may have drank a Crystal Clear Pepsi that afternoon. I remember that Saturday vividly (well, ok not vividly).

My friend, Barry, and I wanted to go to the movies. I still love the movie theaters. There's something about getting lost for a couple of hours in a story. I love it. This particular afternoon, Barry's mom offered to take us to the movies. We both jumped at the notion. We didn't know what we were going to see, but it was the movies, right? Let's go!

So we load in their awesome Ford van (I think it was when the Windstar first came out?), drove down 24/27 in Albemarle to the Eastgate Cinemas (they actually have a website now LOL). Now, the Eastgate Cinema was the only option in Albemarle at the time. I don't know if they have another option today, but the one we had was run by a lady who reminded me of Kathy Bates in Misery (see right, and you can obviously see I have seen move rated R movies since 1992 LOL), but add about 30 years. She was mean. She was the lord over the 6 screen theater. She always wore a dark mid calf cotton skirt that made a "hissing sound" when she walked...that added to her meanness.

So we get there, and Barry's mom looks at us and says: "I am going to see The Last of the Mohicans. You two can come and see that or go see something else." The opportunity to see a rated R movie was both exciting, scary, and exhilarating to me, a 12 year old "churched kid." In fact, it was so scary, that I remember walking in the theater with my FunDip and Cherry Coke wondering if anyone would see me and tell my mom. I would have probably acted like I walked into the wrong theater or something stupid, but no one knew. I always wondered if mom knew, though. I figure now that she probably did, but I felt a sense of accomplishment nonetheless.

So we're there...watching Daniel Day Lewis and his brother and father continue the Mohican legacy. I remember the emotion and fear I felt when he shot the translator in the head so he wouldn't have to be burned alive (spoiler). I was in amazement. That movie was so good. Since then, I have watched it several times, and it still makes me reminisce of the "newness" of real movie magic for the first time.

I remember, at 12, thinking: "Man, that guy (the translator) saved everyone's lives. He actually sacrificed himself for everyone! He did something like what Jesus did!" No lie...I made that connection (like I said, I was a "churched kid"). I also thought about how awesome it was that the one chick threw herself off a cliff at the end (no redemptive thoughts there, but a spoiler if you haven't seen it).

Since then, I have seen, maybe over 100 different phenomenal movies. Tonight, we watched District 9 on DVD. It is always an experience and I am always a bit taken back when I see redemptive themes in art. I like to think that, even at age 12, I noticed some important things in the movies. It certainly makes me grateful for good art. Excellence in art can, most of the time, weave redemptive messages and themes in its message. Many times, these themes show glimpses of God's Kingdom.

I am grateful for folks like Tim Stevens who write books like Pop Goes the Church. They make me confident that I do catch glimpses of redemption (and the content of this book makes me feel that I'm not crazy). I can see God in all of creation. I always have a choice to make, a picture to interpret, and a journey to experience. So, I wonder...what have you seen lately, either in a theater or in the comfort of your own home, that has spoken to you? What music have you been listening to that stirs your soul to something big? Maybe your experience points to something deeper...Maybe you can find traces of redemption in your own movie history...

Random quotes by my pregnant wife (part 1)

2010-01-26T18:48:00.003-05:00

Tonight, my wife made some statements that I found funny. Part of the humor here is that there is really no context...they just kind of "happened"...mostly in the car ride home from dinner.
I may have more in the future...I don't know. But for now, enjoy:

"I'm gonna need you to just love me while I'm wild and weird."

"We're gonna be parents like, forever."

"I'm gonna lean back and give the kid some room."

"I'm a lazy walker."

Just Asking...

2010-01-21T17:05:00.002-05:00

I am an a coaching network led by Tim Stevens at GCC that meets monthly until May (we began last fall). Today, we were talking about vision, and Mark Beeson was leading one of the discussions. He was talking about the excitement and thrill of answering the question" "What would it look like if God answered the prayers for the direction of our church?" We then discussed the notion of open sourced vision casting, per Mark's passionate descriptions.

I thought about that quite a bit since I heard it. I have digested it, and wonder, what WOULD it look like for God to answer not only the prayers for our church, but our community as well? What if we (the church) open sourced vision as the church to answer the prayers of the community around us? What if we listened to what they had to say? What if we leaned in past where we're comfortable? What if the Kingdom of God was more audible? What if we put our ear down to the ground and intentionally discovered a new rumble? What if we really organized our church in a way that brought the Kingdom of God and answered prayer?

One thing I am proud of regarding this whole discussion: our church is very involved in answering some prayers. I'm not indicating we do everything right, but we are definitely making a dent. We're housing the homeless this first week of February. If you go to ALC, you have an opportunity to make a dent. Volunteer...go here and let us know you're available. Just put your info along with "I want to help with Winter Relief" in the message box. We'll get in touch with you quickly.

What if? Open sourced visioning. Think about it!

Haiti

2010-01-14T18:32:00.008-05:00

Images show the crushed dreams and lives of a nation swallowed by devastation. Our prayers are with the Haitian people and so should our sacrificial support. Will you consider giving what you spend on one meal? That adds up to $18 Chinese take out for me and Shauna tonight. Pray about it, you may even give a week's worth of meals. It isn't more money being paid, it's more sacrifice.

You can give here at our ALC website. All contributions go directly to Convoy of Hope, who has an already strong presence on the ground (you can also give directly at their website). I have personally worked with Convoy events in the past, and have full confidence in their partnership. Make sure you indicate Haiti Relief in the giving information section. Of course, you can also visit organizations like World Relief and Red Cross. Anything you give to these orgs will be awesome.

I don't smoke marijuana and I don't want to...

2010-01-14T17:49:00.001-05:00

This is seriously one of the funniest clips I have seen in a while.
I love the final 3-4 secs.

Boundaries and Gratitude

2010-01-12T18:44:00.002-05:00

Happy new year. This is my first blog of 2010, and I have some high hopes. I feel like I am on the edge of something very cool...in every way.

I have never been very good at setting boundaries for myself, but I have done well with boundaries. Confused? Here's what I mean: I don't really disengage very well. My job and my home life seem to overlap a lot. And I am okay with that. I really can't segregate my life into different sections (husband, pastor, bill payer, sexy beast, etc.). I have to be the same person all the time. In the same way, though, I have become very good at (I believe) managing my time and setting boundaries regarding time with my wife and friends. I really think I have a great balance for me that makes no sense for anyone else. I really am happy with how it is all managed.

Now, let's throw a kid into the mix! In June, we'll welcome our little one into this world, and my boundaries are sure to be tested again. To set myself up for that, I am beginning a new habit regarding my time (thanks to some teaching by Craig G.): meetings that can't be scheduled during the work day are scheduled PRIOR to the work day...early mornings. I am two weeks into this new discipline, and (right now, anyway) I am really digging it. I am determined to make sure my son (or daughter) has a father in the evenings, and only I can hold that sacred. I am going to do my best!

Today, I had a great early morning meeting with DJ. DJ is our new director of arts at ALC. She is taking on the leadership of four major teams in Creative Arts. I am excited. DJ is solid, and I believe she will bring a fresh direction for us while affirming everyone around her...she is a natural nurturer.
So, I am grateful...this early morning thing has some good omens so far : )

And, again...Happy New Year twelve days late.

After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.
2 Corinthians 12:14

BTW, I hope Conan goes to FOX and makes millions.

Christmas Eve traditions and fusion

2009-12-24T14:28:00.002-05:00

I have a few random thoughts as we get ready to celebrate Christmas:

Empire Strikes Back is on Spike TV right now...was one of my fav movies as a kid, esp when Han Solo gets frozen
Our church has 2 great Christmas Eve Celebrations. I am really jazzed and looking forward to it. I have ben a part of Christmas stuff for church before, I am for real about this one. It is special.
Lately I have noticed the fusion of different things to create some awesome experiences: pumpkin cheesecake, coconut and chocolate, Candlelight and singing, friends and family, Sriachi hot sauce and anything, The Killers and Elton John, and Google Map navigation and my cell phone.
I have been consistent in my Bible reading as of late (thanks to my cell). The plan I am reading in has me in Job, Habakuk, and Revelation. Needless to say I am sick of hearing about God's judgment. I am a bit confused as to how to apply these words I have been reading (and I went to seminary, I know the context).
Darth Vader just told Luke he is his father.
After the first of the year, I have three huge things happening in the spring: travel for coaching network, plan for Easter, take 23 people to Kenya.
I am having a kid in June. Shauna and I are starting to agree on names (although she wont budge on Rocco).
I really don't like the new AT&T commercials with Luke Wilson.
I really do like the freecreditreport.com commercials, but I will never go to that website.
Our checking account was attacked. We need some prayer for resolution. We're grateful that we are OK regardless of the mean theives.
Shauna is more ADHD than me now. Pregnancy has officially made us the most ADHD couple on the face of the planet. Focus is laughable. God help our child LOL.
I work with some awesome people. Big shout outs to Missy, Kimberly, Kim, and Aaron...what a great last week in the office.
I work for a great leader. thanks, Dan for letting me lead and believing in me. Your advice and friendship makes this much more than a job.
I miss my family. Christmas is going to be a great recharge.
I want to see Avatar. I will see it this coming week. I may take a day and spend it at the movie theater. That woudl be awesome.
My sister is coming back with us to Baltimore. She's staying a week. I want to manipulate her to live with us and she knows it. She is very cool.
2009 showed me that God provides when I dont understand, snow can actually make a honda not move, and miracles happen everyday.
I am reading a Mark Steele book called Christianish and I really like it.
I am also reading Narcisistic Leadership and finishing Deliberate Simplicity. I got bored with George Carlin's autobiography with about 40 pages left. I doubt I will pick it back up. Was funny and good, just got too long and boring toward the end.
I really love my wife. I love her more than I did when we got married. I am glad she is going to be the mother of our children.
I am not checking this blog for typos.
I have watched a lot of good television over the past six weeks. The Office, Community, Man Vs Food, and Football have been awesome.
I lost to John Sheffield in the playoffs AGAIN in Fantasy Football even though I had a better team. No matter what he says, my team was better.
I am going to start running again once we get back to Balto. I had a good 12 weeks in a row of running 5 mornings a week. I need to get back on that wagon. I feel better when I work out.

I may not blog much over the holidays, but you can certainly keep up woth my short updates HERE and on FB. I like to post random pictures on there.

Taking risks is cool.
N

Blog repost: What girls can learn about love from twilight

2009-12-15T17:38:00.003-05:00

Thanks Kevin Harris...loved this recent post.
Here's the repost:

16 Unfortunate Lessons Girls Learn from Twilight

If a boy is aloof, stand-offish, ignores you or is just plain rude, it is because he is secretly in love with you — and you are the point of his existence.

Secrets are good — especially life-threatening ones.

It’s OK for a potential romantic interest to be dimwitted, violent and vengeful — as long as he has great abs.

If a boy tells you to stay away from him because he is dangerous and may even kill you, he must be the love of your life. You should stay with him since he will keep you safe forever.

If a boy leaves you, especially suddenly (while telling you he will never see you again), it is because he loves you so much he will suffer just to keep you safe.

When a boy leaves you, going into shock, losing all your friends and enduring night terrors are completely acceptable occurrences — as long as you keep your grades up.

It is extremely romantic to put yourself in dangerous situations in order to see your ex-boyfriend again. It’s even more romantic to remember the sound of his voice when he yelled at you.

Boys who leave you always come back.

Because they come back, you should hold out, waiting for them for months, even when completely acceptable and less-abusive alternative males present themselves.

Even though you have no intention of dating an alternative male who expresses interest in you, it is fine to string the young man along for months. Also, you should use him to fix things for you. Maybe he’ll even buy you something.

You should use said male to fix things because girls are incapable of anything mechanical or technical.

Lying to your parents is fine. Lying to your parents while you run away to save your suicidal boyfriend is an extremely good idea that shows your strength and maturity. Also, it is what you must do.

Car theft in the service of love is acceptable.

If the boy you are in love with causes you (even indirectly) to be so badly beaten you end up in the hospital, you should tell the doctors and your family that you “fell down the steps” because you are such a silly, clumsy girl. That false explanation always works well for abused women.

Men can be changed for the better if you sacrifice everything you are and devote yourself to their need for change.

Young women should make no effort to improve their social skills or emotional state. Instead, they should seek out potential mates that share their morose deficiencies and emotional illnesses.

Truly hilarious...good job, Kevin!

MVP

2009-12-13T15:09:00.004-05:00

Meet Carol (she's the lady on the right; Teresa is on the left). Carol does a lot at our church, ALC. She runs our entire Hospitality Community (in house services, coffee bars, first impressions, guest stuff, etc. etc. etc.). Carol has a lot of gifts: she's a singer, an actress, a great hostess, and a phenomenal leader. She is actually leading and consumed with a very big leadership role at our church.

This past weekend, our drama team took on a rather lengthy and important role in the message communication about Capturing the Moment (from Luke 10 story and Mary/Martha, go watch it here once it is posted around Tues/Wed). It was a drama involving two ladies and took about 12 minutes total. There was a lot of dialogue and nuanced interaction. Carol was not originally cast in this drama.

Sadly, this past Friday, one of the ladies that was cast has some emergency medical issues come up, and was not available after all the practices, blocking, and hard work. We're still praying for you, Tanya! We love you and trust that God is working out every detail for good! Many were asking about you and we are thinking about you!

This unfortunate situation put our communication this past weekend in quite the bind. After all, we were planning on this drama being a major piece to the message: everything was depending on each other (music, message, and drama working together). Tom, our drama director, called Carol on Friday night. He gave her the script, and less than 24 hours later, Carol stepped in and connected beautifully in each Celebration with a great performance that ministered to everyone. At the last Celebration, many around the room were wiping tears. It was so awesome to see how God spoke through all of the elements and people involved, but particularly, how Carol was able to capture a moment this weekend. By stepping in like she did, in the crisis mode and in learning the character, she is my MVP of the whole weekend. Awesome.

Lead with your ears...

2009-12-07T10:32:00.003-05:00

It was so much fun watching our band jam this past weekend in our Celebrations. We kicked off our Christmas series, and did so properly by celebrating and commnicating the good news of Jesus.

Along with some creativity, art, and an encouraging (and funny) message by Dan, it was a great weekend. My favorite times were the guitar solos, though. You gotta love a rocking, ears bleeding, extension of worship with a howling guitar! Great job, Rich!

"Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear."
James 1:18 (MSG)

Off the grid...

2009-11-25T17:16:00.003-05:00

Shauna and I are leaving for vacation tomorrow morning very early. We're looking forward to this so much. I am unplugging and going off the grid for the next week (no phone, laptop, notes, calendar, etc.).

I am so grateful for the team and leadership that don't really need me around anyway in order to do what they do.

Oh, and thanks a lot for all the well wishes on the baby we have on the way! All the kind words are so encouraging and awesome.

Until next week when we come back with pictures and a sunburn...
: )

June 20, 2010

2009-11-23T16:46:00.004-05:00

According to Shauna's doctor, this is the day we will expect our first child.
We're ten weeks pregnant. We've seen the heartbeat. We're excited. Our families know. We are grateful to God.

She's going to make a phenomenal mother.

Ecclesiastes 11:5
Just as you'll never understand the mystery of life forming in a pregnant woman, So you'll never understand the mystery at work in all that God does.

Aaron/ Music Director @ ALC

2009-11-23T11:59:00.004-05:00

Aaron is my friend. He also works with me and a few other people to lead the Creative Arts community at ALC. I watch him in action each weekend interact with his team and lead our ALC Celebrations with music. He is a very valuable leader for our team, and he does a great job at reminding me that ministry is supposed to be fun and normal. Here's some things I value about his leadership:

1. He demonstrates authenticity. He doesn't scream it out or value it publicly like a politician. He is quiet about it. He is raw. He is constantly bringing others in on the conversations of leadership and direction regarding our music. He has his values, and they are non negotiable. But it is a pretty wide open road when it comes to how he leads in pulling off those values. In fact, Aaron has actually been the catalyst for several out of the box methods, some of which he isn't proficient in pulling off. But that's ok, because none of what he does seems to be about him. I think that is cool.

2. He speaks the truth and not obsess over what I think. I suppose this goes back to the authenticity thing, but I consider this something more. I guess it is a confidence. Aaron does a remarkable job of removing his emotions for the good of the team, even when it is not in his best interest.

3. He works hard. Now, I know most musicians would prefer to wake up right before lunch, and Aaron, when he has the chance, is no different. BUT, that doesn't mean his work ethic is lacking. In fact, he works a lot backstage when no one knows he is there. Whether it's writing music or installing equipment or researching, he is engaged. This past weekend, he led three Celebrations in music, was a part of two long choir rehearsals, attended two major meetings with me, and is currently on his way to my house for another meeting where we have to make some tough decisions. AND, he is bringing Thai food for lunch. Did I mention Monday is usually his day off? (Short week=Thanksgiving)

4. He is dependable. I trust Aaron, and so do Chris and Jim (the others on our Creative Arts Directors Team). When Aaron says he will do something, he does it. He doesn't remind you he is doing it. He does it. This includes things he doesn't enjoy.

5. He asks questions. Aaron and I talk about our teams often. He asks questions, and is reading to broaden his learning and perspective with leadership.

Hebrews 13:7
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

It appears that Sears does care...

2009-11-20T23:33:00.002-05:00

Check out the email I just received:

Subject:

RE: Sears Cares / Nate Drye / Case # tbd / T.W.

Attachments:
View As Web Page

Dear Nate,

Thank you for the information. I have reviewed your account and would be happy to process a replacement washer for you. If you would like the same model, I am showing the first available delivery date is this Sunday, 11/22/09. This first available date can change depending on when we actually process the exchange but Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are also available for delivery next week.

Just let me know if you'd like the same model or if you prefer, you can select a different model. You would have the full amount you paid for this washer to apply to another washer. I will also need to confirm your delivery address before I process the exchange. I am showing 865 Chestnutview Ct., Baltimore, MD 21226.

Regards,

Tammy W.
Sears Cares - Senior Case Manager
Sears Holdings Corporation

I am pleasantly surprised, and extremely happy about this.
It appears that Sears cares.

Consumer Report: Negative Review of Sears follows...

2009-11-19T17:03:00.001-05:00

So, I had a horrible experience with Sears. Below is the letter that went to their corporate office, and one that I will paste in each consumer report I can find. I urge you to be careful when making large purchases at Sears. I won't be back.

Dear Sears,
I will do my very best to be brief. I will not be purchasing anything at your store or online any more. My wife and I purchased a great GE washer/dryer set last August (delivered Aug 21 as a matter of fact). And up until this past Sunday, Nov. 15, they both worked great. I am happy to say the dryer is functioning well, still. However, the washer would not spin the clothes.

I called the repair center and set up a time for a tech to come to the house. I was informed on the phone, and with two courtesy calls, the tech would arrive at my house on Thursday (today), Nov 19, between 8am and 12pm. I usually love being able to take a half day off from work, but my wife and I are traveling and will be out of the country starting Thanksgiving day, and I do have a lot to do. So, I worked from home this morning.

The tech arrived at 1:45pm. I called three times and was told a message would be relayed. After 20 minutes, the tech informed me that a part was needed, and it would arrive in 2-3 business days (at the latest, next Tuesday). I would then need to call and schedule another appointment, which could take 6-7 business days (Thursday and Friday being holiday next week). This solution does not help me to wash my clothes.

I let him know that was a bad plan for me. I purchased the washer/dryer to do a job, and it has broken WITHIN THE 90 DAYS RETURN POLICY I have been given. I want another washer. We can simply replace the washer. The tech informed me that I would have to call and set that up, he didn't have the authority to okay that move.

So I called. I spoke with two different ladies. The first one quickly transferred me to an "Escalated Representative." I vocalized my issue. She informed me that I had no choice but to wait for the part, and if I am unhappy, I can write a letter to the corporate office. Again, these solutions do not help me wash my clothes.

I then went to the Sears store I purchased the washer/dryer from. I talked with Scott (MOD). He talked on the phone with someone (his direct report, I believe). He did his best to get clearance to have another washer delivered so I could wash clothes. After all, I called in the problem before my 90 days return was over. Denied.

Scott then called and made the part shipment a priority with the warehouse, and told me he will try to next day this to my house and get the repair completed as quickly as possible. He apologized for Sears' policies and procedures, and basically did not defend his company when I said: "It seems Sears has my money and that they are more concerned about serving their processes and policies rather than me. No one has really cared that I have clothes to wash and I trusted Sears' products and services with my money to do that." Scott then did what he could do and gave me some money to wash my clothes before my wife and I leave the country next week. Scott heard me and did what he could do. Scott was awesome.

Sears, as a whole, has disappointed me. On Sears' corporate site, this statement is buried two clicks away from the home page: "Sears Holdings is committed to improving the lives of our customers by providing quality services, products and solutions that earn their trust and build lifetime relationships. In our associates we value teamwork, integrity and positive energy. Our culture is defined by a clear vision, mission, pace and values."

I officially call bullcrap. Scott, the manager on duty at the Marley Station Mall store in Glen Burnie lives up to that. But no one else at your organization, that I have interacted with, cares about that statement.

I will no longer walk into your store or come to your website. I was not heard by your "escalation department" (really? you really call it that? the mere fact that you have to have one of these says a lot), I was not valued by your policies or processes, and I was undermined and tricked into believing you were someone you cannot live up to becoming.

I sent this email in on the Sears.com website as well. I also sent a copy to GE. I do not care for a reply that let's me know I have been heard, for unless there is a genuine response that inquires and cares about the failing processes within your company then your communication with me is moot.

Maybe someone in middle management or someone that actually cares about the mission and vision of your corporation will read this. That is my hope.

I will also blog, face book, twitter, and paste this response with all my social networking sites (that's close to 1000 people in all who follow). Viral information is so cool.

Nathan Drye

Things I wrote down that Craig Groeschel said...

2009-11-17T11:32:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, our team got to sit and listen to Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel for a few hours talk about ministry. Aside from their awesome outline, I wrote down some other great quotes that I took in. Here are some I took from Craig's talks (he did two...)

Talk One: Busting Barriers with Mindset Changes

Your church will typically mirror your values
The secure and confident church is attractive
Limitations are the greatest breeding ground for innovation.
Buried in your limitations could be the greatest innovation to your church.
The difference between where you are and where you ought to be often involves pain.

Talk Two: Creating Personal and Spiritual Momentum

My greatest dark side has become one of the most significant strengths of our church.
The quickest way to forget what God says about us is to obsess about what people say about us (interchange me with those statements).
We don't delegate because of pride.
If you are healthy, your ministry will be healthy.
Your identity should not be wrapped up in your ministry/ produciton...when it is, that is a signal for deep repentance.
You should never pray more publicly than you do privately.
You can become a full time pastor and a part time follower of Jesus.

Things I wrote down that Andy Stanley said...

2009-11-17T11:16:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, our team got to sit and listen to Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel for a few hours talk about ministry. Aside from their awesome outline, I wrote down some other great quotes that I took in. Here are some I took from Andy's talks (he did two...)

Talk One: Gaining and Sustaining Momentum

We can never fill everyone's cup; but it is our job to make sure we are emptying our own.
A good question is not WHY isn't God blessing my ministry..a good question is WHAT is God blessing? This indicates where the momentum of our ministries is taking us.
Minor improvements don't trigger momentum.
Tweaking the old does not create momentum.
If cost is an issue, then you are probably doing too much.
Why on earth would you continue to fund mediocre?!?
Everything you do and every thing your church does is already being evaluated every week...
There is no such thing as auto pilot in great churches.
There is automatic resistance to new, improved, and improving.
If you are committed to momentum you will make mistakes.
Evaluation has to be a part of your systems.
Momentum thrives on chaos.
Anything that reduces friction reduces momentum (that's a big statement!).

Talk Two: Don't Be That Couch

Quit making excuses for things you are emotionally tied to.
Read The Dip by Seth Goden.
Read Why the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins.
What is it that you have to announce that you are not excited about?!?
If you could push a magic button and something could disappear...lol
No one ever feels called to a model.
Date/ fool around with your programming, but marry your mission.
Jesus never gave us the great model; we can figure that out. He gave us the great commission.
Don't ever waste God's money on a bad idea!

Wow...social media seems to have taken over

2009-11-12T21:46:00.003-05:00

I discovered this vid on Kem Meyer's blog...kind of ironic that I share it now.
Think traditional communication hasn't evolved? Think again...

thanks, Kem...keeps me thinking...

Church FAQs Promo Spot #3

2009-11-08T18:37:00.002-05:00

Ok, here's the last run that we did last weekend at ALC. If I receive enough feedback, I may post some of the outtakes.

Can't see the forest for the trees...

2009-11-07T13:26:00.002-05:00

I have heard that statement many times over the past week. Here's a great blog entry by Ben Decker regarding communication weeds.

sermon notes circa 1940s (?)

2009-11-05T21:28:00.004-05:00

Here are some sermon notes from a sermon my grandpa preached around the 1940's...I must say, I am quite impressed with typed notes!

It is a message on salvation: a good old fashioned hell, fire, and brimstone message to be sure!

Also, my grandfather was a Baptist minister. Here is his marriage license...married by a WOMAN in 1942. lol. A little ironic, dont-cha think?

Thanks for marrying my grandparents, Ella!

Like walking from one room into the next...

2009-11-03T13:30:00.007-05:00

My grandfather died today.
He has been ill.
He has aged well.
I am happy to know that he isn't suffering, that he is experiencing the hope he preached about in the back towns and countryside camp meetings of his Baptist roots. My mom, 3 aunts, and one uncle are grieving much. This was there last living parent.

BUT:
According to the Bible, we don't grieve like a person who has no hope (I Thess 4:13). We still grieve, we still have pain, and we still hurt. But we have hope. We shouldn't grieve as if this is the end.

What we consider loss is only temporary, for the end of this life is but a beginning of being wholeness, of clinging to the hope we have heard about over and over again. No, death is simply like walking from one room into the next.

Promo vids #2...i think it is funny

2009-10-29T12:32:00.004-04:00

Ok, so here is our week 2 promo...I gave props in the last post.
Any problems watching the vid? Go to the original post
@ natedrye.com
If you laugh, let me know...

A little Conan, a little recycle, a lotta fun...

2009-10-21T12:25:00.004-04:00

We have a new series coming up mid-November called, Church FAQs. Basically, we want to answer threatening questions people may have about our church, ALC. Questions like: why did you play a Michael Jackson song? what happens to my money after I put it in the offering bag thing? what does this church believe about the virgin birth? what do you see happening here in the next 2-3 years?

Those are just samples, but we're allowing everyone to ask a question via our website, text, email, or just easy paper and pen style with a connection card. So, we have some short video promos to promote the series. We sat down some of our church leaders (myself included) and had them volunteer ALC Secrets.

It may not be what you think, but here ya go:
(if you can't view the video, watch in the original post at www.natedrye.com)

So, whatcha think? More to come soon...

My dog ran away a lot...

2009-10-19T21:36:00.003-04:00

When I was a young boy, I had a dog that ran away a lot. I can't really say that I blamed him. His name was Scruffy, and I was a bad dog owner. I didn't walk him, I kept him on a chain in the back yard, I whined when I was told to feed him, blah blah blah. Elementary school children learn responsibility in very odd ways.

When Scruffy ran away, it like he was running for sweet freedom. Seriously, you would have thought he was a POW that finally caught a break. I couldn't catch him. I don't even know why/how he "got loose." He always seemed to break free around the first day of school, oddly enough (lol).

It always irked me that he ran so hard once he was free. But then again, why wouldn't he? I was a horrible care giver. My mom pretty much cared more about Scruffy than me. She just MADE me do the right things and take responsibility. She would always say the same things to me: "He will stop running if you stop chasing him. And if you actually let him go, he may come back on his own." And he did...Scruffy always came back. He didn't come back because of me, though. I am convinced of that. Honestly, I still can't figure out why he would come back.

Responsibility is funny. Not in a lol kind of way, either. When it is forced on you, you're frustrated all the time and disdain the pressure (like me and Scruffy). When you take it willfully, like in a job, you are consistently trying to relieve the pressure by owning your role. There is a lot to be said about actually owning responsibility, especially when it comes to following Jesus, and in leading others on the same path.

I think that, as the church of Jesus, we have a tremendous responsibility: to own our roles as followers of Jesus in a way that leads those around us into a deeper connection to Him. Whether we sing, teach, serve, or smile...we are compelled to do so in a way that draws attention to Jesus. Think about that. If we actually do that, we may think that it is important that we value and prioritize, and, dare I say, lead with our actions when it comes to our actions as a Christ follower (some people would call this ministry).

We should at least conduct ourselves in a manner where other people will not want to ever "run far far away." I think love may play a factor here.

^15-17Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way. (Colossians 3:17, The Message)

Questions

2009-10-12T20:08:00.007-04:00

At our church, we're in the middle of a series called, Faith FAQs. In this series, we're fielding question via text message. We are in the second week of this, and, I must admit, I am having so much fun with it. I love questions.

BUT, we have a great question asked this past weekend that really intimidated me. Not because of the question so much, but because of the emotion I knew was resting on the other side of how it needed to be answered. Dan (our Lead Pastor) had one the best responses I could have imagined. Watch this and see if you agree...

You can watch the podcasts and be involved in this series, even if you can't be there in the building. Go to our church's website (abundantlifechurch.us), ask a question at the website (faithfaqs.com), or text in your question and hopefully watch the podcasts and maybe it will be answered (text ALC + your question to 47201).

Lastly, this blog is fed into other sites, if the video doesn't feed in correctly, go to my original blog page to watch it (natedrye.com).

Old guys @ Strarbucks

2009-10-09T10:31:00.005-04:00

So, I went to Starbucks earlier this morning to get some writing accomplished. Let's just say I got distracted. I really wish I could have taken a live, in the moment picture or even video, but it would have been too weird.

Let me explain, there are 4 old guys (Aaron and I refer to them as crotchety old men, and we want to be crotchety old men one day as well) that are ALWAYS sitting at this table.
They are Vets...they are funny...and, when I have the opportunity to eavesdrop on them, it is hard not to just laugh along with them. Basically, I am quite impressed with the range of their conversation this morning. I was so impressed, I kept track of the topics as they were talking. You may be equally impressed (disturbed, amused, entertained...). Here ya go:

8:58 AM. They were already in discussion as I sat down with my coffee about Obama winning the Nobel peace prize.
-"He deserves that about as much as you deserved your second wife."
-"He only won it because he lost that Olympics award."
-"They never give that prize to anybody who does anything anyway."
-"Now if Obama had created the Starbucks new Sanka Instant crap I could understand it. That stuff will bring people together." (followed by much laughter)
9:20ish AM. The discussion then moved to different things about Obama and the Republican Party.
-"If Obama were a Republican, he would probably change his middle name like Reagan did."
-"Obama's middle name is no big deal...people need to get over it like they did Reagan's divorce history."
-"I tell ya if Reagan were still alive he would have won the Nobel Peace Prize." (much agreeing and affirmation)
-"The problem with the Republican party is that they don't have anyone to rally around....like Reagan"
930ish AM. Here is where it gets really fun...
-"Brittney Spears got partial custody of her kids, I heard."
-"About time! You can't separate a kid from his momma."
-"She's had her issues but I think she is a good girl where it counts." (mutual nodding of heads)
-"I think she is a Republican, too!" (for real, this was said, and no one challenged the statement...priceless)
940 AM. They started talking about a friend of theirs, Charity, who apparently is recently divorced and going through a custody battle of her own.
-"Ya know, Charity should really look into getting a lawyer like Brittney Spears'."
-"They're both great gals: young, pretty...got their whole lives ahead of them."
-"I told Charity that she needs to look out for these crazy guys...her and Brittney both got bit by the same love bug, I guess."
-"Yeah, that bug of bad choices."
-"I bet the Nobel Prize committee got bit by that bug when they chose Obama!" (much laughter and nodding of heads)
10AM ish (last convo before they left). The convo turned to their coffee, their wives, and ended full circle with Obama.
-"I really hate Via."
-"Why is that?"
-"Cause my wife thinks I don't need to come out here for coffee when I can make what I like at home."
-"Just tell that (nice woman) that she has scissors and can cut her own hair, then!"
-"Don't call my wife a (nice woman)!"
-"Oh shut up, I ain't got time for a lecture from you about how to treat a woman." (laughter, except for husband)
-"My wife voted for McCain last year (last year?!?)...he wouldn't have ever won a peace prize!" (much laughter and agreement)
-"Yeah, but I am still glad I voted for Obama." (then they got up and left...with that statement being said as they stood up and walked out together)

SO, I was entertained by them. There was much more said in the conversation, but I only typed out what i thought was funny when I could hear it. Hopefully, they read my blog...lol.

And on another random note...I wore a tie recently:

A late response...

2009-10-08T09:49:00.004-04:00

I have seen your tweets, your status updates, and your blogs about this, and, I suppose, this one won't be as timely. But my response is to people who say they follow Jesus. You see, I watched the same youtube videos, hulu, huffington post... And I witnessed the audience react to the news.

Wait, maybe you didn't see it. Watch this:

There, in under two minutes, now you are somewhat up to speed.

Like I said, I have read your tweets, your updates, your blogs... and quite honestly, I am disgusted on a few levels. Here is my response to more than the video:

Letterman did bad things. And Clinton did bad things. In fact, bad things are done all the time. However, many folks don't tweet, or update, or blog until those bad things have to do with some type of sexual bad thing. The internet was bubbling with ecstasy when Ted Haggard finally came forward. We (our culture, both on the left and the right) are obsessed with sex.
The audience at Letterman's taping celebrated that behavior with laughter and applause. We (humans) joke about and laugh with the ongoing stigmas that we watch on SNL, The Soup, VH1, ET, ad nauseum... I think (and I am probably wrong) that he was brilliant in the fact that he disclosed everything. His humor style (self deprecation) leads to this full disclosure, if you think about it.
Not many people were shocked or surprised at his confession. Many of you (and you know who I am talking about) made that abundantly clear in your judgmental tweets, updates, and blogs. This made me angry. I could write and get on my own soap box, but that would be unwise. You are bad, too (or so says I John 1:8); don't tweet, update, or blog about someone else's badness in a self righteous way, please.
And then there is the audience's LIVE reaction to Letterman's news of applause and laughter. Many of you, my Christ loving friends, have made it a point to respond to their reaction with disgust, out right judgment, anger, intolerance, and societal embarrassment. Many of the tweets, updates, blogs had the statement: "It is sad that Letterman fans applauded and laughed with him about his sin." (Or something like that)
I have a theory (it is probably wrong): I think our culture laughs nervously and celebrates the idea of "celebrity" being human (depraved). Anytime we can connect to the celebrity, the other, the image, we love it. Therefore, I believe the laughter and applause is a connection that says to the celebrity, "Thanks for being bad like us. We know you are human. Keep making us laugh so we don't have to endure the pain of our bad choices. We're here for you."
With my theory, I think the conversation concerning the audience's reaction is elevated past the surface of celebrating bad behavior. It is camaraderie, connection, and our very deep need to know we are not alone and that we are not the only bad people. This does not make the bad things being done okay, but it does make sense of the reactions.
I think the reaction is yet another outcry for connection to something bigger...and anticipation of something, if you will (Romans 8:18-20). And with this thinking, it makes me want to share the human connection of Jesus more and more. If people connect to Jesus (God, perfect, the other, celebrity out of reach feeling of a person), their reaction is likely to be one of applause and laughter followed by authentic life connection.

So, in essence, how should we respond? I have expressed my aggravation with what I have read, but am I wrong to be aggravated? I think we should ask more questions and elevate the conversations past ourselves when we react to each other (each of us, God's creation...even the people laughing in the Letterman studio). We should get to know each other more and peel back these surface discussions to reveal something deeper. We are all bad people. We all need a magnificent rescue. We all desire a connection to something greater and bigger. I cannot, for the life of me, understand how we are having that conversation when we (as followers of Jesus) continue to tweet, update, or blog our self righteous illusions. Tell me I am judgmental and bad, I am cool with that. Believe me, I know. But don't respond to this out of anger. Have a real response with a real opinion about what I said.

Wait, last thing: what if we were angry and reacted to injustice and things that made a difference where we live? I suppose this conversation is cyclical...like from the 80s lol

There, any thoughts?

Wanted: Leaders

2009-10-06T18:58:00.003-04:00

You will notice the absence of pictures, here...but there are lots here if you need to look at some.

There is a passage in James (that is pretty harsh altogether in its context; chapter 4), that basically says "you have not because you ask not." Another golden nugget in this book (chapter 1) is: "he who doubts is like a wave of the sea..."

I have learned a lot about myself and leadership since I began the journey into ministry. One thing I always noticed is how we (in ministry) are always looking for high capacity leaders with great chemistry, sacrifice, and buy in. It is a tall and great need, but, truth is, it's valid. Over the past 18mos, I have been fortunate to be a part of the leadership at ALC, and the story here is similar: we need high capacity leaders with great chemistry, sacrifice, and buy in. Church wide, we have several key leadership positions that need to be filled. We have prayed, been irritated, confused, and hopeful. It has been a learning experience for me to watch and be a part of the process. And guess what, there seems to be some shreds of light regarding some leadership and buy in...maybe even some chemistry, too!

It seems like a no brainer, but one of the ways we actually began to attract and begin conversations with high capacity leaders with great chemistry, sacrifice, and buy in (YES, I WILL CONTINUE TO USE THAT ENTIRE PHRASE THROUGHOUT), was the simple act of communicating the need to our community. Simple, huh? A blurb in the program, simple conversations, and job descriptions. And the words ring out in my head: you have to ask...you don't have because you don't ask. It's so simple. See, in my mind, I need to magically (because all my thinking usually begins with me) seek out the needles in the massive haystack of our community... the thought of simple communication may be too chaotic! (sarcasm, fyi)

So that is it: simple communication. Sure, there may be some conversations with people who aren't ideal for the job, but I remember that God used a stuttering senior citizen to negotiate and lead millions out of Egypt, an adulterer to hoist the title "man after God's heart", and a murdering religious leader to write most of the New Testament. I am confident that discernment and God conversations will help sort out the bad eggs (again, sarcasm).

There are many more leadership needs we have at ALC, especially in Creative Arts. And, until right now, I can't remember vocalizing those (Creative Arts) needs outside the conversations with a few trusted leaders. In a way, it kind of feels selfish. I wonder who may answer the call when it is made clear and public? It is kind of scary.

Here are three big picture leadership needs we have in Creative Arts. Pray about these, please. What would happen if you connect with one of these as you read the descriptions? Whether you are a part of our ALC community or not, would you just say a prayer for our needs? Like I said, Creative Arts isn't the only place where leaders are needed, but...we're asking.

1. Director of the Arts Community:
-The main expectation of this leader is to bring cohesiveness to the arts community in Creative Arts at ALC (this includes leading the direction of four main teams: set design/ concept artists, graphic designers, dancers, and drama teaml and each of these teams already have dedicated leaders). The responsibilities include: a bi-weekly Directors Meeting, lead a monthly team leaders meeting (for the team leads of the 4 arts teams above), drive creativity and edgy thinking in our brainstorming (MUST have an edge to your personality), and be able to hang out over coffee and have spiritual conversations (both in accountability and in pastoring others).
2. Video Design Director/ Associate Director of Production:
-The main expectation of this leader is to own and cast vision for video creation and editing for all of Creative Arts. We have a studio already designed for you with CS4, a tricked out iMac, audio mixer, and comfy couches (no flourescent lighting allowed). We also have 3 good cameras, one HD mini, a portable audio solution for shoots, and GBs galore for archiving. We want to put together a green screen, but we need a great reason (you). This person needs to come along side our Production Director and own projects. We will bail you out of jail occasionally should you become too enthusiastic with your filming (but don't tell anyone). For real, though...this position promises no money outright, lots of free coffee, as much training as you can stand, occasioanal meals, and the coolest office at the church campus. Ideally, we see a young adult (17-24) filling this role. If you are older or younger, that isn't necessarily bad...
3. Kenya Team Leader for Arts Team:
-We are taking 3 teams to Kenya in 2010: a team of medical professionals, a team for a documentary creation, and a team that will conduct a creative arts day camp in the middle of Mathare Valley. We need a leader for that last team. Main responsibilities include: keeping up with your team internationally (passports, airports, stuff like that...organization a must), the ability to be flexible in the African community, develop and lead a day camp for kids (ages 0-21), have meetings leading up to the trip (with the team leads), and pay for your own trip. As you can see, it is a glorious role...but it will be life changing. Also, we expect you to be involved with and invested in our Creative Arts community at ALC (whew...this one is a biggie). The trip is April 5-16, 2010.

There ya go...I am curious to know what youre thinking. Are you a high capacity leaders with great chemistry, sacrifice, and buy in?

Interested? Email me and let's talk about it: ndrye@abundantlifechurch.us