getting back into reality

Welp, i am officially (kind of) back from Christmas Vacation. I managed to keep away from email for a whole week, and really the internet as a whole. I had a good vacation and now experience the classic "hangover" from a week of chillin' (i have to return to being a responsible youth pastor once again). When I was in school, it could take me up to two weeks to get back into the swing of things (studying or at least trying to study, and attending classes) after a long Christmas break. I am hoping to be revved up and ready to go (again, to be a youth pastor) after I get back from the Rose Bowl, which, by the way, I leave for tomorrow!!! CALIFORNIA HERE I COME!!!

New Book

I just picked up a new book called "The Blue Parakeet" by Scot McKnight, a New Testament Bible scholar. the premise of the book is to answer the question: "How are we to live out the Bible today?" McKnight's goal is to reshape how we read and interpret the Bible, being sure to steer clear of too conservative and too liberal interpretations of Scripture, hoping to land somewhere in the middle. We will see (i am only 40 or so pages in).

Thus far, the book is very good. Though i do not think i will agree with everything he will say (i have read some of his stuff previous and he can be a little sketchy at times), i love how he words things. He has a way of bringing you to those "aha" moments. McKnight will definitely make you think. This book will stretch you, possibly aggravate you, and also encourage you all at the same time.
I recommend it to anyone who desires to have a deeper understanding of how we can apply Biblical principles in today's culture.

New Year's Resolution

I am not one for New Year's resolutions since I'm so driven and goal oriented anyway. Beside, nothing really comes of them. However, this morning i was in the office of one of our Pastor's chatting it up and he expressed that he reads through the Bible every year. His wife spoke up and said that he has done this ever since his first year in ministry. That would be a whopping TWENTY FIVE YEARS!!! Needless to say, i was slightly impressed. To consistently read the Bible from cover to cover for that long is a great achievement.

In this middle of this conversation, i came to the realization that i have never read the Word cover to cover...never. so, i decided to give it a shot this year. Going to call it my New Year's Resolution. It is officially my first year in ministry, therefore i will start blazing my trail by reading the whole Bible for all its worth. Wish me favor!!

empty words

I am about to be on my merry way to Panera Bread for a study session and a delicious caramel latte. but before i do this, i will stop by the "Christian book store" that is conveniently next door to pick up a book for my dad's Xmas present. whenever i pay and walk out the door, without fail the lady behind the counter will say "God Bless" to me. i smile politely and wish her a good day.
This makes me think every time. words can become ignorantly routine and ritual.

I made up my mind a long time ago to avoid being cliche with my words. All too often we (me included. though i made up my mind to avoid it doesn't mean i always do. after all, i do tell the lady at the book store to have a good day) say things without really thinking about what it is we are saying. even worse, we sometimes do not mean what we say. for instance, many people wish someone a good weekend when in reality they could care less if it sucks or not. furthermore, we ask someone how their week was going but really do not want to get into a conversation about it even though we asked. It is just a common, or cliche, courtesy that is anticipated from most people.
When someone has a phrase or something they say all the time to people, i wonder if it has become a routine (like "God Bless") and in the process loses a touch of true authenticity. Words are powerful. They have the ability to build up (and destroy as well). But words can lose their meaning and effectiveness if we allow them to become routine. They just become empty, and that is no good to anyone.

The best fast food ever

Last Saturday evening, i was craving a juicy chicken sandwich. Thus, i decided to grab a Chic 'Fil a. as i rolled into the drive-thru, the young gentleman greeted me with a dash of authenticity in his voice by saying "welcome to chic 'fil a, how can we serve you this evening?" i was dumbfounded! SERVE me? why, you can get me a delicious chicken sandwich. As i pulled up to the window to pay, a teenager (not the same guy who took my order) greeted me with a smile and asked me how my evening was going...all before asking me for my money!!! I said "good" and gave him the credit card. as i received my sandwich, the kid thanked me for choosing to eat at chic 'fil a and wished me a good weekend!

I am not going to lie, because that would insult your intelligence; that was the best fast food experience i have ever had! my dinner tasted a little better because of the service! Chi 'Fil a has it down; they Get It!! It is all about others!!! Why can Chic 'Fil a afford to close up shop every Sunday? Because they value the customer every other day of the week, so much that people will gladly spend their money on a Chic 'Fil a fast food chicken sandwich, even if it is a dollar and a half more expensive than a T-Bell burrito or chicken sandwich at Mickey D's. they understand this concept of being others-centered.

This is something we as the Church have missed. OH if we could grab a hold of this art!! I once heard John Maxwell say that "the church is the only place where people are treated poorly and expected to come back next week." There is no doubt in my mind that if our churches acted like a hospital for the hurting and diseased (something Jesus modeled for us with great efficiency: Mark 2:13-17 and Luke 19:1-27, with emphasis on verse 10) rather than a country club for the privileged few, we would not be able to get everyone through the doors of our churches!
I have always said that i am not the least bit interested in "maintaining the flock", but rather passionately strive to empower redeemed sinners (Christ-followers) to seek and to serve the broken, lonely, and hopeless in our neighborhoods and world. Our job is to do everything within our power to accomplish such things. I hope to be apart of the solution to the dilemma of what i call insider syndrome, where all we care about it making the right "church people" happy (to put it generally). i want to be externally-focused; others-centered, just like a famous fast food chain named Chic 'Fil a, and a glorious savior named Jesus (Yeshua) Christ...my Master and friend.

Too Mighty

i was reading the Bible this morning (something we pastors should do from time to time) and i ran across Psalm 18. verses 16 and 17 particularly jumped out:

16 He sent from on high, he took me; He drew me out of many waters. 17 He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

As a young youth pastor, i have come to the realization that everything put in front of me is way too mighty for conquering outside of Jesus' help. teaching, meetings, serving, leading, giving, pouring time, energy, and ability into a ministry; challenging leaders, teenagers, and parents. These are just a few of the all-encompassing responsibilities of the minister. grant it, they are not the enemies David was speaking of in this Psalm, however, they can be just as overwhelming and frightening to say the least.

Now, AS A MAN it is tough to admit that you cannot handle something; that you need help and are overpowered...overwhelmed. It takes a special prayer like this one, admitting the need for help and a rescuer, because life is way too mighty for an individual to "handle" on one's own. And the good news is: God Desires To Be our Rescuer, our Redeemer, Our Fortress, Our Rock, and help.
Boy i am glad we are not alone in this life! (read the beginning verses of Psalm 18 to get a good perspective on what is going on in verses 16 and 17. if you dare).

Book review, "The Last Lecture."

i am enjoying my time reading at my favorite starbucks spot on my well needed day-off, a ritual that i have come to love within the past 3 months. not but three weeks ago, my lead pastor handed me his copy of a book by the name of "the Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. his words were crystal clear: "try not to write in it." easy enough right? wrong! this is a great book about a man who has captured a nation and quite possibly the world, as he chronicles his life with the realization that it will soon be taken from him by the Pancreatic cancer he has contracted. this authentic, funny, and inspiring autobiography is written with tact and will touch even the most calloused of hearts. i have thoroughly enjoyed Pausch's wit and insight, guiding his reader through the different chapters of his world and challenging us to never take for granted the time and lives we have been given.

This is an easy, short, and yet profound read that will have you struggling to put it down and refrain from crying at the same time. pick it up and be inspired to live life with no stop signs.

Leadership is hard

Many wise people have said, "Leadership is difficult." I knew this before i was considered a "leader" and i now know this from a practical standpoint. Good leadership is engaging one's self into the Art of Balance: free time, work time; teaching (in my case) students, training volunteers and staff, creating safe, fun, and healthy environments, managing skills, empowering and equipping people to reach their potential, finding avenues where people can do these and making sure the "avenues" are running well. So much has takes place. Great leadership is hard work. Doing a few things great is not a cake walk. I cannot imagine how some/many leaders lead and manage fifty different things at once within their organization or ministry or whatever. The idea of balance, for me, is doing a few things (that means saying "NO" a lot) and doing those things with excellence.
We (my leadership team and i) are in the process of figuring out what those few things, for us, are and we are having a blast doing it!! I am enjoying the hard and tedious work of leading a group of people who want to see change in a youth ministry that hasn't seen much happen in the past year or so. Just thought i would fill everyone in.

"coffee" review

just thought i'd give a shout out to one of the Starbucks' Holiday favorites: the Expresso Truffle.

i must say, i love this drink. i am am told that all they do is add a couple of shots to their signature hot chocolate. wow wow, it is just splendid! be still my heart!

anyway, while i'm at it, if you are one who hits up the "Bucks" a couple days a week like yours truly does (mainly because there is no "hip" non-corporate coffee place anywhere near me!! i'm not bitter or anything), i would highly suggest you invest in the starbucks gold card. the rewards are worth it! two hours of free wifi everyday, and all kinds of discounts on drinks and many other things. if you ask me, it is well worth the 25 green backs. Ballin'!!!!!!

a prayer request

for all the millions of people who read this (did you sense the sarcasm?), i have a, what will seem like meager, prayer request. so here it is:

Many people know that i am a huge USC football fan, and yet have never been to a game. well, one of my life goals is to go to a bowl game with my Father in which USC is a participant.
this just might happen...IF, USC beats UCLA this saturday. yes, i have two Rose Bowl tickets on their way into my hands and my dad and i are going to Pasadena if the Trojans beat the Bruins. i will repeat, If my USC Trojans beat the UCLA Bruins this Saturday, i will cross off yet another life goal of mine by attending the USC vs. Penn State Rose Bowl match-up. Your prayers for USC's victory is MUCH APPRECIATED :)

thank you. i love you all.

Road Retards

i am just going to vent for a couple seconds here...since i can't afford therapy, this is going to have to do...

so, there are some tiny snow flurries today (which i was, surprisingly, delighted to see) which in turn makes it a tad bit nippy out, which in turn makes the roads a little slick.
anyway, i am driving to the office today, on my day off, to tie up some loose ends since i was not in wednesday through sunday. as i am driving, an old small brown honda civic is about to turn out of a burger king driveway into my lane, when the dude driving the friggin car skips looking to his left and proceeds into my lane.
now, being the good california driver that i am, notice this genius and anticipate what is about to happen from about 50 to 60 feet away. I slam on my breaks (which didn't matter because if you recall, the roads are a little slick) and conveniently honk my horn as i slide up just behind him...thankfully not destroying his puny excuse for a car. NOW, This is what ticks me off:

1. the guy didn't even try to see if a car was coming. all he had to do was turn his head rather than adjust the radio. There was just an assumption made on his part...and we all know what that does.
2. HOW COULD YOU MISS MY CAR?!?!?! it is a lifted, white, Toyota 4Runner SUV!! even if the dude didn't look, there is a good chance he could have seen me coming.
3. He didn't even attempt to APOLOGIZE!!! he just went about his merry way. disregards the fact that my monster SUV could have chewed him up and swallowed him whole, no need to spit out anything (i know i'm being a little dramatic. i will apologize to all who are irritated at this point). BUT, the dude didn't do anything! so, i'm thinking: "i should have plowed right into him. woulda taught him a lesson and i would have been covered because it was his fault. plus, my SUV would have had very little damage." but that is not a good motive.....i think :)

now, i don't get as worked up if someone checks all angles, makes sure things are clear and just flat out doesn't see you. BUT, this guy didn't even look!! that, in my opinion, is flat out stupid. how does a person not look into oncoming traffic? absurd.....
does anyone else have a similar story, or am i unique on this?

thank you for putting up with my frustration. I now digress.