My Super Bowl Ad Favs

By far, Doritos had the best ads. Here are some of my favorites!

Some of my other favorites.

Watching The Super Bowl In An Airport

Each year people put together Super Bowl parties. They get all kinds of game-day food. Things like pizza, wings, nachos, anything fried, all kind of good, healthy, junk food. they get their teams gear like jerseys, hats, face paint. A lot of people even go out and buy a new TV. (wouldn’t that be nice!) People work real hard so that their Super Bowl viewing (or Super Bowl commercial viewing) is a great experience.

How would you like to watch the Super Bowl in an airport restaurant? Well, in 2002, I did.

2002 was my senior of college. I was wrapping up my college career (at that point) and was looking for a job. Through some interesting circumstances I ended up sending my resume to Fairmount Christian Church in Mechanicsville, VA. Things went along in the interview process and they decided they wanted to fly me out for an interview, to preach at their youth worship service, and to meet the elders. It just so happened that it was Super Bowl weekend.

Well, the rest of the whole interview/job hiring part is, as they say, history. But as I sit here 8 years later, I never thought this (life, job, family) is where I’d be. Growing up, Mechanicsville was my family’s dinner stop on the way to Harrisonburg to visit my grandma. We’d eat at the Friendly’s (until it disappeared). I never thought, this is wear I would live and minister.

When I was in high school and thinking about what I wanted to do with my life and even when I was in college. I never thought I would one day be wrapping up my 8th year at Fairmount. Towards the end of my time in college I had other plans that didn’t work out. Even during the summer before my senior year, one of Fairmount’s staff members suggested that I apply for the position. But that didn’t fit my plan. (so much for my plan )

So, Super Bowl Sunday is a special day for me. Sure, I’ll enjoy the game (I’m more excited about this year’s game than I have been in a while!). I’ll laugh at the commercials. I’ll eat too much food. But this day is a special one for me because each year it reminds me…

• Don’t limit God

• Don’t be surprised when His plan works and yours doesn’t

• Don’t stop following Him to the next adventure

I’m Gonna Be An Uncle!

Beth and I are so excited that Dave and Jennifer (Beth’s brother and his wife) are going to be adopting a baby boy! It’s been a tough and an interesting ride for them and it’s not over yet. I never knew a lot about the adoption process, but through watching from a distance, I’ve learned that it can be pretty overwhelming and difficult at times. But Dave and Jen have been blessed with this great opportunity.

They are going to name him Nathan (he’ll go by Nate). We’re really excited that Brennen will get to grow up with a cousin of the same age!

You can read all about the adoption and the details leading up to on Jennifer’s blog. Also, you can help Dave and Jen by donating towards their adoption on their page (I never knew how expensive it was to adopt!). So, go over there and check it all out! We can’t wait to meet the little guy!

Church Leadership & Pepsi

There are pretty much 2 schools when it comes to soda (colas, that is). You’re either a Coke person or you’re a Pepsi person. I use to go back and forth between the two until I realized that my love for soda was being reflected in my growing waistline. So, I went diet and landed on Diet Pepsi. I’ve been a Diet Pepsi nut for years (my gamertag for Xbox Live is dietpepsiaddict). I LOVE Diet Pepsi. But beyond the taste, I really am a big fan of Pepsi and I think that as a church leader I can learn 3 big things from Pepsi.

1. They’ve stayed committed to the original recipe of Pepsi Cola even while developing other new drinks.
-The Church must stay committed to the essential message of God’s Word.

2. They’ve stayed current. Pepsi is the drink of the new generation. While staying committed to the core of their recipe, they are always looking for new ways to connect their product to a new generation.
-We can never let the world see the message of Jesus’ love as being something that’s just for their parents and not new enough or real enough for them. We must always work to package the essential truths of the Gospel in new ways to connect with new people

3. They recognize that there’s more to the world than just soda. This year instead of spending money of Super Bowl ads, Pepsi is investing $20 million of grant money in projects in 6 different categories. Instead of commercials, they’ll be using social media to get the word out. (thanks to Collide Mag for that)
-The church needs to remember that there is more to the Christian life than Sunday mornings. We need to have eyes that focus out of our pews and into our communities.

Punxsutawney Polamalu

The Flu–I Think

So, I’m sitting around at home for the second day in a row. Yesterday was a pretty rough day. It started at 6:30 and I just wanted someone to shoot me. I’m doing better today but I still feel gross. I’m sick of sitting around and watching tv but I can’t really do much of anything else.

I’ve had some people asking how I was doing so I thought I’d just give a little update. Can’t do too much typing since my head is starting to hurt while I’m doing this.

To Save A Life Review

Last night I saw To Save A Life with a few of my high schoolers and some sponsors. We were supposed to go skiing/snowboarding but with the pending winter storm, we figured it wasn’t a good idea to try to drive a 40 passenger bus through the mountains when there was the possibility of snow.

I’ll admit that I’m usually not too excited about “Christian” movies because they typically don’t have the greatest story line or acting. But this one was a pleasant surprise. It was a pretty predictable story but it was done well.

To Save A Life hits some of the biggest issues that teens are facing today:
…acceptance…family issues…sex…alcohol…decisions about their future…God…depression…drama…

It seemed like everyone that saw the movie connected with it in some way.

For my, there were 2 big things…
1. Evangelism: In the movie, a local youth youth minister ends up connecting with a student and makes a huge impact in this kid’s life just by loving him and doing his best to bring truth and God into his life. I need more of this. So often saved students become my focus. It’s easy to connect deeper with teens who share the same passion for God that I have. But as Jesus said, “it is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick”. I’m not the doctor, but I know who to help people find Him.
2. Reminder: This movie was a reminder of why I am in youth ministry. I love programing. I love preaching. I love leading worship. But that’s not the reason I got into youth ministry and that’s not the reason I’m still in it. It’s the teenagers. I saw in that movie a reminder of the different kind of teens that are in my youth group and in my community and it reminded me just how much they need someone to love them for who they are and someone to help them walk through this crucial part of their life.

So, if you’re a teen, a youth worker, a parent, whatever…you should see this movie. It’s one that won’t stay in the theaters for long so if you don’t get to see it there, grab it once it comes to your local Christian bookstore.

Mark Driscoll’s Haiti Report

Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church was a part of a group that was able to make it into Haiti to put together this report about Haiti. It’s long but a great look at how our brothers and sisters are hurting.

The section starting around 1:15 is pretty powerful as Mark hammers his congregation about their lack of giving and commitment to what is going on in their own community.

some of the images in this video may be disturbing…

Get Lost!

Can’t wait to get Lost again next week!

 

Everybody’s An Expert

Tonight I was reading an article in Collide Magazine about Sam Duregger who lived an entire year in a tent. He worked his normal job and pretty much a normal life but lived in a tent. I could blog for a while about that fact (which I’ll probably do later) but there was one line in his article that really jumped out at me.

“In my opinion, social media has contributed to the deception that we all can be innovators and leaders, experts and specialists. I think this false sense of ingenuity has led many to adopt a lifestyles that distracts from where God is calling them to employ their gifts and talents.”

When I read that I thought, “Right on!” It’s ironic that I would put such a quote on my own blog because it basically calls me to examine why I blog. More and more, I have noticed so many blogs and “consultants” for youth ministry popping up. In many ways this is a great thing but in some ways having so many “experts” dilutes what God is truly trying to do in people.

Ephesians 4:11 talks about different roles that God created people for. In that passage it doesn’t he “He gave all to be…” It says, “He gave some to be…” Which, logically, means that He gave others not to be… Unfortunately, we don’t want to admit to what God has not given us to be. We find something the catches our attention and interest and we run with that. Typically those things are good and Godly things and so we think that if it’s a Godly thing then it must be God’s will for me to do it. But that’s not necessarily true.

I believe that God has not only gifted each of us in great ways to do great things for Him. He’s also some times chosen not to gift some of us in certain ways so that we can allow others to minister. I’m convinced that it’s a pride issue for many.

We don’t all have to be experts in everything. We don’t have to be “the best” in our field. We don’t have to have all the answers. Find where God has gifted you. Recognize the measure that He has blessed you and allow Him to work in and through you as He sees fit.

in my humble opinion