Old favorite

Wide Awake

Are you settling for a life that puts you to sleep? Wouldn't it be better to dream with your eyes open? Is the only reason you keep our job because it's the one you've got? The only reason you have your career is because it made sense at the time? I think a lot of us are not on a path; we're in a rut. We have confused comfort with peace, belief with faith, safety with wisdom, wealth with blessing and existence with life. And for many of us, our dreams will be buried under the epitaph, "I refused to let go of what I had."

Erwin McManus

Wide Awake

The Keys to the City

I honestly am at a turning point in my youth ministry.

As I have prayed and examined the city, it appears that one of the keys to reaching young people in this city will be to be present with them. Moreover, I have found the place that I should have been serving for a much longer period of time - the youth center.

A recent article in the Daily Record (Ellensburg's local newspaper) discussed the blended reputation that the youth center has created for itself. It helps a lot of kids and encourages many of them to grow, but in doing that it brings in a lot of the kids most people aren't comfortable with. The student center is known for being a second home to a lot of kids that tend to be rebellious, tough, and rough around every edge.

It is in light of this that later today I'm going to hand in a volunteer application and make myself available to serve in whatever way I can. I want to see the young people of this city making Jesus the priority in their lives, in their families, and in their schools.

I think that in reaching some of these kids, we will reach many in this city.

Flashback

My favorite band a decade ago

Free parking lessons

Leadership Lessons from a six year old

Adventures in the life of a one-week parent: Part 1

Yesterday, God dropped a bomb on me. Funny enough, it was through a 6 year old and in a McDonald's play place.

We were up in the sky tubes. You know, the dirty little plastic things that kids love and their parent's knees dread. I had chased Dianna up the tube (by chased, I mean that I fought my way up and while Dianna ran laps).

We played up top for just a minute when Dianna announced, "I'm the leader! Follow me!" Upon saying this she crawled down the tube you climb up to enter, aka the tube that would destroy my knees to go down. So I watched her run down the tube and do what she wanted to do with us alone.

God spoke to me in that instant and said, "That's the leadership you need to grow in Ryan. You can't announce what is to be done and encourage others to do it while you sit on the sidelines cheering on."

All at once, I realized what was wrong with my leadership. I've been trying to figure out my systems (which have plenty of room to grow), ministry roles and rotations, and so many details. But my character - the part of it which dreams - needs exercise in action.

I can dream and I can call towards a predicted future, but what good is a prediction if you aren't at the head of the action.

I remember hearing stories of a successful military leader, I think it was Alexander the Great. When the battle came, he didn't call orders from the back of the army like most military leaders do. He charged into battle at the front of the infantry.

Right now, leadership for me needs to look like this - running to the front of the army screaming "Forward!"

Daddy for a Week

They say the best part of being a grandparent is giving the kids back when you're done. Christine and I get to test that theory out this week.

Dianna, Christine's little sister is coming to Ellensburg this week.

For those of you not familiar with Christine's family, allow me to explain - Christine has a little sister who is 16 years her junior. So, Christine in a lot of ways has played mom for Dianna for a few years.

This week, the main difference is location. Dianna is leaving Hillsboro and her real parents to spend some time in our world.

I'm quite excited, and mildly nervous. I don't know anything about raising a child. Worse than that, Dianna being raised around four adult figures (sometimes more) is like the Godzilla of kids with Only Child Syndrome. When things don't go her way and you don't do what she wants, watch out! She is generally very sweet, however, and is a lot of fun. So while there are nerves for the downside, there is positive emotion for the good.

Dianna can be loads and loads of fun, and I'm excited to spend this week playing daddy.

Question Night Intro Video

A few months ago I began encouraging my kids to ask questions. To wonder about their faith, their world. So, I put out a jar and I told them to put any question they want an answer to in the jar. Since then I've begun answering questions before preaching every week, to warm things up.

This week is our first ever question week. No planned sermon, nothing but honest, unfiltered questions and answers. Some will likely be deep, others will likely have the imagination and humor of a sixth grade girl. But, either way, I aimed to be ready. So, I got help from a couple of my students (and my lovely wife, who let me bench press her) to be ready for the questions.

Below is our video documentation of the training session.

Powerful, with moments of goofiness

Kind of like my life.

Stupid in America

John Stossel is a genius.

What do you think?

Worth Waiting For

That picture above this text is my wife. I know, I am a very lucky man.

Before Christine is a list so long I almost wretch in shame recounting it. That is the list of girls I chased. Girls I pursued. Thankfully, though some got close and others got too close, I can be thankful in knowing Christine is my one and only.

Nine months into this thing called marriage and I can happily say she is the one I waited for.

I love this woman.

Deliberate Simplicity

I recently finished Deliberate Simplicity by Dave Browning.

The book chronicles the rise of a unique movement of churches called Christ the King. They have spread like wildfire all over America (particularly the Pacific Northwest) and the World by refusing to have bigger services.

What do you mean refusing to have bigger services?

Well, Browning and his team has instead focused on planting. Meaning, rather than constructing buildings to further house people coming into the church they send teams out to start new sites/churches/services elsewhere. The distance could be a matter of blocks or international. But the plan is always the same, when more people attend - divide.

This is a shift from the methodology of a church being the place to go to the people who go. This is a church that does what I have dreamed about for years. The ethos of the community is defined by their desire to be constantly planting, constantly sending.

I love it.

I underlined one great line that pretty much defines their approach: "The time to start a new location is when we have the leadership to execute it rather than the people to attend it" (page 142).

Ministry leaders read this book, or just go plant something.

Started an Official blog

Why not?

I haven't blogged in a while. So, this will be my start.

I will do my best to make this blog a part of my regular routine, to share my thoughts and insights of life, love, God, music, politics and all things interesting to me.

Welcome.

Laughing With

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God
When they’re starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God when the doctor calls
After some routine tests
No one’s laughing at God
when it’s gotten real late
And their kid’s not back from that party yet

No one laughs at God when their airplane
Starts to uncontrollably shake
No one’s laughing at God
When they see the one they love hand in hand
with someone else and they hope that they’re mistaken
No one laughs at God when the cops knock on their door
And they say “We’ve got some bad new, sir,”
No one’s laughing at God
When there’s a famine, fire or flood

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
When the crazies say he hates us
and they get so red in the head
You think that they’re about to choke
God can be funny
When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious
Ha ha, ha ha

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God
when they’ve lost all they got
And they don’t know what for

No one laughs at God on the day they realize
that the last sight they’ll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes
No one’s laughing at God
When they’re saying their goodbyes

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
When the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head
you think that they’re about to choke
God can be funny
When told he’ll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
(repeat)
No one’s laughing at God in a hospital
No one’s laughing at God in a war

No one’s laughing at God
When they’re starving or freezing or so very poor

No one’s laughing at God
(repeat)
We’re all “laughing with God”