An explanation and some funny reactions...

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...

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:

1. 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.
   
2. 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.
   
3. 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.
   
4. 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 : )
5. 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.
6. 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...

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

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
   
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
   
6. Traveling without my family sucks. Enough said.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
   
10. 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.
11. 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

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:

1. 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?
   
   
2. 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.
3. 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.
     
4. 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.
     
5. 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

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

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

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

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?

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:

1. 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).
2. I should smile and welcome consumerist spending over spending money for any kind of health care for illegal aliens.
3. Doggy accessories are more valuable than humanitarian concerns (a bit harsh, but hey, I find it plausible from what I saw).
4. I will spend money whether I like it or not.
5. 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:

1. I don't really watch news channels, nor welcome political debate.
2. I think critically about what I spend money on, and I think pet accessories are dumb.
   
3. The Holiday Inn Express is no place to gain a holistic perspective on the world, much less life in general.
4. 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...

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

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

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 __________

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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?

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

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

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:

1. 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.
2. Don't ever pray for flexibility. It's like the arch rival of praying for patience.
3. Volcanoes are powerful. They make Europe and global economies crumble out of a scientific terror of the "what if."
4. 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).
   
5. 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.
6. 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.
   
7. 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).
8. 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

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)

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

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

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

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:

1. British Airways is updating with new information as it is available. Click here to view this information.
2. All flights to and from London are currently canceled indefinitely.
3. 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:

1. What flights we'll be scheduling should our flights tomorrow evening be canceled.
2. 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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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:

1. Are you laughing or crying? Or both? (it was both, at the same time, fyi)
   
2. Hey Big Mamma!
3. 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)
4. 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?
   
5. Ya know, my mom said she had no pain with me when she was pregnant.
6. I forgot.
   
7. I hope the kid isn't color blind.
   
8. Don't you "girl up" our child (granted, this was first said when I thought we may have a boy)
   
9. 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)
10. Have you ever watched yourself brush your teeth? It's so funny! (I then proceeded to impersonate her...)
    

this troubles me

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

Learning

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...

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?

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)

“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

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...