i.am.conley

New Music & What Not

2012-02-14T16:13:00.002-05:00

I have always talked about writing music. In my younger days I was in a handful of mediocre bands. But over the last year or so, I have done a bit of writing when life has afforded me some free time. When I do, I record a demo on vimeo just so I don't lose or forget the idea.

Every once and a while people ask me if I am writing and playing anymore, so here are five songs that I have written over the last year or so. Check em out. But I make no promises that they are good.

Lesson Learned

Oh My God

From Within

Hold My Hand

There Is Victory (Oh My Soul)

How Can I Help?

2012-02-09T16:13:00.002-05:00

A close friend tells you…

...that there has been tragic death in her family.
…that he and his wife are splitting up.
…that her daughter is really sick and that the doctors aren’t even sure what is going on.
…that he just lost job and doesn’t know what to do now.
…that (insert life-wrecking problem here.)

“If there is anything I can do for you, and I mean anything, please let me know!”

That is a pretty typical response we give to someone when we hear about a tragedy or rough circumstance in their life. You’ve given it. I’ve given it. And honestly, we mean well. We typically are genuinely willing to do anything. We just don’t know what to do. The problems is, when our friends and family members are caught in crisis, their heads are rarely clear enough to tell us what they need. They may not even be sure either. They just want things to be normal again. They want to feel ok again.

So here are some practical guidelines for helping people going through crisis.

1) Treat Them Normal: This is HUGE. They are already quite aware that something big is wrong in their life right now. Their normal life has been shaken. One of the biggest graces you can give them is to let them have some time to feel normal. Go grab that coffee with them like you usually would. When you spend time with them, don’t make it about their crisis. There is no need for your time spent with them to be focused on it. Proceed with life as usual. If they want to talk or vent about the crisis in their life, you can bet your money that they will bring it up when they are good and ready. Until then, keep life to business as usual.

2) Shut Up: Yes, shut up! When they do get to that point where they want to talk or vent it out, that is exactly what needs to happen.

They need to talk.
They need to vent.
You need to listen (this includes me. I’m a terrible at not talking.)

Most of the time when someone starts to share these things with you it is in the very act of talking itself that they find peace and relief. They are probably not looking for, and don’t really need, your thoughts, explanations, and opinions. If we approach the situation and decide we know everything, and then we share it with them, we are going to frustrate them. They just need a place to speak honestly and be safe; without having to worry about what someone else might think. If they want you to share an opinion, give advice, etc. they will ask!

3) Meet Practical Needs: Can you make them a meal? Watch out for their kids? Help with yard work? Give them a ride? When someone is in a crisis, not only is their normal everyday perception of life skewed, but everyday normal activities can fall to the wayside. If you are able, meet some practical needs. If you are not sure what needs to be done, ask, but ask specifically. Don’t ask “hey, can I help with stuff?” rather ask “Hey, can I come by and cut your grass this weekend?” Be specific. If you don’t know them well enough, ask friends and family. But by all means, standing in the gap and meeting practical needs is huge. Removing some of the smaller worries and providing relief from the regular stresses of life can provide someone with more strength to work through their crisis.

4) Help Them Find Help: If it gets to the point where you want to help, but it is obvious that the help they need falls outside of your abilities, help them find the appropriate help. Whether this is medical help, counseling help, or really anything, it is a great service to point them in the right direction. Maybe you know that they need to get the car repaired, but that isn’t something you can do. Help them find someone who can. Maybe once they do choose to talk to you, they begin to ask for advice and you have no idea what to say. Point them to someone who does. One of the worst things you can do is try to help someone in a way that you are unqualified. More often than not, you end up causing more damage. If you see a need, but you can’t help, guide them towards someone who can!

A Call To Fake It... (Fake It 'Till You Make It Pt. 5/Fin)

2011-12-11T22:44:00.002-05:00

The development of these disciplines allows us to run to God and seek him even when we don’t feel like it

So when you are strong, nurture your roots. Build them up. Strengthen them. Spend time learning God’s truth through the scriptures, through fellowship, through prayer, and through all the ways he desires to talk to you. When the times of weakness come (and yes my friend, they will come) your roots are what will hold you in place. Without them, you will blow away into that cycle of trying the next thing, and the next thing, and the next thing... desiring fulfillment, and finding none. Before you know it, you won’t even be able to go through the motions anymore. You will be destroyed.

The Psalmist captures that darkest of darks....

“I'm standing my ground, God, shouting for help,

at my prayers every morning, on my knees each daybreak.

Why, God, do you turn a deaf ear?

Why do you make yourself scarce?

For as long as I remember I've been hurting;

I've taken the worst you can hand out, and I've had it.

Your wildfire anger has blazed through my life;

I'm bleeding, black-and-blue.

You've attacked me fiercely from every side,

raining down blows till I'm nearly dead.

You made lover and neighbor alike dump me;

the only friend I have left is Darkness.”

-Psalm 88:13-18 (The Message)

And a contemporary folk band tells us how to be prepared…

“So hold on to what you believe in the light…

When the darkness has robbed you of all your sight…”
-Mumford and Sons

If you build roots, you can weather the storm.

You can fake it ‘till you make it.

You can live faithfully until your heart catches up.

That is my prayer for you all; that you would know God, and be able to trust him even when your heart is not there.

Hold on to your strength and your shield (Psalm 28:7.)

God Bless You.

Rooting... (Fake It 'Till You Make It Pt. 4)

2011-12-11T01:48:00.005-05:00

If we are rooted in God’s word, we will not be quick to abandon him… even if our hearts feel far from him.

So the question becomes how do we grow those roots? How do we prepare ourselves for that inevitable season when we are going feel abandoned by our God?

It comes down to what is known in theological circles as spiritual disciplines. But in plain terms a spiritual discipline is simply a regular practice or habit in your life that draws you nearer to God and opens you up to what He has to say to you. This is root building.

Whenever the topic of Spiritual disciplines comes up I am always quick to recommend two books…

The Celebration of Discipline by R.C. Foster. (amazon)

The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg. (amazon)

The former is more of a classic work on the subject, while the latter is a more contemporary work. Both of them have the same goal… Helping the reader understand and apply behavior that will draw them nearer to God.

But now if you will allow me to continue, I must tell you that I am a lucky guy.

You see... I have been blessed to have a great family and many good friends in my life; a handful of trusted people who I can run to in a moment of crisis. Odds are you have a person or two like this; maybe a spouse, a family member, or a good friend. Odds are, also, that these relationships were not built only during a time of crisis or in preparation for one. They are built on other things. The relationship I have with one of my best friends began with us playing guitar together… in our garages. That’s it. Now we enjoy true friendship and can rely on each other through the darkest of darks.

The reason I mention friendship is this... If you find yourself in a crisis, you are not likely to go to someone that you have no history with. Rather, you are going to run to the person you trust, and who will look out for you; the person you started getting to know by playing guitars in the garage. You have roots.

The same is true with God. We have to get to know him before we feel like we need him (don’t get me wrong, we have always needed him, but we don’t always feel like it.) I urge you to get to know him; to grow those roots in him. Experience that spiritual discipline. Here are a couple just to give you some food for thought.

Prayer – Often frustrating because we only use it when we are hurting or are in need. Then we give it a shot, and it frustrates us. It’s easier to pray during a crisis if you are used to praying.

Study – The Bible is overwhelming at a first glance (ok, at a one thousandth glance as well.) There are times where we want to know about a particular topic or idea and what the bible says about something, but we can get lost fast and give up easily. However, if we have a regular habit of studying the scriptures, when those times of urgency come, we will know how to do it

Fellowship – This is sharing life with others; letting people into your life and your walk with God. Again, if we only strive to do this when we are in deep need, it is hard and frustrating, but if we are in the habit of spending time with other people during the calm, then when the storm comes we are not without a place to turn.

The list goes on… things like solitude, confession, worship, fasting, etc. The point of this entry is not to be an extensive list or lesson on spiritual discipline, but rather just a starting point. It wouldn’t hurt to read the above mentioned books if you want to go farther into this.

My only point is this. The development of these disciplines allows us to run to God and seek him even when we don’t feel like it. It is what allows us to fake it ‘till we make it.

Roots Are Powerful (Fake It 'Till You Make It Pt. 3)

2011-11-04T16:07:00.002-04:00

There are things that we cannot hastily let go of because we are deeply rooted in them.

One of the greatest lessons I have learned about the Bible is the importance of learning the lessons from the Bible before you need the lessons from the Bible (yes I know… that sentence is a mess. It would be way better if you could hear me articulate it!)

What I mean by this is that the Bible is full of teachings and concepts that are practical to life. However many of them are hard to apply and understand, particularly in the very moments we need them. Thus it is necessary to learn them ahead of time. Let’s take an example…

James 1:2-4 is the cliché verse to quote to someone who is going through a rough patch. The account of Job is told time after time to those who are in the midst of devastation. This is meant to encourage, but really… it doesn’t very much. Not in the midst of trouble, anyways. Not unless the individual is already rooted in these truths. Without a prior belief and understanding of these scriptures, people are more than likely going to take this teaching as an insult and find it nothing more than frustrating. They are then likely to dismiss it altogether.

Approach the couple who just miscarried a child with Jeremiah 29:11…

Approach the family who’s oldest son is constantly getting in trouble with the law with Proverbs 22:6…

Approach the woman who just found out her husband has been having an affair with Romans 8:28…

Approach the man who lost his job and has no idea how to break it to his wife with Philippians 4:19…

Approach the college student who just had her heart broken by the man she thought she would marry with Psalm 37:4…

How they receive these scriptures will depend on their roots. If they are already rooted in them, there is room for comfort and encouragement. They will be able to trust God despite the circumstances they find their selves in. If there are no roots, however, they will find insult and discouragement. They will lose trust in God due to their circumstances.

You and I will react the same way.

That is why it is important to grow deep roots during the good times. The soil is more fertile. When trials come (and yes, they will come) and hard times find their way to our door, it is those roots that will keep us grounded.

And this is what it means to go through the motions; to rely on our roots even when our hearts are far from them.

If we are rooted in God’s word, we will not be quick to abandon him… even if our hearts feel far from him.

Roots are powerful.

The Matter At Hand (Fake It 'Till You Make It Pt. 2)

2011-11-01T20:43:00.006-04:00

“Do you frustrate yourself with the motions? I feel like a poser when I do that. Relying on muscle memory to ‘do what’s right’ doesn’t feel right.’”

Of course it’s frustrating!

Extremely frustrating!

To have something that once brought you joy become stagnant; that is frustrating!

To have something that once brought you purpose seem meaningless; that is frustrating!

To have something that was once fulfilling turn into a burden; that is frustrating!

So what do we do? We can stop and move on (or away) to something else, or we can go through the motions. Going through the motions gets a bad rap in our culture because we have had it instilled in us that we are supposed to “keep it real,” that we are to live in (and for) the moment; to live for instant gratification. Thus it comes very naturally to us to abandon what we have once accepted and jump toward something new, or different in the hopes of being instantly fulfilled again.

And honestly… that can often work for a while, but before you know it, dissatisfaction returns and it's time to look for the next new thing again (and again, and again… and yes, again.)

So should we go through the motions? Going through the motions isn’t all that bad. In fact everyone does it. Who hasn’t spent a season going through the motions at work? Everyone has days, even if they love their job, when they go through the motions. They do what needs to be done, and they do it as well as they can even if their heart is battling against it. What about relationships? That marriage? Even the happiest of married couples have approached moments where they found that their hearts were not fully engaged. Yet to survive, they go through the motions.

Why? Because generally there is a lot invested in these things. There is too much at stake. With the job, it’s an income, a sense of purpose, or a matter of pride. With relationships it can be a matter of family survival, emotional stability, or financial security. Whatever the reason, we do not lightly abandon these (and many other) things. For most people, they cannot be abandoned even if the desire to jump ship exists. There are things that we cannot hastily let go of because we are deeply rooted in them.

Read that last sentence again because it is key to the whole point of this series.

A Conversation (Fake It 'Till You Make It Part 1)

2011-11-01T20:33:00.008-04:00

This happened months ago. Church had just wrapped up. I just finished leading the fine of people of Christ’s Fellowship in worship. Then I got a text message from an old friend whom I had recently reconnected with in the last few months.

“What do you do when you become jaded about church? When you just can't bring yourself to go through the motions to satisfy others?”

Gosh. Who, after a few years of following Jesus, hasn’t asked that same question in one way or another? Who hasn’t been frustrated, jaded, confused, hurt, or even lost in the midst of being found.

And the truth, which I told my friend, is that I have been through recent bouts of feeling jaded myself (another story for another day perhaps); but that I continue to go through the motions. However, I don’t go through them for anyone else. I do it for myself. Even when I don’t want to, I try to do the things I know are right. Sometimes I fail, but heck, I failed when I wasn’t jaded as well. That’s when the pivotal question that sparked this blog series came about…

“Do you frustrate yourself with the motions? I feel like a poser when I do that. Relying on muscle memory to ‘do what’s right’ doesn’t feel right.’”

Book Review: Rid of My Disgrace by Justin & Lindsey Holcomb

2011-03-21T13:02:00.002-04:00

Just finished reading Rid of My Disgrace by Justin & Lindsey Holcomb. I am going to try and write reviews on books I read and share em. I also want to get back into blogging, but that is another thing altogether...

Anyhow...

Anyone who works with hurting people needs to check this book out. As I get to know the stories of more and more people, I find that more and more people have some aspect of sexual sin or abuse as a part of their story. Almost every victim feels defeated by it. While this book is not a comprehensive manual for treating or counseling victims of sexual assault (nor is it means to be) it is a wonderful groundwork for understanding the struggles that come from such sin. Both people who encounter victims as well as victims their selves can find a lot of good in this book.

It breaks down into three sections...

1) Disgrace: This section consists of two chapters that define sexual assault and the effects it can have on victims. At times this section can be a bit graphic, but then again, so is the topic at hand. I will say that if you are a victim of sexual assault, it might be a good idea to skip this section only because its graphic nature might stir up some emotions you would rather not relive (this recommendation comes from feedback I got from a couple people I shared the book with.) However, this section does a lot to help clarify, particularly for those who might wonder "is what happened to me really sexual assault?"

2) Grace Applied: This is my favorite section of the book. This section discusses some of the most common reactions victims have after being abused. It reassures that there is normalcy in feeling this way after an assault, gives practical help on how to handle it, and gives a biblical perspective on each struggle. Along with that each chapter has a testimony that speaks to the healing people found through Christ as it relates to the struggle at hand. This is the section that has the most practical, helpful information.

3) Grace Accomplished: This is the theological cornerstone. The core idea of this book is that people have been hurting people from the beginning of time with sin, that God has a desire to redeem those who are broken, and that such redemption is made full through the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Though theology and scripture are used frequently throughout the entire book, in this section it is laid out.

The thing that I love about this book is that very clearly connects the reader to Jesus and to scripture while providing practical insights and help. That is what makes it stand out from every other book or article on the topic I have read. There is redemption and healing in Jesus. Every pastor/minister/Christian counselor should read this book. It lays a good foundation in understanding the problem and finding freedom.

Check it out @ Amazon
Check it out @ Google Books

Are You Happy...

2010-07-21T15:27:00.004-04:00

My boy Joe Snow tweeted this and I thought it was worth sharing, haha.

Eminem & Jesus...

2010-06-16T10:44:00.008-04:00

I have to confess that Eminem intrigues me. Strictly as a musician/rapper he is about as talented as it gets, but beyond that, his story just keeps my attention. I am a psych/counseling nerd and listening to his songs is like listening to a case study. Through the course of his career he has expressed a history of relationship woes, personal traumas, family drama, abuse, addiction, and so much more (along with his effort to see just how far he can cross the line while expressing it all!) You can certainly tell that there is a high degree of exaggeration and boundary pushing in his music, but when you listen to his music as a whole, you can tell that there is also a high degree of honest confession and reflection with a disregard for the opinions of others. This man knows pain and struggle, and has no problem creatively expressing it.

He sends a very attractive message in his latest offering. Feel free to look up the video for his song “Not Afraid” on youtube. Just be warned, its not edited and full of language some of you may find offensive. Watch at your own discretion.

Whether he genuinely intends to or not, Eminem is gonna reach out and give comfort to a lot of people through this song. Music has this magical way of speaking to a person’s heart. On top of that everyone wants to find someone they can look up to who has been through the storm, come out alive, and is willing to lead them through their own struggles. That’s exactly what Em offers as he declares in the chorus…

I'm not afraid to take a stand
Everybody come take my hand
We'll walk this road together, through the storm
Whatever weather, cold or warm
Just let you know that, you're not alone
Holla if you feel that you've been down the same road

As the song continues, Em raps about some of his recent personal struggles. He acknowledges that he is always under the fire of critics. He confesses that his last album was a failure (it sold plenty of copies, but critics trashed it, and even many of his loyal fans considered it to be awful.) To top it off he even discusses his recent battle with addiction and his efforts to clean himself up. His declaration is that he is overcoming his struggles and that you can too! Just follow him…

Your kids are going to cling to this. Honestly, many “grown ups” who are into the current hip hop/pop music scene will too. MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter updates are going to be littered with quotes from this song (they already are really.) Why? Because Em offers people a sense of comfort (superficial as it may be) and allows them to receive it as they are, without having to feel bad about the struggles in their life.

Reminds me of someone else…

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. -Jesus

Jesus offers us comfort (Psalm 119:49-50), peace (John 14:27), and freedom (John 8:36) as we are. But beyond that, he desires to transform us in a way that overtakes our struggles and pushes us beyond them. Eminem offers superficial companionship and has no solutions. Jesus offers real companionship plus a solution. You can listen to Em’s song, feel a little bit of camaraderie, have your heart touched for a few minutes, but then you have to go back and deal with whatever you are trying to escape. I understand the comfort music can provide at times (no matter what artists or genres you are into) but none of it fulfills like Jesus.

Jesus wants to transform you. Let him. He’s the only one that will truly walk with you through it all.

Counseling Saints, Sufferers & Sinners...

2010-06-15T12:24:00.002-04:00

Everyone encounters people who go through hard times, struggles, conflicts, and tragedies. All of us experience them at one time or another as well. It is just part of the human experience, and while some of it can be avoided, all of it never can be. Sometimes we can see it coming a mile away, other times not so much.

A couple weeks ago a woman came into our church building in the middle of the day in hysteria. Tears were pouring down her face, her breathing was out of control, and she could hardly get a sentence out. She was at the end of her rope and anyone that spent more than a minute with her knew it. She came in to see Keith. Keith was out making hospital visits, so I stepped in and tried to help this woman get back on balance. Once I got her calmed down she said that she had just gotten on her bike, had no idea where she wanted to go, and somehow she end up at our church and wanted to talk and get help.

Many of us (myself included often) would be intimidated to have such a situation thrown in our lap. We don’t know how to view someone in the midst of struggle. Sometimes it is innocent; we are just ignorant and don’t know how to be helpful. Other times it is less than innocent; we make judgments of their character and assume we can’t help them because all their problems are results of their sins and bad decisions. Either way, we don’t feel the desire or the competency to help.

In his book Cross Talk: Where Life & Scripture Meet Michael Emlet provides a practical perspective on how to view the hurting people in your life. He says we must view them holistically as Saints, Sufferers, and Sinners in order to get a full picture of what is going on. So when you encounter the hurting, consider the following…

Saint:

*What evidence of God’s grace can you see working in their life?

*In what ways can you see the person living out their identity in Jesus?

*How does the person show the character of Jesus in their words and deeds?

Sufferer:

*What situational stressors is this person facing? (physical ailments, relationship problems, circumstances, social/cultural problems, etc.)

*What are the events in the person’s life that have shaped them the most?

*How has this person been sinned against?

*How do this person’s problems playing out in their life? What are the problems affecting? (home life, school or work performance, etc.)

Sinner:

*What desires, thoughts, emotions, and actions is this person experiencing that are not in line with the gospel?

*What themes and interpretations of life does this person accept that are contrary to the gospel?

If you can look at a person holistically from all these angles, you can begin to make sense of what is going on. Its not always easy, but I think this is an excellent approach as you begin to put the puzzle together.

I finished Cross Talk: Where Life & Scripture Meet this morning. It is a fairly short, easy read that takes a dab of hermeneutics and mixes it with one's counseling approach. The thrust of the book is to show those who work with hurting people how you can practically use the scriptures as a tool to help bring hope and healing. It’s a pretty good book if you are looking for a basic introduction to the topic. Check it out.

Just Checking In...

2010-05-19T08:22:00.003-04:00

We have done a lot!

Its so crazy to me to think about all that has taken place. I feel completely unworthy and incapable of helping over here, but I know that the Lord is using us to plant seeds and do great things.

Over the weekend we taught a group of missionaries about spiritual disciplines. These are men and women who are living on the front line of the work of the gospel, and the thought that they could benefit from anything I teach them is beyond my comprehension, but they were into it. It was an honor.

Now we are on the campus of the Bible College in Indonesia and it is an equally humbling experience. The campus feels like a mix between Camp Rudolph and MACU. Its a fairly small campus, and is very outdoorsy compared to what we know in America. McCarthy and I have been teaching an intensive on ministering to youth in the local church. I am surprised at how similar youth culture at home and in Indonesia is. We do 4 hour morning sessions which are primarily teaching, then in the afternoon we do open question discussion sessions. Through this we let the students ask questions concerning the material we have taught or ask questions about ministry in general. We have gotten a lot of personal ministry situation questions and I am just amazed at how similar their concerns, struggles, and problems are to ours back home.

One of the coolest things I have noticed as we have been teaching is the way Indonesia Christians are completely enamored by Jesus. I mean, we read through scripture and when we finish they applaud and "ooh" and "aah" at who Jesus was and what he did. It makes me wonder if I am still truly captivated by Jesus. How many times have I read through the scriptures flippantly or rushed? How many times have I read through an account of Jesus and thought... "this again..." or "I know how this goes?" I am praying hard that I would fall back in love with Jesus. This is something I can probably expound on further in an entry of its own.

Anyways, all is well. We are working, teaching, learning, growing. Be home soon!

(Please forgive me if some of this doesn't make much sense. I am typing tired!)

Indonesia...

2010-05-14T09:18:00.002-04:00

I will probably write a more focused series of blogs on the trip once I get back and process things a little bit better. We aren't even halfway through yet and there is already so much that could be said. Also, we haven't really done much work yet! The first few days (literally) consisted of traveling. Then we spent a couple days in Makassar visiting a family that Jason lived with a few years back when had a long stay in Indonesia.

Spent a lot of yesterday walking around Makassar both during the day and night and saw a lot of interesting things. We visited a huge mosque that has up to 30,000 people come out to it and pray on the holiest Islamic days. We also visited a shrine of the man who is given credit for bringing Islam to this area of Indonesia. At the shrine you can have Islamic holy men pray for you. One of the holy men was telling us that an American woman came over that couldn't have children, they prayed for her, and she got pregnant. I doubt it was true, but it seemed kinda like a story to impress us; since an American was granted a baby, we should to submit to Allah as well. Anyhow, they were all very friendly people.

In fact, everyone here has been friendly. In Indonesia, I am a celebrity (I was told it would be like that.) Kids and adults alike are happy to see us and speak with us. Granted, some of them want to get some money out of us, but others are just genuinely impressed to see an American. It's very weird to me; even though I have done mission trips in Mexico before, this is the first time I have ever felt like the weird foreigner because people stare... almost in awe. They want to talk to you, touch you, spend time with you. Of course, this is not necessarily something I want to embrace as the introvert that I am, then you add to it the language barrier and it gets a little bit awkward. However, God is good and I am seeing a whole other side (literally) of his creation. This experience with these people definitely goes against the grain of the stereotypes (which i never bought into much anyways.)

Some things will probably be discussed in blog series at this point are...
--48 hours on planes!
--McCarthy vs. Wild
--Living in a Muslim Home
--Sweating it out/Leaving Comfort

I don't know... I'm sure more will come as we get into the bulk of work tomorrow. We will be doing some English teaching and some spiritual discipline teaching tomorrow. Then it will be off to do some youth ministry/family ministry teaching next week.

Thanks for your prayers, keep praying for us. Especially for Jason and Chris Mc as they have wives and kids at home who miss them and all that jazz. It adds a different dynamic to the trip for them. Also, thank God that no one has gotten sick! Chris and I are experiencing a little bit of "medicine head" as he calls it from our Malaria meds, but nothing serious! And if you like, pray that as we begin teaching tomorrow that we could be helpful and useful in our work!

Just Around The Corner...

2010-05-06T11:07:00.002-04:00

Well...

Indonesia is just around the corner! (Well technically it is completely on the other side of the world, but you know what I mean!)

We will be leaving Monday afternoon out of Norfolk, traveling for a very long time, and then getting to work.

God has been working in amazing ways through my life in the last six months. I have been placed in ministry situations that I never in a million years (or 27 years, I'm not a million years old yet despite what those West Park kids might think!) would have expected to be in. We are talking about working with people and in places that I never would have thought I could be useful in. God has stretched me for sure, and I really wonder what role this Indonesia trip is going to play in all of this. Gosh, I know that is all vague, but I am not about to throw up a bunch of personal details on the internet. My whole point is that when God gets a hold of you and you let him take you where he wants you to go, he really does do incredible things and lets you experience it all! I've been teaching people that for the last 5 years of my professional life, and even years before that, but I am really only now starting to understand it. I will probably say the same thing in five more years! It seems the more you think you understand, the less you truly do!

I hope I will be able to update a few times while I am in Indonesia. I don't know what our internet situation will be like, and quite frankly its not THAT important. The tech nerd in me will have to suffer through!

Keep us in your prayers! Thank you guys so much for all your support, be in prayer, through funds, or in encouragement.

Indonesia Update...

2010-04-05T11:07:00.005-04:00

I cant believe that in a month and some change I will be on my way to Indonesia. I am humbled by the work God is enabling me to do and by the generosity and support of everyone who has chipped in. As it stands (you can see at the right of the screen) the support that has been given far exceeds the minimum that was needed. This is great in that it will enable me to have some flexibility and allow me to do more with my time over there.

In the last couple of months Jason, McCarthy (people named Chris always refer to each other by last name), and I have been getting things in order and preparing. As it stands now this, the work I will be involved in is...

Youth Ministry Training: McCarthy and I will be doing and intensive course covering some of the theological and relational foundations of youth ministry. I still feel like a rookie at youth ministry, but my prayer is that God will use me to communicate effectively. My material will be focused on mentoring, teaching, and counseling youth.

Spiritual Disciplines Retreat: The three of us will be doing a retreat for local leaders teaching them and challenging in the area of spiritual discipline. I wonder if I am even qualified to teach any of this material, haha, but of course, as my experience is with teaching/preaching in general, you almost always teach yourself as much, if not more, than you teach your audience.

Youth Rally: We are planning a youth even for the area. McCarthy has a treasure chest of ideas in his brain, so all is well here. Think of it as maybe a small scale Impact. It won't be as long, and won't have the bells and whistles, but it will be an evening where we hope to engage teens in worship, have fun, and challenge them to honor God with their lives. We are building on a theme of "Paradox." The idea that Jesus tells us to live we must die, to gain we must lose, etc.

So that is what is going on. Jason will also be doing some preaching while we are there. We leave soon. I hope I can blog a time or two while we are over there, but I don't know what will be available to us.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support! You are a very real part of this ministry.

An Opportunity To Get Rid Of Me For A While aka Mission Trip Support...

2010-02-16T16:39:00.002-05:00

So, a pretty sweet opportunity has come my way.

In May I will be joining my friends Chris McCarthy (Associate Minister @ Northampton Church of Christ) and Jason Thornton (Minister @ Seaford Church of Christ) on a mission trip to Indonesia. We will be working alongside Lynda Joyner and others to train kingdom workers in theology and youth ministry. We will do this formally by teaching an intensive course at the local Bible College and informally through workshops hosted by local churches for those who are not students at the college. Our plan is to leave May 10 and return on May 25.

I ask you to prayerfully consider supporting me in this effort. Expenses for this trip come out to about $2,500. I am hoping that I can get 100 supporters who are willing to contribute $25 to this mission. Of course any support, be it more or less than $25, will be of great help. Whether or not you are able to support this mission financially, I would ask that you be in prayer for our team. Aside from the work that will take place during those two weeks, there is a lot of preparation work to be done as well.

If you want to support me financially please write your check out to “West Park Church of Christ” and note “Indonesia Mission” in the memo line. If the check is written out to me or has my name anywhere on it (i.e. the memo line) I will still be able to use it, but you will not be able to claim it as a write off on your taxes. Please send checks to…

Chris Conley
926 Cherokee Road
Portsmouth, VA 23701

Any funds raised that go beyond the $2500 goal will be given to the Bible College and/or local churches to help them as they continue to train workers for the kingdom.

This is an amazing opportunity for me to share the gifts God has given me with our brothers in Indonesia. I thank you for considering partnering with me. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. You can do so in the comments section of the blog, or through email at iamconley@gmail.com. If you want to call me, just email and ask for my phone number and I would be happy to chat with you.

Thank you guys so much! :)

Who Knew...

2010-01-26T11:49:00.002-05:00

When I accepted Christ in high school I never fathomed the things he would use me to do. This week He has particularly been giving me opportunities that I never could have predicted. Jeremiah 29:11 keeps coming to mind “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Though perhaps not in the context that Jeremiah wrote it, I am reminded that God has plans for me that don’t always make sense to me!

We have all been touched in the last couple of weeks by the tragic earthquake and resulting chaos in Haiti. I’ve read accounts of all sorts of people serving and helping the relief effort. It has ranged from senior citizens in nursing homes giving their last dimes to support the effort, to ministers and pastors going over to pray for and encourage the Christians in Haiti, to medical teams going over to help the hurting, to our own military going over to help regulate and provide needs for those suffering. Humanitarians, politicians, preachers, musicians, movie stars and everyone in between have challenged us to make an impact.

Marc Driscoll @ Mars Hill Church has put together an amazing, eye opening look at what the situation is like over there. I would encourage you to take the 90 minutes and listen his sermon/presentation on the matter. You can check it out here.

I am honored in the way God has used me. For the last week or two teens from West Park have donated shoes and clothing to ship over. Yesterday, I was able to take these donations to Forefront Church where, with many friends, we were able to bundle up and prepare them for shipment. The estimate is that we have about 4,000-5,000 pairs of shoes, not to mention a ton of clothes, tents, duffle bags, backpacks and other necessities. Check out this short video to get a glimpse at what took place.

Now we will be heading down to Alabama Wednesday night to drop these off at the soles4souls shipping warehouse so they can get over to Haiti and help those who are suffering. Please pray for us.

Thanks again to everyone who donated, prayed, and helped pack up. It is amazing to see God work through his people. All glory to Him!

Response To Haiti...

2010-01-20T11:10:00.003-05:00

This is a lesson I wrote to discuss the Haiti situation with our teens at West Park. A couple people have asked me for it, so I'm gonna put it up here so that it can be a help to anyone trying to discuss this. Use it as you will, use it as your own.

------------------------------------------------------------

Intro:
Use newspaper/internet articles, news clips, youtube clips or other media to provoke discussion.
Q: What are some of the things you have seen or heard about the earthquake in Haiti?
Q: How does it make you feel? (most kids probably wont speak up, so ask specifically if you need to, i.e. “how does it make you feel Adam?”
Q: What are people saying at your school about this?

Scripture:
Q: Where is God in all of this? (students may not answer this, so rephrase it “if someone from your school asked where God is during this, what would you tell them?” and if someone says “I don’t know” reassure them that is an acceptable answer.)

READ PSALM 60 (it almost reads like something a Haitian Christian may have written)
Q: What parts of this Psalm relate to current events?
Q: What emotions and feelings are being expressed in this Psalm (remind students that Psalms are songs/poems written in honesty, without sugarcoating feelings)
Q: How does the author feel about God? Do his feelings change?

READ JEREMIAH 29:11-14
This verse is ALWAYS used to encourage people and remind them that God has a plan for them and that he works things out for people. However, the context of the passage is almost always neglected. While its true that he has plans for us, look at the situation His people are in when they receive this word. They are exiled, prisoners (if needed, explain to kids in a little more detail what being exiled means.) God gives them this encouragement through a time of hardship and disaster.
Q: Has anything good ever come from a hard time or struggle in your life?
Q: What are some good things God can bring from this disaster in Haiti? (be prepared to give some answers)

In Our Culture:
Q: Do you know who Pat Robertson is? (odds are someone will know, if not, explain.)
Q: What did he say about this incident? (again, be ready to explain. he basically said Haiti had this coming because they made a pact to the devil in the 1800s to deliver them from the French.)
Q: How do statements like that make you feel? Do you agree or disagree with it?
Q: How does that make Christians look to other people?
Q: How should Christians respond to something like this?

A Christian Response:
READ MATTHEW 25:21-46
Q: What does Jesus look for in his people?
Q: How does this relate to Haiti?
Q: What makes living like this difficult for us?
READ ACTS 4:32-36
Q: How did these Christians take care of each other?
The idea is not that they automatically gave everything away, but that when there was a need, they did what it took to meet it even when it meant selling their possessions. Their priority was on each other and not on their things. We may not need to sell our stuff to help (thought we very well could), but we may need to give of time, money, and encouragement.

Get Involved:
(note, this is a plan specific for West Park, be prepared with your own ways to get students involved. feel free to use these ideas/strategies and implement what will work)
We are partnering with Forefront Church who are working with www.soles4souls.com. We are collecting the following.
---Money
---New/Slightly Used Shoes
---Foldable Tents/Tarps
---Blankets/Clothing
---Duffle Bags/Back Packs
PLEASE make sure you don’t give junk, if you wouldn’t want to receive it, don’t give it.

HOW Can we accomplish this?
---Get your parents involved. Let them know what you are doing so they can support you with it and help out!
---Rally your classmates/friends. Maybe a pair of shoes is too expensive for you, but three of you can team up and buy a pair!
---Be creative! You could sell Blowpops at school and give the money to Haiti. Do chores/babysit around the neighborhood and give the money to Haiti
---Check the sales. A lot of shoe stores and clothing stores have out of season or out of style shoes and clothes for sale cheaper.
---ASK STUDENTS FOR OTHER IDEAS.

Close:
Take Index cards and have students write down “www.soles4souls.com” so they can remember to look there for guidance. Also have them write down Matthew 25:31-46, Acts 4:32-36 and Jeremiah 29:11-14 to have as a reference to read and encourage them to serve Haiti. Then have them write down the items they can donate and ideas to accomplish it that you have discussed. If you want, you can have these premade, but if they take the time to write it down, it will stick in their brain a little better.

Close by reading Psalm 27 and praying for Haiti.

My Favorite Albums of 2009...

2009-12-31T16:26:00.005-05:00

I used to get really into analyzing the world of media from year to year, but I don't get so into anymore. However, I figured I would go ahead and let you know what my favorite albums of 2009 were.

1) Thrice - Beggars
2) New Found Glory - Not Without A Fight
3) Crippled Black Phoenix - 200 Tons Of Bad Luck
4) Say Anything - Say Anything
5) Third Eye Blind - Ursa Major
6) Brand New - Daisy
7) Two Tongues - Two Tongues
8) David Crowder Band - Church Music
9) Appleseed Cast - Sagarmatha
10) Propaghandi - Supporting Caste

The honest truth is that there are probably a lot of great albums this year I missed and on any given day with an exception of the top 3 albums or so, the others can switch places on the list.

These are my favorites. I'm not claiming that they are the best albums of the year, just my favorite.

What were some of your favorites albums from this year?

Hello Hello...

2009-12-16T10:53:00.002-05:00

Before we begin, let me ask... Would you rather live without a vehicle or without a cell phone? Leave your answer in the comments.

On to my update.

So, I guess it has been a while since I have given you anything worth reading. I apologize (to my two faithful readers, ha!) What can I say? I have been slam packed busy this year. I made a terrible decision to do school non-stop this year without breaking for the summer. Though now I can look back on it and be glad that I did it, it made the summer months ridiculously stressful and pushed me so close to burn out that I would still say it was a bad choice. Thank God for a loving family, group of friends, and church family who encouraged me through it and understood when I dropped the ball so often on other things.

But now, classwork is done. All of it. No more classes for my Master's degree. It is a liberating feeling. I still have a comprehensive exam to take (I'm aiming for February or March) and an internship to complete (shooting for the fall) before I officially have the degree, but this still feels so good.

2010 is going to be a busy year it seems. I got a handful of things going on.
-Of course, there is the school internship.
-I'm working with Dave Herring on a secret project (shhh...)
-Taking a trip to Indonesia to teach at their Bible college with a couple of friends in May. This is huge, and I will write about it more specifically at a later date.
-Hoping to get a guest roll on iJames Play House (not really, but you need to check this out and get weak for a minute.)

Here's to hoping I blog more (does anyone really hope for that?)

Say Huh?

2009-12-03T13:13:00.001-05:00

I used to blog. What happened?

Five Thought Friday 8-7-09...

2009-08-08T00:13:00.002-04:00

Ok, technically its been Saturday for 15 minutes, but I need to do a Five Thought Friday, so here it goes.

1) I don't think Chinese buffet restaurants ever have to worry about customers dining and ditching. No one is running after they eat there. Coincidence? I think not! Good job Chinese restaurant owner!

2) It has been revealed that use of crack was a contributing factor to Billy Mays' death. A report I heard on the radio stated that the family was upset that that information was being made public. That got me thinking, was that tidbit really the public's business at all?

3) One reason I need a wife is cause I stink at shaving my head. I seriously just spent an hour doing it. For some reason I can never manage to hold the clippers at the right angle or something. I know this is supposed to be an easy task, and I feel like an idiot for struggling with it, but if I had a wife, it might not be such a problem!

4) I am pretty stoked about a couple concerts coming here in November. First is the Get Up Kids on their "Something To Write Home About" 10th anniversary tour. This is one of my favorite albums, so I am stoked to go to the show. Thrice and Brand New are also coming later in November. I LOVE THRICE.

5) Today I had a girl who struggles anorexia try to convince me that I am not fat. She is 5'2" and 112 pounds. I told her I am more than double her weight, and somehow she will argue with me that I am not fat, even though she is. Ugh, anorexia is such a deceptive disorder. I hate that people struggle with it.

Connect 2k9...

2009-08-03T12:15:00.002-04:00

I am sitting at the Perkins' beach house in Nag's Head, NC hanging out with Colonial Heights youth group. For some odd reason they asked me to come and be their speaker for their annual beach retreat. We will be here till Friday morning and I will be blessed with the opportunity to speak, and hopefully encourage these kids to live like the people described in Daniel 12:3 and Philippians 2:15; people who shine line stars! This what I got planned to talk about...

Mon Night: We live in a dark world
Tue Night: God saved us from darkness through Christ
Wed Night: Learning how to shine (through prayer and study of the word)
Thur Night: Shining

There are 35 students here, 8 (I think, lol) adults. My boy Mike Twine is here leading worship for the crew too. If you think about us, keep us in your prayers! It's gonna be a great week!

Anonymous...

2009-07-29T15:17:00.003-04:00

There are a lot of things that are frustrating and make no sense. Sometimes we are confused, other times we are ignorant, and sometimes we are neither rather we are just frustrated.

Though the joys far outweigh them, I think those are things that we experience and feel a lot in ministry.

For example; one might wonder why a minister/elder/deacon/secretary/volunteer/etc in a church can exhibit a constant bad attitude with no consequence, but upon committing some kind of "more serious" sin such getting caught up in pornography, getting too friendly with alcohol can be relieved from their ministry or position with haste.

What I want to do is give you an opportunity to vent about what it is about ministry/church/faith/christianity/etc that frustrates you, confuses you, makes no sense to you, or just hurts your heart. We will do this anonymously.

So here are the rules...
1) Leave a comment that vents your biggest frustration, confusion, or hurt with the topics mentioned above.
2) Leave it anonymously (sign out of your blogger account). If you leave a name or account link, your comment will be deleted.

Go!

Re-Open...

2009-07-29T14:16:00.002-04:00

This blog will open up for business again in an hour and fifteen minutes.

Check it out and play along.

Txt Mch? Using Twitter To Text Your Students...

2009-03-31T12:37:00.002-04:00

Twitter is an amazing, FREE, way to send text message announcements to your youth group. I got the idea and instructions from ChurchyMedia, but I wanted to write it out in a little more detail for some of my less technologically inclined friends.

Quick Directions:
1) Register a twitter account (ex: wpyouth)
2) Have students text "follow account" to 40404 (ex "follow wpyouth")
3) They text back their name, and boom, they will receive updates.
4) They can send "stop" to 40404 if they want to stop receiving updates.

Detailed Directions:
1) Go to www.twitter.com and get a twitter account started. Ours is "wpyouth" (twitter.com/wpyouth)

2) Once your account is set up, have anyone that wants to subscribe to text message updates text "follow account" to number 40404 where account is your account name (ex: "follow wpyouth")
NOTE: They must remove signatures, any other characters in their text message will screw it up. Also, I believe the message has to be all lowercase. I just offer these pointers from the troubles I have had with getting my students signed up.

3) They will then be asked to send their name, and boom, they are following you. Now when you update that twitter it will send a text message to all your cell phone followers!

4) For those who do not want to receive text messages, they can still keep up with announcements by going to the twitter webpage. (ex: www.twitter.com/wpyouth).

5) If at anytime they want to stop getting the updates, all they have to do is send "stop" to 40404.

6) For those of you that have a personal twitter account as well, I reccomend the Twitterfox add-on for your browser (I don't know if there are similar add-ons for other browsers. If you know link it in the comments.) With a single click you can switch between accounts (as opposed to having to login and logout all the time.)

This is a great means of communicating with your students. I am still working on getting all my teens signed up and on board. We use this to send announcements to the group, but also to play games. For example, I sent a message "first person to call the church and ask for eddie gets free cookies." Its just a fun way to interact with students.

And of course, you can use this for any ministry or group you organize. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Five Thought Friday...

2009-02-13T14:09:00.003-05:00

1) The stimulus plan: The only thing I know to say about the stimulus bill is that is gonna destroy our economy. Many politicians have said that we need to pass this as soon as possible so that we are at least doing something. That makes about as much sense as giving someone with a cold rat poison so that they are least doing something about their sickness. Ugh, people just stop spending money you don’t have. That goes for you businessmen too. And if none of you can live that way, don’t cry when your stuff is repossessed and your companies fail.

2) Moving Mountains: If you have never checked them out, you need to listen to them. I find them to be very relaxing and inspiring.
http://www.myspace.com/movingmountainsmusic

3) Liberty Tax Service: It is ridiculous how they promote their services. Having some dude prance around in a lady liberty costume just strikes me as silly. I have more thoughts about this, but I think I will write separately about that. What I really wonder is how many people would forget about taxes if it weren’t for that dancing fool? Kinda scary to consider.

4) Money Money Money: Speaking of taxes (3) and financial responsibility (1) I find myself awaiting that tax return. And although I have pretty much decided that other than a new phone, I want to put it all into savings, lately the temptation has been getting at me to spend some more of it on stuff I want but don’t need. What are you planning to do with your tax return?

5) God has reminded me this past week that I have so many good people in my life. My family is awesome, friends I have from back in the day are awesome, and my newer friends are awesome as well. So take a minute today and thank God for the good people in your life.

Resurrection...

2009-02-12T23:44:00.002-05:00

I need to start blogging more. I will do it! Tomorrow I will bring back my old school blog feature from Xanga. That's right, five thought Friday!

The Banana Christmas Tree...

2008-12-30T10:23:00.003-05:00

I noticed it about a month ago. If you go to the Taylor Bend YMCA you may have seen it yourself.

I walked upstairs one day to head to my workout, and there it was; a Christmas tree. However this Christmas tree was oddly decorated. It had clusters of grapes and bananas and other fruit placed all around its branches. It also had the usual things like lights, tinsel, and the star, but honestly the only thing that stood out to me was the fruit.

So, I hurried off to start lifting weights (its seems like I am always in a rush at the Y) and as my iPod was singing to me and my muscles were cussing at me, for some reason the thought of the tree decorated with fruit would not escape my mind. In my head I was trying to think of reasons why someone would decorate a tree like that, but I came up empty. I decided to walk by again, look at the tree, and see if they had some kind of program or activity they were promoting through this display. After all, they do frequently use creative means for advertising upcoming events and programs. Upon further inspection, I could see no evident promotion. For whatever reason, I was intrigued by a pine tree that was clothed in delicious fruit.

It was different than what I expect out of a pine tree. Because it was so odd to me, I desired some sort of explanation for it. This is nothing new. I mean, who doesn’t demand an explanation when something exists in a manner that is contrary to their understanding of the world. Bananas don’t grow on pine trees. What gives?

So I ponder a little further and it hits me. The words of Jesus in Luke 6:43-45 come to mind.
“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”

While I suppose in a forest of pine trees there is no morality at stake if a tree were to literally bare bananas, it goes without saying that the tree with the bananas would stand. I want to be a banana pine tree. I want to bear fruit that is memorable. I want to live selflessly in a way that causes observers to notice the fruit so that they may ponder about my fruit in the same way I pondered about the banana Christmas tree. I hope that they can look at my life, and upon seeking an explanation for the odd fruit they see, I hope that they will find God.

I don’t want to be like an ordinary pine tree. I want to stand out to the world like a banana Christmas tree.

What about you?

Hello...

2008-12-28T22:55:00.001-05:00

Man, this past week has just reminded me how blessed I am. A vacation with great friends and Christmas (be it a late one) with a wonderful family.

I am humbled and blessed.

Post Election Thoughts...

2008-11-06T18:01:00.005-05:00

So, this has turned out to be quite a long read, but I hope you will give it a shot!

Let me start off by telling you exactly where I am coming from as a voter. I am one of many who desperately wants a third party to get some recognition in our political system. For me, the libertarian party is the party of choice. I like small government, personal responsibility, and liberty in lifestyle. So I went back and forth for a while trying to decide if I would vote for Barr and his libertarian crew. In the end, though, my decision was for John McCain. What it came down to for me was priority. For me avoiding an Obama presidency was more important than making a statement for the Libertarians and since most third party votes come from conservatives and disgruntled republicans, a third party vote served as an aid to Obama and the democrats. So I voted McCain and Obama won, but it’s all good. I felt a lot of pride anyways. It was historical to see our first black president elected and I am glad that I was able to witness it. I appreciated the words and attitude of McCain’s concession speech and I really hope that Obama’s speech is more than rhetoric, but that it is actually reflected in the way he governs our nation. I guess we will see in the next four years.

Let’s remember this, God is sovereign. This has been true under W., it was true under Clinton, and has reigned true all the way back to George Washington. It will remain true under President Obama and it would have remained true under president McCain. Psalm 103:19 reminds us of this “The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.”

Christians seem to go into shock when some tenet of our faith and morals fails to succeed in our country’s legislation. Let us remember the ancient Israelites of the Old Testament. For years and years they were governed directly by the very word of God. His commandments and laws were given to Moses and used as the backbone of their nation. Guess what! They were still engulfed in sin. They still battled evil among their selves. They still behaved in ways directly opposed by the word of God. When we fast forward, what do we see? The only answer to this was Christ. In fact, the whole book of Romans tries to get it through our thick skulls that law will never save us, only Christ can. No matter how many laws we pass that honor Biblical principles and no matter how many Biblical principles we neglect, it is the pursuit of Christ that will change us all for the better. And just as Christ does not impose himself on any of us, we cannot impose Him on others through our law. Government and legislation, in my view, are really meant to keep a nation in order and to protect its citizens; not much else.

Let’s briefly look at some of the issues that have been brought up in regards to the Obama presidency. First we have abortion. This is one of the Conservative/Christian token issues. And let me assure you that I find abortion to be a terrible thing. I consider myself to be Pro-Life, but I do get so frustrated with some of my fellow Pro-Lifer’s. I think too often we have a view of our Pro-Choice, liberal neighbors as being in love with abortion. As if they carry around punch cards (remember Subway’s cards back in the day?) collecting abortions to get some sort of prize. I’m pretty sure from talking to people and from my own speculation that 99% of Pro-Choicers think abortion is terrible. The difference is they see it as a necessary option despite its horridness. I think many of them view an abortion the same way we might view open heart surgery. No one ever wakes up excited that they can have open heart surgery, and though the whole process is indeed scary, one is still glad to have the option open to them. And yes, I realize the difference is that open heart surgery does not have the same moral question to it that abortion does in the debate, but I really want you to get the idea that most people, whether Pro-Life or Pro-Choice, don’t like abortions for abortion sake. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don’t walk away from this thinking that I agree with that stance, but I do believe in order to change people you have to understand where they are coming from. I also don’t believe that legislation is the answer here. As I said earlier, change comes through Christ, not through law. Let those struggling with the decision of an abortion see Christ in us. Imagine if the young girl, single mom, or poor couple trying to make a decision about abortion came into contact with a Christian family or congregation that pledged to help them raise this child. What if they saw us loving our kids, working hard to be successful with our kids even though times are tough? I have to be honest with you, as a youth minister I see kids who get no attention from their parents. I see kids whose parents aren’t the slightest bit involved in their life (even though they live under the same roof.) Many of these parents would be the first to declare their Pro-Life beliefs while their own kids are falling through the cracks. So, let’s lead through the example of Christ. Legislation is never going to change people’s attitudes on the issue.

And this moves me on to America’s poor. Of course, as I learn more about the world the idea of America experiencing any real poverty almost seems ridiculous to me, but that is not the point of this. One of the biggest criticisms we heard about Obama as he ran his campaign was this idea that he would “spread the wealth.” That he would tax those Americans who make a large amount of money and use that money to give to our poorer citizen’s. This money would be dished out directly in some cases and through government programs in other cases. As an advocate of personal responsibility, I do have a hard time accepting Obama’s policy here, but I will say this. Christians, the answer is simple. We should be taking care of the poor. That is Biblical. We may not be able to do it perfectly, but we sure could do better than we are now. I know I don’t do near as much as I am capable of doing. Can you imagine the testimony America would see for Christ if the church truly stepped up and took care of our poor in this country? Can you imagine a situation where Obama’s notion of spreading the wealth would be a moot point because Christ’s bride was meeting the need of the people? You can get upset that politicians want to distribute the wealth around, but I wonder if God isn’t looking down thinking “well, you aren’t doing it, so someone has to.”

There are plenty of other issues that could be discussed, but I am not going to get into them now (by the way, last I checked Obama and McCain agreed on gay marriage.) The bottom line is this; real change will come through Christ, not through our laws. The way we reflect Christ when it comes to abortion, poverty and whatever other issues we consider will make a much more significant impact than any legislation. Anyone can go to rally, hold a sign, and chant, but through the Holy Spirit we can do more by living lives that honor our principles. I fully acknowledge that it is not an easy task and that I am just as guilty as anyone at not being proactive enough in my life to bring real Godly change to my community, but let’s stop looking at politicians and start looking at ourselves, and most importantly, let’s look at Christ. Christ is change.

Now, whether or not you voted for Obama or McCain, Obama won and will be our new president when W. steps down. My friend John Wallace wrote a good post on the way a Christian is to treat their government leaders. If you are a Christian your responsibility is to honor him, respect him and pray for him. The bible tells us that leaders in the government deserve this from us. It is also our duty to confront him on issues where he may err. There is nothing unbiblical about debating and exchanging ideas with a leader we disagree with, however the Bible mandates we do so with love and respect. It urges us to teach gently and warns us not to get caught up in foolish discussions. I’ll be honest. As I looked through the world wide web (mostly on facebook) I saw a lot of rude, hate-filled talk by Christians that embarrassed me. Let’s move on and seek unity until there is a need for a debate, and when that time comes, let us bathe it in prayer and handle it with gentleness and respect.

And for those of you are still persuaded that somehow Obama is some sort of incarnation of evil that will doom America, I hope you will change your thoughts. I hope you will realize that while there may be some changes in our nation, America isn’t going anywhere. And even if by the slightest chance it does, America is not our home, but Heaven is. If, however, you are unable to change your thoughts, let me remind you of the book of Habakkuk. Yes, it’s one of those highly neglected minor prophetic books from the Old Testament. Essentially the prophet Habakkuk gets in a heated discussion with God about the prosperity of evil people. Habakkuk is upset that the evil are prosperous and doesn’t understand why God would allow them such success. God’s simple answer is that he using them to execute his will in ways that Habakkuk is not able to understand at the moment. Remember, like I said at the beginning, God is sovereign. So if you can’t be persuaded that Obama is not a wicked man out for the doom of America as we know it, at least take refuge knowing that God is in control and uses people and circumstances we can’t understand to do his will. Also, on a side note, I would have said the exact same in this paragraph about McCain had he won.

Your thoughts?!?!

Congrats Barry...

2008-11-04T23:39:00.002-05:00

I know that a lot of my friends and the people that I see on a regular basis were McCain supporters. I voted for McCain too, but nonetheless, I am still experiencing pride for Obama's accomplishment. I feel good to be able to see the first black man elected to the oval office. I am also glad that McCain conceded with respect and honor.

I will expound much more on my thoughts about this thing tomorrow or Thursday. I have been thinking all day about what I have to say about this whole election thing. But just a couple quick thoughts...

1) God is sovereign. That is a truth that remains no matter who is in power.

2) Christians, even if you are disappointed, pray for your president. Like him or not, he is our leader and needs wisdom and protection from God.

More tomorrow!

The Show...

2008-11-03T23:50:00.008-05:00

So the Anberlin show at The Norva went down tonight. Man, I love living ten minutes away from The Norva. Joe, Mark, and I were hanging out and I was getting text updates from Joe Snow about what was going on. We didn't really wanna see anyone who was there except for Anberlin. By the time we arrived we completely missed There For Tomorrow. We came in on Straylight Run's last song (Hands In The Sky Big Shot.) Then we listened to Scary Kids Scaring Kids' set. They weren't bad. I have never given them a listen before. They sound like they could be good for working out too.

Anberlin played and were amazing. They put on a great show and Stephen has an honesty about him in the way he performs and presents himself. Overall the show was hype and exciting. The band played flawlessly as far as I could tell. Certainly they are one of the better live performers I have ever seen (Thrice is still the best, but heck, I am bias with them.)

Here is the set list...
Disappear
Never Take Friendship Personal
Paperthin Hymn
Breaking
A Day Late
Adelaide
Dismantle Repair
Inevitable
The Unwinding Cable Car
Retrace
Hello Alone
The Feel Good Drag
The Resistance
Godspeed
---pause before encore---
(The Symphony Of) Blasé
Fin

And here are some videos...

Anberlin - Dismantle Repair from chris on Vimeo.

Anberlin - The Resistance from chris on Vimeo.

Anberlin - Fin from chris on Vimeo.

I also have videos of A Day Late and The Unwinding Cable Car, but I am out of Vimeo space. Anyways, hope you enjoy these.

Another incredible thing was the lack of politics. You usually expect bands to preach politics to you, but unless we missed it with the first two bands, there was no politics. Amen.

Anberlin...

2008-11-03T15:24:00.004-05:00

Heading out tonight to the Norva with Joe and Mark to see Anberlin. Pretty stoked. Anberlin is probably one of my favorite bands of more recent years. Too bad New Surrender was a let down from Cities.

The Contrast...

2008-10-25T18:42:00.000-04:00

Right now I am just beat with seeing so many people throw away and waste their lives. Maybe I'm a little sensitive to it since I have been contemplating on this tragedy with Crystal all week, but in the course of one week I see one person die and affect a family in ways that just show the importance of making life meaningful, then a few days later I see people who are just throwing their lives away and living (and quite poorly at that) for the moment.

On days like these I wonder if I should have just gone into a career with computers instead of serving and working with people. I definitely feel like I can relate to what Habakkuk was talking about.

How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
but you do not save?
Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and conflict abounds.
Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
so that justice is perverted.
--Habakkuk 1:2-4

Death Is Profane...

2008-10-23T16:33:00.000-04:00

I’m a little frazzled this week as I try to collect my thoughts on a tragedy. Even though I am basically an outsider to the situation, it is still not something that I am indifferent to as I observe. The bottom line to all of it for me is that death is profane.

So what happened? Crystal, a girl my sister has been friends with since middle school mysteriously passed away this week. She had visited the doctor with pneumonia –like symptoms a few days ago and before anyone knew it, she was laid up in the hospital in a coma while all her body’s systems began to fail. And eventually her body just gave in and she passed Wednesday morning. Death is so profane.

I got into the mix because I am a minister. At one point Tuesday night they were quite panicked (understandably so), expecting that Crystal could go any moment so they called me to come and pray with the family and pray over Crystal. When I arrived, it was in the midst of confusion and heartbreak (as would be expected). The family was also looking for a priest to give Crystal her Last Rites (a Catholic Ritual.) I ended up spending a few hours with this group of people that consisted of friends and family of Crystal.

The hospital had us in a private room and as we sat in this room, the dynamics were just so odd. Everyone is experiencing variations of fear, grief, sadness, and hopelessness but they all handled it differently. Some sat quietly in their own thoughts. Some cracked jokes with each other. Some talked about things they remembered about Crystal. Some just talked about things completely unrelated to anything that was going on. Everyone handles these types of situations differently.

The vibe in the room constantly changed. One moment it would be dead quiet. Then a phone with a Chipmunk’s ringtone would ring and laughter would erupt. Conversation would come and go. Group conversation would happen, and conversation between two people would happen. People were going back and forth between visiting Crystal.

Finally we got together as friends and family and prayed together. Prayed for those hurting and mourning, prayed for a miracle, and prayed most of all for peace and understanding that only God can give. Then I did something I have never done before. We went down to see Crystal, in her coma, and prayed over her. It is a picture that will not leave my mind. There I am with her parents, asking God to heal her, to bring her back, and that if such a miracle is not in his will, to at least grant us peace and understanding and to display grace to Crystal and her family that is deeper than my understanding can comprehend. It puts things into perspective.

So much sorrow. So much hurt. So much wrong. The thought “death is so damn profane” has not left my mind since that night. If you remember, please pray for the grieving friends and family. I have been asked to do the funeral, so please pray for me that God would use a confused, 25 year old kid to bring comfort and peace to friends and family of Crystal.

A New Blog...

2008-10-20T01:41:00.000-04:00

So this is where the count down has led us. I have moved here from my xanga, however like others (Chris Woolard for example) I will continue to check and comment in the xanga universe (that sounds like some japanimation term). I will not likely copy my posts though. Hopefully I will find some time to spruce this blog up a little bit, but I am hoping to write more here and to write about things that are a little deeper and more important to me (as opposed to the typical "school, work, gym, busy").

And if you haven't heard yet, then you need to head over to another blog I am a part of. Http://markandchrisfightfat.blogspot.com. Mark and I are starting our weight loss contest tomorrow (or today depending on how you look at it). The weigh in is at 8:00 am. I checked myself out tonight, and all I could say was "Man, I need to lose this weight." But you can hit up our contest blog. You can sponsor one or both of us there. We are each challenging sponsors to give a dollar per pound that your chosen player loses, but if that is a bit much of a commitment, you can pledge any amount you like. Just hit up the blog and send us an email.

Let the games begin!