Nate Evans - January 2008 and 2010 Racer

Great Music and Fighting Human Trafficking

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The other day I was at a school picnic and as we walked past an ice cream stand

my boss asked me: "Would you like some ice cream?"

Is the answer to that ever going to be no?!?

The yes was instantaneous and easy to say.

I would like to present you with a similar opportunity.

My friend Chris Telfer is an amazing music artist with a soulful voice and deep lyrics.

MATTOO (Men Against the Trafficking of Others) is an organization finding ways to engage men in the fight against Human Trafficking.

Chris and MATTOO have partnered together for a 6 song EP. (5.99 on Itunes)

70% of the profits will go to fight Human Trafficking.

Sometimes life gives you easy decisions - This is one of them.

Watch this short video to find out more.

And go to this LINK to get the album on Itunes!

Dead Bodies, Cash and Living at Home

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

I have a dead person about 12 inches from my face.

I'm in a crouching position wearing latex gloves holding a wet rag.

My hands scrub furiously as I try to get the dried blood off the walls.

I'm not writing a fiction novel - this really happened.

I graduated from the G42 Leadership Academy in the middle of December.

I did not come to South Korea for my English Job until March 1^st.

That means I had two months at home in Illinois in between.

I needed cash for bills and to prepare for Korea.

So there I was, working for a family friend that owned a funeral home.

During my two months there I cleaned out garages and

basements. Varnished chairs. Shoveled snow. Ran errands. Saw

dead people every day. Washed the funeral cars.

And yes I painted the embalming room.

Which first required me to scrub the walls clean. And sometimes in the embalming process a little blood squirts out onto the walls.

Imagine this for a second.

One day you are in Southern Spain living right on the Mediterranean. Mountains all around you. The community is the best you will ever experience. Incredible Food. Discipleship. Life is just right.

The very next week you are back home in the midst of a cold, grey winter. Besides family,

there is little to no community. And now you are scrubbing blood off the walls of an embalming room.

It should have been harder on me but it wasn't.

In the last 5 years each time I have made a Big Transition I have done better than before.

Along the way there have been a lot of growing pains. (I mean reconciling what you see in Santa Monica with what you experienced in Africa is tough!)

My time at G42 capped off an important theme in my life.

I left finally fully knowing who I am.

And fully comfortable in my own skin.

I spent hours painting an embalming room in the middle of winter.

And I did it with a smile on my face and a good attitude.

In fact I fully enjoyed my time at home just as much as I enjoyed Spain.

When I thought about why I came to this conclusion:

"When you know who you are - You can thrive wherever you are"

Illinois, Spain, Africa or South Korea. It desn't matter.

Because I know who I am.

Coming From Work

Sun, 8 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

There was a man walking by, coming from work, Simon (from Cyrene), the father of Alexander and Rufus. They made him carry Jesus' cross. (Mark 15:21 - The Message)

COMING FROM WORK.

In other words this was his daily commute home.

Since this is sometime in the morning maybe he had worked through the night. Maybe he worked especially early.

Either way he had made this walk countless number of times.

Probably tired from work - he was trudging along the path he always takes. Looking forward to eating, relaxing and spending time with his family.

Just going through the grind of daily life.

All of sudden he comes across a crowd. There are people cheering and yelling. Some are crying.

Did he know he was about to enter smack dab into the singular most important event in all of history?

An event that would defeat sin, death and the evil one once and for all. And bring about the redemption of all of creation.

The Son of God - His bloodied and exposed flesh carrying a wooden cross too heavy for Him to bear.

Even more - carrying the sins of the world.

Before he realizes what is happening he is forced into helping by the Romans.

I wander what it was like for him. Did he know the ensuing moment would define his life? That billions of people would read and know what he did?

Think about it: One moment daily work commute --- The next you are carrying the cross for the Son of God as he marches to a death that will change everything.

There would have been no way for him to know the importance of what he was doing.

But I can bet he did later. That it became the definitive story of his life and the generations of family that would come after him.

And it happened on a walk home from work.

As I teach English in South Korea I am doing my first Monday through Friday 40 hour work week.

You know the routine: Wake up. Go to Work. Make Dinner. Watch some T.V. Sleep. And Repeat.

It is an interesting journey to figure out how my relationship with God fits into all of that.

That is why this tiny little verse in Mark struck me on this Easter morning.

How comfortable am I with God interrupting my daily work routine?

I'm not suggesting anything like what happened to Simon will happen to me.

But his story made me realize that my day is filled tons of tiny moments that have a possibility of effect far beyond what I can see.

If I just slow down. Keep my eyes open. And step into them.

And who knows maybe that one conversation, act of kindness or seemingly annoying interruption to the flow of my day will dramatically alter the course of someone else's life and family.

Or maybe all of them put together will form a stunningly beautiful mosaic of depth.

Life is filled with COMING FROM WORK moments.

Are you seeing and embracing them for all they are?

Emotions

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

It's my last night at home.

The next morning I will embark on a long journey that will end in South Korea. Which will be my home for a year.

I had just eaten a GIANT BACON CHEESEBURGER with French Fries and BBQ Sauce. (The perfect classic American Meal in my opinion)

Months of preparation had culminated into this final moment.

It was time to say goodbye to my family and home.

Then, unexpectedly - TRAGEDY STRUCK.

I COULDN'T FIND A PAIR OF MY FAVORITE SOCKS.

Before you make your judgements of how ridiculous I was being - Hear Me Out.

These weren't just any socks - these were the special, long kind that cost 10 dollars a pair.

So obviously the ensuing actions I am about to describe are completely normal and rational.

I halted the whole packing process and the enjoyable last night I was having with my Brother and Mom to go on a full out search for them.

I pulled both of them into this desperate search and frantically tore apart the whole house and all my previously meticulous packing.

I stayed up way later then I wanted to looking for them and even lost sleep thinking about where they might be.

By the time I embarked on my journey both my sleep and mental state had been dramatically affected.

During this whole sequence of events I kept hearing God say:

"Let it go Nate. Let it go"

But I didn't want to let it go - Instead riding the wave of emotions I was feeling at the time.

This drama I just described to you highlighted something God had been trying to teach me in the past month:

Sometimes my emotions control me.

Anyone around me for any amount of time will see that I am a Passionate person.

Passion is strongly tied to emotion.

And I believe this is a good quality to possess.

But ruining your last night at home because of socks?

And this isn't an isolated incident.

A couple weeks earlier I had left a few hours later then I wanted to on a trip to Chicago and I found myself cursing under my breath with a temptation to let it ruin my day.

Or a myriad of other minor things that elicited a reaction that didn't match the degree of what was happening.

I don't mean to paint an extreme picture - I am actually a very stable person.

But these little flares of emotion I had were revealing a lack of consistency I desire.

The Men of God I admire have a day in- day out consistency to them honed over years of CHOOSING and WALKING IN THE SPIRIT.

They have learned to live and choose beyond emotions.

This is so important because the people in their life ALWAYS KNOW WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO GET FROM THEM NO MATTER WHAT's GOING ON.

To me this is one of the most important qualities a leader can have.

I am three weeks into my time in Korea.

And this lesson has already proved very important.

In the middle of a host of transitions: Time Change. New Culture. New Job. Long Hours. And many other unexpected challenges -

I have had the opportunity to choose my attitude and rise above MY EMOTIONS and how I was feeling at the time.

I am learning to control my emotions instead of the other way around.

Oh and if you want to know: I found my socks the next day stuffed down in the one part of one of my bags that I had neglected to look.

More practical details of what Korea looks like coming soon in a Picture Blog!

What Am I Going To Do With My Life?

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

In my last blog I said I was PREGNANT.

So now the question is - How do I want to produce life?

"The place where God calls you to is where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet" Fredrick Buechner

This quote collided with another one during my time at G42.

"People don't follow leaders who keep their options open"

I have a lot of passions. I have a lot of options. And the world has a lot of needs.

I realized that I needed to chose one and commit.

At the age of 19 I was invited to an all male study of the book "Wild at Heart" by John Eldridge.

The course of my life was forever altered and since then my passion to reach out to the men around me has only grown stronger.

My heart leaps at any opportunity to spend time with other men and grow together.

The Need?

Churches are 61 % female and fewer than 10% of churches offer a men's ministry.

Honestly , I could overwhelm you with stats about the effects of fatherlesness and how the lack of true masculinity is affecting our world.

But you don't need me to tell you - I'm sure you have already felt it first hand in your life.

My vision is to develop a Missions Trip for Men.

I believe men in Western Society are lacking some core things.

- An initiation process that marks a boy's transition to manhood.

- A true understanding of God as a good Father.

- Knowledge of what their gifts are in relation to serving the world around them.

- An opportunity to receive healing from things that have hurt them

- What true depth looks like in male relationships.

A mission trip is a phenomenal vehicle to make all these things happen.

I have seen firsthand during the all male month on the World Race.

"Man Month was an opportunity for men who have the living Creator inside of them to express it out by being a community. A community marked by protecting another man's heart, accountability, encouragement of each other's gifts, truth, working together for the kingdom and a heartbeat of seeing each other become the man God has created us to be."John Blair (Man Month 2010)

I have ideas of how long I would like it to be (5-6 months) and The Age Group (21-35).

I know what I would like the format to look like and the places we could go.

There are other men interested, organizations I am talking to and I am ready to commit myself to making it happen.

*If you are reading this and are interested in finding out more about more about what a trip for Men might look like, passionate about reaching out to men , have a question or just want to connect period - Then Please Give Me an Email! (Snave1820@hotmail.com)

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But before that there was an opportunity to good to pass up.........

I will be teaching English for one year in South Korea.

This will allow me to pay off my school loan, save up money and have a new experience abroad.

In the future I will need to raise support to make my Mission Trip idea a reality.

This will be much easier to do debt free!

Also there will be 4 other former World Racers teaching at the same school with me.

I hope to be in Korea by the end of February.

And during my year there continue to develop, network and prepare to hit the ground running in 2013 pursuing my dream.

Stay Tuned - It's going to be a great year!

I'm Pregnant

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Have you ever heard the phrase -

"You can't get enough of a good thing" ?

I would have to humbly disagree.

I have spent the last 8 years more or less developing myself.

4 years at a Christian University --- The 2008 World Race --- A year getting discipled in Colorado --- The 2010 World Race --- And lastly 6 months at the G42 Leadership Academy.

Now I did some good in those years for sure.

And God produced a lot of fruit through my life.

But there was a large focus on self-introspection and my own personal growth.

G42 pushed me to transition out of that.

As I thought about what I wanted to say at our graduation banquet -

One phrase kept going through my mind.

I felt pregnant.

Another way of saying it?

I felt full.

And not the kind of full that you feel after a Christian conference or summer camp as a kid.

Or even the kind of full I felt returning from the World Race.

I have new weapons to fight the enemy and bring Kingdom.

I have a network of mentors and peers whose hearts beat like mine that I will be proud to stay connected to.

I have a healthier mindset, stronger determination and a deeper appreciation for life.

I have a vision and am ready to commit to it.

The major transition has been made in my life.

It's time for me to move away from self-introspection and plunge much deeper into giving my life away for others.

No more Training or Discipleship schools. No more Programs.

It's time to go give birth to something.

It's time for me to produce life!

Don't get me wrong I would love to have stayed at G42.

Spent more time gleaning from the staff, enjoyed the community and go on some more hikes overlooking the Mediterranean.

(And I know I will need to continue to grow, be discipled and learn new things)

But in doing that the focus would be back on me.

The joy of life is using all we have to love and serve the world around us.

It's time for me to step a lot deeper into that.

I have a vision. I have a plan. And I am very excited about it.

You will find out about it in my next blog - Stay tuned........

One of the Best Days of My Life

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Most of life is made up of day to day routine.

Daily moments that you have repeated many times before.

There are those days though that are special though.

They are seared into your memories museum and when you think back over them your heart explodes with joy and sentimentality.

In my life I have been blessed with a number of these days.

Graduation Day from G42 Leadership Academy will always stick out amongst them.

The day started out with our final class -

Where we spent time worshiping and praying for each other.

Then some final one on one time with Andrew Shearman.

The night kicked off with some final pictures with the fellow interns.

Brook, Evin , Sarah and I. (July Term Graduates)

Left to Right: Me, Sarah, Chandler, Evin, Brook and Peter.

Then a get together at Andrews where we caught a beautiful sunset.

Andrew Shearman and I.

The interns with Dave and Rebecca Hearn, Andrew Shearman and Dave and Bernadette Fredriksz

The dinner was a three-course meal full of great conversation, laughter, games and encouragement.

The game came down to Brook and I. Brook won but I do have to say it was just a game of chance!

Graduating interns gave our final speeches and we were commissioned to go!

Santa even stopped by to give us some gifts.

Getting my diploma.

The night finished off with an epic Dance Party!

Actually from 1st Term. But it was done in the same room with some of the same people!

That was the basic run down with pictures.

It doesn't really do it justice.

It felt like LIFE the way it was meant to be lived.

Depth. Fun. Passion. Joy. Outward Focused - All with people I know well and love deeply.

That was an amazing thing about G42- There were a lot of days filled with these things.

Graduation Day sticks out because it was the culmination not because it was an abnormal.

The day highlighted one of the invaluable things G42 schooled me on

HOW TO LIVE WELL

The moments I experienced during that day can't fully be put into words.

Some things are too holy. Too special for that.

But I do know that I want to embody the heart of that day no matter where I am at.

*Editors Note: Most of these pictures were taken by Sarah Hetrick. She is an amazing photographer and writer - check out her blog HERE! //// Also I graduated about 1,600 dollars short of my support goal. Click HERE If you would like to help.

Quotes That Will Change Your Life - Part II (Best of G42)

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Ted Hanson

(Former Head Pastor of Abundant Life Church in Bellingham, Washington and Director of House of Bread Ministries)

"If hearing God is about knowing what to do. Then knowing what to do is your god"

"Don't tell me what to do. Capture my wants!" (I'm good at doing what I want to do)

"The worst form of abuse - No use"

"If you have discovered your strengths - you have discovered your weaknesses"

"The will of God is not what you do - it's who you are!"

"God has never judged the future of the church by the world. It's vice-versa!"

"If vision is what you do - you will fail. If vision is who you are - you can't fail!"

"His voice never brings condemnation. Not shame on you! Shame off of you!"

"The highest form of communication is the Holy Spirit to the human heart"

"Prophecy isn't informational. It's transformational!"

"Don't believe the world can change? It won't"

Steve Holmes

(Director of Genesis Business Academy in the U.K. and founder of Genesis Social Enterprises)

"Banks at their core don't back plans they back people - God is even more so...He backs people not plans!"

"If we welcome failures as part of the process we banish fear!"

Herman Haan

(Produces Documentaries for Dutch Television, Plays Guitar and is an amazing cook)

"Truth always requires sacrifice"

"The more I'm like me - the more I'm like Jesus"

Dave Hearn

(Former Air Force Engineer - Husband and Father of Three - And the guy that does everything behind the scenes at G42)

"The basis of a leader? Willingness and hard work"

"Don't substitute prayer for action. Act prayerfully"

Anonymous

These are only technically anonymous - All of them I heard in class at G42 - I just am not sure who to attribute them to.

"A man can fail many times but he isn't a failure until he blames the person who pushed him"

"This generation needs something your life contains!"

"Fear the Devil - He doesn't fear you. Don't fear Him - He will fear you!"

"A person with an experience will never be at the mercy of a person with an argument"

"We preach best what we need the most"

"People will not follow a leader who keeps his options open"

"You can't prove humility - you are humility"

"Some die from the sword. Some men die from flames. Most men die playing little games."

Some Quotes I Thought Up During My Time at G42

"Most people grasp their sinfulness but don't grasp their greatness"!

"Prophetic words unlock the potential for the future. They don't guarantee the future"

""Hope is the heartbeat, energy and lifeblood behind our relationships"

"Whether you're going slow or extremely fast - If your cruise control - you're still cruising!"

"The key to generosity is simplicity. The key to simplicity is contentment"

Quotes That Will Change Your Life (Best of G42)

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"Love God and do what you want" - St. Augustine (Often repeated by Bec Hearn!)

This quote is the first thing that greets a new student at G42.

In fact there were a lot of things said over my 6 months there.

And my journal full of notes contains a lot of amazing quotes.

When I copied the best ones out yesterday they filled 6 pages of a Word Document!

The quotes you will be reading today are some of the

Best of the Best.

Enjoy.

Some of the best from Andrew Shearman (Founder of G42 Leadership Academy)

"If you're dead you can't be killed"

"Don't let the past shape your present. The future should shape your present!"

"Don't ask what if it doesn't work - Ask: What if it does work?"

"Honor is the password to every kingdom website"

"If you can be stopped you will be."

"Un-commitment is unbelief. You can't commit - you don't really believe"

"If you preach what you know - you're just talking. If you preach who you are - You bring Life!"

"Mercy separates you from death. Grace attaches you to life"

"If you can be who you are without effort- you are free!"

"Every promise God has ever made is Yes in Jesus Christ"

"The 2 characteristics necessary for Life: Humility and Thankfulness"

"You will never change anything real about people with threat"

"The devil's only potential stronghold is what you think"

"He is willing to put His love up against any other force!"

"Why do we believe the lies of Hell easier then the truth of heaven?"

"When we give it away it becomes ours"

"Equipping is probably the most important thing you will do. Without it you will waste your life" -

Some of the Dutchman's David Fredriksz Best:

(David was a former Pastor in the Netherlands and now serves on Staff at G42.)

"You can win the argument and lose the person"

"The greatest tragedy of Life isn't death - it's not knowing why you're alive"

"There's a price tag on your life and that price is Love"

"God will always fulfill His word. He will not fulfill your potential"

"God doesn't need our permission but He waits on our prayers to act!"

Various Teachers or Staff

"Stop being mediocre in any area of your life!" - Bec Hearn (Daughter of Andrew Shearman)

"We don't always get to choose. But we always have a choice" - John Marsden (Pastor of a church in Wales)

""We sometimes measure our dreams on what we have instead of who we serve" - George Ridley (CEO and Director of Lightforce International - a non-profit serving in Uganda, India and Albania)

"One day isn't on the calendar" - George Ridley

"Potential is different than maturity" - Mark Sherrat (Head Pastor at the Milton Keynes Christian Center in the United Kingdom)

"Opportunities are described as hard work - that's why most people don't recognize them!" - Mark Sherrat

*"The secret of trust does not lie in answers. It lies in acceptance" - By a missionary woman that was brutally raped."

Too Much To Fit In One Blog! Part II On It's Way...........

Spontaneous Thoughts

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Sorry for the long hiatus from the blog world.

I was enjoying time with family and friends over the holidays! (As I'm sure you were as well)

Enjoy this picture I took as an apology......

I graduated from G42 Leadership Academy on December 15th.

In my next series of blogs I will wrap up my time at G42. (What I learned , How I grew and the Best Pictures!)

And let you know what God has in store for me next.

I'm going to kick off this series with a poem I was forced to write in 3-5 minutes.

If you remember the last poem I posted - Broken Men - then you might remember a man named Herman Haan.

During our last week of class he gave us 5 minutes to write a poem to sum up our FUTURE.

This is what I found myself writing. (Pardon the incompleteness!)

You have called me your mouthpiece

You have said "Proclaim!"

From your lips I have heard

"Rock the Nations - Bring Me Fame"

But first and always I must seek your face

Let You refine me

And sit in your embrace

Sometimes I worry - "Will You come through?"

The desires of my heart - are they safe in your arms?

But you have proven over and over

You care more about them then I do.

Spending With a Purpose

Fri, 9 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Great video done by my friend, fellow G42 alumni and amazing videographer - Grant McGuire

Enjoy This Short and Thought Provoking Video On Christmas.

Why The Heck Do We Hate Tim Tebow?

Sun, 4 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

*Special Note: I did not write this. (I wish I was this good though!)

This article was written by Jen Floyd Engel and can be found on foxsports.com

I am not re-posting the article because I agree with everything said - I am re-posting the article because it is an extremely interesting take from a secular writer on a current issue.

My personal take on Tim Tebow is that he is a guy that genuinely loves Jesus that will need to make dramatic improvements throwing the football to be a QB long term in the NFL.

I know it is a little long but I guarantee you will find it intriguing.

And PLEASE leave your comments - I am very interested in hearing what you think.

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What if Tim Tebow were a Muslim? Imagine for a second, the Denver Broncos quarterback is a devout follower of Islam, sincere and principled in his beliefs and thus bowed toward Mecca to celebrate touchdowns. Now imagine if Detroit Lions players Stephen Tulloch and Tony Scheffler mockingly bowed towards Mecca, too, after tackling him for a loss or scoring a touchdown, just like what happened Sunday.

I know what would happen. All hell would break loose. Stinging indictments issued by sports columnists. At least a few outraged religious leaders chiming in on his behalf. Depending on what else had happened that day, they might have a chance at becoming Keith Olbermann's Worst Person In The World. And there would be apologies. Oh Lord, would there be apologies -- by players, by coaches, possibly by ownership with a tiny chance of a statement from NFL commish Roger Goodell. You cannot mock Muslim faith, not in this country, not anywhere really. It is primarily a respect issue, because religion is sacred and should be off limits.

Yet when Tulloch and Scheffler dropped to a knee to mock how Tebow prays -- an action known as "Tebowing" that has gone viral in the public too -- we yawned and told Christians to lighten up. We blamed Tebow for making a show of honoring God rather than himself in moments of joy. We excused them because Tulloch said he was mocking Tebowing, not God. Because ridiculing a man who chooses to honor God is so much better, right? His religious fervor is an easy target for the vitriol spewed from those who dislike him, but the reasons are much deeper than that.

From his advocacy of abstinence to his infamous "You will never see another team play this hard" speech at Florida, it is like he is too good to be true. He is too nice, and thereby we want him to trip up so we can feel better.

We want him to be revealed as a hypocrite, and when that fails to happen, we settle for gleefully celebrating his failures on the football field. And why? Because he dares to say thanks?

I keep telling myself I am done with this Tebow debate only to be drawn offside, this time by a Lions player I had never heard of and a viral web meme that sprouted this week that had fans flooding an ESPN story's comments section with viciously funny, yet downright mean and very sacrilegious quips of the "X > Tebow" formula.

What this whole repeating cycle of Tebow -- rip his game, mock his faith, rise to his defense, repeat -- has revealed about religious discourse in America is ugly.

We have become so enamored of politically correct dogma that we protect every minority from even the slightest blush of insensitivity while letting the very institutions that the majority holds dear to be ridiculed. And this defense that Tebow invites such scrutiny with his willingness to publicly live as he privately believes calls into question what exactly it is we value.

One of the things Boomer Esiason got right in his vicious takedown on Tebow as a quarterback on a radio show earlier this week was how personal the criticism is. A good many NFL players and fans seem to be rooting for this guy to be a massive failure. I could not figure out what was causing this onslaught of venom for a guy almost everybody claims to like, and I finally decided it is more about us. He makes us uncomfortable. He is a reminder that the blue-red, liberal-conservative fight over taking God out of everyday life is intellectually dishonest.

He is too good. Tebow is proof that God goes comfortably into whatever arena of your life you wish to take Him.

I used to work with a great guy, Simon Gonzalez, a very devout Christian, and he prayed before every meal. Others would be killing free press meals and he would stop, bow his head and silently say thanks. He was not making a spectacle of his beliefs. He believed that God deserved thanks for what was before him, and not just when convenient for Simon. And people would squirm -- not because what he was doing was wrong, but because it was right.

It is the same for Tebow. There is no organized prayer led by Goodell before every game and no mandate for a post-touchdown prayer. Players such as Tebow -- and he certainly is not alone in his belief and faith in the league -- do so because consciences request it. That others chose to mock -- and Tulloch is in good company with many journalists I call friends and web posters with a wicked sense of humor -- reminds me very much of the final line of The Paradoxical Commandments so often attributed to Mother Teresa:

"You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway."

And everybody is getting dropped in the grease on this one. The defenses of Tebow, by Christians, are so ugly it defeats the point. This is where Christianity so often loses people, the ardent preaching of the gospel of "I'm Right, You're Wrong" and the demand for tolerance and the unwillingness to grant it. Because if Tebow were Muslim and did celebrate by bowing to Mecca, that would deserve respect too. Same for a Jewish player, yet why do I see that blowing up into an ugly mess as well?

The level of discourse about religion in this country is frankly embarrassing, a bastard child of political discourse. The only one who looks good in all this -- maybe too good for some -- is Tebow.

I find it especially telling that Tebow rarely lectures and does not fight back.He did not create Tebowing, nor is he responsible for it blowing up hipster style. It was kind of cool, I thought, after hearing a kid had said he was "Tebowing" while getting chemo.

He is just a guy with the good sense to say thanks. Instead of taking his cue, we mock his faith.

And that says more about us, none of it good.

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Personal Support Update: Need 2,100 dollars to be fully supported. Click HERE to help.

Change We Can Believe In

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Do you have something in your life that you know needs to change

but it seems engrained into who you are?

I'm not talking about a sin that you're struggling with.

I'm talking about something that is intertwined with your personality and lifestyle.

Mine has to do with words.

You see since I was young I have had the insatiable need:

- To Be Right.

- To give my opinion even when it's not asked for.

- To always get the last word.

I have realized that root part of me that produces the fruit described above is also the same Root that enables me:

To stand up for what is right. Challenge others on hard things. To live life with boldness.

So it's not about changing this part of me as much as it is about redeeming it and

Attaching it to Love and Service.

God and I have been in this process for a long time now but especially since 2008.

The way I acted that year caused a lot of brokenness in me and others. (As detailed in this BLOG)

And I truly began to learn to give up my right to speak all the time and my right to be right.

So after 4 years of growth and change in this area -

How do you think it felt for me to get the same challenge from someone who barely knew me?

A guest teacher came in for a few days and before he left he gave each of us a challenge/encouragement.

What was mine?

That I need to learn better when to speak and when to keep my mouth shut.

There were two possible reactions to this:

1) My initial reaction: Become discouraged that I had grown so little over these past years. And to grow despondent over whether this would ever change.

2) Or what I believe to be the correct reaction: Remind myself that I have grown, changed and matured a lot in this area. And that God was reminding to keep going forward and growing in this area of my life.

We all have these things in our life that we know need to change.

And it is so easy to fall into shame, condemnation and wandering whether we will ever change.

At those times I believe it's important to:

Give ourselves a little grace.

Remind ourselves of how we have changed.

And put our eyes back on Jesus and inviting the Holy Spirit into that area of our lives.

If we are a willing partner -

He will complete the work He started in us.

And in the meantime: He loves us the same.

What is it in your life that's similar? - I would encourage you to share it in the comments section below or message me.

I would love to pray for you. And it's so good to get it out in the open.

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Support Update: I am currently 2,200 dollars short of support and am praying for a miracle! If you can help in any way click HERE.

Michael Needs Your Help!

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I met Michael during my time with working with the Children's Garden ministry in the Philippines.

(The Children's Garden in a ministry that takes in former street boys - gives them an education, life skills and discipleship)

He is an amazing young man with an incredible story. (Read HERE)

He is in desperate need of help right now.

This is short summary of what has happened written by my friend Lisa Anderson.

Today I heard some very somber news. Michael's mother has passed away.

This is a message we have received from one of the workers at the Children's Garden.

"His Mom's body is still in the hospital and Michael's family doesn't even have the money for the casket for their mom! This breaks my heart. Please pray for Michael in this saddest time of his life. I remember him telling me about his dream in giving his mom a good life."

This is what we are going to do and I need your help.

Michael urgently needs the amount of P18,000 or US$430 to cover for the casket and cemetery fees (packaged funeral service) of his mom. Let's continue to pray!

Any amount you feel like giving will be highly appreciated and all the money will go to Michael to cover for his needs. This is an amazing opportunity to make a real difference!

Since, this is an urgent need, you can send your help through Western Union or Xoom.org."

Please Email me at Snave1820@hotmail.com for more detailed information on how to help.

The Godliness of SWAG (Part II)

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

*Support Update: I am currently 2,500 dollars short of my total goal. I have 1 and 1/2 months to raise the rest of the money! If you can help in any way - click HERE!

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"We can't be humble by accident - We must purpose in our heart to know our greatness yet never exalt ourselves higher then we ought."

What does all this have to do with me?

I want to be a leader. And I believe I will be a very good one.

I want to preach in front of people. I believe I am an excellent communicator and will be used in mighty ways.

The Christian world has made me feel guilty about both of these things.

I am told that to lead or preach well in the future - I should not desire either of these things now.

And that to have strong confidence in either is Pride.

I believe that False Humility is crippling the church.

And that Godly confidence looks like arrogance to the insecure.

Whatever God has gifted us in - let's do it with greatness and excellence.

Just imagine a Bold, Confident and Strong Army of Believers all operating confidently in the Gifts that God has given them!

As long as we have rooted ourselves in love and service and recognize the greatness of God - We can be confident that our confidence isn't pride and stop focusing on humbling others as well.

Back to my point about Hip-Hop.

Confidence or SWAG drips off of every beat and lyric.

These guys believe they are THE Greatest thing on planet earth and that NOTHING or NO ONE can stop them.

When I listen to them I feel that same confidence surging through me.

I feel strong and ready to take on the world.

I believe that this is a good thing.

I believe SWAG in the arsenal of a believer is a POWERFUL and DANGEROUS thing.

Secular Rappers have misplaced it in self-pride and vanity.

But the strong, confident energy behind it isn't wrong at all.

Christians in trying to slay pride have killed their confidence and identity as well.

God has called us to Greatness and our shining brings even more glory to Him.

As the popular saying goes - Humility isn't thinking less of yourself its thinking of yourself less!

So come on Body of Christ - Let's be Great- Let's get our SWAG back - The World is in desperate need of what we have to offer.

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"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

*This isn't about a promotion of the lyrics or values of the rappers I mentioned. And yes I realize the development of Christian Rap - Sho Boraka. Lecrae. Tedashi. Grits. Etc..........I'm just using secular hip hop to make a point.

The Godliness of SWAG (Part I)

Mon, 7 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

SWAG (Also known as Swagg, Swagga and Swagger)

For those of you who are White and/or over 40 years old -

Here are 3 Definitions from UrbanDictionary.com

Swagga is what makes you unique, distinctive and definitive. Swagga is also character, personality, attitude and style all roled into one.

How one presents themselves to the world. Swagger is shown from how the person handles a situation.

A naturally borne or developed sense of confidence and pride in oneself without being boastful. Swagg can be easily seen in the way that one walks, speaks, and carries oneself.

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When I played sports in High School. When I work out. When I am in upbeat mood. Or feel like dancing.

What do I listen to?

Hip Hop/Rap(Whatever you want to call it)

I am guessing it might be the same for you.

As you know the latest Chris Tomlin or Jack Johnson might not quite do in those situations.

Jay Z. Lil Wayne. Kanye. T.I. (Or other less talented or creative rappers)

Whether you listen to them openly or sneak them into your rotation -

Most likely they have been bumping in your ear drums at some point in time.

I have been reading a book called "The Supernatural Ways of Royalty" by Bill Johnson and Kris Valloton. (All Quotes in here are from that book)

And it got me thinking about what might be appealing to me on a deeper level from these cocky, arrogant guys that grew up in the ghetto.

I have spent the last year focusing in on pursuing Humility. (Ex: My blog Intimacy. Character. Humility)

I have been told my entire Christian life that it is one of the most important virtues a person can have.

Just recently I have discovered all the false things I have believed about it.

"The truth is it is neither pride to recognize our strengths nor humility to demean them"

An example? In the last 7 years of being involved in lots of different kinds of Christian ministry I have heard something like this multiple times:

"He/She is the perfect choice for leader because they don't even think they should be."

ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!They will be a good leader because they have leadership skills! In fact they will be a good leader in spite of not believing in themselves - not because of it!

"The point is that as long as we acknowledge where our greatness comes from, were not in danger of pride. We don't glorify God by saying were not great. We glorify Him by acknowledging that He is the source of our greatness! Humility is not demeaning ourselves but exalting God!"

A worship leader walks off stage and someone compliments them on doing a great job.

The immediate Christian response?

'It wasn't me - It was Jesus'

1) It wasn't that good!

2) We all know God was the source - now what's wrong with recognizing the greatness He has put inside someone?

Does a crappy painting bring praise to its artist? Then why does making less of ourselves make God greater?

Part II Coming - Stay Tuned..............

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Support Update: I am currently 2,700 dollars short. If you can help support the amazing life changing process I am going through - click HERE. I would truly appreciate it!

It's Easier to Watch

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Passion Personified

That's the best way I can describe Andrew Shearman's speaking style.

Whether talking with 6 people (like this semester) or preaching to hundreds -

Passion, Joy and Excitement spills out of each word.

He acts things out. Falls to his knees. Yells. Dances. Makes a fool of himself.

Really anything to convey the heart behind what he's saying.

And you know what?

It's really easy to sit back and enjoy.

Like a spectator at a sporting event-

Enjoy all the excitement without putting in any of the work.

During a week of his teaching it's almost impossible not to catch some of the LIFE coming off of him.

It hit me this last week though.

I don't want some temporary high. I don't want to sit back in a chair and think,

"Wow. He's pretty excited about this stuff. That's pretty cool......"

And then walk away borrowing some of his excitement and passion.

If what he's saying is true -

I want to embody it!

I want it to take deep root in my heart until it becomes a natural outflow of my life.

Most of us know we don't want to be Michal (King Saul's Daughter) that mocked King David for dancing passionately before God.

But I also don't want to be the guy in the back of the procession spending more time admiring David's passion then participating in the worship myself!

Every staff member and teacher here gives away enough life for me to live off of and feel pretty good.

But I didn't come here to learn some principles and have a fun time in Spain.

I want what I'm learning here to truly become WHO I AM.

That's the cry of my heart.

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Support Update: I am currently 2,800 dollars short. If you can help support the amazing life changing process I am going through - click HERE. I would truly appreciate it! Oh and I will say where all this is leading to soon!

It's Better Than We Think It Is

Sun, 9 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

All my muscles contracting at once.

Tears streaming out of my eyes.

My chest heaving up and down.

Feet stomping.

Trouble breathing.

Uncontrollable laughter ripping through my body.

I had just spent the last 40 minutes laughing harder than I ever had in my entire life. For no reason in particular.

I'm not talking about watching funny movie laughter or even the kind of laughter you do with close friends.

I'm talking about deep from your soul laughter.

Let me take you back for a second.

AnnieRose, Evin and I were going to do one last hike together before AnnieRose graduated.

The plan was to hike to the top of the mountain - stay there until dark and then hike down.

I had high hopes for the night because I love hiking especially with close friends.

The night had already been filled with great conversation. (We made a plan to white water raft together in eternity!)

Great pictures and Beautiful views.

Then God surprised us.

We had taken a break half-way down the mountain to lie down and look at the stars.

About 20 minutes in AnnieRose started laughing. Evin and I started laughing at AnnieRose laughing. It continued to build up until we were all uncontrollably laughing!

It was the kind of laughter that would start to calm down and then someone would lose it and uproar of laughter would come bursting up again!

After it calmed down we laid there in complete peace enveloped in the presence of God, next to close friends and staring up at the stars.

I don't know how to explain but there was some sort of new level of freedom that happened for all three of us during that time.

I couldn't have dreamed of a better night.

As I reflected on everything that happened

It hit me:

Life is Even Better Than I Think It Is.

And Even more:

God is Better and Bigger than I think He Is.

I couldn't have sat down and planned or dreamed up a more enjoyable night.

God just wanted to bless us.

We didn't ask God for it. We didn't pray for it. We weren't singing worship songs.

We were just 3 friends lying on a gravel road looking up at some stars.

How can you explain a God that would bless three of His children with uncontrollable laughter for no apparent reason?

Except that He is more generous, loving and good than we could ever imagine.

And that He has filled this life with more joy, love and laughter than we could ever dream.

Right Time. Right Place.

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Have you ever had a time in your life where everything seems to fit together perfectly?

Maybe a relationship where both of you are at the perfect place.

Or a job where the things you are passionate about doing match perfectly with what the company needs.

A season of life where everything seems to match up.

Well that is what my time at G42 Leadership Academy has been for me.

After I finished my 2^nd World Race in November of 2010 - I still felt something was missing.

There was an unfulfilled desire I had to receive direct mentoring and disciplining.

A season of life to learn from older men. Refine my character and identity.

I had seen other leaders more concerned about what to do then who they were becoming.

And I am convinced that if I become who I am supposed to be - I'll do what I'm supposed to do.

G42 has done exactly that for me - molding me much deeper into the man I am destined to become.

But it's also revealing in my heart what I am supposed to do and pushing me to make a plan to do something about it.

Let me take you on a short walk through this last semester.

Steve Holmes challenged me to think like an entrepreneur.

Staff member Dave Fredriksz encouraged us to think about what "our church" would look like.

Ted Hanson shifted my paradigm of what New Covenant living actually looks like.

Herman Haan pushed my creative boundaries showing me the potential that is there.

George Ridley made it clear that hard work and commitment will accomplish a dream.

Andrew Hanson (only 32) who founded MATTOO (Men Against the Trafficking of Others) showed me what a young passionate person willing to risk can do to change the world.

And our head leader Andrew Shearman poured his heart out on a number of things ranging from relationships all the way to the utter importance of equipping others.

Every single Staff member and Teacher embodies this:

They give everything they have (experiences, wisdom, skills, time) away to serve and bless others.

They give it away to see us become fully alive and ready to do the same for others.

The time with these men has done two things for me:

1) I am starting to understand the joy of giving my life away for others. I have spent the last 4-6 years in self reflection and personal growth. It's time to shift to a place of pouring out all that I am on a consistent basis.

2) It's time to grow up. I have shied away from full or long term commitment. And things of major responsibility. It's time to step into manhood in some new areas in my life.

Lastly - G42 has forced me to develop a vision and a plan. (Thanks Dave Hearn)

Leaving here in 3 months I will do one or a combination of these things:

-Run with my vision of starting mission trips geared only for men.

-Spend time serving someone else's vision.

-Serve directly under a Man of God for even closer discipleship.

I will leave here with a plan!

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Your amazing support and prayers have gotten me through my first 3 months here. (I was able to raise 3,100 dollars!)

But without your help for these next 3 months (2,900 dollars left to raise) I will either have to leave my time here early or return home with a massive debt.

Support breaks down at 1,000 dollars a month.

Currently for the month of October I still need 1,830$. That means I have the rest of this month to get the money I need to stay current on support.

I thank you so much for your prayers and generosity. (Past, Present and Future) I couldn't do any of this without YOU!

Click here to help.

How much have I raised?

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I am a recent graduate of the G42 Leadership Academy

(A Christian Discipleship School) which cost 6,000 Dollars to attend.

I graduated in December but am 1,700 dollars short on support. Click HERE if would like to support me.

(Either use the "Monthly Support" option or click on "Intern Support". If you are doing a one time donation - click on "Intern Support" and after you enter the amount and your credit card information - there will be a small box in which you can put my name on the final page of the donation)

See You Soon

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Why am I posting a video of a cover of the Coldplay song - "See You Soon"?

1) It is performed by my fellow G42 classmate and Music Artist Chris Telfer. (Who is incredibly talented!)

2) It was shot and edited by my fellow G42 classmate and amazing Videographer Grant McGuire.

3) It was shot in the living room of the house I live in!

*Oh and it's less then 3 Minutes Long........

The Power of Hell

Mon, 5 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

What weapons do Satan and his demons actually have?

We know as Christians (From Ephesians chapter 6) that we have a full armor we can put on.

But what about Hell - Does it have weapons?

This could be an extensive discussion but let's keep it short and simple.

In Luke Chapter 11 - Jesus is accused of casting out demons by the power of Satan.

He then tells a story about a STRONG MAN protecting his house AND then a STRONGER MAN comes in OVERPOWERS HIM and ........

'TAKES AWAY HIS ARMOR IN WHICH THE MAN TRUSTED AND DIVIDES UP HIS PLUNDER' - Luke 11:22

The Point could be strongly made that Jesus was That STRONGER MAN and that is exactly what He did to Satan.

Next - Colossians 2:15 - "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross"

DISARMED THE POWERS AND AUTHORITIES...........

Hmmmmm - If Satan has been disarmed by the power of the Cross- then does he have any weapons at all?

II Corinthians 10:4-5 - "The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ"

Strongholds are Arguments!

Pretension means Imagining!

IN SHORT ALL SATAN (AND THE REST OF HELL) HAS IS WORDS!

He is the Father of Lies remember.

Word only have power when we give them power.

That is why - THE POWER OF HELL IS IN OUR BELIEF.

We have these long arguments in our head. Back and Forth. Back and Forth.

Or take those thoughts Captive to Christ

And tell those lies you hear to go right back to HELL WHERE THEY CAME FROM.

For 5-6 years I believed a Lie that I don't Love or Serve people well. (That's a whole different Blog)

What has hell been telling you? And what do you need to tell it back?

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*Support Update: 3,100 of the 6,000 plus I need. Click HERE if you want to help.

The Enemies Gospel

Sun, 4 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

This last week of class was with the one and only Andrew Shearman. (Our Leader of G42)

Two of our classes were two very interesting sermons.

I would love to hear your thoughts on them.

The Religious people of Jesus' day absolutely hated him.

That most people know.

Here is what's interesting -

They proclaimed truth about Him with their own words.

The Examples?

- He likes to hang out with sinners.

*Luke 15:2 - "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them"

-They recognized he could heal people.

*Luke 13:14 - "Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath the synagogue leader said to the people, 'There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath."

-They acknowledged he could drive out demons.

*Matthew 9:34 - "It is by the Prince of Demons - He drives out demons"

-"He saved Others but He can't save Himself" - What they said while he was on the cross. *Mark 15:31

I love the last one the best because in their own way they are proclaiming what Jesus' life was all about.

Saving Others - While Completely Giving of Himself. (Of course they mistook that Jesus couldn't save himself but nonetheless they were still speaking truth!)

A reputation of completely giving your life away for others.

That's what I want Friend or Enemy to say about me! (along with the other 3 too)

What about you?

What would those you don't get along with say about you? Or what would you hope they would say about you?

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This Open Forum Friday blog was a few days late - So I'm going to make it for you with a double dip - Another short-awesome breakdown is coming tomorrow as well.

*Support Update: 3,100 of the 6,000 plus I need. Click HERE if you want to help.

Are We Actually Living in the New Covenant?

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

First a quick update:

Thank you so much for everyone that was praying

for my vision project - It's Finished!

If I am ever going to move forward on it - I'll let you guys know!

Sorry for no blog last Friday - It's been super busy!

Last week was absolutely incredible and very challenging in a good way.

My good friend and classmate Annie Rose Taylor (A phenomenal writer)

wrote an amazing summary of the breakdown of New Covenant verse Old Covenant thinking and living as taught by our guest teacher Ted Hanson.

Read and enjoy this blog written by Annie Rose

I guarantee you will be challenged and blessed!

*Support Update: I have currently raised 3,100 of the necessary 6,000 dollars I need.

This will get me through the month of September. Click here if you would like to help me make it all the way through December!

Adulterer and Murderer

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I am going to keep this blog short and simple.

The Prophet Nathan said to David......

"Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in His eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own." -

II Samuel 12:19

What do most people think of when they hear the name - King David?

Man after God's own Heart.

King of Israel.

Defeated the Giant Goliath with a sling and a stone.

The many beautiful psalms he wrote.

In the lineage of Jesus our Savior.

He is one of the most Revered, Respected, Honored and Loved people in the

History of not just Christianity but the world.

Doesn't anybody else see a dis-connect here?

The Man took someone else's wife and then had her husband murdered!

If David was alive today -

He would be banned out of most churches. Be an outcast and pariah of Society.

And probably be sitting on Death row right now with Christians screaming bible verses at him!

We don't see David for that sin he committed.

We see him, honor him and bless him as the Man he really was.

A Man after God's Heart - Used powerfully by God that made a mistake.

We give him so much Grace and Understanding.

The Question Is:

Why don't we do that for others?

Why don't we do that for ourselves?

When people we know, friends, leaders make a mistake.

Or get caught in sin.

Why don't we honor them, bless them and still receive from them like we do King David?

Even better - Why don't we give this Grace to ourselves?

Our sin is too much we think.

Our struggle with alcohol. Our addiction to pornography. Pride. Anger Issues.

The terrible things we have said in the past. The terrible things we have done in the past.

Or still do sometimes.

All these things accumulate in our heart.

Until we think God's ability to use us is non-existent or at least severely crippled.

King David had someone murdered and took his wife.

Yet he kept seeking God with all His heart.

And God honored and used him in mighty ways.

just some food for thought.

Vision

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I'm at the perfect time of life to get a nice PUSH.

Actually when coming from G42 Staff Member and Teacher Dave Hearn -

It feels like a SHOVE. (He was in the military for quite a while...;)

At the heart of G42 is a NETWORK.

A Networkis a group of people connected by a shared Ideology.

There is not Control. And it isn't about Competition.

In a Network there is release of People, Ideas and Authority.

Sharing of Resources, People and Helping each other is Key.

In short - Each G42 Graduate is doing their own thing:

- Starting that Orphanage in Kenya.

- Establishing a Coffee Shop Church in Colorado.

- Opening up a Community House.

- Getting there Social-Networking Business off the Ground.

As they do that they know they have support (People, Resources, Wisdom, Prayer) from anyone else in the G42 Network.

How does this all relate to me? We will get to that in a second.......

Let me tell you a few things about Dave Hearn.

He is married to Bec (Andrew Shearman's Daughter) and has 3 amazing kids.

He was an Aerospace Engineer at Georgia Tech and spent many years serving in the United States Air Force.

He is one of the more practical people here at G42 and pushes people to:

Stop just Dreaming and Praying - Make a Plan - Set Goals and get that rubber hitting the road!

This week was about Leadership. Team Dynamics. Goals. Vision.

For example: Here were a few of our assignments.

- List an aspect of God's calling you haven't done yet.

o Now Why haven't you done it? List your Fears. List what needs to happen. Who can help me? What are the holes?

o Write down God's calling on your life. (General) Write down God's Vision for your life. (Specific)

Now set goals for 3 Weeks. 3 Months. 3 Years.

All of this leads to the VISION PROJECT - which is due in 2 Weeks.

I have to pick something I want to do after G42 and write the equivalent of a 5 page Magazine Article.

I need to:

- Research the Target Demographic. Research the Need. Study the Current Ministries in that area. And then communicate my VISION.

5 Days after turning that in I have to do a 15-20 minute Compelling and Passionate Presentation of my Vision to the class.

I would love your Prayer and Encouragement as I go through this process.

Maybe the Vision I Develop is what I will do in the next 3-5 years.

Maybe it won't.

But either way this is the exact push I need at this time of my life.

It all seems a little Dauntingand Overwhelming-

Picking at my Fears, Rejection and Insecurities.

So please be praying Protection, Guidance and Confidence as I do this!

*Support Update: I have 2,900 of the 6,000 necessary for all 6 months here. Click HERE if you want to help.

Broken Men

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Last week in Class We Were Given this Assignment:

Write a 10-12 line poem on Brokenness.

Writing and then reading this poem in front of the class

was really tough but also really good for me.

"I'm not a poet. I'm not creative!" - my mind screamed.

As promised in my last blog -

I would like to take another risk and post my poem on the Web.

So here it goes:

Broken men all around

The trials of life have beat them down.

Do I have what it takes? They want to know

Everything in life has told them no.

The longing to be Fathered. The ache to be loved.

A yearning for adventure. A call from above.

Society has told them to soldier on.

To shove feelings down and get beyond.

I see their brokenness inside of me.

I also know a Savior that has set me free.

Open Forum Friday - Creative Kingdom

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I like doing things I know I am good at.

And most often, I will stay far away from things

I don't feel I'm good at.

I hate suckingat something or looking stupid-

So I will usually stay away from anything in that arena.

Do you suffer from this affliction too?

Then Herman Haan would be the man you want to spend time with.

A small biography of him:

- - He is from the Netherlands

- - He has been a Pastor and led a Bible School.

- - He has worked on over 40 documentaries seen by millions of people.

- - He has had #1 records in the Netherlands as a musician.

- - He was the first European Journalist at Ground Zero and has interviewed countless number of celebrities and politicians.

The beautiful thing this week is that he didn't just come in and teach about media.

He gave life, challenged us and brought out our creative side.

I was uncomfortable all week and that's a good thing.

Here are some things we did this week:

He set a water bottle down on a chair and Look up the Lyrics to

gave us 5 minutes to write a story about it. The song 'Alleluia' by Leonard Cohen

and talk about how it makes us feel and what it might mean.

Write a 10-12 line poemabout Brokenness.

A 1 minute performance in front of the class without Any props or talking.

Write a 1 page story

in a style we have never written before and a

subject we don't know very well.

I have Preached in front of hundreds of People.

Been on the radio multiple times.

But I think my heart was beating faster the moments right before

Sharing my Poem or Story I had written.

And there are only 10 people in class!

I learned a lot of things this week but

Here are a few important ones:

- I need to push myself to do things I don't feel good at or comfortable with.

- I am a lot more creative then I thought and I think that will be important in life and ministry.

- I see everyone in my community in a way different light!

Herman and Chris Rocking out on the Terrace.

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I will leave you with two challenges:

1) Take time this week and write a 10-12 line poem on Brokenness. (And if you want to be really bold - post it here!)

2) Leave your thoughts on these Questions: What do you think of the quality of Christian Media? (I.E. Music, T.V., Documentaries, Art, Movies, etc....) or What do you think of Christians in Media producing art that isn't directly Christian?

*Oh and in the next few days - I am going to put myself out there and post the poem I wrote - So get excited!

Open Forum Friday - Equipping

Sat, 6 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

"There is no success without a successor" - John Maxwell

I was a Christian leadership minor in college -

So I can't even tell you how many times I have heard that.

I always knew it was important -

This week helped me realize how I had overlooked how important it truly is.

Some Biblical Examples:

- - The Whole Generation after Moses wasn't even circumcised! (Joshua 5:2-5)

- - The Whole Generation after Joshua knew nothing of what God had done! ( Judges 2:10)

- - In the Old Testament a Good King was always followed by a Bad King.

Moses was almost killed by God for not circumcising his Kids -

Why wouldn't he make sure that the people he was leading were circumcised?

Why did none of the Parents of Joshua's Generation pass onto their Kids what God had done?

Even more important for us:

Why do Movements of God always die out?

Here's the trend for Every Major Move of God

From Martin Luther to John Wesley

Man -> Message -> Men Gather -> Momentum -> Movement ->

Management -> Maintenance -> Monument -> Morgue.

Our G42 Leader Andrew Shearman shared some thoughts:

As people - Our default position is to Coast. Followers default position is to stray the moment the Leader dies!

The lack of the operation of the 5 Fold Ministry Gifts found in Ephesians 4.

We don't tell our story well to the next Generation!

We make excuses for not Equipping Others:

1) It's too expensive! (In Time, Sacrifice, Etc....)

2) Misconception about Authority.

a. Leaders protect Authority instead of Giving it Away!

3) It's Too Small

a. We think that 10-12 people aren't BIG enough for our gifting.

4) It's Too Slow

a. It takes a lifetime to Equip and Impart Correctly and we want quicker results.

We were challenged to Look at ourselves this week and Ask - "Am I worth following?"

We were given advice on what to look for in a Spiritual Father or Mother.

But this quote will probably stick with me the most:

"Equipping is probably the most important thing you will do with your life. Without it your life will be wasted"

Now It's Time to Hear From YOU:

- Why do you think most Moves of God die out after a generation?

- How do we actually equip others well?

- Or tell a Story of how someone has poured their life into you or how you have into someone else.

I Didn't Talk For A Day

Mon, 1 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Average talking speed is 125 to 150 words per minute.

Women talk almost three times as much as men, with the average woman chalking up to 20,000 words in a day - 13,000 more than the average man.

Recap - 150 Words per Minute. 20,000 words per day.

That is a lot of talking.

This Last Week - I decided not to talk for a whole day.

Whyyou ask?

Partly because I thought it would be a good learning experience.

Partly because I have always wanted to try it.

Partly because God has been challenging my use of words for a while now.

So for a whole day - I SAID NOTHING.

You know what?

It was refreshing.

Refreshing to not have to say anything.

Or Decide when to say something.

Or worry about saying the right thing. Or the wrong thing.

The decision for the day was made for me.

You see my words, opinions and ability to articulate have been MY GREATEST BLESSING and MY GREATEST DOWNFALL.

For a lot of people the challenge is to FIND THEIR VOICE and BE CONFIDENT.

My challenge has been learning to

SHUT MY MOUTH.

It has been a journey through brokenness to refine HOW and WHEN I use my gift of communication.

Yes I am a VOICE but in the past my Right to be Right.

My Right to have an opinion.

Has trumped everything and everyone else.

It wasn't until the transforming power of God's LOVE and the wise principles of

Timing, Place, Season and Authority

that my Gift Sprang into fuller life for me and others around me.

So yeah for a day - IT WAS NICE TO NOT TALK.

- I got see how much a positive affect actions and serving can have without words.

- I listened and observed a lot.

- And social situations weren't quite as fun -(My roomates messed with me alot!).

Ultimately I know the answer isn't refraining from talking all together.

But instead allowing God to guide me closely throughout the day.

For a day it was nice to Listen and Observe.

Valuable to Learn that Ultimately God uses People and Not Words to Change the World.

That God loves me for MY HEART - Not MY WORDS

AND THAT I CAN AND WILL BE A MAN

THAT LISTENS WELL

and SPEAKS WISELY.