Filed under: Extraordinary Life | Tags: faith, friends, Israel, life, travel, worship
The trip to Israel was full of so many inspirational and life-changing moments. It’s been nearly two months since I returned from Israel and I feel like the the transformational experiences are still shaping who I am becoming. As promised, I’m recapping some highlights from the trip here on my blog (better late than never). As I try to recall everything, I’m realizing that many of the best memories I have were not so much of all the landmarks and monuments and ancient sites we saw, but of the moments we experienced together as a group.
There was beautifully simple worship sitting next to an ancient olive tree in the Garden of Gethsemane as tears flowed from everyone in the group. There was the indescribable echo you could hear sitting on a bench in the Church of St Anne , where we had an unplanned worship service alongside a group from South Africa. There was the time spent along the edge of the Jordan River where my friend and unofficial rabbi Matt Davis baptized me. There was the other-worldly feeling of floating in the Dead Sea. There was the adventure of climbing down Mt Arbel overlooking the Sea of Galilee and avoiding the horns of a charging, wild mountain cow. There was the Israeli bunker assault lesson from our tour guide Ariel on a hillside just across a valley from the border of Syria. There was the journal of page after page filled with notes as the scripture we studied came to life in a fresh, new way.
I could seriously go on for hours about all of the experiences we had in the two weeks we spent there. Rather than bore you though, I’ve put up a gallery of a few of my favorite photos from the trip. I hope they give you a small glimpse into what Israel is like…
Filed under: Ordinary Life | Tags: Calvary, faith, Family, friends, Leslie, life
This past Sunday in my LifeGroup, we were discussing chapter 2 of Henri Nouwen’s book “Here and Now” on the topic of joy, especially in the midst of sorrow. It was such a perfect topic for my own life and many in our group. It was also really meaningful with Thanksgiving being this week. I’m so thankful for this group of fellow believers. In the short time we’ve been meeting together, I can feel God at work and can’t wait to see what growth comes from our time spent studying and praying together.
This week at Calvary, we decided to create a little twist to the traditional thanksgiving testimony service we have each year. We had people share a passage of scripture they were thankful for and how that verse has impacted their life. It was incredible this morning to hear the common thread of hope from God’s word woven into the trials and challenges of so many people’s lives. From miraculous healing and God’s faithful provision to conquered addictions and restored relationships – I find myself just thankful that I get to work at a church where God is still moving and lives are being changed.
I feel like for Lesie and I, the past year has been a lot of waiting on God to come through. There’s been a lot of trust, and as we’ve found blessings along the path – there have been just as many trials that have stretched our faith and in turn drawn us closer to each other and to the Lord. I am extraordinarily thankful for my beautiful wife and the fact that I get to share my life with her.
Finally, here’s a pretty obscure passage I found when I was prepping for the LifeGroup time last Sunday. I’m thankful for the promises and hope we find in His word.
Habakkuk 3:17-19
17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.
Even when times are hard and there aren’t many signs of good times ahead, we can choose to give thanks and rejoice because of who God is. He provides the firm foundation we need to stand on and He gives us the strength we need to make it.
I hope you can find much to be joyful about this Thanksgiving.
i was tagged by a friend of mine, nicole at gniffke is up to something, to proclaim/confess/reveal 7 “interesting” things about myself.
1. I’m only organized on the surface
Many people, especially after being in my office, think I’ve got it together. They assume that I am an organized and detailed person. They have no idea. Dwelling just below the veneer of my put-togetherness is a mixture of half-done projects and utter chaos. But hey, at least everything looks good. Isn’t that what really matters?
2. I can say the entire alphabet backward in under 5 seconds.
I learned the alphabet backwards when I was a kid for a school musical. I never forgot it. I wish I had memorized more Bible verses when I was a kid. Memorizing back then was so easy compared to now.
3. I’ve always wanted to play guitar.
I’ve always thought playing the guitar would be really cool. I even own a guitar now. But, I still have no clue how to play it. Yes, I get that you hold your fingers in a certain way and strum in a certain way and magical sounds are supposed to burst forth. I think this speaks volumes to both my procrastination and my delusions of grandeur. The closest I ever got to musical proficiency was playing the flute in jr. high – pretty lame, huh?
4. I had a speech impediment when I was little
At least through Kindergarten, I couldn’t pronounce Rs or Vs. This meant for years my name was Twebah. Combine this with a bit of a stutter and I was like a miniature Elmer Fudd (one of the few cartoon characters I can do a pretty good voice of to this day)
5. I was in a touring, singing group as a kid
I was in a group called “The Good News Kids.” We all had red t-shirts with our names on them in big white letter. We performed at churches, malls, fairs, amusement parks. Probably our biggest event was for a presidential campaign rally in 1988 where we went on before “The Jets.” We even shot some music videos. I’m sure they’re floating out there somewhere and will come back to haunt me someday.
6. My first real job was as a daycare counselor
I had the best job ever, from about my sophomore year of high school until my junior year of college I was a daycare counselor at Bethany Christian Academy. Got to play with kids every day. A lot of tetherball, dodge ball, basketball, football, kickball, four square, coloring books, checkers… I have really fond memories of those days. Eventually became the assistant director and mixed in some substitute teaching during my time there.
7. I’m definitely an introvert
I tend to dislike hanging out with big groups of people. If given the choice between going to a party or just hanging out by myself, I would almost always choose the latter. I’m okay with small groups, though. I’m really bad about introducing myself to people I meet. I don’t know if it’s shyness or insecurity or what, but it’s how I’m wired. It can be misread sometimes as though I’m too serious or I’m even unfriendly and intimidating. It’s just hard for me to feel comfortable in getting to know new people. However, I did manage to overcome my introverted ways when I met my wife almost 5 years ago on a blind date. In general, I wish I was just more easily engaging and hospitable and outgoing… still working on that.
So, there’s seven things. Interesting? I’ll let you be the judge of that.
Now I get to tag seven more: Jason JLoft, Randy Bunch of Nonsense, Tammy Mom’s Blaagh, Victor The Wonderful Noise, Matt Hour Glass Entries, and Matt Orange County Pastor and Ryan RyanGuard.net
Filed under: Finding God in the Ordinary | Tags: basketball, biola, Calvary, church, faith, Family, friends, Leslie, life, politics, prayer, work
Life is happening so fast. I’m struggling to keep up. This should really be seven different posts, but I want to catalog all my thoughts from this week in one place.
Sunday – Struggled as two of my main tech guys were late for sound check. Struggled as a couple of important media elements had to be adjusted at the last second before the first service started. Jumped in to help serve communion after an amazing message by Brent Dedmon during second service. Got to celebrate my brother’s birthday over a great lunch that afternoon.
Monday – Did devotionals for a group at Calvary called God’s Housecare. They are a group of retired guys who get together each week and help clean the Worship Center. After cleaning they gather around coffee and donuts and hear from one of the pastors on staff. I talked about the sovereignty of God in light of the then upcoming elections. It was fun getting into of God and politics with guys older than my dad. They were surprisingly balanced and wise.
Tuesday – Heard from Dr. JP Moreland and Dr Klaus Issler from Talbot School of Theology. They met with Calvary’s pastors and directors to talk about things like modern-day miracles, gifts of the Spirit, prophetic words, the voice of God, demonic activity, spiritual warfare and the power of prayer. How do we avoid the trap of having a rational, limited and contained view of God that fits so neatly within our modern, Western, linear worldview, and instead carry out a faith as “empowered evangelicals” willing to take risks and be open to how God is moving in miraculous ways not just around the world – but also within our own church? Followed that faith-stirring time on a completely different note with an amazing time of Pizza, Wii and Rock Band with the whole staff. Made it home in time for my friend Marty the plumber to fix my leaking toilet. He’s a really good guy. Then, watched history unfold that evening as the results of the election were announced.
Wednesday – Packed up our stuff so our home could be tented for termites. It was strange to wrap up our food in plastic, hand over our keys to strangers, and trust that everything would be okay while they killed the bugs lurking in our walls. Had a really long day at work, full of meetings. But, it was fun to celebrate my good friend Tammy’s birthday with my communications staff during our regular Wednesday meeting. Leslie and I were able to check in to a brand new hotel that night, Worldmark by Wyndham in Anaheim. It’s a timeshare resort that my dad has points for. It’s only been open for a week. Strange to feel like a tourist in your own backyard.
Thursday – Took advantage of hotel living and used the fitness room in the morning. Had the place all to myself for the most part. Had a great time later that night with my sister and parents at Cheesecake Factory, which was right across the street from the hotel. They have a new pumpkin cheesecake – good thing I had worked out that morning.
Friday – Checked out of the hotel and went with Leslie for a surgery she needed to have done. The surgery went well, but as she woke up from the anesthesia she was hit with a massive migraine. Was able to get her home just in time for the gas guy to come by and reconnect our gas. He was able to fix a leak in our furnace and discovered a problem with the ventilation of our dryer that I was able to fix on my own. Two hugely dangerous problems solved. Got to head out that night with my friend Michael to Westwood to watch some hoops with our alma mater, the BIOLA Eagles, take on the Bruins of UCLA. We lost by about 30, but it was still fun to see Biola represent at Pauley Pavillion.
Saturday - Was woken up by a ringing telephone – that’s almost never a good thing. Leslie’s mom was in the emergency room. Turns out she had three heart attacks this week because of a clogged artery, but didn’t realize they were heart attacks. On our way to the hospital in Whittier I was pulled over for speeding and despite the plea of a medical emergency – the officer still took about five minutes and still gave me a ticket. I’m still not over that. Leslie’s mom seems to be doing better now with a couple stints inserted. They’re keeping her there for a couple nights to monitor everything.
That’s the week that was. It feels like with every blessing, comes a trial. It feels like the closer I am to God, the harder life gets. Or, is it the other way around? I can’t tell. I know that He is at work in both the seemingly ordinary and in the obviously extraordinary moments of life. I’ll keep believing and trusting and praising Him through it all. And even as I feel like I’m constantly falling short, I know that God is constantly lifting me up. Life is happening so fast. I hope I can keep up.
Filed under: Ordinary Life | Tags: blogs, Calvary, creativity, design, friends
A blog carries with it a sense of personal branding. It’s like you’re saying, “this is a part of who I am, what I’m about, what I represent, and what I’m interested in sharing with everyone else.” It’s a piece of how you present yourself as a brand to whomever happens to stumble upon it. The design you choose can speak just as much about who you are as the words you write.
One of my fellow pastors at Calvary, Ryan Guard, has a great blog. He just needed a good graphic that tied in a little bit to his personality. A couple weeks ago when he made the switch to using WordPress, he sent out a plea for help for a better graphic look. I thought I’d hook him up with some simple jpeg goodness. This was the first idea that popped in my head and fortunately Ryan liked it, too. What do you think?
I wish I could get the same inspiration to make up a custom graphic for my own blog. But, I’ve got nothing. So, I’ll just stick with the cool rocks and water for now. Maybe someday creativity will strike and I can be a little more intentional about my own personal branding…
Our talented graphic designer at Calvary, Anna Gold, put this little invite together for an upcoming Office Party. I like that we’re able to have fun together as a staff. I think it’s so important for unity and morale and creativity and energy and so many other intangibles. We’ve been doing some sort of all-staff activity, both on and off campus, every other month or so for about the last year. I’ve seen how much it really does bring everyone together, across age and gender and even department lines.
Do you do anything similar at your work or in your church? Or, are we just crazy? Or, are you jealous because our work is funner than your work? Or, do you think it’s just a big waste of time?
Filed under: Ordinary Life | Tags: Calvary, church, communications, creativity, friends, work, worship
Once a month, a bunch of us from Calvary get together off campus to brainstorm what we’re going to do each Sunday for our alternative worship service called Elevation. We’ve been doing this for almost 3 years now.
We just had our most recent meeting on Thursday, where we covered the rest of our current series on Nehemiah, and our Christmas series on Luke 2:21-38 called “Heaven Came Down.” I’m really excited about how our Nehemiah series is coming together and I’m equally looking forward to the unique take on Christmas, focusing on the characters of Simeon and Anna.
These meetings are always a good mixture of spiritual insight, creative juices and just plain fun. I felt extra sarcastic for some reason on Thursday, but I really do love these times and especially all these people pictured below.
After lunch, we began looking way ahead to 2009 and a series we’re going to do on the parables of Jesus. As a creative and fun experience, my communication team and I led everyone on a sheep hunt where we reenacted the parable of the lost sheep. It was over way too quick and it was mostly just a silly excuse to get everyone outside for a group photo.
The only downside of the meeting is I think someone was there who made me sick. I started feeling bad that afternoon and it’s only gotten worse. Here’s hoping I can make it through the weekend. I can’t afford to be out of commission.
Filed under: Extraordinary Life | Tags: Calvary, church, concerts, friends, life, work
This week I had three distinct moments that blew me away.
On Wednesday, I went over to Saddleback Church with Michael Welles to check out their new student center, dubbed The Refinery. This thing had a big Wow Factor. It’s 40,000 sq feet with 2 state-of-the-art auditoriums, indoor basketball courts, outdoor skate park, baptism area with waterfall, and 2 restaurant areas. It’s completely themed out. Every square inch is thoughtfully and creatively designed to communicate part of their larger vision.
The kicker – it cost around $20 million dollars. I think that as long as real life transformation is occuring and this place acts as a catalyst for growth in student’s lives, then it’s a good thing right? Is it excess spent at entertaining ourselves and blessing the already blessed? Or, is it creativity, excellence and relevance that speaks the truth and love of God above the rest of the competing noise in our OC culture? Is this an essential way to reach these students, who almost in spite of their prosperity, so desperately need the simple message that Jesus came to offer?
Then on Thursday, we got to go as a Calvary staff for a day away to a little demo park they’ve set up on the old El Toro Marine Base. Someday, this will be the site of the Great Park. For now, it’s a little patch of grass and trees next to a stinky mulch pile with a stage set up for weekend concerts. We loaded up onto two sweet, Woodie-style tour buses that a couple from Calvary operate (Brooke and her husband Tom).
The Wow Factor came from the giant orange balloon that takes you 400 feet up in the air. We used this as an opportunity to think about how we’re reaching Orange County as a church and to pray for our community and our nation on 9/11. On a side note – I had two revelations that day – we have an amazing staff and I’m pretty good at boccie ball.
Finally, Leslie and I got to go out last night with my brother and his wife to see Augustana, The Counting Crows and Maroon 5 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (aka Irvine Meadows).
The real Wow Factor moment came when The Counting Crows asked Augustana back ot the stage to join them for a mid-concert encore before Maroon 5 came out. It was a giant jam band that sounded so good together. At one point, during Rain King, I had chills running up my arms. It was such a cool moment of the night. After that, Maroon 5 had a really hard time keeping the crowd engaged as they kept referring to being “back in Los Angeles,” which is an obvious gaff when you’re in the middle of Orange County. They just seemed a little lame compared to the genuinely amazing moments that Adam Duritz created on stage. From now on, when someone asks me “who is your favorite band?” – I’m including the Counting Crows.
What people, places or events in your life have wowed you lately? What things have made the ordinary into something extraordinary?
All week, my mornings have been devoured by our annual VBS program. It’s a monster sized production. There are about a dozen guys on crew helping with all the tech behind the scenes. There are nearly 500 total volunteers spread out over about 10 acres, trying to keep up with nearly 1000 kids. It’s a little bit mind-numbing at times. This morning was shaky, as we didn’t get all the systems fully online until about 15 minutes after doors had opened, and only a couple minutes before the band started the first song of the morning.
One of the best parts of each day has been going out to lunch afterwards. On average, there have been about 15 people each day. Monday was Johnny’s Burger, Tuesday was Jalapenos , and today was Waikiki Hawaiin Grill – all local Tustin joints. It’s been a great way to unwind and connect with other people.
It feels good to be at the half way point of the week. So far, 70 children have expressed a new faith in Jesus Christ. Just imagine what the next few days will bring.
Be sure to check out all of the daily updates and photos on the VBS website at www.calvarylife.org/vbs
Just got back from getting my hair cut at Sport Clips.
This place is extraordinary. I can’t remember now who first told me about it, but it was one of the guys from Calvary. I sprung for the MVP today – full cut, tea tree shampoo scalp massage, hot towel face massage and a shoulder/back massage. With the coupon I used today, all that was only 20 bucks. Plus, they had SportsCenter on the whole time and no one tried to strike up witty small talk. I’m thinking of investing in it because it’s such a great idea.
I think they need to start a referral program. Every time someone mentions a hair cut, I make sure to tell them about Sport Clips and how cool it is. Are there any places like this that you love? Places that have a great concept and you’re alway telling friends about?
