I needed a way to post this on facebook since it wouldn't let me post a document...
Hey ACF! We are excited that you are joining us for the Awakening, and we hope that you are getting prepared for next week. Expect and ask God to move in big ways while we press into Him. If you’ve never fasted before or if you want a schedule to follow for the week – and if you decide to fast from food – this is a good one to try out. This is a “Daniel” type fast, meaning that we will abstain from certain types of food. If you are planning on following a different plan, by all means go for it! But be disciplined and follow through. Run hard after Jesus this week!
From now until Monday the 26th:
-prepare for the fast - cut out sugar and caffeine, and drink lots of water! Sugar crashes and caffeine headaches aren’t fun.
September 26th:
-Fruits and vegetables throughout the day. Drink lots of fluids! Water and juice, but nothing artificial and loaded with sugar.
-Normal dinner – make sure you have some protein in there (fish, eggs, chicken, etc.)
September 27th:
- Fruits and vegetables throughout the day. Drink lots of fluids!
-Normal dinner
September 28th:
- Fruits and vegetables throughout the day. Drink lots of fluids!
-Normal dinner
September 29th:
-Fruits and vegetables only
September 30th: FASTING DAY
-water, juice only
October 1st:
-Small meals throughout the day, water only
**Since you won’t be eating throughout the day, those are great times to be approaching the Lord in prayer. And feel free to meet with your friends and feast (see what I did there?) on the Word and pray together!
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." -Matthew 5:6
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
I becomes We becomes Others
I work part time doing youth ministry at a church where the average age is over 50. At first, this was a strange experience for me because I've never been part of an 'older' church. Being part of a more traditional church has definitely stretched me. I'm still not entirely used to it, but it's been awesome to get to know people better there. They have great hearts.
The youth group I lead meets on Sunday nights in various homes of people in the congregation. I've been really blessed by their generosity. Because of them we have a youth group that can meet in comfy living rooms where we can eat delicious snacks and play awesome games. Earlier tonight I met with students at a house where the owners' grandchildren are around my age. They even have two great-grandchildren! I really respect their leadership in the church. Like other people in the congregation, they realize that unless they change things, the average age of the members will continue to increase until there is no more church there. They are beginning to form a plan of action to reach out to the community to make more disciples, and it's been an exciting and challenging time!
I used to think that it would be difficult for this church to change because they seemed to be so set in their ways, but they are making some good steps forward. It seems like it would be so hard for an 'old' church to become 'young.'
But tonight, I was filled with more hope for the church. I had a short but meaningful conversation with the man of the house. He's a war vet and a patriot and a good leader and a follower of Christ. He asked me about me and my fiance and I told him that we are excited to get married in two months! He is also excited for us, but he's still also very excited about his marriage. On March 1st, he and his wife will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. How awesome is that! I respect couples who can say that...they should brag about it as much as they want...maybe not brag, but they should celebrate ti as much as they want. Anyway, I told him that I really appreciate and respect that.
He told me that, for their marriage to work, they had to move from "I" to "we." He said it gets fun when you get to the point of "we." But he said it gets even more fun when you move from "we" to "others." He and his wife have enjoyed their marriage. Just then I realized that this little church has a unique opportunity to get this church to grow. First, they are committed. If they can commit to marriage for that long, then they certainly can stay committed to changing the face of their church. I realized that the members of this congregation are very wise. They have the ability to invest in younger generations and pass on the wisdom they've acquired over time. That would create meaningful and lasting relationships.
I don't know...like I said, they have a way to go but they're on the right track. The Lord wants to be made greater in Penns Valley, so He'll use that church. He's given them a very unique set of skills and gifts to do a God-sized task, and I'm excited to see how it all plays out!
The youth group I lead meets on Sunday nights in various homes of people in the congregation. I've been really blessed by their generosity. Because of them we have a youth group that can meet in comfy living rooms where we can eat delicious snacks and play awesome games. Earlier tonight I met with students at a house where the owners' grandchildren are around my age. They even have two great-grandchildren! I really respect their leadership in the church. Like other people in the congregation, they realize that unless they change things, the average age of the members will continue to increase until there is no more church there. They are beginning to form a plan of action to reach out to the community to make more disciples, and it's been an exciting and challenging time!
I used to think that it would be difficult for this church to change because they seemed to be so set in their ways, but they are making some good steps forward. It seems like it would be so hard for an 'old' church to become 'young.'
But tonight, I was filled with more hope for the church. I had a short but meaningful conversation with the man of the house. He's a war vet and a patriot and a good leader and a follower of Christ. He asked me about me and my fiance and I told him that we are excited to get married in two months! He is also excited for us, but he's still also very excited about his marriage. On March 1st, he and his wife will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. How awesome is that! I respect couples who can say that...they should brag about it as much as they want...maybe not brag, but they should celebrate ti as much as they want. Anyway, I told him that I really appreciate and respect that.
He told me that, for their marriage to work, they had to move from "I" to "we." He said it gets fun when you get to the point of "we." But he said it gets even more fun when you move from "we" to "others." He and his wife have enjoyed their marriage. Just then I realized that this little church has a unique opportunity to get this church to grow. First, they are committed. If they can commit to marriage for that long, then they certainly can stay committed to changing the face of their church. I realized that the members of this congregation are very wise. They have the ability to invest in younger generations and pass on the wisdom they've acquired over time. That would create meaningful and lasting relationships.
I don't know...like I said, they have a way to go but they're on the right track. The Lord wants to be made greater in Penns Valley, so He'll use that church. He's given them a very unique set of skills and gifts to do a God-sized task, and I'm excited to see how it all plays out!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Winning
I'm in a goofy mood right now...jamming to U2, watching youtube...which put together = U2b (bad joke...told you I'm in a mood). But there's a lot in store for me soon. I am getting married in 72 days which means that I will also (hopefully) be starting a new job doing full time ministry shortly after that. Both of these things make me more excited than anything, but they also intimidate me a little bit. These two responsibilities are no easy tasks to do well. And I want to do them well.
These huge responsibilities make me feel small. I can't do them as well as I want by myself. These are God sized things, and God sized things are hard, and it's easy to give up. When I do that, I feel lost. Something within me (and pretty much everyone) wants to win, to overcome, to succeed. Oftentimes we get excited, have good intentions, and then fizzle out. Lately I've been reading through different parts of the Old Testament (mostly Joshua and 1, 2 Samuel) looking at some of the early leaders of Israel. It's interesting to see how that tiny little nation prospered and seemed to fizzle out with the coming and going of leaders. Israel was strong and prosperous with godly leaders and weak with ungodly leaders. Joshua may have been the most 'successful' leader of Israel: he led them into the promised land by driving out other nations (this dude was a stud) all the while keeping Israel focused on the Lord (a solid politician as well).
While I'm not going to be leading a nation, it made me think about my leadership. What are my strengths/weaknesses? Where do I need to grow? Where am I failing or falling short? Having all of that in mind, I thought about Joshua and all of his success. Was this guy just a superhuman stud with an incredible competitive drive to succeed? I think that's what the world wants us to be like. "You want it? Go and get it for yourself! Don't let anyone take it from you!"
I don't think this was the core of Joshua's character. He may have been competitive, but that didn't drive him. What made him so great was that he didn't view himself as great. All he did was follow the Lord. At the beginning of the book of Joshua, God gives him some promises (paraphrased): "Every place your foot touches I have given to you. You will have success wherever you go if you be careful to do according to all the law. All you need to do is be strong and courageous."
Well, Joshua did that. He obeyed God and he was strong and courageous, and I think Joshua would say that God did the rest. Do you know what Joshua means in its original language? It means 'Yahweh is salvation.' His name reminded him (and others) every day that he wasn't the one with the plan. Joshua wasn't saving Israel from the cities of people who didn't want the Israelites there. God did it. Israel entered the promised land and drove all sorts of people out of it, and they became wealthy from the spoils of war. And not one time did Joshua fall or lead Israel astray. Because Joshua was faithful, Israel prospered. Other generations weren't so lucky. Israel seemed like a roller coaster of good and evil leaders.
Joshua seemed to be the prototypical leader for the Israelites - obey God, follow him boldly and you'll win. Failing to be obedient is disastrous. I'm surprised at how devoted he was to following God's will. He must have been so focused and he must have cared so much for his people to be disciplined enough to always seek God first.
...Which leads me back to me. If I'm a husband and a pastor and I'm not seeking God first, of course it's going to be a disaster! And that's because I can't do those things by myself. My plans and vision and dreams and desires will fizzle out when I get discouraged or lost. But when I do begin to fizzle out, that doesn't change God's plans, and his plans are perfect. Thank goodness he doesn't change them based on my emotions!
I think that sometimes people get so focused on leadership that they forget how to follow. I've found that when I am not obedient and I forget what it looks like to follow the Lord, my life is way less fruitful (branches can't produce fruit unless they're connected to the vine). And how much despair do we have when we're lost! So quickly do we forget God's promises: "I will never leave you nor forsake you...do not let this book of the Law depart from your mouth. Meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."
If God makes that promise, as long as we're faithful, we're winning. Sure, it's not easy, but isn't it harder to try to do it without the Lord?
These huge responsibilities make me feel small. I can't do them as well as I want by myself. These are God sized things, and God sized things are hard, and it's easy to give up. When I do that, I feel lost. Something within me (and pretty much everyone) wants to win, to overcome, to succeed. Oftentimes we get excited, have good intentions, and then fizzle out. Lately I've been reading through different parts of the Old Testament (mostly Joshua and 1, 2 Samuel) looking at some of the early leaders of Israel. It's interesting to see how that tiny little nation prospered and seemed to fizzle out with the coming and going of leaders. Israel was strong and prosperous with godly leaders and weak with ungodly leaders. Joshua may have been the most 'successful' leader of Israel: he led them into the promised land by driving out other nations (this dude was a stud) all the while keeping Israel focused on the Lord (a solid politician as well).
While I'm not going to be leading a nation, it made me think about my leadership. What are my strengths/weaknesses? Where do I need to grow? Where am I failing or falling short? Having all of that in mind, I thought about Joshua and all of his success. Was this guy just a superhuman stud with an incredible competitive drive to succeed? I think that's what the world wants us to be like. "You want it? Go and get it for yourself! Don't let anyone take it from you!"
I don't think this was the core of Joshua's character. He may have been competitive, but that didn't drive him. What made him so great was that he didn't view himself as great. All he did was follow the Lord. At the beginning of the book of Joshua, God gives him some promises (paraphrased): "Every place your foot touches I have given to you. You will have success wherever you go if you be careful to do according to all the law. All you need to do is be strong and courageous."
Well, Joshua did that. He obeyed God and he was strong and courageous, and I think Joshua would say that God did the rest. Do you know what Joshua means in its original language? It means 'Yahweh is salvation.' His name reminded him (and others) every day that he wasn't the one with the plan. Joshua wasn't saving Israel from the cities of people who didn't want the Israelites there. God did it. Israel entered the promised land and drove all sorts of people out of it, and they became wealthy from the spoils of war. And not one time did Joshua fall or lead Israel astray. Because Joshua was faithful, Israel prospered. Other generations weren't so lucky. Israel seemed like a roller coaster of good and evil leaders.
Joshua seemed to be the prototypical leader for the Israelites - obey God, follow him boldly and you'll win. Failing to be obedient is disastrous. I'm surprised at how devoted he was to following God's will. He must have been so focused and he must have cared so much for his people to be disciplined enough to always seek God first.
...Which leads me back to me. If I'm a husband and a pastor and I'm not seeking God first, of course it's going to be a disaster! And that's because I can't do those things by myself. My plans and vision and dreams and desires will fizzle out when I get discouraged or lost. But when I do begin to fizzle out, that doesn't change God's plans, and his plans are perfect. Thank goodness he doesn't change them based on my emotions!
I think that sometimes people get so focused on leadership that they forget how to follow. I've found that when I am not obedient and I forget what it looks like to follow the Lord, my life is way less fruitful (branches can't produce fruit unless they're connected to the vine). And how much despair do we have when we're lost! So quickly do we forget God's promises: "I will never leave you nor forsake you...do not let this book of the Law depart from your mouth. Meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."
If God makes that promise, as long as we're faithful, we're winning. Sure, it's not easy, but isn't it harder to try to do it without the Lord?
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Say It Out Loud
This is a game I've been playing the past couple weeks. The game is "Say It Out Loud," and it's quite simple. Basically, if you're in a situation and you don't know what to do, say it out loud. If you need to make a decision, say it out loud. Saying it out loud helps make sense of the pros and cons.
A semi-humorous example:
My old roommate Ryan is a really intelligent guy who says whatever he thinks. Some of the things he says are ridiculous, and that always makes for fun conversation. One day I walked in and Ryan was sitting on the couch watching tv and he told me about 'a brilliant idea' he had.
When Ryan says this, I always listen. I listen because his ideas are always interesting. However, my most common response to his ideas is "Ryan, that's a terrible idea." And we proceed to debate and discuss.
Anyway, Ryan told me that he was going to become a millionaire. When I asked how he was going to make that happen, he told me that he was going to gain 200 pounds and go on the tv show The Biggest Loser.
"Ryan, that's a terrible idea."
While we both agreed that it might be fun to sit and play video games and eat tons of food, I was surprised to hear him say it. Ryan loves being active - he's always doing something: mountain biking, basketball, tennis, snowboarding. After talking with him a little more, he realized that he liked his life too much the way it was, and decided not to change it.
This isn't a story to make fun of Ryan. He's going to be my best man, and he isn't an idiot - this guy is intelligent. Saying it out loud helped him see the situation more clearly. But I think that everyone gets excited about ideas or thoughts that they have. I think we get too excited about our thoughts, and that's why we need to say it out loud. I don't know why, but saying stuff out loud helps me to organize my thoughts and it helps me to think more clearly.
"I'm going to eat this whole bag of beef jerky. Ya know, I just said it out loud, and it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Yes it tastes good, but if I'm that hungry I might as well make myself an actual meal."
"I want to play xbox...but you know what, my xbox will still be there after I do my laundry and get my other work done."
"I just got paid and I can't wait to buy some new clothes. Actually, Adam, you have a closet full of clothes. Save your money because you'll need it more when you're married (in three months!!!).
"I want to sleep in another 30 minutes. Well, since you got some stuff done yesterday, it wouldn't be a problem to sleep in."
Here's one I've heard on campus a few times: "This weekend I just want to get drunk and forget everything that happened." You said it out loud...how does that make any sense? This is where we need to make good decisions before doing the things we want to do.
Seriously, this is a good game. It's fun to play by yourself or with a group of friends. While it's fun to think of ridiculous things to 'say out loud,' it's also good practice for making responsible decisions.
A semi-humorous example:
My old roommate Ryan is a really intelligent guy who says whatever he thinks. Some of the things he says are ridiculous, and that always makes for fun conversation. One day I walked in and Ryan was sitting on the couch watching tv and he told me about 'a brilliant idea' he had.
When Ryan says this, I always listen. I listen because his ideas are always interesting. However, my most common response to his ideas is "Ryan, that's a terrible idea." And we proceed to debate and discuss.
Anyway, Ryan told me that he was going to become a millionaire. When I asked how he was going to make that happen, he told me that he was going to gain 200 pounds and go on the tv show The Biggest Loser.
"Ryan, that's a terrible idea."
While we both agreed that it might be fun to sit and play video games and eat tons of food, I was surprised to hear him say it. Ryan loves being active - he's always doing something: mountain biking, basketball, tennis, snowboarding. After talking with him a little more, he realized that he liked his life too much the way it was, and decided not to change it.
This isn't a story to make fun of Ryan. He's going to be my best man, and he isn't an idiot - this guy is intelligent. Saying it out loud helped him see the situation more clearly. But I think that everyone gets excited about ideas or thoughts that they have. I think we get too excited about our thoughts, and that's why we need to say it out loud. I don't know why, but saying stuff out loud helps me to organize my thoughts and it helps me to think more clearly.
"I'm going to eat this whole bag of beef jerky. Ya know, I just said it out loud, and it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Yes it tastes good, but if I'm that hungry I might as well make myself an actual meal."
"I want to play xbox...but you know what, my xbox will still be there after I do my laundry and get my other work done."
"I just got paid and I can't wait to buy some new clothes. Actually, Adam, you have a closet full of clothes. Save your money because you'll need it more when you're married (in three months!!!).
"I want to sleep in another 30 minutes. Well, since you got some stuff done yesterday, it wouldn't be a problem to sleep in."
Here's one I've heard on campus a few times: "This weekend I just want to get drunk and forget everything that happened." You said it out loud...how does that make any sense? This is where we need to make good decisions before doing the things we want to do.
Seriously, this is a good game. It's fun to play by yourself or with a group of friends. While it's fun to think of ridiculous things to 'say out loud,' it's also good practice for making responsible decisions.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Excellence
I was a bit bored the other day, and so I began to think. Thinking is normally fun, and sometimes I surprise myself with the things I think about. During this particular occasion, I thought about excellence. I'm a huge sports fan, so I'm always really impressed when athletes do their job well. But this drive for excellence isn't just noticed on a playing field. When I think of the word excellent, the word expert also comes to mind. A teacher once told me that in order to be considered an expert at something, one spends about 10,000 hours performing that task or job. 10,000 hours...that's a little over 416 days. 416 days of someone's life dedicated to something specific. I think that goes to show how important it is to work at something in order to be good at it.
Think about this: Tiger Woods (even though he's had a rough year), one of the greatest golfers of all time, had racked up about 10,000 hours of time on the golf course before he could drive (a car...you might get the pun). Steve Prefontaine (google him if you don't know who he is) ran his way into the 10,000 mile club before he even went to Oregon - where he would set all kinds of track and field records. It's easy to measure excellence in sports because it's easy to compare performance and statistics. By the time these two guys went to college, they had already dedicated over a solid year of their life doing nothing but practicing, training, competing. Sure, they were talented, but think about how much more time they invested in their sport compared to other people their age. It's crazy.
These are the things I think about. I love watching people do things they are good at. Good actors, good comedians, good athletes, good singers, good preachers, good parents, good teachers...the list goes on. I get a lot of joy out of that. And when I think about the amount of time they spend practicing and getting better, it really amazes me.
And then I think about myself. 10,000 hours...have I even done anything for a solid 10,000 hours? The only thing I can think of is sleep. I guess I'm an expert sleeper. Another thing that could come close to 10,000 hours of time is watching tv...and easily half of that is sports. So sleep and tv...total that up and it's about 20,000 hours...which means about 2 1/4 of my life...and I think that estimation might be on the low side. I'm 23. Does that mean I'm an expert at being lazy?
It's just a really interesting thing to think about. How many things are worth spending 10,000 hours doing? I guess that's for you to answer. I'm pursuing a career in ministry...I can definitely say that I haven't spent 10,000 hours prepping, studying, etc. for that. Going further, what if we spent 10,000 hours reading the Bible? You'd probably be able to recite it cover to cover from memory. What if we prayed for 10,000 hours? I can't imagine how God would use us.
I've heard so many times how we're supposed to tithe and give not just our money, but our time and our talents as well. We are to tithe at least a tenth. What if we spent a tenth of a year (about a month and two weeks) every year in solitude with the Lord? That's about 2.5 hours a day. What if we actually spent a tenth of our lives serving others? I once heard that if every single church member tithed 10 percent, world hunger would no longer exist. These are the things I've been thinking about. 10 percent doesn't seem like much time until you think of ten percent of a year or it doesn't seem like too much of a sacrifice until it's 10 percent of your paycheck.
But God calls us to do these things. If I spent 10,000 hours in solitude with the Lord, praying and reading my Bible, how would that change my spiritual life? How would my habits change, and how would I treat other people? How could I help others? Why does God call us to do these things? It's not to make us miserable, but he wants us to do things with excellence, and I definitely want to serve God with excellence.
Think about this: Tiger Woods (even though he's had a rough year), one of the greatest golfers of all time, had racked up about 10,000 hours of time on the golf course before he could drive (a car...you might get the pun). Steve Prefontaine (google him if you don't know who he is) ran his way into the 10,000 mile club before he even went to Oregon - where he would set all kinds of track and field records. It's easy to measure excellence in sports because it's easy to compare performance and statistics. By the time these two guys went to college, they had already dedicated over a solid year of their life doing nothing but practicing, training, competing. Sure, they were talented, but think about how much more time they invested in their sport compared to other people their age. It's crazy.
These are the things I think about. I love watching people do things they are good at. Good actors, good comedians, good athletes, good singers, good preachers, good parents, good teachers...the list goes on. I get a lot of joy out of that. And when I think about the amount of time they spend practicing and getting better, it really amazes me.
And then I think about myself. 10,000 hours...have I even done anything for a solid 10,000 hours? The only thing I can think of is sleep. I guess I'm an expert sleeper. Another thing that could come close to 10,000 hours of time is watching tv...and easily half of that is sports. So sleep and tv...total that up and it's about 20,000 hours...which means about 2 1/4 of my life...and I think that estimation might be on the low side. I'm 23. Does that mean I'm an expert at being lazy?
It's just a really interesting thing to think about. How many things are worth spending 10,000 hours doing? I guess that's for you to answer. I'm pursuing a career in ministry...I can definitely say that I haven't spent 10,000 hours prepping, studying, etc. for that. Going further, what if we spent 10,000 hours reading the Bible? You'd probably be able to recite it cover to cover from memory. What if we prayed for 10,000 hours? I can't imagine how God would use us.
I've heard so many times how we're supposed to tithe and give not just our money, but our time and our talents as well. We are to tithe at least a tenth. What if we spent a tenth of a year (about a month and two weeks) every year in solitude with the Lord? That's about 2.5 hours a day. What if we actually spent a tenth of our lives serving others? I once heard that if every single church member tithed 10 percent, world hunger would no longer exist. These are the things I've been thinking about. 10 percent doesn't seem like much time until you think of ten percent of a year or it doesn't seem like too much of a sacrifice until it's 10 percent of your paycheck.
But God calls us to do these things. If I spent 10,000 hours in solitude with the Lord, praying and reading my Bible, how would that change my spiritual life? How would my habits change, and how would I treat other people? How could I help others? Why does God call us to do these things? It's not to make us miserable, but he wants us to do things with excellence, and I definitely want to serve God with excellence.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Jesus Got What We Deserve
In addition to my part time job in youth ministry, I recently took a part time job at a brand new Chick-Fil-A in State College. It's not my ideal position, but the people who work there are great, and the boss is awesome, so I'm not complaining. Working there allows me to interact with all sorts of different people. I normally work in the front of the store, so I take lots and lots of orders. I like to think I've been around the block enough to not be surprised by things people do in public, but I've been taken aback a few times already, and I've only been there for three weeks! The one that still gets me (and it happens every day) goes something like this:
Me: "Hi, welcome to Chick-Fil-A! How may I serve you?"
Person: "Yes...I need a #4..."
...and the rest of the conversation doesn't really matter for the purpose of the rest of this discussion. As soon as I hear "I need," I immediately think, 'Do you really NEED a filet of chicken that's been fried in oil for three minutes with a Coke and a large waffle fry (also cooked in oil)? Sure, this food tastes really good, but does your life depend on this meal? You actually NEED it? My guess is you don't really need it. You want it. You'd like to eat it...you'll survive if you don't get it. In fact, you probably don't NEED anything from this restaurant. The only thing you might actually need from this establishment is, if you're like me, a job.'
Of course I smile and happily serve them their food and wish them a good rest of the day, but every time I hear someone say 'I need' while ordering, I am seriously amazed at the sense of entitlement that people have today - and this covers many generations. I have heard a representative from nearly every age group besides children begin their order with 'I need.'
If you 'need' a delicious chicken sandwich, how do you handle other situations? What are your other 'needs?' What kind of expectations do you have? How about this: before you give me a coupon for a free sandwich and tell me that you need it, why don't you give that coupon to someone who actually needs to be fed without spending money.
This sense of entitlement makes me pretty upset, as you may have gathered. I am not innocent of this attitude either, although I am trying hard to stop. Here's how I learned I had an entitlement issue: Two years ago while going to Penn State, I had to run a quick errand one day, and it required me to park the car. Not wanting to pay for parking, I passed on the garage and parked in an area with metered parking. I didn't have change, but I was only going to be a couple minutes. Five minutes later I come back to see a sunshine-colored envelope gently tucked underneath my left windshield wiper. 15 bucks out of my pocket...I was royally ticked off. I was only running in and out! I was going to leave quickly! I didn't have any change! Should I fight this ticket?
Now seriously, how ridiculous does that sound? Was that my parking spot? Does it really matter if I was going to be there for even two minutes without paying? That's why they have the meters there...you're supposed to pay for parking. And think about it, it was really silly of me to get so worked up about this. I didn't follow the rules, and I deserved that ticket (as much as I hated to pay for it). These instances happen to people all the time, and people get upset about these things all the time. And if people get upset because of little things like this, then what happens for bigger and more important things? How can you answer that?
I normally write this blog just to get my thoughts out there, but the purpose of this one is to not only force me to examine my own life, but also to challenge the three of you who will read this. In what situations do you expect things to go your way? How do you handle things when they don't go your way? What are your needs? What are your expectations? Are they really helping you - or more importantly, are they helping others? Where do you need to look out more for the interests of others?
What do you deserve? Think bigger picture. (Hint: It's in the title)
Me: "Hi, welcome to Chick-Fil-A! How may I serve you?"
Person: "Yes...I need a #4..."
...and the rest of the conversation doesn't really matter for the purpose of the rest of this discussion. As soon as I hear "I need," I immediately think, 'Do you really NEED a filet of chicken that's been fried in oil for three minutes with a Coke and a large waffle fry (also cooked in oil)? Sure, this food tastes really good, but does your life depend on this meal? You actually NEED it? My guess is you don't really need it. You want it. You'd like to eat it...you'll survive if you don't get it. In fact, you probably don't NEED anything from this restaurant. The only thing you might actually need from this establishment is, if you're like me, a job.'
Of course I smile and happily serve them their food and wish them a good rest of the day, but every time I hear someone say 'I need' while ordering, I am seriously amazed at the sense of entitlement that people have today - and this covers many generations. I have heard a representative from nearly every age group besides children begin their order with 'I need.'
If you 'need' a delicious chicken sandwich, how do you handle other situations? What are your other 'needs?' What kind of expectations do you have? How about this: before you give me a coupon for a free sandwich and tell me that you need it, why don't you give that coupon to someone who actually needs to be fed without spending money.
This sense of entitlement makes me pretty upset, as you may have gathered. I am not innocent of this attitude either, although I am trying hard to stop. Here's how I learned I had an entitlement issue: Two years ago while going to Penn State, I had to run a quick errand one day, and it required me to park the car. Not wanting to pay for parking, I passed on the garage and parked in an area with metered parking. I didn't have change, but I was only going to be a couple minutes. Five minutes later I come back to see a sunshine-colored envelope gently tucked underneath my left windshield wiper. 15 bucks out of my pocket...I was royally ticked off. I was only running in and out! I was going to leave quickly! I didn't have any change! Should I fight this ticket?
Now seriously, how ridiculous does that sound? Was that my parking spot? Does it really matter if I was going to be there for even two minutes without paying? That's why they have the meters there...you're supposed to pay for parking. And think about it, it was really silly of me to get so worked up about this. I didn't follow the rules, and I deserved that ticket (as much as I hated to pay for it). These instances happen to people all the time, and people get upset about these things all the time. And if people get upset because of little things like this, then what happens for bigger and more important things? How can you answer that?
I normally write this blog just to get my thoughts out there, but the purpose of this one is to not only force me to examine my own life, but also to challenge the three of you who will read this. In what situations do you expect things to go your way? How do you handle things when they don't go your way? What are your needs? What are your expectations? Are they really helping you - or more importantly, are they helping others? Where do you need to look out more for the interests of others?
What do you deserve? Think bigger picture. (Hint: It's in the title)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Tumbling After
A strange thing happened to me earlier this evening. I have the awesome privilege of pastoring a small group of students part time. I love it, and I feel alive when I do it, but it's not easy...I wish I had more time for it because I am not always that good at finding ways to relate things to the students...and I'm a pretty poor public speaker so I need lots of time to practice.
But you know what? That doesn't really bother me. Sure, I'd like to be much better at that but it's not like I accept it and give up...I keep pressing on. And if someone remembers what it is I stumble through saying, then I can't take any credit for it...that's all Jesus. I like the way that works.
I usually get a little nervous before I start the lesson with the students. Honestly, it's a little uncomfortable for me a lot of times I feel like I'm struggling through the evening...through leading worship (I'm not a very gifted musician either) and giving a lesson, I mess up chords and stutter and lose my train of though but I end up finally articulating the message I want to deliver and then I pray that all of the things I do which may be a distraction will not affect the students' ability to soak in the message. Like I said, I get a little nervous every time I start because I want it to go well, but I mostly get nervous because I really want the students to develop a deep and passionate relationship with Jesus and I tend to feel the weight of my responsibilities as a youth leader. I realize that I am in a position to have an impact in the lives of these students, and I want to leave a good mark.
Over the past two weeks, I was planning the lesson for earlier this evening, and I got really excited because the Lord gave me some good ideas and good illustrations for a pretty important passage of scripture: Philippians 1:18-30. Basically, Paul is sharing with the Philippians that, regardless of what happens to him, Christ will be proclaimed, and whether he lives or gets killed, he will glorify God. And because of that, he wants the Philippians to live a life worthy of the Gospel. Why? because if they don't, then they're basically wasting Paul's ministry in prison. That is strong. That is inspiring. I want that in my life, and I want that for my students. Clearly this is a deep passage of scripture, but it's so good. How often to we fall short of living a life worthy of the Gospel of Christ - wasting our ministry as Christians?
Back to the beginning of youth group tonight. Thinking about all of the scripture I just briefly explained, and realizing the depth and importance of Paul's charge, I got really anxious...not just the normal butterflies, but really sweaty palms and an increased heart rate. I've never had a panic attack before, but that's probably the closest I've ever come to one, and all of the students were sitting there watching me, ready for me to get things started. Before we start we always pray. Usually I have a student open us up but tonight I prayed. I prayed in desperation. I felt very small and very alone. I needed big strength. The rest of the night went about normal: I stuttered a lot and missed a few chords, but I really didn't care. I don't mind looking like a fool. After praying, the nerves went away and we had a good discussion. I don't know what the students got out of this evening, but I was so stoked to feel the Lord carrying me through youth group when I felt very much alone and weak. Paul had great courage for continuing to make God's name greater even while in prison...that reminded me to be courageous even though my situation pales in comparison to what Paul experienced. I believe I was under some spiritual attack tonight, and Jesus fought for me where I was weak. That's a huge encouragement for me.
It's easy to get discouraged and upset when we feel like we're wasting our ministry as Christians (or not being as effective or salty as we'd like), but the Lord showed me once again that all we need to do is show up and He'll take it from there. It takes courage and lots of faith and trust, but experiencing that kind of love leaves me hungry and wanting more. May the Lord give us the desire to obey and serve fiercely, and may our lives have a radical flavor.
But you know what? That doesn't really bother me. Sure, I'd like to be much better at that but it's not like I accept it and give up...I keep pressing on. And if someone remembers what it is I stumble through saying, then I can't take any credit for it...that's all Jesus. I like the way that works.
I usually get a little nervous before I start the lesson with the students. Honestly, it's a little uncomfortable for me a lot of times I feel like I'm struggling through the evening...through leading worship (I'm not a very gifted musician either) and giving a lesson, I mess up chords and stutter and lose my train of though but I end up finally articulating the message I want to deliver and then I pray that all of the things I do which may be a distraction will not affect the students' ability to soak in the message. Like I said, I get a little nervous every time I start because I want it to go well, but I mostly get nervous because I really want the students to develop a deep and passionate relationship with Jesus and I tend to feel the weight of my responsibilities as a youth leader. I realize that I am in a position to have an impact in the lives of these students, and I want to leave a good mark.
Over the past two weeks, I was planning the lesson for earlier this evening, and I got really excited because the Lord gave me some good ideas and good illustrations for a pretty important passage of scripture: Philippians 1:18-30. Basically, Paul is sharing with the Philippians that, regardless of what happens to him, Christ will be proclaimed, and whether he lives or gets killed, he will glorify God. And because of that, he wants the Philippians to live a life worthy of the Gospel. Why? because if they don't, then they're basically wasting Paul's ministry in prison. That is strong. That is inspiring. I want that in my life, and I want that for my students. Clearly this is a deep passage of scripture, but it's so good. How often to we fall short of living a life worthy of the Gospel of Christ - wasting our ministry as Christians?
Back to the beginning of youth group tonight. Thinking about all of the scripture I just briefly explained, and realizing the depth and importance of Paul's charge, I got really anxious...not just the normal butterflies, but really sweaty palms and an increased heart rate. I've never had a panic attack before, but that's probably the closest I've ever come to one, and all of the students were sitting there watching me, ready for me to get things started. Before we start we always pray. Usually I have a student open us up but tonight I prayed. I prayed in desperation. I felt very small and very alone. I needed big strength. The rest of the night went about normal: I stuttered a lot and missed a few chords, but I really didn't care. I don't mind looking like a fool. After praying, the nerves went away and we had a good discussion. I don't know what the students got out of this evening, but I was so stoked to feel the Lord carrying me through youth group when I felt very much alone and weak. Paul had great courage for continuing to make God's name greater even while in prison...that reminded me to be courageous even though my situation pales in comparison to what Paul experienced. I believe I was under some spiritual attack tonight, and Jesus fought for me where I was weak. That's a huge encouragement for me.
It's easy to get discouraged and upset when we feel like we're wasting our ministry as Christians (or not being as effective or salty as we'd like), but the Lord showed me once again that all we need to do is show up and He'll take it from there. It takes courage and lots of faith and trust, but experiencing that kind of love leaves me hungry and wanting more. May the Lord give us the desire to obey and serve fiercely, and may our lives have a radical flavor.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Something Better
This song has been on repeat in my head for the past few days. It's a prayer for revival and renewal...thus it is my prayer for me and the students I lead (but not just those things). I love how simple it is, and I love how often the words "take this" are sung. It's all "take this," which obviously means that he doesn't like it and is tired of dealing with it because he knows there is something better, and he asks for whatever that "something better" is. Now we don't always know what exactly that "something better" is, but when we pray knowing that we need to change or that we need something better (or need to live for something better), those prayers will be answered. They may not be answered in the ways we expect, but be confident that the Lord is transforming us into something better.
Enjoy the video!
Enjoy the video!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
College Top Ten List
Here's a list of the ten best parts of my college experience. I want to go into greater depth for each year, but this will get it started. Here we go...
The Top Ten Moments/Memories of My Penn State Experience
10. My freshmen year dorm - would never have chosen to live with those 5 guys (except for Christian) but I loved it. Had some really interesting moments and loved living with them. If I had a blog my freshman year, you would have been able to read about some pretty crazy stories.
9. Penn State Football - if you know me, you may be surprised to see this so low on the list. That goes to show how awesome college was for me. There are specific moments where football was awesome, but this is the overall football experience during the last four years. 40 some wins and three bowl victories...not bad at all! And the student section never failed to entertain - I was stoked to be part of it.
8. Regular meetings with Aaron Henning - I would be lying if i said the relationship Aaron and I developed was not influential in my spiritual growth. His wisdom and compassion for me certainly played an immensely important role in my leadership development...and sense of humor actually. It was fun to have really serious conversations while making each other laugh.
7. Freshman Guys Bible Study - my freshman year was awesome, and so was bible study...and so were the rest of the guys in the bible study. I made some incredible relationships from that group, and I was so excited to be inspired and challenged by them every week. Looking back on it now, it's amazing to think about the leadership potential from that group. Quite impressive.
6. Winter Break Roadtrip - During my freshman year, I was asked by my Bible study leader if I wanted to go see Penn State take on Tennessee in the Outback Bowl. I said yes, and proceeded to have an amazingly fun week filled with golf, sun, beach, Dave Hine throwing up, great conversation, and a great Penn State upset!
5. ACF Baptism Services - during my time at Penn State, I went to all 8 baptism services, and I think I cried in 7 of them. There's something really powerful about seeing close friends make a stand for Christ...definitely a time to celebrate! Every time someone was baptized, all I could think about was how Satan absolutely hated what was happening. Victory is delicious!
4. ACF - most of these moments/memories/experiences are because of Alliance Christian Fellowship. Making ACF my home was the easiest and probably best decision I made while in college. The friends I made and the weekly fellowship from ACF continue to impact me. I'll be friends with some of those people for a very long time
3. Freshman/Sophomore Guys Bible STUDy - no, this is not a repeat. This is when I was co-leading it. Seeing those shy freshman guys transform to the next generation of ACF leadership was a huge source of joy for me and I'm so glad I was there to pour into them. Love those guys!
2. Living at the HOP - I loved living here, 15 minute walk to campus = far enough away that the partiers will not be a bother! Loved the parties we had there, loved the conversations I had there. Mostly, I'm super grateful for living with the roommates I had: Christian, Ryan, Aaron, Kyle. These guys didn't live at the HOP all at the same time, but they were the best. Ryan Stauffer is my best man for a reason, and that is largely because of the moments we shared at the HOP...I should make a top ten list of events at the HOP...unfortunately, only three people would think it would be legitimately funny, and I'm one of them.
1. Building a relationship with my (then future) fiance - enough said really. A total blessing. A life changing event.
I like making lists like these because it makes me think of everything that happened. It was pretty tough to narrow it down to just ten. Here are some honorable mentions: Mission Trip to New Orleans, Summer Internship in Alabama, PSU-Illinois basketball game junior year (I have to share that story!), and pranking Kate freshman year.
The Top Ten Moments/Memories of My Penn State Experience
10. My freshmen year dorm - would never have chosen to live with those 5 guys (except for Christian) but I loved it. Had some really interesting moments and loved living with them. If I had a blog my freshman year, you would have been able to read about some pretty crazy stories.
9. Penn State Football - if you know me, you may be surprised to see this so low on the list. That goes to show how awesome college was for me. There are specific moments where football was awesome, but this is the overall football experience during the last four years. 40 some wins and three bowl victories...not bad at all! And the student section never failed to entertain - I was stoked to be part of it.
8. Regular meetings with Aaron Henning - I would be lying if i said the relationship Aaron and I developed was not influential in my spiritual growth. His wisdom and compassion for me certainly played an immensely important role in my leadership development...and sense of humor actually. It was fun to have really serious conversations while making each other laugh.
7. Freshman Guys Bible Study - my freshman year was awesome, and so was bible study...and so were the rest of the guys in the bible study. I made some incredible relationships from that group, and I was so excited to be inspired and challenged by them every week. Looking back on it now, it's amazing to think about the leadership potential from that group. Quite impressive.
6. Winter Break Roadtrip - During my freshman year, I was asked by my Bible study leader if I wanted to go see Penn State take on Tennessee in the Outback Bowl. I said yes, and proceeded to have an amazingly fun week filled with golf, sun, beach, Dave Hine throwing up, great conversation, and a great Penn State upset!
5. ACF Baptism Services - during my time at Penn State, I went to all 8 baptism services, and I think I cried in 7 of them. There's something really powerful about seeing close friends make a stand for Christ...definitely a time to celebrate! Every time someone was baptized, all I could think about was how Satan absolutely hated what was happening. Victory is delicious!
4. ACF - most of these moments/memories/experiences are because of Alliance Christian Fellowship. Making ACF my home was the easiest and probably best decision I made while in college. The friends I made and the weekly fellowship from ACF continue to impact me. I'll be friends with some of those people for a very long time
3. Freshman/Sophomore Guys Bible STUDy - no, this is not a repeat. This is when I was co-leading it. Seeing those shy freshman guys transform to the next generation of ACF leadership was a huge source of joy for me and I'm so glad I was there to pour into them. Love those guys!
2. Living at the HOP - I loved living here, 15 minute walk to campus = far enough away that the partiers will not be a bother! Loved the parties we had there, loved the conversations I had there. Mostly, I'm super grateful for living with the roommates I had: Christian, Ryan, Aaron, Kyle. These guys didn't live at the HOP all at the same time, but they were the best. Ryan Stauffer is my best man for a reason, and that is largely because of the moments we shared at the HOP...I should make a top ten list of events at the HOP...unfortunately, only three people would think it would be legitimately funny, and I'm one of them.
1. Building a relationship with my (then future) fiance - enough said really. A total blessing. A life changing event.
I like making lists like these because it makes me think of everything that happened. It was pretty tough to narrow it down to just ten. Here are some honorable mentions: Mission Trip to New Orleans, Summer Internship in Alabama, PSU-Illinois basketball game junior year (I have to share that story!), and pranking Kate freshman year.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Go.
This morning I heard a really good sermon from one of the members of Grace United Methodist church - the church I'm working at. They are doing this thing called the Matthew 28 Initiative, which, if you've read Matthew 28, it's where Jesus commissions his disciples to go out and make disciples. Well, now we are Jesus' disciples, and so we must obey this command. This tiny little church is taking this seriously, and I am excited to see how this will impact the community...if we all take it seriously. Being in contact with the students, I am excited to try to empower them to take ownership of this Initiative, because they have the ability to impact an area of the community where most people cannot: other teenagers. And it is cool to think that many instances of revival and renewal occurs in the teenage crowd. This morning got me excited for the year to come, and hopefully we can come up with some cool ideas to help the students grow and get excited about the mission field that is Penns Valley Area High School.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Ch-ch-ch-changes
College went pretty fast, and it was awesome...I'll have to post a list of my top ten moments in college or something...that'll be an entertaining treat for sure. But now I don't have to go to class, so that means I need to get a job. What I really want to do is work full time for a church, and I pray for that opportunity pretty much every day. Until then, or at least until I get married, I am working part time for a nearby church as youth director. The people there are great, and I'm excited to finally get that started! I believe cool things are going to happen this school year.
But I'm getting side tracked. That is only a part time job, which means that I have a lot of extra time. Obviously, I would love to fill those hours with fantasy football analysis, SportsCenter, a healthy dose of XBOX Live, and whatever extra time I have would go into playing the new Halo game, cooking, eating, sleeping, and hanging out with my fiance Meagan. But since my desire to provide for both Meagan and myself is greater than my passion for leisure, I am looking for another part time job. The job search process is really stupid right now because I really have no desire to do anything other than mentoring students and working in a church. This clearly limits my options, and since I already have a part time job, my availability isn't all that great either.
That being said, I have filled out a good number of applications over the past week or so. I can't say that I enjoy filling them out, but nearly every application has asked the same question: 'Why are you interested in this job?' And I kindly reply, 'I am interested in this job because I enjoy the specific business to which I am applying and I feel that my given skill set would be beneficial in creating a more improved experience/product at said location.'
Translation: "I want/need money, your money - if you choose to hire me. I promise I'll do a good job and do my best to make everyone's job easier. I will show up on time, do good work, and be reliable. That is a fair trade for the cash you are hopefully willing to provide."
Obviously, I go into greater detail, but that is basically it. I wish I could find something that would feel more like serving or making a difference. I don't want to get paid for a job - I would rather take a return on the time I invest in something, and that's why applying for jobs to help a bigger corporation or business run smoothly or work the way it's supposed to is not fulfilling to me. Rather than saying 'enjoy your meal' I want to say 'let's get lunch and talk about life.' I want to put together care packages for people instead of bagging people's groceries. I would love to find a job where I feel like I'm actually helping people rather than a business. Don't get me wrong, those jobs are necessary, but I want to do something that makes me feel alive, and I feel alive when serving people. Give me a job like that. I'd do it for free if I knew I could get by without the money.
But I'm getting side tracked. That is only a part time job, which means that I have a lot of extra time. Obviously, I would love to fill those hours with fantasy football analysis, SportsCenter, a healthy dose of XBOX Live, and whatever extra time I have would go into playing the new Halo game, cooking, eating, sleeping, and hanging out with my fiance Meagan. But since my desire to provide for both Meagan and myself is greater than my passion for leisure, I am looking for another part time job. The job search process is really stupid right now because I really have no desire to do anything other than mentoring students and working in a church. This clearly limits my options, and since I already have a part time job, my availability isn't all that great either.
That being said, I have filled out a good number of applications over the past week or so. I can't say that I enjoy filling them out, but nearly every application has asked the same question: 'Why are you interested in this job?' And I kindly reply, 'I am interested in this job because I enjoy the specific business to which I am applying and I feel that my given skill set would be beneficial in creating a more improved experience/product at said location.'
Translation: "I want/need money, your money - if you choose to hire me. I promise I'll do a good job and do my best to make everyone's job easier. I will show up on time, do good work, and be reliable. That is a fair trade for the cash you are hopefully willing to provide."
Obviously, I go into greater detail, but that is basically it. I wish I could find something that would feel more like serving or making a difference. I don't want to get paid for a job - I would rather take a return on the time I invest in something, and that's why applying for jobs to help a bigger corporation or business run smoothly or work the way it's supposed to is not fulfilling to me. Rather than saying 'enjoy your meal' I want to say 'let's get lunch and talk about life.' I want to put together care packages for people instead of bagging people's groceries. I would love to find a job where I feel like I'm actually helping people rather than a business. Don't get me wrong, those jobs are necessary, but I want to do something that makes me feel alive, and I feel alive when serving people. Give me a job like that. I'd do it for free if I knew I could get by without the money.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
First Week in Bama
The first week on my internship was a good one, although I didn't do much. I'm supposed to be logging 40 hours a week and this week I logged 16...the internship advisor isn't going to be happy about that, but there just hasn't been a whole lot to do around here. Mark (my boss - the youth pastor) is on vacation and Patrick (my other boss) was basically looking for things for me to do. It's ok - I know I'll have enough hours logged at the end of the summer. Plus, I really needed more of a break - I was more tired from the semester than I thought. Since I haven't had much to do, I've spent my time watching season 2 of 24 (it's a good one!), hanging out with my family, especially Josh, working out at the local YMCA, trying to navigate around the Birmingham area, and Skyping with Meagan.
That being said, I'm really excited to get the summer kicked off! The staff and other interns are really cool, and I think we're going to work really well together. I've already met some of the students and they're awesome - I'm going to enjoy investing in them this summer.
That being said, I'm really excited to get the summer kicked off! The staff and other interns are really cool, and I think we're going to work really well together. I've already met some of the students and they're awesome - I'm going to enjoy investing in them this summer.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Make the World A Better Place, Punch Finals Week in the Face
Two blogs in three days...Adam's on fire. I can do this when I don't have anything else going on. Plus, it's fun to write, and I guess I have a knack for it. Writing is what has boosted my GPA from mediocre to acceptable. Now that I'm done with classes forever, I can tell you that it feels phenomenal. I woke up this yesterday morning, realized it was Friday, and then realized that it's been a week since I've gone to class. Finals week is the best week of college.
In my profile about me, I said that this blog would contain some of my personality and how I look at the world. I have not graduated yet, but my degree will be in human development and family studies. Basically, I am a people watcher. That is how I look at the world - I notice what other people do. Penn State is good for people watching.
There is this one person group my roommate Ryan and I are fascinated by - we call them Snugs. Snug stands for "Spandex, Northface, and Uggs." This is a common outfit on a college campus, and I've never quite understood it. In addition to that, all Snugs tend to talk and act the same way. You can frequently find Snugs strutting down the sidewalk with their blackberry/iPhone attached to their ear, wearing sunglasses that cover half of their face, waving their free hand wildly as they make hand motions, brushing their dyed blond hair out of their face, and readjusting their huge bag on their shoulders - they carry their lives in those things. It is common to see that free hand holding a Starbucks coffee or a small container holding a salad. While on the phone, they talk loud enough for everyone to hear - they usually complain to their moms about how their roommates are awful because they don't clean up after themselves. Or they complain about their boyfriends, how ridiculously stupid their professors are, or how excited they are for the weekend to come so they can party and get mad drunk.
I had to tell you that to tell you this:
I had my last final on Thursday, and it was a pretty terrible experience, actually. Not because I was completely unprepared, not because it was ridiculously hard, but because some Snug waltzes in (what I'm saying is completely true), Blackberry in hand, whining about her exam, massive sunglasses holding her hair back, tosses her survival bag down and sits right behind me. Not a big deal. I have made a lot of friends with Snugs - my major is dominated by girls, so I have gotten to know a few of them. Also, I do not hold a personal vendetta against Snugs, they are just fun to talk about because they stick out more than the other groups on campus. I could talk about a lot of different groups on campus...anyways, I did not know this particular girl, but she loaded on the perfume - apparently she wanted to impress someone there, because it was strong. Lucky me - it made me itchy, and I was dripping and sniffling for 90 minutes, trying to finish my exam. I sat there, going through the questions, filling in my bubble sheet, listening to other people sneezing and sniffling. I was trapped and I could not leave until I finished. I had no tissues or handkerchief - I was tempted to wipe my drippy snot all over my exam booklet, but we had to turn those in at the end so I used my shirt instead. By the middle of the exam there was a nice wet and gooey puddle around the collar of my shirt. By the end of the exam, I was no longer drippy, and my shirt collar had solidified to crispy, crusty, flaky nastiness.
As I walked home, I reflected on the last hour and a half of torture, I began to realize that what happened was actually pretty funny. It was a very 'Adam Jepson' way of finishing my last finals week.
Stay tuned for some highlights of my college career.
In my profile about me, I said that this blog would contain some of my personality and how I look at the world. I have not graduated yet, but my degree will be in human development and family studies. Basically, I am a people watcher. That is how I look at the world - I notice what other people do. Penn State is good for people watching.
There is this one person group my roommate Ryan and I are fascinated by - we call them Snugs. Snug stands for "Spandex, Northface, and Uggs." This is a common outfit on a college campus, and I've never quite understood it. In addition to that, all Snugs tend to talk and act the same way. You can frequently find Snugs strutting down the sidewalk with their blackberry/iPhone attached to their ear, wearing sunglasses that cover half of their face, waving their free hand wildly as they make hand motions, brushing their dyed blond hair out of their face, and readjusting their huge bag on their shoulders - they carry their lives in those things. It is common to see that free hand holding a Starbucks coffee or a small container holding a salad. While on the phone, they talk loud enough for everyone to hear - they usually complain to their moms about how their roommates are awful because they don't clean up after themselves. Or they complain about their boyfriends, how ridiculously stupid their professors are, or how excited they are for the weekend to come so they can party and get mad drunk.
I had to tell you that to tell you this:
I had my last final on Thursday, and it was a pretty terrible experience, actually. Not because I was completely unprepared, not because it was ridiculously hard, but because some Snug waltzes in (what I'm saying is completely true), Blackberry in hand, whining about her exam, massive sunglasses holding her hair back, tosses her survival bag down and sits right behind me. Not a big deal. I have made a lot of friends with Snugs - my major is dominated by girls, so I have gotten to know a few of them. Also, I do not hold a personal vendetta against Snugs, they are just fun to talk about because they stick out more than the other groups on campus. I could talk about a lot of different groups on campus...anyways, I did not know this particular girl, but she loaded on the perfume - apparently she wanted to impress someone there, because it was strong. Lucky me - it made me itchy, and I was dripping and sniffling for 90 minutes, trying to finish my exam. I sat there, going through the questions, filling in my bubble sheet, listening to other people sneezing and sniffling. I was trapped and I could not leave until I finished. I had no tissues or handkerchief - I was tempted to wipe my drippy snot all over my exam booklet, but we had to turn those in at the end so I used my shirt instead. By the middle of the exam there was a nice wet and gooey puddle around the collar of my shirt. By the end of the exam, I was no longer drippy, and my shirt collar had solidified to crispy, crusty, flaky nastiness.
As I walked home, I reflected on the last hour and a half of torture, I began to realize that what happened was actually pretty funny. It was a very 'Adam Jepson' way of finishing my last finals week.
Stay tuned for some highlights of my college career.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Just Got Owned in Halo, now I Need to Vent
It's been a while since i've blogged - and i need to stop starting every blog of mine with that statement. But there is a reason that I don't write in it much - School, ACF leadership, leading the GUM youth, Bible study, relationships, Halo, sports, guitar...and sleep. All of those things happened almost every day this past semester. That is why blogging has not been high on the priority list lately,
Also, I've been wrestling with why I even have a blog. I've been reading lots of things written by everyday people lately - most of them are Christians. I read their blogs, Facebooks, tweets, and they all sound the same to me. Everyone has their own personal flair, but the tone and message is really pretty similar. People like to tweet (or retweet) quotes from C.S. Lewis, John Piper, G.K. Chesterton, Donald Miller, and other pastors and writers, sharing some creative outlook on life or approach to Christianity. People like to talk about what new and interesting experiences they had, or share a verse that stuck with them from the morning's quiet time and attach with it a small challenge to those who are following them - and to themselves of course...that's why they posted it in the first place. I get things like this multiple times a day, and frankly, it's getting pretty old for me.
I continue to read them because they force me to think and wrestle with my own thoughts. I've been wrestling with why I really don't enjoy these blogs/tweets/facebook/etc. anymore. I think it comes down to the authority with which one uses to get a point across. The authority itself does not frustrate me - I admire the confidence and assertiveness people have to share those thoughts and inspirational nuggets. What bothers me is that authority connotes leadership, and so we have a ton of leaders telling everyone who follows them everything that they think is important. I think this is a problem because, to me, everyone is trying to lead and follow at the same time - and I include myself in this. You can't be a leader and a follower in the same circle of people - you can't do both. It's too confusing for everyone, and that makes leadership (and following) less effective.
This why I haven't been blogging or even tweeting as much Christianity stuff. I imagine some people feel the same way as me, and being flooded with these messages that many of us have already heard is tiring. I feel like I need a detox...maybe this is because I'm already so incredibly involved in ministry things - it is a huge part of my week.
Whatever it is, those are my thoughts, and I basically just weakened my argument by writing this. Why do we all have an agenda that we feel needs to be heard by everyone?
Also, I've been wrestling with why I even have a blog. I've been reading lots of things written by everyday people lately - most of them are Christians. I read their blogs, Facebooks, tweets, and they all sound the same to me. Everyone has their own personal flair, but the tone and message is really pretty similar. People like to tweet (or retweet) quotes from C.S. Lewis, John Piper, G.K. Chesterton, Donald Miller, and other pastors and writers, sharing some creative outlook on life or approach to Christianity. People like to talk about what new and interesting experiences they had, or share a verse that stuck with them from the morning's quiet time and attach with it a small challenge to those who are following them - and to themselves of course...that's why they posted it in the first place. I get things like this multiple times a day, and frankly, it's getting pretty old for me.
I continue to read them because they force me to think and wrestle with my own thoughts. I've been wrestling with why I really don't enjoy these blogs/tweets/facebook/etc. anymore. I think it comes down to the authority with which one uses to get a point across. The authority itself does not frustrate me - I admire the confidence and assertiveness people have to share those thoughts and inspirational nuggets. What bothers me is that authority connotes leadership, and so we have a ton of leaders telling everyone who follows them everything that they think is important. I think this is a problem because, to me, everyone is trying to lead and follow at the same time - and I include myself in this. You can't be a leader and a follower in the same circle of people - you can't do both. It's too confusing for everyone, and that makes leadership (and following) less effective.
This why I haven't been blogging or even tweeting as much Christianity stuff. I imagine some people feel the same way as me, and being flooded with these messages that many of us have already heard is tiring. I feel like I need a detox...maybe this is because I'm already so incredibly involved in ministry things - it is a huge part of my week.
Whatever it is, those are my thoughts, and I basically just weakened my argument by writing this. Why do we all have an agenda that we feel needs to be heard by everyone?
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
What's a Doppelganger?
I would like to interrupt your long, cold, (hopefully not so) lonely winter to share with you a revelation I had earlier today. Some of you may be aware that it is 'Doppelganger Week' on Facebook.
"But Adam! I don't even know what doppelganger even means!" Fear not. As reported by dictionary.com, you now know what it means:
Dop⋅pel⋅gäng⋅er
/ˈdɒpəlˌgæŋər; Ger. ˈdɔpəlˌgɛŋər/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [dop-uhl-gang-er; Ger. daw-puhl-geng-er]
–noun
a ghostly double or counterpart of a living person.
Now that we have that out of the way, I can explain the epidemic that's happening on Facebook. Basically, if anyone has ever said you look like someone famous, you post a picture of the celebrity look alike as your profile picture and try to get others to do the same. It's actually pretty scary how close some of my friends look like other well known people. As for me, I think God is laughing at my misfortune, and I envy all of you who have a celebrity look alike.
Let me explain...
Here's my friend Jordan...this is only the side of his face, but the other side looks exactly the same.
Now compare him to the more famous Tom Cruise...
Pretty close right? Or take my girlfriend, Meagan, as another example:
Isn't she so pretty?? I certainly lucked out. Now look at this:
Am I dating Meagan? I don't know...I might as well be dating Natalie Portman's twin. That's pretty cool, right? It's awesome to look like someone who is good looking. That's where I get frustrated. Look at this...it's a picture of me and my dog Charlie.
I must admit, I am by no means an ugly person. I have enough confidence and self esteem to say that. I mean, Meagan is attracted to me, so I must have done something right. My 'celebrity' look alike makes me nauseous.
Here it comes...
Wait for it...
Wallace and freaking Gromit. People have actually said that i look like him, and he isn't even real! If you ask me, that looks more like my dad because they're both folically challenged. Only on certain occasions might I look like that.
Ok. I guess that's pretty close. Wallace still isn't real! Thank you, Doppelganger Week, for reminding me of the cruel trick that nature has played on me.
I blame my parents.
"But Adam! I don't even know what doppelganger even means!" Fear not. As reported by dictionary.com, you now know what it means:
Dop⋅pel⋅gäng⋅er
/ˈdɒpəlˌgæŋər; Ger. ˈdɔpəlˌgɛŋər/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [dop-uhl-gang-er; Ger. daw-puhl-geng-er]
–noun
a ghostly double or counterpart of a living person.
Now that we have that out of the way, I can explain the epidemic that's happening on Facebook. Basically, if anyone has ever said you look like someone famous, you post a picture of the celebrity look alike as your profile picture and try to get others to do the same. It's actually pretty scary how close some of my friends look like other well known people. As for me, I think God is laughing at my misfortune, and I envy all of you who have a celebrity look alike.
Let me explain...
Here's my friend Jordan...this is only the side of his face, but the other side looks exactly the same.
Now compare him to the more famous Tom Cruise...
Pretty close right? Or take my girlfriend, Meagan, as another example:
Isn't she so pretty?? I certainly lucked out. Now look at this:
Am I dating Meagan? I don't know...I might as well be dating Natalie Portman's twin. That's pretty cool, right? It's awesome to look like someone who is good looking. That's where I get frustrated. Look at this...it's a picture of me and my dog Charlie.
I must admit, I am by no means an ugly person. I have enough confidence and self esteem to say that. I mean, Meagan is attracted to me, so I must have done something right. My 'celebrity' look alike makes me nauseous.
Here it comes...
Wait for it...
Wallace and freaking Gromit. People have actually said that i look like him, and he isn't even real! If you ask me, that looks more like my dad because they're both folically challenged. Only on certain occasions might I look like that.
Ok. I guess that's pretty close. Wallace still isn't real! Thank you, Doppelganger Week, for reminding me of the cruel trick that nature has played on me.
I blame my parents.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Welcome Me Back!
I remembered the other day that I had a blog. It's been nearly 5 months since I last blogged so I hope my three or so followers weren't holding their breath in anticipation for my next post. My last post mentioned that I was going to be very busy during the semester. Well, I survived it, as it is now the spring semester! Not only did I survive it, but I loved it! I was never bored, and almost always doing something: planning, teaching, listening, studying, typing, writing, reading...the school breaks were life saving, however I somehow managed to earn my highest semester GPA yet which was pretty darn awesome. (No...my GPA is not something I brag about...because there is nothing to brag about)
Anyway, I was so wrapped up in everything that I forgot to blog like I said I would. Based on my last post, here are some updates:
-Youth ministry has been great. I've enjoyed building relationships with those students, leading worship, and speaking from the Word. Hanging out with them takes up a huge chunk of my Sunday afternoons and evenings, but I always feel refreshed and ready to take on the week.
-ACF rocks. It stinks that this will be my last semester serving that Church. The people there are pretty darn serious about seeing the Lord more clearly and knowing Him more. My Bible STUDy guys make me proud. I'm gonna miss them a ton - perhaps more than most people. (I do not consider this favoritism...we just have a lot of quality time invested in one another) Another personal highlight is that Thursday Morning Prayer is really growing and we fill our little prayer room to capacity every week! The Lord is moving...
-I already talked about school...probably my least favorite part because it all feels like busy work to me but I'm going to have a degree in a solid program from a well known institution...strong.
-Last post I mentioned starting a blog on dating...mainly because every book I've read on dating is pretty weak (with the exception of 'I Kissed Dating Goodbye.') That is, until I read 'I Isaac, Take Thee Rebekah' by Ravi Zacharias. That book is everything that needs to be said about dating because it doesn't focus on the other individual and how the couple should act. Instead it focuses on what your relationship with Jesus needs to look like and how that will change your relationships. It's very good. I'd even recommend it to high schoolers.
This semester is probably going to be more of the same: Busy busy! But it's good. I'll try to stop in and blog, because I like writing, but I can't make any promises. I only write when I have a cool idea, and those ideas usually emerge in my free time.
Now I'm done.
Anyway, I was so wrapped up in everything that I forgot to blog like I said I would. Based on my last post, here are some updates:
-Youth ministry has been great. I've enjoyed building relationships with those students, leading worship, and speaking from the Word. Hanging out with them takes up a huge chunk of my Sunday afternoons and evenings, but I always feel refreshed and ready to take on the week.
-ACF rocks. It stinks that this will be my last semester serving that Church. The people there are pretty darn serious about seeing the Lord more clearly and knowing Him more. My Bible STUDy guys make me proud. I'm gonna miss them a ton - perhaps more than most people. (I do not consider this favoritism...we just have a lot of quality time invested in one another) Another personal highlight is that Thursday Morning Prayer is really growing and we fill our little prayer room to capacity every week! The Lord is moving...
-I already talked about school...probably my least favorite part because it all feels like busy work to me but I'm going to have a degree in a solid program from a well known institution...strong.
-Last post I mentioned starting a blog on dating...mainly because every book I've read on dating is pretty weak (with the exception of 'I Kissed Dating Goodbye.') That is, until I read 'I Isaac, Take Thee Rebekah' by Ravi Zacharias. That book is everything that needs to be said about dating because it doesn't focus on the other individual and how the couple should act. Instead it focuses on what your relationship with Jesus needs to look like and how that will change your relationships. It's very good. I'd even recommend it to high schoolers.
This semester is probably going to be more of the same: Busy busy! But it's good. I'll try to stop in and blog, because I like writing, but I can't make any promises. I only write when I have a cool idea, and those ideas usually emerge in my free time.
Now I'm done.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Colbie Caillat on A Rainy Day
So I was just journaling, and I felt like blogging, so I decided to sit down and type instead of write. As I was walking to my computer, I was thinking of what to name the title, and initially it was going to be 'On A Rainy Day.' Then I noticed that Colbie Caillat was playing on my iTunes, so I decided to add that...then I realized it rhymed, and I became very satisfied with myself. I've been killing the unintentional simple rhymes lately...I'm just that cool. I'm so cool that I even laugh at myself when I do it...
So there are some pretty cool things going on in my life right now. School is back in action, and that's kinda nice. It's good to be with my friends...school is just alright, but hey it's my senior year, so hopefully all of these 'just alright' classes will soon give me a 'crazy awesome' job.
Speaking of job, I just got hired to lead a youth group part time at a church in Centre Hall! How crazy awesome is that? It's weird to think that at the beginning of the summer I was wrestling with whether or not God was calling me into ministry, and through a couple conversations and and a whole lot of prayer, I feel as though the Lord confirmed my call, and now lookie! I get to spend a year with high school students and hopefully I'll get out of the way enough to let God do something amazing in their lives. I am really excited!
In addition to that, I'm also incredibly stoked for ACF this year! This is my third year serving as an elder, and it blows my mind to see how the Lord has used a handful of full time students to give direction to this church. This is my home - I feel a connection there that I get nowhere else, and I can't wait to see what is in store for this year. My guess is it's going to be incredible.
So yeah, I'm gonna be busy: ACF. School. Youth group. I'll keep you posted.
That's all for now. I could write a lot more, but for the sake of my three readers, I'll stop. I'll be blogging frequently, so don't go crazy! There's plenty more of my brain to read in the near future. Here's what's on the list of future blogs:
-My thoughts on dating - i might actually start a new blog on that
-My experiences in youth ministry - I will most likely start a new blog on that as well...the links will be on this page, so you can find it easily
-the awesomeness that is ACF
-more of the same sweetness that is my life
**Read my previous blog post...it's one of my favorites so far!**
So there are some pretty cool things going on in my life right now. School is back in action, and that's kinda nice. It's good to be with my friends...school is just alright, but hey it's my senior year, so hopefully all of these 'just alright' classes will soon give me a 'crazy awesome' job.
Speaking of job, I just got hired to lead a youth group part time at a church in Centre Hall! How crazy awesome is that? It's weird to think that at the beginning of the summer I was wrestling with whether or not God was calling me into ministry, and through a couple conversations and and a whole lot of prayer, I feel as though the Lord confirmed my call, and now lookie! I get to spend a year with high school students and hopefully I'll get out of the way enough to let God do something amazing in their lives. I am really excited!
In addition to that, I'm also incredibly stoked for ACF this year! This is my third year serving as an elder, and it blows my mind to see how the Lord has used a handful of full time students to give direction to this church. This is my home - I feel a connection there that I get nowhere else, and I can't wait to see what is in store for this year. My guess is it's going to be incredible.
So yeah, I'm gonna be busy: ACF. School. Youth group. I'll keep you posted.
That's all for now. I could write a lot more, but for the sake of my three readers, I'll stop. I'll be blogging frequently, so don't go crazy! There's plenty more of my brain to read in the near future. Here's what's on the list of future blogs:
-My thoughts on dating - i might actually start a new blog on that
-My experiences in youth ministry - I will most likely start a new blog on that as well...the links will be on this page, so you can find it easily
-the awesomeness that is ACF
-more of the same sweetness that is my life
**Read my previous blog post...it's one of my favorites so far!**
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Where Did He Come Up WIth This?
Once upon a time, there was this deer and he wandered through the woods looking for friends and food. (Food and friends were two of his most favorite things) One day he and his friends decided to go hang out and find something really fun to do, like frolic through meadows or go irritate an old, lazy, ornery bear. They walked down an old dirt path to the bear's house until they came upon a strange tree with orange balls falling from it, so they decided to check it out.
The tree was full of oranges. They bumped the tree, and much to their surprise, even more fell to the ground! One poor deer had one land on his face, which gave him quite a fright! After a short time, the deer began to become more curious. They sniffed and licked the oranges, and they immediately were overjoyed with their discovery. They ate oranges until they couldn't move, and they rested under the shade of the orange tree - which didn't provide much shade, but they were happy nonetheless.
Now you know that when you eat that much fruit, you normally have some issues later on, and this instance was no exception. Their bodies passed on all of the oranges that their stomachs couldn't digest, and it laid in small piles throughout the forest. Part of those not so pleasant little treasures contained the seeds of the oranges.
Fast forward to the present...
Not so long ago, the parents of a friend of mine visited Florida and brought back some oranges. I have had oranges before, but let me tell you, these were no ordinary oranges. They were like juicy candy - easily the best oranges that I have ever had! And I was sad when the last one was gone, because I didn't want to go back to eating regular oranges ever again.
The other night I laid in bed, reminiscing about my near life changing encounter with these incredibly delicious oranges. I remembered the smell, the taste, the virtual party in my mouth after every bite I took. And then that got me to thinking about the creativity of our Creator: how in the world is it possible that something that delicious can come from a doodie-covered seed that grew out of the dirt? Something I just ate got its nutrients from dirt, poop, water, and sunshine. Now this story is made up, but the scenario isn't too much of a stretch...so how do those four things help in growing something I enjoyed so much?
Because our Creator is creative, and he is awesome. Have you ever had any mini revelations like that? They're quite fun to ponder, and I think they make life more exciting and enjoyable. Any cool stories out there?
The tree was full of oranges. They bumped the tree, and much to their surprise, even more fell to the ground! One poor deer had one land on his face, which gave him quite a fright! After a short time, the deer began to become more curious. They sniffed and licked the oranges, and they immediately were overjoyed with their discovery. They ate oranges until they couldn't move, and they rested under the shade of the orange tree - which didn't provide much shade, but they were happy nonetheless.
Now you know that when you eat that much fruit, you normally have some issues later on, and this instance was no exception. Their bodies passed on all of the oranges that their stomachs couldn't digest, and it laid in small piles throughout the forest. Part of those not so pleasant little treasures contained the seeds of the oranges.
Fast forward to the present...
Not so long ago, the parents of a friend of mine visited Florida and brought back some oranges. I have had oranges before, but let me tell you, these were no ordinary oranges. They were like juicy candy - easily the best oranges that I have ever had! And I was sad when the last one was gone, because I didn't want to go back to eating regular oranges ever again.
The other night I laid in bed, reminiscing about my near life changing encounter with these incredibly delicious oranges. I remembered the smell, the taste, the virtual party in my mouth after every bite I took. And then that got me to thinking about the creativity of our Creator: how in the world is it possible that something that delicious can come from a doodie-covered seed that grew out of the dirt? Something I just ate got its nutrients from dirt, poop, water, and sunshine. Now this story is made up, but the scenario isn't too much of a stretch...so how do those four things help in growing something I enjoyed so much?
Because our Creator is creative, and he is awesome. Have you ever had any mini revelations like that? They're quite fun to ponder, and I think they make life more exciting and enjoyable. Any cool stories out there?
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