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Sunday AM: Found the metro! w/ free parking! Headed to Coca-Cola World! I'll start intros. In the pict is Gary & Jess!

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Just finished the ceremony. It was great! Still recovering from the trip down.

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The rehearsal dinner after a 14 hour drive! Made it. Whew!

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Passion07! Road Trip has begun!

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In DC

Merry Christmas To All

Merry! Merry! Merry!

Moblogability

I think it is safe to say that you will see an increase in blogging activity from me in the coming year. I have discovered Moblogs. Mobile blogging is way to go! It's fast, easy and it took me no less than 9 hours to set up! It's not supposed to take that long, but it did me. Anyways, have fun you techno friends, come on in to the world of Moblogs!

Lance, don't feel as though you have to comply with the invitation above. I will be glad if you would only embrace the wonderful world of Text messaging. (Ha!) Okay, maybe in 6 more years. I'm patient!

A Cemetery With A View

A piece-full internment?

Bass Pro About 2 Months Ago

Me like Mike.

Vacation Update:

1). Monday, I went to DC and saw some of the oldest known bibles, including Numbers and Deuteronomy. It was quite an experience to see them. I must go back. The exhibit will close Jan. 7th.

2) Tuesday, I went to Whitetail Ski Resort and learned to Snowboard. It was enjoyable, but hard work. I figure, "Why should I work this hard when I could be skiing?" I will do it again, but only after I have been skiing abit.

3) Wednesday: Went to Buffalo Wild Wings with Adam Workman, (Small groups pastor) and "tore up" some .50Cent chicken legs! Honey BBQ sauce was awesome. Was stuffed all for only $5.67. What a deal! Later I went to a fun ALG (Authentic Life Group) Christmas party! Them middleschoolers can party now!

4) Thursday: Went to lunch with the staff for a staff meeting (even though I was on vacation) simply because they are fun people to hang out with!

5). Friday: Stayed uplate making Chili for Rachel to carry with her to school. Will sleep late today and then go over to some friend's house for a late lunch.

Observations:

1) I remember thinking "Man, that will never happen until like the year 2000."- It's nearly 2007.
2) Having a list of things you want to accomplish while your on vacation is useless. So be sure and put all the fun stuff at the beginning.
3) I take friends for granted sometimes. I don't always realize that I have the greatest friends in the world, but I do. I would name you all here, but then it would read like the section of "begats" in 1 Chronicles 1 and you would skip it.
4) Reading is a dicipline
5) I love my wife.

Need a new twist on searching? It's not google, but it is somewhat entertaining.

www.msdewey.com

Perspectives In Motion

I was watching ER the other night and I got a completely new perspective on forgiveness. I’m watching as a 35-year-old homeless lady is taken back home to her parents whom she hasn’t seen in over 10 years. It’s one of those scenes where there is no dialogue between characters, only a song being sung over the video of different story lines. They come to the part where the woman steps out of the vehicle and faces the house of her parents. She is clean, sober and of course it’s Christmas. She walks to the door and the front porch light comes on and the front door opens. A tired older gentleman and an aging woman exit the front door bewildered by the sight a lost daughter.

What was incredibly new to me was how good forgiveness could feel. I could see in each of their eyes so much relief, gratitude, humility, and life.

My perspective is now stretched to include something that I haven’t noticed. I now see each of these available to me (and to anyone who believes) as a by-product of forgiveness. How genius is it to offer forgiveness as a provisory of relief and gratitude. How incredibly scandalous is it that Christ conquers pride with forgiveness and offers hope, all at the same time.

I can’t get over how intense it was to see a father welcome home a lost child, and watch the two, as their regret began to melt. This earthly father failures began to fade, and the daughter’s bad decisions were seemingly erased by forgiveness. I think the older I get, the clearer it is to see forgiveness as a treasure and pride as an enemy. After all, forgiveness can only come when we value Christ more than ourselves. I think there are so many people that are looking for forgiveness and just can’t find it. Therefore they continue to dull the pain that only forgiveness can relieve. No wonder they call(ed) it Good News.

This is not a joke.

Okay folks. It's true. There is such a site as christianshoes.com

I know for a fact that shoes can't be christian. Therefore, what is a christian shoe?

When did we trade the word christian from an adjective to a noun? and who did it?

Thoughts?

Go Romo Go!

Five (5) Touchdowns and 306 yards equals 59.90 fantasy points! Absolutely beautiful!

Do you smell that? I think somebody's cooking up some playoffs! And it smells good!

Coming Soon!

Coming to a LifePoint Church Near You!

Whatdoesthissay?Cananyoneelsereadit?

The Hunt 2

The Hunt 2 is only two weeks out! We are very busy getting ready for the Hunt, Sullivan's Flaw, and our move into our new building. The Hunt is coming together, but it looks like a whole lot of videos have to be made. That means all night video editing!

A Maryland fall

Fall is here and Maryland is surrendering once again to the paintbrush of a creative God with an awesome eye for beauty. The leaves are changing colors as everyone talks about the winter forecast, questioning how cold it will get this winter. Harvest is here and signs of it are everywhere. Corn that has been tall for some 3 or 4 months is now disappearing at an incredible rate. The sights and sounds around are fun and exciting. It's as if everything is embracing a change. I for one have been rather mournful at the loss of summer. I had a great summer and hate to see it go. However, there is something rather significant about the passing of a season and the onset of another.


I don't mean to make everything an analogy, but it is quite interesting to see all the leaves change colors. Anyone I talk to down in Texas asks me about the leaves. The weathermen on TV are always talking about it and are even trying to predict the peak of the color change. The interesting thought I have been pondering over for the last few days has left me hopeful, so I thought I would share it. What do you think of this? Leaves don't necessarly "change color;" they simply allow the Chlorphyll to exit the leaf and the true original color is unveiled. I can't help but think about our lives as believers and how much we forget about our true identity. Sometimes our lives are sin-filled and our true colors are covered. Unfortunatley, it's all to easy to forget our true idenitity and become satisfied with our latest vice, forgetting how awesome we trully look without sin.

I heard a Ross King song today, posing the question as to why we continue to work so hard at fighting sin, when indeed Christ said, "Go and sin no more."
I'm glad Christ didn't tell that lady "go and try harder this time." I think the point is this: Go and sin no more can be translated into "Believe in me more for your satisfaction more than you believe in anything else." That's why addictions/stealing/coveting are sin. It's the same old sin of unbelief. I like to think about my true identity: believer.

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These picts are a few I snapped this past Monday. Just a few I thought I would share. Hope everyone is doing well!

My Friend Clay

Check out Clay's new site. I was surfing around and wanted to see if that new-fangled church of his would even recognize that they hired a new guy. Guess what? They noticed! Hope things are going well for you down there, Clay! Happy Birthday!

Update

My life over the past 3 weeks:

Launched Authentic Life Groups
Started Mountain Biking
Created a segment in Elevate called Elevate News Beak w/ Sting Wingman (a chicken)
Created the Poster for the Hunt 2
Went Kayaking with Rachel.
Started Reading Ten Minutes from Normal by Karen Hughes
Started Reading From Beholding To Becoming by Kim Coleman Healy
Jumped in a lake in order to save a couple of students out in a boat. Sounds heroic – looked pretty dumb. Turns out it was only spiders, 6 to be exact (not bees or snakes) in the boat.
Went swimming for the last time this year probably – great diving board.
Held a snake that little Rachel gave me to hold.
Seen probably over 50 deer.
Went fishing- caught nothing.
Watched TV all day on 9-11 and cried when I saw this video.
Joined a peer community group.
Pressure washed the back of the whole house and deck.
Played a rousing game of Corn Hole – (think pitching washers with bean bags.)
Baptized two students.
Watched a whole episode of Trading Spaces, and my wife was not even home. I have no excuse either. Sorry.

Snakes on a Plane AND In a movie theater

I lifted this from another blog. It is so scary to me, I'm not sure when I will be able to go back to the movies again. I haven't even seen this movie.


Read the link below!

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_27267863.shtml

Can I Get A Witness for 16 Blocks?

If you haven't seen 16 Blocks then I would highly recomend it. It was a movie that I thought was going to be a dud. Amy Martin picked it out when she was here. Sorry I thought it was going to be a dud Amy. It was incredible, I think the best film I have seen this year!

O yeah, Rachel and I watched it without Amy, she fell asleep!

Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

Yesterday I spoke at our main service for the first time. I spoke on a subject that was close to me, but painful to think about. The time I spent preparing opened my eyes to a couple of things, so I thought I would gather my thoughts again in a different format than the talk.

In reading and writing about the Pharisees, I came across this book, called 12 Steps for the Recovering Pharisee by John Fischer. It’s a great book that guides the reader to a new method for living life.

Through the book, and of course, the scripture, God began to convict me of the ways I treated people while I was growing up. Now in order to keep from preaching the sermon again, I will take a different approach.

I think I have spent much of my life protecting my image. You know what I mean, right? “I can’t wear that.” “I wouldn’t date her!” “I wouldn’t go there.” or How about this one? “No way, I’m not going to talk to that person” It seemed that no matter where I was, I would base every decision on what the outcome of the task in question would do to my image. Now, I have found that this has always influenced my decisions.

Image, becomes superior to everything. Image becomes nothing more than a fear of what other people think. Not only that, but image becomes the gage in which we live. For instance, I used to think that Christianity was not much more that doing good things and trusting Christ for salvation. Therefore, I would live in this image game of comparing myself to those around me and desperately join rank. Truth be told, out rank.

Through my studying, I ran across the same principal via Donald Miller. He calls this approach the “lifeboat economy.” He explains “lifeboat economy” as a time in elementary school where he and his class was asked to discuss what to do with a group of 5 people that needed to be rescued. The rub was that there was only room for 4 in the lifeboat. This of course meant that out of a lawyer, doctor, schoolteacher, nurse, and a mother, someone would have to be left out. The students had to come up with an answer as to whom.

I feel like I grew up in lifeboat economy. You know, where everyday you look at your image and look at the image of those around you and try and decide if you get to stay in the boat. This lifeboat economy is everywhere, from class rank to first-string varsity. No matter where you went or what you did, it depended on image in a lifeboat economy.

I think the Pharisees created lifeboat economy. You know, do the right things and follow every law and you fit in. They didn’t even care if you knew you were a sinner. “You without sin cast the first stone” and starting with the oldest they each walked away. They knew that were sinners, yet they thought their image alone would qualify them as righteous.

I think somewhere along the course of my life I picked up a measuring tape. I started measuring my shortcomings compared those around me, making sure that I was always better than the next person. I would judge everyone based upon how good they were and how much better I was.

Jesus turned lifeboat economy inside out. He said things like, “the last shall be first and first shall be last.” and “When you minister unto the least of these you minister unto me.” When I came to Christ I should have realized something incredible that I didn’t realize.

I should have traded image for message. The message of Jesus Christ trumps image. Everything I do should now be based on my message and not my image. In a grace economy, there is no image. We all fall short. Why spend time measuring the faults of others and us when they all fall astronomically short?

My message is simple. “I don’t have what it takes to survive in a lifeboat economy. I abandoned the lifeboat economy and surrendered to a new economy called the grace economy. Not only do I survive here, I thrive here. Grace is unbelievable and scandalous. You see in grace economy there are plenty of seats because Christ is the lifeboat. There is plenty of grace to go around. To paraphrase a scripture: Where there is infraction of the Law, grace abounds all the more.” That’s the message. No more room for image.

I think the next time God speaks to me about doing something. You know, things like “talk to him about my Son,” I hope I can immediately say to myself, message trumps image and then speak. If not, then I’m still playing lifeboat economy, and we all go bankrupt in a lifeboat economy every time.

Ahhh, the Joy of Youth Ministry

We had a great time at camp this past week! We all went to Ocean City, MD and joined the Student Life organization for an awesome time of basking in the Glory of the Son!

A few observations from the week:

1). Dead Jelly fish can be used as a weapon, in much the same way as a donut would be used in a food fight.

2). Sand can be so hot that you begin to consider crying, even as an adult.

3). The muscles I had in high school apparently had an expiration date.

4). Hairy+ white+ stretch marks = TMI (and I might have shared to much information, therefore I'm sorry)

5). The picture above is not scary to me because I'm dressed like a goon. It is scary to me because I look just like my dad! (no offense dad.)

6). A 15 minute nap while at camp is possible, but is does require duct tape, rope, and the threat of not taking the junior high students to eat dinner. (and then later after the nap, forgetting to take them to dinner anyway) Sorry guys.

7). Lance Burch and I should not sit next to each other during a camp sermon or possibly anytime at camp. There is to much that goes on that requires additional commentary. (I would like to take this time to extend our sincerest apologies to the David Nassar Ministry, Shane & Shane, and the entire Student Life Camp Staff, we are painfully aware of our much distracting commentary and illustrations) (Disclaimer: Lance started it)

8). The words "grown-up" sound a whole lot like "thrown- up" in the middle of a loud concert.

Fun Game!

I just got back in the country and was updating myself by reading blogs. I was reading Hannah Burch's blog and found the post that told of what states she had been. It gave me the idea to name the states that she had been to, since they were not labeled. Within a few seconds I realized I was having a little trouble. I quickly searched around for a quiz and found this one. It's cool check it out.

This is my score results:

Score: 90%
Avg Error: 20 miles
Time: 366 seconds

Note: I don't think the game is fair, because depending on which state you get first gives you something to work with. If you get states you don't know first it throws you off.

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I will update later with pictures and travel info. Rachel and I got back last night about 2am. We are glad to be home, but it was a great experience! Update you all soon!

New Record: Two Posts Same Day

Okay, sorry for rambling on with my daily life by posting so much. Everybody is entiltled to going Conn - right?

I got back from my mission trip this past week and I must say that it was quite an experience. It was absolutely enlightening and amazing to yet see another area of the world in which God is working and bringing people to a saving knowledge of Himself. There is so much I wish to share, but I don't think this is the proper forum. However, I will say that the trip home was quite the adventure.

27hours of travel (7 hour layover in London & 4hour drive from NewYork) was a doosy! Still not sure I'm on schedule. For instance it's 3:30am even as I write. I better go to bed.

Leave again on Friday!

RANT

Begin RANT:

I grabbed a bottle of Pepto and headed for the landfill known as MySpace for another game of FSWNC. (Former Students With No Clue) This is a game where me as a youth pastor browses around blogs to check on students and see how they are doing. More often than not, I find a link of some former student with no clue as to what they are doing with their life!

Tonight’s version was quite interesting. I read about specific people involved in specific ministries with a specific faith claiming absolutely nothing of specific consequence. In fact, I found quite the opposite. I mostly found young students categorizing their faith as separate from their reality. Faith was a tool to be used when life called for that tool. Not a faith to be lived in the midst of every moment of life.

There seemed to be a disconnect in the matter of calling your religion “Christian” and then everything else on the page pointing to anything but Christ.

Notice: If you fit in this category, please do everyone a favor, please re-label yourself. I’m sick of reading one student after another saying, “I’m a Christian”, but I break the law and drink. I’m a Christian, but I had sex less than 3 months ago. I’m a Christian, but I still party.

In order to help those with this misunderstanding, I would like to provide some alternative labels to your religion:

1). Lover of MySelf
2). Hello MySpace, GoodBye GodSpace
3). Can’t Trust God Yet
4). Faithless
5). Looking for the benefits of Christianity with out following Christ.
6). Who’s Christ?
7). Present World Lover

End RANT.

Saloam

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I am well and learning a lot. It is beautiful here! We are having great conversations and making good contacts for continued work in other countries. The more I learn the more impossible the task seems to become. It's a great thing we have the Holy Spirit. In case anyone was wondering or not aware. I love and miss my wife dearly. I read earlier that I bewitched her heart and soul. Gotta run the van is here! Later friends! and my bewitched wife!

Jason

Series Leader

Day 1

DAY 2

1 Week Past

Well, I've wanted to post this for a week. And now I finally have the chance. Rachel and I went to a Derek Webb concert last Friday night. It was very cool. I like a good concert. This one was just what I was wanting. A place to sitdown, listen, and not do one more thing. It was great! It was quaint- only about 75 people there. After the show, Rachel and I hung around for a moment and talked to Derek, and told him we appreacitated his music. He seems like a great guy.

Anyway, in honor of my good friend Todd Wright, and in his customary fashion, I leave you with the set list for the night.

Set list was designed by the audience at the beginning and written down on paper by Derek with a Sharpie (imagine C with a cirle around it here). It went as follows:
Nobody Loves Me
Faith In My Eyes
Table for Two
Wedding Dress
I Repent

Intermission

Mockingbird CD Top to Bottom (all eleven songs!)

It was a great time!

Can't Wait!

Okay, so I'm just trying to hurry things along. If not May, how about early June?

Surpassing the Ordinary

It truly has been a long time since I spoke of the musings taking place in my life. I have been a little busy lately getting ready for some cool things coming up. Epic is just around the corner now and it has really caused me to think a few things over again and pose some new thoughts at some old ideas.

I have long known that God looks at the heart and not the outward appearance. (1 Samuel 16:7) I guess that I have always considered that to mean he looks at what we are doing then checks our motives. I have always forced a connection in my mind that once God checks our motives he comes back and looks at our actions and then "approves" them because the motives were correct. I think I have to correct that again. I think the true message is that God looks at our heart-- period. That's it? That's what I keep asking myself. You see if you are like me then you keep asking what I'm asking. Can't I do something else? I am wanting to do something so I can please Him.

In order to combat little evil thoughts like," What can I do to please God?", (if you are still stuck on the question being evil then we better talk) I am now force feeding Scriptures like the following (italics and bold are the key points):

1 Thessalonians 2:4On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.

2 Corinthians 4:6For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Colossians 2:2My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,

These scriptures make me want to strive hard to accomplish the next one. (Notice the effort is still present - I desire to do something)

Colossians 3:16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Conclusion: When we understand completely these full riches we begin to see a shift in the way we see ourselves and conversely our actions. There is no longer a disconnect between our outward appearance and our inner motives. God looks at our heart and sees His Son and we are approved. Maybe we should look at heart as well and see His Son and call ourselves approved, and quit looking to our actions to convince us that we are.*

*If you are concerned that the avoidance of judging our own actions will cause us to do sinful things or things that are selfish - please see 1Thessalonians 2:4

CSI: Liberty Mountain

Thursday, we head to Summit Lake to investigate the Cross and discover our new identity. Pray for us as we are away. We hope to build some great, long-lasting friendships and experience an awesome time learning exciting life-changing truth

Not to mention some wild skiing!!!

Most importantly we want to come away from the weekend grounded in our faith at a deep level, knowing who we were and now who we are in Christ!

Pray for my family, seems like things are especially difficult now. We need God to intervene in many areas.

BrainScratch

If you go to a hotel and totally love it, and desire to recommend it to a friend, would you recommend it without reservation?

And if so, would not that set them up for a potential problem?

Guess-a-Google

http://grant.robinson.name/projects/guess-the-google/

If nothing else, it's creative.

An Actual Blog

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god_article.php?id=7050

I love the contrast that this article suggests.

Excerpt-

"For one thing, you don’t have to unlearn all the clutter that comes with formal religion. Many of us are trying to wipe the slate clean of all the stuff that came from well meaning, but misguided Sunday-school teachers."

Blogworthy

Ate an apple today. That makes 5 whole (minus core) in 30 years.

God The Farmer

I have been taking a few days to think about all that God showed me last week while I was at Passion 06. I can’t get over the fact that God really is doing something. I have always heard (and known) that God was in fact doing something, but the idea always seemed allusive at best. How many times has every American Christian heard a preacher say, “God is up to something big?” I mean I think I have heard that no less than 2000 times in my life, but for the first time I think I understand more clearly what He is indeed doing. God is growing a monument. He is building a people, a living monument of believers, which live for Him through the suffering of the Son.

It was pointed out to me this past week, something that I had read before, but had never seen.

John 15:1 "I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer.

Most of us have heard this before, however, notice that it doesn’t say like a farmer. It says is a farmer. This is crucial to the imagery found throughout the whole Scriptures. It is no surprise that man starts in the garden of Eden. Don’t forget the children were led into the desert and eventually into the Promised Land, flowing with milk and honey. And don’t forget Jesus going to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane.

God is a farmer and he is planting each and every one of us to bear much fruit. He is continuously pruning and shaping us into the image of His Son.

God really is moving, and many more people believe everyday.
May God grant us the faith to live in the reality of His Kingdom, and may that faith compel us to listen to the Father and obey.