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What’s goin on?

December 6, 2011 in culture, personal, student ministry with 0 Comments

what’s goin on?….lots for sure.  this video from a young man named jonah has been blowing up the interwebs. one of my students posted it on her facebook page on sunday and i think it had like 800,000 hits. Today its ready to turn over 6 million. Jonah is one strong young man. and according to his update on youtube…he is totally blown away by the outpouring of support that has been shown. one of the things i’ve noticed from the responses posted back on youtube, many of them from students…they like jonah have posted their first vlogs on youtube. its actually remarkable too that Jonah’s video was his first. he truly struck a positive cord.


i’ve been part of many hours of helping students better understand this whole thing of bullying. i remember on session at the end of the last school year with some middle school students and as the presenter walked through building an awareness of those who struggle with their place in life i was truly reminded that at the core of most of these bullying acts is the reality that it comes down to being unfamiliar with each other…and out of the unfamiliarity comes a sense of fear for some that results in bullying. the resolution to the issue of bullying is somewhat easy, but takes effort and courage. a courage very similar to young Jonah…a willingness to tell our stories…to build friendships and begin to better communicate with each other. there is such hunger for a person’s life to matter and sitting on the reality of two recent suicides of teens in our community it only paints the picture with more starkness. so thanks, jonah. grateful for your facing your fears and offering literally your scars to offer release and break through for so many…a reminder that our stories matter.

on our way…day 1

September 23, 2011 in adventure, family, personal, thoughts with 2 Comments

i love the folks that call new hope church home.  so many amazing hearts willing to engage in so many good things.  i mentioned on this past sunday during the service that many good things had come about in the prep for my participation in the Present:Hope Tour…training, fundraising, getting my own bike and even the trip home from the end of it all at Catalyst in Atlanta.  One small piece was missing…getting to springfield, mo to leave (small point).  and then immediately after the first service, Jim Gribble came up and said…”the stories you shared convinced me that I should be your ride to Springfield”.  So fast forward to yesterday morning and at 5:59am est Jim knocks at our side door and we load up and off we go.  here’s some video of our 12.5 hr drive west.

Once we got here we were able to meet up with another new hoper, Todd Morris (the world is really a small place)  for an incredible meal together.  Todd currently is a sales representative for a welding wire company and MO is part of his territory.  Lots of great stories and it was fun to settle into the beginning of this adventure to leverage awareness for the rebuilding of Joplin and Tuscaloosa with folks from home.

I’m not sure how much posting i’ll get to do…i hope daily to journal our exploits, but a couple things you can be praying for beyond the Present:Hope Tour itself…as we got in last night, Jim got a phone call from his bride Jeannie saying that his brother had been admitted to the hospital for chest pains.  Jim left early this morning for the 12.5 hr return trip and is concerned.  I talk to my bride (of 32 years!) melinda and she and our emmah are home sick this morning.

had a short conversation with a mother and her son, here at the hotel from the UK after breakfast, the son is considering attending a local university…but in the conversation she mentioned…”life is really about the journey,  is it not?” yep…heard that before.

i’m headed off here in about an hour to connect with the rest of the team.  several are en route via airplanes and will be on the ground after lunch…then we start training.  grateful for your following and investing more later.

 

 

choices & goals

September 16, 2011 in adventure, personal, thoughts, travel with 2 Comments

choices

got to be honest…there’s been a lot of strange emotions setting into my journey the past couple of days.

  • the adventure begins the 32nd anniversary of the most amazing journey i’ve taken yet: marraige to my Rose- Melinda.
  • the realization that i’m going to be away from my home and family longer than anytime ever before
  • humbled by the generosity of people who i don’t even know
  • doubly blessed by those i know who have invested in this adventure
  • wondering whether i’d reach the threshold goal of $5,000 for this trip.  (which was just confirmed about 5pm Fri/9/16 – God is good!)
  • realizing the weight of one’s life.  yesterday at a hillsdale middle school i listened along with 300 middle-schoolers and teachers to Rachel’s Challenge (named in the memory of rachel scott, the first student to loose her life at columbine).  It was an amazing 45 minute multimedia presentation on all that turned from that horrific day at columbine high school.  to watch the archived video news reports in the presentation in front of an audience of students who weren’t yet born…there was an odd sense of emotion that well over me.

the picture above is from last nite’s training ride.  didn’t see it til i played the video back.  was struck by the reality of coming to a point and having to decide: to turn right or left.  how so many times if life we are lead to opportunities.  either turn leads in a different direction.  like this intersection either turn will utitmately return me to the safety of our home, both with some effort,  but you have to choose.  So with the an unsettled Samwise-leaving-the-comfort-of-the-Shire sort of sense, i’ve chosen this current adventure with the goal of leveraging my small part in a larger story.  several unknowns remain yet before the Present: Hope Tour begins in less than 7 days.   Providence has shown up in so many ways.  Glad you’re along for the ride…stay tuned.

a great nite for a bike ride: update

September 14, 2011 in adventure, personal, thoughts, travel with 0 Comments

shot a short vlog during my ride tonite in prep for the Present:Hope Tour …it was an amazing nite to be out.  With the gifts i received today in the mail and a text from the Bert McQueen at the Rotary Club of Loudonville,  i’m at 72% of my goal of $5,000. the last push is now through Wednesday nite…if you want to share in the journey click on the blue button in the left margin..  Also had two great conversations with both presidents of the Rotary Clubs in Joplin and Tuscaloosa, looking forward to meeting up with them on this adventure.  blessings!

why i’m riding…766 miles in 10 days

September 8, 2011 in adventure, personal, thoughts with 0 Comments

The Present: Hope Tour has a new participant…Pastor Aaron Brown. He is senior pastor at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Joplin.  In the video below he talks about that fateful day on May 22nd.   How this force of nature traveled on the ground for 7 miles…traveling, almost in slow motion at 10 mph, destroying everything in its path…134 deaths, 8,000 homes destroyed, 17,000 people displaced…watch this video…and better understand. if you feel inclined…I pray even compelled please become a stakeholder and join us in this effort here…YOUR investment matters.

here is the video from Aaron’s message at the memorial service just days after the destruction…amazing words from his heart and story…and testimony to Jesus.

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