Work

“All hard work bring a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:23

Last fall the opportunity presented itself to hang out with some of the wise folks at the home office of Chik fil A. Our entire leadership team was able to hang out for the day and glean a ton of great information. One of the pieces that isn’t necessarily original to them that has stuck with me was this basic process:

Simple formula or model of development process:

Read – 10%  Gather new concepts, new content, new thoughts.  Audio, seminars, reading.  This is necessary precursor to set up the discussion and actions for growth. 

Talk – 20%  Engage in conversations with others about it.  TWICE as powerful!  Mentors, peer partners, friends you process life with.  Managing time, dealing with conflict, etc.  Who can we connect them with? 

Do – 70%  Practical areas to try this out, projects to put this to use.  APPLYING is growth through practice.  Set it up, debrief it – spine of it is practicing it.  Faith without works is dead!  Help team to live it out.  Let students go on trips and EXPERIENCE it!

The application is pretty simple. We all love to talk. We meet to meet. We have meetings to discuss previous meetings. But sometimes we have to get stuff done. Proverbs even guarantees that hard work always brings results. Even if they aren’t the results you were shooting for you are better off than just talking. Talking has it’s place, we need to be wise and seek the counsel of others. But we also have to try it. Our parents taught us that. We teach that to our kids. So what have you been talking and talking and talking about that you need to shut up and acoomplish?

Good

I think its time we redeem the word good.

I'm reminded daily has we've turned good into a dirty word, almost a failure.We create scales where satisfactory, good, passing seem weak. It's become the bare minimum but not something that we are ever satisfied by. The reality is whether its school work or whatever it really is that simple. It's pass or fail. Sure I can graduate as valedictorian or with a 2.0, but both graduate. And seriously, when's the last time someone asked you what your GPA was?

I still hate the statement "C's get degrees" but it is true.

My guess is this is a mankind issue.

Rather than keep things simple we've complicated the issue and done so in an effort to compete with one another. Good, better, best gets us out of bed in the morning. If we are all the same, where's the competition in that? So we scale everything from grades to event evaluations to our surveys on our favorite restaurant. Progress reports, job evaluations, mid-terms, personality reviews--all of it--we scale it to compare and contrast.

But God's scale seems to be different. It seems to be quite a bit simpler. His seems to break down to good and bad.

And what I'm coming to realize is using a scale different than God's causes me to compare myself with others rather than with Him.

If you dig through scripture it's almost shocking how often and where good shows up.
Think about creation. Every day the creator of the universe would step back from a day creating things like universes, animals, geography and things we've still yet to discover and said what about it? "It was good".

The Psalmist would pen beautifully profound and intimate words about his connection with the Father and would say things like. "You are good, and what you do is good."(Ps. 119) We are even encouraged to "taste and see that the Lord is good."

Then Jesus shows up and they physical manifestation of divinity and says what about himself? "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (Jn. 10:11)

Or think about the Gospel. It's other name? The good news.

Peter declares this truth while talking with Cornelius giving us this clear picture of the ministry of Jesus in Acts 10:38 when he says, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him."

And somewhere in the back of our mind we sometimes return to the truth that, "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him." (Rom. 8:28)

And when it is all said and done, aren't we all longing to stand in judgement and hear declared over us, "Well done, good and faithful servant."?

And so God's scale seems to be different. It seems to be quite a bit simpler. His seems to break down to good and bad.

And what I'm coming to realize is using a scale different from God's causes me to listen to the opinions of others about me rather than His.

So Jesus' call to us is pretty clear.
"Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit." (Matt. 7:17)
"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him." (Matt. 12:35)

So what do I do about this? What am I to do about this word good? What led me on this path, what caused me to be convicted on my misuse of good has to do with my actions.

I have grown up embracing the truth of Ephesians 2, that I am saved by grace and not by works, at the expense of seeing just how important my own actions are and the truth of James 2. My actions demonstrate that grace is enough. My demonstration of good works demonstrates his good work in my life to a watching world.

Take this one step further and realize that all of this isn't really about me either. It's about him. Jesus was clear about that in Matthew 5.

But our good works are how we partner with the mission of God. Whatever we do is a chance to advance and declare the now and not yet kingdom.

Take a few minutes and journey through these familiar passages with me:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. – Matthew 5:16

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.                    – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.                   – Hebrews 13:16

Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. – Titus 2:14

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.                     – Galatians 6:9

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work… – Titus 3:1

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. – Psalm 37:3-4

I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live...   – Ecclesiastes 3:12

 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works… – Hebrews 10:24

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. – James 2:8

As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. – 2 Thessalonians 3:13

Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. – 1 Peter 3:13-17

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, ¹⁹ thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.                           – 1 Timothy 6:17-19

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

-2 Corinthians 9:8

Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. – Isaiah 1:17

Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. – Psalm 37:27-29

The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. – Titus 3:8

Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. – Psalm 37:27

So here's to redeeming good. Here's to keeping things simple. And here's to good works. Here's to seeing that everyday daily decisions are our way to declare what He has done. And here's to realizing it's not about adjectives to compare our actions with others but rather about actions than declare the good news in a blatantly simple and profound way. 

Friends.

A friend had an opportunity this week to talk with young, impressionable college freshman and asked advice on what to share. It got me thinking, if I had the same opportunity, what would I say.

I think this particular group was preparing for ministry so the focus was a bit more specific and they were looking for what to share that would be a nugget of wisdom early on the journey.

What would you say to them?

If I look back at the best moments in my life, the best moments in ministry I find one common denominator.

Friends.

I've had friends all my life. I've even called a few different people "best".

That one thing is to me the make or break factor for life and ministry.

It starts who with you watch walk down the aisle towards you or who you walk down the aisle to. If that ain't right, I'm not sure the other two matter. I speak from the joy and blessing that I am blessed beyond measure on this one. And if you are too you know the truth of this one. It doesn't need any explanation. If you have a true partner in life, life is good.

It continues with those you serve with. Where you serve, what you do, how many people are a part of what you do, that means very, very little if you want to enjoy longevity. It's all about the team you serve with. My deepest friendships are with the people who I've done life with in the trenches in the past and those that I serve with now. Who you serve with means the most.

It concludes with those who speak truth to you that aren't in the first two categories. Those who don't walk the hallways of your work but know you, love you and get to speak into the "rest" of who you are. They might be your sounding board, your confidant or the one who asks you the tough questions. Without these friends, the ones who call your crap, push your comfort zone or hold up the mirror and force you to face what you see, I just don't see how you keep going.

So where does God land in all this? Glad you asked, He's the first and the last. He's the one who's always there and never leaves or forsakes you. Never let's you down and sustains you as only He can. But we weren't meant to walk this life alone in the flesh either. And sure, each of the 3 categories sometimes provides a portion of what the other groups do. Sometimes my wife calls my crap. Okay, often she calls me on my crap. Sometimes my coworkers ask me the tough questions and sometimes my other friends share in the joy of ministry with me.

But without them, I just don't know where I'd be.

So here's to friends. Real friends. Not the ones from fourth grade that I was convinced I'd always know. It's the ones I have served with. Laughed with. Wept with. Share my deepest thoughts and concerns with. Here's to all of us being that for others as well.

Faithful.

I have found that I usually speak or teach on a topic that I feel confident representing. No sense standing in front of people and waxing eloquent over something you have no idea about. Sometimes there's been parts that I don't fully get but for the most part I'd like to think that once I open my mouth, I've spent an appropriate amount of time thinking, reflecting and listening on the topic.

Turns out that wasn't true back in May.

Each summer I get a chance to share a devo with all of the event staff that we hire to serve with our summer programs. It's an opportunity to share my heart and challenge them with some personal and professional development while exploring scripture. To be honest its one of my favorite opportunities I get each year.

This year I posed a somewhat impossible question, one that is certainly open to interpretation but was meant more than anything to set our compass towards true north. If you could only use one word to describe God, what would you pick?

What I told them, what I would still pick, is faithful. Of course you could make any word make sense but for me, if He isn't faithful, it all falls apart. If He isn't faithful, I can't move forward with boldness and confidence. If He isn't faithful, I'm wasting my time. If He isn't faithful it's all an elaborate, over thought bunch of crap.

Faithful. At the end of the day it's what gave Gideon the confidence to go into battle undermanned. It's what gave Isaiah the faith to write words that sounded too good to be true. It's what made Joshua lead people around a city day after day. It's what made Abraham take a walk with his son. It's what well, fill in your own story I'm guessing.

Without boring you with the details it's what gave me the ability this summer to at times simply put one foot in front of the other. It's what humbled me, moved me, compelled me, sustained me and ultimately broke and restored me.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd still give the same devo. In fact I probably wouldn't change any of it. I'd say the same things but I'd better be able to share them from a place of confidence.

I was sharing this with a friend today who spoke the truth to me that now I could offer those words and believe them myself.

Perhaps one of the lessons I needed to learn this summer was that when I spoke those words a few months ago, what I thought I was speaking to provide an anchor for others was me actually casting out words I needed to walk through myself. Words that weren't as grounded for me as I had originally thought. Words I needed to sustain me.

So here's to our own discovery of His faithfulness. And here's to that truth of Him become more real in us. And here's to us resting in those words not just in moments when we are weak but even more so in moments we think we are strong.

Clogged.

I stopped an intruder breaking into our home over the weekend. The good news is it all went down while the kids were gone.

For the past 4 days, we'd been dealing with a clogged toilet. Because I'm stubborn, proud and too lazy to call a plumber, I kept working on it myself. Plunger. Roto Rooter. Hot Water. Some stupid "green" solution using kitchen items. I had tried it all and nothing was working.

I finally broke down and borrowed my dad's plunger, which is better than mine. Yeah, I know, aren't all plungers created equally?

I also borrowed his snake. A disgusting and annoying tool of plumbers everywhere that's a lot like that weird thing they do in medical dramas when they jam the tube down somebody's throat. And let's also establish the truth that I don't like anything with the word snake in it. Except maybe Whitesnake. But other than that snake brings nothing redeeming or encouraging to my mind.

If I'm being honest and I'd like to think I am, snaking a toilet is just about as awful a task as I've had to do as a home owner. It's like playing the disgust-o lottery. You are gambling on what will turn up and the odds of getting a prize you actually want is pretty much slim. What could you possibly find deep in the pipes of your toilet that you want? And yet you hope every time you do it that something does turn up since your toilet is broken.

As a sidelight, if you ever find yourself snaking a toilet make sure its not rusty and sharp like my dads. Otherwise you will end up scraping the inside of your toilet like crazy leaving it unclogged but looking worse than ever. Not that it happened to me mind you. Not saying I'm now researching how to restore the ceramic finish on the inside of my toilet bowl. But I could be.

So off I go "snaking my toilet" or in other words, wasting a perfectly good Sunday night when my kids are gone. And much to my dismay I learn that doing this particular task is something that must require a class or an apprenticeship because I can't seem to make any progress.

I finally begin to succeed when I encounter a stopping point. According to my extensive online research this is good news and may be moment of breakthrough. I find this both encouraging and terrifying.

So off I go, cranking clockwise. It's kind of like fishing except instead of an amazing Salmon or Steelhead out of the Deschutes River in Eastern Oregon I'm trying to pull something out of my toilet. It's like River Monsters meets Dirty Jobs.

And then it happens.

The water changes color a bit. Turns out that's the rust off the snake. But I see something in the shallow, murky, cold water. But in this significant moment of breakthrough I reach right in.

Since I've had time to reflect I realize this was stupid. In this case it worked out but I feel as though any time I would do this for the rest of my life it will not work out as well.

And that's when I found the intruder. Trying to sneak his way into our home and swipe all the things we love. It's a plastic Swiper toy from Dora the Explorer.

And he has this annoying grin on his face.

The next day I asked the kids about our masked toilet clogger. Turns out they were well aware he was in there. For the sake of time I won't record the dialogue that happened after that. Let's just say it involved a number of questions from me met with blank stares and shoulder shrugging from the kids.

Based on my interrogation though it sounds as though Swiper was working alone.

I've since returned my dad's snake and his vastly superior but unnecessary plunger. And it seems as though things are once again working as they should. Now to fix all those scratches.

Sight

After a fun day serving in East New York, our team was walking back to the subway to begin our trek home to Brooklyn. All week there have been interactions with folks on the street that everybody in our group has at one time or another. Sometimes its one of the guys from LMFAO panhandling in the Subway and other times it is friendly folks curious why 27 white folks from the midwest have come to the city. My favorite question by one Manhattan worker turned teacher today was "Did they come here to see what real poverty looks like?"

But as we approached the entrance to the Subway and prepared for 45 minutes underground with our thoughts, the now familiar screech of metal on metal and whoever God crossed our path with, I was stopped by a lady. "What are you guys, some company or organization?" I explained who we were and she shared how good what we were doing was. She happened to be living in the shelter we had served today. A place filled with 40 beds that are always filled by women escaping violent and abusive situations. "I've got some things I need to get right in my life," she said, "but after that I'm gonna do mission service with my life too. That's what God has in store for me." And at that point I thought this had been a cool interaction. "I have an artificial eye." she continued. "I lost it a domestic violence situation but I'm getting better."

I don't believe in any of that teleportation stuff that they do in Star Trek. But I do think there are moments where we are transported to another time and place as stories connect. In that moment it happened to me. Suddenly I wasn't in New York anymore but in a special little town in Cambodia. And it wasn't a woman I'd never met before who was before me but a little girl. And she was blind in both eyes from a different type of physical violence. And once again I wasn't angry as much as I was broken.

There's a lot of places my mind runs at this very moment. I've had a little time to think about this, I've been confronted with a though and scripture from my friend Joel that whacked me in the soul while he was leading a debrief of his students. So why do I share this here? I think because I need help to process and sometimes writing helps me.

Here's what I know: my little boy will respect all women all the time. He will treat them with dignity and he will protect them like he would his own sister. I know why i love my little girl so much and why I care who she meets, where she goes and who she will date some day. I don't own a shotgun, truth is I probably couldn't load one but I am tall, bald and ugly and that has its advantages as well.

But more than all that I'm reminded of why kingdom work matters. Everything we do, no matter who we are has the opportunity to redeem. To reconcile. To reconnect. It has the opportunity to provide hope. And healing. Whether it is preaching a sermon, pulling weeds, giving a kind glance or giving a few dollars to show people that they are worth something. Its why I love my friends here in New York who are giving their lives to help people connect with Jesus. Its why I love these 20 8th grade kids who are using their spring break to learn and serve and grow. And its why I'm praying that they all bring hope to the world in whatever way God's gifted them to do so. Even that one who won't shut up when we turn the lights out to go to sleep at night.

And its why I'm praying one of them falls in love with the particular city and comes back here to live and serve.

And its why I'm praying for my friend I met on the sidewalk to be restored so she can claim beauty out of ashes.

And its why I'm praying for my sister in the faith in Cambodia that she will continue to be transformed into the beautiful flower God has designed her to be in the midst of the dry and dusty soil she was planted in.

Head vs Heart

About a week ago I ran across this question in my quiet time. Its from a great little book my mentor gave me a while back Mystics,Mavericks and Miracle Workers: a 30-day journey with some saints. Here it is:
"In your relationship with God what has carried the most influence: feelings or intellect?"

**necessary paragraph** Obviously both are necessary. God created us as rational beings but also as emotional ones. One without the other is dangerous. We all know people who live too much in one camp or the other.

I've been wrestling through this question because I don't know how I answer this. When I think of significant moments in life, moments when the Spirit really kicks my tail, I'm finding my answer to be yes. Yes, because they influence on another. It's why it stirs so deeply inside me when it happens. And I've not yet figured out how to manipulate that or mass produce those moments. In fact the truth is the only thing I've brought to those breakthrough moments is my attention.

Combine that with the reminder these past couple weeks of just how faithful God is has my head spinning. I've grown up always looking to grow, always looking to change, always looking to become better. And I think I'm called to that to some extent. But I'm also seen as perfect by the one who knows me best. That doesn't make sense on an intellectual or emotional level. I am fully known by Him and that's not something to be ashamed of. In fact its something to embrace.

So here's to remembering again that He doesn't change. He never fails. He is always active. He is always there. And in a world where we value change, innovation, transformation and development, the greatest thing in the whole universe is the same today as He was 4000 years ago and that's a good thing. A good thing. Steady isn't always bad. And steady doesn't mean stagnant, stale or lame. It means if He is already awesome, already more than i can comprehend, already perfect than why change? It means no matter if I connect on a head level or a heart level, its tapping into what will only make sense on the other side of eternity.

Distribution vs Redistribution

Sometimes I write because I am confused. My hope is that by putting some words down things will start to connect. The danger of that is when I do it in a public space, you can see how dumb I am. This might be the case here. But more on that later.

I had the chance to hang out with some incredible people last week in Indianapolis. They are the CCDA and you can learn more about them at www.ccda.org If you haven’t heard of them or their founder John Perkins, you should remedy that problem as soon as you can. They are great thinkers but more than that, they are great practitioners on their thoughts. They aren’t perfect, but they are putting their words into action on a daily basis and that’s never a bad place to live.

In the midst of hanging out with them, one of their core values kept coming up, redistribution.  And that got me to thinking.

At its most basic level I got to wondering, what is the difference between distribution and redistribution?

Ok, besides the fact that one word as re on the front of it.

But that’s not a bad place to start. This prefix as they called it in my English classes is an important little thing. We in the church are very comfortable with the gifts that are ours because of re. Redeemed, restored, reconciled, removed and renewed are all Biblical concepts we’d be hopeless without. But how does that play out with distribution?

So we move to a Webster look at re to learn that it brings with it: 1.  indicating return to a previous condition, restoration, withdrawal, etc: rebuild; renew; retrace; reunite 2.  indicating repetition of an action: recopy; remarry

 

Here’s where I’m at today with all this. When I dig in scripture I don’t find the word redistribution. Not even in the Message. I do find a couple appearances by distribution. (Thanks MSG) Now the fact that I’m about to quote passages not from the NIV might make some of you uncomfortable but follow me for a second.

One is in John 3. "The One that God sent speaks God's words. And don't think he rations out the Spirit in bits and pieces. The Father loves the Son extravagantly. He turned everything over to him so he could give it away—a lavish distribution of gifts. That is why whoever accepts and trusts the Son gets in on everything, life complete and forever! “ (The Message)

Another is Acts 6. “But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.” (New Living Translation)

If I am being honest, I’m confused. Here’s what I’m taking away from this as of right now though: That when it comes to redistribution, it’s not about what I accumulate, but rather how I use what I’ve been given to empower and bless not just myself. When I think like that, it starts to sound like sound stewardship. It starts to sound like the way Jesus gifts us as believers. And that starts to smack against the way I sometimes distribute things based on what I want to give up or based on what I think you deserve. Otherwise I start to sound like a selfish only child. And when I see myself as a distributor, I put myself in a position of power that isn’t mine. And it starts to sound like a bad transactional relationship. I have a shirt; you need a shirt so take it and go away. No relationship, no ongoing partnership, no looking at the other as someone with value and someone who can speak into my weaknesses with their strength. 

So maybe I am trying to create a difference here that shouldn’t exist. But they are two different words thanks to re right?

Here’s what our friends at the CCDA say about redistribution and I like their words much more than mine right now.

“When men and women in the body of Christ are visibly present and living among the poor (relocation), and when people are intentionally loving their neighbor and their neighbor's family the way a person loves him or herself and family (reconciliation), the result is redistribution, or a just distribution of resources.

When God's people with resources (regardless of their race or culture) commit to living in underserved communities seeking to be good neighbors, being examples of what it means to be a follower of Christ, working for justice for the entire community, and utilizing their skills and resources to address the problems of that community alongside their neighbors, then redistribution is being practiced.

Redistribution brings the principles of Justice back to the underserved communities. Justice has left communities of color and lower economic status, leaving an unjust criminal court and prison system, unjust hiring practices, unjust housing development and injustice in the educational institutions. Justice has been available only to people with the economic means to acquire just treatment.

Redistribution brings new skills, new relationships, and new resources and puts them to work to empower the residents of a given community of need to bring about healthy transformation. This is redistribution.”

http://www.ccda.org/learn/philosophy/86-redistribution

So………

Are all mission trips created equal?

It's the weekend between our 2 weeks of CIY Engage the City here in Joplin. I cannot begin to tell you all the amazing things I heard, all the powerful ways God moved and all the unexpected moments that have happened and continue to unfold each day. At some point I hope to share a few of these stories as I know these 2 weeks here this summer are something that will shape who I am for the rest of my life.

My time here has certainly shaped more of my feelings and understandings about service and about the trips we take in youth ministry. There is one glimpse I'd like to share here that might help shed some light for all of us as we think about the trips we take our students on.

I had the opportunity to meet a group here in Joplin last week that was from out of state. I don't know all the details of how they ended up in Joplin but they came with a van load, a desire to serve but little preparation. They happened to be serving at one of the locations where part of our Engage teams were serving as well. As I talked with them I learned that they had found housing at the last minute and had found this one option for serving while here in Joplin. Other than that, there was nothing "built" around their service to help the trip equip them for ways to continue to engage their own community when they got home.

I compare their experience with what we saw last week. I do not say this to toot the CIY horn by any means but hopefully to help us see that we have to be intentional with our trips. Our groups were able to engage God's word in the morning, to serve in a variety of ways during the day but most importantly to hear from the churches here in Joplin each night. Whether it was a person impacted by the tornado, a survivor, a first responder, a variety of kingdom workers or a pastor sharing how their church was helping we learned a ton about what God is doing and what he has taught each of them.

Our groups were also able to take part in a prayer journey through the city, spent a great deal of time journaling and reflecting and even a beautiful prayer wall experience. At the end of the week our groups and theirs both did work. But it was all the other details that made the trip truly memorable and equipped them with Biblical truth and principles that equip them to do kingdom work when they get home. Not only did we engage our hands but also our heads and hearts.

At the end of the day, we take our students on service and mission trips in the hopes that it teaches them things that make a difference every day of their lives. These things do not happen by accident and students (and adults for that matter) need tools to think, to listen and to process. Debrief isn't just everybody telling a funny story at the end of the night. It's the hardest and i think most vital part of the experience as we together sharpen one another and develop tangible steps on how the things we do during the day make an impact on what we will do tomorrow.

So do me a favor, think back on your latest mission trip. Can you clearly articulate things that changed for the better in the lives of your students because of their trip. This isn't just the fun things they saw and ate. This is the people they learned from, the things God showed them and the changes that happened internally and externally because they gave their time and their full energy to become stronger disciples of Jesus.

Anybody can take a trip but not every trip is really worth the investment of dollars and peoples lives. It's why I love our teams at CIY. Trust me, we have plenty of things to learn but I'm grateful for the men and women who are dedicating their lives to worrying about the details and being intentional about all the things that create environments for God's call on a students life can be clearly heard.  There are things youth pastors can do that we at CIY cannot. But the reverse is also true and I hope that you will consider serving with us in the future so that together we can continue to train kingdom workers who are going to do things for God that will truly change our world.

Joplin

It's been over a month since the tornado.

By now you've seen the pictures and you've heard the stats. And if you have been here you have said the same thing as everyone else, "Pictures don't tell the whole story." Each time I hear that I realize that's the same feeling those of us who live here have.

Instead of being on the road with Know Sweat this summer, I've had the chance to prepare a couple of weeks that CIY will host here called Engage the City:JLN I don't know if I can adequately explain my feelings and emotions throughout this process. Remember, this is coming from a person who's home was not damaged, who had no family harmed and didn't have their place of employment impacted either.

But as we sit just a few days from welcoming groups from as far away as Washington and New York, here are a few things I've heard or noticed.

1. Most people I interact with don't have 417 area codes on their phones.
As we put together a plan of where groups will serve, where they will eat, who they will learn from while they are here and who the go to people are, many of them have phone numbers that aren't local. It is incredible the people who have come or in some cases come back to serve. Whether its a church loaning key staff people to come and share expertise or retired teachers returning to the town they love, there are dozens of people in key roles who are real kingdom workers. They have spent days and weeks away from "life as normal" to offer vital support and infrastructure to a rebuilding effort that is going to take years.

2. Everybody wants to work, many don't want to serve
I spoke with a church yesterday so has a unique set of needs. In their words, everybody wants to do debris and construction work inside the footprint of the tornado and when they are asked to do other things they at best complain and at worst say no. Now, this isn't true for everyone but follow me for a second. For most of us we think of disaster relief as something that applies to all work done following a natural disaster. However relief last days not weeks and month. Rebuilding has more sides to it that I've yet to wrap my head around.
This church yesterday said what they need is people to serve in less glorious and behind the scenes ways. Maybe it is sorting clothes in a warehouse, maybe it is keeping that warehouse clean. Maybe it is cleaning porta potties. As they said, "For someone who is living in a tent, trying to rebuild their lives and sometimes have to go pee in the woods, a clean porta potty is a luxury. That was a perspective I hadn't thought of.

3. Multi-purpose buildings really do have multi purposes
There are countless churches in our area who are functioning as distribution centers and volunteer coordination hubs while continuing to be church buildings. This goes way beyond the tents of bottled water and clothes they are still sorting and distributing. Whether it is meeting places, shower houses, temporary lodging or sites where the temporary AT&T office can be located, they are community centers in ways never before imagined.

4.  There are 2 ways to tell every story
It is true, in a fair estimate, 25% of our city was destroyed in less than an hour. It's hard to fathom just what that means. But it is also true that 75% of our town was not physically damaged by the tornado. There is untold strength and resources available and those continue to rise to the forefront as more organizations and groups pack their bags and head home or to the next site. Joplin has enormous needs but also incredible assets.

5. Our prayers have changed
Everybody tells me this. People are learning to ask for help. People are learning what's really irreplaceable. Even my kids. Brynn, our 4 year old discipleship pastor who always prays for our family at dinner has even changed her prayers. The usual things are still there, "Thanks for the food, thanks for family" etc have been joined with another prayer that comes out of her mouth differently every time but always has a common denominator "Help Joplin". What she thinks and prays about at 4 years old has changed for a long, long time. Both our kids are aware of a reality in life that smacks against the latest development on Yo Gabba Gabba or who Dora will use her map to get through the forest.

So please, don't forget Joplin. Find ways to serve it. Find ways to encourage the incredible pastors in our town. Find ways to encourage those doing kingdom work. And listen, listen for truth and understanding that you can take from those here that can impact who you are and how you engage the community you live in.

BEST DAY EVER!!!!

I shared with the event staff here this week a lesson I am learning from my kids.

It seems that in our house, when the kids are having a great day, each of those days gets the same title, BEST DAY EVER!!!!and is usually accompanied by cheering and pounding of fists on a table, chair or any object close.

BEST DAY EVER!!!! status or BDE as we shall now refer to it can come about from any number of circumstances. Most of them consist of ice cream, baseball, Wii, movies, or food of any kind eaten not at home. A combination of more than one of these can result in multiple BDE exaltation's in one day.

What caught my attention however was the frequency with which these announcements were being made. As a seasoned (read old) adult, BDE announcement are few and far between. They are reserved for important life milestones like marriage, birth of children, tax refunds and well, baseball games or certain food items.

But upon further investigation, I realized my kids were teaching me a profound truth. Every day really has the potential to be a BDE, I just don't live that way. I can tell you right now the days I would forecast would be a BDE but those days rarely just show up. For my kids though, each day is ripe with the promise of becoming the latest BDE.

I think they have tapped into something deeper though. The thing that makes today good, bearable, worth getting out of bed for or dare I say hopeful is something that was solved thousands of years ago on a cross. Since that is figured out, today really is the BDE. If that isn't solved, no amount of ice cream, baseball games, family movie nights complete with popcorn AND candy could make it good. Just think about it. If things are not well with my soul, what I do and what happens means jack nothing.

So here's to my kids for teaching me. And here's to us living each day like it is a BDE because it is. Even if junk happens. Even if we don't get our way. Even if we don't enjoy some of the moments in that day, it's still awesome.

Why I'm Not Talking Smack to Ohio State Fans

Over the weekend I happened to notice in a couple media sources that Ohio State's football coach had reigned. By now we all know why and saw this moment coming over the past few weeks. He joins a (unfortunately) growing line of "cheaters" or people aware of serious infractions of NCAA rules. However as much as I don't root for Ohio State, I'm not very happy about this.

One report I saw showed the 5 or 6 coaches who have made the most BCS appearances. I don't remember the exact list and I'm too lazy to Google it but the names I remember were Jim Tressel, Bobby Bowden, Bob Stoops, Pete Carroll and Frank Beamer. Each of these coaches has been wildly successful and if my memory serves me well, has all been accused of some level of NCAA violations and rule bending. Here's what I'm getting at, the old adage "If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying" no longer covers the problems. Winning is now everything and winning at all costs drives men to poor decisions too often. Do I think the coaches on that list are crooks. Uh, do I have to answer that? Actually though, no I don't. There are a couple I wouldn't let my son play for but there are some that I think are great leaders and for the most part run great programs. And for some of them the issues aren't things they initiated. Sometimes great leaders still have poor decision makers around them.

Here's why all this bothers me though, because my 8 year old son is learning more about sports than I'd like from all this. Our beloved Oregon Ducks played for the National Title last year (against a team that has had at least one question raised about them) and I don't believe for a second we didn't find some way to "interpret the system" to make it that far. Sure our uniforms are amazing. Sure Oregon is the finest State in America. But kids don't show up in Eugene because Autzen Stadium is the best ever and they care more about the offensive system than the campuses proximity to the beach. Heck, we already got busted for overpaying a "recruiter" in Texas in the off season.

So one reason I'm throwing no rocks at OSU fans right now is because they'd be lobbing them back at me once we find out it's not just Chip Kelly's amazing offense that landed us in the title game.

What I wrestle with though is what to teach Carter. Don't get me wrong, I know what to teach him. What I mean is how do I handle it once we fall from grace? What deeper lessons is he learning about cheating and competition? I don't think the response is block all 45 ESPN channels we have. I don't think it's to deny it or mock those that fall. But am I the only one that is bothered that the old adage "cheaters never prosper" isn't entirely true anymore. Sure, coaches give up National Titles or lose their jobs but you can't tell me their bank accounts are hurting. Sure, they lose face for a time period but its funny how eventually most of them end up coaching again or become a talking head the next season for ESPN.

So I have no solution for this. Yet. But I know that even though he's 8 I'd be a fool to not start a simple conversation with him about all this. Why? Because he has already put together that since that Bautista character in Toronto is hitting so many home runs "He must be on steroids like Sosa and McGwire." That by the way was his direct quote. Maybe my kid is just a bit crazy about sports (I blame his mom) but he's already drawing some conclusions I'm not comfortable with.

And by the way, I was joking about his mom. Just want to make sure we are clear on that.

Will Know Sweat Run Weeks in Joplin This Summer

It has been a few days since the tornado and even as we wait for more storms to potentially arrive tonight, it is still hard to wrap my mind around the destruction. It's hard to know how hard places all over have been hit and even as I write this there are new tornado's hitting our neighboring state of Oklahoma. Overall, it's been moving to see the response to help and I'm impressed with how quickly things have mobilized.

I've also heard from dozens of great friends who want to know how to help. At the risk of sounding like one more person adding to the twitter feeds, let me share my perspective and answer questions about if Know Sweat will run weeks here this summer.

The reality is, there is work that will need to be done in Joplin for months and months. We certainly will need people to come and help, especially once the initial rush of workers comes. Right now, there is lots that could be done but little that can be done. As they lock down neighborhoods and continue to look at what damage has been done there is not a lot of hands on work that can be accomplished.

We are blessed with some amazing local churches who are working together to mobilize groups. There is a lot of conversations happening about opening doors to groups this summer etc. There are good people wrestling through how to do this in a way that not only helps those from out of town serve but also allows them to do work that actually matters and can really be a blessing.

Right now the best resources coming in are the truckloads of supplies being delivered that allow people to have food, water, clothing and supplies that they need. Those with the financial abilities to give are also blessing the churches and ministries here with finances that will continue to provide the needed resources in the future.

As I have looked around the last couple days I am moved at all the cities I am seeing that have sent workers and it is incredible to realize that each of those vehicles represents men and women giving up vacation days to come to the city to serve. What I have witnessed is that they are able to stay busy and work randomly at different locations when they are able to navigate through the security roadblocks.

So you didn't ask but here's what I would suggest to you. Send supplies and money as you can. In regards to sending workers can you wait a few weeks? Can you know that you will send a group but can you give the emergency workers time to sort through the wreckage and decipher what big plan will be put in motion. Once that plan is in place, trust me, there will be plenty of opportunities to come to Joplin and serve. I'm confident there will be opportunities to serve even next summer.  But right now send supplies as you can. Pray all the time and continue to think about those that have lost so much. It's hard to imagine but basic communication is difficult. Cell phones are spotty, email is down for much of the city so give the men and women the time they need to build a plan and once that is in place, let's talk about mobilizing teams.

3 Things You Need to Know More About: Birds, Solidarity and Swimming

One of the best parts of working with Know Sweat is that we daily have the chance to run into incredible people. Some are ministries we partner with, some are students and leaders who attend our events and some are just incredible people doing faithful kingdom work. In this post I want to highlight 3 of these partners in ministry that I get excited by every time I talk with, partner with or think about them.

1. Birds of Hope
If you haven't met this ministry yet, you need to. This is two incredible young ladies to came to our event in Kissimmee last summer. They were moved to do something about the water crisis Zambia and decided that the one skill (I venture to say they've got quite a few) was sewing. So they began crafting these little birds that they sell for $5 each. That all started back in July. As of today, they have reached almost $15,000 in money raised! Yeah, I know it is incredible. They have some huge opportunities in front of them but each time I tell their story I am reminded of just how much God can do with what might seem like a simple skill. Their partnership with ActiveWater is amazing and I cannot wait to see where this goes.
So check them out on facebook.Better yet, buy some birds.  www.facebook.com/birdsofhope

2. Solidarity
This summer we launch our new Know Sweat week in Fullerton, CA. This week promises to be pretty incredible and one partnership we will begin is with a ministry called Solidarity. I can't begin to explain just how unique and exciting their work is. I'm inspired by their vision, encouraged by their wisdom and blown away at their honest and sincere ministry they do each day. I don't even know all they are a part of but I'm honored that KS has the chance to be taught and guided by what they are doing. You can check them out on facebook and the web as well. I recommend their new promo video which is very solid.
On facebook search : Solidarity Live Christ
Or on the web: www.solidarityrising.org

3. Swim to Chicago
This one is a bit more indirect than the other two. Last year all of CIY partnered with Active:Water to raise awareness for the water crisis in Zambia. If you haven't seen Zambia's Song yet, the documentary CIY created, shame on you. Go find it. But as Active:Water continues to raise awareness, their leader Daren Wendell has taken on a new challenge. Walking across the U.S. was one thing he has already conquered. Now, it is to swim across Lake Michigan non-stop all the way to Chicago.How far is that? 40 miles. Non-stop. Daren is training non-stop and is looking for investors, partners and people to spread the word. I suggest you check him out on facebook too.
www.facebook.com/swimtochicago
Or here:
http://www.active.com/donate/activewaterupick/SwimToChicago
www.activewater.com

My response to the National Championship

First I want to say congrats to my beloved Oregon Ducks men's basketball team that ran the gauntlet known as the CBI Tournament presented by Zebra Pen. The list of daunting foes is impressive: Weber State, Duquesne, Boise State (Take that smurf turfers) and Creighton in a best of three showdown.

I hope you sense the wide brush with which I am applying my sarcasm to this.

In the "Fact that don't mean crap" realm, VCU did parlay their CBI Tourny championship into a Final Four appearance in the real tournament this year. I do not expect that for Oregon. Not unless we start paying for recruits in basketball as much as we do in football.

But oh, you logged in to see my response to the National Championship. Here's what I think.

1. I only watched the last 8 minutes so to me it seemed like an okay game.From what I hear, I didn't miss much.
2. For those of us who moan about a playoff for football, maybe we know not what we ask for.
3. Congrats to both teams for making it. You beat every opponent put before you. If people don't like that, maybe their favorite team should pay for better recruits too.

4. I am sad to see both teams struggled so much. It happens. Was it a lame culmination? Sure, how dare these 19-21 year olds not deliver as good a product as the SCRIPTED AND FIXED NBA does each playoff season. Nonetheless, they deserved to be there. No poll gave them that game and no man made computer generated completely arbitrary and biased towards big conferences system made us have this game.And what did you expect, another epic showdown ending with a "what could have been" half-court three point miss?
5. For most of us, we are just upset our team wasn't there and our bracket had more red marks than our last math test.
6. I'd still rather have had that tournament than what the Bowls give us each season or any other scenario we might come up with.
7. And finally, I hope this shows the NCAA that a 128 team tournament is a horrible idea.

So here's to 100 more years of Zebra Pen's and the CBI Tournament!

Learning from my mistakes #3: Standing Up For Myself

I absolutely love the street we live on. Well, except for that huge section where the blacktop got torn up so its not just gravel and makes a huge mess. But besides that I'm a big fan.

One of the best parts is all the kids. There is rarely a day where our doorbell doesn't ring and somebody is down wanting to play with our kids. I love the interaction he has with them and the little ways they set up kickball games or recreate Bulls and Celtics basketball games.

Occasionally, okay just about every time, somebody ends up getting mad at somebody else and they quit playing. At least for as long as 8 to 11 year old boys can stay mad. Then they realize being in the house with mom and dad is lame and strike a new peace accord.

Last week Ang and I were talking with Carter because he's learning the lifelong lesson called "Being a Leader, Being a Follower". Since he's the youngest, he does more of the latter and less of the former and we'd like. Sometimes this means our toys get broken, sometimes this means they say mean things to each other or Brynn and sometimes it is just kids being kids. My personal favorite is how those kids run like our family has the plague as soon as we say "Time to clean up the toys."

So in the midst of this impromptu John Maxwell leadership lesson at our dining room table, we encouraged Carter to stand up to his friends. Through tears he said "But if I tell them to stop, they might get mad and leave."

Now, being all knowing, we realize this is not true. As mentioned before, being at home with mom and dad is lame. But I get where the manchild was coming from. Sometimes speaking our mind or setting boundaries is tough and sometimes, those friends don't come back.

Which makes you wonder how good of a friend they were.

Could it be that part of friendship is being able to set and respect boundaries with each other? As a person who for far too long hated confrontation and was a people-pleaser too often I too sat knowing I should speak up but was more content with the discontent of the moment than I was with saying what needed to be said.

It's a good thing I've figured this all out now isn't it? I assume the same is true for you.