A Thing Happened at Work Today

So today as I entered the building a strange feeling was the air. I didn't exactly know what it was, but it felt ominous. Certain people had a strange knowing looks in their eyes and others just looked like they hated their jobs or had a very rough weekend. I shrugged it off and got on the elevator. When I got off on my floor and entered my team's area, there were three coworkers huddled in a conspiratorial fashion. At first I thought they were talking about the weekend football playoff games and the way they had worked out, but I was wrong. They didn't look like they were enjoying the conversation. I walked over to a guy who sits near me and casually asked him what was going on. He casually replied that one of the managers in our area had been laid off, or so he had heard.

At this point my area erupted into disarray. There was wild speculation and at lot of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) running rampant. Then we got an email invitation to a meeting for everyone at 10:30. A couple ladies in my area started to immediately pack up their personal belongings because they believed that they would be able to just grab them and go home after this "termination" meeting. My manager came in and very emotionally asked them to stop speculating about what was going on, they would find out soon enough. There was complaining and a little argument.

I have to say that I was very calm. People get so caught up in their emotions. I understand that people have mortgages and car payments and debt payments and need to eat, but I usually err on the side of not worrying about a situation. It may have something with what Jesus said in Mathew 6: 27-33

27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the
field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in
all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the
grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire,
will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry,
saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
32For the pagans run after all these things and your heavenly Father knows that
you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well.

There are things in this world you can not control. I'm grateful for those things because they make me depend on Christ more. If I could control everything what need would I have for a Savior? I'm not saying that I never worry, but I worry much less than those with no hope.

So we had our meeting at 10:30, and we were told that 15 people got 60 day termination notices and that the rest of us will be phased out over the next 18 months. I suspect that I have around a year left. Lots of time to still have a job, but also lots of time to rely on Christ and to truly discern what he wants for me. I can't wait to see what opportunities He has for me. Yes, I have a mortgage and a car payment, and credit cards and I have to eat (I could actually do this less), but overall I must trust in Romans 8:28

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,[a] who[b] have been called according to his purpose.

I just need to understand and trust in His purpose. So I am employed for now, and grateful for it. But I may not be employed tomorrow. I need to prepare for this, but not worry. I need to make the necessary decisions to make sure I meet my responsibilities, but I need not fret. It will work out to His purpose for my life. Amen amen.

Sabbatical (A return to blogging)

So it is obvious that my posting has slowed considerably, and then when I did post they were either video clips or little things. I know that this is a horrible thing for bloggers. I must admit that I have been a bit overwhelmed with life the last several months. Some of you may be thinking that a single man with no kids should not be so overwhelmed with life. I disagree from the observations of my own life. I over commit. I work a full time Monday thru Friday job, on top

of that I was spending on average 4 nights a week participating in something at church. I also began kickboxing at the beginning of October. My home life consisted of me leaving my home in the morning and then stopping in to change clothes or grab this or that. My condo became for of a convenience store stop for me that my home. I was getting burned out.

 

This became apparent to me around early November. I began to speak to some people whose counsel I trusted about these feelings. Through that counsel and my own thoughts I decided to take a sabbatical from everything. I would take a break from youth work, choir, etc.. I can't tell you the last time I read a good book on theology or even my Bible consistently. I think that I can be held up as the poster child for doing ministry work, without personal growth. So beginning in January I am free. I still attend Sunday morning worship and sing on the worship team when needed, but that is a one morning a week commitment. The rest of the time I am focusing on some things that I have let slip. I am taking two classes this semester to accelerate finishing this degree hanging over my head. I am also looking to dramatically increase my working out and health goals.

 

I have also decided that I want to write more. I have long had a dream of being a writer of some sort. This means that I need to actually write something. Part of my dearth of blogging is because I want to put well thought out posts up, not just quick quips here and there. You will see more of that going forward. I know that most of this post is driving you English scholars crazy, but I think that writing well is like building a muscle. We'll see if I improve.

 

So there you have it. I'm going to be blogging more, and here is a list of things that I plan on talking about in the months ahead.

 

1. I want to decide how I feel about infant baptism. It has long been a topic of conversation between me and a couple of my more theologically interested friends. Some are for it, and some are not. I have always said I don't have to make up my mind since I have no kids, but......I just need to explore this issue and decide.

 

2. Issues of the modern church and how we "do" church. There is a lot of discussion going on about the emerging vs. emergent vs. traditional churches. I've posted some videos in the past with very little comment, but I want to actually discuss some of these ideas.

 

3. My goals with my weight loss. My successes and my failures. I have a friend who feels that journaling some of this stuff was vital to her journey. She blogs about it and suggested I try the same. It will be personal and I will need to become more public about some of this, but I think that it can be worth it in the long run. I really feel that there are certain things in my life that I either can't deal with or God is waiting to give me until I deal with this issue. More late...

 

4. Interesting stories and other odd posts that I think I may have a good angle on.

 

So I hope I can recapture your readership if I have let you done over the last 6 months, and if your new to my blog, then say hi.

 

RAV

From My Friend Aaron

Had to share this one.

The local news station was interviewing an 80-year-old lady because she had just gotten married -- for the fourth time. The interviewer asked her questions about her life, about what it felt like to be marrying again at 80, and then about her new husband's occupation. 'He's a funeral director,' she answered. 'Interesting,' the newsman thought.

He then asked her if she wouldn't mind telling him a little about her first three husbands and what they did for a living. She paused for a few moments, needing time to reflect on all those years. After a short time, a smile came to her face and she answered proudly, explaining that she'd first married a banker when she was in her early 20's, then a circus ringmaster when in her 40's, later on a preacher when in her 60's, and now in her 80's, a funeral director.

The interviewer looked at her, quite astonished, and asked why she had married four men with such diverse careers. She smiled and explained, 'I married one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go.'

Christmas Music

Here is a video that was forwarded to me by Tracy Wallace (our choir director). Its funny because there are several people that I am reminded of throughout the song. Check it out.






Here a little non Christmas music just to show how good these guys are.

Where The Rubber Meets the Road

Here is a great video that Pastor Dan made recently. Love it.

I Just Couldn't Resist

When presented with this opportunity I just couldn't resist.

Support for a Friend

I have a friend named Debra Gordon. She recently moved to Nashville to be involved with the music community down there. Those of you on facebook have seen the below video, but I thought I would show it to those of you who aren't. Hollar back and let me know what you think. I'm sure she would appreciate your support.



Deb's Description of the video:
"The first song I co-wrote with Steve Oliver when I got to Nashville, TN. This song is about getting over the loss of a loved one (more)"

Hey, They Had A Baby!!!

Another couple I adore had their second baby! The little one is home and I think I get to see her tonight. Anyway, I was just sent this secret footage from the hospitals surveillance cameras (that’s why its in black and white). They sure look excited about the new baby. Ellen even looks GREAT after giving birth. She is such a trooper....and Ian....Who knew he was that talented???

Ian and Ellen Celebration

A Tribute To Some Couples I Love

I love these guys. The fact that I was able to catch them doing these things with a video camera is just luck. I had no idea they were sooooo talented.

Here's To Dan and Kelly Mac


Here's To Michael and Kate

Five Minutes To Kill

I am constantly facinated with the things that people discover they have a skill at. I am also shocked sometimes at the levels in which they develop that skill. Watch this video if you have a spare five minutes. This kid must have spent countless hours developing this skill. Some of the things he does are unbelieveable, especially towards the end. Do any of you have a strange skill out there?

Nothing But The Blood

I am preparing to lead worship this week at my church. Its always hard to put together a worship order. I have so many songs to choose from, and I want to craft a service that will lead the congregation to worhsip in spirit and truth. I want it to please the Lord. While listening to another song with the same name as the below posted song, I remembered this one. Its old and I googled it. Just read and reflect.

Nothing But the Blood
Words and music by Robert Lowry.
Public Domain.


What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

chorus:
O! Precious is the flow,
That makes me white as snow,
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
(chorus)

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
(chorus)

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
(chorus)

Seeker vs. Missional

Part One



Part Two

Three Kinds of Men

Here is a two minute Clip from Tim Keller that couldbe a companion to his article that Deb posted over on Sola Fida. Read it and watch this.

Give Me Liberty.....

So I haven't posted in a bit. Life has been busy. Tonight I think I will share another story in my car saga. A few weeks ago I started to detect a strange grinding noise from my back tires whenever I applied the break. I knew that my breaks were pretty jacked up. So I took it in for some work and got a loaner car for several days. While they were doing this, I also had them look at a few more problems I have been having lately. The steering wheel was a bit loose and my check engine light comes and goes. All my problems were fixed except the light and I received the car back and went on my merry way.

Two days later I received notice that my tags were getting ready to expire and that I needed to visit the inspection lanes soon to get them renewed. That's not a big deal, so I read their notice and noticed that it listed a frequently asked questions section. It must have been a slow news day because I read it. What did I see? Well I saw that my car was destined to fail when I went to visit the DMV. The problem? The check engine light. If it is on, they will fail the car. This caused me some issues. What to do?

When I took the car in, they told me that the light was in relation to a minor transmission problem. It slipped occasionally and I was advised by the service writer that it really wasn't worth fixing until the trans really started to have problems. I was stuck between a rock and the DMV. The car was a 97 Olds and wasn't really worth me dropping at least $1000 to have a new transmission put into it. The solution was that the car needed to go, and so me and my friend Aaron went shopping on Thursday night and I bought a new (used) vehicle. So without any further delay........Here is my new Jeep Liberty.






Pictures courtesy of Abigail Tokarski. She is an 8 year old budding photog and was more than willing to take these pics for me. Some day she'll be a great photographic artist I think.

When The Children Cry

Ok, so here is the situation. There is a particular child that I attend church with. He is 2ish. The picture over there on the left is me and him when he was a day old. He hadn't even left the hospital yet. Isn't that a cute pic?

So lately he has taken to running in panic from my presence. One Sunday morning I walked int he building and he started screaming and clung to his dad as if I was going to eat him. It was odd at the time, but his dad and I chalked it up to the little ones mother being away for the weekend. Kids get funny when mom disappears for a day or so. Well, a couple days later I was again in the church building and I was sitting and talking with the church secretary. I heard this young mans mom coming around the corner (little guy in tow) and thought to myself that now we would be cool again, since mom was back and all.

Surprise, he saw me and turned and ran down the hall away from his mom. She tried to bring him back and he cried and hide. This situation persists. You may think that I have done something to this child to cause this reaction, but I haven't.

The most bizarre part of this whole situation is that he talks about me all the time when I am not around.....favorably. I mean as favorable as a 2 year old can, but he'll see me on a video and be happy. He'll dance around when he thinks that he is going to church and that he will see me. His mom even tells me that he has spontaneously prayed for me when she prays with him. It just goes to pot when I am in his physical presence.

Its weird I tell you. I know that kids have their strange periods, its just odd to be involved in one. One day I'm sure we'll be best friends.

Check It Out

For those of you that are looking for a good laugh. This one is funny.



Check it out.

What is Bob Fosse Were A Prison Warden?

Ok, here is another little video that is a little creepy, but also (like a car wreck) something you can't help but watch. So the question is, what if a choreographer ran a prison?

This is an actual prison in the Philippines. I wonder if this is part of the punishment or the rehabilitation.

My Car - Absent Without Leave

It was a regular Sunday morning, as my alarm started to make an obscenely loud noise. I opened my eyes and I think I only hit the snooze button twice. I curse the day I ever discovered the purpose of that button. I eventually got myself up and in the shower. I’m really not awake until that water hits me. I love a morning shower. I don’t really understand those who only bath at night. Next step, get dressed for church and get out the door. I like to stop at Dunkin Donuts and grab an iced coffee before worship team practice. I’m running a little behind schedule as I walk out my door debating on whether I should still attempt this, or go straight to church and be on time.

As I get to the bottom of my steps and enter the parking lot, I start scanning for my car.

Hmmm, I thought I parked right there…….Maybe its further down that way. Hmmm, this can’t be right.

At this point I am confused and start strolling around and looking for my car. After about 2 minutes of this, I have realized that my car is AWOL. Its somewhere not here. I walk over and sit on my steps and decide that there are two options. Option 1, my car was stolen. Option 2, my car was towed by my condo association. At this point I take my phone out of my pocket and call my friend Ian at church and tell him that my car is missing and I need someone to pick me up for church. I’ll deal with this later.

Since I live a couple miles form my church, it only took about 15 minutes until I was standing next to my fellow musical types explaining that I my car was away from home without my permission. After church my friend Bernie drove me home and I called the number for the towing company that our condo association uses. The woman I spoke to said that she wasn’t sure that they had taken my car. This was not what I expected; I began to think maybe my car had been stolen. I spoke with her again 30 minutes later and she told me that they did have my car.

Having located who was in possession of my vehicle, I asked why. She advised me it was something to do with my tags. At this point I feel it necessary to explain that on 6/15 of this year my condo association began a parking enforcement program. Some people from a nearby neighborhood were parking excess vehicles in our spaces. We also had some residents who would have extra unregistered cars or several overnight guests. At this time, you need to have your car registered, your guests need a pass if its overnight, etc…. If your car isnt’ registered with the complex, you get a warning. If it is in an illegal spot, handicapped spot, or is untagged, it is towed immediately.

Being told that my car was towed for a tag issue, I began to think about the last time I went to motor vehicle. I was almost sure that it was tagged appropriately, but I have been known to let my tags expire in the past. I would deal with this when I had all the facts and picked my car up Monday morning, so I called my mother and made arrangements for her to pick me up early Monday morning. I spent the afternoon and evening with MC_Shan and Kate going to a friends afternoon church service and having dinner at Outback. I needed a good steak.

Monday morning came and I was up and ready to go when my mom picked me up. We are very different in how we handle stressful situations. Where I am calm and tend to avoid worry and rushing into more stress, my mom is ready to call everyone in the county to complain and yell about something. Needless to say, I had to calm her down about the situation. When we got to the towing company, she wanted to come in with me to “question” why my car was towed, I wouldn’t let her. I knew it would turn into a scenario in which she would "loud talk" to me on the injustice or stupidity of the situation. It wasn’t the towing companies fault; they were just doing their job. So after I paid the $200 (this was the most painful part of this whole situation), I sent my mom home. My car was at another lot the company maintained, and so they graciously offered me a lift to that lot.

Here is a fun part of the story. I got to ride in a tow truck with two of the most stereotypical tow truck guys you will ever meet. As we drove to the other lot, the driver was yelling at women he passed while complaining about his ex wife and telling stories with the other guy about run ins with the police over the weekend. The experience was priceless.

We got to the lot and my car was released to me, and just as expected the liscense plate sticker said Nov 06. Now I have let my registration go a few weeks in the past, but never 7 months. I drove to work and when I got to the office, I rifled through my glove box and found the registration slip. It said that the car expired in Nov 06. At this point I am kicking myself, because it looks like it is completely my fault. How could I let my registration go for 7 months.

At lunch I went to Motor Vehicle to get the car inspected and get a new sticker so that I wouldn’t be towed again that night. I waited in line for inspection for over an hour. This wouldn’t have been so bad, but my air doesn’t work in the car and it was something like 97 degrees out. I got through the lane, went in the building and went to the counter. Surprisingly, everyone at Motor Vehicle is more pleasant than they used to be. The lady at the counter took my paperwork and when she pulled my car up, she informed me that my car’s registration didn’t expire until Nov 07. Suddenly struck by the comedic value of the whole situation I would have smiled or laughed, except that I was also immediately struck by the waste of $200 that wasn’t my fault. The nice lady gave me a new sticker and a new registration card for free and I was out and on my way back to work.

That’s the story. Funny, painful, stupid and confusing. I’m out $200 for what looks like the theft of my DE license plate sticker. I have no idea who took it, or if it just fell off for some bizarre reason. I don’t even know how long its been missing. The towing company isn’t at fault, the complex isn’t’ at fault (except I think this whole situation exposes a flaw in the parking enforcement system). I’m certainly not at fault. I plan on writing letters to the condo association and the property management company they contract to plea for changes so no one else goes through this. It would be nice if they would reimburse me as well.

So what is it that God is trying to teach me in this situation? Many people were perplexed at my casual and calm approach to the whole thing, and I believe that this is an appropriately biblical response.

How about you dear reader, can you see the lesson in this adventure?

Emergent vs. Traditional and Seeker

Here is another video clip from Desiring God ministries. Ever since Dr. John Armstrong visited our church during our 20th anniversary celebration and introduced to concept of being missional, I have really been challenged on how "church" is done. These video bits and pieces that I have found are very thought provoking and I am interested in any thoughts that my readers have on these. I'll be posting these bits in between my semi regular posts on various other things. This particular video is from Dr. David Wells. You can read more about him at this link. The video isn't very long so take some time and watch.

I'm Being Challenged

This clip is from Pastor Mark Driscoll. He leads Mars Hill Church in Seattle and I have been listening to a lot of his sermons of late. I think I am going to be posting several items in reference to him and some other pastors/theologians who have been challenging my thinking lately. The below clip is from some pre conference interviews from Desiring God ministries 2006 conference. The conference title was Above All Earthly Powers and centered around the postmodern mindset and the emergent church. Many of the clips discuss engaging the culture. Great stuff.