I watched it!

I told you all that I would and I did; This past weekend I went to go see New Moon, the second movie in the Twilight series. I hadn’t really anticipated anything upon arrival at the movie theatre, I assumed that it would be a good flick after reading some of the reviews on the web.  After sitting through the previews (which is the best thing about going to the movies) the main event was finally on the big screen. As the movie unfolded there were some likes and dislikes that were apparent to me in the first few minutes.  The first thing that was apparent, is that the teenage drama had taken a giant leap to the next level. There was crying, screaming, whaling; it was pretty rough for awhile. It was also noticeable that the characters had grown up quite a bit in this movie.  One thing that anyone can notice about movies primarily geared toward teens, and have teenage stars, is that bodies change over a short period of time.  Which means the enticement the producers can use is heightened with every film. However, it wasn’t out of hand in this one. If anything the level of sexual enticement was a 3 on the scale of 1-10.  And most of that comes from one of the characters having his shirt off throughout the movie. which for some reason got more sighs out of POST-MINAPAUSAL women than it did out of teenage girls.

Lets get down to the brass tax…?or brass facts…?I never know which one it is. The movie was a good film. It had definite things that could have been left out, but those things weren’t enough to make me think about leaving the movie in any aspect. Some parents have a problem with letting their kids watch a movie with vampires, werewolf’s and humans -oh my.  But you will let your kids watch a movie with witches dragons and magic I.E. Chronicles of Narnia?!  Where is the line drawn? If you draw this line before you have taken the time to research it with YOUR OWN eyes or someone else’s highly respected opinion, don’t condemn it.  If you do, your kids will be less likely to ask your permission to go see a movie the next time.  I understand that there is a difference between the Spiritual side of Narnia and New Moon, but explain it to your kids/teens, don’t assume that they already know why there’s a difference.  I would NOT have a problem with letting a more mature teenager (due to some intense elements) watch this movie. I’m not recommending that you as a parent turn  your teen loose at the movies, go watch it for yourself and then make a decision based on the content.  If it’s not important enough to you to go watch it for your child’s sake, than it won’t be that important for them to get your opinion next time around.

Switchfoot (Mess of Me)

Switchfoot (Hello Hurricane)

It’s official: Switchfoot is amazing.  Fans had long awaited the bands Hello Hurricane album, and after it’s release on November 6th I have heard nothing but praises about the bands ninth record.  The record is a classic example of why the band has the popularity the do. The album sounds vintage Switchfoot with some glimpses of added refinement. I won’t ramble on; Hello Hurricane is a must buy album.

5 Top Reasons Wy I Love Being A Youth Pastor

This is a list that I compiled in brain the other day when someone asked me why I do what what do in way of a career. Very quickly I came up with the top 5 things that I love about my Job. In no particular order here they are.

#1. I love seeing the looks on peoples faces when I am referred to as pastor in a public place. It’s that confused and yet deep thinker look, like “certainly this guy can’t be a pastor, what kind of sick joke is this”.

#2. I actually enjoy being held under a microscope. I allows for people come up to me and say things like “you should dress more like a pastor to separate yourself from ordinary people”. (True story) I didn’t realize that I had to buy everything from “Pastors- R- Us”.

#3.  I am fascinated by the magic tricks that teens can perform. I mean it takes talent to have no money to give to a sponsor child on Wednesday but to go and buy a PS3 on Thursday. How do they do it?

#4.  I love being a youth because I get asked questions like these “What’s your real job?” “Do you really want to work with teens for the rest of your life?” “So, you aren’t allowed to go to movies are you?”

#5.  Because I get to dress up as a cowboy for a costume party tonight. And I get to play bucket ball with some of the coolest kids I know, and get sick after a candy eating contest.

The Twilight Saga (New Moon)

Incase you haven’t heard Twilight is one of the most popular if not the most popular saga to hit theaters in recent history, maybe in all of history. So, is it worth all the hype? And what is the content in the saga? Glad you asked. I went to watch the movie when it came out November 12 of 2008. I would like t say that I was going out of pure enthusiasm, but… that wasn’t the case. I knew that I should at least go check it out because so many of the teens in my youth group were going to see it. So Megan drug me to the movies to watch a stupid story about a vampire who supposedly crushed on a girl, sucked her blood and the two lived happily ever after. I had already voted it down in my mind. However, during the movie I realized that I was drawn into the story more than I though I could be.

One of the reasons why I had been so determined not to enjoy the movie, or give it a good review was because I had heard so many  christians damn the movie before it was released. Another reason why I had to check it out. First of all let me say I have never read any of the books in the saga, maybe that makes me unqualified to review the content of the books, but I am reviewing the movie, not the book(s). So, when I went to see the movie these were the only things that I really knew about the movie.

After the movie was over I was somewhat surprised, with one cuss word in the entire movie and one “partially” “somewhat” (possibly) provocative scene it was for the most part a “clean” movie. I was asking the same questions you are right now, “how could it get such a bad wrap if there wasn’t anything extremely objectionable in the movie?” Maybe it’s because it’s about vampires instead of wizards and elves that cast spells on people like in Lord of the Rings? SOmethings we choose to agree with and disagree with is simply on our presuppositions about the theory or content behind a movie.  Maybe it’s because we rely to much on ones word to formulate our opinion before we check it out ourselves. If you are a parent and have a child who is interisted in going to see this movie, maybe you could take them on the premise that you will leave the movie if it crosses the line that you have predetermined before you sit down to watch the movie. Maybe after the movie have a discussion about what was portraited in the movie. If you don’t learn to have an open style of discussion with your kids about movies and media in general they’ll get their information and opinion’s from someone else.

Maybe you can follow these steps when New Moon (the next movie in the saga) comes to theaters this November. Make sure, whatever your opinion may be, that you deal with everything in patients. If you choose to wait and see what i have to say about the movie you can do that as well.

I haven’t had much to say lately. I know that might come as a shock to some of you but it’s the truth regardless. I haven’t had much to say because I’ve realized something… how much more do we benefit from listening and reading than from talking and writing? I know that you’re already saying “if I don’t talk then I’ll be harboring emotions that I need to let out” or, “blogging is a way for me to release stress about certain things”. In both cases it’s a valid point. But I’m talking about something else. How much more beneficial would it be to listen to someone else’s problems rather than being consumed by our own? I was driving home from the store the other day, rushing to get things done, when I passed someone on the road who was underneath the hood of their broken down car in the pouring rain.  That made the things that I was so focused on doing seem pretty small in comparison to someone else’s needs. I would like to say that I turned the car around and gave the guy a lift somewhere; but I kept on driving, after all I’m only human.

How many days out of the week do we do this? How many minutes and hours out of the day are we consumed by with own agenda? If we truly have the heart of God we will go out of our way to put others before ourselves. Imagine the possibilities of paying this type of attitude forward. Next time when you have the opportunity, deny yourself the habit of being human and accept the oppertunity of becoming Godly.

David Crowder (Church Music)

Church Music is The Crowder Bands follow up album to Remedy which was released two years ago. The 17 track album is worth the purchase. Check it out for yourself on itunes or project playlist. Or…check out the video I have posted of one of the bands live performances.

OSU-USC

For those of you who know me know that I am a die-hard Buckeye fan. For those of you who didn’t know… now you do. I’m not one of those “only a fan” during football seasons kind of guys either. I bleed Scarlet and Gray year round. As for the game tomorrow I see many things that I like about the game to our advantage. Let me share those things with you now.

#1. The weather will be a factor for USC. It’s not suppose to rain, or be windy, however it is a night game; which means that the players may be a little upset that they won’t be able to get a tan as the play football.

#2. The bleachers will be filled with 105,00 belligerent, need I say violent OSU fans. Which is a far cry from 105 pound Southern Cal girls who wave their pom-poms simply to get on camera. Yes, in ohio we would prefer un-tanned ugly girls if it means we win national championships. By the way, we have championships, Heisman winners and pretty girls.

#3. Terrell Pryor! Need I say more?! NO!

#4. I am confident that the USC players will be scared to win after they enter the SHOE. Wouldn’t you be if the guys who were sitting behind your bench were saying that they will literally kill you if you win the game? Lastly

#5. I am starting a new good luck tradition for this game. Do I believe in luck? No. But if it works this time count on me to keep doing it for a long time to come.

#6. We have to win a big game sometime soon. Don’t we?

God Bless and go Bucks

Just a thought

Sometimes as a youth pastor you come into situations that are a little difficult to handle. Especially when you are 21 years old and just starting on your second full year of youth ministry. There are many things that I have come to realize, enjoy, love and hate.

One of the things that I reflect on from learning this past year is this. Teens are a product of the environment that they are placed in. Now many of you will immediately think of institutions such as school being the dominating evil power of influence on your children. However I’m not talking about school or other institutions; I am talking about your home. Many of you are saying we have a good home environment, we have game nights, we interact well with each other and we love each other. However, I’m not talking about the things that you do; I’m talking about the things you should be doing that you don’t. If it is true that kids are a product of their environment than they will follow the leader of that environment, the leader is the person who has most of it or at least wants to “have it together”. You have to first make the decision if you are willing to be their leader (I’m not referring to a vintage News Boys song by the way). My suggestion is that instead of passing the buck to a teacher mentor or youth pastor, would be that you take the lead. If you don’t take the lead you can’t blame them for the bad decisions that they will make later on in life. If you are passive in your approach to truly being involved in your teens life, then they will be passive and uninvolved in your life. It’s time to be real and ask the tough questions. Parent’s aren’t suppose to be cool, they’re supposed to be Godly.

Now, let me talk to the ones who are, or think they are leading they’re kids. You may be tired of me saying this already, but, if we are a product of our environment than what exactly are we teaching them. Are we teaching them to act in a way that is Godly or in a way that is good. Here’s the problem; we want good kids not Godly kids. We want kids who don’t get pregnant, smoke weed or get into fights. When what we should be longing for is them to be on such a deep, personal level with God that they realize that they might offend God instead of embarrassing their parents.  We should want kids who have such a desire to please God that it over rides all other circumstances that may come into their life. You may be thinking ha, yea like that’s possible. And if you’re the one who said that than it probably is impossible for you. Why, because you’re content with being good yourself. As long as you say your prayers and do your devotions you’re fine…. maybe. But I want something different for myself, I want something that didn’t come from someone else and can’t be explained.  When I have kids I don’t want them to get their instruction from me. Why, because that will eventually fade away. I want God to be branded into their mind, emotions and everyday life.

When you as parents have a desire to train your kids as God would, instead of how you would, or how you are comfortable with teaching. Then you will have the kids that not only you desire, but the kids that God has always desired that you have.

Secondhand Jesus (Glenn Packiam)

Secondhand Jesus is one of the books that I am currently reading. I just got it today and I’m already writing a blog post about it. Must be good right? Well, it is.

Packiam’s main thought through out the book is that maybe we simply know Jesus by someone else’s standards. In other words, you need to know Jesus deeply and personally, but there aren’t any shortcuts to God. We can’t ride on the faith of someone else. We can’t simply rely on our parent’s, spouse’s, pastor’s or friends relationship with God to be good enough for us too. We have got to be the one longing for closeness with God.

I won’t continue or I may give to much of the book away. I suggest that you buy this one and read it as soon as you can.