In Motion For Justice

I have started a new project to help local ministries in what they do. From dealing with homelessness, under privileged kids, to racial reconciliation, human trafficking etc. It's called In Motion For Justice (IMFJ for short) Follow this new blog we have set up:

inmotionforjustice.blogspot.com

If you would like to be a part of this new ministry please email me at inmotionforjustice@hotmail.com

I Love God, and I Love Art...here they are mixed!

These were a couple of sketches and videos I did for Hillcrest Blue Valley. They turned out pretty cool and I am really thankful for Aaron Mitchum giving me the opportunity to do something I love!

Video number 2:

LOVE is in the air, and so is DANCING!!

Yesterday I had the chance to go to my friends Dan and Sarah's wedding it was so much fun! I shot a few videos to capture the night and paint a small picture. I took all this video on my blackjack so it isn't the best, but you will get the picture.

The first one here is me in the Chapel at Hillcrest Covenant Church right down the hall from where the two got married. I went in there to play a little piano and get myself and you bloggers in the mood for the wedding!

This next video is of Dan and Sarah's kiss at the end of the ceremony! Weddings go so fast now a days. There wedding was no more then 25 min! It was awesome! Take a look, and see how happy they are...

This video is by far my fav. I was outside the reception in the parking lot, and knowing it would be a little crazy inside I wanted to shoot a video of me dancing before I got in. Haha the cool thing is I am not that bad of a dancer. People usually don't get to see themselves dance! I love to dance and I was really excited about dancing at the wedding, but I ended having to leave at 10 and the music they were playing before that wasn't good for breaking it down like I do in this vid! So I still got the dance bug this morning and soon one of you watching this is going to have to go get there groove on with me in a club!! Talking to Laurey and Alicia! I wish I could have danced with you girls, sorry it didn't work out, but I know you had fun with out me :) Anyways here is the vid turn it up and get your dance on people!!

Congrats Dan and Sarah on starting your life together, and allowing me to be a part of it! God bless you guys!!

Blazin Challenge...in hopes of growing closer to the LORD!

Sorry it's been a while, but now that I am back on the blog scene I will be updating much more.

Anyways it's been like 3 months and trust me it was well worth the wait!! I lead a small group at Hillcrest Covenant Church on Sunday nights with a few good friends of mine! Aaron Mitchum, Isaac Hodges, and Tim Ciccone (other leaders of 10/11 graders include Adam, Dave, Dan, and Brian)! We have a blast with our freshmen guys, and we are always looking for ways to have fun and grow closer as a group, and with God.

A few weeks ago the sophomore guys extended a friendly challenge. They wanted us to do the BLAZIN CHALLENGE at Buffalo Wild Wings with them. Of course ours guys said yes, and the 3 weeks up to the date of 11/1/09 the boys were doing what the could to prepare (hot sauce, peppers, wasbi, etc). As the day approached the anticipation grew and you could feel a change in the air! I couldn't believe how these kids were acting. We as youth leaders try to get these boys to be more like Jesus every day and it takes months before we see a significant change :) jk, but mention 12 HOT wings and they start becoming animals! I know it's hard to believe right??

WRONG...take a look at this video we shot on the night of 11/1/09 and see for yourself what 6 minutes, 12 hot wings, 40 guys, and the Lord on your side can accomplish! Enjoy! This is truly one of the funniest things I have ever seen!!

WOW!! I am on fire right now!!!

About a month ago me and a group of friends started collecting baseball cards again!

My parents were moving to Tennessee and I had to get my things out of their apartment. I grabbed my old baseball cards the only thing left there that I really cared about. On the way home I stopped by middle school lunch and brought some of my cards in for the guys to look at. It brought back great memories of collecting and how much we loved the game of baseball. From that day me, Adam cooper, Grant Morris, Brady Anderson, and Brent Niehart started collecting cards again hard core. I spent tons of money in hopes of landing a card that was awesome!! And then August, 11 2009 came rolling around and everything changed, big time!! Take a look at this video out...

Haha isn't that crazy!! I have been on fire!! I went skydiving, and then picked one of the most expensive cards out there up! It has been an exciting several days for me! I can't wait to see what happens next!! SIXES!! Help me decide on what I should do about the card! Should I sell it now, and get what I can get, or do I wait to see if he could be one of the greatest pitches of all time! His name is Stephen Strasburg, look him up and help me decide!!

First Jump...10,500 ft 116 mph 35 sec

Hey I told you one day I would sky dive, and today was that day!! I can't tell you how crazy the experience was!! I had sooo much fun! Going with Hannah Cosgrove made it about 100 times better! She was soo calm and collected! She made me very calm as well. It's crazy how something like that can make an instant bond, but it can! When you are with someone at 10,500 ft you can't help but look at them and have that special connection :) Realizing it might be the last person you see! Haha I can't being to tell you how exciting and awesome it was!! You just have to find me and ask, and trust me you are going to want to hear this story!!! But here is a little video I shot afterwards! Some of my first thoughts...

Everyone is going to die, but it's how you live and where you go after that matters!! And when I leave this earth people are going to know that I pushed life to edge, and then...JUMPED!!!!

Skin, Hair, Clothes is all I need to say “I don’t like you!”

We can be so quick to judge someone just by looking at the outward appearance. This is the second day at CHIC after the morning session. I am with my small group and they had some great things to say about judging others on their outward appearance…

"Water balloons is a Federal Offense, just like murder!" CHIC 09

Now these next few videos are so funny, because of how serious the situation became. It started off so light and fun, and ended terrible.

Movie 1 Movie 2


Ask me about all that happened in the middle, and I will tell you a great story!!

This last video just shows me a few moments after getting in trouble with security. I was frustrated, but I had a respectful out look on the whole situation. Of course that was after I took this video about 4 times, because I was so mad about how the treated me!!! But God calmed my heart, and well take a watch:

Video 3

Justice is love, acted out in public

Facts:
1. Human trafficking comprises the fastest growing criminal industry in the world based on the recruitment, harboring, and transportation of people solely for the purpose of exploitation.
2. Every year traffickers generate billions of dollars in profits at the expense of victimizing millions of people around the world.
3. An estimated 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked annually in the US alone.
4. An estimated 200,000 American children are at high risk for trafficking into the sex industry each year.






Take a look at these ways you can help stop Human Trafficking and Slavery in the World!!

1. Contact: local shelters to find out if they assist trafficked victims and how you can be supportive.

2. Demand: “slave-free” goods. Buy “fair-trade” products, such as handcrafts, coffee, tea, cocoa sugar, fruit, or flowers. Encourage your church to do the same.

3. Remember: the facts. Memorize the statistics about child and sex slavery. Tell people.

4. Do: what you love. Do an art project and display it in a public place. Use a sports event or concert to raise awareness and funds for the issue. Write about the issue on blogs.

5. Study: God’s word regarding injustice. You may want to start with Isaiah 5:8, Micah 6, and Hebrews 13:1-3

6. Know: the warning signs of slavery and human trafficking, and report suspicious behavior to your local services provider or police station. Or call the 24-hour National Human Trafficking Center hotline (1-888-373-7888).

7. Advocate: for change. Call or write your elected U.S. officials (www.senate.gov, www.house.gov ) or Canadian officials www.parl.gc.ca) Tell them that you care about the issue of human trafficking and want stronger laws to protect victims. Get new from www.polarisproject.org on how to engage in political action and advocacy.

8. Walk: Global March has freed over 60,000 slaves in India. Their marches promote education for children instead of forced labor and exploitation: www.globamarch.org.

9. Fight: sex tourism. Ask travel agencies, hotels and tour operators to sign the Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children in travel and tourism ( www,thecode.org)

10. Learn: more. Find useful documents to download at www.freetheslaves.net and http://www.state.gov/g/tip/ris/tiprpt/2008/

11. Consume: wisely. Hold businesses accountable and ask corporations to join the fight. At www.chainstorereaction.com email companies to ensure that their products are slave free.

12. Write: Submit an op-ed. Encourage newspapers, magazines, and television stations to publish or write stories about modern-day slavery, and how to stop it.

13. Watch: and discuss a video with your family, friends or small group: Modern Slavery (www.freetheslaves.net), a good introduction to modern-day slavery or Amazing Grace (2006), the story of William Wilberforce who demanded abolition of the African Slave trade in the UK in the 1800s.

14. Read: Be the Change: Your Guide to Freeing Slaves and Changing the World by Zack Hunter and discuss it with family, friends or small group.

15. Organize: a Bible study or human trafficking scripture to consider: Matthew 25:31-46, Luke 11:37-444. And Psalm 10.

Sources www.imj.org and www.callandresponse.com

Women this is for YOU!!

There are going to be few times when a guy tells you exactly what’s on his heart, and how we are feeling. But for me and a few of the guys in my small group God was really working on our heart this week, and in this video we are sharing a little about females and what they mean to us! This is a priceless video if you ask me!!

Last Day and God brought the Noise!! CHIC 09

This speaker was really good!! He said some awesome things!




A Guide to Nurturing Good Reception with God

Find a place where the reception is good. Select minimum 33 minutes per day to be quiet.

Turn off cell phone-no texting, talking or music.
Do this alone
Select a time and place where no one can disturb you.
Be still or if walking, walk slowly.
Divide the 33 minutes into segments.

Conversations with God:

1. Start with quieting the body and the mind (3 min)
- Think only of God and His goodness
- Think on the beauty of His creation
- Say nothing, sing nothing, do nothing



2. Find a song or chorus of praise or worship (3 min)
- Sing a song that is directed to the goodness and greatness of God.
- Don’t be afraid to make up your own song.
- Use a Psalm, hymnal or chorus book that has songs of worship
- “Our Father Who is in Heaven…, Hallowed be your name…, Your Kingdom come…”



3. Offer thanksgiving vocally and/ or mentally for anything that reminds you of the goodness of God (3 min)
-Give thanks for all the people and things that have sustained your life and given you hope.
-Remind yourself of answered prayers.
-Give thanks for God’s word and the opportunity to talk with Him.
-“Your will be done, you kingdom come…”



4.Examine yourself and ask forgiveness for wrongs you have done or things you should have done but did not do (3 min)
- Take this time to reflect on the mercy of God to forgive
- Think on your dependence on Jesus and the helping hand of the Holy Spirit.
- This is the place to forgive and to think how to rectify my offense to others.
- “Forgive us our Trespasses…”



5. Give thought to a passage of Scripture (6 min)
- Select a chapter, book or devotional that you can use daily.
- Prayerfully plan you reading.
- Read, and then meditate on the verses. Do not try to read too much.
- Write down the scriptures that appear to have more meaning to you.
- Speak the scripture to yourself, several times



6. Offer thanksgiving for the words that you have read in No. 5 (3min)
-Repeat the scriptures in the form of a thanksgiving offering.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to make these words real to you.



7. Offer you petitions and intercessions-prayer request to God (3 min)
- Sometimes it is good to have these written down to keep focus.
- Ask for you needs according to His will-think about what the scriptures says about these needs.
- Let your primary focus be on the needs of others instead of your own.
- “Give us this day our daily bread…, Lead us no into temptation…”



8. Journal several applications of the scriptures you have read or written down (3 min)
- Ask yourself-How does this apply to me? What is God saying to me?
- Make sure you place the time and date on your journal entry.



9. Sit quietly again, writing any additional impressions that come to you (3 min)
- Acknowledge that you are in His presence to listen.
- Keep your focus on the presence of God
- Keep acknowledging the presences of the Holy Spirit in you.



10. End you time with a combination of thanksgiving and praise (3 min)
-Repeat previous song
- Give thanks for the scriptures and for wisdom
- Give thanks for His presence
- “For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory…”

Take what you want from this. Just something to help with your prayer and alone time with God!

Summer Reading!

Here are some books I have read this summer...

Velocity by Dean Koontz pg 97

"There are days of doubt, more often lonely nights, when even the devout wonder if they are heirs to a greater kingdom than this earth and if they will know mercy- or if instead they are only animals like any other, with no inheritance except the wind and the dark."

Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder pg 10

"...the only thing we require to be good philosophers is the faculty of wonder..."

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates pg 257

"And there's a fairly good rule-of-thumb for you, Shep; take somebody who worries about life passing them by..."

The Choice by Nicholas Sparks

"Stories are as unique as the people who tell them, and the best stories are those in which the ending is a surprise."

Wow Don't They Look Cute!

We had church at Blue Valley yesterday. It was a great time. We a good amount of kids, and my friend/boss Tim Ciccone came out to hang which made it an even better Sunday!

Audrey Severson helps out on Sundays at BV. I love having her out there! She is super smart and great with the kids. Not that it matters what I think, but she is going to do some great things for the Lord. We have been working together for about a month now, and I feel like we are getting in a nice flow. Between our relationship and the one we have with the kids at Blue Valley.

After church yesterday we went to a CHIC meeting at the other campus. We got there a few minutes late and went up to the top to listen in on the meeting. When Alicia saw us she gave us a nice welcome. She is soo funny! Alicia, and Adam did a great job by the way. Well Aud and I were sitting there listening we I noticed that we were matching. I leaned over and said, "Hey, Aud we are matching!" She said, "Ya I know, Aaron mentioned it before service started this morning.haha" We looked just so adorable together. So we came up with idea called "Look alike Sundays" Where Audrey and I will dress the same color scheme to show the united front we have in doing youth ministry. Take a look at the first Sunday, and stay tuned for next Sunday and the new colors of the rainbow we wear.

Virginia! It's drowning!

Just got back from Virginia, with Hillcrest Church. We went down with about 22 people and we ran a small summer camp down there. I got to do games, same as last time I was there. I decided to stick with water balloons this time and it was a great time, but there are a couple of things you need to know about water balloons.
One being it takes a crazy amounts of time to fill them up and to reach a good number of balloons that will be fun for the kids. Over the years I have perfected my technique of filling and tying water balloons, but I found on this trip it still wasn’t fast enough! So out of necessity me and my friends came up with this. Take a look at this video of a new way to fill water balloons that will change the biz forever! This is Thursday the day before we leave. We had to fill sooo many, because the last day we promised the kids a water balloon fight! Sorry that it is sideways. The camera man didn’t know who to work the blackjack two.




The day of the big water balloon fights! It’s about 6:15 in the morning in this video.




Later that day at the first water balloon fight! It is with 5th and 6th graders.



When you see Drew V. in this video there were 3 other leaders that got hit that hard if not harder with balloons. The list includes me, Chris, and Alex! If it looks like it hurt it is because it did. I got jacked at least 3 times!! Haha.

The end of the last day. 3 different fights ranging from k-6th grade! It was a blast. Someone asked me was it worth it…not only was it worth it, I will do it again! That’s a promise!

Man Crush 101

Yes I have a man crush. Who you ask? Zach Efron! I can’t tell you when it was…whether it started with his small acting roles in shows like ER, Firefly, Dear Abby, CSI Miami, or his larger roles in the High School Musicals, HAIRSPRAY, or his most recent role in 17 teen again. It doesn’t matter when my crush started as long as you know I have one now!

So let’s talk about 17 Again, with Zach Efron and Matthew Perry, which was awesome! I don’t know if I was blinded by the Zach Efroness of the film to know if the plot made any sense or if the other actors pulled it together, but it seemed like the best movie ever!! The film touched on all his great abilities, dancing, acting, singing, and basketball. It wasn’t like a high school musical film, but the director carefully crafted different parts in the movie to flatter Zach’s many talents! If you haven’t seen it you must! Don’t think less of me because I have this crush, but come along side with me and realize that Zach Efron is the man, and one day him and I will be friends!!

Go to this Youtube site and watch a clip from Hairspray! Maybe this will spark a crush you never knew you had :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF3FWMqcJFM&feature=related

On/Off

So I was at Tim's Ciccones house last night to watch 24. Which was insane by the way!! Jack Bauer is sooo going to die, but that's not why I am writing this blog :) I walked down stairs looking fly as could be with this old navy sweater on and black shorts. I brought Chiplote to eat, so I sat at the table and started munching away. Alicia looks back at me and on my sweater the letters ON standing for Old Navy are in the upper left and she says, "Hey why does your shirt say ON." Laurey listening in on our convo right after says, "Because his pants say OFF!" Everyone in the basement starts cracking up. I thought this was the funniest thing ever. She is soo freaking funny. Because his pants say off. Does anyone else find this funny, and clever/a little inappropriate:)

Life Lesson from a Teenager

Part of my job as a youth pastor is to watch kids at different events. Ranging from soccer games to swim meets. Today I had the chance to watch two of my favorite girls (Emma Tyler and Madison Haverty) pole-vault.
I got there during their warm ups and preparation prior to there actual jumps. It looked pretty fun, and also very hard. They got to do about 4 or 5 practice jumps and took time to work on there techniques. Emma asked one of her friends for help when she felt like her jump wasn’t the best. This process took about 20-30 min and then they started their judged jumps.
The bar was set up and you had to clear it at 6ft with out having it fall over to move on to the next height. A couple girls from other schools went and they had some real difficulty. Emma and Madison were not exception. They both scratched their first jumps, but I knew they just had to get rid of their nerves. Then they scratched their second, and then they scratched their third. You are only given 3 chances to move on to the next height and they missed all 3!
I was really sad when they didn’t land their last jumps. They have to wait around for a couple of hours to do their event and it can be over sooo quickly. As the girls walked over to me smiling a sort of defeated smile, I was thinking of some encouraging things to say. I started to say some nice things like you will do better next…and before I could finish Emma stopped me and said,

“Don’t.”

I told her, “I just want to say something encouraging to you guys.”

“You don’t have to TJ.” “If you have to tell us something, tell us we need to work harder and practice more.” With a smile on her face she said that, and I couldn’t help but smile to.

I was like WOW! That’s pretty simple. Tell us work harder and practice more, and maybe one day we will be good. I was looking for some empty words to comfort these girls, but what about straight forward honesty. Huh, what about that! How about you shoot me straight bucko. Wow what a thought to be honest with someone and they take it in a good light and see a way to better them selves. I learned a lesson from those girls today. Weather it was that a good friend just like the bible says in Proverbs 27:17 as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Or that honesty is as much a characteristic of God as love is I defiantly learned something today.
And as the week goes on and I go to an orchestra concert tomorrow, and a swim meet on Thursday, and a track meet afterwards, or freedom fire with a group of kids on Friday I will look for…

Life Lesson from a Teenager

PS: Maybe one day I will compile these lessons and put them in a little book as a reference, but until that day keep your eyes open ;)

God has gifted me, so His name will be glorified

Matthew 13:51-52
“Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked
“Yes,” they replied.
He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

Do you understand or are you at one with the crowds? How important is it for us to understand the mysteries of the kingdom if we are going to instruct others and further the kingdom! The people of the church during this time were like scribes who drew from the storeroom of their Christian and pre-Christian knowledge new treasures and old. A scribe comes to Jesus with a lifetime of study of the law and of all its commandments. The background helps us understand. But after we have been taught be Jesus, you have the knowledge, not only of the things you used to know, but of things you never knew before, and even the knowledge which you had before is illuminated by what God has told to you. Christ does not come to erase all that we gained in life before we met him. He comes to enrich it. Every man comes to Jesus Christ with some gift and with some ability. Jesus didn’t ask that we give up our gifts. So many people think that when a man declares for Christ he must give things up and concentrate upon the so-called religious things.

But a…
Scholar does not give up his scholarship when he becomes a Christian: rather he uses it for Christ.

A business man need not give up his business; rather he should run it as a Christ would.

One who can sing, or dance, or act, or paint need not give up his art, but must use it like Christ would.

Here we see Jesus telling men, not to abandon their life, but to live it more wonderfully in the light of the knowledge which he has given us.

This was a final point that I gave in a talk with the high school a couple of weeks ago. This is a really important concept for us to understand I believe. When I first got this new job of being the youth pastor at the Blue Valley site I was very excited, but I found myself a little sad as well. I was a 3d computer animation major and I was sad because I thought I was losing my art. I thought with this new position that I wouldn’t be able to express myself anymore in the way of art. One of my favorite things to do is draw, and I felt like I had to move on from that and focus completely on being a “Youth Pastor”. Wrong!
When I spoke that Sunday about heaven I drew some pictures of heaven, to help the kids image what a great place it will be. (You can see some of the images in the post “Heaven it’s real…I’ve seen it!” Once I was done speaking people were leaving and one of the girls in the youth group asked if I had drawn the pics. I said yes, and she said that I shouldn’t stop doing art. I hadn’t told her about what I was feeling about losing my art, but that really spoke to me. Why would I ever stop drawing because I am a “Youth Pastor”. There is no reason! God will use that ability just like he has used me being able to relate well with kids, my humor, speaking ability etc. This isn’t a post on how awesome I am, but to encourage you guys to continue with the things that make you happy. Don’t become a Christian and give up your talents thinking God needs them, but instead realize that God gave you those talents and will use it for his glory.
So for me to rekindle that passion I once had for art I am deciding to draw one picture a week, and to keep art a real and valid way to do youth ministry. Here are some pictures that I drew a while back. Keep your passions, and desire for God. When your in his will, he will use you in new and exciting ways!

The Last Supper

Today my friend and roommate came to Hillcrest Covenant Church Blue Valley. I asked him a couple weeks ago if he wanted to speak and he said, “Yes!” He did a great job! Greg and I lead worship and Daniel spoke. It was kind of cool seeing all of us doing different things for the Lord this morning. All leading ministry in one way or another, and God working through all of our gifts and talents to help teens understand a little more about Him. Daniel said some great things and really challenged the kids. He spoke on Ephesians 2:1-5 you should read it. He did a great job, but that’s not what this blog is about.
After church we all went to Pepperjack Grill for lunch. While we were eating Daniel told us that he was moving his bed today, and that he would be sleeping at his parents house the rest of the week. This took us by surprise to say the least. Knowing this was our last meal with Daniel before he leaves for Texas was a sad an emotional thing.
So we shot this little video letting you guys know how we feel about Daniel, and Daniel sharing a little something…

I'll See Ya in a Future Life...ha

Wow! It has been almost been 14 months of living at Meadowlark Hill Apartments. I have had a great time with my roommates! My brother moved in about September and has been living with us for about 9 months. It has been really great, but it’s time for some of us to move on. Daniel is moving out of town, my brother is moving down to Arizona, and Greg and I are still maybe thinking of getting a place together, but where ever Greg and I move we won’t be staying at Meadowlark Hill Apartments. Change...it's a tricky thing.
One of the things we have to do in leaving these apartments is give a 60 day notice. If you don’t give that notice they will start a whole new lease, and you will have to pay money to get out of it. Greg a few months ago gave our notice to the front office which was a great idea. Do it early so we don’t get stuck. Daniel went to the office like a month later to tell them we weren’t stay another year just to double check. We had a friend here who got stuck for another year even though he had told them he was leaving with plenty of notice (we are just a little paranoid). When he went in and asked if they had our notice on file they didn’t, so he told them again and more sternly that we weren’t staying!
Another couple of months passed and it came to the 61st day before the end of our lease. My mom called the day before and reminded us that we needed to give the 60 day notice. I told her, "We had done it twice." She said, "To better make sure!"
So on March 31st I went to the office and video recorded me talking to this lady. I thought it might be good to record it just in case they said we didn’t come in. I would be able to wip out this video and show them...ha!! I wanted to post this yesterday so that my blog would read April 1st, and they would know it was taken 60 days before we had to leave, but April 2nd isn't that bad :)

Go ahead and watch it...me and my roommates laughed pretty hard. If you know any of us you should find it pretty funny.