Also, I’ve been a little thin on social media for the last few months. I think that has come around because of my new job. Due to their policies, I can’t access Twitter at work, and so I’ve gotten out of the habit of tweeting and commenting on what others say, and by the time I get home, I don’t remember to hit up Twitter on my phone.

So, what have I been doing this summer? Truthfully, mostly working. Because of the new job, I haven’t had any vacation time to speak of. I’ve done some golf tournaments, and saw my sister graduate from law school.(If any of you are looking to hire a really good lawyer, let me know ) BUT, I also managed to negotiate in a trip to New York in late June with a bunch of students from our Vertical high school ministry. I can honestly say this was an amazing experience, for a wide variety of reasons. (one being me driving a 15 passenger van in NY streets and traffic!)

After driving out to New York, and spending the next day visiting a local church and sightseeing, we began the week with two days worth of work at the New York City Clothing Bank. I thought this was a great way to get our kids acclimated to New York and the people of NYC. The Clothing Bank was originally started by mayor Ed Koch as a way to collect and distribute clothes and school supplies to adults and children that couldn’t afford it. It has since been turned into a non-profit and is run by a local priest. One thing this has meant is that there are a lot fewer workers because the city is no longer paying the bill. Wanda and Raymond, who run the Clothing Bank, were incredibly grateful to have us and another group from Texas helping out there for part of the week.

Wanda and Ben

For day three, we were working at The Father’s Heart Ministry Center. Father’s Heart is basically a mission located in the East Village who’s primary goal is to serve the people of the area through meals, education, and any other needs that can be fulfilled. I think it’s safe to say that this was the day that the students worked the hardest. Our primary goal was to get about 13 pallets of all different types of food into the basement of the building. This wasn’t a situation where we just loaded a bunch of pallets into an elevator and took it downstairs. Each individual item came off a stack and was passed hand by hand into the basement.

That board wasn't attached to anything. Every time a box got to the bottom, the top of the board came up and about smacked Greg in the face.

Then came day four. We were going to Harlem with the understanding that we were doing a prayer walk. For those who aren’t familiar with that, like myself, you walk through the neighborhood praying for whatever comes to mind and for those living and working in the neighborhood. When we got to 125th and Lexington though, we found out that instead we were going to be doing a prayer station. Basically, handing out fliers on the closest street corners and directing people to the prayer station if they wanted to pray. Had some of our students known this is what we were going to be doing, I don’t think they would have been as excited. A few of them had never even prayed aloud or for other people before. We came across people with mental illnesses, high on drugs, drunk, homeless, and just hurting. I think it was amazing how many people stopped and asked our students to pray for them right there rather than taking time to go over the the actual prayer station.

Brennyn, Taryn, and Devin praying.

People have asked me a variety of questions since I’ve been back about the trip. One of the most common was would it have been better to partner with a church and work the same thing all week. To be brutally honest, I think that would be a terrible idea for a trip to New York. Sure, it would work and be great, I have no doubt. But I think our students got an exposure to a much wider slice of both life in general and life in New York by working at different places, and different areas of the city, all week. I thought it was amazing how the week progressed to a more “spiritual” focus by the end of the week. I think that unintended plan allowed the prayer station at the end of the week to have an event more important impact and lasting impression on our students than if we had done that all week. The ability of students to spend a couple of days at the Clothing Bank and learn how the city is trying to take care of it’s own, outside of ministry circles, wouldn’t have happened. I truly wouldn’t want it any other way.

I’m already planning how to spend my vacation time for next year so that I can go on the trip again. I wouldn’t miss it for anything in the world. It’s easily been the highlight of my summer.
What’s been the highlight of your summer?

Lincoln Center

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2. They Know
3. MyGodMadeSex

After living what I felt was a ‘decent’ life, my time on earth came to the end.

The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I thought to be a court house..

The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the defense table.

As I looked around I saw the ‘prosecutor.’

He was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at me. He definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen.

I sat down and looked to my left and there sat My Attorney, a kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed so familiar to me, I felt I knew Him.

The corner door flew open and there appeared the Judge in full flowing robes.

He commanded an awesome presence as He moved across the room. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Him.

As He took His seat behind the bench, He said, ‘Let us begin.’

The prosecutor rose and said,

‘My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this man belongs in hell.’

He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole, and In the past when I cheated others. Satan told of other horrible Perversions that were once in my life and the more he spoke, the further down in my seat I sank.

I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t look at anyone, even my own Attorney, as the Devil told of sins that even I had completely forgotten about.

As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was equally upset at My Attorney who sat there silently not offering any form of defense at all.

I know I had been guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my life – couldn’t that at least equal out part of the harm I’d done?

Satan finished with a fury and said, ‘This man belongs in hell, he is guilty of all that I have charged and there is not a person who can prove otherwise.’

When it was His turn, My Attorney first asked if He might approach the bench. The Judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and beckoned Him to come forward.

As He got up and started walking, I was able to see Him in His full splendor and majesty.

I realized why He seemed so familiar; this was Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Savior. He stopped at the bench and softly said to the Judge, ‘Hi, Dad,’ and then He turned to address the court.

‘Satan was correct in saying that this man had sinned, I won’t deny any of these allegations. And, yes, the wages of sin is death, and this man deserves to be punished.’

Jesus took a deep breath and turned to His Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed, ‘However, I died on the cross so that this person might have eternal life and he has accepted Me as his Savior, so he is Mine.’

My Lord continued with, ‘His name is written in the Book of Life, and no one can snatch him from Me.

Satan still does not understand yet. This man is not to be given justice, but rather mercy.’

As Jesus sat down, He quietly paused, looked at His Father and said, ‘There is nothing else that needs to be done.’

‘I’ve done it all.’

The Judge lifted His mighty hand and slammed the gavel down. The following words bellowed from His lips..

‘This man is free. The penalty for him has already been paid in full. ‘Case dismissed.’

As my Lord led me away, I could hear Satan ranting and raving, ‘I won’t give up, I will win the next one.’ I asked Jesus as He gave me my instructions where to go next, ‘Have you ever lost a case?’

Christ lovingly smiled and said, ‘Everyone that has come to Me and asked Me to represent them has received the same verdict as you, ~Paid In Full~’

‘Stop telling God how big your storm is.
Instead, tell the storm how big your God is!’

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Probably more disturbing and disheartening than my memories being irrevocably changed by the flood is seeing the lives of people I know be upended. Some people are trying to dry out their belongings in the hope that some of them can be saved. Others are just throwing everything out because it’s not even repairable. Many people have started gutting their houses, others are trying to find a place to live while they live out of a suitcase and a borrowed room at someone’s house. Flooring, walls, carpeting, furniture, appliances, everything that you use in your everyday life is ruined.

Can you imagine what this does to people’s emotions? I wouldn’t blame most Nashvillers (is that a word?) from curling up in a ball and crying for a while. It’s a proper and acceptable emotion in times like this. I know I would spend a fair share of my time doing that. You can only go along so long pretending everything is ok before you hit that wall and just crumple for a little while.

It’s been amazing though to see what most folks in Nashville have been doing. While they struggle through their own devastation and heartbreak, they’ve banded together like never before to help those in need around them. This has been an opportunity for not only the Church to shine in the community, but also for the goodness inherent in all people to come shining through.

Let me commend you all for doing an amazing job of showing true community and love in a horrible situation!

I follow a lot of people from Nashville through Twitter, and I just want to tell you how much I love what Pete Wilson and his congregation at CrossPoint.TV have been doing. This last weekend, CrossPointers banded together and went out into the community to help clean up houses, even though many of them have their own houses to clean out and gut. I know Pete got the opportunity to talk with Anderson Cooper about what’s been going on in Nashville, and CrossPoint has setup a Flood Relief Fund to help out those who have been devastated.

So real simply, here’s how we can help.

I strongly encourage you to click on the link below and donate to CrossPoint’s Flood Relief Fund. I trust them as an organization and know that the money will go towards those that have had their lives upended.

CrossPoint.Tv Flood Relief Fund

CrossPoint’s Flood Relief Flickr

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1. Plan B

BP has completely stepped up to the plate to accept their share of responsibility. Repeatedly, BP has stated that they will cover the majority of costs for the oil spill and subsequent cleanup. They haven’t skirted around the fact that it was their lease on the well that exploded, even though they had subcontracted the management of the well to another company.

Not only has BP stepped up to the plate and accepted responsibility, but they are doing everything they can think of to shut this well off. BP engineers are throwing every option that even remotely seems possible onto the table if they think there’s a chance that it might fix the problem. I believe if they thought an iceberg would solve the problem, they would cut a chunk off somewhere in the Arctic and ship it down to the Gulf.

I have to commend BP for accepting responsibility for the fact that this was their well, and doing everything they can to fix the situation. In today’s litigious society, it’s nice to see a company, and a multinational company, and an OIL company, step up. I understand that this may involve higher gas prices for us because of the amount this may cost, as gas is already starting to climb. But in an era of “blame the other guy”, it’s good to see such a large company set a positive example in the midst of a life-changing crisis.

Thanks for setting a good example British Petroleum.

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I’ve been looking forward to this book for a long time. I’ve known Pete through his blog for a couple of years now, and the next time I make it to Nashville for a trip, I’m definitely making a stop at CrossPoint.TV. When I first heard that he was going to be writing a book, I was excited. Then I also found out the he would be published through Thomas Nelson, a company I have a lot of respect for.

Plan B by Pete Wilson

Pete has done a fantastic job with this book. I think most of us go through life expecting everything to go just as we planned it. To get that great job, find that perfect companion and get married, buy a great house and raise our 2.5 kids, and retire somewhere to gracefully live out our days watching our children and grandchildren. But realistically, that isn’t always how it happens. You’ve yet to find that perfect mate, or maybe they walked out on you because they didn’t want to be married anymore. That great job you had laid you off last year and you haven’t been able to find steady work since. Maybe you’ve had kids, and one of them develops cancer, or they take a wrong turn and end up in jail. In an instant, all those things you’ve planned for go up in flames.

Pete doesn’t pull any punches in his book, nor does he admit he has all the answers. I think that’s one of the great things about the book. For everyone, our situations are a little different, and no one has all the answers, and Pete explains how to work through Plan B in our lives, but admits that he’s walking the same path as the rest of us. I love the illustrations and stories that he uses throughout the book to illustrate different aspects of our lives and how we can learn to accept things when they don’t work out the way we intended them.

I really enjoy the part where Pete talks about idols, and how Plan A in our lives for pretty much all of us turns into an idol.

Not many of us walk around saying, “I worship my stuff. I worship my job. I worship this pleasure. I worship her. I worship my body. I worship my dream.> But the trail never lies. In the end our worship, our idolatry, is more about what we do than what we say. And I think for those of us in the midst of a Plan B we’ll discover that one of our idols all along has been a picture of the way life should be. Our idol was an expectation or a dream.

I have never thought about that before, and I think it’s very true, at least in my life. Pete also talks about how God uses our Plan B in our lives. God will always take these situations in our lives where we have pain and struggle, and will never fail at the opportunity to show us how much he loves us. God never destroys our lives, but he does allow us to make our own decisions, even when those decisions take us farther away from God.

Pete also discusses our timing versus God’s timing, especially in a Plan B situation. As Pete says, we often wonder where God is, why are things going so badly, and why do I continue to struggle through this pain for years and years. Too often, we want that pain to be over as quickly as possible, and we scream at God when it doesn’t happen in our timing. Pete talks about the fact that God’s timing is nothing like ours, and if there is a reason the pain is allowed to go on, maybe God is working in your life and his timing isn’t ready for you to be out of this season in life. A tough thing to swallow, that’s for sure, but very true.

I especially liked the illustration Pete used that explains why, when we’re in a painful situation, we think God isn’t there. In all reality, maybe we’ve pulled away from God, and he’s been right here all along, just waiting on us to come back to him. He’s never left us. This was something I’ve never really considered, and too many times I’ve asked God where he was, why wasn’t he fixing this, why weren’t my plans coming true. When in all reality, maybe I’ve been the one running from God and he’s never left me, but instead, I’ve tried to leave him.

This book was absolutely fantastic, and I would highly recommend everyone pick this up. Even if you don’t read it right now, or things are going according to your plan for life; sooner or later, you’re going to run into a Plan B, and I think this book is an excellent instruction manual to help you deal with and makes it through those situations in your life. Pete has done a fantastic job with this book, and I’m really looking forward to reading the next book that he writes.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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So what topic is of great interest to high school students? Yep, you guessed it…sex. So we titled the series MyGodMadeSex.com, and filmed commercials, purchased tv and radio spots, and bought billboard space. It created a SLIGHT amount of controversy here in town.

Clarifying the Message.
Advertising Sex
MyGodMadeSex: So says Cedar Creek
dar Creek abstinence campaign raising some eyebrows
Toledo Blade Editorial
Church’s sex-ed campaign stirs calls, controversy

The purpose of this series is to explain what God has to say about sex. High school students are learning about sex from a wide variety of sources; Culture, Parents, Media, Friends, “Religion”. These sources are clearly not the best option and way for students to learn about sex. So we are presenting specifically what GOD has to say about sex, straight out of the bible.

Overall, coverage has been positive, including the local newspaper editorial. One quote that did strike me as odd was in the last link, in which the newspaper interviewed a local Baptist preacher, who said “…church is not the place to talk about sex.” Huh?! I would be curious to see how he explains Song of Solomon.

So our first weekend of this two week series was last night. We had over 600 students in total at our three campuses! According to calculations, that means that 1 in 50 Toledo area high school students was sitting at a Vertical service last night hearing about God’s design for sex. That’s amazing! It was a long weekend for those of us who were leaders, and we’ll be doing it again next weekend when we cover “Messing Up to Making Up.”

We’ve had students as the voice and face of this campaign, and even tonight one of them was on the local Fox station defending the purpose of this campaign. They’ve done a fantastic job and I couldn’t be prouder of them! They’ve owned this campaign and risked being ridiculed by being seen on tv, on billboards around town, and at school by putting up posters with their faces on it and having them ripped down, only to have the students post another one in it’s place.

I think another bonus of this Big Push has been the fact that it has shown our students that they can make a difference in the culture around them and stir up feelings and emotions. It shows that they’re not the generation of the future, but the generation of NOW and they can affect things now.

To read another leader’s post on their feelings of the weekend, check out this post by my good friend Jen Funkhouser.

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Previously, I worked at a steel company as primarily a developer, but since there were only three of us there, I did a lot of everything. This was good and bad. My skill set felt like it was a mile wide, but an inch deep. Two years ago, the steel company I worked for was bought by an international steel company in Brazil. With this came some really great things and some fantastic international experience for me, as I got to go to Brazil to the corporate office. Someplace I may have never gone otherwise. But this merger came with some challenges as well, and it became obvious that there wasn’t much of a career path at my current company, so I began to look for other opportunities.

I’ve always loved medicine and the medical field. Initially, in college, I was in a premed program with a guaranteed seat in medical school. After about two years in this accelerated program, I realized it wasn’t for me, and my grades subsequently showed it, and so I switched to business. Anyway, back to present day. I was looking for something here in the area, because even though I’d love to move towards the south, now wasn’t a good time with the economy, etc.

I was really excited to come across my new job. I’m now working at a health care company that is responsible for somewhere around 700 locations around the country. Assisted living, Alzheimer’s care, skilled nursing facilities, hospice; all of those are part of this new company. It employes somewhere around 60,000 employees, and I work in the Web Solutions group as an Application Developer. We support all of the company’s external facing web portals, as well as all the internal web work, and it looks like it’s going to be an awesome job. I really like the people I work with, and multiple coworkers even know Joshua White or go to my church, which is really great.

So all in all, I think this is going to be a great move and I’m really excited about the new possibilities I have available. Also, I get to dress up every day, which may not sound like a perk, but to me it is. I always feel a little more confident when I know I’m looking nice.

So what about you? What do you love about where you work?

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It’s not the first time I’ve asked this question, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. I understand there are reasons for all these things to be happening, but I still have to ask why sometimes. I still hope to hear God tell me why someday when I ask the question.

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In case you’ve been living under a rock, or like many people, just don’t watch sports news, this is a big week for Tiger. He’s returning to golf to play in one of the most prestigious events of the year: The Masters. For those of you that don’t follow golf, The Masters is sort of like one game of the World Series. There are a total of four major championships, and The Masters is one of them. So Tiger’s return is a big deal.

Amen Corner - Hole 12

I’ll admit it, I’m a bit of a Tiger Woods fanboi. He’s a great athlete, and watching him play is always a study on competition. I love watching an event where he’s in the hunt to win, because the concentration and focus and competitive spirit he has is amazing. Say what you will about everything else, but when it comes right down to it, you play any sport to win.

So, what’s this about redemption you ask? Tiger’s personal failings of late have been very public, to say the least. Has he handled the situation well? Some parts of it; yes. Other parts not so much. I do think he’s been doing things right lately when it comes to apologizing and admitting his failures. In all honesty, there’s not much direction for Tiger to go from here but up. That’s probably the best part. When your life is laid bare before others, as VERY painful as it is, there’s something that’s also very freeing about it. You’ve been trying to live up to all these expectations that you, your parents, your fans, the media put upon you, and all of a sudden you’ve completely reset their expectations. Basically, you’re saying “Here I am. This is me raw and ugly, and you have to decide whether to take it or leave it and I can’t do anything about it anymore.”

I know there are still many, many people that hate Tiger Woods for what he’s done. I won’t disagree with you that what Tiger has done is sinful, wasn’t right, and there’s a price to pay for that. But, I have no right to judge Tiger Woods. Sin is sin, plain and simple, and I’m just as guilty a sinner as he is. I think we all are.

What I am very excited to see is the second chance that most people seem to be giving him. In watching interviews with the players, fans, and media at Augusta, there have been lots of hugs from fellow players, and fans are very excited to have him back and let him know it while he’s been playing practice rounds. Even the media, who I’m not a big fan of at all, has been pretty happy about having Tiger back and how he’s been treating the media. I heard a quote today in relation to this that said “This is a country of second chances.” That’s an awesome statement, because it’s true. People deserve to suffer consequences for their actions, but at the same time, we should continue to strive to offer people second chances, and third, fourth, etc.

People say Tiger won’t do well this weekend because he hasn’t played competitively in almost six months. That may prove true, but I think Tiger has a good chance of doing really well this weekend. I even think he could win this weekend. Why? Because all that stress he was dealing with for the last few years continually trying to cover up something is gone. He has none of that hanging over his head and instead he can go out and do one of the things he loves best, which is play golf and win.

I love the idea of second chances. I’m proud to support an organization that second chances is their primary missions: People of the Second Chance. Their basic premise is “Radical grace in life and leadership.” I would encourage you to check out the organization and do what you can to promote their message. Which one of us hasn’t needed or wanted a second chance.

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I’d like to get to know all of you, and I’m sure anyone else who reads my blog would love to get to know you too! I stole this shamelessly from my friend Alece, but I thought it was a great idea. I would love to get to know you be able to write things that apply to all of you. So thanks in advance.

Leave a comment and let me know what 10 words describe you the best.

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