The Bob Blog

1-31-12

2012-01-31T20:36:00.000-05:00

Winter Jam!!!

This past Sunday I went to a Christian music concert called Winter Jam. I had a great time. The experience wasn't without it's issues though.

The Idea

About three weeks ago I was at men's bible study and a thought occurred to me. We have a lot of kids, teens and a few young adults, so why not start putting together some type of youth group? I wasn't the only one with the idea. We all agreed this was something we should do. The next step was to decide what to do. I suggested Winter Jam. So it was decided that our first event with the youth would be to go to the concert.

The Gameplan

The plan was to leave around 4pm, get some food at Golden Corral and get to the concert around 6pm.

Not everything goes as planned.

We went to Golden Corral and wouldn't you know it, all of Elyria was there too. There were two large parties in front of us and the estimated time to be sat was almost an hour. That wasn't going to work so we decided to go to Subway.

All 20 of us walked into Subway and scared the lone worker behind the counter. Poor girl. She looked like she was about to cry. Her eyes got real big and you could see the life get sucked out of her. Luckily we were considerate and smart enough to go somewhere else. It would have taken too long to make 20 subs and this girl was about to have a panic attack.

We wound up going through the McDonalds drive through and eating on the way to the concert. By the time we got to the concert and parked we were at about 6pm.

Seating?

The concert was 10 dollars general seating. First come, first served. We arrived late so it was impossible for 20 people to sit together. We split up and tried to find at least 3 or 4 seats together. I think we were wrong about the time also because we missed the first four acts.

Always Somebody to Spoil the Fun

It's a Christian concert. There were about 15,000 people in attendance. So it would be logical that there would be a few rotten apples in the bunch.

Guess who found them?

I was standing with a few friends and we were content with standing. I had brought my camera and I thought about walking around and getting different shots of the bands. Then the MC of the concert asked if people would move inwards to open up seats near the isles so people could sit. As this was happening an usher came up to us and asked how many people we had. We said 4. He said to follow him. He placed us at for open seats near the stage. Winning!

So we were happy to sit there. I noticed that the people we were sitting around didn't move or smile. They just sat there and acted like it was torture to be at the concert. I thought that was odd.

About 20 minutes in the guy next to me says, "You stole my friends seats."

I said, "Excuse me?"

He continued to say that I stole his friends seats. Then the guy in front of me said that their friends left and we stole their seats. I told them both that we were unaware that these seats were taken and we were placed here by the usher. That quieted them.

Then during intermission the woman that was with them kept talking about how we stole their friends seats. She talked to people as if we weren't there. I kept quiet. I really wanted to say something. Those of you that know me know that my keeping quiet is quite an achievement as I am prone to making my thoughts known. :-)

Honestly, we had no idea that those seats were occupied. We thought they were what was open after everyone moved inward. The usher brought us there. There were no coats on the seats to claim them. No one said anything to the usher that they were occupied. But yet they continued to accuse us of stealing those seats.

I write about this encounter because it's things like this that make people not want to go to church. I guess I'm spoiled to be around such godly and loving people that things like this don't happen. They allowed the seat thing to ruin their entire concert experience and that is sad.

OK. Enough about party poopers...

The Concert

I will admit I didn't expect much. I have been to christian concerts before and let's just say the production value was sub par. I had seen local worship bands with better production value than some christian artists performances. To my surprise every group we saw was top notch.

What struck me the most was how great these groups sounded live. There were a few groups that I have heard their music on the local christian radio station and they sound domesticated and adult contemporary. I hear them play live and their songs came alive. They rocked it out! I will admit there were a few times I stood there with my mouth open in disbelief that the song I hear live is the same one currently in rotation on the radio.

I gotta go to more live performances.

The Message

Winter Jam was in many ways the 21st century equivalent of a tent revival. There was of course, mass marketing and all the bells and whistles you would expect. It didn't bother me though. Mainly because the producers of Winter Jam made a great case as to why they are relevant and why you should support them.

This concert was not only an opportunity to hear great bands and have fun, but to reach out to teens and young adults that are hurting. Being a teenager today is a lot harder than it was when I was a teenager and I'm not that far removed. These musical groups weren't there to just sing and get a paycheck. They truly want to touch the lives of people through their music and change lives in the process.

A message was given by Pastor Nick Hall. He knows how to talk to young people. He did a great job of bringing the gospel message home. The headliner was a band called Skillet. They are a hard rock band along the lines of Evanescence and Linkin Park. They were great. I was pretty pumped after hearing them.

Afterthoughts

I believe that the bands for Winter Fest were carefully picked and the event carefully produced. It was obvious that Winter Jam was more than just entertainment but an opportunity to connect with teens and young adults through a language that is so universal all of us know it. That is the language of music.

I am so glad I went. I know lives were changed. I have a greater appreciation for today's christian artists.

I can't wait for next year!

1-27-12: Addendum

2012-01-27T11:15:00.000-05:00

Reconciliation...

First, I noticed that I still keep putting 2011 as the year. I updated my posts to display 2012. oops!

So the other day I sent an email to a couple that I know in regards to reconciliation. A little over a year ago I broke off our friendship because things just didn't seem to be in the right place. There was something broken that I didn't feel at the time could be fixed. Time has past and I am in a place where I'm strong enough to work things out.

They are not.

The response to my email was disappointing but not unexpected. Like I said, there is a reason I broke things off.

In situations like this you have to meet people where they are. In this case my friends aren't really in place to move forward. That's okay though.

At least they know where I stand. They know that I harbor no ill will and I look forward to a different and more positive future. I pray that they will one day see the same thing.

1-27-12

2012-01-27T10:22:00.001-05:00

A Week of Illness...

This has been an exhausting week. I've spent a great deal of time in hospitals or visiting people who are sick.

Monday and Tuesday I was supposed to take a friend from church to work but he had to call off because his kids were throwing up. He wound up taking them to the hospital. I would get on facebook and I saw numerous status updates by friends saying they were sick. There must be a bug going round.

Wednesday I found out my cousin was in the hospital for kidney failure. I went up to visit him. I plan on visiting today too. He's feeling better but his kidneys still aren't working at full capacity.

Probably the most emotional for me was taking a young man from my neighborhood to University Hospital to see his mom. His mom had a brain aneurism and they did surgery. He had been trying to get to her for two days. Many of my neighbors don't have vehicles so they depend on others to help them get to where they are going. I took him to the west side to see if he could get a ride and no one would help. He got extremely upset. I told him I would take him.

We got to University Hospital and he was able to spend some time with his mom. She's doing better but she's not out of the woods yet. Before we left I prayed over her. I plan on keeping in touch with this family. There is a lot going on and they truly need God's strength right now. Actually there are a lot of people, my family included that need God's strength right now.

Ghana Update

I was able to chat with Pastor Ben online the other day. He and his family are still struggling with the emotions in the aftermath of the attack on his daughter. Pastor Ben is a wise man and the Lord is with him. He said that God is working. The good news is that his daughter's fiance is not going to leave her. That is wonderful news. That is all the information I have for now.

It's Friday and I'm beat. Ready for the weekend.

1-25-12

2012-01-25T08:20:00.000-05:00

Finished Exodus!

I just finished reading the book of Exodus. It's a great continuation of Genesis. I'm amazed that their is such a controversy over who wrote the first five books of the Old Testament. I've done my own research and the writing style plus geographical information is distinctly Egyptian in nature. You would have to deduce that Moses, being raised by Egyptian royalty would naturally be the author. I sometimes think that scholars have too much time on their hands and they come up with controversies just to write papers.

So Exodus opens up about 400 years after Joseph. The Israelites are great in number and the powers that be in Egypt don't like that. So they enslave the Israelites and kill their first born children for population control. Think if it as a crude ancient method of abortion. Moses's mother places him in a basket and into the Nile river where he is found by Egyptian royalty and raised as their own. Moses grows up and see the plight of his people. In the process he kills and Egyptian guard and flees into the desert. There is where Moses talks to God(burning bush) and is commanded to return to Egypt and deliver his people.

I love the first half of Exodus. The story of the ten plagues and the passover still gives me goosebumps. I'm spoiled by the animated movie "The Prince of Egypt." I think that movie is the best depiction of what happened. The parting of the Red Sea in that movie is amazing! I grew up reading the story of Moses. It is one of my favorites.

On a side note, scientists believe there is some validity to the ten plague story. Scientists believe that the volcanic eruption that destroyed the island of Thera may have been the catylist for the resulting plagues. Such a volcanic eruption would have triggered chemical changes in water, changes in animal patterns and migration and a whole slew of other things. The only thing it doesn't explain is the killing of the fist born and the parting of a large body of water.

The second half of Exodus I didn't care for that much. I understand it's significance though. The second half tends to spend a lot of time on the specifications for the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle. As we all know the Ark of the Covenant was recovered by Indiana Jones and killed all the Nazi's. (joke) The Tabernacle is the temporary worship place where God's presence resided among the Israelite people. I must admit I didn't read the specification chapters as in depth as the rest of Exodus.

The highlights of the second half of Exodus are when Moses meets with God to get the Law. Imagery of a cloud with lightning and thunder sitting atop a mountain. Moses wanting to see God's face (glory) and God telling him that no man can see His face and live. I love this stuff.

I have a number of complaints though. The first one is that the Israelite people are dense as all get out. They just experienced God delivering them from the Egyptians. They escaped through a parted sea for crying out loud, but yet the continued to complain and doubt when things got hard. Moses was gone longer than they expected on the mountaintop and they decide to build a golden calf and worship fake gods. Really...dense.

But aren't we like that though? How many of us feel all spiritual and great on Sunday at church and as soon as we leave we turn back to our grumpy selves? Maybe we are as dense as they are?

My second critique is the conversation that Moses has with God about the golden calf. God is ready to wipe the Israelites out and start over with Moses. Moses talks God out of destroying them. I may need to study this passage because it just doesn't fit for me. God keeps his promises. Why would he break his promise and start over with Moses? Why does God need talked out of something by Moses? Is this a test for Moses? I really don't know. The entire scenario doesn't jive with the rest of the book. I'll have to look into this.

I'm starting Leviticus today. Leviticus tends to be a hard read. It's all about laws and offerings for certain sins. Luckily I don't have to read more than three chapters a day. I'll keep you posted.

1-19-12

2012-01-19T16:50:00.000-05:00

Bob and the Art of Social Justice...

Recently I have been bothered by things I see around me. Enough so that I've had to take a stand and say something. Other things have touched my heart and I feel compelled to reach out.

Martin Luther King who?

I work on a college campus. Monday the college was closed for Dr. King's birthday. Tuesday classes resumed and around noon there was a presentation to celebrate his birthday in the campus meeting area. There were guest speakers and local activist leaders.

Do you know how many people attended?

Seven. Well five actually. Two of those in attendance were media.

While this was happening the Starbucks was packed and the Apple store in the college bookstore was busy.

Good to know the future of America has their priorities straight.

I Don't Care What You Call It, Hate is Hate!

I am friends with Bobby who is the head of the LCCC Pride organization on campus. He's one of the friendliest and most helpful people on campus. LCCC for whatever reason makes it very difficult to get an organization started on campus. Bobby is good with getting things done.

The Pride group is an openly gay organization that promotes tolerance and understanding among students. Pride also provides a place for gay students to socialize and experience community. Someone this past week went into the LCCC Pride office cubicle and wrote "Kill all Gays" on one of their flyers.

That upsets and troubles me greatly.

I don't care what your feelings are about homosexuality. There is no excuse for this! I have stated this before and I'll say it again. When we start to look at people or groups as "they" or "them" we begin to view them as not human. Once a person or group is dehumanized then we can justify doing anything to them.

What happened to the Pride group is hate.

There is no place for this.

Bobby and the members of the Pride group don't deserve to be treated like this either.

The Returning Soldier

Recently I read an article about a photo of some marines urinating on the bodies of some dead Taliban. I didn't finish the article. It upset me too much.

President Obama has recently brought our troops home from Iraq. Sadly the urination picture story has gotten more press than our troops coming home.

In the name of freedom we place our men and women in uniform into positions to exercise the lowest common denominator of human interaction. We send them to kill. We send them for long durations to foreign countries where the temptation to fill the void of loneliness is overwhelming. There are acts of heroism in war, but there are also acts of cowardice and debauchery. For every Purple Heart there is a Gitmo or Mai Lai.

I think about what led those marines to do what they did. I think about what they must go through over there. I'm not making excuses for what they did. I just think about the baggage they bring home.

I started thinking about what we could do as a church. What could we do to help relieve our soldiers of the mental, emotional and spiritual bagged they bring home with them?

I have ideas. I'll keep you posted.

The N-Word

I was at the college gym locker room this morning. While I was in there a young african-american guy decided to play a song he had on his phone while he got dressed. I was washing up and all I could hear was the f-word, references to women's genitalia and the n-word. This song was nothing more than verbal pornography.

The more I heard the angrier I got. After about 1 minute of this I turned around and in a loud and forceful voice told this guy to turn that song off. I think I scared him. I told him that I do NOT want to hear the n-word.

I didn't stop there.

I asked him why he would listen to something like that. To me the n-word is the most disgusting and deplorable word in the English language. Anyone who thinks that it's a cultural term of endearment to the black community is an idiot and a fool. They have bought into the lie that a word that demeans an entire race of people is acceptable.

I have a friend from Africa who is a missionary in Ghana. His family is going through hell right now in the name of Christ. To say that the n-word is a term of endearment to him and his family or the people he ministers to is a slap in the face.

I hate this word. I HATE IT!!!!!!

This young african-american guy didn't answer me. He just lowered his head, grabbed his bag and left the locker room.

Helen Keller

A friend on Facebook thought it cute to post a pic of some black squares with the caption "The Adventures of Helen Keller."

I didn't find that funny.

For anyone who knows Helen Keller's story she is an example of someone overcoming their handicap and living a wonderful life. She overcame blindness and deafness to experience the day to day things that we take for granted.

The irony is that Helen Keller made more of an impact with her handicaps than most people do with full sight and hearing.

Reconciliation

There is an american-indian man in my neighborhood. He let me borrow an Indian history book. I have read it. Most of the history I already knew. The thing is he is very bitter. He hurts.

My thought for him is how can he have peace? How can there be reconciliation?

I have been listening to an Native-American Pastor named Richard Twiss. He went through a lot of the bitterness. He also has gone through the shunning of his own culture in the name of fitting in as an evangelical christian. He has a lot of truth that I feel can help my friend. I plan on sharing with him.

I'll keep you posted.

For the Kingdom

The more I try to live for the kingdom the more sensitive I become to the actions and words that divide us as people. I think about the healing in my own life. I think about the grace I have received. I want that for so many people.

I want wars to end.

I want a people burdened with loss of culture and home to find another in Christ.

I want an entire race of people to have self-respect.

I want people to quit dehumanizing each other to the point of hate.

I want that which divides us to be healed.

I want to share with everyone the only place where this can be a reality.

...that is in The Kingdom of God

1-17-12

2012-01-17T09:12:00.000-05:00

Good and Bad...

Training

I like to call myself the reverse gym rat. Have you ever seen those guys at the gym who have these massive upper bodies and stick legs? Well I have strong legs and no upper body. I still have yet to find my ceiling on the squat. My legs get stronger the more I sprint. I may have to spend more time on my upper body to compensate. It's not uncommon for different parts of the body to make bigger gains than other parts. I must be mindful of that.

Exodus

I'm enjoying Exodus. I just got through the 10 plagues and the exodus from Egypt. I'm up to chapter 21. Moses has just received the 10 commandments. Moses's father-in-law is named Jethro which I think is funny. Interestingly enough Jethro understands democracy. Moses is judging Israel by himself and Jethro suggests to Moses to find able men to delegate smaller items to. Kind of like electing representatives and having a city council. I found this interesting.

I'm also fascinated at how easy the people of Israel start to complain when the going get's tough. They just witnessed some of the most amazing miracles anyone has ever seen in their lifetime. They just passed through a large body of water unscathed and yet they forget and complain. Aren't we the same way? Even in my own life I sometimes forget that God has delivered me from so many things. Yet I find time to complain. Fortunately for the Israelites God hears them complain and blesses them with food and water to drink. God still provides. That is a great lesson for me. No matter how much I complain God provides. He like to remind me and his people of who He is.

Something HORRIBLE!!! Please pray

I have a friend who runs a ministry in Africa. His oldest daughter was brutally beaten and raped. He and his family have been through so much and this is another blow. I don't want to go into too much detail. Just pray for my friend, his daughter and his family.

In the midst of such a horrible event I can only think of what I've read in Exodus.

God will provide.

1-11-12

2012-01-11T17:28:00.000-05:00

Genesis...

I decided to try one of those read the bible in one year thingies! So far I'm doing pretty good with keeping up every day. I read about 3 or 4 chapters a day. It's been a while since I read Genesis in it's entirety. I usually do studies on parts that are relevant to the topic I'm researching.

My thoughts on Genesis?

There is a whole lot of history crammed into this book. Maybe too much. Thankfully it slows down once Abraham moves to where he's supposed to be. The last third of Genesis deals with Abraham, Issac, Jacob and Joseph.

There is a lot of description and detail when it comes to places and civilizations. I wanted to stop and study but that negates a daily reading doesn't it. I will say that if you are doing a surface reading of Genesis like I am, the details don't matter that much. Focus on Abraham's family and you pretty much got it covered.

At first glance one would think that the only thing God has going is a mission to annoy and test Abraham and his family. If you look deeper you will realize that God is testing but he's teaching lessons to Abraham and his family. He's grooming them to be the nation they will become in the future. Through the experiences and trials they go through Abraham, Issac and Jacob go from a dysfunctional family to wealthy men of integrity who God has blessed.

Joseph is a great story. I am always encouraged by Joseph and his amazing technicolor dream coat! It's a story of reconciliation and family now matter how messed up a relationship is.

So why spend so much time on Abraham's family?

God found favor with Abraham and promised that he would make his descendants a mighty nation. It's the story of how Abraham's line began to see this promise come true. Land was promised also. All of this plays a huge role on Exodus.

By the end of Genesis, Joseph and his brothers were living in the land of Egypt. Their families were growing and their wealth increasing.

As they say, to be continued.....

1-7-12

2012-01-08T00:19:00.001-05:00

Visiting and Old Friend...

Today was a very good day. I spend most of it with an old friend.

Her name is Theresa Lesko. Her husband Joe and her son Matt were good friends with me and my parents. Joe past away a few years ago from Leukemia and Matt is married now and lives out of state. Theresa still lives in the same place and I decide to go over and say hello. It's been a while. I have a list of people I need to make time and see.

The last time I saw Theresa she wasn't doing well. She was still struggling with the loss of Joe. We talked but I didn't know what to say to be an encouragement. This time she was in better spirits. It was great to hear how God was working on healing her and showing her that she is a stronger person than she gives herself credit for. I was excited because it sounds like she's ready to step out and be active in ministry again. I encouraged her to visit the plant church in Lorain. I think she would like it.

I must say, I miss Joe. My dad and Joe were really good friends. My mom and dad and Joe and Theresa went up to Toronto one time to see the Phantom of the Opera. They had a blast. Joe was the most amazing man of God I've ever met. We had such wonderful times together.

It's strange. Joe passed away in February of 2006. My parents were gone three months later.

I plan on visiting Theresa more often. I enjoyed my time with her today. It wasn't depressing or sad because of who we lost. It was nice to sit with an old friend, someone I grew up with and catch up.

I need to see Matt and his wife when they come into town. He has a child too. I used to teach him in Sunday school.

Gosh I feel old! :-)

1-5-12

2012-01-05T22:46:00.001-05:00

Power Cleans and Fiestadas!!!!

New Year's Post

I would like to thank everyone for the kind words in response to my January 1 post. It meant a lot. I am very much encouraged by the new year. I'm also encouraged by what God has in store for the future.

You Don't Know How to Power Clean?

I'm trying to incorporate as many full body lifts that increase explosiveness as possible. One of the best lifts to do that is the Power Clean. It's a staple for any serious sprinter or footballer. It's been years since I have done the lift and I don't want to attempt the lift without someone overseeing my form. That way I don't injure myself. After a few days of asking around, I can't seem to find anyone that knows how to perform this lift.

Are you kidding me?

To make a long story short, I'm going to go to Pittsburgh and hang out with a buddy of mine who runs his own personal training business. He's going to work with me on getting my Power Clean form correct.

I'll tell you this. I'm going to plug the heck out of his business every chance I get.

The Fiestada

One of the highlights of attending the Amherst Exempted Village Schools Education System is something called the fiestada.

What is a fiestada? It is sometimes called the Mexican Pizza. It's a pentagon shaped bastion of oh so yummy goodness. I have no idea what it is made of. All I know is that I can mention the word fiestada on facebook and Amherst Schools alumni will immediately go nuts commenting and liking your status. I do believe the fiestada is the highlight of our years in school.

I found out that they still sell the fiestada at lunch. I'm totally going to Amherst and getting me a fiestada.

Fiestadas are like catnip for Amherst students.

1-1-12

2012-01-01T22:10:00.000-05:00

2011 in Review...

2011 was an amazing year. It didn't start out that way.

The first three months were kinda bumpy. Actually they were very bumpy. Just enough to snap me out of a downward spiral that I didn't want to go down.

By the grace of God I was able to bounce back. I would like to share with you some of the highlights and wisdom that I listened to which made this year one of the most exciting times of my life.

Dig into the Word

This was the main advise my boss gave me. This is probably the most important advise too. See, I have a bad problem of retreating inward and sulking. I become broody and melancholy. Not the funnest person to be around. So instead of wallowing in my guilt and sorrow I opened up the Bible and started reading. I searched the scriptures diligently for answers and promises of comfort that would give me peace. The more I read the more I started to understand that every problem is spiritual. Pop psychology wasn't going to cure what ails me.

Re-Renewing Your Mind

Romans chapter 12 talks about not conforming to this world and looking at yourself with sober judgment. It also talks about renewing your mind. I'm not a novice when it comes to scripture. I've read this numerous times. I went to see a counselor about the issues I was having. I've gotten to a point where I couldn't deal with these issues on my own. Actually, that was precisely the problem. We'll get to that later. I had been told by other psychologists that because of the trauma from the shooting my mind had been rewired. Dr. Schaffer's solution was to make Romans 12 the main focal point. But instead of renewing my mind. We were re-renewing my mind.

Grace

I love this word. I'm getting emotional just writing about it. Grace by it's very nature is powerful. It's something none of us deserve. Actions have consequences. Grace not only takes away the consequences but lifts you up regardless. I was extended grace and I will forever be thankful and grateful. Through the extension of grace I came to realize that I did't fully understand what grace is. I needed to understand grace fully. One of the first things that I learned is how high the cost is to the person who extends the grace. In essence they pay your penalty. Someone paid my penalty.

Which Bob is More Dependent on God?

Since the shooting I have lived with a duality. I've longed to get back to a normal life. My idea of normal was the life I had before the shooting. My life was pretty easy. I went to college, hung out with friends and my biggest problem was when a paper was due. After the shooting I've had to deal with things I wouldn't want wished upon anyone.

So I was having lunch with a pastor friend and I was trying to explain to him this duality. I told him how I just wanted to get back to my normal comfortable care free life. After I was done telling him this he looked at me and asked, "So the Bob you were before the shooting and the Bob you are now, which one is more dependent on God?" I had to think a minute. After some careful thought I answered that the Bob I am now is more dependent. That's when he smiled and said, "Then maybe that is the Bob you should try to be."

That hit me like a ton of bricks. It never occurred to me. I have spent so much time trying to be someone that no longer exists. Instead I've become frustrated, angry and anxious. It was time to stop pining for a person that no longer was. It is time to let God show me the person he wants me to be.

Hallowed be Your Name!

I was listening to a John Piper podcast about the Lord's Prayer. Dr. Piper dissected the prayer line by line. What he revealed was incredible to me. He said that "Hallowed be your name" wasn't a phrase of description it was a call to action. So in essence when your recite the Lord's prayer you are commanded to make God's name holy. When His kingdom comes his name is hallowed. When His will is done His name is hallowed. When you forgive others their trespasses His name is hallowed.

That's awesome! Obedience became easy that day.

After listening to that I felt like I was truly part of the kingdom of God. I felt like I could stand in the throne room of God and kneel in front of Him and say to my king, "HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME!!!!"

The Book of James, love Dad

I blogged about this a few months ago. I'm still blessed by this. I found my fathers' study guide on the book of James. It was full of his notes. James is a great book to study for practical living. It was my dad's favorite book to teach. I sorely miss my dad's advice and council. Finding his study guide was like my dad trying to teach me one more life lesson from beyond the grave.

Philippians

This book helped to guide me towards things I should think about and take delight in.

Philippians 4:4-8 says,

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Prayer became a focus. Going to God in prayer when I became anxious became a necessity.

Focusing on things that delight God made the next verses a lot easier to deal with.

Philippians 2:3 says

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."

This is easier said than done. But when your heart is set on the things that delight God it does become easier. There is one person in my life that I can honestly say it has been a struggle to treat better than myself. I've tried to justify my treatment of this person in my head but what it comes down to is plain selfish ambition and conceit. It doesn't matter whether I'm justified or not. I am to treat everyone with humility and respect.

Remember, when this is done His name is hallowed. When you respect others it honors God.

Applications and Encounters

The first one would be when I began attending a men's bible study at my church. The men are older than I am and it has been good to be around husbands and fathers that I can seek wisdom and guidance from. There isn't a lot I can say because what is talked about in our group stays in our group. The confidentiality is paramount. Just know that the transparency is refreshing and this has been a great encounter.

The next would be meeting my roommate Kevin. Kevin is truly a righteous man. His humility and wisdom is contagious. It's been wonderful having a roommate that I can depend upon and confide in. We keep each other accountable and we build each other up. We live in a low resource neighborhood and we both are able to minister to our community. It's a great feeling to go to war with a valued brother in Christ.

A friend of mine called me one evening and shared with me what I call the call to action. She said that God had told her to tell me that I needed to serve. Not in the way that I'm accustomed to but in a more intimate and personal way. For many years I have served in an administrative capacity. I've started groups or been the head of organizations but It's been a long time since I took time to deal with real people. She felt that God was telling her to tell me that I needed to serve others. I had become calloused towards others different than me. I needed to reconnect.

Interestingly enough. A week after she told me this I moved to a poor neighborhood. Ha!

The Plant Church

I wasn't living at Kevin's a week before some folks showed up at the door. At first I thought they were Jehovah's Witnesses but then I saw someone that I knew with them. They were from a plant church in the area and they were knocking on doors asking people if they could pray for them. I immediately became interested and soon started going to their weekly meetings.

This was in August. Today I am very much involved with the plant church. We are called The Refuge. We want to be a place of prayer and healing to our community. South Lorain needs it. I'm blessed to fellowship with some dynamic Christians. I expect miracles to happen. I'm very excited about what God is doing with this church and I can't wait to see what happens moving forward.

Putting it All Together

Since the shooting I've dealt with a lot of the after affects on my own. At first that seemed like a good idea. It wasn't. I leaned on my own understanding and tried to find my own solutions. All the while people were telling me how strong I was. People kept telling me how I have a purpose. It's safe to say that I started to buy into the hype. I'm not saying that God wasn't working in my life. I will say that I let Him work on my terms and at my discretion.

2011 is the year that God put an end to me being in control.

I am His soldier.

I am His slave.

I write this post to testify to the wonderful grace that was shown me this past year.

I write this to acknowledge the people who have entered my life who may or may not know that they were instrumental in directing me on a path of dependence on God for my peace of mind.

I write this so that others may know that when you seek God out, study his word and pray to Him that he listens. He will not forsake you.

2011 was an amazing year. I have full faith that 2012 will be even better!

Hallowed be His name!

The Death of Optimus Prime

2011-12-31T03:38:00.001-05:00

Anyone that knows me can attest to the fact that I love Transformers. I've been a fan of Transformers since I was a little kid. It's something I've never grown out of. I love the concept, the mythology and the characters.

When I was a kid the Transformers cartoon and comic was nothing more than glorified toy commercials. The characters were fleshed out enough to make them interesting and collectable. There was enough personality to make every 8 year old boy want Bumblebee, Jazz, Iron Hide or Starscream for Christmas. Today it's a different story. Many of those kids grew up and are now working at Hasbro, in Hollywood or at comic book companies. These adults remember their favorite cartoon characters and are giving them a better treatment then they got in the 80's. Today we can watch Michael Bay movies where the robots have more depth than the human characters (sorry Meghan Fox). There are video games with amazing story telling. My favorite so far is IDW's Transformers comic book line.

It is the comic book that I want to focus on.

The greatest of all Transformers is the legendary Autobot leader Optimus Prime. To me he symbolizes the 80's. He's a mixture of John Wayne and Ronald Reagan wrapped in a red and blue semi. He's the noble leader with a strict sense of honor. He believes that freedom is the right of all sentient beings and he's willing to fight anyone or any thing to protect that right. Seems almost American doesn't it? The poster boy for US foreign policy.

Since the 80's Hasbro has tried to boost sales with gimmicks. One of those gimmicks is to kill of Optimus Prime. They did it in a 1986 animated movie. They have done it numerous times in the Marvel comic. So I was saddened to see that the current comic book company to own the Transformers title (IDW) decided to do the same thing.

I bought the issue The Death of Optimus Prime. I was surprised at the outcome.

I have always believed that good science fiction tells a story relevant to today's events in a fictional setting. Movies and shows that entertain us yet make us question our perception of things is to me the high art of storytelling. IDW has taken the Transformers story and moved into this direction. No longer is the comic a 32 page commercial.

For those that don't know, the Transformers are a robotic race of beings that can morph their bodies into alternate modes. These modes can be vehicles, planes or weapons. The Transformers are fighting a civil war which has lasted millions of years on their planet Cybertron. The heroic Autobots led by Optimus Prime fight the evil Decepticons led by Megatron. Their war has spilled over onto countless planets including earth.

In the IDW comic, the war is over. The Autobots have won. Over the centuries the cybertronians that didn't align themselves with the Autobots or Decepticons fled Cybertron to escape the civil war. Now that the war is over they are returning home. The cybertronians are not happy at the war torn planet they are returning to and they view the Autobots as occupiers. They want the Autobots gone and things are getting violent. Doesn't this sound familiar? Some may say that we are occupying countries in the middle east. There are those in the middle east that don't want us there.

Optimus Prime takes stock on the situation. He sees tensions rise. He also sees that for Cybertron to flourish everyone must work together. So Optimus gives a speech to the newly repatriated Cybertronians. He tells them that his soldiers have fought for their right to return and live in peace. Because of this his Autobot army should be allowed to live in peace also. Their war is over. Optimus tells them that he understands that he is a symbol of the war that tor them from their home and that if he stays his presence will only be a reminder of the pain and suffering everyone has gone through. So Optimus Prime decides to leave and never return.

So where does Optimus Prime die?

Before he was Optimus Prime, he was a Cybertronian named Orion Pax. When the war started his character and integrity led Orion Pax to be entrusted with the Autobot Matrix of Leadership and to be named Optimus Prime, witch is the equivalent of a 5 star general. No longer Orion Pax, Optimus Prime has fought for over 4 million years. He's seen countless friends die and planets destroyed because of their war.

Now that the war is over Orion Pax can lay down his weapons.

Optimus Prime can be laid to rest.

The last page of the comic is Optimus flying away from Cybertron. The Transformers version of riding off into the sunset.

I found this fitting for one of my most beloved childhood characters.

12-30-11

2011-12-30T23:33:00.001-05:00

Productive Cleaning... Today I spent my day cleaning dishes and most of the kitchen. I took the groceries I bought Wednesday and placed everything in the appropriate Tupperware. That way I can easily make my food during the week. My computer room is a huge mess. That was my task for the day. I needed to reorganize and situate everything so I can work easier. Cleaning the computer room took most of the day. It's immaculate and functional now. yay! Now I get to sit down and catch up on blog posts. Well, I think I'll call it a day.

12-29-11

2011-12-29T23:29:00.000-05:00

Getting Out of the Drive Lag... I slept in again. It's vacation, right? I went to the gym. I needed to do something to snap my body out of it's funk. I got on an elliptical machine to warm up and then did a great leg workout. My evening was spend over a friends house listening to a presentation for a business opportunity. It was interesting and I will keep it in mind. Right now my time is limited and I don't see myself investing both time and resources into this venture. It was fun to hang out though. The meeting ended a little after 10pm. I was starting to get tired. More sleep!

12-28-11

2011-12-28T23:25:00.000-05:00

Relaxing... I slept in. I needed the rest. My first priority was to clean Charley's bed items. I took all of his stuff and went to the laundromat. I also had to clean the comforter on my bed because my cat Buffy got hair all over it. When I was finished I ran by the church office to see Pastor Brian. I got us lunch and I helped install blinds on the front door of the office. Afterwards we sat around and just talked about our Christmas and what we God doing in South Lorain. It was a good time. In the evening I went grocery shopping. I needed to restock on food. I got my chicken, tilapia and a bunch of veggies. I went to bed early. Still tired from the trip.

12-27-11

2011-12-27T23:14:00.000-05:00

The Long Trip Home... I left Sioux Falls around 4am. I didn't get much sleep so I downed a few Monster energy drinks on my trip. I was able to see Iowa during the day. Most of the day actually. I spent 8 of the 15 hours in Iowa. I traveled half the height and all the length of Iowa on route 29 and 80. I love he windmills in Iowa. They are the large kind like in Palm Springs. Very tranquil. Not like those smaller propeller windmills that spin so fast you expect them to take off. My trip was relaxing and I took time to stop and take in some sights. The trip got anxious when I got to Chicago. I got there around rush hour. Not good. When I got to Indiana I hit freezing rain. I wasn't expecting this. I check the weather before I left and it said clear skies all the way home. I was a tad bit disgruntled over this weather oversight. It didn't help that every snowplow was out. It looked like they were preparing for a huge storm. I got home around 11pm. I was happy to get into my bed and crash. I was pretty darn tired. Charley was happy to see me. I think he missed me. :-)

12-26-11

2011-12-26T23:06:00.000-05:00

Records Are Meant to be Broken... Today was yet another relaxing day in South Dakota. The weather is very warm for this time of year. Usually it's snowy and with a sub-zero temperature. Not this year. It was warm enough for us to head to the track outside for a workout. Well, not that warm. I tried to run a lap for a warm up and my muscles were so tight from the drive up that I didn't practice. My brother had one of his college kids come out and run sprints. I kept an eye on his form. When he finished his sprint I told Chris if he had proper arm movement, etc. We were outside for a little over an hour. The sun went behind the clouds and the wind was pretty frigid. We went back home and had steak. Yum! Later in the day we went to the training center and I met two people that are pretty darn good track athletes. One was national champ in the 800m and the other was a 3 time national champ in the long jump. Chris trained the long jumper of course. :-) The highlight of the evening was heading to BW3's and watching Drew Breese break Marino's passing record. What a suspenseful game. Breese tore up the Atlanta Falcon secondary. It looked like he would break the record in the third quarter. Then the Saints offense just sputtered. We went crazy. It was like we were being teased. Then, like something out of a movie, Breese broke the record on a touchdown pass near the end of the game. Crazy! We went back home and went to bed. Chris has to get up early for work and I am leaving early to head back to Ohio. It was a good trip.

12-25-11

2011-12-25T13:10:00.000-05:00

Christmas Day! We woke up and watched some television until it was ready to go to the training facility again. It's closed but Chris has access so we had the place to ourselves. Then we went back to the house and watched more television until dinner was ready. Gift-both me and my brother exchanged gift certificates. It's easier to manage because neither of us have the imagination to shop for each other. ha ha! Later that night we watch the Green Bay vs. Chicago game and then went to bed. From face value it looks like my Christmas vacation is a little bland or uneventful compared to the hooplah that most people have. Well, I guess if you look at it that way then it is a little bland. I look at it this way. I haven't seen my brother in a year and a half. I traveled 14 hours and I'm kinda tired. I have been going non-stop for the past few months now. So if my brother and I think a good time is working out and then vegging out on a couch watching monster fishing, then we rocked it out this Christmas season! I'm just glad to see him. He's all I have left.

12-24-11

2011-12-24T12:58:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve... Chris and I slept in. We got up around noon. The day was spent shopping for groceries and a trip to the training facility for a workout. Later on in the evening we went to some of the homes of people my brother trains to wish them all a Merry Christmas. I watched a show on Animal Planet about a guy that fishes for supposed monsters in waters all over the world. It's a cool show.

12-23-11

2011-12-23T23:30:00.000-05:00

Road Trip to South Dakota I got up at 6am to begin my trip. I had a few bills to pay and some errands to run before I got on the road. I was able to finish everything around noon. I left Lorain around 1pm. I made good time getting through Ohio. There wasn’t a lot of traffic and the new 70 mph speed limit helped. I had two choices of routes to take. I could head north through Chicago and drive through Wisconsin or I could shoot across 80 into Iowa and then head north up to Sioux Falls. They were both the same mileage so I decided to stay on 80. I just went straight through Indiana and Illinois. The trip started to get long once I passed Chicago. I think it was because the speed limit went from 70 to 55. Everything slowed down exponentially. It seemed like forever for the speed limit to get back to 65 at least. I didn’t speed either. The most I went was 5 mph over. I have cruise control and that was quite lovely. I purchased a book on audio called “Radical” by Platt. It’s an amazing book. Platt takes a hard look at the some of the harder sayings and commands of Jesus in the gospels. He shows that Jesus said these things to show the cost of discipleship and what it means to truly follow him. Everyone likes Jesus’s love and peace message but when He says to take up your cross and follow him or that your family will hate you because of Him, well, we overlook that. Platt brings it all together in a compelling and exciting call to express your faith beyond the comfy confines of our American middle-class existence. I was done with the book by the time I got to Iowa. I was in Iowa for what seemed like forever. I drove across the state and then made an immediate turn north. It was dark by then. Not a lot to see. I can’t wait to take the trip back in daylight. I need to get more pics. I got to Chris’s around 3:30 am EST. I had some issues finding his street in Sioux Falls. My directions were pretty good until I got into the city. That was upsetting. I finally found his street. Chris let me in. We said hello and then he went back to bed. I’m exhausted. It was a good trip.

12-19-11

2011-12-19T08:57:00.001-05:00

Dynamic Stretching... So it's the new thing! Dynamic stretching. C'mon everyone let's do it! Yeah. So I guess no one in the track world does static stretching anymore. For those not in the know static stretching is when you bend over to touch your toes for thirty seconds. That's old news. I like dynamic stretching though. It makes more sense to me than regular stretching. Not only are you becoming flexible but you're warming up the muscles at the same time. I'm not very coordinated right now, especially when I'm still acclimating to having one eye. But it's a challenge and I'm enjoying it. Here's a video of dynamic stretching I found on youtube that shows some of the stretches.

12-18-11

2011-12-19T07:01:00.001-05:00

One Body, Many Parts...

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. I Corinthians 12:12-14

One of the projects I am working on is a video for the Vietnam missions team at Church of the Open Door. Right now I'm recording as much video as I can. Sunday the missions team and I drove to Akron and attended a Vietnamese worship service at The Chapel. It was their Christmas service. The first hour was filled with Christmas songs sung by individual members and the church choir. The service was bi-lingual. Afterwards there was a pot luck dinner made entirely of Vietnamese food. It was delicious. I'm glad I made two plates my first time through the line because when I went for seconds there was hardly anything left. It was amazing to be there. I got to see people who are my brothers and sisters in Christ worship in their own culture and in their own way. That's the thing I like about authentic Christianity. The message of Jesus never changes but it's delivery does. The gospel transcends culture, politics and boundaries. That's how you can tell it's genuine. I'm sure all of us have been to churches where it feels tyrannical or dogmatic. The gospel is stifling and oppressive. That's when I say run and never look back! I felt relaxed and comfortable there. I was able to plug in, worship and leave with a sense of compassion for my Vietnamese church family. I hope one day to visit them again. I got enough footage for the missions video. I just need a few more shots of filler video and then I'm good. I'll work on it over the Christmas holiday and hopefully I'll have a final draft the first week of the new year. Awesome Sunday!

12-17-11

2011-12-17T11:29:00.000-05:00

How Things Have Changed... So I have been training for the 400 meter dash. So far it has been a great experience. My body is keeping up with the stress and I have been sleeping a lot better. I have been doing some research on training and I have noticed that the 400 meter has gotten extremely technical. I used to just train and run that event full out. I mean it really is a full sprint around the track. How hard can that be. Now I'm reading about maximum speed attainment, lactic-acid phase, anaerobic phase etc. It's quite confusing. Last thing I want is to be training and thinking about if I'm in a lactic-acid phase or not. I may need some help to figure this out. I really don't know where I am in regards to the 400. I don't want to just train until my body falls apart. I want results. I want to compete. I want my freakin awesome washboard stomach back! So I will scour the internet looking for people that know what's up. I'll find out what I need to do and get to it. I'm pretty excited about this!

12-14-11

2011-12-14T07:37:00.000-05:00

There Goes the Neighborhood...

I'll start with good news first. Track practice went well last night. I am learning that my endurance needs a lot of work. I ran 8 x 200's with 3 minutes rest. The first three felt great. I was flying. Then I started to sputter. By the last one I felt like I was jogging in place and I just concentrated on form. It's been a while since I've felt like puking after a workout. Puking means it was a good workout....that or food poisoning.

Now for the bad news.

There have been some awful things happen in my neighborhood in the past two weeks. One of the young girls that live across the street was attacked and almost raped. Her story made the local paper. There is a lot more to that story but I'll leave it out. let's just say it could have been worse, if you can believe that.

I have another neighbor that is verbally and physically abusive to his girlfriend. He drinks a lot and when he gets drunk he torments her. I know this because they always seem to have drama at 2am on the front porch outside. The police are at his place regularly.

Lastly I found out last night that another of my neighbors was stabbed. There is an individual in the neighborhood who runs their mouth and she tried to ignore him. He didn't like that so he walked up to her and stabbed her. She was life flighted to Cleveland.

Ever since it started to get cold there have been negative things going on in my neighborhood. I would ask that you keep me, my roommate Kevin and my neighbors in prayer. We desperately need it. The darkness is moving and we need to push it away.

Almost forgot, Kevin has a really bad cold. He could be in an nyQuil commercial it's so bad. Pray for quick restoration to health.

Glad to be working on the internet all day. It's a total escape from everything.

12-13-11

2011-12-13T15:11:00.000-05:00

Fishing Races...

Running makes me tired!

Last night I did a double workout. I went to the Oberlin indoor facility and ran my track workout. Then I went to the gym and did chest/shoulders/abs. It must have been one heck of a workout because I went to bed and didn't wake up till work.

I'll have to double up tonight too. Hopefully I won't be as tired tonight as I was last night.

Finished the Bachelors

It took forever but I finally got it finished. My grade has been posted and I immediately had the transcript sent to Fairmont State for acceptance. Once that is taken care of I can complete the graduation paperwork and I was told I would receive my degree in the mail sometime around the end of January. I plan on attending the graduation ceremony in May. I have my graduation party in West Virginia. I would like to celebrate with my WV friends and church family. Who knows? I may have a party in Ohio too.

The future?

I plan on going to grad school. I would like to get a masters in theology. What would be great is if there was degree with an emphasis in church planting or urban ministry. That is the direction I would like to go.

It's good to have one chapter of my life complete. Now I can focus on a new one.

12-11-11

2011-12-11T23:44:00.000-05:00

Running the Race

I wrote this to a friend to encourage her as she began running. It's my experience and philosophy when it comes to running.

Thanks for reading.

I ran track in high school, college (the first one) and a few years after that. I've always been a sprinter. I ran the 100, 200 and 400 meter dash. I never had the patience to run laps 4 or 5 times around the track. Somewhere around 2001 I stopped running. Life happened and I could never get out to run on a consistent basis.

Over the years I waited tables. Not wearing the proper shoes at work and continually being on my feet did damage to my legs. Every time I attempted to run I would be in excruciating pain for the next week. Attending WVU and running up hillsides to get to class helped but not much.

I moved back to my hometown in Ohio last July. I was staying with some friends until I found my own place. My friends are unhealthy eaters and I had junk food at my leisure within arms reach 24/7. By October I was at 24% body fat and I felt awful. For someone with my frame having that much body fat is not good. I needed to run.

I was frustrated because my legs were shot. I didn't think I could ever run again. I couldn't even do 5 minutes on a treadmill. Then I remembered why I run in the first place. I have always believed that there is a spiritual connection for me when it comes to running. When Paul talks about running the race, I can see the parallels between our walk with Christ and real running. Sometimes we fall down. Sometimes we pull a muscle or break a bone. Sometimes we're lazy and we don't feel like running. Sometimes it rains and we can't get outside to run.

I took stock on my life and my health. They were not in sync. My spirit was doing better than my health but I wanted my physical health to be better also. So, just like a daily walk with Christ, I started a daily walk on the treadmill. It started with a slow walking pace with no incline. Then I added a 2 percent incline. Then a 5 percent incline. I kept adding the incline so it would work my calves and shins. My shins gave me the most trouble. By October I was able to complete a 20 minute brisk walk at 10 percent incline. Once I was able to do that I felt it was time to push it.

I ran my first mile on a treadmill in October of last year. It took me 14 minutes. There was no pain or discomfort. I started running more miles and bringing my time down. By January I was running a mile in under 7 minutes. No pain! I had also lost 20 pounds in the process.

Here is where it got really difficult for me. This spring I developed shin splints. These suckers are so painful, I wish I could cut my legs off because it would feel better. I had never had shin splints this bad before. My calves had become so strong that my shin muscles were ripping off the bone because of the strain. There were times I had trouble walking.

Again, I viewed my athletic experience from Paul's perspective. I had worked my way back to peak physical shape. I have the potential to run like the wind. Yet, I had to deal with the pain and suffering of shin splints.

The only way to get rid of the pain of shin splints is to work through it. You have to push through the pain, take good care of yourself and pray for the day that you can run without pain. Isn't that like life? Isn't that like our walk with Christ? Sometimes we have to work through the pain.

I hated having shin splints but I am thankful for the ordeal. It reminded me that just because I'm healthy doesn't mean I won't suffer or become frustrated because it's difficult to do something I love. It reminded me that it was only a few months ago that I couldn't even walk on a treadmill without difficulty.

I believe that running teaches us a lot about ourselves. Running makes us question why we do it and what our goal is. For some of us it's to win the prize. For others it's just the satisfaction of completing something. For me, it puts into perspective who I am. Running is a physical extension of my spiritual self. If I can work out for an hour at the track, I can spend an hour reading scripture.

I'm glad you're running. I think you will find a strength within you that you never knew existed.

Continue to run the race....