joshuaklane(dot)com

Clip Of The Week

2009-10-31T16:48:00.004-04:00

In honor of halloween (and because I haven't posted in FOREVER), I thought that I'd share this little video (courtesy of my brother-in-law) in case anybody is looking for any last minute costume ideas for this years festivities...enjoy, and happy halloween!

Caption Please

2009-08-18T11:17:00.005-04:00

[Caption Please]

Quote Of The Week

2009-08-02T11:59:00.001-04:00

"How you treat the creation reflects how you feel about the Creator."

~ Rob Bell

Clip Of The Week

2009-08-01T22:15:00.003-04:00

First off, let me just explain that I am a huge discovery channel junkie. And secondly, I love this video because I think that the world that God created really is awesome...and that we need to do a better job at appreciating His creation. I based the message that I spoke to our students this past week off of this AWESOME little video. I hope that you enjoy it as much they did.

Quote Of The Week

2009-07-26T10:49:00.000-04:00

"Worse than being blind would be to be able to see but not have any vision."

~ Helen Keller

Clip Of The Week

2009-07-25T19:38:00.002-04:00

This is a video that's created quite a buzz over the past couple of weeks, and I swear, watching it put the biggest smile on my face...when you see it you'll understand why. If Joyce and I had it to do all over again, I'd be awful tempted to mix it up after witnessing this (and believe me, we had the people in our wedding party to pull it off). Kudos to this couple for having so much fun and making their special day truly a day to remember. Enjoy.

Jesus Prayed For You Today

2009-07-22T09:01:00.007-04:00

I read this passage of scripture this morning and felt compelled to share it with you. Read it and be encouraged today...and also be reminded that you are always on His mind no matter where you're at or what you're going through. But at the same time, realize that He has given us a very specific task as His people. The task to be unified...the task to be one...the task to begin to operate with one heart and one mind. Let's stop just going to church and let's start being the church and acting like the people of God that He's called us to be...not exclusive but inclusive...not comfortable but uncomfortable...not numb but open and aware to the people and the needs that surround us.

John 17:20-23,26 (The Message)

20-23 I'm praying not only for them
But also for those who will believe in me
Because of them and their witness about me.
The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind—
Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
So they might be one heart and mind with us.
Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.
The same glory you gave me, I gave them,
So they'll be as unified and together as we are—
I in them and you in me.
Then they'll be mature in this oneness,
And give the godless world evidence
That you've sent me and loved them
In the same way you've loved me.
--------------------------------------------
26 I have made your very being known to them—
Who you are and what you do—
And continue to make it known,
So that your love for me
Might be in them
Exactly as I am in them.

AMEN.

Meet Vanesa

2009-06-11T09:48:00.012-04:00

I want to introduce you to the newest addition to our family, her name is Vanesa. She is a beautiful 7 year old little girl who lives at the Casa Hogar Orphanage in Poza Rica, Mexico. We met her this past week when we visited the orphanage. Both she and her brother Angel have been living at there since February of this year without any sponsorship or monthly support. They come from extreme poverty, and the reason that they're at Casa Hogar is due to the fact that they interfered with lifestyle that their mother chose to live. In short, they were an extreme burden to their mother and found it difficult to get along with the different men that she shares a relationship with...at home they faced neglect from their mother and abuse from her partners. As I'm sure you can imagine, Vanesa is having a difficult time coping with the fact that her mom doesn't want her and that she has abandoned her and her brother. She is living in extreme denial and thinks that her mom is going to just come and pick her up at any time and take her back home...in fact, she told us that she may not be there by the time our group left.

She didn't smile when we met her, she didn't immediately run up and greet us or hug us, she wasn't affectionate at first, in fact, she was just sort of a loner who kind of stayed to herself...but in spite of all that she stole our hearts. She and Joyce connected almost instantaneously and it was like God had allowed our path to collide with hers in some sort of supernatural way. You see, I sort of went with the expectation that we would more than likely meet another child to sponsor, but little did I know what God had in store.

Before we left I told Joyce that I wanted her to have the opportunity to pick out the child that she wanted us to support since I had the opportunity to pick out the one that we had previously been sponsoring...and there was not a doubt or question in our mind...the whole thing was simply destiny, not just for her, but for us as well. We will now be able to give her love and support unlike she has probably ever experienced in her life. In fact, before we left to come home she was smiling and loving on us and we had already begun to see a tremendous change in her demeanor just in the short amount of time that we were able to spend with her. I'm so thankful and grateful to God that she now has a place to live and a covering like Casa Hogar to care for her and tend to her needs...because if it wasn't for that, who knows where she might be. Please keep Vanesa and Angel, along with all of the other children at Casa Hogar in your thoughts and in your prayers.

PS. Oh and by the way, Madison is totally stoked about the idea of having a sister from Mexico!

Clip Of The Week

2009-05-23T18:59:00.003-04:00

This weeks clip is an awesome video that I've seen circulating on quite a few blogs over the past couple of days...it features the newest American Idol, Kris Allen leading worship and singing the song, God Of This City. I personally am really glad that Kris won...and I'm even more stoked about the fact that someone with a heart like his will now have such a major amount of influence, as well as the potential to make such a major impact on our society...check it out and be blessed.

Caption(s) Please

2009-05-22T10:37:00.006-04:00

Pic #1

Pic #2

[Captions Please]

A Story For Mother's Day

2009-05-10T19:43:00.007-04:00

First of all let me just take this opportunity to say Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers out there...especially my wife and my own mom, two of the greatest mothers that I know. This post is kind of off the beaten path of my normal posts on here...but I thought that since it is Mother's Day that I'd share one of my favorite stories...about a mother of course. In my opinion, Mothers are some of the greatest unsung heroes on the planet...they make an incredible impact on our lives, they have a love unlike any other and I don't know what we would do without them in our lives. This is all confirmed and reiterated in this powerful story told by Guy Dowd...I really hope that you enjoy:

Danny was born with no ears. He could hear all right, but he didn’t have ears like normal people. All his life, Danny endured ridicule and rejection because of his deformity. But he learned to live with it. Thankfully, he had loving parents and a strong family to sustain him.

When Danny was in high school, his doctor told him of a new procedure that made it possible to transplant ears from one person to another. That meant Danny could get new ears if someone who was compatible to him ever donated theirs.

This was exciting news. After all, people donated body parts all the time—hearts, lungs, kidneys. But Danny soon found that donor ears were extremely scarce.

Danny didn’t give up hope, however. He knew that someday he would get new ears. He graduated from high school with honors and was accepted at a major university thousands of miles away. He kissed his parents good-bye and began his life as a college student. Again, though, he found it hard to make friends and fit in because of his ears.

One day he got a phone call from his father. “Go to the hospital tomorrow, Danny. A donor has been found.”

The very next day Danny checked into the university hospital where doctors were ready to perform the surgery. A few hours later, Danny had new ears.

When the bandages came off, Danny gazed into the mirror for hours. He finally had ears like normal people. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t ashamed of the way he looked. He not only had new ears, he had a new life.

A few weeks later, Danny received another phone call from his father. “Son, your mother is very ill,” his father said. “She may not live through the night.”

Danny was on the first plane home. When he arrived, his father gave him the sad news that his mother had died.

Together they went to the funeral home, where Danny was able to see his mother for the last time. He leaned over to kiss her cheek. Brushing her hair back from her face, he noticed that she had no ears.

So be sure and show your mom some love today...because the reality of it is that she loves you unlike anything other.

Quote Of The Week

2009-05-03T11:14:00.001-04:00

"If one advances confidently in the direction of one's dreams, and endeavors to live the life which one has imagined, one will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."

~ Henry David Thoreau

Clip Of The Week

2009-05-02T11:01:00.000-04:00

So I guess that I'm on this inspirational/motivational kick...and nothing will inspire or motivate you more than this weeks clip. Check out this amazing story.

Warren Barfield Concert

2009-04-28T10:10:00.000-04:00

Quote Of The Week

2009-04-19T20:07:00.001-04:00

"Follow your dreams, for as you dream you shall become."

Clip Of The Week

2009-04-18T19:32:00.000-04:00

This weeks inspirational clip is a prime example and reminder of how you should never judge a book by its cover...I hope this lady goes far...awesome!

Links Of The Week

2009-04-15T15:25:00.004-04:00

So I know that it's been a little while since I've done a post in this series, but I'm back this week with some great new links that will hopefully help to resource you and your ministry. I hope that you'll give them a look...and if you have any helpful links to offer or bring to the table then please feel free to share. Here are this weeks links:

www.youthministry.com - This site should be a staple resource for every one out there who works in youth ministry. It is packed full of just about any youth ministry resource and idea that you can think of...or can't. Not only can you find and buy a bunch of great stuff here, but they also give a ton of it away for FREE. Check it out...it's a great site.

www.sartidesign.com - These guys offer some really sharp looking media resource. They offer everything from still and moving backgrounds to custom design for logos and website. They can be a bit pricey...but hey, you get what you pay for.

www.iamsecond.com - This is a great website that I just recently discovered that focuses on telling the stories and testimonies of people whose lives have been radically changed by Jesus Christ. The format, design, and artistic approach in which they present these clips is both engaging and very moving. This is something that you can definitely use to enhance your ministry and you'll find clips for just about every topic that you can imagine.

www.threadsmedia.com - This is a site that is geared toward young adults, college age students and those serving young adults, primarily within the local church setting. Designed with young adults in mind this site is filled with all kinds of great resources, articles and media geared towards this particular group. Since resources for college age student ministry are a rarity, this is a phenomenal site that you'll definitely want to keep in mind.

www.flannel.org - This is the nonprofit organization behind the Rob Bell NOOMA films. These films are designed to give people a fresh look at the teachings of Jesus in whole new light. This film series works exceptionally well especially in small group setting, or even just for personal devotion. If you do decide to use them in a small group setting then you can also obtain a study guide and discussion book for each film. Again, this is another great resource that works well with the college age/young adult crowd. They also offer other Rob Bell resources outside of NOOMA on this site as well.

So there you have it...be sure and check them all out because you never know when you may need some of this stuff, and it may just be the very thing that you're looking for. Also, be sure to remember to keep checking back periodically for more great Links Of The Week. Until then, I pray that Lord continues to bless all of you in your ministries and that you continue to thrive, prosper and find favor in all that you do. Keep it real.

Quote Of The Week

2009-04-12T11:22:00.000-04:00

"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

~ John 3:16 (NLT)

Clip Of The Week

2009-04-11T11:10:00.000-04:00

We used this clip as a part of the media package for our Easter services, and so it only seemed fitting that I share it with you for this weeks clip of the week. I hope that it serves as a reminder to us all of the amazing sacrifice that Jesus paid and the amazing love that He has for us all. If you'd like to purchase it to use for yourself then you can check it out over at Igniter Media Group.

I Am Barabbas

2009-04-10T20:25:00.000-04:00

I saw this post earlier by Mark Batterson that has really consumed me throughout this day. Mark serves as the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC. He is also an avid blogger and a great writer and author. Anyway like I said, I can't get the thoughts of this simple post out of my head...I was just going to paraphrase it and re-write it in my own words, however, I just decided to re-post it in its entirety.

This thought keeps going through my mind today: I am Barabbas.

Imagine what that Friday must have been like for him. He was sitting in a jail cell awaiting his execution. He knew it was the last day of his life. It was the end. There was no hope. Then he hears the crowd chanting his name and the next thing he knows he's a free man. The charges are dropped. His life that was almost over starts over. And a sinless man named Jesus literally takes his place. He expected to die. He deserved to die. But his execution, in the sovereign plan of God, was scheduled on the same day Jesus was arrested.

If ever there was a picture of II Corinthians 5:21 this is it: "God made him who knew no sin to become sin for us."

I am Barabbas.

I'm forgiven because you were forsaken...I'm accepted, You were condemned...I'm alive and well Your Spirit lives within me...Because You died and rose again.

What an amazing sacrifice...what an amazing love.

Quote Of The Week

2009-04-05T16:49:00.001-04:00

"Let God be as original with others as He was with you."

~ Oswald Chambers

Clip Of The Week

2009-04-04T16:33:00.000-04:00

I really enjoy finding videos that display a high level of creativity...this weeks clip definitely being one of those kinds of videos. Even though the idea behind the video was simple, I'm sure that it was no easy feat to pull off. Allow your mind to be blown as you check out Daft Hands.

Wednesday Night Wrap-Up

2009-04-02T08:43:00.000-04:00

So I know that it's been a while since I've done one of these Wednesday Night Wrap-Up's...but I thought that I'd do one this week because the truth is that we've been having some phenomenal services, and God has been moving in the lives of our students in a powerful way. This past Wednesday we wrapped up our current series called YouPick, where the students actually had the opportunity to pick the series. I got the basic idea for this series from somebody else, however, after I reformatted it a bit to better fit the needs of our group, it ended up working exceptionally well for our students. In fact, I was super proud of our students and how serious that they took the task of picking the topics...the topics that they chose for me to speak on and address included;

How Do I Pray & How Do I Know That He Hears My Prayers?
How Do I Effectively Share Christ With Others?
How Do I Deal With Temptation, Addictions & Peer Pressure?
How Do I Discover And Know God's Calling For My Life?

Pretty good huh? The truth is that I had know idea in the beginning of what they were going to pick and request that I speak about...and I even thought that things could get a little hairy. However, putting this responsibility on them showed me that they are genuinely concerned about the things of God and about deepening their relationship with Him.

I also wanted to say that we had a great time of worship this past week...the band and singers both did a great job in leading us into the presence of the Lord. During our worship time several students began to respond by coming to the altar without any kind of invitation...it was powerful. The set list included, All Because Of Jesus, Everlasting God, and Ready Now. I've got to give a special shout out to the musicians who are doing an incredible job filling in while our youth band is in a time of transition.

On another, less serious note, the freakin Easter Bunny himself graced us with his presence this past week to lead us in a revised version of the classic game Chubby Bunny...it was good times and the winner, Amy, even walked away with a pretty sweet little Easter basket.

Also, I have to mention that we've had like twenty something visitors over the past few weeks, which is rather encouraging especially since evangelism was one of the topics that we addressed in this series. Overall, it was a really great night and I'm just really excited about what God is continuing to do in our group, our services and especially in the lives of our students.

Quote Of The Week

2009-03-29T13:30:00.001-04:00

"You can please all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time."

~ Abraham Lincoln

Clip Of The Week

2009-03-28T13:14:00.000-04:00

Last week we had The Grape Lady but this week I'm taking it to a whole notha level with the infamous God Warrior. This is the clip that shows the follow up to a ladies experience on the show Wife-Swap, which then leads to the notorious meltdown of the century...all I gotta say is that you better strap on your seat belts for this one, cause it's about to get crunk.