Yes, this journalist is going to bury the lede on purpose. Hang with me.

A key part of my personal faith story is that I had to leave my hometown of Albany, NY, to encounter Jesus in words and actions that I could understand. Without encountering faithful people along the way who knew him in my New York City college, in the various friendships we built in the places to which the Air Force took us, I’m not sure I would have the relationship and calling to serve that I live in today. Those of you who showed us Jesus, you have my love and gratitude.

I first sensed a calling to full-time ministry shortly after a defining encounter with the Holy Spirit in Tacoma, WA, where we lived in 1993. I was already involved in a church, in ministry there as a volunteer, part of a community of people who lived an authentic faith, and who just loved us for who and where we were.

And so it began…

When that developing dream became a reality, it came in the form of Youth For Christ’s City Life team in Schenectady and a wonderful, prayer-grounded church located in the same neighborhood. I was on staff there for a few years and have been deeply a part of both of those ministries during the past 15 years. I will treasure that time always.

Until now.

I’ve officially joined the staff of a brand new church in Albany. A church serving midtown Albany, the very part of the city where I grew up not hearing about or seeing the Jesus I now know. I’m so blessed to have been called to be a missionary to my home city!

Most people I’ve gotten to tell in person have not been at all surprised that I’m involved in a church plant with a set of core values that hinge on loving God, loving each other, and loving the world. In many ways, that feels like my DNA. The beauty of it is that the team of people comprising the core team together defined what our church would be about, before we really knew we’d all be a church together.

Formally speaking, my role is Ministry Administrator for Christ’s Church Albany. In reality, I chase ALL the details going into the organization of this new church as we head toward our launch in September. Thankfully, I don’t do that alone because the core team of people is so gifted and generous with their time and ability. I have the privilege of leading alongside some solid leaders. In addition to being the ministry detail person, I’ll be part of the preaching and discipleship teams. There will likely be some youth and children’s ministry time in the mix down the road, as well, because, well, I’m still me and that is a part of my DNA, too.

Some prayer requests:

• A long-term (3-5 year) place to meet for our Sunday gatherings. 
• Funding (it’s going well, but there’s a bit to go to meet the need for the first few years until we can be self-sustaining).
• For the great events coming up this summer in partnership with different community organizations.
• For Albany!

A friend who is planting a new church in another state celebrated my news with me the other day by saying, “Welcome to the water side of the boat!” It sure feels that way, and I’m thrilled about that!

If you’d like to hear more about it, be on my email update list, help with fundraising, or something I haven’t listed, you can leave a comment OR use the contact page (or call or email me if you’ve got those!). You can connect with Christ’s Church Albany on Facebook [by clicking here] or Twitter [by clicking here], as well. Website and other fun coming soon!

Some of these issues have no cure, so I am left to manage symptoms with varying degrees of success. I’ve become fairly adept at managing to do what I want to do, and much of the time people don’t even know that there’s something wrong unless they are present when I hit one of my limits head-on. But, I’ve always wondered if there was something more I could do to feel better.

It was a few years back that my publisher, Nadim Najm at SYM Group, started talking about a complete change in lifestyle he’d made that was just producing incredible results for him. I didn’t realize then that this lifestyle was about more than “diet and exercise” in the traditional American sense of “eat a low-fat diet and exercise a lot and you’ll feel great and drop weight.” You see, chronic pain and exercise don’t generate much in the way of incentive. I did eat a fairly healthy diet and I was as active as my pain permitted (sometimes more than that, actually). So, I was happy for Nadim and the results he and the others were seeing from their changes, but not terribly interested.

It’s amazing what a difference a few years and some research can do. There are foods — foods we all think are good for us and part of a healthy, low-fat, widely-recommended diet — that make what ails me worse. They cause inflammation, immune system reactions, and more — any one of which could have contributed to my pain. So, when Nadim and about 40 other friends decided to do the Whole30 Challenge, I convinced my husband (no easy feat!) to give it a go with me as a part of the group.

You can have all the details of this dietary change by clicking the image above, or by reading It Starts With Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways [affiliate link] but I’ll summarize. I’ve had lots of food that isn’t grain, dairy, legumes, or sugar. I also had something of a head start because I’d given up most carbs for Lent, and I haven’t had coffee since before I went to Haiti in April because my brain would not get behind drinking it black. I did make myself a ‘regular’ cup of coffee this morning (after 6 weeks without it), drank about a third of it, was underwhelmed and gave up drinking it.

By the sixth day, I received the biggest benefit of my entire 30 day adventure. Four years ago, I suffered some nerve damage which took away much of the external feeling in my hands – it’s hard to describe, but think of it like wearing gloves all the time. There was a point early on, when the damage was new, when I couldn’t tie my own shoes or do anything like tie a sash behind my back. Muscle memory kept me working, but on that sixth day, I could feel the keyboard keys under my fingers. I can pick up small items cleanly, deal with thin plastic bags, and more. Major, major gift.

In addition, I started sleeping more soundly and waking up awake. If you know me, you know this is a huge difference! I also dropped 15 pounds, mostly around my core.

So here I am. Day 30. I have had LOTS of food. I’ve not felt deprived. I feel clear-headed. I have clear skin.  I’m not sleepy at 3 pm every day. I feel my fingers! Tomorrow, I’m looking forward to my physical. I’ve always had high cholesterol — maybe I don’t anymore?

I finished my Whole30 Challenge. I’m not stopping.

Though I knew about the volcanic eruption’s devastating effect on the mountain, its wildlife, and the people who lived within the miles and miles of landscape which surrounded Mount St. Helens, the area had a much more profound impact on me spiritually than I anticipated.

I expected to see confirmed the details I already knew. I expected to hear stories of destruction, of wasted beauty, of death. I did.

As we drove up the mountain, there was a clear line after which there was little left. The forest, the wildlife, the lush greenery that is omnipresent elsewhere in the breath-taking Cascade Mountains, was absent. Though it had been many years since the eruption, it left an indelible mark on the landscape. It was a solemn realization, but it was part of the natural order. It felt like a holy place.

Today, we enter the season of Lent. One of my high school student friends asked me on Facebook yesterday what “Lent” was:

Lent is a season of the traditional church year. It is a 40 day period of time beginning tomorrow (Ash Wednesday) and continuing until Easter – it doesn’t include Sundays because they are always a day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. From ancient times, people have taken the practice of giving up (sacrificing, fasting) something(s) in order to more clearly focus on what God has done for us and prepare our hearts to celebrate Easter with new commitment and understanding. 

Sometimes people will fast from (give up) a particular food, or something that consumes their time (like Facebook, TV or other screen time). Usually, I have preferred to take up a new devotional practice, read a more difficult devotional or theological book, or develop a new habit of prayer. Whatever is chosen, it ought not be “easy” — it should be something that takes attention and discipline, so that we know we need God’s help to accomplish it. It’s a reminder that we didn’t earn salvation ourselves, but it required God.

A quick reply, to be sure. The season calls us to particular devotion, above and beyond the regular habits, and to set aside some of the comforts of our lives through prayer, fasting, and study, in order to more deeply understand what our salvation cost — Jesus’ life. We intentionally revisit the story of “before” to more deeply understand the story of “after.”

So what does this have to do with the stunning destruction of the eruption of Mount St. Helens?

As the literal fire and molten rock of the mountain laid waste to what had accumulated for miles around it, Lent is a season holding an invitation for the spiritual fire of the Holy Spirit to lay waste to the accumulation of our lives. Lent is a season to shed “it’s about me” and re-focus on “it’s about Jesus.”

During our tour of Mount St. Helens, the Park Service officer who led our group told us about something remarkable. Spirit Lake, which had been boiled to death by the molten flow, had recently been found to have microscopic life. The surrounding forest land, which had been dense and lush but left in ashes feet deep, was sprouting new growth. Re-creation was underway.

My Lenten prayer? Lord, let re-creation be underway.

Instead, let’s chat. I’m working today from a coffee shop in Ocean Beach, California, spending time with my friend Adam McLane talking about life, youth min, publishing and whatever else happens to land in the conversation. Back in the day, then the internet was newer, we had a cool little web biz together – what a long way we’ve both come.

I’m in San Diego for the annual gathering of the National Network of Youth Ministries’ Ministry Council, to which I was recently appointed. I’m looking forward to spending time with this group of people to shape this organization.

Since we’re chatting, I have a few more events on my ministry calendar for the next couple of months – maybe I’ll see you?

Excel – January 18-20 – Saratoga Springs, NY I’ll be teaching a seminar for students and hanging with the Schenectady City Life high school ministry. This will be my 15th (!) Excel conference and I love making it a part of my life each year. Event registration info: http://excel.cdyfc.org.

Open Boston – February 2 – Gordon College, Wenham, MA I’m presenting a seminar in the Life of a Youth Worker track and I’m super excited to be part of this new kind of youth ministry training event. Event registration info: http://openboston.eventbrite.com.

Mechanicsburg BIC Middle School Retreat – March 1-3 – Somewhere in PA Psyched to teach and spend time with this fabulous group!

Break Out – March 8-10 – Saratoga Springs, NY Teaching seminars, hanging with middle schoolers, having a blast!

So, that’s where I’ll be. If you have a teaching or training opportunity with which I could help, don’t hesitate to hit me up!

PS – I have two registrations to Open to give away. If you are a youth worker in the Northeast, hit up the comments and tell me where you’re from and about the best youth ministry training experience you’ve ever had. I’ll randomly choose two people to receive the free registrations to Open Boston ($25 value each).

It’s a new day. I hope you’ll come along with me on a new beginning.

I have a few goals for the re-start, but I’ll need your help.

• More posts (duh, you say)
• More interaction (that’s your part, the comments are always open)
• More responsiveness to your suggestions (there’s a new contact page and I’m listening!)

One of the ways I’ll generate more content here is via Bishop Bill Love’s challenge for all of  in the Episcopal Diocese of Albany to read the whole bible during 2013. My plan is to read a book each week, combining smaller ones to finish in 52 weeks. I’ll post my thoughts as I go with the hope that we can interact about the reading. I’m going to be using The ESV Study Bible (affiliate link) for this, and I invite you to come along.

Happy New Blog Beginning!

It may seem counter-intuitive to stop speaking out on social media to protest the potential for those media to be shut down under the weight of these proposed laws. However quiet I may be on Facebook and Twitter today, know that I have not been silent elsewhere.

I spent the time I would normally spend reading or updating my sites on contacting various members of Congress (my own, and those on the committee in front of whom the SOPA bill sits presently), as well as my US Senators. I expressed my opposition to the bills as a small business owner whose livelihood depends upon the free flow of information on the web. I made it clear that I am against copyright infringement, but that the bills as written are too broad and would ultimately hinder free speech. I asked all of my Federal elected officials to withdraw their support of the bills in their respective houses.

I’m sure I miss the interaction I have daily via the ‘net. However, I’m also sure that the projects I planned for today’s work were done a little faster without the shiny web to distract me. I’m sure I’ll ultimately be glad for having taken the break. BUT, I’m against the government forcing me into one… ever.

What you can do:

• Read up on the provisions and consequences of the SOPA bill by clicking here, Why SOPA is Dangerous.
• Take a look at the information about the bill, including the money trail, on OpenCongress by clicking here.
• Contact your own Senators and Representatives. Look here for their information: Congress.org

• Stop — or ask your friends/co-workers/readers/followers to stop — knowingly infringing on copyright by pirating music, movies, television, books, and photos from the web without proper payment, licenses, or attribution. 

Yes, collectively. As in, all of us.

A horror of injustice occurred at Penn State University’s State College campus. I’m not talking about football. As much as the game is loved and revered in Happy Valley, this isn’t actually about football. It’s about a man – several, actually – and a number of boys whose horror was ignored in favor of protecting reputations. Consciously, or not. Regrets in hindsight, or not.

I’m not going to moralize about the judgments made by the specific people in that particular tangled web of injustice. The fact is, that web ensnares every person who has chosen to look the other way; to keep quiet; to do only what is required by the rules.

I’ve done all those. So have you.

Looking the other way perpetuates hopelessness.

Silence speaks loudly of indifference.

Rules don’t alleviate suffering.

Today is a new day with a fresh, garish reminder of our selfish inclination to protect ourselves first and others at some point thereafter.

Today is a new day with a fresh opportunity to commit to caring more about someone else’s need, interest, safety, suffering, or hopelessness, than our own.

Today is a new day. Don’t look away. Don’t settle for the minimum required. Don’t protect your reputation. Build character.

We are also an under appreciated bunch. Almost every day I see a post, or have a phone call, or talk with one of our tribe who is struggling to know that what we do actually matters. It’s a blessing to be able to assure my co-laborers that each one of us truly does matter.

A few years back, when YMX was still active, I had the privilege of helping write and gather a series of essays titled “You Matter…” which details all the different ways a youthworker matters. I hope you’ll take the opportunity today to read one, or two, or all of them, because they are absolutely true.

• You Matter to God by Patti Gibbons
• You Matter to Your Spouse by Angie Wilson
• You Matter to Students by Tim Gibbons
• You Matter to Parents by Patti Gibbons
• You Matter to Your Volunteers by Todd Porter
• You Matter to Your Staff Team by Gerrard Fess
• You Matter to Your Schools by Adam McLane
• You Matter to Your Church by Charlie Eldred
• You Matter Always by Len Evans

If you need a more visual representation of how much you matter, please take a few minutes to watch this video from The Skit Guys called, “The Chair.”

Thank you for serving students in Jesus’ name!

While supporting you in making all kinds of social and business connections, social media networks are constantly collecting information about you, compiling it, and using it to create profiles for marketing purposes. That’s why they are free to us, but are highly profitable investments to their owners. Before you scream, you consented to this when you clicked the “agree” button on the sign up form — whether or not you read it.

So what can you do? Know what information you’re giving away.

• Go to your account settings and read what you’re telling the Internet. Do this for each service you use.
• On services where you have authorized third-party applications — particularly on Facebook and Twitter — go to the appropriate settings page and make sure you still want all those apps authorized to have access to your information. Delete or de-authorize those you no longer use (you may find some you never knew you used).
• Do an inventory of apps on your smart phone or iPod to ensure you’re only giving away information to companies you want to have it. Every app has access to a lot of information from your phone, but each made you aware of what they wanted when you installed the app.
• Do a thorough walk through of your privacy settings on each account. Ask yourself, if I post this status update as “public” or “friends of friends” am I comfortable with it coming up for the world to see? Public posts are captured by search engines. Who are your friend’s friends with anyway? What about your photos? Should the world see them? All the friends of all your friends?
• Lastly, regularly change your password. Use something unique. Use a different something unique for every single site. If you have trouble remembering them and don’t save them in your browser because that file can easily be compromised or deleted (hint, hint), use a good password management program.

I go through this process about once each year; more often if there are changes to the site (such as recently on Facebook).

There are no secrets on the internet. Everything is traceable. Sometimes that’s a-couple-of-clicks simple, while sometimes it takes legal action. The bottom line is this: People use social media for the price of information. It’s a mutual agreement, but you can spend your capital wisely.

So there you have it. That’s the reason I don’t really like Halloween. It’s the same reason I don’t see horror movies. I just don’t enjoy it.

Yes, I know, especially in America, the day is supposed to be about fun and creative costumes and candy. Those details don’t scare me at all. I worked hard to make it a fun experience for my own children when they were small.

Here’s what I don’t enjoy:

• It’s the part about someone hiding and jumping out from behind some object unexpectedly.
• Or, the part about intentionally submitting to being scared in this way in the form of a haunted house activity.
• Or, the part about having to inspect the treats received because there are twisted people in the world who have put poison or needles or some other hazard in them as some sort of pathological joke.
• It’s about people who would harm others to entertain themselves that makes me less than enthusiastic about the general practice of trick or treating in any public way.
• The greed that drives the day — from the consumerism to the open contempt offered by children and adults alike if they aren’t happy with the treat you offered.

Add to that mix a childhood during which I was bullied and teased a lot, so I never really felt safe when I didn’t know who someone was (i.e., behind a mask). That doesn’t scare me now, but it’s a part of this whole, to be sure.  Then add the grown up concerns of keeping my children safe and properly supervised. Lastly, add that I’m an introvert. It just isn’t a great recipe for me.

To be clear, I’m only making reference to the cultural practices, not the spiritual background of the day. Like my friend Adam McLane, I believe there is much a believer can do to be good news in the neighborhood for Halloween. [Click here to read his excellent post on ways to be exactly that.] I’ve happily participated in parties, events and gatherings on Halloween, so long as they were without many of the elements above.

I’m just not a Halloween fan. Some people are, and I’m perfectly OK with that difference.