Just Wondering...

What was your favorite Garbage Pail Kid?

Punk Rock Never Dies

The strings have been changed on the SG and the Groove Tubes in the Marshall are glowing....that can only mean one thing:

Some friends and I started a band.

Our sound won't be anything new for those that know me; influences like: Bad Religion, Green Day, NOFX, and Social Distortion. We'll be playing some covers ("Somebody Put Something In My Drink" by the Ramones should be a crowd pleaser) as well as writing some of our own stuff.

Right now we're practicing in our drummer's basement (some things just don't change) and hope to get enough tunes soon to play our first show. Not sure what the scene is like here in Western, MI, but hopefully there are enough dive bars to let us rip.

Also, our band name is still up in the air, so I'd love to get your input.

Punk Rock Never Dies!

Purpose Driven Tweets

I just got a notification that Pastor Rick Warren is following my tweets. Why would this celebrity-pastor (with 135,233 followers) follow my tweets (along with 14,115 others)?

Since I don’t know and have never met the Purpose Driven Pastor I have to admit that my response is a bit cynical: It's part of a marketing ploy that many “celebrities” engage in. A marketing team manages their account and “follows” other people in the hopes that they will in turn follow their tweets. Then, when you click “follow” they either un-follow your Twitter feed all together or simply never pay any attention to your posts.

Why would this bother me? Because it is disingenuous. Following someone on Twitter should be based on a genuine desire to hear what is going on with others. Whether it is your friend from college or Kim Kardashian, the point is not how well you know them, but rather your desire to engage in their life and hear what they have to say; superficial or otherwise.

I have no delusions of grandeur regarding my tweets/postings, nor am I trying to gain any kind of “following”. Simply put, I just don’t want to be “used” in an effort to pad another’s Twitter stats.

To be gracious, I do not know Pastor Warren's motives for following my Twitter feeds. So out of fairness to him I wrote a letter asking him why he is interested in following my tweets. I'll keep you posted on his response... via Twitter of course :)

Relational Youth Ministry Blog

Just a heads up…

In addition to writing on this blog I will also be writing monthly for the blog: “Relational Youth Ministry” (here's my first post: "Unplug..."). A good friend of mine, Tim Ciccone, is the blog’s facilitator and asked me to be one of the contributing voices to the conversation that deals with all things related to youth ministry. While I am no longer a youth pastor (I served as youth pastor at my home church for four years) I will be sharing my perspective on youth ministry as a church planter. For those of you who have a heartbeat for youth I hope the Relational Youth Ministry blog becomes a helpful resource for you.

Peace.

(Tim has also released, In Transit, a book designed for youth workers that are navigating a move from one ministry context to another. A great resource that is worth checking out)

Longing for Home

We all have a place that brings us a sense of calm; a place where we are at peace. Home is the space where we are content in this world and with our contributions we give to make it better. When we are “home” we are able to gain perspective on the movement of life and our own personal development. Home is safe and free. Time seems to stand still when we are home, giving us breathing room to reflect on life and dream new possibilities.

Home sometimes is a physical place; the town you grew up in, your grandparent’s cottage, or your garage full of tools. Home can also be found in the relationships of others; hanging out with long-time friends over drinks, playing with your kids at the park, or going for walk with the one you love. A sense of home can also come over us when we listen to a piece of music, taste a certain kind of food, or gaze at the sunset on a summer evening.

Yet most of life is spent on the go, constantly moving (in thought and action) causing us to feel like someone who is continually traveling for work and rarely ever home. We grow tired of the “air travel, the road travel, and the hotels”…we simply long for home.

Because we struggle to find “home” we loose track of where we are, who we are, and what we want our life to be about. Life outside of “home” is disjointed, unsettling, and lonely. And so our pursuit of “home” continues.

Where do you find yourself today? At home or in tireless pursuit?

Where are those places that bring you home?

What are those moments that give you a sense of home?