Off to Boot Camp

This was orignally posted on our facebook fanpage at http://facebook.com/planterinthemaking

Music Monday | The Script - Breakeven

The other day Sondra said... Why would someone say 'I pray to a god that I don't believe in'?

I immediately knew she was talking about the song Breakeven (video below).


In our lives we put all our hope, trust, faith and love into something that will give us purpose, an identity. Often it's our work or our relationships. Although our work and relationships are good things we can't make them ultimate things or they become our god, our idol. And when they fail us (and they will fail us) we will be in a state of dispair. We are desperate to have all the hope, trust, faith and loved we poured into these idols back.

This is when I, when we, "pray to a god that I don't believe in."
This is the moment that we are desperate to find the one true God.

Only when we find Him will our work and relationships have meaning a purpose, and with his help they will flourish.

Sister Saturday | Aliyah Laughs!

I love my girls!

Funny Friday | Culps on Worship at Mo

Last Sunday the Culps gave us a lesson in Worship.

South-Paw, New Life, and the Upward Celebration

Last Saturday Dan Smith (my friend, partner, and boss) aka WhiteBoyDJ & South-Paw came to my alma mater and did his thing for New Life Church of Christ's Upward Celebration of 700+.  Usually New Life pays an entertainer to come into do this, but New Life thought they would ask Dan to come do it and give the proceeds to our church planting effort.  He agreed. 

During the concert Dan and the MoBand (including myself on guitar/keys) played three songs. Then Dan shared his story of coming to faith. The highlight of was the little dude who jumped up on the stage and moshed with us. Priceless!

Upward is a great program to serve the community by providing inexpensive sports through your church. Many churches have nice gyms, but are you using it as a social club or a community center? New Life, my sending church, uses this program to serve the town. How can you use your facilities to serve the city or town in which it is located?

Music Monday | This To Shall Pass

Good song, wicked cool video!

Sister Saturday | Slacker!

I've been slacking on my blog posts. Especially Sister Saturday, so here are a plethora of videos of Selah and Aliyah to make up for it.

Aliyah Wide Awake [only a few weeks old]


Girls Go Out On the Town [for the first time]


Selah Plays In the Snow [a few weeks ago]


Daddy and Selah Dance, Wobble-Tobble, etc.


Aliyah at 1 Month Old

Times of Crisis

I am rather new to vocational ministry, but one thing that I learned very quickly is that conflict (that crisis) defines your ministry. It defines how far you will go and how much you will grow.

In crisis we desperately seek answers. In conflict we grow. In crisis the plot of our life advances. In our conflict the plot of history moves forward. In crisis, God shows up! Without conflict, their is no need for a solution. God is the solution, enter into the conflict!

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Proverbs 24:9-12 - Message

Fools incubate sin; cynics desecrate beauty.
If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn’t much to you in the first place.

Rescue the perishing; don’t hesitate to step in and help.
If you say, “Hey, that’s none of my business,” will that get you off the hook?

Someone is watching you closely, you know—Someone not impressed with weak excuses.
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Is there much to you? Are you stepping into help rescue the perishing, or are you cynically desecrating beauty. In ministry (vocational or not) you are accountable. You are on the hook with God no less, and he says keep those weak excuses to yourself.

The scripture says that fools and cynics who do nothing will shrivel and die. The people who sit on the sidelines and complain about the crisis may survive, but they will not thrive.

So I ask you, "What are you made of?" Embrace the crisis, embrace the solution.

Learning from Children's Storytelling

Why is it so compelling when a child tells a heartfelt story.  Is it because they feel more?  Maybe they aren't numb (or cynical) to the problems of this world and can love better? Or is it because they have not yet learned how to B.S.

Whatever it is it's always compelling...


Hope For Natalie Nakatani from Patrick Biesemans on Vimeo.

I would gladly help this kid.  Wouldn't you?  I feel his trouble, his pain, his struggle and I want to enter in and help.

Maybe honesty is why Jesus loves the children to come to him? Be real, be transperent, be authentic. Maybe then you will make a difference.