Kyle LeBoeuf's Blog

Remarks on the Passing of Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T10:10:00.003-05:00

Not surprisingly, I found out about Steve Jobs’ passing from my iPhone. I received a text that simply said “Steve Jobs :(“. I opened my iPad to look up information on the news, and read more articles about his passing later that evening on my MacBook Pro. 3 devices for which he was directly responsible for.

Say what you will about the ideals and behavior of Steve Jobs, but that the man was an absolute genius cannot be argued or denied. Apple is one of the most desired brands in the world, and the company owes almost all of it to the man who’s desire, ambition, and passionate pursuit of perfection drove the company to innovate and capture the hearts (and wallets) of millions of consumers around the world.

I owe my job (literally) to that man, and his attention to detail and love for making design and functionality intersect peacefully will be sorely missed not just by Apple, but the electronics industry as a whole. The products he pushed upon us have set the golden standard in electronics design and function for years now.

Steve Jobs, in a much-quoted and much-linked commencement speech to graduates at Stanford in 2005, had this to say (among other things):

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

He didn’t waste his time.

So long Steve. Thanks for defining the awesome. You’ll be missed.

Putting Things into Perspective

2011-09-14T13:54:00.002-05:00

One cannot deny that getting in a wreck, at any time of the year, stinks. But getting in a wreck the night before your birthday? Talk about a kill-joy. I rear-ended someone with my car last night and dealt significant damage to my own vehicle. I’m alive, and no one was hurt, so I am very thankful for that.

I hit rock bottom last night when I got back home. After everything I’ve gone through since I’ve gotten back from FUGE, why this? One more issue/problem piled on top of the mountain of obstacles I’ve had to overcome. I lamented the damage to my car and, more specifically, the potential cost to fix it.

This morning my mother helped put things into perspective: metal can be repaired or replaced. Lives can’t.

The situation could have been a whole lot worse. No one was hurt in the accident, and the people I ran into happened to be people I knew well, and they were very gracious towards me in light of what happened, despite being justified in being upset with me if they so desired to.

In light of everything that happened, I move on from this incident with a fresh perspective on life, and a renewed determination to overcome and grow through whatever is thrown at me.

“Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” ~ James 1:2-4 (HCSB)

Beauty in Brokenness

2011-09-13T08:38:00.001-05:00

The idea that God would send Jesus to the earth to live a perfect life and then die by being nailed to the cross in order to take the place of the hideousness that is myself and my sinful nature is nothing short of beautiful.

We use the word “beauty” freely and often in our culture. We use it to describe a variety of things, whether it’s a dress, or the way the landscape looks, or the sunset, or a person; our definition and usage of the word beauty is broad. But what does it mean, really? We typically only use the word ‘beautiful’ to remind of things that are physically attractive, but what if the word goes much deeper then that?

We’ve all heard the phrase: “Beauty only goes skin deep.” When I refer to beauty, I’m not referring to that, and I’m going to avoid that phrase and meaning here. I’m talking about something much, much deeper then you or I could properly comprehend.

Let’s talk about beauty from a different perspective: God’s. When you see someone who you define as “beautiful”, I think its safe to assume that God sees something totally different. Not just because God sees that person’s heart…God sees their nature.

We have a broken, sinful nature. And it makes us all ugly. True human beauty was destroyed in the garden, when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit: original sin.

The act of Jesus dying on the cross restores that beauty, and the symbolism behind that death is, in itself, beautiful. Think about it. What do YOU think of when you see the cross? Redemption. Freedom. Salvation. Repentance. Victory.

The cross is intended as a torture device. Before Jesus died, the cross was a symbol of death. Instead, after Jesus died upon it, a torture device became a symbol of love. Similarly to the way that a cross went from a symbol of death to a symbol of life and love, we ourselves went from the personification of death…to being a visible mark of His work.

Beauty, truly, is found in the exchange of His life for our redemption. It is found in the complete brokenness that is our sinful nature being transformed into an image molded by the hands our Maker.

Authority

2011-07-31T19:05:00.000-05:00

This summer at FUGE, one of our bible study themes for the day was “Relating to those in Authority” and it talked a lot about the authority of Jesus and how He had the authority of God.

Through the process of teaching that study through the summer, it brought up several questions in my mind about the authority of God. More specifically, trying to grasp the nature of His authority. I’m not an organized individual, but I like to plan things. I like to sit down and work everything out in my head and have a plan, like, “I’m going to finish college and get married to this person and go on have career doing this-or-that in ‘this place’ or ‘that place’.” But the more I start to plan, the more I realize that I am not submitting to God’s authority.

On the same night of that particular FUGE bible study, one our actors would go on stage and do a bit of what we call a “poetry slam.” It’s basically a monologue, and on that particular night, it was about submission, and the basic idea of what it was saying was this:

Submission to God’s authority is recognizing that authority.

So, when we refuse to submit to God’s authority, what we are really saying is that we don’t recognize that authority, and the reality of that is that it’s a sin. If we aren’t recognizing God’s authority, then who’s authority are we recognizing?

We live in a culture that is consumed and obsessed with technology and social media. We spend countless days playing around Facebook, playing games on our iPhones, and consuming a ridiculous amount of news media. While we love to talk about how some of these things can be used for ministry, we usually just find ourselves completely wrapped up in it.

These things, these distractions, influence us more then any of us realize. We often post our ideas or plans on Facebook, hoping to receive some kind of recognition or feel-good nudge in the form of someone easily pushing a link that says “Like”. We get that notification, and BAM! Instant gratification.

When we do that, we start to place our security in something else that isn’t God, then we back away from His authority. In essence, we are telling God: “I don’t think that you are enough. I do not think that you have the authority or the ability to take care of me.”

Some of my favorite passages in Scripture are the ones that talks about the things that God does. For example, Psalm 147.

“Hallelujah!  How good it is to sing to our God,  for praise is pleasant and lovely.   2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem;  He gathers Israel's exiled people.  3 He heals the brokenhearted  and binds up their wounds.  4 He counts the number of the stars;  He gives names to all of them.  5 Our Lord is great, vast in power;  His understanding is infinite.
6 The Lord helps the afflicted  but brings the wicked to the ground.   7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;  play the lyre to our God,  8 who covers the sky with clouds,  prepares rain for the earth,  and causes grass to grow on the hills.
9 He provides the animals with their food,  and the young ravens, what they cry for.   10 He is not impressed by the strength of a horse;  He does not value the power of a man.
11 The Lord values those who fear Him,  those who put their hope in His faithful love.   12 Exalt the Lord, Jerusalem;  praise your God, Zion!  13 For He strengthens the bars of your gates  and blesses your children within you.
14 He endows your territory with prosperity;  He satisfies you with the finest wheat.   15 He sends His command throughout the earth;  His word runs swiftly.  16 He spreads snow like wool;  He scatters frost like ashes;  17 He throws His hailstones like crumbs.  Who can withstand His cold?
18 He sends His word and melts them;  He unleashes His winds, and the waters flow.   19 He declares His word to Jacob,  His statutes and judgments to Israel.
20 He has not done this for any nation;  they do not know [His] judgments.  Hallelujah!”

Or Colossians 1:15-20, which speaks specifically of the authority of Jesus:

“15 He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.

16 For everything was created by Him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities-
all things have been created through Him and for Him.

17 He is before all things,
and by Him all things hold together.

18 He is also the head of the body, the church;
He is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
so that He might come to have
first place in everything.

19 For God was pleased [to have]
all His fullness dwell in Him,

20 and through Him to reconcile
everything to Himself
by making peace
through the blood of His cross-
whether things on earth or things in heaven.”

So then, how we can read all of this, and think that God doesn’t have the authority or the means to meet our every need or fulfill the desires of hearts?

As our actor would say it on stage: “Recognition is submission.” To recognize God’s authority is to submit to it.

He knows what’s best, and He’s just waiting for us to listen.

The Life of a FUGE Staffer: Part Two

2011-06-12T22:38:00.000-05:00

With Week 1 of 7 in the books and Week 2 peeking around the corner (starts tomorrow), it’s a great time for me to reflect on what’s going on here this summer.

A FUGE week is a strange one. You don’t really think about what day of the week it is (Monday, Tuesday, etc.). Instead, you think about what camp day it is (Day 1, Day 2, etc.). That became the most clear to me this morning, when I woke up and looked at a fellow staffer strangely when they talked about going to church.

In the FUGE world, we have something we call the “camp bubble”. Life outside of camp, including family, friends, relationships, and general goings on at home and anywhere outside of the camp world, seems really distant, vague, and not important to the day-to-day life in camp.

This past week I found myself distracted by things outside of the camp bubble, and its hardly ever a good thing when personal issues penetrate the camp bubble. I am the type of person who finds himself occasionally putting too much thought and concern into things outside of his control, and I have found in my experience that it often gets me into trouble, but its an issue that’s difficult to face and is one that I’ve struggled with for a few years now.

By about Day 3 or 4 of this past week this issue was really starting to get to me until I found myself reading the last few chapters of Job, where God starts laying in Job about significant and powerful He (God) is Job is not. He finishes His long dissertation with a challenge:

“Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct [Him]? Let him who argues with God give an answer.” Job 40:2 (HCSB)

It’s not my business to worry about what’s going on when there are things outside of my control. Who am I to stand before God and fail to trust that He has everything under control?

“He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17 (HCSB)

That’s my prayer for this summer going forward. He holds everything together.

- Kyle

The Life of a FUGE Staffer: Part One

2011-05-31T23:18:00.002-05:00

Going into this summer, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I've been around the FUGE camp world for a while now, having been to FUGE both as a camper and as an adult chaperone. I've also been around a lot of people who've been on staff for FUGE camps in the past and have heard so much about it. Despite all of this, I quickly figured out that there's nothing you can read or have anyone tell you that would prepare you for what you experience as a FUGE staffer.

We as a FUGE staff are currently in the midst of staff training, where we spend several days working through all of the elements that make up a FUGE camp as a team. We prepare for bible study, our track times, recreation, worship programming, and all of the other elements that goes into making a week at FUGE an awesome experience each week for every camper. It's incredible, and there's no way you can fully understand everything that goes on behind the scenes to make this stuff work without actually being a part of that work.

God is teaching me so much through that. It's amazing how much you grow when you surround yourself with the people like those that I've been working with for the past week. There are about 27 of us and they are all near and dear to my heart. We’ve been working so hard over the past week to get everything ready for camp.

Our team is stationed at Union University in Jackson, TN, and we’ll be here for the next 8 weeks. We have 7 weeks of camp coming up, starting next week, and we’ll be continuing camp through the end of July.

Please pray for our staff and the students and adult campers that we’ll be ministering to. Pray for staff unity and focus. Pray that we’ll be focused solely on ministering to campers and not on our own selfish goals, and pray for the concerns and burdens that the students will be bringing forth.

It is our hearts’ desire that these students will lay those burdens down at the cross.
~Kyle

Cost

2011-04-02T23:18:00.001-05:00

What is the cost of following Christ? That’s a heavily loaded question, and I knew it as I typed it, but I ask the question anyway.

The reason why I ask is that I’ve been reading a lot lately from Gospels about Jesus’ interaction with the disciples. I taught a small group bible study for a Youth retreat at a local church last weekend, and we studied the relationship that Jesus has with His disciples, and how He inspired them to change the world.

One of the things that we really looked at was the cost of being a Christ follower. For the disciples, it costed them everything.

Jesus was a pretty strange teacher in that anytime He gathered a large group of followers, it always seemed like He would turn around and say something that seemed kind of out-there and different, like:

If anyone comes to Me and does hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters- yes, and even his own life- he cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:26 (HCSB)

And after He would say this, it seemed like all of His “followers” would balk at His decrees and take off. To be honest, I can’t say that I wouldn’t in that day and age. To follow Christ isn’t to be popular and comfortable. To follow Christ is to make a huge commitment that brings conflict, criticism, and even danger into your life. The disciples knew this, but they stayed committed.

As one reads through Bible (especially Acts) we see the price that the disciples paid to be called followers of Jesus. Throughout history since Jesus’ resurrection, we read the stories of people who paid a high cost to be called a follower of Christ.

But what if it feels like we haven’t paid a very high price for our faith? Wouldn’t that make us less committed?

I ask this question after looking within at my own life. As I sit down and think about my faith and pray about my testimony in preparation for what the summer will bring, I think about the fact that I haven’t really paid a high price for my faith. The life that I try to live for Jesus has not brought much criticism or strife, and in fact has left me pretty comfortable. I have a lot of friends. I have a nice job, an amazing girlfriend, an awesome family. Living the American Dream.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I don’t feel committed. I read the stories of people in other nations who are suffering for the kingdom of God and here I sit, comfortable at my desk, typing briskly away at my computer. No one will come knocking at my door tonight demanding to take me away for preaching the Gospel of Christ. I will not fear for my life tomorrow as I head to church to gather with fellow believers. I will not fear for my life Monday when I return to campus and walk to my class. Those are fears that believers around the world are living everyday.

So where does leave us? I think it leaves us in a unique position where there isn’t anything inhibiting us from being fully committed to Christ. I think it becomes easy for us to be lazy. There’s no pressure. It’s part of the American lifestyle to be laid back and relaxed, while our brothers and sisters around the world toil and suffer everyday, all in the name of Jesus.

It seems like I am ranting here, and maybe I am, but as I sit here I just can’t help but think about everything that is wrong with the life I am living right now. And the catalyst for this revelation in my life occurred that weekend at the Youth Retreat.

--

The group of students that I spent time with that weekend grasped what the Bible means when it describes “denying ourselves, taking up our Cross daily, and following [Him]” (See Luke 9:23). the felt the same thing that I felt. They felt that we were living far too comfortably in our American lives, and that there were so many opportunities for us to step outside of the box and into an American world where Jesus is tolerated but not accepted.

That humbled me in so many ways. Their wisdom and understanding of the matter at such a young age, it really inspired me, and it gave me so much think about and dwell upon.

--

So, a bunch of young high school students are ready to commit their lives to Christ. So shouldn’t I be as well? The disciples of Jesus weren’t living regular comfortable lives. They weren’t cool. Most of them were poor, a loser, practiced a hated profession, or all of the above. They took what Jesus taught them to hard, and devoted their lives to His service.

So, in our comfy, cozy, Americanized lives, shouldn’t we do the same?

The Danger of Indifference

2010-11-29T08:12:00.000-06:00

I was up late a few nights ago talking to a friend on Facebook about life and such, when a thought began to creep into my conscious: why has my life been so stagnant? Talking with my friend reminded myself about the lack of growth I have been experiencing over the last month or so. It’s not something I’ve really paid all that much attention to in the last few weeks, but after that conversation it was brought to the center of my attention.

When things like this happen, I usually pause and take a look at myself. I try to critique myself from the perspective of: is God’s glory showing in my life? I realized that it wasn’t, and I began to dig a little deeper, and that’s when I realized something. I had adopted an attitude of indifference. Indifference towards life, my future, my walk with God, everything. My life literally decided to sit back in a recliner and do nothing.

A lack of spiritual growth is a dangerous thing. I have always felt that in your relationship with God, you can move in one of two directions: you can either grow closer to Him, or you can fall farther way; there is no plateau of stability, where you can just chill and be stationary. If you aren’t constantly pursuing Him, you’re slipping away from Him. I became guilty of this. I wasn’t pursuing Him, and I realized that I had fallen away from my relationship with Him.

I’ve never been known to have a lack of emotion or care about anything, but that’s exactly what I’ve now been faced with. So, what did I do then? I did what my heart suddenly was bursting for me to do: seek His face. In prayer and meditation, seek His face. If you feel like you haven’t had any spiritual growth lately, I would ask you to search within yourself, and see if you’re dealing with indifference.

I look forward to seeing where things go from here.

Day 2 and Day 3

2010-09-29T22:27:00.000-05:00

As it turns out, I ended up not keeping a journal for everything that happened between yesterday morning and tonight, but suffice to say that I don’t really miss Facebook all that much after 3 days. In fact, I don’t miss it enough to end the fast just yet. I’m going to go another day without it. It might be a little more difficult tomorrow since I’ll be in my office most of the day without a ton of work.

It has been refreshing to pull my head out of the sand that has become Facebook and get a breath of fresh air. I sat at CCs the other day and actually spent time talking to people around me, building relationships with the people who I always see there but never really talk to.

--

One of my favorite parts about this whole fast thing is the fact that the only time my phone goes off is for a phone call or a text from an actual person, rather then a tweet or a Facebook notification. I actually get a little excited when I hear the text chime because I know its an actual person trying to communicate with me, not some social application pining for my attention.

Overall, these three days have been an interesting experience. I’ve been able to take a step back and spend more time growing my relationship with God and the people I’m surrounded by everyday.

I would love to do this again, maybe even for a longer period of time, and I would like to get some more people involved. I think it would be really cool if I made it part of a big group effort, for a whole bunch of us to simply take a break from Facebook, and spend more time interacting with God and the physical world around us, rather then the virtual world that we get sucked into when we spend all of our free time on Facebook.

Would love for you to join me.

- Kyle

Facebook Fast: Day 1

2010-09-27T10:27:00.001-05:00

Author’s note: Recently I decided that I would try to fast from Facebook and Twitter for a few days. Over the period of these 3 days, I’m going to chronicle my experiences. Because of the nature of this “journal”, my thoughts will be presented here in more of a stream-of-consciousness format. I realize that my best piece of writing will not be contained here. You have been warned

10:30 AM

When you are trying to kick a habit, it is said that the until you get over that hump, the more time goes by, the harder it gets to kick said habit.

If there is any truth to this statement, then it is going to be a long 3/4 days. After only 10.5 hours as of this writing, I find it very difficult to resist the urge to check Facebook and Twitter.

It’s an extremely interesting experience. Talked to some people about it today and many people want me to let them know how it goes. It’s interesting to see how everyone is aware of this problem that our generation has with Facebook.

We’ll see how the rest of the day goes.

1:40 PM:

Just now found myself typing Facebook.com into an address bar. Yikes.

5:42 PM

Work wasn’t so bad. I had a few things to do and the lack of Facebook helped my productivity in that area.

Some of the conversations I’ve had today have been amazing. I’ve gotten a lot of people to think about the amount of time they spend on Facebook/Twitter.

I ended up putting some technical limitations on my computer to stop me from visiting Facebook...it got pretty tempting at some points. Part of me thinks that this is ridiculous. At times I feel like a junkie who needs his next fix. I wonder how many people are obsessed with Facebook like I am? I wonder how many relationships can be improved if we all just unplugged?

11:15 PM

First day didn’t end as bad and things got easier as the day went on. Spent time with the family and got a lot of studying done. Read my bible and wrote a lot.

One of the biggest changes in my routine since the start of this fast has to do with my phone. Before, my phone went off all day, between Facebook notifications and Twitter SMS messages. Now with all of that turned off, my phone stays relatively quiet. A welcome change.

More observations tomorrow.

- Kyle LeBoeuf

The Facebook Fast: Day 0

2010-09-26T23:09:00.000-05:00

Last week I wrote a post about starting what I called a “Facebook fast”, in which I would try my best to stay away from social media for a few days.

When I originally wrote that post out, I had decided to do three days, Tuesday, September 28th-Thursday, September 30th. I have decided to start that tomorrow, Monday, September 28th, and end at 11:59 PM Wednesday, September 29th. My reasoning for this primarily has to do with my school workload this week. I have two tests on Tuesday and one on Wednesday, so that’s time that could be better spent actually studying.

You can find out more about why I am doing this at the blog post I linked above. Suffice to say, I think I spend too much time on Facebook, and I want to find out just how much it affects my life.

Day 1 starts in 45 minutes. I’m ready.

- Kyle

The Digital Media Obsession

2010-09-20T15:14:00.001-05:00

Being 23, I have grown up into an era where it is considered a norm to spend hours staring a computer screen, surfing Facebook, watching YouTube.

I often wonder why our generation is so obsessed with digital media. I am just as guilty as the next guy about spending more time on Facebook then I do talking with people face-to-face. I have an iPhone, and I can be seen constantly staring into its small screen: checking Facebook and Twitter, reading articles and blogs, checking text messages. I wonder how much life I miss when I’m staring into the LCD screen? I wonder if my relationship with God and those around me suffers as I escape the world by reading words on a computer screen rather interacting with those around me and pursuing those relationships. For the past two weeks, I have obsessed over this thought, and I’ve decided to try a little experiment.

Next week, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, I am going to fast from Facebook and Twitter. I am going to delete the applications from my phone and ban myself from visiting either of those websites for 72 hours. I’m going to see where that leads me.

I’m going to see how my day-to-day life changes. I’m going to see if my relationships are different, if I feel closer to God and those around me. I’ll get back to you guys with the results.

Kyle

Stranded

2010-09-01T15:07:00.002-05:00

While having dinner with a few friends recently I recollected a story from a few years ago where two friends and I went hiking up a mountain trail in New Mexico and ended up being stranded. Every time this story comes up we get in an arguement about whether or not we got lost, but the fact remains that we found ourselves in a situation where we needed to be rescued.

My friend Daniel has hiked this particular trail several times, so we decided we would make an adventure out of it and hike up the trail. The hike up was tough, bit it was amazing. Beautiful view from the top. But that’s not where the story gets interesting.

We had heard of an alternate route down the mountain and we decided to take another route down and locate it. This particular route was supposed to take us to another well-known trail and would make for a nicer hike down then the way we came, so we decided to take it. The problem was, we never found the point at which we were supposed to shift direction and head towards the other trail, so we ended up stranded on the side of this mountain, with hardly any water and the day starting to wane.

Daniel snapped a pic with his handy iPhone:

Luckily, we found a spot with cell phone signal and managed to get someone to come and pick us up.

So, what’s the point of this story? When I was thinking about this story today, I kinda drew a parallel to our own lives. So many times, we think we know where we are going, so rather than trusting on good direction and judgement, God's direction, we decide to take another route...and we often end up stranded, and in need of rescue.

What would life be like if we just trusted in His direction rather then always looking for another way?

RE: Cheesy Christianity

2010-08-18T11:10:00.000-05:00

I’ve gotten a lot of responses on the blog I published early yesterday morning.

Here’s one that was emailed to me that I thought I might share:

“Jesus, Paul, and John did it. (Matt 5:21-26 ,Acts 17:28, Revelation). Remember... to a Jew religion and life were the same, much like materialism is today in our culture. We recognize that both religion and culture need to be transformed by the truth of the Gospel in order to save the souls of men. The early Christians did the same by celebrating the birth and resurrection of Jesus on days that once celebrated pagan deities. I don't care for today's phrases because, in addition to being shallow metaphors, they lack any communication outside of the Christian culture. One could say it gives an opportunity to share what the shirt means, but I believe it is much deeper and meaningful if we share with our words as a result of compassionate acts of service. Perhaps it would change the perception of Christianity to the world if we begin to show more love by getting out of pews going to our neighbors and begin to take the batteries out of the political machines and bull horns.”

Mike

Cheesy Christianity

2010-08-17T01:02:00.004-05:00

I grew up in church, so I’ve spent my whole life around Christian t-shirts, logos, and sayings. There’s one thing about almost all of them that really annoys me. They’re usually cheesy. For example, “God is my Hero” instead of “Guitar Hero”. This one is a big hit lately. Growing up, I remember the “abreadcrumb & fish” shirts that were everywhere in Christian stores. Its all the same message: Take some well known pop culture icon, saying, or symbol, and mix it up with something that promotes the Christian message. I find this disturbing. Since when did it become OK to take the message of the gospel and mix it up with the symbolism of the world?

When try to associate Jesus with these icons, people tend to remember the icon, not the idea, and miss the point entirely.

I think we should let Jesus be Jesus, and let Guitar Hero be Guitar Hero. Why should the two intertwine?

Just a thought.

I came across this video on YouTube a while back, and its one of the things that comes to mind when I think of Cheesy Christianity:

A Tiny Speck

2010-08-09T14:38:00.001-05:00

Since Wednesday, I’ve been doing a bit of traveling out west, spending a couple of days in the Grand Canyon and spending around a week in Glorieta, New Mexico for a college ministry conference.

The Grand Canyon was incredible. Its one of those things where you look over the canyon and you realize just how small and insignificant you are compared to the big wide world around you.

I’ll include a picture so you can see just how amazing it is.

My friend Brittney took this while we were hiking along the south rim. I felt so small.

It reminded me that we’re but a tiny part of this wide universe that God has created. Even though we are so small, we can have such a huge impact.

All we have to do is trust Him.

Have Church Van, Will Travel

2010-08-03T23:17:00.005-05:00

In a few short hours, I'll be leaving for a little trip that involves a 2-day stint at the Grand Canyon and a week-long camp at the Glorieta Conference Center in beautiful Glorieta, New Mexico.

I am absolutely stoked about this trip. I am hoping that being able to get away from the distractions that come with home will allow me to learn some new things about myself, and about the exciting future that God has in store for me.

Pray for me. Pray that God speaks into my life in a real way over the next week-and-a-half. I'm sure I'll have a ton of stuff to talk/write about it when it's all said and done.

See you on the other side. Keep an eye on this space, I'll try to post a little bit while I'm abroad. My loyal Mac will be traveling with me. :)

Genuine Friendship

2010-07-21T23:54:00.000-05:00

Last night, I had a conversation with a friend of mine about the value of genuine friendship. We talked about how hard it is to come by, and how we diligently seek it out, and cling to it when it is found.

It strikes me as odd that such a friendship would be hard to find in the church, but is. There are so many people in the church who have an skewed idea of friendship. We have a tendency as humans to seek friendship out of selfishness. What I mean by that is that we seek out friendships to serve our own ends, whether it’s to cure our own loneliness, or for some use that is beneficial to us. But this isn’t genuine friendship.

Genuine friendship is born out of a desire for true fellowship. We were created to build relationships with the people around us, and when we seek to do that in a way that is glorifying to God and is out of a desire for a pure form of fellowship, it breeds this genuine friendship.

Another key ingredient to this rare friendship is love, and I think it’s safe to say that many of us have a very skewed sense of what love is. In 1 John 4:8, we see that Love is Christ. Love comes from Christ, and its only through Christ that we discover this love.

So, genuine friendship is born out of a desire for true, Godly fellowship, and bound with love discovered through Christ.

I think when we grasp these concepts and we find and make these friendships, it makes us stronger in the end. We have someone who’s there to help us in our daily walk, someone to help us up when we fall, and to cheer us on as we succeed. We also have someone there to help keep us accountable.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

-Proverbs 10:17

I want to be that kind of friend. I want to be someone who pursues true fellowship and loves with a love that can only come from Christ. Someone who my friends can rely upon, both for support and accountability.

I want to be a true friend.

When Plans Change

2010-07-20T09:50:00.000-05:00

One of the earliest questions kids get asked as they are growing is: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” From the time we are old enough to form sentences till around 10 or 11, that answer usually is “a firefighter”, or “a police officer”, or “a soldier.” From pre-school till I was about 10 years old, the answer for me was always “a pizza man”. I loved pizza. It was my favorite food. I used to beg for pizza almost every night. Naturally, I wanted to be a pizza man. I wanted to throw the dough the old fashioned way. I wanted to make kids smile when I made their favorite pizza.

That, of course, changed as I got older (if you are reading this and you are still inspiring to be a pizza man, please do not feel offended). My dad introduced me to computers at a young age and since then I’ve been fascinated with them. I learned my way around them quickly, and decided that I wanted to fix computers. This pleased my parents, since I can make good money doing that, and it was something I loved to do.

I started college and began pursuing a degree in Information Systems, which would help me achieve my ultimate goal. I’m currently near the end of that degree program. I’m on the edge of jumping head first into the career that I’ve wanted since I was 11. One might say that I have my future already determined and planned.

But I’d like to hit the brakes on this for awhile. I think I was planning all of this without input from God.

I picked up My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers and started reading through it. I was having a conversation with a friend of mine about the book and she told me to check out a couple of devotionals from earlier this month, so I did. These particular devotionals talked about the danger of planning without God in the picture.

These passages really gripped at me. You know, my whole life, I’ve known, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what I’ve wanted to do with my future, but I went through some serious life-changing experiences in the past few months, and these caused me to rethink everything that I planned.

It made me realize that all of my planning didn’t really take into account what God might want me to do. Oswald wrote in those devotionals that when we plan without God in the picture, He often brings us into experiences that cause us to rethink our plans, and I’m convinced that this is what happened to me.

Where I was so sure before, doubt now lingers above my head like a cloud.

Where is my future going? Right now, I have no idea, but I have every intention of including God in those plans.

Pray for me. Pray that I can allow God to be the chief motivator of my decisions and that I’ll do what’s best for Him, which is ultimately what’s best for me.

Prayer

2010-07-17T18:57:00.000-05:00

A few years ago when I graduated high school, a friend and mentor of mine gave me two gifts: a UL t-shirt, and a book called My Utmost for His Highest. It’s a fancy leather-bound, gold-paged edition. I never picked it up and read it. A couple of years later, I worked with a mission team in Alaska, and was given a copy of this same book by the team leader. Again, I never picked it up and read it.

Over the past few months, excerpts from this book have presented themselves to me several times, and for the first time, I picked up the book last night and began to seriously read it. The devotion for June 16th was about Prayer. I carefully read through it, and it opened my eyes to a lot of things.

Here’s the part that jumped out at me:

“Prayer is not only asking, but is an attitude of the mind which produces the atmosphere in which asking is perfectly natural.”

How many times do we as Christians attempt to “pray” without having an attitude of prayer? Stop yourself and seriously think about this: When you pray, are you really in the mindset necessary to come before God and ask Him a question naturally?

Remember: it’s “an attitude of the mind”, not just coming before God and making your request. Attitude matters.

Thoughts on Missions and How it Changes People

2010-06-21T10:25:00.002-05:00

Some friends of mine just got back from Africa last night. I went with a few people to greet them at the airport in New Orleans. One particular friend of mine struggled with being home. She had grown close to the students she had served with, and it was hard to say goodbye to them. Though she had just met them only two weeks ago, she felt like she was parting ways with friends she’s known her whole life.

I understood her struggles. I’ve been there before. I went to Alaska last summer for a few weeks and spent a lot of time around a group of college students from Texas. It was the same situation. I was only around them for about 3 weeks, but when they were leaving, I felt like I was saying goodbye to friends I’ve known my whole life.

It’s always been interesting to me how God brings people together like that. Its interesting how God can take people who have never met each other and in a few short weeks turn into them something that more closely resembles a family then a friendship. Service to Him is what binds us together, and I think that’s what the church is all about.

- - -

The feeling you get when you come from a mission trip like Africa, or Alaska, where you spend a lot of time with and a grow close to a group of people like that, is hard to explain. I think it’s something you only understand when you actually go through something like it. So many students come back from trips like that changed, and the people they left behind when they went simply don’t understand. I explained this to my friend, and she knew exactly what I was talking about.

If someone close to you is on a mission trip or has recently returned from one, I can assure you that things are going to be different. Give them time and space to cope with the return. It takes awhile, and can be frustrating, especially when you don’t understand, but have patience and be sensitive. God brought them through a major experience like that for their own growth, and its up to you to give them that space and time they need to work through that for themselves.

They’ll appreciate it. I promise.

Producing and Consuming: Spiritual Fatheads in the Church

2010-05-24T23:30:00.000-05:00

I’m studying business in college, and I’ve learned that at the most basic level, the market consists of two parties: producers and consumers. In a single transaction, all parties will fall into one of these two categories. The ideal situation is that one produces while he or she also consumes. Meaning that one person gives back to society while they consume the resources provided by it. One might argue that this contributed to current condition of our economy. Too much spending. Too much consuming. Not enough producing.

I think you can apply this methodology to the church as well. While I don’t mean to imply that a church is a business, the parallel can certainly be drawn between the two.

I think in most churches the overwhelming majority of members in the church are simply consumers. They sit in the pews at church and constantly consume resources. They come to all the free meal events and sit in the pews on sunday mornings but they aren’t active within the church. They aren’t serving. They aren’t producing.

My friend and mentor Scott likes to say that people tend to be spiritual sponges. They sit in pews and soak up all the messages, music, and teaching, and become “spiritual fatheads”. Their cup is full, yet they do not wish to pour themselves out into others. It’s a very broken cycle that we have created in the modern church.

I see this a lot in my own church. I see a lot of people who come for the free meals and free Jesus, but don’t come for much else. There’s no cycle. There’s no giving back. And I’m not talking about tithing. Its more then that. There’s more to serving your church then giving it money. Its about being involved. Lyndale, who’s a pastor at a local church in this area, put it this way: “It’s time to get off your duff and do some stuff.”

I like it when it’s put that way. Makes a lot of sense.

I think that this is the biggest issue that faces the church today. Its such a challenge to get members involved. We live in a world where laziness is the order of the day, and we are brought up to believe that by being successful and working hard that we don’t have to do any Kingdom work. That following Jesus is all about kicking back and waiting for the eventual mortal death to come so we can spend an eternity in heaven...

Boy, have we got it wrong.

Jesus doesn’t want us waiting around for Him to come back. He wants us to go out and remind everybody.

This is the part where I normally challenge you to go out and do stuff and not just sit and soak, but I am not sure that I am doing everything that I can to be a producer, and not just a consumer. To give back.

Think about it.

Wishing I Couldn't Backspace

2010-05-20T21:50:00.000-05:00

Writing and I have always had a love/hate relationship. I tend to write a good bit but I tend to cheat on my relationship with writing by spending time with the backspace key. The result is usually myself deleting paragraphs and paragraphs of stuff that I have written. Stuff that will never see the light of day.

What if life had a backspace? I asked my friend Sarah Grace this exact question just now and she claims that it wouldn’t be the same. My other friend Ashley laughed when I asked this question, and said that life would be a lot easier. Both are fairly correct. But I think life would be a lot more boring.

A big part of life and growing up is learning from your mistakes. If you could go back and start a situation, experience, or decision over when you make a mistake, then what would you learn? Its like a kid who never gets disciplined. He or she never actually learns anything and continues to make the same mistakes, because there aren’t any negative consequences.

I think writing can be the same way. If I write a bunch and write whatever because I know I can delete it, then am I going to give it my best effort when I’m writing? Probably not. If what I wrote had more permanence, then I’ll naturally write better stuff.

For this reason I’ve been trying to write more with pen and paper. I carry around a moleskine notebook with me and when I have a though I’ll write it down. Its helpful because its more permanent. Its not just something I can write and then delete if I don’t like it. You scratch it out, but looks bad and wastes paper. For all intents and purposes, everything I write with my pen is staying on the page, and I like that.

I’m hoping that getting into the habit of not being able to erase what I wrote will translate over to my writing on the computer.

Maybe I’ll write better (and more often).

Something to Put Here.

2010-05-20T00:44:00.000-05:00

After everything that’s happened in the last month and a half I thought I would have the time to sit down and write a whole bunch but that never happened. I decided that instead of spending all of my free time reading and writing that I would go out and live life and hopefully actually have some things to write about.

I’ve noticed through all of my readings and studies that the best writers are the ones that tend to be proactive about life and more focused on living life then writing about it. I think if we spend too much time writing about life, then we miss out on the things that life is all about. Our writing would probably become dull.

I mean seriously, when you sit down at a desk and read stuff all day and type mindlessly into a computer, then what kind of life are you living?

After everything I went through in the last month, I thought that sitting down and writing about it would be a great way for me to deal with it, but it left me wanting. So I stopped writing for a bit and focused on living, and it worked.

It’s much easier to deal with the past when you are focused on the present and preparing for the future. Rather then writing about everything that happened, I decided to go out and live life and maybe finding something better to write about rather then what happened.

You are reading the result right now. You are reading the result of my self-discovery.

Through a group of amazing friends I learned that life is far too valuable just sit and wonder about everything that’s happening. You have to jump in with both feet, otherwise everything just passes you by.

Not about to let that happen.

Go and Sin No More

2010-05-01T10:07:00.000-05:00

The other day I read from John 8. This chapter contains a story (John 8:2-12) that’s about an adulteress that get’s dragged out in front of Jesus and they basically ask Jesus what they are supposed to do with the girl. The Jewish laws say that they are to stone her.

The next thing that happens is awesome. Jesus basically ignores them. He stoops down and starts writing in the dirt with his finger. (John 8:6). But of course, they don’t give up. They persist in questioning Him about the issue.

That’s when Jesus stands up and says, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Basically, they all leave her alone after this. Then Jesus basically tells her that He doesn’t condemn her, and to “go forth and sin no more.” (John 8:11).

When I read this story, I couldn’t help but think of a good friend of mine who told me about somethings she did in the past. She was waiting for the condemnation, but I didn’t give it. When she wondered why, I told her that if Jesus doesn’t condemn you, then how can I?

I think we are very quick to condemn people for the sins they have committed, rather then showing them grace and forgiveness. Why are we like that? Why are we so self righteous that we insist on condemning people for this sin or that sin when we ourselves are in need of condemnation?

I think we should follow the example of Jesus. We need to show grace and forgiveness, rather then condemnation. He doesn’t condemn people for what they have done, so what right do we have?

It's the Lord!

2010-04-30T09:42:00.000-05:00

Lately, I’ve been getting a lot better about reading my bible. I went through some interesting life experiences recently and it really opened my eyes to everything I was missing. It opened my eyes and helped me see the God that is desperately trying to catch my attention, you know, before I walk off a cliff.

This morning, I read from John 21. In this passage, Jesus has already risen from the dead and revealed Himself to the disciples, but strangely, they decide to go fishing.

It seems odd to me that after being in the presence in the Son of God after He rose from the grave, that the disciples would decide to go back to fishing (for many of them, their old way of life…read Luke 5:1-11). I simply don’t understand how you could return to life as the way it was after everything happened.

But then, I thought about this a little further for a second. Maybe, after everything that the disciples had been through, they were just looking for something familiar that they could hold onto. I imagine after the arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial, and resurrection that they were a little high strung.

I feel this way sometimes. Normally when I go through a tough life experience I try to do something I normally do to help keep my mind off it, rather then facing my problem and dealing with it.

But that’s not what I’m trying to get at it here. The story goes on. The disciples go fishing but they catch nothing. Then the next morning Jesus comes to the shore and asks if them if they caught anything (of course knowing that they didn’t). Sound familiar?

Just like before (again, see Luke 5), the disciples didn’t know it was Jesus. Jesus told them to let down their nets on the right side of the boat. If you’ve read Luke 5, you know what happens.

That’s when one of the disciples realizes it’s Jesus. He (presumably John) exclaims “It’s the Lord!” (John 21:7)

The part that follows I believe is one of the most beautiful moments in Scripture. Peter, upon hearing that the man on the beach is Jesus, hurls himself into the water and goes to swim ashore. (John 21:8)

Peter was so lovestruck for his Savior that he couldn’t wait for the boat to get to the shore so he could see Him. I think that’s amazing. I think it paints one of the most beautiful love stories in all of Scripture.

I think we should love like that. When He is revealed in our lives through circumstances or experiences or whatever, we should be so lovestruck to see Him that we forsake everything and run after Him.

In the Belly of a Fish

2010-04-19T11:11:00.000-05:00

Most Christians know the story of Jonah. If you don’t, I would encourage you to read it for yourself. It’s a very interesting story. Over the past two sundays, the pastor at my church has been preaching from Jonah during the evening services. Last night, he preached from Jonah 2, where Jonah is sitting inside of the belly of a fish. He realizes that he cannot run away from God’s will and he cries out to God in repentance.

About a week ago I got to the point where I needed to be cast into the sea in order for me to wake up and realize everything that God has been trying to tell me. I felt just like Jonah. I was in despair. I felt broken, crushed, and destroyed, and it was at that point where I did the only thing I could possibly do:

I’ll called to Him for help. And he answered. Through my pastor I was given some deep insight into the meaning and depth of this passage of scripture, and I wanted to share some of it with you:

God used the fish swallowing Jonah for two reasons:

Jonah would have died out in the middle of the sea had the fish not swallowed Him. While the bible does not specify how far Jonah was from the shore, it’s fairly safe to assume that Jonah could not just swim back.
God wanted to catch Jonah’s attention and bring Jonah back to Him. Sometimes, God has to bring drastic changes into our lives in order to spur us to action.

He wasn’t the center of my life and He certainly wasn’t the center of the situation I was in previously. He needed to deliver me rather forcibly from where I was comfortable in order for me to turn to Him and rely on fully on Him. God used the fish to save me from myself, and to teach me a valuable lesson in a way that I would have nothing in the way clouding my attention to it.

I would encourage you to take a step back from life and see if there are situations in your life that is getting in the way of God trying to catch your attention. One could argue that if Jonah was following God’s will in the first place then the entire story would not have turned out the way it did.

The "Is that contestant on American Idol a Christian?" Scorecard

2010-04-06T09:43:00.000-05:00

Authors Note: I offered to put a guest post from Jon Acuff over at Stuff Christians Like here up on the blog. Click the link in the post to see what its all about.

The “Is that contestant on American Idol a Christian? Scorecard”
96. They mention their parents aren’t watching the show because it’s on Fox = + 2 points
To add up your score with over a 130 other ideas on this scorecard, visit stuffchristianslike.net.

Thinking Before You Speak

2010-03-26T16:56:00.000-05:00

I spend quite a bit of time reading blogs and articles from various writers. They say that one of the best ways to improve your writing technique is to actually read more, and I take this heart, so I tend to consume quite a bit of material in a single day. I’ve thought about trying to capture statistics on how many blog posts and news articles I read in day, but it would be pretty inaccurate. On slow days I’ll read as many as 20. On other days, I’ll read as much as 100. Pretty ridiculous I know, but I like the idea of information consumption.

A lot of the blogs I read are centered about christian spirituality. As many would come to expect, I have some expectations when it comes to the content of these websites, but every now and again I’ll find that something that truly surprises me; both good things and bad things.

Yesterday, I encountered something that caught me off guard.

There’s a particular writer whose work I really respect and I would consider myself a big fan of his material. I was reading a recent blog post from this writer, when I encountered something that kind of surprised me.

He used an expletive in his post.

I know some of you reading this are going to instantly condemn me for judging him based on a standard that’s different from everyone else, but bear with me for a second. There’s a lot of debate in the christian community about using foul language, and arguably more popular viewpoint taken by those in the discussion is one of opposition to its use in our vocabulary.

Of course, most of us as believers in Jesus Christ and His divine Word choose to seek the answer in the Word, and for my part, I think it explains the issue pretty clearly:

“No rotten talk should come from your mouth, but only what is good for the building up of someone in need, in order to give grace to those who hear. “ Ephesians 4:29 (HCSB)

On top of the moral issues surrounding foul language, I find that using it makes you look primitive and stupid. That may sound like harsh words, but again, I want you to think about this. Try writing out a paragraph or so about your day. Don’t use expletives. Then, try to add some expletives in your paragraph. When you’re done with that, read through what you just wrote. Doesn’t it sound stupid to throw curse words in your speech and writing?

The point of this is to get you to think before you speak or write. Use words that pass your point along without making you sound like a vulgar idiot.

Thoughts on Kurt Warner's Retirement

2010-01-29T21:01:00.005-06:00

When I saw the news that Kurt Warner had officially announced his retirement from the NFL, I felt a little sad inside. First, he was an incredible football player, and I think the NFL was a little better with him as a part of it. Second, NFL stories don't get more entertaining then his: A former football cast-off who was told that he had no chance in the NFL, ended up playing Arena Football and for NFL Europe before being signed as a backup QB for the Rams in 1999. It was there that he would go on to be the key figure to what was called the "Greatest Show on Turf". He led the Rams to the Super Bowl twice in three years (winning the first time but losing to the rising New England Patriots, who's win stared a dynasty) and led the Cardinals to a Super Bowl only a year ago.

Third, and most importantly, the guy is a very outspoken Christian and gives God the most credit for his success. He's a great example of a guy who didn't let the fame to get to his head. He still knew where the glory belonged.

Even with all the fame, glory, and cold hard cash reaped from a successful NFL career, he still knew where all the credit was due. It's for that reason that he is one of my favorite quarterbacks ever to play the game.

Everyone is already talking about his candidacy for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and I think he makes the cut better than anyone.

We'll miss you Kurt. Even though his career with football is likely not over (broadcasting, coaching, or something is on the horizon), it's sad to think that we'll never see him take a professional snap ever again.

Now, if only Brett Favre could take the hint...

Thoughts on Haiti and the Church

2010-01-16T01:43:00.005-06:00

Whenever a serious world-shaking event occurs, everyone remembers what they were doing and/or thinking about when they first heard the news.

When I heard about the disastrous earthquake in Haiti, I was walking through Wal-Mart, thumbing through some Twitter updates on my iPhone. I was thinking about how 22,000 college students managed to raise over 1.4 million dollars to support various causes around the world (you can find out more information about that here), when I noticed a tweet from someone about an earthquake in Haiti. The wonders that are iPhones and the internet allowed to immediately look up some information on the earthquake, and I quickly discovered the horrific nature of the situation. Thousands were thought to be dead. Destruction everywhere.

I froze where I was. In the middle of Wal-Mart, I stopped and prayed. I prayed that God would be glorified even through such times as this.

Its times like this where the church can do its duty and the whole world sees it impact. One of the most touching things about the aftermath of the earthquake is the reports coming out of Haiti that talk about people in churches all over Haiti lifting up the name of Jesus and singing to Him all of the praise, despite everything that they are going through.

Wow. Isn't that awesome? Isn't that an awesome example of the Church? Of the Body of Christ?

One of the things that God calls us to do as members of the Body is to serve the needy and poor. Haiti is a country that was already in desperate need before this disaster, and now that need has been amplified by many orders of magnitude.

As you read this post, or as you read and hear the news reports flooding in from Haiti, you may be thinking "How could I, one person, have any kind of impact on what's going on out there?"

The answer is quite simple actually. Someone once scoffed at Mother Theresa's charity and service to the needy, calling her help just a "drop in the bucket" compared to the needs of billions of people around the world. Her response was simple, but powerful: "An ocean is made of many drops".

If many people give a little, then our combined effort is great. Just 2 weeks ago, 22,000 students raised 1.4 million (784,000 donated by students, 668,000 was donated by a family as a response to the giving of the students). That's roughly only $60 per person. Wow.

Many people raised over $5 million for the Red Cross by texting "Haiti" to 90999, donating $10 per text. Again, these are small ways in which you, a single person, can help in a big way.

Never underestimate the power of a single individual. Just remember: an ocean is made of many drops.

I am proud to be a drop in the bucket.

Ways in which you can help:
Texting "Haiti" (without quotes) to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross.
Clicking here (iTunes link) to donate to the Red Cross through iTunes.
Donating to various other ministries and assistance organizations such as HOPE International, World Vision, and Compassion International.
Last, but certainly not least: Pray (1 Thes 5:16-18)

“All this said David: the LORD made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the details of this pattern. Then David said to his son Solomon, Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.” 1 Chronicles 28:19-20"

Getting through 2009 (or 2008 Stunk so I Changed Things Up and Punched 2009 in the Mouth)

2009-12-18T02:04:00.002-06:00

We hear it said all the time that life comes at you quickly, and you have to learn how to take it one day at a time, otherwise you just get overwhelmed with it all. I honestly can't tell you how many times this came back to bite me in the rear. I've always been a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants sort of guy, and to me, life was characterized by a constant rush of events, one after the other. I would get overwhelmed, crash, get back up again, and repeat the same cycle. Over and over.

One of things you learn in life when you do this for so long is that you miss out on a lot of small things. There are a ton of things I wish I could go back and experience. Things I would've noticed if I had not been trying to move through life so quickly.

I don't really know why I tried to rush through life. I guess I thought that the best way to experience something is to have it crammed down your throat.

This mentality is largely responsible for the situation I had put myself in at the start of this year. I was extremely focused on the future and getting out of school and getting on with life, so I would push through the days, not really stopping to actually take care things that I needed to take care of, like keeping up with my school work and spending time with my family. I largely spent my days consuming as much caffeine as possible, staying up as late as I could stand it, and wasting as much time as possible at places like CCs.

You can see where this is going. At the beginning of this year, my academic career was in shambles. I was basically forced to take a semester off because I lost financial aid. I sucked at school so badly that they wouldn't even loan me money. Ouch.

So at the beginning of this year, someone who I've grown very close to over the course of this year started to teach me something about living life one day at a time, and taking things slowly, not looking too far ahead.

The results were incredible. I just finished the fall 2009 semester last week and it turned out to be the best semester academically that I've ever had. I actually started focusing on the work it takes to get to the finish line, rather than concentrating so hard on that finish line and beyond. Its a mentality thats helped me in so many ways in my life.

Its not the only bizarre thing that has happened to me this year. Some other notes from 2009:

- I managed to hold a grand total of 2 jobs, sometimes at the same time. Last year, I was employed by different organizations (6 if you include NAMB)

- I kept a stable relationship. Never in a million years did I see that coming. Not at this point in life. She doesn't like it when I write about our relationship, but its here because it played a big part in making 2009 amazing overall.

- The Saints are undefeated as of this writing. Wow. Can you think of anything more crazier then that in the sports world? This team has a link to the culture here that is unmatched by any other team (except, maybe Green Bay. That town revolves around that team). I know this has nothing to do with my life specifically, but its an extremely significant event for someone living in this area, who grew up calling the Saints the 'Aints.

- There were some crippling aspects of my personal life that had been plaguing for several years, and now God has the victory.

- This fall I actually managed to spend more time with my family then I have in the past, and I came to value the time I spend with them more then I have in the past.

These are just a few of the notable events of the year for me. There are many more, but there is only so much I feel I can write in this space, and as of the typing of this paragraph, it is 2 AM. ~~This also means that I'm about to push the post button without proofreading it. Oh well.~~ (I lied. I proofread it. Now its 2:15 AM)

If you get anything out of reading this, just remember how important it is to live life one day at a time. Don't miss out on what's sitting right in front of you. Enjoy the weekend and whats left of 2009. I won't say Merry Christmas because I expect to post again before then. I'm out.

Is this thing on?

2009-12-10T18:37:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the hiatus from writing over the past few months. I've been busy trying to get through school, and tackling life's everyday problems.

The hard work paid off, and I'm finishing this semester off pretty well.

Now that I have a ton of downtime, I plan to be writing a little bit more. Hopefully I'll have some stuff here in the near future. I'm already working on a few ideas for some interesting pieces.

Enjoy the CHRISTmas season.

A Change in Pace

2009-11-06T21:32:00.000-06:00

It's funny how life plays out. So many times, we seem to make all sorts of plans, only to have life turn around on us and force us to change our plans.

I encountered this in full force today. I went through a major change in plans at an extremely rapid pace.

Things are still changing. So I can't really say how life is going to look on the other side.

It's always interesting to me to see how God communicates His message and His will to us through situations and experience. The amazing thing, is that through everything I have gone through today, the message remains clear, and it is comforting.

"Let it go. Trust me."

I know I am sounding extremely ambiguous, but I want to focus on the lesson learned, and not the circumstances of the situation.

The reality is that my plans really don't matter. In the end, its His plan that needs to take precedence.

The only thing I need to do is trust in Him. The rest will take care of itself.

"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all of your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Response

2009-11-03T23:07:00.002-06:00

This is a little late, but a good friend of mine emailed me a response to the post I wrote late last week. It makes a great point so I thought I would share it:

"An artist doesn't set out to create a great piece of art. Nor does a poet write with the intentions of creating a masterful work. It flows out of the inner parts of their heart and soul. It's an honest reflection of their view of the world around them. Great creators are those who can communicate a new or unique way of looking at the world around them. So in the end, I think the writer's intentions ought to be honest and pure, not focused on any other goal than to communicate their thoughts and feelings to others. Often times appreciation and understanding from others comes after the writer dies."

Excellent point.

Writing in Sepia Tone

2009-10-30T01:24:00.001-05:00

I told someone in a conversation today that I wish I could write more. In hindsight, I know I say this a lot, but I never really end up writing that much. Writing for me has always been that little hobby that I pick up every now and then.

My best writing usually comes out of these situations, when I sit down with a fresh set of ideas to write on and just get to actually writing.

I am usually a motivated person when it comes to something I am passionate about, but I have yet to find the motivation to do some serious writing. I’ve given much thought to publishing a book one day about the struggles I have faced over the past few years, but the inner critic in me tells me that no one really cares; not enough to spend several hours on pouring through a book.

That inner critic is largely the reason why I have found it so hard to write these days. My backspace key gets a lot of workout when I am writing, as I am constantly going back over what I said and changing things, or deleting whole paragraphs all together. This is one of the biggest reasons why I went to writing more in my journal with a pen, because it’s not like I can go back and change what I said. Better to leave things how they are.

There’s a friend of mine whose writing I really admire. When she writes, you feel like she is painting a picture with words, or each letter is forming a small part of a big musical ensemble. It’s funny that I wrote that, because I often think of writing as a piece of art, just as much as music or visual arts such as painting and drawing.

My writing feels more like something I would say were I in a conversation. This is different from my writer friend. She does not communicate in person with the same voice that she does when she writes.

My writing may seem boring to some people, but I feel like its got character to it. Much like there is an art to a sepia tone photograph, I think there still some art to be found in my own writing. When you look at a sepia tone photo, you definitely notice the lack of color in the photo, but you also notice the artistic style, and how there is still plenty of meaning to be found in that plain-color photograph. Same with black and white; though it’s devoid of all color, it still has a story to tell. It’s still trying to express something.

Though sometimes I feel inadequate when I read some of the things my friends are writing, I still come to eventually appreciate what I am writing, because it is my voice, and its unique. I may never be talented enough to immerse people in the subject I am writing about, but I can at least be honest, and give people a good insight into what goes on in my own weird mind.

In the end, I think that will work out for the best.

22 Years

2009-09-22T15:51:00.004-05:00

For the past 6 years on this day (September 22nd), I've always written a journal entry or blog post detailing some changes I made in the past year. Last year, I simply wrote an entry in my journal and never published it. I made a lot of personal changes that year that I felt that I needed to keep within myself.

Obviously, this year is a little different, as you are reading this on a blog (or on Facebook/email, whichever way you read this entry).

There are a few others things that usually happen on this day:

1) There is free food (on my part) involved. Someone always buys me lunch and/or dinner. Today was no different. Thanks Dan-o.
2) I usually get about 50-60 wall posts on Facebook from folks wishing me happy birthday. Seriously. I normally get text message notifications for status comments, wall posts, and messages on Facebook, but I disable this on my birthday for obvious reasons.

So there you have it. Two consistent activities that always occur on my birthday. This varies from year to year and, of course, there's always a few random unique things that happen every year, but so far today has been rather ordinary.

As of today, I am 22 years old. While to many people that age doesn't seem to be much of a milestone for anything, but it is for me. A) It's my "golden birthday" and B) I am one step closer to an age where I will be expected to be more responsible. This carries more weight for me then you might think.

So, without further ado, I present to you my thoughts for the year:

- Responsibility sneaks up on you.
Even when I had turned 21, I didn't quite get the fact that society was expecting me to be more responsible. At that time I was going into my junior year of college and I had pretty much determined that this was the last chance I had to be able to pick up my college career from the floor, but I had a hard time overcoming my stubbornness against accepting responsibility, and as a result, I once again had a spectacular failure for a semester. It hit me after that semester that it would be extremely difficult for me to get back into school and actually be able to graduate within 2-2.5 years. At that point, I realized that this was it. I was given one last chance.

- You never lose hope that you can't make the changes.
After the end of that semester, I had reached a point where I thought life as I knew it was over, and that I was going to end up like a lot of people nowadays: struggling to find a job and makes ends to meet. At the time I was also beginning to grow quite fond of the woman with whom I am currently in a relationship with, and she's extremely responsible and headstrong. It was great motivation to change. No one wants to be in a relationship with a deadbeat. With the right motivation, from her as well as from other people who are close to me, I pushed on ahead, and I managed to save my college career.

- If you want to be blessed with a Godly relationship, you must feel blessed with the single life.
By the time Becca and I had started to talk about a relationship, I had already been out of another one for a year. In between that time, I remember holding interests with and pursuing at least 3 or 4 different girls. Nothing ever came of it. There were many times where I would lie in bed wondering why I couldn't find someone who suitable for me (who actually returned my interest), then it hit me: if you feel like you need to be in a relationship, then you don't need to be in a relationship. When I got this picture, it made the next month of my life the most amazing month of my single life. Then I re-met Rebecca :)

- Its really hard for you to get anything out of your walk with God if you don't pursue it with everything you've got.
I figured that this was probably by design. God is relentless in His pursuit of our hearts; shouldn't we be relentless in our pursuit of His love as well?

- Love is not a noun, but an action.
If you look back at some of my earlier writing (especially from this summer), you can see where I was searching for answers about love. I was searching for a definition, or some meaning beyond what we normally hear. This summer, I got to see love through people that God brought into my life. I watched as they poured love into me and into others around them, and it was amazing to see. That's when I learned that Love is something we do. It's reflected in our actions just as much as what we say and write.

I realize that this post has been a deep and wordy one, but I really had to get this stuff out of my head. Its been cooking there for a few days now.

Oh, and one more thing, thanks to all of you who wished me a happy birthday. If you posted on my Facebook profile, you will get a response from me. I make it a point to reply to every single happy birthday wall post I receive (all 60-70 of them).

Till next time, Kyle

It's Gonna Be Alright

2009-09-13T10:43:00.002-05:00

I am sitting in a coffee shop, listening to tracks for the songs that we are going to play this morning in worship. Just a few minutes ago, I'm sitting here and thinking about all kinds of things that many drummers think about on sunday morning: am I going to get that beat right? Am I going to be able to keep time properly? Am I gonna miss that big hit? Am I going to be able to play that loud? Do I look right? Is my shirt too wrinkled? How does my face look when I'm throwing down? etc.

Admist all of these questions going through my head, several lines of a song I am listening to pierce through my conscious:

"It's GONNA BE ALRIGHT,
Cause I know my God saved the day
And I know His Word never fails
And I know my God made a way for me, yeah
Salvation is Here!
Salavation is Here and He lives in Me
Salvation is Here
Cause You are Alive, and You set me free!
Salvation is Here."

As I sat there and listened to those words, it dawned on me that I really doesn't matter. Salvation is here. It lives in me. I will go on that stage, and worship, leading others in worship with me.

That's what matters. It's gonna be alright.

UL Makes the Wall Street Journal. Not for Good Reasons

2009-09-11T20:47:00.003-05:00

I subscribed to the Wall Street Journal a few weeks ago for school, and lately, I've been trying to make good use of the subscription (its expensive). I read a lot of interesting (and weird) articles on there, but something caught my eye. There was a link to an article called "Beer Sales Make a Comeback at College Stadiums". When I read the link, I had a sneaky suspicion that my university would be mentioned. Recently it was announced that UL would start selling alcohol at collegiate athletics. This does not surprise me. The university will make a lot of money.

Apparently, the move is gaining national attention. Here's a quote from the WSJ article:

"The University of Louisiana at Lafayette this weekend expects to allow fans for the first time to buy beer inside "The Swamp," as the school's stadium is known." (Opdyke, Desmodel 2009)

When I read this, I sighed and shook my head.

Don't mistake the message I am communicating here. I do not condemn the consumption of alcohol. My views on that subject have no place in this post. I am just concerned about this move. My concern stems from a simple fact about southern Louisiana: we like to party, and we like to party hard.

Have you ever been tail-gating at Tiger Stadium? Its chaos. A similar chaos exists on a much smaller scale at Cajun Field, and it stems from the copious drinking that people in this area take to on a regular basis. "Social Drinking" as defined by someone who is lives in this area is basically getting "plastered".

I fail to see how this is going to be healthy for Cajun Field ("The Swamp"...whatever) and the school in general. Yes, we are going to see enhanced revenues from this move. You know what else we're going to see?

A loss on control on the behavior of several thousand 20-somethings, not to mention a few older folks and plenty of underage drinkers as well. Its no secret that its easy to get a beer around here, even if you aren't underage.

All of that being said, it doesn't make sense for the university to go through with this. The tarnished image we are going to inherit is not worth the financial benefits. We'll see how this turns out.

[Link] "Beer Sales Make a Comeback at College Stadiums" (Wall Street Journal, Subscription may be required)

Wrap-Up: Lessons learned in Alaska

2009-08-10T12:46:00.004-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I have been busy since getting back home.

For the past two years I've been exploring the concept of love and the theology behind it. When I'm talking about love, I'm not just talking about saying that I love coffee or the fact that I love Apple products. I'm talking about the tried-and-true, in-your-face love that Christ demonstrated when He died on the cross for our sins.

Now that I got your attention, I'll elaborate.

I've always loved words. I've always loved everything having to do with words, like reading, writing, music with vocals, and verbal communication. For the longest time I was plagued by this sense that love is a word and something that is expressed primarily through verbal or written communication.

Boy, was I dead wrong.

While in Alaska I had the opportunity of serving with an amazing group of students from all over Texas (and one from North Carolina and another from Hawaii). During those three weeks I ended up serving with a lot more people (think of folks from all over the country), but I spent the overwhelming majority of my time with this group of students. I watched and was amazed at their ability to open up to people that they did not know at all before arriving in Alaska. I watched as within a few days, we became a family. The experience was incredible.

A few weeks ago when we hit the beaches for the project, I remember going into the first weekend not knowing what was going to happen. Even though I managed to get a glimpse at the project during my previous trip to Alaska last year, there were still a lot of questions.

Then we got to serving, and I got to see the looks on peoples' faces as we gave them free hot dogs, or the looks of relief on the parents' faces as we took care of their kids in kids camp so that they could catch their fish. I got to see the looks of joy on the kid's face as they actually had something to do other than sitting in the sand and avoid the water.

It was after those experiences that I realized that love with more than just words. Really, its not even something that can be accurately described in words.

I guess what I am trying to say is: love cannot be described or declared using words. It must be demonstrated.

You would think that with all of the thinking and reading and praying that I have been doing over the past two years that I would come to realize this, but the concept never seemed to be that real and present to me. But then I look in my bible and read stories of how God's love was demonstrated in part through His people, and in full through His Son, and it makes sense.

David showed love when he spared Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9). Esther showed love for her people when she used her position in the Persian government to intercede on behalf of the Jews (Book of Esther). Jacob showed love for Rachel when he worked for years to earn the right to marry her (Genesis 29:9-30). God showed love for the people of Israel when he led them out of captivity and into the Promised Land (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). There are countless stories of God's love through out the Bible, but none is greater than when He sent His son Jesus to die on the cross, since we could never be free of the burden of sin on our own. Its an amazing story of love and man's redemption in the eyes of God.

Going forward, I intend to look for ways I can better demonstrate love, so that I can better demonstrate Christ and the effect He has had on my life.

It looks to be a promising adventure.

Kyle

Heading into Week 2 of the Project

2009-07-23T22:24:00.001-05:00

I am sitting in the middle of the living room in the FBC Kenai parsonage, where we have been staying for the past week and a half, and you wouldn’t guess by this scene that we are tired and worn out. One of the students is wrestling with the Belmore kids and there is activity everywhere. It’s kind of surreal actually.

A few days ago I came down with a cold and as a result, I feel like I am exhausted all the time. Then we have these long days and somehow I am able to make it through it all. It’s a God thing.

As I write that, it occurs to me that a lot of things that happened on this journey so far are God things. I am amazed that we were able to get out of bed at all after the three-day weekend we just had. It was insane. Sunday evening, we were all absolutely exhausted as we collapsed into our beds at the parsonage.

And that’s just a small bit of the God-things that have happened over the past few weeks. I have a friend on the trip that never travels and gets nervous and she’s been amazing over the past few weeks. She hasn’t felt any anxiety at all. She loves it here. We all do.

Another God-thing is the bond that my Louisiana friends and I share with the group of students from Texas, as well as the NAMB team that was already here in Alaska when we arrived. We have all formed a unique bond. The Texas group leaves next Thursday. I am not sure I am prepared for that.

My wi-fi access is limited and even as I type this, I do not know when I am going to be able to post it. Hopefully it will be soon.

I hope that everyone back home that reads this is doing well. Pray for us! We need energy and focus. Hope to hear from you all soon.

Kyle

Crazy

2009-07-14T16:52:00.000-05:00

Things are gettig crazy here. I cannot believe we are back in Kenai.

I will post when I have the time, but know that we are all changed.

-- Post From my iPod Touch

Alaska Update

2009-07-13T15:15:00.002-05:00

Time flies when you are enjoying yourself. As of late tomorrow evening, we will have been here for a week. It seems like a month has passed since we arrived, but only because we have accomplished so much in such a short amount of time.

A group of students from Universities all over Texas arrived here a few days ago and are here to work with us on coordinating the events of the next two weeks. Although we've only known each other for a few days, we have already become a tight-knit group. I can tell already that the end of this trip is going to be really hard. I hate goodbyes.

Lots of crazy stuff has happened in the last week. We've been severely delayed in the last couple of days because of problems that keep arising. We are managing to stay on top of them though. We are still getting a ton of work done. Today promises to be a long day. We have to load the remainder of our supplies for the next two weeks and move them, our gear, and ourselves down to Kenai, Alaska, so that we can begin the bulk of the preparation work for the Salmon Frenzy project.

God is teaching me so much on this adventure. I'm learning a lot about work ethic and initiative and getting things done in general. Its amazing to see the work thats unfolding right in front of my eyes. I am also extremely grateful for the friends, both old and new, that I have the pleasure of working with over the course of this adventure.

We still have a long day to go today and I have several things I must tend to immediately.

Kyle

Thoughts on Alaska

2009-07-10T04:12:00.001-05:00

One of the biggest differences between being in Louisiana and being in Alaska is how differently the time passes. Time in Alaska seems to pass much slower, yet the end of the day is still upon you before you know it. Though we’ve only been here for a few days, it feels like we’ve been here week. We’ve certainly accomplished a great deal in such a short amount of time.

There are huge differences between this visit to Alaska and the previous one. The first and most obvious difference is the fact that I am not traveling alone. I am so grateful to have people such as Daniel, Caitlin, Brittney, and Courtni traveling with me. These are people are all close friends of mine and therefore it really helps to have them alone for the journey. We can all grow in our love for the Lord together and it’s really uplifting.

Another difference is the weather. Last summer, it was cold. Really cold. At least for a boy who grew up in Louisiana where the temperatures rarely go below 50, even in the winter. This summer, its fairly warm. The temperature has hovered in the mid 70s during the day and in the 50s later at night and it feels quite refreshing, though I really wasn’t prepared for this kind of weather. I am expecting it to be a little difference once we hit the beaches though.

The past couple of days has been all about growing for us as a team and as a family. We have been working with Brenda and some of the students that have been working with her through the summer, getting ready for the other teams that are going to be traveling up here. Working with Brenda is something special. She’s a living, breathing example of someone who does her best to give everything for God’s cause, and it shows. The woman rarely sleeps and is always working on some kind of project. It’s inspiring, really.

We have a long 20 days or so ahead of us, but I am extremely excited about what God has in store for us.

God's Story

2009-07-02T19:47:00.002-05:00

I got out of reading fiction as I got close to graduating high school. I read the Lord of the Rings and after that it just seemed like everything else fell short. I tried picking up several different novels after that and I never could even make it halfway through the book before I got bored and set it down.

That’s when I really got into reading books on Christian Spirituality. Growing up in a Southern Baptist church, I was quite familiar with the idea that the Christian thing to do was to read Christian books. I attempted to follow this pattern by looking through some of the books my mother had read, but most of the books my mother read was about raising boys. At the time, it didn’t occur to me that my mother was reading those books because of me, but when I look back on the life I lived in high school I realize that my mother probably needed a little bit of help.

I decided to a bit of research and after talking to a few people I found a couple of books to start reading on my own and it kind of took off from there.

Some of my favorite authors in this genre that I have read are Donald Miller, David Nasser, Leonard Sweet, and David Crowder (he’s pretty famous in Christian circles but more for his music than his books). They always have interesting stories to tell. They always present their life experiences as a story and they hope you get something out of it. They all have a story to tell and they desperately want you to hear it.

Christian spirituality books are awesome and everything but there is another book that I try to read when I can…yeah. That’s the one. The Bible. As I was thinking about writing this piece, I thought to myself that maybe God is, in a manner of speaking, in the same boat as a lot of these authors. Here’s God and He’s got a story that He desperately wants to tell us.

When I look at the Bible, I like to look at it as a narrative. It’s not just a book of guidance and wisdom; it’s also a book of stories. It’s a book with stories about a guy taking down a giant with a slingshot, and about some dudes who got thrown into a furnace and survived. Oh yeah, and there was also the Guy Whose teachings and actions turned the world upside down. Then the same Guy changed the status quo by being crucified and then rising from the grave. Wow. But through all of the stories that are presented in the Bible there’s always this one God. It’s a narrative. It’s a story. It’s a story about one God gave His love to us, even though we always do things to prove that we don’t deserve it.

The people who wrote the books that composed the Bible wrote it because they had a story tell. They wanted to tell a story of a Father’s Love and how it permeates through our existence and is a necessary component if we are to live out our lives with purpose.

If I wrote my story out, I wonder if God’s love would permeate through its pages. I want to live life like that. When I die I want people to look at me in my casket and thinking about nothing else but the life I lived for God. I’ve got a long way to go if I want to get to that point.

Making Better Choices

2009-06-22T14:03:00.001-05:00

For Father’s Day my church played a video that focused on the choices men will make as they go through the cycle of life and get married, have kids, and watch their kids grow. It was especially touching to me because it made me think a lot about the choices I have made and how they impact my future, including my future wife and children.

Between that video and something that happened this morning, it dawned on me that even though you can receive forgiveness for your choices, the consequences of your choices could be permanent. And you can’t take those choices back. They follow you forever. Someone close to me told me this morning: “you can’t just start over. There’s no reset button.”

Sometimes, I wish there was. I definitely wished that this morning. Sometimes I wish that life was like a video game, where you can simply go back to a save point and do everything a little bit differently, because you remember how things ended up last time…and you want to avoid making the same mistakes twice.

But life doesn’t work that way. Our decisions are permanent and everlasting, and we get to live with them forever.

I pray that this makes me think harder about decisions I make before I make them. While I have no doubt that I am going to make mistakes in the future, I can certainly make things a lot easier and better for myself and for my loved ones if I make Godly decisions, rather than those decisions that come from raw emotions, such as anger, resentment, and jealousy.

The theme for the college ministry at my church this year is from the gospel of John : “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30). I must learn to make less choices based on my own desires, and more choices that are bent upon God’s Will.

Easier said than done.

Now I walk with You Lord

2009-06-16T13:44:00.001-05:00

I finally managed to get the new Hillsong United album and am currently listening through it, but I’ve already picked out a favorite song.

It’s called “King of All Days”, and it goes like this:

"In your surrender
As You lay down Your life
You took up a sinners cross
And Your life rescued mine

In this redemption
Love and mercy display
And lifted my eyes to see
That Your truth never fails

Lord of the heavens
King of all days
Without You my world slips away
Redeemed by Your mercy
Consumed by Your grace
Now I live for You

[CHORUS]
I'm found in the arms of love
For Your love it has saved my soul
I'll run to Your arms of love
Your life's gonna lead me home

Glorious savior
In Your light I am free
If things of this world will fail
Still You are all that I need

Lord of the heavens
King of all days
Without You my world slips away
Redeemed by your mercy
Consumed by your grace
Now I live for You

[BRIDGE]
And at your cross
I lay my burdens
At your feet
Where Your love covers
All I've done
Now I walk with You Lord"

The bridge is especially powerful. God wants us to lay our burdens at His feet! I say that’s easily say that that’s one of the hardest things for me to do. I get so busy and stressed and I start to think that the only person who can help me is me…but that’s not true. God wants us to reach out to Him.

And reading the above passage, I realize how cliché it might sound, but its true! Get the CD, listen to the song, and look at yourself and see how you feel. You may be moved.

Kyle

An Essay on Politics: WWJV (What Would Jesus Vote?)

2009-06-13T00:51:00.001-05:00

Back whenever I started actually giving a little bit of concern towards American politics, I thought that I would always vote Republican. I grew up in a Southern Baptist church and whenever you are in a Southern Baptist church, everyone tells you that you are supposed to vote Republican. They tell you that God wants you to vote Republican.

Before I go any further, I will admit to you that I voted for John McCain in the 2008 Presidential Election and that I am a registered Republican. You can take that as a disclaimer if you like. Now, back to what I was talking about.

I have a huge issue when people bring God into politics. What I mean by that is suggesting that God votes a certain way, or that God has a certain political belief. To suggest that the God of the Universe surrenders Himself to the ridiculous political ideologies of humankind is absurd. Folks, He doesn’t think on our level. He’s not concerned with who’s a Democrat or who’s a Republican. He’s God. Period. He’s concerned with Love. He’s concerned with people obeying His commandments.

I think the church tries to involve itself too much in politics and not enough in loving people. Granted, politics play an important part in our day-to-day lives, whether we realize it or not. They impact the church in various ways, both good and bad, and I understand that. But at the same time, I find that the church is so concerned in pushing a particular political agenda, that it tends to venture away from what it was originally supposed to be doing: reaching folks for the gospel.

Please understand that when I make these statements, I’m not trying to attack the church as a whole I am simply trying to make a point. I’ve spoken with a lot of pastors from a lot of churches that actually place less emphasis on political parties and more on choosing a candidate that lines up with your beliefs.

I have a lot of friends on both sides of the political spectrum, but I think it’s safe to say that a vast majority of my friends tend to be more conservative in their ideologies. I think that’s great. For the most part though, I don’t think that they are better people just because they chose a particular candidate in a recent election, as opposed to my other friends who may have voted differently.

I wonder when people will get to the point where they put aside their political differences and just love each other. I have friends on both sides of the spectrum who spend a lot of their time taking potshots at other people for their political beliefs. Sometimes, it’s in jest, but other times, in many times, it’s really hurtful. Come on folks! Get over yourselves!

I voted for McCain because I felt like he would represent what I believed and would push the issues I felt were important to me and what I felt was most beneficial to our country, as opposed to Barack Obama. I didn’t feel like Obama would address my concerns, and I think, for the most part, that I’ve been correct on that. I don’t agree with a lot of the decisions he has made.

I wish more people would do the same. I wish more people would focus on choosing a particular candidate or pushing a particular agenda because they feel like it’s what should be done for the improvement of our beloved country, and not just because they feel that they are supposed to vote for a candidate or whatever because of his party, or his skin color, or whether or not he is a good public speaker.

I think I’ve said enough on this matter. If you feel differently then I would love to hear from you!

No title

2009-06-07T17:07:00.002-05:00

I can rarely recall a moment in the last few years where I've actually stopped. Just stopped. What do I mean by stopped? I mean sitting down and doing nothing. Maybe reading. Maybe writing. Maybe sipping at a bit of coffee while I catch up on things.

My life the past couple of years has been a big blur, especially the last 6 months. I worked two jobs, took a class at school, stayed involved in a campus ministry, played drums at church, managed to find (and keep) a girlfriend, and still have a shadow of the social life I used to live. Wow.

These past three weeks has been amazing. I have maintained a steady sleep schedule, found time for my friends, started putting real time into an awesome job, developed my relationship with Rebecca, and actually managed to find a little bit to myself.

I've discovered new things about myself, and new things about the life God wants me to live.

Tomorrow, I go back to school. I stay in school for month, while still working my evening job, then I head back to Alaska with a team of students to do some ministry on the beaches of Kenai. Then I'm in Glorieta, New Mexico for a week with more friends, then I'm back in Lafayette and getting into the swing of things before school starts in August. I plan to be back in the classroom full time, working as quickly as possible to get out of here and get my life on track.

As I sit here, thinking ahead about chaotic life I am about to go back to, I often wonder if I am losing myself when I don't take time out of my busy schedule to just sit around and enjoy the company of myself and sit in the prescence of God. A quiet time has long departed from me as a daily routine and the journal folder on my laptop has not been touched in over a month.

One of my goals, for the rest of this year, is to try my hardest to take time to myself, and re-discover myself, and to spend time in His presence, and to pursue Him with all of my heart.

Better said than done...

Thoughts on Leaving Home

2009-05-25T16:54:00.002-05:00

I spent the summer last year in Kenai, Alaska, working with youth at a local church. While I was up there, I spent a lot of time talking to the locals about the beauty of Alaska. But if you talk to almost anyone who spent their entire life there, all they seem to talk about is wanting to leave, especially those in the younger generations. As people would say this, I would wonder in amazement at their statements. Why would anyone want to leave a place that was so beautiful? Why would someone want to leave their home?

Then I would think about my own desires to be away from home. In my opinion, Lafayette's natural beauty does not compare to that of Alaska. There are not tall moutains in the horizon, and no rolling hills covered with beautiful trees. Instead, its all flat, low-lying wetlands, and the only thing you can see on the horizon is the clouds. Lafayette had much of its natural beauty tarnished by expansion in the 60s and 70s. If you drive down Johnston St. (between UL campus and Ambassador Caffery), you understand what I mean. Lots of old, run down buildings that are built really close to the road. But at the same time, Lafayette also has a special beauty that transecends anything you can actually "see". There's a lot of rich culture here, and the people are absolutely amazing. I love the people in Lafayette (not their driving ability however). Yet, all I can think about is getting out college and getting married and moving my life elsewhere (like...WAY elsewhere).

I always wonder why people are always so ready to leave the places where they grow up. Personally, I think it has something to do with the desire to create our own memories in a place where we are least influenced by our peers. While I am here, I spend most of my time with my friends and family, constantly being influcenced by their opinions, ideas, and actions. I think so many people get to the point where they just want to go out and try to make things work out on their own.

Others leave home to run away from circumstances that overwhelm them. While I think its never ok to run away from a problem, some problems only go away when you are physically seperated from the source. Maybe its a job, or a certain individual.

Even though I want to leave Lafayette, I think I will always appreciate it. I will always love it. And when I leave it, I will yearn to return to it.

Kyle

Music

2009-05-09T19:14:00.005-05:00

Putting Life on Shuffle

I sat down in CCs this afternoon and decided to sort through my iTunes and clean some stuff out that I either don't use or am not authorized to play (gotta love DRM). As I was sitting there sorting through everything, I listening to a few tunes from back in the day (read: my senior year of high school, or the start of this iTunes library). As I was listening to some of that music (mostly hard rock), it made me think really hard about what I was going through in that period of my life.

I have this weird personality quirk where I remember what I was doing or at least what I was going through at that time period in my life.
Every now and then some older worship song that's not in my iTunes comes on the radio or Pandora, and it takes me back to the times of sitting in my youth pastor's living room, listening to, learning, and then singing along with a lot of these worship songs (Better is One Day, Salvation, You Alone, Open the Eyes of my Heart, I Can Only Imagine, etc.).

In this particular case, it brought me back to a time in my life where I felt like I had no direction.
I was approaching the end of my high school days and wasn't exactly sure how I was going to get where I really wanted to go in life. I figured that I would end up working for some company doing computer work, but I wasn't exactly sure of the steps I was going to take to get there. I had a lot of decisions that I needed to make in the next few months and I really didn't know what I wanted to do.

I was also aimless in my spiritual life.
When I say that, I know most people think that we're aimless all the time, but that is besides the point. When I say aimless, I mean I really didn't see the benefits of continueing my connections with the church and more importantly, my relationship with God.

Also apparent in this time of my life was my lack of honesty. I led a double life.
I had the life that I showed people when I was at church and school, the good little church kid who really didn't do much in rebellion and for the most part remained well-behaved. But on the inside, I was questioning everything. I was only doing what I was doing to keep up pretenses and hoped that everyone liked me. I guess I was somewhat successful, but it left me empty inside. That's when I realized something.

I realized that I was living too much for myself, and that all of my actions were powered my one movitation: how did it benefit me?
I was going through the motions. And it wasn't doing me any good. I started to get frustrated and angry, and that was reflected in the music that I primarily listened to. So when I came to that realization, I began to make a shift in my lifestyle, and that included my taste in music. While lately some of my musical preference has gravitated towards some indie or alternative stuff, I mostly listen to worship music. Not because of something that I think I'm supposed to do, but because I actually want to do it.

Its always interesting how things come full circle...

Lifeblogging

2009-04-26T17:46:00.005-05:00

I read a lot of blogs. Pretty much every blog than I have ever read is better than this one. I often credit myself as a good writer, but trust me, if you were to see the piles and piles of word documents sitting on my computer at this moment, you would see the true me. The hardest part about trying to be a good writer, is actually letting someone else read the words you are writing (or, in this case, typing). Being a great writer is about letting go of your inner critic and just letting the words flow onto the page, then holding back the desire to push the backspace key (something I'm having a really hard time doing even as I type these words).

As a writer, you want people to see what you're honestly thinking, but at the same time, you don't want to people to think you are a complete idiot. I personally don't understand how some of these writers to do it. On top of all the blogs I read, I am a pretty well-read individual in the realm of books (it's hard to imagine someone actually picking up a bound copy of a book rather than reading a bunch of text on the screen...Amazon Kindle/iPhone anyone?). The more books I read, the more jealous I get of all these writers!!!

How do they do it? How does one overcome their inner critic and let the words flow? Its much easier for me to write well when I'm writing with the intention of never publishing that piece of writing, usually a journal entry of some sort. I hope my writing is being honest enough to pass along my slight sense of frustration. This is actually the third complete piece I have written in the past hour, and its most likely going to be the only one that gets published.

I titled this post "lifeblogging" because its a fitting description for what this blog is supposed to be. I want to keep writing about the world from my perspective. I want people to get a good idea of what goes on in my head on a day-to-day basis. I want people to see things how I see them.

This post is about informing you of a change in direction for this blog (or, more correctly, a re-focus on bringing this blog back to where it was supposed to be going in the first place). This is post is also a warning. Some of these posts may start coming at you in stream-of-consciousness style, because after analyzing some of my own writing, the best writing of mine happens when I just let the words flow straight from my head to my fingers on the keyboard, and not letting myself push the backspace key.

All of that said, take it with a grain of salt. Oh, and this little bit was added after proofreading the top and realizing that 99.9% of my grammar and punctuation was accurate. That never happens. Go me.

One Day at a Time

2009-04-18T16:33:00.005-05:00

Life comes at you fast; too fast sometimes. I'm a part-time student with two jobs and a lot of other commitments that take up time in my day-to-day living. Someone with a schedule like mine cannot handle everything without planning in advance. It annoys my friends sometimes. I get obsessive about planning things. When plans change or get canceled, I freak out. Not very long ago, I used to be a person who did everything one day at a time. But nowadays, it seems like I am so caught up in determining the end result, that I neglect the steps it takes to get there.

I'll use my college education as an example. I have known what I've wanted to do with my career for a long time now (before I even stepped into college). I have not changed my major or anything. I know exactly where I want to be 5 years from now. But the problem is, I've neglected my education over the past year and half. I've watched as my grades and GPA plummeted and I nearly flunked out of college. Now I am working through the steps necessary to get my education back on track; but before, I was just too focused on the end goal and not the steps to takes to achieve that goal.

In the bible you hear a lot of stories about people who were goal-oriented but didn't seem to quite make it through the steps to get there. Then Jesus came around and He was always teaching the people about living the day-to-day, and letting tomorrow worry about itself.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34 (New King James Version)

So what would happen if I spent more time worrying about each and every day instead of what was going to happen tomorrow? Its like I've become so focused on the path ahead, that I miss the roots and potholes that are stuck in the road along the way. I guess that's why they recommend that you start each day in prayer and meditation on the scripture. You ask God to give you the wisdom to make it through the day while still glorifying Him. Not an easy task. Especially when you are worried about what's going tomorrow, or that weekend, or a month down the road.

Its ok to have goals, I just need to remember that a goal is only the end of a series of steps leading up to it. Easier said than done.

The Facebook Crisis

2009-03-13T12:44:00.001-05:00

Let’s rewind to late last summer (Summer 2008). Anyone remember what happened over at Facebook? Yeah. They changed the profile page. Big time. They moved a bunch of things around, and made serious changes to the everyday usage of the website.

The problem was, people complained.

Facebook groups were formed, and millions joined. A fierce debate formed over the new layout. But, the new layout stood, and the vast numbers of complainers died down. Fast forward 6 months later, and Facebook changed their layout again.

Within an hour of the switchover, I received three (yes three) invitations for different protest groups about the new home page.

The day on which this switch occurred was ironic. This week is Jesus Week on UL campus, and we’ve had a guy, Curt Harlow, come and lead some Q&A sessions. He answered some tough questions and discussed a lot of pointed issues. In one of his talks, he made a mention about how many of us are more concerned with Facebook changing it’s layout, rather than various issues that are troubling our nation and our world.

Then of course, the next day, Facebook changes it's layout (again, but not nearly as drastic).

Seriously folks, there’s a lot more issues in the world that we need to worry about that doesn’t involve the new Facebook layout.

Just get used to the new layout, and focus your questions and energies on other things.

Mornings Are Not My Favorite

2009-03-05T08:18:00.001-06:00

I’m not a morning person (and never will be). I just dread the thought of having to get up out of bed. The type of day I know I’m going to have or the time I went to bed the night before has little effect on the mood I am in when I wake up in the morning.

So you can imagine that when I woke up this morning at 5:30 AM so I could be at church for 6, I was not feeling too great. The earliest I normally have to wake up during the week is around 7.

Waking up at 5:30 is totally not my thing.

That worries me. What’s going to happen when I actually get a real job? Seriously…A good friend of mine has to be up sometime between 4:30 and 5:30, depending on the day, so he can make it to work across town by 6:30. That’s ridiculous.

But most people in the tech field have early mornings. It’s a fact. Tech people usually have to be at the office before almost anyone else in case there are serious problems within the network that can impact productivity…which basically means that you have to get there before everyone else. I’m not quite sure what I am going to do. Maybe I should make sure that whoever I marry can actually drag me out of bed in the morning.

Some of you that are reading this may be wondering why I just spent the last 100 words or so putting down myself, but do not worry. It will all become clear in time.

I know I’m not the only person out there who has problems getting up in the morning. In fact, one of those people lives in my own household. I get my morning moods honestly, from my mother (yes, I still live at home; it’s cheap and I have almost no money…I’m in college). On Saturdays, it’s not common for her to sleep till 10 AM, where she normally has to be up by 6:30 or 7.

We Americans in general are usually not morning people. What do you see when you go to an office early in the morning? A bunch of dreary, caffeine-deprived workpeople who look like they need to be plugged into a battery charger for a few more hours.

I point all of that out to say that many of us usually start our days off on a bad foot…ungrateful for the additional morning that we get to keep breathing through…whereas somewhere out there in the world, someone did not wake up in the morning.

I really wish I could look at things from that perspective when I wake up in the morning. It would probably make my day that much better.

“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.”

Psalm 90:14 (New International Version)

I also tend to overlook the blessing of praying and having a quiet time early in the morning. Typically, my quiet time occurs late at night, before I go to sleep. I sit there with my bible and I read, and perhaps journal a little bit, and pray. But I am so tired. I rarely make it through the reading I would like to get through before I go to sleep, and often my prayers are rushed and half-hearted because I just want to get it over with so I can go to sleep.

I think that’s why most theologians and pastors encourage people to have their quiet times in the morning. You can start your day off the right way, with a little bit of “soul food”, if you will (I know, I pulled out a serious cliche).

What would our days be like if we woke up every morning and remembered the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 90?

I would like to try that out someday.

Our God is a God of Love, Not of Hate!

2009-03-04T15:06:00.003-06:00

I'm sure many of you on UL campus are aware of a certain group of gentlemen that have made their presence known on campus this week, proclaiming various false statements about God and how He relates to you and I.

This is a response to the message they proclaim:

I am writing first and foremost to tell you that God loves you. The God that true Christians believe in does not hate anyone. Our God is a God of Love. If you have a bible, I would encourage you to read 1 John 4, if not, head over to BibleGateway.com and read it. Read how God wants to us to love one another as He has loved us.

The doctrine that those on campus are teaching this week indicates that God hates some people because of the decision they made.

Folks, God doesn't hate people. He loves them.

God does not want to condemn people, but to save them. God wants to save you, but it is up to you to make the choice to accept His free gift. If I offer you $50, its not yours till you take it right? If I write you a check for $50, the money is not yours till you go and deposit it. God has written the check for your debt by sending His perfect Son to earth to die (Read Romans 3:23, 6:23), but it is up to you to claim the check and deposit it.

God didn't send Jesus to condemn the world, but to save it. God does not call us to condemn the world, but to go and make disciples.

If anyone has any questions about this, they can email me: leboeuf.kyle (at) gmail dot com

Updating you guys

2009-02-18T12:58:00.003-06:00

It's been awhile since I've written. A lot has been going on, and it's helpful to have a computer of your own to write with, but that's been a bit of a challenge for me lately (If you are friends with me on Facebook, you may know what's going on). But I've been managing to get a few things done, thanks to the computers of my friends and web services like Google Docs (which is a great service btw).

Have you ever sat down to write something and just couldn't find the inspiration to write? I've done that a lot over the past year. I open up a Word document or other text editing program and attempt to get writing done, but the words just do not flow from my fingertips. Even in the silence of my own room or other quiet place, the words do not flow, and I stare at the blinking cursor on the screen.

I determined that the main reason why I have not been able to write is connected with my lack of scripture reading over the past month or so. Bible tells us that:

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7 (New King James Version)

This blog is geared towards my thoughts and what I've been learning in my walk with God, when in fact I haven't been learning as much I should...

So, I'm making two pledges to you (the reader) and God (um...self-explanatory. God is God):

1) The most important of which, is that I'm going to dig into the scripture more, and actually make use of my brain for something other than playing with Facebook, fixing computers, and learning about the Macintosh.

2) To make use of various technologies that allows me to blog from anywhere (like now...I'm using a friend's computer) and to keep you updated with my studies, and post more often (I'm aiming for at least two posts a week).

If you do read this, I appreciate it :) And I hope you will continue to do so.

So...till the next post!

~Kyle

Fill-in-the-blank Evangelism

2009-01-23T18:41:00.003-06:00

(Author's note: This is a post that will be published tomorrow morning on my devotional website, giftofwords.net. It is posted early on my personal blog so I can get the word out)

A print-friendly PDF of this post is available for download from the giftofwords.net website here.

I read a book recently that mentioned the impact of church language on the business world. For instance, “evangelism”, a word used by most churches to refer to their outreach, is frequently used by large corporations in reference to getting knowledge of their products out to their consumers. A real world example of this theory is Steve Jobs, Chief Executive Officer of Apple, Inc. Steve Jobs is often considered an Apple “Evangelist”; a few times a year, he gives a keynote address to thousands of drooling Apple fans. If you ever watch a Steve Jobs keynote (often called a “Stevenote” by tech pundits and the media), you can see the resemblance to an excited preacher.

If Steve Jobs can get so worked up over a computer or MP3 player, how cam we have such a hard time getting worked up over God? Why are we more than willing to stand up and debate politics, or has the better car, or computer, or what’s the best job; and not even being be able to stand up for what we believe is the only way to truly fulfill our purpose in life? Why is it so hard for us to be excited about Lord and Savior?

Paul saw this same issue in the early church. He witnessed people caving under pressure from society and keeping their mouth shut, refusing to proclaim the truth of the Gospel because it was not the “hip” thing to do. So what did he do? He challenged us to be proud, and not ashamed, of the rich inheritance that God has promised us:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17 (New King James Version)

So what’s stopping the church from stepping out into the streets and owning it’s own jargon? Anyone up for putting our money where our mouth is? Are we ready to step out into the world and proclaim his truth for the nations?

Are we ready to be just as excited about the gift of eternal life as Steve Jobs is about Macs and iPods?

That decision is entirely up to you.

Thoughts on Coffee; Or, the Absurdity of Drive-Thru Coffee

2009-01-13T22:06:00.004-06:00

We Christians love coffee. That’s no exaggeration. I cannot tell you how many Christians I’ve run into in coffee shops. While serving God in Alaska, I ran into so many Christian people in the coffee shops there. In Soldotna, there’s this small coffee shop where I spent the majority of my free time. It’s called Kaladi Brothers, and the coffee rocks. But to me, the greatest thing about Kaladi Brothers was not the coffee (which, as I stated previously, rocks), it was the people with whom I engaged in conversation on a daily basis.

It was odd actually. I spoke on a weekly basis during the evening service for the church I was serving, and I would often craft my sermons on a small table in that shop. I’d sit there with my bible open, typing away at a Word document, when someone would walk up to me and strike up conversation, solely based on the fact that I had a bible.

Majority of the people that I would speak to had a relationship with Jesus Christ.

So why is that?

Coffee is a thinker’s drink. Period. Coffee shops are the perfect environment for deep, meaningful conversation. I cannot think of a better place to have a conversation with someone besides a coffee table at a coffee shop.

Lots of Christians tend to enjoy deep, meaningful conversation. They’ve found that there’s more to life than being busy. It’s nice to stop every once in awhile and reflect on the glory and beauty of the life that you live for Him.

That being said, I simply cannot understand why people are so dead set on drive-thru coffee. For me, coffee is something to be savored and enjoyed. I have to at least walk inside and chat it up with the baristas. There’s a particular coffee shop I that visit very often in my hometown that I absolutely love. I am there so often, that most of the staff know me. I have to walk inside and chat with them. I cannot stand the idea of drive-thru coffee, where the only interaction you get with people inside is the quick exchange on money for coffee.

In Alaska, part of the reason why I only see Christians in there is that pretty much everyone else up there is too themselves and get almost know interaction with other people outside of their immediate family. If that’s the case, why are they going to walk in a coffee shop and converse with people when they can just drive up to a little java-to-go joint stuck on the side of the highway?

Those things are EVERYWHERE in Alaska. People up there just really aren’t into the coffee shop thing. The coffee shop I spoke of earlier (Kaladi Brothers) closed at 7 on most days, and 9 on the weekends. That’s early. Here in Lafayette, Louisiana, most of the coffee shops close at 11pm on weekdays. Midnight on weekends. Most of us are coffee shop people, but the drive-thru thing is catching on.

As Americans become more and more obsessed with cramming as much as they can into a single day, the experience provided by drive-thru coffee becomes sufficient and takes the place of the social interaction provided by actually walking into the shop.

This is a huge problem. Coffee was made to be a social drink, so why are we trying to take the “social” out of it?

In a day and age where a lot of social interaction occurs over the air via cell phones (both calls and SMS ), I suppose it’s easy to pass on the blame for our decreasing personal interaction (in other words, face-to-face) with people.

Let’s all slow down from the drive-thru, go-go-go, non-stop way of life. Let’s all take time to smell our coffee before we engulf it.

~Kyle

Shout out to my Friend Mike

2009-01-05T14:32:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone, as a follow-up to my previous blog about Alaska, I wanted to give a shout-out to a friend who helped make that last trip happen.

His name is Mike Blakeney and he's a US/C2 missionary with NAMB, serving the LORD in the great state of Alaska. Mike graduated from UL with a BS in Computer Science.

This is a picture of Mike and I during a meeting while I was working in Alaska this previous summer.

Mike keeps a blog here: http://www.students4christ.net

Please keep him in your prayers.

Memories of the Last Frontier

2009-01-04T19:48:00.002-06:00

We always have our moments where we close our eyes and imagine that we were back in a place that we really loved. For some of us, its home or where we grew up; for others, it’s where we met someone special, and yet others, it’s a place we visited that had a profound impact on our lives.

Sometimes, when I close my eyes, I can feel the cool breeze and the smells it brings from blowing over from Cook Inlet. Sometimes, I can see in my head the image of a sun setting at 2 AM over a range of white-capped mountains, washing the Kenai beach in an orange light. It’s this setting I see on my desktop background every time I boot up my computer.

It’s Alaska. It’s the one place I miss more than anything in the world right now. It’s crazy to think about that; because when I was leaving, I was so excited to be going to New Mexico and meeting up with all of my friends there, and so it felt amazing to be leaving…but when I finally got back home after that adventure and tried to settle into life as normal, I found that I left a part of myself up in there in that beautiful state.

I have spent many hours looking through photos, reading through journals and blogs, and communicating through email and Facebook with the new friends that I had left behind up there.

Now, all I want to do is go back.

Every time I see a picture of that amazing sunset, I just wish I could go back. Every time I see a picture of any of my students and their smiles, I am reminded about how much I miss them.

So, with all of these thoughts going on in my head about missing Alaska, it was only a matter of time before I changed my plans for the summer and decided to go back to Alaska, rather than spend the summer at a Fuge camp.

It’s amazing how God speaks through those that are around us. As I sat here in this coffee shop about 2 months ago, planning my summer out and getting things in motion, my mind always wandered to Frontier State. During this time period, it seemed that almost everyone was asking me about Alaska, asking about my experiences there and what it was like.

Between that and some of the studying and praying I had been doing during that period, I determined that God was pushing me more in the direction of Alaska.

So, I decided to go back.

Can’t wait!

New Years Resolutions

2009-01-03T17:10:00.002-06:00

I should’ve wrote and published this a few days ago, rather than waiting to get it done three days in, but here are my resolutions for 2009:

1) Write more blog posts- I write a lot for my own personal journal but I don’t write very much for the benefit of those who read my blogs.

2) Get a job that I really enjoy. And keep it.

3) Spend more time with my family

4) Follow up on the some hobbies that I’ve been meaning to start up, including web design and photography.

5) Finally get a MacBook (I’m so tired of this laptop, that it’s crazy)

6) Go back to Alaska

7) Drink more coffee

So there you go, my resolutions for 2009. I think they are all well within my abilities.

~Kyle

Life is like a Chicken Sandwich (from Chick-fil-a)

2008-12-18T23:45:00.001-06:00

I decided that I’m going to bless you with my writing twice in one day. I know, you are very, very enthusiastic. I understand.

As I gorged upon the delightful gourmet meal that is a Chick-fil-a chicken sandwich, it occurred to me that I have never tasted a better chicken sandwich than one from the very establishment I was eating in.

Ever.

So as I stared at the now half-eaten sandwich, I began to realize something very profound.

The meaningful (meaningful being Life+God) life is like a Chick-fil-a sandwich. It’s the real deal. It’s the cream of the crop. The best of the best. It is above the rest of the competition. The less-meaningful (less-meaningful being Life-God) is like…a McDonald’s chicken sandwich. No matter how hard McDonalds might try, they don’t come close to the master crafter of chicken sandwiches.

Now, I understand that I am comparing the Christian life to the (best) chicken sandwich, but bear with me here. I’m bringing this to a more digestible point (no pun intended).

In many of my posts, I’ve talked about how we love to fill our lives with things that just don’t satisfy us like God does. God is the ultimate life-sustainer, meaningful life-fulfiller, thirst-quencher, stomach-filler. He is the maker of the ultimate “chicken sandwich” (chicken sandwich=life). He is the meaning, the cause, and the source behind living the “ultimate” life.

Chick-fil-a claims to have “invented the chicken sandwich”. So naturally, those wanting the ultimate “chicken sandwich experience” flock to Chick-fil-a in droves (seriously, they do. Have you ever been to the Chick-fil-a in Lafayette on Ambassador around lunch time? The line of cars reaches the street).

In that same sense, God invented life. He knows the way life is intended to be lived. So shouldn’t we be flocking to Him in droves to experience this “ultimate life”?

Jesus said it best:

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”

John 10:10-11 (NKJV)

He wanted you to have this ultimate life SO BADLY, that He came down to earth as a man, allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross, and died, completely blameless and innocent, because without Him, we could not experience this ultimate life on our own.

Let’s make sure we’re all getting our chicken sandwich from the right place.

Some Thoughts (or, I don’t know what to call this post)

2008-12-18T11:26:00.001-06:00

It’s no secret to anyone that I really enjoy writing. Though I may only post here periodically, I am almost daily writing in my own personal journal, or for other websites that I either I own or I contribute to. It’s a method of release for me, and it’s how I stay sane among the crazy occurrences that have been happening nearly everyday in my life.

Lately, a lot of my writing has been concentrated on some big difficulties that I’m encountering, most of them having to do with my own character flaws and bad habits. The more I sit and try to think things through,the more anxious I get.

Over the past few days, I was losing sleep and getting sick because I was stressing so much over what I was going through over and over in my head. I was writing pages and pages of thoughts and contemplations that were going through my head repetitively. I finally decided that I would look to where I should’ve been looking in the first place for comfort: God’s Word.

I read:

"Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

So, rather than running the same things over and over in my head, I bowed in prayer, and gave thanks to God for His Word, for His comforting presence, and for the things that He is teaching me through these experiences.

Reading these words was enough to remind me of His presence. That alone should be our source of comfort.

I am thankful for having that revealed to me.

And the Winter Break is Here. Joy

2008-12-14T17:52:00.001-06:00

It’s nice to sit here in a coffee shop on a Sunday evening and realize that I don’t have to go to school tomorrow. Even though I will still have to wake up early and go to work, it won’t be class.

You don’t know how good that feels. Well, if you’re a college student, maybe you do :P

I’ve been reading a lot of Proverbs recently. And you know what I noticed?

This little number:

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Proverbs 1:7 (New King James Version)

I found it interesting that a book such as Proverbs would begin with this phrase. This book, if you are not aware, is chock full of wisdom to living a Godly life. It is fitting, in that it clearly indicates that the fear of God is the beginning to unlocking all of the knowledge and instruction one can draw from His word.

I find that comforting. It goes to show you that all the wisdom and knowledge written in books and taught in lectures is all for naught if we are not fearing God first. I think so many people lose sight of that. We’re all so busy reading our books on theology and Christian living, and spending less time studying God’s word and seeking His face, which is the best source of knowledge and Wisdom.

Just wanted drop a few thought-provoking words on you as we head into the thick of the Holidays. Remember the “reason for the season”.

Remember that it’s not about “giving” and presents, and such…

Remember that it’s about His birth.

I’ll leave you alone for now.

Citizen Journalism Steals the Day (Again)

2008-11-27T14:25:00.001-06:00

I covered citizen journalism a while back during the hurricanes. I talked about how regular joes like you and I are among the first to break news to the rest world about various events through services like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

The words “citizen journalism” are once again generating a lot of buzz in the blogosphere at Twitter users are among the first to break news to the world of the Terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

Debates in the blogosphere have the distinct advantage of having clearly drawn sides.

On one hand, you have those that think that citizen journalism (specifically via unfiltered services such as Twitter) is a valuable and somewhat valid source of news. This group is led by Michael Arrington and the fearless bloggers over at TechCrunch (a favorite website of mine, by the way).

The other side is obvious. This is the group that downplays the role of Twitter and Facebook in news reporting. This is a smaller, less vocal group. I’m not going to even bother linking some of the blogs involved in this, as you can see them in Arrington’s article.

To deny the role of social-SMS services in news reporting is to stare something blank in the face and tell it does not exist. It is utter ignorance.

Open your eyes. Read the Twitter updates. Read more than just a few. Many of these bloggers claim that the information is often inaccurate. This may be true to an extent, but often these same people will correct themselves for their mistakes. If you know how to sort through the garbage (which is usually easy), you can see the hard facts coming first hand from someone who is on-seen. I used Twitter as a means of staying in contact with some people who weathered the hurricanes that hit the Gulf coast late this past summer. Often times, I got a lot more details about what was going on than what was being said in the traditional news outlets.

Come on people, let’s have some common sense. To discount Twitter as a valid news outlet is downright stupid.

Kyle will be sure to inform anyone of interesting things he witnesses first hand via his Twitter account. Visit http://www.twitter.com/kyleleboeuf or text “Follow kyleleboeuf” (without quotes) to 40404 with an SMS-capable mobile phone.

kyle at kyleleboeuf dotcom

Change starts with the Individual!

2008-11-25T08:45:00.001-06:00

(Authors note: This was written yesterday (11-24-08), but I got home late last night and forgot to post it! Sorry!)

Today, I spent the evening in Alexandria helping out with YEC (Youth Evangelism Celebration). This is not the first time I’ve been there, though it was quite different than the last time I went.

The students just were not the same as I remember, back when I was in their shoes. They didn’t seem into it. They didn’t seem to understand that they were being led to a time of worship. They could jump and scream and holler, but they wouldn’t sing! They had several opportunities to let their voices be heard, where the worship leader backs away from the mike and lets the worshipers sing, and they didn’t sing! They didn’t understand what the band was there to do.

I was disappointed.

What changed?

After talking with some of my friends on the way back home, I came to a conclusion.

The individual changed. Change starts with individuals. When one person is bold enough to speak out about the way he feels, there are others who will follow. This is the mode and that we’ve followed for millennia. So why does it surprise us when we think about that?

Because we like to think that we are more independent than that. To an extent, we are! Or at least, we have the potential to be…

There needs to be a generation of young people who can rise up and go against the expectations of young culture in this modern age and redefine those expectations. Specifically, there needs to be a generation of young people in our culture who are more concerned with spreading the name of Jesus than trying to meet their insignificant, selfish needs and desires, both tangible and intangible. This applies to all areas of our lifestyle, including our social behavior, our personal (private) behavior, our thoughts, actions, words, desires, emotions…

There needs to be a generation who is ready to surrender everything for the cause of Christ, regardless of what the world around us might think about us.

They might think we put our hope and faith in something we cannot see, but we understand that our Hope and Faith is in the only thing that can truly sustain us through the hard times…our hope and faith in Christ is the only thing that can save us from the inevitable fate that awaits us…

So…are we ready to stand up and be bold (me included)?

Lessons learned from Peter walking on water

2008-11-21T18:51:00.001-06:00

“Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

- Matthew 14:25-33 (New King James Version)

It takes some guts for someone to get out of boat in the midst of a heavy storm and walk on water based on the suggestion of a single man. Peter showed bold faith by stepping out to the water and beginning the walk towards Jesus…

It should be noted that Peter only began to sink when he had lost sight of Jesus. He began to focus on the waves press about him, and as a result, his faith wavered, and he began to sink.

This story came to mind earlier today as I finally broke down and began to reach out for something to hold on to I continued to sink further and further into frustration and exhaustion…frustration from continuously having to fight the same problems in my life over and over and over again, and exhaustion from the simple cause of finding it hard to continue on fighting…

As I sat there and thought about it, I realized something. I realized that I was losing sight of what needed to be my one focus. Like Peter, I began to focus on the waves crashing around me, and as a result, I began to sink. Rapidly in fact. In response to this realization, I did the only thing I knew was right. I reached out. I prayed the same words that Peter once cried out when he was sinking. “Lord save me! (verse 30)”

Having reached that critical point where I realized that I was focusing on all the wrong things, I refocused my thoughts and concerns to one thing and one thing alone: worshiping/praising my Savior. Bringing myself to a point where there were no distractions and it was only me and God.

It was certainly a touching time for me…and there was some things that God brought to my attention that I definitely need to work on…but from that moment on, my day began to take a much more positive turn. With my mind settled at least for the time being, I could think and act with a clear head. It had a dramatic impact on my day.

I also think of Joshua 1:9:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

I realized that I just need to keep walking, keeping my thoughts and attention focused to only thing: Him.

The Bible asks for us to “seek first the kingdom of righteousness"…

Seek the solution…father than focusing on the circumstances. Focus on the destination, rather than the obstacles than can deter you from getting there…

Coffee and conversation stimulates the mind

2008-11-10T18:03:00.001-06:00

Seriously. There’s definitely something about those two things that really get the mind going.

That’s why I love coffee shops. It gives you the best of both worlds in place.

I’ve been wondering why Christians in general have such a huge attraction to coffee shops…I don’t think it’s directly related to the stimulation of the mind; more along the lines of us not having too many other places to hangout, being morally responsible and all. Many times, I have found that my best writing and thinking tends to occur while typing away on free internet at a coffee shop. I’m not exactly sure why, but I don’t really mind. I think it has something to do with the atmosphere. With the jazz music, and soft buzz of conversation around me, I helps ease my mind and allows me to think more freely.

Sorry for the seemingly mindless rant, I’ll continue on with the actual intentions of this blog post.

So a friend of mine remarked the other day about a particular verse that seems to popping up around us in the recent weeks.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1-2 (New King James Version)

So I began to think about this verse and it’s implications. While it’s not mentioned in the New King James Version of the text, the New International Version mentions “worship” rather than “reasonable service”. In case you haven’t following some of my previous writings, I’ve been doing a study on worship, and this verse frequently appears in that respect.

The verse brings a few things to the mind, the first of which is our tendency to reserve our bodies for our own purposes and service. This is clearly unbibilical, and is destructive to the relationship that our Father has established with us.

The second thought, involves that of the mind (so we ended up full circle with the start of this post anyway, talking about the mind). As being “born again” in Christ, our minds to be renewed and fashioned in a manner that is pleasing and acceptable to God’s will.

What thoughts are we holding back from God? What are the things that dwell within our minds that He have attempted to hide from God?

Let us “be transformed by the renewing of [our minds]”…

David put it best:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24 (New King James Version)

Let our hearts, minds, and bodies be submissive to His perfect will.

PS: It has now been doubly reinforced in my mind. Coffee shops stimulate the brain…

Some advice

2008-11-05T16:22:00.001-06:00

The results of yesterday’s election has much of the Christian Conservative community in distress…

I admit to being worried as well of our future, but some words from a friend of mine reminded me of a few verses:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.” Romans 13:1-7

Let’s all take heed of God’s word…

Worship

2008-11-05T14:54:00.003-06:00

I spoke today at the BCM on worship.

God has really been laying this stuff on my heart. I am honored and blessed to finally share with it you.

Click here to download a printable PDF with the notes

(This requires Adobe Acrobat Reader or any other PDF reading application)

Edit: fixed an issue with the download link where it was wasn't working

Hey you: Vote

2008-11-04T15:34:00.001-06:00

Yes, you.

Reading this blog.

Vote. Vote today. Vote now.

Do it.

(If you've voted already, then kudos)

If you don't vote, don't let me hear you complaining.

Vote.

Philosophy on Worship

2008-10-25T22:52:00.001-05:00

I have shirt that I wear often that says “Worship” on it in Hebrew. I got it at a Jason Morant concert I attended recently (great artist BTW). Before this past Monday, I used to put that shirt on in the morning and not give much thought to the words that were on it.

Worship. What does that word mean?

No. It isn’t just singing and playing with instruments.

Worship is a lifestyle. Worship is devotion.

I went to see Phil Wickham and Steve Fee in Shreveport last Monday (I wore that shirt to the concert). It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. When I closed my eyes, all I could see what this humbled, broken Man, nailed to the cross, with the weight of the world’s sins on His fragile shoulders. It was incredible. It was worship. I’m not talking about just singing…

I’m talking about being overwhelmed in the presence of God.

Worship isn’t just something that we do every Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (or whatever days you go to church/ministry activities)…it’s something we are to live and breathe each and every day of our lives.

Worship can be seen as whatever we dedicate our lives to (devotion).

God commands us to worship (devote our lives to) Him and nothing else.

“Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.” Psalm 95:1-7a

The point of worship being something beyond singing songs and attending church really hit home for me when I was running the words for BCM Worship (Revolution as we call it). I had a conversation with a good friend of mine only a few days prior about not being able to “worship” while I’m sitting there pushing the arrow key to go to the next slide.

But as I was sitting there, doing that exact thing (pushing buttons), it occurred to me that I was enhancing someone’s worship experience, and was contributing to the cause just as much as the worship leader or the guy who was speaking. Yeah. Just by pushing buttons on a slideshow program, I was worshipping God.

Wait, what? That’s pretty crazy.

Worship is something that we can do beyond singing and playing instruments and getting in front of a bunch of people and delivering messages from God. It’s showing your true devotion to the one true God by actions, words, and thoughts that glorify Him. What do you glorify in your life? Is it God?

Remember, worship is devotion. Worship is surrender. Worship doesn’t begin with Sunday morning, it begins and ends with everyday, every moment of our lives should be considered a potential to worship our God.

iWorship…

I’ll be writing more about this topic as I continue to explore it…

To Whom it May Concern: You’re right

2008-10-11T01:58:00.001-05:00

It’s extremely hard to admit to anyone when we’ve screwed up. We hate owning up to our responsibility because it wounds our pride. I was so consumed in my self-righteous pride that I nearly missed a key lesson that God was trying to teach me.

A few days ago I wrote a short blog about minding your own business, using 1 Thes. 4:11 as the crux of what I was trying to say. But a friend of mine (for whom I have the utmost respect) confronted me about my need to eat my own advice.

“Stay calm; mind your own business; do your own job. You've heard all this from us before, but a reminder never hurts.” ~1 Thessalonians 4:11 (Message)

I decided to involve myself in this person’s personal business. To this person: you’re right. I should’ve minded my own business. Clearly, God was trying to tell me something through this verse, and I kind of passed the verse along to others rather than taking a look at it myself, like I should have.

This is a public apology to you and to all my readers. For the sake of my friend’s privacy, I won’t reveal their name, but I hope they read this and feel confident in the fact that I will be going out of my way to make sure I eat my own advice, even if it needs to be forcefully shoved down my throat.

I apologize for being a hypocrite, and for not heeding my own advice. I hope this is a suitable apology, if not, contact me and allow me to apologize in person.

"Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” ~Ephesians 4:29

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.” ~Psalm 139:23-24

Root beer at a coffee shop

2008-10-08T21:38:00.002-05:00

What’s wrong with that? A friend of mine looked at me funny when I bought a bottled root beer at the local coffee shop. I like the taste of the root beer. There’s nothing wrong with buying something besides coffee at a coffee shop. If it was such a big deal, they wouldn’t carry it right?

I fail to understand why people make such a big deal out of this stuff. Sometimes, I’ll go a nice restaurant, and I’ll feel like ordering a burger instead of a pasta or a steak. when this happens, usually someone sitting at the table will look at me in bewilderment and say something along the lines of “Why are you ordering a burger when you can get <insert famous food item at your respective restaurant here>?”

I simply don’t get it. I don’t understand why society has all these expectations of us. Why are always expected to have to buy certain things at certain places?

I know that this post is filled with huge, open-ended questions, so I’ll try to bring us to the point here. The point I’m trying to make, is that we tend to focus too much on details that simply don’t matter. We worry about too many things that we do not need to worry about.

“Stay calm; mind your own business; do your own job. You've heard all this from us before, but a reminder never hurts.” ~1 Thessalonians 4:11 (Message)

Quit worrying about what other people are getting and doing. Instead, look at yourself and take care of the Lord's business.

Message Notes for October 7, 2008

2008-10-07T23:26:00.004-05:00

For those that are not aware, I spoke Tuesday night for BCM worship while Scott was away at Catalyst in Atlanta.

I talked about God's love, something I've been studying for the past two months. I am really excited to finally be able to share this.

Many have asked me about getting a hold of the notes I used for the message. Rather than repeatedly email the notes to every individual, I uploaded them and will provide a link here.

The below address in link form

http://www.kyleleboeuf.com/resources/manuscripts/Love_Manuscript-Final.pdf

Click the link above or copy/paste to your address bar to review the notes (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. Mac OS X users need not worry)

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share what God's placed on my heart!

What I’m Reading, listening to, watching

2008-09-26T17:01:00.001-05:00

It’s no secret that most people who like to write, also like to read. Reading helps expand ones knowledge on a variety of topics, and helps stimulate the brain, usually enabling better writing.

So, in case anyone was wondering what I’m reading at the moment, you can read below:

The Bible: I’ve been going through an intense study of Love in the bible. Also, 1, 2 Timothy with a group of guys on Wednesdays.

Non-bible reading material that still involves this dude named Jesus:

The Gospel According to Starbucks, by Leonard Sweet- Great book so far. My friend Brandon mentioned the author and after seeing in this book at Barnes and Noble, decided to pick it up and give it a shot.

Victory over the Darkness, by Neil Anderson- A classic. Figure out your identity in Christ.

Music is an awesome mental stimulant. Here’s my current preferences:

- Jason Morant: He recently came and led worship at my University. I bought one of his albums on Amazon. Awesome guy. Look him up on iTunes.

- Hillsong United: A friend of mine really got me into Hillsong stuff about 3 or 4 months ago. Since then, they’ve become a staple in my iTunes playlists

- John Mayer: Not everything enlightening needs to be spiritual. His music is the best at helping me relax.

- David Crowder Band: Everyone knew this was coming. his new live album has been getting some playtime lately.

- Phil Wickham: Ever since he released a live album for free downloading over the internet, I’ve been listening to him quite a bit. He fits in the “relaxation/focus” category.

I don’t watch TV very often, but when I do, I’ve been watching House (new season!) and The Office (new season dos). I usually can’t be there to watch the new episodes when they air, so I’m a huge fan of Hulu, a joint venture between NBC and Fox that legally streams full versions of their primetime shows. Check it out. It’s free and legal!

Love: What God has been teaching me

2008-09-21T21:27:00.001-05:00

I’m in the process of writing a lengthy entry that is quickly turning from a devotion into a message that I may deliver one day…

But I just wanted to share with you guys some interesting verses that I’ve discovered on the subject of Love. I won’t offer any commentary or anything, I just wanted to show everyone what I’ve been reading:

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.We love Himbecause He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how canhe love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.” - 1 John 4: 7-21 (New King James Version)

“Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives” -Psalm 90:14 (New Living Translation)

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (New King James Version)

“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13 (New Living Translation)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16 (New King James Version)

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:12-13 (New King James Version)

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (New King James Version)

“I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.” Psalm 89:1 (New International Version)

“For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:5 (New International Version)

Judgement- Let He Who Has Never Sinned Cast The First Stone

2008-09-12T19:01:00.002-05:00

I got caught being extremely judgmental to a friend of mine the other day. When I thought about it after the fact, it made me feel extremely horrible. It got me thinking that night, and I stayed up late into the night pondering on judgment, and how we as God’s people relate to it.

Why are we so darn critical of each other? How come we are always so quick to judge people on a vast number of levels? Whether it’s the way someone dresses, the way they speak, the color of their skin, their profession, who they hang out with, how well they do in school, or what music they listen to, we are always so quick to point out their flaws and cast judgment on them. I just want to know why it’s always about how we are better than other people or about how a particular person’s opinion or behavior isn’t correct or doesn’t belong.

What if we were more concerned about our own flaws then worrying about someone else’s? Wouldn’t that solve so many of our problems? Judgment is a big problem in today’s church. We are so quick to cast judgment and criticism to those that don’t see our way. For instance, if you drink alcohol (even casually) and you attend a Baptist church, you are almost certainly going to receive heavy criticism from fundamentalist Baptists in the church. If you show up and your shoes don’t match your belt, there are going to be some people who frown down at you and may even be openly hostile towards you.

I say these things to shed some much needed light on this horrible issue. We Christians are so judgmental of those that are among us and those that are not. We tend not to associate with people who don’t behave like we do because we think we are better then they are when in fact, we are all created equally, and equally we all deserve to hear the Gospel preached. We need to be looking beyond the mistakes and problems that people have, and instead of worrying what they’ve done in the past, worry about what they can do in the future. Let’s look beyond the differences and the personality issues that we all have, and instead, do some work for God like we were supposed to be doing in the first place.

The Gospels make one huge point about Jesus’s ministry. The people that Jesus associated with were not the do-gooders, the church leaders, and those that were generally considered the moral example of the day. Instead, Jesus associated with what was considered the scum of the countryside: tax-collectors, roman soldiers, and even Samaritan adulterers.

“Wait…what?”

“You mean, Jesus, the most perfect individual to have ever walked the earth, didn’t associate himself with the “moral pillars” of society?

No. He didn’t.

One of my favorite stories in the Gospels is when Jesus comes to the rescue of a woman caught in the act of adultery. Some judgmental do-gooders in the town sought out this girl and brought her before Jesus, in an attempt to trap Him. When they were about to stone her for her crime (stoning was the punishment for adultery back then), Jesus pointed out that she wasn’t the only one amongst them to have sinned. They dropped their stones and walked away, defeated. (John 8:1-12)

Before we jump the gun and judge someone for who they are or something that they’ve done, let’s all remember that each of us have a sinful nature, and that to each of us, the grace of God was offered equally.

After all the accusers walked away, Jesus spoke to the woman:

“Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” (10b-11a)

The end is the best part:

“Neither do I…go and sin no more…I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (11b-12)

Obsession With Coffee

2008-09-08T18:36:00.002-05:00

What is it with college students and coffee? As I type this, I’m staring at a coffee that’s sitting next to my computer here on the table at a local coffee shop.

I never really liked coffee before my senior year of high school. That’s when I started visiting CC’s coffee shops around Lafayette and trying different “speciality coffees”. But when I think about it, Americans in general have become slaves to coffee. There’s a reason why chains like CC’s and Starbucks spring up all over the place. We love our coffee. Some of us are too dependent on it I think.

I sat down earlier and tried to figure some things in terms of coffee and our dependency on it. The funniest thing about this dependency, is that is it SO bad for us! Seriously. When I come off of that caffeine high, I often find myself a lot worse off than I was before I drank the coffee. Not good.

It seems that we can compare our need for coffee to our desire to fill ourselves with other things besides our God. While these other things may temporarily satisfy a desire or need we have, it will only leave us more empty in the end.

Bottom-line? There is NO substitute for our God! Just coffee cannot be a perfect substitute to our sleep, we cannot satisfy our desire and need to belong with anything else but Him!

Technology and Hurricanes

2008-09-02T00:02:00.001-05:00

The proliferation of mobile technology and the presence of internet in almost every home has changed the face of hurricane reporting as we know it today.

Thanks to the internet and computers, many of the 2 million evacuees crowded around televisions and laptop screens around the country to watch as Hurricane Gustav slammed into the coast. Also, the availability of web services such as uStream and Twitter gave those weathering the storm the extra edge in getting the word out about different aspects of the hurricane. For example, I caught a Twitter message from Lyndale Holloway, Associate Pastor at East Bayou Baptist Church, pointing followers to a Ustream feed, where (as long as he had power) he broadcasted a life webcam feed from his home, showing off some of the nastiness from the storm. Websites like Weather Underground and Stormpulse gave us constant, up-to-date information on the storm, so we could know what was going on at any given point. Local TV stations KLFY and KATC each had their own live video streams going, so I could check in on what was actually going on in Lafayette live, away from the destruction. My university also got a really good field test with it’s First Call system, where it used the system to distribute notices about school cancellations.

The inclusion of all of these new services really puts power in the hands of regular, everyday people. In a day and age where a lot of information comes from the people and not from mass media, it’s important to us have the ability to hear what’s going on from someone other than the news…

Advance of technology is never a bad thing!!!!

Post-Gustav

2008-09-01T21:51:00.001-05:00

There’s a few things in Louisiana that become a fact of life.

1) LSU Football. Duh (Go Tigers! Thanks for playing App. State. Welcome to Death Valley)

2) Saints Football (even though they usually suck.

3) Hot, humid weather

4) Crawfish

5) Hurricanes

so Lafayette pretty much made it out ok. I’m glad to hear that. From what the initial expectations were, I was genuinely worried about what I would come back to when the time came to return home.

But I’ve already received word that our property is intact. Electricity will hopefully be restored within a day or two. It took em a little while to get to us when Rita hit, but I think things will be fine.

I’m fortunate to live in a location in southern Louisiana that makes direct hits highly improbable.

I’ll be back Wednesday (hopefully).

See you all soon.

Kyle

Living in Louisiana: Home is Home. Hurricane, or not

2008-08-31T19:28:00.001-05:00

During my travels this summer, one of the most common questions I received from people was “why do you still live here if you guys get hit by a hurricane every few years?”

It’s hard to explain, but I think that the easiest way to describe it, is state pride. There’s something about Louisiana that keeps people here. Whether it would be the food, the hospitality, or the fishing, you rarely see people leaving the state and not coming back.

A lot of families in Southern Louisiana have lived here for generations. Most of them do not want to up and leave.

Over the past few days, I know I’ve made references to wanting to leave, but I don’t think I will ever truely be able to.

People in Alaska and Texas understand this, I think. I’ve never seen anyone with more state pride than the people from those two states. There’s no one as independent as Alaskans, and there’s no one as prideful in their state as Texans.

There’s no one more stubborn about their living in their state than a Louisiana resident.

Most of us refuse to leave. Most of us never will. We’ll evacuate, come back, and pick up the pieces, and start again. Whether we do it every 3,4,5 years…it doesn’t matter.

Yeah…we’re in low-lying land. Yeah, we’re always asking to get wrecked by a hurricane, but we’re also glad to be here. We love our state and it’s people.

I don’t think that’ll change in my lifetime.

Update to situation Gustav: Cat 4…abandon ship!

2008-08-30T17:34:00.001-05:00

After some talk with my father, it’s been decided (note: been decided, not “I decided to”) that I will be leaving with my step-mom and some of my brothers tomorrow morning.

I’m headed to northern Alabama to stay with relatives through the duration of the storm.

Keep me updated through Facebook and Twitter as much as possible. Take pictures and video.

I would stay if I could, but I need to be with my family.

Stay safe everyone. I’ll keep you all in my prayers.

See you on the other side.

Hurricane’s a-coming

2008-08-30T00:36:00.002-05:00

I’m never quite sure what to think of our gulf coast hurricanes.

It’s become a fact of life here in Louisiana, and I suppose we just learn to deal with it.

That doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck…cause it does. Hurricanes are aggravating because for over a week in advance of the landfall, the speculation goes insane. The storms are extremely unpredictable, even with our modern technology.

Lots of people gripe about the hurricanes, but as is always the case, there’s not really anything we can do to stop it. We can only be prepared.

It’s like God’s plan.

God’s ultimate will and plan is unstoppable. Bad things will happen to us. We will suffer.

The only thing we can do is always be prepared for the worst. We should never let our guard down, because we’ll never know when the storm surge hits, where we’ll be standing afterward.

I’ll be riding this storm out. I did it for Rita, I think I can handle it for Gustav.

I'll be live-blogging for the "event" as long as I can till the power goes out.

But I'll be twittering through the storm for sure. Text "follow kyleleboeuf" (without quotes) to 40404. You'll receive a confirmation text message. After that, you'll be set to receive my twitter updates via your phone. If you don't like to use SMS, you can always check out my twitter page here. Stay safe. Everyone should keep me posted through Facebook if possible.

Note: if you evac and you're curious about what condition your house is in, drop me a line, or an email, or something and let me know. I can call you and tell you what your house is like. This applies only to people living in the Acadiana Area. Gas ain't cheap.

To Gustav, bring it on!

Total, Unconditional Surrender

2008-08-25T22:47:00.001-05:00

In the midst of a complete meltdown I experienced this evening, I stopped where I was and just prayed.

I prayed for guidance. I prayed for comfort. I prayed for wisdom.

God often speaks to me through song. A song instantly popped in my head as I was praying. Most of you will find it quite familiar.

All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

Refrain

I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

All to Jesus, I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

All to Jesus, I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!

I gave it All to him. Right where I was. I just gave it all away.

My problems, my stress, and my worries are nothing in when they stand in the face of God’s existence…His all-encompassing purpose, vision, and power.

I’m making that hymn my prayer tonight.

Make it yours too.

Kyle

Michael Phelps is a beast

2008-08-15T21:57:00.001-05:00

I usually reserve this blog to talk about spiritual things but I think that Michael Phelps was the result of God wanting to create the greatest swimmer of all time.

Seriously.

I just watched the guy shock the world (again) on international television.

Crazy.

On the bus ride home

2008-08-09T23:03:00.001-05:00

This charter bus rocks. I’ve been on quite a few, thanks to marching band; but I’ve never been on one with power jacks in the wall of the bus every few seats. It is this jack that allows me to sit here and write this post.

I’m currently only a few hours away from being home, being only a few minutes away from Alexandria. While I’ve had an amazing summer and already miss Glorieta and Alaska, I think I miss home way more.

I wrote in a previous post that you only realize how much you miss something when you’ve been away from it for awhile. This is certainly the case with my family and with Lafayette as a whole. I thought it would be forever before I could see it again, and now I’m only a few hours away from driving down Johnston Street and seeing my favorite places ( and the Johnston St traffic…ha!).

These last few hours pretty much marks the end of my summer. It’s been an incredible ride, and I’ve learned so much more than can be typed here in this blog post. If you just check the last 15 posts or so, you can catch a glimpse of the amazing things that God has shown through my work in Alaska and through the past week in beautiful Glorieta.

One thing I do not miss here is the weather. I stepped off the bus in Dallas yesterday and thought I was going to die. I had the same thoughts as I stepped off the bus in Shreveport, I’ll probably have the same thoughts while I’m in Alexandria and when I step off the bus at home. After experience Alaska and New Mexico, I finally realize something:

Humid weather sucks. Period. Year round. It makes it seem hotter than it is in the summer and colder than it is in the winter. Stupid.

Anyway, enough jabbering. I want to socialize with my friends.

Glorieta 4

2008-08-09T23:02:00.003-05:00

This marks our last night in Glorieta. I’m currently sitting at a table with my closest friends on the upper floor of New Mexico Hall. I’m having an absolutely awesome time up here. There’s few places I’d rather be than with these people right here. Not sure where I would be without them.

It’s been an incredible week. It was a fitting punctuation to my summer experience. God took some things that I learned this summer and expanded them this week, including the vastness of His greatness, as well as the absolutely clear commandant for us to go out and make disciples. I’m tired of just sitting in the BCM while there are over 16,000 students out there, most of whom don’t have a loving relationship with my God.

I’m tired of sitting in the church/BCM and doing nothing
I’m tired of living a life that is contradictory to He who lives in me.
I’m tired of going to huge conferences and not doing anything with what I learned.
I’m tired of doing ministry work for all the wrong reasons (for myself, not for Him)

I’m making a commitment. I’m making a commitment to step over the line- to step over the line and make His name known to all those around me who wish to hear His story. There are so many out there that fill the hole in their lives with the completely wrong things. We were all made with this deficiency- the feeling that we are incomplete. This feeling dates back to the Fall of Man, where Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. We were all created to be content in Christ, and therefore, without Him, we feel incomplete.

I am complete in my God, who lives in me and works through me to accomplish His mission. I want others to experience the God who completes.

Till next time, ~Kyle~

Glorieta 3

2008-08-09T23:02:00.001-05:00

I’m sitting in the Chuck Wagon at the end of the third day. Most of us are tired, but we are enjoying ourselves regardless.

Last night, one of the subjects that we discussed in Secret Church was the idea of how God relates to evil.

David Platt attempted to answer this question: “If God is so good, how could He have let evil into the world?”

Tonight, David extended on that idea. Specifically, we talked about death.

Rather than focusing on the causes of death or how it relates to others through the loss of a loved one, he focused on the lessons we can learn from natural disasters.

The main reasons why we don’t like death, is because it’s unpredictable. It’s often surprising or sudden.

Rather than focusing on the suddenness of death, we should instead focus on the possible reasons why it may be effecting us (Besides the obvious). Is it possible that God is trying to catch our attention?

Are we cold toward God?

Kyle

Glorieta 2

2008-08-09T23:01:00.001-05:00

Authors note: I didn’t have time to post these entries, so the remainder of the Glorieta Trip is coming all at once. Apologies

The best way to realize that you missed something is to experience it after a long period of time from being away from it. This is the best way to describe my Glorieta experience so far. I’ve been having a blast.

That goes twofold though. It’s pretty much the first time I’ve been with the majority of my friends since early June. It’s awesome to be able to see them again.

Tonight, we did something called “Secret Church”. Basically, we have an extremely long worship service that takes us through an in-depth study of the Bible. We dug deep into who God is. It was incredible, and extremely fitting.

If you’ve been following my blog, then you know that I went through some serious rediscovery into who my God is. I went through a serious period of study and meditation to clarify in mind the vastness of who God is. The secret church study took us through various aspects of God’s identity, including His names, His characteristics, and His might. It was incredible, and eye-opening.

The idea for Secret Church came from David Platt’s sermons overseas in areas where the Gospel was taboo and believing in and preaching about Jesus Christ was forbidden by law. In these areas, the people are extremely eager to hear more about Christ and who He is, basically begging and demanding that David would continue to preach and basically cram a huge amount of doctrine down their throats. But unlike us, they are usually so eager to receive this insight into the Gospel. It’s incredible. That’s one of the few words one can use to describe it.

Any way, it’s extremely late (the service went from 7PM-12:30 AM) and my mind is drained from all the thinking. I’ve experienced so much and its only Tuesday. Can’t wait to see what else He has in store for us this week.

~Kyle~

Glorieta Uno (1)

2008-08-05T00:20:00.001-05:00

Although I may not have as much to talk about as some of the others, I do have a little bit to write on.

The flight was rough. I didn’t catch a wink of sleep. I never took a nap today either…so I’ve basically been up since 8 AM Alaskan Time yesterday. Crazy.

Brandon, Erin, and myself are playing some music in about an hour. Long wait for list for the open mic here in the Chuck Wagon.

I got another opportunity to hear from David Platt. If you don’t keep up with my blog, check the posts about a year ago, and you can see some of my sentiments on him and his ministry.

He spoke to us about glorifying God, and about we should be constantly seeking to glorify Him only more.

After the message, we had an intense prayer session where we were singing all kinds of worship songs, raising our voices, our hands, and our hearts to the Living God.

Awesome beginning to an awesome week. More to come soon!

Last moments in Alaska

2008-08-04T02:33:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to make a real quick post. I’m currently in the Anchorage airport, spending my last few moments here on Alaska soil to type up a quick thank you.

Thank you Alaska and the citizens of the Kenai Peninsula for being the coolest hosts ever. Thanks for the food, the transportation, the thank-you cards/gifts, and most of all, the companionship.

Philippians 1:3-10 reigns clearly in my mind right now. Thanks for being some of the coolest people I’ve ever met.

And Alaska, thanks for being one of the coolest places ever (almost literally).

That’s a wrap for the Mission journey. Most of all, I give to Thanks to God.

Now boarding, next stop, Denver, then NEW MEXICO!!! :D

in Christ,

Kyle LeBoeuf

This Summer…wow!

2008-08-01T21:17:00.002-05:00

I am typing on what probably will be my last day spent in the church office. I am only two days away from catching my plane to Anchorage and making the connect-the-dots-style journey down to New Mexico.

This summer has been absolutely incredible and I cannot begin to express how grateful I am to have had this opportunity to serve my God. God has taught me so much about myself and about the ministry I am capable of achieving. I now know that I don’t have any excuse to not go out there and do work for my Savior. I now that know that there shouldn’t be anything stopping me from giving everything to Him and getting out there to fulfill the Great Commission.

I’m definitely looking forward to getting back home and putting what I’ve learned to good use.

A few photos are in order, as I’ve not posted any in a long time.

Salmon Frenzy. Lots of Salmon + 1000s of Alaskan Fishermen = Wow

It was cold that day

Serving Hot Cocoa and Hot Dogs. 10 gallons of hot cocoa a day, 1000+ Hot dogs a day

Cooking said hot dogs

Some of the Salmon Frenzy team, checking out YouTube

And finally, a gorgeous Sunset over the Kenai River Flats.

And that’ll be a wrap for right now. I’ll probably post once more right before or sometime during the journey home.

Until then, adios

Kyle

Remedy Club Tour in Theatres

2008-07-30T01:16:00.001-05:00

2008-07-24T02:39:00.001-05:00

checking out a new service called http://www.ping.fm. Lets me update several services at once. Neat.

Modernization:Technology and Ministry

2008-07-22T14:26:00.001-05:00

I tend to get pretty annoyed with people in the church (“church” meaning the people of God) who like claim that technology and ministry aren’t supposed to intersect. Many of these people claim that for the church to embrace web and media presentation technology would be “too worldly”.

The church has found itself influenced and impacted by a modern, highly technological generation. Church choirs and orchestras are being quickly replaced by modern worship leaders and praise bands. Hymns are being replaced by presentation software, some with sophisticated features like motion backgrounds and bible/song database integration. Church bulletins are being replaced by email newsletters and subscription lists, and many, many churches are making the move to the web with their very own website.

There are those out there who think that this is a “bad” thing. These people claim that new presentation and media technology is a threat to image and sanctity of the church.

The only people who are resistant to technology are the people who are resistant to change. As a society, we usually hate change. We hate breaks in our traditions and routines, because it forces us to become comfortable with something different.

What do we have to lose by embracing this technology? There are many churches and ministries out there that are effectively reaching people (especially young people) through clever and heavy use of web communities and other technologies. Many ministries use websites such as Facebook to publicize their name and advertise for events. Many pastors, Christian authors, and other popular evangelists and speakers use blogs to give their readers an insight into what God is teaching them.

By ignoring this technology, by ignoring change, the church will almost completely overlook several generations of people who almost entirely depend on it in their daily lives. The primary reason why so many churches fail to reach young couples, college students, and teenagers, is because they are too “old-fashioned” and traditional. To embrace this generation, the church needs to embrace some (notice “some”) of their culture, less they be ignored by a majority of the 20-something and younger generations.

Lets open our eyes, and stretch our fingers out before our keyboards, and see how the power of the Internet and computers can be used for God.

The End of the Road

2008-07-21T02:36:00.001-05:00

(I also just posted a manuscript from Today’s sermon here. Click the link to go giftofwords.net and see the sermon blog)

Today (Sunday, July 20) marks the beginning of my last two weeks here in Alaska. While I am enjoying myself, I grow more and more anxious to be home with every passing day.

I have been busy lately. There are about 150 missionaries here in the Kenai area for what we call Salmon Frenzy. Every year at this time, thousands flock the Kenai beaches to dip-net into the Kenai River and Cook Inlet bay area, where the salmon run like crazy. It’s insane. These missionaries are here to take advantage of the evangelical opportunity that exists in having thousands of unchurched Alaskan people in one place. Me and a few guys helped setup this enormous tent that basically serves as a command center for the operations on the beach. The team hands out thousands of hot dogs and around 80 gallons of hot cocoa every day. They have activities for kids, and water for people who need it. They help direct traffic, keep the port-a-potties stocked with toilet paper, and just about any service that’s needed of them by the city, Parks and Recreation, police, and the fishermen. They operate out of my church, where they have dinner and evening worship everyday. That means there are about 150 people crawling around the church at any given evening. Crazy.

Its been amazing. I got the opportunity to fellowship with a bunch of them tonight over dinner. They are a bunch of cool people. I’ve met people from Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and even a few from Louisiana!

But anyway’s, Glorieta is only in two weeks. I’m stoked for it. Cannot wait. I’m ready to take what I’ve learned and apply to my life back at home, and try to reach these hard-headed college students who have become my peers.

Julie and I went to Homer yesterday, and got some amazing shots and views of the mountain ranges here in Southern Alaska. I’ll post more information and pictures about that soon. Its late here, and I’m finally crashing from my caffeine buzz. Later.

Experiences I won’t forget

2008-07-16T21:56:00.002-05:00

When I posted Sunday I wanted to give you guys some information on T3, but I never got around to it.

T3 (Training Teens Today) is a week-long youth leadership training event that occurs up here once a year. This year, the event was held in Soldotna, only about 10 mins away from where I am serving.

While none of my kids were able to attend (it is extremely difficult to qualify), I had the opportunity to sit in on several of their activities and events.

I wrote almost a week ago about Cathy, a young girl who struggles with a disease. You can see that post here. We laid hands on her and prayed for healing. That moment was powerful. It was one of those times where I felt the presence of God all around me. It was one of those moments that people write about it books and talk about in testimonies. Her testimony will be heard everywhere.

T3 taught me something. It showed me that there was hope for this generation of Youth. To quote Mr. Giglio, there IS a generation of young people in Alaska that has a strong desire to make Jesus famous. If this group of young people ends up sitting in a pew for the rest of their Christian walk, then it will be a serious waste of gifts and talent. I was impressed by their abilities.

Some photos from the week:

And finally, another installment in the Alaskan Clips series.

This one is a montage from Wednesday T3, including a run-in with gumbo, Julie, Mike, and some footage from the campfire worship session we had.

Quick note about the last clip, we wrote our obstacles in our faith on a piece of paper and nailed it to a cross. Awesome illustration eh?

Peace out.

T3, Love from home, and other random bits

2008-07-13T17:31:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone. I originally intended to post this update much sooner, but I ended up posting a prayer request instead.

As I type this, I’m chilling in Kaladi Brothers in Soldotna, having just had lunch.

We presented a video slideshow for the Crescent Lake hike today at church. Youtube is blocked from here, so I’ll have to upload the video later.

God is doing a great work here in Alaska. This past week was T3 (Training Teens Today), a week-long, intense youth leadership training event/conference. I had the opportunity to observe some of their activities and presentations of the latter half of this week. Part of this observation included a few awesome reminders from home. The first of which, is below.

Pair of troublemakers that is right there. Two people from Lafayette. Best friends at that. Scary.

The next gift from home came in the form of some of the best food any person will ever have: real, CAJUN gumbo!

Behold, the Gumbo:

Wipe the drool off your chin. Go on, do it. This blog isn’t going anywhere.

So, I’ll have more on the awesomeness that was T3 at a later date. I need to get some pictures off my camera.

Later for now, Kyle