Religion flourishes in greater purity without than with the aid of government. - James Madison (in a letter to Edward Livingston, July 10, 1822)

ACTV's been really busy the past couple of weeks - which is good in many ways, because when things are slow, #1 you arent doing as much ministry #2 its easy to slack off and #3 ummm can we all say "no paycheck"

The only thing bad about it is that it is harder to get other stuff done that need to get done, like Club Worship stuff etc. Im not sure what to do with all that anyway.

The nice thing about being busy is that I am needed - to do production stuff. Ive had my hand on a camera more in the past week and a half than in the past 3 months combined.


The past year has been a really bad one for ACTV paperwork. Its been a challenge - and a frustration. But I cant complain really. I just hate sitting at a desk, talking to everyone on the phone about junk that I shouldnt have to deal with. In any case, things are back to normal now - so praise God for that.

I just am not that great a development guy. I realize that I work best with solid deadlines, accomplishable tangible goals, some healthy competition (with a co-worker or something) and someone to show off my final work to. In any case, thats sort of the way I am built - a bit task oriented in many ways.

Its partly because of how God made me, and partly because I was a first born... most first borns are very task oriented driven people.

anyway its almost 4am - better hit the sack

http://www.jibjab.com if you wanna watch a really funny little animation song thing, check this out. The video I laughed the hardest at was the "Big Box Mart." also, the "this land is your land" is hysterical. its got some stinky language... but I couldnt stop laughing. Although it is a political thing that must have been big around election time.

It sort of looks a bit like our animation we did for bible quizzing a while ago. hmmm maybe this years quizzing video should be something like this. Anyone up for something new for bible quizzing video? Anyone good at flash animation? or any other type of digital animation? Im afraid of taking on something like that by myself. But it does sound like fun

Or maybe someone else wants to do the video this year? hmmm im sure there are people out there doing videos on their home computers these days. I don't know. Maybe John Schlesselman will wanna pick up the torch? we will have to see.

Anyway, life is good. I'm an optimist, anyway, but life is good. God is good and his blessings are all over the place. Youth Group has been great - lots of fun, and lots of good ministry time, and good teaching and stuff. I always get excited with a new youth committee forming and stuff. It should be a great year.

Tori is growing major fast. I read her a book tonight and she was really looking at the pictures (of cats) she got distracted by all the truffela trees on the wall, and then the light, but it was my first time reading her a book, and I forgot how early we started with Maria.

I love being a dad... I know that Candace does more of the work than I do... but I try my best to do my part of it too - she just naturally has the talent (and the equipment if you know what I mean)

One topic that came up a couple times the last several days. I know it is a reoccurring thought - how can teenagers even hastle their parents and rebel and stuff.

OK, I know I am gonna generalize about parents for a little bit... some of them really screwed up... some parents really are not good... BUT the majority of parents really love their kids, and over the course of life, especially over the first 15 years, pour into these kids lives major time, effort, money, emotional energy etc. Parents make sacrifices all the time for the sake of their kids... career decisions, financial decisions... they stay home instead of going to the movies when they wanna go... they buy a minivan instead of that cool convertable. Theyve given up career dreams, they spend hours playing with, training, changing diapers, teaching them how to read, how to walk, how to eat etc... and what do parents get in return??? a teenager who could care less.

OK, some teens have legitimate complaints... Im not talking about them... but rebelious (for no good reason) teens should get a life - put yourself in your parents shoes for just a second. What did they have to deal with? How may years of toiling away, making meals, sacrificing, running you around, buying you new sneakers and a new winter coat when they could hardly afford it. yeah... rebelious teens should get a life.

Ok ive crossed the threshold... Im officially old - Not only am I officially a parent, but now Im starting to think like a parent. Yeah that makes me old.

I think about it sometimes - how will Tori & Maria challenge us as parents? how will we respond when challenged? Will I be iron fist "as long as you're under my roof" daddy? or a "whatever" daddy? Will I have a sense of humor? or will she think I am an outdated goof ball? or will I be way too serious... when it comes to faith, will they want to follow Christ? or try some other religion first?

I am confident that God will give us the wisdom... I think we are great parents - pretty balanced. Not pushy, not paranoid, not too lenient, but not too demanding. I guess a lot of it comes down to balance.

serious fun.

we got this event coming up for saturday for the youth group. Its is gonna be great. It is called the Great Couch Event. Getting together at the church at 1pm and what a crazy game its gonna be. I don't want to give all the details away, but we have some very strange and hysterical things to do with some couches and some young people and some video cameras to capture it all on tape. Its gonna be a hoot.

Great weekend this past weekend. God was evident in so many different situations. Club Worship went pretty smooth as far as the worship and stuff, we spun some great new songs, etc. Its hard to quantify worship - how do you measure the quality of such a thing. All I can say is that it was good.

And youth group - well the Holy Spirit did His thing, and just moved. It was good to hear clearly from the spirit on some things, and to know that he had some special messages for the young people. As hearts were openned God could really work.

Jose Diaz taught and it was good to have him back for a week.

I should also say that the attendance was quite diverse. a whole pile of old timers... some newbees... some city, some country, every color and shape and size. Praise God for that. What an eclectic and beautiful bunch.

I blog sometimes at www.clubworship.org If you know me personally, but you don't know about Club Worship, then you only know part of me. I really love electronic music and hip hop music... and I love Club Worship and how God has used it over the years.

To be honest, I would be satisfied just being a worship leader/DJ with club worship. I ended up being a long time organizer, but I would just as soon someone else use their God given gifts to help manage the whole thing, and let me get back to what I love to do.

This year I've invested quite a bit of personal cash into this thing... basically pursuing Gods will for my life and for the calling He has placed in front of me. I can't complain, God has always provided for all my needs and for my family.

I have had the opportunity to work with some great young people through all these years. Many of them coming in not knowing the first thing about DJing, lights, sound worship leading... and helping to walk with them as we all learned together what it means to worship God together in this unique way.

To be honest, I wish more people would get on board and put their heart and soul into making Club Worship the best that it could be. It has so much potential, but I'm just one guy, so here I am practicing my turtable skills and researching music, and calling volunteers and blogging and paying the bills etc. Man what an opportunity that so many people are taking for granted. The opportunity to learn how to program intelligent lights for slammin electronic or hip hop music... what could be more fun than that? Or DJing with this incredible equipment at your fingertips.

anyway, i was just reading... and club worship made it into the history books :)

a history of christian dance music events Where's the Party At?
heres a new article that does a good job of acurately describing the Christian dance scene. realistic, doesnt pull any punches... recognizes that some of whats been done has been hokey... and also recognizes that we are what we are.

so thats pretty cool

Brian McLaren said it so well - and so much better than I could have said it.
"We need an ecclesiology that acknowledges latent periods without guilt. We are prone to guilt-tripping ourselves and others even though guilt trips take us nowhere but backward. For example, we glorify extraordinary revival experiences so as to feel like failures during ordinary times, not realizing that if last years extraordinary revival experience continues for more than a few weeks, it becomes the new ordinary experience. If last weeks worship was awe inspiring, this weeks must at least equal it in emotional force’ otherwise, someone is sure to tell us we are backsliding and will threaten to go down the street “where God is really moving.” The result in some churches is an ever-inflating hype, which might seem exciting from the outside, but from the inside is pressured, desperate, and pathetic.
The fact is, down times are important for many reasons, not the least of which is that without them there are not up times. All of life runs with times and seasons, ebbs and flows, work and rest, expansion and consolidation, death and birth. This is normal; it is also biblical, and our ecclesiology should acknowledge it.”

OK.... I realize that this isn't exciting news. In fact it is a little bit drab, boring , and hmmmm sanitary... but I really believe it a healthy view in the long run.

Like the example that I gave on sunday at youth group... some fires burn a long time slow and hot, and some fires are explosive, but then go out immediately in a cloud of smoke. I know which one I want to be.