Rusty Trubey

Today's Student: Descriptor #5

2008-02-13T22:04:00.000-05:00

5. They are team oriented.

Think about it. They grew up with Barney, played soccer, learned in groups at school and often wore uniforms. Community is as important as individual accomplishments. Many date in groups. Some only want a leadership position if they can serve alongside a team and share the responsibility. On the DISC profile, one research study discovered that almost half of these Millennials indicated they were high “I” in the test. They are peoplepersons. They love relationships, even though their people skills are often poor. One book called Bowling Alone suggested a difference between Baby Boomers and Millennials. The book said while Baby Boomers are bowling alone on Wednesday nights, Millennials are playing soccer in teams.

Frozen

2008-02-12T20:06:00.000-05:00

Politics, Christians and the Kingdom of God

2008-02-12T19:53:00.000-05:00

It's official. I actually love my New Testament class at Regent University. This week's assignment is one reason why. Below are the assignment instructions. I will post my response tomorrow, or the next day.

The 2008 U.S. presidential election campaign is already in full swing. It is predicted that it will be one of the most wide-open and interesting races to take place in decades. In the last several presidential elections, the "Religious Right" has played a significant part in the outcome of the elections. As Christians, we are both members of the "Kingdom of Heaven" and the nation of the United States (or another country). Should our understanding and commitment to the "Kingdom of God" affect how we participate in the upcoming election? Should the religious, moral and ethical convictions of the candidates sway our vote? Should we vote for a candidate because they claim to be a "Christian" or should we vote based upon their official stands on such issues as abortion or immigration, fiscal policy or same-sex marriage? Should we even involve ourselves in the political process and is participating, or not participating, in harmony with Christ's proclamation of Kingdom of God?

While I certainly want you to express your opinion, I want you to back up your opinion with scripture and appeal to other Christian traditions on the subject. You are to post an initial 250-300 essay, then, you are to respond to two other posts with 150-200 words. Feel free to ask questions of your peers and to challenge each other. But, BE RESPECTFUL!

Today's Student: Descriptor #4

2008-02-12T19:52:00.000-05:00

4. They are mediavores.

These students are addicted to media. It’s not uncommon for them to do homework, listen to a CD, watch TV, and interact on-line simultaneously. They give new meaning to multi-tasking. They can handle fast—paced images in commercials and they love the rush of high speed internet searches, text messaging their buddy or locating friends on MySpace or FaceBook. No doubt, there is a danger to their familiarity with technology. One evangelical university I recently visited reported that 60% of their male students were watching pornography on the internet. And an equal amount of women were participating in chat rooms, which can be just as harmful. Technology is a mixed blessing, but they are addicted to it.

Wikipedia Ban

2008-02-05T11:11:00.000-05:00

Professors continue to ban Wikipedia as a research tool, citing too many incorrect entries. Designed as a user generated and edited encyclopedia, anyone can contribute to or change a Wikipedia entry. One professor at the University of Brighton has gone even further, banning the use of Google. Calling it "white bread for the mind," she objects to the easy answers to complex questions with little sorting of shallow ideas from serious referenced work. She states, "Google is filling, but does not necessarily offer nutritional content." (Inside Higher Education January 14, 2008)

Today's College Student: Descriptor #3

2008-02-05T11:06:00.000-05:00

3. They are confident.

Millennials believe they can make a difference. Many already boast about their power and potential, even as kids. They will be more self reliant and ambitious than Generation X. A surprising percentage have started their own business before reaching age 21. They don’t seem to lack the confidence to put their ideas into action. Many believe they will take part in changing the world. In one recent study, 82% of college students said they believed the next “Bill Gates” was in their generation. 51% said they believed they knew the next “Bill Gates.” 24% said they believed they are the next “Bill Gates.”

Ezra Movie

2008-02-03T21:34:00.000-05:00

Today's College Student: Descriptor #2

2008-02-03T21:30:00.001-05:00

2. They love family.

They rely on family as a sanctuary from the troubles of their world. They’ve been sheltered by many kid-safety rules and devices. They grew up with the “Baby On Board” sign on the mini-van. Many are the focus of what I call “parental paranoia.” The result? They love their family. If they aren’t a part of a nuclear family, they create one. (This explains the unorthodox communities and gangs we hear about today). In a recent annual U.S. survey of teenagers, students were asked: Who is your hero? For the first time in twenty years, the number one response was not an athlete. Number one was: mom and dad. Number two was: grandma and grandpa.

10 Desriptors of Today's College Student: #1, They Feel Special

2008-01-28T09:54:00.000-05:00

Instead of writing one long post, I decided to include these 10 descriptors of today's college student over 10 days. This resource is taken from Dr. Tim Emore at Growing Leaders.

1. They feel special.

Movies, government focus, and parents have all made this generation believe they are vital to our future. Most of them feel good about themselves. In fact, they’re often preoccupied with themselves; some surveys found a contradictory self-assessment—they are happy with their lives but they worry a lot about themselves and their future. Their self-consumed lives can be alarming. On Mother’s Day 2006, USA Today carried an article on what young people were giving their moms for her special day. Thousands had decided to give themselves something, in honor of their mother. The gifts ranged from getting a haircut, to putting money in their own bank account, to cleaning up their apartment. And the mothers were pleased with those gifts. Their children played such a central role in their own happiness, that mother’s felt great about the vicarious gift.

Test Your Traveler IQ

2008-01-27T19:21:00.000-05:00

This was tough! I hope you do better than me!

http://www.travelpod.com/traveler-iq

Ezra Lee

2008-01-27T18:57:00.000-05:00

Quote of the Day

2008-01-22T08:22:00.000-05:00

Holy simplicity is an unchanging will in the pursuit of a changeless good...Simplicity, in fact, is properly the will fundamentally turned toward God, asking of the Lord only one thing, seeking it with fervor, with no ambition to multiply itself by becoming dispersed in this world. Simplicity is also, in the conduct of life, the true humility which has the virtue of attaching more importance to the evidence of the conscience than to reputation."

- William of St. Thierry
(for the "one thing", read Psalm 84)

Getting Back on Track

2008-01-14T09:07:00.000-05:00

I'm working out again and it feels good, I think. The thing is I have something motivating me beside just wanting to work out and lose weight. Since my decision to join the National Guard last January, I have to meet height and weight requirements and pass the PT (physical training test). I'm not obese by any stretch, but I am really, really out of shape! Here's where I need to be and where I am:

Goal Weight: 175
Current Weight: 195

To gain the maximum score of 300 on the Army's PT test (why settle for less), I have to do this:
73 push-ups in 2 minutes
76 sit-ups in 2 minutes
13:36 in the 2-mile run.

It has become painfully obvious that I need the most work on push-ups. Of course, the less I weigh, the less I have to push-up! So, I am working on that!

Ezra at 8 Weeks

2008-01-13T19:40:00.000-05:00

Quote of the Day

2008-01-11T22:55:00.000-05:00

I'm reading Transformational Coaching by Dr. Joseph Umidi for one of my classes at Regent. So far, I have not been disappointed! It has revved up my heart's engine. We'll see what I can do with that. Here's a quote:

"The disciplines of deep subterranean listening coupled with powerful penetrating questioning and catalyzed metaphors, will become the cross-cultural tool kits for post-modern transformational coaches."

Trinity 101

2008-01-06T23:42:00.001-05:00

Here's a site that helps explain the TRINITY

The Spring Semester

2008-01-05T18:09:00.000-05:00

Monday begins my second full semester at Regent University. I'm taking:

Church History and Renewal 1
New Testament 1: Jesus and the Gospels
Foundations of Ministry Coaching

In addition to these courses, I am in my second semester of Clinical Pastoral Education at West Virginia University Hospital. I finished the fall semester pretty good with a 3.86. I made a B+ in a class. Oh, well!

Mini-Me

2008-01-03T21:27:00.000-05:00

They say the resemblance is uncanny. What say you?

Something is Missing

2007-12-25T12:24:00.001-05:00

I read this article in the latest edition of Army Times:

"In a Nov.30-Dec 2 Gallup/USA Today poll asking respondents to rate the ethical standards of people in different professions, 65% of respondents said military officers had high ethics. Car salesman and lobbyists came in at the bottom."

Here are the top five:

Nurses 83%
Grade-school teachers 74%
Druggists/Pharmacists 71%
Military officers 65%
Medical doctors 64%

Do you notice anything missing from this list that should be there?

Ezra

2007-12-23T09:34:00.001-05:00

Oakley and Ezra

2007-12-22T21:38:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-20T16:50:00.000-05:00

Ezra Lee Trubey

2007-11-18T11:42:00.001-05:00

A Mouthful

2007-07-16T10:39:00.000-05:00

For all things that are the Father's are beheld in the Son, and all things that are the Son's are the Father's; because the whole Son is in the Father and has all the Father in himself. Thus the hypostasis of the Son becomes as it were form and face of the knowledge of the Father, and the hypostasis of the Father is known in the form of the Son, while the proper quality which is contemplated therein remains for the plain distinction of the hypostases.

Basil

Contemporizing the Message

2007-06-27T11:10:00.000-05:00

"The average Christian, even the one who attends church regularly, lives in two different worlds. On Sunday morning, from eleven o'clock to noon, such a person lives in a world in which axheads float, rivers stop as if dammed, donkey's speak, people walk on water, dead persons come back to life, even days after death, and a child is born to a virgin mother. But during the rest of the week, the Christian functions in a very different atmosphere. Here technology, the application of modern scientific discovery, is the norm. The believer drives away from church in a modern automobile, with automatic transmission, power steering , power brakes, AM-FM stereo radio, air conditioning, and other gadgets, to a home with similar up to date features. In practice the two worlds clash. In the Christian's biblical world, when people are ill, prayer is uttered for divine healing, but in this secular world, however, they go to the doctor. For how long can this kind of schizophrenia be maintained?"

-Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, pp. 117-118

Words for the Day

2007-06-27T10:29:00.000-05:00

ipsissima verba: the exact words of Jesus
ipsissima vox: the exact voice (the substance) of what Jesus said.

Sitz im Leben: an important German phrase for "setting in life." It has to do with context — the occasion that gave rise to various passages in the Bible.

Now you know (so do I).

Home

2007-06-06T07:12:00.000-05:00

It's been a long journey, but we're finally home. From Morgantown to South Carolina, to Florida, to New York, to Florida again, to North Carolina, to Nashville, to Morgantown. My trip odometer turned over a few times. There were plenty of memorable moments. I'll post some pictures.

I'm also immersed in seminary studies and I'm really enjoying it. I'll be posting some thoughts as I learn.

Lessons from a 4 Year Old

2007-05-04T19:36:00.000-05:00

Our family wil be going to Florida next week to visit family and have an all around good time. At bed time, Zoey and I talk a lot about the fun we'll have once we get there. She informed me tonight of "Four Things We Must Never Forget" once we get there:

When we get hot, we jump into the swimming pool.
When we get cold in the ocean water, we get out, sit on the sand and build a sand castle.
If we see fire ants, we step on them and kill them.
If we see wasps, yellow jackets or bumble bees, we must go into the house.

There it is.

Top 100 Most Influential People

2007-05-04T16:14:00.000-05:00

Why the heck is Sanjaya Malakar the third most influential person in the world this year? Did I miss something? Here's the list.

We Tend to Forget

2007-05-04T15:48:00.000-05:00

I think those in church and para-chruch ministry forget about our colleagues ministering to soldiers. I have a special place in my heart for these brave heroes, whose ministry is every bit as important and strategic as a local pastor or missionary. The latest edition of Newsweek talks about these men and women of God. Don't forget to pray for them - their mission is undeniably difficult.

Church and Chicken

2007-05-03T08:45:00.000-05:00

I'll read our school's newspaper, The Daily Athenaeum , every once in a while. I happened to pick it up last week and read an article by a student entitled, "No Need for the Separation of Church and Chicken". It was interesting, but not surprising, to hear her thoughts on Christianity.

She makes a connection between the great food that Chick-fil-a offers and the way in which they offer it. Here are some excerpts:

"Normally, when aspects of the Christian faith-or any religion-are thrust into my life without invitation, I get a little bit cranky. I'm old enough and smart enough now that if I wanted to be converted to your religion, I'd have figured it out by now."

"So Chick-fil-a is, all-around, the purveyor of good news that all Christians should be. If you want a tasty chicken sandwich, there's no need to worry about choking down a lesson on moral values with it. Chick-fil-a exhibts its Christian values with its excellent service, and that's that."

I hear her. She wants to see a demonstration of the transformed life. This is a huge part of impacting the un-churched. If we live like the world, how can we expect the world to believe in Jesus? Lifestyle evangelism is not enough. It earns us the right to be heard - meaning, we have to say something about how to cross the bridge to eternal life.

I think Christians justify being "nice." There are lots of nice atheists, and secular humanists. I'm not saying we need to be pushy, I'm saying we need to balance demonstration with words. I don't want to hear this when I stand before Jesus, "Rusty, people always talked about how nice you were to them, always serving them and helping, but they never heard you talk about me. They wish you would have told them why you act the way you do."

Total Forgivness

2007-05-01T20:49:00.000-05:00

Does forgiving someone mean there shouldn't be any consequence for their "sin." Does total forgivness mean amnesty?

New Prayer Cards

2007-05-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

My friend that did this has some skills! (save the missing "s" in fellowship)

Be Original, Be Yourself

2007-04-30T23:03:00.000-05:00

I like to read Mark Batterson's blog. There are almost always things on there that interest me. He had a post recently titled "Tell Me Something I Don't Know."

Question, how intimidating is it to step up to a pulpit knowing that you have people thinking that? Is it even realistic to think I have something new to tell people?

Mark says, "The church ought to be the place where original thought is most prevalent. We have the Holy Spirit to illuminate us and lead us into all truth. But all too often I hear what I've heard a thousand times. So I tend to tune out. Challenge my assumptions. Violate my expectations. Shift my paradigms. The best speakers have a way of saying old things in new ways."

This scares me. Have you ever tried being original. I think when you try being originial you cease being yourself. You place an emphasis on manufacturing something that isn't real. Let's face it, we're all original. Not one of us human types are exactly alike. That makes me an original. That makes you an original. Should I be concerned with making people think, laugh, dream, cry, repent, change, remember and imagine? The truth is, I can't tell Mark Batterson anything he doesn't already know. Chances are, I can't tell most "church" people what they already know. But, I can tell my story and how God's truth impacted my life.

Good speakers to me are the ones who are themselves and communicate God's timeless truth with the Spirit's power.

"When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." 2 Corinthians 2:1-5

Just some "I can't go to sleep" thoughts.

We Look Good

2007-04-30T22:40:00.000-05:00

We took a few hours away from the kids to be with our students for Chi Alpha's end of the year banquet. We clean up pretty good, don't we?

Heroes not Heroes

2007-04-25T09:03:00.000-05:00

I haven't watched a single episode of the NBC series, "Heroes." I understand it to be popular, at least among students. From my brief look at the "Heroes" official website the show is "an epic drama that chronicles the lives of ordinary people who discover they possess extraordinary abilities." From cheerleaders to strippers to cops to fugitives from the law, these people discover that they possess super powers. If it wasn't on the same time as "24" I'd probably watch it.

As I was driving in the other morning, the local morning radio show was talking about the recent congressional hearings of Jessica Lynch and Pat Tillman. The military and the media have portrayed them as heroes - Jessica for her GI Jane-like tenacity and Pat Tillman for courage in the face of a brazen enemy. Now that the truth has come out, especially about Tillman, the media and perhaps the general public will view them as something other than heroes. Jessica has always downplayed the title "hero" and deferred that status to the people who got her out of there and her friend, who died beside her. For whatever reason, Tillmans' CO decided to conceal the truth about what really happened. Perhaps it was for the sake of his brother. Perhaps the people needed a good story to make us feel better about the war. Who knows. I can tell you one thing, though - these people are still heroes.

But not the kind of heroes the media wants. Americans are still dying in Iraq and flags fly at full mast. Americans die on a college campus, flags fly at half-mast.

he-ro [heer-oh] a man (or woman) of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.

Students living out their faith on a college campus, going against the grain, standing up for holiness and righteousness are my heroes. Soldiers patrolling an action-less base miles back from the front lines, yet separated from family and loved ones are my heroes.

Heroes not heroes. I know what a hero is. Do you?

Getting It

2007-04-22T08:33:00.000-05:00

A Chi Alpha friend sent me this picture. This church gets what we do!

Surgery

2007-04-20T06:25:00.000-05:00

Well, I made it through surgery ok. We got up to Pittsburgh at 11:30 - the surgery was scheduled for 2pm. I was very happy with my experience at UPMC. Everyone, including the Anesthesiologist, were cordial and friendly and highly professional. My biggest fear of the whole surgery was coming out of anesthesia. The last time I went under, I vomitted non-stop for what seemed like an eternity. That's when I learned about the miracle drug Zofran. So,I told them while in pre-op to load me up during and after surgery. I didn't have an ounce of nausea! They gave me three different kinds of nausea meds and even put a "patch" behind my ear for the almost 2 hour drive home.

So, I'm fairly comfortable. Though I can barely move my leg, I relatively free from pain. And that's a good thing!

Questions

2007-03-15T10:51:00.000-05:00

It seems like I've had a lot more questions about what it means to follow Jesus lately. I think there are many who would say that you shouldn't have questions about certain doctrines and traditions that have been around a while. After all, I sign a piece of paper every year stating that I agree to 16 fundamental truths and that I have done my best to preach them. To some, there is an end to believing and once you get there, there should be no more questions.

For example, I learned that the origin of the word virgin in Matthew actually comes from the book of Isaiah. In the Hebrew language at that time, the word virgin could mean several things. In the first century, being "born of a virgin" also referred to a child whose mother became pregnant the first time she had intercourse.

You see what I mean? These questions aren't "show stoppers" to my faith. They are just questions that help me morph into a more devoted follower of Christ.

A Good Sign

2007-03-14T06:41:00.000-05:00

I'm excited about Chi Alpha tonight. It will be led by students. The worship, the teaching, everything. The only part that won't be is communion - I'll do that. We have some really great students in Chi Alpha that have amazing potential. I'm honored to be a part of their development.

It got me thinking once again about what my purpose is a campus pastor - "to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:12-13).

I think many leaders want to do it all themseleves. That don't trust their people to do ministry. I used to be like this. I wanted it done right and to make sure it was done right, I had to do it. That's not what students need from me.

John Maxwell helped me understand that students need me to be at my B.E.S.T. They need me to...
Believe in them
Encourage them
Share with them
Trust them

A little nurturing goes a long way.

What it Feels Like to Have Cancer

2007-03-13T19:31:00.000-05:00

I have cancer. Melanoma. Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. It begins in skin cells called melanocytes.

Melanocytes are the cells that make melanin, which gives skin its color. Melanin also protects the deeper layers of the skin from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.

When people spend time in the sunlight, the melanocytes make more melanin and cause the skin to tan. This also happens when skin is exposed to other forms of ultraviolet light (such as in a tanning booth). If the skin receives too much ultraviolet light, the melanocytes may begin to grow abnormally and become cancerous. This condition is called melanoma.

The spot on my leg is melanoma "in situ." In situ is malignant melanoma cells found only in the outer layer of skin cells (epidermis) and have not invaded to deeper layers.

So, I go on March 27 to get it cut out.

I'm not sure how I feel about it all. I'm not worried. I am thankful that it's not more than in situ. My paradigm has once again shifted. My life is not my own.

On Prayer

2007-02-22T13:34:00.000-05:00

"Samuel Chadwick writes, 'The one concern of the Devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayer-less studies, prayer-less work, and prayer-less religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.'
The best time for prayer isn't found. It's made. The average Christian spends very little time in prayer – then wonders why he or she has no faith and experience no power. If we are too busy to pray, we are too busy to experience the power of God in ministry. We can be very busy, but not necessarily productive because we lack faith. One of the main reasons we lack faith is because we don't pray. Consistent prayer builds consistent faith."

--Mary Southerland, from Rick Warren's Ministry Toolbox

It Was Funny

2007-02-20T22:20:00.000-05:00

Here's what made my evening so funny:

Elliptical Bike: 20 minutes, burning 185 calories
Treadmill: 10 minutes, running at a pace of 7.0, burning 190 calories
Abdomen Workout: 3 sets of 15

On the way home, I stopped at the grocery store:
2 Fat Free, Thick and Creamy Yoplait Yogurts (Lemon Meringue): $.65 each
1/2 pint of blueberries: $3.99
Kashi Go Lean Crunch: $3.79
Bananas: $1.39
1/2 Gallon Skim Milk: $2.05

Cashier: "Would you be interested in our special of the week - Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies?"

Priceless.

It just struck me as funny.

Hair Experiment

2007-02-15T07:51:00.000-05:00

We've experimented with Jonah's hair. Oakley likes this one, I kinda like the spiked looked. Either way, he's a player!

All Dressed Up

2007-02-15T07:49:00.000-05:00

These are some beautiful children!

The Other Kids

2007-02-15T07:47:00.000-05:00

Savannah has learned to love Sky.

Zoey and Sky

2007-02-15T07:44:00.000-05:00

Dick Foth-ism's

2007-02-15T07:04:00.000-05:00

We had our Chi Alpha Winter Conference over the weekend - it was great as usual. This year's speaker was Dick Foth, minister at large in Washington, DC. Very rarely do I hear someone speak and wish they would keep going. Dick was that kind of speaker. He said many things that made me think. Here are just a few that I was able to write down:

When you are loved by people, you make better decisions.

The highest form of affirmation is prayer. You are recognizing someone's value when you pray for them.

When I play with the kids, I am loving my wife. (she spends all day with them)

It's not critical where you are going, it's whom you're traveling with.

Jesus is the slowest person on time.

Updates

2007-02-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, I need to seriously update my blog. Family and Friends from around the world are asking for pictures, etc. So, in the next few days I'll be adding some pictures to my blog. I'll start with this one of the whole fam.

A Bible Reading Challenge

2007-02-05T09:26:00.000-05:00

I challenged myself and our students be immersed in God's Word by taking a 90 day through the Bible challenge. Every book, every chapter, every verse of the Bible in 90 days. We started last week and are just finishing up Numbers. That's a lot of reading. But there is something to just reading God's Word, even if it is talking about every little detail of the Tent of Meeting. We've also talked about prayer the last several weeks in Chi Alpha. Now, that's a powerful combo - an increased consumption of God's Word and focused prayer. We're anticipating transformation!

It's Bone Chilling Outside

2007-02-05T09:22:00.000-05:00

It's 1 degree in Morgantown right now. I walked down to the coffee shop for my large, with room, cup-o-joe and for some reason I kept wanting to sing the Beach Boys song, "California Dreaming." The high today is a balmy 9 degrees and it's not supposed to be above freezing all week. Sometimes I wonder why we moved to West Virginia from Tampa, Florida. But honestly, we love it - as long as summer comes.

An Insight to Me

2007-01-25T11:28:00.000-05:00

I don't know how many times I've heard people describe me as "a man of few words." It's almost like this is a bad thing or something. Yes, I tend to be a man of few words. I'm a naturally intuitive person and not as outgoing as say, my wife. We're polar opposites. She always has something to say and leaves incredibly long voice mails for people. I really love that about her.

As for me, I know how easy it is for my mouth to get me in trouble, even when I least expect it. I don't always have something to say. Is that a bad thing? Because I tend to be introspective, I measure my words more (but now always). Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, "Right speech comes out of silence, and right silence comes out of speech." Ruth Barton, author of Sacred Rhythms wrote, "In silence our speech patterns are refined because silence fosters a self-awarness that enable us to choose more truly the words we say."

Lord, grant me the wisdom to know what and when to speak and when to remain silent.

Jesus and Good to Great

2007-01-25T10:42:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you know about the book by Jim Collins, Good to Great. It really is an excellent book with tons of practical advice. I thouroughly enjoyed it. However, I've been trying to figure out where being "great" fits in to a Christ follower's life. We know that Oswald Sanders warns us about ambition in his book Spiritual Leadership. He's talking about our hearts motive for wanting to be great or accomplishing great things.

I don't know anyone who doesn't want to accomplish great things. I don't want to settle for good, if God wants great out of me - and I think he does. The real question is how. How do we become great? James and John had a similar question. In fact, they were a little more, shall we say, to the point. They told Jesus, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask." Now that's presumptious and bold. I mean, the audacity of these guys. But Jesus responded with more grace than I would have, "What do you want me to do for you?" The disciples asked Jesus for greatness and recognition. That didn't go over to well with Jesus and the other ten. Jesus went on to explain what true greatness is:

"...whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." Mark 10:43-44

Jim Collins says that one of the key factors that make a great leader is humility, and this is what Jesus describes here. The path to greatness then, is a descending one. Quite contrary to the way the world views greatness.

But Jesus was no weakling. He was strong, powerful and did many supernatural things. He knew where is power came from and he remained humbly connected with the Father. So, where does this leave me? Am I humbly connected to God's limitless power? If not, what the heck am I waiting for? If so, then I should expect to see some pretty drastic results.

Are you ready for this next verse?

"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even GREATER things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." John 14:12-14

Am I doing greater things than Jesus did? Am I supposed to take this verse at face value, or do I need to dig into the Greek to find Jesus' real intention in saying this? If this is what is available to me and you - this kind of power, then why aren't we seeing it? These are heavy verses. I need to think about this some more. Do you?

It Could Be Worse

2007-01-21T20:36:00.000-05:00

There are worse places where I could be snowed in. It just so happens that a Dunkin' Donuts is right down the road. Now, I'm not a very sophisticated coffee drinker, but I have to say, Dunkin' Donuts has the BEST coffee! I prefer it over Starbucks and Panera. And if decide not to take advantage of the continental breakfast here at the hotel, there is a Waffle House across the street. And I wouldn't be a West Virginian if I didn't hit up the Waffle House. So, to recap, here are my choices in the morning:

It could be worse.

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service

2007-01-21T20:02:00.000-05:00

Blogging was so much easier when school wasn't in session! Oh well.

I left the house this morning at 6:15 am. It was pretty cold, the thermostat in my Expedition said 23 degrees. It read 16 when I hit the mountains, driving East. My destination at "0 dark-30?" Calvary Assembly of God in Ranson, WV. The plan was to then head to Marlowe Assembly of God tonight for their 6pm service. Instead, it decided to snow - a lot. So, the church had to cancel the service and put me up in a hotel for the night. I went over to the pastor's house and hung out for a bit - I like that better, more personal. I also got to meet their daughter, Jessica, who will be a freshmen at WVU in the Fall. Win, win! On top of it all, I got to watch the 2nd half of the Saints v. Bears game and the Colts and Patriots game. So, my night has been like the sign outside 7-11's, "No shoes, no shirt, no service." Good stuff.

The Start of a New Semester

2007-01-11T08:45:00.000-05:00

Last night was our first Chi Alpha meeting of 2007 and the new semester. It was so good seeing all the students again -we really missed them. I was reminded again how much of a privilige it is to be able to meet with students to worship God on campus.

Puppy Love

2007-01-09T17:44:00.000-05:00

We're adding a new family member soon. His name is "Sky" (named by Zoey). We'll hopefully have him next weekend. More pictures to follow.

Quote to Ponder

2007-01-07T00:46:00.000-05:00

"Goodness is not the absence of badness. You can do nothing wrong and still do nothing right. Our calling is much higher than simply running away from what's wrong. We're called to chase lions-look for opportunities in our problems and obstacles, and take risks to reach for God's best."

Mark Batterson, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars

Frogs on the Wall

2007-01-07T00:03:00.000-05:00

Tonight I'm sleeping in Zoey's room - by myself. Breaking her arm has ushered in era of "expected sympathy" so she's sleeping in my spot next to Oakley. I'm not used to sleeping with frogs on the wall starring at me, so I've been awake reading and practicing my favorite past-time - thinking.

There's a lot to think about, really. New year resolutions, additions to the family, chapter "40", ministry and calling. There's a lot to process. Of course, the natural tendency for a heavey thinker like me is to allow these thoughts to dominate. And when thoughts are heavy it afffects my behavior, or it causes me to take myself too seriously. I'm really good at that. I need to learn to laugh more - at myself and in general. Proverbs tells me that "A merry heart does good, like medicine."

Starring at this smiling frog on the wall next to me reminds me of Zoey and Jonah. They have infectuous laughs. Zoey just brutally broke her arm a few days ago. Looking at it made my wife almost puke. Yet, Zoey still laughed today. Jonah at 2 years old has been in the hospital more times than many people have their entire lives. Yet, Jonah laughed today. I know, they're innocent children. But, there's something to this. There are certain things that we can learn from children and I think laughter is one of the most important. Why? Because I think laughter breeds resilience.

This is a New Life Resolution - to not take myself too seriously and laugh more. Oh, God! Please help!

Goodbye to the Parental Units

2007-01-04T21:01:00.000-05:00

We took my mom and dad to the Pittsburgh Airport today. They spent 12 days with us. By the expression on the kids faces, you can tell they're not exactly happy that "Nanna and Pap-pap" are leaving. They'll be missed!

Starting off with a Bang

2007-01-04T20:55:00.000-05:00

I called Oakley on my way home from Virginia and didn't get an answer. Not unusual since it was about 8:30pm and the bedtime routine was in full swing. Come to find out, she was in the emergency room with Zoey, who had fallen off her bunk bed and really busted her arm. She broke both bones in her forearm. Not exactly how we wanted to start the New Year. Thank God there are 361 days left.

Proud to be a Mountaineer (at least today)

2007-01-01T19:24:00.000-05:00

I had my doubts after the first quarter, but the Mountaineers pulled it off today in the Gator Bowl against Georgia Tech, 38-35. With Steve Slaton out, Pat White carried the team to victory. My parents watched the whole thing with me and at times got more excited than I did! Fun stuff.

The Worst College Courses

2007-01-01T09:17:00.000-05:00

Here's what our future leaders are being taught on university campuses across America, further emphasizing why our ministry is important.

1. Occidental College’s The Phallus covers a broad study on the relation “between the phallus and the penis, the meaning of the phallus, phallologocentrism, the lesbian phallus, the Jewish phallus, the Latino phallus, and the relation of the phallus and fetishism.”

2. Queer Musicology at the University of California-Los Angeles explores how “sexual difference and complex gender identities in music and among musicians have incited productive consternation” during the 1990s. Music under consideration includes works by Schubert and Holly Near, Britten and Cole Porter, and Pussy Tourette.

3. Amherst College in Massachusetts offers Taking Marx Seriously: “Should Marx be given another chance?” Students in this class are asked to question if Marxism still has “credibility,” while also inquiring if societies can gain new insights by “returning to [Marx’s] texts.” Coming to Marx’s rescue, this course also states that Lenin, Stalin, and Pol Pot misapplied the concepts of Marxism.

4. Students enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania’s Adultery Novel read a series of 19th and 20th century works about “adultery” and watch “several adultery films.” Students apply “various critical approaches in order to place adultery into its aesthetic, social and cultural context, including: sociological descriptions of modernity, Marxist examinations of family as a social and economic institution” and “feminist work on the construction of gender.”

5. Occidental College—making the list twice for the second year in a row—offers Blackness, which elaborates on a “new blackness,” “critical blackness,” “post-blackness,” and an “unforgivable blackness,” which all combine to create a “feminist New Black Man.”

6. Border Crossings, Borderlands: Transnational Feminist Perspectives on Immigration is University of Washington’s way of exploring the immigration debate. The class allegedly unearths what is “highlighted and concealed in contemporary public debates about U.S. immigration” policy.

7. Whiteness: The Other Side of Racism is Mount Holyoke College’s attempt to analyze race. The class seeks to spark thought on: “What is whiteness?” “How is it related to racism?” “What are the legal frameworks of whiteness?” “How is whiteness enacted in everyday practice?” And how does whiteness impact the “lives of whites and people of color?

8. Native American Feminisms at the University of Michigan looks at the development of “Native feminist thought” and its “relationship both to Native land-based struggles and non-Native feminist movements.”

9. Johns Hopkins University offers Mail Order Brides: Understanding the Philippines in Southeast Asian Context, which is a supposedly deep look into Filipino kinship and gender.

10. Cornell University’s Cyberfeminism investigates “the emergence of cyberfeminism in theory and art in the context of feminism/post feminism and the accelerated technological developments of the last thirty years of the twentieth century.”

11. Duke University’s American Dreams/American Realities course seeks to unearth “such myths as ‘rags to riches,’ ‘beacon to the world,’ and the ‘frontier,’ in defining the American character.”

12. Swarthmore College’s Nonviolent Responses to Terrorism “deconstruct[s] terrorism” and “build[s] on promising nonviolent procedures to combat today’s terrorism.” The “non-violent” struggle Blacks pursued in the 1960s is outlined as a mode for tackling today’s terrorism.

source: Young America Foundation

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T00:54:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

2006 Reflections

2006-12-31T19:50:00.000-05:00

It's been an up and down year. The low point of our year was being accused by doctors of intentionally poisoning Jonah for attention. If we think about that long enough, it still hurts. The flip side of that whole situation is that Jonah has never been healthier. He eats like a horse, is growing and developing in every area. We thank God that His hand is on Jonah's life. Our response to trials are meant to shape our character and making us more like Jesus. So, although these were emotional low points of our lives and created tons of stress, I'm thankful we're still on the Potter's wheel.

Ministry on campus was inspiring. We've seen a couple of students begin a relationship with Jesus and a few more re-dedicate their lives. That's what it's about.

2007 Almost Here

2006-12-31T19:44:00.000-05:00

Create Your Own Countdown

2 Day Project = No Blogging

2006-12-31T18:57:00.000-05:00

My carpentry skills and patience were put to the test the last couple of days, thus explaining my blogging absences.

My parents got us a gift card to Lowe's for Christmas, so my wife and I decided to get a storm door. It sounded like a good idea, until I told the guy at Lowe's what kind of door we have. "Ah, it won't fit. You have to build your door out." 2 days later and frequent temptations to cuss, it's finished. The picture shows the final product. I'm no Ty Pennington, but I'm rather proud of myself!

Did Jesus Tithe?

2006-12-28T09:36:00.000-05:00

I read something interesting about Jesus and tithing. Some would argue that if Jesus had been guilty of neglecting the tithe, obviously the charges would have been made public. This is what the reubuttal argument says:

"The Pharisees did not accuse Jesus of not paying tithes because he did pay them; instead, they did not accuse him because he did not qualify to pay them. True biblical tithing is narrowly limited to food and clean animals from land inheritance. Also, true biblical tithing was never extended to crafts, trades, and fish. Since Jesus was neither a farmer, nor a herdsman, he was not among those who were required to tithe. Jesus was only required to give freewill heave offerings." Russell Kelly, Should the Church Teach Tithing?

It's an interesting discussion. I'm trying to decide if it matters if the son of God tithed or not and how that affects me and my obedience. Someone told me, "Shouldn't you have ironed all this out by now?" Yes, I should have. When it came to tithing, I guess I just blindly followed the ones telling me that it's the minimum requirement, using Old Testament scripture for support, and then reading all the articles, etc that support tithing as giving 10% off the top. Until recently, I have NEVER even read one thing opposed to tithing. I've never heard one argument against it or one sermon denouncing it. Then again, I've never really looked for any opposing views. So, I'm just a little curious. As an ordained minister in the Assemblies of God, I have a responsibility to teach tithing as a scriptural mandate. You see my predicament?

Clearly, the New Testament emphasizes sacrificial giving a whole lot more than a 10% tithe. But, that doesn't necessarily mean we throw away the Old Testament practice, even though a true biblical tithe was always food, and not everyone (as mentioned above) was required to tithe. As I said before, tithing makes sense from a pragmatic point of view. Now, making sense of it theologically is what I'm working on.

What say you?

11 Keys for Leaders

2006-12-26T14:52:00.000-05:00

It's easy to settle for mediocrity. It takes discipline to learn new habits and unlearn old ones. Consider these keys for developing excellence from The Maxwell Leadership Bible:

Leaders must...

Value excellence
Not settle for average
Pay attention to detail
Remain committed to what really matters
Display integrity and sound ethics
Show genuine respect for others
Go the second mile
Demonstrate consistency
Never stop improving
Always give 100%
Make excellence a lifestyle

Christmas Memories

2006-12-26T09:25:00.000-05:00

This was our first Christmas at home since Oakley and I have been married. We've always gone to her sister's house (with 6 kids) in Virginia. It was GREAT being home! On Christmas Eve, we have wonderful appetizers (pesto pinwheel, meatballs, olive dip, baquettes, cheeses, punch and of course chocoloate and coffee. We open all the gifts from family. We take our time and try to encourage the kids to savor ever gift (doesn't always work). Then, on Christmas, Santa comes. Since we don't have a chimney, we got "Santa Keys" so he can get into the house. The kids and I put them on the front door knob before bed. We left out some good chococlates for Santa and an apple for Rudolph.

It was a great day! I'm having as much fun with Jonah's workbench as he is!

Fun in a Box

2006-12-23T11:39:00.000-05:00

Kids love boxes. We always tell ourselves that instead of spending money on gifts for our kids at Christmas, we'll just wrap empty boxes. Oakley and Jonah are flying here.

Santa Claus from an Engineer's Perspective

2006-12-23T11:25:00.000-05:00

There are approximately 378 million Christian children in the world according to the Population Reference Bureau. At an average census rate of 3.5 children per household that comes to 108 million homes, presuming that there is at least one good child in each.

Santa has about 31 hours of Christmas to work with, thanks to the different time zones and the rotation of the earth, assuming he travels east to west. This works out to 967.7 visits per second. This is to say that for each household with a good child, Santa has around 1/1000th of a second to park the sleigh; hop out; jump down the chimney; fill the stockings; distribute the remaining presents under the tree; eat whatever snacks have been left for him; get back up the chimney; jump into the sleigh; and get on to the next house.

Assuming that each of these 108 million stops is evenly distributed around the earth which, of course, we know to be false, but will accept for the purposes of our calculations, we are now talking about 0.78 miles per household--a total trip of 75.5 million miles, not counting bathroom stops or breaks. This means Santa's sleigh is moving at 650 miles per second--3,000 times the speed of sound. For purposes of comparison, the fastest man-made vehicle, the Ulysses space probe, moves at a poky 27.4 miles per second, and a conventional reindeer can run at best 15 miles per hour.

The payload of the sleigh adds another interesting element. Assuming that each child gets nothing more than a medium sized Lego set weighing two pounds, the sleigh is carrying over 500,000 tons, not counting Santa himself. On land, a conventional reindeer can pull no more than 300 pounds. Even granting that the flying reindeer could pull ten times the normal amount, the job can't be done with nine of them--Santa would need 360,000 of them. This increases the payload, not counting the weight of the sleigh, another 54,000 tons, or roughly seven times the weight of the Queen Elizabeth, the ship not the monarch.

Six hundred thousand tons traveling at 650 miles per second creates enormous air resistance--this would heat up the reindeer in the same fashion as a spacecraft re-entering the earth's atmosphere. The lead pair of reindeer would absorb 14.3 quintillion joules of energy per second each. In short, they would burst into flames almost instantaneously. The entire reindeer team would be vaporized within 4.26 thousandths of a second, or right about the time Santa reached the fifth house on his trip.

Not that it matters, however, since Santa, as a result of acceleration from a dead stop to 650 miles per second in one-thousandth of a second, would be subjected to centrifugal forces of 17,500 g's. A 250 pound Santa which seems ludicrously slim would be pinned to the back of the sleigh by 4.3 millions pounds of force, instantly crushing his bones and organs and reducing him to a quivering blob of pink goo.

Therefore, if Santa did exist, he's dead now.(from evotional.com)

Merry Christmas!

Gifted Students, Great Music

2006-12-22T13:47:00.000-05:00

Sarah and Paige lead worship for Chi Alpha on campus. They also have a band called Theodicy. You can find their music on iTunes or by clicking the above link.

Videos I Use

2006-12-22T08:41:00.000-05:00

There is a great website for people like me that offer videos for sermon help, etc. If you haven't seen the Evangelism Linebacker yet, you need to check out SermonSpice.com. Along with my post yesterday, they have a great video that college students really liked-it's called Wholehearted. Check it out!

Whole-Hearted Devotion

2006-12-21T11:05:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd pass along what I read today - it really hit home again.

Whatever you do, work at it will all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. Colossians 3:23

Experts spend a lot of time trying to figure out what makes people successful. They often look at people's credentials, intelligence, education, and other factors. But more than anything else, passion is what makes the difference. Take a look at four truths about passion and what it can do for you as a leader.

1. Passion is the first step to achievement. Your desire determines your destiny. The stronger your fire, the greater the desire - and the greater the potential.
2. Passion increases your willpower. There is no substitute for passion. It is fuel for the will. If you want anything badly enough, you can find the willpower to achieve it.
3. Passion changes you. If you follow your passion-instead of others' perceptions-you can't help but become a more dedicated, productive person. In the end, your passion will have more influence than your personality.
4. Passions makes the impossible, possible. Human beings are so made that whenever anything fires their soul, impossibilities vanish. A fire in the heart lifts everything in your life. A leader with great passion and few skills always outperforms a leader with great skills and no passion.

(From John Maxwell's, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader)

Now, the dark side: If I'm passionate about anything more than my love for and commitment to the person of Jesus Christ, I'm in deep "Kimchi." This has to be my first priority - to love Jesus with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Otherwise, this is all just self-help, do-it-yourself garbage. I want a deep, abiding passion for Jesus that results in total obedience.

How about you?

Deep Thought for Today

2006-12-20T09:48:00.000-05:00

"Withouth the gentle though rigorous process of inner transformation, initated and sustained by the graceful presence of God in our world and in our soul, the change of personality and life clearly announced and spelled out in the Bible, and explained and illustrated throughout Christian history, is impossible. We not only admit it, but also insist upon it. But on the other hand, the result of the effort to change our behavior without inner transformation is precisely what we see in the current shallowness of Western Christianity that is so widely lamented and in the notorious failures of Christian leaders."

-Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart

Meet the Parents

2006-12-19T02:02:00.000-05:00

My mom and dad fly in tomorrow from Florida for the holidays. We haven't seen them in about a year and a half. They'll be here for 2 weeks. I'll let you know how that goes.

Staff Reflections

2006-12-19T01:33:00.000-05:00

This morning we had some rather heated conversation on 2 topics:

1) Racism. Matt Sprenger asked a simple question: Is race still an issue in West Virginia? Specifically, we talked about inter-racial marriages and the challenges, if any, the couple would face. One person said that he would discourage an inter-racial couple from getting married. Their reason was the complexity of culture. Others of us argued that yes, there are cultural differences but not like 30 years ago. And, a white couple can have the same cultural challenges. We all agreed that West Virginia still has some pretty hefty racial tension, especially in the southern part of the state.

We also talked about how the kids of an inter-racial marriage would be affected. Did you know that a perfectly healthy, black infant, child is considered "special needs" in West Virginia? The reasons? WV is 90% white and not many want to adopt a black or bi-racial child. And, not enough black families wanting to adopt. This is why Oakley and I feel rather passionate about this.

The other topic?

2) Tithing. I made the mistake of suggesting that the New Testament doesn't teach tithing. I'll just say that it's something that I'm studying and am intrigued by what I'm discovering. I'll share as I learn more. I know it's risky subject to broach. Tithing helps build buildings, pay salaries, and so on. I'm convinced that the New Testament teaches us that sacrificial giving is the better way.

Light subjects, huh?

Glad But Sad

2006-12-17T22:59:00.000-05:00

Tonight was the final night of our church's Christmas production - A Christmas Tale.My wife has been in rehearsal for a month and a half on Tuesday and Thursday night, some Saturday's. She didn't want to do this. Her life has revolved around the kids for 4 years. I made her do it (kind of). I assured her it would be good for her, and it was! She did a great job and got a ton of accolades from people that didn't know she was so talented. She was also the hottest momma on the stage!

As for me, I first saw the music and rehearsed 2 days before the first show. As I said on a previous post, it was 2 years since I last played, but I really loved it. I hope it won't be another 2 years before I pick my horn up again.

So, we're both glad it's done for schedule's sake (and kids getting to bed late), but we're going to miss the camaraderie and performing. There's always next year.

Freckles

2006-12-16T02:25:00.000-05:00

My wife and I found a new way to spend time together - "DDR" or Digital Dance Revolution. What was intended for our ministry's "Free Food Friday" has turned into a rather hysterical, but profound source of bonding. Our favorite song is "Freckles", tipping the metronome at 150. We can't get through it without laughing at each other, and I mean laughing - hard. We both need it, especially me. I've become way to serious.

Now, seriously, off to bed.

I'm Busy

2006-12-16T01:28:00.000-05:00

Why is that when you ask someone how things have been going, these are the first 2 words out of their mouths? I'm busy, or busy, busy, busy. Is it social conditioning or are they trying to garner some sympathy? Do they want us to believe that they are making something of their lives and are implying that we aren't? Is it something to be proud of, or is it some kind of mask? Ok, enough of the psycho-analizing. But, it does make me wonder.

We're supposed to work hard, especially in light of Colossians 3:23-24:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Working hard won't make me feel better about myself. Doing the right things will. I'd rather finish my day knowing I did something that mattered than to respond with a punchy riposte.

Here's the bottome line "phrase" I heard once that I try to think about to help me put work in its proper perspective:

Work Hard........Pray Hard.........Trust God.

Now, on to bed!

Honest Evaluation

2006-12-15T16:21:00.000-05:00

Since I'm new to this blogger thing, I asked someone who's been doing it for a while to give me some feedback on how I can make it better. The key thing for me is just writing, the rest I'll work on as I go along. Here's what they said:

Rusty, would love to give you some tips .... if you'd link to me, I'd
appreciate it too! Links are votes in the search engine/blog world.

Right off the bat, here are my observations:

* What's your blog about? Topics? Use a short sentence below your
title to tell me what the site is about.

* Use FeedBlitz and Feedburner to help people get email updates from
your site and also read it through a feedreader like bloglines.com

* Nice looking template and clean site. Good use of photos in the posts.

* Excellent profile pic!

* Flesh out your blogger profile to tell people who you are.

* Are you tracking your site statistics?

* Get an Amazon Associates affiliate account and start offering
recommended books in your sidebar. (Make 4% and up on book referral
sales)

* Finally ... read my Blogging 101 series for more tips and stuff ...

Use it or loose it

2006-12-15T09:04:00.000-05:00

Ever feel like you've not been a good steward with something God has gifted you with? I got that feeling this week. I'm playing trumpet in our church's Christmas production and it has been 2 years since I last played. My "chops" are no where near where they used to be and I feel a little convicted that I'm not using something that God blessed me with. Not to mention, the countless hours I spend playing and practicing. Heck, I even did for a living for 4 years, played on TV and before presidents. Now? my horn collects dust in our basement. The same horn my parents probably mortgaged their house for when I was in 11th grade. I've got to find a way to keep playing.

Top 100 TV Quotes and Catchphrases

2006-12-12T21:40:00.000-05:00

You can find the comprehensive list on the TV Land website. Here's the top 10:

#10 -- "I'm not a crook ..." (Richard Nixon)

#9 -- "Yabba dabba do!" (Fred Flintstone, "The Flintstones")

#8 -- "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" (Arnold Drummond, "Diff'rent Strokes")

#7 -- "Where's the beef?" (Wendy's ad)

#6 -- "D'oh!" (Homer Simpson, "The Simpsons")

#5 -- "Ask not what your country can do for you ..." (John F. Kennedy)

#4 -- "Baby, you're the greatest" (Ralph Kramden, "The Honeymooners")

#3 -- "You're fired!" (Donald Trump, "The Apprentice")

#2 -- "One small step for man ..." (Neil Armstrong)

#1 -- "Here's Johnny!" (Ed McMahon, "The Tonight Show")

Christmas on Campus

2006-12-12T20:43:00.000-05:00

Woodburn Hall is one of the oldest and most identifiable buildings on campus, especially when they light it up like this.

Deep Thought for Today

2006-12-12T09:01:00.000-05:00

"...trials tell us less about our future than they do about our past. Why? Because the decisions we make in difficult places today are greatly the product of decisions we made in the unseen places of our yesterdays."

Anonymous by Alicia Chole

Welcome Encouragement

2006-12-11T19:08:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I wonder. I wonder if God uses the "foolishness" of my preaching to impact lives. Whenever I speak at a church, I have 2 goals in mind: 1) to effectively share the strategic nature of reaching the campus, 2) to encourage, inspire and challenge people with the powerful truth of God's Word. I can do a much better job at this, I know. Do you know what my prayer is before every sermon, every teaching?

"Jesus, speak your words through me. Help me be sensitive to your Spirit and not depend on my own strength, my own words. These people need YOUR words and not mine. Help me to preach the gospel-not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power (see 1 Corinthians 2:17)."

That's heavy. Especially when I share the same message in different churches. It's easy to rely on my own ability (whatever that is). Though I know I don't need encouragement from others to know that I've preached his Word, it's always refreshing to get some positive feedback. Here's part of a letter I recently received:

"Last Sunday you were a great blessing to our church. God be praised for your presentation and your ministry. I am writing this letter because I was not able to shake hands with you and rejoice with you for your ministry. I was looking for this opportunity to meet you. However, immediately at the close of the service, I was called by a friend of mine to come to the pew where she had been sitting to pray with her son, who was experiencing deep distress. He was on his knees, weeping in prayer. As we prayed and talked with him, he said to us: 'This message was for me.' Knowing the circumstances of the severe trial in his life I believe your message - 'If you don't know why you're doing something, you won't be doing it for very long' was the highlight of God's message to this young man through your sharing."

On the Road Again

2006-12-10T06:57:00.000-05:00

It's time to hit the road again this morning. Destination: Gerrardstown, WV. I'll be speaking at one of my supporting churches, Faith Tabernacle Assembly of God. My message: Psalm 126 - "Keep Hope Alive." My 2 points:
1) Be Faithful
2) Keep Sowing

I'll talk about the journey Oakley and I have been through here and how easy it would have been to quit. The grass isn't greener. The Lord rewards faithfulness. I will be faithful to the Lord and His calling on my life. I will keep sowing even when I don't see results. He is the Lord of the harvest.

Well Alrighty Then

2006-12-09T08:42:00.000-05:00

Coach Rod is staying. I gotta say, I'm surprised. Good for him! Now if we can just get a defense.

Show Him The Money

2006-12-08T11:46:00.000-05:00

It looks like Rich Rodriguez will leave as the coach of West Virginia and head to one of most high pressured jobs in all of college football - head coach at the University of Alabama. He will be one of the highest paid coaches, making over $2 million a year plus incentives.

If he wants to leave, fine. But he should have never told his players and the fans "I'm not going anywhere." Before he left West Virginia for negotiations with Alabama, he told his players that he was staying at WVU. Huh? Then, why go?

Do you know what it comes down to? Money and Power. He'll be making double what he's making now and he'll be coaching one of the most storied programs ever - it's about recognition. In an ESPN article he said that he was flattered by people pursuing him. He finally has people knocking on his doors. Make no mistake, taking this job has everything to do with money and power.

I got a kick out of a quote that Steve Slayton told ESPN - "He has to do what's best for his family." Right. Making $1 million a year isn't enough for their family to live on in West Virginia. The best thing would be more money. Now, if we can double our salary, that would be best. Then, our family would be taken care of. So, if he takes this job we will all know his reasons.

Choose Now, Choose Well

2006-12-07T08:48:00.000-05:00

I thought it ironic that the reading today in "A Year with C.S. Lewis" went along perfectly with Pearl Harbor. He talks about God invading enemy-occupied territory, first as a baby (in disguise). He then talks about being ready for when he comes again, without disguise:

"For this time it will be God without disguise; something so beautiful to some of us that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing: it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not."

This Day in History

2006-12-07T08:11:00.000-05:00

65 years ago 2,403 Americans died when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. It was the first time since 1812 that America was attacked on its own soil. Here's Roosevelt's speech to Congress the next day:

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives: yesterday, December 7th, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya. Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island. And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounded determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.

Rocketman Rules

2006-12-06T23:10:00.000-05:00

Tuesday and Thursday nights for a month are "Daddy and the kids night" while Oakley is at our church's Christmas production practice. So, last night the vintage 1970 "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" was on TV. I was given orders to allow the kids stay up to watch it. But by the time 6:45 rolled around, I had enough of hide and seek and the "be the monster and come scare us, Daddy" game. So I reached for the VHS tape someone gave me of the movie Rocketman and the kids and I plopped down on the couch. I can't remember laughing so hard, especially when they are on Mars and Fred Randall gets a little gassy in his space suit. Hillarious! I pushed pause and clicked over to ABC, but Zoey wanted nothing to do with it. She wanted Rocketman back on- and I was glad!

Picture Perfect?

2006-12-05T21:42:00.000-05:00

It took us 19 tries to get this picture. Zoey was either making a silly face or Jonah had is finger up his nose, really. Everyone was smiling, everything looked good, until I noticed that blasted shadow! I'm not sure if I want to endure the whole ordeal again for a perfect picture. Friends and family just might have to deal with it.

I just noticed something..... there is a shadow on Yoda in the picture below. Cool!

Yoda Strikes Back

2006-12-05T14:31:00.000-05:00

Elton John has encouraged the banning of all religion because he believes it promotes hatred toward homosexuals (AP Nov. 12) The UN has been asked to consider “Jedi” an official religion. The latest census in England showed more people claiming to be Jedi than claimed to follow Sikhism, Judaism, and Buddhism (Independent online Nov. 11, 2006).

Great! I finally found the answer for the world's hopelessness. But will I be able to levitate?

May the force be with you.

An Unaware Mentor

2006-12-05T13:57:00.000-05:00

Those are usually the best kind, it's not forced, they're just being who they are. I have an unaware mentor in my life, someone I learn from by just being around them. His name is Ray Crabtree, the pastor of Trinity Assembly of God in Fairmont, WV. I've hear someone say "You can do great things for God if you don't care who gets the credit." Ray Crabtree is that kind of person. There are lots of reasons why I think so highly of him, but one of the greatest is his ability to take criticism from young minister's. I know very few pastors who can take criticism period (including me), much less criticism that comes from their young and eager ministers on staff. He openly admits where he is weak and how much he depends on his younger staff.

I'm thankful for this unaware mentor. I have a lot to learn from him.

Ten Shekels and a Shirt

2006-12-04T22:20:00.000-05:00

I've heard a lot of good sermons. Tragically, I don't remember most of them. I've been able to salvage a few great messages thanks to those prayer request cards and golf pencils in the pew. Up until a few summers ago, I couldn't tell you the best sermon I've ever heard. Now I can.

The sermon was preached by Paris Reidhead in 1950 (I think) and titled Ten Shekels and a Shirt. I listen to this sermon often and did so just recently. It is truly powerful and convicting. Here's a one small paragraph of his text:

The genius of our faith wasn’t that we were going to go through the motions like a Levite that was hired to serve God. No, No! The genius of our faith was that we’d come to a place where we knew we could do nothing, and all we could do would be to present the vessel and say, "Lord Jesus, you’ll have to fill it. And everything that’s done will have to be done by You and for You." But oh, I know so many people that are trying to know the fullness of God, so that they can use God.

Chinese Mushrooms

2006-12-04T21:54:00.000-05:00

The family attended a Christmas party for pastors in our section tonight. Every year everyone brings a gift $10 or under for some kind of exchange. The gifts we brought this year were Chinese mushrooms (thanks to a Chinese student on campus) and 2 old school Chi Alpha mugs that Oakley found. So, we all draw a number and when it's called we go grab a gift. When everyone had their gift, we came up front and formed a circle. Some music was played and we past the gifts around the circle to the right. When the music stops, the gift we're holding is the gift we go home with. It looks like will be holding on to the mushrooms. There's always next year.

Adventus Redemptoris

2006-12-03T07:51:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure why so many evangelicals "poo-poo" some traditions. I think tradition has become a dirty word in most of today's churches. I happen to like tradition, as long as they don't impede our forward progress of knowing Christ and making Him known. I especially like Advent. It's not really celebrated or mentioned much in my denomination. So, today is the start of the Advent season in Western churches - the beginning of the church year starting the four Sunday's leading up to Christmas. When the miracle of Jesus' birth is being attacked in America and the word "Christmas" is deemed too offensive, celebrating Advent makes sense.

Rusty Trubey

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