Breakthrough . . . and Disappointment

So many of you have been praying that we would have extended visiting hours with mom. Today, that finally happened. Apparently Mom was quite agitated with her doctors last night, and very uncooperative. In frustration, I think the doctors finally decided, "What could it hurt to listen to the family?" They agreed to let one of us be with mom at all times from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. And, wow, did Mom respond.

For about the first hour mom was under heavy sedation. She did not respond much to our words. By 11:00, mom was awake, and she was trying to talk. By 11:30 the words were flowing. I bet mom talked for over 4 hours today. For the most part, she made sense. We talked about what was going on in the hospital. We told her about her need to cooperate with the doctors. We asked her about her care and her worries.

We were so excited. And then, at about 4:50 the nurses wanted to do some therapy with mom and she asked that my dad be in the room with her when this was being done. They refused her request and we think she went into a panic attack. Ten minutes later when we went in to see her she was unresponsive and sleeping again. This had us quite worried, however a subsequent call from a doctor at International SOS, after consulting with the American Hospital Doctors, assured us that mom was doing fine now. They thought that she was just exhausted from a lot of hard work and excitement. The doctors are now saying that they don't think she'll be moved from ICU until Monday. We believe that if she could just keep fighting, and be like she is with us when we are not around, they would let her out and we could be with her overnight.

Dad took a fall at the hotel tonight. He was carrying his computer when he fell, and it is no longer working (His computer with all of the pictures that he has taken from his time in Turkey). He hurt his hand, but says that it is feeling fine now. He's more upset about the computer not working. He is ready to leave Istanbul and never come back. Please keep Dad and Jen in your prayers as they have been here well over two weeks and are seeing no end in sight. It is just so disappointing.

We're hoping to have a full day of encouragement with mom tomorrow. Thanks so much for all of your prayers.

July 5 Report on Mom

Yesterday was another long day. Both Dad and I had trouble sleeping on July 4th, so we went to the hospital exhausted. I think that between the two of us we had an hour's worth of sleeep. We arrived at the hospital and Mom was still in ICU, resting. When we let her know that we were in the room, Mom wanted to sit up. When her bed was propped up, she started coughing and having trouble breathing. But, she did eventually calm down. She was not able to talk and kept her eyes shut most of the time. She really just wanted to have us near her.

Mom's doctor told us that there would be no way that mom would be moved from ICU on Thursday, and after seeing her, we agreed.

When we saw mom at the 4:00 visiting time, she was at peace. Her eyes were shut, but she knew that we were there. Jenny spoke quietly to Mom and calmed her down enough for the nurses to be able to brush mom's teeth. Then we sang some of Mom's favorite hymns for about 30 minutes. Mom loved this. She would mouth the words as we sang them, and she had a smile on her face. We could still tell that it was tough for Mom to breathe, but she was doing better.

The breathing difficulty is happening because the infection in her lungs is clearing. The doctor told us that the lungs actually looked really good.

Keep praying that Mom cooperates with her doctors. Pray for her fears about being in ICU. We're praying that she will be well enough to move to a regular room today.

I am going to extend my stay in Istanbul to be with Mom, Dad and Jennifer through next week. Pray that all the logistical details work out too.

Today is Friday in Istanbul. This is the holiest day of the week on the Muslim calendar. I am told that Istanbul's many mosques will be full of faithful followers of Islam, on bened knee praying to Allah. On this Friday, please keep our family in your prayers. It's tough to be in a strange place with customs and languages that you don't understand. It's also tough to be away from home for so long. We are starting to be very familiar with the transit system in this city of 11 million people. It's always a challenge to get around here, but God has been faithful. We appreciate all the prayer and offers for help. You have been great!

July 4th Report on Mom

It's been a long day. It's 11:15 PM Istanbul time and we are just returning to our hotel. When we arrived at the hospital today, we were told that we'd have to wait a few minutes before we could see mom. When we got into her room, she was sitting up in her bed and appeared very alert. She had written several pages of notes throughout the night to her doctors and nurses. She wrote a lot about how she was feeling to us, had a big smile on her face, and looked better. Her nurse told us that she was going to get her ventilator out today, and Mom asked if Dad could be in the room with her. She was told yes, but that promise was broken.

Then she asked if Dad could be with her when they wash her. Again she was told yes, but ultimately the promise was broken.

After about 20 minutes with Mom, we were told that we had to leave the room. Dad was going to be allowed to stay in the room, but my sister and I were to leave. Jenny and I went downstairs to meet the State Department Official who works in Istanbul. He turned out to be a great guy. A few minutes later, Dad came downstairs. He was told that he had to leave for a few minutes and they would come back to get him. They never did. Dad shared his frustration with the American official, and he found a patient relations representative to meet with us and hear our needs. We told her about our frustration, and how mom really wants dad to be with her when the tube is taken out and when she is washed. The patient relations representative went to ICU and spoke with Mom's doctor. The doctor told her that she would meet with us in 45 minutes.

45 minutes turned into 2 hours. It is so difficult to wonder what is going on in the time that we cannot be in the room. We would soon find out that Mom became agitated, and pulled out her own ventilation tube. (She seemed pretty proud about the fact that she pulled it out).

Dad, Jenny and I were waiting outside the ICU waiting room doors, with frustration in our hearts when the head of the department came out, angry at Mom for pulling out her ventilation tube. Mom also felt like the hospital staff was trying to poison her. (The meds that she is on are making her delusional). So, the head of the department asked if Dad would come in to calm her down. All this time we were saying that what mom needed was a family member and she would calm down. Every time we are with her, she is at peace. When we aren't she is upset. The doctors and nurses assured mom that she would be able to see Dad, Jenny and me. When I walked into the room she asked me to run and get Jenny. When I did Mom said, "Hi Jenny, Goodbye," and she was content. She just wanted to see us. As we left she called me back and whispered in my ear to pray for her. She said that she is under intense spiritual warfare and to pray for her like never before. She also said, "Whatever you do make sure that you, Dad and Jenny are always together."

So, I'm sad. Mom is going through a lot of fear. But, I'm happy that the ventilator is out. Please pray that over the next 12 hours she proves to be able to breathe fine without ventilation. If she can do that, she will be moved from ICU to a regular hospital room. If that happens, one of us will ALWAYS be with mom. She won't have to be alone any more.

The "carte blanche" on visiting hours that we were praising God for a couple of days ago proved to be an empty promise. We are only getting about 45 minutes of the 2 hours that we are supposed to have with mom. So, we really want to see Mom moved. Her doctor assures us that as soon as mom is past the point of danger (12 hours breathing on her own) she can be moved. They also need to get one more test result back.

The doctors still do not have any definite diagnosis. They are continuing to treat her for the "Legionella Pneumatosis" and for encephalitis.

This evening we joined the entire Turkey team (several churches, from all over the states sent English teachers) for a boat cruise on the Bosphorus Sea. The students from the English camps joined us and we had time 100 people or so on the boat. It was nice to get away from the stress of the hospital, but our hearts are always with Mom. We've been invited to join the State Department Official and his wife and a few friends from the Consulate to watch the recorded Fourth of July Celebration from the Washington Mall. If we can be with Mom, we'll probably skip this invitation, but if not we'll plan on going. We're praying that we have to say, "No," to this invitation.

One other cool note; one of the churches that we are working with is the church in Colorado that my Senior Pastor, Leith Anderson, used to serve as Senior Pastor. The people from Colorado have been wonderful. It's so amazing how even here in Turkey we are surrounded by the body of Christ.

Thank you to all of you who are praying. And, thank you too for all the offers for help. I think we've had at least five offers for help from people who know people in Turkey who can serve as translators or advocates for us when it is difficult. We appreciate it so much. The doctors feel that mom will be in the hospital at least one more week.

This evening, while on the boat, I spent some time downstairs, singing Chris Tomlin's song Forever. We do give thanks to the Lord, our God and King, whose love truly does endure forever. For He is good, He is above all things. His love really truly does endure forever.

Until tomorrow . . .

Brian

The Fourth of July in Istanbul

It's the Fourth of July and that means it's just another day in Istanbul. We're getting ready to head over to the hospital to see Mom. We're praying that on this Independance Day that Mom receives independance from this sickness that has impacted her so much.

We'll be meeting a U.S. State Department official, and fellow Christian, at the hospital today, and that is very encouraging to my Dad.

Continue to lift us up.

A Pleasant Diversion From Hospitals

While at the hospital today, I got my Mom laughing. It was great to see her respond this way. If it's true that laughter is the best medicine, I think you'll enjoy this YouTube video. Check it out:

An Encouraging Day

I wanted to give another update on Mom, because so many of you have been praying for her. Today was a good day. When my Dad, sister and I were at the hospital yesterday we had to fight to see mom. Finally, in the afternoon, God answered prayer, by opening doors that seemed locked shut, and allowed us to come to an understanding with the hospital staff about seeing Mom, communicating about what was happening to her and building relationships with the doctors and nurses.

I shared in yesterday's post about the difference that we saw in the afternoon. The doctor's began treating mom for a rare disease called "Legionella Pneumonitis." Our prayer yesterday was that this treatment would indeed make a difference. Mom was very unresponsive yesterday.

Well, what a difference a day makes. When we visited mom at 10:00 this morning, she was excited to see us. There was a twinkle in here eyes as we talked. She still couldn't respond other than nods and to show us expressions with her eyes, but she was clearly there.

This afternoon, everything changed. Mom wanted to write. I gave her a pen and paper and she began to share about some of the fears that she was having. All of her fears were understandable, and we were able to assure her that she was getting great care. Then she wrote about how hot that she was and how she wanted ice chips. There was no ice at the hospital made with pure water, so I ran to Starbucks and had them put some ice in a blender for her. She enjoyed that soooo much. She also wanted a cool rag to put over her head, arms, and legs. The nurses caught on and began filling up some bags with ice and cooling mom down. She was finally feeling peace.

She wrote about how she can't wait to get home. She knows that she is in Istanbul, and looks forward to returning to Chicago. She even mentioned wanting to take a trip to Minnesota to see our family, to California with Dad in the winter and to Nashville with Dad in the spring.

We're praying that this improvement continues. Mom had a similar day the day before I arrived in Istanbul but then regressed the next day.

The doctors are hopeful that her ventilator can be taken out in two days. When that happens we expect to see some rapid improvement.

Here are a few of the cool things that God is doing:

1) He has provided us with great interpreters who have opened doors at the hospital.

2) He allowed Mom to laugh and smile today.

3) He allowed Mom to communicate her feelings with us.

4) He has provided a new contact that works for the United States State Department in Istanbul. He is a friend of one of my Mom's cousins. He will be meeting us at the hospital tomorrow. He is a delightful Christian brother. We may even spend some time on the Fourth of July at the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul.

5) God gave my Dad some sweet moments with Mom today. She repeatedly told Dad how much she loves him.

6) God helped us find out about this rare disease through an Infectious Disease Specialist. This is a teaching hospital and the best in Istanbul. We really do have a peace that Mom is getting great care.

Thanks for your continued prayers and for spreading the word about mom to your friends and relatives. Prayer really is making a difference.

Please pray that:

1) Mom would continue to have the peace that passes understanding as she lies in the hospital bed.

2) Mom specifically asked for prayer that she would be able to get a good night's rest. She is sooooo tired and the constant noise of ICU is tough on her. She asked that she would be able to sleep through the constant poking and prodding the doctor's must do.

3) Pray that the ventilator will be able to be removed in two days.

4) Pray that we will be able to get a flight directly from Istanbul to Chicago when this hospital ordeal ends and that a doctor will be available to fly back with Mom.

5) Pray for clarity of mind for mom as this illness has made her delusional from time to time.

Thank you prayer partners!

In Christ,

Brian

Update on My Mom

Here is the latest update on my mom from an e-mail that my Dad sent today. (The picture on the left is from yesterday right after I arrived at American Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. The couple in the picture with my sister and me are counselors here in Turkey. He is a 2001 graduate of Denver Seminary. God used him in an awesome way to open up doors for us to be able to spend time with mom today.)

This has been a day of some breakthroughs in her medical care, but it started out difficult. We were unable to visit with my mom during the first 1 hour visiting hour period. Cultural and language barriers have made communicating with Turkish hospital officials difficult, but we finally have an understaning with the officials. We have now been given carte blanche to visit mom's room whenever we want, and have clearer understanding of what is going on with her body. She was largely unresponsive today, although she did open her eyes and smile when I talked to her. Within about a minute her eyes were closed again as she held my hand. It's tough to see her in this condition.

Thank you for your prayers. Her condition is too unstable to evacuate her to another hospital. We are working with an infectious disease doctor, a pulmonologist, a neruologist, and her ICU doctor and feel satisfied that the care she is receiving is satisfactory.

One cool thing is that many of you have been praying for clarity in identifying what is going on with mom. When I arrived last night and went to my Dad's room, I smelled this foul odor. I believe that it is mold. We immediatley got Dad moved to a new room. It is possible that this mold may be a contributing factor in what is going on with Mom.

Here's Dad's e-mail:



Hi Everyone,

I'm sorry to send this is a blanket email, but I hope you understand under the circumstances. The following report accurately describes what went on today with Bea's prognosis and her current condition. Subsequent to this report Brian, Jenny and I met with the Infectious Disease MD at American Hospital. She told us that they have found bacteria in Bea's lungs and that
she has a type of pneumonia called "Legionella pneumonitis". It is
caused by airborne mold and sometimes is called "Travelers disease".They are treating it with two types of antibiotics - Tavenic and Rifampin. In addition, they have not ruled out Encephalitis. It appears that we will be staying in Istanbul for at least 4-5 more days, but are at peace that this is the best place for her to be at this time. We are getting excellent
cooperation from the doctors and their staff and in spite of the
language difficulties, they are bending over backwards to work with us for which we are grateful.

Please continue to pray for Bea's condition - that she may come to
complete health and that she will heal quickly. Thank you for your many prayers, concerns, emails and phone calls.

God bless,

Gordon

Pray for My Mom

My mom is sick. She's in intensive care at American Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. The doctors believe that she may have encephalitis, which can be very serious in people over 50. My mom is 65. Thanks to my brother Kevin, I had the opportunity to fly out here today to be with her, my sister and my Dad. I arrived this evening and visiting hours were over at the hospital. You only get two hours per day to visit patients. Our prayer is that she becomes stable enough to be transferred to a hospital in the States or in another part of Europe. Please pray for wisdom for the Doctors, a miraculous healing, and peace for my Dad and the rest of the family.

I never thought I'd be in Istanbul, Turkey. I found some pictures from some other web sites to give you an idea of how modern, yet ancient, this city is. It's really a remarkable place.

The Power of Mission Trips

I´m in that beautiful Internet cafe in Campur, Guatemala again. My connection speed is really slow, and I´m updating our Operation Central America blog, and I´m thinking. . . about the Power of Mission Trips.

I´ve been taking students all over the world for the past 15 years. It´s a humbling thing to think that God has given me the chance to open the eyes of hundreds of students to the incredibly diverse world that he has created.

One of those students is Tessie Nelson. Tessie traveled with us to Guatemala and El Salvador after her junior year of high school. She loved it. God was able to use her love of the Spanish language to impact the lives of many Central Americans. Because of this experience, she decided to travel with us again after her senior year of high school. Then Tessie went to college.

Tessie is entering her senior year at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. She is majoring in Spanish and planning on teaching Spanish to high school students when she graduates. She has spent the past 4 months at a language school in Guatemala. She´s with us this year as one of our team translators. Tessie will be doing her student teaching at a school for missionary kids, teaching them Spanish.

I love seeing students´ lives transformed through trips like this.

Last week, a former student of mine moved from Illinois to Minnesota. He´s met the girl of his dreams and plans on marrying her. She is from the Twin Cities. The two of them will be going to Peru as career missionaries early next year. Guess what got Dave interested in missions? It was a short term trip while in high school.

Please join me in praying for the students on this year´s Operation Central America team. Maybe they´ll be the next ones that God calls.

On A Mission Trip With My Son

I am typing this from the rain forest of Campur, Guatemala. I´m in a tiny little internet cafe. And, I´m thrilled. We are experiencing our first full day of ministry on the 2007 Operation Central America Mission trip. 39 of us have made the journey from the Twin Cities to Guatemala. Among those with me is my son, Chris.

Chris has been dreaming about being a part of this mission trip for the past four years. Today I have watched as my son has learned even more about what it means to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. Chris has been busy. He´s been working with our service team, building an orphanage. How incredible! 12 years old, and Chris is mixing concrete, laying brick and wielding a sledgehammer. I´m proud of him. And, I´m grateful to Wooddale Church for allowing Chris to come with me.

You can read all about the adventures of this year´s Operation Central America team by following the link on the side of this page to the OCA Blog. It is so cool to read what the students are saying!

Operation Central America Prayer Requests

We are leaving for Guatemala on Sunday and have had a couple complications come up within our team. Please be in prayer that Trent Stensrud, one of our students, receives his passport by Saturday. He applied for it back in February and is the only member of our team yet to receive his passport.

Pray also for the Shortreed twins, Chris and Tim, who have had an allergic reaction to their malaria medication.

Great Article on Efrem Smith in Today's Star Tribune

I've never met Efrem Smith. I have tons of friends who are friends of Efrem, but our paths have never crossed. I've respected Efrem from afar for several years. He has a passion for ministry in the inner city of Minneapolis that is contagious. Efrem's heartbeat for a multi-racial congregation, his community impact projects, and the impact that he has made in Minneapolis make him an inspirational leader on the national scene. Check out this article on the Star Tribune's Web Site. I think it will challenge you.

http://www.startribune.com/614/story/1219735.html.

Yahoo on Kirk Cameron

Yahoo has an interesting article up on their site on Kirk Cameron's conversion from child star to Christian preacher today. You can read it here: http://potw.news.yahoo.com/s/potw/41/converting-kirk-cameron. It's pretty fascinating to read the comments that people have posted on this one. Christianity continues to be offensive to the world. I'm praying that as Christians we do everything we can to make Christ look good to the world around us, while unashamedly standing for truth.

Memorial Day Weekend and The Olsen Family

We had a couple of opportunities this weekend to spend time with the family of Daniel Olsen. If you read some of my previous posts, you'll read about the special relationship that I've developed with this precious family, who lost their son to sniper fire in Iraq six weeks ago. On Sunday we went to Fort Snelling National Cemetery for a special ceremony honoring Daniel. On Monday, we went to Shaina's (Daniel's sister) Graduation Open House. Since the open house was on Memorial Day, the local press covered the event. If you watch this video, you'll see my son Chris at the tail end of it eating some gelato.

http://www.kare11.com/video/player.aspx?aid=48125&sid=255518&bw=hi.

Creation Museum Creates Quite A Stir

Is it just me, or does it seem like Ken Ham's brand new Creation Museum in Kentucky is creating more buzz than it should?

I have never seen so many news stories about a museum opening. If you haven't watched news in the United States this weekend, perhaps you've missed it. The Internet certainly hasn't. You can do a Google news search on "Creation Museum" and see tons of stories from all over the world. There were huge numbers of protesters at the museum's grand opening yesterday. So, why such a huge deal about this? Is belief in a literal interpretation of Genesis really bad science? Can a true scientist believe that the earth was created by God in a literal six days. Would a cataclysmic flood have any bearing on the fossil record? Could God have created the earth with age? He created people as adults and not children, didn't He? Is it possible that God could have created a earth that appears to be billions of years old but is really only thousands of years old?

I've included a CNN report and a Fox News Debate thanks to YouTube. Check these out and then tell me what you think:

The Little Store

When I tell stories about my childhood, I'll often times talk about The Little Store. It's a store in St. Charles, Illinois that is right across the street from where I grew up. My buddies and I had a lot of adventures in and around this location. Here's a picture of the store that my wife took last month while we were visiting my family.

Chris is Going to Guatmala With Me!

I'm pretty excited! In less than 3 weeks I'll be leading another team of students and adults to Central America for this year's Operation Central America trip. We have an awesome team this year! They have been preparing for this trip since January and are ready to go. Last week I received the incredible news that my son, Chris (that's Chris in between Grandma and Grandpa at Grandpa's surprise 70th Birthday Party last month) is going to be able to join us this year. We have paid to expidite his passport, and he needs to raise a lot of money in two weeks time, but we are confident that he is supposed to be on this team. Please pray that God will work on this trip in a mighty way. We'll be in Campur, Guatemala City, San Marcos, Solola, and Antigua, Guatemala from June 10-24.

Farewell to Lee Eshleman

I just read that we lost a second major Christian leader this week. On Thursday, May 17, Lee Eshelman (pictured on the right) took his own life after a long battle with depression. I never knew Lee personally, but I saw him perform on a number of occasions as one half of the acting duo Ted and Lee. You may say, "He was an actor, not a major Christian leader." But, Lee performed in front of millions of people over the past 20 years with her partner Ted. I will never forget the way that Ted and Lee portrayed Peter and Andrew, the brother disciples of Jesus. I'll miss Lee's simple lessons that he taught through drama. He helped me awe Jesus in all new ways.

There is a beautiful tribute about Lee written by fellow actor, Curt Cloninger at: http://http://www.youthspecialties.com/lee_eshleman/cloninger.php. Please keep Lee's wife Reagan, and their children, Nicolas, Sarah and Gabe in your prayers. Keep his acting partner Ted in your prayers as well.

Vacation With A Purpose

So, what are you doing for vacation this summer? For the past several years our family has spent one week ever summer at Maranatha Bible and Missionary Conference in Muskegon, Michigan. Now, I know to some out there, that sounds like a tortuous way to spend a summer vacation, but it's far from that. I do not think that there is anything that has brought our family more joy, memories and connection time that this particular vacation.

Maranatha is located right on the shores of Lake Michigan. For seven days our family enjoys each other, God's beautiful creation, and are built into spiritually by some of the finest Bible teachers in America. We're going August 11-18 this year. James McDonald, Joe Stowell and Martin DeHaan are going to be our speakers. You should consider joining us. You can find out more at: http://www.vacationwithpurpose.com.

Stress, the High School Student and Community

Last night at The Garage we talked about community. And, it was pretty special. News flash time:High School Students Care Deeply About Community. It's got to be tough to be a high school student today. The demand for their time and attention is constant. When I asked our students how many of them were stressed out, almost all of them raised their hands. Sure, it's May, and that's a crazy time for students, but I'm convinced that I could have asked that question at any point in the school year and received the same response. And, that makes me wonder . . .

How can we do a better job of alleviating the stress load that our high schoolers are under?

Why do we push our students to be involved in so much?

How much is too much?

How much should a high school ministry at a church offer?

Do our students have any idea what it means to experience authentic community in the way that they live their lives?

We are in the midst of reimagining what student ministry can be in the lives of high schoolers. One of the things that we are sure of is that living life on the ragged edge isn't what God has called us to. We are also convinced that we need to live life in community. As we look at the upcoming year, we are getting ready to experience community like never before. Randy Frazee's book Making Room for Life has been very helpful for us as we take a look at what our future could look like.

We're imagining small groups that meet in the neighborhoods where our students live. We're talking about changing the world one neighborhood at a time. We're talking about the believers gathering daily -- and we truly believe that can only happen if the church is local. Imagine groups of teenagers meeting together in their neighborhoods for the common goal of honoring God by making more disciples for Jesus Christ. Imagine this happening as they commit themselves to spiritual growth.

Frazee talks about what all small groups should have in his book. He uses the acronym SERVICE. Our students resonated with these things.

Spiritual Formation
Evangelism
Recreation
Volunteerism
International Missions
Care
Extend Compassion

So, what do you think? How do we help high school students navigate today's world so that they do not become workaholics who never experience true community?

Jerry Falwell's Death

I'm sad.

I just found out that Dr. Jerry Falwell passed away. He's been gone for a couple of hours. I believe with all of my heart that Jerry is in the presence of Jesus right now.

So, here's the deal. I graduated from Falwell's Liberty University and Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. I serve on the pastoral staff of a church in Minnesota. Prior to that I served on the pastoral staff of a church in Illinois. Graduating from a school like Liberty means that you carry baggage with you for the remainder of your life. People make assumptions about what you believe, what your political persuasions are, and how you view the world because of where you attended college.

I'm not Jerry Falwell. There are things about who Jerry was that bother me. But, on this, the day of his death, let me say that I thank God for the influence that Jerry had on me.

I went to Liberty as an accounting major. My God was money and Liberty had a great accounting program. My plans when I graduated from college were to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the Big Six Accounting firms, and retire by the time I hit 40. Something happened to me at Liberty. I learned about lordship. I learned about what it meant to really give Christ your entire self. And, my freshman year, I surrendered to God's calling in my life. I changed my major from accounting to pastoral ministries, and I sat under Falwell's teaching for the next six years.

From time-to-time I remember getting frustrated in chapel services. I felt like Falwell was being too dogmatic, too political, or too judgmental. But, there were also times when I learned things that I would carry with me the rest of my life.

As a pastor I often times find myself quoting things that I first heard from Jerry. Quotes like:

"If it's Christian, it ought to be better."

or . . .


"Our greatest failures are prayer failures."

or . . .

"The biggest difference between us now and five years from now is the people we meet, the books we read and the places we go."

I know that there are many more.

Jerry's biggest impact on my life was the way that he taught me vision. Dr. Falwell was never lacking in the vision department. The guy planted one of America's first mega-churches - in Lynchburg, Virginia, of all places. And, he did it when his greatest mentors told him not to. He started a school system that he dreamed would go from pre-school to grad school. And, it happened. He dreamed of Liberty being for the Evangelical Christian student what Notre Dame was to the Roman Catholic student or Brigham Young was to the Mormon student - competing academically, athletically and in reputation. It's getting there. At 7,700 on-campus students and another 20,000 distance education students, Liberty is the largest Evangelical Christian University in America. They boast the number one debate team in America, a law school training constitutional lawyers, a seminary, and high rankings in U.S. News and World Reports annual ranking of America's best colleges.

I worked in Liberty's admission department for a two year period following my graduation from the University. It was a turbulent time for the school. We were rocked by the televangelism scandals of the 80's and couldn't recover financially. We were $20 million in debt. There was an entire month where I went without a paycheck. But, Falwell's vision convinced the work force at the school (Professors, Administration, Assistants, etc.) to work for a month without pay. He couldn't force us to. And, some chose not to work. But, the majority kept going to work. And, in God's providence, the school came out of it.

For lessons on leadership, faith, trust in God, failing and recovering, and for the passion for evangelism that Falwell helped instill in me, I will always be grateful. Join me in praying for the family, and the faculty and staff of Thomas Road Baptist Church (voted last year as one of America's most influential churches by The Church Report Magazine), Liberty University, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, Liberty University School of Law, the Liberty Godparent Home (a crisis pregnancy ministry), the Elim Home for Alcoholics, WRVL (the radio ministry of the church), the Liberty Channel (Satellite Network), Lynchburg Christian Academy (one of the largest Christian elementary and high schools in America), the Liberty Bible Institute, and all of the other ministries associated with this man of vision. I have never met anyone who had as much influence on his community as Jerry Falwell. Love him or hate him, he'll be missed.

Generation X Is Growing Up

Todd Rhodes writes one of the most influential blogs for church leaders. It's read by thousands of pastors each week. This past week, Todd blogged on the phenomena of Generation Xers feeling obsolete. It's worth a read. You can find his post here: http://mondaymorninginsight.com/index.php/site/comments/the_stuck_generation_xers_feeling_a_new_kind_of_obsolescence/.

So, what do you think? Is this just the case of a generation growing up, and not liking the fact that they are no longer the most marketed to generation? Or, is there something more here. I'm an Xer. Our numbers are no where near that of the Baby Boomers who preceded us, and they pale in comparison with the Millennial Generation. We were once the generation that was dubbed the slacker generation. We have become known as a generation that cares much more about relationship than achievement. We're told that the Millennial Generation shares much in common with the Builders (The Greatest Generation), and that Generation X will always be sensitive about our place in history. Hey friends, let's get over it, and get about being who God created us to be.

Faith Matters Hit's the Blogosphere!

The Official Faith Matters blog launched yesterday! Faith Matters is the radio teaching ministry of Leith Anderson, the Senior Pastor of Wooddale Church. You can read a transcript of each day's radio broadcast by visiting the blog here: http://yourfaithmatters.blogspot.com. I think you'll really enjoy and be blessed by what you read!

This Just In!

I just found out that People Magazine has rated me #51 in this year's 50 Most Beautiful People Issue. Unfortunately, this means for the 38th straight year I didn't make the magazine, but hey, it's good to know that you almost made it.

Thanks, People!

Okay, so this didn't really happen. I'm not rated #51, and may not even be in the top 5,000,000. But, I know this, God loves me. He really does! He's passionate about me, and you, and everyone else on this earth.

Aren't you glad that God doesn't keep a 50 Most Beautiful People list? Aren't you glad that God's view of our worth has nothing to do with what we look like, who we know, how much money we make or what are what we do?

So, God, you are #1. You are the most beautiful. You are beauty. And, I am in awe!

Pizza and God Talk Updates

You won't want to miss Pizza and God Talk the next two times that we meet. This Wednesday night's (April 25th) Pizza and God Talk discussion will include a Stump the Pastor discussion. You will have the chance to ask Geoff Bohleen, Wooddale's Outreach Pastor, Fred McCormick, Wooddale's Adult Ministries Pastor and me any question that you want about the Bible, spirituality, religion, God, etc. We will do our best to answer those questions the best that we can.

In two weeks, May 9th, Paul Helseth will be with us. Paul teaches theology at Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN. He is the co-author of the book Beyond the Bounds: Open Theism and the Undermining of Biblical Christianity with John Piper and Justin Taylor. He will be addressing the concept of Open Theism, and what you need to know about it.

Pizza and God Talk happens at Davanni's in Eden Prairie and runs from 9:00-10:30 PM. As always, if you would rather have your own discussion rather than talk about the topic of the night, there will be several open tables for people to talk theology.

Remembering Virginia Tech

It's been one week since life at Virginia Tech was changed forever. I was thinking earlier this morning about how fast life can change. Virginia Tech is a beautiful place. The serene setting of this campus tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains is incredible. I used to pass Virginia Tech several times a year as I would drive from my home in the suburbs of Chicago, to my college campus that was located in Lynchburg, Virginia. I remember gazing upon the VA Tech campus each time I drove by, thinking this is a beautiful place.

No amount of beauty can change the ugliness of what happened last week. And, in the ugliness, the new sort of beauty that arose. From the ashes of lives that were torn apart sprung up a new kind of hope. When the Virginia Teach family was too weak to stand on their own, a country surrounded them with prayer, words of affirmation, and offers of help. When the Virginia Tech family was in despair, a country reminded them that tears are okay, and hugs are important, and that all of humanity identifies with their pain. When the Virginia Tech family was in despair, we were also reminded about how small we really are. We were reminded about the uncertainty of life. And, we were reminded that God, who is debated in the public arena and mocked in plenty of university classrooms, is still there. He is there to go to in prayer. He is the source of healing. Prayer vigils sprung up on campuses all over the world on behalf of the Virginia Tech family.

Virginia Tech, it's been one week, but our prayers are still with you. Our hearts are with you as you start class back today. Our prayers are for the countless people who lost loved ones, and who have a huge hole in their hearts today. God has not forgotten you, Virginia Tech. He loves you. He wants to help bring hope and healing out of despair. And, we want to help.

I'd love to hear from fellow bloggers on what you think are some practical ways that we can come along side of the Virginia Tech family at this time.

Tax Day Relief

Today is April 15th. This is the day that taxes are traditionally due for most Americans. Because April 15th falls on a Sunday this year, taxes are not due until Tuesday, April 17th. Procrastinators are engaged in a collective sigh of relief. For, this year, they have two extra days to get their taxes done. It's a two-day grace period, which allows them to wait until Monday, April 16th to get really stressed out.

I don't know about you, but I'm a big fan of grace. I loved when I was in school and was given an extension to finish a paper, or to study for an exam. I love it when I'm forgiven by someone, when I really don't deserve to be forgiven. I love it when I'm given two extra days to get my taxes done. And, I love that Jesus Christ has provided more than enough grace for me on the cross of Calvary.

So, have you accepted God's grace? Have you placed your trust completely in Jesus Christ for your salvation? Unlike tax day, which only gives grace every several years, God gives grace every day. Every day that you are alive is an extension of God's grace to you. Like tax day, we will all one day have to make an account of the way that we have lived our lives before a holy and righteous God. Unlike tax day, none of us know when that day will come. If we fail to seek God's forgiveness and allow Him to take control of our lives before the end of our lives, no extensions will be given. Your grace period is now. Don't procrastinate.

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."
-- Revelation 3:20

When Birds Attack

A couple of weeks ago I was preparing to go to church when I head this incredible racket outside of my home. The front yard was abuzz with the sound of this Coopers Hawk killing a grackle. Can you believe this picture?

The Bible Literacy Project

Did you happen to catch Time Magazine last week? The cover story is about, Why We Should Teach The Bible In Public School. The article has caused quite a stir. What do you think? Should we use this textbook by the Bible Literacy Project in public schools? If you didn't get a chance to read the article, here is a good look at what people across the religious landscape are saying about it: http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070330/26610_Christians_Pleasantly_Surprised_by_Time%27s_Pro-Bible_Article.htm

Thank You For Praying

The funeral service for Daniel Olsen took place today. I really believe that God was glorified in this service. There was something so special about Dan's funeral. The full military honors that he received at both the funeral, and the graveside ceremony was something that was truly spectacular to behold. I've acquired a deeper appreciation for the brotherhood of the Marines.

Holly Collison's rendition of The Battle Hymn of the Republic sent shivers up my spine. It was hard not to want to jump out of my chair in applause. I felt a great deal of pride for our country. The Iraq war is an unpopular war, but the men and women who are fighting in the war are heroes in my book.

Please keep Wayne, Gwen, Shelcy and Shaina Olsen in your prayers as the emotion of this day now moves to the very sober reality that life goes on. Dan's body is in the grave. But, Dan is in heaven. Praise be to God for His unbelievable gift.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Tonight, we pray for all members of our armed forces. We pray for those families that are dealing with the pain that distance brings. We pray for wives who miss their husbands. We pray for husbands who miss their wives. We pray for children who miss their moms and dads, and for parents who miss their sons and daughters. We pray for protection for all who are in harm's way, and pray that you would bring peace to the waring regions of the world. We pray for courage and hope for those fighting in this conflict, and for peace, hope, and joy for the families that have lost loved ones. Thank you that You are the God of love, the God of reconciliation, the God of hope, the only wise God. To You be all praise, glory and honor. In Jesus' name, Amen.

There are some nice stories about the funeral that you can find by following these links:

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=250942

http://wcco.com/local/local_story_101184659.html


http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_101184659.html

A Little Bit of Bonhoeffer?

We had an incredible discussion at Pizza and God Talk tonight. We were talking about the issues that the church is going to have to deal with in the next 10-20 years. While speaking I shared a quote from Deitrich Bonhoeffer's classic, The Cost of Discipleship. If you don't own this book, go to Amazon and order it tonight. It's an essential for any library. I shared part of a quote from this book with our students tonight, and thought I'd put the complete quote in this blog. This is from a section of Bonhoeffer's book where he is dealing with the concept of cheap grace.

Bonhoeffer wrote, ". . .this cheap grace has turned back upon us like a boomerang. The price we are having to pay today in the shape of the collapse of the organized church is only the inevitable consequence of our policy of making grace available at all too low a cost. We gave away the Word and sacraments wholesale; we baptized, confirmed, and absolved a whole nation unasked and without condition. Our humanitarian sentiment made us give that which was holy to the scornful and unbelieving. We poured fourth unending streams of grace. But the call to follow Jesus in the narrow way was hardly ever heard."

I wonder sometimes if we are guilty of this. What do you think?

Jim & Casper Go To Church

It's a fascinating premise -- a Christian hires an Atheist to accompany him to several churches and give his impression of Christians. Jim & Casper Go To Church is a new book publshed by Barna that is tough to put down. I'd highly recommend this book to any pastor, church leader, or sincere Christian that wants to understand how at least one Atheist views the church. Jim, the Christian, and Casper, the Atheist, visited such churches as Saddleback, Willow Creek, Mars Hill, Mosaic, and others, and rated their experiences. You can read about their ratings, and those of many other Atheists at http://www.churchrater.com. The site causes one to pause, and really think about what it is that we are communicating to spiritual seekers. I'd love to hear your reactions to the book or the site.

Great Article on Billy Graham

The Minneapolis Star Tribune ran a great article in yesterday's paper on Billy Graham. Graham doesn't give many interviews anymore. This was a beautiful glimpse about what his relationship with Christ, his wife, and his calling looks like now. Read it. I'm sure you'll be blessed.

http://www.startribune.com/614/story/1106109.html.

A Couple More Issues To Think About

A couple of days ago in my post, What are the Top 10 Issues the Church Will Face in the Next 10 Years I spoke about a number of issues that the church is dealing with. In the post I mentioned that these are not the 10 issues that will make it into the book, but some of the issues that I see.

Here are a couple more.

1) Holiness - I was having dinner with a couple on Friday night. They are also involved in ministry at a local church. They talked about the seeming lack of desire for holy living that they see in so many people their age in their church. It's easy to get discouraged. It's as if we have a generation of people who want to be Christian, but be able to do what everyone else in society is doing. A challenge for the church in this and every generation is how do we live in such a way that pleases God and inpact society. How do we say, "No," to sinful desires and pursue righteousness. It's like the quote I posted by John Piper last week. "Sin is what you do when your heart isn't satisfied with God."

2) Lack of Credibility in Church Leaders - The trust level of those who lead churches has been damaged in recent years. Tales of corruption, unethical behavior, and church leaders who live anything but holy lives has hurt the cause of the church. Human beings are flawed. We are sinners. But, those who have the unique role of being leaders in the church of Christ need to live lives that are above reproach. This can only happen when the Holy Spirit is controlling us. One of the challenges that pastors face in this generation is the amount of time that it takes to earn credibility. So many pastors jump ship after just a couple of years in a church. We need leaders who are committed to serving for the long haul.

So, what do you think are some of the issues that the church has to grapple with in the next several years?

Nice Story on Daniel Olsen's Impact on KSTP Web Site

There is a touching story on Daniel Olsen's impact on children on the KSTP website. You can view that video here: http://www.kstp.com/article/stories/S43979.shtml?cat=1. Daniel's funeral will be at 2:00 on Wednesday, April 11, at Wooddale Church. He will be buried at Fort Snelling immediately following the service. A reception at Eagan High School will follow the burial.

Please keep the Olsen's in your prayer during this time.

He Is Risen!

Have you heard the news?
In the middle of life's chaos
In the wars and rumors of wars
In the hustle and bustle of life on the street
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!

Have you heard the news?
In the family crisis
and school crisis
In the workplace struggle
and neighborhood squabble
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!

Have you heard the news?
In the homeless' plight
and widow’s tears
In the aged's pain
and the young person's indifference
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!

Have you heard the news?
In Hollywood's self absorption
and Bollywood's worldly fortune
In palaces and shantytowns
and everywhere in between
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!

Have you heard the news?
In the secret places of your heart
and mine
In the public faces on you and me
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!

No scholar or skeptic
No pastor or priest
No celebrity or star
No scientist or Atheist
No billionaire or pauper
No discovery or philosophy
No greed or philanthropy
No government or institution
No TV special or blockbuster movie
No book or periodical
No diversion or distraction
No boy or girl
No man or woman
Can stop the news
Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!

Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today!
He is Risen, Indeed!

What are the Top 10 Issues the Church Will Face in the Next 10 Years?

I'm working on a new book that deals with the top 10 theological or ecclesiological issues that the church is going to face in the next 10-20 years. These are issues that currently hang in the balance. I'd be interested to hear from you about what you think that some of these issues are.

Here are a couple of the issues that I see:

1) Soteriology - I am so concerned as I read more and more people who would self identify as Christians who are saying that Jesus is not the only way to salvation. In a world that has become increasingly diverse, we are seeing more and more people, perhaps because they are afraid of offending, perhaps because they want to create God in their own image, who say that all religions essentially lead to the same place.

2) The Embrace of Open Theism - So many of the college students and young adults that I work with have bought into this doctrine, which among other things, teaches that God does not know the future. They would teach that God knows all of the possible futures, but not a specific future. This has a major impact on how we view the omniscience of God, what we believe about prayer, etc.

3) Homosexuality - How does the church respond to the homosexual community? How do you teach biblical principles regarding homosexuality and still love homosexuals?

4) Ecclesiology - House church? Emerging church? Traditional? Contemporary? Multi-ethnic? Homogeneous? Seeker sensitive? Seeker driven? Gather for edification, scatter for evangelism? Mega-church, bad? Mega-church, good?

5) The Bible - Absolute truth? Inerrant? Infallible? I belive it is with all of my heart. I'm in the minority.

6) Social Justice, Global Warming, etc. - Creation care has caused quite a stir in recent months. Younger Evangelicals are passionate about social justice. Jesus was passionate about social justice. What would Jesus do?

7) Red Letter Christians - Are Jesus' words the most important in all of Scripture? Do we pay as much attention to the teaching of Paul, Peter, John, etc.? What about the Old Testament?

8) Infighting in the Church - Satan is having a heyday here. When does God want us to go to the mat with other Christians? Emerging church vs. Traditional Church? Prayer styles? Worship styles? Theological issues? Urban vs. Suburban?

9) Jesus Junk - The consumerization of the American church. When is enough, enough? What is too much?

10) Friend or Foe? - Is the Gospel a friend to culture or a foe to culture?

Some of these issues will make it into my book, many won't. I have several more, but wanted to get the discussion rolling. Tell me what you think. What are your top 10 issues?

Easter Gift from iTunes and Zondervan

The good folks at Zondervan have made The Easter Story available on iTunes this week for free! This is the Easter Story read from the pages of Scripture by a number of different actors, pastors, musicians, etc. I purchased the entire Bible Experience for my iPod in November. This is a great product. I use it all of the time when I am exercising.

To find the free Easter Story on iTunes, go to the front page of the iTunes store, and then scroll down to the Free on iTunes section. The Easter Story will remain free on iTunes until Monday, April 9th. Enjoy! And, when you listen, praise God again for His incredible gift to us.

Congratulations Phil and Naomi!

A couple weeks ago I had the privilege of officiating the marriage ceremony for Phil and Naomi Horn. Their wedding was beautiful. They were married at the Como Conservatory in St. Paul, and the setting couldn't have been more fantastic. Picture walking down the aisle with thousands of flowers surrounding you. Pretty amazing, huh? Here is a picture of the happy couple!

Joel Hanson at The Gathering on Easter Sunday

Joel Hanson will be leading worship with David Olson and Elizabeth Honeycutt at The Gathering this Sunday night at 5:15 and 7:00 PM. Joel used to be the lead singer in the group PFR, one of my all time favorite Christian groups. Don't miss it! It's going to be a special night. We get to celebrate the resurrection of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and enjoy some incredible music and an awesome message!

Are We Done Yet?

I saw the movie, Are We Done Yet, with the Shortreed twins today. (Chris and Tim are two cool brothers). And, even though the Star Tribune only gave this movie one star, I thought it was really fun. Two thumbs up.

I'm telling you, I think Ice Cube and I could be twins. He needs me to be his new rap partner on his next CD.

Jamal Hashi and Chicken Fantastik on KARE 11

Many of you who hang with me on a regular basis have had the privilege of dining at Safari Restaurant or Safari Express in Minneapolis. Safari is owned by my good friend Jamal Hashi. My favorite dish that he cooks is called Chicken Fantastik. Jamal was on KARE 11, the NBC affiliate in Minneapolis cooking this dish for Showcase Minnesota. Here is the link to that television appearance and the recipe for Chicken Fantastik! Bon appetit!

Recipe: http://www.showcaseminnesota.com/recipes/recipe_detail.aspx?rid=4389

TV appearance: http://www.showcaseminnesota.com/video/player_recipes.aspx?fname=/recipes/040207_4389_safari_kare.wmv

'Twas The Sunday Before Easter

Leith Anderson preached a message at Wooddale this week called, "'Twas the Sunday Before Easter." It was my privilege to write an article for the Wooddale Week about the theme of the message. I wrote two articles. One was a poem, and the other was an inspirational thought. At the time I wrote the poem, I was unaware that there would be an amazing drama this week, using a poem with the same name. So, this didn't appear in the Wooddale Week, but I thought I'd share it with you.

'Twas The Sunday Before Easter

‘Twas the Sunday before Easter
And all through my life
Was anxiety, hopelessness
And a great deal of strife

When what to my wandering soul should appear
But the hope of our Savior,
Who loved the one in my mirror

A perfect life lived
He was celebrated
As He rode down the street
Knowing death He would meet

Celebration one day and rejection the next
The King given over, His followers perplexed

Anxiety? Yes. And, hope? It was lost
Because they knew not, just what was the cost
Of so great a salvation, that is the foundation
Hope lost on Friday, and found on that Sunday

So, where are you on this Palm Sunday?
Living on Friday or Easter Morning?
Remember, He conquered death and the grave
For you and for me, our lives to save

Another Book

I received word from Zondervan yesterday that they will be publishing my third book, When I. . . in January of 2009. What's the Deal With. . . comes out on December 7th of this year. The cover art for that book accompanies this post.

CT article on Passion

If you haven't picked up the current issue of Christianity Today and read the article on The Passion movement, you need to do so. They call Passion the most influential movement amongst young evangelicals. I would have to agree. Passion has decided to suspend all Passion conferences in the United States. They will be taking a world tour sometime in the next year. Louie Giglio's reasoning for this is right on. Read the article. It's worth your time. It's interesting to read what the article has to say about John Piper and Beth Moore's relationship to the Passion movement. It's also interesting to read about the passion that twentysomethings in the southern part of the United States have for God. The vast majority of twentysomethings that go to Passion are from the south. The article talked about the need to reach twentysomethings in the north. I'm not sure that is an entirely fair statement. Going to the Passion conference is not what makes you passionate about God. In a very real way, we are seeing a revival amongst twentysomethings in the Twin Cities. Here at Wooddale Church, Chad Erlenborn, our young adults pastor, has found that 20% of people in our twentysomething community have come to faith in the past six months. That's pretty cool!

Foreverandever, Etc.

The David Crowder Band is one of my all time favorite groups. And, now they have a new video for one of my all time favorite songs. Here is the David Crowder Band's foreverandever, etc. video. You've got to love Youtube.

Bookstores and Future Grace

I love bookstores. There is just something about standing in racks upon racks of books that motivates me. Each book on a shelf has a story behind it. There is the author's life experiences and education. There is the publisher's willingness to take a risk. There is the marketing team's creativity in artwork and advertising.

It amazes me how the same book can bring about such different responses in readers.

I spent some time in a used book store yesterday with my three boys. While there, I went to the religion section. I was perusing the shelves when I came upon a book by John Piper that I was previously unfamiliar with. It's called Future Grace and it was published by Multnomah in 1995. I just looked on Amazon, and it was republished in 2005, with a new cover.

I haven't read the book yet. I bought it, because on pages 9-10 you'll find this paragraph:

On the other side of the coin, the aim of this book is to emancipate human hearts from servitude to the fleeting pleasures of sin. Sin is what you do when your heart is not satisfied with God. No one sins out of duty. We sin because it holds some promise of happiness. That promise enslaves us until we believe that God is more to be desired than life itself (Psalm 63:3). Which means that the power of sin's promise is broken by the power of God's. All that God promises to be for us in Jesus stands over against what sin promises to be for us without him. This great prospect of the glory of God is what I call future grace. Being satisfied with that is what I call faith. And therefore the life I write about in this book is called Living by Faith in Future Grace.

That's pretty profound. I was just having lunch with a student on Monday, talking about why so many of his friends choose sin. I wish I read this quote about sin earlier.

If you've read this book, I'd love to hear what it meant to you. I'm looking forward to taking the journey.

Prayer for Olsen Family

I received word on Monday that Daniel Olsen, a former student of mine at Wooddale Church, was killed by sniper fire in Iraq on Sunday.

Please be in prayer for the family of Daniel Olsen. Daniel's sister Shaina is a senior at Eagan High School, and an active part of our ministry. Please pray for Daniel's parents Wayne and Gwen, and his older sister Shelcy. You can read the Minneapolis Star Tribune account of Dan's death here: http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1096811.html.

Dan is the guy on the right of this picture.

One of the things that you won't read about Dan in the Star Tribune story is of his love for children. Dan volunteered in our children's ministry in his time in high school. The kids that he worked with loved him. When he left to go into the Marines, his class of first graders presented him with a Marines Bible and prayed for him. They laid hands on him as you would for a missionary, prayed that God would protect Dan. Please be in prayer for these children too.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Blog Silence

It's been several months since I posted an entry on Pass the Salt. I'm making a commitment to get back in the habit starting today. So, get ready. . .

California!

Breanna and I had a blast yesterday in Hollywood and Anaheim. It was so fun watching Breanna's face as she experienced California. Here's a quick picutre of Breanna by Frank Sinatra and Julie Andrews' hand and shoe prints in front of Grumman's Chinese Theater.

You Go, Heather!

I am convinced that I work with the best Junior High Pastor in America. Heather Flies has been at Wooddale Church for 10 years now, and among the students that she loves is my daughter. Heather has been making a huge impact on youth ministry nationwide for several years now. She serves on Youth Specialties national CORE training team, was a featured speaker at DCLA 2006, and is so well respected. Youth Specialties has a monthly podcast that they make available for free to anyone who wants to grow. On the podcast they interview some of the most influential voices in youth ministry. This month's interview features Heather talking about the unique calling of the middle school pastor. You can check it out here.

Heather is also the author of an extraordiary new book on talking to your teenage daughter. I'd highly recommend it. You can order it here or pick up a copy in the Wooddale Church Bookstore.

King of the Hill and The Mega Church

I'm at a conference this week, and this video from King of the Hill was shown today. It's a pretty insightful look at how the world looks at mega churches.

Spiritual Moments

It was a profoundly spiritual moment when I saw this picture. 33 years ago there was a swingset in this yard. It was on Easter Sunday after listening to my Sunday School teacher share the story of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ that I was challenged so deeply in my life. I went home, considered what my Sunday School teacher had said, and prayed in this yard to ask Jesus to become my Savior and Lord. My life has never been the same.

This home is for sale now. I lived there from the time I was 2-7 and my brother Mark recently came across the MLS listing for the home. He e-mailed the photos from the MLS listing to every one of my siblings. I love what God did in that house in my life. He gave me parents who loved Him, brought me to church, and exposed me to the Gospel. Thanks Mom and Dad, and thank you God!

I had another cool spiritual moment recently. Erik and Joel Bakke came into my office and asked me if I had any books by Arthur Pink. Erik and Joel are in high school and Arthur Pink was born in 1886. I was blown away that they would want to read a book by Pink. I had Pink's commentary on Genesis in my library. It's called Gleanings in Genesis. When I pulled it off of the shelf, I thumbed through the book. A business card fell out. It said, Ray Schulenburg, on the front. Ray was my Grandpa. He died several years ago. There was a note from Grandpa on the card to me. It said, "Brian . . . some Bible teachers consider this the best exposition there is on Genesis. Study it. Grandpa" I'd never seen that note before. Kind of wierd to get a note from your Grandpa years after he's died. I let the guys borrow my book, but you can be sure that Gleanings In Genesis is at the top of my reading list.

Thanks God, for my spritual heritage that I take for granted way too much. You have blessed me beyond measure.

Breanna's Surprise

At 6:30 this morning, my 14-year-old daughter began to open her birthday presents. I know, it's early, but I've been invovled in a conference all week long and don't get back home until 6:00 PM, and I wanted Breanna to be able to enjoy her gifts all day long. OK, maybe it is less about Breanna and more about me. I really let Breanna open her gift early because I couldn't wait.

For the past month I've had to keep a secret from my daughter. I'm terrible at keeping secrets when I have really good news to share. This weekend I'm speaking at The National Youth Workers Convention in Anaheim, California. I told Cyndi last month that I had throught of the perfect birthday gift for Breanna. I'd cash in some of my frequent flyer miles and bring Breanna with me. Cyndi agreed, and today, while opening her gifts Breanna unwrapped some pictures of California. She immediately said, "I'm going to California?" Then she saw the airplane ticket and said, "I'm going to California on Saturday?" She couldn't wait to get on the bus and tell her friends.

This weekend Breanna and I will fly together for our first ever father/daughter trip. She's decided that she wants to visit Hollywood and Beverly Hills. A girl after her Dad's own heart. We can't wait to experience this together. She's also excited about going to the National Youth Workers Convention with me and hearing the David Crowder Band and Jars of Clay in person. Saturday can't get here fast enough.

Birthday Week

It's birthday week at the Schulenburg home. 14 years ago today, Cyndi and I were at a homecoming football game at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, Virginia. We were expecting our first child any day. That night, Cyndi began to go into labor, and on November 1st, our beautiful Breanna was born. Our lives have never been the same! The moment I saw Breanna, I was instantly in love. She is so precious. 14 years later, I consider myself the most blessed dad in the world. How did I get so lucky? Breanna, I love you. God, thanks for the gift of my girl, Breanna.

It was 12 years ago today that Cyndi went to the doctor and was told to go straight to the hospital. She was ready to have baby number two. Cyndi disobeyed doctors orders, wnet home, got her bag, called me and said, "Let's go have a baby." Then Christopher was born. Instant love again. I had a boy! It was hard not to project my feelings of baseball and basketball superstardom on to him from the time he was a baby. Now, hundreds of video games and baseball games later, I have to admit that God has really, really blessed me. Chris, I love you. God, thanks for the gift of my son, Chris.

Eight years ago, Cyndi was starting to feel labor pains. She said, "There is no way I'm having baby number three on either of his siblings birthdays." So, somehow, Cyndi delayed labor for two days, and on November 2nd, Jeremy was born. We had lost a child in between Chris and Jeremy, and so when he was born we named him, Jeremy, which means, Appointed by Jehovah. We knew that God has something special planned for Jeremy, because had his brother been born, Jeremy wouldn't have been here. Jeremy was born, and instant love once again swelled from my bones. I love that boy. I love his smile that lights up any room he walks into. I love his contagious belly laugh. I love his passion for life. Jeremy, I love you. God, thanks for the gift of my son, Jeremy.

I could have never imagined how much my life would change in the past 14 years because of these gifts that God has brought my way. Zachary, our youngest is five. His birthday is in May. For the past few years he's wondered why he doesn't get gifts this week like the rest of his siblings. This week, he's been finding gifts from his room for his brothers and sister. He's learning that it's better to give than to receive. One of these days, I'm going to have to give my children away. Psalm 127:4-5 says, "Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate." God, you've given me an incredible gift in my four children, but they are not mine to keep. Lord, use Breanna, Chris, Jeremy and Zach for your glory and honor. Let them be a light in their generation. Keep them close to you. Help Cyndi and me to be godly role models and to trust them to your tender care. As we give them birthday gifts this year, let our greatest gift be a passion for you that we share together.

I Love Youth Workers!

I just returned from a couple of days in Austin, Texas at The National Youth Workers Convention. What an awesome time with 3000 of my fellow youth workers. While there, many youth workers shared their hearts with me.

Some were down. They were tired of being misunderstood by other adults who look at them suspiciously because they have chosen to dedicate their lives to a generation that desperately needs love and affirmation, and most importantly, Christ. While speaking on the MySpace phenomenon, many youth workers shared with me how difficult it is for them to even bridge a gap with students because parents are suspicious of this strange breed of human being that would choose to spend time with teenagers. They were tired of reading articles like the one that appeared in the The New York Times on Friday, declaring youth ministry as ineffective and proclaiming that the church in America is losing the next generation. Most of the youth workers that I talked to took offense at the article. They were vocal when the The Austin American Statesman newspaper interviewed them about the present state of youth ministry.

Some were tired. Youth minstry is hard. It is a calling that is demands long hours consisting of morning, night and weekend hours. It pays very little in most churches and junior and senior high students are not very quick to affirm you in that calling. I spoke to many youth ministry couples that were on the verge of quitting. They were ready to chuck it all for more lucrative careers and less headaches. By the end of the conversations, these same youth workers came to the conclusion that as much as they sometimes dream about doing something else, they are called to serve students, and they know nothing else is as important.

Some were ecstatic. They were being ministered to. They were singing songs with David Crowder, not just David Crowder songs performed by their youth band. They were rubbing elbows with Doug Fields, not just reading his books. It was so much fun to watch some of the leading youth workers in America taking time to listen, talk, and minister to their fellow youth workers. It was a great weekend.

The Austin version of the National Youth Workers Convention ends tomorrow. Join me in praying for these 3000 youth workers as they head back to their respective ministries. Join me in praying for teenagers. Pray that God will continue to do His new thing in this generation. Pray that churches will have the courage to invest in youth ministry, no matter the cost to tradition. Pray for the 10-15,000 other youth workers that will be going to National Youth Worker's Conventions in Cincinnati, Charlotte and Anaheim this year.

When I was in college a pastor once said, "Satan possesses a double-edged sword. On one end is doubt, on the other is discouragement." It makes me shudder to think of great youth workers on the brink of leaving ministries over their own doubt and discouragment about ministry. This is clergy appreciation month. Why not show your youth worker how much you appreciate him or her this month? It may be just the encouragement he or she needs to make it through another year.

One more thing: Mark Oestreicher, the president of Youth Specialties has a blog. It's a great one. He regularly posts entries on the changing face of ministry to students. He has some great thoughts about the future of youth ministry here too. Check it out.

God bless.

MySpace and Going Deep in Austin, TX

I'm headed off to Austin, Texas on Friday morning to speak at The National Youth Workers Convention. I'll be speaking in two sessions. The first session is entitled, How MySpace, Facebook, Xanga and iPods Are Changing All The Rules In High School Ministry. The second session is entitled, Going Deep: How To Get High School Students Talking About Spiritual Things.

Both of these sessions will be heavy on practical ways that youth workers can engage in the lives of their students. Please pray that God would use these sessions to make a positive impact on ministries all over the world.

You can find out more about The National Youth Workers Convention at Youth Specialties.