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Midwinter was AWESOME. I must say that I can’t wait until next year. Also getting to spend time with all my camp friends now makes me want to see camp come sooner. Anyways… I am home and sitting here talking to people on the phone and net…

Later,
J

At Mid-Winter Celebration 2005…. more information to come later

I believe the iPod Photo was the best thing ever created. I asked for an iPod, meaning like the 20GB or something, I unwrapped it to find a 60GB iPod Photo. So now I am organizing all my MP3 files so I can upload them to the iPod and have unlimited listening in the car and when I travel. Now I am debating on buying a FM Modulator for it or buying a Cassette Adapter for the car. LoL… BMW has a iPod Connector option for their cars, maybe that will give me a good excuse to buy a BMW… now only if I could convince my mom that she needs to pay the difference in my car payment.< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

I also got HALO and HALO 2! VERY EXCITING. My friend and I attempted to play last night for the first time. I think we spent more time shooting in the air than at anything else. Then we decided we’d throw in this game that I got as a joke called “The Sims Bustin’ Out”… we were laughing so hard at ourselves.

I also got a few movies and other miscellaneous items. Oh, Mom got me three “Andy Stanley” books; one of my favorite pastors after hearing him speak at Catalyst 2004 Conference in < ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Atlanta, GA.

Well, I’ve rambled long enough! Comment and let me know what you got for Christmas!

Lata,
John Boy

I just wanted to post a quick entry. I just got off of the phone with my great friend Tiffani! We had a really good heart felt conversation and I am glad that we got to talk. As always it brought me encouragement and also brought me some material to think upon. So I need to get some sleep…

God Bless,
John Boy

I have been without power since Thursday Morning at 7:00 AM… thankfully it came back on today at noon. So, yeah we had to open our gifts in the candle light, but it all truned out to be ok. So… just thought I would post!

Merry Christmas!
John Boy

I have been out in this crappy snow since 9:00 AM. I have seen Westerville, Hilliard, Dublin, Worthington, and Lewis Center today… I think I am done shopping… unless I decide to get sleds and go sledding… Maybe tomorrow… who knows…

So just an update to say that I am alive…

Later,
J

Tonight as I was talking with a friend, I created a quote that I think was somewhat profound…

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“We all have our moments on the mountain, but to reach higher heights; we must spend time in the valley.”

-         John C. Massie

 

How true is this though, when you stop and think about it. I have a friend who was kind of picking my mind about why she kind of felt like God wasn’t there, but she knew He was. Maybe someone else can use this too…

 

I personally believe that sometimes, as Christians, we get into a routine. We know that day in and day out God’s going to be there and we begin to just take God’s touch and God’s presence in our lives for granted. No longer do we thank God just for being there, but God becomes our own “year-round Santa Clause”. We ask and ask and yet we forget to thank.

 

It is at this moment that I think God sometimes kind of steps back out of the immediate picture you see in front of you. No longer is that “counted on” presence is there. You may ask, “Why would God do that to me?” You almost answered your question in asking that question. It suddenly caused you to wonder where God is and to acknowledge His presence. From there you begin to seek God; instead of expecting God to be there. You then become closer to God in the act of God stepping back.

 

So if you’re feeling that God’s left you standing alone in life… look again. In reality He’s standing there waiting for you to find Him. Remember, God never moves… you do. So next time you think you’re alone… remember He’s there waiting for you to reach out.

 

Well, that’s my spiritual thought of the week. Here is this week’s itinerary:

Monday: Shopping then Photo Shoot

Tuesday: Working From Home

Wednesday: Vacation

Thursday: Vacation (Testing at CSCC)

Friday: Christmas Eve

Saturday: Christmas!

 

Everyone have a wonderful < ?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Holiday and I will keep posting hopefully for the rest of this week… if I remember to!

 

Later,
J

[rant]

What is it with people? Why do all my friends get treated like crap? Why is it that I have to sit here in my happy home and watch all my friends live a life that they just want to end? I guess the best way to get to me is to hurt my friends or loved ones and then you see a side of me that you never want to see.

Why God? I sit here and watch one friend have so many issues at home. Then I pick up the phone and talk with another friend who has so many problems at home that they want to get away from there. Then I open my e-mail to find that another loved one of mine is living a life with parents who don’t show them love? I go to dinner and discuss with a friend about their attempt to kill themselves. Then I come home and sit down and think Why God… why must they suffer?

I guess I get too attached to people, or at least… that’s what I’ve been told my problem is. I just don’t know sometimes. What do you do for people who go through all of this? I try and help the best way I know how, but sometimes what do you do when you don’t have the answer?

I know and understand that we all experience pain and suffering in life. Which, like I stated before, is how we grow closer to God. However, I’ve experienced my share of pain but still I haven’t had to go threw the same types of pain others have. Maybe after eight years of working in the church and forming loving friendships and placing effort and time into them to only be abruptly ended; I’ve gotten a glimpse of what true friendship and the term “love” really is. No longer do I take or use the term “I love you” lightly.

While I am ranting, I might as well just keep going… Why is it people think that they must pretend to like you to get something out of you, when you’re up front and are a willing volunteer? Gosh it makes me so mad. I had a friend at church who I really thought was my friend. He acted like a friend and then suddenly when he decided that he’d “used” me long enough and though that I would just continue doing what I was doing, stopped being my friend? Why, when I told him up front I’d be willing to work. I didn’t say, “If you were my friend, I’d do all this.” I worked for the church because I feel that God has called me to that place. So when he began this friendship I was very happy to have found another person to be friends with and then after building trust and putting time into the friendship he just forgets about being my friend and then just keeps treating me like dirt.

It is people like this who give the church a bad name. Now, like I am a strong and solid Christian, and I am not going to let this drive me from the faith, however… A young Christian who just entered the faith… would most likely leave the church, forever to be damned to a life in hell. Why don’t people think of their ETERNAL consequences in the church from their actions? I’ve had anyone from laypeople to senior pastors do this to me, and every time I get so mad. I understand at the same time it is showing me as a future leader how NOT to treat people, but still… these people need to take responsibility for their actions

See then these same Christians wonder why they cannot reach lost people and people that used to attend church don’t want to come back. Sometimes I have to say that Christians can be some of the worst people on the planet. I know that someday they will stand before God and they will have to account for everything that they did, but still… think about the possibility of the many people who’ve been lost because of their, yes… stupid actions.

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So if you’re reading this and are in a place of leadership in the church, take charge of your actions. I know I will probably get yelled at for this post, but this is my Xanga and my eight years experience talking here, so deal with it.

 

The other thing that makes me so mad is that when you leave a church, people suddenly start rumors. This is life not the third grade. I can’t believe how much gossip that can be in a church. Like when you leave a church because you feel God is calling you elsewhere and suddenly you hear from people that the actual reason you left was because you were getting paid at your new church to do work, when in reality you weren’t. Also when people see you talking to someone else and they assume that person convinced you to come to their church and leave your church. It just irritates me. Sometimes I get up on Sunday’s and have to remind myself that I am doing what God wants me to do.

 

Correct me if I am wrong, but shouldn’t church be something that you look forward to, not dread? Then when you get there you try and worship and you look around and no one else is worshipping and you wonder if you are suddenly doing something wrong. How ever will a department grow if they have no spiritual foundation? How can technical people profess the word of God through media if they themselves don’t have a strong relationship with God? I remember a time when our technical staff used to make sure they prayed EVERY Sunday before church, and suddenly that stopped.

 

I think these people have forgotten why we come to church. I could estimate that at least 45% of the people come because that is what they’ve always done and they would be gossiped about if they didn’t. Those same people are the ones that when you mess with their every Sunday routine by changing the chair arrangement, get bent out of shape and file complaints with the Senior Pastor and Church Board.

 

Seriously this petty childish behavior in the church needs to stop. How ever will we win souls for Christ if all we’re doing is being hung up on how the chairs in the Sanctuary are arranged? Who gives a hoot if they’re in four sections of twelve rows or in seven shell shaped sections?

 

I’ve been to churches that have figured this out. I’ve sat in churches where the people look forward to church. I’ve been to churches where the staff has a relationship with Christ and you can read it in their eyes and in their actions, not just in their words. Unfortunately, none of them are anywhere around here, otherwise I’d be attending there. Surprise, this is your churches that are huge… because they caught the vision of what church really is. Church IS NOT a building, or a room or a band or anything else… Church is the body of Christ meeting as one to worship Him. Once you and your people catch that vision and you can embrace it and live that out every Sunday… then you can finally reach the lost.

 

It isn’t about contemporary or hymns it is about what music can reach the lost that come to your church. It isn’t about stage design or formal stage; it is about what elements will reach the lost. It isn’t about video or no video it is about what media elements will reach out to the hearts of those who don’t know what their eternity holds.

 

Why is it that I have a heart for God but when I say that God lead me to do something or God showed me something in His word, or that I believe that I’ve found God’s will for something that just about every staff I worked with looked at me like I either:

1. Lost my mind
2. Was looking for a good cheap excuse to pass that thought
3. Like you should never say that because you aren’t smart enough to do so

 

Then they wonder why I leave… How can I stay in a church where I can’t feel comfortable enough to say that I found the will of God. When that is what we want to reach.

 

I think so many Church staff’s have lost focus on what they’re there for. They have the “business items” of a church to tend to, but at the same time they have God’s will to attend to. Yet the latter seems to always get a “backseat”.

 

I guess I have all this to say that I’ve figured out that God’s called me to work in the church for the rest of my life, and now I just have to find a place where a church wants to accept me and wants a person that holds these views, that I’ve stated above. So if you happen to work for a church that’s looking for a young, experienced, media “pastor” with some music experience then I am your man… Please get a hold of me and let me know who you are!

 

Sorry all for the long post, leave comments… serious please… leave the funny ones to a different post.

 

Thanks,
John Boy

 

[/rant]

Well, I’ve joined the Mac Blogring and figured I probably need to post something about that… I am doing some graphics projects and I am forced to use my Window’s PC because I don’t have my Mac software. However, I stole the scanner from my mom and hooked it up to my Mac to do that side of the project with. The free Epson Scanning Program is nothing short of amazing. Stuff that takes me like forever on Windows took me all of 20 min. on my Mac.< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

So, as soon as finances get to where I can, and I can find buyers for our two Window’s machines… I think I am going to buy mom either an iBook or eMac. I, myself…. however… want to get a G5 Tower with a 20″ or 23″ (even 30″ if I could somehow scrape up the money) Apple Monitor. Until then, I will be very happy with my 17″ Apple PowerBook G4. Which as soon as Apple releases another version of that laptop with Mac OS X 10.4 “Tiger” then I will need to find a buyer for my PowerBook.

I was thinking about it. If Apple keeps doing this well and they keep becoming more competitive soon the scales will begin to balance out and we’re going to have large companies using Mac. I guess I need to go get some Mac certifications and start now. I’d almost be out of a job. Mac’s are so stable. After having mine now for one year and about two months, it’s never crashed, and I’ve only formatted it twice (once when I put 10.3 on it and then the other day when I kind of junked up the computer and wanted a clean start).

Amazingly enough, I think my Window’s Computer has crashed at least once a week and I’ve formatted it… only God truly knows how many times… I’ve lost count. You’re probably sitting there thinking, ok either A. I have a crap computer or B. I have no clue what I am doing. You’re wrong on both. My PC is an Intel Pentium 4 2.6 GHz, custom built, and can be stable when it feels like it. If anyone’s interested it also has a 17” ViewSonic ViewPanel VG171b… If someone would offer me a good price… I’d probably sell it…

Then after this big project where I’ve dealt with PCs and they’re all so temperamental… ahhh…. I think switching to Mac is going to help prolong my life… lol…

So anyways, that is the technology rant of the week! Enjoy.

As Always,
J

So… I re-evaluated my schedule… and decided to just work this afternoon and evening, and sleep in again. After those few weeks of getting 2-4 hours of sleep every night because of work… I’ve been trying to “catch-up”, which I know is impossible, but I do feel better after two days of sleeping in until 12:00 PM.< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

So… I think I am going to get to work here and write a few things for tomorrow’s training session. Then after that I come home and close up shop until December 29th. So… this is going to be a fun few next days!

Shopping tonight… Fun!

Later,
J

P.S. – I haven’t the slightest clue why I keep listening to Caedmon’s Call, it just seems as if I always have them on when I post on Xanga… lol.