Thoughts on following

I'm really looking forward to visiting my buddy Phil's church in Broad Ripple on Saturday to help with some renovation and painting. I'm even more excited for him to meet the kids in our youth ministry at CGPC and for them to meet him...

I was browsing the xanga sites of some friends and read a great quote from Daniel Parkins in Relevant magazine shared by my friend Emily:

"I was looking at my situation and was perplexed in my faith because God wasn’t coming through the way I thought He should have. But God wasn’t asking me, “How do you feel about all of this?” He was challenging me, as He did His first disciples, “Come, follow me” (Matthew 4:19). I had forgotten that the greatest adventure and the greatest blessing is being a part of God’s agenda, not mine."

"Follow Me..." We really DO NOT understand that Jesus doesn't ask us to let Him follow us around... "FOLLOW ME." In life, in suffering, in death, in resurrection...

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him... I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings..." [Philippians 3]

An evening with the brothers Finn

Wednesday morning... it's been a personally challenging week after making some hard decisions... I've been encouraged as well as challenged by people I love... I'm still not sure... HOWEVER...

As soon as I discovered about a week ago that the brothers Finn--Neil and Tim--were going to be at the Vogue in Broad Ripple, I wanted to seize the opportunity to see these incredible songwriters live. Tim, the eldest of the brothers started the band Split Enz in their native New Zealand in the early Seventies. His younger brother Neil joined the group for a season and later founded the band Crowded House. Probably unlike most fans, I didn't really discover the Finns until I picked up their 1996 "solo" project Finn. I was immediately drawn to the songs. They seemed at once beautifully makeshift and brilliant. Thus began my exploration into the discography of the Finn Brothers.

In the Fall of 2004, the Finns released the beautiful collaboration Everyone Is Here. As I had hoped to do, I took the opportunity to see them live at the Vogue last night and it may indeed have been the most incredibly enjoyable live music experience I have ever had. The music was wonderful... The boys' banter with one another and the intimate crowd was warm and hilarious. They performed several songs from the new album as well as some their work from the Split Enz & Crowded House days such as "World Where You Live", "It's Only Natural", "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" and "What's the Matter with You". My wife who is a 6th grade teacher was quite tired through much of the show. I'm so glad that she joined me though and that we both got to see and hear the Finn Brothers perform an brilliant live set and an outstanding encore!

Well, well, well...

Work has begun in the renovation process in the place that we at cgpc are referring affectionately as "the Attic". It's been a long time a-comin' and last night, our Jr High ministry team began the purging process by throwing out over half of the nasty couches and chairs. Tyler and Kip literally threw a couple broken recliners down the stairs. It was quite a spectacle to be sure! Renee and Rose found some costume apparel for spirit points day at the Great Escape this summer. The "green" room has nothing on the floor now but the air-hockey table! It's unbelievable! Carpets are getting cleaned on Friday. I won't spoil the surprise of what's in store.

I'm ready to start recording for this next project [what once was to be known as maquette]. I am now tentatively calling it Not What She Used to Be... It's quite possible that could change within the next couple of days. Jason and I have been meeting and writing and playing... I've been talking to Bob and we're gonna get together soon to work up some stuff... and I'm ready to try some of the new stuff out soon...

I am sad to say that my favorite coffee mug which was purchased at Goodwill only last October--the same one featured in the profile photo to your left--recently had to be put to sleep. His handle apparently wasn't doing well and it just fell off while being pulled from the cabinet one day. None of us saw it coming. He wasn't with us very long but judging by his aesthetic features, he lived a full long life. Let's all raise a hot brew for our defunct friend! We barely knew ye!

Don't feed the baby strollers

Peep this my scalawags,

It was quite an interesting weekend once again. At first seemingly ordinary yet delightfully lovely. My brother-in-law and his wife were in town for a wedding in downtown Indy and my wife and I had the opportunity to babysit our 1-year-old niece during the rehearsal dinner on Friday evening. She is ridiculously cute... no, no, seriously. She looks like a Muppet baby version of my brother-in-law... which may or may not have clarified things for you.

My wife and I wheeled her around in her stroller at Circle Center mall for a few hours. We got to experience feeding a baby an olive-green pudding-like substance refered to on the label as Vegetable Medley with Pasta! It took all the will-power within me to keep from grabbing her jarred dinner and making a run for the Banana Republic to lose myself in euphoria! I withheld. However, while visiting Bath & Body Works [one my wife's favorite places to be] I nearly lost my niece to her collapsable stroller. Here's a hint for all you stroller manufacturers out there: Try putting the collapsing lever somewhere other than THE STROLLER HANDLE! Maybe it's my own fault for being the curious little monkey that I am, but if it weren't for the combination of encouragement of my apathetic on-lookers and sheer alligator-wrestling brute strenth, my dear young niece may not have been with us today.

I also got my Epiphone back from Guitarworks after being in the shop for a couple of weeks. It sounds rather acousticky and capoish... indeed. I am looking forward to recording some of the new songs I've been scribing recently.

Love and Lollipops,
Joel

A wiseman once told me

Good morning, depending on whether indeed in is morning or not when and wherever you are. It's Thursday and the seemingly eternal sinus infection which plagues me all of my days is growing into its full maturity. As the seasons change, so must we all...

It has now almost been a full week since our youth ministry's Sr High retreat at Pyoca but, I simply cannot slip through without commenting on the experience. This was arguably the best weekend retreat we have done in my almost-three-year tenure at CGPC. As God has been working on my own heart in a lot of hard, uncomfortable places recently, I found this weekend retreat to be a humble affirmation of my place in this ministry which He has called my wife and I to during this season of our life. I found it in the relationships, the discipleship, the community of worship and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Just as I pray that our teens and adult leaders alike wrestle with and explore the possibilities of their spiritual gifts, talents, values, personalities, and how God has uniquely made them, so do I continue to grow in my understanding of how and why I've been made. His Glory. That's the bottom line. Not to us, but to His name be the glory.

Well, just as I couldn't let that slip by, it is also imperative that I also let anyone who care to hear know this as well:: Thomas Wiseman is the Roller Skating King! Argue with me if you will, but you must know that it's futile. Keep on rollin' T-Shades!

Peace, love, and pancakes,
Joel

Intruder alert

The love, grace, and mercy of Christ invades us in a way that demands more than a portion of our attention. The God who loves us so perfectly and completely with unmerited favor deserves the attention of our entire being [heart + soul + mind + strength]. His perfect righteousness, perfect justice, and perfect love inspire the worship of our lives, not one day a week, not only in our grand endeavors which are seen, but also in the smallest details of our ordinary existance. He is, was and will continue to be our loving Redeemer who has rescued us from death and slavery into life where we are called His beloved, His sons and daughters, His heirs. How can we who are hopelessly broken be capable of such love and worship? Christ is the answer... Only by the intrusion of this Wonderful Lover into our broken and contrite souls can we begin to respond with our lives in worship to the One who deserves nothing less.

"Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use His words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thanksul hearts. And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through Him to God the Father." -Colossians 4:16-17

Tuesday morning

It's Tuesday morning and I've got about 4 and a half days until the Sr High Winter Retreat. Though there's much to be done before we leave on Friday evening, I'm really excited about the group we've got going down to Pyoca this year...

I've been so encouraged through the fellowship of several of my brothers in Christ this past week. As I spoke with Kyle yesterday afternoon, we both marveled at the idea of the revealing of God's mysterious plan for our lives does not end once you've reached the age of 28. As we both wrestle with our futures in very different seasons in our lives, I think we're able to pray for each other understanding our mutual sense of confusion as we step into the unknown having to trust fully in Christ with where he may be leading. I was able to have similar conversations recently with my good friends Josh, Phil, and Nick. These are other men in my life who challenge me to be honest and real about my brokenness. Their very friendship sharpens me like iron and presses my disobedient heart towards Jesus. I am so thankful for these brothers in Christ.

I love Jesus for how He loves me and loves me and loves me when I'm so dispicably unlovable.

May His unceasing love and mercy find you wherever you are at today!