I LOVE MEDIA (Part 1)

So I have noticed a trend with my Blog.
I don't seem to like to write out much but I love to share stuff that I have found. Most of the items I share are videos and other bloggers stuff. I think it may be that I have always loved media. When I say media I mean any way of sharing a story or a topic through TV, Videos, Internet, Social media, music etc. I don't know if it is b/c I grew up in the time where computers and internet had just come on the scene and how it was just fascinating to me. Or maybe it was b/c me and my dad watch to many episodes of Star Trek. So whenever a new technology would come out we would always think that they stole it from Star Trek.

Well either way media play such a large part or most our lives. If that’s good or bad I leave it up to determine. Because in I know that here have been many time in my life where I have had to Fast media, because it played too big of a role in my life. But so has Food, and there has to be some balance when it comes to both.

But I just love how media can stir up people, how it can touch the heart. How it can encourage, empower, engage, and excite people.

For example if I watch a Movie that has some form a action in it, like a Jackie Chan movie, or Military flicks like Saving Private Ryan. It stirs up something inside. It makes me want to fight. It makes me want to right all the wrongs, go into battle, fight the good fight. It makes me want to get up and do something!

Or when I watch some other movies like Pixar’s UP or Toy Story 3 that make me emotional or even to the point of crying (don't even laugh, I love Cartoons…Ask my Wife). They tug at my emotions and make me feel compassion for an old man I’ve never meet (and doesn’t even exits) or feel sad when Woody finds a new home!

I just love the way these Film and other forms of media can tug at our heart strings. But that doesn’t always mean that I it is a good thing. We can use emotion to stir us, to push us, to encourage us but if that is all that we use we will be like a leaf in the wind going wherever our emotions take us…but I don’t want to talk about that yet (that will be in part 2) So there again has to be a balance.

All of this to say “I love media” and when I say love it more love when I say “I love Blue Bell Ice-cream”. It is not the same kind of love as when I say “I love my Wife, or when I say “I love my beautiful little girl, Ansley”. That kind of Love is on a whole over playing field.

Now to keep thing in perspective I do not believe that all media is good, but not all media is bad. But as Christian we must learn how to leverage this tool effectively. Not to trick someone’s with their emotions. But like it says in Heb 10:24-25...

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Heb 10:24-25

“…stir up one another to love and good works…” and I believe through media we can do it in an amazingly effective way.

….To BE CONNTINUED

But one more thing before you leave….So of course I want to end with a piece of "Media" that I really like. Hope it relates to what I am saying....Enjoy!

Cookie Monster Audition for SNL!

I think that people at Sesame Street are some of the funniest people ever. I think they have to much fun at what they Do. Example, this video with cookie monster auditioning for SNL!

25 Things I hate about Facebook Vid

This is so funny but so True!!!!

Owl City: In Christ alone

So if you don't know it already, I really like Owl City. There music just gets inside of my head and I just can’t get it out. So, recently I was listening to the radio and herd one of the most popular songs (Fireflies) and the radio host mentioned that they were Crazy Awesome Christians. So this just took my love for them to another level.
So I ran into a blog by them today that just blew me away. The lead singer decided to record his version of "In Christ alone" here is the link to the blog. Enjoy!

Owl City: In Christ Alone

Social Media we must remember to disconnect-to-connect!!!

Sometime we get some caught up in life that we just forget about how to live it! We make people that are the most important to us fell invisible. Social Media is great and I will be the first person to defend the benefits of it. But we have to make sure that we live our lives, by loving others "Face to Face" not "Blackberry to iPhone".
(This is a message for me!!!)

***this blog post was inspired by Johnathan Cliff @ http://www.jonathancliff.com/2010/10/disconnect-to-connect/

Invest and Invite someone....

I just got this blog update from David Wakerly (Children's Pastor @ Hillsong) and instantly thought that I should share this with everyone. This is what its all about!!!!!!

Family Man

As you may know I am a Children's Pastor at New Hope Worship Center and I love my Job. The Lord has bless me more than I can ever express. and if you spend any time with me you will know that that is just a title that is not who I am. I am first a Follower of Christ, without him I am nothing. Next I am a father and a Husband, this is the primary "ministry" in my life. And lastly I am a Minister to Children.

My family will always come first before any ministry that I am a part of. This realization has take may years and many mistakes to understand it clearly.

One thing that comes to mind when I think about my family and how I plan out time with them was a question given by a children's ministry at http://www.thechurchlv.com/napkin-conference. He asked "Do you spend as much time planing time with you family as you do planning out special event for you ministry? This hit me hard b/c I would have to say no.

We sometime get more involved in planing out what color scheme we are going to use for VBS this year then "Getting Involved" in what I am going to do with my family this weekend.

So I would like to just encourage you to "Get Involved" with you family. Spend time planing out you next trip to Disney World (I will be doing that ASAP). And remember the example that we should ultimately follow, on how the church(our ministry) should work, is based on the best model that has ever been created Our Family!

Here is a video that expresses a little about how I feel about my family( found this on
http://www.jonathancliff.com/ )

Double Rainbow

I maybe late in the blogging world when it comes to this video, I just thought you guys would enjoy this video.
It is probably one of the funnest things Ive ever seen. Maybe this is how Noah reacted when he saw the first rainbow.
Enjoy.....

Children's Pastor Score Card

This is a blog post written by Sam Luce a childrens pastor in the NY area. A must read so Funny!!

 My friend and fellow blogger Kenny has been doing a great series about the getting a job in children’s ministry and sharing a bit of his journey. I interned as a youth pastor and thought I was hired to be a youth pastor but due to semantics and devine providence I became a children’s pastor through a less than traditional path. I thought what might have helped me and may help you is a score card to know if your are called to kids ministry. It is pretty simple really the higher you score the more likely you are ment to work with kids. There are a few ministry score cards out there. The most famous being the Metrosexual Worship leader. I thought that children’s ministry deserved one.
The Children’s Pastor Scorecard.

You have bought your body weight in candy at wal-mart = +2 points

You can name more than two makers of glue sticks = +3 points

You find puppets disturbing = -2 points

Part of the interview process you ask if the church has a choir = +1 point

You can juggle = +1 point

You can juggle on a unicycle = +3 points

You wear a scarf with a tee-shirt = -3 points

You know what american apparel is = -1 point

You can recuit volunteers and do prison ministry at the same time = +2 points

You watch cartoons for fun = +1 point

You have a gotee = -2 points

You call church “big church” = +2 points

Two weeks before VBS people avoid you (no seriously they see you and walk on the other side of road) = +3 points

You know any lyrics from any Fergie song = -4 points

You know all the lyrics from the pirates who don’t do anything = + 4 points

You have ever wore a Bob the Tomato tee-shirt in public = +2 points

You use product = -3 points

You have no idea what “product” is = +3 points

You can turn any object around you into a lesson with a biblical basis = +5 points

You have ever seen an episode of the “The Hills” = -3 points

You have ever used a video clip from “The Hills” to set up your bible story = -6 points

You have ever said “Lets say the verse so loud they hear you in Big church” = +1 point

You print money with Jesus’ face on it and don’t think twice about it = +2 points
You want to put your fist through someones face when they say “They are just kids” = +4 points
You blame the youth group for anything that goes wrong at church = +2 points
You own a pair of designer jeans = -2 points
You own a pair of girl’s designer jeans = -10 points

You have more kids music than adult music on your iPod = +1 point
You have stayed at the church cleaning up after a Halloween alternative till 3:30am = +2 points
You think finnis and ferb are Greek gods = -2 points

When you hear the orange you think of fruit = -3 points
You can keep 140 kids entertained for and hour with a piece of felt, a picture of Jesus and a rock = +4 points
When talking to adults in “big church” you refer to them as boys and girls = +3 points
You have ever received a pie in the face = +1 point
You can turn any piece of cloth into an impromptu puppet = +2 points

You work full time at a secular job so that you can do what you are passionate about, teach the next generation that God loves them and has a plan for them = +50 points
You are just being the kids pastor to get experience so you can one day be a youth pastor = -50 points
You can name all the characters on Yo Gabba Gabba = +3 points
You just said Yo whaty what? = -3 points
You have seen Phil Vischer at a conference and tell him who your favorite talking vegetable is and why = +4 points
You had no idea vegetables could talk = -4 points
You have built something using PVC pipes = +1 point
You dry heave at the sight or mention of “goldfish crackers” = +2 points

You have been known to wear fanny packs on mission trips. = +2 points

You have visited Disney world more than 5 times = +2 points
You tweet the hashtag #kidmin more than Perry Noble tweets about food = +3 points

You eat coco crispies for breakfast = +1 point
You eat cold pizza for breakfast = -1 point
You have ever worn a pair of sunglasses indoors ever = -4 points

You think ultimate frisbee is awesome = -2 points
You think can remember the last 5 years worth of VBS themes from group but don’t know who won the superbowl = +10 points
You think let people volunteer based on their vibe and think background checks are over the top = -20 points
You have ever had to coax a kid out of the churches indoor playground using food = +3 points
You get an instant migrane when your phone rings before church = +1 point
You own a marshmallow gun, tee-shirt canon or fog machine = +3 points each
You can do at least three different voices on command = +3 points
Have ever dreamed of switching places with the speaker in “big church” and going 20 minutes longer because you had one last good story = +5 points
Can turn a snack into a craft and explain the resurrection of christ to a 2 year old all in 10 minutes. = +3 points
When the guest speaker asks when he is suppose to finish and you yell something other than “right now” = -5 points
You have used the letter Z instead of the letter S in the past 2 years = +4 points

You thing it’s weird that youth pastors are so fixated on the letter X. = +4 points
If you have ever felt the pressure that your kids have to be perfect because you are a “kid professional” = +5 points

If you remember Kidology’s logo before it was a lightbulb = +1 point
If you don’t know what Kidology is because you think you might have skipped that class in school = -3 points
If you have ever told a bible story to a group of kids with a Starbucks in your hand = -2 points
If stuck on an deserted island even though you lack the skills to survive more than 3 days within 1 hour you have 2 crafts, 3 object lessons and 4 bible stories using just 1 coconut. = +5 points
If you have ever taken a job because the pastor hired you to work with “youth” and you thought he ment teens so you move 3,ooo miles to find out when he means teens he says “young people” = +100 points
Add up your score.
0-25 You are not a kids pastor you are a youth pastor who received this link from your kids pastor.
25-50 You are a summer intern who is working with kids because you think it will help you score points with the ladies. Well your cover is blown. You have two choices grow a gotee and work with “young people” or buy a pair of women’s designer jeans and a scarf and start leading worship.

50-100 You are starting to learn the ropes you still tell people that you are a youth pastor. You haven’t fully embarrassed the christian sub-sub culture that is children’s ministry. You have one foot in kids ministry and one in youth ministry. You could go either way.
100+ – You are a die hard veteran, you live and breath all things kidmin. When you cut you bleed marshmallow. You can name every character on ever veggie tales movie. You are crazy enough to think that the future of the church is located in the basement of the church. That the future of the church depends on the church learning to equip, train, lead and inspire a generation of kids.

Bobbie McFerrin FUN!!!

I saw this video on David Wakerley's blog the other day and I would also love to try this out with the kids to see if it would work!!!!