The Upside of Long Distance Friends

It is no secret that one of the most difficult things about living and ministering in Alaska is the distance between us and our firends. There are many times when I am tempted to think about the distance and feel sorry for myelf. And while I cannot simply call one of you up to go for coffee, those times when I am on the road and able to drop in for a visit become like a spring in the dessert.

So, instead of focusing on the distance I chose to see the blessing. I am blessed that on almost every trip I take, there is at least one of you I call friend who is nearby. Wheather it's Onatrio, the Maratimes, East Coast USA, or Washington, there is a friend nearby to go for coffee. While you may not always be the reason for the trip, you are always the highlight. So thank you for your friendships. Thank you for opening your homes and allowing us into your families.

There may not always be a reason to come to Alaska, but know that our door is always opened to you.

I Have Arrived IPod Nation!!!

I don't yet have the beautiful piece of art that is the IPod, but it should arrive in the mail on Friday. I'm so giddy with anticipation that I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. This past Sunday, our church took time to honor the pastoral staff and I have to say that it was very overwhelming. Prior to this, my week finished with Sunday being just as trying and difficult as the rest of the week. With each step, the day got harder and then one of our board members took the mike following the anouncements and began to honor the staff with words and gifts. The BM invited all the teens that were at the service to come to the front and share how God has been using me to impact their lives. I don't get emotional too often, but that really meant a lot to me. In one brief moment, all the junk that had been going on over the past week just seem to disappear. The BM presented me with a gift card for Best Buy, at which time everyone began laughing (for those of you who don't know me, I love technology and gadgets)(this is where the IPod comes in), as well as a gas card and certificate for a really nice restaurant so that Ang and I could have a nice date.

I know that I didn't become a pastor so that I could be showered with gifts and words of affirmation, but I have to admit that it sure was nice. Not only did God show me how much loves and cares for me but He also allowed me to see how He is using me. If you are anything like me, you are always asking if the time and effort you have put into the teens has had any impact. On Sunday, God gave me a glimpse into just that...and also an IPod.

The Beauty of a Pregnant Woman

I knew that when Ang and I decided to start having children, our lives would never be the same. One area that has definitely changed is the way in which I see my wife. I have come to the conclusion that my wife is the most beautiful pregnant woman that has ever lived. Not only is she pysically beautiful, but on those days when she is not extremely emotional because of the rush of hormones running through her body, her countenance is beautiful (on the emotional days, her physical beauty covers the emotions). I can't help but look at my wife and think to myself, "Man, my wife is hot!" I wonder if it was in God's plan for women to get even more beautiful when they are pregnant?! It is definitely the case with my wife. So since I don't have a picture to attach to this post because I am down in Seattle right now, you will just have to take my word for it as well as my apologies for the rest of the men in the world for snatching up the most beautiful pregnant woman that lives.

Super-Size My Worship, And Give Me a Side-Order of Pastoral Visits

The longer that I am in ministry, the more I see how consumeristic our society really is. For the most part the church has become a place where a person asks, "What can I get out of this experience," instead of, "What can I give God through this experience." People will stay as long as their needs are being met, but if the church down the street can offer more for the dollar they put in the offering plate, by next Sunday they will be attending the church down the street.

Now I know that this is not always the caase and many of our churches have those people who would be the ones to go down with the ship. I thank God for the people who get what church is really about. It is those people who give you support when everyone else has turned their backs on you. It is those people who pray for you until...no, they pray and pray and pray. It is those people who have caught onto the vision that God has for the Church and are willing to see it through until fruition.

Going back to the first group of people - how do we help people to see that church is not really about them? In our attempts to help people heal and have their needs met through programs and services, have we fed that consumeristic mentality? I'm not saying that we don't bring the healing salvation of the gospel to people or even that we don't offer things like nursery and junior church, but how do we re-establish the number one reason for church?

Speaking of Gifts...

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that I'm a little on the sensitive side with certain things in life. One of those such areas is with the gifting that God has given me. Over the last few years I have discovered that I am a natural encourager. I love to encourage people. Sometimes I am just so filled with love and joy and gratitude that I just can't keep it in. The problem with this is that people don't seem to know how to handle it. It's not like I go crazy and wrap my arms around them and shower them with kisses or anything, I just speak from my heart what I am feeling at the time. What usually happens is that people will then make fun of me for encouraging them. Here is where the sensitivity comes in. When I encourage people, I am putting myself out there; I am doing what goes counter-culteral which is why most people have a hard time dealing with it. When they make fun of me, part of me never wants to encourage someone again, but the other part of me knows that I can't help but encourage people because that is what I was created to do.

So there it is. I share this simply as my way of dealing with my struggle and nothing more. I will go on, and I will likely keep on encouraging. Sometimes it just helps to get it out to deal with it.

The Beauty of Music

I have always loved music. I can remember delivering newspapers as a kid and I would usually sing as I slung the papers to the front steps of the homes. There would be times when I was just so happy that I would actually try to make new songs as I covered my route. I can imagine that the people I passed thought that I was crazy or something because I don't have a gift when it comes to writting music, but I didn't care because I just wanted to sing.

When I was in middle school, I promised my parents that if they got me a guitar I would practice every day. Well, they got me a guitar but it just sat in my room collecting dust. I wanted to play the guitar but I just didn't want to put the effort into practicing it. That's the cool thing about getting older. I have come to realize that some of the joys in life take hard work and discipline.

Last December, I purchased a new guitar, this time making the promise to my wife that I would practice it and not allow it to collect dust like my first guitar. I'm older now and a little more mature, and I now know that I can make this piece of wood with strings attached to it make beautiful music, but it takes hard work and discipline. While I am no Sween or Billings, I am learning how to make music. There is something inside of me that is not simply content to have music played for me...I desire, I crave to make music myself. And while those around me may think I'm crazy with what they hear coming from my guitar, I know that God considers my music beautiful. And that's what I think is the beauty of music. I am not playing my guitar for you or for me, but I am playing it for God and if I only ever play it for Him, that makes all hard work and discipline worth it.

So Many Questions

Just when I thought things would slow down after the summer, the fall is here with changes to our youth program, 4 flights out of state, and baby prearations. I wonder when I will be able to catch my breath?! I have a question to ask, and I know that asking questions have been the flavor of the month in the world of bloggardom but it is a question that has been on my mind for quite some time. So here it is,

"Should we be giving opportunities to teens to load up on sugar and caffine at youth events, when they are already consuming such large amounts to begin with?"

Allow me to put this in context for you. By opportunities I am meaning a snack shack at youth camp, an espresso stand at youth, prizes for games that involve candy and soda, a soda machine in the youth room, etc., all in the name of creating a fun, relaxed atmoshpere. I just read an article that said that the new drug for this generation is not crack or speed, but caffine and I believe that it's true. Now more than ever, kids are eating less meals with their families because everyone is so busy and the meals that they do eat with them many times are not healthy. So let me know what you think.

The Power of Integrity

It has been a while since I have posted and that is due mostly to the fact that I have had little to post about. My life has been so chaotic lately and on top of that I have also been going through a very low time in my life. By "low time" I mean experiencing a distancing from God. Just like most, it is easier to keep busy than it is to acknowledge the fact that with each step I take, I get farther away from God. It's not that I'm giving up on God or being a Christian; it's just that I get distracted from Him with temporal things and before I know it, I am no longer by His side. Sometimes it just seems so hard to love Him. I'm just so tired and even though I know that I need Him, it's just easier to not put anything into the relationship. Then I deal with this self-guilt because I know I should be spending time with Him, but instead I find other things to do. Every fiber of my being cries out to live a life of integrity, and all I see is this mask that I am wearing. God knows what's going on; I know what's going on; but everyone else sees this happy guy who has it together.

I originally started out to post about the ingethrity of Audio A and Pokect Full of Rocks, and for some reason I just felt compelled to share what is on my heart. I know that this post may come as a surprise to some of you, especially my wife. There are times I wish that I could change the way God made me; I wish that God had created me to feel more, to experience emotions more, but I know that I have to come to grips with the way that God created me. It may be harder for me to feel God's love but I know that it isn't impossible. It's hard for me to ask for help, especially when it comes to my personal life, but if God puts it on your heart to pray for me, please do. My heart's desire is to live a life of integrity and to never leave the side of Jesus. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to bare my heart. Someday, I hope that it is said of me that, "there was a man who walked so close to God that whenevre they saw him, they saw Jesus."

Well, What Do You Know...

I have been trying to come up with an ingenious way to share this, and I figure that a picture says a thousand words, so here it is...

Finally!!! My very own mini-me. If you want more details, head over to my wife's website to get the dirt on the new addition to our family.

What Will Heaven Be Like?

Last night, Ang and I watched a movie called The Five People You Meet in Heaven. It was a made for TV movie, but actually quite entertaining. I wouldn't camp out on the theology of the movie but it was enough to get me thinking about life, death, and heaven. The main premise of the movie is that every life has an impact on other lives. The people we come in contact with, how we respond to situations, the choices we make - all of these impact those around us. Through out the course of the movie, Eddie Maintenance, met five different people that each helped him to see how he had an impact on their lives. In turn, it also gave him answers to many of his questions surrounding his life. It was this last point that impacted me the most.

I know that no matter how much I try to imagine what heaven will be like, I will fall short. But one thing I imagine heaven to be like is a time spent with God where He will help us to understand our lives. Why? Because I believe that as God reveals to us the details of our lives, the answers to our questions, He will bring glory to Himself, showing us exactly how He was in control all along.

Almost from the beginning of our lives, we want to know why. Why do I hurt? Why do I have to obey? Why did that happen? We are always asking the question why and I believe that when we get to heaven, God will reveal the answers. Why heaven? Why do we need to wait until then? Well in the famous words of Jack, "You want the truth?! You can't handle the truth!" I believe that God knows that we can't always handle the why's of life and that is why need to just trust in Him and know that someday, we will see.

Just Another Slogger

I can't believe that it has been a month since I've posted something. A lot has happened so it has been hard to get online and leave a post, and since it seems as though everyone else is posting recaps on what's been happening, I'll do the same. So here's the last month in a nut-shell:

1. Angela's grandmother passed away which meant that Dale (her father and my boss), was back in Ontario for 4 out of 5 weeks. While he was gone, I preached 2 services each Sunday, ran the youth, took care of chruch business, performed my first wedding (only found out 4 days before the wedding), and tried to catch a few moments of sleep.

2. Went to Seattle for our annual conference. Picked up 2 new cd's - Day of Fire's new one and another band who I can't remember. Returned car rental and left cd's in car. Hope it blesses someone.

3. Got the new Interlinc package. Not impressed with this one. One highlight was a new band called EleventySeven. Worth a listen. I wish that they had some kind of voting system set up so you could pick the cd's you want instead of what they give.

4. Went fishing when I got back from Seattle. Caught my first King Salmon. Check out the picture below. Figure it was around 30lbs.

5. Watched game 7 and wondered where the Oliers were, because they must have forgot that it was game 7!

Death Of A Salesman

Today, I was out to lunch with one of my adult leaders. As we were leaving the restaurant I saw a salesman trying to sell the restaurant an ad space in the local phone book. I commented to my adult leader that it would suck to be a salesman trying to convince someone that they needed what you were selling. I didn't think much of it until I got back to my office and started brainstorming on how I can convinvce teens to come to youth camp this summer. All of a sudden I realized that in some ways I was just like that salesman I witnessed. Now mind you, what I am trying to sell is of much more importance than just any earthly thing. Teens are very picky about how they spend their time and when there is so much competing for their attentions, sometimes I lose to the competetion.

The hard part of it is that it makes me weary just thinking about it. The last thing I want to do is sell something no matter how great it is. I wish that we didn't have to convince teens how much they needed God; I wish that they just knew. I know that there is a balance between just lettling it all happen, allowing teens to miss out on things and hearing about it later, and doing everything in your power to get them out to something that will change their lives. The hard thing for me is always knowing where that line is and when to leave it up to God. If I had it my way, the salesman would just die.

Crazy Cross Guy

Last night, Ang and I took about a dozen teens to a Kutless concert. It was awesome! Probably one of the best concerts that I have been to in a long time. The cool thing was watching several hundred teens worshiping God as Kutless led us in a worship set. I love it when a band will use a concert to worship God.

Even though that was the highlight of the night, something else happend that took a close second. Ang and I were sitting up in the balcony enjoying the concert when we notcie this 50+ old guy that looked like Santa in a leather coat, with the word redeeemed written across it. He was at the front with all the moshers holding up a cross. No big deal! But 10 minutes later, I saw him on the other side of the stage, now throwing his cross in the air. I thought to myself, man, this guy gets around. I continued to enjoy the concert by looking at the projection screens to get a different view. At this time it was a panned out view of the stage so you could see the heads of the crowd as they sang to the music. All of a sudden, I saw the cross. Crazy Cross Guy was now in the center of the crowd holding up his cross again. It was like playing Where's Waldo, only instead of Waldo it was Crazy Cross Guy.



(This a Youth Pastor scketch of what the Crazy Cross Guy looked like.)


This is where it gets really good. The concert was coming to an end and Kutless was coming out to do their last two songs. I was looking for CCG (the abrev is a call out for all the WOTWs) and couldn't find him anywhere. Just as Kutless began their last song, Crazy Cross Guy ran out onto the stage. I couldn't believe my eyes. Just before he made it to the center of the stage, he was grab by the back of his coat and brought down. It was amazing. Crazy Cross Guy was everywhere. What a night!

Change-a-holic

Do you ever go through times in your life where you just need change? I'm sitting here in my office realy wanting to change the layout. but I just don't know how to make it work (space issues). At home, I want to move the computer upstairs so that I can hook my 360 up to xbox live, which would entail major change to the spare bedroom. In youth minitsry I am constantly thinking about how to change the way we do things. I have found that if you don't change things from time to time, people get bored, but sometimes too much change is not good either. I think that I might be a change junkie. I thrive on change and while others tend to fear it, I long for it. Even now, as I look at my blog I feel like doing a major overhaul just to change it.

Mullets Everywhere

I know that seeing two posts in one day might be too much too handle, but when I saw this on ESPN I had to share it with everyone. Anyone who has watched any amount of hockey knows that for some reason hockey and mullets go hand in hand. With that in mind, ESPN has compiled a gallery of the best mullets in hockey history. Just click here to view the whole gallery. I picked the best (maybe scariest) ones. Enjoy!

Go Habs!

My absence over the past couple of weeks has been a result of the stress that the end of the hockey season puts on a guy. I mean, the Canadiens were 9-1-0 going into the last four games of the season, only needing 2 points to clinch a playoff spot. Then, they decide to make things interesting by leaving it up to the competition to lose so they didn't have to win. It wasn't until the second-lat day of the season that they clinched a playoff spot - only to go up against the Huricanes, a team they hadn't beat all season.

Not having access to the games on the tube, I have been forced to listen to them on the internet. Ang is constantly asking me to turn down the volume, but I can't! The first game they played, the Canes scored less than a minute into the game. It looked like it was over for Montreal, but that was the only goal Heut allowed for the whole game. Then last night, Montreal won again in 2OT. They are 2-0 going home for 2 games. Go Habs!

The Oxymoron That Is Preaching

I don't know about the rest of you, but preaching has always been a love-hate relationship for me. When I first came on staff here @ skyline, Dale told me that he wanted me to preach once a month. He explained to me that it would be good practice. For about the first year and a half, I was bitter about this. I told myself that preaching wasn't my focused, that youth suffered because I had to devote the week to preparing my sermon. The real truth of the matter was that I was afraid. I was afriad that all this "practice" meant that I wouldn't always be a youth pastor. I was afraid that I might mess-up and preach something that wasn't theologically correct. I was afraid to admit that maybe, just maybe, I have a gift of preaching.

Why is it that we fear to embrace that which we are called to do?

Why can't I accept the way God made me and use it for His glory?

Why have I allowed fear to rule my life instead of God?

I still have fears, but I am learning to let go of them and trust God. I'm no longer bitter about preaching once a month. It is good practice and whatever God may have in store for me down the road, I know that he will give me the grace to walk that path when the time comes. I guess what I am saying is don't allow your fears to govern your life. Instead of running from what it is that you are afraid of, turn around and face it head-on.

Homer Simpson's Fantasy

Just when I thought North Americans couldn't get any fatter, I came across this, ah...well you just need to see it to believe it.

"The ballpark sandwich will include a hamburger topped with sharp cheddar cheese and two slices of bacon -- all between a "bun" made of a sliced Krispy Kreme Original Glazed doughnut. "

Pounding away just one of these sandwiches will use up almost half of your daily recommended calorie intake as well as 45 grams of fat. Why not try to washing it down with a nice warm cup of cooking grease. If you don't have any on hand, you can probably squeeze it out of the sandwich.

A Shameless Plug for Youth Camp

I know that the snow is barely melting, but one thing you need to know about Alaskans is that we don't waste one moment of good weather. For that reason, I know that many families are planning their summer vacations, so I thought I would put a plug in for my youth camp just in case some of my teens stumble across my blog.

Our speaker for camp this summer is none other than Tim Branscombe himself (He even has a blog, not that he'll ever post again- check out "Never Ending Supply of Blogs"). The dates for camp are Aug 13th-18th and the cost is $200 ($185 if you register early). Nothing else you do this summer will be as fun as Youth Camp. Make sure you tell your parents to keep those dates open. And invite your friends. If you need registrations you can email me @ pastormorgan@skylinefamily.com.

Spaceballs Had It Right

Usernames and passwords are the bane of my existence. It seems like you have to have a username and password to do anything any more, and there is always a reason why you can't use the same one you always use.

"Someone else has it."

"You need a letter and number."

"No spaces or symbols."

"Just because we don't like you!"

Once you finally find one that works, what do you do with the 357 different usernames and passwords that you have? You can rely on your memory but that's like playing that cup game where you need to guess what cup has the nut under it, only now you have 357 cups to choose from. So your only other option is to store them in a program somewhere that will more than likely require you to use another password. But you say to me, "You can always retrieve a forgotten username or password." Sure you can, once you get through the buttload of secret questions that can be about the most random things.

"What was the name of your neighbor's third dog, twice removed?"

"What was the color of your crush's shirt in grade 3, on October 17th?"

This whole username and password thing is just a giant conspiracy the government is using to distract us long enough so they can tax us even more without us noticing. So, if it seems as though it has been a while since I have posted something, it's likely because I'm trying to pick one of the 357 cups that might have my username and password under it!

MySpace, YourSpace, Who'sSpace?

I decided yesterday, that I would take some time and check out this MySpace hype that I have been hearing my teens talk about. I have to say that what I found really surprised me. It amazed me to see just how much detail people were putting on the internet. I found teens who come from really strong Christian homes talking about how they smoke weed and get drunk with their friends. I read more profanity and sexual comments than I have ever heard in any movie. There seemed to be no bounds for what could be talked about. Neither Ang or I were prepared for what we saw, and too be honest, it has left us feeling an incredible weight of responsibility for these teens. Could we have done more? Have we in some way pushed them to this? It's so hard in YM because you give your all for these kids and sometimes, it's just thrown right back at you. One good thing that has come from all of this is that as I read their spaces, I see the hurt, the low self-esteem, the hate they feel. I see where they need to be loved and it gives me hope. Maybe there is something I can do...I can love them where no one else has shown them love...I can love them with Christ's love. And yet again I am amazed at how God has taken what Satan intened for evil and is using it for good.

Ah, the stench of a clean home

I just got home from a weekend men's retreat. It was great, we ate, built fires, shot tennis balls out of a launcher, ate, went snowmobiling, and ate some more. It was a good time of getting away and just enjoying nature. The thing about these weekends is that you don't realize how bad you smell (no running water, and polar dipping was not an option) until you walk through the door of a clean house. When you are with a bunch of guys who smell just as bad as you, you don't notice the stench. It was so bad that my own wife wouldn't even kiss me until I showered. Nothing better than being a man!

Inspiration....Not Hype

Today, for whatever reason, I decided that I might give this blogging thing a try. I'm not much of a journal type, but from time to time I do think about life and the randomness that it brings. As I was reading some of your blogs, I decided it would be good to have a place to put some of those thoughts down and see what comes of it. One thing that is true of Alaska, is that for as beautiful as it is, it is so very much secluded. The one thing that I miss most being here is the interaction of my friends. So as I give this a shot, offer grace, because we all know how apathetic I was with WOTW.