It’s been a while…

I’ve said that a lot lately huh?  But, I am getting back into the blogging thing for good.  I really have always enjoyed writing.  It brings me joy…especially when I am able to express myself and bring others a source of joy or encouragement.  I have always been complimented as a writer, but have never really made it a priority.  Lately, I’ve felt an urge to write and update my blog.  I have been a little “off my game” since my big transition to Florida.  I’m still adjusting to new schedules, routines, environments etc.  But, my thoughts on ministry, our Creator God, sports and family are on the way!  Thanks for those who have patiently encouraged me to write more often!

 

I’m Loving It…

I recently saw a commercial that completely articulates how I often feel.  Believe it or not, this commercial was for none other than…McDonald’s.  That right…McDonald’s.  The advertisement focused on the fact that they now offer cappuccino.  Now, you might be thinking, “big deal”, but let me tell you why this commercial was both hilarious and packed full of truth.

The commercial starts out with two trendy looking guys sipping cappuccino together, while engrossing themselves in some deep, philosophical literature.  The setting appears to be your typical “artsy” or “intellectual” coffee shop or cafe.  I am not saying these places are bad, but you know the ones, where if you aren’t feeling especially “cool” that day, then you probably should go through the drive-through, or if you don’t have the right lap-top or reading material, then you might as well be ready to get stared down by the regulars (if you’re smart, you can just forget to shave for a few days and stop combing your hair…then you’re good to go ).

Anyway, the environment appears to be one thing, but the scene is set in such a way that the two men in the shot have a simultaneous Epiphany.  One of the men blurts out, “McDonald’s sells cappuccino now?!” And this is where the commercial get hilarious and spreads some serious truth (at least in my mind ).  The other actor looks up from his reading and says, “You mean, I can shave this thing off of my face?” (making reference to his dark, thick soul patch forming a nice triangle between his bottom lip and chin)   To which the other actor responds, “Yeah and we can stop calling movies, films.” And then the conversations goes back and forth like so:

“Yeah, and I can watch football…I really like football!”

“And, I can get rid of these glasses…they’re fake!”

The shot ends with a sense of freedom for the two men.  The reason why I love this commercial is because I think a lot of us struggle with identity and being comfortable in our own skin.  It’s tough when we feel that we have to live up to someone else’s expectation and lose the freedom to just be ourselves.  As a young adult Christian…and especially as a Youth Pastor, I often feel the pressure to be what is labeled as “cool.”  You know what the cool Christian looks like.  If you don’t, try opening an issue of “Relevant Magazine” or go to any 40 and under Christian conference.  You will see a lot of what is depicted in the McDonald’s commercial.  You will see the trendy hair, the trendy glasses, and the tight T-shirts.  Now, it’s totally cool if this is who you are, but I think a lot of times, people are just trying to fit a certain mold.  Well, if that’s the mold for what a young adult Christian or Pastor should look like, or read, or drink, or talk like, then I would be lying if I tried to live that way.  I’m just going to try and be me.

I am who I am.  I’m trying to love myself the way God created me.  I often speak to Middle and High School kids about finding their true identity in Christ, yet I still feel confused, at times, as to what I should look like, or how I should speak, or who I truly am.  Thank you McDonald’s for bringing me some clarity and reminding me of just how silly it can be to try and fit a “mold” that truly isn’t me.

I wrote some another blog post here that continues some discussion on identity.  You should check it out some time and give me your thoughts.  I would love to talk with you.

 

A Part of Something Bigger Than Myself…

It’s been a rough football week for me…

The team I coach lost their first game of the season last week.  My beloved Buckeyes looked confused, slow,  timid and got embarrassed again on the National Stage (boy, isn’t USC the most arrogant football team ever?).  The Browns dropped passes, made mistakes and were unwilling to take chances against the Steelers.  All of these losses affected my mood.  I found myself going to bed angry last night.  Why?  I don’t know…I mean it’s just football.  I don’t play for the Buckeyes…I don’t coach for the Browns…I need to expect that my team of 7 & 8th graders will make mistakes sometimes.  So, what’s the deal?  Well, if I take a step back and really see why I can get so passionate about sports, and sometimes why a loss can affect my mood, what I really see is this:  I want to be a part of something BIG. I love to be on a mission.  I love to have vision.  I love to lead.  I love to be led by visionaries. There is also a part of me that is looking for something to conquer.  At the surface level, this is not a bad thing, but I need to be reminded of something: I am a part of something BIG!

 

Yeah, it’s been a while

Yeah, so it’s been a while since I’ve blogged. It’s been a crazy last 5-6 weeks for me. Then, I went through this internal rebellion against blogging. I asked myself questions like, “why should I feel pressure to blog…what’s the fascination with it?” and “what’s my motivation for blogging?” But, anyway, I’m back at it. Here are a few things I’ve experienced and learned since my last blog: