Sticks & Chisels 2.1

Yesterday, the groundhog saw no shadow on a day when a huge majority of our country is frozen solid, so we all look forward to an early Spring. Doesn't really seem connected to me, but... whatever.

Today, I took a looked back into the shadows of this blog and found some of my favorites listed among the most visited posts here over the last 6 or 7 months. Not sure what it all means for tomorrow's weather, but at least we're above zero.

#10  Humility of a Half-Marathoner - Some humble, post-race reflection after the CO half marathon. I can't even remember the pain anymore, but man that was fun!

  #8  Dear Youth Minister... - This is why I don't quit - and I'm glad to be hearing outside this blog how this has been an encouragement to youth workers I'd never have had the opportunity to encourage otherwise.

  #7  A Question Regarding a Church Planting Mindset - Eric Bryant sparked a thought in me that hasn't gone away. What if we were planting a church with a team as big as our current congregation and with the same budget? I'd love to have you go back and check this one out and dream together in the comments section, especially if you're from WestWay...

  #4  Help Us Help Haiti - An invitation to a concert we hosted to benefit the earthquake relief efforts in Northwest Haiti Christian Mission. There is still so much to be done...

  #1  Leaders Who Don't Know What to Do - An admission that sometimes, we just don't know what to do - and that puts us in pretty good company, and causes us to depend on Someone who does know what to do. This one got picked up by YouthWorker (the online home of YouthWorker Journal) for their blog section, which bumped it up from sixth (or so) to first.

Still Hurting in Haiti

We still have work to do to make sure people see the nearness of God - even in the most painful of circumstances. Great reminder of this from Lecrae's new song/video - He's giving proceeds from the sale of the song to Churches Helping Churches for rebuilding in Haiti.

Thanks for Helping Us Help Haiti

The benefit concert for Northwest Haiti Christian Mission with Remedy Drive was a blast. It started with an email listing a few open dates for the band and fell together more quickly than I could have imagined. That seems to be the trend with the whole experience.

I knew there'd be a bit of a 'built in' crowd because we were doing it on Wednesday night instead of our regular worship time with the students.  I hoped to convince a couple other youth leaders to bring their groups as well, but wasn't sure - we churches aren't always the most prone to changing plans at the last minute. As it turns out, there were several congregations that were willing and able to do exactly that! We had groups here from Scottsbluff, Gering, and Alliance and people from all over the valley that made it to the show.  (My brother and a few friends even came up from Laramie.)

All because I'm such a great publicist/promoter... Ok, that's definitely not it! Maybe it was because everyone out here loves Remedy Drive... That's definitely more likely than the first claim, but I think there was something more happening. We were able to bring people together because we were doing something that matters. This wasn't just about the music - although Remedy Drive and Gabriel Tyce Bruton were great. It was about the church bringing hope to the hopeless. It was about Jesus opening doors and mobilizing His rescued people to be a part of the rescue of others.

I walked into the newspaper office hoping for a little blurb in the community calendar. The benefit concert ended up as a front page article. That turned into a TV interview with the local news station (which was followed up today by another short interview that should air tonight). The response from the community has been great. We raised just over $2300 Wednesday night for NWHCM - in addition to about $10,000 given to WestWay to send to NWHCM over the past couple weeks!

I'm feeling sort of like the little kid who gave up a few loaves and fish at the lake one day. Jesus took them and turned them into a whole lot more! He's pretty good at that... Don't just stay feeling helpless because you feel you don't have much to offer. Give the 'little' you think you have and watch what He can do.

Help Us Help Haiti

I'm pretty excited about the opportunity to host Remedy Drive this Wednesday night.  I like the band, but more than that, I'm excited about the way people are coming together to get relief to Haiti.  All of the money raised at the concert will go to Northwest Haiti Christian Mission's earthquake relief work.

A request for a small blurb in the calendar section of the paper turned into a front page story about the concert and relief to Haiti, and an interview with the local TV station!  Stories of tragedy and triumph keep coming in from news sources and teams at work in Haiti like the medical team we have down there right now. God is working through His Church to raise up hope from the rubble.

If you're still looking for a way to help, check out these options.
NWHC
Samaritan's Purse
Compassion
IDES

Also, for an up close and sobering look at what's going on in Haiti, check out Mark Driscoll's message from this past Sunday.

A Way Home...

I came across this video today from Aaron Ivey a musician in Austin who is in the process of adopting a boy named Amos from Haiti. Nearing the end of a two year process... but now with the earthquake, being forced to keep waiting... Some friends of mine from college are stuck in this same moment right now, and I can't imagine the waiting (praying for you guys).

But the video for this song took my thoughts beyond anxiously waiting adoptive fathers as well. It made me think of God and His desperation to "find a way to get you home." It cost Him everything to make a way for me to escape the rubble of this world and make it home to Him. I'm the orphan...

But I'm also a father... Praying for Amos and Conleigh and so many more.

Help Haiti

I haven't said a whole lot about the earthquake in Haiti, and haven't posted at all about it up to this point because I didn't feel like I should advocate action until I'd taken some. Honestly, it feels like there is little I can do. I can write a check (and have), but I can't be there doing something useful. Lots of money has been sent to Haiti, and more will continue to be sent, but it's only a first step.

What do you really know about Haiti? Despite the fact that my church sends teams to work there several times each year and I do actually know exactly 1 Haitian... I have to confess mostly ignorance beyond the basic fact that it's the "poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere". But I'm learning. Check out the World Factbook for a quick snapshot of the nation. Dig around and learn of some of the history of the island nation (natives driven out by Spain, replaced by Africans as slave labor, the nation ceded to France, revolt, independence, political unrest...). Learn. Give. Pray.

Northwest Haitian Christian Mission is the organization with which our church works closely. They are located a pretty good distance from the quake's epicenter (the nation is not quite as large as the state of Maryland though, so relatively speaking it's not far away). Port-au-Prince is the hub of the nation, so they will be deeply affected in the coming months as 'normal' supplies will be scarce and difficult to transport. No one in the nation will be untouched by the earthquake. Despite the difficulty to come for them, they are sending their own people and supplies into the wreckage to help in every way possible. This is the church at it's best in the worst imaginable circumstances. They are set up to take donations which will be immediately put to use on the ground in Haiti through this link. That link is specifically for this Earthquake Relief effort, not their regular operating expenses (though you can find links to that giving as well).  Mike Grant is one of the directors at NWHCM who is giving some of their perspective on his blog (when local electricity allows). Jody Castillo is also with the mission and shares her perspective as she tries to keep in contact with her husband, Jose who is in PAP doing whatever he can to help.

In addition to the link to NWHCM's giving page, Samaritan's Purse is another organization that is already in Haiti at work (focusing right now on clean water and temporary housing) through which you can donate, as is Compassion. CNN has compiled a list of a number of other organizations as well if you're looking for something specific. When I give, I want it to be as direct as possible, so the 3 I've listed are agencies that have proven themselves, and were already at work in Haiti before the quake - they already have relationships established that will be necessary to get the assistance where it needs to go quickly.

I don't want to just sit in my comfort and cry about this devastation... Learn. Pray. Give.