xroadsblog

take four minutes to grin

2008-07-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

That was Matt Harding from the website, wherethehellismatt.com. Here's his story:

Matt is a 31-year-old deadbeat from Connecticut who used to think that all he ever wanted to do in life was make and play videogames. Matt achieved this goal pretty early and enjoyed it for a while, but eventually realized there might be other stuff he was missing out on. In February of 2003, he quit his job in Brisbane, Australia and used the money he'd saved to wander around Asia until it ran out. He made this site so he could keep his family and friends updated about where he is.
A few months into his trip, a travel buddy gave Matt an idea. They were standing around taking pictures in Hanoi, and his friend said "Hey, why don't you stand over there and do that dance. I'll record it." He was referring to a particular dance Matt does. It's actually the only dance Matt does. He does it badly. Anyway, this turned out to be a very good idea.

A couple years later, someone found the video online and passed it to someone else, who passed it to someone else, and so on. Now Matt is quasi-famous as "That guy who dances on the internet. No, not that guy. The other one. No, not him either. I'll send you the link. It's funny."

The response to the first video brought Matt to the attention of the nice people at Stride gum. They asked Matt if he'd be interested in taking another trip around the world to make a new video. Matt asked if they'd be paying for it. They said yes. Matt thought this sounded like another very good idea.

it coulda been worse...

2008-06-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

Remember the blog post from a while back where I put up pictures of a supposedly "undiscovered" Indian tribe located near the border of Brazil and Peru?

Remember how disappointed I said I was going to be if it turned out to be a hoax?

Well, according to this story part of it was a hoax. The tribe has actually been known about for a long time - but until this fly over there had been no previous contact with them. The photographer took the picture and fudged the details of the story to try and make a point about the logging industry.

So, I'm disappointed that they weren't newly discovered, but happy, at least, that the photos weren't staged or part of a new Jack Black movie or something.

For your viewing pleasure

2008-06-13T04:50:00.000-07:00

Next Gathering?

2008-06-12T16:06:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if Lexington has these types of crosswalk countdowns yet, but I'm thinking it might be fun to do a local version of this stunt! A video for the ages of us counting down at 2pm on a Saturday afternoon in downtown Lexington! Celebrating like mad and having everyone around us bewildered with excitement and curiosity! Who's in?!?!

Crosswalk Countdown - GuerilLA from Kelly Herrington on Vimeo.

Looking for a Cheap Date?

2008-06-11T19:46:00.000-07:00

And maybe an easy way to start building community? Be sure to check out the upcoming "Parking Lot Party" at St. A's on June 20th! Details below and no registration required!

Parking Lot PartyFriday, Jun 20, 2008
Crossroads Parking Lot
7:30 pm
Bring your friends and neighbors to the Crossroads Parking Lot for our 2nd Annual Parking Lot Party! We will feature

1. Live DJ
2. Make your own Sundae
3. Sidewalk Chalk Contest
4. Bike Coral
5. Tricycle Races
6. “Drive-In” Movie

Bring your bikes, blankets and lawn chairs! No need to register, just come on over! Rain or Shine!

Free!
For More information, contact Jason Koerner at (859) 263-4633 ext 240

Manipulating Motivation

2008-06-11T19:16:00.000-07:00

I receive a weekly sales motivational e-letter and found this week's to be particularly interesting. Being that sales is only a portion of my job, I try to transfer the bigger picture message from these e-letters to multiple areas of my life including business and personal. Check out the meat of this weeks message:

"In 1939, Napoleon Hill wrote many of his success principles in one immortal book, Think and Grow Rich. One of the principles is, “Do more than is expected of you.”
Amazing how old truths are still so valid.

Before Hill, around the turn of the last century (1900), Elbert Hubbard wrote an essay called “Message to Garcia.” It’s about a military officer named Rowan that was given an important message and told to deliver it to a guy named Garcia. Rowan -- without a moment of hesitation, without a “where” or “why” question -- started on the mission and ultimately delivered the message.

In his essay, Hubbard went on to chastise people for not delivering their message, and challenges each reader to take on the same blind “do it or perish” status."

Keep in mind this quote is used in the context of motivating sales reps. But it got me thinking about being directed on what messages I deliver. More than that, what's my direction on delivering God's message?

We understand called to deliver His message of eternal salvation and forgiveness in exchange for simply accepting His love. The hook for me was thinking, what if God had delivered His desire for us to spread His message with a "do it or perish" attitude? Quite a different spin on Christianity I'd say!

But God chose to provide us with free will and the ability to choose. For many, having the option is our downfall. For others, it's even more energizing to accept God's love and gift of eternal life.

Step back for a moment and think about your approach to free will. What would your life be like if your personal commitment to sharing the glory of God were more along the lines of Hubbard's encouragement? If every day you prioritized above all else, your desire to live like Jesus, spread His word when presented the opportunity and refused to succumb to compartmentalizing this responsibility behind or equal to your daily responsibilities.

Man oh man, I've got work to do... :)

Living Large with the Legends

2008-06-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday night the Young Adults Gatherings spent an evening eating heavily and watching the Legends (lose) and some great fireworks after the game. It was a bit steamy but settled into a very nice evening. Despite the loss, it was a fun evening that included eats (burgers, dogs, beans and sweet tea!) baseball and some pretty cool fireworks considering it was just another June Saturday night.

As for the Young Adults Gathering, don't let the name fool you. If you're anywhere in the 22 - 102 range, then come on out to our next event. We'll be participating in the church wide cookout/field day in July but then in August we'll be sponsoring the first ever St. Awesome's Amazing Race! It should be a lot of fun so look for signups near the end of June. And if that doesn't get you interested, don't forget we'll be hosting another games and karaoke night later this fall.

The CCC Young Adults Gatherings are meant to be a place to have a good time, meet some new people and start building new relationships without the pressure and awkwardness that sometimes gets in the way. We'd love to see you soon so check back on this blog regularly or check out the Crossroads site for upcoming events!

Here are some pics from the Legends game. Note the Ford sign in the outfield. We actually saw a homerun hit that sign on the fly!

I love friends...

2008-06-06T13:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes they give you the best giggle of the day without any fair warning. A close friend of ours baked a cake today and ran out of icing. So she simply named it a "hospital gown" cake an served it up anyway. :)

Twitter Sunday

2008-06-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

Following on the heels of this week's digital-relationship heavy service and the previous blog post and the video explaining Twittering, I give you: Twitter Sunday!

A church in Michigan recently had a service where they let the folks in their congregation with Twitter accounts post reactions and comments during the service to their side screens. Here's a link where one of the church leaders discusses the experience. It's a little long, but an interesting look at an interesting idea. As can be expected, some people loved it and some people hated it. The positive side for many seemed to be that it made them feel like a part of the service.

the internet in plain english

2008-06-03T07:21:00.000-07:00

Everybody see the video this weekend explaining social networking sites?

Well it was created by a company called Commoncraft and they have a series of videos explaining different web utilities.

Here's one explaining RSS feeds. If you have a lot of internet sites that you read on a weekly basis, RSS feeds are a godsend:

Ever wonder what the idea behind sites like Wikipedia is? Here's a video explaining wikis:

Here's one explaining Twitter - a service that Glen referred to this weekend:

If you decide to Twitter, let me know at patchdrury at gmail dot com. I and several other folks from Crossroads are already on Twitter.

And finally, here's the one from this weekend about social networking in case you wanted to watch it again:

There are a few more on the Commoncraft website if you're interested.

They'll have a McDonald's soon...

2008-06-02T08:03:00.000-07:00

Some of you might have seen this posted around the net last week. I'm putting it here because it's so incredible and seems like something that couldn't be real in the 21st century.

These are pictures of a heretofore uncontacted Amazon Indian tribe located near the border of Brazil and Peru:

You've seen this kind of thing in movies so much that it almost seems like a cliche - primitive villagers shooting arrows at the strange metal bird. Although, that might just be me projecting cultural superiority and a Hollywood plot onto some pictures. For all I know the guy in the airplane sold the villagers bad iPhones and now he's making a break for it.

Assuming that's not the case it's cool to think that despite how small technology has made our world, there are still bits of it that civilization hasn't yet crept into.

If I find out this was staged or is a movie promotion in a few months, I'm going to be really disappointed.

Stories from the quake

2008-05-29T06:37:00.000-07:00

I've always been a big fan of comics. I think you can do things, storytelling wise, with words and pictures that you can't do with any other medium.

This morning I stumbled upon a series of comic strips telling true stories from the aftermath of the terrible earthquake in China earlier this month.

If you get a chance, give the strips a read. They're really touching and sad. Then afterwards maybe say a prayer for the people of China - or check out the page the Red Cross has set up to see if you can help in some way.

Quick note - I didn't look around the site the comic strips are hosted on. I have no idea what content might be on the other side of any links you click beyond the earthquake stuff. I have no reason to think it might be objectionable, but be just click carefully.

In case you're wondering what Xroad's next series is going to be...

2008-05-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, I just made that up. Maybe if enough people requested it, though...

Congrats!

2008-04-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Stephen and Carol Brown on the birth of their daughter, Stefi Gabrielle. She's beautiful guys!

Quote

2008-04-23T06:48:00.000-07:00

"The Bible's purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life. The Bible's purpose is to show you how God’s grace breaks into your life against your will and saves you from the sin and brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome... religion is 'if you obey, then you will be accepted'. But the Gospel is, 'if you are absolutely accepted, and sure you’re accepted, only then will you ever begin to obey'. Those are two utterly different things. Every page of the Bible shows the difference."

-Tim Keller

The Office returns!

2008-04-10T10:38:00.000-07:00

Favorite show to many Xroads attenders and staff, The Office, returns to television tonight after a months long absence due to the writer's strike.

To pump you up, here's an interview with Office star John Krasinski over at the Onion AV Club website.

AVC: How did the strike affect the show? The Office can do standalone episodes as well, but it also has plot developments. What happens when the strike blows a hole through the season? How do you recover from that and make a complete season out of it?

JK: I didn't know how they were going to do it. But I think they've done a great job of sort of picking up and creating these little mini-arcs, and just planting seeds. But yeah, the strike definitely devastated any chances of long lead arcs or very intricate arcs. I was really interested to see where it's going to go, but it didn't affect the tone of the show. Some of our funniest episodes are coming up now. And every episode relies at least a little on having some prior knowledge of the show. For instance, on our first episode back, Pam and I finally go to dinner with Michael and Jan, which has been in the works for a long, long time.

As you watch tonight, remember that Phyllis totally knows who "Pastor Glen" is.

Books that changed you

2008-04-02T05:20:00.000-07:00

Back when I was in high school I had a friend recommend the book, Real Christians Don't Dance (that's not exactly the title - on the cover, the "don't" has an x through it, but that's hard to represent when typing). He actually loaned me his copy and I don't think I ever gave it back.

The book was written by John Fischer, who, at the time, wrote for a couple of Christian music magazines and had a musical career of his own, I think. The book was a collection of essays on challenging the standard Christian mindset. It wasn't a radical book, or filled with earth-shattering ideas, but when I read it, it completely challenged my thinking on what it meant to be a Christian. Furthermore, I think the books quiet, slightly self-effacing storytelling had a direct effect on my own communication styles.

What about you? What books have you read that completely changed the way you think about things (and I'm not just looking for Christian, spiritual, or self-help books here - if To Kill A Mockingbird changed your life, let's hear about it)?

Welcome Freddy Jaoquin Acevedo

2008-03-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

On Sunday afternoon Freddy and Erin Acevedo welcomed Freddy Joaquin Acevedo into the world. He came in at 7 lbs, 2 ounces and he's already better at sports than I am.

Feel free to use the comment section to send good wishes and congratulations to Freddy and Erin. Also, remember, if you have a birth you'd like mentioned here, on the blog, email me at patchdrury@gmail.com.

What were you made for

2008-03-18T05:13:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago I was reading this book that spent a lot of time talking about how every person should have an over-arching mission for their life. Instead of letting your life be defined by a job, it should be defined by the legacy that you want to leave behind you when you're gone.

Jobs and occupations, especially these days, can be volatile and temporary, so taking your identity from what you get paid for is sometimes a losing proposition. Taking your identity from your mission in life (which will, if you're lucky, include your job sometimes) is a much more satisfying experience and encompasses your whole life instead of just the hours between 9 and 5.

Reading that book made me sit down and try and figure out what my goal in life was. Clearly, as a Christian, I have a goal to try and follow God and honor him with my life - but what does that look like inside of my specific situation? What was I made for?

I think I've figured out that I'm supposed to tell stories. For edification. For entertainment. On blogs. On stage. On video. In print. By myself. With others. Through others. I feel like I have this thing inside of me that wants to write and produce stories. So that's what I'm trying to do. Maybe it'll change as I get older and wiser, but for now, that's what I see.

What about you? What are you made for? What is it that, when you're dead, you want people to look back at your life and remember? What's your mission in life, whether you're accomplishing it or not?

Still kickin'

2008-03-13T07:36:00.000-07:00

Didn't want you guys to think that I'd already given up on posting after my declaration of renewed diligence. I figure my new schedule will be posting twice a week. I know some of our readers aren't on the internet all day like I am - so I want to leave some topics sitting as close to the top of the page as possible for a while.

If you haven't yet, please scroll down the page and vote in the politics poll. And, if you'd like, take a second and use the comment section to elaborate on your feelings on religion and politics.

voting and religion

2008-03-10T18:11:00.000-07:00

It's impossible to turn on a tv or the radio lately and not hear about the upcoming Presidential election. And by "upcoming" I mean "still eight months away."

They say there are two things you shouldn't talk about in polite conversation: religion and politics. I think you could probably add a lot more things to that list ( sex, my uncle Eddie's gastro-intestinal problems, how sausage is made...). For now, though we're gonna eschew the rules of polite conversation and talk about religion AND politics. Specifically I want to discuss how your religion affects your politics.

To help you form your answer, here's a helpful poll:

After you vote, click on the comment button and tell us a little bit about yourself and how your politics and religion go together. Remember, though, there are lots of varied opinions on this kind of thing, so be respectful of other people and try to avoid useless generalizations like, "All republicans stub out their cuban cigars on puppies" or "All democrats live in hemp houses and mooch off the government."

Personally, I went through a stage in my life where politics and religion were so intermingled that they might as well have been the same thing. These days there are lots of times when I feel like the two things shouldn't be allowed anywhere near each other. Politics seem so dirty and compromised - I'm afraid if it becomes intwined with my religion some of the dirty will rub off.

I think like most things in this fallen world, there's room for God to step in and redeem politics on some level. I freely admit I don't know how that's supposed to happen, though. Thoughts?

Of blogs and other things

2008-03-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

I've been posting on blogs, in some form or another, for the last five or six years. I like the format. I like the potential for unlimited access that writing on the internet offers.

When this blog started back a little over a year ago, I was excited to have another outlet for writing.

As time went by, though, I found it harder and harder to contribute. On my personal blog, I have no problem writing. I just kind of vomit out whatever is in my head and push the "publish" button. With this blog, though, I didn't want my voice to come through too much. I wanted it to be about stuff that would interest our community as a whole, instead of just me and my weird, juvenile interest.

When that became hard to do, I stopped posting as much. Luckily, there were other volunteers to step in and take up some of the slack. Life, however, eventually catches up with all of us and posting, as you know doubt have noticed, has slowed to a crawl.

Today, looking at this site, I felt a twinge of regret. Regret that I let something with so much potential wither on the vine. This blog has the potential to be a great sounding board and forum for the Crossroads community. All it requires is me not worrying so much about what I put down here - and opening the door to new voices.

So welcome to the second age of the Crossroads blog. I will, from this point on, endeavor to make it a site worth visiting. And I'd love your help doing so. Here's some stuff you can do to help:

1. Comment. If you don't use the comment section, then this blog is a one-sided conversation. And you have my promise that I will work hard to give you content worth commenting on.

2. Submit. Have something you want to talk about? Think you could be a strong contributor to the blog? Send me an email at patchdrury.com with your ideas and what you'd like to see from the blog. We can't give everybody posting rights, but there's room for lots more voices at this point.

3. Tell people. Lots of folks don't even know that this blog or the teaching blog exist. If you would like to see this aspect of our community grow - tell people about it.

That's it for now. New content later today!

Great, I'm dead.

2008-02-29T09:18:00.001-08:00

Which Lost Character Are You?

More on Lost. Created by BuddyTV

New Year!

2008-01-02T08:29:00.000-08:00

It's 2008! The old year is gone, taking with it all of the regrets, missed opportunities and bad juju of the last 365 days.

So now you've got a blank slate. A clean piece of paper. A fresh start. What are you gonna do with it?

I don't go in much for resolutions as they carry a connotation of "doomed to fail" in most people's minds. But I do believe in setting goals and taking advantage of fresh starts.

So what's 2008 gonna look like for you? What's gonna be different?

I have big plans, including: Getting married, selling a house, buying a house, and making some serious career decisions. In addition to the big stuff I'd like to make this a year with lots of creative output on my part - lots of making things and new ideas.

Now tell me about you. What do you want this year to look like? What do you want to see happen in your life?

Chrismas pictures

2007-12-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

I didn't get to take a whole lot of pictures this weekend at the services. Everything I got was of the band. Really busy week leading up to the services, but really satisfying. Feel free to tell people what you liked about this weekend in the comment section.

New Orleans Trip Story

2007-12-19T08:54:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, 20 people traveled to New Orleans as a way to rethink Christmas. The experience was great, as people's lives in New Orleans were affected as well as the contingency from Crossroads. Here is one story from someone who went from Crossroads:

Well, I have to say...the NOLA experience had such an impact on me. It's really hard to put in to words...I could start out by mentioning that although "I" am "physically" here in Lex. KY...I still remain spiritually and mentally there. The past two days have been quite sombering for me. I will share a few of the many things that I have reflected on since the trip....

As I looked around NOLA, witnessing the complete physical devastation of so many homes, buildings, schools, businesses, etc...the main thing that stands out to me is how the spirit of the people directly effected by this, is still alive!!! The "faith", "commitment" and "hope" in Christ the people spoke about, was absolutely AMAZING! Boy!!! How they made me take a second look at where my walk is with God....Here I was thinking that I would go to NOLA, ministering, witnessing, or whatever God's purpose was for me to go, but what He had in store was not what I'd anticipated! THOSE PEOPLE with their great faith and dedication to the Lord, actually ministered to ME! Is my walk with God of such, that I would have that strong of faith as they did? This experience has made me yearn for a closer relationship with God, my brothers & sisters, and realizing I need to do more for my community. There is just SO MUCH more that I have realized since Sunday, that it's almost impossible to mention...I'm just so grateful for this opportunity! Thank you God!

The fellowship with the rest of the group was awesome as well! I am new to Crossroads, so being able to build relationships with the others was something I have needed for a long time. I'm am thankful for you ALL! Please keep me in your prayers, as I continue to seek God's will in my life, and building my faith in Him! I am so blessed to have united with such wonderful people!

Be blessed,Karen

The Sears Wishbook

2007-12-10T06:18:00.000-08:00

I recently wrote a column about my love for the Sears Christmas catalog when I was a kid. You can read it here.

Reading back over the column in light of Griff's message this week makes me realize as a kid how much Christmas revolved around receiving gifts. As an adult, I notice it's become much more about giving for me.

Over the past couple of years I've found myself really enjoying shopping for Sara and my family and friends (be it in a store or online). Between that and the joy I get from cooking on the holidays, I don't think the kid I used to be would recognize the adult I've become (not that I can't be as selfish and receiving-focused as the next guy sometimes still).

How about you? How does Christmas for you, as an adult, differ from your Christmases as a child?

Anniversary weekend

2007-11-20T05:47:00.000-08:00

I managed to snap a few pictures during set-up and practice for the Anniversary weekend on Saturday:

What an awesome weekend! There was energy, emotion, eighties medleys, examples of the deep relationships that can grow out of Crossroads, and a reminders of our dedication to going out and loving the world the way Jesus did.

What did you enjoy most about the anniversary weekend? What would you like to say about the last twenty years?
What do you envision for the next twenty?

Important poll question

2007-11-13T07:11:00.001-08:00

Bret Foster and I are having a heated debate. You can help settle our argument:

God does really cool stuff.

2007-11-08T11:39:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine at work is a farmer- a real one, like he has cows and stuff... and he was telling me about how he got home from work the other night (actually Monday night, the one with the horrible storm) and 60 of his cows were wondering around his neighbors land. Apparently they bum-rushed the electric fence... Anyways-

It was about to storm and the poor guy was frantically trying to get the stupid cows back in the fenced part all by himself. I'm not sure if you have ever tried to get a cow to go somewhere specifically before, but it's really frustrating- and 60.. well, forget about it...

Here's the good part- This guy was at the end of his rope- so he stops what he's doing and says, "God, you gotta help me out, because I can't do this." And like five seconds later a friend of his family, who was a veterinarian, just happens to stop by just to see how things were going at the farm. Together they were able to get the cows back where they were supposed to be. He even said that right as they got the last cow in- the rain started.

I love that. I love to hear the little cool things that God does for us, and I wish I spent more time hearing peoples stories. How about you? Do you have any stories about cool stuff that God has done- it can be small or big!

who's serving who?

2007-11-05T07:27:00.000-08:00

This weekend Greg hit on one of my hot button topics in his message when he talked about teaching his kids that the church wasn't there to serve them, but rather they were supposed to serve God and the church.

My dad has been an elder and chairman of the board at a small country church for just about all of my life. It's a completely thankless position and one that often finds him in the middle of conflicts he'd rather not be in.

He's often met with complaints about music being too loud, or too fast, or too slow, or too modern, or too traditional. Or the AC is too cold, or not cold enough. And one Sunday school class has nicer chairs than another, and Sunday school is too short anyway, and the messages are too long, etc, etc...

It seems like a lot of people go to church to be catered to.

I think Crossroads, more than a lot of churches, makes an effort to ensure that seekers and people in need walk into a building where the staff and volunteers are striving to make their experience as meaningful and beneficial as possible.

I also think Crossroads works hard to make sure that it's volunteers have a fulfilling experience serving.

But it's still serving. And serving means sacrificing your time, energy, and sometimes, preferences for the good of others. That's one of those lessons I wish some of the folks at my Dad's church would learn (and I say that will a full measure of grace and a realization that I can be just as self-centered at times). I wish they'd figure out that being a member of the body of Christ is about finding out how you're meant to serve - not being waited on hand and foot.

So steering this towards us, how long does someone have to attend Crossroads before they cross that magical, invisible line between seeking and serving? What's involved in that transformation? When do you go from being catered to to actually catering to others?

When did it happen for you? What was the turning point? Has it happened for you? What's holding you back?

Discuss!

I used to be a children's minister...

2007-10-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

This video shows why I'm not one any longer, probably...

Patrick Has Such A Way With Kids from Bret Foster on Vimeo.

I'm pretty sure Bret pinched Harry causing him to cry.

Bolivia Trip

2007-10-24T07:22:00.000-07:00

This week, several people from Crossroads are gone to Bolivia for a Mission Trip. Please take time this week to pray for their work and for their safe travel home. Listed below are their names:

Chris Keeton
Dale Melton
Karl Blackwell
Lori Clemons
David Gillis
Doug Durick
John Kelly
Lynn Buckles

The Greatest Costume Ever

2007-10-23T06:14:00.000-07:00

Ok people, Halloween is one week from tomorrow. And in honor of said event I would like to give credit to the best costumes that I have seen over the years.
None of which are ones that I have worn because I am horrible at Halloween costumes- not sure why, it just always happens- like my geisha incident of 2005...anyway-

One of my favorites was Clark being Mugatu from Zoolander. I can't help it, it was hilarious. A washed up superhero was another-

So my question to you is... what is your favorite costume? Or, has a costume backfired on you?

Donald Miller's new book

2007-10-18T05:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Bret for pointing out this short interview with Donald Miller about his new book.

Killing time until 5:00

2007-10-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

In case you need something to help pass the time at work (other than work...) try this game.

It's a game where you're a cat with a bow and arrow and some string. I never would have imagined that something so stupid could be so addictive. As you play you begin to figure out little things that help you out - like the fact that you can shoot your arrow in mid flight.

Let me know how you do.

My No-Meter

2007-10-14T11:07:00.000-07:00

About this time last year I realized that I was way overbooking myself. The reason was simple. I was having trouble saying "no" to people. Now, I would like to think that this was because I am just an utterly wonderful person... but it's actually because I wanted everyone to think that I was wonderful... and there's a big difference.

I knew I needed to get myself under control, so I came up with a plan. I made a drawing of a thermometer- like the ones they use with fund raisers- and I decided that everytime I said "no" to someone, I got to fill the thermometer up a notch. When I got to 25 notches I got a new pair of shoes.

It took a couple of months but I got my shoes and I found out that when I said ‘no’ to someone, someone else was able to say ‘yes’. I was actually getting in the way of an opportunity for someone else.

So my question to you is… What could you use a “No-Meter” for? And more importantly… What will be your reward?!!

This Really Happened.

2007-10-08T18:44:00.000-07:00

It was one of those… you know. I woke up late- and at the same time as my daughter, which is never good . Her little bassinet thing is right outside our bathroom door, so I took a shower with my head out, trying to keep her from realizing she hadn’t eaten yet. Then of course the one dress I just had to wear to work, was the one dress that was still downstairs in the laundry. So I bring crying Lucy downstairs in the dark- I can’t turn the lights on because then the neighbors would see that I was scantily clad- and I don’t have shoes on because I left them in the car.

Ok- find the dress- throw said kid in car seat and proceed to the babysitters without the bouncer and medicine that she will need for the day.

Now half way to the babysitters, I start to smell throw-up. It’s still dark out so I’m hoping my daughter, still crying, isn’t yacking as well, when I realize that the throw-up smell is coming from me. Yes, I have Lucy lunch on my dress- which, if you were wondering, is why it was in the laundry in the first place. And where are my shoes that are supposed to be in the car? Yep. No shoes.

Of course I park outside the babysitters in the middle of what could only have been an all out acorn battle between the two rivaling squirrel gangs in the neighborhood- because there are shards of acorn shrapnel everywhere. And I have no shoes. And if you have ever tried to get a car seat out of a car- you know that you really need a good sensible pair of shoes on.

Point is… my brain is telling me to slow down. My schedule, however, has other plans. I know that God doesn’t have time management problems. He’s not going to make a mistake in how much we can handle. The mistake is ALWAYS on our end- So my question to you is what have you had to give up? Or what are you holding onto?

I would also love to hear something dumb you might have done trying to rush around in the morning. It would sure make me feel a lot better ☺

Congratulations!!

2007-10-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Tim & Jess Stephan on the birth of their second child! Jackson Nash Stephan was born on Friday morning. He weighed 9lbs 5oz, was 21 inches long, and his interests include long walks and kick boxing. Congratulations guys!

A Little Front Porch WIsdom

2007-10-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

Have you ever marveled at the stuff people could do a couple of generations ago? For the most part, our grandparents knew how to build houses, fix cars, grow food, live within their means, be neighborly, stay married, raise kids- and a hundred other things that seem so challenging today.

We live with more information and conveniences than ever- but is life really better today? Are we any better at living it? While we can’t recreate the “good old days”, we could stand to grab some of the timeless wisdom that blessed and sustained those who came before us. Our next teaching series will focus on some of the biblical values and life skills that seemed more widespread a couple of generations ago.

To get the ball rolling, we'd love to hear from you about the "front porch wisdom" you've gotten from your grandparents, older relatives, mentors, etc.

Are there any pieces of advice you refer back to time and again?

Any character traits you've tried to emulate?

Any fond memories or stories of the wise sages in your life that you reach back to for inspiration?

This Cool Weather Really Warms My Heart

2007-10-02T06:28:00.000-07:00

The one great thing about living in Kentucky is that you truly get to experience all of the seasons. Now that summer has officially ended and Fall has begun, I'm excited about what this autum holds. You see, Fall just may be my favorite season of them all. Don't get me wrong, Summer is great with all the cook outs and fireworks and such, but there's just something dirty to me about summer. Maybe it's all my sweating, I don't know, but Fall.....oh, Fall feels clean and refreshing. Below is a list of what I love about this wonderful time of the year.

FOOTBALL: College or pro, I love it all. Especially this year with my CATS being 5 - 0! Also, what's football with tailgating? Anytime I can have an excuse to eat 8 bratwursts in a single sitting is a good thing.

KEENELAND: This weekend marks the opening of the Fall Meet at the best horse tack in the world. (Fun Fact: Did you know that Keeneland has been noted as having the most beautiful parking lot in the world?) Call me a sinner, but there isn't anything quite like the feeling of laying $2 down on a pony and watching that baby come in to win!

TURTLENECKS: OK, when I was in high school, L.L. Bean turtleneck sweaters were all the rage. However, the turtlenecks have gone the way of the cassette tape and other great inventions. It's replacement has become hoodies and corduroy pants I guess...but my point is that Fall is the time of year to pull out the cool weather clothes from storage and to start sporting those duds you haven't' seen in several months. It's like getting a bunch of new clothes without going shopping.

SEEING YOUR BREATH: The other morning as I was loading up the car, I exhaled and noticed my breath doing that steamy thing that happens when it's cold outside. I was so excited that I ran inside, grabbed my daughter and showed her how to make her breath steam too! She loved doing it so much that now she has been trying to do it in the warm air of the afternoon. Man, kids are really dumb.

MIDNIGHT MADNESS: I think it's called Big Blue Madness now, but to me it's always going to be Midnight Madness. When I attended UK, I went ever year just to get the first glimpse of my beloved Wildcats. But now, I just watch it on TV which in some ways is even better because you don't have to sit next to any of those crazies that have been camping out, without bathing, for two weeks. Is it just me, or is that not the dark side of UK basketball? "Me love me some UK basketball" is a quote I heard one of those nuts say on TV a few years ago and it's now branded in my brain. Unfortunately, I now say it at least 3 -4 times in every UK game.

FALL FESTIVALS: I love Fall Festivals. LOVE THEM! So far this year, I've been to the Burgoo Festival and Oktoberfest at Christ the King with plans to attend another festival this weekend. Maybe Crossroads should start having an Oktoberfest....hmmmmmmm

HALLOWEEN: I love that there is a holiday that allows me to dress up and act like a totally different person for an evening and everyone totally accepts that as normal.

Well, that's just some of the reasons why Fall is such an awesome time of the year. I could go on, but I wonder, what do you love about Fall? Or maybe, you hate it...but that's just ridiculous.

A sad goodbye

2007-09-17T07:58:00.000-07:00

Fred won't want me to do this, but I haven't gotten where I am in life by listening to Fred Turner!

The following is an excerpt from a post I made this morning on my personal blog:

The loss of Fred and Jen to St. Awesome's is a terrible one. Fred brought sincerity, transparency and warmth to our church community. He was a voice of wisdom, humor and, when needed, healing. We'll never see another one like him come through the doors.

And though Jen wasn't a staff member, the loss of her to St. Awesome's is equally devastating. Jen is funny, and warm and enjoyably sarcastic at all the right times. Like a lot of the staff wives at our church, there's a realness to Jen that, unfortunately, you don't always see in women married to ministers. Jen, like Fred, is transparent and everyone is the better for it.

Worse than the loss to our church, though, is the loss to me personally. Fred has, over the past few years, become one of my best friends. He's one of the few people I know who can improve my mood simply by being in the room. There's going to be a big hole in my life that he and his beautiful wife used to occupy.

Fred, Jen, I love you guys. I'm excited about the greener pastures that lie ahead of you, and want nothing but the best for you. You're going to be missed, though, in ways that I can't even begin to elaborate on properly.

I know everyone is as devastated to see Fred and Jen go as I am. Use the comment section to let Fred and Jen know what they, Colston, and Addy have meant to you.

Thank you from the Carter Family

2007-09-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

If you are new to the Crossroads community, you might have heard about a loss that the Carter family and our community has had recently with the death of Natalie Carter (an almost 2 year old at the time). The family wanted to thank everyone for their support. The following is from their words:

It's hard to form into words the emotions that have engulfed us over the past 4 1/2 weeks. We've always loved Jesus and Crossroads but never knew how much we needed them both until this tragedy. We continue to go through the daily motions but now cling to the hope and promises of seeing Nati again soon. Our eyes have been opened to look toward heaven and to see the magnificence of it. Our hope is others now see that too and personally know Jesus so they can see Nati and experience her "big hugs".

Thank you is too small of a word for you all to truly understand what you have meant to us. People we don't even know, yet are a part of the body of Christ, have come together and formed the truest definition of "church". Our thanks and gratitude for all the prayers (keep them coming!), cards, food, gifts, etc. Jesus is so proud of you all.

Much love,
Erika, Bryan & Brady Carter

A Place to Belong

2007-09-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

This week, Glen talked about people in our life that have "Refrigerator Rights". By the way-I will personally give all of you refrigerator rights to ours, but I just hope you like jelly and Mountain Dew.

He also mentioned the fact that Crossroads has a community of people called the "Freebirds" that have started sharing life together. I wanted to share one email from a member of this group that has experienced this personally. This email reminds me of how God can work through others.

We moved to Lexington the summer of 2004. We joined Freebirds at the time it was formed. It was great to be able to meet so many people and to be able to have different experiences with them. The group has so many backgrounds and skills. We have found it to be a learning experience, a lot of laughter and caring people. The support, especially the prayer support has been important to me. Nola and I both believe in the power of prayer.

Last May I was diagnosed with leukemia and it was aggressive. The doctor prescribed 6 cycles of chemotherapy at about one per month, starting in May. After the second cycle, I was given a PET scan and a CAT scan. These results with the blood results, indicated I was in remission. The doctor was utterly amazed. I do not want to take anything away from modern medicine, but I consider this a miracle. I still have to complete the full six cycles, as the doctor wants to give me every chance of a long remission. The prayers, cards and phone calls were very helpful in giving me strength toward getting healthy again, so we can both participate in the Freebirds functions.
Terry and Nola

Xroads on Facebook

2007-09-10T06:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, so all the talk about Facebook a couple of post back inspired me to start poking around in the account I opened a while back but then did nothing with.

One of the results of said poking around was the creation of a Crossroads group. I think this link should take you there. If not, do a search for "St. Awesome's (Crossroads Christian, Lexington, Ky)."

If you don't have a Facebook account but all of this sounds like fun (and for those of you who are worried, Facebook is not a dating service and is not something age-restrictive) then go to www.facebook.com and start an account. My page is here. Request me as a friend and we'll totally be best friends 4evah!

Extreme Team: Birmingham, Al

2007-09-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

Crossroads is sending an Extreme Team to Birmingham, AL this weekend (Friday through Sunday night). The team consists of 11 folks from Crossroads and will be assisting The Church at the Well with their grand opening services in a new building. Brent and Lauren Birch and their staff are really excited about the extra help this weekend in the children's ministry, greeting, tech assistance, and distributing flyers. The team will also be serving afterwards at the church picnic by setting up and grilling food.

The team consists of the following.

Doug Durick
Laurette Durick
Lee Kemp
Hudson Kemp
Derek Inouye
John Pearson
Margie Wilcoxen
Wayne Bragg
Cindy Bragg
Emily Bragg
Rachel Bragg

Please keep these folks and The Church at the Well in your prayers

Just curious

2007-08-31T05:22:00.000-07:00

This question is inspired by a conversation I was having with a friend the other day. How many of you reading this blog have a Myspace page? If you do have one, how old are you? Feel free to answer anonymously if you're hesitant to share your age because you tell everyone you're really 29.

Wanna Make Miracles?

2007-08-22T22:13:00.000-07:00

Me too....and now you have the opportunity with the Bluegrass Miracle League (bluegrassmiracleleague.org). If you're not familiar, the BML is a baseball league for children with mental or physical disabilities, ages 7-17, who can not play in a traditional baseball league.
The kids play on a unique field constructed at Shillito park. It's the only one of it's kind in Kentucky and all central Kentuckian's should be proud!

The league is in need of coaches, buddies and most importantly, PLAYERS! If you or someone you know might be interested in participating on any level, I strongly encourage you to check it out. All the information is on the website. The season starts soon with games running September 8 - October 6th.

And even if you're not in a place where you'd like to volunteer, please be sure to come out at least once and support the kids. It's truly a slice of heaven on earth to be a part of the excitement and joy the kids experience. I promise you won't regret your time spent. And be sure to say hello to the public address announcer if you come. I'm sure he'd love to introduce you to the crowd!

What does our community need?

2007-08-22T05:59:00.000-07:00

In this clip, Donald Miller talks about how his church tries to reach their community not only be preaching the gospel, but also trying to apply the truths of God to a person's whole life. In Portland, where he lives, this has resulted in a gardening ministry and a housing ministry:

Applying the same thinking to what we do as a church, what's important to Lexington as a community? Probably not organic gardening like in Portland. But in what areas of peoples lives is there the potential for Crossroads to intersect with?

Natalie Carter Memorial Details

2007-08-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, many of us with the Crossroads family found out about the death of 23 month old Natalie Carter. 'Nati' was the daughter of Bryan and Erika Carter and the sister of Brady. Bryan has been on staff at Crossroads for 14 years and his family has got a chance to know many of you.

Because of that, you are invited to attend Natalie's funeral this Thursday at Crossroads. There will be a visitation from 9am-11am with the funeral being at 11:00. Childcare will be provided for the 11:00 funeral only. Click here for other details.

Many of you have also asked how you can help. Outside of your support and prayers, Crossroads is helping provide meals for the family over the next couple of weeks. If you would like to contribute to this, please contact the church office by calling 263-4633. We will take your name and number and give your information to our meal coordinator.

Also- if you would like to give a card to the Carter family, there will be a table set aside in the Crossroads lobby for that purpose. If you want to send flowers, please direct them to Crossroads.

I know that the family appreciates all of your thoughts and prayers. Thanks for being a part of a community that loves one another.

-Greg

Defeating the Heat?

2007-08-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

I received this in an email this morning and couldn't resist sharing!

It's funny how such a drastic change in the weather can really get you thinking sometimes. The heat has been so intense this week, yet we all have to continue on with our lives. I look around and everyone is making adjustments like carrying some water in the car, putting a towel over the steering wheel or even planning to do more things inside instead of being outside. Subjecting ourselves to the intense heat makes us very vulnerable and we naturally counter the uncontrollable temps with protection and placement. We pro-actively shield and avoid the situations that would put us at harms risk.

Don't we routinely feel a similar "heat" in the course of our marriages? Regardless of life season, it seems as though the next great spike in temperature is always just around the corner. When those marital temps begin to rise, do we instinctively and intentionally take steps to protect ourselves? This ought to be as natural as defending against the blazing sun. Are you moving your marriage to a cooler environment? Or is the vehicle of your marriage parked on the side of the road absorbing life's heat index? How do we respond naturally and instinctively for this change in temp? What are you doing to keep the life long love of your spouse protected, hydrated and shielded from these uncontrollable elements?

Just like we wouldn't subject ourselves to dangerous situations with the temperatures, we should not sit idly by and let our marriages be vulnerable to changes in life temperature. Be proactive. Be intentional. And remember we are never promised more than what is right now. Love and be gracious to your spouse every single day.

I think we can apply this to just about ANY relationship we're in be it spousal, sibling, parental or with friends. Have a great Thursday!

Two important questions

2007-08-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

Seriously important questions. Earth-shakingly important.

Is it acceptable to put ketchup on scrambled eggs?

Where is ketchup acceptable in your diet?

I'm not a big fan of ketchup on scrambled eggs but some people swear by it. Eggs benefit the most from salt, pepper, and Tabasco. I've heard recently of some people putting A1 sauce on eggs. I'm gonna try that the next time I have scrambled eggs.

Ketchup belongs on french fries, hash browns, and the occasional hamburger. Outside of those items or as a base for barbecue sauce or meatloaf sauces I can't think of many other places where ketchup is acceptable. I used to eat it on hot dogs, but have recently decided that is a sin.

Tell me your thoughts on ketchup.

Life Is Short, Let's Review...

2007-07-30T05:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend our church community dealt with the difficult and personal topic of death. Cathy White stood before us and shared about the numerous reminders she's had in the past couple of years about how short life is. Let's be praying for her family as they continue to face health issues.

After each service I (Fred) had multiple people approach me and tell their own stories of facing cancer, losing children and walking alongside friends and family members who are staring their own mortality in the face.

Wow! I had a swirl of emotions going on inside of me.

How about you?

Let's create a bit of space here to express ourselves.

Use the comments feature to share your own journey, express your thanks to Cathy or say anything else that's been on your mind about this topic.

Simpsonize yourself

2007-07-26T06:12:00.000-07:00

If you're a big Simpsons fan like I am then you're probably aware that their first ever movie opens this weekend. I'm not the guy who has to see a movie on opening weekend, so I won't be braving the crowds tomorrow - but I do plan on seeing it pretty soon.

To promote their movie, Fox has started Simpsonsmovie.com - a website with trailers for the film and a series of games and special features.

One such feature is a program that let's you create a Simpsons character that looks like you. I made a version of myself for my own blog, but for the Xroads blog I thought it might be nice to see what some of the staff would look like as Simpsons characters. To begin, here's Glen and Greg Gilmore:

More to come!

Again and Again and Again and...

2007-07-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

Ever come across a song that you just have to hear again? And again? And again?

Right now I'm listening to a song called "This Too Shall Be Made Right" for the 12th time in a row.

The song is off of Derek Webb's current project "The Ringing Bell".

Here are the lyrics:

people love you the most for the things you hate
and hate you for loving the things that you cannot keep straight
people judge you on a curve
and tell you you’re getting what you deserve
this too shall be made right

children cannot learn when children cannot eat
stack them like lumber when children cannot sleep
children dream of wishing wells
whose waters quench all the fires of Hell
this too shall be made right

the earth and the sky and the sea are all holding their breath
wars and abuses have nature groaning with death
we say we’re just trying to stay alive
but it looks so much more like a way to die
this too shall be made right

there’s a time for peace and there is a time for war
a time to forgive and a time to settle the score
a time for babies to lose their lives
a time for hunger and genocide
this too shall be made right

I don’t know the suffering of people outside my front door
I join the oppressors of those who i choose to ignore
I’m trading comfort for human life
and that’s not just murder it’s suicide
this too shall be made right

Wow! I'm usually drawn to prophetic voices like this, but even more so today. Maybe because I've spent the last week thinking about God's Holiness.

How will a Holy God respond to all the darkness that goes on in our world (and inside of us)?

What does it say about us if we can't mourn the things that God does? Or do what is within our power to right injustice?

Although the lyrics are powerful, the combination of the mournful vocals and ringing acoustic guitar drives home the pain in the song to me.

Hear a 30 sec. sample or go big and drop 99 cents on the full deal at itunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playlistId=252648283&s=143441&i=252648361

If it doesn't speak to you at all, I'll refund your dollar.

Seriously.

The next Hemingway

2007-07-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't realize that you were in the presence of greatness, our very own Chris Stevenson is now a published author. Chris has co-written an article for Rick Warren's ministry tool box, Pastors.com. Click here to read it and gaze at Chris looking all professional-like at the bottom of the page. I also understand that Chris is available to write wedding toasts, screenplays, and dirty limericks. Don't expect him to ever write anything here, though...

I got punk'd. Is that what the kids say? Did I say it right?

2007-07-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

A lot of you probably know Bryan and Erika Carter. Bryan is on staff here at Xroads and Erika can be seen on stage singing from time to time.

Well, on Friday night, according to Erika, I accidentally sat my chair down on her toe. The next day she sent me the following picture, making me feel awful that I had hurt her so badly:

(Click the picture to make it bigger)

I saw her at church and she was limping badly. I felt terribly.

After letting me squirm on the end of the hook for a while, Erika wrote me another email informing me that I hadn't actually set my chair on her foot at all and that she had colored her toe with food coloring to make a pretend bruise.

Of course you know, this means war.

Nice surprise

2007-07-12T07:15:00.000-07:00

I don't usually get that excited when I find out that someone famous is a Christian. That sounds bad, doesn't it? I mean, I like to find out anyone is a Christian, but I'm not one of those guys who feels the need to prove to other people that "Christianity is cool" by pointing to celebrities who belong to the faith.

All that being said...

I just read on Wikipedia that Alton Brown, host of Good Eats on the Food Network, is a Christian. That's really cool.

I also found out that he the director of photography for the R.E.M. video, "The One I Love."

Alton Brown is awesome. If you don't watch Good Eats you should start. It's a cooking show where Brown explores the science behind cooking. He's really funny and relatable. He's also a friggin' genius. The other night on a reality show competition called The Next Food Network Star he determined that a Chilean Sea Bass was farm raised instead of coming from the wild based on the deformation of it's dorsal fin.

On a similar note I was once able to determine that Greg Gilmore is from Owensboro based on the shape of his foot. True story.

Rated G

2007-07-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

Mingle2.com offers a function that will rate your blog based on content, just like the MPAA does with movies.

How did we do?

The only red-flag was the word "porn" showing up a few times. Apparently you can say "porn" a few times and still be appropriate for all ages. Good to know.

In other shocking news my personal blog also got a G rating. Nobody is more surprised than I am. My mother is very proud, though.

New arrival

2007-07-09T07:08:00.000-07:00

From blog regular Keith Wright:

"Our newest granddaughter, Cassidy Arin Wright, was born on July 2. Her
father, Bradley Wright grew up at Crossroads, but has been in North
Carolina for several years. Cassidy surprised us all by not allowing
her parents time to get to the hospital. She was born at home,
delivered by her dad, just a couple of minutes before the ambulance
arrived. Definitely a memorable arrival!"

What an awesome story! Congratulations to Keith and his family!

Feast on the Field Update

2007-07-03T16:05:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, hundreds (400-500) of people came out to the Church-wide potluck. The weather was close to perfect, the food was incredible, and I think people in general had a good time. It was great getting to see people connect with others that they either didn't know or hadn't seen in a while.

If you got a chance to attend, I hope you had a good time. We intend to do even more things at Crossroads like this so that we can continue to be a family that keeps growing. We got a chance to take a couple of pictures and we put them on our new picture gallery. Take a look at http://www.xroadschurch.org/gallery/main.php/v/FeastField/?g2_page=1 (We are still working out one kink in our gallery, so be patient for a couple of days.)

So that's enough from me, let's hear from you some of your experiences:

1. Did you get a chance to connect with anyone?

2. What was your favorite food that you tried?

I heart Youtube

2007-07-03T05:05:00.000-07:00

Youtube is fast becoming my favorite site on the internet. Wanna know why? Because with Youtube, I now suddenly have a treasure trove of weird stuff at my fingertips.

Let me explain.

I saw the Cannonball Run for the first time when I was just a little kid. The movie itself kind of blew past me, but what I've always remembered from the film were the outtakes. As the credits rolled, they showed footage of Tom Selleck, Dom Delouise, and the rest of the cast laughing hysterically at themselves while they forgot their lines.

I don't know why that stuck with me the way it did. It's really kind of a stupid thing to have in your head, but it's always been there. At many points throughout my life I've felt compelled to watch those outtakes again, but actually going out, renting the movie and fast-forwarding to the credits always seemed like a step too far.

But now, thanks to the wonder of Youtube, those credits were a mere internet search away.

Voila:

Pretty dumb, I know, but finding them scratched a weird little itch in my brain.

Now here's your homework assignment. Go to Youtube and find a video to show the rest of the class. A video of something you love. A video of something from your childhood. A favorite TV show, a commercial. Find a video of somebody doing something you've never seen before or never thought you would see and bring it back here.

Every video has a web address (called a url) to the right of it. Just copy that url and paste it in the comment section of this post so everyone can go watch what you've found. If enough people participate I'll throw the videos in a post so they'll be easily accessible.

Ghosts of albums past

2007-06-29T07:39:00.000-07:00

When Lin named a Steve Taylor song by name in the comment section of my "When Heroes Collide" post it sent my brain tumbling down memory lane back to the days of my un-jaded youth when I was a Christian music devotee.

My past affiliation with Christian music will come as a surprise to some, specifically Chris Thorne as he has taken great pleasure on more than one ocassion in pointing out that I have no Christian music on my iPod. I'm not sure what the absence of such tunes says about me. I'll leave that to someone else to figure out. For the time being, though, I thought I'd reminisce a little in front of you all - take a little stroll through my musical memories of days gone by. I do so with the same slight embarrassment that anyone would feel recounting their musical taste from decades past.

The first concert I ever went to was a Christian concert. It was a guy named Greg X Volz. He used to be the lead singer for Petra. I had his first album, "The River is Rising" on audio tape. I remember him rocking the long hair in spite of his receding hairline and thinking "There's a guy who loves the rock." He was like a Christian David Lee Roth. With less Spandex.

From Greg X Volz I graduated into a lot of the Christian rock staples of my day, your Petras, your Whitehearts, your Bryan Duncans. But I also listened to a lot of what were considered "edgier" Christian acts (I'm fully aware of the irony, thanks). One of my favorite of which was a band called The Altar Boys. They were a Christian punk band. Kinda. They wore leather, chains, and had really big hair. I guess they looked a little more like a hair band than a punk band, but hey, it was the 80's everybody used hairspray back then. I liked the Altar Boys so much that a couple of my friends and I dressed up as them for Halloween one year.

I can remember being at some small Christian rock concert in Louisville one night and the opening act was this rap group called DC Talk. At the time nobody had ever heard of them. A friend and I stood in the lobby of a high school gym and talked to them for about an hour one night. The next summer we hung out with them at Ichthus for an afternoon. They got kind of big after that (relatively speaking) and forgot our names thus ending my brief encounter with Christian fame. I wonder what ever became of those guys...

I was also into a lot of the alternative Christian bands like The Choir, Adam Again, and the 77's. Towards the end of my high school career a group of guys from a handful of these bands got together and formed a "supergroup" called The Lost Dogs. I think they still perform (minus the deceased leader of Adam Again, Gene Eugene). They had kind of an alt-country vibe that was virtually unheard of in Christian music at the time. They were actually pretty awesome.

There were more. Tons more. Rick Cua, Steve Taylor, P.O.D., Russ Taff, the late great Rich Mullins.... I could go on and on, but I'm sure you're all probably already bored with my fit of nostalgia.

How about you, though? Did you listen to any Christian music in the 80's and 90's? I know Lin was a Steve Taylor fan. What did you guys listen to? What am I missing out on now by not following Christian music in the year 2007?

Open Baptism Update

2007-06-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

For about a year now Glen has been saying he'd like to have an open baptism time. The idea is that we'd pick a day when people who want to get baptized could just show up and get it done. Our hope was that this would be helpful to those who have been thinking about baptism but never really followed through or set a date.

So we put June 23rd on the calendars with minimal expectations. We thought that over the course of 3 hours maybe 5 people would show up. Glen and I (Fred) joked that we'd have lots of quality time together while we waited for the next person to roll in.

Boy were we wrong. 22 people were baptized yesterday. Some were younger kids (7-10), some were teens, many were adults. There were tears, smiles and hugs. Parents got baptized alongside their kids. You should have been there.

Congrats to the people who took this important step of faith.

Zackary Howell

Christopher Howell

Danyell Hamilton

Jason Hamilton

Danny Callico

Brandon Moore

Terry Diamond

Nancy Diamond

Gi Gi Bray

Robert Morgan

Diann Williams

Katie Fitzpatrick

Hannah Fitzpatrick

Melissa Fitzpatrick

Amelia Dix

Frederick Hanselman

Lonnie Duff

Savanna Duff

Bryce Phelps

Shirley Phelps

Challin Phelps

Melissa Foy

Would you please pray for them this week? If you know them, tell them how proud you are of them.

Special thanks to Tim & Kelly Booth and Chris Thorne for providing us sound and video support and to Greg Chandler and Greg Gilmore for taking on hosting duties while Glen and I were soaking wet!

P.S. If you're reading this thinking, "Dang! I needed to do that too." you aren't too late. Contact me (fturner@xroadschurch.org or 263-4633 ext. 231) and we'll get it done.

When heroes collide

2007-06-25T11:05:00.000-07:00

I know I've been talking about Donald Miller a lot lately, but bear with me...

When I was in jr high and high school I was reeeeally into Christian music. One of my favorite artist at the time was Steve Taylor. His music was always a tad on the cheesy side (maybe that's just me looking at them through the lens of twenty years gone by), but his lyrics were always really smart and a bit acerbic.

Well, it turns out Steve Taylor is one of the guys who's been helping Donald Miller turn Blue Like Jazz into a screenplay. And they hang out and stuff.

Miller recently put up some pictures on his Flickr page of Taylor and himself "road kayaking."

It's strange when a hero from your past and a hero from your present hang out together. It's even stranger when they pull each other down snow-covered streets in a boat with a pick-up truck.

Blue Like Jazz: The Movie

2007-06-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

From Donald Miller's website:

Steve Taylor and Ben Pearson have been in Portland for the past week and we've pretty much completed the screenplay for Blue Like Jazz the movie. We've been working on the script for about a year, either with me flying to Nashville for a week at a time to sit around a table and hash out the story, or with Steve and Ben coming to Portland to stay at my house. When studios became more excited about the screenplay, we felt the need to wrap it up, and in the last few days we've pretty much done so. And I dont know if I've had more fun, or been more challenged, with any other writing project. I'm excited to see how the guys end up shooting the story.

To say we've given the book a Hollywod treatment is an understatement. The book itself would be, of course, difficult to turn into a movie, and so we took creative liberties. But in my opinion, the movie will be infinitely better than the book. Essentially we've taken the major, real life characters from the book, and gave them a story all their own. The end result is provactive and humorous and in my opinion quite moving. I can't wait for people to see the film.

We think production will be able to start next year, and the film will be shot on location in Portland. And I am as excited about showing off my town as I am about telling the story. I will keep you posted.

Where was that again?

2007-06-18T19:19:00.000-07:00

If you're like me and find yourself wondering through the Bible more frequently than you find yourself knowing exactly where you're at, then this might be a great site for you to visit!

Check out biblemap.org. Simply by selecting books of the Bible and various chapters within each, the site provides a google maps marking of each site referenced. It's pretty cool and kind of "puts a face with a place" in your reading.

Donald Miller = Awesome

2007-06-18T06:56:00.000-07:00

Friday I was at Willow Creek in Chicago for a creative arts conference. I got to hear Donald Miller speak. If you're not familiar with the name, Donald Miller is a Christian author. He's written such books as Blue Like Jazz, Searching For God Knows What, and To Own a Dragon.

I've read most of Miller's work and listened to a lot of mp3's of him speaking, but seeing him speak in person was a real thrill. I geeked out pretty bad over the whole thing. Just ask Matt McKay.

Here's a pictures I took:

Miller talked about the difference between truth and meaning - and how prior to the enlightenment it was the artist, not the scholars, that were used to communicate God's message.

Want To Know What Happened At Porn & Pancakes??

2007-06-16T06:24:00.000-07:00

Stop by the TEACHING BLOG to get the scoop.

An Important Note from Glen

2007-06-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

There is quite a buzz in our community over this weekend’s activities at Crossroads. As I write Greg Chandler (Director of Creative Arts) and Craig Gross (founder of XXX Church) are on local talk radio, and much of the community gets it! Saturday morning at 8am our “Porn & Pancakes” breakfast kicks off the weekend. Craig Gross will offer straight talk about pornography and its impact on all of us. The event is for middle school boys on up through their eighty-year-old granddads. Cost is $5, and no advance registration is required. Nearly 200 guys are planning to attend at this writing.

Craig Gross will also share in all three weekend services – Saturday 5:30; Sunday 9:30 & 11:15am. Every dad needs to be aware of this topic as we discuss “Strong Words for Strong Men.” Dads, there may be no greater gift to your kids than to be informed on this issue. Don’t miss this weekend!

Last weekend Fred Turner wrapped up our “Counterintuitive” series with the message “Acting Like It.” I heard so many positive comments about his message, and the whole series. Imagine if we lived the kingdom of heaven into our lives here on earth. If you weren’t able to be with us live, download the podcast at http://www.xroadschurch.org/audio.php or stop by the Resource Center for the CD.

Thanks for being a part of this community.

Glen Schneiders

Blogging For Dummies (and lazy people like me)

2007-06-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

Do you like reading blogs and have thought to yourself, "Wow! I wish I could start my own blog but it looks so complicated." Well, it is complicated, very technical and probably a sin so you should really try to resist the blogging temptation! OK it's probably not a sin (depending on you content) and it doesn't have to be complicated and technical at all. I've recently started using a website to manage my blog called Tumblr and it's makes updating super easy. Basically, if you can type or copy and paste text you can have a blog. Unfortunately, Tumblr doesn't offer a comment feature so your readers can't comment on your posts...but really, who cares what other people think. Blogging is all about self expression and personal growth. Right? So go, create and become part of the blogosphere.

Last installment

2007-06-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

The final installment of my investigative report for Crossroads is up. Rest in peace:

Win Place or Show?

2007-06-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

I was driving in to work this morning and wasn’t feeling necessarily prayer-riffic so I was listening to some new music instead. As is usual there was an opportunity to jockey for position on the highway. Why is this such an inviting, yet aggravating scenario nearly every time I drive? It’s like everyone else on the road is trying to beat me. This got me thinking about how much of my life is looked at with a “just win baby” attitude. Many times intentional, many times just natural reaction but so often I find myself at the end of what was just a perceived competitive battle. Whether it’s driving the car, sitting through a meeting, or telling jokes, something is always whispering on the inside “you have to win Chris.” Ever feel like that?

How ironic that in giving up the desire to win, to position ourselves first, to be ahead of others and look out for us first, that the opportunity to achieve a deeper sense of that same fulfillment becomes available? Instead of jockeying for my position, why don’t I jockey for God’s position? Isn’t that the true victory?

I Corinthians 57

But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three-sin, guilt, death-are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!

What are some examples you've seen or may be occurring in your life that with a simple twist of "who's agenda is it anyway" might shed a new light on your perspective?

Mission Trip

2007-06-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

This week, many from our Crossroads Community are serving in both New Orleans and Honduras to help people understand the love of God. Keep these people in your thoughts and prayers this week. Here is a list of the names on the trips:

New Orleans
Rachel Adkins
Christy Bradley
Alaka Bradley
Hagan Bradley
Danny Briscoe
Daniel Briscoe
Janene Buckles
Angela Caldwell
Hope Caldwell
Serge Cardinali
Greg Chandler
Gabe Chandler
Nathaniel Chandler
Linda Curd
Mack Holly
Linsay Holly
John Kelly
Carrie Koontz
Jason Koontz
Sharon Pearson
Tish Shupe
Jennifer True

Honduras
Troy Irwin
Scott Morgan
Lindsey Grachek
Stephen Kemp
Benjamin Sherman
Gavin Foley
Sarah Rohach
Trey Petty
Ellen Bentley

XRoads Newest Celebrity Baby

2007-06-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

Congratulations go out to Stephen and Carol Brown. Their daughter (and my pseudo-niece) Isabel was just signed by MGM to play the lead role in "Joe Dirt II - When Big Mullets Happen to Beautiful Babies!"

Please be sure to give Stephen and Carol a warm Crossroads congratulations next time you see them!

What a week...

2007-06-07T11:22:00.000-07:00

I'm strugglin' over here.

The weird little hail storm we got on Tuesday has resulted in this being a strange/busy/exasperating week here at the body shop I work at. In addition to that, I've been driving to my hometown of Lawrenceburg every night, after work, to perform skits for a Vacation Bible School at my old home church.

Add to that the normal stuff, like mowing the yard, keeping the house livable, trying to see Sara, keeping up on non-day job work, and editing the final Patrick Drury investigative report I'm heading into the weekend somewhat frazzled.

Come Friday and Saturday I'm gonna need to unwind a little.

What do you guys recommend? How do you like to unwind? Dinner with the family? Reading a book out on the porch? Cooking? Bum fights?

Tell me how you relax. Tell me what activities and places help you recharge after a week like the one I'm having. If you give me a good idea, I'm totally stealing it.

First Wednesday

2007-06-05T05:02:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night (Wednesday the 6th) is First Wednesday. If you've never been to one (or even if you have) you should take this opportunity to come check it out. There's informal worship and community time. And this month the elders will be there to share with the congregation and listen to anything you have to say. It starts at 6:30 and there's childcare provided for birth through 6th grade. For more information, contact Lynn Buckles.

Donald Miller teaching

2007-06-04T05:29:00.000-07:00

In a couple of weeks I'm gonna be in Chicago with some guys and while we're there it looks like we're going to get to hear Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz, To Own A Dragon) speak. I'm really excited about that. I've started downloading some mp3's of his teaching from his website. It's a different experience from reading one of his books for sure, but it's still very enjoyable and informative. Check out his audio store here. They each cost $2 but are definitely worth it.

This week's investigative report

2007-05-28T16:57:00.001-07:00

Featuring the culinary skills of Freddy Acevedo:

Lost season finale

2007-05-24T06:56:00.001-07:00

***Spoilers Below!! This post discusses the Lost season finale! If you haven't seen it and don't want it spoiled, stop reading now!***

Wow, so that was awesome!

I stayed with Lost all season, even though there in the middle it was more out of momentum than interest. Within the last five or six weeks, though, it really got good again (I attribute it to the writing team hiring a comic book writer by the name of Brian K. Vaghn - but I'm a nerd like that).

The season finale last night actually had me cheering a couple of times - like when Hurley came riding in with his van and saved the day. I know it's kind of sick that I cheered about Hurley running over a guy and killing him, but I like to think I was cheering more about the fact that he stopped listening to everybody and proved his worth.

When they showed the first flashback with Jack and his beard I told Sara I thought it was actually a flash-forward, but then I changed my mind about three times before the end. Now a day later when they implied that it was actually a flash-forward I've changed my mind again and decided it actually was a flash back and that our crash survivors have actually been on the island before and that history keeps repeating itself somehow. I have nothing to support this theory, I'm just trying to come up with bizarre theories that sound plausible so I can be fascinating at parties (as fascinating as you can be at a party talking about nerdy theories about TV shows).

Sawyer continues to be the most interesting character for me.
He's so completely out of his element being forced into community and relationships with his fellow survivors. And now we're seeing a new facet of him ever since he killed Locke's father. As one might imagine, when you devote your whole life to revenge - and then you get it - you're probably gonna feel pretty lost afterwards. Obviously the show's title works on several levels.

So let's talk. I know several of our readers watch Lost. What did you like about last night's episode? What did you hate? What did you think of Charlie's sacrifice? How about Jack's willingness to sacrifice the lives of a few for the good of many? Is Naomi really a bad guy? Did anybody else want Jack to keep punching Ben?

Talk!

Congratulations!

2007-05-24T05:36:00.000-07:00

Congratulations go out ot Clark and Amy Cranfill! Their daughter Lucy came into the world on Monday at 4lbs 1 ounce! I was told Lucy's very pretty middle name but I'm not sure how to spell it and I don't wan to butcher it here, so I'll just wait for confirmation and post it later.

Congrats Clark and Amy!

Nature once again proves more entertaining than fiction

2007-05-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

Three or four different incredible things happen in this home video of animals on the African plane. It starts kind of slow, but then picks up pretty fast. By the end it's kind of a nice picture of the strength of a herd.

There's a bit of animal violence - so be warned if you're squeamish about that kind of thing. It's from a distance though, so it's not really gory or anything.

Linda's Story

2007-05-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

It's far too easy to devolve into thinking that following Jesus = showing up each week for a church service. Or to think that God isn't doing much more than what we see or can do on our own.

Our stories can change all that. Hearing about what God is doing in someone else's life reminds us that He is at work and that we are changing and growing.

Linda will be getting baptized on Saturday night to express here commitment to Jesus. Here's her story:

I walked alone on this earth for 27 years before God brought me from my UR (usual routine) to Kentucky. I didn’t immediately find God. At first my move to KY was rough because of some “harassment” issues at work. I retreated into solitude & became even more of a workaholic. But God didn’t give up on me. God pursued me and kept reaching out to me. Throwing me branches that I didn’t finally grasp on until I found Crossroads. I got connected through a Woman In Touch (WIT) program called the “Refresh & Connect” facilitated by Nancy Reifschnedier. This opportunity let me get connected to others in the church without the “intimidation factor”. The women of WIT (like Nancy, Martha, Mary Lu, etc) were inviting and encouraging without pressuring.

Nancy invited me to attend service with her and her husband Doug so I wouldn’t have to sit alone. At that time, I was very intimated to walk into church alone. It wasn’t much longer after that that I celebrated a huge victory. I was running late and arrived at church after the service started. In the past, my fear & insecurity would have gotten the best of me and I would have walked away. But because of what God was doing in my life I walked in and sat down in the back row. I continued to grow in my faith and learn more about God and what it means to be a Christian through the wonderful sermons at Crossroads and additional opportunities like Woman In Touch Bible Studies. Like the Patriarchs bible study, which initially I was hestitant to participate in because I didn’t “know” the bible but with encouragement from Martha decided I would give it a try. It was through those sources that I learned who God is and started to become aware of His presence in my life.

I first accepted Christ during a Reverb service on April 2, 2006. Since that time I have continued to grow and learn more about God and what it means to follow Jesus. I’m so excited about being baptized because to me it’s a way to make a commitment to God that despite the fear, insecurity, or doubt (which I now realize I will continue to face), I will no longer give in or give up. I will choose today and forever more to no longer depend on myself but to depend on God alone and those in His community that would help me continue with my spiritual development until the day He brings me home.

How's your memory

2007-05-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

I don't have a good memory. Both my short term memory and long term memory leave a lot to be desired. The only thing I have a good memory for is the content of old comic books from when I was a kid - so basically, I can retain completely useless information about men in tights beating each other up. Awesome!

How about you? How's your memory? If you're not sure - put your short term memory to the test here. You'll be shown 15 words over 15 seconds. Once you've seen all the words you'll be asked to write down as many as you remember. The first time I did it, I only got 4. The second time I got 6 and the third time I got 9.

Give it a try and let us know how you did.

A Note From Glen

2007-05-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

Thought you might like an encouraging reminder that God is working behind the scenes at Crossroads. Please take the time to read the email recently sent to Melissa Cheeseman:

“I wanted to drop you a note and say how AWESOME our new building is (Donations Center building behind our Main Room). I am so excited!! My husband has been helping others build it and he cannot believe how well built the building is – it will stand forever.

Because we are not in a small group, it has been wonderful getting to know those working on the building. Wow, what great people God has placed in our church and crossed our paths.
I have been wanting to share a story with you for quite some time but just never stopped doing my paper work and taken the time but this is a true story that all should know about the donation center. Fred’s message a few weeks ago – spoke about how we know if God really is real since we can’t call him up and say “how about we meet for lunch this week?” Because we can’t touch him physically – I have asked myself that very question but the Donation Center proved to me – he really is with us and hears our needs.

A co-worker and I worked the trailer the 1st year or so together then she took a job teaching in one of our special needs schools so she had to back off some because of the time factor. However, she came by my office at the Board of Education one day and requested – Did we have a “Hooked on Phonics” set. She had an older student (young man) that could not read and she wanted to work with him. I told her, my daughter had one at home that we had purchased when she was little and now that she was twelve and reading – I could bring her ours. Sometimes we get busy and put things off… Everything imaginable has come through the donation center, but about a week or two after her request – I opened the door to the shed – never knowing what I might find – and there set a complete, well taken care of, $250.00 Hooked on Phonics set in the original box.

I was amazed – I knew if I turned around – God was going to be standing right there on Todds Road in our little gravel parking lot. He had actually heard my co-worker’s request and this student’s needs.

I delivered it to her at her school on Monday.

Now, I am convinced God is really real and that our little Donation Center and our very generous giving folks that attend - contribute to those in need. It’s like having an angel on our shoulder.
As you always say in your closing message – “God, thanks so much for loving us as much as you do!”
Thanks for the building and your contributions – you are the one that has made it happen!!
Those working on the building have even become great friends!”
That is the power of the church. One person generously shares, another volunteers time to distribute, and God use us to make a difference for his children. In the process he is forming friendships among those who take the time to invest of themselves. Pretty cool!

On another encouraging note, nearly 50 children were dedicated last weekend (largest in Crossroads history). It was so moving to see so many young families with a desire to raise their children to love and honor God.

This weekend, I return from the “Wedding/Speaking Circuit” to continue our series “Counterintuitive.” We will look at the idea that Jesus isn’t for everyone. If you know anyone considering following Christ, strongly encourage them to join us.

Can’t wait to be with you this weekend,
Glen

How I learned to stop worrying and love my DVR

2007-05-15T05:11:00.000-07:00

Backstage on Sunday I heard Fred tell somebody that getting a Digital Video Recorder for their tv would be the best seven dollars a month they ever spend.

I've had a DVR for probably about a year now. It is, as Fred suggested, pretty awesome. And I didn't realize how much it shaped my viewing habits until last week when it went on the fritz for a few days. I had plans to come home last Thursday night from work, watch The Office and Scrubs - and then catch the previous night's episode of Lost that I had missed. Because my DVR wasn't working properly I ended up having to stream Lost off of the ABC website instead. Not a big deal at all, but at the time it seemed like a huge hassle.

So, the DVR is working again and last night Sara came over for dinner and a little TV. Having a DVR means we get to sculpt our viewing experience instead of having it dictated to us by schedules. Our Monday night viewing was as follows:

-An episode of Tyler's Ultimate (an awesome cooking show from the Food Network)
-An episode of Human Giant (sketch comedy show from MTV)
-A musical performance by the Avett Brothers from last Friday's Late Night with Conan O'Brien
-The last two episodes of Heroes back to back.

All with no commercials thanks to the handy fast-forward button (I've discovered that fastfowarding through commercials at the highest setting and stopping right as the show comes back on is an art).

So, what about you? If you have the option to sculpt your viewing experience, what's it look like? What would your perfect Monday night television block look like?

Congratulations!

2007-05-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

This past weekend at Crossroads, we celebrated Mother's Day by recognizing the parents of kids born in the past year. This time lets our entire church community celebrate together this special time.

We don't want to just celebrate one weekend, however. In the future, if you would like to share a picture or just let us know that you or a relative of yours is having a baby, please email me at ggilmore@xroadschurch.org so our community can know.

Congratulations again to all of the new moms and also to the ones who have been at it for a while!

Getting Trashy...

2007-05-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

A few months back we explored the idea that God trusts us to take care of His Creation. This week we're taking another step in that direction as we begin recycling the waste produced at our church building.

A recent waste audit showed that nearly 50% of the trash that goes into Crossroad's dumpster can be recycled. If we all do our part, we'll keep nearly 31,000lbs of trash out of our local landfills.

What can we recycle at church? Almost anything you'd put in your Rosie at home.
However,DIRECTIONS (our weekly program) & OTHER PAPER;
PLASTIC WATER & SODA BOTTLES (& all plastics #'d 1 & 2);
AND ALUMINUM CANS will be what most of us will deal with at church.

At this time we CAN'T recycle our communion cups, coffee cups or other coffee trash.

So, this weekend look for the nearest blue recycling trash can and pitch in!

As requested

2007-05-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

A very kind lady with questionable taste in entertainment approached me at church on Sunday and asked if I could put my video piece from this week up on the web. So, by request:

before they were lost

2007-05-04T05:38:00.000-07:00

Entertainment site EW.com has a feature this week that shows you what shows, movies, and music videos you might remember seeing various Lost cast members in. Check it out.

They also did it with Heroes.

I totally remember Hiro being on Scrubs now.

First Wednesday

2007-05-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

In case you missed the announcement (or haven't figured out what the name means yet), First Wednesday is tonight at 6:30 at Crossroads. First Wednesday is a time for community and more intimate opportunities for worship. I can't make it tonight, but I've been to the last two and I can say, without a doubt, that it's totally worth your time to go.

Summer movie season

2007-05-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

With Spider-Man 3 opening this Friday the summer movie season kicks off with a bang. What are you planning to see? Anything? I'll definitely see Spider-Man 3. I've been a big comic nerd all my life, but usually find comic book inspired movies to be a big disappointment. The Spider-Man movies have consistently been the exception to that rule. The first two were really fun and I expect the third one will be too.

I'll also probably be seeing Pirates of the Caribbean (May 25th). I thought the first Pirates movie was nearly perfect. I couldn't believe that a movie based on a fairly stupid Disney ride could be that good. The second one I think suffered a bit from sequel-itis (all flash, no heart). I'll see the third one, though, for, if nothing else, the promise of more Jeffrey Rush. He's awesome.

I'll see Evan Almighty, the sequel to Bruce Almighty starring Steve Carell. Here's how the Internet Movie Database describes it's plot:

"The last time we saw Evan Baxter (Steve Carell), he was being tormented by rival Bruce Nolan onscreen, live from their Buffalo TV station. But as time passed and Evan has made up with Bruce, he's gone onto bigger and better things. Newly elected to Washington D.C. as a congressman, Evan has left Buffalo, New York in pursuit of a greater calling. But that calling isn't serving in the illustrious ranks of America's politics, but being summoned by the Almighty himself (Morgan Freeman), who has handed Evan the task of building a new ark, much as Noah did before. With time passing by and his family belittled by Evan's new found realization, Evan will have to do the work that God has given him in what promises to be an unusual adventure for a man who just wanted to serve his country, might actually be serving humanity."

I'll see Transformers for nostalgia's sake even though I expect it to be pretty awful.

And I'll see The Simpsons Movie because... well... I love The Simpsons.

That's all off the top of my head. Here's a list of upcoming movies for the next year. What do you plan on seeing this summer? Anything look good? Anything look terrible?

When we built our new building...

2007-04-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

...we talked about thinking beyond ourselves and creating a space that wasn't just for us- but for the community to use.

Recently we compiled a list of ways we have opened up our facility to people who don't necessarily attend our church. Take a peek:

ATHLETICS
• Sunday night open gym
• Weeknights – Basketball, Volleyball, Dodgeball, Soccer, Wiffleball teams/leagues
• Kids Basketball and Soccer programs (Including parents – over 400 people/week)
WEEKDAY PRESCHOOL
• 152 FAMILIES
CIVIC ACTIVITIES
• Election polling location for 4 precincts
• Red Cross Emergency Shelter
• Mentoring afterschool program for Hayes Middle School
• Hayes Middle School teachers meetings
• Home school associations for events, i.e., graduation, drama, clubs
• Blood drives
• Multiple Neighborhood Association meeting
• Boy Scout/ Girl Scout meetings
• Eagle Scout Ceremonies
• Henry Clay Baccalaureate service
BUSINESSES
• Corporation meetings
• Jazzercise
• Spanish classes
• Corporate Memorial Services –after major tragedies
SUPPORT GROUPS
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Al-Anon
• Emotions Anonymous
• Divorce Care
• Divorce recovery for elementary kids
• Grief Share
PARKING LOT
• Mowing company
• Hayes Middle School events
COMMUNITY PARTIES
• Big Bunny (Easter)
• Pumpkin Patch (Halloween)
ARTS/CULTURAL
• Ballet Winchester – Ballet Magnificat production
• Kidz Artz Institute
• Summer Music Classes
• Spirit Wind Dancers
ON SITE COMMUNITY CHARITY SUPPORT
• Inner city dinners
• Step By Step fund raisers
• Clothes and food drives
• Christmas gift drives
LOCAL COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
• Weddings
• Funerals
• Showers
• Birthday parties
• Pre-marriage Counseling
GROUP MEETINGS
• MOMS group meetings
• Game Night
• Handwriting Analysis

Isn't it great to be a part of a church that puts its building where its mouth is???

Did You Know...

2007-04-24T12:27:00.000-07:00

...that we offer interpreting for the deaf at our 11:15 Sunday services?

Interpreters are stationed up front on the left side of the room.

If you have some friends in the Deaf community, feel free to pass the word!

On Steve Colbert

2007-04-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

Bret Foster has a friend named Steve Beard who runs a website called Thunderstruck.org. Thunderstruck links to stories on the internet that deal with faith and pop culture. While visiting his blog one day I saw a quote by Steve Colbert from Comedy Centrals hilarious Daily Show spin-off The Colbert Report. Here's the quote:

"I love my Church, and I'm a Catholic who was raised by intellectuals, who were very devout. I was raised to believe that you could question the Church and still be a Catholic. What is worthy of satire is the misuse of religion for destructive or political gains. That's totally different from the Word, the blood, the body and the Christ. His kingdom is not of this earth."

I thought that was a great quote.

It's tempting to get excited whenever you find out a celebrity or someone you look up to believes the same way you do. Unfortunately, that feeling is usually rooted in a whole "Look! I told you Christians were cool!" attitude, which really isn't very useful. The joy should come from the fact that one more person is aware of Jesus' love and trying to live it out in their daily lives. It should be the same feeling whether you find out a celebrity is a Christian or the guy that delivers your mail is.

The rest of the short interview can be found here.

And yes, in case any of you think this sounds familiar, this is a repost from the old Reverb blog. I was watching Colbert last night and remembered writing about all of this and thought I'd use the new blog to revisit the idea.

I predict...

2007-04-19T07:56:00.000-07:00

Back in the 1900's Ladies Home Journal made a series of predictions about what the future would look like. Here's a link to all of the predictions. I've posted some of the most interesting below.

-The American will be taller by from one to two inches. His increase of stature will result from better health, due to vast reforms in medicine, sanitation, food and athletics. He will live fifty years instead of thirty-five as at present – for he will reside in the suburbs. The city house will practically be no more. Building in blocks will be illegal. The trip from suburban home to office will require a few minutes only. A penny will pay the fare.

-There Will Be No Street Cars in Our Large Cities. All hurry traffic will be below or high above ground when brought within city limits. In most cities it will be confined to broad subways or tunnels, well lighted and well ventilated, or to high trestles with “moving-sidewalk” stairways leading to the top. These underground or overhead streets will teem with capacious automobile passenger coaches and freight with cushioned wheels. Subways or trestles will be reserved for express trains. Cities, therefore, will be free from all noises.

-Photographs will be telegraphed from any distance. If there be a battle in China a hundred years hence snapshots of its most striking events will be published in the newspapers an hour later. Even to-day photographs are being telegraphed over short distances. Photographs will reproduce all of Nature’s colors.

-No Mosquitoes nor Flies. Insect screens will be unnecessary. Mosquitoes, house-flies and roaches will have been practically exterminated. Boards of health will have destroyed all mosquito haunts and breeding-grounds, drained all stagnant pools, filled in all swamp-lands, and chemically treated all still-water streams. The extermination of the horse and its stable will reduce the house-fly

This got me in the mind to start predicting what life will look like 100 years from now. I predict in 100 years we'll no longer use Fossil Fuels (at least I hope we won't). I predict that all media whether it be television, radio, the internet, etc will be accessible through one device. I predict politicians will still lie a lot. I predict conventional guns will be replaced with laser guns that give anyone they hit uncontrollable diarrhea (at least I hope they are).

Your turn. What do you think the world will look like in 100 years?

Church Under The Bridge

2007-04-17T05:44:00.000-07:00

You've probably noticed lots of references to something called Church Under The Bridge at Crossroads of late - and with good reason. CUTB is a multi-church effort to provide a worship opportunity and some valuable rescources to Lexington's homeless community. Recently a group from Crossroads hosted CUTB. Pictures follow. If you're interested in getting involved, call the church offices and they can get you in touch with the appropriate people.

Click on images to make them bigger.

Prayers Appreciated

2007-04-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

Over the past several years, Crossroads has had several people on something called a "Prayer Chain". These people simply pray specifically for people that want prayer. This is what the Church is intended for; to care for each other. Recently, thank you cards came to the church to say how much they appreciated this team. Here are is an excerpt:

"Thank you for your expressions of concern during my Father's recent illness and death. I appreciate the prayers, emails, cards, phone calls and visits. We fell very blessed to be a part of such a loving church family. We covet your prayers through the days ahead."

Prayer is such a vital part of the church. Our community is very thankful for all of the time that you devote to God and for others.

If anyone else is in need of prayer, please feel free to post.

Easter at Xroads

2007-04-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

Easter weekend has come and gone. All that's left are little bits of plastic Easter basket grass, the last fleeting ebbs of a chocolate buzz, and a plate of ham scraps in the fridge.

If you made it out to Crossroads this weekend then you know that a lot of cool stuff took place. There was a well attended sunrise service despite the bitter cold, there were pancakes (which I didn't get to partake in, but I hear they were awesome. Of course, how can a pancake not be awesome? It's a pancake...), and there were lots of new faces checking out our community for the first time.

I was able to snap a few pictures and record a short video over the course of the weekend. Most of my pictures kind of center around the services themselves and none of the other cool stuff that went on. I was serving on the tech team this weekend so I didn't get much of a chance to walk around.

If any of you have pictures from the pancakes breakfast, the big bunny party, or anything else, feel free to email them to me at patchdrury@gmail.com and I'll put them up here. And in the future, any of you who'd like to start helping me document everything that takes place at ol' Xroads via cameras and videos - please feel free!

So, if you made it out this weekend, what was your favorite part of the whole Easter shebang?

(Click pictures to make them bigger)

Harrison Cash Foster

2007-04-09T06:38:00.000-07:00

Picture, as promised: