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My brother and I made this movie, and we are trying to sell it.  If anyone is interested leave a comment.  Advice on how to sell it is appreciated too! 

Recently my wife and I graduated from a course called Financial Peace University.  It has changed our lives!  The way we handle our money has forever been altered.  Spending money on random things is no longer an option for us.  We have stopped using credit cards all together, and are currently paying off all of our debt, including my massive student loans.  We are making some sacrifices to make that happen, but in less than 2 years we could be debt free (except for the house)!  Dave Ramsey is the one who teaches the course, and he puts things together in a real and practical way, helping everyone understand how to better manage money.  I highly recommend this class to anyone who is interested, and I know that we will be offering it again at The Journey.  I have talked to several others who have graduated from this class, and they all have made some major life changes.  I even heard of one couple paying off over $5000.00 worth of debt in 4 months!  For more information go to:  http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu/home/ 

I have often wondered what I am suppose to become.  Am I what I will be?  Or am I on my way to what I can be?  This is something that I cannot seem to get my head around.  It may sound to philisophical, but it is a real question that I am really asking.  I have dreams just like everyone else.  Things that I would love to do just once, things that I would love to do for a living, things that seem so crazy, but they are right at my fingertips.  I struggle with wondering if I am good enough to make it.  Some days I am so sure that I could find my place, others I won’t even let myself wonder about it.  And so I come full circle, am I what I will be?  Or am I on my way to what I can be?

I just returned from almost a week with my family.  My grandma passed away this week and Angele and I were there for the funeral.  We went down a few days early to spend some time with my mom.  My grandma suffered for ten years with Alzheimer’s, and is home now with her husband who died of a heart attack when my mom was only 11.  One of the things that we all remember about my grandma was her cure for anything that was bothering you.  She would tell us to make a sandwich or eat some bread.  If that did not sound good to you, it didn’t matter she was going to get you one anyway.  She loved the tigers, and was always good to us when we were young.  My mom has been taking care of her for many years and is obviously missing her a lot.  If you think of it pray for my mom.

 …oh, and eat some bread

So the question that I have been hearing recently is, ”how can I make extra money?”  I am thinking about it, and trying to come up with a way, a friend of mine is looking for a second job, some others are trying some work-at-home deals, and others are trying to come up with a totally new idea.  So, how do you make extra money?

 

So, this Sunday I will be in a new position.  Usually I lead the music at The Journey, playing the electric guitar and singing.  I love it!  But this week, I will be sitting behind the plexiglas shield that houses our drums.  I am not the best drummer in the world, and so I am a little nervous about it.  On top of not being a great drummer, I will be singing harmonies from inside the cage.  We had practice last night and all seemed to go well, but those of you who have ever been involved in a Sunday morning gathering, you know things don’t always go as planned.  So if you think about it send a positive drum thought my way… or don’t, I still have to play them.

This is a few years old now, but this kid is amazing. I don’t think his feet could move any faster. Check him out!

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1259063023

Recently I have discovered a new sport, Disc Golf.  Usually when someone mentions golf to me I say no thanks.  I stink at real golf, and it usually ends in me getting mad.  Disc golf on the other hand is for everyone.  When I was younger we would take family vacations where would end up playing Frisbee golf.  This was only played with Frisbees and something to throw it at.  Now they have actually courses, a variety of discs, and an actual net to throw it in.  It is really fun.

A few good reasons to play:

1.  Exercise

2.  It is a great way to get outside

3.  The people who play our normally frinedly

4.  It isn’t that expensive to get into

5.  Good talks, and good friends.

So get some discs and get out there!

You Are a Boston Creme Donut

You have a tough exterior. No one wants to mess with you. But on the inside, you’re a total pushover and completely soft. You’re a traditionalist, and you don’t change easily. You’re likely to eat the same doughnut every morning, and pout if it’s sold out.

What Donut Are You?

I went and saw the movie Wild Hogs last night with my wife.  If you are looking for a movie that is fun, light hearted, and overall a feel good, than this is one to see.  I wanted to see it because of the motorcycles.  It didn’t have the most interesting plot, but it was fun to look at the lives of 4 guys, and see how riding a motorcycle brought them together as friends.  Mostly, I just wanted to see the motorcycles.   The hardest part in this movie, for me, was watching these motorcycles  get trashed.  From time to time one of them would dump the bike.  I sat there having to watch this really nice harley sportster skid across the pavement.  That just was not that funny to me.  After years of wanting a motorcycle that just makes me sick.  I think that destroying a bike is like committing sin.  It is just so wrong to destroy something that I should be able to ride, and take care of.

So if you see this movie it is a good one, but if you are a motorcycle lover, like myself, and you don’t yet own one, this could be hard to watch.

Have you ever been sick, and thought that you could handle it?  You get up, you go out, and you try to act as normal as possible all the while feeling like curling up in a ball in a nice warm bed, and not moving until the next day.  That is what my recovery time looks like when I am sick.  I do not like to be inactive, so I try to do things that I really should’nt be doing.  Luckily, today has already started out better for me.  I slept in and I am feeling a lot better.  Again I cannot tell you how amazing my wife has been through this.  This is only the second time that I have been sick in our four years of marriage.  She took care of me like it was the most important thing happening in the world, and that really feels good.

So take some advice from a sicky like me, learn to slow down, and learn to let others serve you.  Take it easy for a while, you might just like it.

I have recently returned from a trip to florida, where I attended the Humana 2.0 conference. It was a great time and refreshed my thoughts in a lot of areas both in the now, and for the future. I worked while I was down there, and putting that together with all of the weeks of work that I had put in getting the Journey’s new home together caused complete exhaustion on my return. But I still had to work saturday, and Sunday morning. During church on Sunday morning I started to feel really sick. I was getting the chills, a fever, and everything started to ache. I got home a squickly as I could and jumped in bed, and I was absolutely freezing. I could not stop shivering. I even called my wife at work and made her come home to bring me medicing and be there with me. She was great!
This mornings message was on marriage, and this made me realize one more time how good I have it with Angele. She was willing to anything for me so that I would feel better. And I do. I am still not 100% so I will take it is on Monday, but without my wife I think I would still be shivering in bed by myself. She served me, and I want to serve here whenever I get the chance.

Hello all, I decided to put a few t-shirt designs of mine on my site and let some of you tell me what you think, and which one you think is the best. Take a look, place a vote.

So I have had surround sound for a while now.  I have watched many movies with it, and I have always enjoyed it, but sometimes wondered why it was not as good as the movie theater.  Speaking to my brother, I realized that I had forgotten to hook it up digitally.  I only had an analog signal coming out of it!  To some of you this means nothing, but in surround sound it means everything. 

I watched Superman with it hooked up correctly and I heard things so clearly.  I had never seen Superman to know the difference though.  So right now, as I write this, I am watching Lord of the Rings.  Can I just say, OH MY GOSH!  what a difference, I have even been scared a few times by noises that I had no idea were even in this movie, and I have seen this movie close to 30 times.  Birds are flying around me, whispers are in my ear, crickets are churping behind me, and I am surrounded with some of the best and most epic movie music I think that I have ever heard. 

So to sum up, if you have a digital output on your DVD player and one on your Surround Sound plug it in!  It is also known as COAX.  If you do not have Surround Sound, stop what you are doing and go buy one…………now! 

I am not sure about where you are, but where I am Christmas is suppsoe to white. There is suppose to be snow on the ground, and slippery roads to manage. I am suppose to get hit with a snowball when I see my little brother, and everybody is suppose to be wearing winter coats, not rain gear! This is my one and only complaint for this holiday season. Otherwise I had a wonderful Christmas. My wife got me some great presents, and we were able to spend Christmas morning just to the two of us. That has not happened for the past two years as we were either leaving the country or coming back. I also got to see my family, and my new neice again.
For me Christmas seemed to be this incedible celebration when I was growing up, but it only lasted one day. The build up to it was amazing, people every where, decorations, getting on the roof of the house to hang lights with my dad and brother, and of course the old movies along with stuffing my face. I loved it and struggled with it every year. I think as I get older the excitement remains and I understnad it more. As a kid it was mostly about santa claus and toys, and then the birth of Jesus. By the way, at my house we always sang happy birthday to Jesus before the presents could even be seen. But, I always felt a major let down when it was over. I felt like too much money had been spent, it was too short, and life as I knew had to begin again. That is a lot for a young boyt to think about, but I did.
This year was different with the arrival of my neice just weeks before Christmas. I thought about the birht of Jesus, and no matter when you think that actually happened, this is when we reflect on it. I though about holding a small baby and having to support the head, how little everything is, and how fragile that little baby is. It has always scared me to hold a little baby. I have always felt like I might break them. I cannot imagine how Mary and Joseph felt holding Jesus in a stable surrounded by big animals, having no soft bed to lay the baby in, or lay on themselves, being drained of energy, and realizing that you have to protect the God of the Universe. You have to support HIS little head. They had to feed, clothe, wash, and keep warm our savior.
That scares me just to think about. If it was me I would be constantly repeating over and over in my head, “Don’t screw up, don’t screw up.” So this Christmas I understand that Jesus did nto just come, but He came humbly, He came weak, He came knowing exactly what it is like to be fragile, breakable, moldable, and yet, He came. I don’t like being any of those things. I refuse to show weakness, but He came in weakness to make us strong.

Why is it that Jesus did everything backwards?

As promised, a couple of pictures of my new niece, and her older sister.

Just Click on the Pic

Well, tuesday morning I became an uncle for the fifth time!  It was great, I got to be there with my wife, and hold a little girl, literally only a few hours old.  Everything was so little.  It always amazes me to see how small a babies fingers are, barely able to wrap around my finger.  It was good to be there for such a life changing event.  My sisters other daughter is a vibrant little girl who will also experience some major life change with the arrival of a baby sister.  Nothing will ever be the same.  The next time I will be able to see any of them will be Christmas Day.  I can hardly wait to see the changes that will have already taken place not only with the baby, but with their family.  Some day I will actually know what they are experiencing now.  But not any time soon.  I will post some pictures when I get some.

It’s like a new phase. It’s like a sunny day.

It’s like a hot shower in the morning.

It’s like your favorite shirt. It’s like a little boy and dirt.

It’s like seeing things clearly again.

It’s like the rush of cold. It’s like your first chance to be bold.

It’s like the chance we all have been waiting for.

It’s like feeling satisfaction. It’s like knowing the right reaction.

It’s like you know it always should have been.

That is what it’s like to feel the passion again.

Just a little thought of how things are for me as moving forward becomes more of a reality.

I am now officially 26. One of the first questions I was asked is if I am going to have kids now. Apparently 26 is the magic age for children. For now, I say no to such a question. Sorry, to dissapoint if anyone was thinking the answer would be yes.

But the reason I am choosing to write about this event again, is simply because it was a great birthday.  I went rock climbing, which I really enjoy, had a great steak, and enjoyed being with my wife all day.  She was incredible.  She also gave me some gifts on top of all of the other stuff I got to do.  I got the HBO series called THE BAND OF BROTHERS.  If you have not seen it, it is well worth the watch.  Amazing true stories of  World War II.  It follows a group of paratroopers who volunteered to fight.  Some of what they went through absolutely amzes me, and I am not ashamed to say, has brought tears to my eyes on occasion while watching an episode.  This series is probably not for all audiences though as it is pretty graphic.

So, as I have previously written, I am now allowed to give advice as a 26 year old.  Here is the advice for today.  Go rent THE BAND OF BROTHERS, and if you can’t do that then go read a book.  I recommend The Hobbit.

Well the two weeks are almost over! I am ready to see my wife again. I am still really praying that Angele comes home from Africa full of passion and a renewed sense of purpose for her life. I am looking forward to seeing the pictures of her trip, and finally knowing where she has been.
As for me, I had planned to go camping with my brother, but that did not work out do to the weather. So instead I went to my parents house and spent some time with my brother, parents and my sister, her husband, and her very cute little daughter. I had a great time with my family, and it took my mind off of Angele being in the middle of Africa. Jon and I insulated the ceiling for my dad in his sunroom. Jon sold his car and I helped him look for a new one, unsuccessfully. I played with my neice, and had a great time with that.
So now I just wait. I sit here for a few more days wondering how everything is going, wishing she was here so I could keep her safe.

Well that is all from me.

Well, even as I write this now new adventures are waiting for me and my wife.  She heads to Africa this Saturday, I spend two full weeks in our apartment, alone.  I am excited for here and what she will learn, feel and bring home with her.  I can hardly wait to see her face after she gets off the plane, seeing the look that I know will be different forever.  Pray for her, and the people she meets, this is a very important trip for them all.

As for me, I stay home, planning a small excursion for me and my brother.  Our first was not very successful in the middle of the summers heat, and me forgetting the matches.  So we will try again, and see if we can do better.  I am glad to have a brother for a friend.  If you have ever spent time with someone outdoors you may remember experiencing things together that you could not have experienced anywhere else.  That is what I look forward to every time I go out.  I am clearer, and feel sharper in these moments.

As for the rest of the time I spend alone, I will miss my wife, wishing she was with me, or I was with her, and think of her return and the episodes of LOST she will have missed that we can watch together.  (DVR is the greatest invention ever!)

That is all I have to say for now.

I love music. It has to be one of my favorite things on this earth. I like to listen and play. I like to write, and record, and I like to discover new sounds. I recently stumbled across a few artists that I enjoy. Snow Patrol is one of these artists. I also have resently been interested in local bands. Since I live in Michigan I started trying to track down some artists sites and music. Here is another band that I recently found and enjoyed from West Michigan, AutoReverse. If you get the chance definitely check them out. It is a quality sound.

Trying to Trust, but can’t see the end

Feeling that life is grim

I know I can’t waiver, I know I can’t fall

I must believe in my All in All

True feelings, true sacrifice

God is still moving,
Change in pace, new choices being made
Looking ahead still wondering will this fade
Can you see the light through the haze?

Temperature is rising

Creating fog on the path,

Still we walk pushing forward
Still we lead and still we are empowered

The light breaks through

The ground illuminated

Can you feel the warmth of the sun?

Can you remember why we had begun?

Can you see the light through the haze?

Glimpses of light, glimpses of glory

Push farther and farther

Giving up is no longer a thought

Seeing the light one more time is what we saught

So we keep up the fight, we move our feet
No matter where we may

The warmth of one more day

The chance of one more delay

Can you see the light through the haze?

This post is for two of my friends specifically.  I have not seen them in a long time, and I was just saying to my wife the other day that I wish I was better at keeping in contact with them.  So here is one way to do that.  So to my friends in Chicago, we miss you too!  I read that you would be around the Grand Rapids area in Spetember and I think that we should try to get together if we can.  We use to live there!  We may be able to show you something that you do not already know about.  So comment on this post and keep us informed about where you will be.

I am reading a book called, “Chazown.”  It talks about finding the vision that God has called you to and put before you, but you have to discover it.  I am really enjoying it so far.  Here is the trouble though, I am not sure that I am clear on my vision.  I thought I was, but I think that God wants to narrow it down, or maybe broaden it.  I am seriously passionate about the church.  I want to help local churches become more relevant to the world we live in, to the communities they are trying to reach, and to a new generation of forward thinkers.  Seems pretty clear, right?  But, how?  In my previous post I wrote about God speaking to me, “Release yourself, and I will release you.”  I think that it very much applies to me learning more about how to worship Him without constraint.  And I am excited to do just that.  But as I write this now I wonder how this can apply to the vision God has for me.  Could it be that I am still holding Him back?  I know I am on the right track, but is it really bigger than this?  I want it to be, and yet do I?

So here is the thought, I believe whole heartedly in the mission and vision of the church I am currently a part of, I feel that we have gotten it right.  I know that we are striving after the very things that I think the local church should be going for.  So does God’s vision for me build out of this model that I get to help shape? And if so, how do we explode this beyond all comprehension the way that I know God can?
Man, soul searching is fun! God take control.

It has never been easy for me to hear from God.  I have never been sure if it is His voice, or if I am just making up what I want to hear.  Today, I tried one more time to just listen to God, and hear what it is that He had to say to me. 

Recently I have been trying to discover how to get into the position that God wants me to be in.  I have been trying to become more of the person that He wants me to be.  As I have tried to do this, I have changed the way I dress a little bit, I have taken on some different responsabilities, I have tried to write more songs, and I have listened to what other people have to say about what they see in me. 

All of this stuff had one thing in common, it starts with I.  That is not to say that listening to others and trying new things is bad.  But everything was relient on me figuring it out. 

This morning I was having my devotions and was trying to listen to God.  I was trying to take down the road bocks that keep Him form getting through to me, when I felt like I clearly and truly heard His voice.  This is the revelation that He had for me today: Release yourself, and I will release you.  For me this meant to let go of trying to figure it out.  Stop trying to make a plan, or do it all in steps.  Instead, listen to God, release everything to Him, and learn to live in His presence knowing that He will release me and give me a plan and a vision far greater then anything I could have come up with on my own. 

For some this may seem almost basic.  If it is for you, you may have already discovered how to release yourself to God.  Good for you!  If this is not you, try to take some time today to listen to God’s voice in a still quiet place with no distractions.  See if He is asking you to release yourself so that He can release you into the future He has laid out before you.

Thanks for reading, and really give it a try, you may like it!

Tomorrow, after church, my brother and I leave on a three day camping trip.  This is something that I have been looking forward to for a long time.  I promised him months ago we would do this after he graduated from college.  So, the time has come.  This is the first backpacking trip he has ever been on, and only my third staying out in the woods.  I am really excited about it.  We are headed to the Huron National Forest, where we could possibly see more bears, and several other wild animals.  I will post an update with some pictures upon my return.

Yesterday I celebrated, along with my wife, our 3 year anniversary.  We had actually gotten something for our anniversary months ago, and decided that we would not do anything else.  But for me that was pretty hard.  So I took my wife out to dinner and brought her home a dozen roses.  She loved that!  Especially the roses.  As I gave her the flowers, I promptly discovered that this was the first time I had given her flowers since we had gotten married!  I actually did not believe her until I thought about it, and found she was right.  I felt bad about that.  What made it worse is that she loved it!  They say you learn something new everyday, and yesterday I learned that the little things do count.

So a word to the wise to any guy who has never gotten his wife flowers, or has not done it in a long time, bring some flowers home for your wife today!  But remember to do it out of the goodness of your heart, not for any other reason!
“What a lovely thing a rose is!… Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are all really necessary for our existence in the first instance. But the rose is an extra. Its smell and its colour are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras.”

–Sir Arthur Conan Doyle–

If you love the outdoors, hiking, camp fires, wild animals (including bears), kayaking, sleeping under the stars, and incredible views then you have to visit the Shenandoah Valley. My wife and I recently spent several days in this area, and we loved it! It is a great place to camp and do all that comes along with it. We really did come across a bear, it was literally fifteen feet from us. We climbed Old Rag; a great climb with boulder jumps, river crossings, and a wonderful view at the top. I have never seen so many deer, and I’m from Michigan! I loved it there. It was great to get away from the business of life, and to relax. I feel that this time was used wisely to reconnect me and my wife, as well as a good time to be with God in what He created for us. I highly recommend a walk in the woods whenever you get the chance. Here are a few pictures from our trip:

 

 

 

 

I saw a t-shirt last night that may have offended some people, but frankly, I agreed with it to an extent.  The t-shirt said, “It’s not God I have a problem with, it’s His fan club.”

I almost bought it.  What an intense way to sum up how many people feel about the church today.  It is not that God is the wrong answer.  He is obviously the right way to go, but it is those who call themselves Christians that screw it up.  In no way am I claiming to be perfect in this matter, and I am not saying that Christians cannot screw up sometimes.  What I am saying is how often do we take a look at who we throw out of the church, and compare that to who needs God the most. 

For me this is not always easy to grasp.  As a pastor I spend a lot of time behind my desk in the church offices.  I answer questions, send e-mails, write songs, play my guitars, edit videos and many other things to enhance our gatherings, but this is not all that God has called me to. 

My wife on the other hand works in retail, she loves her job not because of where she works, but because of who she meets.  She has met people from all walks of life.  People who know God, don’t know God, and people who have walked away from God.  Her view of the world has changed dramatically because of these people, and their view of the church.  I am incredibly proud of how my wife represents Christ where she works.  She now has friends that come to her for advice, or to see if she can answer a question. 

This is the kind of life that God calls us to.  This is why Voxtropolis exists.  This is who I want to become.  The church is great for those who already belong, but is your church great for those who have yet to come?  We work hard at that here, and will continue to make the changes necessary to reach those who need God more than we do. 

Join me in changing the fan club to a place where everyone can belong, and where people want to be.  There are churches already doing this.  Now is the time to stir the pot, create chaos and move out of the church walls and on to the streets.

Well, a few of you have viewed my last post, but had no adivce.  That is ok, I talked with my mom, and a friend of mine, spent some time praying alone and rented and apartment.  I felt that this is what God was asking me to do to protect my wife and myself.  It is amazing how restored I already feel even though we do not move in until Thursday.

 Thanks for checking in

Ryan

I have been searching for a house in the Detroit area for a long time while living at my in-laws house.  It has been several months of finding nothing.  So today I went out with my wife to look for an apartment.  This is not our first option, but we feel it is time for us to get out.  So we looked, but we cannot afford the deposit, first months rent, groceries and bills all at the beginning point. 

This brings me to the point of unbelievable confusion.  What is the deal!?  I can’t find or afford a house, but the same is true of the apartments in this area.  Is it really possible to get ahead?  Is it really possible to stay here and watch things suffer elsewhere in our lives?  What is the plan that GOd has us in?  Are we truly where we should be?  I am just a little lost, and that is driving me crazy quickly!

Anybody have an advice for a guy living at his in-laws and fearing for his wifes sanity as well as his own!?

So this is the first Sunday that I am not working in the morning.  It feels rather strange, but I think that I like it.  Having a Saturday night service is actually great for me.  I felt more relaxed, and did not feel like I had to wake everyone up.  I think that this is the kind of service that I will look forward to having for the rest of this month and in the future at the Journey.  Who knows maybe we will start another service out of the feel of this one. 

Well, last night I sat on a panel of pastors discussing the Da Vinci Code.  I have to say that I learned a lot.  I had no idea about some of the questions that got asked.  I felt a little out of place.  The first time I answered a question things got a little rough.  I upset someone with my answer and she ended up walking out a little while later.  I was certainly surprised by this, but I felt bad for a long time.  It brought up some old memories of previous confrontations and I really had some thoughts of leaving with her.  I really did not think that I belonged there to answer those questions.  After the night ended, I had answered a few other questions, gained a little bit of confidence back, but it still stuck with me.  In previous times of conflict I can say that I never really felt supported by those around me.  Last night this was not so.  Everyone was very supportive of me and let me know that.  Although I still have had a harder time shaking this off, I certainly am feeling better about what happened there.  I feel bad for the women who left and wish that we had a better chance to speak appropriately.  But, I may think twice before joining another panel. 

Adventures await in the recesses of mind,

bringing to light that which is scary in a way, chaotic in another. 

Shifting the way I think, changing the way we do. 

Excitement fills me, brings me to my knees,

Knowing this is not me, and I stand no chance on my own.

Push me forward , or pull me back, change my future, heal my past

Fill the recesses of my mind with a new dream today

Never again to rest in the places ouside of this Awakening

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