The World According to Me!

My Life, My Views

Dare to be different

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I went to the park on Saturday to take some pictures.  (I will be posting them over on my other blog over the next few days.)  While I was there I saw a group of medieval combat enthusiast.  Some of them were wearing stylized period garb and all had these big foam weapons.  It looked like everyone was having a great time.

I spent some time watching them and taking pictures.  (There was a point in my life when I was in a Renaissance fencing troupe and we more or less the same thing.)  It was kind of cool to see how many of them there were.

As I have been thinking about what I saw, it occurred to me that the church could learn a thing or two from these people.  If we took a page from their book, maybe we could have a greater impact on the world, like we have been commanded to.

Here’s what I think we should learn form them:

Be passionate

It was obvious that these people were really into what they were doing.  Some of the outfits and weapons obviously took quite a bit of time to make.  It was not something you throw together in a few hours.  The dedicated a large portion of their time and money into this.

We as Christians need to be passionate about God.  Our world needs to revolve around Him.  We don’t fit God into our schedule, we fit the rest of our schedule around God.  He needs to be our focus and our heart.

Be committed

I have seen this group before.  There’s no doubt that they get together as often as they can.  You aren’t going to take the time to make all that stuff if you are not going to go out and use it every change you get.

I also noticed that there was a large group of “regulars” that all knew each other, and that others new as well.  There was a real community there.

We have to be committed to the cause of Christ.  Being a Christian is not something that we do when it is convenient.  It is something that we need to do with every breath.  Like I said, it has to be at the top of our list of priorities.

Once we are truly committed, then we will start to see the church as a whole as a community that we are to belong to.  We will start to have stronger relationships with other Christians than we do with the old crowd that we were a part of before we got saved.  More than that, we can learn from those who had been part of this group longer.

Be proud

I think most people who saw what this group was doing would think it was kind of silly.  They might even think it was rather childish.  Those in the group don’t seem to care.  This was something that they loved to do, and they were having a great time doing it.

More than that, I saw that they didn’t have a problem talking to strangers about it either.  It was what they cared about and they wanted other to join.

It was obvious to me that these people really didn’t care what other thought about them.  If they did, they wouldn’t be out there.  True, it was easier since there was a large group, the whole safety in numbers thing, but they were still proud.

We need to be proud to be Christians.  We need to act like one everyday.  There will be people who think that you are crazy for doing it, but don’t let their opinion stop you.  It can be our pride for Christ that will draw people to Him.  We need to dear to be different.

It is not easy to be a true follower of Christ.  It never has been.  At the same time it is the best way to live our lives.  People won’t understand it.  They may mock you and tear you down, but God will lift you up.  When we live the life that God has called us to, we can change the world.  We need to embrace the difference that is being a Christian.  We need to be in the world, but not of it.

I leave you with this though:

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. Ro. 12:2 (HSCB)

Days:5 and 6 The End is Here

I am sad to say that the week is over.  Tonight is the last night of the week.  We have had a great time, and new friends have been made.  I have to say that the whole experience has been a success.

We did our second block party yesterday, and I would like to say that it went well.  The church we were at also used it as a way to start prerecgersitation for their VBS.  I know that there were a few people that signed up.  I hope that more will come and join.

Today was our free day.  We went to the Forks, which is an art district with some different kinds of shops.  After that we went to a small lake and spent some time swiming and just having fun.  The end of the day was spent at a mall in town so that the kids could just hang out and look around.

I have to say that the adults are very tired.  I know that we need some real down time.  The kids on the other hand are wired.  They don't want to sleep.  I have already had a few ask if they can stay up later than lights out.  I think some of it is the fact that they know this is the last night and they want as much time together as they can get.  I don't have a problem letting them stay up as long as I get to sleep.  I have a long drive ahead of me tomorrow.

I am so glad that we did this.  It was a wonderful experience for all the kids.  I think all of you for your prayers and the support that you gave us.  I can not wait to see what else God is going to do in the life of this youth group because of what He has done this last week.

Day 3 and 4: How God Moves!

Because of how things are going I didn't post last night, so this is for both.  We have seen God doing some amazing things.  I can not express how amazed I am at what God is doing in the lives of these youth.

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Yesterday we finished up at the Union Gospel Mission.  They were very glad for the help that we gave.  In the end, we finished up 9 rooms.  That is really moving them closer to getting the second floor up and running.  They almost have the first floor filled.  They are going to do some great things in the lives of the women that they are helping.

After that, we went to Little Mountian park and had a cook out and played some foot ball.  It was one of those times when I rememberd just how old I was.

It was the plan that we would have worship and our bible study there, but the mosquitoes were insane, and it seemed like it was going to rain.  In stead, we came back to the church.  It was a cool time of worship and study.  The kids didn't want to stop singing, but when we did got into the study, there really payed attention.  There were taking notes, and I think they understood what I was trying to say.

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Today was the first of our block parties.  There was a fairly steady trickle of people that came by.  It easy for the church planters to actually meet person and get to know them.  Many of the experssed interest in the Vision church that is going to be starting in that area.

I have to say the best part of the last two days was during worship tonight.  We had an amazing time of praise, and when it was time for me to teach, I felt God leading me to give an invotation.  I presented the chance for the students to pray about several different things.  4 excepted Christ!  It was wonderful.  God is really doing some great things!

I can't wait to see what God is going to do for the rest of the week.

Day 2: And God Moves...

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Well, we have finished our first full day of the mission trip.  It was a great day full of some wonderful moments.

We started the day out with some personal devotions and them small group bible studies.  After that it was off to work.  Our project for today and tomorrow is doing painting for a Union Rescue Mission.  It was not easy work, and by this point, we are wore out.  I have to be honest, I am glad that tomorrow is the last day for that part of the trip.

After that we went and did some 5 pin bowling and bowling bingo.  It was a lot of fun, and all the kids enjoyed it.  I have to say that I did not have the lowest score in my group.

After all of that, the highlight had to be the evening worship time.  I spoke from my heart and told them about some things going on in my life.  God was speaking through me, and He was moving in the hearts of the kids.  God is already working in their lives, and I can't wait to see what is going to come from it.

I need to get sleep, it is actually after lights out now.   More tomorrow!

Day 1: Let the insanity begin!

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Well, the mission trip has officially started.  We had all the orintation activities and our first group lesson.  All that I can say is "so far so good".

The Westview group got in last night, well actually at midnight, and the Garden Park group came in around 7pm.  We really didn't have any problems on our drive, though the AC did go out in one of our vans, which happened to be the same van all the kids were in.  When we stopped to get gas, we switched vans around and everyone was happy.  I don't thing the dirver of the new lugage van cared too much about the lack of AC because she didn't have to deal with all the kids anymore.

We didn't have any problems at the border, so my biggest concern is now gone.  Already God is coming through and doing great things.  I can't wait to see what else God has to do.  I know His plans are great for this trip.

It seems like all the kids are getting along.  We divided them up into three teams that will make the Americans and the Canadians get to know each other and are already starting to intermingling.  I think some of them might make some real friendships this week.  I hope they do anyways.

It is my plan to post a blog about the trip each day.  I will also try to post some pictures from each day.

Thank you for all your prayers.  God is going to do some great things in the lives of these kids!

Good Samaritan Revisited.

Eudora High student helps classmate particpate in marching band

BY JANET REID

Lawrence Journal-World

LAWRENCE — Kyle Snow marches out onto Laws Field in Eudora on a recent Friday night.

He's not wearing a band uniform.

He carries no instrument.

He doesn't make a sound.

But Snow, a Eudora High School senior, may very well be one of the most instrumental members of the marching band.

This is what I like to see. This is what we all need to be doing. This is what Christ called us to do. This is helping our fellow niebor. We all need to follow the example of this kid!

Take a moment to read the whole article, and you will see what I mean.

Here is the truth, if you want to make the world a better place, start by making life better for one person. Your world will be changed by making their's better. It really is that simple.

A Wicked Evening (I know, not that Original)

 

One of the more underrated things in Wichita is our music theater.  A few years back, we were one of only a few cities aloud to put on Disney's Beauty and the Beast.  (This was due in part to the fact that one of our actresses played Bell on Broadway.)

The Few shows that I have been lucky enough to see have been amazing.  I would say that it is as good as you can see anywhere, and better than most outside of New York.  It's really a shame that more people don't give it much credit.  Case in point, We were host to the traveling cast of Wicked, and to my knowledge, we have not sold out one show.  (The night I went, the house was packed, but I don't think it was capacity.)

I think, the more people that come to see the shows, the more big shows like Wicked and Avenue Q (showing later this season) we will be able to bring in. I think we could even be know as the theater capital of the mid-west.  That would do much more for us than casinos would, but that is beside the point.

I say all this because I really want to talk about Wicked.  I can cross this desire off my bucked list.  Ever since I got the soundtrack, I have wanted to see it.  It was my dream to see it in New York, but I have no idea when I will be able to go there and do that.  When I heard it was coming to town, I had to go.  (My Aunt got some great advanced tickets, so the price was good, and the seats were amazing.  I took the picture seen at the start of this blog from my seat.)

I am not a theater person, nor do I do reviews for a living, but I know what I like, and I loved this performance.  It fact, it was everything I though it would be.  In some ways it was more.  I feel like my life is some how more complete for having seen this live.

Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth created the roles of Elphaba and Glinda (respectfully) and their performances of these roles are featured on the soundtrack of the Broadway cast.  They are the ones I've been listening to all this time, and who I thought of as I though of these characters. I have to admit that I was concerned that who would be playing them here would not be as good as the originals.  I was surprised.


Marci Dodd (Elphaba) and Heléne Yorke (Glinda) lead the cast for our leg of the tour, and they nailed it.  They were every bit as good as Menzel and Chenoweth.  I had no problem forgetting what I knew and getting lost in the show.  If I could have bought a soundtrack with them on it, I would have.  From what I could tell, they were flawless.


The rest of the cast did a great job as well.  You can see a list of the principles here.  The whole musical is one power song after another.  With only 32 players, it's a relatively small cast, so the chorus did multiple parts.  Being as the chorus was in just about every scene, it was a vocal work out for every one.  They all did a fantastic job.


I can't say that there was one part that really stands out to me, but as the curtain goes down at the end of act one and the last notes of "Defining Gravity" are dying in the air, I wanted to give a standing ovation right then.  (I did restrain my self.)


The comedic parts were really funny, and the emotional parts tugged at your heart in just the right way.  Almost all of the character development was phenomenal.  You really saw how each person grew throughout the course of the story.  When Elphaba and Glinda sing "For Good", you can see how they changed each other.  Elphaba is more confident, and Glinda is a deeper and more selfless person.  In the three hours of performance, you identify and connect with each one.


To be balanced, the weak point in my mind was Nessarose, aka the Wicked Witch of the East.  She seems to be almost an after thought.  In act one, she is more of a side character, but by act two, it seems there is much more to her that we missed.  It was as if I had slept through about 45 minuets of the musical.  To me it felt like they put her part of the story in at the last minuet to explain what we know about the Wicked Witch of the East from the original Wizard of Oz.


Over all, the whole show was highly entertaining.  If you have a change to go and see it, either the traveling cast, or on Broadway, then I would take it.  I know I would love to see it again.  Definetly a highlight of my life.