Brilliant - Pomplamoose

I recently found out about Pomplamoose. These guys are brilliant...check them out.

Embracing Plan B

I recently came across an article in RELEVANT Magazine written by Pete Wilson entitled "Plan B." I later discovered that Wilson's book Plan B is now available for purchase. I could not have come across this article at a better time. I have been questioning God the last few weeks about my purpose. I'll admit, a lot of my doubts and insecurities have stemmed from comparing my life to others. I don't know about you, but I get a little jealous of those people (especially friends) who feel it necessary to use their Twitter and Facebook accounts as a mega phone declaring how awesome their life is. I mean that's great that you get to travel the world, eat lunch with (Christian) famous people, and attend playoff basketball games; all while writing your third best-selling book (I am over exaggerating a little of course).

Honestly, I'm not mad at those people. I have come to discover that it's me who I was frustrated with. As a child, I dreamed of traveling the world, having a meal with a (iconic) role model, and sitting in the front row of every Phoenix Suns playoff game. Or, at least feeling a little more significant and/or adventurous. I'm not going to lie...sometimes I just don't feel very important. Lately, I just feel like I've been languishing - failure to thrive and loss of hope and meaning. I know God loves me to death and that I'm the apple of His eye and everything, but I also want to be significant to others. Not that other people have to view me as important, but I want to know that what I do and who I am is important.

I'm sure just about everyone feels that way don't they?

I used to think that I could control those thoughts and longings of meaning and purpose. Like, if I wanted to have more purpose, I would just pull a string somewhere to get it.

I always thought I could just say,

Money get over here and do this for me
Job, work like this and do this for me
Relationship, change and be like this

Pete Wilson writes, The greatest of all illusions is the illusion of control. Most of us tend to view our lives like they're marionette puppets. We think we have life by a string. There's a string that runs to our relationship and one to our finances and one to our career, and we assume we can make them all do what we want.

If you would have asked me 5 years ago what I would be doing today...my plan A would have looked something like this...

Pastor at a large, vibrant, growing young church, loving my congregation and building community with them regularly
Masters Degree in Theology or Church Leadership
Traveling regularly speaking at big conferences
Meeting hip and trendy people every day at Starbucks for a latte
Having enough money to go on 2-week vacations with family anywhere in the world

Needless to say, meeting people at Starbucks once a month for lattes is the closest I have come to fulfilling my 5-year plan; and you know what, that's okay. I have come to realize that I might as well embrace and enjoy plan B instead of investing my time and energy in trying to get back to plan A.

Maybe I've spent too much time on this desire to be great.

Doesn't the Bible say that to be great we become nothing?

A desire to be great just gets us frustrated when things don't work like we always dreamed they would.

Pet Wilson, in his article, inserts a section from Henri Nouwen's book Clowning in Rome. "Clowns are not in the center of the events. They appear between the great acts, fumble and fall, and make us smile again after the tensions created by the heroes we came to admire. The clowns don't have it together, they do not succeed in what they try to do, they are awkward, out of balance, and left handed, but...they are on our side. We respond to them not with admiration but with sympathy, not with amazement but with understanding, not with tension but with a smile."

Maybe it's okay being a clown.

Clowns are humble enough to realize they don't always have the answers, they don't always win and they don't always land on their feet.

I can just continue to learn to trust God in the midst of my plan B.

How about you? Are you living in your Plan A or your Plan B? How's it working out for you?

Broken Is Beautiful

I love this. It's from the People of The Second Chance...enjoy

BROKEN IS BEAUTIFUL from PEOPLE OF THE SECOND CHANCE on Vimeo.

Top 10 List: Summer Activities

I think we often get secretly jealous of those people who describe their summer as, “AMAZING!” or “best summer of my life!” As we force ourselves to rejoice with those who rejoice, our bitterness grows with each new detail about what made their summer so spectacular. Finally, after their one hour speel about backpacking through Europe, mission tripping everywhere from Zimbabwe to Bangkok, and receiving an audible voice from God about their specific purpose, they ask us about our summer. Regretfully, we have to respond by saying, “not bad,” “could have been better,” or “there’s always next summer.”

So, maybe we don’t have the resources to backpack Europe, or the support to go on 12 mission trips, or perhaps it’s not in God’s timing for us to know His specific will yet. We can still have an AMAZING summer. With that said, I introduce to you…

Ryan’s top 10 list of things to do this summer. After completing this list, you will be the “one hour speel” person!

10. Get on the Dave Ramsey plan
Let’s face it, you don’t have to go to Starbucks in the summer, but you do have to go in the fall. Save up those dollar bills for when it really counts. Also, think of all the people you can tell about how Dave Ramsey’s plan is helping you become a millionaire.

9. Movie Marathon
Whether you want to watch the Lord of the Rings Extended Editions back to back to back, laugh and cry through your favorite chick flicks, or simply go Back to the Future, a movie marathon can be a fun time together.

8. Try something new
For some, this could mean joining some of the latest networking trends like twitter or facebook. For others it could be giving Ultimate Frisbee or Frisbee Golf a chance. Or, perhaps you can take up biking, climbing, and/or hiking (see number 4). No matter how busy your summer may be, take some time out for a new adventure.

7. Stay up all night
You probably pulled a ton of all-nighters while in school, but how about staying up all night because you want to? Get a group of old friends together; watch your favorite movies (see number 9), sing along to some sweet acoustic worship, play Wii…the possibilities are endless.

6. Act like a child
Jesus said it best, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 18:3 This summer, dance in the rain. Dye your hair with Kool-Aid. Have a pillow fight. Watch the clouds go by. Take a few naps. Sleep in until 3 p.m. and sit around in your pajamas, especially if you participate in number 7.

5. Start a Devotional or Bible reading plan
Why waste all of our resolutions on New Year’s? Every January 1 I declare that I am going to start a devotional or a cool read the Bible in a year plan, but I never stick with it. Maybe it’s because I’m focusing too much on my resolution to get buff, which also never happens. Anyways, I encourage you to spend some extra time in the Word this summer. Head out to the bookstore and see if there is a new devotional that interests you. Get online and search for a good Bible reading plan. Who knows, God may speak something incredible to you through His Word.

4. Exercise
Again, this is something I always tell myself I will start doing in the New Year. Seriously though, who wants to jog in cold gloomy weather? Now that the sun is out and the days are longer, crank up your i-pod, put on your running shoes, and treat your body like it’s the temple of the Holy Spirit. Also, when you exercise, it doesn’t make you feel as bad when you make that trip to Dairy Queen.

3. Read a Book
So, last summer you read, dissected, hermeneuticized, and doctrinized The Shack. What will be your book this summer? Take time, once again, to immerse yourself in a book. Head to the library or the bookstore to pick up something by your favorite author.

2. Volunteer
I love mission trips! However, many of us may not have the resources to experience a week-to-two-week- long trip this summer. I suggest, taking several small mission trips to your city’s local mission or soup kitchen. If you are not headed to any special destination this summer, why not try to make it special by joining an outreach team at your church? Another rewarding opportunity is volunteering to serve at VBS. Come on, we all wish we had a cooler teacher when were in VBS. You can now be that teacher. Also, you may just get a glimpse of your pastor wearing shorts. Volunteer possibilities are endless.

1. Spend time with family
My dad is a strong believer in the phrase, “family is your fortune.” Many of us would agree, but things get so busy it is a rare occasion to even eat a meal with our family. So, take some time to invest into your family. The returns on this investment will last a lifetime. Call your crazy uncle, go to the park with your niece or nephew, and have a picnic lunch with your mom or dad.

Well, there you go. If you can pull off 8-10 of these, I’d suggest that your summer was AMAZING; 5-7, not bad; 2-4, could have been better; less than 2, there’s always next summer. Regardless of what you do this summer, I hope it’s great!

Passion - More For Suns or Jesus?

The second round of the playoffs begins tonight for my beloved Phoenix Suns. I've been a Suns for as long as I can remember. I was born in Phoenix and think it may have started on that July 17th in 1979.

I'll admit, I get a little school-boy gitty when the Suns are in the playoffs and I become borderline addicted to ESPN and TNT. If you've seen the movie Fever Pitch with Jimmy Fallon, then you have an idea of how ridiculous I can become when cheering on the Suns. It's actually a little difficult for me because my personality and excitement for the Suns do clash quite a bit. I'm a very low-key guy who hardly ever gets excited about anything.

This when a lot of people hit me with a...you should be as passionate about Jesus as you are with the Suns. You know, that statement is probably right. I'd have to say that I'm more passionate about Jesus than I am about the Suns, however, I display that passion completely differently.

If I acted out my passion toward Jesus the same way I do about the Suns, people would think I was a freak, and don't mean in a good "Jesus Freak" DC Talk kind of way. Why do I need to root for Jesus? He's already won. Why do I need to watch documentaries about his life, study stats of his disciples, and read blogs about what he might do in the off-season? That's just flat out weird.

I rather love people generously, worship God modestly, and spend time in His word discretely, than jump off the couch screaming "yeah baby" because I know that He has forgiven me. I love the Suns, but they have never loved me back. Jesus actually loved me first and continues to love me back everyday, so I don't need to cheer him on hoping that someday he will.

If you're not a Suns fan, maybe this video will inspire you to become one.