• You change your passion for glory


    So many times, it happens too fast 
    You change your passion for glory 
    Don’t lose your grip on the dreams of the past 
    You must fight just to keep them alive 

    Eye of the Tiger – by Frankie Sullivan and Jim Peterik, 1982

    The other day I was jogging when this song came on. I’ve probably heard this song 500 times and the second verse never stuck out to me.

    Not only does verse two of Eye of the Tiger foreshadow the plot of Rocky movies 2, 3, 4, and 5– in many ways it captures the dichotomy many in leadership feel.

    We are driven by passion. And in the course of becoming proficient and gaining expertise towards that passion we receive a certain level of recognition… what Sullivan/Peterik label “glory.” Conversely, once you achieve “glory” the role changes unexpectedly. You stop pursuing the goal and start defending your place. It’s one thing to be the punk kid pursuing the dream. It’s another role altogether to be the defending champion.

    Getting there and staying there are two different fights. Passion and glory are a two-way street. Both have their perks, but you can’t exchange one for the other.

    Here’s what I know: The pursuit of a goal and the moment of achieving the goal are actually way more fun than having to defend your position. Like Rocky Balboa, if you stop pursuing your next goal the two-way street get out-of-whack and you end up old and cranky towards your wife.

  • Love God, Hate People

    In 2003, on my last day attending the first church I ever worked at, an elder cornered me in the parking lot in an attempt to affirm me. “Adam, one thing I really like about you is that you seem to really love all different types of people. Where did you learn to do that?” 

    Stunned, I didn’t know another way to say it. “I learned that from Jesus in the Gospels.”

    Sadly, in the 18 years I’ve been involved in church life, I’ve learned that there are far more Christians defined by their hatred for people than there are those defined by their love for all people.

    Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:1

    God is bigger than my opinion

    We live in an age of opinions. Everyone has something to say about everything. And since we live in a reactionary society with an instant ability to speak our mind to thousands of people via Twitter, Facebook, and the like. This means we live in rude, violent times where the tongue is not tamed. (James 1)

    To make matters worse, we live in a time of great pressure. When people are under pressure they reveal their weaknesses. Money is causing some of this pressure. But so is an open acknowledgement that some of the stuff we’ve done successfully in the past is failing today. And while that pressure, in community, should fuse us together to make a diamond it is too often burning away and leaving worthless coke.

    As I read Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount this morning one thing stuck out to me: I can’t love God and hate people. It’s impossible.

    I don’t have the right to hate a single person. I’m not the judge of anyone. I’m not better than my neighbor. Instead, the Gospel lives through me when I practically acknowledge with my actions that my neighbor is worthy of my love and service. To hate my neighbor would be to hate the God who created my neighbor.

    My opinions aren’t really that important to God. I won’t one day get a pat on the back from my Heavenly Father for having a great apologetic for the matters of the day. I won’t impress Jesus with my ability to divide people over things that don’t really matter.

    But if I love my neighbor. But if I serve my neighbor. Then what? 

  • Keeping San Diego State classy, one lawn at a time.

    Megan’s comment: “Their grass is greener than ours.”

  • SDSU vs. Cal Poly

    Had a great time with Megan last night. Good to hear the cannon go off a lot.

    I think they proved that they could move the ball last night. 49 points with 42 of them coming from the offense. Ronnie Hillman is an amazing running back, 189 yards on 27 carries and 2 TDs. Ryan Lindley didn’t make many mistake with 4 TDs and a little over 200 yards. And while no star emerged among the receiving corp there were signs that they could get things done.

    Looking forward to Army: The Aztec defense had little problem with the triple option last night. There were a couple long plays… one particularly on an option pass, but overall the defense held its ground against a fast-paced, hurry-up, triple option. They should give Army a run for their money.

    Ticket sales! The ticket office has to be very happy. 34,000 for a home opener vs. a Football Championship team? Fantastic. And with the next home game against Washington State of the Pac-12, that might be 40,000+.

    I was especially happy to see the student section packed. They even opened up 3 sections of overflow for all of the students.

  • College Football predictions

    Today is opening day for my two favorite teams, Notre Dame & San Diego State. Here are my predictions on their seasons.

    1. Notre Dame – The Irish have a tough schedule. The first five games are as tough a schedule as you’ll see anywhere because teams always “play up” for Notre Dame and their National TV audience. If you look at their order of schedule and the style of football each team plays… it’s really hard to adjust. This team is better, but not quite of the power to roll over teams just yet. I think they will handle USF today and Michigan next week, stumble at home to Michigan State and again at Pitt. But then go on a bit of a tear until and beat Purdue, Air Force, and USC. Then they will lose to Navy before beating Wake, Maryland, and Boston College. Then we’ll see how good they are in November at Stanford. If Andrew Luck is healthy they will be tough to beat. Overall- I’m seeing 8-4 and a trip to the lowest BCS game. (It’s about money, friends.)
    2. San Diego State – Last season, the secret weapon was the defense which made the offense look better than they really were.. They’ve leveled up a bit on D. But I think the combination of Rocky Long (a defensive-minded guy) and the flip-flop from a talented WR core to an all rookie one will kill their ability to move the ball. Ryan Lindley is a great pocket passer. He’ll need to depend less on the long ball and more on short passes and screen with the weapons he has available. Ronnie Hillman, if he is healthy, is explosive and rips yards off in a Barry Sanders kind of method. He’ll got 2-3 yards at a time, then rip off 25 when you aren’t looking. That will all depend on their ability to spread teams out with WR and TE. The opposite of the Irish, they have some playing styles with opponents that will help them. Secret weapon of the Aztecs? Kicking. Holy cow they have guys who can kick it miles. Remember last years 88 yard punt in New Mexico? I think they’ll beat Cal Poly and Army before losing to Washington State, Michigan, and TCU. Then they’ll win four in a row against Air Force, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Colorado State. They’ll get pounded by Boise State and then beat Fresno and UNLV. As long as Hillman and Lindley stay healthy they will be 8-4 and play again in the Poinsettia Bowl.

    Other thoughts on college football, in general.

    We need to see some teeth from the NCAA. Both Ohio State and Miami deserve the death penalty. Their fans disagree. But the reality is that they completely ignored NCAA rules and made a mockery of the whole thing. I think USC got off easy and it’s awesome they can’t get ranked in the coaches poll. (If only Pete Carroll had gotten punished…)

    I hope the Mountain West defectors get pounded this year. TCU lost to Baylor last night. I hope Utah loses 8 games in the Pac-12. And BYU has just become BY-Who? (Who do they think they are to go independent? They are no Texas or Notre Dame.) None of the Mountain West teams want to schedule them. (I see one MWC game on this years schedule. What’s that tell you about the cheating they do?) Speaking of, I heard Texas A&M is looking for a conference home. I hope they jump on the bandwagon for next season with Fresno State, Nevada, and Hawaii.

    Is it the year of the Ducks? They sure are fun to watch. And I’d love to see the tomahawk chop back in prominence in Tallahassee. If you just look at the mascots… it’s a great year. Could it be a BCS game of the cowboys vs. indians? (Oklahoma State vs. Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl?)

  • The high cost of tomatoes

    1. The Unsavory Story Of Industrially-Grown Tomatoes – Clip from Science Friday, August 26th 2011     

    Source: Science Friday – August 26th 2011

    I love tomatoes. They are a seasonal treat I grow in my garden. At the peak of the growing season we were getting 50+ per week from our garden.

    Key word: Seasonal.

    Americans have no concept of seasonal food. We want what we want 12 months per year in complete denial of natural growth cycles. In other words, if you want a tomato on your salad to start your annual New Years diet, you just go to the grocery store and get it.

    Here’s the thing: Tomatoes don’t grow naturally that time of year. There are places in the world where tomatoes grow well during a season. But in the middle of the winter your typical beaf steak tomato doesn’t grow anywhere in North America. At least not naturally.

    So why can I buy them year-round? 

    Supply and demand has a dark side. As the audio from the August 26th version of Science Friday documents, those low taste, high cost winter tomatoes you buy at the supermarket come at a very high cost.

    • About 120 chemicals are needed to make those tomatoes grow in Florida.
    • 8x’s the pesticides are needed for Florida winter tomatoes that aren’t needed for ones grown in California.
    • Many are hand picked and cultivated by modern-day slaves…. in Florida. (More than 1200 cases of such have been documented in recent years.)
    • They are picked when they are completely unripe and bright green. Then they are gased to turn them bright red, even though they aren’t ripe.
    • The reason your store bought tomatoes have no flavor is that they aren’t raised in soil, they are raised in sand. (No natural nutrients, sorry)

    What’s the point?

    If you knew that you were buying something produced by modern-day slavery in your own country, would you still buy it if it were a good deal?

    My advice? Next time you sit down to eat something or make a meal ask yourself… where did this food come from? What were the farmers who produced it paid? And was this food made under conditions that honor God?

    You might not want to know. But the reality is that there is an entire industry out there who doesn’t want you to think about where your food comes from, they just want to get rich off of your ignorance.

  • 5 Storytelling Podcasts You’ll Love

    Photo by Alyson Hurt via Flickr (Creative Commons)

    I’m a connoisseur of storytelling. I can’t get enough of the genre. Whether its a personal narrative, or non-fictional piece, investigative storytelling, or fiction– I love it all.

    As a communicator I study the method and mode of storytelling. I know that in order to be a better communicator I’ll need to become a better storyteller.

    Here are 5 storytelling podcasts I love and recommend

    • This American Life – The granddaddy of them all. Each one-hour show is a series of segments (called acts) built around a central theme. This is a great entry point to the genre as it acts as an aggregator of others.
    • The Moth – The Moth is a storytelling non-profit which holds regular events in major cities around the country called, Story Slams. Participants tell a story live, without notes, before an audience. They take the best of the 15 minute stories and put them on their podcast.
    • Third Coast International Audio Festival – I’m a new fan of this one. Each segment is about an hour. It’s got an investigative reporting/documentary vibe to it. But they thread stories together in a way which fascinates me.
    • Storycorps – I can’t tell you how many times this project has brought me to tears. It’s all amatuer, typically a monologue or a family member interviewing another family member. Each segment is about 5 minutes.
    • 60 Minutes audio edition – I don’t particularly enjoy the TV version of this show. But the audio version (literally, the same show with just audio) is fantastic! The reporting here is second-to-none, and what I learn from this style of storytelling is an economy of words.
    What are your favorite podcasts for learning storytelling? (Preaching doesn’t count!)

  • Beginning life in the Cartel

    For those who missed my earlier announcement: I’m no longer with Youth Specialties. Starting today I’m joining my friend Marko (Mark Oestreicher) to launch a brand new kind of youth ministry organization, The Youth Cartel.

    I’ve spent 3 months waiting for September 1st to arrive. Words can’t express how excited I am to get started today. Our byline is “Instigating a revolution in youth ministry.” So let’s kick this thing off.

    How can you get involved in the Cartel?

    • Sign-up for YoutTube You Can Use – This is a free resource I’m producing every week as a discussion starter with the teenagers in your life.
    • Sign-up for Cartel Culture – More than a newsletter, this will give you regular entry points to kicking off a revolution in your community.
    • Collaborate with us – If you share a vision for seeing foundational shifts in how we minister to adolescents, I want to hear from you.

    How can you invest RIGHT NOW?

    My first big idea for The Youth Cartel is the Extended Adolescence Symposium. It’s a one-day event, bringing together two of the countries top thinkers, and drilling into the root causes of extended adolescence and it’s effects on adolescent faith development. We are funding it through Kickstarter, and investing as little as $10 would help us out a lot.

    As of right now we’ve raised $2470 of the $6000 we need by September 17th. Many of you have asked me how you can help me get The Youth Cartel going. This is a very practical way. $10, $50, $250… all makes a big difference.

  • Todayland

    The other day I was sitting at my desk working on a project that commanded my full attention. Fully engaged, I barely acknowledged that Kristen handed me Jackson (6 months old) so she could work on lunch. So, for about 15 minutes, I’m left holding him on my lap with one hand while I’m trying to type and navigate to check on my project with the other.

    As the minutes go by Jackson is gets annoyed. He’s very active. His legs were banging against mine. He was grabbing my arm. He was pulling on cords and anything he could get his hands on. I could feel his drool running over my arm and dripping on my leg.

    I kept bouncing my legs and trying to hold him close in hopes that he’d settle down so I could carry on.

    That’s when it hit me. I looked at him, he was literally slapping me in the face to get my attention, my baby boy is way more important than that file. (Or that email, or even that phone call.) So I pushed my work aside, picked him up with two hands– and got on the floor with him to give him my full attention.

    For the next 10 minutes he beamed with a huge toothless grin. He showed me his toys. He showed me how he’s trying to learn to crawl. How could I have missed this to begin with?

    I have a tendency to get lost in planning, dreaming, and strategizing about the future. So much so that I struggle to live in the present. Sometimes I’m so focused on looking forward that the present tends to sneak up on me. It’s like waking up from a dream and realizing that you’ve overslept. It’s shocking and guilt inducing in the same moment. And just like oversleeping you try to laugh it off but you know it’s a big deal at the same time.

    I’ve learned that this is one of my strengths. But it’s also one of my weaknesses. My mind naturally thinks about Tomorrowland to the detriment of Todayland.

    Tomorrow is important. But not as important as today. 

  • LTM trips

    I love short-term mission trips. Many of my most significant spiritual break throughs, both as a participant and as a pastor, have come on trips to far away places doing exotic things.

    But I can’t run from the fact that Jesus has called me to a Long-term Mission trip right in my neighborhood.

    To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.

    Mark 12:33

    Try as I might– wish as I might– I can’t get away from the plain instructions of Jesus. Next to loving God with all my heart Jesus tells me, oh and it hurts, to love my neighbor as myself.

    Jesus didn’t tell me to love my church as myself. Or love the people I like as I love myself. Or love my kids/wife/dog/cat/garden/golf clubs/Notre Dame Fighting Irish like myself.

    He said I should love my neighbors as I love myself.

    Some annoying facts about the Long-Term Mission trips

    • If you’re lucky you get to pick where you live. But you don’t get to pick your neighbors.
    • There’s a high likelihood that Jesus, being God and all, picked your neighbors.
    • He knows how annoying some of them are. And how grumpy that one guy with the lawn mower is. And just how hard to find that one family is.
    • I’ve tried it so I can confirm that it is impossible to love your neighbors if you don’t know their names. You should rectify that. Like today.
    • In order to love your neighbors your going to have to re-prioritize your time. This might be a good time to remind you that Jesus said this was like the #2 thing in his eyes. Yes, even above being in a small group.
    • I don’t know what you consider an “act of love.” But if someone just waved at me for months without even stopping to say hi, I wouldn’t feel all that loved.
    • You’re probably going to have to meet in the middle to love your neighbor as yourself. As in, you’ll need to love yourself a little less in order to love your neighbor “as yourself.”
    • Unlike a short-term mission trip, this thing is going to cost you money and you won’t be able to send letters to your friends asking for reimbursement. Well, you can try.
    • The longer you know someone the harder it is to love them as you love yourself. Amazingly, I’ve known myself 35 years and I’m pretty good at loving myself.
    • As much as I’ve looked at the Greek and read commentaries, I can’t find wiggle room in Jesus’ words for “convenience” or “waiting for the right time.” Instead, I’m pretty sure that Jesus’ society, built on close-knit communities, knew exactly what a neighbor was and how hard it would be to love them.
    • Speaking of comparisons to ancient times. Be thankful for indoor plumbing. At least you don’t have to love your neighbor despite the fact that their outhouse is upwind of your house.