I live in the very busy and very expensive Washington DC area. Traffic to anywhere and everywhere is a large concern for everyone. Due to federal government jobs as well as every branch of the military having a base in this area, the demands are high for high-demand schools. I’ve been serving in youth ministry in this area for 26 years. This has led me to call out and name the stress of overscheduled teens and change how I do youth ministry to bless these overscheduled teens.

Overscheduled teens are real. Moms as seemingly full-time taxi drivers are real.

Somehow I stumbled upon a 2008 pdf report from Child Trends that surmises that this overscheduled crisis is really a myth. Their research, which includes collecting other research, found that less than one in ten teens could be described as overscheduled. Also that only six out of ten children and teens participate in extracurricular activities at any given time and that most report positive outcomes socially, psychologically, and behaviorally. Among those who do participate in all these extracurriculars (which includes youth group), the average is less than ten hours per week with those commitments. A very small percentage of 3% to 6% spends 20+ hours per week participating.

Yes, it is dated 2008—6 years ago. But I still cannot let this good research go. Are teens over-scheduled or not? Continue reading →

For many, many people, the book of Acts is their favorite book of the Bible. It is where everything that was taught was lived out. It is full of some of the Bible’s most exciting stories and completes the stories of some bumbling men we got to know who walked with Jesus. We, as a church, often take the stories in the book of Acts and try to find their place in our church today. We want to see Star Trek-like experiences that Philip experienced. We want to see cities come to know God, key people in those cities turn in repentance. Some youth groups and some churches have even taken the name “Acts 29″ as a way of saying that they are fulfilling the next chapter in that book.

Yet in my recent re-reading of Acts, I found something completely different. Because of the hype surrounding this book, I almost missed it. The Book of Acts is full of people who wanted to give all they can for God and witnessed the very things I mentioned and more–yet made human mistakes in the decisions they had to make.

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This is such my heartbeat. Over 20 years ago the then superintendent of my school district came to the pastors and asked for our presence in the schools. We were seeing an increase in gang activity and gangs still have respect for clergy. The hope was that our presence, even in collars, would be a help to the school. At the time I was already substitute teaching. Now I had my purpose endorsed by the school superintendent. I haven’t stopped yet.

As for the rest of the pastors, they committeed the opportunity to death and nothing was ever done.

I stumbled across this movie trailer and am so excited about this. Of course it happened in trendy Portland. This is not the first of such stories coming out of that city. This story is something for us with Wild Frontier minds to get excited about. Check it out.

Coming January 29!! I am all about talking this up. Spread the word also.

I wrote this originally back in 1990.  I was doing a lot of good writing back then on my beloved “Sony Watchman-type” screen on my Mac.  I now write on a laptop PC these days.  Marriage brings about such changes in your life.

From reading so much Dr. Brene’ Brown I’ve learned that joy is the most vulnerable and brave emotion there is. You have put yourself out there to experience joy.  You need to believe that you are worthy enough to deserve joy.  You need to live bravely believing that you can have joy.  Which is why this old find from 1990 is so interesting.

“I am happy. I am at a point in my life where I can truly say that I am happy.
How often are we able to say that and really mean it? There is almost a fear in saying it. The fear is that somehow because life sucks and I am happy now, I had better brace myself for the next tragedy. This happiness can’t last for long. Life is about to throw me another bad pass. Continue reading →

Several months ago I posted a blog about the numbing shield that is the cell phone. You are invited to read it again (I think it is still pretty good).

This numbing shield I named has been “improved.”  I stumbled onto a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for those who really need a numbing shield.

This is the proposed product description: “Introducing the NoPhone, a technology-free alternative to constant hand-to-phone contact. With a thin, light and completely wireless design, the NoPhone acts as a surrogate to any smart mobile device, enabling you to always have a rectangle of smooth, cold plastic to clutch without forgoing any potential engagement with your direct environment. Never again experience the unsettling feeling of flesh on flesh when closing your hand.”

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