Never Too Late to Give Thanks

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet* and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

-Luke 17:11-19

When I was younger, I was certain of two things:

1. I wanted to work with kids.

2. I wanted to move out of Washington, preferably to North Dakota.

Oh, the reactions I have gotten from the second statement:

"That's...an interesting choice."

"You know how cold it gets during the winter?"**

"Why? That sounds so random."

Despite how interesting, cold or random North Dakota might be, North Dakota has always had and always will have a special place in my heart. I have always loved visiting family throughout the state, especially near the Canada/United States border, where Lake Metigoshe sits beautifully no matter the season. I have also made many friends in North Dakota, and will forever cherish the memories I have made with them. I also love the "small town" atmosphere that North Dakota brings. Everyone is so friendly. A couple months ago, I hit a deer on my way to town. I was not injured (thankfully), but the car was in bad shape, so I stood outside the car and waited for someone to pick me up. While I stood there, everyone that drove by stopped to see if I was OK. It's moments like those that you just don't see every day.

Thanksgiving Day may have come and passed, but it is never too late to give thanks. Today I am thankful for Metigoshe Ministries and the people I work with. Metigoshe Ministries has allowed me to fulfill two of my biggest dreams; to work with kids and move to North Dakota. For five summers since 2011, I have worked at Camp Metigoshe, a wonderful place to hang out with kids, meet new people and continue to grow in my faith. After Christmas, I would return to Lake Metigoshe to participate in the Nights of Christmas, a program we put on for the community, which not only includes the summer staff, but different musicians and performers from around the area. This year, Metigoshe Ministries has given me the opportunity to continue my "Adventure Anchored in Christ" as a part of our Metigoshe in Motion (MIM) program. It is because of this opportunity that I get to do what I have always wanted to do and I will always be grateful.

"Rise and go. Your faith has made you well."

*It's funny, just sounds like a bad leprosy joke doesn't it? "He threw himself at Jesus' feet..."

**Yes, I am aware of how cold it gets. It's snowing outside as I type this and it has completely covered the chairs and picnic tables. Also there are two icicles that hang from the roof outside my office and they are taller than I am. I am 6 feet and 4 inches, in case you’re wondering. I love it nonetheless.

Dear Mutti,

For those of you who don't know this about me, I lived in a foster home for 2 or 3 years at a very young age. The Mittmanns took very good care of me when I lived in their home. Peter, I called "Vati," which means "Dad" in German, and Julie, I called "Mutti," which means "Mom" in German. Even after I was adopted at the age of 3, Peter and Julie always supported me. As a kid I would write them letters addressing them as "Mutti and Vati" and they would always write me back. I was always so excited for the day that I would go and visit them for a few days. One of my favorite memories from that place was when I would get up early on Sunday morning to help Peter make breakfast. We would make a German dish that I am not familiar with, but it was delicious, no doubt. Over the years I continued to keep in contact with them. They even came to my high school graduation, to my surprise. I had sent them an announcement of my graduation, but I did not expect them to come, much less drive a few hours north to see me, then immediately turn around and drive home. Our families have sent each other Christmas cards as well, and sometimes even a gift. One of my mom's favorite Christmas CDs was a gift from Julie and Peter. This Christmas season I received a card from the Mittmanns that I didn't quite understand at first. It was describing some sort of wedding and "50 years of marriage." Then I learned the unfortunate news: Julie had died earlier this year and the card (written by Peter) was describing Peter and Julie's happy marriage of 50 years. I do not know where I would be if I had not known Julie. She was the first woman in my life to show me what it means to be somebody's son. Even since my adoption, Julie continued to show me love and support by writing letters to me, allowing me to visit her home and even coming to my graduation. Julie had a big heart and cared for everyone. She was also a devout Christian and would know that even in the most unfortunate of times, there is always good news. It just so happens that at Christmastime, that news comes in the form of a baby, born in the town of Bethlehem and lying in a manger, who would save us all from our sins.

Rest in peace, Mutti.

Even "Superman" Is Human

I am a passionate sports fanatic. I love playing basketball and football, and occasionally baseball. I get a thrill out of just getting outside to run. I play Fantasy Football and Fantasy Basketball. And above all, I love seeing my favorite teams win big.

I am passionate about God. I continue to grow in my faith by helping out with my old youth group when and wherever I can (playing guitar for Sunday School, leading retreats, etc.). I also occasionally work at a bible camp, no big deal. I learn more about the love of God everyday and do my best to follow in Jesus' footsteps.

Is it possible to be inspired by both God and sports? Absolutely. You can identify with a sports team that you enjoy watching and still put God at the center of your life. So why do people who don't like sports put us fanatics down for "over-glorifying" our favorite teams and athletes? The answer is easy to see on the negative side of things:

The Vancouver Riots-2011: After losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the fans of the Vancouver Canucks took to the streets of Vancouver BC, showing their "disappointment" of the loss.

Ray Rice and other NFL Scandals: The National Football League has been through a slew of scandals in the recent years and has created a lot of public backlash on the league.

The Decision: After hearing that LeBron James is taking his talents to South Beach, Cleveland Cavaliers fans took the news hard by burning his jersey.
NOTE: All is forgiven once "King" James returns.

We get it. Bad things have happened because people get too involved in their passion for sports. We are only human. We all make mistakes. And the athletes that we know and love (or even strongly dislike) are human too. They think and feel and breathe just as we do. Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers, also known as "Superman," was recently in a car wreck that gave him two fractures in his back that could likely end his season. Personally, I am not a fan of Cam Newton. I could sit here and laugh at the Panthers' playoff chances. But that's not what Jesus would do. Jesus would not sit there and say, "Sucks to suck" (although it may feel like that sometimes). Jesus would heal Cam, just as Jesus had performed many miracles in his life on Earth. Since I am no healer, and certainly not Jesus, I can show compassion to Cam and the others affected by the wreck by praying for a quick recovery for each of them. Many NFL players and Carolina teammates took to Twitter offering their prayers. The list even included Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks. I may be a little biased, but Russell Wilson epitomizes what it means to be a professional athlete and a devout Christian. After winning the most glorified sporting event ever, the Super Bowl, he took all of that glory and fame and gave it to his teammates and us the 12th Man. After games, you could also see Russell with a group of teammates and players from the other team joined in prayer on the field. In his free time, Russell likes walking his dogs, studying more film and, more importantly, visiting children's hospitals. While there are  athletes who throw their money around and want to be thugs, there are still athletes everywhere like Russell who deflect any glory from themselves, lead a godly life and contribute positive things to society. I could say that I'm the biggest 12th Man (which is far from true). Instead, I'm going to thank God for giving us athletes like Russell Wilson and the rest of the Seahawks who make watching football so much more enjoyable.

The Wizard of Spike

Q. What movie has had the greatest impact on your faith life?

*I came across this question in a "chat pack" and it can actually be found in a lot of "chat packs."*

A. The answer to this question has varied greatly over time. At one point it was Toy Story 3, then it was Iron Man 3, among many others that I found to have a deeper meaning in my life. The most recent movie that I watched that I could relate to was Oz the Great and Powerful. I had a lot of expectations for this movie, not because it is an adaptation to Frank L. Baum's Oz the Great and Powerful, but because I love the story of The Wizard of Oz, which is a classic, and I'm a sucker for anything with a back-story (Ex: the Star Wars prequels). Oz the Great and Powerful is about a struggling circus magician, or con man named Oscar, or Oz for short, who has great dreams and goals for his life, but lacks a real plan or even an honest way of getting there. Oz then stumbles upon the land of Oz, where a prophecy states that a wizard that fell from the heavens will set the people of Oz free and become their ruler. The only problem is that Oz is only interested in his benefit: the fame and fortune, rather then the freedom of his people. Along this journey, Oz learns that there is more to reaching his goals and ambitions than his own selfish ways: mercy, compassion and friendship.

#1 Mercy.

In The Wizard of Oz, we see Dorothy and Toto whisked away by a tornado to the land of Oz. The same thing happens to Oscar in Oz the Great and Powerful. We see Oz take off from Kansas in a hot air balloon, off to achieve his wildest dreams, only to be sucked into a tornado. After nearly being hit by flying debris several times, he screams out (probably to God) and promises to become a better man.
Sometimes, I need a little mercy and I'm sure you do too. We are only human and we all make mistakes. As it turns out, a great and powerful dude had himself nailed to a cross about 2000 years ago, so you can have that mercy. Ephesians 2:8 says, "I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing" (NCV). So if you believe that Jesus died for your sins, and you pray to him so that he can forgive your sins, then you will ultimately be saved. I'm not saying you will fulfill an Oz-like prophecy, but you will definitely be a better person.

#2 Compassion.
In the beginning of Oz the Great and Powerful, a little girl in the front row of Oscar's magic show, who appears to be crippled, asks Oz to "make her walk again." Oz, who appears to be dumbfounded, simply states, "I am not that kind of wizard, kid." This is the obvious truth; Oz is a circus magician, not a doctor. However, the crowd doesn't like it, and he gets booed off the stage. Later, in the land of Oz, Oz finds the wreckage of Chinatown and discovers a small china doll (whom he calls Chinagirl), whose legs have been chopped off at the knees, making it impossible for her to walk (sound familiar?). After hearing what had happened to Chinatown involving the dreaded, flying baboons, Oz feels sorry for Chinagirl, and shows compassion to her by fixing her legs using a "magical substance." After all, he is that kind of wizard.
To have compassion is to have sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings and misfortunes of others. When I was in Seattle, WA (which is also nicknamed "Emerald City," if you know what I mean) for a service trip, I was made aware of the homelessness problem in downtown Seattle. I have always known about homelessness, because I see a lot of it in Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR as well, but seeing it in Seattle and actually being face-to-face with this problem was very eye-opening. While we cannot eliminate the problem completely and permanently, there are small things that can be done to help those in need. We hear about Jesus feeding thousands of people with a couple fish and loaves of bread each in the Gospels. We essentially did the same in Seattle. We showed compassion to these people by making sandwich bags and giving them to the Men's Shelter. We gave all that we could. This is the kind of Christian that we should be.

#3 Friendship.
In the beginning of Oz the Great and Powerful, Oz is kind of a loner, and he seems to be just fine with that. He has a rocky relationship with his partner, uses his assistant emotionally and learns that a previous engagement is now engaged to somebody else who is going farther in life than Oz. This doesn't appear to phase him, as he goes alone into his hot air balloon and then gets sucked into a tornado (naturally). In the land of Oz, Oz continues this lone-wolf approach to everything, even though he saves Finley (a winged monkey in a bell-hop suit) from a lion and helps Chinagirl to walk again. Oz also sees the unlikely army that will help him defeat the wicked witch. By the end of the movie, Oz sees the potential of each of these characters and realizes that he cannot become the great and powerful Wizard of Oz without them.
I wouldn't call myself a loner, but I have a few people whom I could call "close friends." I know I can count on them for anything and they can count on me. Jesus had a few close friends as well. 12 in fact. Jesus' 12 friends followed him everywhere learning about the love of God, and I'm sure Jesus learned a few things from his followers as well. The Gospels tell us about Jesus calming a storm for his disciples. The funny thing about this is, while the disciples were panicking in the boat, Jesus was sleeping. Jesus then gets up, calms the storm, and then proceeds to call out his friends: "Have you little faith?" Having faith in your friends can sometimes be hard to do, but that's what Jesus calls us to do. No one should ever have to be alone in their good times or bad times.

Oz the Great and Powerful is an excellent movie. I can definitely relate to Oz in a way. Like Oz, I too have big dreams and goals that I have not even accomplished yet. But I know that I cannot do it alone and I certainly cannot do it without the grace of God.

"I don't want to be a good man. I want to be a great one."

The Rise and Fall of Anakin Skywalker

I normally don't fall so hard into nerd-dom, but I got this idea to write about one of my favorite movies from a friend of mine.

"I Love My Knight That's Dark" by ManCubSpeaks

My favorite movie series of all time is Star Wars. I simply can't get enough of it, and despite what people say about Disney, I cannot wait for Episode VII, VIII and IX. Also, people can say what they want about the prequels, but I really don't think they are all that bad. I do agree with the naysayers on what went wrong with Episode I, II and III: Jar Jar Binks, excessive CGI, too much talking and not enough action, yada-yada-yada (or should I say, "Yoda-Yoda-Yoda"). But without them, Star Wars would not be the story of Anakin Skywalker.

Those of you who do not like the prequels will probably want to smack me for this, but my favorite Star Wars movie is Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Episode VI: Return of the Jedi comes in close second, so have a little faith in me, prequel-haters.

Reasons Why Sith Is My Fave

Reason #1: Fiery Passion. And I mean almost quite literally: fiery passion. When I first watched this movie, I knew it was going to be dark. This is the downfall of Anakin Skywalker, after all. However, I did not foresee just how dark this movie really was. When I read the book by James Luceno (yes, the book DOES matter), I was shaking so bad (and not just because I was on a turbulent plane), I had to stop and process that feeling for a moment.

Reason #2: Ewan McGregor. Aside from Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu, Ewan McGregor, who plays Obi-Wan Kenobi, was the best actor in Sith. I can only laugh when I hear the words, "I have a bad feeling about this." Ewan has said that line in all three prequel movies and said it so perfectly.

*Yes, I know Ewan is not the only one to say it.

Reason #3: The Relationship Between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. When I watch Episode IV: A New Hope, and I see Ben Kenobi and Darth Vader duel for the last time, a question (or two) pops into my head: What if Obi-Wan (in Sith) had not seen the security tapes of Vader in the Jedi Temple like Yoda suggested, dueled the Emperor like Yoda did not suggest, or even not gone to Mustafar like Yoda further suggested (why does Yoda have to screw things up)? Would Obi-Wan have defended Anakin when it mattered most? Anakin and Obi-Wan were the best of friends at the beginning of the movie. Anakin would rather die than be without his master, despite Chancellor Palpatine trying to persuade him to leave Obi-Wan. Obi-wan agreed with Anakin's views on the Jedi Council and also tried to warn him of Palpatine's motives. On Mustafar, Anakin, then known as Darth Vader, was so far lost in the Dark Side, he believes Obi-Wan turned his wife, Padme, against him and that feeling of utter betrayal from two of his best friends makes him snap. Such a shame.

Reason #4: Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine. Let's be real here, Palpatine, also known as Sidious, impresses me to no end. I had already made the connection between Emperor Palpatine of the original trilogy and Senator Palpatine of Episode I: The Phantom Menace, but if I were a Jedi, the big reveal would come as a shock to me too. Palpatine played both the Republic and the Separatists like violins. The whole thing was his plan and the usurping of the Jedi Order was his big goal. Having read The Labyrinth of Evil by James Luceno, which comes just before Sith, I learned that Palpatine planned his own kidnapping, so that Anakin would come save him and kill Count Dooku. Let me repeat that: HE PLANNED HIS OWN KIDNAPPING. Palaptine is incredibly convincing. Even in his discussions with Anakin about how the Jedi are not so different than the Sith. Anakin should have seen he was the Sith Lord at this point.

Reason #5: The Fall of the Chosen One. Anakin Skywalker's plummet to the Dark Side is something that some might say, "came too quick." While this milestone may be caused by George Lucas rushing it into the plot line or even Hayden Christensen's bad acting, Anakin's change of heart does not begin when he cuts off Mace Windu's hand to save Palpatine. It doesn't even start in Sith. It goes all the way back to Menace. The first time Anakin ever set foot in the Jedi Council room, he realizes his fear to lose his mother and Yoda tells him, "Fear is the path to the Dark Side." In Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Anakin lashes out in anger at the Tusken Raiders who killed his mother. Then comes the ultimate downfall in Sith. Not only does he need extra convincing from Palpatine to kill Count Dooku, Anakin also has a bone or two to pick with the Jedi Council and, most importantly, his fear of losing Padme grows. And again Yoda tells him to learn to let go of the ones he fears to lose (mess up everything for everyone, Yoda does). Palpatine then tells Anakin that he has the power to save Padme, and Anakin is torn between letting Mace Windu kill him (Palpatine is the Sith Lord, after all), and taking Palapatine's word, and when Anakin sees his friend backed against the wall, he sess and believes what the Jedi truly are: power hungry. And THAT'S when Windu's hand flies off.

*One problem I have with Sith: four of the most powerful Jedi confront Palpatine and three of them die instantly.

Lo and behold, we know that this is not the end of the story. A new hope arises in the form of Luke Skywalker, who helps his father, "The Chosen One," bring balance to the Force by overcoming the Dark Side and defeating the Emperor. But whenever you watch Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, just remember that it would not be possible without Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

Grandpa John: On the Road Again

This is my grandpa (the one on the right). He is a pretty cool dude. He plays a mean pinochle game, and comes to a lot of his grandchildren's events (in this picture: my high school graduation). The one thing that impresses me the most about my grandpa, is that he can get up and leave whenever he feels the need to. When asked about when he heads south for the winter, the answer is always some variation of: "Whenever I'm ready."

"As Jesus was walking by Lake Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the lake because they were fishermen. Jesus said, 'Come follow me, and I will make you fish for people.' So Simon and Andrew immediately left their nets and followed him. As Jesus continued walking by Lake Galilee, he saw two other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus told them to come with him. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and they followed Jesus."

-Matthew 4:18-22

Wouldn't that be difficult? If someone were to tell you, "Drop everything that you own, leave your family and go to a far away place," how would you respond to that? Guys like these; Simon, Andrew, James, John, Grandpa John, they make it look so easy. The main thing that these people have in common, is that they trust in God's plans for them. The first disciples may have had direct contact with Jesus himself (the dude literally walked up to them and told them to follow him), but my grandpa might have that "gut feeling" that it's time to go. It's all about trust. That's the kind of person that I want to be. I want to be able to trust that whatever God has in store for me, that I would pack up my things and do it.

"'I say this because I know what I am planning for you,' says the Lord. 'I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.'"

-Jeremiah 29:11

Seattle City Trek

I began writing this a while back, but never got around to finishing it, so here it is:

"Metigoshe Ministries is Adventure Anchored in Christ where people experience and celebrate the gifts of God in a life together."

-Metigoshe Ministries Mission Statement

Having lived in Washington for the majority of my life, taking a trip to Seattle is nothing new. This past week, however, I took the best trip to Seattle that I have ever taken. This past week I was a part of leading a high school service trip to Seattle where, surprisingly enough, it did not rain and we did some pretty incredible stuff:

1. We volunteered at Northwest Harvest Food Bank in Kent and bagged several thousand pounds of rice for several thousand families who need it. It was incredible to see everyone work so hard to achieve a big goal.

2. We worked with Volunteer Chore Services and cleaned apartments for people with low income. This time probably had the biggest impact on our group, because we were able to see and work with who we were working for. One of the guys who we cleaned his apartment for was from Ethiopia and he had a positive attitude about everything. When asked about his favorite part of Seattle, he said, "North, South, East, West; I love it all." Another guy we cleaned for became disabled a few years ago and could not bend over, so anything he dropped stayed there. When we first walked in, it looked like a scene from the TV show, "Hoarders." It was a disaster. Even though we got a lot done and it looked better when time ran out, the group wished they could have done more for this guy. It was incredible.

3. We worked with Earth Corps and uprooted vines and chopped down blackberry bushes at the Washington State Aboretum. This project was the hardest for the group to understand. As we worked away in the hot sun, some of the group began to ask me how this would make any impact at all. I told them to look in my perspective. This place is almost quite literally my backyard, and I personally like how beautiful my backyard is. And I would like to see my future children and future grandchildren to see the natural beauty of this place. Then I told them to imagine that if we hadn't done what we did that day, these invasive species would have taken over and it wouldn't look as pretty. What we do today may not have an immediate impact, but it will have a lasting impact for future generations.

4. Last, but not least, we made 450 sandwich bags and delivered them to the Men's Shelter in downtown Seattle. This project was probably my favorite. We bought $1000 worth of sandwich supplies: bread, meat, cheese; and we also bought several bags of chips, bananas and juice boxes. All of these things that we take for granted sometimes. These are the small, insignificant things that we had back in preschool or kindergarten. In Matthew 14 we learn that Jesus uses just five loaves of bread and two fish to feed 5000 people. Talk about insignificant. I could probably eat five loaves of bread and two fish myself, but that's not the point is it? Jesus calls us to be examples of him, and that is exactly what we did. We took insignificant things in our lives and gave it to those who actually needed it. And just think of the gratefulness of the people at the Men's Shelter. As soon as we walked through the doors, the people there were endlessly thanking us and were in awe of the 450 sandwich bags that we carried in. 5000 is a large number, but 450 is still pretty significant right?

Metigoshe Ministries presides in the Turtle Mountains of North Dakota, but our Adventure Anchored in Christ happened a little over a thousand miles from the Turtle Mountains. By showing God's love all over Seattle, we were able to experience and celebrate that gift with people from the Pacific Northwest and take what we learned back to the Midwest.