What Do I Do?

I was just catching up on a friend's blog when I came across this post. It's very timely considering some of the conversations I've had over the last few days both in person and over the phone. I'll post it here but I'm giving him credit. Thanks, Steve.

Sometime this past week, I had to go to church for a leader's meeting.  I was in the evening and Evan, my 6 yr. old son, asked "why do you have to be in the meeting?" I said, "because I'm one of the bosses there."  He responded with a grin on his face, "cool!"

Being a "pastor" is certainly cool and it does have it advantages, but it isn't a walk in the park.  I suppose most people have no idea what a "pastor" or those in leadership do or think or spend their time on.  The joke for many is that pastors only work one day.  Although it's a joke, many believe it.

Some think that pastors know everything about the bible and religions in the world.  Some think the pastor gets paid from magic money falling from heaven.  Some think pastors should get paid nothing.  Some think there's no reason for pastors.  Some think it's the pastors job to initiate and carry on every project, program, study, discussion, idea, or movement.  Some think they're not special enough to do ministry.  Some think only pastors can pray to God.  Some get upset when they find out that the pastor isn't perfect (but doesn't what anyone to know how they aren't).  Some feel relieved knowing the pastor isn't perfect.

And I would agree that one of the responsibilities of the pastor is to motivate, to teach, to come along side, to train, to comfort, to pray with and for, to study, to understand, to do, to create, to initiate, to organize, to encourage, to proclaim, to rally, to lead, to challenge, to call others to live a life for God (and that's just for himself and his family).

Most will never understand what great responsibility and pressure pastors experience everyday in doing the work God has called them to do on this earth.  Certainly the work of the Holy Spirit in Christians is a plus (that's assuming many listen to the HS and don't "push him away").

I have great respect for pastors, but I do think that sometimes, pastors fail in leading the church to a deep, initimate, devoted life to God in everything people do.  I think sometimes, we as Christians, fail ourselves by buying into and expecting and waiting for the pastor to do everything for us and get upset when they don't meet our "expectations."

What assumptions do you have about those in ministry? or those in Christian leadership?

Is it right?

ST

Ok, ok...I'll do it. 25 Random Things

25 Random Things

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)

1. I'm a twin (No, we're not identical).
2. I'm the youngest of five kids (My twin brother is 3 minutes older then I am).

3. I was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina (By the way, that's in South America).

4. I've had a driver's license in four different states.

5. I've been called metrosexual by most people who know me.

6. I would one day like to see a World Cup game live, visit New Zealand and see where LOTR was filmed (What? They're great movies!), see Mt. Everest (not climb it), see all the Civil War battlefields, go back to D.C., and some other things I can't remember right now.

7. I wish I had been more of a reader when I was growing up.

8. I believe soccer is not a sport; it is a way of life.

9. I've broken six different bones in my body of which I am aware and have had at least 3 major concussions...that I can remember.

10. I have a knee that is only 2.5 years old.

11. Fatherhood is a daunting responsibility and it freaks me out when I think about it.

12. I love being a dad.

13. I hate the spotlight but like recognition (Yes, I know that's both vain and lazy, but I'm working on it).

14. I know I'm not as cool as I like to think I am. In fact, I'm pretty much the biggest dork you'll ever meet.

15. I do what I love and I love what I do.

16. Rachel and I have just adopted our son Trent.

17. I'm allergic to cats and wasp stings. Found out about both of them the hard way.

18. I pegged my pants for way too long after it was cool (If you don't know what that is, don't worry about it).

19. I crave familiarity.

20. I'm a neat freak, and like to have things organized.

21. My favorite styles of music right now are Euro Rock and folk (I told you I was a dork).

22. I love my red hot, smokin' wife, Rachel, and my crazy cool son, Trent. (I'll probably be in trouble that I didn't put this at #1).

23. I've just come to the realization that "interesting" is a relative term.

24. Some people seem to think I can sing.

25. I thought these types of lists were only filled out in jr. high.

After filling out this thing I realized I could have written a LOT more!

ST

Movies

Ok, Ron Foster posted this on his facebook so I thought I'd do the same thing, mainly because I have no original thoughts. Here goes...

SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own Facebook account, and paste this as a note.

( ) Rocky Horror Picture Show

(x ) Grease

(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
( ) Fight Club
(x) Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
(x) Blazing Saddles
(x) Airplane
Total: 7

(x) The Princess Bride
(x) AnchorMan
(x) Napoleon Dynamite
( ) Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
(x) Anger Management
(x) 50 First Dates
(x) The Princess Diaries
( ) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far: 13

( ) Scream
( ) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
( ) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
( ) American Pie
( ) American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
Total so far: 13

( ) Harry Potter 1
( ) Harry Potter 2
( ) Harry Potter 3
( ) Harry Potter 4
( ) Harry Potter 5
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
( ) The Village
(x) Lilo & Stitch
Total so far: 14

(x) Finding Nemo
(x) Finding Neverland
( ) Signs
( ) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
( ) 13 Going on 30
(x) I, Robot
(x) Robots
Total so far: 18

(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
(x) Universal Soldier
( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(x) Along Came Polly
( ) Deep Impact
(x) KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
(x) Meet the Fockers
(x) Eight Crazy Nights
(x) Joe Dirt
(x) KING KONG
Total so far: 28

(x) A Cinderella Story
(x) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
( ) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
( ) Flubber
Total so far: 31

( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
( ) Practical Magic
(x) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
(x) The Whole Nine Yards
(x) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 34

( ) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child's Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
( ) Ten Things I Hate About You
(x) Just Married
( ) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
(x) Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
(x) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 38

(x) Bad Boys
(x) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Seven
(x) Ocean's Eleven
(x) Ocean's Twelve
(x) Bourne Identity
(x) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
(x) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
(x) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
Total so far: 46

(x) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(x) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
(x) My Bosses Daughter
(x) Maid in Manhattan
( ) War of the Worlds
(x) Rush Hour
(x) Rush Hour 2
Total so far: 52

( ) Best Bet
(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x) She's All That
( ) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
( ) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(x) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
(x) Big Trouble in Little China
(x) The Terminator
(x) The Terminator 2
(x) The Terminator 3
Total so far: 61

(x) X-Men
(x) X-2
(x) X-3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
( ) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(x) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
( ) Freaky Friday
( ) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
( ) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2
Total so far: 70

( ) Swimfan
(x) Miracle on 34th street
(x) Old School
(x) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf's Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember
(x) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
( ) The 40-year-old Virgin
Total so far: 74

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Total so far: 80

( ) Baseketball
( ) Hostel
(x) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(x) Elf
( ) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History X
( ) Three
Total so Far: 82

( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
Total so far: 85

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
(x) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
(x) Chronicles Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
( ) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
(x) Waterworld
Total so far: 89

( ) Kill Bill vol 1
( ) Kill Bill vol 2
(x) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) The Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness
Total so far: 90

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
( ) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far: 95

(x) The Matrix
(x) The Matrix Reloaded
(x) The Matrix Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
( ) Red Dragon
(x) Silence of the Lambs
( ) Hannibal
Total so far: 99

ST

Only Me

I know some people would consider me accident prone but I would have to disagree. I just happen to have strange things happen to me! Those of you who have known me for a while now what some of those "strange" things are, but I'm about to add one of the strangest to the list.

Sunday night we had our yearly kick-off for The MiX Student Ministries by having one of our famous gym nights. One of the games we played was Musical Chairs of Death (check the link for the rules). In the process of the game I tried to throw a very light ball very hard, which of course is nearly impossible. As I launched the ball with the purpose of inflicting pain on a teenager, I felt a pop in my side and the pain was inflicted on myself instead. 

As far as I can tell I'm the only person who cracked a rib playing musical chairs!

ST

First Incident

I got a voicemail from Rachel this morning that said "Trent busted his head. Could you please come home?" That's never good, especially with my family's history of head wounds. I ran home expecting to see blood everywhere, but instead I walked in to see Trent jumping on the bed in the in the guest room! Apparently he decided to climb up on a chair to get on the bed but the seat portion of the chair gave way and he went through head first cutting himself on a screw. No serious damage done, just a bump and small cut, but I guess the fun of having a son has officially begun!

ST

It's Official

After six years, yes, count 'em, six, I can finally say that I have a son!! Trent became a Todd yesterday at 11:05 AM. I'm still numb because it doesn't seem real yet. We've had Trent since he was 10 months old, which is almost a year and a half. For all practical purposes he was our son from day one, but now it's legal, baby!

He is now Trent Andrew Logan Todd.

We can't thank all of you who've prayed enough. This has definitely been a God thing, and we hope to raise Trent as God would see fit.

Thanks again.

ST

Shuffle Up and Deal 3

Here we go again. For those who haven't seen this, just hit shuffle on your iPod and list the first 5 songs that come up. I'm going for 10 this time.

1. God Almighty--Chris Tomlin 

2. Run--Hillsong Live 

3. Sovereign Hands--Hillsong United 

4. When A Man Loves A Woman--Marvin Gaye

5. The Heights--David Crowder 

6. I Got You, Babe--Sonny and Cher (Yes, that's on my iPod)

7. Open Your Eyes--Snow Patrol

8. Elevation--U2

9. I'm Not Ashamed--Hillsong

10. Majesty--Hillsong United

There it is!

ST