5 Ways to Live in Hope in 2021

January 2, 2021Uncategorized2021, hopejesseblasdel Leave a comment

2020 found us living in a global pandemic, experiencing racial tension, rallies and riots, and going through a tumultuous election season. Truth became more relative than ever and people banded together in groups based on their “truth” and fought with and cast judgement on other groups. It has all combined to leave me sometimes searching for what is hopeful and good. With that in mind, here are some ideas for you to live more hope-full in 2021.

Read Scripture and spend time in stillness. This one is self-explanatory. If you want to center your life and hope in Christ, then you must know him. Read the Gospels, grab an app for helping you sit in stillness, and slow down with Jesus.
Be Generous – Give away something you need. Use your food budget to send dinner to someone and eat beans and rice at home. Give away some clothes. Make a donation to an organization that you believe in. Offer to do some work for free. Being generous has a way of increasing our trust and reliance on Christ. When we trust more fully that Christ is what we ultimately need, we are drawn to live in the hope that only Christ provides.
Make friends with someone you disagree with – Get to know them and move beyond arguing about whatever you disagree about. Mutual love, care, and respect with people we disagree with keep us from sliding into the deeply polarizing anger that is so clearly present in the world. When we build these relationships, things we are in disagreement about are no longer centered on “those people” that are demonized on your glowing internet squares. We suddenly find the common humanity in our friend, in spite of our disagreement.
Stay off social media. Social media is bad for you. It has some good uses in connecting us to people, but as soon as it becomes our news source or we start scrolling endlessly through a feed, it will lead us away from hope and into a fear-based way of living. Fear sells and brand managers and advertisers know it!
Go outside – Whether you have the jaw-dropping beauty of the mountains out your door (Hello Colorado!) or the slightly more humble surroundings of a Midwest state (Kansas!), being outside is a reminder that God is a creator and is still about that work in and all around you.

2021 is a new year, but we can stay stuck in old patterns if we aren’t intentional. This year, choose to purposefully live in hope.

Action vs. Blah Blah Blah

September 13, 2014Uncategorizedjesseblasdel One comment

I must start this post by stating that yes, it is a bit ironic that I would use a long blog post to state that we need more action and less words in our society. Oh well, here we go!

If you look at the news any given morning or evening, it can be fairly depressing. Just a quick list from this morning:

NFL Star turns himself in on child abuse charges
Continuing unrest in Ferguson
The fight against ISIS
Pennsylvania State Trooper killed in ambush

And, as always, the list goes on and on. Here is where I see the problem: We all feel the need to post on social media or comment on news articles about what our opinion is and argue with those who disagree because obviously anyone who disagrees with us is a moronic fool who couldn’t spell cat if you spotted him the c-a.

I have two suggestions:

1. If you can’t say “but I might be wrong” when entering into arguments that are a matter of opinion, then keep your mouth (or fingers) closed. There are some things I believe very strongly about our society and government. I believe them to my core. BUT I MIGHT BE WRONG! This allows us to have a conversation where I don’t have to vilify you for disagreeing with me. Disagreement is ok, really.

2. Actions speak louder than words. The specific action that speaks most loudly is love. So you think the current rash of NFL players facing domestic abuse charges is terrible? Love and hug your kids/grandkids/niece and nephews. And become a big for Big Brother/Big Sister. Choose an action that fights back against hate and violence.

Ferguson have you hot and bothered because of wayward police or thug kids? Be a voice in your community for racial reconciliation. Go to church with people who are different than you. Make friends with someone who you need lots of hand motions to communicate with because you speak different languages. Say thank you to some policemen.

Maybe for you it’s the fear of ISIS invading America. Be a person who sows peace. Create peace in your home, your workplace, your neighborhood.

Maybe your issue is taxes and welfare and the economy. Think our government gives to much to the poor? Then you better start helping the poor, because the only way the government is stopping is because the people have it covered.

I do not know how to fix all the problems in our world, nor do I want that job. But I do know that if I choose to live a life that reflects the love of Christ, God’s kingdom will grow.

Here is what James 1:19-22 says about it:

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Actions speak louder than words. So what are you going to do?

Lessons on Encouragement from Kevin Durant

May 7, 2014Uncategorizedjesseblasdel Leave a comment

photo from espn.com

Kevin Durant is one of the two best basketball players in the entire world, and yesterday he won his first MVP award. He gave a heartfelt speech that including naming his mom as the real MVP for the job she did raising him as a young single mom. Durant also spent time thanking each one of his teammates for the part they have played in making him into the player and man he is. It was very moving.

During his speech, he thanked two of his teammates, Caron Butler and Kendrick Perkins, for encouragement they gave him in moments that he didn’t believe in himself. You can view those two portions here and here. This was someone at the top of his profession in need of people to believe in him and call out the greatness they saw in him.

I want to challenge you to think for a minute about people in your life. Some of them, especially those that are young, need you to call things out of them by seeing their gifts when they cannot see them. They need you to love them through their failures. They need you to believe that they are ok, even when they cannot believe it.

In the church(and especially in youth ministry), this should be happening all the time. We should be praying for each other and calling out the goodness and beauty of the Holy Spirit within each follower of Jesus. The church will be a different place if we look for and encourage the spiritual gifts found in Scripture.

I’ll leave you with a list of gifts and encourage you to read through them slowly and ask God to bring people to mind that you need to encourage.

Romans 12: exhortation, giving, leadership, mercy, prophecy, service, teaching
1 Corinthians 12: administration, apostle, discernment, faith, healing, helps, knowledge, miracles, prophecy, teaching, tongues, tongues interpretation, wisdom
Ephesians 4: apostle, evangelism, pastor, prophecy, teaching

Reasons Stay at Home Moms are Crazy Awesome

March 29, 2014Uncategorizedjesseblasdel Leave a comment

Our children in a calm moment. Photo Credit: Blue Muse Photography

The past three days I’ve been a stay at home dad while my wife goes to a couple of conferences. I’ve taken care of my children plenty of times, but never all day for more than 1 day. A few thoughts on why stay at home moms are crazy awesome from my less-than-half-a-week foray into stay at home life:

Someone is always hungry. If a stay at home mom cleans something up in the kitchen, someone else will immediately be dying of starvation. So they are always preparing food and cleaning the kitchen.
Kids can get toys out at roughly the same speed it takes for a rocket to leave the earth’s atmosphere. They somehow manage to get toys out while they are cleaning other ones up (and by “cleaning up” I mean “ignoring”). So stay at home moms are always cleaning up toys that are in the way of some other chore they need to do.
My son will somehow use between 3 and 1,000 cups to get drinks everyday. At the end of the day, there is no more counter space, just places to hold Carsen’s cups. No joke, I just put 9 cups into the dishwasher from yesterday. This means stay at home moms are always dealing with dishes.
We talk all the time about the mood swings of pregnant women, but I hear little about the mood swings of a 1 year old. 1 minute I am the greatest person on the planet because I can reach the Cheerio box and the next minute I am a villain for daring to suggest nap time. While she is mad at me, I am also the only one that can comfort her. So, stay at home moms are always causing meltdowns and then being a counselor.
My kids are creative. Creative comes from a Latin word which means “there will be thousands of tiny pieces of paper and crayon all over your floor at all times.” So stay at home moms are always sweeping or vacuuming the floor.

What I’ve listed is just a drop in the bucket. I’m certain the list of things a stay at home mom is always doing would rival “War and Peace” in length. I didn’t even get to books or ouchies or hugs and kisses. So, the next time you see a stay at home mom, give her a hug, tell her she’s doing great and for goodness sake give her some chocolate!

Just don’t be surprised if she doesn’t pause for long. She may hear water running in the hall bathroom, and that is never a good sign…

Remembering Who to Listen to

August 6, 2013Uncategorizedjesseblasdel Leave a comment

As I’ve come back from sabbatical in the last two months I have realized that I had forgotten a few things during my three months away. Things like how often my phone chirps and beeps and rings and otherwise demands my attention. Or how indescribably much I love praying and worshiping with students.

I also forgot how hard it can be to hear God above all the voices that suddenly crowd into my world. I have to be very intentional in making time and space to just listen to God. If I don’t, all those other voices will lead the ministry God has asked me to lead in a lot of different directions. And often it will be because I lead things that way because I am responding to the wrong voice.

So I must wait on the Lord. And find myself and my ministry squarely sheltered under Him. I must listen for the still, small voice that calls out in the midst of chaos, and follow it. This is not easy. It is not always fun. But, it is work that I am blessed and called to pursue. It is good and holy work. So voices and noise, complainers and worriers: make all the noise you want. I will listen to the voice of the King. His whispers to me can drown out all the shouting you can do!

“Give me Christ or else I die.”

Let Them Jump!

June 24, 2013Uncategorizedjesseblasdel Leave a comment

This weekend my 7 year olds tried out for a play. I could not really imagine them making and then performing in this play. They tend to be shy and I figured if they were shy at the audition, then they had very little chance of making it. They were not shy. In fact, Carsen ended up with a main speaking part.

Carsen trying really hard not to be a goofball for a picture

And I learned a bit more about being a dad. Here’s what I’ve felt since they got cast:
Immensely proud. Overwhelmingly scared for them.

What if he can’t learn his lines? What if she gets stage fright and can’t go on? What if he forgets his lines and is embarrassed? What if…?

Then I stopped as I realized that this is what parenting is. It is leading your child to the edge of something new and exciting and maybe scary and then letting them jump! Shiloh and I will help them get to practices, work with them at home, sit it the audience at performances and encourage them any way we can, but when the time to perform comes, they will walk out on the stage without us. And it is far better that way.

There will be many leaps to lead my kids to in the next two decades of my life. Biking to a friends house, entering art shows, driving, dating, marriage, and more. But I will not be making those jumps. I will have my own jumps to take. The joy as a parent is not in doing these things for them. It’s in realizing God has given them the ability to do these things and then watching them jump and do them.

God give me grace to let my 7 year olds jump!

The Good and Wild God

June 14, 2013Uncategorizedjesseblasdel Leave a comment

Go read it if you never have!

For whatever reason, a passage from the “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” by C.S Lewis is running through my head this morning. It is a scene inside the beaver’s home where they are describing the great king, Aslan to the 3 children:

“Is – is he a man?” asked Lucy“Aslan a man!” said Mr. Beaver sternly. “Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion, the Lion, the great Lion.”“Ooh,” said Susan, “I thought he was a man. Is he – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”“That you will, dearie, and make no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver; “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the king I tell you.”

I am tired of a safe god. Our God can divide oceans and slay giants! He is a wild and powerful God. Yet we continually look to him to protect us and keep anything in our lives from getting out of order. Maybe we need some disorder.

Coming back to youth ministry this weekend, I am praying that I have many opportunities to experience the goodness of God with students. But I also know that we will experience his goodness in hard places. God show his goodness in our brokenness. This is the message of the cross after all, that God enters into death in order to overcome it.

It is not safe to follow this God. He will call you to dangerous things for His kingdom. He will call you to places where you will lose income or reputation. He will call you to go places and do things that put you very far outside of your “comfort zone.”

If you want to follow God, give up your American, first world need for safety, and instead rely upon the goodness of God in the times were you don’t feel safe. It’s better.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
-Psalm 107:1

“Give me Christ or else I die!”

Prayer for the Week

June 13, 2013Prayerjesseblasdel Leave a comment

This is my prayer this week as I prepare to return from sabbatical:

God give me courage to

Listen to you attentively

Speak your Word truthfully

Love other people passionately

Wait for you expectantly

For the sake of Your kingdom and glory.

Amen.

The Burning Bush

June 11, 2013Uncategorizedjesseblasdel Leave a comment

(Photo from flickr: Huluppu Tree)

Exodus 3:1-5:

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

As far as I can tell, there was nothing exceptional about the bush that caught on fire. It was not a “holy” bush. It wasn’t a direct descendant of the tree of life. The food that it may or may not have produced didn’t have special magical qualities known throughout the world. It was just a bush in the middle of the wilderness where the ground was good for sheep to graze.

Until God showed up. Then the bush and the ground surrounding it became holy. They became set apart for God’s purpose for God’s kingdom. It wasn’t holy because of what previously happened there. It wasn’t holy because of what Moses had done to make it so. It was holy because God showed up and made it that way.

Here is the beautiful thing for our lives today: God is still showing up in unexpected places and working. He keeps doing it in my life and the lives of those around me. He wants to perform miracles in your midst. You just need to be ready to notice.

God does not perform these miracles of burning bushes just to show you that he can or to make you feel better. He used the burning bush to call Moses to something enormous. He is calling you to work in and for His kingdom as well. Don’t mistake the miracle for the call to faithful obedience. The goal isn’t to see miracles, the goal is to see God.

So go and seek after God and watch for places that become holy ground because God is there and He is calling out to you!

Leadership, B.C. Style

June 6, 2013Leadershipjesseblasdel Leave a comment

Our world cares a lot about people who are leaders or show leadership capabilities. We want to train them and give them opportunities and make sure they create successful companies or communities. This is all well and good. But I think in the church we are not supposed to do it quite the same way.

The spiritual gift of leadership is found in Romans 12 among other gifts like teaching and mercy. I have always been taught that these gifts are given by God to be used for His kingdom. It has, therefore, always seemed a bit off to me that the US church focuses so much on leadership development. If God gives the gifts, then will he not also qualify the one to whom he has given the gift?

I’m not saying we shouldn’t work to raise up leaders in the church or impart knowledge, but we shouldn’t prize leadership as the ultimate spiritual gift. I once heard Bill Hybels, during his Global Leadership Summit, thank God that he had the gift of leadership and not lesser gifts like hospitality and mercy. That sounds like a mouth that has forgotten that he needs a whole body to work! I have been wondering what leadership development looks like as my church talks about how to do it. I think helping students find and develop their spiritual gifts is incredibly important for me as a youth pastor.

All of that said, this morning I’m reading in the book of Joshua. We hear about Joshua all through the story of Moses. He is around Moses, helping Moses, going places with Moses. Then, near the end of Moses’ life, God declares that Joshua is to be the next leader of the Israelites. His first major task will be to lead the Israelites across the Jordan River and into the promised land. He leads them across the river on dry ground as God stops the flow of the Jordan for the entire nation to get across. Here is what Joshua 4:14 says about that day and Joshua becoming a leader:

That day the Lord made Joshua a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses.

Although I’m sure hanging out with Moses helped Joshua as a leader, Moses did not make Joshua a great leader. Joshua didn’t get a certificate from any leadership institutes. Joshua didn’t even make himself a great leader. It wasn’t some inherent quality that people wanted to follow. God used Joshua to perform a miracle and then he was a great leader. No classes, no ceremonies, just God. Joshua was called to obedience and faithfulness and he listened to the call of God to act.

Maybe that is what leaders of the Church are still being called to today. Not fancy techniques, not more classes, not any human thing. We are called to faithful obedience as we wait on God to act and then to lead people in the direction of His action.

Your thoughts?

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Thoughts about life with Jesus