Feeling ADVENTurous?

The season of Advent is here! WOO HOO! YEE HAW! BOOYA!

Wait a tic....what does that even mean? Isn't it just the "holiday season?" And isn't "holiday season" just a countdown of shopping days before Christmas?

To many Americans this would seem to be the reality, that Christmas has become something of a commercialized sport in which the main event is spending money on a lot of things that everyone wants but no body needs so that on Christmas morning you get to see them tear through massive amounts of green and red wrapping paper and feel good about yourself because you were the "giver" this year. And everyone loves a cheerful giver.

But what about God? What about the birth of his son Jesus?! Packed way back behind tinsel and presents and elves and eggnog we have placed the nativity scene, arguably one of the most iconic symbols of our Christian faith today. We have placed family and friends before the real reason for the season.

Don't get me wrong, the holidays are a great time to connect with family and friends. It's sharing this momentous occasion with the ones we love that make Christmas' past, present and future so memorable. But somehow the birth of Christ seems to take a back seat to all of this.

Which brings me to my point about Advent. For an entire month before Christmas we gather together each week in worship to prepare for this day of rejoicing. Advent is a period of waiting, of anticipation and a time of preparation for the coming of the most important figure in the Christian world.

Yet our minds are usually elsewhere 12 days before Christmas. The commercialism of Christmas has brought us to a familiar place in our history. I'm reminded of the early Israelites who followed Moses through the desert. They were constantly turning from God to worship other things, much like the material things we seemingly worship around our Christmas trees.

"Thank you God for this big trampoline and this iPod touch and this Xbox360 and this life-sized pony and this cotton candy machine and this giant hydraulic pogo stick. This has been the best Christmas ever!"

God gave us the greatest gift anyone could ever give; salvation from an eternity somewhere very hot and uncomfortable...through his son Jesus Christ. The season of Advent is a time to think about that. To pray about that. To give thanks to God for that.

How good is good enough?

How does a person get into Heaven these days?

There are lots of different theories floating around out there. Probably the most popular theory is the all good people go to Heaven theory. This one has plenty of holes in it.

First off, how good is good enough? We would never know until we die, which thus far no one has came back from death with a solid answer. (Understandable) So how do we measure our goodness? God gave each of us conscience so that we could decide for ourselves what is right and what is wrong. Because of this, everyone's moral compass is going to be a little off from the next person. The system of what is acceptable in today's society varies so much from culture to culture that we could never all be on the same page.

Or what if we are graded on a curve? If that is the case then Mother Teresa is a curve-wrecker. God can't seriously expect us to be in a "good enough" race with the entire rest of the world. You know that old saying, "there is always going to be someone out there better than you." (Try telling that to Jesus!) My point: we can't compare ourselves to others when it comes to getting into Heaven.

What about following the Ten Commandments? Those surely have to get you into Heaven if you follow them your whole life right?! No where in the bible does anyone ever say that following the commandments is the ticket to heaven. They describe them more has as guidelines that help us distinguish between right and wrong.

Romans 3:20
"Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by observing the law. Rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."

So it's not as simple as following a set of rules. And it surely isn't all about doing good deeds. So what gets you there? What gets you that golden ticket into eternity with God? The video below does a wonderful job of explaining just how simple the answer really is.

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This video was made by Justin Jackson, the creative director for Central Christian Church of Las Vegas, NV.

Another great resource on this subject is a small little book called "How Good is Good Enough" by Andy Stanley

Don't be the Bull(y)

In the midst of a tragedy in our region last week (teen from Cooperstown ND killed herself due in part to some bullying by her peers and untreated depression) I felt it appropriate to revisit this idea of bullying and how we treat each other.

Bullying is a serious thing. The likelihood of it happening everyday to you or someone you know is a lot higher than it should be these days. I would hope that if you are one of those people on the receiving end of this you would tell someone.

Tell me. Tell your folks. Tell your teachers. Tell any adult you trust. Tell a friend who you know cares about you enough to do something about it. You always hear stories about people being pushed to the limits with this kind of stuff and there is always so much remorse afterward to the tune of "I wish I could have done something to help."

If you are one of those people having a hard time due to depression, bullying, etc....things can get better. This process of getting better starts with sharing your struggles with someone.

I would also hope that if you are one of those people that are on the giving end of bullying, that you would seriously reconsider the way you treat others. Even if you think of these people as your friends, sometimes we take the most bullying from the people we call friends because we just dismiss it as joking around. But you hear something enough, even if it’s from your so-called friends, and sooner or later you’ll start to believe it. The things we say can have a tremendous effect on others.

Luke 6:31 “Do unto others as you would like them to do to you.”

What simpler (golden) rule is there when it comes to loving your neighbor?

Markonius L. Richards IV~

The Brady Bunch

The Brady Bunch was a weird show.

Here we have three kids and a mom, three other kids and their dad. They live in this big ol' house and get along great for the most part. (Marsha! Marsha! Marsha!) They surely weren't the most normal family.

So what was God thinking when he decided "I shall give each person these other people that they can be related to, and I hope they get along?" Sometimes I have wondered what God must have been thinking. I think we all have had these instances where we are less than satisfied with our families. It happens though right? We are only human, after all.

God gives us the gift of family. That's right, it's a gift. God didn't have to give us anything. HE alone does perfectly well on His own as our Father. Yet God knows that we as humans need that bond that can only come from family. We are made up of bits and pieces of our parents, and they of their parents, all the way back to the creation of man....making us all children of God.

Everyone's family is different. Everyone in that crazy Brady Bunch was different in their own special way. (I always wanted to be Peter) But what brought them together, what brings our families together, is the knowledge that we are all children of God. This unites us all as one family, brothers and sisters in Christ. It gives me the willies just thinking about it! In a good way, of course.

Remember, God gave you a family as a precious gift. Do you treat them as such?

What does your online profile say about you?

In this day and age we find ourselves fully immersed in the culture of social networking. We spend hours each day on facebook or texting our friends. This new way of communicating is great for keeping in touch with those we care about. It gives us the freedom to stay connected almost anywhere, anytime. It is quite an age we live in isn't it?

So why do I find it hard to believe that this new culture of communication is, in fact, a healthy thing? We've come to the point now where folks would rather text than have a face to face conversation because it's just more convenient. We say things via Facebook that we wouldn't ever dream of saying to someone if they were right in front of us. We add "friends" like it's a contest to see who can collect the most.

It's a pretty astonishing concept that a person can have two completely different personalities, one online and the other in real life. The question is how similar are the two? And if they differ, which one is the real you?

God teaches us in 1 Samuel 16:7 "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord look at the heart.

While social networking teaches us that we can be anyone we want, God teaches us that what really matters is what is in our hearts. We were created for a relationship with Him and He is the only one we need to worry about impressing. Don't lose touch with who you really are. God created an amazing person on the inside. Just think of Facebook as a great way to share that with others!

So...remember this the next time you post a half-naked picture of yourself, or before you make some off putting comment on someones wall, or before you send out that rude text message. You are a child of God. Does your online personality say the same thing?

How are you today?

“How are you today?”

Connor Teske: This is the first day I can make it to frolf club, so good!

Alex Dockter: I’m doing alright besides the fact that it’s Monday.

Alli Ward:,Callie Roth, Laurent Moug, Nick samuelson, Elliot Koch: I’m doing great thanks for asking. How are you doing?

Austin Swecker: I’m sore! I can’t really serve at all.

Erica Volk: I am wonderful how are you?

Steve Anderson: I am doing well! Yourself?

Haley Koehn: Not Good! I feel like crap, I am sick 

Kelsey Gilbraith: Ok I guess, you?

When someone comes up and asks you how you are doing, is your regular answer usually, "good," "fine," or "it’s another long Monday?" Most of you usually just give the answer that they are always expecting... but what if we answered a different way! What if you all the sudden answered, "I am Amazing..." or "Passionate..." or "I am excellent..." or "Truly blessed....and how are you?"
Most people might just smile, let your answers sink in, or even give you a wide-eyed look of panic! But most of all they are going to wonder why you are the way you are! They are going to see an energy that they are not used to, something we call Passion.
Last week at Real Life we talked about passion, and the idea that passion is contagious. It has its own energy -- an energy that's observable and transferable. Best of all, you can't fake it. Almost anyone, with only a bit of intuitiveness, can sense a lack of sincerity, authenticity and depth. It is that one thing that separates the things that are said, then the things that are being done! It makes us who we are.
You see, if I am passionate about something it will infect (yes like a disease) the others around. If I am passionate about a certain band, my friends might go home and take a listen on youtube. Passion will help people start to question certain things… you see, If I am passionate about something in the wrong way or a bad topic, I will still infect the people around me, but probably negatively. However, if it is a positive passion, for a good reason, you are going to impact others! Can you imagine if the people around you were passionate about the same things! And then it would continue to affect the others around you… (kinda like one of those volks wagon commercials!)
Most people are afraid to be passionate, because they are scared of being judged, scared because they lack the zest and the confidence to express our own values and beliefs! And those that have never tasted passion will only ride along the passion of others!
Passion doesn’t guarantee success, but I promise you, it is something for you to experience and worth taking a chance for. And remember, next time someone asks you how you are, maybe you should really tell them!

Adamantium

The Mission

The reason we write this blog is two-fold; first it's to share with you the reader anything that is on our hearts and minds having to deal with faith, church, God, and the like. Secondly it's to recap what we have been talking about at Real Life lately.

Real Life is a high school student youth group that meets at Hope Lutheran church in Fargo ND to discuss topics and issues in everyday life.

Last night we cast our mission for Real Life with what else but...a mission statement. Real Life exists for these reasons:

"Seek out those in need of God's grace, grow deeper in our own faith through His word, and to be the change that the world needs to see."

We are a group of believers, non-believers and those still questioning. One thing we hopefully all have in common is the desire to grow in our faith. Real Life is simply a place for you to come and experience the love of God in a safe and comfortable environment. It's a place where you can be yourself, express yourself, and grow at your own chosen speed.

If this sounds good to you, we hope to see you next Wednesday.

Markonius & Adamantium

I am a C...

Believe it or not God did not intend for the christian church to be divided. He did not intend to have different types of Christianity. We as followers of Christ did that ourselves over the last 2000 years.

So why then do we find ourselves shopping around for churches like they are just items on the shelves of a supermarket? That we read the labels and find out what each church contains, what you're getting yourself into, and then make our choice based upon "man-made" interpretations of the same book? The bible, the same Word that every other christian church uses.

The question that begs asking is this; why can't we all just get along? Why can't we all just decide to put aside our differences and come together as one church to seek out God's purposes for us as followers and believers of Jesus Christ? The bible is clear that we are all called to love God and love our neighbors. Why can't we all do this together as one body united in the mission of Jesus? Where does all the red tape of today's "church" come from and who put it there?

I would encourage you all that if you have questions about what your church believes compared to other churches, go find out. But I implore to you take whatever you find with a grain of salt. I understand that entire christian faiths are built on these differences, but that is where I believe we have stopped being a church of we and more a church of me. We've tailored our "religion" to be more about who's right and who's wrong. If that is even an issue for debate then dare I say we've missed the whole point!

If we are all sons and daughters of the same God, if we as Christians believe that Jesus died on a cross and rose again, then can we not agree that everything else, the differences, are relatively small? Not small enough to ignore, but small enough so that they aren't the main reason for our Christian faith being a constant "them vs. us." We are Christians. Plain and simple. Our faith is in the same God, and our mission from Him is a constant throughout all religions. Let no smaller things take that away.

Markonius~

On being "artsy"

Back in June myself and 58 other individuals from Hope Lutheran Church and Good Shepherd Church in Moorhead embarked on a week-long mission trip to Montego Bay Jamaica. The trip was the best I've ever been on, hands down. I couldn't have imagined going with a better group of kids.

So now that we've been back for a month, I decided it was time to spruce up the ol' youth space here at the North Campus. And what better way to do that than with a sweet photo collage of our trip!

Before you scroll down to see the finished product, let me say a few words about the gifts God has (or has not) given me.

I am no artist. I never really grasped the idea that scissors cut in straight lines if you want them to, or that a glue stick works much better if don't use it like a bingo dabber. I took one art class in 7th grade because I had to. Everything I made was on par with most 4 year olds. I suppose my craft could be considered "contemporary" and "imaginative" but then I would have to be doing these crafty things on purpose, which I am most definitely not.

I think that God has a plan for each one of us. Story of our lives: God creates us. God commissions us to love Him and love each other...just like His son Jesus tells us through the bible. God then gives us these superpowers called "skills" and each one of us possesses a few. We use these skills to advance the Kingdom of God all while giving MAD PROPS to the only one worthy of it all.

I present to you...my skills.



Markonius~

The Summer of 69'

I'd imagine that every kid has one of those summers. The ones that define their coming-of-age-ness. (yep, I'm gonna coin that phrase) The summers that seem to last forever and that are filled with endless amounts of good friends and good times. The summers that every weekend seems to be filled with relaxing days at the lake, road trips to see your favorite band, or the endless weddings that seem to become more and more normal as you progress through your 20's.

With my job in Youth Ministry, the summers are a time to connect in a completely different way. Forget anything structured. Forget anything planned. Spontaneity is the life-blood that fuels our ministry in the summer months.

And I love it.

Because what person wouldn't like to get up every morning and do whatever comes around? To plan your day based upon their schedule and not your own? It's a little backwards compared the normal business model of today, but ask anyone in youth ministry and they would tell you, it's a great thing to be able to meet kids where they're at.

With the summer of 2010 already in full swing, I can safely say that my time spent so far has been fruitful beyond all expectation. I'm learning to take every day for what it should be, a blessing from God. An opportunity to do His work. This summer has endless opportunities for you to serve God and His purpose. Don't waste it.

Was Jesus there?

While reminiscing about the fun we had at Sonshine music festival, I started searching through old pictures. What a good time! The music, our friends, the sun (or the lack of), the wind, and of course pancakes and ramen.
However, in one picture I noticed that we all look extremely sad, so I studied it further. I came to notice some funny faces: I was wondering where and the heck did Rachel get lemons before the picture? Why is Kelsie so pissed off? When did Dalton learn to levitate? Who is Emily even looking at? And when did Ally’s lip get stung by a bee?
But as I focused more, right above Grants beautiful noggin,about 4 feet north and 1 foot west of marks orange cupcakes, I gazed at a strange face-like figure. I squinted my eyes, backed away, and looked closer. I couldn’t figure what it looked like. Then I may have noticed a beard… some eyes. Could it be? I started getting excited. Did I see Jesus, or is it Billy Mays? Looking more and squinting harder, I couldn’t tell!!!
Who is it?

Spring cleaning

So I just recently cleaned out my car for the first time in a long time. (apparently)

Here is a short list of some of the more interesting things I found:

3 packs of guitar strings from what looks like 2003
Unopened easter candy from LAST Easter
7 (count em') 7 bingo dabbers!
My actual birth certificate
A ticket stub from a summer music festival I went to back in 2007
A neon yellow softball I received as a gift for being a ring bearer in my uncle's wedding when I was 6.
An old Playstation 2 memory card (I wonder what's saved on it?!)
Two free lift tickets to Afton Alps
Numerous cd cases without cd's in them
A post-it note with directions on how to get to the Omaha Zoo
A map of downtown Minneapolis torn from a phone book (i kept that because one time I got really lost walking around)


I can't tell you how many times I saw the old easter candy in the glove box over the past year, only to close it and say to myself "Don't worry, I'll eat that soon." Now, I think there is a lesson in here somewhere about hoarding being a sin. I can't quite come up with anything at the moment. I mostly just wanted to share with you the magic that can happen on my days off from work. :)

Markonius L. Richards IV

The art of being 6'1"

Since I was a teenager I have had this theory. I believe that short men get less respect than their above average height counterparts. Google it....I'm sure some scholarly journal has done numerous studies that show it is easier to get ahead in life while sitting above 5'10". (Average male height)

So my motto, so to speak, when getting ahead in life is this.....think 6'1"

I feel that if I imagine myself and carry myself around like I'm 6'1"....folks will take me more seriously. People will say yes more to my requests. Doors will magically open for me. I will get more respect for the simple fact that I am at eye level with you. (by you I mean all other males)

How does this effect my luck with "the ladies" you ask? My wife will be more inclined to wear heels more often....which she likes to do because she is a classy gal. Everybody wins. :)

By now I hope you can tell that I'm being a bit facetious. Long ago I came to terms with my apparent lack the height genes and just went on being my big ol' 5'8" self. You know who else was a small guy? That Zacchaeus guy in the bible. You remember, that tax collector who climbed up a tree to get a better glimpse of Jesus because he couldn't see over the crowd of people?

Then look what happens. Out of the blue Jesus stops under the tree and invites Zacchaeus to have him (Jesus) stay in his house! (Zacchaeus's house) This is a huge deal because tax collectors back in those days were a pretty despicable bunch. But Jesus reaches out to Zacchaeus despite his "small" stature among men, both socially and physically.

So there you have it. A story where the short guy is redeemed by the power of God. It doesn't really matter where you stand with the culture of this world. Jesus saw in Zacchaeus what he sees in every one of us....sinners needing salvation. And no matter where we stand amongst the crowd, He will always seek us out. :)

Markonius L. Richards IV

Let's Make a Deal

Our faith is challenged by the choices we make every day. Choices that, over time, shape our very being: who we hang out with, how we apply ourselves to our schoolwork, how we interact with our families, who we date, how often we come to church, and what things we put before God.

Looking at it another way, a lot of what this life here on earth has to offer us is just “stuff.” They are just material things that only bring temporary happiness at best. We're one of the richest, most well-off countries in the world and yet we have some of the highest rates of loneliness, depression, and suicide of any country.

But these “things,” all this stuff can easily put up a wall or barrier between us and God. Because it will be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle?! (Mark 10: 25) Do you believe that? Does that scare you? It scares me because I believe it! Maybe it’s a lot harder to get into heaven than we think. It scares me because I think of all the stuff I have. If given the choice, would I give it all up to follow Jesus?

All this life ever promises is more stuff. That’s the American dream right? One day you can buy a new car, a house, a boat and some jet skis. That new guitar sure sounds great right? But then Jesus goes messing everything up by saying “sell everything you own, give it to the poor and follow me.” (Mark 10: 21-22) These are life's gray areas which warrant some very tough choices. Which would you choose?

Your text responses

While coming up with the name for this blog, Adam and I texted a random assortment of senior high students we know from Real Life. The question was, "What are your thoughts on "hotdish" and specifically "Jesus Hotdish?"

Here are some of your responses. :)

"I love me some hotdish"
Elliot Koch

"Well, I'd say go for it. Are you making it?"
Laurel Striegel

"Umm, hot dish is always good so Jesus hotdish must be even better!"
Adam Wilson

"I like hotdish"
Joe Errett

"I like Jesus"
Natalie Moorhouse

"Who is this?"
Tanner Toussaint

"I would probably eat Jesus hotdish"
Gus Hamilton

"Love it!"
Erica Volk

"As a food, or a band name?"
Stephen Anderson

"Hahaha, depends on what's in it I guess"
Sarah Seibold

"Well i enjoy hotdish but if it had to do with Jesus i would probably like it even more!"
Rachel Jacobson

"Umm...."
Kelsey Schmidt

"what do you mean?"
Tyler Hetland

"Huh?"
Camila Hueck

"...odd...?"
Dane Swecker

"what? I like hotdish my mom makes. haha!"
Haley Koehn

"Jesus hotdish? I like hotdishes. I've never heard of Jesus Hotdishes! Haha!"
Lauryn Wilson

"Delicious!" "Yummy" "Sounds awesome"
Sean Colbert, Alli Ward, Mel Mcdougall, Kiana Majidian, Cam Johnson, Morgan Opp

"tasty?"
Sam Skunberg

"Is this supposed to be a serious question?"
Lindsey Teigen

"What is Jesus Hotdish?"
Lucas Hooey

"Well before I answer this question...is jesus hotdish just like normal hotdish with the word Jesus before it or is there something special about it?
Callie Roth

"Umm...I like hotdish. Not too sure about the jesus part though. Why?"
Emily Erickson

"I don't really know what Jesus hotdish is."
Rhett Carlson

"it's kind of catchy."
Shantel Johnson

"What are you talking about?" "I don't know"
Eric Thomas, Austin Swecker

"wait...do we have to eat jesus?!"
Ally Green (verbal response)

"Very interesting"
Dalton Hanson