Franklin Road - Round 2

AXiS had the opportunity to return to Novi, MI this semester and spend a week at retreat with the students of Franklin Road Christian School. Below, I have posted a photo of my small group girls from 2008 and then a photo from this year’s retreat. I love my Freshman and Sophomore girls!

Summer 2008

Summer 2009

Not only did we reconnect with the students, we also kicked off our new presentation, called theTHREADS. In this presentation, we looked at the big ideas in our culture and how to engage those ideas in both truth and love.

On The Road Again!

It's official, Fall 2009 is in full swing for AXiS. The next few entries will be the Dove Real Beauty Slideshows for all of the venues we have visited thus far this semester. The first video is of the beautiful ladies from Grace Outreach Center, in Rio Rancho, NM.

A Big Heart for a Small Girl

I found the article posted below in a copy of The Costco Connection. It seems like many organizations and companies are coming together and showing how everyday people are making a difference in the world around them. The magazine highlighted twenty stories about people creating change all over the world; but it was the article about a seven year old girl that caught my eye. I hope you are encouraged by this article as I was.

American Idol in Action

Ok, I admit...I'm a fan. The guys here in the office can attest to that one. I tuned in almost every Tuesday to see the performances and then again on Wednesday to see who made it to the next round. I didn't know the full effect the show had on America until the last few rounds of the season, when I found out that the show that brought in approximately 624 million votes over season 8...random fact.... that is more votes than the past FIVE presidential elections combined (notice I say number of votes and not number of people who voted)! Not to mention that 28 million people tuned in to the season finale and just under 100 million votes were cast (and yes...I voted). But when the show comes to an end... what's the point? What was the point of watching talented young people perform night after night? What difference does it make in the long run? I was very impressed to see how American Idol uses both the viewership and talent to make a difference in the lives of more than the last few standing on stage in May.

Alicia Keyes promoted  Keep a Child Alive , an organization dedicated to stopping the spread of AIDS. During one episode of AI, Noah Mushimiyima

na, performed on stage and the performance was sold on iTUNES for the charity. On top of that, they promoted a text- fundraiser that brought in over $500,000 from viewers. 

David Cook’s older brother passed away from brain cancer in the beginning of May this year, after battling it for many years. During the finale, David Cook performed his new song “Permanent,” and sold the single on iTUNES with all proceeds going to the organization, Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure.

Another organization, never really mentioned during the season, yet making huge waves now that season 8 has come to a close; is Sophia’s Heart Foundation. The foundation was founded by the 3rd place finalist, Danny Gokey, in honor of his wife Sophia. The organization works to provide musical instruments and college scholarships to students, to provide food, clothing and shelter to those in need, and also provide medical assistance for children in need of treatment.

 American Idol Gives Back also supports organizations such as The Children's Health Fund, Children's Defense Fund, Make It Right and Save the Children; not to mention more local programs.

Overall, I was very impressed with the difference American Idol and the performers/contestants makes in the lives of others all over the world... but what about us? We always talk about action and about the small things we can do as young people. We always assume we have to do this huge act to make a difference in the lives of others and then we shut down when the task seems to much. Sometimes, it’s just as simple as purchasing a song or sending a text message. Don’t back down. Start small. 

Summit Ministries from a Grand View

On May 16, 1891, the Hotel Grandview, in Manitou Springs, Colorado, opened its doors to the public for the first time. Located high above Manitou Avenue, the hotel boasted one Grand View over the valley and Manitou Springs. The hotel welcomed patrons from all walks of life, from coal miners in Cripple Creek to U.S. Senators. It continued to serve their guests until 1962 when the hotel was sold to Summit Ministries.

Now, 118 years to the day since the doors opened for the first time, the aroma of home-made peanut butter and freshly baked bread drift through the hallways of the turn-of-the-century hotel. It is May and once again the Historic Grandview springs to life with students and staff. The hotel, after laying silent for the past several months, now resonates with laughter and worship as the summer sessions kick into gear once again. 

The ballroom, once used for mid-day teas and exquisite galas, now joins together some of today’s greatest minds when it comes to the Christian Worldview. Students sit under some of the most influential minds of our day, including Del Tackett, J.P. Moreland, Frank Beckwith and Dr. David Noebel.

The veranda, where Harry S. Truman once spent an afternoon reminiscing with an old friend, is still lined with rocking chairs and still overlooks the beautiful town below. Today, it is used as a forum for students to dialogue with speakers in a small group setting and to incorporate the ideas taught in class into real-life situations.

“Summit is an educational Christian ministry whose very existence is a response to our current post-Christian culture. Countless Christians are renouncing their faith and many more are adopting the false humanistic philosophies and religions of our day. 

Summit views its role in God’s kingdom as a catalyst to counteract this alarming trend–teaching Christians to analyze competing ideas, challenging them to stand strong in their faith, educating them to defend truth, and ultimately equipping them to impact the world for Christ.” (summit.org) 

 

In a survey, George Barna found that 80% of students who were active Christians in high school and college will have left the faith by age 29. Summit’s mission is to ground Christians in their faith, to equip Christians to defend the biblical worldview and to prepare tomorrow’s servant leaders. 

Summit was the first place I learned how to engage the culture without forfeiting Truth.  

For once, I was able to challenge the ideas that I have always been taught as truth and align them with scripture. Summit equipped me for college in a way that I would not be one of that 80%, and furthermore, opened the door for Focus on the Family Institute and AXiS.

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and basic principles of the world rather than on Christ.” Colossians 2:8

 www.summit.org

The Soloist - More than Music

I recently saw the film The Soloist, starring Robert Downing Jr. and Jamie Foxx. The Film is based on the real story of a columnist, Steve Lopez, and his encounter and journey with Nathaniel Ayers, a brilliant musician; living with schizophrenia on skid row in Los Angeles.

On the surface, the film is about a friendship formed through music; but more so than that, the film exhibited a glimpse of the reality of homelessness in Los Angeles and how we, as Christians are viewed in light of that reality.

According to the 2005 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, there are nearly 90,000 people living on the streets of Los Angeles County. The film showed an adequate representation of this staggering statistic, but what jumped out at me was something deeper than even that.

At different points in the film, Steve Lopez engages in conversations with both an Atheist and a Christian. At one point, Lopez interviews an Atheist, who is picking up trash alongside a Los Angeles freeway. The interview is cut short when Lopez sees Nathaniel across the street. Although the interview is very short; I think a very strong statement is made through this interaction (which I will define later).

At many points throughout the film, the camera pans the outer wall of the Lamp Community (a nonprofit that works to end homelessness by helping those with mental illnesses move from the streets into actual homes). On that wall is a very large, illuminated sign that states: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life” We all know the verse from Romans well, but the producers of this film do an excellent job of making sure the audience reads that verse a dozen times. At another point, a Christian musician decides to work with Nathaniel and asks him to perform in front of an audience; of course the audience is dressed in suits and those in attendance are not enthusiastic about seeing Nathaniel perform. Just before Nathaniel steps in front of his small audience, his mentor asks to pray with him and then sends him out to a scene of humiliation, alone.

Now to my point. 

The Atheist is willing to go out and pick up trash alongside the road, yet when this homeless man enters the scene, he goes back to his good deed of keeping LA beautiful. He is willing to clean up behind people, yet ignores the people in front of him that are in need.

We look at the world around us as an excellent opportunity to share the gospel and teach the Truth. After all, that is what we are called to do. I am not saying that the verse on the side of the building was wrong or that we aren’t called to pray for those around us; but is that all we do? I think the world tends to see us as those who will make a claim for Christ and walk away. I’m sorry, but that’s not the Jesus I follow. He not only spoke the Truth, he reached out and fed the hungry, he healed the sick, he loved those who no one else would love. If we claim to be disciples, is it not about time to actually be the hands and feet of God, rather than just the mouthpiece?

this moment

Ten out of ten people die. 

It’s not necessarily a frightening statistic; just a fact of life... literally. I think that we often live as if we have all the time in the world. Now, I don’t think it is a conscious notion that we pursue. I don’t wake up in the morning thinking, “I can do anything because I am invincible.” It would be nice to think that we can take on anything and everything, but we, as humans, are frail.

As young people, I think we live as if we are unbreakable because we hold to the idea that we have 60 or 70 more years ahead of us. Is it a silly perception to have? Of course not. From personal experience, we see that most people will to be 70 or 80 years old. Not only that, but we do not live in a spirit of fear that we may not take our next breath. Even so, we do not always have the awareness that we cannot control our next breath nor keep our hearts beating.

I’m sure you’re thinking, “No kidding,” right? I teach this concept, yet I never fully grasped its full reality until recently. April 17, 2009 is a day I will not soon forget. A friend of mine was killed in a tragic accident in Colorado Springs. I have had friends die before, so why had this one hit me so hard? I think it was because she was only 18. She had just started college last semester. She was younger than me. 

James said “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.’” James 4:13-15

Our lives are just a vapor and we are never guaranteed tomorrow. Knowing this, how will we choose to live today?

18 months, 14 teams, 14 venues, 4575 students, and 20,100 miles

No doubt about it, it has been a busy year and a half. Now, I could go through and write a blog on every trip I have been on in the past 18 months; or I can post a short slideshow that will give you an idea of how the Lord has been moving coast to coast. 

Enjoy!

"Getting to know you! Getting to know all about you..."

Here are a few random facts about me. How can you follow my blog about me and my AXiS adventures if you don't know some things about me? Enjoy!

1. I'm convinced I have the best job in the world (while I'm single anyway).

2. I have driven  a 1950's dirt track race car.

3. I once worked for a family with 9 Indy 500 victories and 38 Pike's Peak International Hill Climbs.

4. Gardens are one of the greatest creations on earth (it was the first dwelling place the Lord created, after all).

5. I collect books.

6. Cooking is my favorite hobby.

7. I scrapbook.

8. As a child, Beauty and the Beast became my favorite movie because of the library scene.

9. I've played the violin/fiddle for 15 years. 

10. Movie quotes are part of my daily vernacular, it's da best!

11.  I color code my closet.

12. I've always wanted to try my hand at interior design and wedding planning.

13. I have moved 19 times in my life...number 20 will be this month.

14. I love ballroom dancing.

15. I like to organize.

16. I grabbed an electric fence when I was seven; now I have curly hair.

17. One goal of my life is to go to Disneyworld.

18. Agia Sophia's and Glen Eyrie are my favorite spots in Colorado Springs.

19. I still look for in wardrobes for Narnia.

20. In my free time, I speak for those who can't speak for themselves.

21. I can't eat eggs at restaurants. 

22. Candle-light is my favorite kind of lighting.

23. If I could get away with being barefoot all the time, I would.

24. At the age of two, I knew every type of boat by image. (the input in me, I suppose) I can't name more than 3 today.

25. My heart is to serve others.

 

AXiS Promo Video for Venues