Happy New Year to everyone! After a busy Christmas season working for The Salvation Army, I finally have some time to breathe and perhaps post some more. I should attempt to do some blogging before my next grad school course begins on 1/11/08. Anyways, God Bless!

Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Remember to take time and give thanks to God for everything he's given us. We tend to take life for granted and it's a humbling experience to realize it can be taken from us in a heartbeat.


God Bless our troops overseas. I'm thankful that they are serving our country and doing their job. Regardless of your opinion on the war, it's imperative we show love and support to our troops. My housemate from College, Captain Martin Hatch is over in Iraq right now for approximately 1 1/2 years so it really has hit close to home for me.


Don't eat too much turkey! Eat a lot of stuffing!

Dylan

I recently obtained Bob Dylan's entire discography.

Simply put: the man is one of the best songwriters EVER. Such truth and honesty and brilliant storytelling in every song he sings.

What's Invading My Ears?

Just a few albums I've been listening to as of late:

It's been over a month since I've blogged? Dang! I had promised myself that I would blog more but I've been backed up with grad school homework and also my part-time job. What have I been up to? Grad school, work, lots of reading, exercising, catching up with old friends, and exploring some new churches. I've been going to Northgate for over two years now but I really feel that I can be more useful someplace else so I'm going to visit some other churches in the area. It'll be an interesting journey.

I need to get away from here. I love my family but I'm fed up with them and need a break. Sadly, there isn't anyplace to really go.

Prayer Request

I am still looking for a job and am feeling rather frustrated after being turned down for an interview from Wegmans and Wal-Mart. How is it that a guy with 1 degree and halfway through another degree can't even get a part-time job at a grocery store or big box store? I don't understand what God is doing right now but I'm doing my best to be faithful and patient. It's just really frustrating. Prayer would be appreciated.

Friends Reunited

Today, my dad and I stopped down at Star Lake Music Camp in northern New Jersey. This is a place where I came for 9 summers as a camper and a staff member. It was great to see my friend Patti whom I hadn't seen in 3 years. We grew up together going to this camp and she's a dear friend. She married a great guy named Andrew a couple years ago (I knew him from camp as well). I also saw some other people that I was used to seeing once a year at this camp but hadn't since 2004 because I stopped going to the camp for various reasons. I'm glad I agreed to come down here this weekend. It is just what I needed.

Recommended blogs

Paul Peterson - former senior pastor of Northgate Free Methodist Church in Batavia, NY. Paul is now a church planter-in-residence at Mountain Lake Church in Georgia. A great man of God who loves his wife and his 4 precious daughters more than anything in the world. He's a shining example of a solid Christian man.

Dan Shanoff - Dan used to write the "Daily Quickie" for Page 2 on ESPN.com. I was a devoted reader of that column and have followed Dan's blog since he left ESPN. He's witty and has a refreshing take on sports. It's worth reading his blog just for the user comments.

Anthony Hoisington - Anthony is the worship leader at Northgate Free Methodist and also the leader of the Thursdays service. He plays in a group called Relevant Worship with his brother Chris (formerly of Elektromat, McClurg Family Singers), Justin Michau, and several other people that were involved in bands with Anthony and Chris. Anth is very passionate about Christ and music and preaching the gospel to people.

Unsorted Mail - This is a humorous blog filled with letters "you always wanted to write". Be forewarned: This blog is addicting and hilarious.

Weekend vacation ramblings

Sitting here in the Howard Johnson hotel in Suffern, NY, I figured I should post some thoughts. I still have no job yet but I am actively searching. As long as things are approved, I will be working part-time at The Salvation Army in Batavia starting on the 27th. My parents run The Salvation Army in Batavia, but I'd be supervised by one of their staffers (some legalities that they can't directly supervise me, but I digress). I hope to find another part time job here soon. With many unsuccessful attempts at landing a full time position, I just feel the Lord is calling me to do a job that I wouldn't normally take. Patching 2 or 3 part-time jobs together might be easier on my grad school schedule and I would still be able to sufficiently pay my bills.

Over the past few months, being unemployed has been hard on me. I was so used to being busy and productive that my lack of productivity brought on lots of feelings of unhappiness and loneliness. I know many people at church but it isn't like I spend time with any of them. Thankfully, this past week has been great. On Wednesday, I went to the O.A.R. concert with my friend Kelly from grad school. I've been a fan of the band for almost 10 years but have never been able to see them for many reasons. They come to Rochester and Buffalo all the time, and I was not going to pass up this opportunity. I had a blast, O.A.R. was amazing, and more than anything, I needed to get out of the house and it was wonderful. Thursday, after church, a whole bunch of us went out to eat. I met Katie and Katrina, two wonderful gals from Boston. They were in the area because of Kingdom Bound and my pal Rand befriended them and invited them to Thursdays service. Always glad to meet new people, especially fellow Massachusetts natives. Too bad I only got to spend a couple hours with them but I sure hope they come back to visit sometime.

I've been reading "The Jesus of Suburbia" by Mike Erre and he really touches on so many things wrong with the state of Christianity in America. Erre says that we have been following the Jesus of Suburbia rather than the Jesus of Nazareth. That is, we tend to practice the safe Christianity instead of stepping out of the box and letting ourselves be challenged and pushed beyond our comfort zone. He also challenges people to stop thinking that God's work on earth depends on who is in the White House. Christians who equate Republicanism with Christianity really bother me. They are letting their faith be twisted by their politics rather than their faith influencing their moral and political decisions. God does not favor either political party. There are immoral conservatives and liberals. When people say that Christians can't be liberal, I am deeply offended, not because I am liberal (which I am not), but the fact that they think all Christians must follow the same social and political beliefs. I am a Christian first and foremost. My faith guides me in my other ideas and beliefs and I'd rather follow them than be a blind sheep to a political party.

As usual, I recommend some music:

Over The Rhine - The Trumpet Child. (releases soon; I've heard it. More gloriousness from Linford and Karin. Breathtaking)

The Dears - No Cities Left. (Montreal-band recommended if you like The Arcade Fire)

Mad At The World - Seasons of Love. Christian alternative band from the 80's. I just got into them and they were amazing. Along with Adam Again, they really shaped much of the alternative scene in the 80's and early 90's.

MuteMath - MuteMath. Words cannot explain the musical genius of this band. They blow you away with their rich sound and solid playing. Darren King might be the best drummer in the business today and he plays with a very minimal kit. Paul Meany also plays a mean keytar.


Ok, I bid you adieu, for now.

.....Surprise post!......

Greetings. Yes I'm still alive. I've been busy but I haven't if that makes any sense. Still without a job but I am being patient knowing that God will provide an opportunity. I dropped my Research Methods class because I needed a break from school. Burnout hit me really fast after Group Dynamics and I couldn't handle the stress. So I will be graduating in 2009 instead of 2008. I am confident with my decision and know I'll get through the program a big easier.

What have I been doing with my time since I have no job and am currently not in a course?

--Reading books. I've read Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller, a book about Jim Valvano, my Bible, and other various books, magazines, and newspapers.

--Sudoku. I have completed so many sudoku puzzles in the past two weeks, I could be considered an addict.

--Job searching. I have submitted several resumes and applications to various employers. Received one offer, but turned it down. Sorry, I will not work in telemarketing at all. I loathe receiving those phone calls and I refuse to force that upon people.

--Spending quality time with God. I've been doing a lot of meditating and thinking while going to various parks in the area. God's creation is so amazing and I take any chance to thoroughly enjoy what is out there.

--New people. I've been trying my hardest to make new friends but that hasn't been entirely successful. Oh well, life will go on and I'll make friends sometime.

Anyways, more to talk about later.

This post is for Paul.


You're welcome.


I promise, a coherent post when I am fully awake.

More thoughts later on the passing of Ruth Graham, the future of Billy Graham, some ideas I've read and other random topics.


Thanks to all for the birthday wishes

Devotional thought

"Reality breeds humility" - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

That quote was in my devotional this morning and it rings true in my life. Sometimes we have this "reality" in our minds that we strive for but the actual reality is vastly different. This pseudo-reality occurrs when we aren't putting our trust in God for future happenings. We must humble ourselves before Him and realize that we do not control our futures (I hesitate to use the word destiny to prevent cliches). When we practice humility, I feel it will be easier for us to grasp actual reality and be able to work with what we have been given.

Update of the Century

Woah, it's been WAY too long since I have updated and there has been so much that has occurred so it is time to update. God really has been working in my life making some changes (easy and hard) and I feel great about my new direction.

- First off, I quit my job at ADT. That place caused so much unnecessary stress, strife, anger, and depression in my life that I could not deal with the nonsense anymore. On Monday, 6/4/07, I walked in and submitted my resignation, gave an exit interview, said goodbye to my friends, and went on my way. It's a weird feeling not being employed at the moment but I feel at peace with my decision and I am furiously searching for new employment, preferably in the field of Human Resources.

- Karen and I ended our relationship a couple of weeks ago after dating for just over 18 months. It was my decision to move on but I know it was best for the both of us. We had been growing distant over the past few months, only seeing each other once a week, and my feelings and emotions were not there in the relationship anymore. I felt God tugging at my heart to make a decision and do what needed to be done. We have gone our separate ways and I have good feelings about my future.

- Graduate school is going well. I am super busy but that comes with the territory. In less than one year, I will be finished with my work and receive my Master's. I am very eager, nervous, and excited all at the same time for the opportunities waiting for me.

- Much has been happening over at Northgate Free Methodist Church. My dear friend and mentor, Pastor Paul Peterson, will be moving along with wife Sherri and 4 little darlings down to Georgia to "apprentice" if you will at a church learning how to become church planters. That was tough news for me to take because I've come to build a relationship with Paul and it has been great to talk to him about issues and other ideas I've been tossing around. Praise the Lord for the internet so that him and I can stay in contact.

- Not only is Paul leaving, but both Pastor Vern and Pastor Darlene are leaving for different churches. Vern will be going to Gowanda to pastor the Free Methodist church there. Darlene will be co-pastoring a small Free Methodist church in Parma, NY. I know how this can feel because I moved around alot as a kid when my parents kept getting transfered to various churches across Massachusetts and New York. This is the first time that I've been on the otherside, however. God is in control and he will provide the church with new leaders, just as capable as our current leaders.

- I have gotten serious about my health and losing weight. I currently clock in somwhere between 310 and 320 pounds. That is very scary and unhealthy and I need to change my ways ASAP. I have started a diet, cutting out many items to reduce sugar intake and carb intake. I am drinking a gallon of water every day, along with some juices. No more soda or other carbonated beverages. I am also walking on a regular basis. I walked two miles today and I feel great. My goal is to get down to 290 by the end of August and 260 by Christmas. With God's help, I'll do the best I can and lose the weight.

What I've been listening to lately:
Neon Horse - Neon Horse
Maximo Park - Our Guilty Pleasures
Glass Harp - Synergy
Glass Harp - Glass Harp (GH was Phil Keaggy's early mainstream band)
Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops
Mars Ill - Old Ironsides
Gran Bel Fisher - Full Moon Cigarette
Jon McLaughlin - Indiana
Neko Case - The Tigers Have Spoken
The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema

Recent reading materials:

Blue Like Jazz - Donald Miller
Searching for God Knows What - Donald Miller
Red Sox Nation - Peter Golenbock
The Trainer's Tool Kit - Charney & Conway
The Man In the Mirror - Patrick Morley
The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham - Myra & Shelley

woah..been a while since posting. Update later today

Response

A friend of mine directed me toward the blog of Dan Burrell, pastor of a church down in Charlotte, NC. He posted his view on Relient K playing a show at a club. I disagreed with his post for the most part, agreeing on perhaps 5% of what he said. Below is my response. Here is the link to his post: http://www.danburrell.com/?p=357

Mr. Burrell,

Thank your for posting your opinion on this matter. I agree with the idea of Christians choosing wisely, but I disagree with how you went about making your judgements. It is apparent that you have fallen into a trap that a large majority of Christians encounter when it comes to entertainment. Not all Christian musicians are called to be an evangelistic group. Those who are, great. However, if you are looking for a band like Relient K to go the “JPM”, or Jesus Per Minute, route in their music, you are sorely mistaken.

I am a Christian who is disgusted with the “Christian Music Industry”. The industry has done a wonderful job deceiving the masses of Christians who buy products without a discerning ear. You would be surprised to learn about many supposedly evangelistic Christian bands who got into the industry because they could sell their product easier than the mainstream market. While I respect many of these artists as people, the majority of Christian artists are sacrificing quality and integrity for the sake of watering down the Gospel. Relient K never claimed to be an evangelistic group. The gentlemen in the band are all indeed Christians who happen to make music together. They are not solely marketed in the Christian industry. If you wanted to be technical and true to the Word, a band who wanted to be evangelistic would never sign to a “Christian” record label or play in churches. The majority of Christian musicians are playing to the already-saved, not the lost. You’re not seeing groups like Casting Crowns, Building 429, 4Him, Point of Grace, Avalon, Third Day, Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, and others preaching to the lost. They are generally performing in churches and other Christian venues to the people who already know the gospel and have accepted Christ as their Savior.

American Christianity has become too legalistic, individualistic, and has forgotten the true message of Christ. As some other posters have commented before me, Jesus called us to go out into the world and bring the Gospel. He loathed people who sat in their comfort zone within the church and refused to be challenged. Complacent Christianity is one of the biggest problems facing the American church today. Christians in this great country have become too focused on issues that are trite and are ignoring the more pressing issues.

Getting back to your assumption about clubs, I can agree that many clubs are seedy establishments and I would not go there as a young man of 24 as I am. However, there are clubs I have attended where alcohol sales have been not allowed when a Christian band is performing. Not all clubs are places for people to exchange numbers and hook up. I believe your assumption and generalization of this club being the standard for all clubs is ill-founded.

Thank you for giving me the time to respond to your comments. Christians don’t have to agree on everything as long as we agree on the main thing: We are all sinners, and Christ died for us. God Bless, Mr. Burrell.

"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God"

I had a long, well thought-out post and then Safari decided to crap out on me. These things do NOT happen on a Mac, but it did. Boo!

Burden lifted!

I sat for the PHR (Professional in Human Resources) Certification exam on Thursday and I am glad to say I passed. It was a stressful time but God helped me through it. I could have studied more than I did, but I was fortunate to know enough to pass the exam. Woohoo!

Change happens but I'm not sure we're ready for this one. More to come later.

Why? Why? Why?

My heart is totally shattered and hurt after seeing what happened at Virginia Tech University today. I can do nothing but shed tears and pray for the people there. It absolutely hurts me to see such violence.

I'm apathetic but I don't want to be. Lord, please help me care and please help me with my anger issues.

Tech geek alert!

Here is my new phone:

Step Up or Step Aside

I was watching Christopher Titus' special on Comedy Central last night and he was talking about the church. I am always interested when a secular comedian starts talking about church things. He was talking mostly about the issues in the Catholic church with all the sexual abuse charges against priests. He said that the church needs to "Step up and do something about it or step aside and let the authorities get involved. Either way, it needs to stop. You rid the church of all these pedophiles and put sincere men of God up front, the churches will once again be filled to the rafters." WOW. Why does it take a secular, God-fearing comedian to take the church to task. Shouldn't we being taking ourselves to task and keep each other accountable? This really blew me away and is one of the deepest things I've heard in a while. Thank you Christopher Titus and I'm sorry your tv show on Fox was crap. You are funny.

Yes, I Read Books!

What my eyes are currently scanning besides textbooks:

Running Through My Headphones

Here's what has been rotating on my iPod lately:

Some People Need to Not Talk Ever Again

So let's talk about Ann Coulter, the "fountain of hate", as I like to call her. Last week, speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), she referred to Democratic Senator John Edwards as a "faggot". What makes it more maddening is that she received loud applause after saying that about Edwards. She eventually "apologized" saying

"C'mon, it was a joke. I would never insult gays by suggesting that they are like John Edwards. That would be mean."

That is no apology. It is just her normal backtracking every time someone confronts her about one of many hateful statements she has spewed. I was glad to see her fellow republicans slamming her and going against her for what she said. What infuriates me the most is that Coulter claims to be Christian and that her beliefs influence what she says. BULLCRAP. Christianity isn't about hate, bigotry, and racism, all behaviors that Coulter has shown throughout the years in her books, speeches, and interviews.

I frequent a few Christian forums online and I posted a thread about Coulter at one of them. There are many people at the site who are RepubliChristians (aka Republicans are God's party and anyone else is wrong and evil...pure ignorance and blind allegiance). Now, I am neither Republican nor Democrat though my views are moderate conservative. A small group of people at this forum are supporting Coulter saying that "homosexuals deserve no respect", "I support the use of the words 'faggot' and 'queer' because I don't recognize gays as a group. They are degenerates." Granted, I am not surprised at the comments of this one person because he is the same person who said all denominations are corrupt, christian churches don't really have anything good about them, and that all of our proven Scriptural quotes are "Politicaly Correct Christianese". The next time this gentleman uses the Bible in context will be the first. It's frustrating and disheartening all at the same time. I didn't know that "love the sinner, hate the sin" and "love your neighbor as yourself" were PC nonsense...

God, please open up the hearts and eyes of people like this and Ann Coulter who are so full of themselves and foolishly think they are displaying Christ-like attitudes and behaviors.

Christians and Communication

After reading Pastor Paul's blog regarding "The Power of A Story" and going back and forth with Paul via comments, he suggested I blog some thoughts. Seeing as my undergrad degree is in Communication, I figure I have enough background in the subject and how our Christian faith affects communication. Bill Strom (Trinity Western University, Langley B.C.) wrote a book entitled More Than Talk: Communication Studies and the Christian Faith which was used as a text in my undergrad studies. I want to focus on a section of the book labeled "Redemptive Interpersonal Communication."

Redemptive Interpersonal Communication
R.I.C. involves four major areas regarding how we: (1) perceive others, (2) speak with others, (3) deal with conflict, and (4) listen to each other.

1) Gracious Perceiving of Others
- Our first impressions of others go deep and die hard.
- Our first impressions guide future perceptions. (Boy, isn't that true and unfortunate?)
- We are prone to pay attention to the intense, novel, and beautiful.
- We allow negative information about others to outweigh the good (I am guilty as charged, Lord forgive me).
- We see ourselves as responding to our environmet, but see others as choosing to act as they do.
- We take credit for our good behavior and blame our environment for our bad behavior, but do just the opposite for people we dislike. (This is a major problem in the Christian community, the lack of accountability).

2. Gracious Language With Others
- Words can bring healing (Proverbs 12:18)
- Kind words bring life (Prov 15:4)
- The right words bring joy (Prov 15:23)
- Careful words keep one out of trouble (Prov 21:23)
- Apt words are beautiful (Prov 25:11)
- Words can bring help, encourage and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:3)
- Helpful words build up and provide what is needed (Ephesians 4:29)
- Speaking the truth in a loving manner encourages Christ-likeness (Eph 4:15)

Meanwhile, there is a power in Ungracious Language as well
- Thoughtless words wound (Prov 12:18)
- Cruel words crush the spirit (Prov 15:4)
- Gossip separates close friends (Prov 16:28)
- Answering before one listens is unwise (Prov 18:13)
- Insulting and obscene talk are to be ridden of (Colossians 3:8)
- Lying is bad (1 Peter 3:10)
- Slander is to be avoided (James 4:11)

3) Gracious Fighting with Others
- Keep your cool
- Keep short accounts
- Act wisely, not foolishly
- Make understanding your aim

4. Gracious Listening with Each Other
- "Listening isn't passive receiving, it's also heart-and-mind responding with appropriate questions and nonverbal affirmations."
- Listening is fruitless unless we remember what the other person has said.
- 6 types of poor listeners: 1) The Pseudo Listener, 2) The Selective Listener, 3) The Monopolizer, 4) The Fixer, 5) The Ambusher, 6) The Defensive Listener.



So the question is this: How can I, as a follower of Christ, communicate more effectively and Christ-like? God redeems us so why should we not redeem others with our words? I feel we can apply these principles in every aspect of life, including in the church.

What happened to Sunday being restful?

Sunday is the longest day of my week. I get up for church and then go to work from 2:30-midnight. I barely make it through the entire shift without dozing off. I remember working days, Monday-Friday, and being able to rest and relax on Sundays after church. Oh how I miss those days. When you're in school, however, you do what you must to fit everything into a schedule.

Who turned off my alarm clock?

Wow, it has been a while since I updated. Shame on me. That's what happens when you are sick for two weeks and then are very busy with school and work. Anyways, I want to talk about Predictability. Pastor Paul spoke on this topic last week in church and it really hit home with me. Being a predictable Christian is boring. We don't take risks and our comfort zone is intact. However, Christianity is the antithesis of predictability. We never know what will happen in the future and we should not try to manipulate our paths. I don't want to be predictable; otherwise I will end up being like 99% of Christian radio and entertainment! Boo to that!!

Quick Thought

I figured I should post again since my last post was a couple of weeks ago. I am busy writing a research paper on Self-Directed Learning and its relationship to Learning Organizations for my Training & Development course. I hope everyone is doing well, staying safe, and staying warm (if any of you are fellow Northeasterners). The wind chill factor is predicted to be in the negative numbers tonight and tomorrow so I am staying inside until I absolutely have to leave.

Excellence

A devotional I read this morning dealt with excellence. I realized that while I have been urging the Christian entertainment industry for excellence, I have failed to acheive excellence in the workplace. Sometimes I don't put forth a complete effort and work towards the ultimate goal. We need to strive for excellence in everything we do. That is what God expects from us.

"Few things fire up a person's commitment like dedication to excellence." - John Maxwell

I Really Need A Breakthru!

Welcome to my little piece of space here at Blogger. I used to have a blog here back in college but I forgot about it. What will you find here? Meditations, prayers, thoughts, insights, and other musings taken from my daily readings from the Bible and from texts and articles I am reading in whatever grad school class I'm currently taking. I have a silly, leisure-filled blog over at xanga (www.xanga.com/apboynton) but I wanted a fresh start where I could separate certain thoughts.

A Breakthru, eh? No, I'm not referring to one of my favorite songs by Queen, but a journey I have been on since I started graduate school. Learning now is harder than it was a few years ago back as an undergraduate. Yes, I'm only 24, but going back to school after working for two years is a big challenge. My first semester was indeed a tough one, but I battled through it and worked hard to get a 3.9 GPA. GPA's don't really mean much in graduate school but I was proud due to the consistently low GPA's I acheived back at Houghton College. Everything is going well so far and the 2nd semester class begins on the 12th. I am eager to get going with that class (Training & Development, sounds fun....right....anyone?)


For my T&D class, I'm reading "The Meaning of Adult Education" by Eduard Lindeman. In the book, Lindeman talks about the different types of learners. While reading the chapter on "Those Who Require Freedom," I came across this line: "...we become free when we discover the limitations and extent of our capacities." I read that line three or four times before going on and realized that is something I can do in every aspect of my life. I know I cannot work on some abstract mathematical equation or work for NASA so I don't waste my time attempting feats that I know will never be completed. I then thought of my Christian faith and walk. As fallen beings, we try to do everything ourselves. A Superman of sorts, we fool ourselves into believing that everything will come easy to us and nothing can get in the way of our dreams. What hogwash we feed to ourselves on a daily basis. When we realize that we can't save the world and do everything on our own, we have to stop where we are and submit our lives to Christ. I know and understand my limits and have to totally rely on Christ to help me acheive goals that I wouldn't normally attain on my own. When we humble ourselves before the Lord, we are opening up the door for Him to come in and began his marvelous work on our lives.

One more quote from Lindeman, "The egotist is slave to his own limitations; the freedom which he verbally affirms is in essence an artificial separation of himself from others."

Peace in Christ