The Way

The Naked Queen Post

2009-05-14T20:55:00.000-07:00

So, tonight during our Thursday Night Break-Out we talked about Esther. We are in a series called Heroes of the Bible and Esther was the first one that we taled about. On the Sunday before Mother's Day we had an over view of the story of Esther at Rock. Which you can see some of that on a previous post.
So, tonight we just kind of skimmed through the story so that we could discuss anything that stands out to any of us.
The thing tat we landed on that took up most of our discussion was the following verses:
"On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carcas- to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovly to look at. But when the attendants delivered the king's command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger."
After a lot of talking we decided that we did not see why she would be so upset. I mean what girl in their right mind would not want to be told how beautiful she is in front on everyone. But then the more we talked we came to two different thoughts that could shed some light on the situation.
1 - We decided that this situation could have been potentially dangerous to the Queen. A large gathering of drunk men, asking the beautiful queen to come to them so that they can see how beautiful she is. This could lead to an epidsode of Law and Order: SVU. Which could be why she refused. .

2 - We found the wording interesting. The king is drunk, so he is not in a good state of mind. He calls the eunuchs, who obviously would not touch the quen sexually, to get the queen and bring her to them. Here is the interesting part, we have a very specific instruction, "wearing her royal crown." We find this interesting. He is ordering her to be brought before these men, wearing her royal crown. Why so specific? and since this is so specific, why is she only asked to wear the crown? Is it possible that she was expected to come out naked? It says that he wanted her to come out because, "for she was lovly to look at." Could he have, in his state of drunkness, wanted his queen to come before all of these men (who were allowed to drink to their hearts content) and show off her body without any clothes on? It is interesting to think about. Because if it is the case, then her getting so mad makes a lot more sense. Him sending the eunuchs makes sense (even though they would have been who he sent anyway). It is just interesting. BE CAREFUL, I am not saying that Scripture says this, I am just saying it is an interesting possability that would shed some light on the queen getting upset and refusing to go out.

Well, there you have it. How often do you get to talk about naked people at church? . . . . . . . . . Well this is at least the fourth time for The Way!

You read it, you can't unread it (aren't you glad you didn't watch it?)

~ Charles R.

The Heroes Post

2009-05-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

OK, so we have started a new series at Rock that I am really excited about:

On our first night we talked about Esther. This is a great place to start when you are looking at Heroes of the Bible because, in my opinion, there are not that many really awesome female superheroes. I know, there are some out there, but I just do not feel like they are that cool. Sorry ladies. But that is why I think Esther is such a cool place to start - because when it comes to heroes of the Bible, Esther is a major one. In one brave, selfless act she saved the entire Jewish race which Haman was trying to destroy. If Haman had succeeded in destroying the Jews than the promised Messiah would have had to come from another blood-line and not from the promised blood-line of Abraham.
So, let me give you a few snapshots of what we talked about at Rock:
~ Well, before we even dove into the story of Esther we played a game from Who's Line is it Anyway? called "Unlikely Superheroes" Matt, Skelly, Zach, and Brian, all did a pretty good job of making us laugh. Now whether or not we were laughing at them because they were actually funny or because what was happening was just ridiculous - I cannot say!
~ First of all, God is never mentioned in the book of Esther, interesting fact. A controversial fact.
~ Next we see a king who thinks so highly of himself that he throws a feast for 180 days to celebrate his awesomeness. Wow, what a humble guy.
~ Following the 180 day feast is a 7 day feast to honor everyone else. That was very gracious of him.
~ He puts a decree into motion that everyone is to drink wine to their hearts content. Hmmm sounds like a great idea there Mr. King. If you were at Rock you'll remember us talking about a couple different kinds of drunk people (the "sophisticated" drunk, the "everyting is hilarious" drunk, the "someone keeps moving the room" drunk, and the"I love you so much my life would be meaningless without you" drunk), and although we would all would probably laugh at them, it still does not seem like something we would have liked to be around.
~ Then the humble king wants to show everyone how hot his wife, the queen, is so he sends for her to come in front of everyone with her crown on. She doesn't show - he gets made - she is no longer queen.
~ So they gather up virgins from all over to see who will win the king's favor, and Esther takes the cake. But no one knows that she is Jewish ("Funny, she doesn't look druish" Space Balls [1987]) except for her uncle Mordecai who raised her.
~ Haman gets the king to seal a decree that all Jews would be killed on a certain day. What a jerk.
~ Mordecai finds out about this and tells Esther to do something. She is afraid because if she goes before the king without being summoned she could die. Mordecai gets a little frustrated with her and says one of the best lines in the Bible that is not spoken by Jesus or God Himself. "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Wow
~ She goes before the king, the king listens.
~ Haman is killed on the very gallows he had built for Mordecai, which were 75 feet tall. (I once heard that a gallows' height reflected how horrible the man's crime was, interesting that he hated Mordecai so much to build gallows 75 feet high and than ends up being hung there himself).
~ But the story is not over. You see the knig already put his seal on the decree to kill the Jews, so they cannot remove that decree, so what they do end up doing is a great strategy. First of all the leader of this, Haman, is already dead, so any followers may be weary to carry out the orders anyway. But then they put another decree in effect that says the Jews can defend themselves on that day. And if a Jew kills a person who tried to kill him, the Jew inherits everything that person owns! What a plan!

Well, that is our first Hero of the Bible. I hope that you will seriously think about coming to Rock during this series - it should prove to be a lot of fun.
This coming Sunday we will be talking about Moses.
(FYI Rock is Sunday night at 7:00 PM at Boulevard Christian Church and ends at 8:300 pm)

~ Well you read it, you cannot unread it.

Charles R.

College Road Trip: The Interviews

2009-05-08T05:41:00.000-07:00

Alright faithful readers, here is the continuation of an interview with Josh Bueno and Becka Woodard about their experiences during the 2009 College Road Trip that took place this April during Spring Break.

Becka, what would you say impressed you the most about the schools? "In all of the schools there was a variety of different classes and majors at each school. I was also impressed by the missions trips of each school."

Josh? "The scenery of where the campuses were." And Josh, what memory do you think will stay with you the longest? The bonding that i shared through out the trip with Charles, Nicole, and Becka. And going up in the St. Louis Arch."

Becka, if you were to pick a one of the schools right now, which would it be and why? "At the moment I don't have a definite choice but I like Roanoke (now Mid-Atlantic Christian University) and Central for various reasons. Central has a co-op program with other schools in the area if I choose to major in something else and Roanoke has a nice campus and I liked the class we sat in on."

Josh, same question, which of the schools would you pick if you had to pick on right now? "Roanoke, it was so beautiful, and the class that we sat on was so interesting."

Do either of you have any thing else you would like to say about the trip right now?

JOSH: "Being able to stop and see where Charles and Nicole lived, in Indy was really cool. Being able to see what their life was like before Boulevard. The Arch was really sweet, because it was a once in a life time opportunity that I never thought I would be doing. Overall seeing, and feeling what college life had in store, I am very excited to start my life, as a young adult, and as a student at a Bible college."

Well, there you have it. The trip was really a great one and one that I think will stay with them forever. I still vividly remember the times my youth minister took me to visit Bible colleges. The bonding that happens on these trips are amazing and I am a strong supporter for the schools as well. I would not be the man I am today if it were not for the time i spent being taught and mentored by great Christian professors.

You read it . . . . . . you can't unread it.
~ Charles.

College Road Trip: The Interviews

2009-05-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

Alright, this is the continuation of the interview that appeared today in Boulevard Christian Church’s May Newsletter.

Becka, did visiting the colleges change any ideas you previously had about Bible Colleges? “Before the trip I had no idea what Bible Colleges were like, but now I know that they are a good experience and make your relationship with God, and other Christians, stronger.”

Josh, how about you? Did you have any preconceived notions about Bible Colleges? “I was so set on Milligan because it was the only school that I visited. Now that I have gone around I see that I have a lot more options and it will take some thought to really narrow down my decisions.”

Becka, What was the most fun part of the trip? “Making fun of Josh!!! Just kidding!
Learning more about Christian Colleges and the Arch . . . and geocashing!” While we were in St. Louis we went up in the Gateway Arch it was a pretty awesome experience. It was a long wait, but we all agreed that is was worth it. If you want to get more info about the Gateway Arch visit the website.

Geochaching is a really cool treasure hunt type thing, really the best way to explain it to you is to get you to try it, click here for more info.

Josh, what was the most fun part for you? Being made fun of? Just kidding, or am I? “Going from state to state, actually seeing all the sites, and a little of America.”

Becka, back to you. What was the most beneficial part of the trip? “Well, touring the colleges, sitting in on a class, and sleeping in the dorms to get a feel of what college is really like was very beneficial to me.”

Josh? “Figuring out the financial aids, and classes the colleges offered.”

Well, that is it for tonight.
How else can we get you to keep checking back on our blog?

~ Charles R.

College Road Trip: The Interviews

2009-05-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

On April 4, 2009 two teenagers from The Way, Josh Bueno and Becka Woodard, along with Nicole and myself left at about 6:15 in the morning for a road trip to see four different Christian colleges. It was a really good trip, but rather than me just give you a bunch of my thoughts about the trip, I thought we would interview Josh and Becka so that you could get a feel of what they thought about the trip. To start off it would be nice if everyone knew what you guys were thinking about going to college for. Josh is very interested in Youth Ministry and Becka is interested in studying worship. Well, why don’t you sum up what you felt about the food that you ate on the trip? “Delicious” was all that Becka could say. “Very good food, all you can eat which I loved!!” Well, let’s get to some stuff that actually tells you about the trip. I asked Becka if this trip may influence where she decides to go to school. She told me, “I now want to attend a Christian college whether I study worship or decide to later transfer for another degree., when before I was set on going to a Non-Christian college.” Josh said that the part of the trip that will stay with him the longest is when we spent the day in St. Louis and went up inside the Gateway Arch. I am pretty sure we would all agree that we will not be forgetting that experience for a long time. They both really liked the class we sat in on at Roanoke Bible College (Soon to be Mid-Atlantic Christian University [MACU]). I asked them both if they were to go to school right now, which school would they chose. Becka said that she is really torn between Central Christian College of the Bible (CCCB) in Moberly, MO and MACU in Elizabeth City, NC. They both had things that really attracted her to them. CCCB would be able to offer her some co-op programs with close-by schools in MO. Bt she really enjoyed the class we sat in on at MACU and the campus really caught her eye. Josh said if he were to choose right now he would chose MACU. He also loved the campus and the class. If you would like to here more about the college road trip you can check out posts from during the trip this interview will continue on the blog as well.

The Alligators Post

2009-04-14T20:59:00.001-07:00

So, I am at the Hilton in Harrisburg, PA attending a planning meeting for PCTC 2010. I am sitting in my room alone, nothing is on TV and I am thinking I should just be asleep because everything seems to be funny to me right now.
I was coming up to my room from the parking garage - by myself - hit the button for the elevator and. . . . I burst out with a loud laugh. By myself still mind you. Two maintenance people stopped what they were doing and starred for a second. I did not realize I had laughed out loud. And what was so funny? I am glad you asked. We just watched the movie "Bedtime Stories" last week and there is a scene were this guy has to translate what another guy is saying. The man (Adam Sandler) is talking about how kids love hotels because they do all kinds of cool stuff while they are there. In the midst of reasons kids love hotels the translator all of the sudden says, "Jumping up and down on the alligators". Everyone stares at him and Sandler repeats himself, and the translator says, "Oooohh, riding up and down on the elevators. I see now in this context alligators would fit."
I think this was so funny, but I am not sukre why. It was my favorite line from the movie and it is even making me laugh right now.

Ahh, well you read you cannot unread it!

~Charles.

The Look at Our Pictures Post

2009-04-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

I am pretty tird, so this will not be a very long post.

If you have been following our tip but have not been on facebook to see the pictures of the trip let me give you a link that will take you there:

Album #1:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009124&id=104300750&l=9f8bfc4359

Album #2:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009150&id=104300750&l=50e86731b4

Album #3:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009154&id=104300750&l=7ce69673d2

Album #4:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009164&id=104300750&l=8fab653aa9

We spent the whole day here in Elizabeth City. It has been a good packe day of fun. We sat in on a class, took a tour of the campus, got some financial info, and then went geocaching. It was a good day.

We are headed home tomorrow morning at 8:00, I am hoping for no traffic.

~ Charles.

CRT day 5

2009-04-09T14:18:00.000-07:00

Hola, and Aloha to all,

Earlier today we took a tour of KCU. It was a huge campus, and really beautiful.

We headed to North Carolina for Roanoke.

Nicole drove which was...interesting..fast..frightening!

Ha, no she was a great driver i just like messing with her.

So we are here in the dorm of Roanoke, and we take a tour, and sit in on a couple of classes tomorrow. Very excited to see the rest of Roanoke Bible College ( Soon to be MACU)

So Ladies, and Gentlemen please walk, do not run to your nearest exit.

And Ya'll come back now to see more blogs Ya hear!

~Joshua~

Bears Crossing Post

2009-04-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in the passenger?s seat and we are only a few minutes from Roanoke Bible College, so I thought I would write a little bit that way when we got to the school I could post it then.

Today was not a bad day. We woke up around 9:00 then I fell back asleep until like . . . . 9:45 ? our tour was at 10:00. We took a tour of KCU with another group who was visiting the campus. They were from Florida and they got there just after we got settled into the dorms last night. Good sized group. Sheree met us in the lobby of the dorm we stayed in and then gave all of us t-shirts and had the kids fill some stuff out. Then went over some of the admission information and took us for a tour of the school and showed us all of the buildings and such. It was nice and sunny but still a little cold. She thought it was so funny that we took pictures of Mr Bill everywhere. (I can get my camera to work some times, I think it is a lose connection or something).

After we left KCU we went to a China Buffet called "China House" they sold swords, purses and a bunch of other random stuff. There should be a good picture floating around of Mr Bill drinking from Becka's drink.

As we got to what we think is North Carolina we started seeing signs for Bear Crossing. That would be really cool - to see a bear. We have seen a lot of road kill, and I am very sad to say at least 3 dead coyote :( But it would be pretty sweet to see a bear! Well, I think it would

Hold on we are here, I will finish later.

2009-04-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

So, today we got some more info on St Louis Christian College. We found out the cost is almost identical to Central - which is cool. And they have some cool programs they work out with local schools if you need a degree outside of ministry. Which is also cool.

When we left the school we ate brunch at Cracker Barrel - ate so much we almost went into a food coma.

Then we went to the St Louis Arch - I loved it - Josh was terrified. I took lots of photos and really enjoied it, I hope to post them on facebook soon, but my camera broke today ($900 CAMERA JUST STOPPED WORKING = A NOT HAPPY CHARLES)

Then we drove 8 hours to Grayson, KY where we arrived at 10:00 but did not meet up with the people until 10:45. We got some ice Cream from wendy's then were just chilling. There is a group from Flordia here too. We will be touring with them in the morning.

Well, that is all for now, because it is cold and I am standing outside where I can get wireless.

You read it - - so you know you can't unread it!

~ Charles R.

PS we also bought a MR Bill today that we are caring around pretending it is Emily since she really wanted to be here with us.We have been taking pictures of him everywhere today until the camera stopped working.

Another Josh Bueno Post

2009-04-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Fellow Americans,

Here?s the jist on days two, three, and four.

DAY 2

It rained all day Sunday. I met some of Charles?s old friends, and his old church. I also saw his old office which he did not clean out when he left because it was still a huge mess. We went out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant it was delicious, but the service was slow. We got to Central Christian College pretty late.

DAY 3

We toured Central. It was a really great college. I enjoyed it a lot. The campus was beautiful, and our tour guides we?re really great. They took us out to, yet again, another Mexican restaurant. It was very good. We headed to St. Louis, on the way we made a pit stop to a Barnes & Noble to meet one of Charles?s old friends. He was a really cool guy, and while I was there I bought C.S. Lewis?s ?The Screwtape Letters? which I am very excited to start reading. We got to St. Louis Christian College pretty early. So we took the tour. Our tour guide was real neat, and the campus was cool to. It was very small, but pretty cool.

DAY 4

We left St. Louis, and headed to The Arc. It was really cool to b e able to ride up it, and see the whole town?but a bit scary considering I don?t like heights, but I liked it. Then we headed to Kentucky. We got to Kentucky Christian University pretty late, got to our rooms, and now here I am typing to you! Tomorrow we take the tour.

Tune in next time kids to hear of the exciting conclusion of -

THE COLLEGE ROAD TRIP.

Goodnight, and Good luck!

~Johua~

The Kool Beans Post

2009-04-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

We are in Florissant, MO - Just outside of St Louis, MO (this is St. Louis Christian College). Got here safe and it is cold. Let me give you a run down from the day:

~ Woke up about 9:00 (the girls were up earlier)

~ Took a tour of Central Christian College of the Bible at 10:00 with Aaron and Aaron. They gave us a lot of info about the school and they gave Becka and Josh free t-shirts! Free stuff is always cool. At about 11:00 we were done with the walking around campus and we met back together in a conference room to talk about what the school offers as far as programs and scholarships. They told us all about their co-op courses that they offer with some close by schools ? which is good to know if they want to go to school for things other than ministry. After the info part of the tour they took us to eat lunch at a Mexican restaurant.

~ The food was so good, I ordered a quesadilla and it was HUGE! I could only eat half.

Well, we left Central and went to Columbia, MO to meet up with my friend Joseph, and then sat in a coffee shop for a little while ? see the last post of randomness from there.

Then we left there and went to St. Louis Christian College, which is where we are now, and we got a really quick tour. Then ate dinner in their coffee shop since their caf was closed for Spring Break.

There are getting ready to close so I am going to go.

You read it........................................................You can't unread it!!!!

~ Charles.

The Barnes and Noble Post

2009-04-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

So, I am sorry that we did not blog last night. I tried to connect to the wireless and could not get online. Right now we are in a coffee shop in Columbia, MO and getting ready to leave for St Louis.

Yesterday was the longest day ever! We tried to leave Indy at 1:15 but did not get out until close to 2:00 after getting gas and picking up some stuff we realized we did not have. When we left it had just started raining. And it did not stop until we got to Moberly, MO. Some of the time on the road the rain was so hard we were moving like 25 mph. Long drive. The ETA was 6:30 but we did not get there till 9:45! And at that time the rain was just starting to freeze! This morning we have had on and off flurries. On our way to Moberly (Central Christian College) we stopped at Lincoln Christian College to get a break from the rain and slow traffic ? and drove around the campus just to get a quick look.

Today we toured CCCB at 10:00, so it was really nice to sleep in after yesterday. We ate at a Mexican restaurant yesterday in Indy for lunch and at a different one today for lunch in Moberly.

The tour went really well, and we had a good time seeing the campus. Yesterday was also good ? in the morning. We went to the church that I had done my internship at so it was cool to show off my kids to people I know and I got to show my kids my old office, which is now storage.

Well, I am having trouble making this a coherent thought, so I am going to go so that we can hit the road.

You read it - - - - - -- You cannot UNREAD IT!!!

~ Charles R.

The Becka Woodard Post

2009-04-04T21:50:00.000-07:00

Cool

Day 1

Hey guys, it's Becka!

So, today was the first day of the college road trip and I am ready to sleep! This morning I woke up at 5:30 AM. The earliest I am ever awake. We started out at Dunkin Donuts, then to the church. When we left TOMTOM took us a crazy way through the city.

After about twelve hours of driving I've decided that Josh is weird, but we all knew that. Also, people do crazy stuff to stay awake - don't ask.

One thing I will alsway remember is when we were in Ohio. There people people call soda: soda pop. It was pretty funny.

Well, that's all for now.

~~ becka

The Josh Bueno Post

2009-04-04T17:12:00.000-07:00

Hello True Believers,

So day one. Very tired. I would have blogged earlier but Becka was hogging the laptop.

We started off on a 12 hour drive...a 12 hour drive (singing to Gilligan's Island Theme)

We stopped at a truck stop that sold CD's and DVD's...that's weird for me. We ate a place call Puccini's Charles' and Nicole's favorite chow place as young adults (those were the good old days) Their pizza was very yum!

Now we are at Nicole's Aunt's house which is right on the water.

It is so pretty.
Becka taught me a card game called "Mouth" which confuses and infuriates me!!!!

But so far so good. Excited for the rest of the week.

Keep praying for us, and don't forget to P.U.S.H. ( Pray Until Something Happens)

Goodnight Neverland.

~Joshua~

2009 College Road Trip

2009-03-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

April 4, 2009

- Meet at Boulevard at 6:30 AM

- Drive 10 hours to Indianapolis

April 5, 2009

- Attend worship services at Castleton Christian Church

- Drive 7 hours to Central Christian College (with a pit stop at Lincoln Christian College)

April 6, 2009

- Tour Central Christian College

- Drive 2 1/2 hours to St. Louis Christian College

April 7, 2009

- Tour St. Louis Christian College

- Drive 7 hours to Kentucky Christian University

April 8, 2009

- Tour Kentucky Christian University

- Drive 8 1/2 hours to Roanoke Bible College

April 9, 2009

- Spend the day at Roanoke Bible College

April 10, 2009

- Drive 5 hours HOME!

A Curtain Torn

2009-03-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

"With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, 'Surely this man was the Son of God!'" Mark 15:37-39

So, tonight at Rock we talked about the cross. It is really important for us to know how much the cross means to us - not just the cross but the fact that Christ was sacrificed on a cross and because of that sacrifice, we can have a relationship with God! That is awesome. You see back in the old covenant people had to go to the temple and the priests had the face time with God on their behalf. To the extreme that when the priest went into the "Holy of Holies" they would have bells and rope tied to their legs so that if something happened they would be able to pulled out without anyone needing to go inside.

When Christ died on that cross the veil, curtain or whatever you want to call it tore from the top to the bottom - showing that God Himself tore it, not any man. This was awesome because it means that we have face time with God.

"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!" Matthew 7:9-11

God wants us to talk to Him and because of the cross He is there to hear us and give to us what we ask - within His will. When you hear your parents fighting and you do not know what to do so you hide in your room crying out to God - He hears you. When you are going back and forth between parent's houses and you feel unloved and you run to God - He hears you. When you are sitting at home thinking that your life is fine and you do not need any one, you should call out to Him - because he would be there for you. When you think everyone around you never see you for being the person you are and you call out to God to be noticed - He hears you, and you are loved. When you have run from God and have gotten so far that you think you can never come back - He would be there with open arms if you came back. When you think it is awkward to be around people who are sharing their feelings, but you yourself have things going on that you "cannot" share, you can run the God - He would listen, and would not make fun of you. When you have had a fight at school or your grades are not what they could be, and you go to Him for some help - He hears you.

He hears you because of the cross.

So, what are you waiting for? Run to Him.

You've read it, you can't unread it.

~ Charles.

Praise God

2009-03-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

That day David first committed to Asaph and his associates this psalm of thanks to the LORD :

8 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.

9 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.

10 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

11 Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.

23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth;
proclaim his salvation day after day.

24 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

25 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.

26 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.

27 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy in his dwelling place.

Kayleigh Lynn Zickafoose

2009-03-06T14:05:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, I was cleaning up a little in my office today, which you cannot really tell, but I came across a Bible that we bought for Kristen Zickafoose in like November or something. I had been planning on taking it to her house because we had not seen her around The Way and I could not get in touch with her on any of the phone numbers I had for her.

Well today I finally took it over there. Something told me it was time. I did not think they'd be home so I was planning on setting it on the door step with a note and then leaving. Well, as I got to the door Kristen opened the door and said, "Hello Stranger!"

Well, she let me come in and see her baby!!!!! Kayleigh Lynn is 9 lbs and some oz and was born a week ago. They had some complications at the birth, but she is in perfect health now that she has had time in the hospital to recover.

So, you've been asking about Kristen and her baby, I did not know because there phone numbers were disconnected, but now we know - and there you go. Here is a picture from my cell phone:

She is a cutie. Kristen said she will be brining her by the church some time in the next couple weeks to show her off a little bit. She is really thankful for all of the prayers from The Way. And please keep praying for them both as Kayleigh adjusts to life in this world and as Kristen adjusts to being a mom!

Well, you read it . . . . . . . hopefully you don't want to unread it!!!!!

~ Charles.

P.S. - does this make me a grandparent of sorts?

PCTC Day 3

2009-03-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is, 11:14 PM about 12 hours since we left the convention this morning. :(

I think a fun time was had by all. They seemed to have a great time and get a lot out of the workshops. This morning the Jr high session was about misconceptions people have about Heaven and how we get in. He talked about how when Christ cleans our soul, we are locked in. The good attitude - and such - are just a product of the soul being clean.

The Sr High session talked about. . . . wait, I cannot remember what they said was talked about (I went to the Jr High all weekend). Well, I know they got good stuff out of it, because I remember them talking about it and such, but I just cannot remember anything that they said about it and such.

We got out of the jr high session at about 10:15 giving us 45 minutes to get out of the hotel room, we ran back and beat the sr high there, only to realize we only had keys to one of the four rooms. So we could get in and get all packed up and such.

After the room service guy let us in to the rooms. We stacked all the bags and such in the hallway then got a cart to load it all up, by this time the Sr High session was over and the hotel was caos. So after one trip with the cart we ditched it and te elevators and ran everything down the stairs.

With all three cars packed up and the rooms checked and cleaned we hit the road, left onto Blackberry street and then 83 South for awhile.

We stoped at Wendy's for a break, lunch and such. Interestingly enough it was cheaper when we all ate at Burger King. However they messed up and gave us an extra frosty, which I suffered through, sharring some with Nicole. and a bunch of fries.

We got back to the church at about 1:15, prayed together and everyone went home and such. It was really a great weekend, and I was so glad to share it with my kids and such. Oh yeah, and I forgot that Dennsi almost got beat up for running his mouth off to the girls all the way home!!!!

Well that was the adventure for the last day. The theme for next's year's convention is "GO" I think The Way will be doing the video contest, because I think we could do a pretty good job and such, if I do say so myself.

Join us next time for more "Tales of Interest . . . . . . and Such"

You read it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . you can't un-read it!!!

~ Charles.

PCTC Day 2

2009-02-28T22:31:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been waiting to post this because I was trying to upload some phots from my phone and some video too, but my laptop does not have bluetooth and I already packed up "Mac".

It was an awesome day at the convention! We started the day at 9:00 AM. The Jr high had workshops first and the SR High had Main Session. The workshops we all different topics, but I think most of them went to one about "Ghosts and the Supernatural" and "Transformers". They seemed to really enjoy the information from these two workshops.

The main Session tackled some tough stuff about sex. I am pretty sure that they are all terrified now, not a bad thing!!!! The Sr high did their workshops in the afternoon and they all went to the Ghost one, one called "Mirror Mirror" and one called "Dough Boy". You'll have to ask them what these were about if you want some real details. Mirror Mirror was about the person you see in the mirror and the person you think God wants you to be. Dough Boy was about how Jesus (The Bread Man) fills all your wants and needs but the Dough Boy only fills the stomach.

I got the opportunity to teach a workshop about the movies that we as Christians decide to watch or not watch. My Jr high session was very dissapointing at first. 15 minutes after we were suposed to start I had no one in my room. I was about to go sit in on another session when people finally came, only 14 people, but still better than none! Sr high session I had people waiting outside for me to open the doors. When it was time to start I had counted about 100 people, but after we got going more people came in and sat on the floor and the total was about 135. It was really great to get to talk to these teens about something that is such a big part of my life.

We all had lunch and dinner together and we spent about an hour cramed in one of our four hotel rooms talking about the things we saw and heard all day. We had a really good time talking about all of the workshop and how God was speaking to them throughout the day. I am really seeing a couple of my kids coming out of their shells - it is so much fun to watch!

After we ate dinner we had about an hour to kill beofre our session so everyone had some free time to hang out. The Jr High session was a very impactful story about how God shows us unconditional love. He talked about how we may never fully understand how much God loves us, but He does.

The Sr High had speaker Dan Smith and he mentioned C.S.Lewis' Screwtape Letters. He talked about how when you are really close to God you become a prime target for the evil one. He also talked about how when a Christian is in the valley and is still able to pray and praise God he is a favored child of God and the their prayers are that much sweeter to His ear.

After the session we went to PCTC After Hours and saw Mad Dog and an Englishmen, and improv comedy duo, they were hilarious! And they even pulled Josh on stage for one of their sketches.

Well, it is about time for me to get some rest for the drive tomorrow. It has been amazing so far, and we're not done yet!!

Here are some pictures . . . and such:

You read it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . you can't unread it!!!!

~ Charles.

PCTC Day 1

2009-02-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

So, we are safe and sound in Harrisburg, PA. All 17 of us!! It is amazing to see what God has done at Boulevard in the past year. Last year we brought 5 teens to PCTC and this year . . . . . 7 Jr high and 6 Sr High! How great is our God?!?!?!?!?

In only the first night all 6 of our Jr Highers have made bold statements about how they want to stand firm in a fiath in Jesus Christ! Praise the Lord!

After a rocky start this afternoon of loading the vans up in the rain, running an hour behind scheduale, having one staff running such a high fever he could not come, and one of our female staff has something comparable to a sinus infection we made it here in good time. We made the day of a lady at Burger King by making a $90 order. I asked her if she got a special prize, but she said no - she just thought it was awesome.

Well, that's enough for now. just some up-to-date blogging for any of our teens who are home, and hopefully checking up the website.

You read it . . . . . . . you can't un-read it!!

~ Charles.

Toilet Ball and Sponge Bob

2009-02-04T22:24:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is, the third straight day of blogging. I never thought I would see the day when I would be actively involved in a blog.

Tonight at Jr High small group we play an active round of Toilet Bowl. The two teams tied; of course I guess it was a little rigged, since Aaron Devos and myself played hard on the losing team until the game was tied up.

During the lesson we had a Bible drill to find Isaiah 6. Kayla won a small Sponge Bob. Sponge Bob, I think he is stupid, but apparently people like him. He is a sponge. I give them credit, it is pretty creative to come up with a character based on a sponge that lives in a pineapple. Well, I’m not sure whether that counts as creative or incredibly insane. A pineapple!?!?!?!? And what is with the squirrel? Now there is the make of crazy. I think squirrels are funny. They have that twitchy tails and everything. They run around eating everything. The minister at BCC had his trashcans eaten by squirrels.

That’s all for now.

You read it. . . . You can’t unread it!!

~ Charles R.

On My Own

2009-02-03T22:31:00.000-08:00

So, I got the Barlow Girl self-titled CD for Christmas. Now it has been in The Way's CD library for awhile, but I don't think I paid any real attention to the lyrics when it has been playing on the stereo. Today, today was different. I put the CD in the stereo of the Tracker and was listening to it on my way to work. I want to share the words to the first song on that CD, “On My Own”

"I can't believe that I’m here in this place again
How did I manage to mess up one more time?
This pattern seems to be the story of my life
Should have learned this lesson by the thousandth time.

'Cause I promise myself I wouldn't fall
But here I've fallen
I guess I'm not as strong as I thought
All I can do is cry to You

Oh God You have to save me
You're my last and only hope
All my right answers fail me
I can't seem to make it on my own

I always thought that I would be strong enough
What made all of them fall couldn't take me down
Yeah, did I think that I was above it all
I have learned that pride comes before the fall

I can't promise that I won't fall
'Cause here I've fallen
I know I'm not as strong as I thought
All I can do is cry to You"

This song struck me hard today. I want you to hear it too. I finally hit the place where I was not alone. I fall and always feel I’m strong enough to make it through on my own. I’m not going to go on and on about the song, because I think it speaks for itself.

So, there you go.

You’ve read it . . . . . .. . . you can’t unread it.

~ Charles.

Super Toilet Bowl and the Super Bowl

2009-02-02T13:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, February 1, 2009, was the second competition The Way likes to call, "The Super Toilet Bowl.? Two teams of six players on each competed in this amazing game, a game that combines some of the characteristics of basketball, football, total randomness, and a bedside toilet bowl. Final score, Team: Kids in the Way 9 and team Toby Mac 7. One frustrating part of the game for the players was that every few minutes the teams were switched around, so no one really got to accept the win. Well, one player, Copper, says that she never was never taken off of the winning team, no one is sure if this can be verified or not. A good time was had by all. "This is a great game" said Aaron Devos, the opening quarterback of Kids in the Way. This was actually one time that I did not hear any complaining about the game that we were playing. This does not happen very often, all the teens getting along, playing one game together.

On the evening of February 1, 2009 there was Super Bowl XLIII the Arizona Cardinals versus the Pittsburg Steelers. What an awesome game! Full of ups and downs some great defense in the red zone from both teams. On the Cardinals side, they found a way to stop the Steelers every time they made it close to the end-zone. On Pittsburg?s side, they caught an interception and were able to run it back for a 100 yard interception touchdown. Wow! That was awesome. I was rooting for the Steelers all the way. Technically I had stock in either team since I am a big Colts fan. Arizona?s Edgerrin James used to be the running back for the Colts and Pittsburg?s Mike Tomlin used to coach with Tony Dungy down in Tampa Bay. So, I could have gone either way their, but I went for the Steelers, because I think friends should stick together, and one of my very best friends is a Steelers fan in Ravens country. There you go, I was yelling and shouting for the black and gold ? all the way baby!!!!! I was getting a little nervous there towards the end. 2:45 left on the clock and Arizona was on top. Steelers got down to the one yard line and I still was nervous because they had not done well in the red zone. Then they made it, they showed the clip of the catch about 30 times trying to see if he got both toes down in bounds. He did! Steelers over Cardinals, 27-23, wow, I was yelling and jumping all over the place ? my throat was toast! First thing I had to do? Call my friend! He was pretty excited. This was the Steelers? sixth Super Bowl win. Friends need to stick together, not matter what.

Favorite commercial of the evening you ask? There was this one for Doritos where the guy was with his friend telling him about his magic snow globe or whatever. Then he asked the snow globe if there would be free Doritos in the office today, then throws it at a vending machine, breaking the glass. Then they showed his friend asking the snow globe if he would get a promotion and he threw it and it hit his boss in the groin. Hilarious, but not a good example of friends sticking together he kind of let his friend down.

What is the point? Stick together. Be strong. Get out there and make friendships that will last a lifetime. We really need those friends. You really need friends. If you are part of the way and reading this, I hope you see that you have a group of friends with you several times a week at BCC. If you are not part of The Way, you should come and join that group of friends. We would love to have you.

Well, you read it . . .

. . . . . you can?t unread it!

~ Charles R.

2009: A Year for Worship

2009-01-01T13:54:00.000-08:00

We started out the evening looking for aliens - 90 of them to be exact. They were hidden all over the church and the person who found the most was given the "Silver Alien" award. The winner of The Way's first Silver Alien award was Emily Robertson. She found some crazy amount like 38-40 or something (even though she had some helpers). The idea behind this (and other) hide and seek games came from Matthew 13 where it says, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” We talked about how when it comes to worship we need to be obsessed with finding God. We had some discussions about what we all think of when we think of worship and what we think worship looks like. When thinking about worship (and other spiritual disciplines as well) it can be helpful to compare it to a house. You start off with a foundation which builds on our love for God, our desire to honor Him, the obsession of wanting to be with Him. Then you work on the structure of the house and this is sort of like the "why" we worship. We always need to be checking the why to make sure it is for the right reasons. Otherwise you could have some major problems. Like a house could have water damage, mold or termites if the structure is not kept in check. And as you grow in your faith the "why" you worship could grow and expand, just like adding additions to the structure of your house. The cosmetics of the house is like the "how" we worship. This can always be changing as we grow and change. We may try something for awhile and then not feel like it is affective anymore and try something else. The evening was great and included some Pew-Ball, Sardines, Movies, a ball drop at midnight (except the ball was a computer monitor, and the drop was off of the building), and all kinds of junk food. There was a lot of fun had by all and to go along with all of the fun we had some serious discussions about worship, a gag gift exchange where you had to use the gift you ended up with to describe worship, a prayer/quiet room, and about 25 minutes of intense worship through song.

~ Charles.

Random Thoughts for September 30th

2008-09-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

Fact: with 11 people the chairs in BCC's sanctuary can be stacked and moved to the sides in about 5-8 minutes.
Fact: it takes hours to get them back where they are supposed to be when the tape has been vacuumed up or moved.

I do not like getting ready to drink something, thinking it is one thing but it turns out to be something else. (Like when you sip what you think is water and it turns out to be some kind of flavored water. Or when you sip what you think is Coke but turns out to be Root Beer. Or when you order iced coffee at Dunkin Donuts with coconut flavor but when you drink it, it is raspberry flavored.)

I hate seeing pools get covered for the winter.

Rita's now sells pumpkin Italian ice - it is good.

I think it is time to clean my office.

I am tired of hearing about politics. I think the "politics" is a funny word.

I am almost 24 and for the first time in my life I found a video game that I am always wanting to play.

I want to go to the beach.

Well,
You read it - you can't unread it!

~ Charles.

Animals are Weird

2008-09-23T10:15:00.000-07:00

I talked about these animals at Rock the other night, some of them I skipped, but check this stuff out:
~ Largest Fish: The Whale Shark, it is not a whale but it is called that because of its size. This thing swims around with its mouth open so that it can eat plankton. Because of this, it makes it hard for him to see so he has these sensors on his body that tell him when the pressure in the water is changing so that he can avoid "running" into stuff. And this is the best part, if you were accidentally swallowed by one of these babies you would get vomited back up because this thing can turns its stomach inside out and dump everything back out its mouth. Like turning your pocket inside-out. That's crazy stuff right there.

~ Oldest Living Creature: The Madagascar radiated tortoise. One of these things has been recorded to have lived 188 years! They are only found in Madagascar, and they only grow up to like 35 pounds.

~ Biggest Freshwater Fish: In May 2005 these guys in Thailand caught a Giant Mekong Catfish that was 9 feet long and wieghed 646 pounds! This fish is 5 times bigger than the world record holder before him! I think Catfish are gross.

~ The Strongest Creature: The Rhinoceros Beetle can carry 850 times its own weight. A human body builder can only lift up to 17 times their own weight.

~ The Largest Land Carnivore: I love this one, not because it is bizarre, but because I think they are really cool. Polar Bears are the largest and one of the strongest, carnivores out there. Their hair is actually clear and they look white or yellowish because of the way the clear hair reflects the light. They even have paws that are huge and rounded to make walking on snow a little bit easier, like built-in snowshoes. Kodiak bear holds a close second place to the Polar Bear. I know this video is a little gross because of the blood, but check out the pure strength this guy has, it is crazy!

You read it. .............................You cannot unread it!
~ Charles.

Being an Example

2008-09-02T23:21:00.000-07:00

In 1st Timothy chapter four, Paul tells Timothy, who was his young protégé?, if you would, he?s going to succeed him in the ministry he is a young evangelist, he is going out preaching and teaching. Verse twelve tells Timothy, ?Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.?

I want you to know, that when it comes to being an example, age does not matter. Age does not matter! You can be a great example. I look you and I know this is true, because you are an example to me. Because you are not afraid to believe in God and live in a world that might reject God. And that?s tough within itself. There are few good examples out there in the world in which we live, so we all need to make sure that we are being good examples.

So, in this letter Paul is letting Timothy know that people around him that he will be serving, will have the tendency to look down on him and condescending towards him because he is young, and Paul tells him not to let anyone do this. In other words, ?Even though you are younger than most of the people around you, do not let that make you think that you cannot make a difference.? He wanted to tell Timothy this because he knew that he was going to have to work to gain the respect of people, because he did not the experience that age brings. See, in his culture, and most cultures, if you do not have age, then you didn?t have experience. You would have to earn the respect.

Do the best that you can no matter what it is because you yourself will be an example, people will recognize that, and people are attracted to that. That is what God is calling us all to be - examples.

In Speech: Be like David, he was an optimist, even in tough times he spoke with a good attitude.
~ 1st Samuel 17:45-46, "David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel."
~ 2nd Samuel 12:22, ?He answered, ?While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.'?

In Life: Be like Joshua, he was known for his stance in his life.
Joshua 24:14-15, ?Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

In Love: Be like Esther, her love for her people drove her to do what could have killed her.
Esther 4:16, "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."

In Faith: Be like Peter, he always took the initiative to do something for Jesus.
John 18:10, "Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear."
Matthew 14:25-28 ?During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ?It's a ghost,? they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: ?Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.? ?Lord, if it's you,? Peter replied, ?tell me to come to you on the water.??

In Purity: Be like Joseph, he lived his entire life in a state of purity.
"So he left in Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, 'Come to bed with me!' But he refused."

We are called to be examples, NO MATTER HOW OLD YOU ARE.

~ Charles.

Summer is Almost Over!!

2008-08-21T10:22:00.000-07:00

Well it is that time of year again, where you cannot go anywhere without seeing back to school supplies and be reminded that your freedom is almost to an end. No more pool parties (not that I was invited anyway), no more sleeping in, no more goofing off all day, just back to the grind of getting through another year of school. Look, I know your sad but let me re-cap some awesome things that happened this summer. I'll start in May, which I know is not "Summer," but deal with it OK?
~ May 2nd, Iron-Man came out! One of the best Marvel movies yet!
~ May 16th, Movie night at the church, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
~ May 17th, Prince Caspian!!!!! Where Josh even dressed up and brought a cute little sword.
~ May 19th-18th, I got a two day FREE retreat in North Carolina!!!
~ May 31st, VBS Training, where got to have some fun getting ready for VBS Power Lab
~ June 8th, Open House at Indian Lake

Officially Summer - June 20th

~ June 21st, Church yard sale, where we all got cool stuff and Josh bought . . . . the pants!
~ June 13th, The Incredible Hulk came out!
~ June 24th, WE HEADED TO CREATION MUSIC FESTIVAL! :)
~ June 29th, We came home from Creation Music Festival. :(
~ July 1st, I headed to Cincinnati, Ohio for the North American Christian Convention where Josh Bueno was going to be recognized as one of three Student Leader in Christian Service (he was not aloud to bring the pants).
~ July 2nd, The Bueno family headed to Cincinnati and Josh was recognized that evening and the next morning.
~ July 4th, FORTH OF JULY! (duh!)
~ July 9th, Ironbirds game and my 3 year anniversary.
~ July 14th-18th, VBS Power Lab! Where 64 kids were blessed throughout the week, and they raised over $700 for Indian Lake's Amphitheater
~ July 18th, Batman: The Dark Night came out! Oh man, was that good or what?
~ July 20th-26th, Two students who have shown the potential to be great leaders were choosen to go to The Big Picture Conference at Milligan College in Tennessee. Right near Bristol and I didn't even get to see a NASCAR race.
~ July 20th-26th, Was also the first Jr High week at Indian Lake, with Mike Russell as the Dean.
~ August 3rd-9th, Was the second Jr High week at Indian Lake, with Tony Libatore as the dean.
~ August 10th-16th, Was the second week of Sr High at Indian Lake, with me as the dean.
~ August 22nd, Will be a movie night at the church, Nim's Island
~ August 31st, This will be a Youth Sunday
~ September 1st, Labor Day, NO SCHOOL (even though you only started like the week before).
~ September 4th, This will be a Rock Party
~ September 7th, Will be the first night of Rock being on Sunday night instead of Thursday night.
~ Septmber 10th, Will be the first Jr High Small Group
~ September 11th, Will be the first Sr High Small Group
Officially Fall - September 22nd

Alright, beleive me when I say I understand you may not want school to start back up again, but look at that list from the summer. That doesn't even count other things you may have been doing. That's awesome. That's pretty busy right there, I know after this Summer I need a vacation and am taking a half a week next week to just relax with my family and my wife. We are going to Busch Gardens and Water Country USA, and are just going to relax and have fun.
While you are getting ready to go back to school take note of the wisest wise guy ever in the history of the world, Solomon. "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven" Sumer is the time to have lots of fun, sleep in do all kinds of crazy stuff, but when school starts it is time to get in there and learn the most you possibly can. Get the most out of your time in school because even though it may seem like it now, you will not be in school forever, and you may wish you had paid a little more attention to different things.
Enjoy this new season, and get the most out of.

~ Charles.

2008: A Year of Working Together

2008-01-09T23:07:00.000-08:00

If you are on this page you probably already know that the lock-in sort of had a theme of working together (although it was not well received). That will be a big theme for this year: working together.
On several occasions Paul writes to the early churches that they need to work on getting it together with each other. Paul writes that we are the body of Christ and a body is made up of many parts. The eye cannot turn to the leg and say, "Hey leg, we don't need you, take a hike!!" And the foot cannot say, "Hey you stupid tongue get outta here, we don't need your kind around here!!" We've got to figure a way to get it together with each other you know?
To loosely quote my favorite musician, Dave Matthews, "Because we can't figure things out if we just turn our backs on each other. You know?
You're and idiot!
No, you're an idiot!
No, you're an idiot!
No, you're an idiot!
No, you're an idiot!
And that crap goes on for a long, long time!"

Last year BCC took some big steps to reach out to the youth of Essex and was able to create a core group of teens (that's you). Well this year I want to take that core (you again) and I want to push you further and further into spiritual maturity. Part of that means that we really need to focus on this whole idea of working together. Because I have news for you, we are part of the church and the church's mission is to reach out to the unsaved. So if we cannot work together in doing that, than we will not be doing our part in fulfilling the work of the church.

~ Charles.