The Whitlers Dot Com!

All we need

2012-02-10T17:10:00.000-08:00

For the past several years, we (YWAM Modesto and some partnering agencies) have been picking up day old bread and pastries from a local grocery store. This has been a great resource for us as it has given us a touch point with which to meet people. This pick up has served recovery homes, a drop in center, a couple of community food pantries, multiple congregations, bread lines and our own little 9th Street Cafe.

Sometimes there's been little and sometimes there's been a lot but we've tried to be faithful to pick it up and not let this resource, that would otherwise be thrown away, go to waste. This has been a topic of some discussion for our team. Is taking food to people enabling poor choices? Are we just another bread line in the eyes of the people we serve and are trying to get to know? Do they know that we value friendship more than free food? Is the cost of picking it up worth what folks get out of it?

We have chosen to keep picking the bread up as it truly does bless the South 9th Street community. We have done our best to let people know that the Cafe we set up most Fridays is about more than the food. We seek to understand. We want to listen. We want friendship. And we want to bring things that will refresh, ease the hardship of life and be a source of comfort.

We've even made a popular game out of the "too hard for human consumption" bagels. Who doesn't like a good old fashioned game of bagel toss?

This past week, the option to pick this bread up came to an end and I must admit, I was nervous about how our Cafe friends would take the absence of free bread and pastries. I wondered if coffee and us would be enough. My fears were quite unfounded.

First of all, we had plenty of things to share today. I thought I'd help a little by making up a simple pot of hot oatmeal to serve with brown sugar and raisins from our pantry.

It doesn't look very appetizing there in the pot but let me tell you, it was good and people ate it up! A few friends donated some clothes for us to give out...

And other friends brought about 5 boxes of bread and homemade brownies and muffins to share!

As it turned out, no one missed a thing. I was reminded of a line from a song off the soundtrack to "The Prince of Egypt" that says, "When all you have is nothing, there's a lot to go around." Everyone brought something from home to share and there was more than enough for all. There were full bellies, happy conversations, prayers offered, needs met and friendship in abundance. And if the time comes when all that's in the van is us, that'll be enough too.

Songs from Kentucky

2012-02-03T16:56:00.000-08:00

Hi ho, Chris here on the road with my good friend Jimmy. We've been in Ohio and Kentucky, hanging with friends and family. It's been a trip of meetings, prayer, discussion and lots of laughter. Some of that laughter was had last night at an impromptu recording session with my sister, Christianne and my nieces, Ally and Grace. So, as we run out the door to sit with a Burmese family and sample some traditional treats, here's our music from last night. Thanks to Jimmy, our producer extraordinaire. By the way, you can download and/or subscribe to all audio for this blog and thefirebowl.net HERE. Enjoy!This is "I dreamed a dream"...my nieces covering the song from Les Miserables...

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And this is my song "Pillar of Fire" sung by me and my sister, Christianne...

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Love is the river - on Psalm 1

2012-01-02T09:58:00.000-08:00

I (Chris), for almost every year of my education, attended a Christian school. We were not super wealthy but my folks worked 4 jobs between them because they felt it important we go to a smaller Christian school. I am grateful for this. It has added to who I have become and there is not a day that goes by that I don't pull something up from the files of my time in Christian school that is helpful or, at the very least, funny to remember.

Like the film we made for the Fall fair fundraiser called "Fatman and Blobbin" about two overweight crime fighters trying to defeat the evil "Slimfast". I digress.

Also, Christian school is why you rarely see me in a tie...I wore one as part of my uniform and think that was quite enough. Ties nowadays are saved for funerals and weddings only and especially those I am officiating. I did wear a tie to my Mother's funeral because she told me she would haunt me if I did not.

At the beginning of the almost every school year, I was required to memorize the 1st Psalm. Because of this repetition, as I went to read it today, I realized that the new year has become for me like the first day of school. It's a resetting, a start over and Psalm 1 just seemed a proper way to begin the year. I also realized how deeply all those repeat memorizations have imprinted these words of warning, promise and instruction on my mind.

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor sits in the seat of mockers nor stands in the path of sinners.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in this law he meditates day and night.

And he will be like a tree, planted by the rivers of waters that brings forth fruit in season. His leaf also shall not wither and whatever he does will prosper."

I have always wondered how in the world you could meditate on scripture day and night. And as a kid, I really felt short of the mark in the "delight" area. Oh yes, I could read and memorize the Bible as a chore or assignment, but who actually delights in this stuff?

But as I was reading today, I realized how to delight in God's law. Jesus gave us the key.

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matt 22:37 - 40

This is a way to wrap our minds and hearts around meditating on God's law, even delighting in it. All we have to do is think about, ponder, plan and enact love for God and love for others in our day. To live our days and nights in love is to constantly meditate on God's law. I have only had small tastes of this but I know that this is a delight.

Picture in your mind a big tree on the banks of a river. It is serene, healthy, vital and active with life. There is quiet strength emanating from the roots up through the trunk and out to the branches and leaves. It is a place where birds and other creatures find shelter and sustenance. Do you want to be like that?

Then live a life of love. Love God, love others. This is God's delightful law.

Merry Christmas from the Whitlers!

2011-12-24T13:55:00.000-08:00

You can look at our short little Christmas greeting letter with some links to more holiday pics by GLONKING HERE!

Mystery Christmas by the Rap Stars!

2011-12-08T06:49:00.001-08:00

(repost from the Fire Bowl)As so many around the world have come to expect, Christmastime means a new offering from everybody's favorite seasonal rap group, the Rap Stars! They have generously agreed to let us post the newest piece here. You can download this song and the other Rap Stars holiday raps for free in a brand new Christmas 3-pac! Just GLONK HERE!

The Whitlers...in truck stop animal hats!

2011-12-01T17:34:00.001-08:00

I need a montage.

2011-11-08T06:57:00.000-08:00

I wish I could be in a montage. I really need one right now.

You know, when you’re backed up against the ropes, everything is a mess, there doesn’t seem to be a way out and all you have is a small group of friends and a crazy idea that will only work if you get the timing just right. But the only way to get from point A to point B is if that really encouraging music starts playing. I feel like it should start to play any minute now.

What encouraging music? You know..the montage music. As soon as it starts to play, me and my friends will kick it into high gear. Yep, we’ll work together to build stuff, we’ll exercise, someone will do some welding, we’ll have some minor set backs and maybe even a few laughs. But by the end of that awesome song, we’ll have it pretty much figured out. It only takes one song to lose weight, get in shape for the big fight, figure out the main problem or build that thing that’s going to (with a little luck) get the job done. Heck, with the right song, we might even could build a house!

I just need to figure out how to get it to play. In the meantime, I’ll just sit here. Geez, I hope that music starts soon. I could use a good montage about now.

Or maybe...

A PSALM OF LIFE by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

WHAT THE HEART OF THE YOUNG MAN SAID TO THE PSALMIST

Tell me not, in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers, And things are not what they seem.

Life is real ! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest, Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting, And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle, In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle! Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant! Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,— act in the living Present! Heart within, and God o'erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another, Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait.

Pumpkins, Dr. Who, the Little Mermaid and Big Foot!

2011-10-31T18:51:00.000-07:00

This year, we discovered pumpkin templates...they were a bit more work than we're used to but we got some great pumpkins out of them. This is Stella's "kitty bat".

Sam went for the free style design. It looks like the mouth but no, my friend, that is a moustache. The mouth is making an "o" underneath.

Back to the templates with Amie's "two spooks"

I free styled this design but it was inspired by a template of an alien.

And finally, Josh's "Hunger Games" logo...pretty sweet.

Happy Halloween from Dr. Who, The Little Mermaid and Big Foot!

Here's my song again about Amie's favorite holiday...enjoy!

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Sci Fi Country - a new song by Chris

2011-10-28T07:57:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks over at the Fire Bowl, we've been exploring stories and lessons learned from crossing cultures and this is our last entry on the subject. You can enjoy this original song by me right here by clicking on the player. If you would like to download the song, listen to more music or subscribe to future Fire Bowl and Whitler audio, just GLONK HERE.

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Fall Mini-Harvest!

2011-10-03T14:55:00.000-07:00

A cool thing about living in California is that we get 4 harvests in a year...new kinds of produce every season. This year, we decided to try a Fall time garden so we're growing lettuce, radishes, broccoli (which I've heard is impossible), onions and carrots (that take a really long time).

Our pastor spoke this past Sunday on seeds. "Seeds are like the unseen life of God." They sprout and grow to provide nutrition, beauty, fresh air. Some even grow to cast refreshing shade and provide a place of refuge for birds and other creatures. It's a mystery as to how the soil and water activate that seed and tell it to sprout but it does and it is good.

We had to thin out the lettuce a bit as we had gotten a little seed happy when we sowed them. But that didn't stop us from having a mini early harvest salad with the baby greens...

An Evening of Justice and Worship

2011-09-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

YWAM Modesto proudly presents "An Evening of Justice and Worship" from Steps of Justice, an educational, inspirational and practical initiative from Youth With A Mission. Come join us for a night of music and challenge with Phil and Amy Cunningham and Chris and Jenna Wilson. They will be with us on Tuesday night, October 18th at 7pm at New Hope Christian Fellowship, 300 Trask Ln. in Modesto. This night is open to all. A free-will offering will be taken to help support these families on the road with a most important message.

You can find out more about the tour, hear some music and read about Steps of Justice over at their website...CLICK HERE. If you have any questions, call Chris Whitler at 209-404-4027

Honey, I shrunk the Whitlers!

2011-09-19T11:45:00.000-07:00

Our life in a bag.

2011-09-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

If you know me (Chris) and are around me for any time, you probably know that I carry a purse. This has been the object of much humor at my expense but you know, purses come in handy. Even Jesus told his disciples to take their purse with them on the road. Mine is a reproduction of a WW2 map carrier's case. Very manly.

I thought I'd show you some of it's contents to let you in on what we're up to these days. So, here we go...

First up is my Youth With A Mission (YWAM) journal and daily planner where I try to keep track of meetings and activities. I have bought one of these little books for many years now from YWAM publishing and it is super helpful. This week, it tells me about meetings with our little YWAM team here in Modesto, prayer gatherings with pastors, friends and other Christian workers in the city and it helps me remember stuff I've promised to do...visit or call folks I'm building relationship with, find furniture for a struggling family and help someone obtain their birth certificate.

Next there is a little note book I keep with a list of helpful numbers in the back for people I may encounter. Numbers for the Modesto Gospel Mission, Salvation Army, a community housing service and Advancing Vibrant Communities, a great resource in our city for people with needs and one of the simplest and most beautiful ideas I've ever encountered. I often give these and some other numbers away to people I meet on the street who are looking for real help from the community.

And the other book there (the one covered in Mickey Mouse comics) is a journal for thoughts about scripture, life and the future. It is often the seed for blog posts like THIS ONE.

Next is a collection of stickers from my friends at Steps of Justice that I passed out today at our local Youth Pastor's Network meeting. I was letting them know about an event we're hosting on Tuesday, October 18 called "An Evening of Justice and Worship". It's at 7pm at New Hope Church in Modesto (300 Trask Ln.) This is a great night of music and stories to challenge us to take a next step toward justice for the poor and oppressed peoples of the world. Come and join us!

Next are some packets of seeds that I will be planting with Josh and Sam and our friend Bob in his back yard. We educate our children at home and this will be one of our projects this year. We are growing a salad...lettuce, carrots (which I am told take forever), radishes, onions and brocoli (which I am told will take a miracle.) We're headed out this afternoon to get our hands dirty!

And finally, this is a poem that was handed to me by my friend Patrick. We met him at our 9th Street Cafe that we host every Friday morning. It's a cafe we set up on the street as a way to build relationships with the people that live there. Through this time and getting reconnected at church, Patrick has rediscovered his faith and has been a wonderful addition to our cafe community. He is quick to sit and listen to others and offer kind words and comfort to the broken people that come for a cup of coffee and friendship. He is also very bright and quite fun to talk politics, religion and culture with. I have re-posted his beautiful poem describing life on 9th Street at the YWAM Modesto website HERE.

Of course, nothing in my purse tells you about Amie dancing at the Modesto Junior College and teaching Stella to read or about all the kids starting up Awana and our new season of youth group at New Hope church or about the Fire Bowl that is a new communal blog I am hosting and me traveling to Canada in October to teach in a Discipleship Training School in Winnipeg.

Thanks for reading and for prayers and support. Life, for all of us I'm sure, is a juggling act. Please pray that we can be faithful to all we're called to. How can we pray for you?

If you would like to support our work financially, send me an email and we can go through the several options there are to give. cwhitler@gmail.com

"Seek..His Kingdom and His Righteousness..."

2011-09-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

Matt 6

In Psalms, it says that our heart tells us to seek God's face. Jesus instructs us to seek God's Kingdom and righteousness. To search it out. Life is a quest to find God and His work wherever it is hiding.

This tells me that the Kingdom of God is not obvious. It is not necessarily with the loud ones on the street corners (proverbially speaking, of course). It's quietly tucked away and it's up to us to look for it.

It's out there right now hiding in unseen sacrifice. It's a mother who gives her children the only mattress on the floor. It's the faithful in prayer closets pouring out their heart. It's the gentle who take a friend's arm to go into the recovery meeting. It's a wildflower by the road that is overlooked and dressed better than King Solomon himself.

It is for us to look for it, to seek it out and live in it's radiance. And Jesus promises that God himself takes care of the rest of our lives.

Lead us, O God, to your Kingdom and the things you say are right - in lives and stories and homes and around tables and music and friendship and prayer and nature and laughter and sorrow and in a million other ways and things.

Help us see, help us hear, help us remember.

I got to hold Jesus once.

2011-08-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

During my School of Evangelism with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) in Texas, I found myself with a large group and we were on a missionary trip through the States. We were driving and had stopped in my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. My parents had met us at my church which was hosting us for the night. I remember walking with my friend out of the church building to our vehicle in the parking lot.

To our surprise, a small plane had landed in the lot and a great crowd had gathered around the stairway that had come down from the plane. There was quite a stir as whoever was inside was coming out. The crowd parted and this unknown VIP stepped into sight and looked straight at me. Immediately, I knew it was Jesus. He was dressed just like a normal guy, but his eyes revealed his true identity. He didn’t speak but held his arms out to me.

My heart rose with exhilaration and I took off running toward him. The crowd made even more room as I approached. I ran with all I had. I was getting ready to run into the arms of Jesus. That welcoming smile, those loving arms, the look on his face. I was almost there and my friend Mark woke me up. It was time for us to go to our early morning work duty to make pancakes for our missionary school.

My heart sank. I missed it. I missed a hug from Jesus in my dream to go make pancakes.

Every year I buy the YWAM prayer diary and daily planer. I seldom use it for it’s intended purpose, a reminder to pray for the nations, issues and peoples of the world. I more use it like a calendar. But today's prayer encouragement caught my eye and reminded me of a time when I really did hold Jesus.

The calendar entry says: “Pray for the children of Jamaica”

Before I joined YWAM, in 1989, I traveled with my church to Jamaica on one of my first ever mission trips. We did all the normal stuff...helped rebuild a church from hurricane devastation, ran VBS type programs in a poorer neighborhood, attended incredibly long, enthusiastic worship services at churches that make most North American expressions look pitiful and pasty and sad. And one day, we helped out at an orphanage.

When we arrived, the workers told us we were there for bath day. I think there were about 20 or so toddlers running around a good sized back yard. Here’s how bath day went. They gave all of us sponges and soap. The kids all got naked. Someone had a hose and let ‘er rip and we chased little naked kids around with soapy sponges. It’s one of the funnest ways you could ever hope to take a bath.

This orphanage took in handicapped kids too. I got asked to help bathe them as well. After all the hub bub, and there was quite a bit of it, we spent the rest of the day playing with the kids in the yard. Only, one of the handicapped kids couldn’t walk.
The workers called him “China-man”. He didn’t have a name. They called him that because of the shape of his eyes. He had come to the orphanage without an identity. He could not see, talk, walk or do anything by himself. I think he was about 4 or 5 years old. I was holding him after bath time and while the rest of the team ran and played, I needed to do something with China-man. I quickly found out that the one thing he could do was laugh. So, I sang “Can’t Touch This” and danced around with him while he laughed.

Then I sat down with him under a tree and we sang. He could only moan and dig his teeth into my shoulder but he held onto me for dear life and I sang and held him.

The down side to all such trips is that eventually, the time comes to leave. I had spent the afternoon with this boy and now it was time to go. I tried to put him down, but he wouldn’t have it. With a little help from the others, I got his arms from around my neck and we sat him down in the care of his workers.

Walking away, I told myself to not look back. I knew I should just go to the vehicles and not look back. I looked back. There he was, lying under a tree with his arms grasping at the air, looking for me.

If he is still alive, China-man is around 27 years old now. Today’s prayer suggestion made me think of him. I’m so thankful I got to meet him for just one sunny, hot afternoon. He helped me hold Jesus. I’ll never forget.

It's been over a year....

2011-08-26T17:36:00.001-07:00

Our taco blog, Thank God, it's Taco Trucks (or TGITT) has been on hiatus for quite a while...mainly due to the fact that one of our contributing reviewers has been out of the country for quite some time. But, I think I found a willing, temporary replacment...

Oh yeah...he's willing!

We're here to report that the lovely Tacos El Maguey is still up and running and delicious

Links, glorious links!

2011-08-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

You can find our recent family newsletter HERE

And you can find our new communal blog we've launched here...http://thefirebowl.net

Woo hoo! Let's hear it for links!

The Fire Bowl

2011-08-12T16:35:00.000-07:00

I happy to announce a new blog site that myself and a few friends are working on together. From the first post...

"As city mission workers, my wife and I were approached around 2003 by interested
supporters that wanted to help us buy a house. So we did what any one would do. We
put our stuff in storage, borrowed a fifth wheel trailer, parked it at our church, and lived in it for 6 months. Me, my wife and two sons lived in a fifth wheel on a church parking lot for 6 months.

Outside our fifth wheel sat the fire bowl..."

Please, go and read the rest at http://thefirebowl.net and add your thoughts and stories to the discussion.

The Whitlers LOVE Canada!

2011-08-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

We're taking a couple of days to rest and reset after our adventure to the great white north (it was great!). But for now, the Whitlers love Canada!

Letting God do the heavy lifting

2011-07-11T08:49:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was trying to change out my van seats. Our YWAM van has big, stupid, heavy seats. John, my friend who was visiting us, would not help me lift the seat. He told me he would get his teenage son to help get the seat in. I inwardly pshawed at John thinking it'd be quicker to just throw it in myself. I picked it up and felt electricity wrap around my back that left me helpless for the next two days. John is wise. I am dumb.

Have you ever been to Nepal? I haven’t. Word on the street is that if Bob Seger ever gets outta here, that’s where he’s going.

I knew a girl who went to Nepal once. She went by way of the classic Youth With A Mission story. A team was going on a missionary journey to Nepal and she knew she was supposed to go with them. She had no money, even up to the day they were leaving. In an act of faith that I would have for sure shrunk back from, she rode along with the team to the airport with bags packed. At the last minute, she got a call on the airport courtesy phone that someone had purchased her a ticket. She went to Nepal.

Nepal was the subject of my first time in a YWAM style prayer meeting. We call it ‘intercession’. I believe it was the first morning of my Discipleship Training School in 1990 and all the YWAMers in Tyler, Texas had gathered for prayer together. In these times, we began to practice a progression of prayer that followed a set of biblical principles to help lead us as a group.

Several hundred of us sat in smaller circles around a gymnasium and prayed together for God to help the nation of Nepal. Something magical happened. In that short hour, I began to feel God’s feelings for the people of Nepal. It’s like he gave me a tiny taste of his love for them. I began to cry. I was caught up in a swell of emotion that I didn’t know what to do with. Afterward, I even felt a little embarrassed. I don’t know if I had ever even thought about Nepal before and here I was, experiencing deep feeling for the people. It was a little intense for my first day.

We Christians can be smug sometimes when we talk about having a ‘burden’ from the Lord. We tout it like it’s such a cool thing to carry a heavy burden for “the lost” or “the poor”. We wear our service, our work, like a badge of honor. But Jesus says to learn from him. His burden is light. No need to brag about how much we carry. We can find rest in him for our souls.

I think prayer or intersession is the place we learn to let God do the heavy lifting. I may never go to Nepal, but God can let me in on his heart for the Nepalese in prayer. It’s not up to me to do great things. God does great things and sometimes he takes me along for the ride. We just have to keep close to his heart.

God is more committed to making the world a better place than you and I. And he uses us in the process if we let him. What is it like to have a heart that stretches around the world? How does God see all the injustices, hear the cry of the desperate and still have love and hope to carry us all? I don’t know. I don’t have to know. But I want to be close to a heart like that. We get there by prayer.

I don’t use a lot of words in prayer anymore unless I’m praying with others or if I’m writing. Simple liturgical prayers or silence are fine by me. It seems that God doesn’t really speak English. He speaks heart and can understand it no matter what language we use. I can go talk to a mountain all I want to, but to really understand it, it’s probably better to just lay down on it. To know the sea, you have to go sit next to it, walk along it and let the water wash your feet.

There are many other ways to pray. THIS ONE has been especially helpful to me.

If you’d like to read YWAM’s principles of intersession, you can find them HERE.

How have you experienced God’s heart in prayer? Did that ever lead you to an unexpected place doing unexpected things?

Good lesson. Bad story?

2011-07-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

My introduction to fiction written by Christians was sadly not “The Hobbit” or “The Chronicles of Narnia”. Neither of these really grabbed me as a child. My parents were not particularly readers, it’s not something I saw too much in the house. Maybe they were ‘behind closed doors’ readers or maybe I was oblivious but I do not remember reading as part of the culture of my family.

Books were though. My Dad was a collector of antiques and curiosities. And if that makes you think of my childhood home as looking a bit like a museum, then you’ve got the right picture. In our back family room, Dad had an entire wall made to be a book shelf. It was filled with hundreds of old, dusty volumes of poetry, history and I think four copies of the complete works of Shakespeare. Dad bought books for how they looked.

My Dad has a bit of the flair for the dramatic. In front of the book shelf was his half grand piano and a carved wooden writing desk complete with inkwell and quill. On the bottom row of the bookshelf were about 500 LP records.

In the 80’s, cable TV had not yet reached the channel capacity of today’s 5,348 and counting (remember the song “57 channels and nothing on”? That was supposed to be hyperbole! Ha!), so in the summer, if I did not want to watch a soap opera, my other option was to walk up to the library. We had a little local branch around the corner from us that was quaint and air conditioned. It was here that I learned to love reading.

I think I read every Encyclopedia Brown story at that library. I am happily rediscovering these kinds of stories by reading their source material in Sherlock Holmes. I would stay up late, scarred out of my mind reading books about UFO sightings and big foots (big feet?) and other unexplained phenomena.

The first “Christian” fiction I ever picked up was a book called “The Tower of Geburah”, a children’s fantasy novel by John White. I did not know at the time that this series was an homage to Lewis’ Narnia that Mr. White wrote at the request of his nephews and niece. Delightfully, he put them in their own adventure story and I was caught up in it too. I recently re-read the first book with my son and I enjoyed it again (probably my 4th reading or so) but it definitely doesn’t have the staying power of Narnia, which I found later in life.

Then, when I was a teenager looking around the Bible book store, there was a book on the bargain table that caught my eye. It was called “This Present Darkness” by Frank Peretti. It was on clearance. I picked it up strictly because of it’s cool name and cool cover. This book had not yet become the famous, landmark work for Peretti. I, or any one else it seems, had never heard of it. I bought it. I may be the first person ever to buy that book. I like to think that I discovered it.

Well, I opened it and like many, many others, could not put it down. It was fast, exciting and scary. It opened my imagination. I ate it up. About a year later, this book blew up and became a best-seller and it’s own culture in the American Christian scene. I haven’t read it since. I remember not liking the sequel as much but it was every bit as popular as the first. A friend of mine used to say, “In the 70’s, people knew you were a Christian if you were carrying around a large ‘Good News Bible’. In the 80’s, it’s a copy of Frank Peretti’s books”.

If you’ve never read it, it’s about a small town church congregation that is caught up in a high stakes spiritual battle of which they are mostly unaware. We see the story unfold in the physical world and in the spiritual as angels and demons fight to influence human lives.

After this book hit, Christians began discussing ‘spiritual warfare’. People started to see their life as a battle. ‘Warfare’ prayer and songs became quite common in Christian meetings. And there were reactions and warnings to not let fiction influence your theology. It was a big deal.

Recently, I was at the movies with a couple of friends and we were standing in front of a poster for the next Christian outreach film coming to one or so theaters within a hundred miles of you. This is a “message” movie. I know, because the poster tells me what the message is. I don’t even need to see this movie to know what I’m supposed to get out if it. This movie wants me to be a better Dad. I don’t know if this movie is good but it got us to talking about stories and why it seems that Christians have a hard time writing or telling good ones.

I think it’s because we start with the lesson and work our way backward. I don’t think Peretti started with the idea that he wanted to teach us all about spiritual warfare. I think he wanted to tell a good story. I think he liked scary stories and thought it’d be cool to write a scary story about angels and demons. It seems in a lot of Christian story telling, the story is secondary to the message.

You may be saying, “Of course we start with the lesson! We do it because Jesus did it. He told parables.” Yes he did. And I like parables. Parables are short. Most of them take about 2 minutes to read or hear. Some less. It’s a small message in story form told to open our eyes to (or hide...which is confusing I know but Jesus said it, not me) a spiritual truth. The people hearing the parables came to hear a message. Parables work fine in that context. I love it when preachers use parables instead of just lecturing. It’s way less boring.

A 90 minute or 300 page parable is boring. Why? Because you feel the sell. If you sense the ‘message’ early on, your mind puts up walls to it. Stories are supposed to ignite imagination and take us to another place. Stories help us recover something that gets stolen by the false world around us. Stories remind us of what’s true. But if you start backward from the ‘message’, it seems harder for the story to work it’s magic, not impossible perhaps, but harder.

Lewis, Tolkien, L’Engle, King, Grisham, Lawhead, Rowling and many others have all written distinctly ‘Christian’ and enormously popular stories. What makes them different than ‘Christian’ fiction or movies? Do you have a favorite book/movie? What makes a story work for you?

Gout, suffering and diarhea.

2011-07-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

On and off, for about the past 12 years or so, I have flair ups of gout. It’s a little embarrassing as gout is a disease people think of as something 18th century British waifs get as they sit begging on the side of a cobblestone road in a Dickens story for a few tuppence or an old apple as they cry out, “have mercy on me, I’ve got the gout, Gov’ner!” (cough, cough).

But gout is alive and kicking in 2011 and right now, it’s kicking me in my knee pretty hard. I couldn’t sleep last night. I’ve been up for a while. It’s a pain that hurts no matter what you do. There are small, spiky crystals that settle into your joints and hurt like, well...the dickens. The tendency to get gout is fueled by genes (my Dad got gout), systemic tendencies (especial kidney function), reaction to various foods (red meats, asparagus, cauliflower, shellfish, etc), being overweight and even ethnicity (pacific islanders have the highest rate of gout in the world. I’ve always wanted to visit Tonga.)

We get sick. Sickness seems to be a part of the deal no matter what your chosen life pursuit is. People in missions or “full time ministry” (not a fan of the term) don’t get a sickness pass. In fact, getting sick on a short term mission trip should be part of the promotional brochure. “Join our team for a 21 day trip to Finscuvina where you’ll share the love of Jesus with orphans, learn about another culture, grow in your relationship with God and get a mind blowing case of diarrhea. Yes, that’s right, you’ll get stomach cramps that are so bad, it’ll make you question your faith in a whole new way. Join us!”

In the Winter of 1991, on a 24 hour drive from Romania to Germany, I shivered in the 2nd bench of a VW microbus stuffed with way too many team members and our luggage. I had a fever, diarrhea and was the most uncomfortable I had ever been in my life. I remember running to a toilet on the hungarian border only to find the strangest looking contraption I had ever seem. There was no place to sit on an elongated type bowl that resembled a banana seat on a kids bike from the 70’s. It seemed you were supposed to straddle it. I had no strength so I just sat down on the thing. Sorry for the visual, but I was miserable. That would make a good line in a rap song like all the kids these days seem to enjoy.

We made it to Germany and were staying at a church in Augsburg. I quarantined myself in the church basement and writhed on the floor in an unparalleled agony for a couple of days. I had massive sores on my head, a scorching fever and could not eat. I was miserable. I slept on the whole plane ride home. Turns out, I had caught impetigo from the orphans we were working with in Romania. Some thanks, eh?

We get sick. I don’t know why. My friend is in agony in the hospital right now with a strange spinal issue that some of the best doctors in the country can’t figure out.

Dear friends, who last year went for broke and moved to Thailand to work with street kids had their whole world pulled out from underneath them (the mission they went to serve was not a relational or philosophical fit), then they got the joyful news of a new pregnancy that has laid the wife in bed with sickness for about 10 or so weeks now. They are confused and coming home to uncertainty, in need of all kinds of healing, housing and fresh direction from God who doesn’t seem to be making the way too clear at the moment.

Another friend who was in YWAM with us continues to suffer with undiagnosed pain that puts her out of commission more often than not.

We pray for healing. Sometimes things get better, sometimes they don’t. It’s hard to understand.

Looking back on that trip to Romania, I don’t really think too much about being sick. In fact, when I talk about that miserable road trip, I laugh about it, almost proud of my battle story like an old guy that shows his scars from the war. For that trip, I mostly remember the way Ana Maria, a little orphan who adopted my heart and how she loved me so deeply and purely. We were short term best friends and she taught me so much while we played games, fumbled through language barriers, shared snacks and sang “Miss Mary Mac” way too many times. She probably gave me impetigo. But the suffering is a funny afterthought now.

The bible says that Jesus, for the joy set before him, endured the cross, despising it’s shame. We are that joy. He was able to endure the cross because relationship with all of us was on the other side of it. The resurrection pushed the reset button on creation and set about redeeming human suffering and opened the way to know God and enjoy him forever. Jesus felt it was worth it.

I have wondered if Jesus looks back on the cross the way we look back on an incredible time of suffering that we have come through. If he sometimes laughs and talks about it in the way we would tell an old battle story. Does he talk about the proud scars of a risk taken that cost a lot in terms of pain but was totally worth it. “Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ “ John 20:27

I am not pretending to have answers for our suffering. While I’ve been writing my gout attack has begun to ease off as my nsaids kick in. My friends are still in pain. I do know that there is joy set before all of us and joy to be found right now. Jesus suffered and still suffers with us. He is not aloof from our pain. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.” Hebrews 4:15.

And one day, as Andrew Peterson wrote in his beautiful song paraphrasing C.S. Lewis, “We will look back on these tears as old tales.” Until then, we carry on, supporting one another in love, bearing one another’s burdens, rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep.

Please feel free to show off a battle scar in the comments section or share on what suffering has meant to you. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Super 8 and a Control Freak

2011-07-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

So far, I’ve seen "Super 8" two times. I’d like to see it again. This film has scratched an itch that I’ve had for a long time. It’s no secret that the director, J.J. Abrams (the newer Star Trek, Lost, Alias and...um...Felicity) wanted to make a Spielberg movie from the 80’s. Kids that get caught up in a something way bigger than they could imagine and winning the day with backpacks, bikes, overlapping dialogue and slightly foul mouths.

Do you remember that scene from “Ratatouille” where the food critic is whisked back to his mother’s kitchen and the comfort food she made for him? That’s how I feel watching this movie. Suddenly, I’m 13 year old Chris sitting alone in the theater and crying as E.T. is leaving Elliot, Gerty and Michael. From the soundtrack to the beautiful writing and fun adventure, it’s a place I haven’t been too in a while.

Part of the story is a movie within the movie. The kids are making a zombie movie to enter into a contest. As the credits roll, you get to watch the finished product entitled “The Case”. It’s awesome. And it made me realize how much of a control freak I am.

Let me explain. My sons (especially my oldest) love to make movies. And I have had some involvement in a few of them. I usually end up directing/controlling the ventures I am involved in because, well, I have a mature sense of what would be funny or interesting in scenes. I usually have a little moment when I realize that I’ve taken over the project but sometimes it’s too late.

In Super 8, Abrams (and Spielberg) are telling part of their story. They are letting us peak into what it was like when they were kids, running around with a Super 8 camera and dreams of cinematic glory, adventure stories, and scary wonder. These kids are free to make their movie even if it doesn’t come with a mature sensibility. It’s about kids making a movie kids would make.

This week, my boys had some friends staying with them and they all saw Super 8 together and then set to making their own movie. I stayed out of it. The way you get good at something is to just do it. To make an attempt at the level you’re at.

I have a friend in Canada that is determined to learn to sing songs, write poetry and play guitar. His attempts are not yet perfect but they are awesome. He is reaching, trying, stretching and growing. His poems are insightful, his songs are surprising and his outlook is fresh and creative. He is seemingly free from worry over what others think of him while he grows. I want to be like that.

I want to free others to feel like that.

I was at a concert festival in Texas listening to Phil Keaggy. This concert seemed to be running by a pretty strict time schedule and Phil’s set got cut short. He was gracious and respectful of the schedule but if Phil Keaggy is playing the guitar, you should just let him play till he’s done. A friend turned to me and said, “Man, sometimes you gotta stifle utility and let art flow!” We laughed so hard and that line became our mantra for creative freedom.

And here’s the boy’s movie as they wanted to make it. It's perfect.

Do not be afraid

2011-06-23T18:02:00.000-07:00

I’m chasing you and I don’t know why.
I want you to see
I want you to hear
I want you to know

I write, do, go, say, work, try
Partly because I am afraid
Of what you think
Afraid you think wrong of me

Fear begets fear
And there is no fear in love
I’m so sorry. I don’t love you
When I’m afraid of you

I hate the me that chases after you
I know he’s afraid
He’s running hard after the boys who are laughing
His side hurts and his heart breaks

Stop! Let them go
Into the woods and catch your breath
Sit by the tree
Feel a love greater than the boy’s

It’s just for you
It’s wide and vast
Settling like a cool mist
“you’re enough”

I can’t
I might
I’ll try
Let go

Psalms - Inspiration for Life

2011-06-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

Next week will be John Wason's 4th tour to the Modesto area. John is from YWAM Canada's Word To Life Theatre Arts, he performs large portions of memorized scripture presented with excellent story telling. (Check out last year's tour HERE)

If you're a Modesto local, come on out Tuesday night for a live performance of...

Psalms - Inspiration for Life
Tues night, June 21, 7pm
New Hope Church
300 Trask Ln
Modesto, CA

A free-will offering will be taken. There will be no child care services but kids of all ages are welcome.

John will also be performing at Shelter Cove's M2 Saturday morning men's bible study at 4242 Coffee Rd in Modesto, June 18 at 8:30am

An Evening of Justice and Worship

2011-06-09T07:50:00.001-07:00

This week, I've been in San Diego with friends here teaching for a YWAM Mission Adventure team. Last night was a special evening for prayer, thinking about justice and the heart of God and responding through singing and commitment. This was put on by Phil Cunningham and Chris Wilson who are a part of Steps of Justice, an initiative to inspire the church to begin to take steps toward those living in poverty with our hearts, our minds, our choices and actions.

This fall, the Cunninghams and the Wilsons are taking Justice and Worship on the road all up and down the west coast (and beyond) and I'm happy to announce they will be stopping in Modesto (more to come on that). This evening is interactive, challenging and very helpful to inspire the "next step".

If you'd like more info on the tour and how you can book a night at your church, you can check out their site at http://justiceandworship.com/

Whitler World Tour Stats

2011-06-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

32 Days
Over 8000 miles
23 States
2 nations
5 Whitlers
167,give or take, McDoubles (Just Josh)
2 times in a mechanic shop
9 concerts
6 national parks/monuments
11 cities
3 Man vs. Food restaurant locations (The Big Texan - Amarillo, Mothers - New Orleans and Matt's Bar - Minneapolis)
1 sprained ankle
1 10 year reunion comedy extravaganza
1 fox, 1 bear, 1 road runner, 2 armadillos, 6 buffalo, 2 guinea pigs and a chipmunk...oh, and a little baby rabbit.
2 sworn in junior park rangers
4 souvenir t-shirts (Joshua Tree, Preservation Hall, Duke the Duquesne Incline car, and Matt's Bar)
1 massive mall...like, with roller coasters and stuff
Approx. 100 Timbits
1 1/2 bags of sunflower seeds

And friendship, the one thing we wanted this trip to be about more than anything else, was to be found everywhere in ways that cannot be measured. We were supported, prayed for, sought out, loved, served, listened to, taken in and blessed in so many ways. Our hearts are full and we are rich beyond compare. Thank you friends for helping us go and meeting us along the way.

P.S. -

Our car served us well on this trip, becoming our slightly smelly home away from home. We ate, slept, laughed, watched movies, prayed, wondered and wandered in it. Our little Indy hat, the symbol of our adventure, held on till the last day when it was lost to strong winds in the Nevada mountains. We were sad to see it go but feel it appropriate that it leave us in such a noble way. Blowing out there on the road somewhere is the spirit of adventure, and we, the Whitlers, will go looking for it again.

You can see our last batch of pictures (from Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Utah) on our facebook album HERE.

The Whitlers and a hat rack

2011-05-29T21:17:00.001-07:00

Ontario, Michigan, Minnesota and beyond...

2011-05-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks,

Another quick note from our continuing journey down the road. We’ve now pointed ourselves West and are heading home. Unfortunately, some kind of glitch happened transferring some photos and we lost all our pictures of our time in Ontario in Canada. Well, all but this one....

Sam and Stella with some Guinea pigs. It’s ok though...most of the other ones were of us eating chicken wings. I’m sure you’ve seen enough of that.

Our time in Ontario was rich in friends and fun and music and stories. We were a part of Pitch and Praise, which is an annual youth camp/music festival. I (Chris) was the MC and a performer at the nightly “Acoustic Cafe” where we put together our old comedy troupe “Spidie-sense” for a 10 year reunion show. Here’s the little teaser video for the forthcoming series of short films from that performance (http://youtu.be/5oGh7H68HbU)

I also got to speak at the general session on Saturday morning, telling stories from our 20 years in YWAM to about 2000 youngins! Here’s a pic I harvested from twitter. That's me in the orange hoodie...

We also got to share at Stanley Park community church on Sunday morning. God has spoiled us with so many good friends. It has been nice to spend time remembering that.

Last Tuesday found us traveling back into the States and a surprise landing in St. Joseph, Michigan. My old and dear friend Paul took us in for a few nights and spoiled us rotten with great food and put us up at a lake house in the country.

We were able to share music and scripture at the midweek service at his church, the First Assembly of God in St. Joseph. And on Thursday, we drove to Minneapolis, stopping at Jesus People USA on the way for coffee and lunch with our friends Josh and Erica.

Now we are visiting family and anticipating our drive home. Oh yeah, we went to the largest mall in the country...so there’s that. Turns out, it’s a really big mall...

This is the point in our trip where we cease to have a for sure plan. I hear there are some big faces carved into a mountain a little ways west of here. So, we’ll see.

If you pray, please do so for our journey home. It’d be great if our car made it back and lasted for a while longer after we get there. We have wanted all along for this trip to be about relationships within our family and reconnecting with old friends. So far, this trip gets an “Exceeds Expectations” in all our books. We live grateful lives.

Kentucky And Pittsburgh!

2011-05-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

My Dad and his brother and sister, Aunt Mary Lou and Uncle Richard.

I didn't take too many pictures in Kentucky as it was a whirlwind of family fun with my sister and her kids and my Dad. I got to sing at my cousins church in central Kentucky and then we had some great food at my aunt's house. We also did a little concert for friends at my Sister's church. You can see photos from that HERE.

And we got to stop in beautiful Pittsburgh for a couple of nights hosted by former DTS student and fellow YWAM worker, Jenny. She showed us the city and arranged a house concert for us to share with her friends and family.

See a few pics at our facebook album HERE.

We're now in Canada and the whirlwind continues. We're having fun though and we'll post pics from our adventures here soon.

Texas and New Orleans...

2011-05-12T06:02:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks...the Whitlers are still on the road. In fact, a nice man we met the other day called us the "real Griswolds". He had no idea how high a compliment that was for Amie. Anyhoo, we've uploaded some more pics to our facebook account that I thought I'd mention here.

A little album from our time at Twin Oaks Ranch...the YWAM base where Amie and I met, HERE.

And the important highlights from New Orleans while guests of the wonderful hospitality of YWAM across the river in beautiful Algiers HERE.

We're off today to Kentucky and all points North for a few house concerts and the like, making our way to the big event...Pitch and Praise in Ontario, Canada.

Grand Canyon!

2011-05-07T16:40:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks...here's a few pics and pieces from our visit to the big 'ol Canyon.

We stayed at the beautiful property of Youth With A Mission, Tribal Winds...a YWAM training center and ministry with the Hopi people of New Mexico. Most of the staff were gone while we were there so we took advantage of the quiet.

The Whitlers at the Canyon...there is no way our tiny camera could get close to capturing it.

We did a Fossil walking tour with Ranger Wolfe...

This is an ancient sea shell...

Spongebob Fossil Pants...

Sam and Stella doing workbooks to become Junior Rangers...

For Sam's badge, he had to write a Haiku about the Grand Canyon. Here it is:

The canyon out there
Has the cutting river and
The forest so high

They made it...

And one last thing. Amie had a particularly odd wish. She wanted to see the Hotel where Clarke and Ellen Griswold (in National Lampoon's Vacation) stood and looked at the Grand Canyon for about 5 seconds because Clarke had stolen cash from the register. So, yeah, we...uh...went there...

And now we're on the road, after a little mechanical difficulty in Albuquerque (I knew we should'a taken that left turn!) and on our way to Texas. Week one done!

Joshua Tree!

2011-05-04T10:22:00.000-07:00

The first stop on our world tour is Joshua Tree national park where Uncle Dan (Amie's brother) works as a Ranger. We spent two great days together in the park. You can see more pictures in our facebook album by clicking HERE!

A quarterly report...but not too boring!

2011-04-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

The first bit of 2011 has been a bit of a whirlwind for the Whitlers and YWAM Modesto. I realized this past week that there are a few things I would have blogged about that I didn't. Here's a little scrap book of posts that I never got to...

Modesto Youth Reach Out in San Francisco

In January, YWAM Modesto and New Hope youth in partnership with YWAM San Francisco and Eastridge Church of the Nazarene spent an evening reaching out on the streets of the "Tenderloin" neighborhood of San Fran. Here, the YWAMers in the big city brief our team on life on the streets and ways that we can be a blessing to the marginalized in the city. We had a profound experience as well as a lot of fun together. If you're local and/or looking for a great location to take a mission team, pray about joining up with the YWAM team in San Francisco!

Tsartlip comes to Modesto!

Together with our friends at Global Youth Network and YWAM in Victoria, B.C., March brought us a team from the Tsartlip Native community on Vancouver Island. Our family (the Whitlers) visited this community in 2008 and we are planning to visit again (with our church youth group) this Summer. These guys came down to spend a week with us on their school break to learn leadership skills, the basics of reaching out to others, to interact with Native Americans and have a bit of fun in the process. This picture is during a BBQ for the struggling community on South 9th St. They did a great job.

This team also blessed the Whitlers greatly by helping us with a surprise, short notice move from our home of 4 years..our landlord was foreclosed on and lost his house :( They had all our stuff transferred to our new place (walking distance from our church!) in 5 hours! Thank you Tsartlip!

Steps of Justice

For the season of Lent, YWAM Modesto hosted a Steps of Justice group to go through the Steps 30 day Prayer and Action Guide. This is a great way to gain awareness, fuel intercession and take action around issues of global injustice. Our group of 12 or 13 dwindled down to a small group of 5 by the end of our study (I hear folks are pretty busy these days :), all who participated said this was a really good experience. It's a great way to carry with you the plight of the poor and let it help inform your choices, lead you to prayer and help you to give. Read more about my experience HERE.

YWAM Pismo Beach Discipleship Training School (DTS)

Now this one is truly pitiful. I did not even take one picture of a great team that came to be with us in the beginning of April...the Isaiah 61 DTS. 12 girls and the DTS staff joined us for a week of training and outreach on evangelism. This was an awesome team. They hit the streets with passion and purpose to love and pray for our city. It was a special privilege for me to set these folks loose in Modesto. They touched quite a few lives and are now reaching out in Israel and China! For more info in a DTS in Pismo Beach, go HERE.

New Hope Youth Car Wash

We wash cars waaaaaaay better than we spell, we promise. We spent the first of a few Saturdays washing cars at Yosemite Lanes here in Modesto to help raise money for our group to go to the Tsartlip community this Summer. Be on the look out for other fundraisers...more car washes to come as well as the classic bake sale and plain ole asking for donations. If you want to give toward this trip, let me (Chris) know! Email me at cwhitler@gmail.com

Blankets of Hope

We were able to link up recently with this great group of folks from a local church in Salida that have started a group to make and distribute blankets to the homeless. Deb brought 30 new, clean, handmade blankets out to our most recent 9th St. BBQ to give away. Everyone loved them and were so thankful for this meaningful gift.

Which leads us finally to...people from Fresno continuing to rock!

Like LAST YEAR and THE YEAR BEFORE, we hosted a team from Fresno First Baptist Church for Easter week. A couple of newbies (including the new youth pastor) and a couple of veterans joined us for a week of outreach in Modesto. This group spent the week praying, feeding, and helping all over the place.

A highlight for me was they day we had the high schoolers pray without us leaders and come up with the agenda for the day. What'd we do? Well, we bought 36 pairs of socks and 50 tacos and drove around handing them out to the homeless, that's what. Drive by Sockos. Then we spent the afternoon at the park with some kids that YWAM Modesto has been involved with for some time. A great day.

So that's a lot to cram into a little space but we did it! Our thanks to all the teams, churches and new friends we've been able to make in this first part of the year. And here's to more as we continue on in Spring and into the Summer...this week, the Whitlers head out on a month long North American tour to visit friends and share stories and songs with congregations and households and YWAM bases across the country. In June, we'll host John Wason from YWAM Canada's Word To Life Theatre Arts. In July, we'll have visitors from Stanley Park Church in Kitchener, Ontario. We'll also take our youth group to Tsartlip and I (Chris) am looking at visiting Thailand in August. All the while continuing to partner with our church and many other organizations to be a light in our city and neighborhood.

We need your prayers, support, friendship and encouragement now more than ever!

Living the Story #40, Lent 2011

2011-04-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

...looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; -- it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed.

And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you." John 16: 4 - 7

This will be my last post of the season. Encountering the gospel always surprises me. Even though I have read and re-read these stories many times, Jesus is never quite who I expect him to be. I suppose that's kind of his job.

Jesus breaks through, overturns, remakes, restores, creates and builds up. Only he can make an instrument of death into a symbol of hope. Only he can make a grave a place to laugh.

Happy Easter!

Living the Story #39, Good Friday, 2011

2011-04-22T06:58:00.000-07:00

"They shall look on him whom they have pierced." - John 19:37

Thorns on his head spear in his side
Yet it was a heartache that made him cry
He gave his life so you would understand
Is there any way you could say no to this man?

If Christ himself were standing here
Face full of glory and eyes full of tears
And he held out his arms and his nail printed hands
Is there any way you could say no to this man?

How could you look in his tear stained eyes
Knowing it's you he's thinking of
Could you tell him you're not ready to give him your life
Could you say you don't think you need his love

Jesus is here with his arms open wide
You can see him with your heart if you'll stop looking with your eyes
He's left it up to you, he's done all that he can
Is there any way you could say no to this man?

How could you look in his tear stained eyes
Knowing it's you he's thinking of
Could you tell him you're not ready to give him your life
Could you say you don't think you need his love

Thorns on his head your life in his hands
Is there any way you could say no to this man?

- Julie Miller

Living the Story #38, Lent 2011

2011-04-21T06:48:00.000-07:00

"...when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end." John 13:1

LISTEN HERE

Living the Story #36, Lent 2011

2011-04-19T06:42:00.000-07:00

"Will you lay down your life for me?" - Jesus (John 13:38)

Living the Story #35, Lent 2011

2011-04-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

"When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came, not only on account of Jesus but also to see Laz'arus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Laz'arus also to death, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus." John 12: 9 - 11

Because nothing will put you on the enemy's radar more than living free and like one who is back from the dead.

"...present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead..." Rom 6:13

"So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.

Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ."

Col 3: 1 - 4 (The Message)

Living the Story #34, Lent 2011

2011-04-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

"...the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council, and said, "What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on thus, every one will believe in him..." John 11: 47 & 48

It is Christ's nature to heal, fulfill, challenge, cleanse, instruct, bring hope, give perspective, sacrifice, love, bless, discipline and go all the way to real life. Let him go.

Release him from your fear, plans, structures, systems and false sense of control.

Let him go on and be who he is.

The road won't be easy but it will be the true way.

Living the Story #33, Lent 2011

2011-04-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

My small attempt to be like my good friend Aaron...

The adrenaline of having escaped worked it's way through his veins and he felt a flash of panic followed by a kind of anger. But anger that reveled itself through a swell of tears. They all had stones in their hand and it was rare but this time he had chosen to engage.

"If you don't believe me, at least believe what I'm doing. You can see it with your own eyes!"

But even the grace he witnessed coming from his own hands was not enough to satisfy the hungry, blind stones. They wanted blood.

As the angry crowd pushed toward him, everything slowed down. He didn't have the full picture in his mind of how it would all end but he did have the keen sense that it would not be today.

And then, he wasn't there. For all the crowd knew, he had slipped around the corner in the push of people headed to the market.

But he was by a river. Then, he recognized the place. Not a river, the river. He was standing at the familiar little crook. The water was quiet here. He was alone. Not alone but alone.

He sat down and drank in the calm. This was the very spot. And the voice, at once familiar and alien, called out in his thoughts again. "This is my son whom I love. I am so pleased with him!"

His anger melted to a kind of sadness which melted into a kind of peace which built up into a kind of energy. It was a resolve to keep trying.

He had recently had a good idea for a story about a father watching down the road for his son but he hadn't had the time to develop the details. As he sat there by the river, more of it came to him.

It wasn't long before some people recognized him sitting there. Soon the word spread and a little group had gathered around him. He tried his new story out on them. It seemed like this was going to be a good one.

(John 10:31-42)

Living the Story #32, Lent 2011

2011-04-14T06:16:00.000-07:00

"If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceeded and came forth from God; I came not of my own accord, but he sent me." John 8 : 42

Jesus is no stranger. He is no aloof god who is unfamiliar with our life. One of the beauties of the Christian story is the incarnation. Christ came to live with us as one of us in order to "be touched with the feeling of our weaknesses."

If you're following this blog everyday for Lent, you'll notice, I missed another day. I blame this on busy-ness but also a debilitating pain I am experiencing right now. Since I was about 25, I have, about twice or three times a year, a very painful flare up of gout, which is a type of arthritis affecting the joints in the feet, ankles and sometimes knees. This is affected somewhat by weight and genetics. It's a little embarrassing (I have to walk with a cane if I can walk at all), it gets tiresome to explain and it just plain hurts. Right now, it feels like a spike is sticking into the joint between my right big toe and the rest of my foot. The pain doesn't let up if you get off of your foot. It just hurts and when it's happening, managing the pain is all I can think about.

Today is the last day for a group study/experience that I am a part of called Steps of Justice. The 30 day guide asks us to put ourselves through a few days of discomfort in order to feel what some of the poor and suffering feel around the world related to several issues of injustice. We've gone a day without water, without the ability to purchase things, without food, without a shower and without shoes. All this to fuel our ability to pray for those who do not have these comforts.

From both the pain I am experiencing and the Steps of Justice exercises we've done, I know ever more clearly that our society and life is geared to reward the healthy and the wealthy. Poverty, lack and pain does so much more than limit your options, it steals your focus and ability to deal with the day. If you are in pain, if you are thirsty, if you are hungry, if you can't easily get around, get to the bathroom and have limited access, it drains your energy to deal with life the way that healthy people can.

Quite a few years ago, I read the book "City of Joy" by Dominique Lapierre. In it is described the life of a poor family in India. What struck me is the description of how difficult it was to get to a place to use a toilet or "take care of the body's needs" as the book so delicately puts it. Just this one thing steals quite a bit of the day. How easy it is for most of us to just walk into a nice, clean, available toilet. Just this one thing makes us rich beyond compare to most of the world.

Historically contributed to several sources is the saying "Be kind, everyone you know is facing a hard battle." It's so true.

Jesus came not just to deliver a message, he came to walk with us, to know us and feel what we feel. Every step Jesus took on earth was a step of justice. He cried tears of sadness, he knew pain like no other, he was weak and thirsty and hungry and lonely and grieving. He even knows what it feels like to have a spike through his foot.

Compassion for all our poverty, pain and weakness is what drove him to the cross. The joy of the kingdom come, the relief of suffering and destruction of evil through his love and the community of his family the church is what made him able to endure it.

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[f] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Heb 4: 14 - 16

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Cor 4: 16 - 18

"And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Heb 12:1 - 3

Living the Story #30, Lent 2011

2011-04-12T05:29:00.000-07:00

"When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him."

As he spoke thus, many believed in him.

John 8 : 28 - 30

Living the Story #29, Lent 2011

2011-04-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

Early in the morning (Jesus) came again to the temple; all the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them.

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?" This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him.

Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.

And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."

And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.

But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.

Jesus looked up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

She said, "No one, Lord."

And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again."

John 8 : 2 - 11

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You've got to admit, Jesus has style.

Living the Story #28, Lent 2011

2011-04-09T08:12:00.000-07:00

Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why did you not bring him?"

The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this man!"

John 7 : 44 - 46

Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking wrote a book in the late 80's called "A Brief History of Time". In it, he spells out some very complex ideas about the nature of the universe. It was meant to introduce physics, Einstein and quantum theory to the common folks. The problem was, it was too much for many to wrap their heads around.

So, partnering with Leonard Mlodinow, he wrote "A Briefer History of Time" to create a more accessible version. You know, with pictures and sci-fi references. That's the one I read. I still didn't get it all.

The second book contained all the intricacies and complexities of the first, but put in a way that we all could grasp...kinda.

There is a movement out there called "The Red Letter Christians". This is a group that identifies themselves mainly with living out the things Jesus said. Not discounting the rest of scripture, but realizing that Jesus' words are most important for us to major on.

This idea has fallen under some criticism as some are afraid that a majority of scripture is being ignored.

But Jesus? No one ever spoke like him. If the old testament is a "brief history of God", then Jesus' words and actions are the summation of all the intricacies and beauty of God's message to us.

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matt 22 :37 - 40

Living the Story #27, Lent 2011

2011-04-08T07:10:00.000-07:00

"...I have not come of my own accord..." John 7:28

When you take a Discipleship Training School (DTS) with Youth With A Mission, one of the major teaching requirements is a subject we call 'the Father Heart of God' and over the years, it's gotten so common that it sometimes seems like a throw away statement.

"Well, what do you learn in DTS?"

"Oh, you know, some basic things about missions and evangelism and like, you know, the father heart of God and..." You get the idea.

But God having a father's heart is more than just a week of teaching in YWAM or a nice thought. It is the very essence of the good news. Jesus came into the world on behalf of the Father.

I was raised in a church that subtly told me that God was angry and Jesus was the good guy that saved me from God's anger. That Jesus is the one that gets in the way of God's wrath and holds it back through his sacrifice. It was in reading John Dawson's article for the Last Days newsletter (read it HERE) that I first began to understand that this is a less than worthy understanding of God.

Jesus is the full expression of who God is...he did not come on his own, God, the Father sent him. He did what he saw the Father doing (healing, blessing, helping) and he said what he heard the Father saying (teaching, comforting, correcting). Jesus even said, if you've seen me, you've seen the Father. What's God like? He is like Jesus.

Living the Story #26, Lent 2011

2011-04-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

"You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me; yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life." John 5:39 - 40

I listened to a podcast sermon today. The teacher said something to the effect of, "If Christians start to really look at what Jesus said in the gospel about how he wants us to live, it could get dangerous."

Doesn't this line in verse 40 just make you want to run to Jesus? Let's go to him. Only he can give us life.

Living the Story #25, Lent 2011

2011-04-06T08:04:00.000-07:00

"...as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will." John 5: 21

"Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live." John 5: 25

Let's turn our backs on the culture of death today. Let's be quiet a while and listen to Jesus. Only he has the words of life. The hour has come. Hear him and live.

"Turn off the television
Turn off the radio
Listen to your own heart beating
Listen to the wind blow
Feel the sun on your face
Feel the tears in your eyes
And dare to believe that Jesus loves you"
-Randy Stonehill

Living the Story #24, Lent 2011

2011-04-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Beth-za'tha, which has five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed. One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years.

When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?"

The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me."

Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your pallet, and walk." And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked. Now that day was the sabbath.

So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet."

But he answered them, "The man who healed me said to me, `Take up your pallet, and walk.'"

They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, `Take up your pallet, and walk'?" Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.

Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you." The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did this on the sabbath.

John 5: 2 - 16

Love, love is the new Sabbath.

Josh sees a face too...

2011-04-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

Not only does Sam (Click for #1 and #2) see faces, so does Josh...

Living the Story #23, Lent 2011

2011-04-04T07:50:00.000-07:00

...at Caper'na-um there was an official whose son was ill. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.

Jesus therefore said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe."

The official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies."

Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live."

The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was living. So he asked them the hour when he began to mend, and they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."

The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live"; and he himself believed, and all his household.

John 4: 46 - 53

The different ways Jesus chooses to heal always surprises me. To some he says "be healed", for others he heals remotely, for others he spits and rubs mud on their face...you get the idea. You can't lock Jesus into a formula.

May it be said of us as it was said of this official..."The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way." To get a clear word from Jesus, act on it and marvel as he responds by doing things in our lives we never dreamed possible.

Living the Story #22, Lent 2011

2011-04-02T09:34:00.001-07:00

`God, be merciful to me a sinner!' Luke 18: 13

Orthodox believers teach this prayer (that is a variation of what we read in Jesus' story in Luke 18) as containing the whole gospel. It speaks of Christ and his position. He is the Son of God. He is Lord. He is Christ, the Messiah (or anointed/chosen one).

It speaks of our position before God. We are a people in need. We so easily lose our way. And the only hope we have is, with empty hands, receiving his mercy.

This prayer, "the Jesus Prayer" as the Orthodox mystics call it, is a nice little prayer to tuck into your heart.

You can READ HERE for more on the Jesus Prayer and it's variations. Also, I would suggest a great little book about this kind of praying called The Way of the Heart by Henri Nouwen. You can check it out HERE.

Living the Story #21, Lent 2011

2011-04-01T06:33:00.000-07:00

...one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?"

Jesus answered, "The first is, `Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that he is one, and there is no other but he; and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." - Mark 12: 28 - 34

We tend to think of Jesus' relationship with the religious scholars of his day as a bit less than amiable. There are accounts of Jesus calling these guys names and calling down woes and in the end, it was the religious establishment that plotted to kill Jesus.

But if Jesus loves all people, then he loves all people. His angry communication was not personal, he was trying to wake these guys up to the reality and beauty of the kingdom of God. And here we see Jesus and a scribe agreeing and Jesus' affirmation of the scribe's thoughts.

We can tend to look at religious establishment and organization today through the grid of "modern day Pharisee-ism". We feel that people involved in religious institutions just don't get it and have turned Christianity into a set of rules. It can become easy for evangelicals to speak arrogantly against people in mainline denominations, older churches or even bigger churches like they aren't free and don't have the "real christianity" and that they just don't get it.

And suddenly, we're Pharisees.

Jesus loves the poor and broken and the proud and the rich and the religious and the homeless and the sick and the intelligent and the professionals and students and the humble and the jerks and rulers and left and right wings and the moderates and soldiers and foreigners and everybody. He loves people.

He was willing to talk to anybody, have open debate, speak compassionately, argue, heal, turn over tables, share a meal, spend the day teaching and hang from a cross, all to show people the way to relationship with the Father.

It's hard to be like Jesus. But I think it's less about trying real hard and more about yielding in the moment to him and letting him live his life and love through us.

Living the Story #20, Lent 2011

2011-03-31T06:26:00.000-07:00

"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters." -Luke 11: 23

Let's be with Jesus. Even our best efforts and deeds, if they are not done with him, will have the opposite effect.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." -John 15:5

Living the Story #19, Lent 2011

2011-03-30T07:09:00.001-07:00

"Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them." Matt 5: 17

At our new place, my desk is now sitting in front of our bedroom window that faces east. There is a municipal golf course and park across the street. Right now, I can see a man tending one of the putting greens and the little rolling hills of the course that lead to a small line of trees and just beyond that, the rising sun. Pretty sweet, huh?

Right now, in this beautiful, serene scene, laws are being fulfilled. There is the law of gravity that helps us make sense of most of the universe. This law keeps our earth spinning around the sun and the golf course guy firmly in his tractor and me here in my seat to see it all.

And then there are the laws of thermodynamics. One of which states that energy can neither be created or destroyed, it can only change form. The sun, right now in space is burning white hot (it only looks yellow because of our atmosphere). The energy inside it is transferred into light which travels to me right now filling my room, warming my face and warming the earth to a habitable temperature.

Light follows it's own set of laws. And we could go on and on to explain the intricacies of what's happening just outside my window. But really, what's important to me about this scene is not finding how it all works, but resting in the wonderful fact that these laws are real and can be counted on as I observe them being fulfilled right in front of my eyes. It's fun to know the laws of how stuff works, but it's better to behold the beauty of them being fulfilled and give thanks.

Hung up on the intricacies of how the christian life works? Just look to Jesus. He is certain as the dawn.

If you're reading this on facebook, you can watch the video of Amie's dance posted with this entry at http://thewhitlers.com

Living the Story #18, Lent 2011

2011-03-29T06:41:00.000-07:00

Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?"

Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven."

"Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, `Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.'

And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, `Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, `Have patience with me, and I will pay you.'

He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place.

Then his lord summoned him and said to him, `You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt.

So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

Matthew 18: 21 - 35

Jesus' teachings are not complicated. They are beautifully simple. They are not easy, but they are simple. If we all took just this one story to heart, it would change the world.

Living the Story #17, Lent 2011

2011-03-28T21:52:00.000-07:00

"Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country." Luke 4:24

Sometimes, you gotta get away.

This week, I'm teaching a Discipleship Training School from Youth With A Mission in Pismo Beach (thus the reason for the lateness of my post today). They've come for a week of training and outreach here in Modesto. This kind of school is a great tool that God uses to draw young people to relationship with him and share with them who he's created them to be and what he's wired them to do.

Some of the students today shared that they needed to leave home (if even just for a time) and come to this school in order to understand things they have heard all their life at home or in church. To see more clearly, sometimes you have to look from a different vantage point.

Jesus had many followers but chose 12 to walk with him more intimately. And they walked. From town to town, through the country and in villages, these students of Christ learned on the road and through doing.

That's what we're doing this week, walking with Jesus and paying attention to the opportunities he sends our way and doing our best to respond in the way he leads.

Is there a routine I'm stuck in? Am I locked into a mindset? Have I boxed others into my perception of who they are?

Walking with Jesus will always lead us down strange and creative paths. Let's welcome him.

Living the Story #16, Lent 2011

2011-03-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

Luke 15

Living the Story #15, Lent 2011

2011-03-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

You may notice that I skipped a day. Let me just tell you that yesterday, nothing happened the way it was supposed to...well, almost nothing. It ended well but I was just not able to post. And then I thought I'd get all fancy and link yesterday's reading with today's reading but that doesn't really work. For a creative take on yesterday's reading, might I suggest this post...CLICK HERE.

Today's reading is the story of the angel coming to Mary and letting her know that she will miraculously conceive and bear Jesus into the world. Mary has questions but the angel reassures her. Her simple response of faith is a beautiful legacy to us.

"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."
- Luke 1:38

You are probably not a person of great influence. You are probably very limited by your circumstances and hang ups. You are probably insecure and worry about what others think of you. You probably fear the future. You probably worry over money and time.

Nevertheless, God wants to use you to bring Jesus to a dying world.

Let it be to us according to his word. Amen.

Living the Story #13, Lent 2011

2011-03-23T07:40:00.000-07:00

"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matt 20: 25 - 28

We are hosting a team this week from a native community in Canada. Mostly high school kids on Spring break and some community leaders with them as well as a couple of old friends from YWAM. We are having a great week.

For everyone to serve, of course, at some point, you have to let yourself be served. This team served me yesterday in a way that is humbling and beautiful. They helped me move.

A few weeks ago, my former landlord let us know that his house was in foreclosure. He is 71 and his wife is 68 and they just lost everything to the bad economy. They needed our house as they were losing theirs. And they needed it quick. Within a week we had found a suitable rental near the new location of our church and then we had just over a week to pack up the house. Then, the team came.

We didn't quite make it as far as packing but this team served us with happy attitudes and very hard work. They helped us pack up, clean up and unload at the new place, all in about 5 hours! It was refreshing to our hearts, helpful beyond my ability to define it, and a wonderful picture of grace to me. Sometimes, "thank you" just doesn't cut it.

Jesus came to serve. Can you let Jesus serve you through the grace of others? Jesus wants to serve you. Do you see that in the reading today? He came to serve. That means, we have to let him.

So often we rush ahead to "I have to be like Jesus and serve!" But first, you have to let grace wash over you. Let him serve you. Receive help. Be weak. Let him minister to you through prayer and the help of others. He longs to have you sit with him and for you to let him refresh your heart. Let go of your lists and sit with Jesus. Let him wash you and love you.

Then, after Christ has served you, how can you be like him for others today?

Living the Story #12, Lent 2011

2011-03-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

Then said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice." Matt 23: 1 - 3

I recently read a book that talked about about orthodoxy. That's a big word that just means "right belief." Orthodoxy is important. Believing rightly is a big deal.

There is a certain preacher out there under lots of fire these days from the "christian community" (two words that really are the opposite of what's happening these days as the hateful, prideful things being said in the name of Jesus and his community or "common unity" are hardly represented). People are upset at him as they perceive him straying from "right belief".

I won't comment on what I think of it all here. I haven't read the new book yet. But this book I read talked about orthodoxy as well as "orthopraxy" which is a word I think the author made up but he defined as "right practice." These two things are as important as one another. Our practice or actions confirm our beliefs.

If we're worried that someone has left orthodoxy and publicly and pridefully dismiss them through silly things like blogs and social media, then we have missed the point. The scripture tells us that if we're concerned about someone, we should go to them lovingly with a heart to restore.

And in the mean time, the people of Japan and Haiti and Burma and the streets of any city in any country all around the world really don't care right now whether a new book is theologically sound or not. They are waiting for us to do the right thing.

Living the Story #11, Lent 2011

2011-03-21T06:42:00.000-07:00

"Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back."
Luke 6:36 - 38

Living the Story #10, Lent 2011

2011-03-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

"After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, 'Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.' And he said to them, 'How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?'

And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them." - Luke 2:48 - 50

Losing track of a child is really scary. Mary and Joseph had been searching frantically for the boy Jesus for three days. When they found him, they were immediately relieved then it seems, immediately exasperated.

We think of Jesus' answer here as surrounded by angelic music, a small light shining down on his face. I think, as a parent, this answer would have sent me through the roof. But Mary and Joseph don't react. Relieved, they take the boy home "and his mother kept all these things in her heart."

Twelve long years ago, Mary and Joseph had been visited by angels and had been sure of their calling to birth and raise the Messiah into the world. They were willing to endure discomfort and difficulty for the sake of that call. But then that calling became keeping house, making money, paying bills, cooking and eating and observing routines.

How easy for us to forget the plot in our routines. I think Mary and Joseph don't get angry here because realization hits them in the face. "Oh, right. Angels, star, mission, Messiah, wise men...he's not just another boy. He's Jesus."

Later on, others who had walked with Jesus, seen miracles and heard him speak would be distraught for three days. In their grief and disappointment, they forgot their hope. They found Jesus too, right where he said he'd be.

You have seen miracles. You have been sure of a calling. You have been full of faith and willing to take risks and face difficulty for the sake of bringing some good into the world. What's happened? Have you lost your edge in routines? Have you forgotten where you come from and where you are going? In grief and disappointment, are you robbed of hope and joy?

Remember. Repent. Return.

Jesus is alive.

Living the Story #9, Lent 2011

2011-03-18T07:10:00.000-07:00

"...if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go, first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift." Matt 5: 23, 24

As important as giving, singing, prayer and attending meetings is friendship. In fact, relationship comes before all of them. Our giving, our sacrifice, our time, our talent, our activity has no authority or integrity unless we are right with one another.

It is not our working, organizations, statements or associations that shows the world we follow Jesus. It is our love for one another.

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Jn 13:35

Living the Story #8, Lent 2011

2011-03-17T07:32:00.000-07:00

"...whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets." - Matt 7:12

A group of us in Modesto are going through a 30 prayer and action guide this month called "Steps of Justice". This is a YWAM ministry dedicated to helping connect the church to issues of justice around the world concerning the poor, oppressed and disenfranchised.

It hit me in this morning's reading that this simple phrase from Jesus should be our definition of justice. Wrapped up in our needs and desires, we can find our calling in regard to others.

When I am in a time of crisis, I want people to rally around me and help. I want them to give generously when I have a need. I want to be heard and understood. I need times of refreshing. I want to be part of a community of friends. I want to feel like I'm contributing to something worthwhile. And there's a lot more.

Jesus' calling for how we should live is simple to find if we can pin point our basic human needs and good desires.

I can pray for the people of Japan and Haiti in their crisis and give a little extra at the grocery to the red cross. I can take extra time to listen to people and give them my eyes and seek to understand where they are coming from. I can give space and share the load with friends that just need a break from their routine. I can create opportunities for people in my life to contribute gifts, talents and resources to worthy causes. I can show compassion and understanding when others make a mistake that affect me negatively.

I could go on. How can you be more on purpose to live like this today?

Living the Story #7, Lent 2011

2011-03-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

"The men of Nin'eveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here." Luke 11:32

When I was a kid, I remember I somehow got my hands on a copy of "The Wittenburg Door" which was a Christian satire magazine. There was a comic in there that I looked for today but couldn't find. I'll just describe it...

Panel one: First century Christians are huddled together getting ready to face hungry lions in the colloseum and they are praying together something like, "Lord, give us strength to glorify your name through our death!"
Panel two: Cold War era Christians in the eastern block are hiding from soldiers and praying together as well for strength to face their oppressors.
Panel three: An American Christian sits in his car in the driveway with a concerned look on his face and he prays, "Lord, the Audi's been running a little rough lately..."

If you're reading this on facebook, you can see the video posted here at our website http://thewhiters.com

Living the Story #6, Lent 2011

2011-03-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

"And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:

Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors;
And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matt 6: 7 - 15

March's song of the month - Hosea 6

2011-03-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

I failed to post a song up in February and here we are in the middle of March. This is the most recent song I have written. Well, I wrote the tune, the ancient prophet Hosea wrote the words and they can be found in the beginning of chapter 6 of Hosea in the Old Testament. So much of Hosea's book is about returning...returning to God after long absence, returning to the relationships that matter most. This has been right where I am and I wrote this tune to go with this personal season of remembering and returning.

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Living the Story #5, Lent 2011

2011-03-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

Today's gospel story would be best told by Keith Green...

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Living the Story #4, Lent 2011

2011-03-12T06:45:00.000-08:00

And the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:30 - 32

For most of my life I've been really good at doing things to people and not so good at doing things with people. It seems the problem the Pharasees have with Jesus here is the "with". There is no recording of anybody having a problem when Jesus fed the crowds. It's when he ate with them that caused trouble.

One of Jesus' names is Emmanuel or "God with us".

Today, you will encounter all kinds of people...a cashier, your waiter, a neighbor, a homeless person, your kids, your spouse, a friend...heck, you may even go to H & R Block and meet a tax collector! How can you be more with the people you're with today?

Living the Story #3, Lent 2011

2011-03-11T07:42:00.000-08:00

"Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?" Matt 9:15

Last night, we hosted two families at our home for a wedding rehearsal dinner. This weekend, I will be the celebrant of my first ever wedding. Amie is the coordinator of the ceremony. Pulling off a wedding is a bit stressful but in the middle of it all, there are these celebrations...showers, dinners and parties.

Some of these folks in our home last night were meeting each other for the first time as the groom is from England and the bride from here in the valley. It was fun to host this meal and be able to witness these two families get to know one another. Together in some way for the rest of their lives because of the love between the bride and groom.

The scripture above is from a story in Matthew where John the Baptist's disciples are trying to figure out why Jesus' disciples are so happy all the time...eating and drinking and hanging out with friends. And this was Jesus' way of saying, "It won't always be this way, sad days are ahead but while we're here, while we're together, let's enjoy it."

For sure, sad days are ahead for our bride and groom. When you marry someone, you sign up to share each others joy, heartache, laughter and struggle. But you walk through it together.

The Bible tells us that Jesus endured the pain of the cross for the joy that was before him. That joy was for sure being reunited with the Father but not just that. The joy in front of Jesus that made him able to choose the cross was you and I. Reunited with the Father and bringing a whole family with him.

And hard days are still ahead but while we're here, while we have each other, let's enjoy it.

Living the Story #2, Lent 2011

2011-03-10T06:21:00.000-08:00

"If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23

Walking by Aaron Alford

The young man sat in the shade of a small tree. It was the heat of the day, on a day that felt as thirsty as the dogs that lay panting in the nooks and slivers of shadow. A sparrow lit upon a ledge, its tiny beak open, too tired to sing. Few people were busy about the small town. Three men sat under the awning of a shop’s front door, not speaking, keeping an indolent eye on the street.

A man walked wearily toward him, a lone figure in the empty avenue. He was a foreigner, a soldier. The three watchmen blankly followed him with their eyes, somehow giving the impression of both contempt and apathy. The young man could see the soldier’s face shining with perspiration. His shield was strapped to his back, and over his shoulder he carried a large tent pole. With it was a simple wooden cross frame, his bedroll tied across the top and from which dangled a large pack and sundries. A metal canteen and a small cooking pot clanked noisily with each step, echoing down the silent street.

Read the rest of the story HERE...

Living the Story #1, Ash Wednesday, 2011

2011-03-09T06:13:00.000-08:00

For the season of Lent, I'll be sharing some thoughts here from the daily liturgical gospel readings...

"Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

Matt 6:1 -4

Denise was driving home from a community meeting a little over a year ago. The meeting she had attended served food and the organizers offered here some of the left overs to take home. On the way, she saw several homeless men and women in a park and she quickly decided to pull over and offer them some of the food. It was Sunday.

The folks accepted the food with joy, telling Denise how hungry they were as there was no charity that brings food to the homeless on Sunday. Denise was a little taken aback. She decided that no one should go hungry on Sunday.

Denise works all night. Saturday morning she goes home, gets a little sleep, wakes up and starts cooking. She takes food from her kitchen out to the park every Saturday and Sunday.

She has no organization. She has no 501c3. She has no website. She has no funding. She shares her own food with the poor. Her little beat up van is stuffed with tables and chairs. She loves relentlessly and oozes joy. She trusts God to enable her and take care of her and the friends she has made. Everyone is welcome at her table.

And the community of the homeless and poor have responded. Some guys donate a portion of their recycling to Denise to help buy the food. Others who receive food stamps buy her meat at the grocery. Some put nickels and dimes into a small collection can at the end of the table.

Denise will never sound a trumpet for herself. But maybe it's ok if I do. If you want to know more, contact me and I'll let you know how you can support her mission.

But if you want to be like Denise, look around, see a need and quietly trust God to use you to meet it. Beautiful things will happen.

Global girls...

2011-03-01T08:05:00.000-08:00

This past week was our annual visit from Global Youth Network, a justice education and action organization in Canada. And continuing with a popular trend, they sent me a team with 9 ladies and no dudes (7 were vegetarians unlike last year :). This was my first time hosting a Global team on my own and without knowing any of the group that was coming to boot. This was a great team. It was a tiring week for all of us but so rewarding.

Some highlights...

Games - Global teams love to play games. It's just part of their DNA. I think it comes from being stuck in airports, train stations and other uncomfortable places for undetermined amounts of time. So we played a lot...at my house, with my kids, in our host church, with the youth group and our airport kids group. Leave Global alone for a few minutes and games will ensue.

Day out in the city - We usually send teams out for a little day scavenger hunt in downtown Modesto. The girls split in two groups and went about downtown talking to folks, making new friends among the homeless and learning about our community from them. One group took some new homeless friends on the tour through our historic McHenry mansion. They gave these guys the gift of dignity. It seemed like all had a great day being with the people on the street.

Partners and friends - I got to show off some of the great (and quiet) things happening in our city, taking them to meet friends at The Vine House, City Ministry Network, Advancing Vibrant Communities, Jeff in the Airport neighborhood and Denise who feeds (and loves!) people at Tower Park every Saturday and Sunday.

Day out in San Francisco - We usually take visiting teams for a little tourist day in the city. Josh went along this time to give me a little male companionship and we all had a great time seeing some history, some tourist spots, the golden gate bridge, the ocean and awesome Indian food.

Surprise (again!)- Every year with these teams, I sit in awe at the beauty of simple friendship and the magic that happens when we just take a little time to stop, notice people, listen to them and care about them. It changes our whole perspective. It changed me once again and I want to live that change more every day.

Thanks girls!

P.S. the late night run to the emergency room after an impromptu wrestling match was quite a hoot as well. Let's just say Global Youth Network has a funny way of deciding who's going to be the leader :)

I See A Face #2 by Sam Whitler

2011-02-02T07:45:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since Sam has seen a face. He saw one yesterday and thought it might be smoking. What do you think?

"T'was Quite The Night" - A story by Josh Whitler

2011-02-01T14:52:00.000-08:00

Sam walks up the stairs “good night” he yells, no one yells back.
He walks in to our room and sees Gary on his bed “oh ham it!” he says “MOM!!”

“What?” Mom yells back.

“Gary is on my bed” says Sam.

“Then move her.” says Mom.

“I can’t she’ll hurt me!” says Sam.

“Then deal with it” Mom answers back.

Sam’s looks at Gary, Gary looks back evily. “What do I do with you” says Sam. Gary lies back down. Sam lies on the other side of the bed. Gary starts to growl.

Sam finds himself on the floor with a cut on his face, Josh walks into the room and sees Sam on the floor and Gary on the bed. Josh walks over and throws Gary out the door.

Sam looks at him in amazement. “That’s all you had you to do.” says Josh.

The end

January's song of the month

2011-01-31T18:51:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are, under the gun, with only hours left to spare with this months song. Let it be noted that I made it. However, you may cry foul here soon enough.

I’ve been writing songs for many years. In fact, since I was about 17 (23 years!) when I wrote the classic “Love them Lord like you love me” - Oh boy. I was 17. And it was sweet. And awful. I have a lot of original songs. Some I like, some, not so much. Some were for a specific place or time. The problem has been knowing what to do with them. I’m not a professional musician although music is a part of what I do. I don’t tour or make records (but we just might coming up here pretty soon). That is a little bit of the inspiration for posting the song of the month here. To at least make these things I’ve created available.

If I had a “greatest hit” among the few people that have heard this music, it would be this month’s song. In fact, I am posting this song at this late hour for one specific person (Hi James!) who requested a downloadable version.

I wrote this song before I moved to Modesto. We were visiting here but still working with YWAM in Kitchener, Ontario in Canada. I started it while driving now familiar roads and noticing how many orchards were missing from previous visits to clear the way for new housing developments.

Little did I know the effect the quick money developments would have here in the wake of the housing boom that is now the housing fallout. So many have lost their homes and so many more will never have a chance to own one. This kind of hardship definitely trickles down to the poor. The state cuts funding, the donors give less, organizations and ministries hurt and offer fewer and fewer services.

Good thing our hope isn’t in money.

I didn’t know any of this stuff then. It was just a thought I had while driving through some devastated orchards and wondering if it wasn’t just a bit short-sighted to pave and build over some of the country’s most fertile soil for big, fast, house money. Which got me to thinking about how I neglect the most important relationship in my life for futile, empty pursuits.

This song is a repentance. And it’s probably good that my friends keep wanting me to sing this song as it’s the easiest thing to slip into.

In the distraction of culture and information, help us remember you, the one, true, magnificent God. Amen.

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A quote from South 9th St.

2011-01-24T10:08:00.000-08:00

The towel

2011-01-19T15:12:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged yet this year. And here we are, January 19. Wow.

After the whirlwind of the holidays, I made a trip back to Kentucky to help take care of some family business. No, I'm not in the mafia. My father, for quite a few years now, has suffered from an Alzheimer's type of dementia. He is quite weak physically and can speak very little. He has no ability to take care of himself. He is living with my sister and her five kids.

On the weekend, there was a guest speaker at my sister's church from Liberty University, Dr. David Wheeler (he's the 2nd one down). This man gave a great message. He talked about how we as a church have given in to indifference to the dying world around us and have acted entitled to a church experience that serves us and our needs. He gave a stirring reminder of Jesus' calling to serve rather than be served.

Jesus told his students that if they wanted to be great in God's kingdom, they would serve. At the last supper, Christ took a towel and did the work of a servant (diakonos - the lowest servant where we get the word 'deacon') and washed his friend's feet. Dr. Wheeler told us that past all our programs and planning and buildings and stuff, the greatest tool we have as Christians to reach out to the world is the towel.

I think we get the idea that Jesus took up the towel as an object lesson to his friends. That maybe he was self aware and he was really going to teach these guys a lesson. "Wow, this is going to blow their minds, I'm the savior of the world and I'm going to wash their feet!" But it wasn't this. Jesus simply wanted to serve his friends. He wanted to refresh them, help them feel clean and comfortable.

We can have the tendency to turn this into a removed symbol, putting air quotes around "washing feet". I remember the symbolic foot washings we had in our church as a kid. Everyone pre-washed their feet and made sure they had on clean socks. We can turn anything, even some of the most beautiful moments in the history of the universe, into lifeless ritual.

Everyday, at my sister's house, she literally takes up the towel and uses it to serve a vulnerable man. She helps him feel clean, comfortable and refreshed. She does this simply out of love. This is the ministry of Christ. If you want to be like Jesus, be like my sister.

Merry Christmas from South 9th Street!

2010-12-24T14:21:00.000-08:00

Soup...

Good friends...

And a few surprises!

Merry Christmas!

December's Song of the Month

2010-12-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

"Sweet Treats At Christmastime"

I wrote this song in December of 2008. This inspiration hit me as our YWAM team was preparing to go down to 9th Street. The first line in the song is directly from a prayer Jimmy prayed before we took off. He said something like "God, help us experience you in sweet treats at Christmastime together on the street." I wrote most of this song on the way to 9th St. in the van and the rest of it down there.

This is a snap shot of our work on 9th Street. We have some treats and coffee, we have some chairs, we have us. We go, we sit, we listen. Some of the people have changed but it's still what we do. As I look back, I am humbled and dumbfounded at the miracles our simple, little cafe on the street has experienced. It has all happened, with God's help, through the beauty of friendship.

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Top 10 indicators that Youth With A Mission, Modesto is way more female than it used to be:

2010-12-09T23:34:00.000-08:00

#10 - team members now wonder if I’ve noticed their new hair highlights

#9 - If you serve team members coffee, it’s best to have fancy creamers like “French Vanilla” available.

#8 - Coded language like “BF” and “BFF” is used way more frequently.

#7 - Team members are already planning a staff party to watch the royal wedding in April.

#6 - Everything kind of smells better.

#5 - There is much more giggling.

#4 - Amie actually shows up to meetings.

#3 - Conversation could be incredibly deep one minute and in an instant, “Jersey Shore”.

#2 - Public burping (among other functions) are at an all time low.

And the #1 indicator that Youth With A Mission, Modesto is way more female than it used to be...

We actually think through the details!

Fairy tales and the Soul of YWAM Modesto

2010-12-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

I was reading last night in "Blue Like Jazz" by Don Miller (I know, everybody read this 5 years ago) in his chapter on community. He says that he always assumed his life story was about him. I guess there's a way that we all kind of do this. We see ourselves as the star of our own little show. It's easy enough to live this way, our eyes are literally the eyes through which we see the world.

I woke up this morning thinking about stories. Have you noticed, in many imaginative stories (fairy tales, fantasies and the like), the plot boils down to a group of three? If you read literary critics much smarter than me, they would explain that a lot of imaginative stories work with what is know as the "soul tryptic", three characters that represent the soul...body, mind and heart (or spirit).

In the Harry Potter stories, Harry is the heart, Hermione is the mind and Ron is the body (always eating!). In The Lord of The Rings, Frodo is the heart, Sam is mind and Gollum is the body ("...to catch a fish so juicy SWEET!"). In Percy Jackson, Percy is the heart, Annabeth is the mind and Grover is definitely the body (always hungry!). Dorothy's quest is aided by three who are looking for a heart, a brain and physical courage. After being made aware of this, it's fun to look for. There's Trinity, Morpheus and Neo; Gayle, Peeta and Katniss; Luke, Leia and Han and Peter, James and John!

The "mind" and "body" in these kinds of stories exist to help the "heart" find it's goal or accomplish his or her task that usually involves saving the world from a great evil.

I have been a part of a beautiful working tryptic for the last few years in YWAM Modesto. People would refer to Jimmy, Aaron and I as "the guys" or "the YWAM guys" and they meant the three of us. Even though Amie, Kelly, all our kids and John and Rhiannon have all been with us to varying degrees, we three have been seen (for good or for ill) as the core of our work here.

And like any short sighted person may do, I have assumed for my self the role of "the heart" of this story I'm living. It's been easy to do. Of the three, we were here first. It's the only reason I was given the role of "director". I've been hailed as the leader, the pioneer.

If I'm the heart, then Jimmy is for sure the body. He has always pushed me to my physical limits. From learning how to build things to getting in better shape to actually pushing me up a mountain, Jimmy has been a great challenge and encouragement to me. And Aaron is most definitely the mind that has served me. He has helped me think a better way more times than I can count. He has handed me book after book and sat with me through many dark hours to help me see things more clearly.

But as the Sustars have left for Thailand and Aaron took off today for a Sabbatical year away in Canada and who knows where else and after I read what Don Miller wrote about assuming you were the star of your own show and after pondering this idea of the tryptic while in the shower today, I'm changing my mind.

What if Jimmy was the heart? His passion has pushed us to try things we would have never thought of. Jimmy has picked up the banner of love for the most vulnerable and run with it straight to Thailand. His and Kelly's obedience has been heartbreaking and beautiful to be a part of. If Jimmy is the heart then Aaron is his body. Aaron has been there to reassure, go along and serve, and be a true under-girding in regards to Thailand. Aaron has been Jimmy's traveling companion there and will be the one to show up way more than I will to support and encourage. That makes me the mind. Jimmy bounces things off of me. My role in his life has been to listen...sometimes to give advise but mostly to let Jimmy hear himself think and figure things out. Yep, Jimmy might be the heart.

Or maybe Aaron was the heart? The way he has supported struggling people has, in a way, been the soul of who we are together. His unrelenting hope for lives who many would say are hopeless and his willingness to fight for a better day has been the drive for much of what we have done together. If Aaron is the heart, then Jimmy has been the mind, faithfully cutting through fogginess and uncertainty to get to the heart of the matter for Aaron. And if Jimmy is the mind, I am surely the body for Aaron. I often ride along to help be eyes, to push us physically into a new spaces, I suggest places to eat and ways to be with people.

Looking at it this way, it seems we all carry a piece of a bigger heart and we can all serve that heart in others in a great variety of ways. Jesus is the heart, His Spirit gives us his mind and we are his body working his will in the world. We can all be these things for one another according to the natural gifts we carry and the specific grace God gives us for the circumstances we face.

And of course, you realize these things as you get far down the road and look back. Our little fellowship has made some wrong turns, we've not seen the whole picture, we have not been a perfect team. But that's not ever the point of any story. As long as the Heart is served by His friends, even through missteps and short sightedness, the world gets saved, evil is pushed back, sacrifices are made and light is shed in the darkness.

Amie and my kids and Aaron and Jimmy and Kelly and Dave and my Church and my friends and my extended family and supporters and countless others have faithfully served my heart, so much more than I deserve. I hope I have served them too. I can only pray for the grace to notice ways that I can be a physical presence, a listening ear, a comfort, a strong shoulder, offer a clearer perspective, a prayer of faith, encouragement and stubborn hope that a new day will come.

"But now faith, hope, love abide these three; but the greatest of these is love."

May our lives be marked not by great deeds and accomplishments, but by great love. Love for God, each other, and the broken world around us.

10 boys and Giving Thanks

2010-11-23T17:50:00.000-08:00

We've been doing a monthly event with the Club Awesome kids and this month was all about Thanksgiving. We gather the kids, play games and do special projects together. This month, after telling the story of Squanto, we made some makeshift Native American head pieces.

Then we watched the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Special...

...and ate a Snoopy style Thanksgiving dinner complete with toast, popcorn, jelly beans and pretzels!

Awesome having Alexa and Julie coming out to help lead...

And after some basketball,

We assumed the "thankful" position, which Aaron says is with your legs out, head back and hands behind your head...kinda looking up wistfully.

We gave thanks for food, Jesus, friends, popcorn, basketball, hot chocolate and our time together. A great day!

November's song of the month - Burning Bushes (Live)

2010-11-20T07:39:00.000-08:00

Well, here you go folks, it's November's song of the month. This is a new song I shared at my 40th birthday concert on November 4th at my church. This was a surprise party...I learned about it as it was announced at church 4 days before the event. It was great fun and one of the best birthday presents I have ever received.

I was thinking to post the whole concert but it's 45 minutes long and that would considerably affect the quality of audio I could post. If you want the whole thing, let me know and maybe I can get you one in the mail.

You can listen right here by clicking the player or if you're reading on facebook and/or want to download, subscribe to future posts or whatever, go to our podcast site - cwhitler.podbean.com

No explanation needed here...I tell the song's story right there in the track. Enjoy!

At a soup kitchen in Winnipeg.

2010-11-15T18:54:00.000-08:00

It was the second dusting of snow last week in Winnipeg. The YWAM Discipleship Training School students and I went to the soup kitchen to talk to folks and help out as best we could. Some of us cleaned up tables, some of us made coffee. The building was quite full. This was the only "game in town" as it was Remembrance Day. 300 plus people filed in to get a warm meal and a warm spot for a few minutes over lunch.

A volunteer and a "client" were talking. The volunteer was a middle aged man (a bigger man wearing plain but newer clothes) talking to the other who was homeless with that kind of classic homeless look. His beard and hair were overgrown, his clothes were a bit weathered.

The two spoke to one another for about 20 minutes and the last bit went something like this.

"I just want to encourage you that if God is calling you to something, you can do it and it's not a hardship. Obedience brings a blessing."

"Yeah, I know. It's hard for me to trust God with all of it."

"Just yield to him and he'll meet you in your obedience."

"Thanks, I kinda needed to hear that today."

"I'll pray for you. God has good things in store for you. You have something special bubbling up from you...like a contagious joy. God's going to use you, I know it."

"Thank you"

"Can I just pray for you right now?"

"Uh, sure, I can use all I can get!"

And I let this homeless brother pray over me one of the simplest, most beautiful blessings I have ever received. Roy blessed me in Jesus name, recommended some good books to me and encouraged me with a timely word. What do you do with that? Say thanks. I want to be like Roy.

Chiara House

2010-11-09T15:04:00.001-08:00

I (Chris) am in Winnipeg this week teaching on evangelism at YWAM's Justice Discipleship Training School. This team is attempting some ground breaking stuff. Not only are they a part of our international mission, they are an intentional community in a needy part of the city. Not just that but they have also partnered with a regional Mennonite denomination to plant and facilitate a church here in their neighborhood called Little Flowers Community. And now, not only that but they are attempting, as a small determined congregation (with lots of partnership from other churches), to open a community building to provide affordable housing and supportive connection in their neighborhood.

This is Chiara House (you can read more about it HERE). Like "Little Flowers" which is a reference to St. Francis and the community that formed around God's work in his life, "Chiara" is the Italian form of "Claire" who was an intricate part of Francis' story. It also happens to mean "clear" or "bright".

I got to walk through it's nine apartments today with Jamie and the others on the board and listen in on the dream for this place. I got the feeling like I was peeking in on a great story in the works. Speaking of work...

...it needs a little. But I think these guys, with a few miracles (the ordinary and extra-ordinary kind), are up to it. Pray for Jamie and Kim, the little congregation here and all the pieces that have to come together to make Chiara House a reality. Here's a little video. And if you're reading this on facebook, go here to watch...http://chiarahouse.ca/about/

Chiara House from Camps with Meaning on Vimeo.

Finally, some youth in Youth With A Mission Modesto!

2010-11-06T09:43:00.001-07:00

Enjoying some lunch after a great day on South 9th Street : )

Rushin' Horror

2010-10-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

A four minute film by Chris and Josh. If you're reading on face book, you can watch the movie HERE.

Rushin' Horror from Chris Whitler on Vimeo.

My Haunted House

2010-10-29T07:02:00.000-07:00

This is a slightly revised re-post of a submission I made over at the Hog's Head (dot org) this week.

The house where I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky felt Gothic. Friends would be amazed when they finally came over for the first time. My Dad collected antiques and was a bit of an eccentric. We had a fountain in the dining room. One of the walls had golden velvet wallpaper. There was an old chair that had rope across the arms to let people know that it was just for looks. You know, like a museum. Our bathtub had brass claws.

Going back there now it seems so small and normal. My Dad doesn’t live there anymore and the house has been sold to a pretty regular family. The walls are now beige.

The house is old and southern. It looks a bit like the one in “The Amityville Horror”. It has a face. The stairs creaked. When I was a kid, the shadows lengthened on the dark walls from candles in large black stands that used to adorn the altar of an old church. Dad would put on a robe at night and go lighting candles while chanting monks sang from the record player. Faces from antiquity peered down at you from oil paintings: Moses, the lawgiver, Jesus on the cross, Mary being assumed to heaven surrounded by cherubs.

The backyard was long and overgrown back to an alleyway. A grape arbor covered the sidewalk past a large statue (who I now think must have been Artemis the Huntress) in an unkempt garden. The leaves of the Magnolia tree clicked in Autumn wind. It was my job to take the garbage out. I remember being so scarred of that statue as I carried the trash out late at night. I imagined her turning her head toward me ala Ray Harryhousen and chasing me. I would run back to the house in a panic, all but feeling her breath on my neck.

For a while, my bedroom was in the basement. Half storage for Dad’s old stuff, half my room. Statues and old things sat cockeyed in boxes just beyond a curtain. Shadows played in that place and when the gas furnace turned on it roared and had a fiery face that lit up with blue flame. This was a scary place to be a kid.

We watched “Psycho” once as a family downstairs and halfway through the film, Dad disappeared for awhile. The electrical set up of this house was still very old and my sister’s room had a peculiarity about it. When you flipped the switch on, the light would flicker for a bit until it was all the way on. Dad reappeared for the end of the movie and kinda smiled as he wished us goodnight.

We heard a scream a few minutes later as my sister flicked her peculiar switch and found an old mannequin with a shawl and a wig in a rocking chair sitting with it’s back toward her in the flickering light.

Dad told us that when he and Mom were first moving in they were cleaning and getting the place ready. He remembered cleaning on hands and knees on the front porch and feeling a presence watching him. Out of his peripheral vision, he could see the shape of a woman looking down on him from the dining room window above. He thought my Mom was trying to creep him out for a joke so he didn’t give her the satisfaction of looking right at her or reacting. Minutes later, my Mom pulled up in her car. She hadn’t been home.

He told us that he never saw the woman again and was sure that this apparition meant us no harm. My Dad loved a good, scary story and a good practical joke. His antics and eccentricity is there in me now with my kids. Ghost or no, there was definitely a Spirit that haunted our house that made my childhood home a great place to remember.

Happy Halloween!

Canalien Invasion or What We Did With The Canadians

2010-10-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

October is our time to have our friends down from Stanley Park church in Kitchener, Ontario in Canada. Here's a few pics in no certain order...

We went to the taco trucks

We made some food

We served it to some kids

We played with some kids

We made some chili

We ate it with our friends on S 9th St.

We went to the taco BUS.

We saw some big trees.

We happened upon a dead whale.

Really...that's a dead blue whale...85 ft. long!

We went to church.

We had coffee with friends on 9th Street.

We went to a Bigfoot museum.

Yes, a big foot museum.

We went to Knights Ferry.

We made pancakes.

We even made very special pancakes.

We ate them with friends on South 9th Street.

A great week with good friends.

"He descended into hell"

2010-10-26T16:41:00.001-07:00

We've been going through the Apostle's Creed line by line with our youth group and this line's lot fell to me (oh happy day). If you are unfamiliar with the Apostle's Creed, it's one of the oldest in Christendom (so old we don't know who wrote it) and has been for our non-denominational church, the bible affirming creed we look to for our understanding of Christian belief. It says...

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead;

He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.

Amen.

Here are my notes and a little song I shared with the kids last week...

“He descended into Hell”

What goes up must come...? God’s kingdom is always backwards.

In our experience, it’s first come, first served.
In God’s Kingdom, the last will be first and the first will be last

The world, if you want to be the greatest, you fight and claw your way to the top (reality tv, survivor, the apprentice)
God’s Kingdom, the greatest among you will be the servant of all

In our world, to have it all, you have to take it while you can.
In God’s kingdom, to find life, you have to lose it

In our reality, when you die, you’re dead and you’re buried or cremated
In God’s Kingdom, when you die, you live. To go up, you gotta go down.

Jesus hinted at his future journey into hell when he taught his followers that he would give them the sign of Jonah. What is the story of Jonah?

Jonah jumped into the sea in order to follow God and save his fellow sailors. And the Bible says that God caused a great fish to swallow Jonah and he was in the fish’s belly for 3 days and nights.

Jesus went to the cross, not because of his disobedience but because of ours. He jumped into the sea for us. And he spent 3 days and nights physically in the grave and the Bible teaches that during that 3 days, he journeyed to hell itself and preached to all who were captive there.

There are hints of it all through the old testament but explicitly in 1 Peter...

1 Peter 3:18 - 20

For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago

1 Peter 4:1- 6

1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles--when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 4 In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. 5 They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

So yes, we believe in Satan (the devil) and we believe in hell (a place of punishment for Satan and all the rebellious spirits, human and angelic)

We do not believe this out of fear. Hell is not a place where Satan is King and God is Lord of heaven...Hell is a place where Satan gets punished. It is his prison and for all those who have chosen to follow him.

We do not fear hell. Jesus has been there and is Lord of it. He preached to the physically dead who were there and led the captives out of it’s prison. Jesus descended into hell because he loves people.

What does that mean to us?

It means Jesus is willing to go into the scariest places of all in order to save us and see us free. It means that there is someone who is willing to sacrifice everything and journey to the deepest places there are to see you live in love.

He created the earth and people because of love

He came from heaven to earth because of love

He lived with the sick, the poor and the ordinary because of love

He went to the cross, because of love

He descended into hell because of love

And the good news is that when life is lived for love...what goes down, must come up!

If you're reading on facebook, you can watch and listen HERE.

Cats.

2010-10-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

A short film by Josh Whitler about our...uh...cats.

If you read our blog on facebook, you need to GLONK HERE to see the video

Cats from Chris Whitler on Vimeo.

Snipe-N-Guys

2010-10-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

A Spidie-Sense fable by A. Alford, T. Nelson and C. Whitler
Based on true events

The Famous Hollywood Star wants nothing but his breakfast. He likes this place. The food reminds him of another time. Another place. When life was simpler. Comfort food at its finest. So when the old man called up and wanted to talk shop, the Famous Hollywood Star recommended his favorite breakfast place.

He could usually eat in peace. Of course everyone there knows who he is. After all, he is a Famous Hollywood Star. But most people recognize that Famous Hollywood Stars like a peaceful breakfast like everyone else. He often frequents this place and it is usually no big deal.

Today, however, is no day for no big deals.

Chris, Aaron and Terry are basking in the glow of their one night stand in Los Angeles. Chris had remembered the breakfast place on a previous visit and told the guys about it.

“It’s the best!” Chris had said. “Their grits make me cry like a baby woman.”

If there was one thing Chris did know about, it was food. So, they all thought it would be the perfect end to a great visit before Terry has to catch his flight back to Canada.

The boys enter the old fashioned cafe, full of hopes and expectations for their chicken and waffle experience.

As fate would have it, Terry has a minor problem. His cellphone is about to die and he needs to charge it. Explaining his situation to the helpful hostess, she leads the guys to a patio area, near the only available power outlet in the restaurant, fatefully seating them right beside Famous Hollywood Star and his older table mate.

Terry, a slender, well dressed video professional, exchanges a knowing glance with Aaron, his heavily bearded Canadian compatriot. They know the score.

Chris, a large, noisy and silly man, sits down facing Famous Hollywood Star. The older African American gentleman, wearing a vest with a tag on the back that reads “Judge Joe Brown”, sits with his back toward Chris.

Chris is immediately flustered by the possibility in front of him.

“Is...that...him?!” he mouthes/whispers/says for all to hear.

Aaron tries to get Chris to calm down. Chris thinks Aaron is being too nonchalant about the celebrity in front of them. “No! We have to say something! We have friends that watch this guy everyday! We need to at least get a picture!”

“Everyday? Who? Don’t you think he just wants to eat in peace?” says Aaron through his dictator beard.

“Celebrity comes with a price!” says Chris, “he knew what he was getting into.”

“Who are you talking about?” says Aaron.

Chris hisses feverishly. “Judge... Joe... BROWN!”

The old man isn’t Judge Joe Brown. Chris doesn’t even know who Famous Hollywood Star is. Terry and Aaron cooly fill Chris in.

“Oooooooh...” says Chris as the light dawns. “Then what do we do?”

Terry had already formulated a plan.

“We play it cool” says Terry, the most experienced in meeting famous hollywood stars. “Don’t look over there. Take it easy.”

Chris tries to settle himself, although it’s hard to not watch Famous Hollywood Star eat his eggs, grits, fried chicken, waffle and sausage in his pristine track suit and his (now for Chris) unmistakeable, striking, usually-on-the-big-screen face. But he knows he needs to follow Terry’s lead.

“Here’s what we do” says Terry, “We talk a little louder than usual but just amongst ourselves...”

Aaron is now nodding, knowing exactly where Terry is headed. Chris has a vacant look on his face.

“We mention all of his famous movies in conversation to let him know we know who he is, capice?” Aaron is tracking. Chris pretends by making a face that says “Gotcha.”

“Hey Aaron” says Terry a little louder than normal.

“Yes, Terry?” says Aaron enthusiastically.

“As you well know, I am flying later today.”

“Yes, Terry, I know that full well.”

“Well, I don’t like to be first on the plane, nor do I like to board toward the end. I’m more comfortable getting on somewhere in the middle. I hope today I'm... oh... say... PASSENGER 57 or so.” says Terry.

Famous Hollywood Star continues to talk to his friend and eat his fine food.

“Well, that’s nice” says Aaron “I hope your plane doesn’t fly into the DROP ZONE.”

Chris is confused.

“Oh I’m sure we won’t.” says Terry, “I’m confident our plane will be as secure as the RISING SUN”

“Right you are.” says Aaron, “Say, is that coffee at the BOILING POINT? I like it hot. Like it was at this sweet little diner in New York. That coffee was the best. Definitely BROOKLYN’S FINEST.”

“Yes,” says Terry, “The coffee’s just right, but it does need some SUGAR. Maybe a mound of it. A SUGAR HILL, if needs must.”

This seals the deal for Chris. He decides to jump in. “Hey guys, do you like those courtroom TV shows?”

“It’s not Judge Joe Brown,” Aaron exasperatingly whispers. “But Chris,” proclaims Aaron, “do be a dear and hand me that BLADE, I want to PLAY IT TO THE BONE with this piece of chicken.”

A dawning realization comes to Chris’s confused mind, and his head makes an exaggerated nod as he hands a butter knife to Aaron.

“Do you want BLADE 2, Terry?” says Chris. He’s so happy to be in on the game.

“No thank-you, friend,” says Terry, “not even a BLADE TRINITY or fifty US MARSHALS could ZIGZAG this UNDISPUTED, UNSTOPPABLE breakfast from its path to my mouth. That chicken and waffle’s about to face the DEMOLITION MAN!”

Famous Hollywood Star is not acknowledging the conversation as he takes down another fluffy bite of waffle.

“Well that certainly is NEW, JACK. CITY dining is always the best, I find,” says Aaron.

“Funny you should mention that, Aaron.” states Terry. “This fine eating establishment reminds me of a story. My friend Julie took us out for dim sum last week. I was a bit nervous about the whole ordeal seeing as I had to endure chicken feet and other shady, off-putting dishes the first time I'd tried it. But, based on the confident recommendation by our gracious host, I really took TO WONG FOO. ‘THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, JULIE NEWMAR!’ is what I told her.”

Their cleverness has overwhelmed Chris with excitement, and he feels he is about to explode. I, too, am clever! thinks Chris. I too shall cleverly insert films into my dialogue!

“Oh yeah...well...MURDER AT 1600...um...” Chris stammeringly interrupts. He breathes heavily, “WHITE MEN CAN’T JUMP with MO BETTER BLUES especially if they have...JUNGLE FEVER!”

Silence.

Terry and Aaron know the gig is up. Their boisterous friend has once again ruined everything. There’s only one thing left to do. Slowly, they rise from their seats, and Chris follows. It’s time to reveal, finally, that they know who it is that’s been enjoying chicken and waffles and grits and eggs and coffee.

Three outstretched, pointed fingers point toward Famous Hollywood Star, as together the owners of said fingers proclaim...

“YOU’RE DENZEL WASHINGTON!”

Wesley Snipes ignores them.

And as the Famous Hollywood Wesley Snipes fingers one last bit of fried chicken skin from his plate, he doesn’t even notice the wormhole that tears open the fabric of reality behind the three morons, carrying them away to another universe where they can never bother him again.

The chicken is that good.

THE END

October Song of the Month

2010-10-20T15:53:00.000-07:00

Well here she is and it's pretty self explanatory. I wrote this song after Stella spontaneously sang the hook line of the chorus while happily anticipating October.

Oddly enough, this month contains Amie's favorite holiday. She loves costumes, (of course) candy, and being out in the neighborhood. It reminds her of more innocent times. She dreams about pumpkin patches and fake spider webs all the way through September!

A small caveat...I know this can be a bit of a touchy subject and I'm not actually wanting to open up a discussion about that here. Might I suggest a great post from Jason Gray over at the Rabbit Room website (HERE) where plenty of great discussion is happening this week.

So, mostly for Amie but also for you....enjoy! (If you're reading on facebook and wanna listen or if you would like to download or subscribe to future audio, GLONK HERE)

Jesus is coming soon.

2010-10-19T07:50:00.000-07:00

"Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast, so that they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants!” - Luke 12

I’ve always seen these scriptures as references to the ultimate “second coming” of Christ but as I read it today, I see it through the lens of “the now and not yet”. Yes, Christ will come again ultimately (if not globally in our lifetime, for sure at the hour of our death) but he will also come to us today in unexpected ways.

He told us that he is the hungry person, he is the thirsty, he needs clothes, he is the sick one, he is the stranger, he is the one in prison. Am I ready at a moments notice to receive him? Even if it happens in the second or third watch of the night?

Lord, help us be ready and awake when you come today, tomorrow and at the end. Give us eyes that see and ears that hear.

Amen.

Patronage: An idea whose time has come...again.

2010-10-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

It used to be that artists were supported by wealthy patrons who helped them exist for the pure pleasure of the artist bringing good things into the world. I'm sure there was some kind of social status associated with being a patron of the arts as well. The world has changed quite a bit. While I know there are a few patrons out there in the classic sense and there are still opportunities for "artists in residence" at some institutions, this concept has been swallowed up into a more commercial model. That is, corporations investing in artists that they deem will be profitable in terms of product sales.

The bottom line drives corporations to only invest in product that will have the broadest appeal, playing to the lowest common denominator across as much of the buying population as possible. This is why most of our popular culture is quite simple. It is made for quick attention and flash sale. It ultimately has little staying power. Every now and again, some story, song or show slips through the cracks and changes the game for everyone. Then the corporations of big media go to work to try to reproduce other things that play off why that "slip through the cracks" thing was so popular. And we get a kind of copy cat culture. Artists and creators are not free to just create good things for the sake of it. Art and creativity become just another quick consumable item with little depth.

But there are alternatives. We know deep down that the function of art in culture is quite important. Music, story and visual art is part of what it means to be human. It is deeply connected to how we interpret and deal with the world, our lives, fears, celebration and pain. And there are new (old) ways that we can help good creativity come into the world.

One way is that we can be creative. We can learn an instrument, sing together, go see local artists, draw things, and write stories and songs. And we can look for local ways to enjoy these things. The internet and social media is also a way to share creativity. It's been helpful to me, but I am guilty of leaning too much on the digital age and forgetting to sit around a fire with some friends and just sing. You are in some way creative and to not develop it, even on the level of a hobby, is robbing you and us of something good.

And, on the scale of broader culture, there is a new type of patronage cropping up all over the place. These are a few I know about on the web with some exciting implications. I can only participate in one or two of them but that is the beauty of this new democratic patronage. It is we the people who decide what's important to us and have new opportunities to support, even with a little that we have, new good works.

Blue Like Jazz the Movie - I don't know if you've heard but there has been a big push lately for patrons to step up and save the production of the film version of Blue Like Jazz by Don Miller. The people came forward and actually have done it! After calling it quits from lack of funding, Blue Like Jazz the movie goes into production this month because of ordinary patrons that felt this is an important story to tell in our culture. Read about it at Don Miller's blog HERE.

Fiddler's Green - I loved the book The Fiddler's Gun by A.S. Peterson (read my review here). I was able to buy it from him at a concert last year. He has written the conclusion, Fiddler's Green, which will come out later this year and is looking for patrons to help finish the publishing process. Check it out HERE.

Slugs and Bugs Christmas - Some of the best kids music I've ever heard is on an album called Slugs and Bugs and Lullabies. Randall Goodgame is looking for patrons to help him with a Slugs and Bugs Christmas album. Find out about Slugs and Bugs and the Christmas opportunity HERE.

Noisetrade - Also, Derek Webb and friends have a great website idea to help you find out about new music. It's at noisetrade.com. You can get music and "tip" the artist with what you can afford!

Adoption! - I have a good friend that has provided an opportunities for supporters to help he and his wife adopt a baby! You can find out about that at HERE! Talk about helping new, good things come into the world! Of course, in all of this, don't forget to support your church and other good works beyond the specific creative arts. There is so much good out there that we can participate in with our time, talent and resources.

And finally, if you care, there is a great 4 part series at the Rabbit Room website about artists and money and why it's all important and how we can be a part of it. I cried by the end of all of these entries. You can find them HERE.

So be creative and support good creativity! Do you know about any other patronage projects out there? Let us know in the comments.

"I See A Face" #1 - by Sam Whitler

2010-10-09T17:31:00.000-07:00

This will be a recurring post here at the Whitlers dot com from Samuel. We will be posting his best observations. Here he is in his own words...

"I've been seeing faces in inanimate objects recently and I can't take it anymore. So this is a leaf I just found in my front yard." Sam.

What do you think this leaf is feeling? Please comment below.

A Candle For Lorna.

2010-10-06T09:54:00.000-07:00

I never spoke to her. I only saw her. I don't know if she ever really talked to anybody. She was quiet but more than that, she was in another kind of reality. At least once a week I'd see her walking. She walked everywhere in a determined kind of way. Always there on the 9th St. bridge, somewhere downtown, walking Yosemite Blvd. Always walking and always a concentrated look on her face. Not mean, not angry, not blank but something like frustration. She didn't talk.

We could never get her to stop and have a coffee at the 9th St. Cafe. She was always in too much of a hurry to get somewhere. I wouldn't have known her name if not for Arlie. Arlie has known her for years. He remembered when she used to talk and laugh. He remembered what she was like before. Some abuse or tragedy had caused her to retreat into herself. Sometimes she would just stand and look at the road in a silent, troubled reverie.

Arlie was the only one that ever got her to take something we offered. She once took a hot dog from him at one of our cook outs. It was like a miracle.

Lorna passed away two weeks ago from a hit and run driver. She is the 13th victim of hit and run in our county alone this year.

Last night, I was a guest at a prayer service hosted by our local chapter of the National Alliance On Mental Illness. It was a beautiful evening. As people shared their pain and reasons for thanksgiving, I couldn't help but think of Lorna and so many like her in our town that have just fallen through the cracks.

So many have gotten sick or hurt. They are confused and alone. They have no meds so they take what's available on the street. These people are like ghosts haunting the forgotten places. And they will remain that way until we slow down, until we stop, until we listen, until we pray with them, go as far as we can with them, eat with them and somehow find a way to make a place for them among us.

At the end of the service, we were invited to come and light a candle at the altar as symbol of our prayers to Jesus who is the light cutting through darkness. I had Lorna in mind as I lit my candle, thinking of the others out there like her that are alone.

Please, please don't drive distracted. Don't say it won't happen to you. Please put down your cell phone and pay attention.

And better yet, let's work hard at not being distracted people. Take some time, even a little bit, to lay down your life and follow Jesus. He's walking with the broken and lonely. Let's walk with him.

For new things to begin, old things have to end (kinda)

2010-09-28T17:12:00.000-07:00

Today, we helped Jim and Kelly pack up a van and a Uhaul for storage and clean the house they are vacating. It's another step in the move to Thailand to work with good friends at Compasio. They don't have all the funds they need yet but it is coming in slowly but surely. We're getting surprise hits at the YWAM Modesto Paypal button (wanna surprise us? You can HERE! : ) and we are assured that God is going to provide all they need.

A couple of nights in Modesto and then they are off to pack up their storage, get some training and say goodbye to family down south while they finalize their plans.

It's a bittersweet time. We are sad they are going and happy to watch God do what he does so well. He sends, he ignites, he breaks our heart, he gives us a choice, he invites, he compels, he opens doors and creates connection and he loves when we love... when we love so much that we can't help ourselves but pour it out into the broken places of the world. He loves when we are so captured by his love that we drop it all and go and do the thing his love has compelled us to do.

For them, it's taken a lot of frustration, obstacles, communication and plain hard work to get here. And they are not 'here' yet but it's coming. What helps is to remember why. It's love, love so big we call him God, that makes it worth the effort. The Sustars have made me want to get ready to go. Only I'm going here for now. What is it that holds us back? Let's pack up the non-essentials, put hindrances away, keep what's important, say a prayer with our friends, support one another and take off into the good works that have been prepared for us to do.

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" Eph 2:10

This is a video of the "why" they are going. If you're reading on facebook, you can find the video HERE. And you can follow the Sustars at their blog HERE.

By the way, that great song is "The Reckoning" from the album Counting Stars by Andrew Peterson.