Jesse Joyner

What Door-to-Door Sales Taught Me About Children's Ministry

2012-01-20T10:28:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make: I used to be that guy who would knock on your door hawking educational books for your kids.

Please don't judge me. It was a reputable company with quality products and top-notch training. I would check in with local police and town halls and get any necessary permits. In 3 summers I knocked on nearly 10,000 doors and gave about 3,000 presentations in people's living rooms, kitchens, and front porches. And by God's grace, my wife and I have no school loans because of it.

While it’s not for everybody, it’s a job that taught me some life lessons. And even though I knocked on my last door nearly seven years ago, not a day goes by where I don't recall the hard-earned lessons I learned on "the bookfield". And these lessons have a canny ability to broadly reach every category in life, including ministry to children.

Furthermore, I want to say up front that I don’t believe spreading the Gospel is a form of sales (it shouldn’t be). There are simply things we can learn from sales (like from any industry) that help us in ministering the Gospel.

Here are 4 of the many things I learned.....

1. Get the Whole Family at the Kitchen Table

I remember sitting at a family's kitchen table in little Titusville, PA on a warm summer night in 2003. I sat down with my samples at the circular table and gathered Mom, Dad, son, and daughter all around to see what I had. I had many presentations before this one that just didn't work, but there was something amazing about this one, because the WHOLE family was there at the same time. They liked what they saw, I had all their focused attention, and they were able to make an informed decision together as a family. They became customers.

In Children's Ministry, get the WHOLE family around the table. Create opportunities for families to worship, grow, play, and come to faith together.

2. Face-to-Face Contact is Always Superior

Our door-to-door company never bought ads in papers, put up billboards, made phone calls, sent out advertising mailers, or any other form of advertising other than face-to-face cold-calling. Why? Because face-to-face contact is the most superior form of communication with other human beings.

In Children's Ministry, we don't have to cold-call people's doors at 10am on a weekday, but we need to remember that if there is something important and meaningful you need to discuss with one of your volunteers or parents, try to get coffee in person rather than covering important stuff in a text.

3. It’s a Numbers Game

I quickly learned that sales in not about persuasion. It’s about working the numbers. My product was not for everybody. My job was to find the people it was for, and that took running through a lot of "no's" to get to a "yes".

In Children's Ministry, the Gospel is indeed a message for the whole world to hear, but unfortunately not everyone is going to respond positively. Our job is to cast the net and draw in as many fish as God leads. Our persuasive words will not save anyone. Our job is to get the message to everyone and every nation and then God will lead those whom He will lead to His Gospel.

4. God is my Rock

Similar to the previous point, this job taught me more than any other job I’ve had to completely rely on Him for strength, providence, and sustenance. Why? Because you face a lot of adversity and rejection when you cold-call door-to-door. It was tough, but it forced me to look to God every moment of every day. I found myself praying, singing, praising, and talking with God all through the day because that was the only way I could make it out a sane person. My identity was found in Christ, not in what other people thought of me. In ministry, I know that my calling and identity are found in Him, not in what the world thinks of me.

Why I Love Trader Joe's

2012-01-12T16:17:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: Trader Joe's did NOT pay me to say these things.

I usually hate grocery shopping. For me, it is one of the most boring activities on the planet. But not when I'm at Trader Joe's. Here's why I love this little neighborhood grocery store (which is actually a national chain that does a great job at feeling local):

1. Art: Walking through Trader Joe's is like walking through a retro-hip art museum. They must spend tons of money on packaging their labeled products and on store signage, because each label and sign is a beautiful symphony of colors, fonts, art, and descriptive content.

2. Samples: They ALWAYS have samples - usually a main dish, then some coffee, then some cheese. That's really what keeps me in the store.

3. Size: Trader Joe's is small. But they tend to have everything you need. Small is good because you can get in and out and around in a jiffy. The only downside is if it is a busy time for the store.

4. Top-Notch Employees: I've heard that you need a college education to be a cash register cleark. Really? That just shows that they mean business when it comes to hiring quality people (though I personally think a college education, though it helps, is not necessary to be top-notch in your career). They are positive, enthusiastic, and always ready to help you when you need it.

5. Price and Quality: Trader Joe's has somehow found a way to bring good tasting (and healthy) products at great prices. Please keep it up, Joe.

6. Location: Joe's is not afraid to take on the big dogs and set up shop in central and convenient locations, which are already cluttered with other grocery chains. If you provide a quality product, people will come.

7. Kids: Having a kid, its nice to know that Trader Joe's has that little hiding stuffed animal in the store. If your child finds it, they get some sort of prize. Kezzie has never found it, but then again, she's a little young to really search for it, but I'm looking forward to that day!

What do you love about Trader Joe's?

How to Run a Marathon While Juggling

2011-11-25T08:51:00.001-05:00

I just completed my first marathon - and I juggled the entire distance. Here are a few tips for those of you considering this feat:

1. Read www.justyouraveragejoggler.com - This guy, Perry Romanowski, is a star joggler - and he keeps a consistent and informative blog on joggling (running and juggling at the same time). He also beat me in the 5K joggling race back in '07.

2. For me, juggling is like breathing and running is something I do because my wife does it. That means I much more enjoy the juggling part rather than the running part. So if you want to motivate someone like me to run, tell me to juggle while I do it. It makes it a lot more interesting.

3. Nuts and bolts: The way to run and juggle at the same time is to throw and run in the same cadence but with opposite limbs. This means that every time I step with my right foot, I'm throwing with my left hand, and vice versa. Because of this steady beat, it is much easier to run and juggle rather than to walk and juggle (unless your throws are very high and lofty).

4. Endurance: Just keep going, and make sure to stop for sustenance. Perry instructed me to make sure I stopped for water and bathroom when necessary (which I did). The rule with joggling is to simply pick up where you left off in the event of a dropped ball or a bathroom/water/snack break. In my marathon, I dropped 4 times and stopped for the toilet or food maybe 4 other times. I had one "stall" in my juggle, which means I caught all three beanbags at once in an attempt to avoid a drop (which I did) and then I proceeded to pick up the juggling pattern again almost immediately.

5. Run, jog, walk as necessary. I'm not a great runner, so I jogged the first half of the race and power-walked the second half. The walking part did make it tougher on the juggling pattern (because the cadence was off-beat), but I had to in order to preserve my energy. I finished in 5:48 hrs, which is about a 13-minute mile.

Juggler

2011-11-11T16:08:00.000-05:00

My Peeps

2011-11-10T17:04:00.000-05:00

Years ago, I sensed a call from God to shepherd his people. At the time, I had no idea He was talking about children! But that's what ministry has been for me for the last ten years. And though I travel a lot with my juggling show, I still get to shepherd one flock of kids on a semi-consistent basis - and those are the kids at Commonwealth Chapel. I love you all!

Ten Ways to Recruit Volunteers for Children's Church Ministry

2011-10-19T11:23:00.000-04:00

This is my article that was recently published at www.cmbuzz.com

Ten Ways to Recruit Volunteers

This is in descending order, from least effective to most effective, with examples given for each....

10. Mass Message Sent Via Social Media

Please, please, please volunteer to watch our kids during church! #desperatekidminpastors #signupnow @everybodywithapulse @evenmyneighborsdog

9. Last-Minute New Family

(As a new family is dropping off their kids): Hey, thanks for coming today! You know, we’re a little short on volunteers. Can you stick with the toddler class today? There’s only 35 of them and they love to play red light, green light!

8. A Sign on the Sign-in Table

We need volunteers! Bad Credit? Rough Background? We’ll take most anybody!

7. Mass Targeted e-mail

Hey church-goers! We’re looking for some volunteers in our kids ministry. If you’re good with kids and you can run a DVD player, twitter me @churchbabysittersclub and I’ll get you on the schedule!

6. Mass Printed Announcement

(Printed in the weekly bulletin): Calling everyone who loves kids! We need more workers in our Children's Church for this upcoming school year. Please respond to desperado@tooafraidtopersonallyaskyou.com

5. Mass Verbal Announcement

(On stage during adult worship service): Good morning, my name is Jesse and I'm the Family Pastor here. We're looking for some qualified people to minister to our kids and worship with them on Sundays. Please find me in the lobby and I would love to talk to you about serving.

4. Personal e-mail, Text, or Social Media Message

Hey Paul! I know we haven't talked in a while, but I was thinking about you in regards to leading music worship in Children's Church. I know you're good with the guitar, and I thought you might be interested in working with the kids once a month. What does your upcoming schedule look like?

3. Vicariously Recruiting Through Current Volunteers (often unintentionally)

(One of your current volunteers): Hey Chara, you would have so much fun working in the PreSchool class on Sunday mornings. I know you're great with crafts. I'm teaching a block starting next month. Do you want to teach together?

2. Personal Phone Call

(Over the phone): Hey Gloria! I was wondering if you'd be interested in getting connected with our family ministry in the near future. I can tell you really love kids and I wanted to give you a chance to serve with us because I think the kids would really benefit from your gentle spirit and leadership.

1. Personal Face-to-Face Invitation to Join a Team with Clear Goals, Vision, and Job Descriptions

(In person): Hey, Robby, I really love your enthusiasm for ministry. I think you would be a great fit teaching some of our elementary aged-boys. I know you're real busy, but would you be willing to teach a 6-week block in our elementary class? You would teach an already prepared Bible-based curriculum for 6 Sundays in a row. You would basically be a teacher and a big buddy to these boys as they work through basic starting points of Christian doctrine.

-Jesse Joyner

www.JesseJoyner.com

What Kindergarten Cop Taught Me About Teaching

2011-09-18T20:47:00.001-04:00

I usually "oversee" the morning Children's ministry at my church. When I have all my volunteer teachers lined up, then I can float and make sure everything is doing fine in all the classes and offer my assistance where needed. This morning, one of my PreSchool teachers called in sick, so I filled in her spot and taught the entire PreSchool class hour, which I usually don't do. So to be quite honest, I was a little nervous and reluctant to dive into this job. But that quickly changed once I found a particular tool....

Carpet Squares!

We usually use these to "warm up" the hallway to the kids rooms on Sunday mornings (we rent out The National theater on Sunday mornings).

But this morning, I grabbed them and brought them into the PreSchool room and told all 16 kids to find a carpet square and sit on it. Then I remembered Arnold Shwarzeneggar saying "sit on a carpet square" in his famous Kindergarten Cop flick. He was on to something.

The carpet square creates a boundary, a place in this world, a sense of meaning and purpose that the PreSchooler would otherwise not feel sitting on a cold, vast, open hardwood floor.

There was an immediate result of order, function, and tranquility in the room every time I reminded the kids to sit on their carpet squares before we moved on to the next thing. They don't stay on them the whole time. They need to move around at that age. But in transitions, or while working on something with coloring or while listening to the Bible Story, these squares proved to be money well spent.

Next time you teach PreSchoolers, allow me to recommend carpet squares :)

Goal-Setting Hebrews Style

2011-09-15T09:05:00.000-04:00

“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:40).

Wow – talk about legacy. I plan such measly goals in my life, thinking that I should take life one day at a time and just do my best from day to day. If I make goals, then I think they have to be realistic so I don’t let myself down. Then there’s this passage in Hebrews. These people never saw what they were promised. Think about that. Their divine callings fell short if you look at those callings from the perspective of only each individual life. But if you look at what happened after they died, God was faithful and carried through on His promises. God’s plan is that together with all the saints (throughout history) we will be made perfect. God’s goal for our lives is better than we could ever ask, dream, or imagine. And He will accomplish and deliver using future generations (whom I will never meet on this side of heaven).

Celebrity Cartoon Match: Spongebob vs. Caillou

2011-09-14T12:55:00.001-04:00

Caillou wins! At least, that is, in a recent study of 60 kids done by researchers at the University of Virginia for the journal Pediatrics. The study found that kids who watched 9 minutes of Caillou as opposed to Spongebob did better on mental tests immediately following the TV viewing. The kids who were assigned to watch Spongebob performed remarkably worse than the kids who were assigned Caillou. It is a small study, but it brings up the question of how TV shows affect the brains of children for better or for worse.

What's the difference? Caillou is very slow paced, while Spongebob is extremely fast-paced. People can debate over the relevance of Caillou verses Spongebob in the content of the plots and material (I personally think Spongebob, while funny, is extremely bizarre and requires a certain "mood" of humor when you watch it).

Here is a report on the study from a news source: http://children.webmd.com/news/20110909/fast-paced-cartoons-may-hurt-kids-attention-memory

I wonder how this applies to Children's Ministry in the church setting. When I heard of this study, I immediately thought about the puppet-driven "What's in the Bible?" DVD we often show our Preschoolers at Commonwealth Chapel for the final few minutes of class before the parents come for pick up (they have a human-taught interactive curriculum for the majority of their class time). I also thought about some of the fast-paced multimedia we use as tools on Sunday morning for kids. How much of those are useful tools and how much are detracting from our worship of the invisible infinite God?

I've always tended towards the side of the spectrum that uses less multimedia on Sunday mornings (because children have enough of that already throughout the week). I've seen some good multimedia tools out there (Timbuktoons comes to mind), which I have used in ministry, so I'm not opposed to it altogether.

What about you? What kind of multimedia do you use in Children's Ministry? What is a litmus test to know whether a particular multimedia tool is helpful or otherwise distracting? Do you think multimedia itself is simply neutral and amoral?

Reading Right Now

2011-09-06T15:31:00.000-04:00

Here's what I'm working on - I'm digging this thing up!

http://www.amazon.com/Five-Miles-Away-World-Apart/dp/019983685X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315337439&sr=8-1

What to Read While in NYC

2011-08-28T23:04:00.000-04:00

I wish I had a good "what to read" list for every city I visit. While looking for the Fodor's guide to New York City at the library before our trip this past weekend, I stumbled upon Here is New York by E.B. White. I checked out both, along with an archaeology book and Stephen Sondheim's songbook for Company.

While Sondheim and archaeology are cool, I found a true gem of a read in White's book (which is really a long essay) about life and culture in NYC. He wrote it in 1949, but his sociological observations are as timeless as they are poetic. It is delightful to read about how he overhears a conversation at a restaurant between a young man and a woman where the man is stating his case for why he feels they are a good fit for one another.

And in an erie and ominous way, White reflects on the dangers of New York, including that of the possibility of planes flying into buildings and destroying them, and in turn destroying New York (remember, he wrote this in 1949). He turned out to be right about the planes, but he was wrong in ever thinking that such an event could take down the whole city, for New Yorkers are strong, and have overcome all odds when everything seems stacked against them. He even admits that New York should have caved in on itself decades ago, but it still presses on, and that is one of the fascinating elements of this grand city.

If you ever visit NYC, allow me recommend this quick read that will cause you to better appreciate the city and the wonderful people of New York.

Puppets, Parties, and BINGO

2011-08-21T16:22:00.001-04:00

I usually "work" on Sundays. That means I am responsible for leading the Children's Ministry at Commonwealth Chapel or traveling and presenting my program at another church or event. This morning, I was at Commonwealth Chapel. We got to welcome a brand new lead pastor into our family this morning, Brandon Samuel. He has been very well received and we are excited about where God will take this congregation through his leadership.

One Sunday a month, our small group (we call them missional communities) host a birthday party at a local group home for adults with disabilities. These are people of all ages who are often abandoned by friends and family and left to live out their days at this group home. We have the chance to come in monthly and learn from them, play BINGO with them, eat cake with them, and pray with them. They are a joy to our lives. This afternoon, Eddie the Explorer (the puppet) called BINGO for them and they LOVED him. In fact, I like it to because Eddie could converse with them in unique ways that I don't (somewhat of an alter ego).

Now I get to have some rest at home with the family before we have a few friends over for dinner and games. I do take a day off each week, its just never a Sunday (usually Mondays, but not this week, it will be some other day). When's your day off?

ps - speaking of puppets, come see Eddie the Explorer and Larry the Lizard tomorrow morning at the Robinson Theater at 10am for a puppet show, magic, and juggling - free for all ages :)

Thing Kids Say

2011-07-28T10:47:00.000-04:00

I have started to write down some of the funny things kids say. Working in a field that involves lots of kids, I hear quite a few quotable comments.

The other day, I was juggling fire for a group of kids. As I was preparing to start juggling, I overheard two 7-8 year-old girls talking:

Girl 1: "What if he messes up?"
Girl 2: "He won't mess up, he's a nermessional."

A few months ago, I asked a young boy if he could guess my age....

Me: "How old do you think I am?"
Boy: "I don't know..."
Me: "I'm 30 years old."
Boy: "Oh, you more like 29 to me."

You can't make this stuff up. What's your favorite kid-quote?

Physics Question: Can You Juggle on a Zipline?

2011-07-03T20:37:00.000-04:00

Watch the video to find out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFcK9yBY590

Note: I remember learning about the physics of this idea in 7th grade and it is very fascinating!

Thanks to Becky for shooting and posting this video.

A Trip to Upward Headquarters

2011-06-11T11:13:00.000-04:00

Sarah, Kezzie, and I just got back from a camp in Mississippi (Lake Forest Ranch). On our way back, I performed at Hillcrest Baptist Church in New Albany, MS. It was at these recent shows that I first tried out the new light-up stickman costume with LED juggling props - definitely a hit with the crowd!

On our way back to Virginia, we stayed the night in Greenville, SC. We saw some old friends who live in the area (Chris and Rebecca), and then made a stop at the Upward Sports Headquarters in Spartanburg, SC.

Though I don't work for Upward, I feel very close to the organization, having been on their list of suggested speakers for their awards celebrations for the past 5 years. Upward is a global youth sports organization that has leagues serving over 500,000 kids per year. Their goal is to break a million by 2016. Their ultimate goal is to introduce kids to Jesus Christ through sports and recreation.

We were impressed with their facilities and the warm hospitality we received at their headquarters. We were unannounced walk-ins, and they immediately found someone on staff (Jennifer) to give us a personal tour. It has the look of a modern office building complete with cubicles and offices, but decorated with inspiring photos, posters, wall art, shadow boxes of memorabilia, and printed values, mission, and vision for the organization. What stands out is the "knights-of-the-round-table" style board room in the center of the second story, a glass enclosed meeting area where everyone at the meeting has equal value and input.

The statue out in the front of the property depicts the servanthood of Jesus washing the disciples' feet. If you are ever passing through Spartanburg, SC, don't miss this special place that is the hub of a lot of God-glorifying activity.

Kitchen Before and After

2011-04-22T15:47:00.002-04:00

Before and After #1

Before and After #2

Before and After #3

The rest of these pictures are of the new kitchen. Enjoy!

If anybody has been wondering where I've been for the past three months, I've been working 3 jobs: Children's Pastor, Traveling Juggler, and Kitchen Remodeler. At last, I am finally down to 2 jobs, the ones I love the most. The kitchen is done dude.

Now, I did love working on the kitchen (at times), but it was very difficult to "juggle" my schedule to make sure everything got done. We paid for some services (counters, plumbing, wall removal, drywall) and I did some myself with the generous help of my father (demo, floors, electrical, cabinets, trim, painting, appliances).

The kitchen as we bought the house was a mess. There was water damage, uneven cabinets, incomplete counters, and no enjoyable "feel" to it. We put up with that for a year and a half. Then starting in February, we gutted the kitchen to the studs. I nearly broke my finger with a miter saw, my wife and baby and I lived with my parents for a month (during the heavy demolition and noise-making), we ate out way too much (thanks, Jason's Deli), and a few times I worked past midnight (not recommended).

Last night, we had a birthday dinner for Sarah, and the timing was perfect. I finished the kitchen at about 10am yesterday morning and so the birthday dinner was a great time to have family over and celebrate Sarah and the new kitchen (she was OK with that). In fact, she is the happiest person of all that it is done and new. I think Kezzie likes it too!

By the way, in seven years of marriage, this is the first dishwasher we have ever owned. What a joy to have dinner and then throw those things in the magic washer and find them clean in the morning. We've missed out on so much in this life :)

I say "done", but there is one final piece: the floors. We got reclaimed heart pine flooring from Caravatti's and installed it ourselves (the same mill stamp on the bottom of this reclaimed wood matches the mill stamp on the original wood in the rest of the house). We are having the floors sanded and refinished next week so that we will have new floors by Friday. So try to overlook the floors in the pictures.

The builder in me wants to say, "what's next?", but I think I'll take a break from large home projects for now :)

Thank you Jesus, for a wife, a baby, a roof, and a kitchen!

The Greatest Half-Birthday Ever

2011-03-27T21:02:00.000-04:00

Today is my sister's birthday (happy birthday, Rachael). But that also means it is my half-birthday, since I was born on September 27th, as I proudly announced to the kids in church this morning (I made them sing "Happy Half-Birthday" to me). They forgot the cake.

This has been a wonderful day for many reasons - and I am so thankful to the Lord for his grace and goodness in so many things:

1. We had a joyful time of worship at church this morning.
2. My family and I got to be a part of a lunch with great friends and colleagues.
3. Our hometown VCU Rams made it to the Final Four for the first time in history.
4. Our small group Bible Study met in the evening and our discussion and prayer time was very invigorating (we're studying the life of David in the Old Testament).
5. I came home to the news that the Kentucky Wildcats (our previous hometown team when we lived in KY) ALSO made it to the Final Four (for the 14th time in history)
6. I have the most beautiful wife and daughter in the world, a vocation that I love, and a roof over our heads.

Thank you Jesus for your grace and goodness.

2011 Upward Tour - 6 states in 9 days

2011-02-26T14:33:00.000-05:00

Upward Sports is a great organization. Each year, I have the privilege of speaking and entertaining at the closing ceremonies for many leagues around the nation. The heaviest time of the year for these programs comes in late February and early March.

Here is my schedule for the next week and a half. I might be in your area, so come by and say "hi" if you have a chance.

Sat, Feb 26 - First Baptist Church, Suffolk, VA
Sun, Feb 27 - North Park Baptist Church, Evansville, IN
Tues, Mar 1 - Pitts Baptist Church, Concord, NC
Thur, Mar 3 - Oakland Baptist Church, Corinth, MS
Sat, Mar 5 - Trinity Evangelical United Methodist Church, Upper Sandusky, OH
Sun, Mar 6 - West Conroe Baptist Church, Conroe, TX
Mon, Mar 7 - Cedar Bluff Baptist Church, Atkins, VA
Tues, Mar 8 - East Stone Gap Baptist Church, East Stone Gap, VA

Wall Demo Before and After

2011-02-15T13:52:00.000-05:00

We are officially redoing the kitchen. This is a FULL remodel. We bought the house as a fixer-upper and got a good price because of that. The kitchen was the worst room in the house, and we have put up with it for a year and a half and now we are ready to do it. We're about halfway through the preliminary stage, which includes demo of the wall between the kitchen and dining room, demo of the other walls down to the studs, and then the plumbing and electrical rough-ins (which happen this week!).

We expect to finish by the end of March. Until then, we are staying with my parents out in Goochland County so the baby can be far from the construction mess and noise (and so we can have a working kitchen during this period).

The first two shots are before the wall demo and after the wall demo, then some other demo shots:

Book Review: 9 Things They Didn't Teach Me in College About Children's Ministry by Ryan Frank

2011-01-27T17:41:00.000-05:00

At the Children's Pastor's Conference in Orlando, FL a few weeks ago, I ran into my friend Ryan Frank. Ever since I've known Ryan, I've admired his passion, commitment, and leadership in the world of children's ministry. I've had the chance to work with him a few times at the church at which he serves near Marion, IN. And it is fun to see him in action with the kids.

Standard Publishing just released his new book, 9 Things They Didn't Teach Me in College About Children's Ministry. Designed to look like an informal steno notebook, this paperback is a fast read and full of practical hands-on wisdom for the busy children's pastor. His advice, as the title suggests, comes from the trenches of working the daily and weekly grind of children's ministry rather than from armchair theologizing at a lecturer's podium. He gives props to his college education. But like anything, there's plenty more to learn after graduation day.

He has chapters on recruiting volunteers, working with budgets, working with senior pastors, and dealing with conflict, among other things. He creatively weaves in feedback from Facebook friends on various topics as well as helpful interviews from other children's ministry leaders around the country. I commend this book to anyone who works with kids in ministry, whether paid staff or volunteer. Here's the link to the book on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Things-Didnt-College-Childrens-Ministry/dp/0784729794/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1

Daddy's Little Princess

2011-01-03T13:13:00.000-05:00

I think Keziah's smile brings me so much joy because I love seeing her enjoy life and respond to my talking and smiling. Her smile is also just like her Mommy's smile. Thank you Jesus for such an unexpected joy and blessing in our lives.

Any De-Clutter Advice?

2010-12-31T09:42:00.000-05:00

I've been reading and thinking a lot about simplicity and the elimination of clutter recently - maybe because the holidays and having a new child are two events that somehow create a mass of "stuff" around the house - and we just had both events happen in our lives recently.

The holidays and our new child are events for which I am very thankful. And I am very thankful for all the many things with which people bless us. But with the entrance of new stuff into the house mixed with the reality of limited space, Sarah and I are confronted with the reality that we need to de-clutter old and unused stuff in order to make space for the new.

I have a goal that our net amount of things that come in and out of the house will either be zero or negative. That means that for every article of clothing we buy or receive, we donate a piece that we haven't worn in forever (or maybe have never even worn!). Otherwise, when we're 80 years old, we'll have mounds of stuff around the house and we'll be on the Hoarders TV shows.

I'm a big fan of recycling things, donating things to thrift stores, and re-purposing certain things. But sometimes it feels like a part-time job just managing stuff and clutter in our own house.

So my questions to everyone out there are these: What works for you? How do you maintain simplicity with stuff? How do you determine what leaves the house, when, and to where? Do you know any good websites or books about de-cluttering and organizing?

The Bible's Hidden Christmas Story

2010-12-23T15:15:00.000-05:00

When most people retell the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, one of two accounts are usually used as the source - the Gospel of Luke or the Gospel of Matthew. The four Gospels are basically ancient biographies of Jesus Christ. Matthew and Luke are very direct in their narratives of the birth of Jesus. Mark does not mention a thing about Jesus' birth, as he jumps directly to John the Baptist in his opening.

John's Gospel is different (as it is in many ways). While not giving a narrative re-telling of Jesus' birth, John does have a very theologically significant "birth account" of Jesus Christ. It is shadowed in metaphorical language. Here is how John relates the Christmas story:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men..........The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.........The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-4, 9, 14, New International Version)

One thing I love about John's Christmas story is that he talks about the eternal pre-existence of Christ in addition to the incarnational birth ("the Word became flesh"). There is striking irony in speaking about someone being born who was also forever already in existence (indeed, the maker of everything past, present, and future). That is the mysterious beauty of the Trinity.

Image: St. John of Patmos by Hans Burgkmair the Elder (1473-1531), 1518

5 Prophecies Surrounding the Birth of Jesus

2010-12-16T10:31:00.000-05:00

The story of Christ's birth in Matthew contains 5 prophecies (between Matthew 1:18 and 2:23). It is easy to focus on the virgin conception as a stand-out miracle in the life of Christ (and it is), but it is also easy to overlook the miracle of multiple fulfilled prophecies surrounding the birth of Jesus.

Here are the fulfilled prophecies recorded by Matthew:

1. Isaiah 7:14

Matt. 1:22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” — which means, “God with us.”

2. Micah 5:2

Matt. 2:3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’”

3. Hosea 11:1

Matt. 2:14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

4. Jeremiah 31:15

Matt. 2:16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

5. No Specific Old Testament Verse

Matt. 2:23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

This 5th prophecy is unique in that it cannot be directly traced to a saying in the Old Testament. Therefore, Matthew could be referring to a general theme that was collectively understood among multiple prophets. And the saying could specifically mean that the Messiah would come from a "backwoods" kind of town (such as Nazareth, see John 1:46). In his commentary on Matthew, Craig Blomberg shows that scholars as early as Jerome (4th Cent.) believed this take on the prophecy (Blomberg, NAC: Matthew, p. 70).

Image: painting by Grigory Gagarin (1810-1893)

Transformers Have Always Been Cool

2010-12-11T10:30:00.000-05:00

At least since the mid-80's. I'm the one on the right. My sister Rachael in the middle and my cousin on the left.

We were so proud of our little Optimus Prime and Megatron.

When Is "Energy Efficient" Worth It? - GE Heat Pump Hot Water Heater Review

2010-12-08T06:51:00.000-05:00

This might bore some of you, but I'm really excited about the new water heater we got for our 1925 fixer-upper in Church Hill. When we first bought this place back in June 2009, there was an 8-year old 30-gallon hot water heater in the basement that was off-level and had a water line about a foot from the bottom indicating the basement had flooded at one point (probably Hurricane Gaston in 2004). Furthermore, the heating elements in this cheap water heater were operating very poorly, as Sarah and I could only enjoy about 7 minutes of hot water (max) before it got luke-warm or cold. That meant 3-minute hot water showers if we showered back-to-back. We lived like that for over a year.

So we entered the market as very motivated buyers of a new hot water heater. We explored the affordable models at the big box stores, such as 30, 40, and 50-gallon electric units for anywhere from $220 to $420. I remember seeing some fancy stainless steel model for over $1500 and scoffing at it thinking that we would never get some silly Cadillac of Hot Water Heaters.

That's exactly what we ended up buying.

I had researched online all kinds of water heaters - electric, gas, wood-fired units, and tankless. I went to the library and read Consumer Reports. I stumbled upon this fancy type called a "heat pump water heater." It is a hybrid unit that uses a mix of traditional electric water heating elements and an electric heat pump. Historically, most water heaters have used heating elements to heat the water (extremely inefficient, but it heats nonetheless). Engineers at GE, Rheem, and other companies have figured out a way to mix in a very efficient way to heat (heat pump) with this traditional method and use the result to heat water.

Consumer Reports noted that of all the new "energy efficient" products out there, these Hybrid Water Heaters are one of best at paying themselves off in energy savings very rapidly.

Take a Toyota Prius or Solar Cells for your roof. Those things can take decades to pay for themselves in monetary savings, making them less of an economic purchase and more of a "save the earth" purchase.

I found that the Hybrid Water Heaters can be both an economic purchase and they "save the earth" at the same time. What a concept. What really makes this work is all the rebates and incentives that come from the state and federal level to help you pay for a Heat Pump Water Heater. There was also a sale at Lowe's when I bought it. Here is how it worked for us:

Retail Price of Water Heater: $1599.00
Lowe's 10% Appliance Discount: ($159.90)
State of Virginia Rebate: ($250.00)
Federal Energy Credit: ($453.32)
State Sales Tax $71.96
Net Total Cost to Me: $807.74

Annual Average Savings in Energy Costs (vs. a traditional 50-gallon electric hot water heater): $290/yr. For graphs and an overview of this conclusion, go to http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_pump.pr_savings_benefits

$807 divided by $230 is 2 and three quarters. So this hot water heater will pay for itself in savings in 2 years and 9 months. Everything we save after that is gravy.

I just got my electric bill after using the unit for a full month. Though it's hard to compare to other months' bills because we've only been in the house 18 months and every month has seen changes in upgrades and energy use, I can say that the bill was definitely lower than I expected it to be. One reason is probably this killer water heater.

The heater has a digital dashboard to select the exact heat of the water (up to 125, I think). We keep it at 113 and that's plenty hot enough for us. I should note here that the water feels just as hot as an electric-only water heater. You can also select the energy modes (hybrid, traditional, energy efficient, etc.). You can even select "vacation mode" at the push of a button. My father-in-law and I installed the thing and the installation was very simple and not any different than a traditional water heater (hot/cold lines and wiring for 220). There is also an air filter that is simple to remove and wash under water (haven't had to clean it yet). A light will turn on for you when it is time to clean the air filter.

I've heard and read that some people are concerned about the noise of the appliance. Since it is a heat pump, it has a motor that runs and it is certainly audible. We have the unit in our basement laundry area, so the noise doesn't bother us. We can sometimes hear it from the first floor when everything else is quiet, but it's definitely not bothersome. If anything, it is the sound of extra money in the pocket :)

What are some purchases that you think are worth the up-front cost in order to gain the long-term energy savings?

Just When You Thought Certain Ideas Have Never Been Attempted

2010-12-04T21:23:00.002-05:00

I found this public domain image on wikipedia. It is Walter Rothschild with his zebra carriage.

Who Does She Look Like?

2010-12-04T13:57:00.000-05:00

When Kezzie was born, one of my first reactions was "who's child is this?" in regards to her looks. She was and is beautiful. And so is my wife Sarah. But I was having a hard time finding a likeness to Sarah or myself.

So you get to weigh in. Who does Kezzie look like, Sarah or Jesse?

Here's Kezzie:

Here's Jesse:

And here's Sarah:

Teaching Kids Godly Character at Home

2010-12-03T09:15:00.003-05:00

Here is a great real-life example of a family in our church who is living out Deuteronomy 6:7 in their home ("Impress them [God's commands] on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."). Click on the link below to read about it:

http://thefamilyrobinsonblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/be-wise-sanitize.html

4 Benefits to Being a One Car Family

2010-11-28T19:26:00.006-05:00

I once read a book about living happily without a car. But Sarah and I like having at least one around.

We own a 2001 Toyota Corolla with 176,000 miles on it. Sarah brought it into the marriage fully paid for and it currently shows no signs of dying soon. We change the oil and try to keep up with all the maintenance that comes with a car.

We just had a baby, and there has been the temptation to get a second car so that we can both have the freedom to get up and go whenever we like.

Here are four benefits we have discovered while being a one car family:

1. Money - two cars means twice the property taxes, more fuel purchases, more maintenance bills, and many other costs to owning vehicles

2. Health - we have 2 bikes, and since we live in an urban setting, we are just a bike ride away (or city bus) from ANYTHING (from the grocery store to the post office to the places where we work); biking is a fun way to get that cardio workout

3. Time Together - a result of living with one car means more trips together and planning out days and trips so that our car rides meet both of our needs; that means we do a lot of errands together and thus spend lots of time together in transit

4. Environment - we're not green freaks, but I guess it's nice to think that we're only emitting fumes from one car rather than two

So, for now, I guess we'll keep driving our Corolla 'till it dies without getting anything else.

What works for your family?

Do You Dream of Puppets Too?

2010-11-23T23:30:00.004-05:00

Dreaming of a full size puppet theater in the basement of our church - performing character-building and Bible-lesson puppet shows for kids and families in our city. Wednesday morning storytimes, Friday evening family nights, all sorts of applications. Widely publicized to maximize community participation. Even kids can learn and perform the puppets.

Sketches are next, then fund-raising, then building, then recruiting. I love my job.

Keys to an Effective Hospital Visit

2010-10-29T15:29:00.005-04:00

As children's pastors, one way we can minister to kids is through hospital visits. Being at the hospital is usually a very frightening experience for both the child and the child's family. Showing up in person to offer prayer and some listening ears can do wonderful things for the child and the family. I've had a few recent hospital visits where I have noticed a some things that helped them go well. Here is a list of helpful keys to a great hospital visit, in no particular order and by no means exhaustive:

1. Call ahead make the proper arrangements for the visit.

Make sure you know the building, the floor, the room number, and the best time to arrive. I call the child's parent/guardian and express that I'd like to pay a "cheer up" visit to the child. With heightened security in children's areas, make sure you know what kind of ID to bring along.

2. Call the child by name.

My wife gave birth to our first child a few weeks ago. While in the hospital after the birth, we were happy to receive a visit from the Hospital Chaplain for prayer. But we noticed that during the 5-10 minute visit, he never asked my wife what her name was. Then when he prayed for us, he said something like, "Lord, please help 'the wife'..." Again, I appreciate his visit and prayer, but it seemed very impersonal due to not using her name. Everyone, including children, love to hear their names. So get their name and call them by name in conversation and prayer.

3. Bring along a "bag of tricks" (puppets, cards, games, coloring, magic tricks, etc.).

I happen to be able to juggle. So I bring along some balls to juggle for the kid. I also bring a few simple magic tricks that anyone can do (the change bag and the magic coloring book). But the real hit of the hospital visit is the puppet friend. I bring along a small female puppet named "Sunny." Sunny loves to play games like "I Spy" and sing songs like "Old MacDonald Had a Farm..." with the child. If you're a seasoned ventriloquist, then that's great. But if you're like me and cannot do ventriloquism, then don't worry. I have found out that the child is never looking at you anyway when the puppet is talking. So bring a puppet (or a sock or a brown paper bag if you don't have one) and have fun with it!

4. Be conscious of time - don't stay too long.

We can really wear out the child and the family if we stay too long or visit too many times. Every situation is different and every family is different. So exercise wisdom and discernment depending on your situation. I have found that 15-30 minutes can be plenty of time to connect with the child, play a few games, and pray together with the family. The visit can be even shorter if there are scheduled check-ups and procedures the child needs to undergo. A visit that is too long can suddenly become counterproductive and become a drain on the child and the family.

5. Pray and read the Bible with the child and family.

This helps us remember our purpose for coming. The puppets and magic tricks are good for cheering up. But ultimately, we are here to offer spiritual comfort and encouragement in the name of Jesus. I believe prayer and Scripture reading are the best ways to facilitate this. The prayers and Scripture obviously don't have to be long and drawn-out, but rather sincere and appropriate. Passages from Psalms can be good.

6. Be sensitive when it comes to discussing anything about the child's medical issues or condition.

Why the child is in the hospital is really none of my business unless the family chooses to disclose that information to me. When speaking with the child, I try not to talk too much (if at all) about their medical condition. They have doctors who work with them all day concerning the medical issues. When praying for the child and family, we can simply ask them how we can pray for them. Then we can pray accordingly. Furthermore, as pastors and leaders we should not discuss any medical information with the public or the congregation unless given permission by the family.

7. Mourn with those who mourn.

Most of us have had to experience a chronic illness or death of a young person somewhere in the circle of our influence and ministry. Entire books are written on pastoral care for children who die or have chronic illnesses. And I am no expert on those things. All I can say is that we will never have all the answers and should never appear to have them. We are here to listen, pray, offer hope, and mourn with those who mourn.

Hospital visits are an effective way to be the hands and feet of Jesus to children and families. May God guide you and your ministry when you visit the sick and pray for their needs.

Jesse Joyner lives with his bride of 7 years, Sarah, and their brand new daughter, Keziah Grace (born Sept 30th, 2010) in Richmond, Virginia. For the past 11 years, Jesse has entertained and inspired audiences around the world with a juggling show that teaches kids about the Bible. He is also the Children's Pastor at Commonwealth Chapel in Richmond, Virginia. He and Sarah are both graduates of Taylor University in Upland, Indiana and Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.

For more information on Jesse and his ministry, Jesse the Juggler, go to www.JesseTheJuggler.com.
You can also find Jesse on Twitter at www.twitter.com/JesseTheJuggler and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jesse-the-Juggler/139511922567.

Stretch!

2010-10-11T21:41:00.001-04:00

Nap Time

2010-10-10T16:42:00.001-04:00

Real Men Wear Slings

2010-10-09T18:11:00.002-04:00

Keziah Grace Joyner

2010-10-04T18:27:00.001-04:00

Welcome Keziah Grace Joyner, 7 pounds, 1 ounce, September 30th, 2010 at 6:50am. Mom and baby are safe and healthy.

Waiting

2010-09-25T15:18:00.000-04:00

No baby yet - but taking guesses on the name; your only clue is that it is an uncommon female's name in the Old Testament - I can neither confirm nor deny any guesses - but I might consider a prize if someone gets it - one submission per person :)

Bathroom Before and After

2010-09-10T11:51:00.002-04:00

I paid some plumbers and tile setters (for the shower not shown). I did the rest with the help of my wonderful Dad. So satisfying.

Thoughts from a First-Time Dad-To-Be

2010-08-16T10:56:00.006-04:00

My beautiful wife Sarah is due with our first child next month (3rd week of September). We tried, waited, and prayed for 4 and a half years to have a child before we got pregnant. We experienced the pains of infertility, such as seeing so many happy families with children all around us, some of them (with good intentions) asking us when we were going to have children. We would just have to respond with things like, "When the time is right..." if we were not interested in having a deep, emotional conversation at the moment.

Then came the joy of getting pregnant, which came as a welcomed surprise. In the midst of the joy, more fears raced through my mind, such as the health of the baby and mommy and seeing them pull through this amazing journey to a healthy labor and delivery.

So far, so good. Thank you to all who have supported us and prayed for us through this time. We love our friends and family.

With a month to go, I thought I would list out a few things on my mind currently about being a Dad soon.

1. I've wanted to be a Dad for as long as I can remember - a main reason being the joy and love and security I experienced from my own father.

2. I'm past the "ready" point. Many Dads have about 9 months to emotionally prepare. I feel like I've had a longer waiting period because of the waiting period Sarah and I went through in order to get pregnant.

3. Every Dad I've ever talked to would place the birth of their first child somewhere in the top 2 or 3 moments of their lives. All I can say is that I can only imagine that feeling and experience. You can tell me all day long how special that is, but I will never really know what its like until the day comes next month.

4. I get filled with emotion when I am around the babies and small children of our friends. My "Dad" pistons are firing up more and more as each day goes by.

5. I heard someone say that a woman becomes a mother when she gets pregnant, but a man becomes a father when he holds the baby for the first time. I think that has to do with the whole "carrying" concept. The woman is constantly carrying this new life and the man can only feel the kicking and set up the crib. I'm looking forward to my first experience of carrying our child.

6. I have also heard from too many people about the tons of dirty diapers, sleepless nights, and endless crying. I think I get the picture. And I will not know what it's really like until it happens. Until then, I'm confident that we'll somehow make it through.

7. Speaking of "until then," I realize this will be one of the calmest months of my life until about 2040, depending on how many children we end up having. So here's to quiet nights and a clean house. Then I say, "Bring it on, baby."

Remarkable Things About AirTran

2010-08-09T15:43:00.004-04:00

I fly a lot. I most often fly Delta. But I also end up taking US Air, United, and American Airlines (the major carriers). I have also flown on some of the smaller carriers, such as Jet Blue and Southwest. There is another one called AirTran that I flew for the first time this past weekend.

The big airlines, for the most part, have little to no unique features from one to another. They all pretty much get you and your luggage (most of the time) safely to your destination, with a little drink and snack for refreshment.

The small airlines have come up with some unique characteristics that set them apart from the big airlines. That's probably one of the ways they try to remain competitive with the larger carriers.

Southwest is known for the "free-for-all" seat acquisitions (you have a number for your spot in line and then you just get on the plane and find your favorite seat) and their free baggage (which is huge).

Jet Blue has TV's, cool snacks, and real laid back flight attendants.

Here is what AirTran has (based on my experience this weekend):

1. XM Radio (dozens of channels) in every seat (BYO headphones)
2. Free Wi-Fi on every flight (BYO laptop or smart phone)
3. Free coffee in the gate area before you board
4. A designated attendant greeting you as you get off your plane to tell you the gate of your connecting flight (I actually really appreciated this feature).
5. Upgrade to Business Class for only $49 extra. While I did not take advantage of this, that's a pretty good deal.

What are some features that you appreciate or do not appreciate about certain airlines?

Save Money on a Computer Upgrade

2010-07-19T15:59:00.003-04:00

I'm sure this offer has been out for a while, but I just found out about Apple's computer recycling program. As some of you out there know, I've been a Mac user my entire life (since my Dad bought one of the first ones in 1984). I'm not one of those crazy Apple fanatics who lives and breathes for Apple products, but I do feel they have a good product and good service.

I noticed on their website that if I ever want to buy a new computer, I can recycle my current computer (by mailing it in to Apple) and receive an Apple gift card in the amount of the value of my used computer. I checked the value of my current machine (an iMac I bought in 2007) and found it to be right around $250 in value.

If I ever purchase a new Mac, that $250 will sure come in handy. It looks like they will recycle and give out gift cards for both Mac and PC products.

Check out the value of your computer and read more about the program at http://www.apple.com/recycling/computer/

It's As Scary As It Looks - At First

2010-07-06T14:47:00.003-04:00

At first, this is very frightening. But after years of practicing the shorter unicycle, I found that once I took that first "leap of faith" onto the tall unicycle and rode it for a bit, it was just like riding the shorter one, just higher in the air. This was taken at Highland Lakes Camp in Spicewood, Texas at a camp for about 850 kids. My next goal is to juggle while idling in place on the tall unicycle.

If You're Happy and You Know It

2010-06-04T02:04:00.002-04:00

I have stumbled upon an immensely wonderful game to play with elementary age children. It works especially well with very large groups (even hundreds of kids). I play it with kids at the camps I visit in the summertime and most every kid seems to love playing it.

It's called, "If You're Happy and You Know It....". We've all heard of it. But there is a twist I put on it that has endless possibilities. I'm sure plenty of people have done this twist before. Basically, you sing the song, "If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands." The kids will of course clap. This starts the game. Then you sing the line again and change the words to anything you like, such as "If you're from Mississippi clap your hands" or "If you've ever kissed a frog clap your hands" or "If you can name all four of the Beatles clap your hands", and so on and so forth. The kids will clap their hands after your line if their answer is positive to your questions. If you do a question that requires proof, such as the one about naming the Beatles, point to a kid that clapped their hands and ask them to name the Beatles.

The kids never tire of this game. You could go on and on and on. They love answering all the different questions that come up in the game and clapping their hands to it. I make a list of 30 or 40 lines to the song each time I play the game with the kids.

I've got a dozen or so lists that I've made over the past 3 summers in playing this game at camps. So I've probably got about 400 or 500 different lines to the game written down. Again, the possibilities are endless.

Here are a few more examples:

If you have red hair....
If you can juggle 3 balls...
If you were born in another country....
If you can speak another language...
If you are a twin....
If you still sleep with a blankie....
If you do your own laundry....
If you are homeschooled...

I think you get the point. Come up with your own list and have fun getting to know those kids in ways you never knew you could!

Front Door Before and After

2010-05-18T11:19:00.002-04:00

New Life

2010-05-18T11:12:00.003-04:00

I found a bird's nest in our hanging flower basket on the front porch. Good thing I didn't take it out - the next day there was an egg in it! And the day after that (which is today), there was another egg. I think it might be a tree swallow or a common grackle. It is small, white, and has some very small black smudges on it (maybe dirt, maybe egg design - I know the grackle has some black smudges on it's eggs).

Any thoughts on what kind of bird it is? We'll know soon enough when Mom comes to incubate the eggs. I'll probably miss the hatching since I'll be out of town for the next 6 weeks speaking at camps.

Just the Outer Qatza

2010-05-17T11:13:00.006-04:00

"Qatza" is the transliterated Hebrew term for "fringe". I'm reading through the book of Job right now and something struck me in Job's discourse in chapter 26. This is quoted from the NIV, Job 26:7-14, bold lettering mine:

7 He spreads out the northern [skies] over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing.
8 He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
9 He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it.
10 He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness.
11 The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at his rebuke.
12 By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces.
13 By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent.
14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”

Wow. All the magnificent creation around us - that is just the "outer fringe" of the works of God. What we see is just a whisper of his power and glory.

I love this passage because it reminds us of the unfathomable mystery of God - much like the end of Romans 11 in the New Testament, where Paul discusses how "unsearchable" is the mind and judgement of God.

This gives me comfort that I don't have to have all the answers about God. I don't have to fully understand Him in order to confess my faith in Him. I don't have to scientifically prove Him to believe in His grace and power. What I see is just the outer fringe of His fullness.

My Consumeristic Baby

2010-05-03T14:01:00.003-04:00

My unborn child currently owns about 3 times as many garments of clothing as I do. And we have not even paid a penny for any of them. Welcome to the world of receiving baby hand-me-downs.

We're Pregnant!

2010-04-12T22:30:00.001-04:00

After 4 and a half years of waiting and praying, God has blessed us with a child. We are officially going public with it - and we have the ultrasound to prove it. Sarah is due in September, and we know that it's going to be a little girl! Naming will be kept a secret until delivery :)

A Date With My Mother-In-Law

2010-03-31T19:27:00.003-04:00

I love my mother-in-law. Sometimes I actually feel like I get along better with her than my own wife does. Today, my wife spent the day with a friend and I was left to chill with Carolyn. We went up to Barr Lake State Park just northeast of Denver in hopes of catching some good bird sightings. We went to the nature center and they told us to be on the look-out for the nesting Bald Eagle at the 2.5 mile marker on the trail. We hiked our way to the spot, checking off a few birds on the way (Northern Flicker, Red-Winged Blackbird, Belted Kingfisher).

We finally spotted the lone tree out over the water. Built within the upper branches was an enormous nest built for an avian king. Atop the huge nest of large sticks sat the mother of all birds - the bald eagle. We weren't sure if it was the male or the female, since they both have the bald white head. We were told that mama eagle was sitting on her eggs which were about to hatch any day now. We never saw any chicks pop up out of the nest but we did get quite a show from the eagle itself.

About a minute into watching the nesting eagle, it jumped up, spread its majestic wings and dove towards the water. We lost sight of it as it descended behind some trees. About a minute later, it re-emerged into our view and approached the nest. This time, it had some lunch in its talons (either a fish or another unlucky bird). Perhaps it was feeding itself or it was bringing food to the new chicks down in the nest - we couldn't tell if there were any little ones. Either way, it was a magnificent sight.

On the way home from the park, we stopped for lunch at, you guessed it, Chick-Fil-A.

The Smoothest Plane Ride Ever

2010-03-28T20:24:00.002-04:00

I flew to Syracuse, NY yesterday morning to do my juggling presentation for the Upward program at North Syracuse Baptist Church. I woke up around 4:45am to catch my early flight, so I figured I could catch some zzzz's on the plane to New York.

I boarded the second leg of my trip (Philadelphia to Syracuse) and was pretty tired. I sat down in my seat and prepared to doze off. The stewardess gave the "safety talk" and then the pilot taxied the plane to the runway. That's about when I fell into my little cat-nap.

Now, when I cat-nap, I am still about 25% aware of my real-life surroundings. I heard the noise of the plane engine and I also heard the stewardess going down the aisle offering everyone something to drink (a mid-flight ritual). I remember looking at her in my cat-nap and politely declining the offer for some water, then going back to sleep.

My nap lasted about 30 minutes, and I specifically remember thinking the thought to myself, "Wow, this is a really smooth plane ride." There was no turbulence - just peaceful, quiet, smooth sailing.

Then I heard some very loud engine noises and the plane increasing in speed. I woke from my dormant state and, you guessed it, we were speeding down the runway, not even in the air yet.

During my nap, we were waiting in a line of about 15 or so planes to take off. The stewardess was offering water during the wait time. I will still remember it as the smoothest flight I have ever experienced.

The Idiot's Garden

2010-03-17T11:08:00.003-04:00

Sarah and I have officially started our very first garden - ever. And we have absolutely no idea what we're doing. I figure we can learn by trial and error and lots of phone calls to Grandma (who has a fabulous garden).

I had already cleared an area in the backyard and we have been composting our food scraps for the past several months. So I went to Home Depot the other day (for something else) and saw the garden vegetable seeds for sale. I went ahead and bought some packets that were OK to plant in our region in March (the options were limited). I got some spinach, some romaine lettuce, red peppers, red onions, and banana peppers (I like getting those on my subs at Subway). Sarah was a little scared of the thought of a garden full of banana peppers.

I sowed the seeds (again, no idea what I was doing), covered them up with a little composted soil, and I watered them this morning. I guess I'll just keep at it and see what happens. How exciting!

The Comfortable Funky Tree

2010-03-13T10:36:00.003-05:00

Sarah and I found this tree at a quiet park south of Richmond and near the centuries-old "Citie of Henricus". I wonder how many people have stopped to enjoy the hammock feeling of this unique natural wonder.

The Evolution of The Master Bedroom

2010-03-06T20:36:00.004-05:00

Here are some BEFORE, MIDDLE, and AFTER shots (in reverse order above, so the bottom picture is "before", and so on) of the master bedroom in the new 85-year-old house Sarah and I bought last June. It's been fun working on it. This is the first major room completion, and it now gives Sarah hope that my work is better than "boy scoutish", which is what she was afraid of going into this. I still have a ton to learn about DIY home restoration, but I think this first room came out pretty good.

First, we were able to pull this off on a cheap budget. Here are the major costs of the master bedroom (estimated):

Ceiling Fan - $150
Paint and Supplies - $150
Floor Sanding and Refinishing - $250
Electrical Rewiring/Updating - $20
Two Joyner-Made Night Stands - FREE (from scrap wood!)
Misc Supplies (all-purpose compound, nails, etc.) - $25
Period Doors and Hardware - $100
Original Transom and Hardware (ours was missing, so we bought one from a neighbor with the same house dimensions - they didn't want it) - $45
One happy wife - priceless

The last major piece in the room is the window, which we'll tackle when we either restore or replace all the windows in the house at once.

We already had all the other furniture to put in the new room, so that brings the total for a nice new master bedroom to $740! Paying people to do all the above would have been in the thousands.

The Lord Gives and Roeder Takes Away

2010-01-29T16:53:00.003-05:00

In my hotel room in Columbus this weekend, I caught a glimpse of the televised trial for the murder of George Tiller, the abortion doctor from Kansas City. At the moment I was watching, Scott Roeder (the defendant who admittedly shot Tiller) was on the witness stand.

Roeder attempted to justify his pulling of the trigger by claiming that he was protecting the lives of the unborn, saying that life starts at conception and that God the Creator was the only one in charge of the beginning and ending of life (not Tiller). He quoted the familiar phrase that "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away" (which is found in the Book of Job, chapter 1, verse 21).

This is a great example of my previous post in how the Bible can be used for evil as it can also be used for good. I believe that Mr. Roeder used a Biblical passage and twisted it to fit his unjust actions. He used the Bible for evil.

The double-standard in Mr. Roeder's logic cannot be more blatant. He is defending his act of murder by saying that only the Lord is allowed to take life away from someone. Think about that for a second. "I'm going to kill you because you're a child-killer and I believe that only God can end someone's life, not you."

For the record, I happen to believe that life begins at conception and that abortion is taking the life of a child. But there is a right way and a wrong way to respond to those with whom we disagree. I believe that Mr. Roeder chose the un-Christlike way to respond to someone with whom he disagreed. Some right ways to respond include patient prayer, loving compassion for struggling mothers, peaceful engagement and dialogue with people of opposing viewpoints, and voting for legislators who seek to protect the lives of the unborn.

If Mr. Roeder knows his entire Bible, he would come across the sayings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5, verses given):

21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother[b]will be subject to judgment.

38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'[g] 39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor[h] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[i] and pray for those who persecute you,

Thankfully, justice was served and Mr. Roeder was convicted of murder. Looks like he'll be in prison for life, with a possibility for parole after 25 years.

Heavenly Father, please protect the lives of the unborn, grant support and wisdom to young mothers who are struggling with tough decisions, and please help us to respond lovingly to those with whom we disagree.

Knife Juggling and the Bible

2010-01-23T20:36:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow morning, the Scripture lesson for Godz Kidz at Commonwealth Chapel is going to be the same as what the adults will hear in the adult service - 2 Timothy 2:14-21. I'm going to focus in on verse 15, which says, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."

Part of my juggling show (which I'll show the kids tomorrow) is juggling knives. Now, a knife is an interesting object. It is sharp, deadly, and dangerous. At the same time, a knife is also useful, helpful, and life-saving. The Bible (which metaphorically refers to itself as a sword) is the same way. It can be used for harm or it can be used for good.

Many people wrongly judge others using Bible passages taken out of context. Many cultures throughout history have used the Bible to justify evil and hatred. On the same hand, the Bible, when properly handled (like a scalpel in the hand of a surgeon) brings life, hope, peace, and justice to a world full of darkness and hatred.

Tomorrow, we'll talk about rightly handling the Word of Truth. That means reading it, studying it, interpreting it contextually, and asking the Spirit of God lead us in understanding it.

Lord, help us to properly understand your Word and always handle it in ways that bring the resurrection power of Jesus Christ to this world. Amen.

Christmas with Carolyn

2009-12-29T20:06:00.002-05:00

Sarah's Mom, Carolyn, visited us all the way from Denver, CO. We had a great time walking the streets of Richmond, VA and taking a few pictures along the way. Sarah and I have lived here for 2 years and pass some of these tourist sites all the time. It takes an out of town visitor coming to get us to stop and see the great sites that are right in front of us everyday! We have pictures of the Old City Hall (in classic Gothic architecture), Sarah and Carolyn at Cafe Keturra, and Jesse and Sarah in front of the Virginia State Capitol building.

Making Progress

2009-11-22T15:26:00.002-05:00

So I successfully re-wired our house (haven't done the basement or kitchen yet). I put in brand new wires throughout the upstairs and downstairs so all the receptacles are grounded and all the light fixtures are rated for 90 degrees. It was a bear of a project, escpecially working with plaster walls. We have company coming over for Thanksgiving, so it is a great incentive to get some of the holes in the walls patched up before they come. Have a great Thanksgiving!

The Dishwasher

2009-09-23T18:48:00.003-04:00

Sarah and I have made it for 6 years of marriage without ever owning a dishwasher. Before that, we were college students that ate at the dining commons and didn't have to worry about the dishes (except for the times that we each worked in the dishroom, but those tenures were short-lived).

So I walked into the Habitat For Humanity ReStore in Richmond, VA today - as I do at least twice a week looking for hot deals on household stuff from shutters to light fixtures. At the front of the store were about 20 dishwashers. They were all FREE for the taking. There was a limit of two per customer and no holding of items. The first person to haul it out gets the dishwasher.

I had a 2001 Toyota Corolla in the parking lot. That's not designed to haul dishwashers. And if I would have left to borrow my Dad's truck 45 minutes away, maybe all 20 would be gone. What would I do?

I picked up the best looking dishwaher (a Maytag) and carried it out to the parking lot (yes, I picked it up myself). Dishwashers are deceivingly lightweight. I opened the trunk of the compact car and shoved the bottom part of the machine into the trunk. Most of it was sticking out of the trunk, so I tied it on to the back of the car as best I could, with the help of a nice passerby who, when I asked his name, said, "they call me Jimmy".

So thanks Jimmy (and Reggie, too, for helping me unload the thing when I got home). I have a free Maytag in the basement awaiting the day of our full kitchen remodel. Until then, I guess we'll just keep washing those plates by hand.

Our New House!

2009-09-12T20:42:00.003-04:00

New House Pictures Forthcoming

2009-08-26T16:50:00.002-04:00

Since we bought a new house, we have not yet gotten internet in it (which is actually really nice - it saves money and TIME!). That means that pictures of our new place take a little bit of work to post (putting them on a zip drive and taking them to the local library to load and then post for you all). I'll get around to doing that soon enough. I've already replaced a basement window and put up new gutters with my Dad. There are plenty more projects, but "one step at a time."

My Updated Birdwatching Life List

2009-08-10T13:42:00.003-04:00

I started birdwatching in May 2009 and here is my list of birds observed in the wild.

Northern Cardinal
Blue Jay
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
Mourning Dove
Black Pole Warbler
Red Bellied Woodpecker
Common Grackel
American Redstart
Bay Breasted Warbler
Carolina Chickadee
Spotted Sandpiper
Redwinged Blackbird
Black and White Warbler
Prothonatary Warbler
Turkey Vulture
Carolina Wren
American Goldfinch
Tufted Titmouse
Northern Mockingbird
Cowbird
Mallard Duck
Gray Catbird
Indigo Bunting
Orchard Oriole
Great-Tailed Grackle
Belted Kingfisher
Barn Swallow
Red-Headed Woodpecker
Black-Capped Chickadee
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Red-Tailed Hawk
Osprey
Glossy Ibis
Black-Crowned Night Heron
Great Blue Heron
Double-Breasted Cormorant
Great Egret
Little Egret
Wild Turkey
Northern Bobwhite
Canada Goose
Killdeer
Laughing Gull
Herring Gull
Common Tern
Rock Pigeon
Eastern Bluebird
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Chipping Sparrow
Purple Finch

The Ten Commandments of Using Volunteers in a Kid Show

2009-07-18T09:46:00.003-04:00

This can apply to anyone who performs shows for kids - jugglers, magicians, clowns, variety entertainers, teachers, etc.

1. Thou shalt use volunteers and audience participation
2. Thou shalt use a variety of volunteers (age, gender, race, etc.)
3. Thou shalt get and remember names
4. Thou shalt respect the volunteers
5. Thou shalt make the volunteer the star
6. Thou shalt keep the volunteer safe from harm
7. Thou shalt amplify the volunteer
8. Thou shalt use a plethora of volunteers throughout the show
9. Thou shalt learn some useful one-liners in working with volunteers
10. Thou shalt embrace the unexpected and have fun with whatever happens.

I have stories that go along with many of these items on the list to help illustrate what I mean. I have learned some of these lessons the hard way. I shared this in a 45-minute workshop at the Fellowship of Christian Magicians this past week in Marion, Indiana. I hope it helps some performers out there who may read this.

Calvin on Loving Righteousness

2009-05-26T09:18:00.003-04:00

"...no man ever hated sin without being previously enamored of righteousness." - John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Book 3, Chapter 3, Number 20).

I Found a New Hobby

2009-05-20T17:45:00.003-04:00

Can you name that bird?

I never thought I would admit this, but I just got the "bird-watching" bug this morning. My friend, Kevin, took me on a hike near the James River with a few binoculars and some bird books. He has been birding for a few years and this was my first day. Coincidentally, we happened to run into one of the most "famous" birders in Virginia (according to Kevin). This kind sir (from England originally) knew all there is to know about birds (he called it his "obsession"). Because of his help, I saw 25 unique birds in the wild in a matter of 2 hours of birding - most of them with my binoculars. Here is the list of what I got to see today:

Cardinal
Blue Jay
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
Mourning Dove
Black Pole Warbler
Red Bellied Woodpecker
Common Grackel
American Redstart
Bay Breasted Warbler
Carolina Chickadee
Spotted Sandpiper
Redwinged Blackbird
Black and White Warbler
Prothonatary Warbler
Turkey Vulture
Carolina Wren
American Goldfinch
Tufted Titmouse
Mockingbird
Cowbird
Mallard Duck
Graycat Bird
Indigo Bunting
Orchard Oriole

Kevin said that learning something new like this allows us to name that which is naturally around us - and the better we get at that, the more we expand our experience in life - which leads to greater joy and appreciation of God's wonderful Creation.

Again, name that bird (hint, its in the list above)

Library Surprises

2009-04-27T21:03:00.006-04:00

Have you ever gone to the library for certain books and left with a stack of completely different books? If you do that with your grocery list at the grocery store (too many times) you might spend too much money in life. But libraries are FREE!

I went to Union Seminary library in Richmond today with a few books in mind. I instead found a small stack that was different than I intended, but they look like great reads. I started two of them today and I am looking forward to digging into both. The titles and authors are pictured above. Have you visited your local library lately?

The Canterbury Cathedral Choir

2009-04-20T23:10:00.005-04:00

Sarah and I had a surprising date tonight - a free concert at St. James Episcopal Church in Richmond for the USA tour of the Canterbury Cathedral Choir. This world-renowned choir of men and boys is on their first US tour in 10 years and is making stops in NYC and DC, among other places. They stopped here in Richmond for a concert tonight, which was superb.

They sang a beautiful French piece called Cantique de Jean Racine by Gabriel Faure, which I had sung as a senior in High School. They also did the magnificent Zadok the Priest, which is often sung at coronations and other royal events.

Afterwards, there was a reception full of yummy foods. Sarah and I got to meet some of the young choristers and ask them questions about their lives. I found out that thousands of boys audition for a few dozen spots. They board at Canterbury for school, and they practice their singing every day. This choir has a 1400-year tradition of performing.

After watching Bill Maher's movie Religulous earlier in the day (his "treatise" on hedonism and why theistic faith is delusional and destructive), I was struck with the thought of the wondrous beauty in the music of human voices (just listen to a clip of this choir on iTunes). Could such sounds really be the result of godless chance? I seriously doubt it. And that's what Maher wanted me to do as a result of watching his movie - doubt. I just don't think he had that type of doubt in mind when he produced the movie.

The "Instant Equity!" Scam

2009-04-16T12:39:00.004-04:00

I'm sorry, but as I look through the real estate market, there is something that really irks me about the misleading things sellers like to say about their homes. Let's take a home that is on the market for $150,000. The seller says that the recent assessment of the home's value was $180,000, so if you buy it, then you will have $30,000 "instant equity"!

Now, think about this: A home is only worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it. If I am willing to fork out $150,000 and nobody else is willing to fork out more than that, then guess what? The home is only worth $150,000 and there is NO "instant equity." I could turn around and immediately try to re-sell the house, but I will probably only get that same amount or less for it - unless I fix it up, wait several years (and hope the neighborhood appreciates), or try the same stupid misleading tactics of telling potential buyers that they will have instant equity.

A home is NOT worth what your municipality tells you it is worth. That might be an educated guess (some more educated than others, I'm sure) based on the recent sales of comparable homes in the area. But ultimately, a home is only worth what the buyer actually pays for it.

Phoenix and Boston in One Weekend

2009-04-15T13:18:00.003-04:00

This past weekend, I got to spend time in both Phoenix and Boston - and half of it was unplanned! I did a scheduled trip to Phoenix as I got to share my juggling presentation at a church on Easter Sunday in Prescott, AZ. The people there at Heights Church were great to me. On Easter afternoon, a family invited me over for a big extended family lunch. They lived out in the desert country. While driving to their house, which sits on some 40 acres of family property overlooking a beautiful mountain range, I passed an elderly couple running their dog while driving their car. Yes, they had the leash out the driver's side window and the poor dog was trying to keep up with the running vehicle, with other cars trying to go around it all. Now, that is redneck.

After great food and socializing, I took my first four-wheeling trip of my life. The dad and son took me up into the hills to see some ruins, a water spring, and an old mine with a wild owl that was protecting her eggs. It reminded me of the Humphrey Bogart movie The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (if you haven't seen it, it is a great narrative of the gold rush days).

On Monday, my friend dropped me off at the airport with about an hour before my flight. But it ended up being the wrong terminal (long story). So I took the shuttle to the right terminal and ended up being too late to check my bags for the flight. It was then impossible for them to re-route me to Richmond, Virginia that night. I had to be re-routed through some other city and arrive home the next day - and pay for my own hotel somewhere.

One of my re-routing options was Boston. So I called my college roommate, who lives in Boston (at BU) with his wife, and he was delighted to hear from me and was excited to put me up for the night. He just happened to have the day off on Tuesday (so did I). So he and I saw one another for the first time in several years and spent all day walking the streets of Boston and eating authentic Italian pizza in the North End. We even took the free tour at the world headquarters for the Church of Christian Science (the "reading room" folks). That was very educational, since neither of us Protestant boys knew much about this Christian Science group. Not to mention, the architecture and grand organ of the building were stunningly beautiful. The entire day was a pleasant surprise for both of us.

God is so good. He takes what seems to be disasters (missed flights) and somehow turns them into glorious experiences (seeing a long-missed friend).

Listen to Your Local Police Scanner

2009-04-07T14:28:00.002-04:00

I just learned about a neat website that lets you listen to live streaming audio of your local emergency responders. Listen in by clicking on your local area at this website: http://www.scanamerica.us/index.php

July 1-3, 1863

2009-04-01T09:22:00.003-04:00

Those are the dates of the bloody battle of Gettysburg. On Monday night, I had the privilege of sharing my juggling presentation at First United Methodist Church in Lancaster, PA. On the drive home Tuesday, I took a few hours to stop and look around in Gettysburg, which is only about an hour away from Lancaster.

I had no idea how large Gettysburg Battlefield was. There are monuments everywhere. I had never seen so many monuments covering one landscape. It seems that every single regiment that fought in the battle got a monument erected somewhere on the battlefield. The battle claimed some 50,000 casualties, and it started by a chance encounter between the two armies, each in transit.

The most meaningful part of the day for me was reading the text of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address near the spot where he actually delivered it. He says that we, the living, cannot consecrate and hallow this ground (the dead already did so). Rather, we the living must forge ahead for the sake of that which these soldiers stood, for they did not die in vain. What did they fight for? A government of the people, for the people, and by the people, all under God.

I was also struck with the thought of the destructiveness of war. 50,000 lives in three days is a lot of carnage (roughly one death every 5 seconds on one battlefield). Something about it does not make sense to me. But what do I know.

Red Pepper Avocado Sandwich

2009-03-26T16:17:00.002-04:00

Here is one of my favorite lunches. It is quick, easy, simple, and healthy.

The Red Pepper Avocado Sandwich.

Ingredients (for two sandwiches):
1. 1 Avocado
2. 1/3 Red Pepper
3. pinch of Celtic Sea Salt (to taste)
4. 4 slices of Ezekiel bread (or any kind of sliced bread), toasted

Make two sandwiches, using half an avocado (sliced), 1/6 of a red pepper (chopped), and a pinch of salt for each sandwich. Squeeze the bread slices together tightly to smash the ingredients into the sandwich. It all stays together better that way. Enjoy!

Worms on the Earth

2009-03-26T14:29:00.001-04:00

"The majesty of God is too high to be scaled up to by mortals, who creep like worms on the earth." - John Calvin, 16th Century

Car Review - 2009 Dodge Nitro

2009-03-25T11:24:00.002-04:00

This past weekend, I got to take a 2009 Dodge Nitro from Richmond, VA to St. Louis, MO and back. I rent a lot of vehicles for my job and I thought I would share my personal opinion about some of them in case it helps anyone out there. First of all, I usually get a smaller vehicle, but I took advantage of a "free upgrade" coupon from Budget and enjoyed the larger and more sporty Nitro this time around.

Overview: The Dodge Nitro has an "oversized boxy jeep" look to it. It can be driven in 2WD or 4WD. It seats 5 comfortably (there might even be some hidden seats in the far rear, but I didn't check).

PROS: Lots of visibility when you check your blind spots. Lots of room. Sporty look. Satellite radio. Comfortable driver's seat. Feels like a solid and strong vehicle.
CONS: Not the best gas mileage. No radio controls on the steering wheel (I like that feature in a car). Acceleration pick-up seemed to drag a little when I wanted to speed up quickly. My model did not have any driver's seat adjustments other than the floor latch (for forward/backward) and the recline latch.

I'll try to do more car reviews in the future. Whether you're in the market for a car or just curious about new models, I hope this helps.

-Jesse Joyner

Augustine of Hippo

2009-03-18T19:03:00.003-04:00

"God orders what we cannot do, that we may know what we ought to ask of him." -Augustine of Hippo

Marketing Goofs

2009-03-17T18:34:00.002-04:00

If you're familiar with the inside back-cover of Consumer Reports, then you know about their ongoing column of the humor and irony often found in a company's attempt at advertising.

For example, I saw a used car dealership ad the other day that boasted, "Brand Spanking Pre-Owned!" vehicles. Now, something about that phrase sounds out of place.

Anyway, above is a photo of a clipping from the Richmond, VA Public Utilities newsletter that comes monthly with my gas bill. They have this little giveaway where you have to look for your utility account number in the newsletter. And if you're one of the lucky two people with their number hidden in the newsletter. Then you get $25.

The humor here is the stack of bills presented in the image next to the prize explanation. Even if all the other bills (other than the $20) were ones (the smallest bill denomination in our present time), that wad would be way more than $25. So, do you win $25, or what's in the picture?

Pearl Buck Quote

2009-03-17T18:29:00.000-04:00

"The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible-and achieve it, generation after generation." - Pearl Buck

The Juggler's Prayer

2009-03-11T11:55:00.001-04:00

Dear Lord,

You are the great Juggler.
From the celestial bodies to our human bodies, you toss and weave every planet and molecule in a pattern of indescribable beauty.
We can manage only a handful of objects in the air at once.
We can manage only a limited amount of schedules, relationships, and responsibilities on this earth.
But you are the eternal, everlasting, all-powerful God, with no limit to your juggling prowess.
May we look to you for all our juggling strength, seeking to emulate the beauty of your patterns in the patterns we make.
We praise you, great Juggler, who is Father, Spirit, and Son - the One True God.

Amen.

Jesse Joyner

According to What Scriptures?

2009-02-26T09:34:00.009-05:00

Image: "The Burial of Christ" by Gustave Dore, woodcut (19th Century)

This is the season of Lent, where Christians remember the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ during the 40 days (not counting Sundays) leading up to Easter. This morning, I read the first recorded Christian creed of the resurrection, which was written by Paul of Tarsus in the middle of the first century in his first letter to the Christians in Corinth: "...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." (1 Cor 15:3b-4).

This begs a question: Which "Scriptures" attested to this death, burial, and resurrection? Paul grew up as a very devout Jew, and knew his Jewish Scriptures very well, so he is certainly speaking of those sacred texts, which is what Christians today regard as the Old Testament. The New Testament was far from its final form (indeed, some texts were not yet written) as of Paul writing this creed. So Paul is not referring to the death, burial, and resurrection accounts found in the first century biographies of Jesus written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

While the "suffering servant" songs of Isaiah (i.e. Isaiah 53) and Psalm 22 foreshadow the death and suffering of Christ, there is still the question as to which Jewish texts point to the resurrection of Christ. There are few particular passages to which Paul could be referring:

1. Psalm 16:10-11: "because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay" (this is especially interesting when you read Peter's sermon in Luke's Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:22-36).

2. Isaiah 53:11: "After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied" (interestingly enough, the phrase "of life" is not found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the phrase "light of life" is not found in the Masoretic Text).

3. Hosea 6:2: "After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence" (remarkably, early Jewish rabbinical teachings from the 2nd Century view this passage as referring to resurrection; see also 2 Kings 20:5 for another "third day" restoration).

4. Jonah 1:17: "But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights" (this should be seen as prophetic only as it relates to what Jesus says in Matthew 12:40: "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth").

According to Gordon Fee, the most plausible explanation for Paul claiming that the Jewish Scriptures foreshadow the resurrection of Christ is that "'on the third day' was probably seen in terms of the variety of OT texts in which salvation or vindication took place on the third day" (Fee, NICNT: 1 Corinthians, 727f.).

I would like to reference two commentaries that helped in compiling this information: John N. Oswalt's The NIV Application Commentary: Isaiah (2003, p. 587) and Gordon D. Fee's The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The First Epistle to the Corinthians (1987, pp. 727f.).

Spiritual Shots in Richmond

2009-02-11T19:17:00.003-05:00

Last night, Sarah and I went to Bottoms Up Pizza in the Shockhoe Slip area of downtown Richmond for something called "Spiritual Shots." It is a forum for people to discuss matters of faith in a bar setting. Run by a Christian organization, Spiritual Shots features interesting topics each month such as "Suffering", "Sex", "Hell", "Science and the Bible", etc. The speaker is a local pastor (there are two that usually rotate back and forth) and they get 30 minutes at the mic with the topic. Then, the floor is completely open to questions, challenges, debating, and dialogue. Though many Christians come, there are also people who are not Christians and I'll just say that sometimes, the discussions get pretty lively. Meanwhile, everyone is treated to complimentary pizza and water (you can purchase drinks and food for yourself at the bar beyond the complimentary stuff). If someone feels uncomfortable asking a question in front of everyone, then they can jot it down on cards provided and turn it in at the end. The speaker will then follow up with those questions via e-mail. The topic last night was about suffering. The issue discussed was the atheist claim that so much injustice and violence has been done in the name of religion. Instead of writing about it here, I'll let you listen yourself. You can hear some of the messages (not the Q/A afterwards, unfortunately) at the following website: http://www.spiritualshots.com/spiritual_shots.html#audio

Life Without a Driveway

2009-02-03T15:51:00.003-05:00

When you live in an urban setting with no personal driveway, I guess you're in for life's unexpected surprises - like getting towed when your car is parked as normal in front of your apartment. The funny thing is that I was in my apartment, a mere 30 yards from my car, which was parked on the block where I usually park it. It just happened to be the bi-annual (or whatever) street cleaning day. The last time I messed up on this one, they just slapped a ticket on my car and drove around it with the street cleaner. This time, they decided they wanted to babysit the Corolla in their "pound" for a day or two. Now, I get to go to the sitters and pay them $60 to get Chamby (named so for her Champagne color) back. Ahh, what a life.

25 Random Things About Me

2009-02-02T16:59:00.002-05:00

This is a repeat of my response to this immensely networked question on Facebook.

1. A perpetual habit I have is running my fingernails through the seams and edges of blankets, clothing, and sheets of paper. I certainly got this habit from my childhood, when I naturally did the exact same thing with my precious "blankie."
2. I have spent the night in a homeless shelter.
3. I have never been skiing, even though my wife is from Denver, Colorado.
4. I have been working on Victor Hugo's Les Miserables for over two years - and I'm only halfway through it!
5. My blood type is B positive. I always thought of myself as an optimistic person.
6. My wife and I do not own a TV, which caught the door-to-door cable saleswoman off guard when she came by last year.
7. Speaking of door-to-door salespeople, I used to be one.
8. I'm in the process of collecting all the state quarters (from both mints). I'm only missing three from the Philadelphia mint and a handful from the Denver mint.
9. I am currently reading through John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion - and loving it (despite being a graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary).
10. Since the day I got my driver's license 12 years ago, I have never gotten a moving violation of any sort.
11. I'm allergic to cheese, but I love pizza.
12. I am a chainsaw juggler.
13. When I was first dating Sarah, we were in different states for a summer, and I mailed her a handwritten letter every day of the summer except for one day. Her responses were not quite as frequent, but she still ended up marrying me.
14. I once got Sarah a clothes-drying racks as a Christmas present. I quickly learned that such practical gifts are not her type for Christmas and moved on to more sentimental things.
15. I have never broken a bone in my body.
16. I am left-handed, along with Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, and Obama.
17. I would rather spend 45 minutes alone in a room with 1,000 elementary schoolers than with 10 "too-cool-for-school" teenagers.
18. As I write this, my wife is feeding me freshly cut grapefruit.
19. I am very picky when it comes to board games and card games. I tend to like ones that require more strategy and less chance.
20. I am a lifelong Mac user.
21. When I played little league baseball, I once played on a team with some players that had just returned from the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA.
22. I have lived for at least 3 months in 8 different states (MA, RI, PA, VA, IN, KY, OH, TX). The year 2008 was the first year in a decade where I resided in only one state for the whole year (that made state taxes much more simple).
23. When I lived in Israel, I got to attend a Shabbat Dinner, a Ramadan meal (after sundown, of course), and help out with a Christian food charity.
24. I sometimes call my sister Sarah and my wife Rachael (it's really the other way around).
25. My wife sometimes calls me Josh and her brother Jesse.

John Calvin's Institutes

2009-01-29T12:55:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine and I are reading through Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion this year. I got the book (which is two volumes in one) from my Dad for Christmas. We get together on Wednesday mornings at Starbucks and discuss what we've been reading. It looked overwhelming at first, but we use a daily reading guide from Princeton Seminary that breaks it up into bite-sized chunks (http://www2.ptsem.edu/ConEd/Calvin/).

If you don't own the book, you can read it online (and/or listen to it if you like). As my friend and I are reading it, I'm realizing that John Calvin was indeed a great thinker and theologian. The topics on which he writes are extremely relevant for any generation, including ours. We just finished a section where Calvin was defending the authority of the Bible (good stuff). Today's reading was about idolatry and God's jealousy.

Decadent Chocolate-Chip Cupcakes

2008-12-22T18:54:00.003-05:00

Here is a recipe for Chocolate-Chip cupcakes that is AMAZING. First of all, I used the Nestle-Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe as my base, then I innovated from there. Secondly, there are NO BUTTER cupcakes - and they come out amazing. What do I use instead of butter? Not margarine....not shortening (yuk)....but I use apple sauce. And no, they do not taste like apple sauce when they come out of the oven. In fact, there is no trace of apple flavor in these cupcakes. It is all yummy chocolate chip cookie flavor in a caky consistency that is perfecto for cupcakes.

2 and 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup apple sauce (or 3 medium apples blended in a high powered blender like a vitamix)
1 and 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1 inch of real vanilla bean if you have a high powered blender)
2 large eggs
1 regular package of chocolate chips (I like to use Ghiradelli dark morsels, and just a little less than the whole bag)

Preheat oven to 375

In one container, mix flour, baking soda and salt
Using a separate container, mix apple sauce, sugar, vanilla, and eggs

Use a mixer while adding the contents of container #1 (flour, baking soda, salt) to container #2 (apple sauce, sugar, vanilla, eggs)

Mix in chocolate chips (or blueberries or whatever you want in these muffins)

Chill in fridge or freezer for an hour or more if desired (helps the ingredients blend together)

Fill your cupcake tins with cupcake cups (or else grease the tins very well) and fill the cups to just under the level where the cup hole is even with the tin

Bake for about 10-15 minutes, depending on your oven. Check to see if they're done by sticking a cupcake with a knife or fork. The knife/fork should go in and out without any resistance and come up clean of any sticky dough (except for maybe the top part, if you like them that way).

Enjoy!

Other names: No Butter Chocolate Chip Cupcakes, Apple Sauce Chocolate Chip Cookies, Death by Cupcake, Low Fat Cupcakes, Healthy Cupcakes, etc.

Magazine Review - Bible Study Magazine

2008-12-15T17:12:00.004-05:00

I agreed to write a review for the brand new "Bible Study Magazine" in exchange for a copy of their inaugural issue. I'm not one for long reviews in prose form, so I will put what I see as pros and cons about the magazine in list format:

PROS:
1. The articles are both scholarly and readable at the same time. One does not have to be a Greek or Hebrew geek to get a lot out of this magazine.

2. The content covers a wide range of theological topics, including, but not limited to things like apologetics, archaeology, and marriage.

3. With 50 pages of magazine, only 14 are given to advertising (when adding the sum total of ad space), which I see as a low percentage. It is nice to have magazines that come across as being rich in content as opposed to an ad catalogue with a few articles to give it credence.

4. Of all the theological magazines out there, this is the first one I have seen that is devoted to "Bible Study." There are plenty of specialized theological journals and publications, but this one seems to find a good niche that is very important to the life of the Church.

CONS:
1. By looking at the cover of this copy and the preview cover for the next issue, I do not like the really big headshot of the featured writer/contributor. This first issue has Josh McDowell staring you down, with a big smile on his face, like your friend's Dad talking to you too closely and breathing heavily near your nose. You can even see the layout of his teeth. Next month, Kay Arthur has the exact same smiling headshot on the cover. In my opinion, zoom out a little, or take a picture of something else.

2. This magazine is put out by the Logos Bible Software company. I am an avid Accordance fan, and I know that Logos just came out with their Mac version, but I am still not going to switch. Maybe I'm prejudiced, but I hope this magazine does not turn into a large ad for Logos over time.

3. By glancing at the contributors and their backgrounds, I sense that there is a heavy representation of Conservative Baptists (a la DTS) running the show here. Now, I love the Baptists, and I love their focus on the Word (which is what this magazine is all about). But I hope to see a more broad representation of ideas from within the Evangelical community, such as the Pentecostals, the Wesleyans, the Emergent/Missional community, the Calvinists, etc. Perhaps that is already in their plans, but I just had that gut feeling about this first issue (footnote: I understand there is plenty of blurry crossover in the aforementioned groups).

There you have it. It is not a very scholarly review, but thanks to BSM for giving me my free copy. I love the chart in the back about the different canonical traditions within the Church (Protestant, Catholic, Ethiopian, Syriac, Orthodox, Hebrew, Samaritan)

-Jesse Joyner

10 Ways to Save Money This Christmas

2008-12-09T09:03:00.002-05:00

Since we're in an economic recession, it might be nice to look at some ways to save money this Christmas. We can all still have a very meaningful Christmas season and show love to our friends and families without having to slaughter our own personal finances. Here are ten ideas:

1. The Christmas Card Trick - Take Christmas cards from last year, neatly cut off the half with writing on it. Now you have a fresh new Christmas card.
2. Shop Online - This saves gas and (sometimes) time. Unfortunately, you could find yourself surfing the web for as long as it would take you to go out and buy it at the store. But you can find the best deals on products using web features like "Google Shopping." That saves the time of going from one store to another during the busy traffic season.
3. Bonus Points - Do you get bonus rewards for your credit/debit cards or sky miles from your airlines? Use some or all of those bonus points towards getting gifts for others this Christmas.
4. Thrift Stores - This is where some of us need to swallow our pride. I just went to four thrift stores here in Richmond, Virginia last week in search for a few small items (computer speakers, a shirt, etc.). While perusing one of the stores, I noticed that they had just received a donation of what appeared to be boxloads of brand new, unopened children's toys. Perhaps Target got a damaged pallet and just brought the whole thing to the thrift store, even though most of the products inside were just fine. It can be like searching for gold at some of these stores, but the gold is there - even new stuff.
5. Ask Your Family and Friends for Wish Lists - This might be another issue of pride - as you do not want to give the impression that you "don't know" your friends and family well enough if you have to ask for a list. Some people are good at knowing the perfect gift without asking, but I'm not. My wife and I exchange lists so that each one of us has some idea as to what would be worth while to purchase. If you try to guess what someone wants and then you're wrong - then that money is pretty much wasted (unless you consider that "it's the thought that counts"). Make your money go further by getting people what they really want and need.
6. Try to Avoid Gift Cards - This is not a universal law, but a general suggestion. Gift cards can be good sometimes, but for the most part, they are not the best "bang for the buck." I heard that there is about a 20% profit for businesses when they sell gift cards. Now that does not make sense, but it is true. Companies love to sell gift cards because they know that not all the money will be spent. For every $100 in gift cards a company sells, only $80 will be redeemed. That's because people forget to use their cards or they use part but not all the card in a purchase. Then the remaining $1.83 goes unspent and expires at some point in time. Furthermore, you could buy a gift card for someone and then the company goes belly up in two months. All of a sudden, the gift card is no longer good because the company went bankrupt or out of business. And it's not just small companies that go bankrupt, as we all know too well.
7. The "Priceless" Gifts - A few years ago, my wife and I sang a song for her uncle as a Christmas gift to him. He loves the song "O Holy Night." We printed the lyrics with a nice font and framed the lyrics, which did not cost us much. Then we gave him the framed lyrics and sat at his piano and sang it to him. There are TONS of things we can do for other people that require little or no money. You can write a song, a poem, or a short story. Get some low-cost materials and make sometime (like a craft or woodwork or a painting). You can offer a coupon redeemable for services rendered or simply for time spent together. You could cook a meal or dessert for someone. Use your skills, talents, and hobbies to give people those unique gifts that they will never forget.
8. Give Money, Time, or Skills to a Charity - This might seem counterintuitive. But this is what Christmas is all about - selfless gfits. Just the act of giving without any hope of getting anything in return will put us in the right attitude during Christmastime. When we are in the right attitude of giving, then somehow we do not succumb to the pressure to SPEND, SPEND, SPEND at all the retail stores. Compassion is the opposite of consumerism. Furthermore, God has a way of rewarding cheerful givers (in whichever way He so chooses).
9. Do Not Spend More Money Than You Have in Your Bank Account - This might sound like simple math, but this is why our country is in so much turmoil right now - because of debt-based spending. Putting that DVD player for Uncle Bob on credit and then paying interest on it until late 2009 is NOT a good use of money. Save yourself the interest payments by only buying Christmas presents with "cash on hand."
10. Potluck Christmas Parties - You do not have to host a Christmas party and spend tons of money on food for people to enjoy themselves. People come for the friends and family, not the food (well...I come for all three, but that is beside the point). If you put on a big production Christmas party, save some money by toning down the caviar and shrimp. Either simplify the menu or have a potluck. Or you could have people bring ingredients and then you all bake and cook together.

I hope these ten things help. For a website the combines numbers 7 and 8 in the list above, check out www.adventconspiracy.org

Merry Christmas

2008-12-01T11:09:00.002-05:00

Here is our Christmas tree in our small Richmond, VA apartment. We put it up on Saturday. I set it up while Sarah put the ornaments on. It's a fake from Target. But it does the job. Merry Christmas.

Talking to Humans in Customer Service

2008-11-25T12:10:00.004-05:00

Have you ever called a customer service number and had that 10-minute conversation with the computer-automated voice? She asks you to input numbers (followed by the "pound" sign, which you always mix up with the "star" key). She also asks you to clearly answer her questions with your audible voice.

Have you ever kept hitting numbers (especially "zero") in hopes that you would be brought to a real human, but to no avail?

Have you ever shouted at the automated voice, hoping your emotions would be conveyed to the computer?

Have you ever labored through the prompts and data-input, only to get cut off after waiting on hold for 15 minutes? Or worse, get cycled back to the very beginning of the prompts?

Here is your answer, my friend: It is a website called www.gethuman.com

This website lists the customer service phone numbers for tons of major companies - and then it gives instructions on what numbers to press and what prompts to follow in order to talk to a REAL HUMAN.

I just used it for contacting amazon.com, whose website is very hard to navigate in search of a customer service phone number. I got a human and got my problem solved.

Enjoy.

Joggling the Richmond Half-Marathon

2008-11-17T09:32:00.002-05:00

Let me start with a confession. I do not run much. I signed up for this half-marathon as a spontaneous, last minute whim because my wife was doing the full and I was tired of watching people do half-marathons and thinking ("I could do that"). So, without any training or stretching (except the biking that I often do), I got up and ran 13.1 miles. Or rather, slowly jogged. And yes, I was able to juggle the whole time (with a few drops - let me explain)....

This was my first half and the furthest I have ever joggled (or even ran, for that matter). I made it all the way to just shy of the 11-mile marker without a drop (nor did I stop for water, bathroom, or to walk). Then it all fell apart. I dropped about 4 times in miles 11 and 12 because I started to walk a little and got my cadence off. I realized that walking and juggling is harder than joggling (for me at least). There is not a consistent rhythm. It was also hard to get back to running and juggling after having walked. Nonetheless, I picked up and kept going after the four drops and I finished strong with a jog and a run for the last half-mile. Finished in 2:33. My goal was 2:30. Had a great time. Sarah and I are enjoying limping around the house and neighborhood.

I must also make another confession - I love the attention and cheering I get for being a joggler. I do not know if I could do these races without joggling (or without some sort of batman suit or tutu). I love the rush of hearing all those bystanders cheer for "the juggler" (or even the remarks from other runners - which range from praise to jealousy). The cheering sends chills through me and it gives me enough boosts to make it through the race successfully.

What a day. I think I could do this again.

I Saw The Wooden Paddle

2008-11-04T10:54:00.002-05:00

Today, Sarah and I enthusiastically voted - after standing in line for a mere hour and a half. I'm sure there are plenty of other people in this nation who waited much longer than that today. It was drizzling and a little cold, but it went by fast, especially since we had one another's company. We met some of the candidates for the office of mayor and school board here in Richmond. We are a "swing district", so the candidates wanted to catch us as we stood in our long lines. I asked two of the mayoral candidates the same question - "What makes you different than the people you are running against?" I asked that question because most of my research on the candidates showed that they all pretty much said the same thing - "We need better schools." "We need to be responsible with the city's finances." "We need to make sure we develop the city and think about the needs of the people at the same time." "We need this, we need that, blah, blah, blah." I got to hear them try to distinguish themselves while they were talking face-to-face with me. One of the candidates impressed me more than the other in his answer, so I voted for that guy.

Anyway, I really want to share about my week of juggling at school assemblies in Mississippi last week. A church in Northern Mississippi sponsored me to come in and teach about "perseverance" with my juggling show to the local public schools in their area. The church also had me perform at some events at their own church. It was a great time with some great southern hospitality. In fact, one of the best parts of my meals was the option to have tea flavored sugar (others call it sweet tea). A few things about the culture in Mississippi surprised me. First of all, the county in which I stayed was a completely "dry" county. Not only were alcohol sales banned, but you could not even possess alcohol in your homes. They are voting today on whether to allow liquor to be sold in the county. Secondly, and more surprising to me, was the "wooden paddle." As I was setting up for my juggling assembly at one of the public elementary schools, a teacher about my age walked in with her class - with a wooden paddle in her hand. Yes, they still paddle the kids in parts of America. This paddle was a bit bigger than a ping pong paddle yet smaller than a racquetball racquet. It was made of wood and had tape wrapped around the middle that was flapping off a little bit. I almost could not believe my own eyes. My friend told me that when he was in High School, the High School shop class would make the paddles for the elementary school. Wow. Now parents do have to sign a waiver allowing the child to be paddled if necessary. Apparently, most of the parents are cool with it.

All in all, I had a great time. And I hope to visit my friends again in the great state of Mississippi.

Child's Play is Not Just Child's Play

2008-10-26T14:05:00.004-04:00

In an article from U.S. News and World Report, "children's services" was on a short list of industries which are condusive to making millionaires out of those who run such industries (http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/small-business-entrepreneurs/2008/10/07/how-to-make-a-million.html). I work in a field called "children's ministry," where the goal is to reach kids with the message of God found in the Bible. And though making millions is not quite the goal in children's ministry, this article has some interesting insight.

They claim that the reason people can be so successful running "children's services" (such as specialized education, arts, and programs for young people) is because parents (even in tough economic times) are willing to part with a lot of money just so their children can have the best opportunities for success in life.

Here is the insight: if parents dump tons of money into their children for the sake of making sure their kids have a "better life," then that says a lot about the importance of children's ministry in churches and communities. People pay for the things they value. Apparently, parents highly value the prosperity of their children. Those of us in children's ministry should be aware of that and not be shy about what we do. We have the opportunity to serve kids and families in ways that reach beyond the good things promoted by the local tumbling franchise and the Montesorri schools. Parents care. They will serve, they will donate, they will participate. We are not babysitters, we are not daycare. We get to offer the message of God's love, forgiveness, and grace to children (who Jesus says are the inheritors of the Kingdom of heaven).

An Archaeological Find - In Our Apartment!

2008-10-08T11:19:00.002-04:00

The other night, Sarah came shrieking out of the kitchen, "There are two enormous cockroaches crawling around in the kitchen!" I, superhusband, went to the rescue, slightly aggravated that my wife had gotten so worked up about these two innocent creatures. They were long gone by the time I got to the kitchen, but we looked into the corner near where she saw them. This was a corner between the cabinets and the wall in our kitchen - a small crevice we had never really investigated before. I got out my flashlight and inspected the small crevice. Sure enough, I saw a hole big enough for cockroaches to crawl through, so I stuffed it with an old sock (we'll see how that works). Then I looked further into the crevice between the cabinets and the wall. There was an old book.

Now, I had the privilege of both surveying and digging at archaeological sites in the Middle East, unearthing everything from centuries-old pottery to 20th Century ammunition from the Six-Day War. That was cool. But to find an old book in our circa 1923 apartment building in Richmond, Virginia was also pretty cool. I used the handle of the flyswatter to retrieve my find.

It was an old spiral-bound book called "700 of the best HOUSEhold Tips - that save time and money!" with a picture of an anthropomorphized house with a broom and a smile. Who knows how many tenants have lived in this 450 square-foot urban apartment. But one of them left behind a gem. And Sarah and I will glean from its wisdom for the rest of our days. It tells us tips like how to create "soap for kids" - you "put bits of soap in an old stocking and tie the end. Children will find it easier to hold." Brilliant!

Here's another: "SHORT LEG: If one leg on a piece of furniture is shorter than the rest, balance it by gluing a garden hose washer to the tip of the leg." Why didn't I think of that one earlier?

And another: "PICKLESS LOCK: Your lock can't be picked if you leave your key in the inside lock." The key word here is inside.

And another: "REMOVING DEAD SKIN: Rub a bit of Miracle Whip salad dressing into your skin and let it stand a moment. Rub vigorously and dead skin is quickly removed. However, this only works using Miracle Whip, not mayonnaise." Shucks, I guess whatever you use will work as long as you "rub vigorously."

one more...."STATIC ELECTRICITY: To eliminate clinging dresses, run a wire coat hanger between your slip and dress." Remember to remove the wire hanger before going to that job interview.

I am so glad I found this earth-shattering volume on household tips. It doesn't even have a date or publisher information. It probably came as a free gift with a Good Housekeeping subscription back in the day - or something similar.

Have a great day - and remember to keep your keys in the locks to prevent invaders!

How to Avoid the Economy's Mess

2008-09-26T17:10:00.002-04:00

My wife and I sometimes listen to a podcast by a guy named Dave Ramsey. He teaches sound financial advice - things like not going into debt, living on a budget, and working hard for a living. Recently, his radio show has been bombarded with e-mails about the trouble in the economy. Since Sarah and I do not have a TV, we were made aware through this podcast (and news found on the internet) that there is trouble on Wall Street. Apparently, the television news media does a Hollywood job at dramatizing the problems (and real problems they are) as apocalyptic nightmares. Sarah and I keep working, saving, and spending money on things we can afford (things we have never really done well until this year - after listening to Dave Ramsey's shows and reading his books). As a result, the volatility of Wall Street and the economy at large does not affect us very much. What bliss! Furthermore, we are considering starting our Roth IRA's and pumping money into a Mutual Fund for saving for a house. What better time to start investing than when the Stock Market is DOWN! As Ramsey says, the stock market is ON SALE. It has nowhere to go but up over the long-haul, as every ten-year period since like the 20's has shown a profit.

So please calm down. The economic world is not collapsing over our heads, despite what ratings-hungry talking heads say. Go out and enjoy the wonderful autumn air.

Jesse the Juggler DVD Release

2008-09-17T17:58:00.002-04:00

Announcing the release of the very first DVD from Jesse the Juggler! It is sensibly called "Live Show" and I just did my first run of 50 copies to see how this flies. If it goes over well, I'll get more duplicated. For now, I'll take it around with me to my juggling programs and offer them to people afterwards. It has a full-length stage presentation of my show, two of my promo videos, a picture slideshow, and three smaller (more goofy) videos. My friend Ben Keeling did a smackdown job on the artwork and my new friend Zack at Revolve-CD in Richmond, VA did the DVD duplication work for me. They are shrink-wrapped and ready to go. Let me know if you would like a copy - they're going for $20 right now.

Ike Made it to Ohio!

2008-09-15T07:50:00.004-04:00

Hurricanes are typical for the coasts, but rare is the one that reaches far inland with strength to really damage much. I was traveling from Sweetser, Indiana to Richmond, Virginia yesterday (about an 11-hour drive). Instead, the whole trip lasted about 15 hours due to Hurricane Ike's trek through the upper midwest. I was low on gas around Dayton, Ohio, which is when I saw the strong winds begin. So I looked for a place to get gas - but all the power was out. My cell phone was almost dead on the battery - and there was nowhere to pull over and recharge it (I did not have a car charger). After trying unsuccessfully to navigate through some back roads near Dayton to get through the storm (many roads were blocked with downed tress and/or powerlines), I pulled over into a gas station (which was out of power) and waited. I had no cash (only my debit card, which requires electricity to run through a machine). I had not eaten lunch or dinner (it was about 4pm). I was out of water (I was thirsty). I called Sarah to tell her that I had no idea when I would make it home and that I might not be able to communicate with her due to the dead cell phone. So I just sat in the car and read a book while the storm passed over. It was interesting, because it showed me just how much we rely on power for EVERYTHING in this country/culture. All of a sudden, my life was diminished to a sort of primitive survival mode. I was concerned about where I was going to find water, food, and shelter for the evening. Thankfully, I took the risk of driving further to look for a gas station with power - and my tank's last bit of gas got me to one. There was a long line, of course, and each filling took a long time because the whole gas station must have been running on a generator. I drove again to a restaurant for dinner and ate while I charged the phone. I hit the road again and finally got to sleep in the same bed as my wife by 4am. Now I'm running on under two hours of sleep - but with all the electricity I could ask for.

The Disconnect Between the New Testament and Today

2008-09-10T15:01:00.004-04:00

If we really read the stories of the New Testament and look around today...does anybody else see a completely different world, even a vastly different form of Christianity? Jesus and his followers administered physical healings, demon exorcisms, prophetic utterances, prayers in unknown languages, etc, etc. They lived communally - sharing their resources among themselves (at least the community described in Acts 2 did so). I wonder how much of the New Testament we should expect to live out as Christians today and how much of it is "cultural" and "only pertinent to that time." This is a discussion that has already split churches into denominations, but it is still a relevant topic on which I wish to ponder (and seek the Lord's guidance on). There's gotta be more to Christianity than what appears to be "Christianity" today. On the journey, humbly...Jesse.

Quote of the Day - John Piper

2008-09-04T13:00:00.000-04:00

"If money is the motive, your joy comes not from the ministry but from the stuff you can buy with your salary." - John Piper, Desiring God.

Quote of the Day - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

2008-09-02T09:04:00.004-04:00

"Every Christian community must know that not only do the weak need the strong, but also that the strong cannot exist without the weak. The elimination of the weak is the death of the community." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together.

My High School Reunion

2008-08-27T09:26:00.002-04:00

Last Saturday night, I had the pleasure of attending my 10-Year High School Reunion (Godwin High, Richmond, VA, Class of '98). Not only did I attend, but I also got to be on the planning team for the event, which gave me a unique perspective on how High School Reunions are fabricated (or at least ours). The humor of a night like this one is the fact that everyone there is in such a great mood and you end up cheerfully talking to people that you never spoke to throughout all of high school. I remember talking to one guy and introducing my wife to him. After our 5-minute conversation, which was cordial, I looked at my wife and said, "That's the longest I've ever talked to him in my life." Now, there are those people that I really did know in high school and I got to reconnect with them and see how they're doing after all these years. It's seeing those people that made the reunion definitely worth going to. I'm glad I got to be a part of planning it, also. I was the treasurer - and though I thought we were going to fall under budget, we ended up being around three hundred dollars in the positive. We're going to send any excess money to the people who run the location where we had the reunion since they did such a great job and even gave us a break on our bill with them. All in all, we had 136 people, one of which was a teacher. We had many spouses and guests - no kids, though a few pregnant ladies. Great 90's music from the DJ, great food from the catering, lots of old faces (most of whom looked just the same), and the satisfaction that we successfully pulled off our 10-Year High School reunion.

College Presidents Seek to Lower Drinking Age

2008-08-19T19:19:00.005-04:00

You probably know someone who is going through orientation for their first year of college right now. These fresh 18 year-olds are in for quite a ride, including the pressures of parties involving alcohol. In an effort to curb college binge drinking, there is a movement of around 100 college presidents (from institutions such as Duke and Ohio State) called the Amethyst Initiative. This group has united in order to challenge current legislation over the legal drinking age. They claim that banning alcohol from 18 to 20 year-olds treats them like children when in every other sense these individuals are given adult privileges (such as voting, serving on juries, etc.). Technically, individual states have the freedom to lower the drinking age to 18, but any state that does so is slapped with a 10% penalty on highway money coming from the feds. You can read all about the Amethyst Initiative at www.amethystinitiative.org.

Now, I attended a college (and a seminary for that matter) where alcohol was completely banned. That means that I was under some sort of no-alcohol covenant for the better part of my years until I was 26 years-old. I did not live in an environment where the pressures to drink while underage were present. In all honesty, I moaned a little about having to abstain from alcohol all those years, but looking back on it, I'm glad there was such a standard in place. It was a small "price" to pay (abstaining from alcohol) for the better good of having a dry campus that rarely ran into the potentially devastating (or even fatal) consequences of alcohol. But I'm sure many of you went to state schools or some other institution where drinking was fine at age 21 (or even under that age, culturally speaking). Perhaps you have some insight on what the pressures and consequences are really like for 18 to 20 year-olds in regard to drinking alcohol.

Furthermore, I wonder what will happen at some of these schools where the presidents have signed the Amethyst Initiative? Imagine being an underage drinker at one of those schools. You get caught by the campus police. But then you contest that the president of your college supports lowering the drinking age to 18. I suppose the college presidents are willing to go through an awkward period of having that double-standard in order to seek out what they see as a better policy that may come in future years.

If you look at wine from a Biblical perspective, we know that Jesus partook of wine (John 2) and we know that drunkenness is prohibited (Ephesians 5:18; Romans 13:13). We know that Paul taught against consuming certain foods or wine if such activity causes another person to "stumble" or "fall" (Romans 14:21).

I'm curious to see what you all think about this issue. Let me know your thoughts.

Juggling a Chainsaw

2008-08-11T17:44:00.003-04:00

I juggled a live, running, sharp chainsaw for the very first time last week in North Carolina. I guess I was tired of being a juggler for 15 years and having people ask me, "Soooo, can you juggle a chainsaw?" I would always have to say, "No, but I'd like to try someday." Now I can say, "Yeah" and then casually move on to some other subject in the conversation.

I was at the International Jugglers' Festival in Lexington, KY chilling with my friend and mentor David Cain. Somehow chainsaws came up in our conversation (juggler's talk about the weirdest things) and Dave told me that there was a new battery-powered chainsaw on the market. That caught my interest because that means no gas sloshing around while you juggle the beastly thing. When I got home, I looked up "battery powered chainsaw" on the internet and sure enough, Home Depot has a special right now at $59.

Then, while on a juggling trip in High Point, NC, I visited the local Home Depot. There it was - the 18-Volt Ryobi 10-inch Chainsaw - for $59. I scoped it out for weight, rotation, shape, ability to be fitted with a juggler's handle, and so forth. I picked it up in the aisle at Home Depot and swung it back and forth in my hand a bit (not flipping it). I tried to lessen my swing when other people were in the aisle. How would you like to see a juggler testing a chainsaw for juggling in your Home Depot? I didn't think so.

I went to Lowe's to compare my options. Lowe's had a similar chainsaw made by Black and Decker. It was $99. But it came with a battery and charger. The Ryobi did not. When you price up the Ryobi with the charger and battery, it came out to $130. The Black and Decker was a shorter blade (8 inches) and it had a better shape for flipping. So I went with the B & D. Then I bought some accessories to fix it up for juggling - mainly the oak dowel.

I told my host pastor what I was up to and he got really excited. "Will you practice it and be able to perform it this week at our church?" he asked. I said, "Sure, I could." He then offered to raise the money to pay for the cost of the chainsaw - so that his church could participate in this ministry I do. I said he didn't have to but he insisted. I had already bought the chainsaw. So that night, he showed the congregation the chainsaw and told them that he wanted to raise money to cover the cost of it. They all pitched in and within a short while, all the money for the chainsaw came in. Thank you Community Bible Church of High Point, North Carolina!

I spent an entire work day fixing up the chainsaw for juggling. That means I attached the oak dowel to the chainsaw without drilling anything into the chainsaw. Without boring you with the details, I finished the day with a solid handle on the chainsaw and then I started to practice.

Practicing juggling a chainsaw for the first time is not for the faint of heart. I gathered some staff at the church and had them watch. I stood in the grass out back and (with the chainsaw off) tried my first flip. It worked. I did not kill myself. I flipped it again, and again. No drops.

So I then figured I would try with the chain running. I might be a good juggler, but I hate running chainsaws. Maybe the chainsaw and I have a love-hate relationship. It's the audience that loves the chainsaw - not the juggler. I zip-tied the trigger so it was always on. Then I popped in the battery to start it up. With blade running, I flipped it - and caught it. I tried again and again. Then, I dropped it.

Not on myself, but on the grass. I stepped out of the way, knowing to respect the chainsaw. I picked it up and tried again. I dropped a few more times, once or twice watching as the saw blade chopped it's way through the dirt and grass. It is a somber feeling to imagine my hand being the recipient of such a chopping. On that note, don't go shopping for chainsaws to juggle while wearing sandals. It makes your feet feel very naked and vulnerable.

I practiced enough to get a good clean run of a juggle (with one chainsaw and two juggling clubs - nine total catches). That was it for the day. I went to the hotel, showered up, and came back for the evening program.

I was a little nervous throughout the evening before my chainsaw bit. I had families tell me they were praying for my safety ever since they heard I was going to juggle a chainsaw for the first time. Then, a little 3-year old looked at me before my program and said, "Yu gonna juggle chinsaw, and yu gonna die." And he said it with a large grin on his face.

I finally got to the end of my 45-minute program and it was time for the chainsaw. We all went outside on the grass (in case I, you know...) After a few attempts at chainsaw jokes, I went ahead and did the real thing - juggling a live, running, sharp chainsaw. I did my nine catches and stopped. Everybody cheered. I became a chainsaw juggler. What a life.