Ryan's Blog

Friday, July 13, 2007

So i was thinking more about why I have a hard time updatine this blog, which I'm sure anyone who's reading this does not really care about. If not, skip to the end of the list...

1. I hate blogging. That's a big one.
2. I don't have a digital camera, which looses one of the only qualities of blogging I find redeeming.
3. In my free time I'd much rather do a quiet time, bible study, or write a letter to Ariel :)
4. I much prefer reading blogs than I do writing them.
5. I'm still unsure of how to boil down into words what I've been learning here.

So there you have it.

In other news, time here has been a blast. Last week I got to hear from Jim Leube quite a bit, and was able to learn about what he's been learning about over lunch with him and his son Doug. This Tuesday me and a group of friends with equally as little common sense drove 2 hours to see the new Harry Potter movie for the midnight showing in Denver. We took a deteur on the way home for a 24 hour Starbucks, Littleton, and Columbine High School, arrive back at 5:30am-just in time for the sunrise, mind you-and made it to work the next day at 7:30am (I was a little late actually...). Then the last two days I've been hanging out and hearing from Jim Downing and his first disciple Roy Sherwood--two super solid old guys who have some great stories about Pearl Harbor and the testing of the H-bomb ("sunrise in the west" as I like to call it). This afternoon my good buddy Thart comes in, tomorrow my parents arrive for the rest of the weekend, and then another lighting paced week will kick off once again.

The time here has really been great. I absolutely love my guys. The most humbling experience of this all, actually, has been struggling to see where and how I can help the needs of my guys. God has richly blessed out team with unity and lots of enjoyable times, and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

With slightly less than half the program left, it has been super encouraging to see each of the guys on my team pursue Jesus and make progress towards many of the goals they've set at the beginning of the summer, and I am equally as excited for the rest of the summer. I think the biggest goal I'd love to see them grow in is consistant quiet times, beginning now and carrying back to their campuses. They can learn anything they want here, and that's great, but nothing will sustain them better than coming to a point where they honestly miss Jesus if they did not get time that morning to meet with Him. Please be praying for that if you can.

Also, this Wednesday we are spending the day in Boulder doing cold turkey evangelism. Please also pray that God would really be preparing the soil in the hearts of the people we'll talk to. I think it's really easy for me to begin to see this type of evangelism as solely helpful for the Christian, but I'd love to see it more as an offering of trust to God, having faith that He is and will be working in the lives of those we talk to.

till next time
Ryan

Saturday, June 30, 2007

John the Baptist



...For some reason updating this blog is really difficult to motivate myself to do this summer...


Here are some reasons why I really admire John the Baptist:

-He knew his role: he was never to be Jesus, simply point people to Him.

-He never tried to compete with Jesus. Rather, he allowed Jesus to take his disciples.

-After a life of doing nothing but telling people that John is not the Christ and that Jesus is coming soon, he was thrown in prison and beheaded.


Here's why I like those things:

-I am not to be Jesus. I cannot solve the problems of the people on my team. I can try, but the best I can actually do is temporarily postpone the problem. Rather, my role is to take them to Jesus, whether hand in hand, ahead setting the pace for them, or behind pushing them.

-My goal is for my men to grow, and if at the end the summation of their growth is from the Holy Spirit transforming them in ways that I can't get near in Bible Studies, doing quiet times with them, or one on ones, that all the better.

-My reward is eternal.



And finally, because I am yet to put a picture on this blog (I really need a digital camera...) here's one of the fire that swept through the YMCA a couple of days ago. No one was hurt and all the buildings survived, but that was defiantely thanks to God (the small red building is the dorm we all live in).


-Ryan


Saturday, June 16, 2007

buisness as usual

Sorry it's been so long since the last post...

Life here is finally rolling along on somewhat of a scheduled pace. It seemed like it was a long time coming, with what seemed like a long waiting period before this, but it finally feels like I'm on a standard weekly schedule that will reflect what the rest of the summer looks like.

Just for a filler, here's profiles of my three guys on my team: (sorry, pictures will come once someone gives me a digital camera... :)).

-Steve Willson:
From CU Boulder. Pretty introverted and quiet, but has a great unique sense of humor, and is one of the more courageous guys I've known. He has a real heart for finding answers and truth reflected in his thought provoking questions, and because of ROTC is one of the more disciplined guys I know.

-Brad Southard:
Industrial Design major at a school near Boulder. He is pretty much a jack of all trade; he even made a wooden workable bike, which from the pictures is pretty sweet. Pray he would connect well with other guys here, as he goes to a school near UCBoulder, so it's a little harder to get involved with the Nav Group there. He is working in maintenance, which interacts with my job alot, which is pretty sweet. That means we get to see each other somewhat often on the job and have very similar scheduled shifts.

-Andy Hlushak
I already wrote a little about Hlushak in another post, but just to reiterate... He's an art major from CSU, who is a mix of Zach Cobos and Trip Carroll, if you know either of those. Very enjoyable to be around and a natural leader, though I don't think he sees himself as such. He is extremely excited about Jesus, and I am really looking forward to how God will root him this summer.

As for myself, I feel like God has been reminding me a lot about my priorities and why I am here. I am here to serve these men in whatever way I can, and to push, pull, entice, or otherwise move them towards Jesus. Their growth, being firmly rooted in the word with a genuine concern and love of others is the Wall that I would like to build in their life (Nehemiah had 52ish days to build a wall; I have roughly the same time to do this through devotion and prayer). I have also been learning a lot from the Gospels, especially through John the Baptist's Father and Mary, about what it means and looks like to trust God at what he has promised to do. Romans 5:17 says of Abraham: "He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were." Abraham believed God's promise because he knew God can and would give life to the dead and call things that are not as though they were. I believe God has purpose for these men, that he desires their growth more than I do, and that he is more than capable of doing great things in their lives. Would you join in praying that these men would be deeply rooted in Christ this summer?

Thursday, June 7, 2007

40 hours of orientation and counting...

Actually its really not that bad. It even snowed all day yesterday and today, which was pretty sweet.

So far only one dude on my team has arrived, but I definitely can't complain about that. His name is Andy Hlushak, and he's sup[er awesome. Despite being slightly intimidated by him at the beginning due to his sweet beard, but I've really enjoyed being able to spend the last two days with him. His heart is really teachable, and seems to be in the perfect place for a summer like this. I am pretty excited

Like Nehemiah having 52 days to build a wall, I have about 2 months to do everything I can to establish the guys on my team. There are three areas specifically I would love my guys to grow in this summer:
1. Unity, such that our team would spur other teams on towards unity. (Romans 15:5-7)
2. Lasting Fruit. Any fruit I grow by my own power will be puny and best, and picked off by the enemy soon after everyone goes home. My prayer is of John 15:16, for God to develop fruit that will last.
3. Intimacy with Christ. Pray that my guys [and myself] will understand what it means to call Jesus a husband, and to read the Word as if it were a letter written by God specifically to them. (Hosea 2:16)

later

Monday, June 4, 2007

72 hours in

Hey! so i've been here about three days, endured alot of training, met all the team leaders, and thankfully feel slightly more prepared to be a team leader this summer. I'm pretty excited about it, but i think it'll be realy hard. I can already see me being sacrificial for a week or so, and then inwardly becoming arrogant, selfish, or unloving. Pray against that if you would, and for Christ's power to shine through in these areas of weakness, stretching me and really blessing the men He has entrusted to me. Tomorrow my team arrives (three of them). I'm both exited and nervous.

Yesterday we took a field trip to the Glen and were priviledged to hear Mike Treneer, the intermational president of Navigators, give one of the best talks i've ever heard. He discussed the apparent weakness of the Gospel, referencing the tension between the Cosmic incarnation of God in human form, able to send legions of angels at his beckon, with John the Baptist imprisioned for years facing death and douting whether Jesus was the Christ. Essentially, why do laborers of the gospel face hardship, persecution, and death. What really stuck out to me was an analogy he used of pres. truman during WWII facing the decision of the atomic bomb. i'll try to recap it:


At the end of WWII, america clearly had defeated the japanese, and it was simply a matter of time before they surrendered. Pres. Truman had two choices, drop the nuclear bomb and beat into submission the relentless enemy, significantly reducing american casualties yet taking many innocent lives with the enemy, or sending in soldiers to go door to door and seperate the enemies from the innocent, sentencing countless american soldiers to death. Being the president and obligated to serve america, he chose the only noble choice. however, God does just the opposite. when jesus rebuked peter in the garden after cutting off the ear of the guard, jesus said he could send legions of angels to his rescue at a moments notice, but that was not the way God would have it. He would send salvation in the form of a cross to ensure an opportunity for as many as possible to be released from captivity, and would send laborers door to door into the strongholds of the enemy to face real danger for the sake of saving the masses. the apparent weakness of the gospel is no weakness at all; it is God's mercy withholding his power by sending laborers to reach the harrassed and helpless captives for the expansion of His Kingdom, wishing that none would perish.


how rad is that? Why am I laboring here this summer? because the Kingdom is expanded by one person talking to another, and watching God produce a domino effect that will reach the nations.

-Ryan

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Recount


So after reading about each of the types i think I'm more of an ESFJ with a strong T running through me. If you're bored you can read a little blurb about it below. Or if you're really bored you can post comments agreeing/disagreeing with me :)


ESFJ - The Caregiver (vs. ESFJ - The Guardian)

As an ESFJ, your primary mode of living is focused externally, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit in with your personal value system. Your secondary mode is internal, where you take things in via your five senses in a literal, concrete fashion.

ESFJs are people persons - they love people. They are warmly interested in others. They use their Sensing and Judging characteristics to gather specific, detailed information about others, and turn this information into supportive judgments. They want to like people, and have a special skill at bringing out the best in others. They are extremely good at reading others, and understanding their point of view. The ESFJ's strong desire to be liked and for everything to be pleasant makes them highly supportive of others. People like to be around ESFJs, because the ESFJ has a special gift of invariably making people feel good about themselves.

The ESFJ takes their responsibilities very seriously, and is very dependable. They value security and stability, and have a strong focus on the details of life. They see before others do what needs to be done, and do whatever it takes to make sure that it gets done. They enjoy these types of tasks, and are extremely good at them.

ESFJs are warm and energetic. They need approval from others to feel good about themselves. They are hurt by indifference and don't understand unkindness. They are very giving people, who get a lot of their personal satisfaction from the happiness of others. They want to be appreciated for who they are, and what they give. They're very sensitive to others, and freely give practical care. ESFJs are such caring individuals, that they sometimes have a hard time seeing or accepting a difficult truth about someone they care about.

With Extraverted Feeling dominating their personality, ESFJs are focused on reading other people. They have a strong need to be liked, and to be in control. They are extremely good at reading others, and often change their own manner to be more pleasing to whoever they're with at the moment.

The ESFJ's value system is defined externally. They usually have very well-formed ideas about the way things should be, and are not shy about expressing these opinions. However, they weigh their values and morals against the world around them, rather than against an internal value system. They may have a strong moral code, but it is defined by the community that they live in, rather than by any strongly felt internal values.

ESFJs who have had the benefit of being raised and surrounded by a strong value system that is ethical and centered around genuine goodness will most likely be the kindest, most generous souls who will gladly give you the shirt off of their back without a second thought. For these individuals, the selfless quality of their personality type is genuine and pure. ESFJs who have not had the advantage of developing their own values by weighing them against a good external value system may develop very questionable values. In such cases, the ESFJ most often genuinely believes in the integrity of their skewed value system. They have no internal understanding of values to set them straight. In weighing their values against our society, they find plenty of support for whatever moral transgression they wish to justify. This type of ESFJ is a dangerous person indeed. Extraverted Feeling drives them to control and manipulate, and their lack of Intuition prevents them from seeing the big picture. They're usually quite popular and good with people, and good at manipulating them. Unlike their ENFJ cousin, they don't have Intuition to help them understand the real consequences of their actions. They are driven to manipulate other to achieve their own ends, yet they believe that they are following a solid moral code of conduct.

All ESFJs have a natural tendency to want to control their environment. Their dominant function demands structure and organization, and seeks closure. ESFJs are most comfortable with structured environments. They're not likely to enjoy having to do things which involve abstract, theoretical concepts, or impersonal analysis. They do enjoy creating order and structure, and are very good at tasks which require these kinds of skills. ESFJs should be careful about controling people in their lives who do not wish to be controlled.

ESFJs respect and believe in the laws and rules of authority, and believe that others should do so as well. They're traditional, and prefer to do things in the established way, rather than venturing into unchartered territory. Their need for security drives their ready acceptance and adherence to the policies of the established system. This tendency may cause them to sometimes blindly accept rules without questioning or understanding them.

An ESFJ who has developed in a less than ideal way may be prone to being quite insecure, and focus all of their attention on pleasing others. He or she might also be very controling, or overly sensitive, imagining bad intentions when there weren't any.

ESFJs incorporate many of the traits that are associated with women in our society. However, male ESFJs will usually not appear feminine at all. On the contrary, ESFJs are typically quite conscious about gender roles and will be most comfortable playing a role that suits their gender in our society. Male ESFJs will be quite masculine (albeit sensitive when you get to know them), and female ESFJs will be very feminine.

ESFJs at their best are warm, sympathetic, helpful, cooperative, tactful, down-to-earth, practical, thorough, consistent, organized, enthusiastic, and energetic. They enjoy tradition and security, and will seek stable lives that are rich in contact with friends and family.

http://www.personalitypage.com/ESFJ.html

STP Prep

These last two weeks have felt like a really wierd waiting period. I'm never really a fan of that; when I don't have a clear purpose in mind I just get really lazy. For instance, yesterday I spend about an hour driving around aimlessly working on a new accent. I call it "William Shatner born Irish having met John Lennon of the Beatles." My two biggest stumbling blocks were "r"s and long "o"s, rendering words like "road" and "world" with either to heavy of an Iriah tint, or sounding like I was Canadian. Everytime I pulled up to a stoplight the people next to me probably thought I was crazy because I was talking to myself so much.

Nevertheless, I have had some great time working through Nehemiah and picking out leadership qualities in the stout little wall-builder. After talking with B-ditty about this he illuminated the fact that it took Nehemiah 52 days to build a wall. Similarly, I have about 2 months to build a team and lead them to God. My favorite insight was Nehemiah's mission statement in 2:17-18. People--and I would say guys in particular--cling to a mission. Nothing bonds together a group of men more. This summer I want to join the guys and together make seaking the Lord and serving others our mission. I searched forever for a mission statement because I didn't want to steal Bryce's during his STP, but in the end decided I couldn't top it.

5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Romans 15:5-7


If you would, join me in praying that God would give a spirit of unity to the guys on my team that would be so sweet that other teams and members of the program would be encouraged and bonded together because of it.

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Lastly, I recently retook the myers briggs test and scored an ESTJ. Your thoughts? Agree, disagree, surprised, or does it fit?