It is Father's Day....and I love my dad. I know that a lot of people grow up with either no dad, or a terrible excuse for a fatherly figure...My heart goes out to these kids and even adults who are still effected by the empty hole of not having a good father. Dad, I hope you are reading this, because I love you to death.
A lot of people think I look and act just like my dad. We are both big guys, with quite study facial hair. We are not the best lookings guys, but people say "your eyes light up just like your dad's when you smile." And that is one of the greatest compliments I have ever gotten.
My dad, Tim Landis, didn't only give me life, but he taught me life. I know that my dad cares for people, you can see it in his life and his actions. He started teaching Sunday School for the 5th and 6th graders when I was in the 6th grade. Dad believed he would only partake in this ministry until my younger brother Sam promoted to the junior high. However, he is now the "head honcho" still today. This will be his 10th year as a Sunday School teacher for the little guys. While I know they may fear his disciplinary style, I know from experience and others that it taught them well. My dad loves teaching about apologetics (defending the faith) against evolution. He has been doing a series on, "someone is making a monkey out of you," for quite some time. One of my best memories of my dad teaching is when we helped make a life sized Goliath. The students would then put a tennis ball in some sort of sling and try to defeat the nine foot giant. Kids ate it up. He brings snacks for the kids, takes them to breakfast, and gets to know about their families. Again, my dad, whether he admits it or not, loves those kids.
The greatest thing my Dad as done for me is how he taught me how to love your wife. My parents have been happily married for years and I know his love for her won't stop until one of them takes their last breath. He taught me how to throw a football, hit a baseball, and shoot a basketball, how to try hard and never give up, how to attempt to change a tire, how to ride my bike, how to rep Jayhawk pride above personal pride, how to handle my life when things get tough, how to make fun of Kstate and Missouri fans, and to keep my family above all other relationships I make. Some people say that when you are younger you dad is your superhero, but when you get older you realize he is not perfect. Although my dad is far from perfect, he is still my superhero.
Dad, I love you to death. Thanks for teaching me how to be a man. and a Jayhawk fan.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Muskogee or Bust
Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever guessed that I would be spending a summer doing in internship in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
At the beginning of last semester, I started calling around to different churches looking for an internship. I have a deep passion for inner city youth, so I started calling churches in the LA area, Chicago, Dallas, and Atlanta. I distinctly remember being in between calls with Downing Christian Church and Real Life Church (both in LA area), when a man by the name of Mike Havens called and asked if I would be interested in applying for an internship at his church in Muskogee. I explained him that I was looking into doing an internship in a city, but told him I would give him an application and resume anyway.
The more churches I called, the more "sorry, we just don't have enough money for an intern"s I got. What was crazy is that every other day, I seemed to be hearing about how good of a church Boulevard Christian Church (the church in Muskogee)was. I prayed and prayed that God would put me in an internship that he wants me at. And He answered.
I have been in Muskogee for close to two weeks now, and it has been a trip. I am staying with a very sweet older couple, Dave and Pat Roberts. Pat and my first conversation went something like this, "Well, I love to cook," and I replied, "Well, I love to eat" and it has been a perfect match ever since! I could, and probably will, write a blog just about Dave and Pat and all the adventures and ministries they have been apart of. They are very God honoring people that show his love with everyday that comes. The Church staff is amazing. Mike Havens and company made me feel welcomed from the first time i set foot in the office. The church runs about 800, and that staff works very hard to bring God's will, love and truth to the city of Muskogee.
I wrote down a list of things that happened to me the first week while I was here. and here is that list:
-partook in a 4 church program called "Paint the Town". 8 houses were painted by 100 teens for people in the community. I ruined 2 pairs of shoes...real smart Jim
-cleaned over 100 paint brushes with Harrison, an intern from another church in town. This took us close to 3 hours.
-People in Muskogee love alarms--and I have set 3 of them off in the first week alone. Even after putting my code into the alarm at church, 4 cops showed up questioning this "intern from Topeka, Kansas."
-I was asked "who are you" by Eve atleast 20 times in one night. Eve is a 2, almost 3, year old great granddaughter of Dave and Pat.
-The youth group does this thing called wake up calls. It is actually very terrifying. They go to kids who are "new" to CIY and wake them up in the middle of the night. However, they don't do the Momma Landis rub your back and sing you a song to wake you up...They put on terrifying gorilla masks and try to fit 5-10 people in your room and wake up by screaming at the top of their lungs. To add to the humiliation, they bring a video camera and record your reaction. I decided to participate in this event, and I can still see the terror on these poor kid's face.
It was a very fun first week, and the fun has continued.
However, I know that Mike did not want me on staff for the summer to just participate in wake up calls or to set off church alarms. And I know that God put me here for the summer for more than that.
I am working a lot with junior highers this summer, and still spending time with high schoolers. If I could bring one thing to the teens at Boulevard this summer, it would be the fact of Jesus is real. Not just that he was a real person, but he is real today. He desires a real relationship with his people, he wants us to live a real life with him. The fact is that Jesus' life and death on the cross demands a real relationship with him today.
I recently got a tattoo on my arm (irrelevant, but informational) and I got the scripture Galatians 2:20 above a cross on my arm. Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no long live, but Christ lives in me. . ." That is why I am in Muskogee. Muskogee or Bust? MUSKOGEE IT IS!
At the beginning of last semester, I started calling around to different churches looking for an internship. I have a deep passion for inner city youth, so I started calling churches in the LA area, Chicago, Dallas, and Atlanta. I distinctly remember being in between calls with Downing Christian Church and Real Life Church (both in LA area), when a man by the name of Mike Havens called and asked if I would be interested in applying for an internship at his church in Muskogee. I explained him that I was looking into doing an internship in a city, but told him I would give him an application and resume anyway.
The more churches I called, the more "sorry, we just don't have enough money for an intern"s I got. What was crazy is that every other day, I seemed to be hearing about how good of a church Boulevard Christian Church (the church in Muskogee)was. I prayed and prayed that God would put me in an internship that he wants me at. And He answered.
I have been in Muskogee for close to two weeks now, and it has been a trip. I am staying with a very sweet older couple, Dave and Pat Roberts. Pat and my first conversation went something like this, "Well, I love to cook," and I replied, "Well, I love to eat" and it has been a perfect match ever since! I could, and probably will, write a blog just about Dave and Pat and all the adventures and ministries they have been apart of. They are very God honoring people that show his love with everyday that comes. The Church staff is amazing. Mike Havens and company made me feel welcomed from the first time i set foot in the office. The church runs about 800, and that staff works very hard to bring God's will, love and truth to the city of Muskogee.
I wrote down a list of things that happened to me the first week while I was here. and here is that list:
-partook in a 4 church program called "Paint the Town". 8 houses were painted by 100 teens for people in the community. I ruined 2 pairs of shoes...real smart Jim
-cleaned over 100 paint brushes with Harrison, an intern from another church in town. This took us close to 3 hours.
-People in Muskogee love alarms--and I have set 3 of them off in the first week alone. Even after putting my code into the alarm at church, 4 cops showed up questioning this "intern from Topeka, Kansas."
-I was asked "who are you" by Eve atleast 20 times in one night. Eve is a 2, almost 3, year old great granddaughter of Dave and Pat.
-The youth group does this thing called wake up calls. It is actually very terrifying. They go to kids who are "new" to CIY and wake them up in the middle of the night. However, they don't do the Momma Landis rub your back and sing you a song to wake you up...They put on terrifying gorilla masks and try to fit 5-10 people in your room and wake up by screaming at the top of their lungs. To add to the humiliation, they bring a video camera and record your reaction. I decided to participate in this event, and I can still see the terror on these poor kid's face.
It was a very fun first week, and the fun has continued.
However, I know that Mike did not want me on staff for the summer to just participate in wake up calls or to set off church alarms. And I know that God put me here for the summer for more than that.
I am working a lot with junior highers this summer, and still spending time with high schoolers. If I could bring one thing to the teens at Boulevard this summer, it would be the fact of Jesus is real. Not just that he was a real person, but he is real today. He desires a real relationship with his people, he wants us to live a real life with him. The fact is that Jesus' life and death on the cross demands a real relationship with him today.
I recently got a tattoo on my arm (irrelevant, but informational) and I got the scripture Galatians 2:20 above a cross on my arm. Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no long live, but Christ lives in me. . ." That is why I am in Muskogee. Muskogee or Bust? MUSKOGEE IT IS!
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