Last week I was at a kids camp here in Michigan. I had an incredible time with 8 crazy kids. I also have never heard the words butt, fart, and poop so much in a 5 days time. No matter how crazy those boys were, including myself, God truly changed those kids lives including many others.

Their desire to live for Christ wasn't fake, wasn't complicated, wasn't diluted, but was absolute.

For me kids camp brings so many great memories that were funny and purposeful. I look back and in a lot of ways wish I wasn't so ridiculous in how I complicate my relationship with God and even others. When as a child it didn't even come to my mind. But one moment that sticks out above everything else in my life took place at camp in 99. It was then when I knew my calling. To be a missionary. No clues as to what, where, how, but just a calling. And what's cool is how many times I've felt or wanted to quit in whatever, and yet that calling kept played in my mind over and over. And this calling was all I was thinking about last week in terms of what God was going to call these kids to. Questions of are there history makers in this room? My kids that I am over this week? To me I couldn't help but smile as to the plans God has.

At the beginning of the week I thought there wouldn't be much to learn for me except encouragement to keep pressing on and to be used to love on those kids. Its about them to learn and not me. But I was wrong. The first day I found out that I was a group leader. My initial thought was why do I have to be in charge of others. For me I've never been the kind of person to be alright with being in charge of others. And its not just by the title of "leader" that made me ask that question. Anytime whether with the title or not, I just have never been the kind of person that wants to be the leader. And at the same time, I've rarely ever wanted to be the follower. I don't know if its because I've seen leadership abused and because of that I'm scared. Or that I don't like to listen to authority that much and then its expressed when in leadership, that makes me not desire to be a leader. Could it be that I don't want to take on more responsibility? As these questions were asked, God pointed this to me. "You have the ability to lead, but you choose not to, and I want you to lead." And immediately I knew it to be true, but at the same time, my analytical mind couldn't process this. It made sense but at the same time, what, that makes no sense. Me a leader. I'm not very social. I'm not... this and that. And I realized the excuses, alibis, and reasons which seemed true to me, were not to God.

Running to stand still.

One of the greatest moments I've enjoyed in my experience with music happened in the summer of 2006. I was at the district camp for Indiana and was having a great time with friends and God. Finally the week was coming to an end. It was Thursday night and on that night they always have three large screens showing one picture, with music just blaring. You had your typical cheesy Christian music, and some decent music also. I was about a football's field length away from the screen eating with my friends and talking about the amazing times we just had and we're having. Then I noticed a familiar tune that was being played. Yet I couldn't figure out was being played. I remembered the music but had no idea what the title was and who was singing it. I remember immediately getting up out of my seat and looking at the screen trying to figure it out. I started walking towards the screen with great excitement as to what I would discover. Seconds later I was running towards the screen with delight. I came to the screen to realize U2 was playing Where The Streets Have No Name from the film Rattle And Hum. When I got there, the footage was showing just the band, and at the right time with the music and me arriving at the screen, the camera went to showing the entire stadium at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Just amazing. I was in awe. Thrilled. On top of the world. Excited. Determined.

I remember a year later renting the film from Blockbuster to see the whole film as well as to watch Where The Streets Have No Name. Finally the song came, and I was just okay with what I saw. I wasn't even happy. I was just okay with what I saw. I remember asking myself why did I think this was amazing a year ago. This isn't that awesome. It's okay. Now it could be because I saw it on a portable DVD player, lower sound, and in my room. Compared to three screens, louder than the radio, and on a campground. But I don't think so. Because this last summer I watched it again, and was completely moved again. I was in such awe. This was incredible to see again. I watched that same clip yesterday and again just feel more in love with that song. What was the difference? The song or quality of how it was being played, or the condition of my situation. Nothing changed in my life after the first time I saw that clip until I came to Hamtramck. I didn't change, I was reborn into something beautiful.

Isn't that what should be the case every time I open the word of God.

Shouldn't I be moved, just like that song.

Isn't that what should be the case every time I spend time with friends and family.

Shouldn't I be moved, just like that song.

Isn't that what should be the case every time I minister to others.

Shouldn't I be moved, just like that song.

Isn't that what should be the case every second of my life.

Shouldn't I be moved, just like that song.

That's heaven.

That's where the streets have no name.

Quite honestly this is the most real I've ever been in writing anything that others will see. Its out of frustration, honesty, and concern all at the same time. This has been on my mind a lot lately, and still will be on my mind.

One of the lines I can't stand a lot when it is often said to others or even to myself is "this is tough love." Or, "I'm doing this for your own good." Now the problem isn't the wording when this is said, but rather it's always the way in which it is being portrayed that is the problem. Now what usually causes somebody to say these kind of lines? People use these lines when disciplining someone for their wrong actions. This could be thru giving consequences to the person who made a poor decision, or if there is no need for consequences there can still be the need to talk to the person for the poor decision they made. So somebody will use these lines in their discipline of somebody else. Again, there's nothing wrong in saying I'm doing this for your own good, but for me many times I get a sense or a vibe that says completely opposite of what really is being said. There's a body language that is shown that says they are angry at you, frustrated, pissed off, mad that they are talking to you and any other kind of emotion that is so evident, that the discipline isn't effective any more, but rather you feel guilty, condemned, or made to look stupid for what you did. And this guilty feeling isn't because you realized the sin in your life, but this feeling is there because the person whom you respect and honor doesn't give a crap about you.

This is weird because discipline is important for disciples of Christ. We need to be corrected, not only by the Holy Spirit, but also those in the body of Christ. Yet so much of the time in being disciplined by others, when you know you need to be corrected, its done in a way that shows an attitude of dominance, you're a horrible person, and you're stupid to the person being corrected. And no where does this kind of attitude need to be shown in any way at all. This does not mean I am in full support of the discipline that would be considered patting the back, and telling them its all right. If we're so concerned about somebody stepping over us, why do we think yelling and showing an attitude is the best way to handle it? Its not. And neither is just being indifferent to the situation. What does it show when a parent is yelling at a child to stop yelling? Or when a parent just lets the child keep yelling? Most people would call this tough love, but really its cheap love. Because we'll point out what the problem is and be done with it. Expecting that the person will stop just because we said stop. Its done without any results happening. I believe most Christians who are in any place of wanting to be corrected want to be disciplined. But when they are disciplined they are in a sense being molested, chastised, and attacked to make them feel so horrible.

If we really want to show discipline to people we need to first get rid of the body language that shows hidden agendas and motives. Usually the body language shows more than just agendas or motives of not wanting to talk to the person, or a reputation being at stake. But it also shows anger, frustration, and displeasure. There's more in the body's actions than in the words a person says. Rarely do you see anyone showing that they care about you and want the best for you. In the way we talk to people needs to exemplify a concern that is not bent on the problem, but the solution to the problem. Too much of the time I see people are disciplining do it in a way as if they don't want to be there, and would rather do something else. Yes, granted disciplining isn't the No. 1 item that came to my mind today, it was I want to sleep in. But when people show an attitude of indifference or anger to correcting someone, it shows where they are wanting the relationship with the person to be.

Next, get rid of the statements, "You need to stop doing this." and replace them with questions like, "what made you do..." And then from the questions you can explain why the decision they made can be better made. If we ask statements all this does is form assumptions as to what they did wrong, instead of finding out why they did what they did that was wrong. An example of this that comes to my mind happened two weeks ago in the UK on a Wednesday night. I won't name the child, but I will use her as an example of what I'm talking about. The UK is the children's ministry I am a part of here at Real Church. Typically we will have a craft for the kids at the end of the time with the kids. Everybody was coloring and I heard an immediate yell from this child. The girl can yell. I asked her to go sit by the steps and I would talk to her in a couple of minutes. Rather than telling her to stop yelling at others or to stop being annoying or distracting others, I asked her, "what made you yell." To find out she had just gotten made fun of. So there was an injustice to the injustice. I explained to her then that yelling at somebody who makes fun of you doesn't help, it only makes it worse. I went on from there to help her figure out ways to deal with those who make fun of her. Isn't that what its all about? To help her out, rather than just addressing the problem.

I'm sure there are more examples but this is the last one that has been on my mind. Don't demand the person to forgive you and or to forgive others. To say forgive me, is one of the most selfish things I've ever heard of. Jesus on the cross never said to the people crucifying him, "forgive me." He said, "Father, forgive them because they don't know what they are doing." A lot of the time when someone is being disciplined they did something wrong to another person that needs to be addressed. They hurt somebody, maybe even yourself. But to have them forgive you and or someone else, is the wrong way in handling it. The problem in doing this is there is rarely a real conviction in the problem they created that needs to be amended. Its not done because the person sincerely and wholeheartedly wants to say sorry, but rather they were told to, or else. It was done because you told them to. It becomes fake instead of genuine. Its awesome to ask for forgiveness from others when the Holy Spirit tells you rather than someone else. There's a joy that just can't be explained when that happens. We need to exhibit the kind of forgiveness that Jesus showed.

Discipline is a hard thing because it takes up our energy and time. Do you honestly want them to be better in their relationship with God or others? Or do we expect them to figure it out by just saying you're wrong in what you did? You say it, thinking you solved the problem, but you didn't take the time and energy to find out why they made the decision in the first place, and how to overcome it. And even sometimes we have answer before we find out the reason to the why they did it. Pointing out what's wrong doesn't show where the wrong came from. Most people know the decision they made was wrong, but they need someone to help them, guide them, and lead them because people are ignorant to their own problems. Let's dig to the root of the problem and take the time to find out why and also what now they need to do.

If we do this, if I do this, we will stop giving the very same thing they were showing. What were they showing-a wrong way to live. If I give somebody crap for the crap in their life, there's still crap.