Living What We Believe

I came across this quote that made me think about why I act the way that I do-

Friedrich Nietzsche scorned all who agreed with him that “God is dead” and went on living exactly the same as before. He called such people “odious windbags of progressive optimism” who think it is possible to have Christian morality without Christian faith. He said “They are rid of a Christian God and now believe all the more firmly that they must cling to the Christian morality…When one gives up the Christian faith, one pulls the right to Christian morality out from under one’s feet.”

In other words, if God is really dead/nonexistent, then why act in any way other than reckless and immoral.

Now flip that thought. What if the we believe the opposite? Do our actions align with what we believe. If we have the audacity to believe the absurd idea that Jesus is who he says he is, can we live even a remotely "normal" life?

In this Lenten season of the cross, food for thought...

Millennial Matrix

The Pew Research report is out on Millennials. This massive study sheds a giant spotlight on this generation.

Among other things, they are optimistic, want to marry and have children, lean liberal politically, are extremely wired and the largest generation yet not to affiliate with any particular religion.

The report also has a questionnaire on how millennial you are.

Click HERE for the report.

The World is our Audience

Long on my to do list was to read the book The Call by Os Guinness. It hasn't disappointed. One chapter has the title of an oft repeated phrase "The Audience of One." The idea is that as a person of faith, we live our lives not out of selfish ambition or to please others but simple devotion to God.

This way of living has never been more difficult to live out. We are all living in a digital world where everyone is a publicist and everyone is part of the audience. We text, we twitter, we provide status updates of our every move. And some, like me, even blog out thoughts for the world to see.

There is a part of me that loves this new frontier of ultra-connectedness. It allows us to peer into the lives of our family and friends and share with one another. The internet has evolved and social networking will continue to develop and provide even greater access to our lives.

But is it possible that living our lives in such a publicized way might actually be working against a greater principle of the audience of one?

Jesus told us to pray in private. He insisted that our good deeds be done in secret with the knowledge and trust that God would reward them in heaven. And even the Proverbs remind us that we should let someone else praise us and not do it ourselves.

Os Guinness says,

"We have moved from the 'inner directed' world of the Puritans, in which calling acted as an inner compass, to the 'other directed' world of modern society, in which our contemporaries are our real guides- and a roving radar ranges to pick up their cues."

I for one am not suggesting that we pitch technologies, swear off our social networks or definitely not return to the days of the Puritans. But we need to have some guiding parameters that help us to steer clear of temptations that prey on our need to be accepted by the rest of the world instead of living life for an audience of one.

TED is back call a friend

Sorry it's been a while since my last post. Crazy times of writing offline. Here is some fuel for your right brain... TED.

The Real Destruction in Haiti

This is the most realistic perspective that I have found out of the thousands of stories from Haiti. For some reason, these stills along with the narration made the whole tragedy more real than the 24/7 video coverage. The photojournalist gives a clear picture of this tragedy, especially for the orphans who are desperately wanting to be adopted. We CANNOT forget once the cameras leave!!!

WARNING- These pictures are extremely graphic. I only show this because it allows us to see and feel the real emotion of those who are actually living this horror. It is easy for us to simply turn the channel or click to another website talking about the Superbowl or Brad and Angelina. But the suffering is not going away just because we turn our cheeks.

The Truth About Adopting From Haiti

Many have expressed a desire to either adopt or provide foster care for the Haitian orphans should some sort of airlift etc. happen. I have truly been amazed by the compassion that I have witnessed from this group. I heard a story today of a Haitian man who said "we have seen people with their hearts in their hands willing to help." So true.

I want to provide you with truth and not unrealistic expectations. You deserve a true, realistic picture and this is it to the best of my ability.

Before I dive into this though, let's begin with the end in mind. The endgame for these orphans, like the other 140 million orphans around the world, is to get them out of harms way and into loving, caring homes. And the IMMEDIATE need for Haitian orphans is the first part- get them out of harms way!

In the immediate, even if you wanted to adopt a child from Haiti, it would not be possible at this time for a number of reasons.

1. Haiti is in full chaos mode right now. Children have been separated from their parents, making it difficult to know who is an orphan. There is a process that is used to determine if the child has no parents and that must be followed. It is good for the sake of the child and of course a distraught parent who desires to be reunited with their child. Granting them humanitarian parole (our immediate, short-term goal) gets them out of the country and into safety but still provides an opportunity for familial reunification if a parent is still alive.

2. Ultimately, the Haitian government will have to "sign off" on these adoptions and it will be a while before this can happen as their government is in complete shambles. Records, personnel etc. were not great before the earthquake and their priority is not going to be on adoption right now. Their focus in the short term is to meet immediate needs of the people and establish some semblance of a government. Yes, humanitarian parole is an immediate need that would give these children safety. Adoption however is a longer term goal.

3. Adoptions take time. If you are not already approved to adopt internationally, there is a process to go through to be "adoption ready." My wife and I have adopted twice internationally and we respect the process because it safeguards both the child and the biological (if applicable) and adoptive parent. Adoption is a huge decision and one that must be carefully considered. The steps towards being approved by the U.S. government to adopt a child internationally are in place for the protection of the child and for your own education and preparation.

If you want to adopt or possibly provide foster care for one of these little ones, you will have to begin the approval process.

Think link gives you a pretty good idea of the process to adopt internationally- http://www.theadoptionguide.com/process/

If you have already been through this process and have been approved to adopt internationally, there will most likely still be a waiting process. However, check with your agency or lawyer. You can find your best information through them. If you were approved to adopt in another country, you can switch, but the wait might be longer. We are just not sure right now.

If you are approved to provide foster care, it might be possible for you to care for one of these little ones in the immediate. We have been in contact with some people who are preparing for an airlift coming out of Miami, Florida but this is in a holding pattern right now. I know someone who has been called to see if she would take in a child, so preparatory groundwork is underway. They will need licensed foster care workers to take them in. We are also working on a temporary house to provide for these little ones as well.

If you would like to be foster care certified, here is a link to your state where you can find out information on what that process would look like.
http://www.adopting.org/adoptions/foster-care-specialists-by-state.html

I hope this email has not discouraged any of you who have a heart for these little ones to not follow through with your desire to provide care for them. But just know that it is a process and we must follow proper steps.

Step 1- Get them out of harms way.

Step 2- Provide temporary safe housing for them.

Step 3- Determine their status.

Step 4- Reunite those separated from living parents.

Step 5- Provide longterm homes for the orphans of Haiti.

Right now we are working on steps 1 and 2 but if you decide you are in for the long haul, you can begin the adoption or foster care process now. There are 140 million great reasons to do so.

Haiti Orphans- Let's Get Them Out

The images over the past week have left me numb. Orphans + Haiti = PASSION for the Miller family. For those of you who do not know, my wife and I adopted 2 children from Vietnam. And this past summer, my wife and oldest daughter took a trip to Port Au Prince, Haiti to work at several orphanages. They came back with a desire to help these children and specifically work with the host organization, the ApParent Project.

When we heard about the estimates of 50,000-250,000 orphans in Haiti BEFORE the earthquake coupled with the tiny office who were handling the cases had been destroyed, we knew something had to be done. Orphans are the "least of these", the children without a family looking out for them, the most vulnerable. And unfortunately, in catastrophes like these, they are the prey for those looking to exploit the crisis. The human traffickers move in and the orphans, especially in chaotic crisis, just disappear.

We cannot let this happen. So we have started a facebook group that will hopefully grow to an influential size where we can share resources and ACT when the time comes.

Right now the key is to get humanitarian parole for these children. It does not mean that they can instantly be adopted, it just means we need to get them out of harms way. We must take care of the number of orphans who were in the process of being adopted. Then we need to look at the huge numbers of children who are now orphans because of this tragedy.

My heart has been touched by people who want to open their homes all over the world to these children. They need a loving home. It is times like these when we truly see the best side of humanity.

If you would like to join the group, please visit- Haiti Orphans- Let's Get Them Out!

January- time to look forward

Happy new year readers of my blog. I have been on hiatus for a few weeks with the holidays. But here I go...

Living in the north I do not enjoy the weather in January. However, I do love the optimism that can come with the month.

I just ran into a friend of mine who had a horrible year in 2009 and he couldn't be happier that January is here. I asked him why he was doing so well and he told me that it was because he spent time writing his objectives for the new year and he feels that there are things that are within his control to work on and that gives him hope. The things he can't control, he is turning over to God and that too has given him hope.

So that is what I am working on, writing down my objectives for the year, the month and yes, even the week. Pray, read, write, reflect, try, reflect and rewrite those objectives this year. You will be glad that you did.

If there is ONE objective to start with this year... WRITE OUT THOSE OBJECTIVES!

The Simple Christmas Story

It's time again to let Linus do his thing...

Experiential Advent

Our church had it's own version of a Christmas event. Art, art installations, narration, video, images and music all came together for what was called The Voice. Inspired by Chris Seay's narrative of the same name, we asked the question, "what does this world look like with the light of God and without?" Really this is essentially why we light lights at Christmas. The Advent (meaning "Coming" or "Arrival") of the light of the world was finally realized. The waiting has ended.

We began the evening with groups of people entering a story room that felt a bit like being in a crowded cave. Following a short narrative on advent and the contrast of light and dark, each group was then invited into a world of darkness. The "darkness" portion of the evening was sobering with each artist creating pieces that spoke to the absence of light, void of goodness. The video, the images and the music all reminded us that there are many ugly aspects of this world. "Uncomfortable" was the most common comment for most people during this time. And that is the point. Darkness is still with us in so many parts of our world and we cannot insulate ourselves from it. One interesting dramatic piece was a room where people were invited 10 at a time where someone shared how amazing their life was now that they had all of the "stuff" that they wanted. While they shared this, they were also stuffing their face with chocolate cake. Darkness can also be found in consumption as much as overtly painful situations.

After time to take in the art pieces and the interactive wall where people shared their thoughts on darkness on a large canvas, people were invited to come on the stage where the curtain was drawn and a narration began. The narration took people on a journey of light and dark, concluding with a protracted time of silence and complete darkness that was obliterated with a match to light the candle that then changed everything. As the curtain opened again, the light from the candle now made its way to the artists who carried their flames to each of their pieces. Each canvas, picture, video and music was now infused with light and the result was palpable. Hope, joy, laughter, energy and beauty now infused each piece. "God with us" was not simple a drama to be watched but now immersed in light, it was to be felt. Several people said that they burst into tears while leaving through the curtain with such an overwhelming sense of joy and hope.

And the "Consumption" room was now replaced with the same actors who now were holding "Communion" elements. One woman said "when I went through the curtain, the first thing that I saw was the communion and I just wept and felt compelled to go and receive. It was an awesome experience."

To watch the art transform from dark disturbing images to pieces of beauty and hope was truly inspirational and it fully captured the essence of what this season is really about without the fluff and stuff. Thank you to all of the artists who made the evening possible.

HERE is our talented church photographer Amy Paulson's take on one of the pieces. The photos shown in this post are from Amy.

May you experience advent in a new light this season.

Our Vietnam Legacy

Obviously Vietnam is near to my heart as I have adopted two girls from Danang. It is sad to see that so many years after the war that our presence is still felt there in the toxic pesticides that we left behind. I want to believe that our country will do what is right and clean up the mess that we left. We have seen what Agent Orange has done both to our troops as well as the people of Vietnam.

I am glad that the Chicago Tribune is willing to tackle issues like these. HERE is the full story and pictures.

The Global Orphan Project

Great conversation with Jason Hayes today. Jason oversees the publication called Threads. If you need good resources for young adults- Threads is the place.

He also told me about his involvement with an organization called The Global Orphan Project. I love the story of how it came about. I love the mission. Love the passion. If you are interested in orphan care, check it out HERE.

Story Litter and Twitter

Here's what happens when story + creativity + technology collides with digital "issues". Click HERE.

Branding and Storytelling from AdAge

From the Transmedia talk comes a perspective from AdAge about how to look at brands adn apply new storytelling techniques. The applications for storytelling are everywhere and it is only going to increasingly weave its way into every facet of our lives from entertainment to advertising to the church and beyond.

Building Kindergartens in Vietnam

Jon Acuff used his powerful blog for good by raising money for 2 kindergartens in Vietnam. He was shocked after his posting that $30,000 came in. Love the power of technology for great projects like this one. Read about it here and here. Thanks to Ben Arment for putting me on to this.

Transmedia Storytelling

With so much opportunity for cross-media marketing, a professor at USC has coined the term "transmedia storytelling" meaning a story spanning multiple media in a coordinated way. The most recent example cited in the story is District 9 that had ads behind bus benches that read "bus benches for humans only."

Putting people into the story is where it's at.

Unbeatable- St. Louis

My friend Laurie Frey has created a musical about her experience with breast cancer. If you live in the St. Louis area, it looks like this weekend (today even) might be your last chance to see it. It's a great show, here's a taste...

Wheaton College and the Underground Railroad

There was a great story in the Chicago Tribune this weekend about Wheaton College unearthing some of it's archives to discover that it was part of the Underground Railroad.

I read it to our family and we had a great discussion about the Underground Railroad and the courage that it took for people to do the right thing. It is still hard to believe that this was part of our country's past but an important story to tell so that our children and their children will always stand up for what is right.

Storytelling in Business

Stories connect whether it is business, personal relationships, entertainment or the church. Here is another business example with storytelling tips from Salesforce's Marc Benioff on the power of storytelling in a business.

StoryChicago is now hiStory...

Hats off to Ben Arment and everyone who collaborated on StoryChicago, an event designed to challenge and inspire all of us to do a better job of telling a better story. Job well done! Click HERE for some great pics from the event.

Story was broken up into two days. Day one had keynotes speakers sharing about...story. Day two had workshops on...story.

Here are some notable quotes from the event.

"The church is a rescue community. And everyone wants to reach people until you start reaching people." Ed Young

"We need to listen to people's stories and then customize a spiritual formation plan for them." Dave Gibbons

"When we are transparent about our weakness, there is a release of the power of the Holy Spirit...we need to develop a theology of suffering." Dave Gibbons

"We need to tell the story of God so that the hearer will want to be a detective and desire more." Chris Seay

"We thrive when we are on mission but we wither when we sink into institutionalism." Chris Seay

"We have lost our sense of shalom (the way things are supposed to be)." Nancy Beach

"The Gospel needs to be rooted in comedy and tragedy and wrapped in transformation." Nancy Beach

"Movies are high budget parables." Stacy Spencer

"A story is a character that wants something and overcomes conflict to get it." Donald Miller

"We have a relationship with the Bible that is strange. It is a collection of stories that we moralize. What if 5 minutes into a story we were telling on fishing someone asked 'what's in this story for me?' Or 'what does the fish represent?' People would hate us." Donald Miller

A story cannot be meaningful without conflict. But the average American sees 3000 ads a day telling us the opposite...and the church does the same thing. The reality is there was conflict in paradise. Before the fall, Adam was lonely. And God knew it and he still assigned him to name all of the animals. And it's not like Adam met her at a bar and just can't go out with her...she didn't exist!" Donald Miller

"The way we consume stories isn't books or movies, it's each other. You and I are setting the moral compass for each other. We are the story." Donald Miller

And that was just day one! There were many great speakers and interactions at the workshops on day two. Overall, this was a great first step in helping the church understand how to communicate and connect God's story and our. I am looking forward to how Story 2010 will . We need events like these to remind us that it is stories that will continue to shape us, move us and transform us all.