Death Of A Normal Life

So what is it all worth at the end?
Your life shrunk down to the 40 years you spend,
doing someone else’s work, under someone else’s pay.
A nickel, a dime, a dollar a day.

And was all the time on your clock spent,
wondering where your dreams went?
Build a family, a house, a home.
Live life normally to the bone.

So sit there you drone,
a mind made of mud, and a heart made of stone.
Friend, good friend, I will not end up like you in the end.
My farewells to a normal life I send.

For this is the last time I listen to the clock,
the echoing sound of the tick and the tock.
No longer will it sit around my wrist.
I smile at how much it will never be missed.

For my dreams have come full circle, God, be it God the reason why.
So young I will not let my mind just sit here and die.
Dreams vs. Normal life, I’d honestly rather die,
sitting here…. saying I tried.

-By Chris Cameron

The King Above

So you would call me a king,
but I don’t believe I’ve done a thing
that’s right.

But I look to the sky’s above,
pray for those ill never know, but truly love,
tonight.

And I saw a boy upon the horizon,
as the world collapsed and was dyin,
and what he held in his hands,
was light.

Tonight I pray to God,
for I am a fraud,
and I ask myself why,
I ever tried to fight…

….Love,
Christ, the son of God, and the king above,
the king of light.

-By Chris Cameron

Israel Trip Day 1 - Mini Bags Of Peanuts

Flying is probably one of my least favorite things to do, ever. So excited for where I am headed, yet caged in a seat that I barely fit into. It's probably why I only allow myself to have one of my all time favorite drinks, Ginger Ale + Cranberry Juice, when I am flying. It makes it seem at least bearable I guess...


Today we flew from Sea-Tac to Detroit.


Detroit had about 50mph cross winds, the piolet told us over the loud speaker, "I don't feel comfortable landing in this weather, I am going to go around again and follow someone else in." Way to instill confidence....


Once in Detroit our flight out got delayed, they actually told us they had no idea when it was going to get in. So we sat around and waited. Then when in finally came in we boarded up and sat on the run way, for 1 1/2 hours.... 


Did I mention that this plane was the oldest and most scary looking thing ever?


We finally get in the air on our way to New York, only to find out after we land that we missed out transfer to Amman, and the next flight out isn't until 8pm the next day. So we get a free day in New York, which is cool because I have never been her.


Then there is all this drama about hotel and food vouchers that I dont want to get into because its been a long day and I am tired. 


Moral of the story? Don't fly Delta Airlines, unless you like having all your plans ruined. 


No pictures or videos yet, mainly because today was awful. Tomorrow should be better!


New York city, then an 11 hour plane ride to Amman. 

Preparing for Israel

A week from yesterday I will be heading to Israel and Jordan for the trip of a life time. About 40 students from Northwest University, a couple of my favorite professors, and my roommate (Andrew Masters) and I will be spending 21 days traveling all over the Holy Land, walking where Jesus walked. 


While we are in Israel we are going to be updating the blog daily (when possible) with stories, pictures, and video. If you would like to come along for the adventure you can follow in a couple ways. Either enter your email to the right --->; follow us on twitter @SeedsToday, @Gbarb18; or subscribe to our RSS feed.  


If you have been to Israel before I would love to hear your thoughts on things to bring, and things that you would recommend doing while I was there. Comment below! 

A Congregation of Pastors

My wife and I have decided to move to a small town in the South called Atlanta. Of course, if you know anything about Atlanta, you know it hosted the 1996 Olympic games. With over 8 million people living in and around the metropolitan Atalanta area, and a new adventure beginning for us in an MDiv program at a school of theology nestled on the campus of a highly ranked university, we've got our work cut out for us. We're not going to Atlanta just to learn about ministry, but we're taking 6 years of ministry experience with us to a place where we can actually practice our gifts and ideas to help people.

I've been working in men's ministry over the last two years, and while I'm planning to start a "garage band" (men's small group) or two in Atlanta, what I'm taking away from the experience isn't the point of this story. See, I'm also leaving some important gaps which must be filled. Am I leaving big shoes to fill? Well, I like to think of it as a bunch of little shoes. What's guided me through this process of exiting is identifying the specific jobs which must be done and the little things that make up a big ministry.

And that leads me to my final point. What I've theorized about for quite some time I was actually able to practice: today, I commissioned an average guy (by all accounts, the stereotype we target in the men's ministry), to become the kind of minister every person should be. He's got a big heart and strong character, but often works behind the scenes. What we discussed today was that he is every bit as important in his role of encouraging and supporting the guy on the stage as the guy on the stage himself. None of our events or spectacle would mean anything without real guys continuing to lead their garage bands and holding together so man is left behind during times of transition or difficulty.

May you also realize that ministry is your commission, to lead yourself and others into the heart of Christ. Whether you are a paid church staff member who needs to quit thinking of ministry as your job and start adopting it as a refreshing lifestyle, or an average 9-to-5er without a lick of biblical or theological education; may you find the love of Christ refreshing yourself and others as you imbibe truth from the pages of the Bible and obey the teachings of Christ. And whether or not you have a special robe, a mantle, a paper, or a card that says so; may you sense the power of the Holy Spirit empowering and ordaining what you do in the name of Christ no matter how large and no matter how small.