Mikessocalledlife

wudda ya do?

Hey everyone?  Actually I only know of 3 people that actually read this.  Hope you are all doin good.  So lately I have been really busy.  Sorry fro not posting.  There has been a ton of stuff I have wanted to share but haven't had time.  Today I want to tell you about a friend of mine who helps out with UG (thats UNDERGROUND if you didn't know....... Karil)  Her name is Penny.  She is really excited about what we do.  She knows alot of people that I know.  She is someone I've known since 5th grade.  any-who,  She has been sharing what we do with alot of people.  Hearing her talk about it makes me excited and want to be a part of it and them I remember I am.  So she has been sharing this with tons of people which is awesome but the issue is they are my age and not really excited to hang out in my basement with a bunch of students.  alot of them have children of there own.  So I have been being asked alot lately to start an undergroundesk type of group for adults.  What do u guys think?  Here are the issues.  (there r prob. way more but here are the ones I can think of now)  1. I have no time or Money.  Basically all my free time is spent working on UG stuff.  2. I have no clue what to do or even how often we could do it.  3. I am already leading a group (UG) that I have no clue what I'm doin or were we are goin.  I am not sure if the people who attend UG get our idea or even the reason we exist.  I 'm not sure I really understand the reason we exist.  We are basically a huge dysfunctional family of people who are tryin to make a difference in each others lives.  (WE ARE THE CHANGE)  We are growing out of our house and need 2 make some changes.  4.  I feel like I have nothing to offer anyone who needs help.  I am not very good at leading people places and getting people from one point in life to another.  I am mostly someone who is willing to crawl down in the muck of life with people and hang out.  As far as getting them out I have no clue how to help.  5. I don't know if my family can handle another thing for us / me 2 do.  I am already spending alot of time with students and I also play poker every week and softball every week and I do UG every week.  To add something else 2 this might leave me a poor lonely man with no family living in a loony bin. 

Those were just some thoughts I had  on why not 2 do it.  If you know me or not I'd like 2 here your thoughts.  If you live near McHenry, IL I'd really like 2 here ur thoughts.  So this ended so ubruptly I am falling asleep at my computer.  See u all Later.

Leave Comments Please

The new dream

Hey everyone maybe you read my post about killing my dream to become a full time paid "youth Pastor".  If you didn't feel free to give it a read.  But anyway I've been spending alot of time talking to God about what I am supposed to do with my life.  Right now I work Construction full time and run a Church of students in my basement.  I know it sounds like alot of fun and it is.  The only "problem" is it's not really a problem but we are growing and soon we will be to big of a group for my basement to handle.  I know this is a good thing but the problem is I need more time to do the stuff I would like 2 do with UNDERGROUND (the Church).  It seems to me that at some point something will have to break me, UG, my family, Something.  So I have been really asking God what to do.  So here is what I came up with.  Which very strangely is just like the stuff I wanted to do when I first became a Christ Follower. 
I am Mikes forgotten Dream!

I have decided to try to raise money to purchase a building.  Not  like Churches do were they purchase a fat building that sits for 6 days a week unused and useless a waist of peoples money but a place thats open for business 5 days a week were I and the other Underground workers work.  This will be our jobs.  The idea is to create a skate park slash hang out area.  Alot like my basement.  (tvs with game systems on them and a place to just be you)  The idea is to raise money so we can purchase the building so we can keep our prices low.  I would hate to create a place we someone can't come because of money.  So there it is.  It seems like a win win for me, my family, UG, and every who will work for UG.  I get to work with students for my job and have time to get the things done for UG that need to be done.  I am wondering what you think.  I am looking for input good or bad.  Please feel free 2 shoot me down back 2 earth.  Maybe I am crazy and totally missing Gods voice.  Please be honest and don't be afraid to hurt my feelings I'm a big boy.  If you have more questions like ideas 4 UG stuff or prices or other stuff just ask I'll be happy 2 share.  Thanks guys lookin forward 2 hearin from ya.

LATER,
MIKE

I LIKE SALT

Hey everyone sorry its been so long since I've posted.  I've been thinking of something we talked about in Underground.  There is a spot in the bible were Jesus talks about being Salt and a Light. Mathew 5:13-16
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Now I've heard this preached so many times its hurts to count.  It is always preached with an undertone of you need to do better at living for God.  You need to live up to a super high standard or you are just useless salt that has lost its saltiness.  There is usually an altar call after for people to recommit there lives to God and try to do a better job being salt for Jesus.  I usually left feeling guilty for not being able to live up to this high standard and the really good speakers would maybe have me leaving a little excited about trying to live up to this standard.

Now as I read this a few weeks ago I looked at it from a different angle.  I think when Jesus was talking about being salt he wasn't talking about a huge giant standard that can't be reached by any normal person.  I think what he was saying is "BE YOURSELF"  You see God put you on this earth for a purpose.  He has a reason for you to be here.  You are here to be salt to the earth.  It isn't about a religious guilt trip to be a better Christ follower it is a call to throw off all the religious garbage and be you!  You see you can only be the kind of salt God made you to be.  If you try to cram yourself into standards, religious or not, that aren't created for you you are not being true to yourself.  By not being true to yourself you are becoming less salty.  I would say that the least saltiest people on earth are the ones not being true to who they are.  Now I'm sure there are more than just the religious ones but I look at it like this.  The more you start to follow the religious rules people tell you are about following Christ and stop seeking God the less salty you become.  You see I think the pharisees were among the least saltiest people because they were the ones who were the most religious. 

Then Jesus goes on to say You are the light of the world.  again always preached in a way that makes me feel guilty for not living up to "the call".  I think what Jesus is saying is that when you figure out who you are you become a giant light for those around you.  See you start to fulfill the purpose you are here for.  The purpose only you can fulfill.  The purpose God has you here for.  You then start to realize you have worth.  You are worth a great deal to God.  He didn't make a mistake by creating you he is just waiting to see you fulfilling your purpose in life.  Now this may sound like a guilt trip too to some of you but you see once you start to figure out who you are you start to fulfill your purpose because its built in.  It is usually the thing that makes you happy doing.  The thing that you feel like you can do and keep doing forever even if you don't make a dime doing it.   Once you do that you become the light to all those around you just by being you.  Hope you enjoyed my take on things and I hope this gives you some authority to Go figure out  who you are.  Don't just accept what people tell you you are created for figure it out. Start digging into you.  You are not an error and you have a great deal of wealth and potential not just from Gods perspective but also from the ones who get to experience your saltiness.

BE SALTY, BE YOU

Later
MIKE

It Works It Works It effin Works

Hey everyone.  There is only 2 - 3 people that I know of that read this.  But hey.  We have been doing Underground in my basement now for 3 months.  It has had its ups and downs.  Today I looked at our tracking software we use to keep track of students birthdays.  One of the things it does is shows how many people are there and who came as well as the amount of visitors.  As I looked at this I noticed a steady incline in the amount of students attending and keep attending.  Our high #s are higher and our Lows are Higher.  We have also seen some of the adults in our area get interested in UG and God.  My neighbor a person who went to catholic church when he was a kid until his dad died started coming and bringing his younger than high school students (Not what were shooting for but we won't turn anyone away) and has started talking about UG as his ministry.  Something that is very exciting to hear people who r interested in a group of misfits who are just trying to love God and Love people.  We also have a couple who have been basically shrugged away by the church and our now helping us.  They fit perfect into our dysfunctional ministry and play a great roll in it.  We also are having great conversations with students about there drug use and drinking and it finally seems its sinking in about not doing things that are bad for u.  Of course they r still doing alot of the stuff but hey its a start.  We had a great meeting on Thursday it was the best so far.  I loved it and had alot of fun.   I guess Loving God and Loving Others works.  There are so many stories and Its totally not about #s but its hard to love people if there are none to love.  We r excited to see people enjoy what we do and are not ashamed to bring friends.  We LOVE UNDERGROUND.  Well gotta go.  If your in the McHenry, IL area and want to visit, come check us out.  We r not fancy, flashy, hyped up or even really that organized for that matter, but we have fun and try to figure out what it means to follow God in 2008.  Thanks for your time.

Later,
MIKE

Killin The Dream

Today I started a new book Called Pagan Christianity.  It is written by Frank Viola and George Barna.  It basically is about how the roots of our church practices (buying buildings, having a sermon every week, Sunday school, salaries for pastors, and etc.) come from pagan rituals and pagan tradition.  I really like it so far.  The problem as I read this book the last little bit of my dream to become a full time minister (meaning thats what I'm paid for) is dying a slow painful death.  You see my job as a carpenter I have mostly looked at as temporary.  I took a more flexible job so I can be free to do the ministries I have been apart of at the expense of $$$$.  If I took a union job years ago I could be making alot more $$$ than I make now.  I would of started off making less but now I would be making somewhere in the range of $39 per hour.  I make less than that now.  My family has sacrificed in there living so I could become a full time paid minister and I am grateful for all they do to support me but the more I live and delve into this world of questioning church and tradition to better know Christ I find myself in a Job I don't particularly enjoy and it become more permanent as my dream dies.  <I am mikes regretful past>  The more I study and look at church and how it should be the more i realize I have wasted time trying to accomplish something I don't know if I believe in anymore.  The more i read this book the more i realize that paying pastors is maybe a waste of money.  In the book They say that between a building and paying staff a church uses about 80 - 90% of there income (tithes).  As I read this my heart dropped.   I'm a world were it takes so little to help we are giving church staff fat salaries to do what Preach a sermon most people don't remember and alot fall asleep during.  I know pastors work hard but getting paid so much when we could help so many for just a little money seems counterproductive.  I have been to churches were they have 10 -12 people on staff but say they can't afford to help a widow with some bills.  That seems so backwards to me.  So I guess I say all that to say my dream is dead.  I am now in a job I don't particularly enjoy running a Church in my basement with students that it seems no one else cares about.  I love these students and am excited about what God is doing in our midst.  I feel like i am doing what I am called to do but to my surprise there is no salary.  I figured by this time in my life I would be a Student minister somewhere with a good sized group and livin the good life.  To my surprise I am the leader of a bunch of church rejects in my basement who I love for there honesty and Lack of experience for what following God is all about.  Thanks for reading Look for more on this book I'm sure it will get the gears turning in my noggin a bit more.  I want to say thanks to my family for all they sacrificed and keep sacrificing for our ministry as a family.

Later,
MIKE

What can I do.

Today I was eaves dropping on a ladies conversation with what I believed to be her daughter.  From my experience and her wordage I think she was in some sort of rehab center for drugs or alchohal.  My heart went out to her and her family.   You see I know alot of people in this situation.  They are trying to help themselves with some sort of issue, drugs, alcohol, sex addiction, joblessness, and other issues.  I find myself in a weird situation.  I talk to these people alot.  You see for some reason it seems strangers talk to me alot about weird things like there past, drugs there trying to get off of or other things I know are very personal but for some strange reason it seems they share these things with me.  Every once in a while I will talk to someone in a public place and find myself standing next to them in a supermarket or home depot with them balling there eyes out telling me about there problems.  What am I supposed to do with that?  Usually I would invite them to church and they would come and enjoy themselves and then get eaten up and rejected out the revolving door of judgementalism.  Left with me trying to explain the church does not equal God. (even though it should or at least be a better representation of Him)  Now I am in a situation were I don't attend a "church".  I meet as regulary as I can with friends and run a Youth Church in my basement that is basically filled with students who have been rejected by society or church or both.  But My question is what do I do with these people I meet?  Do I invite them to UNDERGROUND (my basement student Church)?  Do I just ignore them?  what am i supposed to do?  There are people in my life who, I know, feel the same way and we have pooled are resources together and actually helped people in need.  (the way church should be)  But here I sit and wonder what can I do with all the hurt in the world I come across?  I know its not my job to fix everyone but I do feel its my job to do what I can and I guess I struggle with the question How much can I do? 
Another example is a younger guy I saw at walmart today.  He was my check out guy and I recognized him from the guy across the streets house.  I asked him how he is doing and suprizingly he said not real good.  He started to tell me he moved to California and got involved with alot of drugs and alcohol had to come back and wasn't allowed to move back to house he was in so he is now living with his grandma in wonder lake.  (he hates it by the way)  I asked him if he still went to my neighbors.  He said no they all get high there and hes tryin to stay away from that.  Thats were I start to think about what can I offer this person to help him.  I was once in his situation maybe not exact but I needed help and people stepped up now how do I step up for him.  What r ur thoughts?  How do we live life aware of those around us as Jesus did and still accomplish all the things we need to do like provide for our family, spend time with friends and family and do all the other stuff we need to do? How do we live our lives so were not just keeping our head down hoping no one recognizes us?  How can we change the world? well thanks for listening.  Sorry its so long.

Later,
MIKE

Stuck in the middle

Sometimes I feel like I am not only fighting sin and for the spiritual life of people in my life but I feel like I am fighting the So called church as well.  Let me give u some history.  I didn't grow up in Church at all.  I was raised by an alcoholic father and a mother who was amazing and did everything she could to keep her marriage and us kids happy.  I was heavily into drugs (hard and Lite), alcohol, and just about everything a teenager can get into.  I have spent time in jail and had what alot of what people told me was a great life.  I had alot of friends and partied all the time.  I was empty and frustrated with life.  One day I went to a church with my friend who partied with me I sat and listened to what the Pastor had to say and was not real particularly moved by it or even really remember what he said I just remember thinking to myself I'll give this God thing a shot.  Now we can fast forward I started working with students  and went to Bible College.  After, I started doing student ministry (professionally) and had horrible experiences with churches. a few years Later I was interviewing for a few Churches to do student ministry for and I found one by us that seemed to be a good fit for us.  I was told they wanted me to do student ministry for them and I immediately told them we were interested only if they want us to reach (unchurched) students.  They said that was exactly what they were looking for.  The only catch was they couldn't pay me a full time salary for a year.  So I talked to my wife (Juli) and we decided we could make some sacrifices for a year and I could work part time and give the church the other part for 1 year until they could take me on full time.  At the end of that year we found out we were lied to.  They couldn't afford us and not only that the "medium sized growing church"  was actually a medium sized choking church but  The leadership had been spending more (Alot More) money then they brought in.  At the 1 yr anniversary for us we were  met with a we can't afford you and we are not willing to afford you and also we want you to start "babysitting" (my word not theirs) for our church students. They didn't like the (sinners) we were reaching.  In the end we were forced to leave the church.  hoping they would create something for these students coming every Thursday night they started a holy huddle were they basically asked any students who don't attend Sunday morning service to not come to youth group.  NICE.  So we (my wife and I) were left with a choice.  Do we let these students just go there way and we go ours or do we try to intervene.  (even after all this we still had 5-10 students coming by our house to hang out every week)  So we did what we thought any self respecting Christ follower would do.  We started a Church for students in our basement.  For once in our lives we had people but no ministry to put them in so we made one.  It has been a month and I still don't know what to think.  Our students are amazing.  They are not your usual group of Church kids.  In fact most places we go with other churches there it seems like we totally crash the place.  People just don't know what to think.  So here we are trying to love and care for the students in our lives that have been mistreated and abandoned by the "church" and as I talk to more and more of these "church" people the more discouragement I get from them.  They all tell me You can't do it that way or you can't start a church with just students how will you get money, how will you get paid?  To all of that I say screw off jerk bags.  When and were is it found in Jesus' teaching were we are supposed to get into ministry for the money.  Maybe I'm wrong but I really feel like we are doing what God wants us to.  Is it easy?  not at all.  Do we know what it supposed to look like?  Of course not.  All we know is we have a basement full of students who are on a journey with us to find out what it means to follow God in 2008.  We have formed this big family feel mostly dysfunctional but these students amaze me on a regular basis with there love for each other and for others.  they take care of each other and help  each other in ways I have never seen a church do.  I am in the middle of this battle and i feel pressure from both sides the church and the world.  I'm stuck in the middle right were I feel Jesus was and it sometimes sucks but you do get to see amazing things if you keep your eyes open for what God is doing.  Thanx for reading give me your comments or questions.

Later
MIKE

Heres my new way to rant and complain about things in my life

Hey everyone.  Really thats probably no one cause no one knows about this blog.  Welcome to mikes so called life.  I am making no promises on the amount I will blog but when I do, I hope u will enjoy it.