I'm an adult on the Youth Ministry Council for the Trinity Brazos Area, which is just a lot of words saying that I help the high school youth on the council plan and execute the CYF (high school age) events for the TBA.
Our first event with this council was Fall Retreat in December, and Adam (another adult on the council) decided we needed a more creative way to present the rules for the events. I agreed, and as the person on the council with a film degree, and the only one with an awesome Canon XL-2 video camera, I agreed to help put together a rules video using a bunch of Adam's action figures.
We shot the first one the night before the event was going to begin, leaving me little time to edit it, and so I'm not in love with how the first one turned out, however, the idea was funny enough, and it went over very well with the youth, plus it was a ton of fun to make, and that is really the important thing.
For the second video, for Mid Winter which was this very weekend, we shot it on the Monday before which allowed me all week to edit it, and therefore I am much more excited about the finished product.
It was over twice as long which meant that I had to split it up for YouTube, so the outtakes, which at the retreat were shown with the video, are here in their own video.
Again we had a lot of fun getting together to shoot the video, and although it was a lot of work, I really enjoyed editing the video, and again, the youth really enjoyed it, so overall, the project has been a great success.
I also really enjoy the fact that there is a major storyline developing throughout these videos, and I have already begun work on the story for the culmination of what will be the Rules Video Trilogy, with the final video debuting this summer at CYF Conference.
I'll post it here afterward.
Remember, Follow the rules or JOSH TOULOUSE SMASH!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Lent and the Idea of Sacrifice
Today is Ash Wednesday, and the official begininng of Lent, leading up to the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, culminating in Easter Sunday, celebrating the resurrection.
Many people, especially in the Catholic tradition, use this time of Lent to give something up, as a way to commemorate and symbolize the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Throughout my life I have gone between participating in this tradition and ignoring it.
The last couple of years I have participated in Lent, but more because I saw it as a way to better myself, not primarily as a way to get closer to God or to try and identify with the suffering of Jesus. Two years ago I gave up sweets and since that time have done a better job of not overdoing it with candy. Similarly last year I gave up fast food, and since, I have not eaten fast food with the regularity that I did before last year, and in fact have eaten fast food less than once a week so far this year (granted it is only February).
Both of those were things that I wanted to "give up" in order to better myself, however, and not really something that I was giving up that would cause me any suffering or real sense of loss, especially since I have tried to continue that practice beyond Lent each of the last two years.
This year, I wanted to give up something that would truly be difficult, and something that I would be extremely glad to get back when the Lenten season was over. I also wanted it to be something that in its absence would allow me a way to grow closer to God.
I've found that item, and this is definitely not going to be easy.
I am giving up the radio. I am giving up listening to music or even sports talk when I am at home (via Internet radio, iTunes, X-Box live, the Sirius/XM ap on my phone, etc.), when I am at work (XM online and Pandora are normally almost always streaming on my computer, and when neither of those are, my iPod is, but not now), and most importantly and most difficultly, in the car.
Working approximately 30 minutes away from where I live, the radio is an essential part of my daily commute. Forcing myself to make that drive in silence will hopefully allow me time to meditate and make more of an effort to commune with God daily. It is hard to drive in that silence and not think about why I am driving in that silence, and that, I believe, will make this a much more rewarding experience than just giving up something that I wanted to or knew that I should give up anyway.
I look forward to seeing how this spiritual discipline will affect me as the Lenten season progresses.
Wish me luck.
Many people, especially in the Catholic tradition, use this time of Lent to give something up, as a way to commemorate and symbolize the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. Throughout my life I have gone between participating in this tradition and ignoring it.
The last couple of years I have participated in Lent, but more because I saw it as a way to better myself, not primarily as a way to get closer to God or to try and identify with the suffering of Jesus. Two years ago I gave up sweets and since that time have done a better job of not overdoing it with candy. Similarly last year I gave up fast food, and since, I have not eaten fast food with the regularity that I did before last year, and in fact have eaten fast food less than once a week so far this year (granted it is only February).
Both of those were things that I wanted to "give up" in order to better myself, however, and not really something that I was giving up that would cause me any suffering or real sense of loss, especially since I have tried to continue that practice beyond Lent each of the last two years.
This year, I wanted to give up something that would truly be difficult, and something that I would be extremely glad to get back when the Lenten season was over. I also wanted it to be something that in its absence would allow me a way to grow closer to God.
I've found that item, and this is definitely not going to be easy.
I am giving up the radio. I am giving up listening to music or even sports talk when I am at home (via Internet radio, iTunes, X-Box live, the Sirius/XM ap on my phone, etc.), when I am at work (XM online and Pandora are normally almost always streaming on my computer, and when neither of those are, my iPod is, but not now), and most importantly and most difficultly, in the car.
Working approximately 30 minutes away from where I live, the radio is an essential part of my daily commute. Forcing myself to make that drive in silence will hopefully allow me time to meditate and make more of an effort to commune with God daily. It is hard to drive in that silence and not think about why I am driving in that silence, and that, I believe, will make this a much more rewarding experience than just giving up something that I wanted to or knew that I should give up anyway.
I look forward to seeing how this spiritual discipline will affect me as the Lenten season progresses.
Wish me luck.
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