Bullying Sucks

Andrew Marin wrote a commentary at CrossWalk.com. Don't miss Andrew's words from this commentary:

"Each of the four teenagers who committed suicide in the last few months reached out at least once for help after being bullied - to no avail. News sources have reported that, whether to their parents, school administration or friends, none of these requests were taken as seriously as they should have been.

This one article and everyday people like you or me are not going to change the system. Fine. Then let the talking heads and gatekeepers keep doing the one thing they know how to do - politic. Meanwhile, it is up to you and me to start making a difference within this broken system and world we have been given. I want you, as I am, to go to your local middle school, high school, youth group, gay-straight alliance (GSA) or street corner, and get this message out:

Bullying needs to stop. We have a responsibility as children of God to strongly communicate a message that bullying, making fun of, or not including "the other" - especially in the case of sexual orientation - is wrong, unbiblical and it will not be tolerated. There is no room for such destructive patterns to occur under our watch. It is our time to set an example of who we are and what we believe. Our faith compels us to run towards the things that everyone else is running from."

One night. Two homeless men.

Saturday night while I was on Beach Street two of my homeless friends crossed my path. One was Jake. The other Kevin.

Kevin was walking with his bike. He saw me and said, "Mike, I sure miss you. It's been awhile. I just need four dollars and I'll be able to spend the night at the Sally (on the streets "Sally" means Salvation Army). Can you help me with a couple of bucks?" I learned from my friend Ray Kelley to never give the homeless money. I made another offer. "Kevin, how about if you put your bike in my truck, I'll drive you to the Sally and pay for your room?" Kevin seemed unhappy with me and stormed away.

After a few minutes I jumped in my truck and spotted Jake. Jake was sitting on a bench reading a book. I pulled over, parked the truck and walked towards Jake. I knew it was Jake by the gleam in his eye. But I didn't recognize the rest of his body. Cancer had ravaged his body. He was very skinny. I walked towards Jake and we hugged. I spent a few moments with Jake and listened to what he had to say. Before I left I asked Jake a question, "Do you need anything to eat?" Jake said, "I'd sure like a sandwich. I love those Burger King double stacks." I gave Jake another hug and drove off to get him a hamburger.

I came back to Beach street with two hamburgers. Jake was still sitting on the bench. He smiled when he saw the bag of burgers. He gladly took them out of my hand. "Jake, where will you be sleeping tonight?" I said. Jake said, "Somewhere, I'm not sure yet. Thanks for the burgers." I hugged Jake and told him I loved him. He hugged me real hard. I love hugging my homeless friends.

I found out where I can find Jake so I can check in on him. He needs a winter coat and a new tire for his bike.

What should you do if a homeless person crosses your path? The brief video below will help you.

5 Ways To Help from Los Angeles Mission on Vimeo.

Stop Bitching (Re-Post)

I am a whiner, complainer and grumbler. I whine, complain and grumble way too much.

I want more _____ . I want a bigger _______ . I want a smaller _______ . I want my friends to_________ .

I've got so many things to be thankful for. Instead I complain, whine and complain.

"Do everything without complaining....."----Philippians 2:14

Did you notice the word "everything"? The Word of God says that we should do everything without complaining.

Helen Keller was deaf-blind and mute. She could have spent tons of time complaining. Check out her quote below:

"Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content." ---Helen Keller

I am going to ask myself the following question: "Mike, are you deaf-blind and mute? Then stop Bitching!"

Check out this extremely rare video of Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan. Listen to the last thing that Helen says in the clip. It will knock you out.

The So Far From Hip It Hurts Conference

I'm going to be 50 in January. I'm kind of lumpy in places (in a lot of places). My knees are starting to give out. I have selective hearing. I just started texting and I don't use hair gel. I would be less than honest if I didn't say that some of these Christian type conferences annoy me and seem a bit "too hip for the room". The last Christianese conference I went to was Promise Keepers just before it ran out of steam. Yes, even PK became lame.

Through the Twitternet I see numerous extremely hip conferences being chatted up and about. These conferences even produce hip #hashtags such as #StarBucksInTheLobby10 or #GoateesUnderTheTent2010 or #ItsReallyWineAndNotJuice. Okay, maybe I'm smoking crack but wouldn't it be interesting and maybe entertaining if there was an UnChristian Conference for those of us who are mildly or extremely unhip? A conference so unhip that it didn't have sessions. A conference so unhip that the official hotel was the Holiday Inn. A conference where the unofficial coffee was Folgers and not Starbucks. A conference where hair gel and scarves were discouraged. A conference where looking like you stepped out of a HillSong music video was not mandatory.

Okay, now I'm serious. I was talking to my blogging/social media chum Sarah Salter on the phone this evening (she is now very sorry that I have linked her name to this blog and especially this post) and shared this idea. Seriously, I would like to help organize the very first So Far From Hip That It Hurts conference. It will happen sometime in 2011. It should be held somewhere in the middle of these United States so that both the left and right side of the country can participate. Speaking of left and right, everyone is invited. Not just nutty Christians. Agnostics, Atheists, Straight, Gay, Theists, Liberals, Conservatives, Tea Party Peeps, Sinners, Saints, Black, Brown, Yellow, White and more are warmly welcomed (if I forgot a label, I'm sorry).

I have met so many terrific folks through blogging and social media I can't count them all on my 23 toes and fingers. I want to take this online thing offline. I'd like to meet as many of you as possible in person. Everyone who comes gets a free hug from me but don't let that discourage you from coming.

Wouldn't it be great to spend an entire weekend with me in the same hotel? In separate rooms of course.

I'm serious doggone it. Let's make this happen. The first annual So Far From Hip It Hurts conference coming to a Holiday Inn somewhere sometime in 2011.

Now it's up to you. Thoughts? What do you think? Crazy? Would ya? Could ya?

What if every church was a "Love Shack"?

"The church should be the place where the incompetent, the unfinished, and even the unhealthy are welcome. I believe Jesus agrees." -- Mike Yaconelli

What would happen if every church was truly a "Love Shack"? A place where broken, messed up people knew that they would come and get loved on. A place without judgment. A place where the dirt of life was truly welcomed and embraced. A place where it's okay to be truly transparent. A place where people with everything sat next to people with absolutely nothing. A place where healing happens. A place for people who have given up hope to find hope again.

There is something amazing about love. It's contagious. People are drawn to love. Love encourages. Love moves mountains. Love removes pain and hurt. Love transforms. Love brings life.

I love going to the Port Orange VFW for karaoke on Friday or Saturday night. The song I always like to sing is "Love Shack" by the B 52's. It's a song that I call a "dance floor filler". All it takes are the first few notes of the song and the dance floor fills to the brim.

Wouldn't it be great if there was so much love in our churches that people filled the dance floor? So contagious that they were drawn to it? So encouraging that people couldn't wait for the first few notes?

I'm not very objective but I've found a church like that. It's the Messy Church. I like going to the Saturday night service at 5pm. I've found my "Love Shack". Thank you God. Thank you Ray and Susan Kelley.

"The mess of our lives and our crippledness -- is what most qualifies us to be chosen by Jesus." -- Mike Yaconelli

Hugging Men In Underwear

My friend and fellow tweep from Twitter @ChristieSays took this photo while she was at First United Methodist Church in Port Orange, FL. Her photo was the inspiration behind this post.



Hugging people we know is easy. It's easy to hug people that agree with us, look like us and act like us.

In church it's easy to hug the person you see every Sunday. It's safe. It's comfortable. But what about the single mother in the back row who has lost hope and can't pay the bills? What about the man who lost everything and came to church as a last resort? What about the drunk who came to seek comfort from people instead of his bottle? What about the man who is crying and considering suicide? Are you going to hug him? What about the man sitting in the corner by himself? Last night his wife discovered pornography on their computer. Are you going to hug him?

I love it when the church moves outside the walls to hug people that don't come to church on Sunday or any other day of the week. These amazing soldiers of God don't burn books or yell at strippers. Instead they take their hugs to the hurting, the lonely, the marginalized and the poor.

For the second year, various churches and ministries dropped any and all differences and brought hugs to Holly Hill, Florida. It warmed my heart to see the church doing what Jesus has asked us to do. These nutty Christ followers washed feet, cut hair, served food, gave away backpacks, passed out clothes and hugs.



One of my she-roes is Susan Kelley. She was at yesterday's event in Holly Hill. Susan hugs homeless, lost, dirty, stinky, drunk and depressed people everyday at the Daytona Outreach Center. It's easy to go to a homeless shelter and pass out food or free gifts during the holiday season. Susan and her husband Ray actually live with and love the homeless everyday. One of the men that live with them called Susan "mom" yesterday. Susan hugs me all of the time. She does hug like a "mom". In the photo below you'll see Susan doing what she does best: hugging messy people.



Yesterday while I was hanging out with Ray and Susan one of my homeless friends walked up to me. He looked me in the eye and softly said, "Mike, Jesus loves you and so do I." Then he hugged me. He smelled like urine, body odor and alcohol. It's strange. His hug made the smell go away.

The few, the proud and the brave are courageous enough to take hugs to the most controversial of places. Recently a group of Christ followers went to a Gay Pride parade. One of those zany Christ followers hugged a man in his underwear. See the photo below.



I looked for a quote to close this post. I thought this quote from Princess Diana was perfect.

“HIV does not make people dangerous to know, so you can shake their hands and give them a hug : Heaven knows they need it.”

Barriers To Suicide

For some weird reason another blogger who is obviously not doing background checks asked me to guest post on his blog. See "Barriers To Suicide" by clicking here.