Perspective on Life (A view of Christ through death and disease)

In recent months I (Mike) have been faced with numerous friends, neighbors, and family who are facing significant life crises -- everything from stage 4 cancer, to Lyme disease, to gallbladder disease, and even amputations. Through websites like Caringbridge.com, Carepages.com, and even Facebook.com, their struggles are lived out in very public ways. They are struggling through questions that quite frankly I’ve never had to face in my own life.

My wife Leslie has been encouraging me to write some of my thoughts on the topic, but I’ve felt that I’m the wrong one to write. I’m not the one who is going through these things. But, my friend Polly just wrote something that made me say, “I have to write.” Polly has Lyme disease and it has caused severe Autonomic Dysfunction.

Polly and her husband Jack work for Student Venture, the jr. high and high school ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. I worked with them for a number of years from a distance (resourceing them) and at conferences.

As I understand it, Lyme disease (caused by a bacteria) when treated, actually causes greater symptoms of the disease as the bacteria are dying off (a process called Herxing). I cannot imagine the hard balance between experiencing a worsening of the symptoms but also killing off the bacteria that cause the disease in the first place. For Polly, any illness is magnified, as her immune system can’t respond normally. Needless to say, this causes life to look significantly different.

Polly’s perspective on life with Lyme disease (along with the example of so many of my other friends who are suffering) inspires me to live differently.

Here are Polly’s words:

…as i began to pray the Holy Spirit quickly met me and said, "You can worry about how this disease will affect you next week, five years from now...or you can trust me and live abundantly where i have you each and every day."

Certainly i grieve this awful disease and wonder how much less active or shorter my life may be because of it, but i would much rather rest in His peace and enjoy what He gives me than be bitter, hurting mom and wife.i don't know, i guess when the Lord said that i just got two pictures of myself, each 20 or so years from now. One was as a bitter woman bemoaning the fact that i can't run around in the woods with my grandkids as i would like to, worried if i would live to see their next birthdays. The other was one on a porch in a cabin in the woods. I'm laying in a lounge chair surrounded by my kids and grandkids laughing, snuggling reading books and marveling at God's creation which we are surrounded by. Who of you by worrying can add even an hour to your life? i choose scene two.

As Polly stated later, she wants to make clear that “choosing scene two is only by the grace of God and it is a moment by moment dependence.”

As I look at my own life, I have nothing to complain about compared to people like Polly, or my friend Barry who has finally had to have his foot partially amputated due to a motorcycle accident over ten years ago. I don’t suffer in any way shape or form in the way they do.

My friend Valerie is another example. Several years ago, she had an emotional break down that caused her life to come to a screeching halt. But the Lord did amazing things and healing was brought about. More recently she was diagnosed with stage four cancer. One thing after another has hit in Valerie’s life and yet she offers these words:

Does our life sound stressful? It has been. Have you read the book of Job in the Old Testament? Here’s a guy who just kept getting bad news. By the end of all the terrible news, he is grieving his losses and even depressed, but he never curses God for his circumstances. Most of the rest of us would ask, “Where does it stop?” The truth is, it may not stop, but from the beginning of my breakdown God has been teaching me that He is my Loving Father who suffers with us, and for us. Healing our souls and growing our love for Him are top priorities for God. In the midst of a lot of hardships and trials over the last few years, God has shown his faithfulness to us, and we are thankful for His continued pursuit of us. He has wept with us as we grieve, and rejoices with us, as we are encouraged.

As I look at these friends and the struggles they are going through, I loathe my own attitudes. How in the world can I feel bad about my own circumstances? My circumstances are nothing compared to these. The amazing thing is that Polly, Barry, Valerie, and I all have a personal relationship with God that sustains us in our present circumstances.

Psalm 46:1-3

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

I don’t know about you, but these examples make me want to choose to live my life differently. When “tough” times come, I choose not to complain but to embrace the path that God is taking me on. I will choose to embrace the moment so that, like Polly’s example, I will choose scene two.

To read more about these friends I have mentioned, you may visit their Caring Bridge websites:

Polly Noonan http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/momoffive/

Barry Atwell http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/barryatwell/

Valerie Yarbro http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/valerieyarbro/

Summer project chain reaction = spiritual multiplication

Volume 4, Issue 5

Summer project chain reaction = spiritual multiplication

It isn’t often that we get to see what happens years down the road and how ministry to one person compounds on others. But recently we discovered this story:

For several years before coming to Keynote, one of our new staff discipled Ashleyne in NY State. Ashleyne came to Keynote’s summer project last summer with some hesitation and resistance where she was further discipled and challenged. But she accepted the coaching and training and was the student who shared the gospel message during her band’s (Young Isaac) concerts on tour.

In Ohio, there was a 16 year old girl named Katia*. She and her brother Leonid* were adopted from Russia when they were 4 and 6 years old. By the time Katia was adopted and brought to the US she was a bit young to remember her life in Russia, but Leonid has many vivid memories and really struggles with abandonment and all that ntails having been adopted at an older age. Katia feels very close to her brother because he is her only blood relative, but because of his struggles, their relationship is very strained. Fortunately, they have a wonderful family with parents who are very loving. They go to church, but Katia has never been able to relate her church experience to her teenage life.

Katia's neighbor, Maryellen*, is very involved in Student Venture and has often invited her to activities, so when she heard about the Young Isaac concert (Keynote Summer Project band) last summer, she brought Katia along. Ashleyne shared her experience with a strained relationship during the gospel presentation. Her friend was struggling with depression and self-destruction. Eventually this friendship was broken off. Because of Katia’s relationship with her brother, she really connected with this story. When the gospel was shared that night, she didn't have to think very hard about asking Christ into her life.

Bethany (from Student Venture) has followed up with Katia and has continued to disciple her throughout the year. She also now attends a Bible study led by a college student. Katia has brought at least two of her friends to Student Venture meetings who have both accepted Christ! One is Katia's best friend, whose mother is fighting alcoholism. The other is a German exchange student! All three are truly growing in their faith.

(* names have been changed)

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for the Keynote summer project students: their safety as they tour during these next 2 weeks and opportunities to share the Gospel.
• Wisdom (when/timing, cost) in needing to replace a laptop.
• Pray for preparations for the Campus Crusade US Staff Conference in July.

God wants us to adjust our lives to Him so that He can do through us what He wants to do. -Blackaby and King

International Exchange

Volume 4, Issue 4
International Exchange



Koreans at Keynote
Last month, Leslie helped with many of the details where 22 Koreans came to Keynote for training. There was so much crammed into 72 hours with our Korean friends.

Imagine, if you will, our version of a "Home Improvement time lapse video": Philosophy of Biblical Communication - Communication Drills - Relating to Your Audience - Blue Sky Nine concert - Praise time - Expression of Eyes/Face -Dinner in staff Homes- Resolving Conflict Class- Movement – Mission Vision Values - and they lead worship at a Korean church.

And... this was all done in two languages! JongSul and his team (see photo below) came to catch a vision for music evangelism and they loved every minute they had here with us. There will be more chapters written in our growing partnership with the KCCC (Korean Campus Crusade for Christ) Music Ministry!

Giants (GoS) in Germany
In April one of Keynote’s Bands, Giants of Silence, toured Germany & Switzerland for two weeks. Here is one of their stories.

…we played a show in Aua (pronounced Owa). This town has a population of about 16000. (It is no coincidence that their local soccer stadium holds 16000!) We opened for a local band called "strange error" (made up of Campus Crusade students), and they play hardcore heavy metal. It is normal in the states for people to show up at a concert at the very last minute . Not so here. People started filing in a full 30 minutes early and there was easily more than 100 people resent in what was a fairly small room. The concert took place at a church, but it was evident that many who were there were probably not believers. A number of the kids had backpacks filled with booze and were making frequent sorties outside to indulge. Among those in the crowd was also a tall, vampire-looking guy with freaky eyes who stood totally still and stared. It was very intimidating. I [Ethan– guitar player] must confess that none of us felt particularly safe in this environment. It was exactly the kind of show we have been asking God for!

As we launched into our set, the crowd seemed to really enjoy it. Nobody was killed in the mosh pit and vampire guy stayed put. "All guued nuuews!" Jill [lead vocalist] totally rocked as she shared her story (and His [Christ]) in spite of some heckling and less than perfect translating. At the end of the night 2 people indicated decisions to receive Christ, and 16 purchased CDs (which all contain the gospel) and many many more took our little mini-posters (which also have the gospel printed on them). It was a great night!!

In April, Leslie celebrated her BIG 3-0 b-day. Mike blessed her socks off with surprises and balloons!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for the college students who will be participating in the Keynote summer project that begins May 19; to raise their needed funds and for their hearts to be yielded to Christ.
• Pray for the financial needs of not only us, but Keynote, Campus Crusade, and most other non-profit ministries.

To be loved by God is the highest relationship, the highest achievement, and the highest position of life. -Blackaby & King

A Band’s Testimony

Volume 4, Issue 3
A Band’s Testimony

Greetings –

My name is Scott Naylor, and I direct one of Keynote’s outreach bands. This month, I have asked to hijack Mike and Leslie’s update letter. I did that because I wanted to share why I am so glad they are part of Keynote. Chances are, you have more history with them than I do, so some of this may not be news. Regardless, I really wanted to share why it is so important that they are here.



Recently, our band played a local concert at Keynote’s performance and rehearsal facility, and were in need of some extra help. Normally we’re pretty self-contained, but the concert was being shot on video, and we had added some additional musical elements to make it a big deal. So I asked Mike if he’d help by being the lighting director for the event.

Mike agreed and did a great job. But what was meaningful is not what he did, but how he did it. He understands the technical production side of things better than I do, so he knew (but of course, didn’t say, or care…) that what I was asking would take much more work than I realized when I asked. To him, it didn’t matter - he was all-in from the start. He showed up early, set aside time to get things set up and tested ahead of time (he’s a thorough, systems sort of guy) and was there helping through the whole event. When it came time to tear it all down and put it away a day or so later, he was there as well and did it all joyfully.

He did an amazing job start-to-finish. But the bigger blessing was the servant-heartedness with which he did it. That’s just one story, but I have worked with him long enough to know that he approaches his work in HR (and pretty much everything) that way. Not all of the roles within Keynote get camera time or stage time, but it is of vital importance that we have called, passionate, talented people doing those jobs. As someone on the front lines, I cannot direct a band and be strategic and successful in our outreaches without Mike and Leslie (and others like them) ‘behind the scenes’.

It is my prayer that you rest confidently in the fact that your prayers and sacrifices to keep Mike and Leslie at Keynote are producing meaningful and eternal results. Thanks for being part of their team!
Blessings, Scott Naylor, Director -blue sky nine

{You can see videos from this performance on our blog}

http://rebholz.blogspot.com/2009/04/mike-does-lights-for-blue-sky-nine.html

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for Keynote’s band Giants of Silence who are on tour in Germany.
• Pray for the training of 23 Korean’s at Keynote’s offices April 20-23.
• Pray that Mike and Leslie would continue to keep Christ their first love.

The unthankful heart discovers no mercies, but the thankful heart finds, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.
- Henry Ward Beecher

Mike Does Lights for blue sky nine

Recently, Mike was asked to program and run lights for a concert that one of our bands (blue sky nine) had. The concert was recorded for a variety of reasons and a couple of the songs have now been made available. You can find more information about "blue sky nine" on their website: http://www.blueskynine.net//

Here are two of the songs:

On the Rise & Gearing up

Volume 4, Issue 3
On the Rise & Gearing up

Keynote has been tasked by the Leadership of Campus Crusade to come up with new ideas for reaching this generation with the truth about Jesus. If you look at the youth culture today you’ll find: they think email is for old people, their #1 communication preference is texting; and Screens (TVs, computers, cell phones, and view iPods) are their window to the world.

With that said we already have and are expanding beyond music into digital story-telling (short films) to new ways to tell this generation about Jesus in places and ways they find the most familiar. Our ministry is not just using music but broadening in the arts- that is going digital too. Obviously there is an ever increasing use of the digital/internet/web world among the current culture of today.

Giants of Silence- one of our ministry’s bands-has begun to spend half their time in the web arena. A web site that can be viewed on people’s phones, even right at the concert site, including bios, pictures, the gospel, etc. They are also constantly updating their facebook page with music, videos, and blogs. They have an email account, @giantsofsilence.com, where people can email them at any time. They are working on an independent web site that develops a running, ongoing dialog with 30-50 people. Check out their page at: http://www.giantsofsilence.com/!

Recently Leslie has had the opportunity to do ministry through a website called everystudent.com. This website was created with the intent to reach students who have questions or comments about spiritual life. The website is full of articles that challenge young people’s thoughts and provide truth. Then they can ask questions where they are sent to a specific responder to initiate conversation with.

The department Leslie serves in (KCCG-Keynote Creative Communications Group) is gearing up for Summer Project. It is the busiest season of the year for our ministry. The last minute student’s applications and auditions are rolling in as we speak. Coordinating bands with the student’s roles and staff placement for Summer Project is taking place this month. At the end of last year’s Summer Project Leslie helped put in place some new systems that would aid in a better transition this year.

May 19th College students from all over will arrive at Keynote for training in music, media, and film. The seven weeks that follow are filled with intense training and then a tour doing evangelistic outreaches that end July 8th.

Stay tuned for next month as Mike will share the happenings with his ministry role!

God gave us art, music, sculpture, drama, and literature. He gave them as
footpaths to lead us out of our hiding places and as signposts to lead us along
a search for what we lost.

We reach for God in many ways.
Through our sculptures and our scriptures. Through our pictures and our
prayers. Through our writing and our worship. And through them He
reaches for us.

Our search for God and His search for us meet at
windows in our everyday experience. These are windows of the
soul.

- Windows of the Soul, by Ken Gire

Prayer Requests:
· For Leslie’s dept.-KCCG -as they are preparing for Summer Project.
· Pray that God would provide solid financial support for Keynote and for us.

Bouquet of Thorns

Volume 4, Issue 2
Bouquet of Thorns

The color red, hearts, and flowers shape this month of February. Some look forward to this time others not so. Recently, I (Leslie) read a devotional that talked about a bouquet of thorns. A new concept! Instead of focusing on flowers (my husband knows I love) I thought I’d shift my thinking to the “thorns” of life. Presently in our world there is a lot of turmoil -- job loss, downturn of the economy, financially lean times, pain, heartache, sorrow, conflict, affliction …

Everyone has to deal with thorns. God said you will deal with this “all the days of your life.” There’s no one who can avoid thorns. Thorns and afflictions aren’t just for people who don’t know God -- they’re for believers as well.

God allows the thorns in our lives and doesn’t always remove them. Why, because He is God. The process that He has for us goes beyond what we can see. I have personally been learning about spiritual growth through difficult valleys. The thing that I am thankful for is the perspective that God is doing a work in me in spite of what I see. I am confident of what He is doing because I have seen what God has done previously in my life. My prayer is that I choose, in my thinking, to turn the thorns into blessings.

I am seeing He does have purpose in thorns, even though I don’t like it. In the Bible we see God as a redeeming God, who is in the process of making all things new. The measures my Heavenly Father goes to, to bring me to my knees, in complete reliance on Him, submission to His will, amazes me.

God is transforming me through my thorns. He is preparing me for something better. I still don’t have answers. I am realizing that living in mystery is His desire so that I trust and abide in Him- finding contentment in Him alone. I don’t understand, I can’t see the purpose in this, but I accept His plan. As an act of my will saying “I choose to bless your name O Lord.”

Ultimately God is the one who permits these thorns to come into our lives.

John MacArthur succinctly puts it: God, I know that this is from You. This is for my good. I receive it. I give You thanks for what you want to do in my life through this thorn. I know that You must know that this is what I need at this moment of my life.

2 Corinthians 12: 9 Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities [my weaknesses], that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities.

By faith I thank God for the thorns; to consider the thorns a blessing; to see God’s purpose and hand in bringing those thorns into our lives.

George Matheson– a blind 19th-century Scottish preacher finally came to the point where he could pray this prayer :Dear God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I’ve thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear. Teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. And show me that through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant.

Prayer Requests:
· We would grow in experiencing God’s grace and Love.
· For Keynote as we continue to seek new effective and creative ways in which we reach out to this generation.

When you are in the furnace, remember this: Your Father keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat.
-Warren Wiersbe

Leslie & Andrea led a Freshman girls Bible Study in college. Daniele (rt.) was one of the girls in the study. They posed for a photo/were reunited at Andrea’s wedding last month.

Holiday Impact: Mission Possible

Volume 4, Issue 1
Holiday Impact: Mission Possible

Christmas Day we arrived in Atlanta for the IMPACT conference having no idea what would take place in the next week. We thought we were there to help serve behind the scenes on the production team for the conference – yet God had so much more in store.

Allow us to briefly explain what IMPACT is and how we are connected to this conference. IMPACT is a ministry that began as the African American ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. The Impact Movement takes the truth of Jesus Christ to the campus, community and world by producing leaders of African descent who are spiritually focused, financially responsible and morally fit. The theme of this conference. was: “Mission Possible” -Consider anew that when it's God's desire, things that are impossible with men are possible with God. ALL THINGS!
More than 1,200 conferees joined with us in Atlanta, GA from December 27, 2008 through January 1, 2009 for Impact 2008.

This conference was not just for the unsaved (those who don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus) but a message to regularly strengthen the believer. A dozen people indicated they made a decision for Christ the first night! Students didn’t come to this conf. to receive some warm fuzzies but they certainly got more than what they were expecting -- to be challenged in their spiritual growth to be built up in their faith, and to be encouraged the mission is possible.

Here’s where our ministry, Keynote, comes in… Keynote is home for the Impact band, Infinite Impact. They just completed their first year being an established band and touring. Keynote provided the training: musically, communication skills, Gospel presentation….for this band. Also, in early December, Keynote’s Creative Communications Group, the department Leslie serves in, held a 3 day training for emcee’s going to various Campus Crusade Christmas Conferences. Tia and Tyreke (see photo on rt.) who were the emcees at the Impact Conf. took part in this emcee training. Keynote is all about partnerships and exists to help other ministries be equipped to spread the Gospel.

You wonder: what did we do?
Mike ran Mediashout and power point for the music lyrics and speakers presentations. (see photo below) Leslie had the privilege of sitting next to her husband as she was in charge of the program timer. A speaker/hip-hop artist (The Ambassador) referred to it as the “clock, that’s ticking.” This was the first opportunity that we had to serve behind the scenes and on the production team together.

There’s a lot that goes on at conferences behind the scenes that make it powerful in the hopes of changing lives, igniting a new spark. Let us give you a few of them: countless videos during the main sessions, last minute changes in the twice daily main sessions (see photo on rt.), live musical artists and late night concerts, dynamic speakers and pastors from various walks of life. Oh, the details of putting together this conference, yet the joy of seeing God move through hearts in indescribable ways.

Highlights of the conference:
~Riding up and down the elevator (40 levels/ flights) 10+ times a day, ears popping
~Riding in the same car to the conference with an Impact music summer project student, LaDonna, who Leslie video taped her audition at the 2005 Impact conference.
~Beautiful, intense, heartfelt, passionate worship- that you don’t typically see at white churches on Sundays
~Mike and Leslie serving alongside each other on the production team at this conference.
~The feedback the last night from the conferees was jaw-dropping/overwhelming: 467 text messages + signature commitments of how they will respond to the call to ministry (see photo on rt.) (Ex: going on an Impact Summer Project, joining or launching Impact campus chapter, serving as a staff member or intern with the Impact Movement, giving financially, sharing my faith regularly…)
~New Years Eve, Mike received the lyrics for the post mid-night concert (Lecrae) during the evening sessions (just hours before). (see photo on lft.)programming the lyrics last min. was frustrating…but, God used the lyrics on the screen during the concert to make someone realize they needed to receive Christ!

Day of Outreach-
“Put God on blast in the city of Atlanta”
1,200+ conferees dispersed throughout Atlanta
886 exposed to the Gospel
217 prayed to receive Christ
244 shared Holy Spirit booklet
143 rededicated lives to Christ

An outreach highlight: the Impact worship team (see photos below) went to the local detention center where the band played a few songs then one of singers LaDonna shared her story. The worship team spread out and talked one on one with the detained youth. As a result of this particular outreach, 17 youth accepted Christ into their life!

Read about the experiences at the conference:
http://www.impactmovement.com/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=52827&columnid=1467