Husband. Dad to 5. Student Ministry Pastor. Follower of Jesus. Yatta yatta.

Archives for January 2011

HOW TO MAKE A RINGTONE FOR YOUR IPHONE FOR FREE

January 29, 2011 by 2 Comments

Ok…well, last night, a friend of mine Scott Berglin taught me how to make a custom ringtone from a song on my iphone using itunes and my mac… AND being the nice guy that I am… I shall now share the secret with you with 15 step-by-step instructions… for even a dummy like me.

  1. Open itunes.  
  2. Find the song you want to make the ringtone from.
  3. Highlight the song and right click on it (or hold the control key and click the mouse). Select “get info”.  
  4. Go to the options tab and change the duration to the start and stop time you want your ringtone to be. 30 seconds is the max.  So I choose 29 or less just so there are no problems.  Click “OK” in the bottom right hand corner which will save the changes.
  5. Right click and select “create AAC version”.
  • if the file is “protected”, a window will pop up and tell you that you cannot. In this case you will have to stop right here and burn the song to CD and reimport the song. Then start the process again.
  • Search for the song in itunes.  You’ll now see a version of the song that is 30 seconds or so in duration… whatever you chose it to be when you made the start and stop time in step 4
  • Right click the song again and choose, “show in finder”.
  • Find the song…. which will now be highlighted and will likely be the name of the song with a “1” added to the title.
  • Change the song name as you wish and change the ending from “.m4a” to “.m4r”.  When the confirmation window asks you if you want to do this, click “use .m4r” when it asks.
  • Type “ringtones” in the search window on your harddrive.  You’re looking for a folder labeled “ringtones”.  It should be under your user/your user name/music/itunes music/ringtones.   When you find it, drag your .m4r file in there.
  • Double click on the ringtone you’ve just made and play at least some of the song in itunes.  I don’t know why. Just do it.  We’re the dummies- remember?
  • Plug in your iphone to your computer.  Find your iphone in the left bar and click it.  Now make sure you have selected “sync ringtones” under your “ringtones tab”.  Now perform the sync. 
  • When the sync is done, on your iphone… you can go to settings and change all your calls to become that ringtone under the “sounds” tab in the settings app or… 
  • …. you can customize a single friend(s) only.  To do this, go to your contacts and pick a friend you want to have a custom ringtone for when they call.  Select “edit”. Select the ringtone tab and then scroll for your song which will now be added above the stock ringtones that came with your phone.   Choose the one you want.
  • BAAMMMO!  You’re in biz and unless you chose a sucky song, you’re cool too. 
    • Out. 
    Filed Under: Uncategorized

    SOME SWEET DISCUSSION STARTERS

    January 28, 2011 by 1 Comment

    I’ve been kickin’ it with 4 other pastor-long-time-friends for the last 2 days in Huntington Beach to bond and do talk about life, faith, family and such.  We pray and laugh and kick around discussions that stretch my brain and challenge my life to be lived more intentionally.

    This year, we’ve been using some videos to spark some of our discussion.  Here’s 4 we’ve watched so far.  Check em out if you want to join us 🙂 
    THESE TWO JOHN ORTBERG INTERVIEWS OF DALLAS WILLARD WILL MAKE YOUR BRAIN HURT AND INSPIRE YOUR HEART AND STRETCH YOUR SOUL… cuz that’s what Willard always does 🙂



    THIS ONE FROM MIKE ROWE OF DIRTY JOBS IS FUNNY AND AWESOME.

    THIS ONE BY DANIEL PINK IS INTERESTING ABOUT MOTIVATIONS.  He’s talking to business professionals but there’s tons of insight for life and ministry here.

    Filed Under: Uncategorized

    LIVING WELL ON PURPOSE

    January 26, 2011 by Leave a Comment

    About a year ago, I read a book called “Wellbeing” by the Gallop people.  I wrote about it here and I spent some time processing it.  It has continued to mess with me some in terms of the inequality of resources and their dispersion around the world.  It’s also messed with me in regards to the level of intellectual agreement I have with its premises verses behavioral disconnect with my lifestyle.

    For example:

    • I believe that healthy relationships bring about the best life, but then I don’t make time for them.
    • I believe that I’d rather manage my money than have my money manage me, but then I spend it poorly.  
    • etc…

    So, this year I’m trying to seriously not do that anymore in my own life and back when we were planning out our calendar year, I was kickin’ this around with our college pastor and she agreed, it’s time for us to do something about this in our young adult communities at Journey too.  

    Thus, last Sunday we launched the first of five seminars in a series we’re calling, “Wellbeing: my journey to being whole in Jesus”.  We’ve tweaked the format of the book some and combined two into one and added a specific week to focus on the spiritual.  We meet once a month for 3 hours on Sunday after church and we will be bringing in specialists in each field to help our high school juniors and seniors and our college age community step into living an adult Chirst-following life well and on purpose.


    HERE’S HOW WE BROKE IT DOWN:

    January 23: Spiritual wellbeing.

    • I am a spiritual being.  Everything I do is spiritual.
    • I am a spiritual being.  I must feed my soul for it to be well.

    February 20:  Community wellbeing.

    • I am a communal being.  My contribution matters.
    • I am a communal being.  I can participate in God’s Kingdom daily

    March 20: Relational wellbeing 

    • I am a relational being.  My relational health is key to my wellbeing.
    • I am a relational being.  Healthy relationships inspire a healthy me.

    April 10: Physical wellbeing

    • I am a physical being.  My body is temporary and fragile.
    • I am a physical being.  My body is a temple to be protected.

    May 22: Financial and Career wellbeing

    • I am a valuable being.  My money can be a tool I use.
    • I am a valuable being.  My career can increase my usefulness and joy.

    So far, so good.  We had 25 young men and women there eager to dive in and they LOVED the first session as we kicked off with a lengthy study of a consistent trend in Scripture and how “everything is spiritual”.  Such a great reminder for all of us.  If there ever was a seminar I didn’t want to just host for students, but actually live out myself, then this is it. I’m going to school with them on this one for sure.

    Filed Under: Uncategorized

    DEFINING SUCCESSFUL MINISTRY

    January 25, 2011 by 1 Comment

    I don’t know what you would say the goal of your life or family or marriage or job or ministry or whatever is.  But I can tell you mine.  They are all the same.

    Here it is in a picture:
    WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH THIS PICTURE? 
    This is the Raby family.  Thanks to Cassidy and facebook, I heard they were going to be a Disneyland today.  Since we have season passes this year, I called to ask if Shannon and I could crash their party for lunch.  They graciously agreed and we went up and spent 3 hours or so with them today in the park.   
    We originally met 17 years ago in Fremont when I was the youth pastor there.  The memories we have shared over the years are way too many to list here.  Two of them were high school students in our ministry.  Three were very active volunteers.  All of them are still active in their respective churches, married men or women who are seeking Jesus, and are raising their kids to do the same.
    Tom was on the search team when I was hired as a youth pastor at 22 and one of the questions that committee asked me was “How do you define success in youth ministry?”  My answer was this:  “You don’t define it by how many students come to youth group or how great an event goes or even by how significant a life change you see in 4 years in high school.  Instead, you define 5, 10, 12 years down the road when they’ve long since graduated and they are now loving God, working for him daily, and reflecting that in their home and family.” 
    Freeze this picture.  Cuz this, my friends, is it.  
    Tom (dad) told me (holding back the tears) in his gentle and humble voice, that he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt his family is blessed and any day the Lord wants to take him home, he’d be ok with it.
    I wish I had a magic wand to make this happen.  I wish I had a “staples easy button” for every family I know that had shed tears of their own praying and striving for this in their own family.  I wish I could write a book about how to do this or tell you what to put in the water our kids drink.  But 17 years in youth ministry and watching countless families raise their kids around me, I’m absolutely positive there is no one-and-done formula for success like this.   If I’m really honest with you, my fear is that I won’t ever snap this picture of my own kids.  Tom and Nancy would tell you they doubted they ever would too.  
    But, I have 5.  FIVE!  I feel like that is so many lines to have in the water at once and my chances of hitting the success lottery like this is so out-of-this-world miracle wishing.  I mean really, even if we avoid some major life and death kinda tragedy, How are my wife and I going to raise 5 kids who love God, love one another…  and if they get married, choose to do that same thing together?  Much less, how am I doing to even come close to that as a pastor investing into other people’s kids?
    From this vantage point, here’s what I do know:
    PRAYER IS NEEDED:  No, not like the cliche statement every parent is supposed to make.  I mean serious, pound on the door of heaven, beat down the gates of hell, oh God we need help and mercy kinda prayer.  Dear God I need tons and tons of grace.  I surely will screw this up bad on my own. 
    YOU DON’T ACCIDENTALLY GET HERE:  Maybe I lied.  I guess I do know a formula.  I know some that don’t work.  I know that you can’t force or legislate this kinda family or youth ministry.  I know that you can’t get here while chasing money or fame or charisma or power or the American Dream.  I know you have to strive to love God and serve him as best you can if you expect to even get remotely close to this without going to hell and back- literally.  I know this does not happen by accident.  It can happen by grace, but not by accident. 
    YOU CAN’T QUIT:  I also know you don’t get here easily or without sacrifice or pain or regret or unconditional love.  This family has required it’s fair share of all of that.  I know it takes endurance, long haul thinking, and the end goal in mind.  I know that I must press on. I must forgive and ask for forgiveness. I know that it won’t be easy. I know it might cost me everything.  I also know it will be all worth it.

    I promise you this.  If I ever snap this picture with my adult children and grandchildren.  I’ll be crying. 

    Filed Under: Uncategorized

    I’M THE HARDEST PERSON I’LL EVER LEAD

    January 22, 2011 by Leave a Comment

    I’m 3 weeks into some new leaves I turned over in my own life and habits I am trying to change.

    The result?   I’m convinced that the hardest leadership in the world is “self leadership”.

    • Anyone can blame others for a failure.  Owning up to insecurities and shortfalls requires another level of leadership.
    • Anyone can convince others to join a vision.  Making the personal sacrifices to own the vision yourself, that’s much harder.
    • Anyone can set personal goals.  Making the hard choices that are needed to keep them in check… yeah, that’s self leadership and that my friends, is anything but easy.
    So, here’s how I’m finding I have to lead me.  And no, I’m not easy to lead.  I’m sure you already knew that, but I’m just smelling the coffee now. Took me almost 40 years to figure that one out.  I’m clearly a slow learner.

    WRITE IT DOWN:  I have to clearly articulate what I’m trying to do.  When I don’t, I often forget what I’m really aiming for or change it as I go.  Even on the treadmill I’ll change the goal mid workout if I don’t tell myself before what the goal clearly is.

    EVALUATE DAILY:  I have to look at my goals and assess my progress daily.  When I don’t do this, especially if I fell short, my failures quickly begin to snowball and then I want to quit again. 
    DO OVERS:  I have to be generous with do overs.  I have to treat each day as a new day, granting myself the grace I would want to give to others.
    ACCOUNTABILITY:  If I tell no one, I let myself off the hook easy.  Accountability keeps me from bailing on good goals because of a lack of self will.  
    Filed Under: Uncategorized
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