I've definately been a hobo-blogger.

Sorry.

I have lots to update you all on.

I've designiated saturday as my writing day. I need to spend a good amount of time writing a few things. So excuse me if I blarf this weekend.


hobo-blogger blog personal Andrew+Seely

These events took place on the night of Saturday November 25th 2006.

The Punnery (that's what we call my house) Wii Tennis Tournament.

9 Entrants

Carlos
Zeke
Bobby
Mai Anh
Eliane
Peter
Brad
Frank
and Me

Best of 3
Double Elimination


click for larger images


wii wii+sports tennis tournament

I got my wii...and now back to playing.


wii nintendo video+games

So in light of recent news about Neil Patrick Harris of fame for playing the title character on Doogie Howser MD, being gay, I must say that the title of my blog has nothing to do with such things. Just in case you had recently heard the news then looked at my title and then snickered.

I have nothing wrong with him being gay, and the title of my blog comes from the end of each episode where Doogie sits down and types a little journal entry into his computer.

Just thought I'd clear that up.


Neil+Patrick+Harris gay Doogie+Howser blog

pt 1
pt 2
pt 3
pt 4
pt 5
pt 6

This will most likely be my last post during the convention. I think my internet runs out in about an hour.

Today was good, Shane Claiborne spoke at the morning general session. What an example. What an amazing story of sheer dependence of God. A man who fully lived out the call to sell all of his possessions and live in faith.

John and I had dinner down at Downtown Disney, at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen but as we were leaving to go back to the hotel we saw someone we knew, playing guitar in the promenade.

It was none other than Mike Barnet. We stopped and got to hear the last minuet of one of his songs before he took a break. We got to chat with him some and catch up. It was a nice surprise to our evening.

The last few days have been great. A bit tiring but great.

Yesterday I got to sit down with the guys from monsterpod.org to do a little video podcast. They were interviewing some of the speakers and artists from the convention and so keep your eyes posted, cause I'll show up there sooner or later (I'm sure I'll let you know on the blog when that happens). How all this started was that Will Penner who's the editor of The Journal of Student Ministries called me up and asked me if I'd be interested in doing the podcast. Will and I got a chance to sit down with each other today and spend some time getting to know each other, which was great. I'm always glad to make some new connections and friendships, so don't be surprised if soon I get my fist print article published, which I hope I can write well enough for. Which means (yes matt and jeni) that I will spend significant time editing it.

Tomorrow Marko speaks during the general session, and I can't wait to hear what wisdom he has to impart to us. Not only to teach us, but to inspire and encourage us as well. Thank you Marko for your continued heart that seeks after Jesus.

Also please check out bloodwatermission.com and see what they are doing. Really funny that I ran into the executive director Jenna Lee backstage and realized that she's a friend from college.

I'll try and post some follow up thoughts over the next week. Especially my thoughts on the new nooma vid.

Thanks for those who have been stopping by. Feel free to participate in the comments and feel free to send me an email any time at andrewseely at gmail dot com


National+Youth+Workers+Convention National+Youth+Workers+Convention+Anaheim NYWC NYWC+Anaheim Youth+Specialties YS Anaheim,CA blood+water+mission mike+barnet shane+claiborne will+penner journal+of+student+ministries monsterpod.org Andrew+Seely blog final+thoughts

pt 1
pt 2
pt 3
pt 4
pt 5

My dear friend Lilly Lewin has lost her phone (last I talked to her). So if you see a lonely phone, find Lilly and give it back to her. Or just pray. Pray for lost phone souls.

---------
And since Lilly is the queen of experiential worship. Here's a prayer idea that I've had that concerns cell phones.

Next time you have a moment and your cell is near by. Take time to go through your address book and pray for those people one by one. Yes, even the ones you never call but are in your phone. A simple prayer exercise for busy people.


National+Youth+Workers+Convention National+Youth+Workers+Convention+Anaheim NYWC NYWC+Anaheim Youth+Specialties YS Anaheim,CA Andrew+Seely blog Lilly+Lewin phone lost

pt 1
pt 2
pt 3
pt 4

I just cut my thumb on the stupid flip cap of the little hotel shampoo bottle while in the shower. How awsome is that?


National+Youth+Workers+Convention National+Youth+Workers+Convention+Anaheim NYWC NYWC+Anaheim Youth+Specialties YS Anaheim,CA Andrew+Seely blog thoughts

pt 1
pt 2
pt 3

Well it's saturday morning and I'm pooped. I don't want to take my shower and get my day started.

Last night's discussion was great in my opinion. We didn't have time to get to a lot of topics that I would have liked to get to, but to sit and be with other youth workers who were thinking hard about the future of youth ministry, was all that I had hoped for. If you were there, thank you for all your insights and comments.

After the discussion group, I got to spend some quality time with my old friend Chris McLaughlin. This is what this convention is to me. Being able to sit in a hotel lobby for a few hours in the middle of the night. Last night Chris was such a voice of encouragement to me, as we sat and caught up and talked about where we see our selves in the midst of church and ministry in the years to come. We've been friends for long enough now that I can remember back to our early days in ministry when we would go to Denny's in the middle of the night and sit and talk about ministry. And here we are years later still doing the same. Thank you Chris. I'm compley excited as to what God's going to do through our lives.

To me there's nothing better about NWYC than being able to spend quality time with amazingly quality people who understand where I am coming from. Like we say, if churches only knew what some of our time was spend doing here, they wouldn't send us. But it's exactly what we need and exactly why we come. Because without the understanding that we are all in this together, we wouldn't be able to do the things that we do on a daily basis.

I hope and pray for those who are here this weekend. That they would experience the same thing that I get from being here. I know that a lot of people come here hurting. And I would hope that they might at least find respite from their pain. And maybe, just maybe, be healed by God. Then there are those who just need to be encouraged, and I would hope that they would have that conversation or hear kind words from someone which would allow them to know that what they are doing is worth it.

God is here this weekend. God truly is revealing who God is, in amazing, mystical, and profound ways. I hope that everyone can hear that voice.


National+Youth+Workers+Convention National+Youth+Workers+Convention+Anaheim NYWC NYWC+Anaheim Youth+Specialties YS Anaheim,CA Andrew+Seely blog thoughts

pt 1
pt 2

One of the great things to come of the 1st general session was singing. If you recall last year, I was sick. And only later did I figure out it was pneumonia. But being sick left me unable to participate in worship during my time at the NYWC, see this post.

So this afternoon it was a sheer blessing to be able to wail with my fellow youth workers. I must confess, I rarely get to truly worship much any more (at least in song). To be here with the DCB is always a great experience, and to be with a few thousand other youth workers always is a highlight of NYWC for me.

Also during the general session we heard from Kenda Creasy Dean, as she talked about the necessity of relationship that must exist between youth and adults as we both listen for God's voice.

After the general session I went to hear Tony Jones speak about development of adolescents and changes in theory about their development and what effects that has on youth ministry. Might or might not write more about that later. Might be a few weeks from now. Remind me if I forget.


National+Youth+Workers+Convention National+Youth+Workers+Convention+Anaheim NYWC NYWC+Anaheim Youth+Specialties YS Anaheim,CA Tony+Jones Kenda+Creasy+Dean Andrew+Seely blog

pt 1

Well I'm all checked into the convention. Before I forget, if you want to look over what I wrote last year, the posts start here.

I saw Alex Roller for a sec in the exhibit hall. Good to see him, hopefully I'll be able to catch up with him later.

One of my first impressions this year is knowing that the Learning Annex is going to be at the convention center at the same time as us. If you don't know the learning annex is, it's a convention thingy featuring Donald Trump and George Forman, telling you how to make money. So lots of people with suits and far more money than any of the youth workers.

It's a weird juxtaposition for these two groups of people to be in the same place at the same time. At least for me, being in ministry, means that money is not the focus of my life, nor really was it something that Jesus fully endorsed. And here is this group of people who want more of it. Wouldn't it be amazing for these two groups of people to dialogue with each other and maybe, just maybe, work together to better the world. Here are people with money, who Jesus says isn't a bad thing, what if, these people with money gave it to those who don't have any or gave it to people who would use it to help those. I think it would be an amazing thing if a millionaire wandered into the YS exhibit hall and gave a check for 100,000 dollars to world vision or something like that. I'm sure Jesus would look at this convergence of two people groups as an amazing time for relationship building and to see some hearts broken, on both sides.

On another note, the protesters have shown up. The latest sign read "Youth Specialties leads to hell." The Youth Specialties was covering something up and I asked what it was, and the guy said "Greg Laurie". I didn't stay to talk to them. One group or another is here every year, with one message or another. It's not uncommon to see us youth workers out there with signs of our own. Last year there was a sign that said something like "God hates gays" or something, and a group of youth workers made their own signs that said "Jesus Loves You". We'll see what transpires this year.

One more thing for now, I picked up the latest Nooma, 014 Breathe. I'll watch it soon and post my thoughts here.

I skipped the early bird seminar, but the 1st general session starts at 1p. I probably won't be back to the computer til after 11ish.

Don't forget my discussion group is tonight at 10:15p in the Hilton on the 4th floor in the San Simeon AB room (just to the left off the escalators).

A personal note, I'm gonna try and take the stairs as much as possible, 1 cause the elevators will soon be slower than all else, and 2 since I'm on the 7th floor I can take the escalators to the 4th and then it's only 3 flights of stairs up. Hopefully, I might lose a pound by the end of the weekend.



National+Youth+Workers+Convention National+Youth+Workers+Convention+Anaheim NYWC NYWC+Anaheim Youth+Specialties YS Anaheim,CA Nooma Andrew+Seely blog

I just got into my hotel room here at the Hilton, for the National Youth Workers Convention in Anaheim, put on by Youth Specialties.

I'll be posting throughout the convention, though things might taper off after sun night, since that's when my internet runs out. I might be able to get to a connection but no promises.

In case you've stopped by from Marko's site, hello!!! Feel free to browse around.

And if you are in Anaheim for the convention, just a reminder that I'll be hosting a late night discussion group FRIDAY NOVEMBER 3rd at 10:15p at the Hilton San Simeon AB room, on the future of youth ministry. Hope to see you there.

I'm excited to be here. Looking forward to seeing some good friends.

Also check out Marko's list of who else is blogging from the convention.

National+Youth+Workers+Convention National+Youth+Workers+Convention+Anaheim NYWC NYWC+Anaheim Youth+Specialties YS Anaheim,CA Andrew+Seely blog