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Thanks to Theresa for the heads-up on the "Youth Transition Network".
You'll get different figures, depending on the source. But some say 70% of high schoolers will "walk away from their faith" once in college.
...is Davey, with his "Legos at WAYFEST 2007" entry. Nice job, Davey -- pretty impressive for ten years old.
I recommended entrants keep it in the :30 range (he didnt') and keep it quirky (he did) and, in the end, he turned out the vote, big time (3,400 votes total.)
Remember, you can win fest tickets each morning between 6 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. on the morning show with the "secret sound", too.
Okay, here's a WAY-FM listener who can R-O-C-K in the F-L-A.
Check out his version of Skillet's "The Last Night". Kinda sounds like Paul Adams, our new guy at WAY-FM, when he sings along with his iPod. Watch the whole thing. Even the DOG is cool.
This kid rules.
After 1430 votes, the "Legos" one and the "Aspiring Musician" finished as the top two vote-getters! So here's your ballot...
FAQ 1: When does the voting end?
Monday at 9 a.m., and we'll announce a winner then.
FAQ 2: Why is "Legos" still in it, even though it's well longer than 30 seconds?
People voted for it. I didn't judge these, but I also didn't set a time-length for someone to be disqualified. The judges didn't like the length -- shorter is almost always better -- but apparently liked other aspects enough. And no, the judges don't know anyone affiliated with any of the videos they picked.
FAQ 3: Is this all about voter turnout, really?
Yep. People are pretty smart, and knew they needed to rally their friends to vote. Fun to see votes from all over the country, too. Very cool!
FAQ 4: Why aren't there more references to accordions in these videos?
Simple: Jealousy. Thanks for asking this frequently-asked question.
"Legos at WAY-FEST 2007"
"Aspiring Musician"
The videos are below. We'll whittle it down to TWO by Friday morning at 9 a.m., then you can vote on the top TWO over the weekend! We'll announce the winner (of TEN WAYFEST tix, plus Skillet CD's, plus meet Skillet!) on Monday morning at 9:00 a.m.
This was VERY difficult to judge. So difficult, in fact, that I farmed this out to some others, who will remain nameless, and hence, un-blame-able.
By the way: There are MANY entertaining entries that you can find on youtube by searching "wayfm" and "wayfest" and "wayfest contest", etc. People put a lot of effort and creativity into their entries, and I'm sure they'd love to have you take a look. Even if you weren't picked, we enjoyed all the entries and have watched the all repeatedly.
Here are the (six) SEMI-finalists, five from our judges, and one "bonus" pick from me. Couldn't resist:
1. "Breakfast"
2. "The Oracle of WAY-FEST"
3. "Weekend Plans"
4. The Blair Hug Project
5. "Legos at WAY-FEST 2007"
6. (Brant's Bonus Pick) "Aspiring Musician"
I had to throw this in, for one line: "Walk with me." That kills me. Plus, this guy looks just like Chris Martin from Coldplay. "Walk with me..." -- priceless.
Here's a great chance to to stay up to date on whether it's Christmas or not:
We got a LOT of responses to the call for WAY-FEST commercials.
We're sorting through them, and will post our "top 5" or so by tomorrow (Wednesday) at noon. Then, you'll be able to vote online for your fave. We'll give you a little over a week to vote, so we'll announce a winner on Monday, Oct 29.
This is turning out to be a big job, sorting through all of these, and we've really enjoyed watching them. It's going to be very tough whittling them down, and even if you don't make the top tier, we hope you had fun with it. We may throw the links up to all the entries for your enjoyment...
Okay, so we were talking about sports this morning, and the Dolphins and stuff. And I mentioned a few truisms about sports, at least in my opinion, and said I'd post them. So they're below.
Bear in mind, I'm a huge sports fan, and will happily debate the merits of the cover-2 defense. But -- and I intend this mainly for guys, but who knows? -- I lovingly submit the following:
1) The importance of sports is so overblown in this country, it's bizarre.
2) Any man who lets his team's performance affect his attitude with friends, his mood with his family, even for a minute, needs to knock it off and grow up.
3) If you're so bereft of drama in your life that you need to live-and-die with the performance of a sports team, come here and I'll give you some drama.
4) A study of men's behavior linked performance of their favorite NFL or college team to their personal self-worth. If that applies to you, think about how bizarre that is, and try to be a big boy.
5) Sports, for the consumer, better be fun. It's entertainment. If you consume sports, and you can't see it for what it is, can't bear to have someone poke fun at it, you need to get over it.
6) If you have actual animosity -- even an ounce, a shred -- for someone who went to Florida, because you went to Florida State, you're acting like a baby.
7) If you can't play sports without your ego getting involved, or you throw little fits, don't be too upset if I laugh at you. It's hard to suppress sometimes.
8) If you've let society so affect you that you are even slightly disappointed with your child because of he's not a great athlete, somebody ought to hit you with an accordion, because that's pathetic, and it's your problem, not your boy's. Get over yourself.
I think that about covers it.
I mentioned this on the air this morning: I understand trying to "appear relevant", but I think the Gospel is already relevant. Really.
I mean, I was a youth minister, too, and I remember the pressure to keep my program relevant, and our facility relevant. I remember that. But there's good news about the Good News: It's more relevant than Halo 3 could ever be.
In fac,t the Good News, the "Gospel", according to Jesus, the "Kingdom is here" good news, is too relevant, for some. Too much aimed at the heart. Too challenging. Too demanding. But irrelevant?
The good news can set us free from crippling anxiety. That seems pretty relevant, since our culture is wracked with anxiety.
And then there's the whole how-to-handle-anger thing. That's at least somewhat relevant for me.
And the explanation of how God's economy works -- what ultimately matters. What's lasting, what we should work for, what we should concern ourselves with, what we should and shouldn't treasure, what we do with our treasure, how we view our neighbors, what true "greatness" is -- all that stuff -- that has some bearing.
And then there are the implications for human psychology, the revelation of our true natures, the understanding of the human conscience; the stuff about politics, like where our ultimate citizenship lies, how to address those in power, and how God feels about injustice.
So, yeah, there's that.
For me, I'll admit the good news of the Kingdom kinda helps me understand what the point of my life is, how I should view those on the margins of society, how I'm to behave around "the least of these", why I should put up with obnoxious people, and how I should talk, about those who frustrate me, when they're not around.
As a human male, I admit to at least a passing interest in the implications of the way the Kingdom works on how I view women. The Smartest Teacher Who Ever Lived explained where my sexual rebellion can begin, before it might rip my family to smithereens. That's pretty darn relevant.
And then there's other stuff: How I spend my time. How I address my parents. How I raise my kids. What I buy. The words I form with my mouth. The way I judge others -- man, do I judge others -- and how I can avoid it. How I should pray. How I should share. How I shouldn't always be nice. Whom I should attract, and whom I should, by my very commitments, threaten. How I should respond to suffering. What I should be preparing for. How I can find contentment. How I can laugh a pure laugh. How I can stop hating myself. What love is. What God is doing in the world. How I can play a role in the restoration of the world.Why art matters. Why creation matters. Why you matter. Why I should work, why I should cry, and why I should party like it's 99 A.D. And, of course, what God has in store for us. There's that, too.
Yep. It's pretty relevant. The Good News of the Kingdom? It was good news thousands of years ago, and it's good news now, and it'll be good news long after Xbox 360, and long after Halo 46. Halo might be a "tool" to appear "relevant", but know what's even more obviously relevant?
A changed life.
