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[scutato]

Darn you, Faithful with joy! Here I was looking forward to being the first youngin' to post here

I'm also brand spankin' new to these forums. My name is Ted, I'm 19 years old, and I was born perfect.

Okay not really. Seriously now. My dad was in the military until a year ago, so we moved around a lot as I was growing up (not that I've finished growing up or anything ). When I was 3, we moved to Greece, and we had to give my dog away because it would be too hot for her. I don't remember it very well, but the thought occurred so I wrote it down . We moved from Greece to Germany two years later.

The trip to Germany was rough. As far as I can remember/piece together, we took a big old boat around Europe into France. Part of the trip was pretty terrible...bunch of sea sickness. Croisants will never be the same again...

We lived in an amusement park hotel for a few months (Eifel Park Hotel - great restaurant at the bottom floor if you're in the area), and then moved to a village called Mindelitchen. Unfortunately the neighbors that lived above us were CRAZY loud and obnoxious, and we ended up moving to a town called Dudeldorf. Lived in a decades-old house that was really a converted dentistry, which was actually pretty nice because we had sinks in every room. Another thing about Germany: if you're ever in the Garmisch area, you MUST go skiing. Right next to Austria and everything. Great stuff

We left Germany after 3 years and came back to the States, where we lived in eastern Washington for the second time in my life. It was interesting, because I still remembered a few things from 5 years prior. Well, okay, only two things...but I digress.

From there we moved to Japan, which was quite an experience. My favorite part: the Garlic House (or at least that's what we called it). Small restaurant in downtown Tokyo, they use TONS of garlic...and I love garlic. We also found a place down the road from our house that sold 9 soft-serve ice cream cones for 200 yen (under $2).

After Japan, we moved to eastern Washington once again, and I've been here about 5 years now. Since we've been Stateside again, we've kinda hopped churches. First we were going to a Seventh Day Adventist church, which turned out to be a humongous mistake, for many reasons. One reason is obviously that their doctrine is a bit screwy, but also I met my first ex there...biggest mistake I've ever made, but I learned from it, and life goes on.

I moved out a couple months ago, which has been fantastic. Freedom! Now I go to a local church about 10 minutes away, but the people there don't seem very sociable so far...kind of a let down. Hopefully that'll change.

Regarding other miscellaneous Ted-facts...I started college when I was 17, and dropped out earlier this year (January) to start a career in software engineering, as college seemed to be taking forever. I've been quite successful since about March, but I'm planning to switch industries in November with the launch of a business I've been planning for a while. If you have a habit of praying for random people you've just realized exist, it'd be really nice if you could pray for success with this upcoming endeavor of mine

That'd be about it. 50 bucks says nobody reads the whole thing

EDIT: withdrawing my bet, I'm down $100 now! D'oh!

 

[scutato]

I know He is building my character and faith so that I am ready for whatever lies ahead. Just like Moses spending 40 years in the desert before God used him in a mighty way.

Or like Paul spending 7 years in Tarsus after his flashy transmogrification. Wait...didn't Moses die after the 40 years in the desert? :o

You're not planning on dying are you?

 

[Faithful with joy]

LOL, not planning on dying anytime soon Scutato. I was thinking of the forty years he was in the desert before he went back to Egypt to round up them there Israelites and bring them out. :

PS - By the way I reckon you owe me fifty bucks and you have such an interesting life! You've been so many places!

 

[scutato]

Wilderness, desert, same thing!

And I bet you read it AFTER reading there was $50 on the line. *tsk*

No, I'm not betting any money on that one. I'm already in the hole now :

 

[Steve]

My parents are both deceased; my mother went earlier this year. She accepted the Lord before she died. I am a native of New York's Lower East Side. One side of my family were traditional Episcopalians(NOT what the Episcopal Church is today!) and the other side Roman Catholic. I grew up extremely Christianised in my Polish Catholic parish---sang in the Polish choir; served the altar; lectored at Polish Masses. Very traditional. Opposed vocally the liturgical changes of Post Vatican 2. Entered Religious Order right out of High School, and went on to Major Seminary(M.Div). Became Orthodox(big mistake), and was Ordained a Deacon in the Canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church in 1985. Got sick of the extreme ethocentiricism and gross unfriendless of Orthodoxy, and wandered through a few Pentecostal denominations, and entered the continuing(traditional) Anglicans in 1991. Am a State-certified Alcohol and Drug Counsellor, serving Parolees and Probationers. I accepted the Lord maybe 30 years ago. I am single with no children(and very happy thus), I live alone ina one BR apartment and my interests are urban ministry, theology, English Bible translations, growing spiritually, pop music 1900-1945 with an emphasis on the Roaring 20's, and classic movies 1929-1945. I am basically a very quiet person(yes, Vic!) with little social life. I have lived in Philly, Scranton, Cleveland, Columbus, twice in Chicago, LA, and Tuscon AZ.

 

[lovely]

Solo, your testimony is beautiful. I notice in this thread that God has restored many of our families. So nice. Solo, I never get angry with you when you are honoring God by sharing His truth.

Faithful with Joy, and scutato (Ted)...welcome to both of you.

Faithful I loved this part of your post, and I think it shows great wisdom in you...which I know only comes from the Lord.

Faithful with joy wrote:

I am working at being a light in my small corner at the moment. Serving God in my present circumstances and continuing to grow in his grace. I know He is building my character and faith so that I am ready for whatever lies ahead. Just like Moses spending 40 years in the desert before God used him in a mighty way.

This is so true, and I pray that you never loose site of it. The Lord bless you.

Ted, I can see your sense of humor is great, and you owe me 50 dollars as well. :-D I will pray for you, and I think your own business is a great way to spend your time, and efforts. Nice to see this in a young man. I pray that God keeps it in your heart to do all thing for His glory.


Steve, I am sorry about your parents. I had to giggle about your visit to the Pentecostal Churches. It was abrupt in your story, and a far cry from the more traditional denominations. I am wondering what Urban Ministry is. Is this something like street evangelism, or some sort of missionary to the cities. Could you explain that more?

Anyway, I join with Javier in the hope that more people will post here. The Lord bless all of you.

 

[Steve]

Thank you, Lovely, for that 'lovely' response. Much grace!

Most of my life, I have worked with juvenile and adult inmates---did the jail chaplain thang for 5 1/2 years---and worked with the gangs in LA. So, I have been called to outreach in major urban centres. In fact, we are opening a new church next month to reach out to the inner city denizens. We feel that it is a much-neglected territory. It is felt that I can show love in a very abrasive sort of way(my 'New York style' as Vic calls it) that they will respond to rather quickly.

Thank you for asking.

 

[lovely]

Steve,

I must say that is a wonderful ministry...ministering to those in prison. These verses came to my mind.

Matthew 25:36

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

I think these verses apply to your Urban ministry as well. This is one of the greatest ways to be hospitable, Steve. I hope you can give us an update from time to time on how this gets off the ground, and how it's going. You can count on my prayers.

I was sort of pondering the idea of showing love in an abrasive sort of way...interesting to me. I imagine that our different personalities reflect God's love in different ways...given we are all separate members (facets) of the body. I imagine some do need a more abrasive type of love to respond to...never thought of it in that way. I don't know what descriptive word I could use for the way I show love, but I don't believe it would be abrasive. I imagine there are people that you can connect with, that I may not be able to touch (relate to) as easily. Thanks for ministering to others in the very way you were designed too! The Lord bless you.

 

[WiLdAtHeArT]

I am the happily-married father of two boys, a 3 yr old and a 4 month old. No, I don't get the sleep I need, or get to go golfing when I want to, but in the long run it is definitely worth it. I am a structural engineer in the Colorado Springs area. My company does soil testing, foundation and framing design, septic design, and some architectural design for mostly residential construction

I was saved at 16 (I'm 33 now) - at a Methodist youth camp called Chrysalis in Oklahoma. However, strangely enough, salvation didn't really affect my behavior. I was never really rebellious - always the good kid. So I guess I figured I was already good enough to fit into the Christianity template. It wasn't until I was 22 or 23 in college (Oklahoma State University) that I began to realize my need for a savior. I really wasn't that good after all. I left what I considered to be a lifeless, spiritless Methodist church and began to discover new life in Christ in more 'charismatic' circles. I met the woman who is now my wife in high school. She was one of my great friends for 10 years before we decided to stop deluding ourselves and give in to our extreme attraction for eachother. (Speaking of charismatic circles, she attended Oral Roberts University...) We've now been married for 7 years.

We lived in northern India for a year (before we started having kids) as missionaries. An absolutely incredible experience that I encourage all of you to do. It was surprisingly easy to drop all our worldly entanglements and reduce our possessions to 5 rubbermaid bins. I wish we could have stayed longer but... long story. We would go back (to India or the mission-field) in a heartbeat, but feel that currently we are supposed to be here establishing our family and serving in our church as small group leaders.

I would like to be able to play golf a few times a week, but can only manage the time to go a few times a year. Maybe when I retire I'll have more time. I also enjoy playing basketball and reading. My most listened to CD currently is Relient K's "Mmmhmm" and Jeremy Camp's recent unplugged CD. I also enjoy POD, Fernando Ortega, Superchick, and just about everything on Albuquerque's cutting edge radio station M88 http://www.m88.org Check it out!

Atonement, do you listen to M88?

 

[scutato]

Cool stuff! I'm not much into golf, but I do enjoy all the music you mentioned . I listen to a semi-local radio station (actually local to Spokane, which is a bit north of where I live now) called 101.9 Spirit FM. http://www.1019spiritfm.com

 

[stovebolts]

Hey scutato
Are you in Colfax? From your last post (if I don't have you confused), I thought you might be around Fairchild..

I pretty much grew up in Spokane. It's been about 12 + years since I've actually lived there, but I do try to visit once a year.

I used to drive grain truck up and down the palouse for a couple years. Used to know all the back roads and towns like the back of my hand. Hit 160 mph on one of them there back roads one time in my old 68 GTO :-D Nothing but open road, no trees and soft dirt to stop ya in a hurry is the way I figured it :-D :-D

Spokane's really changed a lot. I like the new Mall they built by the state line. Pretty impressive.

Ohh, thanks for the music link.

Here's a state wide michigan station that plays some cool music.
http://smile.fm

 

[scutato]

Nope, Cheney right now , I moved from Spokane about two months ago. Fairchild is the air base I lived at each of the 3 times I've been in the USA (until dad got out of the military). Small world!

Yep, Spokane's getting huge. Airway Heights is also growing rather quickly...I haven't been to the Spokane Valley mall in ages . Apparently Spokane Valley is a different city from Spokane now, I think since last year or two years ago.

 

[stovebolts]

Cheny's West of Spokane, kind of south of Fairchild : EWU had a summer sports program for kids that I went to for a few years. Believe it or not, I used to also Drive for System Transport, right at the top of the Hill. Even lived in the Hidaway trailer park across from the Starlight.

My Dad lives just inside the Valley. I-90 is his front door just east of the catwalk that is about a 1/4 mile east of Havana. Next time your driving east on 90 and you pass the catwalk, look to your right. Were the house with all the cars :-D just before the small little church with the big billboard, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God".. We used to play strip poker and the looser would have to run around the shrubs, which is to say, in front of the freeway and then of course, the front door was always locked so you stood exposed to the world banging on the door to get let back in. :-D

The city is really changing and it's really getting big. So, do you think that your going to stay in Spokane, or do you think you'll move again? BTW, have you been to the Bowl and Pitcher? I love that place. Also, if you don't mind the drive, I can tell you of a place about an hour north of Spokane were your at the top of a mountain and you can see all the way to Canada, Montana, the Palouse and the Columbia basin. It's awsome if your into that kind of thing.

Good talking to you and yes, it is a small world

 

[MrVersatile48]

http://www.christianforums.net/viewtopi ... 324#291324 :

 

[jgredline]

Wow
I must say that I am surprised that more people did tell us about themelves.
Come on folks. Nothing to hide.Its a forum for crying out loud ;-)