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ProfessorWaniel
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Name: Dan
Country: United States
State: Wisconsin
Metro: Milwaukee
Birthday: 11/13/1982
Gender: Male
Interests: Jesus, storm chasing, video production, mad science, meteorology, web/graphic design, Macs, Douglas Adams, Brad Stine, C.S. Lewis, and the list goes on for a long while...
Expertise: Ph.D. in Awesomeness
Occupation: Student
Message: message me
Website: visit my website
AIM:  LarryBoy281
Member Since:
11/24/2004
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| Some of you know that since I’ve moved to Savannah, I’ve been attending Savannah Christian Church. It’s sort of Savannah’s equivalent to Wisconsin’s Elmbrook, though not quite as large. It’s a non-denominational church and, in my humble opinion, probably the best church I have ever attended. They stick with what the Bible says and they don’t let anything (political correctness, pride, even “church politics”, etc.) get in the way. I’ve been in a lot of churches that speak the truth according to God’s word as best as I can tell, but there’s just such a passion for truth here... it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. Here’s an example: a month or so ago, Pastor Cam Huxford (our senior pastor) spoke on tithing. I believe, as does Savannah Christian, in the traditional giving of 10% of income to the church. Now, I’ve heard a lot of sermons on tithing, and they usually fall into one of two categories: either a thinly disguised guilt trip trying to get churchgoers to give more, or walking on eggshells trying to make sure that churchgoers don’t think that a guilt trip is being laid on them. Pastor Cam dove right in but he approached it in a radically different way: the whole sermon was about encouraging the church; just pure encouragement. He told a couple stories about people who had placed their finances in God’s hands through tithing and how God provides for them in amazing ways, and then he proceeded to run down a few facts about Savannah Christian’s tithing stats. In 1999, church attendance at SCC was about 1,176. This year (2008), it’s at 5,214... so our attendance grew by 343% over these past nine years. Average weekly giving at SCC, meanwhile, has grown by 608%... almost twice the rate of the attendance growth. That kinda blew me away... when was the last time you heard stats like that at any church? Usually most people are a little more loath to put their faith in God when it comes to the ol’ wallet.
Ok... so we’ve established that Savannah Christian Church is awesome. Now I want to talk about what happened in today’s service (and the three services prior to it... the two Saturday services and the first Sunday service before I came for the 11:00). This weekend’s service was all about lives that had been changed... and lives that were being changed right in front of our eyes. It started with a procession of people that testified to the congregation, but not in any usual way. They said nothing. They simply walked up to the front of the stage, held up a large cardboard sign telling what they had struggled with. Then they turned it over, revealing on the other side what had happened since Christ had come into their lives, then walked away and the next person would come up. I was taking photos of all these people for the photography ministry, and let me tell you, by the end of this procession it was getting pretty difficult on account of me having to keep wiping the tears from my eyes. There were dozens of these people, but I wrote down some of these testimonies and I’d like to share them with you.
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“Had a heart attack and lost both legs.”
On the other side: “Now we’re walking together in Christ.”
(note: this man wore shorts today and you could see that both of his legs were artificial. And he was standing and walking.)
A teenage girl:
“Mom and Dad gave up.”
On the other side: “Jesus didn’t. Baptized July 2008.”
A young mother:
“Childhood sexual abuse, bound by shame.”
On the other side: “By God’s grace I can now forgive!”
“Daughter died 2002, turned to drugs and alcohol.”
On the other side: “Restored by Christ, addiction free!”
“Teen pregnancy, guilt, shame.”
On the other side: “Forgiven, restored, loved!”
“Fear of cancer.”
On the other side: “Cancer survivor, total trust in God!”
“Hit by a drunk driver in 2002, six months in a wheelchair.”
On the other side: “Walking today by the grace of God!”
A young family, consisting of mom, dad, and three kids (one adopted):
“Infertility... then cancer... no more kids.”
On the other side: “God said otherwise!”
“Unexpected death of son 12/07, grief and devastation.”
On the other side: “God’s hope: assurance of heavenly reunion!”
A middle aged couple, both holding signs:
Him: “Depressed, angry and alone.” Her: “Marriage falling apart.”
On the other side... Him: “Now serving in Marriage Ministry...” Her: “Restored by Him!”
An older man:
“Estranged Dad.”
On the other side: “Reconciled by Christ!”
“10% chance of survival.”
On the other side: “100% alive and healed!”
“Fatherless, rape victim, angry at God and men.”
On the other side: “Jesus heals and restores! Now married to a godly man!”
“13 year battle with an eating disorder.”
On the other side: “God’s victory, battle won! In recovery!”
“At the age of 38, 95% blockage placed me in God’s arms of love.”
On the other side: “Now I live with joy to share of God’s grace and forgiveness!”
“Quit church 18 years ago, grew ponytail in defiance.”
On the other side: “Came back to church April 2006, cut ponytail August 2008, praising God!”
“Fiercely independent.”
On the other side: “Now God’s in control!”
“No self esteem.”
On the other side: “I’m priceless!”
“Daddy died from cancer 3 days ago.”
On the other side: “Blessed assurance, I’ll see him again.”
“Alcoholic.”
On the other side: “My chains are gone and I’ve been set free!”
“Bitter, revenge seeking divorcee.”
On the other side: “New life, new love, SAME MAN! Life is soooo sweet!”
“The shame and guilt of abortion.”
On the other side: “By God’s grace, I am forgiven, and I WILL see my baby in heaven!”
“Bar singer, prodigal daughter.”
On the other side: “Returned to God, singing for Jesus!”
A father and his young son:
“Verbally abusive, uninvolved father.”
On the other side: “Compassionate husband and involved father!”
“Addicted to alcohol and drugs.”
On the other side: “21 years sober by God’s grace!”
A young mother with her newborn baby:
“Abortion, age 18.”
On the other side: “Forgiven and blessed.”
An older couple both with signs:
Him: “Married 25 years...” Her: “19 years our way, 2 INDIVIDUALS.”
On the other side (they formed a single sign with the two pieces): “6 years HIS way as ONE!”
A mother with her young daughter (who held a sign too, though she was barely old enough to do so):
Mother: “Six years of infertility...” Daughter: “Doctor said spine bifida.”
On the other side... Mother: “Given a miraculous gift...” Daughter: “God said ‘walking miracle’!”
“Church is a waste.”
On the other side: “When’s the next service?”
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Amazing, huh? And these weren’t even all of them for the second Sunday service, and they had different ones each service!
So as amazing as that is, here’s something at least as amazing, possibly even more. We don’t do big altar calls at SCC. People who come up after the service who need ministry are taken aside individually (or as a family, if the family comes up) and can spend as much time as is needed talking to a ministry counselor. It’s handled very well. Today, however, we had a baptism. You know that story about the jailer and his family that Paul baptized in Acts chapter 16? They were baptized on the spot after receiving the gift of salvation. Pastor Cam used this to remind us why we baptize by immersion (for starters, the word “baptize” means immersion, etc.), among other things. He then invited anybody who knew they had to to come and be baptized right then. In their clothes. Which was why they had the special collapsible pool set up right in front of the pulpit. They had towels. They had T-shirts. They had robes for the ladies. Afraid of getting your car soaking wet? We live in Savannah! Open the windows! It’ll be dry inside of a half hour!
Wanna guess how many takers we had? Go on, guess.
.... did you guess yet?
Within minutes of the invitation, a line of SIXTY-EIGHT people stretched from the pool all the way back to the back of the church. Some came alone, some came with friends or family that came right along with them into the pool and helped to baptize them. Seriously, I’ve seen God do a lot of powerful things over the years and this ranks right up there as one of the most amazing things I had ever seen.
And for the record, over the four weekend services, a grand total of one hundred and eighty-seven people got baptized in that pool during the service. Is our God amazing or what? How He can change people's lives is beyond anything we would ever imagine. | | |
| Today at camp, Doris told me the theme for Summer Camp 2008. The Journey. I was struck with a bittersweet feeling when I heard it. It seemed to contain my concerns, anxieties, and emotions into a single ball of, well, bittersweetness (sorry... not feeling that creative today). I’ve known for a while that next summer will be the first camp season I’ll be missing since I started working at Timber-lee late in 1999. But to actually hear the name... almost ironic in its application to what I’ve been struggling with...
This is always an emotional time of year for me as it is. As I sort through the hours of video footage and the thousands of photos from the summer in an effort to compile them into the now-legendary Yearbook, I get memories piled on me to the point where it nearly overwhelms me (and sometimes it does). But every year I’m able to look forward to the next summer and the memories that will be made then... until now. Next summer, Camp Timber-lee will continue as it always has, pointing campers towards the truth of God’s word through the some of the best activities that can be done during the summer, discipling them, encouraging them to spread the Truth to their friends and families. Even though most of my job tended to take place more or less behind the scenes (with the exception of driving the bus), I considered myself honored to be a part of such an effective ministry. Next summer, Timber-lee will be going on without me. As counselors and speakers introduce campers to Jesus and each one starts their journey, I’ll be embarking on the most challenging journey of my life. Challenging... yeah... it will be challenging... but that makes it sound almost too noble... to be honest, I’m scared to death.
I’ve submitted an application to study at the Savannah College of Art and Design (Savannah campus) in Georgia. If things work out according to plan, I will be starting my education there mid-March 2008. I visited there early last month and for the first time felt that SCAD was where I needed to be... couldn’t explain it... but something finally felt right. Now I’m freaking out about it.
I know for those of you who have spent a lot of time halfway across the country from home, you’re probably wondering what the big deal is. I, on the other hand, have never lived more than a half hour from home. I’ve built up so many wonderful friendships around here... and I’m moving to a place where I’m hardly going to know anyone (except you two, Laura and Steph... and of course a mere six hours away from you, Doc). By and large, everyone I know and love is here in the southeastern Wisconsin area. Dealing with moving eighteen hours away from them is going to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done... especially with one relationship I’ve developed that I don’t think I could live without. And I don’t care how many times you say that this is the time to do it... while I’m still young and unmarried... or how many times you say that it’s great that I’m finally doing something with my talents... it still means leaving people I truly, deeply care about in pursuit of something that I have no idea where it will take me. I know it’s only going to be a few years and in the grand scheme of things, a few years isn’t really all that much... but... oh I don’t know... it just feels like it’s going to be too long.
I know when I get down there and start studying and getting involved with campus ministries and stuff it’ll be easier... but I am going to miss all of you so terribly much. I could spend hours trying to find the right words to describe how much I’m going to miss you but it’s pointless... I’d never be able to.
You know what’s weird? I didn’t think it would be anywhere near this hard. In the last several months I’ve come to such a deeper understanding of God’s love and what sorts of things he’s going to have prepared for us in the life after this one... that I’ve managed to set aside things that I want to get done before Jesus comes back. I used to be scared that I wouldn’t have a chance to get married before He came back, or that I wouldn’t have a chance to show the world what I could really do with a computer and some high-end production tools. If Jesus wants to come back right now, I will gladly toss all of my worldly possessions because His unfathomable love trumps anything we think we can call our own down here. I know regardless of what life circumstances bring, I will be able to see all of you in heaven where we will continue our relationships immersed in the reality of God’s love.
Yet... even with that knowledge that brings comfort, somehow I still manage to despair that I don’t have much time left in the local world that I have known my entire life and to cry when I’m home alone while thinking of all the people and places that I will miss.
The Journey. I can only pray and hope that God gives me the strength and resolve to follow the path He shows me, no matter what I have to leave behind.
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| This is a new feeling for me; I'm not quite sure how to describe it. Normally these last couple weeks of summer camp I'm using all the energy I've got left in my reserves by driving the bus, getting as much footage as I can, trying to make sure I've got footage of all the staff for use in the video yearbook project...
This year I'm feeling an overwhelming (underwhelming?) sense of apathy. I can't figure it out. It's like I just want summer camp to be over, which is something I've NEVER felt. I suppose it's got something to do with the uncertainty of where I'm going to be come winter, but I never thought that something like that would affect my commitment to giving my best to summer camp. The smallest things annoy the heck out of me these days... things that normally I'd just breeze by are holding me down... taunting me... making me wish I could just stay shut up in my office instead of having to go out and interact with people, because when I have to interact with people, especially here at camp, I have to act like everything's just fine. At least with the campers I do. I'd rather not act like things are fine around the staff but I just don't feel like saying "no, i'm having a crummy day" then having to explain it. I just need enough energy to get me through this next week and a half. If this is really my last summer here I want to go out with a bang, for lack of a better descriptive term... not just slowly fading away. I don't want to fall into the trap of "well it's my last time doing _______ so I don't have to give it my best." That's just not me. And yet it feels like it's going to take more than I've got in me to make it happen. | | |
| Before I get going on this blog entry, let me just thank those of you who commented on my previous note regarding the whole weather thing. As you probably noticed, I was pretty ticked, but your comments helped me realize that there are some people that do appreciate the behind-the-scenes stuff I do with the weather... so thank you.
Nothing’s been set in stone as far as school options yet, but I still feel like my time at Timber-lee is finally drawing to a close. I think I’ve tried to remain in denial about it because Timber-lee is hands-down the most awesome job I’ve ever had. Taking video, squirting kids with supersoakers, driving the bus, being outside most of the time (at least during the summer), flexible hours, and finally full time status as of a little over a year ago. I get to experiment with video production techniques all I want and put something together that the campers love to see at the end of the week, as well as construct my flagship production, the summer video yearbook. These videos are projects that I’ve put my heart and soul into over the past six years. I love to hear the campers shout with excitement when they see themselves on the video, and I love putting the finishing touches on the yearbook every single year. So why even think about leaving? I don’t know... it’s something I’ve really been struggling with. Before I get into it, let me just say that if there’s any honest advice you have for me, please let me know; it would mean a lot to me. If nothing comes to mind, just pray that I make the right decision.
Camp is different this year. I haven’t been able to put my finger on it, but something feels, well, off as compared to previous years... just the way certain things are being handled... and people who I thought I knew well are suddenly showing a different side of themselves that I don’t like at all. Now if it was just that, I don’t know that it would be that much of an issue; I’m smart enough to know that it’s still a great job compared to a lot of other jobs out there; at least I’m not at odds with my co-workers and there’s not a giant amount of “office politics” going on (though some is definitely there).
But there’s a couple other factors that play in. For one, there’s the financial aspect. Now, I’m managing to survive just fine by myself on the income I’m getting from camp. But what about the future? I’m not satisfied to just live in an apartment by myself for the rest of my life. I want to have a family, a house with a lawn... it’s not like my life goal is to be unnecessarily rich or anything, but I’d like to have enough to provide for my future family without too much trouble. Seriously, is that too much to ask? No, seriously. I keep trying to keep myself in check to make sure I’m not becoming greedy... setting goals JUST for money’s sake, etc. I don’t want to ever get to the point of giving money too much importance. And camp isn’t the place to work if you need more money.
Then there’s the “do something more with your life” thing (something Dad’s great at trying to hammer home). I really would like to spend time at college honing my current skills... then move on to who knows what. I want to make some sort of impact in the tv/movie industry, but is it a lost cause? I know some Christians use the excuse that “things are just going to get worse” to get them off the hook for actively doing anything for the Kingdom, and I don’t want to fall into that trap. But I don’t want to wind up working, say, special effects for a movie with a lot of violence and gore or something, which I’m afraid might happen if I work (even for just a while) for *fill-in-the-blank* movie production studio. I know I can be a witness in the workplace, etc.... but... yeah. Then there’s the whole thing... *sigh* ... I don’t know... it’s almost so childish I’d rather not mention it... but I’ve always been in an environment where my video work stood out (with the exception of one Joel Hagar... that guy can crank out some great stuff with just a camera and iMovie). I guess, as stupid as it is, I’m afraid if I start attending school for film or animation, my skills won’t be any more impressive than anyone else’s even though I’ve been doing video stuff since seventh grade. And yes, I know that the whole idea of going to school for it is to improve the skills anyway. I know what all of you are thinking right now and you’re right... it’s really nothing more than a pride issue. I guess it’s just something that I’ve got to get my head around (and take a lesson in humility while I’m at it).
My logic basically goes something like this: I love this area... all the friends I have here... I really would rather not leave. Occasionally there are circumstances, however, which make me really want to just hit the reset button and start things over in some other part of the country. My friends have told me about the film and animation schools in Madison and Chicago, but I just feel like if I tried doing that, then I’d be trying to juggle that plus still staying connected to this area... and (especially with the @*^&% gas prices) it would just prove to be too much stress. So I think that I may as well take a chance while I can (e.g., before I have additional responsibilities of family, etc., to worry about) and hit the reset button... move somewhere far away from this land that has been my home my entire life... and go to school, make new friends, get a normal job if I have to... and just see what happens. The mom of a good friend of mine has a favorite quote from Zig Ziggler: “Go as far as you can, and when you get there, you will always be able to see further.” It makes sense... both from a logical standpoint as well as from a spiritual standpoint. If God showed me exactly what I would be doing the rest of my life, where would the faith come in? Though I just wish I could have some indication that where I’m looking at is the right or wrong step. It always comes back to what my dad calls “analysis paralysis”... being afraid to take a step in any direction for fear it might be the wrong one. My experiences in Whitewater and with my ex-fianceé have solidified this mindset... I’ve had more than enough of spending too much time on a wrong direction. I want the next major step I take to be in the right direction.
But all I’ve been able to figure out is that, out of financial necessity at the least, the time is coming to move on. I’ve been looking at a college in Savannah, Georgia (The Savannah College of Art and Design), due to good things I’ve seen about its program as well as its relative proximity to a couple of my friends who live in the southeastern states, as well as a reference to them that I got from Big Idea. I haven’t felt specifically compelled to go to this college... it’s just there. It’s an option... but not one that jumps off the website and says “I’m the right program for you because _______!”
I’ve been asking God to show me where He wants me to go, and so far it hasn’t been anything any more obvious than what I just mentioned. I know He has my life planned out; He has a direction for me... I just wish I could have a hint so I knew I was going in the right direction. I’d rather not have to take a step of what seems to be “blind faith”... but I guess if I have to, I will.
Three more weeks. That’s how much longer I have until the end of my last summer camp at Timber-lee. | | |
| So what is it about me that makes people want to make fun of me, put me down, and blow off the things that I do? People just think I'm Dan the Cameraman, always in a good mood, always laughing about something. Let me tell you something. I can only take so much crap before I lose it. Today I served double duty as both video editor and weatherman. Apparently I was the only one at camp who could be trusted to provide reliable weather reports (which I will take as a compliment, thank you). Chris asked me to stay as late as I could to provide weather reports given the severe potential in our area today, which I agreed to do. Throughout the day, I made sure that key people were informed of what was happening with the weather situation; which takes a lot more than people might think. You don't just look at a severe weather map and say "this is what's going to happen." You have to be able to interpret the map; essentially put together your own mini-forecast based on what you see, then get it into a format that you can easily explain to other people so they will understand what the risks are.
So I wind up staying four hours later at camp than I would have if I wasn't needed for the weather situation... and of course, the weather stays nice. We get some cool clouds... aaaaand that's really about it. After chapel I go to talk to Chris, but on the way there, I'm met by a bunch of people who basically toss out variations of "told ya we weren't gonna get anything," "ah, the weatherman... only job where you get paid to lie," "did I call it or what? nothing at all!"... not to mention the lifeguards who were hoping to get out of work due to a thunderstorm... well you know what? I don't give a crap. It was a great day to be outside, especially in the water; I'd have been running around getting myself drenched with the supersoaker if I hadn't had to edit and watch the weather. My job as the unofficial weatherman at camp is to present the risks as accurately as I can, and I believe I did a good job of that today. We just didn't get hit, and so now everybody else thinks that I was just getting everybody hyped up about nothing. Allow me to share some of what DID occur with these storms:
12 tornadoes (as of this hour) were reported across Iowa and Wisconsin (2 in Iowa, 10 in Wisconsin). A house was leveled in Marathon, WI. Hundreds of trees are down near Menominee, WI.
Winds up to 80mph were recorded in multiple locations in many of today's storms.
Sparta, WI got pounded with 1.75" hail. Langlade, WI was the recipient of 3" hail. Wisconsin Rapids topped all of them, with hailstones recorded at 4.25". That's about as big as a grapefruit.
But we didn't get anything, which, to my friends at camp, means that there was nothing to be worried about. You think I was just messing with you? You think I was trying to make it seem more threatening than it actually was? When I left my apartment this morning, I stored my computer's backup drive in the basement and prayed that the apartment building would still be there when I got back. That's how bad the risk was. I don't overplay things.
I'm thankful for Chris Radloff, because he was the only one to actually thank me and say how much he appreciated the extra time I'd put in just to make sure that nothing was going to catch us off guard, unlike everyone else I talked to who thought they had it all together just because we happened to avert disaster this time around.
Next time we might not be so fortunate. I wonder, would that change anything? Would people thank me for being a constant eye, trying to prevent something bad from happening to them? Until that time, thanks to Chris and also to the family that I chatted with outside Culver's earlier this week who thanked me for the important role I play in the safety of the community. And to everyone who thought it funny to make fun of the weatherman because we didn't get hit by severe weather, screw you. | | |
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