Update: I got this twitter widget installed on my sidebar it may help one of my companions spouses to keep tabs on our trip. JK.

I’m preparing my message for tommorow, I will be speaking during a Chapel Service at the Springer prision facility.  Leaving Epanola around 9:00 a.m.

Want to get updates on me I’m tryignt to figure out how to use Twitter while Im on the road via my phone.

Watch the Trailer

For Churches /Couples Ministry:
Use this movie to help strengthen marriages and couples in your church and community. FIREPROOF is an unprecedented opportunity to communicate God’s design for relationships. Start making your plans now!

Statistics show that almost half of people in the U.S. will divorce at least once in their lifetime. Research shows that when things get difficult, people first look to the church for answers. Your church can provide the answer and offer hope and healing for couples in your church and community with a wide array of marriage resources. Plan a message series and a date night event at theaters on opening weekend (September 26-28)!

For Couples:
Relationships are wonderful gifts given to us by God. As we read in the Bible, the most-intimate relationship is marriage between a husband and a wife. Unfortunately, relationships today are under more cultural and interpersonal pressure and stress than ever before in our history.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Together, we can make a long-term difference for healthy relationships and marriages … starting with yours!

What can you do to make a difference?

Related:

Links to the Movie and other resources.
+FireProofMarriage.com

+The Movie/Trailers and More

+ Get your church involved here

The Church Behind the Movie:

SHERWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH

FIREPROOF is the third feature film from Sherwood Pictures—the creators of FACING THE GIANTS and FLYWHEEL. With hope-filled, heartfelt storytelling, the moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church is “reaching the world from Albany, Georgia”—a claim that sounds glib only until you know that this church three hours south of Atlanta surprised Hollywood and circled the globe with the movie FACING THE GIANTS.

More than 500 church members, on the set and behind the scenes, are personalizing the pain behind those numbers and introducing hope with FIREPROOF. As with the church’s first two films, the production is driven by volunteers (one professional film crew of eight men works at a discounted rate)—church members act, cater, baby sit, answer phones, pray, handle wardrobe, make-up, set design, and support sound, lights, and every area of filmmaking.

Today my in-laws, Pastor Mike and Gloria Naranjo celebrate their 31st anniversary. In 31 years, they have had 3 biological children, and have taken the call to embrace the fatherless literally, by adopting 8 children, advocates for  numerous foster children and have taken many into their homes, established churches, men’s and women’s recovery homes in their community.

Pastor Mike-Visionary, Encourager, Selfless, with a love and heart for the people of New Mexico!

Gloria- A mother of many,  a giver, the one who opens her home to everyone, and loves to cook for everyone! (Great enchiladas!) al estillo Nuevo Mexico

Pictured here on Mothers Day 08

(BR) James, Chelo, Lisa, Jenna, Joshua, Elias, Jasmine, Pancha, Daniel, Ashley,

(Center R) Aleah, Nana, Anthony, Pastor Mike, Angel, Gloria, Malachi, Johnny, Kayla,

(Sitting) Uriah, Greg, Amanda, Johsua, and Jeffery.

(Not Present) Stella (dtr)and Jeff (son)

Recently been thinking of ways to continue to engage local children and youth holistically, that will empower them to succeed: academically, emotionally and spiritually. As a result, Operation Back To School was designed to get get kids back to school with the right tools for the job. Which was a great success.

But there is still more to be done and I am looking into a few models of how to begin an adopt a school project in our community. I have already been in discussion with educators and individuals who have eyes to see the vision for schools.

As a result- This morning I received a call from a local school councilor of a school we have visited in that past and he is asking for help.

with the following:

+ Male Volunteers for Boys
+Gang Prevention Presentations
+Mentors for students
+ Fitness and Extra curricular activities outside the local school.
+ Character Development Resources

So, I will begin a quest to adopt and live out the following principles that I borrowed from some friends in NY and begin to invite others on this journey.

Expect a call.

“Much of how we view our public schools comes out of a negative lens. We see them as our enemies and not as potential partners. The fact is, our kids spend at least thirty hours a week in schools as appose to six hours a week in our churches (if we’re lucky). Schools can become a place of discipleship for our kids if we are willing to take the time and engage the schools and its vision.”

By Rev. Edwin Pacheco, Jr.

1- Pray for a redefined view of our schools. Much of how we view our public schools comes out of a negative lens. We see them as our enemies and not as potential partners. The fact is, our kids spend at least thirty hours a week in schools as appose to six hours a week in our churches (if we’re lucky). Schools can become a place of discipleship for our kids if we are willing to take the time and engage the schools and its vision. I believe our prayer should be “God open my eyes to see our schools as a missionary field in which I can sow seeds of love and mercy rather then division and contention.”

2- Pray for those who are in schools (principles, teachers, faculty, students, etc.) Many of our congregants work in schools as principles, administrators, teachers, staff, and some are even students. What would happen if they were empowered to view themselves as ministers rather than just being there because it was a job? Or because, by law, they had to attend? I believe we would see a different school system.

3- Pray that churches would engage schools for the purpose of holistic change. For some this might be a challenging due to fact most Christians believe in order to preach we MUST speak. I believe before any church would be given the right to share the gospel we must earn the right through our service to the schools. This is Luke 10:1-12 paints a wonderful picture of how a believer earns the right to share “The kingdom of God is near…” This is what we would call building a “Resume of Trust”. If we can begin to affect our schools through our service rather then our protest we would have gained much ground in reaching the kids whom we are called to serve.

By Daniel

Hows this for controversy among the parties. If you are a registered voter you have to see this.

The question must be asked, does Joe Biden still stand behind his remarks after being selected as the Democratic running mate by Barak Obama?

Side note: Watch Obama as he hears the words fall off Joe Biden lips..he shuts his eyes. I wonder what he is thinking?

Courtesy of: McCain YouTube

By Daniel Arellano

In this five minute-eighteen second video watch this compelling video of Hope for Youth Alliance first ever educational outreach (Northern New Mexico Operation Back To School), designed to equip children from local neighborhoods with backpacks and school supplies for the 2008-2009 school year.

By Jim Walsh- As Told in Albuquerque Journal 9/1/2008

Update: I found Ken Worley’s Info as appears on Medal of Honor

I found this (Part 1) article about Marine Ken Worley very interesting because it gave a hint there may be something very common among or in the minds of Medal of Honor recipients, and this morning part 2, as published by Jim Walsh confirms that number of them came out of troubled families, several were in foster care. More than one had run away from home. Many had significant challenges to overcome in childhood and they could have gone in many directions, but they chose to become better in spite of the challenges they faced.

I find this to be inspiring story. My thoughts are still developing for later use. But, my challenge to youth workers and those working among, orphans, foster children, and the discarded, you may very well be training someone who will later live-or-die for a cause greater than self and be just one more of our worlds unsung hero’s. Daniel Arellano

Terence Barrett, a former Marine and now a North Dakota State University professor, has been conducting an 8-year research study on the nature of bravery based on 292 Marines who received the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration.
Ken Worley had become of special interest to him. For years, he scoured public records and could find nothing on the young Worley. He could find no grade school records of him in Farmington. He could find no high school records for him in Truth or Consequences.
Save for a few years as a foster child in California and his death in Vietnam, Ken Worley had become a compelling enigma that wouldn’t let Barrett rest until he solved it.

On Aug. 12, 1968, Marines took refuge in a hamlet. Discovered by the Viet Cong, grenades rolled into their midst. Ken Worley threw himself on one, losing his life, saving others, and eventually becoming a recipient of the Medal of Honor.
Sharon (Worleys cousin) said she knew nothing about the award. But she did recall a small boy who lived a troubled childhood, one in which a young Kenny was subjected to what she called “psychological abuse” by adults in his life.
“I’ll tell you one thing I remember clearly,” she said. “I was a couple of years older than Kenny, and when we were kids and we played with one another out in the fields, he was just like any other kids you’d ever meet. He was just like all of us except even as kids we knew some of the adults in the family just didn’t like him and we’d say they were being mean to him.”
He ran away to California at 16 and was living in an abandoned trailer when a family took him. He joined the Marines a few years later.

“One of the things I found in common with all the (Medal of Honor recipients) I’ve studied is that a number of them came out of troubled families,” he said. “Several were in foster care. More than one had run away from home. Many had significant challenges to overcome in childhood and they could have gone in many directions, but they chose to become better in spite of the challenges they faced. I find those to be inspiring stories.”
Barrett’s study, which begins in the Civil War and follows every Marine who received the Medal of Honor, has identified 34 who have slipped into obscurity, not recognized by either the Marine Corps or their hometowns. It is Barrett’s hope that his research will encourage the hometowns of the Medal of Honor winners to find some way to recognize their sacrifice publicly.

Im still trying to locate the article online

We don’t sleep in the heights.

Dang!!! I hope someone will drive for me to Albuquerque  at 9:00 a.m. Tomorrow.

My firstborn son Uriah turns 11 today!!!

Pictured here doing his next big thing-homework.

Lounging on Grandpas chair, sitting on the bench, b-ball game in 2nd grade.

Jamming on Grandpas guitar, on Riverside

The full set here

By Daniel Arellano

This week I’m a couple of days late on posting weekly web-cast so, today you get a double video.

Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren recently sat down with presidential hopefuls John McCain and Barack Obama to ask tough questions on subjects Americans care deeply about. View the entire interview at www.GodTube.com/SaddlebackForum.

Both candidates respond to the question, ” What does a Christian mean to you?”

Related: God Tube offers the whole segment of Saddle Backs Presidential Forum here

Note: If you watch the whole interview, Obama spends a lot of time looking down.

Something didn’t sound right when I met up with Malachi (My Son) roaming the church/school grounds. He said, “I’m the star of the day, and teacher Jolene said I don’t have to take nap time and I could come to moms office and….”

Being the dad/pastor/ authority figure at the school, I had never heard of such “star of the day” program at RCA. A bit suspicious of my sons know hows and wanderings away from class, walked over to Malachi’s class and asked his teacher to educate me on this “star of the day” privilege. Well, it was so, and my son Malachi was the recipient of his teachers very special award only for today for being a honor student. Please forgive me!!!!

Upon returning to moms office, Malachi says to me, ” I told you so.”

Cast your vote.

Here’s your chance to let the media know where the people stand on our
faith in God, as a nation. NBC is taking a poll on “In God We Trust” to
stay on our American currency. Please do it right
away, before NBC takes this off the web page. Poll is still open so you
can vote.

Cast your vote here

Dear Friend,

If you have tried to email me for (web-clients) web-purposes,web-updates, just to chat, or have forwarded me junk mail; i.e. funnies, etc,. You may have noticed that your mail has been rejected by my rcf email account server because my in-box is way beyond full.

I have since then cleaned up my mailbox, which has been long over-due. So, feel free to send me some mail. if all else fails you can reach me here.

Adios.

UYWI09 Date now available

For those of you who pack up the kids, pack up the volunteers, and fly, bus, or drive to the luxurious campus at Azusa Pacific university each year; this is news you will want to hear as you prepare and budget for 2009. UYWI09 will happen at APU on May 14-16, 2009. So now you can lock those dates, check the airlines, lock hotel accommodations, begin planning which of your volunteers you will want to include (and which to exclude) on this event, and look for discounts, early bird rates, and even terradactyl rates to save some dough on this amazing event.

If you would like to join Panch and I for this youth workers conference please get in touch…as we will start making arrangements to attend in May.

+Related: View our photo diary from this years conference here.

This Podcast features Pastor/Leader Efrem Smith-
Message: A Place of Community from UYWI.ORG 2005 General Session on how the church and people of God can embrace and provide a true place of community to this generation of young people.

Courtesy: UYWI Resources

 

 A Place of Community: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Last night I reported that I had lost all content. It was true, but now Im back and all is a o.k. Seems like all has been fixed.

For the future…I have backed up all this web-blogs content and files. 

 
Well, just a 5 minute call, with less than a minute wait-time my web-host provider was able to recover all from previous backup files on the main server. By the way, Bluehost has a great customer service.

As promised, I found the picture of my grandparents Antonio and Celia.

KidWorks model coming to a neighborhood near you in Espanola, NM. If you are interested an would like to help plan and organize some support for a center please contact me asap.

heres a great video to help paint a picture for you of what this could look like.

RALEIGH, North Carolina - College presidents from about 100 of the best-known U.S. universities, including Duke, Dartmouth and Ohio State, are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, saying current laws actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus.

The movement called the Amethyst Initiative began quietly recruiting presidents more than a year ago to provoke national debate about the U.S. drinking age, which is among the highest in the world.

“This is a law that is routinely evaded,” said John McCardell, former president of Middlebury College in Vermont who started the organization. “It is a law that the people at whom it is directed believe is unjust and unfair and discriminatory.”

Read more here

This blogger (HolyCoast.com)adds some humor to his insight:

This is the same kind of misguided liberal logic that tells us that we have to give high school kids condoms because they’re going to have sex anyway.

Alcohol on college campuses is a huge problem already as we witnessed firsthand last year when my daughter’s roommate was kicked out of the dorm for multiple alcohol and drug violations. She was 18 and apparently these wise college presidents would rather her alcohol abuse was legal. Instead of having to sneak around, she could have just walked in with her bottles of booze and drank herself to insensibility.

In California the drinking age is 21, so it doesn’t really matter what the college president thinks since he’ll be bound by that law either way. Of course, he could just choose to have his police department ignore violations.

You know, some kids are going to cheat, too. Why shouldn’t we give them all A’s?