Kyle LeBoeuf's Blog

Alaska Update

2009-07-13T15:15:00.002-05:00

Time flies when you are enjoying yourself. As of late tomorrow evening, we will have been here for a week. It seems like a month has passed since we arrived, but only because we have accomplished so much in such a short amount of time.

A group of students from Universities all over Texas arrived here a few days ago and are here to work with us on coordinating the events of the next two weeks. Although we've only known each other for a few days, we have already become a tight-knit group. I can tell already that the end of this trip is going to be really hard. I hate goodbyes.

Lots of crazy stuff has happened in the last week. We've been severely delayed in the last couple of days because of problems that keep arising. We are managing to stay on top of them though. We are still getting a ton of work done. Today promises to be a long day. We have to load the remainder of our supplies for the next two weeks and move them, our gear, and ourselves down to Kenai, Alaska, so that we can begin the bulk of the preparation work for the Salmon Frenzy project.

God is teaching me so much on this adventure. I'm learning a lot about work ethic and initiative and getting things done in general. Its amazing to see the work thats unfolding right in front of my eyes. I am also extremely grateful for the friends, both old and new, that I have the pleasure of working with over the course of this adventure.

We still have a long day to go today and I have several things I must tend to immediately.

Kyle

Thoughts on Alaska

2009-07-10T04:12:00.001-05:00

One of the biggest differences between being in Louisiana and being in Alaska is how differently the time passes. Time in Alaska seems to pass much slower, yet the end of the day is still upon you before you know it. Though we’ve only been here for a few days, it feels like we’ve been here week. We’ve certainly accomplished a great deal in such a short amount of time.

There are huge differences between this visit to Alaska and the previous one. The first and most obvious difference is the fact that I am not traveling alone. I am so grateful to have people such as Daniel, Caitlin, Brittney, and Courtni traveling with me. These are people are all close friends of mine and therefore it really helps to have them alone for the journey. We can all grow in our love for the Lord together and it’s really uplifting.

Another difference is the weather. Last summer, it was cold. Really cold. At least for a boy who grew up in Louisiana where the temperatures rarely go below 50, even in the winter. This summer, its fairly warm. The temperature has hovered in the mid 70s during the day and in the 50s later at night and it feels quite refreshing, though I really wasn’t prepared for this kind of weather. I am expecting it to be a little difference once we hit the beaches though.

The past couple of days has been all about growing for us as a team and as a family. We have been working with Brenda and some of the students that have been working with her through the summer, getting ready for the other teams that are going to be traveling up here. Working with Brenda is something special. She’s a living, breathing example of someone who does her best to give everything for God’s cause, and it shows. The woman rarely sleeps and is always working on some kind of project. It’s inspiring, really.

We have a long 20 days or so ahead of us, but I am extremely excited about what God has in store for us.

God's Story

2009-07-02T19:47:00.002-05:00

I got out of reading fiction as I got close to graduating high school. I read the Lord of the Rings and after that it just seemed like everything else fell short. I tried picking up several different novels after that and I never could even make it halfway through the book before I got bored and set it down.

That’s when I really got into reading books on Christian Spirituality. Growing up in a Southern Baptist church, I was quite familiar with the idea that the Christian thing to do was to read Christian books. I attempted to follow this pattern by looking through some of the books my mother had read, but most of the books my mother read was about raising boys. At the time, it didn’t occur to me that my mother was reading those books because of me, but when I look back on the life I lived in high school I realize that my mother probably needed a little bit of help.

I decided to a bit of research and after talking to a few people I found a couple of books to start reading on my own and it kind of took off from there.

Some of my favorite authors in this genre that I have read are Donald Miller, David Nasser, Leonard Sweet, and David Crowder (he’s pretty famous in Christian circles but more for his music than his books). They always have interesting stories to tell. They always present their life experiences as a story and they hope you get something out of it. They all have a story to tell and they desperately want you to hear it.

Christian spirituality books are awesome and everything but there is another book that I try to read when I can…yeah. That’s the one. The Bible. As I was thinking about writing this piece, I thought to myself that maybe God is, in a manner of speaking, in the same boat as a lot of these authors. Here’s God and He’s got a story that He desperately wants to tell us.

When I look at the Bible, I like to look at it as a narrative. It’s not just a book of guidance and wisdom; it’s also a book of stories. It’s a book with stories about a guy taking down a giant with a slingshot, and about some dudes who got thrown into a furnace and survived. Oh yeah, and there was also the Guy Whose teachings and actions turned the world upside down. Then the same Guy changed the status quo by being crucified and then rising from the grave. Wow. But through all of the stories that are presented in the Bible there’s always this one God. It’s a narrative. It’s a story. It’s a story about one God gave His love to us, even though we always do things to prove that we don’t deserve it.

The people who wrote the books that composed the Bible wrote it because they had a story tell. They wanted to tell a story of a Father’s Love and how it permeates through our existence and is a necessary component if we are to live out our lives with purpose.

If I wrote my story out, I wonder if God’s love would permeate through its pages. I want to live life like that. When I die I want people to look at me in my casket and thinking about nothing else but the life I lived for God. I’ve got a long way to go if I want to get to that point.

Making Better Choices

2009-06-22T14:03:00.001-05:00

For Father’s Day my church played a video that focused on the choices men will make as they go through the cycle of life and get married, have kids, and watch their kids grow. It was especially touching to me because it made me think a lot about the choices I have made and how they impact my future, including my future wife and children.

Between that video and something that happened this morning, it dawned on me that even though you can receive forgiveness for your choices, the consequences of your choices could be permanent. And you can’t take those choices back. They follow you forever. Someone close to me told me this morning: “you can’t just start over. There’s no reset button.”

Sometimes, I wish there was. I definitely wished that this morning. Sometimes I wish that life was like a video game, where you can simply go back to a save point and do everything a little bit differently, because you remember how things ended up last time…and you want to avoid making the same mistakes twice.

But life doesn’t work that way. Our decisions are permanent and everlasting, and we get to live with them forever.

I pray that this makes me think harder about decisions I make before I make them. While I have no doubt that I am going to make mistakes in the future, I can certainly make things a lot easier and better for myself and for my loved ones if I make Godly decisions, rather than those decisions that come from raw emotions, such as anger, resentment, and jealousy.

The theme for the college ministry at my church this year is from the gospel of John : “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30). I must learn to make less choices based on my own desires, and more choices that are bent upon God’s Will.

Easier said than done.

Now I walk with You Lord

2009-06-16T13:44:00.001-05:00

I finally managed to get the new Hillsong United album and am currently listening through it, but I’ve already picked out a favorite song.

It’s called “King of All Days”, and it goes like this:

"In your surrender
As You lay down Your life
You took up a sinners cross
And Your life rescued mine

In this redemption
Love and mercy display
And lifted my eyes to see
That Your truth never fails

Lord of the heavens
King of all days
Without You my world slips away
Redeemed by Your mercy
Consumed by Your grace
Now I live for You

[CHORUS]
I'm found in the arms of love
For Your love it has saved my soul
I'll run to Your arms of love
Your life's gonna lead me home

Glorious savior
In Your light I am free
If things of this world will fail
Still You are all that I need

Lord of the heavens
King of all days
Without You my world slips away
Redeemed by your mercy
Consumed by your grace
Now I live for You

[BRIDGE]
And at your cross
I lay my burdens
At your feet
Where Your love covers
All I've done
Now I walk with You Lord"

The bridge is especially powerful. God wants us to lay our burdens at His feet! I say that’s easily say that that’s one of the hardest things for me to do. I get so busy and stressed and I start to think that the only person who can help me is me…but that’s not true. God wants us to reach out to Him.

And reading the above passage, I realize how cliché it might sound, but its true! Get the CD, listen to the song, and look at yourself and see how you feel. You may be moved.

Kyle

An Essay on Politics: WWJV (What Would Jesus Vote?)

2009-06-13T00:51:00.001-05:00

Back whenever I started actually giving a little bit of concern towards American politics, I thought that I would always vote Republican. I grew up in a Southern Baptist church and whenever you are in a Southern Baptist church, everyone tells you that you are supposed to vote Republican. They tell you that God wants you to vote Republican.

Before I go any further, I will admit to you that I voted for John McCain in the 2008 Presidential Election and that I am a registered Republican. You can take that as a disclaimer if you like. Now, back to what I was talking about.

I have a huge issue when people bring God into politics. What I mean by that is suggesting that God votes a certain way, or that God has a certain political belief. To suggest that the God of the Universe surrenders Himself to the ridiculous political ideologies of humankind is absurd. Folks, He doesn’t think on our level. He’s not concerned with who’s a Democrat or who’s a Republican. He’s God. Period. He’s concerned with Love. He’s concerned with people obeying His commandments.

I think the church tries to involve itself too much in politics and not enough in loving people. Granted, politics play an important part in our day-to-day lives, whether we realize it or not. They impact the church in various ways, both good and bad, and I understand that. But at the same time, I find that the church is so concerned in pushing a particular political agenda, that it tends to venture away from what it was originally supposed to be doing: reaching folks for the gospel.

Please understand that when I make these statements, I’m not trying to attack the church as a whole I am simply trying to make a point. I’ve spoken with a lot of pastors from a lot of churches that actually place less emphasis on political parties and more on choosing a candidate that lines up with your beliefs.

I have a lot of friends on both sides of the political spectrum, but I think it’s safe to say that a vast majority of my friends tend to be more conservative in their ideologies. I think that’s great. For the most part though, I don’t think that they are better people just because they chose a particular candidate in a recent election, as opposed to my other friends who may have voted differently.

I wonder when people will get to the point where they put aside their political differences and just love each other. I have friends on both sides of the spectrum who spend a lot of their time taking potshots at other people for their political beliefs. Sometimes, it’s in jest, but other times, in many times, it’s really hurtful. Come on folks! Get over yourselves!

I voted for McCain because I felt like he would represent what I believed and would push the issues I felt were important to me and what I felt was most beneficial to our country, as opposed to Barack Obama. I didn’t feel like Obama would address my concerns, and I think, for the most part, that I’ve been correct on that. I don’t agree with a lot of the decisions he has made.

I wish more people would do the same. I wish more people would focus on choosing a particular candidate or pushing a particular agenda because they feel like it’s what should be done for the improvement of our beloved country, and not just because they feel that they are supposed to vote for a candidate or whatever because of his party, or his skin color, or whether or not he is a good public speaker.

I think I’ve said enough on this matter. If you feel differently then I would love to hear from you!

No title

2009-06-07T17:07:00.002-05:00

I can rarely recall a moment in the last few years where I've actually stopped. Just stopped. What do I mean by stopped? I mean sitting down and doing nothing. Maybe reading. Maybe writing. Maybe sipping at a bit of coffee while I catch up on things.

My life the past couple of years has been a big blur, especially the last 6 months. I worked two jobs, took a class at school, stayed involved in a campus ministry, played drums at church, managed to find (and keep) a girlfriend, and still have a shadow of the social life I used to live. Wow.

These past three weeks has been amazing. I have maintained a steady sleep schedule, found time for my friends, started putting real time into an awesome job, developed my relationship with Rebecca, and actually managed to find a little bit to myself.

I've discovered new things about myself, and new things about the life God wants me to live.

Tomorrow, I go back to school. I stay in school for month, while still working my evening job, then I head back to Alaska with a team of students to do some ministry on the beaches of Kenai. Then I'm in Glorieta, New Mexico for a week with more friends, then I'm back in Lafayette and getting into the swing of things before school starts in August. I plan to be back in the classroom full time, working as quickly as possible to get out of here and get my life on track.

As I sit here, thinking ahead about chaotic life I am about to go back to, I often wonder if I am losing myself when I don't take time out of my busy schedule to just sit around and enjoy the company of myself and sit in the prescence of God. A quiet time has long departed from me as a daily routine and the journal folder on my laptop has not been touched in over a month.

One of my goals, for the rest of this year, is to try my hardest to take time to myself, and re-discover myself, and to spend time in His presence, and to pursue Him with all of my heart.

Better said than done...

Thoughts on Leaving Home

2009-05-25T16:54:00.002-05:00

I spent the summer last year in Kenai, Alaska, working with youth at a local church. While I was up there, I spent a lot of time talking to the locals about the beauty of Alaska. But if you talk to almost anyone who spent their entire life there, all they seem to talk about is wanting to leave, especially those in the younger generations. As people would say this, I would wonder in amazement at their statements. Why would anyone want to leave a place that was so beautiful? Why would someone want to leave their home?

Then I would think about my own desires to be away from home. In my opinion, Lafayette's natural beauty does not compare to that of Alaska. There are not tall moutains in the horizon, and no rolling hills covered with beautiful trees. Instead, its all flat, low-lying wetlands, and the only thing you can see on the horizon is the clouds. Lafayette had much of its natural beauty tarnished by expansion in the 60s and 70s. If you drive down Johnston St. (between UL campus and Ambassador Caffery), you understand what I mean. Lots of old, run down buildings that are built really close to the road. But at the same time, Lafayette also has a special beauty that transecends anything you can actually "see". There's a lot of rich culture here, and the people are absolutely amazing. I love the people in Lafayette (not their driving ability however). Yet, all I can think about is getting out college and getting married and moving my life elsewhere (like...WAY elsewhere).

I always wonder why people are always so ready to leave the places where they grow up. Personally, I think it has something to do with the desire to create our own memories in a place where we are least influenced by our peers. While I am here, I spend most of my time with my friends and family, constantly being influcenced by their opinions, ideas, and actions. I think so many people get to the point where they just want to go out and try to make things work out on their own.

Others leave home to run away from circumstances that overwhelm them. While I think its never ok to run away from a problem, some problems only go away when you are physically seperated from the source. Maybe its a job, or a certain individual.

Even though I want to leave Lafayette, I think I will always appreciate it. I will always love it. And when I leave it, I will yearn to return to it.

Kyle

Music

2009-05-09T19:14:00.005-05:00

Putting Life on Shuffle

I sat down in CCs this afternoon and decided to sort through my iTunes and clean some stuff out that I either don't use or am not authorized to play (gotta love DRM). As I was sitting there sorting through everything, I listening to a few tunes from back in the day (read: my senior year of high school, or the start of this iTunes library). As I was listening to some of that music (mostly hard rock), it made me think really hard about what I was going through in that period of my life.

I have this weird personality quirk where I remember what I was doing or at least what I was going through at that time period in my life.
Every now and then some older worship song that's not in my iTunes comes on the radio or Pandora, and it takes me back to the times of sitting in my youth pastor's living room, listening to, learning, and then singing along with a lot of these worship songs (Better is One Day, Salvation, You Alone, Open the Eyes of my Heart, I Can Only Imagine, etc.).

In this particular case, it brought me back to a time in my life where I felt like I had no direction.
I was approaching the end of my high school days and wasn't exactly sure how I was going to get where I really wanted to go in life. I figured that I would end up working for some company doing computer work, but I wasn't exactly sure of the steps I was going to take to get there. I had a lot of decisions that I needed to make in the next few months and I really didn't know what I wanted to do.

I was also aimless in my spiritual life.
When I say that, I know most people think that we're aimless all the time, but that is besides the point. When I say aimless, I mean I really didn't see the benefits of continueing my connections with the church and more importantly, my relationship with God.

Also apparent in this time of my life was my lack of honesty. I led a double life.
I had the life that I showed people when I was at church and school, the good little church kid who really didn't do much in rebellion and for the most part remained well-behaved. But on the inside, I was questioning everything. I was only doing what I was doing to keep up pretenses and hoped that everyone liked me. I guess I was somewhat successful, but it left me empty inside. That's when I realized something.

I realized that I was living too much for myself, and that all of my actions were powered my one movitation: how did it benefit me?
I was going through the motions. And it wasn't doing me any good. I started to get frustrated and angry, and that was reflected in the music that I primarily listened to. So when I came to that realization, I began to make a shift in my lifestyle, and that included my taste in music. While lately some of my musical preference has gravitated towards some indie or alternative stuff, I mostly listen to worship music. Not because of something that I think I'm supposed to do, but because I actually want to do it.

Its always interesting how things come full circle...

Lifeblogging

2009-04-26T17:46:00.005-05:00

I read a lot of blogs. Pretty much every blog than I have ever read is better than this one. I often credit myself as a good writer, but trust me, if you were to see the piles and piles of word documents sitting on my computer at this moment, you would see the true me. The hardest part about trying to be a good writer, is actually letting someone else read the words you are writing (or, in this case, typing). Being a great writer is about letting go of your inner critic and just letting the words flow onto the page, then holding back the desire to push the backspace key (something I'm having a really hard time doing even as I type these words).

As a writer, you want people to see what you're honestly thinking, but at the same time, you don't want to people to think you are a complete idiot. I personally don't understand how some of these writers to do it. On top of all the blogs I read, I am a pretty well-read individual in the realm of books (it's hard to imagine someone actually picking up a bound copy of a book rather than reading a bunch of text on the screen...Amazon Kindle/iPhone anyone?). The more books I read, the more jealous I get of all these writers!!!

How do they do it? How does one overcome their inner critic and let the words flow? Its much easier for me to write well when I'm writing with the intention of never publishing that piece of writing, usually a journal entry of some sort. I hope my writing is being honest enough to pass along my slight sense of frustration. This is actually the third complete piece I have written in the past hour, and its most likely going to be the only one that gets published.

I titled this post "lifeblogging" because its a fitting description for what this blog is supposed to be. I want to keep writing about the world from my perspective. I want people to get a good idea of what goes on in my head on a day-to-day basis. I want people to see things how I see them.

This post is about informing you of a change in direction for this blog (or, more correctly, a re-focus on bringing this blog back to where it was supposed to be going in the first place). This is post is also a warning. Some of these posts may start coming at you in stream-of-consciousness style, because after analyzing some of my own writing, the best writing of mine happens when I just let the words flow straight from my head to my fingers on the keyboard, and not letting myself push the backspace key.

All of that said, take it with a grain of salt. Oh, and this little bit was added after proofreading the top and realizing that 99.9% of my grammar and punctuation was accurate. That never happens. Go me.

One Day at a Time

2009-04-18T16:33:00.005-05:00

Life comes at you fast; too fast sometimes. I'm a part-time student with two jobs and a lot of other commitments that take up time in my day-to-day living. Someone with a schedule like mine cannot handle everything without planning in advance. It annoys my friends sometimes. I get obsessive about planning things. When plans change or get canceled, I freak out. Not very long ago, I used to be a person who did everything one day at a time. But nowadays, it seems like I am so caught up in determining the end result, that I neglect the steps it takes to get there.

I'll use my college education as an example. I have known what I've wanted to do with my career for a long time now (before I even stepped into college). I have not changed my major or anything. I know exactly where I want to be 5 years from now. But the problem is, I've neglected my education over the past year and half. I've watched as my grades and GPA plummeted and I nearly flunked out of college. Now I am working through the steps necessary to get my education back on track; but before, I was just too focused on the end goal and not the steps to takes to achieve that goal.

In the bible you hear a lot of stories about people who were goal-oriented but didn't seem to quite make it through the steps to get there. Then Jesus came around and He was always teaching the people about living the day-to-day, and letting tomorrow worry about itself.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34 (New King James Version)

So what would happen if I spent more time worrying about each and every day instead of what was going to happen tomorrow? Its like I've become so focused on the path ahead, that I miss the roots and potholes that are stuck in the road along the way. I guess that's why they recommend that you start each day in prayer and meditation on the scripture. You ask God to give you the wisdom to make it through the day while still glorifying Him. Not an easy task. Especially when you are worried about what's going tomorrow, or that weekend, or a month down the road.

Its ok to have goals, I just need to remember that a goal is only the end of a series of steps leading up to it. Easier said than done.

The Facebook Crisis

2009-03-13T12:44:00.001-05:00

Let’s rewind to late last summer (Summer 2008). Anyone remember what happened over at Facebook? Yeah. They changed the profile page. Big time. They moved a bunch of things around, and made serious changes to the everyday usage of the website.

The problem was, people complained.

Facebook groups were formed, and millions joined. A fierce debate formed over the new layout. But, the new layout stood, and the vast numbers of complainers died down. Fast forward 6 months later, and Facebook changed their layout again.

Within an hour of the switchover, I received three (yes three) invitations for different protest groups about the new home page.

The day on which this switch occurred was ironic. This week is Jesus Week on UL campus, and we’ve had a guy, Curt Harlow, come and lead some Q&A sessions. He answered some tough questions and discussed a lot of pointed issues. In one of his talks, he made a mention about how many of us are more concerned with Facebook changing it’s layout, rather than various issues that are troubling our nation and our world.

Then of course, the next day, Facebook changes it's layout (again, but not nearly as drastic).

Seriously folks, there’s a lot more issues in the world that we need to worry about that doesn’t involve the new Facebook layout.

Just get used to the new layout, and focus your questions and energies on other things.

Mornings Are Not My Favorite

2009-03-05T08:18:00.001-06:00

I’m not a morning person (and never will be). I just dread the thought of having to get up out of bed. The type of day I know I’m going to have or the time I went to bed the night before has little effect on the mood I am in when I wake up in the morning.

So you can imagine that when I woke up this morning at 5:30 AM so I could be at church for 6, I was not feeling too great. The earliest I normally have to wake up during the week is around 7.

Waking up at 5:30 is totally not my thing.

That worries me. What’s going to happen when I actually get a real job? Seriously…A good friend of mine has to be up sometime between 4:30 and 5:30, depending on the day, so he can make it to work across town by 6:30. That’s ridiculous.

But most people in the tech field have early mornings. It’s a fact. Tech people usually have to be at the office before almost anyone else in case there are serious problems within the network that can impact productivity…which basically means that you have to get there before everyone else. I’m not quite sure what I am going to do. Maybe I should make sure that whoever I marry can actually drag me out of bed in the morning.

Some of you that are reading this may be wondering why I just spent the last 100 words or so putting down myself, but do not worry. It will all become clear in time.

I know I’m not the only person out there who has problems getting up in the morning. In fact, one of those people lives in my own household. I get my morning moods honestly, from my mother (yes, I still live at home; it’s cheap and I have almost no money…I’m in college). On Saturdays, it’s not common for her to sleep till 10 AM, where she normally has to be up by 6:30 or 7.

We Americans in general are usually not morning people. What do you see when you go to an office early in the morning? A bunch of dreary, caffeine-deprived workpeople who look like they need to be plugged into a battery charger for a few more hours.

I point all of that out to say that many of us usually start our days off on a bad foot…ungrateful for the additional morning that we get to keep breathing through…whereas somewhere out there in the world, someone did not wake up in the morning.

I really wish I could look at things from that perspective when I wake up in the morning. It would probably make my day that much better.

“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.”

Psalm 90:14 (New International Version)

I also tend to overlook the blessing of praying and having a quiet time early in the morning. Typically, my quiet time occurs late at night, before I go to sleep. I sit there with my bible and I read, and perhaps journal a little bit, and pray. But I am so tired. I rarely make it through the reading I would like to get through before I go to sleep, and often my prayers are rushed and half-hearted because I just want to get it over with so I can go to sleep.

I think that’s why most theologians and pastors encourage people to have their quiet times in the morning. You can start your day off the right way, with a little bit of “soul food”, if you will (I know, I pulled out a serious cliche).

What would our days be like if we woke up every morning and remembered the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 90?

I would like to try that out someday.

Our God is a God of Love, Not of Hate!

2009-03-04T15:06:00.003-06:00

I'm sure many of you on UL campus are aware of a certain group of gentlemen that have made their presence known on campus this week, proclaiming various false statements about God and how He relates to you and I.

This is a response to the message they proclaim:

I am writing first and foremost to tell you that God loves you. The God that true Christians believe in does not hate anyone. Our God is a God of Love. If you have a bible, I would encourage you to read 1 John 4, if not, head over to BibleGateway.com and read it. Read how God wants to us to love one another as He has loved us.

The doctrine that those on campus are teaching this week indicates that God hates some people because of the decision they made.

Folks, God doesn't hate people. He loves them.

God does not want to condemn people, but to save them. God wants to save you, but it is up to you to make the choice to accept His free gift. If I offer you $50, its not yours till you take it right? If I write you a check for $50, the money is not yours till you go and deposit it. God has written the check for your debt by sending His perfect Son to earth to die (Read Romans 3:23, 6:23), but it is up to you to claim the check and deposit it.

God didn't send Jesus to condemn the world, but to save it. God does not call us to condemn the world, but to go and make disciples.

If anyone has any questions about this, they can email me: leboeuf.kyle (at) gmail dot com

Updating you guys

2009-02-18T12:58:00.003-06:00

It's been awhile since I've written. A lot has been going on, and it's helpful to have a computer of your own to write with, but that's been a bit of a challenge for me lately (If you are friends with me on Facebook, you may know what's going on). But I've been managing to get a few things done, thanks to the computers of my friends and web services like Google Docs (which is a great service btw).

Have you ever sat down to write something and just couldn't find the inspiration to write? I've done that a lot over the past year. I open up a Word document or other text editing program and attempt to get writing done, but the words just do not flow from my fingertips. Even in the silence of my own room or other quiet place, the words do not flow, and I stare at the blinking cursor on the screen.

I determined that the main reason why I have not been able to write is connected with my lack of scripture reading over the past month or so. Bible tells us that:

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7 (New King James Version)

This blog is geared towards my thoughts and what I've been learning in my walk with God, when in fact I haven't been learning as much I should...

So, I'm making two pledges to you (the reader) and God (um...self-explanatory. God is God):

1) The most important of which, is that I'm going to dig into the scripture more, and actually make use of my brain for something other than playing with Facebook, fixing computers, and learning about the Macintosh.

2) To make use of various technologies that allows me to blog from anywhere (like now...I'm using a friend's computer) and to keep you updated with my studies, and post more often (I'm aiming for at least two posts a week).

If you do read this, I appreciate it :) And I hope you will continue to do so.

So...till the next post!

~Kyle

Fill-in-the-blank Evangelism

2009-01-23T18:41:00.003-06:00

(Author's note: This is a post that will be published tomorrow morning on my devotional website, giftofwords.net. It is posted early on my personal blog so I can get the word out)

A print-friendly PDF of this post is available for download from the giftofwords.net website here.

I read a book recently that mentioned the impact of church language on the business world. For instance, “evangelism”, a word used by most churches to refer to their outreach, is frequently used by large corporations in reference to getting knowledge of their products out to their consumers. A real world example of this theory is Steve Jobs, Chief Executive Officer of Apple, Inc. Steve Jobs is often considered an Apple “Evangelist”; a few times a year, he gives a keynote address to thousands of drooling Apple fans. If you ever watch a Steve Jobs keynote (often called a “Stevenote” by tech pundits and the media), you can see the resemblance to an excited preacher.

If Steve Jobs can get so worked up over a computer or MP3 player, how cam we have such a hard time getting worked up over God? Why are we more than willing to stand up and debate politics, or has the better car, or computer, or what’s the best job; and not even being be able to stand up for what we believe is the only way to truly fulfill our purpose in life? Why is it so hard for us to be excited about Lord and Savior?

Paul saw this same issue in the early church. He witnessed people caving under pressure from society and keeping their mouth shut, refusing to proclaim the truth of the Gospel because it was not the “hip” thing to do. So what did he do? He challenged us to be proud, and not ashamed, of the rich inheritance that God has promised us:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17 (New King James Version)

So what’s stopping the church from stepping out into the streets and owning it’s own jargon? Anyone up for putting our money where our mouth is? Are we ready to step out into the world and proclaim his truth for the nations?

Are we ready to be just as excited about the gift of eternal life as Steve Jobs is about Macs and iPods?

That decision is entirely up to you.

Thoughts on Coffee; Or, the Absurdity of Drive-Thru Coffee

2009-01-13T22:06:00.004-06:00

We Christians love coffee. That’s no exaggeration. I cannot tell you how many Christians I’ve run into in coffee shops. While serving God in Alaska, I ran into so many Christian people in the coffee shops there. In Soldotna, there’s this small coffee shop where I spent the majority of my free time. It’s called Kaladi Brothers, and the coffee rocks. But to me, the greatest thing about Kaladi Brothers was not the coffee (which, as I stated previously, rocks), it was the people with whom I engaged in conversation on a daily basis.

It was odd actually. I spoke on a weekly basis during the evening service for the church I was serving, and I would often craft my sermons on a small table in that shop. I’d sit there with my bible open, typing away at a Word document, when someone would walk up to me and strike up conversation, solely based on the fact that I had a bible.

Majority of the people that I would speak to had a relationship with Jesus Christ.

So why is that?

Coffee is a thinker’s drink. Period. Coffee shops are the perfect environment for deep, meaningful conversation. I cannot think of a better place to have a conversation with someone besides a coffee table at a coffee shop.

Lots of Christians tend to enjoy deep, meaningful conversation. They’ve found that there’s more to life than being busy. It’s nice to stop every once in awhile and reflect on the glory and beauty of the life that you live for Him.

That being said, I simply cannot understand why people are so dead set on drive-thru coffee. For me, coffee is something to be savored and enjoyed. I have to at least walk inside and chat it up with the baristas. There’s a particular coffee shop I that visit very often in my hometown that I absolutely love. I am there so often, that most of the staff know me. I have to walk inside and chat with them. I cannot stand the idea of drive-thru coffee, where the only interaction you get with people inside is the quick exchange on money for coffee.

In Alaska, part of the reason why I only see Christians in there is that pretty much everyone else up there is too themselves and get almost know interaction with other people outside of their immediate family. If that’s the case, why are they going to walk in a coffee shop and converse with people when they can just drive up to a little java-to-go joint stuck on the side of the highway?

Those things are EVERYWHERE in Alaska. People up there just really aren’t into the coffee shop thing. The coffee shop I spoke of earlier (Kaladi Brothers) closed at 7 on most days, and 9 on the weekends. That’s early. Here in Lafayette, Louisiana, most of the coffee shops close at 11pm on weekdays. Midnight on weekends. Most of us are coffee shop people, but the drive-thru thing is catching on.

As Americans become more and more obsessed with cramming as much as they can into a single day, the experience provided by drive-thru coffee becomes sufficient and takes the place of the social interaction provided by actually walking into the shop.

This is a huge problem. Coffee was made to be a social drink, so why are we trying to take the “social” out of it?

In a day and age where a lot of social interaction occurs over the air via cell phones (both calls and SMS ), I suppose it’s easy to pass on the blame for our decreasing personal interaction (in other words, face-to-face) with people.

Let’s all slow down from the drive-thru, go-go-go, non-stop way of life. Let’s all take time to smell our coffee before we engulf it.

~Kyle

Shout out to my Friend Mike

2009-01-05T14:32:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone, as a follow-up to my previous blog about Alaska, I wanted to give a shout-out to a friend who helped make that last trip happen.

His name is Mike Blakeney and he's a US/C2 missionary with NAMB, serving the LORD in the great state of Alaska. Mike graduated from UL with a BS in Computer Science.

This is a picture of Mike and I during a meeting while I was working in Alaska this previous summer.

Mike keeps a blog here: http://www.students4christ.net

Please keep him in your prayers.

Memories of the Last Frontier

2009-01-04T19:48:00.002-06:00

We always have our moments where we close our eyes and imagine that we were back in a place that we really loved. For some of us, its home or where we grew up; for others, it’s where we met someone special, and yet others, it’s a place we visited that had a profound impact on our lives.

Sometimes, when I close my eyes, I can feel the cool breeze and the smells it brings from blowing over from Cook Inlet. Sometimes, I can see in my head the image of a sun setting at 2 AM over a range of white-capped mountains, washing the Kenai beach in an orange light. It’s this setting I see on my desktop background every time I boot up my computer.

It’s Alaska. It’s the one place I miss more than anything in the world right now. It’s crazy to think about that; because when I was leaving, I was so excited to be going to New Mexico and meeting up with all of my friends there, and so it felt amazing to be leaving…but when I finally got back home after that adventure and tried to settle into life as normal, I found that I left a part of myself up in there in that beautiful state.

I have spent many hours looking through photos, reading through journals and blogs, and communicating through email and Facebook with the new friends that I had left behind up there.

Now, all I want to do is go back.

Every time I see a picture of that amazing sunset, I just wish I could go back. Every time I see a picture of any of my students and their smiles, I am reminded about how much I miss them.

So, with all of these thoughts going on in my head about missing Alaska, it was only a matter of time before I changed my plans for the summer and decided to go back to Alaska, rather than spend the summer at a Fuge camp.

It’s amazing how God speaks through those that are around us. As I sat here in this coffee shop about 2 months ago, planning my summer out and getting things in motion, my mind always wandered to Frontier State. During this time period, it seemed that almost everyone was asking me about Alaska, asking about my experiences there and what it was like.

Between that and some of the studying and praying I had been doing during that period, I determined that God was pushing me more in the direction of Alaska.

So, I decided to go back.

Can’t wait!

New Years Resolutions

2009-01-03T17:10:00.002-06:00

I should’ve wrote and published this a few days ago, rather than waiting to get it done three days in, but here are my resolutions for 2009:

1) Write more blog posts- I write a lot for my own personal journal but I don’t write very much for the benefit of those who read my blogs.

2) Get a job that I really enjoy. And keep it.

3) Spend more time with my family

4) Follow up on the some hobbies that I’ve been meaning to start up, including web design and photography.

5) Finally get a MacBook (I’m so tired of this laptop, that it’s crazy)

6) Go back to Alaska

7) Drink more coffee

So there you go, my resolutions for 2009. I think they are all well within my abilities.

~Kyle

Life is like a Chicken Sandwich (from Chick-fil-a)

2008-12-18T23:45:00.001-06:00

I decided that I’m going to bless you with my writing twice in one day. I know, you are very, very enthusiastic. I understand.

As I gorged upon the delightful gourmet meal that is a Chick-fil-a chicken sandwich, it occurred to me that I have never tasted a better chicken sandwich than one from the very establishment I was eating in.

Ever.

So as I stared at the now half-eaten sandwich, I began to realize something very profound.

The meaningful (meaningful being Life+God) life is like a Chick-fil-a sandwich. It’s the real deal. It’s the cream of the crop. The best of the best. It is above the rest of the competition. The less-meaningful (less-meaningful being Life-God) is like…a McDonald’s chicken sandwich. No matter how hard McDonalds might try, they don’t come close to the master crafter of chicken sandwiches.

Now, I understand that I am comparing the Christian life to the (best) chicken sandwich, but bear with me here. I’m bringing this to a more digestible point (no pun intended).

In many of my posts, I’ve talked about how we love to fill our lives with things that just don’t satisfy us like God does. God is the ultimate life-sustainer, meaningful life-fulfiller, thirst-quencher, stomach-filler. He is the maker of the ultimate “chicken sandwich” (chicken sandwich=life). He is the meaning, the cause, and the source behind living the “ultimate” life.

Chick-fil-a claims to have “invented the chicken sandwich”. So naturally, those wanting the ultimate “chicken sandwich experience” flock to Chick-fil-a in droves (seriously, they do. Have you ever been to the Chick-fil-a in Lafayette on Ambassador around lunch time? The line of cars reaches the street).

In that same sense, God invented life. He knows the way life is intended to be lived. So shouldn’t we be flocking to Him in droves to experience this “ultimate life”?

Jesus said it best:

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”

John 10:10-11 (NKJV)

He wanted you to have this ultimate life SO BADLY, that He came down to earth as a man, allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross, and died, completely blameless and innocent, because without Him, we could not experience this ultimate life on our own.

Let’s make sure we’re all getting our chicken sandwich from the right place.

Some Thoughts (or, I don’t know what to call this post)

2008-12-18T11:26:00.001-06:00

It’s no secret to anyone that I really enjoy writing. Though I may only post here periodically, I am almost daily writing in my own personal journal, or for other websites that I either I own or I contribute to. It’s a method of release for me, and it’s how I stay sane among the crazy occurrences that have been happening nearly everyday in my life.

Lately, a lot of my writing has been concentrated on some big difficulties that I’m encountering, most of them having to do with my own character flaws and bad habits. The more I sit and try to think things through,the more anxious I get.

Over the past few days, I was losing sleep and getting sick because I was stressing so much over what I was going through over and over in my head. I was writing pages and pages of thoughts and contemplations that were going through my head repetitively. I finally decided that I would look to where I should’ve been looking in the first place for comfort: God’s Word.

I read:

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

So, rather than running the same things over and over in my head, I bowed in prayer, and gave thanks to God for His Word, for His comforting presence, and for the things that He is teaching me through these experiences.

Reading these words was enough to remind me of His presence. That alone should be our source of comfort.

I am thankful for having that revealed to me.

And the Winter Break is Here. Joy

2008-12-14T17:52:00.001-06:00

It’s nice to sit here in a coffee shop on a Sunday evening and realize that I don’t have to go to school tomorrow. Even though I will still have to wake up early and go to work, it won’t be class.

You don’t know how good that feels. Well, if you’re a college student, maybe you do :P

I’ve been reading a lot of Proverbs recently. And you know what I noticed?

This little number:

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Proverbs 1:7 (New King James Version)

I found it interesting that a book such as Proverbs would begin with this phrase. This book, if you are not aware, is chock full of wisdom to living a Godly life. It is fitting, in that it clearly indicates that the fear of God is the beginning to unlocking all of the knowledge and instruction one can draw from His word.

I find that comforting. It goes to show you that all the wisdom and knowledge written in books and taught in lectures is all for naught if we are not fearing God first. I think so many people lose sight of that. We’re all so busy reading our books on theology and Christian living, and spending less time studying God’s word and seeking His face, which is the best source of knowledge and Wisdom.

Just wanted drop a few thought-provoking words on you as we head into the thick of the Holidays. Remember the “reason for the season”.

Remember that it’s not about “giving” and presents, and such…

Remember that it’s about His birth.

I’ll leave you alone for now.

Citizen Journalism Steals the Day (Again)

2008-11-27T14:25:00.001-06:00

I covered citizen journalism a while back during the hurricanes. I talked about how regular joes like you and I are among the first to break news to the rest world about various events through services like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

The words “citizen journalism” are once again generating a lot of buzz in the blogosphere at Twitter users are among the first to break news to the world of the Terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

Debates in the blogosphere have the distinct advantage of having clearly drawn sides.

On one hand, you have those that think that citizen journalism (specifically via unfiltered services such as Twitter) is a valuable and somewhat valid source of news. This group is led by Michael Arrington and the fearless bloggers over at TechCrunch (a favorite website of mine, by the way).

The other side is obvious. This is the group that downplays the role of Twitter and Facebook in news reporting. This is a smaller, less vocal group. I’m not going to even bother linking some of the blogs involved in this, as you can see them in Arrington’s article.

To deny the role of social-SMS services in news reporting is to stare something blank in the face and tell it does not exist. It is utter ignorance.

Open your eyes. Read the Twitter updates. Read more than just a few. Many of these bloggers claim that the information is often inaccurate. This may be true to an extent, but often these same people will correct themselves for their mistakes. If you know how to sort through the garbage (which is usually easy), you can see the hard facts coming first hand from someone who is on-seen. I used Twitter as a means of staying in contact with some people who weathered the hurricanes that hit the Gulf coast late this past summer. Often times, I got a lot more details about what was going on than what was being said in the traditional news outlets.

Come on people, let’s have some common sense. To discount Twitter as a valid news outlet is downright stupid.

Kyle will be sure to inform anyone of interesting things he witnesses first hand via his Twitter account. Visit http://www.twitter.com/kyleleboeuf or text “Follow kyleleboeuf” (without quotes) to 40404 with an SMS-capable mobile phone.

kyle at kyleleboeuf dotcom

Change starts with the Individual!

2008-11-25T08:45:00.001-06:00

(Authors note: This was written yesterday (11-24-08), but I got home late last night and forgot to post it! Sorry!)

Today, I spent the evening in Alexandria helping out with YEC (Youth Evangelism Celebration). This is not the first time I’ve been there, though it was quite different than the last time I went.

The students just were not the same as I remember, back when I was in their shoes. They didn’t seem into it. They didn’t seem to understand that they were being led to a time of worship. They could jump and scream and holler, but they wouldn’t sing! They had several opportunities to let their voices be heard, where the worship leader backs away from the mike and lets the worshipers sing, and they didn’t sing! They didn’t understand what the band was there to do.

I was disappointed.

What changed?

After talking with some of my friends on the way back home, I came to a conclusion.

The individual changed. Change starts with individuals. When one person is bold enough to speak out about the way he feels, there are others who will follow. This is the mode and that we’ve followed for millennia. So why does it surprise us when we think about that?

Because we like to think that we are more independent than that. To an extent, we are! Or at least, we have the potential to be…

There needs to be a generation of young people who can rise up and go against the expectations of young culture in this modern age and redefine those expectations. Specifically, there needs to be a generation of young people in our culture who are more concerned with spreading the name of Jesus than trying to meet their insignificant, selfish needs and desires, both tangible and intangible. This applies to all areas of our lifestyle, including our social behavior, our personal (private) behavior, our thoughts, actions, words, desires, emotions…

There needs to be a generation who is ready to surrender everything for the cause of Christ, regardless of what the world around us might think about us.

They might think we put our hope and faith in something we cannot see, but we understand that our Hope and Faith is in the only thing that can truly sustain us through the hard times…our hope and faith in Christ is the only thing that can save us from the inevitable fate that awaits us…

So…are we ready to stand up and be bold (me included)?