Stac's Place

blog moving

2008-08-06T15:50:00.002-04:00

please redirect your bookmark to my new site! Thanks for playing nice...

weekend wrap up

2008-07-28T08:04:00.000-04:00

Lots of words to describe this weekend:

I spoke a TON--preached 4 services at Calvary, 2 chapel services for minor league baseball teams, and delivered the opening message for SOS (our sorta-city-wide youth camp)
put some kayaks in the water with Andy yesterday morning, followed by some good grub at the Bellefonte Waffle Shop. I love that guy.
not much sleep happening in my life this week, or last week for that matter.
SOS is in full swing. Great band, led by Stephanie Peters. She is a blessing to the church!
I could not ask for better people to work with--friends in ministry together makes it so much more than a JOB--it's pretty much fun.
I was thrilled to see more than 50 students playing, worshiping, and getting geared up to go serve our community together this week. God is going to do some good things this week!
Kim and her Mary Kay buddies had a booth at the Spikes game tonight. These beautiful (inside and outside!) ladies were showing off their "before and after" pictures! I think some of the pictures were even shown on the jumbotron--talk about bravery!
Calvary is launching an of-site venue at the high school South building in October, which should be an awesome opportunity for us to move closer to saturating our community with the Good News of Jesus.
my phone was resting quietly on a wooden stool during my message last night when it began to BUZZ. Not once, but twice, plus the unfortunate BEEP of a message waiting. That'd never happened to me before. It was kinda funny, but embarrassing, too. It won't happen again.
I told on my self for leaving the phone on during the 9:15 service, and didn't someone else's phone starting ringing!
started an email conversation with a guy who stopped in last night with his family to worship. He runs a ministry in the next county over, and it looks like the kind of thing that would be right up Calvary's alley.
Kim and I got to talk tonight for a good bit. I love my wife! God totally blows me away with his goodness...
I'm beat, but I want to read a little before turning in.

I took a littl blog breather

2008-07-25T03:16:00.002-04:00

but I'm back...

We went away for a little family vacation, and where we landed had no access to the interweb (ht SMM). In fact, we were about 30 minutes outside of the nearest town, at the very end of a dirt/gravel road. Kim booked us in a little cabin nestled on the Shenandoah River, and it was wonderful.

We spent 5 days playing in and around the water, making mountain pies and memories...

Then we cruised down the Upstate (that's South Carolina) to see my folks. They live on a lake, and my kids can't get enough of the water. They loved being dragged around the lake behind Paw Paw Rusty's boat. It was a great time to reconnect with my parents and MawMaw.

If you're interested (or bored) you can view some photos here...

I love the 80's

2008-07-13T00:13:00.003-04:00

The sermon series kicked off tonight, and the set looks great. Adam knocked off the Rubik's Cube in no time at all, and he and Scott Mangene did a great job leading worship. I only wish that we had added some 80's music to the set...I'll have to watch that I don't get caught up in the memorabilia and lose sight of the main message.

Last week I discovered/remembered what trips me up preaching all the weekend services--my memory. I forgot to tell one of the stories at the 11:00--I thought I had already shared it. Oh well.

I enjoy preaching. Most folks ask me if I get tired from all the speaking, but it energizes me.

This series (Psalms in the 80's) should be a good one, with lots of points for us to grow as followers of the Most High. Plus, there's the cool toys on stage...I seriously want to play the Atari.

late night rambling...

2008-07-12T02:29:00.003-04:00

sorry for the lack of posts in the last few days...this week has flown. I have to figure out how to manage my time better with the preaching...

Kim and I got the most encouraging letter we've ever received today. It came from a young lady who was part of our youth group, now in college. She is a jewel, and growing so deep in the Lord. It blessed our socks off.
I'm starting a new series at Calvary this weekend: I Love the 80's! While the trappings and set will focus on the decade of decadence, the content will flow from the Psalms in the 80's. Not the decade, but the Bible, Psalms 80-89. Read ahead if you want...
I'm still frustrated with trying to move this here blog. I have a domain name, but I'm needing HELP!
17 couples met me on the field for a pre-game renewal of their wedding vows tonight before the Spikes game. One couple was actually celebrating their 64th anniversary! How cool is that!
Check out Joshua 14--Caleb steps up to claim the promise that he was given at age 40. He spied out the Promised Land and was one of 2 (Joshua was the other) who gave a thumbs-up. Moses promised him land. He's now 85, and wants the hill country, even though there are Anakites living there--Giants who ruled the land. He's still strong, able to fight, and vows that "if the Lord is with me, I will drive them from the land." I want that kind of vision, faith, and perseverance. I'm 40 myself, you know...

some like it hot

2008-07-09T23:20:00.002-04:00

but not me so much.

We've lived in PA since 1990, and have never lived in a house with air conditioning. I know, if you're reading this in one of the southern states, that sounds crazy. But they didn't put AC in homes built in this part of the country until the 80's (my guess; I have no proof of this, but it sounds right.)

Most of the year, that's not a problem. We have a bunch of great shade trees, and our house stays cool long into the day. When it's in the low 70's with low humidity, our house can actually fool me into wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt when I head out in the morning. We have an attic fan that does a great job of pulling the cool night air in to make it oh so comfy for sleeping.

But when it's muggy and reaching the mid-80's, our house is a veritable sweat box. The night air is clammy, and there's no escaping the humidity. I get out of the shower, dry off, and in a few minutes feel like I need a towel. My flip flops are sticky wet. Nights like tonight make me wish that we had AC, or make me want to grab a sleeping bag and take the family over to the church for a camp-in...

Fortunately, the number of nights like this are few, and we'll soon be back into the low-humidity, cool nights that we love so much.

thanks

2008-07-08T22:17:00.003-04:00

Many thanks to those of you who were praying for us over the past few days.

Kim and I got home this evening, and we're about ready to crash. Pap's funeral was today. I got to lead the service, and it was an honor to lead people in celebrating Pap's life, so full of faith, hope, and love. Pap lived well and full. There were lots of tears, and lots of laughs. Several people spoke about how Pap influenced their life and faith.

Pap was a constant in our lives, and even though most of us didn't see him every day, we always knew that Pap was there, praying for us. It's going to be difficult to visit Bedford, knowing that Pap won't be there. I can't even imagine what Gram must be going through. 66 years of marriage...how do you wake up and face the day without your lifelong best friend?

There was a great wall of photos recapping Pap's life. All the grandkids and great-grandkids loved looking at those photos, seeing what Pap looked like when he was young and strong. It was fun to be reminded of special times together.

Everyone was interested in seeing where they showed up in Pap's life. But I think the bigger thing now will be looking to see where Pap shows up in our lives...

wet fireworks, anyone?

2008-07-04T00:05:00.002-04:00

Well, it looks like Happy Valley is in for another wet and gray 4th of July. The Sublett family has hosted a party for the families of our students for many years now. We have a great spot for viewing the fireworks over at the stadium, and a good backyard for hanging out.

Did you know that State College has the #3 rated fireworks show in the country? I guess we're kind of a big deal.

I don't know why, but the last few years have been pretty funky in terms of June and early July weather. Is it the melting polar ice caps that are releasing all the extra water into the atmosphere?

Anyway, if you're looking for a slightly damp hamburger to go along with your fireworks, drop by the Sublett house!

an unexpected blessing, and pain

2008-07-03T00:31:00.002-04:00

Kim and I loaded the kids into the van and headed to Bedford today. Her grandfather, Pap George, is in what looks to be the last days of his life. Kim and the girls got to see him Sunday, but Levi was sick, and couldn't visit. It meant a lot to Levi to get to say goodbye to Pap.

Pap is 87, and his health has gone steadily downhill over the past few weeks. Yesterday he fell asleep around 2 pm, and they couldn't wake him to give him his meds. We weren't even sure he'd hang on until we got there. But today was good.

Pap was in and out of sleep, but his mind is sharp. He can't talk much, but he knew everyone in the room. We had a good time of visiting with him.

Toward the late afternoon, Pap's doctor stopped in to see him. He talked to Pap, and asked a few questions:
George, are you in pain? Pap shook his head to say No.
George, you're not doing well. Do you understand that? head shake yes.
George, are you scared?

Pap swallowed, looked the doc in the eye, and said
Why should I be scared?

Our Pap loves Jesus, and knows that this life is only the warm up for eternity. I want to be so bold and confidant when my time comes. What a blessing to see Pap, even here at the end of things, so certain of his hope.

what are you watching?

2008-07-01T23:34:00.002-04:00

What is it that you want out of life? What do you hope for, dream about...what drives you to get out of bed each morning? What are you working for, living for?

For most of us, I am guessing that our lives revolve around shallow wants and desires--things that are important to us, but not truly necessary for life.

I have about a million different hobbies, ways to pass time, exert energy, devote time and attention, and spend money. Most of the time I find myself in some stage of GAS: Gear Acquisition Syndrome.

I am convinced that ebay feeds that addiction. I know it does for me.

Right now I'm in a constant state of looking for a Karmann Ghia. My grandfather drove one, and I want one like his. This desire is driven by the gas crunch and nostalgia, but there's something deeper.

Before the Ghia, I was watching kayaks. Before that, it was Wayfarer sunglasses. Or high-end acoustic guitars, or roller hockey goalie gear, or backpacks, or laptops, or running shoes, NCAA baseball jerseys, or something else.

I don't often pull the trigger. Most of the time it's the thrill of the hunt that makes it sort of fun. Where can I find the best deal, the biggest savings, the scoop...but I think that the constant looking, the endless want, the relentless pursuit of something else/new is indicative of an issue that I need to address.

It might be called lust, or greed, or consuming consumerism, or a lack of contentment. It flies in the face of the things Jesus taught, runs counter to the simple life that I know would make life, well, simpler.

What's the solution?

What about you? What are you looking for? What's on your Items I'm Watching list?

BP in NY

2008-07-01T00:17:00.005-04:00

So I figured it out by the time we hit Bellefonte. Kim was on the phone with her sister, and she said, "The concert starts at 7:30...oops..."

BP=Brad Paisley. For the uninitiated, Brad Paisley is one of the top country singer/songwriter/guitar pickers in the world. He's also a Jesus follower, and the husband of Kimberly Williams (of Father of the Bride fame), and the father of William Huckleberry Paisley. Ain't that cool?

The concert was stinkin' incredible. BP is one of those guys who will make any music lover stop in his tracks, mouth open, eyes bugged. His playing is brilliant, and his music is the perfect blend of old and new country. His show is captivating, creative out the wazoo, and fun.

Now, to be honest, when we got to the Darien Lakes amphitheater, I thought we had entered some sort of redneck parallel universe. I doubt that I've seen that many drunk/tattooed/boot and hat wearing people since I left Georgia. And those were the girls!

Saturday was a sleep-in day. After a late brunch, we headed over to Niagara Falls. I can't imagine a better spot for me and Kim to spend a day walking around. The falls are incredible. We visited there on our 7th anniversary, but this time we took the Cave of the Winds walk to the base of the falls. Standing on the Hurricane Deck, with the water and wind battering me, all I could do was yell! It was simply awesome.

My wife is beautiful, creative, fun, and captivating. I am blessed to call her my wife, and my best friend. Even if she does pull one over on me from time to time.

To see pics of the day, click here.

i don't generally like surprises

2008-06-27T00:20:00.004-04:00

That's sort of how I'm wired. I don't like surprises, as a general rule. There's a short list of other things I don't like:

beets
cell phone plans, or companies, for that matter
the recent glut of reality shows
basketball
wet socks
whining
the designated hitter rule
practical jokes

I have a history of figuring out surprises. Christmas gifts, surprise birthday parties, the ending of The Sixth Sense...Call it a knack, a gift, an insatiable appetite for having the upper hand.

Being surprised means that someone got one over on me, was able to keep me in the dark, or had more info than me.

Kim is whisking me away to New York tomorrow for an anniversary surprise/continuation of my birthday present. My wife and kids are doing something special for me/us on the 27th of each month to celebrate my 40th year on the planet.

The only thing that I know is that we're headed to NY (city? state?) for something Kim keeps referring to as BP. I thought it was a Broadway Play. Kim assures me that's not the case.

BP in NY...Bowling Pro-Am? Batting Practice? Brazilian Percussion? Banjo Phestival? I have to admit that I am stumped. I guess that I'll have to learn to enjoy surprises, at least this kind.

A night away with the love of my life doing something special to celebrate our 18 years of marriage...Yeah, I can get on board with that.

the hills were alive

2008-06-25T23:50:00.003-04:00

Levi's show was a huge success, at least by Sublett family standards. Our house was full of people in town for the show. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins...and we all loved the show. It was Kim's Aunt Lea's favorite musical, and it would have been her birthday, so it was special to have Drew and Holly with us.

It was interesting to see how the stage show differs from the musical, and I found the musical running through my mind the whole time.

The cast and crew did a remarkable job with the presentation. I think the coolest thing was seeing Levi's hard work pay off. The group spent some long nights getting ready for the show.

I don't know if this is the niche Levi will settle into, but he's got a good voice and a solid stage presence, even if I do say so myself!

could you live with just 100 things?

2008-06-25T23:40:00.002-04:00

Travis Keller posted about the article in Time that lead to Dave Bruno's site, where he chronicles and details his attempt to get his consumeristic compulsions under control by ridding his life of unnecessary things, living with only 100 things. He's calling it The 100 Thing Challenge.

Give it a read. What do you think? Could you do it? How much stuff do you have laying around the house?

I don't think that I want to go down that road. Not just yet. I like the concept of living simply. But the practical reality is that I like my stuff, probably more than I should.

this is going to hurt a little

2008-06-25T00:10:00.002-04:00

We suffered a great loss in our neighborhood today. We knew it was coming, but that doesn't lessen the sting by any means.

Justin and Amie, Austin and Chase are gone. The truck pulled out with all their stuff inside, and Justin stopped by our house on his way out of town.

It was probably the right decision. Justin's job is centered in another town, and he'll be able to be at home with his wife and boys every day. They have family in that town, which is a bonus for them.

But it's a great loss for us.

Amie was a great leader in our high school ministry. Justin was my hunting buddy. They were great neighbors, and great friends.

There's a great big hole in our hearts tonight.

the Sublett family motto

2008-06-24T00:21:00.002-04:00

We've got a houseful of kids with us this week. It's our church's Sports Camp week (our summer VBS-type program) and the cousins from Kim's side of the fam have invaded our domicile.

I love having a full house!

This will be a great week of games, creek walking, Spikes baseball, crazy times around the supper table, and family memories. One of the coolest times is bed time. I love tucking the kids into bed, praying with them, hearing them talk about the day's events...I often get a little goofy while I'm tucking them in, and last night Lilly reminded her cousin Mackenzie about the Sublett family motto:

Weird is good.

I jokingly told Kenzie that she'd be hard pressed to find anything but weird in this house. Sadie was almost asleep, but managed to mumble a classic line:

I'm a little normal...

Ah yes, off to dream land, my little truth-teller.

our DR trip made the Centre Daily Times

2008-06-20T00:48:00.003-04:00

While we were in the DR, word got to the Centre Daily Times that some seniors had opted to spend their senior week serving at an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. We met with a reporter Monday afternoon, and the paper ran the story today.

So what exactly did we do?

bought and spread 31 (I think) 5-gallon buckets (that's 155 gallons) of teflon paint on the roofs of the orphanage, school, and church
painted a roof for use as a team room
touched up the paint/scuffs in the orphanage
weeded the strawberry patch
replaced to ropes around the ornamental flower garden
lots of general cleaning and de-cluttering
transported and assembled 12 bikes, repaired many others
raised enough money for all 55 boys to visit a dentist for their first ever cleaning, xray, and fillings
lost lots of baseball games
played tons of relays and group games
sang Spanish and English worship songs for about 30 minutes each day
bought 200 pounds of chicken for the boys and girls to eat
hugged, held hands, laughed, cried, prayed and loved

I can tell you what we did, how we spent our time and money. But I can't begin to tell you the depth of what God did in our hearts last week. Words are not enough.

Thank you to all of you who prayed and gave so that we could spend a week with those wonderful people in the Rose of Sharon Orphanage. If you have never been on a trip like this, you need to go.

You can check out the article here. You can see Kim's pictures here.

some blog changes are coming

2008-06-19T16:13:00.002-04:00

I don't know how long this will take, but we're in the process of re-vamping the XStream and House Party sites, and my personal blog will be moving to a new home. I am in serious need of some web savvy person to help. If that's you, give me a call. Yes, I am talking to you!

be careful what you wish for, part 2

2008-06-19T00:30:00.002-04:00

So tonight I was trying to get the fire going for our Big Barn Bash, kneeling in close, adding some wood to the struggling fire. The wind was shifting all around. All of a sudden the flames jumped out and got me. I felt the flames gently kiss my hair, and now my short hair is just a touch shorter!

Fire has long been a symbol of God. God spoke to Moses from the bush that burned but was not consumed. God lead Israel with a pillar of fire. God is called consuming fire. Jesus would come to baptize his followers with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Fire is a powerful metaphor, because fire is powerful. Just a touch is enough to change things drastically.

I didn't particularly want to have my hair transformed by fire, but I am desperate for my life to be transformed by the Spirit of God and his fire.

be careful what you wish for

2008-06-18T23:22:00.002-04:00

Our local middle school set the captives free today. In glorious celebration, we kicked off the summer with the Big Barn Bash!

We'd been encouraging our students to invite their friends to the Barn for the past month, and we expected a pretty good response. We were blown away.

We had more students show up to Bash with us than we've ever had.

Here's the kicker--I don't know how we'll follow-up with all of them.

We're believe that life transformation is both expected and possible for those of us who follow Jesus, and that the process happens best in the context of small groups. We are committed to trying to connect each and every student with an adult who is passionate about Jesus.

Each year we face the unfathomable task of figuring out who will step in to lead these groups. In our collegiate atmosphere, there is an inordinate amount of leader turnover. I simply don't know where the leaders will come from.

So what to do? From Matthew 9

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.

So we'll pray, asking God to send more workers...

home again, home again, jiggity jog

2008-06-16T23:39:00.002-04:00

Wow, what a week...we worked hard and played harder. The Dominican Republic is beautiful, and the people are more so.

We got back into State College about 4 this morning. I totally missed Father's Day with my kids, but Kim had cards for me. I was awake for about 24 hours on both ends of the trip, but I'm feeling pretty good tonight.

I do feel as though I've been trying to drink from the fire hose when it comes to this whole week. God's presence was overpowering at times...Over the next few days you should be seeing photos on Facebook or Picassa, an article in the Centre Daily Times, and some great video of our seniors installing new toilet seats in the bathrooms of the orphanage.

Here's a shot of me and my beloved to get things going. 18 years this month, you know...

our adoption update

2008-06-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

After Pastor Dan announced that Kim and I are in the adoption process, lots of people have been asking how things are going. We're adopting through the America World Adoption Agency, and our country of choice is China. Our paperwork has been complete since June of 2006, and we are waiting in a virtual line, waiting for China to process our paperwork and match us with a baby girl. We've been praying and thinking of Annabelle for more than 2 years. If things progress as they have been, we won't travel to China until sometime in late 2009. I'll be honest, the waiting is difficult.

Kim and I are praying about other avenues, but we're not ready to give up on Annabelle. I believe that God has put her in my heart, and I can't imagine that our family will be complete until I tuck her into bed on that first night she's at home with us.

Kim has always believed that God put it in her heart to adopt. As a little girl, she was always bringing home stray animals. She says she has the Spirit of Adoption. AWAA has a great article on that very topic. You can read it here.

If you think about it, please pray for us as we wait and try to make sense of this whole thing. But more importantly, pray for the babies who are waiting all over the world. The Bible couldn't be more clear--God's heart is drawn to the orphan, and the people of God are called to protect and provide for the orphan.

Did you know:
5.5 million orphans in Africa, 3.5 million orphans in Asia, 1.5 million orphans in Eastern Europe, Nearly 400,000 orphans in Latin America, 135,000 children in the U.S. foster care system.

a huge birthday party

2008-06-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

At some point this week, we'll be baking cakes (cupcakes, maybe) for the boys in the orphanage. We're in the DR, hanging out at the Rose of Sharon Orphanage outside San Juan de la Maguana. It's going to be birthday party time!

We get asked pretty often about the work we do with the orphanage, and why we don't do more evangelistic things. The simple answer is that the boys live in a Christian-run orphanage, attend chapel and church services weekly, and regularly hear the gospel from people who speak their language a lot better than we do!

But it's not every day that someone shows up to paint their rooms, help them plant a garden, or spend time playing ball with them.

So, we'll work hard, play hard, and party hard this week with some young men who are pretty remarkable. I should have loads of great pics and videos to post after we get back to the USA.

the road to Omaha

2008-06-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorite times of the year: College World Series time! I remember watching ESPN coverage of the CWS when I was in high school. You can count on some of the same powerhouse schools to make an appearance almost every year--Texas, Arizona State, Stanford, Cal State Fullerton, Miami, Florida, Florida State, LSU...

But sometimes a newcomer sneaks into the series. Somewhere, an unexpected team will win their super regional and make a rare trip to Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha. I like to root for the underdog, to see how they'll respond to the pressure of a big game.

There are a lot of things that I LOVE about college sports, things that get lost in the translation to the arena of the professional game. There is an earnestness, a love for the game that shines at the college level. It's not about the dollars to be made; it's about a love for the game. Most NCAA players look like they actually love their teammates, too. And every year there is some player on some team who will rise above adversity, come through in the clutch, go above and beyond the normal effort. Somewhere, there's a great story waiting to be written.

What about you? Take a look at your life--your family, your job, your ministry...Are you more like the college athlete, playing because you love the game and your team, or the pro, looking at life through the lens of "How much am I getting paid?"

I want to be like the fresh-faced young men on the baseball diamond this time of year, playing the game they love with their best friends.

great leaders are precious, and needed

2008-06-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

I was browsing through some pictures of previous summer camps, and came across a room sign. Andy Young was a great leader for us. He lead young men well, modeled what it means to follow Jesus, and was equally adept at speaking into the lives of 12th graders and 6th graders. He wanted to come on staff with us, but we didn't have the dollars to make that possible. He and his equally wonderful wife are on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ, and our loss is their gain.

What are the qualities that make a leader great? The list could be quite long, but I try to narrow it down to 4 biggies: A great leader is
Faithful--to God, to the church, to the students they care for, to our staff
Available--if you don't have time to pour into students, you won't make a difference in their lives.
Teachable--possibly the most important, leaders are always looking to grow
Responsible--reliable, accountable, on-task, on-time, in-tune...

Do you know people like this? Are you a person like this? I try to keep this list in front of me all the time, measuring myself against it.