we at LWA had a “photo shoot” thing the other day. first time for me. Brad, who does our photo and design and his team worked hard, did great.
the whole picture thing is not natural for me, im not a limelight person. but i write because i think i tapped into something deeper about me yesterday at “the photo shoot”
i not only fail to be one of those “picture perfect women”, i dont think i really want to be? its not a fear. its a choice…………..
it was all about my hair…
i got the call to come take photos. i had just gotten my hair colored and had new aveda smoother products. AH! perfect!, i thought. i can be a perfect hair woman. i did the hair and makeup. all perfect like, highlights, shine, volume etc. and it felt….perfect.
not me.
i live in chicago, and it was a cold and windy out (perfect hair ruin weather), so i walked to my photo shoot and did not bring a comb. hence, Read more...
I’m a practicing Christian…although Love Without Agenda isn’s faith based– I do recognize the powerful foundation faith can provide for loving others—this is a note my friend Andrew Wood posted and I really like it’s sentiment…and since I’m a Christian & it so captures LWA’s spirit — I think its appropriate for me to share this here– Love you all….Spencer A ‘Letter’ from Jesus about Christmas
It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.
How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don’t care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn’t allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity Read more...
I posted this question “Ask us why we are giving our book away for free”
I went and took an hour or so nap—— and came back to 10 people who wanted an answer.
So here you go.
Our book is about you. It’s about the meaning of life— it’s about us loving ourselves and other people. It also about how to actually be that type person from the inside out– and finally its about— all the things that stop us from living and thinking like that.
Its my take on what practicing christianity is supposed to be: love without agenda
anyways…
The main force on this planet eroding our ability to see people as valuable is this mindset of being a perpetual customer— that no matter where we go or what we do—— the world (and the people in it) are simply here for our use…and we just fail to see people as valuable.
people become fuel for our desires
people become fuel for my success
people become fuel for my emotional Read more...
last cold and snowy sunday in chicago as the boys were carrying in the food from tim’s trunk, we adults who were cooking, look out the window to gaze upon this lovely family ritual, and see the youngest boy throwing dinner rolls into the snow.
“why is he throwing dinner rolls at the snow?!”, one of the guys said.
” because he’s a boy i said” as i giggled inside with the joy for i now i see such illogical behavior as logical.
Today my oldest of 3 sons turns 18. and i think back to all of the things that boys just do. because, they are boys. i guess. although of course, as we train our boys not to just throw food in the snow, i find a crazy beauty of manhood in such behaviors. and i know that without some of these male desires, the world would not have bridges or spaceships and airplanes, or meat.
life is choked by control. it is fed by guidance and nurture. i wonder if we sometimes choke men and actually just squeeze the life so that if it cant do what it was made to do, it then does what it was not made to do, for desire is given by Read more...
I was very happy to see the folks over at Neue Magazine (www.neuemagazine.com) reposted an article I did for them last year about “Playing Church.” It’s an article about my journey of faith, and me realizing that building a church wasn’t he only way for me to discover my purpose. I hope you all like it. Check the article out on Neue’s very cool book viewer on their site and post what you think.
Christian music still has a soul.
That’s the thought that leaps to my mind as I listen to frontman, Mark Nicks stretch his voice across the opening chords of Cast Your Bread, the second track on the newly released Sleeping House album. The Sleeping House is the first effort for Cool Hand Luke on their new label Lujo Records…. and it’s excellent.
I have to admit, I have known Nicks for a couple of years– he’s crashed at my community house, eaten my food, and gotten lost with my lame directions in downtown Chicago, and we’ve chatted when times have gotten tough. Some folks would say that makes me biased–I say it makes me informed.
When I hear Nicks sing the words:
I’ve been so many people to so many people…
but i Just want to be who you want me to be.
I know he means it. I know he lives it…I know we’re all getting a clear picture of Nick’s contemplative, and pure heart.
So if your interested in delving deep into the mind of a guy who personifies the anti-rock star. A guy who is quietly, and Read more...
Focus on The Family Action released a 16 page letter entitled “Letter from 2012 in Obama’s America,” on October 22. It was written to portray what life would be like in the future should Barack Obama, a Christian, become President.
In the first page the letter, from a future Christian, states it purpose:
“So here is a picture of the changes that are likely or at least very possible if Senator Obama is elected and the far-Left segments of the Democratic Party gain control of the White House, the Congress, and perhaps then the Supreme Court.”
Hold onto your hats … this letter has some bombs in it.
According to Focus on the Family here a few of the 25 events that will likely take place if Barack Obama is elected:
* The Supreme Court would pass law that legalizes same sex marriage across the US
* Elementary schools will mandate homosexuality as a choice to children
* Christian radio stations will be removed from the airwaves
* Churches will be forced to hire homosexuals and host homosexual weddings–or lose 501c3
* Christian nurses Read more...
There a some seriously horrible worship albums out there.
I want let you in on a secret.
A diamond in the rough.
His name is Brandon Grissom… and he’s the the real deal.
Living in the Chicago area, I get to meet some very creative and talented people. Living in the back yard of Willow Creek Community Church– I am friends with many young, shiny faces that come to Willow from around the world because of their gifting. Often these folks, while talented, seem to be on the ‘fast track’ to become minor christian celebrities and, to be brutally honest, lack a collaborative heart. The bright lights of the mega church [and the notoriety and salary that come with it] have drawn them like moths to a flame….and some hearts just get burnt up.
Grissom seems to have escaped all this nonsense.
Why is all this important for a music review?
It’s really simple…if you are going to make real worship music– what’s in your heart is 99% of the battle.
Out of a man’s heart flows his music. Out of a man’s heart Read more...
Since many of you don’t totally know me, I thought I would take one post and put a little history of me and what I do… so here we go.
In 2003 I started working at a small church in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. To be brutally honest it was dead. Why I was working there is a story for another blog, and another time… but for now we will just say that I felt like my efforts were best placed in this small, conservative, white church in Chicago. My plan simple. I was going to open the church to the local kids, become friends with them and love them.
I had no idea what was about to happen.
In the next 2 and a half years I was going to be flooded with hundreds [300 to 400 or so] of students–and their parents. Students from broken homes, immigrant homes, alcoholic and drug using homes, physical and sexual abuse situations…the list goes on and on.
Caucasians
African Americans
Mexicans
Puerto Ricans
Polish
Russians
Koreans
I had 6 languages in this group, English, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Korean and Greek.
Needless to say I was Read more...
The Love Without Agenda team (Jimmy + Lisa + Brad) hopped a flight with the good people at Continental Airlines and headed over to Camas, WA (just outside of Portland, OR) and had 5 days of meeting some great people. It’s always great to meet a bunch of young people who (love hardcore music) and simply want to make the world a better place, and Tomfest is full of great folks like that. Spencer ended the festival with a memorable (and very hostile) main stage speaking slot in between the bands Haste The Day and As I Lay Dying. Definitely worth a watch.
[flickrset id="72157622332519792" thumbnail="square" overlay="true" size="large"]
from: the LWA Flickr page