Suit shopping!!

The Johnsons booked Luke a suit shopping appoitment. Getting Luke
classy for the wedding! What a stud.

-Kelly

Live Video from my iphone

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Here's a photo from willow creek's Christmas service from a few days
ago!

Marriage License...

We arrived last night into LA after a couple delays. Today is marriage
license day! The photo attached is from the court house in Santa
Barbara where we got it made.

Memorial for Ted Smith

Today friends, family, and coworkers gathered to remember the faithful
witness of Ted Smith who passed away last week on Thursday. Ted was
the father of Collin and Trevor, two youth whom I was honored to be a
youth pastor of from 2003-2007. Kathy, Ted's wife was one of my dear
and close friends and advocates in ministry both at Valley Covenant
Church and the ultimate frisbee programs in Eugene.

Ted was an amazing man who was a ceaseless witness of the saving grace
of Christ. Ted battled cancer for 10 years and passed away due to
complications of his treatment.

He will be missed and remembered.

-luke johnson

First snow

This morning begins our last week of classes before the fall term finally ends. This semester has been blessed with warmer than normal weather, but there has been a missing aspect of Chicago late Falls... Where has the snow been? I'm used to having snow by at least thanksgiving. Maybe a sprinkle here or there, but nothing... Until this morning. Early in the pre dawn hours the snow began to fall and for the first Monday since October I was not awake before dawn to see it come down. I have gotten into a pretty good rhythm this term at getting up on Monday's and Tuesday's at around 5am. The routine typically gets me into Starbucks by 5:30am and I greet my servers as family.

I love the feeling of being up early not just because I function well, but because I like being ahead of others. I like feeling like I've got the jump on the rest of the world who is not yet up. I like knowing that few other seminary students are up and working. I like the feeling of watching others whom I know come in after I've already been there for an hour. I like feeling productive and that comes easily when I know no one else is working... one does not need to do much in order to feel productive when you are comparing yourself to people still sleeping.

This morning I didn't wake up early. I decided to sleep a bit in as my assignments and such for this final week can wait. And in doing so I woke to a snow that had beaten me. There was a beautiful layer or 2 inches on the ground and the sun was already climbing the sky behind a think set of cloud cover. After showering I made my way to Starbucks to find a few seminary students already up and working. I was disappointed in myself for a little bit, but then decided it was alright. This morning I needed to sleep. As the snow patiently falls and lands on either trees, houses, the ground, or the street, our fate too will let us fall where we will. I do believe that we have influence on where we fall to a degree, but so much of our lives like snow have been already established.

We have been born to parents we did not choose in towns we did not choose in economic conditions we did not choose in a year we did not choose and with diseases or conditions we did not choose. These things can be seen as either blessings or curses, but I would like to offer reason to think they are blessings, no matter the cultural judgment placed upon them. They are blessings because life, no matter the condition, is gift. God did not create us because he was lonely. He created us in the beginning just as he does now because he longs to be with humanity. He longs to be with us in our struggles and our triumphs. He longs to be with us in our despair and in our joy. He longs to be with. And he instilled in each of us a longing to seek him. We many be predisposed to a condition that either helps that or hinders that. We may even label these predispositions blessings or curses, but in all things we can be drawn to God. And one may even argue that it is in the culturally understood blessings that we actually struggle most in drawing closer towards God. The things we often consider blessings can turn us from God and end up distracting us.

In this season of snow you may curse the sky because of the cold or wet or dangerous driving conditions. You may even be thankful for it because of its beauty or the drawing near of family or christmas gifts. But I urge all to try and find in-between the blessings and curses the God who longs for you.

impressive, and wanted to share it

3rd Annual Chicago Invite - March 20/21

The website and sign-up went live today! www.chicagoinvite.com

All that work...! Well worth it!

I got my exam back from my last Eastern Orthodoxy class. After 16+
hours of study I was able to come up with as close to an A as
possible. I'm stoked and quite pleased.

First snow

I'm not sure it counts since it is my snow but happening in Colorado.
The council meeting I'm part of went well yesterday with a huge amout
work done on the future of youth ultimate. Much of i cannot discuss
publically, but know it is good stuff

Last Weekend away

Today ends the last day of the 12th week of classes (with only 3 more
to go before finals week). I'm traveling to Boulder, CO this weekend
for the annual UPA Youth Advisory Committee I joined last year in
connection to my official position as the UPA Cental Region Youth
Director (in charge of development in 9 states in the Midwest area).
More on this in another post as I'm sure this weekend will be
enlightening and productive.

What makes this weekend improtant is that it is the last weekend I
will be gone. For the last 12 weekends with the exception of one, I
have been gone on an ultimate tournament to play (CHC, sectionals,
regionals), ultimate tournament to watch (Cheasapeake, Womens
sectionals, nationals, NoWisconsequences), ultimate tournament to
coach (Midwest Throwdown), ultimate meeting (YAC meeting this weeked),
or overseas (Greece for two weekends).... As one can see it has been a
bit of a busy semester when one also adds grad school classes, a part
time job, and getting engaged!

I look forward to a few weekends finally back in chicago despite the
fact that the weather has now begun to turn.

-luke johnson

Allihopa at Midwest throwdown

Our Pool: (over all seed going in)
1. Iowa State (3)
2. Illinios (10)
3. St. Louis (15)
4. North Park (22)
5. Harding (27)

The ladies first game of the day went to forfiet but only because
Harding was in a fender bender on the way to the fields... So we
started with a 1-0 victory but Harding was seeded below us.

So our first real game then was against St. Louis and after battling
and trading the first two points we ended up getting the first break
and rode it to the end winning 8-6! This meant we broke seed and was
in contention to move into the championship bracket where only the top
two teams from our pool moved into.

Next up was our game against Iowa State and I took a different tack
with PT by giving our young girls tons of time. We scored early on and
then that was it... 13 points later and we had lost nearly by getting
bagled.

We regrouped and then had to play Illinois who we have never beaten. 8
points later and we had taken half 7-1!!! Holy crap and we were
playing with 2-3 newbies every point and against a zone defense.
Illinios came back a little in the second half by getting broken twice
after they scored an O point early on... We cleaned up and seconds
before hard cap we scored up wind and guaranteed a win by being up
12-5. We called a first year line and after 7-8 turns Sommar scored
the winning point after a crazy flick from Anna C.

Ultimate & God

Paul wrote a letter to the church in Philippi because he wanted to both thank them for the gift they had sent him, but more importantly because he sensed there were troubles at Philippi. Though he touches on the issues gently and tactfully, the troubles Paul identifies are clearly indicated in the text as issues of division. These issues of division are not of a doctrinal matter as in other letters, but rather of personal animosities. Instead of working together towards the causes Paul had initially set in motion, the church had become distracted with feuds and rivalries. The petty questions of precedence had become primary concerns for all those in the church, as it was those in leadership with the greatest issues. For Paul he had seen how this animosity led to a position of delusion in ones life that considered oneself perfect. It seems that Paul was writing in particular to the individuals who were claiming a state of perfection and somehow had gained the ability and authority to look down upon others in condemnation. The influence of Judaism is clear, but one cannot point too heavily upon it being just a Jewish-Christians problem. This was primarily Christians getting it wrong and fighting among themselves.

For Paul, he laments that things have become troubled, but he also sees that the issue is not too far-gone. We get the impression that the troubles at Philippi have only just become an issue and that there is time yet to change course and return to the mission it was called. For Paul, he saw the good and promise of the people. His unstinted affection was primary and inescapable. The later thanks he offers the church along with the concern he shows over their present condition give the letter to the church in Philippi its unique character.

This is the same situation that the men’s Ultimate Frisbee team at North Park University is in. Its birth was only a few years ago when it was created in the fall of 2001 and officially chartered by the school in the fall of 2002. The original team’s name Extend exemplified the two clear purposes of the team. We were called to extend the hand of Christ into the ultimate Frisbee culture as well as to extend our hands on the field to be the best athletes we could. This dual nature of being on the team was one that was founded on a belief that God cared about our sports when we sought to use it as an opportunity to extend the Kingdom.

The team’s name has changed and over the last few years the team has struggled with its identity. The purpose has been challenged, forgotten, and then remembered in moments of brilliant clarity. But there persists questions of what identity is primary. What matters most? The athlete or the Christian? Players been known for being crazy at the party Saturday night or on the beach of a spring break trip. Players have been remembered for getting into physical altercations on the field. Players have received enough points at the University to be kicked out. Team leaders have fought, spoken badly about one another behind their backs, and tried to control the team for their gain. But, players have also attended and planned two mission trips during the winter breaks, community service events on campus, and brought into their fold students who otherwise had not found a home yet at North Park University. Players have gathered in prayer off and on the field and even with other teams. They have stayed in churches while at tournaments and been witnesses to those in the community. They have attended chapel services together and have had a regular team chaplain that they invite to give a word and prayer before and after tournaments. The core group ends their meetings in prayer, half the players serve in a camping ministry during the summer, and most attend a local congregation when not at a tournament. Still, there are concerns. Like the Philippians, there are things to celebrate, but things to have concern over as well.

In the second chapter of his letter, Paul writes a profoundly simple but extremely challenging statement. He states that “if there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being full accord of one mind.” Paul acknowledges that there is encouragement, consolation, sharing, compassion and sympathy being found in the lives of the Philippians, but it isn’t enough. They need to be of one mind. They need to have unity. The unity that Christ brings is something they had lost touch with. They had been active in all the things that are out-workings of being a Christian, but they had forgotten to do it in unity. They had lost touch with one another and the body of Christ had begun to fracture. The right hand and left hand were no longer working together, but rather separately and sometimes against one another. In the same way, the North Park University men’s team needs to be reminded of their need for complete unity.

But it isn’t just in unity that we need to be working out our faith. Paul continues with two more challenges that for a Christian will be difficult, but for a Christian athlete nearly impossible. But, it is in these two additional challenges that we as Christian athletes will set ourselves apart and at the same time extend the Kingdom of God. Paul pushes his church in verse three that we need to seek to “do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.” How amazing and counter traditional culture would this be? What would it look for a sports team to regard all those whom they play as better than themselves? For the North Park Ultimate team, what would it mean to do nothing out of selfish ambition? What would it look like to regard others as better than ourselves? And in verse four, Paul extends it one step further. He states that “each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” Not only are we to look to others as better than ourselves, but also we are to look to their interests first and foremost. What would this look like?

In closing, I would like to offer my suggestion of what this would look like. For North Park Ultimate, it means that when we play our sport, we seek in all ways to elevate our fellow brother whether it is at practice and he is a teammate or whether he is one of the seven across the field from us. We are called to be excellent in all we do, knowing full well that we are not perfect or able to reach perfection. We look to the interests of others not by giving games up, but by playing as hard and honest as possible. We honor what they need most when we play the game well and we then engage in relationship afterwards. We treat our opponents as brothers and we allow the game to be an opportunity to demonstrate Christ. We have the opportunity in every game and at every tournament to be Christ with cleats on. It means that when we enter tournaments our primary goal is not to win or exalt ourselves, but that we are ambassadors of Christ. It means that the moment we step onto the grass fields, we are extending the reach and depth of His Kingdom. It means that our primary identity is not Lost Boy, but Christian.

As the church in Philippi was encouraged, be encouraged Lost Boys. Be united in this mission filed of Ultimate. Because, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any opponent curious of your faith that leads to conversation, any consolation from love, any lives changed while on mission trips south, any sharing in the Spirit, any prayer offered for a brother or sister, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete, make me proud as the founder: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition, or conceit. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others because the victory or loss on the field does not matter. It is in this culture called Ultimate that you have been called to witness the life changing person of Christ. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Lack of posting

I'm sorry that I've not been posting as frequently as some may have
expected, but Kelly's experience has been eriely similar to mine three
years ago with Rhino. The ladies have only won one game, in the second
round yesterday over Wildcard. Their four losses before that though
knocked them to the back bracket. For those of you who have followed
the games and understand it you can skip my next few lines as I try
and explain things simply... The team had a chance on Thursday to
upseed themselves and earn a place in the powerpools that includes the
top eight teams. If they would have won two or three games that day
(hard order for sure but possible), they would have had a strong
chance of making quarters this morning. That didn't happen though and
actually the worst outcome took place; they lost all their games in
their pool and were immediatley sent to a weak pool where only the top
team would earn a chance to play into quarters (the top two weak teams
would play the lowest strong teams yesterday for that right). They
went 1-1 instead and because of their record they were thrown to the
lowest back bracket that plays for 13th place.

The team is struggling and frustrated and the internal dynamics were
overcome by most players last night in a pre-Saturday drinking fest.
It was a sad sight to see so many of the girls giving up. I remember
the feeling of playing for 13th place after having a team believe it
could make quarters. Our team nearly self imploded too but was able to
come out Saturday and win our games to take 13th. I hope Nemesis can
come out today and claim 13th even though they had come into the
tournament seeded 11th...

-luke johnson

Nemesis falls to 0-3...

Kelly played great with two stellar layout Ds while on defense. But
the team struggled as a whole.

At the fields

This isn't the best shot of the fields but Kelly and I just arrived
here and she is taking in the fields and place for the first time.
It's exciting to be here and I am proud to state that my girl belongs
here. She is among the best players in the world and she is just
starting out. She has not peaked yet and I'm excited to be able to
watch her as she becomes a rising star. This is her first nationals
but it will not be her last.

Today Nemesis has three big games and needs to win two in order to be
placed in the power pools. The third overall seed is the Capitals from
Canada who is a combo team out of Canada (two teams that were the best
in Canada combined for this club championship). Next in their pool is
the six overall called Zeigeist out of the west coast. Nemesis has a
history with these ladies and lost to them at the semis of Colorado
cup. Then there is Nemesis seeded 11 overall. At the bottom of their
pool is Safari who has posted some great wins this season but has also
been topsy turvy.

I may post during the day but you can find scores here for the Womens
division:
http://www.upa.org/scores/tourn.cgi?div=36&id=6121

We've made it.

Most of the team was on our flight and we are now here in Tampa, FL