‘Milestones’ [v186]
AUGUST 2014
‘Milestones’
My son, Tyler, just graduated from a Bachelor of Arts in Communications Research (with a “Theater” minor) [ Well, pretty much ‘graduated’—he needs to finish up a couple of online classes ]. Woo-Hoo!—CONGRATS!!—REALLY proud of him!!!
He ‘split’ his time in college between Central Michigan University for the first two years, and finished at the University of Arizona.
In addition to his studies, he was very busy extracurricularly. During his time a CMU, he worked at the student-run “paper” as a writer/videographer/editor and was the “Gadgets and Gear” host for the “Your Brain On Tech” online ‘show’. [ Here’s a link to a video showing some ‘segments’ he did:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN-cWZVYny8 ].
He directed and produced a variety of ‘freelance’ film projects for companies, and earned a “Ducktorate Degree” from Disney (being a roaming photographer at the Magic Kingdom in Florida). [ Here’s a video he created about his time at Disney:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MahGjjg023Q ].
In collaboration with Adam Kaminski and Jackie Smith, in September 2011 they produced a short documentary called, “Remembering 9/11,” which won them the first place award for “Online News Reporting” from the “Society of Professional Journalists.” [ Here’s a link to the story page and Tyler’s video production:
http://www.cm-life.com/remember-11/ ].
[ FYI: Here’s a link to some examples of his work at CMU:
https://plus.google.com/photos/115982097083209124200/albums/6040356936708227809 ].
At the University of Arizona, he also worked at the “paper,” but had more responsibilities. He was the “Lead Content Producer” in the multimedia department, and worked with reporters responding to breaking news, capturing them with video and photos, and then producing weekly video stories.
[ FYI: Here’s a link to some examples of his work at UA:
https://plus.google.com/photos/115982097083209124200/albums/6040362189791655793 ].
Just as he did at CMU, Tyler did ‘extra’ projects during his stay at UA in Tucson. He shot, edited, and produced an audition ‘tape’ for Tamra Brooks; did a commercial ‘spot’ for Asian Pacific American; created a campaign video for “Hurricane” Cates; did the UA Kappa Kappa Gamma fraternity promo video; produced a contest submission for the Doritos Superbowl commercial; and did a whole bunch of photography, for dancers, graduates, and weddings.
For one of his larger ‘projects’, he shot and produced 36 daily videos that helped Erica Barstein get the “Executive Assistant” position on the “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
[ ‘Final’ video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGlg_3yCH2E ].
But, most notably, he and his team (Ron Calzolari, Colin Prenger, Torsten Ward, David Hagen, and Brenna Welsh) produced a film ‘short’ that was selected as a nation-wide finalist in the best drama category for the “Campus Movie Fest” early this year (2014). He and a couple of his team members went to Hollywood for the award ‘banquet’, and Tyler made a connection that got him a production job at “Ideas United,” a promotion and events company in Atlanta, Georgia (he just started August 3rd)
[ Link to their site: http://www.ideasunited.com/ ].
[ Here’ is the link to the drama that they produced, “Forgotten Ago”:
http://www.campusmoviefest.com/movies/25656-forgotten-ago
and here’s an interview he did discussing the film with the online ‘mag’, “Student Filmmakers”:
http://www.studentfilmmakers.com/tyler-besh-talks-about-his-short-film-forgotten-ago-2/ ].
So, now Tyler reached one of those life-shaping ‘milestones’ in one’s life—a major change in the direction in his life—a ‘passage’ to the next ‘segment’ in his life.
Some moments in our lives shape us and make us into who we are today–and will be in the future. Like Tyler just did, college graduation is pretty ‘pivotal’ in ones life—just like a wedding, birth of a baby, or even the loss of a job—change the direction of ones life ‘significantly’ from this moment forward. This kind of event is an important part of who we become.
Since Israel has been in the top daily news story for the past few weeks—with its conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip going into its fourth week—it reminded me of certainly one of the most significant events in the ‘life’ of Israel…the crossing of the Jordan River into the “Promised Land”—fulfilling the promise made to Abraham 500 years before. This was a HUGE ‘milestone’ for Israel, and in the process, they experienced the power of God in a mighty way (as I pray that Tyler will also experience with God in the future).
According to the account in the Bible by Joshua, there were two things that happened in order for the people to cross into the Promised Land—the miracle of God stopping the flow of water, and the obedience of the people to actually cross over. You see, this was not the first time the Israelites had been here. Forty years earlier, after escaping slavery in Egypt, God had led them to the bank of the Jordan. Moses sent spies into the land to check things out and when they returned they described “a land flowing with milk and honey.” But they also described “a land filled with giants.” Despite the efforts of Joshua and Caleb, the other ten spies convinced the people not to follow God and cross into the Promised Land.
As a result of their disobedience, God ‘forced’ the Israelites to wander in the desert for the next 40 years—finally arriving back at the bank of the Jordan. Now they are faced with the same decision as before: to obey God and cross into Canaan or to turn and leave. This time they choose to obey and, as a result, they received the blessing that God had originally promised them.
Obedience at this point, however, takes a whole lot of faith—particularly on the part of the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant. The river was at flood stage and had overflowed its banks. That means that the normally calm Jordan River was now a raging flood. God required the priests carrying the Ark to step into the river before performing the miracle—and only after the priests did step into the river did the water stop flowing.
Now more than likely, because of the steep river bank and the high water, stepping into the water meant getting in quite deep, maybe waist deep or even up to their necks. Not only that, but because of the time it would take for the water to drain downstream after it stopped flowing upstream from them, they would have been in that fast-flowing water for some time. They had to step out in faith before they experienced God working in the situation.
I think it’s the same for us much of the time. God brings us to a place in our lives where we have to make a decision to trust Him or not, a place where we can’t see exactly what lies ahead. Sometimes He brings us to an insurmountable obstacle that will take a miracle to overcome. At that moment, we must be willing to step into the ‘water’, trusting that the God who created this world, the God who came to earth as a man in the person of Jesus, is willing and able to do ‘miracles’. In the account, Joshua tells the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders (or miracles) among you” [Joshua 3:5].
There’s one more thing I want you to understand. The Ark represented the very ‘presence’ of God. By having the Ark go before the people to show them the way, Joshua is really saying that the Lord was going ahead of them and leading them (something I pray God will do for Tyler).
By focusing their attention on the Ark, Joshua is commanding the people to trust in God to overcome this obstacle, and to deliver them safely into the Promised Land. Following the Ark is an act of obedience to God—and they should expect to see God’s power displayed.
God is calling us ‘believers’ to do the same thing. For any ‘graduates’ reading this, the near future is an exciting time of life. The next few years will be like none you have experienced before and probably like none that you will experience again. In addition to the good times, there will be many challenges ahead. God has brought you to the ‘river’. For all of us the truth is that every day, not just during those memorable moments, but in the routine of life, God is asking us to trust Him and follow Him. Every day He brings us to the bank of the ‘river’ and says, “do you trust me to get you to the other side?”
Because the Ark contained God’s law, it represented all of His “Word,” the Bible. When we come to the ‘river’—to the place where life is uncertain ahead of us—God says, “pay attention to my Word and follow me.” The only way to get across the ‘river’ safely is to spend time often reading the Bible, praying, trusting Jesus to ‘walk’ with you and to get you safely to the ‘other side’ (and I pray Tyler continues to do this for himself!).
God will lead you to just the right places in life if you closely follow His ‘footsteps’. He has promised things if you will follow Him in faith: “Because He who began a good work in you will be faithful to bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” [Philippians 1:6], that if you “draw near to God, He will draw near to you” [James 4:8], and that He “will never leave you nor forsake you” [Hebrews 13:5].
May I be so bold as to suggest to you that, if you are not yet a ‘follower’ of Jesus, becoming one could be THE BIGGEST ‘MILESTONE’ in your life—and one that will get you into THE “promised land” (Heaven) for ETERNITY!
[ Excerpts from: Chip Blackshear; Rick Crandall ]
RESOURCES:
“CROSSING YOUR JORDAN”
Every believer has a purpose that has been specifically created for their lives. The wilderness journey is designed as a training ground for crossing into that purpose. But so often we get HUNG. STRUCK in the wilderness somewhere between the Red Sea and the Jordan River. Stuck somewhere between the issues, the problems, and the power of our past, and the purpose, the calling, and the election of our future.
Today, so many in the church are living in the wilderness. With an entire generation standing in the balance, and a need for spiritual direction, we stand in a place where we have grown content and complacent, unable to move and in a place of no purpose. But the wind of God’s Spirit is beginning to blow.
Complacency is turning into a fresh hunger for goals, and contentment is turning into a yearning for something more, something better, something with a pursuit of purpose. If this is you, if this is your heart, than you are moving into a good place and have become a candidate for “Crossing Your Jordan.”
[Pastor Richard Giovannetti]
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“CROSSING YOUR JORDAN IN FAITH”
In the Old Testament, the Israelites took an intimidating, faith-filled journey across the Jordan River to move forward into the land God promised. For believers in the twenty-first century, our modern-day Jordan represents facets of our daily Christian walk–obstacles, temptations, and detours that threaten to push us off course.
In Crossing Your Jordan in Faith author Sheila L. Mills invites you to discover that God’s covenant promise to the Israelites as they journeyed across the Jordan is still available to us. Nothing is too hard for God, and it is only through faith in the Creator that we can reach our inherited place of promise. So get moving to the edge of your Jordan and prepare for God to move mightily on your behalf. Are you still standing there? Keeping going–your Jordan awaits.
[Sheila L. Mills]
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[P.S.: If you would like to investigate what the Bible says about growing closer to God in the here and now, and allowing Him to help us ‘persevere’, visit the following link:
http://www.4vis.com/sfm/sfm_pres/sp_q12_d2_1of10.html
LIFE’S DEEP THOUGHTS (v186) for AUGUST 2014
If you have a ‘neat’ story or some thoughts about an issue or current event that you would like me to try to respond to, I would be glad to give it a try…so, send them to me at: mbesh@comcast.net
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TOP 10 OCCASIONS THAT ARE CONSIDERED AS A MILESTONE OF A PERSON’S LIFE
10. Getting First Job
9. Falling In Love
8. Getting Accepted Into College
7. Death of a Loved One
6. Buying First House
5. Retiring
4. Wedding Day
3. 30th Birthday
2. Birth of the First Child
1. Being Born
Details:
http://listcrux.com/top-10-occasions-considered-milestone-persons-life/
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THE 20 MOST IMPORTANT MILESTONES WHEN YOU’RE A TWENTY-SOMETHING
1. Graduating
2. Moving out of your parents’ house
3. Buying a piece of furniture that’s NOT from Ikea!
4. Getting your first grown-up job out in the real world.
5. And then getting promoted to a job where you don’t have to do other people’s ‘dirty’ work.
6. Figuring out a budget, sticking to it, and really coming to love budget meals.
7. When you realize how awesome you are and finally end that toxic relationship.
8. And when you find someone equally awesome that you might be able to spend the rest of your life with.
9. That moment when you don’t need to ask your parents for money and it’s just like…OMG, Finally!
10. When this magical thing happens: “Congratulations! Your home loan is paid in full!”
11. When you find a group of friends that feel like a second family.
12. Being smart enough to say good-bye to the friends you don’t need.
13. That moment when you no longer give a ‘darn’ about how much you weigh, because you’re awesome at any size.
14. When you hear someone younger say a ridiculous thing, and it feels good to not be them.
15. Realizing that even though some of your twenties have totally blown, all of those experiences have made you way stronger.
16. Totally owning your high school reunion.
17. Getting more refined hobbies.
18. Getting blackout drunk and NOT texting your ex! Hooray!
19. Learning how to cook yourself a delicious and nutritious adult meal without burning down the house.
20. Not being afraid to act like a goof, because you’re an adult now and you can do whatever you want!
Details:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/erinlarosa/the-most-important-milestones-when-youre-a-20-something
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LIFE MEANS SO MUCH
Every day is a journal page
Every man holds a quill and ink
And there’s plenty of room for writing in
All we do is believe and think
So will you compose a curse
Or will today bring the blessing
Fill the page with rhyming verse
Or some random sketching
Teach us to count the days
Teach us to make the days count
Lead us in better ways
That somehow our souls forgot
Life means so much
Life means so much
Life means so much
Every day is a bank account
And time is our currency
So nobody’s rich, nobody’s poor
We get 24 hours each
So how are you gonna spend
Will you invest, or squander
Try to get ahead
Or help someone who’s under
Teach us to count the days
Teach us to make the days count
Lead us in better ways
That somehow our souls forgot
Life means so much
Life means so much
Life means so much
Has anybody ever lived who knew the value of a life
And don’t you think giving is all
What proves the worth of yours and mine?
Teach us to count the days
Teach us to make the days count
Lead us in better ways
That somehow our souls forgot
Life means so much
Every day is a gift you’ve been given
Make the most of the time every minute you’re living
Every day is a gift you’ve been given
Make the most of the time every minute you’re living
Lead us in better ways
Somehow our souls forgot
Life means so much, life means so much, life means so much
Every day is a gift you’ve been given
Make the most of the time every minute you’re living
[ “Life Means So Much” – by Chris Rice ]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFn1UAtSH48
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DEEP THOUGHT(s):
“A milestone passed, new things begun, dreams as shining as the sun, a goal achieved, a victory won! That’s Graduation!”
[Author unknown]
“It’s when ordinary people rise above the expectations and seize the opportunity that milestones truly are reached.”
[Mike Huckabee]
“The safest road to hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”
[C. S. Lewis]
“My path has not been determined. I shall have more experiences and pass many more milestones.”
[Agnetha Faltskog]
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Hope you enjoyed some of these insights—share them with your friends and colleagues—so we can have a larger ‘pool’ to receive from, and more to share with! Also, remember to include your name as the “source,” if some of this wisdom is of your doing—I would like to give credit where credit is due!
The Israelites Cross the Jordan
“Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between you and the ark; do not go near it.”
Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”
Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people.” So they took it up and went ahead of them.
And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”
Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the Lord—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”
So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.” [Joshua 3:1-17].
Mark
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Disclaimer: All the above jokes & inspirations are obtained from various sources and copyright are used when known. Other than our name and headers, we do not own the copyright to any of the materials sent to this list. We just want to spread the ministry of God’s love and cheerfulness throughout the world.
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