Telijah's guest blog: Back to the Bahamas

Help me go back to the Bahamas this summer with Young Life Expeditions! 

Dear friends and family, 

Last year I had the opportunity to go to Young Life camp in Eleuthera, Bahamas with my family. I got to hang out with Bahamian teenagers, help illustrate the gospel, and visit some beautiful beaches while I was there. 

It was the first time I had ever been out of the country, and I am so thankful for the people who donated money so our family could go. My parents were the camp speakers last year, so my siblings and I got to tag along as a vacation, and I didn't really have to help out as much as people who go to run the camp. 

This year, I am actually going back to serve with Young Life as work crew. My parents will be the camp speakers again this year, but as work crew, I will be staying apart from them, and I will be doing things that they are not expected to do. Instead of just going and hanging out with the kids, I will also be helping serve meals, cleaning up, and helping to run the camp. While I will still have the chance to relax and hang out with some amazing teenagers, I will be expected to do more work so that camp runs smoothly. 

In order for me to go, I need to raise $1,700 by June 15th. This means I need people who are willing to sponsor me. Will you consider helping me as I set out to help Bahamian teenagers have the best week of their lives?  

You can donate online here. 

5 Things I Learned Running a 5K

It started as a simple conversation at lunch. 

When my cousin Kendrick told me that a portion of the proceeds from the Larner 5k would benefit Brayden Kier (you can read Brayden's story and support him here), I told him my cousin I would to the 5k with him. 

With my pledge to participate secured, my cousin took the challenge up a notch. 

"Let's not just do it. Let's run the 5k!"

"Huh? Me? Run?" 

I couldn't remember the last time I had ran a mile, let alone three. However, I agreed to run with my cousin. That began a four-month journey for me getting off my couch and getting ready for a 5k race. 

Here are five things I learned in the four months where I went from couch to 5k. 

1. I. Hate. Running.  

2.  Distance running is a great metaphor for life. A 5k is just over a three miles. My first day in training, I could barely do a half-mile. And as bad as I felt, I felt even worse the next morning. Midway through the training, I started suffering from "Runner's Heel." 

I see so many parallels to life in this. There are things I want to do that seem too hard to start, or once I have started them the obstacles in front of me seemed too challenging to overcome. Whether it's running a 5k or life circumstances, you have to keep pressing on, even if it's with a limp!

3. You need people in your life that challenge you to do better. I would probably still be on my couch if it wasn't for my cousin Kendrick. His simple challenge, "Let's run the 5K!" was all of the motivation I needed to get off the couch. 

Every time I'm around Kendrick, my dreams get re-fueled. It makes me want to be around him more, and it makes me want to be that person who challenges and encourages the people around me to reach new heights. 

4.  I need goals. I probably won't keep running (refer to point No. 1), but I will no longer go to the Y, lift a few weights, and leave. Before the 5k, any old routine I did at the Y was good enough. 

I rarely challenged myself on go up in weight, get in better shape or improve. It wasn't quite wasting time, but it was close. It felt so much better to push myself to higher heights that I could never go back to underachieving. 

5. Things that you sacrifice for are more rewarding. I'm more of a (semi-retired) basketball player than a runner. Running didn't come naturally, and my miles were basically 10-minute splits. In other words, not fast. I may have gotten lapped by a speedwalker or two. 

However, I went from not being able to stand up after a half mile to running a 5k easily in a matter of months. It was worth every hour I invested in training to feel that type of reward. 

I write these blogs to encourage discussion. What is one goal you have for yourself? How will you achieve it? Who in your life most encourages you and challenges you to grow? 

Chris Lassiter is a Christ-follower, a husband to Emily (read her blog here), a father to five kids and a freelance writer for Young Life Relationships, HipHopDX.com, JamTheHype.com and other publications. His first book, You're Grounded, was published by Moody Publications last year. You can order the book here. 

3 Things Being a Point Guard Taught Me

I love March Madness. 

I like sports, but I love basketball. I was fortunate to play for Robert E. Lee High School under hall of fame coach Paul Hatcher. 

After high school, I had the opportunity to play four years at Shenandoah University. 

It's been well over a decade since I've played competitively, but I've learned that point guards really never stop being point guards. Here are three lessons I've learned from the point guard position that have helped me in the "game" of life. 

1. Success comes with sacrifice. Growing up, I literally ate, slept and breathed basketball. Reaching my potential as a basketball player meant saying yes to lots of hours in the weight room and in the gym. It also meant saying no to things like soda and television. Every decision on how to use my time and resources was filtered through whether it aided to worked against me reaching my goal.  As I've gone through life, I realize that everything worth succeeding at follows this formula. 

2. The best leaders are the ones people willingly follow. There's a huge difference between the leaders people follow because they "have" to follow and the leaders people follow because they "want" to follow. As the point guard, I was trying to make sure I was someone my teammates wanted to follow. That meant being first to the gym and last to leave. Most importantly, it meant never doing anything that put myself before the team, which usually meant I willingly made the most sacrifices to make sure the team flourished. That philosophy has helped as a husband, father, employee and a Young Life leader. 

3. An assist is better than a score. This is the true magic of the point guard position. You learn that setting up others for success feels better than achieving that success yourself. Every pass that set up a teammate's basket was a chance for me to say, "I care more about your success and our team's success than my stats." An unselfish point guard can set the tone for everyone else to follow in his or her footsteps. This realization has also served me well in family life, ministry and at my places of employment. 

I would love to hear from you. What's the biggest life lesson you ever learned from sports? 

Chris Lassiter is a Christ-follower, a husband to Emily (read her blog here), a father to five kids and a freelance writer for Young Life Relationships, HipHopDX.com, JamTheHype.com and other publications. His first book, You're Grounded, was published by Moody Publications last year. You can order the book here. 

Summer Road to Chicago Anyone?

Save the dates: July 23-25

Planes, trains or automobiles? 

The question isn't whether you should come with me to the Legacy Conference in 2015  - (read my blog here on why I go every year) - it's how we should get there. 

Kyle Bumgarner, one of my really good friends and a co-laborer in a campus ministry called Young Life, is prayerfully planning on going to Legacy this year with me. As we begin planning out the trip, I thought I'd see if either Kyle or I knew others who would want to go to Moody Bible Institute for three days this summer. 

If it's just Kyle and me, we may plan to travel one way. Perhaps by plane. If we each had two friends that wanted to go, we might plan the trip another way. 

As you decide, here are a few things you can know. 

• You can stay in the Moody Bible Institute dorms for pretty cheap. 
• You can eat most meals at the Moody Bible Institute cafeteria for pretty cheap.
• You can sign up for the conference for pretty cheap. 
• The theological depth (listen to one gen. session here) is amazing. 
• It's worth every dollar you spend. 
• You need try deep dish pizza and other Chicago foods at least once. 
• I snore. 

If you have any interest in going, please let me know. Also, follow @LegacyDisciple on Twitter for more info. on the conference. 

Chris Lassiter is a Christ-follower, a husband to Emily (read her blog here), a father to five kids and a freelance writer for Young Life Relationships, HipHopDX.com, JamTheHype.com and other publications. His first book, You're Grounded, was published by Moody Publications last year. You can order the book here. 

Dear Scott Hamilton

Dear Scott, 

Sometimes as a writer you feel something so strongly that you have to write about it. Even if you want to write about other things, your mind and your heart keep steering you in another direction. Sometimes things demand to be written. I feel like this was one of those things. 

I was trying to think about why the news of your current health circumstances was hitting me so hard emotionally. 

And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the reasons were all things I wish I would have told you personally a long time ago. I think the core of those sentiments can be summed up in two words. 

Thank you! 

First, thanks for constantly encouraging me not to waste my life. You are not the only person who has taught me to live with eternity in mind. John Piper has written books about it. LeCrae has rapped about it.  

But they did it from a distance. They are not people I know personally. You looked us in our eyes and told us live a life that matters for the gospel. And just so you know, I listened. And even when I would lose focus, there would be some place where our paths crossed. You would begin to talk about ministry, teenagers and eternal hope. 

You'd choke on your words. And you'd tear up. And I'd remember. 

I needed every one of those reminders to live in light of eternity. Thanks for encouraging me to give my life away rather than waste it. 

Second, thanks for sending me out to Bermuda. And then the Bahamas. I always thought you were playing pranks when you called me and told me to go to these places. I feel alive - not just breathing but really alive - whenever I am helping urban kids process the gospel. I know that is what I was meant to do. 

I'm not even on Young Life staff, but you've entrusted me to take the gospel to two different islands. And those trips are some of my family's most cherished memories. 

And, finally, you have watched me struggle through seasons of trying to be family man, financial provider for a large family and a volunteer Young Life leader. On more times than I can count on one hand, you've gone out of our your way to help financially. You know what I'm talking about.

I just wanted to communicate to you how much I look up to you. If you've taught us in the Young Life Commonwealth Region anything, it's to pray. And then pray. And then pray some more. And we count it our privilege to pray for you now. 

Get well soon! 

We're praying! 

In Christ

Chris Lassiter. 

My Mom's Dream ... And What You Can Do To Help

Calling my mom ambitious would be an understatement! 

Growing up, my mom would occasionally stay up late at night just to surpass all of our high scores on Frogger. Yep, she's that competitive. However, most of her ambition was saved for more serious things such as education. 

That hasn't changed. 

After teaching for decades in Staunton City Schools, my mother started a school called King's Academy.  The school, which is grades k-5, has existed for five years, and it's currently where my youngest three kids go to school. 



At the end of this school year, the school will be undergoing significant changes. 

My mother is looking for: 

• churches that would support that vision
• financial donors for the school 
• people who would serve in a support and advisory role to the school
• a possible location change 
• students interested in enrolling in the school

For more information, please e-mail me at lassiterfam7@gmail.com or call me at 540-569-0270. 

Chris Lassiter is a Christ-follower, a husband to Emily (read her blog here), a father to five kids and a freelance writer for Young Life Relationships, HipHopDX.com, JamTheHype.com and other publications. His first book, You're Grounded, was published by Moody Publications last year. You can order the book here. 

So ... When are We going to start Talking about Sex

"Sex is the cure. Sex is the problem." - one person's journal entry. 

Haven't blogged in a while. Other writing assignments have had me busy. However, two things have had me thinking about sex a lot lately (not that guys need any help in thinking about sex a lot). 

The first is obviously everyone is sharing their opinion on the book-turned-movie 50 Shades of Grey.  The second, coincidentally, is a book I just finished reading called God Loves Sex. 

The book is an exposition of the Song of Songs in the Bible. The plot is wrapped around a fictional Bible study group. It's co-written by counselor Dan B. Allender and Old Testament scholar Tremper Longman III.  

By way of application, the book has some points on masturbation and boundaries in dating that I would think need further explanation, but it's a book worth wrestling through. 

One of the main points in the book is the graphically erotic nature of the poetry found in the Song of Songs. When the man speak of his lover's "garden," he is not speaking of vegetables. And she speaks of his "member," she's not encouraging him to join a club. Yep, the book is that graphic. 

Here's where I'll put all my cards on the table. I'm not a church-basher. Never will be. I agree with pastor Art Azurdia when he said "Any problem I have with the church must be a lovers' quarrel." 

But here's the disconnect. How can the Bible be so graphic about a subject - a very important subject - and we as the church be so silent about it?  

One of the arguments of the book is that we've created a false holiness that doesn't factor in from the time we are born that we are sexual beings.  As Christians, we are sexual beings and God's holy people. And, as the book argues, this is not an either-or scenario. We are both. To discount either is to error biblically. 

Here are three devastating effects of the church's silence on the beauty and greatness of sex. 

1. God goes from the creator of sexuality to the killjoy of sexuality. If the Bible is to be believed - and I believe it - then God is the author of sex. God is a great gift-giver. But our silence about God's delight in creating us sexual beings has opened the door for Him to be portrayed as the enemy of sexual fulfillment. 

Many people reject the God of the Bible. That's sad to me. However, what is even sadder is when people think they are rejecting the God of the Bible based on false notions of the God of the Bible. One of these notions- that God is the killjoy and not the creator of sex - is the most frequent that I hear. 

2. Everyone keeps their sexual struggles in the dark. And we ALL have sexual struggles. I've heard some of my friends say they felt liberated sexually when they left the church. I understand part of this means that they were free to pursue sexuality on their own terms, but part of it also means that they were finally free to talk and dialogue and struggle. 

This freedom to talk and dialogue and struggle should happen inside of the church. I'm saddened by the thought of how much hurt has occurred by people feeling like the church isn't a safe place to discuss sexuality. I would love to hear my friends says they felt liberated sexually inside the church. 

3. Our faith doesn't seem to address real life issues. Think of the irony. Sex is God's idea, yet Christians are often pictured as prudish, embarrassed by sex or restricted sexually. If anyone should be leading discussions on sex - and enjoying sex - it should be the people who say their God created it. 

Many churches are already getting this right. My prayer is to see an increasing number join them. We need churches that preach the gospel consistently, that Christ alone is our only hope of salvation. Our merit before God is not based on anything else, including our sexual purity. 

And we need those churches, by way of application, to be safe places for people to wrestle through what it means to be both a sexual being and part of God's holy people. 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the whole topic of sexuality and the church or sexuality as depicted in 50 Shades of Grey. 

Chris Lassiter is a Christ-follower, a husband to Emily (read her blog here), a father to five kids and a freelance writer for Young Life Relationships, HipHopDX.com, JamTheHype.com and other publications. His first book, You're Grounded, was published by Moody Publications last year. You can order the book here.