The Ride

What a ride! I was able to spend all day Saturday at the roller coaster capital of the world, Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. There are dozens of coasters and big thrill rides that will quickly take you hundreds of feet into the air, spin you around, and send you hurtling back toward the ground only to pull you out of a nosedive at the last instant. There is nothing like the feeling of g-forces pressing you down into your seat followed by the negative g's lifting you back out of it. But none of these are the ride to which I am referring.

Although the screams in the air and my calls for mommy combined with the other noises filling the park were powerful, the reason I was here was even more so. This was PointFest weekend where in addition to the amusement park experience, there were musical performances by some of today's best Christian  artists and speakers, including but not limited to Skillet and Bob Lenz. I have been to some of the largest secular concerts ever and have never seen a spectacle the likes of this: coreographed flames and steam shooting into the air, perfectly timed fireworks blasts, spinning drumsets, and singers & musicians that truly understand excellence of craft. But again, this wasn't the "ride".

The ride I am writing about is in spending time with some of God's best invention: todays youth. Specifically, this was a test of sorts in that it was the first outing that my wife and I, along with some very brave chaperones, have ever led with our newly formed teen class. We found out that not only do our youth know how to have a good time, they know how to have a God time. We prayed together, played together, praised Him together and rocked our faces off together.

Many of today's youth are staring at a future of uncertainty which they didn't cause and are dragging behind them the baggage of poor decisions made by parents, grandparents, teachers, pastors and other trusted adults. They deal daily with the effects caused by divorce, drugs, death or prison. And on top of that they are forced to make decisions daily about which of the many voices they will follow, often to the point where they become numb to much of what they are hearing. 

The ride is in being a voice they can learn to trust. The ride is in being transparent enough to share our foul ups and what we learned through them. The ride is in building relationship with them and being honest about not having all of the answers. The ride is in the willingness to help them figure out this life and letting them know that it is worth the figuring. The ride is in letting them know that they matter. The ride is in overcoming the many poor diversions placed daily before them and instead pointing them to the voice of Christ.

This weekend was just a a small but fun leg on that ride. I gave my best effort in keeping up with these awesome teens and young adults which is no easy feat for this middle aged man. But after several weeks of planning, some hesitation, some fundraising (we still have more fudge for those interested) and lots of prayer, this particular trip was worth it. But the ride itself is just starting. I hope that you will join me in helping to make a positive difference in the lives of those youth in your sphere of influence. Be a voice that they they can follow, a voice reflecting the love of Christ. And while we are at it, let's pray for one another.

If you enjoyed this post, please comment, share and subscribe. For booking information please contact me at dwaynecastle40@yahoo.com or 419-961-1265 or through my website at www.funnybutclean.com.

PIE, anyone?

I wear lots of hats and they are mostly interchangeable. Sometimes I take the stage and make people laugh (comedian). I encourage people to move forward in unity of purpose, or to live beyond what their circumstances may tell them is possible (motivational or inspirational speaker). I share biblical truths (minister) and share my take on life (husband, dad, papaw, friend and even blogger.) That's it. What I do, in a nutshell.


No matter the hat I wear, I just do my thing. I am who I am. I give people opportunities to laugh, to think, and/or be encouraged on to better living, beyond mediocrity, into excellence.

I've never been asked to title one of my speaking engagements. Until now. I am prepping for a motivational presentation and the client asked for the name and description of my talk. My first thought was, "Hey, great idea. That's something I should have considered previously." My second thought was "I'm hungry" which isn't unusual, because it seems I am always hungry.

After snacking, I found the strength to think more about my client's request. I realized just how big her query was. The wrong title could be disastrous to my business model. It has to cover what I do, in a catchy and clever way. It has to sum up for the audience what to expect from the presentation. My opening paragraph of this post tells what I do, but how do you encapsulate all of it in 5 words or less? Geesh lady, what are you doing to me here? Woosah.

Okay, first things first. What do I do? I grab some chips, that's what I do. No, self. What is my purpose when presenting to a group? I encourage people to be their best, to do their best. I let people know that our past doesn't define who we are and although our experiences contribute to that definition, how we choose to deal with our experiences is what truly defines us.

How we view our lives and circumstances is key. If we have been victimized by tragedy, we have an opportunity to be victims or conquerors. If we are in the midst of harsh circumstances, we can be quitters or go-getters. If we are excelling in certain areas, we can become arrogant or humble. Some come from a rough background seemingly unable to catch a break while some seem to have had all of the breaks. Some grew up with great nurture while others seem to have come into the world all alone and continue on that way.

I share with people that we make choices every day that will either point us toward higher living, toward status quo or to disaster. These choices are typically made based on our perceptions of ourselves and the world around us. Bruce Lee (yes, that Bruce Lee) said "As you believe, so shall you become" but even before he said it, Henry Ford said "Whether you believe you can, or you can't, you are right". But prior to either of them, a documented thought from thousands of years before was penned: "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he..." from Proverbs 23:7a. This sums it all up perfectly.

Do you believe that "this" is it, the best your life will ever be? Or do you choose to believe there is something greater? A hope for a future, a better life. A life beyond mediocrity, beyond drudgery. Even if you have a great life, don't you wonder if there is more? I sure hope so. Your perspective is everything. Great! I have a title for my presentation: P.erspective I.s E.verything. PIE.

What perspectives do you have that may be holding you back? In what way do you believe you may need a change? By the way, I believe there is One who has the ultimate perspective, and would be happy to share with you. If you don't know Him, ask. I'm hungry. A nice slice of Rhubarb Pie with a tall glass of milk would be great right about now. How about you?

Please subscribe to my blog, comment on it and share it with those you feel may be interested. And consider booking me for your next event. If you don't have an event scheduled, I'll help you plan one. I can be found on-line at www.funnybutclean.com or reached by e-mail at dwaynecastle40@yahoo.com and by phone at 419-961-1265.

An Order of Awesome with a Side of Vacation, Please.

I know what you've been thinking: "Hey, what happened to last week's Beyond Living post?" Thank you for noticing that a week was missed. I was on vacation and if I took the time to post, my wife would have chucked my iPad into the ocean. Worse, she may have tossed me into the Atlantic and spared the iPad, or as she calls it, the Mahjong machine.

How was my vacation? It was awesome! Thanks for asking. I think people overuse that word, "awesome", nearly as much as they overuse commas and quotation marks. "That movie was awesome!", "That Chevette is awesome!", or "That new Justin Bieber song is awesome!" Okay, that last one is a given, but let me explain the point I am really trying to make.

Laying on the beach, alternating between naps and a good book, followed by body surfing and parasailing was really cool. Universal Studios and Epcot were also nice places to visit. Performances by Blueman Group and Cirque du Soleil were demonstrations of imagination, excellence and beauty in motion that I had never dreamed of. And Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and The Great Smoky Mountains were outstanding. It was a great vacation. But those experiences in and of themselves were not awesome. Those experiences aren't what tripped my "awesome" trigger.

Awesome was SHARING those experiences with some of the people I love most in life. My beautiful wife Deborah and I celebrated our wedding anniversary which not coincidentally was also a celebration of the best two years I have ever lived. Being married to my best friend, laughing and loving every day, definitley ranks in the awesomeness category. Even better than that new Bieber song.

We were also able to share these experiences with one of two amazing daughters and her husband, who isn't quite as equal in amazingness, but pretty close. Deborah and I were able to spend 9 days and 2600 miles with these two "kids". That was awesome!

Samantha and Andy are leaving in less than two weeks on a missionary trip to Cambodia. While there, they will be teaching young men and women how to escape the circumstances of poverty, brutality and human-trafficking through education, skills building, fellowship and Christian discipleship.

They will be living among these young men and women, with whom they love, for the next six months, seven days a week. Living where they live, eating what they eat, shopping where they shop: sharing life with them. Even though I am going to miss them while they are gone, and will be praying for their safety and well-being the whole time, I say again, awesome!

The thrills and chills of Cirque, the audio/visual display of Blueman, the wonder and power of the ocean and the beauty and majesty of the mountains are all great. But being able to share life with the best people I know? That is what awesome looks like. Watching them give their lives to help make someone else's better... definitive awesomeness.

If you would like to be part of this particular brand of awesome, helping to support Samantha and Andy while on their trip, they can use your prayers, encouragement, and/or financial support. Send me a message and I will get you the information you need. I will also link to their blog once they have it up and running.

What does awesome look like to you? And if you can think of something more awesome than sharing life with great people, fulfilling your purpose in life and doing great things for God, I would love to know about it.