Tag Archives: Minnesota

Remaining Fearless While in Transit

Posted on October 8, 2023 by expressyourself4him

Two years ago, due to the ailing health of my wife’s mom, plans were made to move to Aiken, South Carolina. Fortunately, we had time to prepare for this transition from Delaware. As I read God’s call to Abram in the passage below, this was immediate. God didn’t say, “take your time.” Rather, Moses suggests that this move was instantaneous based upon the directions from the Lord.

Now [in Haran] the Lord said to Abram, Go for yourself [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father’s house, to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others]. 3 And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and [a]curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves]. 4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had directed him; and Lot [his nephew] went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran, Genesis 12:1-4.

In 1993, I lived in 6 different states in the first 6 months of this year. I resigned from a youth ministry position in Maryland so that I could attend a Trade School in Minnesota. While waiting for an interview in South Dakota, I spent a month in Ohio living with my parents. When this ministry opportunity fell through, I accepted a teaching position at a Boarding School in West Virginia. At the end of the school year, a dream job opened up for me in Columbus, Indiana.

Do not [earnestly] remember the former things; neither consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, Isaiah 43:18-19.

God’s providence during this time of transit helped remove from me the fear of the unknown. The moment one door was shut in my face, another one miraculously opened. I was living the famous poem Footprints without ever realizing it. Just before 1993 came to an end, I met my future wife Leanne at a Youth Ministry Conference in Chicago. Thirty years later, God has prepared me by reminding me of the promises in the Bible so that while I’m in transit, the Lord still provides.

by Jay Mankus

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From One Soap Opera to Another

Posted on July 12, 2023 by expressyourself4him

If Jacob’s Trouble was a premiere Soap Opera competing against The Days of Our Lives, this show would begin with Rachel’s plan to deceive her husband into giving Jacob the blessing of the first born. This back story would soon be replaced by Laban teaching Jacob the lesson you reap what you sow. While this is a good opening season, Sister Wives will take center stage and when this gets old throw in a couple secondary wives to stir the pot. Finally, the jealous brother enters this Soap Opera with threats of revenge and a Cain like execution.

Then Jacob went on his way, and God’s angels met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s army! So he named that place Mahanaim [two armies]. 3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, Genesis 32:1-3.

If I were still a high school Bible teacher today, I would develop the curriculum for a new class entitled the Soap Operas of the Bible. The purpose of this class would have two key objectives. First, bring to life the personal dramas characters in the Bible faced daily. Second, to close the door on any thoughts planted into the minds of teenagers that the Bible is out of date. The desire to make the Bible relevant to modern times was conceived in me as a student at the Tentmakers Youth Ministry Leadership Trade School in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.

And he commanded them, Say this to my lord Esau: Your servant Jacob says this: I have been living temporarily with Laban and have stayed there till now. 5 And I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, menservants, and women servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find mercy and kindness in your sight. 6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to your brother Esau; and now he is [on the way] to meet you, and four hundred men are with him. 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two groups, Genesis 32:4-7.

This training introduced me to the Serendipity Study Bible. Serendipity refers to the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. If you want to learn how to take a deep dive into studying the Bible, this is a great place to start. I was so inspired by the Serendipity Bible that I led a Bible Study at a local McDonald’s in Columbus, Indiana for my Junior and Senior High students. If you’re curious about what other Soap Operas exist in the Bible, they are waiting for you to explore as you study the lives of Joseph, David and Daniel.

by Jay Mankus

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S.A.N.S. Episode 346: Nothing Left to Lose

Posted on January 14, 2023 by expressyourself4him

My last year that I was a single man, I lived with an attitude I have nothing else to lose. In 1993, I spent the first six months of this year living in six different states. I began the New Year in Delaware before spending 7 weeks at a Youth Ministry Trade School in Minnesota. While waiting for an interview in South Dakota, I spent some time in Ohio working odd jobs. After my job offer in Rapid City fell through, I worked a semester at a boarding school in West Virginia before being offered a full-time youth ministry position in Columbus, Indiana. This is the closest I’ve ever come to living the abundant life, John 10:10.

Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. 13 I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward, Philippians 3:12-14.

Perhaps Mat Kearney had a similar experience in his own life to inspire the lyrics to Nothing Left to Lose. Mat’s song reminds me of the words of the apostle Paul in the passage above. Paul didn’t want to be an idle or stale Christian. Therefore, his mindset on earth turned toward heaven, making sure his own motives aligned with God’s will for his life. As you listen to Nothing Left to Lose, may you become embolden to live 2023 with your eyes fixed upon Jesus, Hebrews 12:2.

by Jay Mankus

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Who or What is Your Inspiration?

Posted on October 25, 2022 by expressyourself4him

As a former professional athlete, part of my DNA is to find a way to improve daily. Sometimes this occurs naturally through trial and error, learning from the mistakes I make in life. While I rarely play video games anymore, I treat each day at work like a game, attempting to earn a new high score. This mentality was first conceived in me at a Youth Ministry Trade School that I attended in Minnesota back in 1993.

 [Yet] first [you must] understand this, that no prophecy of Scripture is [a matter] of any personal or private or special interpretation (loosening, solving). 21 For no prophecy ever originated because some man willed it [to do so—it never came by human impulse], but men spoke from God who were borne along (moved and impelled) by the Holy Spirit, 2 Peter 1:20-21.

One of the methods Tentmakers incorporated was called “In What Ways Can We.” Using a tool called Green Light Thinking, students were given a few minutes to write down whatever came to your mind. Following this exercise, you would re-evaluate your list by adopting the best and most practical solutions. Since this 7-week training program transformed my life, this is who I’ve become, using writing as my ministry as I work to provide for my family.

I have still many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them or to take them upon you or to grasp them now. 13 But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future], John 16:12-13.

The term Tentmakers comes from the apostle Paul who became a tentmaker to pay for his mission trips in the first century. While some churches did support Paul and his ministry team, making tents allowed Paul to follow God’s will for his life. Although I’d love to write full time as a screen writer or streaming service, my calling from God and inspiration is to share my faith through this blog, Express Yourself 4 Him.

by Jay Mankus

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S.A.N.S. Episode 198: Alarm the Alarm

Posted on August 19, 2022 by expressyourself4him

While “Write this Down” may be an expression used by teachers preparing students for an upcoming unit test, it’s also the name of a popular band. Back in 2005, Write This Down formed their Christian rock band in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This band consists of vocalist Nate Rockwell, Mike Kuwica, Nick Lombardo and Chad Nichols. Today’s song Alarm the Alarm sends an important message.

Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [[f]in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour, 1 Peter 5:8.

While writing to first century Christians, one of Jesus’ disciples sounds the alarm about a daily spiritual threat. Peter appears to allude to Ephesians 2:2, pointing to the Devil’s ability to roam the earth as a fallen angel who was kicked out of heaven. If you want to be able to overcome daily temptations, 1 Corinthians 10:13, write down this passage so that you will find a way out of any temptation.

by Jay Mankus

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S.A.N.S. Episode 101: Innocent Lost

Posted on May 12, 2022 by expressyourself4him

Today’s featured song was part of a rotation of songs that I played every night while I was attending a youth ministry school in the winter of 1993. Since I needed to get up early every morning, I played a series of ballads to put me to sleep as quick as possible. These 7 weeks in Minnesota was one of the best times in my life which infused me with a spiritual confidence that I never had before.

But the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die, 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and calamity. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good (suitable, pleasant) for food and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave some also to her husband, and he ate, Genesis 3:4-6.

Susan Ashton’s Innocence Lost isn’t a deeply spiritual song, but it’s one of those that everyone can relate to as a sinner. While you may have good intentions, if you’re not careful you too could be reliving Adam and Eve’s fall from grace in the Garden of Eden. Just as this couple was filled with guilt and shame, Innocence Lost serves as a warning to avoid repeating the same mistakes of your past.

by Jay Mankus

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Time of Your Life

Posted on May 11, 2022 by expressyourself4him

The concept of “Time of Your Life” began with a 1939 play written by William Saroyan. In more recent years, movies like Dirty Dancing have brought songs with this concept in the title. I’ve Had the Time of My Life by Jennifer Warnes uses dancing as a means to have fun. Depending upon your hobbies and personality, the goal of any day is to have the time of your life.

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten ([d]unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him, John 3:16-17.

When I look back on the past half-century, one year sticks out, 1993. I left a youth director position in Delaware to attend a youth ministry trade school in Minnesota. For 7 straight weeks, I was having the time of my life, living with other people my age who wanted to minister to young people. Not only was I transformed by the teaching I received, I also experienced a revival while living in Columbus, Indiana.

I am the Door; anyone who enters in through Me will be saved (will live). He will come in and he will go out [freely], and will find pasture. 10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it [b]overflows), John 10:9-10.

When I was having the time of my life, I was also working 90 hours a week. My only day off began with a Bible Study at McDonald’s with students, followed by lunch in Cincinnati with my good friend Phil, and ended with an adult Bible Study back at church. When you’re having the time of your life, make sure you don’t burn yourself out like I did in 1994. Balance is crucial for developing stability and longevity. If I only knew this back then, I’d still be having the time on my life. For now, I’m trying to recapture what was lost.

by Jay Mankus

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S.A.N.S. Episode 77: Get It Right

Posted on April 18, 2022 by expressyourself4him

Today’s featured song comes from a group that began in Brainerd, Minnesota. Silverline is one of those Christian rock bands that have been overshadowed and replaced with soft rock that Christian radio stations prefer to play. I initially discovered Silverline while searching for new music online. However, their lyrics on ballads like Too Far Gone from Silverline’s Lights Out album have moved me to listen more.

A wise man’s heart turns him toward his right hand, but a fool’s heart toward his left, Ecclesiastes 10:2.

Back when Chip Kelly became the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, he intergraded music into drills and practices. This inspired me to create 4 different mixes which I played at baseball practices. Get It Right was one of the first songs on mix number one. Instead of getting it right spiritually, I spent time in between drills to instill proper techniques. If you want to get your life back on track, Get It Right is a good place to start.

by Jay Mankus

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S.A.N.S. Episode 71: Pray for Rain

Posted on April 12, 2022 by expressyourself4him

Today’s group began in Minneapolis, Minnesota, disbanded in 1997 and reunited in Nashville, Tennessee three years later. To avoid a lawsuit, Prayer for Rain shortened their name to PFR upon their return to the concert circuit. “Pray for Rain” is a line from a poem that touched band member Patrick Andrew who convinced the group to adopt this name in 1992.

Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand), Jeremiah 33:3.

From a genre perspective, PFR is the closest sound the Christian music industry has to a modern-day Beatles. When you listen to Pray For Run, you’ll sense and recognize how the Beatles influenced PFR’s distinct sound. The lyrics of Pray For Run speak to individuals who become comfortably numb, praying for rain to snap them out of their spiritual slumber. I hope you enjoy one of PFR’s first hit songs.

by Jay Mankus

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The Kind of Person You Ought to Be

Posted on April 9, 2022 by expressyourself4him

Six months after graduating college, I attended a Youth Ministry Trade School in Minnesota. These 7 weeks completely changed my life; encouraging me to stretch and expand my comfort zone. One of the techniques that I learned was setting goals from a Could Be/Should Be perspective. From a spiritual standpoint, I learned to take an inventory of where I am currently and where I need to be. While writing a first century letter, Peter challenges his listeners to consider the person that you ought to be in Christ.

Since all these things are thus [b]in the process of being dissolved, what kind of person ought [each of] you to be [in the meanwhile] in consecrated and holy behavior and devout and godly qualities, 12 While you wait and earnestly long for (expect and hasten) the coming of the day of God by reason of which the flaming heavens will be dissolved, and the [[c]material] elements [of the universe] will flare and melt with fire? – 2 Peter 3:11-12

The origin of the term Christian dates back to sometime between 30 and 40 A.D. Citizens in the city of Antioch were impressed by members of their local church. Something was different about these people, a specific quality that set them apart from everyone else in town. As these followers of Jesus began to share their faith with the locals, one person put two and two together. “These people must be Christians, followers of Christ Jesus.

Therefore be imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]. 2 And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a [a]slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance, Ephesians 5:1-2.

As this expression spread, the apostle Paul provided other churches with a simple spiritual goal to shoot for daily. As people of faith become imitators of Jesus, the fruits of the Spirit take precedence over the acts of your flesh, Galatians 5:1625. As hearts and minds become renewed by the Bible, Romans 12:1-2, the Holy Spirit steers you toward the person you ought to be in Christ. Prayer, reflection, and worship provide spiritual disciplines to keep your mind on becoming Jesus to your local community.

by Jay Mankus

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