FAQ
DISCLAIMER: This is probably the most cynical thing I’ve written in a very long time. I don’t actually feel this way… at least mostly. I just thought it would be fun to write. But seriously, if you want to print this off and give it to your parents… DO IT.
Tomorrow is my last day at Family Life. I’ve been interning here all summer, just under 40 hours a week, in the video department. I have learned that I do not feel the fullness of God when I am shooting/editing video. I had a hunch that that would be the case, and this summer confirmed it.
Yesterday, I was whining at my dad about how I am sick of people asking me, “So, what’s next?” He suggested that I create a FAQ sheet, and when people ask me, I can just give them a copy! I think he was kidding, but here it is anyway.
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FAQ’s re: James Lepine’s Future as a Human
When do you head back to school?
I have graduated. On May 8th of this year, I received my degree. I majored in Broadcast Journalism and minored in Political Science.
Oh! Well that must be a nice feeling. So, do you want to go into broadcast? Like, radio, or TV…
Thank you for clarifying what you meant by “broadcast.” Even though I majored in it, I some times forget what it means. And I don’t know if I want to “go into it.” I worked at a radio station during all four of my college years, and I don’t really want to rush into a 9-5 job.
So, have you applied for something, or what are you gonna do?
No, I actually decided to just not apply for anything. I’m planning on living at home until I retire – from doing nothing – at age 65.
Oh, wait! I almost forgot – I applied at Daytrotter. And Paste, WEXP/AIR, RhythmInTwenty, and Little Rock Christian. But I didn’t get any of them. But I’m glad to talk about it again! Thank you for your genuine concern with my future!
I probably won’t get the free trip to Donald Miller’s writing conference either, but I’ll letcha know on that.
Oh, and in case you didn’t know, my driver’s licensce is suspended until December 1st, because I got a DWI on May 1st, and so I’ll probably just stick around Little Rock until then, unless something comes up. I mean, my cousin is getting married in December, and I’m in Micah Sims’ – oh, you know him? sweet. – Well, yeah, I’m in his wedding on New Years Day. So hopefully I’ll have a plan by then.
And where are you in the line of kids again?
I’m actually right in the middle! So, yeah.
OH, you want me to catch you up on everybody else. Ok, sweet. Well, Amy – yeah, she’s the oldest – she and her husband and one and a half year old daughter – they all moved to Upland, Indiana. Her husband – Jack, yes – he’s teaching at Taylor University this Fall. They are still adjusting from moving from HIP, URBAN, CULTURALLY DIVERSE Seattle, to RURAL, HOMOGENEOUS, BUBBLE-ENVIRONMENT Upland. But they’ll be okay.
Katie, and her husband – yes, Elliott – they’re in Brooklyn, and they LOVE IT. Katie is in H-R at Turner Construction – they are actually the company that built the new New York Yankees stadium.
*attempt at changing the subject… by the way, did you hear that George Steinbrenner died recently? You didn’t? Oh. Okay, nevermind.
Yeah, so, John. He’s a sophomore at the University of Tulsa. He loves it there. Why did he decide to go there? Because he got an awesome scholarship. And yes! My dad and mom did just so happen to go there. WHAT A GREAT MEMORY YOU HAVE!
David will be a Junior at Little Rock Christian (the school at which I was not hired. Let me know if you wanna rehash any of that.) He is awesome at everything he does, too. He and John will probably both get awesome jobs as soon as they graduate from their out-of-state, fully-paid-for educations.
Which reminds me, did I tell you that I don’t yet have a job?
Okay, well I gotta get going!
Are you sure?! I’d love to keep chatting!! You don’t have any more questions you can think of?! Wait, let me ask you some!!
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I’m doing my best to be patient and joyful.
The path of right-living people is level. The Leveler evens the road for the right-living. We’re in no hurry, God. We're content to linger in the path sign-posted with your decisions. Who you are and what you've done are all we'll ever want.
Isaiah 26:7-8
Living A Better Story
Stories are supposed to have a dramatic arc – a tipping point, perhaps. I think God has brought me to the tipping point in the story we’re writing together.
Three months ago, I got arrested for a DWI. I was driving some friends who had also been drinking, and when I tried to turn the car around at some railroad tracks, God seized the opportunity to lodge one of my tires in between the ties.
I blew a .22 into the portable breathalyzer and spent a night in jail. I made a collect call to my folks, and they came to bail me out.
A week later, I walked across the stage at Arkansas State University and received my college diploma. A degree in Broadcast Journalism. A minor in Political Science. A departure from Jonesboro. With honors.
About two weeks later, I drove home drunk again.
A couple of weeks after that, I drunkenly witnessed to a homeless guy at a bar. It was my birthday. I had chugged a bunch of whiskey before going to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and all I thought about during the movie was how I wished it was over so I could go drink more.
Two weeks after that, I drank (most of) a bottle of wine called “Bohemian Highway.” It was Tuesday.
The next night, I met with the elders at church, expressing my desire to lead worship on Sunday mornings.
That was the night – four weeks ago today – when I decided to quit drinking. I’ve stayed true to that decision, if you don’t count the communion wine at church.
In about two weeks, my internship in the video production department at Family Life will be over. I can’t tell you how many times people have asked me, “So, what’s next?”
I can tell you what’s not next.
I didn’t get in at RhythmInTwenty.
I didn’t get in at Paste.
I didn’t get in at Daytrotter.
And I didn’t get in at KEXP/AIR.
I’m not moving to Birmingham to be close to a girl that I’ve dated off and on for the past six years.
I’m not taking a job in radio.
But I’m writing a story, and I think it’s the one that God would have me write. The one where I sell my car, and ride my bike, and clear my head, and pray non-stop, and learn what it means to truly trust in Him.
Don told us to be specific with what we write… And I’d love to be specific. I’d love to say, “This is exactly what I’m going to do over the next couple of months and years.” But that’s what I’ve been saying for the past 22 years, and God has brought me to a point where I just don’t know what my next move is going to be.
So, this is as specific as I can be right now.
My goal for the next couple of the months is exactly what it was 4 weeks ago. To lead worship at church. Maybe that’s not much of a goal, but it’s what I got. The challenge was given to me by an agnostic friend before he took off for basic training with the Air Force. He said, “I don’t wanna come home and see you burned out, drinking all the time, and not doing anything with you life.” That stuck with me.
Leading others before the throne of God is a privilege and an honor, so I will be both waiting patiently, and taking the necessary steps, to get to a point where the elder board says, "Yeah. You're our guy this week. Go for it."
That’s probably gonna mean more lunches with older guys (which I love,) and helping with sound, or playing djembe, or teaching at Kids Kamp, or going on the Youth Retreat. Areas towards which I would not normally gravitate… but I am confident that God will teach me humility and joy throughout them.
I’m also going to plan to write five days a week, even if it’s not much. I want to average 1,000 hits a week on my website, and the way to make that happen is to keep flexing my creative muscles and inviting others to join in the conversation.
This is what my grandma told me recently: “Jim, talented people don’t always know what they want to do. There are a lot of things you could do – it’s just figuring out what you’re supposed to do.”
Thank God for grandmas. And for grace, when we reach our tipping points.
So, yes, I want to attend this conference because I want to learn more about co-authoring my story with God. But I also want to take my grandma out to lunch and say, “Guess what? I figured out what I’m supposed to do!” And I want God’s grace and glory to be evident through it all.
More information on this contest here, and in the video below.
So, What’s Next?
Over the past couple of days, much of my time has been spent filling out applications and researching different opportunities for work/internships. Not uncommon activity for a recent college graduate.
I’ve been in contact with Daytrotter, WEXP/AIR, Family Life Today, RHYTHMinTWENTY, and Rumba/Revolution. I’m excited about all of those prospects. But I honestly have no idea which one will end up happening, or really, if ANY of them will.
But I’m at peace with that. The thing that I started to worry about yesterday was this: what if, for example, I get the internship with Daytrotter, and I start there in early July, and then I hear back from WEXP/AIR and they want me there in September? My internship with Daytrotter would run through January. So maybe, I could convince them to let me come in the winter/spring instead?
Or what about this: I get the internship at Family Life, and start there in June. They want me to stay until August. I start there, and Daytrotter calls, saying they want me no later than July 15th. But I’ve already made the commitment to stay at FLT until August!
Then I remembered what we talked about at Redeemer yesterday. I have no reason to worry. I have no reason to be anxious. I have no idea what the next year of my life will look like, but God knows exactly how it’s gonna end up. And if I’m doing my best to honor His will, things are gonna be fine. I’ll get rejected where I need to be rejected and accepted where I need to be accepted. I’m doing my part, in applying for several different positions, and He’ll do His part in guaranteeing that everything works out exactly how it should.
You see how easy that makes things? I pursue the areas where I feel like He’s gifted me, and He paves the road for me to walk on. Right on.
So, for those of you’ve who’ve been wondering what’s next for me, this is all I can offer you – I have no idea, but God has it worked out.
And if you’re interested in some of my options, feel free to click on the above hyperlinks 
And share your opinion here!
The Past Five Days
Have been pretty excellent.
Nice and early on Tuesday morning, Jacob Slaton came over to take some family pics. Here's the one he sent us later that day.
That night, I went and had my face melted by Father Maple. Michael, Stephen, David, and Zach... well done, dudes. Although Fifth and River was pretty sweet too. I am being sarcastic.
Wednesday, I got an awesome t-shirt in the mail from Daytrotter:
And I wore it that night when my band played with Rigby Fawkes and the Rev Room. We had a blast. It was our first show in four months, our first show with our new drummer, and our first show under our new name (both/and.) We also played a lot of new tunes. We're hoping to get into the studio in the very near future. You can check out some low quality recordings that I've done here. Thanks to Chris Heien for the picture.
Christmas Eve, I took EA to Old Mill Bread for lunch. It was my first time to eat there, and man, that place is good. We had a lovely lunch. She's a blessing in my life.
The rest of the day was spent with family - playing games (Settlers of Catan, Ping-Pong, Scrabble, etc), eating fajitas, going to church, watching Freaks and Geeks... oh yeah, and playing with this little bundle of joy.
On Christmas morning, we had our traditional Farmer's Breakfast. I got a little video camera from my parents. It's a Kodak Zi8. Looking forward to messing around with it more in the days ahead.
I was pretty much full all day. We had sausage balls for mid-afternoon snack, and ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cauliflower, rolls, and jello. And for dessert, chocolate pie and cheesecake with strawberry. Thanks, momma!
After dinner, we went to Rave to see Sherlock Holmes, but alas, it was sold-out. We went instead to see Avatar... and, ehh, it wasn't my favorite. At times, it was absolutely stunning, visually. However, the story line was weak and far-fetched. The writing was pretty pathetic. For a film that's been in development for 15 years, I would think James Cameron would find a way to weed out the cheesy lines. For example, "If I'm still breathing, we're still fighting!" "I was hoping you would say that!" ... or something to that effect. My bro-in-law Jack said he might have preferred it as a silent movie.
And now, I think I'll go eat some leftover ham for lunch. Hope you all are having a wonderful break.