LA Ink – The Backlash
I knew it was coming.
And here she is.
I have gotten dozens, almost a hundred emails from strangers thanking me for painting authenticity in Christ so well on LA Ink. Thanking me for challenging them to look hard as to how much they are ignoring their family for the sake of the church.
But…there is some rumbling in some camps.
Rumbling that I slammed my old church on national tv.
Rumbling from people who probably don’t know me.
Or maybe love me. I don’t know.
So I will say this once and that is it.
They interviewed me for 7 hours.
I spent 6 of those on Losiah and the adoption.
I spent the other hour on how I made some stupid mistakes and how I almost lost my family.
I told them LOTS of mistakes I made.
They formed my 6 and a half minutes on ONE mistake.
A decision I made to ignore my family for the sake of playing music and stuff.
Not a decision Sandals Church made to MAKE me ignore my family.
I was the knucklehead who was ignoring my family.
Nathan Brown always said…”Get your job done and go home to your family.”
Sandals Church is an AMAZING environment to work in.
Matt Brown cares more for his staff then anybody I know.
Only an act of God could have moved me away from that church. And it did.
The time in my ministry I talked about on the show was almost 4 years ago.
4 years. I did not leave Sandals to come to Buckhead Church because of a mistake I made in my life 4 years ago.
I would as of this moment take a bullet in the chest for the sake of Sandals Church, Matt Brown, Nathan Brown, and Tammy Brown and the vision they have instilled in me.
So I defend myself and Sandals to only a handful. I know I am loved beyond words by Sandals. But I still think it is worth stating.
Don’t let six minutes on an editors floor in New York form your opinion of who I am or who Sandals Church is.
Let 9 years of sweat on the floor for the sake of being real form it.
Los
P.S. I realize that this is against every leadership rule out there about defending yourself. But that is why I still buy those books on leadership. Because I don’t have it down yet and don’t pretend to.
RAIN IT DOWN
it didn’t seem to me that you were slamming sandals at all, it seemed obvious that you were saying that it was a decision that you had made and learned from.
Sometimes instead of saying “Wow, thank you for being honest. It must have taken alot for you to admit what you just did.”, we slam someone for what they said. Never mind that they may have felt horrible for just admiting it. Thank you for being honest. I appreciate it. We will always fail at pleasing others. I didnt get the impression that you were slamming Sandals at all. I understood that it was YOU that chose to work as much as you did. I appreciate the work, service and dedication that you gave to Sandals. Walking my whole life up until a year ago as a Catholic it was you that lead my worship and because of that I gladly now raise my arms up to Him every Sunday. Thank you Carlos…you and your family.
Too many families have been sacrificed on the altar of the church…
I believe that your decision to lead and care for your family is one of the most God-honoring things a man can do.
Tell the backlash to stick it…you know what’s up.
I think it’s wild how two different people can see or hear the same thing and draw different conclusions. I guess that’s the beautiful disaster of interpretation. After I saw Carlos on LA Ink, I actually got online and looked up Sandles Church. I wanted to get a digital glimpse of the ministry that helped form someone so real, so honest. I didn’t take it at all that Carlos was being forced to neglect time with his family…quite the opposite.
“I” started working 40 hours a week. “I” was completely ignoring my family. It’s a human race issue, not a church issue. Sometimes drive, determination and the desire for perfection can momentarily blind us from the reality that we’re fathers and husbands first. Carlos reminded me of myself in so many ways and I thank him for sharing his story. Now, more than ever, I see his appearance as a God thing.
Peace • Faith • Hope
Bruce Johnson
Ten ’til Two Music
Rogers, Arkansas
Hey Los,
Tim from Florida. I agree with what everyone is saying.
You spoke your mind and heart about the decisions, the journey, the walk,
you were on, not what the church made you do.
You grew, you were molded, and you allowed God to use you.
And your story is forever on your arm.
And if I remember correctly, a wise man once told the story of
our decision to commit to God, and HE was mis-interpreted (quite often!)
and ulitmately had his story “tatooed” on his arms as well.
Keep living the life.
Hope to meet you soon.
Oh, the joy of the ankle biters and stone throwers. I saw the LA Ink episode, and i think somebody would have to be trying pretty hard to think you were slamming your church, because it seemed clear to those watching with me that you were just being real.
As much as I usually make fun of country bumpkin sayings, I heard one quite a while ago that applies to this and many things that I have gone through in my ministry life too. “Don’t wrestle with pigs, you’re both going to get dirty but the pig will like it”. Watch out for the pigs, they are out there, and they will try to get you dirty.
Keep being you brother!! All the haters can suck on an egg.
It was probably someone from Sandals who is angry that you left and won’t believe that God would lead you to move away. It was also someone who doesn’t do diddly-squat at the church themself. Otherwise they could understand what you meant.
I’ve been leading the music at my home church for the last 2-1/2 years on an interim basis. Even on a part-time basis, it would be so easy for my family to suffer. Ain’t gonna happen.
while watching the show i didn’t get the impression that you were basing sandals
*bashing
This should make your list of why it sucks to be authentic. Good grief, people – you would think that in this day and age there would be far too many other distractions for people to get their panties up their butts over something like this.
Thank you, Carlos – you are my hero…
I love you bro!! You did good.
Did my sister just say, “get their panties up their butts?” That’s awesome.
Let me share my perception of the show as a fellow pastor who is not directly connected to you, LA Ink, North Point or Sandals. I did not interpret at all that you were forced or coerced to work that kind of schedule. I too spent way too many years, working way too many hours because I was driven by the wrong things. I let my family, relationships and health take a back seat to the “work of the ministry.” It should be obvious to anyone who has followed your blogs over the last few months how much you love the Sandals’ family and how much you respect and honor the pastors there.
As I watched the video of the Sunday you told Sandals of your coming move, I almost wept. I saw a man honoring his church, leadership, friends and families. I wish all transitions went that well. Both you and the leadership at Sandals set a high standard for how that should happen.
The haters will always find something to hate. If it is square between you and the leadership team at Sandals, then ignore the haters.
Keep up the great work. Go Sandals! Go Buckhead! Go Carlos!
*mwah*
Would the same people be slamming you if you were still with Sandals? Probably not. I don’t think anything you did there looked bad upon them. The interview was great, and to me it looked as though you completely placed the blame on yourself. No one else.
There will always be people in any situation to take something out of context, this is no different…
And, yeah, the tattoo looked killer!!
People will always complain. Some with good intentions, and some just to complain.
In the actual show, you never even came close to saying someone else MADE you work overtime. You put all that on yourself… not the church.
This is the struggle of many church staffers. I know I’ve DEFINITELY struggled with balancing ministry and family. Ministry is a never-ending job… that’s the reality.
I think you represented well!
I know you love us Los…let the haters hate. whatev. We love you.
Although, I was hopin’ for a lil about Losiah on the show…only because Imiss his lil face.
Yea. They straight up cut him out. That is actually why I got the tattoo. Because of him. O’well.
Los
Hey Carlos,
Finally got to watch the clip from youtube. Great job man. There will always be people in the world that will tell you whatever you did was wrong. In this case, you just gotta take it in stride, and move on. The points this person made weren’t valid at all, as you’ve stated on here several times throughout your post.
Looking forward to reading more on your blog, while I try to get something of my own up and running. =P Love the tat too, would get one if my wife would let me, haha.
-Randall
Don’t let those bitches bring you down.
Don’t get brought down… of all things, I figured you might get flack about the biblical portions that are anti-tattoo, and I actually thought that if anyone was gonna give you flack it was gonna be your wife for bringing up personal stuff (my wife might have killed me).
Maybe I didn’t read anything negative about Sandals because I was a victim to nearly the same thing. At the time when I first converted to Christianity (and went full board as a member of the worship team, saying yes to EVERY request for music from me when any ministry called for it), my wife had some choice words about how I was neglecting our marriage… fortunately, we didn’t have a kid at the time, so it was less drastic… but still…
So, I feel ya… and I thought the spot was great. If anything, as it relates to Sandals, I thought, with the clips of you (short, unfortunately) playing music, that Sandals looks like a great place to worship God.
i love you and your family. see you soon friend!
Carlos we miss you so much! I think you made a decision that most men probably dont even get…more to work and not the family. Being a pastor is a difficult job and calling…it requires so much out of you and of course Pastors love their family but I can see where a family could get the left overs. Praise God that you listened to your heart, family and God. He will so honour your choice. I did not pick up on the show that you were against Sandals…you just made a very loving and honorable choice and decision. Now come back! LOL!
i love ya los and no 6 minutes on a cable reality show is ever going to change that. thank you for letting me into your world and be your friend.
Man, I’m irritated for you. I’m with Robin – I wish Losiah would have actually gotten air time since he was the reason you got the coolest tat I have ever seen. As for me, I love Sandals. Sandals has had the most profound effect on my life, and I know you feel the exact same way. I also love you and your family, and I believe that you are exactly where God wants you to be. As for your leadership – I bet very few men have ever left such an amazing group of people behind them to carry the torch. Sandals worship is still amazing, and that is a testimony to the type of leader you are.
I love you bro. God is using you for His greatness. See you soon.
Haters!
If they sweat you its cuz they don’t know you.
I can’t even imagine getting a negatinve connotation from anything you said. I was so impressed with the the whole thing. I feel bad for the complainers. They’re strange.
I think those people are totally off base. I didn’t sense any negativity towards Sandals at all! I loved your honesty and somewhat related to what you were saying except on the other side since my husband Dustin, the salty dog, knows all to well how I sometimes feel neglected by his crazy schedule as well! Maybe you could talk to him about that! J/K. For real though, your fam needs to take a weekend to PC so we can all hang. I’m pretty sure Eric and Angela liked us so shouldn’t that mean you will too??
Thanks for being a man and setting the record straight. I think we all know that Reality TV is not Reality..it is what the producers want it to be. You took a chance, but we know where your heart is.
Thanks
Scott
Hey,
Don’t even have time to read the other comments, allz I can say is “word” .. right on, bro. I’m glad you said it … “for the record”.
Sweetie, as an editor, I knew what they did to you before you did. I’ve got your back. Editing is such an amazing art. I love it and have committed my life to doing it. As a result, I have seen, first hand the way an editor can make anyone say whatever they want.
Everyone thinks that the director or the producer or some one with a dramatic title has all the power in production, but in reality, the editor controls the final output. Yes, a producer will have a final say in what is aired, but it is all about how the editor snips and slaps his/her pieces together. There is no way in the world that mainstream media would ever paint a positive picture of the church and I saw this coming a mile away.
Hey everyone who has a problem with Los’ appearance on LA Ink. Get a clue! Most of you guys are the one’s who are always complaining about the “liberal media” and how they misconstrue everything, and while I don’t agree with the “liberal media” label, I have to say, “Um, duh.” Get over it. It’s all about the power of editing.
Oh, one last thing, and then I’m done with my rant. It really was a subtle spin and could have gone either way. People hear what they want to hear.
If they want to hear that you are attacking the church, that’s what they’ll hear.
If they want to her your personal testimony of self-realization, that’s what they’ll hear.
I love you man!
Ha! Of all the things you’d get backlash for – didn’t think it’d be that. I always get “funny looks” because I have tats & am a Christian. I mean, ya know – Christians shouldn’t have tats – just look at Leviticus.
We watched the show (because we started following your blog after someone posted it on an adoption forum we belong to) and didn’t think negatively about it. Just that it took courage to admit mistakes, that we are all human and fall short sometimes(no matter where we work, no matter if we’re in the ministry or not).
I admittedly was a little sad that they didn’t even mention Losiah’s adoption with the story- that would’ve been very cool!
God bless and don’t let the turkeys get you down. I bet more people thought positively about it than negative and Satan has a way of throwing lies around…
Once someone told me “hurting people hurt people” That person or people must be hurting so much to spread so much venoum. Apparently they must be aquantances of yours and not know you. Am so glad that Matt, Nathan, Tammy are there to put a STOP to the rumbling. It is evident of the mutual love that you and Sandals have for each other.
God used the producers of the show in an amazing way to tell that part of your story.
My hat goes off to you for choosing the unknown and not the easy. You must of have seen God leading you. He always goes ahead of us.
Stay focus and keep flying high with the eagles and don’t let those turkeys bring you down.
I found that backlash is usually given by people who don’t know you at all or people who vaguely know you and assume they know your motives. My husband Victor has never gotten backlash from people who truly know him and his heart to please God.
Your story was one that needed to be heard.. Soo many people who are in ministry put the church above their family and many families suffer in silence. I’m so happy to see you talk about it to the world. May God continue to bless you and your family.
Dude, thanks for sayin all that. Personally for people to talk smack on you talking about your mistakes sounds like gossip. They should take some codine and relax for awhile. You are missed, you are loved, and I don’t expect to ever judge you for your failures. Only for your successes. I hope all is well out there for you.
Carlos,
….NEXT…
Your tat sucks because it’s on your arm not mine! just joshing! Rock on and whatever with all the puff daddys out there. Keep being the ragabiscuit you are!
Galations 6:17
“Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus!”
well said…..
and i don’t see this as “defending” but “clarifying”…..
sometimes clarification is much better than miscommunication.
a good leader is responsible to make sure he/she is clearly understood.
and dumb people believe what they hear on TV.
First, that was probably the most work done by the LA Ink team. Wasn’t just a copy and outline tat. NICE! All the “I wish I could get a tat from Kat” haters at my work love your art work.
About the back lash. As 41 people has said before. Don’t let it get to you. At first I wanted to write to you saying, “Isn’t the church first and family second?” Then I asked myself the same question a lil differently. If police job USA was over taking my family the family does come first. So, a pastors job is unique in that the church wins and family doesn’t or vise versa? Obviously a nice mix is great. Time to camp and time to worship is always great.
I will say that they way they cut your words together was dissapointing. I’ll go against the grain here as no one above spoke any smack.
I’ll use the story I don’t know so well. Jesus being called to come home by his mother. He says no and stays at the church. Can this be applied in this situation? Its delicate. Knowing Mrs. Los I would never want anything to come between you. But what is the right answer? As Matt always teaches, Yes I’m a Sandalite for all of you who think us Sandals people were the ones bashing Los, I may not like it but if “G**” says it, then its set!
Take care my man!
Watched the show last night with Brooke. I’d agree that you represented Christ well. Knowing the whole backstory, the editors didn’t twist anything that would mislead me. Good job, bro!
Christians. Gotta love them. I wonder if they interpret the bible as bad as they do 6 min on a television show. i know your vision i know sandals vision and it is pure.
Hey man, I wondered where you found the image of your tattoo design of Paul on the Demascus road. I have been looking everywhere for that style art … but of the Apostle Peter coming toward Jesus on the water. If you have any insight there, I’d greatly appreciate it if you’d bless me with it.
Great tatt, and great story.
Keep ON
Pete
Hey man, I wondered where you found the image of your tattoo design of Paul on the Demascus road. I have been looking everywhere for that style art – but of the Apostle Peter coming toward Jesus on the water. If you have any insight there, I’d greatly appreciate it if you’d bless me with it.
Great tatt, and great story.
Keep ON
Pete
Hey man.. awesome tat!
Thanks for sharing your story!
Peace