A Place Called Surrender

Living Backwards

2009-12-14T12:50:00.002-06:00

Life is not about keeping score. It's not about how many people call you, how many people you have kissed, who you date or are going to date. It's not about who calls you, what sport you play, or which guy or girl likes you. It's not about your shoes, your hair color or the color of your skin or where you live or where you go to school. In fact, it's not about your grades, how much money you have, clothes, or colleges that accept you or not. Life is not about if you have lots of friends, or no friends at all and its not about whether you are accepted or not. Life just isn't about that.

But, Life is about, who you love and who you hurt. It's about how you feel about yourself. It's about trust, happiness, and compassion. Life is about avoiding jealousy, overcoming ignorance, and building confidence. It's about what you say and what you mean. Its about seeing people for who they are and what they mean to you. Most importantly it's about using your life to touch other peoples lives in ways that could not have otherwise been achieved.

Life is about living backwards. Too often our society seizes the opportunity to tell us what things should carry the most weight in our lives rather then letting us decide what should matter the most. Life is about challenging the norms, pushing beyond the expected and finding ways to reach out into a world that needs to see the differents. Are we allowing ourselves to look into a world through the lens of agendas or are we the world that becomes receptive to people who hurt?

I will leave that up to you......

Forgetting to hit Publish

2009-12-14T12:47:00.004-06:00

I like to sit on my thoughts. Apparently I REALLY like to sit on my thoughts. Normally I hit save this post and think about it for a day or two before hitting Publish. Thanks to a great friend who pointed out my last update was April 8th. You will get a brief history of my life in a nutshell and then probably feel slightly bombarded by my thoughts.

Since April 8th.
Bought a house. Celebrated 1 year of wedded bliss. Still working at the same job. Ellie was hired at Otsego Elementary. Still have Rasmus the Dog (only a little bit of a pain). Living and loving life to the fullest!

Enjoy some thoughts as you will see new posts!

Oh, To Be Six Again

2009-04-08T11:55:00.001-05:00

To Whom It May Concern:

I hereby officially tender my resignation as an adult. I have decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of a 6 year old again.

I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four star restaurant. I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and make ripples with rocks. I want to think M&M's are better than money, because you can eat them. I want to play kickball during recess and paint with watercolors in art. I want to lie under a big oak tree and run a lemonade stand with my friends on a hot summer day.

I want to return to a time when life was simple. When all you knew were colors, addition tables, and simple nursery rhymes, but that didn't bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't know and you didn't care. When all you knew was to be happy because you didn't know all the things that should make you worried and upset. I want to think that the world is fair. That everyone in it is honest and good. I want to believe that anything is possible.

Somewhere in my youth I matured and learned too much. I learned of nuclear weapons, war, prejudice, starvation, and abused children. I learned of lies, unhappy marriages, suffering, illness, pain and death. I learned of a world where men left their families to go and fight for our country, and returned only to end up living on the streets, begging for their next meal. I learned of a world where children knew how to kill....and did!!

What happened to the time when we thought that everyone would live forever, because we didn't grasp the concept of death? When we thought the worst thing in the world was if someone took the jump rope from you or picked you last for kickball? I want to be oblivious to the complexity of life and be overly excited by little things once again. I want to return to the days when reading was fun and music was clean. When television was used to report the news or for family entertainment and not to promote sex, violence, and deceit.

I remember being naive and thinking that everyone was happy because I was. I would walk on the beach and only think of the sand between my toes and prettiest seashell I could find. I would spend my afternoons climbing trees and riding my bike. I didn't worry about time, bills, or where I was going to find money to fix my car. I used to wonder what I was going to do or be when I grew up, not worry about what I'll do if this doesn't work out.

I want to live simple again. I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to survive more days of the month than there is money in the bank, doctor bills, gossip, illness, and loss of loved ones. I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind, and making angels in the snow. I want to be 6 again.

--author unknown--

Mario Strikes Back

2009-04-07T11:32:00.002-05:00

Just thought this was one of the coolest pictures! Being a Mario fan, as well as a Star Wars fan this totally makes my day!

Up and running.

2009-04-06T16:55:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the delay. Blogger shut my info out for a month or so. I am finally back in action now and will have a great deal more coming soon! Thanks to everyone that has stopped by and looked! Have a great day!

Uh Oh.... Buying homes is hard work

2009-01-27T13:34:00.002-06:00

I discovered something today. I don't like uncertainty! In fact, I hate it. There I said it... now I can go to meetings.

I really am in the beginning stages of buying a home and right now I feel really nervous. That is a huge chunk of money to put against a home. I am really uncomfortable with the idea of dumping money into something that I am not sure I will live in very long.

It's a little unnerving to be in this position. I am trying to wrap my head around the idea but am not really sure what I should come up with. Have any of you bought a home recently that would like to share some wisdom?? I would love the insight!

What should people be looking at? What should they know before getting into it? Just wanted to see what other people think!

The Power of the Imperfect

2009-01-15T12:22:00.007-06:00

There is something to be said about imperfection. This Christmas I learned something about staring off into the imperfect world.

Let me back up just a touch and let you know how all of my thoughts on this started. Each Christmas the Women of the ELCA put up a single Christmas tree in our sanctuary. The tree is 10 feet tall beautiful in shape and stature, decorated with beautiful white lights....and that is all. No ornaments, no decorations, no angel on top of the tree. Just white lights. Sitting amongst those white lights is something that I find absolutely beautiful.

1 single red light.

For the first two Christmases that single red light has bothered me. I understood the reason they put it there. Nothing is perfect during the holiday season except Christ himself. I get that...but that red light still bugged me. This Christmas it did the same. 1 simple thing that is just enough to make me take notice. Well how can something like that get to me as much as it does. Well, to be honest...it's because I point out the imperfect. I like to see the faults in myself as well as the faults in others. My first tendency is to notice that which really bugs me. Instead of taking the time to reflect on what really encourages me.

I really have to focus in order to notice something beautiful. Some things aren't really all that I wish they would be. My life is not in perfect array, nor should it really be. The bills still come in whether there is money in the bank. Let's face it... our lives are not perfect. But I wish it was. I wish there was a way that I could make it all go away. To be perfect when I need to be, and to understand that the world is perfect. But its not!

There is something to be said for looking through the eyes of the savior. Realizing that someone who is perfect could look at me through the eyes of perfection. It's amazing the type of person who God wants you to be. Imperfection and all. I am learning to look at my life through the eyes of the Savior. It's really easy to point out my own faults instead of looking at my life through the eyes of God. So, here is what I started doing.

Instead of being quick to point out my blunders. I am learning to become quick to point out the perfectness of my savior. Instead of whining about my situation, I take time to rejoice that I have a situation to be in. I am learning to spend more and more time digging into the word and learning about what my savior says about my imperfections. God isn't the type that points out our weaknesses. I believe God is the one to point out our strengths and focus on changing us for the better.

I like this new outlook on life. I like being imperfect. I wish I was much better at being the imperfect person that rejoices in a perfect savior. I hope that you find something about yourself that is beautifully imperfect so that you can see that God is so much bigger!

It makes looking at my imperfections a lot easier when I can look at myself as though I am only slightly imperfect. God is so much better!

The Best New Year's Resolution Ever

2009-01-05T15:17:00.003-06:00

I Choose Love...
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrents bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I Choose Joy...
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical... the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I Choose Peace...
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I Choose Patience...
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I Choose Kindness...
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I Choose Goodness...
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I Choose Faithfulness...
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I Choose Gentleness...
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice my it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I Choose Self-Control...
I am a spiritual being... Adter this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

Written by Max Lucado. When God Wispers Your Name.

I'm Baaaaaack!

2009-01-05T15:15:00.001-06:00

So, part of my new year's resolution came back to me today! I am going to blog more. Feels like years since I even wrote an article, thought a blog topic, or even had a chance to write! So guess what... here is my brain on display for people! Have a nice slice!

The Prayer of St. Francis

2008-11-26T12:40:00.003-06:00

Thought I would post this little prayer today. It's such a cool prayer and an awesome way to rethink our approach to youth ministry and ministry in general. I think St. Francis was on to something with this one! Enjoy!

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace;
Where this is Hatred, Let me sow Love.
Where there is Injury, Pardon;
Where there is Error, The Truth;
Where there is Doubt, The Faith;
Where there is Despair, Hope;
Where there is Darkness, Light;
Where there is Sadness, Joy.

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled,
As to console,
To be understood,
As to understand,
To be loved,
As to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen, Amen, and Amen.

Soles4Souls, 50000shoes.com

2008-11-10T11:14:00.003-06:00

HOW DOES IT WORK?go to 50000shoes.com. a $5 donation buys two pairs of shoes.
everyone has $5 (or more!). and everyone has 2 minutes. from start to finish, donating is literally three clicks. no fluff. no hassle. anyone can donate. it is so, so easy!
and it’s easy to spread the word. use the graphics on your blog. email everyone you know. join the facebook group and ask your friends to do the same!

YOU CAN WIN A TRIP TO GIVE SOMEONE THEIR FIRST PAIR OF SHOES!besides the fact that the blogging world can literally impact 50,000 people before the end of the year, one person (and their guest) will be chosen at random to hand deliver the shoes they purchased on a s4s trip to mexico. can you imagine handing someone their very first pair of shoes? it could be a child. or it could be a mother. or a father. or a grandmother. who knows?!

PLEASE DON’T CLICK AWAY…we could have made the goal attainable - like 5000 shoes in 50 days. i have no doubt that could happen. but we wanted to show a watching world the positive power of social media. we wanted this to be a challenge for bloggers and people to unite in a way never before seen!
50,000 pairs of shoes in 50 days. THAT’S HUGE!!!!! please donate. please blog about this. please email everyone you know about this. five bucks. three clicks. two minutes. that’s all and it can make a HUGE difference!!

THE MATH if 500 people influence 10 people to donate, and those people influence 5 more, that’s 50,000 pairs of shoes (because remember - $5 buys 2 pairs!)…please help make this a reality! let’s blow it out of the water…can we raise enough for 100,000 pairs? I THINK SO!!!
300 million people around the world need you!
chris and i donated on friday. we are spreading the word today.
please join in! even non bloggers can help. just email everyone you know! take up a collection in your office or at your church. do you know someone in the press who can do a story on this? be creative!!!

Killing with Kindness: What if the world stopped self focus? (Making a Difference)

2008-10-20T12:49:00.003-05:00

Well, here we go again. With a lot of reaffirmation about the Making a Difference series I thought I would post about some of the issues that tend to keep me prayerfully focussed about making a positive change in the world. I think one of the greatest downfalls of most people is that they feel a genuine lack of feeling effective when it comes to creating change. Let me divulge a little more about what my thoughts are about change.

How can we effect change in the lives of people when we ourselves are not a genuine person of prayerful character. If we ourselves want to create HUGE change in the world. The first step is creating HUGE change in ourselves.

Kindness: I believe is the single greatest asset to any one person out there. I believe that some of the greatest minds to ever create an effect of change did so not by simply creating a solution. They did so by creating in themselves something or someone different.

I cannot tell you the number of times I have sat back and looked at my own life and discovered the times that I have been most uneffective have been the times that I have been the most self focused.

What if every action we lived by was dictated by the needs of others? I think there could be a real world revolution on our hands if we spent our time acting/reacting to the needs, hopes, and joys of others and put everyone above ourselves.

I heard a great comment from a friend of mine. He told me as we were leaving a trip that he wanted to spend every breath out serving his wife. What if we chose that type of lifestyle for our families, marriages, and children? What if other people felt the serving of Christ through us by our EVERY action? Talk about life changing?!?

God Lives Under the Bed

2008-10-07T12:43:00.003-05:00

Disclaimer: "This story is not my own. I received it from a friend of mine and wanted to pass this message along to all of you."

I envy Kevin. My brother Kevin thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night. He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed...' I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room.

Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in. He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways inwhich he is an adult. He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under hisbed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree everyChristmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carrythem.

I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life? Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed. The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child. He does not seem dissatisfied. He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simplework. He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores. And Saturdays-oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go! ' Kevin shouts as he claps his hands. His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.

And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips. He doesn't know what it means to be discontent. His life is simple. He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be. His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it. He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax. He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure. He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue. Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere.

And he trusts God. Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion. In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity I envy thesecurity Kevin has in his simple faith. It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divineknowledge that rises above my mortal questions It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap . I am.

My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn?After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God. And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed. Kevin won't be surprised at all!

Never Underestimate The Power of Sitting With Someone!

2008-09-24T11:58:00.003-05:00

I learned a valuable nugget of truth this week. One of which I wanted to share with you. People need to feel loved. Boom... bang... I said it. You heard it. People need to feel loved.

There is no greater piece of truth in youth ministry and life in general than to say; People need to feel loved.

Most of the people that know me would be quick to tell you that I can talk to a wall...and get a conversation back. I love to talk to people. I simply love hearing about how their world is going and spending time just digging deeper into their lives. This week I learned something challenging.

Some people don't want to talk. Some stories are too hard to tell, and sometimes they just can't put their thoughts into words. To some people, sharing isn't about talking. It's simply existing in their world alongside of them.

I think my common misnomer about Youth Ministry is that it is often my job to let them talk and to ask questions that make them open up. I learned this week that my job is also to exist alongside of them. Someone once told me that sometimes the best words spoken are the ones that are spoken in silence. This week I resonate with that statement. I am learning how to speak silence instead of talking people's ears off.

I think all to often we are asked to speak truth into someone's life by our professional calling. I am thinking that is not always our job. I think the best ministry Jesus did was to come alongside people when they needed it and to simply coexist with them. I love that idea.

Who in your personal life needs a friend to just exist with them? How can we be better at sharing that love with people?

This is Most Certainly True: Luther's Small Dictionary

2008-09-22T11:03:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the next installment of Luther's Dictionary. Yes, that's right... we really are a cluster of unique people! Welcome to the letter F!

F. Melius: The real father of four-part Lutheran harmony who was probably easier to get to know on a first name basis than Martin Luther. People who sang under F. Melius- or wished they had- never refered to him as "Dr. Christiansen." Same thing with his son, the next father of Lutheran music, who was best known as "Paul J." We always called Martin Luther, "Luther" and never just "Martin." (On a side note...phenomanal musicians!)

Featured Speaker: Someone from out of the country who drives a newer model car and has a high opinion of himself.

Fellowship Buffet: A high church word for "pot-luck."

Fidget: What little Lutherans do when the sermon is too long, and what older Lutheran's do when it hits too close to home.

Fig Leaf: An Early Christian jockstrap more for cover-up than for comfort or protection.

Final Resting Place: A misnomer for "cemetary" because real Lutherans know this isn't really final.

Flamboyant: This is not a Lutheran word.

Flashy Dresser: This is not a Lutheran word either!

Flour Sack: The container for the most Lutheran staple of all, flour. These containers were washed up and used to sew little girl's dresses and for sewing aproons to sell at the bazaar.

Folding Table: How Lutheran's pronounce "card table" when they are in church.

Free Will Offering: A misnomer because it was never "free," and Lutherans weren't usually that willing.

Frugal: Another Lutheran virtue that began in the Old Country and was given a booster shot during the Depression.

Fun and Games: Among Lutherans this phrase is used infrequently.

This lesson is also brought to you by the number 3. Yes, that is in direct corrolation to the trinity!

Kickoff Evening

2008-09-03T12:28:00.002-05:00

Tonights the big night. Lots of young adults coming into the church for the evening. The opportunity to rebuild connections lost from the summer and the chance to hear about all of the exciting adventures of the summer months.

To be honest. Kind of nervous. On one hand I think this year is going to be completely amazing. On the other... I am a little overwhelmed about what is going to happen. (Which makes me a little nervous) We are planning somethings that are off the wall amazing for this year...and doing somethings foundationally important to the year.

I am thrilled beyond measure about being led to this church and learning to trust God's direction in the plan. Here is to chasing something extraordinary.

Wedding Slideshow!

2008-08-26T10:35:00.004-05:00

For all of the people that have been asking about our wedding pictures here is a link to the slideshow that we received from our photographer. If you want to view it just follow the link. We received 688 pictures from her. This is just a small portion of the ones she took.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcvs28T0jEE

If you want an awesome photographer check out the website. http://www.hlynnphoto.com/ Heather is phenomonal to work with and has an amazing eye for pictures!

Enjoy!

The Televangelists Guide to Rappers

2008-08-18T13:05:00.003-05:00

So I have been reading this blog for quite a while now and today found a posting that pretty much made my day. *For those that know me...you may realize that isn't hard.*

I saw this post and just about fell out of my chair. One of the struggles that I have is dealing with the world of Televangelists. For those that enjoy watching their shows please take my thoughts with a grain of salt. I really struggle with these shows because they paint a picture of Faith that is rather scary.

My favorite one to poke fun of is the guy in the white suit who smacks people on the forehead and says "you have been healed by the holy spirit.... they fall down on the ground...and Miraculously they are healed!!! Amen!!!" yeah...and I have flying monkeys in my back pocket.

I know...I know... I am a cynic. I do believe that the holy spirit works in incredible ways. Don't get me wrong... But really??!?! Or my other favorite lately is the guys that say...for $20 God will do something miraculous thing in your life. If God could be bought... hey..wouldn't everyone have everything?

That's why when it came time to write the rappers guide to televangelists, I
felt highly qualified. I started researching and the similarities between the
two groups are pretty staggering. The easy answer is that both groups like to
bling. That's true, some televangelists have been accused of living by the Wu
Tang Clan motto, CREAM or Cash Rules Everything Around Me. I think there are
some good televangelists too though. And I can't hate the ones that blew it in
big ways. I can be a jerk with a nickel in my pocket and two people asking me
for an opinion. I can't imagine the temptation that would come with sitting on
top of a television empire with wheelbarrows of cash and thousands of people
thinking I was special.So instead of throwing rocks at the televangelists, I
thought I would throw rappers at them, and create a guide that will help you
remember the different types of televangelists you'll run in to.

1. The LL Cool J Televangelist

LL Cool J, or Ladies Love Cool James, or Uncle L if you will, has
always been known for his physical strength. He was never the "I gotta gun" type
of rapper but was instead content to wear sleeveless shirts and let his ability
to do many, many push ups speak for itself. His biggest song is "Mama said knock
you out" and if I am ever allowed to produce a program for a televangelist,
that's the song he's coming out to. Especially if he likes to perform leg drops
on stage or is known for intense worship services. The LL Cool J Televangelist
doesn't just put
the devil on notice, he puts him in a choke hold and then breaks an acoustic
guitar over his head. That's how he rolls.

Stuff like this makes me laugh simply because it is the reality in which we live. Let's pervert everything simply because its easier then facing reality. God doesn't work through them any more then he works through your own life. Check out the blog for more "Rapper Evangelists"

This Is Most Certainly True: Luther's Small Dictionary

2008-08-14T11:27:00.002-05:00

Here is volume two of this series about Lutheran's and thier own humor.

Ecumenical: One of those things that sounds better than it really is, kind of like a "free lunch."

Educational Hour: A high church word for "Sunday School."

Egg Coffee: Coffee that is boiled in white enamel pots with raw eggs. Just the smell of it drifting up to the sanctuary from the basement of the church is enough to make any good pastor shorten her up a bit and get down to what a funeral is all about- eating and drinking coffee with the neighbors. (Bit of truth. They actually do make this coffee....and it would make me shorten anything up to accomodate.)

Engagement: This does not mean 'meeting' or 'appointment' in Lutheran language. It means that Sylvia has promised to marry Darrel and settle down on the homeplace.

Excelsis: A word we sing at Christmas that is probably Latin for 'egg shells.'

This Is Most Certainly True: Luther's Small Dictionary

2008-08-13T12:50:00.004-05:00

I received this incredible book from a very dear friend of mine that made me laugh. The title of the book is This is Most Certainly True: Luther's Small Dictionary. The reason that I laugh is that this book is an entire dictionary relating to how "Lutheran" we have come to be. It is as if it makes Lutherans and Lutheran Theology a stodgy approach to religion and the world. It makes me laugh because while this was a similar mindset to the church that I grew up in it no longer reflects what I have seen the Lutheran church becoming in the world today. The entire book makes light of the Lutheran approach to words commonly used in the church basement mostly. For the next couple of weeks I wanted to give you a few samples of some of the terms in the book for you to enjoy!

Caroling: A sanctioned winter evening activity for Lutheran junior high kids, regardless of singing ability or voice change, who stand half in and half out of the doorway, get some fruitcake, shake a frail hand, and end with the secular son, 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas.'

Casserole: High church word for "Hotdish"

Beeswax: A politically-correct Lutheran way to say "business," as in "It's non of your beeswax."

Bouquet: A vital Lutheran decoration for important church functions and, while it is mandated that the bride toss her bouquet, the groom must not toss his cookies.

Damnation: Eternal punishment, not a country.

Dragon: 1. A sea monster in the 'Book of Psalms.' 2. What a bad sermon seems to do.

Dust: The origin of mankind, and the downfall of Lutheran women.

Back Home Again

2008-08-06T12:14:00.002-05:00

Finally, after 4 weeks of mass chaos I can claim to be back in the office mentally, phisically, and emotionaly. Here has been the chaos of my schedule. Which is rather exciting but rather hectic.

Boundary Waters Trip
Week in the Office
Wedding
Honeymoon
Week in the Office
Mission Trip
Back home for a while.

I love being gone. Experiencing the world and living a fantastic ministry filled life. But, boy do I love the feeling of coming home from all of it to a normal routine. I will fill you in a little more about the mission trip later this week or even yet today! Thanks for being patient and taking the time to read through the blogs as we go!

That Genuine Something

2008-07-20T15:13:00.005-05:00

Welcome to the world of ministry. You are here. You have survived. There are a number of things that I want to tell you. I know you are pursuing your heart. I know you are pursuing ministry because I have called you out of darkness to share a marvelous light. I know that you are anxious to go "save the world" but there are a few important things that you need to hear before we get there.

First, I love you! Nothing can separate you from the love that I have for you. No matter how many days in the dark you may have in the ministry field know that I love you more than life itself. I promise you that I will never leave the grumpy parent, upset boss, or frustrating day in the office come between you and I. Just know that you may have those days. Life isn't always bliss or joys. Sometimes the rough patches lead to inspiration and wisdom. Some days those experiences will tear you down so that I can build you up. Keep heart... hold your head up high...and remember regardless of the things you experience... my love is ALWAYS there.

Second, I enjoy a good conversation from time to time. It may seem as though I have run off into some distant place. But know that I haven't gone anywhere. Just waiting for you to open up and let me come in. I love great conversations. It doesn't have to be fluffy or with great sentence structure...to be honest... doesn't matter as long as it is real, genuine and honest. I would love to talk to you more and hear the good, the bad and the ugly of whats happening in your world. Care to do coffee?

Third, please use the gifts I have given you. Whatever your challenged with... remember I have equipped you. There isn't something you will encounter that I haven't given you the tools to work around. This however does not mean that YOU are the only one that can fix it....it means I have given you the opportunity to find a way to make it work. Wrap your head around that for a moment. Use the gifts I have gifted you with... it always works out better that way!

Remember that sometimes you have to hear the hard stuff in order to find out where you are at. It can definitely mean that you must deal with the stuff you don't want to in order to find the things that define you. Ministry is about molding not about blanking the slate and starting fresh. If that were the case...you would have been wiped out and started over countless times. Sometimes the potter has to "work" the clay in order to make something beautiful. Just remember the molding sometimes can be gentle, sometimes difficult. It completely depends how much you are willing to be manipulated.

But most of all... I am here! Know that I love you, want you to succeed, and cherish you above all else.

~God

July 4th 2008

2008-07-06T08:51:00.005-05:00

Another Gem from ASBO Jesus

2008-06-30T13:11:00.001-05:00

Let Justice Flow Down Like a Mighty Water (Making A Difference)

2008-06-27T14:33:00.005-05:00

"Without justice, there can be no peace. He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps perpetrate it." -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Social justice is a topic that weighs heavily on my heart. However, in recent years this type of concern has become as much a buzzword, or jargon as everyday common use circumstances. It bothers me that celebrities have become so engrossed in the social Justice hype that they make it a show. It is rather depressing that these people are by their own inaction as much of a problem as those that are committing these crimes.

By passively ignoring the problem. We have become the problem. Think with me for a brief second. If we were actively pursuing situations where people are in need of help; actively seeking a place to build into people's lives. Could injustice happen in the world? If we instead of hording all of our goods shared the wealth could there be people who are manipulated because they are without? Lets face it. We are as much the problem as we are the solution.

So how do we as Christians combat injustice? Well, for one thing we must agree that this is a momentous effort that we have to work together on. If we fail to bridge faith communities, argue about a method to go about it, or ignore people who may have a need we fail everyone.

The path to working through justice is through education. A majority of people do not see the problems that are out there. (Including me) There are TONS of resources out there if we open our eyes. Check out a few of these sites and start thinking of a way to implement these things into your youth group or church.

http://www.childrenofthelightdancers.org/

http://www.ijm.org/

http://www.love146.org/

http://www.studentsforlife.org/

http://www.persecution.com/

Or be completely creative and trying something outlandishly new to bring about change. Whatever you do keep your heart and mind focused on God and how he will or could use it to make a huge difference.

Boundary Waters Excursion

2008-06-27T09:59:00.005-05:00

Well, we successfully navigated the Boundary Waters. What an awesome trip. We had a lot of randomness on the trip that pretty much made the trip. Here are a few highlights of our week out.

We paddled a grand total of 24 miles in 4 days.

One group sunk their water purifier the first day..and most of themselves. (man I would have loved to have seen that)

Portaged through mud up to our knees and partially up to our elbows. (never lose a shoe in the mud)

Carried packs heavier then some of the students

Got ravagely attacked by bugs and insects.

Saw a bear, saw a moose.

Jared pulled up a northern about a quarter the size of his canoe.

Ate some weird food...some good...some terrible.

Had a blast. Here are some pics

Boundary Waters

2008-06-14T19:38:00.001-05:00

hey all, I will be out of the blogging world for a week while I am up at the boundary waters! See you all on Friday/Saturday... if I make it out alive!

Wedding Verses

2008-06-12T23:15:00.003-05:00

Does anyone know any really good verses to use for a wedding? Trying to get some ideas about some good ones. (Besides the obvious 1 Corinthians 13)

I am discovering that I am really picky and can't make up my mind. So does anyone have any other insight as to something that would be really good to use? If you give a verse...why did you pick it and what makes you like that verse!

Thanks all!

Wedding Bells

2008-06-12T23:05:00.003-05:00

So I will have to apologize for the fact that over the next couple of weeks my blog will probably be having a lot of things on it about wedding plans. I am thrilled to let people know about something extraordinary in my life! I get to... in 30 days marry the absolute love of my life. I know that she probably is going to hate me for even posting about this! Oh well, welcome to ministry life.

I am soooooooo excited about being able to share the rest of my life with the woman of my dreams. In 30 days I will be able to walk alongside her in all of the exciting things in our lives.

Granted I am a little nervous about the whole thing...simply because I have a lot of things happening in my life between now and the wedding.

Here is just a glimpse:
1. Boundary water trip...gone for 6 days.
2. Wedding shower by the youth from the church...exciting!
3. Wedding shower by Ellie's sister and family...awesome!
4. Planning for a mission trip by the end of the month
5. Church 2 nights a week plus Sundays.
6. Bowling night the Sunday immediately following the Boundary Waters trip.

Just to name a few major things going on. Granted, I am thrilled to be doing it all! I love the ability to work, and to have things happening in my life! I am just praying for newness of strength and enough energy to survive.

A Beautiful Letdown

2008-06-09T13:05:00.004-05:00

I received an email about midway through last week by a reader from Colorado asking about letting volunteers fail in ministry life. The question was... "I have a volunteer that regularly wants to participate and take an active part in the life of my youth ministry program. The problem that typically happens is that I give her a task and about a week into the task does one of two things. A) hands the task back saying "I can't accomplish this I don't have time or B) the job gets taken over by me about 3/4 of the way through the project. How would you approach this situation? Or, how would you let this volunteer fail?"

After a lot of pondering I have a couple of responses. My first gut response is to tell you to immediately stop giving this person tasks. My second more ministry minded response is to actually keep involving this person.

Here is why: I believe that people start out in ministry situation with the best of intentions. Everyone's heart is in the correct place. Let's face it. Ministry happens simply because we have a desire to work together towards the common good of people. Whatever the event or volunteer situation there are a great deal of things to prayerfully consider.

1. Is the task I am giving this volunteer requiring of them too much time or energy. (If I were doing it could I do it alone?) Is this a prime place to include 2 or more people for the task at hand?

2. If I were to take this away from a volunteer what would they learn in the end? Sometimes we as youth leaders need to create a healthy balance of lessons learned and helping hands. Just like students if we were to take away projects we therefore take the lesson out of their hands.

Instead of taking it out of their hand help create a "work alongside of you" mindset. We have to be graceful enough to allow volunteers to fail yet at the same time helping them to become better at what they do for next time.

Leading volunteers is hard work. Remember that your actions to volunteers speak the same language as your actions to students. Many times students feel they can do the same thing as adults. So if you let someone back out or leave then it does you no good. Students will retain the message you gave your volunteers. Keep plugging away and remember that teams of people are far more effective than just one or two volunteers.

Out of The Blogging Realm

2008-06-06T11:55:00.001-05:00

Hello!

I am just letting people know that I will be out of the blogging realm until after the weekend is up. Should be back with some new stuff on Monday! Have a fantastic weekend all!

Randomness

2008-06-05T14:08:00.001-05:00

So I had this random thought over the last couple of days. Kind of weird. Realizing that my mom and sister wont actually be able to see my wedding! Wowza.

Anyway...nuff sob stuff. Have a great day!

Hillsong's Mighty to Save

2008-06-03T14:46:00.003-05:00

I heard this song for the first time today. I cannot tell you how much it speaks into my life right now. Amidst all of the struggles, challenges and flat out frustrations. I find something like this that is a breath giving truth in my life. Check out the song if you can! AMAZING!

Everyone needs compassion
A love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
A kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations

Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is Mighty to save
He is Mighty to save
Forever
Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing for the glory of the risen King...Jesus

Father Surround Them With Your Love (Making A Difference)

2008-06-03T14:02:00.005-05:00

Can you imagine living without anything but the clothes on your back? Can you fathom feeling neglected, worn out, distraught, or frustrated because you have no concept of hope? What if every person you met passed you by without the slightest hint of interest?

Why do we as a people of God neglect those we come into contact with? I think becoming a person of change requires us to step boldly into new positions of uncomfort. So why on earth would I say this? I think in order to make a difference in a person's life you have to own a piece of that person. So how do you instigate that type of change?

Simple, invest fully in the lives of others. That means whenever you make a connection, make a contact or make a commitment: LIVE IT FULLY! Own a life as deeply as you own your own.

Change in Christ's teachings didn't come as a passing thought. He never looked at a person and claimed to heal them. He instead invests in each person he comes into contact with then makes a healing touch. People have a deep longing to be loved and understood. Helping someone needs to be more than a mere fleeting, passing thought. If you truly want to make a lasting difference in someone elses life you must invest fully in what they are about.

Sometimes that means bridging a deeper connection rather than just a simple hand someone a meal. Our jobs are to love someone without limitations, conditions or difference. If we do that... the possibilities are endless.

Making A Difference

2008-06-02T15:52:00.005-05:00

"We are too young to know that some things are impossible, so we will do them anyway."

--William Pitt Amazing Grace

Have you ever sat and pondered what it means to have a dream to help people? How about so radically moved that you drop everything and help people with no thought for yourself?

What if we lived and breathed a helping hand? What if our actions spoke louder then our words? What if we did more to help people then just throw another dollar at them?

Now before anyone goes and hangs me... let me take you a step into my heart. I believe that we are called to be radically different in our serving. I am not talking about the warm fuzzy feeling you get from helping others who are less fortunate. Nor am I talking about serving one week on a mission trip and going back to the comforts of our own homes. I am talking about making a radical difference without boundaries.

So how on earth would one go about making a difference that is life changing?

The change begins with you! I find myself over and over again thinking about the way I react to the messages on Sunday morning. I love to think of myself as a Sunday morning saint...with Monday morning limitations. My actions, heart and passion flows freely on Sunday without hesitation. When it comes to Monday...well, that is another story. I have upper days that I feel equipped and ready to do anything. Then I have downer days that I wish I had a better clue how to exist in my world.

The real element of change comes in rethinking how you address yourself. Remember that God uses sinners as much as saints. Most of his disciples had Monday morning problems. In fact most of them felt insecure about themselves. Rarely do you see a person in the bible who has taken up their cross complain about not being adequate. Once given a gift...they utilize it. They don't second guess if that gift is really what it is.

So what does someone who sets themselves up to make a difference look like?

- People who love God radically and translate that into real actions both in their own lives and the lives of others.

- People who know in order to translate that love into action you must know God personally and study His teachings.

- Lead by serving humbly.

- People willing to work alongside Christians and non Christians to accomplish a change.

- Someone willing to hold no boundaries to the possibilities of change. Willing to challenge ideals and to fight for what they believe in.

How would you consider yourself? Do you see yourself willing to be a difference maker or a person afraid of what serving without limitations might mean?

Lighting Up The Darkness

2008-05-31T04:21:00.005-05:00

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let you light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matt. 5:13-16)

As I am writing this I am realizing some simple things. It is 3:40am and all of my Lock-in students are asleep. (5th/6th graders are fun!) I am rethinking the events over the last 3 weeks and realizing that there is a great deal of joy/excitement played into the lives of students in the community of Becker.

Due to the amazing work of all of the youth leaders and faith communities of Becker lives were impacted in some pretty radical ways. Our first nights event (3 weeks ago) was to help the community in which we worship with a simple act of service to our church. Our Second nights event (2 weeks ago) was to reach the city in which we live through service and community building. Last week we breathed into the lives of students some honest wisdom and understanding.

I believe one of the greatest challenges facing churches across all denominations is an unwillingness to cross over denominational borders and to invest in reaching people with a life giving message.

So, how could we accomplish a task that challenges and uplifts the real message of Christ to ALL the world? (Please understand these are my personal thoughts coming out of seeing so much frustration)

1. Agree that we will not always agree on each element of faith. If we agree that we have differences we set ourselves up to see the similarities of our faiths instead of the small reasons we disagree.

2. Agree that the guiding principles are biblically founded. If we agree to teach the messages of Jesus to the way scripture portrays it we set ourselves up for success. If we teach our own personal takes on scripture then we are leaving a lot of GRAY matter with faith. If we stick to the word of God being truth then we are agreeing on teachings.

3. Agree that your way isn't the only way. A majority of the times that I am finding things challenging it requests of me a need to evaluate how I am handling not getting my own way. I am learning that things aren't always done the way that I do them and that is probably OK.

4. Place value on differences. Embracing differences means that you may in essence be solidifying your own sets of beliefs. If your faith system doesn't always jive its probably OK to allow a new thought to enter your mind to either challenge your thoughts or to reaffirm why it is you believe your own system.

5. Spend time in prayer. God doesn't want us to come together without Him. The simple truth is that we spend so little time praying for other people in differing denominations and uplifting their call on their life that we neglect to Thank God for people who can help minister/pray/ support and encourage us during our own ministry situations. If we put prayer in the front of each of our communications then we put God in the center of our struggles and challenges in bridging faith communities.

6. Embrace the different and unique set of gifts God brings into the community. I firmly believe that God wants us to work alongside eachother so that we do not hide His light. In doing so it requires unique gifts that we can't always bring to the table on our own.

I really think that God is asking a generation of believers to lay aside our differences and start bridging faith communities to build His Kingdom. We can't do that alone and we only serve to harm one another if we look down on one another. Our role is to be a light to the world not to be a light to our denomination. We are called to go and make disciples of all nations...not disciples of all Lutherans or Catholics or Evangelical Free'ers. There is a bigger picture that we can't actually do ourselves. We need to begin a process of working alongside one another.

Your What Hurts?

2008-05-29T16:25:00.002-05:00

Ok. So my rather stupid moment of the last couple of days has been to revert back to my childhood. For a few youth workers in my area I apologize for being way back in my younger dumber days.

You know what I mean. Those sayings or phrases from way back when that long should have been forgotten. Like when someone talks...and your comment is to say... Your what hurts?

Now I need to go back through all of my things and find some other REALLY dumb sayings to try out again. What other things did people say that was stupidly funny?

Oh for being young and immature. Seems to be the story of my month/week/life.

"You can only be young once, but you can be immature forever."

Conversations with God

2008-05-27T19:24:00.005-05:00

What if God were calling you to take a seat today and spend time just chatting with him? Would you have extra time in your day to spend in prayer? How about that elusive moment where we pause everything, turn off all of the distractions and just carry on a conversation?

Why do we often treat God as a passing thought?

I honestly wish that stopping everything to give God my undivided attention came easily. I think that I want to rush out and just do and be instead of spending time in conversation with God first. No wonder I feel stressed, tired our exhausted.

Maybe I need to stop running out there and spend more time sitting on the bench and talking with my creator.

Ruah~ Catch Your Breath

2008-05-27T19:09:00.004-05:00

Have you ever watched how a fire breathes? It's no easy task getting a fire started. At first your initial response is to add more wood, maybe some girl scout juice (Gasoline) and a few more matches.

The beautiful thing about fires is that they can't survive without oxygen. If air isn't flowing then they suffocate and die. When a fire is roaring it's basic instinct is to draw more air into its mixture and fuel itself.

Aren't we the same way? Isn't our lung capacity that which keeps us functioning? Our faith life needs a rejuvinating breath once in a while. We need to breath deeply and to fill our lungs to capacity so that we can then breath that life out into the world.

I think this month I am learning for myself how to breath deeply the riches of God. I am learning about taking more of a breath of heaven and less of the things that take my breath away. I want to have a Christ giving breath for the world. I love that notion of breathing richly the presence of God and making a difference in the world in which we live.

Tomorrow night is the final night of our RUAH for the city of Becker. I am praying that students will catch a life giving breath over the next 72 hours. No more giving into things like drinking, partying, destroying yourself for the next popularity contest. I am hoping that students walk away with a fresh breath of Christ that doesn't bow down to all of the worldly things but catches a glimpse of LIFE abundant. That is my hope and prayer. I hope Christ does something incredible this week!

What happens when 8 youth leaders/pastors come out swinging?

2008-05-22T13:00:00.003-05:00

RUAH! What it means: CHRIST in ACTION!

Last night 225 students plus a large number of adults met the city of Becker with full force. Breathing new life into a city by their actions. To put this into perspective here are some of what students accomplished.

1. Visiting with a senior center
2. Viting a boarding house
3. Revitalizing a garden/ building a flower box
4. Collecting food for the local food shelf
5. Packed close to 6,000 meals for Kids Against Hunger
6. Picked up garbage in 2 city parks
7. Picked up garbage around all three of the local school and the community center.
8. Delivered letters of encouragement to local pastors

Just to name a few things! When faith communities bridge connections the possibilities are endless. When people are given a chance to hear the message of Jesus Christ through actions and through energies! I am PROUD to work with some of the best youth leaders in the area to make a huge difference! Next week we plan to rock out and to hang out and hear what God is doing!

Why The New Blog Name?

2008-05-13T14:59:00.002-05:00

Why on earth would I change a blog name after its already been created? For a couple of great reasons.

1. I realized today that there is a student in the town I work in starting a band with my blogs name. Cool thing. Great guy with great music. Check him out on myspace. An attempt at being honest is the musician name.

2. I believe that I am in a place called surrender in my life right now. Surrender is a great thing in my own heart and something that I need to remember. God's direction, provision, and guidance should be all that we need! I personally only manage to get things mixed up and screwed up if I am trying to be in charge.

3. I just felt like it.

Hopefully this will keep the content consistent!

When God Calls You Through A Storm

2008-05-12T14:12:00.003-05:00

Thunderstorms happen to be one of my favorite things in the world. I am pretty sure that I am addicted to the beauty and power caused by one of these things. I think it comes from standing out at the top of the hill behind my parents home and watching thunderstorms roll across the fields. There are so many incredible things to witness in each of these splendid things.

Let's face it though. Storms can scare the heck out of a lot of people. Facing the uncertainty of a storm is a challenging concept. What if a Tornado rolls through my house, or what if lightning strikes my home? The shear noise and strength of a storm scares most people. The uncertain outcome of a storm can rock the foundation on which we stand. We tend to cower in fear rather then run out to the top of a hill to witness the beauty of it.

I have had this funny feeling that although I am a storm chaser by addiction. I am a storm fearing person in my personal life. I hate the feeling of being inadequate. I hate the feeling of not having the power to stand out there and let things hit me. I hate not having control over my world. (Maybe this is a sign of a control freak...could be?)

I have often wondered if I would be willing to stand outside in the middle of a personal challenge and be able to face my fear? I have asked myself a lot of questions about being a storm chaser vs. hiding in the corner during a storm.

I want to spend the rest of my time on this earth chasing storms....not hiding in the corner. Why? Because I think God has a lesson in the storms. In the middle of all of the chaos and uncertainty is beauty. In the middle of struggle there is joy. (Just not apparent during the storm.) In the midst of fear there is comfort.

The God I serve is bigger then my storms. The God I love isn't going to let something rip me apart without something to heal the scars. The God I serve is amongst the beauty rather then in the chaos. That is the God I worship. That is the God who makes the broken whole and who can give life where there is death.

What storms are you facing and where in those storms is the beauty of God? It's evident if we just spend some time looking for it.

50 in 3 Week 1 Results

2008-05-08T11:34:00.004-05:00

Well, so the good news is off to a great start! Week one is proving that having some changes produces results. I started out a week ago yesterday at 330lbs. Trust me...not a weight that I am proud of. As of this morning the results seem to be working...at least for me.

So what on earth am I doing differently?

Cut down on the amount of food I eat. (working with getting closer to 1195 calories per day)
Basically cut out soda (strong addiction) I still have a can..but only 1 per day instead of 3 or 4. Drinking more water in place of soda.
Very rarely have sweets.
Including more vegetables and fruits in my diet
Spending more time exercising and less time sitting on my butt.

So what have the results in one week proved:
As of today I am 5 pounds lighter.
As of today I feel a little healthier.
As of today I found a little more energy for the week.

I have no doubt this is going to be a difficult process. I also know that it is something that I would rather do now instead of pay for it later. Check out http://www.thedailyplate.com/ for a wealth of ideas on how to get healthy in a hurry. Thanks Hannah for the suggestion! It's working!

Engagement Session with Heather Lynn Photography!

2008-05-02T09:24:00.003-05:00

We had the unique privilage of working with Heather Lynn Photography a few weeks ago and it was well worth anything (including freezing my butt off!) I would HIGHLY recommend her skills as a photographer! I am really impressed with the work we have received thus far and wanted to share a few pictures that she took with you! Check out her website at www.HlynnPhoto.com! Let her know you checked out the pictures here!

I will gladly do business with her again!

My Own Personal Journey to 100

2008-05-02T00:55:00.002-05:00

Tonight or rather I should say this morning begins my own personal Journey to 100. With the thought process of being awake, thinking about my own personal struggles and my need to get healthy; I decided tonight that I need to set a goal and strive forward with it.

So, I am borrowing some insight from other people that have had their own personal struggles, setting up some personal goals, and striving for a personal level of excellence. I wanted to set my goal that over the next 3 months I would like to lose some weight. Right now I am sitting at a weight of 330. Its my personal goal to drop 50 pounds over the next 3 months and to get healthy in the process.

So, how does one do this..... to be honest... I have NO CLUE! So, I m going to be bugging a lot of people in the know and start off by starting a regular work out routine...daily!

Please keep me in prayer during this process.

Sheer and Utter Boredom

2008-04-09T15:19:00.002-05:00

I am in my office today. Twiddling my thumbs. I worked to hard this morning and got way to many things done within a short amount of time. I wonder if I can make pencils stick in my ceiling?

Hmmm...thoughts to ponder

Stressed??!!??

2008-03-06T11:13:00.003-06:00

After a few conversations with parents, students, and youth workers I decided that it would be fun to ask some questions about being stressed out. There seems to be this overwhelming sense of stress resounding among people today that we cannot seem to get control of. Lives are more and more busy, hurried, drawn out and not all together conducive to being relaxed. People are busier than ever and not taking time to find their center.

Before anyone bites my head off let me explain!!!!! I am a stressed out person! I didn't decide to write this blog thinking that I have all of the answers.... I just have thoughtful suggestions.

1. Pray: Before you begin each day start out with the right attitude. This day isn't about you or what you accomplish. It's about living a life God would want you to enjoy. I highly doubt God puts it in His agenda that you start the day feeling highly anxious. I think God would rather take delight in your spending time to relax, meditate, and pray. Start off the day with the right foot for the right reason.

2. Prioritize: We are each given the exact same number of hours in the day to accomplish everything needed. Make a list of what needs to be done and start with the most important. Whether its on the PDA, Computer, note pad, or in your head. Make a list. Include in that list time to spend focusing on YOUR OWN needs. Remember that if you are stressed out your kids, family, and everyone else will feel your stress as well.

3. Ditch Worry: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear... Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?... But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow has enough worries of its own. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:25, 27, 33-34. Let's face it. We worry about stuff in our lives that doesn't need to have a place or purpose for running our decisions. How many times do we let things that are unimportant or cannot be solved this moment dictate the rest of our actions.

Think about the number of times we let things in our lives dictate our actions that probably aren't that important. We yell at our kids or parents about things they fail to do instead of complimenting them on things that they do well. We argue over things like the garbage being taken out and we worry about what will happen at work tomorrow because we didn't get something done instead of thinking about how to finish it in the morning.

4. You Can't Do Everything: As youth leaders this is a hard one to digest. We often think we are invincible and able to do everything at any time. As parents we want to be there for everything from kids, to work, to friends, to life. As students we want to be involved in the things we enjoy, friends lives, events and activities. You Can't Do it All! Let's face it. We constatly fill our schedules with tediousness instead of taking the time to smell the roses.

6. Stop And Be Silent: Ever wanted to know how busy you get. Most people don't even realize that this post is missing 5. We read through it so fast we miss the fact that things change around us. Have you ever just stopped in the middle of your day and done nothing. (NO I do not mean take a nap and get away with it!) Just stop....do nothing... and see if you can stay focused for 5 minutes and think about nothing, do nothing and just relax.

7. CHILL OUT: Where is your down time? What is your Sabbath? Do you have a whole day devoted to just taking a break from it all? WHY NOT!!!!!!! I highly doubt anything in your life is sooooooo vitally important that you can't just spend time with people you love without worrying or stressing or running to make it happen.

8. PLAY! I am learning that I really love being a kid! I am 26... I want to be adult immature until the day I die! I want to go play a game of pickup softball simply because I can. I want to enjoy laughing so hard I cry and more importantly I want to make sure there is soooo much time in my life that I can smile I enjoy it!

These are just my random thoughts coming out. What do you think? How do you take the edge off of the worry and stress in your life?

I Love My Staff

2008-03-05T13:47:00.001-06:00

Just thought I would brag for just a brief moment. I really do think the world of the staff I work with. I am BEYOND thrilled to work with a staff that challenges me to think beyond where I am personally.

I't exciting to be a part of a staff that can sit down and have a faith discussion without feeling aggrivated, upset or slighted. It's exciting to work in an environment that challenges me to go deeper in my faith.

Thank you to them for being honest, wonderful and sincere!

It's Official

2008-03-03T14:53:00.004-06:00

Because so many people have asked me for the story I thought I would put it up today so that people can see.

Yes, on Feb 9th I made it official for Ellie and I. We are engaged. Here is the story for anyone that wants to know my side :-)

Friday Night:
I had 2 wondeful girls come over and get keys and drop of 13 roses for Ellie at the church. They also got everything organized so that when we went to lunch they could come and set everything up for when we came back.

Saturday:
We had worship team practice in the morning. Then we went to lunch. Talked about our 5 year plan and spent some time just talking about us. (first time she tried to get out of the thing...she got a phone call to come babysit and was about to take it. I said NO!!!!)

After lunch I told her that I needed to go back and lock up the church. She was ok with that. So we went to the church. Meanwhile the kids from the church set up a powerpoint of us throughout the 4 years we have been dating. Music from our lives (songs we enjoy). and the flowers they picked up. We pulled into the lot and the girls hid upstairs. (Second time she tried to wreck it... she wasn't going to get out of the car.)

We walked into church...and she knew something was coming. So she started to cry and we watched the powerpoint and I asked her if I could be a permanent part of her 5 year plan. She said yes...and then I told her to turn around and look...she had an audience. The girls came down with signs that said... "Did you say yes" or "Say Yes"

It was great. She said yes..and we set the date for July 12th 2008!

Lenten Wisdom

2008-03-03T14:18:00.005-06:00

Lent, the season for reflection, challenge, and most of all, refreshment. One would think that without a doubt there would be some wisdom gained in understanding Lent with out having to feel this broken.

This is the first Lenten season in a long time that I personally feel drained. It seems as though this year I have had a giant target painted on my back that just says attack me. Whether that is my personal life, professional, or just the everyday mundane.

I am learning a lot about myself this year as I have had a chance to reflect openly about my life, my ambitions and what I really am.

So, with that in mind. What is it that I am learning?

I am learning...

I am not my problems... but, I am the solution to them. I screw up... ALOT... but my screwups this year have made me dependant on God for better solutions.

Being broken is not all its cracked up to be... I wish it could be easier to understand. Every time I feel that I have had a high...it's immediately followed by a low. I don't like learning this way.

Real friends are those that are honest. Speak the truth in love always. Even if it brutally hurts. I don't like hearing that I suck. But, the greatest piece of wisdom this season has come from people letting me know..I suck right now...just not always.

Love conquers all. Even me.

I am not perfect, have limitless energy and superman powers on top of that. I cannot do everything, even if I believe I can. I am not able to be everything to every one, and not everything I am doing will make sense even to me.

Most of all. I am learning to let go. To give up the sleepless nights, the need to impress, the need to feel perfect, and the need to fix everything. Today I am learning how to stop.

Thanks for being my inspiration and my hearts story. Thanks for teaching me.

Wednesday Night Alive

2008-01-16T10:40:00.000-06:00

I am incredibly excited about tonight. To see youth from all over central MN come together to share in an explosive ministry time and to come together to worship Christ with all of their being! Check these guys out. http://www.illustraterecords.com/ Wax Poetik is an amazing person! God is really going to use this ministry to shape some lives.

If you want holy hip-hop to hit your area these guys are worth checking out.

I will post videos for you to check out after the event.

Helpful Hints For Burning Out

2008-01-14T15:04:00.000-06:00

If you want a sure fire way to burn yourself out in ministry try a few helpful tips. These are not just random thoughts but they come from a person who has been a burned out youth leader as well as conversations with others who have been in the same boat.

1. Spend all of your time creating the program and little time asking God for help. -- After all you are the one in charge. Hired to create a ministry and have had all the training in ministry you could ever need. Who needs scripture, God or prayer? If you want to be successful pour all of you into the mix and let your thoughts and actions dictate the ministry.

2. Do all the work alone! -- It's easier to see success in ministry and often times less stress if you just do the work and be done with it. Plus then you might not have to actually talk to people!

3. Plan only for the events this month! -- That way if your plans need to change you can just throw it up into the air and not have to change your schedule to accomodate the job requirements.

4. Don't give yourself a social life! -- If you spend every waking moment in ministry the church will buy into the thought that you are willing to work tons of hours to see that ministry will succeed. You should also only make friends with people in the church. That way when you get busy...at least you will see your friends more!

5. Use your ministry as the only way to keep yourself physically fit! That way every time you do dodgeball or outdoor games then you can get your exercise. That's all your really need to wash away all that pizza, pop, candy and other junk food! Plus everyone loves a "buff" youth leader!

6. Evaluate your program based on numbers. Your numbers mean success. If you have 50 kids who think church is a place to play HALO it's better then 5 kids who can articulate scripture! Who needs depth in ministry? Flashy works better anyway! Numbers should be the only way to count a successful ministry.

7. Partnered with number 6. Play the comparisson game with other Youth Programs. If you want to be successful you darn well be the bigger, better and best one out there. Jealousy is a great way to create a successful program. It provides so much more than just the run of the mill stuff.

8. Don't be creative. Everyone loves the phrase "Thats the way we always do it!" Even kids have come to expect, and love doing the same thing every year. It makes them want to come and do things over and over and over again. It's easier for them to plan!

9. Create a ministry that only persues everyone elses passions. If you do people will LOVE it. Who needs a program that fits in your passions, needs or desires. It is so much easier to get people involved if you just do what they want! Who cares about you?

10. Never take a break! If we are supposed to rely on the strength of God shouldn't that mean we can go like the energizer bunny? God will provide you with all the breaks you need. Never quit, never give up, never surrender!

More to come later... other thoughts?

Where Love Finds A Home

2008-01-14T07:36:00.000-06:00

This past month it feels as though my prayers have been all over the place. Sometimes it seems as though they don't really make sense at all. My prayer life has lately been revolving around this notion of Love and why it seems so hard to love people that hurt us.

How can we as Christians love that which becomes unlovable? Why does this notion of Love have to be something that is unreachable or unachievable? Why does it honestly become so difficult to love people we can't understand?

I have youth who ask me questions about loving those that aren't lovable...what do we do? Maybe you've been in this situation... You begin to build a relationship with someone that you would call a friend. Shortly after this relationship begins they rip you apart and basically steal a part of you that you can never get back. What do you do? How about loving a person in this world that murders people? What about loving a person who treats you as though you don't exist? Where does God draw the line between those we are called to love and those we should give up hope on? How do you "love your neighbor as yourself when you don't love yourself?"

While I think these are all great questions and my heart goes out to people who struggle with answering these questions my heart has to ask a bigger question. Matthew 22:37-40 says "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Love the Lord your God with every ounce of your being. We love because love comes from God. God will teach us how to love ourselves in return. God never will tell us how unworthy of his love we are. He instead will always remind us that we are his creation filled with his love and called to share that to the world.

You want to know how to share LOVE with your neighbor. LOVE GOD! It is his abundance of Love and Grace that cause us to return that 100 fold to our neighbors. If you want to learn to love yourself. LOVE GOD. His return will teach you how wonderful of a creation you are. You want to love someone that is unlovable. Enter into the dirt as Christ did so that others may know his love. Get your heart a little dirty to find out how to love the unlovable. His love will fill you exceedingly and abundantly...if you let him in.

Back in the Blogging Realm

2008-01-02T10:48:00.000-06:00

Well, after a rather chaotic holiday I am back in the world and realm of blogging. It's great to go visit family but at the same time...its better to be back in a normal sort of world.

I realized through conversations that we had 5 days of christmas, 1 family birthday party, and then the New Years party with friends. In total I spent 7 days celebrating with friends and family! How cool is that?

Hope your new year starts off on a high note!

18 Months 3 days

2007-12-16T20:59:00.000-06:00

I just realized today that I have surpassed the national average for longevity in Youth Ministry. To be honest I was a little shocked to realize that I have been at this position for over 18 months.

It's not by my doing that I have been here. It's been completely God's direction and graceful abundance that I have even had a chance to be here.

Blessed Are Those Who Stand On Their Heads (Part 1 of 3)

2007-12-14T00:29:00.000-06:00

How did Jesus effectively train His leaders? He transformed their perspectives and attitudes forcing them out of their first impressions of what the world should be like. He spoke of being poor, being hungry, hated, insulted and persecuted and then he had the audacity to call each of these modern day insults a blessing. Effective leadership and training begins with a radical transformation of attitude and perspective. It begins by turning all beliefs and knowledge inside out.

I am learning to love the Beatitudes. Notice I said "learning to love." I will be the first to admit that the Beatitudes make me uneasy. To be honest they make me very uncomfortable. But the more I learn about their nature the more I am understanding what it means to learn like Christ.

To get into a little history here. The Beatitudes aren't that radical of a thought. People spoke the language of the Beatitudes in every day contexts. The manner in which they addressed issues were through the language of the Beatitudes. Examples such as: "Blessed are the wise for they shall never be fooled." "Blessed are the wealthy for they shall never know hunger." It was every day language spoken in normal form. Today we would look at this type of comment more as a side note then an actual conversation. The fact that Jesus uses them to flip the mindset of the culture shouldn't be all that surprising. Read through them as a first passing thought and then over the next few lessons lets begin a dialogue on what these are all about.

Then he opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

- Matthew 5: 2-12

The language is very simple. Blessed are those that are without because they know what it means to have nothing and desire everything. My pastor commented that the Beatitudes are Christ's way of saying if you have everything... then what desire would you have to have anything of Gods? If you have ever been in want or had a desire for something wouldn't you want to know more or how to attain it?

Why An Attempt at Being Honest?

2007-12-13T09:45:00.001-06:00

I received an email today asking me about the title of my blog and why I chose this title in regards to ministry. To put it boldly I put this title here because its one of my biggest frustrations in ministry. In my experience dealing with other youth leaders or other pastors they start playing the comparison game the moment that they begin a conversation. The conversations often get diluted with the fact that they may be serving more people or the fact that they may have a fantastically more glitzy program then yours.

What good does that do?!?!?

As I look over the conversations that I have had with other youth leaders throughout my tenure as a youth pastor. The ones that have stayed the course and not fallen into the trap of the comparison games have been the ones that I admire, respect and uphold as a believer with the right heart.

We are not in the business of "I'm Better Than You"

This past summer I began to partner with a youth ministry program in town. Her kids came out to my church and had such a blast because they connected with kids on some level that they had not done before and they now knew other kids in their school that they could connect with. Needless to say her kids came back to her church and said they had so much fun that they wanted to go back the next week and again after that. The other youth leader became jealous of my program. Well, two weeks later I had the exact same experience. We went... our kids wanted to go back. I became jealous.

Following that happening I went in and talked to the other youth leader and we started echoing the same thought. We had to step out of our own mindset of this is my program and start stepping into the mindset of connecting students on a very human basis. Think about how Paul's letters would have gone if he would have been jealous of other church communities connecting.

"Dear Brothers and Sisters in faith. I am not sending to you my beloved Timothy because you have more followers then I do and cooler programs." Probably would not have had the same effect. Paul was overjoyed that people where being fed. The REAL side of his letters is the fact that he works with them to strengthen their program and not berate them for not having the same numbers or things as he does. Paul's heart is the people and their spiritual walk.

My heart is to lay down the facade of "Better than yours ministry" and focus on reaching people for the Glory of God. I know that I can slip and go down this path as well so I spend my time and energy focusing on how I can better this nature in myself and to let God work through my faults. I want to attempt to be honest and let God keep my heart focused.

Blessed Are Those Who Stand On Their Heads

2007-12-12T13:48:00.001-06:00

Tonight for our Senior High program we are walking through the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. The more research and time that I have spent mulling over the Beatitudes the more my heart has wanted to share what I have read and spend some time dissecting it in the blog world.

I want to take the next few days/weeks or however long it takes to prayerfully consider and write on the Beatitudes and what things have been laying on my heart from these verses.

Enjoy and pray through them for your own insight

Prayer

2007-12-10T13:55:00.000-06:00

I love this clip about how God answers prayer. Thought you might enjoy it!

Positive Appreciation

2007-12-10T12:29:00.000-06:00

I read this blog by www.jaycurlee.blogspot.com and thought this is a very relevant post to have today as it parallels my work devotions for the day!

As we go about our day-to-day with our families, our staffs and even our friends, we must realize that on a daily basis we are adding to people. You see, every minute of every day that you spend with people you are either adding COST or adding VALUE.

As you wake up and see your children or spouse before you go to work, what are you adding to their lives?As you go throughout your day with your co-workers, staff, or employer, what are you adding to their lives?In the evening when you are at home, what are you adding to your families lives?When you are with friends, what are you adding to their lives?This week, as you go through your life, I want you to think about adding VALUE to those around you through POSITIVE APPRECIATION.

If you spend your life complaining about other people or your situation to others all you are doing is adding COST. We all get caught doing it sometimes. In fact, our country loves to gossip. Some people even live to gossip.If you are going to make a difference in others lives you must do so by adding VALUE.

When you speak positive appreciation about and to others you:

1) Empower them towards accomplishments

2) Motivate them to be more than they can be

3) Inspire them to higher levels of livingImagine what your church, department, business, or family could be like if every one thrived on adding VALUE. Imagine the change we could bring to the world around us. What would your children's futures look like if they grew up in an environment like this?Start today....go appreciate someone.

Divine Intersections

2007-12-08T13:00:00.000-06:00

Where does God meet you? Simple enough question right? There is a place in the inner room in the Temple where God was said to have met his followers. People who entered into these places were only the most devoted of believers. Those entering the inner courts of the temple were have said to have left glowing with the radiance of God's abundance. Their faces shown of the splendor of the encounter with the Lord. Seems like an incredible place to be. Seems like a place that I would like to be. In fact... why can't I be? Why can't I shine with that special encounter with God? I want my face to reflect the Glory. Doesn't seem fair. Do we have that inner sanctuary somewhere in our churches today? What about that inner sanctuary somewhere in our lives today?

I love these verses from 2 Samuel 22: 7-10. "In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook; they trembled because he was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. He parted the heavens and came down!"

In my distress God came down! I love it! In all of my struggles the God above would leave his heavenly splendor to come down. Not only that but he gets mad at my struggles and those things in my life that make me falter. God creates a heavenly uproar and blows through heaven to come sit with a poor shlub like me. The best part about this.... God heard me out of His temple! I love the fact that no matter what place I am God comes out of the place for the holiest of hollies and steps into the real world. My divine intersection with God isn't necessarily just in the church or in the places of worship. It's in the day to day mundane. What makes this even more amazing is the simple fact that God doesn't just step into our lives at times of trouble. He just wants to spend time with us.

I spent today counting the number of times that I have had some pretty Divine intersections with God. The number of people that have walked by my office or that have come in and out of the church that I have been able to silent pray for or lift their spirits. The number of people that have even encouraged me or lifted me up and am starting to realize that my intersections are more and more abundant. I often find myself to distracted to remember to look for God in each encounter and start to pursue him with a little more fervor.

How many times today has God crossed your path without you knowing? I think he places opportunities for each of us to spend some time with Him. I just wish it were easier to slow down and pay attention.

What's your prayer life like?

2007-12-03T22:02:00.001-06:00

Today I was asked a question that made me step back for just a moment. I was asked point blank by a peer what my prayer life was like? My classic response to that question was to say that I pray quite a bit. Lets see... I pray during events, during time with students, for students and families, and even for various things throughout ministry happenings here at the church.

His response: "Yeah, ok... so you pray for ministry things... but how is God connecting with you?" DUH! It is so incredibly simple to get wrapped up in ministry that we often forget about the really important thing. What is our personal relationship with God like? I ask students that question all of the time. How could I forget about asking myself that question? I think this month I want to spend some quality time each day in prayer and meditation. Not just the usual moments of meditation on the happenings as work or what is going on in the world of kids. But, really taking an honest look at what it means to be solely in the mindset of Christ in all of our actions, conversations, and times of worship. I would love to spend more time in open prayer and spend more time focusing on getting off of my throne and letting God take over.

Please Remember to Drive in the Winter

2007-12-03T11:02:00.001-06:00

So following the 4-8 inches of snow this weekend. I am awestruck at the number of terrible drivers out there. I discovered an annoying situation that baffles the imagination. PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRIVE IN SNOW! What do I mean by this?

The first snowfall of the season is typically the worst for Minnesota drivers. I found out this weekend that many people fail to remember to actually drive the vehicle and end up in the ditch or in an accident. I wish to remind people that snow means that roads here suck.

Please turn off cell phones, PDA's, navigation, or things that distract you from your main purpose of driving in Minnesota. Your number 1 responsibility is to DRIVE.

Enough ranting from me. Be safe, drive the car, and BE CAREFUL!

Concordia Christmas Concert!

2007-11-30T14:18:00.000-06:00

Today I am heading up to my alma matter to see the best darn choir in action...yes.. I am biased. I love getting to listen to good music and visit with friends during the holiday season. I am incredibly excited to listen to the choirs. The only thing I am not looking forward too is the 6-10 inches of snow on the way home tomorrow! :(

Nearer my God to thee/How Deep the Father's Love for Me

2007-11-29T12:26:00.000-06:00

Most people know that I am a guitar enthusiast. That in and of itself is a simple fact. More importantly I hope people know that I am a deeply passionate Christian. I really have come to a new understanding about what it means to be moved by God and to stop and listen to his beauty in new ways. I sat and listened to this video about 9 times today and started to listen to the words of the song run through my head.

I am floored to be able to listen to God's direction even when I don't get what is going on. There have been times this past month when I have wanted to fly off the handle with God and scream and shout because I don't get it. I don't understand why things happen in the ways they do. What I have come to learn this month is that instead of complaining about what my petty problems are and have become; maybe I should listen to what God intends and to stay the course in His actions.

I have been really focusing on what my problems are instead of letting God tell me what his direction is. My life verse has been Jeremiah 29:11-14. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and protect you; plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you."

This month has seemed to have been all about me. I am learning what it means to step away from my own crisis and to step into God's wisdom and guidance. I just wish that blind faith would come easier then it seems.

I am learning this month how to stop and listen. How to count my blessings in the midst of sucky times and how to learn to rely on God with ALL of my being and not just the parts I want to give Him. I know that I need to stop and listen to what God is saying in the midst of the clutter of my life and start focusing on Him first.

What Hurts The Most?

2007-11-07T11:44:00.000-06:00

Can you remember back to your High School days? What hurt you the most when you were there?

I highly doubt that many of us could ever say that we were in physical fights or got beaten up by the neighborhood bully. Notice I said many of us...not all of us.

The cold hard reality today is that the most abusive form of violence that any one person can endure today doesn't come from physical abuse. It comes from something much deeper. It comes from simple words.

Let me explain this thought a little deeper. Today we have all sorts of programs online that require us to leave picture comments, leave messages, gather popularity by the number of friends you have, and still leave people hanging on what really matters.

I think youth today have something deeply missing in their personal lives. They have neglected to see the value they have as the person they are. We are constantly bombarded by images of what we don't have and what we could be...if we were just someone or something different. Youth today face more images of the stereotypical body composition and shape then anyone in previous generations. What does it do.....

- Young women starve themselves to be the perfect image.
- Young men spend countless hours lifting weights to improve that physical shape or tone.
- We have become a have to have generation. We spend tons of money on useless products that don't improve our quality of life yet can't afford to keep our homes.
- People physically cut themselves because they feel they aren't good enough.
- Younger and Younger kids are sleeping together to gain acceptance and not realizing they are already accepted.

This is just naming a couple of things.... the list could continue for days!!!! So what do we do about this epademic?

We alter our language, perception and the way we look at things. What happens if we addressed every person we encounter today with a compliment instead of a slight. We spend TIME with one another instead of giving something to one another. We complimented people on who they are and not on what they have and we turn off these things that tell us we could be better if we spent more money on the latest technology or gadget.

When do we say enough hurting words and more helping ones? Sometime in our life we have to come to grips with the realization that we can't have or be everything and become content with what God created us to be in the first place. God's words never tell us what we can't be or who we aren't. They tell us fully whose we are and what we have already. If we first choose to show people that... then maybe this hurting could come to a close. What do you think... want to give it a try?

Beautiful By Shawn McDonald

2007-11-06T13:20:00.000-06:00

As I look into the stars
Pondering how far away they are
How You hold them in Your hands
And still You know this man
You know my inner most being, oh
Even better than I know, than I know myself
What a beautiful God
What a beautiful God
And what am I, that I might be called Your child
What am I, what am I
That You might know me, my King
What am I, what am I, what am I
As I look off into the distance
Watching the sun roll on by
Beautiful colors all around me, oh
Painted all over the sky
The same hands that created all of this
They created you and I
What a beautiful God
What a beautiful God
And what am I, that I might be called Your child
What am I, what am I
That You might know me, my King
What am I, what am I
That You might die, that I might live
What am I, what am I, what am I, what am I
What am I
What am I
What am I
What am I
What am I

We Need MORE Grace

2007-11-01T12:42:00.000-05:00

When does fire and brimstone become to much of our daily thinking? Why do we sometimes overreact to things that are beyond our Grace Allotment? I suppose your thinking what on earth does he mean by Grace Allotment? I am learning that sometimes, somewhere, I start missing the point of giving grace. I start withholding that which I have been given and start taking more anger then I do grace.

What do I mean by that? Let me point it out. Ever been so mad at someone that you aren't sure what you should do... react, knock some heads in or give that little bit of grace you've got left? Ever followed a car that just wont drive and been so mad that your fuming inside and yelling at the steering wheel? How about hurt so deep that you never want to associate with someone? Grrrr... I hate that feeling.

So what do you do? Do we deny that grace is sufficient, or do we punish those for wronging us. What gives us the power to choose what the option is?

What happens when we give God the power to decide and we trust that ALL we can stand on is His grace? Would we learn to treat people differently? I can honestly say that I would. If I could just honestly remember to do it. I want to be the person that isn't "reactionary" at every corner and be the person that becomes a visionary of what it means to live in a Christ-Like existence. I want people to know that God will show them grace far greater then I could even fathom. I want people to understand what God has done for them because they see what God has done for me. I want to avoid reacting to hurt and frustration and let grace become sufficient. The real downfall here is that I would just have to get rid of that human side of me.

Fire and Brimstone doesn't have to be the thinking if we choose to react with grace and poise. I just wish that I could remember to do that from time to time.

2007-10-31T13:22:00.000-05:00

thanks to asbo for creating this one!

What a week, what a ride--- Christ Came Down...

2007-10-26T10:49:00.000-05:00

Well, where do I even begin...
This week has just been one of those weeks where nothing seems to go right. Let me start by recapping the week thus far (reminder it's only Friday).
1. Wednesday, my water heater in my apartment quits.... The maintenance guy got to my apartment at 1pm to fix it. By 3 I got a call that the water pipe he was fixing broke and there was water all over my apartment. By 11:45 that night he finally had it fixed and was out of my apartment.
2. Thursday morning I was up at 5am to get tickets for my for a concert. However, on the way home my 2006 car up and died. Fuel pump just quit on one side and even the repair guy couldn't fix it. GRRRRR. So now I have to drive a week on a car that is limping so they can get the part in from some other country.
3. This morning (Friday) I woke up and my car got vandalized last night and someone broke the chrome off the wheels.

So, what am I getting at? Yes, life sucks, at least I know I am not dead. It could be worse.... yeah... blah, blah, blah! Who gives....

Ok... so now onto the juicy part of this whole fiasco of a week. This morning I came into the office and on my desk was a devotional. The devotion for today dealt with.... CHRIST CAME DOWN. Why is this so funny?

My frustrations this week seemed to melt away in an instant because Christ Came Down. My petty junk doesn't seem to hold water against a man who endured death on the cross so that a joe shmoe like me can have something to stand on when life hits the suck.

Even more so, I am impressed that I think that I have something to gripe about when people are in a place where they don't even have a car. I am one of the lucky few... I have more than I need and more than I deserve because I am fortunate enought to be born in the "right" country. When it comes to the heart of things going on... there are certain times where we have to count our blessings rather then out woes. To give value to what we do have instead of what isn't going right with what we don't really own anyway.

Christ Came Down to endure what we couldn't even begin to imagine. He left the glory thrones of heaven to come to a place where hurt, hardship and woe exist. He stepped down from the best place in the universe to come to a place where he would be trampled on, beat down, slandered, belittled, torn apart and crucified so that we can have a better life ahead of us.

Maybe my "suck" isn't so bad at all. Maybe my hard times really aren't something that I can give a ton of credit to and maybe I should learn to count my blessings instead of holding onto stuff that in the end doesn't really matter. Instead I want to give God thanks for holding my head up when it gets a little hard and understanding what it means to have plenty when things get rough. Christ Came Down so that we can have abundance... at least we can rejoice in that!

Youth Ministry Making Cents

2007-10-22T15:06:00.000-05:00

Finally making cents out of nothing. We are trying this fundraiser this year just by using a search engine called Good Search. The idea behind this organization is that you can search the internet as a non profit organization and raise some money while doing what you are doing already.

Setting up an account is easy. Create your account and instead of searching through the usual google search engine use your search name and Good Searches address.

The flaw in this system is that it does take a number of users committed to searching with Good Search to raise a lot of money. Every time you search you receive a penny per search.

Try it out and see for yourself. It works and hasn't been giving me wrong information or incorrect sites. I still find everything that I would if I were searching through google.

I Wanna Be the Question Man

2007-10-22T14:31:00.000-05:00

I must confess that in my most frustrated times in ministry, I have turned for solace to the job listings at youthspecialties.com, or churchstaffing.com, or minstrysearch.com, or even the illustrious list put together by that dude Craig.

Sometimes, (staring at those job postings with their qualifications and prerequisites, and those churches with their programs and statements of faith) I wonder if I could, with any intellectual honesty, continue to do youth ministry, or even work on a church staff at all.

Then I ask myself, "Would I recognize the ideal position if it showed up on one of these sites?" And in response to that, I think I've come up with what I think would be the coolest ministry position ever.Minister of Questions.I think I would make a good Minister of Questions.The guy responsible for asking difficult questions about faith. Questions that need to be asked. Questions that sometimes we are too afraid or too comfortable to ask ourselves. Questions that propel us into a search for something deeper, something fresher, something more real. Questions that actually require truth as their answer.

I would welcome questions from others about my own life and faith, as well. I love them. After all, that's why I'm in the questioning business in the first place! I would work extra hard to make sure that I'm a safe place for people to ask the most scandalous of questions, and offer the most unorthodox of answers for consideration.I would hold gatherings, large and small, where people could come together to ask and be asked questions (really important ones, and maybe sometimes little fun ones, too). Sometimes I'd answer a question with another question, not to be difficult, but because sometimes the best answer is another question. Sometimes the answers would be life-altering, and would come from the most unlikely people and places. Sometimes we wouldn't really be concerned with answers at all. After all - I'm not the "Answer Guy", I'm the "Question Guy".

When I read about Jesus, and those who interacted with Him, I come across some of the most profound questions in all of life.

"You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Matthew 8:26, Matthew 14:31

"Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?" Matthew 14:3

"Who do people say that I am?" Matthew 16:13, Mark 8:27; Luke 9:18

"But what about you? Who do you say I am?" Matthew 16:15

"What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?" Matthew 16:26

"Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?" Matthew 18:21

"Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?

" Matthew 19:16"What are you looking for?" John 1:38

"What do you want me to do for you?" Matthew 20:32; Mark 10:36, 10:51; Luke 18:41

"Who is my neighbor?" Luke 10:29

"What is truth?" John 18:38

Question after question after question. And sometimes, the question IS the answer. Sometimes the question is such that, to attempt an answer would be feeble and trite.

How to get your church involved in your students

2007-10-13T12:47:00.000-05:00

When reading through a blog invite by another blogger www.timschmoyer.com one of the key questions he asked was how to get your youth involved in the other ministries of the church. My deeper pressing thought here is how do you get your church to buy into the youth. It seems that any time you give kids the opportunity to open the door and enter into the "adult" world they seem to be more then willing to try something new.
The downside is that for the "older" generation adults fail to have the desire to stay involved and connected to youth. It's interesting to have to look at this idea from a different angle.
It is easier for me as a youth leader to have youth involved in the church life then it is for the adults of the church to invest into the lives and happenings of youth. I am curious what causes this trend to happen and then also what makes the "youth culture" so scary?
Is it because technology and "hip lingo" intimedates other people or is it because maybe youth and young adults are too much into the young culture?
I would really love to sit back and think about changing the way we approach the more adult generation and ask them to step back into the youth realm. Thoughts or ideas?

Cross Denominational Ministries

2007-10-11T16:01:00.000-05:00

The question that has been on my heart is what do we do as a Christian people to reach beyond the confines of our classic borders of ministry. By this I am talking about reaching across denominations, cultures, and "norms" of the present ministry situation that we are in.

Isn't the heart of what we are about reaching youth? Why does it seem so hard for people to see beyond the traditional confines of their ministries and look towards the greater picture?

We are in this process of making strides about ministry happen at a larger scale. However, we are often caught up and stumbling on the basic "details" of faith. I am really getting more and more frustrated by this notion of what we deem adequate in our ministry faith life. Thoughts, insight or other ideas? How do we break down these typicall structures of ministry and get back to the heart of reaching kids for the sake of the Gospel?

Sin in the World

2007-10-11T14:21:00.000-05:00

This concept of Sin in the world today has gradually become more and more disgusting of a term. We slap people in face constantly with this notion or idea of Sin. YES this notion of sin in our lives is of definite consequence. However, our perception of sin is one that constantly forces me to look at how I speak to youth and families about this matter.

I am all for this idea of understanding that the wages of sin is death. I am not for a moment going to stand back and criticize this matter in any way shape or form. What I do want and wish to uncover in the blog is what we do with the matter of sin in our lives and the brokeness that ensues from it.

I would like to offer another thought about this notion of sin. In early midevil times there was a different approach to the word sin. When archers would shoot in a contest they would fire their arrows at a target in hopes that they would reach the mark. IF by some odd circumstance they failed to hit their mark it would in fact have been called a "SIN." What was then asked of these archers is that they repeat their shot correcting whatever circumstance caused them to sin.

Now the real thought I am trying to get at here is rather then lessen the value of a person by calling out thier sinful nature wouldn't it be better if they were given a chance to correct their missing the mark and given the opportunity to try again.

We as believers are not given the ability to pass a judgement on individuals. We are however called to "correct" this matter so that we can grow in spiritual depth and discipleship. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. What we are called to do is pick up our arrow and try again. That is grace and understanding of Jesus Christ. Pull back your arrow and let it fly towards the goal so that we may live together in God's wonderful abundance!

Freebies For Youth Leaders

2007-10-11T14:17:00.001-05:00

For a number of months I have been using a resource for youth leaders from Northwestern Bookstores (Minnesota Company) called Youth Pastor Perks. For youth leaders this is a great resource for building that CD collection without killing your pocketbook. You don't need to be the one spending all of your money on buying things to supplament your youth budget.
Check it out. You must go into any Northwestern Bookstores close to you and sign up for this resource at their information counter.
Here is what this quarters box contained:
- A devotional guide that coincides with Third Day's Chronology cd.
- Third Day Chronology CD/DVD Sampler
- Casting Crowns Alter and the Door Poster
- Wavorly Frisbee
- Open Book's CD- da' t.r.u.t.h.
- One: Songs of Praise CD
- Refocus- Worship Cd, Music Piano and Guitar Scores, Story behind the songs.
- Dijon CD- Hip Hop/ R&B
- Youth Pastor Video Reels- Provident-Integrity
- R-Swift: Revolutionary Theme Muzik: Rap/Hip Hop
- Todd Agnew CD- Better Questions
- Youth Pastor Perks Worship Project (Worship CD of new artists)
- Jake Smith CD- Real
- HIStory CD- Rap/Hip Hop
- Monk and Neagle CD the 21st time
- Eleventy Seven CD: The Galactic Conquest
- Flame CD: Our Fallen World
- Caedmons Call CD- New One
That is just a sample of the goodness in every box. Check it out... great free resource.

New Blog

2007-10-11T14:13:00.000-05:00

Well, I thought I would start this blog out with something random and unique to ministry in my nature. I started out in youth ministry about 4 years ago and still to this day feel as though I am a rookie at this position. With struggles comes great lessons... I just wish the lesson would come first. I started out with the best of intentions at a church and soon enough it began to run my day to day life. Needless to say after 18 months and a day.... I left that position.
Since that point I have done my best at living a ministry that becomes a daily joy and not a daily struggle. With the help of youth leaders I admire I chose to live a ministry that causes me to THRIVE!
I wanted to provide the same insight and excitement about youth ministry that I have to new youth leaders and current youth leaders in a manner that would be helpful for both of us. So, this is my attempt. If you have insight, questions, or other thoughts about what to add to this blog email me and let me know. I apprecaite the warmth that has gotten me this far and would love to share with everyone what I have been blessed to receive.
Here goes my attempt at blogging!