Soul Food

Well, although I have updated the page a couple of times, it's been a while since I actually posted a blog. Why? Who knows! I would say I was busy, there's a lot going on, hurricanes, but: no excuses! Better late than never.
Anyway, a lot HAS been going on. Bad: the Boondocks caught on fire, bummer. Good: we have a new youth wing right here in the church! FYI: my office is now in room 116. We've waited not weeks, not months, but YEARS for this opportunity to make a place in the main building our very own. Good things do come to those who wait. Our church family loves and supports their youth and have graciously given us not just one but 3 rooms to make our own. What an opportunity! We have new paint on the walls, are working on ordering new furniture, and met with a contractor today about the possibility of making it a little roomier around here. If you have been around the last few weeks on Sunday morning or Sunday night, you know that we are already busting out of the seems of our new home!! What a great problem!
It's so easy to get caught up in the cosmetics and excitement of this whole project and forget why we do what we do. You come to youth to visit, flirt, get out of your house, eat cookies, whatever, BUT the main reason you come is to feed your soul some good Jesus food. The problem is when we leave all we learn behind in the church. We MUST take it and use it outside these walls or all of our work is in vain. Make a commitment to really take this time to allow your soul to be fed and nourished so you will be fully charged up and ready to face the world and share your faith. Only then will all this other "stuff" really matter!

Puppy Love

WOW! What a summer we have had! It's been a while since our last post, and hasn't a lot happened? The JH took and awesome trip to Student Life Camp in Orange Beach, AL and the SH had an amazing mission trip to San Jose, Costa Rica. Each trip though very different were very much the same. We all came home knowing and feeling God in a whole new way. It's so easy to get high on God and all those Jesus bumps on summer trips and retreats, but how do we keep that feeling going when we get home and into real world? IT IS HARD!!

Sometimes it's our parents, our friends, or just life that can easily bring us down. Believe it or not, this kind of reminds me of my dog, Franny. She is so good, most of the time! She knows to go the door when she needs to out, she knows where she is allowed to eat her food and that she can't eat mine, she knows that she can only lick Manny on the feet - NOT THE FACE; she knows all these things, but do you think she always follows these rules? of course not...check out the picture below for evidence of the no kissing Manny on the face rule! Not only does she not always follow these rules, but she often is able to look at me with those big brown eyes and get me to break them for her! Usually we share lunch!

How many of us put ourselves in situations like that? We know the rules and guidelines God has laid out for us and we have every intention of following them, right? most of the time? We allow ourselves to be surrounded by people that can convience us to do things we know we shouldn't, but it is SO tempting and inviting. It would be much easier for Franny to always follow the rules if she didn't constantly have someone like me there to help her break them! God tells us to surround ourselves with Godly people and Godly things. This way we can be more like him. Talk and listen to Him - it will be easier than you think!!

Feeling Pink!

I know that at least Jessica B. is going to look to make sure I updated the page today!! Sorry, I didn't get as much done as I wanted, but I did update the dates and events so check them out...PUT JUNE 3rd ON YOUR CALENDAR! God has blessed us in amazing ways. Our prayers of many years have been answered, and we have a youth house, or we will be moving to "The Boondocks"! That will be the name of our new space. June 3rd we will have a big youth party out in the Boondocks to celebrate the many ways God has blessed our youth group!
Hope you all like the pink! It won't stay; don't worry, but I was feeling kind of girlie today! Love to you all!

Jesus' Prayer for His Followers

Think on this, John 17, as we prepare for Easter! Jesus knew that He was about to suffer and give His life; in fact, if you look to the very next chapter in John the title is "Seized in the Garden at Night." STILL, knowing what was about to happen He took time to pray for us! This prayer is not just for the disciples or his followers at the time, but it is for you and me. He prays in chapter 17 verse 18, "Make them holy - consecrated - with truth; Your word is the consecrating truth." It amazes me that in this time when He must have felt such a heavy burden, He also feels a burden for us. A burden for us to be filled with the truth and unified as one body of Christians to spread His word. We often forget how important it is that we show unity as believers. We can't do it alone, and WE DON'T HAVE TO!! As we enter into Holy week, read the story of Christ and His journey, but take some time and study the prayer that He has for us in chapter 17. Several times He prays for us be of one heart and mind. Let's make that our prayer as we prepare for Easter. We can accomplish so much on our journey to spread Christ's story if we strive to be one with Christ and other Christians. We will always have differences amoung us, but we have THE MOST important common thread holding us together - Jesus died for us all - EVERYONE!

John 17:20-23 (The Message)

I'm praying not only for them

But also for those who will believe in me

Because of them and their witness about me.

The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind -

Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you,

So they might be one heart and mind with us.

Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.

So they'll be as unified and together as we are -

I in them and you in me.

Then they'll be mature in the oneness,

And give the godless world evidence

That you've sent me and loved them

In the same way you've loved me.

Faith like a child!

What a wonderful service and time to share we had last night! We forget how wonderful it feels to just let our guard down and go before God without holding anything back. Wasn't it nice for just a little while to forget all the craziness of the world and let ourselves be babies in God's arms with full faith that he will hold us and meet all of our needs? Have faith in our heavenly Father like a child has his earthly parents that He will meet our needs and answer our cries. It's so great to know that He is ALWAYS there no matter what no matter where! He wants to bring us peace and and assurance; we just have to ask!

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me; get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:28-30

We're home and glad to see the sunshine! Cincinnati was a great experience, the snow was awsome, but it was very nice to put on my flip-flops and smell the ocean. We went to some absolutely amazing worship services with some really cool people. Got to hear Sarah Groves, Jeremy Riddle, and Kutless in concert - WOW! Also heard some wonderful speakers; check out Tony Dungy.
It feels so natural to say that we truly spent the weekend with the Lord, and to be honest, that is exactly how I feel. But isn't that what we should be able to say every single day? I don't want to live my life with a few moments here and there that I let God be apart of. I know I need to work on making my everyday experiences intimate times with the Lord not just when I'm beinge being led in worship by someone like Jeremy Riddle (my guess is you probably need to work on this too)! Matthew 28:20 b says, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age." So be assured He will never leave your side; when we think we are alone in the world or when we are on top of the world and think we need no one but ourselves, He is there and wants to be a part of EVERYTHING!
Anyway, check out the pictures of the cool bands and us being silly.

Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore!

As I write this, most of you reading it are at home - home as in the beach with 65 degree weather! After a bumpy plane ride and WAY bumpier cab ride to the hotel, here we sit in our room in Cincinnati. It is something like 26 degrees outside and there is ice and snow EVERYWHERE!! This little girl from Mississippi is cold. Thankfully, the convention center is attached to our hotel by a walkway.

We went to our first worship service tonight. Tony Dungy, the Indianapolis Colts coach, was the guest speaker, and he did an amazing job. What a wonderful thing to be in a position of such power and influence and publicly give all the glory to God. Here is a quote for you to think about, "It's not about loving the moment; it's about loving the one who made the moment." Coach Dungy has had some pretty amazing moments, most notarable winning the super bowl last year, but he never fails to recognize that he is not the one who made these awsome experiences possible. How many times do we get so caught up in our own little worlds that we forget who keeps it spinning?!

I am taking picutures; I'll try to post some tomorrow so you can check out this winter storm I am experiencing. Well, it is time to go to bed, and yes I miss Manny in a MAJOR kind of way.

One last thought before bed; I gave you a serious quote - now for an interesting one. "88,000 people suffer from toothepick related injuries every year" Sleep on that one!

On our way to Cincinnati!

"You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock." -Isaiah 26:3&4

So I need peace and a rock in a major kind of way right at this moment. In the morning at 7:00 Jeremy and I are leaving Manny for the first time, getting on a plane in what is forcasted to be bad weather, and landing in what is forcasted to be even worse, with ice! That's right heading to Cincinnati in the morning for a youth workers conference and it looks like we will spend the weekend in ice and snow! Should be interesting.
Now to be honest, if you ever had any doubt in your mind that we "youth minister" types weren't somehow living in the real world let me be the first to burst your bubble! This week should have been spent praying for this upcoming conference and asking God what He wants to reveal to me while we are there, BUT it seemed every day life got in the way. Yes, I prayed and did my devotion, I'm not that pitiful, but it seems to have become much more of a routine than a special intimate time with God. I worried about my baby forgetting me (insert you rolling your eyes here), I worried that the plane will crash, I worried about you guys, yes I do that all day every day! Anyway, I didn't simply stop, trust God, and allow him to give me the peace that he promises. Isaiah not only gives hope of peace to those who put their trust in God - he says it can be perfect peace! Wow, perfect peace.
So, now I need to pack myself and Manny, and at any moment he will start screaming to let me know that he is hungary. So while this may seem like a very unpeaceful night, I am putting my trust where it should have been all along and won't just be peaceful; it will be perfect!!

OK, guys! Let's see how this works. Leanne and the kids ministry set up a page; we can't let them be cooler than us! This can be a great way to stay in communication if we use it. There are all kinds of events coming up. Some that are HUGE!!! Can' wait to fill you in, but for now, I must join the 21st century and see if I can figure out how to make this page look decent.