The Church as an Escalator...

Today at church our pastor taught about "Hard-Core Discipleship." He talked about how Jesus' call to "take up your cross daily and follow me" is so much more than just "believing" in Christ. He talked about how many believers have not taken the steps to become disciples, committed to glorifying Christ in every aspect of their lives...Anyway, as he was explaining what Christ did for us, he began explaining the basics of the faith, stating that the only way to get to a relationship with God is through the cross...He had a diagram that he used and that triggered my brain (here goes the ADD again...) to think about another picture that is often used to describe the basics of the Christian faith...It's the one where man stands on one side of a cliff, with a abyss (giant hole) between himself and the other side...On the other side is God...However, between man and God is this extreme gulf, which is sin and leads to death...The whole point is that we can't get to God alone and we need someone to "bridge" our relationship with Him...That is where the cross comes in...Jesus' death on the cross allows us to approach God and have a relationship with Him...Basically, its this picture:

That got me to thinking...Again, I guess the ADD kicked in, but here is my thought process...As you try to cross the bridge of "the cross" you still have to climb up some...Bear with me here...I am not talking about doing stuff to earn God's love or anything like that...But, if we are to take this diagram seriously, their is still some climbing to get over the cross and to God...Now, I know I am being picky toward the diagram and am going into way more detail than the inventor intended, I am sure...But this is how my brain works sometimes...

And as I thought about this, I thought about what the Bible says about the cross...How the cross of Jesus itself is an obstacle to some...Some people simply cannot accept the fact that they have to do absolutely nothing to earn God's love and others can't see even the need of crossing into a relationship with God...Whatever the reason, the cross itself becomes an obstacle to some...

Here is where the blog title comes into play...What if we, as the church, acted as an escalator, so to speak...What if we made it our mission to help people not only see the cross, but to "get over" it to the other side...I'm not talking about dumbing down our faith or offering some watered down theology...I'm talking about obstacles...What if we, the church, decided that instead of putting obstacles in people's way, we would not only make coming to Christ obstacle free, but we would aid people in that decision...By the way we looked, by the way we taught, by the way we communicated, by the way we talk, and act, and live, and share, and love...That we would "be an escalator" helping people rise above the obstacles that exist in coming into a relationship with God, and helping them to see the love of Christ and their need for him as Savior and Master...I know it may sound crazy, but it's just a thought...

What I'm Reading These Days...

From time to time I try to update my readers (all two of them...) about what books I'm reading these days...Here ya' go along with a short review...

Understanding God's Will by Kyle Lake
Kyle was a pastor at UBC in Waco, TX before a tragic accident took his life. He was electricuted when a microphone fell in the church baptistry as he was preparing to baptize a woman. Just before his death, Kyle had written two books for Relevant and this is one of them...It is absolutely incredible. Kyle throws away the "there must be a right equation to finding God's perfect will for every decision in my life" mentality. Instead he takes a fresh look at understanding God's will through the concepts of fatherhood, discipleship, and kingdom. I highly recommend this book to anyone!

Church Marketing 101 by Richard Reising
I just started this book a couple of days ago and it is amazing...I am a super slow reader and it usually takes me weeks, if not months to finish a book, but I will probably have this one done by the weekend...It is that good. A great read for anyone who deals with communicating a perception of your church to the unchurched in your community. Great read so far!

The Coffeehouse Gospel by Matthew Paul Turner
I plan on starting this one this weekend. It's a short read about, as the tagline states, "sharing your faith in everyday conversations." It's published by the great people at Relevant, so I safely assume that it will be a good read and challenging as well.

What are you reading these days? Any good stuff you'd like to recommend or share? If so, comment away...

Get Out Of The Boat...

There is a passage of Scripture in the book of Matthew that many people who've been attending church for any amount of time are probably very familiar with. It's found in the 14th chapter and it's the story of Jesus walking on water...The disciples are out in the boat in the midst of a storm and all of the sudden they see this figure walking toward them...It's Jesus. And just as quickly as they realize who He is, Peter yells out to Him, "Hey Jesus! If that's really is you, tell me to come out to you and I will be able to." And Jesus calls to Peter and Peter begins to walk toward Him...And for a moment Peter walks on water to Jesus...Now, if you know the story, you know that Peter gets distracted by the wind and the waves (as any ADD disciple would) and begins to sink, clinging out to Jesus for rescue at the last minute...

Here's my deal with this passage...Every time I have heard someone in the church teach on this Scripture they talk about how Peter should've just kept his focus on Jesus and he wouldn't have begun to sink...and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...I agree. Peter should've kept his focus on Jesus. I agree that Jesus' ultimate desire would not have been for Peter to get half way there and begin sinking...But I don't buy that interpretation as the only reason for God incorporating that story in his Word...

To me, Peter is the one disciple in the story that should be seen as heroic, brave, courageous, and inspiring...You see, while everyone else looked at the storm, Peter looked at Jesus. While everyone else saw Jesus walking on the water and was impressed by his power, Peter saw Jesus walking on water and trusted in his power. While the other disciples saw Jesus in the flesh out on the water, they looked at the storm that raged and chose the safety of the boat...Not Peter. He knew that the safety of the boat was nothing compared the being in the presence of Jesus...So he jumped out the the boat while the others stayed behind...And he chose to take a risk. Peter knew in his heart, from experiencing the character, abilitiy, strength, and power of Jesus first hand, that the storm had no danger that Jesus couldn't handle...And he knew that the boat offered no security that Jesus didn't surpass.

I think that Jesus wants more Peters in our world today. I believe with all my heart that he searches for people who are willing to say, "Forget the safety of the boat...I want to live my life risking it all to be where Jesus is." And every now and then you get a glimpse of a person who isn't afraid to get out of the boat and follow Christ, regardless of the storms in life and regardless of the risk involved...It's just a shame that we see it "every now and then" and not everyday...So let's join Peter and get out of the boat...Whatever storms surround you in life, realize that Jesus is bigger than any of them...And whatever you face in your journey realize that the live is not fully lived in the safety of the boat, but rather on the water with the Master...

Back To School Blog...

So I know I've been posting a lot of pics and videos lately...I'm gonna try to get back to a more normal writing routine now that the crazy life of summer youth ministry is over...But I saw this pic on one of my student's myspace pages today and just had to share it...Take a close look at it...Notice the student's answer to the problem...I can't believe he got a zero...He should've at least passed on sheer creativity...In honor of all you students who are going back to school this week, here's some Back To School humor...

Time with Family and Friends...

Johanna and I left town on Wednesday night after our youth service and have had the opportunity to spend a few days at the end of this week with family. We stayed with her sister on Wednesday night and then spend last night and tonight with my brother and his wife...We have had a blast hangin' out, playin' with nieces and nephews, and being around our loved ones...I really cherish the time I get to spend with my brother...We're not just blood...We're best friends and because of the distance between where we live we don't get to hang out alot anymore so I always have a blast when we get to see each other...Tomorrow we are leaving the Houston area and heading to Bridge City, TX...It is almost in Lousiana, only about 35 miles from Lake Charles...I am speaking at Commonground Community Church in Bridge City on Sunday where a friend of mine serves on staff...We haven't seen each other in a long time, so it will be good to reconnect with Brandon and see how God is using him these days...Speaking of friends, I have had the privilege of having some great friends over the years whom God has used and is using in great ways in His kingdom...I could list them all but I would surely leave someone out so I won't even begin to start...But I was on myspace earlier and had a bulletin from a friend who lives in California...His name is Coffey Anderson and he and I went to college together and were fraternity brothers...Coffey is an great guy and an incredible singer and songwriter...His myspace bulletin just happened to be about some videos of him on Godtube (which I really don't use very often, unlike my last couple posts would suggest...) Anyway, he was the featured video for a little while...Check out the videos below and you can see more of him on that sight too...Its always great to spend time with family and its always good to see how God is using friends...

Fantasy Football...

It's one of my favorite times of the year....Football Season! I really like watching High School football and college footbal and am an avid fan of both...And I am also obsessed with Fantasy Football...I have a league I play in with some college fraternity buddies, a league with some close friends and former students, a league with some youth ministry friends, and a league with our church...Like I said, I am obsessed...Watching HS and college football and playing fantasy football are some of my favorite pasttimes/hobbies/interests....Anyway, it is after 1 AM and I just finished an online draft in my league on Yahoo with some friends/former students...It's gonna be fun, but now it's late, I'm tired, and I'm headed to bed...

Great Quote...

Found this incredible quote on a website today...What if Christ followers, church leaders, and churches actually lived like they believed this...The possibilities are literally endless...Anyway, here it is:

"What God orders, He pays for" - Norman Barnes

Cool Video...

The video below is from a Steve Harvey comedy bit...Some of it is kinda funny, but it is overall just a pretty sweet clip...He was doing a comedy show for an African-American Church conference that actually aired on Comedy Central a few months ago...I think it is pretty old, but this clip is his closing of his comedy routine that night...He is talking about if he were the one to get to do the introduction of Jesus at the second coming...Pretty cool stuff...

My BFFs (Adjusted)...

So earlier this week I posted about what a great job Andy & Jaron did serving our students this summer. You can read the post below. And I talked about how much I appreciated their friendship...Then I got a HILARIOUS email from a friend to all of us, Matt Hart. Matt works for Mission Arlington and we have all known each other for about 10 years or so now...It is awesome how God brings incredible, like-minded people into our lives through the ministry and work we do for his kingdom. Matt and a few others at Mission Arlington are those people for me...I truly consider them friends and absolutely love getting to go serve alongside them where God has planted them for His kingdom...Without a doubt, the highlight of my year is always going to serve at Mission Arlington...If you've never been to help out and you are within driving distance, GO. It will literally change your life...Not that Mission Arlington has any magical powers...It's just a group of people loving God and loving others the best they know how...And the cool thing about it is that they convince you and show you that the same things can be done where you live...There's no magic to it...Just Christ followers being the hands and feet of Jesus to the world around them...And it is incredible...So if you live anywhere near Arlington, go be involved...They can always use the help regardless of what day of the week or how long you can stay...And I guarantee that you will be far more blessed than you could ever imgaine...That being said, the main purpose for this post is to share this picture that Matt sent...It is GREAT! I totally expect it to be hanging on the wall behind his desk the next time we get there! I am so thankful for the friends that God has given Johanna and I over our years of serving Him...especially the ones who are creative and have a great sense of humor! Thanks for making us all laugh Matt...And you know we're serious about seeing this when we come up ;)...Until next time...

My BFFs...

So its been a few days since my last post...I guess I'll catch ya' up on what's new with us...As most of you know, Jaron and Andy have been living with us this summer. Both these guys grew up in my student ministry in Goldthwaite and are really close to Johanna and I...They are not just former students...They are friends. And incredible friends at that. Earlier in the spring of this year I asked these guys to come and spend the summer working with our students as my interns. The only problem was that I had no money in the budget to give them a salary for the summer...Their response: No Problem! They both decided to come and serve this summer, finding part-time jobs that would work around all our youth stuff so they could minister alongside Johanna and I and help make an impact for the kingdom of God in the community of Lockhart. And they did just that...What an incredible summer it has been. It was great to deepen our friendship...These guys are like brothers to me and I was so thrilled to have them in our lives this summer...And they were fantastic interns...I gave them a lot of crap during the summer about being lazy and not doing things right, but most of the time I was just giving them a hard time...They did an incredible job and really made an impact in our students' lives and in their community of faith...Thanks fellas...You guys are my BFFs and Jo & I love ya! The kingdom of God and the community of Lockhart will look different because of your sacrifice and serive! For those of you who read this, be sure you thank the people in your life who help you along the way...They deserve it...Until next time...

History Being Made...Wow...

I just watched Barry Bonds break the Major League Baseball Career Home Run Record. And by "just watched" I mean literally just watched it...like 45 seconds ago...I wanted to be one of the first to blog about it ;)...Jaron, Andy, and I are watching Willie Mays and Bonds hug right now and they are just starting the formal announcement that he is the MLB Homerun Leader...Now the Hank Aaron video is playing at the ballpark...I really don't know how I feel about it with the whole steroid issue and everything, but regardless, we just got to see history...I'd love to hear what those of you who read this (both of you...) think about Bonds breaking the record and what affect this has on baseball, if any...Let the debate begin...

The Weekend Update...

This weekend was pretty uneventful. I spent Saturday just lounging around the house and hanging out with Andy. Johanna got to help a friend of ours teach a cooking class in Austin and then they went to eat and catch a showing of Hairspray, so I was batchin' it and just loungin' around all day. On Sunday, I preached our morning service...I started a sermon series called Transformers: Transforming Our Lives to Transform Our World...I'll be preaching at our church all month so it is pretty exciting to get enough "pulpit time" on Sundays to do a series...I am really excited about it...I spoke on our need to be servants to the people of our community and how if Christ has transformed us with His love, we ought to be showing that love in a way that transforms our community and convinces them of the love of God...Then on Sunday night we went door to door collecting canned goods and other food for our county food pantry that has been running on empty lately...After that, Amy and Johanna convinced us to head to Austin to try out a new restaurant they found called Canoli Joe's...I was skeptical about an all-u-can-eat Italian place, but it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I left completely stuffed (actually it was probably over stuffed...). That about wrapped up the weekend for us...Tomorrow I am off on another trip, but this one is small...Headin' to the river to hang out with some of our Jr. High guys with the interns tomorrow...Should be a lot of fun...

The Prodigal Son...

The past couple weeks in our Sunday services our pastor has taught out of Luke 15 on the story of the Prodigal Son. If you're not familiar with that one, it is about a man who had two sons. One demands his inheritance and leaves the family, basically lives it up with hookers and in the party life, and ends up coming back to his father, begging to be a slave. In the story, Jesus paints the picture of a Father longing to see his son return, not caring at all about his mistakes or failures, but just wanting to reconcile his relationship with a son he thought was dead and gone. The other son in the story is quite the opposite of the one who left. He has stayed with his father his entire life, working for the family and doing all that is required of a son in that day and in that society...Our pastor talked Sunday about the second son. He talked about how this was a picture of the selfish, self-righteous, legalistic people that we can become when we go from living as sons of the Father and think that we have become slaves of our Father instead.

And as he was speaking about this, something hit me...It wasn't an audible voice kinda thing, but God spoke to me through the text something of a spiritual truth: Often we confuse being in the vicinity of the Father with being in the presence of the Father. Too many times we work for God, do tons of things to serve God, and constantly try to impress Him with our actions and our work...And we miss His presence. We miss the fact that our Father loves us regardless of what we do. We cannot do anything that is so bad that we would lose the love of God. And we also cannot do anything so good that we earn the love of God...And too many times, we as Christians, confuse doing stuff for being. We think that we are called to do...But we are called to be. To be in the presence of the Father who loves us more than life itself. Literally. And out of that "being" should come our doing.

Let me challenge you (and mainly myself!) to not settle for being in the vicinity of the Father...Push forward into His presence.

Simpsonize Me and My Meez...

Found this website called www.meez.com off of one of my students websites and had time to kill...Pretty cool site, but this is definitely the skinny version of me...couldn't figure out how to change body type...Anyway, its a good way to waste some time on the net...Here is also a copy of my Simpson's avatar that I made yesterday right before i went to watch the Simpson's move...I am a huge Simpson's fan and thought the movie was great! Full of great, classic humor you would expect from a Simpson's episode...anyway, check these out...

Camp 7*8...

We got back yesterday afternoon from our Junior High Summer Camp. We spent the week at Hi-Line Lake Resort in Tow, TX on Lake Buchanon. It was a absolutely great place to get away and have camp and the owners were incredible to work with. I highly recommend the camp/resort for anything from church retreats, to family gatherings, to just a great place to get away. Check it out at www.hilinelakeresort.com...As far as the camp itself went, it was really good...Our students were challenged and some of them really are catching on to what it means to be a Christ follower...It was also a great week to continue to build relationships with students that we already have grown to love...Overall, it was a fantastic week at an incredibly beautiful, peaceful location...All that being said, it was still youth camp and that always leaves me drained and tired...I've got the weekend to "rest up" and then we start our "at home mission trip" called Mission LTX next week...I am really looking forward to working alongside our students to show our community the love of Christ...It should be a great week...But I am also ready for summer to be done...Now, I'm off to just relax and watch some tv...

Worship...

This summer I have had several opportunities to talk about worship. I spoke at a camp, at our church, and to our students at our midweek gathering. At each occassion I have used at least one of the speaking opportunities in front of these audiences to talk about worship...Worship is a hot topic these days...Churches split over it. People join churches because of it. New services are started with a new type of it. Some churches and leaders are constantly experimenting and changing it, while others are holding tight to the traditions and practices of days gone by...But what is worship, really? Is it just a style of music, like praise songs or hymns. Does it revolve around who and what provides the leadership, such as a rock band or an organ? Does it have to do with just the music or is it also found in experiential elements of our religious practices and gatherings as well? All seem to be valid questions at various places in the discussion among church-goers these days.

But as I read the Word and as I examine what God meant for worship to be, I think we've mostly missed the boat...Now, I do agree that is it easier for me to experience worship in some settings than in others...And I readily admit that I have preferences when it comes to musical style and other various elements of worship...But isn't worship more than whether we are singing praise songs or hymns? Isn't it about more than what type of music our church plays? I think so...

Do me a favor...Pick up your Bible and before you open it imagine the perfect worship service in your eyes...Go ahead...Do it. Maybe it includes a guitar and drums or maybe it is accapella or just with a piano...Imagine every detail, from your favorite songs, down to the lighting and mood.

Now open up your Bible and read Isaih 1:10-20...Wow. You see, the Israelites, the supposed people of God were in the middle of worship when God reacted this way. The same thing happens to them again in Amos 5:18+. The people are in the middle of their religious services, offering sacrifices and praises to God, performing their worship acts, and God bursts on to the scene and basically says, "Your worship makes me vomit. It is detestable to me and it makes me want to throw up." Why in the world would God respond this way? Well, the Israelites had misunderstood what God desired worship to be. They thought that worship was about their religious acts as they gathered as a group of people and "had church." But they missed the boat..And I think that many of our churches and the people in them are missing the boat today...God was infuriated by their worship because it was simply nothing more than religious ritual. They gathered together and did tricks for God. They thought that going through the motions was what pleased Him...And he responds by calling them out and challenging them to LIVE WORSHIP. You see, worship that God delights in has little to do with the discussion of whether it is led by a band or a choir. Worship that pleases God has nothing to do with whether it is accompanied by an organ or some drums. Worship that glorifies God and brings joy to Him is worship that is a lifestyle. The act of worship that God desires from us is to live a life that is in line with who He has called us to be. Our true acts of worship come from our daily obedience in following Christ, not in what happens at our church buildings on Sunday mornings...Worship is not about style or meeting places or even religion...Worship is about life. A life lived for His kingdom, in the big and small...Paul says it best in Romans 12, when he says offer your bodies to God as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to Him, this is your spiritual act of worship...May we daily be as devoted to God - in the way we spend our talent, time, money, and complete, daily lives - as we claim to be in the songs we sing on Sundays...

It Is Here...

It is finally here! After spending all day at Schlitterbahn with our High School students and then coming home to spend what was left of the evening at a 16th Birthday party for one of our students, I made my way to our Wal-Mart about 9:30 last night to pick up my copy of NCAA Football 08 for my Xbox 360...Tuesday was the release day and this is the one (and only) game that I will spend "release day money" on...Most games, I just wait and buy when the price drops or when someone sells a used copy...But not this one. This is my favorite. So I headed to our local Wal-Mart (not a Super Wal-Mart, I might add) to get my copy and much to my dismay they didn't have any. Not one single copy was sent to the store on the opening release day...I guess that tells you about the quality and selection of our local store...However, I have heard that Jaron's girlfriend might be picking us up a copy in San Marcos on her way here tonight...That would definitely move her up in my "coolness" book...I'll keep ya' posted...

Mission Arlington Mission Trip Video....

Thanks JMob!

The Weekend Update...

It's been a while since I've posted a Weekend Update...Summer has really taken it's toll, I guess. But I had some time tonight so I thought I'd post some of the highlights of the weekend...
This weekend was Johanna's birthday, so I surprised her with a trip to San Antonio for her brithday present. We left at lunch on Friday and headed to the Marriott, where we had reservations for Friday night. We swam at the hotel and went and chilled at the mall for a while before we went back to the hotel to get ready for supper. I had made reservations at the Tower of Americas restaurant, which is this incredible tower in downtown San Antonio with a restaurant at the top. You overlook the entire city and the restaurant slowly spins, so you actually are rotating in a 360 degree circle while you are there. It was AMAZING...Landry's owns the restuarant and they are the same people who own places like Landry's Seafood Restaurants, Rainforest Cafe, The Aquarium, The Cadillac Bar, Harlows, etc...So the food was incredible...We had a Shrimp and Crab fondue to start with which was awesome. Then Johanna had the Shrimp Fresa pasta and I had a Seafood plate of fish and shrimp...We finished it off with the famous Tower Chocolate Souffle which was incredible...After dinner we spent a little time on the observation deck and then headed back to the hotel.
We planned on sleeping in, but unfortunately that didn't go exactly as planned. We were awakened by the fire alarm of the hotel at 6:30 in the morning on Saturday...Seemed like someone thought it would be funny to pull the fire alarm button and cause the hotel to be evacuated...It wasn't really that fun at all, actually. We got back into our room around 7:30 and crashed again to get some more sleep. Saturday involved lunch at my favorite San Antonio spot, Mi Tierra Cafe and Bakery...Absolutely incredible. Then we hit the Missions Trial and took in the sights and happenings of a couple of San Antonio's famous missions other than the Alamo. We spent the afternoon at Mission Concepcion and Mission San Jose, taking pics and seeing sights...Then it was back home to get ready for church today.
Today included church this morning and tonight we had a Youth Talent Show to raise money for one of our upcoming local mission projects. Our students played, sang, and performed and all did an incredible job...We have some very talented students so it was really good...
That about wraps up the weekend...We are sitting here waiting on one of the guys to bring some chicken to the house for supper and that'll be it...Below are some pics of the weekend trip that you can check out. Enjoy...

The Tower Chocolate Souffle...YUMMY!

Johanna & I on the Observation Deck

Mission Concepcion

The Inside of the Church at Mission San Jose...still used as a chapel!

A pic I took at Mission San Jose to use as a powerpoint background

Birthday Week and The Boys...

This week has been a busy, full week. Johanna's birthday is coming up later this week and we have a tradition of celebrating for a full week...Her first birthday which we were married on, we didn't get to spend together. I was on a mission trip in Germany with students that had been planned several months before we were engaged and then married. She was at home in Texas and so I had bought her a gift and card for every day of the week to make up for it...Thus, the tradition of Birthday Week started...So far this week she has received a personalized coupon book full of stuff like getting to choose the movie we watch and getting the house cleaned up by me, she got a Sonic gift card, and the movies In Her Shoes and The Devil Wears Prada...I have a couple more gifts/suprises later in the week so it should be fun...We have also had three of my former students from Goldthwaite spending the week with us this week...They are all great guys and have been a blast to get to hang out with and spend time with this week...Unfortunately, they have to head home tomorrow so we have been really making the most of the time we get to hang out together...Other than that, it has also been a week of getting back into a routine at the office after being gone for a couple weeks...I'll get back into the routine and then be gone again, so I am questioning even attempting to get into the routine...Anyway, that's all for now...Until next time...

But It's A Good Exhaustion...

I am finally home...and I am EXHAUSTED. I am not even sure that it is a healthy exhaustion, but it is a good exhaustion...So far this is how my summer has went: First weekend - Trip to Chicago with one of my students...First full week I had Vacation Bible School at our church...The 2nd week was High School Youth Camp at South Padre...Followed that with our Junior High trips to Schlitterbahn the next week, followed by spending a week speaking at a Missions Camp the last week of June...Got home on Saturday and then left on Sunday for our mission trip that we were on this week with our students...It was a great week. We got to see God work in the lives of children and in our own lives. We got to see God use our students in big ways and see them grow through it...But I am tired and glad to be at home. This month is as crazy as June, so it ought to be interesting...My primary focus right now though is spending time with my wife (whom it seems I have barely seen the past two weeks...oh wait! I have barely seen her in two weeks...) and getting some sleep. I think I actually remember what sleep feels like...we'll see...Until next time, enjoy a few more pics from our Mission Arlington trip this week...

Showing the kids some magic tricks

Playing Simon Says

Singing songs and doing the motions

Ready to watch some fireworks from the hotel parking lot

Fireworks from the Ballpark in Arlington

The Fourth and Freedom from a Mission Arlington View...

Today was a great day to celebrate the fourth. We started off the day early at the MA building with our morning devotional. Then we had about an hour to watch some of the Arlington July 4th Parade before heading off to our morning Rainbow Express sites...The parade runs about 3 hours long and apparently their are NO criteria to enter, so we saw some pretty "interesting" stuff...But we also got to see a couple veterans groups go by and that was worth it to pay tribute and applaud them...We spent the rest of the day doing Rainbow Expresses and today was the salvation story...So on July 4th, the day our country has set aside to celebrate freedom and sacrifice, we got to share the story of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus and the freedom that only comes in a relationship with Him...Pretty cool way to spend the day if you ask me...Here are some pics of the day...I'm off to watch the fireworks at the Ballpark in Arlington from our hotel parking lot...

Making necklaces that explain the salvation story

Eating some Krispy Kreme & waiting on the Parade to start

Chillin' at the parade

Everybody needs a partner to sing "My God Is So Big"

Leading songs - Let's do the "Itty Bitty" version

Mission Arlington Day Two...Long Days and Short Nights...

It is after 11:00 PM and I am not yet in bed...We had a full day serving today, playing with kids, singing songs, knocking on doors, telling Bible stories, sharing with people the love of Jesus...It was a LONG day, but it was good. Our students did a good job today and continue to show the love of God to those they meet...One of our students prayed last night that this week we would "talk to these kids we meet about You (GOD) and talk to You about the kids we meet." I think that is a good summary of what we are called to do: talk to God about the people in our lives and talk to the people in our lives about our God...Anyway, I have a pretty low connection from the wi-fi in my room and the hotel lobby, where the wi-fi is the best, is a good walk away so you'll have to wait for more pics until tomorrow...And we have to be up and ready to go about an hour earlier in the morning because of the July 4th parade that will be going through town and blocking off streets...Like the title says, long days and short nights...Unfortunately, Johanna has to leave tomorrow to go back home to work on Thursday and Friday. I was so glad to have her with me this week for the few days she got to be here but I wish she could stay longer...Summer ministry really strains us and we don't get much time together at all...I really cherish the time we have, and while I am thankful that we got to spend some time together this week and that we got to serve alongside one another, I really wish she wasn't leaving to go home already...That is really gonna make me want Friday to get here so that I can be back home with my incredible wife...But I digress...Until tomorrow, have a blessed fourth of July and if you know a U.S. military service person or a veteran, be sure and tell them THANK YOU...They fight to defend what we celebrate...Thanks Papa, Rodney T., and Gibby...You sacrifices for me are not forgotten...

Mission Arlington Day One...Let It Rain...

Day one of our Mission Arlington mission trip with our students saw us get off to a great start. We begin each morning as one big group and they placed us in a smaller apartment complex. This can sometimes be a recipe for chaos because you have all 20 something of our students and only a few little kids for them to minister to. Also, we have a lot of students who are here for the first time and really didn't know what to expect so it could have been crazy...But our students did a fantastic job and jumped right in loving students...After lunch we had a worship service with the other groups here...One of our students and my wife got to lead worship and they did an INCREDIBLE job! It was really, really good stuff...After that we headed out to two different apartment complexes, dividing our group in half...And both complexes we went to were bigger than the morning one...So we had more apartment doors to knock on, more kids to love, and less of us to do it because we were divided in two...And as we started off the afternoon it came a downpour, hence the "let it rain" title...it looked like we were literally driving in a river insted of a street...But we prayed about the weather and God gave us sunshine and no rain for an hour and a half...just long enough to do an hour and a half rainbow express...Coincidence? I doubt it...The afternoon was great as well and now we are resting at the hotel...Hopefully I will be able to blog and post a couple pics each night...Stay tuned for the rest of the week...

I've Been in Rehab All Week...

Sorry for the blog silence...I've been in Rehab since last Sunday. Seriously. But it may not be the kind of rehab that you're thinking at the moment. I got the great opportunity to spend the past week as a part of POJO Community Rehab in Springtown, TX. Basically, this is a week of mission work led by the students and adults of Hilltop Family Church in Springtown. It is a part of their youth ministry but so many of their adults help out as well. Basically, the take on projects where they rehabiltate houses for people in need. These students roofed houses, built decks, painted homes, and loved on children all week long...and because of their service to the King and the Kingdom, Springtown is a better place, more filled with the love and grace of Jesus. My part in the weekend was as the speaker for the week. I got to share the Word of God with these students and adults each night in their worship services. It was a great week and I had a blast being a part of it. We got to see God move in the community and we got to see him move in the lives of the people of Springtown and the participants of POJO Rehab...All in all, God showed up and it was good...Like it could be anything different when God shows up, right? I got home this morning, am washing clothes right now, will preach at my home church in the morning, and head out at lunch on another mission trip with the students of my own church...Gotta' love the life of student ministry in the summers...But it is absolutely great to be home spending time with my wife...Luckily, she gets to go with me for part of this next week...Life and ministry is just better when we're together so I am totally stoked about that...Hopefully, I'll be able to post some pics and posts over the next week from our hotel...Until then...

One of those "Wow" Videos...

I know that two posts in one day is really out of the ordinary here lately, especially this late at night, but I just came across this video and had to post it...A great sattirical look at how spoiled so many teenagers and adults are and how great our lives are...This is filmed from an Austalian teen perspective, but it can easily be applied to American teens and Americans in general...The next time you think you have it bad, actually consider what else is going on in the world...Then be thankful for what you have...And then use what you have to actually do something about what is going on in the world around you...Anyway, here is the video...Check it out...

Some Venting and A Prayer Request...

So allow me to vent if you will...And even if you won't I guess I am going to anyway because I am the only one sitting at this laptop typing right now...So here we go. Today Jaron and I went to Austin to run some errands for the church. While we were there we went into the Family Christian Store and looked around for some things. As we were looking we begin to talk about how grossly materialized our Christian faith has become. We have our own little subculture of Christianity. As we looked around the store we saw "Christian" (and I use that term tongue in cheek here) candy, kaliediscopes, caps, wristbands, t-shirts, action figures (including Jesus and the empty tomb and Moses and the burning bush), cartoons, movies, music, ties, wallets, breathmints, bumber stickers, key chains, frames, stuffed animals, coffe mugs, headbands, and more toys than one could ever imagine...In fact, we even saw these two...I think the "Run The Race - Victory In Jesus Monster Truck" and the "Praise Ponies" took the award for the most useless Jesus Junk, a.k.a crap, that we saw...




For some reason I do not think that this is what Jesus had in mind when he called us to be in the world and not of it. I don't think that this is what God had in mind when he called us to follow him. I don't think this is what the early church had in mind when they begin to call themselves "Christians", meaning "little Christ." And I certainly don't think that this is what Christ had in mind when he hung on the cross and shed his blood to redeem a lost and dying world. Surely he wasn't thinking, "I lay down my life so that they might have their own Jesus ties and Jesus toys." In fact, I think that this sickens the heart of God. I think that as I sat in that bookstore today and looked around that I felt the sickness that God feels when he looks down on people who claim to follow him and have somehow bought into all this crap. First of all, just imagine how much money believers spend on this junk that could be used to show love, mercy, grace, and compassion to people in need. Instead of helping people with AIDS, feeding hungry children, giving to church ministries, and sending missionaries into unreached lands, we spend our money on overpriced monster trucks, action figures, and corny t-shirts...And God weeps. Second of all, when did God get into the t-shirt and toy making business. I thought we were called to live out our faith while living among our culture, not to create our own little culture that no one understands...Didn't Jesus do it by living among the people, in their culture? And finally, most of the junk that the so-called "Christian" marketers are selling is non-creative, copied crap. If I see one more t-shirt or cap that has simply stolen a concept of the world and tried to spin the logo or the phrase to make a "Jesus t-shirt" I am going to vomit! If you are going to create your own little sub-culture at least be creative with the abilities and gifts and creativeness of God that he has placed in you. Don't just copy other people's ideas and put a Jesus spin on them! Not only does it make us (Christians) look a little shady in the integrity department, it also portrays that we serve a God who is not creative and imaginative, which could not be further from the truth...I have had my limit and I almost had a "turn over the money changers tables in the temple" moment today...And I think I would be in good company...In fact, I think I read somewhere that that was exactly how my Jesus reacted when he was faced with a similar problem...

On a completely different note, I am leaving this weekend to preach a youth missions camp in Springtown, TX. Pray for me as I will be speaking A LOT this week. Pray that God would speak through me and would work in students lives in spite of my insufficiencies and weaknesses. Pray for my wife as we will be away from each other for the week. Pray that God might be glorified through this. I'll be blogging about the week if I have internet access...not sure how that will go, so I'll keep ya' posted...

Home Sweet Home...

So we got back from the beach late yesterday afternoon. We had a great week of camp. Other than a few sunburns, the week went off without a hitch. I think that our students were challenged and a few of them really opened up to what God wants to do in their lives. It looks like we will even baptize a student as a result of the week. Scott Venable was the camp speaker and he did a great job teaching the word of God to our students. Lindsey Kane was our camp worship leader. I have talked a little about LK before but the more I have the privilege to be around her in ministry the more impressed I am. She is an incredibly gifted and talented singer and songwriter that is definitely using her talents and abilities to bring glory to Christ and make him known. Both Scott and Lindsey are the real deal and I consider them both friends. It was awesome for me to be able to give our students a chance to be around them and their leadership this past week...The beach at South Padre was great. We had tons of fun and the condos we stayed at were pretty cool too. We even spent a good part of one day at Schlitterbahn Beach Park, which was pretty cool. Overall it was a really good week. Our students had a great time at the beach and can't wait to go back next year, but more importantly I feel that a good number of them really experienced more than the sun and the sand and the sea...I think some of them really experienced God and that makes it all worth it.

As a side note, we got back from camp exhausted and were looking forward to a good nights sleep on Friday, but that was not to be...Johanna got sunburned pretty bad while we were gone and her legs/feet/ankles started to swell late Friday night, so we ended up at the emergency room just to be on the safe side until 4:30 AM on Saturday morning. It was nothing big, just a side effect of the sunburn so we are super thankful for that...We had a wedding today and the now we are just resting at home...The dr. wanted Johanna to stay off her feet for a couple days to let the fluid drain...We were planning to head to a concert in Austin tonight with the guys, but after being on her feet at the wedding helping with makeup and programs, we decided it probably was the wise thing to just rest...

I've got a busy week this week, which includes a trip to Schlitterbahn with our Junior High group and getting everything ready for our mission trip which is the first week in July. The week after next (right before our mission trip) I'll be speaking at a missions camp near Ft. Worth, so we have some busy days ahead...Gotta' love the summers in student ministry...

Busy...

The old saying goes "If the devil can't make ya' bad, he'll make ya' busy." Well, not that he has any problem making me bad, but he sure has piled on the busy lately too...Actually, most of the busy has been piled on by the joys of summer in youth ministry. This week has been our VBS for the children of our community...Lots of little kids with lots of energy running around the church for most of the day. It's also been a week filled with getting ready for youth camp. We leave on Monday for South Padre Island for our High School Youth Camp...It's gonna be a week of fun, friends, and faith...Our students have signed up for a week at the beach and hopefully, they'll get more than just a sunburn...Hopefully their lives will intersect with the incredible life-changing, plan-altering, crazy, inconceivable, uncomparable love of a Savior who gave himself for them...That's our prayer. That is why we put so much work and planning and effort into a week like the one that is coming up...So pray for us. Pray for our students. Pray that students who are after a good time at the beach might get more than they ever imagined. Until next time...

All I Need...

In light of recent experiences Johanna and I have had, we have been evaluating, struggling, journeying, learning, and growing in our understanding of what we really need in life. We have been challenged by messages we have heard from godly speakers who are seeking to live simply in order that others may simply live. We have been challenged by sharing life with people who live on so much less than we do and are so grateful and blessed to do so. That has got us, and me individually, looking at what I really need in life versus what I want - and only really think I need. There is a big difference in what we want and what we need, but so many of us in America, specifically in the American church, have confused the too. God never promised to give us what we want but rather to provide for all our needs. There is a difference. But so many times when we can't get what we want - that new car like the neighbors got, the new house that we really wanted, that new pair of shoes or that summer vacation, then we act like the spoiled little brat in the aisle of the toy store who has just been told by his parents that he cannot have the toy he wants. And he responds by screaming, "But I need it! I have to have it!" So many times that is how we approach life. We, even sadly so and especially so in the church, have become consumers. We have confused the promise from God to supply all our needs to be a guarantee by God to be our Giant Santa Clause in the Sky and give us all that we want and ask for...And then we get mad or upset or jealous of others when we don't get that thing that we want, but don't really need...We even bring that attitude to church...Our country is filled with churches full of people who are nothing more than church shoppers...They go from church to church looking for what they can get. What can you do for my children? What can you do for my teenagers? What can you do to give me that warm fuzzy feeling on Sunday mornings? What can you do for me? And we become nothing more than consumers of a spiritual experience, instead of worshippers of God and missionaries for the gospel of Christ. Unfortunately, God does not seek consumers. He seeks true worshippers. And God is not impressed by us seeking the perfect worship experience that makes us feel all good inside, but instead desires for us to seek the souls of men and women who do not know the love, grace, and truth of Jesus.

We all need to examine our needs and our wants. We need to closely examine how we spend our money. Is it bringing glory to God and good to others? Is it benefiting his kingdom or our comfort? We need to closely examine how we spend our time. Is it bringing comfort to us and our own desires or are we using it to comfort those who are hurting and serve those who are in need? We need to closely examine how we are using our talents. Are we seeking to find a place that suits us and fulfills all of our wants or are we spending of ourselves so that others might see the glory of God, finding places to use our talents and gifts to serve the kingdom? Just something to think about over the weekend...What do we want and what do we need?

Here's a cool song by Shawn McDonald called All I Need that examines this topic in a similar light:

A Redneck?!? Really?!?!...

Does this kid honestly need to be wearing a shirt that says "Good Ole Boy" or is it not just understood at this point? Either way, kinda cool tricks...Especially when he shoots the golf ball off the end of the shotgun. Check it out if ya' wanna' kill a couple minutes...

Memorial Day @ Wrigley Field...

This past Memorial Day weekend I got to go on an incredible trip. Last week one of the students in our youth group turned 16 and for his birthday he got to plan a trip for him, his dad, and me to go to Wrigley Field to watch a Cubs game...It was such a blessing to be able to go and be a part of an incredible trip and I am still pumped about the whole weekend.

On Sunday after church, we flew from Austin to DFW and then on to Chicago O'Hare Airport. We arrived in Chi-Town late Sunday night and went straight to the hotel (The Fairmont in dowtown Chicago - INCREDIBLE!) to hit the sack and get ready for our big day on Monday. Monday morning we got up early, grabbed some Mickey D's for breakfast, and headed out to Wrigley Field. After a brief scenic tour, we finally found out where we were going and arrived at the ballpark at about 10:30. Walking up to that site of sports history was almost breathtaking. Let me just say this for those of you who don't know - I am a Sports Fanatic. I love sports and I love the history and richness found in so many of our great sporting pasttimes, so being at Wrigley Field, which was built in 1914, was an incredible moment for me...The gates didn't open until 11:20, 2 hours before gametime, so we got to walk around the outside of the stadium for a while and take it all in. When the gates opened, we were some of the first ones into the park and took in all the sights, sounds, and experiences of batting practice. Mark and I took tons of pictures while Mike tried to catch foul balls from batting practice...He even got his hand on one, but didn't have a glove on, so he couldn't pull it in...Once it got close to game time we grabbed some hot dogs, drinks, and peanuts and headed to our seats. We were in the top section of the lower level right along third base so they were great seats. We watched the game and cheered on the Cubbies, even though they ended up falling short in the end to the Marlins. In the final inning and a half people were leaving so we got to move really close to the field right behind the Cubs dugout and the last inning was the most exciting because the Cubs almost made a comeback.

After the game was over we took some more pics and then headed to see some other sporting venues in Chicago. Mike drove us all around Chicago just so Mark and I could get pics of all the different sports venues. It was awesome. We went to the United Center, where the Chicago Bulls of the NBA play and the Chicago Blackhawks play hockey. From there, we headed to U.S. Cellular Field, home of the 2005 World Series Chicago White Sox. Then from there, we headed to take some pictures of the monstrosity that is Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears. Soldier Field was actually right down the street a little ways from our hotel. From there we heaed to ESPNZone for supper and to watch the Spurs and Jazz on a gigantic TV screen.

Tuesday we lounged around in the morning and hit up Hard Rock Cafe for lunch. From there we made a lighting fast trip up to the top of Sears Tower (we were litterally only up there for 5 minutes!) so that we could take some more pictures and then headed to Chicago O'Hare Airport to catch our 5:00 flight home...And as far as we're concerned, we made it there in plenty of time, right guys!?!?

Anyway, overall it was an incredible trip and I am so blessed to get to be a part of it...The weekend was full of tons of sports experiences and memories and Monday was definitely a dream day, watching the Cubs game at Wrigley field, seeing all the sports venues, and hanging out at the ESPNZone. The trip was also full of great fellowship...We all had a great time and I am so glad not only to get to go on the trip but to get to go with who I got to go with...Chicago...The Windy City...Chi-Town...Great time, great trip, great company, great memories...Memorial Day at Wrigley Field...Nothing beats it.

Watoto...

Me, Jaron, Andy, & Curry with Auntie Daisy & The Girls

Our new friends from Uganda - Auntie Daisy, Allen, Lovinsa, & Fiona

The girls taught the boys some of their choir dances, so the boys returned the favor and taught the girls some "dances." Here they are learning the dance from the movie "Hitch."

Tuesday night our church had the great privilege of having the Watoto Children's Choir perform. It was incredible! Watoto is a ministry in Uganda that places orphaned children in caring, loving homes and communities where they provide a mother for eight children, a school, a home for each family group, and a church. Each of the children in Watoto have lost one or both parents to the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Being on staff, I got to spend a little extra time with this group of kids and the young adults who travel with them and they were just an oustanding group of people. Johanna and I (and the college boys living with us now) were fortunate enough to have three of the girls and on the the sponsors spend the night in our home. It was just a great, life-changing, life-altering experience for us...



The children sang songs of hope and peace and the love of God found in Jesus. One of the most moving moments of the night for me was to hear and see these orphaned children dance and sing the song, "I am not forgotten, I am not forgotten, I am not forgotten, God knows my name!" I sat in the pew and begin to cry for a couple of reasons: First of all, I too am not forgotten because God does know my name...How incredible is that. But, secondly, here is a group of orphaned children who, by the worlds standards have every reason to be down and out, depressed and crushed. They've been orphaned and left behind to fend for themselves as children - 6, 7, 8, 10 year old children. But the came Christ, through the ministry of Watoto and told them, while the world may have forgotten you I have not! Here are these children singing songs of HOPE with all of their soul and heart and might and with the biggest smiles that you've ever seen...That is only a HOPE that comes from Jesus.



This event, like several in the past, has really got me considering my own life. It has me examining what I am doing with my life and what impact I am making. It has me examining my own choices of how I spend my money and my treasures. It has me doing some evaluation of what it is that God desires from me for my days, my bank account, my choices, my LIFE. For me, this was one of those type of experiences.



Words cannot express what God has taught me and is teaching me through seeing once abandoned and orphaned children sing of HOPE and LOVE and GRACE and PEACE. And sing it with such conviction and joy that they really do know that they are not forgotten and that God does know their names. If you get a chance and they are in your neck of the woods, I don't care what you have scheduled...Drop it and go hear the Watoto choir perform. This group is only in the states for a couple more months and then they head back to Uganda. Check it out at www.watoto.com.



Also, this has got me again thinking about my/our role in the AIDS epidemic in Africa and I am planning on sharing some sights that can help you make a difference in showing people in this fight the love of Christ. Please check back in the next day or two for that post. Until then...

The Weekend Update...

It was a busy weekend for us again...Seems like as the summer gets closer and my really busy time of the year is approaching, it is only getting more and more crazy. Johanna spent the weekend in D.C. with her family. She flew out on Friday to watch her brother graduate from the Naval Academy with his MD on Saturday. Me and the guys headed to my hometown for the weekend to see my grandparents and parents. It had been a while since I had been home, so it was great to be at home and to spend the weekend with family, especially since it was my grandfathers birthday.

Sunday was "Senior Sunday" at our church. We honored our seniors and presented them with gifts and a luncheon in their honor...I preached at both of our morning services and talked about leaving a legacy that lasts. I challenged our students to not just live for success, but for significance and to leave a legacy that lasts beyond their lifetimes by living for the glory of God and the good of others. It was a busy weekend, but a good one.

Lindsey Kane Live...

Tonight at the Attic we were blessed to have an incredible singer, song-writer, lead worshipper Lindsey Kane perform a concert for our students. Lindsey has led worship for us at an event before and will be leading worship at our high school camp this summer. She is an incredibly gifted artist, but the most impressive thing in my opinion is her genuine-ness and authenticity. She is always willing to work with our budget so that even if we're not a "big bucks" church our students receive "big bucks" experiences and such a great quality of ministry. Basically, she does what she does to serve and bring glory to the Father and unfortunately, that is rare in so many worship leaders and Christian artists these days. Our students and our ministry has been blessed by Lindsey and I know if you check out her music you will be too. Check it out at www.lindseykane.com.

A New Kind of Missionary...

A couple years ago I read the book The Emerging Church by Dan Kimball. Kimball is the pastor at Graceland in Santa Cruz and is a leading voice among those seeking to reach the emerging and postmodern generations that the church seems to be missing in today's society. I was looking back over it today when I came across this section that I highlighted:

"Our (the United States) unchurched population is the largest mission field in the English-speaking world and the fifth largest globally...As we approach ministry to the emerging culture - a post-Christian mission field - we need to use the same approach we would employ entering a foreign culture. We cannot go on seeing ourselves simply as pastors and teachers; we need to see ourselves as a new kind of missionary. And we must train people in our churches to do the same. We must dream missionary dreams. We must bleed missionary blood. We must pray missionary prayers."

That makes me think of the words of Jesus:
The harvest is PLENTIFUL but the workers are FEW. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. - Matthew 9:37-38

A Great Thought...

"If Jesus is the Son of God, we should be terrified of what He will do when He gets his hands on our lives; if the Bible is the Word of God, we should be quaking every time we read its soulpiercing words; if the church is the body of Christ, our culture should be threatened by our intimidating presence. But our culture is not threatened by our presence, it's not terrified of the Jesus in our lives, and it's not quaking at the Word of God. Why? Because we have familiarized the gospel, sanitized it, flattened it, taken the sting and terror out of it. We've been intimidated by those who claim to be familiar with Jesus...At first glance these people seem to know God extremely well. They know the "Key To God's Will" or "How To Live A Happy Life" or "Six Steps to Maturity." These people have reduced the gospel to a set of principles, Bible verses, moral absolutes, and theorems - as though God were some kind of mathematical problem that needed to be solved. What is implied (but never said) is that once we understand the formula, once we have determined "God's principles," then we can be comfortable because we know how God works. Which makes great sense...unless they are wrong."
- Dangerous Wonder by Mike Yaconelli

What Are You Doing With Your Tuna Fish...

Last night in our guys small group I led a discussion on John 6, specifically the first 15 verses where Jesus feeds several thousand people. As we talked and discussed and as I read the passage, a few thoughts occured to me. When Jesus confronts Phillip he doesn't ask whether or not they will be able to feed the crowd. He doesn't ask if it is possible or if they can afford it or if they are capable. He just asks how. It's not a matter of capability with Jesus. Immediately, though, that is Phillip's concern. He replies that eight months wages wouldn't even give everyone in the crowd one tiny nibble of food...Then as the disciples begin to brainstorm and problem-solve (or more likely talk about how Jesus once again could possibly be going insane), a little boy comes up and offers his five pieces of bread and two fish. I can see him trying to leave home with the crowd earlier in the day, eager to see what was going on and to watch what Jesus would do next, and his mother yelling at him as he ran out the door, "Don't forget your sack lunch!" Luckily, he didn't and here he offers all he has, albeit nto a whole lot...He hears the disciples discussing the perceived problem and Andrew sees him walk by and the boy offers up his two tuna-fish sandwiches...It wasn't much and sure wouldn't feed the crowd in his hands, but it was all he had.
The disciples then go to Jesus, almost ashamed of the little that they are able to come up with and offer. They even say, "Well, here's what we found Jesus, but it's not gonna' help." But they forgot something. They forgot that the tuna-fish sandwiches were no longer in the boys hands. They were no longer in the disciples hands. They were in Jesus' hands. And in Jesus' hands two tuna-fish sandwiches can feed THOUSANDS. And so Jesus blesses the food and they eat - They ALL eat - and the Bible says they eat until they are all so full that they cannot eat another bite! Wow! This story amazes me at what Jesus can do when we put what we have in his hands!
And then at the end of the story he instructs the disciples to go and gather the leftovers...And you know what? There were exactly 12 baskets of food left. Twelve "take home" boxes and twelve disciples. Coincidence? I don't think so. I think Jesus told them to pick up the leftovers becuase he knew exactly how much was left. He knew that each disciple would have enough left to take with them and eat on for a few days to come...And he knew that when they looked at that basket and ate of those leftovers that they would realize and remember the power of the One they were following. Each time they took a bite they would remember that when they saw the situation as impossible and they thought that they were not capable or couldn't do it, that Jesus just asked them how, not if. Jesus never asks if they can feed the hungry crowd, only how. He had the power to do it, he was just seeing if his disciples had come to the realization that with Jesus it is not a matter of if but how.
So what about you and I? What are our "tuna-fish sandwiches?" A little boy saw a huge dilemna and didn't say, "Well, this is all I've got...Too bad it won't help." No, he saw a need and he gave of what he had. And that is all God asks of us...He has gifted us with talents and abilties, and personalities, and possessions, and he says to us, "Will you put it back in my hands to be used to feed thousands?" We may look at our talent and see it as insignificant. We may look at our possessions and wealth and see it as small. We may look at what we can contribute with our hands and see it as too little to make a difference...But when we place those things in his hands, a couple tuna-fish sandwiches can feed the world. So what are you doing with your tuna-fish? In whose hands is it in?

The Weekend Update...

The weekend started a little early on Thursday with a dinner party for Johanna's work. She works for a CPA office and they were having a dinner to celebrate the end of tax season. Great food and good times on Thursday evening. I got up early Friday morning, which is my day off, and headed to Lake Bastrop. I was planning on spending the morning and early afternoon fishing...After about three hours at two different park locations and not even getting a nibble from a small perch, I decided to give it up and head to the house. Friday evening Johanna and I met up with some friends for a birthday celebration. It was Daniel's 20th birthday so we met him, his parents, and friends Jaron and Jenna at Texas Roadhouse for dinner. After the dinner, we hung out with Jenna, Jaron, and Foster at Dominican Joe's and shared old stories and lots of laughs. Saturday was a relaxing day around the house which happened to include some seafood and crawfish boil in the afternoon...Tasty stuff. Sunday involved church in the morning and evening and in the meantime, hanging out with Jaron and Jenna in the afternoon. Jaron and Foster are both former students of mine and Jenna and Jaron are now dating. Johanna and I both knew Jenna before this weekend but had never really gotten to spend a whole lot of time really getting to know her. As Andy had already told me "She's definitely out of Jaron's league. She's a lot cooler than he is."...So this weekend was great for spending time with old friends and making new ones...Until next time.

A Few Pics...

Us on The Kohootz Boat on the Dolphin Encounter Cruise

Us @ The Rockport Beach

A Dolphin Jumping In The Wake of A Ship - We saw tons of them on the dolphin cruise.

The view out our door at the Inn @ Fulton Harbor

My Sand Artwork on St. Jo Island

2nd Anniversary Trip...

Last weekend Johanna and I were fortunate enough to get to take a great trip to the coast for our 2nd anniversary. We were married two years on April 30th. So to celebrate, we thought a little trip was in order. We headed down to the Rockport-Fulton and Port Aransas area and spent Thursday evening through Monday afternoon just relaxing and taking in life at the beach. Here's a brief rundown of the trip, with some pics coming soon.

Thursday - We left Lockhart around 4 and headed down to The Inn @ Fulton Harbor. Johanna found this place on the internet and it looked really nice so we decided to give it a shot, even though we had never seen it in person. What a great choice! I highly recommend this place if you are ever staying in the Rockport-Fulton, Port Aransas area. The place is only a couple years old and it is incredible. It is small and family owned and they have done a great job maintaining the place and providing a great place for people to get away and relax....And it's right across from the Fulton Harbor and Marina, so the scenery is great! Once we got checked in we hit the restaurant across the street, Charlotte Plummers, for some tasty seafood.

Friday - Friday we headed to Port A to mess around and head out to St. Jo Island. St Jo is a privately owned island and is only accessible through one ferry. We had heard about it from friends and decided to check it out. Because it is privately owned no one is responsible for picking up trash and maintaining the island. That means that lots of trash washes up on shore from the gulf and that there are absolutely no facilities, electricity, shelters, or anything of the sort on the island. While we wished things were a little cleaner, we found a nice spot and spent most of the day playing in the waves and on the beach. There were several people on the island fishing but we were the only ones taking advantage of swimming in the waves...I think they thought we were crazy! We ended the day by hittin' up Snoopy's seafood restaurant, which we had been to before and loved...It was delicious.

Saturday - About 7 or 8 PM on Friday night we realized that Saturday would be a day to do not much at all...That was because we had waited to apply our "spray on" sunscreen until we got out to the island on Friday and due to the crazy wind, we cooked in spots so we were both dealing with major sunburn, but only in spots and blotches...However, we had already decided to have a more down, relaxing day so it was perfect. We took a tour of Fulton Mansion, a really old home in Fulton, during the morning and just swam at the hotel pool and hit the Rockport beach the rest of the day...We tried kite flying in the early evening at the Rockport beach and while the wind was strong, it did not cooperate by blowing with any sort of consistency so we had no luck with the kites...We finished the night with a GREAT meal of cajun seafood at The Boiling Pot.

Sunday - Sunday included another trip back to Port A. We rented an electric cart (Bevo was its name - UT orange with Longhorns painted all over it!) and took it all over the beach and all over town in Port A...It was a lot of fun and a great way to tour the place...After that, we had scheduled an afternoon Dolphin Encounter cruise. We went out on a boat and saw tons of Dolphins and got a tour of the sites from the water. After heading back to Rockport we hit the beach for a swim (and almost got attacked by some jumping fish!) and then hit a little Italian restaraunt that Johanna had saw and wanted to try out.

Monday - Monday morning we took advantage of sleeping in...Then it was time to pack up, load up, and hit the seafood markets to stock the ice-chest before we left...Overall, we had a fantastic weekend and are so blessed to be able to do something like that. What a great way to celebrate 2 years of an incredible marriage!

Unfortunately this rings to close to home...