Say Thank You...

Yesterday I made one of the most important phone calls I ever make on a yearly basis. Every year on Veteran's Day (which was yesterday and is being "observed" today) I call my Papa to say two simple, yet very much needed to be said words: Thank You. My grandfather was a "lifetime" military man serving 20 years in the United States Army. He served his country faithfully and with pride and integrity in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He didn't serve for medals or for recognition, but for the love of his country. He and my grandmother made sacrifices so that He could serve, including living literally all over the world and raising their son (my dad) in an environment where moving across the globe was a literal reality. And I am so thankful for men and women like my grandfather. It was his sacrifice and bravery that paved the way for the freedom's I enjoy...A few years ago I was in Philadelphia with a couple of my students and we walked by one of the city's War Memorails that pays tribute to those who've served our country...The memorial had these words: "To those who've fought to defend it freedom has a taste that the protected will never know." I believe that is true. And I am thankful for men like my grandfather, and my friend Rodney Thomas, my cousin Thomas, my brothers-in-law, Jason and Jerry, and fraternity brother Gibby who all have served or are currently serving...Thank you just doesn't seem like enough...But it is the very least we can do...If you know a veteran or someone currently serving our great nation, take the time today to say thank you...

Holding The Hand That Holds The World...

So one of the things that I love about Youth Specialties and the NYWC is that they "cast a wide net." There is always a wide variety of speakers and bands and performers to choose from, so you get several perspectives and you also get to hear/see groups that are new to you...For me, one of those groups this past week was the band Starfield...They led worship on Sunday and Monday and I really liked their sound...But more than that, I think that the lyrics to their worship songs were incredible...Here are the lyrics to my favorite one they led this past weekend...It's called "Hold The Hand That Holds The World"...

No greater joy
Is there than this
To know for what
We're meant to live
To hold Your hand
To touch Your face
To find ourselvesIn loves embrace

I want to stand before the King
Join in the song that heaven sings
I want to hold the hand that holds the world

I want to know the mystery
Reach out and touch the majesty
I want to hold the hand tht holds the world

No greater love
Could be bestowed
That You would name us
as your own

Your daughters sing
Your sons rejoice
They gather here
before Your throne

You are, You are
The author of creation
We are, the chrildren of your heart

You are, You are,
The light of all the heaven
We rise, to worship all You are

Top 10 Reasons Texas is Better...

As promised, here it is:

"My Top 10 Reasons That Texas is Better Than St. Louis"

10. You never leave a restaurant with bleeding eardrums due to how stinkin' loud the music is. (It's Hard Rock, not Loud Rock.)

9. There are actually restaurants and gas stations right off the Interstate, where people who have never been there before can actually see them and get to them...wow, what a neat concept!

8. Our streets don't close down for a stinkin' hockey game.

7. Parking at a restuarant doesn't cost you twice as much as your meal.

6. Two Words: MEXICAN FOOD!

5. Fast food isn't considered between 30 to 45 minutes. (Steak and Shake - There are 44 in the city of St. Louis and I am betting that ALL 44 are slow!)

4. People involved in customer service professions actually acknowledge that the customer exists. (I have never been in a city where the waitstaff and customer service people were more rude or apathetic.)

3. Two more words: Diet Dr. Pepper. (Actually, I guess that's two words and a prefix.)

2. No one honks at you when you make a minor driving error...they just give you the finger. (I know some might prefer the honk, but at least the finger is a bit less obvious for the rest of the drivers near you and for your SUV full of people.)

1. People actually smile at you.

With that being said, we did have an oustanding time at Youth Specialites' NYWC...But St. Louis, not so much...So I will leave you with this from the band Bowling For Soup and hope that Mark Oestreicher or Tic Long sees the following and take it as an official invitation for the NYWC:

Come back to Texas
Its just not the same since you went away
Before you lose your accent
And forget all about the Lonestar State
There's a seat for you at the rodeo
And I've got every slow dance saved
Besides the Mexican food sucks north of here anyway

Human Tetris...

This video was featured on Yahoo's homepage today...Hilarious!

NYWC Revisited...

So, as promised, here is a brief recap of the NYWC in St. Louis that Johanna and I just returned from. Overall, the experience was incredible! As I posted previously, we come back every year refreshed and renewed with a new sense of hope for this calling that God has given us...We both attended several breakout seminars and got the chance to learn a lot. Johanna went to a couple Tony Campolo seminars on how sociology can shape youth ministry and what evangelism in a post-evangelical world looks like...I attended a conference led by Marcus Goodloe...One of the things he talked about is how we all have preferences and principles...Our preferences can be "violated" and we can get over it, but we have to be men of integrity when it comes to people violating our principles, in ministry and in life...I also attended a session led by MarkO (ysmarko.com) titled, "The Expectations that Killed the Youth Worker." It was great stuff and it was the kind of stuff that makes you examine where your own life/ministry is heading and if you want it to head that way....Another seminar I hit up was the one on Innovative Youth Ministry led by the guys at lifechurch.tv. It was a great seminar and challenged me on the level of innovation I am bringing to ministry...The "big" general sessions were great too...David Crowder band and Shane & Shane rocked! The Skit Guys were hilarious...We were led in worship by some bands that were new to us and that was cool too...Ralph Winter, the producer of the X-Men movies, spoke at one of the sessions and talked about storytelling...Overall, the general sessions were really good.

We also had a little down time...We got to go check out the Arch and went to this cool little park called Forest Park...And we got to hang out with some of our closest friends in ministry...That is always great and always leads to some interesting and fun times...

As I said in a previous post, it is so good to be around family...For a few days in the middle of the country we got to worship and learn and live and share life with 3,500 people who get us...They may not be in the same denomination and may not live anywhere near our state, but we are all family...They know what it's like to get a phone call at 2 AM from a kid who just needs to talk...They know what it is like to deal with unrealistic expectations from some people...They know what it is like to feel misunderstood and unappreciated...They know what it is like to deal with all the "junk" that comes along with ministering to students...But they also know what it is like to see a teenager's life changed by the incredible love of Jesus Christ...And knowing all those things is what makes us family...We have walked in one anothers shoes...We share one another's burdens and struggles and pains...And we share in the joy that is student ministry...And we're family...So I got to spend a few days at the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers' Convention, or in my opinion, at my family reunion.

Stay tuned for my Top 10 Reasons Why Texas is Better Than St. Louis...Hopefully, it's coming later today...

Home from NYWC...

Johanna and I just got home from Youth Specialties' National Youth Worker's Convention in St. Louis...I am exhausted but it is such a good exhaustion...I have attended NYWC the past four years and Johanna has been with me the last three...And everytime we come back, we have been challenged, engaged, encouraged, renewed, revived, refreshed, poured into, and having met with Jesus...I love the people at YS for what they do for Youth Pastors! I have a lot to debrief ya' on but I'm about to hit the sack...However, some weekend highlights from the convention are sure to come tomorrow as well as my "Top 10 Reasons Texas is SO MUCH BETTER than St. Louis." Until then...

NYWC St.Louis so far....

It's been a great couple of days already here at the National Youth Workers Convention in St. Louis...It's been great to begin to be refreshed and refueled...God has already laid some serious challenges in front of us and I am excited about what is in store for the future as Johanna and I continue to walk with Him in this thing called ministry...I've attended some great sessions and the "big" general sessions have been incredible. David Crowder rocked yesterday and as I type this, Shane and Shane are on stage leading worship...These guys are the real deal. I've been at camps where we've interacted with them and they are so genuine...It's gonna be a great day...The only bad thing is how fast this has already flown by...But I have been reaffirmed already this weekend in many loves...I love my wife and could never imagine doing ministry without her by my side ever again...I have some INCREDIBLE friends in ministry whom I have a deep love for...These times of fellowship and sharing life only remind me more and more of that...My love for my calling to serve others in ministry has also been reaffirmed...I cannot imagine doing anything else with the life God has given me...What an incredible privilege to serve others in ministry...And most of all, and most importantly, God's love for me, regardless of my work for Him, has been reaffirmed...David Crowder led us in a song last night that summed that up best:

when clouds veil sun
and disaster comes
o my soul
o my soul

when waters rise
and hope takes flight
o my soul

ever faithful
ever true
you are known
you never let go

you never let go
you never let go
you never let go

when clouds brought rain
and disaster came
o my soul
o my soul

when waters rose
and hope had flown
o my soul
o my soul

ever faithful
ever true
you are known
you never let go

you never let go
you never let go
you never let go

o my soul
overflows
o what love
o what love

o my soul
fill with hope
perfect love
that never lets go

you never let go

Shane and Shane are playing It is Well With My Soul and it's time for me to go get some more refueling...I'll be blogging again later...It's great to be among 3,500 family members...It feels an awful lot like home...

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane...

Johanna and I fly out early Wednesday morning to St. Louis, MO to spend a few days at the National Youth Workers Convention...It's that time of year again when the incredible people at Youth Specialties spend a few weekends pouring into the lives of Youth Workers across the nation. I am PUMPED, for a couple of reasons. I LOVE the NYWC and I don't throw that "love" word around...It is an incredible time of renewal and refreshment. I also am pumped because I know I'll come away with some great, challenging stuff from the sessions and the learning opportunities...But most of all, I am super excited to be around FAMILY. Johanna and I are meeting two of my closest friends and their wives, who are also Youth Ministers, at the convention...And that will be great because we always have so much fun together...But it is more than just that family that I am excited to be around...We get to be around Youth Worker Family...Those people who know, and understand, and get it...And I cannot wait...I need this and it is coming at just the right time...Not sure what the hotel internet situation will be like, but I am planning on blogging so check back for updates from now until next Monday...I hope the rest of your week is as absolutely incredible as mine will be...

Worlds Series Highlight (Thus Far...)

I am sitting here watching Game 2 of the World Series and as the game heads into the ninth inning, I am hoping that the Rockies' bats come to life and that they turn the tide and take down the crappy Red Sox, whom I hate...But in risk of losing my "man card" I am going to have to say that my highlight thus far in the Series just occurred a couple innings ago...My highlight thus far has been listening to Boys To Men sing God Bless America during the seventh inning stretch...They are one of my All-Time favorite groups, so that was definitely the highlight thus far, especially since the Sox have been doing so well...

I'm Lovin' Me Some Marc Driscoll....

Copied this video off of a friends facebook...I really like what Driscoll has to say in it...I think it is a challenging look at the prosperity gospel that is so prevalent among today's churches...Those of you who read this blog regularly know I am a Driscoll fan and that his Radical Reformission book is one of my all time favorites...Take a look at this and let it get ya' to thinking...

Short Term (and long term) Memory Loss...

As I sit and reflect back on the past several months of ministry I have begun to realize that the Church is struggling with memory loss...In so many congregations around the country we see a people hindered by fear. No. We see a people strangled to death by fear...We fear change. So we don't do anything different and yet expect in some miraculous way our churches that are dying will come back to life...Even those of us who seek to be agents of change fear it somewhat. We fear inadequacy...What if we seek to follow Christ into the unknown and we fail. What if in the end we just aren't capable of pulling it off, of getting the job done, of covering the cost, or of sticking to the commitment...We fear the unknown...So many times we stick with what is known, even though we know it is a terribly inefficient choice for the times we face. But it is known, and it is comfortable...So in our fear we stay with what we know, even when we know it is failing...We fear what people think. I feel that so many decisions in churches are based not on what God thinks but on what other people think. We fear that following God might make the "wrong people" angry, so they might quit coming or giving. So we base our decisions on what we perceive to be the response of others, rather than on the call of God...And we fear leading. I believe that the church in America is in a desperate stage in her life. And we need godly, brazen, courageous, fearless leaders know more than ever. But when I look at the Church, I see so many people who ought to be leading in a better, more visionary way, simply step back and watch because they are afraid. They fear for their paychecks, their jobs, the security in which those things provide for their family...They fear failing and being told "I told you so." They fear others in power who resist change because it might mean a change in power. And instead of the church being lead by brazen, courageous, godly leaders who fear only God and follow only God, it becomes lead by a group of cowards afraid to follow God because of what men might think or say...

And in the midst of all this fear, I say that we have a short term memory loss. In fact, we have a long term memory loss too...We have forgotten the power and the ability of the God we choose to serve...We have forgotten that God qualifies and empowers those He chooses to use...We have forgotten that the same God who calls us to step out on faith and follow Him into the unknown is the God who parted the Red Sea, who delivered powerful enemies into the hands of the Israelites, and gave the promise land to His people. We have forgotten that this God is the same God who saved His people from the Egyptians, who turned water into wine, who healed the sick, made the blind see, and brought the dead back to life...And in our forgetfulness we have become controlled and ruled by our fears. We have a memory problem.

It is time for those of us who are leading in the Church here in America to Remember. Our churches and our communities do not need those who will sit idly by and watch as fear overtakes the people of God and the Church of God...Our communities and our neighbors need leaders who will remember. They need leaders who will look back at what God has done and remember his power, his stregnth, his ability, and his faithfulness. We need leaders who will stand and say, "I may not know the future, the outcome, or how it will all work out, but I know and follow the One who does." What the Church needs most is leaders who remember. And whose memory causes them to follow...

Great Article on Rockies' Faith In Clubhouse...

I was already rooting for the Colorado Rockies in the world series for a couple of reasons. First of all, I absolutely HATE the Red Sox...It's in my blood as a Yankee's fan...Second of all, I've been to a game at Coors Field, home of the Rockies, and really enjoyed the experience...But this is a great article that seals the deal for me....Click on the blog title to read the article...

Too True To Be Funny?...

Found this on MarkO's site over at ysmarko.com...The small caption bellow the pic reads "Ostrich Church"...

Wow...This shocked me...

Click on the title "Wow...This shocked me..." for a link to this story....

It's about the Shreveport Baptist Association in Louisiana, comprised of 125 churches, accepting it's first predominantly black church into the association...in 2007. Wow...I am shocked at this, but I guess it goes to show the old saying true: "The most segregated hour in all of America is 11:00 AM on Sunday morning." Shame on us...

The Weekend Update...

I am exhausted. I literally am having to force myself to stay awake at my computer today...This past weekend was incredbily tiring. My grandfather had surgery to remove an area in his leg where they recently removed a cancerous tumor. He had a spot on his knee and after removing the tumor, the doctor decided to do a thigh and knee replacement to remove any bone area that the tumor might have infected with the cancer...So I left the LOC after our mid-week youth service on Wednesday night and made the 4 hour trek to the DFW area...Lucky for me, my brother drove about 120 miles out of his way from Houston to pick me up so I could ride with him...We got to DFW about 1:30 AM on Thursday morning, slept for a few hours, and then were up at 6 AM for the surgery...The next few days I spent staying the nights in the hotel with my grandfather...I had the late night shift, staying at the hospital from 7:00 PM to 4:00 AM...The doctor wanted someone from the family to stay with him becuase he would get more attention that way...So Johanna and I would drive to the hotel at 4 AM when my parents relieved us each morning and sleep for a few hours...Then we'd get up, grab some lunch, and go back to the hospital...Needless to say, I know why I am so tired...We got in around 4 am this morning and I was at the office at 8:30...Not sure if I'll make the whole day...

That about sums up the weekend, but on another note, I love my wife. She is incredible...Not only does she put up with my messiness and constant teasing and jokes, and not only does she serve alongside me in a position, as a minister's wive, that has little reward and lots of gripes, but she is a champ in situations like this weekend...She headed up to DFW on Thursday as soon as she finished up her classes and spent each night with me in the hospital so I didn't have to stay up there alone...What a trooper! I love you babe, and am so thankful that God blessed me with you...

Now, if I can just stay awake for a little longer...

Joe Says No...

When it comes to baseball I am a HUGE Yankees fan. I love the yankees and I bleed pinstripes and Yankee blue. I have been a Yankees fan since I was a little league baseball player, when I began playing baseball and played first base. My baseball hero since I was in elementery was Don Mattingly...It's only natural that a 7 year old kid who loved the Yankees and played 1st base would be a Mattingly fan...I have SI issues that cover Mattingly's carreer and almost every baseball card with his face on it...

That being said, I am in mourning today. I love Joe Torre. I had a conversation with a stranger I met at a hospital this morning about what an incredible man and manager Torre is (the guy saw me wearing my Yankee hat in the waiting room and struck up the conversation...he's a fan too). I think that, while Torre did have the biggest payroll in baseball, he still did the absolute best job of managing a team of anyone in the MLB. So today Steinbrennner's ego reigns again. Once again Steinbrenner's insane power trips and rants hurt the team...And for a few hours I will swear off the Yankees in my mourning and in my frustration...And, just maybe, in a few weeks I will be over the frustration and pain caused by US losing OUR manager...There may be some guys in the league as good and as solid as Torre, but there are none better...Some may be close to his caliber, but there aren't any above it...In the columns of wins and losees, my Yankees lost today...and it was a BIG loss...

Life is for Living, Not Getting Old...

Check out this article:

'The Senior,' 59-year-old Mike Flynt, plays football after 37-year layoff

Click the title of this post to go to the article website...

Ragamuffins...

So I have been silent from blogdom for almost a week...My apologies to my readers (mom), but I do have a good reason...I left Sunday night to head to the annual Youth Ministry Conclave in Arlington, TX. It's an event put on by the BGCT that is aimed at helping, encouraging, and supporting Youth Pastors and Youth Workers across the state of Texas. Anyway, we stayed at the Sheraton, which is a four star hotel and is the "conference" hotel of the Arlington Convention Center and the internet was $13 per night! How can a hotel like that get away with not providing free wi-fi in this day and age?!?! I can't believe it, but nevertheless, thus sums up my lack of blogging...

On to the important part of this post...I got to spend the first part of this week with my absolute favorite people in the world...And it was so refreshing. I got to hang out with some of my closest friends, who just happen to be some of the best youth pastors that God has placed on this planet...I got to rekindle old relationships and meet up with guys who have taught me so much about life, ministry, and what it means to follow Christ. I got to meet some new friends who are beginning this crazy journey of what we call student ministry...And after all that, I can honestly say that I am convinced we are a group of ragamuffins. We are a group of outcasts. We are an insane, irrational, hard-headed, slow learning, scary, dangerous, rambuncious, rebellious, unpredictable group of folks...And I believe that Christ loves it! Who else would believe that the world can be changed through hormore infested 14 year olds?!?! Who else would be crazy enough to think that the ones in the church with no money, no power, no clout, and not even their own transportation could be the ones who would lead us to a great movement of God that might end in unreached peoples hearing for the first time the love and grace of Jesus? Who else would be bold enough to actually SPEAK OUT what everyone else knows and say that the church must change or die? Who else, but this crazy group of ragamuffins, would look at all the world has to offer, and choose to invest their lives, hearts, carreers, and souls in teenagers, knowing that the hours are ungodly (literally), the pay is poor, the strain on your own family is enormous, the encouragement and praise are few and far between, and the lot you've chosen is so many times seen as nothing more than babysitting?

But I am so glad I am among their numbers. I am so glad to be one of the few chosen to lay it on the line to connect the God I love and am passionate about with the students I love and am passionate about! Of all the talent and all the power and all the ability in the world, God chose this crazy group to be his arm of love to a generation of teenagers who so often have no clue what love is. And I can honestly say that I was honored to be in the midst of these ragamuffins for the past three days...I was among family...And it felt like home...

Busy Week...

Got a busy week this week and a day is already gone! I'm preaching Sunday so not only do I have to prep my Wednesday night message, but I also have to get a sermon for Sunday done...Don't get me wrong. I'm pumped for the opportunity to share the Word with our entire congregation, but it just makes for a busy week...Plus throw in the fact that I'm out most of Thursday with a Drs. appointment in Temple and that I am also getting things ready to be out for three days at a conference next week...It just makes for a busy week...So what am I doing? I am blogging about how busy it is instead of getting after it...Oh well, I guess it's back to work...

The Weekend Update...

It's been a while since I've blogged so I thought that I'd share a few highlights of the weekend...

I spent Friday night with some good friends on a thing we call the Texas Tour. A couple years ago a good friend of mine, and fellow student minister, started this weekly ritual for Fall Friday nights called the Texas Tour. A few guys get together each week for a road trip to find some good football. The goal: Simple. To watch some of the best players, teams, and games in the state of Texas. We spent Friday night watching Liberty Hill and Wimberly...It was an ok game, but a great time of fellowship, sharing old frienships and investing in new ones.

Sunday night was definitely the highlight of the weekend. My wife and I, along with some good friends and a couple of our students, headed to Stubbs in Austin, TX to hear Lindsey Kane in concert at her CD Release party for the new CD. What an awesome night! First of all, Lindsey is an incredibly talented artist and a fantastic worship leader. My ministry has been blessed by her willingness to serve and be used by God in such incredible ways...Then there's Stubbs. What a great Austin-ny kind of place...I know that's not a real word, but it best describes Stubbs...It's a great live music venue with a charisma and personality all its own. Lindsey Kane and her band rocked it out too...The music was great and Lindsey always has a great, hilarious, funny, authentic, real feel on stage. But the highlight of the evening for me came in the middle of the set...In the middle of Austin, TX, in a place like Stubbs, built for honky-tonkin' and having a good time, God showed up. In the midst of a CD Release party where everyone was having a great time, worship occurred. And Stubb's was turned into a sanctuary. Right in the middle of the set, Lindsey led us all in How Great Thou Art and what happened in that place was nothing short of worship...It was incredible. Linsdey is one of those artist's whose raw authenticity, incredible talent, and availability to God allows for those types of God-moments to take place when she's on stage...It was definitely the highlight of the weekend, and I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else.

Finally...

This clip is on espn.com today and you can check out a less blurry clip of it there...But it is of Mike Gundy, head football coach of Oklahoma State University, defending his players from what he feels is unfair criticism by the media...I'm not sure about the article or about the player referred to, but it is nice to see a coach stand up for his "good kids"...In a day and age where we have so glorified sport that it doesn't matter about the character of a person as long as they can perform, its nice to see a coach that sees things differently...In a society that places far more value on atheltic talent than character and integrity, it's nice to see a coach who's values seem to be in order...Enjoy...

Pray by Kendall Payne...

I will pray for you now for you have been my faithful friends
While the road we walk is difficult indeed
I couldn't not ask for more than what you've already been
Only that you would say these prayers for me

May your heart break enough that compassion enters in
May your strength all be spent upon the weak
All the castles and crowns you build and place upon your head
May they all fall come crashing down around your feet

May you find every step to be harder than the last
So your character grows greater each stride
May your company be of humble insignificance
May your weakness be your only source of pride

What you do unto others may it all be done to you
May you meet the one who made us
And see him smile when life is through

May your blessings be many but not what you hoped they'd be
And when you look upon the broken
May mercy show you what you could not see

May you never be sure of any plans you desire
But you'd learn to trust the plan he has for you
May your passions be tried and tested in the holy fire
May you fight with all your life for what is true

I have prayed for you now all of my dear and faithful friends
But what I wish is more than I could ever speak
As the way wanders on I'll long to see you once again
Until then, would you pray these prayers for me?
Oh that you would pray for me.

Tom Brokaw's Speech...

I found this on a blog I read regularly written by the president of Youth Specialties, Mark Oestreicher. He has some great stuff on not just student ministry, but also on culture, the church, and the challenge of following Christ in today's world...Check it out at www.ysmarko.com...Great stuff. Anyway, here is a brief part of Tom Brokaw's Commencement Address at Emory University...

You have been hearing all of your life that this occasion is a big step into what is called the real world. What, you may ask, is that real world all about? What is this new life? Ladies and gentlemen of the class of 2005 at Emory, real life is not college; real life is not high school. Here is a secret that no one has told you: Real life is junior high.

The world that you’re about to enter is filled with junior high adolescent pettiness, pubescent rivalries, the insecurities of 13-year-olds, and the false bravado of 14-year-olds. 40 years from now, I guarantee it: You will still make a silly mistake every day. You will have temper tantrums and you’re feelings will be hurt for some trivial sleight. You’ll say something dumb at the wrong time. And you will wonder at least once a week, “Will I ever grow up?” You can change that. In your pursuit of your passions, always be young. In your relationship with others, always be grown-up. Set a standard, and stay faithful to it.

A Great Day...No Matter What...

Today, September 19th, is a great day. For the last six years, each time this date has rolled by on the calendar, it has been a great day...It has been a day to celebrate God's goodness and great favor toward me and my family. It has been a day to offer thankfulness. It has been a day to reflect back on the great blessings that God has bestowed upon me and my family...

Six years ago on this day, Sept. 19, 2001, I had surgery to remove a putuitary tumor from the front of my brain. Literally thousands of people were praying for me that day. People were asking God to guide surgeons hands, to give doctors wisdom, and to bless me with healing...AND HIS ANSWER WAS YES!

So this day for me is a day of celebration! There has never been a bad September 19th from that year on in my life...Today I celebrate and I thank God for what He has done for me...

Mourning...

Unfortunately, I've got mourning and grieving on my mind the last couple days...Our community lost a great young man in a terrible car accident this past weekend. The young man had been in our youth group and was now in college...He was one of those kids that everybody loves...Always smiling, always laughing, and always having a hug and an encouraging word for others...Some of our other students also lost a close family member this weekend...The young man's funeral was today and the grandmother's funeral is tomorrow morning...So it's easy to see why I've been thinking about how people grieve and mourn, and more specifically how we, as Christ followers, mourn...

God brought a verse to my memory on Sunday out of 1 Thessalonians...1 Thessalonians 4:13 says that "we do not grieve as those without hope..." Basically, that we should grieve and mourn differently than others, especially when a fellow Christ follower passes away, because we have something the world doesn't: HOPE. We don't grieve like those without hope because our hope is found in Christ. For those in Christ, death is not the end...The grave does not have the final say for the Christ follower. We cannot be beaten by death and the grave because we are not those without hope, but rather those with true hope, a hope in Christ Jesus.

So as I mourn and grieve and watch those around me mourn and grieve, I pray that those of us who are Christ followers might mourn differently...Not that we still don't shed tears and feel pain and need to grieve properly...But that we mourn as peoople who have hope and that others who do not know that hope might see the difference in the way we approach the grave and death...Mourn, but don't mourn like those without hope, because we have hope in the person of Jesus...

Quote of The Day...

I'm on a couple email lists that send me different kinds of quotes each day...Got a great one today, so I thought I'd share it...

Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men. Do
not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal
to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no
miracle, but you yourself shall be a miracle. Every day you
shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has
come to you by the grace of God. - Phillips Brooks (1835-1893)

Funny?...

These might be funny if they weren't such a true reflection of things...Sad thing is, I can put names and faces on these cartoon figures...

You Know You're In A Redneck Church...

I usually don't like email forwards. I get tons of them every day and sometimes I don't even have a chance to read them all...But I got one today that I opened and thought was pretty funny...I grew up in a small town (less than 1500) and went to a church out in the country off an old dirt road where 40 people was a big crowd...After that, my first full-time ministry position was in a church that was a good sized congregation, but was still in a smaller town of less than 2,000 people which was the small, rural county seat...So I appreciated this email titled "You Know You're In A Redneck Church..." Thought I would share a couple of my favorites...

"You know you're in a redneck church when people hear the story about Jesus feeding the 5,000 and they want to know if the fish were bass or catfish."

"You know you're in a redneck church when the opening day of deer season is recognized as an official church holiday."

"You know you're in a redneck church when a member asks to be buried in his 4-wheel drive truck, becuase 'it ain't never been in a hole it couldn't get out of.'"

And one of my favorites...

"You know you're in a redneck church when in a congregation of 500 people there are only 7 last names in the church directory."

We Remember...

Six years ago on this day our world was forever changed. Most of the people living during this time, and especially in my generation, define the terrorist attacks of 9/11 as the most defining historical moment in their lifetimes. As I sit here and type this I am watching the Memorial Service at Ground Zero. I am listening to names being read by various people...Each name represents a story, a family, a life that was ended. With each name, comes family left behind, lives changed, a story of a life left unfinished because of this tragedy...It is so easy for us to view something like this as a national tragedy, to see it as a world-wide event...But it was not just a national or a worldwide tragedy...These were family tragedies, tragedies that involved the loss of husbands, wives, children, parents, family, friends...And as these names are being read, every now and then, the speakers will read a name in this way: "And my _______ (friend, brother, cousin), (insert name here)." This event that we remember today is truly a national tragedy. It is truly a worldwide tragedy. But it is also much deeper than that...It involves thousands of personal tragedies...And so today we pause as a nation to remember those gone and those left behind...And we remember...May we never forget that those affected by this great tragedy are people, just like us, with stories, just like ours...

Mythbusters...

Tonight at The Attic we started a new series called Mythbusters: Busting Myths about God and What it Means to Follow Him. I am excited about this teaching series and what God is going to do in the lives of our students through it...We talked tonight about how God doesn't love us anymore when we are good. Basically, there is this myth, especially among church people, that the more good we do, the better we are, the more God loves us. Sounds nice, but it's not biblical at all...The Bible teaches us that God's love for us is not based on how good we are. It teaches that we cannot be good enough for God to love us more and we cannot be bad enough for God to love us less. God loves us. Period. End of sentence. End of story. God loves us and it is based on nothing we've done and on everything Christ did on the cross...What a freeing thought! So long guilt and frustration that come from trying to be good enough to please God. So long to feeling bad after we've failed because we haven't performed well enough for God. God's love for me isn't based on my performance or my behavior. He loves me regardless...That's the message of the cross...

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...