community.

its a shame
that some
would walk through life
without others.

i'm blessed.

2012 Travels

2012 was an insane year of travel for Kaitlin and I.
It was so incredible seeing God and the way He is moving through many countries.
Some trips were for youth ministry.
Some were for missions.
Some were for vacation.
Some were travel.
Either way, we saw God in so many places:

• Nassau, Bahamas
• Big Bear, CA
• Honduras
• Mexicali, Mexico
• Lake Mojave, NV
• Ethiopia (Kaitlin only)
• Honduras (again!) 
• Oahu, Hawaii
• Rome, Italy
• Paris, France
• Barcelona, Spain

...Beautiful...

Last Week's Schenanigans

Last week, we had a jam-packed week! Not only were we crankin out office work, camp forms, sermon prep, and advertising, we also were VERY social. Kailtin (who is on staff with the youth group with me for the summer) and I spent a lot of time one-on-one with students, which was a blast. In addition, we had three big events...

First was the WACKY TACKY PROGRESSIVE DINNER! So much fun! We had a 3-course meal backwards (since it was wacky tacky) and required costumes and face paint (always a great idea for youth ministry)!

Second was beach day. It was such a great time to connect with students in the ordinary. We got to talk about personal devotional times and what God was teaching them. Kaitlin and I stayed a little longer at the back (which was a bad idea because we got burned BAD!).

Finally, we attended a benefit dinner for a club that one of our students started at her school called Cooking Cause we Care. She was looking for a way to combine her passion for cooking and baking with something meaningful. Last summer, she had the opportunity to visit South Africa (where her mom was born), and was cut to the heart when she saw so many living below the level of poverty and with very little food. She started the club and they cater events, sell christmas cookies, and have baking parties. All of the money they raise goes to South African Food Bank.

They put on a beautiful event in Newport Beach with home-made gourmet 4-course meal! Some of our other youth group students we serving food, cooking, and playing some swanky jazz music! It was awesome to see teens rally around something that mattered to them!

Just a typical week...

Mess

You know your life is a mess when...

• You can't see the floor of your bedroom
• You can't see the floor of your car
• Your eating habits include fast food and diet coke at most meals
• Your wife has been sick for a week
• Your sleeping patterns are still thrown off from an all-nighter a week ago

I'm in the process of cleaning up. the car. the room. the eating habits. the sleep patterns. my lady's health.

Happy Birthday, Jeremy!

Today is my brother's BIRTHDAY! Jeremy Saenz is 19 years old and is growing up to be an awesome man of God! Tonight, Kaitlin and I had him over for fondue dessert. It was very yummy!

Thanks, God

So the other day, I was praying and focusing on a heart of thanksgiving (even though it's August... crazy, right!?). A thought came into my mind as I was offering my thanks to the Lord: God, thank you for making me who I am, not who I want to be!

I often find myself praying that I would not struggle with certain sins, that I would have been created another way, or that I could change my flaws. I did have an epiphany in my moment of prayer, though. I really am thankful that God created me just the way I am. If I were created just the way I want to be, I would never have the opportunities to trust God's sovereignty.

God cannot tempt anyone with evil, I know that. However, I believe that it may be a gracious act of God NOT to heal, NOT to restore, NOT to take away our sins, brokenness, and maladies. In our brokenness and weakness, I believe that God spiritually forms us. My inept causes me to trust God, not myself. My inability leads me to the cross. He may never fully restore this side of eternity, but my faith and perseverance may greatly increase because of his gracious no to our prayers.

catch up

its been a while. not like the song, but like the time lapse since my last post. here it goes...

well, folks, i spent the entire day (literally, the ENTIRE day) going through receipts and working on our finances. we have kept every receipt since january and we are accounting for every penny spent. my reason in this is to make a budget that is a lot more reasonably based, rather than trying to guess back in january how much everything is going to cost us. these last 6 months we just spent normally and now we are ready to evaluate and see where we can cut back and where we can loosen. i need to finish tomorrow, but i also need to do the rest of the stuff i planned to do while kaitlin is gone. (so much to do, so little time). but, i really miss my wife. ( i may or may not have talked to our kitten a lot, lit candles, and listened to jazz music alone while she was gone. you'll never know.)

God's Chisel

So This One Day, I Ran Into Blythe...

And we took pictures of clothes we liked, but didn't buy.

You should read her blog.

One Year on Staff at PCI

Today--June 1, 1009--marks exactly one year of me being on staff at Pacific Church of Irvine.  It has been a really cool year.  One that has been surprising, exciting, difficult, draining, filling, fun, and well worth it!  I am so blessed to be at our church and I have come to love it and the people there.  Here are some ministry memories in my first year!

• Youth Sundays
• People Hunt
• Ninja Warriors Night
• Beach Days
• You Tube Series
• Vacation Bible School
• Centrifuge Summer Camp
• Youth Room Remodel 
• Bonfires
• Pumpkin Patch
• Glow: All-Nighter
• Lunch with Students
• Pumpkin Patch
• Christmas Party
• Super-Staff Meetings
• Crazy Love
• Student Leadership Retreat
• Rooted, Growing, Serving, Sowing
• Guys Group
• Valentines Spaghetti Dinner
• Beach Cleanup
• 4 Your Friends Outreach
• Church Picnics 
• Old Skool Lego Bible Stories 
• Identity Series 

jumbled thoughts [life update]

• I am not a fan of social networking anymore. Blogs, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have given everyone their 15 minutes of fame.  Now that EVERYONE is special, NOTHING is special.  People have no attention span and no real community.  We are an "instant coffee" society. There is nothing like smelling the whole beans, grinding them, making the coffee, and enjoying it.  Same with community.  
• I'm excited for our vacation to Chicago in a bit, especially since we'll be there over the 4th of July! A city vacation is unconventional, especially because we're such beach lovers, but I love this city and Kaitlin hasn't been there.  Kaitlin's family is going at the same time and her sister is going to look at some colleges.  Can't wait for Chicago Deep-dish pizza from Giordano's! 
• Kaitlin are professional dog/house sitters I guess.  We have 5+ "jobs" this summer and more still in need. Crazy, but so nice. It's like a mini-vacation. Plus we can earn money to go on an actual vacation! We start our first job on Saturday. We are praying that we get to babysit (okay, DOGsit) Muffin again!!!
• We're celebrating Reenie's birthday on Friday at Mastro's! Best steak EVER..can't wait!
• I am learning the richness of my identity in Christ! It is beautiful.  I'm unpacking a lot of crap but also discovering so much joy in my true identity, not the one I have forced myself into.  God is good!
• I think I like running again.  It's probably because of the sun.
• I freaking LOVE Sprinkles Cupcakes in Newport Beach.  I constantly crave them now.
• I haven't bought Starbucks in a couple weeks now. Can you believe it?!?! I have set out to prove Kaitlin wrong.  Though, there is nothing wrong with people buying it for me!!! ...(hint, hint)...
• The youth group summer is completely booked.  I can't wait.  It is the busiest/greatest season of ministry! 
• Kaitlin is almost done with school for the semester...only 1 more week!
• Here is my blog post form one year ago today. I am happy to say that I am not in that place right now. 
• High school guys small group at the pool and jacuzzi is a good idea. We have a lot of fun and good conversations. 

Ode to Wife

I love my wife

and she loves me!

It's just as it ought be.

She bakes me cakes,

Loves eating steaks,

Makes me feel great,

Stays up talking late. 

I love my wife

and she loves me!

It's just as it ought be.

She has blonde curly hair,

And a big heart to care,

For others with needs,

(She's a rose among weeds!)

I love my wife

and she loves me!

It's just as it ought be.

Monday Update #6

Where am I now?  On the couch watching the Food Network... my new favorite!  

How was last week?  It was a crazy week, but ended with some really good down-time.  Here are some highlights: (1) Youth Group bonfire on Wednesday!  It was a great time.  I still have a bruise from the game, "Savage Women," we played.  (2) I got really organized at work as far as our programming goes and I'm excited to implement our planning and evaluation stuff I made.  (3) Palm Sunday was cool and unconventional!  Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey game and fun-noodles instead of palm branches! (4) Kaitlin and I did mostly nothing on Saturday, which is unheard of for us... it was so nice!

What is God teaching me right now?  Connect with Him to receive grace! Also, stop striving to be perfect by my own strength for the wrong reasons!

What am I excited for this week?  (1) House/dog-sitting the in-laws' pets.  (2) Passover experience at Youth Group on Wednesday.  (3) Good Friday. (4) Easter!!!! (5) Oh, ya... it's my birthday tomorrow!

What is something random from the last week?  Bought 14 cents worth of yogurt at Yogurtland ... old news if you read my blog regularly, but still funny and random!

What music have I been enjoying recently?  HSM & Wildside CD still.

What books am I reading?   Finished Refuel by Dough Fields the other day. 

What am I reading in God's Word? John and the other gospels for the passion story and events surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

How can I reach others this week? Challenging people to think about Easter, and think HARD!!  

Monday Update #5

Kaitlin wanted to be in the picture this week!

Where am I now?  At the dining room table.  Just finished a good run, laundry, and dishes. Kaitlin is doing homework. (Oh, her blog post has a really funny story about our walk tonight... you should read it after this!)

How was last week?  Last week was great! I went to PDYM conference and got to spend a lot of time with Mark.  Met a lot of new people and saw a lot of familiar faces!  It was a great experience.

What is God teaching me right now?  REMAIN IN HIS LOVE.  John 15 has impacted me a lot recently.  I need to remain in Him.  This is how I lead, this is how I live, this is how I love!

What am I excited for this week?  Youth Group Bonfire, baby!  Can't wait!  

What is something random from last week?  I saw a girl at the PDYM conference that I grew up with on my street.  I was no older than 6 or 7 when I moved away.  She is now a youth worker in Seattle.  Crazy! 

What music have I been enjoying recently?  Wildside & HSM CD

What books am I reading?  Refuel by Doug Fields 

What am I reading in God's Word?  John and the Passion narrative, getting ready for Easter!

How can I reach other this week?  LOVE!  Sounds corny, but so real.  

I NEED YOUR HELP!!!  I am looking for one more question to add every Monday!  I want to hear some ideas... Yes, that means you have to comment!

PDYM Conference

This week I have been at Purpose Driven Youth Ministry conference at Saddleback Church.  I joke that it doesn't feel like I'm at a conference because (1) It's 5 minutes from my home; and (2) I attended Saddleback High School Ministry myself as a student.  It's strange being thrown into the pool of "Youth Pastors" because when I worked the resource tent in high school for the Purpose Driven conferences, we often joked around about how all (and I mean ALL) of the youth pastor had highlights and goatees. Now I'm one of them (minus the highlights and goatee).  Anyway, it is a really cool conference and have got to meet up with some great people (both new friends and old friends).  I am blessed to be doing what I am doing in life and ministry.  I am excited for what God is doing at Pacific Church of Irvine with the youth.   

Monday Update #4

Where am I now?  In our condo, sitting on the floor while my wife bakes english tea sweets for a school project and my sister-in-law, Reenie, plays bejeweled and listens to her iPhone music.

How was last week? It was an AMAZING week!  (1) We had a great Guys Group last Tuesday...they really opened up and share their lives as we discussed how to lead a godly life as a man. (2) Went up to Biola for some of Missions Conference with Kaitlin and Megan as well as doing some work for the easter production at PCI. (3) Student Leadership Retreat was so absolutely, totally AWESOME!!!  Our team grew together in such great ways (i'll post pics or something soon). God really showed us what he wants us to do in our group.  The students were so open to the Spirit!  (4) Church was great on Sunday morning.  My small group guys (10th-12th graders) really connected with the message and had a ton to say!  (5) Lunch with my grandma and grandpa Bob at Javier's! So delicious.  (6) A very restful nap with my wife! 

What is God teaching me right now?  God is still teaching me a lot in this "Leadership 101" phase.  I am discovering how he has created me to lead, what he has entrusted me with, and how to practice "self-leadership."  I have journal pages filled with things God has taught me on this subject this week alone.  I am very thankful and empowered by what he is teaching me!

What am I excited for this week?  Purpose Driven Youth Ministry Conference starts tomorrow and runs through Friday.  Mark and I are attending... although I'm sure we'll be the youngest attenders there, it will be a blast! I can't wait to just sit back, relax, and learn. 

What is something random from the last week?  Shoot, just one?  Not possible.  (1) Mikey (a youth group student at the retreat) was sleeping and the other guys decided to smack him with pillows in the face.  He wasn't too happy ... (2) I am still sore all over from glow in the dark capture the flag on Saturday night ... (3) Recently I have been using the word "magic" to describe things that are so awesome and amazing that I find myself at a loss for words.  I have even had to stop myself from saying it while preaching (like when something God does is so awesome I just want to say "God is so magic!"). Well, while we were praying with our adult and student leaders before Church on Sunday, I accidentally prayed for something related to "magical places." Everyone laughed ... (4) And Kaitlin cut her hair short! It's so hot!

What music have I been enjoying recently? Remedy by David Crowder Band

What books am I reading? I just finished Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels today.  I also got four C.S. Lewis books at the used bookstore for $1.  Haven't read them yet, though.  

What am I reading is God's Word?  Philippians, still.  Also, 1 Timothy (kind of along the whole leadership theme). 

How can I reach others this week?  I think this week will be a time of reaching others in ministry.  I hope to ENCOURAGE other pastors and youth ministry staff at PDYM conference and spend some good quality time with Mark.  

Monday Update #3

Where am I now?  In our condo, in the dining room table.

How was last week?  Awesome!  God has been so good! Here are some highlights: (1) Had some great one-on-one conversations with people. (2) Megan and Davey got engaged! (3) Youth Group has had a great turn-out recently. (4) Celebrated 2 months of marriage with my beautiful wife! (5) Enjoyed mountain biking with Kaitlin's dad (my father-in-law).  (6) Saw MAJOR progress in a student's spiritual journey! (7) "KINGS" on NBC premiered! 

What is God teaching me right now?  God is teaching me how to be the best leader i can possibly be.  One HUGE realization is that my leadership depends immensely upon the people I surround myself with.  I am so blessed to have awesome people in my life!  

What am I excited for this week?  I am so excited just for possibilities!  There are so many of them...I just want to catch God's dreams!  Also, our Student Leadership Retreat is this weekend and I can't wait! 

What is something random from the last week?  Kailtin and I modeled for our photographer friend Matt Chenot's homework assignment.  He had to photograph a bride and groom outdoors, so we went to a monastery I knew of.  It didn't cross our minds how ironic it was that a wedding photo-shoot would take place at a monastery, until an angry monk made us leave!  Too funny!

What music have I been enjoying recently?  Jon Foreman's "Spring" and RockHarbor's "Sabbath Reflections" ... Kelly Clarkson's new song is pretty awesome too!

What books am I reading?  Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels 

What am I reading in God's Word? Philippians 

How can I reach others this week? (1) Encouragement; (2) Passion; (3) Prayer; (4) Joy; (5) Developing

Monday Update #2

Where am I now?  The Block of Orange waiting to meet have a lunch meeting.

How was last week?  Last week was a great week!  There are a couple of awesome things that happened: (1) "4 Your Friends" outreach event for the Youth Group.  We had 38 students show up, which is great!  (2) I had lunch at a couple of high schools and just had a blast! (3) I found the BEST JOURNAL IN THE WORLD (pictured above)!  This is the same journal I had about 4 years ago...it was the best.  However, I haven't been able to find it again until now! I'm so happy! (4) Had a great Saturday: breakfast and coffee with Kaitlin, Dad, and brothers; productive around the house; double date with Megan and Davey at Lucille's BBQ; music night at Peet's Coffee with lots of friends; Wii Fit at home with Meg and Davey...so much fun!

What is God teaching me right now?  I think He is teaching me that I am exactly where I am supposed to be in life. This includes relationships, job, ministry, etc.  This does not mean I am complacent, but I am confident that I am trying to be obedient. God is blessing that obedience and I am able to discern His will because of the place I am in.

What am I excited for this week?  I am excited to plan the Student Leadership retreat, hang out with cool people, and go to Comedy Dinner Theater Night at church on Friday.

What is something random from last week?  Two O.C. mom's stopped me at Cinnamon Productions (O.C. Mom Mecca) to ask me about my hair, my stylist, product, and on and on and on...  It was really funny!  Doesn't really surprise me that hair and hair product was so fascinating to them. I laughed a lot!

What music have I been enjoying recently?  Fleet Foxes!!!

What books am I reading?  A whole lot of a lot of different books... never just one.  I am trying to find "It" by Graig Groeschel.  No one has it.

What am I reading in God's Word?  Philippians, still.  I am loving it, though, and enjoying teaching through the book!

How can I reach others this week?  I think I just need to keep my heart and mind open to the possibilities of every conversation and situation.  I can dream big about what God wants to do in people's lives and how I can be a tool for that.  

Monk?

Yesterday I was bored and had a lot of energy (probably because of the Iced Venti Coffee unsweetened with 2 add shots of espresso), so I went up to this random monastery in Trabuco Canyon.  I don't know what kind of monastery it is: Buddhist, Hindu, New Age... however, it was NOT Christian, which made it kind of strange.

To get there, I ascended a windy road. It was beautiful because it reminded me of how much I love being in nature.

It was so quaint and so not-OC!

There was a library you could go to and read. They had all kinds of religious texts, but what made me so happy (and even helps me justify going to a pagan monastery) is the HUGE collection they had of early Christian literature, church fathers, commentaries, and spiritual formation!  I picked up a book I have been wanting to read again for a long time, "Practice the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence. 

All in all, my experience was interesting.  I'm not crazy about the idea of a pagan monastery, but I LOVE the books.  So, I might go back on Friday to finish the second half of my book!