Week of Crazy/Awesomeness!

(Seth, our Senior Pastor, and Me)

This week was amazing! Vacation Bible School was such a success.  Of my 30 7th and 8th graders this week, 3 of them made the decision to follow Jesus and 9 of them were baptized yesterday!!!

Kaitlin came and helped me most of the week... I think the Jr. High boys are afraid of her because they soaked her with water and she is committed to retaliation. 

Here are some highlights of this week:

• Fear Factor Challenges.  Jr. High students LOVE this!!! Just mix ingredients together and make them eat it! Have a trash can nearby so they can throw up, because they will!  Oh, and by the way... I own at "Chubby Bunny!" 

• Newspaper Ninjas.  This is an awesome game we played on Wednesday night at Youth Group!  I found it on an awesome Youth Ministry site.  You have two teams and give them each a newspaper and duct tape.  They must cover one person in each group with newspaper from head to toe, leaving only the eyes so they can see.  Then the two ninjas fight by pulling the newspaper off each other.  Whoever pulls the most paper off in 30 seconds wins!  
• Lagoon BBQ.  This was a church BBQ on Saturday.  I was so tired by this time, so I wasn't sure how it was going to be.  To my surprise, I had a blast!  It was so nice getting to know people more and hang out with some of our youth leaders.  
• Youth Sunday.  Yep, yesterday was Youth Sunday!  The morning where church is run completely by the Youth Group.  Music was earthy and raw, creating an amazing worship experience.  They VBS kids performed and showed off their fantastic dance moves (seriously... these kids have skills).  I preached on our series we have been in for the past month, YouTube: Broadcast Yourself.  Then we had baptisms... AMAZING!  Such a powerful way to broadcast the life-transformation of the Gospel of Grace!!! Feedback for the service was very positive for everything.  

It was a week full of blessings, but I am exhausted. Now I rest.  

Jr. High Guys and Girls

Somehow I forgot how crazy Jr. High boys are!  They are insane!!!  The girls are perfect little angels.  However this doesn't seem to last for long... it is only a matter of time before the guys become too cool to talk and the girls are caught up in the latest "drama" of life and love and everything in between. 

VBS had a great start.  I originally had 15 Jr. High students signed up, but we had 27 today and more on the way later in the week!  All I have to say is that the grace of God (and the coffee... which is a grace in and of itself, right?!) is what brought me through it all.

Tomorrow I need a microphone... my voice hurts...

Venti Iced Coffee + 102 Degrees in the Car

Vision

God has been teaching me what it means to be a visionary.

Let me explain.

In my first three weeks of full-time Youth Ministry, I have been bombarded with phone calls, emails, calendars, sermons, and event planning.  I love it!  I get stressed at times, but I love the planning and always having to be on my feet.  However, I have recently been longing for a little more.  A little more Jesus.

No, a lot more Jesus.

Part of the way I have been trying to lead the Youth Group is with casting a vision and leading everyone in it.  This is good.  It has been working.  People are enjoying it.  

Today I realized something, though: It's not enough to just cast a vision and lead others in it.  I must LIVE it!  This is such a simple truth, but if the gravity of its simplicity is grasped and put into practice, there is flourishing!  

Live the vision you are leading others in.

Everyone has some sort of vision.  For Christians, the following is true for us all:

The Vision is Jesus.

Obsessively.

Dangerously.

Undeniably.

Jesus.

Christians ought to live Jesus in every moment.  Live his love.  Live his forgiveness.  His grace.  His truth.  His death to self.  LIVE THE VISION OF JESUS. 

I pray that God teaches me how to lead well by living well.  I pray the same for all followers of Jesus Christ.    

Congrats Jeremy!

My brother, Jeremy, graduated from High School yesterday!

Congrats Class of 2008!!!

20 Things I Love About Kaitlin

HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY KAITLIN!!!

In light of the 20 years that my beautiful girl has been alive, I will write 20 things I love about her.  Here is to a happy birthday, Katie!!!

1. I love how you are passionate about loving God.  You are the most authentic person in terms of spirituality.  You know where you are, whether good or bad.  You also trust and empower me to lead our relationship to be glorifying to God.
2. I love your love for peers and younger people.  You breath life into other people and deeply care for those you love!
3. I love that you are  a "Truth Speaker."  You do not sugar coat things, but tell it how it is.  The Lord uses you as a mouthpiece more than you know!
4. I love how much you love mexican food!  
5. I love that you love wearing cute dresses and high heals!  You embody femininity in a beautiful and classy way.
6. I love your enthusiasm for life.  You shine!
7. I love how wise you are with finances... even when I'm not! 
8. I love how you care about standing up for those who will not stand up for themselves.  
9. I love your curly hair. It's so awesome!
10. I love that you love cars, football, and steak!  You are every guy's dream! (I should probably try to like those things more! haha)
11. I love how smart you are in school, and how you strive to always do your best!
12. I love that you are such a beach bum!
13. I love your big smile!  You look so beautiful showing your pearly-whites! 
14. I love our exercise walks and talks!  It's fun AND healthy!
15. I love that you enjoy HGTV and home decorating shows!  We are going to have an awesome place one day!
16. I love that you enjoy drug and action movies!
17. I love your sense of humor and funny voices!
18. I love your scrapbook!  You are really good at it!
19. I love how mature and responsible you are, but you still know how to have fun!
20. I love you and am so excited we are getting married!

Hipsters and Wii

The highlights from yesterday were Gypsy Den with Mark (where he posed as a hipster/indie/relevant-magazine-model/nonchalant twenty-something) and dinner and Wii at the Williams' home.  Here's the documentation:

The ever-so-cool Gypsy Den at The Lab in Costa Mesa.  You know, this place totally has the vibe of being "indie" and the secret hangout spot, but so many people know about it that it it really isn't!  It's so trendy.  Whatever.  Either way it's cool.  

 

Isn't that the kid who wrote "Hallelujah"?  Didn't he make the cover of Relevant Magazine?  Man, I wish I could relate to him!

Guys vs. Girls...

I demand a rematch!

Summer is Finally Here!!!

Lead singer of the infamous band, Switchfoot, Jon Foreman, has been progressively releasing his solo project EPs.  Each release has had a correspondence with the season.  Fall was first, then Winter, followed by Spring, and finally Summer.  I am very impressed.  These lyrics are some of my favorite out there.  I highly encourage you to take a listen on his myspace or, better yet, buy all four EPs on iTunes!!!  You will not be disappointed! 

Cake + Bible + Baseball + Dads = Blog Update

Here is the update I have been waiting for so long to do.  I have been so busy for some reason and have had no time.  My weekend is just a taste of the next 3 weeks ahead of me... I need to find time to rest rest rest! 

CAKE

Kaitlin and I went cake tasting on Friday for our wedding.  It was so much fun.  However I could not look at cake without getting sick afterwards.  Read all about it on Kaitlin's blog. 

BIBLE

I have found that I am craving the Bible more and more.  I have tons of opportunities to read it, but I am not bathing in it.  This sounds so strange, but books and commentaries have actually been keeping me from the Word.  I have decided to take a one week fast from extra materials in order to focus on the Bible.  This will be more fruitful for myself, my relationships, and my teachings.  

BASEBALL

Last night the Youth Group went to the Angels' game!  We had a ton of fun talking, eating, taking pictures, and NOT watching baseball! Here is a photo review:

Most of the group.

Cuz' we're cool like that...

The Girls...

Kaitlin and the gang!

The after-fight!

DADS

Happy Fathers' Day!  I have to say that this Fathers' Day I have appreciated my dad so much.  He does so much for my brothers and I, especially through the recent family difficulties.  Please tell your dad "Happy Fathers' Day!"  No matter how much or how little they point you to your Heavenly Father, rest in the fact that the Lord will never leave us, stop loving us, or providing for us.  Yay for Fathers!!!

New Blog Look

As you can see (unless you are reading this with Google Reader, which I love), my blog has a new look.  I wanted to do something more creative, incorporating more of my life in the style.  It may change again, but I would love to see what you think.  Have a good day!