the human factor…

i am working on a series of messages about the flesh…the factor that plays into commitment, loyalty, servanthood and more…it’s how we deal with the flesh. the human factor in all of us is to simply take care of our flesh. to make our flesh feel good, look good and be well taken care of (well taken care of-that would mean exercise it and don’t over stuff it-that’s another message) there is a new movie coming out where the opening line in the teaser is “i have a problem…there are certain aspects of my personality that i cannot control.” for real…if i got mad and turned into a huge green beast that wrecked everything in sight i would have more than a “personality” problem. the last hulk movie was a bust. i wonder what this one will be like? there is a hulk inside of us all…it’s our flesh that needs to be crucified daily. the human factor is controlling your flesh or your flesh will control you.

starbucks and a meeting in the morning…

today i woke up and dropped off my son at school for his last full day of school. i can’t believe the third grade year is over for him, it seems like the first day of school was yesterday. well that’s what everyone says when time seems to fly by!

went to starbucks and had my regular and a slice of blueberry coffee cake. i showed up early for a meeting with brock and chilled reading a few chapters in “carry on“. I love this book. i am buying 4 copies to give to my interns and a few others. i ran into one of our students and enjoyed my coffee. the meeting i had with brock was so full of vision and passion for music and life. i fell like we connected well. who knows what the future will entail in this relationship.

today was a good day…i am finishing off the day with the season finale of lost.

peace.

miracle night…

wednesday night was miracle night at calvary and the house was packed. we brought the entire youth ministry over to the sanctuary for one big service. now some gave me a hard time about going over…i heard this one girl say “i can’t believe we are going over there that is lame” i proceeded to tell her that she was gonna get something good tonight. God started to move and she was right down front getting hers. at one point pastor laid hands on kids called to the ministry and something like a blanket swept over the house. and the same girl was on the stage. the presence of God sat down in that building in a real way. pastor laid hands on the staff and it was like a hammer driving me into the ground. i felt like the weight of God’s presence like a blanket on me…his presence was so heavy tonight. i know this probably reads like jibberish but it’s only been moments since the sanctuary emptied. i spoke with one of our students who said “i am so glad we came over here tonight…i thought it was gonna be a place full of old people, but it was so real” i felt God in a real way tonight.

miracle night at calvary…i have been telling our missions team to ask for big things-not little things because god is in the business of doing things big. tonight he did it big at calvary. i saw so many step out and say they were called to ministry! i have been asking God this past year to call kids to do something great for him, it’s nights like this that i believe are pivotal points in students lives that everything shifts and changes into the right place for God to use them!

hold on God is up to something big here!

graduation…

this weekend was memorial day weekend and it seems everyone in public schools walked this weekend. they not only walked on a stage to get a diploma, they walked onto a new stage in their adulthood life. i have watched most of my graduates grow up in crave…i have seen them grow up and yet some grow farther away from God. I believe this group has so much potential to do some incredible things. with potential comes the responsibility to live up to what has been deposited in them. I will miss this group dearly, some are leaving for school this fall and others are sticking around. the one thing i would want for them is to not miss out on the purpose and plan God has for them.

sunday night we had our annual senior dinner at buca and the majority of our seniors made it. this is the largest crowd we have graduated out of crave! i found myself looking around the room and becoming sad and excited. sad…because i would lose some great kids, sad…because i saw some living up to less than what they are capable. excited…because i saw greatness in the room, excited…because i know that God has a plan and the deposit of God’s word made in this group will not come back void!

class of 2008…i will miss you-and i can’t wait to see all you do!

ahhhhh buca!

prices continue to rise…the law of increase.

summer is just about here and i am in the middle of setting budgets for the activities for the next year…it seems that everything has taken a steep jump in price. families will have to spend more for gas, groceries, services and basically anything and everything. now before you read this post, realize that i am in no way complaining! i know where our source is, but has anyone asked the question will the price we pay for goods and services ever stop going up? i went to chic fila last week and they came out with a new menu and i felt lost…but what woke me up was the increase in prices…here is a list of things that i have noticed an increase this year. summer camp, hotel prices, airline tickets, tour bus rentals, groceries (all of them), registration fees…so what’s the average family to do when all this happens. lean on THE source! if the price of goods and services have had major increases, then why not an increase in God’s economy. there is no limit to god, his presence or his power. we truly have all we need in him. they can increase the price of everything we use and consume…but God can handle it all. he is the author of increase.

if you are a youth pastor, and you plan activities for students with limited resources, it’s frustrating when prices increase and affect involvement. fundraising becomes vital to succeeding…but most can’t stomach fundraising! go ahead roll up your sleeves, wash a few cars, pick a few weeds, walk some miles or work some events all in the name of ministry! God always shows up and makes a way for ministry to happen!

psalm 115:14 The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.

i plan on seeing increase in all that i do…ministry, family and finances…

read psalm 1:1-4…whatever he does prospers.

media fast…

went on a media fast for the last few days for our trip to nicaragua this summer. our team fasted media and it was truly tough on many. you never really know how you are attached to something until it’s taken away. i turned off xm radio, the tv, the internet unless it was for work, movies and set down the ipod. spent more time reading and doing other things…noise is all around us and its peaceful to just turn it all off for a season. i did not even know that “david” won idol until a few days ago…i was cut off from society.

well today i broke the media fast…woke up and found out what’s going on in the world of sports, played a few rounds of mario kart on wii and then went to see Indiana Jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull. today is memorial day and it has shaped up to be a fun day!

peace…

if you loved the original indy movies, then you will love this one too.

when God shows up…

today we geared up for our sons kindergarten graduation. Now in our house that means my wife will get truly involved in the after party. she is the decorator and has come up with some really amazing plans. 3 years ago our other son graduated from kindergarten and she had me fill baby pools with whites sand so that about 50 or so kindergardeners could play in the sand-it was a luau scene and it was a trip to see how much sand actually was left after the party.

this year is was a circus theme and she had me build a corn hole set for the kids to play in the fellowship hall, we hired a few clowns from our missions team, and she wanted a board made that kids could stick their face thru to take pictures…the problem was a package she ordered was tracked to the post office in town but it was not delivered. here’s where God shows up. i called a guy i knew in the kids dept. that worked there and he said call the main office and leave a message and they will call back. well i left a message and a postal worker did her best to track down the package…it was destined to be delivered one day late…what a bummer! i thanked her and let it go-she said it was wrapped up in pallet somewhere in the warehouse waiting to be sorted tomorrow. you know when you can’t do any more it surely gives god room to move. i broke the news to my wife and she was not happy. we tried…we did our best and it was so close. half an hour later the postal worker i knew calls and says “you must be living right” i was shocked he went to his supervisor that said there is no way you will find the package and then went into the warehouse climbed up the first bin and on top was her package. i asked…it was 2 hours before the party and i asked how do i get it…he replied i am leaving now i will drop it by!

God you are so good to your kids…you truly know how to take care of us! thanks for yet again proving that you can show up when we have done all we can to “make it happen” makes you wanna trust him a little bit more!~