christmas thoughts…

the true meaning of Christmas…to give! i am overwhelmed by how much God has given us! the gift that he gave is way bigger than anything humanity can deliver. it is for this reason that i write this post. How big is the gift of Christmas to you? It seems to me that humanity is doing it absolute best to deliver whatever it can! can we really deliver whatever it takes to touch humanity. Humanity wants and desires to be touched by something that is real, something that lasts and something that can’t lose it’s value! Humanity is being delivered temporary satisfaction while the church sits around looking for the next blessing. It is truly time to deliver the message of hope and satisfaction that can only be given like a gift! what gifts will you give today that will make a difference in eternity!

just a few thoughts about christmas tonight…after a great christmas outreach to the hurting!

unwrapping the impossible pt 2

can the impossible be possible in your life? why not…with God all things are possible! absolutely nothing is impossible with Him! NO THING! nada! i am sitting in bed with my ibook – which is terribly slow now – listening to kari jobe and studying for my message…God can do the impossible! i belive it, BUT if i can’t see it i can’t have it! i f the shepherds never saw the baby jesus they would have never experienced the impossible…they would have never spread the word! If i can’t hear him i wont respond to what he has for my life. if the shepherds did not hear the angel say the baby would be wrapped in swaddling clothes…they would have been still tending sheep and never made it into the Bible today. They saw…they heard…and they went. We have seen so much, but can we see God do the impossible in our lives? God is speaking, but are we listening? if not we wont go where he has planned for our lives! Now that’s a bummer! i am stoked about tomorrow night. This is truly the most wonderful time of the year! enjoy…

i’m back…

just got back from spending some much needed time with my family…so what did i do these past few days?  what did i get frustrated with?  what did i learn these past few days?

i’m glad you asked…we went to orlando and hit a mall on the 26th…by noon it was a zoo and the animals were as wrest-less as a tiger out of his cage…not much exaggerating here! retail therapy is fun especially when you can pick up a few great deals as well as take care of the one you love…that’s right i bought my love an amazing pair of jeans and a great purse, she was excited and i felt like a great husband.

we checked into our hotel and found out the entire football team for michigan state was there as well as every booster. it wasn’t bad at all, i ran into one football player that was like 6′7″ and 300 plus pounds-huge mass of a college student. i felt like a wee little man standing next to him.

mgm was the highlight…well there were some incredible lights and the boys love star wars, so we rode this simulator ride a few times…jake was so excited he talked to everyone, climbed everything and when the attendant said you cant eat drink or smoke on the ride, he replied – i don’t smoke…al on the other hand was screaming the whole time the ride went waiving his arms…i had more fun watching my sons than riding the ride. you know i think God really enjoys watching over us. his word says he created us for his good pleasure. so when i get a kick out of my kids enjoying life, i feel like God must really get a kick out of it when we enjoy life. Now that will mess up some people with the theology that we all need to suffer our way into heaven, and be miserable all the way…whatever- it’s not a sin to enjoy life!

if you go to mgm during the holidays be prepared to wait and be run over by foreign people, get cut in line and smell things you don’t really enjoy in long lines. but if you have a great attitude going into it, you will totally enjoy mickey’s fantasmic show, and the osbourne family lights are worth going to see.

merry christmas!

I am taking a few days off from blogging…we are headed to orlando tomorrow to shop, eat at this amazing churrascaria texas de brazil. i got some tix to go to mgm and see some lights and ride star wars…i will be back soon…i plan on leaving my laptop…i think i will have withdrawls, but i will bring my journal. i need to cut myself off from work and focus on family for a few days! i love my job, but i love my family more!

oh yah…whoever egged my house saturday night i found it today and washed it off-well scrubbed the rotten egg off! to you i hope you get lumps of coal in your stocking! HA

PEACE!

movies, life and family.

today i had the awesome privilege of having my family over for lunch and just hangin out for the holidays. my fam came to church and considering the issues that we all face in life, pastor raley spoke a word into my family. pastor you hit a home run in the spirit today! I believe in 2008 that miracles are on the way.  God i am looking with anticipation for what you will do in my family. new beginnings mean miracles will take place!

so, we prayed and chowed on some bucca di bepo…i love good lasagna.  we chilled out-well played the wii for like an hour and laughed. gave each other a few gifts.  i love to be able to give something to my family.  my niece and nephew have gotten so big-you really don’t know what to get people, so we went  for the fail safe gift card-they were stoked, matthew even scored 2 cards. we ate red velvet cake (why do they call it red velvet-it just looks like red cake with bangin icing) and just hung around talking about movies, life, and family.  national treasure is a must see according to family- the previews for upcoming movies included – dark night, speed racer, rambo, and indiana jones… 

nothing beats hangin out with family. i love my family!

outreach

tonight we held our annual stewart marchman christmas party.  this is an outreach to 5 homes where 75+ girls and guys are court ordered to undergo treatment for life threatening issues. tonight was yet another life changing event.  

we took 30+ students into 5 homes and held christmas parties for these kids.  we sang christmas songs, played games, read the christmas story and prayed with kids…we also brought snacks and stockings filled with stuff for every student. the gospel was presented with love and kids responded! God truly moved at stewart marchman in the lives of the kids we reached as well as the lives of the kids we brought. you could see the gleam in there eyes and smiles on there faces as they got off the bus after the outreach.

now that’s what christmas is all about…giving back to our community that is hurting.  in youth ministry, this is one of those moments that lets you know you are truly making a difference as a church in our community. our church will reach over 1000 people this weekend in outreach to kids and the homeless.   what a privilege it is to be apart of a church with a vision to touch lives.  

eggs, runners and stockings…another night at crave!

what’s eggs got to do with wednesday night youth church?  here’s how crave unfolded last night… the bus pulled into a neighborhood we pick up in and there was a large crowd waiting to get on…the test begins- anyone without a form cannot get on the bus!  kids tried to sneak on…one kid took a form a student tried to use to get on…but was not able to, because he was under the age of 12 – literally the kid was 8 years old…well the first kid erased his name and put his name on in place of the other…our bus attendant caught it and sent him away! no form no bus…well we turned away 15-20 kids and when they started to pull away eggs started flying at the bus…i guess a few kids got upset enough to egg the bus.  you gotta be doing something right when kids egg your bus when they can’t come to church. come on now! thats drama!

runners – not for exercise or even for taking laps around a sanctuary…which at calvay that is a common experience. runners run when they want to get away from something.  last night our middle school and high school
worshipped together and then we split up for the remainder of the service…when you have over 100 Middle school students and you split – some look for the door out and take off- 3 kids took off but thanks to be God who gives us the victory…well a few on our security team ran them down.  runners run…but you gotta out run the security man.stockings…every christmas we give out stockings at a home for teenagers with life issues. this year 74 students a re at the homes..so we get all their names and write them on stockings to give a personalized gift at christmas.  well tonight some of our incredible staff spent the evening decorating stockings to be stuffed for an outreach this weekend.  this is the highlight of the holidays…spreading the love of christmas to those in tough situations.

God moved last night and saved and touched lives in a huge way! its a privilege to minister to these kids! oh yah i forgot-i got to drive the bus home and drop off all my kids-whenever this happens i have to stop at krispy kreme and get a hot doughnut and a chocolate milk- now thats on way to finish off a night!