Car, Money, and Warranties...

Okay, so I took my car into the dealership for a parts recall. No worries, everything was covered under the corporation's recall. My check engine light came on a few days ago, and now I have to pay $417 to have two sensors fixed!!! This is more than my paycheck!!!

My Weakness

I have this one weakness that I am really unwilling to rid myself of. Books! I love absolutely love books. I spend too much money on books. I can spend hours at the library, bookstores, watching movies about books. For example, remember that part in Disney's Beauty and the Beast where the Beast shows Bell the enormous library that he gave to her as a gift? Yeah, I wet myself over the cartoon library. Can you imagine owning a library like that? Okay, now that I have announced my freaky side, any comments can be now recorded.

(please note: the term "wet" is in conjunction with urinating not something else. You're dirty!)

Numbers

I'm doing a study in Numbers at the moment. I know what you might be thinking right now...you're that bored? I'm actually doing a study on issues (faith) that we face and how people might deal with them. From my study so far, I found that the Israelites have left God out of the equation. How could the God who liberated them from the hands of Pharaoh, not provide victory for them in the new promise land? How could they forget so quickly? I mean, we serve and love a God who parted the Red Sea and flooded the entire earth!!! Wow, how could he not provide some land that He had promised?

In retrospect, I find this concept very much real today, or more specifically in my own life. I tend to relish in the fact that God is capable of anything. Yet, I am sometimes hesitant in relinquishing complete control. I lack faith. Who said that Numbers in boring?

Thoughts on Middle School Ministry

This week we kick off the new school year. With free pizza and good promotion this Wednesday should be fun. Although, I can't help but think of a few things that keep me awake at night.

1) Students and their connections with us
One of the most difficult realizations in ministry is that we don't connect with every student in our ministry. I dealt with this fact many years ago. Now I see others dealing with it. What is funny to me is the "if they don't don't connect with me, they don't connect with anyone" mentality. Just because a student doesn't connect with us in the way we think they should doesn't mean that they are a lost cause or can't connect with others; that is a selfish perspective. I know a student in particular, who seems not to connect with his bible study leader. The leader knows this student from another church program. Does this create a default to which a student has to connect to the leader, and would it a terrible thing if they connected with another leader, even though the bible study leader has known them more than the connected leader?

Another issue is that fact that students don't often connect with us in the way we think they should. Middle school students are shrouded in ambiguity. They are never the same, yet we often want them to be predictable. If this is your die-hard belief...run from student ministry! Students are constantly changing, and we should jump for joy that we have leaders that connect with students.

2) Middle School Student Leadership
Some people would see this as a lost cause, but see this a developing tool. Middle school students are very much capable of leadership. Just because they are sometimes selfish, flaky, and squirrelly, does not mean that they are not worth the effort. I have seen some of the most self-sacrificing attributes from middle school students. They are an untapped resource.

3) Leadership motives
What motivates leaders? That question is what has kept me without sleep for months. What do leaders want? How do we address impure motives (ie. selfishness)? To be effective we need to have everyone on the same team. Seems simple enough. But what about that one who wants more, or forgets about the learning process. For me, leadership motivates me to be effective, consistent, and intentional. In order to seek such things I must LEARN!!! I can never stop learning. I can be a youth pastor for 16+ years and still understand nothing. This motivates me to learn and understand more. Nevertheless, learning has no end, and anyone who says different is selling something to you.

I have found through my learning that selfish motives will destroy a ministry or keep it from growing. We must guard ourselves from such deceit.

(Please Note: this blog is in no way a representation of a person(s). Although, the content and circumstance might stem from conversations with a person, it is not about them, only the ideas and concepts strained from those conversations.)

This is awesome!

This is probably one of my favorite scenes from a movie. Great cinematograpy, great music, great acting, and a great cast. Drew Barrymore...yeah, she's awesome!!!

Unreal

I want to puke!

Halo 3 Live action video

I don't know if this is from the movie or something someone created. But, either way, its pretty freaking sick!!!

JH & CSM

The Refinery and CSM (Center for Student Missions) where to start...

Sunday Night:

We arrived at CSM Los Angeles sometime around 4pm. We unpacked, students were a little freaked about the living conditions, nevertheless; they were all excited. We met our city guide and headed to dinner which happened to be Thai. Students had fun eating new food and fellowship with each other.

Monday:

we prayer walked through MacArthur park. The park is a haven for drug use and other activities. We then headed to Grandview Retirement Hotel, where we played bingo with some old folks. It was funny to see them (the old folks) pick on each other, not to mention the fact that they love just hanging with us as we listened to their story.

We then moved on to our next work site which was rather interesting. We helped sort through some donations for a lady who ran a missions organization by herself. The place was unreal. Dirty, disarranged, rotting food, the smell...wow, words can not describe it. But, it was awesome to serve along-side of sister Luz. This woman's passion for the LORD is unwavering.

Dinner was rather interesting. We had to gather items for dinner. We all had $1 for each of us. We ate good, things were cheap.

Tuesday:

Today we worked the in LA Mission. Very cool! We did some laundry, made posters and ates some really good food.

Later on, we worked at the Midnight Mission. They were rude, talked with filthy mouths, had not love in their hearts. They kicked out the homeless just as soon as they got their food. It was a really sad to see.

For dinner we ate at Cojutepeque, a Salvadorian restaurant. The food was good, but the portions were small. Not really something to scream about.

Wednesday:

This morning we woke up early, got some Pan Dulce and drove to Pershing square park. Students meet with the homeless there and shared breakfast with them. Students were crying, hearts were moved, and people where loved.

Read my next blog post for my thoughts on the trip.

Great Quote!!!

"The salvation of a single soul is more important than the production or preservation of all the epics and tragedies in the world." C.S. Lewis. The man is beyond compare.

JH Missions Experience

Tomorrow afternoon I will be taking 10 middle school students into the heart of urban Los Angeles for four days of service. I have been thinking a lot about missions, mission work and general evangelism, and I have honestly come to the conclusion that I know nothing. This is a claim that has been pronounced by my mouth many times, and honestly I don't know anything. After taking many classes on world evangelism and urban studies, I still seem to miss the point what we are called to do. Serving in LA is more than just filling a church requirement or creating a wonderful, growing experience; its about be Christ-like. This thought has infested my brain. What does it mean to be Christ-like? Hopefully I and our middle school students will return on Wednesday with a deeper meaning to this question...changed would be ideal.

What does it mean to be a Christian. I look around and find that people can provide any answer they choose as much as it corresponds to their selfish lifestyle. I look around and see apathy. Even in my own life. How are we to go down to LA, and feed the poor, wash some feet, and "pretend" to know what it means to service Christ by serving others, when only to return unchanged? (Please note: if you think the answer is simple to answer, you have not a clue. Start by reading the book of Matthew.)