How many of you love blogs? I do. Well I love my friends blogs. Especially when they tell me cool or interesting things. I realize this blog has been pretty bland in the past and I want you to know I apologize and I am looking to rectify this ASAP! So instead of super long posts with no quality I am going to go quality posts no matter how long!
Check out http://tonydifab.wordpress.com/ if you want to see someone who makes blogging worthwhile!
Following in his footsteps I am commiting to write like I never have before. So please let me know what you think when you think something (if you don’t leave a comment it tells me you weren’t thinking!) and we will see how things go!
I am looking forward to writing about video games, movies, tv, and life. so if you have any questions you would like me to tackle please leave them in a comment and I will tackle it!
Today’s blog…actually begins HERE!
I have never been fond of Ski Trips in youth ministry. I have always thought they were expensive and dangerous. Well this year the kids at church convinced me to plan one and I was actually really excited and had everything ready until Sunday. Tony, the pastor at my church, gave a lesson on where is God during the Financial Crisis? Now the message was not some hugely profound life shattering message, but it was a well delivered common sense talk on scripture and what OUR responsibilities are when life gets tough in the kingdom. I found myself weeping as a map was shown of the foreclosures on homes just within the zip code the church resides in and i wept even harder as a woman talk about giving her last 40 dollars (for a family of 8!) to the church and getting a surprise check for forty dollars the same day! I was deeply convicted about the ski trip and knew that I couldn’t take 6 kids and 3 sponsors skiing (at close to a $3600 price tag…not a piece that was everyone as a whole….) when students in my ministry couldn’t go and the church couldn’t cover their cost! So today I have called all the students and parents and sent emails apologizing about canceling but I am not worried and I am overwhelmed at the response I have gotten. All of the parents have been really cool about it and understand! So I have planned a huge Guys Night/Girls Night bash (that will be much cheaper, so everyone can attend) that will blow the roof off what was going to be the ski trip weekend!
I am proud of the students and parents in the group who understand the need to be discerning in the midst of this financial mess and I can not wait for Mission OKC during Spring Break when we are going to love all over our community!
Take time to look, think, and most importantly, love. We are not alone. We are not the center of the universe. We are a community, hand in hand – holding on for dear life.
current itunes track: Bartender (Live at Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA), Live Trax 2008, DMB
currently watching: The Twilight Zone, Season 1
currently reading: Deuteronomy and Galatians
currently gaming: Rock Band 2 XBOX360, Mercenaries 2 XboxLIVE with DiFab, A Kingdom for Keflings (Xbox Live Arcade) i will blog about this later, probably the coolest, most addicting game I have played in YEARS!
currently wishing: it was small group night again. i love small group nights.
currently missing: all my homies all over the world…
current favorite video of all time: I’m on a Boat by The Lonely Island (look for the edited SNL version as it is pretty full of obscenities!) It is the best example of parody I have EVER seen.
I love stuff like this. I found it posted on a website that was grading how late nights comics have transitioned to making fun of Obama instead of Bush (they haven’t). Read this and laugh a little because it is all we can do…
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who
has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was,
since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.
He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
Knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the
worm; life isn’t always fair; and maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more
than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in
charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but
overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy
charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens
suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher
fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the
job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly
children.
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental
consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student, but could
not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have
an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses,
and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a
beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own
home, and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live after a woman failed to
realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled some in her
lap and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust;
his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son,
Reason. He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I
Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I’m A Victim.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.
current itunes track: The General, Dispatch
currently reading: Fusion, Nelson Searcy
currently drinking: blue powerade
currently feeling: like crud…i don’t know what is wrong with me!
So I haven’t blogged since the start of December and I apolgize. I have been lazy, and apparently that kills so i better watch out!
Lots of changes. Life is good, I saw Katie and Daniel get married (which means I also got to see some other great friends! What a great weekend), Christmas was off the chain (I got spoiled like crazy. RIDICULOUSLY CRAZY. IT was awesome to see family.), the new year has started well (see below), and now today I am sick as a dog andtrying not to cough up a lung!
The New Year has started and Meagan and I are participating with the Fam in a Biggest Loser type contest. It is pretty awesome. The winner will get a new article of clothing from everyone else who participates! So far I have lost around 10 or so pounds in a week and a half…i need to work harder!
Like always I have been missing friends like crazy. This college student to adult transition is just no fun, I am glad that Difab, Kyzer, and Selena are here…we are hoping to go to houston before Spring Break though!
Meagan and I have bought some more furniture. We got her a cool Baker’s rack at hobby lobby and then we got an end table and coffee table for the living room. We even got some art for the bedroom so meagan is helping me be all domestic since my idea of good pictures are posters!
Surprise on Tuesday, I went to Game Stop and found a copy of Assassin’s Creed for $17.99, this is the 7th best rated XBOX360 game and I snagged it for under twenty bucks, so much for workingout this week! HA!
New office on TONIGHT! Don’t miss it.
So I should wrap this up. Sorry there isn’t any real content, I will get back to regular blogging with all sorts of jokes soon! You rock.
peace to you and your family
currently on itunes: Genius playlist starting with Everything’s Magic, Angels and Airwaves
currently watching: 80s movies, classic action movies
currently reading: Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk (for the umpteenth time)
currently gaming: Assassin’s Creed, XBOX360 – Sid Meier’s Priates, PSP – Heavy Weapon XBOX360 Arcade
currently wishing: to just travel around the country and play music. Schedule Leo Goes Grr in your hometown (just leave me a comment and we will work out the details! Come on Lubbock, Phoenix, Houston, Tulsa, New Jersey, and Canada…you know you want this tour!)
So you know how you like the same type of stuff year after year, you have your favorites and you hang onto them and then one day you eat it, or listen to it, or watch it and all of a sudden you realize wow…I have changed and I am ok with that. That has been happening a lot since I have graduated. I wanted to go over a few if that was ok with you!
Music: I have started listening to 90s music (which is crazy) and now my favorite two bands are Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin ( in that order). I still love Dave Matthews Band but right now WOW I am really into progressive rock and no one is better than Floyd and no one is heavier than Zeppelin (i also REALLY like tool, as they have taken progressive rock to whole new heights!).
TV: 30 Rock, 30 Rock, 30 Rock. This show is hilarious. I could not stand Alec Baldwin and then this show started and man WOW. What a show. O and I have a new lady crush (forget natalie portman) Tina Fey is AMAZING!
Food: Meagan is a great cook and whatever she does with chicken is amazing. i am getting super tired of hamburgers from fast food places. i love IBC root beer and orange crush in the bottle as much as I love mt. dew.
movies: I still love movies with explosions and car chases. no change there. same with video games. more shooting the better. although action games (NOT RPGs) are alluring now a days.
books: college was all about theology. then after graduation I made sure to read none of it for about 4 months. Now I am back with a vengeance and LOVING IT!
downloading music: i am PAYING for downloads. that is all.
playing music: Leo Goes GRR is my current band and WOW i love playing and performing with them. I hope we can turn our show into as much visual excitement as I feel just playing the music!
poker: texas hold ‘em is some of the most fun you can have just sitting around with friends.
other stuff: i hate news media…i do love the Daily Show and The Colbert Report
the best candy in the world is starburst
doesn’t matter who is president, people’s greed is what messes up the system.
guitar hero world tour is amazing. i can’t wait for what is next.
i love my mac…and i grew up as a PC
there is still something magical about buying a cd rather than downloading it from ITUNES
people are really selfish. trampling someone at wal mart? really?!
sports are a quiet evil that separates people just because they aren’t the “right” fans
flip flops are a year round clothing article. quit asking if my toes are cold!
schlutterbahn should be closer to OKC
i love that my family and my in-laws live in the same town. “vacations” are easy!
i love to ramble online…
current itunes track: Have a Cigar, Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here
currently watching: 30 Rock, Season 2
currently reading: Jesus Wants to Save Christians
currently surfing: drudgereport.com, woot.com, 6dollarshirts.com
currently wishing: to be home for christmas!
Hey friends!
I like to read and immerse myself in the language of the Psalms. We spend so much time talking to God in our lives that it is nice to read the words of the Hebrews as they struggled with (and triumphed with) life and being connected to the Almighty. I like to use the language with students and help them realize that we can call upon God to help us understand and we can feel angry when situations seem to go against the natural order of things, but the most important lesson is that in the end God is always good, God is always faithful.
My favorite Psalm right now is Psalm 93
1 The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty;
the LORD is robed in majesty
and is armed with strength.
The world is firmly established;
it cannot be moved.
2 Your throne was established long ago;
you are from all eternity.
3 The seas have lifted up, O LORD,
the seas have lifted up their voice;
the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
4 Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea—
the LORD on high is mighty.
5 Your statutes stand firm;
holiness adorns your house
for endless days, O LORD.
I love the second half of verse one, “the world is firmly established…”
What a truth to be grasped! The Hebrews of ancient Israel grasped this fact thousands of years ago and sometimes in our own lives we feel like the world is falling apart when we can’t find the best parking spot on Black Friday!
In this time of uncertainty we have a truth to hold to and a shelter from the fear that seems so wide spread and rampant. We hold to the truth that God has firmly established this world and that God is sitting on his throne no matter who is in power, how much our stock gains or loses, or whether your favorite sports team gets into the championship game!
Let me go back just a little…language. I love the language of the Psalms, I love to immerse myself in the language of old that connects to the raw emotion and connection with God. But how do we learn language? We hear it, we read it, we listen to those around us and imitate it.
Working with students for the last 5 and a half years has taught me that MUCH of what comes out of students mouths is said at home (or maybe isn’t said, but acted out…actions speak MUCH MUCH louder than words for students). In times of uncertainty and worry parents have tons of things to consider and worry about, but when our worries spill over into students and small children those fears can be escalated because of their inability to disconnect from the thought! When will we find a better time to be repeating the words of Psalm 93 than now? What a great lesson to teach our students and children than the fact that NO matter what is going on God is in control! This is a great time to wipe worry and fear out of the minds of young ones with the power of the Spirit, prayer, and some scriptural truths!
Teach your children the power of prayer and let a little lesson on faith become a foundational truth in their lives even when things seem crazy all around!
I leave with the words of Twila Paris…not because I like her music, but because she certainly has it going on in the lyrics department!
“God is in control
We believe that His children will not be forsaken
God is in control
We will choose to remember and never be shaken
There is no power above or beside Him, we know
God is in control, oh God is in control”
~~God is in Control, Twila Paris (1995)
Current itunes track: Welcome to the Machine, Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here
currently gaming: Mirror’s Edge, XBOX360 (it is gorgeous…amazing!)
currently reading: Jesus Wants to Save Christians, Rob Bell
currently watching: 30 Rock, Season 1
Sorry but I am like a kid in a candy store. This one seemed fun so lets go!
1. Where is your cell phone? desk
2. Your significant other? meagan
3. Your hair? short
4. Your mother? sweet
5. Your father? savvy
6. Your favorite thing? laughter
7. Your dream last night? shooting
8. Your favorite drink? dew
9. Your dream/goal? outreach (does that count?)
10. The room you're in? office
11. Your fear? failure
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? alive
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you’re not? girl
15. Muffins? MARTHA!
16. One of your wish list items? bulldog
17. Where you grew up? Lubbock
18. The last thing you did? surf (hahahaha!)
19. What are you wearing? clothes
20. Your TV? awesome
21. Your pet? none
22. Your computer? mac
23 Your life? wonderful
24. Your mood? peaceful
25. Missing someone? family
26. Your car? mitsubishi!
27. Something you're not wearing? bra
28. Favorite Store? AE
29. Your summer? fast
30. Favorite color? red
31. When is the last time you laughed? morning
32. Last time you cried? forget
33. Who will/would re-post this? kristin, meagan (i know it is more than one but you better!)
34. Four places I go over and over? apartment, church, gas station, wal mart
35. Four people who email me: urban dictionary, xbox, facebook, twitter (hahahaha!)
36. Four favorite foods: italian, mexican, steak, junk!
37. Four places I would rather be right now: lubbock, bed, jamaica, canada! (i miss you guys!)
current itunes track: Go Your Own Way, Fleetwood Mac, Rumours
currently watching: 30 Rock, Season 1 (xbox 360 + netflix = a thing of beauty!) Strange Brew last night! haha
currently reading: deuteronomy 4
currently drinking: coke
currently wasting time: by texting! (like this blog isn’t!)
WOW. I have not blogged in forever. I apologize to my mom (cause that is all who read this right? well i would apologize to Kristin but she hasn’t come to visit…so she is in trouble!)
Since my last entry we have had Halloween (Trunk or Treat at our church, it was awesome!), we got a new President (and if you did not know he is a different race than the last 43…so go America!), we finished the walls in the Youth Room at Church! AWESOME! The new James Bond movie came out (it is amazing, very much like the Bourne movies, but I like those…so IT ROCKED!), i started listening to christmas music, and It is almost thanksgiving and time for a trip to Lubbock! I CAN NOT WAIT!
SO AS A TOTAL SIDE TO THIS WHOLE THING I NEED YOUR HELP!
Please respond with your vote for the top 5 best classic rock songs of all time! PLEASE HELP ME! (1960-early 1980s)
alright well that is a quick one. I will write something funny and witty later!
peace to you
current itunes track: Don’t Fear the Reaper, Blue Oyster Cult, Agents of Fortune
currently reading: The Other Philosophy, David Weaver
currently watching: really enjoying My Own Worst Enemy on NBC and Eleventh Hour on CBS
current scripture study: Matthew 17:1-9
craving: plane tickets to houston, new jersey, phoenix, and san diego (for myself!)
(JUST A HEADS UP…I have been blogging weekly on Northviewcc.com for a staff blog. so I will copy and paste those over here so you can comment if you would like…here is this week’s blog).
My friends from high school sometimes ask me why I became a Youth Pastor. They have all either gone on to grad school or are taking start up positions in big companies like Kohl’s, AT&T, and Bank of America; I even have one friend who works for the Republican Campaign Headquarters in Texas.
So why youth ministry? Isn’t college when students are most susceptible to ask questions about their future? Doesn’t it make sense to talk to a room full of elementary aged students because they will be quiet and at least listen to what you have to say? Shouldn’t you take a really expensive college degree and at least find a field that will help you pay back your student loans?! QUESTIONS QUESTIONS QUESTIONS!
Probability of accepting Christ, segmented by age
- Nearly half (43%) of all Americans who accept Jesus Christ as their savior do so before reaching the age of 13 (2004)
- Two out of three born again Christians (64%) accept Jesus Christ as their savior before their 18th birthday. (2004)
- One out of eight born again people (13%) made their profession of faith while 18 to 21 years old. (2004)*
*http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=Topic&TopicID=18
This is straight from the Barna group website, a research insitute that performs Scientific Opinion polls on many faith based issues. As you can see in the list above, children’s ministry is REALLY REALLY important in students lives, but as students get older the numbers get smaller and smaller until…
That is why I do Youth Ministry. I am not a baby sitter. I am not a YMCA director. I am not a Ring Leader of some circus. As Paul says in Ephesians 3, I am a servant of the Gospel. In Romans 1:16 it reads I AM NOT ASHAMED of the Gospel for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes! That is why I am a youth pastor. I love students and I feel that when students accept Christ it is NOT just about getting them to heaven, but rather I want to help students see how to live into the Kingdom that Jesus came to establish. This kingdom is not near completion (and can’t be completed by us), but I believe that we have a responsibility to live into the life that Jesus called us to and I believe that helping students learn and understand that will keep them grounded in their faith FOREVER.
I don’t apologize for not playing enough games or not programming enough wild and out of control events, but what I will defend with my life is the IMPORTANCE of putting CHRIST and then OTHERS first in students lives in a way that THEY UNDERSTAND! This is why I am a Youth Pastor. This is why my heart beats. This is why I do what I do. Want to join me? Then PLEASE let me know.
You ROCK!
Peace to YOU and YOUR FAMILY.
Willie Nelson has a (ben and jerry’s) flavor? What’s in it, shredded tax forms and hash?
Henry missed me updating too!
So, it has been a while. I apologize. Lots going on you know. But instead of telling you that, I just want to talk about things that are important to no one. Meagan and I bought Guitar Hero: World Tour! It is totally worth the price of admission, we have had people at our house jamming on it everynight since we got it. AMAZING. It is a blast, so yeah check that out.
I am out of my 90s phase of music. It was fun. Now i am on to the 00s (well 00-04…what are those technically called? serisouly…)
Facedown is going fantastic at church and the Student Ministries Department is having fun and getting excited about the future.
I got flipped off by an old lady a couple of weeks ago. I drove a UHAUL to dallas last friday and back all in one day. My best friend is moving to Houston in less than two weeks. We moved into the new worship center at church it is awesome!
Anyway I hope you are doing well. I miss you. You know who you are. seriously…
peace to you
current itunes track: The Theme from John Carpenter’s Halloween…sweet
currently reading: drudgereport.com news
currently gaming: Guitar Hero: World Tour
current fav movie trailer: Quantum of Solace, November 14, 2008
currently watching: CSI, Season 9, DVR is SWEET!
Hey friends!
I am at Camp Canyon, near Hinton, OK. for fall retreat with my students. The weather has been great (it is just cold enough to let you know the seasons are finally changing and the sun warms up every day to let us play outside.
Right now the students are in an hour of silence. No phones, no ipods, no computers, and most importantly NO TALKING. You would be amazed at what a struggle it is for students to sit for an hour. We have ingrained in us this need to DO or ACCOMPLISH, when sometimes we just need to relax and do some healthy maintenance.
Ask yourself about the last time you spent an hour in silence. TRUE silence. Your cell phone was off (not just on vibrate – having a phone on anywhere means you are truly only a partial participant) the phone at your house was unplugged. Your computer was powered down and even your ipod or your cd player is turned off.
What strikes me about the silence is the tendency for my mind to tell me I am selfish that there are more productive things to be done and when that doesn’t work then your mind turns dirty and tells you what all you need to get done (believe me it can wait, the sun will still come up tomorrow if you spend a little time in silence) and that you aren’t as good as other people who “do” more.
This is something you have to survive if you are to get through your hour. But I PROMISE if you can survive an hour of silence, you will come out more refreshed and feeling an inward cleansing (and if not you need some more silence).
So give it a try and let me know how who it goes.
peace to you
current itunes track: Cumbersome, Seven Mary Three, Pocket Full of Kryptonite
currently watching: nothing. there is no tv here. can’t wait to get to my DVR’d thursday night shows.
currently reading: Psalm 90-100
currently missing: MEAGAN (she should be here later!)
currently needing: a mt. dew
