This past week

This past week has been a trying week for me. I have been excited, frustrated, sad, angry, confused, enlightened, and so much more. I have learned much about those around me and much about myself. Some good and bad in both cases.

Mostly I am being forced to ask myself some very difficult questions. What am I a part of? What is God calling me to? What is the purpose of the church? Is it fulfilling that purpose? Am I? Where is God leading our youth ministry? What steps do I need to take to fulfill that? Am I willing to take those steps? What is God doing in Baker City? Those are just a few of the questions. I wish I could say that I have come up with some answers.

I really have been feeling that something is going to explode in Baker, something good. Not just in Baker, but everywhere. I am just speaking of what I am noticing here. I really feel like we are on the brink of something. I am not exactly sure what that is, I just have the distinct impression that it is coming and that I want and need to be a part of it. I just don't know what that looks like right now. That is the frustrating and scary part.

Great! More waiting

A walk

Took a walk this afternoon after having lunch with my wife and oldest son. It was exactly what I needed. Time alone, on the local pathway, smelling the plants, trees, nature, looking at the clouds, noticing people and just everything. It was a great time to clear my head and think about my upcoming sermon, Aug 26. Was listening to Casting Crowns new album, The Altar and The Door. "What the World Needs" is an amazing song and actually quite appropriate for some of what I have been going through. What the world really needs is Jesus, not all the other stuff that we attach to Him or to the Gospel.

It was a good walk

Tony Jones in Baker City

So we hosted Tony this past Sunday. And it was an awesome day. I told Tony that he was like a birthday present to myself since this past Sunday was my birthday.

Anyway, he promised me that he would drop a couple grenades Sunday PM and he let a couple small ones go in the AM. What I found interesting was that I didn't think he dropped any. As I processed that I realized that I did not think he dropped any because I agree with him.

Not surprisingly, there were some folks that did not agree with him and in fact were hit by those grenades. What really struck me though was the fact that they are upset over the fact that we brought Tony to Baker City. Like it is a bad thing. So I try and look at it from their perspective. Still I can't get there. Because I actually think it is a good thing to listen to, read and try and understand those that I disagree with. Because I think it would force me to be a critical thinker. Guess that is a bad thing though.

We have already had a couple of people lash out, last night and this morning. I think it is going to be an interesting week.

Needless to say, Tony challenged us and made us think. I have had the opportunity to talk with several people about this as well. I was very surprised by how many people there are that are excited about what Tony brought. I just was not sure before that there were this many. I told Tony later that at least now we have a pretty good idea about who is and is not at the table.

I have to say that the best part of the weekend was getting to hang out with Tony and his brother Andrew. I almost feel bad that I took so much of their time and not many people got to hang out with them as well, almost. It was sweet getting to know these guys and form a friendship. I look forward to the continued formation of that friendship. we were even late to church Sunday night because we were hanging out at my house.

Baker County Fair

I have to say, I am so super proud of my son, Matthew. This is his first year in the fair and he has done awesome. He has been so responsible with his lamb. Making sure it gets fed twice a day and working with it each time. It paid off for him. He got reserve champ in his class, jr. novice, for confimation. Then he got champion for showmanship in his class. It has ben pretty awesome for him. Tomorrow, market auction. Not sure how well that is going to go. It is starting to sink in that his lamb is going to go to market.

Jr. High Camp

Well, it is done. We had Jr. High Camp last week and it was great. It was also very draining. This was my first year directing the camp and really taking the front spot. It was certainly a learning process as well. I became even more certain that I want to do everything I can as a camp director to keep the chapel time from being an "emotional wave". I realize that you can't stop some of that and this has probably been a part of camping for years and years. But I will do what I can to make sure that what is going on is genuine and not just a time for students to sit and cry for the sake of crying. not sure if that is all making sense. I just don't want it to be this big emotional thing.

Unique Thinking

john reuben video, word of mouth. "great visual imagery on cultural propensity to demand uniformity and to snuff out creative thought." -ysmarko

Spidy 3

fantastic list of things we learned from the disappoint-fest that was spiderman 3, from the wonderfully-odd little mind of josh treece:

10 Things We Learned From Spider-man 3

1) Emo kids are a product of alien symbiosis.

2) If you find yourself running from the law, no problem! Just hop over the gate that says “DANGER! Particle Physics Experiment in progress” and you’re in the clear.

3) If your girlfriend is hanging from the roof of a demolished skyscraper, never fear. Nonchalantly take some pictures and introduce yourself to her father, who also doesn’t seem to give a crap.

4) Flipping pancakes and listening to vintage dance songs will only lead to adultery.

5) Black is the new red. And alien goo is the new cotton.

6) If you ever find yourself battling a giant sand person and a jagged-toothed photographer alongside your best friend who just tried to kill you, be sure that you and him exchange “witty” banter at every opportunity. “I’m a little busy over here, buddy.” “I’d love to help you, but I’ve got my hands full, buddy” and so on.

7) If you want to kill someone real bad, then go to church and pray and maybe, if you’re lucky, God will provide you with an alien suit made of pure evil.

8) Sufferers of amnesia just can’t help smiling ridiculously and eating ice-cream. Life is good when you can’t remember anything.

9) Bad boys eat cookies, drink milk and mimic their college professors on the phone in a hilarious manner.

10) Is your girlfriend feeling down? No problem, make her feel better by passionately upside-down kissing some really hot chick in front of her.

Ecuador

Well, I am off to Ecuador. Our team will be leaving on March 2. Which happens to be my oldest sons birthday. We are going to celebrate it on the 1st instead.

I am excited and nervous. It is also always hard to be away from Chris and the boys for that long as well. It is difficult for Chris as well. So I will be praying for Chris and the boys the whole time. I am gonna miss them.

So, I will update about Ecuador as soon as we get back.

Kenny Wade

I got to hang out with my friend Kenny Wade today and am staying with his family tonight. It has been pretty sweet I must say. He is like wearing an old pair of well broken in shoes, comfortable. It was good to be with him.

Today

Today has been a difficult day. Our community has lost a student. It has hit very hard and has and will continue to be painful for some time. I have been able to spend quite a bit of time with students today and I must say that I am physically and emotionally drained.

I have asked and have been asked some very difficult questions by teens. My prayer is that I won't give all the trite little answers that so many give, but instead I will journey with them through their pain and be honest in the fact that I simply cannot answer all the questions.

What about you?

I am currently reading Adventures in Missing the Point. This is my extra-circular reading since I am taking classes right now, which explains why I am not making much progress.

Also, was recently given, SiMPLE CHURCH. Have read the first chapter, will update later.

What about you, reading anything good lately?

my weemee

I had a chuckle when I created myself here at WeeMee.

Emerging Chruch

Here is an article that you might like to read about the emerging church by Scot McNight.

Honeymoon

Well, it is official. The ministry honeymoon is now over. After the last month or so I am walking around feeling a bit punch drunk. Won't go into all of it, I have just come to realize that the honeymoon is over. Sometimes ministry can be hard I am learning. Sometimes people can be hard. Guess I always knew this, just never thought I would see it in the church as much.

There really is so much that I want to say, but most of it stems from hurt and I would end up saying stuff that I shouldn't. Anyway, I still love ministry, I still love people. I have just learned a little more about both.

Quote for the day

So our youth group took on a local mission project in the last couple of months. There is a family in our church that needed some help taking about a foot of dirt out of their basement and we deciced to take it on as a service project. We finished it up today. The dirt was really hard so we had to get a jack hammer to do the work.

Today one of the students was getting ready to use the jack hammer and one of the guys said that he should be careful so he does not break it because they are expensive.

His reply, "I don't have the money to buy a new one.... but my dad does."

I could not help but think, I bet your dad would not be jazzed to hear that.


The next awesome quote for the day from one of the students as she was digging dirt with a shovel.

"This is just like jumping on a tramp, only with no bounce."

Yep she is right, jumping on a shovel to dig dirt is just like jumping on a tramp.... only with no bounce."

Change the World?

Have you ever felt like you were exactly where you were supposed to be, but that you were not living up to your full potential?

May seem like an odd question, but that seems to be where I am at recently. Not sure that I can put any more meat on that right now. Just feeling like there is so much more.

Was talking to my senior high sunday school class yesterday. We were just chatting and when we closed in prayer I asked that each of us be changed by Christ and that we live as Christ desires for us. It got me to thinking and talking with the students.

What does that changed life look like? I asked myself and the students, What does being a follower of Christ look like? Sadly, I believe that more often then not it simply means to be a "good boy or girl." I mean think about it, most of us believe that following Christ means that we won't smoke, drink, cuss or chew or go with girls (or guys) that do. We try and live this moral life. We essentially try and be boy (or girl) scouts.

My thought is, there has to be so much more. I mean Christ did not live that way. He did not just try and live a moral life. He really shook things up. He effected change. Sure, we can reply to that with "but we are not Christ." But doesn't He call us to be like Him.

I wonder if we really sit down and think about this whole idea of being a follower of Christ and what that looks like if it won't start to look really scary and maybe even dangerous.

I suspect that we get stuck in this idea that we or I am just one person, and one person can't really change anything. Then I run across this picture. Did this guy effect change? Is he all alone? http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif Sure, we don't know the entire story, but I am willing to bet that this one picture gave a ton of people the courage to simply stand up.

Just the other day I watched Schindler's List. What a powerful movie. I had never seen it before. Schindler save the lives of 1,100 Jews. I found out later that there are alive today 6,000 Jews who are descendants of the Schindler Jews. 6,000!! That is 7,100 people who would not be alive or have survived had it not been for one man!

Who says that one person can't change things. Look, my thought is this. I really believe that Christ is calling us to more than being a good boy or girl. I believe that He is calling us to change our world.

So, let's do just that.

Merry Christmas to me

So I gave myself an awesome Chirstmas present this year.

Six, yes six, stiches. I know, it is pretty exciting. And many of you are wishing that Santa had brought you the exact same thing. Well, next year just wash some glasses and hope that one of them breaks while your hand is inside it.

You will be happy to know that I am not the only one that was gifted with this awesome blessing. When I was leaving the emergency room, my neighbor was in the waiting room. Guess what she was there for, you got it!! She cut her left little finger, same one I cut, while she was washing glasses. See, that is all it takes.

Hope you had an awesome and blessed Christmas and I am praying for the same for your New Year.

I have an idea

The problem with ideas usually comes when we share them with others. Well, I decided to share mine. I am toying with the idea of running a marathon. Now, that may cause most people who know me to laugh, and for good reason. But I am really toying with this idea. I have begun to look at some training programs for those of us who don't run. I ran (get it "ran") across one titled, "From coach potatoe to 5k". I certainly fit the coach/chair/floor potatoe catagory. Anyway, there is my idea.

Now I actually have to begin working on it.

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