Unexpected Good News

Have you ever really waiting a long time for something, heard nothing, and were convinced that it had passed you by? This is how I felt this morning until I made a phone call. That phone call gave me hope. Funny how something so small can boost hope inside you when you feel hopeless. It was at this moment today that I was reminded that I serve a God who sees past all I can see and has a plan for my life. He will bring it to pass as I wait during these times of highs and lows.

Investing in Students!

The other night AJ and I hung out with some students from JRA. They were two of those students that you look at and you just see HUGE potential. You know that with a little help they can become great for GOD! It was a great night...one that made me feel alive again. I realized how great it is to be able to use you life to invest in students. This is what I was made for....It was a really awesome moment!

On the way back to lovely Welch....AJ and I began to talk about if we really truly do make a difference in students lives. I began to think of people like Pastor Ron, Brad Duncan, Vicky Kilmer, and Wendy Sebastian to name a few of the people that truly touched my life when I was in high school and junior high. I am who I am today because of their investment. Sooooo....YES I believe that we as youth leaders really can make a difference in students lives...AND IT IS INDEED AN EXCITING VENTURE! :)

Frustration!

Frustation! You know the feeling you get and you feel like you just want to scream/throw something/punch a pillow! YES...I know frustration well. Its been a close friend to me for awhile now! There have been times when I have wondered what to do with it or why I get so frustrated! It seems that I can toss aside my frustration for most things easily, such as irritating people and situations, but yet there is an inner frustration within me that never goes away. This is my familiar friend. I used to feel bad about it. I thought it was wrong to be frustrated about how things are. However, I have learned something in this summer. Sometimes God places frustrations inside us! What is wrong is if you just stay frustrated and never do anything about it. Frustration can be used for good when it propels you to do things you can only dream of. WHen I realized that God had placed inside of me frustrations, it began to change my perspective on life! I began to realize that its okay to be frustrated....WHEN I DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Bill Heybels calls it an "I can't stand it any longer moment." He talks about the things that make us mad can be things that we change. SOOOO...As I look at the church, students in this generation, and the way things are, I get frustrated sometimes, but yet I press on and determine that I am going to do something about it!

92 Degree Moments!

What a crazy week! I came back from CONN and worked 3 ten hour days staight! The AC was out at work. I found myself tremendously disgruntled. I wanted to have one of those pouting times! I suddenly found myself feeling defeated....and sweating a whole lot. In the midst of a 92 degree lobby...I was not a happy camper.

I am thankful in those moments that God sometimes gives us a quick kick in the behind! This is what happened to me. Recently, I have felt God speaking to me that when the going gets tough it requires that I get tougher. By this I mean that I toughen up and realize that when I am going through torturous temps and an uncertain future, in my weakness....i have a powerful God who can break through it all!

I am also thankful for friends who bring out my crazy side and remind me to fully trust in God and live up to my middle name and live a life of JOY! :)

A picture of my summer!

Ahhh...I really do love moments in life when you are with the friends that you love! I just wanted to post a few pics from this past month of my life!

Forward!

This past weekend I experienced NEW! I found myself finally venturing out alone toward the dreams and passions God has placed in my heart. I was visiting a church deciding whether I would be a fit as a staff pastor there. I must admit it was a new experience for me that took me all the way to the great state of Conn. I think for the first time in my life I was gripped with the fact that I was actually going to have to do this thing alone….lol! For so long I always talked about how I wanted to do ministry and now here it is right in my face. I must admit at times I wish I had a man at my side, but I know for this season God wants me to do this thing alone!

However, as I preached this weekend and met new people, I found that this is my passion. This is what I love. I love to go out and meet new people. I love to preach. I love to teach. I love to talk about evangelism. I love to do evangelism. I love to encourage people to be all they can be. I love to think of all God can do through someone who places their life in their hands. I love how God can take nothing and make it something. I love how God can put flesh back on bones. I LOVE THE GOD I SERVE!

So as I sit in the airport this morning and head back to the familiar, to the place I’ve grown to love and the people I’ve loved for last four years, I find that I am not quite the same. In a sense, I have grown through this experience. Whether I go to Conn. or not, I will be moving in the next 4 weeks. I still get a little nervous at the thought, but yet I am exciting because I am living my dream! Sooo….as James Douglas inspires me to say, Forward I must GO!