So I am writing this entry from my new iPhone !!!!! How cool is that??? Well I really just wanted to test this out today, speaking of today…. I will be going to a theme park with our high school kids and my new intern shadow guy
He is from Belgium and here for a month to watch me in ministry?!!!? Hahha that’s cool any ways I’ll talk more about that on Thursday
yes i know, the white guy at the dance club proves this, that we struggle with find our rhythm in life… well kinda. this week i have become very aware at the fact that i have not yet found my rhythm in life. from 2006 moving to ireland for a year to 2008 spring moving back to arkansas to graduate and then 5 months later packing up everything and moving to Colorado to work for ‘The F.C.” i have not found a common groove in life…out side of blogging from time to time….which that isn’t helpful at all
so this past week i realized this more than anything when i began to look at the pace in which i have been trying to go in our ministry. so often when we start a new ministry we want to really make sure we are grounded and as my old boss Brian says, ‘hit the ground running’ the problem is sometimes you don’t hit the ground
my analogy for the day is sometimes starting at a new ministry is like sky diving into a lake. as your landing you see the ground in which you are going to have to swim towards and then quickly you have to brace yourself for impact. you’ve seen in the movies probably the problem with landing in water is that your chute will start to drown you from going under if you don’t quickly regain your bearing and cut that strap.
some more imagry to help you get the picture of what i’m talking about
para-chute - this can be and is not limited to your expectations of self, others and the students and ministry. its the baggage we have in ministry that we have found to be helpful in ministry in the past.
the lake - first few months to year in ministry. this is the rocky not so solid ground when you walk into a new ministry. you have to know where to tread, know your kids, staff, volunteers and your congregation. it takes times and as you are coming from above into dark murky water you have know idea what lies beneath you and sometimes there are some bigobstacles in that water that can really do some damage coming in and trying to make it shore.
the shore - this the actual meat of the ministry…well the start of it anyways. we need to swim to it but to remember that even when we get to the shore walking into the jungle isn’t our first priority, we need to gain our bearings and remember what we saw as we were coming in. we might be on the wrong side of the shore
the problem is that some times when we land we become so disoriented in what just happened that we start to panic, and even if you manage to cut the chute strap you are so exhausted and disoriented that you don’t know which direction you now need to go to get to the shore
some might say…well to solve this problem… don’t land in the lake….well thats a novel idea, but in ministry you never know what you are stepping into. everything is going to be very fluid and unbalanced for a while..sometimes a long time before that balance and rhythm can be found. again it is why Christ and Paul teach us about the preparation in ministry and running the race. it is a tough road and very physically, mentally and spiritually challenging life and one that if we don’t take seriously you will drown at some point not to long after your landing
i don’t have very many wise words yet to how to prepare for this landing accept what i am learning right now my self (and something i will write about later today or tomorrow) know your surroundings and don’t forget that the ministry you are working alongside God and leaders with will only be as healthy as you your self are, take your time when coming in for the landing to look at where you are going to want to once you land…don’t panic when that chute wraps around your face and starts to pull you under, cut the chute and swim to the shore… read this post i wrote about things to remember when starting in a new ministry
(again this analogy i am going to carry over into my next post about what to do when your 50 yards down the field ahead of your students and leaders) and its imperative that you start in the right direction…(duh i know) more on this to come
ok thats a lie…i’m blogging about not blogging!!! i’m lame i know
well went away on a retreat this past week, which was not much of a retreat to be honest. the place was beautiful as you can see from the picture… but i was up tossing and turning all night both nights not getting any rest. it hit me the second night, i wasn’t needing to get away from work and my surroundings i was needing to get away from myself… from my dreams and hopes and aspirations… and realize that even though i have the light of Christ we walk (i walk) in a lot of darkness in our lives
i came across a prayer and verse that were huge for me the past week. the verse is Isaiah 50.10 “he who walks in darkness, to whom no light apears, let him trust in the NAME of YAHWEH, let him rely upon the one true God”
and the beautiful prayer of Deus in adjutorium meum intende, (O God, Come to my AID) and yes i pray it in the latin… it makes it something a tad more beautiful. i will be getting up early tomorrow morning to blog about some thoughts on ministry i have had and some HUGE reflections i have had on myself and the current ministry and direction our group is heading in. i am so stoked right now with everything going on with our group and our church.
but anyways i am tired as i took 18 middle schoolers to a water park today….and i’m exhausted and need some sleep so i’m out of here.
Randy Pausch past away yesterday! i spoke a little about this guy and his triumph in life to live his last days with love. if you haven’t watched his lecture or read his book “the last lecture” please do so
well i’m not sure i will be posting tomorrow (which is the day i am wanting to make my blogging/reading day/relax) as i will be moving into my new apartment and paying some big time bills 
anyways i’m really pumped
quick update. i will be heading to a retreat center called Saint Malo’s for about two in half days to really clear my mind and really try to hear from God the direction in which He is wanting me to go, and the direction he is wanting me to take this ministry. i’m praying for a great time. i will be leaving my computer at home and cell phone in the car…maybe not (i got the new iphone which is amazing by the way, and might use some music for the day…not sure)
i am helping in the assistant minister roles this week as well as the previous which is a fun little in devour where i get to read the scripture and lead the congregation in prayer and help in the blessing/communion
had a guy come up to me a minute ago and tell me to not put my hands in my pocket when up there cause its rude and says i’m not doing anything and that i don’t want to do anything….. um!!!! yeah i’m not to sure about that….at all… but sure i’ll try not to put my hands in my pocket (not sure i ever did that actually…)
but anyways. i am really really tired…like physically exhausted and to the point of spiritual exhaustion as well, 5 weeks working, 2 at camps, one at a wedding, and 6 days of driving the kids around…. really really busy all while trying to find a place to live and gather ideas for new structures of our wednesday night gatherings…more of that to come after i get back from my retreat.
i think i spelled that correct!
anyways. i haven’t been on this in about 3 week. i was on a mission trip with my students to Utah, which out of the staff issues, we had an amazing time. i am really hoping to work alongside the youth in growing their understanding of mission work, which is something i feel we will have to work in the near future. i am hoping to write about this later.
we then got back last week to work VBS. which we had a lot of fun with that as well. Nanette, our Education Director, used the same theme from our mission trip to help teach the children about Gods Love. was really cool.
i am just really physically exhausted lately with everything that ‘is happening’ at the church and with my spiritual and emotional exhaustion because of ‘what is needing to happen’. these are two things i would like to talk about.
as ministers we really have to guard our minds and time like nothing else because of how consumed we can become with the every day little things that we forget to Dream, and the vice versa, if we are so consumed by the beauty of tomorrow we miss the need for the day. yet again showing that very little of life is truly black and white when it comes to working or just about anything spiritual.
i am currently very overwhelmed with things needing to be done and very very sadly very underwhelmed with prayer to combat that which needs to be done….
from planning next years mission trip (i know its a year off but with how the church has worked in the past few years, the brunt of the year is spent on this mission they call WorkCamp), getting wednesday night leaders, writing/finding good material for the K-5th graders for wednesday night, creating a schedule and concept for this years student ministry (ground up rebuilding and growing very very exciting time), to current events that are being done (taking 25+) to a water park tomorrow at 9am
trying to get moved into my new apartment….ugh!!! i bring this on my self sadly. instead of taking time slowly and just i try to rush through everything so that it is sorted and situated in some nice neat package so i can then move on to what needs to be done…. i am hoping to take a few days off next week to go to a place called St. Malo to just be away and pray and think about some stuff with the ministry and PRAY PRAY PRAY that God would really bust open my eyes and continue to to show me the way he is having me go and where that is to be taking these students and parents.
i do hope indeed that i am back from this hiatus of not writing and reading blogs, these do really help me vent and think about where and what God would have me do. thanks guys sorry for the down time but it is summer time and for youth ministry is just insane. anyways blessings i am off and out for the day
