Have you ever had people in your life that you connected to in a special way? Did you think they would be apart of your life forever? Where are they now? There are a few special people that I have connected to through our student ministries that I am totally missing today. I thought a year ago things would never change, but Life happened and things drastically changed. So does this mean I failed as a friend? a person? a minister?
Through my nostalgic morning, God has reminded me of some principles that I had forgotten.
1. Connections require effort on both people. We all have the free-choice to chart our pathway. Does this mean we always make the correct decisions? Nope, we get it wrong sometimes and hurt others. Should we keep trying to get connections with people right? Absolutely, even when its tough and demanding.
2. Connections should be without agenda. Sometimes relationships don't work out for whatever reason. I believe it is okay to remember the past, mourn for the loss, and allow God to point you in the next direction he has for you. This is the hard part . . . . don't give up on new connections because you can't let go of the old ones.
3. Connections are vital to survival. In ministry, we always judge the success of a minister by their fruit, but is it really their fruit? No, it is God's fruit and God's success, not ours. I believe that we have distorted our view of the Kingdom and as such hurting people go unnoticed and seasons disappear. When you lose connections, does that mean that you failed? I believe that God has given us seasons and some connections are lasting, while others are temporary.
So God's question to me this morning is . . . . Were the connections that have been lost worth the heart-ache and the grief? Do those memories and opportunities make a lasting impression on your life? The answer is yes. Even though I grieve for those lost connections, my life has been changed due to the season I shared with them. Yes, every opportunity to invest in others and to connect to something larger than yourself is ALWAYS worth it! It is all a matter of perspective . . . what season are you in? Are there connections you are mourning? I challenge you to look for new connections and investments to be made today.
Happy Father Day Dad. Thank you for being the greatest Dad in the world. There is no doubt in my mind that you are Super Man. Thanks for being my hero, loving me, guiding me, being someone I can grow up to be like, and being my best friend. Hope you have an awesome day, wish I could be there to spend it with you.
As you have read on my here all week, Week 1 of camp was a success. I am very excited about next week and getting to hang with our students all week.
This week was fast and slow. Friday is my favorite day of the week once it gets here. The Camp Champs have been crowned, the voices have been lost, the party has been thrown, and the packing has began. In less than three hours this place will be a ghost town. In less than three hours everyone will be on the road.
The greatest camp game in the history of the world is Tube Mania. It has evolved and the legend of Wednesday mornings. Nothing like 110 degree heat, hundreds of students running and trying to drag an inter-tube with whatever is attached to it across their team's line. This year we kept the injuries to a minimum and that is how we really judge the success of the game.
Day 2 is behind us. It feels like we have already been here for two weeks. Not in a bad way. Actually in a good way. We are making the most of every opportunity that we have. Yesterday I was reminded of why I love camp. I love camp not for camp but for the people at camp. The workers, who we have watched grown up and grown into Godly young men and ladies. We have become closer of the years and some closer than family. The counselors that chose to give up a week of their life to see students lives changed. Some Youth Pastors, some parents, some volunteers, but all united for one cause. Then last but not least, the students. The ones we are here for. Love to watch what God does not only in the service, but all over the property. I love to see their lives transformed. This is the generation that WILL change the world.
Trying something a little different this year. I am going to try to record camp on my blog. This might only last a couple of days. It will either get old or I will run out of time. These are the weeks that I live for every Summer and I just wanted to share a little with you.
Well it is that time. Time to pull out the big duffel bag and ratty old hat. Time to sleep for 4 hours a night for the next 3 weeks. Time to sweat in the armpit of Georgia for the rest of June. It is time for camp. There is no place on earth or nothing that compares to camp. There is nothing that drains me and recharges me at the same time. I have seen thousands of students saved, healed, delivered, and called over the last 7 years and look forward to see many more.
Camp is special to me for several reasons. The next three weeks are my favorite of any all year!
Paige and I have taken a little get-a-way before the camp season starts. We got out of town Thursday at lunch and will be back tonight sometime.
The older I get the more that I realize what rest is and is not. Rest is not sleep, though that does help. Rest is not how much time you do or do not spend in front of the television doing nothing. Those things are good and necessary at times. It is good to check out of reality every now and then. But the problem with "just" checking out of reality is that when you check back in, you have the same issues that you had before.
When you just hide from your problems, your body may get rest but your mind and soul will not. You get on the merry-g0-round from hell and you can not find your way off of it. When you do not find real rest, you begin to wear down and wear out quicker than before. You loose your fight and your ability to press through to the other side. Jesus talked about this in Matthew 11. Here is how the Message Bible reads:
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.
- I love the fact that Youth Ministry shrinks in the summer yet Thrive is growing. Our averages over the last two weeks have been the highest to date.
- Loving our Sumer Survival Tips Series. Watching God do some awesome things as we go back to the basics.
- One of my favorite things about summer is students are out of school and come up and hangout on Wednesdays.
- Worship last night was rocking. I love how the band is gelling better than ever.
- We kicked off ThriveXL with a bang. After Thrive we headed to go see Night At The Museum 2.
- Looking forward to heading to Taco Bell next week and hanging out.
- Summer is very busy but I am very excited about the things that are coming our way.
This is Paige and I just returned home from a much needed beach vacation and loved every minute of it. It was an especially great trip due to my beach buddy that went with me. We had a lot of interesting conversations about love, life, and relationships. She asked me some very poignant questions that I almost did not have the answer for. The conversations have challenged me to re-evaluate my own life to truly see my connection to God and others.
Are Christians accepting of others or are they just judging others according to their rules?
As I began to talk, I realized that Christians are like the seashells on the beach, each one different and beautiful. Some were very hard and indestructible, while other shells were broken and tossed to the side. All of the shells were being scattered on the beach; some were challenged by the tide while others were out of reach. Christianity means different things to different people; however, the central focus are loving relationships with God and with others. Just like the shells, no two people are alike, so how can we as Christians judge others. We are all different, but we are all here to serve His purpose for us. Do we turn others away by our attitude or by our lifestyle? What would a non-believer say about you?
Why are your religious convictions strong and where do they come from?
There was a time in my life that I believed in the same things my parents believed in and my grandparents, only because I was told to. Its like the story of the ham that has been told often. The lady cut the end of the ham off because her mother and grandmother did it that way. When challenged about this, her grandmother revealed she only cut the end of the ham because it did not fit into her pan. How often are we like this? We are not sure why we believe in the things that we hold dear. At the first question or challenge, we fold and break down.
All of these responses are my opinions, but I wanted to share them with you. Hopefully, these questions will prompt you to evaluate yourself and your beliefs. It's easy to only fellowship with like-minded people who believe the same way we do, but what happens when you step out of the box?
This week might have been one of the busiest weeks of my life.
Over the last couple of years I have noticed that leadership is changing, it is shifting. I am seeing that leadership is fluid, it is constantly moving. People who try to master it or conquer it find that it is like trying to bottle the wind. Leadership is not something that you wear on your chest like a metal, or put in a case like a trophy. Leadership is something, in my opinion, that when you think you have it figured out, you are out of touch with it.
- Leadership is more about what is done when no one is looking, as much as it is about the spotlight.
- Leadership is as much about the individual as it about the crowd.
- Leadership is about compassion and passion as much as it is about education and experience.
- Leadership is about actions more than words.
- Leadership is just as much about the unseen as it is the seen.
The other day I looked over on my arm and there was this huge bruise. I do not have a clue where it came from or how long it had been there. My mind went to racing, trying to figure out where it came from or how it got there. It was a deep bruise and it hurt. Still to this day, I do not have a clue where it came from.
Camp - There is no other event that wears me out and recharges my soul at the same time. Over 700 students lives will never be the same. Camp has brought a group of people that have bonded like family and I am so grateful for them.