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In the last 80 hours, we have gone from LA, to Las Vegas, to Denver, to Chicago, and back to Denver. We just got back to make it to our first JV youth service as the new pastors. Wow. It has been crazy exciting. More to come once I’ve gotten a little rest…
Well, we are making final packing preparations for our first missions trip with the students at Jubilee Fellowship Church. Gotta tell ya I’m excited. Here are 20 reasons why:
I promise to post pics when we get back. See you all then (July 3rdish)
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Never forget what God has done for you (or what He CAN do). Just an incredible reminder that God STILL changes lives…
WOW.
Ok, so here is a random youtube video of the day. It made me laugh. In honor of the amazement that is Transformers, I thought this was pretty, well… um, awesome.
ENJOY.
It is amazing how God uses time away from the everyday to…
We had a chance to get away this weekend… Call it an overdue 8 year anniversary celebration… A preemptive Father’s Day weekend… A chance to dream of the future… A pause to heal from the present…
Whatever the case may be, it was time WELL NEEDED for Holly and me. We just spent 48 hours in Breckenridge, CO. WOW. I NEVER grow tired of this amazing geography. Just check out this view!!!!!!
We spent our time shopping, eating, and just soaking by the pool and hot tubs. What a perfect peaceful reprieve to this closing season of chaos.
For starters, we are HUGE restaurant fans. I LOVE new experiences, especially when it comes to food. One night, we stopped by a Sushi Bar. Haha… I had Sushi-style Sea Urchin (kinda tasted like strong, grainy sea water pudding :/), raw Prawns (um, with the heads on - yum), Octopus (tako), and broiled eel (unagi, MY FAV - almost like toasted sushi). The whole experience was so exciting and unique.
We spent probably close to three hours just sitting poolside talking. Talking about the past. Talking about the present. Sharing dreams and vision for the future. Breathing the air. Absorbing the sun. TAKING IT ALL IN. It was all just so… timely. needed. recharging. peaceful. replenishing. breathtaking. relaxing. restful. refilling. inspiring. burning… (um, we might have gotten a little TOO much sun).
What? Where was I? Oh yeah, inspiring - we shared dreams for the future; our heart to see the youth culture of Jubilee (and Denver) transformed by the presence of God. We discussed what God is calling us to do. We shared our fears of starting over. We talked about inventing the future. We envisioned what God will do.
And now… we are back. Full of new dreams and ideas… full of anticipation for the future… ready to let God lead… prepared to keep following… the future is a blank slate right now for us… BUT NOT FOR LONG. 
Its gonna be a wild ride.
It has been awhile since I have blogged. Life has been… INVOLVED.
God has been moving and I have been the somewhat confused partner in it.
Last night Holly and I experienced the definitive close to a substantial season and chapter in our lives. It was a challenging night of emotions; a celebrated night of historic victories; and a sad night of “good byes.”
Catalyst has become our home and FAMILY for the last 4 years as it has been our privilege to lead the youth and young adult ministry at Orch Rd Christ. Center. These years have seen stunning defeats, overwhelming obstacles, extraordinary victories, and sovereign moves of God: a breathtaking room remodel, 11 amazing retreats, a couple dozen life-changing outreach nights, and over 160 Wednesday night services….
Tonight marked the END of this journey.
As I reflect on this profound season in my life, I am aware of so many lessons God has taught me along the way. Allow me to share a few…
What has set Catalyst apart has not been the teaching, the worship, the events, or the video game stations. Catalyst is different because we have put such high value on “being family.” What have I learned? Don’t build a ministry. CULTIVATE A FAMILY.
I don’t have any regrets of taking time from “office work” to spend time with people… like taking lunch breaks with Travis, Mark, and Josh; playing guitar hero with Zach, late nights with Chrissie, interrupting conversations with Carrie:), or going rock climbing with Bryan.
The old Chinese adage is so true: “If you want a year of harvest, sow in corn. If you want a decade of harvest, sow in oak trees. If you want a lifetime of harvest, sow in people.”
Indeed.
This was such a profound truth for me to learn… Some of my greatest nights of Catalyst were not textbook teachings, contextual exegesis, or profound biblical principles, but simple and practical lessons birthed out of the mistakes, trials, and insecurities of my own life. Don’t be afraid to let people see your strengths AND weaknesses.
Someone once said, “You can accomplish more in 2 months by listening to someone else than you can in 2 years by talking about yourself.” God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. I think He wants us to act accordingly.
One of the greatest mind games of my world is that my life doesn’t matter - that all of my efforts, my encouragements, my words, and my LIFE simply DON’T MATTER. To hear students and leaders tell us tonight that we had a fundamental role in their lives being transformed by God was dauntly. I needed to hear it. There are more times than I’d rather admit that I question whether God finds me usable for his purposes.
I love the word “encourage.” It literally means, “to put courage into.” That is what we are doing as we encourage others. We are PUTTING COURAGE into the them to accomplish what God has designed and orchestrated for them to do.
What an opportunity.
I used to feel funny about those words coming out of my mouth. Now, I see the power they have in someone else’s life. Don’t be afraid to say them loud and often.
As the future unveils itself, I look to it with anticipation. This season has closed. But I am confident that God is faithful. Not only will He continue what he began in Catalyst even after we are gone, but I look forward to what God has in store for our future as well.
Well… I guess its time to put this one in the books. Rest assured, wherever I am, you’ll find me pursuing God, loving people, and shaking the gates of hell.
I leave you with this closing thought: “The future belongs to those who have the courage to invent it.”
This is a powerful short talk by Andy Stanley called “What do you do when you’re the most powerful person in the room.”
“In Jesus’ moment of greatest recognition of power, his first line of response was to shed his symbols of power and leverage that power for the sake of the other people in the room.”
WOW. I mean what a paradigm shift from our self-serving, “hey, let me remind you how important I am,” flexing of our INSECURE spiritual leadership muscles.
What an example He leaves for us to follow - the ultimate leadership principle. I just went back and looked up a few of these passages on servant leadership. Pretty amazing stuff.
Click here to watch the video.
I recently came across the lyrics to this old Keith Green song, “Asleep in the Light.” Wow. Kick face…
Do you see all the people sinking down?
Don’t you care? Are you gonna let them drown?
How can you be so numb not to care if they come?
You close your eyes and pretend the job’s done
“Oh bless me Lord, bless me Lord” You know it’s all I ever hear
No one aches, no one hurts, no one even sheds one tear
But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds and He cares for your needs
And you just lay back and keep soaking it in,
Oh, can’t you see it’s such a sin?
Cause He brings people to you door, and you turn them away
As you smile and say, “God bless you, be at peace”
And all heaven just weeps
Cause Jesus came to your door… You’ve left him out on the streets
Open up open up and give yourself away
You see the need, you hear the cries, So how can you delay
God’s calling and you’re the one… but like Jonah you run
He’s told you to speak but you keep holding it in,
How can you be so dead when you’ve been so well fed
Jesus rose from the grave and you, you can’t even get out of bed
The world is sleeping in the dark that the church just can’t fight
Cause the church is asleep in the light
“Asleep in the Light” by Keith Green
Ok. I relaunched my blog today with a purpose:
“to encourage, inspire, and motivate… spiritual change.”
It breaks my heart how many young people are living halfhearted, “cost-me-nothing” kind of Christian lives. Every week I get an “in-the-trenches” look at a few people I love who think they are better off living for themselves. It breaks my heart. Nevertheless, I am encouraged by this quote from a spiritual mentor of mine:
“Never doubt that a group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
I am JUST ONE. But I believe that just one is all that it takes. I believe that a spiritual revolution happens when a FEW begin to impact the MANY. At the core of my DNA is a pulse that beats to see a generation of young people DESPERATE for God. I found a picture that symbolizes this. Its pretty eerie… a huge cathedral, probably capable of holding hundreds of people when it was built, now decaying bones of a once vibrant living being, standing as an ghostly, if not prophetic reminder of what is to come - If we do NOTHING, Christianity is only ONE GENERATION AWAY from extinction. If we do not evangelize, we will most certainly fossilize.
Now I can’t save THE WORLD. But I think I can change a FEW. I have but one life to live and I would give anything to insure that it has eternal impact.
This blog will be dedicated to questioning the status quo, encouraging the disappointed and weak-hearted, sharing insights from along the journey, and challenging the those who say, “Thanks. I’m good right here.”
I am just one. But so was Esther. So was Jim Elliot. So was Mother Teresa. So was David. So was Isaiah.
just one.
