Free To Be Kids

I understand that we serve an awesome God. At times I question how is it that we share the same starts, moon, and sun with people but yet their life turn out so different because of where they were born? It's a question that does not rock my faith, but embrace it. Today I found this organization and I was amazed of how much they were doing for the kingdom. It's not the government's job to solve the problem for poverty, human trafficking, unsafe streets, or even to prevent students from dropping out of high school. I believe more and more it is our job as Christians. We embrace these organizations and we help them do their work.

www.freetobekids.org

Pondering?

For the past few weeks I have been pondering upon life and the vision that God has for me. For many years it was so based off of my works and the things I did. I can't really tell you why, but that came an end. This summer I have had some great victories that most people don't know because they have been with inside of me. I think it really never hit me until we were at camp when I had the chance to sit in a corner and see our students worship. The greatest fear of mine was that this would come to an end. Then out of no where God started speaking to me that he was enough and that he had a new vision for Paradox and that he wanted it to live up it's name.

Paradox-a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.

In the past year we took a whole new vision change that was 100% directed by God and we had no control over it at all. It's funny how when we would try to take control God would just take it over and go over our heads with it. Our group of students started making some changes that I was just sitting back and was amazed with. I found myself a bit upset, because many times our kids would be misunderstood. Then out of nowhere our students started taking a stand. For whatever reason God knew it was time to make a move and show all of us what it means to be loved by God.

The new vision is simple, Love God and Love people. I really believe that we see the most change when we simply follow that. The last year I have seen that this is simply the calling of all Christians. To understand that Greater things are to come and that God is the light in the darkness. Simply allowing people to struggle with identity issues and not to be the person that try to change it, but pointing them to the person who can change it.

In June I had the chance to baptize three students in South Padre Island, another student was baptize on a family vacation by his dad, the week before a student was baptize in our baptism service. This next week I will have the privilege to baptize four more. Two who have been active in our group for three years who felt the calling. Another one who has been with us for a year and said he felt this was a step he needed to take. Today a young lady came to me and talked to me about being baptize.

What is amazing about this is the fact that God is moving, but in a way we are not use to. It has simply been through us learning to simply listen to the Holy Spirit and to follow his direction. Why has this been important, because it has not been important to me. I use to be so about numbers and wanting people to see that I am serving God. It had more to do with me and less about taking a stand. I felt that I had to be like everyone else and would be the way I would make it.

I look back and I think about where I was and where I am at. Today everyone of our students had an adult keeping up with them in some way. That is what was most important to me, I wanted them to know that people care and that God loves them. I found that grabbing a coke with a group of students and simply sitting in McDonald's might be the best spiritual thing we could offer. Showing them God love through listening to them.

The last thing I have been thinking about it the student who put his hand up and felt God come in his life. The reason I say this is because he wasn't going to go. The Wednesday before camp he came to me. I didn't really want to let him to go because I had just sent in all of my numbers and had a check ready to send. God had other plans, he went. I broke my rule that I made that I was only going to take those who had been attending church regularly. I knew he needed to God, so God made it happen.

It is simply amazing how if we really set aside the politics and our desires and focus on the desires of God, we really start to see a change. That's my prayer is that we would simply love all of God's creation and that we would follow his way.   

What breaks my Heart

This is an one, the american dream. I have to be careful though with this one because I can go off the deep end and forget that God use all of us. Rich or poor God has a plan for all.

Matthew 26:6While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, ⁷a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. ⁸When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. ⁹"This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor." ¹⁰Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. ¹²When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

That hit me hard this past week when I read it and realized that I can become judgmental about the rich man, so with in this post I want to be careful about the American Dream. But what does break my heart is how many people will sell their soul to live out the dream that simply might not be there's to live. Because we live in such a materialistic society we have a habit to put success on what we have and out banking accounts. All of that is okay, but at the same time I believe that God gives us the resources to use for his kingdom. I believe there is nothing wrong with a big church or a small church. I believe their is nothing wrong with a big house, a nice car, or allot of money. I believe the problem comes when that is not shared with others.

But I also believe the problem is that we feel the need for all this stuff and we do not receive we feel that God is not there. We hold on to the world and believe that will buy our happiness. Because of this the poverty problem in America is not high, but I believe we have a habit of not helping these people move out of their positions. I have students who live is these positions and it is amazing how they feel stuff will help them. One of the best things we stopped doing in our youth ministry was buying a bunch of stuff. We invested our time, energy, and money into relationships.

So much of the american dream is not built on a relationship but a success story. I have asked myself what if I went to a youth conference and if someone would speak on their horror stories. My favorite would be what if they talked and posted a picture of that kid who is still the biggest pain and they would love to see them leave the youth group and go to another church, but for whatever reason they stick around. But what I hear and see are success stories. Maybe I am way off on this, but I can't help but thank about the disciples falling asleep while they should have been praying. I always think about youth ministry when I hear that story. It's raw and real. What bugs me the most is that I am guilty of this.

I believe if we really focused on the relationships and use all of our stuff for the kingdom of heaven, we would see something awesome take place. My prayer is that we would see the kingdom of heaven come alive here on earth. 

   

My Passion

I find it to be amazing and beautiful that God will give all of us a different passion for his people. So the question is What am I most passionate about? Many youth pastors will use there position to move up to a different role. I believe there is nothing wrong with that, but that is not me. I believe the only other position I would want with in a church would be in missions. There is a reason for it. My passion is for people to discover that there is a God that is deeply in love with them and he want to use them to fulfill his purpose here. I have such a passion for taken people and giving them a chance to serve God. I love teaching while doing a project and simply spending time helping them see God's grace and mercy for all of us. I am not sure what you would call it, because I just simply allow God to unfold the events in their life.

I also have a passion for giving people a shot rather they have the talent or not. The most beautiful sound to me are those who don't have a clue of what they are doing and us teaching them how to do something. I believe this is because I was giving a chance at the age of 15 in radio and that turned into a 10 year run. God changed my heart and lead me to a new place and I was giving a chance by Mission Abilene. That first year was mistake after mistake, but I am thankful for the chance. I believe that everyone needs a shot and when they screw up, we give them another shot.

So if I was going to wrap it up in one word, I would simply say Grace. I have a passion for that and the ability to forgive and move on. It killed me when I started losing allot of that and became emotionless to God's word and purpose. For the last several months I have been on a mission to regain that and live with in his purpose for my life.

Service Project

This past Sunday our youth group did another service project. About a year ago we moved away from just the games and normal services. We went to service project style of learning, really trying to live out what Jesus told us. To love God and your neighbor. I am still amazed at how much students get out of this style of learning and how they walk away feeling better about themselves. Putting tools into a kids hand and letting them go at it.

You can see in the picture our students worked until they had blisters on their hands. At the same time we were able to serve a lady in our community and make her yard look a little better. What is so awesome about these projects is that not every student shows up, but the few that do put their heart into it.

My prayer is that we continue to see the joy into serving one another and that we follow God and serve him with our full hearts. 

The difference

This has been an interesting week in many ways. Everything was different in many ways and I found that I have really enjoyed it in many ways. Between work hours changing and the amount of kids I have in one day and the amount of time I spend with them. I have found that kids bring such an awesome beauty to this world and how they can change it.

Wednesday we did something different in youth group and had a pool party at Hardin Simmons. We celebrated the five students who were baptized in the last three weeks. Tanner was baptized at a service at our church, Mark, Nick, and Daniel was baptized at South Padre, and Logan was Baptized by his dad on a family vacation. Talking with some students on Wednesday reminded me of the trials that last year brought but also how far God has brought us.

Saturday we will have a service project with our youth group from 9am to 12PM helping a lady with her yard.

It's amazing how God is working and my prayer that we continue to follow his path. 

Camp 2010

I must say that this was the best camp that I have had in many different ways. It was awesome to worship with students and churches from around Abilene, Austin, and Waco. I believe what made it awesome for me was seeing Mission Students worship and see something new. I had second thoughts this past year on my calling and if I was in God's will. I felt like I was working and I just wasn't seeing any fruit. This past week God really worked on my heart and showing me that there is a time to harvest, water, and see fruit. A room full of guys who didn't want to room together found a new friendship and bond, a student that wasn't going to come signed up the last minute and gave his life to Christ after raising his and feeling the power of God and crying on my shoulder to tell me he found christ, three were baptized, and others starting to understand the power of God and his love.

As I spent time looking at my students I for some reason started understanding how God loved me. I knew it when it came to teaching it, but hard for me to understand. I remember I was praying to God and him telling me to be quite and listen. I just started hearing...I love you, I love You, I love You, I love You...then right after the wroship team went into oh How he loves me.

I believe God is doing something new with in our youth in abilene. I am so amazed how they hate the big and love the small. I even had a couple of our youth talk about how they love that we are medium size because they do not get lost in the crowd. Once again this year I kept hearing that we were like a family they never had. I couldn't help but praise God for him having me right where I was at.

I was also thinking God that I had stood through the trials and not walk away and leave. There were many moments last year where I felt alone. I believe it was a gift from God to see them Worship and give all they had to God.

Camp 2010

WOW! It's the only word I can think of. I was so amazed with what do did with our adults and students. I had the chance to see God really move in the students we have been serving for a few years. At the same time God even did some work on my heart as well. I will have some pictures, videos, and other stuff soon.

To Save a Life

Any one who works with youth long enough knows and understands the ups and downs that come with the job. You will have times you laugh and times that you do nothing but cry. For the past few weeks I have been asking myself why did I make the choice to work with young people. Lets face it, there are few thank yous and there is not allot of attention. At this point and for the past six years I have never had the desire to be a lead pastor for many reasons. The biggest reason I feel when it comes to young people you make the biggest difference in a life and can be a part of preventing tragedy by simply loving.

I love the fact that I am a small part off my students life. I have one of the most amazing teams in the world, more than anything else I love the fact they care about our kids. At this point we have a leadership team that has been in place for over three years, with little turn over. Each one of my students is teamed up with an adult and that adult takes care of them. My leaders don't always know that because it happened naturally. I believe the most amazing part is watching God do the little things. Also him breaking our hearts for what takes place in their life. There are times we want to hurt them, but at the end we love them.

I believe the biggest reason I love youth ministry is because in many ways we save a life. From salvation to helping them through some emotions. Most of it never happens on a Wednesday or Sunday. Not in a church or a church function. Most of it happens with in community and showing them something different in life. Not freaking out when they put they're drunk on facebook, but not fearing to talk with them face to face about the issue. Simply loving and not judging.

To all who work with kids in this world, thank you for your time. You are rarely noticed and the first that people blame, but an important part of a kids life.

Where I have been??

Wow it's been a while. Today I flew back in from Nashville where I spent four days with my family. I must tell you that I am tired and not ready to start this week, but I did have a great time. We went down for a cousins graduation. We made this a big deal for many reasons, but most of all to share our faith. As I was spending time in the smokey mountains I was thinking about how thankful I am for my life. Even though life gives us some ups and downs it is amazing how many blessings God gives us. I fear that many of us miss out on so much of life because we run and run and forget our purpose in life. It is simple....love. This weekend even though it was for my cousin, it also became about my whole family and simple loving one another.