Balance in the New Year
01 Jan 09 | 10:59 PM
2008 was a year of
adjustments. My day job involved me in two additional
large-scale events which happened about a month
apart. Both events were first-time events which
require additional ramp up due to never having done
something before. One of the events will never happen
again in this community, and the other looks like it
may become an annual event. Thankfully things get
easier with repetition.
All that to say, I am working on balance in my life in 2009. To quote Mr. Miyagi, “Better learn balance. Balance is key. Balance good ... everything good. Balance bad, better pack up, go home.” Can there be balance in ministry? I believe it can, but what does it look like? For me, it will be working hard and planning ahead to prevent the tyrant Urgency from ruling my life.
With Urgency deposed, I can regain focus on my passion: volunteers!
All that to say, I am working on balance in my life in 2009. To quote Mr. Miyagi, “Better learn balance. Balance is key. Balance good ... everything good. Balance bad, better pack up, go home.” Can there be balance in ministry? I believe it can, but what does it look like? For me, it will be working hard and planning ahead to prevent the tyrant Urgency from ruling my life.
With Urgency deposed, I can regain focus on my passion: volunteers!
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Behind
08 Apr 08 | 08:10 AM
Not that being behind in our commitments is really
new to anyone, but I am serious behind! I feel like
Prince Humperdinck from The Princess Bride
when he says, "I've got my country's 500th
anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife
to murder and Gilder to frame for it. I'm swamped."
I have camp curriculum to finish, foreign language tracts to typeset, volunteers to coordinate for a worship event, a months worth of articles to catch up on, and a house to take care of. I'm swamped.
In all seriousness, I am overwhelmed at this point. Please pray I will have clarity of mind and efficiency as I complete these tasks.
I have camp curriculum to finish, foreign language tracts to typeset, volunteers to coordinate for a worship event, a months worth of articles to catch up on, and a house to take care of. I'm swamped.
In all seriousness, I am overwhelmed at this point. Please pray I will have clarity of mind and efficiency as I complete these tasks.
Thank You, Mrs. Youngblood
26 Feb 08 | 11:20 PM
I have no idea why I am
still up at 11:20 when I need to get up early in the
morning to work on a project, but I am.
I was reading Len Evans blog when I noticed he had issued a challenge (so to speak). He had named all 50 states in 2 minutes, 50 seconds. I thought I would give this a try since my elementary school choir teacher, Mrs. Youngblood, had us perform the musical Fifty Nifty United States in 5th grade. Back then I could recite all 50 states in under a minute.
Anyway, I played the game and was able to name all 50 states in 2 minutes, 33 seconds. (It was very helpful to sing "Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas . . ." as I was typing. When I tried naming them geographically, I tied Len's time.
Give it a try, and leave your time as a comment.
I was reading Len Evans blog when I noticed he had issued a challenge (so to speak). He had named all 50 states in 2 minutes, 50 seconds. I thought I would give this a try since my elementary school choir teacher, Mrs. Youngblood, had us perform the musical Fifty Nifty United States in 5th grade. Back then I could recite all 50 states in under a minute.
Anyway, I played the game and was able to name all 50 states in 2 minutes, 33 seconds. (It was very helpful to sing "Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas . . ." as I was typing. When I tried naming them geographically, I tied Len's time.
Give it a try, and leave your time as a comment.
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In 2m 33s |
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Click here to Play |
New MacBook Pros! Woo Hoo!!
26 Feb 08 | 07:41 AM
This morning i got up
to check the Macintosh news sites I frequent, and
there it was, Apple today announced new MacBook Pros.
This is both bad and good. My boss promised to sell
my personal PowerBook to someone before I was really
ready to sell it (bad), but he is pitching in to help
me get a new one (good).
Anyway, I finally get to graduate to Intel Core 2 Duo goodness and leave the PowerPC world behind.
Anyway, I finally get to graduate to Intel Core 2 Duo goodness and leave the PowerPC world behind.
Juno Goes to the Oscars
24 Feb 08 | 08:58 PM
I don't normally watch
the Oscars,
but I was holding out hopes for Juno to win in each
of its four categories (Best Picture, Ellen Page for
Best Actress in a Leading Role, Jason Reitman for
Best Director, and Diablo Cody for Best Original
Screenplay). Congratulations to Diablo Cody on her
win!
(OK, so I've posted a lot about Juno, a great film about a topic that means a lot to me, and this will be my last post.)
(OK, so I've posted a lot about Juno, a great film about a topic that means a lot to me, and this will be my last post.)
Juno DVD to Be Sold in Starbucks
21 Feb 08 | 10:14 PM
I've already blogged
about what a great movie Juno is. I
just UPI's
report of
Juno being released in Starbucks on April
15. (What a great birthday present!)
Beyond the excitement of Juno being released on my birthday. It is interesting to note how Starbucks has moved from offering coffee to music and now movies.
Beyond the excitement of Juno being released on my birthday. It is interesting to note how Starbucks has moved from offering coffee to music and now movies.
Stars 1, Redwings 0
17 Feb 08 | 06:51 PM
Some friends invited me to the
Dallas Stars game today. We had incredible seats on
the ice behind the opposing goal. It was a great game
between the Pacific Division leading Stars and the
League leading Detroit Redwings.
Scoreless until the third period, the Stars' Hagman
shot a rebound past the Redwings' Howard for the only
goal of the game. (I was able to get this photo on my
cell phone just as the action was taking place.)
Goaltender Marty Turco got his first regulation win
over the Detroit in a shutout! Congrats,
Marty.
Incredible Evening
16 Feb 08 | 12:53 AM
Tonight I attended the
Passion Regional in Dallas. As to be expected with
any Passion event, it was excellent. It was nice to
not be working on something at it and just sit back
and let God speak to me. Originally, I was only going
to attend to night. But I can't not go tomorrow (er,
actually today).
Guys Night Out
14 Feb 08 | 07:46 AM
My church cancels all
activities on the Wednesday closest to Valentine’s
Day for a Father/Daughter Banquet. It is a huge deal.
The ladies get dressed up. There are games and
entertainment. The gym is full. It sells out every
year, and it is something people really anticipate.
With nothing planned for the men who are not fathers of daughters, I decided to grill hamburgers for my small group. I had nine students over. I had a lot of fun, and I think they did as well.
They wanted to play board games, so we divided into 1s (Batmen) and 2s (Robins). First, we played Catch Phrase. Team 1 won. This game is always a lot of fun with a group. Then some guys tried to beat my high score in Pole Position. (So far I am triumphant.) Next, was Ultimate Outburst. (Team 1 won.) This game is really old and hard since most of the answers were from when they were preschool and elementary age. And we ended with a final round of Catch Phrase. (Once again Batmen totally pwned the Robins.)
With nothing planned for the men who are not fathers of daughters, I decided to grill hamburgers for my small group. I had nine students over. I had a lot of fun, and I think they did as well.
They wanted to play board games, so we divided into 1s (Batmen) and 2s (Robins). First, we played Catch Phrase. Team 1 won. This game is always a lot of fun with a group. Then some guys tried to beat my high score in Pole Position. (So far I am triumphant.) Next, was Ultimate Outburst. (Team 1 won.) This game is really old and hard since most of the answers were from when they were preschool and elementary age. And we ended with a final round of Catch Phrase. (Once again Batmen totally pwned the Robins.)
...Until the Fat Lady Sings
12 Feb 08 | 10:13 PM
I hate basketball! I
don't like playing it. I don't like watching it. And
wouldn't you know it, one of the guys in my small
group plays basketball. It wasn't a big deal until he
asked me to come watch a game. He didn't start the
first half of the season, but when he finally got
some time on the court and was able to score, the
coach moved him up.
Things have been fairly busy, so I didn't have a chance to go until the last home game on Friday night. And even then, I missed almost the whole first half. Well, my student only scored three points that game, and I missed it. He was pretty disappointed.
I invited a friend to go along to the last game of the season. With 1:37 left to go in the game, our team was down by 14 and my player was on the bench. I saw him score five points, and I figured the coach would allow some other players to get some play, so we left.
On the way home, I called to tell him he played a good game. He challenged me with, “You were there?!? I didn‘t see you.” I assured him I was at the game and saw him score a three-pointer in the first quarter and a layup in the fourth. He corrected me saying that he also scored a three-pointer in the fourth. I asked, “The coach put you back in during the last minute and the half, and you shot a three-pointer?” My student replied, “Thanks for being there. Yeah! Man, thanks for coming!”
Things have been fairly busy, so I didn't have a chance to go until the last home game on Friday night. And even then, I missed almost the whole first half. Well, my student only scored three points that game, and I missed it. He was pretty disappointed.
I invited a friend to go along to the last game of the season. With 1:37 left to go in the game, our team was down by 14 and my player was on the bench. I saw him score five points, and I figured the coach would allow some other players to get some play, so we left.
On the way home, I called to tell him he played a good game. He challenged me with, “You were there?!? I didn‘t see you.” I assured him I was at the game and saw him score a three-pointer in the first quarter and a layup in the fourth. He corrected me saying that he also scored a three-pointer in the fourth. I asked, “The coach put you back in during the last minute and the half, and you shot a three-pointer?” My student replied, “Thanks for being there. Yeah! Man, thanks for coming!”
Happy Thanksgiving
22 Nov 07 | 09:43 AM
On a Mission
03 Nov 07 | 09:18 PM
Confession: I moved
into my house 18 months ago, and I never completely
unpacked. My garage has been full of stuff that I
threw in at the last minute thinking I would get to
it. My closing was held up the the builder. My mom
paid a visit 24 hours after I got the keys. (I was
supposed to have two weeks to get everything ready.)
Then summer hit. You know the drill. I gained
additional responsibilities at work in August, then
again in January. And now I've been here a
year-and-a-half.
Today was a sunny fall day, so I tackled organizing the garage. I got it done. Instead of everything being thrown in the garage, everything is in its place. I have the boxes of books and papers I need to take upstairs to the office by the door, so they are easy to reach. I have the things I need to sell stacked together. Woo hoo!
Here's the goal: to have everything unpacked and put up or thrown away before my mom visits for Christmas. Some friends from New Mexico will be staying with me a few days before and have committed to helping me get all my office organized.
Hmm. Finish unpacking. Organize office. Hang two ceiling fans and a mirror. Maybe I can get it all done.
Today was a sunny fall day, so I tackled organizing the garage. I got it done. Instead of everything being thrown in the garage, everything is in its place. I have the boxes of books and papers I need to take upstairs to the office by the door, so they are easy to reach. I have the things I need to sell stacked together. Woo hoo!
Here's the goal: to have everything unpacked and put up or thrown away before my mom visits for Christmas. Some friends from New Mexico will be staying with me a few days before and have committed to helping me get all my office organized.
Hmm. Finish unpacking. Organize office. Hang two ceiling fans and a mirror. Maybe I can get it all done.
Has It Been That Long?
29 Oct 07 | 09:33 PM
Wow! I can't believe it
has been three months since I last blogged. Horrible,
absolutely horrible!
Things were pretty busy at work during August and September. In addition to our usual busyness, we were short staffed. You gotta love that!
Immediately after the hype of See You at the Pole™, I spent a weekend in East Texas with an incredible group of youth workers from Denman Avenue in Lufkin. We hung out at a home on Lake Nacogdoches talking about the future of youth ministry, how to relationally disciple students outside the church, and find time and ways to hang out with teenagers. It was a great weekend! Keith, the youth pastor, and the students within Denman's ministry area are blessed to have this group in their corner.
The next few weeks was spent cleaning up the office and the records (It is amazing to me how many people don't know not to click the "Submit" button more than once on an e-commerce web site.) before spending the weekend at my youth ministry's fall camp. We call it Mystery Camp since we do not tell the students where we are going.
Finally, I had a few days off which I spent with some friends in Mississippi. They have a new baby and were content just being at home. It was nice to wake up, eat some breakfast before taking a morning nap. Then waking up, eating some lunch, before taking an afternoon nap. Finally, waking up eating dinner before watching some TV or a movie and going to bed early. (Finally, a vacation I did not need a vacation to recover from!)
The past week, I have been feverishly making updates to this website and reconnecting with students I had missed seeing while I was gone.
Now things have calmed down quite a bit, and I intend to get back into the habit of blogging regularly.
Things were pretty busy at work during August and September. In addition to our usual busyness, we were short staffed. You gotta love that!
Immediately after the hype of See You at the Pole™, I spent a weekend in East Texas with an incredible group of youth workers from Denman Avenue in Lufkin. We hung out at a home on Lake Nacogdoches talking about the future of youth ministry, how to relationally disciple students outside the church, and find time and ways to hang out with teenagers. It was a great weekend! Keith, the youth pastor, and the students within Denman's ministry area are blessed to have this group in their corner.
The next few weeks was spent cleaning up the office and the records (It is amazing to me how many people don't know not to click the "Submit" button more than once on an e-commerce web site.) before spending the weekend at my youth ministry's fall camp. We call it Mystery Camp since we do not tell the students where we are going.
Finally, I had a few days off which I spent with some friends in Mississippi. They have a new baby and were content just being at home. It was nice to wake up, eat some breakfast before taking a morning nap. Then waking up, eating some lunch, before taking an afternoon nap. Finally, waking up eating dinner before watching some TV or a movie and going to bed early. (Finally, a vacation I did not need a vacation to recover from!)
The past week, I have been feverishly making updates to this website and reconnecting with students I had missed seeing while I was gone.
Now things have calmed down quite a bit, and I intend to get back into the habit of blogging regularly.
Welcome Back!
08 Jul 07 | 10:33 PM
Lazy Weekend
03 Jun 07 | 10:21 PM
I didn't see "The
Chroni-what-cles of Narnia" this weekend, but it was
a nice, slow weekend of watching movies on DVD and
sleeping in. I was supposed to be getting ready to
train volunteers at Collide
Festival,
but it was cancelled due to all the rain we have
been having in North Texas. We have had rain every
day since May 19, and it left the ground at
Willowood Ranch to wet to handle the equipment and
festival goers expected to arrive over the next
week.
Having grown up on the Texas coast, I miss rain. It has been nice to lay in bed and listen to the rain; it makes for some great lazy times.
Having grown up on the Texas coast, I miss rain. It has been nice to lay in bed and listen to the rain; it makes for some great lazy times.
Good Times and Good Friends
28 May 07 | 09:42 PM
Tonight I had some
friends over for burgers. It is so nice to be able to
have people over to my house. I don't have the
spiritual gift of hospitality, but I think that
"breaking bread" has a lot to do with community and
doing life together.
Humorous Aside: I have had adult friends over as many times as I have had my Class of 2009 small group guys over. My small group has yet to spill or break anything, yet I have had two adults spill drinks on my almost white carpet and one adult (during a small group movie night) almost break my ceiling fan during a pillow fight. I may have to be careful what adults I invite to my house in the future.
Humorous Aside: I have had adult friends over as many times as I have had my Class of 2009 small group guys over. My small group has yet to spill or break anything, yet I have had two adults spill drinks on my almost white carpet and one adult (during a small group movie night) almost break my ceiling fan during a pillow fight. I may have to be careful what adults I invite to my house in the future.
Whew! What a Week!
25 May 07 | 11:12 AM
It has been a long,
hard week. I'm glad it is the long
Memorial Day weekend. It will be good to have
Monday off and have some friends over for a
cookout that evening.
Trivia: The Indianapolis 500 has been run each year on Memorial Day weekend since 1911.
Trivia: The Indianapolis 500 has been run each year on Memorial Day weekend since 1911.
Random Chance and Spiritual Gifts
20 May 07 | 08:50 PM
I have been thinking
about spiritual gifts lately. A few weeks ago, I
found some of my small group guys in our room before
small groups. (I know that shouldn't be too odd, but
there were donuts in the Student Worship Center.) I
was nervous when I asked, "What are you doing in
here?" I was still nervous when they replied, "We're
having a Bible study." As mind raced, "Great! Someone
just got a new The Message
Bible and they are
reading Song of Solomon," they continued, "We are
talking about spiritual gifts. You know, like,
speaking in tongues."
I've been working with students long enough to know that any talk about spiritual gifts usually centers around the "manifestation" gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 while not noticing the "motivational" gifts in Romans 12 or the "ministry" gifts in Ephesians 4.
I had a great discussion with my students about spiritual gifting. Randall asked me what my spiritual gifts were. I told him teaching, administration and helps.
Four days later I am sitting in a restaurant working on a different entry in this blog when a guy approaches me asking to use my computer to look up a movie listing. So I let him look up his movie listing. He goes back to his table when the lady seated behind me asks if I can help her unset the alarm on her cell phone--it was going off at 5 a.m. every day (LOL). I showed her how to set and unset the alarm. From the restaurant, I picked my mom up from the airport. As we enter a parking garage a lady walks directly to me like I am an Airport Ambassador or something and asks how to get to "Garage B." I showed her which walkway to take.
And this isn't first time something like this has happened. I had a connecting flight at Bush Intercontinental Airport-Houston one day. First, a Chinese lady stopped me, out of all the people getting off of my plane, to get directions to her gate. She was not a newly immigrated Chinese-American, she was on her way back to China, and she didn't speak English. She pointed from her boarding pass to the sign hanging from the ceiling to get my help. I walked her to her gate. She only expressed herself to me through motions and gestures; she never spoke a word, but she was thankful. Finally, I arrived at my gate, I sat down and was approached by a Mexican guy who spoke some English. He asked, "Do you have a (made a motion like he was writing)?" Although I do not speak a word of Chinese, I do know a little Spanish. (¡Gracias! Sra. Viento.) I said, "¿La pluma?" to which is nodded, and I handed him my pen. The gate area full of other people. Why did he ask me?
I know one of my spiritual gifts is helps, and taking time to think through this makes my encounters with these strangers seem like more than coincidence, but how can I use my experience so my small group guys discover and use their spiritual gifts?
I've been working with students long enough to know that any talk about spiritual gifts usually centers around the "manifestation" gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 while not noticing the "motivational" gifts in Romans 12 or the "ministry" gifts in Ephesians 4.
I had a great discussion with my students about spiritual gifting. Randall asked me what my spiritual gifts were. I told him teaching, administration and helps.
Four days later I am sitting in a restaurant working on a different entry in this blog when a guy approaches me asking to use my computer to look up a movie listing. So I let him look up his movie listing. He goes back to his table when the lady seated behind me asks if I can help her unset the alarm on her cell phone--it was going off at 5 a.m. every day (LOL). I showed her how to set and unset the alarm. From the restaurant, I picked my mom up from the airport. As we enter a parking garage a lady walks directly to me like I am an Airport Ambassador or something and asks how to get to "Garage B." I showed her which walkway to take.
And this isn't first time something like this has happened. I had a connecting flight at Bush Intercontinental Airport-Houston one day. First, a Chinese lady stopped me, out of all the people getting off of my plane, to get directions to her gate. She was not a newly immigrated Chinese-American, she was on her way back to China, and she didn't speak English. She pointed from her boarding pass to the sign hanging from the ceiling to get my help. I walked her to her gate. She only expressed herself to me through motions and gestures; she never spoke a word, but she was thankful. Finally, I arrived at my gate, I sat down and was approached by a Mexican guy who spoke some English. He asked, "Do you have a (made a motion like he was writing)?" Although I do not speak a word of Chinese, I do know a little Spanish. (¡Gracias! Sra. Viento.) I said, "¿La pluma?" to which is nodded, and I handed him my pen. The gate area full of other people. Why did he ask me?
I know one of my spiritual gifts is helps, and taking time to think through this makes my encounters with these strangers seem like more than coincidence, but how can I use my experience so my small group guys discover and use their spiritual gifts?
Crash and Burn!
23 Apr 07 | 07:31 PM
Teenage Humor
07 Apr 07 | 09:21 PM
There is one student in
my small group who "polishes" my head
every
time he sees me.
Without fail, he will come up behind me, "huff" on
the top of my head, then rub it with the sleeve of
his shirt. I don't particularly find this enjoyable,
but I am amused at the painstaking consistency of the
whole thing.
You have to love the (sometimes frustrating) things teenagers do. The Los Angeles Times reports of Southern California teenagers gluing the doors of their school shut. No real vandalism, it doesn't appear the locks were ruined and had to be replaced, but the start of school was delayed.
You gotta love working with teenagers!
4/22 UPDATE: I was at a friend's house Sunday evening, when I left I found that some girls in our ministry had seen my truck parked in the driveway and shoe polished "I (heart) Henry!", and "BIG HEN" on the windows.
You have to love the (sometimes frustrating) things teenagers do. The Los Angeles Times reports of Southern California teenagers gluing the doors of their school shut. No real vandalism, it doesn't appear the locks were ruined and had to be replaced, but the start of school was delayed.
You gotta love working with teenagers!
4/22 UPDATE: I was at a friend's house Sunday evening, when I left I found that some girls in our ministry had seen my truck parked in the driveway and shoe polished "I (heart) Henry!", and "BIG HEN" on the windows.
Run for Their Lives
24 Mar 07 | 11:39 AM
This morning I helped
enter pledges for our local crisis pregnancy center's
annual walk-a-thon, "Walk for Life." They raised
almost $80,000 this year. I pray everyone who made
pledges will be faithful to pay.
I wish they would have a 10K-5K-Fun Run to raise money—maybe in the Fall. If they do, they should call it "Run for Their Lives." Every time I think of having a pro-life fund raiser called "Run for Their Lives," I smile and laugh. It is a great play on words for an incredible cause.
I wish they would have a 10K-5K-Fun Run to raise money—maybe in the Fall. If they do, they should call it "Run for Their Lives." Every time I think of having a pro-life fund raiser called "Run for Their Lives," I smile and laugh. It is a great play on words for an incredible cause.