The great state of Tex-afornia

Emotional Rollercoaster
Yesterday our church recieved notice that we might be called upon to house evacuees from Rita. With that one word our office became steeped in frenzy. The place they would be held for the next thirty days is the room in which my high school group meets. So, I was suddenly faced with the chance to have to move rooms and times with little or no notice to my students. At first I was selfish about having to give up our space. Then I was convicted of the aforementioned selfishness and repented deeply for my sin. This morning, after much frenzy, we learned that we wouldn't be called upon to house people and my heart sank. So, I sit here, emotionally drained. Yeah, that's about it.

posted by Kevin @ 6:12 PM 0 Comments

Holding on to Summer

So, twice in the past week I have been able to get behind a boat and do some wakeboarding. It felt so great (not the 100 degree heat in September). It is amazing how a few minutes behind a boat can release tons of built up tension. I was actually bummed that I didn't spend a ton of time wakeboarding this summer. God was gracious and gave me the heat to make boating more possible.

What is great is that I am actually getting better! I feel fairly confident in the early stages of jumps. Hopefully, next summer I will be able to really get going. Since I am going to Key West next week I get to hold on to summer for another week. I am really looking forward to spending an extended time at the ocean relaxing, eating seafood and well, relaxing.

posted by Kevin @ 10:13 AM 0 Comments

So this morning I got up way too early, just like all the other good youth pastors, and headed to the local schools for See You At The Pole. The movement as a whole is an amazing testament to seeing God work through students to start a prayer movements. Like all good things, it can be corrupted and cracked. While I can only speak of my experiences as a youth pastor in Texas, it seems to me that SYATP is more like the "Puppy who lost his way." Today's SYATP is more about rallies, and bracelets and singing songs than it is about prayer. One of the things I really enjoyed about the movement when I was in high school was the sheer raw power of prayer, nothing more/nothing less.

I was asked to speak at our local school's gathering (yes, messages/sermons are also a given in the movement). I decided to scrimp on my words. Instead of talking for 10-15 minutes I spoke for closer to five. The audience was a little stunned when I ended with a simple call to prayer. I admit that the brevity of my talk stemmed from an overly crowded calendar and a late night watching "Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy", but the aim was clear. Why do we spend more time atlking about prayer or singing about prayer than actually doing it? We feel the need to dress it up like Elliot dressed up E.T. and it ends up looking just as rediculous. SYATP can be the unpolished mega movement it once was only if believers return to the simple strength of uniting in prayer.

posted by Kevin @ 3:29 PM 0 Comments

Check this out!
The Newest/Smallest iPod Ever!

posted by Kevin @ 11:01 AM 0 Comments

So, every night this week, including tonight, I have had some ministry-related happening. Unfortunately, I have also been getting the office at the standard nine-thirty time frame. So, here I am exhausted, but in good spirits. I spent a good two and a half hours chatting with the other youth pastors in the area. No agenda, no event to plan, just hanging out and getting to know one another. I feel blessed to have met these guys because I go away affirmed that we are in this thing together. We don't talk numbers, we talk students and situations. We disagree sometimes (three different church backgrounds: Baptist, Church of Christ, and Bible), but it is all in love and generosity. Why does it seem that my youth ministry cohorts can cooperate very well, but that value doesn't translate as you move of the ministry "chain of command"?

So, how am I? I am feeling the grace of God in my life and I don't want to move from His warm presence. I only pray that I might have the sensitivity to humble myself continually before the Lord.

posted by Kevin @ 2:30 PM 0 Comments

So, the trip was really cool. Not only was the guy (Ed Plowman) a blast to talk with, but we made some fun memories as well. So, what did I learn?

I learned that:
1. People in D.C. will look at you wierd if you pray over a meal.
2. Our Executive Pastor doesn't mind it when we get lost.
3. The pastors at the forefront of the Jesus movement weren't expecting/praying for revival.
4. Walking around the D.C. Mall area takes a couple of hours at least.
5. Any road named "BackLick" can't be all that bad.
6. I want to be as humble and optimistic as Ed Plowman is when I get to be 76 years old.
7. Sometimes cans of cranberry juice will spill when no one touches them.
8. The White House isn't as impressive in person as I had imagined (or remembered).
9. If you get four guys around the Washington Monument all they care about is the fact that the edges are straight.
10. God is still working today all over this world, and I want to be a part of it.

posted by Kevin @ 9:24 AM 0 Comments

D.C.
Tomorrow I get to go on a cool ministry trip. A few staff members and I get to travel to DC to visit with a pastor who ministered to the hippies in San Francisco during the 60's. He was fortunate enough to see the last great spiritual revolution on American soil (the Jesus Movement). We hope to gain wisdom in seeking God for a renewal of spiritual revolution in our generation.

What is even cooler is that I am sure I'll have some great times with the other pastors. I begin to tell you how blessed I feel working alongside such passionate and creative people. I feel challenged and encouraged when I am with these people. Isn't it cool when God blesses you with added grace to sustain us.

posted by Kevin @ 8:49 AM 1 Comments

Spent all afternoon yesterday with some firefighters on their way from the west coast to New Orleans. They've been hold up in a hotel for three days waiting for deployment. You can see the anxiousness and restlessness. They want to get out there and do their job. It was nice to be part of effort by keeping the rescue workers refreshed.

I have two uncles who are a part of the relief effort and I am immensly proud of them. I believe that this is a great time for all believers to come out of the woodwork and show how deep, wide and long the love of God really is.

The funny thing was that in that same hotel there was an Anime (Japanimation) convention. So here were all these trained and dedicated rescue workers chomping at the bit to save lives and then there were thousands of teenagers dressed up like cartoon ninjas worried about getting to the next session on Hitsuhiro Matsiogi. It revealed a real disconnect in this generation. Now, there is nothing wrong with liking Anime, but these guys saw such a small view of existence (books and movies) that they failed to miss the momentous occasion of how huge a disaster this really is. It struck me as an indicator of how our society can be at times. So focused on the trivial and missing the grand, momentous, lifechanging world around us.

posted by Kevin @ 9:12 AM 0 Comments