Archives for June 2009

For almost 12 weeks we’ve been talking about a retreat we do for students to train them in their faith and stretch their connection with God to a new normal.  It’s called OGN and it’s next week. 

Every week since Easter I’ve been telling students to sign up.  We passed out sign up sheets.  We have had custom fliers on every table.  We printed it on our summer calendars.   I mention it during every teaching message as an application point.  We have done promo videos and blog posts and twitter updates and it’s in every weekend program in the announcement section and you name it. 

Here’s a typical phone convo with a regular teen who attends every weekend in our ministry:

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Me: Hey, how’s summer treating you?

HS student:  Alright.

Me: Gonna do anything sweet?

HS student: Um, I dunno.  I think we’re going camping sometime.

Me: Have you thought about OGN?

HS student:  Yeah, but I don’t have the money.

Me: Yeah, things are crazy right now for everyone.  Is there anything I can do to help?  Have you talked to your parents about how much you could pay?  Maybe we can work out a payment plan or something.

HS student:  No.  They told me I could have this surfboard I want or go to OGN.

Me: Oh…. 

HS student: When is it anyway? 

Me: (IF I COULD SCREAM MY THOUGHTS THEY WOULD SAY:  ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!!!!?  I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING SHORT OF PIN A NOTE TO YOUR SHIRT!!!!)   Instead I say, “It’s next week. We’re leaving Tuesday and be back the following Monday. ”

HS student: Oh man.  Yeah I’m in summer school.  I can’t go.

Me: Got it. Sounds like tons of fun.  See you Sunday.

HS student: Ok.  late.
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then I ponder if I should quit my job cuz I clearly suck at it or just do announcements naked… but then again… they’d be taking pics with their phones to post on the internet and not listening to me and then I’d lose my job anyway and then I’d have my house repossessed and then we’d live in our parents garage with 5 kids and a dog and…

… guess maybe I’ll duct tape fliers to shirts on the way out the door.  

I had a friend e-mail me an article today that I wrote a year ago called “evaluation time.” He asked if I wanted to comment again on it since a couple of people had commented on the site. I think he was just doing some website house cleaning.

You can read the article here.

It’s about 3 questions that Shannon and I spent asking ourselves over our last anniversary. Interestingly enough, they have stuck for us and are not just the subject of some random article I wrote. I’d like to write a book on them someday. Maybe I will. I dunno. That’s a whole other blog post and a dream that I have to be more intentional about.

Anyway, we spent Thursday morning- our “real” 15 year anniversary enjoying some java and breakfast and having a conversation about some of the good and the not so good of the previous months.

Conclusion: It’s WAY EASIER to live your life with the wrong priorities than it is the right ones.

I want to tell you this. My priorities are:

1. Be a God fearing man who is mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually present and healthy.
2. Be a Great Husband and love my wife unconditionally.
3. Be a Great Dad and love and lead my kids towards maturity and adulthood.
4. Be a Great Youth Pastor and help my students to understand, own, and live out a life-changing faith in Jesus.

I will even tell you that order matters and that they build on each other. Break the layer above and whatever you do below it falls apart or is nullified.

But regardless, it’s also super easy to live life backwards.

• Ministry has high demands and is always ready to be first if I let it.
• My marriage can so easily become an environment for raising kids. If I’m not extremely intentional, my kids demands can waaaay outweigh the needs of my marriage. (see the now famous Jon and Kate as the most recent “exhibit A” for this)
• My marriage can become my third priority, and the idea that “the best thing I can do for my kids is love the mom” is evasive. The love fades and we become roommates instead of friends and lovers.
• My own health and needs can seem selfish, and instead of being the resource from which I am a healthy contributor to all other relationships, it becomes so deprived that I suck at everything else.

So… I dunno much. But I do know that in another 15 years from now, the priority order will still be the same and life will still be easier to live backwards and hopefully, I’ll be better at keeping the order straight.

If I am… it’s cuz I asked 3 questions often. How are you? How are we? How is our family?

Shannon and I escaped away for 3 days to Coronado Island to celebrate 15 years.  Shannon said it’s called a “staycation” cuz we didn’t “vacate” too far, but it was far enough for me.   So amazing that we live in a place where we can “staycate”.

We daydream of someday living in a house by the beach where the beach cruiser and the local coffee shop are the daily norms.   This week we added some more layers to that dream and stayed in a beautiful 2 story home on Coronado Island just blocks from the pacific and the world famous Del.  It was pretty amazing to say the least.  Coronado is definitely beautiful.  So blessed to have friends in high places.  We never could afford to get away without them.

Only rule I had:  I’m not moving the car for 3 days.  It was walking and biking only.

So even we saw some dolphins playing on the beach.

We ate, we slept, we walked, we dreamed, we talked.  It was a great 3 days to cap off 15 years of love and friendship and family and funk… yep.  we are funky too  🙂   

you can hit the rest of the pics up on facebook.

Last wednesday, we took our students to the beach. I know. It is tough. But someone’s got to do it.

10:00am. Intern arrives at beach to “pit sit” (babysit a beach fire pit so we have one that night) Pit sitting is the most critical and sacrificial job for the youth group bonfire.

10:15am. Second intern and I go to Costco to get supplies.

11:15am. Dumpster dive at lumber yard for firewood.

3:00pm. Drive to get java and then to the beach and set up.

5:00-9:00pm. Roast some dogs, hang with students, makes smores, take pictures, talk, and laugh. (click on the big crab pic to see it blowing bubbles 🙂

10:00pm. Home.

Look at what they did to my pretty little girl in great grandma delma’s clip on jewelry.

And look at what they inspired in my youngest boys….

and look at Jake.  This kid is way too natural at girl dress up.  This kid kills me.