Shamoo's Splash

Amazing! That is what I have to stay about my summer internship in Derby, Kansas. I love the kids in the youth group so much. It really hurts knowing that I won't be able to see them every week, and to be able to talk and laugh with them. I was so blessed to be able to learn under the youth minister, Nick Pannone, and the rest of the staff at First Christian.

While we were at CIY, I went back to my room one night and began to write what I was feeling. This blog is basically what I wrote that night.

Today was a great day! It was draining, yet a day of great celebration. This is the third day at the MOVE conference in Cleveland, Tennessee, and the Holy Spirit was moving in the Derby youth group. I say it was a draining day in that I had conversations with multiple people that just suck the lift out of you, but it was also a day to celebrate in that I was able to talk one-on-one with a student about baptism!

This internship has been one of the best things that has happened to me. I am so thankful to God for placing me in Derby, Kansas at First Christian Church on the corner of Market and Debry Street! The relationships I've built with students have been incredible, and the many ministry lessons I've learned are very valuable. Youth ministry is something that has become very important in my life. I see students who are slaves to sin and they don't even see it! Students' morals don't even come close to lining up with Scripture. And many kids think Acts is just a verb. They have no clue that it is a book in the New Testament. Its just a culmination of all these things that fuel the fire in my heart to lead students to Christ.

Tonight Jim Johnson spoke about how the Israelites were stuck beetween an army (the Egyptians) and a Sea. The Israelites were cornered and were hopeless with no way out. So what does Moses tell the Israelites to do? Be still and know that God will deliver them like he always does. Somewhere in the middle of his sermon, Jim was talking about how the cornerstone of everything God does is to show his Glory. He went on to explain that we often get in the mindset that God cares most about us and not himself or his Glory. But if he did care and love us more than Himself, that would be Idolatry on God's part and therefore making us God...not Him. Everything God does is to show his glory. Then Jim said this amazing quote,

"God is like Shamoo. He is playign and dancing in the universe,
and we have the joy of getting splashed."

Basically, God is doing all of this amazing stuff displaying how Great He is, and he graciously allows us to partner with him in showing his glory....we get splashed!


I can't thank God enough for blessing me with this internship and allowing me to parnter with him in sharing his glory to students in Derby! I can't wait to see how God splashes me next!

"I had them Ladies rollin'!"

Vacation Bible School is here at First Christian Church in Derby! From 9 a.m. until noon, there are kids ranging from preschool to 5th graders roaming all over the church building making crafts, playing games, and learning awesome VBS songs.

Shonda, the children's minister, was so kind as to give me the job of heading up the game station. I like this for two reasons....first, I get to play games! Second, I get to meet and hang out with all of the kids. One particular kid cracks me up! His name is Austin, and he is a gangster in a little white boy's body. He is around 8-years-old and has blonde hair. The first day of VBS, Austin is the first kid in line at the game station, and he has a name tag on that says "AUSTIN" in all capital letters. So i say, "Hey Austin, are you excited for the game station?" He turns around to his friend and says excitedly with his eyes wide-open, "That dude knows my name!" I couldn't help but start laughing, but I gained my compsure and began to introduce myself and the rest of my game crew members. Then today as VBS was coming to a close, I asked him if he had a good day, and he said, "Man....I had them ladies rollin' today." He went on to explain that he was a funny guy who was good with the girls. And when he was leaving with his mom I said, "Goodbye Austin. I'll see you tomorrow." He then turns to his mom and says, "He knows my name!" I love kids!

So what did I learn today at VBS besides that everyone seems to be a ladies except for me? Children, no matter how much they test your patience, are honored and loved by God. Jesus tells adult men and women that unless you become like a child, you cannot enter the kingdom of God (Mt. 18). Kid are very dependent. Survival is dependent upon other people. Jesus is telling us that unless we become humble and depend on God like children depend on their moms and dads, we will never understand what kind of relationship we must have with God. We must depend on God for our strength to live in this dark world. We must depend on God to get through tough times. We must depend on God just to get through the monotonous daily routine of daily life.

So we must all be like Austin and have a life defined by dependency on God!

Don't Let Life Put You in a Corner

Sometimes life just forces you into situations you don't want to be in........just playing! This blog has nothing to with life and nothing to do with a corner. "Don't let life put you in a corner" is just some cheesy line i heard at a middle school church camp this week from a hilarious video called "Edwin's Corner." Camp was awesome! Not only did i get to know the kids a lot better, but it was really cool to be reminded of God's grace.

There were a couple of kids that went to camp that I got to hang out with a lot. There was Chase, the ladies man, Luke, the hypochondriac, Austin Thrailkill, who just has an awesome last name, and many other kids.

I'm a pretty seasoned veteran when it comes to church camps. Last summer, I traveled to 7 different church camps in Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Ohio, and Indiana. I thought I had been through it all, but I hadn't! I think it was Tuesday Night about 12:30ish, and Austin Thrailkill (I am so jealous of his name...unfortunately, the kid really doesn't live up to his name) said he wasn't feeling well. He was on the top bunk bed and i was on the bottom bunk, so I tell him to go to the bathroom just in case he was going to throw up. I get up and start walking towards the bathroom in front of him when I hear "it" start traveling up his throat and into his mouth. I started running but by the time i got to the bathroom door to turn on the light for Austin, I felt some chunky substance all over my feet. It was NASTY! But luckily, Austin felt better afterward and went right back to sleep. Unfortunately, my towell got all disgusting from cleaning up and was thrown away.....moment of silence........okay moving on! So after Austin lays back down to bed, Luke, the hyperchondriac, wakes up and starts freaking out because another kid told him that Austin threw up. Luke then beliees he is going to throw up and says he is going to start getting hives. Remember, this is all going on about 1:00 in the morning. It was crazy!

The kid named Chase, the ladies man, also gave me some insight into camp but it had nothing to do with getting sick.....it was all about how to pick up the ladies! I asked him how he got all the girls to talk to him and he said, "Man, all you got to do is go up to them and tell them that you forgot how to spell a word and ask them to spell it for you. AFter that, you are in!" Needless to say, I didn't try that one out at camp becuase it was full of middle schoolers but watch out ladies...when school starts in the fall, I might mysteriously forget how to spell.

Looking back to last week and camp, I have nothing but good things to say about the middle school kids and more importantly, God. He is so faithful and patient with a people who do nothing but turn our backs on Him again and again. One of the worship songs we sung was the old hymn Amazing Grace. I have sang that song so many times that I cannot count, and sadly, I just sing it...I am not telling God.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.

Wow! I forgot what I was singing about...GRACE! I can't express how thankful I am for God forgiving me, a sinner! I hope that i never take for granted the grace God has graciously granted me.

Humble Acceptance

So the last time i wrote in my blog....people had no clue what the Swine Flu was, and the Kansas City Royals were not below .500! Other things have changed since then too. I am living in Derby, Kansas for the summer for a youth internship at First Christian Church. I'm staying with an awesome family....Dan and Jessi Stang. They have a 11-year-old son named Ryan that cracks me up! He is one smart little dude, and he makes miniature Ferris wheels and picture frames out of duct tape....really cool kid.

I'm going to keep you guys updated throughout the summer about whats going on in my life and in my head. To be perfectly honest with you...I am really nervous about this summer! For those of you that hang out with me, you know I can be outgoing when i hang out with you guys, but it is a different story when it comes to big crowds of people i don't know. The youth group I'm helping out with has around 50 kids in middles school and about 50 in high school. I'm used to an entire youth group being about 30 kids! Its a little overwhelming.

Last night was the first time I was able to meet some of the kids. They had a middle school swim party at someone's house, and there were about 40 kids there. I found myself kind of shying away from some of the kids, and I didn't know why. As I thought about it some more, I came to the conclusion that i wasn't confident in myself and my ability to get to know them. Confidence is something i never had a problem with when I was younger, but now it seems like confidence is hard to come by nowadays. I hate that about myself and I want to change!

What was really weird about this whole situation was that I just read Matthew 3 where it talks about John the Baptist and how Jesus wanted to get baptized by him, but it says that John tried to "deter" Jesus from that happening. The Baptist thought he wasn't worthy enough to tie Jesus' sandals, let alone baptize him! However, he humbly accepts Jesus' request to baptize Him. Sometimes we make excuses to why we don't fulfill what God has planned for us. For instance, I know without a doubt that God wants me to work with youth and bring them into a saving relationship with Him, but I make excuses like, "I'm not cool enough," or "I'm not outgoing enough for kids to like me." I need to quit making excuses and humbly accept Jesus request like John the Baptist.

I guess my question to you is, "What excuses are you making that are stopping you from humbly accepting Jesus' request in your life?"

The Grave is the Beginning

About a month ago, I was at baseball practice taking fly balls in the outfield, and I dove for a ball. Unfortunately, I rolled on top of my right wrist when I was diving, and I injured some ligament in my wrist. A few weeks went by and it was still bothering me, so I went to some doctor. He told me that I probably just sprained it, but there is a slight chance I tore it. If it was torn I was done playing baseball for the season!!!! He gave me some anti-inflammatory medicine which I finished that last dosage last Friday, and my wrist still hurts! So this is probably not a good sign for my baseball career. I really hope that it gets better because our first game is in one week from today. If I can't play I will be upset because I LOVE baseball, but that is not why I am here at Ozark. I will be content whatever my situation and continue to glorify God in my studies.

With all that sad stuff out of the way, its time for the good news.......or at least it should be.

Jesus has been crucified and has been laying dead in the tomb for about a day and half when we pick it up in Mark 16. We see three women walking to Jesus' tomb bringing spices for the body of Jesus, because by this time the body is rotting and beginning to smell. As I read this passage I began to ask myself, "What are these women thinking? How are they feeling?" People usually aren't really excited about death and the grave. For the most part, the grave represents the end of things. People try to do so many things before they die, because they cannot do them once they're dead!

The Apostles and the women probably thought the very same thing. The grave ended Jesus' ministry. They a good run at it. For three years they devoted themselves to this mans teachings and ways, but now that death has come into the picture, it is all lost. The plans they were hoping of restoration to God's people were no longer possible. But luckily God had something else in mind.......His plans were different.

Lets take a break from that story, and see what Jesus thought about death. In Luke 9:23 says, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." How did Jesus die? O ya, on a cross! Apparently, Jesus wants everyone who wants to follow him to die? Yes, in a "spiritual" sense. Now some of the Apostles literally did take up there cross and were killed, but for 21st century Christians it means self-denial, complete dedication and willing obedience to Christ. This type of death also scares people, because it does mean the end of our plans. We will no longer be able to fulfill our selfish pleasures and wants.

Back to Mark 16. The women and all the believers thought that plans of Jesus were over. His promises of a new life of love and peace went with him to the grave, but when the women arrived at the grave they found it empty! The Grave couldn't kill Jesus or God's plan. After Jesus meets with the Apostles post-crucifixion, he stays with them for forty days and then ascends to be with God. The church then explodes! Peter gives a sermon during Pentecost and about 3,00o people were added to their number that day (Acts 2). God's plan of salvation didn't die with Jesus' death on the cross. His plan actually just began.

Sometimes people believe that the grave is the end of our plans, but in reality the grave is the beginning of God's plans. When we die to ourselves and pick up our cross daily entering a "spiritual" grave, God can finally begin to use us to fulfill His will. So I plead with everyone....we must die to our selfish desires and wants, and die to ourselves so God can begin his plan for us.

Plastic

Today is the day of love. Valentines Day is upon us, and is smacking every single person in the face. It seems to me that Valentines Day is being advertised more than ever. I don't know if it is because this is this first time in a long time I haven't had to celebrate it so I noticed it more, or our economy sucks and they want people to spend money. Whatever the reason, Valentines day is here.

This morning I went to the grocery store with my parents to buy some snacks for the KANSAS/kansas state basketball game. I used to work at this store, so I know a couple of people who still work there. As I was walking through the produce section, I saw a guy that has been working at the store for a long time. We used to talk a lot during our breaks, and he could always crack me up.

As he was putting the yogurt in their places on the shelf, he began to tell me what was going on in his life. He had divorced his wife a couple of years ago with whom he had a seven-year-old son. His wife accused him of child molestation, child pornography and many other cruel accusations. She ended up getting custody because of these insane lies, and he doesn't get to see his son that much anymore. This guy has recently been remarried with a woman who already has 3 daughters, and together they have a two-year-old son. To add on top of all of this crap, he never graduated college, so he doesn't have a degree where he can make good money. He is barely getting by with his pay from the store. According to him, his "life sucks."

When I walked away from this guy, it hit me. I am living in a fallen world. This fallen world has people who are blind and have nothing but letdown after letdown come into their lives. People are searching for some stability and purpose, but their search comes up empty. This world was created as a perfect place where man and God could live together in love. Unfortunately, sin entered the picture and things have not been right since.

I hate seeing people like my friend from the store hurting. This is REAL life. Going to Ozark Christian College, it is easy to get in the "Ozark Christian College Bubble." By this I mean, we don't see the pain and hurt that goes on in the world, because we are surrounded by other Christians who appear to have everything figured out. But I don't live in a plastic world where Barbi and Ken end up happily married for the rest of their lives. This is REAL life!

My friend who's "life sucks," needs someone to show him the light in a dark world. This light gives stability in the midst of instability. It gives hope to the hopeless, and it offers love where there is hate. I do not live in plastic world, but I do live in a world where REAL people are lost in the darkness.

Hurting

The Spring Semester is in full swing! Three weeks have come and gone, and papers and tests have arrived. I have always enjoyed starting a new semester, because it gives you the opportunity to start things on the right foot. I always vow to be more studious than the previous semester, but for some reason I end up getting stuck in the root of mediocrity. You know? Just doing enough to get by. However, so far this semester I have been true to my vow about my studies. I am actually on top of all of my required reading and homework! This semester is looking good.

Not only are the academics on all four cylinders, but also the athletics. I play on the Ozark Baseball team, and we have been working out for the past three weeks. We run, lift weights, throw the ball around and hit in the cage. Sometimes it gets pretty depressing knowing that we still won't play a real game for another month, but all of our hard work will pay off when the season rolls around. Besides playing on the baseball team, I play on an intramural basketball team called the Gamophobes (the fear of marriage). We had our first game last night, and we played very good! WE won by 18 points, and we upset the #1 team which catapulted us to the top of the rankings.

But on a serious note, sports are not everything. They have always played a huge role in my life, but I do not live for sports. I am not attending Ozark so I can play sports. I am at OCC so I can better equip myself to lead teenagers to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Since high school, I have known that I wanted to go to Ozark, but I never really felt a strong passion for youth ministry. I guess I was just doing it, so I could have a plan for my life.

But this semester has really opened my heart and my eyes to what youth ministry is about. It is not an occupation but a mission. I am reading a book for my Counseling to Youth class called Hurt. This book takes a look inside the world of today's teenagers. Personally, I look around and I see kids who have no purpose. They try to find worth in friends, sex, and material objects. Their search never ends because nothing will satisfy them. I want to....I NEED to help the youth of America find that they do have purpose and love in their life. Even if they can't find it in their families or friends, Jesus has what they need. Teenagers need to know that they are loved by an all-powerful God who would do anything to have them in his family. He would even go so far as to kill his own son.

Before I felt like I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life, but now God has instilled within me a passion for teenagers. I Hurt for the kids who have not met my Jesus, and I want to show Him to them. What are you hurting for?