Happy Anniversary to us!

Wow!  29 years!  Dana and I got married this day in a small church in Saline, Michigan.  We were both in college studying engineering and working for General Motors.  I never would have guessed we would be where we are now.

We lived in a small apartment half way between school and work.  There we got involved with a church youth program.  God used that to launch us into youth ministry.  In 1984, we loaded up our two boys and moved halfway across the country to Kansas City.  Here we have had so many great adventures with each other, friends, and thousands of teenagers.  Our lives have been filled with summer camp, Bible clubs, youth preaching club, rallies, high school assemblies, and mission trips while raising 5 great kids.  It's been a whirlwind, but we've enjoyed all of the good times and trusted God through all of the tough times.

We will keep on loving God and loving others and laughing a lot.  It's worked so far.

Happy Anniversary Dana.  Thanks for loving me and putting up with this crazy man.  And thank you God.  I am blessed.

Update on Feed The Hunger

Got this note from Kendon summarizing Youthfront's Feed The Hunger:

"We are 3 days into our 6 days of packaging, and the momentum is unbelievable. Our initial goal was to package 200,000 meals by the first week in February. To date we have packaged 142,560 meals to send to haiti, but our friends at Horizons Community Church in Lincoln, NE have stepped up to the plate and packaged an additional 28,000 meals to be delivered to us tomorrow. Over 1500 people and over 50 groups throughout the KC Metro have come together over the last two weeks to package meals. Together we have packaged 170,560 meals to ship to Haiti, and we still have three days of packaging left. Three days? you ask... We have decided to open up Wednesday, February 3 as a 6th and final day for groups to come and package meals to send to Haiti."

NFL Today

Are you kidding me?  I turned on the TV to watch the game yesterday.  I usually only watch the 4th quarter of a game, but thought since it was the playoffs, I'd take in a whole game.  "NFL Today" was on.  I found it humorous that it was a bunch of retired football players analyzing and predicting how the game was going to go.  Why does it matter?  Does anyone really care?  Isn't it the team who scores the most who wins?  Do I need to watch the game if they have so eloquently told me what I was about to see?

Then I thought about us and the church.  We do the same thing.  We talk about how we are going to change the world, share Jesus, feed the poor, and follow Jesus example.  Instead of "NFL Today", our gatherings are more like "Jesus Today."  It's great to talk about our strategy and game plan.  But in the end, the only thing that matters is the real game.

YouthFront on the News

Our Feed The Hunger caught the attention of the press.  The atmosphere at Youthfront is exciting.  We will be packing meals again today, Wednesday, as well as next weekend. Here are the links to the articles and video.  Feel free to contact me on how you can get involved.

Channel 4    Channel 41     Channel 9

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an amazing man.  Our world is a better place because of his passion and dedication.  He is known for his “I Have A Dream” speech. Here are some other great quotes:

“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”

“History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.”

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”

“I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”

“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Thank you, Dr. King.

Waiting....

I'm not a big fan of waiting.  I suspect you are not real fond of waiting either.  It has a lot to do with our culture.  We are programmed to (and are expected to) get things done expediently.  I hate it when someone says, "I just got your email," when you know it's been read for days.  We have Instant Messenger, instant oatmeal, instant coffee (dumb idea), and a "Buy It Now" button because we can't wait for the eBay auction to end.  The TV station has "Instant Traffic."  That's quite the oxymoron. I always seem to pick the line at the store where someone has to write a check or get a price check or send the cashier to the back for a carton of cigarettes or has a pile of coupons or...


Don't get me wrong. There are times that require a quick response.  It is good to see the world's quick response to help Haiti.  I'm sitting here on a quiet Saturday morning asking for answers and directions from God.  Can I hear back soon. Let's say by noon? Please?  Then I was reminded of how often "wait" or waiting" comes up in the Bible.  Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and just about everyone else had to wait on God, wait for answers, wait for direction.


As I sit here impatiently considering things, I am reminded of God's promises for us if we wait.  God's clock is not like ours.


God, please forgive my impatience and help me to not demand instant answers, but eagerly await Your direction.

"But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."  Romans 8:25  

Great reminder...

Snow Days

We were suppose to have a retreat at camp this weekend.  The group canceled which is OK because camp is no fun in the snow.  I spent the last 2 days shoveling trying to find all of the sidewalks.  Supposedly "the sun will come out tomorrow" and start melting some of this away.  The sun was out yesterday and it felt great.  The sun always gives me the feeling that everything is going to be alright.   The other day, we did a surf and skateboard movie marathon just to see the sun and summer stuff on the TV. 

If it wasn't for dreary days , I don't think we would appreciate the sun as much.   Maybe that's why some days it feels like God is not there, just so we would appreciate Him more on the days He totally shows up.

"So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed low and worshiped."   -Exodus 4:31

I read this passage this morning.  At this time, the Israelites are still in slavery in Egypt.  Life sucks for them.  When they hear that God cares about them and their suffering, they bow down and worship Him.  

Is that how we respond?  Or do we tend to worship only when things are going well for us?  It's no secret that things may not always go as we plan or dream.  Maybe never. Remember that God loves us and cares about our situation.  Then let's worship Him no matter what our situation.  

Nothing!

This morning as I sat and stared out the window, Romans 8:39 popped into my thoughts.  ..."nothing can separate us from the love of God...."  I glanced down on my desk and noticed a twenty dollar bill, an ipod, a cell phone, and a to-do list.  These things can surely rob us from time with God, but I think Paul is going much deeper here.  Our successes, our failures, our sin, our works, our relationships (good or broken), our abilities, our inabilities, . .  None of these can separate us from the love of God.  If we feel separate from God today, it's not God.  Go ahead, reconnect with the God who loves you inseparably!

January Newsletter!

Click to enlarge :)

This happens every year.  I look forward to taking a few weeks off.  Of couse, I have high expectations for my time off.  With all this time, I surely will get a lot done.  For the second time this year, we cancelled our vacation, so I had nothing on my calendar at all.  I have definitely crossed thing off of my list, but I am so antsy that I think it has affected my ability to attack all of the projects that stare me in the face daily.  Maybe I'm just stir crazy from the cold weather and all of the snow.  Yeah, good answer.  No, not really.  I think the real reason is that I am unsettled in my spirit.  Everything I read or hear or watch makes this worse.  There is a world that needs God's love! That's it! I want to do something more about it.  I will do something more about it.  Maybe that's my New Year's resolution; no, it's just what God is stirring up within me.

This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other."       Zecheriah 7:9-10

Here is our December Newsletter. Click on it for a larger size. 

 

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