Sometimes I wonder if we worry so much about the back door routes that the devil takes to get us, that we leave the front door wide open. Sometimes it’s the obvious stuff that we do day by day, that could really be damaging us spiritually (without us noticing it). For example, I would never think to join a crazy cult that worships a “golden calf”, but I sometimes watch 4hrs of tv at night and never spend any time with my Savior. I love Dwight from “The Office”. He is prob my favorite guy on tv right now. He spends so much time over analizing everything and being over protective that it drives everyone around him crazy. Sometimes I think we are like Dwight when facing the devil. Check out the video clip and you will get my point! Maybe we could all use a slap sometime to get our attention on what’s in front of us spiritually.

Did you know that you can’t say “Jesus” on a sitcom? They told me that, and I was like, You gotta be kiddin’ me. If you don’t want my God here, you don’t want me here either God has been too good to me to go and try to sell out to get some money. That’s OK. I will sit in a corner and be broke with the Lord before I sit there and have them give me millions and sell my soul. It ain’t gonna happen.

-Tyler Perry on why he turned down one opprortunity to produce a television comedy series. (TIME)I found this quote in a Youth Worker magazine. It struck me, because you don’t read quotes like that to often. That took some guts to say that. What if we took a stand like that in our work place?

If you know anything about me, you know I love coffee and buffalo wings. It seems I am not alone! Starbucks has at least a dozen people waiting in line to purchase a $5 cup, every time I go! The same goes for Buffalo Wild Wings! Both have dramatic impacts on my body. The Coffee aroma perks me up the instant I walk into a room. It’s something about just holding the hot cup in the morning, afternoon, and evening (yes I might have an addiction!). Yes I have one beside the Mac as I type. The buzz can also be seen after a couple of cups and I two-fist guzzle some water to try to even it all out. The wings on the other hand are poison for my stomach, but I still love them. It’s something about hot sauce, chicken legs, and blue cheese. In fact, I will even plan my day around the fact that the spicy goodness will come to haunt me about 2hrs after first contact. I don’t know the ingredients starbucks or buffalo wild wings use for their beverages and food, but I know I like them both, but have to put up with the effects.So what are we putting into our Souls? Are we filling our “spiritual man” with good stuff or bad stuff. Maybe some of the media we digest has a sweet taste to it, only to know that it isn’t good for us. Just like the coffee and wings, we will go after an immediate pleasure only to have it bite us later. On the opposite end, are we filling out souls with good stuff from the beginning…aka, the Bible! Jesus talks about it in Matthew 4. 

I am sitting in my office seeing the reflection of a 29yr old man with green hair. I thought this day would never come. Not that I’ve always wanted green hair, but the opposite. Note to self, people will stare if you walk around a church office with green paint in your hair. To be honest, it’s awesome! I am reliving my middle school years! Exception at that time I would be listening to Pearl Jam and now I have John Mayer song “jamming” on the iTunes. Scary.Today was the first day of VBS at Trinity Church. I was asked to play the role as a “mad scientist”. Bascially, I am the guy who doesn’t know anything but is willing to learn. The comic relief aspect of it rocks. I love to see a sea of smiling faces laughing at my actions and words (guess that’s why I am a youth pastor?!). After the skit was over, I went inside the crowd and worshiped alongside the kids. They didn’t care who was around them. They didn’t care what their buddies were doing. They didn’t care that some of the volunteer leaders didn’t know all the motions to the songs…they worshiped. We were talking, dancing, shouting, clapping, and foot stomping this morning in worship. I asked one kid in 4th grade, why he was jumping up and down so much and his reply was simple: “because I am having fun!“. Why don’t teenagers and adults worship like that? 

Why does stuff like this happen? I can’t imagine what the parents, family, scout leaders, the community, the state, and beyond feel like this morning. We are in San Antonio, and some of our church members have family that have been personally impacted as well. Part of me just wants to scream, “WHY GOD?!”. The rational part of me knows that He’s got a master plan and there is a reason for stuff like that to happen. It’s times like this that I go back to the simpliest of Bible verses. 1 John 4:8b, says that, “God is love”. Those are pretty big words, even bigger of a concept. So big we can barely grasp it. God loves us through life’s joyful times and during its tragidies. I am not a big hymn guy, but I go back to the old hym, “Blessed Assurance”….God is love! Sometimes God will stop the tragidies and other times, He walks with us through them. May God pour out an extra dose of joy and healing to the families of the boy scouts. Yall are in my prayers and 412 as well.

Dave Matthews Band is prob. my favorite secular band out there. Regardless, if you disagree or agree with Dave stances on life issues…his music is incredible and deep. I was on the drive to work today thinking about the youth at 412. I wonder what would happen if they actually saw God for all that He is (actually, I wonder what would happen if I did the same sometimes!). While I was in deep thought, “Grey Street” came on the iPod. I decided to really listen to the lyrics to the song and it amazed me. 

She prays to God most every night
Although she swears he doesnt listen
Theres hope in her that he just might

She says, I pray
But then my prayer fall on deaf ears
Im supposed to take it all myself
To get out of this place.

She feels the lumps in the heart fall
And she rose up in the back
She hears the cars scream out from outside
And she whispers sometimes about this
But the colors mix together to grey
And wake me up

Wow. God began to tell me that’s why we do what we do. Teenagers are facing such a crazy world out there. They have all these wonderful things, but with out God…it all turns to grey. Imagine seeing everything grey: your family, your friends, your relationships, your government, your church, your conversations, your outlook on life…all of it grey. That’s why we have 412, that’s why there are youth ministries across the world trying to rip off the grey goggles for this generation! Maybe you need to rip off the grey goggles and ask God to show you His amazing colors! I strive to do that daily!

I was doing my normal early morning routine in the office. Cranking up the speakers (by the way check out Jon Abel!) and getting set up for a devo time before attempting to sort through the red tape of the day. I noticed my plant. It’s a special plant because my wife got it for me last year for valentines day (I hope you read this Annie, for brownie pts. sake!). Anyways…the stalks and the leaves were totally spread out limply over the vase and onto the desk. I touched the soil and it was almost dusty, like one of those western scenes in a movie. I then realized I left it by the window with the Texas sun blazing down on it over the weekend. DOUGHT. We rushed it to the sink and gave it a good drink, got the dead leaves pruined, and let the water revive it.God got me thinking about that plant and my own life. The days that I don’t spend time with Jesus and emerse myself in His love letter, I get dried up. Sure I am a youth pastor and I am expected to be one on one with God 24-7, but I am not. There are times that I wonder why my life is so dry. Why I feel like I am in a desert with the sun scorching my back. Once I realize that I haven’t called God up, I do so immediately (well sometimes immediately - I am very hard headed at times). But when I do, He comes in and feels my spirit, my heart, my veins with fresh water. Rivers of living water start rising up in me and just like that plant, I catch my second wind and ready to rock the day. Sometimes there is a pruining process that takes place, but I am always better for it. Check out John 4 for more info on living water!Are you like that today? Could you use some fresh water in your life? Ask God for it. He will give it to you! I mentioned Jon Abel earlier and he has a great song that talks about it, “Back to You“. Check it out on your favorite music site! Dare2dream,livethevision.

Hey!

It’s a monday and I am sippin the coffee, the plant leaves in front of my speakers are vibirating from the iTunes, and I am in awe. I just received an email telling me what my 15 week old “fetus” is up to. It’s crazy to see all the stuff happening. It’s a little gross learning about “gall dyes”, downy hairs, and that the intestines are filled with meconium (whatever that stuff is!). I do know that it’s ridiculously cool. We are that special to Him. We are that unique. Psalm 139 talks about being “marvelously made”. That is just incredible. You do realize that right? You are marvelously made. There is no one like you (in some cases, that’s a good thing..hahaha). Check out this link that really goes into Psalm 139. Who knows what my son/daughter will look like, if he/she will make the basektball team, sing on stage, make millions in the stock market, or run an orphanage? But God does, and He is creating him/her for that purpose! God is awesome! Grab a mirror later today and check out your face, the Creator of the Universe made it and He made it perfect!

Our Baby at 15 

So I am sitting in my office. Very quiet, no one is here yet. Fixing to have a little devo time with God and started to think (always a scary thing for a youth pastor). I’ve got a lamp on, cup of coffee, and silence. What’s the one thing that I would like to see change in my life? Not with my spouse, not the person down the street, not with the church, not with the youth group, not even with the boss….what’s the one thing that I would like to see change in myself. Would I dare to ask God to help me, to reveal something to me? If God could change one thing dramatic in your life, what would it be? I guess, the first step is to ask? The second would be to act on it. 

God created you so that your life would count, not so that you could count the days of your life.

-The Barbarian Way, Erwin Raphael McManus

What do you say to that? Kind of puts your faith into perspective doesn’t it? I hope that when the youth graduate and become husbands and wives, dads and moms, even grandparents…they will all say that I lived my life in a way that counted. What will they say about you?