the weekend that was:
- spent some time on friday and saturday with some very good friends...some that we haven't seen in over a year now. it's cool how there are certain people you can go months/years without talking to and then bump into each other...and continue the conversation as if there was no break.
- went to a super fun birthday party for two very special 3-year olds. had no idea how much fun inflatables are...even for some 20 somethings. it was amazing. thankful for pictures and skype.
- stopped by my parents' house on the way home to wish mom a happy mother's day. it's amazing how blessed we are with a mother who loves and cares for us so deeply.
- was able to catch the 9am service, and then taught the junior highers during the 11:00 service. started out the time with "mother's day tag" - it was pretty funny, and i love giving middle schoolers "permission" to be middle schoolers.
- had a rare sunday night tonight with no small groups or student leadership meetings. we looked for something on tv, but since the only thing on was desperate housewives (all of which i'd like to shoot) we went to hulu and watched an episode of the office. hilarious...
the week that might be:
- working monday, tuesday, wednesday, and thursday this week as we're taking off for the great state of florida on friday. wedding rehearsal friday night...cory gets a tan on saturday...wedding on sunday...and then vacation begins on monday. we are so excited to get away and detach from ministry/refuel.
- in preparation, it'll be a full week so that nothing gets dropped while we're gone.
- some friends from church are coming over for dinner monday night; tuesday night is a softball game - hoping that we stay undefeated.
thinking about:
- getting a goat. i spent what feels like an 8 hour day between last night and this afternoon mowing the front and back lawn. course in part it took so long b/c i had let it get so high and had to go over it a couple times in parts... i so wish we had the budget for one of these right now - i could do the lawn in less than a half hour!
- genesis 3. it's been on my mind and part of my reading lately...and i'm not sure it's gonna leave anytime soon. i always knew that the fall of man messed humanity up...but i think lately i've begun to recognize that maybe it messed us up far more than i ever thought... there are a number of things in society and life that are hard to explain, and though it doesn't clear everything up, right now it seems that genesis 3 does a good job at least starting to paint the picture.
wishing that:
- coffee didn't come with a headache-inducing addiction.
- simple student ministry came out a week earlier - it'd be a great read for vacation. i read it's companion simple church and it had a profound impact on how i view church.
- shanna would blog. i know blogging isn't part of what the proverbs 31 woman does...but neither is using a dishwasher (yet we still find time for that).
5.10.2009
5.06.2009
absolute truth
i get very angry when i hear people today say that there's no such thing as absolute truth and unchanging morals. most of the time people don't come right out and say it like that...but a lot of the time it gets masked by qualifying statements concerning certain ideas or behaviors. i guess what particularly frustrates me even more is when people make it sound like the rest of the world believes that there are no absolutes as well right along with them.
i just read an article in the paper on michael phelps and his return to swimming after his 3 month suspension for being caught smoking pot. and i don't know why but the article stirred something inside me on this whole issue. before the summer started last year, hardly anyone knew his name. by the end of the summer, he was america's hero. and in one moment of weakness, the hailed hero was brought back down to our level.
but the world responded. and not in a "there's nothing wrong with this" kind of way... or in a "that's wrong for some but ok for him" kind of way... no. the world responded by suspending him for 3 months, publicly embarrassing him, chastising his "negative" example, and causing him to seriously question whether he'd even return to the sport he so skillfully competes in. and the world responded like this because there is still absolute truth and people still believe in it.
i just read an article in the paper on michael phelps and his return to swimming after his 3 month suspension for being caught smoking pot. and i don't know why but the article stirred something inside me on this whole issue. before the summer started last year, hardly anyone knew his name. by the end of the summer, he was america's hero. and in one moment of weakness, the hailed hero was brought back down to our level.
but the world responded. and not in a "there's nothing wrong with this" kind of way... or in a "that's wrong for some but ok for him" kind of way... no. the world responded by suspending him for 3 months, publicly embarrassing him, chastising his "negative" example, and causing him to seriously question whether he'd even return to the sport he so skillfully competes in. and the world responded like this because there is still absolute truth and people still believe in it.
churches working together
this morning before staff meeting we as a church staff did breakfast together at a local family restaurant, and then walked over to a new facility that just opened called "mission share". mission share is the result of a number of area churches working together to love on people in practical and tangible ways, specifically through a community food pantry, clothes giveaway, crisis pregnancy help, and more to come. as we toured the facility, it was so neat to see all that God will do in and through this ministry!
5.01.2009
random stuff
- had a great night at youth group last night as we kicked off a 
new series on friendship. experimented with a new cafe-like format: round tables, dimmer lighting, butcher paper and crayons on tables, discussion groups throughout the message time, iced coffee and milkshakes, etc. the band started the night off by opening with the theme song from the tv show 'friends'...fun night all around and it's looking like a good series that will hopefully meet some needs.
- finally finalized some key details for the vision trip to mozambique: shanna and I, along with 3 other leaders from the youth group will be leaving on august 8th and returning on august 18th. VERY excited to see with our own eyes all that God is doing over there and how we can partner and simply join alongside, specifically next summer in 2010 as we bring a team to teens!
new series on friendship. experimented with a new cafe-like format: round tables, dimmer lighting, butcher paper and crayons on tables, discussion groups throughout the message time, iced coffee and milkshakes, etc. the band started the night off by opening with the theme song from the tv show 'friends'...fun night all around and it's looking like a good series that will hopefully meet some needs.- heading out to pittsburgh this evening for a quick trip to connect with the family and nail down some details for alaina & brendan's wedding on the 17th. we are SO excited for them (and selfishly no doubt we're excited to get away to someplace where the sun exists).
- just this week they started construction on the new addition to our current facility at the church. here's some shots of the action:
- finally finalized some key details for the vision trip to mozambique: shanna and I, along with 3 other leaders from the youth group will be leaving on august 8th and returning on august 18th. VERY excited to see with our own eyes all that God is doing over there and how we can partner and simply join alongside, specifically next summer in 2010 as we bring a team to teens!
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