So today on Retreat day which was the best one ever! Go Southwark and Greenwich! We played capture the flag or at least attempted too and then ended up tresspassing on someone elses land. But it made me realize something about myself....I always claim to be a defender, either defending our flag or defending our prision and taunting our prisioners...Sometimes I get carried away a bit with the game..I stay for a few minutes feeling content with my friendly jibes and then realize that I'm incredably bored. Not that someone doesn't need to defend the flag, it needs to be kept safe. It is the whole point of the game, but I suddenly realized that's not where my heart lies anymore. I eventually give up and end up risking my own flag in attempts to capture the other teams flag. But to do this I have to risk my own safety and cross over to the other side of the field, hide behind trees, dodge defenders and run like mad. With my eyes on the prize, that bright orange, beautiful flag, or in this case a plastic shopping bag, I run without regards to myself. I think only of that flag and stay focused attempt after attempt. I usually get caught and put in jail a few times....of course I'm not the fastest runner you know. but eventually the flag is within my hands and i manage to sneak back into friendly territory... No one suspects the innocent looking one that talks like a five year old. So we win the game.....I am not a defender, I am an attacker.
I think far too often in our lives as Christians, we try to hard to protect and perserve our own relationship with Christ. Which is all well and good, we can only control our own chance at salvation, that is our goal but, what about attacking the world for Jesus? Crossing over into enemy territory, dodging enemy bullets, both figuratively and literally, running towards revival, and risking our own necks for the sake of Christ, being thrown into prision, meeting secretly in homes. It could be even simpler than that. How about just speaking to that one person who is constantly on your heart and in your mind about Jesus. Victory isn't standing on earth as long as it takes so noone can take your flag. Victory is taking the world's flag and giving it to Jesus and seeing souls come to Jesus.So I encourage you to keep attacking this world and/or challenge you to stop hiding behind the defensive role and to start attacking if you know that you were called for more. Its far worth the risk....What is a few moments in jail...compared to victory!?
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Learning From London
1. Age doesn't matter in the Kingdom of God.
2. I am a hugely social person but I don't enjoy large social events.
3. I love being white...and the minority.
4. I'm never to old to cuddle my teddy...or my monkey in this case.
5. I hate planning lessons, they turn out better when I wing them.
6. I desperately need my, God, Julie, and History dates to keep myself going.
7. A chord of three is not easily broken.
8. Somewhere deep down, I'm learning to be a liberal. Conservatism is for idealist and sadly I tend to be one.
9.In youthwork, being crazy is the best way to get your point across.
10. Its hard to write on the bus.
11. Trusting who you are is sometimes really hard when the ones you love are struggling to make it.
12. This new generation is gonna change the world. Give them a chance.
13. No future is set in stone.
14. God's Kingdom is huge. Once you start seeking your adventure never ends.
15. Its alright to miss people and be sad.
16. Family is like the most important thing in the world...
17. A little effort goes a long way.
18. Pretend to love someone for long enough, and you just might end up actually loving them.
19. Seeing a young girl become a woman is my favorite thing ever.
20.Trust...on so many different levels.
21. If God gives you a dream, it's good enough to go for.
22. Everyone is a nerd in some way. Some are just better at hiding it.
23. I hate big cities...
24. Every child should go to their local school. Society would benefit.
25. Even 15 year olds love stickers for a job well done.
2. I am a hugely social person but I don't enjoy large social events.
3. I love being white...and the minority.
4. I'm never to old to cuddle my teddy...or my monkey in this case.
5. I hate planning lessons, they turn out better when I wing them.
6. I desperately need my, God, Julie, and History dates to keep myself going.
7. A chord of three is not easily broken.
8. Somewhere deep down, I'm learning to be a liberal. Conservatism is for idealist and sadly I tend to be one.
9.In youthwork, being crazy is the best way to get your point across.
10. Its hard to write on the bus.
11. Trusting who you are is sometimes really hard when the ones you love are struggling to make it.
12. This new generation is gonna change the world. Give them a chance.
13. No future is set in stone.
14. God's Kingdom is huge. Once you start seeking your adventure never ends.
15. Its alright to miss people and be sad.
16. Family is like the most important thing in the world...
17. A little effort goes a long way.
18. Pretend to love someone for long enough, and you just might end up actually loving them.
19. Seeing a young girl become a woman is my favorite thing ever.
20.Trust...on so many different levels.
21. If God gives you a dream, it's good enough to go for.
22. Everyone is a nerd in some way. Some are just better at hiding it.
23. I hate big cities...
24. Every child should go to their local school. Society would benefit.
25. Even 15 year olds love stickers for a job well done.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The Best of Both Worlds
Well, Ghana was amazing....one of the best weeks of my life. I've never felt so in tune to what God was doing in his kingdom. There is a song that constantly played in the radio in my head...and one line kept repeating itself until I drove myself crazy...."though we are many, we form one body, the body of Christ." It was amazing to meet the young people at the AACO/XLP school and to see the hope that they had for their own futures and for their nation because they had an opportunity to get an education and because people believed in them....They were young Ghanaian revolutionaries...
Ghana made me realized that my own future isn't set in stone. I promised Jesus that I would go anywhere he sent me and He is placing new things in my heart and new passions. I discovered that my passion isn't in truth the higher education world but, it is in fact the training up of young revolutionaries to shake up our own western world. The two biggest passions in my life still make my world go round, Education and Youth. Im just praying that somehow I can get them to fit together.
But I do know that Im interested in living in both worlds. In the youth worker world and in the higher education world. Maybe my calling is to educate youth workers? Ive seen alot of bad youth leaders and youth ministers in my day, both injure themselves and the young people they work with. If these youth workers would have had better training none of this would have happened.
So anyways, I have the oppertuinity to try my hand at this by staying here in London for another year to be a second year student on the Southwark team. Not only to I get to work with the same awesome young people, I get to help guide the new XLP students on my team, helping them to be better youth workers. And I'll be like a second in command to our fearless leader Chris. But don't worry I'll be back to good old Kentucky for the summer....I miss the wheat too much...Jokes, I miss you all something fearce.
After my second year, who knows? Maybe I'll end up at Asbury Seminary after all, doing a youth work degree, or continue on and get a masters in education and teach high school history. Or maybe even move back to Ghana and serve the people there. Im open for what Jesus has for me. Im living in the best of all worlds..
Ghana made me realized that my own future isn't set in stone. I promised Jesus that I would go anywhere he sent me and He is placing new things in my heart and new passions. I discovered that my passion isn't in truth the higher education world but, it is in fact the training up of young revolutionaries to shake up our own western world. The two biggest passions in my life still make my world go round, Education and Youth. Im just praying that somehow I can get them to fit together.
But I do know that Im interested in living in both worlds. In the youth worker world and in the higher education world. Maybe my calling is to educate youth workers? Ive seen alot of bad youth leaders and youth ministers in my day, both injure themselves and the young people they work with. If these youth workers would have had better training none of this would have happened.
So anyways, I have the oppertuinity to try my hand at this by staying here in London for another year to be a second year student on the Southwark team. Not only to I get to work with the same awesome young people, I get to help guide the new XLP students on my team, helping them to be better youth workers. And I'll be like a second in command to our fearless leader Chris. But don't worry I'll be back to good old Kentucky for the summer....I miss the wheat too much...Jokes, I miss you all something fearce.
After my second year, who knows? Maybe I'll end up at Asbury Seminary after all, doing a youth work degree, or continue on and get a masters in education and teach high school history. Or maybe even move back to Ghana and serve the people there. Im open for what Jesus has for me. Im living in the best of all worlds..
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Christmas Adventures
My Christmas break was amazing. God's people are amazing. No matter where you go, Jesus provides for you. He did this through the Warbutton family, new friends, and XLP friends. Here are some pictures of my travels. There are more on facebook, if you can view them, definantly check it out. And I was in heaven...seeing these historical buildings with some of my best British friends. Bristol, Weston-s-Mare, Bath, Oxford, and Salisbury... I screamed when I saw stonehenge. Take a look......
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