Why I enjoy working with youth...

Today was our first day teaching Sunday School for the youth at our church. We played the game "2 Truths and a Lie" where they write down two things that are true about themselves and one that is not true (we try to guess which one is the lie).

So one of the teenagers says this: "I OWN AND OPERATE A SPEEDO!". Now that's funny...I'm going to like this kid.

Props for the Volunteers...

My heart is filled with gratitude as I post these pictures. They are just a FEW of the countless men and women who have VOLUNTEERED their time to minister to young people in our youth ministry. (by the way, BORIS never received one penny for his/her appearances at camp). You see, for most of my life, I've been compensated financially for the time I put in leading a youth ministry. I would go to camp or Mexico for a week with the youth ministry (get paid for doing it), THEN I would take a week's vacation with my family. But most of our volunteers use their own vacation time to go on those same trips. They also work all day and/or go to school and STILL make time to teach and help out at youth group or have a group of students over their house for a small group Bible study.

I just want to say thank you...you are an indescribable blessing to me and the teenagers. You are each a hero to me.

Today, I got a glimpse of this. I worked at Starbucks from 6am-2pm, then drove over to church and put in a few hours preparing for youth group this Sunday. I'll do the same thing tomorrow. Tonight, Annette and I talked about our summer vacation and how we will possibly need to schedule it AROUND a camp or outreach trip with the youth.

I wish I had a picture of ALL our previous volunteers...just know that I'm thankful for you and young lives have been changed through your faithfulness.

Changing deodorant brings World Peace...

OK my friends...if I read one more blog about how you're switching deodorant, I'm going to shove pencils in my eyes. According to all of you, changing the stick that you put under your stinky pits:
1. lowers the global temperature by 15 degrees...
2. provides affordable health insurance for everyone in the western United States...
3. makes cats and dogs become friends in perfect harmony...
4. brings Brittany and K-Fed back together again...

Thank you. Next year, I'm voting that you get the Nobel Peace Prize.

Speaking of deodorant, my record for days without showering is 9...what's YOUR record? Mine happened while I was in Chile last year...quite impressive...but mark my words, the record will NOT stand!

Here's something to pray for...

(this picture is from our first night at the New Grove Property...we stuffed as many freshmen as we could in front of the camera. You'll notice a couple of our seniors snuck in the center of the picture)
I want to give a brief update on what God is doing in our lives. It has been almost 8 months since we left The Overflow at The Grove. We have had plenty of time to rest and be refreshed. A few months ago, we started looking into some possible ministry opportunities around the country. Some of these are AMAZING churches and everything looked good on paper...but we simply had NO PEACE about joining any of them. As I talked with the leaders from these churches, I felt like I was breaking up with an old girlfriend because all I could say was, "It's not you...it's me." The only thing we were sure of was that it wasn't time to leave Felton yet.
We love the church we are at right now (Vintage Faith). Two weeks ago, I decided that it was time for me to get back into the lives of young people, so I decided to contact the youth director at our church and be a volunteer leader. I showed up that night for youth group and to my surprise...it was his last night as the youth director. (OK, God...what are YOU doing??).
Since then, we've been in communication with the leadership at the church about leading the youth group during this time. They are in need of someone to be a volunteer youth director for the next few months as they figure out what to do next. Annette and I told them we would like to be considered for the volunteer spot. This is how we see it: The local church we love and are a part of has a need...and that need just happens to be an area that I am passionate about, have previous experience in, and just at the time that I was ready to jump back in to that area.
The most important thing is that we feel God's peace with this opportunity. (Isn't it funny how we did NOT have peace with the jobs that would pay us full time but we DO have peace about a position that isn't paid and keeps me working at Starbucks?).
We are EXCITED to be in a place where we are needed. We are EXPECTANT of God to do His mighty work in the lives of these teenagers. And we are ANXIOUS about starting all over again (will they love us? will we love them? are they as awesome as Riverside kids?).
Will you please pray for us and the young people we will be ministering to? I am meeting some of the youth ministry leaders tomorrow night and staying for the youth group. I just hope they like 34 year olds...

Look out WCS baseball team!

Jonah LOVES to play baseball. We have this routine where I pitch the ball the same way to him every time, but each time I say I'm throwing him something else:
"Okay, here's my fastball...Okay, this time it's my screwball". If he swings and misses, he always asks me to throw the same pitch again, "Dad, throw the spitball again!".
With the way my pitching is being hit, I feel like I could play for Poly High School!

Backstage Pass for Jimmy Eat World

Just in case you haven't heard about how cool we are, we got back stage passes to the Jimmy Eat World concert in Santa Cruz last Tuesday. So Zach, the drummer brought us and our friends to the tour bus to hang out with him before the show. Then Annette and I watched the show from the side of the stage. We're sort of a big deal around here... (actually, a couple of friends we met in our Bible study group are related to the drummer and they got us back stage...thanks Jared and Colleen!).
The show was AMAZING! I highly encourage you to see the band when they come into town. I was first introduced to Jimmy Eat World on our 2 and 1/2 day drive to Houston with the youth group. I remember sitting next to Curtis Warren as he sang all the songs...good times.

I love January...

Well, we've just celebrated all three of our kids birthday parties in the last two weeks. Yes, our kids' birthdays are Sept. 26, Sept. 27, and October 8th. I love January...

Mom and Dad

My Mom and Dad came up to visit us and the kids this weekend. It was so great to see them. They also got to go to church with us, too. Today, they stopped by Starbucks to say goodbye to me before they left. They told me how proud they are of me (even though I was wearing an apron at the time). They have always been proud of me no matter what I was into:
- When I wanted to be a heavy metal rock star in 6th grade, they were proud...
- When I was 90 pounds and I wanted to be a major league baseball player, they believed in me...
- When I was a youth pastor, they bragged to their friends about me...
- And today, when I was wearing an apron, making coffee, and working at a cash register, they still took the time to tell me how proud they are of me...

Thanks Mom and Dad...everybody needs to have someone believe in them they way you believe in me.

A visit from some ladies...

On Saturday, we were visited by Nicolle, Kelsey, and Corisa. The came all the way up to our area for a "Regatone" (sp?) concert by somebody named guy named "Daddy Yankee". Who in their right mind would listen to music from a guy named "Daddy Yankee"??? Anyway, it was great seeing them and chatting with them. Thanks for stopping by, ladies...

Nice Hat...

Today was Jonah's 5th birthday and he wore this SWEET hat! I took him bowling (he bowled a 67...I bowled a 164...he had to buy the root beers). We then went over to the arcade and played POLE POSITION. Do you all remember that game? It is only a quarter to play because it's so old, but Jonah can't tell the difference (I'm such a cheap skate). I also played a game of Tetris for a quarter.