Pastoral Team - September 2009

Starting Fresh

gotta love a fresh start

about the end of august i always get the same “going back to school” feeling. it’s now been 11+ years since i’ve had to experience actually going into the high school, but i always have that feeling. i think it’s because as all our students get ready for a new year, so do we!

one of the blessings of youth ministry is knowing that september always brings a new start. i love that we take the end of summers off for LHCyouth vacation. it just leads to a great anticipation for what’s to come; there is this unspoken expectation that “GREAT things are in store for us this year.” It reminds me of 2 Cor 5:17 when Paul talks about how in Christ we are new creations.

one of the things about a new school year is starting fresh. there are all sorts of possibilities and learning experiences ahead. i wonder though, how often do we realize that the same is true in our spiritual journeys with Christ. everyday the possibilities of what God can show and teach us are endless…

i know for me, honestly, i tend try to “survive” the day like i tried to “survive” the last couple weeks of school until summer arrived. I don’t know that God ever intends us to be in survival mode, but rather that Psalm 5:3 attitude of expectation and excitement to see how He’s going to move.

time for me to start expecting:) do you ever feel like this? i’d love to hear! leave a comment~

The Center of the Universe…

As I sit here on my computer, I cannot help but think about what the future holds for me. The thought of becoming a father for the first time this coming January is still something I cannot wrap my mind around. It all seems so surreal. My life will change in a new way, and suddenly the focus, the attention will all be on our new baby boy, and rightly so. Suddenly this tiny life becomes the center of my attention. That means that sometimes my own wants and desires need to take a back seat. The thought of it makes me realize just how selfish I can be at times.

If I am brutally honest with myself, who/what does my world revolve around? What is at the center of my universe? If I look at how I spend my time, why I act the way I do, so often my motivations are misplaced and based on my own self interest.

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