Youth Camp

I have to admit: I LOVE GOING TO YOUTH CAMP. I am gearing up for youth camp next week and I am totally stoked. Youth Camp is that time of the year where several cool things happen at once. For one, you get to hang out with teenagers, though a little brain-dead at times, that can be incredibly cool and who have enormous amounts of passion and energy. For two, you get to see other "state-wide" friends who come to help out with Youth Camp and talk about what you each are doing as it pertains to youth ministry. Thirdly, I love the fact I don't have to spend a dime of money at camp if I don't want to. As a Youth Camp Leader you get "free" food, you get "free" gym time, and you also get "free" fun actitivities (that, if you were using your own youth budget, could bankrupt the church in a day). About the only thing you don't get "free" is sleep. And lastly, for those of you who are thinking I am little less spiritual right now: I LOVE THE FACT TEENAGERS ENCOUNTER GOD. There is too much I could write on this topic, but let's put it this way, Youth Camp seems to provide the distance and refocusing time teens need to really get serious about God again or for the first time. My prayer is that every teenager who experiences the power of God next week would not let their experience fade away, but they would grow stronger in the Lord each day for the rest of their lives.

LASER TAG

Hello Everyone! Don't forget LASER TAG tomorrow night! Here are some details...

DATE: Friday, April 25th

TIME: 5:30 PM (Meeting at the church)

COST: $17.50 (Includes 3 games of LASER TAG, PIZZA, and SODA)

***Please bring cash for this event because I will not be collecting money. You will be paying for yourself when you get there.

Douglas Explains Forgiveness...

Hello everyone. I know what some of you are going to think..."Puppets, are you kidding me?!". But, here is the deal, I love to watch puppets still and I am 27 years old and I think this video has a great message behind it. So, humor me, and check it out.

When My Head Hurts...

I don't know about you, but life gets so hectic for me at times that my head literally starts to hurt. There are so many things that want to vie for my attention and which could crush me physcially, if it were not for the grace of God. And I'll be honest, there are several questions I start to ask myself when life gets hectic: God, why this problem now? God, why today? God, are you really with me? These questions even make it hard to breathe at times. But...it is also in those moments that I know I need God most. And ironcially enough, these kinds of moments also serve as "refocusers". Now, I'm sure that's not a real word, but humor me. Moments of heartache, of stress, or of confusion help me to refocus my attention and energies towards pursuing a greater relationship with God. I have been around long enough to know, certain things can't be solved with harder work or greater energy, God has to step in! And I know that I need HIM. I need HIM more than I realize, so these "refocusers", those moments of larger than life problems (or questions), can really be blessings in disguise.

Knowing this, my prayer to God often is: LORD HELP ME TO REFOCUS WITHOUT REFOCUSERS. LET ME PURSUE YOU LIKE I SHOULD WITHOUT HAVING TO BE FORCED TO MY KNEES THROUGH HEARTACHE, PAIN, OR QUESTIONS! I LOVE YOU GOD, AND LET THE CROSS AND RESURRECTION BE THE ONLY REFOCUSING POINT I NEED! AMEN.

Evangelism Linebacker

I got this off GodTube and it is great. I showed this at M.T.N. one other time, but it makes me chuckle everytime I see it.

Thank You Lee Strobel...

Hello Everyone. Lee Strobel has made this great video interview with Dr. Mark Strauss accessible to anyone who wants it. Here it is...

Don't Cry For Me Honduras...

We went to Honduras last year to help build classrooms, but it wasn't all work and no play. We had some time to relax and enjoy the country.