this one's for fawn...

great things are happening right now; led a series of "dream meetings" with my core youth workers to review the last ministry year and strategize for the next; played Jesus for vacation bible school; finished watching episodes IV, V & VI of "star wars" - aniken is restored, the empire is defeated and the galaxy is safe again.

i'm also very excited about a few new CDs. i'm currently stoked about the new projects from house of heros and kids in the way. as i write i'm listening to "better days" by robbie seay band. i highly recommend it... laid-back, well-written, electric guitar-driven worship. pretty unique.

for those of you in youth ministry, i recommend checking out the CD teaching series "the decades speak" by jeanne mayo. she is an assemblies of God youth pastor who has been at it for 30+ years. this series features 30 life lessons from her three decades of ministry to teens. the principles on these CDs are priceless... not programming ideas or strategies, but true wisdom that gets right to the heart of youth ministry. VERY good stuff! you can order it at www.youthsource.com.

visited with my cousins woody and rachel weeks last sunday. they're in the process of moving to ft. lauderdale, florida as woody begins medical school. vanessa and i hope to take the girls down to visit them for a little family vacation after i get back from student life camp in south padre island, tx. looking forward to camp... charlie hall is the worship leader and erwin mcmanus is the camp pastor, hence the trek to texas!

i want to encourage you guys to spend some serious time enjoying God. over the last year i've allowed myself to get so busy with leading a new youth ministry that i've neglected that to which i know God has called me - a simple life of seeking Him. so much of what mr. oxley said during my years at e.c. comes back to me... it really is all about knowing Jesus. let's push back against the urgent and make time to really be with God... not to prepare a lesson, but to love him. oswald chambers said, "it is much easier to do something than to trust in God; we see the activity and mistake panic for inspiration. that is why we see so few fellow workers with God, yet so many people working for God. we would much rather work for God than believe in him." it is so simple, but it's the key to all of what we're called to be... our lives spent in pursuit of the Pursuer. do i really believe that he is able to take care of my "to-do" list if i'll make seeking him my first priority? what we're doing in ministry is not nearly as important as whether or not we are recklessly abandoned to knowing the person of Jesus Christ. everything else will take care of itself. sorry to sermonize, but this is where my heart is right now.