on my heart...

...is the fact that it makes me really sad when people that have grown up the church/ are hyper-involved just aren't living it. They know all the Sunday School answers, they raise their hands in worship, and they attend everything yet they leave those church doors and are clearly not striving to live for Christ in the real world. We're not called to be perfect, but to strive to imitate God. I just want these kids to yearn to love like God, forgive like God, care like God, give like God.

"Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children."

Ephesians 5:1

Echo libs

So, I have started up an "Echo Library" where kids can check out books for 3 weeks at a time. I am super stoked about it! Yeah, I know, I know I'm an English/literature/reading nerd, but it is so important for us to be reading not just the Bible (most important) but other literature that will help us grow.

We are currently doing a series on what it means to be a Christian because I honestly don't think kids have a clue/ aren't being challenged enough (not that I know EXACTLY how to be a Christian, but you get the gist). SO, that said, I'm super pumped about our mini library. A couple kids have already checked out books, and I've already gotten some hype e-mails!

It's so cool what God is doing in ECHO!

gossip

It's kinda sad when you hear things that people have "heard" about your ministry. We are supposed to be the body of Christ, working together for His glory, not stirring around gossip. Just talking about how bad things are isn't going to do anything. If something really is up, come tell me, and let's fix it (enlighten me... perhaps I'm missing something). It's sad hearing what everyone else is saying yet no one has actually approached me about it. I'm trying ya'll. Give me a break. I'm a noob.

"A gossip betrays a confidence;

so avoid a man who talks too much." Proverbs 20:19.

Avoiding gossip is really hard. Not gonna lie, this is an area where I truly struggle, often. Stopping bad behavior involves stopping what ignites that bad behavior. Maybe we should watch who we hang around. There are certainly people I gossip with more than others. The majority of those people are my great friends or people I'm close to. How do I stop hanging around them? Maybe its just a matter of avoiding possible gossipy conversation or getting out of those conversations. Or just changing the subject...

7 A fool’s mouth is his undoing,

and his lips are a snare to his soul.

8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;

they go down to a man’s inmost parts.

You don't really realize the nastiness of gossip until it is played on you. It really is so much better to be up front with people. It really does go down into your inmost parts- your heart. It pains me to think that I am failing in some aspects. It pains me to think that I may be turning future kids off from ministry.

Ok, random rant. Bye.

Content

...and I think I have the right frame of mind.

Contentment doesn't really have to mean that everything is going perfectly or you have everything figured out. I certainly don't. I am content in what the Lord is doing in my life. I have started some education classes this semester, and I am learning SO MUCH! Not only that, but I can use that info in Youth Ministry! (for instance, I've figured out why my 8th grade leadership kids have been acting out and disinterested, I've created a new ECHO library, found new ways to re-vamp my talks, figured out how kids of this technology age learn best, etc.)

It's just amazing to see how far I have come in just 1.5 years and how God is using me. I still don't have answers for exactly what I'll be doing once graduation rolls around, but I have the confidence that God will use me no matter what and as long as I'm living in Him, he will direct my path.

So, this is my contentment.

Retreat recap

I'm at school and don't have my notes, but retreat of course was much needed and very beneficial. A few "take-aways:"

-Is a life following hard after God really worth it? A question to be pondered, examined, and determined.

-While sharing the gospel, we typically get stuck at fall and redemption, but we must include everything: creation, fall, redemption, and restoration.

-Evangelism lies in our compulsion to love others. Are you compelled to love? So compelled that you will tell everyone about Christ?

-Who is the main person you would like to tell about Christ? What's stopping you?

-The gospel never changes, but the way we present it does and must.

-Don't settle saying, "oh that person just wouldn't get the Gospel." Or, "it's ok if this isn't for you." Everyone should hear about Christ and has the ability to follow hard after him.

-The Holy Spirit should be so alive and on fire in us that the love of Christ is bursting out of us.

-When the Holy Spirit is present in our lives, our sinful nature goes away. We have to allow the Holy Spirit to be alive in us.

I learned a lot more than this, but this is just what's on the top of my head right now. We need conviction daily. It helps us grow.

Thank you Tony Robinson

For suggesting this song to us... I think I've heard it before, but forgot about it. So great. I love song with simple and repetitive lyrics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7ofQmeao9I

maybe I'm looking too much into this...

but.. I got placed for my teacher observation at Tuckahoe Middle School! I requested Henrico County, and I feel like it's soo random that I got placed there. I speak at the girls bible study once a month at Tuckahoe, and I just have this feeling that God's gonna do something really cool through me. Hopefully I will be able to see some of the girls! This is so cool!

Professor Quotes

Below lies a few interesting professor quotes from today....

New Testament Class.

"You cannot possibly think that both Luke and Mark are true because they both contradict each other in various ways."

Later followed by...

"During this course we will touch on the differences between a historical view of the Bible and a devotional one. What I hope to inspire you to do by the end of this class, if in fact you do use the Bible in a devotional way, is for you to deeply consider viewing it devotionally but also historically, finding a way to blend the two into your faith."

Reading in the Content Area Class.

"Can anyone guess what some of the most Googled words are?" (No one really gives great answers). Well, the first one is sex." (Class murmurs in response.) "It makes sense; I mean, I've googled sex before." (class giggles... this is coming from a 60 something year old woman) "I was just curious what would pop up! Of course I didn't really like what I saw..."

Senior Seminar: Scottish Literature

"One time I had to write a long research paper, and I actually put it off until the night before. Sadly, I had a really nice professor, so after I turned it in, and he gave me feedback, he said, 'Now David, this is just disappointing.' I was like awww man! I made the nice professor sad! It would've been better if he just said it was crap, but he was disappointed!"

Oh the joys, entertainment, trials, and tribulations of Liberal, Public, Education...

word to the wise

I sit reading my chapter on Technology in the Classroom while at times "reading" but not really reading... really eaves dropping on the melodramatic scene occurring on the other side of the study table, which goes as follows...

"I woke up at 7:15, fell back asleep, woke up again at 9:15, fell back asleep, and then got out of bed at 10:4... wait, was it..? yes, 10:40," she says seemingly carelessly.

This is later followed by, "Ethan, am I going to get this done? I don't think I'm going to get this done. How long do you think it'll take?"

Minutes go by which are filled with working on her calculations, chatting with the girl next door to her, continuously chatting with Ethan, and doing more calculations.

Suddenly I hear (followed by and intermingled with many cuss words), "I'm doing this all wrong! I didn't multiply it by 2. I got all these numbers wrong, Ethan!" Ethan awkwardly tries to reassure her about some statistical data I know nothing about.

I then hear a fist slam on the other side of my study table followed by a...

"I should've done this last night. Ethan, I promise I'll do this the night before, next time."

Word to the wise, do your homework the night before, not 30 minutes before it's due date.