Roan Mountain!

Happy Birthday Mom! I love you and can’t wait to see you in a week! Today is my family’s last day at conference with me for the summer. We took a hike on Roan Mountain (it lies on the borders of far eastern Tennessee and North Carolina. This is the largest gathering of Rhododendron plants in the world. They bloom about two weeks out of the ear and we are only a week or so early. Great hike with the boys. Here are some pictures. Conference last night was awesome. I am looking forward to a great closing night. I will be in Grand Rapids MI this weekend and back on Milligan campus late Sunday night for TN 4! Woohoo!

Pictures from Yesterday!

Here are the pictures from yesterday’s hike! Peaceout

Laurel Falls TN

Today was our annual hike to Laurel Falls with Foundation Red. It has become a special event for us every summer when at Milligan CIY conference. Last year Martin and Yanee were baptized in the pool below the cascading water. Our friends, Traveling Mercies, were also with us then. Since then God has called Chris and Rachel to South Africa. Chad has a new Ministry in Georgia. Sam and Patrick have joined us at CIY on staff. This year Martin is in Colorado leading worship Nate Karnes. I remember when Andy Bales was with us and climbed up the falls to jump off. I remember Gideon climbing all the way to the top and picking his way back down through the woods to the bottom. I miss the people who have walked this road with me in the past. It’s hard to say goodbye to them here on earth. I find comfort in knowing they are still faithful to Jesus and loving people. The hike is 3 miles up and 3 miles down. The terrain is rough. It is beautiful. For a section of the trail we are actually on the Appalachian Trail; but in my mind I am remembering, laughing, and thanking God for the people I have shared that path with.
I love the people I play music with. As we walked today our conversation was naturally drawn to the Lord and His creation. As we walked we discussed Gods’ creativity, His Grace and His Mystery (since that is our theme this summer at conf). Jen was six months pregnant last year with Finnley. Today he was in the backpack carrier . . . Heavy. Eleven years ago this summer I was a Bible College Representative from CBC helping out at this conference. Robin Sigars was directing and Jen and I had just been engaged. Today I took my three boys and wife on a 4 hour hike and was reminded of how our God is so faithful.

Robin is nuts

I work with a funny man. Robin Sigars has been at CIY a very long time. Every summer I get the chance to be with Robin as the worship leader at Summer Conference. Robin leads a great summer conference. For years he has preached and directed thousands of students in our summer week long program. I have learned a ton just being on staff with Robin and watching his passion for students to know Jesus. Beside that important stuff he is also just out of his mind crazy. Robin never ceases to surprise me. Tonight when I walked off stage into the green room the following video is what I saw. There is never a dull moment with Robin! Click the link below to see what I recorded after FR’s set tonight backstage at Milligan.

More than you know

One of my favorite features of Summer conference this year has been our rip off of NBC’s “The More You Know” snippets. I am sure you have seen these commercials usually aimed towards teens and positive choices. They usually have a celebrity telling students to read more. Our staff put together about 30 of these for students and leaders all dealing with issues relevant to youth ministry. They are funny. Click on the link below to see! Now I have to tell you that some of them are wrong. You can decide if we crossed over the line or not!
This week I am in east TN this week with 900 students starting the first full day of summer conference. Tonight went great. We have a set chock full of new tunes to the band so my head is buzzing with arrangements, chords, and lyrics. Oh yeah, and just for extra fun this week it looks like Aiden has chicken pox which isn’t that big of a deal because he had the shot. So he will most likely get a small case of the pox. What I fear is that Finnley, who has not been vaccinated, will get a bad case. Bummer timing!

peace

Leaving GA

We ended our week in GA with a family day on the beach and some seafood. Riley has never had Seafood like this before mainly because Jen doesn’t care much for it. It was awesome to see him dive right in and eat craw fish, brains and all! Ha! Off to Milligan for another CIY conference. Our team was great this week and it was so cool to see all the work we put in to the conference play out.

We are having a great week in GA at CIY summer conf. I have an awesome group of interns as you can see up above. I didn't get pics of everyone yet but we will have more to come as the week goes on. Tonight is our Unity nights so I am expecting great things. Danny Shafner spoke last night and did a great job as always. We have Danny Curry coming in later this week. It is good to be at conference seeing many solid youth ministers doing minstry with thier students.it is spiritually refreshing to see the same people year after year dedicated and faithful to the call of ministry on thier lives.

Savannah GA

Families that pray together stick together . . . yes, I can say that is true. By the same token families that travel 1000 miles together in two days could end up killing each other! Ha! I do know that the Lord made kids cute for this very purpose. Just when you think you might snap and leave them at a rest stop they smile. I love my boys. They are growing up so fast right before my eyes and I can’t figure out how to make time stand still . . . that is because I am still carrying in stuff out of the van. The scary thing is that after unloading the van Jen said, “Hey I need to go to Walmart.” I am 30 years old and now have a heart condition. Isn’t that to young. Savannah is one of those lost corners in America where things are just as you imagined they were. We have all read the John Grisham novel set in a southern restaurant with willow trees dripping Spanish moss. That is where we are staying this week.

Search Institute's 40 developmental building blocks link and some rambling from me:)

A ministry friend of mine told me about this document and I thought it could be useful in our continued discussions in the jr high ministry arena. Click on the link below to get to my Esnips account where you can download a copy. Clearly the objective is to have as many of these building blocks in a student’s life. If you already have seen this than don’t leave me a comment like you are George Barna himself ok. I thought it was really worth my time to evaluate the ministry I want to model and promote!

I can’t help but think about my three boys as I read down this list. Of course you can imagine the jokes as I think about my own kids and read down this list with the morons I work with! Ha! If you don’t like where you work . . . I really don’t have a punch line for the end of this. Fortunately I do like where I can work . . . as long as I can leave to do Believes 3 times a month and get to be gone for 54 days straight in the summer. That really helps me love all these people much deeper the rest of the year. Ha! It is funny when you do what I do for a living because all of your normal civilian friends want to have a “last” whatever. It may be a dinner or something. These people act like we are going away to college. Hey folks, it’s 2006. We have email. Perhaps now we can even have a more meaningful conversation through email. We can leave all the normal meaningless banter were forced to partake in. You know the office chit chat that deserves to be stitched on pillows in Branson by sweet little old ladies . . . yeah, that is right were it should be. Unless of coarse you are my step mom who only sends me emails in the form of “Forwards”. I hate that. They are always the kind that you have to click through so many stinking previous forwards that by the time you get to the forward that was popular in 1999 (when you first saw it) you are just angry. MOM, just write a note to say hi! This is also an acceptable use of email! I really didn’t plan on going there today; but hey, you didn’t pay for this anyway.  http://www.ciy.com/podcasts/summerconference/podcast.html

Kenny is back!

Today is the shooting of the Believe Leader Meeting Video. I had this idea of a cheesy Brady Bunch meets the New Main street singers feel for the video. Sometimes you just don’t know how it will really turn when post edit is done. It looks like a vast improvement from last year’s video. I got ripped from you person about how unprofessional it was last year. I was actually shooting for informal. Semantics. This year we are going for quaintly informative. I personally enjoyed the jingle ending. Look for it on the www.jrhighbelieve.com website. The new web launch will be in early July for the “Jesus” Believe tour. Today is the last day of the official cleanse. I’ve lost 12 lbs in 9 days; but much more importantly I now fit (without being offensive) into my Kenny Rodgers T-shirt. I can also smell food up to a mile away . . . . and I’ve acquired a snobbish taste for bottled water. I used to roll my eyes at people who would have certain brand preferences in bottled water. I remember thinking, “It’s water, it’s tasteless!”. Now I know that Fiji is the best bottled water. Know it! I leave for Savannah GA in 7 days now exactly. I need to start packing my kids stuff tonight to be done in time. If I only sleep 3 hours a night I may finish on time.

milestones

It has been a landmark week for Jen and I as parents. We have moved out of the pumpkin seat era of life. It is a big deal. Both Finnley and Aiden moved up in car seats last night. Number two on the landmark list is a purchase we made for Riley. We bought a gaming system for my eldest son on Ebay last night as well. I don’t think I personally played a video game after my 7th grade summer. It just was not my thing as a kid. I worked with dad on the job site, at farms all summer long and prepared for football season. Video games were not attractive to me. I am sure I could have had a blast playing them. I simply never did. It was with a bit of hesitation that I made this purchase. I don’t like the idea of losing my son’s attention for the next 10 years to a video game. I understand that ultimately Jen and I set boundaries and even tend to go overboard on this . . . well not as overboard as some people. When I was a minister in Danville, IN there was a family that limited their boys to 30 minutes of internet a day. I am almost wondering if that will hurt their abilities to function in a flat world. These are little milestones; but sometimes they are more telling that the big ones like graduation or your kid leaving for college. It is in the little things along the way that they leave your house. That is it. I am putting Riley back in the pumpkin seat. If he wants an play station he can play it sitting in that!
This cleanse is making me cold. I am walking around the office with a jacket on in June! FR practice week #2 at Memorial hall has been great. It is cool to see the new violin player working out just great. You never really know how another player is going to change the feel of a band (I am talking relationally not sound). One person can completely alter how people feel and interact when you are talking group dynamics. Jess (http://electric-violins-rule.blogspot.com/ ) is doing just great and it should be a sweet fit this summer.

Statement of Denominational Youth Leaders

One of the things to come out of the National Network of Youth Ministry Executive Council Meeting I attended in early May was an open letter to the Church. This actually was a product submitted by the denominational heads of YM to the larger group. Our consensus was that we would post this letter and then make a concerted effort to stress its value to our respective circles of influence. Click the link below to view this document, “Statement of Denominational Youth Leaders”, or other things I have posted there on youth ministry (jr. high intentional mostly).

jen & my shorts

Everything you wear says something about you . . .
It is true. It's a simple fact in life. I have a pair of shorts that Jen is extra fond of. I don't hate these shorts. Actually, when I bring out the summer box of clothes my first impression is that I should wear those more. Then I put them on. This pair of shorts happens to say, "Hi, I am married so I can dress like a complete moron. A little secret is that my wife dresses me. Don't laugh because I have a sailor suite that matches my 7 year old". I realize that is a lot for a pair of shorts to say about a person upon a glance; but this is my personal perception. I am in fact happily married for 9 years and Jen has always picked my clothes or I would still be tight rolling my jeans. (Apologies if I have offended anyone in computer land) These shorts (brown plaid) look more like an old retired guy who wears them only to emphasize that he is old and can do whatever he wants to . . .
We are going to Boomtown days today. It is a regional festival of all sorts. I am going to see someone from work and they are inevitably going to ask me if I have been playing shuffle board. I am going to practice my dirty look on the way there. I should play shuffle board in these shorts . . . it would legitimize them in a way. If someone has the urge to make the obvious dumb comment I can reply in a snobbish debonair tone, why yes, I played a round this morning before that wonderful crumb cake Jen always makes on Saturdays (insert haughty laugh) yeah, that will show them!
Peace

the clense . . .

I am remembering some things from last spring when I did a body cleanse. Most importantly I recall how eating a meal with fellow human beings takes fellowship to a new spiritual level of intimacy. I don't want to play to much into this; but when you physically nourish your body with other people and have meaningful conversations over a meal something also connects on a deeper level. When you are not eating you are treated like a 'leaper'. "Oh, he isn't eating, he doesn't need a chair". It can be like you are not even a real person. I am not bitter and I'm not thinking of a single situation it is just that you are clearly on the outside of some big secret fun circle. Another thing I have learned or remembered is that when you get one meal in three days you are much picky about that meal. Not just a little bit picky, I mean REALLY picky. I even want the napkin to be right. The third thing I am remembering is that a person doesn't have to have a snack at night. This is very eye opening. Someone really should be bloging about this online. Does the rest of America even know? How could they, this is revolutionary stuff. I am about half way through right now so we will see what else I begin to remember after drinking more tree bark tomorrow . . . and to think I actually am paying money to starve, that doesn't seem right.
peace . . . piece . . . man a piece of something sounds good.