Campbell’s Soup

Cross Training 2008 - Deny Yourself

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 15:12:32 -0500

This year I got the opportunity to go back to Cross Training for the first time in five years. Man, I forgot how much I missed it. I love being in nature and spending the week with great friends like Bob, Jan, JB, Donna, Kerry, Reg and Tracy. This camp has a special place in my heart. I went with Bob, Jan and Reg on the survey trip to scout the place out before the camp was ever created. I was a part of the beginning, and it was amazing to see how the camp has grown.

We spent the week in Luke 8:23 - “If any of you would come after me, you must deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.” We dove into this scripture and looked at how little decisions result in big consequences. We were challenged to put others first in our lives and to place nothing ahead of Christ. And by the end of the week, we were being encouraged to draw near to God.

Here are some goals that I left the week with:
Continue to pray with Candy once a week about life, ministry and students.
Once a week spend time in the Word with Kevin.
Continue my daily quiet time with the Lord.
Surround myself with people that will encourage me, challenge me in my faith and love me for me.

This week was an amazing encouragement to me and to my students that went. I can’t wait to go back in the future. Thanks Bob and Jan for your vision, and for all that you do to make experiences like this possible. You are amazing friends and ministers.

Man...we are getting old!

Sun, 7 Sep 2008 17:10:30 -0500

At the end of July, Lucas Gibbs got married to Becca Steffins! Kev and I are so happy for them, but man...it makes me feel so old. I remember when these three guys (Gibbs, Lucas and Gary Don) were in middle school. Kev and I knew them from ACU Leadership Camps, and I got the opportunity to be their youth intern beginning their sophomore year in high school. I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to get a picture with them. They were the first group of guys we had over every week for dinner. I remember the first time they came over. We had just finished eating and Gary Don says, “Same time next week?” I said of course. We developed such a great relationship with these guys, and little did we know the ministry that would come out of having them over to eat a meal together. Every year since then, Kev and I have had a group of guys over for dinner once a week. It has been amazing getting to know these guys and to see how God is working in their lives. Even though I feel old, I would not exchange their friendship for the world. It is Kev and my prayer that God will continue use them in powerful ways in whatever direction He takes them in life. We are so blessed to be a part of their journey, and we are so proud of the men they have become!

Grace - Kadesh 2008

Sat, 6 Sep 2008 12:34:20 -0500

This summer our youth group went to Kadesh Life Camp at Abilene Christian University and spent the week learning about grace. It was an amazing week that was filled with new relationships, service and worship that felt like heaven. I got the opportunity to speak this year. The director told me to speak on how we need grace...to the point that we can’t survive without it. For the longest time I did not know what to talk about. I began to think...what is something that I can’t live without? Air is what came to mind and I began to think of the similarities between air and grace. For starters you can’t see grace or air with the naked eye, but it is very much real. You also can’t survive without either one. If your lungs do not have air then you will die, and without grace our souls can’t survive. The last thing that I thought of, and probably the best part about both, is that they are easy to obtain.

This summer in Mexico I had a delusional moment. I think I had been in the sun too long and needed a break. My students brought this to my attention when I began banging the wall with a trowel and singing a new line to the famous song “No Air” by Chris Brown and Jordin Sparks. The song goes “Tell me how I’m supposed to be breath with no air?” and I added the line “All you got to do is inhale.” I kept singing it over and over. My students got worried, so one girl physically picked me up and placed me under a tree and told me to stay there. This was not one of my best moments. But as I began to think back on this moment, I realized the truth and simplicity behind my addition to the song - “All you got to do is inhale.” To breath that is all we have to do, and accepting God’s grace is just that easy. All we have to do is say yes and believe. The question that I left with the campers, I will leave with you today...How bad do you need to inhale?

Fourth of July in Austin

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:26:42 -0500

I know this was a long time ago, but I am going to take the next couple of blogs to write about some more of our summer events. For the Fourth of July we headed to Austin, Texas with the Lavendar’s and Garrett Sublette. We had a blast staying at Shawna’s mom’s house, eating great food at places like Chuy’s and playing some golf. I got to be Shawna’s caddie for the day and had a blast. I am hoping to get some golf lessons soon, so I can play with them. I am decent at teeing off and putting, I just need to learn how to do the in between game. We went to one of the prettiest courses any of us had ever been to. It was called Falcon Head and this hole, even though you can’t really see it, was beautiful. Click on this link and you can get a better visual (IMG_2265.jpg). Isn’t it beautiful! The weekeend was a blast! Can’t wait to do it again sometime soon.

Fortress 2008

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 09:36:15 -0500

Three weeks ago I got the opportunity to take 20 middle school girls to Fort Worth to work with a ministry called Fortress. This ministry reaches out to the inner city youth in downtown Fort Worth. We had a great time serving this ministry. We spent the week pulling weeds at a local school, cleaning up the ministry’s building and barn, and feeding people lunch at the homeless shelters. We also got to do some random acts of kindness - which included, but was not limited to - handing out popsicles to strangers, buying a $50 gas card and giving it away to an expecting mother, handing out flowers at a retirement center and paying for diapers for people at Walmart. This was an amazing trip. God showed up in so many ways through the people at Fortress and the girls. We even had some fun and went to see the Rangers, where Josh Hamilton made a grand slam to win the game. It was a great way to finish off a perfect week. Here is some footage (5k-Rangers Win! 7-9-08.AVI) of it. It was awesome! And God is so good!