Figuring it all out one day at a time
I don’t know if you heard about this story. Now here is part two. I agree with Dustin’s thoughts on the situation.
Drudge is where I get all my news info. Great for during the political conventions which no one seems to be watching.
Finally, have you ever wondered,”What happened to the guy that wrote Basic Instinct?” Here’s the amazing answer.
The girls go today for their first meeting with their teacher. One at 1:15 and the other at 1:30. I haven’t gotten emotional yet. I’m sure that will come tomorrow when they go a full day. Then they are off Wednesday and Thursday before returning Friday. Then, Monday is Labor Day so we won’t really get into full swing until next Tuesday. For the next 17 years our schedule will revolve around the school calendar. I will be 50 when Drake graduates. No more overnight trips on a whim or staying an extra day at grandma’s. It’s spelling, math, science and history from now on. Well, at least my kids will be the best in their class at playing 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon.
Hey, just wanted to catch up real quick…
1. We had 55 kids at our lock-in Friday night. Got to meet a lot of new teens and was pleased with how many of the new 6th graders attended. It’s the first time I’ve ever run out of soda at a lock-in, but we did have leftover donuts(well, they’re gone now too). We tried to do a video log every hour to show the effects of no sleep. Some are posted on youtube now.
2. While posting these on youtube Friday night/Saturday morning I noticed that Barack Obama named Joe Biden as his running mate at 3 am. This should’ve been expected because most campaigns make this announcement during waking hours. Barack is the candidate of change so they must’ve decided to do it differently this time. Biden was our Senator for a few months while we lived in Delaware. I think he passed our old neighborhood while I watched his motorcade yesterday.
3. I mentioned Cody’s post on fasting and our church will be starting the Daniel Fast on Sept. 1. Pastor Charlie was feeling lead in the same direction at the same time so God is going to do amazing things in our community.
4. Fantasy Football season kicks off today with my first(of 3) drafts over the next 2 weeks. Know this, I will not be drafting Larry Johnson, Steve Young, or Steven Jackson( of the KC Chiefs).
Nap Time
Well, today is mine and Karen’s 9th anniversary. It has been an amazing journey. 9 years ago to the minute I was sitting in the First Wesleyan Church library wondering where my fiance was. Knowing that her friends and bridesmaids had taken her to see “Runaway Bride” the night before did not bode well in my mind. Well, she finally arrived and the rest is history. More on that and an amazing video of Drake later today…or tomorrow.
Enjoyed Cody’s post on the Daniel Fast. Gonna talk to Karen about it and try to start it soon.
Put the Saddleback Presidential Forum on DVD. Enjoyed it and thought there was a definite contrast in the worldviews of the two candidates. Been thinking and praying a lot about this election. I am currently “unaffiliated” as my NC Voters Registration card says. I just think that if a guy who had only had a job for a few years(and had spent most of that time trying to get another job and missing lots of work) all of sudden wanted to run the company that he would be laughed at in the business world. Do politicians do anything but talk? Think about it: they give speeches, debate the issues, ask questions during congressional hearings and committee meetings, talk to potential voters, discuss strategy with their advisers, and vote on bills after explaining why they voted the way they did. With that in mind, is it any wonder that a politician who doesn’t speak well, George W. Bush, is vilified by many while a politician who speaks very well(when a teleprompter or notes are umm…uhh…handy), Barack Obama is hailed as the agent of change our country is desperate for?
I’m sorry to hear that Bigfoot was a fake. Clark Camp once told me,”There ain’t but one Sasquatch…”
Madden 09 is not a lot different from Madden 08. Pastor Mike used to enjoy blowing me out everyday with the Panthers. Nothing beats playing Madden after a staff meeting.
Looks like I need to find our copies of “Bringing Up Boys” and “Dare to Discipline” because the Drake is going through quite a phase here. But any 18 month old son who says “Bye” and “Five(for a high five)” when I leave is hard to do anything to but tickle and watch sports with.
Preaching on the Holy Spirit tonight…be in prayer and also for the Lock-In(which I’m waiting for word from Doug Fields that they’ve been banned) this Friday night!
First a review:
1. Carowinds was great. The rides made me feel very unsafe. Now, that’s either because the rides are actually unsafe or that they did a good job of creating that illusion. Either way, all of the rides were adrenaline pumpers. Also, it was SC Baptist Youth Day at Carowinds with Mercy Me. It’s called the Big Thing. Well, I went to the first one with NewSong at the Carolina Coliseum back in the 80’s. Anybody else remember the 4 guy NewSong that sang with tracks?
2. Tim, Rico, and Travis visited last weekend. Great to see those guys. Wish we could’ve worked out a viewing of Clone Wars. Anybody seen it yet.
3. Sadly, I didn’t watch the first few nights of the Olympics and missed Michael Phelps first few races including the amazing comeback relay. I did catch up and saw the rest though. The Olympics always have controversy(age of Chinese gymnasts, steroids in 1988, US track team acting like thugs(2004)), a shining star(Phelps, Mary Lou Retton, Kerri Shrug, Marion Jones(oops), Dream Team), and disappointed athletes(Tyson Gay, Paul Hamm, Roy Jones, Jr.). My only complaint is that the Olympics has too many events and most of the time America seems to add events that favor them(beach volleyball, BMX?). Anything I can do in my backyard(badmitton) should not be an Olympic sport.
Now onto some other stuff…
As a Youth Pastor for 11 years I have seen many teen relationships come and go. The other night I was thinking about some of the ones I have seen so I hope this is helpful to some of my collegues.
1. The Serial Dater-this is the person in your youth group who has dated or has tried to date everyone of the opposite sex in your youth group. Beware of them, talk to them, and do not tolerate this. At one point, half of my guys first kiss had been with the same girl. That’s not good for: their health, her reputation, their friendships, or the rest of the group.
2. The Visitor-this is the girl/boyfriend who doesn’t go to another church but comes to church with their new squeeze who is in your youth group. Most of the time, they have a weak(if any) relationship with Christ and are coming simply to be with their girl/boyfriend. The danger in this is that this person is history as soon as they break up and that can often leave a poor impression on someone who needs Jesus. There have been cases where the person is a Christian but their church doesn’t have a good youth group and they do join your group for the long haul even after the breakup. Know this, sooner or later, every couple is gonna break up(except in very rare cases) and you’ve got to somehow minister to the kid who has been in your group for years and also to the one that you’ve only known a short time. Yes, it’s tricky.
3. The Rookie-this is the kid who is getting into their first serious relationship(to the teen, they’re all serious) in their sophmore year or later and doesn’t know how to handle certain things. There’s also the danger that this kid who has never had a boy/girlfriend is gonna soon be a PDA Champion. How do you help them sort through these new emotions while maintaining their purity and reputation?
Finally, there are all sorts of theories and feelings about teen dating. Can it be dangerous? Yes. Should it be avoided at all costs? No. I think our problem is we submit ourselves to the world’s standards and categories when it comes to relationships. We feel like we have to go steady and make it official for some odd reason. Kids should get to know as many members of the opposite sex they can as friends. Friendship should never be “exclusive.” Group outings should be encouraged and one on one dates should be limited. Teens have enough pressure as it is. One view I had that has changed is my view on kissing. I think I used to put pressure on kids who had never kissed anyone and I’m sorry for that. I think I put forth the idea that it was something that needed to be done sooner rather than later. Now, I take the angle that we only get so many kisses and it’s not a bad thing to save em for the right person. Also, teens should know that with every flirt, hand hold, kiss, hug, or whatever they give a piece of themselves and their heart to that person. They should know the costs and be enouraged to ask themselves, “Is it worth it?”