Would I have done that?

There are a lot of things that my youth in youth group do that I wonder if I would have done them when I was their age.  Unfortunately, growing up I never really had a tie to a youth group so I missed out on a lot of fun and spiritual growth.   I think that I would have grown faster socially if I had been part of a youth group.  I still think that it would be hard for me to do some of the things are youth do.  I don’t think I would have had the motivation and drive to do them. 

Do you think, as a middle schooler, you would have walked up to a random church and engrained yourself in their youth group?  One of my youth did just that.  She didn’t have a church home and her family didn’t attend church, so she decided that she was going to find a church and a youth group to join.  One day she decided to walk up the street, she came to our church.  She came in and joined the Sunday school class.  That same day our youth were singing in church and she decided she was going to as well.  Her first time in our worship service, she went to the front and sang with the youth group.  It was amazing, but I know that would have never had the drive or the courage to put myself in that situation. 

Do you think that you would go thirty one hours without eating? Each year our youth hold a can drive where they attempt to collect over 5000 cans of food to give to our local community, they spend three months collecting cans and raising money.  One weekend in late October is when they deliver the food to the local food shelter.  They spend Friday night organizing the cans and then going to a local grocery store to purchase more canned goods with the money they raised.  The next morning they go to the shelter and deliver all the food.  It is amazing how hard they work, but the most amazing thing is that they do all of this without eating.  They go from lunch time on Friday until late Saturday evening without eating to simulate what it is like to homeless and hungry.  I don’t think that I would have been able to make that commitment as a youth.  That shows great spiritual growth and maturity.

Do you think you could get up in front of the congregation and deliver the message on a Sunday morning?  Or how about committing to a Friday night event and leading a youth led worship for your peers?  We have youth that have not only gotten up in front of the church to deliver the message, but have also given up their Friday nights to worship with their peers.  I know of some adults that wouldn’t even get up in front of the congregation or their peers to deliver a message.  It is truly amazing to watch them.  They have such confidence and poise when they are in front of the groups.  When I was their age, I don’t think you could have gotten me to do that.

Would you of been able to create movies and deliver a message through acting?  I know that when I was a youth it would have been hard to create a video project for school or youth group.  I have youth that do it all the time now and they do such a great job.  I have one youth that has a gift for it.  She has such an eye for it that I truly believe she should go to film school.   If I could have been half as creative as my youth are then I would of gotten better grades in school.

There are so many things that my youth in youth group do that I probably never would of done as a youth.  They impress me every day.  I wish everyone could see the amazing things they do and the amazing people they are.  They are our future,  I am so proud of them and can’t wait to see what the next thing around the corner is that I would have never done as a youth!  

Day 123

Things have been crazy.  I hate being sick.  I haven't been able to work out because of my energy level.  I hope to start back tomorrow and get going again.  I don't want to stop what I have been working so hard on.  It is just fustrating when your body shuts down.  So here is to more!  Have a great Friday night!

The Walking Dead

 There is a series on AMC called “The Walking Dead.”  The story is about a group of survivors that are trying to survive in a world that has been overtaken by zombies.  That’s right, it’s a zombie apocalypse.  The show has yet to explain exactly how the apocalypse started, but we see all kinds of zombies walking around and terrorizing the survivors.  They have to do whatever it takes to survive and live as the world around them is in complete chaos.  Although the show is a drama and not just a zombie killing action flick, the focus is still on the zombies.    

The zombies or walkers are trying to do one thing, and that one thing is feed.  There is no emotion behind the vacant eyes of these zombies.  They will do whatever it takes to eat.  Some sort of disease or chemical warfare caused this outbreak to occur.  When it did, it sucked all the life out of those that have become zombies.  If you are bitten or somehow get the blood of a zombie in an open wound, you too will eventually become a zombie.  You will become a mindless, emotionless, single goal oriented being.  You will want to do nothing but feed.

So the question is do we have walking dead in today’s world?  I believe that we do, in fact, I believe that at one point in time we have all been the walking dead.  I believe that we have all at times found ourselves in a vegetative state where nothing mattered and we were not motivated to do anything.  This may have been a lazy Saturday of watching football and sitting on the couch, or it might have been a sick day in bed, drained of all energy.  Maybe something bad happened to you like a death in the family, or a boyfriend or girlfriend broke up with you.  When you are in the “walking dead” state, you just don’t care about anything and lack any kind of motivation.  I think this has happened to everyone at some point in their lives. 

There are also people in this world that sort of stay in that state during life.  Yes, they have a job, a husband or wife, money, hobbies, a team to cheer for, and a home to live in, but they just aren’t fulfilled.  No matter how many material things they have they seem to have an empty hole that no matter what they do just doesn’t seem to be filled.  I think these are the true “walking dead” out in the world today.  I think these are people that need help that need someone to talk to and need to either find Jesus for the first time, or make him the center of their world. 

These people are easily overlooked because they look like you or me.  They have what they need in life and our well off, but inside they aren’t complete.  They are missing that special something that makes life exciting and wonderful.  Unlike the zombies of the apocalypse, they need to be fed in a different way.  They need to be fed with the love of Jesus.  They need to center themselves and allow him to lead them through life.  By having Jesus as the center of their lives, everything will fall into place.  Life will be more vibrant.  They will not be stumbling through life like “the walking dead”. 

This may or may not be a constant feeling that you have inside you.  If it is I want to encourage you to go and find someone in the church to counsel you and help you to answer those questions you have about the emptiness you have inside.  If you don’t those feeling, I encourage you to be on the lookout for those that do.  Talk to people about their faith and make sure that they understand that Jesus loves them no matter what.  Invite them to your church and help them to be comfortable in their new surroundings.  We may never see AMC’s version of “The Walking Dead”, but if we aren’t careful, we could have our own earthly version of “the walking dead” and there are more zombies out there right now than you may think. 

ACC Week 10 Eric’s “Predictions”

Well I went 3 and 3 last week.  Virginia shocked Miami and Boston College actually pulled it out which means that Maryland is just that bad.  Georgia Tech also set up a matchup with Virginia Tech for the Coastal Division Title by beating Clemson.  If anyone was going t beat Clemson, it was Georgia Tech.  So let’s see how I fare this week.
 

Last week      3-3                   Overall                       39-20

 

Florida State vs. Boston College:  Boston College got its first ACC win last week over Maryland.  Florida State has been on a role.  It’s a shame E J Manual was hurt for those first two ACC games.   I don’t see Florida State losing another game this season, so my pick this week is Florida State.

 

Virginia vs. Maryland:  I have picked Maryland a couple of times this year and every time I do they lose.  Virginia has looked really good at times this year and are a scary team because you don’t know which team is going to show up for the game.  Virginia has a shot to win the Coastal Division if they can stay with just one ACC lost until they play Virginia Tech.  However I still think Maryland is due for a win so I am back and forth on this one.  My pick this week is Maryland.  I can dream can’t I? 

North Carolina vs. NC State:  This is a big game for both schools.  For the past 5 years I believe, NC State has beaten North Carolina.  It has been crazy.  Both are capable of winning the game.  It comes down to which North Carolina team and which NC State team is going to show up for the game.  I think it is North Carolina’s year.  My pick this week is North Carolina. 

Duke vs. Miami:  This has upset written all over it.  Miami is coming off a terrible performance and sooner or later Duke is going to get a big ACC win.  They almost had it last weekend.  I don’t think this is the week they pull it off although it wouldn’t surprise me.  My pick is Miami. 

 

Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest:  As I said last week I felt like Wake was getting a little too much hype.  They haven’t played that great.  Notre Dame is a good team although not the powerhouse they used to be.  Who knows you might see them in the ACC someday.  Either way, I think they are too good for Wake, so my pick is Notre Dame. 

 1 LSU vs. 2 Alabama:  This is a huge game.  I don’t do top 25 games, just ACC games but I thought I should weigh in on this one.  This game should probably be the championship game this year but there teams won’t get that opportunity because they have to play each other now.  I have seen a lot of LSU this year and I really like what I see.  Alabama is a good team, but my pick is LSU.

Day 121

My world has been crazy the last couple of weeks.  I have been sick which has caused my motivation to work out to go down.  I have seen results so I need to get over this cough so I can get back to business.  I am going to push it the rest of the week and try to get back on track!  I have lost 25 pounds so far so I  just need to keep it up!  Thanks for all the support!

What type of phone is your Spiritual Journey?

These days everyone has a cell phone from middle school students to Grandma and Grandpa. All these cell phone are different. Each one has a different look to them, different features and programs on them, and different carriers that provide the services. Although they have all these differences they all have one thing in common. They all provide a direct line of communication between the owner of the phone and the world around us.  This is just like our Spiritual Journeys.  Although we all walk a different walk and take different paths along the way, we all are focused on God and have him as the center of our lives.  So which type of phone is your Spiritual Journey? 

Is your journey a short one that feels like it is going nowhere?  You can’t seem to get started and you are not able to move freely between different types of spiritual growth.  This is because your spiritual journey is like a corded telephone.  This phone is stationary.  Not only is it in one place like the landline in a house, but it is also designated to a certain room.  You can’t move freely while you talk to people.  You need to be able to do this on your Spiritual Journey.  You need to be able to try things freely and worship in different ways.  Being stuck in one place and only willing to do things one way will cause your journey to be very stationary just like a corded phone. 

The prepaid cell phone allows you to pay for your minutes as you go.  This is a great feature; however you end up at times out of minutes and needing to make a phone call.  It is convenient until you run out.  Is that what your Spiritual Journey looks like?  Do you only take the journey when it is convenient for you?  When good things are happening to you do you spend time and energy on other things instead of your journey?  Do you not pay for more minutes through prayer, worship, and bible study, and therefore you don’t continue on your Spiritual Journey? 

Maybe your journey is like a regular cell phone.  You have a plan which allows you to call and text others.  There are no special features but you can communicate with those around you.  If your Spiritual Journey is like this phone then you probably only go to Sunday worship and don’t spend time on other ways that can help you grow spiritually.  This phone would be a great way for someone to start their spiritual walk but in order to grow and take different paths on our journey we need to broaden our horizons and spend time in prayer and study on top of our weekly worship. 

The type of phone that you should model your Spiritual Journey after is a smart phone.  Smart phones provide the user with all types of communication opportunities.  You can make a call, text someone, email, use twitter, communication through facebook, get on the internet, there are applications that you can use, and some even let you have a video conference with another person.  They cost a lot more than the regular cell phone, but they provide some many added features and make it so easy to communicate.   

If your Spiritual Journey is like a smart phone then you are taking advantage of different opportunities to grow your spirituality.  You attend worship services, you go to bible studies, you are a part of small groups, you attend Sunday school, you take time to pray, you participate in mission opportunities and trips, you tithe to the church, and you make your spiritual path an important part of your life.  All these features of your Spiritual Journey are like the features of the smart phone.  Each one allows you to communicate with God in a different way.  You use all the options that are available to you.  Yes, it may cost you more in time and dedication then the other phone (Spiritual Journey) options, but isn’t it all worth it.? Just like the smart phone is worth it to communicate with people, your Spiritual smart Journey is just as worth it. 

Which type of phone is your Spiritual journey?  I suggest you get a smart phone.   

Come and go

This past Saturday morning I was in the mountains with a group of my youth kids on a retreat.  I was awoken by a text message. I stumbled across the room to answer the text, my eyes barely open, and the taste of sleep in my mouth.  I picked up my phone and read the text. "Is it snowing?" I shook off my sleepy state and went to the window and pulled up the curtains.  I peered out to see that everything was covered a white dusting of snow that was still lightly falling.  Smiling really big, I sent a text back. "Yes it is"  I said.

I ran upstairs and woke everyone else up so they could get a look at it before it disappeared.  Everyone was so excited they grabbed their cameras and started taking pictures.  I believe that this is the first time I have ever scene snow in October.  It is so calming to me to be outside when it is snowing.  You don't hear anything but the snow gentling landing on the trees and ground around you.  It sort of makes a sound buffer where you don't hear other noises.

As part of our first activity we had to do a trust walk and were supposed to do it outside.  We bundled up and went outside.  We not only did a trust walk, but we did a trust fall as well.  It was really neat to do these activities in the snow.  After a few snowballs were formed and pictures were taken, we gathered back up and went inside.

After lunch and another session, we had some free time.  I wanted to take another look at the snow covered mountains but when I opened the door to the back porch and looked out, the snow was gone.  The only snow you could see was on the mountains in the distance.  The tops were covered, but everything else had cleared up.

A lot of things in life come and go.  One minute they are there and the next minute they are gone.  People come and go in our lives.  Time comes and goes.  We often move from place to place.  We move from elementary school, to middle school, to college, and then the real world.  Seasons come and go from the warm spring to the hot summer.  Life comes and goes.  There is a beginning and end.

I believe that we need to spend our lives living in the moment and not allowing it to pass by unnoticed.  Too often we take for granted the things we have and the people in our lives.  We get to busy to pay attention to our family, friends, and children.  Before you know it, you baby is all grown up.  Don't allow that to happen.  Take time to live in the moment.  Take time to enjoy situations and people.  Enjoy your life before it too has come and gone.

I am just happen we had time to play in the snow this weekend before it was gone.  I am just glad I got to spend a weekend with the amazing people I did.  I am so happy that I have the people I have in my life and I promise not to miss out on life before it is gone.