Tonight I had the chance to do something I feel like I haven't been able to do in a long time. Relax! Not that I haven't had an occasional nap here and there. And for those of you who are rolling their eyes, thinking I still take a nap every day, you are wrong. Those days are over... they only happen about twice a week now ;)
Anyway... This past month has been a little busy that I realized tonight that I haven't realized how few nights I have just chilled out and not done anything. Between a jr. high retreat the first weekend in October, a wonderful and fun visit (that deserves more attention than I'm giving it now) to North Carolina, my friends bachelor party, his wedding last weekend, and a funeral this week, I feel like I have been on the go constantly all month, and for good reason. I have been.
Though I haven't been overly worn out this whole time, I simply forgot what it is like to just take a step back and have a night where I am not up late writing a paper or preparing for Sunday School, rather, simply sitting with my close friends at dinner only to come back and lounge around, watching a movie. How often does that happen?
I started off the evening of relaxation around 2 with a little nap. Then I got up and read a little bit. I have grown into a reader, I just wish now that I had more time for it. Then I went with a good friend of mine to play racquet ball, which is something I don't get to do very often now, but I still love playing for some reason (if anyone is wondering, I did win 2 games in a row:). Came back, took a shower, then off to dinner it was, Cancun Mexican Restaurant! After that begins the night of watching a movie and having good relaxing times with my friends, not thinking about everything I am going to have to do this weekend or next week, but simply enjoying the moment.
It reminded me of a clip I saw from a Rob Bell video, Everything is Spiritual. He said that in the book of Exodus, chapter 24 (I think), God tells Moses to go up on the mountain and wait, or be, on the mountain. The reason Rob offers for why God says this is because the whole time you are climbing the mountain you are thinking about getting to the top of the mountain, but then the minute you reach the top of the mountain you start thinking about how you are going to get down the mountain. God doesn't want Moses to miss out on the experience of a life time. This sounds really simple, but so often, we think we are working toward something and we probably are, but once we accomplish the task we are on we move straight to the next task without ever soaking in everything that has happened... without giving ourselves a chance to see how God has worked in our lives.
This whole month I have been doing just that, going from one thing to the next without allowing myself to process what has gone on lately. I go from going somewhere to doing homework, right back to going somewhere else and I never look back. When I think of it, my night just Wednesday, I left my step-grandma's funeral to go almost straight back to school and finish homework until about 11:30, only to get up at 7 the next morning to squeeze a little more homework in before I went to a full day of class (9 am - 6 pm). Thursday night I was preparing for a test and a presentation I had today, followed by a meeting for a youth ministry summit, which I found myself having very little, actually no input for. I realized that it is time to take a breath. Look back and see God at work in my life. So I don't go on to the next season of life without ever stopping to see and praise God for the work He has done. I have so much to be thankful for, and I am thankful, but I haven't really soaked in who God really is or what He has done lately.
I think it is time to look back a little bit and remember. Please, don't miss out on the little things that are really very big things if you would just allow them to be. Go on top of a mountain and be on that mountain even if it is just for an hour or two. You won't regret it!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
The Silver Lining
Whenever things get tough people usually say that there is a silver lining somewhere. Well things have been a little rough around here. My step-mom, Anita's, mom is not doing well, she was just taken to Hospice a couple days ago, my mom's basement flooded about a month ago, then just this past weekend the water heater broke and released water over the carpet that wasn't wet, and I just found out that my step-brother's house was broken into just a day or two ago! Not much good sounding stuff there.
Well, for those of you who don't know, I am going on a short term missions trip to England in May. Today was our first team meeting for that, so I was able to meet the people on my team for the first time, I think I'm going to like this trip!
When I got out of the meeting, I was getting ready to leave the building to go back to my dorm when I saw one of our professors, whom I am friends with, he is also my small group leader, his name is Steve Carr. He waved me into the office he was in and informed me that he was just in a preachers board meeting for the school and they were discussing scholarships and he brought my name up to them and mentioned that I was a pretty good kid. Then he told me that they decided to give me an $800 scholarship! Who couldn't use that?
Now this would be good news any day, but the timing of it was just great! That is what we call a silver lining. Though it doesn't replace or fix everything that is going on, it is a little wink from God letting me know that He is still with me! It feels pretty good.
Just an encouraging scripture for anyone else going through anything difficult right now:
Romans 5:2-5: "And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom His has given us."
Well, for those of you who don't know, I am going on a short term missions trip to England in May. Today was our first team meeting for that, so I was able to meet the people on my team for the first time, I think I'm going to like this trip!
When I got out of the meeting, I was getting ready to leave the building to go back to my dorm when I saw one of our professors, whom I am friends with, he is also my small group leader, his name is Steve Carr. He waved me into the office he was in and informed me that he was just in a preachers board meeting for the school and they were discussing scholarships and he brought my name up to them and mentioned that I was a pretty good kid. Then he told me that they decided to give me an $800 scholarship! Who couldn't use that?
Now this would be good news any day, but the timing of it was just great! That is what we call a silver lining. Though it doesn't replace or fix everything that is going on, it is a little wink from God letting me know that He is still with me! It feels pretty good.
Just an encouraging scripture for anyone else going through anything difficult right now:
Romans 5:2-5: "And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom His has given us."
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Do It Different
Change. It's not always a bad thing, but it is something that happens often.
Many changes are going on around me:
1. We got a new senior minister at the church I am working with
2. Many of my close friends are farther from me right now
3. I'm looking for opportunities to do an internship
4. Our school has come out with a "Spiritual Development Plan" for this year
When we think of change we often have negative connotations to it. There is something that rises up within us that has something to do with fear of the unknown. We aren't sure if what we do will actually make a difference or if it does, will it be a good difference? The saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind here. But my question is, what if there is something better. What if even though we have experienced great things, what if there is something more for us to experience?
I am going to do something I never thought I would do. I am going to quote Winnie the Pooh when he said, "if you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got."
This quote has rang through my head since I first heard it a year ago in my class Church Growth and Planting. There is much truth and depth to these words, but it's so simple that we just don't even think about it as we continue on in our typical routine that we are familiar with and have been familiar with for years.
I was a part of a change over the summer. I was helping a friend of mine develop some changes in his student ministry and lead through them. There has been a need for change for several years. The student ministry had leveled off about 3 years ago and even started declining in the past year. My friend, Jason, was hired on a year ago and asked not to change things immediately but to evaluate where things were, study what needed to be done, and then after a year make some changes. He did a great job evaluating and looking at things to do and he finally, after much reading and planning, came up with some things that needed to be changed. The thing which perplexed me the most was the night he cast the vision and the need for the changes he was implementing. For the most part people were supportive, however, there was a family who was very outspoken about how there was no reason to make the changes he was making and she even pointed out how every other church in the area was not doing the things that we were planning on doing. The problem was that every other church in the area had leveled off on their attendance and effectiveness to reach people with the Gospel.
If you do what you've always done, you will get what you have always got.
It reminds me of the movie, Bobby Jones, A Stroke of Genius. Bobby Jones was an incredible golfer early on, before the era of Jack Nicholas and Arnold Palmer. At one point in the movie Bobby is playing in a tournament and gets in a deep sand bunker that has walls towering higher than his head. His first attempt to get out he hits the ball straight into the wall. His second attempt, the same thing, and his fourth. Until finally, his caddy says to him, "You know the definition of insanity, boy? It's doing the same thing repeatedly, expecting to get different results."
It is easy and natural to do what we have always done, because it is familiar to us, but when we do that we will reach a certain point and level off, where we get the same results every time.
Even when things are going well and you are growing (not just in your organization, but also in your life, as a person), it is necessary to learn to change. In 1997 Tiger Woods won the Masters by a record number of strokes and the next year changed his swing, because he knew that if he wanted to continue to be successful he would have to change the way he played.
I have begun to implement some changes in my own life after hearing some of this. I realized I was allowing myself only to be influenced by the teachings of one preacher and one or two professors. I understand that it is good for me to be close to and listen to these people, but they are limited on what they can teach me because they are each only one person. So, I started listening to other preachers, which is easier now than it has ever been thanks to iTunes, as well as really soaking up other professors.
Furthermore, I have been exploring different places to go on an internship. While I have learned a lot from being in the Greater Dayton area, I will be limited if I don't experience how people in other places, with different styles of leadership work to influence others. I have sought out 2 different internships thus far and neither of them are too close to home. While I will miss my family and friends around here, I understand that it is necessary if I want to expand my leadership ability.
Change is going to happen, it could be good, but you may not know if you try to fight it the whole time! Embrace change, look for ways you can change to make it to the next level, you will be surprised at the things you are capable of.
Many changes are going on around me:
1. We got a new senior minister at the church I am working with
2. Many of my close friends are farther from me right now
3. I'm looking for opportunities to do an internship
4. Our school has come out with a "Spiritual Development Plan" for this year
When we think of change we often have negative connotations to it. There is something that rises up within us that has something to do with fear of the unknown. We aren't sure if what we do will actually make a difference or if it does, will it be a good difference? The saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind here. But my question is, what if there is something better. What if even though we have experienced great things, what if there is something more for us to experience?
I am going to do something I never thought I would do. I am going to quote Winnie the Pooh when he said, "if you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got."
This quote has rang through my head since I first heard it a year ago in my class Church Growth and Planting. There is much truth and depth to these words, but it's so simple that we just don't even think about it as we continue on in our typical routine that we are familiar with and have been familiar with for years.
I was a part of a change over the summer. I was helping a friend of mine develop some changes in his student ministry and lead through them. There has been a need for change for several years. The student ministry had leveled off about 3 years ago and even started declining in the past year. My friend, Jason, was hired on a year ago and asked not to change things immediately but to evaluate where things were, study what needed to be done, and then after a year make some changes. He did a great job evaluating and looking at things to do and he finally, after much reading and planning, came up with some things that needed to be changed. The thing which perplexed me the most was the night he cast the vision and the need for the changes he was implementing. For the most part people were supportive, however, there was a family who was very outspoken about how there was no reason to make the changes he was making and she even pointed out how every other church in the area was not doing the things that we were planning on doing. The problem was that every other church in the area had leveled off on their attendance and effectiveness to reach people with the Gospel.
If you do what you've always done, you will get what you have always got.
It reminds me of the movie, Bobby Jones, A Stroke of Genius. Bobby Jones was an incredible golfer early on, before the era of Jack Nicholas and Arnold Palmer. At one point in the movie Bobby is playing in a tournament and gets in a deep sand bunker that has walls towering higher than his head. His first attempt to get out he hits the ball straight into the wall. His second attempt, the same thing, and his fourth. Until finally, his caddy says to him, "You know the definition of insanity, boy? It's doing the same thing repeatedly, expecting to get different results."
It is easy and natural to do what we have always done, because it is familiar to us, but when we do that we will reach a certain point and level off, where we get the same results every time.
Even when things are going well and you are growing (not just in your organization, but also in your life, as a person), it is necessary to learn to change. In 1997 Tiger Woods won the Masters by a record number of strokes and the next year changed his swing, because he knew that if he wanted to continue to be successful he would have to change the way he played.
I have begun to implement some changes in my own life after hearing some of this. I realized I was allowing myself only to be influenced by the teachings of one preacher and one or two professors. I understand that it is good for me to be close to and listen to these people, but they are limited on what they can teach me because they are each only one person. So, I started listening to other preachers, which is easier now than it has ever been thanks to iTunes, as well as really soaking up other professors.
Furthermore, I have been exploring different places to go on an internship. While I have learned a lot from being in the Greater Dayton area, I will be limited if I don't experience how people in other places, with different styles of leadership work to influence others. I have sought out 2 different internships thus far and neither of them are too close to home. While I will miss my family and friends around here, I understand that it is necessary if I want to expand my leadership ability.
Change is going to happen, it could be good, but you may not know if you try to fight it the whole time! Embrace change, look for ways you can change to make it to the next level, you will be surprised at the things you are capable of.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Who is "Mossy Creek and Cracked Walnuts?... Oh yeah, that's Jordan"
I know you are all thinking, "My lands, this boy posts once a year"... and you are right, it has been quite some time. Believe it or not, I have for the most part been keeping up with all of you via blogs, I just haven't felt that I have had anything worth while to talk about. But I figured I would just give you a little update on my life as of late!
Let's start back in January... I got a job as a "part-time interim youth minister" at a small church in Kettering, OH (pretty sweet title, I know). It's not too far from my home church in Beavercreek, so I have been able to come home and visit the family most weekends through out this past semester. Since they only needed someone for Sunday mornings, I got a partial internship with my home church as well (Beavercreek Christian Church). A partial internship being that I only come in on weekdays and I help out the youth minister and do some stuff on Sunday nights and Wednesday nights with him and go on the special outings such as a canoe trips, the Beach waterpark, and Ceadarpoint trips... etc. (Along with this internship my grammer has gone down as well, if you haven't noticed...! The internship is going really well, I have learned a lot from doing it and I am excited about what the new staff is doing with my old stomping grounds (since I have graduated they have hired a new senior minister and a new youth minister).
In the last 4 weeks I have been to a high school week of camp, jr. high week, and this week I have been doing vbs at the Kettering church. VBS is fun, but I am ready for tonight to be the last night! Needless to say I am ready for a vacation... and that's what I'm getting, tomorrow I am leaving with my momma and Bruce and we are heading down to Hilton Head, South Carolina! We are going to be there for a week with Bruce's two kids and their families, so it should be a pretty good time!
I have had several opportunities to preach in the past couple months and it has been a great learning experience. The best part of preaching is not the affirmation people give right after you speak, but it is hearing the stories of what people are doing with what I say. It has been so neat to see God at work in this avenue of my life, because I honestly don't feel like I have that much to say, but then I hear that my words have really impacted people to do something different and I am blown away because I know that they heard God speaking through me. At the jr. high camp I went to I had the privilege to speak at a main session and present the Gospel. That was the best speaking experience I have had yet, the response from the students immediately was an incredible reward!
Other than hanging out with kids much younger than myself, I haven't really been up to a whole lot. I am looking forward to school starting soon, in about a month. Believe it or not I only have 2 more semesters of classes and an accredited internship to do and I am done! So, I'm going to be looking for an internship for next summer, so if anyone hears of anything, let me know!
Now I have some Chick Fil A calling my name, so I am off here! Love you all.
Let's start back in January... I got a job as a "part-time interim youth minister" at a small church in Kettering, OH (pretty sweet title, I know). It's not too far from my home church in Beavercreek, so I have been able to come home and visit the family most weekends through out this past semester. Since they only needed someone for Sunday mornings, I got a partial internship with my home church as well (Beavercreek Christian Church). A partial internship being that I only come in on weekdays and I help out the youth minister and do some stuff on Sunday nights and Wednesday nights with him and go on the special outings such as a canoe trips, the Beach waterpark, and Ceadarpoint trips... etc. (Along with this internship my grammer has gone down as well, if you haven't noticed...! The internship is going really well, I have learned a lot from doing it and I am excited about what the new staff is doing with my old stomping grounds (since I have graduated they have hired a new senior minister and a new youth minister).
In the last 4 weeks I have been to a high school week of camp, jr. high week, and this week I have been doing vbs at the Kettering church. VBS is fun, but I am ready for tonight to be the last night! Needless to say I am ready for a vacation... and that's what I'm getting, tomorrow I am leaving with my momma and Bruce and we are heading down to Hilton Head, South Carolina! We are going to be there for a week with Bruce's two kids and their families, so it should be a pretty good time!
I have had several opportunities to preach in the past couple months and it has been a great learning experience. The best part of preaching is not the affirmation people give right after you speak, but it is hearing the stories of what people are doing with what I say. It has been so neat to see God at work in this avenue of my life, because I honestly don't feel like I have that much to say, but then I hear that my words have really impacted people to do something different and I am blown away because I know that they heard God speaking through me. At the jr. high camp I went to I had the privilege to speak at a main session and present the Gospel. That was the best speaking experience I have had yet, the response from the students immediately was an incredible reward!
Other than hanging out with kids much younger than myself, I haven't really been up to a whole lot. I am looking forward to school starting soon, in about a month. Believe it or not I only have 2 more semesters of classes and an accredited internship to do and I am done! So, I'm going to be looking for an internship for next summer, so if anyone hears of anything, let me know!
Now I have some Chick Fil A calling my name, so I am off here! Love you all.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Some of the Crazier Pictures
I thought this last one was funny. I have several pictures with the swirl effect and every one Caleb is plugging his nose. I'm not sure if he thought he was going to drown or what, but it sure made me laugh!
Kylie got a real big kick out of this one!A few pictures from NC
We had a great time playing with Photobooth on my computer! There are so many funny ones, the kids were laughing and I got a, "You're so funny Dordan!" from Kylie:)
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Fall Break - Here and Gone
This past Thursday started my 2009 fall break, but for me I decided another day would be nice, so I left school after attending my morning classes. Around 11 o'clock I set out for Charlotte, NC. It's a great drive there, about 8 hours and the scenery is just great, I love driving through the mountains. I was a little disappointed that tolls went up from $1.25 to $2. What's up with that? But there were only 3, so that wasn't too bad.
I drove into my cousin, Tricia's house, and once I got there Andrew (her youngest, I believe in Kindergarten) walks up to me and says, "Do you wanna play football?" and said I would love to and without saying another word he tosses me a football and just starts running. Nothing more was needed, he said that he remembered me, though I'm pretty sure the last time I saw him he wasn't walking, but I would play foot ball with him and that was enough for him.
I stayed most of the time with Aunt Saundra on her farm. That was pretty nice for me because I got sleep in everyday and have a slow morning, which I'm not used to either of those, then I would meet her at work and she would treat me to a delicious meal. On Friday we met my Aunt Carol Lynn for lunch and I went back with her to her house. We later picked up Sara from school and she was happy to see me. Sara and I played many games that evening, we even had jump rope races and played leaf tag. She did make it clear on Saturday that I could leave whenever I wanted and she was done playing games when I beat her at a game of Operation (which btw I would make a great doctor, keep that in mind).
So, I went back to Aunt Saundra's house for my cousins seemed to be flocking there, that night I saw Kristi, Ian, Kylie and Caleb; Traci and Adam; Tricia and Abby; and Ian's mother and Adam's father and his significant other. We feasted on delicious barbecued chicken.
Sunday we got up and went to Aunt Saundra's church and my newest friend, Caleb, willingly sat on my lap for almost the whole service! I really enjoyed that, he is so much fun! Then we had an interesting Sunday school class, which I believe was taught by Larry the Cable guy! At least he looked like him, sounded like him, and said some stuff that sounded like something Larry would say. It was quite entertaining.
The rest of Sunday was filled with the celebration of Caleb's birth, which was a lot of fun. Any time the word birthday was mentioned he would grin really big and if you asked who was having a birthday he would say really loud, "Me, me!!!" it was precious. The food as expected was super delicious and the cake was great. I stayed just long enough to watch him open his presents, then it was time to go. This part is never fun when you are having so much fun and so relaxed, but life still goes on and there are still responsibilities back home (I don't like that part of growing up).
It was a great fall break and I can't wait till my next break. Though classes are pretty good this semester, it's always nice to be able to lounge around and just visit with family without having anything on my plate to deal with. I can't wait until Thanksgiving comes around!!!
I drove into my cousin, Tricia's house, and once I got there Andrew (her youngest, I believe in Kindergarten) walks up to me and says, "Do you wanna play football?" and said I would love to and without saying another word he tosses me a football and just starts running. Nothing more was needed, he said that he remembered me, though I'm pretty sure the last time I saw him he wasn't walking, but I would play foot ball with him and that was enough for him.
I stayed most of the time with Aunt Saundra on her farm. That was pretty nice for me because I got sleep in everyday and have a slow morning, which I'm not used to either of those, then I would meet her at work and she would treat me to a delicious meal. On Friday we met my Aunt Carol Lynn for lunch and I went back with her to her house. We later picked up Sara from school and she was happy to see me. Sara and I played many games that evening, we even had jump rope races and played leaf tag. She did make it clear on Saturday that I could leave whenever I wanted and she was done playing games when I beat her at a game of Operation (which btw I would make a great doctor, keep that in mind).
So, I went back to Aunt Saundra's house for my cousins seemed to be flocking there, that night I saw Kristi, Ian, Kylie and Caleb; Traci and Adam; Tricia and Abby; and Ian's mother and Adam's father and his significant other. We feasted on delicious barbecued chicken.
Sunday we got up and went to Aunt Saundra's church and my newest friend, Caleb, willingly sat on my lap for almost the whole service! I really enjoyed that, he is so much fun! Then we had an interesting Sunday school class, which I believe was taught by Larry the Cable guy! At least he looked like him, sounded like him, and said some stuff that sounded like something Larry would say. It was quite entertaining.
The rest of Sunday was filled with the celebration of Caleb's birth, which was a lot of fun. Any time the word birthday was mentioned he would grin really big and if you asked who was having a birthday he would say really loud, "Me, me!!!" it was precious. The food as expected was super delicious and the cake was great. I stayed just long enough to watch him open his presents, then it was time to go. This part is never fun when you are having so much fun and so relaxed, but life still goes on and there are still responsibilities back home (I don't like that part of growing up).
It was a great fall break and I can't wait till my next break. Though classes are pretty good this semester, it's always nice to be able to lounge around and just visit with family without having anything on my plate to deal with. I can't wait until Thanksgiving comes around!!!
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