Heading Home...

The day has arrived to go home, go home to Lee Ann, go home to a normal way of life, go home to family and friends, go home to a big bed and a nice shower, go home to a clean house where my things are my things. Go home to TV, to walks in the neighborhood, to studying at Asbury, to my final year as an MDiv student. There is so much to go home to that will become normal in just a few weeks, but there are many things that are left behind as well. Even though I’m excited to be going home I think the things that I will miss the most are serving with the youth and adults in Cortex. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the participants and helping them make a difference in the community of Cortez. My prayer is that they were touched deep in their heart in a real way as they ministered to the poor, the sick and the needy. I will miss getting to meet different homeowners and getting to tell them that a group of 10-12 young people will be coming to paint their house. They got so excited at the thought of people coming from all over the country to Cortez to paint their house. They were so very hospitable as they gave what they could to these young people to show their appreciation and thanks for what they came there to do. The homeowners didn’t have much, but what they had, they gave with a glad heart. I do believe that YouthWorks is making a difference Cortez. They have been there seven years now and changes are continuing to happen all over the place, from Cortez, Deloras, Mancos and even in Towyac. God is in the midst of ministry happening in Cortez, but the thing is, is that ministry has been happening before we and YouthWorks got their and will be happening far after we are gone. We have been privileged to just be apart of ministry in this area. God has blessed Tony, Anna, Amanda and myself as we have been His vessel this summer. It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve with them this summer.
As I head to Atlanta is a few minutes I have been reflecting on what this summer has meant, but now it is time to look ahead to what God wants of me in this next year. There will be a lot going on, with some things I can’t divulge right now, but I do know that God is in the middle of my relationships and I continue to trust that He will guide myself and Lee Ann in His ways. I’m excited to see what those plans are and to share those plans with family and friends.

Faithfulness....

Time gets away. Kristi e-mailed me the other day and was asking me what was up; you haven’t blogged since July 15. There is no excuse, just not taking the time to sit down and write my thoughts on paper, or in this case electronically. Today is Sunday, the last Sunday of the summer here in Cortez. It is hard to believe that the summer is a week away from being done. There are a lot of emotions, thoughts and ideas that are flowing through the old noggin, all are reflecting on the summer and what God has brought to light and the lessons that I have learned this summer. It may take some time to fully process what the summer has been like and sort out what God has been speaking about when He speaks about serving neighbors and treating them as well as you treat yourself. I’m hoping that this journaling experience this summer will help me remember how God has moved through the community of Cortez, through me personally, through my interactions with the youth and adult leaders, with my friends and family and especially with my love Lee Ann.
God is so very faithful and gives us moments to inspire us, to encourage us and to help us along the path of life. God gave me one of those moments this week, let me explain. A couple of weeks ago I was praying about the end of the summer and asking God to instill in me a peace about going home, but in the same time to be present in Cortez, not physically present, but emotionally present, not to check out even though I was "doing" ministry by facilitating the groups in their painting projects and other activities that I help with. It came to mind, and I believed God planted a seed, how cool would it be to see groups that I served with before last summer come to Cortez. That would help with my staying emotionally present here in Cortez for the last two weeks. Like I mention, and you know, God is faithful and provides little opportunities. Last week a group came in from Illinois who I served with last summer in Taylorsville, NC. It was early bird week where all the staff from a particular area gets together to have an additional work of training. It was great to see Kathy, Jeff, Bob, Caleb and Andrew along with Josh, Andrew, Peter, along with others I served with last summer. I remember connecting with this group last summer and really creating a bond in the first week of the summer in 2006. So, I thought that was really great and swell that I would see a group I hung out with last year. God is good, loving and very supportive. So this week, our final week roles around as the weekend pass and I’m cooking chicken for Sunday night dinner. Through the window I see that groups are arriving and I’m just minding to the dinner. About 4:45 I head to other house to check on the oven that is housing my other chicken and stop to talk to a group from Wisconsin that just arrived. I look closely and realize that it is some girls that I know. They all exited to see me and welcome me with open arms, its like role reversal as I am suppose to welcome them to Cortez. I head back inside and get swarmed by the other members of their group and finally realized this is a group from Eastern Kentucky last year. Now what are the odds of that? I told Mark it has been like old home week, seeing familiar faces and reliving stories from last year and catching up on life from the past year. It has just be wonderful to see how God has been working amongst old friends. God is faithful and is truly helping me get through this week by allowing me to encounter the blessings of the past 12 weeks and last summer as well. Thank you Lord for reminding me why I decided to serve these past two summers.

Ministry happens...

Today marks the start of our 6^th week of programming here in Cortez. I’m excited for the groups that will be coming this afternoon and even more excited about the homeowners that they are going to bless this week. I was in Wal-Mart yesterday and ran into 12 homeowners who I either groups have painted their house in the past weeks or are going to paint their house in the upcoming weeks. We have only been here in Cortez for eight weeks and I’m seeing people all over the place that I know and am happy to visit with. It is wonderful to here the stories and the testimonies of how young people have helped out this community. Greg, the custodian at the First Assembly told me Friday that he was checking out at City Market and while talking to the cashier, learn that some youth painted a family members house just last week and they did such a good job of getting to know the family and ministering to the family. It’s not all about painting and doing the physical labor that touches people, though that is an important aspect of this ministry, I believe what is really important is about building the body of Christ up, building the relationships within the community, getting people out talking about what great things the Lord has done for each and every one of them. We don’t know who is watching these young people paint house; we don’t know who is listening to our conversations while on site. Ministry is happening all around us and we may not be aware of it. We are called to serve and be open to what Jesus wants to do through us. When we are open to the possibilities of ministry He can do wonderful things in a person’s life. No task is too small and no ministry site is to poor or to rich to minister to that individual. There are times we think that ministry can only happen to the poor, the lame, the sick, or the lowly, but I believe ministry can happen to those that are in need, even the people that can afford to buy paint, who can afford to hire someone to paint their house. Ministry happens in the heart and those who take the time to listen to someone else, to care for someone else, and to be a friend to someone else for a week is a minister. These homeowners are getting blessed by these youth and these youth are getting blessed by theses homeowners.

It has been great to witness the friendships and the bonds that come from people serving each other. I am so very glad that God has placed my in the place to be a witness of His grace and mercy throughout this summer. I have witnessed lives being changed, lives being turned over to God, friendships being made, barriers being broken down, and a reliance of God being made a priority for people. I have witness changes being made in my own character and my surrender to God and His will for my life. It has been a great summer and I am looking forward to what God is going to teach me, what He is going to show me, what He is going to give me in the next three weeks of ministry here in Cortez. But ministry doesn’t stop here, ministry keeps on happening wherever I may go, wherever these youth may wind up, where ever there is God in the midst of our hearts, ministry happens. God has been good to me and I’m so happy to serve Him in what ever capacity that He wants me too. My prayer is that we will be able to hear His voice guiding us and leading us in the direction that He has set for us.

Praise the Lord; I got to talk to Lee Ann yesterday. She called twice from Jamaica. The team got through with their mission aspect of the trip and is spending a couple of days on the beach relaxing and enjoying the ocean and each other. It was so good to hear her voice. I have missed sharing my day with her and listening her tell me how God has touched her life. I wasn’t aware that I could miss someone so much; I have come to rely on her and want to be in her life on a daily basis. Even though we talked only briefly she shared with me God’s plan for our life and the passion God has placed within her. She wants to build up the body of Christ through those people who are very passionate about the Lord. Whether it be working with locals bringing teams in for mission work, or by planting a new church where disciples can be developed so they can minister to friends and family, that is the way to build up the body of Christ. It is a wonderful thing to hear her say these things, because my passions have always been youth and mission work. I have no desire to be in the local church, leading a local church, preaching to the suburbia style church. My passion calls me into the mission field, to get my hands and feet dirty, to show the love of Christ through my work ethic and through my relationship building. Tony and Dan were talking about spiritual gifts Friday night and I believe I have service, hospitality, and administration as my top three. I believe these gifts that God has given me go hand and had with the calling He has placed in my life. I know that God is bigger than the church and ministry happens when we are willing to follow God and His will for our lives. I am so looking forward to partnering with Lee Ann, discussing our future together and being involved in ministry together. God has been so good to both of us and know I firmly believe God has brought us together to encourage one another, to pray for one another, to be a witness of and for each other, to love each other, to be in ministry together, and to love him though each other. I never thought something like this was even possible in my life. Thank you God for bringing Lee Ann and I together.

Just in Awe...

I can’t believe that it is Tuesday night and I am getting a chance to journal. The youth group, yes I said “group” is from Minneapolis, all 76 of them. It is a tremendous group with great personalities and a wonderful work ethic. It really is a joy to be around them, they are very respectful of each other, of their adult leaders, of the community and of the staff. They are in church group time right now and are all in church group time, all 76 of them. It’s pretty neat to see the dynamics of the group and how they all kind of mesh together. I have been talking to a few of them about what brought them on this mission trip and they essentially replied that they love God and love missions and they love to go on trips with the youth groups. These youth stand in line at their church to sign up for this particular trip to Cortez, and they say it like this every year, no matter where they go. The excitement and the joy they get out of serving drives them to want to come back. They in turn tell their friends in the youth group and they get excited about coming on YouthWorks trips. These youth line up several hours before registration begins just to be able to get a spot on the trip. That is dedication and only the ones who want to be here. It all makes for a good week and a great group. So they are in church group and they are worshiping and having story time and processing the day as a group. They are going to put themselves to bed and this allows me to journal and reflects on the first couple of days of ministry.

It has been a great couple of days of ministry on all accounts. I really enjoy getting to know the homeowners and being a friend to them. They are so special in so many ways. Bill and Lorain Lackey remind me of Ann and Daddy. Their generosity, their love, their commitment to Christ, their commitment to each other is so very similar to Ann and Daddy’s. Bill is an older gentleman who takes care of Lorain who has health problems. He was out in the yard all day interacting with the youth, getting them rollers to use, getting them water to drink, fixing them lunch of elk burgers and watermelon. I was thinking of Daddy as I was there, because that is just what he would do if youth were working on his house in Auburn. Tomorrow we are painting a house of Mike and Viola Randle who are just the greatest. I went over to look at their house last Friday and they invited me to have dinner with them. I just met them and they offered me streak, potato salad, and cherry pie and oh yeah a grape soda. It was just a wonderful gesture of hospitality I have had offered to me. All these homeowners are very grateful an organization such as YouthWorks is here in the community of Cortez helping out by painting and playing with kids all summer long. It is great to be a part of this and I would not want to be anywhere else right now, well maybe in Jamaica with Lee Ann. I know that God has placed me here for a reason and I have always known that. I may see what the purpose is and then again I may not see what fruit comes from me watering the fields. I trust God that He is going to do some amazing things this summer and I believe in what His plans are for this community, the lives of the youth and adult leaders and my life.

God Moments...

Wow, this is the beginning of our eighth week. We only have 4 more weeks to go until we are heading for home. I know its crazy to think about, but it has been a great time so far. By the end of the summer on August 3^rd, we will have seen about 600 youth and most likely around 100 Adult Leaders. When you look at it, it is incredible how the world gets smaller and smaller. A good majority of these people we will never see or speak to again, but knowing that there is someone out there that we may have been instrumental in turning their life around or that we we are able to brighten someone’s day is all that really matters, Many times we may plant a seed that gets nourished along the way and we may never get to see the process of blooming. I have the assurance that God is the master gardener and He will water it and place people in their path to encourage and strengthen these youth and adult leaders. That is why I encourage these youth to talk with their Youth Directors/Leaders about questions they are having. The leaders are the ones that have a vested interest in these youth and are better equipped to minister to them in the long haul once they are back in their communities. But I do understand that it may be easier to talk to someone that doesn’t know their past and wont judge them for decisions they have made. When we pray with them and assure them that everything will be alright and no one is going to judge them then it may be time to share their feelings and commitment with the adult leaders who know them well.

Last night Tony asked me to speak to the group of staff that came into Cortez to for some much needed R&R. This was great opportunity for me because it just allowed me to speak from the heart and get things off my mind that I have been thinking about and not really saying to anyone except to Lee Ann. I would like to share this with you in hopes that it may touch you as well.

God Moments:
Colossians 3:12-17

There is devotion in Streams in the Desert about a gentleman who goes around with an oil can lubricating doors and windows that creaks and makes awful noises. He does this for the people who come behind him won’t hear the terrible sounds that come from opening doors or windows. We are to be like that as we meet people along our path, we are to oil the people who are no so happy, who are not so pleasant to be around, or who just need a word of encouragement.

Many times our busyness gets in the way of our ministry. Especially when have to get our job done, when we have to get dinner prepared, when we have to get the showers cleaned, when we have to get work for the participants to do, when we have to do our finances or many other things that get in our way from participating in ministry. I know that these things are important and they have to be done, but what is it costing us when we letting these things get in the way of being involved in ministry? Are we missing the opportunities that God has given provided for us?

I’m sure we all have stories of how we have been so busy running from 6:00am to 12:00 midnight that we have missed the “God Moments” that he has given us. I’m also sure that all of us have stories of how God has allowed us to be his vessel to minister to those who needed our support in one fashion or another. I have just a story I would like to share with you and you may have other stories you would like to share. One night many weeks ago right after church group time I was sitting in the club room just sitting at a table praying for the churches and the youth that we apart of the weekend. This youth come in crying and questioning the Bible and what it really means. I sit there listening to her and sharing my faith and assuring her that the Bible is 100% true and can be trusted. I am able to get her calmed down and thinking about what God truly says and means when He says that He loves each and every one of His children, even her. It is ok to have questions, but knowing that God is the one who has all the answers and there is nothing that He cannot handle or doesn’t know about. All of a sudden I see another young lady running through the hallway and out the door and then back in the door of the fellowship hall. At once she flops down on her knees at the table and is crying out to Jesus to take away her sins and her burdens and come into her heart. A couple of her friends come in and we all prayed with her and encouraged her in her journey of faith. What stories of “God Moments” have you witnessed…?

We as Christians who love Christ are called by Him to love one another just as He loves us. We are to essentially clear the way of all the obstacles that are hindering our brothers and sisters from reaching their full potential in Christ. The questions that I would like to ask is: Are we picking up our oil can and paving the way for our neighbors, for these youth, for these adult leaders, and even for each other so that all of us can move toward Christ in a more fuller and positive way? Are we taking time to see these “God Moments” in our lives and are we taking time see what God wants to show us nor only in the people that we come in contact with in our communities were we are serving this summer, but back at home as well.

I want to encourage each of us to no be looking at our own interest, but look for ways that will honor and bless others that along our path. Keep a watching eye and a listening ear for those God moments that He wants to share with each of us. When we experience the love and compassion of God we become vessels for Christ to work through us to bring someone closer to the fullness of Christ. As you go back to your communities, I encourage you to share these “God Moments” with each other so that God may be gloried through you testimonies.

God is BiGGer!!!!!........

It has been a wonderful week. There were youth groups here from Texas, Washington, California, Minnesota and Arizona. We all had a tremendous time in ministry both at kids club and at wok projects as they took time out of their lives to play with the kids and paint a few houses. I think it is just incredible to see how a person’s life is changed just because they have taken the time to help out another person.

I’m always reminded what my mother always says “ Be on your best behavior no matter where you may go, you never know who you are going to run into, and you never know who is going to know your mother, and they will tell her how you been acting.” Well, I don’t know if this count, but the group from Minnesota is from Hopkins. Hopkins in the next town over from Deephaven where I lived for 2 years of my life. I lived there in 1975-1976 and went to school at Deephaven elementary. Paul was an Adult leader from the church in Hopkins and went to elementary school there as well. So did Mollie and in fact she lives about 3 minutes from that area. She is going back and try and find the house and send pictures back. It really is a small world and you really have to be nice to everyone, because you don’t know who is going to know your mother.

God’s hand is in everything that we do, I’m thoroughly convinced of that. I don’t think anything happens by chance or accident and nothing is coincidence. I believe God continually puts people in our path to encourage us, to minister to us, to correct us. I also believe that I have been all there to other people for that same purpose. God knows that we all need encouraging, correcting and ministering to every day and I am so grateful that He has put friends and family in my life for these purposes.

I am about to fall over. It has been a good week, but a long one at that. I am so drained by the end of the week that I just want to fall into a so called bed. Today I haven’t been that lucky enough to get a nap after the groups left. Most Fridays we take an hour or maybe two to rest before starting our other duties for the day, but I didn’t take that opportunity today. We went shopping for food for next weeks participants, you should of seen the looks we always get at Wal-Mart when we are coming out of there with 12 shopping carts full to the brim with food. It is a great way to tell our story and what we are doing in Cortez. Everyone that we tell is all amazed at what we are doing and are grateful we are here. It is so nice to hear what people in the stores and on the streets is saying about us. My prayer is that our actions and our words encourage others to make the same commitment to this town as we have. I would hate ministry to just stop once we have left the area on August 5^th. But God is bigger than that and certainly bigger than I could ever be. There is no reason to think that ministry will stop happening once we are gone. God we call others to service, weather it be by action or word, God will get His message through to those who have not been blessed by accepting Him as their Lord and Savior. I love Thursday night clubs because it gives us an opportunity to pray for the youth on an individual basis. This is a time students can be real, to let down their barriers and to open up to what the Lord has for them. I am so exhausted after this brief 15 minutes and I know it is a good thing because the Holy Spirit has been moving through me to touch the lives of these students.

Lee Ann is on her way to Jamaica for two weeks in country for a mission trip with youth, college age, and adults. She has been looking forward to this for along time. A lot of preparation has been put into this and I know it will be a great time for her and the people on the trip. Missions are her passions and it is so encouraging to see that she is doing what she loves. She is getting the opportunity to preach a revival service for four nights while she is there. I’m so proud of her for taking the opportunity of ministering and preaching to the people of Jamaica. I am going to miss talking to her for a couple of weeks, but it is a small sacrifice to make for ministry. God is so good for equipping her with the talent to preach, teach and to minister. Praise be to God!!!!

Tru Love...

Yes, yesterday was my birthday. I am 40 years old, but don’t feel like a 40 year old should feel. Then again, I’m not exactly sure what a 40 year old should feel like. I still have energy, nothing has broken on me, nothing has fallen apart, and I can still climb a mountain with the best of them, though it may take me a little longer. I still have fun with the youth and having a great time building friendships with them. They are so energetic and breathe so much life into me; it is hard not to catch the excitement of life that exudes from them. I am grateful to be able to minister to them as they are here in Cortez this summer. They are truly ministers of the word by their actions, their words and the deep conversations that we have been having about what it means to be a Christian in today’s world and in their own communities when they get back home. My prayer is that they would be able to carry some of what they experienced back home and apply it to their daily lives. Amanda has done a wonderful job with the evening clubs and the talks that accompany the clubs. I was thinking tonight that she has a spark in her that is hard to ignore. She gets right down to the level of the youth and explains the verses that truly makes sense to these youth. It is hard to do that, but Amanda is reaching these youth and encouraging them to follow Jesus Christ. It has been awesome to see her grow in the talent that God has given her. I pray that she continues to speak for the Lord because she has some wonderful things to say and the Lord will use her in a mighty, mighty way to reach people who may not know Him.

The birthday weekend was incredible. Lee Ann came all the way from Kentucky to see me this weekend. It was very special to get to see her and spend time with her. She brought two of her closest friends from London, Amy and Rosemary. They are both as sweet as could be, until we got to all the questions J. We had a blast just being together, laughing and cutting up. It was just like we had been old friends. We traveled around to different sites viewing HovenWeep, Monument Valley and the Four Corners. All were good, but didn’t have enough time alone with Lee Ann. Since I had not seen her for oh about 7 weeks, the time with her went by a little to quickly. I have so enjoyed talking with her on the phone and getting to know here with out seeing her, if that make sense. I have gotten to know her heart, I have gotten to know her passion for the church and for the youth that she serves, I have gotten to know her fears and failures and I have gotten to know her joys and accomplishments. She is a wonderful person who loves God and wants to spread that love to as many people as she comes in contact with. She truly is the love of my life. Been praying about a love like this for many years and I truly believe God is faithful and has put her and I together at this particular time in our lives. She is my best friend, she is the one I want to talk to everyday, she is the one I pray for every day, she is the one I don’t have to pretend to be someone I’m not. I can just be me and that is great with her. She is the one who encourages me, who prays for me, who challenges me, who understands me, who takes care of me when I’m sick or when my feet are nasty and cracking. She loves me and I love her.

Taking time...

Wow!! It’s been two weeks since I’ve taken the time to sit down to put my thoughts on paper. This past couple of weeks has really been incredible part of ministry. I think I’m finally getting used to the altitude here. I don’t seem as tired and worn out in the afternoons as I have in the last month. Another reason maybe that I am now sleeping on a single bed instead of a couch. Tony and I have moved down to Evangel Assembly of God’s guest house for hopefully the summer. I didn’t think I was going to like that situation, but last week felt really well being in my own room and sleeping on a real bed. I thought I was going to be hot, but it really cools down at night and with the windows open the breeze just blows right through the little house. I talked to Daddy a couple of nights ago and he mentioned that it was 95 degrees during the day and 40 degrees at night. It has rained here about 20 minutes in the past 5 weeks. When I talk to friends and love ones back at home they tell me that you sweat just by stepping outside. It’s so hot the dog doesn’t even want to go out.

Like I mention, ministry is taking place. These young people from all over are coming to Cortez to serve this community. It’s incredible to fathom that the youth groups don’t know a single person in Cortez when they arrive on Sunday night, but by the end of the week on Friday morning they have made such good friend and have ministered to those who might not even know the love of Jesus. Granted that a lot of people that we serve know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but it may be someone who is just a bystander looking on to see what is being done to their neighbor houses or it may be the parents of the kids that are being picked up at kids club, or it may be someone at Wal-Mart who sees the staff buying $1100 worth of groceries for the week. It is these people that may be in the background that sees Jesus in the faces of the staff, or the youth or the adult leaders. I guess the point is, we don’t know who we are going to effect with our words, with our actions, or with our service. We all need to be looking for ways to show the love of Christ to everyone we come in contact with.

I tell all the youth this in my work projects orientation. It is so easy to be looking at the task that is before us that we loose site of the ministry opportunity that is right there in front of us. When we can minister to those whose houses we are working on, by being their friends, asking about their family, asking about hopes and their dreams then it is easy to show them the love of Christ because it becomes easy to share your heart with those who you have built a relationship with. These young people from all over know what it means to build those relationships. They have built them with the community, with each other in their own youth groups, with the other youth groups and with staff here. It is really a wonderful thing when the body of Christ comes together for a common purpose. Lives are changed and they get the sense that their time and energy can change the world for another person and for themselves.

In the past two weeks we have churches from Oregon, Nebraska, Colorado, and Arizona in our 2^nd week and Alabama, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota just this past week. Every week I think I am not going be able to connect with these young people, but God proves me wrong every week. (snap! snap!) (Yeah God!!!) By the end of week I have made new friends that have shown the love of God to me by their willingness to serve and to be a friend to me. God has been so good to me by the fact that we all can be so foreign to each other on Sunday night and then hate to say goodbye at the end of the week. I have seen the love of Christ manifested in these young people and it grows by leaps and bounds from Sunday to Friday. I am truly impressed by these youth leaders and the jobs we have done. All these youth are respectful and understands what it means to serve others. I can see it on their faces, I can see it in there actions and most important I can see it in there heart. They get a sense of satisfaction of helping another in need and spending time listening to those that are hurting and just need someone to talk with.

God is in Control...

Today has been a great day. It has been a time of rest and a time to unwind from a busy, busy week. It has been a time to reconnect with friends and family, some of whom I have not spoken to in a long while. I feel it is important to reconnect every now and then. True friends are hard to come by and I think we should be intentional about checking in with each other every now and then. I know we all get busy and don’t find time to talk to those who are important to us, or we feel that we are such good friends with people that we don’t need to encourage one another or just call and say hello. I’m trying to be intentional about that, though I must admit I not as good as I seem to be writing this. For those of you that I have not talked to in a while, I think about you every now and then and I’m praying for each of you as I run across your name or a special memory or two. Know that you are missed and you are loved.

I find myself wanting to journal during the week, but it is virtually impossible because of the schedule that we are all keeping on a YouthWorks site. We get up at 6:30am at the latest and get down sleeping around 11:30-12:00 every night. This happens Monday through Friday, by the time Saturday roles around we are all exhausted. Ministry happens all during the day and I’m very thankful for the opportunity that God has given to me to be able to minister to this community of Cortez. Programming with the participating youth groups has been going on for just a week now, but the lives of the community members that they have touch will last a life time.

This past week there were three youth groups that came from Arizona, Nebraska, and Iowa, for a total of 38 participants. The gelled right off the bat and by the end of the week were hard pressed to say goodbye to each other. They served along side each other, encouraged each other, served each other, and prayed for each other. It was a great week in all aspects. The community members were encouraged and strengthen in their faith.

Anna is doing a great job organizing the Kids Club down at Evangel. I believe the first day the kids club staff had like 12 kids from ages 5-10 and by the end of the week they had as many as 35 kids show up. What a great testimony of faith and perseverance on not only Anna part but on the youth groups that took on the responsibility to help promote and gather the kids. My prayer is that these numbers will only continue to grow and their will be many, many more youngsters that will show up for kids club in the coming weeks.

I couldn’t ask for a better start to work projects than what I had this past week. The groups were able to minister to four couples not only by painting their houses, but also by building relationships with the homeowners and the children in the neighborhood. It was so sweet to see how the kids in the trailer parks just flocked to the youth as they jumped out of their vans to start painting houses. I believe I learned a great lesson that day when I realized that ministry is just not doing the physical labor of painting a house, ministry also happens on a relational level as these young people showed the love and grace of Christ this week. Sure painting houses is what gets us in the door, but ministry is so much more. It is encouraging one another and lifting each other up to a higher place. I believed this was done this week with each of these ministry sites and this is just the tip of iceberg. I don’t believe everything in this county will be solved by the end of the summer, but I do believe that these youth groups that are coming here to serve this summer will make a tremendous impact on this community and Cortez will be a better place, both in a spiritual sense and a physical sense at the end of the summer. I’m thanking God for this last youth group and praying for the youth groups yet to come in the next 7 weeks. God has a plan and I’m very excited to see what that plan is and how it will transpire.

The Lord placed me in a location at the right time and I’m so very thankful that He did. I was there to encourage a young lady and to be present when the Lord grabbed a hold of her life and changed the outlook on her life. It was God ordained because I was the last staff person out of the fellowship hall when another young lady came in crying about a conversation happening in her church group time. I was in the midst of talking to her, when this other young lady came running in with tears in her eyes exclaiming that she could feel Him taking her sins away. She fell down at the table and soon afterwards her friend where there to encourage her as she gave her life over to Christ. I didn’t do anything but be in presence of the one who does it all and being obedient to what He is trying to tell me. I’m very thankful that He allowed me to be witness to his transforming presence in these young ladies lives.

Ministry happens when we are available to Him to do things through us to minister to others. Whether it be on the job site, in the kids club activities, on the evening activities, in the kitchen, or even just talking to an individual, Christ works through our inabilities and our conversations to lift up those who are hurting and don’t know the saving grace of our Lord Jesus. Christ works through us to encourage others who are on the striving to be more like Him every day. We are all vessels to spread the Good News of Christ. It doesn’t matter how young we are or how old we are. Christ wants to use us in a powerful way.

Getting out of the way...

Today is a blessed day; it’s Sunday. Today around 4:00pm the youth will start arriving here in Cortez. I’m really excited about the summer getting started here in Cortez. I’m excited because I know God will continue to do ministry here in this community through the teams that will be present. I’m excited to get to know the youth and the adult leaders. I gain my strength through interaction with them. I’m excited because we get to make a difference in the people that we will be working on their houses. Working on houses is a great way to get to know the homeowners. My prayer is that the homeowners and the youths will be blessed by getting to know each other this week. God will continue great things in this community this summer and these are just some of my prayer request as we start off the summer here in Cortez.

A prayer request I have for myself is that I would get out of the way and allow God to take control of my actions and my relationships. I need to let go of my controlling attitude and get my pride out of the way and let God work through me as I get out of the way. I would love this summer to be a summer God works wonders in my life as well. I do not have as much responsibility as I did last summer and I’m trying so hard to let that just lie. I know that God wants to do something through me this summer and I don’t have to be in charge or even have that much responsiblity. I sure don’t want to shortchange the youth, adult leaders, the staff or even the community. There needs to be a balance in these areas and I trying to locate my place among all four aspects of ministry this summer.

Today’s devotion was that God works in all situations encouraging those that are in ministry with Him and drawing those who don’t know Him closer to the thrown of grace. God is in the midst of every day life. We, as his children need to open our hearts up and let him have complete control. He can do so many more things through us than we can do alone. He can work through our hurts, our expectations, our frustrations, our disappointments, our excitements, our relationships and even ourselves for the glory of knowing Himself through the Son Jesus Christ. God can do anything when we just allow Him to come along side us and we share the love of Christ to everyone we encounter.

Building relationships...

I’m sitting in a local coffee shop in Alamosa taking the afternoon off from programming at the site. I’m not playing hooky; they actually told me to take a break. I’m fine in the mornings while we are at the work sites, but I have been so tired in the afternoons, my energy just gets zapped. I guess I look tired and just need a break. We are so fortunate this week to have two other staff persons here on site. Programming is just not as stressful as the next eight weeks will be. Plus, the following weeks programming will just be us and not twelve others trying to do the work of one. There will be an ownership aspect to the next eight weeks.

I was telling Tony Monday that I just was so exhausted I didn’t know how I was going to survive for the whole summer, but then a wonderful thing happen. The youth started to come in Sunday afternoon and by Sunday night I knew why I wanted to do YouthWorks again this summer. It’s all about getting to know the youth and building relationships in the Lord with the youth. To see the smiles on their faces when they accomplish a painting job, when they connect with kids who come to the kids club program, when I can call them by name and watch their faces just light up. These are the things that have brought me back this year. The youth are having fun in all aspects of the week I suspect. We are particularly enjoying 4-Square. The church where we are staying have three courts of 4-Square and there is always a game going on. I’m having a ball interacting with the youth while playing. They are such competitors and have a great time beating each other, but they also have a great sense of gamesmanship and are very gracious in letting others have chances. It’s so good to see the youth having fun and learning what it means to help out others when they are in need.

It has been a good week to get back in the grove of YouthWorks. The team is continuing to come together and really rely on each other for encouragement and inspiration. Even though we have been with nine other staff persons it is refreshing to see how the four of us are bonding. We will need that bond if we are going through this summer being the hands and feet of Christ. The only way to show unity to the participants is to have unity among ourselves as the ones leading groups into the presence of Christ. I am thankful for the team which God has placed at Cortez this summer. I expect tremendous things to happen throughout the course of the summer.

Create in me a clean heart...

This is the Lord’s Day; well everyday is the Lord’s Day. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. We shall rejoice because He has bestowed many blessing upon us. Today, in Alamosa, the youth arrive. This is a wonderful day because all the hard work and pray that has gone into preparing for this summer will start to shape today through the end of the summer. There is just something about having the participants show up. It is putting something we have prayed for, practiced and prepared for into fruition. The team is ready to jump in and make this experience for the participants one to remember. They may be painting houses, sorting through a thrift store, or working with the local kids in a VBS style activity.. They will fellowshipping, they will be playing games, they will be eating, they will be worshipping at club time, and they will be sleeping. No matter what the activity they will be serving at Christ will be right there with them. The hope and pray is that Christ will be evident to them as they travel down the road, as the serve the community, as they get to know others, as they worship Him.

Today’s devotion has to do with just that. Mark 4:35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." The disciples were scared because a great windstorm had come up while they were heading to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. They did not know what to do so they decided to wake Jesus who was sleeping peacefully at the bow of the boat. Jesus wakes up and rebukes the wind and calms the sea. Then he gently rebukes the disciples, “Why are you so afraid, you of little faith” Don’t you know that I am with you always. That is good news, Christ is with us wherever we may go. He wants to bless us, he wants to make the rough waters in our paths smooth, he wants to calm the wind of bitterness, of frustration, of disappointment, of sin in our life. He wants to take all that away so that we are able to come and worship Him with a pure and clean heart. I’m reminded of the song,

“Create in me a clean heart”

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit within me.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from the presence O Lord
And take not thou Holy Spirit from me
Restore on to me the joy of life's salvation
And renew a right spirit within me

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit within me.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from the presence O Lord
And take not thou Holy Spirit from me
Restore on to me the joy of life's salvation
And renew a right spirit within me
And renew a right spirit within me

Christ wants to walk through life with you and with me to know the Father even better today than we knew Him yesterday. Christ is right here beside each of us encouraging us, helping us, and lifting us up toward the Father.

Sing a New Song...

I have not written in my journal for two days now. We have been busy helping to set up the site, meeting community members, shopping for work supply items, and getting to know the Tony, Amanda and Anna. It has been great doing all these things, but I miss journaling because it helps me to process the day’s activities and what they really mean to me. I know I may not have time to journal during the week once the participants are here, so that is why I’m doing this everyday now since we do have time. Once the youth and adult leaders get here we will be going from 6:30am to 12:00pm. We made a covenant as a team that lights go out for the participants at 11:00 then for the team no later than 12:00. I can’t imagine going through the whole summer with those hours, well I guess I actually can because I did this last year :).

Today’s devotion was on singing a new song taught by Christ. He is the great composer of the song that we will be sharing with those around us. The song of hope and glory of what He has done for us. It’s a song of triumph that Christ has taken all our burdens, all our hurts, all our needs and made them His own. As we serve and love Him, He is adding to the lyrics and verses. He is composing a song that will be sung by the saints and angles….It is interesting how God coordinates and brings things together. Tonight, after dinner, the team was going through the songs that Amanda is going to be playing for our “club” time. Club time is a time of worship and prayer. We must of sat here for two hours going over songs we are going to share with the youth. We ran across “There is no one like you” which so reminded me of worship class and Dr. Gould would start of with 1 Chronicles 17:20 "There is no one like you, O LORD, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. This is in the middle of a prayer by David right after God made a covenant with David. David went before the Lord and simply stated that he was not worthy of all the blessing that God had bestowed on him. David is humbled at what the Lord is doing and recognizes that there is much more to the Lord than what we know are even can fathom. God is powerful, God is mighty, God is gracious, God is magnificent and God is so much more than anything we can imagine.

I’m really just in awe at the blessings he has given to me. He has blessed me with a wonderful family, with great friends, with a Godly woman as a girlfriend, and with just an awesome team this summer. I get so much encouragement from all the people in my life and the good news is God is in the middle of all these relationships. Isn’t God good?

Clinging to Christ

I am blessed to be able to be on a team where friendships are being created. We encourage each other, we laugh with each other, we challenge each other, and we listen to each other. That, I believe is a good start to a wonderful friendship. I know there will be times when there will be disagreements, but when we have Christ in the middle of our relationship, it is hard to stay upset at another person.

Today’s devotion was about clinging to God with all our might. Just like Jacob clung to the angle on the plains and insisted that the angle bless him, Jacob clung because he had the hope and the desire to be blessed. God doesn’t bless us because we insist that he blesses us, he blesses us because we are in his presence on a consistent basis. Like Jacob, I want to be blessed and the only way I know to be blessed is to be in the presence of Christ, so I’m clinging to him every chance I get.

We are so blessed to be here in Cortez, the people are so gracious and welcoming. We went to two churches yesterday, both Assembly of God churches. They were very different than what I remember other AG churches to be like. Pastor Don talked about Romans 5:12-17, emphasizing grace that goes before and continuing to sanctification and being made perfect in the image of Christ. I came to realize that we are not all that different, that denominations are really that far apart. We all love to share the good news of Jesus Christ with those around us and though we may have different ideas about how we share the love of Christ it is still the love of Christ.

The Lord's Day...

It is a wonderful day; it is the Lord’s Day. All honor and glory are directed to Jesus Christ this day. I am so blessed to be in a community where there is evidence of the Lord’s presence. I haven’t been able to venture out much, but can tell from the two churches we have visited that they are faithful and are loving of Christ. Today the devotion was directed to turning all the worries and anxieties over to God for he wants to take all the problems in our lives away; he wants to be a blessing to us; he wants us to succeed in life. Philippians 4:19 is a key verse, because God will meet all the needs that we have. We must have faith as a child in all that we do and say. When we allow Jesus to come into our lives, he will help the blessings to overflow from out lives.

Yesterday went so very well. We got the opportunity to rest and chill and then we hit it hard. We were able to get all the material down for summer from the attic. We all made great progress in getting everything inventoried. It was an amazing feeling to have that down. I even got the work project boxes set up for the 1^st week. Now I need to tackle the paint and get all that inventoried. I can’t believe we have gotten this far in this short of time. We have been very blessed. Today is Sunday and we are going to our home church. They are an Assembly of God congregation and are so friendly. I know it will be a blessing today. After church we are invited to a potluck dinner with all the fixings. The team seems to be coming together quit nicely and we are actually bonding with one another. We went through the “conflict” stuff last night and learned how everyone deals with conflict. The ladies said this morning that they actually dreamed about conflict last night. I think it is healthy to talk about things like this because this summer there will be times of conflict; it’s just the nature of humanity. If we can minimize conflict all the better. I’m looking forward to a great summer of growing in the Lord and building friendships and relationships with the people I serve with and the people that I love.

Every day I am thankful for Lee Ann and her encouragement. We are growing closer each and every day because our hope and trust is in the Lord and he is at the center of our relationship. I miss her terribly, but we are in this summer for a reason and I think it is to strengthen our friendship so we will rely on the Lord for everything that we do. So I thank God for our relationship and trust that he will form it and mold it into the relationship that he wants, not what we want.

We made it....

We made it to Cortez last night about 7:00pm. The drive took us through Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Alamosa, Durango and then on to Cortez. It was about a 11 hour trip with stops for lunch and breaks along the way. We also went through Wolf Creek Pass where snow was still present on the side of the mountains, but not on the roads. It was a sight to see as we took pictures out in the snow and on top of a rock overlooking the valley. God’s creation is so beautiful, I am so thankful I am able to experience this and to praise God for what he has done. I’m reminded on Psalm 65, where we are to give thanksgiving for the earth’s bounty and all God as done in the beauty of the earth. God has richly rewarded us by giving us this beautiful land to enjoy and praise him. Praise be to God.

When we pulled into Cortez it was like pulling into home. Pastor Don was waiting for us with anticipation to show us the church and the parsonage where Amanda and Anna will be staying for summer. Pastor Don took us around the church and pointed out each and every room where we will be setting up. He gave us keys and told us to use the facilities as we needed them. He then sat us down and gave us his expectations of what the church wanted from us this summer. He is an instant friend that I will look forward to getting to know over the course of the summer. He invited us to come and talk with him anytime we had the opportunity.

I was able to see all the paint, ladders, tools and every thing I have to work with this summer last night. That was a great relief as we can start going through that today sorting and figuring out what we need to organized and need to buy. I’m so thankful for that opportunity so early in the prep week. We were able to sleep very soundly last night, I slept on the couch of the parsonage and took a hot shower and felt great this morning. My prayer today and has been for a great while now is that I don’t compare the last summer to this summer. I want this summer to be its own entity. I have a wonderful staff serving along side of me and have some wonderful prayer partners back at home. Not to mention I have a wonderful girlfriend who is so encouraging and loving. It makes my heart glad that I have friends and family who are people of God. God is so very faithful and worthy to be praised. I couldn’t do this without his guidance and loving hand upon me. Thanks be to God.

God knows...

^NIV Psalm 33:11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

God knows what is going on, we don’t have to be concern about what the future holds because when we are faithful to his glory and his plan for our lives then our future will be bright because of him. We have the assurance that the Lord has a plan for each of us and wants us to succeed. He blessed Abraham with a child, with a nation and he wants to bless us with a promise that last for all generations. We are part of that promise that God made with Abraham. We are the descendents that are charged to go out and be a blessing to others. I’m excited to be a blessing to others. I want others to succeed. I want others to have prosperity because I think that is only enhances their self worth and gives them confidence to carry on through life. Christ is the only one who can instill a sense of hope in people and it is our pleasure to introduce and show the love of Christ to a hurting world, to a broken people, to a lost society that quite frankly has taken for granted the blessings that have come from the Lord. The Lord is willing and able to give blessings and wants to all his children to know the loving grace and majesty of the Father.

The team seems to be coming together every day now. I can see the love of Christ is each and every one of my teammates. They are all very enthusiastic of what the Lord is doing in their lives and wants to share that with each other. They are recognizing the gifts and talents that God has placed in their lives and they are willing and encouraged to draw on those gifts to glorify the Lord in everything they do. I am in awe at the way the Lord is faithful as to place people in my life to encourage me and to challenge me to be better than I am. I firmly believe that the Lord is working in each of our lives encouraging us and challenging us to be a blessing to each other. Jonathan said yesterday that the honeymoon time with your staff will soon be over and that once we are with each other for entire weeks at a time we will need to draw on the strength of the Lord to see the love Christ brings to each of us through each of us. God wants us to succeed, he wants the summer to succeed but most of all he wants to be a blessing to us for always. I have confidence that when we draw on the strength of the Lord he will not fail us and will lift us up to a higher plain.

Poverty....

Todd from YouthWorks spoke about poverty yesterday and challenged the teams to consider what poverty really means within our communities and in the lives of the young people who will be coming to serve. Poverty is a real problem and the Bible has some incredible things to say about how we are to respond and treat poverty. God doesn’t want poverty, God didn’t create poverty. God wants all his children to have everything they can to sustain them and to give them a hope and a future. One thing that struck me was that people fly all over the states, even all over the world to do missions which is great. But when we travel to our locations we are bypassing mission fields that are all around us. That got me thinking about my grand ideas about wanting to be in Georgia when I leave Asbury.

Better grasp....

I have a better grasp on why I am here. I’m thinking that I am supposed to be here to learn more about myself and how to deal with contention and controversy. I believe that God wants to grow me in my spiritual maturity and help others walk in the way of the Jesus Christ. That’s exciting to me, that I get to lead others along the path of mercy and grace for at least the summer and maybe become friends with some that will last well after this summer in Colorado. God is good and faithful, this I can attest to. Yesterday my prayer was that God would take all that I worry about and all the anxieties that I have and take them away from me. I believe that He is beginning to do that. I was able to continue to build relationships and start new ones yesterday. I am beginning to be open to the possibility that God wants me here and wants to do a mighty work in my life this summer.

Yesterday we continued orientation as we looked at our specific roles as staffers this summer. Even though I have heard this idea of being the hands and feet of Jesus who will lead some 70 or so youth each week this summer, I got the sense that I was learning and experiencing something new. One thing that fascinated me was that these youth and adult leaders will be watching me and looking to me for answers to all types of questions that they may have. I was reminded that I need to model for them what it means to be Jesus to everyone, which I need to love my neighbor no matter what they look like. We are all children of the living God and we need to come together as one community of believers to honor Him and to glorify Him. So I need to model that for these young people so they will understand we are here to come along side our family to encourage and the help them be complete in the Lord. It’s not at all about the work that we do; it’s about the relationships that are built within the community.

Incredible People

I have met some incredible people already. I believe that I will truly enjoy working with Tony, Amanda, and Anna for the summer. They all seem to have a true and pure heart for the Lord. From the first impressions I got, they don’t see this summer as just a “summer job”, but a ministry for the summer. They want to grow in the Lord this summer, they are humble, they are passionate, they are enthusiastic about what the summer hold for them. I join them in these expressions and expectations because I know the Lord is going to work in the lives of all of us, in the lives of the youth, adult leaders, and the community. What an exciting time it will be.

Today will be a packed day once again, we will continue to get to know each other. We will begin to get a feel for our roles. We will begin building team unity, which I’m very excited about. I’m sure there will be a lot going on today, but right now I can’t come up with everything.

Father I pray for today, I pray that your loving and guiding hand will upon this site today. Holy Spirit I pray that you will be present with us as we seek your face in all that we do today. When we are weak from exhaustion, I pray that you will infuse your energy into us and make us excited about this ministry that you have brought us to. I pray for all the leaders today that you will give them confidence and assurance of your presence. Thank you for their leadership and their willingness to follow you. Thank you for all that you are doing and all that you are going to be doing today, tomorrow and all our days.

Why me Lord?

I’m not sure what I’m doing here. I thought I would have a better clue this year why I was here, but I find myself searching for an answer to the same question I had last year at this time. I do think I have a better grasp at what is expected of me and what opportunities I have that I can bring to this group of new people. It must be that I don’t know anyone well that is here and trying to figure out how I “fit” into the lives of these that I’m going to spend the next 11 weeks with. It is a daunting task to try and wrap my brain around. Lee Ann and I are reading the same devotional, Streams in the Desert, throughout the summer. Today’s reading was Psalm 37:5 – Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act, was speaking about giving everything we have, all our cares, all our worries, all our anxieties, all the stuff that we carry around in the palm of our hand and give it to God. Let him hold it, let him grasp it, He will take care of everything that He holds in His hand. We may be tested and we certainly will, but we need to have faith that He is working in every situation in our lives. God acts, God works, God loves, and God is faithful. So, I need to cast all the worries into the loving hand of my heavenly Father and baste in His presence. Right now, I am turning this entire summer over to God, where He leads I will go, what He ask I will do, and the people He puts in my path I will love with the love of Christ. To Him be the Glory.

The night before......

I said goodbye to my house, close friends and Wilmore, Kentucky this morning and hit the road for an adventure that will take me through Atlanta to Denver to Cortez, Colorado this summer. Even though it was hard to say goodbye, I'm anticipating it will be a great summer as I get to serve with three college students who are on fire for the Lord. I'm looking forward to how the Lord will be working in the lives of the four of us this summer.

My prayer is that the Lord will use me in a mighty way this summer. That I will be open to what He wants from me and how He wants to work through me as the summer progresses. I pray that I will not only be a light for the youth that will be coming to Cortez, and a light for the community in which I serve, but that I will be an encouraging friend to my teammates. Please join me in these prayers.

This is my second year serving with YouthWorks, my first was in Eastern Kentucky. I will be serving as the Work Project Staff finding work for youth groups to do. The groups will be serving clients by painting houses and doing minor repair work.