Mind dump...
Jeanne and I spent time on the way home from lunch at the Atlanta Bread Company planning for Cadre Legacy's Reunion. So far, I've only been apart of pulling off what someone else has planned. This is my first opportunity to be on the brainstorming side. It's been good times. She's brilliant ... Dave's brilliant ... hopefully, one day too, I will become brilliant ... just kidding. We've got some pretty cool stuff planned. Pray for sunshine and the 25-30 youth pastors that will be apart of it, may it be refreshing to their souls.
One year from tonight, our NYLC conference will be history ... over, completo. I told Jeanne that we need to make sure we take time to do a victory dance the night afterwards and eat at PF Changs. Way too often, I finish one thing and rush onto the gazillion other things that piled up while I was doing the one thing. I'm absolutely horrible at taking the time to celebrate the win and give Jesus thanks. She texted back and said they took 3 days off after the conference in 05 and even ate at PF Changs ... score! Pray that we seal the deal on a few things so we can move forward in a couple of other areas so thousands of youth pastors will have the opportunity to be encouraged and trained. Pray that you and I both take the time to celebrate God grace, mercy and victories before moving onto the next thing.
I spent Easter weekend at home. GCC's glow stick viral weekend rocked. My sister and her husband spent hours sanding and refinishing their hardwood floors. Mental note to self: stick with carpet. It was fun watching them work together though. I got to see my great niece. She's the cutest. I miss her ... and, of course, the rest of my fam and friends too. Karen, Hilary, Wendy, Tammy, Blake, the amazing Ekema sisters and I made Easter Baskets for the YWCA again ... 42 of them and they were jammed packed. It's like the fourth year running. It reminded me of the importance of traditions. As I do youth ministry, I need to remember that more often ... traditions mark you, especially when they involve serving. I'm making some great new friends her in the ATL. It's been fun, but I forgot how long it takes for lasting friendship to take root. Pray for traditions in my family and yours.
It was a great night at Oxygen. Dave knocked it out of the park talking about amnesia ... our forgetfulness and need to remember. I sat with a 6th grade girl who lives at some kind of boarding school (I don't think it's necessarily the good kind). Her name was Holly. I wish you could hear some of the stories of the kids in this youth ministry, it'd rip you up. I love doing ministry here, but wish I had more time. In the next few days, I hope to take my Mexico mission team to downtown Atlanta to work with Church on the Street again. Pray that our hearts would not grow numb to the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual pain locally and globally.
It was just the home team tonight, MC is on Spring Break. I miss the "MC hallway dwellers" (that's what I call them at lunchtime when there are a bunch of them sitting in the hallway on their laptops). They really light up my days with smiles and laughter. I can't imagine this summer when we are going to have to do life without them. The good news is that there will be even more next year. Interviews are ahead for next year, pray the right ones are selected for whatever reason God might intend.
Looking forward to Friday. I'm going to spend some long needed qualtiy time with Jesus on Stone Mountain. I've got the itch to write again. It's supposed to be sunny and 77. Sun, Stone Mountain and 77 are good for my soul. Pray for the stuff swirling in my head.
Pray for the 20 I'm taking to Back2Back in Mexico in 2 1/2 weeks. We're going to serve the poor, but the reality is that a bunch of them are poor and finances are tight. In faith, I fronted some of the money ... pray that they work hard on their spring break and people are beyond generous.
This post is too long ... thanks for listening ... and praying!
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3 comments:
Thanks for the Easter Baskets for the Y. The kids loved them.
Mike and Scottie lead worship last night at Oasis. They rocked.
I hear ya on not forgetting those who are in pain.
This is where I really appreciate the way the Mennonite church (at least those in my area) works. They have a strong tradition of service, both to people and social justice. But, in doing service to others, they don't just go into a community, work and then go back to their homes. They tend to move into those communities they are serving. I appreciate their committment to becoming a part of peoples' lives. The fact is, it's much easier to help others when they see you as a part of their lives rather than someone who just comes and goes.
I think you're at a bit of a disadvantage working in the inner city simply because of where you come from. No matter how much you care, you are still an outsider coming into someone else's world. That may be a spoken sentiment or an emotional aspect that, so subtle and ingrained, that even some of those you're trying to help, aren't consciously aware of it. You may not agree with that but, as someone who went from growing up in Granger to living in "da hood", I live with this reality.
I have just as much passion as you for helping others (even if we work in different life areas) but there are times I cannot have the same effect on a person or situation that someone else can have, simply because they can work from within and I come from the outside.
Please don't get me wrong. I'm not disrespecting your work, nor questioning your level of committment to helping others, just sharing with you some insight on the inner city mentality. It's a different world and a different culture where respect is so highly valued that it really has to be earned in the trenches.
I'm glad yo hear things are going well fo you and I hope you make good use of that quiet time. We all need time to be restored and refreshed and your schedule is exhausting just to read.
Namaste'
(meaning "the Divine in me blesses and honors the Divine in you)
Great insights my friend. Totally agree with parts of it, totally disagree with other parts. Connecting hasn't been a problem. However, connecting with all...or close to all...is never the goal. All I need to do is connect with some who will in turn connect with others who in turn will connect with even more. The time issue is killing me more than the culture. Respect is good, but authentic love trumps it (especially with kids) becasue within it respect usually lives.
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