Summer Time

I have been told that I am a fun person by at least 5 different people.  The number is probably higher, but I’m trying to be humble here people. Since I’m a fun person, I know about having a good time.  We are about to enter one of the most fun times of the year. You guessed it- SUMMER! Summer is a great time of year. I remember as a kid getting so excited to be out of school and having the summer to do whatever I wanted. I would love sleeping in and staying up late. As an adult, I still work in the summers so staying up late and sleeping in are not exactly what I look forward to in the summers. I have found new ways to have an awesome summer. I want to share with you some sure fire ways to make sure you have an excited and fun summer.

1. Go swimming!!

Let me say it again. GO SWIMMING! This is the first step in having a great summer. The summer is meant to be a time where you swim. Swim in pools, lakes, rivers, or kiddy pools. Wherever you see a body of water, go jump in it and have a great time. My summer is not complete unless I swim and swim a lot. You will find unending joy from jumping into a cool body of water.

2. Eat meat cooked over a fire.

This is another no brainer. You want to have a good summer? Cook some meat on the grill. My favorite summer BBQ choice is pork steaks. God has truly blessed me with BBQ pork steaks. Go eat some burgers, brats, hotdogs, chicken, ribs, or some other kind of meat. This is a great way to have a yummy summer.

3. Go on a trip.

Is it really a good summer if you never leave the town you live in? My answer is no. Take some kind of trip. You don’t have to go real far. Just go somewhere. The last two summers my wife and I have taken long road trips to the east and west coast. Both were awesome trips and the highlights of our summers. This summer we aren’t going that far at all but we are going on two lake trips. Go do something this summer; don’t just sit at home. Go explore. Be adventurous.

4. Go to a baseball game

There isn’t much that screams summer more than baseball. Last summer was the first time in maybe 15 years I didn’t attend a St. Louis Cardinals game during the summer. I did go to the World Series in October that easily made up for the summer drag. Go to a baseball game. Eat a hotdog, and have a great time. If you don’t like baseball, who cares?  Go with a bunch of friends, and you will still have a great time .

There you have it. There are 4 ways to make sure you have a great summer. I’m sure there are more ways. If that’s the case, do those things too. Summer is awesome. Make the most of it.

P.S. Playing disc golf makes summer pretty fun too!

Parenting & Football

I believe I’m allowed to state my opinions. That is what the Constitution says. I have two topics I want to talk about.  One much shorter than the other.

If you have Twitter, a TV, or you have hearing and seeing capability you might know about Richard Sherman and what he did yesterday. During the NFC championship game yesterday, he made a play to help his team go to the Super Bowl. He made a great play. He is a great football player. The thing is though, no one is talking about the great play he made. People are talking about his interview after the game. I played football in high school.  I understand the emotions that come with the game and played with a lot of passion myself. However, the manner in which Richard Sherman chose to act was a classless act. He showed he has no dignity and no humility. It’s okay to be confident. It is not okay to be cocky. If I had children I would say to them, “That is how I don’t want you to act.” Let your actions speak for you, not your poorly chosen words. Now his team has an even bigger target on its back because of his conduct. All I can say is, go Broncos!

Now that I’m off that soapbox. I want to share what is really on my mind. This past weekend I watched a movie with my wife Cara about a high school boy. In this story, he is the life of the party. He is a popular kid that most people like. But, the thing is he has deep struggles that he covers up with drinking, partying, and relationships. During the movie, the viewer finds out that he lives with his single mom and continually asks his mom for his dad’s contact information. Eventually, he receives the information from his sister, and he gets to see his dad for the first time in 10 years. In the process, the boy finds out who his dad really is--  a selfish person who doesn’t really care about anyone but himself. This breaks the kid’s heart, and he spends the rest of the movie pushing everyone away because he doesn’t feel he is worth anyone’s love.  He does this because his dad never truly loved him, so no one else could possibly love him.   The boy eventually overcomes this thinking. The reality is that stories like these happen every day. Too many times kids are faced with an absent parent who never loves them, and parents who abandon them. It makes me sick. If you have kids, love them so much that it hurts. Our society is going down the crapper, not because of who the president is or who is in government, but because parents aren’t stepping up and being the parents they are supposed to be. They aren’t loving their kids the way God wants them to. I don’t care if you follow Jesus or not. Raise your kids! Love your kids! Teach them respect and responsibility! My parent raised my brother and I. Did they make mistakes? You bet. One thing remained. Love. I was always loved. My parents showed their love by teaching me how to be a good person, teaching me how to work hard, teaching me how to be respectful, and teaching me to love Jesus. I am a better person for it. I’m sure my parents wanted to give up or go crazy, but they didn’t. They knew they had a responsibility. If you are a parent or thinking about becoming a parent. Love you kids. Love them through teaching them right and wrong and  going to games, musicals, and dance practice. Love them by never giving up on them. Be the type of parent God wants you to be.

Just What I Needed

We have different stages in life. Those stages vary in all sorts of ways with all sorts of people. During one of the stages, we begin to understand more the difference between what we want and what we need. As a kid, you think you need all sorts of things you don’t actually need. Whether it is a certain toy or candy you think you need, it is stuff you don’t actually need. As kids we don’t always have the ability to think rationally. Even as an adult, I catch myself thinking I need something that I actually just want and don’t need. In my current stage of life, the lesson of need versus want continues. The fact is I need Jesus. I need God’s power. I need his Holy Spirit. It is unfortunate, but for a while I was just relying on myself and not God. I was looking to myself for all the answers. I was looking to myself to do things. What I encountered is this: I can’t do it. I’m not good enough. I’m not skilled enough. I’m not strong enough. The most important thing I realized though is I can do it, I am strong enough, good enough and skilled enough with the help of my Savior. So, I have made a point in my life to need God and to seek him out for help and direction. I am asking him for help in so many areas of my life. I believe when we realize that we need God, we become who we are meant to be. We are meant to be followers of God. If you don’t agree with me, that’s cool. I’m not here to persuade you. I am here to share how my life is changed by my Savior. You and I both need God whether you have figured it out yet or not. I hope that you do. I hope you do because your life will change for the better.

Pigskin

            I am a football fan. I would like to say that I am more of a football fan. Football is kind of a part of me. That statement may sound weird and crazy but it is true. After my love for God, my wife, my family, and my job as a youth pastor, football is probably the thing I love the most. I love to play football, I love to watch football, I love to coach football, I love to play football video games, and I love to play fantasy football. I am really looking forward to this upcoming season of football. I am entering my second year as an assistant football coach. I have really enjoyed getting to be around the game more through coaching. I’m looking forward in being in 2 fantasy football leagues this year. Along with coaching and fantasy, I am excited for college football this year. I’m hoping Missouri fairs better this year than they did last year. But more than coaching, fantasy football, and college, I’m really excited for the NFL season. I am a St. Louis Rams fan, and they are looking to be a good team this year. They have a chance to make the playoffs for the first time in a while, and that excites me. I have NFL Sunday Ticket so I get to watch ever game, and I can’t wait. Football is great, but it is always so much more fun when your team is good. So I look forward to football season this year. I hope the Rams do great things and make the playoffs. I hope Mizzou can be a much better team than last year. I hope for a successful season for our high school team I coach, and I hope to defend my crown as fantasy football champion. I hope you have successful football season as well. If you don’t care about football, that is just too bad. Go Rams!

TV Families

There is a show I watch called “Parenthood”.  This show is easily one of the best shows on television. The show is about four adult siblings and their individual families. It goes through the ends and outs of the family along with some drama, laughs, and even some tears. It is a great show that you should watch.  What I enjoy most about this show is that it brings family into perspective for me. I am a really blessed individual when it comes to my amazing family.  The show makes me appreciate my family that much more. My family is simple.  I have one brother along with my mom and dad.  My family was not “Leave it to Beaver.” (If you don’t know that reference, that’s unfortunate.) We had our problems; we had our fights, but in the end I was always loved in my family. We still are there for each other and would do anything for each other.  Family is important, and it is an amazing gift to have. My family has grown in the last 7 years. My brother is married and now has 4 boys, and I have gotten married and have a whole extended family that is awesome as well. Family is great. I don’t know if I said that yet. What I want you to know is don’t take your family for granted. They are all we have at times. Cherish your family. If you haven’t talked to a family member in a long time, quit being prideful, stubborn, or a flat out big baby and settle the disagreement. They are your family and that is a special bond that you just can’t find around the corner. Make family a priority. I love my family, and they are special to me.  I love little reminders like the TV show “Parenthood” that helps me remember how special mine is. Seriously, watch “Parenthood”.

Just Write It

I have terrible handwriting. It is pretty bad. I haven’t advanced on my handwriting skills since the 2^nd grade. The good thing is my handwriting is still somewhat readable.  You can make a major impact with your handwriting whether it is super sloppy or the best handwriting the world has ever seen.

A couple of years ago my father-in-law, Rusty, sent me a handwritten letter. In the note, he encouraged me and just said things that made me feel good. Even though he said all these wonderful things, the best part wasn't what he said; it was the fact that he wrote it himself- pen and paper style. He didn't type it. Rusty’s handwriting isn't much better than mine, but, you know what, it didn't bother me. The words that he wrote meant so much to me.

Being a youth minister, I try to express to my students that I care for them and love them. I do that in a number of ways. One way I have attempted to care for my students recently is by writing students handwritten letters. A handwritten letter can truly show someone that you care about them. If you are a youth minister reading this, I encourage you to do this for your students. If you aren't in ministry, I encourage you to write a letter to your kids, friends, spouses, or whoever you are close to. A handwritten letter can go a long way to show you care. If your handwriting is sloppy, no one cares. Just write the letter. Your letter will make more of an impact than you will ever know.

P.S. Go Cardinals! 

Cash

I like stuff. I like to have stuff. I like buying stuff. Stuff, stuff, and more stuff. Can you have too much stuff? Well, of course, you can. How do we get stuff? I bet you know. MONEY! Money is a great thing. You can buy food, cars, houses, bikes, movies, games, educations, books, wood, trips, and even gas. We can even give it away. Crazy! I am currently working on a message for the weekly Wednesday night youth service (a.k.a. Encounter) that will be about giving and money. What I am learning through the process is that when we give, it all starts with our hearts. I can give all the money I want and give as much as I want, but my heart needs to be in the right place. If my heart is in the wrong place, if I’m giving for the wrong reasons, I’m not really honoring God. I’m just trying to please myself, and that is a bad thing my friends. Don’t give out of a have to or to make yourself feel better. Give because you want to spread the gospel through the resources God has blessed you with. I believe that when we give, we can help some amazing things happen in the kingdom of God. So, when you give, make sure you are thinking it through. Don’t do it out of compulsion or a feel of have to, but seek out God’s guidance on how you should give. God has blessed us all in sorts of ways; use those blessing to bless others and to spread the gospel, because that is what it is all about.