So much has happened...


...in the last few days. well, not SO much, but a lot. and when things happen i sometimes think "i'll share these moments with my anonymous online group of stalkers!!" especially since i think you all hate me for updating an average of like once a month. i've really been convicted about communication lately, which is silly, since i have a degree that says that i studied communication and am a com-STAR! but, turns out, i'm not. which i've known for a while, but it's starting to sink in that being a bad communicator=being a bad youth pastor, (thanks pastor TJ for that insight) and i'm not ok with that. my problem now is what to communicate. well, here goes a little something to whet your appetite.

Good ol' incan. we had then incandescence meeting (high schoolers that lead the middle school group) at the bergs on monday, which was awesome- i didn't have to plan food, for starters. and the bergs and i really want the kids to know the pastors of the church the kids work in, so this was the solution. and i meant to talk to the kids about me, and apologize for being a bad communicator, and ask for their grace and help, but i never really got around to it. we talked about how the retreat went, and stuff that we learned from it. i really should have planned a debreif time with questions and stuff, but it was pretty much impossible to meet with them the week after the retreat. stupid sports/play/extra-curricular things. DON'T THEY KNOW THEY MESS WITH ME?!?! so we debriefed a little, then prayed a little, then went into the kitchen for dessert, and the kids had a chair in the middle of the kitchen they told me to sit in. and then they took turns washing my feet and telling me how i encourage them and am a good example to them and all that. (sigh) they have no idea what that meant to me. i'm not really convinced they know what it means to wash someone's feet, but i appreciated the sentiment. i really wanted to switch places with them and wash their feet, actually. i mean, it' s my job to look out for them, to make sacrifices in my own life so they can grow spiritually, to serve them no matter the cost to my body, emotions, time, money, etc. - which is something i try to do, but often fail at. still, it's my goal to live with enough discipline in all areas of life that i am able to spend as much time with them as i can. it's not their job to serve me, which is what i think foot-washing signifies. they (well, one of them specifically that put this thing together) were just looking for a way to encourage me, and that fact alone encourages me more than the foot-washing, although that was amazing. all in all, it was a very humbling experience.

and they gave me like 10 boxes of apollo, which was also awesome and made me want to cry. so many apollo....

and if you guys could actually take the next like 30 seconds to pray for one of my leaders, that would be awesome. her name is lara, and she's been growing a lot. she kinda had a crisis at home a few days ago- her parents are divorced, and her relationship with her mom is kinda rocky right now. and by kinda i mean really. and it's hard for me to see one of my leaders going through this- i worry that it will be too much, and she'll turn her back on God, that she'll just give up. just pray that she will be close to God, and He will give her the strength she needs to be a leader and example to her classmates and the middle school kids. and that her relationship with her mom will get better and they will give eachother a little slack. pray. NOW!!

i'm gonna keep this one short, for my benefit and for yours. so....THE END!