pictured book list...

yeah so thats my book list... im reading all of them at the same time...

wanted add on my blog...

this was written for me on facebook but it was to funny not to post on here...

WANTED ONE FEMALE MALLARD TO SHARE SMALL BUT GOLDEN POND
.
Applications are being accepted for the nesting season that is just around the corner.
.
Steve (The Drake) Moore is one High Flying Mallard in search of One High Flying Female Mallard with beautiful feathers of her own.
.
Qualifications are as followed…..
.
Must be a nester, willing to replenish Gods Golden waters with youthful and energetic quackers.
Must have a humble but attractive quack of her own
Must possess the ability to swim countless hours day and night
Must have a quacky sense of humor
Must love the green and yellow colors of distinction
Blue is color of quality to be cherished as well
.
To obtain your application, and interview for this once in a lifetime golden opportunity

Quack in the comment section below

All Canadian participants please no honking

What is the heart of worship?

Sometimes knowing the story behind a song really takes the song to another level.

Here is the story behind the song “Heart of Worship” by Matt Redman (through the words of Mike Pilavachi, pastor of Soul Survivor in London, England)…

Since it began, Soul Survivor has always given plenty of time over to worshiping through music. Over the years, people have poured out their hearts to God through it, and there have been plenty of examples of great things happening as a result. However, there was a season when we realized that something was “up” with out worship.

At first, it was difficult to put our finger on the problem. On the surface, everything was just fine: the musicians were tuning their instruments and the sound men were getting out of bed on time. Each service contained a block of songs that focused on the cross and gave people the chance to get down to business with God. To make this easier, the music was (nearly) up-to-date, the chairs had disappeared, and the lights were low – what better atmosphere for young people to worship God?

Yet, we seemed to have lost the spark. We seemed to be going through the motions, but I noticed that although we were singing the songs, our hearts were far from Him. Was it Matt Redman’s fault? I listened. He wasn’t singing any more off notes than usual. Then one day it clicked; we had become connoisseurs of worship instead of participants of it.

In our hearts, we were giving the worship team grades on a scale from one to ten: “Not that song again,” “I can’t hear the bass,” “I like the way she sings better.” We had made the band the performers of worship and ourselves the audience.

We had forgotten that we are ALL the performers of worship and that God is the audience. We had forgotten that sacrifice is central to biblical worship. We are called to offer our bodies as living sacrifices – this is our spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1). We are called to offer our sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15).

We were challenged to ask ourselves individually, “When I come through the door of the church, what am I bringing as my contribution to worship?” The truth came to us: worship is not a spectator sport. It is not a product molded by the taste of the consumers. It is not about what we can get out of it. It is all about God.

We needed to take drastic action. For a while, in order to truly learn this lesson, we banned the band. We fired Matt Redman!

Then we sat around in circles and said that if no one brought a sacrifice of praise, we would spend the meeting in silence. At the beginning we virtually did! It was a very painful process. We are learning again not to rely on the music.

After a while, we began to have some very sweet times of worship. We all began to bring our prayers, our readings, our prophecies, our thanksgiving, our praises, and our songs. Someone would start a song a cappella and we would all join in. Then someone else would take it on to another song. The excitement came back. We were not having church; we were once again meeting with God. With all the comforts stripped away, we worshiped from the heart.

When we had learned our lesson, we brought the band back. It was at this point that Matt Redman began to sing the song he had written out of this experience. I wept as we sang it for the first time. The words expressed exactly what was going on…

When the music fades, And all is stripped away, And I simply come

Longing just to bring, Something that’s of worth, Just to bless your heart

I’ll bring you more than a song, For a song in itself is not what you have required

You search much deeper within through the ways things appear

You’re looking into my heart

I’m coming back to the heart of worship

And it’s all about you, It’s all about you Jesus

I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it

When it’s all about you, It’s all about you Jesus

The Bible

I know ive been posting alot, these are blogs I have written over the year and now am sharing htem

The Bible…

Contains 66 different books

Has an Old Testament with 39 books

Has a New Testament with 27 books

There are 1,189 chapters in the Bible

There are 31,173 verses in the Bible

There are 807,361 words in the Bible

Knowing all these interesting facts may make you a baller in Biblical Trivial Pursuit, but are these facts life-changing? Do you look at the Bible as a history book full of interesting facts to memorize or do you look at the Bible as the perfect, infallible Word of God? How do you respond when you collide with the Bible?

Check out these two very different responses to the Bible:

Centuries ago the Prince of Granada was sentenced for life to solitary confinement in one of Madrid’s ancient prisons. Apparently, the authorities feared he might aspire to the throne. During his imprisonment he was given one book to read – the Bible. Over the next 33 years, the Prince apparently read the Bible hundreds of time and read it with painstaking care. But when he did after 33 years of imprisonment, and the authorities began going through his cell after his burial, what they found was striking. All over the walls of his cell, they found that he had etched in the soft stone notations such as these:

The eighth verse of the 97th Psalm is the middle verse of the Bible; Ezra 7:21 contains all the letters of the alphabet except the letter “J”; the ninth verse of the eighth chapter of Esther is the longest; no word or name of more than six syllables can be found in the Bible.

It is incredible that this man spent more than 33 years carefully studying this one book that has been described even by its critics as one of the most amazing pieces of literature ever written, and all he got from his study was a few isolated pieces of Bible trivia. (from The Ministry of Nurture by Duffy Robbins)

Compare the Prince with the Ethiopian eunuch from Acts 8…

In Acts 8:26-40 an Ethiopian man was traveling home in his chariot reading from the Old Testament book of Isaiah. The man needing help understanding what he was reading asked Philip to explain God’s Word. Through looking at the book of Isaiah, Philip told him the good news about Jesus. Immediately he responded by pulling the chariot over, asked Philip to baptize him right then and there, and gave his life to Jesus. The eunuch’s life was forever changed after encountering the Word of God.

Two stories. Two different encounters with the Bible. Two very different responses.

______________

Which story do you relate more with? Is the Bible just a history book filled with trivia answers and cool facts to you? Is the Bible simply decoration on your coffee table or night stand collecting dust while making you look “spiritual”? Or is the Bible the “sharper than any double-edge sword” Word of God that is your life guide that when you encounter it, it forever changes you?

shhhhhhhh

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.” - Acts 17:24 (NIV)

Turns out God doesn’t live at the church after all. By the very logic of His immensity. He refuses to be contained by any temple or structure.

What a shame. I guess we have to say good-bye to the admonition we often give kids who get too rowdy at church – “SHHHhhhhhh! You’re in God’s house.” Do we really believe that, or is it just a clever threat, a last resort after we’ve long since counted to three and still can’t get the kids to settle down?

It does make for a nice image, though. Can you see Him at the door after the service, greeting everyone? “Thanks for coming, appreciate you coming, thanks for being here, glad you made it, hope you enjoyed it. Was everything okay? God bless. Oh yeah, I’m God – so, just…bless! Come back to see Me! Have a nice week!”

Is that God? Watching all the cars drive away, turning the church lights off, settling in for a long and quiet week, maybe playing a little on the organ, only to fling wide the doors again in seven days. “Hey! Glad you’re back. Good to see you. Come on in!”

I don’t think so. God doesn’t have a church fetish. He probably cares less about the carpet color there than we think. Why? Because He’s huge. Creator, Initiator of all things. Way too vast to be stuck in some building all week. Far too interested in our lives to simply watch us drive away from Him. Much more worthy of our time than just one hour of just one day.

thoughts?

Merry Christmas

this says it all... MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone!!!

2009 in review

Wow its crazy to think that in a short week 2009 will be over. It’s been a great yeah, filled with many firsts for me as well as a lot of transition. I have moved three times this year, had two jobs and started a ministry. 2009 has really been a year where I learned to trust God more and with everything I have. It’s been a year where I figured out what it’s like to have God number one in my life. It’s been a year where my priorities have finally been put in place. It’s been a growing year; this summer was a real maturation process. I took my first ministry job in 2009, its been amazing…

- I turned a quarter century old
- moved back to BU to finish my last semester at college
- God back from an awesome mission’s trip
- received my license to preach from the AG
- was able to preach from time to time at revolution one80
- graduated from college
- had to say goodbye to a lot of amazing people at Bethany
- Finally put God number one in my life
- moved to Sacramento
- Had the greatest summer ever getting to do ministry
- God placed a great deal of amazing leadership in my life at the DRC
- started a youth ministry in Fairfield!
- moved to Fairfield
- my son got married
- finally got a blackberry! Small thing to some but I have wanted one for a long time
- fell more in love with coffee than ever before thanks to free wifi at starbucks

Crazy year eh?

Hello my name is...

Hello, my name is…I AM NOT.

Let me explain…

In Exodus 3, Moses has a conversation with God through the burning bush. After God tells Moses that he is going to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery, Moses asks Him to say who is sending him. God answers with His name, “I AM.”

As God’s name, it declares that He is unchanging, constant, unending, always present, always God.

God was telling Moses:

I AM the center of everything.
I AM running the show.
I AM the same every day, forever.
I AM the owner of everything.
I AM the Lord.
I AM the Creator and Sustainer of life.
I AM the Savior.
I AM more than enough.
I AM inexhaustible and immeasurable.
I AM God.

In a heartbeat, Moses knew God’s name – and something more. He finally knew his. For if God’s name is I AM, Moses’ name must be I AM NOT.

I AM NOT the center of everything.
I AM NOT in control.
I AM NOT the solution.
I AM NOT all-powerful.
I AM NOT calling the shots.
I AM NOT the owner of anything.
I AM NOT the Lord.

That’s my name, too. And yours. I AM NOT. Just try it under your breath, “My name is I AM NOT.”

I AM NOT running anything.
I AM NOT the head of anything.
I AM NOT in charge of anything.
I AM NOT the maker.
I AM NOT the savior.
I AM NOT holding it all together.
I AM NOT all-knowing.
I AM NOT God.

Sure, people might call you Tommy or Eddie or Amanda or Scott or Michelle or Erin or Kyle. But, let’s face it, when you get right down to it, all of our names are I AM NOT.

And God’s name is still I AM.

the measure of a man

Am I a real man? That is the comical question I am bringing up for you to ponder. The online urban dictionary defines a real man as “a true man can be best described as rugged and that does not have any fears. A man has a good deal amount of knowledge about tools, cars, the outdoors, knows how to act around women by being a gentleman, but is not always serious and can have fun with them. Men financially provide for others and themselves and are overall responsible. Men are clean, well groomed, and can have a very short beard to portray that image of ruggedness. True men do not think about themselves. They do not always think about sex. They stand up for what they believe, take responsibility for their actions, help others, they are self confident, physically strong and in shape, have a sense of humor, generous, honest, and are considerate. They provide a sense of security. Men are brave and do not need to show off for their friends nor do they sway their opinions because of their friends. Now even if you are biologically a man, this does not mean you fit my definition of all the components of what a real man is.”

It follows that hilarious definition by saying, “A ‘Real Man’ would be like the Brawny paper towel mascot. He has that image of outdoors, strength, confidence, and ruggedness, but what about his character?”

Hilarious. Nothing screams strength, confidence, and ruggedness like a cartoon man plastered all over paper towels. Honestly what man can live up to “cartoon-paper towel-guy”? Well, here are some reasons why my manhood would be in question and then some reasons why my manhood is completely intact:

REASONS FOR ME NOT BEING A “REAL” MAN:

My lack of tools. If you looked around my house for tools, you would be lucky to find a tiny screwdriver, a pathetic hammer, and well…that’s pretty much it. I do have a power drill, but I think it is still in its original box. Every tool I own was bought for me by my dad when he was fixing something at my house and I obviously didn’t have what they needed.

I know nothing about cars. I don’t change my own oil. I don’t rotate my own tires. I couldn’t fix anything on my car if it broke. My check engine light is on right now in my car and I have no clue why. I basically know how to put gas in, take it somewhere for oil changes and repairs, and how to use my iPod hook up.

I don’t do the outdoors well. I’ll be honest, I am kind of a divo (the guy equivalent of a girl who is a diva). I don’t like to camp. I like to shower and be clean. I like to sleep in beds. I don’t like getting bit by bugs.

I shave my armpits. There is great logic to this though: it keeps me from having an obscene amount of underarm sweat. Think about this, guys in the summer shave their heads to stay cool. The same principle applies to your armpits. You will have less sweat and heat bald rather than an afro down there. No lady wants to feel a swamp whenever you put your arm around them. Underarm hair is gross anyways.

I enjoy watching chick flicks more than other movies. say what you want but they are great movies. and I cry sometimes at the end.

I use a loofah. I got hooked on using them a few years ago.

REASONS FOR ME BEING A “REAL” MAN:

I can grow a good beard. Yes, currently I am growing a mean beard for the first time. That’s manly right?

I know a lot and can figure out most technology. Where I can’t fix cars and house stuff, I do know technology. I can now work on both PCs and Macs. I’ve got lots of toys.

Good at Madden. Enough said on this one

I know a lot about sports. ESPN can be found on my televisions a good percentage of the day. I can tell you too much about most every sport. It’s pathetic really. I also have played a lot of sports in my life too, including making an actual 3 pointer in a basketball game and hitting a homerun.

I treat women right. I’ve got to really because my dad taught us well.

I carry a wallet. No man-purse or (for those Seinfeld fans) European Carry-all.

I have a “man-room” in my house. This room includes a border of framed memorable such as a sandy koufax autographed lineup card, a manny Ramirez autographed photo, old news paper clippings of great moments in sports, and sports teams flags.

I can belch really loud. I used to embarrass my mom even when nobody was around.

I use Brawny paper towels.
So what do you think? Real man or not?


(By the way, this was entirely written for entertainment. I am not questioning my manhood. I am have enough self confidence to laugh at myself. Please don’t take this too seriously. It was purely fun. However, all the contents of this post are completely – and sadly – true.)

what I love about scripture

I love that when you read scripture it comes alive to us. I love how scripture rejuvenates us, how we can be going through a situation and the bible covers it. Scriptures teach the Godly way to do things. I love that the Bible is a big book that is essentially a love story from God to us.

Here are some of the scriptures I have been reading and some of my favorite I have.

Proverbs 10:17- the message
The road to life is a disciplined life;
ignore correction and you're lost for good.

I love how it teaches us very plainly to be disciplined, and what happens if you are not disciplined in your life.

Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

This is one of my favorite of all time, this proverb passage teaches us how to live life. If we trust God he will be with us at all times.

Ephesians 5: 1-2
1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Besides this scripture having a great impact on my life, I love how God says to imitate him, and for us to live a life full of love, just like Jesus did.

2 Samuel 14:14
14 Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.

I really just like this scripture and how God tell us we are not banished from him.


let me just say I love many scriptures but these few are what is really hitting me hard right now and I love to dig deeper and deeper in scripture.

sitting here thinking...

The saying is hindsite is always 20/20 vision. What would this world look like if at say age 25 we could go back and change one thing about the past? What would someone go back and change? When they decided there major? When they chose one job over another? How they acted in a situation? What would I change? I would have listened to the leadership in college more and followed the leadership God put in my life alot differently and better. I would have asked more questions to my leadership. questions like I see how to get the money together to do an event but help me understand the planning and how you decided what amount to charge? how did you budget that? There is still one thing that bugs me to this day that I would want to do differently but I know I cannot change it, and even if I could Im not sure I would. I learned alot about myself through it and grew stronger because of it. this probably doesnt make sense to anyone but me.

Youth Ministry name, logo and mission statement

so the new Youth Ministry name for fairfield first assembly of God is Revolution Student ministries. here are a couple of the logos Ive been working on tell me what you guys think...

the mission statement is: REVOLUTION exists to build relationships that lead students towards life-changing encounters with God. We work to see students connecting with Jesus, living life together, and changing the world.

REVOLUTION Student Ministry is...
- A safe place to ask questions, get answers, and find the truth
- A chance to help others with opportunities around the corner, across the country, and around the world
- Incredible leaders who talk to you about the real life stuff you face every day
- All your friends
- A whole lot of fun

thankful

Things I’m thankful for

- God’s redemptive blood
- My amazing/crazy family
- Best friend Mack
- Awesome friends
- My new church family being accepting of me
- The youth ministry God entrusted to me
- My youth pastor roommates
- The amazing leaders God placed in my life
- The promise of God taking care of me even when I don’t deserve it
- The challenges in my life that make me a stronger person/leader
- Being able to openly worship my God and being able to proclaim him to all
- Laughter among friends
- My Pastors (Pastor Clay and Pastor Doug)
- But most of all, Jesus and the amazing things he has done for me throughout the year, he is my everything and without him I would be nothing.

blessed redeemer...

Up Calvary’s mountain one dreadful morn
Walked Christ my Savior, weary and worn
Facing for sinners death on the cross
That He might save them from endless loss

Blessed Redeemer, precious Redeemer
Seems now I see Him on Calvary’s tree
Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading
Blind and unheeding, dying for me

“Father, forgive them,” my Savior prayed
Even while His lifeblood flowed fast away
Praying for sinners while in such woe
No one but Jesus ever loved so

Jesus, I thanks for the cross
Thank you for your redemptive blood,
Painful and all alone, for my soul
That one day we might meet again

The most glorious day, that one Sunday
He rose up from death, to show us his way
Beautiful and holy, came back for me
Overcame death to free me of sin

Up Calvary’s mountain one dreadful morn
Walked Christ my Savior, weary and worn
Facing for sinners death on the cross
That He might save them from endless loss

Twas the month before Christmas

When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
See the PC Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a ' Holiday'.
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
As Targets were hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears
You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.
Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.
And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.

So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS,
not Happy Holiday !

Your Love is a Song

I listen to alot of songs and alot of different music, I recently purchased the new CD from Switchfoot and they have a song on the new cd that is simply amazing. On the cd the song is called Your Love is a Song. the lyrics are powerful. read them and then buy the cd.

I hear you breathing in
Another day begins
The stars are falling out
My dreams are fading now, fading out

I've been keeping my eyes wide open
I've been keeping my eyes wide open

Oh, your love is a symphony
All around me
Running through me
Oh, your love is a melody
Underneath me
Running to me
All your love is a song

The dawn is fire bright
Against the city light
The clouds are glowing now
The moon is blacking out, blacking out

So I've been keeping my mind wide open
I've been keeping my mind wide open
Yeah

Oh, your love is a symphony
All around me
Running through me
Oh, your love is a melody
Underneath me
Running to me

Oh, your love is a song
Your love is a song
Oh, your love is a song
Your love is strong

With my eyes wide open
I've got my eyes wide open
I've been keeping my hopes unbroken
Yeah, yeah

Oh, your love is a symphony
All around me
Running through me
Oh, your love is a melody
Underneath me
Running to me
Your love is a song

Yeah, yeah

Your love is my remedy
All your love is a song

worship time

Last night while doing some personal time I was singing a popular song, and along came the line, "Lead me to the cross." Now I admit that at first glance the meaning appears obvious. But as we were singing, I felt compelled to ask myself what it would really mean to have Jesus lead me to the cross. So I paused to reflect on this issue. I asked God to help me understand what this line really means. He gave me a vision which I believe captured the concept perfectly.

In my vision, Jesus came right up to me and grabbed my hand. He started walking, and I followed right behind. We began ascending a hill, and as we neared the top, I noticed there was a cross on the crest of the hill. Suddenly, each step became heavier. And the closer we got, the more painful the experience became. See, I had "visited" the cross many times before, usually to lay my burdens down at the foot of the cross. But each time I have been alone. This time, as I approached the cross, I was far from alone. I was with Jesus himself. And this was quite a different experience. I realized that we were walking to the sight of his death, a death that I contributed to.

Imagine that you were responsible for the death of a loved one. Suppose it was your mother, and her death was your fault. Then imagine that she appeared before you, and you visited the site of her death, how do you think that would make you feel? Would you just enjoy being with her, perhaps setting up a picnic? Or would your response be markedly different? Needless to say, there was no joy in my heart as I visited the site of Christ's death with him. And as if it wasn't bad enough, he was holding my hand as he led me up the hill. I could feel the hole in his hand, a hole I put there.

With each step closer, the weight of my sin was exponentially increasing. It was a crushing feeling. We finally arrived in the shadow of the cross, and tears were gushing out of my eyes. My chest was being crushed, all I could say was, "I'm sorry." Then Jesus turned around (remember, at this point, he had been leading me, I had not seen his face yet). He had a massive smile on his face! "I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" was all I could muster. And with a genuine look of confusion, he asked, "What are you talking about?" Suddenly a flood of scriptures came into my mind. Does the Bible really say that Jesus has removed our sin from us as far as the east is from the west? And that Christ's atonement made us as though our sins had NEVER even happened? God really doesn't count any of that against me?

Jesus really had no idea what I was talking about. All that guilt from my sin that was devastatingly heavy on my back was suddenly thrown aside, and I felt as though I could fly. At this point, all I could say was, "Jesus, I love you. I love you!!!"

The Bible says that whoever is forgiven little loves little, but whoever is forgiven much loves much. I used to think that was talking about "amounts" of sin, as in the number of sins I'd committed. I now realize it can just as well be talking about amounts in the context of how I feel about those sinse. The number of sins is no matter, to God, one sin is just as grievous as a million. When I felt the weight of my sin, I was at the lowest of lows. When I realized that God had forgiven me, my love reached the highest of highs. I have been forgiven much, and my response to God was more extreme then when I "felt" like I had few sins.

my 2010 dodgers...

C- Russell martin
1b- Adrian Gonzales- Trade
2b- blake dewitt
ss- Rafael furcal
3b- Adrian belte- welcome back
Of- Manny Ramirez
Of- Matt Kemp
Of- Andre Ethier

Bench
- Mark Loretta (inf)
- Juan Pierre (of)
- Lucas May (cather)
- Doug Mientkiewicz (lhph)
- Juan Castro (inf)

Rotation

Roy Halladay- trade
Chad Billingsley
Clayton Kershaw
Hiroki Kuroda
Vicente Padilla

Bullpen

Hong-chih Kuo
Ronald Belasario
Scott Elbert
Brent Leach
George Sherrill- set up man
JJ Putz- signing
Jeff Weaver- long releaver

Roy halladay traded to LA for Casey Blake, Jonathan Broxton, and 3 prospects
Adrian Gonzalez traded to LA for James Loney, Davarious Gorden, and 2 prospects

Could be called up at any point…
Ramon Troncoso
Cory Wade

thoughts...

im trying to figure alot of stuff out... its all in my head and I dont know how to process everything... how do I make the ministry stronger? what will it take from me to have a relevant yet cutting edge youth ministry? what constitutes success? is it have 100 kids(which is my goal by next october), is it having less kids but better relationships with those kids and having them know God more than anything? why does everyone want to get me married? leave me alone, it will happen someday... I hope. why cant I find a job? this is getting stupid, going on 6 months with no job...

oh ministry... I have been averaging 13-14 kids a night. I have a great ministry team with me. I had three kids tell me they recieved salvation on wednesday night, thats what its all about. its been a rough month in keeping my emotions in check night to night but thats whats awesome about pathway, I can share these feelings with my peers and they are there with me... were there for each other.

annoying habits...

I was doing some practice preaching yesterday and I was told I say the words "you know" to much, as well as pacing back and forth. I consciously know im doing the pacing thing, but the "you know" is new to me. I had alot of fun writing sermons and I enjoy preaching but I dont want to have annoying habits that would distract anyone listening.

I know we all at first have our habits, what are some of yours and how did you overcome them? what steps did you put in place to make sure you broke yourself of these? anyone want to help me out?

hello all!

so I'm neglecting blogging right now, sorry all. Ive just been so busy with life lately. I have been up in Oregon helping my dad with his business, now I'm in Santa Cruz planning youth ministry outings and the creation of unhooked student ministries. Sunday I start at my new church, I'm really excited and scared to death at the same time. I feel confident that God has placed enough youth pastors in my life to make this a successful life.

If you are reading this please say a prayer for me, im starting my new church sunday and although im ready I could use the prayers. this is going to be an exciting year for me... God is going to do amazing things in fairfield!!!!

grace, mercy, love and more

A thousand times I failed you, but your mercy is still there, and when not if I stumble again you will still be there. Lord I want you to consume my life, more than you have been, and Lord I thirst for more of you. Lord I do not want to be a well that dries up; I want to produce for you until the day we meet. Lord you will still be good even when I am not, even when I break your heart with my words and actions. Lord I want more, my soul is literally crying out for you, to you for more Lord. Lord I release you to work in my life, Lord help me to embrace this change. Lord get me out of the way and use this vessel that you have made. Lord I am made to be used by you and to give you praise. What good am I if I cannot do either? Lord God I want to have an Isaiah chapter 6 experience. Lord with my hand raised high I offer myself to you. Here I am Lord, send me! Lord use me to ignite Fairfield, ignite a blaze that will bring change to a city that can also bring change to a state, then a country and a world. Lord do not let us get stagnant in our walk with you; do not let us get comfortable, Lord I pray that if comfort is being established than take it away. Lord there is no room for comfort zones with the life I want; I want a life where I am never satisfied in you. You are good and I want to proclaim it to the whole world. Lord teach to stop, teach me to be content, teach me what it looks like to hang out with you for a day. Lord I can’t stop longing for you. All of you Lord, not just a part of you, Lord that I may seek you and when I find you I will know there is more. Lord the cry of my heart is to praise you, you know my future, and you have it mapped out. You know my dreams Lord but those are my dreams, I want your dreams. Lord let me dream your dreams for my life. Give me God sized dreams, let me wake up thinking there is no way, but you know there is a way. Lord help me, I have my weaknesses and you know them, help me make them strengths, Lord take control of those areas and fill it with you. Lord I love you, all I want to do is please you, take this life as you see fit and mold me, and make me what I need to be to do your kingdom’s glory. Lord I went through some struggles the past month Lord but I know that has only made me stronger in my relationship with you.

Lord consume me.

some say...

According to dictionary.com "God is a Deity in theistic and deistic religions and other belief systems. representing either the sole deity in monotheism or a principle deity in polytheism."

some say you don't exist... but I know you do
Some say your far away... but I know your right here with me
some say your angry... But I know your loving
some say your too busy for me... but I know your waiting for me
some say your nothing... but I know your everything
some say you didn't die for us... but I know your my savior
some say your just in my imagination... but I have felt, heard and talked to you

there are many more things as to what people say about God but I know this for sure... he is my healer, redeemer, friend, ever present help in times of need, wonderful, provider, my beginning, my end, the reason I breathe, the reason I do what I do. Most importantly, I say God is my EVERYTHING.

God

For the past two weeks I have really been trying to figure out what God is to me. If I had one word to describe him what word would it be? I have been thinking about it alot, and I think I have that word. That word has to be - everything-. God truely is my everything, I dont make decisions with out him, I know he guides my path, makes my path straigh. With Him I can do anything.

For the first time in my life I really understand that God is number one in my life. I think to make God number one you have to surrender all to him. I thought it was impossible but I realize God is the God of impossible. God has everything in my life, he has my past, present and future. Even when it looked like he didnt have my future I can now look back and realize he knew everything. he knew the heartache, the pain, the tears, the hell I would have to go through to appreciate who he is. For that I would not change a thing.

Jesus...

for the past couple of weeks, well really since I moved to Sacramento I have had a feeling that I am not good enough to do the task God has called me too. that I was inadequate to be a youth pastor, I would fail, I'm not called, or I'm not prepared enough, I wont be successfull, I will ruin someone elses walk with God because of a mistake I might make. these things I have been listening to and believing them. Monday I was listening to Glen Berteau, and his message was about speaking prophetically about others and ourselves. you see the enemy was trying to steal my calling, kill my calling and destroy me from doing what God has for me. He encouraged us to start speaking into our lives and speak truth and changed thinking. I started praying over my ministry and praying for the dry bones to come to life again. My prayer time has been getting intense lately too. My last post was about a vision God gave me at 2am. I wrote this yesterday morning about what I have been going through... the ending is the best.

"Its been like I was walking through the valley, I thought I was alone in this walk, I looked to my left and I saw the wilderness, I looked ahead, it was dull as nothing was there, but then I looked to my right, Jesus was there holding my hand, keeping my from falling and he wispered to me, I am always with you."

Be Still

Im sitting last night in pitch black, waiting for God. Im putting psalm 46: 10 into practice in my life. God gave me a new vision for what I want to see in my ministry, this is my new purpose statement for ministry.

To see a generation have an encounter with God where they will have no choice but to seek him and impact their world.

I do not know how I see this happening and it scares me that God would give this to me but Im all for it. I know God will refine this but I wanted to get this down so I dont forget this. Its amazing what happens when we shut up and spend time with God in the quiet and just listen to his voice. He speaks to us when we ask and lately I have been doing alot of asking. I have been spending alot of time on my face before God, trying to sit at his feet, seeking his heart and trying to connect with him in a way I never have.

The cry of my heart...

Revelation 3:16 "But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!"

Im jumping in with everything I have, into pathway, God, friendships, getting mentored, learning how to do my job better, getting where I need to be spiritually, mentally and in every aspect of my life. I am tired of being on fire in some areas of my life and lukewarm in some. From now on every single area will be ablaze so I pray…

Set me on fire, God, so that I may burn against the night. I dont want to carry a flame. I want to be the torch, that can lead others out of the darkness. What words can I convey to explain the passion that burns in me? I dont want an experience that fades away in a moment of emotion, I want a radical transformation at the very core of who I am. I am longing for the deep that calls to deep, that compels me to long even more. I do not long to be satisfied. No, I want to thirst, so that I may become more thirsty. I want to drink of your presence hoping to only come back for more. Let me be part of this fellowship of the burning heart. No expression explains the paradox of this deep longing that is never satisfied, yet it is the very dissatisfaction that draw me closer to You. To have it fulfilled would only end the pursuit that keeps me seeking, longing, desiring. I desire holiness that can only be found through fire. Touch me with coal from the fire, cleansing me, the very part of me Ive grown to hate. Let your holy fire burn every part, the part of me that gets in the way of longing after You, pursuing You, giving all to You. I pray to remain dissatisfied with the now, the present, the current. Let me remain dissatisfied with holding on to a fleeting moment of spiritual passion. No, let me continue to long for the journey that takes me though the valleys, through the mountain tops, through the storms, and through the rain. For this moment is only a glimpse of what awaits. This moment is only a whisper from the voice that calls to me. I do not want to be satisfied with this moment, for in this moment, I see what lies beyond.

things that keep me awake at night

no not scary monsters like one would expect and anyways I have a nightlight for that...

- who shuts the door when the bus driver gets off the bus?
- how does soap go from a liquid to a foam just by pushing the pump down?
- who thought of words that we use daily? like lube and road? just funny words
- if coffee is made from a bean would that make coffee a musical fruit?
- who decides what is a fruit and what is a vegetable?
- Is melon a fruit a vegetable of just its own thing? is it its own entity? like vegetable, melon and fruit?


ok me head hurts now...

confidence...

how does one get confidence? especially in a situation where I am scared out of my mind for what I am doing? Ministry scares me, It scares me to death, I dont know if this is normal. It does scare me to death but it also excites me more than I think I can express. I was told I do not show confidence, that I am a nice guy with a good heart but I am not a good leader because I dont express my confidence.

So now here I am trying to figure out how to show confidence in a situation where I am not all that confident. Where do I start to do this? how do I do this? are there blogs about leadership and not sucking at interviews? Are there good books to read on this subject? Does confidence come from experience? does it come from studying the subject? and how does one study interviewing for a church position?

I think Im getting more and more frustrated by the day, I can go back go my blog I wrote yesterday. Im trying to apply being content in my life to my life and now I have to mix in being confident. this is almost to much for me to have to process all at once. what do to, what to do?

Contentment...

I was asked today what is the one thing in my life that holds me back from being all that I can be. My first thought was I procrastinate to much, but that wasnt what he was looking for, he was looking for something deeper. As I sat and thought about the question all I could think about was how people my age were married, had full time jobs, had families and I didnt have any of that. I then shared that, see I dont like to make myself vulnerable to people, and this was a very vulnerable thing to share with five other people. I shared that I am not bitter at all, I love that poeple around me are happy but that I am not content.

I just question why I am 25 single and work for free. I know that I am getting great training at the district office but still, why was I one of the ones who could not get a full time job out of college? what does God have in store for me? now the question I ask myself is how do I get content? do I pray for it? change my mindset? hmmm...

I have never thought about contentment untill today? what makes a person content? can I have all the things I want and still not be content? Is anyone in this world content? what makes a person content? what does contentment look like?

I guess I just need to give this up to Jesus and not focus on it anymore...

the past couple weeks

my life the past couple weeks has been crazy but so amazing... this is my first true day off since June 26th. let me say I love what I do but its a lot of work sometimes. here is a small breakdown of what i have been doing the past three weeks

June 29th-July 3rd- camp Jenness
July 5th- 12th- Las Vegas Missions trip
July 13th-16th- Bethany Jr. High camp
July 27th - 30th- Bethany camp number 2

all three things were simply amazing. God did great things within those trips. he really touched the kids and the leadership team. I feel I am better equipped as a leader thanks to the past three weeks. God has really stretched me and molded me into what he wants me to be in this era of my life. I got the privilege to preach in front of 60 youth kids, get to know 14 youth kids from sac. and cameron park, and serve God.

My favorite part of the week was getting to serve homeless people in vegas, and getting to talk to people in a nursing home. Its sad how many people get stashed into a nursing home and forgotten about. these people have so much to offer and yet the people they love the most forget about them. It makes me sad and mad. mad that people can just forget about people they love... It truly breaks my heart, why do people do this?

This aspect of ministry really touches me, because although we are younger, some much younger, we are not so different. We all want the same things in life, we want to be loved, talked to, entertained and so on. this is why I think a nursing home ministry is vital to any ministry. in fact I think any ministry that exists needs to have some kind of outreach, whether it be nursing home, homeless, or anything one can think of. Ministry does not just happen on sunday mornings and maybe a midweek service. to me ministry is a 24/7 job. some are just called to serve in a church.

there are many things I want to be with my youth ministry when the time arises but one of the main things I want to set the tone with in my ministry will be service. My last semester at Bethany I led a homeless feeding outreach. these are the times where ministry is at it peak. these are the times where I believe Jesus is looking down with a bigger smile on his face than usual.

On a side note, being sun burnt on your feet is just about the worst spot to be sun burnt... it hurts to bad...

I also do not like the change david crowder made to How he loves us. am I alone in this?

outlook right now...

Dear God,

Did you make my life a tragedy or a comedy or a mixture of both? I meet a great girl, but she isn’t ready to date and doesn’t know when she will be. I mean come on, how many times do I have to deal with liking a girl who isn’t ready to date. Like really God? Come on… that makes me think it’s a comedy, I have to deal with the same things every time. Its like you are showing your sense of humor. But when I do get close and we talk about a relationship, she backs off and says she isn’t ready. Life is grand some times. After much thought I have come to realize that it’s a mixture of both. I cannot win no matter what I do… oh the comedy of it, and the tragedy of it too…

sincerely
me

one more thought...

Am I the only one that feels awkward using the automatic flushing toilet? the red light reminds me of a camera and totally creeps me out...

more thoughts...

- why do people sing, come Lord Jesus come? Jesus is already there, we dont need to invite him in...

- fireworks are just about the most beautiful thing to look at when done right...

- coffee from temple is about the most amazing coffee ever...

- is it fair for a lady that is jehovah witness to try and convert 4 A.G. Ministers?

- I was told by that JW lady that God got confused and made satan evil... umm someone doesnt read there bible...

- 89 days untill I get a new cell phone!!!!

- rebecca st. james is the best female christian singer alive today...

- I wish for just a second that males could understand females...

youth ministry 101

I recently read the book youth ministry 3.o, it had some great stuff in it but the thing that really stood out to me was this. when talking about the mid week service there need to be some key elements to the service. this element is what separates it from being a youth group or a youth ministry. I wanted to share some of these...

Its about them- make your midweek service about the kids that attend and nothing else. If the leaders are getting stuff out of the service this needs to be rethinked. the leaders and youth pastor are there to be everything for those kids.

Make your midweek service an event- make it something the kids think about all week and want to come to. always be ready to take the midweek service to the next level. Give everything you have to those kids, they deserve it.

Use your Imagination- I went to a youth ministry wednesday and the youth pastor was talking baout getting the garbage out of your life. He had trash everywhere in the room. so everywhere the kids stepped they were stepping on garbage. great use of imagination

Touch their emotions- as youth pastors it is our job to know the culture and all of the things our kids deal with. We can use that to our advantage, if we can touch all of there emotions great things can and will happen.

Time for encounter with God- open the altar to the kids, have prayer leaders up front or in the back willing to pray with the kids.

Changed Lives- if the above 5 are done well the lives of the youth will be changed, it may not happen that service but it will happen. the service I went to with the garbage 2 kids got saved and 3 recieved the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Be Prepared- be prepared for anything because as all ministers know anything can happen.

updated book list...

so in 2007 I posted a blog about my book reading list (click on that link to see the old list.

heres an update after almost two years...

1. out of the question...into the mystery. getting lost in the Godlife relationship... only 100 pages in
2. buck naked faith. a brutally honest look at stunted christianity... lost it
3. Mere Christianity... only 50ish pages in
4. Your first two years in youth ministry... let friend barrow havent seen it since
5. a tale of three kings... I dont even remember this book
6. The Gospel according to starbucks... 40ish pages in
7. Every mans battle... done thats one
8. Velvet Elvis... done thats two
9. Sex God... lost interest
10. Jesus in the margins... lost it
11. the bible... still going with this one

now to add some I have recently started...

12. becoming Manny... done thats three
13. listen to me satan... 54 pages in, reading it in sections currently for my job
14. the Jesus I never knew... 150 some pages in
15. simple church... done thats four
16. jesus centered youth ministry... done thats five
17. youth ministry 3.0... about 100 pages in great read for youth pastors...

so I have completed five books in two years... pathetic I know but hey its progress.

In a time when my freinds are all getting married, engaged and starting there careers im looking at my life and wondering "has life passed me by?" I mean im 25, single, and work for free at the district resource center while trying to find a part time job, and im broke.

I hope this doesnt sound like I am complaining but im just frustrated.

frustrated at the hand life has dealt me.

I guess I am just tired of being in my freinds' weddings and being empty handed. two of my college roommates are getting married this year and im in both of them. I do think it is an honor to be in their weddings but when will I get to ask them to be in mine? ugh who knows... im just tired of fridays alone and thinking of what could have been...

sac town!!!!

so im sitting in downtown sacramento right now at a coffee shop called temple. They not only have free wifi but they also have what I would argue the best espresso I have ever tasted. I love sacramento so far, but there is so much I want to go explore. I really want to go to downtown old sac and explore there. I think I may do that next weekend, hmmm something to think about. has anyone been down there? is there anything I need to see?

So this coming week I will be starting my new job at the distict atleast untill august. but for now I will work with Scott Tuttle to help prepare for camps during July. I will be in santa cruz in July I think so if anyone wants to connect while I am there let me know.

I really wish coffee shops did refills... this is amazing espresso...

my thoughts...

- what happened to people giving testimonies in church? I love hearing about what God is doing for people. when Im a youth pastor I really want to bring that back to my church. I think ill have a testimony night at my youth ministry.

- how can people eat cheeseburgers every day. My dad owns a hamburger place and the same people come in everyday and have cheeseburgers. its crazy.

- why is the speed limit in oregon 55? That annoys me so much but they dont have sales tax so that helps ease the dumb speed limit. oh and one can talk on there cell phone in oregon while driving without a hands free, another nice thing.

- why does everyone fight about pc and mac... I have had both and like things about both... cant we all just get along?

- I have always wondered what is in Dr. Pepper. what are those 23 flavors.

- why dont taco shops in america make tacos like they do in mexico? real mexican tacos are way better than those in america.

- why do people always blame the officiating when there favorite team loses? I do it to but seriously get over it, its sports not life.

- my wisdom teeth have officially grown in, does that mean I have a smart mouth?

- is candy really considered finger food? seems to me its more of a snack.

- did you know that a bag of popables candy is the equivalent to 6 full sized candy bars...

a plea for prayer

I need a job, badly. everything has fallen through for me. I know God has his perfect will for my life and im following as best I can. Money is not coming in at all and bills have to be paid. please just be in prayer for me that God comes though for me like he always does for us. I just want to do ministry thats all. its what I love to do...

An Image is Seen

An image is seen

by many its true

a cross is the image...what’s that mean to you?

do you see the cross as something cliche?

is it something that you just encounter each day?

this image is placed in so many places..

its worshiped, its warn, its carried by many..

its on stain glass windows seen by many faces,

yes there all around and i bet you've seen plenty..

yet so many hold this image so high...

as if it were the image that came here to die...

the truth is the cross is a symbol for all

to step back and see that God took the fall...

the fall was to come and to die on a tree

to cover our sins so that we could be free..

all it takes is to say that without Him were nothing.

and to put our trust in Christ so that He can make us something

begging you please, consider what’s being said

this isn’t just any old poem being read

this is the news the world must hear,

let me say it again so the message is clear…

Sin is a death trap that gladly ensnares,

God allowed it to be to prove that He cares

He was born in a shack and He was treated like trash,

And on the day of His death He was beat like a punk

And after His beating He was hung on a cross,

Willingly He hung there bloody with shame,

He endured all the suffering,

He endured all the pain,

All the punishment He took should have been our own,

Since it was sin that He died for….

The sin we’ve all sown.

But like a loving Father He took our place,

And with holes in his hands He holds out mercy and grace.

These gifts can be taken by any who choose….

I'm begging you please….please don’t refuse…

If you’re listening to this poem and you think this is fake

I warn you take caution with each step you take,

Because no man’s guaranteed tomorrow,

And if your not washed in Christ, your future is sorrow…

I write these words with love in my heart

Because one day I know from this body you’ll part,

And when that day comes and you stand before the King,

One question He’ll ask, in your ear will it wring….

“What did you do with My most humble gift?”

If your answers rejection, your sole will He sift.

God gave us a most precious gift on that cross,

And if you choose to reject it….

Your whole life is a loss…...

so.... don't be a loss... give your life to the one from the cross...

Its becoming all to real to me...

I must say, I have been rather sad these last few days. "Why the sad face, little guy?" (as Chris would say). It's a funny thing, actually. You complain and gripe about homework, constant noise, too many people around, etc, but when it comes right down to it Bethany is home. It is the place where so many memories are made, and too many friends that I must now part ways with. I guess that could be why I don't want to complete my homework, because it is another sign that all is ending soon.

It is hard to believe that 5 years have come and gone this fast. It's been an amazing five years, that allowed me to grow as a person. But all good things come to an end, and it makes me sad. It is amazing the bonds you form with people your share your life with constantly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 15 weeks, times 2. Even the guys who don't know what the off button looks like on their stereo, or the volume knob for that matter, all fit in to this equation that makes Bethany home. From the smiling faces , to the late night food runs, Safeway anyone?, the late night talks, the early morning classes, the building of the arc, the same meal everyday (chicken anyone?), the many pointless yet entertaining conversations, the randomness, the noise, the video games, the love, the friendships, and the occasional prank. It's simply home, and home is always hard to leave.

Home is the place that has given me hope, it has been the place where I could shed my tears, and fret my frustrations. Home has been the place that has created a new me. I have grown. I am not the same man I was when I stepped on to this campus in August 2004. So much, sometimes too much, has changed. I have friends I never thought I would have. I have lost what I was never ready to lose. Yet I have grown closer to the One who has remained the one constant in all the laughs, turmoil, pain, joy, confusion, excitement, and change that has taken place these last five years.

The friends I have made, the people I say ill never forget, from the youth ministry that changed my life, to the youth pastor that helped form the me, we see now. Words cannot be spoken to how much he meant to me or how much he influenced my life. I sit here at the computer and try to get the words to speak and I only get tears when I think of everything I'm leaving behind. The church family that accepted me, the people who prayed for me, the relationships lost, the hurt, pain and feeling of Ill never get over this, yet I would not trade my experience for anything in the world.

I know new adventures await. I am not one who likes goodbyes. But I press on, and I gladly run toward the unknown that awaits. Thankfully, He is already there, preparing this Great Adventure of life. 10 days till graduation and then my life adventure starts...

Passion for the Hungry

saturday was awesome!!! My best friend Mack brought two of his youth kids, and three other volunteers from bethany all spent our lunch time handing out lunches to homeless/hungry people all through out Santa Cruz.




this picture is the back of Macks car, here are one hundred fifty two lunches in all. We started out at Pacific Avenue then headed to a shelter in downtown Santa Cruz, went to San Lorenzo Park, and ended at the Santa Cruz Beach board walk. We got to touch the lives of the people in Santa Cruz, and feed them at the same time.

We didnt just hand them and lunch and say here you go, we talked to them and got there names and just had a conversation with them. We really tried to show them that Jesus loves them and does watch out for them. We had a lot of great moments, we had some not so good moments, funny moments and moments I will remember for my entire life. It was a great day and a great way to reach out to these people in Santa Cruz.

faithfully

Faithfully

Tonight I saw a shooting star,
Made me wonder where you are.
For years I have been dreaming of you,
And I wonder if you're thinking of me, too.

In this world of cheap romance
Where love fades after the dance,
They say that I'm fool to wait for something more.
How can I really love somone I've never seen before?

But I have longed for true love every day that I have lived.
And I know real love is all about learning how to give.
So I pray that God will bring you to me,
And I pray you'll find me waiting faithfully.

Faithfully, I am yours,
From now until forever.
Faithfully, I will write,
Write you a love song with my life.
'Cause this the kind of love's worth waiting for,
no matter how long it takes,
I am yours
Faithfully.

Tonight I saw two lovers kiss,
Reminded me of my own lonliness.
They say that I'm a fool to keep on prayin' for you.
How can I give up pleasure for a dream that wont come true?

But I will keep believing that God still has a plan.
And though I cannot see you now, I know that He can,
And someday I will give you all of me.
Until I find you, I'll be waiting faithfully.

Faithfully, I am yours,
From now until forever.
Faithfully, I will write,
Write you a love song with my life.
'Cause this the kind of lovie's worth waiting for,
no matter how long it takes,
I am yours
Faithfully.

feeding the homeless

Today my freind Moses and I were talking about missions and our community. While we both agree that long distance missions is important we also believe that you cannot reach the world if you cannot reach your community. We also agreed that while at Bethany we have a great opportunity to reach the hungry in santa cruz and show them Gods love. The best way we agree to do this without getting all hyper spiritual on them is to just simply hand out sack lunches and tell them God loves them.

The date we have set for this event is saturday April 18th. It will be from 11-1ish, I dont want to set a time on this because who knows what will happen. We are in need of some support and help. If you cannot help financially prayers would be appreciated. We want to set goals and put in writing everything we want to accomplish, and that will come at a later date. If you want to help and get involved you can contact me through email at smoore@fc.bethany.edu. I will update more on this when I have more information.

credentialed

I got approved for my credentials today with the Northern California/Nevada Assemblies of God! I dont have my credentials yet, but as soon as we have a chapel at Bethany and are recognized at district council then I will be a minister. words cannot describe how I feel right now. I am so excited.

Champions

I know this is a couple days late but Ive been busy... but The Sixburgh, I mean Pittsburgh Steelers are the Superbowl champions for the sixth time. They now have more titles than anyone else in the superbowl era. Winning this game meant that they passed Dallas and San Francisco for first all time. amazing... here are some of my favorite photos from the game.

Superbowl!!!!

thats right this sunday is the superbowl... I cant wait, its gonna be epic. I got my terrible towel (pictured to the left with Hines Ward). Got my Troy Polamalu jersey ready (pictured below) and ready for Big Ben to lead us to another superbowl title. This is gonna be a fun game to watch.

25 random things about me

This is floating all over facebook but I wanted to set it here.

1. I never drank coffee till I came to Bethany, now im addicted
2. I use abuot 5000 text messages a month
3. I grew up a giants and A's baseball fan then became a dodger fan later.
4. I really just want to be done with school and move on to full time ministry
5. although I use facebook more I think blogging is way better
6. I have been out of high school for 6 years
7. I happen to think that the pittsburgh steelers are the greatest franchise ever
8. although I have twitter I think it is stupid and a waste of time and a text.(but I still use it everyday)
9. I love to sit and listen to debates on theological issues... every once in a while ill join though
10. I want to move out of California when I finish college
11. I have never had a drink of alcohol in my life
12. my favorite book of the bible is numbers, close second is Isaiah, and a third is James
13. I can be smart when I need to be, but for the most part im lazy with school work
14. I sit and think of new blogs to write but never write them... maybe I should write them down
15. I became a steelers fan cause they drafted a college quarterback I loved to watch play
16. I want to go back to Minnesota really bad someday. I know everyone thinks im crazy because its so cold there but God really put the urban kids on my heart and I want to see them saved and walking with Jesus.
17. I have another family, my sons are 21 and 20, with my father being 26, and my sons have sons, my brother has a son the same age as him(even born on the same day)... dont ask
18. I tried to learn to play the piano but couldn't figure out how to use both hands together and decided never to touch one again
19. my mom is my rock in my life, she has supported me through every crazy thing I have decided to do and been behind me 100%
20. I need to have a busy life when I am in school, when life slows down I get nothing done, when I get crunched for time is when I get stuff done.
21. I am one of the few remaining people that thinks President Bush did a great job in office and wanted four more years of him. (nothing on Obama but I liked George)
22. I consider everyone I meet in Santa Cruz to be a hippy
23. I dont feel called to missions yet I love going on missions trips and have actually been on 4
24. If I ever had the chance to marry Rebecca St. James I would in a heart beat
25. I predict the steelers to win the superbowl 35-10 with Troy Polamalu as the MVP of the game.

My new addiction

Yesterday there was no football, and all was quiet in the dorms for once. So I thought a good way to pass my time was to start watching season three of House. This show has become my new addiction. It makes you think, laugh and you can really get into the story lines. House is a total jerk which makes the show really funny to watch. Hugh Laurie plays Greg House, a vicoden popping, self rightious, jerk who is a brilliant doctor. I need to get season two and four and catch up on season five, but I highly doubt I will be able to this semester, maybe over summer I will be able to do that.

2008 in review

- moved to Minnesota to attend NorthCentral University
- turned 24!
- God reaffirmed my call into the ministry
- fell in love with Minnesota
- officially had a blog for one year
- played a whole one game of softball this summer due to breaking my first bone in my life, it was actually two but whos counting.
- got to finally see my dodgers win a playoff series
- moved back to California and back to Bethany U
- started the process to get my preaching credentials with the Assemblies of God
- started working with the youth at CLC again
- fell in love with the youth ministry at CLC again. new kids same love
- realized who my real friends were
- put everything from 2007 behind me
- started a new addiction called House MD
- attended first hockey game! sharks won
- went to Mexico on a missions trip to build a house with my church
- realized that I need to trust God more in more areas of my life and learned to let go.

Superbowl bound

Just like that the Pittsburgh Steelers are in the superbowl. It was a great game to watch, I lost my voice during it yelling. the biggest play was Troy Polamalu intercepting a pass from flacco for a touchdown to seal the win. Now we play the AZ cardinals, there a nice team but pittsburgh will beat them. I wont predict any score yet but I will say Pittsburgh will get there sixth ring this year. cant wait and now its two long weeks away. what are we gonna do with no football next week?

one game away!

The Steelers are one game away from the superbowl!!!! they have to play a baltimore team that they have already beaten twice already this season and last season too.

here is how the last few meetings have gone,
2008 season
Pittsburgh 13 baltimore 9
Pittsburgh 23 baltimore 20
2007 season
Pittsburgh 38 baltimore 7
Pittsburgh 21 Baltimore 27

so you see we got there number and a healthy team... come sunday baltimore becomes yet another stepping stone to ring number 6!