Chapter XLIV: Summertime

Well, it's summertime here in Michigan...and things are changing for the warmer months. Life seems to slow down around the beginning of June, and I'm officially in summer mode.

Camping trips.

Beaches and ice cream.

Outdoor concerts.

And things are slowing down at church...

...sort of.

Summer ministry is more laid back and relational based, which means less studying, planning, and teaching and more fellowshipping. No school for students means there's more time to hang out and have fun. On top of normal summer slow down, our church is going through its own break.

Yesterday, our church made the official decision to partner with Fairhaven ministries. This means that Olivet will become a satellite campus of the larger Fairhaven ministries. This is an awesome opportunity for us as a congregation to continue working in the neighborhood with the added help and support of Fairhaven.

But as part of the process, Olivet is taking a "Sabbath" from our ministries. This means that as a church body, we are all sitting back for a bit this summer while we work with Fairhaven to redesign our ministry.

It's an exciting time at our church.

It's an exciting time in my life.

It's summer.

-B

Chapter XLIII: Listen To The Music

My grandfather always said; "God gave us two ears and one mouth because we should listen twice as much as we should talk." I think this phrase applies to musicians in a unique way. Because one can't play music without listening to music.

And God is teaching me to listen to the music.

You see, all my life, I've been the person on stage. The guy playing music. The hermit locked in his room with a guitar, pencil, and paper. The dude being congratulated after a concert. Basically, the LORD has created me to be a musician, and I love that role. Whether it's leading worship, playing with my band, jamming with my friends, or writing music, God has gifted me in the audible arts, and I'm grateful.

BUT lately he's been asking me to listen. Because being a musician means you intently listen to other people create artistic sounds. One can't play music without listening to music. Lately I've been listening to far greater artists and simply enjoying what they have to offer. Hearing different bands, guitarists, and vocalists share their gift is both inspirational and educational, but also refreshing.

Because you can't always be on stage.

And this idea doesn't stop with music.

We all have our areas of expertise. Our areas of passion. Our gifted areas. And the LORD provides us with ample opportunity to express ourselves in those areas, but we need to recognize that we can't always be preforming.

Sometimes we need to listen.

Because if you use your voice for too long, you'll lose it....but you can use your ears as much as you want.

Open ears,
-B

Chatper XLII: Life

One thing I've learned throughout my brief time in God's creation is that no matter what happens, life goes on. Whether you're ready for it or not, life keeps coming at you. Time keeps passing.

And I love it.

My week was pretty packed with all sorts of good stuff. But nothing out of the ordinary. Band practice, lots of ministry and meetings, dinner with the Rozeboom clan, and some thrifting. There were a few new things that came out of this week though....

The first new project is a ministry idea that the LORD gave to me. We're going to start a youth worship night every last Wednesday of the month. It's going to be a great high-energy, rocking worship that's geared towards the youth. Eventually, the congregation and surrounding community will hopefully be joining us.

Another project that I started this past week was my vinyl collection. While thrifting, I got the urge to start collecting and appreciating the wonderful sounds of the old turntable. Sadly, I still need to find an actual record player though...

Finally, our consistory made a final decision regarding our future. They voted in favor of the partnership model, and our congregation will vote in two weeks to make the decision official.

I ask that you continue to pray for me and my ministry, but please keep our congregation in your prayers as things continue to move forward.

Living life,
-B

Chapter XLI: Mother's Day

There are a few dates that you always remember. Your anniversary. Tax day. Your birthday. And Mother's day. Don't forget these days. They're very important...

Especially Mother's Day.

Sadly, this is now the second year in a row that I was unable to see my own dear mom on this splendid spring celebration, but that doesn't mean I wasn't with her in spirit. This post goes out to my wonderful mom, because let's be honest, I wouldn't even be in Michigan doing what I do if it weren't for her.

Our band played another show at the Mix Tape Cafe this past week, and the show went great! Again, over half the fans in the audience came to hear us play, and outside of completely forgetting to play one of our songs, the show was one of our best yet. Misfit Plaid has continued to do well, booking three more shows at the end of this month. All of this due to my mother, for not only putting up with my obnoxious song writing all the time, but encouraging me by listening to even the bad ones.

I also spent a fair amount of time at a youth pastor conference in Holland this weekend. The workshops and seminars were great, and I learned quite a lot. It was really good to spend time with other youth pastors, swapping success (and failure) stories, and getting encouragement. The LORD really inspired me to be a better youth director and He also gave me a lot of new ideas. I'm really excited to try some new ideas, especially in light of the extreme potential our church faces with the new partnership model. The LORD answered my prayers concerning personal burn-out, and I look forward to many more years of youth ministry.

But once again, this is largely due to my wonderful mother. I wouldn't even be in ministry if it weren't for the lady who brought (sometimes dragged) me to church every week growing up. Who patiently taught me so much about the church and displayed such a great devotion to the LORD.

Lastly, I spent a great weekend with Katie, as we took some pictures, had a picnic, and played quite an elaborate joke (for the record, we're not actually engaged...yet). I again recognize her as a huge blessing from the LORD and the answer to quite a lot of prayer, but I also need to recognize my mom because there's no way Katie would be by my side if my mom hadn't taught me to be a gentleman.

In conclusion, (that's how I used to end things before my mom taught me to write) my mother is awesome. I love her so much and I hope that as she reads this, instead of denying how much she's influenced me, she acknowledges that she really is largely responsible for who I am today. So thanks mom!

All in all, it's been another amazing week here in Michigan. The LORD has continued to pile on the blessings. Please continue to pray for our church as we seek God's guidance, and also pray for all those mothers out there. They have to raise us...so let's face it, they need all the prayer they can get.

One fortunate son,
-B

Chapter XL: The War Goes On

Life in my little corner of West Michigan continues to turn at quick pace, but the LORD has successfully infiltrated every corner of of my world and showered it with both blessings and challenges. You've heard entry after entry of the wonderful things the LORD has given me.

But this week is about the challenges.

And right now the biggest challenge of my life comes from within my congregation, because it's fairly safe to say that our family has turned to civil war. Families are lining up on both sides of the issues, tears are shed, voices are raised, and people are hurt. As many of you know, my church is facing some tough decisions, and I appreciate the concern that most of you have voiced. So this week, I want to talk about this war that I'm a part of.

Here's the situation: Our church has done a wonderful job of ministering to the community for the past 63 years. But we're running out of steam. For multiple reasons, our church has been in decline for the past couple decades, and now we're looking at a very grim future. After much research, prayer, and discernment, a church-transition specialist outlined four possible solutions to our problem, and one of them is for us to enter a partnership with a larger church. This means that we would give our leadership over to a larger church who then make fundamental changes to our ministry that would strengthen our ministry.

Essentially, Olivet would cease to exist and a new church would take it's place. This hasn't been officially decided yet, it's just the direction that our leadership is leaning.

It's a hard but necessary process. Currently, we minister to over 50 students from the immediate neighborhood. The LORD has commanded our presence in this community, but the ministry cannot continue under the current conditions. So while it does require sacrifice for us all, admittedly some more than others, it's for the greater good.

And that's where the war started.

Many of our congregation feel that this is a terrible idea. In fact some are considering leaving the church in protest. Our leadership has been taking heavy blows from the congregation, as the members speak very negatively about our leadership (myself included). People are very emotional. Feelings are hurt. People are frustrated.

Things are getting nasty.

My role in this war isn't to beat the other side and force them into submission. My goal is that of a mediator, trying to reconcile our congregation to itself, and bring it to an understanding. You see, the major issue is that our church is failing to see the greater good for the Kingdom of God. That's why I'm frustrated. People are so blinded by the possible loss of their church that they can't see the amazing opportunity God has given us. It greatly saddens me to see these people putting their own personal preferences before the good of the Kingdom, because ultimately, this decision to hand over our church now, while it's in good shape, will be for the greater good of our ministry.

I understand the fear. The pain. The sorrow. I understand that it's difficult to let go of control of the church they've poured so much of themselves into. But it's a necessary pain. Christ told us that following Him wouldn't be easy...."For whoever wants to find his life, must lose it."

And so I ask for your prayers. Pray for my church family. Pray for understanding, patience, wisdom, and peace. Pray for our us as we try to resolve this war and present a unified body ready for divine service. But also pray for me. I am growing weary. I am tired. I'm a little hurt. And I'm frustrated. Very frustrated.

Suffering from battle fatigue,
-B

For those of you who are a part of my church family. I love you. Every single one of you. And I pray that whatever the future has in store, you'll continue to be a part of my life and my ministry.

Chapter XXXIX: Family

After returning from my backpacking endeavor, I jumped right back into my ministry, my friends, and my life. Holy week was great, including two special services, lots of extra church music, a very successful fundraiser, and the launch of the new ministry.

The new "Youth Night" program went really well. The combination of good food, good games, and good discussion made for a successful evening. The statistics of our turnout served as a very reassuring reminder that the LORD wants us to continue our ministry in this neighborhood.

But the real highlight of the week was my realization of family.

I know I've said it before, but Michigan really feels like home. My church family is close, and my friends are closer. On Monday, our youth group held a dinner fundraiser at pizza hut. Upon entering the restaurant, I was quickly greeted with smiles, shouts, and hugs. The whole restaurant was filled with my Michigan family. And as we waited for our food, I very much enjoyed chatting with them.

I spent Easter with Katie's family, and again, I felt right at home. I even got a candy-pooping chicken in my easter basket! The introduction of Katie into my life has been a blessing, and my relationship with her has made life so joyful.

The topper was the new addition to the Boucek household: Riley. I finally adopted the dog I've always wanted. This year old lab/retriever mix is an adorable bundle of fun, and has made me feel even more at home in this watery mitten of a state.

I ask that you would pray for our church as whole, but also for me as we examine the future of the Olivet family. While I am confident in the LORD's plan to provide for me, I am fairly uneasy about the details of where I'll be working this summer.

Surrounded by family,
-B

Chapter XXXVIII: Adventure

I spent the majority of the past week in Tennessee where me and my two best friends, Paul and Andy spent 5 days backpacking through the Appalachian mountains. It was quite an adventure with both highs and lows. There was a lot that went wrong, but when all was said and done, the LORD kept us safe and we learned a lot about ourselves, each other, and backpacking.

So here's the tale:

Friday: We left Chicago with high spirits, tons of new gear, and a general excitement for the trip ahead. After 10 hours of traveling and a stop at Shoney's (an average-at-best restaurant native to Tennessee), we finally arrived at our campground. After finding out there weren't any available campsites, we also discovered the impact of the government shut down. We were told that if the government shut down on Saturday morning, the National Parks would close too, which meant we couldn't backpack. Our trip was in danger before we even put our boots on.

Saturday: Thankfully, the park stayed open and everything was all set to go. We started our hike in the late morning on top of Clingman's Dome, the second highest mountain this side of the Mississippi. We began our trip going the wrong direction, but after an extra 1.5 miles of hiking, we found ourselves hiking along a section of the Appalachian Trail. After lunching with some interesting through-hikers, we continued down the mountain on until we met up with Hazel Creek. During one of our creek crossings, while traversing a log over the waterfall, Paul dropped his GPS into the river. A few minutes later, Andy and I enjoyed some trail mix while watching a naked Paul get sloshed around at the base of the waterfall in an effort to recover his gear. He never did find it. After 14 miles of knee-splitting downhill and over 16 river crossings, we got to our camp around dark. Very defeated. Very tired. And very hungry. Oh and one more thing; our water filter broke after dinner.

Sunday: The LORD woke us up on Sunday to a warm sun and the promise of a shorter day of only 9 miles. With our spirits lifted a bit, we started off strong. As we continued making our way down into the valley, we had a great day of hiking, including the discovery of the ruins of an old town from the early 1900's. We arrived at camp early and thoroughly soaked ourselves in the mountain river. After enjoying some reading and relaxation by the fire, we called it a night. An uneventful, but successful day.

Monday: Today was another 14 mile day. With some directions from some other hikers, we set off towards the lake at the center of the valley. After hiking along the lake shore most of the day we finally arrived at our camp...a little sooner than expected. It wasn't until after we had taken off our boots, hung our socks, and started to unpack that we discovered we were sitting at the wrong campsite. After reluctantly restoring our gear to the packs and hiking 2 more miles down the trail, we finished our beast of a day at a lovely campsite where the river flowed into the lake. It felt amazing to get to camp because the rest of the trip consisted of shorter mileage hiking and our packs were beginning to get noticeably lighter. We also concluded that our bodies were beginning to adapt to the backpacking lifestyle and the whole trip seemed much more enjoyable.


Tuesday: The frustrating thing about water is most things only takes a few moments to become soaked....but can take days to dry out. We all awoke throughout Monday night as a result of a severe thunderstorm. After frantically packing up our wet/muddy gear on Tuesday morning, we set off in the rain. Cold and wet, we left the lake and started the trek back up the mountain. We ran into a massive wild boar that was initially mistaken for a bear, struggled with some downed trees on the trail, and hiked a few miles uphill in a stream. Literally. 10 miles after our wet start on Tuesday, we arrived at camp and proceeded to set up genius rain shelter before crawling into the tent for an afternoon nap. It had rained all day and into the evening. Everything was soaked. Water, cold, and wind had made everything fairly miserable. In the words of Andy; "Everything is so wet it's like my balls are pruny."

Wednesday: We awoke early on Wednesday morning energized by the sun and optimistic about our last day of hiking. We decided to cram in two days of hiking into one so we could finish early. We crossed the seven most dangerous river crossings in the Smokey Mountains early in the day, and nobody (or no equipment) was lost. We enjoyed most of the hike until the 2000ft climb back to the top of mountain. We pushed through the last of our hike and had a great time taking our victory pictures and phone calls back at the car. UNFORTUNATELY, our victory was short lived as my car had some major engine problems. So we rented a motel in the nearby city so as to get it fixed in the morning.

Thursday: The LORD continued to bless us on our journey as the car was fixed relatively cheaply and and quickly. We were on our way home by late morning and I finally made it back to Grand Rapids by 11:00 at night where I was welcomed by a fresh plate of cookies, some awesome apartment decorations and the open arms of my wonderful Katie. The picture to the left was taken from our starting point on the top of the mountain, the specks of blue in the valley are the parts of the lake we hiked along.

By the end of this trip, we had gone through a lot of new experiences. Backpacking in bear country, hiking in the rain, filtering water with broken gear, and fixing a car in a foreign town. All in all, the LORD kept us safe and sound. For better or worse, all of the events of the week (both good and bad) were awesome, and although it was one of the most challenging 57 miles of my life, it certainly was a great adventure.

Chapter XXXVII: The Push

Every spring, there are two very important weeks for college students in the middle of their semester. Obviously the first is their spring break, but most people don't realize the importance of the week prior to spring break;

the Sping Push.

The week before vacation where everything needs to be finished. BUT at the same time, students are planning their vacation and making plans for their return.

But the Spring Push doesn't apply to only college students. People in the professional world experience it as well. And that's what life has been like for me the past several days. Last week was my Spring Push.

The most immediate cause for pushing was the final Neighbor Night for the school year. This Wednesday night ministry has had both ups and downs, but continued to minister to the surrounding community for nearly 7 months. While this ministry was great, it was also a heavy burden for our congregation, and we all look forward to the two week break before our new ministry; Youth Night.

But that's only the first half of Spring Push, you know, the part where everything finishes.

The other side of Spring Push is the planning side. And that's what I've been doing.

Planning.

Planning.

And more planning.

The combination of our new Youth Night ministry, extra Easter services, fundraiser events, and church politics are consuming enough. Add to that the inablity to plan more than 2 months ahead because of the uncertainty surrounding our church and you get one flustered youth pastor.

BUT wait...there's more...

The Misfits are collectively pushing to finish our album, and I personally am still trying to hammer out some details for my backpacking endeavour next week.

ALL this to say that my Spring Push was awesome. Busy. But awesome...because I love it all. One might could even accuse me of enjoying this week as much as my actual vacation.

Eager to push,
-B

Chapter XXXVI: New Movement

Lately, there's been a lot of new stuff happening in my tiny little world. It's exciting to see the LORD's hand in various areas of my life. All of this new movement has made the past few weeks really interesting.

Of course some of this movement is taking place with the Misfit Plaid project. Since our first practice in January, the Misfits have now played 5 shows, written 6 songs, and made a TON of connections. The LORD has been introducing us to different people that have been connecting us with shows all over town. We're even in the process of recording our first album. Any way you slice it, the Misfits have been blessed by the LORD and the new musical movement in my life is really awesome.

The issues of change and new direction at our church have also been moving along. After a few informative, and heated, meetings, our church family is ready to finally start making some decisions. While my personal future with this ministry isn't certain, it is becoming more and more clear that the LORD has plans for me between Prairie and 30th.

Finally, there's a lovely lady up here who has been stirring up a lot of good change in my life. As a youth pastor for another church, Katie has not only been a great companion, but she challenges me in both my spiritual life and in my ministry. Dating her has given me a lot of joy and strength over the past few weeks, and I'm truly blessed with her.

But Kate's not the only amazing part about all of this change.

The LORD has been using all of this change for His glory. And that's the truly amazing part. All this new movement in my life centers around my heavenly Father.

And I'm excited to see what's next.

-B

XXXV: Senioritis

There are two diseases in this world that nearly everybody gets at one point in there life. One of them is chicken pox. The other is senioritis, the disorder in which the motivation gland stops working around the 11th-12th grade.

BUT, similar to chicken pox, some people contract this ailment multiple times in their lives.

I am one of those people.

The past week or two I've noticed a drastic drop in my motivation to do my job. I spend a lot of time in my office asking for God to motivate me. At the same time, I've discovered a familiar feeling from my past. It's the feeling of being flooded with ideas and pursuits, but unable to find a starting point. Very similar to my first weeks at Olivet.

The combination of these two emotions (or lack thereof) have caused me to go into "coast mode." It's pretty simple actually. I do my work. I maintain the status quo.

I coast.

But God doesn't call me to do that. He calls me to lead. To cast vision. To grow. If God was interested in simply maintaining the church, he wouldn't have scattered the early Christians. He has placed me here in this specific neighborhood community of Grandville to spread his Kingdom. Not just maintain it.

I've noticed certian aspects of my ministry are slipping. An unhappy student here, a frustrated leader there. Thankfully nothing irreversible, but bold warning signs none then less.

And so I need to focus.

There's a lot to focus on. Our youth. Our worship. Our church. The future of our ministries, but God is a big guy, and He can get me through it. He's the vaccine for my senioritis.

Which leads me to my challenge for you. Since we know that God often uses us has His hands and feet, I challenge you to call me out on my mistakes. If you see me doing some sloppy work, say something. If you see me slacking off, step up. Because I've asked God to help me, and I know He will.

Looking for a divine kick-in-the-pants,
-B

Chapter XXXIV: Trust

Trust. I like to think I have a lot of it. But the problem is that trust is a very scary thing. The reason it's scary is because trusting is essentially humbling yourself and giving up control over some aspect of your life.

In this case, it's my future.

As our church continues to pursue the will of God, one of the questions I must face is the future of my job. While I know that the LORD will continue to provide and care for me, it can sometimes be challenging to trust in Him.

More importantly, I am forced to trust that the LORD will take care of our church's youth. Some of the options that our leadership is looking into would sadly have a negative impact on our youth ministry.

That being said, I ultimately trust that God has an awesome plan for the future ministry of this congregation. While we might not recognize or know what that looks like quite yet, we do know that it will "work for the good of those who love Him." (Romans 8:28).

In addition to discerning the future of our ministry, this week has also hosted a few other difficult decisions on a personal level. Again, I trust that the LORD will continue to guide me in the decisions, but that doesn't make them any easier.

Finally, our band played our last show for a few weeks. It was a great venue (Louie's Bar) with some great people and great music. We look forward to taking a few weeks off from playing live in order to focus on recording our album. I cannot say enough about how awesome God has been to Misfit Plaid and how great my bandmates are.

Please continue to pray for our church as we seek some divine direction.

Always Trusting,
-B

Chapter XXXIII: Whole Lot Of Awesome

Lately there's been a lot going on in my life. Most of it comes from my ministry both in and out of my church family. I'm facing some pretty big challenges, but the power of the Holy Spirit has helped me thus far, so it's exciting to see Him get me through more.

As our church goes through a series of meetings to continue looking at the fundamental values of our family, the LORD is becoming more and more clear with His plans for me. There are a lot of challenges in my future, but lately I've been catching glimpses here and there of what the future holds.

And it's awesome.

I was further encouraged after a meeting with an RCA representative this afternoon. Throughout our lunch discussion of church networking and community, the LORD continued to pull at my heart. He continued to push me in the right direction. He continued to challenge me.

And it's awesome.

Finally, the LORD has been strategically placing people in my life since I arrived in the great state of Michigan, and it's terrific to see it all fitting together. He has blessed me with great friends and great connections throughout the Grand Rapids community. And now He's calling on me to utilize those relationships for the work of heaven.

And it's awesome.

God's been doing a lot in my life lately. Really been using me. I feel like I'm growing some great communication lines between Him and myself. And I love it.

Surrounded by awesome,
-B

Chapter XXXII: Feeling Fine

I know I updated a day late, but you'll get over it...I already have. Truth be told, my weekend was pretty packed with ministry, so I didn't do very much yesterday.

This past week was pretty awesome all around. Our middle school went great this week, the Misfits did well at their show on Thursday, and the middle school retreat this weekend was pheonomenal. Our students grew a lot towards each other (and with us leaders), but more importantly, they grew in their relationship with God.

We signed up our high school students for the missions trip yesterday, and we have a total of 19 students attending! It's been a huge blessing to watch the growth and development of our high school students as many of them are trying to deepen their faith.

And they're not the only ones.

Our middle school students are also starting to ask some really tough questions as well. It's really awesome to see both groups of students engaging in theological discussions as they ponder the mysteries of the faith. It's great for me as well as I am now constantly reexamining aspects of my faith and continuing to work out some divine ideas.

Thanks for your continued prayer and support. I finally got my CDL last week and I'm now pretty decent at driving our bus. Our ministries continue to look strong and I'm feeling pretty confident about the work that God has placed in front of me.

Feeling fine,
-B

Chapter XXXI: A Whole Lot

It's finally happened. I finally caved. I've become "that guy with a phone"....

I bought the iPhone.

Unfortunately, it's consumed a fair amount of my attention for the past week. Most people who have talked to me since I bought it have had to hear about the awesome apps, features, and gadgets. I'm slightly ashamed of myself for talking about it so much, but really, it is pretty sweet.

Another victory this week happend on Wednesday night when we got the final count for our middle school retreat. We had a much better turnout than expected, and we're taking 13 young men and women with us for a weekend of vertical and horizontal growth.

Yet another highlight from the week was yesterday's service. Despite a lack of preparation, my sermon went pretty well. The real joy however was seeing someone else lead our praise band. This was great because I was able to worship, but also because we now know that we can have somebody lead worship in my absence. I absolutely LOVE seeing someone else lead a ministry that I oversee. It was comforting to know that the Spirit is leading the ministry and not myself.

The CDL saga continues...while I passed my written exam and I got in some time behind the wheel, the final driving test happens this Tuesday.

And that's not the only thing going on this week...

I also have the retreat, which means we need to collect more money, forms, and signatures. Our deposit for the mission trip is also due, so I'll get to collect those checks and forms as well. On top of it all, the Misfits are playing a show this week, which will inevidably take up more of my time and attention than it should.

All in all, I'm extremely grateful for the busyness and opportunities to ministr, I'm just praying for strength and endurance as I go through it all.

Bracing myself,
-B

Chapter XXX:........:)

Its always interesting to stumble upon moments when you recognize the symptoms of the passage of time. I'm not talking about bad knees, sore backs, or gray hair. I'm talking about mental and spiritual aging.

Twice over the past week, I facilitated parent meetings for my students. A few times I found myself teaching to people older than myself. I've even found that my leadership is now accepted by most people despite my youth. I mention these things only to point to the fact that this week made me feel old.

Spiritually old.

Because this week also made me feel very physically young. With a long weekend with little sleep, 3 consecutive days of climbing, and a little sunshine, I feel very youthful and energetic. I believe the proper term is "giddy."

Part of that could also be due to the continuing growth of our band, Misfit Plaid. This week we booked one show as an opening act for another big name band, and we've begun talking with a few other owners about dates for performances. When coupled with the arrival of a new sound system, things are looking up for us Misfits.

A few other positive tid-bits from this week:
-Found a pair of shoes for 8 bucks
-Found a sweet shirt on sale
-Passed my CDL written exam
-Had the best burger of my life....Goog's in Holland
-Wore flipflops for the first time in 2011
-Hung out with Andy and earned Prestige Mode in COD

There really aren't any prayer requests for ya'll this week. Just continue praying for me and my ministries as well as our church. This week I will be getting the final numbers for our middle school retreat and I'll be taking my CDL Driving Exam.

Feeling fine,
-B

Chapter XXIX: Blizzard of Blessing

This week was pretty awesome on just about every level. It included not just one, but two band practices, a big snow storm, a Super Bowl, our first show, and some good fellowship.

To start, the snowstorm was pretty awesome. The snow in itself was just as beautiful as it was fun. Two of my closest friends ended up staying at my house Tuesday night because of the weather, and we all celebrated our snow day with a lazy morning of pancakes and video games.

Our band, Misfit Plaid, held two practices to prepare for our first show which took place over the weekend. Our show was a ton of fun, and we started building a decent fan base as well as make some good business connections.

Sunday morning came and brought another pile of blessings as well. In addition to a great worship service (despite some slip-ups), our church had a wonderful meeting to further discuss our core values. It's really encouraging to see the growth in our church as we overcome challenges. One such challenge was our worship, and our worship committee finally came to rest on a more permanent service structure (which includes the use of both organ and praise band every Sunday).

All in All, the week seemed to be a relentless shower of blessings from the LORD (including the healing of my leg!). As I sit in my living room writing this, I notice the snow piled up on my porch and I realize that my life is very similar in that the LORD has just immersed me in a blizzard of His love.

Forever Grateful,
-B

Chapter XXVIII: Support

The past few days seemed to fly by. After hearing of my grandmother's death on Monday, I had all of 24 hours to try and get the rest of the week's work done. As usual, the LORD worked everything out for me, but it was semi-stressful. I then spent 4 days out in Colorado to be with family as we mourned the loss of Grandma.

I did learn a couple of things from my brief trip to Colorado.

My ministry operates fine without me. This is great because it shows that the Holy Spirit is really at work in these ministries. My ministry isn't defined by "me," but rather the group as a whole.

My church family is awesome. During my absence, a lot of people stepped up and helped out. I was really happy to hear about the leadership that some of our youth volunteers showed. I received a ton of support from everybody at church via texts, emails, and cards.

My grandma was awesome. Throughout my trip, and especially at the funeral, I constantly discovered new things about my grandma. For example, we found an old painting in the garage that she had painted! Who knew? Margaret Boucek touched so many people and changed so many lives during her time here. I am constantly trying to model my life after my grandparents as they both lived a life for God and lived it to the full.

In other news, things at church are going super well. Participation numbers are up, people are optimistic, and our church is making some serious strides towards finding direction. Not to mention the fact that we finally figured out where/when we are going for our mission trip.

Personally though, I'm feeling a little defeated. My leg injury isn't healing as fast as I would like, and I'm getting sick of not being active. So please pray for healing and patience for me. The positive is the chance to get a lot done around my house, lots of writing done, and of course some good Call of Duty experience.

It's interesting to consider the analogy between my injury and my church family. Even though a busted up leg doesn't actually affect my brain, it does seem to affect my mood. While my leg is there just to support me, it's obvious that I can't do anything well without sturdy support. Similarly, my church family is my support.

And without good support, I'm nothing.

Thankful for my family,
-B

Chapter XXVII: Growth

The big weekend. Winter retreat 2011.

I survived.

Our high school group went up to Cran-Hill ranch this weekend for a few days. We had worship, heard guest speakers, played broom-ball, did some skiing, and had a blast. Despite the leg injury I gained through an aerial sledding stunt, it was a very fruitful weekend. The students grew spiritually and were both challenged and encouraged to take their faith more seriously.

And this is what made my week great.

I got to see firsthand the growth taking place in my students' lives. But they weren't the only ones who grew. The LORD definitely challenged me this weekend as well and taught me a few things.

For starters, I was again (I know I say this a lot) reminded how fortunate I am to be where I'm at. As the youth pastors met at the beginning of the retreat, it didn't take long for me to realize that I was the youngest by at least 5 to 10 years. It's amazing how God can use me despite my lack of age, experience, and wisdom.

But the LORD worked through me. And that's really the only reason I can do this job. The entire weekend I found myself saying/doing things that definitely didn't come from me. I constantly found myself smiling during small group discussions because I could feel God throwing ideas into my head and guiding my speech.

While this past week was mostly focused on the weekend, a few other things happened as well. So here's a list of some interesting things....

-Our band, Misfit Plaid, had another awesome practice (and a new bass amp).
-The Chicago Bears...well, you know how that turned out
-Learned a new dance move at swing dance
-Finally finished a climbing route I've been working on for a few weeks
-Saw the movie "Once"...pretty decent....good music

Finally, I just found out that my grandma passed away late last night. This was expected, but it's still hard on my family. So in addition to praying for my bum leg (stupid body just overreacted), please pray for us as we are traveling and grieving.

These prayer requests remind me that I'm still human. I still live in a human world. While this weekend was definitely productive, the LORD did all the work, and not me. I'm not perfect. I'm not above others. I can be broken. God still taught me things. So while I'm proud of what I've become and what I've done, there's still a long way to go.

Still learning,
-B

Chapter XXVI: I Am Who I Am

Continuing along the same thought process as last week, I'm still impressed by God's work in my life. This past week I've really recognized who God has made me to be, and I must admit, I really like it.

The past two weeks have really encouraged me as I have been feeling overwhelmed with my current situation. Last week God reminded me of His constant support and showed me His affection, and this week He remdinded me that I was created perfectly for this time and place.

Without sounding to egocentric, I really love the man God has turned me into. Over the years, He has carefully groomed me for this ministry, and it's awesome to see it all tie together. I recently ate lunch with an old friend, and while talking with her, I realized that this really is what I do now.

Hard to believe that I really am a youth pastor.

This week was fairly ordinary (climbing, music, swing dance, etc.), but it had a different feel. Especially towards the end of the week, I started seeing all the ways that I am starting to build deeper relationships. Make positive changes in the our congregation. Even recognizing my impact on the community.

Again, I apologize for the narcissism, but I really appreciate all that God has made me to be. As I walked through the woods this weekend taking pictures, I began to grasp how awesome God has been to me. I thought about who I used to be and who God has made me. Psalm 139 reads:

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

Please continue to pray for my grandma as she is still determined to glorify God despite her health. I also ask that you pray for our high school students as we attend our winter retreat this weekend.

I'd like to leave you with this thought...God has created each of us with a unique purpose and an equally unique set of traits to match that purpose. So my advice...be who you are and recognize that you can't be someone else, because being someone else is like changing God's masterpiece.

Just me,
-B

Chapter XXV: Chocolate Bar

Part of the reason that David the Stud (son of Jesse) was so well remembered was because God touched everything David did. This week I felt like David.

Not because I was a stud.

But because the LORD has really been blessing me this week. His hand is visible in the projects I've been working on. In my work with the youth ministry and worship services. Even in my relationships with others. Not because of anything I did, but simply because He loves me.

Like an unexpected note of encouragement.

One of the biggest things that He's blessing is the band we recently started, Misfit Plaid. We got together for our first practice on Monday night, and not only was it fun, but we sounded good. The guys are all awesome and we all share a passion to serve the LORD. This band is meant to be used as a ministry, and the LORD is doing just that! By Thursday, we had our first gig booked! A complete stranger asked us to play at a benefit concert in February, and we're really excited to start being a positive influence in a negative world.

The LORD also blessed our worship service yesterday. This Sunday, we tried out one of our first experimental services, and it went really well. We had a few glitches of course, but nothing that can't be worked out with time and practice. It was really awesome to see the way that the LORD used so many people and so many gifts together in one service.

Even the little things were touched by God this week. A new climbing route that I conquered. A good conversation with a student. Tasty leftovers from a church meal. Surprise visits from friends. A little heart in my Happy Fun Mail bag. Even a couple good rounds of Call of Duty.

This week came with trials as well. In the past few days, my grandma's health has rapidly declined and it seems as though she'll pass within the next few days. Obviously, your prayers for my family would be greatly appreciated, but especially for my grandfather.

While this was tough news to hear, it came with a blessing (like most bad things do). The morning after I heard about this, I recieved the best blessing of my week.

A chocolate bar.

Sounds simple, but nothing could be more elegant. It's like God was saying; "Hey Brian. Keep up the good work. I love you." Afer feeling a little burnt out, God sent me this edible pick-me-up. All of His other blessings this week were great, but this really showed me God's love. It reminded me that God's love isn't about success. It's not about being fortunate. It's not about blessings of any kind.

It's about His unconditional love for me. That's His blessing. He loves me. And that's all I need.

A beloved Child of God,
-B

Chapter XXIV: Coffee and Bananas

First update of 2011...Thus far, my year has gone pretty well. But let's focus on the past few days shall we?

It felt good to be back home and spend the week doing the ministry that I love. As the schools were still on break, I got to spend time playing Call of Duty and Halo with my students. When combined with various breakfasts I shared with students, this week was well spent building relationships and having fun. Oh and I got a new coffee mug and cleaned up the coffee maker, so now I can drink it every morning.

I messed up my hand early last week and it miraculously healed very well in just a few days (so I didn't have to miss too much climbing). It made me realize how fortunate I am that my body works well and I should celebrate my youthfulness while it lasts. As part of that realization, I have made an effort to be a little healthier.

Hence the bananas.

With a new year comes a new start. After a great New Years celebration with some of my closest friends, I decided that I need to start taking care of myself a little better. SO...I'm getting more sleep, taking vitamins, and eating a banana for breakfast every day (my mom is so proud).

Our church enjoyed the lull of winter break, but it's definitely time to resume Sunday School, classes, dinners, and events. Our church is also beginning a month of experimental worship services that will help lead us to God's will for our church's worship. We are also looking forward to our winter retreat. To be honest, I'm a little stressed already, but it will be fun. I have a tendency to worry about details and legistics, so please pray for peace of mind for me.

That's not my only source of stress however. I find myself worrying about next week's worship service. Games for our middle school. Drivers for the next event. The problem is that I'm still putting too much of myself into ministry and not letting God flow through me. I'm seeking strength from myself and not God.

But I'm working on it.

I'm still loving my life and work here in Michigan, I just need to get better at letting God sustain me. I need to drink the Living Water. Because let's face it, nobody gets very far on bananas and coffee.

Starting fresh,
-B