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