This is Our Gift

...While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:6-7)

...an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” (Matthew 2:13)

This is how the Messiah entered the world, born in a filthy manger among the animals, in the dirt, rejected before he had breathed his first. Soon after his birth, the king even tried to kill him. The Redeemer of all, past, present, and future, was abandoned by his own people. This would be his entire life.

When Jesus was twelve, he was accidentally left in the temple in Jerusalem. Upon returning and finding him, his parents were astonished.

His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."
"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:48-49)

In this beautiful moment, Jesus claims the temple in the name of God, his Father, not unlike when he cleanses the temple towards the end of his life, declaring it the house of God. Similar to so many times throughout his life, they do not understand what he is saying.

Despised.
Rejected.
Oppressed.
Afflicted.
Pierced.
Crushed.
Slaughtered.

Raised.

This is our Christmas gift. May we understand, accept, rejoice, and love; we have a risen and living Savior!

-Matt

Movies

OF COURSE, I forgot to take my camera to the Christmas parties... maybe if someone puts some up on facebook I will post some on here, but for now I don't have any.

I DO, however, have some movie recommendations! The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas is a MUST SEE! It is only in select theaters but Matt and I found a place around here that was showing it. Get online and look around in your area and see if you can find it - it is worth it! It is kind of a hard movie to watch at times, but it is very good. In case you've never heard of it, here is the movie trailor:



Then, on a much less serious note, another good movie is Horton Hears a Who. I thought it looked cute and had wanted to see it, but Matt didn't seem to interested. :) It is out at Redbox now so we rented it last night. It is VERY cute! Yes, it is a kids movie, but we both enjoyed it and parts of it were very funny! Here is the trailor:



There are a lot of other movies that we want to see right now. "Changeling" is out at the discount theater here but we haven't gotten around to seeing it yet. We also want to see Australia, Valkyrie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Marley and Me. Matt isn't too sure about Marley and Me but I'll drag him along anyway... ;-)

The Good Samaritan

Our story this week is the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. So many times, we read this story and we place ourselves in the shoes of the Samaritan. “What would I do if I came upon a scene like this?” At the end of the parable, Jesus does say, “Go and do likewise,” but why? Why are we called to be the Good Samaritan?

It is great to place ourselves into the stories we read in the Bible. It’s also good every now and then to ask, “If I were passing by this guy, how would I respond? Would I treat him like the Samaritan did?” However, let’s put a twist on what role we take in this parable. Put yourself in place of the man on the side of the road.

A different angle:
Imagine that you’re out for a walk one bright and sunny day. There’s a cool breeze blowing, not a cloud in the sky. It is the perfect day. All of sudden, you are on the ground. There is somebody on top of you beating you to a pulp. For what seems like hours, punch after punch, kick after kick; you try fighting back, but it’s no use. There are too many of them. When the chaos subsides, you are left with nothing but a bloody, bruised, and beaten body. They have robbed you, completely stripped you of all you had.

As you lie on the side of the road, body torn and bleeding, you wonder if anybody will pass by and see you. Then, you hear footsteps. You are able to move just enough to see it is the preacher at the local congregation. What a relief; finally, there is somebody that will help. He sees you, and you know it, but he crosses to the other side of the road. What is he doing? You think maybe he didn’t see you, so you muster up a sound, a small cry. He glances over quickly. As he passes, you’re thinking he might come to help, but still, nothing. He keeps walking and doesn’t bother with you.

A little later, somebody else walks towards you. This time, it’s a fellow member at your church. You think, “Surely, they will help.” However, they too cross to the other side of the road and pass you by without even slowing down. In fact, they even turn their head away from you as if they didn’t even notice, but you know they did.

A half hour passes, and you feel all hope is lost. You’ve closed your eyes, almost wishing you would breathe your last when you hear footsteps coming in your direction. As you slowly open your eyes, you can only see the figure of the man coming closer as your sight is still blurry. As your vision clears, you recognize him. It is the guy that stands on the corner every day begging for money, the same guy that you pass thinking, “He just wants boos. Get a job!” And if you get stopped by the red light, you lock your doors and try not to look him in the eye.

You think to yourself, “This is hopeless. If my own family won’t help, surely he will pass me up.” You pray to yourself, “God, help me.” And then he does. This man stops, bandages you as best as he can, picks you up, and carries you to the house down the street. He takes you in and tells the people, “Here’s all the money I have right now. Please do what you can to take care of him. As I can, I will repay you for any extra that you have spent.”

In the most unexpected place, from the most unexpected person, you have been saved. You have received grace and been given another chance at life. You weren’t left to die.

I know this is just a hypothetical situation, but what if this is what truly happened? How would you respond? You would, obviously, want to return the favor, but how do you return the favor when he saved your life? In fact, he gave up everything he had to save you. He gave up all of his money and possessions, and with this, he gave up a warm meal, maybe even a hotel room for a night or two. He gave it all so that you could live. I believe I would do more than just a simple favor or two. He would be taken into my house for free, eat for free, live for free. Although there is nothing I could do to ever repay him, I would be at his feet to do just as he asked.

You see, when we read the story of the Good Samaritan from this viewpoint, it’s easy to see that this very thing has been done for all of us. We have all been beaten and broken, and we have all been on our last breath begging for help. And, after being passed up by the very people and things we would expect to take care of us, there is one who comes along, wraps us in his arms, and gives us another chance at life, a chance at true living.

Christ came and died so that we can live. He gave all he had to offer you grace, mercy, and love; he didn’t leave you alone to die. Even after all we have done to desert him, lock our doors and turn ourselves away from him, he was right there to give it all for us. Because we have received such grace from a crucified God, far beyond anything we ever expected, it makes perfect sense why Jesus said, “Go and do likewise.”

Although there is nothing we can do to ever repay him for what he has done, we have no other choice than to be at his feet, giving our entire lives to loving him and loving others. We who have been given much, much is expected.

-Matt

Wow...

Wow... I realize I have totally abandoned my blog lately! Unfortunately, I still don't have much to say right now, BUT we have a busy busy weekend with Christmas parties! SO, I'll be sure to get pictures and get some posts up soon! :)

IHOP

I HIGHLY recommend trying IHOP's Coffee Cake Pancakes! MMmmmm! I got the Pecan Struesel Coffee Cake Pancakes, but they also have Apple and something else that I can't remember. They are yummy yummy! :)

Elijah Videos

For those of you who also read Summer's blog, you might remember her talking about Elijah getting the giant stuffed Boz bear. Well we had the priviledge of meeting the giant Boz this weekend. It is HUGE! We got some pretty funny videos of Elijah trying to tackle Boz. A few times Boz ended up tackling him! :) So anyway, here are some videos!



Elijah kicking Boz in the air... or at least attemping to. :)



Elijah just got some of those shoes that have the wheels in the bottom. Brad thought it would be a good idea to tell him to put those on, THEN try to tackle Boz. We were all imagining some hilarious thing to happen, but it was really pretty uneventful. You'll even hear Brad in the video say, "That wasn't nearly as funny as I thought it would be..." Haha!



When I first sent these videos to mom she said, "Oh what we do for entertainment..." :)

----Be sure to check out the new post below this one!

Finally, Maybe

The title was Matt's idea... Finally, MAYBE, we have picked a place for the wedding!

Last Friday, November 14th, Matt and I went to Denison to check out the prayer garden at Park Avenue Church of Christ. (That is where we first met and interned together) During our internship there, they were in the process of creating the garden and we would walk down there occasionally to check out the process. It is absolutely beautiful right now. The trees are starting to change colors and there are leaves on the ground. They just planted hundreds of new plants for the winter season and it is so beautiful. So... we have decided that we would like to get married there! Now, nothing is "OFFICIAL" yet, but this is what we are leaning toward. Again, not official, but we are also looking at the date November 14, 2009! We had originally planned on a December wedding, but we figured that November was at least a little more predictable as far as the weather goes. Matt said he likes that date because we also got engaged on the 14th of July so he says that is one less number to remember. :) We realize the weather can still be unpredictable then, but we're willing to take that chance. We would have the Park Avenue building as a backup. We certainly wouldn't expect people to come all "dressed up" - you could bring your blankets if you want! Anyway, we went back there the next day with my mom and dad to let them check it out and we took a few pictures - so check them out!

The pathway down to the garden...

The beautiful fountain...

The "stage" where we will be...

The pergola (I think that is what they're called!) where I would probably walk in...

Here is a slideshow of all of the pictures we took:

"By His Wounds..."

One of my favorite stories is the story of Jesus’ trial and Peter’s denial in Mark 14:53-72. Imagine being witness to the following events:

It is late in the night, and Peter follows Jesus and his captives at a distance into the courtyard of the high priest. Peter joins the guards by the fire to warm himself. As Jesus’ trial begins, there is mass chaos. There are many who give false testimony against him, and, to add to it, none of them can agree! They each have their own slight alteration of the true story. When asked by the priest how he would defend himself against such accusations, Jesus gives no answer. Isaiah 53:7 says “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth.” I can imagine sitting next to Peter watching the events and wondering, “Why aren’t you saying anything? This is your chance; tell them who you are!” Still, he says nothing.

Remember, in Mark, Jesus has not made the claim that he is the Messiah. Demons have claimed him as the Son of Man, but he has told them to remain quiet. In his trial before the high priest he is asked, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Facing his time of great suffering, Jesus finally reveals his true identity answering, “I am.” Furthermore, he says, “...and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Here, he echoes the words of Daniel 7:13-14. In this he makes the claim, “You judge me now, but I am truly your judge.” The high priest becomes angry at these words and considers them blasphemy; the penalty for cursing a ruler is death. Jesus knew they would consider him to be committing treason, but he still stands faithful.

All the while during the trial, Peter is sitting in the courtyard. As we watch Jesus facing an unfair trial, we also see Peter in his own trial. First, one of the high priest’s servant girls points out that he was with Jesus the Nazarene. Fearing for his life, although earlier he claimed he would follow Jesus to the death, Peter denies her saying, “I don’t know or understand what you are talking about.” One would think at this point he would remember the words of Jesus, “You will deny me three times,” and leave. You would think he would hear this very warning and get away from others in order that he might not deny his Lord. Placing yourself in the scene next to the fire, you might even think, “If they accuse me like they are accusing him, I’m getting out of here. I don’t want them to wrongfully accuse me too!” However, Peter stays. Again, the same servant girl sees him and accuses him of being a follower of Jesus, and, again, he denies him. The man who was probably previously rejected by another rabbi denies the very one who chose him specifically, Peter, to be his follower. Then, those around Peter recognized him as a Galilean and as one of the disciples; however, as he had twice before, Peter denies the claims. He even curses himself and swears; he makes an oath that he does not know Christ. He earlier declares Jesus as the Christ, but in the face of the surrounding world, Peter says he does not even know this man. Immediately the cock crows and Peter remembers. He breaks down and begins weeping. Jesus has withstood the test, but Peter has failed, denying his Lord three times, even after being warned.

So many times I find myself, just like Peter, denying Jesus in the way I am living out my daily life. After being given all of the warning signs, I still manage to fall into the trap and fail in my greatest trial.

Many would see this as the end of the story. Peter has failed; he denies Jesus. But the story does not end there. Peter goes on to live a faithful life, possibly even suffering the same type of death as his dear friend, Jesus. Even greater than this, though, is Jesus’ response to Peter’s denial. As Max Lucado puts it, after his resurrection, Jesus could have very well seen Peter and said, “I told you so.” He could have said, “I even gave you a warning and you still denied me; therefore, I will deny you!” However, he does not even bring it up. He simply asks him three times if he loves him. After Peter replies, “Yes,” Jesus tells him, “Feed my sheep,” and, “Follow me.” This is a story of great trial and failure of Peter, but it is also a story of the faithfulness and grace of our friend, Jesus.

Do we know Jesus? Do we love him? Are we ready and willing to proclaim the name of Christ before others? Are you prepared to feed his sheep and follow him? It is not easy and times of great trial and failure will surely come, but praise be to God for his love, grace, and forgiveness.

“he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53

-Matt

Funny Video

This YouTube video is so funny. It DOES have a bad word in it, but that is the part that makes it so funny to me. Check it out...



Here is an interview with the little girl on the Ellen show - it is pretty funny, too!

Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?

Have you ever felt alone? I’m not talking about just feeling lonely like a college student feels when they move away from home and familiar faces for the first time. I mean have you ever felt truly alone, abandoned? If so, what was this like? What were you facing at the time you felt abandoned?

I’ve been lonely, hurt, confused, and betrayed, but I’m not sure I have ever felt truly abandoned. After being arrested, facing trial under the leadership of his own people, being beaten and crucified, Jesus went through more suffering than I could ever imagine. Not only was his body physical broken and torn, nails driven into his hands and thorns into his head, but he was betrayed, spit on, laughed at, mocked, and scorned. He felt truly abandoned.

In the garden, when the time came, Jesus and his disciples were approached by a group and Roman soldiers and one of his closest friends, Judas. This is the beginning of complete abandonment for Jesus. He is betrayed by a friend with a friendly gesture, a kiss. When he is arrested and led away, his disciples, the men he chose to follow him, completely flee the scene. They run away. Jesus is abandoned by his closest friends. In Mark’s account (14:51), just after the disciples flee, it says there is a young man following Jesus. The men who have arrested Jesus try to seize this young man, but they only grab his garment. He too runs away. Who is this young man? Some would suggest that this is possibly Mark; he would have been a young man at the time. Others suggest something radically different. Could this be an angel? After Jesus’ crucifixion, the three women arrive at his tomb to anoint the body. Not only do they find the tomb empty, but they also “...saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side...” (16:5). The young man in this scene is, of course, an angel. Throughout the Bible, there are numerous accounts of angels; each time, scriptures use the term “man” instead of “angel.” To further support the idea that this young man following Jesus after his arrest is an angel, it occurs just after Jesus’ disciples, the only people with him in the garden, run away. The people have already left the scene. If this is an angel, this not only means that Jesus’ friends have left his side, but now, even the angelic world has abandoned Christ.

After being charged with treason, his own people send him away to be tried under Pontius Pilate. When asked by Pilate what he should do, they yell, “Crucify him,” and he is sent away to face the cross. It was the ninth hour, about 3 p.m., when Jesus cried out. Stop for a second and place yourself at the cross of Jesus, having watched the events of the day. Listen as he cries, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This is a suffering man who is feeling absolute abandonment. Although I am certain his Father was right there suffering through the cries of his Son, Jesus feels complete despair. He is, possibly, quoting directly from Psalms 22. I would suggest taking the time to read all of Psalms 22, however, and not just stopping at the direct quote. Perhaps Jesus is crying out more than, “Why have you forsaken me?” The end of the Psalm gives praise to God. Here, Jesus is not simply asking a question. He is saying, “God, I do not understand this. Why did it have to come to this? Why must I suffer like this? I have absolutely nothing left to give, but I trust in your honor and your glory.”

This is a statement of faith! He is acknowledging his Father’s glory. In doing so, he is setting an example for us in love. He doesn’t understand the suffering, but he wholly trusts in the Father. His faith is never failing, even as he breathes his last. May we all remain faithful, even to our very last breath.

-Matt

Eggnog

If you like eggnog, you'll be happy to know that it is now out in stores! :) Woohoo!

intersection

We went with the youth group last night to a thing called Intersection. It was held at one of the churches here in Austin and all the area youth groups get together to have one big thing. We sang, played some games, ate, and listened to the speaker.

The speaker was Jordan Shipley, a receiver for the ut football team. He certainly wasn't a good, professional speaker, but he did a good job. He talked about his faith and how he has gotten to the point where he is now. He also talked about some of the efforts that he and his roommate, Colt McCoy, make to share their faith with the rest of the team. Even if they are longhorns, it was cool to see them taking their time to come out to a youth group event and share their faith. Colt McCoy was there too, but he didn't speak to the group as a whole.

At the end of Jordan Shipley's talk he opened it up for questions. Most people were asking things like, "What is your shoe size? Who is the fastest person on the team? What is your favorite food?" At one point he pointed out someone and I heard them ask, "Where did you get that shirt?" Jordan kind of laughed and said, "Colt McCoy... I got this shirt from Colt McCoy's dresser..." Come to find out, it was Colt that asked the question. Jordan quickly added that Colt steals his clothes as well.

One of my favorite parts was when Jordan was "quoting" some scripture. Throughout his talk, he would pull out random scriptures from memory and recite them. However, at one point he was talking about how he and Colt keep each other accountable and how having an accountability partner is always a good thing to have. He then said something like, "It is like that scripture that says just as iron sharpens iron..... yeah... your friends." We got a good laugh out of it and he just kind of laughed then smiled real big... I'm sure he is used to his smile getting him out of things.

Something that he shared that was pretty cool is something that the whole team participates in. He said they have big white boards in their locker room and that every day SOMEBODY puts up a different scripture. He said different people do it each time, but there is always something up there. He said they clear it off every day, and every day there is a new one up. We thought that was pretty cool.

Anyway, I still hope the rest of their football season stinks (especially come Thanksgiving) - but I respect them for taking time out of their busy schedules to share their faith with youth groups.

Watch!

Since today is the election, for those of you who haven’t voted yet, instead of providing you with a devotional thought, I would like to give you who you should vote for if you are a Christian...

...I’m kidding. In fact, I would like to offer something to take our thoughts off of the election and onto something of great importance, Jesus.

In Mark 14:32-42, as Jesus prepares to face the coming ordeal, he takes his disciples about halfway up the side of the Mount of Olives to Gethsemane. He then takes his inner group, the three first chosen to be his followers, Peter, James, and John, to a separate place in the garden. He tells them to stay there and keep watch. Here, the word “watch” is one of great importance. Earlier in Mark 13, Jesus, in telling his followers of the coming of the end, he reminds them that the day and the hour of his return is unknown even to the Son. He then tells them three times to keep watch. He says, “...keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.” When the rooster crows—possibly a foreshadowing of Peter not watching?

Here, in chapter 14, Jesus once again tells them to watch. He then goes off to pray in agony. “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Jesus is, without a doubt, in deep suffering. He knows what is coming and does not want to go through it; who in their right mind would? So he humbly asks for this cup of suffering to be removed. If he would have left his prayer at that, I wonder if, as the song says, “ten thousand angels” would’ve arrived to destroy the world and set him free. He could have very well made this appeal, but his prayer doesn’t stop there. He then says, “Yet not what I will, but what you will.” In his faithful love, he does not want to break the relationship between the Father and the Son.

In verses 37, 40, and 41, Jesus comes back to find his disciples asleep—three times. Remember, in chapter 13, Jesus has said three times to keep watch. Here, he has told them once again to keep watch and pray, but they fall asleep each time. They still do not understand! In their most powerful test, they are caught sleeping. The disciples have just made the claim that they will stand by their Lord, even if it means death. These brave words are greatly contrasted, though, in their performance. When push comes to shove, they fall asleep.

We are given a beautiful example by Jesus. In his time of terrible suffering, in agony, he still remains faithful: “Not my will, but what you will.” Father, I don’t want this; I don’t understand this! But you are much greater than I; my life is yours. This is our example, yet so many times we are like the disciples. I have made great claims of following Christ to the death, yet, when push comes to shove, I often times catch myself sleeping. We have been told, as we have read in chapter 13, to watch and pray.

Are we diligently watching and praying? Are we daily offering our entire lives as a living sacrifice just as Christ faithfully offered his own life, or do we only make the claim and still follow our own desires? Is it truly not what we will, but what God wills, or have we fallen asleep?

6 Random Things

I know I have made a LOT of new posts just today, but I forgot that Summer tagged me in her blog, so I have to put 6 random things about myself!

6 Random Things

1. I used to like mustard. One day Brad decided that he didn't like mustard anymore, and I wanted to be like him so I decided I didn't like it either. I KNOW it is all in my head, but to this day I don't like mustard.

2. Summer taught me how to touch my nose with my tongue. I could never do it but she showed me how to do it a different way (she has a special technique, I guess) and now I can do it!

3. I really like Mojitos. I just discovered them a month or so ago... and they are so yummy.

4. I remember when I was a kid and I was watching "Hook" with Robin Williams. He was flying around in the movie and I started "flying" around my room with my arms out, running in circles. I remember flying around then turning toward my door and my mom was standing there watching me. I was so embarrassed. Whereas I WAS a kid, I remember that I was really too old to get caught "flying" around my room...

5. I LOVE the show "Reba". Yes, it is kind of cheesy, but I think it is HILARIOUS! I watch reruns nearly every day. It cracks me up every time!

6. When I was little, Jason used to come in at bedtime and read to me each night from the book "Charlotte's Web". I still remember it perfectly and it is a really special memory for me.

Halloween

Matt and I had a "couple" costume this year. I will go ahead and give you the heads up... it is REALLY cheesy! Even so, we thought it was pretty funny. We didn't tell anyone what we were - we made them figure it out. SO, I will give you the opportunity to try to figure it out yourself. The only thing you need to know that isn't clear in the picture, is that my costume has HOLES in it... So guess away!

(this is us with our "Most Original" award!)

Any guesses? In case you just absolutly can't guess, you can scroll over the text below and you'll find the answer...

We are: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

I told you it was cheesy, but we thought it was pretty funny... :)

I hope you all had a happy Halloween!

One More

I forgot to mention possibly the BEST concert I went to in October! :) Haha!

But really, Matt played at a big Harvest Festival in Austin on Halloween day. Pond Springs (our church) teamed up with another local church, Northwest Fellowship, and helped them with their festival. I never heard how many people showed up this year, but last year they had over 600 people come. A lot of people from Pond Springs volunteered in different ways. Most people took shifts running the game booths. I made a cake for the cake walk, and Matt filled one of their "live music" slots.

He did a REALLY good job!! And no, I'm not just saying that because "I have to". There were a lot of people who were really impressed! We heard a lot of "Who is that guy? He's good!" Anyway, he really did do a good job. Here are just a few pictures I got while he was playing...

Here is the flyer I made for him to pass out at the Festival.

That's all :)

Concerts!

Better late than never, I suppose! Here are some pictures from our concerts! I didn't get any pictures from the Needtobreathe and Gavin DeGraw concert because I forgot my camera. :( But here are a few from the others!

Marc Broussard on Friday night:

We were right next to the stage! This picture was when he was standing right in front of me. I had to actually kind of lean back some to get the picture!

This was when we first got in. We were so close!!

The concert was AWESOME! Marc Broussard sings with so much soul and his band was awesome too. Toward the end of their set they went NUTS and were rocking out the stage! It was so cool! I can safely say it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to!

Missy Higgins and Ben Folds on Saturday night:

We were actually at the very front again for this concert - we had one row of people in front of us! The pictures got kind of out of order, but this first one is actually toward the end of the concert. We were at the front for a while, but we were right in front of the speakers and it was VERY loud, so toward the end we walked to the back and listened from there. Here is Ben Folds from the back! (Oh and they wouldn't let us use the flash on our cameras, so all of these are kind of blurry)

Missy Higgins! She is one of my favorite artists! She is from Australia so she doesn't have very many shows in this area, so I was super excited to see her! She was VERY good! Again, my pictures are out of order - but this is her singing with Ben Folds during his set.

Ben Folds...

Missy Higgins...

We had a great time going to all of our concerts in October, but we were WORN OUT when it was all said and done! Here are all the people we saw (including opening acts): Chuck Wicks, Jewel, Brad Paisley, Needtobreathe, Gavin DeGraw, Flyjack, Marc Broussard, Missy Higgins, and Ben Folds! :)

Gas

I just filled up my car (it was BELOW the empty line) for $30! That is great compared to the $50 it cost us to fill up this summer in Glenwood. :) The average price around here is around $2.35, I think - but we found a station last week for $2.19! I'm glad the prices have been going down... I just hope they stay that way!

I DO have some pictures and stories from all of our concerts but I haven't gotten around to sorting through pictures yet. I will try to get those up sometime this week.

***EDIT*** I saw a station today with gas for $2.14/gallon!!!

True Discipleship

In Mark 12:41-44, we are told the story of the poor widow offering everything she had to give. Jesus praises her actions saying that she had given more than the rich people who gave out of their wealth. But isn’t she offering her money in the temple? In Mark 11 we read the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree and cleansing the temple. This widow is giving her money to a failed institution. Why is Jesus commending her for what she is doing?

In Mark 14:3-9, we are told the story of a poor woman who breaks an expensive ointment and anoints Jesus. It seems like such a waste. I can understand the people’s response; I probably would have responded the same way. She could have very well taken this perfume, sold it for pretty good money, and given that money to those in need. I remember being told, “...whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mtt. 25:40).

The importance in these two stories is not what the women are giving, and it’s certainly not where they are giving it. The greatest importance is that they are giving to the Lord. Even further than this, they are giving everything they have, their greatest offering, to God. Women are going to love this, and the “women have their place and it’s not in leadership” folks may not want to read the following: These two poor women are showing the nature of true discipleship against a world where the men are showing treachery. The widow offering her entire living leads to the woman offering her best which leads to Jesus offering his entire self for the world.

The anointing of Jesus holds even more significance. In the time of Jesus, before taking the throne, kings were anointed. In addition, when a person would die, the body would go through a ceremonial anointing or treatment. Before becoming king in his death, Jesus is anointed by a poor woman in the home of a leper. We are led to the greatest sacrifice ever given, Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, among the despised, among the poor, in the house of an outcast, a leper.

With this we must ask, are we living true discipleship? Are we leading others in our serving just as these poor women did? May we give our entire life to the one who gives us life, to the one who gave his very life for us.

-Matt

A Child's Trust

In Mark 11:11-25, Jesus gives sight to Bartimaeus, the last healing mentioned in Mark before entering Jerusalem. When Bartimaeus finds out this is Jesus, he cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” In crying out these simple words, people rebuked him and told him to be quiet. This only made him cry out even more. Once again, when the people want nothing to do with this man, Jesus takes him in and asks what he wants him to do. Bartimaeus replies, “Master, let me receive my sight.” With these words, it was done. Jesus, however, does not claim this victory for himself; he tells the man that his faith has made him well.

Later, Jesus will tell the disciples that faith can move mountains. I think about this and I wonder, “How strong is my faith?” Here is a blind man who sees nothing, only hears what has been said and done, but he has a greater faith than I can imagine. I have clear sight, at least with my glasses. I can look around me and see God’s creation just as the disciples could do, but, just like the disciples, I’m not sure I understand this kind of faith. Hebrews says that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. I always thought I could claim this, but do I really believe this idea that faith can save us and make us well? I have heard this story many times, but maybe I’ve only heard it with my ears and not with my heart.

Jesus has also told his disciples to accept the kingdom like a child. Imagine a child’s simple trust for their parent. Anytime anything goes wrong, the child runs to the parent knowing that they will take care of them. Here, Bartimaeus shows this simple trust. With this simple, child-like trust, he shows great faith. He runs into his Father's arms knowing all will be well. He sees Jesus’ mission in its truest sense, his eyes are opened, and he follows him.

In hard times, in times of misunderstanding, and in times of little faith we should remember the trust of a child, trust in its simplest yet greatest form. We should run to Jesus and cry out, “Have mercy on me; let me receive my sight,” and it will be done.

--Matt

HELP - lunches!

I looked through my bank account today and realized that Matt and I have been spending WAY too much money on FOOD! We were real good for a while and made our lunches nearly every day. Sandwiches get old in a hurry and we have slowly gotten into the slump of just swinging through McDonalds or Subway to pick up some lunch. SO what I need are some ideas for lunches! Obviously, it has to be something that we can pack and have for a few hours before we eat it. Even things as simple as making a sandwich with rolls or crescents or wrapping up meat and cheese in a tortilla - ANYTHING! Just not the same 'ol white bread with meat and cheese. Help us out! :)

San Antonio

This weekend Matt and I drove to San Antonio for a few different things. It is only a little over an hour from Austin so it was a real easy trip. First of all, we went and met up with my cousin, Wes! I hadn't seen or talked to him in YEARS! I found him on myspace and we had been talking a little through that, but decided we needed to meet up! We went and ate then just sat around for a few hours visiting and catching up! It was GREAT getting to see him and find out what he has been doing since I last saw him! (By the way, I think the last time I saw him, we were probably about the same size! Haha!) So anyway, now that we know that we are only about an hour away, we said we would have to get together more often!



After visiting with Wes for a while we went to the Brad Paisley concert! We just had lawn seats, but we were some of the first people to get in so we were able to snag a spot right up front. We couldn't see a whole lot, but we could hear it and watch a lot of it on the big screens.

The first guy who played was Chuck Wicks. When he first came out he told us that this was their final show for that tour. I had heard before that Brad Paisley was a real prankster and we found out on Saturday that it is true! Chuck even said when he first came out that the pranks would be flying that night. Well during his first song, a group of guys ran out on stage and rolled him with some kind of glue then poured bags and bags of feathers all over him! It was hilarious! The sad thing is, he played the rest of his set with feathers all over him. It was pretty hard to take him seriously! His second song was his big hit Stealing Cinderella. During the song they had a giant picture of a castle on the screens behind him. Soon after he started, a big picture of Cinderella popped up on the screen but it has his face put on it! It was hilarious! Slowly, more "Cinderellas" popped up with different faces (guys from the band, I think). Again, it was VERY hard to take him seriously! After that song, Brad came out and said he had a video to show that nobody had watched yet. It was a fake video of Chuck's girlfriend (Julianne Hough from Dancing with the Stars - and now a country performer) pretending to break up with him. Chuck sang another song then Brad came back out and showed the "just kidding" video from his girlfriend. Chuck seemed to be a good sport about it all. I think he was expecting something already, but probably not all of that! It was pretty amusing though. :)

The next performer was Jewel. I have never been a fan of Jewel anyway, but I'm certainly not now! She was AWFUL live. We just couldn't believe that she was up there singing the way she was - it was not good at all. Sometimes the things she did were amusing because they were so bad, and sometimes it was just painful. We were not at all impressed with her performance.

Next up was BRAD PAISLEY! I get so excited when I see him in concert. He is SO good! He definitely puts on a good show and dishes out some AMAZING guitar solos! Sometimes I would look over at Matt and he would just kind of shake his head like, "How in the world does he do that..." I think Matt enjoyed it too, but probably not as much as me. :) I told him I would like to take him to one where we were closer up and could actually see the band. He is playing in Austin in January so I figured I might do some ebay searching the week of the concert and see if I happened to find any last minute good deals. Anyway, we had a great time!

Our next concert is on Thursday for Gavin DeGraw. We also found out just this week that ANOTHER one of our favorite bands Needtobreathe is playing with Gavin! EVEN BETTER, it is a FREE concert! That being said, there will probably be a million people there, so who knows if we will be able to see a thing, but we're going to try! :)

Then Friday is Marc Broussard and Saturday is Ben Folds and Missy Higgins! Fun, fun, fun!

Children's Class

I have been asked if I would be interested in teaching a class at church - K-2nd grade. I NEED YOUR HELP! If I do it, I want it to be something REALLY cool and REALLY fun and REALLY creative! :) There aren't many kids that night - anywhere from two to six or seven probably. So anyway, if you have ANY suggestions, or a cool lesson book or anything, let me know please!

Matt's Thoughts

I have been thinking--scary, I know. I have been learning many new things and many important things recently; school has a tendency to do that to a person. I feel that I've been given a lot of information but haven't been telling people (Lauren would probably say differently; she has to listen to it all the time--I don't feel bad, that's her job). So I thought maybe once a week or so I could send out an email with something short--something to think about or read about. You can respond if you would like, but you don't have to. This is really to give you a chance to read and think; if you want to talk about it or have something else to add, even better. I'll start with this one:

Mark 9:2-9 is known as the transfiguration. Here, Jesus takes his inner group, Peter, James, and John, to the top of a mountain. At the top, they see him as the resurrected figure, almost a "flash forward" that reveals his future seat on the throne. (Read the entire story; it's interesting) Towards the end, in verse 7, a voice from the clouds tells the 3 with him, "This is my beloved Son, listen to him." Previously, the disciples have not understood many things (they question the parables, the miracles, the prediction of Jesus' death, etc.). Here, this voice says, "...listen to him." The very next thing it says that Jesus tells them is to tell no one what they have seen UNTIL THE SON OF MAN SHOULD HAVE RISEN FROM THE DEAD (verse 9). They have already been told to listen, but it seems their ears were still closed, or possibly just their minds. Then, over in verse 31 and 32, Jesus tells them very clearly, "The Son of man will be delivered into thehands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise." But still they didn't get it! It even says that they were afraid to ask which, to me, says that they knew they should be getting something out of it, but they didn't know what that was, even though he states it very clearly.

Are we, still today, so closed minded that we sometimes simply hear with our ears and not with our hearts? Jesus is still speaking to us; are we truly listening to every word with open minds and open hearts to understand what is being said? And even if we still do not understand, are we too afraid or have too much pride to ask?

-Matt

Missing Glenwood

Lately Matt and I have been missing Glenwood Springs - we miss the cool weather, the river, and some of our friends there. We have been looking up the weather there occassionally and the low temperatures sound pretty nice too. Amy Bruner posted the picture below on her blog of Glenwood now and how the colors are starting to change. They'll be getting snow anytime now! We'll be lucky if we get an inch here! Haha! :)


This was yesterday morning around 8:30am. I talked to June (the lady I lived with) on the phone yesterday and when I told her I saw that it was 14 degrees she said, "Oh now... that is a bit of an exaggeration... it was at least 24 degrees!" Haha, so EITHER WAY it is getting very chilly there! June said things were going well except for the fact that the frost killed her flowers and her walnut tree is leaving lots of leaves and walnuts for her to pick up. :)

After one of the first times that I expressed to Matt that I missed being in Colorado, he sent me an email later that night saying that he found this picture and started missing it himself. This is us with Allyson (Justin & Amy's oldest daughter) at the Sylvan Lake campout.


So anyway, if we can ever afford a trip anytime soon, I know we would both love to go back and visit. I would love to go in the winter sometime and see all the snow - I bet it is absolutely beautiful! I will be keeping up with Amy's blog to get those pictures (pressure is on now, Amy!).

Also, be sure to check out Amy's blog for the recipe for Monkey bread (or Bubble bread). Matt and I made some and it is WONDERFUL! So go try it. :)

"Charlie Bit My Finger" Video

This video has become a huge hit on YouTube! Matt and I were just searching videos one day and we came across it. We thought it was so cute and so funny that I just had to share!

Concert Month

This month Matt I will see the following people in concert: Brad Paisley, Gavin DeGraw, Marc Broussard, Ben Folds, Missy Higgins, and maybe Mercy Me! All of those but one (Brad Paisley) are in the same week! Thursday through Sunday, actually. I linked all of the names to the myspace page for that artist if you're interested in checking them out, but I specifically wanted to share two videos of Marc Broussard playing live... this man is AMAZING! On one of the videos on YouTube, one of the first comments says something like, "I have never seen a white man with this much soul," and that is the truth!! So check them out! (the first one is kind of long, but keep watching - he really gets more into it the further into the song he gets)

Halloween Ideas

Matt and I need ideas for Halloween costumes! We would like to do some sort of "couple" costumes, but any suggestions are appreciated! We have a church halloween party where costumes are "required" so we need something good. :) Help us out!

AHH!

I had quite an adventure today! I decided that I was going to go get my hair cut. I had been talking about cutting it a little different lately, but today I decided to just go for it. I went in Wal-Mart and kind of walked around back and forth in front of their salon, trying to check it out and see if I wanted to go there. The people there seemed very friendly and the customers seemed to leave satisfied. I went on in and showed them a picture of what I wanted. I added to that that I didn't want it QUITE as short as in the picture, and that I wanted the "choppy" look and explained what I meant by that (no razor). They seemed to understand what I wanted, so I sat down and they got started.

Here is the picture I showed them:


I had to take my glasses off for her to cut it (understandable) but because of that, I couldn't very well see what she was doing. I could tell that she was cutting off a LOT in the back so I politely reminded her that I didn't want it as short as the picture. She said OK and kept going. She then started cutting my hair with a razor which felt absolutely awful. It felt like she was just ripping hair out of my head.... which she basically was. Another thing I had told them beforehand was that I didn't want my bangs any shorter because I don't like them falling in my face. Well, she cut them shorter. When she finished, my hair was still wet and not at all "styled" and she sent me on my way. I wasn't particularly pleased with the service, but at the time I couldn't really tell what my hair looked like. I went back to the house and washed and dried it to check things out. It. Looked. AWFUL! One side was clearly shorter than the other, and it wasn't even cut the same way. It was thicker, and not layered like the other side. You can't really tell much from this picture (except for that it is SHORT!) but I wasn't happy... (I'm pretty sure you CAN tell that) :)


I'll spare you the "in between" of me calling people and complaining and trying to figure out what to do. :)

When Matt got done at school he took me to a place where he gets his hair cut in Round Rock to try to get it fixed. We got there and it was closed, so I had pretty much given up hope. As we were on our way back toward Austin I saw a place called "Super Cuts" and it had the lit up "OPEN" sign. We pulled in there and I went in and gave them my name. When I sat down, I explained the situation to the lady there. When she looked at it she made a face and made the "Ughh!" sound. I could tell it wasn't good. Here are some of the things that were wrong with the first haircut: unevenly cut (length), unevenly cut (thickness), long strands of hair just sticking out in random places, a "hole" in the back where the razor had cut a section too short (luckily this is underneath everything so its not noticeable at all), and just flat out not what I asked for!! The lady there was VERY nice and fixed it up for me. She did have to cut it all a little shorter just to even it out, but she did a good job.

So anyway, now I am left with EXTREMELY short hair! It is the kind of cut that I used to always say, "If I had the guts, I would cut my hair like that!" Well... I kind of accidentally got the guts! The GOOD thing about it is that it is SO easy to fix! Considering there isn't much hair, there isn't too much you can do to it. So, I'm not sure yet that I really LIKE it, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. Here is my most recent picture of it:


So needless to say, it has been a very eventful and stressful day but at least I got it all worked out!

Yearbook

I found a pretty entertaining website today that puts your face in on old yearbook pictures. :) Matt's fits better than mine, so his are more entertaining to look at, but they're still fun! You can pick a year starting with 1950 and ending with 2000 doing all of the even years... so these are a mix from a few different years... If you want to try it yourself, click HERE or go to www.yearbookyourself.com

WBS Link

I realized I forgot to create the link to World Bible School... so here it is: WORLD BIBLE SCHOOL

I GOT A JOB!

Things have yet to slow down too much around here. However, I do have a new bit of information to share! I GOT A JOB!

I had planned to work at LifeWay Christian Bookstore, and was just waiting for a call back from them to tell me my work schedule. However, during the waiting I talked to a guy with World Bible School. I had talked to him months ago, back when we were in Colorado about working there. At the time, we weren't sure if it was going to work out, but it did! I talked to him on Wednesday, and scheduled an interview for Thursday. I went in and they told me all about WBS and what all they do, and what I would be doing if I were to work there. Everyone there was VERY nice and made me feel very welcome. When I left, I came straight back to the Bright's house (only about 5-10 min away) and by the time I walked in, they called and offered me the job! The location and the hours are really just perfect for my busy schedule. For now, I will just be making phone calls to churches trying to get more accurate contact information for WBS. Whereas making phone calls isn't the most exciting job, none of them are cold calls - everyone I will call has already had some kind of communication with WBS. I will be working about 10 hours/week and getting paid $10/hour! I am really excited that the job worked out and I'm ready to get started! I start on Tuesday afternoon when I get out of class.

I had never heard of World Bible School before I heard about this possible job. It is really an awesome program! For now, you can just click HERE to read more about it. As I get started with them and learn even more about the awesome things they're doing - I'll share more!

Matt and I have both been really blessed since we made our move to Austin. The first few days were tough, and I wasn't sure how things were ever going to work out - but God has really been opening doors for us! We both have free housing, we found an awesome church family (who gave us the free housing) and we both found awesome jobs!

I know I haven't had a lot of free time to keep the blog updated regularly, but I'll try to stay on top of it and keep everyone updated! :)

Stair Slide

I still haven't had too much time to work on my blog! Eventually I will get around to creating a new header since we aren't in Colorado anymore. I am finally moved into the house where I will be living, so hopefully things will start to slow down now that I'm getting settled in.

Yesterday, Matt put together a bookshelf for me here at the Bright's house (where I live). When he finished, he took the empty cardboard box and decided to try to slide down the stairs!!! He said something like, "I always see this in the movies, and it never seems to be a good idea... but here I go anyway." Needless to say, I got out the video camera... so ENJOY! :)

My turn didn't go so well...



I know, we're weird, but we have fun together! :) Even if it IS doing absolutely ridiculous things... :)

Austin Updates

A LOT has been happening here in Austin, TX! This is honestly one of the first times I have had a chance to sit down and update my blog! I will try to recap what all has been going on without writing TOO much.... although it IS a lot of information!

Matt and I got here on Friday afternoon/evening. We were going to "Hampton House" the place where I was living. We had a disassembled bunk bed and two mattresses in the back of his truck. When we are only about five miles from the house, we hit STOPPED traffic and it begins to rain. First just a sprinkle, then practically a downpour. Needless to say, by the time we got to the house, the mattresses were pretty wet. We carried them into my room and sat them up against the walls to let them dry. We started looking around and checking out the place. Neither of us really said it, but we were both thinking the same thing: This really isn't very nice. Now, I had gone to check it out beforehand, but mainly just my bedroom. When we started looking closer, we realized the house really wasn't in good shape. My light didn't work, the carpet was stained, there were cracks in the walls, the doors stuck and were sometimes nearly impossible to open or close, the bathroom was tiny (and was to be shared between six girls), the bathroom was dirty and stained, and the toilet would SOMETIMES flush... Are you getting the picture? I didn't complain much, I tried to just think positively about it, but that was becoming a hard thing to do. Finally Matt just came out and said, "Lauren, I don't want you to have to live there." I immediately said, "ME NEITHER! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!" I hadn't signed any paperwork or paid any deposits and that point, so I knew I had a short time to see if I could find something else...

Meanwhile, Matt moved in with the Swinney family. They are a family from the Pond Springs Church of Christ. Matt had talked to some people from that church about possibly working with them. He got really excited about the possibility and we both, for some reason, felt really good about the church. However, just before we moved to Austin he was told that they didn't have it in their budget to hire him. Matt was pretty disappointed, but was thankful that they were still letting him live with a family there. So, we moved him in. He has a nice big room with an awesome space shuttle painted up on the wall (he was pretty excited about that), and the family is VERY nice and hospitable.

On Saturday, we got an email about a woman who was renting out a room in her house. A guy who works for Austin Grad (where Matt is going) has been helping us both with so many things! He has helped with housing, jobs, contacts... he has been very helpful and kind to us both. He sent us the email about this woman, Denise, and her available rooms. She is nearly 50 years old, Christian, single, has a huge house, and had rooms for $350/month... which is actually pretty cheap for this area, although it is still really expensive. I called her and left her a message explaining that I was looking for a room. Then I just anxiously awaited for a call back.

Later that evening, we were invited to a graduation party for a girl at Pond Springs (where Matt had wanted to work). They had food and a band (yes, a band) and different games and activities. Later, Matt said, "See, THIS is why I want to work with this church..." Everyone there was very kind and very laid back and easy going - we both felt very comfortable and welcome there. Anyway, while we were there I got a call back from Denise. She said she still had a room available and that I could stop by that night to check it out. We headed out to her house, visited with her for a while, and made plans to move in the next day. I was so relieved.

Sunday morning we went to Lake Travis Church of Christ - another church that was looking to hire Matt. On our way there, my stomach was already growling, but we didn't have time to stop anywhere. I told Matt, "Surely they have donuts or something... what kind of church doesn't have donuts?" When we pulled up I jokingly told Matt, "Now, if there aren't donuts... that's it. You can't work here, and we're not coming back." Sure enough, they DID NOT have donuts. So maybe I was just bitter from the start, but neither one of us were very impressed with the church. Whereas the people were very nice, it just didn't feel right... and they didn't have donuts.

Later on Sunday, Keith (from Pond Springs) called up Matt and said that he met with the church again, and he wanted to talk to us BOTH later that day. It turns out, they did NOT have it in their budget to hire Matt, but apparently they liked us enough that individuals in the church were willing to team up and support both of us! They offered Matt a part time position as a youth/outreach minister plus a paycheck once a month, and they offered me free housing with a family! Whereas I won't be getting an actual paycheck from them, they offered to help out with food or other expenses occasionally in return for some help with the youth and elementary programs.

We were so excited about getting to work with the church, but all I could think about was how I had JUST moved in at Denise's house, and how now they were offering me free housing. I knew that she wouldn't be upset or anything like that, but I felt bad about moving in one day, then moving out the next, and I was nervous about telling her. The next morning she asked how the meeting went with the church and I told her what they offered me. She literally threw her hands in the air and shouted, "HONEY! THATS AWESOME! I'D MAKE FUN OF YOU IF YOU DIDN'T TAKE THAT!" Haha, so her excitement for me made it much easier! Then she told me that she knew I was busy with school starting that week, and that I was welcome to stay there for the week without paying her anything. She is VERY nice, and I was VERY relieved that she was so excited for me. I AM still living with Denise right now, but I am meeting the family I'll be moving in with tonight at church. I imagine I'll move in with them either Thursday or Friday.

So as you can see, things have been very hectic! I also have a job interview with Lifeway Christian Bookstore later this evening to see if I can work something out there.

Last night Matt had a new student orientation at Austin Grad. I was invited to come with him, so we both went. They had a dinner, then the orientation part. The people there are SO nice! As I said before, one of the men here, Kirk, has helped us out tremendously with our move here. Every single person that I have met here has been more than helpful. I told Matt, "I'm not really going to - but the people here make me want to transfer here... they're all so nice!" I think it is a great place to be, and I think Matt will really enjoy it there.

I started classes on Monday and was quickly reminded that I am no longer on a Christian campus. My history teacher was quick to use every word in the book, and tell us all about drinking, naked ladies, "getting a gal's blouse off", and how he is a conservative republican. Plus, he is 77 years old. Everyone smokes directly outside of each building, so as soon as I walk outside the smoke hits me like a brick wall. It's not as bad as I make it sound, but as I mentioned, it was a quick reminder that I wasn't at a Christian school anymore! :)

Well, I think that is plenty for now. God is really blessing us here and opening a lot of doors, but He is also keeping us very busy! Although I am certainly thankful for the blessings, I will be happy when things slow down a bit.

Terrible Blogger

I know I have been an awful blogger lately... but I promise I haven't completely given up! The first part of my "blogger break" was just me being lazy and enjoying being home! The second part has been because it has been so busy! Matt and I are in the process of getting all moved in down in Austin and trying to get ready for school next week. I PROMISE that once I get settled in, I will work on some updates! So don't give up on me just yet! :)

We're Home

I know I haven't made a new update - but we ARE home! We got in on Monday around lunch time and picked up some Taco Casa to eat lunch with my mom. We had a LOOOONG trip home, but made it without any big adventures or setbacks. I will post more pictures and stories later! Just wanted to let everyone know we made it home safely!

Pray

Tonight is our last night in Glenwood Springs. Matt and I are heading back to Texas tomorrow after church. This entire post is some random thoughts that I really couldn't figure out how to word and type into a document. They are just the thoughts that come to my head tonight. Whether or not they make sense?? Who knows. Just some thoughts. Pray.

Please pray for us both, especially me, because I am having a hard time with leaving. It's not that I don't want to leave this PLACE but rather that I hate leaving the youth group. As many of you know, we started off the summer having a lot of struggles getting the youth group together. We couldn't get them to come to things, to speak up in class, to do anything! Just in the last two or three weeks they have really stepped up. We have seen leaders step up, youth who are ready and willing to serve, and a sense of unity that has grown amongst them. Recently, I told Matt, "Now THAT is a youth group!" It seems that it has taken nearly the entire three months of summer to get to this point, and now we are leaving them. I know it is not our fault, and that we did our job and we did our best, but tonight my heart is heavy with a sense of guilt and sadness. There isn't really anyone at the church who is taking over the position of "youth minister". It is not in their plans to hire a full time youth minister, but rather to focus on the "family" aspect of the church, and not a youth group separately. I feel like we are just leaving the youth out to dry. Some of them have even said to us, "We're finally together like a group and now you are leaving us! We're just going to die again..." That is all I can hear in my head tonight. Again, I know its not my fault... but I can't help but take it a little hard. Pray.

I hope and pray that the church leaders will find something for the youth - they deserve it. I also pray that the youth doesn't give up - that they continue to be strong leaders and initiate their own devotionals, hang out times, service projects, etc. I think that praying and encouraging is all I can do at this point.

I want to ask a very specific request tonight. Pray for these youth by name. These are amazing youth and they, and the entire church, need prayers for their future. These are just a few of the youth that are listed - but these are some of the ones that could make the greatest impact on the future of the Glenwood Youth Group.

Neal - Neal is an amazing guy! He is one of the few that you can count on to speak up in class and help start discussions. He is a leader and I am always blown away by the amazing answers, ideas, and thoughts that he shares about his faith. Neal stepped up a few weeks ago and offered to lead a prayer during services. Matt had encouraged him to do it. Afterwards I was amazed when he came up to Matt and said, "I'm glad I did that. I think that could be the next step in my walk of faith. Thanks."

Glenna - Glenna is Neal & Tucker's older sister. She is VERY smart and mature for her age. It shows in her that she loves God. At the beginning of the summer she went on a mission trip with the church and came back on fire for God! She was ready to work out ways to bring back what she had learned to Glenwood. She has talked to us about ways to serve in the community and ways to get involved. She is very open about her faith and is always willing to share it with anyone she meets.

Adam - Adam is a natural leader, but doesn't realize it. He has amazing potential, but hasn't really been given the opportunity to show it. He needs opportunities and guidance and he could be a GREAT leader.

Zack - Zack first comes off as kind of quiet and shy, but we know better. He has an awesome personality and, when you get to know him, is such an awesome person! He is just a great friend and a great person and could really draw people in to the youth group.

Alex - Alex is Zack's older sister. She just graduated, but will be going to a college nearby. Although "technically" she will be out of the youth group, there is still SO much that she can do. She has also approached us and asked about ways to help in the community. She is great at calling people up and inviting them to things and encouraging people to be involved. She is a huge asset to the youth group.

Taylor - Taylor hasn't come to much this summer, really just a few classes. However, just from that, it is CLEAR that he is an awesome leader! When he IS in class he speaks up and gives awesome answers, encourages other people, makes people laugh and is just an all around great leader. Pray that he sees his potential and uses it for God and to help the youth group.

John - John has absolutely blown us away the past few weeks! Him and his brother, Jhonny, have been such a huge gift to the youth group. They don't care what anybody thinks or says about them. They are so honest and down to earth and they have such caring and serving hearts. We have been encouraging the youth a lot to get involved with a homeless program here called "Feed My Sheep". We have tried collecting cans, having them bring donations... things like that. We just last night at the Rockies game, we passed a homeless man on the street. John, without hesitating, stopped and talked to the guy for a minute then gave him every bit of money he had left in his pocket. This is even more amazing because John and his family don't have much as it is. Later, when I asked John about it, he just shrugged and told me what he did like it was something EVERYONE should do.... because it is. I tried to tell him how awesome it was that he did that, but he just realized it was the RIGHT thing to do. John and his family are so giving and so REAL, that they are also a huge asset to the church and the youth group.

Please pray for all of the youth here - they need your prayers. Please pray for Matt and me. We both have a hard time leaving the youth group not knowing what the future holds for them. Give us faith and patience that we will see the fruits of our labor. Pray.

Besides just the youth, we have built many other relationships that will be hard to leave. I told June "Goodnight" tonight then realized it is my last night to stay here with her in her house. She has been such a blessing to me and has been so hospitable. I could never thank her enough or explain to her how much I appreciate her - so pray that she can somehow know. We have made many other close friends in our time here, and I pray that we can keep in touch with them all.

I feel like this entire post is rambling and random stories and thoughts. In case you haven't noticed though, "pray" has showed up a few times. I'm having a tough time tonight... I'm VERY excited to go home, but I'm also very sad to leave this youth group. So to rephrase again - PRAY.

Cool Weather

Matt and I are ready to get home and see family and friends, but we sure will miss the cool weather here! Here is a snapshot of the current weather...

NOW, this IS at 10:05pm, but it has been quite a bit cooler the last week or so. It has been upper 70's and lower 80's and VERY enjoyable! Then I call home and mom tells me its 102 degrees! It will definitely be a hard transition to make since we have been getting used to the cooler weather lately - especially the last week here!

Anyway, I just wanted to share that bit of information with all of you who are sweating it out in the Texas heat! (I can only rub it in for a couple more days - so I might as well!) :)