10-0 Baby!!

ACU finished our season today at Shotwell Stadium by defeating Midwestern State University in a smashdown. It was the first time in 30 years that we've had a perfect season. The only time in history we've had a perfect season was the same season we won the National Championship. We're still ranked #2 in the Nation for all of DII football. 

We'll start the second round of the playoffs two weeks from today with home field advantage. Get ready for Florence, AL on Saturday Dec. 13, 2008!

Go Wildcats! 

here's life...

Yes, I know...it's been a ridiculously long time since I've written anything on here. The blog has definitely gotten the shaft over the past few months. I got swamped with work at Impact this summer and didn't have any time to spare. This trickled over to being at home and working lots in August, which has then brought me to almost 4 weeks of school being done before I realized that I've neglected this (obviously) vital part of life. So here goes an update of how things are for me...

College- School is in full swing and 16 hours has treated my nicely so far. All my classes (minus one) are on Tuesdays & Thursdays. That's 8-3. I've got an 8 o'clock on MWF, which keeps me having to get out of bed at the same time each day (which is usually about 7:40). I'm in a marketing class which I love, and a philosophy class that I don't understand. But it's fun an

d not a terrible schedule, so who could complain. 

Work- I'm still working at the Friendship House for right now. So much has changed there and it's really different, but I'm still a part of it, at least for a while. We'll see how things go. I miss how things used to be, but it's still about loving people and I'm still about loving people too. Pray for all of this if you will. There is a new kid that I think God's placed him there because he needs someone to count on and be there for him.

Church- I love Southern Hills. My church here is rockin and I love my community there. I've gotten really involved with the campus ministry there recently and it's such a blessing. I feel like I've finally started to be used by God in ways that I've never been before. Such a good group.

Not Chile- Perhaps you've heard, but Chile is no longer on the horizon for me, at least for as far as I can see. I spoke with the team and shared with them what's been on my heart. It was really tough to make this decision, but I could feel God tugging at my heart to do something else. What is that something else? Not too sure, but I know there is something just right for me coming around the bend. 

Grad School- This is the season for applying to grad schools. Here's what I'm looking at so far. Masters in Social Work at: University of Houston, Baylor, University of Texas (sssss), and University of Texas at Arlington. Masters of Urban Planning: Texas A&M. Masters of Public Service & Administration: Texas A&M. First step, need to take the GRE before I can apply! That's only 180 dollars. 

Birthday- I'm 22. Isn't that weird? I feel like I'm an old man. And I'm also getting more and more gray hairs. Awesome. Got to go home last weekend and spend some time with the family.

Houston- I've been thinking alot about those in Houston affected by Ike. I think I might need

 to make a trip down there soon and help out if I can. I miss them! Keep praying. 

I guess that's all. Nothing much new here. Just going through the motions and enjoying my last year at ACU. Keep in touch and have a blessed day! 

Inspiring Speech for YOU!

Check this out. Pretty incredible!

http://www.dallasisd.org/keynote.htm

VBS Week One!

This is just half of my kids for the summer.

Well, we just finished our first official week of Impact VBS 2008. It has sure been a crazy ride, these past few days. How can I describe how this past week went? I think the best way is to list a bunch of words that are on my mind. Some of these include but are not limited to the following: wonderful, tiring, long, intense, exciting, crazy, busy, exhausting, never-ceasing, amazing, surprising, testing, and blessed.

So much has happened over the past week that I want to share, but I know as soon as I finish this post, there will be an infinite amount of things to write that I will have forgotten. The week began at 6:30 Monday morning when I rolled out of bed in excitement of what this day would hold. The first thoughts that passed through my head were these: Father, I need you. Stay with me this day. This definitely set the tone for the coming days.

The Irvington Village Bus!

When the kids arrived, they were thrilled to be at VBS. Many of them haven't been around Impact for nearly a year...VBS last summer. Can I tell you a secret? Well, I was WAY nervous on Monday to get in front of the kids. I don't know why. I do this stuff all the time. As I made announcements and got them pumped about the day, I quickly fell into my groove and it became natural.

Some of them were "newscasters" at the Museum.

We had our first successful field trip on Tuesday afternoon to the Children's Museum of Houston. It could not have gone better. They had a blast. We made it back safely with every kid. What a feat! The day became longer as my interns taught kids Tuesday evening for the mid-week Hispanic worship service. They were troopers for making it through this 14 hour day.

Damion & Cory. These boys are BAD. I love em.

Wednesday was a tough one. There were a few moments during the morning that I thought I might not make it through. The lack of sleep and high-stress atmosphere of being in charge left me feeling slightly frazzled. But thankfully, God provided a sense of peace and energy that got me going.

Diamond...bein all cute

Thursday afternoon brought us some rainy skies that prevented us from going to this cool park downtown for our field trip. But we made it work and stayed at the building to watch The Land Before Time. This was an all-time favorite of mine. By Thursday night, I could hardly see straight. Needless to say, I slept in yesterday morning and today (which means about 8:30 or 9, ha).

Yesterday was SO awesome. I got up and went to the movies with one of the youth groups that helped us from Memphis. Then I went to a friend's apartment to sit by the pool and read/get some sun. Then finally, I met Deanna out in the Woodlands to go to a nice relaxing dinner. It was a perfect day to get refreshed. You've gotta have those when you go, go, go all week with these awesome and crazy kids.

Keep praying. We cannot do what we do without you.

broken buses, bubbling beaches & birthday boys

For any of you who are interested in following up with how Mike is doing...he came back the next day with a huge smile on his face. He was happy to be at reading camp and seemed to have a much better day following his possible trouble at home. Thanks for your prayers.


The past few days have been a definite blessing to me. Tuesday and Wednesday were family nights at Impact. Tuesday was spent with some 100 Spanish speaking families as we introduced our summer program and what was in store. Wednesday night was expected to have decreased involvement, but God blew us away with a packed house. I thought I might only have two or three families from my neighborhood to pick up, but I ended up with two packed van loads and had to make two trips.

Broken Buses: On the way home Wednesday night, we decided to take a bus, rather than make two trips to take families home. What a great idea, right? No. Bad idea. Very bad idea. To start things off, our bus stalled as we were politely singing "Jesus Loves Me" on the bus. We fixed it quickly and thought we were low on fuel. A few minutes later, we get a call from Dennis that his bus is broken over by Minute Maid Park. His was overheated as we spent about an hour working it our. God provided a water hose spout directly next to where he was broken down at. Thank goodness that we were able to mend the radiator hose and get back to the church safely. Needless to say, it was a long day (and week for that matter).


Beach: Friday could not have come soon enough. Myself, a few interns, and some teens took the early part of the day to relax in Galveston in the muddy waters. There were a lot of waves and it was free, so there was no right to complain. The night ended by spending the evening in Clear Lake with a few old friends from ACU.


Birthday Boys: On Saturday, Gabby and I took SeDarious and his two brothers Damion and DeAngelo to Zuma Fun Center, which is basically the same thing as Celebration Station. They had a blast. It was great to see them riding Go-Karts, doing the Bumper Boats, and attempting to play mini-golf. I have a feeling that we are starting to spoil them. But they need it. Who will show them that they are worth a day out if someone doesn't take them? Damion just found out he is being held back in school for the second time in a row. He needs some serious prayers as he learns and grows and acts out during his hard times.

Friends: On a side note, I was SO glad to spend the weekend with some very good friends. Cassie came into town and I we got to see Kelly and Julie. I also got to go to First Colony CofC this morning and was refreshed to be worshiping with good friends in a "close-to-home" way.

This week marks our official start to VBS. We'll spend the next 4 days working on throwing everything together before we get about 400 kiddos for the rest of the summer. I'll definitely be needing prayers for energy, patience, leadership, communication, rest, and joy as we work together to create something lasting for these children.

Mike and his mom

Yesterday was a tough one. Leaving for the afternoon is not always an easy thing for our children. For many of them, church is the only safe place they can run to and count on. Some of them have no consistency in their lives and very little positive relationships to turn to. For Mike, reading camp has been his safe haven over the past couple weeks.

As we were leaving on our van routes, all 15 kids were loaded and ready to go...except for one. Mike didn't want to get on. In fact, he refused to get on. First he wouldn't put his shoes on because there was a little glitter in them. Then he started getting fired up about a little glue and glitter that had gotten on his shirt.

After a few minutes of trying to figure out why this was such a big deal (and it wasn't about being OCD or anythng) he began to cry. Tears began falling as we coaxed him toward the van. A few feet futher, he planted himself on the ground and started balling. I talked to him for a bit, and figured out that he was not going to go home with anything that caused his clothes to appear dirty.

"My mom told me that I would be in big trouble if I get my clothes dirty." We cleaned the little guy up. The glitter was gone, and there wasn't a remnant of anything dirty. This still didn't satisfy Mike's peace of mind. I promised to talk to his mom and that it would be ok. He cried all the way home.

"Are you Mike's mom?"... "Yes, what did he do!?" I spoke with his mom and told her what a great kid she has. I told her she should be proud of him because he does such a great job and is such a bright little dude.

How scary it must be to go home in fear of loved ones. How do 8 year olds endure such hardship and trials of abuse? Surely God has provided these little ones with a faith and hope that goes much farther than this world. They are already stronger than I might ever be to keep moving on each day. Pray for Mike. Pray for the infinite amount of nameless others without a hope.

Here's a picture from last Friday. I took SeDarious, Paul, and DeAngelo out to Kemah to eat some lunch and ride some rides. We had a blast.

Beginnings

What a week it has been. I sometimes forget when I leave here how busy it truly is all the time. It seems like there is never a dull moment around Impact during the summers. Everything sort of speeds by out of control when we start the each week. I have been blessed during my time here already and it has quickly become a home to me again. I love these people so much and the opportunities I get to love and be loved.Over the past two weeks we have done quite a bit. We got our interns about 10 days ago and they have all been working extra hard since then. They're a great group and I'm confident that our teamwork will be outstanding. We've mainly been focusing our efforts on a two-week reading camp that we are smack dab in the middle of. Each afternoon, about 50 children come to strengthen their literacy skills by participating in a Charlotte's Web themed camp. They seem to love it.My big role starts in one week when we begin our mega prep for 4 weeks of VBS. I'm really excited about this part of the summer. On Wednesday all of the youth ministers, children's ministers, and interns went out to Cypress to do a ropes challenge course. We had an absolute blast! It was so great to see the way our teens stepped up to tackle each of the tasks. We did two high elements, which were a gigantic zip line and a huge swing. Needless to say, I am still very sore and achy from doing belle all day.It's easy to get caught up in the routine of ministry and just to go trough the motions. However, yesterday something happened that humbled me unlike anything before. I pick up one of the high school girls who is interning for VBS this summer. She doesn't live too far from where I am staying so it's not a big deal. Yesterday was the last day I will pick her up because her sister will be in town to do it in the coming weeks. It's important to remember that high school interns get paid once a week, and today was payday.

So as we are pulling onto her street, she says to me, "Jeremy, I'm going to give you something and you have to promise to not say no." So I say OK and she goes on to pull out two $10 dollar bills to me. She said, "It's for the gas". My immediate reaction was [impolitely] say, "No" which I had just promised not to do. But I caught myself, and let her know what it meant to me that she would do that.

On the way home, I couldn't help but get emotional. I had just experienced a true gift from the depths of someone's heart. I felt like I had never been served like this before. She took the time and thought to give ME something. It was a punch in the gut from above that it is not all about me and what I am trying to do for people. It is about what we do for each other. I'm reminded of the widow that gave two shekels because it was all she could give, but it was the richest and most savory offering to God. Marilyn's gift to me is sweeter than anything I could receive from the wealth of the world.

This was definitely my lesson for the week and maybe even the summer. It put everything in perspective. In other news...a ninth grader whose mom and sister are in a women's and children's shelter is staying with me for a few days. He didn't really have a place to go, so my "family" here was gracious enough for me to take him in for a bit after he's been with a different intern for a few days. He really just needs to know that things will turn out alright and there is some consistency amidst being without a home.

Well, I think I'm going to take a little bit to run some errands and then take SeDarious out for his birthday. Some of the interns went to the Space Center today, so maybe we'll go there. For now, have a blessed day and have some peace.

summer in [humid] houston

I can't believe summer has already come and settled in. The last month, for me, was filled with the busyness of springtime graduations for Jacqueline and many of our friends from home. It seemed like there was a party or celebration or blessing every night of each weekend. It was a nice reminder of what church is and the kind of family that only God can bring together.

I write this entry from the Winter's home in Houston. I could not have asked for a better place to call my home for the next two months. I have the whole upstairs to myself (right now) and there is a Starbucks like half a mile away. I'm all set.

Tomorrow we start "work". For those of you who are out of the loop, I will serve as VBS Director for the summer. There is much to be done. We spent last week in several neighborhoods searching for more kids to sign up for this month-long experience. We'll get our interns on Wednesday and begin the official start of the summer for Impact's children's ministry.

Today I taught Kindergarten and was reminded of how church is an all day affair. I didn't get to lunch until 1 and then didn't get home until 3. Whoa. But I was blessed to have Tyree, DaJanae, Sedarious, Diamond, and Kiara sit with me at church. I'll try and get some pictures together soon!

Here's what YOU can do!: PRAY. Pray that I will make myself available for my fullest abilities this summer. Pray that I will stay focused on the core of what we are doing: Loving people and sharing God with them. Pray that I know my limits. Pray that I have a positive attitude. Pray that I don't stress. You can also send any financial assistance to me that you might have available. Kidding. But seriously.

That's all for now. I miss you if you're not in Houston. Call me. I have plenty of time to talk. There's no cable here. Very refreshing. Peace.

i'm a senior!

Just thought I would let you know. I lack 26 hours until I'm done with college. At least this part anyway. That's all.

i like aggies

I'm not really sure why, but whenever I spend time with Aggies, it makes me feel good. There is just something about them that is difficult to find anywhere else. I can't help but wonder how life would be if I had chosen to walk down that path. It's so good to maintain a connection over the miles of friendship though. I find it funny how God's people can stay within such a deep network of connection with others no matter where they are on the planet.
So tonight, a group of AFCer's came up to Abilene to share some skits during the 9 o'clock devotional on campus. It was pretty dang awesome. I got to share in some fun memories with many people who I hadn't seen in quite some time. Afterwards, we talked and talked and made plans to do more stuff in the coming weeks.

In other areas of my life...I am still planning to serve as co-director of VBS at Impact Church in Houston. I decided tonight that I'm staying with Tim and Jenny Winter. I hear they are a pretty neat family and it'll be nice to be around another young family all summer. Plus they live close to the church and in a pretty cool neighborhood.

I'm still working with the Friendship House here in Abilene. The past few weeks have been insane. I planned a going away bar-b-que for the Fletchers that seemed to be a big hit. All the families came out to share their memories and send them off with a blessing and thanks for their hard work in the neighborhood. We had a crazy Mom's Night Out and Teen Day Out this past weekend that also went wonderfully. I'm really starting to get feel the emotions of Lee and Steph's move that approaches. I'll hopefully still be there as we all transition to a new family in the house. Ah, sad.

This is the last week of class! I can't believe it! It has gone by so fast. I do not feel overwhelmed for some strange reason. God has really stood by my side this semester as I have had an overbooked schedule. Thanks to him, and only him, I've made it through 6 long semesters. Senior year here I come.

Other than that, I am preparing myself for some really tough goodbyes. It's gonna be horrific to say bye to several friends who are departing at the end of the term for other places around the world as they follow God's guidance for his service. I get to go to Nebraska with a friend for a few days to help him move. Never been there. I also get to stay a few weeks in Abilene with the FH crew to make some summer plans and help them clean out and pack up. With all of this, comes the typical goodbyes we make before a break.

Emotions+Stress=Potential Tears

Spring Break 2008

Last week my roommates and I had some incredible fun. It was such a blast to just be guys and let our guards down for a few days. What a blessing it was to take a little break in the middle of a busy semester of studies, work, and the busyness of everyday life. Personally, I was rejuvenated because I took a sabbatical from thinking about anything that wasn't this trip and these guys. Things can get cluttered in life, but taking a true break has given me the energy I need to finish out the semester. I'll leave you with a few pictures to capture the adventure we experienced together on this trip of a lifetime!

Viva Las Vegas!

Today, 3 of my roommates and another friend and I are packing up the car to head to the great states of Arizona and Nevada for Spring Break. I do love the American West. It could not come at a better time. We're spending a few relaxing and adventurous days in Sedona where there are bike trails, hiking trails, and some beautiful scenery!

While we're there, we'll hit up the trails (we're taking 5 bikes!), spend some time outdoors, go see the majesty of the Grand Canyon, head to Phoenix to see the Rangers play a Spring Training game, and finally, head to Las Vegas for a night on the town! \

We are stoked and cannot wait. We'll be on the road today for about 14 hours, so pray that God watches over us and keeps us safe. I hope each and every one of you has a relaxing and FUN break as we will also!

Peace.

bored and wasting time

Here I sit, wasting yet another Tuesday evening. I often wonder why the ACU Social Work department manages to place the most boring classes during the evenings. "Research Methods for Social Work" is the title of the course. It has turned me to conduct a bit of my own online research of church/friend blogs, potential internships, and job opportunities for the future (in social work of course). Therefore, I feel as though I am staying the course. This is appropriate justification, right?

I found out tonight that, though I have never met him, Larry James is one of my heroes. Check out his blog and see what's going on in community redevelopment in Central Dallas. It's pretty inspiring to see the needs of our own backyards and how so many have risen to the occasion of extending hope to a city. Again, I am revisiting question I've so often asked..."Why have I never contributed to the work of Central Dallas Ministries?" Maybe you have a thorn of question such as this sticking into your side. I think I'll pursue CDM as a potential site for my internship next Spring.

I also visited the website for Teach for America. This organization gives young people the chance to change the lives of inner-city and underprivileged youth around the country. Upon graduating from college, you live and teach in a community that are in need of increasing education potential. Americorps takes care of setting you up with housing, finances, schools, and subjects. I think this is truly a great opportunity to make a mark on the world. Maybe I can do this for a while instead of grad school. (Especially since the professor talking in class right now is currently motivating me to drop out of school altogether...or at least for the night, haha).

In other areas of my life:

• Still taking 16 hours. Thoroughly enjoying most of them, with the exception of Research and Practicum Seminar. We're talking about "atonement theory" (the how's and reasons for being saved) in my Bible class that's really blowing my mind. I am becoming interested in art history (my 8 o'clock class)...why is that?
  
• Still banking 12 hours per week at the Mental Health internship. Today I went to the Juvenile Detention Center. Last week I went on some home visits. I'm still learning al ot, though also realizing I would rather be doing some ministry with this social work stuff.
  
• Still working at the Friendship House. The Fletcher's (the family that currently live there and operate it) are in their transition "out" of the house. It's kind of sad and weird. I'm prayerful that I will still be used and feel a part of this ministry after they leave. The kids are still crazy as ever and seem to love being around. I started leading a bible study for the teens on Tuesday afternoons. They write in journals and spill out their thoughts each week. It's intense.
  
• I have recently begun co-leading a small group (Lifegroup) that'll begin meeting at my casa next Sunday for food, discussion, and prayer time. Again, great experiences in discipleship.
  
• I'm looking at getting a puppy (newborn lab). I think it's a great idea. I have always wanted a dog, though it will take a lot of work to train it at first. I think I'll name it Toby if I get it.
  
• Me and 4 other guys are headed to Arizona in 3 weeks for Spring Break. We finally get to have a real road trip. We're going to the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and doing some cool recreation activities in the city we're staying in. I'm stoked! (and will be broke after).
  
• I don't know if I mentioned this last time, but I'm directing VBS at Impact in Houston this summer. I can't wait to do it. I hope that some of the kiddos remember me. We'll see.
  

That's all (and wayyyy to much for now). Hope you have a peaceful day!

RIP Dell

Welp, I've converted. My Dell has been giving me trouble for the past several months. The battery lasts about 10 minutes, Word takes about 5 to open, and it started to freeze up if I opened more than 3 programs at the same time. So I began the pursuit for a new computer over Christmas Break.

I let the possibilities mellow for a couple months as I did some looking around. After lots and lots of deliberation, one week ago I made the decision to get this nice pretty MacBook and I love it! I got a refurbished one that is fully loaded for top performance. I saved around 400 dollars with a student discount and the refurbished discount.

Using this Mac is much different than what I'm used to, but already I am realized how easy to use it is. It will be awesome for sharing pictures and videos with all of you in the future! I hope that you are blessed today amidst the frigid temperatures outside! Peace.

We are Family

Well, it's difficult to put into words how this past weekend went, but perhaps the best thing to say is....WOW! The team that I am on to go to Chile kicked off the initial part of our official training process with an awesome retreat. There was much to be learned and fun to be had. We had house church on Sunday with a great breakfast together.

It was such a wonderful blessing to all be together as a group as we continue to get to know each other. We are so very excited about what the future holds for us as we simply seek to live out God's plan to love people. Pray for us as we patiently and eagerly step out into unfamiliar areas.Here's us acting crazy...from left to right....me on top of Reid Overall, Sarah Lukkason, Deanna Meredith looking naughty, Chad Lukkason holding Wes's leg, Lauren Sutton laughing uncontrollably, Ellen Shutt stretching out in front of Wes Shutt.

It has begun

Well, it's official, the new semester has begun, and I can feel it. This has probably felt like one of the longest weeks I can remember for a long time. On Tuesday night I laid down and thought "Is this really just the second day??" haha.

However, it's such a blessing to get back to seeing old frields across campus, having people over, and catching up with the group. I love getting back into a routine. That seems to be where I function best. Sometimes I get a little too into my routine and get busy, but so far, it has been wonderful.

Here is an update of the current status of my life:

This semester I'm taking 16 hours. On Monday, it felt a little overwhelming as I went to 3 classes (I had just one on MWF last fall). All of my classes are 400 level, which basically means they're senior level and really tough. I think I'm going to be very challenged, but I also think I'm going to learn a ton of stuff.

For my social work degree I have to do a field practicum at a local agency. I was placed at Betty Hardwick Center MHMR. I get 3 hours credit for doing 10 hours per week there (150 semester total). Therefore, I am technically in class or at this internship for 27 hours per week...whew! I know. It's going to be incredible to work with the children and teens at this agency though. More to come as we go...

I'm still "working" at the Friendship House. I love it. It's perfect ministry for me right now and it's fulfulling to be used as I'm in Abilene to gain a deeper understanding of the ways I can serve God with what he's given me. We haven't started the afterschool program yet, but it will gear up in a week or so.

Hello new job, goodbye old one: That's right....I stopped working a couple night shifts at the dorm and am now "instructor-in-training" for Everfit...an outdoor fitness and group personal training program. I've gotten up at the ungodly hour of 5:15 3 days this week to workout and it's doing me pretty well right now. I'll just be doing one morning per week beginning next week.

I've decided to go to Houston this summer and direcet their summer-long VBS and summer reading program. I'm SO excited for what this experience will mean and how God will once again open my eyes to His people in Houston, TX.


Oh one more thing...I'm joined a team of good friends planning to do ministry in Concepcion, Chile in a few years. We've just begun the "official" training for that, so we'll see how that goes! I'm excited to see how God works on this path. More to come on this as well.

Peace!

New Year's Resolutions

Boy, oh boy it's been a while since my last post, hasn't it! If there really are still any readers out there, I express my sincerest apologies. I loved Christmas, although it was busy and crazy as always. I hope yours was also filled with joy, food, family, rest, and relaxation.

Because it is a new year, I've come up with several things that I'd like to either change or begin in 2008. It's such a good feeling to start fresh and have the ability to feel a sense of accomplishment as our calendar rolls over again. Here goes...

1. Exercise 3 days per week, every week
2. Read the whole Bible
3. Be more decisive
4. Train and run a half marathon and a full marathon before the summer
5. Have 30 minutes of queit time and prayer time each day
6. Journal more
7. Eat out only when necessary
8. Go through my cell phone and call the people I haven't talked to in over a year
9. Limit my text messaging
10. Love more
11. Visit another foreign country...maybe a place in Africa
12. Learn Spanish
13. Stay committed to my campus minsity and lifegroup
14. Walk to campus, never drive
15. Be a positive influence on my roommates
16. Maintain a pure heart
17. Use my soccer shoes for the first time in the U.S.
18. Be joyful about every part of life, even the hard times
19. Kick my caffeine addiction so I can enjoy a cup of coffee
20. Hang out with kids without feeling like I need to for work
21. Eliminate negative vocabulary
22. Worry less, pray more
23. Study for my classes even when it seems pointless
24. Make my faith a reality, not just sticking with words and big talk
25. Be real...with myself and with others

I'm really going to try and make these work this year. Sometimes I say I want to do things and never get around to it. If you know me and have any to add- bring 'em on! Peace