I try to keep this blog strictly youth ministry focused, but I think it is fair to reveal what is happening to the dude, aka me, who runs reyouthpastor.com.
– wife and i switched roles. my wife is working in middle school ministry and I am volunteering in middle school ministry. a year ago, i was working in youth ministry and she was volunteering.
– i am co-leading a middle school boys small group and i love it. i think middle schoolers teach me more about God– their raw questions and fearless pursuit of Jesus is unlike any other age group.
– i read the book: The Heart and the Fist: The education of a humanitarian, the making of a Navy Seal and i loved it. i learned that strength comes from working through pain. to be a Navy Seal is as much a question of moral character as it is a question of physical courage. the best thing about this book was how Eric was able to discern when to apply unconditional love and grace and when to exert force.
– we bought a home and have really sunk our heels into a community.
– as of late, i have really been struggling with the philosophical question of: when is one truly content-satisfied? how does one arrive at happiness? my rough answer to this question is: God, wife/family, friendship, contemplation and great food. I think this is how Aristotle would answer this question. I heavily consulted the his book: Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics.
– i finished the Insanity Workout as promise here. it was by far the toughest workout i have ever done.
– last week, i visited my old youth group in laguna beach and it has doubled in size since i left. more about this in a later blog post.
– i am love working with Orange/XP3. some really sharp, creative people that are constantly asking the questions of: How can we do family ministry better? How can we reach the next generation? I am learning a ton from a wide range of youth pastors.
– excited for my friend Jared Herd’s new book More Lost Than Found. this project started in his apartment in pasadena, ca as he explored the question of: what message does the next generation need to hear most?
– became an auburn fan