What would your mother say?

I know we are living in a new world, one where technology rules and we can get the word out in 140 characters but come on really?
I always struggled with the five words in the title… What would your mother say….

I would hear this growing up in several different venues… from school, the back yard, and within certain groups. They were the dreaded words many of us didn’t want to hear.. the only other ones worse are “wait til your dad gets home..”
I am now married and parent… my parents are both deceased and I live in a different state but those words have been ringing more and more true as the world of instant messaging, twitter and facebook grow more and more popular.
I often sit and read various posts from students, adults and peers and think.. what would your mother say? or would you say such things in front of her?
I unfortunately feel some would simply reply yes but to the rest of us…
What do our words communicate? What message are we communicating to the world?
Is the message getting the results you and I hope for? Are we really needing to use that example, or some of color words or some photos that just aren’t acceptable but we justify them with simply words… like everyone is doing it, or using them so it is ok…. who cares, I was angry….
My head and heart are challenged to confront this one within my heart but also to the social media world.
I recently attended a funeral of a 91 year old lady, she was a mother, grandmother and great grandmother to some of the most special people in my life. During the service the minister began talking about her legacy… now we hear the word a lot these days but not in context of social media…
I would like to ask a simple question… What sort of legacy are you creating for your kids, grand kids and great grand kids? Will the post you use, pictures you are in and words you tweet building a great legacy of honor, something to be proud of or not?
It is in the day to day situations in life when we need to be most mindful of what we say, how we say it and to whom…
I can admit to posting, saying, tweeting things my mother wouldn’t appreciate or accept… and I am being challenged to change this and realize the short term and long term effects of things we say and post in social media… maybe you can call me a freak but at some point in life we need some accountability, for me my mom kept us accountable or we felt it…
If your mom or grand mother could see it would she be thankful or disappointed… maybe it is time for a change.

Getting Refueled and Refreshed

I am hours from heading off to what some would say is a big party for over aged adults who may act like the students they minister to each week throughout the year…. But I am actually heading to an awesome week of encouragement, support, teaching, brainstorming and loving on youth workers from all over the world.
Allow me the freedom to expand a bit on this subject.
We are all wired since the beginning of time to experience sabbaths.. Genesis 2:2 ” And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.”
If God who created all things, why do we often hesitate to take time out to rest. A sabbath is merely taking time away from life and resting..
So, instead of judging others for their rest, play or lake of productivity, take some time to evaluate your personal gauges and schedule some time of rest.
I know the value I find in rubbing elbows with some of the most creative, energetic, creative and extremely passionate about God and youth. I also know the value in having time with awesome people but those very people also need to take some time to rest. I will be going down to Louisville Ky to spend some time encouraging and supporting those 3000 youth workers during their ever needed sabbath in hopes that they will be recharged and ready for the next season of ministry and life.
I want to encourage you to do the same, take some time and rest…..
It isn’t an excuse to not be accountable or productive but a reason to be balanced and charged up.
Good resting to you my friend!

Taking notes, writing reminders

Have you ever made a to do list and forget to do it? It happens to me all the time. I create this awesome to do list using a variety of iPhone/iPad apps, for example I have the following notes, notifications, magic pad, springpad, meeting notes! Reminders, wunderlist, drop box and evernotes. They are all awesome tools, some cost a buck or two others are free but what good are they if I don’t use them to the fullest intent? They are just novelties.
Each year I examine and reexamine my time management and administrative effectiveness and this year I will take yet another approach to creating reminders. I will be working on the iCloud calendar system to schedule all of my todo lists as scheduled time. Each week I will review my schedule and add or adjust my todos according to the week and priority of each task.
I am excited about this change and feel it will be a victory for me in the ever daunting task of administration and time management.
If you are like me and struggle with making, and completing lists or just trying to figure out what a todo list is, don’t lose hope. Try to explore different options and tools until you find one that works for you.
This year is full of opportunities and time, it is up to you how you choose to use it all.

Dear 16 year old me… http://su.pr/2sUXR9

Dear 16 year old me is a campaign to bring awareness to the damaging effects of melanoma, skin cancer that if untreated will spread to the brain and result in death. I thought the video was awesomely put together to educate teens and wanted to pose the same question to you…
Dear 16 old me… I want you to know it is okay to be different. It is ok to pursue girls, sports, things and careers. It is okay to be a Christian even if it isn’t popular or fun at times. It is okay to be strong in your convictions (though at 16 the word convictions wouldn’t make sense since I was not a great student. I would let myself know every aspect of life is every changing and to get out of the bubble. I would make me show more appreciation to my parents, and teachers for their investment. I was by no means a bad person.. though I did my share of stupid things.
Allow me to end with two questions:
1. What would you say to yourself as a 16 year old student if you could?
2. What teenager in your life, home, neighborhood or school can you begin to mentor and equip to navigate without regrets through the 16 year old years.
Please take the time to reflect and inflict.. reflect on your past and inflict encouragement and support to someone else…
Life is too short to waste it on things when we can spend it equipping the next generation.

Thank you

Have you said thanks? The USA is celebrating Thanksgiving. A time when we eat a lot, watch football and tell everyone we know thank you
I sit wondering what makes this Thursday different than any other Thursday through out the year?
We’re encouraged to take a minute to say thank you. I want to challenge you to take every Thursday to say thank you. Here are some suggestions: your parents (living or deceased),family, brothers and sisters, kids, work, fellow employees, your boss, neighbors, warmth, happiness, the right to choose, for your staff (paid and volunteer), for simply youth ministry and other places that provide awesome material to use, for software that makes our jobs easier, and for Jesus.
Friends, please don’t wait till it is too late to share, show and be thankful. Life is way to short to wait.

Thank you for all you do in the trenches

Survivor

I am watching Survivor on CBS right now. It is a show that has been on for a very long time. They take 18 strangers, one cool and friendly host, one island with two (sometimes three) separate living spaces called tribes. They will compete for prizes and life on the island. If they lose a challenge, they are kicked off the island and show. The contestants will eventually work down to three or four and compete to win a million dollars. The show itself isn’t to exciting since the main principle is to cheat, steal and do whatever you can to win.
However, there is an interesting people dynamics that I really am intrigued by, the people interactions. They are required to live within a confined space with very little food or luxuries and play an emotional yet strategic game of survivor.
I think we all experience minor survivor shows throughout our lives. For example,
The Junior High Relationship… Peer groups are important, finding a life long spouse, making the team, being popular
The Senior High Relationship… Similar as the Junior High with an added pressure to determine your future life, employment etc.. during your freshmen year.
The Dating Relationship…how much of the real you do you share and when, how much of your childhood is shaping or corrupting your view on relationship.
The Employee Relationship… how can you move up the corporate ladder, do you choose to be morally and ethically right and lose out, how much time do you spend at the water cooler.
The Parent Relationship.. how many kids do we have, how do we make time for the marriage when the kids need stuff, how can you keep up with the neighbors.
I could go on and on
So how do we as Christ-Followers manage to keep our faith, witness and survive? That is a great question and tension we need to navigate through until we die. I think we can learn throughout the experiences as we maintain solid relationships with other believers, be in the Word of God (Bible), and keep yourself accountable to God and a few people who care enough to call you into action when it is nessessary.
Great blessing to you and keep Surviving!!

Time to play!

I am sitting in the local library watching 15 students all less than 11 years old, including two of my children, play Nintendo over the Internet against a sister library in another area. Yes it took the librarian a few minutes ( with the kids help) to set up the games but they are all playing and having fun. They had students pre- signup to play, show up on time and take turns playing for one hour, then the tournament begins. We are competing against them in a random race for the most wins. They will use two players and we will use two players. It is a genius idea and one the local youth ministry most likely way under utilizes.
Here is a challenge, find a friend who works with youth, get a game system and compete… Maybe. The winner gets a trophy that can be shared by the winners, I don’t know what prizes you want to share or if it is even needed but the good fun that can be shared is something often missing from our world today.
Good luck and have fun competing for Jesus

SImply Amazing Teaching Resource from Simply Youth

Simply Youth Live Material
I wanted to encourage you to check out this tool.. It is too good to keep to myself.
I use four of the teaching LIVE modules in my Youth Ministry and it saves me so much time in planning, prepping and presenting. I haven’t come across anything so good and usable in my 18 plus years of doing Youth Ministries… Please do yourself a favor and check this out. It is worth your time.
Please let me know if you have any questions.

Plan ahead

I think one of the most under used and need tools of the youth worker is simply to plan ahead…. I know! I know! I am struggling with this myself.
But taking a step back how can your ministry, life, family and day be improved by a simple plan? Steps to success:
1. I created a calendar for 2012 and added my logos and information to the document using 2010 Microsoft Publisher. Hey use a template they provide for Free!
2. Add Key events you know will occur, such as Sunday School, Youth Group, Mission Trips.
3. Add some deadlines and dreams
4. Continue to update and tweek it a few months out. working on January in October.
I try to add key deadlines, special announcements etc to make sure I am setting my ministry, and parents up to win.
It is a challenging cycle to begin but your life, and ministry will be so much more manageable and balanced.
Now… I have to go… time to work on that calendar…..uggh

Preparing for your world series

I am still reeling from the Rangers beating the Tigers in ACLS and dreading a pink shirt at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference ( please don’t ask, just come the to convention and see).
I began to reflect on how much practice, energy, coaching, trading of players, players in the preseason getting ready and finally the big game. The Cardinals and the Rangers are playing a best series that will determine the world series champions of baseball.
Transition to Youth Ministry… How are you doing in preparing for the big game? Are you practicing your lessons, praying for your leaders and students, are you recruiting and training high quality leaders? How is your preseason preparation coming along? Do you have a vision and mission statement? Have you mapped a course bathed in prayer for the future of your ministry? Have you checked your course of direction, are you staying on course, do you need to make some adjustments?
I wanted to be transparent with you and say it is a continual process for me in setting the course of direction, of reviewing our history and current situation, of determining who we are needing to join our leadership team to help us reach God’s goal for our Youth Ministry. I am praying, reading the word and keeping my leaders in mind as I seek to please God in His ministry.
God’s speed friends.