Have you ever really messed up? I mean, completely blown it. I have and I thought there is no way to recover from this one. I have finally figured out that it is okay to mess up and fail! Congratulations, you didn’t do it!
The great thing about failing is that it is not the end result. It is part of the process. Another element in life. For instance, Abraham Lincoln’s resume:
? 1831 – Lost his job ? 1832 – Defeated in run for Illinois State Legislature ? 1833 – Failed in business ? 1834 – Elected to Illinois State Legislature (success) ? 1835 – Sweetheart died ? 1836 – Had nervous breakdown ? 1838 – Defeated in run for Illinois House Speaker ? 1843 – Defeated in run for nomination for U.S. Congress ? 1846 – Elected to Congress (success) ? 1848 – Lost re-nomination ? 1849 – Rejected for land officer position ? 1854 – Defeated in run for U.S. Senate ? 1856 – Defeated in run for nomination for Vice President ? 1858 – Again defeated in run for U.S. Senate ? 1860 – Elected President (success)
Not great. Obviously not all those events were his fault but they could have caused him to quit trying.
So, if you feel like nothing is going right….then you are on the right track. It doesn’t matter if the failure is in marriage, work, ministry, or faith. You aren’t finished yet, so if you want to go from suck to success, you only need one step. Get back up and keep trying.
Jeremy Bloom is trying to figure out life, God, and family. Follow him on Twitter – @finding_jeremy or on his blog about youth ministry.
This will be my third year at SYMC, and to say that I am excited is an understatement. I have had a countdown going on my computer for weeks, and just recently made one of those elementary school paper chain countdown things in my office. (Seriously, it droops over the picture wall!)
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SYMC 2010 in Chicago was my first year. I went with a couple of other youth workers in my local network who had been before and said how great it was. I was kind of reluctant to go. I had been in a valley in my ministry and felt like I was on my way out. I thought that I would go and maybe get a few good nuggets of info here or there, hear a couple of good bands, and head back to a situation that I wanted so desperately to flee. What I got from SYMC was so much more. Yes, I did get some information that I was able to use in my ministry, and yes, I heard some good music, but I got so so much more than that. I got back my passion for ministry, this wasn?t something planned but God knew what I needed and showed me just that at SYMC. I also strengthened old relationships and built new friendships and relationships. Those people I met have become some of my closest friends to this day and have [...]
I’ve noticed something lately about the way the church and youth ministries tend to talk to girls. We (unfortunately at times I would include myself) communicate that the end game for a girl is getting the right kind of guy. Even though we don’t mean to it just happens. Books sold to teen girls about how to get the right kind of guy (a christian book nonetheless…and I haven’t read it but I am assuming the title is meant to mislead by promising to help girls snag a guy.) A youtube video for Christian girls on how to attract a godly guy. And than we are surprised and frustrated that all girls care about is boys. Oh the irony.
We need to change the end game.
The end game for every girl we encounter should be a radical life following after Jesus. That life may include an occupation in the public circles, a life of full time ministry, marriage, kids or all of the above.
When we begin to believe in a bigger or more radical end game for girls it changes how we communicate to them. We tell their stories better. And in my heart I believe we help girls move their attention from dating to bigger dreams…from drama to radical living. Don’t we all really want that for our girls?
What do you think? What are your thoughts about changing the end game?
Posted by Kurt Johnston
This is the 5th in a little series about some of the things that have helped me last for almost 25 years. There is no silver bullet here, just a little insight about things that have seemed to make a difference in my journey as a youth worker.
BLEED IT, BUT DON’T BLEED TO DEATH!
Every now and then, a young youth worker will say something like this, “Youth ministry is my life!”. To which I always reply internally, and upon occasion even blurt out, “Really? That’s too bad.”
I think youth ministry, or any ministry endeavor for that matter, deserves some extra effort. Youth ministry isn’t for folks who are clock-watchers, who only want to do the minimum job requirements. I actually think it deserves to be led by men and women who aren’t afraid to “bleed” it a little bit. But we should NEVER bleed to death!
- When you consistently sacrifice your family for the sake of your youth ministry…you are bleeding to death. - When your friendships suffer because you spend too much time at youth ministry events…you are bleeding to death. - When you have no outside hobbies because you spend your free time with teenagers or planning events for teenagers…you are bleeding to death. - When you fail to take your day off, or you skimp on vacation time due to the demands of youth ministry…you are bleeding to death. - When you spend time in the word out of the need to [...]
Our good friend (and founder) Thom Schultz has an interesting take on one of the ongoing debates in youth missions – Are they really worth it?
Short-Term Missions A Waste?
What do you think? Did Thom get it right?
Don’t sell Jesus short.
I spent the weekend with a church in a faith tradition I am fairly new to. They have a rich heritage of liturgical worship. But if one made the mistake of thinking this church’s denom is bereft of showing feelings of faith or the goodness of God, one would be wrong.
The YP of this church had a similar epiphany today. She has a deep love for Jesus but thought her diverse international students would be uncomfortable with referencing anyone but “God.” After all, they don’t declare an emotional faith and “Jesus” is just too intimate, right?
After she had a discussion with my ministry partner, Adam DeVries, she told her students she was going to unashamedly call Jesus by his name. How shocked and delighted she was when they were happy for her AND them. They cheered.
My point? Don’t sell Jesus short in your youth ministry. Kids KNOW when they come near you that there’s a good chance they’re going to hear about God. They’re even disappointed when they don’t.
Remember: Jesus is the name of the one to whom everyone will bow. It’s just a matter of when.
S
q Jeremiah 1:4 ?The Word of God came to me saying, before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.?
q God had a vision a plan for you. Do you have one for the assignment He has given you?
q Vision: The picture of God?s potential, purpose, and possibilities for your life.
q Show me a person without vision, and I will show you a person who is at a standstill in life.
q Proverbs 29:18 ?Where there is no vision the people perish.?
q Life Point: The key element to getting out of my present state is the vision that I have for myself.
q Jeremiah 29:11 ?For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope,
Vision Truthsq True vision goes beyond what I can accomplish on my own.
q True vision adds value to others.
q True vision attracts vision.
q True vision must have God in it.
q Acts 2:17 ?And it shall come to pass in the last days says God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams.?
5 Road Blocks to Vision FailureJeff spoke about our craziness in “Big Church” this weekend. I will have to say he was amazing 
. Feel free to give it a listen.
Click here to see Jeff talk about how God has been working… (click on the message called “Spoonfuls of Life” the message itself is about 20 minutes if you fast forward through the rest of the service).
So we keep moving right along. As much as I would love to sit in the confusion and the injury of my husband, the kids keep us going like it or not.
My 5 year old started kindergarten today. It was so cute to see him walk up to the line this morning with his huge backpack weighing him down. Last night he giggled himself to sleep, he was so excited for school today.
I am currently watching him sit at the counter and sharpen his pencils. I bought him a pack of 8 pencils and his own pencil sharpener. He is sitting like a little man getting ready to “do his homework”. But really only sharpening over and over again ALL the pencils until they are all little tiny nubs. (He has 2 more to go). It’s all such an ironic sight at the moment. Coming off such a dramatic vacation that God was speaking so clearly to both Jeff and I. I feel as if God is “sharpening” me and yet I am twisted down to a “nub” as well.
I know God is going to take all the shavings and make something a-whole-lot-better. Its kinda painful. And I am noticing it requires more action from me than I think I have the energy for.
Here is how our trip went:
*12 hour drive turns into 18 hours…
*Jeff knee swells for unknown reason.
*We stop on Vegas strip to see doctor, exposing our sweet innocent children to awesome nudiness.
*After 2 hours, get back in the car and I get a speeding ticket.
*Make it to Park City, get dropped off at the house. Jeff is in so much pain he goes to the ER.
*2 hours of sleep that night. Wake up take Jeff to the hospital.
*Hospital, schedule SURGERY…3 days in Salt Lake hospital.
*Back to Park City Thursday with a home care nurse, IV antibiotics, suction evacuation back hanging from his body, and a wheelchair.
*Saturday more doctors
*Sunday pack up bags and car.
*Monday a 13 hour drive home.
My brain is mush, I am overwhelmed and exhausted. I have no words for this trip. It was so horrible, yet God worked in some miraculous ways through our brokenness.
I will tell about it when I get my brain cells back.
So, it has taken me 8 hours (no joke) to pack for a 12 hour car ride, for our family vacation. This SOOOO better be worth it, right? Am I outta mind mind? 3 kids under 5 in a car, jam packed for 12 hours? Ladies??
I will keep you posted..
Much love,
amanda
Jeff has been home now for one glorious week. And we are back to our “normal” crazy. And I LOVE IT. Feels like I can breathe again.
I just wanted to let you know how supported I felt by all of your so sweet comments and encouraging words while he was away. I didn’t know just how much I needed this community until last week. I read and re-read those posts everyday.
Thank you. You all truly ministered to me and helped me through a tough week.
Love to you,
Amanda
So I’m working on my last half of a nerve, but luckily Jeff is coming home today!! I can barely remember what we were fighting about before he left (except that it is the post right before this). I’m just so glad to see him. His bus was suppose to come in around 4pm, the kids and I had a great plan to meet him at the church and take him to dinner for a welcome home surprise! But they were late leaving camp and won’t be in til 7pm, so we changed up our plans and will bring dinner to church and play til dad rolls in…good plan. Well, the traffic is bad it will be after 8pm. Okay, okay we will have our dinner and just play til he comes in and then take him home and go to bed. No problem. AND the bus breaks down so it will be well after 11pm.(uughh) New plan, on my own for dinner, baths, bedtime again and, “Welcome home dad! We are all asleep!”
Awesome!
This is the brutal truth…
This post is not for the faint of heart…
As we were pre-camp send off, Jeff was feeling the stress and I was anticipating the long week ahead with two kids and a teething (non-sleeping) baby. Neither of us were in the best of moods. We got ready for bed and I asked Jeff if he could wake up with the baby in the middle of the night this last time even though he had to leave by 5am to go to camp. He hesitantly agreed and we went to sleep for a little while to be awakened at 1am, he got up, fed the baby and put him back to bed still awake and crabby. Both of us awake and mad I express to him just how mad I am at him for not putting the baby back to sleep. So I get up to go rock the baby and continue to express my unpleasant feelings knowing he can hear me in the monitor, I may have cussed a little. Baby asleep by 3:15am, back to bed with a large thump to startle Jeff awake so he knows what time it is. 3:45am awakened AGAIN by the snoring of my lovely husband! I am so so mad I throw the covers off and hit him in the face with a pillow, accidentally. He sits up, “What happened?” I again express my mad feelings [...]
One more summer event, ladies! I see the finish line ahead. It feels like I have been running a marathon this summer, holding one more kids than last year, its been a long haul. Back to back camps and events that I have not been able to take part in, and a “family” vacation/visit I had to do (mostly) alone this year, it has not been easy. (My biggest excuse for not blogging so much, sorry!)
I seem to always naively look forward to the summer months in May. I think of warm lazy days, sitting by the pool or beach, a simple family picnic with everyone in matching clean clothes quietly eating and singing praises of how clever mom is for organizing such peaceful and meaningful time together.
NOT.
It NEVER seems to pan out that way!
So now that I am approaching the finish line of summer I am looking forward… forward to school starting, forward to crazy weeks that Jeff will be home, forward to Monday spaghetti dinners with the masses, forward to predictable week days, and forward to weekends that are busy but the same. I LOVE a good schedule. I love knowing what the day will bring. I love to plan, and keep the plan!
I know we all have horror stories and amazing stories of how we survived our summers . I don’t want to ignore that fact that as women we need some time to process through that…
But [...]
Continue Reading “Press onward…. forward…. to the finish line!”
At a Biblestudy I did a long time ago we did “2 Highs and a Low” each time we met. (I’m sure its not anything you haven’t heard of). It was a little corney, but a great way to start the group and remember great things about our week that are easily forgotten while getting swept away with the daily routine. I thought since summer was in full swing we could share our own “2 Highs and a Low” about how we are all surviving these crazy, busy days.
I’ll go first:
High #1: Jeff and I have made our best effort yet to put some alone time on the calendar, get a babysitter and go out on a date. It has really made me feel better about the time when he is gone.
High#2: My oldest started soccer this summer and I have had the best time going to practices and watching him while I kick the ball around with my daughter on the side lines. It has been really fun!
Low: So many of my friends have been on vacation and not around, so it has felt a little lonely, as much fun as I am having with the kids I do miss the school year routine, and predictability of my days (part of my personality).
You go…
Now, I know money can be a very touchy subject and really a very subjective issue depending on where in the country (or world) you live. And just to get this obvious statement out of the way…NONE OF US ARE DOING THIS FOR THE MONEY (or we are not very smart). I am guessing most of us are in the category of over worked and under paid. But that can look very different at certain churches. A friend that reads this blog recently brought up a really interesting situation… She and her husband serve at a very affluent church and are in the over worked and under paid category. I actually can relate to this being in the same shoes. I am assuming that if compared, their paycheck may be a bit larger than some of ours (not that it matters), but when you are living “with the Jones’” and in a very expensive area to be near the church you are called to serve, how do you survive those crazy the financial waters? It is just a wierd place to be caught up in that kind of mix. We serve at a church that when you pull into the parking lot there will surely be 50 Porshe Sports cars, and a few Fararri’s sprinkled in between the Hummers. It’s a pretty fun feeling when the 16 year olds in your ministry drive far and away nicer cars than your [...]
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