Is this real life?

Oh man so much has happened and life is awesome!!!

We have had several youth events and its great. Last Tuesday we drove to Leavenworth and hung out and had a blast. This last Sunday we put on an Italian Lunch Fundraiser to help kids go to camp! It was awesome we raised a lot of money and had some good times. I am excited about what is coming up. We got a work day tomorrow! Thursday we are seeing toy story 3. Saturday we are having a car wash. Life is just awesome.

I am staying so very busy. Its feels like I am living a normal life here. I love my job. I keep wondering if this honeymoon phase will wear off and when. But getting to know the students better. But what has been cool lately is getting to know the parents. I really appreciate them and all the hard work they put into the ministry and into their students. I view youth ministry as a partnership with parents. While I understand at times parents are not involved. But as a youth minister I need to administer too and work with families as a whole. We are in this together.

So things have been pretty crazy with personal stuff. My washer overflowed, my oven didn't work, my mail wasn't getting here and now my computer might be close to being finished. Fortunately, I have a good friend who is helping me work on it. I am thankful for good friends oh so very thankful.

I am excited about where God is taking me. Praise be to Him forever and ever Amen!

Loving in His name,
Dan

P.S. Youth that are vacation I miss you!

Reflection

Hello my Friends,

I have been here in Spokane for about a little over a week. And what a blessed time. I have spend some time doing direct ministry and I am excited about doing more. So that means if your a youth at my church lets hang soon. I am really excited about this week of ministry I got meetings set up and am hanging out with youth! I am excited about meeting with other people who are helping in the ministry. I am so blessed by this church and the way they are administering to me. I keep getting asked what else I need and wow what a blessing. I know I may have said that a lot in the last couple blogs but I can't help be blown way but the love and support I have received.

This last weekend was interesting. I spent the majoring of the time by myself and am reminded a lot of my time in Chicago which in turn makes me miss Chicago and my brother. But I am finding I enjoy some time to myself more then I am use to. This makes me wonder why that is. Maybe a full time ministry job grants me the face time I need! But a few cool things did happen this weekend. Saturday morning I was able to go on a 15 mile bike ride which I am still sore from but it was awesome. I was able to spend time with some guys in the church and really enjoy myself. I love riding my bike and am looking forward to buying one soon when I get the money! Sunday was an awesome day! It was the 5 year anniversary of the senior pastor being the senior pastor. For those of you who don't know statistically Senior Pastors only stay for about 3 years. So its a blessing. He truly is a great guy and has impacted the church greatly. The Senior Pastor really enjoys Elvis so the college/career group prepared a lip sync 2 song set. I really enjoyed myself and I know he enjoyed it as well. Later that day I was able to go swimming and spend a good chunk of my day hanging with some new friends. Gosh I am seeing God's provision more and more with each passing day.

I am loving being a Youth Pastor and am excited to continue to poor into students lives. Tomorrow should be a good day of ministry. We are helping move a woman's stuff who passed away. I am just happy I am able to help. And I know at least one of my students is coming and hopefully another one. Love those kids already. Then tomorrow night we are having a movie, games, dinner, night at the Pastor's house its good times!

Still Living the Dream!

Love,
Dan

P.S. I need to take more pictures!

Living the Dream

Wow I don't even know where to begin but I am overwhelmed by two things currently going on in my life.

First and foremost my new church family is awesome. They have welcomed me so quickly and readily. They have given me more then I ever expected and am so thankful without them I would be in a sad place indeed. They have given me so many things for my Kitchen and its great. In addition they have given me a dinning room table, coffee table, dressers and so so much more! They even decked out my bathroom in purple and green my two favorite colors! I am overwhelmed by the love and support the church has shown me. But don't you worry Sherwood, Perrydale or Morning Star I haven't forgotten you once church family always church family! Just know I am in good hands here at Driscoll.

The second overwhelming thing that I am living a dream. I have dreamed for a long time the day when I get to enter full time ministry. And here I am after a weeks worth of work and just loving it. I have been working with youth for a few years now and am so excited to pour even more into them. Full time ministry is really a dream come true! Thankful for this opportunity. I can't believe I got it so close after graduating college.

A few weeks ago I was challenged to write down the reasons why I was confident that God has called me here. So I thought I would share them with you. First the fact that I am actually here is a great indication that this is where God wants me to be. Second He literally closed all the other doors. I applied to other churches and turned them down for various reasons and they turned me down for various reasons. This really was a great fit. Third not being in full time ministry before this I have people here who are willing to take the time and train me. That is a huge blessing and am so thankful. Lastly, it my sound trivial but I really feel called to the Northwest and here I am still in the Northwest.

Also for those who were wondering my apartment is pretty much set up working on final touches but should be good to go soon!

Love,
Dan

I am so blessed; thank you

As I write this blog I am overcome with emotions. Ever since I graduated and moved out of the dorm I have had very few days of boredom. I have kept myself busy with friends, family and ministry. Its been a great few weeks. These last few days have been especially meaningful.

Last Wednesday was my last RIOT. It was goodbye night. That was the last RIOT for seniors, myself and some other leaders. I am so blessed to have been at Morning Star this year. I am reminded how God brought me to that church. Being an RA my junior year one of my residents asked me to go to the college group at Morning Star. Soon I was going every week. I got close to the Pastors quickly. The College ministry is run by the high school pastor, the middle pastor and a teaching/worship pastor. What a blessing that was! Towards the end of the year the high school Pastor Jared asked me if I would intern for him. I took a couple months to pray about it. That was a hard decision to make for sure! But so glad I did, I was trained, stretched, loved, needed, molded and used.

That Thursday I was able to go out to dinner with a dear friend of mine. That was some sweet time of just being able to hang out. I love friends. That night I drove to my friend's house who I am actually friends with the whole family. I stayed there for two nights. It was great being able to just relax sit by the fire and spend time with a family I love.

I left their house on Saturday drove straight to church for my last Saturday service. Right after that drove up to St. Paul for a farewell bonfire at my best friends house. Lots of old friends showed up. It was good seeing them. Ended staying out with them until like two in the morning. Gosh I love nights like that.

Drove back home then slept for not much time. Went and meet a very good friend for coffee. We have gone to school together and were able to just encourage and lift each other up. We talked ministry, life, love, and Jesus. Thankful for his friendship.

After that I drove to my last Sunrise (Sunday school) and officially gave the reigns over to my replacement. I am so excited he is actually the guy who led the mission trip. SO a lot of my guys know and love him. He has been hanging out for the last month. It is a blessing to see him step in and I know they are going to go far together.

That afternoon I drove up to my home town to hang with two of my best buds. Love them both! Stayed there for about a day slept there and just chilled. It was a goodbye of sorts. So good just to hang out and see there new place. Going to miss them.

That brings us to tonight. I am so blessed. A friend of mined decided that I had to have a going away party and offered up here house. So many people came. Friends, family, students, ministry partners, everyone! I love them all so so so much! Got emotional a couple times. Hard to say goodbye. I think it all feels surreal. But it feels good to know I am loved. This is my official thank you to those who came to the party. So thanks for coming it was a great time and great to see you all stay in touch! Those who didn't I understand. It was a huge blessing for sure!

Love,
Dan

Stay in touch everyone!

Life is Crazy!

Well its been a while and a lot has happened. I have officially graduated college with the best grades of my life. Once I get my diploma I will have two degrees one in Youth and Family Studies Psychology and the other in Student and Family Ministries. As I reflect on my time at Corban one truth seems to come forth more then any other. I am a very different person today then when I started college. The biggest change of all is that I am confident in who God has made and his plan for my life. These last four years have had some big ups and some big downs. But, God has worked amazingly in my life to bring me to today. I am grown a lot in my leadership abilities and skills. I have at the privilege to lead at camps, two different youth groups, wyldlife, and as an RA. I love ministry and so glad I have had these opportunities. I am thankful for the friends, students, staff and faculty that have had such a profound impact on my life while my time at Corban.

The second big thing is that I have a job! I am moving June 4th to Spokane Washington to be a full time youth pastor. I am so excited! This has been a dream of mine for a long time. I remember being a kid and wondering why I didn't desire to go over seas. Its because God has called me to work with the youth and families here. I am excited to walk into students lives like people walked into mine. I know God will use me and am so excited to see how. I have been looking forward to the day when I get to enter full time ministry. It truly is a dream come true. God is on the move in my life all I have to do is choose to follow. Praise be to Him. While I have never been a youth pastor I am going to have lots of support. They have people that will train me better how to do the ministry. My heart truly breaks for students and am excited to work with them full time.

These last few weeks have been so awesome. Because I am no longer in school and no longer RA, which saddens me greatly, I have been freed to do ministry at church. I love my small group and been able to spend lots of time with them. I have also been able to have lots of good times with friends. God has blessed me so much! Sam threw me a great birthday party. Looking forward to these last two weeks. Then off to a new adventure!

Love,
Dan

My First Mission Trip

I don't even know where to begin I have been home for about a week now. And this morning I am experiencing the missionary blues. Jeff, the leader of the trip, said more then once that the things we are doing here can be done at home. Yet I find in myself no desire to do that work. I make excuses. I am an RA, an intern at a church and a full time student. Do I really have time to reach out into the community? The answer should always be yes. So this morning I am asking God to rebreak my heart. To break it for the needy, the down and out. To break it for those who aren't being loved. I am asking him to remove my skepticism, my doubts. Lord help me to live out here what we lived out there.

The whole week I couldn't help but think that this was more what life was supposed to be like. First of all we were living out the gospel. We were loving on the people of Tacoma. We went to a family shelter, new life shelter, and other places to help prepare and serve lunch. We had VBS at two different locations. We served in a food bank sorting and handing out food. We served in a donation center. In addition we did work around the church and school that we were staying. We reached out and loved on the people of Tacoma. When the opportunities came we shared the love what we had found in Jesus. While I know we had the week off so it made serving the people easy. But it made me think. Shouldn't we be making time to serve the people of Salem? Shouldn't I be making time to serve the people of Salem? To help those in need? To show the love that I have found.

Second, we lived in real community. I believe at the core of who were are is relational. I believe that part of being made in the image of God is being relational. He exists in a continual perfect relationship with himself. We look at the Adam and Eve. They lived in perfect relationship before the fall. While in Tacoma I couldn't help be think that we were living this out. Within two days we were bonded like a family. 27 students and 11 leaders. We lived together, eat together, served together and laughed together. As a team we wrote 1000 encouragement cards to each other. In our broken culture the individual is emphasized so much that it hinders community. But here we lived it out. Every night we had family time which was by far my favorite time. We started off with all stars, people who stuck out that day for doing something good. Then we had God stories, stories of how God moved. Next a few people would share their testimony. Some of the people that shared we prayed over. Finally, we worshiped God through music. I believe community in heaven will be much stronger then what we had. But I believe this was a glimpse into what it will be like. We listened to each other. We laughed with each other. We lived life together. We sat in each others pains. We lived out what it meant to bare one anothers burdens and what it meant to be in real community.

Lastly, people's lives were changed. When a group of people are living out the gospel and living in community how can lives not be changed? There were stories of redemption. Stories of joy. Stories of sorrow. God was in them all. He is in my story. I am not sure how different of a person I am today because of this trip. But I can tell you one thing God moved. So many students and leaders walked away with a changed life. So many people in the places we served walked away with changed lives. God Moved.

Now I ask you. I ask you how are you living out the Gospel? How are you loving on the people around you? Are you living in community? I ask you to join me and keep me accountable. I ask you to challenge me. Lets do this thing together. Lets live out the gospel and love those around us.

In Him,
Dan

Journey of Worship

I have been on a incredible journey of worship. I grew in a church I love very dearly but it never inspired in me real life moving worship. I never raised me hands I hated to stand when, even if everyone was doing it. We sang old songs and only semi-new ones. I was at church for the message and the fellowship never for the music. Before I continue let explain something. I believe we are made to worship and I feel we will worship something even if its just ourselves. I believe worshiping God goes beyond music, but we can worship God in our daily activities.

But anyway when it came to worship I never worshiped God that way. It just never was a big deal to me. I came to corban and found a church very similar to the one back home. I too loved this church and many things about it. But still music wasn't my thing. I struggled to worship God through it. Well over the the past few months I have been on quiet the journey. I have found myself crying in worship. I have found myself standing when few others are. I find my feet moving to the music. I see my hands raised in the air. I do not say things to brag but to thank Jesus for what he is doing in my heart. I started going to morning star and the worship music is really awesome. We have talented musicians and very good leaders. They have started to influence my baptist roots. Now the spirit moves and I stand I cry out to Jesus with my words of the song. I sing loud and I sing proud.

So I wonder where you are. Maybe you too like to sit in worship time. Maybe it seems weird for you to raise your hands. Just give it a shot. I have found ways to truly worship through the music for the first time in my life. I hope your will discover the joy of being swept in Jesus through music.

Love,
Dan