He is no fool!

These last few weeks have been total chaos with VBS, Camp and people visiting. Its been almost a week since we got back from camp. For those of you that know me at all, know I love camp. I spent 3 summers basically at camp. Gosh I miss that. But what an opportunity to see camp in such a different light. To be there as a leader to students I had already been working with. It was a blast. My prayer for the group from the beginning was for all 19 of us to go home changed, leaders included. It did my heart well to see all of our students stand and commit to something. Some committed to living one life. This was a huge theme of the camp to be the same person regardless of where we are. To bring the same person at church at school at work and at play. As for me I fell more in love with my God and Savior. By far the coolest experience was taking the time to pray for each individual student. The Holy Spirit used us leaders in powerful ways that night. It was a private moment for each student to be prayed over by each leader. Prayer is powerful. I know in my life it has been so meaningful to me to have people pray out loud for me. With that I want to challenge you with this. If you say to someone I will be praying for you. Why not take the time to do it right then and there? You may be surprised to see how much God uses you.

This last weekend I had my mom and my best friend in town. Wow what a blessing. These two people are two of my favorite people. I love them both to death. My mom and I went to a silver mine in Idaho that was pretty cool. My best friend and I mostly just chilled. But that was refreshing and needed and great. It was hard to see them go. Reminded me a lot of what I have given up in coming here. But I will count all things as loss in order to gain Christ.

There is always themes in my life of what God is teaching me and this has been the theme of late. I hear it in Sunday school. I hear it in sermons. I heard it at camp. We live in a broken world and a broken society. They tell us to be our own man. To do what makes us happy. Yet at the end of their life their fortune and fame amounts for nothing. What good is it to gain the whole world and lose our soul? If we pour all we have into selfish vain things. At the end of it all it will count for nothing. But if we invest in what's eternal then at the end of it all it will be worth something. This has been the lesson for me lately I am having to learn all over again what it means to give it up in order to better serve. I have given up friends, family, and Farrar in order to come here. I am leaning on Him and He will be my comfort. But God has called me here and I am blessed with a great church family and a great group of students. I realize I needed to be taken out I cared more about spending time with friends then I did about truly investing my time. And that is the lesson in full circle. "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose".

I hope your are learning from my rants. Take the time to evaluate what you need to give up to follow Christ. What is weighing you down? For me it was the need to please people and be around people. My life was the people around me, Christ was in many ways not at the center. For you it could be work, television, boys, girls, cars, facebook, ect. I am not trying to say these are bad but they are when they get in the way with your relationship with Jesus. So again I ask what do you need to give up?

For those of you that may read this and have yet to know Jesus, to begin to understand that he loves you and desires to have a relationship with you. I would love to talk to you. I will not pressure you or "shove the bible down your throat". But instead I would love to show why this is so important in my life and what he has done for me. I would love to show you how to live a life with significance and meaning. Because the God who created everything we see around us wants you. I would love to start the discussion.

Love,
Dan

Preaching: Mark 8:34-38

This last Sunday I had a great opportunity to preach at the church. This was somewhere between the 15th and 16th time preaching. I know I have a long ways to go and a lot of areas to grow in. In a lot of ways I feel inadequate to do his work. I feel that my preaching is not where it should be. But it amazes me how God has used me preaching and continues to use it.

My last sermon was on the end of Mark 8 verses 34-38. It was about following Jesus and the cost it takes. This has been a passion of mine lately. What it really means to follow Jesus with everything. We see in this verse a few key things. That we need to deny ourselves and live for Christ. We need to pick our cross to identify with Jesus in life and in death. We need to be willing to follow Jesus even if it costs us our life. We need to give up everything we old dear to in order to follow Jesus. I am not saying sell everything but to stop holding on to them, and do with them what we will. This is what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus, dying to ourselves in order to live for Christ.

The sermon will be available at this link for a couple weeks if you would like to hear it. http://driscollbaptist.org/Sermons.html?mode=preview

Love,
Dan

I pray that your are finding how to live better for Christ. If you have yet to know him I would love to talk to you about that some time.

Fundraising Philosophy

I am still loving my job so very much and I thought I would take some time on this blog to describe my philosophy behind youth fundraising. While I have only be doing this for a month I think I have learned some powerful truths.

Students have to pay their way to camp either them or their parents. Because of this we do a lot of fundraisers so students don't have pay as much. I believe camp can be a vital and impactful part of a students walk with Christ. Therefore I don't ever want money to stand in the way of a student going. But this in itself in a way can create a dilemma. After all we live in a money hungry society that often worships success and fame over the one true God. Therefore, I don't want me or the youth group to appear to be money hungry. We are suppose to rely on God and trust him to fulfill his will in our lives money or no money.

Which brings me to the fundraising itself. How can we show Christ's love and compassion and still earn money? I feel donations are the best way. While not all fundraisers will be just donations I feel that the majority should. Take for instance this last Saturday we did a car wash. We advertised as a free car wash, donations only, youth fundraiser. This way people paid what they could afford to pay. I honestly wish we could have washed some cars for people who couldn't afford it at all. But people feel obligated to pay something. We can show love and compassion by willing to do the work no matter the pay. If we view it as a ministry more then an opportunity to earn money. If we view as a chance to impact someone's life. Then we won't care how much they pay any money is a blessing. This goes with many of the fundraisers that I have been doing and will do.

I understand that not all fundraisers can be done with way for various reasons, but I have found the joy in serving instead of simply trying to earn some money.

In Him,
Dan

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!