Same Wesley, New Task

Apartment Life is just about set. Pete and I are moved in to Lakeside, and we have begun planning the first welcoming events for incoming residents. While Move In is the 13th for most residents, we'll begin intern training on the 1st.

So what does our job look like?

We've begun our training as a team under A.L., and our mentor, Bill, has been meeting with us in Athens. Our goals are to serve as event coordinators alongside their staff of community assistants to improve their business by building community and resident retention. We're hoping to also serve and empower the body in Lakeside to be a light there, or even transform a community. We'll just see what God wants to do, so please be praying for us!

Quick random thought...

the Lord in the Psalms validates every human emotion, though many require His redemption before they are pure. when something is wrong in the world, we get frustrated, judgmental, angry, even to the point of rage. The wrath of God towards sin is an inescapable part of His nature we like to ignore, but His goodness and justice demand it. The question we should be asking is not always then how to fight and suppress these emotions, but what is God's redeemed purpose for them.

I heard a speaker the other night say that the question that changed her life was simply, "God, what do you think about this (situation, person, place)?" We never stop to ask that question because we assume we already know or think we know better already - I am especially inclined towards the latter.

So here's an example: I have a friend who is not living how I think he should live, and bitterness and frustration come in my heart over the way I see that his life could be better. The principle we are getting at is expressed our favorite Christian cliche, WWJD - What Would Jesus Do? Or better yet, let's ask, "what did Jesus do?" He made himself low, that we could be raised up. He turned His anger towards the situation into love that was willing to sacrifice to transform. His righteous anger was a reflection of God's wrath, but what does God do with it? He uses it towards love. So what if God's people took all the frustration, anger, wrath, and judgment they feel - while recognizing there probably is truth and the very reflection of God behind every one of those emotions - and like God directed every emotion towards the action of love?

Life just seems easier when I'm not trying to control my emotions, but rather letting the Lord redeem them towards committed action of loving my neighbor. Your thoughts?

Jamaica!!!!

Hello all,
This past Saturday at around 1030pm we arrived back in Athens after our Freshley Jamaica Spring Break trip! One week, 17 staff, about 40 student leaders, and over 120 freshmen in 3 different cities (St. Ann's, Montego Bay, and Port Maria) made for an incredible life transforming experience for everyone involved. We built and painted several houses, built foundations, painted churches, worked on a farm, and did other work through the week. We put on morning devotionals in local schools including skits, songs, and teachings, blessing both teachers and hundreds of children. God poured out the heavens on our group as people connected deeply and were transformed to live for His glory.

I was sick the whole week, but God's goodness covered everything we did. I think a lot of people got a deeper taste of heaven than they've ever experienced, and the stage is set for an amazing last few weeks in Athens.

Please pray for me as I discern where the Lord wants me to be next year. I am meeting with a missions training organization and we are looking into starting a brand new endeavor at Wesley to the apartment complexes that I might be a part of heading up. Wherever He leads, I know it will be good, and I am so thankful. Bless you

Small recap

So two Mondays ago I enjoyed the opportunity to speak at Freshley, our Monday night service. For about 30 minutes, I taught about the Mark 5 demoniac - the first person explicitly sent by Jesus to bring the kingdom to a majority Gentile region - to show that God uses the people we least expect to shape history. I included stories from my own life and, ironically reinforcing my point that God redeems our actions to often work more in spite of us than because of us, forgot to put my conclusion in my notes, bringing the teaching to somewhat of a crash landing. Nonetheless, I got a lot of great feedback, and I believe a lot of encouragement and hope was imparted to step in faith into callings only He can accomplish.

I've been pretty sick since that next Tuesday; I guess it's just that time of year. A lot of our staff have been sick the past two weeks, as whatever it is spreads through our tight community quicker than even the dorms it seems. Free time then becomes rest time, except when trying to put our intramural teams together for the Spring season. It's been a busy few days, but we now have two ultimate frisbee teams and two indoor soccer teams ready to go. I'm grateful to be back to health, just in time for the physically exhausting part of jumping back into sports with all these 18 yr olds fresh out of high school. At the end of the day, not a bad life.

Incredible Few Weeks...

These past few weeks have been quite interesting: Our first Wesley work week shifted a full seven days to start on MLK as Athens completely iced over for the students' first week back to UGA (we follow UGA's schedule). That made for quite a start to the semester as we hit the ground running with all the craziness of trying to schedule discipleships, get our services running, and adjust our plans to the lost week.

This semester I am taking a class called Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (http://www.perspectives.org/site/pp.aspx?c=eqLLI0OFKrF&b=2806295), put on by a locally based Missions group. Meeting on Thursday nights has been fantastic; I am learning (and reading) a ton, and to have homework again rekindles an old love/hate relationship which God is using sharpen me as I try to figure out how He wants to use my life to take the Gospel to the Nations.

Though making it an exhausting week, we had an incredible fellowship event last night called Freshley Gameshow Night. Freshley's Best Dance Crew, Project Runway, Family Feud, and various Nickelodeon gameshows were among the many featured, and freshmen, leaders and staff all enjoyed an incredible time together.

At the moment, I am at 2Story Coffeehouse working on my message for Monday night. I will be speaking on how God uses the people you would least expect to shape the history and destiny of His kingdom. It all makes for a busy yet exhilarating couple weeks, but I love it. Love you all.

Fellowship at Choo Choo

Earlier tonight our freshmen small group met up for dinner at Choo Choo's, a Japanese-Korean restaurant to eat together for the only meal of the week not covered by the UGA meal plan - not that I'm on it any more, but for them, it's the one night of the week where they have leave campus and forage for food. It was such a good gathering: several of the guys went to Passion Conference, and their excitement to walk in their newfound spiritual growth was contagious. The group has really come a long way, and I am so thankful for God's faithfulness to work in their hearts.

Tonight we're supposed to get 4-5 inches of snow, and the university has already called for no classes tomorrow. Since Wesley Foundation follows the university schedule, we won't be going in to work at all tomorrow. Freshley happens on Monday nights, so now with MLK we won't be having Freshley for two weeks. As sad as that is for me, and so many of our freshmen and leaders, I think something even better is going to happen. My hope is that the hunger for fellowship in our group tonight is characteristic of what God is doing in the rest of the body, and that they'll meet on their own. I think pockets of students, leaders and freshmen, will have their own Freshley these next two weeks... and it will be even better than if we were running it for them. Because true moves of God aren't dependent on a system or a time slot, but often rather when people want something more and come together to seek it.

Christmas Break

Well, Christmas Break was all I could have asked for: just being home with family was more than enough, it had been nearly a year since my family had all been together, with Jeff and me being in Japan and India respectively at different times over the summer. It was a time of rest, restoration of hope and passion, and just encouragement.

Though the break started with laziness and apathy that has been present in some past breaks, the Lord began redeeming those into resting in Him. Sunday I took the whole day before and after church to just go and pray, spend time in His presence, and let Him speak to me about this year. I really believe it will be the best semester of Wesley yet, as God mobilizes His people to bring heaven to Athens and even beyond this city. He showed me a role to play in calling our student leaders into greater maturity, and that even for the freshmen as well.

Right now, I have a greater passion for life than I have felt in a while, the fruit of which is greater productivity and revelation from just enjoying God's presence in each everyday activity. We have our 24hr staff retreat tomorrow, and I am so excited to see what God wants to do in and through our staff.

Please pray for an increase in passion, for all of us and not just me, that comes from intimacy with knowing and being close to the God of the universe who loved us enough to send His beloved Son to die for us.