Don't tell Blogger

I really don't use blogger, but instead xanga. I like bloggers layout, but I prefer a few of the settings on xanga. Anyway. Want to see my real blog...Check out.
www.xanga.com/branandlee2

Filled with the Spirit Video

Another video today. This is pretty funny. Definately church humor, but hilarious none the less. I personally like the part where he says to do the different Old Testament dances, the burning bush, the Red Sea, Two by Two, and Jericho. Funny stuff.

Soccer skills

Man I suck. I can't juggle more than like 10 times. This little kid is catching it and juggling and all sorts of craziness. Oh well.

Tennessee or Bust!!!

I used to think that vacation meant that you were going to some far away place, or to some place luxurious and out of the ordinary. Well tomorrow we leave to go on vacation and it doesn't involve a single one of those places above. We are simply going down to TN to visit family and friends for a few days. And quite frankly, I can't wait. Brandie and I both are looking forward to just getting away for a while and relaxing. We don't have a lot planned and I think that is making it even more exciting.
One thing we do have planned though is to revisit our old church. Neither of us has been there in a year now and except for the past few months we really haven't kept in touch very well with many of them. Not that we are ignoring them or don't want to be friends anymore. It just seemed easier to temporarily cut ties. By the time we return this coming Wednesday it will have been a full year since we have seem most all of these people. Our hearts beat with excitement, but I'll be honest. There is a small spot inside of me that is wondering how this is going to go. I am not sure where this little hang up is coming from, but I don't like it. I don't know if I am worried I'm gonna miss CrossRoads a lot? Or if I'm scared the kids won't really care that we are there? Or if we show up only to see that nothing has changed? Or (selfishly) if I see that a lot has changed for the better? I suppose that is the biggest and most truthful statement. What if I show up only to see that now that I have left these kids are growing and excelling in God's love and goodness? I know this is probably the most self-centered egotistical thing I could write. And it is this type of thinking that has marked youth pastors as working to build there own self-esteem instead of God's kingdom. But I am being completely honest. I truly believe that this is the little dark spot inside of me. And it's not that I want to see that they haven't grown since I've left cause that would be wonderful to see. It's just scary to think that if I wasn't a part of their growth, what makes me think I will be a part of the growth where I am at now? These are the wrestlings of my heart. But I'm still stoked about this trip. Stay tuned. Hopefully I'll be able to post while I'm chilling.

Happy Belated Birthday Brandie

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Well, Brandie's birthday was last Thursday and here I am just getting around to writing about it. In my defense it's been a crazy couple weeks, but still...I'm a horrible husband. She is a fantastic wife. On the day of her birthday, she worked VBS for half the day, then went into work after that for the next few hours. I went home from work a little early so I could make her a cake which was good for a few days, and now it's just gross. (I'm not sure where I went wrong.) But when she got home we headed to Columbus and went to Outback. We splurged and even got ourselves a blooming onion. Yummy.
i just want to take a second though and say how great my wife is. She is a lot of fun to hang out with. She makes me laugh all the time even if she is just talking about a piece of pink paper. Secondly, she is a stinking genius. Biology...come on. I can barely spell it, but she is a master of it. She not only is booksmart but she also has a lot of common sense. She's very practical and down to earth. She has emotions but she isn't excessively emotional. She loves to watch sports with me. And basically she is the greatest wife ever. I appreciate her honesty. I find her incredibly attractive. And I love her. Last night we had a great night-though not her birthday-of watching the fireworks together. It was nearly a scene taken from a movie. We laid on a blanket in the grass watching the explosions take place over our heads. She curled up next to me with her head resting on my chest. I don't consider myself a romance buff, but it was definately a romantic moment for us.
Bran, I love you and praise God for you and your birthday.

Crazy Hectic

I know it has been a few weeks since I've posted. OOOOooopppsss. Oh well. Camp. VBS. Buying a house. Losing my mind. I'll post more soon and try and update on the chaos that is known as my life.

The always funny Jack Black

I am one of the many followers of Jack Black. His physical comedy makes me roar with laughter. From his beginnings in High Fidelity to his soon to be released Nacho Libre, I enjoy him. (iTunes has even made available a video podcast in promotion of Nacho Libre. If you haven't partaken of podcast yet, you need to check them out at iTunes. You don't need a iPod to listen to them, in case you weren't aware of that yet.) But, I especially enjoy his musical side. It is most always light-hearted and amusing. I found this video clip of the Nickelodeon commercial he did. It is nothing special but his energy and charisma carries the commercial from cute little ditty status to stuck in your head for hours status. Enjoy!

Not church softball, but softball church

Last night was another softball game for my church team. The cool part about last night's game was that it was against the other team from our church. It was fun to play a semi-competitive game of softball with a bunch of middle-aged men. I play for a few reasons. Firstly, there's that whole competion flowing through my veins drowning out my blood thing. I can't help it. I just love playing and competing. Besides, some day I'll be one of those middle aged men trying to play with the young guys. Secondly this has been a great chance for me to get to know some more of the men from our church. Plus it's outside of the church setting which is where I can really get to know them. I love my church but the real communication I have with people generally happens outside of it's doors. Which is why the softball field should become our new church meeting place. Why not? I mean, some of these people I've never even seen at church anyway. And they are faithful to be the park every week, so let's give it a try. Pastor can speak from behind home plate. I'll have children's church in left field cause it's close to the porta-john. (Which by the way, let me say that this is the biggest Johnny-on-the-Job I've ever seen. There's enough room for a TV, Playstation, and love seat in that thing. Madden anyone?) Everyone can wear t-shirts and ball caps. We'll hire a few umpires to take offering and seat people in lawn chairs. And the concession stand can be...well, the concession stand. We'll sell food and drinks and maybe sunflower seeds. Besides we have to have someplace to store the communion bread and grape juice.

I'll take this, but no thanks on that...

Right now I'm reading in the book of Job. He went through some junk. He was wealthy and probably powerful. Lost all that. He had a large family, that he loved. Lost all 10 kids. But at least he had his health right? Nope, lost that too. He even reached the point of sitting in the town dump and scraping the sores to dig out the infection. I don't know if he was just delirious by this point or if he just thought this seemed like the only other thing left to do. Finally, his wife gives him some admonishing words and suggests that he just curse God and die. Granted, she had just lost the wealth also. And had watched as 10 caskets were lowered into the ground. But I pray to God that Brandie is at least the slightest bit more encouraging to me at low points in our life.
Two amazing things stick out to me in this story.
1. It says that Job not only didn't sin in his words throughout this whole ordeal but instead he worshipped. Just in case your eyes did one of this skip a line things, I'll repeat that. HE WORSHIPPED. What? Why? How? I can't imagine feeling the need to worship God at a moment like that. I seriously doubt worship would have even crossed my mind within a few days of this whole ordeal. And even then it would have probably have been at least a few weeks before I could truly worship God. Not Job. He was unlike any other man on the face of the earth. That's why God chose him to show Satan how deep a relationship with the all-sufficient God can be.
2. Job says one of the most mind blowing things in chapter 2 verse 10. He says, according to the NIV(which I'm about to quote illegally), "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" Wow, if I am ever able to grasp this 9 simple words, I'm sure it will completely revolutionize my life. We can't accept the good from Him and tell Him that we would rather not take the rough parts. It just doesn't work like that. I'm going to have to accept the trials God gives me if I am planning on recieving His countless blessings. But why? I don't want to. So I don't have to...right? I wish. But instead I have to learn to take the rough stuff cause I sure like the more cushy things He has given me.

School's out

So being a youth pastor means my life is greatly affected by student's lifes. And this week is the week of all weeks for every student. This is the week that school let out. My life will take a very busy turn now for the next 2 months. I'm not complaining...yet... I am really thankful to get to do this. Today was the last day for students who go to CCS (the christian school associated with my church) and a couple of kids came by to say goodbye. The funny thing is that I didn't even have that great of a relationship with them. Yesterday, was wonderful though. I went out to lunch with 4 of the guys that I have spent the most time with over the past year. They are a fun loving group of guys who I am going to miss having around. They will all be moving up into the high school part of our ministry. I know that they won't be gone from the face of the earth but it won't quite be the same without them. They were my first group of kids from when we started working here and there is always something special about that first group at a new place. So for the next few weeks I am going to really try and enjoy their company, before it's gone.