Free Music, New Furniture, a Sermon Preview, and a Shopping Spree

It has been good adjusting to life as a full time youth minister. I'm busy, but it's chosen busy-ness, and at this point very unstressful. I know that will change, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts. As far as office stuff, I got a new computer and my friend Drew, another youth minister in the area, is making my bookcase. It will be fun helping him out and learning some about building furniture. He may be making my desk as well. He has made some furniture for his office and house and it looks great and is excellent quality.

This Sunday I am going to be having a very fun youth activity that combines two things I dislike: shopping and fashion. But, since I need some new clothes and it is difficult to find good opportunities for good fellowship with girls in my youth group, I have decided to let them take care of the shopping and fashion. We are going to the mall Sunday afternoon and I am giving them a spending limit and they are going to pick out my new wardrobe. This will probably be by far the most fun I will have shopping for clothes. Besides, they will probably come up with some good looking things that I would never think of. And if it looks silly, well, that will be fun too.

I preached my first Parkway sermon Sunday. I am listening to it in the car so I can make sure I said what I thought I said, and I will post on it in the coming week. Here is the preview I gave in our church bulletin:

Title: God's Masterpiece
Text: Psalm 139
We live in a world that has ridiculous standards that are shallow and unreachable. But this world will try to tell you what you need to look like and how you need to act to be "cool." Instead what it creates is deep insecurity that makes us self-focused to the point we cannot love ourselves or others.
God views us very differently. He is the master artist that created us. The most important lesson that we can learn is "God desperately love me." This sermon will look at God's standard for our lives that will give us the confidence to be secure in Him and give us the strength to love others without fear.

Something else really cool, and I checked it out. It is completely legit. Derek Webb feels strongly enough about creating discussion on the ideas in his album "Mockingbird" that he is giving it away for free. All you need to do is put in your name, e-mail address and zip code, and then enter the e-mail address of five friends. This will not get you on a spam list. Feel free to use any of my e-mails if you wish. This is the album I reviewed here.




I still promise that I will get to that list of posts I asked everyone about way back in April or May. I've just been too relaxed lately to really rant.

Current Reading-"Searching for God Knows What"-Don Miller; "Youth Ministry Nuts & Bolts"-Duffy Robbins

Written to a couple of guilty pleasures: "Cheeseburger in Paradise" and "Margaritaville" by Jimmy Buffett, both downloaded songs, and then the album "Toxicity" by System of a Down.

P.S. Yes, I find the irony in the shopping spree and my sermon.