Monday, October 30, 2006

get to know your pastor - family ministry

i love being involved with YOU - the student's of reallife.MINISTRIES. i enjoy getting together each week, hearing your successes, failures, fears, hopes. i love 'just chatting' with you either online or "unplugged" face to face. and i hope and pray that i'm making a difference in your lives in some way or another. (btw, i'm not fishing for compliments) (oh and in case you don't know btw stands for By The Way)

but let me tell you something that i struggle with . . .

you see, if you ask me what is most important to me, i'd tell you hands down that it is my family. in fact this point was reinforced in my mind/soul when i recently listened to a message by dr. voddie baucham. you can listen to this two part message here: day 1 & day 2.

my family is the most important ministry i have. i will have the greatest impact on this earth by investing in, providing for, protecting, and otherwise ministering to my own family. (you really do have to listen to the messages to get the full impact of what i'm saying) i can do no greater thing than to love and influence my family towards God.

like i said i love being involved with you guys, but 'when push comes to shove'; youth ministry isn't as important to me as my family ministry. to put it even more plainly: you are not as important as my family.

so here's the struggle . . . youth ministry is easy by comparison to family ministry. youth ministry is more or less centered around events. we have youth services, outings, camps, missions trips, conventions, movie nights, parties, etc. and so as a youth minister i can focus on the next event. planning, preparing, promoting. and when it's finally come and gone and all the youth have gone home, i can have this nice story of how the "youth ministry was successful" and "lives were changed".

family ministry, on the other hand, is day in and day out, minute by minute, every moment of the day i have little eyes watching my every move. how i react to people, how i behave when other's aren't around, if treat their mother the same at home as in public. as deut. 6.7-9 says it's all the time, in every way!

in addition to that, i sometimes spend more time involved with youth ministry activities than i do in direct family involvement. so although my heart and head say one thing (family ministry is of utmost importance to me), my actions and energies say another (ah your family will be around tomorrow, you've really got to finish this task NOW for effective youth ministry to happen).

so what am i trying to say with all this . . . i don't know. but as the title of the post suggests, i think you've '[gotten] to know your pastor' a little more.

comments or suggestions welcome.

2 Comments:

Blogger jessika said...

hey abe...i think that from my perspective (as a "outsider"), you make it very clear in the way you live your life that family comes first. I think that is awesome! You're an excellent example of what a Christian's priorities need to be.
I agree with what you said about events usually being the main focus of youth ministry... Honestly, I think in most cases lives aren't changed by events, but by discipleship. So even though events are necessary, I think personal connections should be priority.

11/01/2006 10:20:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

abe;

sometimes it is hard to live up to the priorities:

(1) God
(2) Family and
(3) Work

And then it can get confusing about what is God and what is Work, huh?

I would encourage you to spend time with the Lord consistently to reaffirm your priorities as well as to understand how to implement them in individual daily choices.

I agree with Jessika; I think you are a great example to follow. So, your presentation 'at work' is excellent. And I definetely see you putting your family first.

Have the endurance to continue to run the race, and the perserverence to keep putting one step in front of the other as you are directed. At each step, you will have a stronger foundation and will grow in intimacy with your Lord.

Let me know how I can support you and your family (babysitting, etc.).

11/02/2006 03:37:00 PM  

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in case you missed it

we've begun a new Bible study of Ephesians this past sunday night. we didn't even get through all of chapter 1 so take a read through and come ready to discuss next week.

if you weren't here, these are some of the videos we enjoyed.

headbanging 101:
warning: we only watched the first half of this video, the second half is not endorsed by reallife, grandview assembly, or pastor abe.


cover letters from hell:


get a mac (better results):


we also reviewed the spot shown on this post from a few days ago.

1 Comments:

Blogger maggie said...

only two days until i get my mac!!

11/02/2006 11:05:00 AM  

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Saturday, October 28, 2006

video of the week - beauty

i came across this video today and was really struck by the message behind it. watch and then comment on your views on beauty, the pressure to be "beautiful", and if you can ever watch any ad and think they are real anymore??

quite revealing don't you think?

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well this week we're back at our house. we're finished with the book of acts. we'll be moving on to Ephesians next. get a head start and read it before tomorrow night. see ya tomorrow! oh yeah, and change your clocks tonight!

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1 Comments:

Blogger jessika said...

wow, i almost started crying when i saw that. it's very eye opening.

10/28/2006 07:27:00 PM  

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Friday, October 27, 2006

internet gem of week - reverend fun

i included one of these comics in our church bulletin this past week. they're updated daily, so head on over for a good chuckle.


now nobody get any ideas! in case you can't tell that's not a good interpretation of that scripture.

3 Comments:

Blogger maggie said...

very cute. there was a comic i saw once that showed a kid at a pulpit and he was saying "ok now its time for all the adults to go down to the basement for adult church." i should see if it's on that site.

10/27/2006 11:04:00 PM  
Blogger jessika said...

hahaha...yup, that's a classic example of making scripture line up to your life instead of the other way around. :)

10/29/2006 01:24:00 AM  
Blogger The Bald Guy said...

Funny stuff abe...it reminds me of some people in our youth group.

10/30/2006 04:10:00 PM  

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Tuesday, October 24, 2006

question of the week? - christmas

well believe it or not there's only 2 mo. & 2 days left until Christmas.

// what's on your list this year? //

with thanksgiving only a month or so away, my sister reminded me last night to check if there were any exciting "Black Friday" ads leaked online yet.  for the uninitiated, "Black Friday" is the wildest, craziest, most crowded, early morning, huge sale day of the year.  it is the friday after thanksgiving.  traditionally this marks the official start of the holiday shopping season.  if you work the ads right, and do a little planning, and go with some friends, you can get some really huge deals, and get all or most of your christmas shopping done in only a couple of hours.

2nd bonus question:

// have you ever shopped on "black friday"?  do you love it or hate it?  why? //

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i'll answer both questions:

well since i've got an iMac and a MacBook and an iPod and i run with deb's iPod Nano, that pretty much covers my apple wish list so i'm not really sure what else i want.  unless a new "widescreen video iPod" comes out before Christmas?  or if someone wants to spring for a Mac Pro (maxed out of course), or one of the new MacBook Pro's that came out today!  but all nonessentials, because i have what i need as mentioned above.  of course what iPod owner wouldn't appreciate iTunes gift cards!

i love shopping on "black friday".  it's just so much fun to be in the thick of the crowd, fighting your way for that "one" item and then the feeling of coming out victorious!  oh and then being done with all your Christmas shopping is a nice feeling too.

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Umm well on my list this year is about the same as every year i want a new coat that is a coat not a sweater with a jean jacket over, and i would like a cell phone :), I have shoped on black friday and i really dont like it because sometimes you cant even get what you went to go get in the first place!!

10/24/2006 04:53:00 PM  
Blogger jessika said...

no lists yet...but lip gloss is always a good choice. i don't think black friday is even necessarily about the savings(with the exception of electronic stores)...it's all about the RUSH! i love it!

10/24/2006 05:11:00 PM  
Blogger maggie said...

black friday. tons of fun, anxiety, yeah the rush. you wait for hours for the sillies little things sometimes (i'm thinking of being first at shopko for doodle bears because they opened first - people were there for tv's and we were there for doodle bears.) then off to the next store - strategy who opens when, who wants what from where, team up. the long hours for my laptop weren't so fun, but its all good! i'm trying to find stuff - just to have a reason to go!

10/24/2006 10:22:00 PM  

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Friday, October 20, 2006

internet gem of the week - blue ball

it's kind of mesmerizing and you'll wish you could look away, but you just can't.
click if you dare: Blue Ball Machine
oh and don't forget pastor Jeffery Portman (NWMN DYD) will be speaking this coming sunday night. service is in the main sanctuary and a speed-the-light offering will be taken. we'll also have some kinda free snack afterwards like last year, with pop for sale ($$ going towards speed-the-light)

2 Comments:

Blogger maggie said...

aaaah. my eyes, my eyes. i kept trying to find out where it all began. the poor workers, so many blue balls! fun.

10/21/2006 11:34:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

lol maggie i agree with you!

10/22/2006 03:42:00 PM  

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Thursday, October 19, 2006

it's a GIRL!


Rachel Joy Lara
born at 3.16 am on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2006
7 lbs. 6 oz.
21 in.

more story details, pics, and videos to come in the hours and days to come.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

YAY! I'm soo happy for you guys! Deb i hope you are feeling great!

10/19/2006 04:40:00 PM  

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Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Jeffery Portmann coming, oh and so is our baby!

hey just a reminder to be inviting your friends and acquaintences to come see our DYD this coming sunday night @ 6pm.

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oh and we're at the hospital ready to have our baby.  yep that's right, deb has come to have the baby.   and this time it's serious, her "water" has been broken so it's just a matter of time now.  i'll be posting regular updates over at our "family blog", but i'll be sure to post pictures of the baby here at this site as well hopefully by morning! :-)

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Tuesday, October 17, 2006

wednesday wisdom - 3 weeks after

6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. // Isaiah 55:6 (NIV)
well it's been 3 weeks since SYATP what's the change been? any? a lot?? we talk about syatp being this great national student led movement that will change your school. i want to know if it has? are you changed? are you still seeking Him for your classmates?

i know that's a lot of questions and not much wisdom. (hey, i never promised this to be a place to get your daily "christian fortune cookie" quote.)

as it says in the verse above "he is near". God still cares about you. God still cares about your school, your friends, your family, your country, etc., etc., etc. "Seek [Him] while he may be found."
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oh and . . . in other news, yesterday was my last day at pizza hut. (i'm free!) hopefully i'll have more time now to devote to posting. (insert wild cheering from all the fans)

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Thursday, October 12, 2006

movie night moved to saturday this week


in case you weren't here on sunday or just need a reminder . . . we moved the reallife.MOVIE Night to saturday because of Homecoming this week. so i'll see ya saturday at 8.00 pm. bring some friends, some food, and be ready to laugh.

we'll be watching the 'Clean Comedy Tour'. if you need a preview watch below:


oh and 'GO GREYHOUNDS!'

4 Comments:

Blogger maggie said...

i liked the mexican guy a lot. its fun to laugh at your own culture.

10/16/2006 10:18:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

so,

i was teaching out of luke 16 today again.

well, i brought it up yesterday, and i thought kids 'got it.' So, i was thinking things were great! then half of my health class was late, so to manage my classroom i had my (present) students start writing their thoughts about our discussion yesterday. and it turns out many didn't get it.

So, we started talking about it, and i used an example of "i need to be shrewed by....(ex) getting your tests back in a timely fashion.," and you can be shrewed by staying on task when the teacher gives you an assignment.

but then they said, 'but you haven't got our tests back yet! so how come you are telling us to stay on task, and 'be shrewed,' when you arn't doing it!

and i replyed, well, the lord tells us to make wise choices, and do it with a integritous modivation... and also, we walk in grace in that he will help us accomplish things and trust in him when we don't meet the standard, but we still need to do the best that we can do to 'be shrewed' and make wise choices.

and it did not solidify in their minds... HELP!

From someone with wisedom!

does anyone have vision that they can contribute to help me bring glory to this situation?

holly

10/17/2006 11:02:00 AM  
Blogger reallife.MINISTRIES said...

hey holly,

i don't know what all you explained to your class about the chapter. but i don't know if doing assignments and correcting tests is a correct or complete interpretation of what being "shrewd" in this context means.

perhaps this article may give you a little more insight and be able to help you.

10/17/2006 11:09:00 PM  
Blogger maggie said...

they have a "due date" for assignments/tests. maybe you can have an anticipated "due date" for returning assignments. that way they will know when to expect assignments back and you will have motiviation to do the grading. (not so sure I understand the shrewd thing) just talking about the "you arn't doing it" comment. just a suggestion.

10/18/2006 03:39:00 PM  

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Sunday, October 08, 2006

here's a recap video from YC



if you were there, keep the fire going. if you weren't put it on your calendar now for next year!

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

So, I had a flat tire this morning. I had to get the Suberu (sp?) out... haven't started it for six months... [i am happy we are going through stewardship at church now... very applicable]

i was so thankful to God this morning! I wanted to get up early to do school work (i planned 1:30.... didn't get out of bed till 2:45, though)... i got up, had two great cups of coffee! and a really good breakfast, too! So, I felt like reading the word, and spent about an hour with that. I was so comforted and directed.

So, I only did school work for about 2 hours instead of the planned 4 hours. I, moreoften than not, run out the door frazeld, anyhow.

I was so thankful God had gotten me up early enough to deal with everything, still get to work on time, and prepare for my 3 tests today.

The Lord was so faithful! As my car issues was happening, I felt so upheld! It was great! [My transmission in the Suberu is going out, I suspect. But nothing happened this morning! With that. This, specifically, made my prayer time especially sweet this morning!]

School was stressfull as well. But today the stress was really good. Its like the French version of 'terrible.' Can either be meaning really good or really bad and every once in a while means both at the same time. And I got through it!

I love working in a Christian school, because if I am not organized enough to have a lesson plan with specific objectives in line, and if I don't want to randomly lecture, I can have kids pray! Or talk about a scripture.

In environmental science, i had kids talk about Luke chapter 16, which we heard from P. Jon this Sunday. We talked about being wise stewards of our environment and our personal lives. I love weaving faith with the science!

So, I had to share my great day with you all. I was planning to share in devotions tomorrow in school, but I couldn't wait to share!

Oh! And I didn't have to stress about money for new tires, either! (~$200) Praise the Lord.

holly

10/10/2006 03:40:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I need ideas, if anyone has inclination.

I am presenting a devotion for my staff next Tuesday. We have a virture and verse of the month; this month our virture is boldness and the verse is 1 Peter 3:14b-17.

["Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.' But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. it is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."]


My presentation/devotion is 25 minutes. I am thinking of

(1) reading the letter from Mitch Lewis, at:

http://mitchlewis.wordpress.com/2006/06/25/david-and-goliath/

and (2) having the staff get in groups to work on memorizing 1 peter 3:14b-17 as a game (group puzzle, etc. esentially, what kid's church would do.)

I am not feeling great about it, though. It will provide something to do, and is along our virtue topic, but I am not passionate about this nor do I feel my ideas will produce results.

Does anyone have any ideas for me?

Thanks!

HOlly

10/12/2006 03:53:00 PM  
Blogger abelara said...

i think your devotional will be great. it sounds like something that will seem 'out-of-the-box' for most of the teachers. it'll be good for them.

10/12/2006 10:07:00 PM  

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Saturday, October 07, 2006

youth conference '06 - friday

i've been here in what seems like hundreds of times (but i'm not that old). i've seen it all before, i've helped behind the scenes some years, and i've come as both student and leader. but for some students this is their first time. all the festivities, fun, meyhem. the lights, the band, the games. this is Youth Conference!

for some their parents are sending them as a "last resort" go try to get them excited about God. (to those parents, thanks for caring enough, God can still reach our student) for others the students had to beg to be able to go. for some it is only by God's grace and unexpected blessing that they are able to come. for still others they made it here at the last minute.

students know matter when, how, or why you came GOD KNEW ALL ALONG THAT YOU WERE COMING! IT WAS IN HIS PLANS AGES AGO!!

so what will you do? the first day was awesome, tomorrow will be just as awesome. but what matters is that you encounter the power of God, that you come away from this weekend with an intimate relationship with your Creator. do you know that He loves you?! do you know that He's reaching out to you?!

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you. // James 4.8-10 (WEB)

_____________________________

here's a run down on the numbers:

23 the number off people who a part of Youth Conference from Grandview A/G

1 the number of student's baptized with the Holy Spirit and called into full time ministry

5 the number of student's who re-committed their lives to Christ

5 the number of student's who made a FIRST TIME commitment to Christ!!!

(to see more pics visit grandview ag's new website in progress / click on media and then on pics and then on the youth conference link.)

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Rock on awesome! HAVE A BLAST AND A HALF!!!!!!!!!!

play to the fullest, guys!

10/07/2006 02:01:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

abe, that site is totally awesome!
i am continually amazed at your SKILZ.

i am dying to know: who got called to full-time ministry????

10/07/2006 02:19:00 PM  
Blogger reallife.MINISTRIES said...

emmanuel was the one who marked down that he was filled with the Holy Spirit and called into full time ministry.

although in his case i think it was a "re-affirming" of what he already knew. but nonetheless, awesome!

10/07/2006 07:14:00 PM  

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Thursday, October 05, 2006

"answer" of the week? - chicken


okay this seems a little straight foward. how many diffent responses are there to this question? -
why did the chicken cross the road?
i'll start off with the obvious: to get to the other side.

leave your answer in the comments and any other variations of this joke with the answer too.

3 Comments:

Blogger deblara said...

"...because the light was green."

i love you abe; just thought you should know. remember when we went to that little cafe' in new zealand called "the other side"...their point was they wanted people to cross the street to get to "the other side." i hope you have a great weekend. i'll love you later.

10/06/2006 09:44:00 AM  
Blogger reallife.MINISTRIES said...

ah shucks, thanks babe, i hope you have a splendid weekend too!

10/07/2006 02:03:00 AM  
Blogger vtv said...

... because the grass is always greener, yes, on the other side ... it appears the chicken was also afflicted with one aspect of the human condition that the Bible warns about - covetousness.

10/07/2006 07:18:00 PM  

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Monday, October 02, 2006

sunday night links - 10/1/06

fall is in the air and we're almost done with the book of acts.

ch. 27 discussed paul's journey to rome. it included a visit by an angel, a shipwreck, and a promise to sailors about not becoming bald. we learned that paul was confident that God would work out everything "just as he told me."

and that the primary way that we can know what he has told us is by reading His Word.

we also saw this creepy video:


and this cool one of little hypnotized goldfish:

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