Remaining pure in body, mind, eyes, and heart could be the most difficult thing kids will face in their preteens and teens–and into adulthood. Jim Burns, trusted radio host and founder of HomeWord, has developed the Pure Foundations series, designed to guide parents and their kids through the sometimes uncomfortable discussions about their developing bodies and God’s plan for healthy sexuality.

Download “The Purity Code” parts 1 and 2

Download “The Purity Code” parts 3 and 4

Download “The Purity Code” parts 5 and 6

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Join us at 2:00 PM EST this afternoon in our LIVE YM Talk! Today is an open-ended discussion of your issues and struggles in youth ministry where YOU set the topics. Get advice and input from other youth workers. The conversation will not be recorded or published later. Info on the LIVE YM Talk page.

Use this promo code at Redbox to get one free movie rental between 10/23/07 and 10/31/07: TREAT

[tags]Redbox, movies, rental[/tags]

I’ve been wanting an Xbox 360 for a long time, but no matter how hard I try I know it will never fit into our budget. Of course, it doesn’t help that I watch Halo 3 trailers and read release notes that make my mouth water. It’s really just plain torture. So, I decided to give MacroBucks a try. Basically, you sign up for a service, fulfill a requirement and get a couple other people to do the same thing and they thank you with a free Xbox 360 Elite (the Elite is the latest upgraded version of the typical Xbox 360 Premium).

Normally I’m very skeptical of these kinds of giveaways because there always seems to be a catch hidden in the Terms of Service that makes the whole thing either illegitimate or totally not worth my time, but I’ve seen BonusXbox360.com mentioned on other sites that I trust, I’ve read some positive reviews on blogs, seen lots of forum posts and even read the entire Terms of Service agreement. This is the real deal. All I need are a couple other people who want an Xbox 360 Elite for free, too!

HOW IT WORKS
It’s pretty easy to do. It probably takes about 10 minutes to setup. Click on the link below, register, pick an account type (referral is the easiest) and complete just 1 or 2 offers. This is not like other sites where you need to complete one offer on 2 or 3 different pages. And a lot of these offers are free trials with nothing else to buy and no commitments!

There are plenty of cool offers to choose from, such as Blockbuster online, Stamp.com, Netflix and Gamefly, services you might regularly sign up for anyway. I’m doing the Stamps.com 30 day free trial since I’m selling a lot of stuff on ebay and will be mailing it all within the next couple of days anyway. There’s no commitment or obligation, so I’ll cancel the order when I’m done with it. Another good offer is renting DVDs through Blockbuster online (it’ll cost ya $9.95 to try it).

After signing up and completing your one offer, simply refer 8-13 people (depending on the free prize you choose) to do the same under your link. Then they will ship your 360 Elite or your selected item for free.

Step 1: Click on this link: http://www.bonusxbox360.com/?referral=10265

Step 2: Sign up and create an account.

Step 3: Complete 1 or 2 trial offers (like Blockbuster or Netflix) to reach 1.0 credit and refer at least 6 people to do the same.

Step 4: Receive your Xbox 360 Elite for FREE!

Here’s a news report and also another one on YouTube that explain how all this works and proves that it is indeed legit.

Anyone wanna help me and work towards their own free Xbox 360 Elite?

Bad Story
I’ve had all sorts of troubles with our new DirecTV service. I can never, in good conscience, recommend their service to anyone for many reasons. For example, I didn’t get the free DVR when we first signed up, so I called back two weeks later to ask that it be added to my package, as the installation guy recommended. Turns out I can’t get it for free anymore because I haven’t been a customer long enough to establish credit. But they’ll give it away for free to new customers?!

And then I specifically did not sign for the monthly equipment protection plan. I even have the carbon copy to prove it, but yet there it is on the bill. This irks me that they would charge me for it anyway, so I call customer service to have it removed. After being transfered eight times, it turns out I can cancel the service, but it’ll cost me $10 to do so. At first I thought they were kidding. Who charges a customer to cancel a service they never signed up for?! Since this was my fifth hassle with the company, I asked to just cancel my account altogether. That got their attention! Two minutes later I was talking with a manger who refunded the service charges with no questions asked. Why couldn’t they have done that in the first place?

Good Story
My wife’s Saturn Vue was having some problems, but we couldn’t find a mechanic in the area that would honor our extended warranty service agreement. So, I called the Saturn dealership in Texas that sold us the car and the warranty plan and they jumped into action like it was a code-red emergency. In less than 24 hours, the general manager of all the Saturn dealerships in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area called me asking for the phone number of the mechanic we wanted to service our car. He called the mechanic personally, instructed them how to submit the claim and then called me right back saying the mechanic had agreed to work on our car and honor the warranty. Now that’s service!

1. SIMPLICITY’S STRENGTH
Keep it simple. Real simple. Activities, menus, shopping, traditions, decorating. Expensive or elaborate is not better.

2. START FOCUSING
Take time in the next day or so to sit down with pen, paper, and calendar. Keeping in mind your time, energy, and finances, realistically plan your tasks and activities, so that they don’t control you. Regular time with the Lord is of utmost importance, yet is often the first thing to go. Make it a priority for you and your family. Allot time for yourself, too, and for those people that bring you joy!

3. STAY HEALTHY
Sugar-laden, fat-filled foods beckon! Allow yourself a very small helping, and then get back to eating sensibly, drinking lots of water, exercising regularly. Get outside! Walk in the snow. Go ice skating or cross-country skiing.

4. SIMPLY DELEGATE
You don’t have to do it all. Be surprised at what your spouse, children, or nieces and nephews can do! Let them help wrap gifts, decorate the tree, or bake the cookies. They can address and stamp Christmas cards or lend a hand with household chores. This is not a time for perfection – it’s a time for joy!

5. SAY “NO!”
You don’t have to attend every event. Your children don’t have to be out every night of the week. Give yourself permission to stay home!

6. SHOP SMART
Make a complete list before you venture out. Go by yourself, so you’re not distracted. Shop early, wearing good walking shoes and loose clothing. Be sure and stop for a healthy lunch along the way. Gift cards save lots of time when shopping for picky teens. Gift certificates for restaurants are a treat for recipients on a tight budget. Utilize the internet and catalogs. If you’re home during the day, home-baked goodies or hand-crafted items are a real treat for those who work outside the home. Is there someone on your list who has everything? Check out Samaritan’s Purse. They offer a beautiful gift catalog that allows you to provide urgently needed necessities to those who have little, in honor of the recipient.

7. SILENCE SELFISHNESS
To ward off the propensity for greed, encourage your children to make a list of what they want to give to others instead of what they want for themselves. Assist them with their gifts – a plate of cookies that they bake and decorate, a framed hand-crafted drawing, coupons to shovel snow, babysit, walk the dog, or clean the house. Participate with them in toy, food, or clothing drives that emphasize giving to others.

8. SELECTIVELY DECORATE
No, you don’t need to put out every Christmas decoration you have. This year, only choose to display and use the things you really take pleasure in. A simple candle in each window and a beautiful wreath on the door goes a long way.

9. SHOW HOSPITALITY
You are most likely surrounded by people who find the holidays difficult – the elderly, the handicapped, those who are grieving, people away from their families. An invitation for a simple home-cooked meal is a tremendous blessing to both the giver and receiver. Or show Christ’s graciousness at a local soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or home for abused women.

10. SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS
Christmas caroling in the neighborhood. A birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas Eve. Attending holiday services as a family. Reading of the Christmas story in Luke before opening gifts. Three gifts under the tree for each person, honoring the three wise men, instead of piles of unappreciated, expensive presents. Taking turns sharing what you’re most thankful for during Christmas dinner. Using the Christmas cards you’ve received, praying for one family each day.

Copyright, 2002. All rights reserved.
Linda R. Stoll, M.S., C.L.C.
(Used with permission. Thanks, Linda!)

Linda is a personal friend of mine with a deep heart for developing people both spiritually and emotionally. Her e-zine provides a unique intermingling of the worlds of life coaching, pastoral counseling, and spiritual direction. It is an ideal toolbox for coaches, ministry leaders, people helpers – and people at “a crossroads” in life. Sign up for her Crossroads Journal by sending an e-mail to:
coachingatthecrossroads@yahoo.com

[tags]holidays, Christmas, stress[/tags]

We’re both big fans of [tag]Youth Specialties[/tag]‘ [tag]National Youth Workers Convention[/tag] and have attended several of them over the years. This year I was especially glad to see the [tag]NYWC[/tag] coming to [tag]Austin[/tag] since it’s relatively close to us here in Dallas and would save us a lot of transportation costs (driving 10 hours to Nashville last year was pretty rough). However, a quick estimate of the registration costs, food, lodging and gas easily went way over this year’s youth budget. My wife and I evaluated whether or not we could cover the expenses out of our own pocket, but there’s just no way. So, knowing we wouldn’t get there on our own, we decided to trust God with the details.

To make a long story short, Marko, president of Youth Specialties, heard about my request to find an affordable way to attend the convention this weekend and e-mailed me yesterday saying he’ll cover the registration costs for me and Dana if we can still make the trip! I read the e-mail and my heart stopped. I re-read it and then read it again just to make sure it was real. Dana worked it out with her job to take Friday and Monday off work, our interim pastor gave me the go-ahead, God lead us to a quality hotel at a dirt-cheap price and now we’re set to go! Woo hoo! Thanks [tag]Marko[/tag]!

I’ll do my best to blog throughout the convention about what the Lord’s teaching me, new youth ministry ideas, cool resources, pictures, etc, so check back often.

Thanks God! I can’t wait for Friday!

While growing up there were several occasions of homeless people knocking on our door asking for lunch money. Rather than giving what they, sought my mom would often make a sandwich instead (especially since we didn’t grow up with a huge cash flow either), but 9 times out of 10 we would return to the back door with their lunch only to find no one there. Apparently they didn’t really want a meal. If they were hungry enough they would’ve stuck around for it.

My parents were always generous in helping people in need. Over the course of my life they had many people live with us in our little house, including two teenage girls and a guy transitioning from prison back into real life. We also found housing for a homeless guy who appeared to be serious about finding a job and turning his life around, but unfortunately he sucked up the hospitality for all he could get from it and then went back to the street.

Last year I still followed my parent’s example and took in a guy for almost a week. I blogged about it HERE. Even two months ago Dana and I were at the mall in Texarkana when a guy asked me for gas money so he could continue his trip to something important in Dallas. I told him I don’t just hand out cash, but that I’d be willing to go up the the gas station with him. He agreed to meet me in a couple minutes when Dana and I finished what we were doing, but he never showed up.

Along with taking my youth group to feed the homeless in Dallas and regularly visiting a soup kitchen in Philly growing up, these experiences have caused me to be a little skeptical about the honesty of this demographic.

A couple years ago a friend of mine in seminary was talking about the panhandling issue in the Dallas area and said something that altered my perspective. He said,

“These homeless people may take my money and go spend it on drugs and alcohol, but that’s not an excuse I can use to justify whether or not I should be generous. God commands us to give and help those in need. What they decide to do with my generosity is between them and God, not me. I’m responsible to God, not to what I think they’ll do with the money.”

This was pretty much my outlook until a recent post by The Homeless Guy, a blog I only recently started reading. Read this homeless man’s entire entry. Here’s clips of it:

1) Not all panhandlers are homeless.
2) Most homeless people do not panhandle.
3) Nearly all money given to panhandlers is used to buy drugs and alcohol.

Feeding addictions is the sole goal of nearly all panhandlers. Sure, they may use some of the money to buy food; even drugs addicts get hungry, but if a person were to give food instead of money to a panhandler, that panhandler will be able to save more of his money for drugs….

My recommendation has always been, and still is, to not give money to panhandlers….

In being good stewards, it would only be right to get to know the people you intend to assist with money and other things, before actually giving them.

So now, instead of helping these people without assuming responsibility for any addictions, here’s an actual homeless man telling me to do otherwise. The Homeless Guy goes on to say that he does encourage giving food to homeless people since it’s harder to obtain meals now, so should that be the extent of my on-the-spot giving? Getting to know a homeless person I intend to assist isn’t really that practical most of the time, so what do I do? Do I continue to give of my resources regardless of how they decide to use it? Or, do I keep God’s blessings to myself in the name of “helping them overcome problems?”

Dana and I will always remember you and the influence you’ve had on our lives, both individually and together as a couple. Thank you for not giving up on us when we had given up on each other, for your continued wisdom and insight and gentle but firm correction. If it wasn’t for you, Dana and I might have separated forever and definitely would not be happily married right now. It’s obvious the Lord brought us together for many reasons, reasons that will have an eternal impact on many people’s lives. The fingerprint you left on us will be passed on to our children and others we reach in ministry.

Personally, I’m indebted to you for everything you’ve taught me about ministry, working with people, values, communication and leadership. The person I was back when I first came to Redeemer and the person I am now are two very different people. I’ve grown and matured a lot from our partnership. The good times we’ve gone through as well as the tough times have all taught me to respect you, trust you, and admire the dependence on God displayed through your leadership, something I hope to model for others as I have learned from you. Thank you for empowering me to be successful at Redeemer, for always sticking by my side and for your continued guidance through all situations.

Both you and Joyce mean a lot to me and Dana. We will always love you, cherish you, and support you as you’ve taught me and Dana to do for each other. We’re very grateful to the Lord for the time He put you on loan to us and, although it’s hard to see you go, we’re excited that the Lord will continue to use you to impact many others in Minnesota.

May the Lord bless you as richly as He’s blessed us through you. We love you, Pastor Rol!

With all our love and prayers,
Tim and Dana Schmoyer

I’m very tired and will just relax for the rest of the day since I’m leaving to Texarkana after church tomorrow. Dana and I need to get our marriage license on Monday, so I’m enjoying some peace and quiet here at home for now.

All of my Ukraine pictures are posted in my photo album, so feel free to check ‘em out. I’ll leave it to my video blogs of the trip to give details, but to summarize, it was a great time of fellowship, encouragement and ministry with the believers of Rozny Baptist Church in Rozny, Ukraine. I can’t wait to see them all again soon!

Even though this has only been around for a year, I’m amazed at how the Lord has used it thus far: the encouragement readers have extended to me as my posts encourage them, connections with other youth pastors for sharing resources, being cited in sources such as the Dallas Morning News and Youth Specialties publications, and even the potential ministry to the astounding 30,000 visitors that have stopped by this year just for a peak. If last year I had known about all the benefits of ministry blogging I probably would’ve started a lot sooner. But I guess God does His own things and His own timing, for which I am very grateful.

Who knows what God has in store for this next year, but I look forward to making my life available as a resource and encouragement to others as Dana and I now venture on together.

My Top 10 Most Significant Blog Entries of this Year
September 30, 2005: Stress is building
October 28, 2005: Rules for fighting
November 5, 2005: My former pastor apologizes
November 10, 2005: The life of America’s teenagers
November 26, 2005: Family segregation in the church
December 5, 2005: Ministry: Grind or Glamour?
January 3, 2006: Back together with Dana for 2006
April 10, 2006: Conclusion of my media fast
April 24, 2006: I’m engaged!
May 22, 2006: Where REAL ministry takes place

She asked if I knew how it worked, which at first I didn’t, but after trying it a couple times I figured it out. It’s pretty fun if you have some time to waste. Lemme know if you need help solving it.

I’m off to youth camp for the week! I’ll update when I return.

At least Barna reports that the Da Vinci Code is confirming people’s religious views, not changing them. I’m glad to see the good that is apparently coming out of all this.

I put some of the pictures here in my photo album. If you have any votes for which ones you think are best, feel free to let us know.

Taking an old computer I put together of spare parts, I purchased a PVR card, plugged it in and installed KnoppMyth, a Linux distribution built solely for the purpose of setting up a program called MythTV. MythTV is free, works beautifully and does everything I always wanted in a PVR and more. Just check out this features and screenshots list! My favorite feature: commercials can be automatically cut from recorded programs. Plus, everything I’d ever want to do with a photo gallery, personal videos, games, weather forecasts, music playlists, DVD burning, live TV control, and more, all from a remote control. And, with my 250 GB hard drive, I can store around 115 hours of TV and movies at DVD quality and stream it to any web-enabled computer.

Yeah, I’m a nerd. It’s fun.

Seven things to do before I die:
1) Get married
2) Provide a godly home for my children
3) Go skydiving
4) Serve as youth pastor at one church for longer than 7 years
5) Learn what it means to live in an attitude of prayer
6) Travel around the world
7) Drive faster than 180 mph

Seven Things I Cannot Do:
1) Wake up before 8:30 AM
2) Knit
3) Fix my car
4) Touch my right ear with my right elbow
5) Watch more than two hours of TV in one sitting
6) Consistantly keep up with my blog
7) Eat guacamole

Seven Things That Attract Me to My Mate:
I’m not married, so I guess this will just be in reference to my girlfriend, Dana.
1) She is sensitive to people and issues I often overlook
2) She has a huge heart for serving the Lord
3) She loves me unconditionally
4) She likes to wrestle (never successfully)
5) She plays video games
6) She’s serious about growth and maturity
7) She gets excited over “little things”

Seven Things I Say:
1) Doh!
2) Dude
3) Hey!
4) Seriously?!
5) Umm
6) Bungalow (a fun word to say a lot)
7) I like ducks (yeah CREW!)

Seven People Tagged:
1) Dana
2) Lexi
3) Kimmy
4) Justin
5) Ashley
6) Kim
7) Chris

If this happens no where else, I at least what my youth group to be a place where students feel free to ask the tough questions without feeling judged, pressured, or frowned upon. These critical evaluations of Christianity are positive! We all ask them, we all want answers, and it doesn’t make us less of a Christian. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn, grow, and take ownership of our faith.

(This is a great blog post by an atheist researching the misconceptions Christians have about them. I find it interesting that he seems to infer as much about the mistreatment or disrespect he feels from believers as he does about scientific evidence. When will Christians ever learn to love unconditionally?)

Dana and I have been friends for the past 10 years or so, but it wasn’t until 2003 that we re-connected here in Dallas and started dating. After a year and a half, I ended the relationship due to a pattern of struggles that became pretty draining for me. From that time in April of 2005 to this past week we’ve tried very hard to remain friends, which honestly at some times was very difficult. There was clearly a lot of necessary growing and maturing on both our parts that needed to take place before either of us could be in a position to date anyone.

Over the course of the summer and this past semester, I saw a lot of impressive growth taking place in her life. I also saw the Lord doing a lot in me to change my heart in certain ways. By the time August came around, it appeared that there could still be a future for the two of us together. Our pastor invited us to meet with him twice a month for a time of processing and evaluation, an invitation we gladly accepted. Three months later, the love Dana and I have for each other has completely resurfaced and brought us into 2006 together as a couple.

I’ll admit that I was pretty nervous last Thursday when I asked her about solidifying our relationship again, but I know our relationship this second time will be much different than it was the first time. We both understand each other infinitely better, we know how to respond more appropriately to each other, and how to handle conflict. According to Pastor Rol, some married couples don’t learn these lessons until they’re several years into a marriage, so he’s very optimistic about the learning and growing Dana and I have gone through this past year.

What the future holds for us is unknown — we’re taking it one step at a time and learning the lessons that come one by one. At the present, we are very much enjoying each other again and are happy to see a new level of health in our new relationship. Thanks to everyone who prayed for us this year, who supported us, and imparted their Godly wisdom and advice!

– Life-change in those following me starts with life-change in my own life.

– There is some sort of releasing freedom in sharing struggles with trustworthy people.

– Too often I focus on the individual puzzle pieces of ministry rather than the big picture that God’s putting together.

– Discontentment is not always a bad thing. Sometimes it pushes me to excel.

– God’s approval is more important than man’s approval.

– Paying attention to the little things in a person’s life means the world to them.

– God uses deep heartache for growth and evaluation.

– It’s okay to be unapologetic for setting boundaries and limits in life.

– My ultimate dream for youth ministry is larger than I initially conceived.

– I really like Guild Wars and raspberry iced tea.

This Christmas I got my little brother a set of lazer tag guns and we’ve been playing almost constantly since he opened them. They’re so much fun! My Sr. High guys talk a lot about paintball, which is unfortunately kinda expensive, especially since I don’t have any of the equipment. These lazer tag guns, though, seem like the perfect alternative. It’s a one-time expense (cheapest at Toys R Us), there’s no mess involved, and we can play as long as we want within the confines of the church building. At first I was kinda skeptical of the product’s quality, but their performance is half-decent. I don’t think I’m gonna be able to swing the youth budget for any of these, but maybe I can convince my guys to fork over the cash for a couple sets for a night of hide and seek, hunt the prey, own the zone, and other fun lazer tag games.

As far as I understand scripture, when it describes the roles of pastors and the church, there are some very specific instructions for what’s expected. These are absolutes that are unquestionable. However, the model of the early church I do not think is a prescription that mandates we imitate the exact same thing today — rather, it’s a description of what they did in their day that encourages us to be creative in meeting the needs of our day. Paul was a church planter and moved to a new church every three years or so. Does that mean that pastors today must not stay in one place longer than three years? No. I am a youth pastor and am clearly created to serve teenagers. Does that mean everyone must serve teenagers the way I do? No. The question really comes down to whether one believes the New Testament examples are prescriptions for ministry today or only descriptions of what they did that give principles for us today. My position is the latter. Two-thousand years have passed since the early church and the game is still the same, but the playing field is completely different.

That’s my deal and I’m not gonna bother arguing it any more. It really doesn’t make a difference to me if you call me “pastor” or “director” or “coordinator” or whatever fits your theological position. In my mind, function is much more important than title. Just let me follow the Lord’s calling on my life and please don’t discourage others who are doing the same.

Today all the grandparents and relatives from my mom’s side came over for Thanksgiving meal. It was cool to see them and catch up with my cousins a little, but the highlight of this week so far was last night at church. During Thanksgiving Eve service a family walked in the back door that we haven’t seen for 10+ years. My brothers and I used to be good friends with their kids and enjoy lots of memories together. They somehow seemed to disappear and we lost contact for quite some time. Throughout the years I often wondered about them, what happened, and where life had taken them, so it was great to finally reconnect. Hopefully we can continue to stay in touch now.

This weekend will also be a big highlight for me as Kym comes up from Virginia Beach and Alicia comes in from Florida to visit. It’s always great to see Kym because she’s like my second mom. Seeing Alicia will be great also because she’s another childhood friend of mine that I haven’t seen for over five years. Tomorrow morning we’re all helping my brother and his wife, Dan and Maggie, load up their U-Haul since they’re moving to Minneapolis this Sunday after lunch, so it will be an eventful weekend all around.

Here are some more pictures:

David and Adrienne meeting their new niece for the first time.

Me holding Ruby Ann.

Catching up with some childhood friends from church after about 10+ years of losing contact. Very fun time!

Dan and Maggie with their new daughter, Ruby Ann.

David and Adrienne, the newlyweds.

Group picture out on a hike.

Cute Ruby!

Group picture of the Schmoyers “kids.”

Last night my brother and his wife brought over their daughter, Ruby Ann, and gave me the opportunity to meet her for the first time. I was so excited! Unfortunately I have a fever blister (cold sore), which I always get whenever I’m really tired and worn out, so I couldn’t kiss her or anything, but it was fun to finally hold her and play a little after seeing the pictures and video clips of her on our family’s site the past couple months.

The rest of the family will arrive later today from Houston and Lynchburg. It will be the last time all the family will be together until next year sometime, since my brothers and their wives will be away for Christmas.

I meant to bring my notes from the NYWC to PA so I could blog other thoughts about the Youth Specialties convention, like summaries from my team’s debriefing/discussion meetings and a list of areas speakers recommended that we need to do differently in youth ministry, but I accidentally left them on the coffee table in my apartment, so I guess I’ll blog those things when I get home next week.

Every year at YS I have this problem of not making the time for the exhibitor’s hall until the very end of the convention. Just like previous years, I found myself quickly running through the isles before it all closed down. As I glanced up and down the isles watching vendors trying to make last-minute connections with youth leaders, I came to ZJam’s display and stopped to talk with John. I wasn’t really planning to stay and talk for too long, but we got into a good discussion about family ministry, ZJam, and other related topics. Then he asked me a question, “If you could do anything in ministry, what would it be?” Since I love dreaming about ministry potential, it’s a question I was prepared to quickly and easily answer. However, the question he asked next was one I never considered and left my mind kinda spinning. He asked, “If money was not a restraint and you had no limitations, what would you do in ministry? And would you do that in church ministry or para-church ministry” Man, I have never given myself the freedom to dream outside of all restrictions like that. I’ve always dreamed within the normal everyday boundaries of time and money. The church or para-church ministry thing was something I used to have an opinion about, but now I’m not so sure. Maybe it just doesn’t matter to me where my dream takes place, or maybe I need to rethink all this again. Regardless, by removing the self-inflicted limitations in ministry, I am, in a way, removing limitations from what God wants to do with my dream. God knows no boundaries, limitations, or restrictions, and since He’s the one I serve, there’s no reason why He couldn’t possibly work through the measly “limitationsâ€? that I naturally perceive. He can accomplish something 100 times bigger than what I’m currently dreaming. I need to start shaping a new dream, one bigger than I’ve ever dreamed before, one ridiculously impossible in human terms, and give the Lord the freedom to work. I’m nervous about where this might lead, but excited to see God expand my potential for serving Him in youth ministry.

What’s your dream?

We left at around 9:00 PM last night and arrived at Bill’s house outside Nashville at 8:00 this morning. After quickly unloading our belongings, most of us took a quick nap for an hour before coming here to the convention center.

I’m currently writing from the “Digital Lounge” at the convention and just wanted to post a quick update. We’re about to grab some dinner and share some discussion and debriefing on our thoughts and ideas so far and their implication for our lives and ministry, but I’ll try to update in more details about my specific thoughts later tonight from Bill’s house… if I can stay awake that long. Hopefully I can get some pictures posted, too.

I will encourage other youth workers in any way possible.

I will listen more than speak.

I will write down every idea I have for improving the ministry at Redeemer.

I will use this as an opportunity to challenge the Redeemer volunteers in weak areas.

I will use this as an opportunity to encourage and affirm the Redeemer volunteers in areas of strength.

I will be willing to make myself vulnerable and privately share ministry struggles with at least one other youth pastor.

I will not compare my ministry to anyone else’s ministry.

I will spend more time reading my Bible than the schedule.

I will pray each day for every individual student, every volunteer, and for our Sr. Pastor, Roland Boyce.

I will humble myself and assume that everyone there has something to teach me.

I will allow myself to relax and not feel pressured by the schedule.

I will always keep my heart open to the change God wants to make there.

The Story
Last night as I was on my way out the door, my cell phone rang. Didn’t recognize the number, but immediately recognized the voice to be that of the sr. pastor from my former youth ministry. I resigned from past position about two years ago for several reasons that are unnecessary to go into now. Regardless, I unfortunately haven’t talked with him much since then. Through word of mouth I heard that the church eventually disbanded and ceased to exist, which was disheartening to hear. Although I’ve been in touch with several students from that ministry and even his son from time to time, I really haven’t kept in touch with him at all.

So when I heard his voice I was pretty surprised and unsure how to react. As I drove to a friend’s house for dinner, we had a good time talking and catching up a little. He told me about his current part-time position at a new church and some of the expectations and pressures he was feeling from the sr. pastor there. As he vented some of his frustration he referred to a moment earlier that day and said, “So I sat there on the pew and started thinking, ‘Is this how Tim Schmoyer felt when he worked under me? Did I do this same thing to him?’”His conclusion was “yes,” that he found himself in a situation very similar to the one I was in at his church. So he felt compelled to contact me and apologize for it. Wow.

The Application
Working at that church was a huge learning experience that has shaped my philosophy of ministry in ways that are still probably unforeseen. One way I do know it has changed, though, is how I work with the volunteer youth leaders God has entrusted to me. Instead of plugging people into my vision and using them to fill my empty holes, I’ve found it works much better to hear their dream for ministry and equip them to pursue it. Instead of saying, “Mr. Adult Volunteer, I need you to teach Sunday School and lead a new small group on Wednesdays,” I now say, “Mr. Adult Volunteer, what is drawing you to youth ministry and what passion is God wanting you to pursue in this area?” Although Mr. Adult Volunteer may do great at teaching Sunday School and although he might make an exceptional small group leader, he will still thrive best when he is equipped and encouraged to pursue the dream God placed in his heart.

When we follow our passion, we somehow pursue it differently than something that’s just assigned to us to fill a “gap.” We end up pursuing it in such a way that’s contagious. Other people want to jump on board and rally behind us because it’s something they can see and feel in a very real way. Somehow it becomes more “tangible” than just an Sunday School teaching assignment.

I’ve decided to trust that God will supply the volunteers needed to run the youth ministry. I trust that the volunteers He brings each contribute a unique vision that they feel called to chase after and accomplish. It is my job to hear their dreams and help them make it a reality, as they do the same for me. As I see it now, that’s what a ministry team is all about.

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That’s pretty much everything noticeable to you guys concerning the updates. The other upgrades benefit only me.

The wedding was very nice. I especially respected the fact that both sets of parents stopped to pray together on stage after the moms lit the candles. Tim and Carri did the same after lighting the unity candle. That was pretty cool.

Tim is a great guy and I’m glad I had the privlege of living with him for the past couple years. Now it’s Carri’s turn. I’ll miss not having him around and am already kinda sad about it, but I’ll try to get out to their place and visit them once in a while. Can’t let my ultimate frisbee skills get too rusty, ya know?

I took a somes pictures, of course. Here are a couple:

Standing at the alter.

Timothy R. S. with Timothy R. S. (yes, I need a haircut, I know.)

Here they are leaving the church after the reception.

Oh, and as I was driving home I came across this sign and had to take a picture. Weird, huh? lol

I registered myself and 6 other youth leaders from church for the National Youth Workers Convention in Nashville next month. I’m definitely excited about attending again. We’re staying at Bill Scott’s house instead of a hotel now, so that’ll save us over $1,000.

My apartment still smells like smoke, but we figured it’s coming through the AC vents from the people who live above me. Gotta talk with the apartment complex about resolving that.

I’m really tired of working on computers for a paycheck. It feels like a waste of time when there are so many other more important things to do that impact eternity.

My old roommate is getting married tomorrow. Definitely looking forward to driving out to Tyler to witness that event. It’ll be a lot of driving, though, so be prepared to receive a phone call and keep me awake.

Some guy I’ve never met and only talked to a couple times seems like he wants to mentor me for some reason. Kinda weird.

Tomorrow morning I will see 7:30 AM for the first time in months. Why can’t a men’s breakfast at church be closer to lunch-time on a Saturday?

My knees are majorly acting up again from old wrestling injuries. They’re so sensitive and feel like they burst apart inside with even the slightest rub. I hate it.

I purchased my airfare for the week of Thanksgiving and will be flying home the morning after I get home from Nashville.

Came across a solo-album from the leader of an old Christian band I listened to back in 1994, Nouveaux. Paul Alan’s solo project after the band broke up is pretty good! Ordered it online for like $5 and have been listening to it in the car for the past week. Too bad he seems pretty inactive since 2001.

I would just like to go on record for thanking Pastor Rol for his continual involvement in this process throughout the past year and a half, his objective and insightful wisdom, and the impact his commitment to me is making in my life. Ministry can be tough and full of very challenging situations, but he’s always supportive and offers great insight to any situation. I definitely value the opportunity to serve along side him and learn from his legacy of ministry.

Tomorrow I’m taking some vacation time from church and am heading down to Houston. I have a week of vacation to use and here we are in October and I haven’t used any of it yet, so I’ll hang out in Houston until Sunday night. I just loaded up my Creative Zen Micro with new music and stand-up comedy, so I shouldn’t get too bored making the 4 hour drive down there. Oh, and that guy who’s been staying with me is leaving tomorrow too. As much as I’m glad the Lord could use me to share my blessings with someone else, I’m ready to have my apartment back to myself again.

In the words of Switchfoot, “The shadow proves the sunshine.”

Last Sunday during church God really convicted me of several things in my life and clearly called me to make a radical change in my relationship with Him this week. As soon as He brought the idea to mind I was like, “Yeah, I definitely have to do this, not only for my sake, but for the sake of my ministry and other people around me.” I became really excited about it, too!

Maybe sometime I’ll share the change I’ve made this week in my relationship with God, but right now it’s something private between me and Him that I’ll keep to myself. However, what’s happening as a result is amazing. I have no idea why I’ve never done this before. If it were possible I’d never stop!

For the first time in my life I think I know what 1 Thess 5:17 means when it says to “pray continually.” I never really thought that was practical due to normal every-day activity and responsibilities, but now that I’m experiencing it… wow. It really is possible to continually be in an attitude of prayer with God regardless of environment. Yesterday while at work I couldn’t wait to leave and come home and devote myself to more prayer. The coolest part is that when I start praying I even lose track of time. I look up at the clock thinking about 10 minutes has passed, but the clock indicates a whole hour. It’s really an incredible feeling of wanting nothing else but to pray, read scripture, and worship knowing that “man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). I feel like I’m on a spiritual retreat right now.

Right at the very beginning of this new spiritual adventure God gave me a new life verse:

Job 1:1, “Job was a man who lived in Uz. He was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion.”

That verse really summarizes that’s going on inside me this week. It is the passion of my heart. Job is the example I want and need to follow.

I realize I’m on a spiritual high right now and that the emotions of all this will come and go, but by God’s grace I pray the content of this intense relationship with Him will never become diluted or faded. It’s awesome to be serious with God and to see Him dealing with all sorts of areas in life. And this is only Tuesday! I’ve still got 4 more days to go! Woo hoo!!

No wonder we all start to ask questions during times like this. Where is God in all this? Why didn’t He stop it? Is He really out there? Does He care? Why all the injustice? Why do innocent people suffer while the evil people seem to control everything? Why doesn’t God do something? Why? Why? Why?

These questions are not new to God. Hundreds of years before Jesus was even born an ancient prophet looked around at his world and cried out to God, “Why do You make me look at injustice? Why do You tolerate wrong? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?” (Hab 1:3, 13) When you personally ask these questions, chances are God will not come before you and explain everything, but that’s okay because someone else already got the answers for you. This prophet not only asked God these mysterious questions but received the answers too. The answers given by the Creator of the universe are written for us in a little book called Habakkuk.

Habakkuk probably isn’t a book you spend too much time in, but it’s still very unique and worth just as much of our time as the rest of His Word. This little book tells of an interview God had with Habakkuk, a conversation between Almighty God and a perplexed prophet.

When Habakkuk wrote this book, the world was in a state of crisis. Babylonia was the current powerhouse, crushing every known nation around. Shortly after this book was written Babylonia would finally attain complete world power by overtaking Judah and carrying the civilians away in captivity. However, right before this happened, in a time of great fear and uncertainty, Habakkuk recorded his conversation with the Lord for us to read today.

Besides the international crisis, the nation of Judah was in an even more serious state of corruption. They had several kings, each very wicked. Except for one king named Josiah, they all hated the Lord and did everything in their power to reject Him, mock Him, and kill anyone who admitted to be committed to Him. The people were violent, greedy, fought over everything, and did injustice to everyone. Habakkuk looked at not only the wicked state of the nation around him but also at the crisis the world was in due to Babylonia’s domination.

It’s no wonder he cried out to God, “Why don’t you do something?” We also continue to ask this same question today during tragic times. In a time of national crisis and corruption, many of us begin to question God and wonder what He’s doing. Terrorists rise up against nations, we develop an ever-increasing array of complex weapons, and then try to live in peace without the Prince of Peace.

While we are at war against terrorists from other countries, our nation continues to decline on the inside by a mentality that says personal pleasure is the ultimate rule in life. Crime increases while church attendance decreases. Homes crumble, drugs prevail, faith dies, and divorce grows to be commonplace. “In God We Trust” is a meaningless phrase that carries little weight, just four words to stamp on a coin.

In the dark days of the prophet Habakkuk’s time, he writes an unusual message of hope and encouragement for God’s people. Though doubts and confusion reign when sin runs rampant, an encounter with God can turn those doubts into devotion and all confusion into confidence.

Habakkuk’s book begins with asking God a series of “Why?” questions, discontent with the circumstances around him. However, by the time the book ends, God has both answered his questions and calmed his fears. Maybe not the way Habakkuk was looking for but it was an answer just the same. His worry changed to worship and his fear altered to reverence. He closes the book with hope and adoration of God and who He is in comparison to this world.

What begins with a question mark ends with an exclamation point. The question “Why?” is best answered with the everlasting “Who!” Though the outlook on this world may elicit fear in our hearts, the “uplook” elicits trust. The prophet’s questions and fears were replaced with a confident faith in God. His confusion, “Why all the conflict?” is resolved with his understanding of who is in control: God!

In such a world of crisis and chaos, Habakkuk clearly speaks. This little book is as relevant for us today as the morning newspaper. Read it.

(Adapted from “The Bible Knowledge Commentary”. Warlvoord and Zuck. Victor Books: Wheaton, IL. 1986)

Isaiah 59:1, “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.”
Psalm 23:4, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
Psalm 18:2, “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.”
Zephaniah 3:17, “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save.”

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Check HERE to see my new neice! I can’t wait to fly home and meet her. I’m so excited!!!!

My roommate and I didn’t learn this until last week, though. So instead of moving out by August 31 we now have this apartment until September 12. At first I thought it was gonna be a pain since I’d have to pay for two places that much longer, but as of today it works out perfectly. The apartment complex I decided to move into that’s next to the church has a waiting line of people wanting the floorplan I’m first in line to take, but they only have 1 apartment to give right now. I’ve been pushing for a first-floor apartment the whole time to make it easier to use my bike, better noise control, and easier to move in, but the apartment they have available for me is on the second floor. Because of that I’ve been kinda hesitant to take it and wanted to wait to see if something else came up. Well, what worked out nice for me is that they have a bigger first-floor apartment available but no one in line to take it. So they gave me the bigger apartment for the same price of the smaller one. The one I was planning to take is 663 sq. ft. but the one they’re giving me for no extra fee is 730 sq. ft.. That way the guy in line behind me for the smaller apartment can have his second floor apartment, I get a first-floor apartment that’s 67 more sq. ft., has a small yard in front with a great climbing tree and plenty of parking. It’s also on the end of the building so I’ll only share a wall with one neighbor who is actually one of the maintence guys. It works out well for the complex, too, because now they’re filling two apartments instead of just one. I guess maybe because of my “outstanding” credit history and background checks (as she put it) they don’t mind taking the monthly rent cut off the normal rent of that bigger apartment since they know I’ll be dependable. Getting a bigger apartment for the same price isn’t a bad deal, huh?

I start moving in on September 9, which works out perfectly since the 12th is my last day at my current apartment. That gives me one solid weekend to move all my stuff. There really isn’t any other weekend to do it anway. Next weekend I have a Youth Specialties training conference with the adult volunteers from church and the weekend after that I have an Xbox thing at church, David and Adrienne are coming into town, and I’m preaching. Moving the weekend after that will be crazy, I’m sure, but at least I’ll just get it all over with at once. I’m sure my lovely youth group won’t mind helping, riiiiiight???

I had a good weekend down in Katy. We didn’t do anything big or special, which was cool. It was a good time to just sit around and relax and play Uno, Halo 2, go swimming, stuff like that. Andrienne made a good lasagna dinner Friday night, which I’m actually eating for lunch today, too. (Thanks Adrienne!) Oh, and an exclusive tip for anyone who needs to know: If you can’t find alka seltzer in an H.E.B. grocery store, just start yelling for help and then wait for a customer to pull it off the shelf right in front of you. Man, there are some special people in this world…

I spend all day yesterday working on a family’s computer from church. Their issue is usually a simple one to fix, but in their case it comes down to reinstalling Windows and possibly buying a new computer. They’re kinda bummed about that. I’ll probably be over there for a while again later this week going ahead with whatever option they choose to take out of the solutions I suggested.

My decision concerning a new apartment has yet to be decided, but I think I’m starting to swing in the direction of paying extra for the nicer place. I guess I’ll let you all know what happens… Now back to work I guess…

I’ve posted all my pictures from David’s wedding, so feel free to take a look. Just click on the Photos link in the menu above.

I’ve decided it’s time to change all my passwords again, too. I’ve had the same ones for years now, so it’s about time I upgrade them all too higher security and to something tougher to crack. KeePass seems to be an excellent way to go. I highly recommend checking it out! I plan to just keep it on my pendrive and have it with me wherever I am. You can never be too careful with having several different good passwords now.

I’m off to bed. I’m tired. Goodnight.

But anyway, I’ve been gone in the Houston area since Thursday. It was a fun time hanging out with family, meeting Adrienne’s family and friends, and preparing for the wedding. We were all a little unprepared for the massive heat/humidity blast, but we survived like the troopers we obviously are. There’s a lot to tell about the week, so I’ll just hit the events that were highlights for me.

I definitely enjoyed the bachlor party on Saturday. We didn’t do anything big or huge due to the impossible and ever-changing schedule for the weekend. We ended up taking off after the rehersal dinner to Go-kart Raceway, a big outdoor go-kart race track. I was finally able to drive the way I’ve always wanted to but can’t since I actually have to pay for any repairs on my personal car. The souped-up honda engines on the karts were pretty decent and worked really well with pealing out, fishtailing around turns, spinning 180’s and 360’s, and even a little bumping. We also played a lot of billiards and the most violent games of air-hockey I’ve ever played. I even came out with some battle wounds on the knuckles! Other couples were there romantically playing calm games of air-hockey and then there’s our group yelling and pounding the heck out of the puck. Whew! The best part, though, was just having a time to hang out with my brothers again. They are both definitely great guys. I’m very fortunate to have them as brothers and now to share them both with awesome sisters-in-laws.

The wedding itself went well. All the groomsmen had a pretty difficult time containing our laughter as David struggled to maintain his posture as two flies decided to walk all over his face for most of the ceremony. It didn’t help that he was sweating like a fountian, either! But other than that, it all went as planned. Hiding Noah in the back of their get-away car was definitely pretty funny. David and Adrienne got half-way down the camp road to the main street and had to turn around and come back when little Noah pops out of his hiding place in their back-seat and surprises them! Pretty funny. I’ll have my pictures of the wedding up on our family site sometime soon, but in the meantime, here are two previews:

The other highlight was actually seeing Maggie pregnant. She’s like 7 months along, so I’ve heard a lot about it but never had an opportunity to actually pat the belly myself. I’m looking forward to flying home this September to finally introduce myself to my new nephew/neice.

Welcome to the family, Adrienne!

Today Laura took me out to lunch for my birthday and then I hung out at their house for a little bit working on Laura’s computer, which is kinda strugglin’. I may work on it some more next weekend at the hotel or on Monday after everyone flies home.

Then I headed up to Carrollton to a family’s house from church to work on their home network a little. After I removed almost 500 spyware registry entries it seemed to work a lot better, but there’s also like 13 viruses I need to clean off sometime. I’m thinkin’ it’ll just be simpler to re-install windows. After that I can start addressing their network issues.

Man, I spent 2.5 hours at 24-Hour Fitness tonight! Phillip and I met up there and started with a cardio workout on the bike for 30 minutes. Then went to our semi-normal strength training workout. By the time I showered and was out the door it was like 9:00. Now I’m home and really should be finishing up my lesson for Sunday School in the morning and getting my bedroom set ready for David and Adrienne to pick up tomorrow, but instead I’m on here. Oh well. Guess I’ll go do that now…

I’m looking forward to David, Adrienne, and her brother coming up to visit on Sunday. They’re coming up to get the bedset, but it’ll still be cool to spend my birthday with them. Maybe they’ll even make it up here in time for church.

Okay, dinner is ready and then my roommate and I are gonna watch a movie or something. It’s our last two months together before he moves out and gets married. I’ll miss him. He’s been a great roommate for these years.

I’ve started re-creating the schmoyerfamily.com site, as well, but it might be a little bit until I actually apply the changes. The unfortunate part is that none of the current posts are transferable to the new site. If I’m lucky the photo album will come with us, but I don’t think that’ll work out too well either. We’ll probably end up with just a clean new site with nothing on it and we’ll lose everything that’s currently on this setup. Oh well…