Gymkata

Can anyone say Oscar?




I might be 29 but I still want to be a ninja......

Behold the Lamb of God

Some might say that I have a "man-crush" on a Christian artist named Andrew Peterson. I have all of his records and really love the work that he does. It is honest, heartfelt, poetic, and also easy on the ears. I have no problem admitting now that I might have a man-crush. I am engaged, right? Isn't that my insurance?

But, to the point: one of my favorite albums that he has produced is called "Behold the Lamb of God: The true tall-tale of the coming of Christ". This album re-tells the story of the birth of Christ from the Exodus culminating with the birth of Jesus. It is a beautiful record. I was able to go to the "Behold the Lamb of God" concert over in Dallas this last weekend with Lydia and her parents. I have to admit that I was a little "googley" over it all since some of my favorite artists were there: Bebo Norman, Jill Phillips, Andy Gullahorn, Andrew Osenga. What was so cool was that all of the artists started the show playing their own music. So, each of the aforementioned artists were able to play two of their own songs. Then, after intermission, they played the entire "Behold" record from front to back retelling the entire story of the birth of Christ.

What struck me about this concert was this: the story of the birth of Christ and the events leading up to it are powerful and life changing! I come from a fellowship who says it isn't right to celebrate the birth of Christ like the rest of the religious communities. I am now of the mindset that this view is incorrect and destructive. If we don't talk about the birth of Christ during the Christmas season, when will we? When will we reflect on the culmination of the history of Israel with the birth of Christ? When will we celebrate the fact that God's promises are always fulfilled, namely in the person hood of Jesus? When will we understand that God's plan all along was to save humanity, even in the dark times of Israel's history?

I have been convicted as of late that this story means something. The manger, three wise men, and the guiding star aren't the important elements. Taking the time to absorb the scope of this story brings and the implications on humanity reminds us of the goodness of our God.

Take the time to check out Peterson's record. It tells the story in a way that I have never heard.

May your holiday season be blessed!

The big announcement

For 29 years of my life, I have been the proverbial "single guy". All of my friends got married around the year 2000, so I have been the single guy within my group of friends for quite a while in fact. This hasn't been something that has bugged me to the point of despair, but I guess there is always a longing within the soul of each person not to be alone. People have been single their whole lives and been just fine, so I figured that would be my path in life. I always struggled to find girls that I was impressed with or thought would be worth the risk of heartbreak. Because of this, I haven't dated a lot.

Well, as you guys know I moved to Granbury almost a year ago (crazy, isn't it?). The entire town of Vernon, TX assumed I moved here to find a wife. I can honestly say that isn't why I came here. Yet that is what happened! annoucment

I met a pretty girl named Lydia a few months ago and I fell in love with her. She is what I have been looking for all of these years and makes me a happy fella. We have dated seven months and I asked her to be my wife about two weeks ago. We both are a little floored that God worked in this way and brought us together at this point in time. But we are so thankful!

I haven't been posting much in the last few months because I didn't know whether or not to divulge all of this info. But here it is! In the next few posts, I want to tell the story because it is cool. I want to give hope to those who are longing for someone in their lives and maybe gain some more perspective through sharing what God does for his people.

I look forward to sharing with you all soon what God is and has been doing. Thanks for sticking with this blog. Hopefully people still read and will continue to do so. Check back soon!

Chris

need some good music.......

I love music. It is something that hearkens the heart back to a place in time that was either full of turmoil of packed with joy. There are certain songs that I still hear or a certain lyric that comes across my radio that fills me with an unexplainable nostalgia, no matter what period of my life it takes me to. In fact, a lot of the memorable tunes in the catalog of my memory take me to times where things wern't going so well. Generally, I blame those times on girls :).

I am in the proccess of re-discovering some music and getting some new stuff in my life. I will post some of the more memorable albums of my life. What are some of yours?

Photographs- Andrew Osenga
Love and Thunder- Andrew Peterson
Fabric of the Verse- Bebo Norman
My Calm\Your Storm-Caedmon's Call
Father-Justin McRoberts
Love is a Bullet-Poor Rich Folk


I have a ton more that I will post soon.

quick thoughts from class

I am sitting in my grad school class on a break and I am a little frustrated. I enjoy the knowledge that I am getting so much! Yet, I really have a tension within me about the fact that very few people in the world think along these lines. I am fascinated by the amount of time and energy that people put into interpreting the bible and parsing the different nuances of scripture, but where does that all translate in a real-world setting? Is the bible meant to be interpreted on an everyday, lay-person's level? Or is it meant to be torn apart and dissected by intellectual people looking for the deeper truths?

I just have some competing emotions about this. Your thoughts?

(these responses need to be in some form of classical Greek minuscule with at least 8 sources. Thank you.)

the goings on of late..........

It seems necessary to have a post like this at the end of every summer. When things are winding down for the summer in youth ministry, they seem to be ramping up for the fall. It's called August. This month is a bit of an oxymoron by nature because you are supposed to be recouping from the summer, yet are so busy with the administrative tasks of a new school year. I am spending a lot of time planning for things that have not come to pass, but are mere dreams and visions. While the time that is spent on the planning of these events and programs is crucial, it also is difficult to see why it is that I spend so much time on it in the first place.

This ministry I have inherited is indeed a strong one with a rich history. But, it isn't mine yet. I don't know if it will ever be. I am so eager to put my fingerprints on this ministry in a way that I will feel like I am doing what God has set me to do with these kids. Yet, I know that patience is the word when you are starting something new, whether it be ministry or anything else.

Also, this ministry is forcing me to be more of an administrator than I am used to. I know that once I get this administrative stuff down, I can focus more on relationships. Our ministry consists of a large number of teens, far too many for me to handle on my own. So, my large task is to surround these teens with adults who will love and care for them like I would. To accomplish this takes time, patience, and prayer.

Keep me in your prayers. I am loving what I am doing so much, but there are huge challenges that force me out of my comfort zone. I will be starting back with my masters work next week, so that will be an additional piece to my puzzle. Also, God has blessed me with an amazing girlfriend (which most of you know about I guess), so that indeed throws a stick into the spokes. My relationship with her (which I might post about if you are lucky :)) is such an unexpected blessing in my life that demands a level of commitment that I am getting used to (very willingly, I might add........she is really pretty!). I am so happy that God has placed her in my life. Pray for us.

This post is random and rambling as most of mine are. I simply wanted to update you on the world of Robey and my prayer needs.

Hope your world is great as well!

Chris

Cornerstone

I am spending a week up at Camp Cornerstone on the campus of Oklahoma Christian University. I believe (if I remember right) that this is my fourth year to be on staff at this awesome camp. Since I have been in youth ministry I have worked at Zenith and Cornerstone as a teacher and staff member. I have always loved Zenith for the amazing level of fellowship that I get from the other youth ministers and their wives. It is one of the rare camps that uplift both the teenager and the minister. Most camps will focus so much on the kids that the ministry staff who puts it on are dead at the end of the week. I believe that Zenith is so amazing because everyone is lifted up, not just kids.

I laughed so hard at Zenith this year. It was the kind of laughing that is memorable. I spent the week with some of my best friends, Allen Carr, Trevor Cox, Jerred England, and Benny Nowell, along with their lovely wives. I have very few people in this world that I can truly cut loose and cut up with. We all need that in our lives at some point, especially in ministry. Kindred spirit is hard to come by when you are taking a paycheck to do full time ministry. So, I cherish the times I can spend with these great people.

Camp Cornerstone has been awesome like usual. I love this camp for the awesome kids. I have always told people that if Granbury hired another youth minister that I would take the middle school in a heartbeat. They are at such a moldeable age! I was talking to one of the dorm moms today and she was complimenting us (youth ministers) for putting up with these kids like we do. My response was "just laugh and love them!". I believe that is what they need. Of course they are annoying and awkward. They are going through puberty! There is no doubt that I went through the same stages that they are right now. All we can do is love on them and laugh with them. It is so cool.

When Jesus told us to accept him like a little child, I understand that better after being around kids like this. They aren't too cool to love Jesus the best way they know how. It teaches me to love in a more open and honest way. I am not too good at that, but I know that if I follow Christ's command, I will look a little dorky and awkward. But no one will doubt my heart.

Let's be like these middle school kids! But please, use deodorant!

Chris

Ok, this post verifies that I am the biggest nerd in the world. I just found out that my favorite band of my college and young adult life, Caedmon's Call, has brought back their former guitarist and songwriter, Derek Webb (pictured above on the far left) for their upcoming CD, Overdressed. Derek launched a solo career about 5 years ago and has put out some great music. Yet the band has definitly been different since he left. Andrew Osenga, another great singer-songwriter took his place after he left. He has added his own flavor and style that I think does well for the band. Yet, like all things, it isn't as good as the original.

While I don't know to what extent that he is back, I am pretty excited about the record coming up. Let's just hope that it hearkens back to the original Caedmon's sound. We shall see!

The mayor of nerdville,

Chris

going back

This week is graduation week in most towns across America. Since my move in January I knew that this week would come. One of my biggest goals when I lived in Vernon was to see this year's class graduate. They were the kids that I started with when I began youth ministry in 2004. I had a personal goal to see them through high school and graduate before I ever thought of leaving.

Well, as usual God has different plans. At the end of last year, God dropped an amazing opportunity on my lap with my new job in Granbury, Texas. I had to take it. There was no doubt in my mind that he was leading me here. I couldn't explain it then, and I really can't now. This is where I need to be.

Yet this whole move has messed up my plans. I felt a bit like I abandoned those kids when I left. They were the reason I lived in Vernon. I wasn't a huge fan of the town or the "small town" enviornment. But the kids and familes I fell in love with. So I have struggled a bit since I have been here because I have not been able to keep in touch with my friends up there because of my new life here. That is generally what happens when you move, despite your best intentions.

This week has brought some great opportunities however. Last night I was able to go to Baccalaureate (sp?) in Vernon at my old church. It was the first year that they ever hosted it. It was a great night. The seniors and families had no idea that I was coming so it was a lot of fun to suprise them. I saw tons of folk that I haven't seen in long time. It was a great time to catch up and to gain some closure on my leaving four months ago. It was definitly needed.

I had a friend ask me last night if I regretted leaving Vernon. I was able to tell her "no". That was a good feeling. While I miss those west Texas folks intensly, I know that God has brought me to another chapter in life that will be totally different from the last. I was talking to one of my former elders last night about how much I missed everyone, yet how I knew that God had brought me to the right place and how it was tough to make sense of all of that. My former elder spoke of "treasures in heavan" and how good friendships and rich relationships served that purpose in heavan. These great people that we invest in over the years will be with us someday when we go home. Those treasures are being stored up now. What a great thought, huh?

While God might put us different places and take us farther away from the ones we love, he always blesses deep, meaninful relationships that are based on him. That is good. Very good.

Hope you guys are well.

sunny days.....

While my last post found me burning the candle at both ends, this one finds me doing just the opposite. I am presently in Destin, Florida with my family on the beach (well not really at the beach presently, in the condo). Not too sure if the church would be cool with me taking this laptop down to the beach anyways. Sand in the keyboard isn't too good of a thing, you know?

We have had a great time so far. On Monday my dad, my brother in law, Jeremy, and myself went deep sea fishing. I have only been once before and that time wasn't very successful. I have a picture from that first time and it wasn't very spectacular. It was a pic of me and a very small fish. However, this time was different. While we didn't bag any marlins, we did catch quite a few large fish (11 to be exact.....10 red snapper and 1 very unlucky red grouper........dad snagged him on his belly). We spent the day amongst many redneck drunk guys so, on top of having a great day fishing, we had some really good entertainment to our left and right. What kinda stinks is that the most drunk guy caught the biggest fish. Figures.

Last night we drove over to Milton where my grandma lives. She is 76 and lives in a nursing home. We ate with her, 4 of my uncles, a few of my cousins, and their kids. We had three or four generations of Robeys sitting at the same table. My grandma isn't the most talkative of women and her old age isn't helping a lot with her memory either. She just sat there and watched all of us talk and cut up. She really didn't say anything. One of us jokingly said that it was her fault that all of us were here. I guess that is probably true. I can't imagine looking down a table and seeing several generations of my kids, grandkids, and great grandkids looking back at me. Maybe that is why she was speechless. I might have been as well.

As I close, to avoid any accusations of telling a "big fish story", here is the proof:

on the run

When I first moved to Granbury, I got really excited because I thought I would have a lot more opportunity to blog and tell peeps about my "feelings" and "goings on". Yet it seems like same ol'-same ol' when it comes to blogging. I have posted maybe four times since I have moved here. Not that good of a track record, eh? But this will hopefully put things back on track for a while.

The main reason I have been off the radar screen is this last weekend. Granbury has this huge tradition every year called Senior Banquet. This banquet has become quite a huge event over the last decade or so. Every year, this event is the biggest thing on the calander.

Yet, this year we decided to mess with it a bit. In the past, parents would get up in front of the crowd and bless their kids. Pretty cool thing, I think. Yet apparently these blessings can get rather long and drawn out (like 30-45 min I have heard) and the banquet can go on into the wee hours of the morning. Well several parents and other volunteers, including myself, decided to have the parents pre-tape their responses. Most parents were cool with it. Some were not. But they went along with it.

Luckily, I am still employed I guess. The night went really well and I feel like our kids were honored. It was indeed a stressful week building up to it, but I really loved seeing how these families that I am getting to know are knit together. We also did Senior Sunday this morning and Senior Devo tonight. We knocked everything out in one fell swoop.

If I don't say the words "senior" or transition" or "future plans" again for the next year or so I will be great! But in all seriousness, I enjoyed the weekend. I am a little pooped but most of these events will do that to you.

I am off tomorrow for a ministers retreat, followed by another one at the end of the week. Then, to Florida with my fam! It will be fun.

Look forward to hearing from you soon.

Chris

The Poor Rich Folk

Just a quick post to plug a really good band in the Fort Worth area called Poor Rich Folk. If you were at Zenith last summer you were able to hear this really cool band. Well, last night was their CD release party at the Ridglea Theatre in Fort Worth. I was able to go with one of my youth group guys. It was kind of funny because the Ridgela is kind of a bar too. So on one of my first youth trips, I took my kids to a bar! Apparently I am really trying to get fired from this new job quicker than usual.

But anyways......

Their new stuff and new CD is awesome stuff. The songwriting and music has definitly gone to a new level on this record. I am proud of the guys. Not only are they really great musicians, they are really cool and humble guys. To me, that is a lot more important than being a good musician.

Their new CD features Dan Hasseltine, the lead singer of Jars of Clay as well as Andrew Osenga from Caedmons Call. They are so much cooler than I.

Go to http://www.myspace.com/poorrichfolk and buy their new CD. You will love it.


Chris

I have been a typically passive minister during my three years of full time youth ministry. Usually I have depended on youth and families to seek me out or come to church for my ministry influence. Yet, outside of missions, I have not been a very deliberate minister. In other words, I have allowed the by-products of my job, that is class, small group, and worship, to take the place of the calling that Christ gave me: to bring the kingdom of God to those who don't know it.

Most of us (ministers) fall into this trap. We will punch our clocks, go to church, put in our office hours and hope that will sufice to keep our positions of ministry. And, typically it works. When people see me in my office vigorously typing at my keyboard or listning to Christain music, they are assuming that the "Lord's Work" is being done. It is easy on the eyes, you know?

Yet today I got a little cabin fever. I have been in my office way too much lately. I guess I was tired and bored and wanted to try something new. So I packed up my laptop and other various gizmos and went to the "Coffee Grinder" on the square here in Granbury. Actually, I am typing this post from here. I have just swung through here from time to time but never have actually sat down. I noticed something today when I came in. A big group of teenagers drinking coffee and hanging out.

They seem to be your typical coffee house goers. An eclectic (I love using that word.....not sure what it REALLY means) group of kids who seem to not really fit in anywhere else but this place. They are just hanging out, talking about weird stuff and finding community with each other. Pretty typical of teens around here.

Some were smoking, some were tatooed, most dressed a little different than me. I am a lot more white, clean skinned, and preppy. I wonder though what kind of presence I could be in the lives of kids like that. I don't look a lot like them or share their stories. But maybe they could use some love. Maybe they could stand to see Jesus.

I am assuming a lot when I look at them but maybe this is where the mission is. In the coffee shop. On the street. Amongst people who freak me out. I am just musing I guess.

I hope to figure out what can be done here in this little shop. Jesus infiltrated the places that others didn't go with people who looked a little strange. I talk a big talk about these things but am yet to really do a lot about it. Maybe this is a place where God can be real for kids like these.

For those of you guys who read this.............what do you think? How do we approach people who don't look like us or talk like us or share our stories? How you even start? With what kind of spirit and heart do you approach those kids of kids without appearing like you have an adgenda for them?

Anyways, these are some thoughts from the Coffee Grinder on a rainy Tuesday. I am sure there will be more...........

Grace and Peace,

Chris

opportunity

I feel like I have finally tured a corner here in Granbury. I moved here on January 23rd and started my job on the 24th! Never again! We all should have at least a week between jobs but I was a little freaked out about not having a paycheck for a week. If I was smart I would have taken the risk.
In other words, I made the transition from Vernon to Granbury in about 3 hours.......the time it took to drive here after I said my goodbyes at Wilbarger. I guess only now do I see why the last month has been so up and down: I had no transition! What a goof!
But I feel like things are starting to settle a bit around here. I am starting to see some great opportunity for ministry here. I spent some time at the Behavioral Transition Center (BTC) which is an alternative school for kids with behavioral issues and problems with the law. They asked me to come and be a mentor for a kid who has a horrible home life and is always in trouble. I am really excited about getting to know this kid. The possiblities of effecting a kid like this for Christ is immense. I will get you in on more of this as it develops.
Also I think I am going to be starting to volunteer at the Boys and Girls club a few afternoons a week. I will get to hang out with a bunch of rugrats and dominate them in basketball I guess. WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE! It will be a lot of fun.

I write all of this mainly to tell you that God has been preparing me for a ministry like this for the last three years. I have people here who are actively trying to get me in these kids lives and see the obvious need for the light of Jesus in these places where Satan has so ravaged innocent lives. I am eager to tell stories of how Christ will work in these places where light is needed so badly.

I ask for your prayers because it is somthing I both am excited about but also fearful. My natural inclination is not to be a social animal. I am a quiet dude mainly. So, to meet and get to know kids who are in different situations that I am scares me a bit. Yet, as I have always believed, teenagers are teenagers no matter where they come from. They are all a little goofy and weird, smell funky, and have a lot of hormones raging. It will be intersting.

Not sure where to go from here so I will quit. I hope you guys are doing well.

some change

As a bunch of you know, I have moved to a new town, a new church, a new situation. I spent three great years in Vernon, Texas as the youth minister for the Wilbarger Street Church of Christ. This little church in west Texas gave me more opportunitiy than I could have ever asked for with ministry. They let a guy who had no experience and no credentials a chance to work with their kids and families. I will always be grateful to this church for loving me and allowing me to love their kiddos.

I miss them a lot. More than I would have ever thought. Change is something that is anticipated with excitement, but tough to navigate. I am really enjoying my time here in Granbury, but it seems to come with some longing for something familiar. While I know that Granbury will be familiar someday, I still long for something truly familiar and safe.

What is ironic is that Vernon isn't familiar and safe by any means. Only the memory is. I guess I will have a safe and familiar place when I am home with God. He never said it would be safe or easy here. So we do our best to find a place, a home to settle here on this earth, but we should never feel satisified or truly cozy until we find our rest in God.

Will that rest come here on earth? I am not sure. Do we only drudge through life just to eek our way into heaven? Again, not really sure. I do know that my heart longs for home. Maybe that longing is wired into our systems by God to keep our focus on him and our hearts turned towards eternity, not here. Jesus never really felt at home here on earth either. He always talked about God and going back to make a place for us in heavan. Paul had an internal struggle with whether or not to stay on earth or to go home to heaven. He wanted to stay here to change lives for Christ, but he wanted to go home as well. What a paradox!

The point is that we are eternal people living in a temporary world. As a young guy, I struggle to see the marathon of life while I am busy sprinting. My soul was made for things that will last, not temporary things like where I live or things I do.

What do you guys think? These are my thoughts but I want yours as well.

Look for some more changes to the blog in the coming weeks.

Chris

I guess I forgot

The last few months have been hectic for me, even very stressful. If you read my last post you know that I have made a move in my life from Vernon to Granbury. I have been here now less than a week and I am starting to settle in a bit. It is a different world here in Granbury. There is so much more going on and a lot more to fill my time. I think I will like it here.
But that is not why I am writing this morning. For the last few months I have been preoccupied with moving and saying goodbye to people I love. I have not spent much time with teenagers, which is what I have dedicated my life to for the last three years. So, because of the nature of moving, I have not had the opportunity to be around the demographic that I am called to serve.

Last night I hung out with the Granbury kids for the first time. We went and had dinner, then went to a talent show put on by Project Graduation at the school. It was so much fun! They had kids do magic, dance, sing, and play instruments. There were some who were talented, some who were not so talented. There were two performances that stuck out in my mind though. One was two guys who had a "drum battle". They both set up their trap sets and started going nuts! It was amazing. They both took turns with a certain beat and one-uped each other. Too cool.

Then, four guys did the dance on the treadmills from the video from OK GO. If you haven't seen it check it out here. It was so awesome how all of the teens got into it and went crazy. The guys really pulled it off well I thought.

All it did was remind me about why I love teenagers and being a part of their lives while they grow. Teens don't have a lot of inhibition. They are who they are. Those guys playing the drums and the kids doing the treadmill dance were just out there having fun and being themselves. Teens always remind me about how to be open and honest and not to be anyone that I am not.

Sometimes I get insecure about being quiet natured and reserved around other people, especially as a minister. But if anything I have learned that I should be myself in all situations, the man that God made me to be. If I try to work outside of what God gave me, I am just being someone else that I am not.

That is why I love working with teenagers. I can be myself.

Chris

do I have to change the name of the blog now?

Well if you haven't already heard, I am going to be moving away from ol' Vernon in a little more than a week. I have been praying and thinking a lot about it for a few months now and I finally came to the conclusion that God was leading me to another place. I will be moving to Granbury, Texas to work with the youth at the Granbury Church of Christ. I have been talking to them on and off for the last few months and they offered me the job a few weeks ago.

Now, what he is leading me away for I do not know. That remains to be seen. I am leaving a lot to do this job. I have a bunch of kids and families here that I am really going to miss. It is so bitter-sweet to have to leave kids like these. They will be my friends for the rest of my life. Also there are some families that I hate to leave as well. These people in this little town are going to be a part of my life forever. Who knew that God would bring me such blessings in such an unassuming place! So to leave is really hard.

Yet I do feel led. I feel so excited about this new chapter of life. I am a person who is not used to being in one place for a really long time so this change is really welcome for me. I have been quite lonely here in this town for a while. I might be lonely in Granbury, I am not sure. But I do know that I feel led to Granbury. In the same way that God led me to Vernon, he is leading me to Granbury. What happens from there is up to him.

Pray for the youth in Vernon. They have the chance to do some amazing things if they are willing. Pray for the youth minister or youth ministry couple that is on their way. Pray that the kids will accept them with open arms. They deserve it.

Again, I leave with a heavy heart but an expectant future. God is on the move! Let His people recognize His reign in the world and the passion of his relentless love! In these days of war and darkness let us spread the light of Christ wherever we are planted and in whatever we do. Pray that the spirit of fear that resides in our flesh will be overcome by the power of Christ!

Thanks for your prayers. I will write more soon.

Chris