Ode To The Youth Minister.

You have the toughest job in the world. You get to work a zillion hours a week building relationships and leading kids to Jesus just before they go to college where stats show no matter how good you did, they will most likely leave the church anyway.

You have a tougher than tough job, and eventhough you might think you aren't appreciated at times, you are a true and important asset to the Kingdom of God.

You rarely get treated like a real pastor by your congregation eventhough chances are you work just just as hard if not harder than anyone else on staff.

Although I am no longer one of you, I love you youth ministers, and with that said, here is a hip hop tribute to you.

A NEW Creation!

I have had alot of meeting lately. I mean yes, staff meeting, elders meetings, committee meetings, but thats not the kind of meeting I'm talking about. I have had meetings with individuals who are feeling the call to change. They are feeling the need to turn EVERYTHING over to Jesus Christ. And, I can't think of a better thing to do.

I had a meeting with a young man today who was just telling me this story that had so many rough patches that it made you want to weep, but I didn't. The reason I didn't was he is genuinely wanting to repent. He wants to live for Jesus and to put to death all of his vices. I've had alot of encounters like that lately, and there is one thing I bring up that surprises them.

I tell them that once that repent, once they ask for forgiveness they are forgiven. But even more so, I tell them the biblical truth that once you are adopted by God you become a NEW CREATION. This means that if you are a drug addict, a porn addict, a gossiper, a thief, a murderer, whatever, when you repent and obey Jesus' commands, you become a NEW CREATION.

God's Grace is amazing like that. For me, I knew I needed to be a new creation because the old me was a complete and total turd. But once I gave my life to Jesus, I was new and no one, no matter how hard they tried or wanted to, could deny that.

So watch this video clip. This is of a worship service and they portray this in a way that makes it both beautiful and exciting.

These are the things that can't let you down..

In no paricular order.

1. Loving your family.
All 4 of my girls are soooooooo special to me, I hate going a minute without seeing them. ALL of them.

2. Fiction Family and/or Jon Foreman.
If you have never listen to Fiction Family, do that now. Go ahead do it, log off my blog and listen, I will wait...

Back?

Okay, are they not A-MAZE-ZING?

Next, listen to Jon Foreman's "Spring EP".

There, moving on..

3. Drinking an Arnold Palmer.
Wow, if you haven't tried them, get around to it.

4. Fair food.
Can't tell me for a second you don't LOVE IT.

5. Scripture.
Because it is ALWAYS right and everything you think in opposition to it is always wrong.

6. A good latte.
And yes, the word latte either makes you think I am femine, pampered or a hippy. I don't care, they are just joy unspeakable.

7. Hiking.
Have you ever been hiking and NOT enjoyed it? No? Didn't think so.

8. Nooma DVD's.
Best teaching series ever, all of them are great, and yes, I own them ALL.

9. A GREAT SERMON.
When a sermon just clicks with you and changes you, you cannot tell me it doesn't feel like perfection.

10. Jesus.
Jesus. I cannot say enough about Jesus. It makes me tear up thinking about describing him.

If we had a whole lot of Jesus and a little bit of us, church would become...well...CHURCH.

4

If this doesn't make you laugh..

Nothing will.

Purpose of my blog

Just a quick few minutes on why I even have this blog.

I do it to help people get to know me a little better. I don't do it for any other reason. The people I come into contact on a day to day basis seem to want that sort of thing because a sermon is 30 minutes tops, a small group or class is 1 hour tops, and I can hang out with you but this is just one extra way of getting to know people.

Understand this, and I mean this in the most Christlike way I know how to mean it:

If you are only posting anonymous comments to hurt myself and my family personally, I would at least appreciate you to leave a name and number so we can discuss why you have such an issue with any entity I am a part of or those I associate myself with. If you have something to say to me, allow me to speak with you about it, never just leave a cowardly 4th grade comment that you absolutely know I will delete before the public is subjected to such silliness.

My e-mail
hafe4osu@gmail.com

my cell #
740-606-7347

I am not someone who gets angry often and honestly, when I do, I only make myself look like an idiot. Please don't make me look like an idiot.

Love Wins.

Your Life Can Change In 3 Minutes...

It's been a while since I blogged, and since I am in the office and have gotten 2 major questions: 1. How are Emily, Gretchen and the twins? and 2. Why haven't you been updating your blog?

Well 1st and foremost, Emily is doing amazing. She already doesn't look like she was ever pregnant and she is taking to having 3 kids like the twins just have always...been. Alot of people were asking how on earth we will do it when they arrive, but I guess the answer is simple, we love our kids.

We've never freaked out because of crying babies, because, basically, babies cry. You can pick then up and put them down when you can, they won't be scarred from an extra 5 seconds of laying down without me holding them.

And as for Gretchen, she is LOVING her new sisters. She is very protective of them, she will chase away the kitten if it gets near them and can't stop wanting to pet them, kiss them, feed them, hold them. She hasn't showed a second of jealousy yet, because as much as we love our kids, Gretchen loves her sisters.

On July 8th at 8:16pm Willow Madison was born. 6 pounds 12 ounces. 3 minutes later, Marley Paige was born, 8:19pm 6 pounds 1 ounce. And in that 3 minutes my entire life changed. I went from a stagnant, impatient, doubting excuse of a Christian to a happy, blessed, thankful father of 3. And I love it, I love it all.

If you think your life is rough right now, it all can change in 3 minutes. I don't know what your 3 minutes might be. They could be a job offer, maybe a great diagnosis from the doctor, maybe a closing on a house. But it can ALL change in 3 minutes.

It doesn't take God 3 minutes to change anything, but for me, thats all the time I am capable of noticing.

I am preaching again this week for the 1st time in 3 weeks, this is my text I am covering, see how it relates to that 3 minutes.

Colossians 2:6-7
6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

To be thankful, you have to know who to thank, and that is JESUS.

You know your church is crazy..

When THIS happens