Christmas Party

We had a great time at the Annual XLR8 Christmas Party last night. The white elephant gifts are always interesting and create great moments to remember.

The award presentations were special and Amanda & I were so proud of the winners!

Thanks to Jacquee for organizing all the decorations and food!!

The youth leaders sang a unique song sung like the 12 days of Christmas, but with an XLR8 spin on it . . .

12 Things Leaders Want
Next year in XLR8, the leaders want to see . .

1. At least one student get saved
2. Two big banners to hang on the wall with XLR8 on them so students know who we are when they visit on Wednesday nights
3. Hundred Visitors
4. . . giving Others
5. (This will change each time through)
a. 5 Dollars in the Offering
b. No broken fan blades
c. A raise in our pay!
d. 5 students praying
e. The keyboard to keep working
f. No talking during the sermon
g. Brand new youth pastor
h. A new tech team coordinator
6. X-Teams Running
7. New adult leaders
8. Summer Interns
9. Brand New Hummers
10. New Jones Flavors
11. More small groups
12. Months of Summer

All in all, a great night!

8 Days Left

Are you Christmas Day countdown person? If you have done the following, you qualify for this title: used more then one hand to count how many days until Dec. 25th, used a calculator to see how long until Christmas, or you have some sort of house or tree or gadget that you use each day in which you close or open a door with numbers that correspond to the days in December.

There is help if you fit this category so don't worry. You can be set free from this addiction to Christmas. As long as you are anticipating the celebration of the birth of Christ and not too anxious about "getting" stuff, I guess you're alright.

We celebrated Christmas with my parents on Friday night. Annie and Katie loved opening the gifts and seeing the cool toys inside. Nash rolled around as usual and seemed to enjoy the excitement. Thanks mom and dad for all the great gifts!!

Tonight, the Valantines are traveling to my homeland - Y-town (Youngstown, OH). We plan to connect with some friends for dinner tonight. I love connecting with old friends. My advice for the day. Try and keep in touch with friends you make over the years even when you move away from them. They can be some of the dearest and closest and most important people right when you need them.

On a side note, Scrooge is complete for 2007. I had a blast working with each students, young adult, parent and grandparent in the play. I was so proud of Annie. She really came alive during the play and yesterday she sang a solo for the children's musical. I know I'm biased, but she's got talent!! You go, girl!

Games and Trivia

I love Christmas trivia, guessing games (how many m & m's are in the jar), group games like Taboo, Catch Phrase, Four on the Couch, etc. Actually, my favorite all time group game that we always played around the Holidays when I was growing up is called . . . Balderdash. Anyone played that?

I loved it cause the most creative person usually won. Truth be told, I usually didn't win, but I always gave my best effort. You had to make up definitions to crazy words from the dictionary that no one had ever heard of. After definitions are creatively constructed, each player voted on the definition they thought was actually correct (each round someone would actually write the real definition and include it in with the others).

My all time favorite was when my friend, Dan, wrote this definition, "A dog in ugly." What was the word? Does it matter? Often, the definitions didn't make sense.

Anyway, I can't wait for more crazy Christmas games, trivia, and loads of fun this Christmas. These times are recipes for great memories. Last night, at our Young Adult Christmas Party, someone guessed there were 44,000 m & m's in a jar (there were 1808). There were interesting Christmas cookies made and during Catch Phrase, which the guys won, I discovered the true character of some of my Young Adult Leaders. All in all, we had a great time!

If you are a student, don't miss the XLR8 Annual Christmas Party on Dec. 19th. We will have some crazy contests and tons of fun!

Toys R Us

Last night, our family spent 2 hours in Toys R Us! I don't care how old you are, toy stores are cool. Annie and Kaitie were pulling toys off the shelf left and right. Nash was getting involved too. Amanda gave him some monkey toy - mirror thing and he held on to it for dear life.

We bought a new game for the youth, you'll have to come to the next board game party to find out what it is. Any guesses?

Next time you can, hit a toy store, you will walk out smiling!

Where a kid can be a kid!

what do you do with your free time?

I barely ever get "free time." I have come to terms with this over the last few years. With 3 kids, a full time job (emphasis on full), helping around the house, and a partridge in a pear tree, it just doesn't happen often.

However, those rare moments when something on the schedule gets canceled creates "free time" for me. Last night was one of those moments. Our Gospel According to Scrooge performance was canceled due to weather. I didn't know what to do! Yes, i did watch some football. After that, I organized our filing system (bills, product warranties, keepsakes, etc).

I know, sounds like a blast. A few people were over the house and one of them overheard me say to Amanda that once the kids are in bed, we can organize the office/Annie's classroom. I know, we have turned into "old people." It's scary.

Oh well, next time when I get some "free time," I'll have to think of something more exciting!

What do you do with "free time?"

My life

Do you like your life? I ask myself that question on occasion. I think of the Switchfoot song ARE YOU WHO YOU WANT TO BE? I think life is more about perspective.

I was reading today in one of my new favorite books, IN A PIT WITH A LION ON A SNOWY DAY, that how we feel is not necessarily based on our circumstances, but our perception of those circumstances.

What are you talking about, Matt!!?? Example: When you pray, we ask God to take away the difficult things. Why?? Shouldn't we just ask for strength to get through it? We might really need that difficult thing to teach us or to shape us.

This is why worship is so important, according to Mark Batterson, author of IN A PIT WITH A LION ON A SNOWY DAY. It helps us take a step back, look at the big picture, and allow God to show you why you are facing what you are facing.

Some interesting thoughts to consider. I know I will!

Tonight is our final Scrooge practice. Oh my word!!

recess & lunch

am i the only one that wishes i could be a baby again? i mean, talk about an easy life. eat, sleep, empty the stomach, repeat, repeat. does it get any easier? you don't have to worry about eating too much turkey, putting on 5 pounds, picking out clothes to wear tomorrow, balancing a checkbook, etc.

okay, i would settle for elementary school. times were easy back then. lunch and recess were the most important parts of the day, get off the bus and play until dinner, play after dinner until dark, take a bath, mom picks out your clothes, still not worries about watching what you eat or paying the bills, and tomorrow is a lot like today.

i am guilty of wanting to be older when i was a kid, but every adult wishes he/she could be younger again. when you're young, the stress level is low, no one expects much of you, you don't worry so much about the intentions of others, you just give people the benefit of the doubt. faith is easy, and dreams are big!

i guess this is why JESUS said we all need "child-like" faith. all our intelligence, planning, and stress gets in the way. moral of the story? when it comes to the important stuff . . . the GOD-stuff . . . don't complicate it . . . just believe!

i am guilty

today, the valantine family hopped in the envoy and headed to grammy and papa's house. i have to admit, i began searching the channels of the radio as soon as we hit the highway. what was i looking for? you'll never guess, christmas songs. i know, i'll hear them for the next 30+ days straight, but i still needed my fix.

i heard one song sung entirely in latin. i took 4 years of latin in high school. it didn't mean much, i couldn't translate any of the words. i did shoot my 80+ year old high school latin teacher with a staple gun (it was an accident). i can still hear her voice yelling my latin name . . . MARTINUS!!

ahh, christmas songs and the good old days!

scrooge

it's 8:48pm on a tuesday night in november. you know what that means . . . scrooge practice. this is my first year in the play and i am loving it! i have enjoyed several opportunities to hang out with so many great people at dayspring.

tomorrow we leave bright and early to see our extended families. we will miss BG, but we'll be back for Sunday and the Turkey Bowl.

I want to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

going for it

alright, this is day one of my attempt to be a good blogger. if i go more than 2 days without blogging, feel free to send hate mail reminding me of my commitment

it's a cold monday in bowling green, ohio today. this is that time of year when we refer to our great city as "blowing" green because of the crazy wind that is known to blow small children off their feet.

i'm bummed today that my beloved steelers lost in overtime to the jets (who were 1-9 before yesterday's tragedy). i'm optimistic of ohio state's chances to "sneak" back into the national championship picture. (i'm rooting for UCONN to beat West Virgina and for LSU to lose in the SEC championship)

we had a great fall retreat for XLR8 this weekend. 32 students and 6 leaders ventured to Camp Cotubic. we laughed, cried, prayed, ate, cheered for the Bucks, played volleyball, train wreck, and some crazy game about tomatoes (thanks Suzanne!).

my parents had Kaitie and Nash for the weekend and Amanda and i missed them like crazy. we picked them up last night and things are back to normal (crying, dirty diapers, less sleep - a perfect recipe for our lives).

i love being a dad. annie (6 yrs. old) called and left me a voice mail last week that just made me smile. she sounds so grown up when she calls. i remember bringing her home from the hospital just the other day. wow, i'm trying to soak it all in.

i am so thankful i get to spend some time with my extended family this week as we celebrate thanksgiving. we head out on wednesday for columbus and friday we head to youngstown.

the turkey bowl is sunday - let me know if you want to sign up a whole team or if you want to play and need a team. e-mail me at pastormatt@dayspringassembly.org

share jesus with someone today

We Are . . . XLR8

Last night we began our sermon series based on the movie We Are Marshall. I thought the first service was great and really set the tone for the series. We talked about how each of us needs to put the XLR8 uniform on each day and play our position with pride while supporting our teammates.

I really believe youth ministries will be successful when the students work together and embrace the vision and mission of the team. We have a clear mission as XLR8 . . . point students to Christ. We have much work to still do, but we are on our way.

I couldn't have been more proud of my team than I was last night as I watched the students give 110% as we sang praises to God during the service. So many students our taking their relationship to the next level. If I could steal a line from our District Youth Director, Matt Anderson . . . they are becoming "personal participants in the Kingdom of God."

Keep it up team!

We Are . . . XLR8!!

On a roll . . .

Yes, it is true, I am blogging two days in a row. I can't believe it either.I am truly on a roll. Who else is on a roll? The Buckeyes, they have won 7 in row this year and if you take out the Florida Bowl game, 26 in a row. Who else is on a roll? The Indians & Rockies. Looks like the World Series match up is just about set. anyone else on a roll? How about Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani for the Democratic and Republican nomination respectively? Scary, huh?

I think the students of NW Ohio and XLR8 Youth Ministries are on a roll. Something has been ignited in the hearts of teenagers. Something deep. Something real. I believe students are beginning to realize that their time on Earth is limited and their time with their classmates is even shorter. Understanding that motivates you to live each day as if it were your last. Students are becoming personal participants in the Kingdom of God. YES!!

Last night, in our prayer service, over 25 students and young adults came to seek God and were prayed over and challenged to live out their faith daily. Will you join in as this generation rolls on? Will you change your world for God?

Let's roll!

Give up to Grow up

Am I the only one who has a hard time giving up the normal essentials of life when it's time to fast and pray? Last night I wanted to eat some crackers with my vegetable soup and Amanda told me to, "Be a man!"

I was trying to justify eating a few crackers. She was reminding that I committed to eat veggies and drink juice. Self control is one of the fruits of the Spirit that I need to work on daily.

Well, this is day 3 of our church's week long fast and last night was a great prayer service. I am excited to see what God is going to do in my life today and at the service tonight which is geared toward youth and families. I have made my list of items I am fasting and praying for. Some are personal things, and some are church things.

For me, I have to grow up in my faith even as a 28 year old. This often means giving up things that are not pushing me closer to God, even if they aren't sin. This week it is food. Maybe next week will be football (ouch!). Maybe it will be my cell phone for a time or my laptop, or video games, or music.

What is it for you? Are you willing to give something up to grow up in your relationship with God? If not, maybe that thing has too high of a priority in your life. If you don't learn to put it in its rightful place, then God may have to do it for you. Just a thought!

Small groups launch next week. I can't wait to be part of these. God has great things planned for each group and each students who attends.

See you in church!

Things I am looking forward to

I am extremely excited about 3 things right now that have to do with XLR8:

1. A brand new series that I am preaching on Wednesday nights starting on October 17th called WE ARE XLR8. I will pulling clips and thoughts from the movie WE ARE MARSHALL. This will be four week series that will teach us a lot about being a team and overcoming adversity. I will be tying this in with our Small Group Launch which is the second thing I am excited about.

2. Small Groups are almost here! We had the 6.8 Kickoff last night and had a blast! The buzz around XLR8 is picking up regarding Small Groups. The 9.12 Kickoff Party is this Saturday from 6-9pm and the Hecklingers house in Milbury. Small Groups will help us grow spiritually and numerically. We will all benefit from the one on one discussion, discipleship and intimate setting for worship. You may even be able to use your God given talent in a small group, which brings me to the third thing I am excited about.

3. Fine Arts Festival is upon us. In February, we will be taking students to Dayton for an amazing weekend of demonstrating our talents and abilities. We have over 75 entries already for this year and look to add even more. If you have not been a part of Fine Arts before, you are missing out. The fellowship with other members in your group is amazing, the development of your talent is worth the investment, and the chance to do something great for God is life changing.

Well, there you have it. Now you know what I am excited about. Actually, on a side note, I am excited that my kids are all growing up and doing great. Nash, Katie, and Annie are so great! If you haven't spent any time with them yet, you need to. they are amazing and will change this world for God.

Oh yeah, I am pumped about the Buckeyes and Steelers too.

One last thing, please pray for me as I travel to Charlotte, NC this week to serve in the National Fine Arts Festival Steering Committee. I will not be with the greatest students in the world at XLR8 this week, but Amanda will be bringing the the Word to you and I can't wait to get the tape.

See you all Thursday at the Appreciation Banquet!!

Taking a Stand

All across the nation, students took a stand for Jesus today. I cannot be more proud than I am of students who are not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. I am clapping my hands and rooting on every student of XLR8 and others across the USA who sacrificed sleep & reputation to pray for their school today for See You At The Pole.

Even though my sleep time was shortened and I was nearly eaten alive by mosquitoes, I was thrilled to be standing shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand with teenagers who will change this world for Jesus.

I can't wait until tonight to hear the testimonies of what God did across NW Ohio. If you are reading this on Wednesday, Sept. 26th and it is not yet 7pm, you need to be at the XLR8 youth service tonight because God has something in store for you.

See You At XLR8!!

Changing Seasons

Yesterday was beautiful outside. I was on a golf course in Findlay (no, my team didn't win the Pastor's Masters Golf Tournament - Addison Sterling's team did - CONGRATS!) Anyway, the skies were clear, the sun was shinning, I was warm . . . and then the sun went down, the air froze, and I was faced with the reality that Autumn was upon us.

For all the summer fans out there, I'm sorry to say, the seasons are changing. Here at Dayspring, the seasons of ministry are changing as well with the search for the new senior pastor winding down. Soon, we will have a new leader with new vision ready to help Dayspring with the changing of seasons.

I recently went through a changing of seasons in my life. I guess as you would have to look at the last 2 years as a time frame to understand this. Amanda and I used to enjoy quiet nights together playing games, watching movies, talking into the late hours of the evening. We even managed to do this with Annie being 4 yrs. old. We could jump in the car and go get ice cream or visit at a friend's house or shop (yes, I actually enjoy shopping).

However, on Labor Day 2005, we found out that Kaitie was on her way. Shortly after Kaitie was born, Nash decided he wanted to join the family. Now we have 3 kids, 2 under the age of 2 and the quiet nights have turned into exhausting days of changing diapers, feeding babies, laundry, cleaning, etc. We never have a dull moment in the Valantine home. It's a new season. It's a fun, exciting season, but also difficult and challenging.

So what do you do when the seasons change and you have to adapt? You adapt. You can't fight it. You have to roll with the punches and live every day to the fullest for God. I love my kids. I have the best wife in the world and thank God for her always. Do I get to do as many things for myself as I want? No. Do I get to sleep as much as I want. No. Is life hard at times? Yes.

The seasons have changed for Amanda and me. I could get upset and pout because I don't get as much "me time" as I used to have or because I have to change another dirty diaper, or could make the most of each day realizing that God has blessed us with 3 beautiful children who need discipled, trained, and loved.

I could pout because we don't have a senior pastor at Dayspring and talk bad about the church, or I could work hard, draw closer than ever to God, and serve Him each day with all of my heart and a good attitude.

What season has changed for you? What approach have you taken?

Learn to embrace the changes that happen in your life!

Stirring the Passion

This week has been all about renewing the passion in my heart for God. It started when Amanda asked me how things were going with me. I told her with the transition at the church as we search for the next senior pastor and the extra work at home with 2 babies now, that I was just, "trying to survive."

The more I thought about that comment and realized it was true, the more motivated I became. To do what? To make sure that I live every day passionately for God, even if i am tried and feel like I don't have anything to give to Him.

My uncle was officiating the funeral for his grandson (my cousin), Gabriel David Savon, who lived for only 2 hours last week, and this is what he said that stuck with Amanda and me, "When prayer is most difficult, prayer is most necessary. When worship is most difficult, worship is most necessary." WOW! How true are those statements?

The bottom line for me is I've heard that we should live every day like it's our last. I was not as I tried to "survive." At least learning that I was in a funk challenged me to stir my passion for God. He has so much for me and I want to experience it now, not after I get through my difficult time.

Psalm 63:3 "Because your love is greater than life, my lips will glorify you!"

Fireworks vs. Bang Snaps

Happy 4th of July week to everyone. Does anyone else ever wonder if people are actually reading your blog posts? If you read this, humor me and shoot me a quick e-mail for encouragement. (Go back to the staff page and click e-mail) I saw my fair share of fireworks this week. It started at the Sanctus Real concert in Sylvania, then it was the Toledo show, and I caught some of BG's show as well (From my house! I am definitely charging for parking next year).

The big fireworks shows are great. I mean, there is just something about a real loud bang and a masterpiece of colors sprayed across the sky. You also have the grand finale. I personally love it when someone says, "oooo, that must be the finale," when it clearly isn't. Come on! You'll know it's the finale when you see it, it's the highlight of the show.

Think back to when you were just a kid. Maybe you were throwing some of these this week. What am I talking about? Bang snaps. You know, those little white wrapped up things that snap when you throw them on the ground. What do they put in those to make them do that? Bang snaps are nowhere near as flashy and showy as the grand finale, but they still are vital to the arsenal of 4th of July materials.

This reminds me of our walk with God. Everyone loves the big show, the lights, the flair, the high energy and emotional displays that happen occasionally, but what about the bang snaps. The everyday, non-flashy and non-emotional events in our walk with God. Our foundation should be built on these moments, not the grand finales. Now, don't get me wrong, big events aren't bad, emotional times with God are not to be taken lightly, but our Christianity should not be built on the show and the hype.

Your bang snaps might be your personal quiet time with God, a challenging conversation with a Christian friend or family member, or serving someone you know. Don't wait around for the grand finale and expect to make it. Live daily embracing the bang snaps and your foundation will be solid, unless of course you get blindsided by an m-100.

Happy 4th of July!

Improvement Ahead

Ok, I must confess that I have been doing a poor job with my blog. What can I say? Now that we have 2 babies in the house under 15 months, I feel good if I just remember to brush my teeth each day.

Having a son is great. He already seems more laid back than the girls, no offense to all the lady readers. People have noticed that he has long arms and legs, of course, that means I am already pursuing offers from professional sports teams. You have to dream, right? If he's more into art & music, I will be ok, I think.

Sleep is a rare commodity around the Valantine home these last 2 weeks. You sleep when you can and rely on a good double shot caramel macchiato to make up the difference. It's worth it in the long run. Kids grow up fast, so they say. I'm still growing up.

Well, I just got "the eye" from Amanda that I have spent quite a bit of time on my computer today and not as much time with her, so I must depart this great adventure, for now.

Talk to you in a few days, I hope.

Memorial Day

Today was a great day. Of course, the church office was closed and I was able to relax with my family at the lake. Amanda's parents have a cabin at Indian Lake in the Bellfontaine area in central Ohio. Kaitie enjoyed the swingset and getting into everything and Annie caught a few fish. Amanda was able to rest as she nears the end of another pregnancy. And I worked a little more on my corn hole game.

If you haven't seen the new craze, it's a game in which you throw bean bags toward a wooden game boards that rest on the ground. The boards have holes in them and the bags are filled with corn, hence the name. Let's just be honest, I'm pretty good at the game. In fact, I am thinking about joining a league. And if I can't find one, I may just start one. It's addicting. I guess we all need simple pleasures to enjoy as we take time off from our busy schedules. Wish me luck in my new hobby!

This is my life

I love working with teenagers. Let's just be real. My life is all about investing in the lives of students to help them reach their full potential. I wouldn't want to be doing anything else. God has blessed me with an amazing opportunity to love and lead the students of Dayspring and NW Ohio. Okay, the truth is, my family is my number one ministry. My wife, Amanda, my two girls, Annie and Kaitie, and my boy "on the way" are what I live for. Not too far behind them are the students of XLR8 Youth Ministries. This is my life . . . it is who I want to be!