Merry Christmas!

open a present for me . . i mean . . . for Jesus!

twas the night before Christmas Eve Eve Eve Eve

is it just me or do we celebrate Christmas earlier and earlier each year?

no doubt i heard Christmas songs this year right after the 4th of July . . . ok, maybe it was Haloween! either way, the season is lengthening.

since i know the true meaning of Christmas, this shouldn't bother me, right? well, i suppose if as a society, we were extending the season in order to focus more attention on the birth of Christ and the the simple fact the the creator of the universe sent His Son - Emmanuel, "God is With Us," i suppose i would be doing cartwheels.

however, it's more likely that the commercialism of the holiday season deserves most of the credit for the extended hours. stores are initiating sales much earlier than Black Friday. we know have, blue Thursday (starts at midnight of Thanksgiving), firetruck red Wednesday, fucia Tuesday, goldenrod Monday . . . and the list seems to go on. we are being "put in the mood" to shop, buy, spend, deplete savings . . . whether we like it or not.

and the mood? not a focus on the real reason, but a colaborative effort to get the American people to spend more $$$? ok, so maybe this is a stretch, and what am i really trying to say?

is this a common case of Grinch"itis" just 5 days before the coveted Christmas Day?

we must fight for extending the hours of the true meaning of this season. God chose to be with us in human form. to suffer, to understand, to face everything we would face, so that He could truly say, "i know what you are going through!"

let's extend the amount of time we celebrate this truth. well beyond New Year's Day and throughout all of 2009. He came to be with us. God is with us! no matter which life issue has you backed into a aorner. today, you may need to step back from life and remember this truth. and possibly, this truth will set you free!

peace

christmas lights

christmas lights don't seem the same still in the package! am i the only one who has not been able to get lights up on their house?

maybe not, but i'm probably the only one who bought some and still has em in the box.

what can we learn from this? ok, so i'm a preacher and we preachers are always looking for illustrations or spiritual implications in life.

(1) boxed lights don't have any power! umm, that'll preach!

(2) boxed lights aren't as pretty

(3) boxed lights don't get the attention of others

(4) boxed lights don't make a house look any different

(5) boxed lights will never reach their potential

ok, so you know i'm about to apply this to our lives, right?

we all have the opportunity to keep our faith boxed up or to share it.

keeping it boxed up or hidden:
(1) limits the power we operate in
(2) causes us to be less attractive to the world
(3) decreases the chance that others will be drawn to Jesus
(4) means we blend in with the world and refuse to be separate
(5) will keep us average and restrict our ultimate potential

makes sense to me

get the lights and your faith out of the box, hang em, plug em in, and let them shine!

peace

valantine famliy update

top 10 items of info about the Valantines:

(1) amanda(0), matt(3) , and annie(4) visited the dentist today. amanda is the winner because the # in ( ) is cavities!

(2) our christmas shopping is done (well, except for what mama and papa bear are getting each other)

(3) tomorrow kicks off Fine Arts season #4 for the Valantines leading this great ministry for Ohio. yep, we decided to stick around at least one more year!

(4) kaitie sleeps in a big girl bed now. actually, it's an adult twin bed. she got annie's bed and annie is now sleeping in the bed i used growing up.

(5) this Sunday will be our 9th week in Delware. you know what they say about the 9th week . . . ah . . .well . . . what do they say?

(6) we hosted Thanksgiving dinner this year. it was great - we capped the night off with Home Alone 2.

(7) we did buy outside Christmas lights that are still in the garage. come on, it's cold and rainy and we have a pretty weak ladder.

(8) my home church, Highway Tabernacle in Youngstown, OH, donated a bus to our church! Praise God and thanks Highway!

(9) the terrible towel has been waving proudly the last several weeks as the Steelers roll on to the playoffs. yes, the Steeler clock is still hanging on the family room wall. it'll prob come down when the season ends

(10) as always, God is the focus of our lives, especially this season. He is our foundation and at the top of our priority lists!

so now you know . . .

friends

are you a friendly person? who are your Friends? what is your definition of a friend?

i have been blessed to have some great friends in my nearly 30 years of life (yes, my b-day is in 23 days!). from childhood friends like my buddy Chad Schenker who visited me Sunday and enjoyed half of the Steelers game with me to friends like David George, music pastor in Arizona, who stood beside Amanda and I when we were at our lowest point in life, i have great friends!

i have lived in Ohio (3 places), Missouri, and Oregon and have been able to develop life lasting friendships in each place. each friends of mine is unique. each one means something different to me, but each one is special!

there have been times in friendships when i have felt like i was the only one contributing. that's when you begin to see how important that friends really is. to me, if the friend is important to you, it's worth the investment.

sometimes, friends hurt you. i am sure each of us has been there. but, if that friend is sorry, we have a Biblical responsibility to forgive them and restore the relationship. this can be hard, but is worth it in the end!

on occasion, a friend can really disappoint you by their actions. they can make some huge mistakes and don't realize how they will affect you. these are the situations that teach you not to keep your eyes on man, but on God!

on other occasions, friends go above and beyond the call of duty. recently, we had some friends help us move from Bowling Green to Delaware. dave and kati thompson worked so hard and sacrificed so much for us and i don't know how we will ever repay them for that. we love them so much!

sometimes, friends just know the right time to send a note, e-mail, make an encouraging phone call, or just offer that much needed hug. there is no price tag for those moments.

each of us deserves friends if we are willing to be friends. never take them for granted. always let them know you appreciate them, and thanks God for bringing them into your life!

thanks, friends!

results

most of what we do is done for the results:

(1) we go on diets to lose weight
(2) we ask a guy or girl out to get a positive result
(3) we study hard to get a good grade
(4) we root for our favorite team because we think that we can will them to win
(5) we give our kids what they ask for so they are happy
(6) we treat people kindly so they will be blessed be our actions
(7) we decorate the house with tons of Christmas stuff so that . . . we can . . . it will . . . well can't remember why we do that


when it comes to our relationship with Christ, a great deal of it has to do with results. i invest time in prayer and Bible study because i want to grow closer to Jesus. i want to know His heart! i want to be the man of God that my family and church needs. i want to have no regrets at the end of the day.

results

what results are you longing to have in your life? what are you doing to get those results. you reap what you sow.

FYI - i am hoping to get more people to read this blog. i know i have to post more often for that to happen, so i am hoping to get in that habit. please vote on the polls so i know that you are reading my blog

peace

dreamers vs. visionaries

i began preaching out of the book of Nehemiah on Sunday. this is my first shot at expository preaching (preaching verese by verse through a book of the Bible).

God led me to Nehemiah becasue our church is in a rebuilding stage. Nehemiah was a man of vision and leadership. (i am praying to model those qualitites) he wasn't just a dreamer though! in the book, Visioneering, Andy Stanley says, "Dreamers dream about things being different. Visionaries envision themselves making a difference. Dreamers think about how nice it would be for something to be done. Visonaries look for an opportunity to do something!"

these are great thoughts! it's important to have big dreams, but we have to be willing to let God use us to accomplish them. when we make ourselves available to the task at hand, we move from a dreamer to a visonary!

God has placed a vision on my heart to lead a church in Delware, OH that is leading people to LifeChange (thanks C3). would you pray with us to see this vision fulfilled?

i am praying specificially for a miracle today! it would be a huge, gigantic, enormous blessing to our church! i figure, why not? god is big enough to do it! so i am believing and praying that He will!

have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

thankful

what i am thankful for this Thanksgiving:

(1) my relationship with Jesus - it's everything to me and all i really need!

(2) my wife - she is so amazing! i love her more today than i ever have!

(3) my kids - Annie, Kaitie, and Nash - they are creative, funny, and loving

(4) my parents and in-laws - i love them so much and appreciate all they do for us!

(5) my church - LifePoint - it's a great church with a great future!

(6) my friends - i have a lot - and i wouldn't trade 'em, well, most of 'em.

(7) my health - i have been able to avoid most major issues and i am 36 days away from
turning 30!

(8) my calling - still humbled that God uses me to pastor in His Kingdom!

(9) my everyday blessings - food, clothes, shelter, breath, abilities to walk, talk,
see, hear, taste, etc.

(10) my sports teams - they can be so therapeautic! Go Steelers, Bucks, Bulls, & Jays!

thank you, God, for all of these things! help me to recognize your blessings and to learn how to appreciate them even more!

almost

i think God woke me up this morning. as i lay in bed at 6:15am, i thought, if it is God waking me up 45 mins before my alarm is set to go off, i need to get up and spend some time in His presence.

so, i tip-toed down the stairs, and was just getting ready to grab my Bible when i heard that dreaded noise, i mean joyful
sound . . . little feet hitting the ground and a door opening and shutting. you guessed it, one of the arrows from my wonderful quiver was awake. this time it was Kate. up way too early for a 2 year old by the way.

well, i almost got a chance to spend some time with the Lord before the day hit full speed. i still plan to try. time to turn on the tv and see if i can pull it off. i will let you know. wait what is that i hear, a little boy ready for the day . . . ALMOST!

serving others

i have been privileged to have people in my life who truly know how to serve. in the past month, i have been blessed more than i deserve.

i want to recognize some people who have served the Valantines recently, realizing that i risk leaving somebody out of this list . . .but here goes anyway . . .

(1) my father-in-law, Joe, spent the entire day yesterday installing our RO unit so we can have clean drinking water. he also took apart my washer and dryer to search for problems and to maximize it's efficiency. what a guy!

(2) we had many helpers in Bowling Green as we loaded our trucks and headed to Delaware, but dave and kati Thompson were amazing! they gave up two entire days to help us out. we are so blessed to call them friends! thanks, guys!

(3) Everyone from BG who helped us pack our house, watch our kids so we could pack, and those who battled the elements to load the trucks! (Thanks, Brian Johnson for driving a truck down and helping us move into the house!) (Thanks, Vicky Albrecht, for bringing the salad & organizing the clean up!)

(4) Barry & Patty Keene have been amazing supports to us since we pulled in the drive at LifePoint! We are thanking God for this great couple on our leadership team!

(5) Frank Rease, a LifePoint member and friend, gladly showed me the ropes to our gas fire place today and maximized the networking systme in our home! Thanks, bro!

(6) Aaron Sponsler, former youth ministry student, led a church work weekend at LifePoint which allowed us to get tons of work done and improved the look of our facility! Our sign is back up! Thanks, Aaron, Bonnie, Dale, and Connie!

As you can see, we have received so many blessings and we are so thankful for God's faithfulness!

We don't deserve what we receive and we are quick to recognize those who have given so much to help our transition to Delaware!

Thanks, everyone!

Peace

do over days

does anyone know what i'm talking about when i say i wish i could do some days over again?

yesterday was one of those days.

i found myself saying things to my family that did not speak life and encourage them. i was pretty short with the kids and let my emotions dictate my actions on more then one occasion.

truth is - I BLEW IT! i had the chance to speak life and i spoke death. i had the chance to create a loving, encouraging enviornment and i missed it!

can someone say mulligan!? i guess the bright side of this is that i can try it all again today. when the sun came up this morning, which it does pretty early now, i was given a new day, a new start, and new chances to make better decisions.

Lamentations 3:23 says that His compassions/mercies are new every morning.

most of us like the sun. we dread the sunset at 5:30pm this time of year! where did the day go? however, some days need to end so we can get a fresh start the next day!

yesterday i wanted a do over. today i am trying to live the life God called me to live. a life of love and one that brings life.

thanks, God, for the new day!

process

what processes do you have in place in your life?

i guess you need to start with some simple questions . . .

who are you?
who do you want to be?

once you answer these 2 questions, you can begin to figure out HOW (process) you are going to get there.

today, i spent over an hour discussing with a friend the process of discipleship at his church. we @ LifePoint Church are in the process of answering those 2 questions . . . who are we & who we want to be as a church?

as soon as we define that (hopefully by tomorrow - jk), we can begin to develop the process to get there. in order to get from A to Z, we must think in steps.

what about your life? who are you? who do you want to be?

if you want to get to the end, you have to start with the beginning and begin to think in steps. maybe for you, your steps are:

(1) begin to spend more time in God's Word
(2) begin to give more time and energy somewhere besides yourself
(3) learn or develop a skill that you can use for God's purposes
(4) connect with some people who you have been at odds with
(5) begin to to use your words to speak life not death

there are many many more of these steps. do you need help? let me or someone you respect know about it and get the accountability you need.

life is a process. where are you going?

peace

small beginnings

well, the official first Sunday at LifePoint Church came and went without much noise.

i woke up Sunday am and was overwhelmed with the magnitude of the day. the responsibility of leading a church blew me away. so much so that i became physically sick to my stomach. after some prayer, i settled down and stepped into the role God had designed for me since i was born!

Pastor amanda led our church in worship and was amazing! so many people said that they were in tears as they opened their hearts to God. i was behind ther drums, but still was able to soak in the anointing that flowed from Pastor Amanda!

i felt very comfortable as i preached the message, THE CHURCH OF YESTERDAY OR THE CHURCH OF TOMORROW. the response to the message was great. many came forward to commit to do their part to make LifePoint Church a healthy church of today!

we are truly blessed that God has positioned us for this season in the great city of Delaware.

thanks to everyone who has believed in us and supported us through prayer and love!

talk to you soon!

peace

vacation

what the Valantine family did on their 08 fall vacation:

*for those of you who don't know: we went to Naples, FL to visit my parents at their new condo.

(1) we swam, and swam and swam at the condo pool & at the club house pool (bigger w/slides!)

(2) we ate a lot. i even cooked eggs for breakfast on Sunday (favorite - chocolate dunkers from Pizza Hut)

(3) watched a lot of sports - MLB playoffs, NFL, & College Football

(4) visited a new church - First Assembly Ministries (Naples, FL) and heard a great message, "don't feed the enemy"

(5) got to see a former student from xlr8 youth - SITTER!

(6) got sick!

(7) got better

(8) lost another fantasy game

(9) became the Skipbo champ

(10) slept on the couch 2x (no, ot because i was in trouble)

(11) helped Annie request her first song from a Ron at Tommy Bahamas (My Girl)

(12) impressed my family with how far i swam underwater in the pool

(13) developed the service order for our #1 service at Lifepoint on Oct 19th

(14) bought a new pair of sunglasses

(15) watched The Legend of Bagger Vance & Mr. Magorium's Wonder Imporium

(16) spent invalubale time with my family recharging my batteries for our next ministry assignment

peace

Kids

who invented kids?

okay, trivia time: who were the only 2 people ever who were never kids? come on Bible scholars. the same two people who didn't have belly buttons . . . come on, one was missing a rib, the other had only one rib (maybe) . . .

come on, wait for it . . . wait for it . . . yes! Adam and Eve.

well we are far removed from the Garden of Eden, but kids were, are and always will be. they are an amazing blessing, but can also test every ounce of patience in your DNA. they make you smile, laugh, and make weird baby sounds, but they also make you pull out your hair, question your spirituality and usemidd names!

i guess God teaches us things through our kids. i keep telling HIm i have learned the lessons, so the tests can stop. ha, i guess He doesn't think so.

the truth is, kids are very rewarding and challenging at the same time. i would never trade them permanently, but might trade them for some extra sleep at times.

whether you have one, two, or ten arrows in your kid-quiver, your life is never the same once they enter your world. having kids makes me think, "what kind of kid was i?" probably an angel! ha! right, and if you believe that, i have some swamp land off the cost of Florida to sell you.

well, one of my blessings (kids) is fussy, gotta go show the love of Jesus to him!

peace

Florida

we are enjoying a great vaction in Naples, Florida.

we woke up at 5am to make an 8:30am flight in Detroit on Tuesday. i know, i'm not gonna get any simpathy from anyone being that i have enjoyed the 85 degree weather and the pool right outside our condo.

traveling is challenging with 2 kids under 3 yrs. old. trying to make yourself relax, avoid work, and focus on refreshing yourself may be one of the hardest things i make myself do. well, running is right up there, which i am going to try to do tomorrow morning.

i remember when someone told me once that, "you teach what you know and reproduce who you are." that my seem like a weird statement for those of you who are working on reproducing offspring of your own right now, but has so much truth to it.

we can teach others stuff or we can reproduce what God has birthed inside. the older i get and the more i learn about God, i am convinced that He rarely shows/reveals/teaches someone something that is just for that person. He wants/desires/expects us to reproduce that thought/idea/vision/passion/heartbeat/love in others.

steps to reproduction (no, this will not go past PG-13 rating):

(1) know who you are in Christ

(2) invest in yourself through reading, studying, spending time with great leaders, and yes . . . vacations!

(3) never compromise your time alone with God (this is the greatest non-negotiable thing in your life) - don't mess this up!

(4) lead others by sharing who you are in Christ and your experiences

(5) pray for God's Spirit to bring the increase

so, Florida makes me think about a lot of things . . . relaxing, beaches, sunshine, and yes, even reproducing . . . who i am!

peace

live in the now

today is a new day, tomorrow is not yet here, so live in the now!

yesterday was the past, tomorrow is the future, but today is all i can really impact. (i was going to say control, but once you are following Christ and married, you don't control much!)

i preached a sermon on fear about 3 months ago in XLR8 and remember telling the students that the future doesn't exist. we can imagine what the future will look like in our minds, but it rarely ever looks like reality.

now, don't get me wrong . . . we must plan for the future, but we cannot be paralyzed by it. many people i have met (and sometimes myself) have been so overwhelmed by their future that it causes them to live in a state of panic.

the longer we serve the Lord, the more we must realize that only He knows our future. the great part of that is . . . He also holds our future. is there a better combo?

i remember a line from an old movie, Wayne's World (not recommended to watch!). Wayne (played by Mike Myers) spots the car (i think it was car. maybe it was a guitar) of his dreams and begins to imagine owning it. while he is in fantasy land, his buddy Garth (played by Dana Carvey) says, "live in the now," reminding his friend that it's not going to happen, but today is happening, so live it.

what truth! we must live in the now. learn from the past, but don't live there. embrace and plan for the future, but don't live there either. we must live today for what it is worth . . . and live it for God!

peace

packing

side note: last night we bought a digital video camera. the one we had was pretty dated and we didn't want to miss any MORE footage of our beautiful kids. we got an amazing deal. i was checking out the latest and greatest and Eric, employee at Sears, told me they had a top of the line camera that was returned and over 50% off. i looked at it, checked with Amanda (a must with big purchases) and we walked out with a new toy!

today we are packing for the BIG MOVE. yeah, i know, you can't believe we haven't started before today. well, let's just say we needed a few days to rest and a few more days to deal with our emotions about moving. in fact, this week was pretty rough. our first Wed night removed from xlr8 came and went. i had a few heart to heart talks with God about it. the truth is, i felt like an outsider and it hurt. i know that God will continue to allow amanda and i to be part of the xlr8 family, but my kids were going after God and i was spectating from the stands.

the good thing about frustration, hurt, sadness, and even anger is that Psalms gives us several Biblically healthy examples of expressing our emotions to God. the key to all of it is that we are expressing them TO GOD and not others. David did this several times and often used strong language.

i guess God can handle it.

i know this continues to be the toughest part of my spiritual journey. God is faithful and gets me through each day, and i am learning a lot about life, God, & me.

thanks for all your prayers through this transition. we miss xlr8, but we are allowing God to birth a passion for Lifepoint Church. it's a process. it's a good thing. it's a God thing!

peace

emotional

i lost it this morning.

i woke up in a room full of high school guys at Fall Retreat today and the first thing on my mind was . . . this is my last day as a their youth pastor.

after several students shared a testimony of something God did at the retreat, i had my chance to give some final words.

the emotions came and the tears rolled before i could get even one word out. a few things i was able to share through the tears:

(1) i am proud of you

(2) i have been privileged to lead you

(3) i believe God wants to teach you some new things through a new leader

(4) i am excited to see what God has in store for the future for each of you

(5) thank you

i couldn't have asked for a better retreat! God was faithful once again and i enjoyed the weekend so much!

tonight, we officially close this chapter of our lives in ministry and open a new one.

thanks to all of you who have made this chapter so special!

thanks to God for allowing us to be used to impact lives at Dayspring!

it has been amazing!

last lap

the day has finally arrived!

this is my last official day in the office, serving as youth and young adult pastor at Dayspring Assembly of God.
this past Wed was my last youth service with XLR8. we had 101 students and God was working overtime on the students!
we are leaving in 2 hours and 23 minuted for my last Retreat with the amazing students of XLR8!

tonight will be my last sermon . . . wow . . . it's all setting in.

the questions going through my mind right now:

did i do a good job?
did i give them everything i had to give?
will they continue to love God?
will they step up and lead?
have i given my best to God?
did i reach my potential?
what should i have done different?

i suppose someone could really stress about these questions. although i know i was not perfect and could've done better in areas, i know i poured my heart out and yielded to God. only he knows what will be the end result of our efforts.

i cannot wait to hang out with, love on, and enjoy each and every students this weekend at FALL RETREAT 08!

next time i write, i will no longer be serving Dayspring . . . thanks God for the blessing it was!

peace

being separate

today is SYATP (see you at the pole). a yearly date chosen where students all over the world gather at their school's flagpole to pray. i had the privilege of praying at Bowling Green High School with about 25 people (students, teachers, and parents).

days like this cause me to be so proud! i love seeing people, especially teenagers, choosing to be separate by standing up for something they believe in!

it may sound easy, but until you stand up for what is right in front of hundreds who don't support you or share your beliefs, you really have no idea!

tonight, i have the privilege of preaching to many of the students of XLR8 for one last time. God has placed a message on my heart titled, "living for God in an unGodly world." i am so thankful that scores of teenagers (junior & senior high), have chosen to live for God by being separate in a world that is far from God's heart.

will you choose to be separate today by your speech, actions, and lifestyle? will you choose to live a Godly life in an unGodly environment? where is your boldness? what is your walk with Christ worth to you?

"come out from among them and BE SEPARATE"
-2 Corinthians 6:17

peace

lazy Saturdays

today started at 7:30am . . . thanks, Nash! after making waffles for breakfast, my #1 task of the day was to wash my car. amanda and i bought our Grand Am 6+ years ago, it is the only car i have ever purchased and paid off. it was great to receive the title in the mail a year ago. anyway, i find solace in being outside on a brezzy, sunny, saturday afternoon with plenty of time to wash my car.

of course, that all ended when my 3 amazing children joined me outside. life changed from relaxing and quiet, to adventurous and loud. one thing about my kids though, they love to help. Kati and Annie grabbed sponges to wash and Nash supervised as he sat in his little red car wearing only a diaper.

anyway, we got the job done right before kickoff of the Ohio State game. i enjoy being lazy on Saturdays, watching football, playing games with the kids, and recharging the batteries. everyone needs slow down moments . . . moments to just relax and be spontaneous.

thanks, God, for lazy Saturdays!

peace

God moments

God laid a message on my heart yesterday about creating God moments in our lives. if we wait for life to happen to us, or God moments to just occur, we may miss a lot. if we chase down God moments each day, we will definitely have more of them.

Last night, in XLR8 youth, students were challenged to be proactive when it comes to God moments. one young lady, Ashley, decided to commit her heart back to God. another student, Lincoln, needed a physical touch and God healed him on the spot! as the students were leaving, i aske deach of them if they had a God moment and everyone said YES!

my challenge for you today is to go on the offensive and create a God moment in your life. it could be one of the following:

prayer
bible reading
sharing your faith
a coprporate praise and worship setting
listening to a sermon
quieting yourself before God to listen

3 things you can do to create a God moment:

plan one
look for one in the daily routine
refuse to resist of God initiates one

let me know the next time you have a God moment! they are life changing!

peace

people

i am sitting in Panera observing others and planning the XLR8 service for tonight. it has been awhile since i've come to work outside of the office. i love it and need to do it more. it helps me stay connected with the PEOPLE of the world.

i love watching PEOPLE interact with each other:
there is the little kid gagging on some bread sitting with her dad and grandparents.
there is the guy in a shirt and tie with his laptop tucked away in a corner. what is he up to?
there is the lady who bring her own food in small little lunchbox and sips her coffee while reading some book.
there are the 2 guys behind me talking about money, church, and cars.
there are the high school students who slip in to grab a coffee and a bagel. are they skipping school?
there is the girl sitting alone outside with her water watching the cars drive by. is she waiting for someone? is she ok?
there are the workers busy at cleaning and prepping food for lunch while meeting all the needs of the guests.
there are the random older guys reading the news paper. must be nice not to have anything pressing to goet done!
9 new PEOPLE just walked in the door. can't wait to see what they are all about

PEOPLE make the world go round. life is so much about relationships. everyone has a plan and a purpose. my plan and purpose is to share with many of these PEOPLE about the good news of the Gospel. i enjoy it. it's what i do.

well, time to prepare the sermon for tonight!

peace

body of Christ

yesterday was an emotional day. amanda and i talked briefly in the morning before i went over to the prayer center to meet with the staff for monday morning prayer togethere. actually, she talked and i listened. she was struggling with our transition.

i gave her hug and headed out the door unaware that in just a few minutes, i would be pouring out my heart to God in an unihibited expression of my emotions that i had yet to release.

i have been able to avoid "breaking down" through this process. as i examined the fact that the Valantine family only had 2 weeks left to serve at Dayspring, it hit me. i have developed so many friendships in BG. i could spend hours describing the amazing people god has brought into my life in the last 3 years.

this is no easy sacrifice to leave. but, we know God has called us and now that we have made a good decision, it's time to make our decision good! (thanks, Konan)

i beleive the next season of life will reveal the next several Godly friends that He has in sotre for our family. we are sad, but we are optimistic and exicted about the potential to go to a new city and reach many with the hope of the Gospel!

the body of Christ came areound my family yesterday to encourage and join their hearts with ours. for that, i am blessed and thankful. what a joy to be part of the family of God!

peace

heartbreak

this weekend has been tough for my sports fan heart. between the Buckeyes and the Blue Jays, the heart is struggling and i may need a transplant if my Steelers lose tonight to the Browns.

on a serious note, my heart has been weak the past few days. i am sad about leaving Bowling Green and the amazing students and leaders there.

they say (side note: when people say they, who do they mean?) that when a bone breaks, it heals back stronger then it was before. my prayer is that my heart will heal from the breaks it will experience in the next few weeks, and it will be stronger than ever.

please pray for the Valantine family as we go through this transtion!

peace

5th Quarter

we had a great time at 5th Quarter last night:

(1) the community center was awesome! Leah and Elizabeth were so helpful and accomodating!

(2) 5 different pizza places donated pizzas! Paglias, Papa Johns, Marcos, Mancinos, and Miles.

(3) Matt Wilson won the biggest giveaway we have ever done (Nintendo Wii w/Rockband). He already had a Wii so he kept Rockband and let us give away the Wii to someone else! What a guy!

(4) we had over 100 students from several different schools

(5) dodgeball, basketball, and volleyball were all a hit (especially dodgeball - pun intended!)
some girl was drilled in the head - ouch!

(6) 10-15 students accepted Christ as their Savior after Joel Penton shared his story - thanks Joel!

(7) all of our adult leaders and student leaders did a great job before, during, and after the event

(8) Stephen Zenner was amazing at meeting people and inviting them to the event while we were walking around the football game

check back later today for more blogging excitment!

GO FOR IT

i have been looking at my blog link in the toolbar of my macbook for 2 weeks now and i've been avoiding the inevitbale post . . .

well, here goes nothing . . .

about a month ago, Amanda and I accepted God's call and the Ohio District's invitation to become the lead pastors of Lifepoint Church in Delaware, OH. that means we only have 2 weeks left to serve the great students of XLR8 and the amazing young adults of SALT here in BG.

our first Sunday at Lifepoint will be Oct. 19th, followed by our installation service on the 26th in which Ohio Superintendent John Wooton will be speaking.

this was truly the hardest ministry decision we have ever had to make. God has blessed our family and the ministries we have led at Dayspring! we were not looking to leave, and yet God would not stop knocking on our heart's door.

we love BG! we love the people! we love our new pastor, Scott Estep! but, we love God more than all of those, and when we accepted His call to full-time ministry, we made the decision to follow Him no matter where He led us.

so here we are.

yes, i am excited for the future, but the next few weeks will be full of reflection over the past 3 years and the great opportunity we have had to serve the students of Dayspring.

i will be sharing what God has taught me in my ministry these past 3 years and keeping those of you who read this up to date on the Valantine family. (yes, i will be blogging more often. i know you all wait in eager anticipation for my next post)

today, i say GO FOR IT! do what God has called you to do with all your heart! time is short. no man is guaranteed tomorrow!

why wait? today is the day, Carpe Diem!

seasonal allergies

what is the deal with allergies? for those few days when the polen count is at it's highest, why do we suffer so much? is there anything worse than sneezing your head off and a constant drip like the Chinese Water torture from your nose?

i am in Youngstown today visiting family. nash was up at 6:45am . . . o the joys of babies! all 3 kids are up now and Grandma and Amanda are resting snug in their beds. i guess everyone gets their turn to be "mom."

after the Blue Jays lost by one run for the 2nd night in a row, it is officially time to turn to football. GO STEELERS! only 9 more days till the season starts.

i ate the best pizza in the world last night . . . Wedgewood! a hometown favorite and the only real reason i ever come back to Y-Town. sorry, mom, but the truth is the truth. jk. i love my parents and don't get to spend near as much time with them as i wish i could.

it's a dreary, rainy Friday in August. the day looks bleak, but the future is bright? what difference will you make in the world today?

peace

cookies & milk

i could not stop craving oatmeal chocolate chip cookies last night. so i went and bought the ingredients and Annie & I made the cookies. remember the last time you made cookies? if you are a dad reading this and haven't made cookies with your daughter, you need to try this.

there are some great life lessons in cookie making if you indulge me for a moment:

(1) you need all the ingredients - this is vital. without all the right "stuff," the cookies won't taste right. we barely had enough brown sugar for the recipe. i asked my lovely wife if we could substitute regular sugar for brown sugar. apparently that is a no-no. you must use the proper amount of every ingredient.

that reminds me of the fruit of the Spirit . . . love, joy, peace, patience, etc. if you only have one or two of these clicking in your life and the others are foreign concepts, you won't turn out like God wants. He desires you to have all of them so you will will taste good to the world.

(2) it's so hard to resist eating the dough! - this may be the best part of the cookie making process, but it is not the finished product.

how often do we settle for the "un"finished product? we embrace a portion of Christ's identity, but not all of it. we receive a % of the Father's love, but not 100%. we allow the Holy Spirit to fill us once in awhile. yes, the cookie dough tastes good, but the finished product of a hot baked cookie is not only great, it's better for you because it's been cooked!

(3) cookies don't cook alone - it would seem odd if you walked into someone's house and they were baking cookies and they only put one cookie on a baking sheet at a time. or, what if they just made one giant cookie that took up the whole pan?

we are not in this game of life by ourselves. to borrow a line from a junior high girl's favorite movie, "We're all in this together!" there are no lone rangers. life is not an individual sport. we must allow others to be near us and to influence our lives. and we shouldn't try to be the biggest cookie on the sheet either. God is pleased with our humility. leadership is about serving others, not trying to beat out the next guy!

(4) every cookie turns out unique - you cannot make each cookie look exactly the same. the cookies will have different amounts of chocolate chips, oatmeal, and other ingredients inside.

we are all different and need to celebrate those differences. Our Father is a Masterpiece Artist. He carefully knit each of us together in our mother's womb. he designed us perfectly the way we are. we must be careful not to compare ourselves and allow discouragement our bitterness to creep into our hearts. there will always be someone who is better at something than we are. let's keep our focus on God, not on others.

(5) clean up is essential - after your masterpiece cookies are complete, the work is not done. you must clean up the mess you make. it will not clean up itself.

this reminds me of the messes in life we make. no one is exempt from messes. when we have a situation that gets ugly or needs some extra attention, we need to address it and get it cleaned up. it could be sin. it could be some argument with a friend or relative. it could be a poor attitude. i remember as a server at Applebees when i was in college, the manager had a policy for each of us, "clean as you go!" if you make a mess, get it cleaned up ASAP. don't let it set or expect someone else to clean it up for you. this is a great life lesson . . . clean up your messes and do it now!

You are probably wondering by this point how the cookies turned out. well, let's just say, we made 33 cookies las night and there are only 20 left!

thanks for checking in to my blog! feel free to leave a comment! see you soon!

peace

a simple tuesday

(1) today is a normal day. well, when i say normal, i mean . . . not jam packed full of appointments and meetings and activities. the norm has actually become jam packed days.

as a matter of fact, as i sit here at the kitchen table on a brisk tuesday in August, i cannot think of one appointment, meeting, or activity on my schedule today! that is a good feeling. someone told me they were bored the other day, and i had to have them define the word bored.

this goes against everything i have blogging about regarding keeping life simple. hey people, i never said i was hitting a home run in this area. in fact, i have a long way to go, and a wonderful wife who reminds of that periodically.

our family was able to enjoy a nice quiet evening last night together. we went on a walk/bike ride in the church parking lot, took baths (the kids of course), enjoyed a nice uneventful dinner, and basically just chilled out for the evening.

if i could script every day, they would look a lot more like yesterday than the ones packed full of stuff. don't get me wrong, the stuff is good, but it gets in the way at times of the most important stuff!

(2) Nash has been crying a lot this past week. please pray for him. it may be that he is teething or it may be something else.

(3) i had 2 leader meetings on Sunday. there are over 60 leaders (adult and student) serving XLR8 youth ministries. WOW! thank you, Lord, for surrounding amanda and i with such a great team!

(4) a special former member of XLR8 youth, current member of SALT young adults, and a special guy from Dayspring is leaving town Friday for James River's Leadership College in Ozark, Missouri. Alex Wilkerson is following the call of God in his life and going into ministry. we are praying for you, Alex! you will be missed!

(5) in XLR8 Youth this Wed night, we will be continuing our sermon series "3" based on the trinity. we will be focusing on the life of Jesus! It's a PIZZA NIGHT so bring a friend and the 2 of you get to eat free!! see you there!

(6) we are going to see Hillsong United live in concert in Indianapolis a week from today!!

peace

the return

i have returned from my 2 week blog fast. that was intense (like camping).

actually, i have been lazy with my blog. it's not that i haven't thought about blogging. i just couldn't get into the mood i guess.

well, God has done many things in the past 2 weeks, so i will try to get you caught up . . .

(1) i finally got the DVD player in my van working (for those with small children, you know how big a deal this is)

(2) our church had the great honor of leading the church service at the Wood County Fair 2 Sundays ago. we led worship and God gave me a message on the Game of Life to preach. there were over 90 people there! it was a great morning.

(3) less than 2 hours after the fair service ended, we loaded up 3-14 passenger vans and headed down to Charlotte, NC for National Fine Arts/Youth Convention.
*the drive to Charlotte took 12 hours
*the people working at our hotel were amazing! (thanks Hampton Inn Uptown Charlotte!!)
*our students were amazing all week in competing and ministering and going after God during the services and behavior (well, for the most part)
*no hospital runs - thank God!
*we got to go White Water Rafting! that was amazing. i didn't fall in, but Pastor Scott, Sam Jennings, Robb Starr, and others did
*Planetshakers led worship for us at the services! they can rock it out an so sensitive to the Holy Spirit!
*Steve Pulis, Rod Whitlock, and Rick Lorimer brought the Word each night and each delivered a powerful message!

(4)i got to go to the Tigers/Blue Jays game Monday and one of the Jays players threw me a ball during batting practice! (Jays won 7-2)

(5) our softball team came up one run short of winning the league tournament on Tuesday. We had to win 3 games to be champs . . . Game #1 - we won 22-7, Game #2 - we won 17-2, and Game #3 - we were down 11-6 going into the 7th inning and scored 4 runs to make it 11-10 and had 2 on with 1 out, but couldn't get the run in!

(6) Eric Radabaugh preached on XLR8 while i was gone and Alex and Jake led worship! Thanks guys!

(7) God led me to preach on the Holy Spirit 2 nights ago in XLR8 and God poured it out on our students during service! Students, keep going after more and stay hungry!

(8) last night was Water Wars IV - one of my favorite junior high events of the year! it down poured on us and we loved it! the students were amazing and Jared Kobylski was the winner!

well, now you are caught up on my life. i plan to stay regular with the blogging now, so keep checking back!

peace

the wave

as i sit at the kitchen table this beautiful Thursday morning, my son, Nash, is waving to me. i'm not sure why he waves so much, but he definitely enjoys when you wave back to him or smile. the wave is an amazing thing . . . there he goes again, this time with more force and emotion.

people enjoy it when you recognize them and show them they are important by wave, hand shake, high five or even a head nod. i personally love the head nod. when someone is too cool to lift their hand high enough to wave or even smile at you, they will throw you the head nod to recognize you are worth their time and effort.

doesn't everybody deserve a wave or a head nod?

we are particular though about who receives these from us, aren't we?

twice in the last 48 hours, this verse from James 1 has crossed my path, "religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

what does that have to do with waves and head nods? well, James is talking about people who are outcasts in today's society. we must learn to love and reach out to these people who are labeled by the world as lesser or unimportant.

this means waving to them, head nodding, high fives, noogies, chest bumps, fist pounds and every other way you can think to greet or show your affection for people.

we cannot think of ourselves more highly than we are. and how high are we? (that's a loaded question). talking about, how elevated is our status compared to everyone else in the world. well, didn't Jesus say we must humble ourselves, like servant if we want to be great in the Kingdom of God?

so, this whole wave and head nod and accept everyone, regardless of the status symbol the world has branded them with, idea needs to be more than something we just happen to do. we must be intentional, seeking out the outcasts to chest bump (guys with guys and girl with girls - please) and fist pound.

this is our duty! this is the religion that God accepts as "pure and faultless."

so, the next time Nash or someone else waves to you, or the cool guy at school gives you a head nod, or some junior higher initiates you with a 15 part secret handshake . . . remember those who aren't even being recognized as people, and show them that they are important to God!

peace

still going simple

i hope you aren't tired of hearing about simplifying your lifestyle yet. well, you did come to my bog, so i guess you're stuck with whatever info i want to talk about.

today, Amanda and i began a new path on our spiritual journey together as a couple. we have been struggling to find/make time to spend a significant amount of time together praying, reading scripture, and sharing about what God is doing in our lives.

i suggested that we start out each morning at 7am!

will this require sacrifice? you better believe it. i like sleeping, but it's worth it. i got up around 6:40am, brewed a pot of decaf (amanda's choice) and spent some personal time praying and reading (Mark 15-16), and then came the biggest task of the
day . . . waking up sleeping beauty. no, i don't think Amanda needs beauty sleep. in fact, i am convinced that all our kids got my good looks because Amanda still has hers.

i tip-toed into the room, approached the bed, and screamed, GET UP YOU LAZY BUM! just kidding. she actually was up pretty quick and met me at the kitchen table. we shared a very simple, but critical 15-20 minutes together praying and talking about life. it was amazing.

i think God will bless our efforts to start our day together with Him. i also believe we will be a stronger couple and know each other better as we talk and pray. i can tell you exactly what is on Amanda's heart today and what she is trusting God for. simple, but effective.

as you go simple, think of the simple things that you can do to make your life, marriage, family, church, job, etc. meaningful and purposeful. for some, it may be those few minutes with God each morning. for others, you may need to plan to play a family board game tonight (yes, make the teenagers play - and make them set it up and clean it up too!)

other simple ways to live this day for God by being intentional:

*think of someone that you are having a difficult time with and find a way to serve them
*pull out one of your favorite books and read it again
*call up a friend and ask them what you can pray for them about today
*write a letter to one of your spiritual mentors thanking them for the investment they made in your life
*take a walk and sing something
*if you and your wife a special song, play it after dinner and dance together
*sacrifice something you don't really need and give a little extra to missions this weekend

simple takes a bit of energy, but not too much. actually, your spirit may be refreshed so much that you feel like you have more energy than before you did something.

i know i want to make a difference in people's lives. if i'm not doing that, i'm not doing much!

peace

go simple (part 2)

simple can be so refreshing! last night amanda and i took the kids to my softball game (ok, not so simple for her), but afterward, we went home and spent an hour with the kids on the living room floor before we put them to bed.

it was a special time, and so simple. we didn't have anything planned for evening activities, we just hung out loving on each other. kaitie and i started a new game called Cross & Kiss. when she crosses my lap, she has to kiss me. nash caught on and was offering up kisses too. we had a blast!

here is an example of going simple: we cut Nash's hair yesterday for the first time . . . check it out



Amanda called me around 1:30pm and asked me to come home and help with the haircut (she got in over her head a bit). another sign of going simple. now, sometimes my schedule is too busy to come home and help, but it's a slower week for me and i was able to enjoy the first haircut for Nash. i even helped cut some of the hair!

what are you trying to say, Matt?

If we are cautious when it comes to our schedule, we will have flexibility to participate in the important events in life. take this next example . . .

i have missed out on weddings and funerals lately for extended family members and friends because of "THE SCHEDULE." i have been discouraged about this and looking to make a change. i have also been praying for ways to show support to my sister and brother-in-law (Melissa & Jeremiah), who i very rarely get a chance to be with.

well, i got a call this week that Jeremiah's grandmother passed away and services would be Thursday & Friday! Perfect! i have some flexibility in my schedule, i juggled some things and now i can go to Youngstown, OH and support them.

are you catching the point? i hope that you can simplify your life. try it for a month and measure the results. i guarantee you will see some differences in the atmosphere surrounding your family. trust me on this one!

peace

go simple

amanda and i have been talking a lot lately about simplifying our lives. we've decided that over complicating our lives is not something we are interested in. no one can be in control of our lives for us, we have to take the initiative.

there is a great attack on families in today's society. husbands and wives are being attacked and families are feeling the stress of life. as Christians, we cannot sit back and wait for the enemy by taking a defensive approach. God, our Father, has given us His armor so we can go on the offensive.

i spoke with a mom this past week who decided to go simple and limited the summer schedule. she was pleased with the results. i think we will see this happening more often, and we applaud it!

here are some guidelines for going simple:

map out your families normal weekly schedule just so you can see it on paper
-look for blocks of time that are unplanned. see any? if not, you have some major work ahead of you.
-what are the 3 things dominating your week? this may indicate your priorities. are you ok with these?

go through one room in your house this week and de-clutter.
-throw away or give away anything you haven't used in one year

set aside blocks of time in your life, and plan . . . NOTHING!
-relax and be together as a family with no agenda

say no to adding something to your simple life!
-for some of you, this will be hard, but you have to do it!
-if you feel bad, just tell them you already have an appointment. (you do! with your family)

i hope this helps and encourages you. we are still just getting started on this, but excited about the potential of going simple!

peace

rainy

it's a rainy, dreary Saturday in BG, Ohio.

(1) i am watching cartoons with Kaitie. saturday morning cartoons just feel right no matter how old you are. i really like Handy Manny. (Nash is down for his morning nap, saturday naps seem right too - especially when it's raining, but i never take one)

(2) i washed my tennis shoes in the washing machine for the first time ever. i let them air dry so the dryer wouldn't beat them up. the stains on the top were still there when the dried. my mom asked me if i sprayed them with stain remover before washing them. no. well, round 2 for the shoes i guess.

(3) tuesday is the MLB All-Star game. this is one of my favorite sporting events of the year. i love watching the home run derby monday and seeing the best players in the game compete. my favorite player, Roy Halladay (pitcher for the Blue Jays), made the team and might even start for the American League. He dominated the Yankees last night!

(4) we had new DVD players installed in our van this past week. the ones we got originally had one minor problem . . . the screen kept falling open. yeah, this isn't good when every time it happens the movie stops and starts from the beginning. the kids have been really patient with the process, but the new ones have no sound so i have to take the van back in next week.

(5) our church hired a pastor to families with children. he start aug 1. last night the staff and board met at pastor scott's house for a cook out (bbq ribs & chicken & home made ice cream). we played corn hole and andrew bartholomew and i won 5 games in a row. we were on fire. i am thinking about joining a league! lol.

well, Jo Jo's Circus is on . . . one of my favorites!

peace

marriage

today is my 9th wedding anniversary, so please indulge me as i brag on my amazing wife:

(1) amanda is special because she loves God and has a personal relationship with Him

(2) amanda is special because she has a great sense of humor

(3) amanda is special because she works hard to make our home a special place

(4) amanda is special because she is gifted in so many ways . . . music, preaching, leading, loving . . .

(5) amanda is special because she puts up with me every day

(6) amanda is special because she can be friends with anyone

(7) amanda is special because she likes all the sports teams i like and knows a lot about sports

(8) amanda is special because she has amazing patience when it comes to raising our children

(9) amanda is special because she prays a lot for me, our family, and our ministry

(10) amanda is special because she is amanda!

Green Bay

i am heading home from Green Bay. actually, i am not heading anywhere yet. i am sitting in a business station at Green Bay airport blogging, waiting for my delayed flight.

i spent a few days at the Bible Quiz National Competition. our team did amazing yesterday. they competed against the top 40 teams from around the country. they worked themselves into a playoff yesterday and earned the right to compete in the Championship Bracket. so far today, they are 2-4 against the top 20 teams in the Nation!

i have had a blast hanging out with them. i love students. we have some of the best, ok, the best in the nation. spending time with them keeps me young and challenges me. these students love God!

so much spiritual growth has taken place in XLR8 Youth Ministries over the past month. students are witnessing like crazy, praying like crazy, and living for God like crazy. I LOVE IT! i couldn't be more proud. i know the enemy wants us to put the cruise control on and coast, but we are going to press the gas a bit more and press into God.

i like that, "press the gas;" i may use that for a sermon title.

amanda has been amazing with my schedule over the past month. she has worked extra hard to make sure the kids are taken care of, the youth ministry is running, and everything continues to happen while i am away. i am so thankful for her! it's a shame that we don't show our appreciation more to the ones we love the most.

i am committed to do that more when i get back to real life. i know God has some big plans for the Valantine family. i have to do my part to make it happen!

well, it's time to board the plane!

peace

monday

(a) mondays for me begin with staff prayer. i have enjoyed this time over the past 2 months. scott estep has placed a priority on prayer and it sits well with me. i was taught at James River by Scotty Gibbons that:
(1) prayer moves the hand of God
(2) the battle is won in prayer

(b) this particular monday was a catch up day for me. being out of state or country for 13 of the last 16 days will put you behind in several areas. however, i have amazing youth and young adult leadership teams. they didn't miss a beat while i was away.

(c) i was complimented multiple times today on the students of XLR8 youth ministry. in our sunday service, the students lined the altar during praise and worship and God used them to pray for many as the Spirit led. i was so proud to watch as they flowed with God, making themselves available to be used. i love mondays that make me proud!

(d) monday means it is only 2 days away from the XTreme Days Finale. this year includes the 1st Annual XLR8 XPress. modeled after Ohio Youth Camp's Pony Express, this event will conclude our Summer XTreme Days and reveal the Ultimate XLR8 XTreme Team for 2008. I can't wait!

(e) mondays are also slower for me in the evenings and allow me some time with the greatest kids in the world. we went to Pizza Hut and Wal Mart. Kaitie eats more than any of the kids, but is free at Pizza Hut. gotta love that! i didn't know they had a dinner buffet there. people keep thinking Nash is a girl because his hair is getting long. maybe it is time for a cut.

monday was pretty great (thanks, God) but looking forward to tuesday

PEACE

God is not an "add-on"

i spoke with a guy today at the altar following our church service. he was talking to me about his life and some frustrations he has had. i believe God laid it on my heart to tell him that he can't view God as an "add-on." God is not something we squeeze into our day. God needs to be intertwined into everything we do including:
(1) our work
(2) our relationships
(3) our hobbies
(4) our daily routines

while i was in Honduras last week, life seemed simple. so you like simple? i love it. my life often seems complicated and cluttered. i get frustrated because i have to fight so hard to make time to pull away from my schedule to get alone with God. is that because i am so busy? maybe. so what can i do? well, here is my plan:
(1) eliminate the noise if possible (all the stuff that blocks me from hearing God)
(2) live in every moment i am given and keep from looking ahead to the next task
(3) slow the pace (still working on this one and welcome your prayers

another thing God spoke to me about in Honduras was taking Amanda away for a vacation. she worked so hard while i was gone. she always works so hard and gives everything she has to support me and the ministry, to pour her life into the kids and to be so amazing. i am so proud of her and knew God wanted me to make her take a few days away to relax and get rest. not only did God put that on my heart, but He worked out all the details for us:
(1) He put it on several people's hearts in the church to help us with childcare
(2) He overstaffed camp with guy counselors so it was no big deal for me to back out
(3) He provided flights and lodging through my parents as a blessing
THANKS GOD!

I missed my kids and Amanda so much while I was away. it makes you appreciate what you have when you have to be separated from it for a period of time. i have the best family ever! i missed the smiles, the laughing and playing, the funny faces, the curious looks and most of all, the hugs and kisses.

great to be back in the USA! here is a short list of things i missed about our country:
(1) clean water (well, clean enough to drink)
(2) wireless internet
(3) being able to flush toilet paper
(4) ketchup and napkins being in abundance at fast food restaurants (you get one napkin in Honduras)
(5) water pressure!
(6) English
(7) safe drivers (yes, we actually have much safer roads)
(8) air conditioning


peace

Honduras

i will be leaving for Honduras tomorrow. i will not be blogging for several days due to lack of technology. please pray for:

(1) the safety of me and eight students from XLR8
(2) opportunities to share Christ everywhere we go
(3) amanda and my kids while i am away
(4) the leadership team at XLR8 who will be running things while i am away

i believe God has something for me, and i can't wait to see what it is. missions trips are great and very rewarding. talk to you when we return.

peace

the inevitable

i am leaving the country on Thursday . . . no two ways around it. it is gonna happen. am i ready? maybe. am i excited? definitely! do i want to leave my wife and kids for 9 days? no. sometimes life is a sacrifice.

(1) pray for my trip to Honduras (june 11-19). i believe God has something for me on this trip. i will be going with high expectations.

(2) tonight, our young adult committee met to pray for PULSE and to plan for the details. we are planning PULSE, a community outdoor worship gathering, for Sat., July 19th at 7pm. this is a worship experience open to all churches in NW Ohio. we are targeting the Christian community with the theme REMEDY. put this on your calendars and begin to pray for God's favor on this event.

(3) i got to play on of my favorite card games tonight . . . SCUM. i finished in 6th place out of . . . 6, which included my 6 yr old, Annie. o well, i may not be good at it, but it is fun.

(4) i made brownies today and i didn't burn them. (yes, that is a big accomplishment)

(5) God answered a prayer of mine today. our Honduras trip itinerary changed because the airport we were supposed to fly into was closed. it was possible that we wouldn't make it home until late on the 20th. annie's 7th b-day party is scheduled for 6pm on the 20th. i'm already missing her actual b-day, so a late party (on the 20th) was a good compromise. now i was afraid i would miss that. today though, we found out we'd be back in Columbus on the 19th, so i won't miss the party!

(6) thank you to all who helped with Amanda's special b-day gift! she loved it and i think i earned some major pts! anyway, the notes from everyone reminded me just how amazing my wife is. i am blessed and honored to be be married to such an amazing woman.

(7) tale of the weird: our nintendo wii stopped powering up this weekend. i supposed it was broke so i checked on how to get it fixed. turns out it is under warranty. great, i'll send it in and they will fix it. i found out tonight that 2 other people with wiis said they had problems with their wii after a storm this past Friday. weird! well, i decided to try and see if it would work today . . . and it did. very weird!

(8) we now have the wii fit game (thanks mom!). the game thinks i am 41! i guess i have a lot to do to get in shape!

peace

summer blues

(1) the valantine pool is open for business. annie and kaitie are loving it. nash is upset that the water that comes out of the hose is about 55 degrees. sorry, bud, it'll warm up!



(2) i love this pic. kaitie is preparing for the big leagues. she reminds me of me. make one trip if you can, don't split it up. i'm a one trip kind of guy.



(3) i think Nash was asking for one more piece of pizza at Paglias Pizza today. i accomplished a great feat tonight. i made a trip to Wal Mart and took the kids out to eat by myself! annie was a big help. as long as you keep her on track, she's good to have around.



(4) students have been teaching each other on sunday mornings in FUEL. for the past 3 weeks, our school of the bible class for high schoolers has been student taught. i love it. here is Emma Wilkerson in action!

Birthday Week

(1) Amanda turns 29 today. i don't know if she already is 29 or not until later today. she is off at the store preparing for Nash's #1 b-day. He turns 1 on Saturday, but his party is tonight. that means lots of friends and family over. i like a full house of people. of course, a full house means lots of cleaning. bathrooms, vacuuming, kitchen, trash, etc. it's all worth it!

(2) last night was our kick off for X-Treme Days in XLR8. i was very pleased. we had several first time guests, including all the new 6th graders. i love new faces. we also had 3 students respond to salvation and several more came to the altar to commit to going X-Treme for God. i think they would have stayed much longer, but we had something very important to celebrate last night . . . see #3.

(3) Jeremiah Hartman attended his final XLR8 youth service last night after 14 faithful years of Youth Leadership. He has taken the youth pastor position at Hope Church in Dayton OH with Pastor Darrell Bucher. Jeremiah has become a close friend, a trusted leader, and someone i have greatly enjoyed ministering with. i pray for God's best on he and his family. XLR8 will not be the same without him! you have left your mark and legacy in the lives of these students, my friend! for that, i am truly blessed!

(4) many of you know i was sick on monday with a stomach virus. i'm pretty sure that during a violent throw-up episode, i dislodged one of my ribs. it has been causing me pain for 3 days. i will find out tomorrow at the chiropractor. pretty intense, huh?

(5) i salute the Detroit Red Wings in honor of my departing friend, Jeremiah. i hate hockey. i will be rooting for the Boston Celtics in honor of my father who is from the New England area. Go Boston 3 Party! i am still pulling for my Blue Jays who can win a series against the Yankees tonight with a win.

peace

slowing down

yesterday, I was stopped dead in my tracks and told to slow down! no, i didn't get pulled over by the police. God slowed me down. I'm not saying God made me sick, but he may have allowed it.

i pretty much spent the entire day on my back in bed. thank you for your prayers! today i fell half way better, but my body is still telling me to slow down, so no softball for me tonight.

(1) i had the privilege of marrying Eric Radabaugh and Mindy Faykosh on Saturday. They are an amazing couple and have the right foundation for their marriage - God. The ceremony was beautiful even though the sound people started a song early which cut out what i planned to say about the unity candle, and i forgot to bring out the communion elements. this was only my second wedding. i guess you learn as you go.

(2) this wednesday is the kickoff for a 5 week event in XLR8 called X-Treme Days. if you've been to XLR8 before, don't miss week #1. the main goal is for students to bring new people to experience a strong team-focused atmosphere. we play high-energy games, focus on team building, worship like crazy, and encounter God in a real way. I am pumped for tomorrow!

(3) i am leaving for the country of honduras on June 11th. i get the opportunity to spend 9 days with 8 amazing students from XLR8 while serving God by sharing His love with people in Honduras. we have been working on some dramas, learning Spanish, and preparing our hearts for the trip. i am praying that God uses me in a unique way. i pray i can hear His voice so i can know His plan for my life while we are there.

(4) i finished reading the book, The Fred Factor. this is a quick read, and very insightful. if you work with people in any arena, then you need to read this book. we can make such a great difference in the lives around us if we take the time to go above and beyond normal expectations. remember the last time someone impressed you by serving you or doing something nice for you? you can be a Fred with just a small amount of effort.

(5) today, Kaitie was running around in her new bathing suit. she is so cute. i wish it were nice enough outside to get her into the pool. of course, a few minutes later, annie was in her matching suit ready for the slip n slide. have i mentioned how cute my kids are?

peace

next mozart

(1) Annie played beautifully yesterday at her piano recital. She finished the year with 32 perfect practice weeks. that's a lot of practicing. she is on her way to greatness!

(2) we got to hang out with some friends this weekend who had moved away from BG a few months ago - Bart & Ashley Patterson. They are expecting a baby boy in 3-4 months. please pray for him because he has some complications with his stomach and intestines. He needs God to do a Miracle!

(3) i am playing softball in a city league on a team called WT Games. we are 4-1 this season and i get to play catcher! there are several guys on our team who need Christ! please pray that i can be a good witness to them. FYI - i was 3/3 in hits last night and tagged a guy out at the plate.

(4) i think some applesauce got in my phone while we were camping this past weekend. the sauce is under the screen. just like when you are driving and you think you will clear the mist off the windshield with the wipers, but the mist ends up being on the inside of the car! maybe it will go away over time.

(5) i am preparing for XLR8 Youth Service tonight and a wedding this weekend so i must go.

peace

(1) this video is pretty funny. we were out to eat and Kaitie and i were having a great time. i love my kids. they can be so much fun!

(2) we are back in Bowling Green after a pretty crazy weekend. i ate my fair share of cook-out food. i did enjoy some corn hole and got to read some. (current book = Fred Factor)

(3) Annie's 2nd piano recital was tonight. she was amazing as always. she is definitely our musical, artsy, creative one. i love that about her. she keeps things real and fresh.

(4) today, our church staff started the day with prayer and worship. i love the prayer focus Pastor Scott has brought to our meetings and our weekly agendas. he is a man of prayer and i proud to be serving with him! he is also having us share stories about our faith journeys. i must say, hearing the stories does bring a greater sense of connection amongst the staff!

(5) we are recognizing our high school and college graduates this Sunday in our main service. i enjoy these moments because the church prays for and commissions these grads as they enter the next season of life. i have had this happen to me several times in my life (high school and college graduations and ordination stand out the most.)

(6) i am so thankful for the Godly men and women God has put in my life. anytime i need prayer partners, i have several people i can turn to. knowing these people will seek God on my behalf and lift me up on prayer means more to me than words can explain. if you are praying for me and my family, thanks . . . a lot!

peace

family camp

we are at Heartland Conference and Retreat Center for Dayspring's annual family camp. we had a campfire last night with great food (including smores), played scum before bed, and enjoyed a quiet night. (lol) ok, so it was quiet from 11-2:30am. nash was up at that time and both he and kaitie were up at 4am. kait was up for good at 5:15am. the joys of family camp!

(1) katie is so adventurous. name it and she will climb it, jump over or off it, or attempt it, but she won't ride the purple dinosaur at Meijer. go figure!

(2) i am hanging out with some students from XLR8 at Dayspring Family Camp. i love these times b/c they force relationships. i enjoy learning about students. XLR8 has so many great kids and the potential is off the charts!

(3) God is really teaching me to listen closely for Him. i admit, I am too usually too busy and would love to simplify. i think you can be busy and still hear from God, you just have be intentional about it. i am looking for Him more and more in life and circumstances. i am trying to catch His message to me. if i miss that, i will miss it all.

(4) did i mention i am not much of a camper or outdoors person. amanda just laughs at me. i like my creature comforts. i am actually a little mad that my wireless connection here in the lodge is too weak to check the score on the Blue Jays game. hopefully, i will be able to post this!

(5) speaking of Jays, they are 25-25, and looking decent in spite of major injuries this year, AGAIN! we just need to put a run of wins together. hey, we are still in it at this point, so i am happy!

peace

good will

(1) i finally took a load of clothes, toys, and other stuff to good will today. the guy inside, Jason, was very helpful and very thankful for my donation. why do we keep stuff that we aren't using when someone else could benefit? Amanda was emotional as we gave away some old baby clothes. it must be a girl thing. i don't attach emotions to clothes. i respect that she does, though, because they represent to her some powerful moments in life. i love you honey for the sweet look on your face as you let me take the clothes away.

(2) i love the spring weather. i love opening the car windows and airing out the house. what bothers me about it? the random fly over my head that i know i won't be able to kill until he/she wears down in a few days.

(3) last night in XLR8 (part 1), we talked about ways that God speaks to us. every student was given a postcard size paper and told to sit quietly until God spoke one thing to their heart. they weren't even allowed to talk to God until He spoke to them. why don't we spend more time listening. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT GOD SPOKE TO YOU, SO E-MAIL OR FACEBOOK ME!! i know if i only ever talked and never listened to my wife, we would have a very strained relationship.

(4) last night in XLR8 (part 2), before service even began & during our pre-service prayer, God laid on my heart that we must purify our hearts as individuals in order for His blessing to be on our group. i challenged students to come forward if they had at least one area of sin in their life. 80% of the 30 there came forward and our leaders prayed for God's power to break the hold sin had over them. IT WAS POWERFUL & set the stage for a great night.

(5) tomorrow is the Dayspring Family Camp-Out at Heartland. the Valantines will be "roughing it" in the lodge with a fridge, microwave, and soft bed. i'm not much of a camper, especially not with 3 kids. i hope to play some corn hole, sand volleyball, and scum (great group card game!).

(6) it costs $40 to buy diapers and wipes at the store - just wanted to throw that out there

(7) my parents bought a condo in Naples, FL. they are there right now, luckies! i can't wait to go down and enjoy it.

peace

short & sweet

(1) milkshake has been rescued (one of our two hamsters). she was living in the couch for 3 days, but now is free and reunited with the other hamster (don't know her name).

(2) annie was funny yesterday. her and Kait and I were outside playing and she said in regards to Kait on the swing, "when i was a kid, i used to love to swing like that." she is 6. When I was a kid? very cute.

(3) things are coming together for X-Treme Days. i am very excited about Wednesdays in June and July 2. if you can make it to XLR8, you won't want to miss these 5 weeks of X-Treme games and X-Treme Worship! bring friends and get crazy mad points!

(4) i have one of those meetings/appointments that i need a lot of prayer for today at 9:30am in case you read this before then.

(5) we won our softball game last night 16-3. i was catcher again and got on base 3 out 4 times. i scored the first run of the game! catcher is ok because i get to talk with the umpire a lot. i keep offering to wipe off the plate for him when someone gets dirt on it, but so far they haven't given me their brush yet.

(6) tonight in XLR8 is part 3 of the series God's Text Msg. we are focusing on the ways God speaks to us. i can't wait to see hear what God will say to us!

peace

a new week

(1) i had a great weekend. we had a lot going on at church and i still felt like i saw my kids a lot too. amanda was under the weather and trying to rest some, so i stepped in and pulled extra duty. scott estep was officially installed as our pastor, thanks to Wayne and Kathy Benson joining us on Sunday for that. the young adult married couples gathered for a cook-out at our place Sat. we had an amazing game of corn hole. it was like X-treme Corn Hole because of the wind. my team emerged victorious. the men's breakfast sat morning had about 90 guys. scott challenged every man to look at his work as a mission field. instead of the 10/40 window, we have the 9 to 5 window.

(2) sunday was a pivotal day in XLR8. for the first time under my leadership, a student spoke during School of the Bible hour. Emma Wilkerson shared with her peers some of what God has been teaching her over the past several weeks. she challenged them to live for God right now and to make a difference. she said, "we pray for opportunities at school to share Christ, but instead of waiting for them to fall in our lap, we should initiate them. go up to someone and tell them about the hope we have in Jesus." i was so proud to hear her sharing. another student told Jeremiah (teacher) that students should speak every Sunday, so Jeremiah told him to be ready to speak next week. i love it!

(3) my 2 yr old, Kaitie, is an amazing kid. she is our loud one. she is our bruiser. she has passion for life that i have not seen before. i love being with her. this weekend we had some fun moments. she likes to take the cushions off the couch and jump on the frame. weird! she also likes to put a hamster on the couch frame and watch it run around. well . . . the hamster previously known as milkshake (jk), found her way into the guts of the couch and we haven't seen her since about 4:45pm Sunday. never a dull moment. Milkshake . . . where are you?

(4) some of you have been wondering what is going on with my fitness program. why haven't i blogged about running lately? well, in order to blog about running, you have to be running. o well, i have the desire to get in shape and run consistently, but i have 2 major issues. #1 - amanda is not much of a morning person. she likes to sleep as long as possible. so, my morning running time often gets displaced by taking care of the kids if they wake up early. i don't mind, because i love starting the day early. #2 - my knees have been hurting a lot lately. i know it sounds lame, but when i hit 3 miles or so, i start to feel it. my sister, a licensed MD told me to take it easy. i have to listen to the DR. o well, maybe one day, i will get in shape!

(5) in light of Mother's Day, which has come and gone, and my mom's Birthday being today, i wanted to share some special memories about my Mom. Happy B-day mom!
*my mom is very caring and patient. she rarely raised her voice to us kids growing up. i don't know how she did it b/c i barely have a day when i don't raise my voice with my kids. it must be b/c i was such an angel.
*my mom has this upper lip thing that is so cute when she laughs. if you really get her going on something, look at her top lip, it'll make you laugh more.
*i used to love staying home from school sick as a kid. staying home = going to the dr. and then to McDonalds for lunch. of course, i'd have to take a nap if i stayed home. and what was up with the vacuum while i was trying to nap, mom? you couldn't wait till i woke up?
*my mom loves beach vacations! i love beach vacations. therefore, i love my mom! thanks, mom, for getting dad to spend all his money so we could enjoy some pretty sweet vacations growing up!
*my mom is so generous. she gives to so many people. she has blessed my family so much over the past 8/9 years. i believe she has the spiritual gift of giving. i believe God has blessed her and my dad because they understand that what they have is from God and they should give it when He tells them to give it.
*my mom has a disease called lupus. her joints can be pretty weak and she tends to get sick a lot. we joke that since she is sick so much, she will probably outlive all of us. she pushes through a great amount of pain and keeps trucking along. i am proud of her for that. i have never once heard her question God. what a lesson for me to learn! please pray that God cures her of lupus and gives my mother an extended period of great health!

well, that is a glimpse of my mother, if you haven't met her yet, your loss! i hope you can all spend time with her one day! Happy 60th B-day mom! (jk) i think she turned 35 today.

peace

snaps

(1) annie discovered how to snap her fingers yesterday. remember when you learned how to snap or whistle or skip? she wore her little fingers out by snapping so much. i think we'll need to ice them down today.

(2) i want to plug one of the books on my must reads . . . carry-on. my youth ministry mentor, SCOTTY GIBBONS, is the author and the book is a gold-mine. if you are new in youth ministry, a veteran of working with teens, or a non-youth person trying to be effective in ministry, this book is for you. check it out @ scottygibbons.com.

(3) yesterday, the Valantine family took a break. no meetings, no work, no get-togethers. we spent the day at home, lounging in comfortable clothes and racing our karts in the new Mario Kart for Wii. i am a big fan of Mario Kart! that's one game i am guaranteed to get my $$ worth.

(4) the next several days for XLR8 will be planning days for the summer and fall. i have sermon series to work on, X-Treme Days, and our big fall push (still need a good name for this if you have an idea)! i have learned, even more as of late, to pray like crazy before planning anything. i will be spending a good amount of time today in prayer. i want God to direct me and XLR8!

(5) i don't get much time to watch movies. i enjoy the moments i can sit around and experience a good flick. anyone seen a good movie lately that i could rent at the movie store? e-mail me or comment on this post if you have.

today could be the day that God does the thing you've been waiting for Him to do!

peace

sorry

i have not had internet access the past few days. i know some of you wait on this blog and struggle to make it through the day without these words (lol).

(1) we are in Dublin, Ohio at the 63rd Ohio District Council. the business that has taken place over the past few days is part of our A/G History in Ohio. Doug Clay has served as District Superintendent for the past four years. His leadership skills have elevated the Ohio District and him to the position of General Treasurer for the A/G. John Wooton has been voted in as our new District Sup. Please pray for him as he makes the transition from District Secretary to his new position.

(2) i miss my kids. we dropped them off at Amanda's parents on Monday. breaks are nice. as parents, you often need some time away from the stress of raising kids and the responsibility of making sure they don't hurt each other or themselves. each break i have from kids reminds me how much i love them. i have the best kids. i cannot wait to see what God has in store for them as the become personal participants in the kingdom of God!

(3) tonight, in XLR8, Youngstown Master's Commission will be leading our students closer to God. i am thankful for ministries that exist to prepare young adults for future ministry. it is a burden off my shoulders that they can lead the service tonight on the heels of being gone for 3 days. the past several weeks have been so amazing in XLR8! God's presence has been so real and we have experienced some great moves of His Spirit. come and check out XLR8 tonight at 7pm and see what GOd has in store for you!

(4) God has really been teaching me that prayer is the answer in every situation. i have been in the A/G (church) for 29 years. i have heard that prayer is important. i have seen it's effects. i know that i need top pray, and yet i don't pray enough. why? i have no answer except that i still don't get it. i am committing to pray like crazy over the next few weeks. i am not testing God, and yet i want to see what He can do through my prayers.

a few of my prayers:
(a) the salvation of my grandfather - Jim
(b) the future of Dayspring - under the direction of newly appointed lead pastor, scott estep
(c) a technical coordinator for XLR8
(d) my wife (she does so much and needs God's strength hourly!)

(5) i love coffee. i never used to drink it, but now i cannot get enough. i don't drink much regular coffee, but i love what i can get at Starbucks, the Flying Bean, etc. i really don't like the coffee taste, but i love sugar, flavored cream, chocolate, and whatever makes it taste so sweet. my drink of choice is: hot - vanilla chai latte, cold - raspberry mocha frozen drink.

peace

sun shining saturday

**the days i wake up and the sun is shining on me are my favorite. i am much more of a sun guy than a cloudy, rainy day guy.

(1) i am in Lexington, KY with out Teen Bible Quiz team. they had a good day yesterday, winning 6 out of 10 matches. if they do well today, they will be headed to Green Bay, WI for Nationals in July. I used to be quizzer. never made it to nationals, but was part of the 1997 State Champion team in Ohio.

(2) today, i was reading Daniel. Can you imagine if someone like Hillary Clinton were president and God gave you the interpretation to a dream she had. Would you have the boldness to tell her the meaning if it was bad news for her? daniel did that for the king, and he wasn't sharing good news with him. i pray i would have that kind of boldness.

**and what about the king's response. how many times did he have to see God do something before he started acknowledging that he was the one true God? seriously, the guy just didn't get it.

(3) X-Treme days will begin in 25 days in XLR8. i love the excitement that surrounds teams coming together, creatively planning their next big thing, motivating, encouraging, and competing for an ultimate prize. i like competition, let's not lie about it. however, when students play hard, they also pray hard. ever been to camp? i am believing for 50 new faces over 5 weeks, salvations, unity, and God to be God!

(4) Nash will be turning one on June 7th. i have a hard time remembering his birthday because he his due date was June 12th. anyone else have problems remembering dates? he is standing up leaning on tables and chairs. scooting around pretty good, and starting to say words. (first word = da da)! he is my favorite son!

(5) i have more to say, but am being pulled away for more Bible Quiz competition . . .

all time catcher

(1) last night was my first softball game of the year. actually, we played two games. i have been given the great honor of being the team catcher. in softball, this is the position for the guy on the team with the least talent. please keep all comments to yourself and stop laughing. i actually enjoyed it. 13 innings behind the plate. i got the chance to talk with the umpire, Woody, a lot. i got to know some of the batters on the other team. i actually made three outs, which is more than some of the other guys. today, i am sore! we won both games by the way and my batting avg is .625!

(2) an update on the pastoral search is that we have a candidate, Scott Estep, who preached this past sunday, is meeting with various ministries this week, and will be voted on this coming sunday. please pray for God's will at dayspring t be accomplished!

(3) tonight is the 2nd week in a row that XLR8 will be shortened (due to the town hall meeting with the pastoral candidate at 8pm). i am still believing for a great hour of worship with a guest missionary, Christina Miller. we will be talking about her adventures on the field and the impact prayer has had on her life. if you are coming tonight to XLR8, don't be late! the worship will be powerful. join us at 6:30pm for pre-service prayer!

(4) annie is back home after spending 2 days in Columbus with her cousins. she is growing up into a beautiful young lady. i believe God has big plans for all 3 of our children. last night, at the softball games, they were filthy after playing in the dirt. kaitie has a pony tail in and just looked adorable. nash has been sleeping through the night for over a month now. praise God!

(5) i am going to be starting a spiritual challenge in the area of resisting temptation this week. i believe God has greater things in store for me and i hold the key to unlock His blessings. the reality is that sin is everywhere. no matter what boundaries you set up, if your motives and desires are of the flesh and you allow yourself to entertain them for just a moment, you will fall into the enemy's traps. i am declaring an all out spiritual war for my soul! i am going on the offensive and i will win! please pray for me to be on guard 24/7, to resist the flesh and to become more like Jesus!

***If you need prayer in this area, please let me know! if you are not a blogger or if you don't want your comments to be publicized contact me by clicking on my profile and you can e-mail me direct.

new season

(1) dayspring is about to experience a new season of ministry. God orchestrated a powerful service yesterday with guest worship leader Lisa Ancira & Scott Estep, our pastoral candidate. the youth and young adults did sit together in the center section. some people were launched into panic when they showed up for church and found students in "their" seats. i loved it! scott estep loved it. he said, "get used to it!" maybe we will make i a regular seating arrangement.

(2) i was praying that my friend, Rich, would be able to attend church yesterday in light of his recent hospital stay. well, he was there! God answered our prayer, thanks, God! one phrase that God keeps giving me for Rich is, "you're gonna be okay." when i hear that phrase, a sense of peace comes over me. knowing that God is saying those words to us encourages me to make it through anything i face!

(3) my renewed passion for blogging has led me to some pretty skilled bloggers. why do i spend time reading other people's blogs? why would anyone do that? (lol - i think you are right now!) i do it because i respect some friends and leaders so much that i want to glean something from their lives. i want to hear what God is doing in them. i want to grow intellectually, ministerially, and spiritually . . . EVERY DAY! hopefully, you will grow in some way when you read my blog.

(4) okay, i have spared you a daily sport item in my blog, but i cannot resist any longer! many of you know that i am a die hard Toronto Blue Jays fan. WHY? well, when i was 5-6 yrs. old, i played t-ball for the jays. it stuck with me. last night, we met with our small group leaders and the entire family was dressed in Blue Jays gear. it makes me so proud! by now, you are wondering how the Jays are doing this year, right? well, we are in last place in our division, but we have won 4 in a row! baseball experts are saying that we have the BEST pitching staff in the MLB (all of baseball). WOOHOOO! Here we go blue jays, here we go!

(5) speaking of small groups (SG) . . . last night was everything i hoped and more from our SG leadership training. i want to share 5 items that students need from you if you are leading a small group (or working with students in an y capacity):

(A) students need CHALLENGED
*they need someone to push them out of their comfort zone in areas like: relationships, giving, time spent with God, leadership, and making good decisions

(B) students need you to BELIEVE IN THEM
*tell them this! look them in the eyes & tell them you believe in them. prove this to them by your actions. remember when someone believed in you?

(C) students need to KNOW YOU ARE REAL
*don't be fake and pretend you don't make mistakes or have struggles! allow them to see you are human too. don't take yourself too seriously. laugh at yourself and share embarrassing stories. this will earn you credibility!

(D) students need to hear TRUTH
*don't water it down. shoot straight and give them the truth, it "will set them free!" in a world where truth is relative, we still believe in absolutes. set the bar high and lead them to choose truth. we should show grace at times, but too much grace leads to students who don't set Godly standards.

(E) students need to KNOW YOU ARE IN FOR THE LONG HAUL
*people come and go. you need to persevere! students need you to hang with them even if they reject you are what you have to say. they will not forget the investment you make in their life. don't take things too personally. pray for them when they walk away and love them when they come back. stick it through. my mentor says, "ministry flows out of relationships, and relationships take time!

i hope that gives you some insight as you work with the students God has entrusted you with. if you are a youth worker, what other things would you say students desperately need from us?