So I have some brain power to write/type today. I actually have tons of work to do and this is a dodge. Last night I watched a movie that really got me thinking. The movie itself was horrible but one of the leads said "You're the only person I can be completely myself with". That little line in a horrible movie has REALLY got me thinking. I am grateful for my wife today.
Yesterday I was planning on going to a funeral of a lady at our church. She is the first person from our church that I have gotten to know to die since I've been here. I did not go. At worship yesterday morning she was in my thoughts. Thoughts of her led to thoughts of my Grandma Kraws who died 05/25/06. I am still pretty torn up about Grandma and recently I have been thinking on the anniversary of Mom Masten's and Robbie Oyler's deaths. I then continued to think of others like Uncle Rob and Gayle Converse. This is a lot of reflection on important people in my life who are now in heaven and I am feeling... I guess the word is blue. I miss them.
The last time I was in Ohio I didn't go and visit my Grandma Kraws and I am full of regret over it. I even find myself plagued with guilt about it. I have never been good at keeping in touch with people; my day to day life gets so busy and weary and I just don't do it. Then I feel bad and that bad feeling paralyzes me so I don't go ahead and make the call or write the letter because it has been so/too long. Urgh. Grandma knew me pretty well, all my faults included, and I wish she had just given me hell about not calling and writing enough. But that was not her. She would give me hell about other things but never about not treating her as well as I should have.
So I lead 30 teens and 11 other adults on an Appalachian Service Project mission trip to Bell County, KY a couple of weeks ago and it was way cool. God showed up and did His usual powerful and amazing stuff. I have the best job in the world.
So I am working on a disciple model right now. I am looking to develop a couple of tools and plans out of it. I want to have a model of what a student who I get in 6th grade should be like when they graduate from 12th grade. What makes up a "fully devoted follower of Christ"? Then based on that model I will develop a 7 year teaching/programming/development plan for the youth group. I will also develop a disciple sheet to give to my adult volunteers that they can use with teens to evaluate where they are at in the process of becoming a model/end product disciple and develop ongoing game plans for continued development. This is not brain surgery here but it is absolutely overwhelming me. My wife says, and she is almost always right, that I am over thinking this and need to just start with something and then tweak and peak it over the next couple of years.
Well, I better get back to the grindstone now; my nose has cooled off.
