 |
previous posts
i am tired. back from the retreat. it was awesome...
AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
i just shoveled the 10 inch snow off my driveway a...
nice fluffy white snow... it's like a little mira...
MERRY CHRISTMAS!! it's snowing. :D beautiful... ...
just got back from a christmas eve service at my p...
STORM. intense sermon re judging. one thing in par...
a packed day. ice-skating with my lovely STORM yo...
googlisms were funny for a while, but now i'm gett...
someone made up a googlism for me. italics are my ...
THE RETREAT
awesome in so many ways.
it's at times like these, i am reminded why i am a youth group teacher.
so many times, i wish i could help them to understand the gospel, and i find myself straining, pleading. there have been times when i've been met with blank looks, stares, folded arms, you name it. i can't really blame them. that was ME in junior high and high school, too. but that doesn't help me when i know what i know, and they don't. especially when i first started, to be honest, i was scared stiff of them. they all looked like thugs to me. every single one of them.
over the past yrs, i've come to know them better. i've seen them change. i've seen their hearts yield, break. i've even seen some cry. these kids are so far along, they are hardly recognizeable from who they were a while ago.
during a special time like this retreat, spiritual growth is practically VISIBLE. i don't know how often you can say this about ADULTS. but with these guys, it is visible. it is such an amazing thing to see and witness.
"solid root, glorious fruit"
convicted numerous times. it's amazing how these messages are just AS relevant, if not seemingly directly relevant for ME.
i popped 5 strings... i ran out of G's and high E's (popped all the spare sets i had brought). that was pretty bad. i wasn't too upset, 'cause hey, what can you do, right? well, a nice dude from another group at the retreat let me borrow his guitar. thank you, eliot, wherever you are. i am indebted to you, sir.
the 2nd night, we had a wonderful time of praise, prayer. pastors prayed for all the youth. surely, God is reaching them. where i will fail with my stories and examples, God will succeed with His presence.
i wrecked all the kids in bball, pingpong, and the balloon popping game. i don't take it easy on em. in fact, i think my eyes gleam and i take it straight at em. HAHAHAHAHAHA...
i'm probably the only 24 yr old that takes so much pleasure in beating kids half his age in these games...
chris took his revenge on me, though. he kicked me in the 'nads in the balloon popping game. i'm going to get you back for that, chris...
we had several snowball fights. i was doing pretty well until someONE decided that she needed to resort to wrestling. or should i say, TACKLING. some pretty good tackles, actually. i was blindsided several times. i got cc back by flipping her upside down and dropping her down headfirst. :D
the last day, we went boarding. SOOO much fun. i am not good yet, but am improving rapidly. mostly because the butt pad that stella got me allowed me to be much more daring. i can carve pretty decently now, and am not afraid of any of the slopes, however icy they might be (except the black diamonds. i refuse to go on those because i am scared of heights).
eventually, i wasn't able to be as bold or improve because i cramped up. again. even AFTER stretching for 30 minutes beforehand. quads, hamstrings. i don't know why i keep cramping up...
popstar was my partner throughout the day because she and i are of a comparable level of skill. snowboarding has totally changed from a wet, tiring, hurting experience to one of absolute fun and freedom. :D
****
i must take this time to first, thank God that i am given this privilege of being a part of something like STORM youth group. it is so precious to me: the relationships with these kids, the things i am learning, and being able to SEE God working in them.
2ndly, i have to thank dave lim and gloria bang. every friday night and sunday morning, i go in front of these kids and sing and play guitar until i drip in sweat. it doesn't help that i don't know how to sing properly (i sing with my throat and nose apparently, instead of singing from my diaphragm). i also tear the fingertips of my left hand and chip the nail of my R index finger, strumming like a madman. it's painful each and every time, and the thick callous that have developed seem to do nothing to protect me.
so when dave and gloria agreed to go to the retreat, i was ecstatic. i didn't have to sustain all the sound myself and i didn't have to provide the entire range of dynamics. in addition, having them with me gave me more freedom to worship.
dave was rockin on the djembe, and gloria sang beautifully. thank you, guys!
yakob at 7:15 PM
-----------------
awesome in so many ways.
it's at times like these, i am reminded why i am a youth group teacher.
so many times, i wish i could help them to understand the gospel, and i find myself straining, pleading. there have been times when i've been met with blank looks, stares, folded arms, you name it. i can't really blame them. that was ME in junior high and high school, too. but that doesn't help me when i know what i know, and they don't. especially when i first started, to be honest, i was scared stiff of them. they all looked like thugs to me. every single one of them.
over the past yrs, i've come to know them better. i've seen them change. i've seen their hearts yield, break. i've even seen some cry. these kids are so far along, they are hardly recognizeable from who they were a while ago.
during a special time like this retreat, spiritual growth is practically VISIBLE. i don't know how often you can say this about ADULTS. but with these guys, it is visible. it is such an amazing thing to see and witness.
"solid root, glorious fruit"
convicted numerous times. it's amazing how these messages are just AS relevant, if not seemingly directly relevant for ME.
i popped 5 strings... i ran out of G's and high E's (popped all the spare sets i had brought). that was pretty bad. i wasn't too upset, 'cause hey, what can you do, right? well, a nice dude from another group at the retreat let me borrow his guitar. thank you, eliot, wherever you are. i am indebted to you, sir.
the 2nd night, we had a wonderful time of praise, prayer. pastors prayed for all the youth. surely, God is reaching them. where i will fail with my stories and examples, God will succeed with His presence.
i wrecked all the kids in bball, pingpong, and the balloon popping game. i don't take it easy on em. in fact, i think my eyes gleam and i take it straight at em. HAHAHAHAHAHA...
i'm probably the only 24 yr old that takes so much pleasure in beating kids half his age in these games...
chris took his revenge on me, though. he kicked me in the 'nads in the balloon popping game. i'm going to get you back for that, chris...
we had several snowball fights. i was doing pretty well until someONE decided that she needed to resort to wrestling. or should i say, TACKLING. some pretty good tackles, actually. i was blindsided several times. i got cc back by flipping her upside down and dropping her down headfirst. :D
the last day, we went boarding. SOOO much fun. i am not good yet, but am improving rapidly. mostly because the butt pad that stella got me allowed me to be much more daring. i can carve pretty decently now, and am not afraid of any of the slopes, however icy they might be (except the black diamonds. i refuse to go on those because i am scared of heights).
eventually, i wasn't able to be as bold or improve because i cramped up. again. even AFTER stretching for 30 minutes beforehand. quads, hamstrings. i don't know why i keep cramping up...
popstar was my partner throughout the day because she and i are of a comparable level of skill. snowboarding has totally changed from a wet, tiring, hurting experience to one of absolute fun and freedom. :D
****
i must take this time to first, thank God that i am given this privilege of being a part of something like STORM youth group. it is so precious to me: the relationships with these kids, the things i am learning, and being able to SEE God working in them.
2ndly, i have to thank dave lim and gloria bang. every friday night and sunday morning, i go in front of these kids and sing and play guitar until i drip in sweat. it doesn't help that i don't know how to sing properly (i sing with my throat and nose apparently, instead of singing from my diaphragm). i also tear the fingertips of my left hand and chip the nail of my R index finger, strumming like a madman. it's painful each and every time, and the thick callous that have developed seem to do nothing to protect me.
so when dave and gloria agreed to go to the retreat, i was ecstatic. i didn't have to sustain all the sound myself and i didn't have to provide the entire range of dynamics. in addition, having them with me gave me more freedom to worship.
dave was rockin on the djembe, and gloria sang beautifully. thank you, guys!
yakob at 7:15 PM