Michael Presley’s First

“Bloggin aint easy thats for sure”

These important words from Mr. Stanfill are quite true.  Sometimes blogging can rack your brain beyond belief.  Why is it so hard to write down something about yourself or what is going on around you?

The word I am looking for is anyway….

The opportunity to be an intern at Northview has been great, egregious you might say.  I attended Northview for the first time when I was two weeks old and I haven’t missed to many Sunday’s since then.  It is awesome to be a part of a ministry that is always moving.  I have not seen a group of students be so genuine in their worship, than I have at Northview.  I love to see new people on Sundays and Wednesdays coming to Northview for the first time.

I look forward to serving, helping, worshipping and ministering with the 4:19 students.   :~)

Olympics and Jonas Bros.

Olympics have started and it’s been an absolute amazing story for the US Olympians. It seems like that if I am conscious, I’m watching the olympics. If I’m about to fall asleep, I mute the olympics and fall asleep to the white noise of my tv.. I guess in my mind, I feel like if I take my eyes off of the TV, I’m going to miss something. I.E the unbelievable finish of the U.S vs France in the 4 X 100m relay. What an impossible feat!!! This reminds me of how the bible talks about training to win, starting the race and finishing the race.

This also reminds of another amazing olympic story. At the 1968 Olympics, an hour after the marathon’s winner crossed the finish line, Tanzania’s John Stephen Akhwari limped across the finish line, injured in a fall early in the race. Asked why he didn’t quit, he said, “My country did not send me 7,000 miles to start this race. My country sent me to finish.”

I’ve always wondered, how much work does it actually take to become a world class olympian…. From what I hear from Michael Phelps (on the tv of course, but it seems like he’s speaking right to me,) all you do is eat, sleep, swim…and then do the process over and over again. How much truth is in that daily schedule? Of course there are some other things that he has to do. Take out the trash, feed the dogs, take a shower, do his daily chores, have a social life, etc. But honestly, does he have time to have a break from swimming? Maybe, Can he keep his mind from wandering back into the water thinking about every stroke, every breath, every kick? Probably not.

From his quote of eat, sleep, swim, i gathered this synopsis. Three things that he cannot compromise, three things he can’t slack away from. The other things in his life (social life, etc) can be compromised because they do not go along with his mental image of the gold medal. I mean I’m sure he has a social life of some sort, but it’s probably at the pool with his other olympic medal hopeful friends.

I say all that to say this. Olympians live, breathe for just a small moment on top of that Medal Podium. That is what they train for, that is what they beat their bodies for. But what happens when he gets too old for the olympics? Coach other olympians? The average age of olympians usually doesn’t exceed 28 and Michael Phelps is now 23 now. I’m sure coaching would be fun, but it doesn’t provide the same energy as actually doing it yourself.

We as Christians, have something to live and breath for now with eternal rewards in our future. Our goal is everlasting, our prize is eternal. How many of us actually live, breath, train our bodies for God’s glory? Some of us may train a little, here and there, but I bet most of our training couldn’t even get us to the jr. olympics. How much more do we have to look forward to, than our fellow Olympians? How much more do we have live for that some petty gold medal? (I’m getting to the jonas bros in a second) I believe we need to learn from the Olympian’s mindset. Everything else can be compromised in our lives, but not compromise the things that would get us to our goal. Eat, Sleep, God’s Glory. Eat, Sleep, Share the Gospel. Eat, Sleep, Love God Love People. What would our lives look like if we did that? What the world look like if we lived that way? Changed?

A couple of weeks ago, Dallas heard the news that the Jonas Brothers was moving in our area. I am not a big fan of the Jonas Bros, and I honestly haven’t heard a lot of their music. I’m sure they are great and I bet if I gave them a chance, I would actually enjoy their music. But even a person who is not a fan of the trio, could not escape from the news. It was everywhere within minutes; The local news, the newspapers, myspace comments, myspace status messages, facebook status, AIM Away Messages, etc. I bet for some who are reading this actually waited outside walmart so they could be the small few who got their hands on their new cd. (Yes, For some reason I knew it was coming out).

What if we took that zeal, and bottled it up and shared it with fellow believers so they could actually get excited for the one who created them. Get excited, lose sleep over, lose our voice for.

It’s a sad world if what we live for is just temporary. I admit, I screamed and got excited when Michael Phelps won his 2nd and 3rd goal medal in world record fashion. I do get excited for things that are not everlasting also. But I hope that i can learn myself, to use that energy for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Last Day Of Camp

CAMP • 6.27.08

Goodbye for now…

Celebration started out with Matt the parrot saying his final goodbyes to the students. The audience swayed and lifted their hands as they all sang a little of Michael W. Smiths “Friends are Friends Forever.”

Students watched as a boy in a bubble tried to do normal things like eating a hot dog, and playing frisbee. None of these things could he do of course because he was in a bubble! Then he saw a girl in a bubble and they ran towards each other to hug but ending up falling over. All this to say, don’t live your life in a bubble.

The students all got decked out in their colors to cheer on their teams for one final time. All of the mission teams were really creative but the Purple Craze took the Spirit Sledge. Matt Mogle called forth the sound engineer Taylor Heinman to hand out the Spirit Stick. Taylor had a tough decision but the Blue Crew beat out the rest and was named squad of the week.

As “The Wire” started Tasha and Sasha were sniffing and tearing up. They expressed their sadness that the students would be leaving after celebration and then went on to read the news for the day.

In “Choose the Way” the students decided that Brody would let the father give him CPR. Right as the father leaning forward he realized that Brody was faking it and kicked him out of the house.  For PSA with the PA Jake announced that Texas is just the same as any other state. In fact the only good thing they have ever given anyone is Walker Texas Ranger.

Shelly Weaver was named youth minister of the day, and given a beautiful hat that her students had made for her. Since it was the last day of camp he did not get to wear the beautiful sash, but he did get a picture with AT2AP.

Praises echoed as Kristian and his band led the students in singing “Faithful” and “Happy Day”. Students declared their freedom in Christ singing “We Shine”. To finish out they sang “High and Holy”, a love song just declaring the Lord’s majesty.

The Student Life staff would like to thank you for entrusting us with your students this week. We have had a great time teaching and serving them. Our prayer is that they would continue to grow and that what God did in their hearts this week would not end here. That God will continue to mold them and they would follow after Him with all that they have. Thank-you again and we will see you back next year!

Camp Thursday Night

CAMP • 6.26.08

Can God Confide In You?

The night started off with students from the choir free time option singing “In Christ Alone”. As the lights dimmed again AT2AP came up and did a drama about the hardships going on all around the world. Ashley played a girl who was concerned with the world around her and everything that was going amiss. Matt played a skeptic that believed the world is full of horrible things and there is nothing anyone can do to it. In contrast Shara described the hope in power of Christ, and how ultimately God will have the final word.

Then a short promo video from Servant Life, the mission part of Student Life was played. Servant Life offers mission opportunities in seven different Countries.  For more information students were directed to go to servantlife.com. The video talked about how we can study the Word day in and day out but if it does not propel us to take the Gospel to the Nations then we’ve missed the point.

Kristian and his band began worship singing “Majesty” and “Lord of All”. Praises echoed as they closed out with “Mighty To Save”. Kristian invited them to do with their hands what they have been talking about with their lips the whole week.

The band continued playing “Mighty to Save” as the Student Life staff took their places around the room with buckets. Students all around the room came forward to worship through giving. Every single cent of the money given tonight will go towards Compassion International, Reach Orphans with Hope, and Servant Life’s mission trips.

Then there was a short video based off of Philippians 2:5-7 that showed students the importance of having the attitude of Christ. A boy was fixing his friends car for absolutely nothing, but simply to serve.

The sermon tonight was based off of Isaiah 54. Neil read the students a recent article from the newspaper entitled “Believers Okay With Many Paths”.  The article talked about how religion is a salad bar where people heap on beliefs that they like. There is a stunning difference between people’s standards and their faith. The Bible talks about how people honor God with their lips but their hearts are far from Him.

To keep from our hearts being far from Him we need a God sized view of God. So often we use the word awesome to describe our car, food, friends, and at the same time God. He isn’t even on the same playing field as those other things, but we place Him there. We don’t realize that we are talking about the lofty and exalted God. For Jesus to come to earth he gave up some glory. If He came to this earth full of Glory He would have killed everyone. We’ve lost our mind if we think we can take hold of God. We don’t need to get our theology from the lyrics to a song. Think about God as He is and not as you need Him to be.

We also need a Biblical view of sin. Grace teaches us to say no to un-godliness and to live upright. The greatest thing about God is that He transforms us into the kind of people whom sin looses its appeal. Sin is an insult to the sufficiency of God

The reason sin doesn’t bother some of us is that we haven’t seen the King. Sin isn’t a big deal to us until we see the King. Neil told the students that he hopes that there will be a day when they have to tell their friends why they no longer do what they used to do.

God will reveal to you as much as He knows He can trust you with. He is roaming the earth for someone that He can show His heart. Camp is not a feeling we should try to maintain, but something that propels us in forward motion. He left the students challenging them to ask themselves what God can trust them with.

As students reflected on the sermon Kristian and the band sang “ Lord of All” and “Holy Is the Lord God Almighty”. Praises echoed everyone sang ” How Great Thou Art” and “Our God Reigns”. Kristian closed out praying that the Lord would loosen their grip on the things of this world. He told the students that he would continue to pray that the taste they have gotten this week would stay on their lips.

Camp Thursday Pt3

CAMP • 6.26.08

You’re Gonna Get Soaked!

The Yellow Swarm and Green Machine were very excited to get to cool off going to “Soaked”. They competed in several games including assault, the amazing water relay, battleship, pipeline, capture the ring, sling shot retrieve, water mafia and family group leader shootout.

The students loved family group leader shootout. In this game the students got the opportunity to get their family group leaders soaking wet by squirting them with long water soakers.

Another game that the students loved was water mafia. This game was based off of the popular game mafia. Students had cups full of water and when they splashed it on someone on the other team they were out and had to sit down. One student on each team was the doctor and could save their teammates by tagging them. The object was to get the other teams doctor splashed with water.

Red Rumble and Blue Crew has a blast at “Between the Lines”.  In volleyball tourney family groups compete against each other in a game of volleyball till three. One of the student’s favorite games was frisbee disk relay. In this game the fisbee goal was set up 50 yards away. The family groups throw the frisbee aiming for the goal. If the frisbee hits the ground the next student runs and tries. The team with the most frisebees in at the end of the game wins.

Matt Mogle the Rec. Director describes between the lines as a fantastic way for the student to build unity in their group through a healthy dose of competition.

Camp Thurs. pt 2

CAMP • 6.26.08

Holy Spirit?

In the last family group lesson, the students learned that the Holy Spirit empowers them to live a life full of love. In this lesson this truth was examined further, seeing the particular role of the Holy Spirit.

In John 14-16 Jesus tells His disciples that He is leaving, but they will not be alone because He is sending the Holy Spirit to live inside of them! This is so powerful to believers because He teaches, helps, and convicts. The Holy Spirit is the ultimate guide to life, and will provide an abundance of strength for the narrow road set before believers on this journey.

Students were challenged to truly value the role of the Holy Spirit in their lives, and encouraged that He will always be with them.

Camp Thurs. Morning

CAMP • 6.26.08

Yoga?

For the “Early Bird Special” this morning Matt the parrot led them in a few short yoga exercises. After the students had experienced yoga parrot style the Missions Site Coordinators ran down the aisles waving their flags and getting their teams excited. Each team had a whole lot of spirit this morning but the Purple Craze was just a little louder.

The recreation teams were not to be out-done as they screamed for their teams. The students were all crazy excited but the mighty green machine led by Clay Austin took the Spirit Stick.

For “Choose the Way” Brody faked passing out when his date’s father came home. The students choose that Brody would fake an illness to avoid CPR.

For “ PSA with the PA” Jake informed the students that just because someone puts on a wig does not make him or her a different person, and it is actually not even a good disguise. He knows that Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus are the same person and believes that it is very obvious. The students laughed as pictures of George Bush, Oprah, and the Rock with blonde wigs on appeared on the screen.

For the “Virtual Virus” 7 featured emailsanta.com. He read of several e-mails sent to Santa and one that he had actually sent Santa. Then it was time for youth minister of the day! Tim was “sashed” and given his cup trophy that the students made for him. After that a short video was shown to illustrate how to be prepared for the testing of your faith.

Callie Priest the event coordinator came up and shared how Compassion releases students from poverty in Jesus name. The children that are sponsored by Compassion are discipled, feed, given medical attention and much more. She shared about her trip with Student Life to the Philippines and how it had impacted her. She shared about how those Compassion students were lights in dark places.

Then Raf, part of the Student Life team this summer went up and shared her story and how compassion has affected her in more detail. She grew up in a slum, with a father that was a drunkard. At the moment that her family needed it the most her mother found out about Compassion, and she became a Compassion student. Through that program she got to go to a Christian school and learn about the love of Jesus for her and her family. For the first time in her life she knew hope. Through the Lord’s grace she was able to also go to college and graduate at the top of her class. The Lord transformed her family, and her father is now saved, and her family is active in local ministry. She was once a compassion packet lying in a booth then someone responded to God’s challenge and now she is a living testimony of how that changed a life. Life to the fullest is not based on her economic or social status, but that she knows Christ.

Camp Wed….Late Night

CAMP • 6.25.08

Late Night Luau

Aloha! Tonight was Luau night at light night. It was an intense battle between the jr. high and senior high students here.

There were many different games the students competed on stage, and several games going on throughout the room. There was a contest to see who could keep a hula-hoop up the longest, who could crack the coconut, limbo and volatile volleyball. The students loved these games and they were neck in neck until the end when the senior high pulled of the win.

Can rush stay on it had another segment, where the students watched intently trying to see if he could stay on the mechanical bull. Rush could not stay on the mechanical bull forwards or backwards.

To finish off the night the camp director Bo, dismissed the students to get some rest!

Wed. Night Camp Service

CAMP • 6.25.08

Words Fail…

As the lights faded Matt and Ashley began their sketch about “the Way”. As they continued in their dramatic interpretation Shara interrupted from the audience and told them that she was really confused about this whole metaphor thing. She asked a couple of youth ministers to explain practically what the way meant to them. Then she told them how following the way causes a disturbance in her life, and isn’t always easy. Matt was left speechless because Shara had described the way perfectly. Then Ashley left the students asking them what kind of disturbance are they causing.

The next video was about students knowing the Word. Ashley and Shara were shopping for dresses for an upcoming murder mystery party. Shara asked Ashley for forgiveness about what she wrote on her blog about her. James 5: 16 then flashed on the screen talking about how Believers should confess their sins to one another.

Kristian Stanfield and his band came on stage and led the students in singing “Everlasting” and “Beautiful Jesus”.  Next they all sang “The Highest and the Greatest”, a song declaring God’s supremacy and power.

The Holy Spirit really moved as Neil opened the night with an invitation. Students all across the auditorium answered the call right then as they accepted Jesus. Then there was a time for confession, He told them that getting more information was not going to help them but doing something with what they know will help them. Neil then read Psalm 86 over them all. He prayed that they would take the training wheels off as the students stood in the Lord’s presence.  The students were given a time to reflect and respond as Kristian sang several songs.

Neil told the students that sometimes we can just grow so busy. When David played his harp demons fled from Saul. He invited all those that are worn out to come just lay down before the Lord. For the next few minutes Kristian played as students and adults just spent time with the Lord.  Then everyone sang “How Great is Our God” to close out the amazing night. There is no other way to describe the night and words fail in comparison of the Spirit of God changing lives tonight.

Camp Wed. pt3

CAMP • 6.25.08

Marked by Love

What does a life in the way look like? Practically how can students make that daily decision to follow Christ? Life along the narrow way is about so much more than the things Christians aren’t suppose to do. This life is a life filled with love, and wisdom.

Living in love, means imitating the example of Jesus. Ephesians 5: 1-18 is the passage that students dived into for family group this morning. This passage encourages believers to live in a way that the world sees the love of Christ displayed. Jesus made a way so that we can have direct communion with Him. This means that the love is not up to Christians, because if that were true, no one’s love would be good enough. It is Christ’s love flowing through us.

Students are challenged to live like a child of the Living God. This is shown by making good decisions, in how you live and interact with others, being self-controlled, and being obedient to the Holy Spirit. Practically this is done by examining your actions and motives, encouraging each other, and being thankful.

The students were then asked is this the way that you are living your life now? This life is impossible to live by relying on ourselves. The Holy Spirit living in us empowers us.