WOW WOW WOW... Yes that is one of the cd's I was listening to today, but it also understates how I feel about the retreat this past weekend. Lets just start off by saying That the Red team should have one everything, but we wanted to show compassion to the other teams. Congrats Yellow team!

    This was the first retreat I have ever been on and didn't know what to expect.  Needless to say it did not start off well ,as I was late leaving work and then the snow started (urgh I hate snow) and I forgot a blanket, towel.  Here I was a  student leader , never having lead before. I was so happy once Alex said I would  have blues clues Steve to share my duties. Being the new kid on the block I was kind of scared I would be the last kid picked (last leader picked by a group of guys). God snatched that one right away from when Matt,Mason,Nate,John,Grahm  came right over to Steve and I. I have to tell you that felt pretty good.

So with the score 1-1 (bad snow, being late  vs  a great co-leader and great group of guys) I was ready to get this retreat going. Fiday night turned out to be a great but pondering night. I think most of my group including me had more questions then answers and felt kind of lost that first night (later I find out that was the goal) After our small group we ended the night back at the cabin and then the day really began. Between Nick Tuckers slight build up of Gas and my Ninja snowball attack squad . I knew it was going to be a intersting night. Lets just say we can throw snowballs with the best....RRRR I mean I knew nothing about this and I was asleep when  the red and blue teams made small work of the yellow.... I think I must of dreamt it all actually . Strike what I just said :)

Saturday was early rising but good (thanks charlie for the blanket, I would have frozen to death with out it. Bow to your Sinsae). The talks on change and spending quiet time was just amazing, different for each one of us all I am sure but none the less amazing. I am always told that guys dont share or show emotion. Not true and thats all I will say. other then I didn't share the weekend with boys but rather men.

Satuday after first session a few of us built what can only be described as a massive giant hersey kiss / jabba the hut snow man in a competition against oarnge (girls). Oarnge did a really good job, but the boys won for tallest snowman/ thing.  Saturday night was when God really showed himself to me or I should say I found him, because in retrospect I know he was there the whole time.  Being able to physically write out our prayers and share them with our partner/team  was amazing. I felt God touching the whole chapel and I know it touched individuals, because God made it very obvious to me. My group was amazing did I say that, if not THEY were AMAZING. My group I feel taught and led me, I can only hope i kind of did the same for them( I know I have a lot to learn and do).

Saturday Night leaving the chapel and Sunday and after Chapel God touched my heart in a very personal way and I realized the Snow which i hate so much is something I am loving now ( a serious change for me ) I think God new my heart deep down needed change and he touched it with about 12inches of snow. My quiet time at the camp was very special, my group was great, my learning expeirence the best I have ever had. Did Alex do that, did my group do that , did  steve do that, Did I do that, God may have used these pieces but he panted the picture of change in my heart and I love him for that.

Ok sorry for  a very long post for a guy who really never posts.

Monday 3:30 pm Work I get a call into my bosses office about change. I look to take kind of a promotion at work and change my job description. Coincidence.....MMMMMM. NO  dont think so, Not by a long shot. OK God I get it change can be very good and I understand and Love you very much.  Anyone who stuck around to the bottom, please pray for me that I am able to take this new position.

See you all  on Tuesday.

kevin

08/25/2005 4:19pm

                     Hi all!!! Hope everyone is doing well ! Well I had a God moment and thought I would share as well as get opinions. I was driving to work yesterday and  listening to K-LOVE as i just dont get enough Praise on Sundays at Church. I'm singing along to all my favorite tunes ( Yes I have a horrible voice and can't carry a toon, but in the car i sound good and when I sing with all the other voices on Sunday I sound really good), when all of a sudden all the road signs ie. exit signs, road markers, mileage markers were all jumping out at me... Like they were prefocused in front of my eyes. I could still see the road but all these signs were just zooming in my line of sight. Ok wierd  I know. Anyhow I just continue to drive as all these no descript signs just keep grabbing my focus, when all of a sudden i just see these amazing clouds in front of me and now they preoccupy my eyes (No accidents, I could still see the road like before). It was just these pillowy( this that a real word) clouds that were soft round edged and the tops were just full of bright white light while the bottoms has this lazy grey color to them. I just watched these clouds for 5 or so minutes. No more signs, the music faded away and while i saw the traffic in front of me, even that faded away to a certain degree. All I saw were these beatiful clouds. Well I am not a genius, I figured God was trying to tell me something, so the hamsters in my head started turning. Hmm... 94west to the clouds ...no thats not it ... mile marker 57 grey/white clouds..... Ok..... maybe I didnt feed the hamsters this morning lol. Think think signs ok ....IT'S A SIGN......cool now Im getting the hang of this. A sign ...hmm sign clouds..OK now at this point I am steering at the clouds (like when you were a kid finding things that may or may not be there) to see what I can see. OK yes, yes.... thats definetly a eye looking at me and if the cloud movvvveeees.. Yes that is a nose and ok( now I'm squinting),yes that is a mouth with a beard around it. YES... its God....no its not.....OK....Yes he trying to tell me something but what...Duhhhh .... Clouds are above us. so.. Signs + above=  a sign from above. Like I said not a Rocket scientist.  Ok now everything comes zooming back to me the traffic is there the signs are just signs and while the clouds stay amazing they are not grabbing at my heart and eyes. 3 seconds later i hear this horrible whining noise comming up on my left. Yes it was a car with serious brake and muffler problems and as this car/minivan is passing me, I look over and there is a white lettering on the side that says safey first ( seriously safety first on a car thats sounds like a cat was being killed). Ok that grabbed my attention. Was god asking me to be safety minded as I almost never buckle up ( yes i know how stupid, that is quickly changing).So of course the seatbelt goes on. click. Was that what God wanted me to do...maybe, but I thought why  would he do all that for that, wouldn't there be an easier way. ( this is where your toughts come in people). So i finished my commute and had an uneventful day and a safe trip home. Leslie and I went to a friends for dinner and when we were sitting outside on there deck i am looking around  and look to the sky to see...yes my clouds back but this time in an opening of the clouds is what appears to be a very distinct cross. I wanted  to make sure at this point  that I am not crazy and having already related the driving story to leslie asked her to look up. The cross was there and yes it could have been formed by criss crossing jets way up in the sky, but after the most recent expierence I had my doubts about the plane or if it was planes, God wanted me to see the cross. Ok here is where my mind spins. (again opinions are valued) Was the seatbelt thing the whole message, was I supposed to take the cross as my sign from above and speak to my friend that night about christian life as while he believes in God he does not attend church or praise him as his savior ( side note..When I became baptized i made this friend a long term goal of getting him to God). While we all walk with God at a different speeds  and may awakening to Gods Glory and Love is recent...I am struggling a little with what God was trying to show me. Was he showing me to be safe i.e. buckle up, Was God wanting me to talk to my friend, Was God wanting me to do both. Is God sending me a message in parts and I need to wait for the next installment? Pray for me that I might better understand What God is asking of me so that I may better server his glory.

Sorry to take up so much space but it Was a God moment(s) and wanted to share as well as seek advice from my fellow Crhistians as well as from God in my, thoughts,words and prayer.

Aloha,

kevin

3:46 pm 08-19-05.

           HMMMM. Where do I start. Been a busy week and no rest  in sight. Erica and the girls(more like a gang), thanks for the house redecorating! Seriously  it was funny and I laughed for quite a while. I am guessing by my house, you had a good time last night. It is great to have friends like you guys as it makes the stinky week a little better. Nothing really to post other then thanks for making my night. Have a great weekend all and God Bless.

See you on Sunday

kevin

Currently Listening Almost There By MercyMe, Mercy Me I can only imagine see related

08-17-05  6:16pm.

 Just got done with my work day and figured I would post before I went home for the night. Erica thanks for stopping by and that goes for you also Alex. Yes I appreciate my wife stopping by as well. I changed my pic today. I found this on webshots.com and liked it quite a bit. Well by know everyone knows BJ is stepping down from CrossTown. I have to think that most of us have lost some sort of sleep over this. Everyone is going to handle this in there own way be it understanding, resentment, anger, happiness,joy. I am hoping while some of the uglier feelings may surface at first the happier ones will soon follow.

 I  found it  helpful to have someone with whom you can share your joys and struggles in living the Christian life. This companion in my case has and continues to be Leslie and in some cases BJ. A companion of course can be another family member, or a close friend, a youth group and I think in some cases in an odd way a xanga.

Who ever one turns he or she should be open to  hearing and sensing about the movement of the Holy Spirit in there life. The Christian journey is not meant to be an individualistic, privatized spirituality. It is in community that we discover who we are and what we have to share and how you are being called to share our gifts. For the past 3 years BJ and family have been sharing those gifts with CrossTown and everyone around them. God has done many wonderous things with BJ and has helped him to grow CrossTown to what it is today.... A growing thriving place where you can start your walk as well as continue on the journey that is Life with the Lord. My hope is that anyone that reads this will support BJ and Family to the fullest, even if they don't feel comfortable with it , because when it comes down to it, just because we want BJ to stay that doesn't mean the Lord and can best use him there. ....

Yes i know my spelling is horrible.. thats what i get for attending a catholic grade school. Sorry about the soap box above but it was on my chest. On the lighter side of things. I have been part of a group that is a smaller part of Sharefest at the Chapel. My group is putting together 690 backpacks filled with school supplies for kids in Lake and McHenry counties that can't afford them. Please Pray for my group. We have the backpacks we have the supplies now we just have to get them into the hands of the kids. 

By the way it was great to see everyone at BW's that was there.

anyhow they are kicking me out of work.

God bless everyone and have a great finish to your week and hope to see alot of you at church on Sunday.