Time

When the bus pulled in from Kairos and I finally arrived at home, I realized that I had ever been so tired in my life. But if you are a parent, you know that Carson & Cameron, didn’t care... they just wanted their daddy.

We spent the day playing together and then the next morning Courtney and I flew out for a week of vacation.

Courtney’s love language is time. If you don’t know what that means, i encourage you to pick up “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman. Basically, Courtney feels loved the most when it is just me and her with no agenda spending quality time together.

So this week, we will lay on the beach, float in the pool, eat at the buffett, take naps, watch movies, and go to the pool again... tan fat always looks better than white fat!

You see, as great as Kairos was, and how incredible it was to see so many students lives changed... it is not my first priority.

The measure of any man is how he leads his family.

What is your number one priority? Let me put it this way. What do you spend most of your time investing in? What do you spend your time dreaming about? What do you spend your time thinking about?

I encourage you this week to take a step back from all the things we “ought” to be doing and focus in on the most important responsibilities we have.

I hope you have a wonderful week and maybe take some, TIME, to invest in the most important relationships in your life!

I included some pictures of our TIME...

Thanks

Well the results are in and Kairos was all we prayed and hoped it would be.

So how do you create such an amazing week for students? Well the group above deserves the credit.

They are the ones who have the late night conversations with students, stay in the hospital until 4 a.m., load & unload and then do it again, ride on a van for 18 hours, and love on your students.

I can’t tell you how proud I am to be a part of this team. What an incredible group of people.

What amazed me most was watching everyone work within their gifts. There is no limit to what you can accomplish as a team when you know your gifts and the gifts of the people around you and everyone is satisfied in their role.

There is another group I want to thank... YOU! Whether you are reading this as a student, parent, scholarship donor, or just friend.... we could not have pulled this off without you.

Thanks for believing in the Rock Creek Student Ministry! Thanks for Loving these Students!

I think I can speak for the entire team when I say we have FINISHED EMPTY!

Jason

Live From Kairos

Well I have to say that I am completely blown away by what God has done this week.

First of all tonight was “over the top” watching our video guys in the helicopter flying around a multi-million dollar yacht, while our students were about to eat prime rib, shrimp, mahi-mahi, and key lime pie... was one of the most overwhelming and exciting things that i have ever done.

The students were more excited about tonight that I have ever seen them about anything.

I sat on the back of the yacht as the sun went down into the gulf. The students were eating and I slipped away for just a couple of moments to think. I was thankful. Thankful that you gave. You gave your time to invest in your child. You gave your trust to allow me take them. You gave your money, not just the $300, but faithfully, so a place like Rock Creek could invest in students in such a way. I am so thankful to be a part of this.. at a place like Rock Creek!

Tomorrow Morning we are going to walk, as a family, carrying a 400 pound cross into the ocean. We will baptize 32 students and one of my leaders!!! New Life! New Hope! New Hearts!

I have a wide range of emotion tonight.... I am exhausted and excited, empty and full, satisfied and hungry and to be honest... I am ready to see my little girls!

But there is more to do. I have had more one on one conversations with broken, hurting, & lonely students this week than in all my time combined at Rock Creek.

Their common cry... “how could God love me... with all i have done... with all the pain i have caused... with all the anger inside me...with all the hurt that waits for me at home... how?”

Through the tears, time and time again, i lean into a students face and whisper... “take a look at that ocean... do you see how far east is from west? That is how much God loves you and how far he has separated your sin from you. My God.... Is Crazy in Love With You!

God is moving! Lives Are Changing! Kairos is Happening!

I could write much more... and I think I will when the time is right... but for now, i need rest... we are not done yet... and I intend to FINISH EMPTY!

My Kairos Moment

I am sitting in a quiet corner near my office at church. It is 5:22 a.m. and the sun is peaking over the hills that surround this beautiful campus. What a beautiful picture God is painting this morning. My heart is overcome with emotion this morning that i did not see coming.

For over a year, I have thrown everything I am into this trip. In this moment I have realized that every creative thought, video, moment, competition, talk, song and leader... has been put together for one common goal.... to see students follow Jesus. No.. not just have an emotional camp experience, but truly experience Jesus is way that will change their life. I can see that he is already moving.

Over the past two weeks, we have already confirmed 14 students that want to be baptized in front of their peers, and the world. Proclaiming that they are not ashamed of following Christ. But God has so much more in store for us.

I have a “quiet time” playlist that i listen to when i am studying or reading. I just laughed to myself as the theme from “Braveheart” once again begins to play softly behind me. Do you remember the scene? William Wallace is standing in front of the most powerful men in Scottland to tell them that he will “Invade England.” They tell him, “that is impossible.” He says, “why is that impossible? Why? Because You won’t stand together and have missed your God given right to something more!”

I knew that feeling for so long. Alone in this fight. Believing a dream no one else would and wholeheartedly embracing that God has chosen this generation of students... the most unlikely... to have the biggest impact on the Kingdom.

Even as you read that statement, it may seem... “impossible.” So know I look at you with passion and say, “Why, why is that impossible.”

For the first time in my leadership as Student Pastor... We have a team of people who believe the impossible. Who Believe God is who He said He is and will do what He promised to do.

Will you join us in our maddness? Will you put on your armor, drop to your knees and pray until you can pray no more. Pray that the hearts of this “fatherless” generation will return to the Greatest love the world has ever known!

Thank you for Believing. Thank you for Investing.