Skiing with my students

Some students of mine invited me to go skiing with them.  It always makes me feel awesome when students invite me to hang out!  I love hanging out....talking on the chairlifts....rippin' it up and celebrating our descents together......SO FUN!

And this type of hanging out is especially fun!

It was a beautiful day on the slopes with the buds

These are good days...

Follow @joeandheidi

Retreats are Tiring....for the leaders.

We were part of a team that took about a 100 University students on a ski retreat recently.  We packed out a church, sleeping on floors and pews, and had a grand ol' time.  Over the coarse of the weekend, we estimated that our kitchen/food crew slept a total of 9 hours over the course of 3 days as they bought food for 100+ people and cooked and cleaned like Kitchen Champions. 

Heidi led that Kitchen team of superstars with Elizabeth and Josiah in tow.

6 short life reflections that being on the kitchen team taught us:

1. If you want to serve people, expect to get tired.
2. The people you serve will rarely grasp how much effort it took care for them....but they shouldn't need to.  It was never about that to begin with.
3. Teamwork is quintessential for accomplishing anything notable.
4. In many cases, your kids don't have to keep you at home.  Make your activity fun for them and it'll turn into their adventure too.
5. Serving others will expose your own sin....especially your selfishness.
6. Make service your priority and your mission, and you'll find your heart will joyfully follow soon thereafter.   

Follow @joeandheidi

A bit of my story

Not sure if you've seen the earlier post entitled, "props to our dad"...scroll down to find it if you haven't. But here is part II of the video.

It has a bit of my (our famlies) story in it. Enjoy!

Habbakuk Bible Study Promo (Deux) from Floodgate Productions on Vimeo.

Calling

There was a time in my life when the sight of paw prints..made me both scared and sad. Young men...baggy clothes...and tattoos of a dog paw on exposed sin was a symbol of deep pain colliding with a fighters heart. I used to serve young men, gang members ages 16-24 who had criminal records, dropped out of school, and had addictions.

Today, God's called me to serve in Vancouver's richest neighborhood.

The life I once lived seems like a shadow.

And while that makes me sad...it also makes me realize that the sight of shadows means there's a light shining nearby...and the young men with paw print tattoos are still tatooed on my heart...and shadows help me remember them.

Life with a baby

Almost a year ago, we found out that Heidi was pregnant. We were ecstatic. At the time we didn't know how it would change our lives...except for the fact that we knew it would, somehow.

But we were wrong. Our lives didn't change.

Ministry, adventures, date nights, sabbath, exercise, and friendships all continued on.

What our lives did do, however was become enhanced.

Ministry got infused with new perspective and passion

We have begun to experience God in a new way...as a good father

Adventures became more challenging

Rock climbing while pregnant, canoeing trips, and traveling with a young one brings out our creativity for sure!

Date nights became more meaningful

Saturday night...after Elizabeth goes to sleep...order pizza for delivery...hang out...and talk. These baby-less moments are sweet.

Sabbath became more important

Thank God we are allowed to cease from work to enjoy creation and each other and rest. New parents like us...really really need this.

Exercise got harder
Rockclimbing and running while pregnant = hard. Pushing Elizabeth's stroller while running up big hills = hard!

Friendships became stronger

When we're over our heads, frustrated, at our wits end with Elizabeth...encouragement/help is only one phone call away from so many of our wonderful friends.

So today...we did what we always do....we try to honor God by being fully alive in the most beautiful places on earth....and it doesn't take much. A day in Squamish, rockclimbing and hiking is all it takes. Here are some pictures from the day.

a family adventure

lots of love between these two

good times...

Sitting here

...at work

looking at a mega load of stuff to do....

but you know...it's a real privilege. It honestly never stops being a privilege.

I'm glad I have something to show up for...

I'm glad people still trust me to do this good work...

Sitting here...is good.

Recently, Heidi and I were participants in a hoe-down at our church. We got our hoe-down on and had a fun time....Heidi liked the exercise...and I liked wearing suspenders. yee-haw

In other news....we may be going down to Mt. Baker with our friend "Dan the man" for a little fall season ice climbing on the seracs....which should be fun. Heidi will come for the hike in and take pictures and I will climb my heart out.

Here's a pic from last season's ice adventure with Dan



Alrighty then...time to go....peace out yo....
leading some meetings this afternoon
planning a bible study
speaking at Alpha tonight...
then if time.....goin to the climbing gym for a quick burn.

Today....

Goin to the gym to climb things- morning
Goin to Starbucks - afternoon
Goin to do a crap load of errands for tonight- afternoon
Goin to the office for meetings - late afternoon
Goin to a country hoe-down with 60 teens - evening
Goin home @ 11pm - late evening
Goin to bed - tomorrow morning

Workin...

Ya know....

It's such a privilege...doing what we do. Such a cool privilege.

To care for others (and be cared for...and my students care for me...a broken man being mended by God)...to mentor, lead, encourage, challenge, equip, and discipline.

It NEVER gets old.

We are pastors to students.

Junior High students -- High School students -- College students

I used to think, "Workin' for a church is a sucky job"...."especially working as a pastor to students"...."youth pastor jobs are stepping stone jobs until you get something better"....

But...I just realized something...including the ministry I did full-time before coming to Vancouver...this is my 6th year of student ministry...

...and ya know, I could do it for another 6. Without a doubt. Oh how I've been changed...

Student ministry is the most exciting, rewarding, challenging adventure I have ever particpated in. Harder than any mountain, rock face, marathon etc...

There is SO much for God to do....

It's cool to work alongside the wounded healer...as a wounded healer.

Heidi is preaching tomorrow

Yeah....she's doin it!

She has preached before...done it a few times with me, and a couple times by herself for highschoolers, but this time she has been asked to preach in the main service.

She is really excited!

It's a bit consuming...ya know...

...every week...serving such great people....people who look like:

Junior Highers and High schoolers serving at a local non-profit

high school students inviting their friends to a Youth Alpha kickoff party


College Students journeying through life together

Why do we do it?

we do it because we love him

follow the links to learn more about our Student Ministry programs at Granville Chapel

So much

Ever feel like any unforeseen change in your daily schedule could result in other important tasks not being able to get done?

This is currently our life....

We feel, most work days, on the edge of catastrophe....We have SO much to do

....that's not really a good feeling. I think we need to do a better job of delegating....

Anyway. Whatever.

Our jobs are still a joy. Remember: Joy comes from gratitude. It's not simply the elation we feel for a job well done.

We have A LOT to be grateful for.