Still Here

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Well I am still here. I apologize for my lack of blogging recently but things have just been really busy. I hope that everyone reading this had a great weekend and is making the most of the week so far.

We had a great day of worship here at Woodward Park yesterday where we witnessed the birth of David Molina into our family. Arnold Centeno baptized David following the message yesterday. I don't know about you but witnessing someone committing themself to Christ is a great way to start your week.

From time to time I would like to use this forum to share resources that can help you have a better walk with Jesus Christ. Today I want to introduce you to The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding. CPYU is a website that parents and teens alike can use to find better ways to understand one another. This is a great resource for parents feeling out of touch with their teenager.

One of the featured articles on this website deals with pornography and the effects it has on our teenagers today. Included in this article are several ways to make sure that the Internet usage in your home is used for only wholesome things. These are all easy to follow guidelines that will make your teen's Internet usage safe and they include...

• Place home computers in a central area of the house, not a child’s bedroom or secluded area. Make surfing the Internet a family experience.
• 
  Talk with your children about what they can and cannot do online, while trying to understand their needs, interests and curiosity.
• 
  Know your child's password and screen names; they may have more than one.
  Set reasonable time limits on computer use, and ensure that your children adhere to the limitations.
• 
  Parents (not children) should always establish and maintain an Internet service provider account (AOL, Earthlink, MSN), and the account should always be in a parent’s name (not a child’s). This ensures that a parent can legally maintain control of the account’s use and can access records if necessary. If an account is set up in a child's name, it may be difficult, if not impossible, to obtain account information without the child's permission.
• 
  You should also realize that children might be accessing the Internet from outside the home, such as friends’ homes, work, libraries and school.
• 
  Be open with your children and encourage them to come to you if they encounter a problem online.
• 
  Explore filtering and blocking software, which is used to sort information on the Internet and classify it according to content. A major drawback is that some filtering may block innocent sites, while many "negative" sites still get past the filters. Though these programs can be great assets, parents still need to maintain open communication with their children to inform and protect them.

These are just a few ways that you can make sure you and your teenager are safe when surfing the Internet. I believe children to be our most precious gift and I take protecting them very seriously. If you would like to read this article in its entirety you can click here and learn more about protecting your children. The Internet can be a great thing but it is up to us to make sure things are safe for our children. I hope you are blessed today.

Be Strong and Courageous,

Paul

Monday Monday

Good Morning Everyone,

Well here we are on another Monday morning. I can't say that I have much to report today but I think sometimes I don't tell enough about my life on here so I am going to correct that today.

I had a great weekend. Friday I went to see the Sanger Vs. Bullard game at Sanger. Now as you know I am not much of a football fan so you might wonder why I traveled all the way to Sanger for a game. The reason why is our very own Chelsea Davis sing the National Anthem. Chelsea did a great job and made all of us proud.

Saturday was a very busy day that started very early. Charles and Jenny Moisher invited April and I over to breakfast along with several of the members of the Seekers' class. Breakfast was wonderful but the fellowship between older and younger Christians was even better.

Saturday afternoon April and I went to a Civil War Reenactment. I had never been able to go to one of these and I have to say that I was fascinated by the level of attention paid to the smallest detail. We will definitely go back next year to watch the North and South do battle.

Saturday night the college class had a Halloween party at the Holland's house and it was nice to be able to go and spend some time with people our own age. Everyone dressed up and had a really great time. I want to take this opportunity to say a special thank you to Mike Avedikian for taking the teens to the corn maze at Cobb Ranch so April and I could experience some time with our age group.

I hope you are all blessed today. I know after hearing two great sermons from Jim yesterday and being able to teach the teenagers I have been. Try to make someones day happy today and I hope you are blessed.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

What a difference the mail makes

Good Morning Everyone,

A Happy Wednesday to all who read my blog. Have you ever noticed how a well timed piece of mail can make your day better. When I was in college the ladies at my home congregation used to send me a card every month. The ironic thing about these cards is that they always came right when I needed them.

If you have been keeping up with my blog you know that this past Sunday that the youth made an effort to reach out to a young man named Jerrod Shelton. I am pleased to tell you that our efforts have been well received. You are probably expecting me to tell you how they were received but I am going to disappoint you because I am going to make you work for it.

I am giving you the link to the "News" page on Jerrod's website so you have to go look for yourself. While you are looking at the news don't be afraid to explore and learn about a remarkable young man. I hope you are blessed today, and I know you will be if you follow that link above.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Never Underestimate a Teenager

Good Afternoon Everyone,

I know I usually try to post first thing on Monday morning but when I tell you why I am a little late today I think you will be very understanding. It all started in the office last week. I was given a website to look at by our minister Jim Gardner. The address took me to the website of a young man that is quickly becoming one of my heroes Jerrod Shelton. Jerrod is a remarkable young man who seems to be the kind of guy you just have to like. Jerrod had a brain tumor removed last week and is awaiting test results to find out if it is cancerous or not.

You are probably asking yourself what all of this web surfing from last week has to do with my late blog entry...well here it is. Yesterday in Bible class I had the teenagers write cards, record personal messages with the help of Steve Knutsen, and I took pictures of all the kids while they were working on their cards. To say that the teenagers liked the idea of reaching out to Jerrod would be the understatement of the century they LOVED IT! They loved the idea of reaching out to Jerrod so much that they are working on a way to fly him out to Fresno once he recovers.

So I say all that to say that I spent my morning writing my own letter to Jerrod, packaging the teens cards and the DVD Steve made for him. I even managed to put together a little presentation of my own for Jerrod which I have put into my blog. Give a lot of credit to our teens and thank them for their hearts. I hope you are blessed today.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Good Morning Everyone,

The above quote is from singer James Blunt whose song "You're Beautiful" was a hit on the pop music charts last year. I don't know about you but I like to look for God in places that you would not expect him to be. I don't know very much about James Blunt but I can assume from the lyrics and subject matter of his songs that God is not first and foremost on his mind. But I find it interesting that someone who doesn't profess a faith can make a statement with such a profound Christian message.

So often we get caught up in the pursuit of "happiness" or at least what we consider to be happiness. Happiness in our mind usually consists of having great wealth and leaving our mark on the world because of our success in business or some other venture. I am not sure how our priorities got so skewed. It breaks my heart that Christians often times choose work and money over their God. More than all of that it breaks my heart that we are modeling this for our children.

Yesterday in the teen Bible class I gave them permission to dream about some new and improved thing they would like to have. As expected I got the typical new car, new gadgets and new clothes but I was impressed by one young man who told me he wanted a new Bible. I wonder what my life would look like if I put aside my new and improved wants and addressed my need to study the Bible more and try to be a better Christian, husband, brother and son.
As much as I like James Blunt I like the way Jesus said it better

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Matthew 6:24

Today I want you to recommit to serving God first and foremost. For you that may mean not getting some thing that you want but it also means you get everything you will need in eternity. I hope you are blessed today.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Christianity is Messy

Good Morning Everyone,

I remember as a college student hearing someone say that Christianity is messy. At the time I thought it was somewhat cliche and I figured this speaker was just trying to say something to get attention. I am now almost done with my third year in full time youth ministry and as I sit here writing this I am convinced that the words spoken by that speaker are very true.

You must be wondering why I am writing on this topic this morning, well I will tell you. Last night I was at the Big Fresno fair with April and our family. As we were walking down the midway I spotted Cedric, Cheryl, Roshell, and LaTatiana Rowe. I went and gave LaTatiana a hug like I always do when I see her only to discover the chili cheese fries she had been enjoying were now on my shirt. I intentionally wore a shirt I didn't mind getting messed up because anytime you go to a fair you never know what may end up on your clothes so I was not upset about my shirt.
My hug from LaTatiana made me begin thinking about what Christianity is all about. If I was not a Christian and a member at Woodward Park I would have never met the Rowes and never gotten that stain on my shirt. I also would have never gotten to experience the love of a family who puts God and the needs of others above their own everyday. I would have never been to Downtown Fresno to feed the homeless or gone to Firebaugh to help renovate their church building.

People tend to shy away from organized religion because they do not want the responsibility of showing up to a worship service or participate in activities. I would submit to you that people shy away from Christianity because they are afraid of getting messy. They are afraid to be involved in the lives of others to the point that they would carry someone when they are hurt or bear the burden of another. Jesus had something to say about this when he stated"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."--Matthew 11:28-30 (New International Version)

Christianity is indeed messy but the rewards from getting messy are immeasurable. As Christians we cannot be afraid to count the cost and risk getting messy in light of what is going on in our world today. I challenge you this morning to get messy. Get into the life of someone who needs you without worrying about being messy. Jesus never had fear of getting messy or ruffling feathers so if we want to look and act like Jesus we are going to have to get a little messy. I hope you are blessed today and that you are messy for the cause of Christ!!!

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Has it been a week already?

Good Morning Everyone,

Well once again it has been almost a week since I last posted. Things are going very well at Woodward Park these days. We had two baptisms yesterday and another soul to cast their lot with us here at Woodward Park.

Saturday night about 20 of our teens met at the building for a night of games and Christian themed skits with "The Foundation" a Christian drama group from Madera. I want to say thank you to all you parents who make sure your teenagers come to activities and are taking an active interest in their spiritual development.

This coming weekend looks to be another busy one for us here at Woodward Park. Saturday the teenagers have been invited to the Holcomb's for a day of Air-Soft and a BBQ. This is an event that the whole family can take part in and the teenagers can bring their friends to.

As you begin your week I hope you remember to be joyful this week. I was impressed by Jim's message from the book of Philippians yesterday and I have recommitted personally to look for Joy in all things and to not ever let circumstances dictate where my joy is. I hope you are all blessed today.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Reflection on a Great Workshop

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Well when I last left you we were in the process of kicking off our workshop. I communicated to you that I was a workshop novice but I was looking forward to being a part of the process and seeing what Woodward Park could really do. I sit here today amazed at the amount of quality work Woodward Park is capable of and I feel proud to say I was some small part of that.

My job during the workshop consisted of putting together and running PowerPoint, counting people in classes and keynotes, leading singing for Eli Hooper and putting the occasional baby to sleep. I loved every minute of my work during the Workshop! Along with hearing all the great speakers, participating in the thunderous praise to the Lord and being fed at the keynotes I was also able to get to work with my brothers and sisters to do something that is for sure the highlight of a lot of people's year.

This morning myself, Jim and the elders sat down and began looking at what Workshop will look like next year and I can assure you it will not disappoint. Today I issue all my loyal readers a challenge. If you participated in workshop this year then come back for next year. If you did not participate then make September 24-27 2008 on your calendar for next year. And for everyone I challenge to invite someone. I hope you are all blessed today!!!

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Workshop is the place to be

Good Morning Everyone,

In about 48 hours we will be in full swing of the 2007 Spiritual Growth Workshop. I am writing to you as a workshop novice to say the least. I began working here in May and much of the buzz around our congregation has been around workshop.

From all of the material I have read concerning Workshop it looks like it is going to be GREAT!!! I am looking forward to sitting and listening for a change and hopefully getting to take in some classes with April.

I know that we all have busy schedules and there are always reasons not to do something but this week try to make it out to at least some of our workshop. There are classes for all ages and speakers bringing lessons on a variety of subjects. If you want to find me this week you need to look no farther than the Church Building because I will be here for workshop. I hope you are blessed today if you come to workshop I know you will be blessed.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

I Sing Therefore I Preach

Good Afternoon Everyone,

I sat down to type my blog about 6 hours ago and I am just now getting to it. We have had a busy day in the office but it has been a great day with lots of great ministry going on.

Our youth group began looking at the reasons we as a church sing last week in conjunction with learning some new songs. Last night we looked at singing as a form of preaching the Gospel. I have to admit that I have gone to church my whole life and loved singing every minute of it but I never really stopped to think about singing and preaching being connected.

We looked at Acts 16 where Paul and Silas were imprisoned and instead of preaching hell-fire and brimstone they prayed and sang songs. To demonstrate how singing is a form of preaching I had the teenagers name some of their favorite songs and their favorite lines from those songs. It was amazing that by putting those lines together you can make a pretty decent message. So I present to you a message from our teenagers from some of their favorite songs.

Love one another even if the skies above you are gray and you are feeling so blue because our God is an Awesome God. So Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary pure and holy, tried and true because Satan was defeated. Rock of ages cleft for me and let me hide myself in thee because Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth and he will lift you up. I don't know why so many things seem to get in the way of seeing my God's glory but as the deer pants for the water Lord so my soul longs after you.

I bet you never thought when you were singing that you were preaching. Next time we all come together to worship in song remember that you are also preaching the word. I hope you are blessed today.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

A Healthy Competition

Good Morning Everyone,

We had a great weekend in the Woodward Park Youth Group. Saturday I was blessed to spend the day with several of our young people and the members of Arnold Centeno's class in Firebaugh helping the church there. On Sunday after a great time of a worship and a record setting ten minute sermon from Jim Gardner I got to continue the study of Hebrews our group started several weeks ago. The whole weekend was capped off by a devotional hosted by Gary and Linda Gearheart at the home of Bob and Virginia Jollif.

As many of you know our brother and elder John Ed Clark is facing cancer in his life right now. I know many of you are praying for John Ed and encouraging him as am I. This morning I shared something with John Ed that I would like to share with you in my blog today. We begin our teen class every Sunday and Wednesday with prayer requests from the teens. We have a unique group here at Woodward Park in that several of the teens share a common Grandfather in John Ed Clark. It is like a competition between those grand kids to see who will make the prayer request for their grandpa.

What a testament to the family of these teenagers. They love their grandfather and want every prayer they can get offered up on his behalf. I have always heard of healthy competition but grand kids trying to be the first to offer a prayer request for their grandpa takes the cake and in my book is worth noting.

So let's all take part in this healthy competition. Let's all try to outpray one another on behalf of our brother John Ed Clark. We are told that unless we become like little children we will not see the Kingdom of God. Let's take our cue from the grandchildren of John Ed and pray for a good man and from this beginning let's add others to our prayer list who need God's help. I hope you are blessed today.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

National Day of Encouragement

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Well today is the National Day of Encouragement. This is the one day out of the year that we as Americans are asked to go out of our way to encourage others. While I appreciate the idea that is being promoted of encouraging others I wonder why it has to be confined to one day.

It seems to me that Jesus looked at everyday as the Day of Encouragement. When he healed the sick, or told people that they did not have to continue in sin and when he gave his life on the cross I find all those things to be very encouraging.

So here is where I stand on the National Day of Encouragement. I say go for it be encouraging and lift someones spirits today. There is nothing wrong with recognizing this day as a day to encourage but my challenge to you is to make everyday a day of encouragement. Make the National Day of Encouragement a day to highlight what you are already doing. I hope I have been an encouragement to you today and I hope you are all blessed.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

I wish I could study the Bible like you Earl

Good Morning Everyone,

If you have been around me any length of time you know that I can't go very long without mentioning my Pap-paw(known to grownups as Earl Milner). If you come into my office you will see a black and white picture of my Pap-paw I know that he has gone to be with God and is in no more pain but I like to look at his picture and imagine he is watching over me. Pap-paw was a good man, an elder in his church and a devoted husband, father and grandfather.

Pap-paw loved to read his Bible. If he was not out chasing cows, cooking something good in his kitchen or doing the Lord's work he could be found reading his Bible. It was not unusual for Pap-paw to read his Bible all the way through in the course of one year and sometimes several times a year. There was a lady at Pap-paw's congregation who wanted to learn to study the Bible like Pap-paw. He told her "It's really easy, sit down with your Bible and read until you get tired." Pap-paw's words were as true then as they are now.

I know in the fast paced world we live in we often times forget to spend time in the word. As families grow father and farther apart I believe that a more intense study of the scripture to be a much needed thing. To that end I want to share a resource with all of you today.

Four youth ministers whom I hold in the highest respect have taken it upon themselves to make the Internet a tool for ministry. Their vision came to fruition last year with the launching of a the website Striving To Be Real . Striving To Be Real has a teen section with a lot of great things for teenagers as well as a parent's section that gives resources to parents. In the parent's site there is a new family Bible Study that will be updated on a regular basis and available to be used by families to study the Bible.

I still agree with Pap-paw's words of wisdom and even though he did not know how to use a computer I know that even he would agree that this resource is one that could help families. Let's reclaim our families for the cause of Jesus Christ and let's be real. Be blessed today.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Rain, Rain Come and Stay!!!

Good Morning Everyone,

I love the rain!!! When I was hired to come to California I was told I better get used to not seeing much rain and in the beginning this was not a problem. But after being here four months and not seeing as much as a sprinkle I have to say I was having some major rain withdrawls. That all changed this morning. April woke me up before my alarm went off and told me it was raining which prompted me to spring out of bed and look out our window to see this glorious vision.

With this rain this morning came thoughts of the days when nobody on Earth knew what rain was. In the days of Noah rain was unheard of but God saw the wickedness of the people on Earth so he sent rain to flood the Earth. I cannot remember a time in my life when I did not know what rain was, in fact my time in California is the longest I can ever remember not seeing rain. As I think about the rain I remember the first time my oldest niece Madison felt the rain becuase I was the one holding her. It was a Sunday morning and we were leaving for worship and it began to sprinkle and hit Madison. I remember watching the wonder in her eyes as she began to know what rain felt like.

We live in a world where people take so much for granted and I belive the blessings of seasons and weather to be right on top of the list. I love the rain because I like walking in it and listening to it beat on the window but more than that I love the rain because it is a blessing from God falling down to us. This morning I want you to think about the everday things we all take for granted and take time to thank God for them. I hope you are all blessed today.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Who is going to carry your casket?

Good Morning,

As I sit here writing this morning I have just come from preaching the funeral of a man I never knew. As a minister this is a task that you get asked to do more times than you would like. This was the second funeral I have preached ever and this morning on top of preaching duties I was asked to be a pallbearer for a man I never knew. As I was helping carry the casket of this man to the grave I was reminded of my good friend Andrew Baker. Andrew was a sponsor for my social club in college and during pledge week he told us the story of a brother who had died suddenly and about his club brothers carrying his casket. Andrew told us that we were not joining a social club to play sports or go to club functions but to make friends who would be closer than brothers to us and who would carry our casket when our time came.

I grieve for the family of the man whose funeral I did this morning. I am sad they lost a loved one but sadder still that he did not have the kind of close friendships that would have taken care of carrying his casket this morning at his funeral. I hope this morning that you know who would be there to carry your casket at your funeral. I hope that you have good enough friends that love you enough to be there for you. If you are a member of the Lord's body I believe this would be the case for you. If you are reading this blog today and you have not yet named Christ as your savior and been baptized into his death I would encourage you to do that.

I hope as you read this today you know who would be your pallbearer if you were to die today. More than that though I hope you tell those people how much you appreciate them now while you still have the chance. I hope you are all blessed today.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Let's put our heads together

Good Afternoon Everyone,

I have to once again apologize for not blogging as often as I should but things have been very busy around here lately. This morning I spent most of my time trying to answer a question asked to me by a good friend. I will spare you the details of the question but I will say that I could not have give an answer had it not been for the collaboration of those around me. I had the council of my lovely wife April, two youth ministers whom I love and respect and your favorite preacher and mine Jim Gardner.

All of this collaboration made me begin thinking about the church. You read all the time about these institutions call "Think Tanks" well I believe the church as a whole makes up one of the biggest "Think Tanks" ever devised. I am constantly reminded of the fact that God really knew what he was doing when he instituted the church. God knew we would be called upon to answer questions from the world as a whole and that by drawing on the strength of those within the church we could come up with these answers.

Today I want to challenge us to not be afraid to ask one another questions and to not be afraid to put our heads together and learn from one another. Let's open our Bibles and study with one another and answer the questions of this world. If you have a question and you think no one wants to work on it with you e-mail me paul@wpcoc.com and let's talk about it.

Sunday morning the teenagers began a study of the book of Hebrews. I set the stage by presenting all the mysteries of the book of Hebrews and how that sometimes reading a mystery can help you solve some mysteries of your own. I want to leave you with the words of the Hebrew writer as we consider putting our heads together. I hope you are blessed today.

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

A slice of humble pie

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Sorry it is so late in the day but I had a busy morning. I want to begin today by telling you about a childhood friend of mine. Tim Gernand is the brother of my sister-in-law. We all grew up together in the League City Church of Christ. Tim was an incredibly smart young man. He made the Texas All-state band as a sophomore which is no small feat in Texas. Tim was awarded a Governor's scholarship to attend Texas A&M University and be a part of their ROTC program. Tim accepted his scholarship and attended A&M for a little over year and it is at that point he made a life changing decision.

Tim walked away from a scholarship at A&M to serve his country in United States Marine Corps. Tim completed his basic training and was accepted into the language training program where he trained for a year and a half to learn the Arabic language. In the midst of all of this Tim met and fell in love with the love of his life Kerry. Upon graduation from language school Tim was posted in Georgia but because of a need in our country's war on terror Tim was called up to serve in Iraq and Kuwait.

This week Tim was able to come home. He was met with a hero's welcome when he landed in Maine and for the next few days he is in San Diego California and that is where I spoke to him today. I have not talked to Tim in several years so it was great to talk to an old friend and catch up. I consider Tim to be one of the real American heroes out there. He walked away from school in order to better serve his country and he is someone I am privileged to know.

During our conversation Tim began asking me about the work I was doing here at Woodward Park. I told him about the great teenagers we have here and the parents whose only ambition is to see their teens grow into spiritually mature adults. I invited Tim and his wife to come visit with us anytime they were able to and it was at that point I got fed a mouth full of humble Pie.

Tim is a hero and someone that is extremely good at what he does and he has made a big difference in the war on terror. But when I told him about the work here at Woodward Park he told me "I'd love to come there and see you in action". I got goose bumps when my old friend said those words to me.

I hope that in your life you have those humble pie moments. I hope that someone you love and respect takes the time to pay you a compliment like the one Tim paid me this morning. More than that though I hope that you pass those compliments along to someone who looks up to you. As Christians we are to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ here on Earth and it is our privilege to lift up those who need to be lifted up.

So today I issue a challenge to all of my readers. You know who looks up to you and whose life you make a difference in. I challenge you to find those people and make them feel good about who they are and what they do. This challenge comes with a time constraint in that I don't want you to put it off do it right now. I hope you are all blessed today for reading this and I hope you can bless someone by stepping up to the challenge.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Oh What a Night!!!!

Good Morning Everyone,

I am pleased to say that we had a great night as a youth group last night. The boys had a guys night out last night at Black Beard's and the girls had a sleepover at the Lane's house. The last count I had was about 24 total teens in attendance that is such an encouragement!!! Special thanks to Mike Avedikian for providing some script for Black Beard's and to the Lane's for allowing teenage girls to invade their house.

We are going to have one last lunch bunch this week so if you have not made it out to one yet this is your last chance on Thursday August 16th 1-3PM. Lunch bunch has been such a great experience for me because it has allowed me to get to know so many of the teens and their parents in a very relaxed setting.

On Saturday August 18th we are going to have a wiffle ball game here at Woodward Park from 5-8PM. This will be our last big activity for the teens this summer so I want to encourage all of you to come and bring a friend. Thank You teenagers for making my first summer here at Woodward Park one of the best ones I have had in a long time. I hope you are blessed as much as I am today!!!

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Back to School

Good Morning Everyone,

It is hard to believe that just a little over 3 months ago April and I were rolling into Fresno to begin our new life with the Woodward Park Church of Christ but one church camp, a bunch of devos and one VBS later here we are. I can't believe it is almost time for all of our teenagers to head back to school. It makes me sad that no longer will I have a chance of running into teens out and about during the day anymore and that I will no longer have a Lunch Bunch to hang out with on Thursdays.

This morning I want to ask all of my adult readers to make a commitment to pray for our teenagers everyday as they go to school. Yesterday in our Bible class we discussed the implications of returning to a worldly school and I could see the fear in the eyes of the teenagers. Our teenagers want to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord but it is hard when they are bombarded with Satan's lies all day at school.

I hope that everyone reading this is doing well today. I was privileged to preach twice yesterday and I am glad to say that Jim will be back in the pulpit this week. I hope you all have a blessed day.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Back in the Saddle again

Good Morning Everyone,

Something strange happened to me Saturday. It was like any other Saturday April and I spent the day together and went out to the Flint's for supper that night. There was nothing that physically happened that day that was any different than any other day but I felt differently.

I dwelled on the feeling I had all day and it finally occurred to me what I was feeling...comfort. For the first time in several years I finally feel comfortable. This is not to say that I am satisfied that the person I am right now is the person I want to be forever but I finally feel like I belong someplace.

April and I are so happy here in Fresno. I have been happy from the moment we rolled into town but this is more than happy. I feel a sense of ease here I have never felt before. I have discovered my love for teaching all over again. I credit this first and foremost to God. Secondly I have to thank all of you here at Woodward Park for giving me a chance and being sensitive to the fact that moving to a new place can be difficult sometimes but you have all made it better.

This morning I hope you feel a sense of comfort in your life. I hope that you find that comfort in the Lord's church be it at Woodward Park or wherever you choose to worship. This feeling is as good as gold and it feels good to be home. I hope you are all blessed today.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

A great man

Good Morning Everyone,

Several weeks ago I wrote to you about Willie Sandlin who passed away. This morning with a heavy heart I want to tell you about another man named Don Bell who went to be with the Lord this past Tuesday evening.

Don was an elder at the Crockett Road Church of Christ in Palestine Texas. My family helped to start the Crockett Road Church and Don served with my Pap-paw as an elder. Don was a pillar in the community of Palestine. He ran an insurance company and tried to help those who seemed helpless. Don loved the church. If Don was not at home or at his office there was a good chance you would find him at Crockett Road tending to the business of the church.

Don loved congregational singing. Nobody ever accused Don of being the best singer but he always made a joyful noise to the Lord. Don was a good husband, a loving father and a doting grandfather. The memory of Don that is burned into my memory happened December 23rd 1999.

I was staying with my Pap-paw at his house and my Mam-maw was in her last hours of life here on earth. Mam-maw's breathing had become labored and she was not responsive vocally any longer. Pap-paw was at the end of his rope and Don knocked on the door. Don came in and talked to Pap-paw and I and reminded us of the good times we had with Mam-maw. Very soon after his arrival Mam-maw went to sleep and never woke up. Don called the ambulance and stayed with us until they took Mam-maw's body away.

I know this is not the happiest memory of anyone you have probably ever heard but this story has a purpose. Ten years from now most of you will not remember who Don Bell was. But I hope that in your life there are Christians who make kind of impact on you that Don made on my family. More than that I hope that all of you reading this will seek to make an impact of the life of people you meet like Don did. Don was not the most polished person or the richest or even the most popular but he loved people and in my book at least that is worth noting.Please pray for the Bell family during this time of loss. Meet people and make a difference in their life...that is the message for today. I hope you are all blessed.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

I'm Back

Good Morning Everyone,

I am sorry for my lack of updates over the last week. I am sorry to say that all of you missed out on the fun of my being the one and only minister last week. I had the joy of fielding phone calls from people and having some very good Bible studies and very good conversations over the phone.

I want to say welcome back to Jim and Joe. The old saying goes absence makes the heart grow fonder and I believe that could be said about our ministry staff here at Woodward Park. We all carry different parts of the load here at Woodward and when those two are gone they are missed in a big way.

I want to also welcome everyone who went to Tahoe back. After listening to all the stories of the great classes and fellowship April and I have decided that next year we are going to have to go and be part of all the fun.

Yesterday I was privileged to see the birth of Sarah White into the family of God. I met Sarah during day camp and enjoyed getting to know her and now I am excited to be able to call her my new sister in Christ.

Let's make this week a great one!!! There are all sorts of opportunities to do good for all people here and abroad. If you are having trouble finding something good to do then give me a call and I am sure I can find a place for you to serve. I hope you all have a blessed day.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

A Minister's Christmas

Good Morning Everyone,

Remember when you were a kid and you would wake up early on Christmas morning to see what Santa had left you under the tree and then you spent the whole day playing with new toys and being with family? That is kind of what yesterday felt like for me.

As a minister some days just feel right and yesterday was one of those days. I got to preach yesterday which is a little nerve wracking but always a treat for me. I taught Bible class on 1 Peter chapter 3 dealing with husband and wives and I have to say I did a pretty good job. After a quick lunch with friends and family at Taco Bell April, Tyler White, Mason White and I headed out to Hanford to conduct the worship service at the valley Christian home.

Yesterday evening at services I was privileged to lead singing for Roland Hendricks and then assist in the baptism of Robert Law. April and I capped the whole evening off with a nice supper at Sweet Tomatoes with the Centeno family.

It sounds like a lot but what you probably don't know is that ministers live for days like that. I love being able to do my job. The good thing is that thanks to all of you at Woodward Park I am finally in a place where I feel appreciated and I can take pride in my ministry.

I hope that in your life that you have days that are like Christmas for you. I encourage you to take pride in a job well done and give thanks to God who makes it all possible. I hope you are all blessed today.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Like a kid in a Candy Shop

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope you all slept well last night. There has been so many good things going on in my life recently I feel just like a kid in a candy shop.

Sunday morning we had a great lesson by Jim Gardner on the Sabbath. This lesson definitely got my attention and the attention of others as well. We had a great study of 1 Peter 2 on in the teen Bible class on Sunday. Sunday night we had a devotional with about 50 teens and parents in attendance.

Tonight the youth group is headed over to Pump it Up over in Clovis. Pump it up is a place with inflatable games for the teens to play on. This looks to be a really fun activity. If you read this before 5 today and want to be a part of it just call the building and let me know.

I am most excited about tomorrow night. Several weeks ago we began a study on what it means to live our life like extreme Christians. Because of camp, the 4th of July and VBS I have not been able to move ahead at all in our study but tomorrow night all that comes to an end. If you want to know what it means to live your life at an extreme for Jesus Christ come to class tomorrow night as we dive in deep and find out what it means to be extreme.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

A good king of tired

Good Morning Everyone,

I sit here this morning writing to you as a tired individual. As I wrote in my last post VBS is definitely no vacation and this morning I am feeling it. I struggled to get out of bed this morning and as I type my eyelids feel like they have weights in them. You may be reading this and thinking that I am looking for sympathy or pity but really I am writing this because there is no other way I would like to feel right now.

I may be tired but I am tired because I have been making a difference in the life of hundreds of children over the last week. I may have had trouble getting out of bed this morning but that is because I had trouble getting calmed down enough to go to bed last night because of the rush of VBS.

People say being tired is a bad thing but I tend to disagree. Like many things tiredness is a matter of perspective. I think about Peter and the other apostles on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). They had all been on an emotional roller coaster and then were asked to present the Gospel truth for the first time and then baptized 3,000 people. I personally think they were tired after all that but you never hear mention of it. Maybe the reason we never hear about it is because they were so caught up in doing the work of God that they were glad to be tired.

I hope you are tired today for the cause of Christ. If you are not tired today for the cause of Christ let me know and maybe we can find something for you to do. I hope you all have a blessed and tiring day for the cause of Christ.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Who put the vacation in vacation Bible School?

Good Morning Everyone,

I sit here this morning in full swing of Vacation Bible School. Growing up I always loved going to vacation Bible School because for me it meant atleast a week at Mam-maw and Pap-paw's house. I always learned so much from my teachers, I got to sing fun songs with Preacher Dan and the real reason all children go to VBS the Juice and Cookies.
It is funny how your perspective changes as an adult. As a child VBS was a vacation for me but as an adult it is anything but a vacation. I am only teaching a class during this week but it is a challenge to keep the attention of the children and make it relevant for them.
I write all this to say how much I appreciate all those that have put the long hours into making our VBS something great this week. Countless hours have gone into turning our auditorium into a ranch house and turning classrooms into Jericho and many other Biblical locations. I want to take this opportunity to brag on all of the teenagers who have helped this week without questioning anything. Thank you all for your good attitude and for you good example you are setting for the young ones you are leading.
If you have not made it to VBS this week you have two more opportunities to come see the great job our crew has done. I hope you all have a blessed day and that you act as the hands and feet of Jesus today.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

Each Morning I wake up in a Brand New World

Good Morning Everyone,

As I sit here at my desk it occurs to me that I wake up every morning in a brand new world. Take Saturday for instance. I got up after sleeping in a little bit and checked my e-mail only find out that great minister and soldier for Christ named Willie Sandlin passed away. Willie was a great guy. He loved God, his family, teenagers and baseball. Willie never passed up an opportunity to do some good for the cause of Christ. While most of you have never heard of Willie Sandlin I for one will miss him dearly.
This morning I had another new world experience. I preached my fist funeral. Lea Hinson died at 101 years old and I had the privilege of preaching her funeral as my first. The experience was almost surreal. As I stood in the pulpit making comments on the life of a woman I never met it almost felt like someone else was speaking.
I say all this to let you know that we have such awesome opportunities in our life. We meet people we never think we will see again and they end up becoming role models in your life. I met willie for the first time when I was seven years old seventeen years later he walked into the office of the church I was working at and I was amazed to see him again. I never Lea Hinson but through meeting her family I feel like I know her and I am better for it. Today I challenge you to take every opportunity to meet new people and learn all you can about them because you never know what the world is going to look like tomorrow.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

A Great 4th of July

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope you all had a great 4th of July Holiday. I got to spend yesterday engaged in two of my favorite activities. I spent the day at home with my wife watching movies and catching up on sleep and that evening we spent some time with good friends playing games and eating ice cream.
As we begin this new day I would ask that you pray for our country and its leaders. We are facing uncertain times and now more than ever we need to pray for those who are making decisions regrading the country which we live in.
The very best part of yesterday was that Tyler Hinton was baptized into the family of God by his father. I can think of no better freedom than the freedom from sin we have in Jesus Christ. I hope everyone is doing well today and that you all remember to thank God for the blessings you receive.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

It's a Small World After All

Good Morning,

I hope you all slept well last night. April and I were blessed to spend the evening with the Powers family as well as a few members of the Flint family eating pizza and watching movies. I am still so overwhelmed at the outpouring of love and acceptance from our family here at Woodward Park.

This morning I would like to share with you a story of how small our world really can be sometimes. When I was a sophomore at Harding I lived in Allen Dorm down the hall from a good friend of mine. This friend of mine was asked by another friend to house a visitor. This visitor was Ben Powell from Louisiana who came to Harding for a weekend visit. What Ben did not know was that weekend would change his life because he gave his life to Christ and he enrolled in Harding for the next semester.
By coincidence Ben and I ended up sitting next to one another in chapel and got to be good friends. We would talk about life and the Lord and our love for teenagers. Ben was a good guy and I am glad to say that I knew him.
Now I want you to fast forward a few years and several states to this past Sunday at Woodward Park. April attended the college class and tells me that Ben is now a father and has a son. While this would usually be such happy news the next part of the story is sad. Ben's little boy who is named Ethan has Leukemia. Strange how one minute you can be so happy hearing about an old friend and then so sad finding out that your friend and his child are in such dire straights.
You may be upset with me for relaying such sad news but there is a reason for all of this. Ethan needs our prayers for healing so I encourage you to offer prayers on behalf of the family. There is also a website where you can go to learn more about Ethan and his story as well as help the family out financially. (www.ethanpowell.com)
It is a small world and getting smaller all the time. Psalm 133:1 says "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity." Let's all attempt to live together in unity and give Ethan a helping hand.

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul

The First of Many

Hello Everyone,

As my title suggests this is the first of what I hope to be many blogs that chronicle my thoughts and adventures as a youth minister in sunny California. I have a blog on myspace but I thought that this might be more easily accessed.
Today is my first day back from Yosemite Bible Camp and I have to say while I am glad to be in a little more comfortable setting I do miss the camp experience. I miss the stories Harlan Flint told up over coffee every morning, I miss listening to the high school boys talking about life and more than anything I miss being around all the teenagers who are so very hungry for the word of God. While at camp in less than 24 hours I had five Bible studies two of which resulted in teenagers giving their lives to Christ. I can say that it had nothing to do with my presentation but everything to do with the God we serve.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the parents of the teenagers who sent their children to camp. Your teens were a great refelection of the raising they are receiving.
We have a big month ahead of us at Woodward Park but I beleive we are all up to the challenge. Press on and Give God all the Glory!!!!

Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul