Journal Update

Today was an interesting day at church. It was the first Sunday for my new Senior High Sunday School teacher. That was an interesting class to sit in. See this week we begin Lent season. Most of my kids don't know a thing about Lent or Ash Wednesday. I can't wait until Wednesday to teach them. Our new teacher is ordained and has gone to Seminary. It is neat to have conversations with her about ways to involve the teens in the liturgical calendar. A lady from my church actually bought boxes of candy bars and donated them to the youth group. So today after Sunday School  I sent an army of students armed with snickers, twix and smiles into the crowd of church goers hoping to raise some funds for the youth budget. They sold all the candy bars! Today was a special day for our youth group because one of our teens was having her baby dedicated. Her little baby boy and her went on stage during service and had a rose dipped in water placed on his forehead as the church prayed for them. We have been praying and working very hard to make sure that this student and her baby find a place in our church family. After service I intended on going straight home, but got into some conversations with people at the church. I ended up staying after to eat lunch with the Senior adult group. There looked to be about 40 people ages 60+ eating there after church. I sat at a table full of wonderful people. I found out that at that very table were four couples whose marriages had lasted anywhere from 43-59 years and still going strong. This was some great encouragement to me. I want my marriage to last 50 something years. One fellow at the table was a pastor for 45 years. After lunch i got up to head home but before I could leave my pastor roped me down and handed me a plate of deserts. I took them to my grandparents who seemed to really enjoy them.

I have been working extra hard this week because it has finally dawned on me how expensive the wedding and honeymoon are going to be. I somehow have managed to make about $2,000 this week but that is just a drop in the bucket, so I plan on working all week, even if it is spring break. I am pretty excited about the success of a few online businesses that I have started, but most of all I am just happy that God is providing for me and my soon to be wife. School had really been stressing her out lately and I haven't helped much. I went through some kind of odd phase right after the M11 trip where I was seriously questioning whether we were supposed to get married so soon. I seem to be out of that mindset and back on a normal track. I want to say that I did in fact miss Catalyst West and also SYMC so if you were hoping to hear some awesome stories from either of those events, I will have to disappoint you today. Seriously though I already told you that I can't afford anything! I have a wedding and a honeymoon to pay for. Luckily I found a way to get to NYC this summer. I am planning on heading up to the District Extravaganza this weekend and hopefully bringing a few teens along. Along with that I am seriously building a carpet-ball this week. I have the blank check to home depot in my pocket and I intend to use it! It feels like it is time to seriously begin preparing for the Lock-in that I have coming up. This is my first real big event at the new church, but I think it has been well planned and seems to be generating a great deal of excitement amongst the students in the youth groups that are coming. I don't generally speak to other youth group's teenagers, so I am excited to get that opportunity. I think I have updated you on most of what is going on with me lately. I will catch you next time and remember I'm Still Winning! - Just Jon

P.S.
I do not support Charlie Sheen in any way shape or form, but that phrase is somewhat catchy....