In God We (Nearly) Trust

by Max Lucado

A few days before our wedding, Denalyn and I enjoyed and endured a sailing voyage. Milt, a Miami church friend, had invited Denalyn, her mom, and me to join him and a few others on a leisurely cruise along the Florida coast.

Initially it was just that. Leisure. We stretched out on cushions, hung feet over the side, caught some zzz's and rays. Nice.

But then came the storm. The sky darkened, the rain started, and the flat ocean humped like a dragon's neck. Sudden waves of water tilted the vessel up until we saw nothing but sky and then downward until we saw nothing but blue. I learned this about sailing: there is nothing swell about a swell. Tanning stopped. Napping ceased. Eyes turned first to the thunderclouds, then to the captain. We looked to Milt.

He was deliberate and decisive. He told some people where to sit, others what to do, and all of us to hang on. And we did what he said. Why? We knew he knew best. No one else knew the difference between starboard and stern. Only Milt did. We trusted him. We knew he knew.

And we knew we didn't. Prior to the winds, we might have boasted about Boy Scout merit badges in sailing or bass-boat excursions. But once the storm hit, we shut up. (Except for Denalyn, who threw up.) We had no choice but to trust Milt. He knew what we didn't--and he cared. The vessel was captained, not by a hireling or a stranger, but by a pal. Our safety mattered to him. So we trusted him.

Oh, that the choice were equally easy in life. Need I remind you about your westerly winds? With the speed of lightning and the force of a thunderclap, williwaws anger tranquil waters. Victims of sudden storms populate unemployment lines and ICU wards. You know the winds. You've felt the waves. Good-bye, smooth sailing. Hello, rough waters.

Such typhoons test our trust in the Captain. Does God know what he is doing? Can he get us out? Why did he allow the storm?

Can you say about God what I said about Milt?
I know God knows what's best.
I know I don't.
I know he cares.

Such words come easily when the water is calm. But when you're looking at a wrecked car or a suspicious-looking mole, when war breaks out or thieves break in, do you trust him?

To embrace God's sovereignty is to drink from the well of his lordship and make a sailboat-in-the-storm decision. Not in regard to Milt and the sea, but in regard to God and life. You look toward the Captain and resolve: he knows what's best.

From
Come Thirsty
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2004) Max Lucado

KIDS ARE OUR FUTURE

Found this interesting article about the comparison between my generation and the previous.
-------------------------------------------------------------
> KIDS ARE OUR FUTURE

I've lost count of the adults I've seen who have thrown their arms up in the air, in despair over this new generation of kids and said, "Ah! Kids today! They're worse than ever!"

While this statement may be coming from an adult who's simply speaking from their personal experience, statistics are clear that this statement is wrong on the whole. If you examine what's going on nationwide, you'll see that this new generation of young adults are, indeed, different. But in a good way. Their grades, their behavior and their passion to change the world has gone up. Teen pregnancy, drug use and alcohol abuse has gone down. These kids may prove to be much more valuable to society than either of the last two generations. They may be the best educated, most informed generation in history. In fact, for the first time, this generation doesn't need leaders to get information. Thanks to the internet, an audience of kids can know more about a subject than the speaker does. What they need is leaders who can help them interpret the information they receive. In other words, they don't need leaders to access data. They need leaders to process data. That's where mentors come in. We hold the key. If we're going to focus on this next generation, the Millennials, we need to know who they are, how they think and what they need. Let's take a look at how their brains work and how we can connect with them.

A Comparison and Contrast of Two Generations
Millennials (or Generation Y) represent a shift from the mindset of the previous generation, the Baby Busters (or Generation X). While some characteristics remain the same, I believe major changes have taken place as the Busters have given way to the Millennials. Let me compare and contrast the two generations below.

Comparison Between Generation X and Generation Y
- Both love community
- Both appreciate authenticity
- Both recognize the world is messed up
- Both hunger for better, more healthy families
- Both are at home in the world of digital technology
- Both learn best through images, relationships and experiences

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Contrast Between Generation X and Millennials
------------------------------

Generation X (1965-1983)
1. Anti-establishment
2. Angered by their broken world
3. Cynical and jaded
4. Struggles with authority
5. Wants to escape their problems
6. Movie: Reality Bites
7. Ignores leadership and authority
8. My job is an irritant
9. Who cares about transcript/resume?
10. I'm not interested in leadership

Generation Y (1984-2002)
1. Work within establishment
2. Challenged by their broken world
3. Optimistic
4. Struggles with reality
5. Wants to fix their problems
6. Movie: Pay It Forward
7. Chooses leadership and authority
8. My career is a place to serve
9. Load up the transcript and resume
10. I plan to change my world

The Good News
The good news is adults do not have to share identical experiences with students in order to help them. In other words, it is not required that mentors possess expertise and experience in the areas they are coaching their mentee. It helps, but it is not necessary. They simply must be able to see what the mentee cannot see, provide some clarification, support them and hold them accountable until they make progress. My friend Andy Stanley told me recently that he's coached a number of mentees in areas he is not an expert. That may shock you, but here is what he told me. He was simply able to see something they were not, and understood the steps they could take to get them to their goal. Let me summarize:

Notify
Mentors must see what the mentee cannot and share it with him or her.

Clarify
Mentors must provide some clarification on the focus for the mentee.

Demystify
Mentors must offer coaching and direction to the mentee to take some steps.

Fortify
Mentors must support and encourage the mentee to take those steps.

Intensify
Mentors must hold the mentee accountable until progress is made.

Someone Out There Needs You!
It sounds cliché, but kids are our future. They're the wisest investment you can make with your life. I believe there is a potential "giant" somewhere out there who needs you to become their mentor. Despite your feelings of inadequacy, you need to take a step and go after them. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Sure, you will run into conflict and hardship; you may likely find a young "protégé" who says he or she wants to be challenged--then promptly runs from you! Go after them. Whether they know it or not, they need you.

Let me close with this analogy. Driving along a freeway one night, a woman noticed the headlights of a huge semi-truck tailgating her much too closely. She sped up, but so did the truck. She became afraid and drove even faster. Finally she exited the freeway and raced toward a nearby gas station. The truck followed her in. She leaped from her car and ran into the garage as onlookers stood by. The truck driver then climbed down from his cab, walked to her car and pulled a would-be rapist from her back seat! The trucker had spotted the man from his higher vantage point and had determined to save the woman from harm. The woman, in essence, was running from the wrong man.

In a similar way, a student may run from or resist the help of a mentor because of different vantage points and a misunderstanding of motives. And too often we give up our attempts to mentor because helping them is just too much of a hassle.

Trust me--there is a hassle to the business of mentoring this next generation. There are risks as well. That's why so few do it. But remember: to get to the fruit, you've got to go out on a limb.

(This article is an excerpt from Tim Elmore's new book: Life-Giving Mentors. It is available now at our website: www.GrowingLeaders.com/store).
-Tim Elmore, mailto:insight@growingleaders.com

RGV Valleywide Young Adult Summit Reminder

TEXAS VALLEY YOUNG ADULTS

A Valley/San Antonio area young adult event will be held at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown McAllen July 18-19. The event begins on Friday night at 7pm and continues Sabbath with services beginning at 10am. For more information you may call or email Raphael Balarini (956.221.9533 - raphalink@hotmail.com) or Pastor Armando Miranda (965.230.0227 - ptrmirandjr@excite.com) or Lane Campbell with the Texas Conference Young Adult Ministries Department, 817-790-2255 ext.143 - lcampbell@txsda.org Web site: www.youngadults.texasadventist.org.
-Sheri Denny, mailto:sdenny@texas-adventist.org

"Serve One Another"

by Max Lucado

Jesus "set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death--and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion" (Phil. 2:7--8 MSG).

Let's follow his example. Let's "put on the apron of humility, to serve one another" (1 Pet. 5:5 TEV). Jesus entered the world to serve. We can enter our jobs, our homes, our churches. Servanthood requires no unique skill or seminary degree. Regardless of your strengths, training, or church tenure, you can ...

Love the overlooked. Jesus sits in your classroom, wearing the thick glasses, outdated clothing, and a sad face. You've seen him. He's Jesus.

Jesus works in your office. Pregnant again, she shows up to work late and tired. No one knows the father. According to water-cooler rumors, even she doesn't know the father. You've seen her. She's Jesus.

When you talk to the lonely student, befriend the weary mom, you love Jesus. He dresses in the garb of the overlooked and ignored. "Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me--you did it to me" (Matt. 25:40 MSG).

You can do that. Even if your sweet spot has nothing to do with encouraging others, the cure for the common life involves loving the overlooked. You can also ...

Wave a white flag. We fight so much. "Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from?" asks the brother of Jesus. "Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves" (James 4:1 MSG). Serve someone by swallowing your pride. One more aspect of servanthood.....

Every day do something you don't want to do. Pick up someone else's trash. Surrender your parking place. Call the long-winded relative. Carry the cooler. Doesn't have to be a big thing. Helen Keller once told the Tennessee legislature that when she was young, she had longed to do great things and could not, so she decided to do small things in a great way. Don't be too big to do something small. "Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort" (1 Cor. 15:58 MSG).

A good action not only brings good fortune, it brings God's attention. He notices the actions of servants. He sent his Son to be one.

When you and I crest Mount Zion and hear the applause of saints, we'll realize this: hands pushed us up the mountain too. The pierced hands of Jesus Christ, the greatest servant who ever lived.

From
Cure for the Common Life:
Living in Your Sweet Spot
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2005) Max Lucado

Now in paperback with practical assessment tools included in the back of the book apply the powerful principles of Cure for the Common Life

Shotgun View

On the way back from Inks Lake. After a few set backs we managed to leave camp before we got charged for another day. Now all that's left is the 7 hour drive back to home sweet home. Maybe we will stop by the outlets :) ? I'm not going to drive 4 hours to go shopping in San Marcos! Until then, i will be in the front seat, trying not to get a tan no these Asian legs...

I'm SO Bored...

I'm SO bored I'm going to blog about it. There! I have just documented my boredom. And it only took one sentence.

Abroad: 06.19.08 Entry

Coral, originally uploaded by [kmj].

Can't believe that this trips is almost to an end! :-( Back in Manila and after Gail and I spent the day with Cris & PJ.

Visited the Oceanarium downtown. Hit my head on the glass while I was trying to take some pictures and went to Chowking for the first time (apparently we have one in California). Kai was begging to try the foot spa - where the little fishes eat your dead skin.

Walked a few blocks to see some museums. Found this cool children's museum with an old helicopter on their playground. Tried the seesaw with Gail and it hurt TREMENDOUSLY! That was the most uncomfortable thing I've ever ridden. When I was smaller, we used to use a piece of wood on a big rock. AND it was way more comfortable! We went inside and it was actually pretty interesting. They were lots of activities to do on the second floor. It started raining so we just kinda killed time playing with everything.

Then we went to yet another huge mall. And, of course, Kai went to TimeZone yet again. Will miss cousins when we leave. But I will continue to see the sights with my personal bodyguard and tour guide.

Leaving for Baguio tomorrow.

Long Day

Things seem to be piling up here as I'm getting back into the routine of things. I'm still on summer break but boy do I have things to do. I'm going to start work again, still building my Wanderlust collection (which, of course, includes editing, collecting, remembering events- all that jazz), run errands, get ready for the second summer session, start the Wanderlust scrapbook (which I did tonight), start my "Christmas in July" Christmas cards (cuz they always end up late), do some work/play for my graphic design club at school, and work on AY and Pathfinder activities. The only thing that's not included is music and when Resonance gets back I'm going to have lots of things to fill up my pile for sure. :-)

Still have not unpacked all my things yet, only the bare necessities. I look at my shoes and say to myself, "These shoes have the dirt of the Philippines on them. They have been worn by the Manila streets. On the other side of the world." Haven't unpacked yet because I want to continue to see my family. Wish we could've stayed for the entire summer. How cool would that be? 2 1/2 months every year? That would be awesome. Yeah, not gonna happen. But as my list of things to do piles up, I feel the inevitable upon me. I don't want to forget how life is in the Philippines; it makes me ever so grateful for everything I have here in the US (guys, we're rich!).

Today was a beautiful day because it rained! I love it! I brought home my usual from Starbucks and made some tomato soup and grilled cheese, with garlic mashed potatoes. Tried to see if a good Oprah was on. There wasn't. But I found Friends instead, which is one of my favorite shows. And had a nice, snuggly afternoon on the couch while it rained.

I'm the only one awake right now. Everyone's already asleep and it's only 9:30. There is a to-do list tomorrow so I guess I will be heading off to bed as well.

Congrats to Me

Marinduque Views, originally uploaded by [kmj].

Great news! I've been asked to join the Marinduque Photo Club on Flickr :-) So check out my groups other photos!

Have a very productive GDC (Graphic Design Club, UTPA) meeting over Skype last night. My first time using it and it went well. We're currently still thinking of a new name. Something that sounds professional, like a real design firm. After that it's all downhill with posters and shirts that we're going to screen print ourselves (which, I must confess I'm very excited about). I got some cool ideas from Artwork in the PI. I would've gotten more cool shirts from that place but they were so small! And short! I'm a fat Asian (hehehe).