I am in love...

I went to the Carrie Underwood concert tonight. The emotions that are welling inside of me are hard to explain.

During All American Girl, she brought a little girl on stage and had her sing the last chorus with her. It was a cute picture. I love it when she is compassionate and reaching out to people...that is my favorite quality about her. She is so tender and loving...and I love that about her. Not to mention it was a really cute picture...I didn't get a good look at the little girl, but Carrie was very cute.

Fast forward in the show about 20 minutes when my leg started buzzing. It was Tyler Ward (good kid). He sent me a text message:

"Hey broseph. You still our youth pastor or you run off with Carrie and get married."

At that moment...she came out in a beautiful blue dress. Before All American Girl, she asked the audience if there were any "all American girl's" there tonight. Before the next song, she asked if there was any Prince Charming's in the crowd. I could feel the connection we had at that very moment. She then lamented that she was still looking, but at the age of 25 she was still single. Coincidentally this is my age. At that very moment, I felt like the very Prince Charming she was talking about. According to the song, she is finding her companionship from a puppy that travels around with her. "The more boys I meet the more I love my dog." Apparently, she has been hurt in the past by guys. Carrie, those guys were idiots.

I felt bad for her, mostly because here she was bearing her soul, and me, the very guy who could comfort and assuage her was setting a mere 29 rows from her. Someday, perhaps by happenstance, we shall meet face to face. I am holding on to the fact that in that moment, I will be overcome with my prince-charmingness and my tender heart will show through. And we will think back to this night and reminisce about the time we were so close emotionally yet so far away physically. I will be there to comfort her and we will ride off into the sunset like her song "Ever After" talks about.

Not to take anything away from this youth group, but rest assured Tyler, had I proposed and she said yes, I would guarantee that you would never see me again.

I'm just kidding. Judging by our careers, mine seems to be going places faster than hers, so she could settle down, while I support our kids and her dog (jk).

I also caught some confetti tonight that now graces my desk here at work.

Boredom...thy name is Christianity?

How can the mundane become majestic?

Our summer series kicked off tonight. The overall theme sounds like it was stolen from a children's VBS; but it holds the summer together. Jesus: The Guardian.

There are so many things that Jesus saves us from...we will look at a couple things that his work of protection takes care of. Things like worry; isolation; boredom; doubt; and sin. Later on this summer Aaron Jones will teach us how Jesus saves us from worry, and Travis McKinley will teach us how Jesus saves us from ourselves.

We started the night by sharing the most boring times of our lives, and the best way we found to deal with that boredom. Our absentee member, Aleesha, posted a list that were some of her favorite ways to deal with it (you can see that here).

Tonight's lesson was on Jesus saving us from boredom. As Christians, there are times when our life reaches that point where it is meaningless ritual and common place habit. Church on Sunday, the 2 minute prayer before bed, the occasional chapter read: these are the things that makes up a life of faith.

I can't help but envy the life of the apostles. Miraculous things seemed to be a common place. Jesus hawking a loogie in a guys face in John 9, Paul's handkerchiefs healing people in Acts 19, Peter walking on water in Matthew 14; these are news worthy events that happened to the followers of Jesus, and made up their church bulletins and filled their doughnut talk time. How the mundane became majestic. What fills our time now? What makes news these days in the life of church goers?

Lack of parking spaces, luke warm coffee, catching up on the week. What has happened? I'm convinced that if we are bored, it is because we have not allowed ourselves to see whats happening. I challenged the students who felt bored in their faith to look at two things: Creation and others. Looking at creation will remind us of the power that God has and the majesty that he has. The second thing to look at is the lives around you. It is amazing to hear how God has worked and is working in those around. I am reminded of Phil and Elizabeth who are in North Africa as missionaries and the stories they tell. I recall my conversations with Dee Bowden these last couple weeks, and how God is working in a man that is already so close to him. I hear stories from our students at Jr. High Camp and how God is doing things in their life. In hearing these things I think back to the oral traditions of Israel and the campfire talks that Moses must have had about God's working, and I feel close to the life that I envy.

After youth group, we went to my house and watched "Enchanted." Most of you know of my infatuation with Carrie Underwood. Her song in that movie inspires me. In her music video she is actually animated as a Disney princess, thus combining two of my favorite things. Most of the guys played a nasty game of ultimate Frisbee in the mud hole that is my front yard. We came back filthy, but it was a great game.

Day Camp and Carrie Underwood

I've spent the last week trying to make up for the last couple. Jr. High camp kind of took it out of me. This week has kind of been a make up week for me. I did get the opportunity to do some really cool stuff this week. A1C camp would probably top that list. I wasn't really invited; I followed the food. My eyes were opened to the rigors of diabetes. I was seeing kids as young as six, poke themselves in the finger 5 times during the afternoon to check their blood sugars. Some kids there had had the disease since they were two. To see kids eating healthy during snack time, and watching them check the carbs in each of their snack items was something that I had never seen. Most of the kids were very concerned with my own diet. Pushy kids.

I was also blessed to get to hang out with some really cool people this week. Trish Greer ran the camp and did a great job. Trisha Martens also helped. Pam did a lot of the food stuff. I also met a Washburn nursing student named Jessica, who had an uncanny resemblance to Carrie Underwood. It was really tough to see camp end. Seriously, really tough.

Some Random thoughts...

I just got done watching "the Cowboys" a great John Wayne film. I cant help but think I was born 150 years too late.

I had a milk shake today. It was chocolate; however, there were little pockets of resistance that tasted like strawberry and vanilla. It was really annoying.

Day 5 at the Maddock household, still I can't seem to force my self to bring more than one day of clothes over at a time.