What Gets Me Fired Up #9 - A Change of Scenery

I live in a community and culture that tends to embrace change at a very slow pace.  I am a member and victim of this culture.  I'm a member in that I like to have a level of comfort and pacing as a part of my life.  I'm a victim that deep down, my creative tendencies love to switch it up and try something different.

I especially benefit from a change of scenary.  A few examples from this week that have made this very clear:

• The Fall:  Something comes alive in me during the Fall Season.  I find the creation-lover in me coming to life.  Trees, crops, and sunsets sum up why I love this time of year.  In all cases it is the literal change in scenery that is unfolding before my eyes.  I see the reality of a mighty, loving, and beautiful Creator as I enjoy the changing of his creation.
• The Office Switch:  Jason Thompson took one more step into the dark side by moving out of the Student Ministries wing and into the Main Office area.  In the process, we made some shifts which put me in Jason's old office.  This change of scenery has me fired up to be at work.
• Study Time:  If I really need to get some preperation or study time in for a message.  I'm best if it's done outside of the church.  I switch between ou Main Street Coffee House and Martin's.  But in both cases, getting out of the church setting and having a change in scenery fires up my mind.
• Vacation Time:  After church Sunday, Janelle, Katylynn and I will be heading to Detroit for the night then on to Florida for 11 days of Vacation.  I'm so fired up for family and fun time, but I'm also up for getting out of Nappanee.  Not because I hate Nappanee (I'm actually quite fond of it), but because there's just something in me that gets refreshed when getting out of the normal environment and into another one.

I love the familiarity of my home, my family, my job, and my Savior.   At the same time I hate the monotony that can come in my life if I just keep going through the motions of day to day.  Give me a change of scenery, and I give you some extra effort because that's what gets me fired up.

What Gets Me Fired Up #8 - Adoption

I recently read that if one out of every six Christian couples in the world were to adopt a child, there would be no orphans in the world.

When Janelle and I were presented with the thought of adoption, I was the hesitant one... so many preconceived notions and fears.  Lot's of questions...

1. Would I love the child the same way I would if I were to "have my own"?
2. What if the child is devastated when learning he/she is not "ours"?
3.  Am I giving up on the potential miracle of us getting pregnant if we take the route of adoption?

Thanks to the prompting of God's Spirit and an amazingly bold and compassionate wife, I was able to open up to taking the route of having a family through adoption.  From that point on, my questions were not answered.  Instead, I discovered they were completely the wrong questions.

1. I need not worry about loving the child as if she were my "own".  She is OUR child as much as any child could be OURS.  This means two things, any child is ultimately entrusted to our care.  We don't own any.  Yet, to the level at which she has taken on our name, joined our line, she is a Prenkert as much as any other Prenkert.
2. So I'm concerned she'll be devastated in learning she's not "ours"?  Read thoughts directly above.
3. Rather than giving up on miracles, I have experienced more moments where I've thought or said, "Only God could accomplish that" than any other situation I've faced in my life.  

Don't get me wrong, adoption is an amazing adventure filled with angst, uncertainty, expenses, and potential pitfalls. As we've been through it once and are going through it again, we know it will never work the same way twice.  Yet, a simple hug and a kiss from a little girl I call "Skippy" are enough to remind me that it is all worth it.  It's Skippy along with an update on our current adoption tomorrow that confirm adoption is what gets me fired up!

What Gets Me Fired Up #7 - Smurf Turf

I've never been a big fan of college football.  I blame it on growing up in the shadow of the Golden Dome.  I just never got into the Fighting Irish (even when they were good).  I'm not a hater.  Just not a fan.

Over the past 10 years, I have become a die-hard Colts fan and avid NFL follower.  Really, in all honest the Indianapolis Colts are what gets me fired up.

But. this year I have decided to give College Football a try.  I figure to really get into it I need a team.  In 2007, I watched the Fiesta Bowl (I seriously watch that little) and it was quite possibly the best football game I've ever seen.  Boise State shocked Oklahoma in overtime.  Well, Boise State is no longer a team that schocks.  They will likely be the #1 team in BCS rankings when they are released next week.  

I've decided Boise State is my team.  This is for multiple reasons...

• Nobody in this area is a big fan, so I get to always be the Bronco apologist in discussions.
• They are a contraversial team in that they play in such a weak conference.  Makes it quite enjoyable when talking to SEC, BIG 10, or BIG 12 fans (Nebraska is losing as I write this, by the way).
• They have a blue field.  I mean, come on!
• I actually enjoy their style of Football.

To say the Boise State Football gets me fired up at the same level as previous posts would be out of line, but it is quite enjoyable being that annoying guy that incessantly tweets and comments about his team, which gets others pretty fired up.

What Gets Me Fired Up #6 - Spiritual Grandparents

At NMC, we've placed a high value on multiplication or spiritual reproduction.  One thing I often pray for is that our students will become spiritual grandparents.

What I'm really getting at in this prayer is this...

A student would have the privilege of loving, sharing, and leading someone to a relationship with Christ (become a "spiritual parent"), then invest in that individual to the point that he/she would have the privilege of loving, sharing, and leading someone to a relationship with Christ (become a "spiritual grandparent").

Our mission statement for NMC Student Ministries is to see students move from religion to relationship to spiritually reproducing.  Although becoming a spiritual grandparent is not the only way this happens, nor is it the only true sign of someone living in a healthy relationship with Christ, it IS a powerful symbol of both.  Students making disciples who make disciples is what gets me fired up...

You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

2 Timothy 2:2

What Gets Me Fired Up #5 - My Family

Everybody says that they have the best spouse in the world, but everyone else is wrong. Everyone says their child(ren) are the most beautiful around, but again, they are mistaken.  I have to be very honest that I often don't want to be at the church or doing my Youth Pastor duties.  I would much rather be at home or out with my family.  As we look to increase the size (and diversity) of our family next year (update on the adoption coming soon), I all the more desire to spend time with the most important congregation God has called me to minister to.  Jesus said, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?"  In the same, but slightly different way I ask, "What good is it if Derry has a thriving youth ministry, yet forfeits his family?"

It's the amazing two ladies (and another child to come) that God has blessed me with that really count.  That's what gets me fired up!

What Gets Me Fired Up #4 - Stories

Last Wednesday Night we did something a little different that we are going to do about every quarter in our Senior High Ministry.  It was called Stories and Songs.  We ran 9th/10th Small Groups a little longer and spent a little focused time with the 11th/12th Grade in the Fieldhouse.  Once everyone was together, we removed the message element and had 3 different students share their stories (or, I guess the churchy word would be their testimonies).  What took place was a powerful time of bringing glory to God through music and lives.

There's power in story. 
Tell me a principle and I will kind of track with you. 
Tell me a story about a person who lived out a principle and you will inspire me. 
Tell me I can overcome a trial or situation and I'll be encouraged. 
Tell me the story of one who has overcome in a similar situation and I'll believe it can happen.
There's power in story, and that is what gets me fired up!

What Gets Me Fired Up #3 - Religion v. Relationship

It's why I do what I do.  I spent 18 years of my life attending church, knowing all the right answers, trying to figure out how to avoid hell, and, in the end, far from God.  At 18, something clicked (I guess you could say I got it).  There's something fantastic about the fact that we as humans, can interact with the Almighty creator of the Universe.  Actually knowing and experiencing a relationship with Jesus Christ has wrecked me for life.

Religion without relationship is dead, empty and incomplete.
Connect in an authentic relationship and everything changes.

Helping students move from Religion to Relationship is what gets me out of bed, and it is what gets me fired up!

What Gets Me Fired Up: #2 - The Bizman

I'm in Detroit for 2 days with my good friend and parnter in ministry Caleb Bislow.  Caleb is an itinerant speaker and runs a ministry called "Unusual Soldiers."  The best way to explain the heart of Unusual Soldiers is that they run with the love of Christ toward the people, places and situations that many Christians run from.

You've heard the saying, "When a door closes, God opens a window."  Caleb tends to believe, "When a door closes, God may be asking you to kick it in and go through it."

Caleb challenges me.  I believe I have been able to play the Barnabas to his Paul role in the great commission in multiple ways.  When I find myself getting comfortable and stagnant in my faith, I find a couple days with Caleb to be a good remedy.

It's not the man that gets me fired up.  The fire inside the man is what gets me fired up!

What Gets Me Fired Up: #1 - Teenagers "Getting It"

It takes up different forms, but it's one of my ultimate goals in Student Ministries.  It's what keeps me coming back.

• It's more than a religion.
• It's not about me.
• I can make a difference in my peers lives.
• God wants my heart to beat and break for the things his beats and breaks for.
• He has a plan/calling for me.
• The "cool" things I've been running after really aren't all that "cool" after all.
• The Holy Spirit is active and moving in my life.
• I listened, heard God speak, and obeyed... crazy-cool things happened!

It's like a light bulb turns on in their eyes.  Sometimes there's smiles.  Sometimes there's tears.  All times, it's worth the pain, doubts, prayer, prodding, listening, sharing, praying, getting frustrated, encouraging, confronting, praying, and did I mention, praying.

Suddenly there's something bigger worth living for in that teenagers life, and that is what gets me fired up!

What Gets Me Fired Up

Going to do a little series over the next couple weeks on things I passionate about.
I'm calling it "What Get's Me Fired Up!"  I think it will explain itself as it goes.