Disturbing!

I just read an article that really distured me.....its about a policeman who found his 14 year old old son dead in his room........let me explain
This guy was a drug officer and thought that he knew everything about drugs, he even had a drug dog that lived with him.....he thought there was no way that drugs could ever get into his house. Well he had just bought a new computer and got some of this stuff called DUST OFF, it is compressed air that cleans dust off your computer and anything else you want to clean. the guy had bought a couple of cans and came home one day to find all them empty. He asked his son and his son said that he was just playing with it and that he was sorry for using it all. The dad went back the next day and bought a jumbo size can. The next morning the guys wife went into the son's room and found him slumped over dead with the straw hanging out of his nose.......
WHAT IS GOING ON!!

This really confused me so i did some research.... i found out that this has become a popular thing amongst teenagers, it is called DUSTING. They put the straw from the can into their nose and pull the trigger....it gives them a high for about 10 seconds. They think it is harmless. What they don't realize is that there is a chemical in the can that prevents oxygen getting to your brain....which can kill you instantly. You can't overdose, it's like russian roullette.....you never know when it could happen. If you know of anyone who does this or if you do this.....
STOP NOW!! It is very dangerous and is not worth dying over.................

But what really disturbs me is where is the church body in this kids life? It tells me that people are searching for something. And they are willing to look for it in any shape or form.....Even a DUST OFF can........What if we as the church began to really give people the drug that can save their life and not kill them? Stories like this tell me that we are not doing our job.... we have to constantly be on the lookout for hurting people.....people who need CHRIST!!

Maybe its time that we lived out God's command... (love God, love OTHERS) ..... or simply.. put others before yourself.........then, maybe we will save a life.......like that 14 year kids.....

Love you guys
Josh

What a dreary day!

I hate rainy days like this....I know that is being negative but you will have to forgive me. i feel like i could have slept all day today. I hope that everyone had an AWESOME thanksgiving! i did but I ate way to much!.... i still have enough food to last until next thanksgiving!!

Last night was the bomb at crave! Especially the worship! i love it when we do more of the acoustic sound.....its so easy to worship to. We had a lot of people pledge to get their priorities right with 1. Christ 2. Family 3. Church.........

On a different note I want to know who got my password to post on this site?...THATS NOT COOL! And look what you have done to Willie..what did he do to you?
ITS ON NOW!! I will find out who you are! You have forced me to unleash the CPD (crave police department)......and there will be severe punishment for the criminal (thats right your a criminal!!)

If you have any information on the case please post or come to me in private....there will be a reward for the person who helps the CPD find these criminals!!!!

WHERE'S WILLIE?

WHERE IS HE I DON'T KNOW

Happy TURKEY DAY!!

Hey eveyone!!! this may be one of the last times I get to blog before Thankgiving so I just wanted to say........
HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!!! I would like for everyone to eat as much as they possibily can!.......
I know I will.....

Also we will have crave sunday night the 27th so make
sure you don't miss it!!

I love all you guys and make sure you eat ALOT!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Josh

Tigers WIN!!!!

What can I say the Tigers win AGAIN!! But this year was a lot different.... The last couple of years we have dominated Carolina and while I think it was obvious that we still have the best talent(for right now) usc was still in teh game at the end. I have to say that spurrier is a great coach,........ but clemson is still the BOMB!! and we are still usc's DADDY!!!!!

13-9
GO TIGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really hope that we go to the peach bowl, it's a really fun bowl to go to!

Have a great day
Josh

Go TIGERS!!

Tomorrow night is the big game!! Clemson vs usc!!!... even though Carolina has a much better team then last year, I still don't think they have the talent to beat us this year...but I 've been wrong before.............All I can say is....... C....L.....E....M....S....O.....N!!!!!!!!!
Fight Tigers, Fight Tigers, Fight Tigers,
FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!
GO TIGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More thoughts on last night

James 1:5-8
If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. 6Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. 7Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, 8adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

I have been thinking a lot about what we talked about last night in Deeper, and I think all of you had some great questions..... but one of the main ones that really stuck with me is what Heather asked.. Basically how do you change that mind set, how do you pray to God for things like a healing, and really not have any doubt in your heart? It is easy to pray for something but it is extremely hard to actually know and believe, with out a shadow of doubt, that God is going to take care of it. So how do you not doubt?

The more I thought about it the more Micheal Jordan came to mind. Micheal Jordan is the greatest basketball player that ever lived. Every time the bulls need a game winning shot, Jordan begged to have the ball in his hands. He knew that he could make the shot, there was no doubt in his mind........whats the point? The point is that Jordan didn't start out that way. Early in his carreer he had to take a lot of shots, make a lot of shots, and miss a lot of shots, before he ever had that kind of confidence. But the more shots he made, the more games he won, his confidence grew and he began to EXPECT the ball to go in. Even if he missed a game winning shot in a particular game...it didn't faze him. The next game he still wanted the ball.

My point is that our faith is that way.......the more times we trust God, and more times that God comes through for us, the more we began to expect things when we pray. But we have to get to a point to where if we miss a shot occassionally the next time things come we still EXPECT God to come through! Our faith is a process, just like our relationship...but if we never but our faith into pratice then it will never grow, just like our relationship! What I'm trying to say is begin to expect things when you pray. It may be tough at first, but God IS going to come through for you...and the more He does the more your faith grows!!!

Have a great day!
Josh

Sunday Night was AWESOME!!

If you weren't @ crvae sunday night then you missed it!! It was 70's night and we had a blast!.... but the best part is that 4 people gave their heart to Christ for the 1st time!! THATS THE BOMB!! You guys were awesome in bringing your friends, even though the soul patch didn't come off, it still was a great night.. from cowbells, to destroying willie :( , from getting Joel back, to the soul train line..I would have to say that it was one of our best nights ever!! You guys Rock!!

On a more serious note... I think that somebody stole Willie. Who would do such a thing? If you have any information on the kidnapping of Willie please let me know!

Here is some pics from the other night!

What happened!!

Last night I went to bed about 12:00, closed my eyes.. i thought I heard a noise so I opened them and looked at the clock...I was freaked out!! It said 6:30!! I didn't even know that I went to sleep...time has never went by so fast.. It actually made me mad because I felt like I didn't even get any beauty rest (and we all know I need it!).

I was thinking about that this morninig on the way to the office, and (not to sound super spiritual) I realized that's exactly how life is...it's flying by. I'm only 24 but it seems like yesterday that I was in high school playing football..It literally feels like i just closed my eyes and woke up 8 years later!! i began to think about what have I done these last years, and I realized how much of it I have wasted. And the problem is that i really don't have the time to waste....

So what are you doing with your time? When you look back on your life, is there time that you wish you could get back? What do we do?...... We start living each day as if it is going to be our last. I don't know if you heard about Kyle Lake. Kyle was a pastor in Texas (the church David Crowder leads worship) and a couple of weeks ago he was doing a baptismal service and was electrocuted by the microphone.. Why did God allow this to happen, right there in front of his congregation?...I don't know..... but I bet that Kyle didn't get up that morning thinking that it was going to be his last.....You never know...So don't waste your time, do the things now that God has called you to do..... because you may not have tomorrow!

Please keep Pastor Lakes family in your prayers..

Love you guys
Josh

Who is Willie???

Me, Justin, and Andrew are getting ready to make a video sunday night called how much can Willie take..... but the question is...who is Willie? post on who you think it is... but know this Willie is about to go through tremendous pain this afternoon.. because we are going to see how much he can really take!!!

By the way, this Sunday night is going to be awesome..so don't miss it. and i am not expecting to shave off the soul patch..so see if you can surprise me.
Peace and chicken grease!!!!!!

Josh

Be Weird!!

Matthew 17:27
However, we don't want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a coin. Take the coin and pay the tax for both of us."

Another example of how Jesus uses the different and unique to bring glory to God! (if you weren't there sunday we talked about how God loves to use weird things in order to reach people.. like when he lugied in the blind man's face in John 1)..... Don't you think that Jesus could have just pulled that coin out of his pocket? Why didn't he? Because God is into using unique things and unique situations!! And just like i said on Sunday night...BE YOURSELF!! Be who God created you to be...because you are unique and unlike any one else in this world! You can reach people that i never will, but you and i have to be our self......count it a privivlige to be called weird...trust me people say it to me all the time, now I love it...

I'm tired of seeing teenagers try and be just like somebody else... they try and be in every club, wear a certain type of clothes, talk a certain way, etc.... when i wish that they would understand that God didn't call them to be anything but themselves... i don't know about you but i want the be the lugie that God used in John! I want to be different so that I can reach all the people that i can!! So just call me WEIRD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Josh

Pictures from San Diego!

Here is some pictures from San Diego




Me, tracy, shannon, belinda,& Lavante
at the beach!









Some pics of the sunset we saw ( the first is a background that we are going to use)

This is pic of the stage that the conference was held on.. COOL HUH?!

Next is a picture that a guy painted with his hands during the praise and worship.. this guy was incredible! we hop to get him at the church!

well that's all i could get on here BYE!

Josh

We have a Mascot!!

what's up everybody!! I hope everyone had a great weekend... last night at crave was AWESOME!!... we started our crave e-teams( which is our evangilsim teams of you didn't know).. and 17 people signed up!! I believe that this are going to be teams that are going to begin to change and impact Seneca!! I'm pumped about them! If you weren't there last night but still want to be a part call me or sign up next sunday...
Anyway we have a new member to crave.. and I will be revealing him this sunday night.. But I can tell you that his name is Willie, and that we will be doing a video this week called How much can willie take... It's going to be hilarious!! Don't miss it!!
HAVE A GREAT DAY!!! SEE-YA WEDNESDAY

Josh

Our One Chance

Hey guys i'm here to inform you(if you have'nt already heard) that we have a chance to remove the soul patch. Next Sunday night if we can bring 80 students then it's comin off! It could be our only chance to remove that hideous creature! If you are tired of the Soul patch then bring your friends....and random people that you meet on the street to Crave Sunday night. It's gonna be a night that we will all remember....if we all do our part. So if we bring 80 students then all of our wildest dreams will come true!


Concerned Youth Member,
Norma(Nora)

Amazing!!

I titled this post amazing because we just went to a part of San Diego called Point something..i can't remember the name... and it was the most beautiful thing that I have ever experienced! WE sent to see the sunset and it was well worth it... it is undescribable, i will show you pictures later.... but it made me realize that no matter what we as humans create, it can never match the awesomeness and beauty of God's creation.... God is SO AWESOME!! I wish you could have seen it, it overwhelmed me! And then to think that this God still loves you and me, so much that He sent His only Son!!! What a thought!! What a Love!! What a privilige!! I don't know about you but it makes me love God so much more, to think that He first love me...He could have created anything else but He decided to created you and me!! Just a thought!!
Anyway I really can't wait to get back to hang out with all of you....See you Sunday!!

Josh

Hey I've got some really cool ideas!!

What's up everybody!! I just got out of a session called..How to reach students in your mid-week services.... It was pretty good but the guy talked alot about stuff that we are already doing...We are so cool!!!! But I did get some really good video ideas! I can't wait to start doing them when I get back!!!
Anyway I hope that everyone is having a great week, and don't forget about crave..sunday night.... It's going to be fun... See-ya

Love you guys
Josh

Hey From San Diego!!

Hey everyone it is awesome out here!! This is a beautiful place and I am learning so much! We are in between sessions right know so I can't blog long...but just wanted to say..
Whats up!!!!!!!!!!!!! See-ya Sunday!!!!

Josh