Thursday, August 04, 2005

Long Time No Talk

So for all of you who have written me emails and nice notes and even scared emails thinking that I was dead or severely depressed, I thank you. I never imagined that if I accidentally fell off the planet for a month that so many people would...well...miss my writing. I don't write that comment as a depressed man, I just honestly am humbled and moved by your care and warm comments. I, too, have missed you.

So where have I been? Well, a lot has been going on with me. I have finished up my role as youth director at my church and have officially begun my new job working for a ministry that comes alongside organizations that use large youth conferences as their medium to impact students. My boss is an event producer and we manage and produce many different projects and events around the country for many different organizations. I've been in Ft. Collins, Colorado this week working on a conference of 2500 Free Methodist students at a conference called IYC. And I'm headed up to the mountains next week for a video shoot for an organization called Dare2Share.

So things are crazy. I played piano in my cousins wedding before I came here to Colorado. That was in Michigan (and remember I'm from Chicago). She is a suburban Chicago girl and married a cowboy. Talk about a clash of cultures! Their reception was quite comical, but very beautiful and so fun! I love Stacy (my cousin) and Zac (the new addition to the fam) so very much! And since I'll be in Denver a lot for my new job, I'll still get to see them a lot, which I'm just a little excited about! hehe :)

Before that I was home for a week but spent the week walking the new youth director through his brand new (and quite overwhelming) position. He's a great guy and will do so well with the ministry. I just know he's feeling quite overwhelmed and scared about all the details and so little time.

The week before that I was at summer camp with my students in the North Woods of Wisconsin at a camp called Silver Birch Ranch. We were the worship team there at SBR and it was a great way to end my time at my church--with students and the new youth director, helping him meet students and talking him through many things. It was also great to catch up with dear friends at the camp (which I have been going to since I was 5). So, I will miss them greatly!

All that to say, I've been a little busy. Not dead, not in a depth of depression, just busy and feeling torn in so many directions. I wish that you could jump into my world a little bit and see all the things that are going on and be excited with me, and when I get another chance (and don't worry it will be soon), I will share some of those excitements with you. For now, though, this will have to do.

I'm not sure if I have any readers left, but for those of you who are still around, I will be back to my usual rants once I establish a bit of a schedule in my new job. It's difficult finding blog time when I'm on so many events and typically work 15-20 hours a day. That would sould like a lot, but I love it. It's amazing to see so many students get impacted in powerful ways. I love seeing the effects of changed lives and fresh starts. Fresh starts.... That may just be the title of my next post. I feel like I need one. Do you?

Bless you all!

8 comments:

whaaaat! said...

Great to hear from you. I kept checking in almost every day thinking that you would post again and was getting close to giving up but I figured it was just because you were so busy with the new job, etc. So glad that was it. Look forward to hearing more about what God is doing in your life and how He is using you. Fresh starts sounds good. I would have to get more sleep than it sounds like you are getting though. And by the way, how much do Methodists usually cost? Great that you found all those free ones. : )

Bar L. said...

(((((BJ))))

You know I check daily and always will. Come one 15-20 hour days working for the Lord impacting young lives? No time for blogging? Where ARE your priorites?

And yes, a fresh start sounds lovely. I need one too.

Glad your back, little bro!!!!
Layla

Holly said...

Welcome back. I stumbled onto your blog via blogarama. God Bless you for putting in the time to help people better know the Lord!

Travis Crow said...

Sounds like things are going really well for you. I am glad you're back on here.

Anonymous said...

I was just looking around and I wanted to say what a great writer you are! Keep up the good work!

mhofeld said...

Congrats on your new start! I was in student ministry for 13 years and have just begun a new ministry (4 weeks ago0. It's hard to walk away from, but it's amazing how God provides direction, vision and passion for what He is calling us to do. God bless!

www.abundantlivin.blogspot.com

steve said...

God Bless!

If you get a chance could you please say a prayer for a little girl named "Rebekah" who has cancer. God knows who you will be praying about! Thank you so much!

Trying to rally some good Christian Prayer for her and her family!

Bar L. said...

BJ, are you going to make us wait another two months before you blog again?