Perfect Imperfections

After having an argument with my girlfriend and then my roommate over pretty much the same issue, I guess it's time to change.

Not like I am just noticing it now, because it is kind of how I have been my whole life, but now I am beginning to realize that I need to change this specific characteristic or it is going to cost me friendships and relationships that I never wanted to lose.

I really know that I am called by God to be a pastor not just because pastor is a fitting title for my job description, but because pastor is what makes up the core of who I am. Being a pastor (and a young one at that) has some positive as well as some negative side-effects. One of those "side-effects," and the very issue I am talking about in this blog is the ever present feeling that I must be the one to better people. Scratch that. Not just better people, but actually make them perfect...at least whatever this perfection is in my eyes.

This is my biggest and most pressing flaw.

When at social events, I feel like it is my responsibility, albeit my duty to make everybody have a good time. If someone is not enjoying themselves I take it on my shoulders and allow their attitude to upset and frustrate me. When I put on youth events for my youth group, I work so hard to make the event perfect so that every student has the most incredible time, only to find out a couple of hours later that one or two of the students would rather be at home doing homework. If I don't allow these negative comments to upset me, I just blame it on the student and say its their fault for not knowing how perfect this fun is.

But when striving for perfection I am one-hundred percent guaranteed to fail. When pushing others to be perfect (once again, in my eyes) I set them up for failure. I set myself up for disappointment. I don't know where I get my sense of perfection from, maybe it is because I think too highly of myself. Whatever it is, I need God to work in me and change me.

It is good to strive for perfection in my own doing because these are things that I can control. But, I must know that when striving for perfection I won't reach it. I can get close but I will never be perfectly perfect and that is okay.

In trying to make others fit my "mold of perfection"...that is just ridiculous. Yeah, maybe there are some things that these people can alter for the better, and sometimes these things can be pointed out. But there is a right way to do it and a wrong way, and too often I pick the wrong way.

"God, help me figure out the line between counseling others to be better and pushing others to be what I want them to be. Help me to find right and peaceful ways to handle situations in which I feel people need to change. Help me to put aside any comment or action in each situation in which I need to say or do nothing. Show me balance. Show me patience. Show me kindness. Show me your perfection and I'll work towards that. Thanks. You are great."

AMP @ North Texas District Fine Arts

This past Friday I took a group of 20 students to Waxahachie, Texas, to compete in various Art, Drama, Music, and Communication categories against hundreds of churches across North Texas. These students were able to use their God-given talents and abilities in categories such as Worship Team, Christian Band, Graphic Design, Traditional Photography, Children's Lesson, Human Video, Drama Group, First Person Essay, T-Shirt Design, Instrumental Ensemble, and many others.

We hopped into multiple vans and loaded our clothes and equipment into the trailer and drove 35 miles to our destination.

We showed up at the college, unloaded into our rooms, checked into the festival, and immediately took off to get to our first competition.

The Story Sweepers were our group of girls who presented a Group Children's Lesson. These girls ended up winning the Merit Award for 1st Place in their category and were invited to Nationals in Orlando Florida.
Throughout the day on Friday we rushed from one event to the next with little time in between to rest. Olivia did her Children's Lesson, then the AMP Worship Team presented their two songs. Alanna performed her Children's Lesson and the Puppet Group their presentation. The AMP Players then presented their drama to a room full of hot and sweaty people. The building we were in had just lost air conditioning earlier that day and we were all sweating like pigs.

This is a picture of the hallway before we entered
the room to compete.

Sweaty.

The Human Video, iAMPi, then performed in a large gym in front of over 100 people, and we concluded the night with a stellar performance from Disciple's Hope in the Christian Band category.

Saturday was less stressful than the previous day. We woke up early and went to Alanna's Flute Solo and then straight to Jonathan's Drum Solo. Matt Briggs later performed a piece that he wrote for Keyboard Solo. We concluded the day with an incredible Flute Duet from Reedless.

When we received our scores we went into a secluded area and went nuts. Group after group received a "Superior with Invitation" - the highest award and an invitation to National Fine Arts in Orlando, Florida.

At the Awards Ceremony, we watched with anticipation as categories were called and the TOP 3 from each were announced to a room of over 2,000 people. When all was said and done, Alanna's Children Lesson, The AMP Players, Reedless, Alanna and Olivia's First Person Essays, and The Story Sweepers all made TOP 3 in their individual categories.

And topping off the entire trip, The Story Sweepers won the Merit Award for 1st Place Group Children's Lesson.

We will all be traveling to Nationals in three months. Keep AMP Student Ministries in your thoughts and prayers and we would love to have your support. This is fun and competion, but we want to use these talents and presentations that we have worked so hard on and use them to bring people into the kingdom of God.