Market, Elephants, & Church: SA Trip Days 7 & 8

Saturday & Sunday were fun days, but very different. Saturday started by going to the Irene Market in the Pretoria, SA area. It's a very popular market and the thing to do twice a month on a Saturday morning. Thousands of people stroll the hundreds of vendors items. It's kind of like a flee market in the US. There is a large variety of new and used things. There is also a big food vendor section as well. Mom wanted us to try the South African pancake/ crepe which came with just cinnamon and sugar on them, they were tasty. I also got a muffin filled with chocolate, it was very yummy. As a side note my nine year old nephew Josh is very good at bartering! He bought a couple of things and got good prices on them, it was very funny to watch him do that.

After getting some food and most of us buying some stuff at the market, it was off to a town called Hartbeespoort, to the "Elephant Sanctuary."

Hartbeespoort is a beautiful lake town with a really cool dam. You drive over it, but it's only one lane at time. While you wait you are bombarded by locals trying to sell you stuff. They walk down the street with items in their hand yelling at you through your car windows. It's funny & annoying at the same time.

Once we got to the Elephant Sanctuary we did a three hour program in which we got to learn all about elephants, as well as touch, feed, get a kiss from, walk with, and ride the elephants. This sanctuary rescues Elephants from bad situations. It was such an incredible experience, to be so close to such an enormous and majestic creature, just surreal. Words fall short of how fun, incredible, and unforgettable this experience was. I am so grateful to Mom & Dad McCool for taking us to do that, what a gift!

After leaving the elephants we had dinner at a SA chain steak restaurant called "Dros." It was good. I had a steak in the Dros Sauce (a cheesy sauce with bacon & onion), which was tasty. Ask Sarah about ordering the peri, peri sauce (it was very hot and made her burger more spicy than she anticipated).

Sunday, we got up and went to Eastside Community Church. It was an enjoyable church service, and of course lots of people wanted to to meet us. After church we had the Pastor & his family over lunch. We made fajitas, which was new to them, because there is very little Mexican food in SA. We had a fun time eating & fellowshipping with them.

After that we just hung out at the house and got packed for our trip to Kruger National Park/ Game Reserve. There, we will be going on game drives/ safari. We are hoping to see lots of animals we would normally only ever see in a zoo. Should be a lot of fun!

Well more updates to come when we get back from Kruger, and as always thanks for reading.

FYI: "District 9/ Prawn" update, it's possible that some of the peddlers and/ or beggars we have seen the past couple of days are part prawn, further investigation is required before we can say either way.

Beautiful Views: SA Trip Days 4, 5, & 6

We woke up bright and early on Wednesday to drive to a town called, "Sabie." The drive to Sabie took us from big city to rural areas, and although we were on highways most of the time the scenery was worth the four hour drive.

We stayed at a Bed & Breakfast for the next two nights and did some sight seeing around the famous South African region know as, "The Panorama Route." It is absolutely gorgeous. Everywhere you look there is something beautiful to see, not just the landscape, but animals too. My favorite so far: Baboons. Apparently, they like to hang out in cabbage fields. Who knew? God sure did some amazing things when he created this part of South Africa.

In Sabie, we stayed at place called, "The Sabie Townhouse." It's operated by a cute older couple named Murray & Irene. They treated us like family, and the breakfast there was very good. The B&B was not luxurious, but it was a beautifully built home with amazing stone and brick work.

As far as sight seeing goes in the Panorama Route, let me tell you about my two highlights. First, my favorite site was called the, "The Lowveld View Site." It's an overlook of the Blyde River Canyon. It was absolutely breathtaking. It's not as big as the Grand Canyon in the US, but it is one of the larger canyons in the world. As I sat on the edge of rock close to (but a safe distance from) the edge of the canyon wall, it was a very spiritual experience. As I sat there I was in awe of God, His Creativity, and how big He is compared to me. I could have sat there for a long time, because for a moment nothing else mattered, and I felt a little bit of Heaven on Earth.

Second highlight was Bridal Veil Falls. It was a unique experience there as you were able to hike up to the bottom of the waterfall and look up at it from the pool, rather than being above or across from it. I was able to hike around and actually get behind the waterfall, that was very cool.

One last thing about Sabie, we ate dinner at a place called, "The Wild Fig Tree." Sarah & I had Impala, it was amazing! We had such a great time laughing, eating, drinking, and hanging out. We had a couple of funny moments with our server figuring things out as she didn't understand us and we didn't understand her. Anyways, if you ever find yourself in Sabie, South Africa, eat at this place. The food is fantastic!

After Bridal Veil Falls we headed back to Pretoria. We decided to go see South Africa's first 3D movie called, "Jock of the Bushveld 3D." It is a famous SA story, but I'm guessing they took a lot of liberties with it. Anyways, the movie wasn't great and their animation & 3D capability is behind Disney/ Pixar stuff. But to be fair, I fell asleep a couple of times during the movie, so maybe I missed the good parts? The popcorn & Coke was good though, two thumbs up for that. We finished the day by getting pizza South African style at a place called Mimmos. It was very good and very much like pizza in the US.

The trip has been so much fun thus far, and there is more to come on our SA Trip! I'll be updating the blog again soon.

FYI: Still no "District 9/ Prawn" sightings unless you count the shrimp on people's plates, there has been plenty of that.

Jet Lag: SA Trip Days 1,2, & 3

Sunday night Sarah & I embarked on our first international adventure together. Sarah's parents (Paul & Debbie) currently live in Pretoria, South Africa, and we are going to visit with them and see some of the country. We started our Sunday with church as usual. Some of our church family prayed for our journey before we left to get all of our last minute stuff taken care of.

After taking our dogs to my brother (Thanks Chris), and our two kids to my parents (Thanks Mom & Dad), we said our goodbyes to our kiddos and my parents, then drove to meet a friend in Denver who would take us to the Denver International Airport (Thanks Jordan).

As we checked in, Sarah & I were told we would not be sitting together, but in different rows. We got through security and had plenty of time to wait for our departure, so Sarah and I grabbed dinner. As we got on the Boeing 777 and found our seats, a kind lady offered to switch seats with me. It turned out there were a lot of empty seats around us, some people moved around and Sarah and I got a whole row to ourselves! That was nice as we spent 8 1/2 hours there flying to London's Heathrow International Airport. Once there you have to walk forever to clear security again and find what gate your connecting flight is leaving from.

We were able to meet up with Sarah's sister and her family (Jess, Ryan, & Josh), because we were on the same flight to Johannesburg. We grabbed some food, did some wandering, and a lot of waiting. After a 6 1/2 hour layover we flew on a Boeing 747 to Johannesburg, South Africa. That was an 11 hour flight, which was, well...long.

Once we got there it was though Passport Control and Customs to meet Sarah's parents. After a slight issue at the rental car place we were off to Pretoria.

Just an FYI: British Flight Attendants are much better than American ones. Shout out to British Airways staff!

We got to the McCool's house with no problems. After almost two days of travel, I took a much needed shower and nap before dinner. We spent the rest of Tuesday relaxing, eating, laughing, & catching up. We head out tomorrow morning for a couple days of adventure (I hope to blog about this), and it should be a lot of fun!

We are a little jet lagged, but doing fine, and very excited for this vacation/ international adventure/ time with Sarah's family. God takes great care of us! I will try to update this blog more through out the trip. Thanks for reading and be blessed.

One more FYI: We have not seen "District 9" or any "Prawns" yet, we will keep you updated of that as well!

Feeling Blessed

Have you ever gone though a period of life where you where felt kind of lost, confused, or uncertain, while at the same time you still wanted to trust God? This could sum up my last two years. Over the past two years I have struggled with my purpose, my value, my career choice, I was uncertain about a lot of things. The hardest part of this was also knowing that I was doing what I am passionate about and feel called by God to do, serve as a youth pastor at a church.

Over the last few months of 2010, I found myself feeling more and more empty, and more uncertain about what I was doing and why. I didn't know it at the time, but as I look back now I can see the journey that God was taking me on and the things He was teaching me. Through all the struggles and uncertainty I did my best to stay faithful to God and I believe that He has rewarded that.

As I left the job I had been at for five years at the end of 2010, I had no idea what the future would hold for me. I spent almost three months trying to find a job and getting nowhere. Even though it was beginning to get hard on me, I felt like I was following God's leading, and I trusted that God would provide something for me. Then in mid-March, a job came to me that I wasn't even searching for, and it landed me doing the thing I know best, youth ministry.

I started this new adventure this last week and I feel so blessed by God. I'm really enjoying life and living it to the fullest. I share all of this to try to encourage any of you who might be going through a similar situation. In the struggle I thought a lot about Jesus words in Matthew 6:25-34. Jesus tells us not to worry, but to live each day in the moment, making the most of it. The reality of that passage in Matthew 6, is that Jesus is saying He loves us, He will take care of us, and provide for us. Living and embracing this truth is what helped persevere through the uncertainty.

Whether things are going great or you're struggling, know that Jesus loves you unconditionally, and will provide for you if you seek first His kingdom and righteousness! If you took the time to read this blog, thanks. I pray that God blesses you and your family more than you can even imagine!

"God Believes In You!"

In Matthew Chapter 4, God does something amazing. At the beginning of His Ministry on Earth, Jesus invites ordinary men to "Come Follow Him." Not only is Jesus inviting these guys on His journey to seek and save the lost, He is also telling them that He believes in them!

Few things have the power to change us as much as knowing that someone, believes in us. I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I have new pastor friend named Greg. Our family has been attending the church he preaches at for a little over a month now. He recently did a sermon series entitled, "I Believe In You," in which he talked about how important it is to realize that God believes in us, and how important it is for us to tell people close to us that we believe in them. This has become very real in my life.

Youth ministry is all I have known, since graduating college in 2002. I spent the past five years of my life giving my all into a youth ministry that I resigned from at the end of last year. The successes and failures of this ministry greatly affected my life. I realized over the past couple of months that part of the reason I left that ministry is that I didn't always believe in myself or feel like people believed in me. It's been a hard thing for me to deal with, because I realized that most of this was my fault. I did not trust God enough, but rather relied too much on my own power in regards to this ministry.

Naturally, because of this everything in my life suffered, the quality of the youth ministry, my teaching, my passion, my family life, and even my health. It breaks my heart to think about it now. I know cognitively that God believes in me, but practically I forget a lot. Too often the busyness and pace of life and ministry had me just getting things done,. rather than spending time in prayer asking God for wisdom and help.

That being said over the past month or so, I have had to trust God. I'm unemployed and my future and my family depend on God providing right now. It sounds scary, but it's been great! God keeps letting me know that He believes in me, and as I trust Him more and pray more, God just keeps being faithful. I have to thank Greg and the community at the church we have been attending as well. They have done so much to show me that God believes in me, and that they do too. Most of them probably have no idea how much kind comments they have said to me, or just asking my opinion on something youth ministry related has meant to me, my family, and our faith! This is one case were actions have truly been louder than words to me.

I want to encourage you, know that God believes in you! If you have given your life to Jesus, then God has given you the power of His Holy Spirit in your life, and He believes in you to be Jesus to others in this world! Live that way, and tell others close to you that you believe in them, more importantly, let your actions reflect that! Blessings.

Give More, Collect Less!

I don't really make New Year's resolutions, but Sarah and I have made this quasi resolution; Give more, collect less.

I have been thinking about stewardship a lot lately. This started in December when I was studying a parable Jesus told in Matthew 25:14-30 for a sermon. It's commonly called, "Parable of the Talents" (if you have time, read it).

I have read this parable many times, heard several sermons on it, and even taught on it myself. But I read it in a new light as I reflected on the definition of stewardship (which is about managing others stuff; money, property, affairs, households, etc.). As I think about the application of this parable, I wonder if I am doing a good job managing all that God has given me?

This is what Jesus is talking about in the afore mentioned parable in Matthew 25. Do we use all that God has given us to invest in His Kingdom, His purposes, His will? Do we manage what God has given us well? I am not sure of my answer.

My wife and I give a percentage of our income to a local church, we have sponsor kids in third world countries though World Vision and Compassion International, we donate unused clothing and household items to places like Crossfire Ministries, Springs Rescue Mission, and Goodwill, and we give our time serving others and places in the community. We do all that with joy, but is that enough?

I don't say any of that to be prideful, because we also have a house full of stuff (closets full of clothing, furniture, 2 cars, a television, this computer I'm writing this blog with (and the list goes on). In fact, we have stuff sitting in the basement of our current rental house that hasn't been out of the box in years. We have moved it several times. I don't feel like we hoard stuff, but I also wonder what Jesus would say to me about all our stuff.

There is a place in the Bible where Jesus talks with a rich young man (Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, Luke 18:18-30). This guy asks Jesus what He must do to spend eternity in heaven with Him. Jesus, replies that he must sell everything he has and give it to the poor. We never know if this young man does this. The text says he walks away sad, dejected, and Jesus goes on to talk about how hard it is for rich people to make it into heaven. The general assumption is that this wealthy young man couldn't let go of his stuff, not even to save his soul from hell. How tragic.

But let's put ourselves in this guys shoes. If you live in America compared to the rest of the world you are rich. There is no arguing that America is wealthiest country in the world. The general rule of thumb when it comes to wealth worldwide is this, if you have choices you are considered rich. For more perspective, one-third (more than two billon) of all people worldwide live on $2 or less a day. Most Americans have more than that in change in our car, or in our couch. Anyway...

What if Jesus came to you or me and asked us to sell all that we had and give it to the poor? I wonder, would I or could I do that? What about you, would you sell your house, your car(s), your computer, your cell phone, your clothes, the things you collect, everything? Could you give it all away?

In Matthew 6:21, Jesus says "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

These words of Jesus sometimes feel like a dagger in my heart. I see all the stuff my family has, and sometimes I wonder if our money and our things are our treasure. I don't think that they are. It's our goal to be more generous this year. We are aiming to give away more, and acquire as little as possible. We want to put more of our time, our stuff, our money, our resources, etc. into becoming like Jesus. We want our treasure to be Jesus. We want to spend eternity with Him. I hope that Jesus is your treasure as well!

If you took the time to read this, I hope and pray you are doing your best to give all that you have, and all that you are to following in the footsteps of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. May God bless you, and may you bless others, for the sake of Jesus' Kingdom!

Sabbath!

Today is an interesting day for me. If you know me or read my previous blog post, you know that I recently resigned from a youth ministry position I had for five years, without a job to go to. I have been gainfully employed for around 15 years. The last ten years of that I have been in full-time ministry. So, today for the first time in nearly 10 years, I slept in on a Sunday, that I wasn't on PTO/ Vacation. We chose to attend a church last night with some good family friends.

It does feel weird that I was not at church this morning, and that I didn't "have" to be there, because I work there. Here are a few things that I did not miss about being in church today:

1. Getting up really early on a Sunday morning. I wish there was a Levitical Law that Jesus quoted in the Sermon on The Mount forbidding being at a church building before 9:00 AM. Tony is NOT a morning person.

2. Having to be nice and smiley no matter how crappy I may feel. Pastors are people too, they get sick, sore, tired, upset, have bad things happen to them, etc. How about we cut our pastors some slack, and not always expect them to smile just, because we said hi.

3. Being distracted during worship services. I am usually thinking about what students, adults volunteers, other staff members, etc. that I need to talk to that Saturday or Sunday, or what I need to get done for upcoming events. I realize this is my fault, but ministry is consuming. Although, I also get distracted by people who talk to me, throw things at me, or text me during services.

4. Getting blamed for rowdy Middle & High School Students who run the hallways or are obnoxious during church services. Grow some courage, and go talk to those kids and/ or their parents, not your youth pastor. If you don't know who their parents are ask that question or follow them, but not in a stalker/ creeper way!

5. Getting asked questions that could easily be answered if people (usually the same ones from week to week & month to month) would check & read any one of the following items first; the bulletin, the newsletter, the various bulletin boards around the church, the e-newsletter, the website, or the facebook group page. Come on people, put in your due diligence.

I'm not trying to be cynical. I love the church, being in church, and being in ministry. There is nothing more rewarding than helping others connect with their Savior. I am merely pointing out for me, how glorious it is to be able to Worship & Sabbath! So today, and maybe several Sunday's to come I'm looking forward to a true day of Sabbath with Sarah and the kids!

If you took the time to read my thoughts in this blog, I pray that you find rest and peace in the arms of our Heavenly Father. May you find time to Sabbath and be renewed by God's Holy Spirit! I also pray God's richest blessings for you and your family!