Ministry or Madness???

We are still learning. Yes, after 15 years in youth ministry, still learning. We overbooked the summer. pure and simple. It is so great to be home. Rob will be home from Creel, Mex on the 8th. In spite of our exhaustion and overbooked schedule, God has graciously demonstrated his LOVE, POWER and WORK in our lives and in the lives of others. What a blessing to be able to serve HIM. Between Community Rehab in Commanche, Super Summer sessions 2 & 4, DFW Dive, Camp Red Cloud and Creel, MEx mission trip, God HAS our attention. We want to make sure that our ministry is one of "BEING" not just "DOING" - Since this was our first summer in Midland, the summer was a combination of the "old" meets the "new". Next summer we will pare it down and listen for what the Lord wants us to cut/add.....We pray that our ministry will become more family friendly, as well, where we are ministering to the family instead of robbing students from their families. Look this year for our ministry to reflect more of the Deuteronomy model of family ministry. Parents will be called up to serve, lead and teach - especially in their own homes. Plan to see Crestview's student ministry as more of an EQUIPPING ministry for the families of students to redirect to the model that God set before us.
We are looking forward to what God is going to do through this commitment to a truly BIBLICAL model of ministry!!!! His revelation is real and our family is the one who will first feel the freedom in this commitment. Sometimes having an "OLD" youth pastor has its perks....we see how you, the parents are feeling and what you are dealing with. We miss our family time. We want time to BE what God calls us to BE as parents - and we know that you agree!
It is going to be a GREAT YEAR!!!

Home? Where is Home?

Monday we arrived at our house in Keller for the last stay. It is so weird how excited we always got as we drove into the neighborhood. Even the dogs were up and wagging with apparent doggie smiles.....Brock would say "we're home, we're home" - Tori would be texting every DFW friend in high anticipation of reuniting.....Rob and I both get a warm fuzzy feeling when we drive in to see the pretty landscape lights on the house and the manicured yard.....But, the question is...."Is it home?" - we then got out of the car and rushed in to find an empty shell where memories are the only richness that still exist. It's not 'home' any more....morein...it is just a house. God has new things for us. New adventures, new walls to paint and curtains to sew. New memories to create...all of them in a new place. It is so hard to make a temporary location feel like home for me. I need to refresh my understanding of what makes it a 'home'. It is the laughter and smiles, the sturggles and tears. It is the family time playing games and jumping on the trampoline. the early morning coffee and Bible reading, the late night times when Rob and I pray together. It is the things, as the cliche' says...'of the heart'......Home IS where the heart is.......It's true. ...and I am the most blessed of all homemakers!
"He who started a good work will be faithful to complete it....." amen

Summer CRAZE for the Watson Family

We have SOLD the HOUSE!!!!! Praise JESUS! Our closing date is July 17. Pray that it all goes as planned. We are learning to trust and walk in God's timing and provision. He is good....ALWAYS.

As for my daughter...wow...she is growing up! Tori got braces on Monday. Her smile is so beautiful. She just gives me such JOY! Sometimes I can't believe that she is turning 13 already on the 18th....then again...sometimes I can't believe she is only 13. She is so much fun. So mature in her thinking. So kind. What a blessing!

The Brock man....we've had a great summer so far together. He cracks me up. Tori is off and about in her already way to busy social life....and Rob is working - so Brock and I are getting some quality time together this summer. He's a reading machine and - of course - loves his video games. I feel horrible that I did not get him in tennis camp this summer. We've made up for it, though, in plenty of west Texas fun in the sun.

Rob is loving his job. He is spending more time than ever there - which is a challenge sometimes - but it is such a joy to see him being about to work with vision and have such a team of visionary leaders to work with. He loves the staff. They meet for coffee several mornings each week and just enjoy one another.

The coming weeks will be quite eventful for the Watsons.....to Brady for July 3-5, Rob preaches on July 6th, then To DFW to pick up vans and settle things on the 6th-7th, back to pick up students and drive them BACK to DFW for the Rangers and Six Flags on the 8-9, then returning vans to DFW on the 10th.....I fly out to Austin on the following Monday for the PALS conference then I fly to meet the family in DFW on the 16th so we can close on the house on the 17th. We will celebrate Tori's birthday on the 18th in DFW then back to Midland to pack and leave for camp on midnight the next night on the 19th.....We will be at camp Red Cloud in Colorado for a week, return for 5 days then Rob and Tori leave for Creele, Mexico onAug. the 1st (our 16th anniversary) for a week long mission trip. We have a couple of days down before I return to school on the 15th......Man...summer is flying by!

Well, I lost my cell phone for 5 days last week. At first it was weird....I found myself feeling strangely isolated. ....by the 4th day, I noticed that I was so peaceful. I wasn't checking for it unconsciously anymore. My drive time was quiet - even worshipful. I was on task more. It wasn't as bad as I thought. Although, I must admit that I was ecstatic when it turned up lodged down in between the seat in my car! On that note, I want to follow with a little thought that Rob shared at church tonight with the students. He is doing a study on simplicity - vs the chaos. This one really made me think:

Cell Phone vs. Bible
I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text daily?
What if we treated it like we could not live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?
This is something to make you go, "Hmmm, where is my Bible?"
Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill!
Makes you stop and think "where are my priorities"....
and by the way, No dropped calls!!!!

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these things will be added unto you." Matt. 6:33

2008 FADE Disciple Now Weekend - AWESOME!!!

God is SO Good! It was so much fun to see our group leaders 'do their thing' ...These are all students that we have seen grow up....in age as well as spiritual depth. What a blessing to see them share with our students the love of Jesus in such a passionate way!

Surrender.....

Main Entry:	surrender
Part of Speech:	noun
Definition:	giving up
Synonyms:	abandonment, abdication, acquiescence, appeasement, capitulation, cessation, dedition, delivery, giving way, relenting, relinquishment, renunciation, resignation, submission, succumbing, white flag*, yielding
Antonyms:	fight, victory, win

Have I? Do I? Will I? - Those are questions that I have had to ask myself lately. I SAY that I desire to be in complete surrender - and I believe that to be my honest heart - HOWEVER.....Have I? Do I? and Will I? - in EVERY area, that is?

I pray that I will be able to follow Christ with reckless abandonment and trust HIM for every need, desire, care.

By the way...Have I mentioned lately how MUCH I LOVE CRESTVIEW???????? The women's retreat is "Jesus and Chocolate" - doesn't get much better than that! haha We are doing a skit with the staff wives. They are all SO HILARIOUS! We were all laughing so hard that I almost lost my dinner! What FUN and encouraging friends! They truly are a blessing.

Mercy Day Again....

....One thing to say.....
Another Mercy Day.
I'd appreciate it if you all would speak a little prayer. Today was just a plain ole hard day. Multifaceted.
Does ANYONE want to buy a lovely house in the Keller ISD? Let me make you a deal!