Having a three year old in the house means we watch a lot of Spongebob Squarepants. We watch Spongebob in the morning, in the afternoon, and at night.
I’ve grown to like the cartoon sponge, and I’m willing to admit that I think Spongebob Squarepants can be a positive role model. In fact, I think there are some things we can learn about life from Spongebob Squarepants.
I Want to Be Like Spongebob Squarepants
- He is positive. Spongebob starts every day by saying, “I’m ready!!!!” His positive attitude is seen in pretty much every response. It’s a common thing for the Spongebob to respond positively to something that everyone expects him to respond negatively. We could all imitate Spongebob and change our attitudes to be positive.
- He is persistent. Another thing about Spongebob is that he doesn’t give up too easily. He perseveres. It seems like he’s been trying to get his boating license forever, but no matter how hard he tries, he can’t pass the test. His teacher, Mrs. Puff (she’s a puffer fish), ought to be impressed with his persistence. I want to be persistent at what I’m trying to accomplish.
- He is playful. One of Spongebob’s hobbies is to go “jellyfishing.” He catches jellyfish with his net. He’s constantly got a playful attitude. Maybe that’s why he’s a cartoon, but I think we adults can take ourselves too seriously sometimes. I want to be playful like Spongebob.
- He is friendly. Spongebob gets along with everyone, even his neighbor Squidword. He finds ways to get people to like him regardless of how silly he is. His best friend is an extremely dumb starfish. He has a great relationship with a squirrel who lives underwater, and his boss likes him, too. I want to make friends as easily as Spongebob.
Isn’t it funny what you can learn from a porous, absorbent, yellow sponge that lives in a pineapple under the sea?
Yesterday, we had t-ball practice. It was hot, the kids were tired, and hardly anybody really wanted to be running around in the heat playing tball. Even though Nathan has made significant progress in his skills, yesterday was not a great day for him at practice.
Before I continue, you have to understand that I always bribe reward him with a Slurpee after t-ball practice if he’s a good boy.
Unfortunately, yesterday, he was in rare form, hitting other people and generally disobeying. He wasn’t horrible, but he wasn’t obeying with all of his heart and soul and mind, either.
So, we got into the car after practice, and I asked him if he thought he deserved a Slurpee. I asked what he had done during practice, and then I asked him to tell me if he thought he should get a Slurpee or not. He said he didn’t deserve one but he really wanted one. I agreed with him that he didn’t deserve it.
I stopped at the 7-eleven anyway. As we were getting out of the car, I told Nathan he didn’t deserve a Slurpee, and he busted out in tears, saying, “But I really want one.” He thought he wasn’t going to get one. I told him that sometimes we get stuff we don’t deserve.
I resisted teaching him more about the concept of grace, because I’m not sure how much he really understand, but it’s exactly that kind of love that the Father has for us. He gives us things we don’t deserve all the time. It’s His grace that is amazing. It is His love for us despite our lack of love for Him that makes Him a great God.
I hope that Nathan learned something from our little trip to 7-Eleven, and I hope he will understand more about our gracious God in the future.
In part one of this series, I talked about graduation. In part 2, I wrote about what the students are doing with their degrees. This time, I’m reflecting on how I’ve changed as a person after being a part of the program during the last three years.
You cannot visit the places I have been and return as the same person. There is a transformation that happens as you get to know these people and their situation. There is a change in the way you think about God, the human situation, and about yourself. I have changed as a result of my visits various places. I like to think I’ve changed for the better.
How I’ve Changed
- The way I think about freedom – Often, we take our freedoms for granted. Certainly, the USA is not a perfect place, but we do have freedoms that other people in other parts of the world would love to have. Independence Day is coming up. When I see the flag waving, I think differently now. In fact, last December, when I went to see the Miami Dolphins’ game with my Dad, I started to tear up as I heard the national anthem. I have changed.
- The way I think about blessings – Blessings come in many different shapes and sizes. One thing is for sure, the blessings I have are given to me so that I can be a blessing to others. God blesses people with different kinds of blessings. I have learned to look at what I have instead of what I want (although that’s not always easy), and to count those as blessings.
- The way I think about missions – There are many mission principles that change when you visit a country other than your own. I have learned that sometimes being flexible is much more than a thing we preach to short term mission teams. It’s something that sometimes we have to do as long term missionaries as we think about strategy, principles, and ministry actions. I have learned to adapt strategy to the context.
- The way I think about ministry – Sometimes the best way to get a real look at struggles in ministry is to watch what others have to do in order to minister to their congregations and communities. I have seen and heard stories of ministers who have been persecuted because of their ministry. Suddenly, my struggles in ministry are not as invincible.
- The way I think about sacrifice – Calling is a word we throw around in church and ministry conferences, but sometimes I wonder how much we really feel called to what we do. The people I have met are called to work with young people and to work in the church. They are not receiving any other “fringe benefits” like many of us do. It’s a calling thing. Calling in many contexts requires sacrifice. I have changed the way I look at my calling and what God has in store for me.
I’ve learned many other things, too. These are just a few of the many things that I have learned in my travels with the opportunities I have had. I feel fortunate to have learned things during the last three years. It has been an educational experience for me, too.
(Picture: Me on a street in Santa Clara)
As a Dad, there are lots of things that Nathan does that I hope to remember forever. Then there are some things that I know I’ll never forget. One of those things happened last Saturday morning, and it was better than any Father’s Day gift I could have gotten.
Friday night, I flew to Miami after 12 days out of the country. Saturday morning, I arrived just in time for the beginning of Nathan’s first t-ball practice. I walked up to the field from the car, and our eyes met. He came running around the corner and across the bridge that leads to the field. When he got to me, I could see him holding back tears. He was so happy to see me, and it felt so good to hug my little boy.
I’ll never forget his little face in that moment. I hope that he’s always that happy to see me after I’ve been away for awhile. Regardless of how great the trip is, the best part about going on any trip is coming home and seeing my family again.
Four years ago, we started a youth ministry program at the Mexico Baptist Theological Seminary. Last Saturday, the first graduate received his Bachelor’s in Youth Ministry from our program.
It has been the work of pioneers. We are doing something that is not being done by many people. We were some of the first people to do this in Latin America.
So here I am, four and a half years after getting to Mexico, reflecting on the beginning of this “formal youth ministry training program.”
What does it take to start a youth ministry education program?
Teamwork – I haven’t been the only one involved. Boyce College, Youth Ministry International, and a host of other people have been a part of this. It would be better if I had more of a team on the ground here in Mexico, but I’m certainly grateful for those who have formed part of our team these last four years.
In the future: I will form a team first. In order to be successful (and less stressed), you need to have a group who shares your vision, living and working with you daily.
Connections – The more you can connect with people in the country, the better off you will be. There is ministry happening, and it’s important to find out who’s doing what. More in-country connections would have helped us greatly. The in-country people don’t have to be directly involved in your ministry, but they do need to know what you’re doing and be willing to back you up and talk up your program.
In the future: I will reach out much faster to the other organizations that are already in the country or city, sharing the vision and seeing how we can form alliances to be more effective.
Perception – Perception is reality. You must be sure you are partnering with the right people. Sometimes, we have suffered because of the perception, or reputation, of our seminary (regardless of if this perception is correct or not). You must be aware of the perceptions of others.
In the future: I will work harder to create a better perception for the overall seminary/school and the youth ministry program.
Investment – It takes a great investment of time, money, and effort to get something of this magnitude off the ground. You have to know that it will be difficult, both financially and personally, to achieve anything worthwhile. Be willing to invest greatly in the dream.
In the future: I will measure the amount of work it takes to get something done, and I won’t let that stop me from achieving success. I think we’ve done a good job, and there are always things that could be done better (fundraising, team building, etc).
Vision – You must remain faithful to your vision. Helen Keller once said, “The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but no vision.” You must not let what you see allow you to waiver from the vision. Despite the obstacles and barriers, stay true to the vision. Be dedicated to what you do, and you will see results.
In the future: I will share the vision more with others. I want people to buy into what we are doing. It’s important for our success that others see the big picture.
We’ve certainly not done everything right. I’ve learned a lot about leadership and ministry in the last 5 years. It has been worth it, and I’m looking forward to what is in store for the future.
(Images by: Ali K)
Last night, I felt like I needed to write an email to those of you who have signed up for our email newsletters (if you’re not on that mailing list, you can sign up here), asking you to pray for the project we have that is finishing up in June. Many of you know that I have been traveling out of the country every January and June to take place in a very special project to train youth ministry trainers.
This is the sixth time we have organized a trip to this country, but this time we have faced many special challenges. So, I asked people to pray specifically for this initiative and the details that are going into this specific trip in June.
One of the problems was financial. We are running a little behind budget at this time, and the trip is costing us a little more than we had expected. I didn’t mention this in the email, as it was a request for prayer, not a plea for donations. In my opinion, the need is greater than just a financial need. It is a spiritual need as we have faced obstacles of all kinds.
One of the people who are on our list called the YMI president and asked him what was up with the trip. After talking about it, by faith, this family donated $500 to the project.
Later, I found out that they weren’t even sure if they would receive a paycheck this week, but that they had decided, by faith, to give to the project, regardless of their current financial situation. After they had agreed to send the check, they found out that they were getting paid, and that God was faithful to them.
Please keep praying for the trip. I know that we will be celebrating a grand victory in June, but we need your prayers to finish the project well. Thanks.
(Thumbnail by: Aussie Patches on flickr; Other image by: falsalama on flickr)
