03|05
So this is part three of my five-point story. This is the halfway point.
New Life Academy is a fairly large point in my story considering I spent ten years there and it is probably the most essential part in becoming who I am as a human today.
At this place I learned things not only academically, but also spiritually and emotionally. The biggest aspect I think I have learned throughout those years was community. Community is something so essential to every human on the planet and at New Life I was enveloped in it.
Of course, it wasn't all the awesomeness I give it now. My first year there was third grade. I "transferred" from Royal Oaks Elementary which I still call my "old stomping grounds" because I "owned" that playground. I went there against my parents better judgment, I never wanted to leave Royal Oaks.
My first year at New Life I hated. I would call it No Life Academy because supposedly the people there had no lives but I was in third grade so what did I know. I had to wear a uniform which included wearing a tie every Wednesday and for me dressing up was like the worst that could ever happen. It was very hard for me to make friends, all these new people whose name I had to learn in addition with learning multiplication and spelling. I remember at one point I was walking out of New Life and the kid in front of me said, "We are now leaving the danger zone..." or something like that, either way, it was scary.
I changed my opinion as I grew though, but it wasn't through some miraculous turn of events or anything, it just took time. I remember in fifth grade I still kinda hated New Life because I didn't want to sign some stupid covenant with the school saying I would obey all these rules. But still, over time, I made more and more friends and made memories that I can recall even today.
The same goes with community, it doesn't happen magically, it takes time. You slowly learn about one another through various social activities like school and sports. It was a forced community but I am fairly certain that without going to school everyday I would not have many friends. Maybe forcefully going to school is what rids our fear of meeting new people.
I mean, as I am typing this now I am watching my dorm neighbor, who I do not know to well, going back and forth bringing stuff to her car and back. Will I go help her? Probably not, because I am too scared that I will drop something of her or that she will deny me when I ask if she needs help. Rather, I am comfortable watching from afar, scared to enter my fear.
But back to New Life, over the years through and through I learned more about the people who I had gone to school with for the last couple of years. I went to their houses, their parties, their events. I became part of their life as well as they became part of mine.
I was in their story and they were in mine.
Of course, words cannot do justice to my emotions as I begin to explain everything that occurred in my life throughout my time spent at New Life Academy. This community though is what made me the person I am today. I learned life lessons through mistakes and wise words. I had more role models than I could possibly imagine. I was in a community that develops people to the core of their being.
All these stories and all these memories led me to begin to cry as I approached graduation. I would cry in my bed as I would imagine walking down the aisle in cap and gown, receiving my diploma, and then look at the teachers. I didn't want to leave.
I wanted just one more year.
The hardest moment for me was sitting in the balcony during our last chapel. Of course, by this time I didn't have to wear a tie anymore. By this time, I was wearing a sweatshirt. It was our last chapel of the year and I sat there as we started singing worship songs and everything just came to me and I started crying trying to hold back the tears. The sleeve of my sweatshirt got pretty wet from me trying to soak up the tears and my nose started to sniffle. It was too much to take in, too many things that I didn't resolve. It was a forceful end to the chapter of New Life Academy. In tears, in the balcony during the last chapel.
Of course, high school ended, college was beginning and that was kind of exciting. The community, however, stayed and still is going and now, it's not forceful. We go to different schools now but the community is still in place and we still take part in each-others stories.
This is part three in my five-point story. New Life Academy.
April 16, 2010
April 13, 2010
A Five-Point Story: Youth Group
02|05
I had two youth group leaders, one named John, another named Jason.
These guys were like the dynamic duo of youth group leaders. Of course, I might be a little biased. OK, I am a biased but after looking back I have realized how much impact they had on my life.
John, the older one, was soft-spoken and very calming but had a very happy kind of laugh. He was the more serious kind of youth group leader, one who would want to dig into the Bible instead of playing more games.
Jason, the young one, was a kid at heart and as I recall a radio DJ or something like that. He also lived in Wisconsin. He was the young, athletic, energetic one who could moonwalk and make cool noises.
My youth group consisted of a bunch of guys that would meet at someones house for who knows how long, I don't really remember. We went through the Bible but I don't remember what books. I do remember talking about our lives together, everyone telling us about what was going on that week and if we had any prayer requests. It was probably one of my first experiences of community with the exception of family or sports team. This was a bunch of guys coming together and sharing are lives and specifically what God was doing in our lives.
For awhile we held it at my house and sometimes my family would invite John and Jason over for dinner before everyone else came or maybe it was after everyone left. I don't remember.
I remember that we usually had enchiladas.
Looking back, John and Jason were both single so I assume they didn't really have people cook for them all that often but back then I didn't really care. I was pretty self-centered back then, but now I see these dinner moments as a slice of community.
I'll end this post with two memorable moments with each of them.
One moment, we were sharing with everyone and I had this question that I just couldn't put my mind around. I looked at Jason and I asked him, "What if we're wrong?" What I meant by this is about God. What if we're wrong just like we think the Buddhist are wrong? I mean, I am sure all these religions think all these other religions are wrong. What if my religion is just in the mix of wrong religions? I asked a question like that and Jason said, "that's deep man and I just don't know." That stuck with me for awhile and I respect Jason for that answer.
Another moment was after one of our enchiladas dinners with John. He was leaving and getting his jacket and I was near him as any good host should do. He kept thanking me over and over again for the hospitality and the food and I kept telling him it was no problem and that it was cool. Then he hugged me, and it wasn't just a normal hug but it was something different about it. I think it was a hugged that changed my life. Well that might be overreacting but it definitely changed my philosophy on hugs. It was that moment that I most remember John for and I would go into more and more details about it but I feel as if it would run-on for a longer time.
This is point two in my five-point story. Youth Group in my junior high years.
I had two youth group leaders, one named John, another named Jason.
These guys were like the dynamic duo of youth group leaders. Of course, I might be a little biased. OK, I am a biased but after looking back I have realized how much impact they had on my life.
John, the older one, was soft-spoken and very calming but had a very happy kind of laugh. He was the more serious kind of youth group leader, one who would want to dig into the Bible instead of playing more games.
Jason, the young one, was a kid at heart and as I recall a radio DJ or something like that. He also lived in Wisconsin. He was the young, athletic, energetic one who could moonwalk and make cool noises.
My youth group consisted of a bunch of guys that would meet at someones house for who knows how long, I don't really remember. We went through the Bible but I don't remember what books. I do remember talking about our lives together, everyone telling us about what was going on that week and if we had any prayer requests. It was probably one of my first experiences of community with the exception of family or sports team. This was a bunch of guys coming together and sharing are lives and specifically what God was doing in our lives.
For awhile we held it at my house and sometimes my family would invite John and Jason over for dinner before everyone else came or maybe it was after everyone left. I don't remember.
I remember that we usually had enchiladas.
Looking back, John and Jason were both single so I assume they didn't really have people cook for them all that often but back then I didn't really care. I was pretty self-centered back then, but now I see these dinner moments as a slice of community.
I'll end this post with two memorable moments with each of them.
One moment, we were sharing with everyone and I had this question that I just couldn't put my mind around. I looked at Jason and I asked him, "What if we're wrong?" What I meant by this is about God. What if we're wrong just like we think the Buddhist are wrong? I mean, I am sure all these religions think all these other religions are wrong. What if my religion is just in the mix of wrong religions? I asked a question like that and Jason said, "that's deep man and I just don't know." That stuck with me for awhile and I respect Jason for that answer.
Another moment was after one of our enchiladas dinners with John. He was leaving and getting his jacket and I was near him as any good host should do. He kept thanking me over and over again for the hospitality and the food and I kept telling him it was no problem and that it was cool. Then he hugged me, and it wasn't just a normal hug but it was something different about it. I think it was a hugged that changed my life. Well that might be overreacting but it definitely changed my philosophy on hugs. It was that moment that I most remember John for and I would go into more and more details about it but I feel as if it would run-on for a longer time.
This is point two in my five-point story. Youth Group in my junior high years.
April 12, 2010
A Five-Point Story: Acceptance
01|05
Before my mission trip to New Orleans began, we had a prep retreat. This was a sleepover at some church where our team would bond by sharing stories and playing games.
At one point we filled out our "life journey with God," or "testimony," and had to do it with five major points hence the title of the blog and hopefully the blogs to come.
Point number one deals with the acceptance of Jesus into my life by praying the sinners prayer. I was seven. I did it in my basement. My mom told me what to say while she was sewing or at least I think she was sewing.
I don't even remember what urged me to ask her or what I even said. I do remember being a little rushed because I thought I heard someone coming and I didn't want them to see me in the middle of accepting Jesus in my life. I mean, how embarrassing would it be for some seven year old, right?
So this is significant moment number one is my testimony, my life journey. I don't remember what I said or what urged me to do it, but I remember it.
It seems kinda silly to make this such an important moment in my life. It seems silly to me because I don't really remember anything about it other than those few details up above. We all seem to remember that moment though of accepting Jesus in our hearts so there has to be something special about that.
My old youth leader, who will come up in a later post, said he couldn't count the amount of times he accepted Jesus into his heart which struck me as a youth because I thought you could only do it once, like there was some limit on how many times you could say it. I think after he said that I started doing it more too because sometimes I wasn't sure if I really meant it back when I was seven. Nothing like a little reassurance.
I guess, maybe, that God might accidentally skip my name in the book that says I'm cool to go in heaven and that if I had my name in their multiple times the chances for him accidentally skipping me would be less. It doesn't seem believable now but I think youth-me would have believed it because I believed pretty much anything back then.
So accepting Jesus into my heart at the old age of seven is point one in my five-point story.
Before my mission trip to New Orleans began, we had a prep retreat. This was a sleepover at some church where our team would bond by sharing stories and playing games.
At one point we filled out our "life journey with God," or "testimony," and had to do it with five major points hence the title of the blog and hopefully the blogs to come.
Point number one deals with the acceptance of Jesus into my life by praying the sinners prayer. I was seven. I did it in my basement. My mom told me what to say while she was sewing or at least I think she was sewing.
I don't even remember what urged me to ask her or what I even said. I do remember being a little rushed because I thought I heard someone coming and I didn't want them to see me in the middle of accepting Jesus in my life. I mean, how embarrassing would it be for some seven year old, right?
So this is significant moment number one is my testimony, my life journey. I don't remember what I said or what urged me to do it, but I remember it.
It seems kinda silly to make this such an important moment in my life. It seems silly to me because I don't really remember anything about it other than those few details up above. We all seem to remember that moment though of accepting Jesus in our hearts so there has to be something special about that.
My old youth leader, who will come up in a later post, said he couldn't count the amount of times he accepted Jesus into his heart which struck me as a youth because I thought you could only do it once, like there was some limit on how many times you could say it. I think after he said that I started doing it more too because sometimes I wasn't sure if I really meant it back when I was seven. Nothing like a little reassurance.
I guess, maybe, that God might accidentally skip my name in the book that says I'm cool to go in heaven and that if I had my name in their multiple times the chances for him accidentally skipping me would be less. It doesn't seem believable now but I think youth-me would have believed it because I believed pretty much anything back then.
So accepting Jesus into my heart at the old age of seven is point one in my five-point story.
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