Keep the GLO Glowing!!

Hey Parents,

I hope that your student was able to attend our GLO retreat this past weekend....it was a great time of worship, fun, fellowship and Bible study.  We're confident that God is moving in the lives of our students and I want to encourage you to have them at IGNITE tomorrow night at 5:45.  We'll be closing out our series called "Collide" with a strong word from God's Word about living a life that doesn't follow the status quo...it has the chance to be a powerful night for our students, so we hope you'll make it a point to have them there!  Doors open @ 5:45 PM

That's not the only thing that we're excited about that's happening this week!  Starting Sunday night at 6:00 PM we'll be launching a time for parent's that we're calling Recess.  You guys remember Recess right?  The favorite part of everybody's school day....the time where you got to put your pencils down, shut your brains off and just enjoy life and your friends.  We'll that's what we'll be doing on Sunday nights (maybe without as much running as we did in elementary school!)  This will be a time where we'll come together as parents and student leaders and have some fun and fellowship and maybe talk about dealing with teenagers a little bit.  Kathy Decker and Julie Buttrey will be helping to amp the fun up so you know it's gonna be good (and maybe a little competitive)!

So drop your guys and girls off for their own Bible studies at 6:00 (Girls at the Kelly house, guys at Josh's house) and then meet us up in The Attic @ 6:00 for some fun!

While we've been challenging our students with the idea of collisions, I wanted to share a few thoughts with you guys today.  Look forward to hanging out with you guys Sunday night!

Collision Stories
I like to think of myself as a pretty coordinated individual.  I never have been called clumsy or klutzy, I've never broken a bone, or had any other type of major trauma.

However, I do know a thing or two about collision.

I'm the guy who always went across the middle on the football team where it always seemed a much bigger, much stronger, much meaner linebacker was waiting for me to arrive.

I'm the guy who tried the Michael Jackson spin and moonwalk to Thriller in my aunt's living room which resulted in my head meeting the corner of the coffee table.

I'm the guy who fish-tailed his 1978 Ford Truck around the curve the 1st week of driving to school my sophomore year trying to impress my friends I was giving a lift to.

Maybe nothing too major, but collisions none the less.

And while sometimes it's been painful or embarrassing, these collisions have taught me all kinds of lessons.

Like the person who hit the bumper of my car when I was a newly licensed driver.  Someone at a traffic light thought the light had changed and hit the gas, giving my car a bump.  That moment taught me to allow space at the stoplight and to make sure I knew what was going on around me.

But I've also had some collisions in my life that have had a great impact on me personally as well.

Like my Sunday school teacher in high school, Jim Buchanan.  He impacted my life in a huge way.  He made this kid feel like he was a wanted part of the world.  It's why I looked forward to church and loved being around Jim and his family.

Or the time during college when I was lying in bed, pouring out my broken heart out to God and He brought both comfort and joy.

Or the time I met someone from another denomination who really loved God and I realized that my particular church didn't have a monopoly on Him.

There are many other collision stories, moments when God's truth collided with me, God's people crashed into me, God Himself showed up in my life in ways that I never saw coming - much like a middle linebacker or a coffee table that jumped into my path.

What about you?

What are the moments when God crashed into you?

What about the moments when His truth showed up somewhere you didn't expect and He showed you something about who He is?  Was it in the face of one of your children, your spouse or a total stranger?  Was it in a book, a movie?  Maybe it was in a sunset or a walk on the beach or a hike in the mountains?

Take some time today to think about the ways God has collided with you, and you with Him.  And how not only you collided, but you were changed.

Then do one more thing for me.....tell your students.  Let your son or daughter hear about the collision from your own lips, let him or her into your story and get a glimpse of your collision stories.

And when he or she hears your stories about a God who collides with us, changes us, maybe they'll be intentional about colliding with God as well.

Have a great week,
Jeff