Amplify

There is something incredible about being in a room full of teenagers and fellow youth pastors worshiping God. If you can think of something better, please tell me, because I have yet to find it.

Sometimes church is boring. I know I am part of leadership in the church. And not every church is this way. But if we were being honest, somewhere along the way, the adults in the church have lost their passion. Teenagers, though, they are passionate about everything they do - football, band, video games, prom... Worshiping God is no different.

This weekend we had a youth conference in Albany. We had national Speed the Light (Assemblies of God youth missions program) director as the speaker and the band Sixteen Cities as our worship band. The point of this conference was an opportunity for the students across Oregon to showcase their talents... Everything from painting to spoken word to rap solo to piano solo... There was sign language and Spanish sermons... We took 7 kids, 4 who participated. Christian did a piano solo, Maddi did a song solo and played mandolin, Olivia presented a crocheted beanie she made and Kylee did spoken word. They all were exceptional. I was on proud "Dunn Mother" as they now call me.

But my favorite part of the conference was just being with fellow workers in the ministry and students who are passionately seeking after God. Sometimes being in this "profession" it can be lonely. Sometimes it feels like we're the only ones working toward the goal. But when you get together in this kind of setting, you are reminded you have friends, family, and co-laborers. And my students were reminded they are not the only ones who are working towards changing Oregon. There are others who are working on their school campuses to win people over for Christ.

I imagine worship services in heaven will be closer to the one that I experienced this weekend and not the ones that you find at church most times... Passionate, surrendered, in awe of our Jesus... I was rejuvenated, recharged, and reminded of the goal and the fact that we are all in this together.

Numero Ventidos

I am now 22.

I feel like 21 was just yesterday.... I am getting old quick.

My husband is amazing. He always makes me feel like a Queen on my birthday.

April 20th, as part of my birthday, a group of my friends met people in Albany where we did Cover the Night.. If you aren't familiar, check out my post about KONY 2012. We put up poster after poster all over Albany. Before, 2 of my favorite people, Kyle and Jenny, brought me my birthday cake. Isn't it fantastic?

Then yesterday, I woke up to my husband making breakfast (bacon was involved... Need I say more?) and a dozen roses waiting for me.

After that, he drove me to Portland where we ate at what is quickly becoming my favorite lunch spot, the Portland Food Carts. Everything from Ethiopian cuisine to Greek and Cuban. So delish and so cheap. Some of the highlights of my glorious lunch are these yummies:

Nutella Caramel Banana Waffle with Candied Pecans... Holy glass of milk Batman, this was delicious.

And this.... Words cannot describe this. It is "The Dude" hot dog from Bro Dogs. Sweet heart attack, I want another. It is so much more than a hot dog.

The zoo was our next stop... I LOVE the zoo. In my next life, I want to either live on a safari, raise chimpanzees or be a vet. I felt like a kid running around the zoo and taking pictures with my man.

We ended the day with a movie... I told you I like animals :)

And then a fabulous time at Applebees with some of my most favorite people on this earth, my friends. Today, we are celebrating with family and tonight, with my second family. Let me tell you, I do not deserve to be treated so well. I am beyond blessed. I think that if this year is even close to as amazing as it started out, it is going to be simply fabulous.

Aaron and Jimmy

Tonight, we had Jimmy and Aaron at youth group.

If you have never met these two gentlemen, I am so sorry.

They are fantastic.

They both were addicts, went through Teen Challenge, and are at Northwest University, Salem Campus learning about the God they both now passionately serve.

If you have never heard of Teen Challenge, it is a program all over the world started by the late Pastor David Wilkerson. It is for men, women, and youth who are addicts... Addicts to drugs, alcohol, sex... It is an absolutely outstanding program. Seriously, check it out: http://teenchallengeusa.com/

But tonight, these 2 shared their testimonies with our youth. Can I just say how grateful I am that God protected me from the things they had to go through? Something struck me that both of them said. They said, "I wish during those times that I was looking to the stuff I was addicted to, I would have had people in my life like you... People who were serving God and could speak into my life."

How many drug addicts do I know? None. How many alcoholics do I know? Maybe one. But how many people do I know looking to drugs and alcohol that eventually become addicts? Many. And what have I done about it? Nothing.

I think the church has done a horrible job reaching out to these people. Sometimes, they don't know what to do for them. Sometimes these people don't fit the "criteria" humans, not Jesus, have put onto people who can walk through the doors. Sometimes they seem hopeless. But let me tell you. These 2 men, Jimmy and Aaron, are 2 of the most passionate, loving, exciting, amazing people I have ever known.

This convicted me. This challenged me. This should challenge you. This is part of the commission. I don't need to go to Uganda - I don't even need to go to California - to find people I can help who are bound by addiction. They are here, in my youth group, in my circle of friends, in my town...

Jesus did something about it.

I need to do something about it.

The church needs to do something about it.

Jimmy speaking at youth group. This man can preach!

Story

The 2 people that read this probably know my story. In Christian-ese, we call it "testimony". But just in case I get reader #3 who might not know what my life has looked like, I thought I would share.

I was born on April 21, 1990. My parents were married, saved, and I was in church probably the day after I came into the world. I grew up in Silverton, Oregon, which is unquestionably the greatest town on earth. Its more than just a town, its a community. I felt loved, included, and supported all the way growing up. I played basketball and threw track all 4 years of high school, and lettered every single one. I had friends, great family, and a boyfriend who I was planning on marrying. Life was good.

How quickly life changes.

During my senior trip right after graduation, that boy that I planned on marrying told me he no longer loved me. I was planning on going to school in Eugene just because he was down there, so that was now out. I had let this relationship define me. I had strayed so far from God that I didn't know who I was anymore. So I turned to alcohol. I drank. A lot. Then I would get up on Sunday mornings and sing worship songs through my hangover. I went to community college and started taking classes to become a preschool teacher even though I knew I was supposed to do ministry work. I was unhappy, angry, and lost.

I still remember to this day the moment that it changed. I woke up hungover once again. I was standing in the shower trying not to barf. My iPod was playing and all the sudden, a worship song came on. I couldn't help but cry. And cry. And cry some more. I knew what I needed and I was finally ready to stop having my pity party and trying to fix things on my own and turn to the God that had always been there for me even when I had run so far from Him.

I quit community college. I started working to save up money and go to Bible College. I met with a admissions counselor the next week and the rest is history. I am now married to an incredible man who I love unconditionally, we get to do ministry together, and although life isn't perfect, its exactly what it is supposed to be.

Let me make 2 things clear: #1) The boy that dumped me, I am not blaming him. I am the one who made the decision to focus on him rather than God. I wasn't a fabulous girlfriend. It just simply wasn't meant to be. #2) The biggest problem was that I had relied on my parent's faith and didn't have my own relationship with God. I had doubts and questions and I didn't do anything to figure out my own faith. Jesus is a personal God. He is my God. And understanding that has made all the difference.

Now I am in Bible College, on my way to a masters degree, enjoying being married more than I ever thought I could, and I get to speak into the lives of the youth of Oregon. Africa is in my future and my family is my rock. Life is greater than I could've ever imagined, simply because of Jesus.

Cliche

As Americans, how often are we bombarded with pictures of starving African children, hurting European teenagers, angry Islamic terrorists... Every organization needs money. Every organization thinks theirs is the most important. 


We have become desensitized to the world around us. 


Did you know Romania aborts more babies than are born?

Did you know girls in India younger than 13 are sold into slavery for a mere $150?

Did you know in Uganda alone, 1.4 million people have been displaced by war?

Did you know France has more warlocks than pastors?


Its cliche, right, to hear statistics and see pictures and feel bad for a minute. Then we realize we left the iron on and quickly forget. Life returns to normal. But do you think these faces forget? Do you think those girls who are trapped under a man because their parents sold them into slavery forget? Do you think the Africans without homes think its cliche? 


Absolutely not.


As we continue to live our comfy American life, the people around the world suffer. It is time we move from awareness and move into DOING SOMETHING. The great commission, Matthew 28:19-20, says "Go" and "Make". These are verbs. These are action words. There is nothing lazy or sedentary about this command. 


James 2:22 tells us our faith is DEAD without works. Dead. Thats powerful.


Christians, it is time to actually do something. It is time we stop calling ourselves Christians unless we actually start acting like Christ's followers. It is time the world stopped doing what the church is supposed to be doing. Its time we actually obey Jesus.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." 

James 1:27

Saturday

I love Easter.

I even like Good Friday. I treated it a lot more seriously this year. A lot of time this day gets looked over. Easter is happier and it has candy. But Good Friday is just as important to me as Sunday. I even wore black all day. Not everyone has to. It was just for me. A symbol of my reverence for what happened that day.
Easter was spent with family. Instead of black, I wore hot pink. The sun was out. It was a happy day.

But have you ever thought about Saturday?

We don't. In the 21st century, its just a break to do cooking for Sunday.

But think about it. Think about being one of Jesus' disciples. Or a follower watching Him die on the cross on Friday. As the stone rolls over the tomb and stops with a thud, imagine that despair that comes with that... the finality of it. This man you had just devoted your life to and loved and built relationship with is dead. Everything you believed is over, or so you think.

All hope has vanished.

It isn't until Sunday when your hope is restored and all is well again. You realize it isn't over. Happiness is back.

But that Saturday.... Man... I cannot imagine. I take hope through Christ for granted. We all do. We never experienced Saturday. Even in our soul's darkest hour, we have the hope of Jesus. We never have to experience the despair they did.

That is amazing. We have hope forever. We never have to experience Saturday.

1 Peter 1:3 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

Sent by Love

Yesterday, I had an intense desire to be with my God. I do spend time with Him every day, but some days, that need is just felt so much more in my soul. So after my long day of classes, I went home, opened my Bible, turned on my worship music and spent time just reading. I am going through the book of John now as it is Easter week. I wanted to read about the time leading up to 2 of the greatest days of the year, Good Friday and Easter. Last night was John 3, and I didn't get super far.

We have all read John 3:16. Even people who don't believe have heard this reference, or at least seen it on Tim Tebow's cheek bones. I think I quoted this one when I was 5 days old. And its unfortunate in a way, because it has lost its meaning. But there is a reason it is the most popular verse in the entire Bible. It is the core of the gospel. Jesus loved us so much that He died for us.

Don't skip over that! Pause there. He loved us so freaking much He literally stopped living so we could live. That is nuts! This spoke to me in a way I cannot describe last night. As soon as I read this, I turned on the song "How He Loves" by John Mark McMillan. David Crowder's version is probably most popular. Youtube this song if you haven't heard it. Really listen to the words, let them soak in.

Jesus loves us.
Jesus loves you.
Jesus loves me.

There is something so powerful to that statement that I think has been lost. But I refuse to let it be a nonchalant phrase anymore. It is intense. It is mind-boggling. It is overwhelming.

Jesus loves.

Strong and Courageous