Top 10 of 2010

Years ago I started making a top 10 list at the end of every year. Its a good time to reflect on the past few months and the ways that the Lord has worked to bring about His glory in our lives. Our society moves so quickly that I think there is a danger that we don't take enough time to simply think back on what we have been through before pushing on to the next project or year. In some cases it has been people, experiences, possessions, or even character development. This year we are going to add to this tradition by picking out a few memorial events, etc. and write them on these wooden blocks that Hudson got for his birthday. Its an idea that a friend from church used and we loved so that in the years to come we can remind Hudson and Athan of the great things God has done for us in the past, and encourage them to trust Him in the present and future. And all of that discussed as we are building a castle for their GI Joe's to raid! So here's the list;

• This past May we graduated a wonderful group of Seniors. Many of the students will always be very special to us as we spent countless hours together on Mission Trips, lock-ins, Ski Trips, and Bible studies. As I've spent the last six years in youth ministry I've realized that God so often uses our students to teach me more about Himself and my own faults in His eyes. These students were often the pawns God used in those lessons and I thank God for them. This group remained faithful to the Lord during their time in High School right up until the last Sunday that they could come to youth. Jen and I are excited to see where He leads them from here and are thankful for the part we've gotten to play in their development.
• This past August somehow I got the bright idea to go ahead and begin my Greek classes online! Three iphone apps, atleast two nervous breakdowns, and doing Greek paradigms in my sleep all accompanied this semester of New Testament Greek 101. As difficult as it has been (I probably averaged around 12 hours a week on that one class), it has been as rewarding as any class I've taken. Nothing is more fun than to be able to read our passage b as I'm following along in the Sunday morning service in my Greek New Testament, or identifying a perfect verb and knowing all that accompanies that tense. Seminary continues to be a blessing to my spiritual life.
• In July, Jen and I traveled up to Colorado for my brother David's wedding. We were unsure if we would be able to go because Athan was only three weeks old but we agreed it was an event we could not miss. On July 17th David and Lauren were married. Its such a wonderful blessing to see two followers of Christ, commit to love each other for their lifetime with the intention of serving the Lord no longer as individuals but now as a couple. I use them too often, but they are a modern day Priscilla and Aquila and we are so thankful for Lauren. We are thankful that she keeps David humble, and that we now see his teeth again when he smiles. God is good. And by the way, Athan hasn't slept well since that weekend!
• In June I led a crew of teens, college students, and adults to Del Rio, TX to work with a ministry called RAM and some local churches doing work along the border with Hispanics. Serving alongside my students is one of the great benefits of my job. I absolutely love watching them tirelessly consider the needs of others. Our students make it easy as they serve cheerfully and maintained great unity throughout the entirety of the trip. At the end of the trip our host, Rick, commented to one of our group members how unique our group was. They got along together, looked out for each other, and loved each other. What better testimony can our students have to the world around them?
• We arrived back from that trip on a Friday evening and on Monday morning Athan Lane Felker was born. The pregnancy was filled with ups and downs about his health, and trying to schedule an induction date around our busy summer schedule. In the end everything worked out and he is such a joy to Jen and I. After the loss of Eliot our fears were so real and flooded our minds for nine months and yet God has provided more than we could have hoped for. Athan is very different from Hudson as his sleeping patterns were and are still difficult, he's got dark hair, and is a big baby! For the most part he is happy while awake and pretty laid back. Our two bedroom house is crowded with clothes, toys, and cribs, but each evening as I go to bed I am humbled by God's goodness as I pray that, "He would bless Athan and keep him, that You would cause Your face to shine on Him."
• This fall I started meeting with a group of Junior High guys on Friday mornings at 7 at Chick-fil-A. After a time of Bible study and a tray of Chicken minis they pile in my car and I take them to school. It seems strange to enjoy waking up early, but this is my favorite time of the week, I mean we are combining God's Word and Chicken minis! Those are two of my favorite things! These guys are committing to something extra, not because its easy or without sacrifice, but because they want to grow closer to Christ and want to make a difference in their school, on their teams or in their band. Meeting with them energizes me and challenges me to do the same with neighbors, strangers or others I come into contact with.
• Every year around August I end up adding new leaders in the youth ministry. Some take on roles as a Sunday School teacher or Small group discussion leader. These youth leaders are always Godsent. Jen and I spend time talking about the holes we have and praying for God to provide the right person for those spots. We treasure their service and pray for their growth and for God's direction in their lives. This year our leaders have once again been a tremendous answer to prayer and we thank God for their willingness to reach out to the students and the passion they have to see these students walking with the Lord.
• Whenever you bring another child home its always interesting to see how the older sibling will respond. In my case I asked my parents when we were taking my younger brother David back to the hospital! I can honestly say I don't think a two year old could respond any better to a baby brother than Hudson has. He is so proud of Athan and wants people to know that Athan is his baby brother. He likes to hold him (with our help), and he has been agreeable to being quiet while Athan naps. There have been no feelings of resentment or jealousy. We pray most nights for their relationship to be strong through childhood, adolescence and adulthood and thank God for the way He has answered that prayer thus far. By the way, I did take a liking to David after that initial set back!
• I sometimes find myself comparing my job with that of a college football coach (it should be understandable since that's what my Dad has done for his entire life). In the same way that kids leave early or graduate while new kids come into the program, so in a youth ministry you have students who graduate or move away while others promote up to Middle School. As a result each year can be drastically different with a different dynamic based on the students in the ministry. This year the ministry has looked very different from this past May. We are much younger with the Junior High and Middle School groups being much larger than our High School (this past May our High School was just as big as our Junior High group). Its taken some getting used to again, but we have loved seeing these younger students having to get older and take more leadership positions within the ministry.
• Lastly, this past year God has really taught me how lacking I truly am. In many ways 2010 will be a year in which I have been humbled. I told a group the other day that while I was in college I used to think where I would be five years down the road and I always assumed I would have quit certain sins, mastered specific spiritual disciplines, and started others. What I've come to realize is that in many ways the life of faith can be a crawl. That may seem discouraging to some, but I've taken heart in knowing that my growth and sanctification is not based on me, it truly is a work of the Spirit in one's life. I'm thankful for the change He has made, and more than ever reliant upon His work to transform me ever more into the likeness of Christ.