Discipleship Tree: Allen and Sir Charles

One of the Young Life guys back in 2012-ish, that was one of "my 12", (intentionally invested in) on my Discipleship Tree, Allen Turner, from Everett, is featured in a Young Life Missionwide email, the 'Monday Morning'. 

Fun to see how God has taken him from the rough hand he was dealt in life, to shower grace upon him, that the Holy Spirit brought him to his senses (like the prodigal son,) throw His arms around him, and lift him to become a dynamic, to be the fruit bearing leader he is today.

He is interviewed with his YL kid, Sir Charles, leading like a champ. Proud of him And cheering for Sir Charles! 

Check out the article and video clip here!  
https://t.e2ma.net/click/70433/78mvj6/bsg6zk

2018: Valuable Lessons Learned

Happy 2019.

This week Tanya and I have been reflecting on what we learned during 2018 and I'm so glad we did. We came up with 21 valuable nuggets, each with deep meaning I never want to forget. As I sat in a beach chair brainstorming each one, two sisters ran up to me, looking over my shoulder saying 'Whoooaaah! That's a LOT of ink, WHAT are you WRITING about?' We laughed, but the truth is, if we don't know why we had wins or losses, we might not fully bag up the gold we just panned from the river through hard experience.  Here are the top 12 lessons learned:

10. I Blame Shame: A new mentor, author, Brene Brown uncovered my eyes to how shame silently and violently impacts us (me) and all those around us. Shame, protecting one's emotional exposure to possibly being hurt, and the automatic triggers which lead to putting walls up are crouching all around us. In meetings, in relationships, in my job, family, and marriage. Yet, there are ways to combat shame, namely: me leading with thoughtful vulnerability, taking risks, cultivating resilience in myself and in others, practicing gratitude, increasing a sense in others of belonging, and practicing self-compassion (talk to yourself like a loving friend, and help others do this too.)

9. Scarcity vs. Abundance. Two deeply varying views of life, often of the same set of conditions. One of 'not enough', one of 'enough.'  One based in fear and self-preservation, one based in trust and being loved. Much of ministry, relationships, and life waver between these two poles. The Lord has been inviting me to trust HIS abundance, HE is enough, and he is able, and can be trusted.

8. Was I faithful? At Creekside, as camp speaker for 350 middle school kids for three weeks, Ernie Merino and I would always meet and process after each 'talk' I gave. We landed on a key, first question each time: "Was I faithful?" There are always ways to improve and to acknowledge that went well, yet, in serving God, the 'was I faithful' seems to be primary and allows all other evaluations to be secondary, lighter, and outside feeling related to our identity.

7. How a hyper guy can hyper-focus. I have a track record of gobbling up to-do lists, getting back quickly to people and getting 'ish done, yet also, putting off the 'more important' work due to a struggle to do heavy lifting of hard yet critical work. My life coach Randy Trettevik helped me discover that I AM good at blocking out time to get heavy lifting work done. I schedule 1-2 hour blocks of time (time blocking) and ONLY focus on that. It has been a confidence booster!

6. Plan well, pray well. Speaking of ADHD, I have always struggled with prayer and time with God. I am SO easily distracted. So when I FINALLY carve out time to be with God to pray, reflect, journal...and then don't have a plan for how to use the time I carved out...my brain spins like a hamster wheel.  I learned this year to decide ahead of time how the time can be used. On my weekly (written) action list or google calendar, I type in what my soul/mind craves. Sometimes its been to lament about some loss in my life, or make a 'thankful' list, or review a previous journal entry, journal about my dad, or pray for each area and staff in our YL region. This helps me SO much to be able to enter in and make the fullest use of time set aside for solitude.

5. Power, Race and Privilege. This was a year where I learned more about how race, voice, power and inequity that exists all around me.  I see more clearly how systems in our world, country, and yes, even in Young Life, are set up to help those in power continue to be so. I know there are many factors to consider, many of which I do not fully grasp. As I explore how this relates to leadership for many Latinos in Central WA, I can see how the ability to express their influence and voice is muted because of views of them being merely viewed implicitly as "orchard and farm workers", rather than called, deeply, gifted leaders, fully worthy of being trusted to lead communities and areas.  I've been learning ways to empower, re-adjust and create financial systems in YL to make room for diverse voices to lead us. Yet, without fixing on my own, but collaborating.  I am far from figuring out how our slice of the Kingdom of God is to operate more equitable for all ethnicities, females and socio-economic levels, but I'm learning! The counter to this I've been hearing is that a 'victimhood' culture is giving people a voice to grab at power from white people, mostly males, and disregards other issues like lawlessness and immigration. What's asked is: 'who is paying for people's quest for liberty and happiness?' Also, the fruit of faithfulness and how hard work paid off by people and their predecessors led them to success, and that its not right to disdain people for this. How can these two varying views reconcile? No idea! Yet I sense God's call towards 'togetherness' in the region I live where our leaders, staff and committee can represent the 50+% of the kids of color. I pray that in Young Life, His Kingdom come and be reflected, and his will be done for all kids and adults.

4. "Relax, don't do it." The Enneagram test results reveal that I am off the charts as a "7" and a "3."  Which laymen terms means I'm living in joy, excitement, thinking ahead in terms of vision and next adventures. The healthy, relaxed pairing to this is to go to "5" which is investigating, losing myself in hobby, study, or activity. My problem is that I am 99% 7, but 96% a developed "3," which is the achiever who's live gravitates to get 'ish done as my go-to impulse. An Enneagram counselor, (John Evans) helped me see how urgent it is for me to eschew work to relax and lose myself in enjoyable things, and that is how my cup can be refilled and how that adds health to me and those around me.  

3. Can I get a 'with-ness.'  One of my commitments is to read the bible yet its easy to fall out of rhythm when its 'just me' reading. I found the blessedness of with-ness this year. Reading with a few friends added tremendous value and motivation. We used group texts, meeting in small groups and using the Marco Polo app in groups, sharing insights with each other.  With-ness wins.

2. Goals just wanna have fun. I set some goals for the year and ran it by my friends Ryan I and Mike K. Both liked where I was going but commented that they were 'kinda blah.'  Mike commented that they were 'nuts and boltsy,' wondering if I'd actually be motivated to do them, and inquired if they can be a little sexier. Sexy? I can do sexy! So I spruced up my goals and added flavor, flare, stretch and adventure. I typed these into my goal sheet & in the Notes app on my iPhone to keep track
       -20 'Daddy Daughter and Doggie Dates' with Janna. Finished with 17/20.
       -25 movies in the theater with Dietrich. (His favorite thing!) Finished with 25/25!
       -16 Stand Up Paddleboard dates with Tanya. 12 lakes, 4 rivers. (Finished 9/12 and 4/4)
       -50 solitudes w/ God. Listed all the best places, tracked where each time. Finished 45/50.
       -Read 12 books. Finished 13/12! Most EVER in a year.
       -104 work outs with Tanya, doing a 'check in' on our life (physical, emotional/mental, work, kids and relationships) each time. I didn't track it but it was our best year of connection...ever.

1. Connection wins. If you notice the goals set for the year, the BEST ones have to do with connection, not purely accomplishment. Each goal creates space and at bats for connection to take place. With family, self and God. I learned that goals towards connection were the best.

What were your learning lessons and goals this year?  I'd love to hear! 

-Jeff-



Bonus: The 13 Books I read this year. Wanna talk about any of them?

Face to Face,Vol 3, Sharing God's Life. Marty Folsom.
Boys in The Boat. (about the UW rowing team in Nazi Germany)  Daniel J. Brown.
The Road Back to You (Enneagram.) Ian Cron.
Leadership and Self-Deception. Arbinger Institute.
Good Faith. Gabe Lyons.
The Go-Giver. Burg & Mann.
Mentor Like Jesus. Regi Campbell
Right Color, Wrong Culture. Bryan Loritts
Daring Greatly. Brene Brown
White Awake. Daniel Hill.
Dare to Lead. Brene Brown
Disunity in Christ, Christena Cleveland (Duke U.)
Who Is This Man? John Ortberg

Becoming a (YL) great grandfather!

I just met one of my great grandchildren. Who would have thought? I’m 29 years old in my faith (42 total years old)...yet I’m a great grandfather at '29?'

A little history. Back in 2002 I became a YL leader for Marysville-Pilchuck HS ‘life of the party,’ Tyler Olen Marcus. Years later he became a YL leader and met and discipled a kid named Taylor Bream.

Fast forward to Creekside last week,
Taylor was here as a leader with Shoreline. He approached me and commented that I was his ‘spiritual grandfather.’ I was confused at first. I wondered if a DNA test was necessary to determine my genetic lineage with him, and if I owed him any past YL child support checks.  We got a good laugh together. 

The next day, one of the guys he led, Keegan, asked if he could meet his great grandpa...me!  So we posed for this picture by the pool.  Keegan, Taylor Bream, Tyler Marcus, me.  Four generations!  I wished my Young Life leader could have been there. And like a good great-grandfather I hope Keegan pops out a disciple in the next few years to add to this discipleship tree.

2Tim2:2 "the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others."

The Old is GONE. The New HAS COME!

Wow!  What a week at Camp! 

God delivered more than I expected.  I received more grace, more love, more connection to him, more support and saw more girls laughing, more girls leaning in, more girls feeling accepted and more spirit working to renew the lives of teen moms at camp this week!

What the Hell?
One girl was didn't know she was coming to 'A Jesus Camp'. She had never heard the good news of Jesus before.  During the Resurrection Talk, really didn't know that Jesus would rise again.  When I said the grave was EMPTY because Jesus was alive, she looked up at her mentor and said, "What the hell?"  She had never known that died and rose again. Jesus is alive! How astonishing! And the living God began to work in her heart. For the quiet time, we gave the girls 'family rings' at the beginning of the 15 minute all camp quiet-- like the prodigal son received when he returned home.  She took the ring, and asked her leader about it again to make sure she understood and put it on.  At one point she LOST the ring.  Her whole cabin spent a section of time looking for her ring because it troubled her so much that she lost it.  The last morning, she attended the New Believers Walk where she received her first Bible and put her 'tile' in the Sluice box as an ebenezer! She stood up at 'say so' and said  "this week, I came home to God!".

Another girl almost didn't make it to camp, because she was plagued with anxiety. Her mentor had to release it and give it to God.  But the power of God is greater than her anxiety and she got on that bus.  At camp, she was miraculously brave and vulnerable.  She asked to see a bible, so her mentor gave her a bible. She was intrigued at how the pages were so thin, as she laid eyes on God's word for the first time.  After lights out she had her flashlight on looking through the Bible-- hungry for more.  She also started a new life with Jesus!  On the last day of camp, she even said, "this week made me realize I don't need drugs and alcohol to have fun."  What changes in store for this young woman!

As part of my talks, I consistently told them that they are God's beloved daughters.  Feelings of rejection run deep in this group of young ladies because they are often disowned or ignored by many.  I had some 'Beloved' decals made for the teens as a gift and I delivered them to the cabins.  All of the young ladies were thankful for such a simple and meaningful gift reminding them of their value to our Heavenly Father.  One girl burst into tears and said, "This camp is REALLY MESSING with me".  I hugged her as she whispered a "thank you" between sobs.  Sitting in the front row at the 'say so' service on the last day of camp was this sweet girl-- declaring her new connection with God. 

Young Life Dictionary:

All Camp Quiet= The holiest of times at camp.  Campers are released to go and sit and be perfectly still. Some pray for the very first time, some think, some begin a life with Jesus.

Mentor= Young Life leader for YoungLives are called mentors.

New Believer's Walk= On the last morning of camp, campers who begin a relationship with God, will get up early and attend this event with their leaders/mentors.  They receive a bible.

New Believer's Walk

The experience includes learning about some of the spiritual disciplines of how to keep growing and ends with putting a tile in the sluice box-- as a permanent monument of their decision to walk with Christ. 

Say So= A special service at a Young Life Camp, where campers who begin a relationship with God can declare it.  At YoungLives camp, girls attend this service with their child(ren).

Tiles in Sluice Box: Mom & Baby!

Sluice Box

Sluice Box= a miner's box for filtering gold.  At Creekside, the theme is a Miner Theme, and the campers write their names on a piece of 'tile' on the last day of camp during the New Believer's Walk, and set it in the sluice box, as an ebenezer, or monument to mark the day of their new life with Jesus.
*a special sluice box was made for YoungLives camp at this property because teen moms can't take their strollers and babies up to the main sluice box because it is difficult to get to up a hill.

Thank you for all your prayers. Thank you for those who help send kids to camp, support Young Life staff like me, for those who encourage and cheer and pray. Keep praying for these girls as they go home to a world that did not change like they did.  Pray for strength, hope, and connection with God. 

2Corinthians 5:17 "If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone, the new has come!"    
                                                         -Tanya Rodriquez-Huber-

Faithful-full

Speaking to kids at camp with over 350-450 people, after all the efforts to get kids there, carries a high level of pressure and expectation to give the clearest, shortest, most captivating message possible. After each message, Tanya and I reflected, asking ourselves first, ‘was I faithful?’ Since ultimately sharing the good news of Jesus is HIS deal, coupled with the fact that YL camp is a ‘leader centered’ model where the speaker is there to serve them walking with THEIR KIDS, being faithful is the best question to ask.

After Tanya gave message #1, #2 and #3...each went WAY better than she expected. Lots of prayer, faithful preparation and practice went into each message, but who would know if it would connect at ALL with the teen moms? 

Watching Tanya share was like watching a 5 star chef ‘throw somethin’ together for breakfast.’  Her humor, ability to connect, passion as she brought the gospel accounts of Jesus alive was so fun. After each talk, mentors and girls hugged her saying ‘thank you! Can I hug you?’  

One teen mom was overheard at the pay phone with her boyfriend saying: ‘yeah, there’s this comedian chick who speaks to us, she’s like really funny and talks about God, which I don’t usually believe or listen to that stuff but i actually am really interested this time. I Wish you could hear her too.’  Nice! 

Friends Lori Hein and Heather H, Kelli I and Spokane friend/YLVS leader Melissa Morasch all were delighted seeing her in sweet spot, communicating the good news to theses highly receptive girls. 

     (Caption: Tanya reading Luke 15, using the storybook Bible of the Father running to the lost son)

Let’s pray for these girls, their mentors, and the child care workers who faithfully hold, love, pray over, and play with the babies during club, cabin times & events.

Passing the BaTanya

My (Jeff's) 3 weeks of speaking are concluded and now the baton is passed on to Tanya as camp speaker.  I love how seriously she prepares. Yet we both know it's all God's deal, we participate, and He does the real work.  Such a joy to see these teen moms arrive. Check out the scene of what it looked like when the girls arrived! https://youtu.be/Zczxc0quQ8s

Reflecting on last week, I had a message come in from my Young Life leader when I was in HS, who is still a friend, Joel Price.  His cousin's daughter came home from Creekside raving about the camp speaker who gave great talks and told amazing stories. One of the stories she told was the set up for the 'cross talk' where 'the speaker' did a super creative prom invite, complete with Hershey Kisses and notes. And how his YL leader taught him to ask in a way that shows you mean business.  Well, as Joel heard this story, he stunned 'Olivia' by saying 'I was Jeff's Young Life leader who helped him come up with that prom invite plan!'  Classic moment!

Tanya gave her first talk last night to the room full of teen moms with YoungLives.  So much prayer has covered this week.  So much celebration and joy has surrounded these girls coming to have the best week of their lives.  After copious amounts of preparation, Tanya Rodriquez-Huber gave the first club talk and felt the miraculous hand and favor of the Lord guiding her and giving his peace throughout the whole room.  Check it out! 
https://youtu.be/lkkDdSvK4nY

Dietrich has been great this whole time and yesterday came to the end of his limits.  He felt  depression beginning to cloud over him, leaking him of the joy he has had here.  When we were preparing to come, he asked if there was any way to NOT come, he was afraid he would feel this way.  At day 18 away from home, he broke down. I will likely take him home Tuesday and return to pick up the fam Thursday. Seems petty to not be able to make it two more days, but its a significant time for us to show him how committed we are to him, and a preventative way to steer as far from the depression that looms as we can.  When it comes to coming back to the depression clouds he faced for a year and a half, I find myself yelling, like on Monte Python movie: "Run away!  Run Away!  Pray for us in this.  For Tanya to have support for the last 2 days, and for Dietrich's looming depression to be curtailed.  He perked up know that we were even considering taking him "home" to Spokane. Which is comedic in its own way, since the depression first hit by making Spokane 'home.'  We as a family couldn't help to laugh amidst the tears last night.

Thank you!

Lightning and THUNDERstruck!

If God give you a wish list where you could customize the ULTIMATE 15 minute quiet time for middle school kids, what would you order? I would request lightning and thunder.  Perhaps a rainbow for added emphasis of God's presence.  Check it OUT in Slo-MO!! https://youtu.be/QEhXRRutVv8

During this week's 300+ campers' 15 minute quiet time, God spared no expense and brought a rainless thunder and lightning storm as kids sat and considered starting a relationship with Him.
Of the 300 kids and leaders, Walla Walla was a joy, as were Waterville & Leavenworth, the area's first time at a Wyldlife camp.

None grabbed our hearts like the Yakima Valley kids from White Swan, native kids who live in the Yakama Nation (pictured right.)  It was a treasure to see each of these kids have the best week of their lives, be loved by leaders and be introduced to the person and love of God.

 One girl entered into this week sharing that she has 3 fears: darkness, lightning and being in front of a crowd of people.  On day 3, w

hen I welcomed kids to dinner, to a song our sound guy, David Bond selected, called 'Feel the Thunder' I enthusiastically shouted 'do you guys feel the thunder tonight?' Just then, lightning struck and all the lights went out, the dining hall when completely dark..followed by crackling thunder.  Kids thought it was choreographed. Nope!  Then, she went to club and was called up to participate in game in front of 300+ campers.  Then, during the 15 quiet time after club, about 12 mins into it, the most massive lightning bolt we'd ever seen struck, followed by 2 more, one that started a fire on the hill.  Well...in cabin time, she realized as clearly as anything she'd experienced, that God was calling her out of her fears and comfort, into a powerful life with God.

Another girl asked her leader if she can do a one-on-one time. As a new leader, she was nervous of leading the conversation. When meeting up, out of the gates, the girl shared 'I come from a family that doesn't believe in God, but I believe in Him now, and I want to start a relationship with Him. Can you help me to start it?'  Wow, sure God teed her up for a first one-on-one! 

Another girl at camp had the opposite feeling towards talking about God. She expressed during a one-on-one time that she did NOT want to have any conversations this week about herself or about God, and 10 minutes into the time together, she asked 'could we just be done now, please? I hate this!' The leader respectfully agreed and felt awkward and bummed the rest of the day. The next day, after club, cabin time and 15 minutes of time alone, the girl had a total change of heart. After lunch she apologized and insisted that she changed her mind and wants to talk now. They found some comfy rocking chairs and the girl insisted on sharing her complete life story, and how she was skeptical of knowing God, and how she now wants to begin praying and believing and trusting him. The leader was....well...thunderstruck by the way God opened this seemingly closed and locked door!

On a personal note, a few joys during this time I got to be camp speaker.  Being with former YL leaders and kids. it has been a joy being with two of my former "FAT Fellas." (FAT=Faithful, Available, Teachable) I invested in and gave my very best training and life-on-life practices to 12 underclassmen my last year in Everett before moving to Spokane to be regional director. Two of them are Byron Lewellen and David Bond, who are both here on summer staff & absolutely ROCKING it. Allen Turner, a former Cascade HS 'kid' was here as a leader and trip coordinator with NE Seattle.  He was one of my "3" when he was in HS and after wandering from God years ago, returned to God with 'full send.'  It's been a joy to be a monthly financial supporter of his YL part time 'student staff' position, and to see him blossom as a man of God and leader. And, Ernie Merino, a former 'YL kid' of mine my FIRST year leading YL, 20 years ago, is our camp director...which is my 'boss' here.  Such a joy to see him leading our whole camp with great precision, and giving my daily feedback on my role of speaking more and more clearly.   Gosh, and Brittany Francke, who Tanya and I invested in as a YL kid, a college aged leader, student staff and eventually she was on full time staff with me before ultimately taking over as area director after I moved. She serves as lead program director here and its pure joy to serve alongside of her.

Lastly, on a personal note, to be here with my kids and Tanya has been a delight.  We were nervous when Dietrich expressed NOT wanting to be here, yet he has stepped in to serve, be a part of camp, star in the final scene of the opera doing 'Fortnite' dance moves, and being relationally connected.

Janna has been on stage with me for 3 club talks each week.  She and I illustrate what our 'Face to Face*' relationship is designed to be like with God.  Yet, she turns her back on me, and walks away through the door, slamming it, showing what we do to God when we push or leave him out of our life.  Then morning 4, she comes back in, and I welcome her back, and resume the 'life to the full' I had always intended.  This week in particular, a few campers came up to Janna and I, some from Waterville/Orondo, Eugene and Tacoma, sharing how much that visual meant to them.  Kids shared that they figured that God was just as uninterested and disengaged as their own dads were, and that what she expressed gave them a wake up that their heavenly father felt completely different towards them.  Such a sweet delight for us to help clarify God's love and posture towards us, even when we choose to go our own way and stray from him.

This morning, over 100 kids came to the new believers walk to commemorate starting their new relationship with God by writing their name and the date on a 'tile' to put in the sluice box. One kid, a Yakama tribe boy from White Swan, captured my heart. See him on the furthest left, as he puts his tile in. God gives hope to every one of us. He leaves the 99 to go after the '1, ' I think he's the ONE!

Thank you for praying.  Stories are still yet untold, and are unfolding.  More to come.  As for now, let's join to pray for TANYA and she is making final preparations over the next 24 hours before 200ish teen moms, 200-ish mentors and an army of nannies and teammates arrive here for the YoungLives week.  Miracles are ready to rumble like thunder!  Let's pray!

He's a Good Good Father!
Jeff and Tanya Huber