ESCAPING LIMITED

Learn to Latch On!

2011-09-12T07:40:00.001-07:00

Last week I went and visited one of the members of our church whose mom is sick. This was my first time being the "pastor" or shepherd of the Area Community that I am responsible of. I do not want to focus on who or what, I want to focus on the two Elders that went with me.

To have men of this stature walk along side me into a very difficult situation and come along side this family as they begin dealing with the reality of death, pain, and loss allowed me to see the beauty in church leadership!

I am not creating an argument for Elders vs. Deacons, etc. but I want to encourage any person involved in ministry to build a relationship with those men in the church who are your leaders. Not pastors, (you need to have a relationship with them too) but the men who are spending their entire weeks loving their wife and kids well, work honestly at their non-church jobs, and then have a heart for being a spiritual decision maker and leader for their church!

These two men that were with me, showed compassion, encouragement, and leadership! They did not try to come up with their own words, but used the words of Jesus as opportunities to redeem, restore, and prepare the hearts of this family. These are men who fear the Lord and are humbled by the position they are in!

Fellow ministers, believers, and seekers; find these leaders in your church or the church you are visiting, latch on and learn!

1 Timothy 1:17

LF

So It Begins...

2011-09-06T14:33:00.001-07:00

My last post was about the big changes that were taking place in the lives of the Fritts Family. Well they all seemed to happen a little sooner than we expected. Hudson was born a week early. On Aug 25th at 1155 pm little Hud came into this world. Such a hugh blessing and honor to see creation at its most humble and simple beginnings. We serve a mighty, loving, and detail oriented God.

And now I have been officially at Oak Hills for 3 days. It has consisted of information overload and big dreams of where God is leading us as a church on being intentional in our neighborhoods.

I have incredible leaders in Greg, Greg, Sam, and Randy. They have a heart for people and making Christ's name known.

I leave with a quote and some encouragement. Greg O was leading our area minister staff meeting today and he said...

"In God's foreknowledge and infinite wisdom, you are the perfect person to be the area minister where you are"

It was just comforting to know that truth. I may seem overwhelmed but God has me right where he wants me.

What about you? Are you enjoying where God has you? Are you realizing that before time, before God formed you in your mothers womb, he had you right where you are. You are not mistake, your job is no mistake, your situation is no mistake. Rejoice in where you are. God has put you there to make his name known and to strengthen your faith in him.

1 Timothy 1:17

LF

Big Changes

2011-08-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a looooonnnngggg time since I blogged but wanted to write this once and then let people click on it so I don't have to keep telling the news and writing it in emails.

God has been working in my heart over the past year on moving on from student ministry. Don't get me wrong, I love ministering to students. Some of my greatest joys and moments in ministry have been the conversations I have had with various high school students. But God began changing my heart and I knew I had to let him lead.

I made the announcement back in May that I would be stepping down from my High school director position at Alamo Heights UMC to pursue something else. The only problem was that I had no idea what I was pursuing or what door God was going to open for me. All I know is he told me to go, so I was. I felt God calling me to fully trust Him and to humble myself and my family before His plan and authority. So I did!

Now I do not encourage people to do what I did (especially if your wife is preggers with the baby due a month before you officially step down) without much counseling from people you trust, prayer, talking it over with your spouse, etc. But I knew I had become complacent in my position In other words, my job had become and idol to me. I was nice and comfortable with my macbook, cell phone stipend, health insurance, and job that was really not that challenging. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot but God was transforming my heart to something else. I knew God was saying, "Logan, I can not guide you completely, till I have your undivided attention". So he got it.

Long story short, I have been interviewing at Oak Hills Church here in San Antonio for a Area Community Minister. I would be ministering to all ages, investing in the lives of people to encourage them in reaching their neighborhood for the advancement of the Kingdom. After about 5 interviews and an incredible night talking and sharing my life and my calling with the some of the staff and elders, I was offered the position.

Starting in September, I will be an Area Community minister at Oak Hills Church. I am excited about the incredible opportunity that lays before and the amount of learning I will be doing from some incredible staff and elders. I am humbled to think the God of the universe sees me as qualified to put me in this position.

I will miss the relationships I have made at AHUMC. God has done incredible things in the lives of those High school students, and He is still moving, It was just time for someone else to lead the movement! I am gracious for the staff at AHUMC, for their partnership in ministry and for the lessons learned. Finally I am honored to have served along side the volunteer leaders and other student ministry staff. We were a team, a really good team, and God was glorified during our time together by your sacrifices for High school kids!

Now is a new beginning for the Fritts Family. Baby Fritts number 2 is due in 2 weeks, and we could not be any more excited about where God has landed us, at Oak Hills, to continue our ministry to the city of San Antonio!

Till the Risen Kings Return,

LF

One of the Coolest things I have ever seen

2010-09-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

Speechless.....

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Proud to be a Dad

2010-09-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of weeks, Maddy has started Day School at the church. Its hard to believe that we have a two year old and she is so talkative and independent. When I pick her up from school, she runs up to me and screams, "here is my daddy". Melts my heart and I quickly forget and frustrations or issues I have dealt with throughout the day.

But one day last week, I was getting ready for work. In the morning, Maddy usually likes to lay in our bed and watch "bugs" on our iphones. Well this particular morning as I am sitting on the bed putting my shoes on and I feel the little one crawling toward me and she comes up next to me and puts her arm around me looks me in the eyes and says, "I love you daddy, you're my good boy".

It is amazing how God uses our children to teach us truths about His love for us. The fact that he used my 2 year old to remind me that I have a purpose and an incredible opportunity before me to raise my daughter to fear the Lord, bask in His Grace, and the rejoice at the redemptive power of a Savior. And I needed that reminder. She is as just as much as my ministry field as any one of the Sr High students I am in contact with on a regular basis. God is good.

Oh yeah and, "You're my good boy" comes from the movie Bolt which is Maddy's movie of the month.

LF

Travel Plans

2010-07-25T05:33:00.000-07:00

The plan is to still be arriving in San Antonio at 10:00 pm. If there is a change or a delay, we will let you know...

Blessings,

Logan

Final Day

2010-07-25T05:24:00.000-07:00

Well, today we leave for the U.S. It has been an incredible experience for all of us. I hope an pray that our students were impacted by what they saw. That this will not just be a spiritual high or a fun thing to talk about, but a chance to change their thinking. The leaders have been incredible, always getting right into the mix with the students. I have been blessed and humbled by the selfless acts of our students. From teaching each other how to do specific jobs on the work sites, to sharing life together. What I have witnessed gives me full confidence that there are students at AHHS, Reagan, Churchill, and SACS that want to be where God is moving. They want to be an example of Christ to their campuses even if it costs them friends. With all the different backgrounds that our kids have, what I have seen this week is a beautiful example of the body of Christ.

Thank you parents for allowing me to serve alongside your student student, for trusting me with them, and for believing in me.

PURA VIDA!

Logan

Si Se Puede!

2010-07-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

Thursday was a short day of physical labor, but a full day of more Tican adventures. For our morning huddle we chanted, "Si, se puede!" ("Yes, we can!) to finish the half day with as much energy as we had on the first day! We added a new job site, which entailed...can
you guess....more retaining walls at the local elementary school across the street from the Strong Missions house. Each team wrapped up the week with a burst of energy to complete small projects around their job sight and finish well. The funny thing is, even though we will not get to see the final product of these projects, we know the Lord will provide more volunteers to finish. We trust in His work and know we have only planted seeds for these massive projects that will greatly benefit the community of Carrillos.

After quick showers and lunch, we headed to a massive tourist shop near Alajuela, the largest city near Carrillos. I'm sure most of you will see your students' many great finds from this lovely store. We even got a discount since we know Charlie...he really is a great person to know around these parts!

We quickly stowed away our newest Tican treasures and headed to a local church down the road. I'm sorry to say I don't know the name of it. It is the church of Luis, a Carrillos Renaissance man, who is Charlie's go-to guy when it comes to transportation and carting teams around the country. Luis's church just began a feeding program for children in the evenings. When we arrived at the church, we immediately began playing games of "Pato, Pato, Gonzo" or "Duck, Duck, Goose" as we say and kicking around the futbol. Kids climbed all over the students and enjoyed every piggyback ride, high five, and hug we gave them. After playing for a while, we served almost 50 kids a meal and some parents as well. It was truly humbling to see the amount of food served from such a small kitchen and sanctuary. No matter what the space or the means, this congregation knows they are the hands and feet of Christ and they are willing to serve their community. It was amazing to be a part of this evening!

Tomorrow we are leaving Carrillos for the beach of Manuel Antonio. We will pack our bags and say goodbye to many dear friends of Strong Missions. Many we may never see again, but others hopefully soon. Even if you don't know their names, please pray for the staff at Strong Missions. The work they are doing for the body of of Christ is such a blessing to so many people and I know they will appreciate your prayers. University UMC from San Antonio is actually their next group so they are excited to have some more Texans around...well, they should be at least!

Here are some pictures from the day. Blessings and goodnight! ~Cici

Girls with Terry, our tiny Tican translator and guide.

Terrell with our dance instructor and construction guide, Wilmur.

At the church with the kiddos.

Guys giving piggyback rides to the chicos!

Guitar lessons from Devin.

Peace and blessings from Crockett and his new friend.

Kids waiting to be fed! They ate up every bite.

Spencer with a precious Tican babe.

Gloria a Dios!

2010-07-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

Today we awoke to a chilly, yet refreshing morning. It was the first morning that only four people were up before 6 A.M.- meaning that the kids (and leaders) were finally starting to sleep in. Despite being tired and sore, we were rolling by eight o'clock. The cool air was replaced by the heat, but the kiddos were fantastic, and ready to work. It is exciting to watch them work together as a team. They are really starting to understand how to do the work themselves. Each of them have different strengths- some are physically strong, some are detail-oriented, some are encouraging, some are leaders, some are followers- and everyone is figuring out what they are good at and working to excel in it. It is a beautiful picture of the body of Christ at work.

At the park, there was more wall-building and dirt-moving. We we able to get a lot of work done, and have so much fun. The girls worked on the wall while singing "hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work we go" and learned about each others lives. The boys were incredibly determined to fill a ditch before we were rained out. We had to call it an early day due to the weather. Lightening and tons of re-bar sticking up in the air are not the best combo.

At the church, we're continuing to make progress on the foundation wall. We are learning that in construction, just as in life, there are set backs, but you just have to buckle down, adjust, and keep moving forward. Overall- a good day of work.

After a DELICIOUS dinner (the food here is truly incredible) we headed over to Iglesia Methodista Palabra Viva, which is the church that we have been serving at, to experience their Wednesday night service. The students were amazed by the vibrant colors and lively worship. There is a zealousness for the Lord that is tangible. The sanctuary is practically an open air gymnasium with green mesh walls. This is a huge contrast between the "Metho-dome" as we are so fondly called.

When worship began, some of the local teenage Costa Rican boys went up to the front and began dancing to the songs. Immediately, the kids ran to the front and danced along with them. It was so incredible to watch. Here we are, in a foreign country, not knowing the language, jumping around and attempting to mumble the words as a form of worship. Then they began to play to play the song "Here I Am To Worship." Imagine this- half of the voices praising the Lord in English, half praising the Lord in Spanish. All praising the same King as one body. Wonderful.

The presence of the Lord out-shines the humble appearance of the building. It was great for the kids to get to see that it doesn't matter where, or how, or in what language you worship- as long as you are loving the Lord and have a heart to worship Him, He will be glorified. Gloria a Dios, as they said this evening.

~Sarah T.

Charlie Strong, Strong Missions Director, with leader Micaeli

Ready to start the day!

Sifting dirt for mortar

Harrison and Jake hard at work

Boys getting dirt to fill a ditch! They were so determined.

Sarah T. and girls making a perfectly straight retaining wall!

The rain ended our day early, but we all worked together to clean up and head out.

Pura Vida - Day 3

2010-07-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

Dancing at the school...

Today was another great day of work, fun, and laughter living out the motto of Costa Rica, "Pura Vida," (pure life). Last night we took some salsa dance lessons from one of the construction workers, Wilmer. It was definitely a full day and everyone was ready for bed after working, playing soccer (futbol), and dancing.

Work began this morning with the sun shining and everyone eager to continue the retaining walls we worked on at the church sight and the park sight. (At the church we are working on building a classroom and cafeteria for a feeding program and at the park sight we are helping build a playground and park for the community of Carrillos...all of these projects require massive retaining walls!) Students were challenged by the work and blessed by the Tican adults and children who thanked them for their efforts. After work we got to enjoy the chilly waters of a local pool and an adventurous water slide! Everyone is in bed now and I will be there soon too. Thank you for praying for us. We have been blessed with good weather, safety, and positive attitudes. Please pray that as the students bless others with their service, the Lord will challenge their hearts in exciting ways.

Looking forward to another great day. ~Cici

Working at the park...

Chilling at the pool....

CR: Sunday - Monday

2010-07-19T20:03:00.002-07:00

DAY 1

Wow. It has been a great day. I will post a little synopsis under some of the pics and videos. Everyone worked really hard today so they are going to sleep well tonight. No injuries, everyone is feeling great, just tired. Keep praying for our students. They are doing some great things here. God is moving in a great way in them. We have been given two sites to work on. The first is a park across the street from where we are staying. The second is the Evangelical Methodist church that is a 10 minute walk from where we stay. (the internet is a bit slow. I will try to post pictures whenever I can)

Alright, on with the pictures...

One of the job sites

another job site

So tonight (monday) we rented out an indoor soccer facility and played soccer. Which was fun in itself, but if you look closely you may see some much smaller people there. Well 7-10 kids followed us up there and just kinda invited themselves to play. A lot of fun and totally worth the craziness. Addie Hawn had the goal of the night with an incredible header.

Hanging out before we work on the porch where we eat and meet

CR: Sunday - Monday

2010-07-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

Wow. It has been a great day. I will post a little synopsis under some of the pics and videos. Everyone worked really hard today so they are going to sleep well tonight. No injuries, everyone is feeling great, just tired. Keep praying for our students. They are doing some great things here. God is moving in a great way in them. We have been given two sites to work on. The first is a park across the street from where we are staying. The second is the Evangelical Methodist church that is a 10 minute walk from where we stay.

Alright, on with the pictures...

Costa Rica Bound

2010-07-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

Well it is up on us.

Tomorrow a group of 41 of us from AHUMC Sr High will be heading to Carillos, Costa Rica. I will be putting videos and updates on the blog so you can see what we are doing and how God is using us.

Somethings to Pray for:

- Safety while we travel
- Patience and fluidity of getting through customs
- Safety at the job sites while we are in Costa Rica
- That Christ's name will be be known through our words and actions
- That students will be forever changed by their experience

Thanks for being apart of this trip with us.

Blessings,

L

Somethings Stirring!

2010-05-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

I have worked/volunteered in churches for over 10 years now. My first church job was Recreation Ministry asst. at the church I grew up in. I saw some incredible things happen over the course of my time I worked there. I also saw a lot of legalism and politics inside of a church my family and I had given a lot to.

In college I was more of a nomad when it came to church. (The way I decided where to go was which ever one I woke up for and sometimes I didn't wake up) I found myself doing a lot of D-Now's and I lead worship at church with a worship band. I got to know some of ministers we met and I valued their friendship.

In seminary I helped out a buddy at the small baptist church he was student minister at. I got paid $50 a week to help train the students who led worship. It was a blessing to be apart of that experience but also hard because this church was small and had no vision or direction. It was a church with an older congregation. To be honest, this church was so small, there were Sundays I would wake up to go and I would not have been surprised if I showed up and no one else was there because the congregation decided to throw in the towel and send everyone to one of the "Big" Southern Baptist churches up the street.

I was director of worship at a church plant in Fort Worth. I didn't plant the church but I experienced the pains of waking up on Sunday mornings at 6 to be at the location to set up sound, stage, chairs, tables, everything and then take it down by 1. I enjoyed being apart of that staff. The thing I enjoyed the most was that even though my role was worship coordinator, I was able to pray for, encourage, and share life with many people that came through those doors. I felt very much like a partner in ministry. I learned tons about my calling in life and met some friends that I will have forever.

I am currently a student minister working at a large denominational church inside "the bubble". While there have been hard days and I realize that in the long run I am not cut out for denominational politics, I am thankful for and value my job. I have met some great people and student ministry is a passion of mine. But I do miss being able to minister to a wide variety of people like I was able to do the years earlier.

I have experienced the highs and lows of working with a church. And there are somethings I would change about the way I handled those situations. I also wish the others would have changed the way they handled those situations. What am I trying to say? Don't know but I will have something soon...

Read It

2010-04-26T07:17:00.001-07:00

Crazy Love by Francis Chan, needs to be read by anyone who is struggling to feel loved or finds it hard to love God some times. God does not want our wishy washy love. He wants our reckless and committed love to Him and His calling. I'm not gonna review it, you just need to read it.

Costa Rica: Recap

2010-03-24T07:13:00.000-07:00

Hope you enjoy this video of our time in Costa Rica as much as we enjoyed our time there...God is moving in that country!

LF

CollegeLIFE: Costa Rica 2010 from AHUMC Students on Vimeo.

Costa Rica: First Few Days

2010-03-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

Well, the first days have come and gone for our CollegeLIFE mission trip to Costa Rica. We did a lot of work building a retaining wall for a city park. Cutting and bending rebar, clearing ditches, you know...fun stuff. Below will be some pictures but before that I want to leave you with a couple observations from our first few days here.

- This has been some of the hardest work I have ever down...EVER. We are currently building a cinder-block retaining wall for a future park. We are digging, tying rebar, mixing 105 lbs bags of concrete and hauling it over to the ditch. Several students felt this work was the hardest they have ever done, but at the end of the day, it has rejuvenated our souls.

- We have built some incredible relationships with some locals. The guys helping us at the work sight are Wagner, Wilmer, and Wilbur. Wagner doesn't speak a lick of English but he and Alan have seemed to connect in a wonderful way. Wilbur is trying to learn English and I am trying to re-learn Spanish but many times we just know what the other means even if we can't fully understand. But we connect and then we laugh, its been a joy getting to know mi amigo Wilbur.

- These college students are hungry to serve Christ. Charlie Strong, our host, shared with us that many people in Costa Rica believe in Jesus and have a relationship with him. The biggest need here is service to the community doing things that other wise would not be done. With these 2 long and hard work days, no one has complained...not even once.

That is all for now, below are some pics of us working and at a swimming pool/club here in Carillos. This place is beautiful...God is working here, we are excited to be a part of it.

LF

Alan working hard filling the mixer.

Day 1: We cleared the ditch so the wall could be built.

Day 2: The wall is being built and concrete is being poured. We hope to be done with the concrete tomorrow.

Great Stuff

2010-03-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

If you want to laugh...watch this

LF

New Podcast

2010-02-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

Just to give you a heads up. I have created a Podcast for the Sr high ministry that I am the director of. It will be recordings of the teaching on Sunday mornings and also include student thoughts and testimonies. If you want to subscribe the title is called AHUMC Sr High. Got one up right now...

Hope all is well

LF

2010-01-20T09:13:00.000-08:00

I was watching Sportscenter yesterday morning before I took Maddy to school and I looked over at her. She had been sitting normally in her chair watching "Meemo" (Finding Nemo). When I looked this time this picture is what I saw. I started laughing out loud. This picture describes Maddy in all of her beauty and curiosity. Maddy doesn't like things normal. She loves adventure and to see how far she can push her mom and dad.

Yet when she finds herself concentrated on a goal (this goal was making sure Meemo was found) she does what she wants to do. She goes against the norm and wants to reach her goal her way and watch "Meemo" her way.

Once again, humbled by my daughter....

Is He enough?

2010-01-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Last night, Cici and I had a couple college students over at our house for bible study. When I think about what to do with college students, I always find myself getting stumped. You want something meaningful but not childish...

Long story short I asked them to share where they were in their life and how Cici and I can encourage them. Just like every college student I have ever known, they are searching. They are searching for meaning, answers, purpose, and identity. I could not help but remember them time not to long ago sitting at the red light of Nacogdoches and 410, just leaving training for alternate certification to become a teacher. By the way, I hated it. Anyway, all these emotions come to fruition (big word, I know) and I just let God have it. I had been interviewing all over San Antonio and nothing was happening. I hated the teacher stuff, did not have a job, had a pregnant wife back in Fort Worth and here I was unable to provide for my family.So opened up a verbal assault on the Most High King. Looking back, it makes me blush, man it was bad.

Fast forward to last night. If any of those things I had been interviewing for or had I got a teacher job where would I have been. It surely would not have been sitting at our kitchen table talking to these two college students. Sharing life and encouragement with them.

I told them that story just as I told you. I told them that it all comes back to "Is He Enough"? If nothing works out like we planned it or if the world is falling apart and thousands are dying due to earthquakes, is He enough? For me he is. All the times I have questioned God, he has never let me down. It may not have been in my timing, but he has never let me down. So for me God is enough.

He is Enough cause he knew I would be sitting at a table wit College students who are dealing with the same thing that I was. He is Enough!

LF

The Loss of Love

2009-10-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

Editor's Note: I am unable to get up to Tennessee for the funeral, so this is my gift to my family and my grandmother!

When you lose someone in your family to death, it can be a hard time that no one is ever prepared for. We all know life is not fair but we continue on and get caught in a daze with life. I know for me, the last loss of love I experienced was when my great Aunt Carolyn died when I was a Senior in College. Before then, it was the loss of my father when I was in 6th grade.

I think we get caught up in life and find ourselves surprised when one of our grandparents or elder family members fall ill. As a kid growing up, I looked up at my grandparents (whom we affectionately call Poppie and Mommie) and saw them as invincible. I mean my grandparents have been through the great depression, numerous wars, disasters, etc. yet they persevered and have become a foundation for our family. A couple of weeks ago, they celebrated their 70th anniversary, which is unimaginable to me. I love my wife with all my heart and I am thankful that I get to wake next to her every morning, but to have that feeling for 70 years is incredible.

Mommie (my grandmother) had been fighting a mental war for a while. Doctors tried medicine that only made her worse. Over the course of time, it took its toll on her. She was taken to the hospital about 3 weeks ago with not much hope to live through the day, but just like my grandmother has always been, she did not go down without fight. We hurriedly flew home to TN where I was able to hold her hand and tell her I love. She progressed slowly over the the days we were there. She was still fighting. But yesterday morning, she grew tired of fighting and I think after 90 years she had a right to throw in the towel and go be at home with her Savior! Mommie died yesterday morning between 2 and 4 am. I grieved yesterday numerous times over her passing yet deep inside, I knew she would not want me to be sad. So I found a reason to rejoice, then another reason, then another...soon my tears of sorrow became tears a peace, relief, and joy...

- I rejoice because I got to experience 28 wonderful years with a great women who loved me and always wanted me to come see her and Poppie.
- I rejoice that I got to drink her lemony sweet tea and popcorn. I have tried many sweet teas and have never had a kind like hers. The taste of it is easy to recall like I have an infinite glass of it with me at all times.
- I rejoice because I got to eat her cooking, which is in my top 3 of the best cooking of all time
- I rejoice that I got to go to Clearwater Florida with her and go "squishing" in the bay looking for shells.
- I rejoice that she got to meet my wife and hold my daughter Maddy
- I rejoice in all the times she would scratch my back when I was a kid
- I rejoice in the conversations I had with her, and her "mommie-ism's" that kept us laughing
- I rejoice in that as she was getting older she would rifle off about 4 names before she got the right one right when I got in trouble. And then she would be thankful that she had so many names to rifle off!
- I rejoice because I know that she no longer needs a walker to get around, or her medicine to think clearly, or help getting in and out of chairs.
- I rejoice that because of Jesus, I will see her again.

I am sure my dad was waiting on her as she walked into the presence of our Creator, and Jesus was there to hold her and tell her welcome home. Mommie was a strong and great women who now has nothing holding her down. She is back to her old ways...Although now she may have to hold off on telling some of those jokes in heaven!!!

LF

Sunday Replay, September 6th and Praise HIM

2009-09-10T09:09:00.000-07:00

This blog is two fold...

1) Recap Sunday - We are on our 3rd foundation for the Sr High Ministry @ AHUMC. This past Sunday was Outreach. We talked about being not just hearers of the word but doers. How we are called to go make disciples and the fact that there are people out there in that are in need of a Savior, and we have that truth, we know that Savior and we are doing an injustice to them, if we keep HIM to ourselves. We talked about upcoming outreach opportunities and summer mission trip destinations and why, you can take it to the bank, that we WILL serve!!! Very refreshing to see the excitement from the students about the opportunities we will have to make a difference in our city, state, country, and across the globe. God is moving in the hearts of many of our students, and I feel honored to be apart of that.

----------------------
2) Praise HIM - I want to spend that 2nd part, thanking God for where we are and what He is doing in the ministry...

Our Creator and Redeemer, I come to you solely thanking and praising You for:

- Jesus, the reason we do what we do, for His death, burial and resurrection, so that we are free of sin
- The grace we so undeservingly receive from You, who lovingly gives
- High school students
- Parents who care
- AHUMC, a place where student ministry is encouraged
- Our leaders who want to spend time advancing the kingdom by loving on students
- Your spirit moving in the lives of students who have not been involved in the past
- The past leadership, who You used to get us here
- Students who have bought in to change
- Students who have bought in to YOU
- Guidance and direction, it s nothing I'm doing or planning, it is You guiding and directing the leadership
- The redeeming power of a relationship with you
- The students who have not come to grips with your call for their, because they are in for an amazing ride
- Divine appointments, that allow us to reach more students and share Your love with them even when we least expect it
- Fellow student ministry leaders in the area and the support and friendship they provide

God, we don't know what tomorrow holds, but know that we are satisfied with your Grace, but never satisfied in the amount of change and hope we can bring for your name...

This is Your ministry, use us to make your name known!

Amen
--------------

Blessings,

LF

Sunday Replay - August 23rd

2009-08-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome back...

The summer was great and I know alot of you did some great things. Summer camps, summer school, and vacations. Now its time to get back to the grind. So I say to you, have a great day and welcome back...

Today's Sunday replay is from kick off sunday. The Sr high has four foundations; community, LIFEgroups, outreach, and worship. Over next four weeks, we will be discussing these foundations at length as well as talk about what opportunities we have out there for them.

Kick off Sunday was about Community. Everyone is apart of some type of community. Students could be in numerous communities at school. But what does it look like to live in biblical community? We looked at the book of Acts that deals with what the believers were doing after Pentecost. They all had a common belief, Jesus was King and he really was God in human form. So what did they do? They shared life together. The spent time eating and praying together as well as supporting one another in their time of need. If we are to be in true biblical community in the Sr High, we are to have each others back. And we are to share life together. This can happen in several ways, by being involved on Sunday mornings as well as joining a LIFEgroup. But being committed to the growth and well-being or the Sr High community is essential to growth.

If you want more info about what this means for you, or how to be on the front lines of making a difference and growing the community of the Sr High at AHUMC contact Logan: lfritts@ahumc.org

blessings,

LF

Sunday Replay - August 2nd

2009-08-03T07:08:00.000-07:00

Sunday we talked about the need in River City (San Antonio for those who don't know nicknames). Many of us went on mission trips this summer or summer camps, that saw us serving in various parts of the U.S. I do believe there is a need throughout this country but one thing I challenged the students to look at is the need right here in San Antonio. People are homeless, hurting, lost, and need help right here in out backyard and sometimes we feel we have to pack up a van and drive 15 hours to go do some good in this world.

I shared with the students that we will serve in our city. Not just on special events or D-Now but we will be a fixture in this city of reaching out and helping those in need. We are going to partner with Blueprint Ministries over the course of the year and reach out to the people in need in our city.

I also talked about the need around the world. Most of, if not all, the people that the we served this summer needed us to work on their houses, either light construction, painting, etc. And I do see that as a need, but lets face it a the end of the day we all got to take showers. I see children and families living around the world in 3rd world countries who camp out on at the landfill so they can get first dibs on the new trash that comes. I see thousands of children who die daily for lack of food. I don't want us to get comfortable in our BMW's and air conditioning, because that is not reality. Reality is the child who is sold into sexual slavery overseas. With that said, we are going to start serving out of the country as well. Get out of our comfort zones. I am excited to see the passion our students have for escaping the limited life style and go into God's unlimitless call to reach the weary, poor, lost, and hurting. We ARE going to serve. Will you join us!

Below is the video that was shown on sunday!

Viva La Mission Trip::: Wednesday

2009-07-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has taken so long to post for Wednesday. And you will have to wait a little longer. Lets just say Wednesday was a crazy and scary day. I will post more on our adventures but this post is for prayer.

::PRAY::
- Several of the students have not been feeling well. There may be a stomach bug going around. Everyone is in high spirits just a bit under the weather. Pray that we all start getting better before we head home.
- Yesterday on our day off Cynthia Scofield had an accident while sledding down the white sand hills. She dislocated her ankle and broke it in three places. She had surgery in Alamogorda this afternoon and her and George will be heading back our way later this evening. We don't know what this means for Saturday as far as driving back. (We have not got that far. I wanted to have George's council before we made a decision) But as soon as I know anything we will give you an update. Please pray for peace for Cynthia. The first thing she did when we talked after the accident was apologize (that's Cynthia for you). Pray that she is comfortable and that Gods healing hands will relieve the pain so she can rest...

that is all update and pictures to come soon. Like I said yesterday was a little crazy!

Blessings,

LF

Viva La Mission Trip::: Tuesday

2009-07-21T16:45:00.000-07:00

What a day…Tuesday was filled with lots of work. I think we talked about how we felt that we worked harder today than we did yesterday. Things are going well and the high today was around 79 degrees. I wore my Patagonia fleece to breakfast. Once again it is quite refreshing to have the temperature where it is. There are some negatives to the temperature. The guys have not had hot water until today and so we have had to take cold showers. But other than that, everyone is enjoying himself or herself.

Our theme has been “Reveal”. We are learning about bringing hope to the poor and today we are talking about what does it mean to be captive. I think many students today are captive by something other than God. The students from AHUMC have a real understanding of what God wants for their life, I think that they still are searching for areas that need to be examined and either let go completely of give their Savior control and enjoy his leading presence. Tonight is supposed to be a real challenging and eye opening night for the students. Lets hope they focus on the moment and not anything else.

Some fun highlights:
- we won our volleyball game in the tournament
- a trip to Sonic has become a daily routine
- we have heard many stories about Apache traditions and beliefs, including that bigfoot lives behind the houses we are working on
- Jake and Alex were chosen to participate in a game last night that we laughed so hard we cried (pictures to come)

::PRAY::
- that the unity that I so much yearn for this group and ministry continues to grow out of this trip
- that the students will experience their Savior in a real way this week
- thank God for our adult leaders; George, Cynthia, Crosby, and Micaeli. I would be lost with out them

Tomorrow is our free day so whatever we do, we will take lots of pictures and post them tomorrow. Tomorrow I am designating picture day, so tomorrows blog will be mostly pictures of the students working, laughing and being themselves.

Blessings

LF

Viva La Mission Trip::: Monday

2009-07-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

We made it to Mescalero around 1:30, checked in, and got situated. The school is unbelievable. It is called the Mescalero Apache School. It is only about 7 years old and we are in our own room. Overall the trip has been good and the scenery is amazing. Oh and I hope this doesn’t make anyone jealous but the high today was 87 and tonight we have dropped to 54 with rain showers. It truly is refreshing to be in a place where you can actually enjoy being outside.

We got our groups tonight (sunday) and everyone is excited to get to know each other better and to serve. We are all painting and many of us were a little bummed that we were not going to do more construction type work, but we all re-focused and realized that this is the job God has for us. Maybe this way we will get to know one another better. I don’t know, but that is where we are and God’s in control. Those are the things that I know for a fact.

Monday we will wake up bright and early around 6:45 to get ready for they day. I am sure that we will make a trip to Sonic, which is always nice and we may stop by the race track or casino to test our luck. (Just kidding)

PRAY
- that our attitude is one of service
- that we begin our projects on the right foot as well as establish a relationship with who we are working with.

There is no internet at the school where we are so I will post and update on the afternoons when we are in town.

Blessings

LF

(Below are some pictures of today. I will have some of all the groups by tomorrow)

The drive on Sunday

Our sleeping arrangements.

Rachie Fran Painting

More pictures will come over the next couple of days...Hope all is well!

:::Viva La Mission Trip::: Day 1

2009-07-19T06:24:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it to our first destination. It took us about 6 1/2 hours to get to Carlsbad, NM. No problems getting here except the occasional choice of music by students. (I can't believe that they still like Britney Spears and A-Teens! AND...that Jett knows knows all of the lyrics) But we had Pizza Hut or BBQ last night and everyone went to bed at a reasonable hour. The plan today is, wake up, eat breakfast at the hotel, and head out by 9:30. We still have about 2 hours of driving left. We should be arriving in Mescalero around 1:00.

The drive was beautiful and we saw those huge wind turbines that are producing energy for half of Texas. Those things are huge and our car could not get over how big they looked from far off and how big they must be close up. But after the wind turbines we ran into a whole lot of nothing. That is right, some of the flattest, driest, dirtiest, land I have ever seen. But that land is so ironic to what I have been thinking and praying the past weeks.

I have thought about each student on this trip thinking where many of them are or have been; as well as the people we will be helping over the course of the week; and myself, seeing I have been the Sr High director for only a short time and I barely know some of the these students, I could not help but think of what the prophet Isaiah penned writing about Israels only Savior:

"Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing
now it will spring forth, do you
not perceive it? I will make a way
in the wilderness and rivers in
the desert" 43:18-19

Many on this trip come with some baggage at home, no expectations, or this is the trip they can check off their list to say they have done their "church" for the summer. I hope this turns into so much more. I pray that this becomes a building block for the Sr High Ministry. That if these students were burned by the church at some point or dealing with issue's at home, they will head to Isaiah's words and forget the former things. Forget their old expectations, motives, or baggage and focus on the new things Christ is doing in their lives through this trip. And I won't feel that all my efforts are not working. I can only do so much, I must trust Christ to do the rest.

PRAY
- that the rest of the journey is safe
- that the students open their hearts to learning new truths about their Savior
- that the leaders get time to interact with students

More pictures to come tonight or tomorrow.

Blessings!

LF

Mission Trip Blog

2009-07-17T19:23:00.000-07:00

For those of you who do not know, I am a Senior High pastor at a church in San Antonio. Well over the next week we will be in Mescalero NM doing mission projects through Group Work Camps. I will be adding pictures, updates, and an overview of the day. There are a great group of students going and I am excited that God has put me here to experience life with them...

I hope you will follow along and make comments and ask questions.

Blessings,

LF

Sunday Replay

2009-07-01T18:34:00.000-07:00

I know I am a week behind so I will get the previous 2 Sunday's quickly.

Week 2 :::Perspectives of Non-Christian:::

Week 2 we watched a video from Q Conference 2008. The Barna Group, which serves the information needs of the church by offering statistics, resources, seminars and custom research on current cultural and spiritual trends did a survey of 16-28 year old's about their perception of Christians they know...

The findings were rather shocking. Due to copyright laws and the extent of the findings, I cannot post everything that we learned. However, here is the link to the book that was developed through the study called "unChristian".

Ultimately, we as believers need not initially focus on who is right, who is wrong, and separate ourselves from the culture. The worst possible thing we can do is build up a fence and get all the Christians we can inside the fence and just hang out. We need to take the knowledge and the gift we have, the grace of God and the substitutionary atonement of Christ, and use that to redeem the culture. Loving those we encounter no matter their story or life style. Let Christ work through us as we develop relationships with people we never thought we would be around. That is what Christ did, that is what we are to do.

LF

The Greatest Month Ever

2009-07-01T07:03:00.001-07:00

Well...welcome to July. In San Antonio, July brings about a couple of things.

1) Debbie Chesney's birthday
2) Its hotter than June but not as hot as August
3) And of course the 4th, but with the burn ban I doubt we will be seeing any roman candles.
4) Maddy's 1st birthday (the best of all)

But this post is not about July...it is about the greatest month that I have had in a long time. June! It came with out much warning and it left with me realizing that June was awesome...let me explain!

June started with me, the kiddo, and the misses packing out bags and heading to the promise land. We went to Knoxville on Wednesday the 3rd to see the family and for my birthday, which is the 4th. This was the first time I was home for my birthday in 10 years. I have either been working at camps or married in Texas. I got to play golf, eat my moms congo squares, play spades with Warren and Jill, and be around family when celebrating my cousin's wedding. (Congrats Katie and Nathan)

We were supposed to leave on Sunday but Continental gave us $500 in travel vouchers to stay one more night and leave early the next morning...no brainer! So we got to see Warren ordained and spend more time with family...

We got back to San Antonio just in time to catch our breath because Cici and I went to Coldplay, which was incredible. Snow Patrol opened up for them who were also fantastic. I really cant put into words how fantastic the concert was. Just go see them if they come any where within 200 miles of your city...you wont be disappointed. (if you want pics go to my wifes blog)

And on that same day, we got iphones. I know some of you put down the iphone, call it a fad, etc. I am a blackberry convert. I hated my blackberry and find that there are incredible things on the iphone that I use all the time. Its a great device and if you are considering one, get it. They are only $99 bucks unless you want one that shoots video (why you would want to spend another 100 bucks for that I dont know). And after talking with ATT about cancellation policies, plan changes, etc. they have better plans and customer service than Sprint for sure. I have found that you can do nothing in the Sprint store except by a phone. Thats crap!

The next week, Cici and I went and say the musical Wicked. We had 2nd row seats right smack dab in the middle. My wife loves Wicked so this was a little treat for her. Great musical, but the joy of seeing my wife smile from the opening notes till the end was awesome.

Quick finish...
- dam sliding with Sr High
- Maddy's standing on her own
- Cici starts new job
- Saw Transformers

July will be great too...seeing more family, mission trips, stuff!!

June is gone but man was it great!

LF

Sunday Replay

2009-06-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

Note *The Sr High ministry at AHUMC is doing a summer series called "Coffee Conversations". Each week we talk about issues that we face everyday that impact the way we live and then we talk about them. I thought it would be a good idea to post the recaps of each Sundays teaching so that you and the students can follow along or catch up just in case they missed something. Each week will be a different topic with a purpose to challenge and to get you talking about how that affects your life.

Note *Bible translation is ESV

Week 1 :::RESTORING RELATIONSHIPS:::

At some point in your life, you are going to be hurt by someone. With the students I minister to, that usually consists of a girl talking bad about her friend because they like the same boy or vice versa with boys. Or it be a so called "friend" starts rumors about you because you hurt them due to a misunderstanding. Adults encounter this in the work place, church, golf course, where ever. It is bound to happen. So what do you do about it?

We looked at Paul's letter to Philemon. A quick background for you...Philemon is a believer and he has this servant named Onesimus. Onesimus wrongs Philemon. We are not quite sure how. (some think he stole money or a possession of Philemon's) But what Onesimus did was worthy enough for him to high tale it out of town. He winds up meeting Paul in prison, and like true Paul fashion, he shares Christ with Onesimus who becomes a believer. So Paul's letter to Philemon is an appeal on behalf of Onesimus.

Paul starts by greeting his brother in Christ, like he does so often in his letters. He then begins with the word "Accordingly" (v.8). This word represents so much of the relationship between Paul and Philemon. That word in the Greek shows friendship yet respect. Paul is coming to Philemon with the utmost respect for their relationship, his emotions, and the situation he is in concerning Onesimus. Paul continues to write to Philemon encouraging to look at the bigger picture. Now that Onesimus is a a believer, he is a brother in Christ. Jesus took Onesimus' place on the cross of Calvary. Philemon and Onesimus are not only brothers in Christ, but partners in ministry. Paul knows the strain on the relationship can have a negative connotation toward the advancing of the kingdom and so he pleads to Philemon to forgive Onesimus and push on toward pursing Christ with him and leading others to that same place.

If the person you that has damaged you or you have damaged is a fellow believer, it is time you look at the bigger picture and seek forgiveness and recociliation. Then begin sharing the love of Christ as partners in ministry. If either is a non-believer, then representing Christ is your highest calling. We can only do so much. When you seek reconciliation, they may not accept it. But you have done what you can do and hopefully that seed you planted will spring forth into a relationship with the Redeemer.

I challenge you to address this issue of restoring relationships if it exists in your life. Remember, to seek Christs direction as you do seek reconciliation. This is easier said than done, but it you need support find a friend and seek the peace that Christ can bring to lost friendships.

LF

Quote Day

2009-06-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

"Jesus is what matters at the end of the day.
Churches are filled with people that are imperfect
and sinful and Jesus is working on them all."

- Mark Driscoll

So Much Bigger...

2009-05-28T09:59:00.000-07:00

My wife and I have a tendency to watch John and Kate plus 8. Cici and I both enjoy it from time to time and many of you know all the drama that has been surrounding this show. From news interviews, tabloids, and magazines there have been all the accusations and he said she said. With all of this hoopla, we knew we had to watch the season premier this past week.

There were several interviews with just John and Kate and this is not going to be a post about John and Kate, it is going to be a post on a much bigger issue. What I saw on TV is the reason that I think marriages continue to struggle in Christian and Non-Christian homes. All I heard Monday was that the only thing they were focusing on was the kids. No matter what, it was about the kids. Some of you will be angry with me about this, but I disagree whole-heartedly that it is all about the kids.

According to Scripture, and this is where I stand, here should be our priorities..

1. God (relationship with Jesus, God, etc)
2. Spouse (I am to be responsible to the spiritual, emotional, physical well being of my spouse)
3. Children (I am responsible to the spiritual, emotional, physical well being of my kids)
4. Ministry/Job (how I relate to the rest of the world)

I love my daughter will all that I have. Maddy lights up my world every time I think about her, but I have two priorities that are above her. My desire is that my devotion and my commitment to Jesus makes me a better husband, and that my devotion and my commitment to my wife makes me a better father, and my devotion and my commitment to my children makes me a better friend/minister/co-worker etc.

I hope that all of the families going through tough times find their priorities and those revelations will lead to the other priorities. It all trickles down. It is so much bigger than doing it for the kids, so much bigger...

LF

Crazy Train

2009-05-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

I know i have not actually posted yet but I will soon...however I came across this kid who freaking shreds it up while playing Crazy Train by Ozzy. It was jaw dropping...

note* good stuff starts at 1:42

Prosperity Gospel

2009-05-06T17:17:00.000-07:00

A video from John Piper. Makes you think, huh?

LF

Goodbye to a Friend

2009-05-06T07:20:00.000-07:00

I found out today that a man I respect with the highest regard and loved has finally reached the end of his journey on this big ball of dirt. Lloyd Powell was a man that had a huge impact on my life. Lloyd was the director and visionary of Camp Ba Yo Ca in Tennessee. I spent numerous summers in my childhood and high school years with this man and his family laughing, crying, and sneaking canteen. Lloyd casted a vision of camping ministry that I still feel called to today. He was a great man with a huge heart and I know that numerous children, counselors, and staff are better people just for knowing this man.

But most importantly, he loved with Lord. Lloyd had non-hodgkin's lymphoma and with even all the crap that he was put through with chemo and a bone marrow transplant, the man continued to seek the Lord with all his heart. So now, Lloyd is in the presence of the Creator, worshiping Christ the King. He is also getting to hang out with my dad again. My dad and Lloyd were great friends before my dad past away from cancer in '93. So its good to know that Lloyd had a buddy waiting on him. Maybe they are practicing for the infamous Indian Drama. Maybe the apostle Paul would play "Trapper". We can only hope.

Be at peace my friend and enjoy the healing that is well deserved to you. And say hey to my dad for me...

LF

New Blog

2009-04-28T16:27:00.000-07:00

For those of you who may be coming over from "Take Some Time", I wanted to start a new blog that would allow the students and the people I come in contact with to be able to see my thoughts on life, religion, theology, Jesus, and my continuing fight to escape being limited and become a limitless and redeemed follower of Jesus.

So thats what I am doing. David Crowder challenged us to flee control and thrive in chaos and escape being limited and pursue a limitless life. I will be writing about my experiences and thoughts about Q 2009 in Austin in my next several posts. But this is the beginning of my transition of escaping limited.