My Birthday

Today I turned another year older and yet I don't feel any different. This year has flown by and yet today I was able to take a moment and reflect over the last 28 years of my life and where it all started for me while I was at the church I was raised in, This church is the place I fell in love with my best friend, this church was the place I got married in, this church was place I turned my life around to serve God, this church was the place I deciced to become a youth pastor in. Yea, I dont agree with this church at all at this point in my spirtual journey, but this is the church where my life was changed. Some bad in my life came from this church, but more good defianlty came and both of them are sleeping right now, (that would be my wife and daughter). Today as I reflect on my birthday,i realize I have the best gift anyone could ask for - a great relationship with God, a smoking hot loving wife, and a healthy cute baby.

Check out this great video

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Little Crazy, right?

Blue Like Jazz

I have started re-reading one of my favorite books "Blue Like Jazz" and as I have been reading it I have discovered again why I always list it as one of my favorite books. The way Donald Miller writes about his connection with God and how he comes into a relationship with God is so challenging to me. Over the past couple of days I have been really thinking about my past and thinking about how far I have came in my relationship with God and reading through Galatians at the same time and remembering what it really means to be set free from the law and to really discover who God is and how to really experience freedom in Christ. It's just been a great couple of days in my devotion life and so what I wanted to do is as I read a great phrase or paragraph in "Blue Like Jazz" I will share with you. So this first one comes from the 1st chapter and Donald is talking about the 1st time he really felt guilt:

"The ideas I learned in Sunday School, the ideas about sin and how we shouldn't sin, kept bugging me. I felt as though I needed to redeem myself, the way a kid feels when he finally decides to clean his room. My carnal thinking had made a mess of my head, and I felt as though I were standing in the doorway of my mind, wondering where to begin, how to organize my thoughts so they weren't so out of control.
That's when I realized that religion might be able to hose things down, get me back to normal so I could have fun without felling guilty or something. I just didn't want to have to think about this guilt crap anymore.
For me, however, there was a mental wall between religion and God. I could walk around inside religion and never, on any sort of emotional level, understand that God was a person, an actual Being with thoughts and feelings and hat sort of thing. To me, God was more of an idea. It was something like a slot machine, a set of spinning images that doled out rewards based on behavior and, perhaps, chance.
The slot-machine God provided a relief for the pinging guilt and a sense of hope that my life would get organized toward a purpose. i was too dumb to test the merit of the slot machine idea. I simply began to pray for forgiveness, thinking the cherries might line up and the light atop the machine would flash, spilling shiny tokens of good fate. What i was doing was more in line with superstition than spirituality. But it worked. If something nice happened to me, I thought it was God, and if something nice didn't, I went back to the slot machine, knelt down in prayer, and pulled the lever a few times. I liked this God very much because you hardly had to talk to it and it never talked back. But the fun never last."

OK.. i lied - it was a little longer than a paragraph. But I love this slot machine idea, because this idea was something that I really struggled with as a kid and so his thinking makes perfect sense to me. What about you?

Fall Retreat Slideshow from a student

Our first Fall Retreat for VERB!!

Our 1st....

Well our first ever Fall Retreat has come and gone. We took a total of 21 students up to the mountains for a getaway, hopefully to gain some insight into what God was trying to do in there lives. A few things that I have learned about doing a Fall Retreat:

1. It's hard work...It took a lot of energy, time and effort just in the planning to pull this off. It of coarse made it harder when my speaker could not make it and left me with the studying for it. But it's all good

2. Guys will be guys...dumb. Leon decided to kick at a water bottle on a post and missed the post and struck the post with his big toe. Which has made his toe black and pick and possibly broke.

3. You give a student a piece of wood for an illustration...there going to draw on it. I gave the students the piece of wood for them to write down their fear, doubts or sins that keep them from doing what God has called them to do and I had them carry the wood around with them all weekend and most of the pieces of wood got drawn on.

4. Girls can clog toilets and continue to use them...which makes for a d (wait for it) lightful smell.
One of the toilets in our cabin was clogged....you would think that people would not use that toilet. Not these girls...they are troopers and contunie to just pile it all weekend. Nicely done ladies.

5. It doesn't matter how much food or drinks you bring....it will all be gone the first night. It doesn't matter with this group guys or girls VERB SM can eat anyone out of house and home.

6. When a student is giving a challenge...don't underestimate what God can do through that student. I challenged Leon to give a devotion on what it means to grow up in your faith this weekend. He gave his devotion on Saturday morning (before he broke his toe) and he did an great job and I believe the Lord used him to connect to a few students.

7. Before the weekend came i kept thinking that I was not going to be ready to give the messages and still be able to build relationships with students throughout the weekend. Even though I thought it doesn't mean it happens...God always shows up and provides a ways and I had a great weekend teaching and building relationships with student I new and some I didn't and it was also great to hear students really grasping ahold of what God was trying to teach them through the weekend and them making the commitment to attempt to move in the direction HE is calling them.






What a great weekend...Can't wait until Fall Retreat 09

Weight Room Ettiquite

On Saturday I was in the weight room doing my work out and I was on my last set. When a guy that had been there the whole time I was doing his cardio came over and took the bars off the machine I was using and moved them to a new machine without asking me. There's a big sign on the wall when you walk into the weight room that goes over the rules and one of the rules is that you allow people to work out on the same machine as you in between your sets. I was and always be willing to do that. But theres a thing called Weight Room Ettiquite and maybe I am the only one that is aware of it because this has happened more than once. WRE stats that you don't jump in between someone sets without asking (even though there's big rule book plastered to the wall, you still ask) and you defiantly don't take the weights off the bars that make the machine work and move them to a new machine which completely takes it way from the person still using it. As you can tell I am still upset a little bit over this. But I will be ok? Tell me what you think? Am I acting out or am I correct in my thinking of the WRE rules?

SOX Clinch

My boys clinched a playoff spot last night and in doing so eliminated the Yaks. Yeah....World Series here we come..

Got to Love it!!

I love this time a year that's coming up!! The changing from summer to Fall then fall to winter. I love it. Some people always find it weird that a guy from Fl loves the fall and winter and I always explain to them that I love this time of year because im a big guy and a sweet a lot and when it's cool or cold outside I don't sweet as much. But that's not the only reason why I love the fall and winter, i just love the feeling on being able to wear jackets and hats and drink hot coffee outside and sit by a fire, being in the woods with all the leaves on the ground. I just love this time of year!!

Well Tessie is here!!!!

Here she is; my beautiful Tessie Leigh Harris. She entered this world last Tuesday at 6:47 am and weighed in at 7 lbs and 13 ounces and was 19 inches long. It's been a long week so far, but a great one and would not trade it for any other week. Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts over the past couple of weeks for the safe arrival of her. thanks a lot. More pics to come. Today will be here first bath since we came home!!

Twitter - What's that?

Twitter is this new thing. It's where I post just random things about my day (what I'm doing, where I am at) and I send it to my twitter page and you can log on and follow me throughout my day or you can get it sent to your phone through text. So come and find me and sign up so I can see what your up to also. Here's my link: http://twitter.com/jasharris

Top 5 things of my summer

Every summer there's always great things that happen and for me to tell it all would take me all day. So I will summarize it in 2 sections the top 5 things of my summer outside of ministry and the top 5 things dealing with ministry over the summer.

6. (Yea I know I said 5, but I got another one) Moving - We had to move due tot he fact that we are having a baby and the place we were living does not allow anyone under the age of 21 to live there. So we had to move. So how it made into my top things of the summer was that we moved to a better area, we moved onto the 1st floor, it's cheaper, and it has a pool. SO that's how. - But I hated the move!!!

5. Tyner's Wedding - One of my best and long time friends that I grew up with and lived with in college got married this past summer in Jackson Miss. It was such a great time and with all my friends that I grew up with all in ministry in different states it's hard to get together, so this made it even better that we were all able to hang out. Check out some of his photos at : http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=27558286&albumId=1926320

4. Boston Red Sox Tickets - Cy and Mitch got great tickets to the O's Red Sox game a couple of months back. Great tickets is a understatement, we had seats on the field - I could see the sweat on the players and hear there conversations. Dustin Perdio hit a lady with a foul ball and she had to be taken away and he came over and talked me about her and what happen. It was a great game and the Red Sox won - of coarse!! Thanks Harris's

3. 4 Years Anniversary - On July 24 Brittany and I celebrated on 4 years anniversary - we have known each other are whole life and when she was 15 I told her she was going to be my bride (and she laughed) but I had a connection with the big guy upstairs and that let me in on that little secrete that took about another 4 - 6 years to unfold. But it happen on July 24, 2004.

2. Mini Vacation with the wife. - We celebrated are anniversary by going away for the weekend to the beach. It was great time to get away and celebrate a great marriage and great woman (My wife as she carries our child)

1. Having a Girl (Tessie Leigh Harris, going to be here on Friday)- I know the summer is over - but we being thinking, planning, praying, getting nervous and celebrating the fact that we have a baby on the way. It was shock when we found out in late January but I think we are ready.


Top 5 Ministry things of the Summer
5. Beaver Dam - I loved that we were able to find this new place called Beaver Dam in N. Baltimore. It's this little man made lake with swings. I took the student leaders up there for the day a couple weeks back to check it out for Great Escape next summer and to do some planning with the SL. It was great time!!

4. Intern - This was our first year doing this but we had out 1st intern at VERB. Brittany and I went down to Lee back in Oct and taught a few classes and done some advertising for our summer intern program. We had one student Johnnie Ramos come and hang out with us for the summer. He worked in the office, preached, led small groups, taught a few classes and went on a mission trip. Johnnie was great over the summer and hopefully we can do it again next summer with some new interns.

3. 12hr Blitz - for the 2nd time in a row we had an event called 12 hr blitz. It's an outreach event for VERB and we ending up having around 45 students (i think). It's like a lock in - but we plan events throughout the entire night some at the church, some away from the church. Even though some of plans got canceled due to rain. It was still a great event. Students really look forward to this event and next year we will just plan for rain.

2. Puerto Rico Mission Trip - This summer's mission trip was great. I took a team to of 18 to PR. We held a Bible camp for the kids in the community and we had around 80 kids there and we painted the entire church and fence that covers it. The students did an amazing job. I got to preach to around 75 to 100 non-English speaking PR people with a translator (that was fun...... really it was). Great work - Can't wait until next year.

1. Heritage Community Church - as a church we adopted the church PR that the students have been working with the past 2 years and as a church body we were able to bring Pastor Diego and his family to our church on Aug 10 and present him with check to pay off the entire mortgage of the church. Pastor Diego has been the Pastor of that church for around 17 years and has never received a check for it. He works a second job for his income and helps with that income to pay the church mortgage. So it was a huge blessing to be apart of a great church that could such a great and wonderful job this summer.

One last thing that was great about the summer was the Leaders Retreat. It was so much fun to get away with the VERB leaders for the weekend and have fun and do some planing. I was looking forward to all summer and when it was over I begin looking forward to it againnext year. It's going be a great again next summer.

This summer was the fastest summer I think I ever had in my entire life. But hands down it has been one of the best. It's up there with the summer I got married and traveled to Europe for 3 weeks. my summer was so packed that there's no way I can tell you everything (you would fall asleep) So i hope this was better.

Something to Chew on!!

If you could lead a secret investigation into the history of your enemies life. You would there in find such sorrow and suffering so as to disarm all hostility towards them.

Think about it, let me know what you think?

Great Devotion at 5:30 this morning

Zech 8:23

23 "This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies says: In those days ten men from different nations and languages of the world will clutch at the sleeve of one Jew. And they will say, 'Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'
- You see up to this point in history the Jews were kind of the butt end of jokes for the surrounding neighbors and in this particular passage God was reveling to them that soon, if you do the things that I said (a few verse's above this) then people from around the world will becoming to you wanting to walk with you because they will know that I am with you.
Then I began asking myself a few questions:What am I doing (if anything)to ensure that when people see me or are in conversation with me to know that God is with me? Am I always putting God first? Am I doing everything in my power for people to see God through my words, my actions, even my thoughts? And if I'm honest with myself about these answer then "No" I'm not.
And so my prayer today is, Lord, help to do things and to fight for what's spiritual and fight what's easy in my life which is to give in so that when people see me or are in conversation with me - they will know that I am with you -

Yea......

I know it's been 2 months. But you haven't had the summer I had. I promise to make up for it in the next day or two with the whole summer update.

Naming a child

I thought naming a child was going to be easy. But it ain't even close to being easy at all! You have so many things to consider when naming a child: will they be made fun of, does it sound good, does it flow with the middle and last name well, do I like it, does my wife like it, do my parents like it, do her parents like it, do I go with a Biblical or a favorite or family name, does it sound good when I yell it, will it have a good nickname, will it be a name she likes when she is older, is it easy to remember, is it too common or never heard of!! All these things you must consider when naming a child and Brittany and I have and we have been testing a name all week with my family to see if we like it and kind of answer all those questions and I think we have a winner, It's not set in stone yet, but we really like it (Tessie Leigh Harris) What do you think? Be honest with me, this is my baby your talking about!!

Vacation

Vacation is always a great time to get away, relax, and come back charged and ready to go again for the rest of the year! I find myself at the end of my vacation ready to get back because I am excited about the rest of this summer and fall. We have some really great ideas and sermon series and changes in the Student Ministries that I am really looking forward too and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us in the upcoming months!!!

I know, I know

I need to blog, but a lot has happen in the last month! Summer schedule, moving, vacation, Rock Your Socks Off, Great Escape, Tyner's Wedding, PR mission trip, oh yea and a Baby on the way!! It's been crazy, before summer hit I was looking forward to summer but now I'm like "I can't wait until fall" - Just kidding!! I am looking forward to the rest of the summer! This week has been great, being able to hang out with my family and kinda of relax on the beach all week. I am 2 shades darker and feeling great about the rest of the summer!

A Girl?

Yep, we're having a girl!! Even though we we're so wanting a boy, we're having a girl. So for the past week, my whole mindset and thinking has had to change. Even though it was a shock to us I am totally exctied for it (even with everyone telling us girls are harder to raise) I can't wait until Sept 25 (that's the due date)

Rainy Days

I hate days like today (it's been raining for 4 days now). I like the rain every once in awhile but not for 4 days. This is putting a damper in my running schedule. I know that what you may be thinking, this guy is crazy a running schedule!!! But yes I have a running schedule, by the end of this month (May) I need to be up around 35 miles a week in running to really be at a good pace for the rest of summer in my training for the Marathon in Oct.

Movie Review

Cloverfield, I was a little worried about this movie before I watched it and the blockbuster guy said it wasn't good at all . So it had two strikes against it before I even sat down to watch it. But overall, it turned out ok as long as you like watching a movie that was filmed with a hand held camera. But even that was pretty good filming. It had a decent plot with a little military action and a few scary scene's. Overall I would give this movie a C+, it's worth watching as long as you have those things in the back of your mind..

Crappy Day

You ever have those days where you know you need to do something but you willing choose not to and afterwards you regret it for the rest of the day? Well today was one of those days, I needed to put in around a 6 to 7 mile run today to stay on track for my Oct marathon training and I chose to stay home and sit on the couch for the rest of the night. I ended up eating salad for dinner, hoping to feel better about not running and I did until I sat down to write this blog and eat my peanut butter and jelly sandwich at 10:15 at night. So now I am regretting running again!!! When does tomorrow come?

VERB

2nd week in are series and I am stoked about tomorrow night as we talk about "Creating Friendships that will Last a Lifetime"

5 days and 20 hours and 30 min

Until Brittany and I find out whether or not we are having a boy or a girl. Keep us in your prayers because this week feels like it's going to be a long week as we wait for the clock to slowly turn every sec of every hour till Monday at 9:30.



Baby Harris at 7 weeks

Long time, no write....

I know, I know it's been awhile. I'm sorry, I promise I will start blogging at least 1 blog a day. SO get ready to do some reading and you better make some comments. Anyway.

Check it out!

Ed Young the first min and a half are funny!

Running

I ran 6.5 miles today on the Eastcoast Greenway - from the Airport to my house! It was great.

Sore!!!!!!!!

My whole body is sore!! I am trying to get in shape to run in a marathon and I know I need to start pushing myself harder to be able to get up to 26 miles and I need to lose about 30 pounds before the run in Oct. But sat I ran about 4.5 miles in 45 min and then Sunday I ran about 3 miles and Monday I ran about 5 miles in 50min and then yesterday I meet Leon at Old Mill High and we ran on this path I've never seen and then did sprints on the football field and I am sore and taking the day off - no running today - Crazy - I want to be at 13 miles by May

Hiking

I'm stoked about this Guys hiking trip in May. I get to do a pre trip at the end of this month and hike it out, so I am also excited about that! Anybody hike the South Trial of the AT in Maryland, it's about 17 miles we will be hiking.

What a day!!

Today has been a great day, except with the headache for 3 hours. I'm super excited about the service tomorrow night. We have been in a series called "All Out War" and we are talking about the Helmet of Salvation. I have been getting alot of good feedback about this series over the past couple of weeks. Tell me what you think?

Hate these days

Don't you just hate it when you have so much work to do, but you don't know where to start so you spend half the morning not doing anything on the list of things that half to get done....hate it!

This was the view that I had from my hotel in Cincinnati, Ohio. I was there for 5 days for the National Youth Ministry Conference. It was a great time to hang out with some of the sharpest minds in youth ministry and leadership, and not to mention 3 of my best friends that I grew up with who are now youth pastor's also. So it was such a great weekend. But I was glad to come home to my wife.

Starting to Blog

I have been wanting to blog for a really long time, so I thought I would give it a shot and start one. So here's the first blog.... I must warn you though I am not the best speller. Hopefully you won't hold that againist me.