Family

I recently enjoyed a wonderful (and slightly impromptu!) visit from my parents, Peter and Tadd this past Saturday through Tuesday!  It was an absolute joy to spend time with them, and give them a little taste of what my life is like here in Jackson - with some especially tasty tastes of Elk, Buffalo and local Trout.  My parents, brothers and I were able to experience some of the outdoor attractions that Jackson has to offer, come to church (both on Sunday morning and at youth group), and meet some of the people who are a part of my life here in Jackson.  Most importantly, we got to spend valuable time catching up on life and just being with each other!

Having family come visit reminded me of many things.  First of all, how thankful I am to have a family that loves and cares about me.  Secondly, that it is a priority to continue to family them a significant part of my life, and show that through my actions.  Finally, I was reminded that even though it isn't always easy to say goodbye to family and loved ones, we must continue to follow the path that God has called and is calling us to daily.  

Two Scripture passages have encouraged me in this in the past few days:

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it.  For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13-15)

and

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30)

 I do not believe that God is calling us to an "easy" life here on earth.  He wants us to lose our lives (and re-order our priorities) to follow Him.  The first Matthew passage is pointing out that following Jesus is the uncommon thing to do, and it is not easy.  That being said, we are not alone on this journey.  Jesus helps us carry our load if we choose to follow Him, learn from Him, and enter into a relationship with Him.  While it is easy to longingly look back at the past, we must strive forward on this new journey with confidence that we have a companion that will never, ever leave our side!  Then, and only then will you find true rest and satisfaction.  

Some pictures from the visit...

The bros at dinner

At youth group with our Oreo creation

All of the Guys with Patty (and Roxie!)

Dad and myself

All of the guys snowshoeing

Mom and Dad on the trail!

Humbled

"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.  Ever since the creation of the world His eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things He has made." 

Romans 1:19-20a

Recently I have been absolutely awestruck by the beauty of where I live.  While my initial default is the prideful response of "look at what I get to do", or "my life is so amazing", I was convicted to think about how to respond to this in a humble and reverent fashion.  The above passage from Romans reminded me that this beauty pales in comparison to the "eternal power and divine nature" of it's Creator.  Spend some time and think about what the words "eternal" and "divine" mean when compared to this world.  After this, think about things in your life that give you a glimpse of your Creator, - whether that be people, nature, music, academia, or something else - simply give thanks, and grow in your awe of the Author of all things!

New Address!

I almost forgot, my new address in Jackson is:

PO Box 1432

Jackson, WY 83001

Please send any mail to this address as of now, thanks!

A New Year with New Beginnings

A month and a half, and many events have perspired since I last posted on this.  It has been a whirlwind time filled with family, friends and plenty of activity.  I was blessed with the chance to go back to Seattle and spend Christmas with my family.  It was great spend a significant amount of time with my family, and even more importantly to celebrate the coming of Jesus with them!

I flew back to Jackson on New Year's Day.  While it was difficult to leave family and friends in the Northwest, I was excited to come back and continue with life and work in Jackson.  When I came back, I was met with immediate change.  Patty agreed to house me through Christmas, so I moved in with my new host family a little less than 2 weeks ago.  I am living with a family that moved to Jackson from Seattle this past September.  Kristie and Lee have 2 kids (an 8th grade son named Jack and an 11th grade daughter named Kate) and an energetic dog named Scout.  They live in a really nice house in the town of Jackson (which greatly reduces my daily commute), and while it is an adjustment, I am already enjoying my new home!

The new year also brings a new set of tasks and activities at work.  We are gearing up for our High School Mission Trip this June to New Jersey to help with Hurricane Sandy relief.  It is an exciting time, as we have to organize various fundraisers and preparation activities for this trip.  Yesterday, we had a Middle School sledding party, which was a lot of fun (despite temperatures well below zero).  I dragged the MSers back up the hill on a snowmobile which was definitely a personal highlight.

Other than work and settling into a new home, the majority of my January in Jackson has been spent trying to recover from a pretty bad bug (not sure where I got it), reading some good books, spending time with friends, and continuing to practice skiing as much as I can.  Skiing was definitely a daunting undertaking (as I hadn't ever skied before this year), but it has proven to be a lot of fun...and something I continue to improve at!

Most of all, I am excited for this new year because I can work to follow David's words of advice to Solomon in 1 Chronicles:

"Know the God of your father, and serve him with single mind and willing heart; for the Lord searches every mind, and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you"

This is my goal each day of this year (and years to come), and I hope that you can do the same!

That's all for now, enjoy a few pictures from the past month

All of the family with Mr. Ulrich after Singing in church on the 4th Sunday of Advent

Me and Peter anticipating crepes in matching sweaters

Britta, Grandma Ann and myself

All of the boys dressed up to sing together on Christmas Eve

Nothing screams home like some Catan in the kitchen 

The entire family on New Year's Day

Shot out of the plane, with Rainier, Adams, St. Helens, and Hood all in the picture

Beautiful sunrise last week, great to be back in Jackson!

A Season of Thanks

The months of October and November have proven to be eventful and exciting here in Jackson.  My job as the "Children, Youth and Family Intern" has few dull moments, and I have been enjoying building and deepening relationships with the children, youth and young adults that I have the pleasure of spending time with.  Some highlights include: hanging out with ~15 Middle School students every Wednesday after school, going on an incredible High School retreat 3 weeks ago, helping organize a church-wide "Lasagna Mission" (where the church prepared over 80 lasagnas for the needy in Jackson), and learning how to play guitar on the side.  I hope to continue to make the most of the time that I have been given in this position, learn as much as I can, and serve those who I interact with on a daily basis!

Outside of work, I have been continuing to enjoy all of the outdoor adventures that Jackson and Wyoming have to offer, and have been having a great time meeting other people my age here.  Last weekend, I was successful on my first time duck hunting (pictures below).  My friend Chris and I went hunting south of Jackson in Star Valley, and I shot one goose and four ducks...not bad for my first time duck hunting!  I was excited to be able to serve Nate and Lizz the water fowl that I shot this Thanksgiving week while they visited.  

As I just mentioned, Nate and Lizz came to visit me in Jackson for Thanksgiving week, which was a blast!  We all stayed at Patty's house (with yours truly sleeping on the living room couch).  Among other things, we enjoyed a hike in Grand Teton NP, the National Museum of Wildlife Art, the local Thanksgiving morning Turkey Trot, a morning of fishing on the Gros Ventre river, and an ample amount of delicious food and conversation!  It was great to have Nate and Lizz here, give them a little taste of my life in Jackson, and also hear about their new life in Phoenix.  They even helped me out at Youth Group and Sunday School, which proved to be almost necessary this morning (as we had nearly 40 elementary kids in Sunday School).  

This Thanksgiving week (with Advent just around the corner), I have been thinking a lot about the abundance of things I (and we) have to be thankful for.  I found myself focusing on how thankful I am for the people that have been placed in my life.  My visit from Nate and Lizz was a physical reminder of the wonderful family I have, and how blessed I am to have a family that loves me, supports me in my endeavors, and brings so much joy to my life!  In addition, I am so thankful for all of my friends (both young and old) that bring happiness, excitement, companionship, and also joy to my life every day.  While voicing this thanks might sound cliche, I had to try to express my gratitude (even if it was a poor expression) for all of the wonderful relationships that God placed in my life!

While I have a hard time expressing my gratitude for the people that are a part of my life, one thing that my time in Jackson has showed me that no human relationship (with your family, best friend, mentor, etc) can ever fully satisfy our souls.  With more alone time than I had previously been used to, I have realized that while I still yearn for interactions with friends and family, it is my relationship with the LORD through His Son Jesus that truly nourishes me.  A relationship with Christ (and the gift of new life that comes through it) is something that nobody can ever take from us, has eternal value, and something that we can always pour more of ourselves into.  

As we begin to anticipate the coming of Jesus this Advent season, think about some of Jesus' words in the later stages of His life:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me!"  John 14:6

"My kingdom is not of this world [...] You say that I am a king.  For this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth."  John 18:36 and 37

The thought of a relationship with the King that rules over the entire universe (and also represents truth and life) is both mind-boggling and humbling, but I think the mere fact that we are able to have something of this value is what draws us nearer to Him...

Happy Thanksgiving!

High Schoolers on our Retreat!

Most beautiful drive home in the country?

Wringing the goose's neck (note my facial expression)

Successful hunt! 

Nate, Patty, and Lizz before eating some duck (excuse the blurriness)

Bacon-wrapped goose breast 

Post Turkey Trot picture (yes, Lizz beat both Nate and myself)

Thanksgiving at Patty's 

Halftime during the Apple Cup

Teaching the siblings how to fish

An Assuring Reflection

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight"

Proverbs 9:10

Our human nature and society tell us that we can prosper on our own.  We learn - sometimes quickly and other times very gradually - that there is nothing that we can do on our own that will fully prosper and bear any noteworthy fruit.  Whether this is a blaring mistake that many see, or an internal conflict that never seems to leave us alone, we always fall short of perfection.  I have been reminded of this recently.  

Luckily, this is the exact opposite of what God tells us.  In Proverbs 9:5-6, Solomon writes "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine that I have mixed.  Lay aside immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight!"  

Recently, I have been tempted to reject the LORD's bread and omnipresence in every moment of my life.  I have been relying on my own devices, thoughts and ideas.  Not only does this path lead to hurt and destruction, it is not the way that God wants us to follow Him.  God wants us to follow Him wholeheartedly, and become a new creation in Him.  He offers us life, and life to the fullest. 

Our need for God is like that of a tree: which possesses a need for water, nutrients, and sunlight to grow.  Without God - who is always there to intervene and steer us on the right path of growth - we are like a tree would be if it were shut in a shed without any light.  

Thankfully, the LORD never abandons us!  He is with us every moment of every day, and always ready to speak "I AM" to those who are willing to listen.  He also provides us with salvation, and the daily nourishment and sustenance we need for growth.  If you ask me, a God who can do those things (and many more) is more than worthy of our fear (i.e. reverence, respect and plain ol' fear).  Draw near to the LORD today, listen for His voice, and look for His presence.  Actively live your life with the intention of growing closer to the LORD each day.  You will be gifted with wisdom, knowledge, and new life!

10/20/12 Sunrise at 7:00am

October

A beautiful fall continues in Jackson, but hints of a long, cold winter are definitely showing themselves. The leaves are falling off of the trees, and will most likely be completely off within the month.  The mornings are brisk, with temperatures often dipping below 20 degrees F.  The past few weeks in Jackson have been unique and very eventful for me.  In this time, I turned 23 (and felt very appreciated by family/friends!), visited Yellowstone, began the season as a coach of a 5th/6th Grade boys basketball team, and continuing to build relationships with the community in Jackson and at PCJH!

I have really been enjoying my job the past few weeks, and find that this enjoyment increases every hour I spend with the youth and young adults at PCJH.  Preston and I began an 8th grade/high school boys Bible study on Thursday mornings which I have really enjoyed.  I find it incredibly encouraging to be able to spend time with 8th graders who want to read their Bibles and talk about Jesus!  The young adults ministry has energy and excitement, and it is fun to continue to make friends that are my age (or close to it).  I have also been coaching a 5th/6th grade boys basketball team which is a ton of fun.  While you might be surprised that I am coaching a basketball team (considering my minimal basketball experience), I am focusing on helping the guys learn something about basketball, play as a team, work hard at something, and have fun at the same time!

Outside of work, there hasn't been an absence of fun in my life.  With the exception of recovering from a pretty bad bug, I have been lucky to visit Yellowstone (some pictures below), go fishing/hiking a few times, exercise regularly at a local gym, and make more friends.  Yellowstone was absolutely stunning, and is truly unique (being one of the world's only Calderas (or large volcanoes) not under an ocean).  It has been a lot of fun getting to know Patty, and we have great conversations whenever we are both around amidst our busy schedules.  Today, I went fly fishing in a guide boat for the first time and caught 5 fish (with many more bites)!

Recently, I have been reading through 1 Samuel.  I have been particularly impacted by the development of the relationships between Samuel, Saul, David and God.  Through reading the accounts of these men's lives, I have learned that there is a clear distinction between choosing to follow the Lord, and not choosing to follow Him.  I have also been greatly impacted by the way in which David responded to Saul's pursuit of murdering him.  In 1 Samuel 24, David chose to act in love, with self-control and trust when presented with a chance to kill Saul himself (after running for his life from Saul for a long period of time).  David's maturity and trust in the LORD in this intensely difficult situation serves as a great example for my life.  Attempting to live in love, with patience, kindness, and self-control in all situations/circumstances we find ourselves in is something that is difficult to do, but can be done with God's help!

Hope you enjoyed this update!  More to some in a few weeks, thanks for the prayers!
Andrew

Cheezin at Yellowstone's entrance

A couple huge buffalo

Yellowstone Canyon

Yellowstone Canyon from by the falls

Beautiful geysers

Old Faithful going off

Friend of mine while fishing on the Snake River

Driving home yesterday...not too bad

Not a bad day for a hike!