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Ok.  There’s nothing spiritually enlightening in this post.  So, if you’re looking for some good revelation, go read your Bible.  I just want to share with you some thoughts on people that I’ve always thought were really awesome.  I think alot of people are awesome so I’ll break it down into small chunks.

Journey with me back in time, to a time where there were true heroes…

Bo Jackson:  He knew and wherever he is now, I’m pretty sure he still knows.

The Bash Brothers (Jose Canseco & Mark McGwire): This poster hung on my wall for years as a young man inspiring me in my quest for home run glory on the little league diamond.

Brian “The Boz” Bosworth: If you doubt his awesomeness, please refer back to the above picture.

Shaquille O’neal, Stanley Roberts, & Chris Jackson: Being a young kid in Baton Rouge in 1989 was pretty fun.  The Tigers were fun to watch and I caught Shaq fever.  Still haven’t found a cure.

Andre Agassi:  I wore spandex shorts & took tennis lessons one summer because of this guy.

Animalympics:  I can’t tell you how many times I watched this.  They just don’t make stuff like this anymore.

I’m inspired all over again.  Gonna get my Reebok Pumps and dunk it like Dee Brown.

JB

What just happened?  Summer’s over.  That’s what’s up.  It does NOT seem like its been almost 2 months since I updated last.  We’ve been all over the place this summer.  Hillsong Conference in Sydney, Anniversary in Melbourne, Middle School Camp in the backwoods of Texas, Motion Conference in Alabama, Fusion Conference in Houston, and Dedicated Conference in Las Vegas with many busy days of preaching, teaching, yard-working, house fixing, guest entertaining, “Christine Caine-ing”, and planning in between.  I’ve read alot of books, met tons of new friends, and had the MOST fun with my precious wife for life, Kirby.

Anyway, we’ve got 2 weeks of “calm” (if you can even call it that, Celebration/XL/Kirby are quit active ALWAYS!) before the CSM storm hits the Hill at Celebration Church.  We are so excited about this years class. I’m so very thankful for the staff & leaders at Celebration Church being so willing to give of their time and gifting to impart great things to these young people.

I’m not going to write too much here.  Way more has happened this summer than I can even say.  Its all been great.  It’s time to go FORWARD.  Moving on…

I need to set up my blog in such a way that I can update from my iPhone.  Pretty sure there’s an app for that.  I need it.  I would update so much more that way.

I’ll leave you with a few things I’ve discovered over the past 2 months:

Long hair is high maintenance, reading is a really good habit to form, Las Vegas is way hotter than Texas, all my cool friends have iPads, less is more, rugby is a great game, Middle Schoolers can be a tough crowd, all malls are the same, and again less is more…therefore, I’m done.  See you soon.

JB

What a week we just had in ATX.  XL Fest & CSM Graduation back to back.  I can honestly say that I am WORN OUT! If you’ve known me more than a minute, you know that that doesn’t happen often.  These two events really signified the culmination of Kirby and I’s first year of building a new life here in Austin.

Hundreds of kids came for to XL FEST for 3 days a WYLD moments in the presence of God.  Deep worship, strong Word, and ridiculous fun.  So proud of our youth ministry.   The HAND OF GOD is on them. They ain’t NO JOKE. They live BY FAITH! Big thanks to DJ Tiberius, Remix DJ’s, Rapture Ruckus, all the volunteers, and parents for making it such a success.  So amazed by what can in just one year.

The internship is a completely different beast.  It is the most demanding AND rewarding thing that I have ever been a part of.  I cried like a baby at graduation.  Its a perfect storm of emotions.  Everything just hits you all at once.  Everything that happened and all that is to come.  Wanting to hold on to them but rejoicing in sending them out.  Proud of how far we’ve come and wishing we could have gone farther.  When its all said and done, you just stand, knowing you did your best.  That’s all the Father requires.  I love this group of young people.  Watch them, they’ll go far.  It was a great night.  Special thanks to Pastor Joe & Lori Champion and all the Celebration Families that came to support and send these leaders out blessed.

Then we took them salsa dancing. The End.

So…. what now?

CSM RECRUITING.   I think you should pray about being an intern. READ THIS and then go HERE and sign up!

HILLSONGING.  Kirby and I will be joining the Champion family and other great Celebration staff in Sydney this next week for the Hillsong Conference.  Gonna be great.  Hopping over to Melbourne for a few days afterwards for a little first anniversary vacation with my Kirby.

SUMTERNING.  Spent the day with these jokers on a ropes course.  HA!  I’ve seen the future folks.  They’re all about 16 years old right now.  Heaven help us!! LOVE these kids.

KEEP ON GOING.  No stopping.  Gonna dive in to what’s next and ride this wave of momentum right on to the next level.

Surfs up.

JB

Somebody call Triple A because there’s about to be a BREAKDOWN!  XL FEST starts tonight @ 7pm.  This is a first for us here at XL.  A festival.  A party.  A good, ole’ fashioned Holy Ghost, slobberknockin’, Gospel THROWDOWN!  You definitely don’t want to miss it.  Totally worth the $10!

I feel such a stirring in my Spirit today looking forward to this event.  I really feel like XL kicked into another gear last night.  The worship was deeper, the preaching was stronger, more salvation, healing, all of it.  GREATER.  Last night, I spoke from John 7:37-38 where Jesus stands and shouts at the climax of the Festival of Shelters “If anyone’s thirsty, come to me and drink!”  At the height of the festival, the peak of the party, Jesus throws down the invitation, the challenge, “WHO WANTS MORE!?”.

That’s what XL FEST is all about.  More.  Its about no longer being satisfied with “goin to the party” but accepting Jesus’ invitation and receiving what He promises in verse 38, RIVERS OF LIVING WATER!  Its going deeper and BECOMING THE PARTY and taking the ZOE LIFE of God with you EVERYWHERE!  I don’t ever want to get to the point where I am satisfied, thinking I know it all, and turn away from Jesus’ invitation to greater things. 

There’s always more.  Greater things.  Glory to glory.  It’s only the wyld ones that can keep going.  Relentless pursuit.

“Do you give up? Or are you thirsty for more!?!?” –Macaulay Culkin (Home Alone)

Come to XL FEST.

JB

I just wanted to let ya’ll in on a very INTENSE event that took place this week. We put our 40+ XL summer interns through a rigorous bootcamp on Thursday. They rose to the challenge, pushed beyond their limits and gave their all. Very proud of these young leaders. Here’s a peek at what they endured!

40+ interns crammed in a 4ft circle = BONDING!

I'm sure that smelled great.

No girly push ups allowed!

Can’t wait to see what happens next with this WYLD group.

I’d also like to share that we are NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS for our FULL TIME intern program for the 2010-2011 school year. For more information on this great opportunity and to download the application, go to the CSM website. We would be honored to have you be a part of our program and walk with you through the most life-changing 10 months you’ve ever had. Hope to see you soon.

JB