Thankfulness:Building a new habit-Try it!

Last night at youth group, I would have to say my husband came up with an amazing idea! (Yep, he's just amazing that way!) He was teaching about thankfulness, and we actually had the kids write a list of things they are thankful for. This is how we did it. Go through the alphabet and think of as many things as you can that start with each letter,m that you are legitimately thankful for. When youth group was over, we gave everyone a challenge. For the next three weeks, expand your list and write down everything you can think of that you are thankful for--large and small. On Christmas Eve, take some time reading through your list and really thanking God for the things He has done and given in your life. After all "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17)

I am excited to try this. Yesterday I had a realization that perhaps I have not been thankful enough for the things I have. It is so easy to be pessimistic and focus on things that are hard, or not the way that I want them to be. Perhaps my outlook on life will change if I can shift my focus to the things I do have. Those things in my life that are good, and that I have not because I deserve them but because God is simply that good. The reality is I have a lot to be thankful for, and I don't want to ever forget that.

December: The Most Wonderful Time of Year

So here we are rapidly approaching the holiday season. Seth and I are really looking forward to this Christmas because we're going home for two weeks!! (It's the longest I've gone without seeing some of my family members). There are so many things we're looking forward to during this Christmas:

Family (The greatest people I know!!!)
Idaho! (Oh the land of home!)
Hopefully snow (Most definitely dreaming of a white Christmas!)
Cold weather (Finally a taste of normal)
And Vacation (YES!!!!!!!!!)

It'll be a great, wonderful time and I am counting down...can't help it really.

We Survived!

Our overnighter turned out great!! It was a lot of fun hanging out with the youth group and the huge game we planned was a hit...it was AWESOME!!!
And yes, I have to admit, it's my first allnighter ever!!! It went a lot better than I thought it would. But it's true, I was tired (and maybe a bit delirious once 6:00am rolled around), and am probably still catching up on sleep. But it was good. Thanks to all those who put in time, and effort and creative energy to make it a success!!! Maybe we'll have another one next year=)

An Overnighter with the Youth Group--Yes I'm Crazy!

This weekend we have probably the most daring event yet planned for youth group...at least that's what I think. It's our overnighter. We'll see how this goes because in college I think in some ways I may have done the opposite thing from what most college students do. I have developed a particular liking for sleep. I'm not sure how I did this, but I avoided allnighters all throughout college. The worse night I had was about 4 hours. Crazy, I know, but I tried to make sleep a priority. Why? Because lack of sleep makes me grumpy =).
So this weekend I hope that I don't fall into the pattern of grumpiness due to lack of sleep. After all, this is not so much about me and my sleep as it is about the youth group and hopefully providing an opportunity to get to know them better. My old age =) will just have to submit, and hopefully I can sleep all day Saturday!
It will be a good night, I know. As long as I don't have to be dragged out of the building in the morning because I fell asleep. (And I may just be dramatizing this up anyway! =)

Thoughts

I wrote this in response to an email my brothers sent out concerning the year 2008 and today's presidential election. I figured, "hey, why not add it to the blog?" So here it is.
It is true that we saw this year in as a year of new beginnings. And I totally agree with both Danny and Mike. My addition to all of this is that the year 2008 has brought a year of new beginnings, one of personal beginnings like no other for everyone that we are close to. I know that I have entered a new beginning simply by getting married and moving away, it's like every day is full of effects that come along with that new beginning. In fact, everyday is like a new beginning for me because that's how often I am faced with something new, something I have never done before, and the reality that God has called me into something I have never known and would have never guessed. And I know that each of you have gone through new beginnings that are significant this year, and perhaps new beginnings similar to what I am experiencing. And here America is at a cross roads. Perhaps it's because I'm young and have only been involved in two presidential elections, but this is an election like no other. And Danny's right....no matter what the outcome of this election American will face a new season. I will not pretend to know what this season will hold for America. But regardless, God is still God and He is the one ultimately still on the throne. He is not bound by the outcome of this election, and so whatever happens, He is still to be praised. Yes pray today, pray that God will be just what He promises to be, in charge and the one who takes care of His children.
I don't know about you guys, but I have heard people freak out at the idea of the candidate they do not support winning. The thing that feels so disheartening to me is that voters in general, have formed a critical attitude towards both candidates, not to mention the vice president candidates. I feel like in this, SOME Christian voters, perhaps miss the point. Romans 13 says that God places leaders in their positions and we are to submit to them (and that was written during the reign of Nero--who set fire to the city, totally destroyed it, blamed the Christians and tortured them for it). It just seems that at a time of decision, we need to pray for both candidates and ultimately pray that God would guide the country. The person who gets the position is there because God establishes it (Rom. 13:1) and we especially need to submit to the authority placed above us. I know that I have never really been one to jump on the idea of praying for the government, mainly due to not being informed and laziness. This election has shown me that this is a very important thing to do. Especially because whoever gets president has a very difficult task ahead of them.

Dreams and holiday fun...a week of adventures

It has been a strange week for both of us. Nighttime has been the strangest. For the last few nights I have had some very weird dreams. The fact that I remember almost all of them is very significant, since for quite a while I haven't remembered very many of my dreams. And the most notable thing is that they are all kind of quirky. Dreams are a strange thing. I have always thought that. So we'll see how this goes.
It's also been a busy week. Especially yesterday. Our church puts on an annual Harvest Festival, a safe, alternative to Halloween. And it is no small fry either. We transformed our whole parking lot into a carnival with different booths, a very kid-friendly event. It was actually a great experience. Seth and I are still getting used to the people at the church, meeting them and entering the long, slow process of getting to know them. We were some of few people who helped set it up, run it, and tear it down who had never helped with those momentous occasions before. Talk about standing out like a sore thumb.
Overall the experience was a good one. I did notice that it is very difficult for me to be involved in an event like this and have no clue what I'm doing. I found that it is a very humbling thing for me to have to ask someone what to do next. Maybe it's part of my pride, maybe it's an issue of being very driven. Maybe a part of it has to do with wanting people to know that I'm a hard worker and I can get things done when a task is given. It would be much more enjoyable for me to know exactly what needs to be done and be able to set myself to do it. But I guess that's hard to do when you've never done it before. =)
Overall it was a good experience. The church really is a good group of people. As much as I feel like I barely know them and don't yet have much of a place of my own among them, it was good to spend a day with them.

Busy, Busy Weeks

The last few weeks have been full of all kinds of stuff.
At the beginning of the month we took a group of students from our high school and college groups to LIFE for Preview Day. It was a great weekend being able to show people our school and hang out with friends. On Saturday we went to Disneyland and had a FABULOUS time, especially on the new Toy Story ride!
Then Seth and I both got sick with colds...the first time we've been sick since we got married. It was an interesting week with naps and a day or two of going home from work early. But a great part of the week is that Seth's family came and visited us, and took us to Wicked! That was definitely a great experience and it was great to see Seth's family (makes me want to go home to be honest).
The next weekend we had my brother David come down for a break! It was great. We all relaxed and watched movies, played video games, read a little bit, hung out. And we carved pumpkins! Yay for fall experiences. At least the failing fall weather doesn't mean we can't do some fall-type things. We also baked pumpkin seeds for the first time. It was AWESOME.
The next few weeks are going to be just as busy. It's full of church stuff. Hopefully we will get a chance to relax here and there.

Simple Celebrations

As strange as it may sound, I discovered a small break in the pattern of strangeness in my life. Last night, I had an urge to get out my scrapbooking stuff and start working on my memory book again, something that I have not been able to do for a VERY long time, thanks to a schedule consumed by homework for the last few years. I suddenly felt how freeing something like this is. As cheesy as it may sound, it was just great to finally do something creative, and to think in a way that I haven't for a while.
So perhaps this is the beginning of something good for me. I find myself wanting to take up some of the hobbies that have been put on hold for so long, and enjoy doing them again. I guess you could call it squelching certain gifts in order to nurture other gifts. I think it's time to bring these creative gifts back to my life. And that is very exciting to me.

Restlessness

Lately it feels that some things are coming into clearer focus for me. It seems like it is difficult to be truly prepared for something until you're right in the middle of it. And I think that's what's happening for me right now. What seems to be a theme of many of my posts, and my life in general right now, is transitions. The last few months have been full of huge change for me, and I don't think I was very prepared for how it would really be. Within three months, I have graduated from college, gotten married, moved to a new town, started a new job and ministry. In my own perspective I didn't fully grasp how completely life would be different on the opposite side of all of these major things. All of a sudden normal has become a completely different thing for me. In fact, I don't even think I really know what normal is anymore. My realization has been this is a season where I refine myself, and refine the way life is. God is really going to have to help me figure out how I should be, who I should be, how I should live my life. I have tried to do it, but because of the shock of all this change, I have slumped into a habit of laziness. The result has been this almost insatiable restlessness. When everything is so different, it's hard to push yourself to step out and build healthy patterns in your life. It's hard to feel like you have a ready supply of people to support you and be there when you need people. Sometimes I feel stuck, living life by the default, when I know full well that I need to live beyond the default. The redefining of everything, including myself seems to be a slow, long process. Yet in spite of all this, I know God's grace is enough to cover it. His grace is enough to carry me through this season. His grace is enough to redefine me and to build me into the person He wants me to be and show me how He wants me to live. And that is where I am.

License Plates and Seasons

This weekend, we changed the license plates on our car. We no longer carry the mark of Idaho whenever we travel, we are officially Californians. This has been a difficult transition for me to make, and for some reason doing something as simple as changing the license plates brought it all to a head.
The last few weeks have been somewhat emotional for me, as it seems I have regular memories of being home. Smells will bring up an obscure memory from my childhood. A few colder mornings with fog would make me wish for the cold, crisp fall mornings in Idaho. Or perhaps something we cook will make me think of a moment in the kitchen, cooking with mom.
Perhaps this has all shown me even more how difficult transitions really can be. I've spent four years away from home at this time of year and it never really seems to get any easier. And this is largely because California does not have seasons. It's so strange how much I have come to associate seasons with home and memories with important people in my life. I'm not saying I don't like California. It has its own beauty and its own qualities, but lately I am homesick for Idaho and homesick for family, friends from my childhood and teenaged years, and people who are familiar. God brings us through changes sometimes...changes we may not feel ready for, changes that seem simple but are hard to process. Although our car shows off California license plates now, I still want to be an Idahoan, not because I am showing off Idaho pride, but because of the people. I guess this is my time to learn to lean on God when change is hard, when I cry over a licence plate, when I wish the weather was cold and when I miss home.

Changing Seasons

Seth and I were able to be on the worship team for LIFE's fall retreat this weekend. It was a great weekend, but a very interesting experience as well. We both realized that we are not a part of that environment anymore and it was strange. Obviously we are in a season of transition, in a season of learning how to be where we are and to build relationships with the people around us. LIFE is very much a place of familiarity, with people we know and love, a place of comfort. It is interesting to realize that God has moved us on, He has called us to do something else with our lives. The strange realization is how much I didn't expect to miss the college stage of my life so much. It seems like more than anything, this weekend showed me that as great and amazing as the college years are, they are not meant to be perpetual. They are meant to be temporary. Nevertheless I am thankful that I experienced these years at LIFE Pacific College.
So now to move on, learn how to still be involved at LIFE and carry on those friendships, and yet learn how to live in the season and the place God has placed us in now. What a strange and interesting place to find myself in.

Summer Camp

Last week we went to summer camp with 26 youth and 6 other group leaders. At first the experience was rather intimidating, since this was our first time as the people in charge. Ultimately, though, we are so glad that we got to experience it.
For both of us, this camp did one major thing. It seemed that it was such a wonderful bonding experience for everyone. It provided many opportunities for us to get to know the youth, and for them to get to know us. We walked away with a deeper love for them. We are also so proud of our youth group. (And this is not just because we're biased, although I guess you could say we are). Our youth show a level of such deep, solid maturity that stood out among the crowd of youth groups (all 500 individuals!) They have a wonderful balance of being able to have fun, but to bring it down and focus when it is necessary, which I think gives God a place to move in the group.
It is the greatest thing to see God be faithful to meet you where your are, where He has called you to be. He consistently builds confidence in you, in Him and His ability to work on your heart, grow your passions and enable you to do the thing He has asked you to do. We can honestly say that that is what He did in us at camp.

First Youth Pastor Adventures

This Thursday Seth and I will be going to camp with our youth group. We have both realized how interesting it is to be going as the leaders of our group. This job has really brought us into so many things we have never done before. I guess that is the story of being newly weds, and newly embarking on our life journey. There's good stuff happening in our youth group. It seems like every week it gets easier and easier to interact with them, and we are secretly pining for recruits to LIFE (Hehe). Let's just say we have seen some youth who have some huge potential for being in the ministry in one way or another. It's so great to see young people (that makes me feel old, but I guess I am technically a young people too) so excited to follow God and do what He asks.

We have also recently been able to establish connections with other youth pastors in the area. It is exciting to see that we will be building up a network of people who are in the same boat we are who can encourage us and who we can encourage. It will be a great opportunity to be there for each other in many areas. So this is an update on the youth pastor part of our lives.

Mini Middlebrook Reunion

Last night Seth and I were able to spend some time with extended family. This was quite the experience for me, being that I am a new Middlebrook, and haven't been one for very long. It was good to be able to meet new family members, and see some again that I already knew. One of the biggest ideas that hit me is that this whole group of people have grown up together, spending time with each other, or at least keeping in touch with each other for years. With literally three generations present, it's easy to see a family's heritage, of generations that have chosen to serve God in one way or another. And the strangest thing is realizing that I am now part of it. Such is the story of marriage, and the blending of two families. it is quite a thing to experience, and I think we are only beginning to see all that it means.

Appendix A: Did You Just Say Zebras in California?!

You may be wondering, "how on earth are there zebras in California?! Are they sure they didn't just see black and white horses?"
In answer to all your musings, zebras are legitimately what we saw. There were about 15 free range zebras standing in a field munching on grass, just like you might see deer munching grass of the side of the road in Idaho. We saw them as we drove by, and pulled off to the side of the road to watch them. And we have the pictures to prove it, which will be posted at a later date.
So how did the zebras get there? Just a few miles from where we saw them, is a historical landmark known as Hearst Castle (which we were able to visit). In around the 1920s through the 1940s, this estate was built by a rich newspaper owner/editor and influential political figure named William Randolph Hearst. In building this Castle, he added ancient artifacts and animals from all over the world. This is also where the zebras come in. At the time, he owned the largest, independently owned zoo in the world. He collected animals like kangaroos, polar bears (seriously!), giraffes, zebras, elephants, lions and the list goes on and on and on. Today there are still a few species of the animals that remain on the Castle property and the surrounding land. The zebras are one of them!!! Yes, quite a unique and wonderful experience to add adventure to our honeymoon.

We're a Married Couple Now!!

Admittedly, we have been terrible at posting. About two months have gone by, and so much change has taken place. As of Saturday June 7, 2008, we are Mr. and Mrs. Seth and Sarah Middlebrook, and enjoying it to the fullest! The wedding was absolutely wonderful, and we feel we have nothing to complain about. It was such a great blessing to see all you friends and family who were able to be there (even some surprise visitors like my uncle and aunt from Georgia!) Once we get internet at our apartment, a plethera of pictures will be added.
The honeymoon was in Cambria, Ca, a truly amazing seaside town. It was relaxing as ever and full of wonderful scenery and animals (including zebras!--we will post a separate message telling how that is possible). 10 days of the most relaxing we have done in who knows how long, and we enter the stage of real life in Simi Valley, Ca.
The next part of this Readers' Digest story is that of our apartment. We cannot begin to describe how wonderfully blessed we have been since moving to Simi Valley. We opened the door to our new apartment (after driving 4 hours from Cambria and in 100+ degree weather) to see our home almost completely furnished with items people from our new church family had donated, including a brand new bed! God has definitely used this church to bless us over and abundantly, and it reminds us that Simi Valley is where God wants us right now.
You are also reading the blog of newly installed youth pastors. We are in the thick of learning how to be youth pastors, planning weekly meetings, a calender for the rest of the year and summer camp...we hit the ground running! We are excited to be in this position of ministry and know that it is only by God that this is even possible for us. Already, the kids have been a huge blessing to us.
And so, as we adjust to the newness of life, we will try to keep you all as updated as possible. This will probably be the most detailed place to find our updates, because it is so accessible to everyone. So keep checking, and we'll get better at regular postings.
Love you all, The New Seth and Sarah Middlebrook

IDAHO!!! And there is much rejoicing in the land

Graduation is complete (with pictures pending) and we are now home in the wonderful land of Idaho. We are thankful for this time with our families before we get married (three weeks!!) and move to California (Yikes!!). We'll keep you posted on our many soon-coming adventures!!

Graduation is coming!!

We are excited to announce that we are both graduating from LIFE Pacific College next Saturday! It is crazy to think that four years have already gone by, but we are ready to move on to the next stage of life. We are so thankful that God has brought us here for this season. Keep checking to see how our next few CRAZY weeks go before we get MARRIED!!!!