Wyatt and a metal detector

At Tractor Supply.

October 2008 - Ministry Report

Below is what I send out (monthly) to our YL Committee and a few folks who lift me up on a regular basis; I thought I would leave it here, too.

 

What about me?

This is the theme in my life. “What about me?” – is what I keep hearing. I sat with an LCHS friend of mine, in our new YL office (pretty cool place) for a few hours, recently, and he told me the same. After a lot of talking and laughing and discussing fall camp, etc. – he told me about how “cool this is” that we were hanging out. He talked about wanting time to just hang out; he didn’t want time being disciple, time being coached, or time talking about YL things – he just wanted time together. I realized in that moment that my friend, the senior at LCHS, was tired of being the Young life “goto” guy and wanted to know in his own way “What about me?” instead of “how about those other kids that do not know Jesus….” It was good for me to hear that. It was hard; I tried to hold on to my tears that came up because it hurts. It hurts to be told I have not spent enough time with someone I care about. As I thought about that, I knew I would write my monthly report on this specific thought of “What about me?”. I hear this when I go home; I hear it from all of them. Olivia is asking the question, Wyatt asks the question, and even Boone smiles at me…..asking the question! If I am honest, I even ask the question of them, too. I think in my heart, I presume the Jesus asks me the same – I feel His Spirit nudging my heart, as if to say, “Andy, what about me?” This is my cue to move in deeper – with all. I am trying to listen to what the Lord is saying to me and am trying to do so by being attentive to all the things going on my life. I am listening to my dear wife who wants time with me….not more of time away. I am listening to my son, Wyatt, who says “Daggy….wrestle???.....will you wrestle me, please..Daggy..??” - And it seems to come as I walk out the door. I listen as Boone smiles and giggles only as little babies who can’t talk do so when they are excited. I listen in my own heart when I wonder the same question to them; I want time with Olivia, I want time with the boys, I want time with Jesus. I want time to live my life as I am supposed to. You know, I even want time to do my job. I feel like things have been in a whirlwind, lately. I have been caught in the tailspin after having Boone and haven’t felt back in touch w/my job in some time, now. It has affected me for sure. I feel like I am an Area Director who loves my role and loves what I do, yet I cannot get in to the rhythm that I long to be in. I think of a quote that I heard from St. Augustine, “ …(I) am restless..until I rest in thee.." That is my hope and vision for myself. I long to rest in Him – apart from Him, my life is just restless! As Olivia says, “Everybody wants a piece of Andy”; and then it seems to show and we feel worn down. I am thankful for a few days this week of rest. A few days of R&R time with Olivia and Boone. I am thankful Wyatt could spend some time at his grandparents’ house. I am thankful to have been able to ride in the car and be with Olivia and just talk. It has been so good. yet, I continue to ponder this theme that keeps getting asked around me and of me – Hey Andy…”What about me?”

Young Life Business

It is happening. Club has been split – we now have two area clubs! Greenback has its own and so does LCHS and LHS. We meet a few times a semester to have joint club and it’s been a beautiful thing! GHS has 20% of their school’s population coming to club! They have 15% of it attending campaigners on a weekly basis. In a school of 270+/- students, they have seven leaders and tons of kids coming to YL events! It is such a beautiful thing to see. We are having our share of struggles in Loudon High and are handing things to the Lord and going to simply “go” – then we will watch..and see. At Lenoir City, we are seeing some pretty cool things: Fewer leaders than ever, quite a few kids coming and several kids in campaigners. It has been fun to watch momentum roll in our area. We have some promising leaders on the rise in Quest. We will keep on keepin’ on. We will “rest in thee” (St. A.). More to come later.

Thank you.

Lord, I am watching, waiting, listening, and wondering. Here am I.

Blessings,

-ao

Jim and Wyatt @ the game!

Cousins - watching their JSU Gamecocks best Tennessee Tech. Oh, and the band, too!
-ao

Back from Camp

Just got back from Windy Gap. It was a great weekend.  I took a group of guys that I didn’t know as well and it has been a little while since I’ve done that. It was great!  I got to stay up til 3 a.m. both nights (or later) and be goofy with these guys, laugh at and with them, and listen to them tell stories of how they loved their weekend.  We got on the bus Friday afternoon, drove 2 and a half hours to Windy Gap in Weaverville, NC, and had dinner. Then, when dinner was over, Brian told me “this is already the best weekend ever, Ogle!”.  I smiled, and said, “It sure is, dude…it sure is.”  My friend Brian was on to something, or better yet, God’s Spirit was already beginning to do something within Brian’s heart. He had a great weekend, he had a solid experience and heard about Jesus in a fresh way that made sense to him, in his own heart.  He was all ears all weekend as the gospel unfolded. I believe the impact in him was a big deal.  His brother, Scott – same song, second verse!  Both of these guys will be coming to campaigners, now.  One will come to Wednesday a.m.’s and the other to my house on Sunday nights.  Thanks be to God. 

We took more kids than ever, more leaders than ever, and more adult guests than ever – look out people….in a time of economic downfall, LCYL is on the up rise!  It is really fun to be a part of a great mission and a great ministry.  I love doing what I get to do.  I get to hang out with kids, love on them in a unique way, be real and let them know that God loves them infinitely greater than they can fathom…..and He wants to move in to their hearts.  It’s pretty cool to watch the lights come on in their hearts.  It’s pretty cool to see what the Lord does in my own heart as I spend time with high schoolers and spend time trying to be who I say I am, a follower of Jesus who happens to tell people about Him for a living…..if you can call it that – it’s my vocation, but it all comes from God – so, really, it’s His deal…I’m just hear for the ride.  It’s a good ride, too.  Things can be pretty hard at times…hard at work, hard at home, hard in my heart.  However, those things do not change the truths of Christ.  He is still good. He is still the Lord. He is still my Holy Comforter.  He still intercedes on my behalf to God the Father.  No matter what, He is good and His love for me is infinite.  I must always remember this. 

 

Pray for me.  I need it.  I am hearing something different in my heart, lately.  I am hearing a different pull toward the Lord that I am attempting to decipher; a few posts ago, I wrote about it a little…..it still exists within my heart. It’s a tug in a direction that I’m trying to hear from God and figure out. Please lift up my family and me as we simply listen and watch to see what the Father has in store for our family. 

 

-waiting, listening, watching.

-ao

 

Quest guys at the maze!

Fun times w our Quest folks - YL leadership training at the maze in greenback.

(sent from my blackberry)

New YL Office

The YL office just moved to a new place a couple of months ago and we love it. It is in an older building in "downtown" and we just love it's charm and character! The picture at the top is of some of our committee folks and then Amy (our office admin...the bomb) and Emily (our YL intern's wife)!

thenorthspoon.blogspot.com

Wyatt at the YL office

sweetness

More of the coolness of Photography by Olivia.

 

 

this is boone's "silky" and he LOVES it. 

Andy Ogle

thenorthspoon.blogspot.com

 

 

rings and rolls

These are some really cool photos by Olivia Ogle. She’s pretty cool.

 

Andy Ogle

thenorthspoon.blogspot.com