I am a customizer. I change icons, backgrounds, and the way everything works as much as I can. I like to set things up the way that I like them and change as frequently as possible. And I like details...
With all that in mind I have chosen to move my blog from blogger to wordpress. It's really a simple matter of posting somewhere else and making sure you know where to find it if you are watching. I think you'll like the look. I'm going to see what I can figure out about wordpress to make it do what I want. so go check it out and let me know what you think.
jaredcoe.wordpress.com - see you there
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
impact
Summer of 2001...
I was at camp Id-Ra-Ha-Je West because Cassia (my wife's sister) recommended me to the (then) director, Scott. I volunteered to run the activities and games and was in a cabin with students as well. It was a wonderful summer that created many memories that still resound in my memory today (listening to meatloaf for 2 straight hours will scar anyone).
During middle school camp I told the story of Jesus on the cross to my guys. I used the details and gave them the facts about the pain that Christ suffered as he took our sin upon himself. One of the guys in my cabin was Ben Wiley. He was a cool kid and was willing to do some of the craziest things for the games I planned. I could tell that the narrative that I told had an impact on him but I had no idea just how life changing it was.
Last Tuesday I took our family up to camp for a day to help in any way we could. Anne was amazing in the kitchen, Jerdan and Keenen showed what it was like to be cute for Jesus and I worked on a number of projects. A few minutes after we arrived I heard a bellowing "JARED!!!" I turned right before Ben flattened me to the ground. It was great to see him. He is spending his summer in a cabin with boys who need to hear the same story that he needed to hear as a middle schooler.
We had a chance to talk a little bit later when things were calm (after we were done throwing flour filled pantyhose at each other) and Ben told me the reason that I do what I do (youth pastor). He told me how the narrative that I told when he was in middle school changed his life. He could remember the details and the impact that Christ's death had on him the night he realized how much Jesus had endured for him. And this was not just in the physical sense. That night he really "got it". He understood that Jesus was sinless and perfect and didn't deserve what he allowed the soldiers and leaders to do to him that night. He understood something of the depth of God's love like he never had before.
And now Ben is at camp sharing that same story, that same love, that same passion with younger guys who need to "catch it" just like he did. The moment that I shared that story made an impact with Ben and now he is impacting others with the same story.
He has even dedicated his body (literally) to sharing the story of Christ's death. Each of his tattoo's has a purpose and a message. And he will be a walking billboard for Christ when he is done.
I know that to some people tattoo's are a stumbling block and that you feel strongly that no one should have a tattoo for any reason. Please let me submit to you for a second that what Ben has done with his tattoo's and his body has incredible significance for him and that he is using his arms and chest as another means of sharing the gospel with people who would otherwise never hear it.
This is why I continue to do what I do and it encourages me greatly to know that I had an impact on someone who will have a huge impact on others. Who have you impacted? How has their life changed because of your message?
I was at camp Id-Ra-Ha-Je West because Cassia (my wife's sister) recommended me to the (then) director, Scott. I volunteered to run the activities and games and was in a cabin with students as well. It was a wonderful summer that created many memories that still resound in my memory today (listening to meatloaf for 2 straight hours will scar anyone).
During middle school camp I told the story of Jesus on the cross to my guys. I used the details and gave them the facts about the pain that Christ suffered as he took our sin upon himself. One of the guys in my cabin was Ben Wiley. He was a cool kid and was willing to do some of the craziest things for the games I planned. I could tell that the narrative that I told had an impact on him but I had no idea just how life changing it was.
Last Tuesday I took our family up to camp for a day to help in any way we could. Anne was amazing in the kitchen, Jerdan and Keenen showed what it was like to be cute for Jesus and I worked on a number of projects. A few minutes after we arrived I heard a bellowing "JARED!!!" I turned right before Ben flattened me to the ground. It was great to see him. He is spending his summer in a cabin with boys who need to hear the same story that he needed to hear as a middle schooler.
We had a chance to talk a little bit later when things were calm (after we were done throwing flour filled pantyhose at each other) and Ben told me the reason that I do what I do (youth pastor). He told me how the narrative that I told when he was in middle school changed his life. He could remember the details and the impact that Christ's death had on him the night he realized how much Jesus had endured for him. And this was not just in the physical sense. That night he really "got it". He understood that Jesus was sinless and perfect and didn't deserve what he allowed the soldiers and leaders to do to him that night. He understood something of the depth of God's love like he never had before.
And now Ben is at camp sharing that same story, that same love, that same passion with younger guys who need to "catch it" just like he did. The moment that I shared that story made an impact with Ben and now he is impacting others with the same story.
He has even dedicated his body (literally) to sharing the story of Christ's death. Each of his tattoo's has a purpose and a message. And he will be a walking billboard for Christ when he is done.
I know that to some people tattoo's are a stumbling block and that you feel strongly that no one should have a tattoo for any reason. Please let me submit to you for a second that what Ben has done with his tattoo's and his body has incredible significance for him and that he is using his arms and chest as another means of sharing the gospel with people who would otherwise never hear it.
This is why I continue to do what I do and it encourages me greatly to know that I had an impact on someone who will have a huge impact on others. Who have you impacted? How has their life changed because of your message?
Saturday, June 21, 2008
he's back!
as many of the people who have known me for years know I have a small fetish. Some people collect shoes, some people can't get enough of flashlights (okay, that's me too), but ever since I was in middle school I have collect Marvin the Martian articles. It may lead people to think that I'm crazy or out of control, but it started innocently enough, just as all things do.
You see my sister bought me this poster for a present.
I really liked it. Anywhere I went in the room Marvin was looking at me with his black, menacing eyes and pointing his gun at me. I couldn't get away from him. Sometimes it freaked me out but most of the time I just thought it was cool. So I started collecting stuff. I remember one birthday in particular that everything, I mean EVERYTHING, I got had something to do with Marvin. It only grew and grew like an addiction. So I got a few more things...
and a few more...
until I had more stuff than anyone I knew of. One time I even saw a collection of Marvin items at the Puyallup fair and as I looked at it I began to laugh. Not only did I have more stuff, I had WAY MORE! I thought that one day I would enter my collection into the fair gallery, but I never did. Oh well, there are better things in life.
When we bought this house we knew what we would do with the computer and I have looked forward to this night since signing papers. HE'S BACK! I have a place for my Marvin things and I don't think he's ever looked quite this good.
Our office is now where my collection resides. It makes me smile, it makes me slightly giddy, and it makes me feel immature (but I never really wanted to grow up anyway).
Some of my favorite or more obscure items are:
The sunscreen
Peanut Butter (thanks Eric)
Marvin sneakers
a drinking straw
a ladle (never been souped)
a nightlight
koosh balls
a bookmark
more keychains than I cared to count last night
3 of the coolest watches ever
a padlock
a desklamp
Do you collect anything or have any strange fetishes? Leave it in the comments
You see my sister bought me this poster for a present.
I really liked it. Anywhere I went in the room Marvin was looking at me with his black, menacing eyes and pointing his gun at me. I couldn't get away from him. Sometimes it freaked me out but most of the time I just thought it was cool. So I started collecting stuff. I remember one birthday in particular that everything, I mean EVERYTHING, I got had something to do with Marvin. It only grew and grew like an addiction. So I got a few more things...
and a few more...
until I had more stuff than anyone I knew of. One time I even saw a collection of Marvin items at the Puyallup fair and as I looked at it I began to laugh. Not only did I have more stuff, I had WAY MORE! I thought that one day I would enter my collection into the fair gallery, but I never did. Oh well, there are better things in life.
When we bought this house we knew what we would do with the computer and I have looked forward to this night since signing papers. HE'S BACK! I have a place for my Marvin things and I don't think he's ever looked quite this good.
Our office is now where my collection resides. It makes me smile, it makes me slightly giddy, and it makes me feel immature (but I never really wanted to grow up anyway).
Some of my favorite or more obscure items are:
The sunscreen
Peanut Butter (thanks Eric)
Marvin sneakers
a drinking straw
a ladle (never been souped)
a nightlight
koosh balls
a bookmark
more keychains than I cared to count last night
3 of the coolest watches ever
a padlock
a desklamp
Do you collect anything or have any strange fetishes? Leave it in the comments
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
what I learned from mountainbiking
it's embarrassing...I've never really been mountainbiking before. I know, I grew up in a beautiful place, I had more than I could ever really ask for, and I never did it. Well put the shame away because I was broken in today...see
We had a great ride. Here's one of the views and certainly not even close to the best.
I learned a few things during our ride.
1. Wear more bug spray. I have never seen mosquito's like that. At one point I counted 6 on Josh's back, while we were riding!
2. When going downhill, use the front brakes. Especially when you are on loose dirt.
3. This is why we wear helmets.
4. Teenagers are way better at this stuff than I am. I need practice.
5. Josh is my hero. I have a student who came along and showed us all that having a great attitude is better than having the best skill set. He had a hard time today. Like most of us he fell more than once. But unlike most of us he never complained, never got upset, and never gave up. He finished his ride by turning around and going back at least 3 miles to where we started but he kept pushing, kept walking, and kept riding until he was done.
Thanks for teaching me today Josh!
We had a great ride. Here's one of the views and certainly not even close to the best.
I learned a few things during our ride.
1. Wear more bug spray. I have never seen mosquito's like that. At one point I counted 6 on Josh's back, while we were riding!
2. When going downhill, use the front brakes. Especially when you are on loose dirt.
3. This is why we wear helmets.
4. Teenagers are way better at this stuff than I am. I need practice.
5. Josh is my hero. I have a student who came along and showed us all that having a great attitude is better than having the best skill set. He had a hard time today. Like most of us he fell more than once. But unlike most of us he never complained, never got upset, and never gave up. He finished his ride by turning around and going back at least 3 miles to where we started but he kept pushing, kept walking, and kept riding until he was done.
Thanks for teaching me today Josh!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Summer kickoff
Last night we had a killer pizza party at the Wilde's house. Mike has this incredible wood fire over and he loves to cook pizza. So we started our summer by inviting all the families with MS and HS students to the Wilde's house for pizza. When I was announcing it in church I said, "Come over for some of the best pizza in town" and it's a good thing I said "SOME" because one of the guys who goes to our church owns a NY pizza restaurant in town and he almost took offense. Take my word for it the last person you want to offend is the NY pizza guy in town. He may send some of his "friends" over...
as we sat around and had pizza we continued something we started on friday night...taking pictures of people as they flap their lips. These pictures make me laugh every time.
or there's this one...
Reid can do it pretty well too
and I saved the best for last
as we sat around and had pizza we continued something we started on friday night...taking pictures of people as they flap their lips. These pictures make me laugh every time.
or there's this one...
Reid can do it pretty well too
and I saved the best for last
Monday, June 2, 2008
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