Goodbye...
That's such a weird word.  Are bye's ever good?  They hardly seem like it at the moment when we say it, but allow me to shed some light on this topic...    My goodbye covers 3 things today.

Graduation Day: Congratulations Class of 2005!!! 
Middle School is finally over for you.  Three years of fun, friendship, memories, and awkwardness as you tried to figure out who you are and who you need to become.  And soon you'll be entering 4 awkward years of high school.  "Whaaa???  DuckMobile, how's that encouraging?!?"    Hey, I tell it like it is.    But seriously, high school (just like middle school) are going to awkward years as you continue searching to figure out who you are and who you are to become.  If you received Christ as Savior, you need to receive Him as Lord and seek out what that means for your life.  What does it mean to be a Christian?  Sadly, many will leave Cornerstone Academy only as converts, not as true Christians.  They have yet to truly understand what it means to have a relationship with God.  But there's still hope because God's Grace is more compelling than any man can resist.  If God chooses you, He will claim you.  I pray you let Him have control over you sooner than later.  Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life... 

Getting back to Goodbye, many will be sad that 8th grade is ending and rightly so.  The end of anything has its own sadness.  It would be unhealthy not to recognize the momentary sadness.  But that's important too.  Sadness is only temporary.  Then you let go so you can live in Today.  Sadly, some will not let go for years and dwell on the past.  But life doesn't happen in the past!  Life happens in the here and now.  Memories are what you take with you, but live life now.

The secret of letting go is this: Everything in this world is temporary; everything in heaven is eternal.  You must have an eternal perspective.  Your focus must be on eternity.  When you are focused on eternity, sadness only lasts for a while.  As you draw near to God, He draws near to you and gives you a new vision.  He leads, you follow.  For you graduates, you are being sent.  For you to stay where you are and keep what you have would be first selfish and second a horrible waste.  What has been invested in you needs to be exercised.  The truths and the Gospel given you needs to be proclaimed to those who so desperately long for hope.  They need to see Christians who live what they say they believe.  They need to see evidence of Jesus Christ living in and through you.  So now you are being sent... Sent to reach your world for Christ.  Each of you will meet many people (Christian and not) who need to know Christ.  Your ministry will be to both the hopelessly lost (you'll meet some people that you'd never think would ever, ever, EVER receive Jesus Christ... and they will receive Him as Lord and Savior) and to Christians who need the Christ in you.  How can you deprive them of the hope and forgiveness they can only find in Jesus Christ?  You cannot.  You must not.  And so you are being sent... sent not by Cornerstone Academy, not by your teachers and leaders, but by God Himself!  So go in power and authority to reach a peoples who need to see and experience Christ in you.  Show, then tell of the Great News of Jesus Christ.  Many will reject your message, but it is not your message... it is God's message which He has entrusted to you.  And those who receive Christ will forever be indebted to you for the love you've shown them as you risk your reputation, your friendship for the sake of giving them a chance to know Jesus Christ.  And this is not your love, but God's love manifested in and through you.  So it's not just "goodbye."  You are being sent... 

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."  ( 2 Timothy 1:7)

So that was 1 thing.  The other 2 I'll cover quickly.  DuckMobile's job at work has been eliminated, and DuckMobile will be unemployed in 2 weeks.  So DuckMobile will need to say "Goodbye" to 4.5 years of work.  Sad, but not so sad.  I'll tell you about how God has been at work (no pun intended) in it all.  But you'll need to wait another time.  That means DuckMobile will have a rare opportunity to be a part of MSSD.  I'll talk about MSSD in a future post as well.  Finally, DuckMobile will need to say "Goodbye" to the fellowship group at work.  A lot of good fellowship time and seeing Christian being made alive in Christ!  But now having been mutually inspired and edified, DuckMobile is also being sent...  Ready for a new adventure wherever God leads.  With a newfound vision of workplace ministry, DuckMobile is ready to light up the next workplace because of Jesus Christ.  So Goodbye is sad, but not so sad.  We are being sent... by God Himself... 

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  (Ephesians 2:10)

WoooooHoooooo!!!! 
This year's Bible Bash: "SuperUltraMEGA Joy!"  lived up to its hype and then some.  Almost 50 kids joined in the celebration that was unlike any other Bible Bash in the history of time!!!  OK.  Maybe that's a slight exaggeration.    But those who came experienced an awesome variety of games and prizes as well as an array of colors throughout the day.  Wooo!!!    For those who didn't or couldn't come, you can check out the Bible Bash section and the Middle School Fellowship website for pictures.  But pictures only paint part of the story...

BONUS: Behind the scenes... The Making of SuperUltraMEGA Joy! 
Here is the untold story that most never hear about... a story of Christians coming together to support one another in ministry.  In the weeks prior to Bible Bash, the MS leaders recruited the support of Agape 3 (an awesome young adult fellowship group!  ) who collectively stuffed over 400 balloons with confetti and tasks.    Some people even got blisters on their fingers!    Now that's intensity!    And you know what?  Many of these people don't know any middle schoolers, but they gave their time and energy to stuff balloons for ministry... God's ministry.  Praise God!  And great big THANK YOU!!! 

Wait!  But that's not all!  If you order today...  oops!  I forgot I'm not in a commercial.    On the Friday night before Bible Bash, we also recruited the hands and feet of the College fellowship.  They helped us tie string to each balloon, tear tape, set up a scaffold and stick each of over 500 balloons on the ceiling of the cafeteria!!!  Who would've thought people would end up sweating just by sticking balloons on the ceiling and tearing tape?!?  But many gave their energy and their sweat for middle schoolers they've never met.  All they knew was this is for ministry... God's ministry.  Praise God!  And great big THANK YOU!!! 

Without Agape 3 and College (our unsung heroes!!!  ), the SuperUltraMEGA Balloon game would not have taken place.  Collectively, over 70 man-hours went into putting together the 1-hour MEGA Balloon game.  As I reflect, "thank you" hardly seems enough because we literally couldn't have done it without the Agape 3 and College fellowship groups.  They helped make the dream a reality...    For them we have these Bible verses and a great big...

"I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 1:3-6) 

Agape 3 and College came together and truly applied this Bible passage:
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."  (Galatians 6:9-10) 

The theme of Philippians is "Joy in Jail."  Sounds weird and it doesn't make sense until you experience the "Jesus Factor."  We can never truly understand love until we understand God's love for us.  "But how, DuckMobile?  How can I understand God's love?"  Good question!    The Bible is God's Love letter to us.  The Bible contains the heart, the mind and the character of God.  It's like a treasure hunt.    "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."  (Hebrews 4:12)  If you don't know Jesus, you don't have the Holy Spirit.  "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."  (John 17:3)  Do you have eternal life?  Do you know Jesus?  Or do you just know about Jesus?

Dear Lord Jesus,
I pray that these middle schoolers (and Agape 3 and College fellowships) actively seek You daily!  We are nothing apart from You.  Help us to realize that.  Draw us to You that we might know You and forsake everything else, considering everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing You.  I pray that You break us.  Break our pride.  Break our will.  Break us until the only thing that's left is to hold onto You.  You are our Life.  You are our Righteousness.  Draw us to You that we would truly live... not as the world understands "life" but as You offer Life.  Draw us to You, Lord.  Draw us...  Amen.