Alden Ellis

Tuesday night Justin Land, one of worship leaders at NewSpring Church, came up to me and told me that he had prayed for me that morning. He went into a list of things that he specifically prayed for me and it blew me away. Not only did that moment encourage me, but it also it challenged me. It made me ask myself, who I have earnestly prayed for with specifics. It had been a little while…so, that changed this week. Each morning I spend sometime praying for whoever God lays on my heart and I pray specifics. Later in the day, I send them an email to let them know what I prayed for them. I want to be an encouragement for them and let them know that they were lifted up.

Try it…it will bless you more than you will know!

This is the scripture that I read this morning for my quiet time. Thought I would pass it along…as I believe that we all struggle with submitting ourselves to God and His will on a consistent daily basis.

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:1-10

God, Thank you for your word and how it can teach, cleanse, confront, and comfort. I praise you! May you be honored in all that I say and do. Amen.

One of the greatest youth workers I know passed away Raymond Patrick Downer went to be with the Lord on Friday, March 30, 2007. Mr. Downer was an awesome man of God, that stood in our world allowing his light shine for all the world to see.

You see, Mr. Downer was 84 years young when the Lord called him home. Some of you may be wondering how Mr. Downer could be one of the greatest youth workers I have known. Well, allow me to explain:

Mr. Downer had a huge impact on my life. He was an older gentleman that saw something in me. He would always make an intentional effort to talk to me, to ask me how I was doing, and how he could pray for me. As a youth, I was a little scared of the older gentleman coming up to me and asking me these questions. So, naturally, at first I was standoffish and did not say much. Just gave the typically,Yeah. Uh,huh. Nothing. but that NEVER deterred him from making an investment into me!

After sometime, I grew very fond of him and became very thankful for him taking the time to ask and truly caring enough of me to ask. This continued all through my high school years (Fast forward a bit while I was away at college he would ask my mom every week those same questions and would then ask me every time he saw me. )

Mr. Downer loved Jesus, his family, his church, young people, and sports. Those loves in his life always shined through him.

Mr Downer and some of his close buddies would always trek out to Memorial Stadium in Florence, SC every Friday Night to watch the High School teams play. Of the three high schools in Florence, it did not matter who was playing they were there watching, cheering, making predictions and loving life.

This held true for every single high football game I played at home. He was always there watching cheering making predictions and loving life. I came to expect him to be there at those games. I remember that each time I would come off the field after making a big catch or scoring a touchdown I would always look and point to my family and Mr. Downer. Not only in my times of success, but also my times of failure (missing a block, getting a penalty called, etc.) he still had a smile on his face and was proud of me.

You see, Mr. Downer cared about me as a person and he made an investment in me. He never taught me Sunday School, never really led me in any official role, but he cared. He showed he cared by talking to me, praying for me, being present in my life, and following up with me.

Those are the types of youth workers we need: those who will show they care by talking to students, pray for them, be present in their lives, and follow up with them. May I be as good a youth worker as Ray Downer. If I am, then lives will be impacted through the power of Jesus.