Author

Peter Gowesky

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So as promised, I have gotten the video up from our trip to the zoo the other day.  Check this guy out! This squirrel is amazing.  His little cage is tucked so far away in the trees, I wondered why they even had a squirrel in a cage, and then I saw it… I figured out why… He literally is the star of the zoo.  He officially should take the place of the “Big Cats” exhibit.  Anyhow, we had a great time as a family, just romping through the zoo.  Check this out…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbY3PpjA1zU]

What have you done for fun lately?

~Peter

So many times I’ve asked the question, what?  What do you want?  I’ve asked my parents, I’ve asked friends, I’ve asked my wife… I’ve asked my kids… Sometimes with more patience than others…  But I’ve been down that road before.  WHAT DO YOU WANT?

This morning I have the opportunity to lead our devotional time in our staff meeting.  I am going to ask one question…  “What does God want to do with you here at this church?”

Check out the disciples story… What did God want to do with those knuckleheads?  So, here’s my question for you this morning, What does God want to do with you in your church?

As this guy would say, it’s an all skate.  Come on, jump in and leave a comment… what do you think?

~Peter

When you sit still, assuming you do sit still, what does God say to you?  What are the heartstrings that are being tugged on and pulled at by God?  

Yesterday was Monday.  AH!!!  Glorious monday.  Let me tell you… Monday’s are great.  See, I know that I am probably the only person alive in the world who enjoys mondays.  Monday is my day off.  Yesterday we filled it with family fun!  We used our membership to the zoo, and went and spent several hours meandering around the Philadelphia Zoo.  This was great fun.  I have some funny video that I took which I will post up here later.  Make sure you come back and check that out.  So, Noah was waving to the monkeys, saying, “Hi monkeys…  See my cool hat?  See my cool hat?”  Then we went into the reptile room and noah was running from display to display looking at all the animals…  loving each one… “WOW!!!  Oh WOW!!!”  We went to one particular display and it was for some snake… I hardly paid attention to what kind it was, but that’s not the point.  THe point is I was trying to point out to Noah the different animals and show him how God created each one differently. So, we pull up to this display and it is probably no bigger than 2 feet by 4 and 5 feet tall.  It simply had stone in it…  There was not many places for this baby to hide.  So, when we didn’t see the snake in the display I thought for sure it wasn’t there.  

I was trying to rush Noah along in order to see more, and get more in during our short stay at the zoo.  I quickly scanned the tank and realized there was nothing to see here, so… let’s move along.  As I’m trying to coerce Noah to move to the next spot, He says, “Daddy No!  He’s here.”  “Look, here… under the rock.”  Sure enough, when I got down on my knees and adjusted myself to the right posture, I could see the snake that we had come to see.  Noah was in the right position and was not in a rush.  He found what he came for.  

I know this is more of this.  However, I can’t quite it.  I can’t stop thinking about this.  What do you hear from God?  What is God showing you?  Let me rephrase that question.  What is God trying to show you?  See some of us need to change our posture.  We need to change our position.  We need to take our feet out of the starting blocks, set aside the track spikes for a pair of slippers, or sandals.  Put those hiking boots on and slow down.  

I think it’s time to get back on our knees and be quiet before the God of the universe.  To be still and go to a lonely place, just to be.  Just to hear from God.  Take time today to savor the precious love of Jesus.  

~Peter

dsc_0322369 days ago my wife Tiffany and I officially started here at First Baptist Church of Doylestown.  Incredible!  It has been a whole year since we arrived. In honor of this day I thought it would be appropriate to look back and think through some highlights of the year.  So, here it is…  The One Year Review.  

WINTER RETREATS- I had an absolute blast on both of the winter retreats, high school and junior high…  All I need to say is, Hot Tub Olympics.  That was awesome!  For those who don’t know what this is… we came up with all of these “challenges” to do in the hot tub at Lake Champion.  One of my favorites was run from the tub to the slush puddle- roll in it- only to return again to the hot tub…  first man in wins!  Great times…

Remodeling the Student Center- This was a huge highlight to me.  When we began meeting as separate groups in the student center I felt like we were so much more connected together.  That we really and truly began to grow together as a family.  Keep up the good work!  

Teaching through “So Our Ipods are Different!”  This was a really fun series for me to teach.  I felt like we had a great time going through those several weeks.  I will never forget the closing night of that series. Keith Dickey was leading worship, and I had my eyes closed having just gotten done teaching and I was praying that God would unite this group, and when I opened my eyes I saw guys hugging guys, arms around each other, and singing in unison praising God for who He is!  We shared communion, and prayed with one another.  That was a highlight to me!  An unforgettable moment.

I will never forget the beginning of our Junior High worship band.  There we were, 3 musicians and 2 singers.  Standing around the piano in the sanctuary.  Wow, we were not that good… But I am proud of where we are now!  Great job guys! It is a joy to lead worship with you all when I do.  

There are so many highlights of this last year.  I can’t even believe that it has been a year.  I know that if I really sat and thought about it I would come up with tons more!  It is a privilege to be with you guys, and to have you call me your youth pastor.  I love it!  I serve alongside of the best team I could ever think of.  I am grateful for everyone of you youth leaders!  God has gifted us with you.  Thank you!  

~Peter

Today we are coming home…  It has been a great convention.  I have been pushed and stretched, refreshed and rejuvenated.  I am really excited for my Youth Workers as they return from this weekend too.  I am praying that God would use this in their lives in a major way.  

Last night crowder was incredible!  I’m not going to lie… We were right there at the front of the stage… Video will follow…  Here’s a few pics to enjoy!

Oh, and my good buddy josh and I decided to do a little man on the street interview!  The rest is priceless…  Check this out.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USzRQ452dpI]

So, what was the worst haircut in the history of your existence?

~Peter

Have you ever wondered what your soul is?  Where it is?  And have you ever wondered if there was anything you could do to figure out how to get more in touch with your soul?  I know that I have… 

This A.M. we heard from Mark Yaconelli.  Let me tell you what, when he got to the point where he said, I’m going to wrap it up with this one thought, Josh and I both said to each other, NO!  Don’t stop…  Keep going.  Keep laying into us.  Keep challenging me.  

See, here’s what was said… 

He said that the soul is that place hidden deep within us that is deeply knit to God, that place which is in serious contact with God.  We were challenged with these questions.  “How do we slow down and hear from the soul?”  “How do we work to hear from the soul?”  

Mark went on to talk about how the pace of life that most of us keep don’t allow us to actually stop and literally “smell the roses”.  What about the things that God has created, creation, family, friends, emotions, etc… do we take time to appreciate these things?  To listen to our soul… to listen to what God may be saying to us through these things.  

What about this…  In our society, we judge success on the fact that we have arrived at the end.  Am I training myself and my kids that what matters most is the end?  Or is it the getting there?  Is it feeling the wind in my hair??? (when I had hair…) Is it about the moments spent in silence looking at the stars wondering how far is heaven?  Is it looking at the waves and wondering what keeps them coming?  Man… I was stopped in my tracks.  I needed to hear this.  I needed to hear that I have to slow down, otherwise I am in danger of destroying my soul.  Loosing my soul.  Forgetting my soul.  Abandoning my soul.  I’m unwilling to do that. 

What do you think?  What’s the state of your soul?  Do you buy into it?  

Oh, by the way, I have reserved seats in the very front row for DAVID CROWDER TONIGHT!  GOD IS SO GOOD!  

~PETER

Last night at Youth Specialties, Pittsburgh, we heard from a woman who easily could be my grandmother.  In fact she even looked like a combination of my maternal grandmother and my paternal grandmother.  I mean seriously this one was scary.   It was so close to what I’ve grown up with that when she got on the stage, I almost ran up and hugged her.  She has to be just about near ancient.  

BUT!  And hear me say BUT… She rocked my world last night.  Here’s the gig.  She gave in an hour the very best overall bit of church history that I have ever heard.  Including any sermon, any lecture, and any time I ever spent at Philadelphia Biblical University.  Then she didn’t just stop there…. no…. here is this woman who was a titus woman to Eve explaining to me what our church is currently going through.  You know, the things that “only young people feel”.  The questions, the longings for more, the generation x factors…  She tore it up!  She went systematically through it all and worked up an amazing explanation of where the church is today and not necessarily claiming to know where it was headed, but just said this… “It’s going to be okay…  God is in this.”  

I will forever be thankful for my Grandmother??? Mrs. Phyllis Tickle…  Oh, and Matt Maher led us in worship.  LOVED IT!  and Taylor Mason made me laugh… And they- being YS seriously handed out John Tesh Dance DVD’s.  HONESTLY!  I”M NOT KIDDING.  JOHN TESH!  WOW.  That is all I’m saying… So, watch out… in the near future you may be seeing a contest here on the salt lick, with a grand prize of a JOHN TESH Dance DVD!  

Stay tuned…  I’ve got to go fill the tank at Au Bon Pain…  GOOD MORNING!

~Peter

So today has been great! We heard from Francis Chan. This guy is amazing. He was incredibly genuine, and sincere. I loved listening to him. He drew me in and held my attention for 45 minutes easy. He gave us some great thoughts to think about. He taught us several things about knowing God, and how we can become a better disciple! Here was a very challenging thought for me.
“Unless you are willing to go the whole way you can’t follow Jesus.”

Crazy huh?

So what keeps you from going the whole way and following Jesus?

Ouch cuts a little deep huh?

~peter

So, here we are, we have heard from Mike Pilivachi, and several others!  It has been incredible so far.  I can’t wait to see what happens next.  It has been awesome to be surrounded by thousands of other people who get Youth Ministry.  YS has taken a different approach this year to the convention.  It is different…  I have to admit that right now I am missing David Crowder Band.  They have been the worship leaders here at YS for the last several years.  Starfield is leading worship this week, and it has been good, but I do miss the DCB.  Maybe next year.  

Thoughts I’m thinking on…

“It’s not the destination it’s the journey.” -Mike Pilivachi

“Sacred Echo’s are the repetitive nature of God showing up in things over and over.” -Margaret Feinberg

“It’s the Holy Spirits Job to convict, It’s God’s job to judge, and it’s our job to love!” {Billy Grahm}-Andrew Marin

What do you think?

Oh, and by the way, here’s a little video for you!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hPh4Y0F7cU]

More tomorrow!

~Peter