think 30 and 31 have been a few of my best birthdays. But maybe the worst for everyone else? I've had so many friends come up to me and say that their sorry and out of kindness give me a pity hug, but then I say "I think this is the best birthday EVER!" And I'm being honest...It doesn't feel like the end at all but more like the beginning. It's like a new era- the twenties are over- I'm done figuring out who I am and what the heck I'm made for. Not that we ever stop learning, growing and rediscovering who we are, but that I think the bulk of my confusion in life has past and now I'm ready to really start living! I feel like now is the time for all that dreaming, learning, visioning, prepping and praying to go into action. Now is the year. Year 1 of 30. So all of you out there, don't let me slack, don't let me settle, and don't let me waste this next decade because its going to be HUGE!The Celebration...
Tia hosted a Sushi Rolling Party for me... yep, we rolled sushi all night. No one was an expert before we started, but I can say there were definitely one or two experts by the end.
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The next day a car full of us took off to Branson, Missouri for 4 days- where we hit up an awesome lake!
This was my first time wakeboarding! I'm now constantly trying to figure out how to get back out there....
SHOWCASE... My friend Riki Takaoka custom designed this wall size piece for my kitchen. The view is of a tree canopy while lying on the ground. The orange flowers are representations of the orange poppies that line my driveway and yard. Check out more of his work and particularly his food blog: http://drawfood.blogspot.com/
TRANSITION... This past year I've been praying and deliberating alot about the future. After my 30th birthday I was feeling like it was time to move ahead with some dreams and visions. As most of you know I have a huge heart for youth, social justice and missions. Before my time at Mental Health America, I lead a youth group for a year, spent 2 years with Youth With A Mission and 1 year with Americorps*VISTA - serving, learning, and training to effectively outreach and love people. The past 4 years with Mental Health America has provided opportunities to elevate what I've learned and for growth in becoming a professional in the nonprofit sector- particularly in grass roots marketing and program development. My heart and passion for Jesus compels me in all that I do and in whatever direction I move. In the process of seriously considering what Jesus may want next for my life I was approached by Dave Powers the founder of Worship and the Word Movement (www.worshipandtheword.com) and Heaven Fest (www.heavenfest.com) . We've been talking about what's next for me and throughout the last 6 months he has opened up to me any resources he has to help me move forward and succeed in what God is calling me to. In January I decided to invest in Dave's ministry and volunteer to oversee a massive music and arts festival, Heaven Fest, and it's social cause event: The Cardboard Campout to End Homeless (www.CardboardCampout.com). Since then God has been stirring more of a passion within me to move into full time ministry and mission work. So I decided I needed to pursue God intently with this longing. While talking with Dave one day, I told him that I needed to go on a silent retreat to pursue God and confirm these questions. He got really excited and gave me his keys to his cabin for the weekend. While on the silent retreat, God reminded me His vis
ion and mission for my life. What's interesting about this, is that it was a very practical realization of the process God has taken me through in directing my path the past 10 years. On the retreat I just happened to have the time and clarity to be able to put all the pieces together. I found a unique common thread that flowed through the last 10 years of life working and investing in people and communities; what I found was that my work has never been the typical position working solely with one organization, church, or ministry but with many entities. I would be working from the ground up building new programs and creating mediums of common interest and cause to be adopted and invested in by many leaders, churches, and organizations. I've been a unifier, and a voice for issues that are close to God's heart. I've found that in my passionate pursuit and obedience to God, He has been forming a distinct Vision and Mission particularly for me.VISION & MISSION... Below is my personal vision and mission statement.
Vision: To see the Body of Christ unified as one voice and released to live out the call Jesus has for His Church so that His love can be known by the world.
“As a prisoner of the Lord, then I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit- just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all….From him the whole body; joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
(Ephesians 4:1-16)
Mission: To partner with leaders, churches, and organizations in telling their story; supporting and encouraging their work, and releasing their ministry.
A Tribute... Following my silent retreat I came away with lots of clarity and a release in moving forward with full time ministry/mission work. I called Dave to let him know and he was really excited to hear it. I told him that I thought the first steps in this journey would be to continue to come along side his ministry and those that he is sponsoring. In return he would sponsor me and the work I would be doing outside of Worship and the Word Movement. Currently a proposal has gone to the board and I should here back sometime early July when they would convene.
Two days after I sent in the proposal, the day after my birthday, I was laid off from my job with Mental Health America of Colorado. It was a bitter sweet moment. I was a little surprised considering there had been so much positive feedback concerning the program "Check Your Head" and a really positive response from the conference I spoke at in Charlotte recently for the National Institute of Mental Health. But in the end there had been new management hired in the past three months and he was not fond of the program. So with that I want to show you a video that I had recently finished. It had just been released to the organization before I was laid off. I now consider it a Tribute to the past four years and all the students we touched and influenced:
Check Your Head from Patrick Kennedy on Vimeo.
Cardboard Campout to End Homeless... I just finished a promotional video for this event. Hopefully you can come out and participate. It is happening during Heaven Fest and we'll be camping out that night! This event is significant because it has the potential to raise A LOT of money and we would be handing it over to the Denver's Road Home project which is an initiative started by Denver's Mayor to end homelessness by 2015! We believe it can happen, especially if there is a movement carrying it: www.CardboardCampout.com
Cardboard Campout to End Homelessness from Patrick Kennedy on Vimeo.
Thanks for taking the time to keep in touch. Let me know how you're doing! Much Love.
