It was quite the decade for me personally.  Just to highlight a handful of the major happenings.

2000-Graduated From Mount Vernon Community High School in Eastern Iowa.  Began college at Grace University in Omaha, Nebraska! 

2001-Family Moved to Tomball, Texas after 20 plus years in Eastern Iowa.  I traveled to Europe with my college roommate and close friend Jamie Lindsay.  Elected Vice President of the student body at Grace University!

2002-Began work in the Excel Degree Completion Program with a major in Biblical Studies and Management and Organizational Leadership.  Moved into my own apartment and began working full time!  Wanted to taste the real world while going to school full time!

2003- Dealt with a personal loss of a broken engagement.  Began an exciting relationship with Young Life in West Omaha as a student staff leader! 

2004- Graduated from Grace University with honors in Biblical Studies and MOL.  Moved to Bellville, Texas outside of Houston to begin an internship with Young Life and Wyldlife! 

2005- Lost close friend, former Young Life kid and my first Wyldlife Leader, Zach Morris,  in a tragedy.  Zach was a freshman at MIT in Boston when he was killed in a fall from a fence.   I think about Zach all the time and talk about him with my leaders.  His energy, enthusiasm, and faith was strong!  Zach is missed greatly by all who knew him.  Thankful to still be close with his amazing sister Allie!

Had 3 Knee surgeries in 10 months.  Meniscus, Meniscus, and completely blown left knee.  Tough year spent primarily on crutches!  My boss was very tollerant of my difficult year!  Thanks Rick!

2006- Met Becca Pusey at year 2 intern training (Winter Training) in Jasper, Georgia at Sharp Top Cove (a Young Life camp).  Fell hard for this amazing woman of God.  As soon as I returned to Bellville from training I began pursuing her!  Within the month I had flown out to Philadelphia to spend time with her and we were officially a COUPLE!

May 2006- Proposed to Becca on Tybee Island outside of Savannah, Georgia……..She said yes!

June 2006- Finished internship with Young Life and Wyldlife in Bellville, Texas.  Had an incredible 2 years with Rick Lowe, the Hord family, all of the amazing leaders, and the awesome kids!  Forever changed my life and prepared me for my continued journey in full-time Youth Ministry.

July 2006- Accepted a position with Young Life as a Wyldlife (Middle School)Director  in South East Denver (Aurora). 

September 2006- Married Becca Pusey (made her Becca Aronowitz) in Maryville, TN.  Moved to Denver!

2007-Left Young Life staff and moved to East Tennessee with my wife!  Became Director of Youth and Young Adults at First Farragut United Methodist Church.  Becca became the Art Teacher and Girls Soccer Coach at North Middle School.  We bought our first house and got our first dog (mini schnauzer Ellie!). 

2008-A difficult year for our family.  Lost Becca’s Grandmother (Mary Lantz/ Gam) and my Grandmother (Dona Hix/Grandma) in 1 week.  My other Grandmother, Grams, had a stroke. 

2009-Celebrated 3 years of marriage at the Inn on Biltmore in Asheville, NC (Where we honeymooned!).  Adopted our second Dog (a schnoodle named Emma).  We renewed a commitment to First Farragut which will keep us at our church home hopefully for a long time (have currently been serving for almost 3 years!).

I performed my younger sister Amy’s wedding ceremony in Iowa in July!  What a thrill!

I performed my younger sister Lisa’s wedding ceremony in Iowa in November!  Wow, what a year!

Today/the Last day of 2009/ the Last day of the Decade!-  We will ring in 2010 with Becca’s family in Friendsville, TN with food, football, and family! 

                 Over the course of the last decade I have lived in Iowa, Nebraska, Texas, Colorado, and Tennessee.  I’ve gone from High School, to College, to Young life intern, to full time youth pastor.  Now in my 6th year of full-time youth minsitry!  I met and married my soul mate, Becca Pusey!  I grew up the way my parents always prayed I would grow up.  I became best friends with my mom and dad (anything is possible in adulthood!).  I have traveled almost all the way through my 20’s and now sit on the verge on my 30’s.  I have continued to grow as a Man of God, as a Son, a Brother, a Friend, a Husband, a Youth Pastor, and a leader.  My father’s challenge to me as a high school student continues to send shock waves through my life with Jesus Christ.  “Just grow Mark, just keep growing.  Through the ups and the downs of life, find a way to grow in a real and personal relationship with Jesus Christ.”  2 Peter 3:18.    I’m excited to keep growing in 2010 and beyond.  Here’s to a great Decade.  Have a great day dropping whatever ball will help you to proclaim “Happy New Year,” and, “He is RISEN!” 

                    Born that we may have life.  Merry Christmas to my blog network!  I pray that today is filled with warm Christmas traditions and sweet Christmas memories!  I’m typing today’s blog from my couch using my Nintendo Wii (I don’t have the keyboard yet to sync to the game system…so I am typing one letter at a time very slowly..the controller is vibrating everytime I press a letter!)  Pretty cool to hang out on the internet on your television with the Wii.  If you have a wireless network in your home and a Nintendo Wii IT CAN HAPPEN!  Check it out!

              The Tennessee Aronowitz family started the day by baking a wonderful breakfast (2 egg casserole dishes….one made unique for each of us based on our taste for toppings and fillings.  We had hashbrowns…and then the crowning glory was 2 GINORMOUS cinnamon rolls from VG’s bakery in Farragut!), then opened stockings and gifts in our pj’s surrounded by Dogs (Ellie sleeping on the down comforter, Emma jumping all over us and getting in the way).  Before anything today we sat on the couch, reading the Christmas story from Luke 2.  We spent time in prayer, thanking God for the incredible gift of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  We are especially thankful this Christmas that Becca and I both know and are in relationship with Jesus.  It is the glue that holds our family together and it is so humbling to think about what happened a little more than 2000 years ago when Jesus was born as a baby in a manger.  In about an hour we will load up the car and head for 3745 Windstream Drive in Friendsville for 3 days with Becca’s family!  We are very excited!  Merry Christmas to you all!

                       So, from all of Wii here on Dixie Meadows Drive in East Tennessee, have a great day celebrating the birth of the living God!

                  Tonight at First Farragut United Methodist Church’s Christmas Eve service I’ll be reading the Christmas story from Luke 2.  Tomorrow morning, with my wife and my 2 dogs, we will read it again.  I can’t remember a Christmas where Luke 2 and the birth of our Savior wasn’t the focus.  Sure, we have Santa and gifts and food, but in my home growing up my parents did a great job of helping us understand that JESUS WAS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.  28 letters spelled out 7 words in our front window, “Jesus is the reason for the season.”  One of the ways that they made sure we were focused on Christ was in the reading of the Christmas story.  A few things make the Christmas story so amazing.  First, its true.  The truth behind the beginning of the greatest love story ever told humbles me.  Its not just a magical fiction story book, like “The Polar Express” or “The Night before Christmas.”  It offers us hope, the opportunity for a relationship with Jesus Christ, and speaks of God’s love for us.  Second, it is full of ordinary people who have their lives changed!  Shepherds, Joseph and Mary, Inn-Keepers, and more.  The King of Kings was born to us in an animal feed box, not in a Castle.  When I read through the first 20 verses of Luke 2 I feel like it was written for me.  I would bet the house that the Shepherds, Wise men, and Mary and Joseph had a smiliar feeling, that what was happening was to bless them and to change them.  Which leads me to the third thing that makes the Christmas story so powerful.  Some traditions just happen in our lives each year without much thought as to the role that they play.  The Christmas story offers the opportunity for life change.  I love Christmas traditions…and my goal as a husband, a son, a friend, a brother, and a pastor is to lead people into experiences that will make us better and that will have an impact on our lives that goes beyond one day out of the year.  The Christmas story does that.  Do you read the Christmas story once  a year?  Does the story challenge you to change?  Or is it a tradition that happens without much thought or care?  This year, embrace the truth and the power of the Christmas story in Luke 2.  Merry Christmas Eve!

I recieved a touching e-mail from one of my Young Adult men at FFUMC.  In the e-mail he listed a number of things that “COULD NOW HAPPEN” since I was confined to my couch for the Christmas season.  Ihave decided to put a significant amount of energy into 2 of the things that he spoke about.  The first is to get more down time and quality time with Becca, which he said (as a husband himself) is something that we all want!  He is right.  When Becca is teaching, which sometimes has her leaving the house when it is dark and returning home when it is dark, and I am working at the church, we see very little of one another.  I crave stillness, peace, laughter, and closeness with my bride.  We have already started to take some of that time.  Last night we played scrabble (I won on triple word score ECHO on the last word!).  Tonight we are having a WONDERFUL dinner provided for us by the United Methodist Women.  We are sitting near our Christmas tree with the lights on and the warmth of our living room all around us.  I’m excited about what the week will provide us as a married couple.  We are both really looking forward to the final Christmas festivities leading up to the birthday of our Savior!  We are spending tomorrow evening with our friends the Hudsons making S’mores and watching Home Alone.  Wednesday morning we are having Brunch with our dear friends the Shahans here in our home.  On Wednesday night we will screen ELF on the big screen at church with a handful of students from the youth group.  And finally, on Christmas Eve night we will attend the Christmas Eve service at First Farragut!  I am excited about those simple events which will allow for sincere fellowship with dear friends.  Lastly, I’m looking forward to NOT getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of CHRISTMAS.  I can’t drive, I can’t do any more shopping, and I can’t overwork myself.  All I can do is sit back and be still.  I have been doing some extra reading, some extra thinking, and some extra praying.  I read Rick Warren’s, “The purpose of Christmas,” a gift given to me by my parents last Christmas, and I’ve been enjoying Christmas movies that we recorded on our DVR. 

                 This Christmas I will consider my being handicapped as a blessing.  I have serious time to reflect on Jesus as the reason for the season.  I also have extra time to spend with my bride!  Here’s to the best Christmas yet and a calm and quiet week!

            My dad is my best friend, my partner in ministry, and my hero.  He has  been in full time ministry for over 30 years and continues to have a huge impact on my life and on the Kingdom.  We talk and pray on the phone together a number of times each week.   I love the relationship that we share and the impact that we both have in the  others life.  My dad has an incredible story to share and a heart that loves God’s people….ALL OF THEM.  He also has a phenomenal gift in communicating God’s Word through the Bible and through real life.  This week, after much encouragement from me and from some other guys in his life, my father launched a blog!  I will be acting as his technical support so that he can FOCUS ON WRITING and SHARING what GOD PUTS ON HIS HEART!  Please make his blog a part of your everyday internet activity.  I guarantee it will bless you the way that it has already blessed me.  I have wished that ALL of you could be in relationship with my Dad….now you can!

Check out his blog today, “This is the day, with Steve Aronowitz,” at stevearonowitz.wordpress.com!  Have a great day!  Talk to you all tomorrow!

           I wanted to fill you, as my readers and close friends, in on something that has happened in my life this week.  On Monday night, while playing basketball with the Mens Ministry at First Farragut, I suffered a serious knee injury.  I have previously had 4 knee surgeries (both knees have had major reconstruction in 1997 and 2005).  As soon as I went down on Monday night I knew exactly what had happened.  At my first appointent with the orthopedic surgeon today a ruptured ACL was confirmed.  I will have an MRI tomorrow and hopefully have surgery scheduled for sometime in the next 4 weeks.  I’m still in a state of shock as I lay on my couch tonight with my leg wrapped from my ankle to my thigh (keeping it elevated to start working on the crazy swelling).  I don’t understand all of the knee problems I’ve had…I just have them.  I don’t feel as though I was being irresponsible, although I think my basketball playing days are officially over (which is sad).  Four weeks ago I ran a marathon; my how quickly life can change. 

                I have constantly poured into the youth at First Farragut our need to praise God at all times.  It’s easy to praise God when life is great.  It becomes a mighty challenge to live out our faith when our Christmas season and physical well being is ROCKED by a serious injury.  Tonight though, I will practice what I preach.  Because Satan cannot have me.  I will not let Satan steal away my Christmas Joy, nor will I allow myself to lay on my couch depressed and feeling sorry for myself . No…tonight I will praise God and proclaim his victory over death from my rooftop (alright, from my couch).  I will take the next 4-6 months as special time to have significant conversations with more people from First Farragut.  I’ll make more coffee than I’ve ever made in my life and build strong relationships even stronger.  I’ll approach more people and begin new relationships.  I’ll rehab my knee to be stronger and I’ll get to know my therapists the same way that God wants to know them each day.  Although I am deeply saddened by my injury, I will not give Satan the foothole that he so desperately wants in my life.  Next week I’ll celebrate Jesus’ birthday for the 28th time…and it will be the best celebration yet!  My family will still have all of me…even if I’m gimpy.  My extended family will still have the stupid jokes and the laughter that they get with Mark Aronowitz.  And my faith will remain strong.  Today the reality of my Christmas 2009 Speed Bump is setting in.  However, I teach my youth to praise God in the storm.  So tonight, on December 16th, 2009 I will praise God for this injury.  Lord, I do not know why this is happening, but I know you are the same God today as you were yesterday.  I know that your mercies are new in my life tonight and will be refreshed again in the morning.  And I know that you will reign forever as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  Amen.

A week and a half ago we had a blustery Sunday in East Tennessee.  It was frigid cold.  I was making final preparations for our first of 2 Christmas UMYF events.  Becca was Grocery shopping in Farragut.  My cell-phone rang around 2:45pm.  My wife, on the other end, said I needed to come meet her at Petco.  When I arrived I found myself falling equally as hard as Becca for a Schnauzer/Poodle named Mary.  She was there with the adopt a pet animal shelter run by the Tennessee Humane Society and she was definitely in need of a home.  We decided to set up a meet and greet with Ellie (our miniature schnauzer) for the next afternoon.  When the meet and greet was successful, and after significant conversations about the pros and cons of having 2 dogs in the house, we decided to give our new furry friend a home!  We changed her name (which had been given to her only days earlier by the shelter) to Emma, got her a FANTASTIC grooming, a sparkling pink collar (an Aronowitz dog cannot go without sparkly pink), and she received a clean bill of health from the Concord Animal hospital.  She gets to eat double portions of food until she gets her weight up a little bit which she seems to be enjoying just fine.  Her personality is already coming out as she is realizing she doesn’t have to leave our home.  She has a sweet spirit, loves to play, and enjoys sleeping with the best of them.  Although Ellie is still getting use to sharing us with another dog, Becca and I believe that she will eventually become a great sister and playmate for Emma. 

              We knew when we got another dog we wanted it to be a rescue, and the timing seemed perfect for Emma to join our family.  It is certainly making this Christmas extra special as we celebrate Jesus’ birthday at our small home on Dixie Meadows Drive.  I’ll try to get a picture on my blog up soon!  I pray that you are all having a great week as we make our final preparations for Christmas Day!  Talk to you all tomorrow!

            Becca and I are headed for Atlanta with the Hudsons (Stefani and Alex)in a few hours for some Christmas fellowship with friends.  Special thanks to Dennis Falls and Kathryn Norton for allowing us to stay at your condo.  The plans are very light for our weekend away.  Eat out, play games, shop, and attend a holiday lights and arts festival in one of Atlanta’s local parks (weather pending).  With 0nly 2 weeks to go until we celebrate the birth of our Lord Becca and I are looking forward to the stillness for the next 2 days.  Sunday will bring the busiest day of December at First Farragut with our joint worship service at 11:00am, Community Christmas Dinner from 3:00-5:00, and our Youth Group UMYF Christmas Party from 5:30-7:30pm.  Until Sunday arrives, it is all about friends, fellowship, and laughter.  I was watching a college basketball game a couple of night’s ago on ESPN and Jim Valvano, former national championship coach, was being honored.  Jim passed away after a valiant battle against cancer many years ago.  In one of the greatest sports speaches of all time Jim said these words.       “To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.”

                The only thing that could POSSIBLY make Jim’s wonderful words any more special is to do all three of those things for the glory of our Lord!  That is my goal this weekend and this Christmas season.  To laugh (filled with JOY), to think (spending time with Jesus), and to allow my emotions to be real and authentic as I reflect on who Jesus is in my life (and the blessings he has given me as a man of God.).  My goal is to have plenty of full days…and at the end of those days be able to say to my Jesus, “Thank you, that was a great day.  That was a full day, a heck of a day!”  Have a great weekend with friends and family!

            Christmas is doing better than APPROACHING quickly…it is almost stinking here!  Is it flying by for you and your family?  Are you feeling the chaos raging all around you.  Christmas concert, Christmas party, Christmas movies, Christmas baking, Christmas shopping, Children’s musical…..AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!  Our calendars are beyond full and our lives are screaming for a break, screaming for peace.   I think about the battle scene in Home Alone when the 2 robbers are getting destroyed in every which way by a small boy!  It is chaos and it feels like it will never end.  At the end of the movie when his parents come home he falls into his mothers arms and embraces her, and at last we feel a sense of peace after watching fighting and destruction for nearly 2 hours!  I have been overwhelmed this Christmas with a lack of peace in my life and am doing whatever I can to pursue the stillness, quiet, and simplicity that comes with the message of Christmas.  The birth of our Savior was the beginning of the greatest love story ever told when Jesus was born unto us!  Why is it that such a precious and calming story…one that offered us our much needed lifeline to God, brings with it so much chaos in our lives?  Probably because we have allowed Christmas to be about everything that is NOT PEACEFUL.  The things that create so much chaos are not all bad, in fact, most of them are a lot of fun.  They do, however, take our focus off of the manger scene.  I would urge you today to pursue peace however you can.  Open up God’s word, pump some Christmas worship music, call a forgotten friend, share your faith with someone, lift your hands to the heavens and proclaim Glory in the Highest from your rooftop!  More than that, let your life speak the REASON FOR THE SEASON over the next couple of weeks.  Let there be no mistaking what you stand for at Christmas!  HAVE A GREAT DAY!

             Alright, I’ve decided to tell you all what Becca and I did last night, and I’m prepared to be made fun of!  Ellie, our mini-schnauzer, attended her first birthday party at her boyfriend Topper’s house!  Topper turned 1 year old!  I know, we are ridiculous!  More than anything it was an excuse to hang out with our friends Alex and Stefani.  But hey, if you’re going to have a birthday party, make it good!  Ellie got party favors, they had a dog birthday cake made out of beef baby food and other disgusting things (which I had a bite of!), and Topper received 2 small birthday gifts from Ellie (which they fought over as soon as Topper opened it).  When we returned home after the night was over Ellie began playing with her green squeaky toy that she received in her party favor bag.  It was definitely a fun toy!  However, Ellie had too much fun with it.  When I went to take it from her just MINUTES after we gave it to her we realized that a tragedy had occurred!  Ellie had ripped off the bear’s left ear, leaving it permanently wounded and unable to squeak.  She definitely has a little bit of Mike Tyson inside of her! 

                        All of the dog parties aside, December is an exciting month to be in ministry!  There are so many great things happening to celebrate the birth of our Savior!  An exciting worship series (Re-discover Christmas) in youth and in big church, our 3rd annual (Christ)mas in the movies series in Young Adults, opportunities for fellowship and friendship, and special Wednesday night services to help us draw closer to the Christ child, who was born to us a little over 2000 years ago!  There is definitely magic in the traditions that help us to celebrate Jeus’s birthday.  My challenge though to you all today would be to add something unique this year.  Schedule some special time, either alone or with your loved ones, to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.  Read the Christmas story, sing some songs, have a special time of family prayer, anything to make this Christmas 2009 unique and different!  And to make sure that it happens place that unique event on your personal or family calendar.  We spend the entire month scheduling big parties and events, so why should we be hesitant to put, “spend time with Jesus” on our calendars?  The prophet Isaiah proclaims in Chapter 9 that the Christ has been born unto us!  Are you allowing your life to proclaim Jesus as the reason for the season?  Have a great Tuesday!