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Yesterday was my favorite day of the year. It was Saturday of the Barrett-Jackson fine auto auction. This truly is the coolest collection of cars on the planet. I went by myself last year, but this time it was a double-date: Matt Maher and Caroline, myself and Candyce.

The tent was packed with 10,000 people. The richest of the rich sat on the floor leve, closest to the auction block. I would go to the auction just to hear the auctioneer. It’s an added benefit to see the cool cars. On top of that, you get to cheer for a guy as he unloads a quarter of a million on car that was five thousand brand new.

People were dropping cash.

$150k a dozen times for a dozen Shelby Mustangs
$174 for anything with a Hemi
$191k for a ‘69 Mustang
$300k for old Mercedes
$350k for Boyd Coddington’s “Chezoom”
$500k for Boyd Coddington’s “Whatthehay”
$500k for a Chrysler Airflow
$3,000,000 for a Oldsmobile!

This was my favorite woody at the auction. Check out the roof of the tent. There were several of these large tents filled with cars as awesome as this one.

Today a guy filed a civil lawsuit against a lot of people that I work with. He has uncovered a “repressed memory” and believes that he was sexually abused 20 years ago in the early days of our youth group. In the lawsuit, he has named my pastor, his youth minister (now my boss), the Bishop, the diocese of Phoenix, and the Catholic Church.

I think these claims are outrageous. I simply cannot believe that these people that I know so well would do something this evil. I mean, if these claims are true, than a handful of people have simultaneously worked for great good, while committing great evil. They have worked for two decades for no money and no glory. How could they have done these things? It doesn’t make sense.

When you seek to do good, know that evil will be at hand.
Jesus repeated one phrase in the Bible more than anything “Be not afraid.”
God promised that he would not leave his children orphan.

The truth will set you free. I have nothing to be afraid of because the truth is the truth. I can’t be afraid. I have to pray hard and be the best leader, the best servant.

While this lawsuit is sorted out, those involved will be removed from ministry. But other than that, things will carry on as normal within our organization. We will stay focused on leading teens closer to Christ.

It’s car auction season in Arizona, and I decided to drive to the west side of town to check out the Kruse International car auction at the Phoenix International Raceway. It took me almost an hour to get there because their website sucked and had bad directions. But I wasn’t going to let that discourage me from having a good time. It’s auction time!

After an hour of watching cars go up for bid, I was in disbelief. I know a Sunday auction isn’t as spectacular as a Saturday auction, but these cars were consistently going for less than what they were worth. The first car I saw on the block was; a ‘69 Chevy C-10 pickup with a 400 hp engine. Nobody was bidding above $8k. I could sell that truck in my driveway for $14k without a for sale sign. There was a flawless Dodge Charger R/T that didn’t even meet the reserve because nobody would bid over $16k. If you drove that car 30 miles down the road to the Barrett-Jackson auction, you could get ten times as much money.

If Barrett-Jackson car auction is booming and breaking records, this auction was small and near extinction. I didn’t know if I was wasting my time or if I was actually in the right place at the right time. So then my mind started spinning like a true capitalist.

There’s quite a supply here, and little demand. I can jump in on this and make some money. I picked up an auction sheet and began my tour of the auction lot. I inspected each car to see how much it was worth. My favorite was a showroom perfect ‘72 Chevy C-10 Cheyenne Super. I’ve never seen a prettier truck than that.

After an hour and a half of looking over the cars, I stood on the far side of the auction lot. I could barely hear the auctioneer in the distance. I was all alone, looking across hundreds of sparkling hot rods. I imagined driving them around town and having fun, and when I got bored, I’d sell them for profit. How could I lose?

I thought about the big picture in life, and it didn’t make any sense to buy a car today. I already have a cool old car, my chopped ‘54 Chevy Bel Air. My garage is full. If you think of a car as a chance to make money, I would do alright for myself it I bought a car today. But I can take that same money and put it into fixing up my house, or even put it towards another house.

But the bigger decision in my heart was choosing my passions. I cannot let opportunity and greed dominate my life. I’ve already committed 2005 to improving three of my websites: lifeteen.com, kustoms.com, and nomoho.com. I don’t want to spend time, money, or energy on cars.

I already have opportunity in front of me. I’d be foolish to get distracted and go looking for more.

It is so good to be home on the weekends. All my friends are indifferent towards weekends. When I wake up in my own bed this morning, was so happy that I couldn’t contain myself. I jumped out of bed and did ten jumping jacks. I yanked my curtain string and the light spilled into my room. I am alive!

It’s refreshing to look around my life and find new missions. On the small scale, it’s nice to sweep my garage floor so my socks don’t get dirty when I carry my laundry to the washer. My backyard isn’t going to be an eyesore anymore, because it’s becoming a sanctuary. On a large scale, I have a new frontier for creativity. My websites are raw and unexplored.

For almost five years, I’ve traveled on the weekends to give talks at churches, schools, and colleges. I saw the opportunity, and I didn’t let it pass. But I’ve had a lot of long, lonely flights across the country. I’ve had plenty of time to think about my life. How long do I really want to live like this?

I want to keep traveling on two weekends a month. It will keep my on edge, and remind me to be thankful for my weekends off. But with this new chunk of free time, I’ll be able to apply my passion and creativity to new projects.

My new roommate is hooked on “The Apprentice.” I am kind of a snob, so I avoid getting too involved with pop culture. So the newest sensational reality show is definitely off limits. But it’s cool to watch a reality show that bright people can show skill and leadership. I know it’s just TV show, but these people will be successful with or without the show. And I like being around successful people.