Post Surgery Pics

A couple pics from Kennedy's thumb surgery last week:Kennedy got this tutu from our friend Lyndsay who made it for her as a get well gift.Carsen hanging out on the sofa with Kennedy.

Ephesians

I'm super-excited to be starting to teach through Ephesians tonight at youth group. My prayer is that students will catch on to the idea that their identity as students, children, friends, workers or whatever else, must be found in Christ. And, that being found in Christ changes everything...

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
Ephesians 1:7-8

Worship

I have been working hard lately to help students understand and experience true worship of God. Through singing, prayer, service and interactive nights of worship, I have tried a ton of different things. But this morning I was struck that for all the time I put into planning worship, I might be missing worship on the approach. I am reading Jesus Creed by Scot McKnight and he had this to say about worship:

Worship happens when I comprehend (1) who I really am before God- a love-violating sinner, (2) how faithful and gracious God is to his sacred commitment of love for me, and (3) how incredibly good God is to open the floodgates of that love to me. (pg 50)

I think a lot of times, in youth group and our main church gatherings, our worship starts at number 3, or at best, number 2. The goodness and love of God is amazing, but it won't change how we (or students) respond to God unless we realize how undeserving of it we really are. Songs and times of repentance and mourning over sin must be a part of youth ministry!
(and no promises that my blog drought is over!)

here

"But I suggested that maybe it's not that there is not enough here to live for, just that here is not enough."
David Crowder

sigh

Kennedy's Solo

Last night was our church's Christmas program. Kennedy had been singing "Go Tell it on the Mountain" all afternoon, so I made her promise to sing it as loud as she could that night at church. Here is what follows:

My favorite part is when , in her embarrassment, Kennedy hugs the little girl next to her. The program as a whole went a lot like that, at least with that first row of kids. Every little girl showed us her belly button and Carsen mostly tried to make sure no one took his spot. And he liked when they got to sit down.

toilet humor

A few kid quotes from the last couple days:
Our newly remodeled bathroom upstairs has an exhaust fan. Kennedy likes it to be on when she is in there. On Sunday here is what she told Shiloh:
"Hey mom, I want to turn off the poopy light." Yep, we have something in our house that is now called a poopy light.
On Sunday Shiloh was cleaning the bathroom. Carsen came in while she was cleaning the toilet. He looked inside the toilet and exclaimed, "Mom, Jesus wouldn't like that."

Also, I'm pretty sure with blogs you're supposed to make a big deal out of "milestone" posts. This is post #100 for me. Yeah! If I made money or something from it I would give away a Wii or a car or something. Instead you'll have to settle for this rambling little paragraph!

Suffering

"Relational ministry presupposes suffering; when we are called to go, we must give our very selves to others, for this is following the Crucified." -Andrew Root

This semester has been a semester of learning the truth of the above statement. It's nice to plan great events and small groups and have lots of fun in youth ministry, but the students I come into contact with are not always having fun anywhere else. Or maybe the hate the very idea of God. Whatever the case, it leads to the need to enter into the dark places of their lives and just be there. And for me, that's hard. But through the Holy Spirit I'm learning and changing. And getting amazing opportunities to love teenagers as Christ loves them.