Youth minister follies, a recap of the day.

So, a few of us female youth workers were watching a movie together in a hotel room tonight when a lamp just randomly turned on (by itself). No one really said much but it was totally creepy. It wasn't until we went back to our respective rooms that my roommate, Corrie, revisited the subject. "So, what was up with the lamp?" I was relieved that someone else was a little spooked along with me. We are staying at the McDonald's world headquarters Hyatt. Who knows, maybe it was the spirit of the Hamburglar or something.

On another note, Heather Flies is the coolest. She painted my nails O.P.I. "Fanatic Fuschia" and they look fabulous. We also watched a really sad chic movie, "P.S. I love you." However, it made me want to pack up and leave Chicago early to go home to my amazing husband and daughter in Florida.

So that was our night, here's a bit about what I felt was a very productive day.

During our meeting time with Christian Smith, we learned a plethora of useful statistics and findings concerning the religious and spiritual lives of today's American teenagers. I'm pretty sure we found ourselves asking more questions than finding answers, but I feel like we're in a really great position to make some solid observations about junior high youth ministry this weekend (which will definitely inform our why and how we do things in the future). I'm super grateful and blessed to be a part of the conversation.

Live, Laugh, Love...Forever

This blog is in honor of my friend Jason. I also want to dedicate every NKOTB song ever written just because he's cool like that.

Here's how you can help children...

I'm dedicating my Disney's Women Run the World 15K to World Vision, here's how you can help.

I love being outside.

I'm just a few weeks away from running my first 15K. Me and a few of my girlfriends (one middle school student included) have been training together. It's been so nice to have a reason to be outside. I find community with God as I run past trees, hear animals in the brush, and think about the simple art of breathing and keeping cadence. My friends Lindsay and Matt introduced mountain biking to us while we lived in Texas. Our youth group in Southlake introduced Winter Park snowboarding to us. And, just recently, Coy took Kirra out on a boat for some wake boarding trials (and trials is the best word for it considering Coy's fingers were black and blue from holding onto the grips too long). Add that to our obsession with ocean dwelling and Coy's surf experience and we've got a pretty big love for "outside" on our hands. God is helping me to be present, to breathe, and to really think about how our life effects creation. It's all good stuff and I'm so thankful to be able to have so many really great experiences.

Why I love Jen...

...she shared this video with me on Twitter. I can't stop laughing. Why is the music so gangsta? LOL

Boston News

Some more about my trip to ENC.

Home

It's been a long seven days. We experienced our daughter's first ear infection. To make matters even more interesting she got some sort of flu while in Ohio at the same time. Not only was she throwing up and feverish but her ear was killing her. Nevertheless, my trips to Boston (ENC) and Ohio (MVNU) were both awesome and worthwhile. The students on both campuses were really great. I'm so blessed to be a part of such awesome communities. Even with Kirra getting sick, Coy and I almost missing two flights, cold weather, and getting lost in Columbus, it was a great week of ministry. And for that, I'm truly grateful.

I'll have to blog later about our kamikaze rampage through the Tampa International airport trying to catch a flight. Coy and I seriously should qualify for the Amazing Race.