Hard Times In the Youth Office

Anyone who has ever worked in an office understands that most people have a "stash". Whether is a little dish of candy, a drawer full of protein bars, or a six pack of diet cherry Pepsi, a stash is a stash. In addition, we all know that a stash of this nature can be perpetrated by others whose stashes have diminished or been borrowed from (I'm being nice here.) Such is the case in our youth office. We've fallen on hard times and have stooped to scurrying around like field mice for morsels, most to be found in Jill's back-up stash area. Yes, she has two stashes. One is a diversion from the "real stash".

We've fallen are hard times and it shows. Jill, on the other hand, must have had some inside information because it appears that she prepared for the year of drought. She only needs some form of protection (a whiffle bat would suffice) to keep those without sufficient stashes from depleting hers.

Let the pictures speak for themselves.

Rick Gebauer's Appalling Assortment (very sad indeed).





















Jessica Davis' Sparse Space (a chocoholics nightmare)



















Brooklyn Lindsey's Deserted Drawer (random)






















Jill's Jubilation (she's going to kill me for revealing her back up stash)

















The HPN Youth Office is now accepting donations...since Jill and Jessica are on vacation and Rick is working in the cafe I guess that just leaves me here to accept them. Oh well, I guess I'll simply take one for the team.

This is why I love my life...

...one of my volunteer youth workers shared a website with me that I just can't see my life without now. Here's proof.

more animals

We can never underestimate the power of community.

One way we have been able to get involved in serving the global community is by purchasing shirts from Jedidiah (The Community Project Series)...the stories of hope generated by this project are incredible, not to mention that 40% of the proceeds go to the organization that the story represents. It's good stuff. The shirts also make for some really meaningful giveaways, if you're looking for something like that.


Community Project Series from Jedidiah Clothing on Vimeo.

Sometimes I miss that girl.

Facebook doesn't allow much forgetting these days. Recently, facebook opened up the door to my past by way of a childhood friend. Her memories of us hanging out together reminded me of the unapologetic person that existed before I knew what was good for me. I miss that person. And to realize that God loved me then as He loves me now...incredible. I miss that girl who wasn't afraid to prank call the United Kingdom and ask for the queen. I miss that girl who didn't care much about what other people thought. We grow up and we make some necessary personal modifications but I miss being able to live each day to it's fullest. Jesus even said that worrying about tomorrow is pretty useless (it has enough worries of it's own!)and that we should trust in God. So maybe I should giving up worrying for lent. Is that possible? To trade in the worries for the confidence found in Christ...to trade in my own understanding for trust...to trade in my fears for faith in the Lord of all...perhaps this would revive that girl with tight rolled jeans and side bangs. Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Praying BIG prayers.

January in our youth ministry means revisiting "the ministry plan". I get to look back over the year at my sky-high dreams and developed strategies. These goals are awesome and attainable. They are thought out and planned for--but then something happens after the plan--as best as we can articulate it--is turned in to our accountability (whoever that may be, for us it's our executive pastor), and it gets further and further from us as we do ministry every day. Emails resound, calls fire in, community draws us to felt needs, and we find ourselves wondering what happened to these goals that we honestly thought would help us live in incarnational ways--shape relational ministries--and give us platforms for students to experience the Gospel instead of just hearing about it. I've got to admit that I've met a bunch of safe goals. I've met a couple of goals that required a bit more faith. But have I really trusted God as much with the giant dreams that require big prayers and big faith? Maybe a few times...maybe once or twice...ok, maybe I need some help.

Bill Hybels said something in a book I'm reading about leadership (Axiom) that I needed to read twice(mainly because I was like, "what did he just say") but mostly because I was like...Yes. Yes! He is right on this.

"Slowly but surely, that "God can do anything" feeling fades, bold prayers quit getting prayed, and the beginning of the end is near. Without necessarily intending to, they drink the deadly hemlock called incrementalism."

Lord help us to be innovative...for you. Lord help us to rid ourselves of wimpy dreams...that your name might be known and renown. Lord helps us to be dissatisfied with incremental growth....that many more would be transformed into the image of your Son. Lord, take from us, this kiss of death as we are learning to have faith...help us to trust in you much more than we do today.

Quote of the Day

I really like what this guy has to say, he's consistently ON when it comes to saying helpful things.

“The actions you take in the first hour of your day will determine your fate for the rest of it. Every one of you has said, ‘I'm having a bad day.’ But not one of you has ever completed the sentence, ‘I'm having a bad day, and I created it for myself.’ MY ADVICE: Have a good day. Have a great day. And take responsibility for that.”

-From Jeffrey Gitomer's SUCCESS GitBit

A bit of my heart...

...on last week's ys podcast.
(You can subscribe for free on iTunes)