Taking the Scenic Route

The summer has officially begun. 

Of the next 90 days, I am only home for 32. With random youth trips and personal trips, this summer is jam packed with plenty of opportunities to wear sunglasses, apply sunscreen, and give hourly status updates on Facebook. 

There are two constants that will be traveling with me on these trips. My pink sunglasses and my Rainbow flip flops.  I’m very happy to announce that my pink sunglasses (that broke a few weeks ago) have been replaced with the very same kind. 

Last summer was incredible, and this summer has already kicked last year’s butt. 

My trips this summer: 

Boston- I just got back from this summer kick off trip. It was amazing. I was trying to figure     out the best way to sum it up, but I just can’t. Look at pictures on facebook or meet up with me in person to chat about it. It was great and I have some pretty cool friends. 

Ichthus- Last year I took high school students to Ichthus as part of our mission trip. This year we are returning with college students. What a great chance to get to hang out with these students and hear some rockin’ music. 

Confirmation Camp- This will be my fourth time going to Lutherdale with our incoming freshmen. I get to take a few high school students with me and we get to hang out, lead Bible study, and chill with the freshmen. This is a fun week!

Colorado- Yes!!! I haven’t been back to Colorado in awhile. I am going on the trip of my life with this one. I get to hang out in a condo in Breck for a week. I’m hoping to see an old friend, do alot of reading, writing, and evaluating life...all in the mountains! 

Ohio- For a quick 3 day trip, I’ll be hanging with my niece and nephew (who I haven’t seen for a few years) and be a part of my cousins wedding. 

Mission Trip- I return from Ohio to leave the next morning for our high school mission trip. I love hanging with the high schoolers, talking about faith, and doing service for God. We will end the trip by going to Ignite Chicago together. So looking forward to this!

Girls Camp- One of my favorite weeks in the summer, I get to be in charge of 160 middle school girls! We do girlie camp stuff like messy games, crazy breakout dancing to Family Force 5, and I generally do the “what NOT to wear” at the fashion show. (girls laughing AT me... yep). I love this week! 

And that’s all. Throw in a Fray concert, a hopeful trip on the Bromenschenkel Boat, random events with AYhigh, hanging with my friends poolside, Sunday Sundae events, and figuring out were to live for the fall.  Oh, and planning the fall and getting ready for the X service and youth events to start up again! 

Yep, that’s my summer. It’s started now! I can’t wait for what’s next. 

BRING IT. 

Some lyrics from my summer theme song: “Scenic Route” by Jars of Clay

Baby, leave it all behind

Missed a road sign

I don't want to get home soon

Drive the car all the way around the moon

Baby, we could get lost

We have another state to cross

We could find each other out

Tell our secrets on the scenic route

I don't want to get home soon

Drive the car around the moon

Letting Love be loud...

A voicemail sent at 10:30pm....

“Hey Pr. Michael, it’s Amber. So..tonight, the concert was great, the students ROCKED the house, and Chasen was good. We led worship, had fellowship, and it was an overall success........ Oh, and by the way, we blew a speaker. But don’t worry, we’ve got a couple thousand in our budget, so we’ll get a new one..uh, see you tomorrow, bye”

Youth ministry. It’s just like that. 

I know it’s been awhile since I blogged, but I just didn’t have anything to say. Tonight as I was driving home after our final X service of the year and a concert tonight, the need to put my thoughts on paper was so thick that I pulled out my laptop first thing when I got home.

The problem with living 30 minutes from work: time in the car gives lots of perspective. The good, the bad, the ugly, comes out. I start to replay the day. All that went well, things that I might have said that could have been said better, the way I prayed, the sermon, the kids that I connected with or didn’t connect with, the people who were or were not at the show. On a Sunday night, those 30 minutes are torture. It’s the devil’s time to take me down. And he tried tonight. 

But I’m writing to fight back. 

The good today....

-seeing students be nervous, take ownership, and rock the house

-hearing how students have grown this year in their faith

-having brunch with seniors and hearing their stories

-praying for the Juliots as they leave for sabbatical

-having loads of volunteers, people with smiling faces help out

-finishing up the X service for the year, on a good note!

I’m sad, happy, proud, and morning the loss (as this year comes to an end).

It was kinda like the end of a school year, the last day, where everyone says ‘have a great summer’ or ‘see you in the fall’.... i feel like AYhigh is going to take a break this summer...that all things will come to a halt right when the ball seems to have started to roll. When I heard students say such things like this today, I just wanted to yell out... NO, it’s NOT over...let’s keep it all up during the summer... and then my brain would remind me that it’s ok to take a break, that the kids need to recover and come back ready to go full out again soon. We aren’t taking a total break, just changing things up in the summer. There’s no X service or youth group, but there are camps and mission trips, and crazy summer events. 

In my sermon today I talked about my job and how I’m kind of like a cheerleader standing at the door to the teen world yelling: ‘I care, God cares, you are loved!’  Every day I stand at the doorway into the teen world, and keep yelling, praying, and listening. Sometimes when I yell into the doorway, they give me weird looks and walk away, other times they stop for a minute, smile, and keep going. But then there are those rare times when they stop, sit down, and listen. Other times I get to the door and they are there waiting, and THEY talk, and I don’t even get a word in. 

We can’t enter their world. But we can care. We can stand at the door and let them know someone is fighting for them. That God is there for them....

Our sound was loud tonight. So much so, that it broke a main speaker. 

I hope God’s LOVE was so loud tonight, that it broke into some of the high schoolers hearts just a little bit deeper, and that they allowed Him to walk into the door and meet them in their world. 

I wish I could bottle up today and put it on my shelf. It was one of those days that reminds me of why I do what I do