Youth Group Hangtime

So in the summer, we have much more casual youth group meetings. Our church calls them Hangtimes. I had volunteered to have the highschoolers here last night. Sounds insane, but you put up a volleyball net and have a bonfire and you are all set. It was, I thought, quite successful.

I love listening to their conversations and Stevo playing the guitar. It's just great hanging out with these teenagers. I am amazed at myself that I love these kids. I never thought I would dig hanging out with teenagers. Although having a teenager can be a challenge, I love the kids he hangs out with. They are a great bunch of kids. Not perfect, but working on being good kids.

So with hotdogs, chips of every variety, pop, brownies and smores, I knew they would not starve. I kicked the last of them out by 11:30 and cleaned up and went to bed. Totally worth it. The dynamics of teenagers are unique and weird and wonderful. Every time I learn something new. Some of the music gets on my nerves, but that just means I am old. When I ask to have the radio turned down, I am acting my age, not my shoe size.

So, are there teenagers in your life? Do you love it or hate it or both.

God bless you and yours.

Youth Group

So, last night I helped out with our church's youth group.  Somehow, I have become a leader, I seriously do not know how that happened.  I told Pastor Tim that I would help with fundraising in January and now I am the high school girl's leader at our Velocity summer camp.  Makes your head spin.  I am not complaining, I actually love it.  I am constantly amazed by these kids, literally.  It also helps that two of my sons were actually there last night and having a great time.  Tyler plays guitar in our youth band and they were up on stage last night.  Awesome.

So, it comes to mind that God puts you were He needs you.  I have always been called to women's ministry.  I have avoided taking care of children at church.  Not because I don't love them, but really because I was so busy with four little ones, I did not have the patience to deal with anyone else's little balls of sunshine.  I worked on our Christmas Tea for the ladies in our church and loved it.  Then it happened, I just walked up to PT and said I would help with fundraising.  That lead me to help sometimes at youth group and then I was asked to help with Velocity.  I have to pause and ponder.

Some of the girls came up to me and told me they were so excited that I was going.  I am truly humbled, teenagers want to spend time with me.  Wow, really?  How fun.  I know I will come home from this camp absolutely exhausted and wondering what the heck I was thinking.  I expect God to show up and work miracles.  These kids are really trying to learn and put God into their every day lives.  They face challenges we never did and that our parents cannot imagine.  The world tells them one thing and their hearts another.  These kids are not afraid to express their faith and still be teenagers. One has their lip pierced, one has funky hair (not including my bundle of joy) one sings like a rock star, all are amazing to me.  

So, here I sit, involved in my children's lives in a way I never thought possible and loving it.  Exhausted from making milkshakes for seventy kids (Joanie makes hers too thick, I make mine too thin) and loving every minute of it.  Two of my kids will be at Velocity, but I am not allowed to be their mom on the trip, I am not in charge of them, only the chicas in high school.  Pray for me, I will have to ignore a lot of things going on in the name of being fair.  I will have to let all the burping and farting go unnoticed.  Yikes.

What are you doing in and around your kids lately?  Share the love.

God bless you and yours.