Journey

Tonight I went to a meeting on planning your funeral.  I was the youngest one there.  But, that was ok.  I've been to quite a few funerals and have had close relatives die.  I realize what a blessing it is when at a time of emotional chaos decisions are already made and families don't have to do it. 
One thing that is helpful is to know favorite music and scriptures of those we love.  This isn't something we should wait until they pass to find out.  We should be willing to both share and learn about loved ones favorites.  There is probably a reason behind their favorites and hearing the stories and hymns would be even more special when you can share it while they are here rather than after they are gone.
Lately, I've also been preparing for youth group this summer.  For the 4th year, I will be having guest speakers share their spiritual journeys with the youth.  I am always excited to watch how God works through the people that come to share.  I invite people from different backgrounds and with different journeys in hopes that the youth will find someone to relate to.  We don't all take the same journey and I want the youth to not only understand that, but to see it. 
I guess it's appropriate that I am focusing on journeys and passing things on like favorite scripture today.  Tomorrow I will celebrate being a year older.  A year ago, I wouldn't have guessed where my journey would have taken me today.  But, I feel truly blessed to be where I am- to have 2 jobs doing what I love!  I feel truly blessed to have a family that I love and friends that I love.  God has been very good to me this year! 
So, where was God today?  He was in the conversations and plans for my future.  And, He's been with me every day since I was born almost 37 years ago- even when I didn't realize it at the time.
Psalm 139:13

New International Version (NIV)

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Blessings,
Jennifer

Shepherd

During the retreat, I talked to several people about their work and lives.  We closed the retreat with a worship and discussion time.  One of the people shared part of her journey.  She told us how she came into youth ministry.  I don't think anyone comes to youth ministry without having a story of what led them there.  And, hers was a beautiful one.  During her story, she shared of a scripture and sermon that seemed to be the way God was calling her.  John 21: 15- 19 is the story of Jesus asking Peter 3 times if he loved Jesus.  Jesus then responded with "Feed my sheep".  This scripture and subsequent sermon led her to use her amazing gifts to shepherd so many youth and now youth workers!  I loved thinking about how our job is to shepherd others. 
Random thoughts enter my head sometimes and I usually don't share them.  But, I have to today.  As I was listening to her talk about the service, I thought "wouldn't it be cool if that was what our sermon was based on tomorrow?"  Yes, I said random, weird thoughts enter my head. 
So, this morning, I went to church and realized I had forgotten to wear blue.  It's Blue Sunday and we were talking about child abuse prevention and awareness.  The scripture for this morning was not John.  It was the 23rd Psalm.  "The Lord is my Shepherd..."  I thought to myself, "that was close- we're talking about shepherding".  And, then the pastor started his sermon.  We talked about how we need to care for the abused and hurting, that we are responsible for their spiritual growth.  If the church doesn't help people grow spiritually, who will?  We all got blue sticky notes to write down the name or names of those who need our prayers.  And, during his sermon, he brought up the conversation with Jesus and Peter!  We are all to be shepherds to those who need shepherding!  This has to mean something.  I don't just have weird random thoughts that happen the next day.  As I sat there listening, the whole sermon seemed to be what I would have imagined the sermon to be like for the youthworker who shared at the retreat.  And, it got me thinking about what God is telling me.
A few weeks ago, we had a glow walk for child abuse.  Several people spoke during that event.  One mentioned how many victims needed volunteers to help them have a voice.  That hasn't left my mind, although I haven't talked about it at all.  But, I feel God is leading me to volunteer for CASA.  I've done some research and am going to look into it.  Maybe this is something I can do to help feed God's hurting.  We all have the opportunity to do something.  Prayer, action, whatever your gift, there are abused children who need our help.
John 21:15-19

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Reinstates Peter

¹⁵ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

Blessings,
Jennifer

Retreat- Saturday

During my retreat, I enjoyed connecting with people.  It's such a blessing to me to spend time with people who do what I do, who understand what we are about and know the struggles and triumphs we have. 
In case you were wondering, I survived talking about mission trips.  Hopefully, they survived hearing me ramble.  I did warn them before we started that I had just come back from one and so I was excited and they would have to stop me eventually! 
I got some ideas of things I might want to look into and some things to think about and use for discussions with my youth in the near future.  But, what I enjoyed even more was just being.  God knew that's what I needed.  With the busy life I have and the ups and downs of life, I needed some time just to be.  I had a chance to sing, to listen to scriptures, to talk, and to share.  I had very little to no cell service and no wi-fi (although I did try... habits are hard to break).  Instead, I had campfires, and nature, and the opportunity to be surrounded by people who love God and strive to do His work.  It seemed impossible to not recognize that God was there.  I love those days!
Here is the scripture we started the weekend with.  It set the tone for my thoughts and heart for the rest of the weekend.  It spoke to me, as did the other scriptures of the weekend- which you'll hear about soon ;
“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.” Galatians 6:4-5
Blessings,
Jennifer

Drive

Yesterday I went to a retreat.  It was about 5 hours away.  Some thought that was pretty far and wondered why I would go that far away.  To me, the drive was part of the retreat.  It was well worth it for several reasons.  But, since this is my Friday entry, I'll talk about my ride there.
It ended up being more like 6 or 7 hours due to mapquest leading me on several "scenic routes."  So, that gave me a lot of "me" time.  The perfect way to start my weekend retreat was to call a friend who I hadn't talked to in way too long.  We finally had a chance to connect and catch up.  (Don't worry, I have a bluetooth!)  I have missed her greatly and lately we just hadn't been able to connect.  But, it was a great chance to hear how God has been working in her life and to hear what has been going on with her.  She is one of the people who God put in my path to encourage me to not only become closer to Him, but also to be more open about sharing my faith with others- something that has been instrumental in leading me to where I am today.  So, I couldn't think of a more perfect way to start my retreat.
After talking to my friend, I called my aunt and uncle.  My aunt answered so I talked with her about how my uncle is doing and what his cancer treatment is going to be.  I got off the phone and, although my aunt seemed positive and we talked about this all being part of God's plan, I still felt sad.  Seeing anyone suffer through cancer and knowing it's never going to actually go away for him made me sad.  So, I was thinking about that as I turned on the radio hoping the Christian station I'd found awhile earlier hadn't gotten lost yet.  So, as I turned it on, a song was just starting.  "Come to Jesus" by Chris Rice was just the song I needed to remind me that I don't have to feel sad- that Jesus is here with us and when our time is over, then we go to Jesus forever. 
So, where was God today?  He knew I needed that song at that moment.  And, I was blessed to have a long ride to talk to close friends, including Jesus.
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:5-8
Blessings,
Jennifer

Baby

Tonight one of my youth sent me a picture text.  It was his baby cousin and he wanted me to see how adorable he is.  Earlier in the evening, he told me that he, his mom, and his grandma were now caring for him.  I remember 5 months ago when he was born and how excited this teen was.  It's all he could talk about.  Then, suddenly he told us he didn't see him anymore because his aunt was in trouble and instead of taking responsibility, she was on the run.  Yesterday, she decided to turn herself in.  And, although she had upset everyone in the family, they supported her and are taking care of her baby.  The love and forgiveness of her and taking care of what she loves most reminds me of what God does for us when we decide to turn ourselves over to Him. 
So where did I see God today?  I saw Him in the love this teen showed his aunt and cousin.
Matthew 25:40

New International Version (NIV)

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Blessings,
Jennifer

Workshop

Today I worked on my presentation for this weekend.  I'm going on a youthworker retreat and I have to do a workshop on planning and leading mission trips.  It has me a little stressed since I've never really done that before.  I talk to teens all of the time.  But, adults, that's a different story! 
So, I started with what I know how to do.  I am creating an outline to organize my thoughts.  As I started typing it last week, it actually came pretty easily.  I'm hoping what I'm typing will make sense to me when I start to talk Friday.  And, I'm hoping that what I have to say is what they need to hear.  I've been to workshops and have become inspired.  So, I am praying I'm able to do that for someone else. 
So, the only way I know how to do that is to make sure God is at my workshop with me.  So, today, I'm counting on the fact that He was helping me find the info I needed and He was helping me put it all down in writing.
Blessings,
Jennifer

Gifts

Tonight I went to a symphony concert.  I took one of my youth for her birthday.  It was a great concert with a variety of music and some very talented soloists.  As I read the program beforehand, a name stood out.  I had recently come across it on facebook on a page dedicated to my uncle- the one I mentioned the other day was sick.  My uncle was a music teacher in the high school.  He was the teacher everyone loved.  So, I was anxious to hear this guy sing.  He was awesome!  His voice was beautiful!  He definitely has a gift.  As the concert went on, I noticed the people I was sitting by taping everytime he came out to sing so I figured it was his family. 
After the concert, I had a chance to talk to the soloist and I found out my assumption was correct.  he was a student of my uncle's.  It was obvious he thought very highly of my uncle.  And, I told him how much I enjoyed hearing him tonight because seeing him made me think about my uncle and all of the people he taught throughout is years and how many people are now sharing their gift with others because of him. 
So, going off on a tangent while driving home, I thought about the gifts God has given us.  Some gifts are obvious like a beautiful voice, others are not as obvious.  But, we all need to use our gifts. They were meant to be shared and we'll never know what our gifts will accomplish.  I'm sure this guy tonight didn't think his singing would affect his former teacher's niece.  And, if I hadn't ended up standing right next to him I probably wouldn't have told him.  So, we may or may not ever know what our gifts accomplish.  But, we need to use them.  God gave them to us for a reason.
So, where was God tonight?  He helped me work through some things in my head and gave me comfort through the someone's amazing voice.
Blessings,
Jennifer

Friday

Today was a great day!  I got to spend time with a friend I haven’t seen much lately.  It’s been a kind of stressful week.  So, having some downtime to just hang out and be silly was just what I needed.  We laughed, we talked, we laughed, we ate, and we laughed.  Well, you get the picture. 

After that, it was time for me to get back to the grind.  It was pretty tough.  I had to play ping pong, pool, eat pretzels, and listen to music all night.  On the surface, that’s my job.  Underneath, it’s the connections, the moments, the time I spend actually listening to teens.  Tonight one girl said she’d be there on Monday because it’s the only place she can be kinda crazy and not get kicked out.  Several others decided to call me mom today.  They’ve just started coming.  One asked me to play ping pong and pool with her constantly.  They just need someone to care about them and to accept them. 

I am blessed that God made this a part of His plan for me for several reasons.  First, I get some downtime.  My previous job had me working all day on the days I didn’t work at the church.  Now, 2 days a week I don’t go to work until mid afternoon.  And, I have Saturdays off unless I schedule something with the youth.  It’s hard for me to get used to so much free time.  To me, not working until 2 is basically having a day of.  But, I’m loving it so far!  Secondly, I love my job and people I’m meeting.  The potential I see every day is amazing!  But, the neglect I see amazes me, too.  So, I am glad and hopeful that I can show these teens their potential no matter what their situation. 

What possibilities!  So, where was God today?  He was laughing with us, He was listening with us, and I’m pretty sure some of my pool shots were His ;) !

Blessings,

Jennifer

The Word

I heard that awful word tonight.  It's probably one of the most hated words known to man.  Unfortunately, it seems at one time or another, we all hear it.  So, tonight I did again.  The unknown masses my uncle has are malignant- which means cancer.  I've seen people deal with cancer and I know what treatment can do to someone.  No matter how big or small, it's going to be an uphill battle. 
It brought to mind the others I've known with health struggles.  What have they had in common with my uncle?  A deep faith and trust in God has always been a part of life.  Knowing that God s walking right next to them, and being a part of everything was a blessing.  Not only that, but what I experienced, as did some others, is the Christian love that was shown by others.  People came out of the woodwork to help, to bring meals, to offer words of encouragement, or to pray.  When my husband was sick, people I didn't even know were praying for us.  People I didn't even know came up to me and prayed with me.  There are few things as powerful as praying with a stranger asking for God's comfort!
It was during those times of struggle, that God appeared in many ways, through many people.  I am confident that my uncle's journey will be no different.  Being a very loved member of his community and of his faith community, I know that many prayers will be lifted up for his comfort and healing.  As I told my dad tonight, one of the great things our family has is stubbornness.  This gift God has given us will help him on the tough days. 
So, even though it's a hard thing to hear, I know God is here.  I know He has a plan and that He will put the people my uncle needs in His path.  It's in these times that we need to search to see God the most.  It's easy on the awesome days, on the days we have a "Mountain top" experience.  But, it's the hard days when it's vital to find Him and cling to His words and to trust in Him.
Psalm 46:10

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

Blessings,
Jennifer

Reminder

I had a wonderful day!  I spent time this morning working with my youth to prepare for our service tomorrow.  Then, I came home to my parents who are visiting for the weekend.  We went to the place I love- my happy place- where my grandparents house was.  We reminisced with people there and looked around the area.
After dinner, I sat with my mom and watched videos of our famine a few months ago.  There were a lot of videos! 
There was nothing new today.  I've mentioned them all before.  But, I saw God in everything today- hearing my youth talk about their mission trip and famine experiences, seeing the beauty He created and the comfort He gave me when I was in my place, spending time with my parents who God blessed me with, and basically everything about my day.  Today was a reminder of how God has blessed my life in so many ways!  And, as I was reminded by listening to my youth, because I am blessed I need to do everything I can to bless others.
Deuteronomy 28:2
All these blessings will come upon you and find you if you obey the LORD your God’s voice:
Blessings,
Jennifer

Wednesday

I'm still working on catching up.  So, I'm skipping to Wednesday. 
Last night we worked on our service for Sunday.  I met with the youth to figure out who is talking about what and to get their thoughts down on paper. 
Sometimes, during the whirlwind of an event, the actual impact of it all gets lost.  Leading a group of teens, being in charge of it all, I sometimes don't get a chance to focus on the present.  That's what I miss about having a very small group.  I am not saying I want to go back- the more youth I can help build their relationship with God the better.  But, there is something to be said for having a small group and more time to connect.  Anyway, it seems that now I find out the impact later more so than at the time of the event.  It happened during the famine and it happened Wednesday. 
We divided the famine and mission trip into different events or days.  Each youth picked something to talk about.  Then, they started writing.  Once they started writing, they seemed to be intently writing.  There was no writer's block- they just wrote.  The first one to finish announced he was done and I had him read it.  He gave the specifics very well.  But, then I asked him why it was important and how it had impacted him.  And, that's when he spoke from his heart- the words I wanted them all to share.  I quickly wrote it down so he'll be able to share it Sunday.  It's not always easy for teens to share from their heart- adults are the same, I guess.  But, when asked, these youth are able to.  And, that's when I hear where God has worked in their lives.  Putting aside all of the silliness, the times it was a struggle to get them to pick up after themselves, the arguments between friends and siblings together for long periods of time, they truly understood why they where there.  They truly learned from the people they encountered last week.  And, they truly do want to share God's love with those they encounter.  I call that a successful mission trip!
Blessings,
Jennifer

Sunday

We arrived back to the church around 1am.  We were all tired.  So, when we unloaded the vans, I told everyone to put the food from the coolers in the youth house.  I'd deal with it later.
Sunday, we cleaned out the vans to return them.  When I went in the church after we were done, I saw a family in the office talking about looking for work.  They had several children and were obviously struggling to make ends meet.  I thought about all of the random food left from our trip.  We had gotten generous donations from the church, along with money for shopping while there.  So, we ended up with extra bread, lunch meat, cereal, etc.  There was no need for it at the youth house and I had been wondering what to do with it.  This was my answer.  I got several of the youth to follow me to the youth house and we gathered food.  Then, we went back to the church and offered it to the family.  They were very grateful.
So, where was God today?  He was there with a family who needed Him.
Blessings,
Jennifer

Saturday

Saturday was our journey home.  So, I think God was in our safe travels there and back.  The ride went smoothly and both vans seemed to have a good time even though they were stuck in a van for 15 hours or so.  During the trip, each person wrote in everyone's journal.  They wrote positive messages about each other.  Of course some were silly things about the week, but others were messages of encouragement and love.  At the beginning of the week, some knew each other better than others.  But, by the end of the week, they were all old friends. 
Looking back on the week, I have to say it was an interesting week.  Every year, my mission trip has been a unique experience.  This year, it was unique from the beginning since there were so many last minute changes.  Creating my own mission trip at the last minute made for some hectic days before we left.  But, seeing people from the church support our mission and continuously bring in food and snacks was awesome! 
Getting to the church where we stayed and feeling welcomed from the moment we arrived was a blessing.  All I wanted for the youth was to go to a place where they were wanted and needed.  The 1st year, God gave us Nigel, the man we worked for.  Last year, God gave us a potato shack to tear down.  This year, it was a little harder to find our moments, our mission.  We worked at the thrift store.  But, the job was not a mission trip set up but rather something I found on a volunteer site.  So, rather than having the mission trip philosophy of experiences being more important than work, this week, we worked and had to find our own experiences.  They weren't handed to us.  But, isn't that how life is?  Sometimes, things are going well and we see God everywhere.  It's easy to be "Godly" during those times.  But, that's not really enough.  It's not in the easy times but in the times where God isn't as obvious that we need to search for Him.  This year, we found Him on the streets of New Orleans.  We found Him in the random people we met. 
We did good work.  But, we'll probably never see the results of that work.  The store we worked at benefits a women and children's shelter we never got to see.  That reminds me of life.  We work hard to do things, to make things better for others.  And, alot of times, we never see the results.  This year, it wasn't our mission trip, it was God's.  We had our moments, we grew closer as a group, and we developed teamwork and leadership skills, and most importantly we grew closer to God.  As in anything with a lot of people from varied lives, some seemed to get things more than others.  But, my guess is that I may never know who or how lives were changed this week.   
So where was God?  He was in everything- even the unseen.  This was God's mission trip and I hope He enjoyed every minute of it.
Blessings,
Jennifer

Friday

I got some sleep this afternoon so I'll try and catch up on here. 
Friday we worked at the church we stayed at all week.  We cleaned, organized the pastor's office, cut branches and picked them up, and chopped down a small tree.  It was great to see all of the youth working and to see them work as a team!  It was amazing to see the difference in the group from last Friday when they arrived at the church until now.  Spending a week with people really brings a group closer together.  They formed bonds that I hope will last forever!
After working, the pastor took us on a tour of the places hit hardest by the hurricanes.  It was a mixture of hope and sadness.  There were so many new houses going up and they were stories of hope.  Most of the houses we saw were being built by Habitat or some other organization that was helping the people of the area.  So, seeing God's work through the generosity of others was a wonderful message of hope.  But, there were also the houses still in shambles, the places where only a slab is left, and even a street sign with no street left- only grass and weeds.  Seeing that, I can't even begin to imagine what the people who live there must have gone through.  We went to the memorial and saw a visual of where the water lines were in new Orleans.  How scary!
 Musicians village was a fun place to see.  Realizing that musicians have some tough times, musicians village was created to help them have affordable housing and live out their dreams of being musicians.  The brightly colored houses were a favorite site for the youth.
We got back to the church just in time for dinner and a walk down the street to the snoball stand.  Then, we were off to the Good Friday service.  We arrived just as they were starting.  The service was beautiful.  But, the highlight of the evening was the solo by a man playing his guitar.  He sang the story of Jesus to the tune of Starry, Starry Night- which I love.  Hearing that beautiful song with the words of the greatest story ever told was something that really touched me.
We got back to the church and it was time for our last night there festivities.  We had a talent show!  Everyone had all week to come up with their act- either solo or as a group.  We had singing, dancing, skits, and comedians.  It was a lot of fun! 
So, where was God today?  He was in the youth working in His house, in the people from the church welcoming us and working with us.  He was in the people having hope to rebuild New Orleans and in the people volunteering to help rebuild.  He was in the people sharing their gifts and talents.
Blessings,
Jennifer

Meetings

I fell asleep before I had a chance to write.  So, here is Thursday's update. 

We worked at the Thrift Store today.  All week we had been working there with little interaction between us and the people there.  But, today the guy in charge worked right along side about 6 of them on a project.  It was great to walk by and see them working hard and enjoying their time together.  The rest of the group at one time or another spent time sorting tons of shoes.  They were all in garbage bags and they got dumped out and we had to find matches- which may or may not actually be there.  It was very tedious work.  But, the highlight of it was talking to the woman in charge of that area.  She was a sweet woman who is 5 months pregnant with her 5th child.  She spent the day with us and every time we had the chance to talk, she told me how precious all the youth are.  I told her I agreed.  Whenever I glanced over at her, she was laughing or smiling.  It seemed we made her day.  Towards the end of the day, she mentioned she had to leave at 3 because she was having tests done.  Her doctor is afraid her baby has Downs syndrome so she has to have a test done that isn't very pleasant.  When she told me, I could tell she was nervous.  But, that was the first time she let on that she was having anything other than a great day.  If we hadn't been there, she would have spent the day working alone and thinking about her appointment.  And, if she hadn't been there, I wouldn't have had the chance to have her help in reinforcing to my youth how awesome they are. 

I knew the day was going to be interesting when we were on the ferry and a woman came up to the window to greet us.  She asked where we were from and then started telling us about her life- living in New Orleans and dealing with life after the hurricane.  Then she mentioned how she was spending time with her son who is trying to turn his life around after being in and out of jail.  It's amazing what can happen in a 5 minute ferry ride. 

Just before we docked, I ran to the van and got a mini prayer shawl.  The prayer shawl ministry team gave us extras and we've been giving them out all week.  So, I gave one to the thrift store woman and I gave one to the woman on the ferry.  Giving people something and telling them it's to remind them people are praying for them has been a great experience for me and my group.

So, where was God today?  He was in the people I met and talked to and in the moments we shared together.

Blessings,

Jennifer

Moment

This morning my prayer was to somehow give my youth "a moment"- a person, place or activity that impacts them to bring them closer to God. My first mission trip they met Nigel- the man we worked for who changed their lives by inspiring them. The second trip they were inspired by the group building and lives changed within the group. This year, they hadn't met anyone or had "a moment". Of course working as a team has impacted them. Things have gone really well and they are definitely having times of getting closer to God and building their relationship with Him. But, I wanted even more for today. So, I asked the One who could give it to me. And, He didn't let me down. After attempting to work this morning, we weren't able to. The weather and scheduling for the thrift store workers didn't have the same plans we did. So, we headed to the French Quarter. We parked by a park and the water. So, we decided to eat lunch there before wandering the streets of New Orleans. After lunch we were about to leave the park when we saw the cutest puppy! Of course, we all headed to see him. The owner was overjoyed for some company and someone to entertain his puppy for a few minutes. Then, he started talking to us. He shared about how he had done some things wrong but that he knew God had sent Jesus and that he was now forgiven. He asked for the youth to share some scripture they knew. The youth were engaged in what he had been saying but then were shy about reciting anything. But, finally several did with his encouragement. Then, he told us that if we were ashamed of sharing God now, God would be ashamed of us when He came back. This really hit home with the youth. After talking some more, we asked if we could pray with him and he asked if we could get in a circle and each say something. So, we basically did our candle time in the park with our new friend Carl. As we walked away, several kids came up to me excitedly telling me how amazing that was and how he had impacted them.

We went through the rest of the day enjoying the culture of New Orleans- the Cathedral, Cafe Du Monde, watching people create art, watching street performers, and eating at a great restaurant. I was wondering how many would end the day thinking about Carl who we had met so much earlier in the day or everything else. But, God took care of that. On our way back to the vans, a man playing the trumpet stopped us. He had the youth sing "This Little Light of Mine" and several other old hymns. They talked for a minute but we had to catch a ferry. But, just that short time at the end of the day made their day start and end with the same focus.

So, where was God today? He was in the poor, probably homeless, men who impacted our day and our lives.

Blessings,

Jennifer

Scripture

Today was a great day!  It started out a little shaky- nothing major.  The youth are all assigned chores and this morning, the leaders ended up finishing up what they didn't do, making us late for our ferry.  So, since we had time until the ferry came back, I decided we should have our devotion/ discussion time in the waiting area.  Earlier in the morning, I had thought of a scripture I wished I had used the night before.  But, I decided to use it anyway.  It was the story of the widow who gave everything she had and even though she didn't give as much as the rich people, it meant more because it was everything she had.  So, I asked the youth why I was using that scripture at that particular time.  From then on, they pretty much did their own devotion. 
It was so cool to watch them listen to scripture and see how they were affected by it, how they understood it, related it to their lives, and used it to make a change for the better!  For the rest of the day, they worked hard, they worked as a team, and they didn't complain.  Things got done!  They were tedious things and it was hot.  But, that didn't seem to phase them!  They were focused and working for God today!  They gave everything they had- all of them!  And, they didn't look at what anyone else was doing or wasn't doing.  It didn't matter to them.  Watching how scripture was put into action was inspiring!
A week ago, I had contacted a park that had needed volunteers.  Wednesday is our "free day".  But, I thought it would be fun for the youth to go to the park and work for a few hours and then hang out there.  It's the 2nd largest park in the US so there's lots to do.  I called the volunteer coordinator and e-mailed him.  After the 4th try, I figured we were out of luck.  But, this afternoon, I got a phone call from him needing volunteers tomorrow at 9am.  I went to tell one of my volunteer leaders as he was standing on a ladder working on lighting, as he'd been doing since Monday morning.  He told me that he had just been thinking "how am I going to get on a ladder tomorrow?"  His body was telling him it wasn't happening.  So, spending the day working and playing at the park was an answer to his prayers. 
So, where was God today?  He was everywhere, in every thing.  It's so hard this week as we focus on God to find a place where God wasn't there.
Mark 12:41-44

A poor widow’s contribution

⁴¹ Jesus sat across from the collection box for the temple treasury and observed how the crowd gave their money. Many rich people were throwing in lots of money. ⁴² One poor widow came forward and put in two small copper coins worth a penny.^{[a] 43} Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I assure you that this poor widow has put in more than everyone who’s been putting money in the treasury. ⁴⁴ All of them are giving out of their spare change. But she from her hopeless poverty has given everything she had, even what she needed to live on.”

Blessings,

Jennifer

Sprained Ankle

Today we got to start working!  We started out the day washing furniture and ended with moving the furniture, mopping where it was and then moving it back to mop the other area.  In between we dusted, sorted, and arranged tons of books. 
All in all, nothing we did was earth shattering.  But, tonight, I asked them where they saw God today.  And, they mentioned several things.  They talked about seeing Him in the work they're doing, in the teamwork they used to get the job done, in the storm we had this evening, in the people we're working for, and basically, everything we did.  Although at times I know they weren't ecstatic about what they were doing, when asked, they realize that they are still doing God's work.  I shared about the abused women and children and what it means to them to have a place that they can come to for help.  And, even though they will never see the women they help, they are helping every abused women in spirit.  Several mentioned stories of things people they knew had experienced.  I'm hoping this helps them put a face to their work tomorrow.
Another thing that's happened this week is somewhat unfortunate but has turned into an eye opening thing for me.  The night before we left, one of the boys sprained his foot.  He's on crutches now.  This kid is a sweet kid when he wants to be, but, as the youngest child, he enjoys antagonizing to make sure everyone knows he's there.  For that reason, he tends to get some people agitated.  This week, he hasn't complained about hopping around, he's been as independent as he possibly can be, and when I ask for a volunteer, he's the first to raise his hand, even though he doesn't know what I'm going to ask someone to do.  Today, he begged me to let him do things that I didn't think were good for him to do.  Finally, he used a rolling office chair to roll around and sweep.  He had sat with ice on his foot part of the time and during that time, several came up to me and mentioned he wasn't doing anything.  Of course, they all had their chance for a break so I reminded them I was in charge and taking care of it.  But, tonight, I felt I needed to address the issue.  So, I had a task and asked for a volunteer, knowing he would raise his hand.  The other volunteers and I had planned it beforehand so one of them took him out to help him with his task.  I shared with them how this boy must feel and talked to them about being compassionate, etc.  It was a great time for an object lesson and discussion time.
But, the cool thing is this boy never saw anything more than wanting to help and do everything he could to be involved in serving others.  He wasn't worried about his own pain, he was worried he couldn't serve enough.  This week, it's obvious God is in Him.  And, looking at the story of the widow who had nothing but gave everything she had, I see him giving everything he has.  And, his actions and attitude this week have blessed me beyond words.
So, where was God today?  He was in our work, He was in the boy with the sprained ankle, as well as the other youth.  And, He was in our time of devotion and discussion.
Blessings,
Jennifer

Sunday

This morning, we helped the church where we are staying with their children's programs.  They had crafts, snacks, and an Easter egg hunt.  Somehow, one of my volunteers got the idea to share some of the mini prayer shawls with the Sunday school kids.  We brought extras to share with people along our journey.  He talked to someone involved in the discussion time and she was delighted to get them.  After their craft time, she gathered the children and shared about the prayer shawls, explaining that people from our church prayed over them as they made them.  So, whenever they held them and prayed, their prayer concerns would go to us and we would, too prayer for them.  The kids were excited to choose theirs and it was really neat to see the church include us as part of their ministry.
After the children's time, we went to the service.  It was a traditional service, but a very small congregation.  They were all very welcoming and enjoyed having youth there.  There were no other teens there.  The service was beautiful.  As the pastor started to preach, I was amazed to hear her talk about several things we had talked about the last few Sundays at youth group.  She shared a story that would have tied into our "black dot" lesson last Sunday.  Then, she shared a story about hope that would have tied into our discussion the week before.  And, actually, the whole service was focused on hope.  She included a candle lighting as part of communion.  Each person was to light a candle to help  them put away things they need to and focus on hope.  It reminded me of our 30 hour famine candle lighting time this year.  I had thought about bringing the candle we use at youth group but decided against it.  But, we got to do it anyway this morning.
Everything we did today reinforced what I already knew.  God has put us where He wants us to be. 
So, today it's not about where I saw God- I saw Him everywhere- but where He sees us and what He wants us to be doing this week that I need to focus on.
Blessings,
Jennifer

Road trip

My postings may be sporadic the next week, although I'll try to catch up if I don't post daily.  I'm with 17 other amazing people this week!  We got here last night.  I guess the first place I saw God yesterday was in the van ride.  I guess it had to be since I was in the van from 4:30am until 8:30pm. 
But, I have to say for an endless ride with many youth with very different personalities, the ride went extremely well.  On the way to a trip, not everyone is close or knows each other really well sometimes.  And, not being real sure about what to expect can cause some anxiety and nervousness that may tend to make teens "snippy" with each other.  I didn't see that yesterday.  Although some were newer and nobody knew what to expect, the ride was pretty calm, stops were pretty quick, and I didn't hear "are we there yet?" until about 14 1/2 hours into the trip.
What's the secret?  You make them really tired and they sleep alot!  I know this sounds funny, but to me, I saw God in the blessing of getting to our destination safely and peacefully.  And, it's because of the wisdom of my pastor and the willingness of good friends.  I had planned to stay all night with my youth before we left at 3am (which was changed to 4am later) and my pastor had the great idea to have the drivers go home to sleep and have someone else stay with the youth. 
I am grateful for the sleep I got and for the friends who were able to take care of things for me.  It eased my mind and made the start of our trip much better.  Even though they had to kick me out to get me to go home and sleep, I was relieved to get some sleep in my own bed before driving. 
So, where was God today?  He was in our journey, keeping us safe.  And, He was helping to keep us safe by giving me the support of great people in my life.
Blessings,
Jennifer