"Youth Ministry"

I went in today for blood work after one week from having chemo. My numbers were good enough that I didn't have to get a shot. To God be the glory, great things He has done!! This is going to be a very busy week for our youth staff. We begin Disciple Now Weekend (DNOW) on Wednesday and as of today we had 305 students signed up. Sign ups end tomorrow at 5:00pm and we will be close to having 350 total is my guess. We have 33 host homes to put all the students in for the weekend from Friday to Sunday. We always pray over the names and truly trust God to help us make good decisions for each student. The keyword to working with the youth is called "flexibility". After years of doing this, I finally realized there is no way to make over 300 students and 33 homes completely happy. So we trust that God will orchestrate all the details out for us. I am so thankful to be part of a church that believes in investing in young people. The youth group was very important to me growing up, and I believe that is why I have such a passion for what I do. If a student does not have a foundation in Christ before leaving for college, the chances of them growing in the Lord decreases each year. I remember taking Bryan to college, and I realized that if a student hasn't been taught morals or values by then, they definitely won't learn it at that point in their lives.

This whole week will be a very busy week, but worth every second. I am so grateful for my health and how God has carried me through this last round of chemo. I am praying and expecting Him to do great things through the lives of our students, college leaders and adults. Psalms 5:3 "In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."

  "Today is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."