Angie's Youth and Young Adult Ministry Blog

Surviving Adolescence

Wednesday night was the last session of this year's "Surviving Adolescence" Stone. It's the 6th Stepping Stone in a series of 8 and is intended to help parents and their 7th graders (12-13 year olds) build communication skills that will help them survive and thrive in the adolescent years. Impossible? Not at all. By sharing highs and lows every night, plus reading a scripture verse, and looking for God's presence, and saying "I'm sorry" as well as praying for and blessing one another, parents and kids can share very special, intimate moments. Moments that money just can't buy. Priceless.

At the end of the evening's events, two parents approached me with tears in their eyes to say 'thanks'. One wanted to thank me for "putting on the program" and the other wanted to thank me for pushing to make parents and kids talk. At the beginning of the first session, both of them thought that this might be wasted time. At the end of the third session, both of them were ready to change their habits and practices in order to build stronger relationship with their kids.

Awesome.

10-15 minutes a night. Every night. In every home. It works.

18

At 2:35 p.m. today, my baby turned 18. How did we celebrate? Well, we began the festivities this weekend with a family dinner at Bravo (the tiramasu is her favorite dessert), some gifts (a life-size cut out of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow), a coffee house concert (she didn't want to go but ended up loving it), and a good walk--just she and I and Buddy the Wonder Dog--where we could share our highs and lows and talk about where we've been and where we're going. A great weekend. Today I surprised her at school with 18 candy bars, yet another Jack Sparrow treasure (a bobble-head doll), two photos: one of her when she was 6 months old and one of her just a few weeks ago, and more stories, more memories, and just a little (or maybe a lot) of embarassment as we sang to her in Environmental Studies. Ahhh...a good day, indeed.

I am, however, feeling a little old today. Now my baby can buy cigarettes, get a tattoo, gamble (Power Ball tickets in Iowa, casinos in Minnesota), and enlist in the Armed Forces. She is also the same age I was when I met her dad. (sigh). How can time pass so fast and seem like it's going so slow? Amazing.

Happy Birthday, Bailey. I'm glad God blessed me with you. You're awesome.

It's a Stepping Stones Day

Actually, it's a Stepping Stones week. Back at work half-time, I spent my week designing a brochure for the Stones program, leading Stone 6 (Surviving Adolescence), making a video of Stones at Plymouth, and working with the Stones Coordinating Team to give out information at this morning's ministries fair.

All Stones, all the time. Not a bad way to spend the week.

What did I learn? That 7th graders and their parents have an awful lot in common. They are both excited, scared, trying to get their point across, having problems with hormones (teenagers have too many, adults are losing theirs), and wondering what they will be when they grow up. Stone 6 had kids and parents both laughing and crying together. It was awesome.

What else did I learn? That making videos is a lot of fun, that working too hard isn't fun, that people are hungry for tools to help them grow closer to God and other people, and that I really do have a pretty cool job.

A good week.

Motivation

A question for you to answer: How do you motivate others? Humor? Encouragement? Fear? Guilt? Really. I want to know. Actually, I want to know two things: how you would like to motivate others and how you actually do motivate others.

Me? Well, I'd like to motivate with enthusiasm, by example, with encouragement, and lots of laughter. I'd like to inspire people because of a connection and a shared desire to make a difference. The truth is, though, that my method of motivation usually is a mixture of everything I listed in the first paragraph. Some days I'm good and build teams of people who share a vision. Some days I'm not so good and end up yelling and blaming and guilting people into doing things. Just ask my kids.

Anyway, this is a social experiment. Drop me a line and let me know. I'm curious.

It's Been a Long, Long Time

OK, so I'm a bad blogger. I think we established that fact a few months ago. But I'm back now, better than ever. This summer was a blur: a vacation to Austin and San Antonio to visit Paul's family, building a Stepping Stones team at work, sending Ben off to his first year of college, celebrating Bailey's last year of high school, and being amazed that Hannah (the youngest) turned 16 and can now drive. You'll hear more about these events in the weeks and months to come.

The biggest events of the summer happened all within the past few weeks. In a relatively short period of time my grandmother (my first faith mentor) passed away, I learned that I need bi-focals, had a hysterectomy and turned 40. It was quite an August. I am now at home recovering from surgery, working a few hours a day on confirmation and Stones ministry, watching a lot of movies, napping with Buddy the Wonder Dog, knitting, and pondering what life is all about. What does God have in store for me? Who am I called to do and be? How can I share my gifts with the world in a way that matters and makes a difference? And why are soap operas so bad yet so addictive?

I have seen visions and dreamed dreams while laying on the couch the past several weeks. As they play out in the weeks and months to come, I will share more with you. Until then, know that I intend to take life a little slower, ponder things a little more, worry less about things that don't matter, and appreciate who I am, who my husband is, and who my kids are a whole lot.

Life is, indeed, good.