reason 4,786 why I do youth group.

the leaders. was reminded tonight of the crazy things we do to make the kids laugh and it made me thankful for this time in our lives with these people.

bittersweet event

I have been looking forward to fall events since Stacie & I started dreaming this summer. We knew that it would mean launching back into the school year for her and sharing more stories and life with the campus ministries students that Ryan & I have been so blessed to fall in love with as well.

One thing that ran through conversations over coffee with Katie, Megan, Naomi, Michaeleen, and excited talks with Laura & Amanda were little snippets of wisdom that I recognized from a familiar voice, Shauna Niequist. It was like some type of sisterhood, realizing that an author had taken so many of our experiences and put them onto the page. That being said, when something came out on Shauna's blog about the book tour for her second book, Bittersweet, we couldn't wait to get GVSU on the list.

I truly loved Bittersweet in a way different than Cold Tangerines. There was something so much more raw and exposed in these confessions, on the seasons of life where it feels like you are being stretched and grown in so many directions. It felt safe, like someone else had been there. The week this book came out, Molly and I sat over coffee at JPs and I read her some things about friendships and rich relationships and Molly devoured it in the next few days and shared a few thoughts here.

I could say so much more but will leave it to you to pick up a copy yourself...you may even see a giveaway around here in the next few weeks as we look forward to having Shauna in a room with so many we love.

a week in review

7 short days. But think of how much can happen in one week in one individual life. I remember the intensities of being 15, 16, 17, of meeting new people and savoring the best weeks of teenage life. This was one of those sets of 7 days for many of our students. I saw students scale ladders, conquer fears, step out of their cliques to forge new friendships and Bible's cracked. What a week. I never come away disappointed when it comes to a week with a group of students.

There were long days and short nights full of conversations with high school girls about the future and the present, relationships and hardships, loss and confrontation. Fullness is the only emotion I have to express how 7 days with students leaves me feeling. And the leaders, oh the leaders. I now understand why our leaders snuck off to have "meetings". Because those friendships are half the fun of the trip. We needed each other for sanity and for retreat, for laughter and for tears. Here is our crew for the week:

Joe, Laura, Me, Tom & Kelsey
*Ryan was able to join us 2 days in the week as well!

We completed our work of refinishing the entire exterior of a home for a woman in Holland, hung out with some great ministries doing summer kids clubs for low income families and made a generous church on the South Side of Holland our home for the week. It amazed me how smoothly things went, really without a hitch and I know it was so much bigger than us because a week before the trip, Laura & I found ourselves with an itinerary missing housing, transportation & food. And God totally superseded anything we could have planned as Montello Park CRC stepped in and graciously gave us full access to their space. I love that they believed in what we were doing enough to open their doors and trust us. And not only that, they had air, a full kitchen with 2 ovens and the ideal space for late night capture the flag, sardines and yes, dance parties.

As we camped out in Philippians 2:1-15 for the week I was refreshed by the reminders of pursuing unity and humility in order to "shine like the stars in the universe". There were moments where I was challenged to check out, to sit down, to be quiet and I followed those when needed but also felt a drive within me to keep on keeping on because those students really watch what you do. (that effort was greatly assisted by the vanilla creme coffee Kelsey picked up for me.)

Here are some pics from our week:

a snapshot

a tiny little bit of how I spent the past week. Amazing how multiple nights of only 5-6 hours of sleep can leave me so energized.

thankful for:
safety
laughter
coffee
going deeper with students & other leaders
protection
that Ryan joined us for 2 days
God's alignment of all of the crazy details
unity

more to come!

to the ends of the Earth

So if you have been around here for awhile you know how much I love these week long trips with the students. Working all day and staying up late. And maybe a little caffeine outing or two for us leaders (I mean, we are staying within 2 miles of JPs Coffee).

We kick the week off tomorrow by heading out to Tunnel Park after our commissioning at EGM where we will grill out & enjoy time together as a team. From there, we move into a local church for the week and get to spend Monday-Thursday from 8-5 rotating through 3 local ministries. 2 kids clubs and 1 MAJOR exterior painting project. Laura and I have TONS of surprises up our sleeves for the students to reward them for their hard work and I am so overwhelmed by how God lined all of this up for us. Just a week ago our housing fell through and with it our transportation our food. We now have a bus and ALL of our food coordinated by our own leader Kelsey *who just happens to have the gift of hospitality. Wow.

I think the biggest thing that I am excited about with this trip is that we are staying local. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED Bilouxi and Jacksonville too but I think there will be something really meaningful and lasting about seeing needs in our own corner of the world. I love Laura's heartbeat for to students to have the chance to live out and experience Acts 1:8 through their four years.

"you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,and in all Judea, and Samaria & to the ends of the Earth."


picture taken on the shores of Caeserea, Israel with my feet pointing west. Amidst marble scrap from columns delivered from Rome and remembering what it means to take what you know out to the corners of the world.

and this is why I am excited for the YG missions trip

Gearing up for another week and just can't wait to see all of the craziness and growth that unfold with the 27 students coming on our trip. Laura and I have been working on detail after detail to make it work. I just realized tonight how good it feels to be part of this again after missing it last year (my laments here). I also took a little stroll down memory lane to Missions Trip 2008...

And a little bragging on Ryan with the s-aweeeet t-shirts he designed:


and because we love to work with creative people, our friend Adam is printing them...check his work and creative outlet here.

lessons on how to love

Last Wednesday morning we had the joy of something that happens from time to time in our office. After our normal meeting, we invited some special guests who are participating in ministry around the world into our space. And what unfolded was such an encouragement. The couple whose story was shared spent their first 20 years of marriage working overseas, translating the Bible into a language that was never before written.

When they returned home, one of the first things they did was go to a grocery store in Miami & the girl at the checkout asked them "paper or plastic" and they thought she was asking if they were paying with cash or credit. Funny story, yes, but at the same time, a realization of how much life took place in the 20 years that they were overseas. There were so many awesome testimonies that they had to share but also some really practical resources as a result for those who are back home, praying for them and supporting them. Some of the things they shared really surprised me and reminded me that I too easily assume I know what people need.
Here are a few of the things that were surprising...and helpful:

-find out what kind of software upgrades are needed and mail a copy
-Send local newspaper stories and even cartoons to your friends overseas, reading about things that are familiar will be interesting and fun for them to read
-make sure to include them on your invitation list for weddings, graduations, baby announcements, even if you know they cannot attend the events, they love to be included
-decaf coffees & teas are often hard to find overseas and are easy and light to mail
-encourage your missionary friends with devo books written in English, they probably don't have the same access to those as you do at your local Family Christian Store

Taken from "65 Ways to Love & Encourage Missionaries"- Ed & Linda Speyers

I know for me it is so easy to get wrapped up in the day to day of my own life and I am always encouraged to hear about what is going on to advance the gospel in other parts of the world. So here are a few ministries I know of and would love to hear from you on others you read about/are praying for. Feel free to add to the list below:

part of my heart is in Florida this week

Last year at this time, I was waking up at 7 am, packing a cooler (multiple coolers) for the day and loading 30 kids into big white vans for service projects, double checking for sunscreen and bug spray and inhalers. Giving hugs and braiding hair, breaking up conflicts over who gets to be in charge of the radio and patroling for immodest clothing. And this week, each morning I think about that week in Jacksonville with the youth group and my heart mourns a bit that I am here and not there as they returned for a missions trip this week.

I love those kids and want them so badly to know that Jesus loves them too. Taking a year off from formal youth ministry has been a time for me to refresh, to get my cup refilled, all of those things. But when I think about weeks like Jacksonville and Bilouxi 2 summers ago, those weeks gave me more life and joy than many other weeks in my life have. They filled my cup to the brim with laughter and joy and somehow forced me to be my best self, knowing that how I live makes a difference to these kids. So thanks God for the fullness of loving these kids and give me wisdom to know when it's time to jump back in.

on writing.

meet Allison, or Alli as I know her. Isn't she so cute? You wouldn't know it by this picture but she is due with her first little one, a BOY, in June! Lucky me, we have been friends since I transfer schools on a "whim" in 8th grade to FBS . According to her, the story goes that she asked if I wanted to sit with her on the bus on my 1st day and Miss Independent here told her "no thanks, I have homework to do." In some strange way, she was drawn to that confident 8th grade version of me...and pursued me yet.

I think I pursued her right back as many of my memories of that period of time include lip syncing every song on this album, (pre-Celine's Vegas Days)
spending countless hours playing MASH, making home videos, camping & looking for boys at the beach. She was the friend I dropped off minutes before totaling my car on the same night we found out that some friends from youth group had died in a separate accident. The friend who comforted me through my first real heartbreak (did he really dump me for a girl in fishnets?!) and the friend that told me she thought Ryan was the one because he was willing to challenge me in a way that most people wouldn't.

One poignant night this past June, over Coldstone & coffee, we sat on a bench downtown Holland and discussed our desire to minister to other women. Our giftings are so different, yet seem to compliment one another in a unique way. Would we write together someday? Would I manage the singing career that we pray would happen someday for Alli? Would we have a platform? Fast forward to this fall.

Through my short 4 month stint with the non-profit consulting firm this fall I became aware of Mentors of Ministry, an organization that exists to "encourage everyday women to live extraordinary lives." The more interaction with them I had, I was encouraged by what I learned and decided it might be interesting to bring Allison into the mix. Over coffee, (I'm sensing a theme with coffee translating into good things happening) they invited us to be part of their outreach to women in their 20s. We have begun this spring to share the everyday lives of 2 twenty-somethings who are to figure out what God is up to. I invite you to check this ministry out, not to give me props but because it is my hope that you will be encouraged to look for God in your everyday life as well.

what a week!

we worked. we played. we surfed! and my best friend got engaged...




This past week with the high school students was such a blast. I am always blown away by how hard they work and what in turn gets accomplished. There were 31 of us total that cruised down last Sunday in a charter bus and after 21 hours in our chariot, I was ready for some Florida air in a major way. Monday through Thursday were pretty similiar in that we worked from 8-3 painting, building, cleaning up landscaping usually to a soundtrack of Rhianna, Britney and alot of gangstas that I don't know. Good times. One of the major highlights of the week for me was having Leah along as a sidekick as we co-lead the 8 girls on the trip. It was really fun to see the way our personalities brought out the craziness in one another and how we bonded with the girls.
After our days working we hit up Jacksonville beach armed with our boards and practiced getting up on the board while trying to stay clothed. It seemed like every wave one of us almost lost our top or had a major wedgie which was another source of entertainment for us and made it hard to modestly ride a wave. Our fearless leader Greg used to live in the area so he knew all of the good surf joints and hooked us up with great dinners every night after our nature filled showers. Dinner was always my favorite part of the day, and not just because of the awesome burritos and HUGE diet cokes but because we all shared our stories from the day and I laughed outloud alot. Why don't I have this much fun in my everyday life? I always come away from these weeks with a renewed sense of how much I need laughter and unadulterated JOY!













And then, if that wasn't enough, Ryan and I had the opportunity to share a really special day with our dear friends Emily and Dennis. When Dennis had called to let me know his proposal plans and hopes that we might share in their celebration I had already planned to be in Florida. But my husband, knowing me, knew how much it meant to me that I find a way to be there with him for this event. So after a few days of pouting, he agreed to let me fly home. Which saved me from another LONG bus ride and put me right where I wanted to be.

It has been so fun watching these two grow over the past few years from being great friends into a wonderful God fearing couple. My heart is filled with gladness that God brought someone as wonderful into Emily's life as Dennis. I still have memories of Emily lying on the floor in our off campus house senior year, talking to Dennis and us using our analyzing skills post-conversation. No more analyzing (and there hasn't been for quite some time now). It was a wonderful day sharing time with both of their families, feeling like we are part of Emily's and getting to know Dennis's fam. We can't wait for your wedding you guys!!