Going through adolescence and being a teenager has to be like being handed a transformer toy, without the instructions, and being told "okay, now transform this (vehicle) into it's robot form" and then walking away.

Some kids would get it a little easier than others. Some kids would struggle and get overwhelmed and confused.
"I know this thing is supposed to transform into a robot...but how do I get there?? what are the next moves? What is it going to look like?"

Isn't that true for transitioning from being a kid to being a teenager...soon to be grown up?
You know the end result is adult-hood but there really isn't instructions, your body, mind, emotions, hormones, everything is going caraaazay! and even the most "informed" kids can feel alone in this journey.
Of course there is the Bible. Life's instructions book. right? but for some people it's like handing them the instructions, but it feel like its all in a foreign language.  that's not very helpful. eventually their spiritual growth will help with the scriptures being clearer, but there is still that time when the bible stories we grow up with start to come to life and have deeper meaning and there's a transitional learning curve going on.

kids shouldn't have to go through that feeling like they are alone in this confusing time.

I hope like crazy that we will have the kinds of relationships with our kids that are open enough to discuss these things. That I'll be able to "translate" the "instruction book" when it gets confusing or unclear and that our kids will find us approachable and open to hearing anything they have concerns about.

just some food for thought after talking about helping the teens with identifying in Christ.

#BELONG

Adam and I will be celebrating 11 amazing years of marriage this year. This month actually.
When we were dating and just out of high school, it started to press on our hearts that some day we would be youth leaders. I think we both knew we had a little bit of growing up to do first, and then there was the matter of, you know, finding a church that had a need for leaders...and while we did serve as volunteer/leaders at our church for a little while, and loved every minute of that taste of ministry, we were moved across the country and didn't see an opportunity again.

Here we are. God moved us to a new neighborhood. We've been hear a year, we have found a church to call home and we are getting plugged in. At first I wasn't even thinking "youth group" when I was looking for a place to get plugged in. Honestly I was looking for a place to escape my chaos at home. A place to be quiet, and grow spiritually. I had been involved in the women's ministry at Fusion before and that was the logical place to start. When I found the "crocheting for Jesus" group I about died of nerdy excitement! combining my love for creating yarny things with a ministry!? And the other women were older, so I had this opportunity (expectation) of some spiritual mentoring. I had envisioned these quiet evenings where we ole' bitties sat around crocheting and talking about life, and God and it would be relaxing and quiet and peaceful, and quiet (did I mention quiet?) and I would get a BREAK! The fact that they (very unofficially, because it's a church group) called themselves the Happy Hookers was just icing on this little cake of yarn covered happiness.

What I didn't know...was that the call of the youth ministry down the hall during my quiet, relaxing night of crocheting would eventually steal my heart. I had such a hard time walking past the youth room to the Happy Hooker room (seriously...the name never gets old). In fact, the first night I went, I found myself in the youth room standing there, watching the kids and listening to them, and feeling such joy in just standing there. I probably looked like a crazy creepy person just standing there, bag of yarn and hooks in hand, silently staring..watching. (yes... that does scream creepy...especially since I was standing right in the middle of it all..rather than in a corner or off to the side) I didn't know at the time, what that meant for me, I honestly kind of shrugged it off, said "too bad it's the same night as crocheting.." and walked on to the other room where yarn, hooks and quiet awaited. (Just a side note...the "Happy Hookers" group was not what I'd expected, it was not quite what I'd hoped for).

It took me a couple of months...but at last, I finally couldn't fight the pull down that hall anymore. I don't know if the discontentment with the Happy Hookers was the Spirit's way of moving me along, but the tugs on the heartstrings couldn't be ignored any longer. Adam too, was beginning to feel them, so...we took the plunge.

Just a few weeks after initially introducing ourselves, partaking in a leaders meeting to "just see if it'll be something we want to do" and attending a few nights of youth saturated chaos...another leaders meeting (where I'm pretty sure they were testing us...the "horror" stories could have easily scared us away...instead it made us even more excited about being part of it) and last night I got my youth sweatshirt. I know to the other leaders, it may not have been that big of a deal. I had said "wow I love this shirt" and they happened to have an extra one they threw my way...but to me it's like I'm finally doing what has been on my heart. It took TEN YEARS to find a church to serve in like this and I know the timing is just right. I don't think I could have been a good leader during those years of child rearing....but now that that chapter is closing...this new chapter is opening and I cannot wait to see what God is going to do.

I finally #BELONG!