Teenagers..lol

I work with a lot of teenagers at my beloved church HBC. I absolutely love the ministry that I am allowed to be a part of. I feel that being close to them allows me to stay "hip" and "young"...lol...even though I am really neither of those things...lol. I teach Sunday School to a buch of 10th and 11th grade girls. There is a lot of what they like to refer to as "drama". I don't think it's anything more than just girls being girls. You know, girls get "catty" and mean. I'm glad God gave me a boy first...lol. Periods and make-up and clothes and boyfriends....arghhh...not ready for that!! Don't get me wrong, I want girls...Ryan even wants girls, but I'm glad I get to cut my parental teeth on a little boy first..lol. Anyway, back to youth ministry....I began my journey about six years ago. I was asked to begin working with Angie Caldwell (Angie Aviki now..lol) and be a co-teacher for her class. I sat and listened more than I really taught, but as she stepped out I stepped up. I began teaching girls that I thought never really knew too much about me or really even were listening. I started out with Ashley Bush, Katie Chapman, Tara McGill....all girls who are probably by now getting out of college....wow I'm getting old..lol. It became an intersting growth process for me. I began to teach. Something I really never imagined I would do. I never considered myself a teacher of any kind. Now, here I was sitting in a classroom with a teacher's book in my lap teaching. It was rough going for a little while..lol. Then, I was asked to teach a girls' discipleship class and then....C A M P!!! Camp was a really different experience for me. I had never been as a adult leader. I always just went as a youth. I, again, co-taught teenagers with a youth student teacher. I remember feeling really cool for the first time in my life..lol. They liked me!!! It was one of the best moments I had experienced in a long time....outside of my relationship with Ryan, of course. As the years progressed I became more and more involved. I absolutely loved every minute. I had found my calling. It was something I had never imagined. Then, the most devastating blow....the youth minister was called away. After seven years of ministry here at Hillcrest he felt called to a new ministry. He announced that he wanted to appoint Ryan and me to interim youth ministers. I was like hmmm....do you think we can do this? It was a huge task and after many hours in prayer...Ryan and I decided this was what we needed to do. We accepted. It was a difficult task but a wonderful one. We were so glad when the church found our new youth minister. Dan left in February and Donnie came in June. It was a whirlwind of emotion and stress but worth every minute. We are in the midst of God working all around us in new and extremely exciting ways. I watch as the teenagers engage with Donnie and it's really cool to see them connect with him.

All of that to say this.....I learned in "Experiencing God" that one way to truly begin to experience Him is to find out where He is working and join Him in His work. It is the most rewarding thing ever...to come in contact with the Almighty. To join hands with Him and work with Him....it's an extremely wonderful experience....JUMP IN!!!