#GraceWins

#GraceWins. I just loved the theme for this year's SonPower singing, recording and serving trip for my youth age girls! I am desperately trying to get one of the t-shirts to wear. The shape of the cross on the shirt is made up of words written in dark gray that name all kinds of sin. Adultery, anger, depression, coveting, jealousy, selfishness, gluttony. Just to name a few. But right smack in the middle of the cross, in red letters is #GraceWins.

Ok, so enough of that! ;) Now just a few pictures of my people doing their thing last week. Wish the pictures were in some type of order but I don't know how to move them around. ;(

(NG serving at a daycare)

(Nightly devotions. Many nights around 10PM)

(Lovely lunch buddies in the park)

(Matthew West came and performed for the kids)

(Sweet LM helping to clean a Christian grocery store that helps the homeless and low income families)

(LM doing ballet and volleyball at the same time)

(NG at the daycare with her new friend)

(No teenage trip would be complete without a selfie or two)

(NG working at the grocery store)

(The massive cross outside of the church they stay at all week)

(Where ballet meets volleyball.)

(Favorite pass time this summer - volleyball)

So, thankful for the adults who feed these kids and drive them around and guide them and protect them. And still have time to take a few pictures. Fun time had by all . . . . 

Youth Groups

Many moons ago I was a skeptic of church youth groups. I belonged to one when I was a preteen/teen and things did not go well. I never really fit in. There were a lot of different reasons for it but when you have unpleasant memories, you tend to make other decisions based on those memories.

Not to mention I just thought God made the family and dog gone it, we were going to do everything as a family. Enter in a Wednesday night worship service with a youth choir that my oldest would potentially be a part of the following year. Those teenage kids were singing their hearts out and for many of them you could just tell in their young faces they were praising Jesus with their voices. I really was blown away. Not just that, but when you watched them, all of them, they were just really great friends. And interacted so well with each other.

So, the following year, when NG entered middle school we allowed her to attend youth choir. Just an hour, once a week. That year she did her very first bike trip and sang a solo and friendships started to blossom. Hearts started to grow. Including mine. For those kids.

That following year, we allowed her, ocassionally, to go to the youth gathering which was right after the youth choir. Hubby would go up or I would hang around. We saw the kids and how they interacted. They included all walks of life. The older kids in the group would encourage everyone to participate in whatever they were doing. I liked what I saw.

The following year both girls were attending youth choir and youth group every. single. Sunday. This year they are participating in almost everything the youth kids do. We have watched first hand these kids grow, move on, and invest in each other, in their church and in their community. NG will be with some of the same kids almost every day for a whole month with camp training, VBS, out of town choir and then working at camp.

At first that would have terrified me. And it still does a little bit because my first born baby is growing up. But, all I have seen from her is growth and a desire to do the things that she knows God wants her to do. She cares for people, she realizes that she has a responsibility to be a good example. She makes mistakes but she is a little bit quicker to own them. She is beginning to understand that pretty much whatever she does affects some one, some how.

We, as parents, could have done most of it. Given life experiences. But, it has been such a blessing to have it reinforced by peers, other adults who travel and teach them, by older kids willing to invest their time and talents.

My babies are gone for the next week. And I know they have a ton of growing to do (don't we all) but I also know they will came back just a little bit changed. And most of it for the better . . .

In a Nutshell

I could go on and on about the girls bike trip this year. But, it would take too long and I wouldn't finish so I decided to just write down the few memorable moments they shared with me so we would have it down for posterity.

The first biking day was hard. Really hard. Little Mama didn't make it along with two other girls. They were a couple of the younger riders. It was super hot and crazy hilly and 50 miles. Daddy used his parental discretion and had LM get in the truck. Had it not been for her hospital stay 10 days prior he might not have been so gracious because he knew she could do it.

They next day they spent the whole day in a really nice, really huge retirement community. Their Youth Choir director went up to what he thought was an outside restaurant type deal filled with Vietnam Vets. He asked if the kids could sing for them. Turns out it was a bar and while the kids were signing all of the people passed a hat and collected like $70. They insisted that our pastor take it and walk down the road and buy all the kids ice cream!

Next, they "opened" for a local band called Randy and the Rockets or some such name. They really couldn't stand on the stage because they would have needed a permit. But, while the concert goers were waiting for the main attraction, the kids sang off to the side.

That night they performed for a dinner show. (I think it was that night.) Members of one of the church bought spaghetti dinners and the kids served it and then sang their performance. They people very graciously recorded the whole event and put it on Facebook.

The next day I was a mess because it was another 50 mile ride and I wanted LM to succeed. I knew she could do it. I also wanted the other two girls to finish the ride that day. I spent all day praying and checking Facebook to see what I could see.  Finally daddy called and I knew she had done it. Along with the other two girls. I was so, so thankful!

LM shared with me that instead of thinking about herself on her second 50 mile ride, she concentrated on encouraging those around her. Taking the focus off of her and putting her focus towards others. And it worked! She said it was an "easy" ride! The night before, the student leader of devotions, talked about encouraging others. Not just how encouraging others can help one another but in an off hand way it can bless you as well.  And Little Mama was paying attention!

The last day was a short ride, 30 plus miles to the beach. When they arrived, they stuck their front tire in the Atlantic, sang one more song to some people on the beach and had a great time just playing around.

A few of us moms drove the four hours to get them. Literally pulled up to the beach and loaded them up and headed back for home. I had a car full of girls. I thought they would sleep. They didn't. They talked and laughed and reminisced the entire time!

Nature Girl was worried that it wouldn't be as much fun as serving at the children's home last year. But she worried for nothing. She liked how last year they biked some where and stayed for a bunch of days. Getting to know kids and serving. But this year NG said she really enjoyed the fact that they got to sing a whole lot more. They sang at least once a day, if not more.

The trip is in the books. More memories made. They days of these youth are not being wasted that is for sure. . . .

(There are well over a hundred pictures. These are just a few in random order. I don't think I will ever have them all. I am not even sure I have seen them all.)

And They Are Off

I will be sharing a lot of pictures on Facebook of our church's Youth Choir Bike Trip. I dropped a bunch of them off yesterday afternoon around 4. They got organized, did a sound check, ate dinner and performed for the church's Sunday night service. Then it was devotions, getting set up for the night and in bed by 10. Up at 5:30 I think it was, traveled down to the beach, sang for the park ranger, put the back tire in the Gulf of Mexico and off they were off.

Fifty miles today. Maybe singing tonight. Service projects tomorrow at a huge retirement community and then some R & R. Then back on the road Wednesday for another 50. Singing that night and then Thursday on the road for 30 and front tires in the Atlantic.

Just a brief overview of what I know is going on. I will get periodic updates from hubby. So, so thankful he is on the trip. Such a great group of kids (and adults) who are so willing to serve in this awesome adventure of Coastal for Christ . . .

SonPower

About a month ago now, Nature Girl had an awesome opportunity to go to Orlando with her youth choir to record a CD.

Every year the youth choir puts on a citywide event with 2 or 3 other churches.  In the beginning of the fall (I think) each member of the choir receive a CD of songs that they are to learn and then, at some point, perform in a group youth choir concert.  Well, this year, her youth choir was able to record that CD with about 500 other kids.  And they had a great time!

My original plan was to chaperon.  But, by the time we got our schedules worked out etc. a couple of the more musically inclined moms were able to go.  (Which made way more sense.)  It was a tough decision for us to make.  To let our baby girl go so far away without one of us.  But, this is the gang that goes on the bike trip which NG has been on twice before and daddy knows all of them pretty well.  And he was more than confident about supervision etc.

So, at noon, on a Monday, I waved good bye to my little/big girl and watched her go on an adventure of a life time.  I love our youth choir director.  He made the otherwise expensive trip so much more affordable.  The kids slept in a church for the week and they brought all their own food.  The moms that went, not only chaperoned but cooked as well!  

They played games and hung out in the mornings and in the afternoons did different types of missions work.  Yard work at a children's home, handing out VBS flyers and packing hundreds of food boxes to be given to those in need.  At night they would rehearse and sing and then go home and have devotions (under the big cross outside.)  They played and went to the beach and listen to a concert by Meredeth Andrews.  And, of course, sang!

On Friday, they spent the afternoon recording the CD and, from what I understand, it was quite a tedious thing.  Doing parts of songs over and over until they got it right.

I was sad I did not get to be a part of it.  But, thankful that NG could have such a great experience.  Our youth choir has been a round a long, long, time and this was the first time they had the opportunity to go.  Although they had been invited many times before.

I am so thankful for the leadership at our church.  And thankful for so many of the kids.  Young and old.  And for the parents who willingly invest in our youth. . .