Seriously? Nov 22nd, Entry #96.

Sara:  Last week I emailed Fr. Mitchel to ask him if he knew what happened to some of the leftover supplies from Prayer and Action this summer.  I wanted to get my hands on the t-shirts and noodles (from Noodle Ball) for the upcoming Prayer and Action Extravaganza.  He didn't know, but he emailed Jeff and Dan for me to ask them since they were on staff and in charge.

Here are the responses I got from the 2 of them:

Jeff:  I’m not sure about the shirts, and noodles, but all the supplies for the work sites are in the basement at Sacred Heart.

Seriously?  All of the tools from this SUMMER are still in the basement of the church we stayed at?  Does the church know this?  Do they want their basement space back?  We just left them there?  Seriously?

Dan: I thought that Kyle Kuckelman or Bill Scholl took the t-shirts... Noodles cost 1.99 at Wal*Mart.

Seriously?  Kyle hasn't been back to Emporia since he took his kiddos during the first week  and Bill was not on staff.  Maybe they're sitting in the basement with all the tools.

And my personal favorite:

Sara:  Yeah, but noodles are going to be a bit hard to come by in November.  So, am I to assume that you tossed all the noodles from this summer?

Dan: I'd bet a Dollar General Store would have some year round!  If not...Amazon, Amazon, Amazon.com.  See you in December.

Seriously?  You really think I'm going to to find pool toys in November at ANY store??  And yes, maybe I could find them on Amazon.com, but do you have any idea how GIANT that box would be or how much shipping would cost??  Seriously?

This is the best you two have for me?  Seriously??

200 strong. Nov 13th, Entry #95.

Sara:  200.  Count 'em, 200 FLOCKs in the past 7.5 years.  Wow.  That is alot of awesome-ness happening right there.

As we did with the 100th FLOCK that we hit, we had ourselves a birthday party to celebrate.  Miranda told me that this was kind of a big deal since none of us have ever been to a 200th birthday party.  Point well made.

My thanks go out to Jane, Miranda and Samantha for decorating the youth room for us.
More thanks go out to Jordan who decorated 3 cakes for us.  And not just normal cakes.  3 seperate cakes, each cut out and decorated as a "2", "0" and "0".  So cool.

I only took 1 picture and it was upside down.  Forgive me.

I think my favorite part of the night was when we asked the FLOCKers to share their favorite FLOCK memories with the group (sidenote: Aaron and I made this up on the spot so we could give our volunteers time to cut the cakes).  The kids got up and told some pretty funny stories from FLOCKs past and even participated in a few reenactments as well.

It was a super-fun night full of streamers and goody bags and disney music, but the whole point of the night still kind of floors me when I think about it.  200 Sunday night youth groups.  This doesn't even count the service projects, fun nights, mission trips, retreats and other cool things.  Just Sunday night FLOCK.  Wow.


100th Birthday Party Group, 2008

200th Birthday Party Group, 2011

I really do have the best job ever.

Parallel Parking. Oct 11th, Entry #94.

Sara:  On Tuesday I taught Hailey how to parallel park....using post-it notes.  That's right.  She had to take a driving test that afternoon and was worried about parallel parking.  And I said, "I can teach you how to do that, my friend told me the best way to do it."  So, I had Jordy draw us some cars on 2 post-it notes and we were in business.

If you'd like to learn how to parallel park, keep reading.

Step #1  You're driving down the street, you find a nice, cozy little spot on the side of the road and decide you'd like to park there.

Step #2  Then you take your sweet little blue car with really bright headlights and you pull right up next to the UPS truck that you want to park behind.

Step #3  Then you, slowly and cautiously, back up until your front tires are parallel with their back tires.

Step #4  As soon as your front tires are matched up with their back tires, you turn your steering wheel hard so that the back of your car starts to back up into your cozy little spot.

Step #5  When it seems that you are just about as far as you can go before you hit the curb, turn your steering wheel sharp the other way and straighten out your car.

Ta-da!  If all steps have been followed correctly (and Aaron told me these were accurate steps, I checked) you should now be successfully parked.

Now, I haven't actually checked with Hailey to see how she did in her driver's test.  I hope my advice worked.  I really hope she didn't hit the cars in front of or behind her.

Awkward first dates. Oct 9th, Entry #93.

Sara:  Sunday night at FLOCK we talked about dating.  Ahhh dating.  The awkward-ness of it never fails and really never ends, even when you're 30.  Even when it's a great first date, it's still awkward.  Anyways, we talked all about dating.

We started the night off with some skits, 2 skits about the Best Date Ever and 2 skits about the Worst Date Ever.  Let's be honest, I should have just renamed the activity "Most awkward skits about a first date you can think of" because wow....awk-sauce!  But they were hilarious.  We had Melvin, and a blind blind date (love it) and con-joined twins, and human bowling pins, and snowball fights, and awkward dads, and Revelation soup, and bungee jumping.  Definitely all things I have done on a first date.  Obviously.

And then Aaron and I got into the meat of the night.  We'll just let the quotes sum that up.

Sara: What was invented that changed courtship into the modern dating of today?
Kids: the telephone, television, sewing machines (what?)
Michael: Women's Rights

Aaron: So Melvin here, is from another country where they don't date, they have arranged marriages?  Where are you from Melvin?
Collin (as Melvin): Canada
Someone else: That's why he wearing a "USA" hat.

Sara: What is dating?  Come up with a definition in your small group.
Erica: When you go get food together...you know, *wink*, the code
Aaron: *crazy, intense, knee-slapping laughter*

Aaron: Well, usually the guy is into the girl since he asked her out but that doesn't mean that the girl is into the guy.
Sara: Yeah, I went out with this guy once who was really nice but he was sooo short.
Aaron: Oh, so you discriminate based on height, huh?
Sara:  He had to sit on a cushion in his car.

Aaron: So when is a good time, or age, to start dating?
Erica: When boys mature.
Samantha: Sooo, never.

Aaron: Who should you date?  What are some qualities you should look for?
Erica: Someone who makes you really warm when they're around and makes your tongue swell up.

Aaron: First dates should involve doing something interactive so you can talk and get to know the other person. And it can be free, like the petting zoo.  The petting zoo is a great place for a date and it's free and it's not just for kids.  And it's much cooler than when you were a kid because you had to ask your mom for quarters to buy feed, now you can just bring your own to feed the goats.  And baby goats might be the most adorable creatures ever.  Just saying.
(Sara: he was very passionate about the petting zoo)

Red Bull. Oct 10th, Entry #92.

Sara:  I went to this week-long seminar a few years ago on "adolescent catechesis"  (translated: how to teach teens the faith).  After the first day they gave us homework....we had to create something that represented our ministry.  We could create from the pile of crafty items left for us or write a poem or something else equally cheesy.  And to be honest, we went to dinner that night, played some frisbee and I totally forgot about my homework until the next morning.  So, on an index card I drew a can of Red Bull.

When we got to class that morning everyone had to present their creation to the rest of the group. When I stood and held up my poorly drawn Red Bull, the head presenter looked at me like I was crazy or just lazy. 
But here is what I said:
The kiddos in my ministry are my Red Bull.  They give me energy.  When we are on mission trips and we're tried b/c we're working hard all day and sleeping on the floor at night, they make me laugh and wake me up.  When I'm cranky because something didn't go the way I wanted it to, they lighten the mood and make me feel better.  Just being around them and their crazy amounts of energy just puts me in a better mood.  Without even knowing it, they lift my spirits, make me happy, pick me up when I'm down and just make life more fun.
I think the main presenter still thought I was just lazy or didn't really get the assignment, but even though I came up with my answer right before class started, I knew it was a right on representation of my ministry. 

I bring up this story because last night on the way home from FLOCK, I realized that they did it again.  They were my Red Bull when I needed them most.  I had a looong weekend full of lots of people, lots of events and lots of family staying in my tiny little house.  It was a great weekend but by Sunday morning I was stressed, exhausted and wanting to crawl in a hole, NOT be up in front of 40 kids.  I was anxious about the whole situation and freaking that FLOCK was going to be lame b/c I was in a lame mood and just not excited about any of it.  And then the kids showed up.  And they were full of energy and had funny stories about the weekend and were just being themselves.

And on the way home, as I'm driving with the windows down, blaring my radio (with a CD made by one of the kiddos, thanks Jordy!) I realize that I'm in a great mood.  And then I realize that all of that anxiety and stress and other junk that had been dragging me down all day was gone.  They did it again.  They were my Red Bull and gave me all the energy I needed and pulled me out of the dumps.

It's things like this that remind me that I have the best job ever.

The 2 Ultimate Truths. Oct 5th, Entry #91.

Sara:  Middle schoolers can be so gross.  I mean, c'mon, they'll eat anything!  Ok, so maybe it was my idea that they eat these gross things that I won't even smell, but still, they do it.  Not only do they do it, they fight over the fact that only 5 of them get to eat the gross things.  Seriously?  Where is their sense of propriety?  Actually, I'm glad they don't have any or else my game would not work.

This game really did have a point, by the way.  Before each kid took their first bite, I asked them "do you have the courage to eat it?"  They would say yes and then eat away. ugh.  Our topic for the night was Courage.  After we attempted to explain that eating gross things does not count as courage (more like insanity) we talked about what courage really means.  We even did a little pop quiz where they had to read 2 statements and decide which action showed courage.  And just to be the annoying middle schoolers that they can be, they had to argue each point...they couldn't just pick the obvious answer. 

For example: Accepting responsibility when you mess up OR blaming others for your mistakes.  Really guys, you want to try and convince me and blaming others can be courageous in certain circumstances??  They were sure getting creative.  And Aaron and I kept looking at each other with exasperation like, "seriously?  do they really think this way?"

And I wanted to end the night talking about an almost-saint and how he stood up with courage for the right thing.  I'm just hoping I can get through the story without them making smart-alick comments.

And behold....the room transformed.  As I started to tell the story of Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro, they were silent and listening and interested.  Wow.  They even asked good questions at the end about his life.  (Learn more about him....he's awesome)

Here's the thing though....I was not surprised by anything that happened last night.  I'm not surprised that they ate gross things, or tried to sabotage our pop quiz, or said dumb things.  But I'm also not surprised that they were transfixed on the story of a man who innocently gave his life for a greater cause and died for his faith.

After 8 years of ministry I have learned, and I will stand by it forever,that there are 2 things that will always, always, always grab attention, leave an impression and change the hearts of teens:
#1 The Theology of the Body - God's plan for love and happiness in our lives
#2 The Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross - or anyone who follows Christ's example of sacrifice

These are 2 ultimate truths that can't be ignored and are written so deeply into the fabric of our hearts that every time we hear them we can't help but be struck.  I've seen this affect 5th graders and 12th graders.  Both responses are the same.  They know the truth when they see it.

Even after they have been eating something totally gross.

Happy Birthday Brent, Sept 20th, Entry #90.

Sara: One of our favorite parts about Prayer and Action are the relationships that are built between the students and the seminarians.  In what other context can a high school student spend time, sometimes hours, painting a house, playing an intense game of Chutes and Ladders, listening to discernment stories, having deep one-on-one conversations, or plotting water balloon attacks on and with young men studying to become priests?  I can't think of any other place.

The impact that these men have had, just on my teens, cannot be replaced.  The students get the chance to see these guys as real people, not just pictures on a poster.  They get to know them and then think, "huh, maybe being a priest wouldn't be all that bad, I mean, these guys are pretty cool".  It is invaluable.  I cannot express my gratitude enough to the fine young men of the Diocese of Salina and the Archdiocese of KCK.

So, with that being said, I just wanted to give a shout to one of these seminarians on his birthday.  I met Brent 3 years ago in Manhattan when he was on staff.  He was a young guy that was more prone to get in trouble from Gale than deliver a heart-rendering speech to the students....but that is exactly what made him accessible to the kiddos.  He was like them, they could relate to him. 

They could follow him up the tiny stair case of an old church bell tower...

...or paint the side of a house (and each other) with him and talk about faith for hours....

....or learn about all of the many things that Brent has learned in seminary thus far...

....and make us laugh really, really, really hard. (notice the look of suprise and subtle disdain on Fr. Peter's face in the background)

So Happy Birthday to you Brent....here's hoping that you touch many more lives and learn many more things in seminary.