Savorings...451-500

451. Finding some Ale 8 one's to share with the youth

452. Confrontation Point ministries

453. CP's willingness to be a ministry that teaches truth & hard situations so that we can grow in our relationships with God, selves & others

454. This youth groups willingness to sing together 

455. Coming home to an empty house for about 4 days

456. Taking the risk to ask for help(again) in finding a new place to live

457. That community includes people I haven't even met

458. Pedicure/manicure with Michelle after the mission trip

459. Being invited out on to the boat by Michele G and getting to go

460. Spending time on a lake

461. Cheap flights to Ohio

462. Watching my sister as an amazing mom to Grace

463. Almost skipping the 4th of July Race with dad

464. Deciding to run it even if it rains

465. Going to 3 different fast food places with dad after the race

466. Watching more episodes of Big Bang Theory

467. Mom falling asleep while we watch tv 

468. Listening to mom get excited about the Tour De France 

469. Playing games with the middle schoolers

470. Choices of objects to represent Gods love in our lives

471. Hard & good conversations with Mo during VBS

472. Watching crazy rainstorms

473. Chris Crowell & Gregg Key eating dinner & taking their time

474. Deciding to leave for Memphis at 8:30 pm

475. Laughing with Stacy & Candis

476. Yummy shaved ice from Jerry's in Memphis

477. The beautiful weather during our 20 mile bike ride

478. Trying local beers

479. Listening to Cora ask questions & tell stories

480. PULSE moved to Painturo's for rest of summer

481. Reconnecting with Courtney

482. Asking a few youth to volunteer for Project Transformation & they said yes

483. Watching the youth interact with the children at Project Transformation

484. Inside jokes and lunch with the youth at Which Wich

485. The fact my mom, Julia & Grace drove with me to Pittsburgh for the day

486. Gracie's first road trip

487. Getting to see and communicate with Lorene

488. Seeing Mandi & Will in the hospital too

489. Meeting up with Rachel Warren at Chipotle - & see Chuck & Charles

490. Lazy Saturdays with Ingrid

491. Watching the youth jump in & play with our church family at the pool party

492. Tuesday night runs with the Mt Juliet Flyers

493. Completely falling apart on my 8 mile run - 

494. Going to Summer Sizzler with my youth

495. Watching some of the youth laugh & play on the seesaw

496. Worship at Vesper Point with Paul leading

497. Moving to a new house!!!!!!!!

498. House sitting at Michelle's

499. Time by the pool with Sophia & Ingrid

500. Breathing - really breathing again

“To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.” - Johannes A Gaertner

     Summer Sizzler 2013

Online Social communities...and the ministry that I serve.

There is so much happening online these days that it's almost overwhelming. I can spend hours - hours - just reading about all the online communities and what different ministries or organizations are using them for.

I have a love/hate relationship with all of it. I am slightly addicted(read - on all the time) to facebook and twitter - I can access them through my phone now. But I hate cell phones. I still leave my phone behind when I am with people. I don't want these things to control me but I love how I can check in on my friends whenever I like...well, at least the ones that are on facebook and twitter. I mean, I even found my childhood best friend who lives in Germany! And now we are slowly reconnecting! But I really, really don't always want to know everything that people update...some people update all the time. And for whatever reason, that bothers me. And I am starting to carry my cell phone with me more places - like staff meeting. That is something that I started about a month ago...weird. I still get annoyed though when people constantly look at and use their phones when they are in a meeting with me or we are talking...but now I am doing it to. (I know, I know - hypocritical). Struggle.

So. I don't let my students use their cell phones in the youth building - or they aren't supposed to or I take them away till they leave. But they constantly try to use them and are quite successful at times...and sometimes I ignore it or I take them away. But at this point...it is time for me to accept/acknowledge that cell phones/online communities are definitely around for awhile. There are many ministries that use cell phones/myspace/facebook/twitter as a way to allow students to interact during teaching or prayer times.

So is this what I should do? I am encouraging our worship committee/team to use twitter/texting as a means for building social community and prayer and feedback in our new ICON service that will begin on January 11th. But do I encourage my students to join twitter and use cell phones while I am teaching? While other adults are teaching?

I have talked about all of this with many of my friends and EVERYONE has a different opinion.

Reasons to use twitter and texting within the ministry:
1. Instant prayer requests
2. Instant feedback
3. Can ask questions during the week that people can give a quick and short response to.
4. The ministry can send info about what is going on in the future.
5. Most of my students have cell phones now and can't imagine not having it on them for even 5 minutes.

Some good questions about twitter and texting:
1. Is there a way to filter what people say - if we post the info immediately on a screen
2. not everyone knows how to use the technology/application
3. Some students won't/can't use texting/twittering - costs too much, just don't want to, etc.
4. Sometimes twitter doesn't update info as quickly as you need it to.


I am not sure if I really asked any real questions in this post - I am still trying to figure out what I think about it all. I know that I think that some people are way too connected and run the risk of not having enough face-to-face interaction because of their online communities. I think that we tend to be less cautious when we speak/write something online because there isn't instant feedback and it seems safer to email/text/IM/twitter something to somebody. I know that I love connecting with people through these venues. I know that I don't want it to control me.