Count Down

...only 26.5 hours to go until the First Annual Youth Group End-of-year Lock-in!! At this point, my biggest challenge is narrowing down my list of 25 unbelievable games to the 10 most epic. If you come, know this: you will get messy, and you will laugh.. alot... at yourself, at each other, at me & Amy.
See You There!

Summer's coming...

This weekend is Memorial Day Weekend - and that means a few things are on the way: hot weather, watermelon, swimming, end-of-year-exams, and in a few weeks... the unrivaled feeling of being done with school for the year. The last weeks of school were always my favorite - nothing like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Good luck to everyone taking final tests. Make sure to enjoy some watermelon this weekend...

In other news, the Lock-In is coming!!

A Lock-In is a crazy event in which everyone stays overnight at the church, we engage in sundry games and other zaniness, we have a brief and uncomfortable night of sleep, and then we all share breakfast and go home and sleep some more.

Amy and Jeremy are laying plans for a full schedule of good times. Here's what you need to know:

Friday June 1st: arrive at 6:30 pm. go upstairs to the third floor where we'll have dinner. Bring: sleepingbag, pillow, PJ's, a change of clothes, $10 for dinner & breakfast.

Get picked up at 10 am Saturday morning.

The rest of the plans will be unveiled when you arrive. Be ready for a good time!!

Free Stuff

Big thanks to everyone who helped at the yardsale last weekend!! It was big fun, and we met our fundraising goal.

I think my favorite part was the last half-hour of the sale, when we started giving stuff away. People were streaming off the sidewalk, grabbing boxes and loading them up as fast as they could. I watched a large hispanic family outfit themselves with bikes, chairs, kitchenware, toys, and all kinds of stuff. It was Christmas in May!

It is a really good feeling to be on the giving end of someone's lucky day. And a good reminder that God's gifts to each of us are given freely...

Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;

and you that have no money, come, buy and eat!

come, buy wine and milk,

without money and without price.

Why do you spend your money on what is not bread,

and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

listen carefully to me,

eat what is good,

and delight yourselves in rich food.

-Isaiah 55:1-2

Calendar:

We are back on track with youth group this Sunday night!! 6-7:30 at church.

And get ready for the big Lock-In!! Friday June 1st - Saturday June 2nd. Plan on showing up for dinner at 6:30, and getting picked up the next morning at 10:00. Bring $10 for dinner and breakfast. Amy and Jeremy have some good times planned - you don't want to miss this. Bring your friends!

Facial Hair

Been getting a lot of feedback lately on the new look. A few things I've noticed:

-It's generational: fifty years ago, only beatniks had facial hair. So people who were around then suspect that I'm a beatnik. (fine by me).

-It's also a gender thing: dudes (especially teenagers) have an intuitive respect for the unshaven face. Dudettes do not.

If you want to weigh-in on my beard, please leave me a comment and let me know: thumbs up or thumbs down? Be sure to cast your vote, and then I'll get Ryan Seacrest to come tally the votes and announce the decision on national television...

Moms

They make the world go 'round.

Tupac knew it. Lincoln knew it. Most of us figure it out at some point or another.

In the words of Tupac's hip-hop anthem,
"There's no way I could pay you back, but my plan
is to show you that I understand...
you are appreciated."
Sounds like a worthy goal for Sunday May 13th.

No youth group this week - go be with your mom.