Celebrating Seniors

One really cool thing our church does is to host a reception for all the graduating high school seniors. They each set up a table with photos, memories, accomplishments, etc. We had the reception last night with like 18 seniors participating. It was pretty crazy because we had 350-400 people packed in our high school room. It was a cool night and the end to a long 13 hour day for me.

What do you do to celebrate grads (jr high or high school)?

SONIC

Just finished a burger, tots, and cherry limeade at Sonic in Fresno. Delicious.

Fresburg

Today was day one of hanging out in fresno. Grabbed some lunch with eric putman at this amazing place called the doghouse. We may head to modesto tomorrow if I hear back from one of my high school friends. Here is a pic of nicole and I relaxing.

Blogs O’ Sweetness

Just made some updates to my “Blogs O’ Sweetness” links on the right. Here are some people for you to check out.

Dan Lance – young adults guy at the Grove
John Snyder – John’s been on my list, but changed his blog address. He’s the jr. high pastor at Journey in Okiehoma.
Tim Schmoyer – I don’t know Tim personally, but I read his blog and I believe he reads mine. He’s got some good youth ministry stuff. He recently made a move from Texas to Minnesota so I’m sure he’s probably freezing his butt off much of the time.
Tony Steward – Tony’s a newer guy that came to Saddleback after I left. He does some sort of stuff for Doug Fields.

24

Lots of posting on this in the blogosphere…here’s my take:

Jack Bauer….still the man….slightly down in the dumps….but still the man.

Last few minutes of last night….crap, that was crazy.

Curtis….we will miss you….along with every other character on this show that we’ve grown attached to and now lost.

Best Quote: Lucas texting me saying “there goes magic mountain”

Snow Pics

My mother-in-law took some pics of the snow at their house (about 5-10 minutes from us). There’s one of my sister-in-law out while it was snowing and then their table and deck.

NOTE: I know those of you who read this in places with actual weather will probably scoff at these pictures. But this was the most I’ve ever seen it snow someplace I’ve actually lived.

LCT

Nicole put a few pics up on her blog from the Living Christmas Tree. Check them out.

Cara’s Teeth

We have a student in our ministry who’s about to start her junior year of high school. Last Friday night she was playing capture the flag with her siblings and some friends and fell flat on her face. Hard. Her front two teeth were knocked out and the three next to those were jammed up into her jaw. She had to have surgery that night. On top of all that, her parents are former missionaries to Southeast Asia who have currently returned to the states because Cara’s mom is undergoing a second battle with cancer. Incredible people. Now check out Cara’s response to this whole thing. Wow.

A Planned Accident

…The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day

–Psalm 139:16 (The Message)

God is never surprised. And as I rode to the emergency room in the front seat of our mini van with my front teeth resting at the bottom of a cup of milk and a blood-stained rag held up to where they used to be, God was not alarmed. Even as I sat there crying over the 5-tooth empty space in the front of my mouth, I had to chuckle as that verse in Psalms came to mind God let me know that he had known this would happen even before those 5 teeth came in.

He had planned that my two front teeth would come flying out by the roots when I bit the sidewalk and that the other three would be jammed up into my jaw. He had measured and counted each step I would take before I tripped over that curb, and lined up those steps perfectly so that would happen. He had thought out all the variables… that I would play “capture the flag” at 9:30 at night, that I would threaten to go back inside but chose not to, that my team would be one point away from a tie, that Travis would be about to tag Alisa and that I would come running up to her so she could pass me the flag. But that I wouldn’t make it past the curb. Eleven years ago when I first moved into this house, He looked down on that place and already knew what would already happen to me there. And even before that, when construction workers poured the cement sidewalk, God knew that the City would plan to place a water meter there. That the top of it would stick just enough out of the ground that my teeth would hit it but no other part of me would be touched.

And that comforts me. To know that however I will look and do look after this… that’s how God wanted me to look, that’s how He planned it out. For some reason He had planned to put this even into my life… and it boggles me… all the factors that had to come into place to lead up to this. I don’t really understand how this happened — that me, a calm, unrecreational girl would have her teeth knocked out — but to me that means that this really was no accident. This obscure fall has a purpose in my life and I plan to live this out for all it’s worth.

-CARA

Seminary

Tonight I start my first class of my final year of seminary. This is my fifth year at Golden Gate. It’s been good, but I’m excited to be done. My last few classes should be cool though. I’m taking Intro to Missions on Monday nights and Working with Small Groups on Wednesday mornings. Then I just have an exit course to take in the spring.

Bat Attack

Fullerton man chases man who robbed him with baseball bat

“When the victim found the robber, the robber took the bat and hit the victim.”

Note to self: If someone comes at you with a knife to rob you….do not chase them with a baseball bat…especially if you are not able to keep hold of said baseball bat.