A new day...

We woke again this morning to the sun shining on a new day...

 we're ready to face it

 ready to EXPLORE more,

BOND more,

 PLAY more,

 EAT more,

{Parents, your children ARE eating, we promise. They have been served up meal upon meal of teenage friendly food- not to be confused with a healthy, balanced diet- but it is food, so let's leave it at that}

Yesterday was a good day. We have all remarked how quickly the week has gone. Sadly, it is Friday already and I think we'd all agree that we are not quite ready to pack up and go. 

Some of the highlights from yesterday:

 Remember these two and their attempt to get noticed on stage?

Well, it didn't exactly go off as they had schemed...but I suppose you have to hand it to them for their ingenuity. I mean...the deal was you had to "make it on the stage"....and technically they DID--

{the following is proof that they were in fact ACKNOWLEDGED from the stage, 

though they were not mentioned by name}

{Oops...technical difficulties- sorry!}

This is Micah, he's a creative writer/speaker...the kids have enjoyed his gift of thought-provoking words. Drew and Tristan were not real happy about the words he spoke directly to them yesterday- "500 pushups in return for a shout-out from the stage", but hey, among thousands of people in the room, those two figured out a way to be addressed directly. Genius.

BUT...in defense of the other two in the "contest", they more accurately accomplished the feat of making it onto the stage. Taking their own ingenuity in hand, they found out a way to have someone unlock the convention center early in the morning and allow them to actually STAND on the stage. 

{I know, it's small...but Kali and Emma are up there- on stage...so, clearly, THEY WIN}

But it's okay...

the boys conceded the race to the girls and slept off their disappointment, it's all good...

BUT...

the competition continues. And it goes something like this-

"Whoever can be the gutsiest and will succumb to the prompting of Jason's instigating, WINS"

{Parents: this is all Jason}

So, yesterday afternoon, when Jason dared Drew to walk on stage at one of the seminars--

he took the bait and regaled us all with his stealthy walk to the edge of the stage. He thought he had won...

....until Faith took the bait and walked not just to the side of the stage, but to the microphone

But, no worries....Drew will not be shown up. Ever. 

And he won the competition by walking {running} to the center of the stage and sitting down.

It's all in good fun-

 more fun...

One of the highlights of the day came at dinnertime...

around our table, a totally unplanned, unscripted conversation.

15+ people around a table meant for 8 having deep discussion about things like

dating

relationships

respect

modesty

holiness

The students agreed that they talked more openly and shared more freely than usually happens, 

and they liked it. 

The morning session is about to start. And amongst the leaders there is a sense of wanting to see our students moved. Wanting them to hear something today that wrecks them. Wanting to see change and renewal and revelation and surrender and transformation...wanting so much to see our students free from the trappings that trip them up and wanting them to sense the moving of the Spirit within them.

It is our prayer that they ALL find these things...

but we agree that at the end of the day, if one of our students meets Jesus in a fresh new way-in a way that changes the course of their life forever,

then this day and all that it holds

will be a day well lived.

We hold this day lightly and trust that God's hand is at work...