Prayer.

Please pray for the Valentine family they live here in Chesapeake.
Their daughter, Kelly who was 12 was hit by a car last night and died in the hospital she camw to Wyldlife club and heard the Gosepl. Her older sister Katie is at Great Bridge high school and attends YOung Life as well. Pray that their family feels the nearness of Christ during a time where the "whys" can out weigh every other thought.

four guys, one girl and a mission...

Almost every afternoon at about 3:43 the "kid work" of my day begins I walk up a lonely sidewalk against the grain of hundreds of Freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors at Hickory. So much runs through my mind during this time usually things like "I'm petrified," "Lord meet me here," "This is my job?" That walk is life giving for me and life altering.

I know kids recognize me, they have to by now. Outside of my 4 other teammates I am the only one going the opposite direction into the school I wonder what they think when they see me... if I'm a student, a mom? I am secretly thankful I don't look my age only when I walk up to the school. I pray that when they see any of us they see something different. I have 4 boy teammates of whom I am just so thankful to know. I wanted to tell you a little bit about each of them because they truly love the Lord and they love high school students... well and with passion... just as Christ would.

Parker- Parker is a Freshman at TCC (Tidewater Community College) and graduated from Great Bridge High School here in Chesapeake. he is probably the quietest out of all of us but he truly has the kindest heart, he would do anything for anyone and although is schedule doesn't always permit him to do ministry he tries his harest to be at everything. When he is at club meeting a new guy I promise that guy feels like the only person that matters to Parker, thats amazing.

Nacho- No, that isn't his real name Chris is his real name but believe it or not no one calls him that, adults included. Nacho is a freshman at TCC as well, and also graduated from Great Bridge High School. Nacho is a hipster, if he knew I said that he would be either really excited or sad, haha but one thing I so appreciate about him is that he will do whatever he can to make sure kids hear about Christ. He gave his first club talk a few weeks ago and his passion and vigor for Christ in his own life were so obvious as he spoke the words of Christ from scripture. He also makes me laugh all the time

Josh- Josh is a senior at ODU (Old Dominion University) also a graduate of Great Bridge, he is engaged to my good friend Ally who leads at Grassfield High School. Josh always is willing to do whatever is asked of him, he leads with quiet ambition something I admire. He doesn't scream he doesn't draw attention to himself but wants nothing more than to be cast aside but wants Christ to exude out of his presence. He also makes me laugh... probably not the hardest thing to do.

Jacob- Jacob is a junior at ODU and graduated from Grassfield High School but will tell you that he 100% from Deep Creek (a suburb thats a bit more on the fringe) Have you ever had that friend you can bring anywhere and people just flock to them? They are easy, joyful and funny? Thats Jacob. He has this personality that no matter what you do you can't help but love him. His faith is something that I admire the most... it is deep and strong and he leads with passion, when he is with his guys you just see how he wants desperately for them to know life and know it to the fullest.

I am so thankful for these boys they really try to love me as best they can and I so wish each one of you could see how they lead, how they want Hickory guys to see freedom and to hear truth. I am in battle with these 4 boys and when I walk that long sidewalk up to Hickory whether or not Parker, Nacho, Josh, or Jacob are with me I know they are in the trenches alongside me. That is a the vision of the disciples of Christ and to think that we are that vision upon an old cement sidewalk in the midst of Abercrombie & Fitch or Volcom clad seniors is truly so insane to me and makes me want to say "Lord are you sure you want me?" And of course He does.

80's Roller Skating Club

It's Monday Monday... Gotta Get Down On Monday

This past Monday we had our first ever Campaigner run club at Hickory... it was AMAZING!
I will be honest is was the most fun I have had at club all semester our campaigners really got a vision for how to run club but even more so how to love their friends in the midst of it all, not just to please us but to please their God. As I looked out into the crowd as we were singing Party in the USA I saw kids laughing and singing... this seems pretty normal but for the first time since I have led at Hickory they were into it, they had let go of everything and wanted to be a part of it all... it was refreshing it was exciting and it made me love leading even more. Now don't get me wrong leading isn't about kids singing I know this but to see them be kids again instead of kids with granite walls packed around their hearts was what I needed to see. Leading is tough most of the time but when you have a night like that you remember the ways in which the Lord is wooing His children to Himself and to be a part of that process can really alter your heart.

In such a contrast to the night I was able to share some pretty scary news on Monday night about this idea of sin, I shared the top 5 news stories on cnn.com from Monday morning and shared 5 facebook status' from high schoolers not in the room... I did this to show the brokenness... the bitterness... the anger and introduce what sin is. This message is hard... its hard to give but its real and there is SUCH redemption in it all.

I pray that this week kids wrestle with this idea of sin and I pray that kids want to know more... that they come back and I would boldly ask the same of you..

But this are moving here in Chesapeake the Lord is revealing Himself to me ever more and I am getting hard truth daily... hard needed truth.