Quake in CA

So I hear there was a quake in SoCal this morning. Hmm, nothing shaking here. One thing I like about this area is that we really do not get the natural disasters that other areas do. We only get moderate amounts of snow, no earthquakes (normally), no hurricanes, no tornadoes, just humidity. There's a lot to be said for feeling safe.

Babies everywhere

Naomi now knows where our new baby lives, in mommy's tummy. There are several of us who are expecting right around the same time next year, I can see a very busy child dedication season next year! Naomi goes back and forth about if it is a boy or a girl. Either way I think she will be a great big sister. In just a couple weeks we head off to Michigan to my sister's house. Everyone from my side of the family will be there, a full house indeed. We have lots of stuff planned but we will enjoy being all together for the first time in more than 2 years.

Back from Blog Fast

The fast is over. Between the Choir Tour/Mission trip and our week at Centrifuge blogging lost its importance.
I continue to learn how important it is for students to trust me. Most of the issues students have with the leadership revolve around trust, at least as the core issue. The students here have had as many as 5 or 6 different leaders of the Youth Ministry in their 6 years, tough to handle. I realize that a key component for the success of the work here lies in gaining the trust of the students and their parents. Unfortunately the only way I can assure them of our staying power is to stay, so time is a key component too. The other area I need to build trust in is with my decision making. Students need to trust that the decisions I make are made with their spiritual best in mind, even the decisions that don't turn out to be the best, they need to know that it was my intention for it to be outstanding. Again this will take time and a few meaningful experiences for them to fully trust me on this.
If I wasn't ready and willing to take the time to earn their trust, I wouldn't be here. This is ministry, this is what God has called me and my family to be a part of and we are thrilled to be doing it.

Oh yeah, in case you haven't heard, Colleen is pregnant with our 2nd child!