Family

I've spent some time praying and asking God what is the word you have for me this new year and this new semester.  Over and over  again I think of the word family.  I think of my life and my family.  I think of my son and husband and how much joy it is to call them my family.  I think of the delight it is to "share" them with others, to have YL alumni or leaders come around our table and eat with us, laugh at Otto throwing food with us, share conversations with us.  I feel God pushing me more to welcome in others into our own family.

If you ask YL students currently in LS what they love about YL they say it's...family.  I love that.  We want to be a place where the outsider feels like an insider.  Where students are welcomed into a family and feel wanted and accepted as they are.  Where they can discover at their own pace who they are and who Jesus is.  The verse that echos in my head daily is:
                                  
Psalm 68:6 God sets the lonely into families. 

I love our LS YL leader team.  I love our family meal before club where we fellowship together, laugh hard, and pray over our time with kids.  It is rich and full of goodness.  Each week there seems to be someone new who has wandered in and wants to be at the meal, who wants to be on the leader team, who wants to be in the family.  I'm thankful for those people.  We will continue to be a family to one another and offer the YL family to students.  We are glad to have kicked of this semester as a family. 

YL Leader Family (plus some YL friends :)

I got my back, back.

I wanted to officially send an update about my back and thank you for all the prayers.  I know that many were praying, loving, and helping us.  It was a wild ride.  But I am certain that God intervened and I am so grateful.  I keep dancing and skipping around saying, "I got my life back!" There is still so much that doesn't make sense but so much that does.  Here is bit of the timeline of events;

1.  Back kept going out last 2 months each time significantly worse than before.
2.  This last time was the worst.  Ended up seeing a Chiro and Orthopedic surgeon.
3.  MRI showed a ruptured disc and a bulging disc on my nerve roots.
4.  Ortho wanted to schedule 3 surgical procedures- 2 nerve blocks, and a nerve obliteration.
5.  Couldn't get a 2nd opinion due to no one would see me until Jan.
6.  Pain at highest point- ended up in ER.
7.  ER doctor gave us a referral to a spine specialist- neurosurgeon and gave me a lot of pain meds.
8.  Really struggled with how long this pain would last and how long recovery could be.
9.  Prayed a lot.  And throughout the steps above.
10.  Saw the neurosurgeon.  See the report I posted below:

"The neuro surgeon (spine specialist) read my MRI and saw me. He said I have no need for any procedure or surgery. He said that I have small disc bulge and it does not need anything. That my issues from pain all can't be explained but it is mostly all muscle related and basically a tendinitis of the muscle. I have a new med to help that. Have 6 weeks of limited movement and no heavy lifting and then begin core strength training. So praise God. I was scheduled for a surgery procedure for tommorrow... And got to cancel all of those!"

11.  Am carrying and lifting Otto!  Holding and rocking him and loving every minute.  :)  
12.  Living gratefully and enjoying things I've overlooked.  

Thanks for loving us through this.  I know it's not the last thing to come my way that's hard.  I know that some of you are in the midst of hard now.  I know that God listens, even when we don't think He is.  I know that He can work all things for good.  I know that God never leaves us and feels our pain with us.   I know that I matter and you matter to Him.  I know that I love my husband and his mad praying skills.  I love his heart for Jesus and his reliance on the Lord.  I know that it feels incredible to be surrounded by a community of loving people.  I know that when my hope runs low He puts others in life to step up and He offers hope.  

Everything comes from him;
Everything happens through him;
Everything ends up in him.
Always glory! Always praise!
    Yes. Yes. Yes.
Romans 11:36- Message

I Never....

I never thought I'd be writing you from my bed on bed rest from a bad back injury. I've been on my back and in excruciating pain for 9 days now.   I've not held my son since Dec 4th his first birthday.  I never thought my faith would be tested and my hope depleted as I try and find Him within me.  Now, reflecting back on this year with Young Life I never thought I'd see…

-  Adults join us for our leader dinner before club and beg to be a part of the YL team.

- 150-250 kids come to hear truth.

- A leader team that I love and that loves one another, and is exceptional.

- 50 of us go to rad dog road trip and love it.

- God using me while serving on jury duty in crazy ways.  (Ask me more)

- God using leaders to literally save the life a kid.

Needless to say, I am here in bed, longing for a full recovery and uncertain of the future, but this I know…

Life just got simple again. The Christmas hustle for gifts and busyness is gone. I just want to be able to walk and pick up my son. I didn't get to decorate the house or make cookies and that's okay.  I want to be with my family and see joy, feel hope, and celebrate the one who came to give it. I know there are times when our faith is tested; I’m in it now.  I know there are times when our hope supply runs low and can only come from the one who came to give us hope and life; I'm there.  I know He knows me and loves me.  I know He is powerful and mighty.  I know He makes things new.  I know He is the same yesterday and today.  He is a God of the ages. He told a man to pick up his mat and walk and he healed him inside and out. I know that He has given me friends and family to help find hope for me. I know that I matter to Him.

As I lay here I've had a lot of time to think. I think of this year. This year I've had a son and I am so thankful I'm struggling instead of him. I think of how much Jesus took our struggle on himself for each of us. I think about how much I love my YL family, from my assistant, Kim to the new freshman girls. I think I've had a great year seeing the goodness of The Lord in the land of the living.

Jesus is My Pilot

Have you seen the bumper sticker saying, "Jesus is my co-pilot?"  I think it's not the right phrase to slap on the back of your car and live by.  I think it should say, "Jesus is my pilot."  You see we are invited to let him fly our life, our plane, on the path he has for us, to see amazing things, to fly through dark clouds, to find joy and his presence in all things.  We are invited to let go of the controls and let Jesus pilot us.  To let him lead us as we follow him.

Yesterday on of our leaders, Curtis, shared an incredible metaphor with students of following Jesus is like flying a plane.  It was amazing and Jesus used Curtis to meet students where they are at and speak truth.  Curtis wrote a poem and shared it last night.  Take a moment to hear these beautifully written words of truth and life.  I'm so grateful to be a part of this ministry and to have a team of volunteers like Curtis love Jesus and students.

Recently, a pilot was practicing high-speed maneuvers in a jet fighter.
She turned the controls for what she thought was a steep ascent-
And flew straight into the ground.
See she was unaware that she was flying upside down,
And instead of pulling back up, into the sky,
She actually cut down, so hard she couldn’t eject,
And died.
Now what actually happened here?
She thought she was going up without any fear,
She was still confident, even with the ground so near,
Confident in her pattern of flight, 
That the way she was flying was up right,
And for a mindless mistake, something many would think simple, she paid the 
ultimate price. 
And just like this pilot- how many of us fly,
Full speed through our lives,
Not knowing which way is up?
It’s a difficult question,
Really this issue of direction,
How to fly your life so you can make a correction,
And be confident in your selection,
So you know without a doubt, which way is up.
You’d be surprised by the answer: It’s a simple connection.
It’s a connection. 
You see it fits together,
One made for another,
Like points that make a line,
Like the vertebrae of your spine,
Like when you’re cryin,
The predictable answer: I’m fine.  
But you’re not fine,
Don’t give me just another line. 
Because under further inspection,
I can see that lack of direction.
Your life spiraling begins, 
Caught in an upside down tail spin.
You’ve hit that wall
And call as you fall,
Faster and faster
Deeper your voice gets small,
Beating on your minds wall
But it’s too tall, and it’s fighting back.
So your engines stall. 
And now you can’t get it to restart.
That’s right, you can’t get it to restart
Because you need a new battery,
But wait, the verdict from the jury
“Wires crossed during
High-speed flight”
As the gavel comes down with a bang 
Your life, out like a light.
And as the judge turns to your attorney,
You scream at him, “Why can’t you help me?”
But the ruling is in. Done let the next case begin.
Another victim,
To internal assault and battery.
And then you realize,
Your attorney was you, and the jury too. 
Materialized by your desperate tries, and desperate lies.
Why can’t you help me?
Because me is yourself, all you did was take another book off the shelf,
Of your own mind.
Searching internally to find the answer,
You dodge questions like a dancer,
Spinning around,
But the trend is down if you keep your hand down,
To shy to ask a simple question. 
No this connection
You need to jump-start your engine, 
To stop your spin
Can’t be found by searchin
a library within. 
No this connection isn’t between metal and flesh,
Dragging one across the other so you may gain a little rest,
Externalizing the internal pain in your chest. 
No this connection isn’t about the way you dress,
Looking your best to try and impress,
The rest of us.
Or if not that just to fit in
Like a chameleon changing its skin
Just camouflaging 
To keep people dodging,
That question: What’s on the inside?
Guys this connection isn’t between you and a girl,
Girls this connection isn’t between you and a guy.
It’s not an expression visible
In anything you do physical. 
Understand what our culture feeds you is criminal.
But they don’t put nutrition facts on media,
So you could look up- Google or Wikipedia-
What they pour in your cup.
It’s nicotine and it will give you leukemia.
They tell you physical is typical
And neglect one syllable
About the atypical miracle you view as minimal.
But I can’t bring this to a close
Without telling you about the connection I chose. 
You see it’s the best present I could ever give you. 
The connection with His presence in your present,
A connection that gives your lost life a direction,
Up.
So no this connection can’t be found in money, clothes, or hoes,
You’re offered this connection because one man-
Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God- rose.
He rose to close your eyes to those
Unsatisfiable knives.
He rose to show you
You’ll never find fulfillment in material to clothe you.
But most importantly
He rose to know you.
To show you and to grow you
Into something you’ve never been
Seen or done.
He’ll give you a light from within,
As bright as the sun.
And he wants his connection to shine
To give other’s fruit from your vine,
And He’ll stand in line
Of the next bullet of your mind
That trigger- you want to pull it
To silence the voices in your head,
No, you aren’t better off dead.
Because he has plans for you,
Plans for good and not for disaster
To give you a future and a hope,
No, don’t just fly faster.
No, don’t for one second
Think it’d be better to plaster
Your mind on the wall, put down your weapon. 
Because the one that created you,
Has a bigger plan than
That dark cloud your mind flew through
Saying if you just ended it tonight,
It’d be alright if you were dead, 
Another fighter fallen victim to the flight in your head.
 
But He’s screaming at you
I NEED YOU.
I’ll show you a light,
That shines through that cloud,
So you can set your life up right,
So you can set your controls right,
I rose so I could pull you up
I rose to pull you up to my Son,
And save your flight, your life. 
So please, loosen the noose around the throat,
Of your mind, He knew you’d write that note
He knew you’d turn to that knife,
Even before you allowed him into your life. 
You see because even I didn’t know,
He’d pick me, 
A worthless man you see
To show you that you’re still needed.
That you’re still needed regardless of how impeded or depleted your flight 
path is.
I’ll live as a testimony, to show you, He can still grow you,
Up to that light, you can still pull up to His light, no matter how dark the night,
Like the rings around your eyes, as the enemies fist flies, despite your 
desperate tries, to dodge his words like knives, as he lists fault after fault.
BUT when you begin to faulter, as his blows halter, your advance to the light.
When you’ve hit that wall, when your engines stall, and your hope is growing 
small 
Know this
Jesus Christ, the living son of God, is chanting from your chest.
I’ll still fight
I’ll still fight
I’ll still fight
For you

(Curtis Edwards)

Rad Dog and Camp Trip

We are excited to offer a Road Trip!  That's right YL is headed to Tan-Tara Resort for a YL RAD DOG ROAD TRIP.  You won't wanna miss this mini version of camp.  There will be 3 clubs, cabin times, a water park, fun, truth, and depth.  We are hoping to make this a yearly tradition.  Think about joining us... (click link for info) RAD DOG ROAD TRIP   Something magical happens at camp.  Friendships that last forever are formed, adventure happens, real life happens, kids find out they are not alone that God is for them, that their friends and leaders are beside them, it's incredible.  But camp happens once a year.  It is epic, but unfortunately most students can only go to camp once in their life and if they're lucky twice.  So that is why we are created RAD DOG... we all need more times in our life where we grow closer to God and each other.

YL CAMP TRIP- Crooked Creek Ranch (all info here on this link)   http://lsylcamp.weebly.com/ 

Sign ups will be open on Dec. 1st at 12:01am for 1st timers.  If you have already attended camp and would like to join us as a 2nd timer we have very limited spots.  Sign ups for 2nd timers will open Feb. 1st at 12:01am and be a first come first serve basis as well as meeting the cabin quota.  If you have more questions about that please contact:
traceecobb@gmail.com

Press On

This week at YL Club we invited one of our YL leaders Landon Nichols to share his story.  You see we believe in sharing truth... truth about our own life and truth about who Jesus is.  We believe that we all have a story and that Jesus is in that story, from the moment you were conceived to the moment you meet HIm face to face.  Landon shared a snap shot of his journey with us and ended with a spoken word he wrote.  Let me tell you it was a treat.  God uses our yesterdays to make a difference in the lives of others today.  

I press on

through the sharp thorns

past the bulls and their prominent horns

I press on 

to a new shore

to open a new door

where purpose and adventure are in store

I press on 

through the dense trees 

wiping away fallen leaves

being calmed by the present breeze

even though on the horizon awaits stormy seas

I press on 

wading through the frigid wave

the cold is not my master, I not its slave

yet it calls out, and offers me a watery grave

I will not succome, until my all I have gave

so I venture on, continuing the trail I blaze

I press on

with muddy feet

I'm but a vessel facing a giant fleet

yet I lead the charge, there's no retreat

the enemy quakes at the echo of my heartbeat

even if my fate renders defeat

I fear not, for my Father is who I'll meet

I press on

through the fire, through the flame

through the bricks and the wall of shame

through deceit, through the fame

through hypocrites and "friends" who don't know my name

through the depths, through the blame

through expectations and others painted picture frame

through the lies that tries to coincide with suicide

through the punches, though the blows

through the struggle and the hurt no one knows

through the pain, through the fears

through the blood and through the tears

I press on

striving towards the goal

I press on

running after heaven's pull

I press on

though my feet will fall

I press on

chasing after my call

I press on 

to finish the race

I press on

till I meet Him face to face

I press on

I press on

(Landon Nichols)

http://lsyl.weebly.com/

What is YL?

Out There In a World of Kids

Young Life doesn’t start with a program. It starts with adults concerned enough about kids to go to them, on their turf and in their culture, building bridges of authentic friendship. These relationships don’t happen overnight — they take time, patience, trust and consistency. 

So Young Life leaders log many hours with kids around the world — where they are, as they are. We listen to their stories and learn what’s important to them because we genuinely care about their joys, triumphs, heartaches and setbacks. 

We believe in the power of presence. Kids’ lives are dramatically impacted when caring adults come alongside them, sharing God’s love with them. Because their leader believes in them, they begin to see that their lives have great worth, meaning and purpose. 

This is the first step of a lifelong journey; the choices they make today, based upon God’s love for them, will impact future decisions … careers chosen, marriages formed and families raised. All ripples from the time when a Young Life leader reached out and entered their world. 


A Time-Tested Approach

Young Life began with a few simple ideas about sharing the truth of God’s love with adolescents. Those simple ideas have become time-tested methods for reaching out to middle school, high school and college students in friendship and hope. 

Caring for Kids — Contact Work 

Because kids don’t care how much you know till they know how much you care, Young Life leaders show they care by going where kids are, meeting them as they are, believing in who they can be. Within Young Life we call the persistent going out into the world of kids “contact work.” But kids just call it friendship. 

A Party with a Purpose — Club 

What is it about Young Life club that makes it the best night of the week for thousands of kids every week? We like to think of it as a party with a purpose. It’s controlled chaos that’s almost impossible to describe, but kids know it when they see it. And before the party ends, we share a simple message about God’s love for them. After all, that’s what the celebration is all about. 

The Best Week of Their Life — Camp 

Kids consistently tell us that Young Life camp is the best week of their life. That’s a rousing (and unsolicited) endorsement! But how else would you describe a week where deep relationships are forged in the midst of mind-boggling fun and where you experience and listen to what we believe is the greatest love story ever told? 

A Time to Question, Learn and Grow — Campaigners 

Campaigners is a weekly gathering for kids who wish to learn more or grow in their faith through study, service and leadership. We invite kids to actively follow Jesus Christ — and we’re with them for the long haul to help them take those steps of faith with unconditional love. Along the way, we encourage kids to celebrate their faith through participation in a local congregation. 

Adults Who Care — Committee/ LEAD and LIFE Teams

Young Life is making a difference in the lives of kids around the world because we are supported by adults who care about kids in their community. For every talented Young Life staff person there is a team of dedicated leaders who works directly with kids. In each community, the local “committee,” comprised of parents, Young Life alumni and civic leaders, provides a foundation of financial, administrative and moral support for the local Young Life team.