I just want to talk from the hip today. I hope thats ok - you can turn back now or forever keep your comments. :)

This past Sunday at Rock Group - Our evening family small group that meets for Bible study on Sunday evenings, we broke a rule that we have in place concerning food. Yes food is ok at times and during special things like celebrating birthdays or having a cook out or even getting together for movie night. Sunday was special since it has been awhile since we were all together and having some new families in the house - we wanted it to be a good kick off to another season together as family. Not only did we do a message that evening but I got to speak and lead in front of both adults and their kids together. Its always special to do that and it really is nice having everyone around.
Well see there in the food pile, which there was a LOT of food, was all these bags of chips. Tortilla chips, BBQ potato chips, regular chips and the dreaded Frito's Corn chips which is a story on its own for another time. But also these Doritos that I had never seen before. Excited to bring them into work and share with the guys here, we had a sample taste earlier this morning right before lunch. What seemed like a great idea to make Doritos that are cheeseburger flavor, everyone loves cheeseburgers right? - turned into a not so good idea after only a few chips. Yes I agree totally they taste like cheeseburgers but why really? Why not have them taste like regular doritos? Why the change in taste as to perceive you were eating a cheeseburger? Its just not real. Its just not right to have something taste like something else.
It has me thinking about student ministry today and I am flushing out my thoughts on this. You are probably thinking doritos and students ministry - what?
Well most teens are at that place where life is just confusing. They change like underwear - often right? Hope so .... they get an idea in mind and by lunch its totally forgotten. They have different circles of friends, all confusing and full of drama. Socially they are all over the place trying to be a grown up in one moment and a child in the next. Decisions are often times lead by - WHat on earth were you thinking? - only to come to realize thats the part they didnt do. THINK.
Their development is all over the place and all of that comes from their home life, school setting and even the TV shows they watch. Spiritually - I see them from being concrete in their faith and souled out for Christ and then floundering in the ways of the world all in the same day or even before lunch time. Its hard sometimes to pick out the Christian and the non believer because of their choice of words or actions are basically the same.
They are trying to find the real true taste of who they are. Those who are not grounded in the faith of Christ and really know the foundation of who they are change with the seasons and come and go like the wind. All these fake flavors according to what life has placed them in really does a person some long term damage in defining their character.
Being fake and something you are not will eventually hurt you in the long run. It will eventually be exposed and the real fragile you behind the mask will be exposed. Thats the hurt place and often times those who are in this place have a hard time to break free of this deceived place they have built around them.

Be who you are and be real. Quit trying to be something you are not. The one thing about this coming generation is the fact that they know a faker when they see one. I dont know how or why but I honestly believe they have a 7th sense in smelling a fake person. They know when someone is spending time with them and loves them for who they are or just having to babysit them and who dont even like them. You want to have real meaningful relationships in your life its time to quit tasting like something you are not. Its time to quit smelling like something you are not. Its time to stop appearing something you are not.

From our move on Sundays to only middle school students it has allowed me to see a little closer into their lives. The past I have been with both middle and high school students and they are far different from each other. Those beginning teen years comes with body odor smells that would knock a bear out if attacking, zits that appear out of nowhere over lunch time, feet are size 11 and they are only 5 foot 1 (you would think that would be good for balance) and hair that starts growing in places never seen before. Middle school years are tough - I personally hated this time frame in my own life - but they can also be the best years if you are true to who you really are and have been grounded in the foundation of being real and knowing who Christ says you are and not what others say you are.

Being real comes when you define who you are and then pick your friends. Not picking your friends and then letting them define you. Its about making a list of the qualities of the opposite sex (wow how did that happen?) that you find good and something you wont settle for less when that person sends you a text to ask you out. "Whatever that means in middle school." - Its about standing firm in your beliefs and knowing the bounderies set forth by mom and dad and respecting them. Its about learning how to tell people "NO" when they pressure you to do something that you know is wrong and outside of your personal bounderies.

Stand up and be real...... dont be something you are not.

Inspite of all this craziness, laziness, sometimes poor decisions and a faith that shines bright in one moment and not at all in the next - there is hope.
I see so much potential in this next generation. I see so much compassion for missions and serving the people in the big world even as technology and advances in social aspects make the world smaller. Haiti one year ago had one of the worlds worst earthquakes and people poured in to help, to donate money, to send missionaries and doctors to help the sick and hurting. This is a mission minded generation. I have seen a small glimpse of this during our service weeks in our student ministry and during thirst camps and on Sunday when we serve a meal to homeless shelter families. These pimple faced, emotionally scattered students have a heart that gives this world HOPE.
I am praying and seeing Hope as these students rise up to challenge others in their faith to help the poor and to feed the hungry. To have hope in their schools with YCI programs and attending church and youth groups. I see these 13 and 14 year old student who in a few years will be leading worship and preaching the message of Christ in their own way by leading a student youth group in their schools and in their churches and in their friends. I see them making a huge impact in changing lives years and years down the road because they didnt bail out on their faith before they learned to drive. I see the hope as they get out of the drivethrough of life and be honest with themselves, demand that REAL flavor of life from others.

Be real loved ones and never short change what God is doing in your life for something that is of the now and what feels and tastes good but is really something totally different and deceiving.

When we have given them all we have, spoke until we dont have anything else to say - then its time to SHOW THEM. You will know when that moment comes and its then, we have to do what we are saying for them to do and lead the way.

There are great things in you that you havent even discovered yet. Keep the faith loved ones and pressing towards the goal.

If you are reading this .... I BELIEVE IN YOU.
Cheering you on from the balcony of life...... never losing HOPE.

Lonnie~