youth, etc

so, I wasn't really intending to stay up this late, but I guess daylight savings time will do that to you. I just spent the last hour or so filling out another summer ministry job application, which is actually pretty exciting. The job is with YouthWorks--google it if you're interested. It would be another youth- and service-oriented ministry. It feels good to have a "backup" to DOOR that I feel good about.

Tonight I took my first official turn as leader of the high school small group. Let me first mention to you the insights that our Sunday night youth gathering brought upon--our youth program is struggling. It has been a roller coaster ride since its inception, I would say, because my experience (what little there was of it) in the youth group was similar to what these kids are experiencing now. Five youth came on Sunday night. We had as many parent volunteers. And let me clearly express that my frustrations were not over the fact that we had an all-youth gathering of merely 5 kids (that's more than I remember being there when I was in high school)--but it's over the fact that these kids deserve better & have been stuck in a rut. We have a youth core that is the youth group. They & their parents have been so faithful to our mission & our fellowship to stick it out through 3 different staff members this year--soon to be on the fourth. I want to help them--but as I mentioned before, I don't feel like it's really my place or within my resource of time to do a complete overhaul & re-gear. Another of my insights on Sunday was that re-gearing this youth group is going to take just that: an overhaul. I am praying even more fervently, alongside our parents, for our permanent worker--and for that person to understand that the job, even though only part-time, is going to take an all-out effort.

I digress. High school small group tonight--me & two freshmen boys. Oh yes! Despite the potential hilarity of this situation, I think it went pretty well. Our opening minutes were spent playing Nintendo, and I won 4 out of 5 races ;) I warned them that Mario Kart was the only game I could beat my brother at. Then we dug into Colossians. It sounds like the small group has been a little bit here & there, and I wanted to settle into a solid Biblical study that wouldn't be too overwhelming. Like my forebearers at Chapel Hill Bible Church and Word-in-Motown small group, we're going to move slower--what we lack in coverage we will gain in understanding. It has appeared to me that that approach hasn't been the case of late, so I'm giving it a whirl. Like I said--I think it went well. These 2 boys are solid, solid good kids. We gathered some background info on the book together, then I had them read the first 14 verses from a Message printout. They engaged with me the whole time, and we definitely hit some real-life apps. And then, totally naturally, we just talked until their ride came to pick them up. Here it is again, that well-loved small, intentional community model cropping up to show me how Christ wants us to build relationships. I'm starting to think that might be important...

Okay, I've become rather long-winded, when my real intent for this post was to share my good news here--though you may have caught it on facebook or via a phone call.

Boston University has awarded me a full tuition scholarship plus an $8000 stipend a year!

I am through the roof over this! It does, however, complicate things because I really, REALLY like Emory. I was quite ready to sign on & start apartment hunting in Atlanta. Suddenly I remember that BU was at the top of my list back during application time. So, my next step of action is to simply wait for the promised BU scholarship packet in the mail, which, if I understand my voicemail message correctly, will contain info about a visit to Boston at the end of the month. That will clearly be an enormous part of this decision I have before me. And I guess, even before that time, I'm going to have to talk with Emory about my present situation, because they want a scholarship decision within the next few weeks themselves.

But overall, AMAZING news! God is so faithful. And I've thought to myself in these past 24 hours how God's provision in this situation is by no means a reflection of anything I've done well--as in, I have no righteous acts to recommend me. I'm still a mist, a vapor, fallen from glory. Instead, God blesses me to be a blessing, as they say. How clearly He is showing me that I am meant to earn this degree, and what's more, I will be equipped for ministry that will bring Him glory & draw hearts & lives into His kingdom. Truly , what a privilege!

Oh, I also bought my first car yesterday....