the intersection of life and grace

I know I’m all about the YS NYWC this week, but I wanted to give you a heads up about another really-quality youth ministry convention – Group/Simply Youth Ministry’s National Youth Ministry Conference, taking place February 27-March 2, 209 in Columbus, OH .  Why today? Well, it’s the last day of the early bird registration, and if you’re thinking about going, the discounted price is good but the discounted price with the promo code I’m about to give you is even better!

Use the promo code “sympodcast” today to receive -
- $40.00 off registration (early bird)
- $75.00 SYM bookstore gift card
- A chance to win a steak dinner with the podcast crew.

Go to www.youthministry.com/conference for all the details, including their conference online community, NYMC Connect.

I arrived in Pittsburgh yesterday for the National Youth Workers Convention, as part of the team who will be bringing you live blogging – including photos, audio and video clips – from all the general sessions and many seminars throughout the event. You can keep up with all the happenings by going to nywc.com/live (pittsburgh archive), where you can interact with us while we blog in real time, and also see a feed of blogs and twitter updates (here are mine) from the folks at the convention.

Because I arrived early, I had the opportunity to hang around with some very interesting people who’s names I knew but I’d never met in person, to talk about youth ministry and the projects close to each of our hearts. There are some very cool things coming down the road, all with the absolute intention of serving youth ministers as they serve teenagers in Jesus’ name. It was an invigorating time, and hopefully the first of many such interactions.

In a little bit, I’m heading over to the convention center to check in, find a few of my YMX people and then head into the Real World Parents presenter training. I’m very much looking forward to getting to interact with the material, and meet even more people!

Poverty is one of a number of factors contributing to the blight on humanity that is child sex trafficking – human slavery for the most depraved of purposes.  Of course, there are also social, religious, cultural and political factors which contribute to human trafficking. All of them are preventable.

It has been my privilege for a number of years now to know Rob Morris and hear him share the work he is so passionate about. That passion, or should I compassion, lead him to found an organization called Justice for Children International in 2002, now known as love146. Rob and love146 are unfettered in their commitment to preventing the trafficking of  young girls for sex, an “industry” which is estimated to generate billions of dollars every year, by rescuing them and providing aftercare and support to aid these girls in healing and reaching their potential as people, not property.  They fight poverty of the worst kind, exploitation.

Watch the video below to hear Rob explain the work of love146, and visit their website to learn more – love146.org

Yes, the Mets lost their bid for the post-season.  Again.  After a season that began for me with such joy. Yes, I hate that because every year I invest vast amounts of time and energy in watching their games, and was looking for them to keep this promise.  However, I’m really not as crushed as I was over The Collapse of 2007 because the ’08 Mets fought hard to the bitter end with play fairly consistent to what they managed all season.  Hopefully this lengthy off-season will bring some changes to that dynamic, so that there is less focus on the brilliance on paper replaced by more brilliant baseball moments on the field.

Be that as it may.  I lost a little logo wager with this guy, now fulfilled by this random logo.

To console myself, I placed a little bid on an ebay auction for a New York Mets Wait Until Next Year Kit I saw on Metsblog.com, and to my surprise, I won!  Yesterday’s mail brought the kit, described by the compassionate, sympathetic, entrepreneurial, Rangers-fan seller as follows:

NEW YORK METS
WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR KIT

Today I signed on ESPN.com to read about another disappointing Mets season. Back to back seasons now, the Mets stay in contention all the way until the final out, just to fall short! Oh, the agony the fans of the Metropolitans must feel! OUCH!

I figured I had to help. So, I’ve decided to put together a unique kit with everything needed to get through the dark winter that includes all of the following

• A package of Kleenex – To wipe away all the tears you shed!
• A 25 count box of Dora the Explorer bandaids – To bandage that wounded pride.
• ORBIT gum – to rid your mouth of that bad taste left from the season.
• An 18 month daily pocket planner- to help you count down the days until next season.
• 2004 Bowman Eli Manning Rookie in near mint condition – To remind you that NEW YORK is still the home of the SUPER BOWL CHAMP GIANTS!
• Personalized sympathy card – a personalized card expressing heart warming sympathetic thoughts.
• Over 25 HIGH quality New York Mets baseball cads – They break your heart every year but you still love them.  CARDS INCLUDE INSERTS AND A REFRACTOR!
• Jimmy Rollins baseball card and Sharpie – your chance to be creative and do what you want with the card, intended to be therapeutic.
• Brand new deck of “All In” playing cards – to burn time playing all the solitaire you want until spring training rolls around.
• 1973 TOPPS Willie Mays – Even the the “Sey Hey” kid took a few swings as a Met.  The card is in rough condition with soft edges but still a neat card for any Mets fan.

An orange gift bag with four baseball stickers will house all contents. I can personalize this as a gift to anyone you like. What better way to make that DIE Hard Mets fan laugh off another bad season. I’ll also include a note on the sympathy card with information as to why the heck they received some of the items they received.

It was like Christmas unpacking and looking through the treasures. There are some really fun cards and reminders of happier times. Most of these will end up in as decorations on the Mets wall in my home office.

And then, there’s that Jimmy Rollins card and sharpie… I’m not really a trash-talker, and to deface a guy’s card seems extreme to me… so, leave a comment and let me know what you think I should do with that.

MEMO TO:  Major Party US Presidential Candidates & Campaigns

RE:  You’ve forgotten something

Senators McCain and Obama, (alphabetically, lest you think there’s some preference there)

It seems that you each have forgotten something.  You are asking the people of this country to vote for you to be President of the United States.  Your responsibility to us, in return, is to tell us why you are the best qualified, to share with us your plans to conduct the affairs of the administrative head of our democratic republic in such a manner worthy of this land and her people.

Neither of you is doing that; nor are your running-mates or various spokes people.  Yes, I know each of you has posted some positions and plans on your websites and I’ve read them.  But, I want to hear you talk about them, answer questions about them, and give me the impression that 1. you know something about what you’re saying, or 2. you have trustworthy advisors with whom you plan to surround yourself.  I realize that neither of you are experts in every aspect of every issue that may confront your hoped-for administration.  I don’t get the impression that you realize this.

Primarily, however, I resent you wasting my time.  When I attempt to listen to you, or your people, make a speech, I mostly get the impression you’re mocking people like me, or worse, that you’re ignoring me and my vote.  Newsflash: My vote counts just as much as the one you will cast (presumably for yourselves).  I resent you wasting the time I could be using to choose you and your platform by telling me what’s wrong with the other guy.  See above: Tell me about you and your qualifications and plans.

At age 18, as soon as I could, I registered to vote.  It has been rare for me to miss even a local primary election in all the years since.  I take the process seriously, and I want to be an attentive and educated voter.  But, Senators, at this point, you’ve lost me.  I’m not paying attention to you anymore.  Consider me disenfranchised.  I’m tired of your useless rhetoric.  I’m tired of what your negativity and lack of real communication has done to large parts of the electorate who are more interested in comedy sketches than electing a leader; more likely to laugh at the process than participate in it in any truly meaningful way.  That is because of your leadership in not taking the process seriously, not leading the way in honor and integrity and not showing yourselves worthy of the office of President of the United States.

You should be ashamed of yourselves for continuing the destruction of our national treasure – a free and open electoral process.  You’ve made a mockery of this election.

For long enough.  I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by life, so I took a little blogging break.  Thanks to all of you who asked, kept visiting and stayed subscribed (if you aren’t subscribed you can do that here for your reader of choice, or visit the sidebar to sign-up to receive posts by email). I’m working on a few posts now, and more regular posting shall resume shortly.

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