Introduction

I watch finding Nemo, a lot. One of my favorite parts is when Crush says to Marlin, "Intro. . . Jelly man, Offspring; Offspring, Jelly man."

My offspring are Evelyn (3), Riley (21 mo.) and Gigi (1 mo.). I stay at home with my children while my awesome husband, Richard, works.

I'm really creating this blog for Amanda, my awesome friend from college, fellow stay-at-home mom, and cyber-friend (we do talk on the phone some, but mainly we communicate online). She invited her blogger friends to join an online study group through Tim Challies blog that is reading Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. I could email her my thoughts about the book but then she'd have to email me back one-to-one and I just thought this would be a better format.

I used to blog in college: a year spent traveling the world, three children, and three years of living with my parents while building a house ago. Pretty much the only things in my life that are the same are my husband (as in the same person . . . because even he has changed so much, for the better) and my love of youth ministry. It's weird when at youth trainings they ask people who have done youth ministry for more than ten years to stand up and I do, at 27. I've been doing youth ministry since I was in youth ministry. Sometimes though I think I'm not as good at it as I used to be. When you're not getting paid to do youth ministry, you tend to worry less about what the powers-that-are think and let the Holy Spirit lead a little more. This March I'll have my three year anniversary at the church where I currently work part-time. My goal list (those of you that know me know I ALWAYS have goal lists) is far from accomplished. The worse part is that my goal list is not that long: to foster spiritual growth and allow the Holy Spirit to use me to create a youth group enviroment that allows for that. Oh, sure, there are things I do to help that along, to try to help that happen, but those really are my only goals.

What does that have to do with Tim Challies? Well, for a long time now, I've been aware that it's quite possible that the reason I've gotten "worse" at youth ministry is that I've also gotten "worse" in my spiritual disciplines. And that concerns me for the sake of me . . . I'm confident God will work in the lives of my youth group students with or without me.

When Richard and I left the Navy three and a half years ago, we left an awesome life of a young married couple with tons of friends who were deeply committed Christians - and mostly Baptist. We moved back the Upper Ohio Valley, a place I dearly love with friends and family, but is seriously lacking in modern, contemporary AND reformed churches. So we settled for being Presbyterian. No . . . I love being Presbyterian - go Calvin! But what I don't love are the churches around here that don't have a clue as to how to foster spiritual disciplines and faith. And they certainly don't have a clue as to how to attract young people!

All that aside, I've allowed the busyness of my life to replace spiritual disciplines and fellowship. Ah, how many times have I preached this sermon! I'm such a hypocrite! Fortunately, God's grace is sufficient for even me. So I'm entering the world of blogging to try to connect to God and His people.