Brandon was one of my students early on in my ministry at JCC.  He has also been a student ministry staff, and is currently involved with our main service band.

To show support for Brandon a Facebook page has been set up where you can send words of encouragement to him and his family, and also keep informed of the latest news.

Thanks for praying and pass this on to anyone you know!  As Brandon said, “God is good, no matter what happens to me, God is good.”  Please pray.

As a lot of you know, Cecily Carrillo one of our former students and Thrive Staff has been diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma.  She is currently in Australia with YWAM and will be coming home soon for treatment.  Some of her friends have created a Facebook group and a website insupportodcecily.com to keep updated on her progress and well as encourage Cecily.

2009 was also about getting back to the basics with Thrive.  Our budget was cut pretty good as we headed into the New Year, and I really was good with it and excited about what was ahead for us.  All this happened as I was reading a couple books, Youth Ministry 3.0, by Mark Oestreicher and It, by Craig Groeschel.  I don’t know if it was reading these books at the same time as the Nicaragua trip, but seriously I was excited about the budget cut.  If I really believe that ministry is about relationships and not program then I don’t really need a big budget.  A $5.00 footlong from Subway goes pretty far!  Throughout the year we saw God do some great things in our students lives as well as in our Thrive Staff lives.  We saw God bring about something I had wanted to do for nearly 10 years, in His timing (I wrote about this a while ago), Thrive University.  Our first one was great and our second one is in a week.  Trusting God and His timing is always better than forcing something according to your calendar.

2009 was also a great year with my family.  Ministry schedules can be crazy with a lot of nights, weekends and weeks away from home, so you need to just make time to get away with you family.  In February we surprised our kids with a trip to Disneyland.  The kids thought we were taking them to school and then we asked them if they would rather go to Disneyland (we were pretty sure they would say yes!).  So off we went! Over Spring Break we went camping at Silver Strand with some friends.  It was WINDY and COLD!!  We could only go outside one day so we left early and came home.  Right after school got out we went camping at Santee Lakes.  It was a great time of relaxing, riding bikes and reading.  Just before school started we went to Palm Springs for a couple days.  Yes it was hot!  But the room had great AC and the pool felt amazing.  InSeptember Nikki and I celebrated 14 years of marriage.  We spent a weekend at the National Youth Workers Convention.  I know it sounds romantic, but we really look forward to it each year.  It is a great weekend of reconnecting and remembering why we do what we do.  As we start 2010 we are heading up to Big Bear for a couple days to relax before school starts up again.  I love my wife.  I love my kids.  I am thankful for having them in my life and for putting up with all the craziness that ministry can bring.

Parent Newsletter

Contents

1. Tools for Parenting Teens
2. Learn Their Lingo
3. Links to Learn From
4. A Little Encouragement…And Humor

1. Tools for Parenting Teens

From http://www.realworldparents.com/starters/

Big Grace

One of the challenges of parenting for Christians is that we want our kids to be as excited about God’s unbelievable grace and forgiveness as we are—but we still want them to perform. We pray they’ll be absolutely convinced that…
Read More:
http://www.realworldparents.com/starters/article/big_grace/

2. Learn Their Lingo

Brodie = A combination of the two words “brother” and “buddy”

I.M.Y = I miss you

3. Links to Learn From

Parents’ Sex Talk with Kids: Too Little, Too Late
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1945759,00.html

NATION: Obesity in some children tied to DNA, study finds
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-tc-nw-briefs-1206-12070dec07,0,673593.story

Character says new tests show Go Go Pets are safe
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSGEE5B61Q720091207?type=marketsNews&utm

4. A Little Encouragement…And Humor

It’s not what you leave to your children, it’s what you leave in your children

- Author Unknown

Parent Newsletter

Contents

1. Tools for Parenting Teens
2. Learn Their Lingo
3. Links to Learn From
4. A Little Encouragement…And Humor

1. Tools for Parenting Teens

From http://www.realworldparents.com/starters/

The Foolish Joy of Mocking

Many students fall into the habit of mocking as a way for covering up their own insecurity. Afraid of looking stupid, some will mock others before they can become the victim. Eventually, the habit can become a lifestyle.

Read More:
http://www.realworldparents.com/starters/article/the_foolish_joy_of_mocking/

2. Learn Their Lingo

GMAS = Acronym for give me a second.

Caraoke = Singing along with music in a car, especially loudly and passionately.

4. Links to Learn From

140 Characters of Parenting Insight [YS Blog]
http://www.youthspecialties.com/blog/2009/140-characters-of-parenting-insight-2/

Teen Sex Escalation [The Source for Youth Ministry]
http://www.thesource4ym.com/youthculturewindow/article.asp?id=96

While Adolescents May Reason As Well As Adults, Their Emotional Maturity Lags…[Science Daily]
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007153745.htm

5. A Little Encouragement…And Humor

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.
- Elizabeth Stone