33oC Review

This is at youth group we are in a series, a 33 week series, called 33 Weeks on Cool.
We're using a small book called every teenagers little black book on cool

Since we're a Bible believing youth group we've said the Bible's counterparts for the modern word cool are favored and accepted.

We started with 3 reasons why cool doesn't try- it is.

For your own beni I'll list them:
1.Being cool is an honor that only others can bestow on you. Only God and people can show you favor and acceptance.
2. Truly cool people focus on others, not on themselves. Matthew 23:12 says that those who humble themselves will be exalted.
3. Most cool people don't even realize they are cool. They're too busy making a difference in their world.

We then moved onto things that definitely are not cool as well as ways to know you aren't cool: like living in self-pity, having a sharp tongue and trying to impress people with your stuff being a few.

Three weeks ago we started a skit that will run all year, or at least the major part of the year. It involves 2 teenage boys, Eugene and Dewy, who are in a desperate search to become "cool". They've calculated all the figures and realized they are NOT cool, at least not cool as they they think it. So in the search for cool Eugene and Dewy have made themselves into Superheros Plunger Boy and Squirt. Last night was the unveiling of Plunger Boy (tall thin guy with black tights, silver cape, short shorts, mask and a plunger for a weapon) and Squirt (shorter heavy-set guy with purple tights, short shorts and a mask and squirt bottle)! It was hilarious when they came out, theme song and all!

The students seem to be taking to our new format this year and from what I see the majority are staying focused when Kev is speaking, engaging in meaningful conversations afterward and simply coming back week after week.

A note on our new format: we're running both our Wired, middle school, students and Refined, high school students on the same night. Wired meets for games and small group time and then comes to the main sanctuary for large group time, while Refined starts off with large group before splitting into small groups and games wrap up the evening. You know it's good when the small groups are still meeting well after our closing time of 9:00pm.

So, with only a few students complaining, and I wouldn't even call it that, about the new combined schedule, I think we're off to a good start.

On a personal note this year I am working with a small group of 11th grade girls. The past 3 years have seen me with 6th and 7th graders so it's been a time of adjustment for me. First of all my girls are mobile on their own and they're also a lot more mature than middle schoolers. There are 6 girls and myself who meet in the sweetest of rooms- Kev's office- and slowly but surely they're beginning to open up and share more. I've only been with them 3 weeks so the process has just begun. Last night was interesting as they asked some questions about me and my teen years- yikes! It is at these points that I wonder how I landed in youth ministry?

Overall last night went well, I've thought about grading our nights with a letter grade but that's not anything I'm good at, I'll either say A or F and with us I'd always lean toward an A!!

We're also starting to record all our skits and Kev's preaching/talking... whatever you call it, so once my techie wakes up I'll have him post it for ya'll.

Michelle

Orange Belt and Outside My House

Thought it was only natural to post pictures of the new orange belt!
October marks the 1 year for Justin in karate, it was something he mulled over in his mind for close to a year before taking the plunge. More of an artist, musician and solo sport player Justin's sports journey took him through t-ball, baseball and soccer before landing at a sport he loves= karate.



Now onto outside things here at the Span Ranch.
I always thought it was funny that we entertain and hang out more in our front yard than our back. It's the nature of our house and not having anyone around us it's not like our front yard is exposed to the world. Then when I saw My Big Fat Greek Wedding I didn't feel so bad about front yeard entertaining.
So, last fall we layed a small amount of pavers out front to form the path to our new front door. Eventually the pavers will be extended to form a medium sized patio for outside eating and entertaining.
Phase 2: This fall I plan to pave under this table:

This table use to sit at the local airport's outside eating area, my mom's neighbor had it and when they moved they didn't want to take it, so naturally I jumped in and snagged it.
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
As you can see I've started to lay the bricks, of course Steve will come in, tear it all up, bring in the tractor and lay them the right way. My pre-lim work will just show how many pavers/bricks we need; which I am on the lookout for more pavers, so if you know of any I could pick up for free or cheap I'd love to know about it- I'm not concerned with style of paver, I can make it all fit.

As I'm outside working, I look up at the neighbors fence and see this:


One of the cats we feed hanging out on their fence surveying all I'm doing.
Good times.
Michelle

For Today

1. Homeschool math

2. Make list then grocery shop

3. Work at my j.o.b./meet with boss

4. Cut out fabric for hand embroidery baby projects

5. Wash outside of windows on front of the house

6. Locate sticks for fall decor, or have J do

7. Vacuum: living, dining, kitchen, boysroom

8. Have J mow lawn

Let's Hear it For the Boy!

Ten bucks to the first person to tell me the movie the title of this post is from. (actually not really ten bucks, just a yippy at ya!)

This post is dedicated to my man.
I don't get to be on the job with him as much as I'd like but today I had a chance to take some pics of the place he's been working on for the past 2 months.

Here's the outside of the building, he didn't do any of this work I just wanted to show it.

Oh and for those who don't know Steve is a jack of all many trades, master of a few. He's done everything from teach elementary, middle and high school, to working as an aircraft electrician in the Air Force to selling cemetery plots and making orange juice. Currently he is delivering the newspaper, installing windows part time, full time, whenever time and is working his own business as a carpenter/handyman. I'm so happy for him because in the 15 years we've been married he's really enjoyed finish carpentry work the best and it's been a dream job for him. The current job is a new outfitter store going in and it's been all custom work.

Anyway the front of the building:


Perhaps one of my favorite features is the entrance floor. Here's a shot through the front door.
A fish on the outside and their store initials on the inside. Very cool.

Here's the view of the shop from the front door. Steve's work is all along the outside walls, another friend build the freestanding cabinets.


One wall, all the cubbies and TV center with mini Florida tin-cracker roof were all custom made by my man!



Here's the displays behind the counter. The two pieces on the ends are IKEA and are sitting on top of some more of Steve's handiwork.


Another view of the entertainment center. Fishing shows and how-to's will play, while books line the shelves. This whole shop went from the mind of our friend, to paper, to Steve's magic!

Here's a view from where I'll be most, in the back.

This shop actually belongs to some of our friends and the "she" of the pair has her office in the back.
That's Steve in the front window and his cubbie work below the windows. The tough part about this job is that the building is way old and square corners were virtually non-existent.



Above the kitchen area he built great storage for inventory.


The back view, Steve's temp shop! He chose the Auburn tent because it was on sale and was NOT the FSU tent; funny because the couple who own the shop are FSU grads and if you know anything about the south and college football then you know this tent could have gotten Steve fired form this job!


So that's it, now you have a taste of what the other half of me does all day while I'm blogging here at home.
Happy day!
Michelle