All Access

The teen girls conference I talked about in my last blog is fast approaching and it's on my mind and heart pretty storngly. As I said, we went last year and the girls had a great experience. Not only did they have a blast, but they also seemed to learn a great deal. On the way home we talked about different issues that had been presented. Then I asked them if they would be comfortable/willing to share with the congregation a couple of things they had learned. They were very comfortable and surprisingly willing to do this. The hardest part of this task was narrowing down what they were going to talk about. It was great! And it was very valuable for the congregation to hear about their experience. Now I know that a lot of churches do things like this all the time - both sending people to a conference and hearing reports on what its church members have been doing - but not ours. This was a pretty big deal. In addition to those things being something new for the church, the idea of there being something especially for youth is also new. I think that made it even more special.
So, all of that being said, I am super excited to go for the second year in a row to this conference. This year, the church members even helped out by providing fund-raising opportunities for those going to the conference. I was thinking through it this afternoon, and I believe that besides the $50 we are requiring each girl to pay, the rest has been raised by good old-fashioned hard work. But I've already discussed that, so I'll spare you from a repeat.
Last year's theme for the Revolve Tour was "Inside Out." And this year is "All Access." The themes are kind of hard to understand, but it gives them something to run with for the weekend. I guess I'm expecting this year to be about giving God all access to our lives. Anyway, what they do is use music, drama, personal stories, videos and other creative avenues to address issues relevant to teenage girls today, including relationships with friends and family, body image and self esteem, relationships with guys, and faith in God. It's pretty cool. Those of you who have been to an event like Promise Keepers or Women of Faith can understand what this is like. It's that - but WAAAAY louder. Imagine thousands upon thousands of teenage girls screaming at the top of their lungs in response to the musicians and speakers. Yikes!
Here's the line-up for this year's weekend of noise and fun:
hawk nelson
natalie grant
chad eastham
group 1 crew
krystal meyers
danielle kimmey
jenna lucado
courtney clark cleveland
drama team
praise band

Well, the last thing I have to say about this tonight is pray. Please pray for these girls, not just mine, but all of the girls that have attended or plan to attend these events around the country this year. Pray for their parents. Pray for safe travel (we'll be driving over on Friday the 21st and back on Sunday the 23rd). Pray understanding. Pray for the musicians and speakers.
You know what? Here's a list from the Revolve website with specifics to pray for. I know that some of you are great prayer warriors, and I know this will help you know how to pray.

* That travel to the arena will go smoothly and that everyone involved willarrive safely
• That a sense of God’s presence and a spirit of joy and salvation will be
present at the arena
• That the process of registration and picking up registrations at Will Call will
go smoothly
• That each speaker, musician, volunteer, and Revolve Tour staff member will
have every need met and be protected physically, emotionally, mentally,
and spiritually throughout the weekend
• That each speaker and musician will be able to communicate clearly
• That traffic, parking, lunch distribution, and technology (sound, lights, etc.)
will go smoothly
• That each girl attending will be open and responsive to God’s message for
her this weekend
• For families and loved ones at home

Thank you in advance for your prayers!