Don't Fear the Laundry Room

It was Monday afternoon. We were about to leave to take my grandma to an appointment and get some lunch. Just as I was settling into the car my dad yelled from the house, "Look, Gracie is up the street!"

My dog had broken out of her electric fence and was headed toward the busy roads we live near. My mom drove up the street to try and coax her to go "bye-bye". There was no way that dog was giving up her new found freedom. I jumped out and told my mom to get Grandma to her appointment. I'd stay behind and get the dog home safe. I called my dad and told him to bring up a car so we could work together. For about forty-five minutes we followed, chased, called, and begged her. Apparently, this was an exciting game for the dog. Gracie also knew she was in trouble and was attempting to avoid punishment as long as she could. To say I became frustrated is an understatement. The words under my breath became more and more offensive. To make matters worse, I'd fallen and could feel the effects of it on my knee and back.

Part of me wanted to give up and just let her try and make her way back home on her own. At the same time I was terrified of the danger she was in. Several times she was inches away from getting hit by a car. Would I witness my dog's death that day? Angry and scared, it was only in-between breaks of my profanity that I whispered, "Lord, please. Please." About an hour after we began, with the help of a kind lady, Gracie was caught. She was safe again, muddying up my backseat. With a sigh of relief, I scolded her. She was sentenced to a prolonged stay in the laundry room. As she sat quietly shut off from the rest of the house, I could finally relax. Then my dad said something that really struck me.

"All that time we were just trying to save her life."

His statement makes me think about our own freedom. Free will can be so dangerous. Are we ignoring or even toying with God as we run away from a Savior? Our Father just wants to save us from this world, but especially from ourselves. Luckily, no matter how far we stray, God will never give up.

Amazingly enough, there is no laundry room. How lucky we are that even after all the worry and frustration we cause, there is no punishment. We continue to receive God's unfailing love.

The hour long chase in the cool winter air was worth it because my Gracie's life was saved. Are you allowing yourself the same?

-KP

In unrelated news, It's my brother's birthday! Happy Birthday B!



How can I stay mad at this face?



It doesn't matter if...

...you are almost 18. You cannot date my friends.

Well, I suspected it might happen. Okay, I completely saw it coming. I invited two of my good friends to come play worship music at my New Years Eve lock-in. Did I mention my friends are two very handsome, Christian, 22 year old men? So, I can't really blame the teenage girls for swooning and talking to me about the guys weeks later. I was the exact same way in high school. I even find myself still falling into the trap every now and then. We females are almost programed to fall for cute guys playing and singing about Jesus. Admit it, a guitar can really do something for a guy. But a love for Christ, now that's just sexy. Sorry ladies, both those boys are in committed relationships, not to mention too old for you (at least in this stage of life). I promise, there are going to be plenty of guitar-wielding Prince Charmings to fall for in your future.

Speaking of the NYE lock-in, it went along quite smoothly. I enjoyed leading our group through their first Romans and Christians game experience. It was fun to see them figure it out and develop strategies. Being a veteran myself, I couldn't help but play a little trick on my group. If you've never experienced this game all you need to know is that you have three roles: Roman Soldiers, Christians, and Roman Christians. The game is played in almost complete darkness. The goal is to get Christians together to "build a church." Roman Soldiers' role is to capture Christians and escort them to jail. Roman Christians are the double agents. They act as soldiers but secretly help the Christians out of jail to find one another. To stir things up a bit I decided to write "Roman Soldier" on all the strips the youth would draw from. Like any other, I started the game by yelling, "GAME ON!" Wayne's World, anyone? I began to giggle as they all confronted each other and confusion started to take over. I only let it go on for about three minutes because my laughter caused suspicion. The simple joys of being a youth leader; you get what you can get!

Until something amusing happens,
-KP

Here's to Happy Beginnings!

It is difficult for me to put down in words how lucky I feel to be where I am at. After graduating college, I had little success in finding a gratifying job or one that fit my specific interests in Marketing. It was hard to keep my head up and salvage my depleting self-worth. I nearly gave up hope completely when my family suffered through a tragedy together. I felt tested and most of all, cheated. I questioned daily whether or not it was worth trying to be a good person. Being good was not a common trait I recognized in the successful students who attained jobs. As my questions poured out endlessly, God was smiling as he knew his plans for me were shaping into what would soon be a reality.

I have always had a passion for youth ministry. My youth group is responsible for a large part of my happiness as an adolescent. So really, it's only natural that I end up working in that area. I like to think of it as joining the family business; the one I've been involved with all my life. My youth pastor, Walter, was like a big brother or even a best friend. I have so many fond memories that involve him and his family. I would not be the person I am today had he not taken me under his wing. The most legendary memory we share is when I called from the back of the church van, "Walter, can I have a piece of gum? I just threw up in my mouth three times." His reply, "Yeah, (pause) here you go." He once had to write a briefing about our group for our mission trip, he informed the leaders, "It's not a trip unless KP pukes." How embarrassing! Yet, so true.

My oldest and closest friends are the ones I met in my youth group. We've shared so many great memories. I'll never forget New Year's Eve lock-ins, Ichthus storms, and roofing on mission trips. I look back and laugh at the amount of hours we spent running around the dark church playing 'Romans and Christians' or the arguments we had while playing Ultimate Frisbee. "You took two steps!!!"
  
As often as I've found myself in a position of leadership, it still intimidates me. I just choose to believe this job will challenge me to be the best version of myself. What else can you really ask for? I do not plan to simply erase my passion for marketing. I just have to be creative on how I pursue those efforts along side my new goals. I promise to keep on, no matter what comes my way.

-KP