So, as I said, $10.00 for 24 hours of wifi. But for you, gentle readers, it's me from Vegas, and the NCCYM. (That's the National Catholic Conference for Catholic Youth Ministry)...
So far, so good... really good. I haven't seen or experienced much of the riches Vegas has to offer, but conferencing has begun. This is an amazing operation, with a huge stage, high tech stuff, amazing speakers, and of course you know great workshops ahead of us. Today was "pre-conference" stuff, and already it's a bit of an emotional roller-coaster for me. We had breakfast, visited the resources fair (an overwhelming amount of great things to buy and carry around and charge to the parish!) and Scott and I went to a workshop for married couples in ministry, and then to a great presentation by OCP musicians- and it was there that I started feeling God go to work on my heart.
I have been expecting this, of course, but it is a surprise to start feeling faith and goodness and excitement and God's love again, after having it all seem like a distant experience of my childhood. Long lost.
But I have been living and longing for this trip, to meet up with God and that feeling again, and here I am. I feel like a kid on the playground who has run off to find a place to hide and cry in peace. As much of a stranger-in-a-strange-land as I feel at work these days, I feel at home here. I am always encouraged and affirmed to hear again that I'm not just making all this up, it's really true, Youth Ministry can exist in the way I envision it, but then again, I'm disheartened to leave this happy place and go back to a world where I am constantly fighting for respect of my vision. When will I get to LIVE in happy land, rather than just visit it every two years?
Geesh, I'm not even sure I'm making sense here. Jetlag plus Jesus is wreaking havoc on my emotions. Anyway, now we're heading out to relax and grab a bite.
More tomorrow.
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I want to know more about the married couples in Ministry stuff. Learn anything new? Meet any cute guys? (lol only kidding!)
Did they talk at all about how to transition from work to home or relationship stuff?
Okay, so the marriage in ministry workshop was good, full of information and tips but not a life-changer/emotional one. But Mike Patin (pronounced Pah-tan) did a workshop that was as inspiring as it was convicting- he reminded us of our families and their needs and our own self health. I was surrounded by hundreds of over-achieving, priority-challenged youth ministers who were sweating and squirming!
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