YL Celebration 2013!

I've been accused of not updating Ninny in a timely manner.  Apparently there are folks who check it everyday!  Wow.  Makes me feel like I've got celebrity status.  Thank you, all you who read.  I do appreciate it, even when I don't know you do, cause if not, it's like...like having a conversation with myself.  I also do that, though.  Whatevs.

But seriously, where does time go?  How is it already mid-March?  What?  No.  And how does it get to be weeks between when I write?  Dunno.  Time is a speedy beast.  But seriously, I usually only write when I feel like I have something to say (that I want other people to hear), which to most of you who know me comes as a surprise, because doesn't it seem like I always have something to say, whether you want to hear it or not? 

But there have been so many exciting things going on lately, I can really only attribute my lack of blogging to 3 things: 1. My biggest character flaw: laziness. 2. The day just gets away from me, and before I know it, it's my 10 pm feeding and then bedtime! or 3. Catching up on Downton Abbey.

Today I must highlight a little something called the Young Life Celebration Dinner.  Or, as us old-timers still call it, Young Life Banquet!

It's one night a year, (a no-miss event) hosted by each area to ultimately raise the salaries of the staff and staff associates for the year!  But it's also a great way to get new people introduced to the ministry of Young Life and how they can get involved!  I attended my old (tear) area's YL Celebration Dinner this past Friday night and it. was. fabulous.  They had Tim Toy as a speaker-phenomenal if you've never heard him.  He had me belly laughing, I dig his humor.   All the Area Directors spoke-great job Rhino, Mike, Derek and Chris!  They even had two student testimonies-one Capernaum gal and her mom spoke, which is really cool because we, excuse me, they-just got Capernaum in Fairfax in the last couple of years.  Capernaum is Young Life's ministry for kids with special needs.  Then they also had Ben, a high school student from West Springfield (woop woop!  Also happens to be the high school I used to lead at-go Spartans!) share a little about his life and how God's working in, around and right through it.  But you know what?  Even with all those "celebrites" highlighted, those who really need to be celebrated are the guests who attended.  All the parents, teachers, grandparents, businessmen and women, community leaders and friends who came out to (maybe for the first time) hear about Young Life and what God is doing through this ministry and how they can become involved.  That might look like prayer, it might look like donating their time, or it might look like opening their wallets and giving money to keep the ministry running.  During this tough time of recession, job loss and overall financial instability in our country, that y'all know that kids need to hear about a guy named Jesus and are willing to do something about it, is in my book-pretty cool.

 It was also the 50th Anniversary of YL in Fairfax.

Also, student speakers :)

Sidenote: got the new Mackelmore cd tonight...currently listening to "Thrift Shop" on repeat.  "I wear your granddad's clothes...I look incredible..."

Here's some of the highlights of the night for me...in pictures.

 My partner in crime for most of the night.  She totes thought somebody was going to spike the punch.  Really?  At a YL Banquet.  Bold. ;)

 Dang it-forgot to bring my own picture to add to the 50 years of awesome!  Next time, I'm all over it.

 Representing.  Originals: Kendra & Matt Andrus, they got married the year I started college.  They've got 4 kids now. Top that!

KT & Elaine Trotman: KT and I go all the way back to High School, where we both went to Great Bridge.  Wow.  Then we all went to George Mason together, they fell in love during that time and *poof* married.  Living the dream.

Paolo Cabacoy.  He did some big things in YL Capernaum and YL Fairfax overall.  Haven't kept up with him as well as I should, but he done got married, too!

Katie and I...we got married in 2007...haha, maybe not, but we've been soul mates since about that time and just cause she's 5000 miles away doesn't change anything.  She left quite a legacy in Fairfax YL, especially WSHS YL. (Chad couldn't attend cause he had to work)

Ahh!  Everybody waiting to go into the Banquet, all excited for what they're gonna hear!  Or maybe they're stoked because that punch was actually spiked...

Eric: the miraculous, the monumental, the fantastical.  YL Leader extraordinaire. And that handsome fella next to him is Ben, one of the student speakers I mentioned above.

 

Crystal.  Crazy hippy.  I do love that girl, though.  Oh, and you can't tell my my double cheeks and triple chin, but I have lost 10 lbs.  Whatttttup Operation Danner Get Fit!

Heck yes for the Banquet, heck yes for seeing old friends and hearing what God's doing in this ministry as of late.  I loved seeing everyone I did and catching up.  Thanks to the Millers for letting me crash for the night and for having a heated bed pad in your guest room.  Can muscles sigh?  Mine did.  They also smiled.  It got weird after that...

Got to my home for the evening, realizing my head wrap made me look like one of the Lost Boys from Peter Pan for most of the night...

Rolling with the punches.

Happy Tuesday, all :)