I want to be on Good Soil!

Good Morning Everyone!

Well, Autumn is here and it's good to be back in the school working! It's been a very busy month so far, and I'm super grateful for all of my upcoming helpers on my Super Team, as well as, eager teachers to help with my LifeTeen Nights!

I'm running chapel times for religion classes this week, and I have them do a skit of the Parable of the Sower and the Seeds!

To most people this is a pretty familiar story where the farmer sows seeds, some seeds get eaten right away by birds and don't even have a chance of living. Some seeds fall on rocky ground, but with no good soil, the sun burns them up and they die. Then some seeds fall on thorny ground and the seeds end up getting choked up by the thorns and die. Then the farmer sows seeds onto good soil, and they grow to be strong and healthy.

I want to be on Good Soil! I think most of you would agree, that most of us are striving for good soil, but we all struggle and we all deal with circumstances and situations that might be a little "rocky", or "thorny". We want to be better, but the "thorns' or "sins" are holding us back from what God has in store for us!

So, this will be a short message this morning, but strive for Good soil! Avoid sin, temptation, and things that may not help you do what God's will is for you!

Also, remember that we are all farmers and we have the ability to sow the seeds as well! Help plant the seeds in one another! Help each other feel loved and supported! Lead them to Christ! For he is love! Be kind to one another for we are all created for greatness! Each and every one of us!

Happy Tuesday everyone!
P.S. I started a Boot Camp exercise program this morning and nearly died! I felt like the seed stuck in the thorns because I want to strive to be more healthy but I haven't for so long that it was extremely difficult! But I'm striving for the good!!

Never give up on yourself!!

I AM WCACYM!

Happy Summer everyone! I sit here in class on a rainy july morning at Summer Sem in Saskatoon SK! I cannot say how blessed and affirming it is to have the opportunity to hang out with some of my very favorite youth ministers to refresh, learn, and to brainstorm my upcoming youth ministry year.

It makes me realize I'm not the only weird one! That everyone else is on the same wave length!

Youth Minsistry is really a business. It's a business in which we as ministers help to lead youth, as well, as lead others to Jesus through our example. Even if it means just sitting with students for a coffee. Building relationships before preaching is crucial to help them feel open to God.

However, sometimes I try too hard to organize too many events and activities and I get overwhelmed.  I have learned this week, that Ministry is not my own!! It's everyone's responsibility, and I'm just the coordinator that helps to develop it and make it happen.

There will be many changes in my program this coming year at Notre Dame. I want to develop a LifeTeen Night for highschool students only. I'm super pumped! I ask for your prayers on this!

So as I sit at Summer Sem, my brain is going crazy with ideas and excitement for my students. 

If you are a youth minister, and you're struggling with your ministry always remember that Growth happens when we're uncomfortable, and we must learn to lead by learning to follow.  Be a servant leader! Servant leaders can risk serving others because they trust that God is in control of their lives.

I cannot say how amazing Summer Sem is, and if you're wondering-WCACYM stands for Western Canadian Association of Catholic Youth Ministers! What a blessed organization! It's good to be here!
I Am WCACYM!!

Soap Opera of the Youth Ministry Office...umm...

I remember when I first started going to Our Lady of Victory Camp at 15yrs old and my friends and I had crushes on all these boys. One in particular was always seeking attention, and everyone liked him. I will never forget being in line for snack with this other girl, and he came up behind us, and was like "Ladies! Mind if I join you?" He put his arms around our shoulders, and both my friend and I were on cloud nine. Needless to say, he just wanted to cut the line, and that was his way of doing that.

10yrs ago as a team member out at camp, I met my husband, and got engaged and got married all in less than a year. We had met at camp, and it was special because God was definately on the same wave length for both of us!

Having a Youth Minstry office in the high school here in good ol' Red Deer has many advantages. However, with those also come....wait for it!!!! The Drama!!!!! duh duh duh!!!

It's hard to believe that little boyfriend/girlfriend relationships happen because they become a part of the super team, or hang out in my office! The awkward part is, these relationships usually last about a month and then die, and then it's weird having them both come visit me.

I also think I probably know more about their relationship problems than most of their friends! haha! And thus the drama begins.

With close nit communities of students involved with my programs, comes that drama. Every community-even nuns who live in a convent, will have some sort of drama. There's no escaping it!

I have to leave my office pretty quick here to greet my friend John-Paul farewell as he becomes a franciscan brother, but my point is, Drama is everywhere. We just need to know how to handle it, in a mature way.

When you're close with someone you're not always going to get along with them, because you might have a different opinion on something. That's okay. It's important to avoid gossip and judgement, and be the christian example and talk to that person. And offer them up in prayer. Jesus didn't die on the cross for us to just do this on our own.

Anyways, I'm happy to finally get this blog done! Have a great weekend everyone!!

Your Sister in Christ,
Jeannette