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

How to De-stress during Finals!!!

So..I drove in this morning from Innisfail, and the roads were pretty ugly. It stressed me out so much driving in my little car down icy roads, with cars behind me wanting to pass me cause I drive so slow! So how do I de-stress from all of this?
To take time to give it to Jesus! Seriously!! Like Legit! If you take just alittle bit of time of silence, to focus on him and ask him to take it away, it makes you feel a whole lot better. Wednesdays at lunch at Notre Dame, there is an opportunity to pray in the chapel, to be silent, to just give all your cares to God. I love it! It renews my whole day!!
So..if any students are reading this-give your stress to God, for he died for you, and is willing to do anything for you!! Teachers and staff-you too! I know this is a stressful time as you submit marks,etc. Give to God. It's kind of like that Bruno Mars Song-Grenade but not really!!

Do you remember those spiritual resolutions I talked about before? How are yours going? Me? well, funny you should ask...haha! ...uh..cough! It's err good!! No actually it's going well. I've had a few late nights of youth ministry certificate homework so praying with Kevin has been hard this week. Working out-well...staying late in Red Deer has been a challenge because of bad roads and such, so I'm going tonight in Innisfail for sure!! I will keep going!! And God will give me strength!!

Anyhow, have a wonderful snowy day!! Stay tuned for my next blog-Little Bo Peep has Lost her Sheep!!

It BURNS!!!!!

It burns!! Jesus' fire burns within me..... and so do my legs and back from the amount of exercising I've done in the last week....
So, last week, I challenged everyone to a spiritual resolution, and I would keep you posted on my progress!
Well, I think I'm not doing too badly! I've worked out everyday! Feeling good, and energetic! As well as, I made a prayer schedule for Kevin and I to try and follow every night. We've been doing actually pretty good with all this structure!
So for me who is never good at punctuality can do this stuff and really make the effort, so can all of you!!
What a difference it makes to start and end your day with a little prayer of thanks to God for all that he does for us. God truely gives us the energy that we need to keep going when times are tough, and even times are great! It's all a blessing and a gift!
Hope you're spiritual resolutions are going well! I suggest the prayer and exercise schedule! Let me know how you are all doing as well with this!
Have a blessed weekend!!

Check out this video from Lifeteen! Which will be starting up in Red Deer at St. Mary's very soon!

New Year's Spiritual Resolutions anyone?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a truely blessed holiday season!!
This morning, my husband and I took my grandpa out for lunch! It was a great visit, although, I had a feeling he was going to mention to me how much weight I put on since last year. Just when I thought that conversation wasn't going to happen, and my husband paid for our bill, he says: "Jeannette, when was that Knights of Columbus dance thing I came to last year?" and my husband says: "Last April", and my grandpa replies: "You've gained some weight since then."

I knew it!!! Ugh! I didn't want to hear, but I knew it was true, and most definately one of my resolutions this year is to get myself into shape! Especially as the Central Alberta World Youth Day Group head to Spain in the summer, and we will be backpacking through it!

It's funny how our resolutions mostly involve the physical aspects of us-eating better, getting into shape, looking better, etc. but what about the spiritual? We are all sinners, and we tend to forget that we have spiritual needs just as much as the physical. I for one will be trying to say a rosary with my husband every night. It's sure a hard thing to do, but man, I need a better relationship with Jesus. How can we expect him to work in our lives, if we're not even paying attention to him? to the one that created us? to our ultimate best friend?

What will your spiritual resolution be?

We could have the most fit body, and be eating the most healthy of food, but will that get us in the end when we die? God doesn't judge us on our beautiful looks, but on our beautiful soul!

Whoever is reading this-LISTEN UP!! Maybe your spiritual resolution could be to pray for the young people in your classes, in your parishes, offer up a sacrifice for them! It's simple and would take 5 minutes!

Also-all you young people out there-and I'm talking 18-35yrs!! You should check out the Our Lady of Victory Camp New Year's Eve Conference!! A beautiful way to enrich our catholic faith and have a tonne of fellowship and fun as well! olvc.ab.ca is where you can register!

Have a great New Year's everyone, and try to have a spiritual resolution as well as the physical! That is my challenge for my self as well, and you know what? I will even help motivate you all by keeping you posted on here!
God Bless!

Religion in the class and spiritual practices

A few years ago, I was visiting my Aunt in Calgary and she was telling me how well my cousin Sarah was doing in school. She had the one of the highest marks in religion. My Aunt was extremely proud.
She went on to tell me that she was concerned with Sarah because she was starting to go to another church and didn't want to go to the catholic church anymore with my Aunt. She had friends at the other church, and the music was upbeat and cool. She told me that they pushed Sarah to go to both that church with her friend and the catholic church. Sarah complained because she didn't understand why she had to go to church twice.
I asked my Aunt, "Well, does she understand the importance of the Mass?" And my aunt was like, "Oh, well yes, she has the highest mark in Religion." And I thought to myself,..well, that's great, but that doesn't mean she understands the faith spiritually.

I think we forget sometimes that we can have all the knowledge in the world, but if we don't feel it, see it, experience it, we won't get it. Alot of people go to church as routine all their lives, not really knowing why, only knowing that if they go, they hopefully will go to heaven.

Our faith is more than routine, it's a relationship.

It's getting to know Jesus in a special way, realizing that the Eucharist is Jesus, physically present for us to experience and to have.

In Youth Ministry, I meet such a diversity of students and staff that come from so many backgrounds. The biggest thing that I feel God calls us to do for one another is to form a relationship with them and meet them where they're at.

The biggest challenge in my ministry is ministering to those who do not know God personally, who don't have that relationship.
St. Francis says preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words.

My desire is that students will choose their faith by seeing the examples of their peers and staff. I'm not saying to not talk about God, but for some students-to start talking about it as if they already know him, would shut out the communication you have with them.

My ministry is not to "Teach" Religion and the aspects of the faith, but to "Show" my love for my religion and the aspects of the faith.

Fire, Fuzzy Slippers, Fire Breathing Frogs and Fantabulous Young People!

Yes! That was a random title-such is my life in youth ministry and student life!
God is so absolutely amazing in what he is doing in the lives of our young people! I attended a Lifeteen and Edge Youth Ministry Training in Ontario the past weekend, and I realized that you can only have so many programs and events for youth, but what is really going to grow them deeper into faith?
Things need to be random, simple and relational. It's not about the program, it's about meeting the students where they're at.
Christ says in the bible-Do not conform yourselves to this world, but make yourselves a living sacrifice for me. How beautiful! We are not meant for this world-we are meant for so much more.
I love working with highschool students because they are so honest with you about where they're at. I find it so much easier to have a conversation about Jesus with them, as opposed to an adult. Yes people! Teens long for love, long for acceptance, long for family, long for friends, long for trust, long for freedom, long for attention. They are hungry for a real legit relationship with God, whether they think they do or not.

After XLT Adoration at the LifeTeen Training on Saturday-I facebooked one of my students from the school, and I felt the Holy Spirit truely working within me to be bold! I told her that she was worthy of God, and that he loves her so much. And you know what? She's been coming more and more to events and asks questions about faith. I see her desire for a true relationship.

I love that I can have a Theology of the Body session, and then the next day, talk about having a Star Wars flash mob in the gathering area and act random.

So-let me ask all of you reading this? Why is the ministry so important for youth? Because they are the future of our church. But what about our present church? Are you alive with the Holy Spirit? Do you go to church as routine? or do you feel God's presence? Do you seek out Jesus in everyone you know? or do you focus on the negative things of life? The church is not just a set of rules about standing up, sitting down, singing, and listening to a Homily. There is a spiritual phenomenon going on. Jesus becomes truely present in the Eucharist. I think if everyone truely believed in this, we would never want to put anything of God, and Mass. It is the source and summit of our faith.

How do we teach our students how amazing our faith is, when we may not understand it ourselves? We have to seek out answers, we have to get involved in retreats, and church events that could revitalize our soul, and bring us to a stronger spiritual reality.

So in my randomness-let's grow deeper beyond-fuzzy slippers, fire breathing frogs, and show these students that they can embrace the mystery of faith, the mystery of the eucharist, the love that we long for.

Anyhow, as I sign off, I have a room full of students discussing faith issues, and I'm distracted! haha! Farewell Fantabulous people! God Bless You!!