Magazines I read!!

Relevant-
It talks about life, God and culture.
It comes bi-monthly!

Leadership-
It has great articles about leadership and what is going on the church world.
It comes bi-monthly!

Collide-
It a great media magazine basically a number of new websites and media ideas.

Group-
It a great youth ministry magazine!

Men's Health
It has great stuff about your body. Its talk about what foods to eat and new workouts!

Da recap!!

Well we finished our series called "Open Mic." This week I was back speaking. We spent a little time talking about being a Christians. It was good to be back!

Attendance was average!
Volunteers was above average!
Fun Factor was above average!
Message was below average!(rough return)

This week we are going to do a one hit on baptism because we are doing a huge baptism on May 11th (Mother's Day). Its crazy to think that school is almost out!!

Arby's buys Wendys

Read this article sad day for Wendy's

MTV and BET = explicit content

I think that this was an interesting article that I was reading on Churchrelevence.com

In March, the Parents Television Council analyzed 14 hours of daytime music video programming on BET and MTV and discovered explicit content (e.g., sex, language, and violence) occurred once every 38 seconds (95.8 per hour). It is 7.5 times greater than the rate of explicit content on prime time television’s Family Hour (i.e., once every 4.8 minutes).

Explicit Content on BET and MTV

• 48% sex once every 90 seconds
• 37% explicit language once every 1.7 minutes
• 10% violence once every 6.3 minutes
• 9% drugs use/sales
• 3% other illegal activity

The full study also includes a similar December 2007 analysis. Most agree that exposure to such content has negative effects on youth. It certainly influences teen culture.

McDonalds or Chick-fil-a

McDonald's vs. chick-fil-a
I eat at fast food alot because I am always on the go. I think about two popular fast food places like McDonalds/chick-fil-a and they different in so many ways. If you go into McDonald's and the customer service is sometimes good about 50% of the time. You get stuff like: what, yea, sure! I guess it depending on location, manager, owner will determine how clean it is. Food is well its got it good days and bad.
You take chick-fil-a experience and every time I go there I always have a great experience and the food always taste the same. My favorite thing is when you say thank you they say my pleasure. That is great customer service. The restaurant is always clean no matter the location or the operator. I think the key to chick-fil-a success is the fact that they are Micro Managed and they have only one owner. You can only become a operator not an owner!

Think about it...

Weekend Recap!!

We just finished week 3 of the series called "Open Mic". This week Jessica spoke for the first time about peer pressure. She did good!

Attendance was average!
Volunteer was average!
Fun Factor was average!
Message was ok!

This is the last week of the series coming up! I will be back talking about AIDs awareness! I am excited about speaking about it seems like forever ago!

fatherless homes are hard!!

I was Kurt's blog and I found some interesting information about growing up in a fatherless home and how hard it is for kids. I have always had a heart for single moms because I grow up in a fatherless. It's so hard. Here are a few stats that blow me away...

63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes--U.S. D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census
85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes--Center for Disease Control
80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes--Criminal Justice and Behavior, Vol. 14, p. 403-26
71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes--National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools
70% of juveniles in state operated institutions come from fatherless homes--U.S. Dept. of Justice
85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home--Fulton County Georgia jail populations & Texas Dept. of Corrections

Translated, this means that children from a fatherless home are:
5 times more likely to commit suicide
32 times more likely to run away
20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders
14 times more likely to commit rape
9 times more likely to drop out of school
10 times more likely to abuse chemical substances
9 times more likely to end up in a state operated institution
20 times more likely to end up in prison

funny video!!!

are teenagers happy???

I was reading on ypulse the folks at OTX Research sent over their latest report they did with The Intelligence Group (a Ypulse advertiser) on teens' self image. Guess what they found? Teens are happy! But care enough about their looks to spend money on product...

- 81% of teens said they were at least somewhat happy and over a third (36%) say they are very happy

- 61% of teens said they worry about their looks, and 48% said they compare the way they look with friends and peers.

- 50% of teens said looks and physical appearance were very important when it comes to 'being respected by others', but only 33% said it was important for 'being liked by others'

Which leads to...

- The survey found that teens spend an average of $27 per month on health and
beauty products

- Deodorants were the most commonly used products used on a daily basis (84%)

- Whitening toothpastes (55%)
- lip balms (54%)
- perfumes (52%)
- and facial scrubs (44%)

And who is the most important influence when it comes to how teens feel about themselves? Not mom or dad, not even their friends....it's their boyfriend or girlfriend (if they have one). Interestingly, religion comes second:

- Your girlfriend/boyfriend (84%)
- Your religion (82%)
- Your friends (79%)
- Your parents (74%)
- Your teacher(s) (72%)
- TV shows you watch (51%)
- Celebrities (e.g. actors, athletes, musicians) (49%)
- Magazines you read (38%)
- Advertising you see (on TV or elsewhere) (33%)
- Other kids in school (31%)

Some of the results from the last set of questions definitely feel like teens answered how they thought they should answer:

Would you rather...

Get a new car for your HS graduation (96%)
Get plastic surgery for your HS graduation (4%)

Exercise to lose weight (91%)
Take diet pills to lose weight (9%)

Get your College degree (90%)
Win American Idol (10%)

Have a lot of friends (76%)
Have a lot of money (24%)

Feel good (69%)
Look good (31%)

Be told you have a great personality (68%)
Be told you are hot (32%)

Be Comfortable (68%)
Be Fashionable (32%)

Be the smartest kid in school (55%)
Be the best looking kid in school (45%)

Be 10 pounds under normal weight (54%)
Be 10 pounds over normal weight (46%)

Be one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People (53%)
Be one of Forbes Magazine's 50 Richest People (47%)

Posted by anastasia

Picture mail gone bad!!!

Teenagers sending nude pictures across there cell phone. I was reading this article and it doesn't surprise me. Check out this article!

Da weekly Recap!

This weekend was great! We are in week 2 of our series called "Open Mic" we talked about Gossip. I took the weekend off from teaching and Laura spoke and did a wonderful job.

Attendance was average!
Volunteer was average
Message was above average!
Fun factor was average!

Next week, we will continue our series with talking about peer pressure and stress and Jessica will be speaking. I know your thinking stop being lazy but this is the third time I have taking off since I have been here almost a year.

D3boys!!

D3boyz is a club that was started about 3 years and I then was died. We are now bringing it back! It a perfect boys club for single moms. The club is for 8-12year old BOYS that build courage and prepare hearts for becoming a man. It will be great for young boys that don't have a father figure in there life! The theme is what kind of man do you want to be?
Check out the website!!

Stress...how do you deal with it!

we all get stressed out in one way or another. I kn0w that we all deal with stress differently
everything from delegating to shutting people out!

Some ways that you can deal with stress:

• Take a day off and get way and spend sometime asking for directions with God
  
• Go workout- come on getting fit and blowing off some stream
  
• Journal
  
• Delegate some of your work load to someone on your team

GPS for teenages!

This is a unbelievable study!!

Weekend Recap!!

We started a series called "Open Mic" and we spent sometime talking about Friends this week. This series was picked by our students.

Attendance was little above average!
Fun Factor was above average!
Volunteers Involvement was average!
Message was average!

This will be a fun series that we started. It's cool to talk about what kids want to here about. I am looking forward to the rest of the series!

funny video!!!

I hope that you enjoy this!!

Have a great weekend!!

How is the balance in your life!

Last week, I had lunch with a few people and asked the simply question:how do you balance your life? In my case it's being a pastor, teacher, administration, time alone, build relationships. I think that you have to have a solid schedule that you are using outlook, calendar, reminders, moleskine. If you don't have balance in your life I know that no matter, what your doing you will experience burn out or something or someone will have be cheated. Healthy life is important! Find a system that works and use it or you will miss out on somethings in life and not last a long time in what you are doing.

37 folders is a great resource!

I would love to hear some feedback on balance in your life!

92 old woman changing lives?

you have to check this video out!