PCTC Day 2

Well, I have been waiting to post this because I was trying to upload some phots from my phone and some video too, but my laptop does not have bluetooth and I already packed up "Mac".

It was an awesome day at the convention! We started the day at 9:00 AM. The Jr high had workshops first and the SR High had Main Session. The workshops we all different topics, but I think most of them went to one about "Ghosts and the Supernatural" and "Transformers". They seemed to really enjoy the information from these two workshops.

The main Session tackled some tough stuff about sex. I am pretty sure that they are all terrified now, not a bad thing!!!! The Sr high did their workshops in the afternoon and they all went to the Ghost one, one called "Mirror Mirror" and one called "Dough Boy". You'll have to ask them what these were about if you want some real details. Mirror Mirror was about the person you see in the mirror and the person you think God wants you to be. Dough Boy was about how Jesus (The Bread Man) fills all your wants and needs but the Dough Boy only fills the stomach.

I got the opportunity to teach a workshop about the movies that we as Christians decide to watch or not watch. My Jr high session was very dissapointing at first. 15 minutes after we were suposed to start I had no one in my room. I was about to go sit in on another session when people finally came, only 14 people, but still better than none! Sr high session I had people waiting outside for me to open the doors. When it was time to start I had counted about 100 people, but after we got going more people came in and sat on the floor and the total was about 135. It was really great to get to talk to these teens about something that is such a big part of my life.

We all had lunch and dinner together and we spent about an hour cramed in one of our four hotel rooms talking about the things we saw and heard all day. We had a really good time talking about all of the workshop and how God was speaking to them throughout the day. I am really seeing a couple of my kids coming out of their shells - it is so much fun to watch!

After we ate dinner we had about an hour to kill beofre our session so everyone had some free time to hang out. The Jr High session was a very impactful story about how God shows us unconditional love. He talked about how we may never fully understand how much God loves us, but He does.

The Sr High had speaker Dan Smith and he mentioned C.S.Lewis' Screwtape Letters. He talked about how when you are really close to God you become a prime target for the evil one. He also talked about how when a Christian is in the valley and is still able to pray and praise God he is a favored child of God and the their prayers are that much sweeter to His ear.

After the session we went to PCTC After Hours and saw Mad Dog and an Englishmen, and improv comedy duo, they were hilarious! And they even pulled Josh on stage for one of their sketches.

Well, it is about time for me to get some rest for the drive tomorrow. It has been amazing so far, and we're not done yet!!

Here are some pictures . . . and such:

You read it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . you can't unread it!!!!

~ Charles.

PCTC Day 1

So, we are safe and sound in Harrisburg, PA. All 17 of us!! It is amazing to see what God has done at Boulevard in the past year. Last year we brought 5 teens to PCTC and this year . . . . . 7 Jr high and 6 Sr High! How great is our God?!?!?!?!?

In only the first night all 6 of our Jr Highers have made bold statements about how they want to stand firm in a fiath in Jesus Christ! Praise the Lord!

After a rocky start this afternoon of loading the vans up in the rain, running an hour behind scheduale, having one staff running such a high fever he could not come, and one of our female staff has something comparable to a sinus infection we made it here in good time. We made the day of a lady at Burger King by making a $90 order. I asked her if she got a special prize, but she said no - she just thought it was awesome.

Well, that's enough for now. just some up-to-date blogging for any of our teens who are home, and hopefully checking up the website.

You read it . . . . . . . you can't un-read it!!

~ Charles.

Toilet Ball and Sponge Bob

Well, here it is, the third straight day of blogging. I never thought I would see the day when I would be actively involved in a blog.

Tonight at Jr High small group we play an active round of Toilet Bowl. The two teams tied; of course I guess it was a little rigged, since Aaron Devos and myself played hard on the losing team until the game was tied up.

During the lesson we had a Bible drill to find Isaiah 6. Kayla won a small Sponge Bob. Sponge Bob, I think he is stupid, but apparently people like him. He is a sponge. I give them credit, it is pretty creative to come up with a character based on a sponge that lives in a pineapple. Well, I’m not sure whether that counts as creative or incredibly insane. A pineapple!?!?!?!? And what is with the squirrel? Now there is the make of crazy. I think squirrels are funny. They have that twitchy tails and everything. They run around eating everything. The minister at BCC had his trashcans eaten by squirrels.

That’s all for now.

You read it. . . . You can’t unread it!!

~ Charles R.

On My Own

So, I got the Barlow Girl self-titled CD for Christmas. Now it has been in The Way's CD library for awhile, but I don't think I paid any real attention to the lyrics when it has been playing on the stereo. Today, today was different. I put the CD in the stereo of the Tracker and was listening to it on my way to work. I want to share the words to the first song on that CD, “On My Own”

"I can't believe that I’m here in this place again
How did I manage to mess up one more time?
This pattern seems to be the story of my life
Should have learned this lesson by the thousandth time.

'Cause I promise myself I wouldn't fall
But here I've fallen
I guess I'm not as strong as I thought
All I can do is cry to You

Oh God You have to save me
You're my last and only hope
All my right answers fail me
I can't seem to make it on my own

I always thought that I would be strong enough
What made all of them fall couldn't take me down
Yeah, did I think that I was above it all
I have learned that pride comes before the fall

I can't promise that I won't fall
'Cause here I've fallen
I know I'm not as strong as I thought
All I can do is cry to You"

This song struck me hard today. I want you to hear it too. I finally hit the place where I was not alone. I fall and always feel I’m strong enough to make it through on my own. I’m not going to go on and on about the song, because I think it speaks for itself.

So, there you go.

You’ve read it . . . . . .. . . you can’t unread it.

~ Charles.

Super Toilet Bowl and the Super Bowl

Yesterday, February 1, 2009, was the second competition The Way likes to call, "The Super Toilet Bowl.? Two teams of six players on each competed in this amazing game, a game that combines some of the characteristics of basketball, football, total randomness, and a bedside toilet bowl. Final score, Team: Kids in the Way 9 and team Toby Mac 7. One frustrating part of the game for the players was that every few minutes the teams were switched around, so no one really got to accept the win. Well, one player, Copper, says that she never was never taken off of the winning team, no one is sure if this can be verified or not. A good time was had by all. "This is a great game" said Aaron Devos, the opening quarterback of Kids in the Way. This was actually one time that I did not hear any complaining about the game that we were playing. This does not happen very often, all the teens getting along, playing one game together.

On the evening of February 1, 2009 there was Super Bowl XLIII the Arizona Cardinals versus the Pittsburg Steelers. What an awesome game! Full of ups and downs some great defense in the red zone from both teams. On the Cardinals side, they found a way to stop the Steelers every time they made it close to the end-zone. On Pittsburg?s side, they caught an interception and were able to run it back for a 100 yard interception touchdown. Wow! That was awesome. I was rooting for the Steelers all the way. Technically I had stock in either team since I am a big Colts fan. Arizona?s Edgerrin James used to be the running back for the Colts and Pittsburg?s Mike Tomlin used to coach with Tony Dungy down in Tampa Bay. So, I could have gone either way their, but I went for the Steelers, because I think friends should stick together, and one of my very best friends is a Steelers fan in Ravens country. There you go, I was yelling and shouting for the black and gold ? all the way baby!!!!! I was getting a little nervous there towards the end. 2:45 left on the clock and Arizona was on top. Steelers got down to the one yard line and I still was nervous because they had not done well in the red zone. Then they made it, they showed the clip of the catch about 30 times trying to see if he got both toes down in bounds. He did! Steelers over Cardinals, 27-23, wow, I was yelling and jumping all over the place ? my throat was toast! First thing I had to do? Call my friend! He was pretty excited. This was the Steelers? sixth Super Bowl win. Friends need to stick together, not matter what.

Favorite commercial of the evening you ask? There was this one for Doritos where the guy was with his friend telling him about his magic snow globe or whatever. Then he asked the snow globe if there would be free Doritos in the office today, then throws it at a vending machine, breaking the glass. Then they showed his friend asking the snow globe if he would get a promotion and he threw it and it hit his boss in the groin. Hilarious, but not a good example of friends sticking together he kind of let his friend down.

What is the point? Stick together. Be strong. Get out there and make friendships that will last a lifetime. We really need those friends. You really need friends. If you are part of the way and reading this, I hope you see that you have a group of friends with you several times a week at BCC. If you are not part of The Way, you should come and join that group of friends. We would love to have you.

Well, you read it . . .

. . . . . you can?t unread it!

~ Charles R.