So I'm a youth mentor for the youth group at my church. Have I ever mentioned that before? I'm sorry if I didn't. I'm a mentor, and I also help lead worship. Youth is what occupies my Friday nights. The kids are loud, they are hyper, they are on fire for God (sometimes), they can be so incredibly mature, or so incredibly stupid. And I love them. I don't always know how to connect with them or relate to them, but I love them none the less.
I love seeing them grow ever so slowly and steadily through this journey called "TEENAGER." I love seeing what God is doing in the youth group, and what He is doing through the youth group. It's so encouraging. It builds my faith a little more each week.
I'm reminded over and over and over and over and over that He is faithful, and He is moving. He is doing the work, not us. He works through us, but it's still Him. We just have to show up and be willing.
Anyway, tonight we had a worship night with the kids, and the elders of the church. It was....amazing. The elders really wanted to pray for the youth and encourage them, and I think they needed it. Heck, I needed it.
Another amazing thing is how God always comes through for me on youth nights. Tonight was one of those nights where I really didn't want to go, but I knew that I had to, and that God was going to move. They say that the times you don't want to go are the times you really need to go.
Now, I love worship, I really do. I have a passion for it, it's where God moves in me and speaks to me, and....it's my element. (I also happen to have a degree in Music Ministry, so that works out really nicely).
But there are so many times when I come into youth group and I'm getting ready to do worship, and I just don't feel like it. I have a rotten attitude, I whine (in my head) and make up all sorts of excuses as to why I shouldn't participate this time. "God, I'm just not going to give it my all this time, because I don't want to. I'll fake it, and You can do what you do, okay?"
But God gets to me EVERY time (which is good). He tells me to surrender to Him and fix my attitude, because He won't work through me if I'm not faithful and willing. So tonight I started singing the first song, I lifted my hands, and just focused on Him. And it worked, like it does every time. I felt the presence of God, I was encouraged, my soul was lifted up. But only after I made the choice did the feelings come.
One of the songs we sang was "Better Is One Day In Your Courts." Now, I must tell you, I used to hate that song. I thought the chorus was so empty and lame. "Better is one day in Your courts?" Where are "Your courts"? This is totally not relevant.
But then God gave me a revelation a little while ago, and now I LOVE that song! And today while we were singing it, He gave me another revelation about it. The very first line of the song is "How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty." And as soon as I sang that line, I felt such an intimacy with God in that moment. I felt like I was literally in His house.
Like if I went to my cousin's house that she just decorated, and she decorated it especially for me, because she wanted me to like it, she wanted to bless me. As soon as I walk in, her whole heart is silently pleading that I love the house, that I absolutely love it! So of course, when I walk in there, it just feels so...perfect, and I would say to her, "This is such a lovely place! What a lovely home you have."
That's what I felt when I sang the first line of that song. That God had invited me into His very cozy, personal, intimate home, and He wanted desperately for me to love it. I felt like He was showing me all the rooms, and asking me over and over, "Do you like it Jenene? I painted it this colour just for you. I chose these decorations because I thought you would like them. Do you like it? Please say you like it." I felt like I was in God's home, and I loved it. It felt.....like a home! It was so intimate.
I can't really describe a feeling like that, but...I guess He felt like a Lover. He is my Lover, wooing me with the beautiful things He is doing just for me, because He loves me SO much, and He is just aching for me to love Him back. It was so incredible. I just got lost in the song.
I forgot that I was even singing, I forgot that I was on a stage, I forgot that the kids were there, I forgot about everything. It was just me and God in that moment. I was being spiritually swept off my feet by God. What a Love I have.
April 27, 2007
April 25, 2007
Happy Hands and Other Good Things
I had the best vacation ever.
I think I needed to take that time off. Not that I was stressed, but it felt so good to be away from the ordinary for a while. I spent 5 wonderful days on the west coast. It was warm, and everything is green and blooming, and the mountain air combined with the ocean air makes for Jenene taking deep breaths every time she's outside. Glorious!
I got to be with Art, hang out with my friends and see them graduate. I also got to dress up and go out for dinner, go on dates, go to the beach, and watch way too much TV.
AND I got to spend a day with Art at his job (b/c he had to work on the Friday that I was there). Art is a bellman at a 4-diamond Resort Golf Spa (and he is very good at what he does, he makes some pretty sweet tips). Anyway, we wanted to be together as much as possible, so I went with him to work.
The hotel is BEAUTIFUL! I mean, it's on the coast, it only has the #1 golf course in the state, so what can you expect? Yeah. There are so many lounge areas, with plush couches and chairs, all looking out towards the bay, and there's always a fireplace near by. The rooms are so cozy, definitely not your typical hotel rooms.
And the restaurants. Oh, the restaurants. Great food, great service, great atmosphere, not-so-great prices (if great = cheap). But it's a freaking resort. Of course it's high-class, top-quality and slightly pricey. Oh, and did I mention the spa?
When you go in for a spa treatment, they send you down the hall to a quiet room. It's a softly lit room with more plush chairs, soft soothing music playing, fresh beverages of your choice, and of course, a fire place. It's so cozy warm in there, and the whole point of that room is to relax you before your spa treatment. And talk about royal treatment.
For a manicure and pedicure you sit in a massage chair, with a heated up neck warmer, and your feet soaking in a little foot jacuzzi, and they do the cuticle treatment and the sea salt scrub and the deep massage (all the way up the arm and leg to the elbows and knees).
Then they do a paraffin wax mitt, where your feet or hands are are "soaking" in hot wax (don't worry, it doesn't burn). Then they peel that off, leaving you with the softest skin imaginable. Then comes the actual polish, and another stint in the quiet room while the polish is drying. It is heaven!
And how do I know all these things? Not because I was chatting it up with the front desk girl. My Most Wonderfulest Boyfriend On Earth BOUGHT me a professional manicure and pedicure at the resort spa.
He had been telling me for quite some time he had a surprise for me, and this was it. It was amazing. I recommend it to EVERYONE. So I spent a good 3 hours in the spa, and I felt like a queen afterward. I had been worried that I wouldn't have time to do my nails before the grad festivities, but he solved that problem for me! He is the best!!!!!
The rest of the weekend was good too: dressing up, various dinner dates, an afternoon at the beach, gelato, hanging out with friends that I hadn't seen in nearly a year. But the mani and pedi was by far the highlight. I took pictures of my lovely hands and feet, and I promise I will put some up soon.
Oh, besides the fact that it was such a wonderful gift, it also helped me complete another goal! Yay! Goal #103: get a professional pedicure. Check!
I think I needed to take that time off. Not that I was stressed, but it felt so good to be away from the ordinary for a while. I spent 5 wonderful days on the west coast. It was warm, and everything is green and blooming, and the mountain air combined with the ocean air makes for Jenene taking deep breaths every time she's outside. Glorious!
I got to be with Art, hang out with my friends and see them graduate. I also got to dress up and go out for dinner, go on dates, go to the beach, and watch way too much TV.
AND I got to spend a day with Art at his job (b/c he had to work on the Friday that I was there). Art is a bellman at a 4-diamond Resort Golf Spa (and he is very good at what he does, he makes some pretty sweet tips). Anyway, we wanted to be together as much as possible, so I went with him to work.
The hotel is BEAUTIFUL! I mean, it's on the coast, it only has the #1 golf course in the state, so what can you expect? Yeah. There are so many lounge areas, with plush couches and chairs, all looking out towards the bay, and there's always a fireplace near by. The rooms are so cozy, definitely not your typical hotel rooms.
And the restaurants. Oh, the restaurants. Great food, great service, great atmosphere, not-so-great prices (if great = cheap). But it's a freaking resort. Of course it's high-class, top-quality and slightly pricey. Oh, and did I mention the spa?
When you go in for a spa treatment, they send you down the hall to a quiet room. It's a softly lit room with more plush chairs, soft soothing music playing, fresh beverages of your choice, and of course, a fire place. It's so cozy warm in there, and the whole point of that room is to relax you before your spa treatment. And talk about royal treatment.
For a manicure and pedicure you sit in a massage chair, with a heated up neck warmer, and your feet soaking in a little foot jacuzzi, and they do the cuticle treatment and the sea salt scrub and the deep massage (all the way up the arm and leg to the elbows and knees).
Then they do a paraffin wax mitt, where your feet or hands are are "soaking" in hot wax (don't worry, it doesn't burn). Then they peel that off, leaving you with the softest skin imaginable. Then comes the actual polish, and another stint in the quiet room while the polish is drying. It is heaven!
And how do I know all these things? Not because I was chatting it up with the front desk girl. My Most Wonderfulest Boyfriend On Earth BOUGHT me a professional manicure and pedicure at the resort spa.
He had been telling me for quite some time he had a surprise for me, and this was it. It was amazing. I recommend it to EVERYONE. So I spent a good 3 hours in the spa, and I felt like a queen afterward. I had been worried that I wouldn't have time to do my nails before the grad festivities, but he solved that problem for me! He is the best!!!!!
The rest of the weekend was good too: dressing up, various dinner dates, an afternoon at the beach, gelato, hanging out with friends that I hadn't seen in nearly a year. But the mani and pedi was by far the highlight. I took pictures of my lovely hands and feet, and I promise I will put some up soon.
Oh, besides the fact that it was such a wonderful gift, it also helped me complete another goal! Yay! Goal #103: get a professional pedicure. Check!
April 19, 2007
Soon and Very Soon...
...I am going to be with Art! I am mucho excited and tres ecstatic and very very anxious to get out of here. 4 more hours and I will be sitting on a plane, waiting to take off!
I'll be getting back next Tuesday very late, but I'm not going to think about coming back. I'm just going to enjoy being there. Oh, I thought this day would NEVER arrive! And now I'm practically counting down the minutes. Okay everyone, have a great weekend, don't miss me too much! ;) BYE!
I'll be getting back next Tuesday very late, but I'm not going to think about coming back. I'm just going to enjoy being there. Oh, I thought this day would NEVER arrive! And now I'm practically counting down the minutes. Okay everyone, have a great weekend, don't miss me too much! ;) BYE!
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