Halloween Fun

Last night I pulled up next to this guy at a stoplight. I've never seen anybody decorate their car like this for Halloween. He had jack-o-lantern lights and a fog machine blowing on top of his car and Halloween music playing. Super crazy and cool.



My mom saw this costume idea in a magazine and wanted to use it this year. This was my project for yesterday. Pretty clever idea. It's a sandwich board she'll wear. Both sides are the same. She can change the prices on the sign throughout the night.

Trophy Case

From time to time I get great letters or comments from students about how they've been impacted by my ministry or how they are doing ministry to others. I've decided to make a trophy case of these on my volunteer youth ministry blog. My hope is that these will be a source of encouragement not only to me, but new youth workers, discouraged volunteers, or anybody anxiously wondering if ministry will ever become natural, fulfilling, or rewarding.

These trophies are for your encouragement as much as they are for me. I hope you'll save your trophies, too, as they come in (and they will if you commit to last).

There's one trophy there now with more on the way... Click Here

Finding A Good Coffee House To Use As An Office

I frequently find myself in coffee houses around town filling time between appointments. That's where I'm at now. Killing time before my 5:30 appointment. Walking from my car to the front door, I started going through a checklist of things I needed to consider before making my purchase. I've discovered there's some things need to check before committing myself to any location. Here it is. Maybe somebody else can benefit from it.

1. Check for free WiFi (Wireless Internet). Most coffee houses have this posted on the window next to the door. I haven't tested this, but I understand if you register a Starbuck's giftcard online, they offer free WiFi. I prefer It's a Grind and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf because you get free WiFi without having to jump through hoops. The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and Peet's Coffee are also great. At Peet's Coffee, just ask the cashier for an Internet code. At The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, look for the number on the logo on the TV screen to get the code.

2. Check for outlets. I hate ordering my drink then trying to find a table next to a power outlet to plug my laptop into. For a lot of people this won't be an issue. However, my laptop battery lasts about 2 nanoseconds on a good day. I typically will find a table and set up my laptop before ordering.

3. Look for distractions. I've learned to pay attention to the surroundings when I walk through the door. Is the music too loud or unusual? Is there a parent trying to homeschool two unruly children? (that was the case yesterday) Are the employees having an in depth conversation about stuff you'd rather not know? When I don't look for what can be a distraction, I sometimes get comfy and start working then realize I can't get anything done because of the atmosphere.

I hope this helps my fellow coffee-shop-as-an-office users out there. Bottom's up!

Bonus: If you go to It's A Grind, sometimes you should skip the coffee and opt for a warmed up chocolate chip cookie and a glass of milk. Ohhh... it's so incredibly good! They're super rich so you won't want to do it very often, but they're worth every calorie... and I'm kind of a health nut.

Volunteer Youth Ministry

I put two new posts on my blog for volunteer youth workers today.

Cutting Up My Lesson Plans - click here

This is a creative approach I take a couple of times a year to get the students more invested in their time at small group.

Using My Graduates - click here

This is a post about the incredible resource that graduates from my ministry each year. I've decided not to let the miles that separate us during the school year rob my students of what they have to offer.

14 Year Old Girl Abandoned Under Safe Haven Law

As a youth worker, this breaks my heart. Under the circumstances, this may be the best thing for the girl. Hopefully she'll find a place in a loving Christian home.

Click here to read the article

Traditions

I just wrote a blog post about the importance of traditions on my youth ministry blog for volunteers. Check it out at http://dbeckner.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/traditions/

My Birthday

I had my birthday today. It was awesome. Dinner w/great family and friends and then saw the movie Eagle Eye afterward. I turned 38. In a couple of years I should have my mid-life crisis. I might want to start planning that now.

Fun facts from the news:
1. When I got home tonight, there was breaking news that O.J. Simpson was found guilty on all counts of his kidnapping trial.
2. He was acquitted of murder charges on my 25th birthday.
3. The Berlin wall came down on my birthday.