Up On High

Toy Story 3: Movie Review

2009-10-21T23:51:00.000-07:00

This week, Windell reviews the Pixar film, Toy Story in 3D.

"I thought it was awesome. It's Toy Story. It's a classic."

Click here for review & discussion from Christianity Today

Movie Review: Recap of Windell's Movie Reviews- or at least some thus far

2009-10-21T22:12:00.000-07:00

Practically each week, Windell shares his thoughts of the movies he's seen recently. In Youth Group, we've discussed how we continue to find Jesus speaking to us through stories and film. Additionally, we've become mesmerized by Windell's succinct recaps of the movie's he's seen. So, in a meshing of styles, we present to you our latest recurring segment: Windell's Movie Reviews. Before we officially launch this, let us re-cap on some of the movies Windell has already seen:

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

"I just bought the DVD. What do you think? I liked it a lot."
Click here for review & discussion from Christianity Today

Hannah Montana: The Movie "I liked it. It was good."
Click here for review & discussion from Christianity Today

9 "I liked it. It was good."
Click here for review & discussion from Christianity Today

Surrogates Warning: Spoiler Alert.
"I liked it. It was good. There was a lot of action. Bruce Willis saves the world."
Click here for review & discussion from Christianity Today

Napoleon Dynamite "I didn't really care for it."
Click here for review & discussion from Christianity Today

Gearing Up For Lent

2009-02-18T23:12:00.000-08:00

We listened to the sounds of The Sounds this evening.

So, per request we present you:

We started our Super-Lenten-Series a week early tonight in preparation of Lent. Some Scripture-reading, sharing, nailing push-pins to wood (long story), the Boy Scout finding an easier way to extract push-pins from said wood, and closing prayer with our snazzy new Youth Group candle. We're looking at things we can improve on, whether it's choices we've made, choices we make, and what we find ourselves doing with our time.

We are preparing ourselves to use the next 40-days to let the Spirit guide us and be with us as we reflect and take on new (or old) challenges.

Matisyahu opens up with his song, Sea to Sea, which includes lyrics straight out of Scripture, "Open up my lips and my mouth shall declare Your praise." And only Matisyahu can pull it off in Hebrew & English to a killer reggae beat. So, please enjoy:

Reminder:
There's no Youth Group next week because of Ash Wednesday.

Getting ready for Lent

2009-02-05T07:45:00.000-08:00

We're gearing up for Lent, so we did a lot of catching up on what's going on with everyone this week before we get extra-biblical next month. C.C. was kind of surprised by this when she responded with , "Damn! Jesus was just born and now he's gonna die again?!" :)

Next week, we look at WWYD, WWJD, Valentine's Day, Love, Dating, and calendering for the rest of the year.

Unofficial Movie night this Friday:
Coraline around 7ish at Bayfair. Unofficial meaning that it just so-happens that a bunch of us are going to be there and YOYO (you're on your own) for transportation, tickets, and snacks.

In-N-Out Rumor -- Officially UNTRUE

2008-10-09T23:35:00.000-07:00

That's right:

Straight from the source, there is NO SUCH THING as 10, 15, 25 cent deals at In-N-Out on Wednesday, the 22nd. But, you're more than welcome to stop by and buy a bunch of regularly priced food for us on the way to Youth Group :)

Official Link:
http://www.in-n-out.com/AniversarystatementSeperate.asp

However, the rumor about bible verses being on the cups, containers, and wrappers is totally true!

God's Invitations - and Zombie video

2008-10-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

We talked a little about people in our lives who God worked through, inviting us back to Him. God's invitation doesn't expire. Sometimes, we find that it keeps coming back in different versions, through different people. How has God extended an invitation to you?

Has it been through people in your life? If so, who?

But we are not just on the receiving end. God is using us too. How are YOU reaching out to others?

And I know, it's a weird combination. But since we DID bring this up on Wednesday, here it is:

The Cranberries-Zombie - the Cranberries

And just to keep things nice and diverse, here is a nice musical clip that fits in perfectly with our economic times:

Back from the rally

2008-10-09T21:03:00.000-07:00

We're back!!!
We've been a little more occupied with the rally. But I think it's safe to say that we've fully recovered... and when we re-grouped, we noticed a few things:
- We forgot to take pictures DURING the event. Most of our pictures are from afterwards.
- Diego isn't in ANY of our pictures. But we assure you, he WAS there. We have witnesses :)

Our theme this year was "Wii Belong" and we REALLY went for it with our Halo-themed T-shirts. Lance gets props for our t-shirt design, especially for the back, which was in full-color. Chu Chu gets props for preparing an eloquent explanation of how it fits as a church-shirt (in case anyone asked).

Steve Angrisano did a keynote, workshop, AND music for mass while SVdP's Seldom Seen Acting Co. did a performance at the other workshop. Lunchtime activities included basketball, a bungee-thing, parachute, crafts, and other things. Mass was celebrated with St. Bede's regular Sat. parishioners and various priests from participating parishes. Windell's favorite chicken was on the menu for dinner and I don't know anyone in our group who did not have a good time at the dance. Seriously. After a slideshow of the day, we closed with prayer and finally took pictures of ourselves as a group. Enjoy:

Youth Rally 2008

T-Shirts and Fundraising

2008-09-03T22:03:00.000-07:00

We've finally decided on a theme for our rally T-shirts this year. Jumping on the video-gaming theme of this year's rally, we've toyed with Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and even GTA- but it seems that HALO is our clear winner. Woo hoo!

Now, we'll just have to tinker with a few more details. Don't forget that we need to add the parish name on the back. The tinkering needs to be done in the next week and a half so we can get them in production and ready to wear in time for the rally.

Speaking of which, we'll begin fundraising to cover Rally admission, shirts, and lunch -- and hopefully have enough left over to cover our weekly snacks. We're starting with rootbeer floats & ice cream at 10:30am & 1pm mass this weekend followed by the ever-popular nachos the following weekend.

Confrontation

2008-09-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

Not even Jesus had quick-fix answers on how to deal with confrontation. So, how is it that Dr. Phil or anyone else is going to be able to help us? Jesus reminds us about a few things this week:

1. Things aren't always going to go our way
2. People aren't going to always be receptive
3. Talk to and get help from others- Jesus' line is always open.
4. Sometimes you just have to shake the dirt from your sandals and move on.
5. You are never alone (see #3)

This week's video was a hard pick, but we're going on a limb and this latest from T.I. This song is his personal response to what others percieve of him. It's his artistic form of confrontation:

Jesus said to his disciples: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that 'every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

Taking up your cross

2008-08-27T08:27:00.000-07:00

This was originally sent to us via email.. but it seems so fitting for this week:

We complain about the cross we bear but don’t realize it is preparing us for the dip in the road that God can see and we cannot.

Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you." He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to exchange his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay all according to his conduct."

So, along those lines.. a few videos to enjoy and ponder:

Rocky Rocks

2008-08-21T13:20:00.000-07:00

Personal issues are tough to deal with. Especially when they involve the people who we normally reach out to. What do we do. How do react? Do others influence our decisions or feelings? Sometimes we lash out and it's not how we truly are. We're not at our best when we're hurt. But God doesn't give up on us. We fail, but we're not completely hopeless. We talked about some of that and forgiveness.

Then we looked at this Sunday's gospel reading. Peter, the guy who doubted, fell, and turned his back was still chosen by Jesus. And we talked about how we are all Christian leaders.. Yeah, we are. How do we feel about where we are with that?

It seemed easier to pick out our faults and give reasons why we WOULDN'T make great leaders, but we have to remember that God sees potential in us and never gives up... so we shouldn't give up on ourselves either. We might be rocky rocks, but we're all pretty good strong rocks.

Your food-for-thought video for the week: - why would we pick this?

Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Then he strictly ordered his disciple to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Jesus And Dinos

2008-08-13T16:15:00.001-07:00

A certain person in our group has brought up Dino-Jesus a time or two.. You know who you are. So, in his honor, though it is not THE Dino-Jesus, it's the next best thing:

Learning From Others - Jesus get's schooled?

2008-08-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

So, Jesus is doing his thing, walking on by and a non-Jew asks him for his help. He explains in a weird way that he's just there for the Jews, and then she sort of says, "Hey, well... even a dog's gotta eat." He acknowledges her faith and helps her out. So.. did Jesus just get schooled or was this just another example of his teaching others? Maybe it's a little of both.

There are people in our lives who challenge us. We know who they are. They test our patience, test our beliefs, and test our tolerance of others. We talked a little about those experiences and how they re-affirm things about ourselves. Through those moments, we learn how patient we can be, how tolerant we are, and what exactly we believe.

Who are some people that challenge you?

What do you learn about yourself from that experience?

Next week we start gearing up for our Freshman Welcome Night (Aug 27) and do another round of "What's in the Bag."

At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, "Have pit on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon." But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her. Jesus' disciples came and asked him, "Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us." He said in reply, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Isreal." But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, "Lord, help me." He said in reply, "It is not right to take the food the children and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Please Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters." Then Jesus said to her in reply, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And the woman's daughter was healed from that hour.

Our Stormy Times

2008-08-07T03:10:00.000-07:00

We ate too many chips tonight

and re-capped where we had left off last week..

Remember.. the loaves and fishes.

What little do we have to offer others?

How can we use that?

How does Jesus help?

This week, Peter gets off the boat, freaks out because of the storm, and calls out to Jesus to help him (see this Sunday's Gospel reading below).

We looked at our own personal "storms," how our faith helps us (or challenges us), and what exactly we do that gets us through. Sometimes, it's a friend on the phone or something as simple as a stranger's smile. Other times, we seem to connect with a song or particular type of music.

Is there a song or type of music that seems to calm your own personal "storm?" Bring what you have next Wednesday. We'll be listening with open ears and open hearts.

In the meantime, let's enjoy as Chris Brown tells us all how he won't let me fall:

After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”

The Reason

2008-07-31T02:22:00.000-07:00

Summer is winding down and we're almost ready to... well. Most of us are just dealing with what is right now.
Tonight, we did some overdue checking in to see how we're all doing. Some common themes came up and a song started coming out of it.
Feel free to enjoy and or reflect:

We're Getting Liturgical

2008-07-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

Youth Group is coming back with a vengance this school year. We'll be looking at the readings for the coming Sunday's readings and look at how that applies to our actual everyday lives. Our weekly check-in, games, and closing prayer will remain the same- but you'll have a better idea of what theme we'll be discussing if you check out the readings in advance.
Oh, and stay tuned for the pics and video I shot while away for World Youth Day.
Peace, L2
This Sunday's readings:
http://www.usccb.org/nab/072708.shtml

Movie Music Videos

2008-06-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

After seeing Lars and the Real Girl and posting the movie trailer, I thought about other movies I've seen that make pretty decent music videos and/or movie summaries. So, for no other reason other than these are pretty good, please enjoy: (the first is a little gritty and the second is a cute little Jane Austen thing)

Children of Men (R) - Apocalypse Please by Muse

Persuasion (2007) - Run by Snow Patrol

Things we forgot to post about

2008-06-26T16:33:00.000-07:00

Lock-In: It should have been re-named "Playstation & Wii with other stuff night" because the videogaming dominated this year. The next one tentatively scheduled for sometime in December.

Ask A Priest Night: It was great. Diana read our questions aloud to Fr. Nick, who stumped us all
by answering them all... even the "anonymous" question about aliens. Fr. Nick mentioned "The Day The Earth Stood Still," which sounds like the perfect flick for our next movie night.

Jeopardy: After a completely unfair skewing of points and scoring, Chu Chu and Windell's team finally won the game formerly dominated by Diana and Pedro.

A's Game: Well, we didn't win, but at least we got a good deal on hotdogs. ha ha. The forest fires gave us an eerie sunset and we had lots of opportunities to shout things - perfectly PG-rated things.. You know, like the kinds of things Jesus would probably shout during the game. Our praying must have paid off because we came back to win the game the following day.

Uninvited Guest Request

2008-06-02T14:52:00.000-07:00

If you haven't provided your upcoming graduation or other end-of-the-year event information, it will make it hard for me and others to happily show up as uninvited guests :) I don't know about you, but I've waited all year to make a complete fool of myself in a bleacher full of relatives on your behalf. The more advance notice you provide will help us get a larger cheering section for you. Congratulations!

Lock-In prep

2008-06-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

We're getting ready for our Lock-In this Friday and my not so subtle hints at the "at the door admission" being $10 instead of $5 has led to people handing in thier permission forms earlier than ever. Nice.
At Principal Margaret's reception this Sunday, someone graciously offered to bake us cookies, so early arrivers will have first dibs on the fresh-baked treats. Another new addition to our all-night menu are our hit-selling nachos. Yum!

Movie/Game Night Tonight

2008-05-30T15:19:00.001-07:00

Woo Hoo!

Things We Haven't Done - things to do before leaving the Bay

2008-05-15T15:08:00.000-07:00

Our high school seniors are leaving us soon (sniffle sniffle) and last night we talked about a few things we'd like to do before they go.. Bowling, mini-golfing, field-trip, etc.. and then we talked about individual things each of us hadn't done before. Like, going to Costco, eating at Carl's Jr., eating at In-N-Out, going to Bay to Breakers..
which brings to mind a question that I've had for a while: What sort of things would we put on a "To do/visit list" for people before they leave the Bay Area? Hmmm....

It's getting HOT!

2008-05-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

Last week we whipped out the water buckets and almost made ourselves sick with the cold. This week, it's blazing hot. So, we'll be waterballooing for the first hour-- just to make use of all the leftover waterballoons that we didn't break last year.

Lars And The Real Girl- Not in Oakland!

2008-05-02T14:59:00.000-07:00

We had a funny moment last week when some of us arrived to Youth Group WAY earlier than usual and began watching, "Lars and the Real Girl." As time past, and more people arrived, we tried to stop the movie a few times, only to be told that we should leave it on. I guess there's something about watching a guy and an entire town interact with a life-sized doll that just captures everyone's attention :) It was a sweet, endearing story, even though it was certainly a bit odd. There were lots of questions and discussion topics afterwards, but perhaps the most poignant moment for me was when someone shouted during the movie, "That would NEVER happen in Oakland!"

The story is fictional, of course, but in this city, our experience is that people would not be so accommodating and accepting of this extreme dilusion. What would it take for this to happen in Oakland? What would it take to have people care about each other this much? Isn't that what our faith is to us?

We, as Christians and as Catholics believe in some pretty amazing things... aren't some of those things seemingly impossible? Like, having an entire community rally around the delusion of one man (Lars), I don't think it's impossible for something this to happen in Oakland. It might be HARD, it might take a while, but I believe that if we rally around each other, loving each other like Jesus loved each of us, we can achieve the impossible.

In case you're curious, here's the movie trailer, which actually does a pretty good job of summarizing the film.

Sorry and Laura's overdue apology to Barry Zito

2008-04-10T16:11:00.000-07:00

I was at a meeting earlier today where the talk turned to
baseball, and of course, my severely overdue apology to Barry Zito. This story almost always comes up in youth group when we are talking about forgiveness or when we find ourselves doing things that we're not proud of. I'm not going to get into the details of what happened, but people still ask me how my letter is coming... because, like the heel that I am, I still haven't finished it, but I tell everyone how horrible I feel about it. Anyway, if you're out there Barry, it's on its way....truly. It was one of my New Year's resolutions.

Coincidentally, guess what we played at our last youth group meeting? Sorry! Between this and the boardgame playing between masses last week, we're thinking of having a plain ol' game night. It's cheap, it's entertaining, and oh, so much fun!!

Happy Cesar Chavez Day

2008-03-31T13:37:00.002-07:00

Some people have today off from school- others are taking the day off- and others are participating in a protest or rally of sort in honor of Cesar Chavez. For other people, it's just Monday. In honor of whatever the day means to you, I wish you a Happy Cesar Chavez Day! please enjoy this conversation-starting thought-provoking short film by Jonathan Browning and the beautiful people at Screaming Frog:

The Job by Jonathan Browning @ Screaming Frog Productions

Wear Your Favorite Sweater Day Tomorrow!

2008-03-19T13:15:00.000-07:00

I was an avid PBS-watcher when I was growing up. And no day would be complete without my dose of "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood."

Mr. Roger would start each show singing his lovely neighborhood song, remove & hang his coat, put on his sweater, remove his "outside" shoes and put on his "inside" shoes, and then warmly greet us. The ritual would work in reverse at the end of the show- and the sweaters would change every once in a while- but it is one of those things that stick with you.

Mr. Rogers was the gentle, patient, sweater-wearing man in our lives that encouraged us to be polite, engaged our imaginations, helped up discover all sorts of interesting things, and always reminded us that he liked us just the way we were.
It's another example of the love God has for us. He loves us just as we are and like Mr. Rogers, has faith in us to make the right choices and be good to one another. Here's Mr. Roger's last broadcast message to us:

Tomorrow would have been Mr. Fred Roger's 80th birthday. As a special tribute to him, the people at Family Communication Inc. (the non-profit media org that Mr. Roger's founded) has announced that everyone in the world has been invited to "join in our celebration on March 20th by wearing a sweater on that day. It doesn’t have to be like the ones that Mister Rogers wore –- it just has to be special to you. It’s a great reminder of all that Fred stood for. Join in by wearing a sweater -– and create other ways to celebrate in your neighborhood… ways to be neighborly…and to encourage others to be neighborly, too. As Fred Rogers said, 'One kind empathetic word has a wonderful way of turning into many.'"

Prisoners Dancing

2008-03-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

I forgot who I was talking to, but I mentioned the internet video of the prisoner's dance cover of Michael Jackson's Thriller video. It's impressive, yet, as with everything else, it is not without its share of controversy. On one hand you have people saying that violence at the prison has virtually disappeared, others saying that dancing was the only exercize option for that many people, and then others asking, "Hey, aren't all these newfound internet celebrities criminals?"

Check out the video and feel free to ask your own questions. But just think of all the other amazing things you have seen in the world- Haven't most of them been wrought with some type of controversy at one point or another? The Eiffel Tower, the pyramids of Giza, the Golden Gate Bridge... Does what you learn or know about them change the way you look or feel about them? How do we compare as individuals? Are we without fault or controversy? and despite it all, are we still amazing?

Youth Rally Tomorrow!- Be there!

2008-02-08T16:12:00.003-08:00

The Jr. High Youth rally is tomorrow! Woo hoo!!! And I just remembered that it's Friday today... so as Catholics, we are not eating meat today (yet, fish is acceptable). But fasting is not just about giving up food. In today's first reading from Isaiah 58, we are told fasting is more than meager sacrifices.
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:releasing those bound unjustly...;Setting free the oppressed...;Sharing your bread with the hungry,sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;Clothing the naked when you see them,and not turning your back on your own...Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!
Don't ignore a need. If you see something or someone who needs help, do something! Serve Him by serving others in need.

For You

2008-02-08T16:12:00.002-08:00

We showed this video at Youth Group the week before last. We talked about people who we admired and why we admire them. Then we talked about why people make sacrifices for Lent. Look around for the other people in your life that do things for you and what you can do for others. Jesus is our greatest role model. What have we done for Him lately?

Welcome to Lent

2008-02-08T16:12:00.000-08:00

Ash Wednesday marked not only our foreheads, but the beginning of this year's Lenten season. We are challenged to renew our focus on God and fulfilling our baptismal promises in some way. Some people choose to give something up and others commit to making more time to focus on God, and some just both or a variation. We'll be posting stuff during this Lenten season to offer a reflection, activity, or a thought to accompany you on your journey.

This year, Ash Wednesday fell on the day before the Lunar New Year, which is another reminder that we are given a chance to make a fresh start. To prepare for the new year, families wash and clean their homes so they literally start their new year fresh and clean- it is supposedly bad luck to clean right after the year has started, so Wednesday was the last day to get it done before you can start the rest of the new year's traditions. Well, though I'm not Asian and not quite sure about the "bad luck," I nevertheless found myself cleaning my home until the late hours of the night on Wednesday.

Psalm 51:2 reads "Wash me thoroughly from my inequity and cleanse me from my sin."

So, even though it's past, find a way to start Lent by looking it as opportunity for a fresh start. Find something that needs cleaning, or finish working on something that you left hanging.

Little things adding up

2008-01-06T16:14:00.000-08:00

What AREN'T we doing? It seems like 2008 is bringing a chunk of new and exciting challenges already and we're barely at the first week.

Youth Group returns this week, Quinceanera classes have started, the Middle Schoolers are working on a dance, the MS Rally is coming up, Young Adults are branching out with others in the area, and apparently Valentines Day is right around the corner. And we're not even mentioning the vacation bible school prep work that was supposed to have started. WHEW!

It's the kind of madness that makes you almost glad to be back in school next week. But in the meantime, appreciate the madness, the challenges, and the many blessings you find in the middle of all of that. On this day, the Epiphany of the Lord, remember that we are worthy of His love and called to share it with each other and to share it with the world. If you can't do it in a big way, find interesting ways to do it in little ways.

The World Outside

2007-12-29T17:10:00.000-08:00

So, as some of you may know, I am not REALLY Canadian. However, when asked, I will say that I AM Canadian. Even when I was younger, when people asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would say, "Canadian." .... okay.... so that's not exactly true, I also said I wanted to be a busdriver, a singer, a helper, a movie-reviewer, a cool grandmother or aunt, older, and happy. But I still have much love for all that is Canadian: maple syrup, Nickelback, the Rockies, funny-sounding French, saying "eh", kindness, and hospitability. I even get made fun of for being Canadian.. so there's that too.

But I am also a SUPER big fan of Korean pop. LOVE it!! Especially this beautifully talented human being. Seo Tai-ji. Oh yeah. When I had cable, I saw a clip from a live show he was in and I was hooked! So what if I can't understand any of the lyrics? His music has evolved and changed as has my ever-changing favorite-music-genre-of-the-moment moments.

Which brings me to this.

There is a whole big world out there. I've seen bits of it in person, but there are people here who really haven't been out much. Either they have never left town, never seen stuff that wasn't in thier own language, or made friends with people who weren't already a part of thier family - or looked like them.

The New Year is coming up and offers an excellent time to find a challenge for yourself. Find a way to see more of the world around you. There are TONS of people on this planet. Tons of different cultures, music, ideas, foods, (yum... just thinking about it makes me kinda hungry) and things to learn. And while you're at it... make more of an effort to literally get outside. The internet is great and all, but you'll gain much more if you actually EXPERIENCE life instead of watching it. Happy New Years Eve Eve Eve Eve!

2nd Sunday of Advent - Prep Time

2007-12-09T10:24:00.001-08:00

Today is the 2nd Sunday of Advent - Preparation Season. What are you preparing for? In today's readings, John the Baptist is telling of one who he is not worthy to carry the sandals for. Many of us are preparing for the Christmas season- decorating trees, homes, purchasing gifts, writing out cards- but are we doing anything else really Christmas-sy? What does this season mean for us?

The Pope popped up in the news today with his concern over the materialism of Christmas- especially as it relates to the younger generations. Remember, not too long ago, how nutty everyone was getting over Hannah Montana concert tickets? Imagine if we took that same energy, fervor, and spirit to just love and help one another- how beautifully mad would that look? Let's make an effort to lead younger generations by example in really living out what this season truly means.

5 days until the Lock-In

2007-12-09T10:24:00.000-08:00

I have been asked about the date for the Lock-In since the school year started this past Fall. We're almost there....

Ask A Priest Night

2007-12-05T14:55:00.000-08:00

"Ask A Priest" Night went well. We started with an interrogation mixer to get to know as much about everyone as you could discover in 1 minute- and learned a lot of interesting little facts about each other. Then, for absolutely no real practical reason, we broke up into 3 groups to perform a super-short random-prop skit. Finally, we segued to our main event, our "Ask A Priest" questions. Fr. Nick covered each single question covering an array of topics from personal, suicide, death, sex, homosexuality, forgiveness, sin, therapy, and more. Fr. Ken joined us towards the end of the evening and we closed (a little past our regular time) with a shortened closing prayer. Everyone I spoke with expressed an interest in doing this again (I even had a phone call from someone who was upset to have missed it).

We had questions drawn up in advance so they would be anonymous and no one would feel on the spot, but as Fr. Nick answered each question sincerely, people just started asking their own questions and sharing their reflections aloud. There was no sense of judgement, embarrassment, or ridicule. Fr. Nick reminded us, almost literally in every other question, of the greatness and true extent of God's love.

Surprise Salad Blessing

2007-11-29T10:29:00.000-08:00

We have a staff meeting today. Last month, Sr. Mario said she would cook us all something nice for lunch. When I offered to bring something she suggested I bring a salad. Super, I thought. I can do salad.

When I woke up this morning, I was baffled. What was I thinking? I can't make salad! I can barely feed myself, can you imagine me preparing food for other people?

Luckily, there's a Whole Foods market a few blocks from my house so I waddled in and agonized over which type of salad I would bring.... oh, decisions, decisions... But I'm grateful that this is all I'm worrying about at 9 in the morning.

And then, a familiar face, a warm greeting, and a "wait, aren't you supposed to be in school?" Even though it was a teeny little moment in the morning, it was significant and powerful for me. We talk a lot about being connected to each other and all that, but when you have moments like this one, that take you away from yourself, you become grateful for the experience and recognize just how sly God is.

Leading Up To Advent

2007-11-28T17:42:00.000-08:00

Though it's nearing the end of the year, we are gearing up for all sorts of action around here. Movie Night, Lock-In, Rally Team, LA Youth Day, Jr. High Rally, and all sorts of other stuff. To help ease the madness of the season, we'll be posting through the Advent season with all sorts of interesting things.

Tonight, at High School Youth Group, we talked about music, how different things speak to us at different times in our lives, and we examined the Nine Inch Nails song, "Hurt." We checked-in with our own personal reflections and then watched the Johnny Cash version via YouTube. Everyone seemed to really connect with that version- it goes to show you how well visuals and real history can work toward conveying a message.

Check out the video below and examine your reaction. Share it with someone. What strikes you most? (This takes you to the website where the video is posted. 30sec. commercial alert)

We're collecting all sorts of Catholic and "things you wanted to know but were afraid to ask a priest" questions for next week. Last day to submit questions is this Friday.

Holi-Daze

2007-11-27T17:12:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I am still getting over Halloween. One minute I'm wondering if I should get my grandmother that Dia de los Muertos bread and then it's almost the end of November.. We'll update this blog properly tomorrow.

Personal Responsibility

2007-08-27T16:02:00.001-07:00

Last week, we talked about personal responsibility at youth group. We used a lot of Jonathan's music clip discussion on Akon's "Sorry, Blame It On Me" for the evening. There was PLENTY to talk about, both about Akon's incident, and things that we had done. Our challenge for the week was to find a way to "right" a situation that we had "wronged" and to remind ourselves that God does not give up on us.

All this weekend and in this morning's news, I found this theme repeated and more food for thought on the subject: Michael Vick's unscripted apology regarding his dogfighting operation, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' resignation, and Nicole Richie's incarceration.

We will move onto talking about dealing with the consequences of our actions and how we want to be remembered.

A Whole New World

2007-08-27T16:02:00.000-07:00

We're starting our Middle School youth ministry program next month. In an effort to keep the peace, we're doing that on Sunday nights and keeping High School youth group on Wednesday nights. So EXCITING!!!!!

Weather People Gone Mad

2007-07-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

The weather people said that when the fog burned off, we'd feel the summer heat. Well, it's 2pm and the fog has barely dissipated and we're just starting to feel the sun.

We have our BBQ Basics night tonight where we'll be clued in to fine art of BBQing. When we were scheduling stuff, we were like, "Oh, it's in July. The weather would be perfect!" So, maybe if we just wait a half hour more or until tonight, we'll have that perfect BBQing weather. There is a nice cool breeze out- which is nice, because seriously, like you want anyone sweating all over your food. :)

Starting To Feel Like Summer...Again

2007-07-09T20:56:00.003-07:00

The Weather Channel is saying that it is 71 degrees outside. It feels it. I was
wondering when we could expect normal summer weather. We need it. We're having the waterballoon volleyball championships next week.

Re-Learning English and the Ghost

2007-07-09T20:56:00.001-07:00

I've recently returned from my trip to the England where I've learned to adopt words to my vocabulary (mash, crisps, lift, return, public convenience) and use "correct" pronunciation for others (Aah-dult, TOI-let).

I stopped in a few churches in my visits to Oxford and London, and wasn't quite prepared to hear of the "Holy Ghost" during mass. Sure, I'd heard it before, but it's one thing to see it on "the telly" or in a movie. It's a completely different experience when you're following along and you find that everyone else is saying "Ghost" when you say "Spirit." Think of how YOU refer to the Holy Spirit. How would you react if someone used a word that means something else to you?

And the whole thing with cars on the other side of the road... that's another topic entirely.

I'm Crying Because I'm So Happy!

2007-07-08T21:10:00.000-07:00

We had our VBS (Vacation Bible School) orientation meeting yesterday. It was an opportunity for all the staff to meet and get to know each other. Not a lot of people could make it- so it was fairly easily for the few of us to talk to each other, ask questions, and decorate our staff posters. They are already hanging in the Youth Room, waiting to be joined by posters from other staff people and then eventually moved to the "staff lounge." It's very exciting to see Avalanche Ranch coming together! Woo hoo! I'm so happy!!!!

However, because of our busy summer schedules, we have some bad news. With a heavy heart, I sadly report that there will be no movie night this month. Yes, I know it's a terrible loss. But we've lived without it for so many years and it's just for this month. So please don't fret or use up a whole box of tissues.

Movie Night is returning next month after I find out what they did with the parish calendar.

Peace, L2

Happy 4th of July

2007-06-27T13:43:00.003-07:00

It's sad to have a whole week off before we meet again, but I hope everyone has a nice and safe holiday! Happy 4th Everyone! Happy 4th America!

I need a new car

2007-06-27T13:43:00.002-07:00

Whining from L2-

Just in case anyone out there is wondering. My car is older than all of the kids at youth group and even some of the adults. Every month it seems that there is something else that needs to get fixed. Luckily, none of the repairs have been TOO costly (thanks Jim!) but a more recent model would be nice.

After the dog wash, I threw in some cash for my car to get washed. The people who were still there were amazed by the deep color hiding beneath the layers of dirt. I don't have a garage, I park on dirt, I travel a lot, and my car gets beat with the low Bay Area fog a lot. So after my monthly vacuuming and window squeegee-ing at the gas station, and my constant commuting, I'm not prone to washing my car all that much - especially in the winter. But, alas.. now it's all washed, and shiny, and reeking of gas.. (and I just got it back from the mechanic a week ago). Yay. Well.... at least it's clean.

and c'mon A's!!

let's go Oakland!

Starting Over and Still Learning

2007-06-27T13:43:00.001-07:00

So... we're not completely off of myspace. We DID abandon our old myspace page- but it sort of crept up under a different name.

ANYWAY, we're on summer mode- which at other churches might mean something different, but we're still meeting up like we do the rest of the year, so Woo Hoo for us!

So, after our super-busy weekend, we learned a few things:

1. We will NOT plan more than 1 (or 2) events on the same weekend. The Lock-In was great. The Dog Wash was fun. But to have the music festival just a few hours after people had managed to get in 2-hours of sleep was not the best idea we've had.

2. People don't like blueberry muffins after eating pizza all night. So we won't get those anymore.

3. Video games CAN keep someone awake all night- so we are certainly doing that again at the next lock-in.

4. People like washing dogs, people like eating. Our next dog wash fundraiser might be a BBQ/Dog Wash. Perhaps the "Hot Dog Wash"

Linkin Park and other redeeming qualities

2007-05-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

I'm listening to the new Linkin Park album right now. Lot's of good stuff. I especially like track4: Bleed It Out. It's very catchy and makes me feel like getting stuff done. Quite appropriate when you think about it (I have to report to the Parish Council tonight.) The music and lyrics have also grown quite a bit from their previous stuff. Thought-provoking, serious, but still great-sounding. The Parental Advisory sticker on the front reminded me of the time before the stickers. Yes, I'm that old.

The warning stickers, Parental Advisories, and movie-ratings have gotten a lot of flack from a lot of people (myself included), but they serve a purpose so that people sort of have an idea what they, or thier kids, are getting into/listening/watching, etc. That being said though, I think it's important to note that there are redeeming qualities (or at least messages to be learned) from just about any medium.

Mother's Day Weekend

2007-05-09T15:30:00.001-07:00

So this past Wednesday, we talked about the Holy Spirit and Mother's Day. It's an interesting combo when you think of it because sometimes you are devinely inspired to do something you didn't think you could..... and sometimes are mothers (or elder female guardians) inspire (or threaten) us into doing things that we should be doing.

We made little crafts and talked about our plans for the weekend. Our chat reminded me that Mother's Day isn't just about recognizing your mom, but all the other positive women in your life that have contributed to the wonderful person that you are.

Will I Regret This?

2007-05-09T15:30:00.000-07:00

In the hopes of letting people on what I do (and avoiding the need for a camera crew to follow me around), I'm starting this blog. It will (hopefully) mark the beginning of the end of our myspace pages which, besides being a liability-waiting-to-happen, took too long to load and update. The people that know me, know that I was never really broadcasting life through myspace and blogs, but I'm looking at the bigger picture- the one beyond me. So, for the sake of sharing Christ's love with others and the other things we do here with our Youth Ministry programs, up on High Street, here goes.