A history of...

i don't know that we'll get pictures up this evening (okay, morning as i write this), becuase it has been a looooong day for us; an amazing day, to be sure...but a long one.

andy and i started this morning with another running club "meeting", and we even added a few more member this morning. it has truly been a great way to start each day; both the excercise and some concentrated time with a few of our youth have been invogorating.

we started the conference this morning with our first trip to LAB! in lab, students (and leaders) are divided up into groups of about 10 (with people they don't know), and given the opportunity to work through the things that are being talked about in Big Room. it is a chance to be in a situation that invites honesty and transparency as students are sitting with a group of people who have no prior knowledge or opinion of who they are...our hope is to be able to continue this practice of transparency and honest self-reflection in our small groups this school year.

after another stellar showing by ralph leonard (meal doctor), with help from dan krontz (an eye doctor), of subs on the lawn across from the convention center; we all headed back in for a round of 'optional seminars.' students went to hear pastor francis chan speak as well as shaine claiborne and others...youth specialties truly puts a great deal of thought and prayer into these folks they ask to present the Story of God to our youth.

following dinner at espn zone, we headed once more to the convention center for our 2nd Big Room where we continued (or rather, finished) the journey through the old testament. what an experience to be taken on an intensive journey through the story of the faithfulness of a loving God to a people who, though called and set apart for a great purpose, continually chose a path that was their own...what a challenge to hear of the remnant or the few from each generation and each part of the story of these, God's chosen people, who refused to give in to laziness, and continued to worship, continued to hope, continued to wait expectantly for the promised Messiah...have we become lazy, or are we throwing off the attitude of our generation, wanting to be in those few who are counted faithful to telling the story of a loving and faithful God?

tomorrow looks to be a big day as we get to hear about this resuce that had been promised for thousands of years...

vern