Monday, March 22, 2010

Youth Sunday

Life has been incredibly busy lately, but this week is a little less crazy for me. Yesterday was Youth Sunday at Mt. Carmel, and although I am relieved it is over, it went very well! I was so proud of all the students that participated in the praise music, Scripture reading, prayers, drama, and testimonies. Yesterday was one of those days that is a reminder of how important the work that I do is, and certainly encourages me to keep on keepin on! Some middle school students who had never sang on the worship team sang yesterday, and both the high school group and middle school group did dramas with an Easter message, and then a few students did short testimonies. I felt like a proud mother watching these students step up in leadership!

We have a few exciting events coming up for the youth group including a high school lock-in and middle school bowling night!

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Reflections of a Reality TV Junkie...

I'm not always proud to admit it, but I love reality TV! As I think about the shows I watch, they are pretty much all reality shows (with the exception of Law and Order of course!) Of course the drama and entertainment value are hugely important when it comes to getting hooked into a reality show. I also think, however that many of these shows tell us about teh culture that we are living in. Here are some of the ones I am into right now:
This is my favorite! I love to travel and see the world and I love watching other people do it on this show! This season there are two cowboys that were not necessarily seen as a threat by the other groups, but have been doing great, and I love their laid back appreciative attitude! There are a few other "couples" that I like, but it's hard to tell yet because it's still early. One the things I love the most about this show is seeing them go to a country or area of the world that I have been before, like a few seasons ago they were in Moscow and that was fun to watch, especially when they showed red square where Nolan and I had our first un-official "date!"
This is a new show this season and I wasn't sure at first, but I am loving it! If you haven't seen it yet, I encourage you to check it out. The president or CEO of a major company goes "undercover" as rookie employee in various places within their company. Every single boss has had a humbling experience meeting some of the behind the scenes people and hearing their stories. For the most part, I have been impressed with some of the changes they have made in their companies as a result of their experience. For example, the president of White Castle decided to set up a health and wellness program to help employees reach their own goals and the president of 7 Eleven is setting up a leadership training program for their employees. Check it out on Sundays at 9 (or online!). So far the companies that have been featured were: Waste Management, Hooters, 7 Eleven, and White Castle.

Of course American Idol is on my list of favorites, and this year is even better because I love Ellen Degeneres and think she is a great choice for a judge! So far, I have seen more of the guys shows than the girls because of my schedule, but I will be watching the girls tonight! My favorite guys are Casey James, Michael Lynche, and Andy Garcia. Let's see how the girls do tonight!


Finally last year, Project Runway moved to a channel we get and it has become one of my very favorite shows. On Thursday nights, Nolan has "guys night" with his friends, so it's the perfect night for it to be on! I have really enjoyed this because last season, I found out that my neighbor Natalie loves this show too, so I have gotten to know her better when she comes over to drink wine and watch Project Runway!