ignite 'n inspire

As I tapped through countless photo and video recaps of TC this morning, I decided to re-read my post-conference reflection from 2019. I found it surprising how God provided me with such fresh and new revelations this year. Though I have been absolutely exhausted this weekend, the Spirit continues to tug at my heart, giving me flashback to important moments last week and reminding me that ministry is not easy, but is worth it because it is life changing. This year, God reminded me: ...about the body of Christ and how it is one body made up of many parts. Leading this year was no doubt a smooth process because I had a God-sent team who brought diverse strengths and gifts to the table. While one had deep understanding of the Bible, others came with lots of youth ministry leading experience. While some of us are chatty and extroverts, we also had some great listeners. While some loved discussing about science/facts & faith, others had a more emotional story to share. During the confer

     In a Lifeway Research study, it states that "two-thirds of those who attended church regularly for at least a year as a teenager say they also dropped out for at least a year as a young adult." As a former youth mentor, I often avoid reading these studies as these articles leave me with a long mental panorama of childhood friends and youths I have personally journeyed with who have decided to leave the church. Over the years, I cannot help but affirm these statistics...these research studies do align with the ministry attendance records as many choose to dedicate their lives to building a promising career, solid friend-network, and establish their own definition of freedom.       As a church servant and their former youth mentor, I am often conflicted when Christmas and reading weeks come along. I ask myself, "should I really  message these youths/friends?" "do they care about these church friendships that they have built during their junior/high school ye

This weekend getaway to Ottawa holds a special spot in my heart as I watch another one of my close  childhood friends say "yes" and enter into a new chapter of her life. I think it is often during these life moments when I am extra thankful for these long, meaningful friendships. As I write my "congratulations" card and watch her say her vows, a myriad of flashbacks come to mind as I think back to our younger days. In my memory bank of D, I remember standing beside each other in children's choir nervous as the choir director told us to "audition" for a potential Christmas solo. I remember sitting beside her in orchestra as we counted the 30 bars of rest before we had to play again. I remember leading worship with her in the middle of a campsite, resting the piano on a picnic table. I remember hanging out in her car after a long dinner and conversation, and she introduced to me to her wedding pinterest board. For the first time, I learned that teenage g

Several months ago, I was a facilitator for a mother-daughter Christian conference. Prior to the two-day conference, moms were asked to write a letter to their daughter. It seemed like the cutest idea and I begged my mom to write one for me. As a "words of affirmation"-kinda girl, I have written countless letters to my close friends, loved ones and younger mentees...but I sometimes long for words of encouragement as well. On the day of the conference, my mom sent me a picture of a short-but-sweet note. In the corner of a church classroom, I read it with tears welling up in my eyes. Although my mom's letter oozed with love, it was nothing in comparison to the unconditional love she has given me, C and S these past couple of months.  What happened these last couple of months? Aren't we in our young adult years? Shouldn't we be living "independently" by now? I will spare you from the details, but these past couple of months has been filled with some highs a

It's 11:30pm right now on a Monday night. It was a rainy post-baptism Sunday and I scurried home after a quick lunch with close friends to figure out my lesson plans for the upcoming week. My SAP plans were already prepared so I was just adding my finishing touches to my grade 10 Family Studies lessons. As I try my best to plan an array of activities, I am confident about these plans but it feels very different from last year. Unfortunately, I am coming out of a week where I am teaching very interesting topics with celebrity references, relevant materials, interesting videos...but have been met with students who disrespect me, stay on their phones the entire lesson and challenge my instructions. Day after day, I try to draw from my well of love, care and perseverance...but I seem to be running really, really dry. My lessons feel no different from fully coloured print advertisements that just gets soaked in the rain and eventually ends up by the sewer waiting to escorted away by ano

During my mentorship wrap up session today, my mentee challenged me to celebrate my birthday by listing out 25 valuable lessons I have learned...so here they are: Inner beauty is so much more important than outer beauty. No bronzer, concealer and liquid foundation can cover up someone with poor character. Invest in improving your character-ask yourself how you can be a more loving, caring, humble and grateful individual. Don't be afraid of digging deeper and asking tough questions. I spent many years building friendships that were very much "surface level;" we never talked about the ways we were struggling and how we could support each other spiritually and mentally. Years went by and many of those friendships were lost and fizzled out. I wish I spent more time investing in some of these people's lives. Siblings are a precious gift from God. I am so thankful God gave me C and S. C's passion for the Word and musical worship inspires me to grow. S is always there t