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Fun House of Mazes and Mirrors

I'm a youth minister, living on the Earth--more specifically, Staten Island, NY. I love ideas. I love to think about things that I've never thought about before. I like to think of the world as a giant kaleidescope that can be turned a couple of times, and all of a sudden, there is something new and beautiful.

I also love Jesus. I love helping people, and I love living a life of love.

I think the most beautiful thing about life is our imagination--our ability to dream. We all have dreams, and it's such a shame to give up on them. If anything, I think that's what God loves to do most of all--allow us to dream BIG, and then show us that it's not too BIG.

I want to leave the world a better place than I found it. Is that too much to ask for? I want to belong. Isn't that what we all want? I want to throw around ideas about anything and everything, because at the end of the day we are not THAT different--and yet, we are completely unique.

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Anonymous Asks:

Hello =) As a youth minister, have you ever gone through a season with your youth group where it feels supremely difficult to get them to respond to anything God-wise? Also, what advice do you have for dealing with extremely apathetic teenagers?

thebeeble Said:

I’ll start by saying that I have the absolute best youth in the entire world. They constantly amaze me—but I think like any time you are around a group of people, there will certainly be people who, for a period of time, have very little concern for the things of God.

For me, though, I think it all comes back to prayer, and real relationships. The closer I get to the students, the closer they get to Jesus (or at least that is what I hope)—and it works the same way when other God-loving students get closer to their peers…

These things take time, but the more love, care, and attention you give students, the more they’ll trust you. The more you share—the more they will listen. I’ve been at this church for nearly 2 years, and the first several months, I could get nowhere… but God was working.

And I think that’s the key—is that the Holy Spirit does work, even when you feel helpless and useless. The more I try to do, the less I get done, but when I preach the Word, and love on the students, Its amazing to watch their lives transform.

So in short, my recommendation would be to show the kind of longsuffering, patient, love that Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians, and let the Holy Spirit work. :) Hope that helps. Peace and love.

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jspark3000 said: Yes. Man I feel like I could’ve asked the same question. It’s tough when “on fire” equates to success & we feel pressured to “win” students by basically being attentive. There are certainly dry seasons that as you said require prayer and being real.
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