The End of an Era

Our first Chinese Dinner Night was June 18, 2010, and we didn't even know what we'd started! All we knew was going to dinner together was so fun and facilitated such great conversation, that we had to do it again! Casey, Bethany, Jessica and Samantha were in attendance, and we ended the night with oatmeal face masks and toenail painting.

And I came home that night and declared to Erik, "I will make this a regular thing. I will make sure I set aside special time for these ladies in the months to come."

And we did! With lots of rescheduling, and invites on Facebook, and reminders by text, we pulled off 4 more--count 'em FOUR--Chinese nights. Whoot Whoot!

C.N. #2

Chinese Night #2 was September 12, 2010. Samantha, Stephanie, and Casey and I had a wonderfully intimate meal of Chinese together. And Sam made us get the chicken on skewers that you roast over a little flame. Good times, good times.

C.N. #4

Chinese Night #3 was November 28, 2010. Jessica, Casey and Bethany came. I remember laughing a lot .... This was took many many reschedulings, so I was a little burned out for a while .... Night #4 was long in coming. :)

Chinese Night #4 was June 3, 2011 (Officially titled Chinese Night ... I've lost count!) This was definitely a fun turn out! Bethany, Casey, Jessica, Paige, and Stephanie! This one I convinced them to get ice cream too, which was hard to do considering how much we stuff ourselves with yummy Chinese goodness!


Chinese Night #5 ... the Final One was tonight. What a bittersweet event. For the first time, alum Jessica Ho was able to join us, which was super fun! Sadly, Mackey, who'd been to every one since the beginning, missed this final night. Sad day!

Final Chinese Night

Casey Morris gets the award for perfect attendance! Yay! Way to go! :) and for being the best red head EV-ER.
Stephanie Ho gets the award for best facial expressions while eating Chinese. I don't think she even knows it ... :)
Jessica Mackey get the award for always being the first student to arrive and always having a smile on her face.
Samantha Krejcik gets the award for enthusiasm, specially for chicken on skewers and $1 wonton soup.
Bethany Morris gets the award for knocking her water glass over. Often. :) And for introducing me to dumplings and beef lo mein. YUM!
Paige Becker gets an award, just because I'm so excited she made it to one!
Jessica Ho gets an award for being my favorite alum ever. :)

From conversations on everything from boys, flies, cracks, Germany, band, books, dinosaurs, church, discipleship, friends, Chinese food (duh), camping, jobs, moving, college, sleep, siblings, babies (usually started by me), weddings, youth group and so much more, these nights meant the world to me. From forcing you to eat ice cream, to smearing oatmeal goo on our faces, to taking crazy photos in Safeway cart stalls, to watching Sam bite a leaf, to discussing how long we take in the restroom--and why, to swinging as high as we possibly can, to getting married and divorced several times :), to being dive bombed by bats, to hugging goodbye by the porta-potty in the twilight, I've loved every minute.

The end of an era. The end of regular (semi anyway) Chinese Nights. To my ladies, I love you. God led me to you and you to me for a season, and it's a season I will never forget. You each hold a dear place in my heart, and I've learned so much from each one of you. I can only hope you've learned in return, and we can continue to stay in touch.

Seek Jesus, live life to the fullest, and VISIT ME!

End of an Era

I don't know if it's because we're not actually moving yet.

Or if it's due to an incredible layer of denial in me that just can't accept that we're leaving.

Either way, I woke up this morning, knowing it was our last day at Discovery Church, but for some reason, did not think through the emotional ramifications of that fact.

I wore non-water proof mascara.

What was I thinking??

It first dawned on me that maybe I was under prepared when I found Lisa, our pastor's wife, debating wearing mascara at all.

I was further enlightened when three women in a row saw me, gave me that head tilt and sad smile and asked, "How ya doing?"

Hmmm ... apparently this is an emotional morning?

Like I said, maybe it's because our house isn't packed, we're here until August-ish ... or maybe I'm in denial. I'm really starting to wonder.

At least now I can picture where we're going, I've met some of the people. I tell friends all the time, "Yep! We're moving to Madison! It's bittersweet--we're excited for the adventure, but sad to leave our home of 6 years and all the family and friends we have here." I explain our reasoning, how God has led us and can articulate the need for churches and outreaching Christians in the area we are going to.

And yet, a big part of me can't believe we're going ..

And so today ...

My last day on stage singing to my Lord at Discovery. 

My last day hugging students in the hall and talking about sunburns, boys and summer jobs. 

My last day chasing Joshua through a sea of legs, and soaking in peoples' love for him. 

My last day partaking in the best communion bread I've ever tasted. 

My last day with a pastor with a cool accent. 

My last day with a view of the mountains when I walk to my car. 

My last day at the church that's members helped me through infertility. 

My last day in a place where I've finally found community. 

My last day as a youth pastor's wife ...  

I just wasn't ready.  I should have worn water proof mascara.

This thought has been rolling around in my head for the last day--Just because I don't want to leave here, doesn't mean God doesn't have work for me there. Simple enough, and it's true. And so I just keep reminding myself. When I was 15, I didn't want to move to Colorado. And yet, that transition set a whole different course of action in my life, and so will this.

Discovery, thank you. Thank you for four years of support, tears, joys, learning, stretching, laughing, growing, singing, decorating, planning, partying, loving, meeting, crying, hugging, praying, hoping ...


I just still can't believe we're done ... but here's looking forward to the next adventure. It's because of the send off today, and the support I know we have from our family here that we have the courage to take this next step. So here's to change, faith, and Madison, Wisconsin--get ready, the Lindeens are coming!

9 teenagers and a 10 month old

Every other Sunday night, we welcome 11 teenagers into our home for dinner and discipleship class AKA The Furnace.

I feed them dinner, while also feeding Joshua. The teens are great with Joshua, and he thrives in this social, crazy environment. (He's actually more scared of children his own age than of teens. Does this tell us something about who with and where we spend the bulk of our time??) Erik and I entertain, discuss life, ask questions, wipe dirty fingers (Josh's, of course), get refills, grab napkins, prepare Bible study, change diapers (again, Josh's...) ... 

It's chaos in real time. It's craziness defined. It's a normal person's vision of ludicrous-ness.

I. Love. It.

(L-R, skipping Erik) Wil (Senior), Drew (Senior), Jose (Freshman), Stephanie (Junior), Matthew (Senior),
Charlene (Freshman), Casey (Senior), Jessica AKA Mackey (Junior), Bethany (Sophomore), Me (feeling old).
Not pictured: Samantha (Junior) and John (Freshman).

I love that we can meld together so many unique personalities and come up with something so beautifully hilarious. These kids bring such joy to my life (and some drama, which is good for me, I guess ...)

I love that Matthew just randomly spouts off an impersonation of Jesus, as he quotes Scripture to the group.

I love that Drew almost physically forces Jose and Wil to publicly give thanks for something Drew had done for them earlier--and somehow gets laughs while doing it.

I love how Jose's face lights up when he shares that his "high" of the week was getting an iPod touch.

I love that, for all of Stephanie's subtle (and not so subtle) sarcasm and her attempts to appear cooly rebellious, she always has her homework done for class and is actually quite responsible. ;)

I love that Wil, in his own quietly funny way, will answer a question with surprising wisdom, but almost always caps it off with "... um ... yeah ......."

I love that my sister Charlene can hold her own with a group she's not with very often, and actual shows some surprising wit. She gets it all from me, of course.

I love that Casey, a superb student, read the wrong book (Luke instead of James) but instead of being mortified or defensive, she just uses every opportunity to remind us of how much Luke has to offer ...  When we talked about how James writes that Satan is the tempter, not God, she interjects that Satan tempts Jesus ... in Luke. On other topics, she'd say ... "It says that too ... in Luke." and to top it all off, she actually tried to convince us to assign Luke for next time ... "Can we read Luke for next time?", she suggests, with a sly smile. Casey Casey Casey --you sure make me smile.

I love that Mackey, for as quiet as she can be, is actually quite goofy and random. Sometimes others might forget she's there, so quiet is she on the couch taking everything in. But I never forget ... and when I'm able to draw her out, her quirky nature and good hearted humor lift my spirits.

I love that Bethany isn't scared to question status quo, and often speaks up with a depth that still surprises me ... always good for thought provoking moments that one is.

What would I do without these teens, who challenge me to know my stuff, walk my talk, and remember to live a little in this life? What a blessing to welcome this group, and others, into my life, and into my home for the time being. I pray this is something I'm always able to do, no matter where life may take me.

Car Conversations Number Two: Angels and Demons

So I'm realizing that Erik and I have pretty awesome conversations in the car. I'm going to capitalize on this and proceed to post "Car Conversations" from time to time. (Now watch, we never talk about anything of any interest ever again.)

Last night, we arrived at band practice early. It was slightly sunny (for the first time in weeks) so we decided to sit in the car and chat, instead of going inside. Not surprisingly, our conversation turned towards the youth group, as it often does.

Picture us, Erik and me, sitting in a car, my seat is laid back, his window is slightly open. We are laughing, chatting, relaxing ... from the outside, you'd never guess what we're talking about: Demons.

(The last series we did with the youth group was on spiritual warfare; it was actually a requested topic! And so, having recently studied it, the spiritual war we are in has been on my mind lately.)

You might see me tap my right index finger on my window and ask Erik a question. The question was this, "So, is a demon sitting right out here?"

Some other questions posed:

Can demons come into our home? or it is protected because, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,"?
If it's protected, can demons come into our home when we invite someone in who is not a Christian? And if so, can those demons then attack us? Or are we still "safe"?
Can demons hear us talking?
How big is our "bubble"? You know--like a personal bubble. The personal bubble protection of Christ that the demons can't enter around me.
Are there angels in our home all the time?
Is there an angel assigned to each person?
When we have youth group ... is the Warehouse a "safe zone"? We painted the picture like this:
There's an angel posted at the door of the Warehouse, and as kids come in, the demons are "checked" at the door. Students who are Christ-followers don't have demons around them, but the students who come who are checking out the claims of Christ, well, they might. And if they do, when they enter the Warehouse, we like to think that the demons have to stay outside. Creepy right? Imagine how pissed off they'd be, having to stand outside and peer in the window. Knowing that those kids that they've worked so hard to twist and distort are in there, with the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, hearing the life giving, live saving words of Christ.

You might call us crazy. You might disagree. But we, I, believe that there is a war going on out there. And if we don't take it seriously ... well, to be honest, I'm not sure what happens if we take it less seriously than we should. But no matter how we look at it, there's a world out there that we can't see. It's simple interesting--and very creepy--to ponder it once in a while.

That's Car Conversation: 2nd Edition.

And we wonder?

Sometimes I've wondered why our teens today are so, well, less naive than I was.

And then I went to see Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.

I don't wonder anymore.

What could be a cute plot, and is actually, was marred by the many not-so-hidden underlying themes. Themes that teach our adolescents that certain values are obsolete. As the comedic relief is a drunk senior girl, lost in NYC, and the ever-present gay sidekicks play a main role in the movie, the main characters propose, by their actions, that sex as high schoolers is normal, that the dating scene is something to get into around age 14, and that orgasming is something all senior girls should have done by now. It's no wonder that our teenagers today are confused about what is okay and what is not. Are there no boundaries anymore? Are there no standard values? No, because we live in a post-modern, post-Christian society. We live in a society where sex rules, lust lives strong, and many family values have gone by the wayside.

Now, I know this doesn't surprise anyone. I'm not saying anything new here. But here's my key question: How do we teach our youth strong Christian values--heck, forget Christian values, how about just plain old "respect yourself and set some boundaries" values--and still allow them to be introduced to what this world really is? As I think of becoming a parent, I know that I will not be able to, nor will I want to, shield my child from the things of our culture. My children, and children in general, need to be able to experience and begin to understand our culture for what it is, BUT, they need to be allowed to do this with a strong support system behind them to help guide them and answer questions as they arise.

I don't even begin to assume that I have the answers.

However, I do have insight that parents do not. Because I am young, and because I am not a parent, and because I work with youth, I am privy to many things. Things most parents would like to believe their precious children are not aware of, not doing, and not accepting as normal and okay. I promise to make as much of a difference as I can, but when I sit in a movie theater, surrounded by 13-17 year olds, all in their tight shirts, short skirts and saggy pants, I am reminded that there are a lot of teens who are not being influenced by someone with sound values. There are thousands of teens out there who watch Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and assume drinking is funny, the gay lifestyle is normal, sex is purely physical, boundaries are non existent, and the goal in life is to satisfy any and all personal desires, no matter what the cost, spiritually, emotionally and physically.

And I used to wonder where teens were learning these things ... they learn some of it in movies, but I refuse to blame Hollywood. It all comes back to the parents. We cannot afford to allow our children to learn only from friends, magazines and movies. Parents and adults in our community must be committed to teaching our youth--to using the current cultural trends to facilitate discussions based on values and life choices.

The real devastating truth is this: parents might not even know, or they don't care. And that just makes me weep. Weep for the children who are being lured down a dangerous path, with no parental or adult guidance--because why?

Because we either don't care, don't know, or think we can't make a difference.

Junior Highers

My house was a jungle last night. Picture this: 8 junior high girls, primarily 6th grade, crammed onto my leather couch in my living room. Pretty scary in and of itself, right? Well, now picture this. Giggling and inside jokes abound, but all noise ceases when the doorbell rings. Wide-eyed, the girls watch as the door creaks open...oh my goodness, controlled excitement breaks loose as the girls realize who is at the door---Brandon*. Relative maturity and "coolness" reign until the boy and his friend round the corner and head downstairs to join the other young males. Audible sighs of love and relief, mixed with giggles and high-pitched explanations follow for at least 15 minutes. Followed by multiple episodes of one or two "brave" girls running half way down the basement stairs to view the specimen himself. The ever assertive best friend sends the half eaten donut of the poor girl with the hardest crush on Brandon down with the youth pastor to offer the boy a bite--shared donut spit, mmmmmm.

(*names have been changed for the protection of the idolized)

Ironically enough, the lesson for the evening was "Temptation".

Later on in the evening, when the hormone-raging groups were allowed to mingle, controlled chaos was the perfect descriptive term. Junior high girls doing back walk overs, junior high boys hanging from the basement ceiling. Others giggling, flirting, and of course, screaming.

What a lesson in pre-teen hysteria, when the exhileration of the dance is enough to thrill all, even the 20-somethings hosting the wide-eyed, enthusiastic youth.

Originally posted March 2006