[About Boys]

Everyone knows that girls every now and then get together
to talk about boys. Yes it is true, as boys are true mystery to us.
Boys are fascinating and I generally think that
God made very well when He decided
to create Adam.

Here some wonderful quotes about boys by mr Mark Twain:

Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.
- Life on the Mississippi


There comes a time in every rightly-constructed boy's life when he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure.
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer


We think boys are rude, unsensitive animals but it is not so in all cases. Each boy has one or two sensitive spots, and if you can find out where they are located you have only to touch them and you can scorch him as with fire.
- Mark Twain's Autobiography

Missing Generation pt. I

Last week I attended a great and enlightening seminar by Pete Hughes about the Missing generation.
As someone who is a member of that generation and so are most of my friends,
 I find this discussion very interesting and thought-provoking.


Here some quotes from articles or blogs I have recently read:


"Unfortunately what 20-30’s often hear in church is not encouragement to take huge steps in their faith, but to take on huge responsibilities within the church. Churches can all too easily channel the drive, energy and enthusiasm of the 20-30’s into church-based activities – helping with the cleaning rota, youthwork or music – or all three.  Instead of inspiring our young adults for discipleship, we often cause them to burn out and lose all heart for discipleship and the church. What could be character-building, can also become soul-destroying. 
from:

Missing Generation - reaching 20s- 30s

http://conversation.lausanne.org/en/conversations/detail/10206#article_page_2 by Krish Kandiah

Soul Survivor leader Mike Pilavachi, addressing the council, said a culture of consumerism, individualism and entitlement has “eaten into the psyche of 20-somethings. What that mitigates against completely is commitment to community,” he said, explaining that 20-somethings are always in a futile search for perfection, are afraid of going into the real world and show a great deal of pain in ministry times. “We’ve got to help them,” he said. “We’ve got to love them, we’ve got to listen to them, but also we’ve got to find ways of gently, lovingly but definitely challenging some of the things that come from a culture of consumerism, individualism and entitlement." 
from:

Christian Youth Needs Guidance

http://revivalmedia.org/tag/mike-pilavachi/ 

Read more from

The 18-30 Mission: A Missing Generation

[when...] 2

...i feel that my life is such a waste.
where to look.
there is this eternal hope,
but how to work it out in here.
when there is failure as track record
leadership [you have failed]
relationship [you have failed]
you don't earn enough
you don't have a husband
you don't have children
you don't have a house
you don't have a job
you don't have a position
you don't even speak our language
you don't have impressive skills that we could use
you don't have vision or dreams that we would like
you don't you don't you don't

Maybe when I made the decision it was made with brain
and not with heart, heart that would've chosen shepherds
I could've chosen otherwise and now i see why
But maybe I will grow to be a better
stronger wiser
Proved myself.
Or just failed forevermore.

[when...]

...darkness hits you on the face and pain comes on to surface.
She didn't feel like playing an adult anymore, not too much.
Even after what was said, all true and practical.
Where do you find a way to hear it in a way that it doesn't quite
get distorted and warped and burn down all the little sprouts of hope.

When all shadows scream we told you so, we told you,
you are going to fail you fail you fail you fail
you are not to be trusted you are not
you don't meet our expectations you don't you don't you don't
we never wanted you come along anyway

Where do you stand if you don't know who you are
what do you do when you don't believe in yourself
where do you find strength when who you are is too much and not enough

how can i know if there is a future
what failures grow up to be
how would anyone even like someone like that
yet alone love.

put up a smile and walk tall and fight for yourself
but how do you fight for something that you believe is quite worthless
who would want to own someone like that
too soft for the world
too much and not enough

when ones that gave you life say despite themselves
despite themselves but when that's where you came from
it hurts
how can you believe in you if they don't believe in themselves
if they don't believe in each other

And I don't accept disillusionment as the only way forward
yes it happens [it does] but you can't preach that
you need to tell them what to do, where to find life.
We need people who are alive. Even if being alive would kill them.

[Designed to Flourish]

I was thumbing through a Williams-Sonoma catalog. It calls itself "a catalog for cooks," but really, it's a catalog of the life we wish we had. Everything is beautiful, delicious, elegant. The kitchens portrayed are immaculate-there are no messes. Cooking there would be a joy. The tables are sumptuous with their beautiful china place settings, wine glasses brimming with nectar, gourmet foods deliciously prepared, invitingly presented. Fresh flowers abound. The homes are lovely and spacious; the view out the windows is always a mountain lake, a beach, or perhaps an English garden. Everything is as it ought to be. Glancing through its pages, you get a sense of rest. Life is good. You see, the images whisper, it can be done. Life is within your grasp. And so the quest continues. But of course. Our address used to be Paradise, remember?

And oh, how we yearn for another shot at it. Flip with me for a moment through the photo album of your heart, and collect a few of your most treasured memories. Recall a time in your life when you felt really special, a time when you knew you were loved. The day you got engaged perhaps. Or a childhood Christmas. Maybe a time with your grandparents.

Hold your memory while you gather another, a time of real adventure, such as when you first learned to ride a bike, or galloped on a horse, or perhaps did something exciting on a vacation. Now, we were meant to live in a world like that-every day. Just as our lungs are made to breathe oxygen, our souls are designed to flourish in an atmosphere rich in love and meaning, security and significance, intimacy and adventure. But we don't live in that world anymore. Far from it. Though we try to resolve the dilemma by disowning our desire, it doesn't work. It is the soul's equivalent of holding our breath. Eventually, we find ourselves gasping for air. 


(John Eldredge: Desire , p. 71-72)


© 2010 Ransomed Heart Ministries. All rights reserved.


How to come through disillusionment with having dreams and hopes that are still alive? 
We need dreams to be able to navigate forward. How to keep desire alive, how to 
learn to live in a way you feel alive? 

Listen: [OneRepublic - Marchin On]

There’s so many wars we fought, 
There’s so many things we’re not, 
But with what we have, 
I promise you that, 
We’re marching on, 
(We’re marching on) 
(We’re marching on). 
____________________________________________________________________
This song really spoke to me today, I think I found a new band to like too.

GOD OF JUSTICE LYRICS - TIM HUGHES

God of Justice, Saviour to all
Came to rescue the weak and the poor
Chose to serve and not be served

Jesus, You have called us
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give

We must go live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must go
Stepping forward keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go

To act justly everyday
Loving mercy in everyway
Walking humbly before You God

You have shown us, what You require
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give


Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out Lord