If you are in youth ministry, or any form of ministry, you could probably use some of the tips in the book to help your salary stretch a bit more.

“A dollar saved is a dollar gained” is a phrase I have heard before, and in their book the Economides show how to gain a lot of money when it comes to feeding your family.  Although not every strategy will work for each reader, there are so many ways to cut costs on your grocery bills that certainly everyone will come away with changes to be made.  I appreciated how the chapters were organized and well thought out, and at the end of each there were suggested steps to put the ideas into action.  Each of the tips were categorized by how you felt you already were handling the major job of feeding your family.  So, no matter where you fall on the spectrum of frugal or shopping every day for each meal, there is room for improvement.

As a mother of three, I felt I walked away from this book with very practical ways to lower or at least maintain my family’s food budget in light of rising food prices.  I consider myself fairly frugal when it comes to shopping and preparing meals, and I felt encouraged that I am not alone.  Not every idea I read am I planning on incorporating into my plan to feed my family, but I certainly have learned to think beyond coupons to see many ways to feed my family for less!  Thank you, Economides, for writing a book that pays for itself!

(This review was written as part of the Booksneeze book review program.)

It Couldn’t Just Happen is not simply a creation v. evolution book for kids. It’s a book that anyone can learn from. Though it is filled with color photos and x-rays, it is not childish in its presentation of scientific facts that shine light on God’s creation. To make it just a little more applicable, each chapter has a series of questions at the end.

The book is broken up into five parts. The first part looks at Earth, including its origins. The second part delves into the beginning of life, even answering the question of if life can begin in a test tube. The third part takes a closer look at the design of several animals and plants. The next part is all about human beings. The last part takes the reader into a quest to understand more about the Bible.

If you’re looking for a book that will answer some of your kid’s questions about the universe or life, this book will do that and much more.

**I reviewed this book as part of theBookSneeze review program**

If you work in children’s ministry, this would be a great book to have for reference when discussing creation, Genesis, the Bible, or God.

My advice (rating) – borrow from a friend (3 out of 5)

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

I have heard this passage hundreds of times (not counting the times I sang the song that goes with it), yet I just read some thoughts on it that made me stop and think. Here is what the footnotes say in the Archeological Study Bible.

“The sand ringing the lake (Sea of Galilee) was rock hard during the hot summer. But a wise builder would dig down, as far as ten feet below the surface sand to the bedrock, knowing that this was the only way to erect a foundation able to withstand the winter rains, which were notoriously torrential and capable of causing disastrous flooding.”

For some reason, I have always pictured the wise builder finding a rock formation that was on the sand and building on that. This would have taken time and forethought, but not a lot of extra energy. The foolish builder, on the other hand, was pictured as simply lazy or apathetic, unwilling to notice the foolishness of not using the rock formation.

During part of the year, the foolish builder’s house would be perfectly stable and secure. He would have no worries or fears. His house would be safe… but only because there was no outside dangers. As soon as something negative began happening, the foolish builder’s house would be in danger of collapse.

The wise builder – who took the time to build on a strong foundation – would also have no fears or worries during the good part of the year. But even when the danger came, his house would stand firm because it was built on bedrock which would not collapse. The danger would be real and he would certainly feel some affects of the storm, but he would outlast the danger.

Jesus says that anyone who hears His words AND puts them into practice is like the wise builder.

As a follower of Christ, I have to ask myself one question. Am I putting Jesus’ words into practice in my life?

As a youth minister, I have to ask myself another question. How am I helping students put Jesus’ words into practice in their life?

Are you helping others be wise or foolish builders?

Joe (not his real name or is it) has a younger brother who is friends with my oldest son. He’s been over to the house before and we’ve talked before, so this was not going to be something completely new.

What I thought would be a 20 minute session of throwing fastballs and trying to throw curves ended up being something much bigger. I’m not sure how long we played or how many pitches we threw, but I know my arm hurt when we were done. In fact, as you can see from the picture, we played long enough to cause some serious damage to the well-being of my front yard.

We talked about school, family, and a little about church. I learned a lot that afternoon about Joe and his world. Something else happened, though. After I had to leave to start grilling for dinner, Joe stayed and played with my boys. He continued to play catch and just hang out – my kids thought it was great. And because youth ministry is more than a job – its part of our family culture – we had Joe and his brother over for dinner, too.

We were glad to have the chances to connect with our neighbors and it was a great chance to minister. But a few days later I learned that it was something more. One of Joe’s teachers goes to our church and a few days after this I was talking to her at church. We were talking about Joe, she was asking me some questions, and I mentioned to her that I had played catch with him earlier that week. She said, “Oh yeah, I know that. He came in the next day and told me about it.” She went on to tell me that she thinks I’ve been (and need to continue to be) a good influence in Joe’s life.

I was a little shocked. Apparently the fact that I spent time with Joe meant more to him than I imagined it would.

I was reminded that sometimes the seemingly small things we do with people, especially teenagers, are much more important then we first think.

Many times in youth ministry we get opportunities to spend time with students. Are you making the most of those opportunities?

What Cooke is able to do throughout the book is discuss principles to navigate change and not specifics on handling individual changes. He discusses twenty-five mini-jolts within five larger categories. The five main categories are: jolt your direction, jolt what matters, jolt your potential, jolt your heart, and jolt your future. Within these categories, he discusses jolts such as the power of ‘what if,’ borders, creativity, the freedom of accountability, discover the power of faith, and get over yourself.

What I like about this book, and what makes it work, is the simple fact that Cooke does not try to help people utilize the latest software or app. He focuses on helping people become better people. And when we make the transition to better effectiveness and productivity, we will be better equipped to handle a constantly changing culture without feeling like we’re always behind.

**I reviewed this book as part of the BookSneeze review program**

My advice (rating) – go out and buy it (4 out of 5)

I am a bookaholic.

I have been known to spend too much time in a bookstore.

Because of these facts, I do not recommend books lightly. Below you will find a list of books I highly recommend. In fact, it is a list of 8 books I have read more than once (and might read again). When I do read a good book, I mean a really good book, I’ll go back to it again. If it is really good, I’ll even read it again. And since I don’t like to keep good books to myself, I thought I would share my list of books worth a second read.

These books are not solely youth ministry books, but are books I feel help a youth worker maintain balance in their ministry. These books will challenge you personally, spiritually, and professionally.

1. Flashbang by Mark Steele
2. Me, Myself, and Bob by Phil Vischer (my review)
3. Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli
4. A Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards
5. Hurt by Chap Clark
6. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
7. Visioneering by Andy Stanley
8. Sustainable Youth Ministry by Mark DeVries (my review)

I also asked some of my friends to share their recommended “read twice” books.

my twitter friends:

@ShawnMichael Yac’s “Messy Spirituality”

@GamersGuide2God Made to Stick, Mere Christianity, Screwtape Letters, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, and obviously the Bible.

@DanuckInUSA The Present Future by Reggie McNeal

@dbuckham hands down…A Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards.

A few of my facebook friends (who will remain nameless) recommended these books:

Growing up in northern Indiana afforded me many opportunities to enjoy winter as a child. We had numerous hills on which to sled, friends with frozen ponds or small hockey rinks in their yard, and even an ice skating rink in the mall. Though I enjoyed spending hours with my friends playing in the wintery goodness, I never woke up hoping there would be a foot of snow on the ground. I guess you could say winter was not my favorite season, I simply tolerated it.

When I went to college, in Cincinnati OH, I found a whole new reason to like winter less and less – driving on slippery hills. Driving on icy roads is bad; driving on icy roads at a 60 degree incline is just plain miserable. Again, there were many opportunities to enjoy the wintery weather with friends. But this time, I participated a lot less. I simply waited for the snow to melt and the warm weather to begin.

Over the past few years something has changed. I have become more intentional and focused on making the most of the cold months and not living as though I’m just waiting for them to be over. I finally accepted a truth you probably already know, when you focus too much on the future you miss out on the present. Focusing on Spring to arrive without enjoying Winter is simply wasting 3 months of your year (do this for 4 years and you have wasted away an entire year of your life).

I have found the same thing to be true of the Christian life. At times, it can be easy, even natural, to focus your energy on the future. It could be focusing on Christ’s second coming, avoiding spiritual change until “such and such” happens, or waiting for someone else to take the first step. If you are waiting for a better day to take your next step of faith, you might not ever start moving. Instead of tolerating your current spiritual status and longing for change, make today the first day of a changed you.

When I saw there was a biography about Albert Pujols out, I wanted to read it. I did not want to read it because I’m a Cardinals fan – I’m a lifelong Cubs fan. No, I wanted to read Pujols because I am a baseball fan and was curious to read about his faith. I have heard for years that he was a Christian and reading how people live out their faith in their jobs (especially major league baseball) is encouraging and challenging.

Lamb and Ellsworth wonderfully weave together the on-the-field and the off-the-field life of Pujols from his childhood days in the Dominican Republic to the 2010 season with the Cardinals. There are great baseball stories, including some behind-the-scenes looks at how Pujols responds during and after games. You read about Pujols response to hitting a fan with a foul ball and how he reacts after nailing a pitcher with a line drive.

Other chapters are filled with stories of how Albert and DeeDee spend their time helping and serving others. Stories of all the work they do for kids with Down Syndrome and the trips to the Dominican. For Pujols, being one of the best baseball players (if not arguably the best active) in history is a platform to share his faith with the world.

If you are a baseball fan, you will enjoy reading about the game. If you are curious about Pujols (especially in light of the contract negotiations), you will learn a lot from reading this book. If you are a Christian who wants to know how to live out your faith in the workplace, you will glean some ideas within these pages. The subtitle says it all – for Albert Pujols, baseball is more than the game.

My advice (rating) – go out and buy it (4 out of 5)

**I reviewed this book as part of the BookSneeze review program**

• pre-conference thoughts
• Thursday
• Friday
• Saturday
• Sunday
• Monday

What more can I say about the Simply Youth Ministry Conference? As I reflect on the conference, I’m convinced more than ever that it is so much more than a collection of speakers and workshops. There is much more to it. The DNA & heartbeat of Group and Simply Youth Ministry is bigger than just putting on a weekend conference.

The heartbeat is relationships centered around Jesus Christ and a love for youth ministry and youth workers.

Part of the DNA is providing innovation and in-depth learning for youth workers.

And what makes these things work best is the authenticity with which the companies & their employees handle themselves.

This was my second year at SYMC, but it felt more like my 15th time. There is no way I could have known all 3,000 people and had meaningful conversations with each one. But what did happen was that I felt like I was going to a family reunion and able to spend quality time with those I did know. I sat and talked with several youth workers for hours about ministry, family, and anything else we could think of. I shared meals with new friends and heard about their passion for ministry. There is simply no better feeling than being able to start a conversation with someone you’ve never met simply because you know you both share a passion for youth ministry. Sharing this bond with others is part of what makes a youth ministry conference such a kick-start for those times you feel low on energy and passion.

And it is these relationships and connections that turn the other 51 weeks into a richer collection  of conversations and support. When I have questions/concerns about ministry, some of the first people I turn to are those I have met through SYMC. And my ministry has improved because of their advice.

As you can see, the reason I went back to SYMC this year (and the reason I’ll go back next year) is that the conference is more than 5 day event.

• SYMC is a spark plug for your ministry.
• SYMC is a collection of listening ears.
• SYMC is love and support
• SYMC is genuine.
• SYMC is “what you see is what you get.”
• SYMC is a family.
• SYMC is a set of shoulders to stand on.
• SYMC is a safety net to prevent huge falls.
• SYMC is a smiling face.
• SYMC is a place to rest.
• SYMC is a place to recharge.

What other reasons do you need to attend? Sure, there are plenty of information, statistics, technology, advice, and wisdom. It is virtually impossible to return home without at least one thing you want to implement into your ministry and I came back with some great ideas and a renewed passion to not become stagnant. But it is not for those things that I return, they are simply the bonuses.

Next year, SYMC is traveling to Louisville, KY. I hope to see you there!

The day started out with a peer panel on “leaving well without losing your heart.” I got to be on a panel with some great friends: Tim, Len, & Darren. We had a really good discussion. All of which reminded me (yet again) that there are some really hurting youth workers.

If you are feeling hurt in ministry, wondering if its time for you to leave, or being forced to leave – know that you are not alone.

The general session ended the conference by reminding us all that we are not alone. We are all threaded together in the larger story, thus none of us has to be alone or feel like we have to do anything by ourselves. And we were reminded that behind all of our “junk” and struggles is the one person who draws us all together – Jesus.

And so ended SYMC 2011.

But, I’m not convinced the conference is really over. You see, for me the conference is so much more than the programming of 4 days – its the relationships, connections, conversations, prayer support and friendships that cannot be measured or controlled by a schedule.

And these things will continue throughout the year until 2012 in Louisville, KY.

If we met at SYMC, or you are in youth ministry, I’d love to connect online (twitter, facebook, or this blog) to continue the ongoing conversation about ministry.