Crumpled Notebook

So I was talking to a friend last night about my job. I joked that I didn’t do my job because I enjoyed working with kids but because I like annoying parents (complete joke of course). I was saying how frequently, I will feed the kids from any of the programs I do a big sugary snack, but I always wait until the end, when it’s near time for them to go home. Now truthfully, I don’t always feed them right before they go home, but you can bet on a few occassions that I pull out something like chocolate cake or [insert yummy sugar filled snack], I purposely wait until I’m done with my lesson or whatever I’m doing. Then I feed them above referenced cake and send them home, full of energy (and a sugar high).

Here is my method. When I have kids coming, I purposely drink a bunch of Coke (bunch being more than I normally drink, which is already a bunch to most people) so that by the time the kids get there, I am the one on the sugar high. You have to time this carefully though because if you do it too early, or quit with the sugar too early, then by the time the kids get there, you are on the sugar-low and your body is crashing. That sucks when you have to spend between one and two hours with kids.

So, I’m hyped up. That gets the kids hyped up of course. At the very least, they think I’m crazy and it’s fun for them to watch and aren’t complaining about how bored they are (which also sucks when that happens). So I’m hyper. The kids are getting hyper because I’m hyper, and then, when I’m done and satisfied they soaked up something, I pull out the big guns…chocolate cake.

Feed children cake. Send them outside to run around and throw balls. Send children home with parents…hyper and full of energy. Now, here is where the love/hate thing with the parents come in. I’m sure they hate that they pick up their kids (or I drop them off) all hyper, but with all the energy, the tell their parents how funny Ms. Melissa was tonight (you know, if they are under 6th grade). The also hopefully tell their parents something they learned. And lastly, they tell their parents how much they loved “Sonday’s Cool” “chapel” “youth group”, etc…. So then, despite the fact that they have hyper kids, the parents are glad they kids are happy and they keep sending them back to me.

For the teenagers, the parents opinion is less involved, but I guarentee, if you feed the kids chocolate cake (or anything for that matter), they’ll probably want to come back. Getting them to soak in information is a little more difficult, but apparently they sometimes think about it.

Therefore, chocolate cake=my job security.

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the once forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

Here is the song that goes with it. It’s by Brandon Heath. This is just a random YouTube Video. The song isn’t really about 9/11, it’s just a tribute video.

New Switchfoot song from The Chronicles of Narnia; Prince Caspian. I’m not a huge Switchfoot fan, but I really like this song. It’s one of those songs that kinda speaks to your life at a particular moment in time, at least for me.

This is probably the best song in Christian music I’ve heard in years. It’s by Sanctus Real.

GodTube Raises $30 Million

I think that is cool, but come on, trademarking “Jesus 2.0″ is just ridiculous. I don’t personally use it much because there is far more good content on YouTube, but if you don’t like searching through all the other stuff, then GodTube might be a good alternative.

Looks like a guy started a new video sharing site for Salvation Army people as well. SallyTube. Come on, can’t we get a little more creative with our website names? It doesn’t look to be official and I can’t help to wonder how The Salvation Army as a whole will feel about it, considering the dislike of Unsite. But I still would argue that, if done correctly, it shouldn’t be a bad thing for the SA.