Go be a light in the world.

Twelve years ago I had the opportunity to attend the Southwestern Pennsylvania Lutheran Synod Assembly as part of the Youth Convo.  It was an amazing experience.  I learned about how the church worked, served at worship, paged during business sessions, met new friends, grew in faith and of course had lots of fun.  The weekend had such an impact on my life for three years that I wrote about it for my college application essays.

Then it became a memory...

...until last year.

Eleven years after I attended my first Youth Convo, I returned as one of the leaders. It was a new experience but just as special as being a participant.  On Wednesday I left for my second year as a Youth Convo leader.  Last year was at Cal U and this year back at Thiel.  Being back at Thiel, brought back so many memories of my time at Youth Convo.

It was during this time that I truly realized the importance of faith in my life and my role as a member of the Lutheran church and my home congregation, as well.  I met other young people, who became dear friends and one my boyfriend.  I prayed; sang; played a lot of truth or dare and four square; learned about the church; and came to the conclusion that I would never attend college at Thiel!

(Twelve years later and we were still laughing as hard at lunch as we were when we were teens.)

As one of the leaders, I could not have been more proud of the 20 young adults who represented their churches at Youth Convo this year.  And for the first time, they were able to attend as voting members!  It wonderful to see a new generation so interested in the internal workings of the Lutheran church.  It was a privilege to watch them learn and grow in their faith.  They were an inspiration.

I want to be forever young...

Do you ever wonder what happened to the innocence and spontaneity of your 10-year-self? Remember how excited you used to get over the simplest things? We grew up, that's what happened! Today I was thinking about how much I often miss those beautiful days of childhood. Then I think, why not strive to emulate those same childhood characteristics into our adult lives?

No matter how old I am, I will still...anticipate the coming of Christmas with the same joy and enthusiasm as I did as a child; long for summer days at Lakeside all year long, fidget anxiously for three hours to get there, savour the long summer days at the dock and cry when the season ends at Labor Day; enjoy a good cannonball into Lake Erie; love the freedom of going barefoot in warm weather; welcome the good company of a classic childhood story like Anne of Green Gables or Cheaper by the Dozen; and take a test ride on all the swings and slides in the playground. Perhaps these youthful adventures are good for our tired, stressed adult lives...

As we get older, we forget what was important to us as a child and start to become more cynical of the world around us. We need to take a step back in time and relax. I hope I never lose my youthful spirit or dreams. Someday I'm going to cannonball off the dock at Lakeside with my grandchildren and enjoy the moment just as much, or even more than when I was 10. So, make it your daily mantra to stay forever young!