Marvelous Happy Things

Have you ever shared a spiritual weakness or your spiritual journey with a large group of people (more than 2)? I have, and I regretted some of it afterward. For many young Christians in non-denom groups or church circles, sharing your "testimony" to a Christian group or a congregation can be a rite of passage. If you've never shared your own, you've probably sat in a sanctuary or gym and listened to someone share theirs. Often testimonies are full of vulnerable information about the person and dramatic moments in his or her life.  I didn't fully regret sharing my sin in the mission trip small group until a few weeks after the event. I was a college freshman attending a mission trip as a young adult leader. We were called to share our most prevalent sins with one another to show God's power and encourage repentance. I had not done this sin in a few months and thought it was gone from my life. I shared vulnerably with the group. Others told me afterward that I ...

 "Date someone at your church. I'm sure there's someone in the young adult group who's looking to date." "Group dates are a great way to get to know a lot of people." "Always carry money for a cab or prepare to call a friend if things go south." "Never meet him in a private place unless you know him really well." "He's a Christian-- so you won't have to worry about him making a move on you." Some of this advice is alright, while some of it is not. It's the more subtle situations that are difficult. If he isn't saying explicit comment x, y, or z, is he still "making a move?" Or is it a compliment? A difficult example of this is when comedian John Crist made comments to a woman while they were spending an afternoon together. She was later criticized by members of the general public for not understanding his suggestive meaning. Conversations about the current culture and dating safely are necessary, th...

It's now December, and such begins the Christmas season hubbub. I'm quite behind  on finishing this Disney/Nickelodeon show rankings series. If you need something trivial to be frustrated about, then you can be angry with these shows. Or, perhaps you like them. Thankfully, I have 5 shows for this list. They are in no particular order. Sorry, Babe Shows (as in, "Sorry, babe. You didn't quite make it.") Fish Hooks (2010-2014) (moved at some point to Disney XD) I generally enjoy Kyle Massey's humor, but if you ask him to be the voice of a fish, then it all goes downhill from there. The animation was not compelling. Are they trying to make an off-brand SpongeBob show? (I know many folks in the Gen X/Millennial generations grew up with SpongeBob, and I mean no offense to that show. I'm making a point for a commonality.) A.N.T. Farm (2011-2014) The one redeeming quality from this show is the Halloween episodes (1 for each of the 3 seasons), which I am not counti...

Happy November! Thanks for continuing to read this series. *I've chosen to leave a couple of shows off of this list that I originally included. (The final post will have more shows.) Workout Shows These are in no particular order. These are shows that you turn on when there is nothing else on, and you need to work out at 4 p.m. (this show or the news?) or you are eating lunch during the summer. Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide: This is a funny show if you don't care much about a plot. The kids get in some outrageous situations. Many of the jokes are too middle school age for me. (The characters are in middle school.) Bunk'd: I'm talking about the early seasons including the Ross kids, not the later ones. The theme song is pretty catchy, and the rich kids learn to rough it, which can be funny. Some of the jokes can be too elementary style. You may watch this show with a younger niece or nephew who would enjoy it, but probably not one to binge-watch.  Shake It...

This is part 2 of my series dedicated to ranking Disney and Nickelodeon shows.  These are in no particular order. Grade B KC Undercover: This marked Zendaya's return to Disney in a main role. (She first starred in a show we'll see later on.) The plot lines are fairly interesting, with lots of stunts. This show also doesn't take itself too seriously, like when it refers to the organization where they work as The Organization. Liv and Maddie: Twins! Played by one girl! The family dynamics and the plot twist that led into the final season make this show Grade B. There was also a real-life romance between Dove and her character Maddie's boyfriend for a period of time, which added to the cuteness factor. Jessie: This show earns points for including adopted children. Despite the Ross family's rich status, the kids are fairly down-to-earth. Jessie's adjustment to city life could also keep you watching. Plus, the theme song will stay in your head. Victorious: Talk about...

 I did this ranking a few months ago and decided to dig into it now, for your entertainment. *This will be a multi-part post.* Note: I will not include shows that I rarely watched or were on in the early 2000s, unless I've seen more than a few episodes. Sorry, Raven fans. Grade A: The Suite Life of Zack and Cody/on Deck: London and Maddie's friendship was worth re-watching several episodes. The premise of kids living in a hotel is unique. I enjoyed Cody and Bailey's relationship in On Deck , so that show is included here as well. Next! Wizards of Waverly Place: I don't know that I need to explain too much here. Selena's acting start? Plot twists? Family time? Austin and Ally: Will they? Won't they? This show included songs in many episodes and funny friends. Though they dragged on Austin and Ally's relationship status, the show still felt fresh. Zoey 101: Our first Nick show makes an appearance. It just celebrated 10 years! The plot revolved around normal k...

Author's Note: Learning about the Bible and discipleship did take place in my youth group, though this post is not focused on these topics. Our leaders guided discussions as they should. To my friends: I hope this post brings back good memories and you laugh a little as I try to explain our friendships and romantic experiences. Was it normal for this much romantic activity to happen in one youth group? Feel free to comment with your thoughts.  My high school youth group had an interesting phenomenon. Our group had a lot of “lovesick” teens. Meaning that plenty of my friends dated people in our church or people from school and would bring them to church. We had a player in the group who flirted with several girls. Friends would see a pair who spent a lot of time together (whether it was on a retreat or a mission trip) and speculate on their relationship. None of our leaders encouraged the dating relationships, probably because most of them did not last. I remember a conversation b...