So last night right after I finished my blog entry, one of my kids came in my roomto talk. This is a kid who's been with me for about 5 years. He had a list of questions, questions about God and his faith. His concern was that because he had these questions, he was losing his faith. These were not simple questions, kid questions, but big, deep, thoughtful questions about God, about free-will, about creation and about evil. We talked for about an hour - one of those talks that makes the week of camp worthwhile.

I'm not sure if this is how the pastor of a church feels about his congregration, but I consider these kids 'mine'. Some of these kids I've gotten to watch grow up over the course of 6 or 7years, starting in Middle School and working their way through to becoming Juniors in Seniors in High School! I worry about them, I get excited for them, and I'm proud of them in a similar way a father is. (The downside for the girls is that when they date, I'm equally protective over them). I love them differently than my own three children, but these are my kids also. I've had a chance this week to tell a few of them how proud I am of them, at how I've seen Christ formed in them and who they've become. This pas fall during Survivor, it was like a Fusion reunion, where big gorup of my older kids would come over and watch TV, and we'd just hang out and laugh for a couple of hours. I can't wait to see how that continues over these years, and to wait and see how they are transformed by their faith. Even as kids have walked away from God, some of them have still been willing to come to me and have the tough talks about where they're at. Not sure where I'm going with this, except to say that as a Youth Pastor, there are parts of me that feel like a parent, in the same way I do a friend and shepard to them.