Current Status: No Margin

Over the last four weeks, I have been processing this concept of "margin" in my life. Actually its more than just processing, God has been hammering me with it!

In July, I gave my work notice that I would be leaving. But, I agreed to stay on until they found someone to replace me (big mistake not to give a specific date...but I was trying to be nice! Trust me, I learned my lesson.) I've been working full-time for the last four weeks and it has done nothing but confirm my decision to stay home with Rilyn. Not just for Rilyn's sake, but also for my husband and for me.

Initially, I made the decision to stay home logistically for Rilyn. Aside from my struggle with leaving her all day with a babysitter, financially it just didn't make sense. Most of the money I would make would go to her sitters.

But since I've returned to work, I've gained a new and even greater perspective on why it is important for me to be home. Margin.

Margin: the amount available beyond what is necessary.

Margin in motherhood. Being at work all day, even just sitting at a desk, is exhausting. And being a mom, especially to an infant, means no rest time once I get home. I go through the motions of taking care of Rilyn and trying to be in the moment with her, but I'm not mentally there.

Margin: the amount available beyond what is necessary.

Margin in my marriage. Having my work hat on, then immediately switching to my mommy hat also places challenges on my wife hat, which in my mind should be on before the others. It is important that I am available to support my husband both at home and in ministry. In the last four weeks, I haven't had as much to give as I'd like. Yes, my marriage could survive in this atmosphere, but I want it to thrive. I want to be an active partner with my husband in life and ministry, but right now its taking a lot of work to be more than passing ships in the night. I'm a better mom to Rilyn if I'm a better wife to my husband first. If I'm being honest, in the last four weeks, I find myself being Mom first, Wife second. Rilyn's needs are screaming at me (literally screaming sometimes). Matt doesn't need me to feed, bathe, change or hold him. Being home will provide me the needed margin to set my priorities straight.

Margin: the amount available beyond what is necessary.

Margin in my faith and ministry. Sadly, what little time I was finding in the last few months with God, has become nothing. I'll be honest, yesterday was the first time in four weeks that I even opened my Bible. I'm empty. And you can't (or shouldn't) serve out of your emptiness. Romans 15:13 (The Message) says, "May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!" I can't be filled with "the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit" without spending quality time with my Savior.

Last year, I stepped down from leading a high school girls small group because I didn't have the time or energy working full time and being pregnant. I wasn't able to have the deep relationships with the girls that I used to have. And I miss that. In the last four weeks, I've had several ministry opportunities that I just haven't been able to do because I've had to make my family a priority with what little amount I had available.

Margin: the amount available beyond what is necessary.

Margin for me. Being home will also allow me to find time for me. This summer, I had a weekly play date with some other mom friends. I miss that time! I struggle adding friends into the mix when I don't even have quality time with my family. I also struggle with not feeling guilty when I go have some "me" time. I feel like I should be spending that time with Matt and Rilyn. I don't even have time to update this blog! Once I'm home full time, there will be more of a balance and more margin for personal time.

Margin: the amount available beyond what is necessary.

I understand that staying home isn't the answer for everyone. But I do believe that its not only for the sake of a child; its also for the family, marriage and personal lives of those who choose that. I don't think enough people take that into consideration. I'm not quiting my job because life is too difficult. I'm choosing to prioritize.

Yes, I could find a better paying job. But is that necessary? No, not for us. Yes, we will be giving up nice vacations and Starbucks. But finding margin for the more important things in my life is so worth it!

Opposite Sex: Emotional Purity

For the last four weeks, Matt has been doing a series called "Opposite Sex" with our high school students. He's been talking about guy and girl relationships and how God calls us to a lifestyle that is "Opposite" of culture's. Tonight, he preached from Genesis 29:1-30:24, the story of Jacob, Leah and Rachel. I had always seen Jacob's pursuit and waiting of Rachel as romantic or sweet, but in actuality Jacob waisted 14 years of his life, pining over this woman. Really interesting perspective!

After Matt's message, we split the kids up between guys and girls. I was really praying about how to drive home this message of purity -- both emotional and physical. God reminded me of this great visual that I had read about on Heather Patenaude's Emotional Purity Blog. So last minute (while Matt was preaching) I ran around to grab supplies and kind of made this analogy my own.

I gave each girl a heart and I asked them to write out what makes them special or unique. Some of the things girls wrote down were: family, God, spaghetti, a boyfriend, friends, concerts, singing, plays, individuality, and so on. They covered their heart with these words.

Then, I gave them a black piece of paper with the word boyfriend across the top. I gave them each a glue stick and asked them to glue their heart to boy #1, their "high school sweetheart". I used Heather's term of "heart glue" and how when we have a relationship with a guy, we stick to them -- even if we are "just friends" but act like boyfriend and girlfriend without the title.

I said that statistically they will break up with their "high school sweetheart" and so we ripped the heart off after 5 minutes. Several girls left quite a bit of their hearts behind, while others seemed to get their full heart back. But what was interesting was all the black on the back of their hearts. We talked about how they may look good on the outside, but on the inside they still have a connection to that guy.

We continued to do this with boy #2 (their college boyfriend) and boy #3. By this time, their hearts were paper thin, ripped or barely there. It was interesting to hear what the girls had "left behind" with the guys. One girl said, "Boy #2 has God!" While another said, "Individuality was left with boy #3." The conversation was running rampant with this analogy! It was so awesome!

Finally, I gave them a white piece of

paper with the word "husband" across the top. I asked them to glue their heart onto this piece of paper. One girl said, "My heart can't take this anymore, I'm using extra glue so it doesn't come off!" Another girl's heart looked completely "normal" but she saw that you could see all the black on the back of the heart through the white paper. We talked about what was left for your future spouse -- a broken and grimy heart. But we also made sure to talk about the restoration of God and how he can even use broken, gross hearts and create an awesome marriage! I wanted the girls to see that the decisions they make now may seem harmless or "fun" but they can have lasting consequences.

Finally, I encouraged them to start praying for their future husband. I told them that somewhere out there was a guy going on his own journey. This was the perfect time to start praying for him! I shared that I had started a prayer journal for my future husband in Jr High and actually gave it to Matt as a gift on our wedding day. Its really interesting to see the things God placed on my heart to be praying about and how Matt may have been facing a situation in his life at that moment that needed my specific prayer. Or how I only prayed for my husband's sisters, never any brothers. Matt has two sister, no brothers. Back to tonight, I gave each girl a print out that my youth pastor's wife had given me of a prayer for your future husband. You can find a copy here.

All in all, it was an awesome night and it seemed to really drive home this whole month's discussion on Opposite Sex. So, thank you Heather for sharing that craft idea so long ago! It definitely came in handy tonight!

Pictures are from Heather's blog, not from our experience tonight. But they basically looked the same :)

Cool God Story - Continuation of "As Yourself"

Yesterday, I received this email from Matt. This is a continuation from our "As Yourself" night. You can read more about it here. You don't typically get to hear about the effect your blessing has on the person's life. God is so good!

I got a call today from a guy named Mike. He told me that he attends Emmanuel Church and that he volunteers his time at the Cancer Research Center. Anyway, he told me about a man from Nevada who he met years ago that comes in for treatment. He has no family, and little money but used to work and teach at a Christian school. Mike broke down on the phone telling me that he met with this man on Monday and the man told him about a group of teenagers who paid for his room and prayed for him on Sunday night as he was checking in to the hotel.

Mike told me that "You and your church needed to know what this did for this guy, and how much it impacted this mans spirit." I wanted to pass this on to you all and tell you how humbled I am to hear stories like this. I told Mike about "As Yourself" and how the kids brought in their own money and it was so cool to see them out, and to hear what God had done in them for this man. I also asked if he would come on Sunday night and tell the students what he told me on the phone. Hope this gives you a little jolt of joy today knowing what God is doing in this community through the students at North Point.

Gifts that Give Back - Continued

My mom posted something on her blog yesterday about Gifts that Give Back and had some great responses with more ideas. So I've added them to my list as well.

To find the whole list check out the post Gifts that Give Back.

"Love Your Neighbor As Yourself"

Our high school students experienced this on Sunday. We had a night called "As Yourself" based on the scripture mandate to love your neighbor as yourself. We had our students bring in any amount of money they could. Students brought in everything from pennies to $20 or more. In total...our 25 high school students gave around $500 of their own money.

We then split them up into 5 groups, gave each group $100, then sent them out into the community to bless people as they felt led. What an awesome night! Here are some highlights:

• One group bought a woman's groceries, turns out she just lost her job and cares for an elderly friend.
• One group bought a disabled woman's groceries and Christmas gifts for her family. She was actually putting things back onto the shelves from her cart because she couldn't afford it all. Then, our group stepped in to bless her.
• One group went to the Cancer Center Hotel and was able to help pay for a man's stay while he was receiving a consultation for his cancer. Turns out he only had to pay $33 for 3 nights...$11 per night! While they were helping him out, two adults started chatting with a woman in the lobby and it turns out she's there because she had breast cancer. So they were able to pray with her and encourage her.
• One group paid for a man's gas.
• One group was able to help out several people with their groceries.

It was such an awesome night to see our students give of themselves and have the opportunity to bless others. As an adult, it was hard at first not to step in and push our students one way or another as they tried to figure out what to do or even drum up the courage to approach someone. But watching them actually step out of their comfort zone was a blessing to us!

Read a follow-up with a cool God story from our "As Yourself" night here.

Encounter Weekend 2009

This past weekend was our annual Encounter Weekend for our high school and jr high students. I believe we had somewhere around 71 students who came this weekend. It was a great weekend of small group time, worship, a speaker and lots of fun!

I was with the 9th and 10th grade girls all weekend. One thing that hit me hard, is how much these young women are dealing with. It hurts my heart to think how many of them have to play the role of "parent" because their own parents aren't stepping up. Or the other young women who find their identity in whether or not they have a boyfriend. Or the young women who are using drugs and alcohol to numb their pain.

These are 14 year old young women! Such hurt and pain for such a young woman. Lord, please heal their broken hearts!

586 Families are Waiting

These are some of the faces of families waiting for homes. If you look you will realize that these are pictures of birthdays, family outings, graduations, Christmases and weddings. They are of children that have dreams, mothers that only want to give food to their children, and fathers that have promised they will provide for their family. Each of these families has come to us asking for our help; for your help. We are asking you to help us make that possible. Right now there are 586 families who are waiting to receive homes. Without your help they WILL NOT receive them. Each of these pictures tells a story; would you be willing to be a part of their story?
~ Brittany Girle, Team Coordinator

We are very excited to be a part of Casas Por Cristo's mission to build a home for one of these families. We recently discovered that the family we will be building for has been waiting for 14 months for a home. 14 MONTHS! Its exciting to be a part of the remedy!

Read more updates at the Juarez09 Blog: http://juarez09.blogspot.com/

Do You Have Beautiful Feet?

Last night, Matt and I watched the movie "Slumdog Millionaire". I have heard some good things about it before, but had never seen it. It was a good movie, but left me with a very heavy heart. My fear is that people will watch the movie and not think about how it is real life...it is not a set that someone created based off their imagination. But people actually live their lives in poverty such as this. They are forced into life situations based on their circumstances. I've seen it with my own eyes on many mission trips.

This is one of the many reasons why I am excited that we have not cancelled our trip to Juarez, Mexico. We leave in a few short weeks. I know so many have expressed concern, but I have excitement and anticipation. Our students will be exposed, probably for the first time, to what true poverty looks like. It is real, and we are called to do something about it, swine flu or not.

Psalm 82:3-4
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

Proverbs 3:27-28
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow" — when you now have it with you.

Proverbs 14:31
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

Romans 12:13
Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

I read about situations like the cyclone in Bangladesh and my heart breaks for the children that were effected. It makes me proud to partner with organizations like Compassion International and Buckner. I am proud of our students who are meeting every week to pray for the city of Juarez, Mexico and the family we are building for. I am proud of the students we have going to Mexico and their excitement rubs off on us! I am proud of the ministries our church partners with, such as Rio Bravo.

Romans 10:15 says, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

I hope that the day I meet God he tells me I have beautiful, well-worn feet that walked wherever God wanted me to go!

So, how are you responding to the call to help others? Where are you going to "walk"?

If you would like updates on our trip to Juarez, Mexico you can check out the blog: http://juarez09.blogspot.com/.

Postcard from God

I have stepped out of our high school youth group to blog because I'm so encouraged. In the last few weeks, Matt has done a great job on a series called "DTR". Its all about Defining The Relationship with God. (For those parents who don't know what DTR is...its the conversation where you define the relationship...mostly referring to a dating relationship)

Anyway, we have seen slow but steady growth. A few weeks ago, Matt said to me that we would never break past 36 kids. Every time we've seen 36, its been a bad night and then it drops to a dozen or so again. I'm not saying its about numbers at all but its cool to see that your ministry is reaching out to students. I don't think they would come back if they weren't getting anything out of it. We don't play games. We don't horse around. We have a youth worship service. Its awesome!

Tonight we have 41 students here. But the 41st student to walk through the door is what got me so excited!

I just saw a student walk in who hasn't been in a long time. In fact...his girlfriend was one of our regulars until the last few months when her family life has fallen apart. He rarely came with her. Well...they recently broke up. She isn't here tonight...but he is. I think its awesome that he came here tonight. I don't know for sure, but I think he might be here because he knows there is genuine love and hope here. Not because of us, but because of Jesus.

I have never known anyone to speak of Jesus like Matt. I mean, growing up I always heard about him, but not like Matt speaks of him...passionately and intimately. I believe the students respond to Matt's excitement of Jesus and to Matt's transparency.

Anyway...just wanted to share. :)

Catalyst Forum

Today, Matt and I, along with other friends in ministry, went to the Catalyst Forum.  Catalyst is an organization with the goal of connecting all the churches across the county.  Their tag line is "One Community, One Church".  It ended up being quite a good session.

For the first session, they brought in David Kinnaman.  He is the author of the book "UnChristian".  He talked about the state of the church in America today.  It was very interesting as he shared statistics about faith across the U.S.  He talked about how "big" is on its way out.  Big does not attract the next generation.  59% of teens who were churched walk away in their 20s.  That is a huge statistic, especially for those of us who work with youth.  They are the next generation and they need to be empowered to make this faith their own.

One of the most powerful concepts for me was when he talked about the fortress mentality vs. kingdom mentality.  Fortress is not accepting change and new people.  How is a fortress attractive to those who know nothing about it but its outside walls?  They don't want to be a part of that.  How cool to be a part of a kingdom, not just being a part of the kingdom but serving in the kingdom.  We need to move from consuming and being ok with just soaking up the message on Sunday mornings to contributing in the kingdom!

His last comment - Small is the new big - Help people see the kingdom stuff they are already doing and encourage them to do more.  I think that's the key!

Encounter weekend

This weekend was our annual "Encounter Weekend".  This is when we have both the high school and junior highers for an entire weekend.  They are split up by age and gender and stay at different homes throughout the area.  It is a time of intense small groups and awesome main sessions.

I had the high school girls and it was awesome.  I love the deep conversations that we had and it was a good reminder of why we do what we do.  I guess you could say that it was a mile marker for me.

When I first moved up here the small groups were just becoming what they are today.  The other co-leader and I decided that it was best to just start digging into the Bible instead of have topical conversations.  How are they supposed to make it their own if they don't even know what Jesus is all about?

This weekend, it was really cool to see that all come together.  We would be talking about one scripture and someone would bring up another scripture we had talked about in the past.  They are beginning to see that the entire Bible relates.  Its pretty cool!

Once I find my camera, I will upload pictures from this weekend.

Compassion International - Its Your Turn!

I ask that you take 30 seconds and watch this video.  

"God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them."

-Bono

10 Ways to Fail as a Leader

I received the following in an email and thought it was fun but challenging. It can be applied whether you hold a leadership position or not:

Top 10 Ways to FAIL as a Leader

Steve Macchia and Rick Anderson

Perhaps you've even personally served under a notoriously bad team leader and secretly wondered whether or not you'd have what it takes to sabotage a team of your own. Just follow these simple guidelines:

10) CONSERVE AFFIRMATION. You don't want your team members to become arrogant. Use affirming remarks sparingly.

9) HAVE A CLOSED-DOOR POLICY. Openness to feedback is a slippery slope. One day you're listening, the next day you're on the verge of a teachable spirit.

8) MAKE SURE NOBODY APPEARS SMARTER THAN YOU ARE. Nobody has more knowledge or experience than you do. That's why you're in charge, right?

7) FOSTER AN ATMOSPHERE OF PARANOIA. Nothing puts a better positive filter on incoming information than a renowned fear of your response to bad news.

6) MAKE SURE ALL IDEAS ORIGINATE WITH YOU. Good ideas come from the top, not the team. Shared credit is for couples with debt problems.

5) EXERCISE HIGH CONTROL. Remember, you're the team leader, and it's your way or the highway.

4) LOOK OUT FOR #1. When in doubt, ask yourself, What's best for me and my interests? Don't underestimate the value of manipulation.

3) DON'T TRUST ANYONE. If you refuse to trust them from the start, you don't give them the opportunity to disappoint you.

2) ASK SOMEONE TO DO A SPECIFIC JOB, AND THEN DO IT YOURSELF. Micromanagement is one of the surest ways to fail as a team leader. If you want it done right, you've got to do it yourself.

1) FILL YOUR TEAM WITH PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU. Could there be a more ideal team than one made up of multiple versions of you?

Excerpted from an article in Church Volunteer Central's Idea Depot, where members can read the entire text of this article as well as hundreds of others.

Copyright © 2008 Group Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ignite Rally

Last night was the second annual Ignite Rally for See You at the Pole. Ignite is an awesome event because all the local youth pastors plan it together. That's right! Youth pastors, not competing for students but partnering together! Matt meets with these guys on a weekly basis to pray and encourage each other. Its a rare but awesome thing! So last night, there were NINE churches represented in 130 teens...all worshipping and praying together. The worship band was made up of teens from different churches as well. It was a really cool experience.

Check out my friend Mindy's blog for their SYATP experience this morning.


Matt and I had a lot of fun this weekend at the wedding. It was good to see some of Matt's old friends and enjoy some down time. Here's a picture although I'm not really sure what I'm doing with my arm...oh well.

Hurricane Ike Help

For those of you in this area:

A friend of mine, Heather, is organizing a gently used toy drive for a ministry in Houston, Texas called Arrow Child and Family Services (www.arrow.org). This ministry will be able to put these toys into the hands of children who have lost everything due to Ike.

The drive will be Sept. 29th till Oct 3, here in Zion. Click on the picture below to view the detailed flyer.

Crosswinds Community Church - New Home

I love my dad! He inspires me all of the time to love and care for people - right where they are. He has incredible wisdom and knows when to challenge and when to encourage. Years ago, my dad started talking about planting a church, thus Crosswinds was born. I remember the beginning stages of meeting on my parent's front lawn to finally finding a home in a warehouse and all of the growing pains that come along with a brand new church. I know that for my dad (well...my whole family) there has been a lot of joy and a lot of pain that has come on this journey - but its been a good one.

A few months ago, an opportunity came along for Crosswinds to take over an older church building that had a dying congregation. You can read more here and on my dad's blog. Sunday afternoon, my dad called me excited to tell me about moving day. Instead of a typical church service, they had a moving service. The entire church came together and moved from one building to the new building. Its an exciting new season and I know that it has pumped my dad up! I am sure that seeing his dream taking a huge leap forward is a confirmation that he has truly followed the direction God laid out for him to do.

I once read somewhere that becoming a follower of Christ is not an invitation to an easy life, a life of luxury or a safe life, but its still worth it!

You can check out more about this exciting day by checking these out:

Moving Photos
"Move That Church" post by Amy

Emotional Roller Coaster

I have really enjoyed hearing how everyone spends their Couple Time. Keep them coming! (Read Couple Time).

Last night was the last youth group for our graduating seniors. Up until last night, I've held it together and have been the one to comfort those that are crying and reassure them that things will change but it won't be worse - and yes youth group will go on without them.

Matt decided to have a worship night with scripture reading instead of our typical service. He set up the youth room with rows of chairs and then had couches in the back. Of course, our students rushed to the couches. I was up front running the powerpoint so I had little control and really wasn't aware of what Matt's plans were.

Those students need to come sit up front on the chairs or they won't pay attention and won't have a good worship experience. I kept thinking this and started to obsess over where they were sitting and if Matt was going to say something. Suddenly I felt the Lord whisper to my heart:

God: Anne, do you not think that I could reach their hearts even on a couch?

Me: Of course I do! But how will I know that they are paying attention and participating?

God: It doesn't matter...they don't answer to you.

In that moment, I felt helpless and only capable of surrendering them over to God. It's a good thing they don't answer to me because I am incapable of showering them with love, forgiveness and mercy like Christ does.

It was also in that moment that it hit me the seniors were leaving and they were no longer going to have the "safety" of our youth group family. I was no longer going to have the same relationship with these students. All I could do was cry and pray that God would continue to hold onto them in this new season of life.

27 Dresses - Reality Check!

Preparation for Girls small group has been looming in front of me for several days. Through different circumstances, I am now the only person leading for the summer, so prep is all on me. I began to really dread it, so I just decided that last night was going to be a "Girls Night". I rented 27 Dresses and got Ice Cream and toppings. (You can't have a Girls Night without junk food!)

It was a lot of fun hanging out with my girls and watching the movie. It sparked conversation and brought out the girly side in all of us. A funny thing started to happen at all of the romantic parts - a collective "AWWW!" would erupt throughout my apartment. The "AWWW!" said so much more than, Isn't that sweet!. Each girl has a desire to be pursued like that - but many times how we dream of it happening - and how its portrayed in movies - is perfection. Perfection isn't reality.

"It doesn't happen like this in real life" I yelled out. "Says the girl who got proposed to on the Eiffel Tower" one of my girls said. Sure, that moment was awesome and Matt reminds me often of what a great job he did. But that incredible moment lasted seconds, then back to reality! How do I talk to my girls about this and make sure they hear me? I couldn't come up with anything brilliant (How did my youth pastors' wives do that? They always came up with something brilliant that would challenge me in that moment and stuck with me forever!) but at least the conversation was started.

Matt and I are pretty transparent with our students - we don't fake perfection. Several of our students don't have parents that have healthy relationships - so ours is the only one they're exposed to. We've talked with them about how hard relationships are and that they take a lot of work. It was pretty cool when I heard through the grapevine that one of our students had said she wanted a marriage like ours.

Whether we realize it or not - teenagers are watching and listening! Let's just hope that what they are soaking up isn't perceived perfection - but hard-working-and-rewarding reality.

BigStuf 2008

What a week! It was exhausting but incredible all at the same time. Here are some highlights:

• Matt's sister Haley went with us!
• 43 kids and 8 adults
• Long bus ride but great bus drivers (Yay Peoria Charter!)
• 9 rooms (4 of which were infested with cockroaches)
• 2 sessions a day full of awesome worship and great speakers
• All of this right on the beach!

Our students were really challenged and encouraged. Some of them dug through some things going on in their lives while others gained strength to take the next step in their life.

Au Revoir!

Matt and I leave tomorrow for our cruise and I am very excited! I can't wait! Hopefully I will quickly get my sea legs. We get back on July 3.

My parents celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary yesterday! Congratulations Mom and Dad! My mom wrote a really cool post on everything she didn't know before she got married. I would encourage you to go read it! My dad also posted about their 25 years.

My brother sent me this video from his mission trip to Romania. Its quite a long video - but the second song that is played (starting at 4:20) is Evan singing - he has a gorgeous voice! Enjoy!

Matt's Home and 50's Diner!

Matt finally came home on Friday! I got a lot accomplished while he was gone:

• Cleaned my house
• Organized the guest bedroom
• Put together a bookshelf and got a black toe because I forgot the shelves weren't attached
• Hung out with a lot of great girlfriends
• Put up a light (yes I did the electric work and everything - except one of the wires popped apart when I was in the final stages of attaching the light and didn't realize it until I was done. Have to go back and fix that - but after two hours I was ready to be done!)

Here is the light fixture I put up:


Yesterday was our third-annual 50s Diner at church. This is an awesome fundraiser we do for our high school students. They dress up in 50s costumes and then we serve hotdogs, hamburgers, brats and root beer floats to people from the church. 50s music plays in the background. It happens right after church is over so a lot of people stay - we had a great turn out this year! Here are pictures from the 50's Diner: