I just arrived home from a 5 day trip where I was the keynote speaker at a youth conference in Wisconsin. Great trip. Not only was it a rewarding ministry weekend, I also was able to bring my 13- year-old daughter Alyssa with me.

We flew into Chicago, ate some Giordano's Pizza, drove up to Wisconsin, spoke for the weekend, then hung out in the Chicago downtown for one night before returning home. A fantastic time with my Lyssa. I'll blog more about it later... I'm dead tired at the moment (got up WAY too early this morning to catch the flight home).

So for now... I'll just leave you with this low res pic that Alyssa and I took with my cheap little camera phone from the top of the John Hancock building in downtown Chicago. We went up to the 96th floor (top floor) and had a virgin strawberry daiquiri in the "Signature Lounge." Great view sitting in one of the tallest buildings in the world.

Good times.

(you can see the Sears tower in the upper right, Michigan Avenue the lit street below up the center of the pic)

Choices - Gross Domestic Product
As anyone knows, our lives are largely dictated by the choices we make. If you have students in your group that need to make better decisions in 2009 than they did in 2008, then this OPENER may be very helpful to you.

This takes quite a bit of setup and some baking skills. Create six desserts: one real, five gross. The key is to make each dessert LOOK appetizing. We made a ketchup smoothie ("berry milkshake"), whipped mayo and strawberries ("strawberries and cream"), avocado pie ("key lime pie"), ....

Count of Monte Cristo
A good way to start off the New Year is by teaching on faith or hope. This MOVIE CLIP DISCUSSION talks about both. It has everything you need to lead a small group discussion; you just add the students.

Main Point: We must always remember what we have our hope in.

Movie Clip: Clip: Hope restored
This particular clip shows Dantes in prison after 7 years. He has lost all hope. In the scene, he has just been "discovered" by the Priest, who just spent the last five years digging a hole, bound for escape....

The Makeup Counter
If you are re-launching your youth ministry for the spring semester this week and could use a little humor to do so, then check out this brand new STUPID SKIT. All you’ve got to do is find the right "over-the-top" actors to be in it.

The scene opens with the makeup girl coming on stage and setting up her "booth" in the mall store.

Makeup Girl: (Talking to herself...) OK, this is my first day on the job so I can't let Macy's down. Maybe if I do a really good job, they'll actually put me BEHIND the counter!!!