Eat the Menu!

Matt and Charlie with each teams menu!

Fridays are for WyldLife in Ladera Ranch!

 

We had our first Friday night Club last night. The game we played was called Eat the Menu! It has become the annual kick-off event for Ladera Ranch WyldLife club.

 

Last night over 40 kids came to McDonalds ready eat some really delicious and healthy food (there may be a bit of sarcasm there)! We split up into three teams and ordered $250 worth of food. Each team had to race through the food and the team that finished first won.

 

While this event may seem crazy (it is) and it may be hard to understand the reasoning behind doing something like this, it goes a long way in helping us leaders earn the right to be heard. Having these events where kids are encouraged to do something way out of the norm, but still super fun, helps them to realize that we want them to have fun, be crazy kids, and be themselves. As they begin to see that we aren't trying to change them, and that we genuinely want to be their friends, they begin to trust us. As this happens we get to share Jesus' love with them... and they listen because they know we care about them, and we have earned the right.

 

The beauty of Young Life and WyldLife is relationship. Leaders build real friendships with kids and then enter into their lives in order to support, encourage, and love. When kids give us permission, we are quick to help direct kids towards better life decisions, build habits that will help them in the future, and introduce them to Jesus, helping them learn what it is like to have a real growing relationship with him.

 

So, while things like Eat the Menu may seem a bit strange... there are some deeper things happening amidst the chaos.

Team Turkey Sandwich getting crazy!

The desert queens doing work on the sweets!

Chomp chomp chomp...

When WyldLife takes over McDonalds!

The MVP of the night... you don't want to know how much her ate.

Hungry Hippos, Egg Roulette, and a God that never gives up.

Pre club hangout.

A couple Sundays ago we had CLUB at the Riley's house. Club is an incredibly fun night. Some people in Young Life call it a "party with a purpose," but if you had a chance to see it for yourself you might call it something more like "controlled chaos!" 

Madie getting gnarly on the trampoline.

Club is a night of crazy games, tons of laughter, leaders and kids getting crazy together, relationships being built, and Jesus being put on display. There is a bigger focus on fun at club than at our Friday morning gatherings, and a whole lot more energy. Everything is designed to allow kids to be kids, the crazy middle schoolers that they are, all while getting to be with caring adults that love Jesus. 

Hungry Hungry Hippos

The first game we played was a throw-back to one of my favorite games growing up: Hungry Hungry Hippos. Each team had a skateboard, and kids took turns on the board as one of their teammates would push them out to the middle where they would try to capture as many balloons as they could with a laundry basket. The wind started blowing all the balloons around which made things a bit more interesting!

Duct Tape Trolly Race

The next game was introduced by our own "Duct Tape Man!" Duct Tape Man is a character Matt Wright does. He made an elaborate costume out of duct tape and comes out claiming he can fix everything with duct tape. As a part of training, he had us play a game called "Duct Tape Trolly." Kids got into groups of 3 or 4, and all stood on a piece of tape, sticky side up. They then had to race around a course without breaking the tape.

Tyler with a raw one!

Egg roulette.

The next game got a bit messy! We played a mash up of "hot potato" and "egg roulette." Two objects got passed around while playing hot potato, and when the music stopped the people with the objects had to come and each pick out an egg. Half of the eggs were hard boiled, half were raw!

Jay got yoked

After they picked their egg, they had to smash it on their head or face at the count of three. It was awesome to see kids get so into this, and hilarious to watch as the leaders played right along with everyone!

Tyler was the only one with a raw egg!

Before the night was over I got the opportunity to share about Jesus. I shared about how Jesus didn't hang out with the kind of people the religious people thought he should be hanging out with. Jesus didn't hang out with churchy people, he didn't hang out with religious people.

Jesus hung out with a lot of people that didn't care to be religious, he even hung out with people that didn't want anything to do with religion. There were two groups of people Jesus hung out with that really bothered the religious people of that time: tax collectors, and prostitutes. Basically, tax collectors took advantage of the power Rome gave them and manipulated people into giving them money. They were despised. Prostitutes, well, they don't need much explanation, but think about what it would be like if Jesus came today and hung out with porn stars… that's a pretty good picture of the kind of people Jesus spent time with, of the kinds of people Jesus was friends with.

One time the religious people questioned Jesus, and Jesus told them a story about a shepherd who had lost one of his sheep. He asked, "who, if you lost one sheep, wouldn't leave the others and go find that sheep?" This was what Jesus was doing. He was going after the people that didn't want anything to do with God. He was chasing after them to show them how deeply God loved them… even when they didn't want anything to do with him. Then Jesus said, " and who of you after finding the sheep wouldn't go home and throw a party?" Jesus said its like this in heaven when someone who doesn't want anything to do with God accepts him, he said heaven throws a party.

God doesn't hold his love only for those that love him back. God loves us all, and God is restlessly pursuing us all. There is no club where some of us are in and we can keep others out. God is not like that. God welcomes all… Jesus, God come to this world, hung out with the people that were not welcomed to be part of the "in" club.

The family of God is open to all, no matter how far off we might wander, no matter how many mistakes we have made, no matter how little we know about him… God is looking for us all.

Sometimes you gotta lead by example!

The Bonfire

Bryce and Riley showing Jackson and Matthew how to roast a hot dog!

Last night we had a bonfire to end all bonfires! Matthew Patrella came with a truck full of wood, and so many more kids came than I was expecting. It was a blast!

Always a good time hanging by a fire.

We started the evening just hanging on the beach. Some kids played whiffle ball, while another group started a football game, and still another group decided to go for a swim. Everywhere I looked kids were having fun with leaders. It was awesome.

Is there a better way to spend an evening?

After a while we started roasting hot dogs over the fire. Sometimes an open fire roasted hot dog just hits the spot, and Paden and Reese both agreed with me. I think Paden ate 5 and Reese had about 6. All the kids had fun making their hot dogs, and luckily, even though I was expecting 30 kids max, I bought enough for 50.

Ben, Jake, Henry, and Andrew decided to take a dip! Not too cold for them!

After the dogs we moved to s'mores. I love watching people gather around a fire, and so often really good conversations can happen as everyone is roasting marshmallows over a fire.

Drying off by the fire.

We ended the night playing a game called "cross the river." Its a super simple game but the kids love it, and it gives us leaders a chance to get to know them more.

Paden became a pro at roasting dogs!

Overall the night was a success. Sometimes all kids need is an evening where they get to be kids. It can be easy for me to think that I need to be talking about Jesus at everything we do, but I was reminded last night that pointing kids to Jesus involves much more than just talking about him. Hanging out with kids, getting to know them, letting them get to know you, and being with them even when things get kinda crazy points them to Jesus without using words. When we do that, we are acting like Jesus. He wants to be with us, he wants us to be with him, and he always stays close even when we go totally crazy… even when we make the worst decisions or completely ignore him. Showing kids Jesus' love is so much more than just talking about it.

That's why we do things like having bonfires, and letting kids run around like crazy middle schoolers on the beach!

The girls had a blast too… and that sunset was amazing!

Duct Tape Man, Banana Man, and Jesus.

Everyone getting into teams for the first game

Last night was our first traditional "club" of 2015! IT WAS A BLAST! For some of the kids it was their first time at club. We played a bunch of games, hung out, ate some incredible cookies that Sophia and her step-dad made (seriously, they were incredible), and then I got a chance to share about Jesus and how he came to give us life to the fullest. It was such a great night!

Mackenzie and Marlee are ready to celebrate the win!

The first game was a relay type race where kids teamed up and then got in lines. They held hands and watched as Kailey (one of our amazing leaders) flipped a coin. Every time the coin landed on heads, the first person in line would squeeze the next person in line's hand, and they would then pass it down. Once it got to the end of the line, the last person would race to a bucket filled with water and try to find the bar of soap. Teams got a point each time they got the soap first.

Trying to find the bar of soap

Tyler, Reese, Makayla, and Matthew 

Duct Tape Man!

As I was tallying up all the points on my phone, I pretended to break it. I had a broken phone that I switched out with mine and all the kids were convinced I broke my phone, there were gasps all around. But there was nothing to fear because Duct Tape Man came running onto the scene.

Matt Wright, came out as "Duct Tape Man" and we did a skit where he tried to fix my phone with duct tape. Of course it didn't work, and we introduced a game as a way to train to get better at fixing things with duct tape.

Musical duct tape!

The game was just like musical chairs but we used pieces of duct tape instead of chairs. Kids had to move around the room, dancing, until the music stopped. Then they had to try to find one of the pieces of tape that were placed randomly around the garage. It was an absolute blast, and it ended with an intense dance off between Dylan and Alexa.

Who knew rubber gloves could be so fun!

The next game was what we call an "up front" game. These games serve as a way to get kids' attention to move towards the front of the room. Everything we do at club is geared towards creating an environment where kids are welcomed as they are, made to feel safe and included while getting to act crazy, and then hearing the story of Jesus and why we believe that he has the secret for living the best life possible.

The game was a race to see who could blow up a rubber glove the fattest, using only their nose. Kids had to wear the glove on their heads while doing this. It was hilarious, and while Cameron took the early lead by a mile, Alexa came from behind and snatched the victory.

Raffle time with Banana Man!

After the gloves we had Andy come dressed in a Banana Man costume to do a raffle. We just raffled off a couple silly things and some candy, but it brought everyone down a couple notches and got everyone more focused towards the front… plus, who doesn't want to win a raffle?

I had the opportunity to talk about Jesus and the "good life." I started by asking the kids what they thought it took to live a good life. We got answers ranging from having lots of fun and friends to being famous and having lots of money.

I asked a kid to come up a blow up three balloons.

The first one represented life full of relationships. While relationships are a really good thing, it isn't enough to make a full life. Relationships end. People move away, people we love die, girlfriends and boyfriends break up, and sometimes the people we love the most end up hurting us. I popped the balloon and showed that once the balloon is popped and the relationships are over, if that is what we were looking to make us complete, we aren't left with much.

I did the same thing with two more balloons, the next one representing being good at sports or school. While, again, these aren't bad things, if they are what we are putting all our time into, and what we are looking to make our lives good, they are going to leave us looking for more. What happens if a kid isn't good enough to make the team, or they get injured in a way that makes them unable to play? What happens when a kid obsessed with makes straight A's gets a B? Again, if this is all where we are looking to get the good life from, we will be disappointed.

The last balloon was having fun and seeking out experiences. Its pretty easy to see that this will not lead to a lasting good life. While things may be super fun, fun is temporary, and, by nature, it always leads to wanting more. Having fun is important. It gives life flavor, but it can't be the center of life.

After I popped all three balloons I read a quote from Jesus found in the Bible in the book of John, chapter 10 verse 10. Jesus says, "The thief comes to steal and to kill and to destroy. I come to give life, and life to the fullest."

Jesus is the only way to have the truly good life. I'm not talking about becoming a super religious person who goes to church every chance they get, and stays at home on the weekends reading their Bible, only to leave the house in order to go on some mission trip. It might be surprising to hear, but the people Jesus had the biggest problem with were the religious people. The people he spent most of his time around where very normal people, and often the people that the religious people had shunned.

While much of what falls into the "religious" category is good, Jesus has so much more for us. He doesn't want us to be a carbon copy of the next "good Christian" down the road. He wants us to be the "us" that he created. He wants us to live the best life possible, and he knows what that looks like for each of us. Some of it will be similar, but each journey will be unique. A life with Jesus is not the easiest life, but I believe with every fiber in my being, it is the best life possible.

I can't wait for the next club! We will be having a bonfire at "hole in the fence" beach on March 15, from 6:30-8:30.

The reason why we do everything, to get a chance to share Jesus.

The Scavenger Hunt!

This last Sunday we had a scavenger hunt all over Ladera Ranch. It was super fun and kids had to do all sorts of funny things. Some of the highlights were Shane Roberson doing a belly flop in the pool at  Avondale, Ben and Marlee conducting an aerobics class in a tanning salon, and Ethan, Matthew, Henry, Andrew, Tyler, and Jay acting out an earthquake in McDonalds! 

The night was a blast and the kids and leaders had a ton of fun being silly together and making memories!

Whole team on a slide: 100 points!

Whole team in a tree: 100 points!

Pyramid: 100 points!

Everyone jumping: 100 points!

Everyone on a school table: 100 points!

Honestly, not sure what this one was… 100 points!

Leap frog with whole team: 100 points!

Everyone in a boat: 200 points!

Picture with a firman next to a firetruck: 300 points!

Act out a disney scene in front of strangers: 300 points!

Shake hands with a man with a beard: 200 points!

Wash a stranger's dishes: 300 points!

Pizza party after!

So much fun!

Christmas Club!

Christmas Club at the Wrights'!

Last night was Ladera Ranch WyldLife's first annual Christmas Club! It was such a great night! We had over 50 kids come ready to have a good time. There was hot coco, handmade by the talented Steve Wright! There were Christmas cookies and candy canes as far as the eye could see, and enough good cheer for the whole block!

Grant and Noah doing work on spike-ball!

The girls got into slam disc.

We had a couple new games set up as kids started showing up. Spike-ball and slam disc. Apparently I am behind the times on these games, and the kids taught some of us leaders a few new moves. It was a lot of fun hanging out before all the crazy games got going.

Mr. Christmas Tree, Jake Cruzen.

One of the games was a Christmas tree decorating contest... the only twist was that guys were the trees. Each grade competed against each other decorating one of the guys as a Christmas tree. They got pretty creative, and there were some really good looking "trees" but in the end Josh Dunphy was chosen by our team of expert judges as the winner of the Mr. Christmas Tree Pageant. 

Mackenzie really likes Christmas cookies!

Marlee looking a bit like the Grinch

The girls got to have a pageant of their own as well! They got to be human sugar cookies.  We had teams of three decorate each brave volunteer! There were some very interesting results, and I think the girls might be smelling and tasting vanilla frosting for a few days.

Alexa

Kayla's team went for a more abstract approach.

Matt Wright taught us how to make his favorite Christmas Spaghetti!

The grand finale was a cooking class/eating contest hosted by our very own Matt Wright. He instructed us all on how to make his favorite Christmas Spaghetti! The sauce was the secret, a potent mixture of syrup, chocolate sauce, M&M's, marshmallows, and gummy bears. I am not sure how any of them were able to eat any of it, but Shane stepped up and almost ate his whole tray!

Syrup, chocolate sauce, M&M's, marshmallows, and gummy bears... 

At the end of the night I got to share about what all the messy games have to do with Christmas. We enjoy getting messy at WyldLife. Middle school is a messy time in life, and letting kids have fun getting messy is something we enjoy.

Its hard to go through life without getting messy... because no matter how clean you try to stay, life is messy. Its just a part of being human. 

I shared a story about a time when my oldest daughter was a few months old. While changing a "blow out" diaper, she had another "movement" and I ended up getting some of the mess on me. I quickly realized that wipes were not going to do the job and started getting the bath ready. As I was holding her, with baby poop on my arms, I felt a warm sensation begin to flow down from where I was holding Hazel. I quickly realized that I was totally covered in my daughter's mess... and I started to laugh. Honestly, its one of the best memories I have from when she was little. Don't get me wrong, I never thought I would react that way, but, as most of you who have kids can attest to, when it is your own kid, its just different. It brought me closer to Hazel, and it made me realize more about the depth of my love for her.

Its the same with God.

Sometimes it can be easy to think that God doesn't want to get involved in our mess, or be close to us when we are messy. But that is what we celebrate on Christmas Day. God came to earth as a baby, a messy baby, and entered into our messy human experience. 

Its hard to think that the God of the universe would want to get involved in our mess, or would be willing to hold us even when we are covered in filth... but he does. In the beginning of the New Testament book of John, John writes, "The Word (Jesus) became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." Jesus, God, entered into our mess. He became a human and moved into the neighborhood. He knows what it is like.

And, like with my experience with my daughter Hazel, when God enters into our mess with us, it deepens our relationship. As I held my daughter, my love for her grew. God loves us perfectly right now, so its not that his love grows as we let him come near when we are messy, but we learn more about how much he does actually love us. We realize that there is nothing we can do to make him drop us, there is nothing we can do to make him hesitate in coming near.

Paul writes in Romans 5:8 that "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."While we were at our messiest, God drew near. This is why I get so excited about Christmas. God came near! God comes near... always! He is not afraid of my mess, and as I let him come near, he begins to clean me up, from the inside out.

So, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas season. I hope that as the pace of life gets crazier, and as things begin to get hectic and messy, that you would remember how deeply God loves you, and how, at Christmas, we get to celebrate that God became a baby, a messy baby, and isn't afraid to come near when we are at our worst.

Best part of the night, sharing about Jesus jumping into our mess with us!