Cupcakes, the committment and love...

Cupcakes
Finding a cupcake background for my blog, pretty much made my day and will make the day of the volunteers and kids who check out my blog! You see, a few okay several months ago, I acquired this nickname from some of the teens. A few of the kids missed the van on the way back from a field trip and I jammed them all into my car and drove them back to the neighborhood, as we were waiting at one of the stoplights, this young "gentleman" decided he thought it would be a good idea to try and get my phone number, he used several "lovely" words such as baby girl, beautiful etc. and finally out of his mouth came, "Hey cupcake..." and well the kids took it and ran with it, it has been one that has stuck, and I find myself acquiring more and more cupcake paraphenalia, including cupcakes pj's, a cupcake change purse, and I might even be adding a pair of cupcake shoes to the mix soon! I suppose I could be called worse names! I love it when the kids come to the church wearing something with cupcakes on it, they come running to find me...it's such a "sweet" term of endearment!

The committment
So a few months ago two of the teenagers who are dating, wrote each other a couple of notes on the back of their sermon notes and dropped them in the sanctuary, the first time I though it might have been an accident, but as it continued to happen I really think they wanted them to be found. These notes were extremely graphic about the lives that they were living outside of church, they were a cry for help, both of them openly admitted in these notes that they were living in sin and wanted to stop but didn't know how. Each time a note was found it was addressed, but finally after the last one, I decided something needed to happen, and I began to pray and invite people to pray with/for us. Pastor Mike and Ms. Nicole and I spent a few hours one night after MetroKidz talking to this couple about the importance of not living in sin within your relationship, but also about the dangers of sex, and the possibility of becoming teenage parents. There were many tears shed that night, tears of pain, tears of joy and tears of hope. It was almost three months ago, that we had this intervention.

I am happy to say that two Fridays ago, these kids took a vow, between themselves and God that they were going to stop having sex, that they were going to become pure again. Ms. Crystal and I celebrated with them, by taking them together to the Family Christian Store and purchasing them purity rings, we made it perfectly clear the importance of these rings, and that this was not a promise between them and us, each other or anyone but them and God. They were so excited. Afterwards, we took them to dinner and really had a time of bonding with these kids, opened up doors of opportunity to speak into their lives and have gained a new level of respect and trust with/from them.

I invite you to join me in prayer for them, because speaking from experience, I know that taking a vow of purity is NOT an easy thing to do. Their will be temptations, ups and downs and stumbling blocks all over the place. In fact these two teens have done a very good job of letting myself and Ms. Crystal know when they are feeling tempted, by texting us and asking us to join them in prayer. I am so proud of the two of them, and so thankful that God has allowed a difference to be made in their lives.

Love...Summer...
I find myself day after day, hour after hour and minute after minute falling more in love with my kids, it's an indescribable feeling, I love the way they come running from blocks away to hug me, I love the way they chase my car down Pratt Street, I love the way they call me at 2 a.m. to tell me what's going on in their lives, I love the way they know when something is wrong in my life or heart. I love the concern that they have for me, so much that 10 minutes after I drop them off at their door they are blowing up my cell phone with texts filled with love, and phone calls wanting to make sure I am okay. I love how when we drop them off at home and take a new way home, they call to make sure we made it back to the church safely. I love the fact these kids want to be with me every second I am in the neighborhood...

I am so excited that this summer, I will really be submerging myself into their lives almost on a 24/7 basis! I am so excited that I am giving up a path of stability, to walk into the darkness, not know what is in store for me to be able to sell myself out for these kids....for God and for this City...I am so honored and excited that God has chosen me...

Photo: Hanging out with the kids on PJ night, rocking my cupcake Pj's!