God is calling you (LYO article)

Grace Lutheran Church LYO kids attended a senior high youth gathering at Luther Crest Bible Camp in Alexandria on April 13-15th. Mya Anderson, Hailey Knutson, Chloe Kuznia, Bailey Watne and Maci Bakken were chaperoned by Tera Nordby and Lindsay Oslund.  

So many times throughout high school, kids get asked, “What are you going to do with your life?” “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  The entire weekend was about helping us learn that nothing is impossible, be open to the changes even when change may seem impossible or too hard. God is using our lives for the good of the world, no matter what life path they choose. Be the best at whatever they choose. Bishop Larry used a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. while explaining this. “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, “Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”  

Pastor Jodi Houge and Nate Houge were our leaders for the weekend. They are an extremely interesting couple that are so easy to relate to. Pastor Jodi is the pastor at Humble Walk Lutheran Church in St. Paul. She wanted to make sure that it is understood that no matter what is going on in life, we are grounded in the love of God. Be open to the changes that He has set out in front us. There are times that we all may feel different but when we are all outsiders, everybody’s in. Everyone is different in their own right.

Music is a great way to relax and Nate introduced us all to new wonderful music over the weekend. Many songs he wrote himself. Nate is a singer/songwriter/cyclist/baker. His bakery is Brake Bread where they deliver bread by bike in St. Paul. He reminded us to take time to exhale and to not get too wrapped up in life. Enjoy everything that is going on around us right now.  

The breakout sessions “Show Up!” were led by Matthew O’Rear, and he is the Associate Dean of Vocation from Wartburg Seminary and Theologian in Residence at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church in Manhattan. Matt asked some really big questions “Do you want to change the world?” “Where does the world need you to show up?” “What does public ministry look like to you?” “What is God calling you to do?” Really big questions, but Matt helped us all realize that they are nothing to be scared of.  Many already have an idea of what their own answers to these questions are.

We all had a great time and met so many wonderful people.