Forever Grateful

Today was my last day in the office at Adventure. I waited until all of my friends left before I took everything in my cubicle down. I actually just got home. I wanted to take my time going through all of the stuff I had collected over almost 5 years.

As each picture, each note, each book and poster was taken down and put into boxes in the silence of an empty office, my mind was flooded with memories. Isn't it funny how people and places will stick to your heart forever just through a collision of 2 paths and then walking together for a time? It was a sweet time with me and my Lord as I sat on the floor and went through folders and encouraging cards, and carrying many boxes down to my car one at a time.

What a journey it has been! God has truly grown me into a woman here. I am beyond grateful for my life (oh great, I'm starting to cry) and for all of the experiences I've been blessed to have with every person my path has crossed. God is so good.

Youth Rafting Trip

Yes, it was a big week of events! I took about 50 teens (including a group of French foreign exchange students who didn't speak English) rafting on the American River on Wednesday. It was fun, but I honestly had NO idea what I was in for. I left with TONS of bruises and scratches and just feeling wiped out. The popular game of the day... pirating other rafts and throwing people off. Also, I didn't get back into my raft soon enough before we hit some rapids. I got tossed into jagged rocks and just beat up. So not fun. Oh, and the last picture... one of my jr. highers caught a crawdad. Ick!

Can Life Get Any Better?

Last night... John Mayer, Colbie Caillat, and good friends. Who could ask for more? This is actual video I took with my camera. He's THAT good.

Pics from John Mayer

Summer Camp Pics

Pics from High School Summer Camp. This was an amazing trip. We had a ton of fun! I'm crossing my fingers that this slideshow works. :) Put your cursor over the picture for my comments. BTW, Little Sally Walker is a game my teens cannot stop playing... basically it's a dance off. So hilarious. Even other teens joined in. Also, I brought a book of 500 fake tattoos. You'll see alot of them in the pics. They were a hit. And... of course we headed out to Huntington Beach for a day. The kids seriously came back changed as they were challenged to MOVE in their lives. It was a great last camp for us! We're gonna miss them!

A Decision Has Been Made...

We Are Moving to Arizona!

I cannot believe it even as I type it. But it's awesome!

Our Decision
This week and last I spent a ton of time thinking, praying, talking with friends and family, and talking with all of the churches we were interested in. I have a cold now from all of the worrying - I always run my body down when it comes to big decisions or the unknown. Plus I was at High School Camp running around after hyper, hormonal teenagers!

Our decision all came down to a job description that was the most me, a salary comparable to my experience and education, a location where Jake feels he could have a good start at a career, and an exciting church we could believe in and support its leader.

As I was thinking through my decision I couldn't move past the fact that I really wanted to work somewhere where I was a lead pastor for a youth ministry and not an associate. An associate position was what I was doing a couple of years ago and now I feel ready to take on more responsibility. I called Bayside, the church up here in Roseville, and Coast Hills Community Church in Aliso Viejo, (never heard back from Rock Harbor in Costa Mesa), and told them that I was no longer interested. Both were offering Associate Youth Pastor positions and I just feel like that would be a step back for me. Both churches were sad, which was such a compliment!

After being annoyed with Arizona they finally got things together and had alot to offer. They changed the job description to what I wanted, my salary, my direct report (my friend Jon who I worked with in the past)... it was almost like, why wouldn't we go? I know... Because it's the hottest stinkin' place in the U.S.! I guess I'll have to adjust. :) But the more we thought about it, the more we felt drawn there. Like the door was wide open and all we had to do was walk through. Friends and family were saying the same thing.

We called up Arizona last night, after receiving all of the details, and told them we were in.

A couple of other cool things Central offers... A weekend off once a quarter to rejuvenate, my own office, a team led ministry - I don't like working solo, matching up to 12% for my retirement fund, PPO for our health and dental benefits with 100% coverage, and a search team that would help us find a home to rent. We're probably going to rent a house since the cost of living there is so much cheaper. I'm praying we get one with a pool! :) Hopefully I can go there soon to take a look.

My first day on staff at Central will be August 26th, which doesn't give us alot of time. My last day at Adventure is the 3rd and Jake's last day with Koinonia is the 16th. I just filled out our 30 Day Notice for our apartment lease and now it's time to research moving companies. Central is so awesome that they are paying 100% of our moving costs... including shipping one of our cars, paying for our meals along the way, boxes, tape, our gas, and for the movers. I feel so taken care of!

So we are off on a new adventure! I've gotta be honest, it's going to be hard. I struggle with leaving friendships and starting all over in an unfamiliar place, so I'm trying to keep in mind that this is all about a new adventure. I do have a couple of friends there, my dad is there, and my mom is getting more business there, so it should be good. And... this time I'm not going alone. Now I have a husband, my best friend to go along with me.

Something that really stuck with me after this weekend of sharing with the students and parents that we were leaving was when one mother in particular said she heard from the Lord as I was sharing. He told her, "There must be death before there can be new life." That was so comforting. I'm SO ready for "new life". It's time. I need wings again. I need a new wide open space to start over and embrace. I think what she said also speaks of Adventure. The church needs me to leave (die) so that it can have new life. I will miss you guys so much who are still there!

We're Really Leaving... Whoa

This went out last week while I was at camp. It's been an emotional weekend telling the students and parents. Everything's feeling more and more real. Please pray for Jake and I as we are making decisions about our future very soon. I'm really afraid of the unknown but God is making our path more and more clear. I'll have more details after this week.

Dear Staff,
We have some sad, yet exciting news. Bri Johns has served faithfully here at Adventure for four and half years and has done a tremendous job. At this point in her life Bri feels called to step out from Adventure and to be ready for what God has next for her. So we are sad to see her leave our team but we are excited to see what God has next for her. Until that time comes Bri and Jake will continue to be around and attend Adventure. Bri's last day on staff will be August 3rd and we will be celebrating her time here Monday night August 4th at 6:00pm in room A-101. As you see Bri around please thank her for her time here and please come and celebrate with us on the 4th.

In Him,
Scott Ford

Gone All Week

Jake and I will be in SoCal for our High School Summer Camp at Biola University until the 19th. We meet tomorrow at 5:30am. Ugh! I'm bringing a surplus of Red Bull! Pray for us. I'll have pics when we get back!

My Big Little Brother

My Big Little Brother is engaged!!! I'm ecstatic! His fiancee Carly is the most perfect match for him. I'm so excited for her to be a part of our family. He popped the question at Club 33 inside Disneyland. Soooo sweet! Congrats you two!!!

Soon To Be Jobless...?

So yesterday Scott and I decided on an official end date for me at Adventure - August 3rd. My amazing friend Leisa who used to be on HR with Adventure advised me to make my end date at the beginning of August (instead of the end of July) so our benefits would last through the month. You never know if Jake and I were to get into an accident or something. That would SUCK!

I'll be telling the kids about my resignation next week at High School Camp. Please please pray that this goes well. I know they have been through alot of transitions with losing pastors lately. I'm hoping that this won't be as traumatic as ones in the past. Thomas' exit was more than traumatic and our kids are still recovering. I'm so disappointed in him.

About the job search...

1.) I heard back from AZ... but they're still not ready to show me the complete offer. I'm starting to get annoyed. They have a proposal made up, but it needs to be ok'd by the senior pastor who's on vacation. So there's a job offer. But... I don't know what the salary will be and I really need to see the job description. What I'm hearing from recent phone conversations is that the job I interviewed for is not what they're looking to hire me for now. Kind of a bummer. We'll see.

After all of this waiting (gosh, it's been since May!) I can't help but look into other opportunities. At the very least the interview process in AZ has helped me to see outside of Adventure and that it was best that I leave. It's been really cool and really fun to explore what I want for what's next, what would be the best fit for me. That's how it should be, right?

2.) Bayside (up here in Roseville) is going really well. I've actually got alot of positive feedback from them. Their biggest concern would be that I come from Adventure (I know this sounds dumb but it's kind of a rival church), and so that is something they're being cautious about. The senior pastor there would like to talk to my senior pastor (that doesn't know I'm resigning yet). I'm not worried about this because it won't be a bitter parting. Yesterday I had a second interview with an executive and at the end he said, "I don't know how this will all turn out, but I do have to say that we'd be honored to have someone like you on our staff." So encouraging! There will be some more meetings and interviews when I get back from camp.

3.) I've applied for an Associate Teaching Pastor position at Rock Harbor Church in Costa Mesa. I sent my resume and they immediately asked me to send a sample of some of my teaching. I sent a recording just a day ago so we'll see...

4.) I've also applied for an Associate Jr. High Minister position at Coast Hills Community Church in Aliso Viejo. They're looking specifically for a woman for this position. The very next day the Jr. High Pastor emailed me back even though he was on vacation and said he would love to talk with me. My only struggle with this position and the one at Bayside is that I'd be an Associate instead of "the" Youth Pastor. I have to really figure out how I feel about this and what I feel my gifts and passions are. It kinda shows that our generation right now is still not completely open for a woman in this role just yet. But I'm open to it because I know that it's awesome to have a woman and a man lead our youth - so many ways to reach and impact kids this way. We'll see... He's going to connect with me when I get back from camp next week.

So... a bunch of opportunities! It's really cool. Jake has been so encouraging this whole way through. And really kept me from all of my insane worry thoughts about our future. Honestly, it amazes me how God has opened so many doors. I really thought we'd be jobless and homeless, which we might be for a while until I decide what I want. Here's to the unknown. A verse that has really stuck with me lately is about Abraham and his journey...

Hebrews 11:8
"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."

Silent Treatment Show

No those were not my friends with the fireworks on my last post. :) That cracks me up that some of you have asked. Those are like bored hillbillies who put their pics up on the internet and my mom sent them to me. LOL

So my friend's brother is in a band called Silent Treatment. They're kinda a mix between Guns N Roses and Collective Soul. I go out and see them alot in the City or Sac. Here are pics from their last show at The Fire Escape.

Me, J'aime & Marlene


The band. Click on their name up above and you can go to their myspace page and check them out.

This is what happens when I go to any concert with Jake. He zones out...

Two thumbs up.

Our friend Justin and his friend Maximillian played. Pretty awesome. Max beat boxes. They called themselves "Just-a-Million".

Happy 4th of July!

So it looks like Central Church in AZ and Bayside up here will be getting back to me about jobs next week - Central on Wed and Bayside on Thurs. I really don't know how I feel or which way I should go if there are offers... or if there's another avenue I should look into?

I do have to say that I am so incredibly grateful for these opportunities and I am taking in every detail and considering seriously what will be best for me and for Jake. I'm just going to pray and continue to seek the counsel of wise friends and mentors. So there's the update.

Happy 4th of July! :) I'm off to Amanda's for her and Justin's annual 4th of July BBQ. We WILL be doing fireworks! BTW, don't try this at home... So disgusting.

Happy 1/2 Birthday Jake!

Jake gets jipped every year since his birthday is Christmas. So we celebrate his 1/2 birthday so he doesn't have to share his party with 'baby Jesus'. LOL This year was dinner out at BJ's and back at our place to play Wii and Rock Band. Click here to see all of the party pics. BTW bloggers, is there an easier way to upload photos to this than just one by one? It's killin' me.

From my friend Leisa's camera phone...


Jake already blew out his candle so he's pretending for this pic (it looks real, not)...



Our waitress was, well, challenged. This was the 2nd bday pizooki they brought out.

My best friend Amanda is a sweets specialist. Here's a peanut butter chocolate cheesecake from Amanda's Sweet Delights!

Jake wouldn't wear my birthday hat! :( At least Steve would! Doesn't he look just like a wind up monkey?

Rock Band!

Rockin' out - Jake and the Steves.

Me & Steve (too many chins)

That's better!

Aww... me and my love!