More than your ability to be a “cool” youth pastor or to entertain a crowd, Mark argues that what youth really want to know is if you know how to be truly alive in this culture, to maintain your passion, and to enjoy life in God’s creation.

2. There’s a new blogger out there blogging about Young Life.  Only a few posts up now, but there’s some good stuff.

3. Remember to check out Help For Young Life Leaders NOW.  There’s just some amazingly helpful stuff there, including help for talks specific to different chapters of the Bible.

4. Here’s a fun one.  Create fake newspaper clippings.  They say to not use real names, but what fun is that.  I did this story from a story we shared on our last podcast.

Self-embedding, a disorder where people wound themselves and then place objects in the wound, is an increasing problem among American teens, especially girls, researchers say.

You’re strange, but you’re not the only one out there.

A great lesson in capitalism.  You mean we don’t have to rely on the government for money?

This is a very important debate – Norris vs. Macgyver.

I just tight rolled my jeans.

I took a peak out the window during my flight to Memphis and we were passing over a large section of crop land.  Each section was carefully landmarked by a square.  We humans like squares don’t we.  They’re easy to manage.

But then I noticed that running through the sections of land were rivers.  From the birds eye view I could see ten or twelve different rivers running through the sections.  And what I noticed was the chaos.  God doesn’t work in little neat squares. 

More.

For instance, here are some translation translations of the phrase, “Please stay seated until the ride comes to a complete stop.”

Italian – It remains I pray put till that the turn does not come to a complete arrest.

Spanish – He remains based please until the stroll comes to a complete shutdown.

Hungarian – Please stick seated whilst the she’s riding comes yield one supplements stops.

Korean – Burning, when this is complete stopping until, seat and stay.

How about the phrase, “Earn the right to be heard.” Some of these are downright insightful.

Italian – Gain the right to be felt.

Welsh – Gain ‘ group right to be heard.

Japanese – Profit do the right to be heard.

Filipino – Earn the right toward possible hear.

What is PaperBackSwap? PaperBackSwap is a free online book exchange service. You sign up there and list nine books that you’re willing to send out in the mail to anyone (just list nine books you have that you probably won’t read again and you’d probably end up taking to a used book store or something eventually). Once you’ve listed nine books, the site gives you three credits. – The Simple Dollar

During these economic times, I think all of us are interested in saving some cash. The Simple Dollar is one of my most recent additions to my rss feed. I like what I’ve seen so far, including this review of the Readers Digest Penny Pincher’s Almanac.

The International Space Station turns 10 this month – some great photos.

If you give any presentations with Power Point, here are some good tips.

Honest discussion about how Green the church should be or even try to be.

Probably one of the best Christmas presents ever.

Growing up in Young Life – what a blessing!

One reason I love Young Life is that we let kids be kids.  Jesus said that we should become like children, but in our society kids are growing up way to fast.

Statistics about e-mail use, social networking (myspace & facebook), blogging, & podcast downloads.  Where is all this stuff heading?

It’s true, everyone does hurt. But, hurting makes us better. I’m pretty sure I gave many YL talks with this song as the basis, mostly about sin. I’m thankful for hurting, I know it’s the fabric for who I am today. Life is messy, it’s hard, certainly not easy. Why? I have no idea. But, I know I’m refined as a result.

“…everybody hurts, take comfort in your friends…”

Little did I know that this small line in an incredible song would be a pillar for my life based on relationships, especially now 16 years later.

“I’m thankful for hurting, I know it’s the fabric for who I am today.” That’s such a great statement.  The good times are great, but it’s the tough times and how we respond to God during & after those times that make us who we are, that produce character in us.

Coordinatr a quick & easy tool to coordinate social events.

Just another fun way to connect with kids & even adult friends (if you have any).

Several years ago, my pastor told us that we should be able to see God in the newspaper as clearly as we can in the Bible.  I would guess the same would be true for the internet.  So, I’m going to begin to post links to some of the hotest links on the web.  This should do 2 things…1)Keep Leader Lounge readers informed and give some good fodder for conversations with kids, and 2)Make the Leader Lounge a place where readers can come for the most up to date hot links on the internet.

So, here’s what we’ve got this morning.

1. Everyone loves a great mystery, and this is a good one.  In November 1971, D.B. Cooper hijacked an airline plane.  After landing in Seattle, he demanded $200,000 in order to release the passengers.  That was given to him.  Then he demanded to be flown to Mexico.  It’s believed that he jumped out of the plane somewhere over Oregon.  Money has been found in that area, but that’s it.  A few days ago, some kids found a torn parachute.  The FBI is investigating…

2. There’s a pregnant dude in Oregon.  I don’t think anyone else is talking about this, but could it be D.B. Cooper?  Hmm.  I think it might be, but he’s going by the name Thomas Beatie.  Anyway, this guy is actually a girl who changed into a guy, and now “he’s” pregnant – 5 months pregnant.  The big thing everyone else is talking about is how he got pregnant.  While that’s a question I have, too, I’m more concerned about the delivery.  Ouch!

3. Penn Jillette and Monica Seles got kicked off Dancing With The Starts last night.

4. Chris Webber is retiring from the NBA today.  All I remember about this guy is that he called that extra time-out when he was at Michigan. 

5. At club on Monday night, the leader who gave the talk used Celebrities to point to point out that even people who seem to have it all really don’t.  She used Brittany Spears as an example of that.  This might be some good news for that family.  Brittany’s sister, Jamie Lynn Spears is reportedly engaged to her long-time boyfriend and unborn baby’s daddy.