Teenagers: Heather and I went back to Frederick which is the place of our first and only youth ministry. We went back to do a final session of premartial counseling with a couple that is getting married in about a month. They are good friends and it was great to see them as well as some of the other great friends that we left behind...like the O'Neals! But what I had mixed emotions about was the fact that we would be seeing and interacting with our old youth group. Don't get me wrong I love those kids but they now have a new youth pastor and I don't want to do anything to hinder his impact with them. Being back with them for the short time that I was reminded me of how difficult youth ministry was at times. My wife, Heather, described it best when she said working with teenagers is like juggling little time bombs. The emotional roller coaster that they live on, them not knowing if they want to follow God one day or do their own thing the next day. All of this coupled with the fact that you have them for several hours a week and their parent's or friends have them the remaining week to destroy all the work God is leading you to do. I think youth ministry is incredibly valuable but I don't regret leaving it. But I am reminded of the hard road so many youth pastor's and workers are going to have to walk because the gospel they preach and the idea of making good decisions is not only counter cultural but counter parental and counter peer.