In the absence of a variegated hillside, to celebrate autumn, I will be decorating with bouquets of sharpened pencils.

Okay, maybe it's not officially autumn for a few more weeks, but once you pull out the freshly sharpened #2 pencils, the Pumpkin Spice Latte's, and High School Football, for the sake of the definition, it is autumn. (I grimace a bit as I say that, because it will be Autumn #2 with the absence of all the changing colors in SE Ohio that I consider to mark the passing into winter. I will make do).

Last week was Back-To-School in Arlington, and as I write this blog at 7:58pm PST, the kiddos have only tackled four whole days. My first visit up to school last week was exciting. I was bumping into kids I knew all over the place, and I was certainly caught off guard to see my freshman strolling through the commons looking more like deer-in-the-headlights than savvy high school students. When I went in to visit the teacher I volunteered with last spring, I thought she was going to knock me over with glee that I'd be in her classroom again this fall.

The football game on Friday night gave me many more things to laugh about--cheering with my students in the student section (feeling horribly out of place because I had not decorated my jeans with blue and gold glitter)--watching the mascot shove her way through the crowds with a humongoid eagle head and feet--and reminiscing of days gone by as field commander in the marching band, when I'd cry out things like, "Band Ten-Hut" while wearing a red sequined headdress.

Lots of stimulation, lots of excitement, and most of all--a fresh start. Year #2 in ministry is going to be different and more exciting than year #1, because I'm a bit more comfortable in my skin, I'm settled in this place, and to start off my year, I can bump into 20-30 kids that I know well while walking through the stands of the High School Football Field.

I'm not exactly sure how this fits with "inviting and challenging them to a lifelong journey in relationship with Christ and His church..." but I know that singing "The Hey Song" and sharing a tray of nachos is a start.