Passion

"When you tap into the passions of God and begin to explore the unique way he created you and what he might want you to do with that uniqueness, your life will have more meaning. You'll know you're not just passing time or killing time or even spending time, but investing time."

"As the Bible says, 'Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God' (1 Corinthians 10:31). Whether it's writing, dancing, playing soccer, painting, serving at a soup kitchen, raising money for a soup kitchen, or talking to the new kid - do everything as if you are doing it for God. That is a life of passion."

Both quotes from Zach Hunter, Lose Your Cool

Zach Hunter was 16 years old when he wrote these words. I think this is a big part of why I love working with teenagers so much. First of all, they are passionate about everything. It makes me laugh sometimes the exaggerations they use - something was the greatest ever, for example. But those exaggerations show their passion. Plus they are just beginning to discover who they are. As adults, we get stuck in ruts and are resistant to change. It's just easier to stay where we are, to do what we've always done.

But teenagers and young adults don't really know who they are. When I first started thinking about working with teenagers years ago at Camp Wanake, what I loved about working with them is that you can have a real conversation with them so unlike children I really felt like I could impact them. They are starting to be able to think critically about things, which children are not capable of doing yet due to brain development. But unlike adults, they are not stuck in the beliefs they have always had or the things they have always done. They are eager to learn more about themselves, to discover their passions, to figure out what they want to do with their lives. It's an exciting time of life, and if we can invest time and energy into teenagers, we really can change the world. That is why I do what I do. Plus I think they're pretty amazing! :-)