It's Official!

Jeff TOTALLY has a different heart. I DEFINITELY brought home a different boy than I dropped off. And I agree, he is SUCH a joy!

Jeff is on top of the world right now. And it's amazing to see. He was even whipping out one-liners like a professional comedian. At one point, he was telling us that when introduced to 'agape', he thought, "Now they're just making up words." It got a big laugh. Later in the evening, he mentioned that he told a couple of the guys on the team (both cops) that if they pulled him over and asked for ID, he say, "Hi, my name is Jeff. I attended BIC 32 and sat at the table of SUM." (If you've been to an Emmaus or Chrysalis weekend, you'll find that funnier than if you haven't yet.)

Speaking of SUM... The youth get to name their own tables. Jeff's table had three participants. Each of those letters is the initial from each of their last names. Then they decided to come up with an anagram that was more appropriate. So, SUM means Seeking Ultimate Mercy. How cool is that?!

I prayed that Jeff would get two things out of the weekend: that he'd feel the unconditional love of God as well as the unlimited love of the Body of Christ AND that he'd learn to give things up to God...let go, let God. Tonight, he talked about both of those things. He even went into detail about how it was important not only to seek forgiveness from God, but also to forgive others. And for those times when he's just not strong enough to forgive, he's learning to give it to God to handle.

He also has a plan for his relationship with Brooke, his girl. This weekend, he heard a lot about how a Christian man maintains a righteous single life. Jeff said that he wants to talk about all of that with Brooke, as his heart is in a much better place with respect to his feelings for her and having a serious relationship. He also really wants to see her attend this same retreat. He thinks it would be an excellent foundation for their relationship. (That would be true, but it makes me a little nervous that my 17-year-old is already thinking about a permanent relationship with his 16-year-old girl friend...I think I've never been happier that they live 3 hours apart.)

I can go on and on. We listened to Christian music all the way home. Jeff even said that he was going to spend some time this week putting some of my Christian music on his I-pod. Even tonight, as I'm typing up this blog entry, Jeff is outside, hanging with Linus Felinus and praying in the peace and quiet. Oh! And he's totally changed his mind about what he wants to do with the rest of his life. A week ago, he was thinking about going into business. Today? He wants to study psychology and be a guidance counselor in a high school. He said he wants to help kids find their direction in a positive way.

He did say one thing that concerned me. He wants to leave the Catholic church. My position on this has always been that if he's living in my house, he has to go to church with me. (When he's with his dad, IF he goes to church, he goes to the Baptist church that his dad's family attends. But I'm Catholic and we attend a Catholic church...EVERY week.) If he ALSO wants to go somewhere else, he's welcome to do that. I'll even go WITH him. But I don't think I'm ready to let him make his own decision about 'shopping around' for a church. Maybe I'm wrong here, but I'm going to have to put some thought (and prayer) into it. He agreed to give me time to do that.

I definitely don't want to squelch his passion right now. I LOVE the idea that he wants to find a church that speaks to him. But I tried to explain to him that he's probably NOT going to find a church anywhere that replicates the Chrysalis weekend every Sunday morning in one hour. But even more (for me), I really missed going to mass with him every weekend for the last two years. I enjoy attending mass with him and I just don't want to give that up...yet. On the other hand, he'll be 18 in less than 6 months and will most likely expect to make his own decisions about where he worships. And who could blame him? I just need a bit of time to get used to the idea.

But I've gotten off track here. My whole point in this blog entry is to express how much Jeff truly was moved by this retreat. He said he loved every minute of it and really wants the opportunity to be on the team in the future, giving a talk on HIS faith journey. Within an hour of us leaving the camp grounds, he was already on the phone with his girlfriend telling her that she needed to experience this same thing. He is just ON FIRE! It's pretty amazing to see. I can't wait until you see him!