Motion15

Jumping Screaming Bouncing....10,000 teenagers...that's a lot of Motion. It's back to school time and that is when our Church puts everything in Motion...getting the teens to deal with insecurities, bullying, being their best, their brightest, reminding their friends impact the person they are and will become...

The messages were amazing (I got to see just a bit and so thankful I did). My favorite, Christine Caine, was one of the speakers. Christine started the A21 foundation to rescue, rehabilitate those victimized by human trafficking.   The foundation also raises awareness of human trafficking. I am glad they do, I had no idea the Atlanta Airport is a hub of human trafficking. It's so close to home. Roo, Matthew, and I did the 5K Walk for A21 last Fall and I have the best memories from this time with my kids. (I'm even more fond of Christine after she did a Periscope of Jane Austen's house...now if I never make it back to England, I can say I have been through Jane Austen's house and it is exactly as I pictured it...even the sounds of footsteps on the hard wood floors...and the garden...oops, I digress...again) http://www.a21.org/index.php

There was lots of music at Motion. The kids loved it (see clips below). I had better video but when I got th message my memory was full, I deleted so I could record one which showed the youth going crazy! However, I learned, the space doesn't clear up from deleting until you backup on WiFi. Hence, the clips aren't as amazing as I would like but they give a general idea. I knew when I served I wouldn't see or hear the Conference, I was okay with missing LeCrae. I really wanted to hear and see Hillsong United...and since things were slow at my place of serving, I was very blessed to see Hillsong United perform. Their newest release Empires is amazing. The songs reach down to the depths of my soul and raise the Spirit within me.

I met some really interesting people who were also serving. It was an unexpected perk of serving. Another unexpected perk was trying a Steel City Pop. One of those interesting people told me I had to try a buttermilk popsicle. Who in their right mind would order a buttermilk popsicle? I did...once she told me it tasted like cheesecake, I ventured out of my little box. Boy, that buttermilk Steel City Pop was phenomenal. My new friends all discussed their favorite pops from Steel City, avocado, pineapple with jalapeno, blueberry basil, these are all flavors I would never try on my own. I would stick with the strawberry lemonade...but I think I may have to work my way down the menu now. AND the good news is a Steel City Pops just opened here...and thankfully, it is not close enough to visit every day...Once or twice every six months or so since I am not a mall type person.

This was Hannah's second Motion, my first to serve, and Roo has attended one and served one now.

I will admit, Roo served more than I did. My team had shifts, hers did not. She served each day from start to finish. She was quite the trooper even though I could see she was about to drop. It was fortunate that she did serve longer than me. I finished at 2:30 on Saturday so I waited at the hotel for her to finish. I had my book a place to sit and settled in for the last bus to pull away when she would be done. A young girl with lots of allergies had a reaction to someone's heavy perfume and was in a panic. Her friends went to the Gift Shop only to discover Benadryl was $16. Me, being me, had my Mary Poppins purse complete with Benadryl. I know God had me there reading and waiting on Roo just for this young lady.

Roo and I went down on Wednesday since we started training at 8 am. Being Bice women, we had to go eat Mexican...wait...being a Bice has nothing to do with it...Bices aren't big Mexican food lovers...let me start over...Roo, being my daughter, loves Mexican as much as I do...and Birmingham has a Mexican food restaurant at The Summit with a spectacular view of Birmingham. We finished serving on Saturday and again...famished...hit another Mexican Restaurant at Five Points. No view, better food, but not quite a safe area so we hightailed it out of there before the sun dropped from the sky. 

Here are two short clips of what 10,000 teens can do without drugs or alcohol. Kind of amazing. 

A few pictures

My favorite song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkR1Xk7EiGo

Hannah brought her friend, Amy, from Aviation Challenge, they were the coolest kids there in my opinion. Of course, I might be a bit biased.

Anyway, Motion15 is in the books and it is time to go back to school for the kids. Pumped and ready to be a friend and know what is really important in life and it isn't being the most popular kid in school. I'm working on all the Bices being at Motion 16. M will be starting Middle School and Greg will be formidable working the Perimeter of the Convention Center keeping the kids safe, don'tcha think?