In 1995, I paced around backstage at the National Catholic Youth Conference (Minneapolis) waiting for morning prayer to be over so I could deliver my keynote address to 10,000 teens. I had been waiting for 10 months to give that talk. I remember the nervousness and the eagerness to get on with things VERY well.

Not much has changed within me, I suppose, in 11 years. On Saturday, December 2, I waited for my time to address my peers at our national conference (after a YEAR of knowing I would give the talk!). It had to be one of the times I have been most nervous to speak to a group. There is something different when you are speaking to “your own.” I wanted to do well because it is a PRIVILEGE to speak to one’s colleagues.

Waiting was a little different this time as Bob McCarty, Beth Joubert (a New Orleans friend) and Jesse Manibusan all wished me well. Some informal icebreaking was done as Jesse and I lured a very well-dressed Stan Cordero (of Santa Rosa CA, who was prayer leader) into being the third member of our personal impression of the number 101!

(Stan didn’t know why we were asking him to be on stage, poor guy.)

Scott Miller took my ideas and made them really ZING by coming up with a knockout PowerPoint presentation…and by reviewing connections with me which helped me sharpen my presentation. Orlando Bloom was a bigger hit than I was. (I know that isn’t a surprise but you had to be there.) I’ll ask Scott to put the powerpoint up and you can see it at his site, if you’re interested.

The official theme of the day was “The Work of our Hands.” I had submitted the unofficial title of “Bloomin’ Idiots of Hope.” (Typical Patin title, if I may say so myself!)

I focused on how the settings of our youth work can be a DESERT and a BLOOM. I then went on to state that the new challenges of this time call for the same commitments. I offered 3 images of who/what we are called to be:

(Mom would be so proud!)

I closed with 3 messages:

Then I gave out packets of seeds as a reminder.

And finally, as I walked off stage…my nervous energy was gone.