Guys.  This past weekend, I got to do something so so fun.  Most importantly, I was on the 13th row at the JUSTIN BIEBER concert, literally standing ten feet in front of him.  No joke.  So that was the best day ever!  But a close second was getting to see my sixteen year old brother and a ton of my other really good friends from my youth group!  30 of them came all the way to Nashville to see me!…. Just kidding.  My youth group from Memphis Calvary Church of the Nazarene, in (you guessed it!) Memphis, drove three hours here this past Friday to take place in what is known as EXTRAVAGANZA.  Aka District TNT.  For all you non-Nazareners, TNT stands for Top Nazarene Talent.  This is basically a big talent competition, sort of, where thousands of teens come together in April and compete in dozens of different events for three days on Trevecca’s campus.  It’s called TNT@TNU.  Pretty catchy, right??  Anyway, each of the 12 different districts that make up the “Trevecca/South East Region” each compete at the district level.  For example, all the Nazarene churches in the area as far east as Nashville and as far west as Memphis make up the Tennessee District.  I have been part of the TN District since I was seven years old, and I guarantee we are the best one in existence.  It seriously is just like a huge family, and it always has been like that for me.  I have grown up with these same kids since I moved here in second grade, and now many of us are all at Trevecca together.  It truly is a blessing.  Anyway, so TN District TNT was this past weekend.  And the way it works is that there are first, second, and third place winners in each category, and those students get medals.  But the first place winner is the only one that gets to advance to TNT, and compete with the other 11 districts.  So it is very much a competition, especially in the Bible quizzing, vocal, and DODGEBALL areas, but it really is just a great opportunity for talented students to use the gifts that God has given them.  It has been incredible to get to go to TNT since I was in fifth grade, and compete every year in various events all the way up until I graduated high school in 2011.  This is my second year not being able to be a part of it as a high schooler/competitor, but I still get to be part of it in other ways!  For example, when my youth group from Calvary Church was up here this past weekend, I got to cheer them on in all sort of events, especially my brother Tate, as he led a worship band by singing/playing guitar with four of his best friends.  He also sang a solo and a duet.  Unfortunately, I was unable to see him do all this, because I was at the Justin Bieber concert on Friday night!  But I spent all day long at TCC on Saturday with my brother and all our other friends, many of who are like little brothers and sisters to me.  (See pics below!)  I was so proud of all these kids, and even though some of them didn’t win awards, or maybe even place, they still used every bit of their God-given talents to praise and glorify the One who created them.  And that is better than any trophy.

TNT@TNU – “From God, For God”