I've just spent a few days at a christian festival in Belfast. To put these few days into context a little bit, this is a festival that holds a lot of great memories for us as youth sponsors, which I think is the reason we, as a group of young adults from the same town, went back. To try and re-connect with the past while we're trying to work out our futures. But back then we were confused and very emotionally charged. We didn't have much life experience or confidence in our faith or opinions. Since then, we have gone our separate ways, grown as individuals and been on our own adventures. So returning to this kind of environment, I found myself dis-illusioned and actively battling my own cynicism. I felt like I was on the outside looking in, but not in a bad way. Sometimes we need to be in that position to make sure we ourselves are where we want to be. 

One of the highlights, for me, was bumping into old friends who have found well deserved success. Pete is a friend from school who is now RAMS' pocket radio, a singer/songwriter/instrument extraordinaire who is just home from Glastonbury and about to head on his first UK headline tour. Angie is a woman with a great story who I worked with briefly in 2006. This is where I first heard her talk about the idea, but now she is a part of The Big House, an organisation that supports youth leaders and churches working alongside young people struggling with today's pressures. Nikki is one of my favorite, most influential friends. She has been a part of so many different youth organisations, always leaving her mark, so committed to working with young people but always staying true to herself and always confident that things would work out in perfect time for her. And yet again, here I saw how settled she had become, completely content and continuing to make a difference.

I also want to mention Rend Collective Experiment. I first saw this band play in 2009 as a minor stage line up and really liked the idea of them. Lots of musicians on the stage, quirky instruments and a mish mash of musical influence. I didn't follow up much at the time but there they were playing main stage here in Belfast and it was simply refreshing, alot more-so than the bottle of coke I was charged £1.70 for! I'm not going to tell you much other than to listen to their music and download their free app to see what they're all about, but I'm in love with this idea of a non exclusive collective and their style reminds me of the community I lived in in Vancouver, which is also very close to my heart. 

Before I love and leave you, let me put something straight. The fact that I have left this festival disillusioned doesn't mean I am having a crisis of faith. It's just another important step through the 20 something years. I don't think I'm any less confused than I was as a teenager, I'm just confused about different things. And I'm certainly not the only one. So I'm just going to continue with my summer, do what I need to and hopefully enjoy it.