FourTwelve Youth

Appreciation

2009-04-24T10:37:00.002-05:00

Well, as you have probably heard, I am on bed rest until the baby comes in a couple of weeks. That means I am not allowed to leave the couch for anything except to take a shower and go to the bathroom. Not exactly fun.

I have had a lot of time to sit and think during these past few days. There are so many things in life that we take for granted on a daily basis. We don't realize it until it is taken away from us or we are put in a new situation.

For example - I am really coming to appreciate this beautiful spring weather! Normally, I would just enjoy it as I walked to and from work. But yesterday, I spent a couple of hours out in our hammock, reading and taking a nap. Even Smudge joined me for a snooze!

Another new appreciation I have? Being able to do housework! Now, I know what you are saying "why would you ever want to do housework?!" Well, it may not always be the most fun, but the ability to be able to move around the house and get stuff done is quite the blessing! It's been driving me crazy that I can't get up and help around the house. I have definitely become appreciative of the times in my life when I am well...even if it means I have to do housework.

Well, I just wanted to write a quick post and let you all know what was on my mind. I hope that you will take some time today and appreciate all that you have going for you. Take time to thank God for all the blessings in your life - even the seemingly insignificant ones. And yes, that means thanking him for the ability to do housework!

Now - go help your mom's by dusting something and praise God while you do it! ;o)

From Christmas Straight to Easter

2009-04-04T15:41:00.002-05:00

It's crazy how fast the last four months have gone!! It seems like just yesterday we were in Advent and waiting for Christmas and now suddenly we're almost finished with Lent. With Easter just a few short days away, I find myself getting excited about summer and making plans for vacations and Encounter tour. Bible study is still in full swing and the renovations on the youth room are moving right along. Lots to look forward to in the coming months!

It's very important though to slow down and reflect on this time before Easter and how amazing it really is. Think about it, God came down from Heaven and all it's glory to Earth and all it's imperfection, only to die a horrible death on a cross. The thought of it makes me all misty and to be honest, a little nauseous. He died so that we could cast off all our burdens and all our sins and know that we can be forgiven just by asking. He died so that everyone can be free in him. Not "everyone" like a blanket statement, but "every one". He did it for each of us individually.

Why would he do something crazy that? Simply because he loves us. Our love for him may grow and change over time as we pursue our relationship with him, but it can never be as big as the love he had for us all along.

So, especially in this last week of Lent, don't forget to set aside some time and just say thanks to Jesus for being such an amazing, crazy awesome Savior.

It's Christmas Time!

2008-12-04T15:11:00.005-06:00

Advent is here! Can you believe it? Can you believe that it's December already? Can you believe that Christmas is 21 days away?

If you are like me, I feel like I don't have very much time to get my heart ready for the greatest Christmas gift of all time. And yet, we don’t have much of a choice…Christmas is definitely coming – and FAST!

With all the stuff we have to do this season, how will we ever get ready in time? With all the parties, lock-ins, shopping lists, wrapping, cookie baking, and decorating, how will we ever find the time?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot this year. How can I make sure that my heart is focused on what really matters this season? How can I be sure that I am really preparing my heart for the coming of Christ?

Well, I’ve decided to do a few things. First, I found a great Advent devotional that I have and will continue to read every day. This is a way that I can center myself on what really matters.

Another thing I’ve been really called to do this year is spent less on gifts and more on missions. If you were at church Sunday, you saw that cool video about the Advent Conspiracy (if you missed it, check it out at http://www.adventconspiracy.org/). This video talks about how much we spend on Christmas, but how little we spent on missions.

So, this Christmas, I’m going to be giving to missions. Did you know that $1 can provide water for 1 year for an African? ONE BUCK saves a life for a year! Can you imagine what we could do if we gave several dollars? Well, I hope you will consider giving to the Advent Conspiracy this year that our church is supporting. We could really make a difference.

So, what will YOU do this season? How will you prepare your heart for the coming of Christ? What will you do to make sure that you focus is on the real reason for Christmas? I hope you will seriously consider these questions and choose something that will be meaningful to you.

Let’s all work to make this a season to really celebrate!

Fall Retreat!

2008-09-08T13:59:00.005-05:00

Well, it's that time of year again! Can you even believe it? Fall Retreat is upon us!

I wanted to take a minute and tell you all about how amazing our retreat is going to be this year.

We will be headed to Lake Williamson in Carlinville Friday Nov. 7 - Sunday Nov. 9.

For those of you who remember our retreat last year, this post will hopefully remind you of the great time we had. Or, if you didn't go, maybe it'll convince you to go.

On retreat, we do tons of fun stuff. Like what, you might ask? Well, here's a run down:

Hayride
Bonfire (with s'mores, of course!)
Open Gym time
Lots of laughter
An AWESOME t-shirt
Time with friends
Enjoying Cool Weather
Football (and this year, perhaps, a rousing game of toilet paper football!)
And most importantly - Time with God!

And let me just say one quick thing about the last item listed. Fall Retreat is a time for us to connect with God. Time to step outside our normal day to day lives and really get a glimpse of God and what God has planned for us. It's a time of great worship and learning about the Bible. You definitely don't want to miss it!

So, I hope you will join us on the trip this year. It's going to be great, I promise!

Interested in coming? Only $50! Sign up on the youth bulletin board (scholarships are available!).

When it rains, it pours!

2008-07-11T19:30:00.002-05:00

Tuesday the youth were asked to go around the neighborhood and hand out door hangers about VBS which is next week. So, we head out to begin our jobs. We get about two blocks away from the church and what happens? We find ourselves in the middle of a downpour! We were all soaked. I mean SOAKED! We laughed the entire way back to the church, knowing that we had at least made a good memory!

This sudden summer storm was a reminder to me about how things unexpectedly come up in our lives. Sometimes it’s a good thing. Sometimes it’s not. But one thing I know for sure – life is always unpredictable!

This got me thinking about a passage of Scripture that I read this week. The passage was John 5:1-9, which is the story of paralyzed man who waited at a healing pool in order to be healed. We are told that every time the water is stirred, the man would try to get into the pool to be healed. This never happened for him.

One day, Jesus walks by and asks the man if he wants to be healed. What the paralyzed man didn’t know was that something, SOMEONE, unexpected had just walked into his life. Needless to say – Jesus heals the man, who gets up and walks for the first time in 38 years. How unexpected is that?

It’s true that Jesus isn’t walking around on earth these days, but he can still unexpectedly move into our lives. When was the last time you unexpectedly felt God move? When was the last time you had an unexpected blessing from God? I bet if you really think about it, you could think of several times God has moved in your life as of late. Isn’t it good to know that God is still working amongst us?

Yes, God can be quite unpredictable. But, you know, I can’t imagine serving a predictable God. How boring would it be to always know what was going to happen in our spiritual lives or how exactly God was going to use us during our lifetimes. I am so glad that my God is unpredictable, because it means that He can do things that I cannot even imagine! I love those moments when God blows my mind by doing something totally unexpected!

Let us all take time this week to thank God for the unexpected moments he works in our lives. And the next time you get caught in a rainstorm, remember how awesome it is to have a God that is full of the unexpected!

Apology

2008-06-25T15:12:00.001-05:00

Camp!

2008-06-24T14:01:00.003-05:00

This past week I was away for a week of camp. I went down to Little Grassy Camp - which is near Carbondale. I was the preacher for the week and got to speak to jr. and sr. high kids about God.

It was an amazing week. We had wonderful weather, the camp site was awesome, and the kids totally rocked.

I was pretty excited to go back to camp because Little Grassy held some significance for my life. See, I went to Little Grassy as a kid. I started going there when I was 9 and continued until I was in jr. high. I remember so many things from camp - meeting new people, having cool counselors to hang out with, buying fun things at the concession stand, swimming in the lake...the list goes on and on.

My best memory of camp, though, was from when I was 9 years old. We were sitting in the dining hall for worship because it was raining outside. And the guy preaching was an army chaplain by the name of John. He spoke a message and at the end invited anyone to come up who wanted to pray to accept Jesus into their heart.

My friend Melissa, who I had come to camp with, and I looked at each other and we both said "will you go forward with me?" It was at the moment, praying with Chaplain John, that I invited Jesus into my heart for the first time.

Every time I step foot onto Little Grassy's camp grounds, something comes over me. I was told once that God lived there in the summer. I think that must be true. It is obviously holy ground. Who knows how many people have come to know Christ there throughout the years. This year 3 people invited Christ into their hearts for the first time. I guess it's just something about that place.

Hopefully you can join me next year. God will still be moving there.

Out of Gas

2008-06-13T00:52:00.003-05:00

This week a bunch of church members went to go see the Gateway Grizzlies game together. We had a fantastic time. I mean there were $1 hotdogs! What could be better? The weather was gorgeous, and the Grizzlies won. It was a perfect night.

As we were driving home in the big white bus, we heard a big backfire. Then another. Thankfully, we had just pulled off the interstate and were on a more rural road. I immediately stood up to see what was going on.

Our bus driver exclaimed, “we are out of gas. I guess I forgot to look at the gas gage.” What followed was an hour of sitting on the side of the road, waiting to be rescued with some gas.

I thought this was a perfect metaphor for life. We are cruisin’ along, having a wonderful time, and then BAM. We feel spiritually exhausted. At some point along the way, we forgot to check our spiritual “gas” gage and we simply run out. How unfortunate…but let’s face it, it happens, doesn’t it?

Let’s think about the woman at the well. If you are unfamiliar with the story, take a few minutes and read John 4:1-26. This woman is tired. She is worn out – emotionally and spiritually. She craves something to fill her up, to fill her tank! And then Jesus comes with an offer, “Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Jesus offers to fill up our spiritual gas tank so that we never run out, but it takes effort on our part! This is why we constantly need to be connected to God – praying, fasting, reading our Bibles, going to church, talking about our spiritual lives with others, etc. All of these things are like checking our gas gage. All of these things ensure that we do not run out of spiritual gas.

Thanks be to God that we have each other to help remind us to check our gage before we run out of gas!

You Are My Joy

2008-05-28T15:28:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was our last day of confirmation class. Pastor Allynn spent our time talking about joy. Each of the students were given a piece of paper upon which they could draw the things in their lives which brought them joy. Needless to say, it was a pretty interesting exercise.

The entire time they were drawing away, I could only think of one thing - a song by David Crowder Band. It is called "You Are My Joy."

In the song, DCB sings "you are my joy" over and over and over again. He is singing this praise to God, saying that nothing else in this world matters because it is you, God, who brings me joy.

At one point in the song he says that he is letting himself go. In other words, he's not going to focus on himself or getting himself stuff or doing stuff that he thinks is fun. All is is going to focus on is God being his joy.

And towards the end of the song he says (after singing "you are my joy" several times), "I need to catch my breath." I love this part because I love the thought of being so caught up in praising God that you forget to breathe. Doesn't that sound amazing?

Anyway, watch the video of the song below, and read the lyrics if you want. I promise it is an amazing song.

But mostly, I want you to spend some time today telling God that he alone is your joy. Nothing else. Not summer vacation. Not sports. Not hanging out with friends. God is our joy. Tell him so many times you need to pause and catch your breath. After all, he is pretty awesome.

lyrics:
And He set me on fire, and I am burning alive.
With His breath in my lungs I am coming undone.
And he set me on fire and I am burning alive.
With his breath in my lungs I am coming undone.
And I cannot hold it in
Remain composed.
Love's taken over me
So I propose the letting myself go.
I am letting myself go.

You are my joy.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.

And He set me on fire, and I am burning alive.
With His breath in my lungs I am coming undone.
And He set me on fire, and I am burning alive.
With His breath in my lungs I am coming undone.
And I cannot hold it in and remain composed.
Love's taken over me and so I propose the letting myself go.
I am letting myself go.

You are my joy.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.

I need to catch my breath, I need to.
I need to catch my breath, give me a moment now.

You are my joy.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.
You are my joy.

I'm laughing so hard
And I'm laughing so hard
And I'm laughing so hard

Almost Summer!

2008-05-19T18:13:00.003-05:00

I find it hard to believe that school is almost out for summer. Who doesn't love summer? Long days, softball games, snow cones, vacations, lemonade, and cookouts. There are lots of fun things to look forward to during summer.

This summer we are going to have lots of fun things to do at church. We are going to continue to have Bible studies on Tuesday nights and Sunday school. But, you can also expect lots of fun hang out days and outings.

Summer is a great time to ask friends to come and join us for youth. Bring them to a fun event, or ask them to come for free pizza day before Bible study. Either way, they are welcome to join our group for any activities that we have.

So, be sure to save some time this summer for all the activities we have coming up! You won't want to miss it! Oh, and be sure to check your e-mail for the summer calendar coming soon!

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T10:26:00.006-05:00

Today is a day that we dedicate to Mom. Mom's are pretty great, aren't they? They take care of us when we are sick. They change our diapers and put up with puking when we are little. And, some how, they just have a way of making everything better.

When I first went off to college, I called my mom every day the first year I was away. Every day. I missed her a lot. Some days I called excited to tell her about a good grade I got. Some days I called her crying with something that had gone wrong. Some days I was laughing; others I was tired. But mom was always there to talk, no matter what time or day.

I remember in particular the first time I was sick at college. It wasn't anything severe - just a cold or something, but man, did I miss my mom. There is just something about a mom that knows how to make you feel better when you are sick or comfort you when you are having a bad day, and they do it like no one else can.

In short, Moms rock. I hope that you take time today to let your mom know that. She definitely deserves to be told.

You know what else reminds me of mothers? God.

Usually, when we think of God, we think of him as our Father. And there is nothing wrong with that at all! But, I think sometimes it is helpful to think of God as our mother as well.

I know it's a little strange, but think of all the ways God is like our mother - God is caring, compassionate, loving, and tender.

In fact, there is a scripture where Jesus talks about being like a mother. Luke 13:34 says, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!"

Jesus says that he wishes he could gather us together, just like a mom hen gathers her chicks together. I love that thought of God gathering us up, protecting us, and shielding us, just like a mother would do.

So, today, as you honor your moms, make sure you also thank God for being motherly and taking care of you when you need it most. God is definitely awesome like that!

May Day!

2008-05-02T09:40:00.005-05:00

Ok, so I'm one day off, but yesterday was May Day. Perhaps this doesn't mean anything to you, but in my house, it was a day of excitement!

Every year, on the first of May, my 4 siblings and I would wake up extra early before school, run out into the back yard and pick a host of wild flowers that grew out there. There would be daffodils, lilacs, spring beauties, sweet williams, and lots more.

Then came the fun part - we would put them into construction paper cones that we had made the decorated the day before and pile into the car. Then Mom would drive us to church friends and family members homes. She would park down the street and we would get out of the car with our homemade bouquet (giggling all the way, of course), run down the street, put the flowers on the door, ring the bell and run!

You see, May Day was our day to surprise those we loved with some flowers. I'm sure they figured it out every year that it was us, but it was fun to leave a surprise, anyway.

Remember this fun holiday got me thinking this week. How many times in our lives does God leave us a surprise. Quite often! If you've looked outside lately, you can see surprises from Him everywhere! Have you looked at the church parking lot? There are huge lilac bushes that are just bursting with beauty and wonderful scents. That's a gift from God! We've had a couple of really nice days this week...that's right, another gift from God!

How lucky are we that God is always there - surprising us with the beauty of nature, blessing us beyond what we could even ask him for! He is truly an amazing God!

Take some time this week to ask your family members how they have been blessed by God. You may be surprised at how much He has blessed you and you didn't even realize it!

Happy (belated) May Day!

Spring has Sprung!

2008-04-21T13:51:00.002-05:00

Unless you've been living under a rock - or in your basement - for the last couple of days, then you have undoubtedly noticed that it is finally spring outside! After a long winter of snow, melt, snow, melt, and a super rainy and cold spring, it seems that we have finally entered into the nice part of spring.

I can always tell because tulips have begun to bloom and the red bud tree in my front yard is looking particularly pink these days.

This time of year always gets me excited. I love the clean smell of spring. I love the super green grass that is sprouting up every where. I love all the flowers in bloom. And, I definitely love that I get to walk to and from work every day.

Yes, spring is nice, isn't it? But, don't you think we appreciate it more because of the nasty winter that we had? I think so. When I lived in Georgia, and winters were never that bad, we enjoyed spring, but not like you do in Illinois! In Illinois, you have to suffer and endure for spring. You put up with days and days of grey skies and freezing weather; ice and snow. And it makes spring feel all that much better.

I think that's how it is in our lives too. Many times we ask why bad things happen to us. Why are we forced to go through hard times. Its definitely not fair that bad things happen to good people, is it?

But, God can use those bad times for good. He can help us to come to appreciate the good times better. After we've endured a hard time, and we rely on God for help, He is there to help us pick up the pieces. He helps us to realize how good life can be when we rely on him.

Just like spring is always so good after a hard winter, life can be better appreciated after we've been through a hard time.

Praise God for always being with us - in good times and in bad. Praise God for helping us to realize how wonderfully blessed we truly are. And praise God for this glorious spring!

Sick.

2008-04-08T17:38:00.002-05:00

So, I've been sick for the last few days. It has not been fun. I've basically been a lump on the couch for the past 72 hours.

Today, I was trying to think about the last time I remembered feeling "normal." As I was figuring that it was probably around Saturday morning, I realized that I definitely take for granted when I am feeling well. You know what I mean, when we are healthy, we don't really take time to thank God for feeling good, you know?

That, in turn, got me wondering about what else we take advantage of on a daily basis. One thought - Jesus' death and resurrection.

Sure, a few weeks ago, we spent a lot of time thinking about Jesus on the cross. We celebrated a beautiful (and snowy!) Easter morning. We took time to thank God for taking away our sins.

But how often have we thought about it since Easter Sunday? Have we taken time daily to thank God for all that he has blessed us with? Have we taken a few moments to think about what Jesus went through for us? Probably not.

So, I want to challenge you all this week. Take time EVERY day to thank God for his sacrifice on the cross. Thank him for everything he did on your behalf. Spend some time with God - he's always wanting to spend more time with you!

SNOW!

2008-03-04T09:57:00.002-06:00

Wow. I have been in the office for roughly 1 hour. When I came in, it was flurrying, but nothing major. There was hardly a flake on the ground. But now, its blizzarding outside. There are already several inches of snow on the ground and in the office we have decided that we need to take a half day to make sure everyone makes it home safely (myself not included...since I live across the street).

But the craziest thing about this snowstorm is that 2 days ago, it was a lovely 78 degrees outside. What is up with that?

This whole weird weather thing has really got me thinking about the way things in our life can change so quickly. We never know when we are going to get a call from a loved one saying they only have days to live because of cancer or news from a family member that they are moving across the country. Life is crazy and unpredictable.

But fortunately for us - we have one thing in our life that will always stay constant - God. God is always there for us, whether we are happy or sad, freezing cold or warm. We can always lean on him because he is always there. Isn't that good news to hear in a quickly changing world?

I think so.

Valentine's Day

2008-02-12T10:07:00.001-06:00

Valentine's Day is almost here!

If you are like most people, you have one of two opinions about this holiday - either you LOVE IT or you HATE IT.

You either love Valentine's Day because you have someone in your life with which to share this holiday with. This could be parents, bf/gf, best friends, whatever. But regardless, you find this holiday awesome. It could be that you simply love candy.

Or, you hate Valentine's Day, or "Single Awareness Day," as you may call it. Valentine's Day is just another day that reminds you that you have no bf/gf. Perhaps all your friends have someone special to celebrate with, but you do not. For you, its a really tough day.

Whether you are in the first camp or the second camp, I want you to think about a new reason to celebrate Valentine's Day. Sure this holiday about showing your love to others , and there is nothing wrong with that. But, I think that we need to focus on V-Day being about something much more significant - God.

I always like to think about Valentine's Day as a day for me to truly appreciate the love around me - from my parents, my brothers and sisters, my friends, my husband, etc. But mostly, I like to focus on the love that God gives me.

Most people get that God loves them. But, I don't think we get HOW MUCH God loves us. So, I like to encourage others to spend the 14th of Valentine's Day trying to recognize all the ways that God shows his love for us. I walk around all day waiting to see it.

This isn't an uncommon thing to do on Valentine's Day, you know. Most people look for signs of love all day. For example, you see flowers delivered and (especially if you are a girl) you wonder if they are for you. Perhaps you see a bright red envelope in your mail box. You quickly check to see if its for you. Most people tend to look for signs of affection on Valentine's Day.

So, why not look for signs of affection from God? They are much more common than the random vase of flowers or box of candy. They are all around us. All we have to do is open our eyes! It could be a particularly beautiful sunset or a comment on your myspace from an old friend. It could be something out of the ordinary that happens or your favorite food for dinner than night.

Whatever it is - I hope this Valentine's Day you will open your eyes to the love that God wants to share with you.

Ashes to Ashes

2008-02-07T12:36:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday. Can you believe it? Its been a little crazy around the church lately. We've gone from preparing for Jesus birth, to celebrating the Christ child, to seeing the magi come for a visit, to the baptism and beginning of Jesus ministry, to the beginning of the end...and all in the matter of a month and a half.

This may seem a little insignificant to you, but for pastors who keep up on this stuff, its been a whirlwind. Lent definitely came out of no where this year. Ususally, there is more time to prepare for this season, but this year it just landed in my lap, ready to go.

Lent is the time of year in the church that we really look at the end of Jesus' ministry. There is a big focus on his teachings, his miracles, his death, and ending on Easter morning with a big celebration of the resurrection. As Christians, we set aside the time of Lent to get ready for all the emotion of Jesus death and resurrection.

What I love about Lent is that its a time of spiritual discipline....which may sound scary, but really just means that we as Christians set aside some extra time to spend in our walk with Jesus. Its one of my favorite times of the year, actually. Its a time that I feel like Jesus is so close. The emotions are so real and there is nothing (such as Christmas shopping and baking) to distract me from this time with God.

Each year I like to do something for Lent. Most people give something up - like pop or red meat or something like that. Not only to I like to give something up for Lent, but I also like to do something for Lent. In other words - start a practice that will make me a better person. Usually, this entails spending more time in the Bible, volunteering to do a service project, something like that.

Some other cool things you can do:

Give up pop and donate all the money you would save to a food pantry

Give up TV to spend more time with your family

Read your Bible EVERY day...and maybe even do a cool youth devotional

Pray for someone in your life every day (can be the same person for the entire Lent season, or a new person every day)

Make it a point to take notes during sermons Sunday morning

Listen to only Christian music

Promise to not argue when your parents ask you to do your chores, or better yet, just do chores without being asked

Offer to help an elderly neighbor scoop their driveway after a snowfall or rake their yard

There are a ton of things that you can do. I've always heard it said that it takes 40 days to establish a good habit or break a bad habit...and guess how long Lent is? 40 days, my friends. Its the perfect time to grow closer to Jesus while making yourself a better person.

So, maybe this year you can think about giving something up. Or think about adding something to your routine. Or maybe both. Whatever it is, I really hope that you will take these 40 days to walk a little closer to Jesus.

What are you going to do for Lent? Leave a comment and let me know!

What do YOU want to do?

2008-01-29T10:20:00.000-06:00

Hey all!

I'm putting together the spring calendar and I need ideas!

Fun things, service projects, staying in to watch a movie, learning about someone or something...whatever it is, I want to hear about it!

Leave and comment and let me know what you want to do this spring!

Christmas is almost here!

2007-12-10T13:37:00.001-06:00

I can’t believe its time for Christmas trees and festive music. Where did the year go? It seems that time goes by so fast these days, especially during this time of the year. Before we know it, all the presents will be unwrapped and the cookies eaten and we will be heading into a new year.

Knowing this, I want to get all that I can out of the Christmas season before it is over. Now, I’m not talking about making sure I capitalize on shopping sales and getting in all the Christmas movies I can watch during the season. I’m talking about spending time reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas.

Like the Grinch, I think it’s easy for us to think that Christmas is about the presents, food, etc. But, in the end, I hope that we, like the Grinch, discover that the true meaning of Christmas doesn’t lie in these things. Christmas is about the anticipation of our King, coming to greet us in this lost and broken world. Christmas is about knowing that God keeps promises and that we are not alone or lost.

So, this year, as we move quickly through this season, let us make sure that we take time to pause. Let us reflect on the coming of the King, and how, even thousands of years later, we can still celebrate the birth of a baby that changed the world.

The Selfish Clown

2007-11-15T16:22:00.000-06:00

So, I have a clown fish...a tomato clown fish, to be exact. His name is Tom.

Now, I was pretty pumped to get Tom. You see, he lives in our anemone. They have a symbiotic relationship, meaning that the anemone provides a safe shelter for the fish and the fish, in turn, feeds the anemone. At least...this is how its supposed to work.
Ever since we've gotten Tom, our anemone has not seemed to be very happy. He is constantly moving around the tank (thus why he got his tentacles stuck in the filter).

Well, last week, I went to feed the anemone and noticed that Tom decided to steal the shrimp out of the anemone tentacles and eat it for himself. Since then, I've been watching very carefully to see if our fishy friend is, in fact, feeding the anemone as he is supposed to. Turns out that he is not. We have a sel"fish" clown. Dang.

I woke up this morning thinking about this. My mind immediately drifted to how humans are sort of in a symbiotic relationship with God. God gives us peace, love, and a safe place. God provides us with comfort. God is always there for us.
Then there are humans. Yes, sometimes we do hold up our part of the symbiotic relationship by praising God and thanking God for our blessings. But most of the time...not so much.

We, like the selfish clown, do not hold up our end of the deal. We leave God hanging, so to speak. Why do we do that? Well, I'm not sure I have an answer, other than that we are just flawed beings, who seem to always mess up.

If we look at Tom as an example not to follow, then we have a lot of work ahead of us. I'm not too worried about it though, because God is a pretty forgiving deity. So, when we mess up, its not back to square one, but rather we just pick up and move on. Its the least we can do for someone who loves us so much. I'm just thankful God isn't like the anemone and doesn't pick up and leave every time I mess up.

Kind of heavy stuff to wake up thinking in the morning, I suppose. But, then again, its not every day you get to learn a life lesson from a fish.

Procrastination

2007-11-08T11:28:00.000-06:00

I am sitting at my desk and for the last hour and a half, I have been trying to find things to do that I can finish up instead of writing the articles I need to write for the Chimes.

Why am I procrastinating, you may ask? Well, I'm not sure. I don't hate writing articles for the Chimes...I don't really mind it, in fact. But, there seems to be something in my nature that makes me want to procrastinate. I have done this since I was in college. I always seem to work better under pressure. Who knows why...I guess its just how God created me.

So, as you may have figured out, I am using this blog as a way to procrastinate. Probably not the best use of my time, as I have no idea how many youthies really read this thing anyway...but, I'm writing just the same.

As I was thinking about how much procrastinating I'm doing (despite that I am getting a lot done...just not the stuff that needs immediate attention), I was thinking about how I procrastinate in other ways in my life. Sure there are the every day things most of us procrastinate with - emptying the dishwasher, putting away laundry, cleaning out the fridge (gross!). But what about God?

How are you procrastinating in areas of your life that have to do with God? Have you been putting off spending time with God - reading your Bible or praying? Have you been putting off asking a friend to come to church because you aren't sure how they will react? Have you been putting off making the commitment to become more involved in church yourself?

In my life, if I decide to put something off, I become the MASTER of putting it off. In college, I dubbed myself "The Master Procrastinator." If I decided I'd do my devotions a little later...well, I would find tons of things to keep me from doing it until it had been put off for the whole day...not a great way to treat God, is it? He deserves so much more than the end of the day when we are tired and ready for sleep.

So, as I finish up this blog and get back to writing those Chimes articles (like I should be!), I want to stress the importance of NOT procrastinating with God. Spend time with Him...He deserves it. And not the "I'll do it later" time. God deserves your best time...your "right now" time. Lets not procrastinate any longer.

Retreat

2007-10-29T11:05:00.000-05:00

How did this happen? My last post was on the first day of October and here we are at the end of the month. Seriously...where does the time go?

This month has been pretty great. We've had lots of fun activities and have really gotten into our Genesis Bible study on Tuesday nights. It has been a great time of growth for our group.

This past weekend, though, was by far the greatest growth yet. We took our Fall Retreat to Lake Williamson. We stayed Friday through Sunday and it was really amazing to see how God worked in that short of time.

Our theme for the weekend was "Be the Change." We talked about what it means to be transformed by Christ and how we need to strive to transform others. One of the coolest parts of the weekend, though, we to see how our group was transformed.

We spent some time on Saturday doing team building activities. I would guess that this was most of the youths' favorite part of the weekend. We started out having quite a bit of trouble - lots of talking over everyone, not listening, voices getting lost in the shuffle, etc. But, when they took time to listen, to talk one at a time, and to think, they really got the ball rolling. I was so proud to see how much the group started working together. By the end of the weekend, everyone was commenting on how we felt like a family.

It was pretty great to hear. I want nothing more than for our youth group to feel like a family. That we are supportive and loving, not negative and clique-y. So far, we are on the right track. I pray that we will continue to be transformed by the love of Christ - so that our youth group will grow closer together, but also so that we can go out and change the world around us.

I am so thankful for this retreat. If you weren't able to make it this year, I hope you can next year! It was an unforgettable experience.

Its OCTOBER?!

2007-10-01T07:25:00.000-05:00

Today when I got into the office, I happened to look over at my bulletin board and noticed that my September youth calendar is out of date. Yes, that's right, it is October! How did that happen? I am not sure. Time flies when you are having fun, I suppose.

So, since it is now a new month, I ripped off the September calendar to reveal the new October calendar underneath. Wow...we have a lot of fun stuff coming up! I bet we will blink and October will be over as well. So, we better enjoy it while we can!

Our Fall Retreat is almost upon us! The deadline to sign up in on Tuesday, so be sure to do so! We still have a few spots open, so feel free to invite friends, too! Cost is only $50! We will be headed to Lake Williamson in Carlinville the weekend of Oct. 26-28th. Believe me, you won't want to miss this awesome retreat - AND you get a cool t-shirt! What could be better!? Sign up on the FourTwelve bulletin board!

What else is going on this month? Well, here is what we are doing for UMYF in October:

Oct. 7 - Dinner and a movie - 3:30-6:00
Oct. 14 - Haunted Corn Maize - 7:00-9:00
Oct. 21 - Open Gym - 3:30-5:00
Oct. 28 - No UMYF (Fall Retreat Weekend)

I hope that we will see you around a lot in October! Its going to be a fantastic month to be a part of FourTwelve!

Its been a while!

2007-09-12T12:03:00.000-05:00

Hey FourTwelvers!

Sorry its been a while. But here's the latest:

Sunday we will be playing Glow in the Dark Minigolf! Bring $10 and meet up at the church at 3:00. We'll be back by 5:30.
Bible study is in full swing! We are studying Genesis...come and see how it all began!
See You at the Pole - Wednesday, Sept. 26th. 7:00 am at the flag pole at your school. Go and pray with your fellow students and start the day off right!
Friday, Sept. 21 - 5th Quarter Bash returns! Come after the football game for food, ping pong, and the infamous bungee run (sr. high only).

As you can see, we have a LOT going on! But that means there are plenty of opportunities for you to come and hang out with us. Hope to see you soon!

First Tuesday of the Month!

2007-08-27T10:15:00.000-05:00

So, here is a new bit of information that hasn't made it out in the calendars, etc.:

The FIRST TUESDAY of every month, we will meet at 5:30 for PIZZA! Be sure to come on out for free dinner - and bring a friend!

That means Sept. 4th, we will be having PIZZA again!

I mean, you can't turn down pizza, can you?!

Two Quick Things

2007-08-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

1. Check out our updated youth webpage at www.mainstreetumc.net! Click on the "Youth - FourTwelve" link on the left side panel.

2. In the Chimes, the Fall Retreat date was incorrect. The date listed in the previous post is correct!

That is all for now!

What's Going On

2007-08-20T12:57:00.001-05:00

I can't believe that today is the first day of school. Where did the time go? Summer seemed to be over in a flash! Anyway, new school year means a whole slew of new youth activities! So, here's the update with what is going on:

Bible study starts TOMORROW, Tuesday from 6:00-7:00. Since its the first one, you are welcome to join us for FREE PIZZA at 5:30!

Parents' Meeting is on Sunday from 6:00-8:00. Come with your parents and learn all about the new youth program, get your forms signed, and sign up for fun retreats this fall!

YAR! - Youth Annual Retreat for MIDDLE SCHOOL will be on Oct. 19-21. Sign up on Pastor Nicole's door. Cost is $50. You must be signed up, paid in full, and have your forms filled out by Tuesday night, Sept. 4th!

Fall Retreat - Oct. 26-28th at Lake Williamson in Carlinville. All youth are invited to participate. Cost is $50. Space is limited. Sign up now on Pastor Nicole's door. You must be signed up by Sunday, Oct. 14th.

So, as you can see, we have a LOT going on right now! How exciting! Let me know if you have any questions!

OH, and we have officially named the youth group - FourTwelve! So, keep on rockin' FourTwelvers!

UMYF Ideas?

2007-08-09T10:06:00.001-05:00

Hey All!

I've started putting together the calendar for fall. But, I need your help! I need you guys to give me some ideas of fun things to do during UMYF time on Sundays. This can be anything from bowling to board games.

So, got an idea? Leave a comment and I'll see how we can work it in!

Enco Tour '07

2007-08-07T08:52:00.000-05:00

Well, we made it back from Georgia. And I think its safe to say that everyone had a pretty good time. Despite rain and humidity, we were able to do a lot of really fun things. We saw some dolphins and other sea life, half the group saw a mother sea turtle laying eggs and a baby sea turtle climbing out into the ocean. We spent time at the beach, in the historic town of Savannah, and at the St. Simon's Island Pier.

We sang at several churches and the choir did amazing. We definitely saw God moving through us this past week. And that was an amazing feeling.

And now its back to the grind, but I'm actually pretty excited about that because we've got a lot of things coming up for the youth. The new school year is right around the corner and that means our youth program will be going into full swing!

So, I hope to be seeing you around soon!

Mission Trip '08!!!

2007-07-25T11:32:00.000-05:00

Hey all!

We have scheduled a mission trip to Henderson Settlement in Frakes, KY for next summer! We will be going to work on houses (putting up siding, painting, building porches, roofing...that sort of thing). Its a really great place that I used to go to when I was in youth! (I have lots of stories, if you want to hear some!).

Anyway, I want to see when you are all free to make sure we are scheduling it at a good time. Right now I'm looking at June 8-14. Its a week and a half after you all get out of school. So, if that works for you, let me know! And if its a bad time for you, also let me know!

We want as many youth as possible to have this awesome experience!!!

REMEMBER GIRLS!!!

2007-07-22T07:29:00.000-05:00

If you are going on the Revolve Tour, your $20 deposit is due today (July 22)!

If you can't get it up to the church, bring it by tomorrow or send me an e-mail and make other arrangements.

Youth Group Name Ideas

2007-07-18T00:02:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys! I was thinking that it might be cool to give our youth group an awesome name. We can do this in a couple of different ways. We can name our whole youth group. We can name the senior highers one name and the junior highers one name. We can name our individual weekly events different things (UMYF, Bible Study, etc).

Anyway, I am interested to hear what you all think. Here are a few names that I came up with, but I want to hear from you! Leave a comment below about your favorite name or add your own! Also, let me know how you want to name the group (whether all together or separate). I've included some further explanations of what the terms mean to me.

Check it out:

Breakout (break out of worldliness)
U-Turn (turning our lives around for Jesus)
180 (the number of degrees in a u-turn around...see above)
Fusion (because we need to fuse our lives to Christ's will)
Evermore (our destination is to live with Christ evermore)
The Outlet (get plugged into Jesus!)
Cornerstone (Jesus is the firm foundation...the cornerstone...of our lives)
Revolution (because with Christ, we can bring about great change)
Souled Out (our souls are sold out to Christ)
J-Walkers (Jesus Walkers)
Elevate (we lift Christ up in all things)
Momentum (with Christ, we can do all things)
Crave (Jesus is our desire)
FourTwelve (in reference to 1 Timothy 4:12 – don’t let others look down on you for being young…)

Any thoughts?

Crazy Times!

2007-07-17T09:30:00.000-05:00

Youth group has been gearing up at "The Street!" We had an awesome time at the open gym on Friday. You all are ruthless dodgeball players! But, we are glad that you came and we hope you had a good time as well!

This week has been busy as well. Vacation Bible School is going on here. Middle Schoolers are invited to come and take part in activities. We do all the cool stuff (snacks, recreation, a short lesson) that normal VBSers do, but we add in our own cool stuff too - such as free time to play pool, foosball, or just hanging on on the huge love sacks. Anyway, if you haven't made it up yet this week, you should come! Tonight we are going to visit the Crisis Food Center to learn about how it works, as well as take the donations we've collected this week. So, remember to bring your permission slips!

High schoolers - don't feel left out! There are several of you who have come up to help with VBS and we are SO grateful! Basically - you guys rock. The younger kids think you are awesome, but especially so when you are teaching them fun games and giving them delicious snacks. So, keep up the good work!

That's all for now. Keep your eyes open for the Chimes Newsletter coming to you soon! We have a FULL youth page with information about upcoming events and whatnot! Be sure to mark your calendars so you don't miss out on the fun!

Be excellent to each other,

Pastor Nicole

Upcoming Events

2007-07-11T11:17:00.001-05:00

Watch out! Things are startin' to happen around "The Street!"

Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, and....Dodge - This Friday we are having an open gym. Come and play lots of fun games from 6:30 - 9:00 (not 9:30 like the card said). From what I hear, there will be plenty of dodgeball going on, so stop on by! Bring a drink or a snack and we'll see you there!

Calling all movie fans! - On MONDAY, we will meet down in the youth room from 1:00-3:00 to watch a movie. Bring a bag of microwavable popcorn and your favorite movie and we'll pick one to watch!

Hope to see you at one of these events!

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

2007-07-06T10:28:00.000-05:00

Well, I am sitting here in my office thinking about our plans for the fall. So far we have the following scheduled:

What: The Revolve Tour
Who: Youth Girls
When: Oct. 5-6
How Much: $45

I'm pretty excited about that, but we have a lot more to plan! So, here's the thing. There is no use in planning activities if no one is interested in them. Thus - I NEED YOUR HELP! Let me know what you guys want to do! Want to go on a fall retreat? Awesome. Play crazy and gross games? Cool. Do missions projects? Absolutely!

Share your ideas with me! You can comment on the blog. You can come in and visit with me in the office (I'm here every day, but Fridays). Catch me on a Sunday morning. E-mail me (jonicolecox@gmail.com). Anyway you want to do it is cool with me! But, lets get some plans going and lets make this youth group be YOUR youth group!

A Learning Experience

2007-06-30T10:16:00.001-05:00

Things I've learned since moving to Alton:

Illinois drivers are much better than Atlantan drivers
The tallest man in the world, Mr. Robert Wadlow, was indeed VERY tall - I sat in his chair
The Piasa bird is really interesting and a BIG deal around these parts
The River Road is gorgeous - gotta love those bluffs
It is very possible to get lost on the way from Alton to St. Louis
Main Street has a cappuccino machine...and that is awesome
There are way more historical things that happened in Alton than one would think
The area of Alton that I live in is called "Pietown"
Happily, we found a Jimmy Johns here...delicious
The Tropical Sno down the street from my house is just as fantastic as the ones I had when I was a kid
Encounter is great
I am fascinated to live in a river town
Miles Davis was born here - hello, that is awesome!
And Illinois rocks so much harder than Georgia

Greetings!

2007-06-28T15:24:00.000-05:00

Well, I have officially been working here for 5 days. And let me tell ya, its been a crazy-awesome 5 days! I've been learning all sorts of things about how the church functions, people involved here, what types of ministries we have, and even about you, the youth.

So far, things have been pretty rockin. I've got some fun things in the works - like the Revolve Tour in the fall for the girls, movie afternoons for everyone, and perhaps even a trip to play some laser tag (of which I am a BIG fan!). The more feedback I can hear from you, the better!

I made this blog with you in mind. This will be a place for you to check back to read about what we are going to be up to in the near future and funny stories from past youth events. There will even be a short devotional every now and again. I love to blog, so be sure to check back often!

Also, if anyone wants to come by the office any time, I'm there Monday - Thursday! I'll be glad to chat with you so we can get to know each other better! Until then, keep being awesome.

Your fearless leader,

Pastor Nicole