AYM blog

2011-09-26T04:24:00.001-07:00

Dear AYM Teens,

This note is to let you know that this Thursday (9/29) will be my last at Assumption. You'll find out the details of who will be taking my place then.

I hope that I'm able to see as many of you as possible on Thursday, but in case you can't make it, I want to say a couple of things here.

First of all, thank you. It has been an absolute blessing to work with you as a CORE member and then as your youth minister. Thank you for opening your hearts and lives to Christ, and thank you for letting me be a part of your journey.

Second, know that I love you very much, that I will miss you terribly, that I will never forget you in my prayers, and that I AM ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU. This whole loving God thing can be challenging at times, and we really do need each other in the journey...

There are not elaborate plans for this Thursday. I do not want it to be a party. Gathering together with you, praying with you, and discovering more about the Christian life with you has been the source of so much joy for me over the past 4 years. That's all I want on my last night with you. I just want to gather with you with open hearts and see where God takes us.

Hope to see you Thursday!

Much Love and Many Blessings,

Melissa

St. Andrew

2011-09-03T09:46:00.001-07:00

Pete explaining what kind of person the apostle Andrew was in scripture:

"He's a guy who gets a lot of shout-outs, but he isn't a shout-out kind of guy."

USA Today Article

2011-08-24T05:28:00.000-07:00

Click here to read an article on the mentalitly of faithful young Catholics today. This article was written before this year's World Youth Day in Madrid.

I think it explains well what our teens are seeking as they come to know God. It is also a good description of the direction we try to lead them - not to traditional liturgy over the "normal Sunday mass," but Truth over relativism, authentic freedom over self-centered "whatever makes me feel good" mentalitiles, and morality over the pain and torment of sinful living.

Enjoy!

To Our College Freshmen

2011-08-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

*Note: This is a letter that was written to our new college freshmen for their Senior-Send-Off night at AYM. We said our goodbyes, gave a parting gift, and prayed them on their way last Thursday night.

Dear Graduated Seniors,

It’s official. I’ve been avoiding this. What do I say to people who have brought so much joy to my life? What advice do I have for people who I know are going to live amazing lives? How do I balance the sadness of goodbye with the hope of exciting adventures to come? I don’t know the answer to a single one of those questions. But here I go anyway…

First of all, thank you. It seems weird not to start there. But that’s all I’m going to say about that now…I’ll come back to gratitude.

Secondly, as a group and as individuals you are some of the most amazingly fun people that I know. You have personalities that are so much fun to get to know. And you have been willing to share those personalities with us. Thank you for that.

Moving on to new phases in life isn’t something that comes easily. And it is usually accompanied by great amounts of fear (and if you’re a girl sudden moments of extreme emotional melt-downs probably happen too). But you adjust. And it isn’t hard forever. I promise.

Letting go is hard. But we have the great fortune of knowing, believing in, and trusting a God who loves us. You may feel young. You may feel like your faith isn’t that strong. You may worry that what you have now is not enough. But here is a little secret that should probably be shouted from the rooftops – you’ll always have a million reasons to doubt. There will always be a million reasons why you are not enough, why someone else could do it better, and why you’ve probably been wrong about life all along. Every single one of those million reasons are probably true. But not a single one of them matters. We do not belong to ourselves. This life is not about us. It isn’t about what we think we can do. It isn’t about what other people could do instead. This life is about an ever-present, always-alive God who is enough. All you and I have to do is surrender and trust….good luck.

Don’t be afraid of failure. If you only do the things you know you can do, you’ll only be able to do the things you’ve always done. And you’re likely to miss out on the things God created you to do.

Don’t be afraid of being hurt. Love is hard. Caring about people and things is a risk. But we aren’t meant to never hurt. And we certainly aren’t meant to never love. Look at Jesus. Love itself became man. Look at the cross. The purpose of His earthly life was to hurt. For love. Don’t let your hearts be closed. People who live life looking inward are people who are unhappy. And they aren’t pleasant to be around. People who give are people who grow. They are people who obviously have life within them. They are people who change the world. Don’t be afraid of hurt. Yes, it sucks. Yes, it is at times unnecessary. But the lessons we learn from the hurt enable us to love better. To give more.

Approach college (and all of life for that matter) with openness. You’ll have the great pleasure of meeting people from all different backgrounds. Enjoy getting to know them. Embrace the opportunity to learn more about life from them. You’ll develop a clearer picture of reality, and you just might discover more about yourself along the way.

Remember who you are. You are someone thought about before the beginning of time. You are someone loved perfectly by Love itself. There will be times when you doubt that and times when you absolutely do not feel that. It’s true anyway. It’s true now as you get ready to leave. It’s true a year and a half from now just when you thought that you had this college thing figured out and still things seem to be crashing down around you. It’s true when you have to decide what you’re going to do after college graduation. It’s true when you’re starting a family, becoming a religious sister, or renting the ultimate bachelor pad for the first time. It’s true when things are calm and good. It’s true when things are crazy and not good. You are someone loved perfectly by Love itself. Always be willing to approach God. Be honest with Him. Give yourself the gift of patience: with God and with yourself. The person you will die as is a person that will take time to form. Reaching what you see as the ideal for your life is a process. Nothing slows that process more than trying to rush through it.

God wants us. All of us. I don’t mean each of us, I mean all of who we are. He wants every hope, every dream. What you and I and every person on this earth has to do is find ways to constantly give ourselves to Him. If anyone has ever told you that we surrender our lives to God once and we are good for the rest of our life, you were lied to. It’s a process. It’s a daily, sometimes minutely, choice. Every time we want something new for ourselves, we have to surrender. If God is going to make us holier, He is going to have to keep asking more and more from us. We make a huge mistake when we let ourselves believe that our surrender will cost us happiness. Satan wins every time we listen to a voice telling us that God will take away everything good and leave us with no joy. Don’t let Satan win. Surrender. Trust. Believe.

You are holy and amazing. Honestly. Each of you. You can do this. This life thing, this faith thing, this God thing – you can do it. And you can do it well. These past four years here with you have been amazing. Benedictine is one of the best places I’ve ever known, and yet leaving you at the end of each summer and each break made going back to it one of the hardest things I had to do. Thank you for your presence. Thank you for your trust. Thank you for listening and, so more than that, thank you for sharing. Whether you’ve been coming from the beginning, joined the group later on, or only came sporadically, getting to know you has been wonderful. Ministering to you has been an honor and blessing.

I’m sorry for any way that we failed to give you what you needed. I’m sorry for every way that we should have loved you more. I remember texting Pete one day. The text said, “Our teens are way more amazing than we lead them to be.” His response simply said, “yep.” With or without us, you are great people. Believe that. Don’t question it. Accept it. You are wonderful. And this is only the beginning. You are ready for this.

Tonight, we are sending you on your way. Loving and serving you during your time with us has been a gift. Now, your spiritual formation is no longer in our care. Oh, we are always here for you. Always. And you better keep us updated on your lives. But this is the moment for change. Tonight, we can no longer call you our teens. Now, we get to call you our friends. And I don’t know about you guys, but I’m looking at my friendship circle, and I’m kind of thinking it just got a whole lot better.

For Our Graduated Seniors...

2011-07-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

Pete is good friends with the contributors to this article found on LifeTeen.com (Luke is the reason he first moved to Nashville). Melissa only knows them through the reputation they left behind at Benedictine. They are a holy couple with great insights into bringing your faith with you to college. Please read this.

http://www.lifeteen.com/blog/dorm-room-catholicism-staying-holy-after-senior-year

Steubenville 2011

2011-07-14T14:10:00.000-07:00

Our experience at the Steubenville Conference this year was wonderful! We are all recovering and catching up on sleep. (Those of us who didn't leave right away for vacation.)

Stay tuned for teen reflections coming soon!

It's Almost Here!

2011-07-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

The donuts have been ordered.

The bus is booked and paid for.

The T-Shirts are in.

The First-Aid Kit has been uncovered.

The chaperones are lined up and ready to go.

The teens are mostly registered online.

Steubenville here we come!

Please keep us in your prayers this weekend as we continue our journey closer to God. Pray that our hearts are open to His messages and His love.

Here's What the Teens are Saying about Project Life

2011-06-24T14:43:00.000-07:00

I loved the sense of community I experienced on the retreat.
The best part for me was getting to know the people in my small group. I knew those people for a week, but it feels like I've known them forever. I started the week not wanting to be there, but I believe God put those certain people in my life for a reason. At the end of the week I did not want to leave and felt like I had more support than ever. I am so glad God called me to be in Perryville for Project Life.
I was at my work site all week, and I loved seeing the impact I had on the lady's life. As we cleaned out her basement, we found letters and pictures and discovered who she was as a person, not just the hoarder. I also loved getting to know my small group. We worked as a team to help someone else, and it made me realize that we aren't alone in showing Christ to others.

Summer is FLYING by...

2011-06-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

We've been VERY busy so far this summer here at AYM. Here are the highlights:

-We spent the day of the Parish Picnic running the Break-A-Plate booth. Many plates were broken. No bones were. We're also in agreement that the Bumper Cars were the best ride idea for the Picnic we've seen in a LONG time. However, what ever happened to the Sno-Cones?

-We raised over $2,000 at our annual Rummage Sale. This fundraiser helps us to provide teens with retreat scholarships and helps cover our normal operating expenses.

- 21 of us spent a week in Perryville, MO doing service work for the community there. The OYM did a great job (as usual) finding work sites for us and providing high quality retreat programming for the evenings. This year's theme was "Called." All of the teens from our group worked very hard all week. We managed to have a lot of fun too. (There were many shall we say... intense ... games of Nertz played). This week also gave us a chance to get know the seminarian stationed our Parish, Dan, a little better. The teens have voted - we'd love to keep him! Teen reflections on the week to come, so stayed tuned!

- The biggest news of the summer so far... drum roll please!... we FINALLY CLEANED THE CLOSET in the Multi-purpose room! It had not been cleaned out since before Luke 18, and it was a disaster. I wish I had taken a before and after picture for the blog. The next big organizational task: the Office. Prayers needed!

-Many teens have volunteered there time to help in various ways with Assumption's VBS this year. The theme is Son Surf Beach Blast. The camp runs all next week!

- We leave for the Steubenville Conference in early July. There are 38 of us making the trip this year. The conference theme is "Rooted." More details to follow!

Please keep us in your prayers throughout the remainder of summer!

Summer Schedule Coming!

2011-05-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

It's almost summer time!

We will begin our Summer Schedule of events the week of May 29th. Check out the calender on our website for dates, times, and details!

We've had quite a crowd the past few weeks for our weekly prayer nights. All of the 8th graders bring a new and fun dynamic to the group. The excitement will be a great lead-in for a summer FULL of youth group activities.

Upcoming Events

2011-05-14T19:37:00.000-07:00

Summer is fast approaching (in fact it's already here for some of our seniors)! Here are some important things you need to know to prepare for the beautiful day when school gets out!

Project Life: this week-long service retreat is well worth the money and the time. Everyone who has been before recommends it. One of our teens always exclaims, "It's the best week of your life!" whenever we mention it around youth group. This year it is June 12-18.

Steubenville: This weekend conference draws in thousands of teens from St. Louis and beyond. We all gather on Missouri State's campus for an awesome weekend of growing together and growing closer to God. This weekend can change your life. We are going July 8 - 12.

Also with summer comes:

Softball on Tuesday afternoons!

Daily Bread moves to the 8:00 mass (hooray for an extra hour and a half to sleep!).

We have weekly Women's Nights on Sunday.

For more information email us at aymstl@gmail(dot)com

Busy, Busy, Busy

2011-03-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

If you couldn't guess from the title, things have been busy around AYM.

In addition to our usual weekly routine, we've officially begun the planning meetings for this year's Luke 18 Retreat!!! Everyone is getting VERY excited. Today we chose a theme, and next week the disciples will begin working on their talks. Luker registration will be underway very soon.

We've also been gearing up for a new service format being launched this summer. It's called Will Work for Mercy and it promises to bring many blessings! More info on that later...

We are praying for you! (and we would be ever so grateful for your prayers too!)

Love,
AYM

Pro-Life March Post 3

2011-02-03T09:40:00.000-08:00

These are some inside jokes/funny memories the teens put together after the Pro-Life March. If you weren't there or don't know the teens personally, you may find this post boring. If you were there or do know them, enjoy!

Finding pieces of art work by all the ninja turtles
Nertz on a mountain
Brasian invasion in Canada
Singing on the metro
5:30 wake up calls
Rachel crying during Toy Story 3
Pete carrying around a nail file, lotion, and cuticle cream
Pick pocketing Eleanor
Jason pushing Mark in a shopping cart
Late night Gumbi run
Miscounting after the metro left (because Sarah was tying her shoe!)
Counting off and everyone shouting their numbers; Lexi and her number 10
Starting counting at 2 just so Amanda can have number 22
The subway doors closing and half the group in the metro and half out; the people outside just standing there and Pete diving in front of them and prying the doors open
Japanese food in 45 minutes
Security called after yelling and looking for a plunger
Eleanor stroking someone’s hair that she thought was Amanda and then telling us all at the Art Museum
Bounceletor and being yelled at by the security guards
“12 inches!!!” – Art Museum curator
Shelby nearly knocking a painting off the wall
Pete chasing after a woman in the art museum after he thought the guard was yelling at her, and then pulling it off like he just was introducing himself
Living art in the elevator
“Will you sing for me?” –Tommy
Jason vs. Wasabi—Jason loses
The idea of Pete carrying Beth out of the Japanese restaurant because she wanted a plastic fork and we were late
Melissa and Sarah drugged up (on Dramamine)
Jake drinking half a gallon of red Gatorade
FANNY PACKS

Pro-Life March Post 2

2011-02-02T07:35:00.000-08:00

January 21 -25, 2011 were the dates of The Way, The Truth, and The Life, a pilgrimage sponsored by the Office of Youth Ministry centered around the Pro-Life March in Washington, D.C. This year, Assumption sent 18 teenagers and their chaperons. Here are some things the teens have been saying about the trip...

The Pro Life March was an experience of a life time!

My favorite part of the trip was coming together with over 500 teens from St. Louis and 400 thousand people from around the U.S. to support a cause to glorify God's word and make the world a better place.

This trip opened my eyes to the value of life and human dignity. This trip symbolized the true value of God’s people by showing humanitarianism by the gathering of a huge community to come together and fight for a cause that is just. Through that event it made me realize that this is God telling us that you are never alone if you establish a community through Christ.

I learned that Christ shows his love in many ways such as guidance, comfort, and providing for us. I stood up for life because the thought occurred to me that unborn children will never have the chance to live, which is one of the natural rights of an American, and they will never experience anything we may ever experience. The unborn children could have been possible friends, potential leaders, and God’s servants. Who are we as humans to take away what may happen?

It is up to us as God’s servants to protect all that is good and righteous. Now that I have come home I live my life in a different way than before. I will think about my actions, taking a closer look to see if they are pro-life or not.

The trip is a constant reminder in my head to better myself, choose better choices, spread the word and love of God, and lead myself away from any sin or temptation.

Pro-Life March Post 1

2011-02-01T11:46:00.000-08:00

Important Announcement!

2011-01-20T10:13:00.000-08:00

Youth Group is CANCELED tonight (Thursday January 20th) because of the snow.

We'll see you next week at XLT!

Stay safe and warm!

Blessing,

Assumption Youth Ministry

Ordinary Time

2011-01-18T16:58:00.000-08:00

It's over.

The excitement, joy, and overall glow of the Advent and Christmas seasons are beginning to fade.

The Church is settling into Ordinary Time.

The majestic mystery of pondering Jesus' nativity, infancy, and hidden childhood years gives way to the stories of his baptism and ministry. He calls His apostles. He cures the sick, makes the lame walk, and drives demons away. He proclaims the Kingdom, and slowly the Man that was once a small baby, born of a Virgin, announced by the praises of angels, and worshiped by wise men, begins to reveal Himself as the Son of the Most High.

And this, the Church calls "Ordinary."

Is it ordinary in your life?

Do you witness God's revelation?

Do you watch Him perform miracles in your life?

Is there room for Him inside you? Room so that He can heal you, make you new, and drive away your sins?

Does your life (the way you speak, act, and think) proclaim His kingdom?

Often times mine does not. The life of Jesus that we celebrate during this time is not ordinary to me. Instead, my ordinary is colored by my sin. My life reveals a person who is hurting and confused. A person who is frustrated and tired and just plain busy. I don't have time for my friends. I have to do more work than I think I should.

I miss the Christmas Jesus, whose hidden years remind of my own childhood, when life was just better, easier (or so it really, honestly seems).

You know what though? It's the same Jesus.

We celebrate the birth of the Child so that the Man He becomes can live inside us and become our ordinary.

Let Him in.

Despite the frustrations, the hurts, and the "busy." Despite the sins. Let Him in.

He wants you to come to Him with all of those things. He wants you to show them to Him. He wants to love you through them. He wants to reveal His Kingdom in you.

Let.

Him.

In.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

May the God who came to die for us so that the world might know true peace and lasting joy bless you and fill you with grace as you celebrate His holy birth this Christmas Season.

We are praying for your intentions today and always.

Love,

Assumption Youth Ministry

What Can You Hear?

2010-12-18T14:42:00.000-08:00

*This post was written by a teen participant in AYM. Enjoy!

Silence.

In today’s world, this is sometimes the hardest thing to find, a place absent of the ringing of phones, the music of the airways, and the whizzing of cars. Years ago, people could escape to a room and experience the quiet they needed. Nowadays, the television from the other room blurs our minds and makes us feel trapped. Trapped in a world that is constantly noisy, a world where no one can hear the desperate plea of a quiet soul for just a moment of silence.

Being someone that could be considered a technology junkie, I am constantly surrounded by noise, whether it is the blaring of my iPod, the buzzing of my phone, or the newest YouTube craze. For the past three years, I’ve been living in a world so full of noise that not only can I not hear myself as I beg for silence, but I also can’t hear others as they try to call out for my help.

Two years ago, a good friend went through a personal crisis. When I first got the call about it, I was shocked. For once in my life, I was speechless. I racked my brain for days as I tried to remember everything she had said or done in the days leading up to it. I found nothing.

Looking back, I wondered if she had said or done something that, if I hadn’t been so consumed by the noise, I would have recognized as a cry for help. Had she cried out to me and I was too distracted to notice?

The guilt I felt for the months to follow taught me a very important lesson. Sometimes, all we need to do is to take a step back – a step out of the noise in our lives, a step toward the quiet, a place where we can listen to not only ourselves, but also others.

This step back for me has taken awhile. Many times as I drive by myself, I tell myself that I am going to turn off the radio and just think. However, song after song I find myself saying, “Maybe on the way home.” I tell myself this so often that it has become a habit.

It takes a lot of patience and determination to take this step. As I continue on this road away from the noise, I wonder if it is doing any good. Am I more aware of the people surrounding me? Only time will tell, but for now, all I can do is sit and wait in the silence.

To Celebrate the Feast of St. John of the Cross

2010-12-14T18:18:00.000-08:00

“The soul that is attached to anything however much good there may be in it, will not arrive at the liberty of divine union. For whether it be a strong wire rope or a slender and delicate thread that holds the bird, it matters not, if it really holds it fast; for, until the cord be broken the bird cannot fly."

~St. John of the Cross

I love this quote because it is an excellent reminder of how even the smallest things, those that seem the most insignificant, can really keep us from loving God. It doesn't matter that we are free from big addictions and large-scale sins; our attachment to little things (clothes that look a certain way, food that tastes a certain way, cars or pens or purses or sports teams) will also keep us from union with God. Because even if the cord that holds back the bird is thin and seemingly meaningless, still the bird is unable to fly.

Advent Devotion

2010-11-29T18:08:00.000-08:00

Actually, that title is slightly misleading. This is a post about the St. Andrew Christmas Novena, which does not necessarily begin on the first day of Advent. This devotion begins on the feast of St. Andrew (Nov. 30th) and continues to Christmas. The following prayer is to be prayed (with a specific intention in mind) 15 times a day, each day from the feast to Christmas.

St. Andrew Christmas Novena Prayer to Obtain Favors
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

To me, this sounds like an ~~impossible~~ enormous commitment to discipline. It is. However, the power of the intercession of the Saints is real. They are able to beg at the throne of God on our behalf in a way that we cannot.

When praying with this devotion, we are to offer one specific intention. That intention (whether it be a relationship, a big decision that must be made, a friend or family member who is sick, or anything at all that weighs upon your heart) will be offered up daily during this novena. God grants good favors to those who seek them.

Please prayerfully consider joining me in this devotion. (And if you just don't see the point, pray it anyway. God probably wants you to ;-)

Faith of the Apostles

2010-11-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

The song What Faith Can Do by Kutless expresses the great power of faith. When the odds are stacked against you and the world says that you can't, faith tells you that you can. Faith is powerful.

That truth is more clearly seen in some cases than in others. For instance, after his conversion, St. Francis lived a life of extreme faith. God at work in his life was visibly powerful in words and actions.

Is that true of my faith too?

Jesus told His disciples (and us too) that faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. (Matt. 17:20 and Luke 17:6) A lot of times that verse is used to empower people. Someone reflecting on the verse will envision the great possibilities if faith so small can do so much. There is great value in that.

Sometimes, my question isn't wow! I wonder what faith just a bit bigger can do. A lot of times my reaction is wow. How absolutely minuscule must my faith be if mountains would be moved with faith so small? In other words, I rarely see large gestures of faith within myself.

When you read the Acts of the Apostles, big things happened in their lives, in the name of their faith. They cured people. Followers were left in awe after experiencing the faith professed by the Apostles. I have to ask myself WHERE IS THAT FAITH IN ME?

When I was little I loved Star Wars. I would pretend to be the characters along side my younger brother and other neighborhood kids. We had epic adventures. Now today, I love NCIS. I watch the show all the time. There are marathons almost weekly, and they are the only discs on my Blockbuster list. I cannot lie. I want to be a government agent. I literally spend time imagining what life would be like that way. While I do not physically act out the adventures, I am captivated by them.

I do not have that same response to scripture. When I read about the magnitude and power of the faith the scriptures endorse, I wonder why I don't want it more.

I am not claiming that big stories of outward, powerful expressions of faith are the clearest indication of faith. The greatest Saints would disagree with that. However, I am bringing to question my own commitment to living a life of faith.

I struggle, and I am afraid.

Do you know what the early Christians did in moments like those? They clung to each other. They lived in such a tight-knit community (Acts 2:44ish) that were supported constantly by one another.

The challenge for us is to remember that we too are a community. Our Father offers us the same grace and assistance offered to the Apostles and all the Saints. We are living the same faith.

Are you living it well?

Is Your Music Lying to You?

2010-10-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

Most popular music today does.

It tells you that sex and drinking and using other people for pleasure will satisfy your deepest longings.

They won't.

You see, you were created to long desperately for satisfaction. You were created to long for God. It is He that you seek when you find yourself painfully wanting something, wanting more. He is the answer.

That is the truth.

The most popular songs don't promote that message. They don't promote the truth. I bet you've heard those songs. I bet you even know most of the words.

Let's go all the way tonight. No regrets, just love. We can dance until we die. You and I, we'll be young forever.

I want you to love me, like I'm a hot guy. Keep thinkin' of me, doin' what you like .So boy forget about the world cuz it's gon' be me and you tonight. I wanna make your bed for ya, then imma make you swallow your pride

My girlfriend's out of town. And I'm all alone. Your boyfriend's on vacation. And he doesn't have to know.

Maybe you're thinking that you just ignore the words; you just like the beat. Then why is that you can sing every word?

We are constantly fed with lies. We allow ourselves to be blatantly lied to when we listen to this music. These popular songs are songs that glorify premarital sex, cheating, and using other people in order to gain some sort of satisfaction for ourselves.

Do you want to be lied to?

The truth is, God loves you. He came (John 3:16) and died for you (John 19:30). He did that so that you could be called children of the light, so that you would not have to live in the darkness of lies, that you may have peace (Luke 1:79). He is waiting, in truth and love, to give you want you most desire. You were made for an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).

Don't let yourself be lied to.

It is the truth that sets you free. (John 8:32)

Bringing Others to Christ

2010-09-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

"We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it." -Madeleine L'Engle's

I don't actually know who that is. However, I do know that she has said at least one truth-filled and wise thing in her life.

The beauty of a Christian life lived well, in honest surrender to the will of God, which is nurtured through genuine prayer, speaks for itself. When we live wholly surrendered, people are captivated by God's presence in our lives. It is not that they are drawn to us. Rather, they are drawn to the source of the light they see radiating within.

This is a tough thing to live. It does not require perfection. However, it does require continual effort. The kind of living that draws others to God is the manifestation of a heart that gives its best and rests constantly at the feet of Christ, begging His mercy for the times of failure.

In other words, we always have to try. When we make mistakes (big ones and small ones alike) we must ask for forgiveness and mercy. When we live that way, though we will not be perfect, others will see God within us and be drawn to Him.

Back-to-School Offering

2010-08-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

For through the law I died to the law, that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me. ~Galatians 2:19-20

There are many different reactions that come with going back to school. It is disappointing to have the carefree days of summer coming to a close. It can be sad to watch the days of sleeping until noon slip silently into the past. The prospect of homework, novels, papers, and impossible math problems can make school look less and less appealing. However, there is something fun and exciting about the opportunity to learn new things, to embrace new ideas, and to grow in an educational setting. Also, with everyone running in different directions all summer long, it can be nice to have the consistency of school to keep friendships going.

No matter what your personal reaction to school is, it can be universally admitted that going back to school changes things. The pressures in your life change. The demands on your time change. Your sleeping habits change. Your friendships change.

One thing that does not change is our call to die to self and allow God to live more and more in us. We are called to be Christ to the world. We are called to reveal God and His love to those we meet. We are called to make an offering of our lives, to God, so that His perfect will may be embraced.

What is God asking you to give to Him this school year? How is calling you to surrender more of yourself for the glory of His Kingdom? What do you need to give to Him?

Peer Pressure

2010-08-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday was the senior-send off. One of our soon-to-be college freshmen led the night; his topic was peer pressure. Here is a summary of what he had to share:

Three chapters into the Bible, man fails. That's all it took. Three little chapters. In the story of the fall of man, we see history's first instance of peer pressure. Eve was pressured by the Satan to eat the fruit from the only forbidden tree in the garden. Peer pressure part II: Adam encounters peer pressure from Eve. He eats also. (Genesis 3)

We encounter peer pressure on a regular basis - In the hallways and classrooms at school, during soccer practice, and while hanging out with peers on Friday nights. The struggle to know who you are and stand firm in that person comes face-to-face with the temptation to change everyday. There is pressure to fit in, to be liked, and to avoid being left out.

There is such a thing as positive peer pressure. We often refer to this as accountability. An example of this positive peer pressure could be the friend who challenges you to go to church or to do service or to stay true to who you are. The best kind of peer pressure holds you accountable to the person God has created you to be.

Are there people in your life who hold you accountable through positive peer pressure?

It seems the more pressing topic is the negative kind of peer pressure. The kind that leaves you questioning who are and why you have done some things you never wanted to do. I hardly feel the need to give examples. The pressure to drink, to do drugs, to be in sexual "relationships," to be independent and free to act in anyway that seems fun - if only for the moment - can be great. The voices you hear in the hallways, classrooms, sports fields, and out on Friday nights can be very loud.

So, how do you avoid selling yourself short and giving in?

The advice of the night: surround yourself with those people you thought of that hold you accountable with positive peer pressure. Find that group of people that shares your values and accepts you for who you are, for the person God has created you to be. Stick with those people. Stand next to them in the face of negative peer pressure. Learn to trust that who you are is good and valuable and worth more than a few drinks, or drugs, or sexual favors. Accept that you have worth, and trust that there are people out there who know that too.

When in doubt (and in general really), turn to God. Pray that He shows you who you are. Ask Him to lead you to the right group of friends. Offer your friends to Him in your prayers. Let Him guide you through the pressures you experience.

He will.

Humorous Moments

2010-08-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

At senior send-off Pete asked the teens to share any good memories or inspirational stories about the seniors who are leaving for college. One teen ended her spiel with this:

"And Erin, ...uhhh ... you just keep chugging along! ...in life."

Speaking of Crossword Puzzles ...

2010-08-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

You probably weren't, but Mark Hart does in his book Blessed Are the Bored in Spirit.

Here is what he has to say. Can you see this in your own faith journey?

Some years later it occurred to me that the spiritual life is like those puzzles I used to do. There's the up-and-down relationship between God and us. There's the left-to-right relationship between the world and us. Some questions are easy to answer but some are difficult. Sometimes we ask for help but most of the time we don't. If we do well, we want praise; if we fail we hide the evidence. Often we try to fit things into our lives that are not meant for the space (our soul), and we end up with a problem. The result? The space remains empty for a while or the answer throws everything else off. (117)

So how do we approach the "puzzle" of our lives? Many attempt their crossword halfheartedly, safely living "in pencil." Living "in pen," however, testifies to the boldness and confidence that the Gospel requires. Unfortunately, many never even attempt their spiritual crossword fearing their ignorance, weakness or sin will lead to failure. Others avoid it because it takes too much time away from self. (118)

To learn more about Mark Hart visit www.biblegeek.com or www.lifeteen.com

Did You Know....

2010-07-31T13:37:00.000-07:00

...that God is big. Really big. Infinitely big.

The whole universe cannot contain God. Take some time to think about the universe.

Have you ever been out in the country at night? If you have, did you notice the stars? Could you see layers and layers of billions of stars? What you could see is only a very small portion of our galaxy, which is only a very small portion of the known universe, which is only a very small portion of what actually exists "out there." Not only is God infinitely big, but He is infinitely bigger than all of what is "out there."

This was the topic Pete talked about on Thursday night.

Take a minute to look at these pictures:


This is the Milky Way. For a galaxy, it is comparatively small. Our sun is so small that it cannot even be seen in this picture.


This is a picture of our sun. You can see the approximate size of Earth in proportion to this picture. It's small. (wingmakers.co.nz)

This is a photo of taken during one of the Apollo missions. You can see Africa and Antarctica. You cannot see man-made structures. You cannot see man.

Do you feel small?

You are.

When Neil Armstrong talked about his journey to the moon, he said that he could hold up his thumb and cover the whole earth.

The moon is that far away.

The sun is even farther.

The edge of the galaxy is even farther than that.

It would take approximately 30,000 years of continuous walking to get from one side of the galaxy to the next.

The universe is huge.

In all that space, with all of that beauty, God chose us as the crown of His creation. We are His most precious creatures.

The God who is so huge that the expanses of the universe cannot contain Him chooses to make Himself very small. He chooses to dwell within us. He breathes His very life into us, and we become like Him.

God is big, and we are very, very small, but He calls us to enter into Himself, to breathe in the vastness of the universe and the bigness of God. We are called to stand - in wonder and awe - of a God who is great and whose love for us keeps us alive.

Welcome to Our Blog!

2010-07-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

Hello! Thank you for visiting our website and blog.

Come back later for youth group updates, funny quotes, and prayer night summaries.

Better yet - come and see us on Thursday night!