Totally Awesome 30th

I've seen enough of "My Super Sweet 16" on MTV to know that my 30th Birthday will pale in comparison. However, I got to psych myself out. I want to do something out there. Something challenging. Something I got to work towards. So, right now, I have a couple ideas. My wife suggested going white water rafting. That sounds good, except it takes no preparation to do it. I was thinking... just thinking... maybe doing a 1/2 marathon or a full marathon (That's 13 miles or 27 miles). I am about 16 weeks away from my birthday. So if I start trianing now, maybe, just maybe I can pull this off. I went to one site for Novice's that has a 18 week training program. I may start fooling with it and hopefully know right off the bat if this is for me or not. Any suggestions? Any other ideas?

Flag Football (Nov 5th @ 5PM)

Don't forget to come out for our Flag Football game on Sunday, November 5th at 5PM. If you are not already placed in a team, come out anyways and we will get you on one. Girls vs. Girls and Guys vs. Guys.

November Youth Info Page

Lost (Share your story)

Let me share a story... There was once two bothers, Peanut and June Bug, tha lived on a farm in Glennville, GA. When Peanut was about 18 years old he thought to himself, "I'm grown!." So Peanut went to his Papa and asked for his share of the money. Papa relunctanly gave him all the money.

Peanut left the farm in Glennville for the big city of Atlanta. There for about 6 months he spent all he had on parties, girls, drugs, food... when Peanut slowed down to check his mail, he realized he had over ten over draft notces from the bank. Peanit had spent all his money. Since he didn't want to go back to the farm in Glennville, he started cleaning out the bathrooms at a High School. All he wanted was the left over lunches, but the lunch ladies didn't even give him that. Peanut grew weak, hungry, tired. He thought to himself, "Even my Papa's employees eat and have a roof over their heads. I'll go and ask him to forgive me and maybe he will let me work on the farm."

When Papa saw Peanut walkign up the road to the farm, he ran out to hug him. He called to his employees and told them to prepare a big party. Meanwhile, Junebug got jealous. While everyone was at the party celebrating, Junebug stayed out on the porch sulking. Papa came out, put his arm around Junebug and said, "You don't understand what I've been through. I thought I had lost one of my sons. Now he's back! Be happy for me. Be happy for him."

Tell others what God has done in your life. Papa could have left Junebug to sulk and get bitter. But Papa decided to share what God had done in his life so that Junebug could understand and hopefully change his outlook.

Share your story. Tell others what God has done in your life in three easy steps..

1. The Problem: Tell them the issue, situation, whatever was goign wrong.
2. The Help: Tell them how God helpe dyou out of the situation or solved the problem.
3. The Zinger: Let them know that God can do the same for them.
   

The Princesses...

My daughter loves anything and everything having to do with princesses... especially Disney Princesses. She loves the dresses, the shoes, the crowns, the make up, the movies, and wants to go and visit Cinderella at her home in "Dinny Wood" (She can't say Disney World yet.) Two days ago after watching "12 Dancing Princesses" (a Barbie CG movie) she told her mom that she needed a prince to get married. SHE IS THREE!!!

Spotlight on... Reggie Dabbs

Most of LOYC knows Reggie Dabbs and what it means to sit down and listen to him speak. First of all, you spend most of your time son your feet (voluntarily or cuz he's told ya to get up). Secondly, he will have you laughing and then all of a sudden like a sharp curve on a slippery road, you will be sucker punched emotionally, leaving God an avenue to work in your life.

Reggie Dabbs will be speaking Winterfest Weekend (March 9-11, 2007). Get to know him: He has a myspace account with 3,000 plus friends (go ahead, add him); read his testimony (his story); and visit his website.

My personal Reggie Dabbs anecdote? Click here.

Lost (Let it go)

Yesterday we discussed the positive side of things being Lost. Sometimes it is good to lose. Jesus said, "If you grasp and cling to life on your terms, you will lose it, but if you let go of that life, you will have life on God's terms." We have got to realize that any plan, idea, goal we have for our own life pales in comparison to what God has planned. God's terms are much better than our terms. So we must learn to let go.

We must lose our hold for God to have control.

What are some things we are holding on to tightly that we should let go of?

1. Let go of the ATTITUDE: Whether it is anger, an air of rebillion or just plain "mean-mugging" nastiness, let go of it. Sometimes we hold on to our attitudes becuase it is a crutch, a feel-good, and we are afraid to see what we cna become with it. Let it go.
2. Let go of your HABITS: Habits can be broken if you replace them with something else. If staying in front of the computer gets you into trouble, then break it by getting that computer out of your room and into a heavy traffic area in your house. Do whatever it takes to let go of the habits that are keeping you from lif ein God's terms. Let it go.
3. Let go of your RELATIONSHIPS: Sometimes it's not even a specific individual you are holding on to tightly. It is the idea of having someone that you think you can't live without. Let go of that boyfriend/girlfriend and make God your priority.

The Red Dot Awards... first look

Lost (Be Willing)

Last Wednesday, I took a goldfish out of its bowl and dropped it on the floor. It bounced and gasped for air. Not for very long, however. Stephanie Curry swooped in to the rescue and plopped the fish back i it's bowl. I attempeted to take the fish out again, and with glossy eyeballs, Stephanie mouthed the words, "No, don't. Please."

Question: Are we that quick to help out those that are Lost? Those that do not have a growing relationship with God? Do we hurt for those that need Jesus? Need help?

Just like that goldfish was gasping for air, dying on the floor, we cross paths with people who are Lost every day. People who are gasping for air. People who are headed for death. And God wants us to go after them. God wants to use us to help recuse the Lost.

First step: Be willing.

Be willing to help your friends, classmates, family, anyone that God places in your path, even. Be willing to be used by God to help rescue the Lost.

Michal and I

Check It Out

We are in this world but no of this world... Focus On The Family has an awesome website that makes it easier to navigate in this world. Questions on movies? Videos? DVDs? Music? TV? Just click, click, click. Want to read what they say about the show LOST? Or Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere? or the the new movie Employee Of The Month? It's all there. It's all comprehensive. It's all simple. [Plugged In]

LOST returns

The show is out there, I know. But what intrigues me is the mystery. And it's good writing. Good producing. Great story lines. Awesome acting. The season finale left us with a great big white explosion and a call put into some lady that they had "found him." If you don't know what I am tlaking about, you are not LOST. The season premiere airs Wednesday, October 4th at 9PM.

What Are Others Doing?

We are not the only Youth Church on earth. Obviously. So what are others doing? Click on these links and get quick glimpse of what other youth churches are doing...

• The Mix: Located in the Dallas, TX area, this youth group took a mission's trip to New York City. Check out the video.
• Oneighty: This youth church in Tulsa, Oklahoma had a Flex Night to include competitons and $400 in door prizes. Click on the pictures link.
  
• Fire House: This is TD Jakes' youth ministry also in Dallas, TX. Check out their podcast.
• InsideOut: This youth church is located in Atlanta, GA. Check out their videos. Click on "Media" and take a look at Number 3.
• HSM: This stand for High School Ministry and they are located in Saddleback, CA. Cool site.
• Refuge: This was a featured youth church on a Youth Pastor's Website. Funny thing, they call there youth pastor PJ. (Noahalani?)

That's enough for now. Just realize, you ar enot alone in this. There are millions of other students who are striving to live a Christ-centered life.

Extra: "Chew it"

Since birth, Cora has been a picky eater. She didn’t latch on correctly for breast feeding. But then when we tried bottle feeding her, she didn’t like that either. Each time we move don to another level in her eating development, it was a struggle. When we introduced baby foods for the first time, she was stubborn. We had to take away the bottle in one swift move when we gave her a sippy cup. Green vegetables were the hardest. The first time, she hadn’t even tried them. Never seen them before. And was already protesting and making faces and crying. Finally, the solid food step came along. That was fighting it tooth and nail.

Now Cora eats, and she likes eating what she likes to eat. But she will not voluntarily try new things. I knew she liked nuts. She ate peanuts when I would eat them. So when I had sunflower seeds, I offered them to her. She said, “No. I don like ‘em.” I asked her how she knew she didn’t like them and she responded, “cuzth I don.” I took a deep breath and said, “Cora, eat this right now.” She reluctantly put the sunflower seeds in her mouth and moved them around a little in her mouth and finally smiled. “Papi, I like dos.” And me being me used it as a learning opportunity, “Cora, I told you you would like them. You have to try new things. Trust Papi, okay?”

It’s been the same way with cheese, chili, certain crackers and so on and so forth. We have had to force her to try something knowing that if she gives it a chance, she will like it.

For us, I think the Bible is that food that we may know is healthy for us but we just don’t want to try it. I mean really try it. Give it a chance. We either see in our minds the overwhelming amount of knowledge, the language, or just the amount of time needed as a barrier. We say “I don like it.” And when asked why, we responded “Cuzth I don.” We haven’t given it a try. A serious once over. And usually it’s because nobody has taught us how to practically chew it up.

In reference to itself, the Bible says: Mediate on the word. And we actually don’t know or fully comprehend hat that means. It means, in LOYC terms, to chew it up.

A grazing cow takes some grass and starts grinding it in its mouth. Adding saliva. Like a washing machine, grinding, wetting, rolling, moving, swishing that mixture till it becomes cud. Then it slows it. For the Word of God to taste good to us we must have some type of way of grinding it up, adding saliva to make it easier to swallow.

Here’s an awesomely simple way of breaking down Scripture so it makes sense to us:

1. Read it out loud three times. Each time you read it, stress differently words. Vary the pace of your reading. Change voice inflection, especially when someone is speaking.

2. Write it out. And when you write it out, make some words bigger than others depending on how important you think those words are. You can use all caps for words you want to add emphasis to.

3. Diagram it out. Circle words. Underline them. Put a box around them. Come up with your own system. For example: You can circle words that you will define. Underline words you would like to highlight.

4. Define it out. Get a dictionary and define the words you circled. Don’t define things in your own words. Getting the literal definition of a word will open your eyes to the meaning.

5. Ask questions. Go crazy writing out questions about words, phrases, circumstances, etc. But you must write them out. Many times, the act of writing a question done allows us to come up with an answer.

6. Use helps. There are plenty of resources available to you. First, if you have a study Bible there will probably be commentary on the particular Scripture you are reading. Then, online there are numerous Bible study helps. Also, read another translation of your Scripture. NIV, MSG, NKJV, etc. However, only go through this step after you’ve done the others.

7. Paraphrase it. Now after defining the words, asking the questions and getting a better understanding of what you just read, put it in your own words. This will be your translation of the Scripture.

The Ultimate Deception

Before concluding our series on sin, let's recap...

1. Sin's endgame is to kill you. No matter how harmless, riskless, or secret the wrong doing is, sin wants to tangle you up and ultimately kill you. Sin is ruthless, toxic and focused.
2. The right YES gets you success; The wrong YES gets you a big mess. When you are faced with decisions, you must choose the right YES. Everyone is tempted and people have said no to temptation and God promises us to help us when we are tmepted. We just have to gathe renough courage to walk away from it.
3. Last one: The right NO makes room for the big YES.

Sin wants to get you to say "Hell yes." Meaning? That instead of life everalsting, life with out end with God, Jesus in a Heavenly place prepared for us, sin wants us to join it in Hell. Hell is a real place. Prepared by God for the devil, a former angel kicked out of the presence of God along with a third of the angels becuase of pride. God didn't prepare hell for humans. His intentions were that at the right time, he would send the devil to hell with his followers and we would join God in heaven. However, sin is on the loose tryingto get as many as it can join it in Hell. But we must change our "Hell yes" to a "Hell no."

In life the right NO's make room for the bigger YES's. Sin tricks you into thinking that you are powerless and can't say "NO." But with practice and true friend's encouraging you, you can definately say "no" to wrong doing and make room for the big "YES" in life.

She is her mother's daughter

So Cora got treated to her fifth "Build-A-Bear" yesterday from her Papa K and Nana (my parents). And in between those important decisions about what shirt should the doggie wear and what name should the doggie have, we put a bear wig on her and took a picture. Now tell me, red hair and all, ain't she her momma's girl?

Click. Click. Click.

October Newsletter

Restarting...

LOYC is reinstateing something new (what in the world does that mean?)... Our sports activities. If you are interested in playing basketball or flag football please sign up at THE SPOT this Wednesday.

The Ultimate Deception [a]

About two months ago, I rented Season 1 of ALIAS and got addicted to it. My wife and were watching two to three episodes everyday. In a month and a half we watched four years worth of show. If you are not familiar with ALIAS, it’s about the life of Sidney Bristow, who started off a s a double agent for the CIA. It has espionage, intrigue, even some convoluted mythology about Milo Rambaldi and plans to destroy the world. Syndey’s father, Jack Bristow, is consistently referred to as an expert of the “endgame.” He plans things out or analysis events and figures out what the agency’s endgame, their ultimate goal, really is.

Sin has an endgame. Sin’s endgame is to kill you. Simple. Yet it does so so subtly, slyly, elusively that sometimes you don’t realize it or choose to forget it. Romans states that “the wages of sin is death.”

Why then, if we know that something actively seeks to destroy us, put us in a coffin, kill us, do we engage in it? Why do we sin? Why is saying “no” to sin such a struggle?

Because sin is the ultimate deception. It looks so good that we falsely believe that “benefits” of sinning outweigh the consequence. Sin presents itself as beautiful, harmless, risk free when in actuality it is highly toxic and dangerous. Sin has one thing on it’s mind: your total annihilation. It will do anything, say anything, promise anything to kill you.

The first part of conquering our battle with sin: Knowing that sin’s endgame is to kill us. If we keep this in the forefront of our minds whenever temptation presents itself, we are more likely to see pass the instant gratification.