Happy New Years ! ! !

Hey everyone... I just want to let you all know that Youth will be starting up again, next year. On Friday January 5, 2007 ... So I hope to see you all then ... I hope you had a great Christmas and have a great New Years.... Take care and God Bless....

What If ...

Just a thought... Maybe some of us are trying hard to be something we're not. Maybe were imitation styles of leadership that are inappropriate to the gospel. Maybe the best thing that could happen to us would be to have the curtain pulled back to reveal us not as "XXL" Super heroes but regular "M" size men. Maybe then with the amplifiers turned off and the image dropped, we can admit we've been missing the point about leadership and we'll hear Jesus inviting us to learn new ways of leading in his cause.

Our Night With The Seniors ! ! !

Last night was our Night with the Seniors ... We all got together and went out to spread some Holiday cheer... We went our caroling. It was alot of fun.. We went to the two Senior Homes in St. George and also to Bob& Judy Thompson's house. It was a little rocky at first, the singing was a bit weak, but with some encouragement from the Ladies, we rocked the house. I was really impressed with our singing ability, especially the guys of the group... Matt, Jerimiah, Warren and myself.. we really added some flavor to the girls.. who who awsome as usual .. I think it could be a calling for us... anyways, Warren played Bob Barker and played a Price is Right game with some of the Seniors .. They really seemed to enjoy his game show hosts abilities. All in all I think we really entertained the Seniors ... Then we all went to Tim's and got some tea... I love Tim's tea... we hung out for awhile and chatted with locals and showed them how much fun we have ... So thanks everyone for a great night... OUT !!

MONTHLY WISDOM ! ! !

Here is the first monthly wisdom entry...

Life is a journey that can often lead you to unexpected places. It's a big adventure. Are you equipped for the challenges? Geared up to seize the opportunities... Well this weekly post will help give you a little encouragement and we can all use that....

Encouragement of Friendship :
Take a moment to think about someone who is a close friend. Can you recall a time when that person was merely an acquaintance? What was it that took your relationship from acquaintance to friend? Talking in line at Tim's, chasing cars down main street, out deer hunting or just out looking for UFO... however your friendship began, things are quite different today than when you fist met.. you have grown closer in your relationship....
Jonathan was just a friend to David. David was hiding int he wilderness, attempting to discern God's will while simultaneously avoiding detection by Saul, who sought his life. Jonathan, Saul's son, cam to David with words of encouragement, saying, "Do no fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you" (1 Samuel 23:17). These words from a mere acquaintance might have been received with a smile and a thank-you, or maybe one of those you-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about looks. Yet those were word of encouragement from a true friend, and so the words mattered. Jonathan's words could be trusted.
The trusted words of a friend can make a positive impact in your life. Listening requires humility, patience, and an open mind.
Start with humility - know that you aren't always right. It's okay to admit you're not perfect when you're with a trusted friend. Remember, your friend is on your side.
Next, be patient. Let the wise counsel seep into you and steep there for a while. Don't jump to a wrong conclusion or criticize your friend's words before you've really examined them. It may be tough to hear some of your friend's words, but you'll never get the chance if you're calculating your response while your friend is still speaking.
Finally, be prepared to have your best-laid plans turned upside down, or at least sideways. Sometimes a friend will propose a solution you hadn't even considered --- one that doesn't make sense at first. An open mind allows you to approach new ideas willingly.
Take the encouragement of a friend to heart. Let the words strengthen you. Even if you fail or fall, those words will provide a softer landing place. That's because the encouraging words of a true friend are inseparable from the unspoken message of friendship -- a message of love.

I WILL ...
-- Listen for God's direction in the encouraging words of a friend.
-- Understand that a good friend is a gift from God.
-- Attempt to encourage my friends as often as possible.

Things to Do...
-- Pray for wisdom to know how to encourage others.
-- Be prepared to offer a few words of encouragement to a friend.
-- Call a friend to say how much you appreciate his or her friendship.

Things to Remember ...
-- A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverb's 17:17
-- Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. John 15:13
-- It is mutual respect which makes friendship lasting. John Henry Newman..

NEWS .....

Hey everyone... I just wanted to let you know that Youth will be on Saturday night, December 9, because of the Prom on Friday night... So be at the church at 6:30pm. It will be a fun night.... and remember don't forget...

Christmas Party... December 15 7:00pm... Family Worship Center...

Remember... to dress up like your favorite singer ... like Elvis or Shania Twain.. and be ready to sing the night away..

That will be our last youth night for this year... it will return in January with a wild night to kick off the new year... so make sure to be there for the next two weeks... it will be a blast....

Purity...

These pictures were taken Friday night...

the one of the top ... Drew, Katie, Julia, Morgan and Lori

the one of the bottom ... Jerimiah, Jeff and Matthew...

Tonight's topic was on Purity: We had a good talk on the pressure to wait till you get married before having sex and the many struggles of staying pure. It's a hard thing to do.. but that's where you really have to trust God and rely only on His strength to stay Pure and wait till marriage. All in all it was a interesting night...

If you want a transcript of tonight's message... please email me at upinthebus2006@hotmail.com and I will hook you up... any questions ????