Our Saviour's Youth Blog Spot

Don't Stop Believin'

2010-02-02T14:59:00.001-06:00

As many of you know, "Don't Stop Believin' has become a song that has a lot of meaning to many of the youth and adults at OSEL.   The song came to life on the first mission trip that I led in 2007 to Martin, South Dakota.   I had made 4 CD's with a variety of music that we could sing along to on this 8 hour trip.   Don't Stop Believin' was one of the most popular song on those CD's.

The next year when we went to Canada, the song picked up right were it left off, and again the next year. I can honestly say that I have gotten a little tired of this song, but that doesn't matter to some of the youth. They sing it to me when and wherever they want. Some examples might be van rides, talent shows, and on a crowded airplane. No matter where, I also have to admit that I can't help smiling thinking back on all the memories that this song has to offer.

So, this year when we were talking about the trips and different ideas for t-shirts, we wanted it to have something to do with Journey or Don't Stop Believin'.   We found a great Bible verse that I would like to share with you that goes right along with this theme.

1 Peter 1:8 "Though you have not seen him, you love him and even though you do not see him now you believe in him and are filled with an in expressible and glorious joy!"   That is what it means "Don't stop believin'

No one has ever seen God, but we have seen the affects of God. We have seen his beautiful creations, through people and nature.   We can't see him making these things like we can when a potter is molding his clay and is spinning his next beautiful creation. We can see the affects that God has done in our lives.   So just because we can't see God, doesn't meant that we don't believe in this awesome and glorious work that He has shown us.

January 24th Youth Group

2010-01-18T11:37:00.000-06:00

Because of the Vikings/Saints Game, we are cancelling youth group. Have fun watching the game!

Weekly Bible Verse for October 28th

2009-10-28T14:16:00.000-05:00

Luke 11:9

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you;

Seek and you will find;

Knock and the door will be opened to you.

Weekly Bible Verse for October 19th

2009-10-20T11:37:00.000-05:00

The entire law is summedup in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Galations 5:14

Weekly Bible Verse for Setpember 28th

2009-09-29T09:53:00.003-05:00

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see!

Bible Verse for the Week of September 7th

2009-09-09T17:33:00.004-05:00

Say to those whose hearts are afraid,
"Be Strong, Do Not Feat, Your God will come!"
Isaiah 35:4a

2010 Mission Trip Informational Meetings

2009-09-08T18:53:00.003-05:00

Senior High - Grade 9 - 12
We will be going to Blackfeet Reservation by Glacier National Park in Montana. Trip dates are July 16th - 25th, 2010. The informational meeting will be Wednesday, September 16th, 7:00 - 8:00 PM or Sunday, September 20th at 9:15 AM in the Youth Center.

Middle School - Grade 6 - 8
The place to be will be Martin, South Dakota, In June 2010. We will be working between the Rose Bud and Pine Ridge Reservations. Trip Dates are June 20 -27, 2010. Informational meetings will be Wednesday, September 23rd from 7:00 until 8:00 PM in the youth center or Sunday, September 27th at 9:15 AM in the Youth Center.

6th Grade Youth Group Kickoff

2009-09-08T18:50:00.001-05:00

Sunday, September 13th @ 6:00 - 7:30 PM

Come to the youth center for pizza, fun, and fellowship! You will be introduced to the volunteers and Lynette. We will tell you more about youth group, how you can become involved, and end our night with the favorite youth group game - Toilet Paper Dodge Ball.

Bread of Life

2009-08-04T18:56:00.000-05:00

Montana. Here we come

2009-08-04T14:48:00.000-05:00

Montana needs to be put on alert because the high school youth are going there next summer to be the hands and feet of JESUS. Watch for more info soon!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

2009-08-04T14:41:00.002-05:00

Watch for information about high school trip to montana...it will for sure be a great time!

Taking Faith Home by Laura Cassidy

2009-03-31T11:08:00.001-05:00

*Share about a time when you felt upset or worried.
*Before Jesus’ death, his heart was “troubled” (John 12:27) Could Jesus have chosen not to die? Why? Why not?
(What does Jesus’gift, of his life on the cross mean to you?

In looking at the Faith Talk questions this week, I think we all remember a time when we’ve felt upset or worried. As parents, we worry every time our children start venturing out on their own, and hope they make “good choices”. I remember my parents worrying whenever we hopped into a vehicle and drove away, then, stayed up late until we got home. I remember accusing them of not trusting me, when now I understand it was the fact that they sometimes couldn’t sleep, until they knew I was home safe.

I can really relate to that now being a parent myself, and I hope you as middle and high school youth understand why we parents choose to do what we do.

Could Jesus have chosen not to die? Maybe, but don’t we all contemplate the choices available to us everyday? We know what we should do, but don’t? We want to follow the crowd, but we know what they are doing is wrong. Do we make the right choice?

I’d like to think that most of the decisions we make are the right ones, but I also know we are human, and will make wrong ones. To help us make these choices, we just need to remember, that if Jesus can make the ultimate “choice” and choose to die on the cross as God intended. Shouldn’t we stop to think, and ask God’s help to make the right choices, even when it’s not what we want?

Jesus

2009-03-30T09:43:00.003-05:00

I started a new devotional book this morning and I came across this poem that I wanted to share with all of you. As we come into the time of the crucifixtion and the resurrection. I thought this was a great reminder that Christ has given us all we need - HIM!

He is Jesus

The One and Only

Transendent over all else,

To know Him is to love Him,

To love Him is to long for Him.

To long for Him is to finally reach

Soul hands into the One true thing

We need never get enough of.

Jesus

Take all you want

Take all you need.

Till Soul is fed.

And spirit is freed.

Till dust is dust

And Face you see

Jesus Christ.

He's all you need.

Taking Faith Home by Terry Storholm

2009-03-03T10:10:00.002-06:00

How did Jesus fight Satan’s temptations? How does God help us when we are tempted?

Jesus was born man, just as we are, and faced a series of temptations. Just as God was there for Jesus during his times of trial by Satan, God is also there for us if we look deep into our heart and soul.

God sends messages to us in many ways; through friends, through family, through written messages in the bible, on roadside signs and in so many other ways. Sometimes it is really difficult to listen to God’s message, or to clearly understand what the message means, as it is human nature to want to do something our own way and we don’t want to believe that a message from God conflicts with our inner desires. It is so easy to discount God’s message and throw it aside for our own (Satan’s) wishes and desires.

One time my daughter wanted to go to Colorado really bad and she prayed to God that if she got the money she needed by a certain date, through a Christmas bonus, then she would go to Colorado. Well the bonus didn’t come through by that date and she started to convince herself that she could still go, she would just cut some things out of the plans, or she could pay the credit card bill when it came. I told her the choice was hers but reminded her that sometimes God’s answer to prayers aren’t what we want to hear and maybe he answered her prayer by not providing the bonus she was hoping to get in order to go on her trip. She thought about it and decided not to go.

A huge, unexpected, storm hit the evening of the day she was supposed to leave for her trip. She would have been driving. People were stranded for three days on freeways in ice and snow. She would have been stranded in this storm, alone, cold and frightened. About a week later, her boss surprised her with a New Year’s bonus, and she was able to go to Colorado just not in the original time frame she planned. The temptation was there to toss aside God’s answer to her prayers, she didn’t allow Satan to intervene by disregarding God’s answer, and she was rewarded in the end.

God is always there for us, we just need to listen to him.

Finding PEACE

2009-02-19T18:58:00.003-06:00

At the end of January, I traveled down to New Orleans for a youth director’s conference. It was a lot of fun to be with other youth directors from around the country. Needless to say, we are all big kids ourselves and it was a riot.

While in the “BIG EASY!” My friends and I decided to take a break from the conference and go on a two hour bus tour of New Orleans. (I should warn you if you every go to New Orleans, when they say a two hour tour, plan on double that!) The tour took us all over New Orleans, down the French Quarter, the Garden District, and also the Ninth Ward. The Ninth ward was the most featured during Katrina. It was a very eye opening to still see the devastation nearly 4 years after the hurricane.

As we were on the tour, we had the opportunity to stop at one of the cemeteries in New Orleans. A lot of the cemeteries in New Orleans are above ground because of the sea level. As we were walking around, I came across a statue of Mother Teresa. On the bottom of the statue was this quote…

“If you pray, you will have faith
And if you have faith, you will love
And if you love, you will serve
And if you serve, you will have peace.”

This quote really hit me hard. While I was down in New Orleans, my friends and I were talking about our calling in life. A lot of people have told me over the years that I should think about going to seminary and becoming a Pastor. So far, I have really dug my heals in and not went. One of the reasons I haven’t gone to seminary is because I don’t have that peace that one should have before taking a huge step.

I have thought about this quote almost every day since I have gotten back from New Orleans. I would like to share what I have discovered about my life through this quote.

If you pray, you will have faith…
Almost everyday, after I read my Bible, I pray by writing in my journal. One of the greatest things about journaling is that you can look back and see what you prayed for and what has happened since you prayed. It reminds me every day that you can’t see God, but you can see the effects that he has. Just like you can’t see the wind but you can see the effects of the wind. I see evidence every day that God is there for me, which only makes my faith stronger.

And if you have faith, you will love
And if you have love, you will serve…
I have gone on a lot of different service trips throughout the years of my ministry. I can’t help but smile when I think about the people that I have come in contact over the years through different mission trips. What I have found out about serving in those capacities that a lot of time, I get so much more back from the people that I have served than I give. The love that they share with you is something I can’t explain. I can only pray that I have blessed them as much as they have blessed me.

And if you serve, you will have peace.
There is that word again, PEACE. It is something that everyone strives to find. Some find it and some will always search for it. I have discovered however that I may not find that peace to take the next step that I need to go to seminary. But I do have a great sense of peace for what God is going in my life right now in this place. I treasure the place where I am and the people that I serve. I am finding that just like when I go on one of those many mission trips, I too am receiving more than I am giving from the youth and congregation of OSEL.

Dear God –
May we all find the peace that only you can give. Guide and direct us where you would like for us to go. AMEN!

Taking Faith Home By Laura Cassidy

2009-02-17T10:10:00.001-06:00

How does it feel to be left out?
How has Jesus changed your life?
How does he want us to treat others who feel left out?

I thought this weeks Faith Talk questions, would really hit home with a lot of kids today.

I’m sure we can all remember a time in our lives when we weren’t picked 1st (or even 10th) when our friends were choosing teams for a game. Or the really popular kid in school was having a party and we were not invited, and again, when your “best friend” befriends another, and you feel like a third wheel.

We might have feelings of anger, sadness, envy or even spite. We just need to recognize those feelings for what they are, and learn how to deal with them, and think about what is really important in our lives.

As I’ve gotten older, and have children of my own, the thought of being left out, when there are so many other more important events going on in my life, is very trivial to me now. (Although I remember at the time it seemed like the most important thing in the world!) I do my best to remember that, when my children come home with their problems, (and pray that I give them the right advice). When we put our faith in God, I know that with his help, prayer, and keeping the communication lines open I will be doing the best I can.

We have to try to think about what we do and say in a moment of anger or sadness. Say a quick prayer that God will let those feelings of not belonging pass quickly.

Taking Faith Home

2009-02-07T12:22:00.004-06:00

The Lord gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.

Even youth will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.

-Isaiah 40:29-31

Share about a time when you felt or experienced God answering your prayers.

When I first read this question, I thought, "Wow! This one is going to be a hard one to answer!" But then the more and more I thought about it, the easier it got. I just had to look.
Each morning, one of the first things that I do is have my quiet time. I read a chapter or two in the Bible and then I write in my journal. I like to look back and read what I wrote to God and how it was answered. It might not have been the answer that I was looking for at that moment but it was an answer that God needed me to see at that moment.

One other time where I have experienced God answering prayers is during mission trips. Last summer, I asked over 40 people to pray for us while we were on Mission trips. They also wrote letters of encouragement to the youth and leaders. As we went through our week, I looked back at the different situations that we had come across and knew that we had people praying for us and God was watching out for us. There were situations that could have turned out really bad but again people were praying for us and watching out for us.

May the Lord life you up when you are weak and give you strength when you are tired.

Isaiah 40:29-31

Taking Faith Home by Kara Hultgren

2009-02-05T13:30:00.003-06:00

Name a teacher that you admire and what have they taught you.

If there is one teacher that I have learned the most from and respected most I think it would be my 7th grade world geography teacher, Jan Hertel. She was the best teacher I have ever had. She showed me that even when you fail you can get up and try again. "Just as long as you give it your best," that's what she used to tell me.

She showed me that it was ok to fail just as long as you do keep trying and never give up. She also showed me how to accept the way I am and try not to change it for anyone. She might not know this but I think that she had the most impact of anyone on my through my middle school life. She didn't only help me in the classroom but she also taught me alot of life lessons.

She taught me how to deal with my parents nasty divorce. She taught me how to deal with my friends and the drama that comes with being a teenager. But most of all she taught me how to be myself even if at the time I didn't know what that ment. I respect her the most because she never gave up on me. Even though I had an attitude sometimes and was disrespectful, she always kept trying. I really respect her for trying so hard to help me get through life and that year. I thank God everyday for her. Without her I don't know where I would be.

Dear God, Thank you so much for the people who teach us. You know how important it is to have someone to make us and mold us into what we are. Thank you for molding us into the people we are. We will always know we have you as a teacher. Amen!

Taking Faith Home by Mike Swanson

2009-01-26T21:53:00.001-06:00

“Come, follow me…” (Mark 1:17)

As you read in Lynette’s post last week she has ask the youth board to respond to one of the questions in “Taking the Faith Home” each week. I hope you are enjoying this new tool in bringing your faith beyond just Sunday mornings.

One of the questions this week is “Have you given up something to follow Jesus?”

For those that know me you may already have heard this story, and for those that haven’t I’m going to try and keep it as short as I can (for internet posting sake), but I’d love to talk with you more about in person if you want!

Growing up I was always going to be a teacher – from kindergarten to my senior year of high school. I belonged to the Future Teachers of America club and everything. Then my senior year of high school I fell into the banking field. It was a great job, no nights, no weekends, pay was decent and really I didn’t need much education to be successful in it. This being my senior year post high school education was the last thing I wanted to think about.

So after graduation I stayed in banking, obtained my associate’s degree and began climbing the corporate ladder. My goal was to become a branch manager. I’m proud to say I obtain this goal at age 23! This was a huge feat for me and something I never thought I would accomplish so soon. I was the youngest branch manager my company had ever had! Here I was, 23 years old, working my “goal career”, making a lot more money than I thought I would be at 23 and yet…I was miserable. Something wasn’t right.

After a lot of prayer and some Godly interventions I made the decision to leave the manger position and step down to become a personal banker once again. As a branch manager I was quite successful and grew the office substantially both in terms of morale and over all dollar value; but I knew it wasn’t where God wanted me to be.

So I left what I thought was my career goal, took a vast pay & benefit cut and went back to school. I can honestly say it was one of the more difficult decisions I’ve had to make in my life, but I haven’t regretted it for a minute. Because of that decision I’ve come to realize what God’s life goal for me is.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for all you have given me. Help me to use well the things I have, but not to become wrapped up in them. Amen

Taking Faith Home

2009-01-20T14:36:00.009-06:00

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you whenI was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book

before one of them came to be.

-Psalm 139:13-16

As many of you know, each week in church you are handed a "Taking Faith Home!" pamplet. As I was going through this sheet at home, I thought it would be very cool for me to do some of the devotions or share some of my answers from the worksheets with all of you. I have also asked other youth board members to share some of their stories. So please stay tuned to see their answers. Please let me know if you would like to have one of your answers posted.

This week's pamplet asked - "Philip looked for Nathaniel and brought him to Jesus. Who has brought you to Jesus?"

For me, there are a number who have brought me to Jesus. I think there are times in our lives where we walk away from Jesus and there are people who bring us back to Jesus. Let me share with you one person who really bought me to Jesus.

A lot of you know that I grew up on the same farm as my grandparents. My Grandma Matter was a woman of faith. I would spend the night at her house and she would pray with me every night. She was the one who taught me the Lord's Prayer.

As I grew up, she would tell me that she was praying for me. There were days that we would have coffee/milk talk that she would share her faith with me and how wonderful it was to have something to believe in. She explained to me how when things got rough, she always turned to her faith. She also made sure that I knew when things were going well, she also turned to her faith.

My Grandma Matter was an amazing woman. I am proud and humbled that I was her granddaughter. I pray that I can one day be the person who helps people come to Jesus just like my grandmother did so well.

Jesus, Son of God, give me the faith to follow you. Amen.

Calling Out For God

2009-01-12T10:11:00.002-06:00

"Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you." Jeremiah 29:12

In today's world, we use our cell phones all the time. We use them to talk to our friends and family. We use them to get information, when we are lost and need direction, when we need help or maybe you just want to talk to someone. There are so many times, we just pick up our cell phones and get what we need.

There was one day a couple of weeks ago, that I was having a really bad day. I needed to talk to someone, I called two of my friends and they didn't answer their phones. I tried to call my mom and she was working so she couldn't talk. How many times have you needed to talk to someone and no one was there to talk to? In today's world, we can usually get ahold of someone but sometimes we can't.

We don't always realize that all we need to do is stop and pray to God. We can't just dial up and reach God. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." There is no other way to call on God except through Jesus, His Son.

Once we know Jesus, the one who died for us. The one who is our bridge between us and God. Then we can call on God anytime and anywhere. Because of Jesus, God is going to be available to us anytime, anywhere and for anyone. We just need to pray to him and He will listen to you. What comfort and joy that brings to all of us.

Dear Heavenly Father -

We thank you and praise you for being there for us to call upon. You listen and hear us anytime of the day. Thank you for the unconditional love that you have for each and every one of us.

Amen!

Prayer Can Move Mountains

2009-01-05T10:20:00.003-06:00

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" James 5:16

This morning, I got an e-mail from a friend asking for prayers as their family, as they are going through a tough time right now. Of course, I e-mailed them back and said that I would for sure pray for them. As soon as I hit send, a song came into my head that we used to sing at camp. It was called "Prayer Can Move The Mountains"

The chorus says this -

Prayer can move the mountains
Prayer can calm the seas
Prayer can turn the world upside down
Best of all, prayer can change you and me

Prayer is a very powerful tool. It can do wonders for people. How cool is it to have someone praying for you. When people say they are praying for you, it brings comfort and peace to you. A comfort that you know others are telling God about you and He is listening to their prayers.

I have learned that when life is hard and diffecult, but also when life is going perfectly, the best thing for us is to drop on our knees and pray. Thank God for the many blessings that He has given to you and the people around you. Each night before I go to sleep, I drop to my knees by my bed and pray. He listens and He hears.

Yes, through prayers miracles have happened. Prayer can change you, I know, because it has changed and continues to change me in so many ways. It can turn our world upside down.

Extended Arms

2008-12-29T20:54:00.005-06:00

On Christmas Eve Day, I had to go to my brother's house to drop off some things before the nighttime. When I got there, Lance had to go downstairs and left his 1 1/2 year old son, Leif with me. My nephew is at the stage where it takes a while for him to warm up to someone, let alone his aunt Nette who he hadn't seen in 2 months. So when Leif discovered that his daddy wasn't anywhere to be seen, he started to cry out and look for his daddy.

As soon as Lance came back into the room, Leif yelled, "Da! DA!" He then ran to his daddy, extended his arms and wanted to be held. I immediately saw the love that my brother had for his son and he reached down and picked up his son.

How often are we like Leif, when we are in a scary situation, we run to our Heavenly Father. We extend our arms up to God and want to be held. We want God to reach down and pick us up, and hold us tight in His unconditional love.

We belong to him. We cry out, "Daddy!"

Dear Daddy-

We belong to you. We raise our hands and asked to be put in your loving, strong arms. Thank you for the unconditional love that you show us every day. Amen

OSEL Senior High Get-together

2008-12-26T20:51:00.002-06:00

Hey Everyone!

We are having a senior High get together on Monday afternoon from 4:00 until 7:00. We will be playing games, and other fun things. We will also be making our supper together. If you any questions, please give me a call at 651-528-9831

Hope to see you there.

Christmas Memories

2008-12-21T14:10:00.002-06:00

Christmas is one of my favorite times of year. I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite memories.

As many of you know, I grew up on the same farm as my grandparents. I loved going over to my grandparents house, but never as much as when they were making lefsa and flatbread for Christmas. My grandma would roll, what seemed like thousands of pieces of lefsa, while my grandfather put the lefsa on the iron. My brothers and I would just wait for them to tell us that we could have a piece. To this day, no matter how hard we try to make it, there will never be lefsa as good as theirs.

When I was younger, we would always celebrate Christmas on Christmas eve. As my grandma and mom were cooking the Christmas meal, my grandpa, dad, and brothers would be finishing up the chores down in the barn. As soon as they showered and cleaned up, we would have our Christmas dinner, which always included, Norwegian meatballs, Lutefisk, riced potatoes and gravy. We would be sitting at the table eating and each year there seemed to be a knock on the door. My brothers and I would run to the door and find new sleds sitting outside waiting for us. My grandparents and parents always said that Santa must have needed to lighten his load and decided to drop off the sleds.

After we would open presents, we loaded up the van and went to Christmas Candlelight services. I loved when we lit up the whole church with the candles and sang "Silent Night!"

The next day, we would usually take our new sleds, go outside and go behind our barn where we had a great sledding hill. We would play cops and robbers with our sleds. One person would start at the way top of the hill, they were the robber. The other two would start off to the sides and try to stop the robber before they got to the bottom of the hill. We had a blast. We usually got our parents in the game a time or two.

One of my best Christmas memories however came as a grew older. When I was a junior in high school, my dad was in the hospital just recovering from surgery to remove melanoma skin cancer. The doctors told us that he would not be able to come for Christmas. We were lucky enough that he was able to come home from the hospital. It didn't matter what we got for Christmas presents just being with family and having him home from the hospital was all any of us needed for Christmas.

I pray that this Christmas, you will all be blessed with your family and great memories.

ACTS

2008-12-16T13:51:00.005-06:00

As I was doing my devotion this morning, it talked about how Mary loved God for who he was. She talked about God being her Lord and Savior and praised Him for that. She accepted God for who is was and the incredible trust that she had in God.

So many people don't take God for who God really is. They look at God and wonder what has He done for me lately. People are always wanting things from God. Wondering how God is going to benefit them in their lives. This reminded me of something I did when I was a camp counselor, I would journal every day but I had different sections in my notebook. This way I just didn't request things from God that would be only for me, but I also did for God. It reminded me to praise and thank God for everything that God has done for me. It spelled out ACTS -

A - Acknowledge - Acknowledge God as Lord and Savior. Recognizing that God is a part of your life. Just like Mary did. She praised him for who God was.

C - Concerns - Talk to God about the concerns that you have your life and others. Expressing everything that is worrying you.

T - Thanksgiving - Thanking God for the blessing that God has bestowed on you. This was also a time when I went back into my journal and read some of my concerns and thanked God on the different ways that God had answered my prayers.

S - Supplication - Supplication is asking God to help others and praying for them.

This will help you, not look at God and ask for things but remind you of all the things that we need to do while we pray to God. God wants to hear all of it. You will be amazed how God answers our prayers.

Reaching Out and Taking His Hand

2008-12-09T10:36:00.004-06:00

But when Peter saw the wind, he was afraid and,

beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.

"You of little faith," he said, "Why did you doubt?"

Matthew 14:30-31

When I was four years old, my family went out to Washington State to go to my Uncle Kevin's wedding. I remember it so vividly because it was the first time I was ever on a plane. I was so excited, and had my little play camera and pretending to take pictures out the window even though we flew at night and there was nothing but darkness.

What I also remember so vividly was visiting the ocean while out in Washington was My Uncle Daryl and his family took a bunch us out to the ocean. Maybe the reason I remember it so vividly also is because whenever we get together for family gatherings, someone will bring up this story, it never fails. I think this was my Grandpa Clair's favorite story, so I will share it with you also.

While we were at the ocean, my cousins Tonya, Daryl Brian, and I were down by the ocean running away from the waves. Since it was the end of November, we couldn't go swimming but we tried to get as close to the water as we possibly could. The waves would go out and we would run down by the water until the next wave came in and run away from the water. It was a great game, until I decided that I didn't want to play any more.

I turned around to see where by mom was and the next thing I know, a giant wave went right over the top of me and swallowed me up into the ocean. I don't remember if I was under for a long time or if I was floating but all of a sudden I felt a hand on my coat and pulling me out of the water. Fortunately for me, my Uncle Daryl was close by that he ran and pulled me out of the water before I floated off to Hawaii (OK, so that is what I thought when I was four) or before I drowned.

When I turned my back to the water was when I got in trouble. Just like when we turn our backs to Jesus and don't have our eyes on him, we begin to sink. We can be the best swimmer in the world but if we don't have our eyes on Jesus and trust that He knows what is best for us, we go down into the merky, cold water and have a hard time coming back up to the surface.

My Uncle Daryl reached out and caught me before something really bad happened. Jesus will do the same for you, you just have to trust Him enough to take His hand and walk with him. Don't doubt him, just reach out your hand and take His.

Snow car and paybacks

2008-12-08T15:57:00.004-06:00

As most of you know, I am a fun going youth director. I wanted to show you what some of my lovely youth did to my car last night. It is bad enough that I don't have a garage at home so when it snows I have to clean it off. But I never imagined, having to clean it off because some of my youth thought it would be fun to play "Let's bury Lynette's car!" I want you to know that I do have thing under control when youth group is going on, well, organized chaos, is more like it. I was just cleaning up from youth group when this happened. I thought all my "little angels" had gone home for the night. Little did I know what they were up to.

But don't worry about me, I will get them back when they are not looking.

God's Chosen Servant

2008-12-01T18:07:00.002-06:00

"Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight!"
Matthew 12:18

For some of you, this isn't hard but for others it might be. Think back when you were on the playground for recess. All the kids are gathered in a line and two people were picked to be the captains of the teams, if for kickball, baseball, or whatever game was popular back then.

Did you silently pray that you were not going to be the last one picked?

We can rejoice in knowing that God has chosen you for His team. He has created you with a purpose, to serve Him and tell others about His love. He loves you unconditionally. We all know there are days when we think no one loves us, but God loves all the time. He laughs with us, He cries with us, and He rejoices with us. And that, is the best kind of team to be on.

Baptism Cannonball

2008-11-21T11:31:00.000-06:00

This boy couldn't wait to be added to God's Family.

THE WIND

2008-11-19T13:25:00.006-06:00

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

and certain of what we do not see"

Hebrews 11:1

One summer when I worked at Camp Ewalu, I had the opportunity to go to the Billy Graham Crusades at the Metrodome during one of our off weekends. We got to the Metrodome early and stood in line for hours. We were luckily to get done on the floor fo the Metrodome and about 5 rows from the stage.

Billy Graham talked about the wind and put in perspective of our faith. He said. "You can't see the wind but you can see the effects of the wind." We can't see the wind but we can see things blowing around on the street, we can sometimes feel the wind when we are driving in our car, we can see the leaves rustling around in the trees but we can't actually see the wind itself.

It is the same with our faith. We can't see God but we know the effects that He has in our lives. There are times in our lives when we feel alone and afraid but because of our faith we know that God is right there with us. Crying with us, carrying us, and supporting us. He puts those certain people in our lives that help us. That cry, carry and support us.

We don't see God, but there are many things in our lives that we know that He has a hand in.

Dear God - Thank you for being there for us when we need you the most. Thank you for those little God moments when we know that you had a hand a situation we had. Amen!

2008-11-13T13:43:00.004-06:00

The Bible is God's chart for you to steer by,

to keep you from the bottom of the sea,

and to show you where the harbor is,

and how to reach it without running on rocks or bars.

-Henry Ward Beecher

Snowflakes and Snow

2008-11-07T14:51:00.004-06:00

When I woke up this morning, I started doing things around my kitchen and then looked outside and saw that my deck was covered in snow. URG! Not already I thought, winter can't be coming. But it is here.

Today, as I was doing errands around town, I was stopped at a stop light and noticed a couple of the snowflakes on my windshield. It had landed on my windshield so I could see every detail of the flake. It reminded me how each and every snowflake is different, but each one of them was created with care by our Heavenly Father.

We too are like those snowflakes. Each person is molded, sculpted and created just how God wanted us. None of us are the same. Each of us have our own unique personalities.

One of my favorite Bible verse is Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I created you, I set up apart from anyone else." How cool is that. God knew each one of us before we were even a fragment of our parents imagination. He has a plan for each and every one of us.

Even though, I am not excited about winter coming. One of my favorite things about winter is right after a fresh snowfall. I love looking out and seeing the pure white snow. Or looking out over my back yard when nothing has touched the snow and it is perfect. It reminds me of the forgiveness that God gives us each and every time we ask for forgiveness. We are just like the fallen snow, pure and clean.

Thank you God, for making us in your image and how you have made each and everyone unique and special. Thank you for the forgiveness of our sins and making us as clean as the fresh fallen snow. Amen.

Perspective

2008-11-06T15:55:00.002-06:00

We do not understand:

Joy...until we face sorrow

Faith...until it is tested

Peace...until faced with conflict

Trust...until we are betrayed

Love...until it is lost

Hope...until confronted with doubts

Author Unknown

Letting Go

2008-11-05T17:37:00.007-06:00

My grace is enough for you. When you are weak,

my power is made perfect in you

2 Corinthians 12:9

Have you every been working on a project and it is going so smoothly, you don't want anyone else to help you because you are afraid that they will screw it up. You don't want to give them the instruction sheet because you want to do it. You don't want to hand it over to them to do.

But then there are times, and I know we have all had them when you are working on something and nothing seems to be going right. You are frustrated with the project and you just want to throw it out the window.

Kind of like our lives. When we are in control of our life, we don't want to let go but when things are not going exactly how we want, giving control up to someone else comes easier.

It is never easy to let go of something. But when we let go and let God control our lives His grace will surprise even you. He will help us get through those difficult days by doing what God does best - being a guide and companion for us. He points us in the direction we need to go.

When we give our lives to God during those troubled times, He will do amazing things to us and when those times get better, we might not want to take control back. When we look toward God we are able to do more than we can ever imagine on our own.

The Jump of Your Life

2008-10-31T15:26:00.002-05:00

"And those who know your name put their trust in you,for you,

O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you."
~ Psalm 9:10 ~

Imagine, there you up…5,000 feet up in the air. The wind blowing harder than you ever thought possible, cars look like ants, people aren’t even visible…and then…you go for it! You jump out of the plane falling more than 70 miles per hour towards the ground.

The wind now blowing even harder, so hard it feels like it should be holding you up but you are still plummeting towards the earth faster and faster. Then, as the right time approaches you pull the cord. Your parachute releases and you are jerked upwards as you begin to drift towards the safety of the ground.

Recently while watching TV with my aunt this was the scene we observed. “That’s something I would never do!”, my aunt exclaimed, “me neither, I won’t even clean the gutters on the house”, I replied.

But this was something my nephew did, just a little over a year ago. I guess at 18 I probably felt pretty invincible too! He says it was one of the greatest experiences of his life.

As the sky diver you have to have gone through training for the jump, practiced while still on the ground, got to know how the equipment worked and when to use it. You have to have complete confidence and trust that the parachute is going to open when you need it to. You have to have trust that you’ll remember all that you were taught.

What a great metaphor for our life as Christians! We go through years of training on how to live the life God has prepared for us. We attend Sunday school, Confirmation, youth groups. We study the Bible, we talk with God. We listen for his direction all so we can pull that cord at the right time.

In following Christ we place total trust in Him, knowing that someone is always there to hold us and guide us to safety. As my nephew said about sky diving, living your life with and for Christ is “the greatest experience” you could imagine!

Keep up your training. Keep reading God’s word, that’s our “jump manual”, talk with God, He’s our “instructor”. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, He’s always there to help us. Then get ready…get set…and go for it! It will no doubt be the jump of your life!

Update on Lynette

2008-10-29T20:57:00.004-05:00

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his love
and for the miracles he does for people.”
~ Psalm 107:8 ~

Greetings all,

As many of you have noticed Lynette has been missing from church the past few days. Initially she was out, she thought, just due to the flu. However, it soon became apparent that it was a little more than the “run of the mill” flu. Wednesday afternoon Lynette underwent surgery to have her gallbladder removed.

She wants to let you all know the procedure went just fine and she is on the road to recovery! She wants to thank everyone for your prayers and she is resting up and excited to see you in church again soon.

We thank God for being with her and her family during this time and His continued presence during her recovery.

Faith Comes First

2008-10-28T14:11:00.004-05:00

Ephesians 2:10

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Martin Luther talked about how there is two dimensions of the Christian Life - First is Faith. Good Works is the second. We come to God through faith alone

Faith is the most important. So many times I hear people say, I am going to heaven because I do this and this and this and I am a good person. But wait a minute, yes Good works is important but we cannot let it come before having a relationship with God. God wants to know us personally and intimately each day. He wants us to talk to Him and have a relationship with him. It is easy to come to relay on all of our good works and overlook how important our faith is in our walk with God. It is our faith that takes us to heaven, not our good works.

Thank You!

2008-10-27T18:45:00.004-05:00

There are no words to express the gratitude I have for the many people who stepped up and covered for me this past weekend when I was sick for the church garage sale.

First - Grandma Stu - You are amazing. You took on this garage sale even though you didn't know the kids that would be going on the trips but you said, I will do it again in October. The countless hours that you put in last weekend were unbelievable. Even when you were so tired, you looked like you would collapse you kept going and pushing and even said, I will do the one in April. You have truly blessed me and the youth with your love and compassion.

Second - To all the parents who baked, priced, and sold. I could not do my job with out your help and support.

Thirdly - Cary - Thanks for all your help with locking up and unlocking of the church and also for all the hauling of things to Regina and Goodwill.

Fourth - Mike and Jeri - You both are truly great friends. Thank you for sitting with me while I was in the emergency room, making me smile and laugh and for caring so much to time out to help me. I know that whenever I need something, I can count on you. I thank God everyday for friendship.

Lastly - THE YOUTH! YOU ALL ROCK MY WORLD! Thank you for all your work and just the smiles that you bring to my face on a daily basis.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

2008-10-22T10:39:00.003-05:00

Jeremiah 17:7-8

"But blessed is the man who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
It doesn't not fear when heat comes: its leaves are always green
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit!"

When I was in kindergarten, my father dug a pond on our farm and stocked it full of fish. On the one side of the pond, we planted an orchard. I remember the day we were planting the trees and how excited I was that we were going to be able to eat apples from the trees that we planted.

We planted two willow trees about 15 feet away from the edge of the pond. The other trees were aways away. We always had to water the apple trees but never the willow trees. My grandfather told me that they were pulling water from the pond. As a five year old, I didn't understand that concept but now I do. Those two willow trees were the strongest and tallest in the whole orchard.

How many times in our lives have we worried about different things that were happening in our lives? We constantly worried about things. Wondering how we were going to make it or get through a certain situation. When the situation is all finished and you looked back at the worry, you realized that God provided everything that you needed.

I can't tell you how many times growing up that I heard my mom and dad say they didn't know how they were going to find the money to pay for something and somehow we always managed to get by. We have to put that trust in the Lord.

I know for me sometimes it is hard to trust a person, even a person that I have known for a while. So how can I trust someone that I have never seen or touched? That is what faith is all about. You can't see God or touch God but you know that he is always there. You see the effects that He has on your life. He calls us everyday to "Let Go and Let Him!"

Dear God -
Let our roots go toward you in our daily lives. Thank you for always providing the nourishment that we need.
Amen

Bible Verse for the Week of October 13th

2008-10-14T10:29:00.004-05:00

Proverbs 30:5

"Every word of God is flawless, He is a shield to those who take refuge in him"

How many times have we looked at others and thought they were perfect? We say, if I could only be like them, then my life would be perfect. But we don't see what is going on in the inside, we don't see the doubt that they have, or the hurts, or the struggles. The only person that we can look at and say is flawless is God. We are called to be like him in every way. Only by being Christlike can we even imagine what it might be like to be flawless.

Grandpa and Grandma

2008-10-13T10:17:00.002-05:00

I have been doing a lot of thinking since Friday. You see Friday, October 10th would have been my Grandpa's 95th birthday. This Thursday, it would have been my Grandma's 91st birthday. They both passed away 9 years ago, just 6 months apart. It was a big blow to my family, especially my dad since he was the only child and losing both your parents in such a short time was difficult.

I grew up having them living on the same farm as we did. So when I wanted to go visit them, I would just walk over to their house. I would spend night after night there. My grandmother was the one who would lay down with me at night and she would teach me the Lord's prayer. She would kind of do the fill in the blank. "Our Father, who ----- --- -----" And I would fill in the blanks.

I would go over to her house after I got home from kindergarten and we would have coffee together. Mine was 3/4 milk and 1/4 coffee, but it was the best. Nothing could compare to our coffee and cookie talks. I wish I could take those back and do them all over again. I would make sure that I took the time to go over there and have those talks when I was in high school or when I came home from college.

My grandfather was the type that always knew something was wrong. He knew how to fix almost anything including hurting hearts and minds. He would simply take you fishing on the river or down by our pond. He would just be quiet until you couldn't stand it anymore and tell him what was on your mind and then in his most gentle way he would give you a solution or something to think about.

Going home to Iowa, to the farm, is still sometimes hard. To see where there old house was, which has now been tore down and replaces with a new trailer house where my brother lives. I long to see their house and have my grandma sitting on the porch waiting for us to come home like we did when we got off the school bus. She always wanted to hear about our days. I long to go down by our pond and go fishing with my grandpa just one more time and tell him my problems and see how he would solve them.

I guess what I am trying to say through this, is take each moment that you have with the ones you love and treasure them. Hold them as tight as you can and never let them go.

To my grandpa and grandma, thank you for loving me so unconditionally and helping to make me into the person that I am today. I love you!

The Seven Wonders of The World

2008-10-07T12:00:00.002-05:00

A friend recently sent me this. I thought I would share it with you. It is a reminder of how blessed we are each and every day.

Christ - The Ultimate Sacrifice

2008-10-06T10:45:00.002-05:00

Galatians 3:13
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree!"

What incredible love the God had for us! Our Heavenly Father sent his ONLY Son down on this earth to walk with us but then to make the ultimate sacrifice for us. He put all of our SINS onto his Son. God told Jesus that he would take everyone's sins from us. Just take them like he was the one to commit them. Can you really imagine Jesus lying? Jesus denying his faith? Committing Adultery? Not honoring his Parents? I can't.

But God said to Jesus was - you will be the one who has committed all of these sins, you will pay for those sins and make them right. He took all the sins upon himself so then He must die on the cross.

Thank you Jesus for taking all my sins and dying for me. Your love amazes me.

Weekly Bible Verse for Week of October 1st

2008-10-01T13:10:00.002-05:00

Romans 12:2

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what's God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will

How easy to fall in to the pattern of doing what this world is doing. Of doing what your friends are doing. This Bible verse talks about that that we don't need to think about what the others are doing but we need to renew our minds. We need to make the decisions that are going to be best for us and decisions that God would approve of. We are called to be images of Christ Jesus.

Every Day, in each decision, Christ calls us to be like him. "WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?"

Be A Blessing

2008-09-29T11:02:00.003-05:00

In church on Sunday, Pastor Lloyd talked about how we should live our lives and strive to be a blessing to someone. It made me wonder how I can be a blessing to someone, and who has been a blessing in my life.

There are so many youth and adults that I come in contact with each day that are huge blessings in my life. How are they blessings? They may give me a encouraging word, they may just smile and ask how I am doing, or they might go out of their way to help me or pray for me. That is what a blessing to me is.

I try to be a blessing to others by writing letters of encouragement, helping my neighbor, and serving in my community. It might not be much but I know that I am helping someone and trying to make a difference in others lives.

One of my favorite quotes by Saint Francis of Assisi is "Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary use words!" Actions always speaks louder than words.

Each morning I listen to KTIS radio station as I get ready for work and on my way in my car. Each day they say, Be A Blessing to someone today. I hope and pray that today you are a blessing to someone who needs that extra touch to get them through the day.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

2008-09-28T13:29:00.001-05:00

Friday Night we are hosting a Middle School Homecoming Dance for over 150 youth. We are still in need of 12 2-liter pops, Nacho Chips, and cheese. WE REALLY NEED CHAPERONES! In order to have the dance we need 1 chaperone for every 10 youth. Currently we only have 5 chaperones. Please call Lynette if you can help out.

Bible Verse of the Week

2008-09-24T08:35:00.004-05:00

Each week, I am going to put out a Bible verse that I am going to memorize and think about throughout the week, I encourage that you do the same.

Philippians 4:6
Have no anxiety about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

2008-09-18T14:47:00.003-05:00

Hello Everyone!

Just wanted to pass on a couple of things for you. Mark your calendars for the following events -

THIS SUNDAY NIGHT - Sunday Night Live (Middle School Youth) We will be having a Scavenger Hunt all over Hastings. It will be tons of fun. The winning team gets a prize. Bring your friends. It starts at 6:00 and we will be done by 7:30.

The other nights that we will be having SUNDAY NIGHT LIVE (SNL) are October 12th and 26th, November 9th and 23rd, December 7th and 21st. They will always be from 6:00 until 7:30 unless you get a post card stating differently.

We will also be having a Garage Sale that will be benefiting all the Mission Trips. We will be collecting items on October 20th - 23rd. The Garage Sale will be on October 24th from 9:00 until 5:30 and also on October 25th from 9:00 until 1:00. If you have questions please contact Lynette

Do You Remember When?

2008-09-11T13:28:00.003-05:00

As I was driving into work this morning, I crossed the bridge and saw the huge American flag hanging across the street. It then hit me that it was 9/11. I immediately thought back to the dark day 7 years ago.

I was living at EWALU Bible Camp in Strawberry Point, IA. I was getting ready for work and had the TV on the Today Show. They started talking about how a plane went into the World Trade Center and as I was watching the news another went into the other tower. I immediately thought this wasn't happening, but unfortunately it was.

This is a day that I will always remember just like I will remember where I was when the Challenger blew up and now where I was when 9/11 occurred.

We all had questions, most of them Where was God during all of this?

We have to remember that we live in an imperfect world and that we all have choices to follow him or not. God was there with all of us. He was crying with all of us and was holding those who lost their lives on that day.

He Will Carry Your Sorrows

2008-09-09T11:26:00.003-05:00

We all have our sorrows that we carry. We depend on our friends and family to help us through those times. Sometimes we don't lean on who we should in our times of need and that is God. I found this postcard from the book "Postcards for People Who are Hurting!" by Claire Cloninger This morning when I was doing my devotions, I found this postcard and it really spoke to me. I hope it gives you comfort like it has for me.

Isaiah 53: 4-5

But he took our suffering on him and felt our pain for us
We saw his suffering and thought God was punishing him.
But he was wounded for the wrong we did
He was crushed for the evil we did
The punishment, which made us well, was given to him,
And we are healed because of his wounds.

Dear child,

When your sorrow seems too heavy to hold, let it go. Jesus will cary it for you. For surely he is the one who takes up human suffering and carries human sorrows. Take time today to be alone with him. In a quiet place, life your heartace up in your hands as though it were wrapped in a package. Lift it up to him, and as your arms are lifted, tell him all that you are feeling. Describe to him your pain. Tell him your anger. Give words to your feeling. Describe to him your pain. Tell him your anger. Give words to your fellings of despair. Hold nothing back. Leave your arms lifted up to him until they ache as much as your heart does. and when you feel you cannot hold that package of grief up in your aching arms one moment longer, see Jesus take it from you into his own strong, nail-pierced hands. Then let your aching arms drop to your sides and fell the sweet release of that moment. And then, at the start of each new day, remember that Jesus Christ is holding the weight of your sorrow in his hands. Though you may still have tears to cry, know that the weight of your heartache belongs to him now.

Let him hold your sorrow-
God

The Wonders of God

2008-09-04T14:35:00.004-05:00

So I just got back from a 2 1/2 week family vacation. I haven't been on a family vacation since I was like 12 years old. Unfortunately my one brother and his family couldn't go but my parents, and my oldest brother set out to see the the National Parks.

To give you a little background, My oldest brother Lincoln, when he was younger had seizures from the time he was 5 years old until he was 33. Because of some awesome doctors at Mayo Clinic, they were able to do surgery and remove the scar tissue on his brain that was causing him to have seizures. He hasn't had a seizure since but still he is mad that God gave him the seizures and really doesn't (I thought) have faith at all. This has caused great friction between myself and him. He doesn't understand why I would want to go to church much less work at a church, and I can't understand why he is so mad at God.

Well on this little vacation(Which we happened to drive over 6100 miles) we stopped at Crater Lake in Oregon. If you have every been to Crater Lake you know it is absolutely beautiful. Which Lincoln and I were looking out over the Lake which in the middle of a mountain and was caused by a volcano, Lincoln says, "God sure worked overtime when He made this place!" This really caught me off guard.

"You mean you do believe in God?"

"Yeah, I believe in God, I am just upset for what He has done in my life. That doesn't mean that I don't believe in Him. I am just not happy with God right now! But we can always be in awe of His creation! And when you see something like this, how can you not believe there is a God!"

I guess I just needed to take time to listen to him and he then took time to listen to me.

He's Coming Back

2008-09-04T14:32:00.002-05:00

Because of last year's big success. AGAPE is coming back. The concert will be on Wednesday, September 17th, at 7:00. We will also be having a free will supper from 6:00 until the concert starts. HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE!

6th Grade Pizza Night

2008-09-04T14:30:00.002-05:00

REMINDER -

We are having a Welcome to Middle School 6th Grade Pizza Party with pizza and games. It is Sunday, September 7th at 6:00 until 7:30. Hope to see you there.

Youth & Parent Informational Meetings

2008-08-04T12:47:00.003-05:00

Are you interested in stepping out of your box and seeing God move in the world like never before? Are you interested in finding out what it is like to become the hands and feet of Christ in our world?

Be sure to stop by one of the informational meetings about the 2009 Middle School Mission Trip!

Wednesday, September 10th 8pm in the Youth Center
OR
Sunday, September 14th 9:15 am in the Youth Center

We can't wait to see you and fill you in on all the exciting details!!

BUSY SUMMER - TOO BUSY FOR GOD??

2008-07-08T14:37:00.001-05:00

OK, so a friend reminded me today that this blog spot hasn't been updated since Feb. My excuse - Well, I have been too busy doing this and that. I was getting ready for all of the mission trips, summer stretch, and other activities. So if I have been to busy to update this site, it made me think, have I been to busy for God also.

YES I have. Recently on a mission trip, we had quiet time/devotion time for 30 minutes. It did wonders on how much my faith grew just in that small amount of time. God is never too busy for us, we should never be too busy for HIM.

THANKS MIKE for the reminder.

Coolest Video

2008-02-26T11:21:00.000-06:00

I AM YOURS!

How good does that feel hearing someone say that? How many times do we want to belong to something like a group.

We are GOD's. We are His.
This is a great video. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Fun at OSEL

2007-12-06T11:37:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone!

If you were not at OSEL last night for the Agape Hip Hop Concert, you missed out. It was a Blast. Check out the Youth board for pictures of the night. It is estimated that we had over 200 people at the concert and it looked like everyone was having a great time. I enjoyed watching all the youth dancing with their parents.

A couple of reminders - Sunday night, December 9th, we will have our Youth Christmas Party. Please bring a $5.00 gift to exchange. We will be having pizza and pop. We will also be playing DDR, Toilet Paper Dodgeball, and Turkey Bowling. Parents- I am still looking for chaperones.

A new event this year is Family Fun Night on January 6th from 5:00 until 7:30. We will have some competitions. Parents vs. Youth. We will have games that include Nintendo Wi, Dance, Dance Revolution, and Guitar Hero. How about Text Message contest? There will be prizes. Watch the mail for more information. We hope to see you there.

I am also need help for moving my office. We will be moving on December 27, 28 and 29th. Feel free to call me if you have any questions about the activities.

Agape - Coming to Town

2007-11-15T10:28:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone-

I hope and pray that you are all doing well. I hope you all have a safe and fun Thanksgiving holiday.

I wanted to tell you all about a great concert that will be coming to OSEL.

David Scherer (Agape) will be in concert at 7:00 in the Worship Center on Wednesday, December 5th.

Agape has inspired youth from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Spokane, WA with his relational ministry "Hip Hop Outreach." Using Rap, his is able to reach the youth people of today in a way that they really get it. He combines his dancing, rapping, storytelling, and his fluency in Spanish to captivate his audience and challenge them to explore their faith in God. With his passion for diversity, he invites people to bridge the gaps that exist in today's society.

We will also be having a free will donation supper that night in the Fellowship Hall. We will be serving from 5:30 until 6:45. We hope to see you there.

There is Never a Wasted Word

2007-10-30T13:01:00.000-05:00

Today, I recieved a phone call from my good friend, Charlotte. I have known Charlotte for almost 5 years. She is a person that I count on to be there for me when I need her. I gave Charlotte the nickname, my second Mom. In fact, her sons are like my brothers. We even fight like brothers and sisters sometimes. And Charlotte, being the good mom that she is, breaks it up for us.

Anyway, she called to ask me if I had known that a person I had known in Willmar, had passed away. She told me that she and her son were going to the funeral. After the funeral, I called her and asked about the service. She shared with me about the funeral but she also said something that has been stuck in my mind since. She was telling me how Janet (The person who had passed away) would always say Hello or a simple wink to her son when they saw each other in church. We talked about how that would always stick with her son forever and how he would always remember Janet for her simple actions. She then said, "That is why I believe, there is never a wasted word."

How many times have you had a person just say something to you and it made your day? Think of how you would have felt if that person never said that to you. I am reminded of a quick story about a girl who was going to go home and commit suicide because she thought her life was not worth living. On her way home, another girl came up and started to talk to her, and asked her to come over to her house and study. The simple hello and invitation, made a world of difference to this girl and she decided not to take her life that night. She realized that there were people who cared for her.

I encourage you today, to tell people how you feel. Remember, there is never a wasted word. Thanks Charlotte, for reminding me of that.

The Fires in California

2007-10-24T14:16:00.000-05:00

I am sure that you all have seen what has been happening in California. I could not imagine losing not only your home to a fire but also losing your community, your neighborhood. Please continue to pray for those people as they search for answers and also as they start their lives over.

When I was in college, a friend gave me a book called "Postcards For People Who Hurt" by Claire Cloninger, when not only I, but my whole family were going through a lot of things. This book gave me comfort when I needed it the most. One of the postcards in it, I would like to share with you. I pray that it gives you comfort when you are struggling with issues but also that you can pass it one to someone who might be struggling. I would like to share one of those postcards with you, maybe it will give you comfort when you are struggling with issues going on in your life. This postcard is called "You Too Will Overcome!"

John 16:33 "I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have trouble, but be brave! I have defeated the world."

Revelation 7: 16-17 "Those people will never be hungry again, and they will never be thirsty again. The sun will not hurt them and no heat will burn them, because the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of water that give life. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

My dear Child-

I know you were not prepared for this grief you are going through. But no one is ever prepared, for grief is an unknown darkness until you are in the midst of it. Jesus spoke clear words of warning about the trouble that comes to ever person on the human journey. He was well aware that trails are inevitable in this fallen and imperfect world. But he also gave precious words of encouragement to his believed flock. "Thank Heart!" he said, "For I have overcome the world." What does this mean to you? It means that when you are in Him, you too will overcome. For in Him, you are moving toward a place where there will be no more hunger or thirst, no more grieving or trouble or pain. There, all will be healed and restored and set right. And there I will meet you and dry every tear from your eyes.

Take heart!
God

Middle School Homecoming Dance

2007-10-16T16:16:00.000-05:00

I must say that Friday night, rocked. First, the Hastings Raiders won the football game. Then over 150 Middle School youth came to Our Saviour's for the Homecoming Dance. We raised over $300 for Hastings Family Service along with collecting a lot of canned goods. Thanks to all of the chaperones and people who donated the cookies and pop.

We have another great event coming up on Sunday, October 28th. We will be going to a Hip Hop Worship Service in Minneapolis. A hip hop artist named Dave (Agape) Schuer does a new worship service and it is pretty much done with high energy rap and dancers. They even rap the Apostle's Creed and 10 Commandments.

We will be leaving at 6:00 and returning around 8:30.