Parents, I read this artical last week and wanted to pass it along. It seems like everyone has a cell phone...I've seen elemnetry kids talking and texting on them. Parents be wise...talk to your kids about the responsibilities of the digital world we live in!

By Sharon Jayson, USA TODAY
Passing a flirtatious note to get someone's attention is so yesterday. These days, young people use technology instead.
About a third of young adults 20-26 and 20% of teens say they've sent or posted naked or semi-naked photos or videos of themselves, mostly to be "fun or flirtatious," a survey finds.
A third of teen boys and 40% of young men say they've seen nude or semi-nude images sent to someone else; about a quarter of teen girls and young adult women have. And 39% of teens and 59% of those ages 20-26 say they've sent suggestive text messages.
"One of the reasons we wanted to do the survey was to put some sort of structure around the anecdotes," says Marisa Nightingale of the non-profit National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, which commissioned the survey with the Hearst Digital Media site CosmoGirl.com. Chicago-based market research firm Teenage Research Unlimited surveyed 1,280 teens and young adults online Sept. 25 to Oct. 3.

Week one of our Christmas series we talked about Mary. We discussed all of her hopes and expectations...and how God surprised her by inviting her into His story. She became the mother to all of the worlds Hopes and expectations!

I had heard about this last year...but saw it again and was convicted...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU

Bottom Line: How you view God determines both your expectations and your responses.

Many of us have a distorted Godview because we think God’s primary goal is either for us to be good or for us to be happy. While there may be some truth in those statements, if we see those as His primary goals, then we walk through life with remarkable–and self-made–expectations. Then, when those expectations aren’t met, our faith is shattered and destroyed. This week, we want students to see that following God is bigger than our expectations. Following God requires surrendering control.

Scripture References: Matthew 11:2-3, 11:4-6

Bottom Line: The most important thing about a person is what they think about when they think about God.
No matter who we are, we all have a Godview. And the way we think about God affects how we interact with our world. Many people struggle because they have a negative or distorted view of God. This first week, we will take a look at the life of one of Jesus’ closest followers who struggled for the very same reason. In the end, we want to challenge students to begin to see how their view of God shapes the way they live.
Scripture References: Matthew 16:13-23; John 18:10, 17; John 21:15-19

EXPERIENCE:
Each one of us is “about” something. Something is going to define your life and mine. It will. I know that when I die, my kids are going to stand around and say many things, but inevitably it will get reduced to a sentence or two that begins this way: "Dad was . . . "

The reason I love to think about this now is because we still are able to change and influence what our lives will be about. The sad part is that too many people don't think about what their lives will be about. We just kind of live it, and in the end, we hope it will be good enough. And I know my drift (when I'm not intentional) is to make my life about things that matter less, not more.
So what's it going to be about for you? Who do you want to be?

Take some time this month to think about what you want your life to be about. Think big. Think small. And then be intentional about not letting this time sneak by without your notice. Your life will be about something. So will mine.

What will define your life? You can either decide what your life is about, or your life can drift towards something. But either way, your life will be defined by something or someone.

Every one of us has a Godview. It’s what comes to mind when we think about God. It’s who we believe God is and how we believe God interacts with us personally and with our world. Our Godview affects everything we do. But here’s the reality—we don’t instantly know everything about God. In fact, we never really know everything about God. Instead, God is constantly revealing Himself to us through the relationship that we have with Him. There are things that each one of us knows about Him now that we didn’t know five years ago. And while we’ll never know all there is to know about God—because He’s that big and that mysterious—the things we learn about Him can help us respond to whatever life brings. That’s why author A.W. Tozer said, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

Have you ever been walking down the street, deep in thought, but oblivious to what was going on around you—that is until you snapped out of it and realized that you passed your destination two blocks ago? Your attention was elsewhere. Your mind wasn’t focused on where you were going, but on the random thoughts bouncing around in your head. The reality is this: what you give your attention to determines both your focus and direction. So if you’re not heading in the direction you want, what has got your attention?

Bottom Line: Divine direction begins with surrender.
Everyone makes stupid choices—even smart people. Why? Because we’ve all had moments when we know the right thing to do, we have the right information, and we ignore it. We know we should order the fruit cup, but we order the mega-size fries. We know we should not spend all our money on that one shirt, but we do it anyway. We know we should avoid that one relationship, but we just keep coming back because it’s comfortable. So there has to be something more to it than just knowing the right thing to do. It’s not just about knowing the right choice, it’s about actually taking that first step. It’s the difference between knowing the right choice and trusting that the choice will lead you to a better path. It’s the difference between information and submission.
Scripture References: 1 Kings 3:5, 10-14; Proverbs 3:5-7
Three questions this week.
1. What scares you about surrendering these things to God?
2. What might you gain by surrendering to God?
3. How can you start surrendering your everyday life to God? What are some steps you might take?

When we’re behind the wheel, most of us stop if we see a street sign that says “danger” or “dead end.” We put ourselves on alert if we see a “caution” sign. But when it comes to our daily lives and the choices we face, sometimes we ignore the warning signs completely. We trudge right through the “don’t say that” sign and deeply cut someone close to us with a wounding remark. We plow right through the “don’t date that girl” sign because we believe that having someone who’s not great for us is better than not having someone at all. The Bible warns us that when we see danger, we need to take action, because when we don’t, things can get really ugly.
Scripture References: Proverbs 27:12
“The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it” (Proverbs 27:12 NIV).

What kind of family do you want to be? What shared experiences do you want to have? What kind of legacy do you want to leave? This month, think about one goal, one destination, you want to reach as a family. Maybe you want to become more environmentally conscious. Maybe you want to serve others. Maybe you want to feel closer to each other. When you decide on your destination, then you can make a road map for getting there. Here are just a few questions to help you start planning your journey.

1. What is your biggest obstacle in taking the first step? Everyone has some reason why you can’t do something. Find out what that big fear or reason is, and determine what is the best way to push through that roadblock.

2. Is there something you need to stop doing in order to free up time to get to your chosen destination? For example, if you want to grow closer as a family, what time do you need to carve out of your schedule to spend time together on a consistent basis?

3. Are there tools or materials you need in order to equip you for the path? For example, if you want to become more environmentally conscious, do you need to clean up the garage to setup a recycling center? Do you need to find a drop-off center for recyclable items near your home? Do you need to make a trip to your local home improvement store to make your home more “green”?

4. What organizations can you contact or information can you research to help you prepare? As a family, if your goal is to start eating healthier, can you all take a cooking class to learn how to prepare more nutritious meals? Is there information you can find online about the nutritional information of foods at your favorite restaurants?

5. What kind of mile markers and guardrails can you setup to make sure you stay on course for the long run? There will be times when things get too hard or when the family gets off track, so beforehand, develop a plan to keep everyone accountable and help get things back on course.

You can’t get to the south beach by driving north, and you can’t get to the top of the mountain if you are walking down it. Why? It’s because our direction always determines our destination. While we all know this basic rule for navigating the roads we drive, we sometimes forget how the same rule is true in our lives. You can’t lose weight by shoving down quarter pounders and watching five hours of TV. You can’t have deep relationships by ignoring the living, breathing people around you. You can’t grow closer to God by shutting Him out of your everyday life or failing to make the effort to know more about Him. So what is the destination you desire for your life? Are you even on the right path to get there?

You can’t get to the south beach by driving north, and you can’t get to the top of the mountain if you are walking down it. In the Road Signs series, we will examine the book of Proverbs for wisdom to help each of us navigate the choices life brings because our choices determine the direction of our lives. And it’s our direction, not our intention, that ultimately determines our destination. Where are you heading?

People’s stories are powerful, aren’t they? There’s something about hearing what’s going on in another person’s life that puts things in perspective for us. We may be thinking that God has forgotten us, that He doesn’t care about what’s going in our world, but then we hear someone share how God showed up when they really needed Him. And because of that, we begin to think that maybe, just maybe, He can be there for us, too. That’s the power of community. It’s how we see God at work in our world. It’s how we grow closer to Him. And it’s an important part of growing in our relationship with Him.
We learn about God through community:
Bible verses to check out!
John 17:20-23, Matthew 22:37-39; Isaiah 9:6; John 14:15-26; Psalm 34:3; Psalm 133:1

Over the next three weeks, we are talking to your student about the importance of community. What that means is simply this—we need other people. God never meant for us to go through this life alone. There are times when each one of us knows that very well, and then there are other times when it’s the last thing on our minds. Wherever you are at, you need other people. And they need you. It’s part of how we see God in action in our world. It’s also how we learn more about Him and ourselves.

Recently, I ran across the following article from Carey Nieuwhof, a pastor in Canada. It’s a very candid confession, and one that may reflect your story at some point in your life.

FIND A FRIEND
By Carey Nieuwhof

By default over the years, I have been a pretty private person. I handle most things pretty tightly. I don't have a lot of people who are close to me, but those who are close to me are people I trust implicitly and establish a deep loyalty to.
When I was going through a tough season a few years ago, I went to see some Christian counselors, and their helpful message was simply this—I couldn't go through this alone. Everything inside me said, "Yes, I can," but I realized they were right. I couldn't do it alone.
I remember the night I shared what I was going through with my community group at the time. I'm sure my pride had kept me from talking about it before. Plus, I had earlier been convinced I would just wake up out of this at some point and it would go away. I didn't need to tell anyone. Clearly, that strategy was failing. So I talked to our community group through some tears one night. The love, prayer, empathy and compassion that poured forth was huge. I was humbled and blown away.
Toni, my wife, continues to show an unbelievable kindness. And I have a handful of close friends near and far (some live a long way away), some colleagues and some staffers who tracked with me through this season. I am so grateful for them.
Friendship is still not easy for me. I am really quite private at my core. In this networked world, I know thousands of people by name, but if people get too close, I can still push away. I'm working on that. God's working on that. There has been some big progress on that, I think.
But what I want to say is that I have come to realize that you can't do it alone. We are social beings. We are meant to be together.
I am always surprised that when I sit down with someone to talk through a life situation they are going through, and I ask them "Who else do you talk to this about?", the #1 answer is "No one," That breaks my heart.
If you're going through a hard time, find a friend. Talk to them. Pray with them. For me, it was hard, but life giving, to include a handful of people in a circle. It was life giving to see a group of people in my community group care deeply. We can’t do this alone—and we were never meant to do it that way.

Read: Proverbs 27:17

I have one friend from college who at the mere mention of her name makes me crack up. Any voice mail, e-mail or letter, literally makes me laugh out loud. Starting our senior year of college, we were cohorts in crime. Following graduation, we moved to Tennessee and worked and lived together for a year. Then we both ventured out west to try our hand at being cowgirls . . . kind of. She worked in Colorado and I worked in Wyoming. She was more of an actual cowgirl. I cleaned cabins and waited on tables. While out there, she met the man of her dreams and asked me to be in her wedding one year later. Eight months later she was in my wedding and now she and her husband are preparing to move to China to be missionaries.

She is a true friend. One time on a trip to a Hard Rock Café, we noticed a sign by our table that said Iron Maiden. (Only recently did I learn this was a band, which explains it’s place in Hard Rock Café, and more recently than that I learned it was also the name of a torture device first used in the 1500s.) We knew neither of these things at the time and took the phrase, adopting it as a name for ourselves. We wanted to be the Iron Maidens, because, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

This was the kind of friendship we desired. All craziness aside, what we craved was a friendship that pursued the betterment of each other, accountability to one another and a deeper knowledge of Christ. And this did not necessarily look like a weekly Bible study, or a scheduled time for prayer, or a twice a week chapel attendance that was required at our college. What it looked like was a sharpening of each other, an intentional smoothing of our rough edges by being friends who cared more about every facet of our friendship than just having a good time and sharing secrets.

I heard someone say once, “When iron sharpens iron, there are sparks.” A lot of times getting our rough edges smoothed out hurts. It is hard to let people in close and with something as sharp as iron, and giving them the access to your heart. But the sparks, the friction, the heat is not a bad thing. It means we are enduring the flames from the fire and being made into a more moldable and enduring vessel for Christ.

This friend made me a better follower of Christ. I did not always like her in the process. Sparks can burn. But she, along with God, made me what I needed to be. In her friendship, she gave me the permission to dialogue about tough issues, hard questions and nagging sins. That was hard. But we did it. I needed an iron maiden in her, and she needed one in me, and the result was two people who better understood what it meant to be at the mercy of the heat in order that we might come out better believers and followers of Jesus.

She still makes me laugh. She still brightens my life. But her real gift to me is not laughter or silly memories. Her gift is her persisting and enduring ability to shape me into who God wants me to be. I love her for that.

Something to Think About:
• What makes the friends you are closest too, the friends that you are closest too?
• Do you have someone who sharpens you like iron in your life?
• What do you do, or could you do, to help sharpen you and your friends?

We talked last week about how we need people, and if we’re honest, we all have realized that at some point or another. But there’s a reluctance to take that next step because it’s risky. It’s scary. And most of all, it’s messy. True community costs us something. But if we don’t have it, it will cost us a lot more.

We need other people. We get that when we feel lonely, don’t we? But the reality is that there are times when the last thing we want is someone around—whether it’s our own grumpiness or because we just don’t want to be hurt again. But God made us in such a way that people fill a very specific need in our lives. And while God does supply all our needs, He created us to need other people, too.

Read: Exodus 17:8-14

People need people. I don’t care what anyone else says. We as humans were created for relationship—and not just with God, but with each other as well. As basic as this seems, I forget that sometimes. Sometimes I think I can curl up on my couch with a good novel and some TiVo-ed episodes of my favorite show and be happy for the rest of my life. But as appealing as this sounds to me, inevitably I realize I need more than a remote and a book—I need people.

I think God either finds my lapses into this thinking totally insulting or absolutely hilarious. Maybe it is a little bit of both. Usually, He puts me in some sort of desperate situation where I require help from another human—like getting lost in downtown Atlanta, or reaching for something from the top shelf of the pantry—to help me realize, again, I can’t go at it alone.

We just read the story of Moses, a powerful and influential man, who had more reason than anyone else to think he didn’t need people—especially whining and complaining people, like the Israelites. I have to wonder if when he went to the top of the mountain while the Israelites were fighting below, if part of him just wanted to get away.

We have no way of knowing, but I don’t think it took very long for Moses to get tired of holding up his own hands. It takes me about thirty seconds. And in one of the most compelling word pictures I have ever found in Scripture, we see how desperately and mightily he needed friends. He needed their support, their strength, their endurance, their assistance and their persistence—literally.

What do you think was going through Moses’ mind as he sat on the rock and allowed his right hand men to lift his deadened arms in the air? I picture his head bowed, his brow furrowed and his back bent. And I imagine this day being engrained in his memory forever. If he was ever tempted to think he was too good for the help of others, he need only think back to the faithfulness of Aaron and Hur as they tirelessly came alongside him and empowered him to win the battle. And should that memory start to fade, he could just as easily go back to the scroll God had him write after the Israelites won, because this was “something to be remembered.” A great military feat, yes. But I think there was another reason for writing it down as well. God said write this down because Moses, you can’t forget, and Joshua, can’t forget, and those who follow, can’t forget, that you can’t do life alone.

My favorite TV show is way more entertaining when I can comment on it with someone on the couch beside me. Reading is more fun when I can talk about it and process it with a listening ear. And that is just the small stuff. There has been, and there will be, big, hard, stuff that comes along. I don’t want to be, and I can’t be, alone when it does.

People need people. We are not intended to be loners in this world. We need to allow ourselves to take a seat. Allow our arms to be lifted. Allow people to come in. Allow them to come close, whether we feel like we require it not. Because someday it will be essential to have the help and the hands, on either side of us, to make it. We were created for relationships. We were created for this.


Something to Think About:
• Why do you think we sometimes think we can do life alone?
• What is an area of life that is easy for you to ask for help in?
• What is an area of life that is hard to ask for help in?
• What is one way this week where you can be intentional about getting help for someone when you would normally want to do it alone?

In following Christ, there is one truth that most of us forget—we were never meant to do this alone. We need other people. It’s critical not just because we need friends, but also because in community we understand more about who God is. We see how He is working in other people’s lives. We learn things that God has taught them, and we get an opportunity to love and serve others. The WE series helps us discover the “WHY” behind community—why we need it, why we should pursue it.

Family Experience Challenge!

Math teachers teach math. Science teachers teach science. But who is teaching your child to manage their finances? Whether you realize it or not, your child is affected by the way you treat money. Think back to your own experience. How did your parents handle finances? Did they talk about it openly? Did your parents spend more than what they had? Did they save money? Did they give on a regular basis? How have your parents’ financial habits affected you?

This month, spend some time reflecting on your financial habits. Then spend some time alone answering the following questions about your financial goals for your child. Follow up by finding a time to get alone with your child, listen to their goals and come up with a plan to help them responsibly manage their resources.

Income/Spending:
1. What are your child’s expenses?
2. What do you want your child to pay for on his or her own?
3. How do you expect your child to pay for these things? Will he or she have a job?
4. How much will you allow your child to work while in school?

Savings/ Debt:
1. What expenses do you see in your child’s future? (car/ college/living, etc.)
2. How much of these expenses will your child be responsible for?
3, How can your child avoid debt?
4. Does your child need a credit card? Will you co-sign for one? What is the credit card for?
5. Will your child take out loans for college? What is the plan for paying those off?
6. Does your child need to save up for taxes? Do they know how to pay taxes when the time comes?

Giving:
1. Do you give on a regular basis?
2. Why would you or your child want to give?
3. In what ways can you encourage your child to give?

Bottom Line: Saving lets you do something more with your money than you can do today.

Chances are you have a list of “someday” items. Things you are going to buy, repairs you are going to make, vacations you will go on someday. The trouble is saving money for these things takes time and self-control. But when saving becomes a part of a monthly, weekly or daily routine, then we will be able to ultimately do more with our money than we can do today.

Scripture References: 1 Kings 4:29-30; Proverbs 13:11; 21:5, 20; 2 Peter 2:19; 1 Corinthians 13:11; 2 Corinthians 8:14; 1 John 3:17; Luke 12:16-21; Proverbs 11:28

We live in a culture that moves fast. We can get a burger and fries in less than three minutes, and we can download new music in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, this fast pace usually means we don’t stop to think about the money that constantly comes and goes, passing through our hands feeding our desire for more. But did you know throughout Jesus ministry one of His most prevalent topics was money? That’s right. The way we use our resources is important to God. The next three weeks we are going to take a look at the way we give, spend and save our money, and how these habits reveal the thin green line between our hearts and our money.

Week two:Where you spend your time and money is a reflection of how you see God.

Have you ever walked into Target to buy toothpaste? You walk in the door focused on the one thing you need, and walk out with $40 of stuff you realized you “had to have” once you entered the magical land of marketing. This week we will be talking about how what we see affects our desire and ultimately our pocketbook.

Scripture References: Matthew 6:19-25; Genesis 3:6; 1 Corinthians 10:23

We live in a culture that moves fast. We can get a burger and fries in less than three minutes, and we can download new music in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, this fast pace usually means we don’t stop to think about the money that constantly comes and goes, passing through our hands feeding our desire for more. But did you know throughout Jesus ministry one of His most prevalent topics was money? That’s right. The way we use our resources is important to God. The next three weeks we are going to take a look at the way we give, spend and save our money, and how these habits reveal the thin green line between our hearts and our money.

We all want to make a difference in this life. We want to be a part of something beyond ourselves. This week we will show how giving connects you to something bigger.

Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 9:7; Acts 4:32-35; Acts 4:36-37; 2 Corinthians 8:1-9; 1 Corinthians 10:26; Matthew 6:25-27; James 4:17

This week is the final conclusion to our parent series. The goal of this week is to help students see the responsibility that they have to pursue a relationship with their parents. Some students have been hurt by their parents and they are living out the cycle by seeking to hurt their parents in return. This week we will look at the life of Absalom, who having been hurt, used the remainder of his life for revenge. We will see the outcome of Absalom’s choice and raise the question: Is this really the best way? Can students begin to break the cycle by refusing to use their influence as sons and daughters to inflict pain on the parents who may have hurt them? Can they be the instruments of healing in our parent’s lives?

Scripture References: 2 Samuel 13-15; 18

Mom and Dad's...I want to know if and how this series has affected things at home between you and your kids. Also, I would love to hear what you thought about the "parent podcast"

A month ago I went back to Visalia to do a funeral for a student who was in my youth group. He had taken some prescription drugs that one of his friends gave him...they were from his parents medicine cabinet. They weren't bought from a dealer or by illegal means. Parents, your job is difficult, I learn this everyday more and more, there is no handbook on how to be a parent or raise children. My friend sent me this from Fox News...after our conversation about Cory's funeral. Parent, Please watch this and act on it!

Mom and Dad, I have a special gift for you! Hopefully you know by know that we are in the middle of a teaching series called "The Good Fight" it is all about the relationship between parents and their kids! One of the things that we are trying to do at Discovery is to help you (the parent) leverage your influence you have with your kids. That is why we have a blog and send e-mail's and letters, and why we are always looking for new opportunities to partner with you and communicate with you...so you can use your God given influence combined with the churches influence so we can make a huge impact into the life of your child!
So, for this series I am giving you a message that you can listen to about fighting for your relationship with your child! All you have to do is click on the title of this blog post or click here. Also if it would be easier for you to listen to it on a CD player...you can pick of a copy anytime during the next to Sundays in the youth room!
I would love to hear what you think about the message!

Here in the U.S., we celebrate a day for mothers, a day for fathers and a day for grandparents. But we never have a celebration for the whole family. But that’s not true elsewhere. Family Day is actually the name of a public holiday set aside to celebrate families. One of the places Family Day is celebrated is in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan. Below are the comments of a Canadian pastor and father of two teenage boys (ages 12 and 16), as he reflected on his Family Day celebration. As you read his words, think about your own family. How could you begin to establish some family celebration into your daily routine this month?
Family Day . . . Every Day by Carey Nieuwhof
We celebrated our first family day in Ontario today . . . a celebration, our
premier says, of family, because families need more time together. Good idea.
We're at the stage in our family where racking up the mileage on the
car is not hard—hockey rules, and right now we're all over the place in
playoffs. Between hockey and work, there's not a lot of time left. But because
time is the key to relationship, and relationship is the key to life in Christ,
we have to think creatively about how we as a family can leverage the time we have.
To me, as the kids get older, the key is not just praying together or
reading the Bible together (that's important and necessary), but the key is
opening a dialogue about faith and life that runs through life. That can be a
lot trickier. Personally, I find conversations about God and life happen best in
the flow of everyday life.
Here's what we do to try to track together at this stage in life (my boys are 16 and 12):
• We eat dinner together almost every night.
• We serve together on Sundays.
• We listen to music together. We let the kids drive the playlist because whatever they choose sure beats four people living together with four iPods running four separate soundtracks.
• I let my 16-year-old drive wherever he's legally allowed because it gives us time together.
• I'm reading through the book of Daniel with Sam (age 12).
• We play board games, watch movies and read in the same space.
• I'm trying not to stay at work too late or let work come home with me too often.
• We try to take several shorter vacations together each year.
This may all sound like pretty normal, unimaginative stuff, but the key to relationship is time. What things do you do with your family? What helps you keep communication with your child wide open?
Mom and Dad...During the month of June I am challenging you to make family time! Be intentional, it will not just happen. You have to make it happen!
I would love to hear your stories of how you had family time this month. Please share your ideas and stories with us!

When it comes to God’s intention for family, there are no ambiguities in Scripture. God desires for children and parents to turn their hearts toward each other and have a relationship. In order to have the good relationship God intends, we have to first learn how to change the fight. We have to stop fighting against “their way” and start fighting for a relationship. We have to surrender our right to be right and take up a new cause. We must prioritize relationship regardless of the cost.

Some scripture to think about for this week:
Malachi 4:6; Luke 1:17

Mom and Dad, I have a special gift for you this weekend! If you will stop by the youth room you can pick it up! I promise it will be worth your time!

All families fight; we just fight in different ways. But regardless of how your family handles disagreements, we can choose what we will fight about. In The Good Fight series, we will begin with the sometimes difficult call to honor our parents, found in Ephesians 6:1. Then we’ll build on that to show that God desires for children and parents to turn their hearts toward each other and have a relationship. In order to have the good relationship with our parents God intends, we have to learn how to change the fight first. We have to stop fighting against "their way" and start fighting for a relationship. That sometimes means surrendering our right to be right and prioritizing relationship regardless of the cost.

This past weekend I asked the Jr. High Students if they had any storm stories they would like to share...I let them write their stories down and they gave them to me at the end of our time together. I was shocked at how many turned in stories...almost 40...Needless to say, I think this was an awesome series, that was totally relevant to them (hello...all of us) So I wanted to share some of them with you...

*My mom on Halloween had to go to the hospital because she had a really bad
reaction to the medicine she was taking. I was on the steps crying but
then i calmed down and prayed to God and asked him to help my mom and that
she wouldn't die. God heard my prayer and saved my mom.

*I just feel empty inside for some reason, I am slipping away from God and
not doing as good in school like i used to. It seems like I get closer to
God and then go away from him...That's my storm story.

*My dad had back cancer and I was really afraid. I thought he was going
to die but then I prayed a lot for him with my family and the cancer went
away. I was really happy.

*I am just coming out of a storm...I got all C's on my report card, my
parents got angry and grounded me!

*I'm in the middle of a storm. It's almost the end of the school year
and i need to raise my two D's up so I can act and go into the 8th grade.
And my friends are mad at me and I want them to apologize so we can be
friends again.

*When my boyfriend dumped me, I seriously didn't know what too do. We
had been together for a year and i was full on head over heels for him. My
heart shattered into a million pieces. But God was there. He was my
comforter and gave me the strength. He healed my heart.

*There is a family that is really close to mine and the father on the family
died. I was so sad and was crying all the time. At the funeral i could not stop crying...I still always feel like i could cry even though it has almost been two years. His wife has been living with us for a while. Now I know he is in a better place.

*A few years ago my brother went to the emergency room. He had a
condition where he had a line in his chest where he got hooked up to
medicine. He was in the hospital for a few months and my mom stayed with
him while he was there. So at home it was me my dad and grandma. It
was very hard. But when he came home everything slowly started to get
back to normal.

*One of my best friends last year was killed in a dirt bike accident. I
try to forget about it but it wont leave me. I visit his family every
couple of weeks. I don't know why God took him away for the world.

*When I was little my dad died. I cried for a long time but then my mom
said that the Lord does everything for a reason. After that I started to
feel better. I still cry about it every once in a while, but i know God
will comfort me.

*My biggest storm, has been my parents divorce. Everything seemed
really nice until I was around seven years old. My parents were never nice
to each other any more, they were always arguing so they moved away from each
other for a half-year then got back together for my sake, but it didn't work out
and they got divorced on my 9th birthday. then my dad found my step mom we
hated each other for a year then things got better, but I still feel weird
around her. My mom goes for the biggest losers on earth, the first
one was a psychopath and the one she is with now has a drinking problem.

*My friend...parents might be getting a divorce soon, I pray for her when she
feels bad.

*At the beginning of the year I was grounded for 4 weeks for something I
didn't do. Also, my grandma is getting sick.

*I'm in a storm right now. My grades aren't good because I don't like
doing homework. I know I need to do it but i can't seem to find the
passion or will to do it.

These are some of their stories...we have learned over the past three weeks that God is with us in the middle of the storms...he has promissed to never leave us. If you are in the midle of a storm, run to God not away from him...He is closer than you think!

What do you see when you look in the mirror? Many of us see what we’re not instead of who we actually are, don’t we?


We see someone who burned dinner or spilled juice on the carpet. Someone who lost her car keys—again. Someone who is not the right height or weight. Someone plagued with could-have-beens and if-onlys.


These disappointments and imperfections are why we want to cover up who we really are. We want to make sure that the world around us sees only the version of us that we want them to see. But the Bible tells us we are children of God—loved and treasured exactly as we are.


Over the next two weeks we are going to challenge students to take a look at themselves and dare to be real.

Have you ever noticed how tabloids and mainstream magazines always seem to capitalize on the difficult trials celebrities face. If a celebrity wanted more publicity, it seems like all they need is a good trip to rehab or a divorce or a custody battle.

When people go through storms, the world pays attention. Something in us wants to see how other people handle the troubles life throws at them.

This week we are going to look at the potential for influence that we all have when a storm hits, whether we want it or not.

Questions:

Has God ever used a "storm" in your life to influence others?

Have you ever known someone who went through a terrible storm? How did they handle their situation?

Think about the storm you are in right now, or a storm you have been through in the past. How has that storm changed you? How is it changing you?

We want to hear your stories!

Scripture References: Acts 27; Isaiah 43:1-2; Psalm 119:11; Romans 8:28

“Why, God?” If you have ever said a prayer, it has probably been this one. “Why God” is a natural response when we are hurting. This week, we will talk discuss the idea that God is okay when we need to ask this question. While there may not be a very clear and rational answer, sometimes God uses the struggle to show us something about ourselves, about Himself, or to draw us into a closer relationship with Him.

Is it possible that God has a reason for the "storm" you are going through? Have you ever gone through a storm and wondered why would God allow this to happen to me, and then after it is all over seen the "Why" or the "How" God used the storm for your good, or how He protected and provided for you during the storm?

We want to hear your stories! Being able to share your storm stories with other people helps others know they're not alone, and that people do and can survive a "storm".

Some verses to read and think about: Psalm 22:1-2 Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

Thats right! We have a blog! We wanted to creat a place where we could interact with students and parents, and where parents and students could interact with each other! This will be a place where you can find out about what we are talking about in Jr. and Sr. High, info on trips...places we are going but also places we have been. This will be a place where parents can interact with each other...mom and dad, you are not alone!

Students, this will be a place where you can comment about the topics we discuss on Sundays and Thursday nights! You can ask questions, or even answer someone elses questions that they leave...

Our desire is that this will be a community of people that interact, support and encourage one another!

So here we go...lets blog!