RANDOMNESS

Up late on a Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. I watched some American Idol tonight. I thought it might be a good show because the contestants were to sing songs from this decade. But I didn't think they were very good and plus I didn't know several of the songs. I guess I'm getting old.

I am still trying to track down a family that we can do some yardwork for on Sunday. In a way that is a good thing since it seems most people at our church are in a position to take care of their home or already have others who are helping them.

I am really looking into new t-shirts for the youth group. My goal is to have them this spring before school is out. Please stay on me to get them done for us. I have an idea of a teal/turquoise blue color with white writing with IPUMYF on the front and BE TRANSFORMED NOT CONFORMED (Romans 12:2) on the back. Do you like that idea? That's one of my favorite scripture passages and we have used it a couple of times this year so I thought it was relevant. Do you like it?

ARE WE HEALTHY AND GROWING

We seemed to be a healthy and growing youth group by how many people we had Sunday night. I think that is the most people we have had at one meeting since I have been around. Great job bringing visitors and keep it up. (Good to see you again Johnny and Kristy and good to meet you Josh and Bobby). I promise if we have more new people I won't make us go on a picnic again! I think we really impressed Pastor Brian with our numbers and maybe if we keep it up we can see what improvements we can get done to the youth room (not to mention needing another church van. HA!).

So do you think we are doing a good job of being a healthy and growing youth group? Did Pastor Brian's talk make you think about those issues? Do you feel comfortable and accepted and want to come instead of being forced to come? Are you growing spiritually from being there? We're bringing friends and vistors--are we spreading the faith? Do you ever leave inspired and stirred by our wonderful God? Does that feeling last until Monday? How are we succeeding? What areas need improvement? Your feedback goes a long way towards letting me know ways to make your Sunday night not just more enjoyable--but more meaningful. So what do you think?

CCC NEWS YOU CAN USE

We now have a camp location. We will be going to the new site at Joshua Youth Camp outside of Albemarle, NC. Remember the week is July 16 through July 22. I have been seriously slack in getting you any new information about payment but I will have a letter going out soon. We had a fairly successful fundraising effort so the only remaining payment we are asking for is $25 which will need to be paid by April 16.

Hope everyone is getting geared up in the service mood for CCC this summer. Remember: "Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act." Proverbs 3:27

REMEMBER WHEN?

Remember that time at youth group when we played the funnest game ever. I think it was called the partner game and you had to go find a partner and that basically was all there was to it. Man that game was fun. I hope we play that game again. It was the best game ever. I was in so much suspense wondering who my partner was going to be. Seriously I was hoping that game would never end!

OK I knew it was pretty bad when during the game I was thinking to myself "This is the lamest game ever! Why did I ever pick this game to do?"

I am now officially accepting ideas for new game ideas because I think we have now played them all. If we don't get some new ideas I guess we will be back to rolling dice and running around chairs or hiding newspapers.

Game On!

DONUT GOSPEL

I got this forwarded to me as an email and I thought I'd share. It's a little long but worth the read. I've added a few comments of my own at the end.
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There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States. Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course his or her freshman year, regardless of his or her major.

Although Dr Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor's class. One day Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.

"How many push-ups can you do?"

Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."

"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?"

Steve replied, "I don't know.... I've never done 300 at a time."

"Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson.

"Well, I can try," said Steve.

"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor.

Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it"

Dr. Christianson said, "Good I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind."

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of doughnuts. No, these weren't the normal kinds of doughnuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class.

Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these doughnuts?"

Cynthia said, "Yes."

Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a doughnut?"

"Sure." Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a doughnut on Cynthia's desk.

Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a doughnut?"

Joe said, "Yes. Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a doughnut?"

Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a doughnut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got their doughnut.

Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship.

When the professor asked, "Scott do you want a doughnut?" Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own pushups?"

Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."

Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."

Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a doughnut he doesn't want?" With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten pushups.

Scott said, "HEY I said I didn't want one!" Dr. Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my doughnuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a doughnut on Scott's desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.

Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a doughnut?"

Sternly, Jenny said, "No."

Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a doughnut that she doesn't want?" Steve did ten....Jenny got a doughnut.

By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say "No" and there were all these uneaten doughnuts on the desks.

Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these pushups done for each doughnut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten pushups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten doughnuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely.

Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Dr Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?"

Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your pushups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want." And Dr. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO, dont come in. Stay out!"

Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come."

Professor Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten pushups for him?"

Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a doughnut."

Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jas on, do you want a doughnut?"

Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," he said, "give me a doughnut."

"Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a doughnut?" Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a doughnut and sat down.

Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face. There was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.

The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?"

Linda said, very sadly, "No thank you."

Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a doughnut she doesn't want?" Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda.

Then Dr Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a doughnut?"

Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?"

Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone, I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a doughnut whether they want it or not.

When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes."

"Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a doughnut?" As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said. "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'into thy hands I commend my spirit.' With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten."

Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.

"Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor, adding "Not all sermons are preached in words."

Turning to his class, the professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not only His Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid."

"Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?"
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Our Savior's sacrifice was so much greater than doing a bunch of pushups but the reward He offers us is so much sweeter than any amount of donuts. But there is only one way to get that reward. What are you waiting for?

BELAY ON!

Well everyone beasted the rock wall last Sunday night (well except Dennis--he was s-t-ruggling). Cora and Alex and Tamsyn were like spider people the way they scampered all over those walls. Emily was hardcore in her helmet. Big thanks to Jonathan and Katie for their belaying assistance, Where would we be without them--oh yeah, hanging by a rope high up on the wall!