These is the daring ones who went on the paintball trip and had a blast (and occasionally got blasted by fellow paintballers :) ) 

Gay Marriage: Seeking Justice

Here is a good article by Mark Earley of Prison Fellowship Ministries
on the Homosexual Marriage debate. He frames it as a matter of justice:
weighing the rights of the homosexual individuals versus children.

http://www.pfm.org/BPtemplate.cfm?Section=BreakPoint_Home&Template=/ContentM
anagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=12511



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[reallifenewsletter] FCC - YS Student E-mail Newsletter #134

Howdy all,
Here's the latest...

On Thurs June 17 at 7:30 the Youth will be headed to Fun-N-Stuff
for some go-cart racing. We'll meet at the L'Heureux's and go from there.
Mark your calendars and invite your friends!

Summer Trip: Plans are coming along. We're gonna leave for KY on
Sat July 3rd early (maybe 6AM). It is about a 6 hr drive. In KY
we'll be putting a roof on a small house/cabin and possibly building
a side room. In addition, there are going to be youth and singles
from that area who are going to be meeting and possibly working with us.

The area that we are going into is one of the poorest in the state. In
order to prepare, each person going will be required to go to a thrift shop,
such as Goodwill, and purchase an outfit to wear on the trip. In addition
you will need to find and get something from a dump or that has been set out
as trash by someone else. Then take that item and clean/fix it up for
either your use or to sell in a garage sale that we'll have. The purpose of
these exercises is multi-fold. First, it will help you to know what it
feels like to have to do that when you are poor thus second will help you to
have compassion for the shame and or embarrasment that can be felt by people
in need. Third it will perhaps show you that you would be able to do this if
you had to. When we go, we cannot have an attitude of superiority, but
rather an attitude of service. In addition some of the college age and
older will be asked to prepare short presentations to give to the group (us
and them).

We'll travel on the 3rd, set up and get logistics settled etc.
On the 4th, we'll be going to Louisville where they claim to have
the world's largest fireworks display (or perhaps largest at least in the
area - I'm not sure) along the river. We'll picnic, swim, possibly have hot
air balloon rides, maybe tube a river etc.
We'll then be working for a few days to finish the roof etc.
From there some will head back to North Carolina for white water rafting and
other activities. I may need to head back home at that point because of
work.

One other note, for bathing suits we'll have some rules this time:
Females will have to have either one-piece suits or two-piece that
look like one-piece suits. Males can't wear speedo's :).

Those planning to attend:
Justin P
Hannah Erickson
David Althausen
Jennifer Althausen
Hillary Althausen
Tessa Cirincione
Becky Althausen
Jonathan Althausen
Chad Johnston
Plus around 25 from KY

All for now...more to come...
-Nathanael

YS STUDENT E-MAIL NEWSLETTER #134
May 24, 2004

Contents
1. Something for Your Heart
2. Surf Report
3. Forgettable Fact
4. Potent Quotables
5. Parting Shot


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discussion questions, and real-life stories, this book is packed with raw
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Also available at your local Christian bookstore.

=================================


1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

You may not know it, but many of us in the older generations keep an eye on
you and your peers. We are inspired and motivated when we see you do
something significant. We cheer when you set new sports records. We marvel
at your science projects that make ours of long ago seem too juvenile for
Fisher-Price. We may not always let on, but we watch and take pride when you
stand out.

Recently there have been a number of articles on something your generation
is doing much better than we ever dreamed of: cheating.

We thought we were being creative when we taped answers to a ruler and
shoved it up our sleeve. But you guys have learned to program formulas into
your calculators. You peel labels off water bottles, write answers on the
back, and then glue the labels back on. You can text-message back and forth
without looking conspicuous. And you quickly discovered that camera phones
could be used to take photos of a test to send to a friend or even post on
the Internet.

You personally may not be a cheater, but about three-fourths of your peers
admit to some kind of "serious" cheating. And the few who choose not to
cheat either don't want to tell on those who do, or don't feel their efforts
will do much to eliminate the problem.

You've heard all the reasons why cheating is bad: "You're only cheating
yourself"; "Just because others do it doesn't make it right"; "God values
honesty." Yet cheating is as bad or worse now than it's ever been.

(If nothing else seems to work, ask yourself the next time you're in a
dentist's chair looking up at a drill: "I wonder if someone like me helped
this guy cheat his way through dental school?")

The topic of cheating raises a question that will come up again and again in
your life. If you can get away with something without getting caught, will
you do it? It won't be long before, if you choose to, you can drink all you
want, overindulge in junk food, do drugs, have sex, buy or view porn, or
anything else. Just because you can, WILL you?

You probably know good, decent people who left home for college and got
involved in such things right away. Will that be you? If you discover you're
cheating just because everyone else does it and you can get away with it,
who's to say you won't eventually use the same line of reasoning to get
involved in something worse?

Finals are coming up. Now's as good a time as any to start doing the right
thing for no other reason than you choose to do so. As soon as you make that
bold, final decision, you'll experience a freedom that cheaters never
attain. Besides, we're watching you and hoping for the best.

On your own ...

Read Acts 5:1-11.
http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=NLT&passage=A
cts+5%3A1-11

The story of Ananias and Sapphira is an extreme example, to be sure. But
what does it tell us about the severity of dishonesty and cheating when it
drifts into a church setting?

2. SURF REPORT

~ It's a Good Question
"Why is Christ the only way?" That's Beth's question. Maybe you've wondered
the same thing. For a straightforward, easy-to-understand answer, look no
further than this site.
http://www.passageway.org/qnalink_r.asp?q=129

~ Memorial Day
Memorial Day in the United States is much more than a three-day weekend that
marks the beginning of summer. To many people, especially the nation's
thousands of combat veterans, this day (which has a history stretching back
all the way to the Civil War) is an important reminder of those who died in
the service of their country. To learn more about it, check out the History
Channel's history of the holiday.
http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/memorial/memorial.html

3. FORGETTABLE FACT

If a cow eats onions, its milk will taste like onions.

4. POTENT QUOTABLES

The first and worst of all frauds is to cheat one's self.
- P.J. Bailey

An honest man's the noblest work of God.
- Alexander Pope

The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be
broken.
- Samuel Johnson

5. PARTING SHOT

Half the people you know are below average.

Copyright 2004 Youth Specialties


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[reallifenewsletter] FCC - YS Student E-mail Newsletter #133

Yo!
In an effort to keep up with the latest technologies and trends, :)
I've added a blog (Web Log) to the website that is for the youth.
There is a link on the High School Ministries page
(www.fconline.net/myouthhs.htm) and it takes you to the blog:
(http://fconline.blogspot.com).
These newsletters will be posted there along with other items of
interest. I've got to get into the swing of using these things so
we'll see how it goes!

So far for this Summer now I've heard from the following
people who've said that they want to go:
David, Jen, Tessa, Jon, Becky

I believe that Justin P and Hannah Erickson will be there
as well as others.

-Nathanael

YS STUDENT E-MAIL NEWSLETTER #133
May 17, 2004

Contents
1. Something for Your Heart
2. Surf Report
3. Forgettable Fact
4. Potent Quotables
5. Parting Shot


===========our|sponsor===========

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reality of what it really means to be God's child.

http://www.youthspecialties.com/linker/index.php?id=3238

Also available at your local Christian bookstore.

=================================


1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

"What are the odds?"

Have you ever said that after making an unbelievably incredible shot on the
basketball court or golf course? Or seeing a rabbit cross eight busy lanes
of interstate traffic without a scratch? Or tossing a coin and having tails
come up seven times straight? Most of us occasionally experience or observe
events that, if not downright miraculous, certainly seem to "beat the odds."

The world of statistical probability is a fascinating one. Some people sit
around all day and try to determine precisely what the odds might be for any
given occurrence. For example, they tell us the odds of your becoming
president are 1 in 10,000,000. Your odds are better for becoming a pro
athlete: 1 in 22,000. And if you'd be happy just catching a baseball at a
major league game, your chances are 1 in 563.

For those of you considering gambling as a career, the odds are against you.
If you're counting on winning a state lottery jackpot, you have only a 1 in
4,000,000 chance. Being dealt a royal flush in a poker game? 1 in 649,739.
Even at the roulette table, the odds of your number coming up are 1 in 38.
If by chance you do win big, the odds of being audited by the I.R.S. are 1
in 175.

And guys, no matter how frequently you dream about it, the actual odds of
ever dating a supermodel are 1 in 88,000.

Yet no matter how extreme the odds, some people are determined to try. They
keep buying lottery tickets. They keep gambling. They keep hoping beyond
hope to bump into Niki Taylor and start a long-term relationship.

But when it comes to our spiritual lives, we need to be clear on certain
statistics. For example, what are the odds of a person committing a sinful
act that will put him or her "at odds" with God? According to Romans 3:23,
the odds are 1 in 1. "All have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious
standard." How many actually deserve to die because of their sin? Again, 1
in 1. "Death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned" (Romans 5:12).

That's why pastors and church teachers place so much emphasis on putting
faith in Jesus. Those who do so move from the 1 in 1 odds of death, to a 1
in 1 confidence of eternal life in heaven. Paul assures us: "I am not
ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work,
saving everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). And don't forget John 3:16:
Everyone who believes in God's Son will not perish, but have eternal life.

The chances of a meteor landing on your house are 1 in 182,138,880,000,000.
But those odds are nothing compared to hoping to find a way into heaven
other than yielding to Jesus and seeking his forgiveness and redemption.
When it comes to salvation, the odds are simple. Jesus is the one sure thing
in this life. With him, you can't lose. Without him, you can't win.

On your own ...

Read John 14:6-14.
http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=NLT&passage=J
ohn+14%3A6-14

Based on what Jesus told his disciples, what do you think he would say to
those who claim there are many roads to God, heaven, and eternal life? Why
do Christians elevate Jesus above Mohammad, Buddha, Krishna, and other
religious figures when other religions may be willing to place them all on a
more equal status?

2. SURF REPORT

~ The Cross and the Chrysanthemum: Christianity in Japan
How did the news of Jesus Christ reach the Land of the Rising Sun? How much
of an influence does Christianity have in Japanese society today? What kind
of ministries are thriving there? You'll find the answers to those questions
and more at this information-packed site.
http://ifc.gospelcom.net/ministry/513

~ The Mariners' Museum
Whether you're an old salt or a landlubber, you'll find something of
interest at this nautical site. How about some pictures of debris from the
Titanic? Or photos of some of the most beautiful lighthouses in the world?
Or pirate stories? If you're ready to head to sea, just click your mouse and
sail over to this site.
http://www.mariner.org

3. FORGETTABLE FACT

Of the 1,700 poems Emily Dickinson wrote, only seven were published in her
lifetime.

4. POTENT QUOTABLES

A fool or idiot is one who expects things to happen that never can happen.
- George Eliot

A man with God is always in the majority.
- John Knox

Statistics are no substitute for judgment.
- Henry Clay

5. PARTING SHOT

Every calendar's days are numbered.


Copyright 2004 Youth Specialties










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Test of an email blog posting

I'll start adding the newsletters to the blog and other items of interest
that I find...
TTYL


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Welcome to the FCC Youth Blog

I've played with Blogs before but decided that we finally had to listen to the immortal words of Frank (with a French sound) "Welcome to the 90's Mr. Banks!"

So off we go! Hold on to your seats! This here could be a wild ride...
:)