[reallifenewsletter] FCC - YS Student E-mail Newsletter #139

We are less than a week from the summer trip and most of the major
plans have been set and the questions of who is going are more or
less settled. Just talked to Debbie last night and she was changing
the schedule slightly to have an activity on Monday during the day...

Anyhow the list of people I know going:
David Althausen
Chris Althausen
Hillary Althausen (These three will be there for just the first part)
Hannah Erikson
Justin Powlison
Jennifer Althausen
Tessa Cirincione
Becky Althausen
Jonathan Althausen
Chad Johnston
David Bentley

Plus of course me, Emmy, our kids and Debbie.
There is also a chance that Pastor Norm will
be going for part of the trip but that is not
fully confirmed yet.

-Nathanael

YS STUDENT E-MAIL NEWSLETTER #139
June 28, 2004

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


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Also available at your local Christian bookstore.

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


1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

"You're not the boss of me!"

In recent years, this has become a popular phrase. Perhaps you've heard a
defiant sibling direct this statement at you, or possibly at your parents.
Maybe you've even muttered the statement yourself on occasion.

And when you think about it, surely some variation of this phrase must have
been used by the American colonists way back in the 1770s. After sailing all
the way across the Atlantic on rickety boats to secure a bit of freedom for
themselves, they quickly grew tired of England's imposed taxes, rules, and
expectations. So in between the lines of all the eloquent statements in the
Declaration of Independence, the simple message it sent King George III was,
"You're no longer the boss of us."

Yet as soon as the Revolutionary War was over and the newly created United
States had won its freedom, the leadership started writing the Constitution,
electing a President, and making rules to live by. Why ruin all that
wonderful fresh freedom by imposing a bunch of rules?

What some people fail to realize is that genuine freedom does indeed require
rules, as well as someone to enforce them. Certain restrictions must be
imposed. What would happen, for instance, if someone wanted to exercise
freedom by running his SUV through a red light while you're peddling your
Schwinn through the intersection? The "stop at a red light" rule exists to
protect both of you.

Therefore, freedom is achieved not by doing away with rules altogether, but
by exchanging one leader and set of rules for another. The American
colonists exchanged King George III and the English monarchy for a
democratic republic with elected leaders. What the U.N. is hoping to do in
Iraq is replace the tyrannical regime of Saddam Hussein with a fresh and
liberating system of government for the Iraqis. Both systems have leaders
and rules, but one set is oppressive while the other is liberating.

Similarly, on a personal level, exhilarating freedom is found by giving up a
selfish or worldly perspective and determining to follow the rules that God
has established. Some people feel that the very fact that they are expected
to follow rules diminishes their independence. But anyone who has committed
to following his or her own desires and whims for very long will tell you
that experiences of peace and freedom are few and fleeting.

Only the unconditional love and unshakable strength of Jesus allows us to
experience genuine freedom. Your commitment to receive the salvation and
redemption he offers is immediately followed by his declaration of your
freedom from sin. From then on, he is the leader in your life and you agree
to abide by his rules. But it's the most liberating option you'll ever find.

Jesus taught, "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love
the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other" (Matthew 6:24).

So consider your level of satisfaction with your personal, spiritual freedom
this Independence Day. Then ask yourself, "Who IS the boss of me?"

On your own ...

The Book of Galatians deals with the theme of Christian freedom. It's not a
long book. When you have a few minutes, read straight through it and then go
back and think about the portions that strike you as most important.

2. SURF REPORT

~ A Life of Service
Do you live a Christian life, or do you live a few Christian days here and
there? Discover what it means to be a 24-7 follower of Christ.
http://www.passageway.org/default.asp?page=etc.asp?loadpage=etcetera/lifeser
vice.asp

~ Find Thirty Books of the Bible
The names of thirty books of Scripture are hidden in one paragraph. Can you
find them?
http://www.nccogop.org/30_books_of_the_bible.htm

3. FORGETTABLE FACT

Technically speaking, there are only 46 states in the U.S. Kentucky,
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia are commonwealths.

4. POTENT QUOTABLES

The purpose of life is not to find your freedom, but your master.
- P.T. Forsyth

The cause of freedom is the cause of God.
- W.L. Bowles

A Christian man is the most free lord of all, and subject to none; a
Christian man is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to everyone.
- Martin Luther

5. PARTING SHOT

If the shoe fits, get another one just like it.

Copyright 2004 Youth Specialties








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[reallifenewsletter] FCC - YS Student E-mail Newsletter #138

Howdy!
I sent out a more detailed itinerary and cost estimates last week
for the summer youth trip. Let me know if you didn't get them or
if you have additional questions.

The high school youth are going to be doing some skits (at least
one - possibly more) and the college age and older are going to
be giving presentations.

Have you gotten anything from a thrift store yet or salvaged
anything from the trash yet (someone else's) for the potential
garage sale? I know that Jon A found a pretty nice chair! Way
to go Jon!

All for now...
TTYL
-Nathanael

YS STUDENT E-MAIL NEWSLETTER #138
June 21, 2004

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


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went through times of loneliness, doubt and confusion. Sometimes following
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Also available at your local Christian bookstore.
=================================


1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

Here's a brief reflection on the song "The Way" by Telecast:

"You are the Way
The Truth and Life
You are the only way for me."

Are you going to heaven when you die? I read the results of a survey the
other day that said the majority of the people in the United States thought
they would be going to heaven.

But when asked why they thought that, very few said it was because they had
repented of their sins and made a personal commitment to Jesus. Most people
said they were confident of heaven because either they had been a good
person or God was too good to send anyone to hell.

Well, God is good, so good he made a way for you to go to heaven. But it is
not good works that get you there, it is the blood of Jesus.

"Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to
the Father except through me'" (John 14:6).

Jesus didn't say, "I am A way." He said he is THE way to the Father. I tell
people all the time, "If you want to go to the heaven of the Bible, you
have to go the Bible way. And that way is through Jesus Christ."

But Jesus is more than just the way to heaven, he is the way to fellowship
with the Father. He is the way to the comfort of the Holy Spirit. He is the
way to life.

"The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to
give life in all its fullness" (John 10:10).

The key to abundant life is fellowship with God through Jesus Christ. How
do you have fellowship with God? Spend time in His Word. Read it. Obey it.
Spend time in prayer. Go to church. Be kind to others. Let the love of God
flow through you and you will know him better each day.

In the song "The Way," the group Telecast sings about the only way they
will go. That way is the way of the Lord. Listen to the song, make your
commitment. Follow Jesus and get to know the Lord better. Spend some of
your time today with him. Make it your goal to live conscious of his
presence every day. That is the way of life; it is the only way for me.

(Suzy C.)

Daily Reflections from Solid Sounds, copyright 2004 The Good News
Broadcasting Association, Inc. (Solid Sounds). Used by permission. To
receive daily Reflections by e-mail or to read on-line, visit:
http://www.solidsounds.org

2. SURF REPORT

~ The Study Bible Forum
Will we recognize loved ones in heaven? How could Jesus be a descendant of
David? Who did Cain marry to have children? These are some of the questions
you can ask--and answer--at the Study Bible Forum. Giving lay people and
scholars alike the opportunity to voice questions and share biblical
answers, the Study Bible Forum offers scriptural wisdom for the spiritual
questions most of us wonder about occasionally.
http://www.StudyBibleForum.com

~ Name That Bar
Here's a game that will test your knowledge of candy bars. All you have to
do is look at a cross-section of several different candy bars and name each
bar The first twelve are pretty easy. Especially if you're a chocoholic.
The second set of twelve, however, are pretty tricky. Good luck! And try
not to drool on your keyboard.
http://www.sci.mus.mn.us/sln/tf/c/crosssection/namethatbar.html

3. FORGETTABLE FACT

Male cardinals take three times as long as females to learn a new song.

4. POTENT QUOTABLES

Fight to escape from your own cleverness. If you do, then you will find
salvation and uprightness through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- John Climacus

Before an individual can be saved, he must first learn that he cannot save
himself.
- M.R. DeHaan

Jesus, like any good fisherman, first catches the fish; then he cleans them.
- Mark Potter

5. PARTING SHOT

Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Copyright 2004 Youth Specialties



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BreakPoint | Captain Obvious Strikes Again - Same-sex marriage is faulty

Another good article from Breakpoint on the topic of same sex marriage.
Here a recent Yale study that shows the importance of having a mother
and a father in the lives of children is used to show another argument
against same-sex marriage.

BreakPoint | Captain Obvious Strikes Again

When Does Personhood Begin? - Christianity Today Magazine

This is an excellent article on the issue of personhood and human life that affects the topics of abortion, invitro fertilization, euthanasia, embrionic stem cell research and a host of other bioethical issues.

When Does Personhood Begin? - Christianity Today Magazine

[reallifenewsletter] FCC - YS Student E-mail Newsletter #136

Yo,
Here's the latest on the summer trip:
We're leaving Saturday July 3 and meeting up in KY.
We were going to replace a roof, but that got done already
due to it being ripped off during the recent bad weather.
We are still going to be doing some land clearing for work
but now the trip has shifted focus to more of a spiritual
work trip vs a physical labor work trip.
We were and are planning to have a meeting for and with
the local youth on Monday evening. But in addition the local
church that we'll be working with asked us to have a service
for the whole church as well on Tuesday night. So here's
how it will go down. Some of the college-agers who are going
are being asked to prepare a short (15 min) presentation to
give on Monday night to the youth. There are several topics
that they will be doing the presentations on. The high-schoolers
will be doing a skit each night. We'll also be doing the music
(so get your instruments and vocal chords ready :)).

Each morning, we'll have a time for every person to have
a quiet time and we have some materials that we'll be studying
together. We'll eat breakfast and then have a group meeting
with our people. Then we'll have our day events and evening events.

On Saturday, since we'll be traveling, our first meeting will be
in the evening just to gather together, get situated, pass out
materials etc.

On Sunday, the 4th of July, we are heading to Louisville KY for
picnic, tubing, river play, possible hot-air balloon rides and
fireworks.

On Monday during the day we'll be 1) going door-to-door inviting
youth for Monday night and everyone for Tuesday night
2) Land clearing
In the evening we'll be having the meeting for the youth.
We'll do the music, have one or more short presentations, a skit
and probably have hang-out time afterwards.

Tuesday is similar to Monday except that the evening meeting
will be for all ages.

On Wednesday, I need to be headed back to Ohio, but those with more
time will go to North Carolina with Debbie for various activities.
There might even be some activities in NC on Wed or later such as
going to Mammoth Caves, horseback riding etc. In NC possibilities
incluce white water rafting, rock climbing, horseback riding, touring etc.

So far here's what I know about who's coming:
Becky A
Jon A
Chad J
Jen A
Tessa C
Justin P
David A ? wants and plans to come - depends on work project
Hillary A ? also wants to come but has summer school
There may be one or two others from CA.
I haven't heard from Chris A yet.

Let me know if you have additional questions etc.
The thrift store requirement still stands :) (See previous emails).
BTW, the newsletters are now being put online on our youth
blog (http://fconline.blogspot.com)

All for now...
-Nathanael

YS STUDENT E-MAIL NEWSLETTER #136
June 7, 2004

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


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Also available at your local Christian bookstore.

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


1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who
believes in him will not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Big Time Wrasslin'?
When I sent a complimentary e-mail to a friend, he responded, "Thanks. BTW,
I'm still looking for that source."

Now, if you look down at the bottom of this devotion, you'll notice that my
initials are not BTW. My highly intelligent coworker had obviously made a
little error in my identity. I thought about pointing it out, but then
realized that perhaps it was I who was slightly ignorant. So, I did what any
sophisticated, smart woman would do. I started surfing.

Possibilities abounded on the Internet. "Big Time Wrasslin'" was my
favorite, but maybe what my friend had meant was the "Brothers of the Third
Wheel." Nah. He's a sports fan, but I doubt that he's really all that
interested in wrestling, or in an international triker organization.

Perhaps he was displaying his vast knowledge of other languages and he meant
"Büro, Technik und Wissenschaft" or "Belasting op Toegevoegde Waarde"? Hmm.
Probably not.

I know! Maybe he was in the middle of reading a biography and accidentally
typed in Booker T. Washington's initials by mistake!

All kinds of acronyms and jargon are out there. They're handy. If we have
to, we'll slowly figure out the code. Pretty soon, we're using it ourselves.
Christians have their own jargon. But to be effective in our witnessing, we
need to be clear when we talk about our faith with non-Christians. A person
shouldn't have to go to Christian-language school to figure out the gospel
message. Or to guess that the Trinity means "three Persons in one God." Or
that repentance means "to turn your back on a former way of life." Or that
sin means "to disobey God."

A good verse to use in telling others about Jesus is John 3:16. It's been
called the "gospel in a nutshell" because it gives succinct information on
how to be saved. Saved. There's another one! Instead of saying, "Would you
like to be saved?" why not say, "Would you like to make sure you go to
heaven when you die?" We are showing respect to others when we care enough
to communicate our message clearly.

Oh ... by the way ... BTW? It means "by the way." But, of course, you
already knew that, didn't you?
(Cindy Kasper)

Here are some questions to ask yourself:
~ How does it make me feel when people talk in unfamiliar acronyms and
jargon?
~ How do I think others feel when I do it?
~ Do I find myself using jargon when I talk about my faith? How can I be
more clear?

From Soul Journey, copyright 2004 RBC Ministries Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Used with permission. To receive SJ via e-mail, read it online, or get a
copy delivered to your home, go to:
http://www.soul-journey.org

2. SURF REPORT

~ Beautiful Music
Even though Ginny Owens, blind since she was two, can't see herself in a
mirror, she still struggles with self-image and what it means to be
beautiful--in the eyes of the world, and in the eyes of God. Check out what
she has to say about her new album--and about what she's learned concerning
the definition of beauty, inside and out.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/interviews/2004/ginnyowens-0404.html

~ Fruit Fly Fight Club
Ever seen fruit flies pound the stuffing out of each other? If you're
curious about their battle techniques, check out this site. Brought to you
by Harvard Medical School. Seriously.
http://labworks.hms.harvard.edu

3. FORGETTABLE FACT

The audio book version of the King James Bible is 84.5 hours long.

4. POTENT QUOTABLES

Every generation of Christians has this problem of learning how to speak
meaningfully to its own age. It cannot be solved without an understanding of
the changing existential situation which it faces. If we are to communicate
the Christian faith effectively, therefore, we must know and understand the
thought forms of our own generation.
- Francis Schaeffer

I should warn you, if I turn out to be particularly clear, you've probably
misunderstood what I said.
- Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve Board

Incomprehensible jargon is the hallmark of a profession.
- Kingman Brewster, Jr.

5. PARTING SHOT

When two egotists meet, it's an I for an I.

Copyright 2004 Youth Specialties







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History of English

If you were ever interested in the history of english, here's a
very short graphical view with some links to more detail. Pretty
interesting!
History of English

Partial Birth Abortions and the Courts - BreakPoint with Charles Colson

An excellent short piece on the outrageous actions of certain courts in trumping legislation as well as creating legislation by fiat here related to the partial birth abortion ban recently signed into law.

BreakPoint with Charles Colson

Floridian: Jesus is your . . . what?

Here's an interesting article about the recent popularity of "Jesus is my Homeboy" t-shirts.
Floridian: Jesus is your . . . what?