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The Noise We Make |
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The Gates of Heaven by Kathryn Plummer, Fremont UMC Youth Bacpacking: The Time of Your Life by Becca Scofield, Emmett UMC Youth "I Can" by Kathryn Plummer, Fremont UMC Youth "Sept 11th Response" by Beyth Hogue, Trinity UMC Youth |
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The Gates of Heaven
by Kathryn Plummer, Fremont UMC Youth There is a commercial for Mervyns, where the women stands outside of the store chanting open open open. She stands there waiting for the store to open it’s doors so that she might enter to the fantastic sales of the season. We don’t have to stand at the gates of heaven waiting for the store of God-Mart to open. It's doors are always unlocked. His business is open 24 hours a day. The only thing we have to wait for is for ourselves to reach out and turn the handle, entering the store filled with Christ's unending love and grace. |
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Bacpacking: The Time of Your Life
by Becca Scofield, Emmett UMC Youth When my outdoorsy pastor and my crazy brothers first told me I was to go backpacking with the rest of my youth group, I wanted to laugh. Me, on a mountain, with thirty pounds on my back. Yeah, right. I don't do that sort of thing. I don't even like to walk from my room to the kitchen when I get hungry. So I was very surprised to find myself on a mountain, with thirty pounds on my back. I was also having more fun than I can remember. Let me tell you about backpacking. It's dirty, it's tiring, it's unhygienic, and it is the most wonderful experience of your life. You laugh, you sing, you play, and you see the most beautiful places God has ever created. One year I backpacked nine miles in one day, the next year I jumped off a twelve-foot rock into glacier water, and the next time I climbed up a vertical rock slide to find a lake that wasn't there. Every year there were new people, new adventures, and new memories; memories that will be with me for the rest of my life. And those memories were made with the ministries of God in action. |
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"I Can"
by Kathryn Plummer, Fremont UMC Youth These past few weeks I've found myself saying "I can't" at least once a day. At first it didn't bother me to any great extent, in fact I hardly even heard myself saying it, until my father pointed it out to me. He told me I have the capability to achieve whatever I set my mind to. I pondered on those words to realize that he was right; that God would not set anything in front of me I could not handle with Him as my guide. As I was processing this concept I came across this poem: "I Can; Because I Believe: I can do all things; that I set my mind too. I can climb the highest mountain; if that's what I choose to do. I can accomplish every goal that I set to achieve; I can do the things that Jesus did; if through Christ I believe. I can overcome any obstacle; no matter how huge it may appear. I can rise above my greatest trails, and put beneath me my deepest fears. I can walk through the burning furnace in my life and come out as white as snow. I can pray for those who persecute me and hate me; it's love I'll sow. I can rejoice at the setbacks that failure brings; That is why success in life is what I'll achieve. You see... 'I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.' I can; because I believe!!" Nathan Kendell, Jr. Nacogdoches, TX I believe God will always guide me through whatever challenges I face. In times of frustration, instead of blurting out "I can't," I need to remember that with God's strength "I can" and to ask for his guidance. I pray that you may do the same. |
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On behalf of the Conference Youth Ministry Team of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference, I, Beyth Hogue, Chair, release the following statement: The events of September 11th, 2001 will always be remembered in our hearts. Despite our personal opinions, we stand united in one country and one faith. As Christians, we respond to God’s call to be living witnesses of God’s grace at this time of extreme turmoil. We resist the urge to make judgments about individuals and groups. We wish to ensure the beautiful diversity that God has blessed us with by supporting those discriminated against as a result of these attacks. As children of God, we accept the challenge to shine God’s ever-glowing light in a world of darkness. We look to what we know from scripture and personal experience to answer our questions and trust God with those that we are unable to answer. We urge everyone to seek guidance and understanding and to continue their lives as normally as possible; rather than dwell upon past events. We pray that through God we will discover that our faith prevails. |
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