Soul Food

What do you feed your soul with? How do you fill up? Everyone needs to fill their soul with something and it shouldn't be just anything. What does it take for you? I recently read a quote from Jamie Lee Curtis about this. In the December 27 issue of USA Today, Curtis wrote "You can have all the money in the world. You can have everything under the tree that you ever wanted. And if you're sitting there alone, you are the saddest, loneliest human being on the planet, and there is absolutely nothing that money can buy that will fill your soul."

Interesting. A talented, famous, rich actress looks on all that she has and realizes that none of these earthly possessions will fill a person's soul. Our souls long for something that cannot be gained through earthly wealth or fame. The human soul longs for something else. Something that will last forever. None of the aforementioned things last. They all fade away with time and change.

But there is something that will last for eternity and that will fill the soul to the brim. Just 2 words: Jesus Christ! He is the only constant filler in this ever changing world we live in.
Do you have Him? Is your soul sufficiently fed? If you are using wordly things to fill up, you will constantly be hungry and lean. But if you fill up on Jesus, you'll never go hungry again.

Save For A Rainy Day

This is something that teens and parents of teens need to know. The following excerpt has been taken from the pages of the March/April 2005 edition of Youthworker Journal. It is a wakeup call to all of us that like to spend money.

"According to a Harvard University projection, 111,000 adults younger than 25 will file for bankruptcy this year. Credit card debt for those under 25 more than doubled in the 1990's and continues to increase. Almost 60% of financial aid packages come from loans rather than grants. 40% of students from the highest income bracket now borrow money for college - a year ago it was only 20%. The policy research group Demos has dubbed Generation Y 'Generation Broke.'"

Wow! I hope and pray that this will sink in to you spenders out there that like to 'put it on credit.' It really helps to put a little away for a rainy day. Just remember these 3 little words: Save, Save, Save!

Stay Busy

This is for all of you out there that are in school-junior or high. Stay Busy! Have you heard the old adage "Idle hands are the Devil's playground/workshop"? As silly as that sounds, it is very dangerously true. There is a higher likelihood for you to get into trouble from the time that school ends and the time that your parents get home from work than any other time. That window is the one we all need to look out for. You've got to find something healthy to occupy your time.

A young girl approached me about a struggle that she and her boyfriend were having. They just kept moving to the next level. This was during a time when the parents were at work or away from the home. I wish that I had told her what I am writing now: Stay Busy! If you are fully involved with a hobby or game your mind will be less prone to wander to the darker areas.

So what can you do to fill that time? Here is a small list that should help:
1. Exercise/Lift weights (It is great for your body)
2. Develop interests or hobbies (Like collecting, fishing, hunting, sewing, cooking...)
3. Play games (Xbox, PS2, Cards, Cranium, Scene It...)
4. Read (It is great for your mind)
5. Study (Oh I know that this one sounds boring but it is a great way to kill 2 birds with 1 stone: Pass the time and improve your grades.)

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to finding things to occupy body and mind. If you start with this list and build your own then you are on the right track for staying out of trouble and keeping healthy.

Spring Break

Well Folks, Spring Break is upon us!! As I look forward to the coming week, I see the ski slopes of Monarch, CO on the horizon. You see, this Sunday morning is our Friend's Day in the Village and later that afternoon the youth group will be leaving for Colorado! The excitement just keeps building.

There are 20 youth and 11 adult chaperones going. We will be staying near the Ski Resort and skiing for 3 days. The whole group is full of anticipation and anxiety. We are looking forward to a great time of fun and fellowship.

The great thing about this trip is that there will be several other groups that we know in attendance. The Sheridan youth and Bryant youth groups will be there to share in the fun with us. There are probably more coming that we have not even heard about yet.

This Ski Trip is just one of the many activities that we have for the youth and young families here. If you have any questions about a Christian youth group near you, please respond and let me know.

Dish

Have you known anyone that could dish it out but couldn't take it? Working as a Youth and Family Minister I have seen my share of teens, tweens and adults that fit this description. They are really good at ridicule and sarcasm. They know the art of belittling. But they don't have the stomach or heart or whatever to take it in return. It hurts them and makes them angry.

Jesus had a message that spoke to this. "Do unto others as you would have done to you." Jesus gave us this command because He wants us to put ourselves in other people's shoes. If we think from their point of view, we will change our actions and stop our tongues before we hurt each other.

I think this really hits us hard. We are humans in a fallen world and we think like fallen people. Sometimes we let ourselves dictate the way we should behave. But that leads to trouble. Christians are called to a higher level of living. Before you say anything to or about someone, evaluate what the message will bring. Will it encourage and uplift or will it hurt and depress. Look at it through the other person's eyes. Look at it through our own eyes. If that was done or said to us, would we like it? Doing this will make all the difference in your relationships with others.

CHRISTeens

This is a pic of some of the youth in the Village. We recently traveled to CHRISTeens in Russellville for a weekend of worship, study and fun. Robert Cox, Buddy Bell and Randy Harris were speakers. Acapella and Soul Concern (an acting troupe from York, Nebraska) entertained. There was a great number of over 1650 at the rally. The weekend was uplifting.

Here we are in front of Ryan's Steakhouse. The group was ready to see just how much food they could put away.

Give Thanks

The weather today is supposed to be a beautiful 80 degrees. Coming out of chillier temps, I am excited to have this day. As I look out at the sunny landscape, I am brought back to the realization that there is a loving God out there that created this. All of the beauty in the world is just a signature or calling card of our creator. Psalm 19:1 reads "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands."

Days like this were made to be seized and enjoyed. They serve as a reminder that we have an all-powerful, all-loving God looking down from Heaven and smiling when we smile and think of Him.

The Heart of Worship

How many of you out there like to exercise? How many of you like the feel of the endorphins kicking in and the great sense of accomplishment after the workout? I love the rush of excitement that comes over me when I hit the gym or the treadmill. There is nothing quite like it.

Well, actually there is a similar rush. The one that comes from worshipping our Father in Heaven. The teens here at the Village church of Christ love the feeling that they get through praise and worship. We all love to sit in a circle on the floor and lift our voices in song. We constantly revamp our songbook to fit all of the new and old songs in. It makes us feel pumped up to sing to God and each other.

One thing we need to remember, though, is that the pump and joy that we feel in worship should take a back seat to the real audieince member. The one the songs are truly for. God. There is a song that we sing in the group that goes like this: "I'm coming back to the heart of worship. And it's all about You, Jesus. I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it when it's all about you, Jesus."

I think that this really sums it up for me. Even though the pump that we get in worship is great; we need to remember that songs of praise are ultimately for God. Knowing that transforms our attitude in worship.

Reflection

Last night, 10 teens from the youth group got together and prayed in a church wide vigil. It was a great time for all of us to put our goofiness aside and seriously pray for each other. All other thoughts were put on hold and we got deep together. Tears flowed freely as we prayed silently and aloud that God would heal our hurts, put a stop to our struggles and bring each of us into a more intimate relationship with Him and His body.

Later, while driving some of the group to their houses, several of them asked for this to be a more regular thing. They felt the closeness to God and each other in that time of prayer and wanted to be a part of it all the time.

Are you spending enough time with God in prayer? Do you pray without ceasing? God longs for His children to long to be near Him. Do you have that longing? In Matthew 18:18 Jesus says "When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there." (MSG)

How great it is to know that God is always ready to hear our prayers and work in our lives.

My First Blog

Hello. My name is Jimmy Mitchell. I am the Youth and Family Minister at the Village church of Christ in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. My colleague, Jim Gardner, and I have decided to enter the world of blogging. This is my very first blog. I will continue on in the future with thoughts about teen and tween Christianity as well as ideas on how to cultivate and nurture a Christian family. I hope that this proves to be a worthwhile blog for teens, young adults and young families that are seeking a closer relationship with Jesus.