Church, God, my youth group!!!

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

Church, like music has always been an important part of my life! its somethig i've been involved in since i was born. I've gone to the same church for 17 years! MFMC...Free Methodist Church of Monroe...=O) i've seen at least 4 different pastors there in the time i've been there.....there have been some rough times at our church but me and my mom have stuck it out.....I don't think i could make it through one day without praying to God about different things at least 3 times...yuppers.... anyhoo...I'm so so glad i have God in my life and i'm just so glad that he sent his son to die for our sins!!! HE IS SUCH AN AWESOME GOD!!!
There has been a lot of youth leader changes since i've been in the youth group....but right now we have a new youth leader named Dave and it seems like he's going to be really cool!!! We are really excited about the awesome things Gods going to do in our church, youth group, and community.

these pictures on here are really old. they are from 1997. So half of the people aren't in the youth group anymore and than there aren't a lot of people who now are in the picture. so its not exactly updated but you know what? my scanner doesn't like me so i can't get new ones! ;O(

my youth group in 1997

This is a picture of my youth group in my pastors basement (one of our youth rooms!!) anyhoo...this picture was taken forever ago!!! some of the people have graduated and are at college now...some don't come to our church anymore and some of us are still there!!! =O) anyhoo...we are (left to right;back to front):
Rachel R., Laura D., Carol D., Diana C., Andrew W., Justin W., Jeremiah H., Amanda B. (me!),
Tony, Ben J., Corey B., and Charles R.! =O) Thats not everyone but oh well its the only picture i have and i took it off my youth groups website!!! heeheheee! =o)
i love these people they are so great!!! =O)

casa bonita!

This picture was taken at Casa Bonita in Denver Colorado when my youth group was there for IYC 1997!!! (from left to right:top to bottom): Corey B., Mike P., Ben J., Erin H., Sheena P., Brian H., Mike S., Laura D., Amanda B. (me!), Alysia D., Eric, Susie B., Laura F., Diana C., and Rachel R.

Hitch hiking!!

This is the youth group in 1997 at the Denver Airport on our way to CSU for IYC '97!!! IYC was so much fun!!! While there we almost died! seriously! we were in a flash flood!! we were in moby arena when it started to rain...it was raining so badly they kept us in the areana even when the service was done! it was a blessing that we were in the areana because if we would have been out and about the campus we would have been in this building called the Lori student cernter which flooded floor to roof with water....we would have been killed! but we were safe in the arena thanks to our awesome God! he sure was there with us!! enough thought the lights and sound system had been knocked out we sang! it was so awesome!!! it was great!!!! =O) we ended up staying the night there....from like 7 to 7.....it was really great! i came so much closer to God that night! i was scared and he was there for me! he was watching over us...it was a great week! thats it in a nutshell!!! i could go on and on about IYC but i won't!!! if you wanna know about it than i'll tell you all some day! =o)



One of our youth leaders, Barry, who was only with us over the summer while our other youth leader Al was in Chile, picked the song Light the fire again to to be our youth group theme song! so here it is!
Don't let my heart grew cold,
I'm calling out light the fire again.
Don't vision die
i'm calling out light the fire again

Chorus
I am here to buy gold refined in the fire.
naked and poor
wretched and blind i come
cloth me white so i won't be ashamed
lord, light the fire again.
You know my heart my deeds,
i'm calling out light the fire again
i need your discpline
i'm calling out light the fire again
Repeat chorus

here are some bible verses I really like:
Jeremiah 29:11-13 For I know the plans i have for you, "declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and i will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever
Isaiah 40:28-31 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is everlasting God The Creator of the ends of the earth, He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord, will renew their strength, They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary they will walk and not be faint.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude. it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
2 Corinthians 4:7-9 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. WE are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; Perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; stuck down, but not destroyed.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God ~ not the result of works, so that no one may boast. Eph 2:8-9
We know that all things work together for good for those that love God, to those who are the called according to HIS purpose. Rom 8:28