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{Heart4Teens.com} *Spreading Sunshine*
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If you enjoy this free email service, I encourage you to spread the word to family and friends that we may bring inspiration into the lives of teenagers everywhere! If you are not on the list and this has been passed along to you, you can join Heart4Teen.com readers around the world by sending a blank e-mail to:
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http://www.Heart4Teens.com/Teen_Stories
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http://www.HeartTouchers.com
To subscribe send a blank email to:
HeartTouchers-subscribe@myinjesus.com
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Spreading Sunshine
Dear Heart4Teens.com members,
I would like to share a wonderful idea with all of you. An idea that can make a huge difference in the lives of a family that I have grown to love the past nine years -- The Beals Family. I have coached two of their daughters in basketball and had a third on our team as a manager. Mark and Donna Beals are the epitome of a loving couple who also love God and their family. But most of all they are known for their giving hearts.
However, this past November they found out that Mark has cancer. Take a moment to click on the link below and read a local newspaper article about what they are going through:
http://www.gazettextra.com/beals022303.asp
Below is an idea from a friend of their family and, other than praying for Mark and Donna Beals, I can't think of a better idea to bring a little sunshine into their lives. Please read the short message below and then commit to sending this family at least one greeting or homemade card.
I would consider it a personal favor if you sent at least one card to this incredible family. With almost a thousand world-wide subscribers now on Heart4Teens.com, can you just imagine the difference you can make in their lives as they deal with this? Let's stuff their mailbox with hope and sunshine in the weeks and months to come!
From my family to yours,
Michael T. Powers
Founder and publisher of Heart4Teens.com and HeartTouchers.com P.S. Forward this to as many people as you can!
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From Kathi Woodman (woodalefarms@aol.com)
Something that has always stood out to me as a wonderful side of Mark is his sense of humor and his delight in greeting cards. I've often thought he should own a Hallmark store and figured they probably created a "card monster" of him when those design-your-own-card machines were invented. I even remember Mark and their kids making a wonderful poster-sized card for Donna one year (I think for Mother's Day) that had a wonderful story on it and different types of candy bars substituted for words in the story... things like "you're better than a hundred grand (candy bar applied here...you get the picture). Like many of you, I have wanted Mark & Donna to feel God's love for them, (and mine), especially during this difficult time, and I thought of a nonintrusive way to do it. I hope you will consider joining in this ministry to them.
I am asking each of you to consider picking a day on the calendar, like Tuesday, and circling it each week for the entire time they face this battle. On that day, each and every week, you can drop a card, a funny joke, an encouraging word, uplifting scripture, etc. to Mark & Donna. With your help by forwarding this idea to your circle of friends, hopefully this idea will spread to many folks far and wide and they will have a stuffed mailbox every day of the week. You could purchase your cards, make your own with the help of your kids (which I know Donna would take great pleasure in), or copy a funny story or joke on a piece of paper and send it. Whatever you can think of that would give them a laugh or lift their spirits would be appropriate. Surely one of the concerns they must both be having now (being as they are both self-employed) is finances and wouldn't it be a greater joy for them to have the mailbox full of cards as opposed to bills? Whether you know them well or not you can be comfortable sending them a card. And you won't have to stumble over words of what to say or how to say it. Let the gift of your gesture and the card convey your concern and love for them. It has been said that laughter is the best medicine and I know of people who have claimed victory over terminal illnesses using humor as part of their "treatment". Studies also show that people who are prayed for by a committed prayer team respond better to treatment and have better outcomes.
Please join me in this card ministry (along with continuing your ministry to them through prayer) and let's let them see God's OVERWHELMING love for them through us. Please begin as soon as you receive this e-mail. Their address is:
Mark & Donna Beals
705 High St.
Clinton, WI 53525
This should be pretty straightforward but if you have any questions or ideas on improving this, e-mail me at woodalefarms@aol.com. Thank you and God bless you and yours. And don't forget to forward this message! Kathi Woodman
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ALL-STAR Ministry
--The Youth Church of Faith Community Church in Janesville, WI
If you are in 6-12th grade and live in the southern Wisconsin/northern Illinois area and would like to check us out, we meet every Sunday night from 6:30-8:00 PM at Faith Community Church which is located at 2931 Lucerene Dr. in Janesville, WI. (About 4-5 blocks south-east of The Skating Place.)
Currently we have students from Fort Atkinson, Milton, Janesville Craig, Janesville Parker, Orfordville, Clinton, Beloit Memorial, Beloit Turner, South Beloit, and Hononegah. E-mail me back if you have any questions about our weekly meetings or would like to come to any of our events that are listed below... We have way too much fun and then, most importantly, talk about issues that are relevant to you as a teenager.
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Change Is Here!
Starting the week lots of exciting changes are going to happen:
All-Stars will be extending its time to 6:00 - 8:30 PM on Sunday nights. 6:00 - 6:30 will be time for the youth to chat and discuss anything they want with the youth leaders or each other. 6:30 - 7:00 PM will be for games or fun activities and then 7:00 - 8:30 PM will be for the lesson and discussion time. Students are still welcome to "hang out" after 8:30 PM if they want, as the leaders are usually at the church until at least 10:00 PM, and some nights even later. (For the past couple of months the students have continually complained that we are running out of time before we get to really discuss the topics in full and asked if we could have longer teaching times... I know, most of you are probably now getting back up off the floor from the shock. We have been most encouraged that the teens have been wanting to stay longer to be able to discuss the lessons more fully.)
The Outlet: "Get plugged into Jesus Christ!" (Teen Cell Groups)
Wednesday night community groups for teens will also start this week. The groups will be limited to no more than ten teens and will be originally split into Jr. High and High School ages. This night is for those teens who want to dig deeper than what we do in All-Stars, but may not be ready to be a part of the Extreme Teens. These cell groups will also be doing special activities with each other as the year goes on to build community.
"The Extreme Teens" (formerly the Core Group) will be starting Sunday March 16 from 5:00 - 6:00 PM at the church. This group will be very extensive with weekly homework, memorization, service projects, etc. Students interested in this group will have to fill out an application, provide references as to why others think they should be involved with this, and sign an agreement as to what is expected of them. (If your teen will also be attending All-Stars that night, they are encouraged to bring a sack lunch or snack to tide them over until 8:30.)
We are very excited at what God will be doing with our youth!
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UPCOMING EVENTS
February
2/21 - 2/22 -- 30 Hour Famine (Students start fasting at 4 PM on Friday through 10 PM Saturday night.)
Students need to meet at the church at 8 PM on Friday evening. We will be staying overnight at the church and then ending our fast on Saturday evening. The entire 30 hours are scheduled out with lessons and activities as the teens learn about what other people go through each and every day.
March
3/2 Christianity 101 Class: 5:00 - 6:00 PM at church.
3/7 - 3/9 -- Fort Wilderness Winter Retreat
(Cost: $94, which may go down as more fundraising is done, but we won?t know exactly until Sunday March 2. This price does not apply to those who helped with the Chili dinner. Your cost will be at the most $74.) Room and board is $78 per person with the extra $16 going to pay for van rentals and gas. Last year cost us over $800 just for van rentals and gas and we will be taking more people this year. Your teen?s $25 deposit is due Sunday February 23. Checks should be made out to "FCC Youth" and the balance is due on or before Wednesday March 5th. Teens will be meeting at the church at 4:30 PM on Friday March 7, departing for Fort Wilderness at 5 PM and returning to the church around 7 PM on Sunday evening.
Teens will have regular meeting times where God?s truths are taught by the Fort Wilderness staff members but will also have plenty of time for fun activities. Activities included in the price are: Horseback Riding, broomball, ice skating, cross country skiing, nature hikes, inner tubing, etc. All meals are paid for, however your teen will want to bring money for fast food on our trip up and back as we will be stopping for food during the five hour drive. Extra spending money is up to you and your teen for snacks or purchases at the "Canteen".
Teens need to bring their own bibles, towels, sleeping bags, and pillows, along with very warm clothes and winter gear. Warm hats or ski masks, gloves, boots, and layers of clothing are a must.
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Author MICHAEL T. POWERS
www.Heart4Teens.com
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20
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