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{Heart4Teens.com} *Obvious But False* ______________________________________ 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 Heart4Teens.com readers around the world by visiting: http://www.hundred-acre-woods.com/magic-list/Heart4Teens Visit our inspirational web site to read all the past articles in our archives and view the tons of resources we have there for teens! http://www.Heart4Teens.com/Teen_Stories _________________________________________ Good afternoon Heart4Teens.com readers! Before we get to today's story by Chuck Colson, I wanted to let all of you know that our youth group will be participating in the 30 Hour Famine this coming weekend. For more information on what this is all about you can check out their website at: http://www.30HourFamine.org Teenagers get a pretty bad rap most of the time... and sometimes it is deserved. However, the teenagers from our youth group are going to try and make a difference in the lives of kids who are starving through a very well respected organization called World Vision. Basically our teens are voluntarily going to go without food for 30 hours to raise money to fight world hunger. Each youth asks people to sponsor them and then during those thirty hours they do service projects and learn more about the plight of those in other countries. As a youth group we are trying to raise $2000 to send in to World Vision. Would you be willing to sponsor us? If you are, you can send a check for any amount. (No amount is too small.) Make your checks out to "World Vision" and send it to: FCC Youth Faith Community Church 2931 Lucerne Dr. Janesville, WI 53545 Your donation is tax deductible so be sure to include your return address so we can send you a receipt. This is the third year we have done this and I am very proud of our teenagers who are trying to make a difference in this world! Thank you for considering this and thank you for being a member of Heart4teens.com! From my family to yours, Michael _________________________________________ Obvious But False "Common Views of Love and Courtship" by Chuck Colson Ask the typical college student, What's love? That's a no-brainer--love is a romantic feeling, right? And what's the purpose of sex? Pleasure, of course. What else could it be? In his book Ask Me Anything: Provocative Answers for College Students, University of Texas professor J. Budziszewski tells students that both of these "obvious" answers are dead wrong. Take the idea that love is a feeling. If that were really true, then how could people getting married promise to love each other until they are parted by death? Feelings come and go; you can't promise a feeling. What you can promise is a commitment of the will to the good of the other person. And that's what love is. Or take that other "obvious" but wrong answer that the purpose of sex is pleasure. "False," says Budziszewski. Of course, sex is pleasurable, but that doesn't make pleasure its purpose. The exercise of every natural power is pleasurable. Eating is pleasurable; taking a deep breath is pleasurable; flexing a muscle is pleasurable. Is the purpose of all those things also pleasure? Think what that would imply. If the purpose of eating was pleasure, then if it gave you more pleasure to eat, purge, and eat some more, you ought to do it. The reason you shouldn't is that the purpose of eating isn't pleasure, but nutrition. In the same way, says Budziszewski, the purpose of our sexual powers isn't pleasure, but procreation--in other words, making families. In a snappy dialogue format, Budziszewski takes up these and lots of similar questions. The first part of the book is what he calls "girl and guy stuff." What are "the moves" of courtship, and why are they so hard to figure out? Is "missionary dating" a good idea or a bad one? Does it matter whom you live with? Why do so many people seem to be afraid of growing up? And here's an explosive one: I got my girlfriend pregnant--what now? My favorite question is why "sowing your wild oats" never works out the way it's supposed to. Sexuality, he says, is like duct tape. The first time you use it, it sticks you to whomever it touches. But just like that duct tape, if you rip it off and then touch it to someone else, it isn't as sticky as it was before. So what happens when you pull it loose from one partner after another? Budziszewski explains: You just don't stick anymore, your sexual partners seem like strangers, and you stop feeling anything. I like that answer. Not only is it thoroughly biblical, but it honors the fact of our natural design--the way we are actually made to fit the way the world really is. If you want to learn more about how to explain the creational plan for love and courtship to the young people in your life, check out this wonderful new book Ask Me Anything: Provocative Answers for College Students. Don't forget: If we go against the way God designed us to live, it is like cutting across the grain of the universe, and we're asking for trouble. All we have to do to live right is to get with the plan--His plan, that is. Chuck Colson, Copyright © 2005 Chuck Colson is a syndicated columnist, international speaker, radio commentator, and the founder of Prison Fellowship and Breakpoint. He has visited prisons throughout the U.S. and the world and has built a movement working with more than 40,000 prison ministry volunteers, with ministries in 100 countries. He has written 22 books, which have collectively sold more than five million copies. His autobiographical book Born Again was one of the nation's best-selling books of all genres in 1976 and was made into a feature-length film. In 1991 Colson launched a daily radio feature called "BreakPoint," a unique and well-received attempt to provide a distinct Christian worldview on everyday issues and conflicts. The program is aired daily on over 1,000 radio outlets nationwide. Visit his website at: www.BreakPoint.org You may send correspondence to Mr. Colson at: c/o Prison Fellowship, 1856 Old Reston Avenue, Reston, VA 20190-3321. _________________________________________ Let's Go Surfing Dude! Christian Spotlight on Entertainment -- Looking for movie reviews that reflect your Christian values? Want to know what films are REALLY good? This is the place to go. http://www.christiananswers.net/spotlight/home.html _________________________________________ Thought For The Day: "The secrets of success are a good wife and a steady job. My wife told me." Verse for the Day: "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord." Proverbs 18:22 Teen's Thought For The Day: "I think the one lesson that I have learned in my life is that there is no substitute for paying attention." Parent's Thought For The Day: "A three year old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm." -Bill Vaughan Coach's Thought For The Day: "When someone tells me the is only one way to do things, it always lights a fire under my butt. My instant reaction is, "I'm gonna prove you wrong." -Picabo Street Deep Thought For The Day: "Probably the saddest thing you'll ever see is a mosquito sucking on a mummy. Forget it little friend." __________________________________________ Author MICHAEL T. POWERS www.Heart4Teens.com Contributing Author to Chicken Soup for the Teen's Soul on Love and Friendship and 21 other inspirational books. "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 _________________________________________ 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 Lucerne Dr. in Janesville, WI. (About 3 blocks south-east of The Skating Place.) Currently we have students from Fort Atkinson, Milton, Janesville Craig, Janesville Parker, Marshall, 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. This Week Sunday August 14 -- 30 Hour Famine (High School Students Only). All Students can volunteer to help serve for Camp Night from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM. Upcoming Topics! August 21 -- Church Picnic! Rockport Pool from 5-9 pm. August 28 -- The World That Perished Upcoming Events August 14-15: 30-Hour Famine (high school only) September 16-18: Annual Fall Retreat at Phantom Ranch! _______________________________________________ Teen Community Groups 6:30 - 8:00 PM Wednesday nights (September though May) Wednesday night community groups for teens. The groups are limited to no more than ten teens and are 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 "Extreme Teens" meet Wednesday nights from 6:30 - 8:00 PM (All Year Round) This group is 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. Join us this summer as we develop a Christian World View! |
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Touching Lives - One E-mail at a Time! Author Michael T. Powers - HeartTouchers @ aol.com
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