Heart Touchers - teen081505

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{Heart4Teens.com} *Making Ourselves Available*

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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 Heart4Teens.com readers around the world by visiting:

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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

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Making Ourselves Available

by Alan Smith

A man was going up to bed, when his wife told him he'd left the
light on in the garden shed -- she could see it from the bedroom
window. But, he said that he hadn't been in the shed that day. He
looked himself, and there were people in the shed, stealing things.
He rang the police, but they told him that no one was in his area,
so no one was available to catch the thieves.

He said OK, hung up, counted to 30 and rang the police again.
"Hello. I just rang you a few seconds ago because there were people
in my shed? Well, you don't have to worry about them now, I've just
shot them all."

Within five minutes there were half a dozen police cars in the
area, an Armed Response unit, the works. Of course, they caught the
burglars red-handed. One of the policeman said to this man: "I
thought you said you'd shot them!"

He replied, "I thought you said there was no one available!"

The same thing happens frequently in my life. Someone asks me to do
something and I respond, "I don't have the time." Often, what I mean by
that is, "I don't regard this as important enough to do right now." The
truth is, we find (or make) the time to do whatever we regard to be
important.

Someone has said you can tell a person's priorities
by looking at his or her checkbook. There is a great deal of validity
to that. We are willing to spend money on the things we think are
important. But, perhaps a greater indicator of our priorities would be
our planning books -- a record of how our time is spent and our
intentions on how we plan to spend it.

Choices must be made by all of us and our use of time. We don't have
time to do everything, so we must choose those things which are of
greatest importance to us. Let's just be careful that our choices are
those things which are also most important to God. The greatest men and
women in the Bible were not those with the greatest resources or
talents. Instead, they were men and women who made themselves available
to be used by God whenever He called. May God never hear us say,
"Sorry, but I'm not available!"

Be very careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise,
making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will
is. (Eph. 5:15-16, NIV)

Alan has been preaching for 26 years and has been with the White House Church of Christ since August 2002. He received a bachelor's degree in Bible from Freed-Hardeman College in 1977, and has previously preached for congregations in Milan, TN, Bassett, VA, Roanoke Rapids, NC, Gloucester, VA, and Boone, NC.

Visit his website at: http://www.TFTD-online.com

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Let's Go Surfing Dude!

~ Christian Cheerleaders
The name pretty much says it all. If you're a Christian and you have a passion for cheerleading, you're probably going to dig this site.
http://groups.msn.com/ChristianCheerleaders/_homepage.msnw?pgmarket=en-us

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Thought For The Day:

"Money is of no value; it cannot spend itself. All depends on the skill of the spender."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Verse for the Day:

"Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful."
I Corinthians 4:2

Teen's Thought For The Day:

"Many teenagers move away from God after they go off to college, so how can you be different and beat the odds? Spiritual discipline! That's it, plain and simple. You have to develop spiritual discipline and habits right now in your life. When you go off to college you won't have anyone looking over your shoulder telling you to pray, read your Bible, or do devotions. If it isn't a habit right now, you have no chance of sticking with your faith the next four years. Before long you will succumb to the many temptations that being away from home will throw your way. If you are not plugged in to the power source on a daily basis, you will never have the strength to stand." -- Michael T. Powers

Parent's Thought For The Day:

"Pretty much all the honest truth telling in the world is done by children."
- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Coach's Thought For The Day:

"A ship in the harbor is safe. But that's not what ships are built for."

Deep Thought For The Day:

"I remember that one fateful day when Coach took me aside. I knew what
was coming. 'You don't have to tell me,' I said. 'I'm off the team, aren't I?' '
Well,' said Coach 'you never were really ON the team. You
made that uniform you're wearing out of rags and towels, and your helmet
is a toy space helmet. You show up at practice and then either steal the
ball and make us chase you to get it back, or you try to tackle people
at inappropriate times.' It was all true what he was saying. And yet, I
thought something is brewing inside the head of this Coach. He sees
something in me, some kind of raw talent that he can mold. But that's
when I felt the handcuffs go on." -- Jack Handy

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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

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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 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 21 -- Church Picnic! Rockport Pool from 5-9 pm.

Upcoming Topics!

August 28 -- The World That Perished

September 4 -- Outreach Fun Night

Join us these next six weeks as we start the 40 Days of Purpose!

September 11 -- What on earth am I here for?

September 16-18 Annual Fall Retreat at Phantom Ranch!
"You Were Planned For God's Pleasure!"

September 25 -- You Were Formed For God's Family

October 2 -- You Were Created To Become Like Christ

October 9 -- You Were Shaped For Serving God

October 16 -- You Were Made For a Mission

Upcoming Events

August 14-15: 30-Hour Famine (high school only)

September 16-18: Annual Fall Retreat!

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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.

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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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