|
______________________________________
{Heart4Teens.com} *Polish Underground* ______________________________________ 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: Heart4Teens-subscribe@myinjesus.com or visit: http://www.Heart4Teens.com Visit our inspirational web site and 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 ____________________________________________ Be sure to check out our other inspirational email list and web site! http://www.HeartTouchers.com To subscribe send a blank email to: HeartTouchers-subscribe@myinjesus.com _________________________________________ Reading Books, Changing Lives! For those of you who love to read or love to give out books as gifts... You can now order a number of different autographed best-selling inspirational books for the same price you would get them in the store, the shipping to you is paid for, and you are helping change the lives of teenagers and those they come in contact with! And best of all, every penny from the book sales are going to youth ministry! If you love to read inspirational stories, these books are most likely those you will eventually buy anyway. And how cool would it be to be able to buy books like those in the Chicken Soup series for your friends and family with a personalized autographed message by one of the contributing authors! How's that for a unique gift! Not only are you changing lives through supporting a youth ministry, but every book included on our website has the power to make a difference in the lives of those you give the books to. Check out this link to find out more! http://www.HeartTouchers.com/books _________________________________________ The Polish Underground by Wayne Rice A fighter in the Polish underground resistance movement from 1939 to 1944, Mr. Stypulkowski was captured by the Russian army at the end of the war. He and 15 other Poles were taken to Russia to stand trial for treason. Since these Polish "double-agents" had in fact helped to defeat the Nazis, the prosecutors had no evidence that they aided the enemy. The only way to convict them would be to get them to make a full confession. Prior to the trial, guards rigorously interrogated the men, attempting to break them mentally, emotionally, and spiritually--to destroy their integrity--so they would confess to anything demanded of them. Fifteen of the 16 men broke under the grueling pressure. Only Stypulkowski held out. He endured 69 nights of brutal questioning in a series of 141 interrogations. At one point even his interrogator had a mental breakdown and had to be replaced. Relentlessly his tormentors examined everything he had done, or hadn't done, to find anything that could be used against him. They found plenty of dirt--Stypulkowski was no saint--but they were unable to extract a confession for the crimes of which he was being accused. Starved, sleep-deprived, and in constant terror, Stypulkowski resisted even in the face of the signed confessions of his best friends blaming him for their trouble. His torturers told him his case was hopeless and as good as closed. They advised him to plead guilty so they could lessen his sentence; otherwise, he could expect certain death. But Stypulkowski continued refusing to make the full confession they wanted. He confidently stated that he had not been a traitor and could not confess to something which was not true. Throughout all these horrors he kept his Christian faith vital by regular prayer. He subordinated every other loyalty to his loyalty to Christ. Most impressive of all was the completely natural way that he witnessed about his faith. At his trial he pled "not guilty," expecting to pay for the rebellion with his life. However, mainly because of the western observers who attended the trial, the Russians reluctantly dropped the charges against Stypulkowski and he was freed. Stypulkowski endured because he daily presented himself to God and to his accusers in absolute honesty. Knowing he was accepted and loved by God, forgiven and cleansed by his Savior, he freely admitted to all the wrongdoing his enemies uncovered from his past. "I never felt it necessary to justify myself with excuses," he recalls. "When they showed me I was a coward, I already knew it. When they shook their fingers at me with accusations of filthy, lewd feelings, I already knew it. When they showed me a reflection of myself with all my inadequacies, I said to them, But gentlemen, I am much worse than that.' For you see, I had learned it was unnecessary for me to justify myself; One had already done that for me--Jesus Christ!" He could freely admit his personal failures because he knew they had all been taken care of at the Cross. All who have that kind of faith in Jesus Christ are also justified--"we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand" (Romans 5:12). Counting on God's justifying grace, we can find the courage to face the truth about ourselves and experience healing. Wayne Rice wayne@uyt.com Write Wayne and let him know your thoughts on his story! ________ Wayne is the founder and director of Understanding Your Teenager. He is a 35-year veteran of youth ministry and co-founder of Youth Specialties, the largest youth ministry training organization in America. He has authored numerous books on youth, youth ministry and parenting including Junior High Ministry, Up Close and Personal, Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks, Enjoy Your Middle-Schooler and Cleared for Takeoff. He is a graduate of Bethel Theological Seminary (San Diego) and lives in Lakeside, California with his wife Marci. Their three children are now young adults. For more information about Wayne, visit his personal web site at: http://www.waynerice.com _________________________________________ LET'S GO SURFING DUDE! Are You Pregnant? Are you a teenager who finds herself pregnant? Are you a teenage guy and your girlfriend just told you she is pregnant? Click on the link below for some help and answers on what to do. http://www.heart4teens.com/pregnant_ __________________________________________ Thought For The Day: "Rank does not confer privilege or give power. It imposes responsibility." --Peter Drucker Verse for the Day: "For everyone to who much is given, of him shall much be required, and of him to whom men entrust much, they will require and demand all the more." --Luke 12:48 Teen's Thought For The Day: "I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything but still I can do something: I will not refuse to do the something I can do." Parent's Thought For The Day "Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them."--Lady Bird Johnson Coach's Thought For The Day "It takes less time to do a thing right than to explain why you did it wrong."--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Deep Thought For The Day: "Never ask a barber if you need a haircut." _________________________________________ 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 6:00-8:30 PM at Faith Community Church which is located at 2931 Lucerene 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: All-Stars: 10/4 -- Real Power Important Note: Both the Jr. High and Sr. High small groups will be meeting at the Powers house this week! _______________________________________________ UPCOMING EVENTS For Those Students Who Passed the Summer Challenge: We will be attending the Michael W. Smith/Mercy Me concert in Milwaukee on Thursday, October 16. We will also be heading to the Dells (Treasure Island) on Friday night October 17th and then returning Saturday night October 18th. The only money you would need to bring would be for snacks and souvenirs if you wanted to buy them! ______________________ All-Stars has extended 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. 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. The groups are 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. Extreme Teens" (formerly the Core Group) meets from 5:00 - 6:00 PM at the church. 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. (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 is doing with our youth! _________________________________________ Author MICHAEL T. POWERS www.Heart4Teens.com Contributing Author to Chicken Soup for the Teen's Soul on Love and Friendship and 15 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 |
 |
|
Touching Lives - One E-mail at a Time! Author Michael T. Powers - HeartTouchers @ aol.com
|