ArnpriorYouth.ca

mu mu motivation?

chris — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 02:58:05 +0000

Why do anything? It’s not like I have to. I don’t have to help, listen, care, obey, serve anyone. (wrong) BUT beyond obligation, I want to. I want to help out. I want to listen to you. I want to show I care, ACTUALLY care: like not just with my words. I want to serve and obey: Obey God, serve Him and others.

How can we go from the ‘me’ world to the ‘you and me’ world? Because He first Loved us, we can love. We are motivated by Love.

Love for a man who would leave home to rescue me when I needed it. Love for a Father in a simple response of the warm caring He is showing me. Love for Him makes me love you. Love for Him makes me love me.

We all have to fuel up somehow.. some way to refill, to get motivated. Many things drain us, some things drain us over and over again. Some things hit us like a tornado, and we are left feeling lifeless on the ground: no motivation to even help ourselves.

Some things we do are motivated by fear; fear of rejection-bow to peer pressures, fear of failure-over-working, fear of mom-just doing whatever she says just to keep the ‘peace’.

If we call ourselves by the Name of our Savior, Christ, and we are Christians, we have His Love and His example to motivate us. What a Love! What a life! And he came for this: ‘to give us life abundantly.. a full life’.

I will help. I will listen. I will care. I will obey. I will serve. Because I’m motivated by Him. By His Love.

(thanks Brian)

NOT Religion, what?

chris — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:44:17 +0000

Seriously, folks, you are not in some religion: a series of ‘things’ to do that will bring you ‘up a notch’. This is relationship 101. GO HERE: NotReligion and have a look at why this is. Way more than something to do, it’s something to be. It’s about someone. It’s about a new you.
Go HERE for awesome bible studies, great info, thought provoking stuff and help for REAL questions:
* depression
* pain/suffering
* stress/anxiety
* relationship
* self image
* abuse
* family
* temptation
and more….

My Offering

chris — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:19:44 +0000

My Offering

I betrayed, You forgave
I ran away, still You stayed
And I lived a lie, You spoke the truth
Now I’m undone, with no excuse
I cursed your name, You called me child
I was to blame, You went to trial
And I lived to take, You died to give me more than I could ever find
And on my own, I made a mess of things

But You take it as my offering
You take the best and worst of me
And peace is at Your throne
Where the broken are made whole
And I can’t imagine anything
More beautiful or more amazing
When I bring everything
and You take it as my offering

I’m full of doubt, You’re full of mercy
I come unwound, but You restore me
When I’m shaking like a leaf, You’re the comfort that I need
That melts my fears away
And on my own, I made a mess of things

And You take it as my offering
My life is made an offering
I’m Yours and Yours alone
You take is as my offering
My life is made an offering
I’m Yours and Yours alone

-33Miles

Change ‘08

chris — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:33:49 +0000

It is not enough to talk, you have to act. Here’s your motivation weekend like no other.Not for the light hearted… You will be TRAINED to lead in your generation. Be prepared for a movement.

Change Conference 2008

Bus leaves Friday Oct 17 at 12 noon at the church.

Contact Gord for info.

PureFashion: The times are changin’

chris — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:50:04 +0000

It’s the 21st century. SOME of us don’t want to show off what’s under our clothes, and some of us (fellas) don’t want to see ‘all you got’ before our time. Give this new movement a chance:

Pure Fashion and “The Modesty Movement” have been making headlines around the world. Learn more about how we are working to change our culture… one outfit at a time! PureFashion Online

Children, or sons/daughters? Is there a difference?

chris — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:30:14 +0000

A man walks down to the market in Bethsaida, an old and established town, to sell some items from the family business.
Nothing out of the ordinary here. It’s pretty standard for Japheth to do this today. In fact, the only two days he missed were when his father died, and when his son was born. That’s it. It’s been 44 years running he has been coming here: same day of the week, same time, and for most of those years the same produce and carvings.
He didn’t inherit the business, it was GIVEN to him. Seems odd to think of this in today’s terms, because he was only 13 when he got it. THIRTEEN. And his father was still alive and well.
When I was 13, I was goofing off at our farm, riding my bike, and trying to get out of chores. There was little thought in my mind of looking after ‘business’.
Today was a very special day for Japheth, though. He brought a long time guest to the market today. Someone that had visited the family market stand for many years, and today was going to open a new book there. A book the guest would be writing, not reading. The same type of book Japheth began to write 31 years before.
You see, after having 3 daughters, Japheth and Rafika had a son, their last child. Today was the declaration of the sonship of this child. Today was the day that the business was GIVEN to Eli. Today Eli turns 13.
For Japheth, his father had great pleasure in introducing the new owner. It was customary to hand the reigns to the eldest son in the family when he came ‘of age’, and Japheth knew this full well. It was a time of great anticipation for him, just as it was a great pleasure for his father. It was a sign of growing up, but more a sign of trust. A sign of family pride. A sign of SONSHIP.
All this changed things for Japheth and Eli; some things anyway. Other things did not change at all. Eli was always and will forever be a child of Japheth. This day of change will have no effect on that. But this is the day that Eli will be introduced to the whole marketplace as the SON of Japheth and Rafika.
Now he will be a speaking member of the family. A member of the family who Japheth will declare deserves all the respect shown him as father. A member of the family who will now speak for and decide on family business and family matters. A member of the family who RECEIVED this ability on this day.
Eli, on the other hand will have a total change of person through this experience. He will be the family voice, to whom his FATHER will give much responsibility and honor. Although it is clear to Eli that he will not be left alone in the process, a fact that he is sure of to the core, he is feeling the road ahead is largely unknown, and a bit scary and uncertain, yet has direction and purpose. It’s a very exciting and humbling day for sure.
Parallel now this story with your story, or the story yet awaiting you.
You are Eli. You are either waiting for your day, having your day today, or have been there already.
Your position as a child of your father is known, secure, and unshakable, but receiving your SONSHIP is in the front and center of your attention. In this sonship, you have a new and intimate relationship with your father that leads to much learning, much trust, much leaning. A relationship that reaps rewards for you and your father like no one had anticipated. A relationship that is alive. A relationship that is new; something different than you had as one of the children; a recognition of received favor and responsibility, yet loving and special.
Bringing this closer yet to home for each of us, let’s consider for a moment that I (you) am a Christ-follower. I (you) know that I am a child of God. I am in HIS family.
Now ask yourself the question “Am I ready to RECEIVE the business of this family?” “Can I step up and open my arms and take hold of this SONSHIP that my Father God is giving me?”
God, your Father is ready to let you speak for Him, and carry on His business. You have been a child for a good while, and he has slowly prepared you for this task. You will not be left alone in it. He will guide and direct as He has ALREADY laid out the plan for you to follow. WILL YOU TAKE IT?

Read this: (short versions here, links to full versions)

Galatians 4:1-7
…the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father… But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, …that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7So you are no longer a slave, but a son.

Romans 8:15,16
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave… but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

We feel like Eli on his day. We feel like we are ready and anticipating, yet fearful of what may lie ahead. We want to speak for the father in his business, and yet don’t want to say the wrong thing.
Eli KNOWS his father. He has watched him work in his business for many years, and his father TRUSTS him to follow his example with the tools prepared for him. Eli can’t fail. This pattern has been working for generations.
Do you KNOW your Father in Heaven? He knows you and has planned this day for you for a long time. He has left nothing out. He is ready, and he is GIVING you the sonship. RECEIVE it today and take it seriously. You know that you know what the Father wants you to say and do in His business. He has an intimate and loving relationship with you to help you carry out this task.
Be an Eli. This might be your day.

The Big Dig

chris — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:31:18 +0000

Apologetics, anyone?
Here’s a conference called the THE BIG DIG which will challenge anything you think you have learned about the ‘hard’ questions. It’s in (near) Kansas City, so you NEED a plane ticket. (you can imagine what people say when they leave there:) ) Power hitting speakers, worship to our Big God, and a brain full of good stuff for a lifted heart to take home.

Blogging.. What’s with that?

chris — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:57:46 +0000

So where is the fascination with writing stuff on your computer and publishing your thoughts for the world to see? It’s Blogging, and it’s everywhere. Some where in the last century, a brain wave came over someone and they invented this method of communication, as one-sided as it is…

If I define a blog, I understand that it is a single person penning thoughts and information in a pseudo-letter format, for an intended but eventually broad-reaching audience, potentially including any you didn’t intend to read it. This alone makes me scared to blog anything important, just in case I get found out. Then what. Then I have to make an answer for that blog thing.

Therefore I here-by declare that I will not be responsible for anything found here on this blog.

That is impossible. If I can say it to your face and be held responsible for it, I will also be held responsible for that which is found in this blog. Even if I never intended for you to read it.

I was dead wrong about the age of the blog, by the way. I think blogging started many centuries ago. Ancient kings would have a team of scribes to do that very thing for them. King: “Theophilus, write this down. I, the King of Exwhyzee have something to say. When the clouds come overhead the day seems to get darker. That’s all for now, Theophilus.”

How about this quote from an old blog:
“Since I have investigated all the reports in close detail, starting from the story’s beginning, I decided to write it all out for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can know beyond the shadow of a doubt the reliability of what you were taught.”

You know it is old, if the guy has a name like Theophilus. This was written in year 60. Let’s do some analysis on this:

1. It’s nineteen hundred and forty eight years old.

2. I can read it. It was for one fella, and now anyone has access to it.

3. The purpose of it was to verify truth for Theo, to make sure he was confident in what he had learned.

What’s so cool about this is that whether you are reading about someone as old as Theo, or something from 100 years ago, or 10 years ago, you have a job to do in reading it. You have to discover some things. Why was this written to the recipient? What were the circumstances around the writing? Is what I read just a story, or is this the truth about that time in history?

I don’t know what this Theophilus fella was taught initially, but in reading the facts that were blogged, I can’t help but think I sort of know what Theo was thinking…… It’s such a cool story. So confusing, so dramatic, so far out, so……. well maybe you should read it for yourself. Click here:The Blog for Theophilus

One Of Those Days

Alyssa — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:26:28 +0000

Hay there,

Have you ever had one of those days where your thinking really hard about something or down in the dumps and then you see or read something and it’s like that’s exactly what you needed ?? WELL lol Kinda happened to me today Something was bugging me and when i read my daily devotional it cleared up some stuff for me. Just like God was in that because he knew that i needed to read it. Here is the devo incase it helps anyone else :S

Psalms 69:20

Insults and reproach have broken my heart; I am full of heaviness and I am distressingly sick.

Mathew 4:24

So the report of Him (Jesus) spread throughout all Syria, and they brought Him all who were sick, those afflicted with various diseases and torments, those under the power of demons, and epileptics, and paralyzed people, and He healed them.

Devotional

The psalmist refers to insults directed towards us, as like being a sickness within us. Have you ever been hurt by someone? This may affect how you trust people, because after you have been hurt by people you trust, it is easy to become less trusting of others. Sometimes it is wise to carefully consider who you can trust, and other times our broken heart can make us sick, and not want to trust anyone. This sickness can cause us to over react and shut people out of our lives if their behavior even slightly reminds us of past hurts. Our verse from Matthew uses the word “torments”. That is what these past experiences do they torment us, meaning we relive the old feelings of hurt. Our scripture says that Jesus heals these hurts or torments. My prayer today is that God will heal you everywhere you hurt!

Anyway ever had one of those experiences??

Waiting and Walking

Alyssa — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:07:29 +0000

So i read this little devotional and i was just like Wow, i really liked it. I thought i would share it with you.

Rev. 3:8

I know your [record of] works and what you are doing. See! I have set before you a door wide open which no one is able to shut; I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept MY WORD and guarded MY message and have not renounced or denied MY name.

Devotional

Sometimes the door of opportunity seems to be shut, but God is able to open a door that no one can shut. So standing on the firm foundation of his word, we wait for the doors to be opened that will accomplish His will through our lives. When the door opens the pathway to it, and through it, is always made very clear by God. His promise is to never leave us and His presence, which comforts us, is the hope that strengthens us to endure the waiting.