My STL Challenge

Well, as much as I greatly admire Pastor Patience Linton in Huron...I cannot shave my head for STL.  BUT I will do something drastic to it if our students meet my challenge.  I am definitely a little vain when it comes to my hair - okay, I admit it.  I work hard to keep it healthy. 

If Ardent YM students can raise $3,000 in the next 6 weeks for Speed The Light (before middle school camp), I will dye half of my hair pink (or another color if they insist).  Maybe you don't think this is drastic enough...but if you know me, you know how drastic it is.  I will keep it like this for the entire summer.  (You have to picture her as a brunette.)  It would be something like this picture...I'll color the whole bottom half and a few pieces so it shows through.  Ohhhhh I feel queasy just looking at that...

I pray that our congregation will be gracious in having to look at it.  :o)  It's a GOD CAUSE so we can't go wrong, right? 

If you want to watch their fundraising progress, click here to see our STL Thermometer on our website.

(mumbling to myself) It's worth it...it's worth it...it's worth it.  Wow I've gotta work on hair vanity.

Briana W.'s Overflow Story

I have always wanted to do something great for God but i never knew what to do then i went to church camp and i knew that i needed to start with a job so i applied for a job at a vet clinic but unfortunately all spots were filled. which really seemed to bring me down and i just didnt know any other places looking for a 15 year old to hire so i took alittle break. I was selling tie-dye shirts on the side but i wasn"t having hardly any luck with that i had only sold like two which wasn't much help but it was a start. I was starting to wonder what God wanted me to do. I still thought well i really need a job some extra spending money, college was coming up quite fast some money in that fund wouldnt hurt. but my mind was in the wrong place. Every wensday we were reminded on 9-9-09 where we would give $99.99 to speed the light and i kept thinking i want to do that but i am so broke. Well on a thursday about a month before school started the vet clinic where i had applied a couple months before was calling me asking me if i could come in for an interview. The girl that had been working there wasn't working out and she was moving. So i agreed to come in to have an interview the following thursday. Unfortunately i had been so excited i had forgot that the wed. before my interview thats right just one day before, i was going to have my wisdom teeth cut out. So not only was i nervous for my interview i was in a whole lot of pian. But i got the job that i wanted really badly. I also had plenty money to do 9-9-09 and give my $99.99 to speed the light plus my tie-dye shirt sales which was $14.00 coming out to be $113.99. Not much but hey that is just the begining of what God has planned... :) TO BE CONTINUED !!!!!

The Awesome Group

My group came up with some interesting ideas to raise money for STL. Here they are in list form:

• Run Marathon with Eric
• Horse Riding Competitions, give part of winnings
• Make Jewelry
• Video Game Tournament (Halo most likely)
• Make clothing
• Garage Sale
• Car Wash (WOO!!)
• BBQ for church, profits to STL
• Coin Drive
• Selling arts and crafts at a booth at River Boat days
• Concert

Those are the serious ideas that the Awesome Group came up with. Yay GOD!

Fine Arts and Sunday

So, yesterday was the Fine Arts Festival/Spring Convention for the state of South Dakota. I would first like to say that Yankton kicked butt! Hunter's guitar solo got a Superior with Invitational and so did a drawing by Heidi! Emily's poem, Alisha's poem, Taylor's drawing, Payton's song, Hunter and Heidi's duet, Heidi's song, Bre and Briana's rap, and Bre's photo all got a Superior rating! Way to go Yankton!! We rock. Also Bre's drawing got an excellent...nice effort Bre! I know we will be bringing a bunch more things to Fine Arts next year. As I was sitting in Sioux Falls' youth room watching human videos, I just felt so jumbled up inside. I really wanted to bring a human video and a some drama's to FAF, but everyone knows that in the time we had to get ready, we could not have brought anything of real quality and I am not going to bring something there unless it is ready.

Also, there was worshiping and a great message about giving by Pastor Mark Entzminger. The praise and worship was so amazing! Everyone was jumping all around and raising there hands and giving praise to God. It was one of the funnest times I have ever had worshiping God in my life! I really feel bad for anyone who missed it, but that just means that you should all come up with us next year!

Pastor Mark's message was about doing something extraordinary and radical for Speed the Light. Pastor Mark and his wife are giving up all the money they were saving for a new car. Sacrifice. I am giving up 25% of whatever I make to Speed the Light this year. Sacrifice. Pastor Annette is doing something amazing that is a strain on her body. Sacrifice. What are you willing to sacrifice to further the kingdom of God? Is the glory of God and salvation not worth an extra hour of work or giving up your allowance for a month and just giving that to Speed the Light?

On to Pastor Randy's sermon today. He talked about family's and loving your children but there is something huge in there that I hope that you guys picked up on. He talked about the Columbine shootings and how one of the boys, Dylan i think, was reaching out. He went to a youth group at a church and was a quiet and shy person. He did not talk to anyone and no one talked to him and, according to his journal, this made him feel even more rejected than he was already feeling. Guys, he did not ask for anyone to help him, he did not jump up in the middle of service and scream, "I need help! Can you guys help me!" That is not the way it happens in the world. When someone comes to youth group, great them. Ask them how there doing, get to know them. Just those simple greetings can mean the world to someone and I'm talking from experience here.

Well, that's all I have for today. Until I think of something else to blog about...