November 25, 2001: Name the States, 7 Up

Hi,

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and took the opportunity to thank God
for your blessings. Even though I had to work on Thanksgiving, I had a
great weekend. I went to the youth retreat that my church organized for
high school students. I really enjoyed co-leading a small group and
hanging out with the teens all weekend. It definitely made me feel much
younger (like about 21). One of the kids came up to me and asked me if I
was around 27!

One of the fun activities was a scavenger hunt. We divided the teens into
6 teams and went around Singapore taking group pictures with various items.
We did a lot of walking, taking buses, taking pictures, and getting to know
each other. The kids in my group were awesome. They are mostly from the
U.S. Here are some of the pictures from our scavenger hunt:

Scavenger Hunt
http://community.webshots.com/album/25899207HmIAUCidSa

We also had fun activities at a beach on Sentosa Island, which is
Singapore's major resort / amusement island. Here are some pictures from
the beach, as well as from our farewell picture taking time.

Beach & Day 3
http://community.webshots.com/album/25900882VWAcpZmUFJ

Overall, it was a very good but tiring weekend. As usual, I never get
enough rest at these retreats.

This week's thought provoking question is, "If you could pick 4 famous
people from history and ask them one question, whom would you pick and what
would you ask?" (from Brian Wanerman)

This week's humor and inspirational pieces were forwarded from Anna Man and
Rosalie Wu, respectively.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
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Name the States

The old pastor made it to a practice to visit the parish school one day a
week. He walked into the 4th grade class, where the children were studying
the states, and asked them how many states they could name. They came up
with about 40 names. He jokingly told them that in his day students knew
the names of all the states.

One lad snickered, "Yes, but in those days there were only 13"...
_________________________________

7 Up with God!

1. Wake Up !!

Decide to have a good day.
"Today is the day the Lord hath made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up !!

The best way to dress up is to put on a smile.
A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at outward appearance;
but the Lord looks at the heart."
I Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up!!

Say nice things and learn to listen.
God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have
meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking.
"He who guards his lips guards his soul."
Proverbs 13:3

4. Stand Up!!...

For what you believe in.
Stand for something or you will fall for anything.
"Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper
time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look Up !!...

To the Lord.
"I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me".
Philippians 4:13

6. Reach Up !!...

For something higher.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not unto your own understanding.
In all your ways, acknowledge Him,
and He will direct your path."
Proverbs 3:5-6

7. Lift Up !!...

Your Prayers.
"Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT
EVERYTHING."
Philippians 4:6

A POSITIVE THOUGHT
If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.
If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.
He sends you flowers every spring, and a sunrise every morning.
Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen.
He could live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.
What about the Christmas gift He sent you in Bethlehem; not to mention that
Friday at Calvary.
Face it, He's crazy about you!