Y.A.M.

Attention Chicks!!!

2011-03-18T11:44:00.002-06:00

Christmas Program 2009

2009-12-30T13:16:00.001-06:00

21 Day Challenge!!

2009-09-03T08:01:00.003-05:00

The U-TURN Youth Group @ MCC is doing a 21 Day Challenge to prepare their hearts for the upcoming 2009 See You At The Pole, and we'd love for you to join us!
The way it works is: each day, for 21 days, a short devotional will be posted on the U-TURN BLOG. Simply use the devotion for insight and as a guideline to study the Word. Afterwards, spend a few minutes in prayer, praise and listening to God.
Studies show that if you repeat something for 21 days straight, it will become a habit. We want daily quiet time with God to become a habit in our life. We are believing God for awesome things to happen in the next 3 weeks and would love to have you join us!
If you would like to take the 21 Day Challenge, just head over to the U-TURN BLOG now!

New Video Series!!!

2009-05-21T18:23:00.003-05:00

Beginning next Sunday May 31st @ 9:30 a.m.
Don't Miss This New Video Series:
"Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage" -Complete DVD Seminar
with Pastor Mark Gungor
First series entitled, "The Tale of Two Brains1"
For more info. call: 903-322-2300
Or e-mail Pastor Cheryl

Being Positive Towards Yourself

2009-02-22T16:17:00.000-06:00

Whether life is going good for you, or it’s a it’s worst, we all want to be better. We want to be more effective in our lives, we want to know God better, we want to be better spouses and parents, better employees or bosses. God put something deep down inside us, a desire to be more like Him. We weren’t made to be satisfied with less, because we were born to live at a higher level than where you are now. We can’t let our pasts, negative thinking, and other people’s opinions discourage us or cause us to give up. God will do His part, and it’s our turn to do our part. Here's how we can do our part!

#1. Stop listening to the Wrong Voices
Too many of us are constantly listening to the wrong voices. The Bible refers to the enemy as “the accuser of the brethren”. The devil loves nothing more for us to live our lives guilty and condemned. He constantly brings accusation against us telling us what we didn’t do, or what we should have done. He’ll definitely remind us of all our past mistakes and failures. The truth is, nobody is perfect!! We have all sinned, failed, and made mistakes!! It seems like we allow ourselves to be beaten up by these accusing voices, and start believing we can’t do anything right. As a result, this causes you to become extremely critical towards yourself, and that usually spills over to other people as well. If you have a bad attitude, you are going to hinder every area of your life!! If we are going to live in peace, we have to learn that “I am not perfect, but I know I’m growing. I have made mistakes, but I know I’m forgiven. I have received God’s mercy.” Don’t allow the wrong voices to repeatedly play over and over in your head. Learn to shake it off! The Bible tells us- He that began a good work in you will continue to perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” God is still working on us! Nobody ever reaches perfection, to where they’ve got it made. Take away the power of the “accuser” and you will be free.

#2. Learn to Like Yourself
One of the worst things you could do is go through life being against yourself.
We all have areas of our live we need to improve, but as long as we are trying and doing our best, we can be sure God is pleased with us. He wants us to feel good about ourselves. He wants us to be secure, and have a healthy self-image. God knew that we were not going to be perfect. He knew we were going to have weaknesses and faults.. If God approves you, why don’t you start approving yourself? God had already approved and accepted us. The bible doesn’t tell us God is pleased with us as long as we live a perfect life. He loves us unconditionally, just as we are. He’s not focused on our faults, and doesn’t keep a list of our wrongs. He says we are chosen, set apart, approved, and accepted in heaven- and we have been made righteous on earth. He has already accepted and approved you. It’s so sad to go through life and miss out on so much, by being against yourself.

#3. Make Your Words Work for You
Our words set direction for our lives. One of the best way to improve our self-image is with our words. Words are like seeds, and they have creative power. It says in Isaiah- “We will eat the fruit of our words.” It’s really amazing when you think about it, how much power we have with our words, whether it’s positive or negative. You could be suffering a bad self-image because of your own words. As you start teaching yourself to speak positive things day after day, you will notice a difference in how you feel about yourself. I believe all of us sometime in our life, have had another person speak something negative over us. Parent, coach, teacher. Words are like seeds—they produce, and they take root, and set limits in our lives. The Good news is….the Word of God is like an eraser. You can start speaking out of your own mouth what God says about you. Change the way you speak about yourself, and you can change your life! Use your words to bless your life!

#4. Have Confidence in Yourself
We have to reprogram our minds and internal dialogue. I am forgiven, I am restored, God has a new plan, good things are in store. So many adults struggle today because they didn’t get positive encouragement they needed from their parents. Words are like seeds- they can take root and grow in a person’s mind for year. If you are a parent, it is your responsibility to instill confidence, self-esteem, and security in our your children. If we don’t tell our children who they are, then somebody else will!
God created us to feel good about ourselves. He created us to feel complete, to feel whole, to be confident and secure-not constantly against ourselves.
The Bible says “Our faith is made effective when we acknowledge everything good in us. Think about this: Our faith is not effective when we acknowledge all our hurts and pains. It’s not effective when we stay focused on our weaknesses. So its, more effective when we acknowledge the good things that are in us. Declare positive things over yourself! Say what God says about you! Knowing and acknowledging who you are, that the Lord has ordered your steps, you are a person with a bright future ahead of you, these things can boost our confidence!
by Ronda Simpson

Speak Louder!

2009-02-16T14:16:00.005-06:00

God is calling this generation to stand up and speak up to reach the lost. More than ever before, we live in a world that is desperate to feel the love of Christ and it's our job to spread it. Check out this Jeremy Camp video of his song "Speaking Louder Than Before"

Speaking Louder Than Before

Please Pray.....

2009-01-29T10:11:00.003-06:00

For Jordan Ezell. She is leaving this weekend for a mission trip to the Middle East. Jordan is a 21 y/o Buffalo native, who has dedicated her life to reaching the Nations for Christ. Go check out her website for more information on her trip and get updates while she is away: JORDAN EZELL
We are so proud of you Jordan and we will be praying not only for your safety, but that God will use you and your team in a mighty way!

A Cheerful Heart.....

2009-01-08T09:59:00.003-06:00

The Bible says in Proverbs 17:22 "A cheerful heart is a good medicine" So, I thought I'd share this cute clip that will surely make your heart cheerful today!

No matter what stress or situations you may be facing in life, the joy of the Lord is your strength!
Have a blessed day!

Slow Fade

2008-11-08T21:01:00.004-06:00

Have you ever realized that you've allowed something in your life that years or months ago, you would never dream of allowing? There are so many things in this world we live in that are now "accepted", that years ago we would never stand for. The problem with acceptance of worldly things is that the Word of God never changes. If something was against the Word before, it's still against the Word. Slowly, even as Christians, we begin to allow things into our lives that can damage us... sometimes we don't even realize it until it's too late. Alot of times in our lives, one bad choice can lead to another and so on and before we know it, we've drifted away from God. It's called a "slow fade." When things we know to be black & white, suddenly turn to gray.
The Bible says in 1 Cor 10:12 "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall." No matter how firm you think you are in your relationship with Christ, anyone can get off track. That's why we must take time everyday to strengthen ourselves and our relationship with Christ through prayer and meditation and studying the Word..... Everyday! It's an investment! It's kinda like working out our spiritual muscles. Daily time with God builds us up and strengthens us to stand against the pressures of life and the things of this world that can distract us.
I encourage you to take a look at your life right now. Are there things that you've allowed a place in your heart that are not pleasing to our Father? In 2 Cor 13:5, it says to "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith." I think we should examine ourselves daily and ask the Holy Spirit to show us things that we've let drift in without realizing it. Show us wrong decisions that we've made that have caused us to loose focus or pulled us from Him. I'm so thankful that our God is so loving and forgiving. His mercies are new every morning. I have a sign in our youth building that says "No matter how far you've gone done the wrong road, it's never to late to turn back." I love that sign because it is so true. It's never to late to make things right with God.
Check out this music video to the hit song by Casting Crowns "Slow Fade". It talks about how our relationship with Christ can slowly fade if we are not careful what we subject our hearts to.

Have a blessed week!
~AMY

They Are Watching!

2008-11-02T15:12:00.001-06:00

This video was such an eye-opener for both Dads and Moms. No matter how young or old our children are... they are watching us.

The Power Of Prayer

2008-10-22T15:43:00.002-05:00

I know our lives are soooo busy! It's seems like every moment of my day is filled with running from one thing to the other and I'm sure you are the same way. Even though we are swamped in our day to day lives, we cannot forsake our daily time in prayer. The Bible says in 1 Cor. 7:5 "devote yourselves to prayer." It doesn't say devote yourself to laundry or sports or even your job! Devote yourself to prayer. God understands our busy lives, but He also understands the importance of us taking the time everyday to pray and seek His face. The Bible says, "seek first the Kingdom of God and all His righteousness, all these things will be added unto you." When we take the time to seek Him first, then He'll line up everything else! That's awesome to know that if I'll just take some time each day to dedicate it and myself to Him, take the time to give Him control of my life & my day... then He takes control and His way will always be better then mine! I encourage you to take the time everyday to spend some time in His presence, spend time everyday in prayer... I promise you won't regret it!
~AMY

Let me encourage you....

2008-09-29T09:54:00.001-05:00

It seems today that a lot of people have some really big problems going on in their life. Even though we are Christians, we are not exempt from problems in our families, our health or our finances. But, the good news is, that we have our faith in the Word of God ! No matter what you may be facing, there is no problem too big for God! He has an answer to every situation that could be troubling you today!
Let me encourage you to get a hold of God & His Word concerning your situation. Find out what God has to say about it ! He DOES have something to say! Begin to meditate on God’s Word & speak it out of your mouth. I can promise you it will make a difference!
Many times people just try to do whatever they can to get through their problems. I know that we should do all we can in the natural to help ourselves, but I also know it is of even more importance that we take the time to include God in our lives. We must ask for His participation!
After all, we can do what we are able to, but we have our limitations. The good news is that with God NOTHING is impossible. We all need His strength & guidance to live our lives in the way God intended for us to! He wants us to live abundant lives!!

A healthy marriage benefits your children!

2008-09-05T08:45:00.003-05:00

Having a healthy marriage is not just a luxury item, it's something we should strive for and expect. Researchers have determined that having a healthy, happy, fulfilling marriage benefits all family members. Below are statistics from research by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Healthy Marriage Initiative.

We believe God knew these benefits existed with the marriage of man and woman and that is why He instituted it. Modern research simply echoes what God says in His Word.

Researchers have found many benefits for children and youth who are raised by parents in healthy marriages, compared to unhealthy marriages, including the following statistics:

~More likely to attend college
~More likely to succeed academically
~Physically healthier
~Emotionally healthier
~Less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol
~Less likely to commit delinquent behaviors
~Less likely to be a victim of physical or sexual abuse
~Be open and honest with the couples you help
~Seek wisdom and understanding from God
~Have a better relationship with their mothers and fathers
~Decreases their chances of divorcing when they get marriedp
~Less likely to become pregnant as a teenager, or impregnate someone
~Less likely to be sexually active as teenagers
~Less likely to contract STD's
~Less likely to be raised in poverty

Great Marriage Tips

2008-09-03T06:17:00.000-05:00

~Keep God FIRST!
~Pray Together!
~Respect and honor each other!
~Encourage each other to grow together!
~Read the Bible together as much as possible!
~Be swift to hear & slow to speak!
~Make time to communicate with each other!
~Protect and honor your marriage vows!
~Do not let others come between your marriage!
~Have a "Mission Statement" for your Marriage & Family!
~Thank God everyday for your Mate & the Life you have together!
~Understand that "love" is a choice, not a feeling!(You must choose everyday to Love your mate)

Teaching The Teacher

2008-09-03T06:11:00.001-05:00

One day a 6 year old girl was sitting in a classroom. The teacher was going to explain evolution to the children. The teacher asked a little boy.

TEACHER: Tommy do you see the tree outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
TEACHER: Tommy, do you see the grass outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
TEACHER: Go outside and look up and see if you can see the sky.
TOMMY: Okay.(He returned a few minutes later) Yes, I saw the sky.
TEACHER: Did you see God?
TOMMY: No.
TEACHER: That's my point. We can't see God because he isn't there! He doesn't exist.

A little girl spoke up and wanted to ask the boy some questions. The teacher agreed and the little girl asked:

LITTLE GIRL: Tommy, do you see the tree outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
LITTLE GIRL: Tommy do you see the grass outside?
TOMMY: Yessssss (getting tired of the questions by this time).
LITTLE GIRL: Did you see the sky?
TOMMY: Yessssss
LITTLE GIRL: Tommy, do you see the teacher?
TOMMY: Yes
LITTLE GIRL: Do you see her brain?
TOMMY: No
LITTLE GIRL: Then according to what we were taught today in school, she must not have one!

Parenting Tips

2008-09-02T21:34:00.000-05:00

Answered by Dr. James Dobson
Q. Is there an age when you begin to spank?

A. There is no excuse for spanking babies or children younger than 15 to 18 months of age. Even shaking an infant can cause brain damage and death at that delicate age! But midway through the second year (18 months), boys and girls become capable of knowing what you’re telling them to do or not do. They can then very gently be held responsible for how they behave. Suppose a child is reaching for an electric socket or something that will hurt him. You say, “No!” but he just looks at you and continues reaching toward it. You can see the mischievous smile on his face as he thinks, I’m going to do it anyway! I’d encourage you to speak firmly so that he knows he is pushing past the limits. If he persists, slap his fingers just enough to sting. A small amount of pain goes a long way at that age and begins to introduce children to realities of the physical world and the importance of listening to what you say.

Through the next 18 months, you gradually establish yourself as the benevolent boss who means what you say and says what you mean.
Contrary to what you have read in popular literature, this firm but loving approach to child rearing will not harm a toddler or make him violent. To the contrary, it is most likely to produce a healthy, confident child.