10 Ways to Get Along with Your Parents

As developed by Shannon McCarty and published in Raising Happy, Healthy, and Holy Teenagers by Dr. Robert (Bob) McCarty.

1. Treat your parents as you want them to treat you. Even though it sounds pretty basic, if we want to be treated with respect and fairness, then we have to treat our parents the same way.

2. Remember, parents are people too. That means they are human, they make mistakes, they lose their temper, they say things they do not necessarily mean. And they want to do their best, especially in raising their children.

3. Handle the ordinary, and the special will take care of itself. If we handle our normal curfews, chores, and school responsibilities, when something special comes up, we have a better chance to have the rules relaxed.

4. It is okay to call timeout during family arguments. If you or your parents get really emotional during arguments--and that is when we say things we do not really mean--then agree to call timeout, and come back to the issue when everyone has cooled down.

5. At least once a day, talk to your parents. Communication begins with a willingness to just talk. Parents get nervous when they feel out of touch with their children. So each day, just talk to them about things going on at school, or with your friends, or at your church group.

6. Plan escape routes. Everyone gets into difficult situations; whether on a date, at a party, or just out with friends. So think about your options, in case something happens. Handling ourselves in difficult situations is a sign of maturity and responsibility.

7. Agree on the basics. Talk with your parents about curfews, school expectations, household chores, driving with friends, and other issues, rather than relying on mind reading. Perhaps you can renegotiate the basics on your birthday, so as you get older, you gain more rights and responsibilities.

8. Tell your parents that they are doing a good job. Parents get very little training on how to be good parents. It is more like trial and error. You will really surprise them by telling them they are doing okay.

9. Try to become friends with your parents. As strange as it sounds, when we get older we will be friends with our parents. So begin being friendly, talking with them, and sharing some time together.

10. Learn how to say "I am sorry." It is a sign of maturity to admit when we are wrong about something or at fault. Also, we have a better chance of convincing our parents when we are right.

I Was on the Way to the Abortion Clinic to Abort My Baby, Then This Happened

I am a mom of a three year old little girl and had no plans to get pregnant again because I have a severe spinal injury — a fused pelvis full of metal and can barely walk. I am in constant pain. My pain was so severe I was on dilaudid pills.

I got hurt while on active duty in the U.S. army, during training. My condition is a result of multiple injuries. First I broke my leg — a complete compound fracture, but I was lied to and was told it was only a sprain. So I then attempted to jump out of a 5 ton vehicle with 100 lbs of gear on my body. The drop off was 5.5 ft high — I was standing when I jumped.

My ligaments across my sacrum could not handle the stress because the leg had not healed at that point, so my pelvis gave out on impact, resulting in bi-lateral tears across the SI joint. I then kept going, even though it was painful — just like I did with the leg, because my dream was to be an airborne soldier. While practicing to fall from an 8 ft tall platform, the same thing happened to my other side and my pubic bone. I now have half of a pubic bone, and the only thing holding my pelvis together is my metal hardware, most of which is loose. So there is a lot of pain from that. I have several more surgeries to undergo because the first two were not done properly.

It’s been extremely painful. My life as a person has completely changed since I got out of the military and that in itself has been a journey. I’ve been all across the USA to get treatment for my condition.

That aside, when I became pregnant, I had only been dating the father for a month and a half. The first time we were intimate, our choice of birth control failed. I didn’t think twice about it, because it took 10 months for me to conceive my 3 year old daughter. So when our “protection” malfunctioned, I brushed it off. I had no clue that at that moment, I had become pregnant.

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I Didn't Lose My Virginity When I Got Married

BY JACKIE ANGEL (Read the story in its original form here)

I’ve never punched someone in the face, but there are definitely times I wish I could ignore the virtue of self-control and let a fist fly.

A few months before my wedding, someone asked me (knowing that I was a 29-year old virgin by choice), “So, is your fiancé a virgin, too?” I replied, “Nope.” She responded, “Well at least someone knows what they’re doing.” I pretended not to care about this ridiculously ignorant statement and switched the subject quickly.

But, really? Really?! My brain was reeling with anger and annoyance, while my will did all it could to prevent Jackie Francois from turning into Jackie Chan.

That stupid response irked me on a few levels.

First, people have been having sex for thousands and thousands of years. It’s not like the mechanics of sex are difficult to master, even when it’s two virgins, God forbid! (note the sarcasm).

Secondly, do you really think I’m happy that my husband’s first experience of sex was with someone else because he got to “practice?” Um, let’s think here for a second….NO! I don’t know any girl who just hopes and wishes that her husband has memories of another girl (or girls) he’s been sexually active with or a harem of porn stars he’s been sexually aroused by. Memories don’t just vanish when you start dating someone new or put a ring on your finger or say wedding vows. It takes grace, prayer, time, sometimes counseling, and a lot of healing to rid oneself of these memories.

Thirdly, if my husband had been there to hear this ridiculously insensitive and crude “insight,” he would’ve been even more offended (and maybe tempted to throw a punch, as well). His loss of virginity was never something he boasted about. In fact, he shares his witness here and in the talks we give together about the regret and shame he felt after that moment of weakness and lust. While the culture says that sex is “no big deal” and that people are meant to be “test-driven” before marriage, there are a lot of good Catholic men and women who know sex to be holy and beautiful and worth giving to your spouse alone. Those particular men and women who had sex outside of marriage truly felt that their virginity was lost. One woman described it as a loss of innocence. Another described it as a loss of an idea of what it should’ve been to have sex for the first time when she said, “It wasn’t like the movies. My boyfriend didn’t even hold me afterwards.” Others have said, “I felt used.” Others have felt the loss of pride, because they were the ones who would’ve “never” committed the sin of fornication. Others have felt that their dignity was lost, because they gave themselves away just to hear the words, “I love you,” or “You’re beautiful.” Virginity was never meant to be “lost.” Sex was never meant to be a mistake or a flippant act.

While the world around us in TV, movies and music makes virginity look ridiculous, I knew in my heart I never wanted to “lose” my virginity to some boyfriend in a nasty college dorm room or in his parents’ house or in his apartment just to have some practice for my future husband. I wasn’t taught the Puritanistic view that “sex is bad.” In fact, I learned the Catholic view that sex is good, beautiful, and holy. Sex is the consummation of the wedding vows, and your body is making a promise of those vows (even if you do not). The vows you make with your heart and voice on your wedding day—to love freely, totally, faithfully, and fruitfully—are then expressed with your bodies later on that night. Sex makes the vows incarnate. So technically, you’re not married if you haven’t consummated your sacramental marriage, because the vows have not yet been fulfilled bodily.

That’s why on my wedding night I didn’t “lose” my virginity. I freely chose to give myself—body, mind, heart, and soul—to my husband who promised to love me ‘til death do us part. I definitely didn’t feel shame or loss. I didn’t feel dirty or bad. I felt beautiful and holy and child-like. And my husband? You can bet that he did the same and felt the same. Even if virginity has been “lost” at some point in the past, it is still possible with Reconciliation and God’s grace to be able to, for the first time, give oneself freely, totally, faithfully, and fruitfully. And trust me: when sex includes all of those things, that’s when someone really knows what they’re doing.

Reclusive Deity Hasn’t Written A New Book In 2,000 Years

From The Onion, a satirical site that does not claim to be real news.

NEW YORK—Leading writers, scholars, and publishers gathered this week at Fordham University for a literary conference and panel discussion on God, the widely praised but reclusive deity who has not published a book since His landmark debut 2,000 years ago.

Hailed by critics as one of the most important authors in recent millennia, the eccentric divinity is said to have long ago retreated from the public eye, eschewing a life of celebrity for one of solitude and quiet. To this day, experts confirmed, His artistic reputation rests exclusively upon His bestselling and highly acclaimed first work, the Bible.

“God has granted no interviews, made no public appearances, and kept entirely to Himself for what seems like ages, and yet it’s fair to say that no other author has been quite so influential,” said noted critic and conference attendee James Wood, observing that while the fiercely private immortal being has only one book to His credit, He remains among the world’s most respected and quoted writers. “For many readers, God’s writing had a transformative impact on their lives, and countless people list His book among their favorite titles. But for reasons that we can only speculate about, God has chosen to stay out of the limelight and let His words speak for themselves. Perhaps it is God’s retreat into His own world that allowed Him to render His vision so vividly on the page.”

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Diocese of Boise Seminarians

Seminary is where the journey to the priesthood begins. What does it look like? What do seminarians do? Who are our seminarians from Idaho? Here's a short video to learn about the six seminarians from our Diocese of Boise who are studying at Mount Angel Seminary near Salem, Oregon this year. Another two seminarians are at Mundelein Seminary outside Chicago and one is on his pastoral year in Rupert, Idaho.

Coming soon is an opportunity for young men to visit the seminary. The cost is low (only $40), and the trip will begin with the drive to Mount Angel (about eight hours) on Thursday, Oct. 16 after school going until a return on Sunday, Oct. 19 after attending Mass. If you're interested, talk to Daniel today.

Their Stories, Your Story

These are two friends of mine from Mount Angel Seminary with unique stories about their calls to seminary and to the priesthood. What is your story?

Author: More teens becoming 'fake' Christians

By John Blake, CNN

(CNN) -- If you're the parent of a Christian teenager, Kenda Creasy Dean has this warning: Your child is following a "mutant" form of Christianity, and you may be responsible.

Dean says more American teenagers are embracing what she calls "moralistic therapeutic deism." Translation: It's a watered-down faith that portrays God as a "divine therapist" whose chief goal is to boost people's self-esteem.

Dean is a minister, a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and the author of "Almost Christian," a new book that argues that many parents and pastors are unwittingly passing on this self-serving strain of Christianity.

She says this "imposter'' faith is one reason teenagers abandon churches.

"If this is the God they're seeing in church, they are right to leave us in the dust," Dean says. "Churches don't give them enough to be passionate about."

What traits passionate teens share
Dean drew her conclusions from what she calls one of the most depressing summers of her life. She interviewed teens about their faith after helping conduct research for a controversial study called the National Study of Youth and Religion.

The study, which included in-depth interviews with at least 3,300 American teenagers between 13 and 17, found that most American teens who called themselves Christian were indifferent and inarticulate about their faith.

The study included Christians of all stripes -- from Catholics to Protestants of both conservative and liberal denominations. Though three out of four American teenagers claim to be Christian, fewer than half practice their faith, only half deem it important, and most can't talk coherently about their beliefs, the study found.

Many teenagers thought that God simply wanted them to feel good and do good -- what the study's researchers called "moralistic therapeutic deism."

Some critics told Dean that most teenagers can't talk coherently about any deep subject, but Dean says abundant research shows that's not true.

"They have a lot to say," Dean says. "They can talk about money, sex and their family relationships with nuance. Most people who work with teenagers know that they are not naturally inarticulate."

In "Almost Christian," Dean talks to the teens who are articulate about their faith. Most come from Mormon and evangelical churches, which tend to do a better job of instilling religious passion in teens, she says.

No matter their background, Dean says committed Christian teens share four traits: They have a personal story about God they can share, a deep connection to a faith community, a sense of purpose and a sense of hope about their future.

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Saving Grace by Mary's Meals

The Dating Game

 

By Esther Rich, ChastityProject.com
See the original story here

A few weeks ago, I was at the gym with a friend when I saw a guy who I was certain I recognized but couldn’t decide where from. Good-looking, dark hair, athletic build, training with the university boxing team. There was no denying he was attractive. Then it dawned on me where I’d seen him before. Every Sunday he rushes into Mass late, on his own, and sits at the back of the church.

While mentally congratulating myself for working this out, I happened to mention it to my friend. Her automatic response was “oh yeah, he’s hot and he’s Catholic’—you should ask him out!” What did I know about him at this point? He’s physically attractive, and he’s Catholic. Not much! Yet this was apparently enough to warrant asking the guy out. What’s more, I’m pretty sure the ‘and he’s Catholic’ was only added because my friend was aware this would be one of my terms.

I didn’t know his name, his age, his nationality or his interests, and yet it struck me that nowadays the natural next step would be to ask him on a date purely based on appearance. Physical attraction might motivate some to pursue one night stand, but it’s certainly not a sufficient basis for a longer lasting relationship. Somewhere along the line, dating has become a recreational activity instead of a discernment process.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t date someone unless you’re 100% certain you’re going to marry them, but I am saying that if you’re pretty certain you’re not going to marry them then you probably shouldn’t consider dating them.

In his book ‘I Kissed Dating Goodbye’, Joshua Harris fantastically explains the difference between dating for entertainment and dating intentionally. He offers 7 habits of defective dating to look out for in our own relationships and attitudes towards them:

1. Dating leads to intimacy but not commitment.
2. You skip the ‘friendship stage’ of the relationship.
3. Physical relationships are mistaken for love.
4. The relationship isolates a couple from other friends.
5. The couple is distracted from preparing for the future.
6. Discontentment with the gift of singleness arises.
7. A person’s character is evaluated in an artificial environment.

It’s so easy to fall into any one of these traps, particularly while we’re surrounded by a culture of instant gratification that teaches us that we can have anything we want without much effort. But defective dating will inevitably lead to a painful break up or, worse, defective marriage! Changing the end result requires us to change the process. Changing the process can begin now—whether you’re in a long term relationship, just starting out, or are single.

Take the time to get to know someone and discern the potential for a relationship before you begin dating. If you become romantically involved too soon, it’s easy to get stuck in a relationship which is unhealthy, restrictive and, ultimately, destructive. Instead of rushing into a serious relationship for fear of being alone, or going on date after date after date with different people but having no real focus, allow God to work in his own time. Trust that He will provide what you need, when you need it.

You don’t have to buy into the dating game. There’s another way. A better way. God’s way! And for our part that’s the simplest way of all.

Let the Music Play

Whether a Man Can Be a Cafeteria Catholic

By Fr. Gaurav Shroff

“I’m Catholic, but I don’t really believe in X.” This is a common enough statement, either explicitly professed or implicitly held, even among Catholics who are, as they say, regular church-goers. “X” may represent any variety of things: a whole slew of issues relating to human sexuality on which the Church has definite teachings, the nature of Christ (“a good moral example” but not “the Son of God” and “my Lord and Savior”), religious indifferentism (“all roads lead to heaven,” thus denying the uniqueness of Christ), the necessity of the sacraments for salvation, the uniqueness of the Catholic Church (“it’s all the same, go where you fit in”), the obligations of justice to the poor, etc. Some may actually be coming to church for a variety of reasons, but not believe much of what the Church teaches at all, about God, man, the universe, the moral law, etc.

The thing is, “going to church” is really the manifestation of supernatural faith, that is, by participating in the worship of God in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, that worship in “spirit and truth,” established by Christ, regulated by the Church, until He comes again. One can go to Mass for other reasons (culture, family pressure, to meet an eligible Catholic girl, aesthetics [if one is fortunate to be in a place where the Mass is celebrated beautifully!]), but the primary reason is because of faith.

Now faith is, first of all the full and complete response of the whole person to the God who reveals (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #144). However, because man is made to know God who is Truth itself, as well as to love Him, who is Goodness itself, faith also involves an assent to a revealed body of truths about God, truths that would not be accessible to human reason unaided. Faith is a gift of God, and comes to us from outside ourselves (CCC, #153, Rom. 10:17. No one “makes himself” a Christian), but at the same time a human act of response, obedience, and assent (CCC #154).

So what is going on when a Catholic says, “I’m Catholic, but I don’t really believe in X?” In his study of the virtue of faith, St. Thomas Aquinas asks the question thus: “Whether a man who disbelieves one article of faith, can have lifeless faith in the other articles?” (ST IIa IIae q. 5 a. 3) Thomas’ answer is a very definite and clear “no.”

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Spoken Word

Post by Jesus Christ is KING.

Catholic Funnies

 

During a Eucharistic Congress, a number of priests from different orders are gathered in a church for Vespers. While they are praying, a fuse blows and all the lights go out.

The Benedictines continue praying from memory, without missing a beat.

The Jesuits begin to discuss whether the blown fuse means they are dispensed from the obligation to pray Vespers.

The Franciscans compose a song of praise for God’s gift of darkness.

The Dominicans revisit their ongoing debate on light as a signification of the transmission of divine knowledge.

The Carmelites fall into silence and slow, steady breathing.

The parish priest, who is hosting the others, goes to the basement and replaces the fuse.

AMEN: The only part of a prayer that everyone knows.
BULLETIN: Your receipt for attending Mass.
CHOIR: A group of people whose singing allows the rest of the Parish to lip-sync.
HOLY WATER: A liquid whose chemical formula is H2OLY.
HYMN: A song of praise usually sung in a key three octaves higher than that of the congregation’s range.
RECESSIONAL HYMN: The last song at Mass often sung a little more quietly, since most of the people have already left.
INCENSE: Holy Smoke!
JESUITS: An order of priests known for their ability to found colleges with good basketball teams.
JONAH: The original “Jaws” story.
JUSTICE: When kids have kids of their own.
KYRIE ELEISON: The only Greek words that most Catholics can recognize besides gyros and baklava.
MAGI: The most famous trio to attend a baby shower.
MANGER: Where Mary gave birth to Jesus because Joseph wasn’t covered by an HMO. Holiday travel has always been rough.
PEW: A medieval torture device still found in Catholic churches.
PROCESSION: The ceremonial formation at the beginning of Mass consisting of altar servers, the celebrant, and late parishioners looking for seats.
RECESSIONAL: The ceremonial procession at the conclusion of Mass led by parishioners trying to beat the crowd to the parking lot.
RELICS: People who have been going to Mass for so long, they actually know when to sit, kneel, and stand.
TEN COMMANDMENTS: The most important Top Ten list not given by David Letterman.
USHERS: The only people in the parish who don’t know the seating capacity of a pew.

Reclaiming our Story

Rediscover the Genius of Catholicism from Dynamic Catholic on Vimeo.

Pitch Imperfect

By Rachel Allen, LifeTeen.com

Last week, as soon as Mass ended, the sweet little old lady sitting in front of me loudly announced to anyone within earshot that I (apparently) sing off-key. Totally shocked, I responded, “Well, I guess that’s why I’m out here, and not back there in the choir loft.” Listen, lady, I never promised you perfection from the pew behind you.

But I’d be lying if I said her comment didn’t sting, just a little. After all, I was always taught to do my best, in everything I attempted: in school, clubs, sports, relationships, even faith – and I’ll include singing at Mass on the list.

Then suddenly, somewhere along the line, it seemed like “doing my best” wasn’t good enough unless my best resulted in perfection. It must have started around the first day of high school, when they told me that colleges would be looking at my every move. They’d check my grades, extracurriculars, service work, and leadership – every step of the way.

And then… then came Pinterest. And Twitter and Facebook and Instagram, etc. Suddenly, the Internet was covered in pictures from my peers who were doing everything I’m doing… but better. I don’t even have a Pinterest account, but I’ve still felt the pressure to be the 4.0 valedictorian student athlete slash class president whose hair is always combed and whose car is always clean.

Be Ye Perfect

It’s something I still wrestle with, now. And it even affects my relationship with God. Because, as if all that wasn’t enough, Jesus said that He was setting the bar there, too: “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

Go to Mass on Sundays (and weekdays, too). Definitely pray every day. Confess on a regular basis (did you know there are saints who went to Confession every.single.day?) and throw in at least one Rosary a week. Did you meditate 20 minutes on today’s Gospel? What do you mean, you’ve never heard of the Divine Mercy Chaplet?! There’s a saint of the day, too – memorize that biography! And give some money to the Church and/or to charities, plus spend some time serving in your community.

And THEN, if you’re good enough – only then, if you check off the things on His list – God will give you the things on your list, too.

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Who You're Using When She's Using the Pill

Remember that awkward moment when you got “the talk”? If you did get it, odds are it ranks among one of the more uncomfortably unforgettable moments of both your life and the life of the one who explained the intricacies of the birds and the bees to you. My dad gave me the talk while we were working on a furnace together. I fulfilled my customary role of flashlight-holder while he rambled on about the mechanics of sexual intercourse – the thing was that his head wasn’t even visible while he did so, as he was laying on the floor, head on the underside of the machine. I was grateful for that: no eye contact; my dad likely was, too. Yet, when all was said and done, one task got done the right way – the family was warm again – but the other was left horribly unfinished.

Odds are that most of our upbringings left us without a real, convincing understanding of the relationship between sex and love. Most of us got just the basics of how the biological act works, if we got the talk at all. Adding salt to the wound, the cultural surrounding continues to offer an impoverished understanding of both sex and love, leaving us rather confused and disoriented. In the midst of this void, we have a real need for clarity and truth.

And it’s in this light that I’d like to invite you to take an honest, objective look at the Church’s teaching on the immorality of artificial birth control. Often times, if we’re presented with an argument supporting the Church’s stance here, it’s given awkwardly and insufficiently. The common explanation basically runs like this: “You have to let God in and allow him to decide when and whether you have a baby, being open to life as a gift from Him.” This, understood in the proper light, is a true statement. It is also immensely unconvincing.

In fact, there seem to be many other things which God ought to be more concerned about in this regard: Doesn’t he care about responsible parenthood, having only the children we can support? Doesn’t God allow us and want us to use science to advance man’s dominion over creation and to better human existence? Doesn’t he call us to be stewards of the earth and our family? Doesn’t he know that having one more kid would kill me and my wife?

In the end, it seems that the Church has to pony up a little here and give an explanation that’s more understandable and convincing. The present article hopes to contribute to this discussion.

First, however, we need to understand something about how the Church views human sexuality versus how the society views human sexuality. We’ll look at it in three parts:

What is sex?

The Church: Sex is a beautiful gift of God, especially when considered on the level of a human being, who is a person capable of reasoning, freely choosing, and loving

The Society: Sex is a biological act that satisfies a basic need that must be met in whatever way possible, according to the desire of the individual

What does sex mean?

The Church: Sex is meaningful. It has a twofold, objective meaning: First, it expresses in a bodily way the deepest possible love that exists between a man and a woman. It says, in its action, “I give myself entirely to you in love.” This is a beautiful gift: the ability to express in the body a spiritual love. Secondly, sex is the way that a human being participates in the procreative work of God. The child conceived through sexual intimacy is only conceived along with God: while the couple offers the material body of the child, he alone fashions its soul. God is intimately involved in a couple’s intimacy. This twofold meaning gives direction to human sexuality.

The Society: Sex is meaningless. It has meaning only if I give it meaning. Sex is what I choose to make it. In itself, sex has no objective significance; however an individual chooses to use his sexual faculty is his prerogative; he decides how to satisfy this bodily need.

How is sex related to love?

The Church: Human sexuality is inseparable from love. If the act of sexual intimacy does not occur within the context of love, it fails to live up to its objective meaning. No one can perform an action that says, “I give myself entirely to you in love,” and at the same time not mean it without severely abusing the gift of sex and himself in the process. True love is committed, undying, self-sacrificial love: a type of love that is found in its totality in a marital relationship.

The Society: Sex is only connected to love if you want it to be. Ideally, it’s connected to love; however, if the urge needs to be satisfied, better just to scratch the itch.

The basic question that arises, then, is whether sex is meaningful or meaningless.

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Catholic Ads

Do you think these ever appeared on television?

Church Bulletins

Those wonderful Church Bulletins! Thank God for church ladies with typewriters. These sentences (with all the BLOOPERS) actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services:

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.'
The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.'

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say 'Hell' to someone who doesn't care much about you.

Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.

Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again,' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.

The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.

Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM. Prayer and medication to follow.

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. is done.

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.

Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.

The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new campaign slogan last Sunday: 'I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours.