Hey PYPS! Holly here!

I’m going to start off by telling you a little bit about myself. I’m sixteen, I smile way too much, and I used to be really shy. (PYPS definitely changed that!) I pride myself in doing silly faces and making the perfect gorilla noise. For this 2010-2011 year I’ve taken the role of the worship coordinator of PYPS, something I’ve wanted to do since my first weekend in 2009.

Lately I’ve been thinking about the future. Who I’ll be, and where I’ll go. The possibilities are endless. To be honest I have no idea who I’ll be in the future, let alone where I’ll go. When I was younger I wanted to be an astronaut, but then I realized that there was a height limit that I didn’t reach. Then I wanted to be a doctor, but I was afraid that I wouldn’t be good enough. For about a year I changed my mind everyday on what I wanted to do. I know I’m not the only one who has weighed their options, trying to piece together their future. And it’s not just about what occupation we’ll be either. It’s about times when we’re lost, and don’t know where to go, or when we feel overwhelmed, and don’t know if we can make it through. Each of us are trying to find our place in the world.

Then something happened. A friend of mine gave me a book that changed my whole perspective. I opened the book, and written on the inside of the front cover was a note from the author, personally to me. It said, “Holly, I pray my story will be a blessing to you. God has a good plan for your life. Seek him always (Jeremiah 29:11-13).” I quickly reached out for my bible and looked up the verse. It said:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:11-13

As I read the verse, I bit my lip, and closed my eyes. I knew that God meant for me to get this. Because of this message, I realized that it’s okay for me to not know where I’m going in the future. Through my struggle to find out who I am, God has had a plan all along. He’s known this plan even before my birth. So why do I need to worry about where I’m going or if I’ll ever fit in in this world? I just need to have faith that God will lead me where he wants me to go.

So when you’re uncertain of the future, and don’t know where you’re supposed to go in life, remember: God has a plan. Seek him, and he will listen. God will lead you where you’re meant to be. All it takes is a little faith.

-Holly

So for the last few weeks, my mom has been experimenting in the kitchen with – as the title dictates – soup. My experience with this liquid/soquid food has mostly been limited to Campbell’s tomato soup however for the past four Saturdays, she’s been making all homemade soups. You may be wondering how soup has anything to do with PYPS, or God for that matter. Well, as I was chowing down on the soup of the week, I got to thinking;

With ingredients that are all so different, it’s a miracle that any of these soups taste good. I mean, I like steak and potatoes, but in soup? You’ve got to be kidding me! But isn’t that the same as when God calls us to work with other people that maybe we just don’t like very much. The Bible tells us we should love our neighbours but do we really need to cooperate with them all the time? Like a chef – or a mom – in the kitchen, God has a plan for us and He knows whatever we do in His name will turn out absolutely delicious.

With the switch to a new semester of high school, God’s forcing me into places that I’m not so comfortable with. I’ve never been good at meeting new people but when I get thrown into a class where I have no friends – and yes I understand this is a touch dramatic – I can’t help being a little upset that God hasn’t put me in a class with my BFFs. Needless to say, I was feeling a little down in the dumps after my first day until I realized; I am never going to be happy until I change my attitude.

God has given me so much in my life. One of these things is PYPS, and looking back now, I wasn’t exactly ecstatic when that opportunity first came forward either. To be honest, I was scared. Even though my sister was supposed to come with me, I was worried that I would be alone and I wouldn’t meet anyone and nobody would like me and blah blah blah. All these “what ifs” were running through my mind but when I finally went, they were all irrelevant. PYPS taught me that I am capable of meeting new people and making new friends SO why on Earth am I so scared of a new semester?

From my experiences at PYPS and with soup Saturdays, I know that God would never ask me to do something I couldn’t. It’s knowing this that will help me get through anything, and with a smile on my face to boot. I know the best way to thank God for all He’s given me is to do everything in His name. This includes being open to the changes in my life and the new people that come with those changes. It’s my job as a Christian to treat everyone how I would have them treat me so I figure it’s best to follow the adage; if you want to make a friend, be a friend. There’s no sense arguing with God. He puts people in our lives because they’re supposed to be there, so we might as well accept them.

It’s amazing to me how much we can learn from something so ordinary as soup. Our God really is an awesome God!

God bless, and hope to see all of you next weekend in Toronto! Don’t forget to send in your registration forms!

Carragh

Completed forms can be sent to:

PYPS

1301 Neilson Road

Scarborough‎, Ontario

‎ M1B 3C2

Canada

Merry Christmas!

That’s right, folks, it’s that time of year again.  A time of celebration, and fellowship with distant relatives and friends.  A time of giving and sharing with those in the family and those less fortunate.  It’s a time of cold weather, and hot chocolate.  A time of brightly lit houses and trees.  It’s a time of gifts, and songs.  It’s Christmas time.

It’s around this time of year that I always find myself taking stock of my life.  I don’t get to see my family very often, and when I do it’s usually around Christmas time, and it’s a great opportunity for me to see how I am, and how the world has changed around me.  If you haven’t tried it, I do highly recommend some time for self-analysis and some quiet thoughts amid all the hustle and the bustle of the Christmas season.  However, that is not really what I want to be talking about today, and self-analysis can really be done at any point during the year.

No, what I wanted to talk about today is more focused on the season itself.  I’m down in New York city right now, and I was attending Broadview Church this morning, which is where my family goes most Sunday mornings.  I was fortunate to have come this week as the children put on a lovely Christmas pageant.  Oh, the sheep (played by what looked like 2 and 3 year olds) were constantly running around and causing havoc, as sheep do; the actors stumbled over and forgot their words several times; there was a bit of endearing unpreparedness surrounding the whole thing, but all in all, it was rather a rather heartwarming thing to see.

It made me think back to my home congregation in Toronto, at Glenview.  I was always helping out with the pageant around this time of year, and the only reason I stopped being voluntold for a role is because I moved away from Toronto.  I do miss being able to help out, and interacting with the children because, well, I’m really a child at heart.  And as such, there are many things that I like to do, and that I still believe and with it being Christmas time, there is one that I want to share with you.

Namely, I believe Santa Claus is real.

Now, before you begin to argue with that statement (or joke that you’re shocked to find out that people believe he’s not), I don’t think that Santa Claus exists as we imagine him.  I don’t think there’s one jolly old guy with a big puffy white beard, and a fuzzy red suit riding around in the middle of a night on a sleigh with 8 (or 9) magical flying reindeer, that seems a little off even for me.  No, I think Santa Claus is the feeling of joy you get on Christmas morning when you wake up to all the presents under the tree.  I think Santa Claus is the fun you have shopping for the perfect gift for your family and friends, and then seeing the look on their face when they open it.  I think Santa Claus is that feeling of joy and fulfillment you get when you give to those in need, or you see someone do the same.  Santa Claus to me, is the spirit of giving, which by extension is the spirit of Christmas and therefore is all around us during this winter-y season.

I see Santa Claus and the spirit of giving as more of a single aspect of the Holy Spirit that is emphasized at this time of the year.  I think it’s a rather important thing to keep in mind, especially in this increasingly commercial season.  As it says in Paul’s letter to the Romans 8:5-6:

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.  To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

So, I guess in a long winded way of saying things, all I’m trying to say is that during this Christmas season, pray for those less fortunate, give what you can, and remember that Christmas is a time of the Spirit and celebration so enjoy it as much as you can.

Merry Christmas and God bless,

Michael

Hello out there internet world!

I suppose an introduction is in order.  My name is Michael Watt and I’m the new President of PYPS for this coming 2010-2011 year, and I’m super excited to get working with my fellow PYPSers.  I guess I should start this first post with a little bit of a history of how I came to be a part of PYPS.  Several of you may have heard this story from me before, but if you have don’t spoil the ending for the others.  Oh wait, this is all written down.  I guess you can’t spoil the ending for those who haven’t heard it.  I guess I got lucky there.  Anyway, on with the story.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… No, wait. That’s not right.  Let’s try this again.

Once upon a time, in a far away land… Hmm… no, still not quite there yet.  Alright, I’ll get it this time for sure.  Third time’s the charm, after all.

7 years and 5 months ago, I was 15 years old.  I had recently relocated with my family from Calgary, AB to Toronto, ON and the move was very hard on me.  I’d had a hard few years getting used to my new surroundings.  I hadn’t really made any lasting friendships in my new home yet and my youth group, while enjoyable and full of nice people, wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. I was a super shy introvert who didn’t really connect with my new peers, and who cared maybe a little too much what the world thought of him.  I was completely and hopelessly lost.  So when this opportunity came 7 years and 5 months ago, believe me when I say, I have no idea what compelled me to take the leap I did.  Even talking to my mother now about this decision, she doesn’t know why I took that leap since it was completely the opposite of who I was then.

I suppose some of you are wondering what this “leap” was that I’m talking about that happened 7 years and 5 months ago.  Truly I tell you, it was a leap of faith.  Specifically though, this life changing event was Canada Youth 2003.  If I had to sum up my experience there in a single word, I would describe it as “powerful”.  The conference was really the first time that I had tangibly felt the presence of God.  CY03 did so much to really open my eyes, my heart and my mind to the presence of God in my everyday life.  From the worship services, to our smaller discussion groups, everything that happened at that conference was helping me to leave my cocoon behind and be the person that I know God wanted me to be.  By the end of the conference, everything just seemed so obvious that I often wonder why I didn’t see God’s presence before.  One of my ministers once told me about what he called “2×4 moments”.  You know, when you’re just going through life minding your own business when all of a sudden, WHAM! God smacks you upside the head with a 2×4.  CY03 was one of  my 2×4 moments.  I have had others since, but that’s a story for another time.  I would also like to mention that this 2×4 moment wasn’t one instant in time where my personality changed completely, but it was what opened my eyes to the path that I’m following now.

I was very fortunate at CY03 to be with a group that knew about, and told me how awesome PYPS is.  So, a few months after Canada Youth was over, I had once again started to lose my way.  I was still extremely shy, and I still wasn’t really feeling like I belonged in my church youth group. So, PYPS Fall Convention 2003 came around, and once again I found myself taking a leap of faith.  I still knew virtually no one at the weekend, since none of the friends that I made previously that summer were able to go, and I’ll be honest, I was really scared.  So, for the second time that year, I trusted God and took the leap of faith.  I still remember what my minister said to me when I announced that I was going to PYPS.  He told me that Glenview, my home congregation, had a history of only sending a few young people to PYPS but that all of them had gone on to be the President.  I rebelled against the idea for the longest time.  Me?  President?  How silly.  I have enough trouble with my own faith, how could I ever be expected to help someone else with theirs?

Well here I am, 7 years later.  President of PYPS, and honestly scared silly.  But I trust God know’s what’s going on, and I know that my faith in him has led me this far so I take yet another leap of faith in stepping onto this path.  I know that I’ve still got a long way to go, and a lot to learn but I’m eager for the journey.  For those of you who have travelled this way before me, I hope that I live up to the legacy you’ve left; to those of you who are already sharing this journey with me, I thank you dearly for your companionships; to those of you just setting out on your faith journey, won’t you walk with me a while?  I would love to hear your stories, and if I’m lucky, maybe be a part of them.

Cheers and God bless,

Michael

This summer the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, an organization which includes the Presbyterian Church in Canada, will be merging with the Reformed Ecumenical Council to create the World Communion of Reformed Churches. The merger will take place in Grand Rapids, Michigan this June.

But a pre-council youth gathering will take place before the historic amalgamation from June 14 to 17 at Calvin College in Grand Rapids. The forum planning team has put out a call for two additional delegates from WARC to attend the forum. It’s a great opportunity and expenses will be covered for delegates. For the purposes of the forum, youth refers to those aged 18 to 30.

If you’re interested, morve fast and send an email to Jeff Crawford, our synod youth consultant at youth.cnob at gmail dot com.