Read This and Know how He
Works!
Sometimes it takes a person a little while to realize
the Awesome work that God is doing in their lives, and I admit, it may
have taken me a little longer.
Stan Russ
Five years
ago I was not so sure what I believed. Was there a Heaven? Or even a God?
But I still went to Church always open minded and maybe a little curious.
My wife Beth was what some
call a "Believer". She was teaching Third Grade Sunday school at the time.
One Sunday she asked me if
I would help her teach in her Sunday school class. To be honest, I was
hesitant, and I simply said that wasn't for me. But I could tell she really
wanted me to come and help out. We had discussions about my faith before
and I knew she cared. So after she begged me for a couple of hours,
I decided sure, I'll go. Why not I like kids, I'll pass out a few leaflets
and shell do all the hard educational work.
Well, it turned out that I
enjoyed the young kids and found myself helping out almost every Sunday.
Thanks to Mrs. Ellie Chester making me feel welcome,
it wasn't long before I found
myself attending some older Youth Group activities like the Ski trip. Well
because I like to Ski, and the trip was cheap.
That gave me the chance to
meet new people, like Rich Hendrickson, who also made feel welcome.
It was very nice, I felt like
I was gaining new Friends, which I was.
After a year of helping Beth
with her third grade class Ellie Chester asked me if I would be interested
in helping out with Senior high Class. There was a need for help in that
class. She mentioned that I had been an influence on some of the kids and
when she asked them they were excited that I might do it.
I was very concerned at the
time, here I am still trying to find out who I am and she was asking me
to help teenagers to do the same. I did, however, say yes. I did not know
why at the time I just knew I had fun with the kids in Senior high.
Well there I was Sitting in
the class for two years for support.
It wasn't 'till I went to the
Creation Festival this year that I knew what God was calling me to do.
A theme in one of the messages
was about stepping up to responsibilities as a Christian.
It was at that time I made
a promise to God that I would step up, at the same time I prayed that he
would supply me with the tools and people I need to get the job that he
wants me to do done.
So I started off this Year
with a Bang. I started off when Rich Hendrickson asked Beth
and I to be Youth Directors for the Youth Group. My First big Challenge.
Remembering that Promise I made, I excepted it.
I realize Now that all the
things that I have accomplished this year came to be because God surrounded
me with the people that could help me make it happen. If it was not for
my Wife who patiently at three o'clock in the morning said "yes honey that
is an awesome idea for the Youth Web page." Doug And LuAnn Miller who,
to be honest, do an Awesome job with the Sunday School class, Rich Hendrickson,
who has given me the most support in answering all the millions of questions
I had to ask, and of course Ellie Chester who never let me feel like I
could fail and gave me her whole hearted support. The Palamaro and Pederson
Families for their Love and support. Not to mention, the Youth Group themselves
who trusted my intentions and never shunned me away. And to the Most important
of them all, God, who so quickly, without me even realizing what he was
doing, made his will come true through me.
May I always
listen and obey his word.