"Well, in MY opinion..."

Anytime we have a presidential election coming up, people's opinions surround us like pigeons surrounding a garbage can at an amusement park.  Sometimes they can be entertaining, and sometimes they can get on our last nerves!  As a youth pastor, I know full well that you don't need a presidential election to bring in the opinions.  At youth group earlier this week, I asked the kids what kinds of topics bring up people's opinions.  Here's a short list (sampling) of what they came up with.

1.  Politics
2.  Religion
3.  Music/Movies/TV (what is good and what is bad and what Christians can and can't listen to and watch)
4.  Abortion
5.  Homosexuality
6.  Internet - the pros and cons of the world wide web
7.  Alcohol - whether Christians should or shouldn't drink
8.  Separation of Church and State
9.  What people think of other people
10.  How people should dress, i.e. to go to church, or just in general.  What is modest?

Have you been caught up in discussions that have led to debates in any of these topics?  I know I have, and while I'm not as opinionated as others, I do have my own personal thoughts and opinions on the issues.  I do my best not to shove my opinions on people because I don't like it when people do that to me.

Most of you know I am into everything invovling medieval times and knights.  When it comes to knights with swords and shields, going to battle (for the right reason) can be a good thing.  However, when it comes to debates and our opinions, going to battle might not be the best option. 

I recently shared some words of encouragement with a customer at the Diary Dairy, and I would like to share them with you.  Opinions are okay to have, as long as you don't try to force them onto other people as though your opinion is right and theirs is wrong. That's when opinions are least appreciated.  I tell the kids in the youth group they can share their opinions, and if someone disagrees with them, then agree to disagree and leave it at that. 

I encourage you to think about this whenever you are caught up in a rousing discussion/debate about the presidential election, or anything that was listed above.

~ Emily

Innocent Until Proven... and Penn State

It has been a long past couple of months at the Diary Dairy here in Clearfield.  The new shop has been a great addition to the community.  I have been honored to be the General Manager.  As Melissa's mother, I cannot tell you how proud I am of my daughter for all she has done through the Diary Dairy and the ministry it brings.

Over the last several months, both the State College and Clearfield staff have listened to the customers talk about their perspectives on everything that's been happening at Penn State.  I'm pretty sure Melissa and her crew have fielded more questions since they're in the heart of the matter, being in State College.  However, we, here at the Clearfield shop have had our own share of people telling us what they think.

Currently, we have had customers discussing the issue with the Joe Paterno statue.  It is a very touchy subject, and I want to say up front that I, in no way, intend to offend anyone with this entry.  In fact, I will try to keep my personal opinions about the matter out.  My goal here is to offer the universal perspective of the Clearfield and State College staff, by using an example of something we've learned late last year.

Last fall, the Diary Dairy staff learned an important lesson.  Whenever someone is accused of doing something wrong, they are innocent until proven...  In other words, they could be proven innocent or guilty.  I sat down and talked this through with one of the employees, Gavin.  I would like to share with you what we talked about.  Before I do, let me set up the situation for you.

Our register was acting up shortly after the new shop opened.  Sometimes the computer would freeze and we wouldn't be able to use the register.  One time when I was working on the deposit, I came up short.  There was money missing from the register drawer.  Gavin accused Ginny (another employee) of stealing the money because he knew she was saving up for a vacation, and had seen her fumbling with the register on more than one occasion.  One morning, we asked our computer maintenance man to come and see if he could take a look at the computer and register.  While he was working, he found a wad of cash that was hidden behind the register drawer where it was impossible for us to see without moving everything.  It was the exact amount I was missing the day I did the deposit.  It turned out that Ginny was innocent the whole time.  I'll be honest with you like I was with Gavin.  There was a time when I questioned whether or not Ginny had taken the money, even though I had no proof.

I think Gavin and I both learned an important lesson, and I would like to share that lesson with you now:

“Gavin, I was doing the deposit not long ago and wound up thirteen dollars short.  I had a feeling Ginny could’ve possibly been behind it, but didn’t want to accuse her without knowing all the facts.  Can you imagine what would’ve happened if I had told Melissa I was sure Ginny was responsible?  What do you think would’ve happened?”

            “Melissa could’ve just believed you and fired Ginny.”

            “Right.  Let’s pretend that Melissa did just that.  Well, earlier today, we found the thirteen dollars hiding behind the cash register drawer.”

            “Are you serious?”

            “Yes, I’m serious.  How do you think it would have made Melissa feel, knowing now that Ginny was innocent all along?”

            “She probably would’ve felt like an idiot.”

            Judy nodded.  “It also would have shown that Melissa didn’t trust Ginny.  That could have backfired on Melissa and permanently destroyed a friendship.”

            “Yeah, I get it.”

            “Oh, it doesn’t end there.”

            “It doesn’t?”

            “If you were in Ginny’s shoes, wouldn’t you want to seek revenge on Melissa and hire a lawyer to take your case?  Melissa could’ve ended up in an even deeper mess that would’ve had the potential to put an end to her business.”

            Gavin didn’t speak.  He was too busy soaking in all the scenarios that Judy was presenting to him.  He got it.  He really got it.

            “Now, even if Ginny was responsible for stealing money and messing up the computer, shouldn’t we show forgiveness rather than judgment?”

            “Yeah, I guess so.”

            “Honey, I hope you know so.  I believe we should choose love and mercy over hatred and bitterness more often than not.”

            “Yeah, you’re right.  I think, next time, I should get all the facts before I go accusing someone of doing something wrong.  It sounds simple, but it’s a good rule to live by.  That way, there’s no firing of employees and no courtrooms involved.”

            “You got it, Gavin.  You got it.”

As readers and viewers of the news, I don't think any of us are going to know the FULL story or the ENTIRE truth.  Until we know the WHOLE truth, I don't think it's necessary for us to point fingers at ANYONE.  Whether or not Joe Paterno made a mistake, I think it's important for us to show forgiveness rather than judgment.  Unless we were in Joe Paterno's shoes, do we really have a right to say whether or not he made any mistakes?  What do you think?  Something to ponder.

Written By:

Mrs. Bell  aka Melissa's mother

General Manager of the Clearfield Diary Dairy

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL

"Worse than telling a lie is spending your whole life staying true to a lie." - Robert Brault

One of the most common lies I hear from the younger customers at the Diary Dairy is, "I'm not beautiful." If I had a penny for every single time I've heard a girl say that to me, I'd be rich. There are many ways to get rich, and that is the worst way. It breaks my heart when I hear girls and boys tear themselves down. Not only is it the most common lie I hear, but it is the worst lie anyone can tell themselves.

As a youth pastor, I try to keep up to date on what the kids at church are reading and watching and listening to. As much as I love to read magazines and watch my favorite television shows, some of the images I see make it so obvious why kids don't see themselves as beautiful. When we see people in the magazines and on the television and movies with their perfectly toned bodies, we think that, since we don't do whatever it takes to make our bodies look so flawless, we're not perfect and flawless ourselves. The thing is, because of makeup and computer editing and eating disorders and alternative lifestyles, those people come across as flawless.

I'm not perfect. I don't have a petite figure like Krista, or an athletic build like Melissa or Carrie, but that's okay. The kids in my youth group, the customers at the Diary Dairy, my family, and my true friends don't think of me as Emily, the Chinese woman with an average body and a little flab here and there. They think of me as a gentle, caring, compassionate, anxious, sensitive person. I may not be as great of a basketball player as Melissa, or as brave and bold as Carrie, but my gifts are found in my writing, the passion I have for my faith, and my ability to be able to talk non-stop about both sports and music. The guys get a kick out of how much I know about football and stats.

The point is, I am most definitely sure that you are beautiful, too, whether you're skinny, heavier than some, white, black, yellow, brown, athletically built or have a wider nose than the kid sitting next to you in class. What makes you beautiful where it matters most is not on the outside, but on the inside. Your friends may have told you that you are kind, sweet, generous, funny, witty, clever, intelligent, gentle, compassionate, or really good at memorizing things. In my honest opinion, that makes you beautiful.

When you lie to yourself over and over, saying that you're ugly or imperfect or insufficient, then you start to live it out by hurting yourself in some way or another, and you were never meant to spend your life hurting yourself or believing you are ugly.

If you need reminded how special and how beautiful you are, and need to hear the truth, I encourage you to spend some time at the Diary Dairy. My co-workers and I would be more than honored to tell you the truth, which is that you are special, beautiful, and loved by someone. Believe it or not, God loves you the way you are, which is how you were meant to be loved: Unconditionally.
~Emily

Survivor Tree

SUBMITTED BY: SHANE

Next week on April 19, I will be remembering where I was when I heard about the Oklahoma City Bombing. For those of you who do not remember, it was an outrage! It was one of the worst attacks on our country because it was an attack on innocent people, including young children. All over the news, we would see pictures of people crying, bleeding, and scared to death. It was a day of pain, sorrow, and mass confusion and fear. Even though I was safe and sound in a high school building, on my way to class, I could feel the pain and hurt in my heart. I hurt for them. It seemed like a hopeless situation.
A few years ago, I took a trip to see the Memorial, and will never forget the inspiration I received from being there. One of my favorite parts of the Memorial was seeing the Survivor Tree. When the bombing occurred, the tree was majorly damaged. It seemed as though the tree was beyond survival. Fortunately, Spring came, and, because of how the tree was maintained and its foundation, it began to bloom again. See, one of the roots was placed inside a large pipe, so it could reach the soil beyond the wall without being damaged. I find that to be really awesome. The coolest thing about it was the inscription around the inside of a deck wall around the Survivor Tree reads: "The spirit of this city and this nation will not be defeated; our deeply rooted faith sustains us."
I am so thankful for the faith that I have in God. Not only is it my faith alone, but Melissa and I put our faith in Him. Our relationship has had its ups and downs. There was even a time when we spent some time apart so she could dedicate time to fully support her sister during a trial in her life. At first, it seemed as though my relationship with Melissa had little to no chance of surviving the separation. Like the Survivor Tree in Oklahoma City, our relationship would be restored once again. In time, God gave the relationship new life when we reconciled, and it is stronger than ever now. I truly believe it was our "deeply rooted faith" that sustained our relationship.
If you are going through a tough time in your life and it feels like there's no hope, I pray you would not lose faith, and that God would help you through your hard time. If your faith is deeply rooted in God, I am confident that you will not be defeated by your trials and pain.

-Shane Larson

What Matters Most

Hey all. Jim, aka J-Man here. Been working at the Diary Dairy for a year and half now. It's hard work, but not as hard as some of the workouts I have at basketball practice, and not nearly as challenging as what I went through earlier this month. Melissa thought it'd be cool to share what I learned on here. I told her I was down with it.

I spent a week volunteering with an organization called Street Light Ministries. It's over in Jersey, in the heart of Camden. Dude, it's one thing to see movies with ghetto themes. You watch the movies and television shows from your warm homes, seeing kids in gangs and families losing brothers and sisters in drive-by shootings. It's hard to see from your couch. I give you dat, but it ain't nuthin' compared to actually walking the urban streets and seeing people live in conditions that would blow your mind. After working with Street Light Ministries, I've been there, and it made me all the more thankful for what I have in State College.

Street Light Ministries is an after-school program where kids can come and learn about God and get the homework done with the help of college-age tutors. Okay, so they're more like mentors.
During one of the devotional sessions, the leader there, Robyn, shared a quote from the late Coach John Wooden. Coach Wooden was one of the greatest coaches ever because of the way he coached and taught his team at UCLA. I only wish I could've played basketball for him because I'm sure I'd not only up my game, but up my wisdom. Check this out. Here's what Robyn shared:

"People don't spend enough time with their families. They get caught up in material things, thinking those make up life. The pursuit of material possessions often takes precedence over the things that are more lasting, such as faith, family, and friends. Don't allow the lesser values to raise havoc on your family."

Man, when she read that at the end of the week, it summed up everything I went through. See, here in State College, I have been blessed with a nice house, good parents, a good job, sweet clothes, brand new sneakers, a kitchen full of food, and a safe neighborhood. I could go on and on. I mean, I have a couple video game systems with a ton of games. I have a slammin' stereo system with surround sound. Out back, I have a sweet basketball court behind my house. Ask anyone, and they'll tell you that I save up my money and spend it on the best video games and the best clothes. Man, I have it made.

Then I went to Camden and was introduced to kids that have houses on the verge of falling to the ground. Some of these kids only have one parent, and that parent be trippin' more than providing. The clothes some of them wear are filthy for whatever reason. One kid even talked about his dinner one night was corn chips and chocolate cupcakes. The hardest thing I my ears heard was the story of the drive-by shooting that happened that Wednesday night. The boy's older brother was shot and is still in a coma.

If I've learned anything from my time in Camden with Street Light Ministries, I've learned this:

I need to be more thankful for what I have. I have been blessed with a great life. I really shouldn't take it for granted. Sometimes I think I spend more time and money on my video games, my clothes, and material things that revolve around me. What I should do is put more value on things like family time, stuff at church, like our youth group's adopted children in Africa, and use it to help people less fortunate. That would be taking Coach Wooden's words of wisdom and putting them into practice.

What matters most to me now is not money, popularity or video games. What matters most to me is living out my faith, loving my family, and being a faithful brother to my friends. Money, video games and nice clothes can all be taken away from me in the blink of an eye. After seeing what the kids in Camden go through, I guess my family could be taken away from me, too. I'd rather invest my love in my family and friends as long as I have them by my side.

If you want to know more about my time in Camden with Street Light Ministries, you better be reading the Diary Dairy series. You feelin' me on this?

Peace out, brothers and sisters!

Jim "aka" J-Man

God can use change for good

One of the most common themes I hear when I listen to the customers talk about what's on their mind is "change." Most of the time, their conflicts and struggles revolve around change. Have you heard the phrase, "Everything changes" from time to time? Maybe you've heard it in a song or a poem. I prefer to use the saying, "Change is all around us."

A popular example of changes happens within families, like changing hometowns, parents changing jobs, changing daily routines, or changing the number of siblings. My older brother had to go from being the only child to having a younger sister to having a younger sister and younger brother to having two younger sisters and a younger brother. That's a lot of change! He went from being an only child to having three siblings!

The Diary Dairy in State College has been going through some major changes recently. Last fall, we changed locations from one end of town to the other. The new building is a little smaller, but the staff and customers have readjusted well. As long as the theme rooms still exist, and as long as they can still order a chocolate peanut butter milkshake and my famous onion rings, they're happy.

Not only has the location changed, but so has the staff. Shane has been promoted to the General Manager of the store, and Adam has been promoted to a Shift Manager. I am now going back and forth between here and the Clearfield shop, doing all the things an owner of a major business needs to do in order to function well.

Sometimes change can be good, and sometimes change can hurt one's heart and cloud up the mind with foggy thoughts. It may seem like there can't possibly be any rhyme or reason to the change, and that nothing positive could come from it. Just recently, one of my employees, Shawn, heard from a customer who moved out of town at the end of last summer. Due to disciplinary issues, the boy left town to live with an uncle in another city. In the beginning, he was not looking forward to being away from his friends, and from a couple of the guys on the Diary Dairy staff whom he has adopted as his mentors. Shawn shared the letter with me, and it was truly enlightening. The boy informed us that he has been attending church with his uncle and going to the youth group events. In both church and school, he has been making new friends. Even at his young age, he can see the good in learning how to live with positive morals and values. His uncle has assured him that if all continues to go well, he has the possibility of moving back to State College this fall to start high school.

At the beginning, the move didn't seem positive. These days, he is thankful for the change because, not only did he change location, but he has seen his heart and attitude towards life begin to change; for the better, which he claims is the best thing that's happened to him in a long time. Could he see the positives at first? No. One of the lessons my staff has learned over the years, and continues to be reminded of is that, just because you don't see something now, doesn't mean it doesn't exist, or won't be seen in the future.

Maybe you're going through some kind of change in your life where you can't see the good in all that's happening around you. Remember, though, that just because you don't see the positive outcome, doesn't mean it's not coming. I encourage you to hang in there and wait it out. I know the change may feel painful and all you feel is confused and unsure at the moment. My hope is that, down the road, you'll feel joy and see that God can use change for good.

~ Melissa