Since that point, a lot in my life has changed, and I realize that maybe other Christians feel this way. Yes, we love God, but our lives are so full of other stuff that He just kind of gets in the way. We do things that we know are wrong, and we feel the small little tug of the Lord telling us not to, but we have gotten very good at turning it off, or simply reassuring ourselves by saying. “I will be forgiven.” We as Christians cannot continue to live like this! I started thinking about Life, and you guys all helped me realize some very important things. Here they are:

First off, being a Christian is joyful. Being a Christian is not a miserable, rule-following, fun-deprived life! It’s a blast! Look at N.A.P.F. Is that not one of the best times of the year? Some of our best friends we meet at N.A.! Some of our best memories are from N.A.! Truly think about how you feel at N.A., or at any other retreat, and you will realize you feel good. You feel great. You feel the joy of the Lord. As I looked around during the variety show, I realized that I am so much happier at NA than I am anywhere else. I was moved.

Why though? Why was I happier around you guys (and girls) more than I was anywhere else? I figured out two main reasons. One is the joy of fellowship in the Lord. There are no greater friends than Christian friends. You people are amazing. When we are gathered in the Lord’s name, His spirit is with us, and that is joyful. We support, love, and cherish each other. Secondly, I realized that the rest of my life was clouded with messes that I made, sins that I committed. I felt guilty, convicted. And then I put two and two together, and figured something out.

I have not sought out the joy of the Lord in my friends. I set ought to make friends with people that would accept me. But they had to be cool, not those religious geeks that get picked on. Not the girl who carries a Bible in her backpack, not the strange looking boy with Jesus written all over his backpack, and definitely not the one who prays at the school lunch table. High school had labeled them as uncool. Outcasts. Freaks. Even after I became a Christian, I did not pursue friendship with these people. I was happy with my atheist friends. I was happy with my friends who swore, fought, didn’t believe. And when I had to pick between being an example or going along with their antics, I rarely chose to be an example. These were the sins clouding my life. I passed on the religious types, because I wanted to fit in.

I now realize that I missed one of the greatest opportunities for joy in my life. I passed on the amazing joy the Lord has offered us all. I passed on fellowship, strength, love, friendship, and support from these people in my life, because I had a reputation to protect, an image to fill. I had to be cool. The sins in my life were my own doing, my own choice. This was my fault.

So I say to you, peers and fellow Christians, seek out the joy of the Lord in your friends. The joy you find in the fellowship of other believers. The joy that you feel at N.A. Forget about being cool, fitting in, or upholding your reputation, whatever it may be. Those things will not matter in the future, but your love and relationship with the Lord will. Don’t let the joy of the Lord find you occasionally. Seek it out. Choose your friends wisely. Seek out all the love, support, and true friendship of other Christians. It will make your walk with God easier, and much more joyful.

Do not abandon those friends who do not believe, but try to reach them. They will think your weird and a freak, but truly think about it. Jesus died a horrid death so we could know his love. He was murdered brutally so that we can know his love. Yet, we pass on it so we can fit in with our “friends.” I’m not condemning you, or saying I am better, because I am not. I am just as guilty. Not one is righteous. Yet, from this day on, my life is truly the Lord’s. I am seeking out the Christian weirdoes, in order that we may live in the joy of the Lord. There is no greater joy.

Earlier I mentioned the heat, and it reminded me of everyone’s favorite experience at NA – the picture! Nothing beats standing like a bunch of sardines in the blazing sun on a 90-degree day. It would have been better though, if we ALL would wear deodorant!

And speaking of hot, how about the band! They were on fire! I even saw Steve Erkel down on the floor rocking out to L.I.G.H.T.! “Ever Always There,” “Open the Eyes of My Heart,” and of course, our favorite – “THE WAY”! Wow, we did some serious rocking to that song! Don’t forget Jenny’s wonderful rendition of “Jesus Loves the Little Children!” The band really got us going.

Well, as our conference drew to a close, we commenced with the election and installation of officers. Because nobody ran for president, your current officers are only three in number. Steve Sands, Whitney Reed, and me. Steve was elected to the second vice president spot, but due to the fact there are only three officers, he is simply the only VP. I will be acting as your president, and I use the term “acting” loosely. Whitney Reed will be back on board for another year doing a wonderful job as your secretary.

After installation and our wonderful banquet, we all headed to the dance. With Bob Daniels spinning the tracks at the dance, we were able to get down and boogie, and enjoy the fellowship in a good positive environment.

Overall I think the conference was enjoyed by all. I know I certainly had a blast spending time with all of you, but more importantly, with God. Let us not forget the reason we gather every year. The Lord is good, and it is through His grace that we are able to celebrate the joy of the Lord every year at NAPF.

To wrap it all up, I’d like to say thanks. Thank you to all of the officers and co-directors for making it a great conference. Thank you to all the PFers, who are my best friends. But most of all, thank you God, for the wonderful love You have given us all. Amen.

This summer for me was the turning point in my daily worship of the Lord my God. I ventured out and began to look for new and exciting ways to worship. I found contemporary Christian music. I had always known about Christian rock groups from retreats I had gone to, but I had never listened to Christian music on a regular basis. Daniel Butters started me off by giving me a short list of songs he liked, and once I listened to them I was hooked.

When I wake up in the morning or anytime throughout the day, giving God just 3-5 minutes of my time and listening to a good worship song is comforting. It helps me get reconnected with God and then I know He is with me right then and there. It is easier to start and go through a day knowing I started it out with some great worship

Participating in these mission projects is really amazing. Not only is it a good way to help others in need, develop a sense of compassion, and encourage a character of giving, but it also is a way to serve our Lord.

God has a plan for all of us. He can, and will, use anyone who wants to serve Him and that is just what he did for us. He took us out into the world, to do HIS WORK!!! I really think that the mission day is one of the most -- if not the most -- important days of the conference. Not only are we growing spiritually ourselves, but we are spreading His word to those we work for and for those who see us working. It is all a part of His plan.
When we returned, we were hot, tired (and some had new colored shirts from the highway vests!) and ready for showers. However, we made a difference.

I have a picture in my room, of my small group at the home we worked at that day. When I look back on it, I smile because I remember what a difference we made and how awesome we felt afterward.

This is Steve Sands, and if you don’t know me by now, I apologize for not meeting you in Virginia. This year was without a doubt the most amazing and trying year of my life, mostly these past few months since NA. It has been a roller coaster emotionally and spiritually. These hard times I have faced have definitely brought be closer to my God than ever before. The National Association meeting every summer has been the boost I needed to jumpstart my walk with God.

Two years ago I can say I was not a very active Christian. I would go to church and youth group events, but that’s about it. In these past two years N.A. has taught me how to be an “all-the-time Christian,” a concept I was not familiar with. When I came home this year I swear I prayed every moment I could for God to take me somewhere else where I could be with other Christians and not have to work so hard at keeping up the faith, but being a Christian, an all-the-time Christian is quite possibly one of the hardest things to do. I put a plan into action and set up a support group for myself comprised of people from N.A. anywhere from my hometown to California. I kept in touch with all of them and when I needed help they were there, when they needed help I was there. It is very comforting to know someone who has the same fire inside of them is only a phone call away.

God has blessed me with an abundance of people to help me along the way in my walk with Him, and the thing I can give you is to not do it alone. The way I think of it is a flying “V” of geese. When only one goose is flying he has to work extra hard to get where he is going. When a whole flock of geese are together they all help each other and lift each other up, making it easier to reach their destination. When a whole flock of Christians work together and help one another it makes for an easier walk with God.

With school having started up again our schedules are once again filling up. However, this is not always what God wants. Don’t get me wrong. Staying busy is not a bad thing, but feeling rushed, tired, and stressed is bad.

God wants us to feel happy and at ease. He tells us in the Bible that there are ways to bring about peace in our lives. Psalm 46: 1-11 reads: