Just shuffled all the music on my Zune and the first song was “Christmas Offering” by Casting Crowns. What’s wrong with Christmas in July? Shouldn’t Jesus’ birth be exciting and isn’t it relevant all year long? So I listened to it.
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Jul
16
I know that the LORD is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods.
The LORD does whatever pleases him,
in the heavens and on the earth,
in the seas and all their depths.
He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
he sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
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May
25
Proverbs 4:20- 27
I thought Solomon had some great wisdom in this particular passage:
My son, pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
for they are life to those who find them
and health to a man’s whole body.
Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.
Put away perversity from your mouth;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
Let your eyes look straight ahead,
fix your gaze directly before you.
and take only ways that are firm.
Do not swerve to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.
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May
08
David’s Sacrifice to the LORD
I found this verse to be thought provoking as I was doing devo’s.
But the king (David) replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them. -2 Samuel 24:24
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May
01
David’s Mighty Men
If you’re not familiar with David’s mighty men, you should read about them in 2 Samuel 23:8- 23. My favorite story from the section is verses 13- 17:
During harvest time, three of the thirty chief men came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the Lord. “Far be it from me, O Lord, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it.
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Apr
30
30 Hour Famine went well. I thought it would be harder going without food for that long, but drinking plenty of juice definitely helped. By the end of the 30 hours I was definately a little hungry, tired, and cold, but it was all good.
We started out the evening on Friday with worship and a quick lesson. We then did a few games that helped us learn about hunger and homelessness around the world. Then we built cardboard shelters, and some of us even slept outside in them. It was fun, but it did get a little cold.
Saturday morning we woke up, had some free time until the morning devotional and worship, and then signed up for service projects. These included collecting food at food pavillion, going door to door for food, doing yard work, and a car wash. We were able to collect over 1000 lbs of food, which is awesome! And we also washed around ten cars and a semi.
After the service projects we returned to The Barn Youth Center where we had free time for a bit before having some worship and sharing about the day’s experiences. And then at 6:30 we finally got to eat again!
The whole 30 hours was a good experience in learning about fasting, hunger, and what it feels like for the many people around the world who often have to go without food for several meals. I think we all gained a greater appreciation for the food that we do have and that we have nothing to complain about. We learned what it can be like to live in a makeshift shelter out in the cold and exposed to the elements. Some students were stretched out of there comfort zones by approaching strangers and asking for donations. The event was a good lesson in thankfulness and ways that we can reach out to those around us in the community.
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Apr
29
I’m not starting out the 30 hour famine very well. It started at noon, and an hour later I was already hungry. Then at 5:30 the thought occurred to me that by that same time tomorrow I still will not have eaten. It should be an adventure!
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Apr
24
This morning was the Easter breakfast fundraiser to raise money for this summer’s trip up to Gold River, BC. We served eggs, sausage, cinnamon rolls, muffins, and fruit. The turnout was good and the event will definitely go a long way in helping the high school students with raising there support. Thanks everyone who was able to come take part!
If you weren’t able to make it, or even if you did, the next fundraiser will be a Panic Squad show at Lynden Christian High School on May 13. It should be a lot of fun! Visit the link below for more info.
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