Family Camp

This past weekend I spent a relaxing two days camping with my church family in Reeds City, Michigan. On Saturday morning, we were organized into work crews and assigned different tasks to help clean up the camp. I was part of the crew that chose to work on clearing the River Hersey, so that it would be ready for those who would go paddling on it later in the afternoon. Our crew took several kayaks and canoes, and paddled downstream, picking up trash, and clearing debris along the way. As we came around a bend we saw a huge tree that had fallen across the width of the river. This was too large of an obstacle to move without a chainsaw, but several of the team managed to clear the branches from one end, so that the kayakers after us would be able to navigate around it. By the end of the morning, our canoe was full of trash, but the river was clean, and ready for those who would follow us.
As we journey along the river of life, Jesus has already gone ahead of us-  
to clear the way, to pick up our trash, and to help us navigate around those obstacles that fall across our path. What a wonderful lesson to teach our children. Life is never obstacle free. But He prepares the way. We just need to be prepared to follow.
I will go ahead of you. Matthew 26:32

Write The Vision

Yesterday I attended a farewell service for 
Rev. Laurie Haller, who has served as our District Superintendent for the last six years. Laurie's message to us yesterday was much like her ministry -one of encouragement, challenge, and inspiration. She preached from Habakkuk 2, where God instructs the prophet to 'write the vision' that God would show him. One of the first comments Laurie made was:  'you cannot be what you cannot see.' What a challenging thought!
Do you have a vision for your children's ministry? Have you prayed that God would show you what His plans are for its future? Have you written it down, so that it is plain to see? Do your co-workers know the vision, so that you are each working toward that common goal? Laurie shared four important points about vision: write it; wait for it; work toward it, and stay on course. Friends...work on your vision, because if we can see it, we can be it!
Write down clearly on tablets what I reveal to you, so that it can be read at a glance.Put it in writing, because it is not yet time for it to come true. But the time is coming quickly, and what I show you will come true. It may seem slow in coming, but wait for it; it will certainly take place, and it will not be delayed. 
Habakkuk 2: 2-3
Read Laurie's message on her blog.

Stand

It was 4.30 pm. In our little classroom Kevin was sleepy, and rightly so. This little guy had been up early that morning. He had already completed a full day of school; had dutifully listened to his teacher; participated in activities, and worked hard to complete all his daily tasks. He was ready to go home and take a nap. But instead, he had to sit still again, listen again, focus again, and pay attention to the teacher again. It was all too much. He closed his eyes, and in the midst of 20 other loud and lively children, he fell asleep. And then the cry went up. "Miss Glenys, Miss Glenys, Kevin's asleep again!" 
I gently nudged his shoulder, and Kevin jumped. Was he in trouble? Would he lose his sticker? His tired eyes looked up at me. "Stand up Kevin." I said. He got to his feet, came over to me, and for the rest of the lesson Kevin stood by my side, leaning against my shoulder. As long as he was standing, he could not sleep.
Friends, when ministry becomes all too much for us; when we are tired; when we feel like we have given all we can give, it's then that we need to stand. But we never stand alone. We can rest our head on our Teacher. We can lean on HIm. We will not be in trouble. We will not lose our hope. We just need to stand and lean on Him. Because as long as we are standing, we cannot sleep.
Dear friends, stand your ground. And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.
1 Corinthians 15:58 The Message

My Treasure Box

When I was a little girl, I owned a small wooden treasure box. The trouble was, I had no treasure to put in it. So one day I decided to fix that. I made up my mind that instead of eating any candy or chocolate I had, I would put it in the box and save it. It took me several months to fill my treasure box. Sometimes I worried about what would happen if the candy rotted away. Sometimes I worried in case my brother found it and tried to steal it. But one of my greatest joys was to occasionally allow myself to peek inside that box, just to get a glimpse of the treasure I was storing away. 
Finally, the day came when I could stand it no longer. Self restraint was thrown to the wind. I lifted my treasure box down from its hiding place, opened the lid and devoured all. Candy had never tasted so good! 
One day, I will open another treasure box. But this one will not contain candy. It will contain all the spiritual treasure that I have been storing whilst here on Earth. I hope that my treasure box will be overflowing with all the love, joy, and hope that I have tried to instill into the lives of the children in my world. 
You and I are engaged in storing up eternal treasure; treasure that can never rot or spoil; treasure that no one can ever steal; treasure that will never fade away. If you were able to peek inside that box, to see just a glimpse of what you are storing in heaven, wouldn't that bring you joy? Be encouraged today...the work you are doing for our children is stored in heaven. And your box is probably overflowing.
Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. 
Matthew 6:19 The Message

If Jesus Were a Blogger...

Chances are that if you’re reading this article, you’re either a blogger yourself, or you enjoy reading blogs. In the USA alone, there are more than 20 million bloggers, blogging away in the big old blogosphere... all with different voices, all with different opinions, but all with one thing in common...they each want to be heard. 

Every blogger blogs in the hope that someone out there will be listening. Every blogger writes in the hope that someone out there will be reading, and every blogger hopes that one day, someone out there will leave a comment. The power of that one little comment is amazing. I know this to be true. I know this to be true because I am one of those bloggers whose heart skips a beat when soon after posting my latest entry, my eyes alight upon those two magic words, ‘1 comment.’ I rub my hands together in glee and allow myself a moment to ponder who it might be that has taken the time to read my words and leave a comment. And then, when I can stand it no longer, I click on those magic words to discover who this wonderful person is and what they have to say. 
But the truth is that it does not really matter who the person is, or what their comment might be. The excitement lies in the knowledge that I, as a blogger, have been noticed. I have been heard, and I have been responded to. And in that regard, maybe Jesus is a bit like a blogger too. Jesus yearns to be noticed. Jesus yearns to be heard. And Jesus yearns to be responded to. 

But that is where the similarity ends. Jesus is not a blogger. Jesus is the Son of God, who calls us away from our laptops, who wrestles us away from our words, who pushes us out of our office chairs and propels us into a broken world...not to comment, but to act. If Jesus were a blogger, I’d definitely be one of his followers, but it’s not my comments that would make his heart skip a beat- it’s my actions.

Christians-  type your words, post your blogs, leave your comments, but remember, it’s only our actions in this world that really matter.

PS Comments welcome.

Question: If Jesus were a blogger, what would he blog about?

Are You in Too Deep?

If I was given the choice, I would probably choose shallow waters rather than deep. When I'm swimming in a lake, I like to be able to put my feet down and know that I can stand up. I much prefer the warmer temperatures of shallow waters, and I love to paddle and dip my toes just at the edge of the ocean. But I have to admit, I'm a little envious of those braver folks that go out into the deep. After all, I'll never be able to plunge, if I continually choose to paddle. I'll never have the opportunity to surf a mighty wave if I choose to stay where the teeny ripples are. And there's absolutely no way I will ever catch a salmon in four feet of water.
And I wonder..is that what I'm like in my ministry...afraid to step out and take a risk? Am I paddling around at the edge, where I've always been, afraid to make changes, or try anything different? Because if I am, then I'm missing out on the incredible opportunities that await me if only I could venture out into the deep. 
This is my prayer:
Jesus, hold my hand. Lead me out into deeper waters. Help me to plunge instead of paddle. Let me choose to surf rather than be safe. And let me be a catcher of big fish...for you. Amen.
Friends..we can paddle all day long when we get to heaven. While we're here on earth, there's no such thing as being in too deep.
Read What Jesus Said About Going Into Deeper Water

Ups and Downs

When our family first visited the United States, a kind church member gave me the option of accompanying him, my husband, and our four sons as they went fishing, or going shopping with his wife. Being a family girl, and never having gone fishing before, I chose the former....but I think it may have been the wrong choice. I had envisioned sunbathing on the deck while the boat drifted lazily on the water...but the experience was not at all what I had anticipated. Eight miles out in the turbulent waters of Lake Michigan, the boat constantly rose and fell with the swell of the waves. I never really got to sit down at all, let alone sunbathe! As my sons caught salmon, I just kept my eyes focused on the horizon... the only constant and steady part of the scenery that was not changing.
Life is full of ups and downs, highs and lows. The only constant and steady part of our ministry is Jesus Christ. Focus your eyes solely on Him. When everything around us is changing, He alone can bring calm and order to our lives. 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrew 13:8