Update

Camp was outstanding! Even though I wasn't a camper, I still had an amazing time.

And the Perrys Concert on Saturday turned out very well.

Devotions will start back up tomorrow.

Remember!

Tomorrow morning after the AM service, is the final meeting about CAMP. We will be having Nachos, so everyone stick around.

The College and Career classroom is freshly painted and looks very nice, stop by and take a look-see!

Tomorrow night after the PM service we are having a Cake Auction. Be sure and try to bring something! As I type this, my sister is in the kitching working up a storm on her beautiful cake. She's had the idea for this cake for weeks, and it sure is a pretty one.

Then Monday we leave for camp. I'm almost packed, but there is still so much to do!

See everyone tomorrow.

His Love Lasts Forever

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. John 10:11

Have you heard the song "Jesus Loves Me"? Probably so. It's a happy song that should remind you of this important fact: Jesus loves you very much,
When you invite Jesus into your heart, He will be your friend forever. If you make mistakes, He'll still be your friend. When you aren't perfect, He'll still love you. If you feel sorry or sad, He can help you feel better.
Yes, Jesus loves you . . . and you should love yourself. So the next time you fell sad about youself . . . or something that you've done . . . remember that Jesus loves you, your family loves you, and you should feel that way, too.

"He created us because He delights in us!" -- Beth Moore

Learn From Ants

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Proverbs 6: 6-9

The Bible instructs us that we can learn an important lesson of a surprising source: ants. Ants are among nature's industrious creatures. They do their work without supervision and without hesitation. We should do likewise.
God's Word is clear: We are instructed to work diligently and faithfully. We are told that the fields are rip for the harvest, that the workers are few, and that the importance of our work is profound. Let us work hard for our Master without hesitation and without complaint.Nighttime is coming. Until is does, let us honor our Heavenly Father with grateful hearts and willing hands.

"If you want to reach your potential, you need to add a strong work ethic to your talent." -- John Maxwell

God Solves Problems

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Hebrews 13: 5 & 6

Do you have a problem that you haven't been able to solve? Welcome to the club! Life is full of problems that don't have easy solutions. But if you have a problem that you can't solve, there is something you can do: turn that problem over to God. He can handle it.
God has a way of solving our problems if we let Him; our job is to let Him. God can handle things that we can't. And the sooner we turn our concerns over to Him, the sooner He will go to work solving those troubles that are simply too big for us to handle.
If you're worried or discouraged, pray about it. And ask your parents to and friends to pray about it, too. And then stop worrying because no problem is too big for God; not even yours.

"He is always thinking about us. We are before his eyes. The Lord's eye never sleeps, but is always watching out for our welfare. We are continually on His heart." -- C. H. Spurgeon

Hit Counter

I found a hit counter and put it up here. Now we can see how many people have visited the blog.

Sadly, it doesn't look like that many people have looked at it. Come on, guys! This is a great place to get your devotional and keep updated on what all is happening!

See everyone tonight.

Celebrating God's Handiwork

Read Colossians 1.

When we consider God's glorious universe, we marvel at the miracle of nature. The smallest seedlings and grandest stars are all part of God's infinite creation. God has placed His handiwork on display for all to see, and if we are wise, we will make time each day to celebrate the world that surrounds us.
Today, pause to consider the majesty of heaven and earth. It is as miraculous as it is beautiful, as incomprehensible as it is breathtaking.
The Psalmist reminds us that the heavens are a declaration of God's glory. May we never cease to praise the Father for a universe that stands as an awesome testimony to His presence and His power.

"Today you will encounter God's creation. When you see the beauty around you, let each detail remind you to lift your head in praise." -- Max Lucado

Are you ready..

for Camp!!??

We leave next Monday.

A sincere THANK YOU to all of the youth & sponsers that helped out with Vacation Bible School. I, personally, had a lot of fun teaching, and I bet that the youth who helped out had fun as well. :-)

I'm supposed to be getting some VBS pictures taken of the youth that helped out. When I get them in, I'll post them.

I read this earlier, and thought it was funny. I've been in churches before where this was all too true. :P

"Most church members are 100 percent willing - 50 percent are willing workers and the other 50 percent are willing to let them."

See y'all later,
Bethany

For God So Loved The World

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

For Christians, death is not an ending; it is a beginning; for believers, the grave is not a final resting-place, it is a place of transition. For Christians, death is not a dark journey into nothingness; it is a homecoming.
God sent His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Through Jesus, we are redeemed. By welcoming Christ into our hearts, we have received the precious, unfathomable gift of eternal life. Let us praise God for His Son. The One from Galilee has saved us from our sins so that we might live courageously, die triumphantly, and live again - eternally.

"The central Christian belief is that Christ's death has somehow put us right with God and given us a fresh start." C.S. Lewis

The Plan According To God

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Psalms 32:8

Maybe you've heard this old saying: "Look before you leap." Well, that saying may be old, but it still applies to you. Before you jump into something, you should look ahead and plan ahead. Otherwise, you might soon be sorry you jumped!
whne you acquire the habit of planning ahead, you'll usually make better choices. So when it comes to the important things in life, make a plan and stick to it. when you do, you'll think about the consequences of your actions before you do something silly .. . or dangerous . . . or both.

"It's incredible to realize that what we do each day has meaning in the big picture of God's plan." -- Bill Hybels

The Possessions We Own, And Vice Versa

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothingn out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 1 Timothy 6: 7&8

How important are your material possessions? Not as important as you might think. In the life of a committed Christian, material possessions should play a rather small role. In fact, when we become overly enamored with the things we own, we needlessly distance ourselves from the peace that God offers to those who place Him at the center or their lives.
Of course, we all need the basic necessaties of life, but once we meet those needs for ourselves and for our families, the piling up of possessions creates more problems than it solves. Our real riches, of course, are not of this world. We are never really rich until we are rich in spirit.
Do you find yourself wrapped up in the concerns of the material world? If so, it's time to reorder your priorities by turning your thoughts and your prayes to more important matters. And, it's time to begin storing up riches that will endure throughout eternity: the spiritual kind.

Beyond Anger

Scornful men bring a city into a snare: but wise men turn away wrath. Proverbs 29:8

Your temper is either your master or your servant.. Either you control it, or it controls you. And the extent to which you allow anger to rule your life will determine, to a surprising extent,the quality of your relationships with others and your relationship with God.
Anger and peace cannot coexist in the same mind. So obey God's Word by turning away from anger today and every day. You'll be glad you did, and so will your family and friends.

"Life is too short to spend it being angry, bored, or dull." -- Babara Johnson

Trusting The Quiet Voice

For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest ye shall be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. Isaiah 30:15

Whenver you're about to make an important decision, you should listen carefully to the quite voice inside. Sometimes, of course, it's tempting to do otherwise. From time to time you'll be tempted to abandon your better judgment by ignoring your conscience. Don't do it!
Instead of ignoring that quiet little voice, pay careful attention to it. If you do, your conscience will lead you in the right direction - in fact, it's trying to lead you right now. so listen . . . and learn.

"Arm yourself with the Word of God, and your conscience will sound off loud and clear when you're headed in the wrong direction." -- Charles Stanley

It's Not Hard To Be Kind

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. Colossians 3:12 & 13

How hard is it to say a kind word? Not very! Yet sometimes we're so busy that we forget to say the very things that might make other people feel better.
We should always try to say nice things to our families and friends. And when we feel like saying something that's not so nice, perhaps we should stop and think before we say it. Kind words help; cruel words hurt. It's as simple as that. And, when we say the right thing at the right time, we give a gift that can change someone's day or someone'e life.

"When we do little acts of kindness that make life more bearable for someone else, we are walking in love as the Bible commands us." -- Barbara Johnson

Know When To Say No

Discretion shall perserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; Proverbs 2:11&12

It happens to all of us at one time or another: a friend asks us to do something that we think is wrong. What should we do? Should we try to please our friend by doing something bad? No way! It's not worth it!
Trying to please our friends is okay. What's not okay is misbehaving in order to do so. Do you have a friend who encourages you to misbehave? Hopefully you don't have any friends like that. But if you do, say "No, NO, NOOOOO!" And what if your friend threatens to break up the friendship? Let him! Friendships like that just aren't worth it.

"You will get untold flak for prioritizing God's revealed and present will for your live over man's . . . but, boy,is it worth it." -- Beth Moore

Answered Prayers

And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him. 1 Chronicles 5:20

God answers our prayers. What God does not do is this: he does not answer our prayers in a time and fashion of our choosing, and He does not always answer our prayers by saying, "Yes." Sometimes our loving Heavenly Father responds to our requests by saying "No", and we must accept His answer, even though we may not understand it.
God answers prayers not according to our wishes but according to His master plan. We cannot know that plan, but we can know the Planner. . . and we must trust His wisdom, His righteousness, and His unending love.

"What God gives in answer to our prayers will always be the thing we most urgently need, and it will always be sufficient." -- Elisabeth Elliot

Directing Your Thoughts

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

How will you direct your thoughts today? Will you obey the words of Philippians 4:8 by dwelling upon those things that are honorable, pure, and worthy of praise? Or will you allow your thoughts to be hijacked by the negativity that seems to dominate our troubled world?
are you fearful, angry, bored, or worried? are you so preoccupied with the concerns of this day that you fail to thank God for the promise of eternity? Are you confused, or pessimistic? If so, God wants to have a little talk with you. He wants to remind you of His infinite love and His boundless grace. As you contemplate these things, and as you give thanks for God's blessings, negativity should no longer dominate your day or your life.

"If you want to know whether you're thinking correctly, check it out in the Word." -- Charlest Stanley

Busy Times...

are ahead, people!!!

VBS is this week. 6 - 8:30 PM. I know that I'm working it every night. So yea, I've got a long, but fun week ahead of me. Then I can turn focus my sights on CAMP!

Anyway, tonight was the Softball game. It was a lot of fun, although my team lost. But I had a blast, and I know that pretty much everone else did also.

It's late, I've got a ton of stuff to do, tomorrow's devotional is already typed up so that means I can have some free time tonight.

Have a great week!

Choices That Make A Difference

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

There's really no way to get around it: choices matter. If you make good choices, good things will usually happen to you. And if you make bad choices, bad things will usually happen.
The next time you have an important choice to make, ask yourself this: "Am I doing what God wants me to do?" If you can answer that question with a great big "YES," then go ahead. But if you're not sure if the choice you are about to make is right, slow down. Why? Because choices matter . . . a lot!

"God and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance." - C.S. Lewis

God's Greatest Promise

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. John 6:47

It's time to remind yourself of a promise that God made a long time ago - the promise that God sent His Son Jesus to save the world and to save you! And when you stop to think about it, there can be no greater promise than that.
No matter where you are, God is with you. God loves you, and He sent His Son so that you can live forever in heaven with your loved ones. WOW! That's the greatest promise in the history of the universe. The End.

"God has promised us abundance, peace, and eternal life. These treasures are ours for the asking; all we must do is claim them. One of the great mysteries for life is why on earth do so many of us wait so very long to lay claim to God's gifts?" - Marie T. Freeman

God Decides

A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. Proverbs 16:9

Sometimes we must accept life on its terms, not our own. Life has a way of unfolding, not as we will, but as it will. And sometimes, there is precious little we can do to change things.
When events transpire that are beyond our control, we have a choice: we can either learn the art of acceptance, or we can make ourselves miserable as we struggle to change the unchangeable.
We must entrust the things we cannot change to God. Once we have done so, we can prayerfully and faithfully tackle the important work that He has placed before us: the things we can change.

"Acceptance is resting in God's goodness, believing that He has all things under His control." - Charles Swindoll

Beyond Stubbornness

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

Since the days of Adam and Eve, human being have been strong-willed and rebellious. Our rebellion stems, in large part, from an intense desire to do things "our way" instead of "God's way". But when we pridefully choose to forsake God's path for our lives, we do ourselves a sincere injustice . . . and we are penalized because of our stubbornness.
God's Word warns us to be humble, not prideful. God instructs us to be obedient, not rebellious. God wants us to do things His way. When we do, we earn lots of blessings - more blessings than we can count. But when we pridefully rebel against our Creator, we sow the seeds of our own problems and we reap a sad, sparse, bitter harvest. May we sow-and reap-accordingly.

"God uses broken things: broken soil and broken clouds to produce grain; broken grain to produce bread; broken bread to feed our bodies. He wants our stubbornness broken into humble obedience" - Vance Havner

The Path To Maturity

"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11

The path to spiritual maturity unfolds day by day. Each day offers the opportunity to worship God, to ignore God, or to rebel against God. When we worship Him with our prayers, our words, our thoughts, and our actions, we are blessed by the richness of our relationship with the Father. But if we ignore God altogether or intentionally rebel against His commandments, we rob ourselves of His blessings.
Today offers yet another opportunity for spiritual growth. If you choose, you can seize that opportunity by obeying God's Word, by seeking His will, and by walking with His Son.

"God's goal is that we move toward maturity - all our past failures and faults notwithstanding." Charles Swindoll

Good Devotional today

Sorry it's late again, but hey - it was worth the wait!

I'm trying to gather all of my June activities info to put up here by tomorrow. I'm also trying to get the new voting poll put up, but for some reason I can't get it to work right now. I'll keep on trying.

Hope everyone is have a good week so far.

Mistakes: The Price Of Being Human

Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. Psalm 107:13

Mistakes: nobody likes 'em but everybody makes 'em. Sometimes, even if you're a very good person, you're going to mess things up. And when you do, God is always ready to forgive you - He'll do His part, but you should be willing to do your part, too. Here's what you need to do:

1. If you've been engaging in behavior that is against the will of God, cease and desist (that means stop).
   
2. If you made a mistake, learn from it and don't repeat it (that's called getting smarter).
3. If you've hurt somebody, apologize and ask forgiveness (that's called doing the right thing).
4. Ask for God's forgiveness, too (He'll give you it whenever you ask, but you need to ask!).

Have you made a mistake? If so, today is a perfect day to make things right with everybody (and the word "everybody " includes yourself, your family, your friends, and God).
Mistakes are the price you pay for being human; repeated mistakes are the price you pay for being stubborn. So don't be hardheaded: so learn from your experiences - the first time!

Expecting God's Blessings

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life" and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Psalms 23:5&6

Face facts: Christians have every reason to be optimistic and hopeful about life here on earth and life eternal. Mrs. Charles E. Cowman advised, "Never yield to gloomy anticipation. Place your hope and confidence in God. He has no record of failure."
Sometimes, despite our trust in God, we may fall into the spiritual traps of worry, frustration, anxiety, or sheer exhaustion and her hearts become heavy. What's needed is plenty of rest, a large dose of perspective, and God's healing touch, but not necessarily in that order.
Today, make this promise to yourself and keep it: vow to be a hope-filled Christian. Think optimistically about your life, your education, your family, and your future. And then, when you've filled your heart with hope, share you optimism with others.


"It never hurts your eyesight to look on the bright side of things." -- Barbara Johnson

Sorry It's Late

Sorry about the delay in getting the Monday devotional up, and getting the blog updated. I tried to get in last night, but I'm having computer problems and couldn't get it done. Was going to do it early this morning, but then Mom & I had to take the Van into the shop.

Now finally, I'm back and the blog is updated.

Christianity Here And Now

Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: they spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Psalms 143:10

God doesn't want you to be a run-of-the-mill, follow-the-crowd kind of person. God wants you to be a "new creation" though Him. And that's exactly what you should want for yourself, too.
Nothing is more important than your wholehearted commitment to your Creator and to His only begotten Son. Your faith must never be an afterthought; it must be your ultimate priority, your ultimate possession, and your ultimate passion.
You are the recipient of Christ's love. Accept it enthusiastically and share it passionately. Jesus deserves your extreme enthusiasm; the world deserves it; and you deserve the experience of sharing it.

"God's purpose is that we be disciples and then make disciples." -- Charles Stanley