Milwaukee Lord's Day

Saturday night we did a Lord's Day Celebration. We didn't include a meal because Chris & Gina bought us pizza. We honored the Lord through readings, shared apple juice signifying the Lord's blessing. We passed around the bread of thankfulness. We prayed around the circle. And sang a couple of songs- The B-I-B-L-E and Lean on Me. We had about 5 neighbor boys from ages 3-17 join us. At this Lord's Day celebration we had Ages 1-32. We finished the evening with a game of Settlers.

Transformation City House

We worked alongside church members and neighborhood kids. Some church members brought us all lunch- chili, bagels, and ice cream! Lunch was served on a donated ping pong table.

Ken & Ben live in this house with the specific intention of building relationships with the neighbors. They are doing an amazing job! There were always kids around and neighbors stopping over to say hi or to join us for a bowl of chili.

Painting the Neighborhood House

Volunteering at Rescue Mission

Urban Exposure Weekend In Milwaukee

3 College Students + our family went to Milwaukee to experience what God is doing in the city.

Relational Team Member Description

Main Objective: To build authentic relationships with students during Free Lunch so that all who come may feel welcome and be encouraged in their faith journey.

Key Result Area #1: Personal Growth in Relational Skills
You know you’ve done a good job when:
1. You attend all required training sessions.
2. At least once during the semester you have an one-on-one evaluation/review with University Ministry staff.

Key Result Area #2: Meaningful Conversations
You know you’ve done a good job when:
1. You commit to setting aside at least 2 hours during the semester to have conversations with others at Free Lunch.
2. During the semester, you engage at least 12 students in meaningful conversation, which includes praying for them.

Key Result Area #3: Timely Follow Up
You know you’ve done a good job when:
1. You report all necessary information to the University Ministry Coordinator’s office.
2. You fill out reports as requested by the University Ministry Coordinator’s office in a timely manner (that usually means within a week.)

Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness by Caroline Wieman

Acts 2:1-8

“On the day of Pentecost all the Lord’s followers were together in one place. Suddenly there was a noise from heaven like the sound of a mighty wind! It filled the house where they were meeting. Then they saw what looked like fiery tongues moving in all directions and a tongue came and settled on each person there. The Holy Spirit took control of everyone, and they began speaking whatever languages the Spirit let them speak.

Many religious Jews from every country in the world were living in Jerusalem. And when they heard this noise, a crowd gathered. But they were surprised, because they were hearing everything in their own languages.”

Acts 2:12

“Every one was excited and confused. Some of them even kept asking each other, “What does this mean?”

While the Trinity is a most difficult concept for some Christians to understand, it is only one third that is particularly challenging. Certainly we understand God the Father and Jesus the Son somewhat; we know fathers and sons. Fathers and sons have been around a long time: since the beginning of human existence.

But the Holy Spirit is a relative newcomer appearing for everyone only after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. The Holy Spirit, unlike the concept of father and Son, is outside of our typical physical experience and so leaves many Christians baffled and a bit anxious.

It is not just present day Christians who struggle with the concept and reality of the Holy Spirit. Paul, a Jew who had begun his contact with Jesus’ followers as a “hit man” for the Jewish religious establishment was trying to validate his Christian credentials with the church at Galatia. He tells the Galatians that his message comes directly from Jesus Christ who came to him on the Damascus Road. There are divisions among the Galatian Gentile and Jewish Christians about following the very complicated Jewish religious laws. Paul tells them that “once a person has learned to have faith, there in no more need to have the Law as a teacher” (Galatians 3:25). Christ’s death and the Holy Spirit of God have [fulfilled] the strict Jewish religious law. Paul continues, “God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled” (Galatians 5:22-23). These characteristics are the Fruit of the Spirit.

When one becomes a Christian, he or she receives the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works in us and through the Church to strengthen our faith. The Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control is planted in the Holy Spirit that Christians receive. The Fruit of the Spirit is more like a raspberry with individual sections all in one raspberry rather than like grapes on the stem with each grape an individual fruit. The Fruit of the Spirit is a unity of nine characteristics rather than nine separate traits. Each of us has been given the Fruit of the Spirit, and we as Christians must display this fruit in our lives.

We know from our experience with plants that some plants like tomatoes produce fruit the first, year, while other plants like raspberries, take longer to bear fruit. Some trees take four or five years before they produce fruit. So it is with the Fruit of the Spirit. Some Christians immediately display faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Others struggle with gentleness and self-control for years but are witnesses to faithfulness, goodness and patience. While the Fruit of the Spirit is given by God to Christians, how and when Christians display the parts of that “spiritual raspberry” are very individual and represent various amounts of struggle.

One of the lobes of our “spiritual raspberry Fruit of the Spirit” is kindness which is contiguous with the love, goodness, and patience lobes. Unfortunately, kindness is not the default setting for humans. Fortunately God has sent Christ and the Holy Spirit to us. Thus the Fruit of the Spirit is emblazed in Christians, a gift from God. Kindness is the deliberate preference of choosing right from wrong. Kindness is an inner strength to resist all evil, an uprightness of the soul which chooses and follows all moral good. It embodies God’s kindness: benevolence, mercy, pity, compassion, patience and grace. While kindness is in us as Christians, we do have to work to help kindness flourish.

But that part of the Fruit of the Spirit which is kindness is not just personal inner purity. God creates through the Holy Spirit an expectation that Christians will not be satisfied with working only on their inner kindness. He expects that Believers will take their kindness in to the world. Wesleyan tradition holds that “inner holiness leads to outer holiness,” and this is certainly true of the Fruit of the Spirit. This external manifestation of the Fruit of the Spirit is to be kind even in hostile environments and to resist all moral evil.

Like an ordinary raspberry plant, the Fruit of the Sprit in us must be nurtured through prayer, worship, Bible reading and Christian fellowship. So with God through the Holy Spirit, we Christians are always growing the Fruit of the Spirit.

Questions for reflection:

-How do we as Christians led by the Spirit show benevolence, mercy, pity, compassion, and patience in our lives, our work and our world?

-Will my Spirit-driven compassion look like yours?

Fruit of the Spirit: Patience by Anne Gibson

“I want patience, and I want it right now!”

I love this old tongue-in-cheek adage—Probably because I’ve either said it or alluded to it with my thoughts and actions so many times that this desire has found a way to weave itself right into the fabric of who I am! I’m not proud of that fact…And, I suspect I’m not alone! Time to unravel that thread! (Immediately, of course!)

There are so many things in our lives that we wait for, aren’t there? Acceptance letters, test results, return phone calls or e-mails, situations we wish would change, healing, stop lights, our turn in line, birthdays, visits….The list is infinite!

Some things yield foreseeable results:
“I know that if I wait for 3-4 minutes, the popcorn in the microwave will be popped!”

Some things have approximate time-frames:
“I know that I will probably graduate from college in 4-5 years.”

Some things have no end in sight:
“I pray that my friend would be healed, but I have no idea when or if that might happen.”

It’s hard to wait in all cases; however it’s the last instance—The indefinite wait-- that seems to wreck the most havoc in our hearts. It’s been throughout a season of this kind of waiting that the Lord has decided to reveal some things about patience to me—Some things to help drown out the ticks of the clock of passing time and, instead, rescue the beautiful hum of blessings the Lord has to give.

Did you know that the Bible is filled to overflowing with people that had to exude patience as they waited upon the Lord?

Let’s take a look at some of these people—And their season of waiting!

Leader Calling Waiting Scripture Reference
Abraham Father of a nation 25 yrs Genesis Ch. 11-25
Joseph Leader of a nation 13 yrs, + 10 more Genesis Ch. 37-50
Moses Deliverer of a nation 40 yrs. + 40 more Ex., Lev., Nu., Dt.
David King of a nation 17 yrs + 7.5 more 1 Sam. 16-1 Kgs Ch. 2
Joshua and Zerubbabel Rebuilders of a nation 20 yrs Ezra Ch. 2:2-5:2
John the Baptist 4runner of Messiah 1-2 yrs. Lk Ch. 1,3, 9(Mt, Mk, Jn, too)
Mary Mother of Messiah 33 yrs Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
Paul Witness to Messiah 33 yrs Acts 7:58-28:31; NT Letters
Noah Salvation from Flood 2-5 yrs Genesis Ch. 5:28-10:32
Jacob Return to homeland 20 yrs Genesis Ch. 25-50
Joshua and Caleb Conquering of Canaan 45 yrs. + 2-5 more Numbers Ch. 13-14; Joshua
Hannah Have a child 5-15 yrs 1 Samuel Ch. 1,2
Esther Salvation for a nation About 5 yrs Esther

(table is a compilation from When God Waits: Making Sense of Divine Delays by Jerome Daley, and the Life Application Bible)

All of the people listed above were told by God that they would be used for certain things or that certain events would happen, but none of these things came true right away! “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). -- But why does it take so long to see that good sometimes?

Jerome Daley, in When God Waits: Making Sense of Divine Delays reminds us that waiting periods are actually blessings. He says that we should “unwrap the gift of waiting and discover its unique purpose in your journey.” The gift of waiting? What?!

You see, for every one of the people listed above, and in our own lives, we can either choose to fight the time of waiting or use it to learn and grow closer to the One who gifted us with the time in the first place! It’s the latter choice that oozes with the juice of the patience fruit.

During college, I worked at Kinko’s. When the store was full of eager customers, the day would fly by faster than I could have imagined. Those days when nobody seemed to come in, on the other hand…Wow! The clock’s second hand seemed to be glued in place; one day seemed to last forever!

Perhaps that is the secret to the fruit of patience. When we are in a waiting period (as we all are or will be soon!), what do we do with it? Will we fold into ourselves and get frustrated and angry with God over it? Or, will we remember the words of Romans 8:28, acknowledging that out of His love for us, God works all things together for the good of those who love him?

There is a song by John Waller—It’s called “While I’m Waiting”. He tells us how to develop patience honestly and clearly. Take a look at the words:

I'm waitingI'm waiting on You, LordAnd I am hopefulI'm waiting on You, LordThough it is painfulBut patiently, I will waitI will move ahead, bold and confidentTaking every step in obedienceWhile I'm waitingI will serve YouWhile I'm waitingI will worshipWhile I'm waitingI will not faintI'll be running the raceEven while I waitI'm waitingI'm waiting on You, LordAnd I am peacefulI'm waiting on You, LordThough it's not easyBut faithfully, I will waitYes, I will wait

(if you want to hear the song, it’s on YouTube along with some scenes from the movie Fireproof)
Did you see the keys to being patient?

Here’s what I found:
-Serving the Lord
-Worshipping the Lord
-Walking (running!) with the Lord daily
-Faith
-Hope and trust that God’s Plans are best
-A bold commitment to wait

Just like the other fruits of the Spirit, patience is really an action verb! It’s the action of surrendering.
John 3:30 says, “He [Jesus] must become greater; I must become less.”

Psalm 18:30-32 says, “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock besides the Lord? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.”

I referred to a season of waiting that I was in at the beginning of the study—That season continues. But somehow it seems shorter, even though the calendar wouldn’t agree. Oh, I still need reminders to surrender my wants and to let God be in charge. My journal still feels the wrath of my pen some nights, and my prayers are not always cheery and hopeful. But, my attitude is changing—I’ve been excited to see what God has already done in this waiting period, and I’m curious to see what’s ahead! I hope and pray the same for you, as you journey through waiting periods and cultivate the soil of patience.

Reflection

Take a look at the list of Biblical heroes that had seasons of waiting above. Think about one of them. Perhaps you want to read some of their story.
-What did they do during their time of waiting?
-What did God do?
-How was God able to use them because of their faithfulness?

The Bible is also full of encouragement we can grasp onto in times of waiting. Take a look at one or two of these Scriptures:
-Isaiah 40:29-31
-Hebrews 6:10-12
-Hebrews 10:23
-Psalm 27:14

1. What does the verse say about the Lord?
2. What does the verse say about our perseverance?
3. What words of hope can you cling to in times of waiting?

Take a look at your own life:

-What is something you are waiting on/for?
-How could this waiting time be a gift?
-Lift up this time of waiting to the Lord in prayer. Ask Him to guide you in seeing how you can wait with and for Him. Lift up others around you that you know are also going through times of waiting.
-In what ways can you continue to serve and worship the Lord while you wait?

Look at Psalm 18:30-32 and Romans 8:28 again. Choose one to write down in a place where you can see it. When you do see it, take a moment to give God thanks and praise for Who He is and His perfect plans.

“Patience to the soul is as bread to the body…we eat bread with all our meats, both for health and relish; bread with flesh, bread with fish, bread with broths and fruits. Such is patience to every virtue; we must hope with patience, and pray in patience, and love with patience, and whatsoever good thing we do, let it be done in patience.” –Puritan Thomas Adams

All In by Owen Cooper

Scripture: Mark 12:41-44 (New International Version) The Widow's Offering
41Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
43Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________from When you play poker, the betting starts low and depending on how good your hand is, you’re willing to raise the stakes, slowly putting in more and more of your money. At some point, you get pushed to the limit, and you must declare “all in.” This means that you’re putting everything you have on that one hand. If you lose, you go home. Jesus is asking us to go “all in.” Commitment demands action. It extends beyond our relationship to the heavenly Father to every area of life.

Below is a pattern, for the “all in” convert to God (from Matthew Henry's commentary).

1. We must take the Lord for our God.

2. We must take his people for our people in all conditions, though they be a poor despised
people and not always fun to be around.

3. We must be willing to submit to God’s yoke and to go where God will have us to go.

4. We must continue and persevere. Not even death can end our commitment to Christ. It is an everlasting covenant because the Apostle Paul tells us that to join in Christ’s death means we also get to join in with His life and resurrection.

5. We must bind our souls with a bond never to break these resolutions. There is no turning back.

The Land of My Sojourn by Owen Cooper

I really enjoy being outdoors- running, hiking, camping, and backpacking. I spend a lot of time on the Ice Age Trail. It’s close and yet it’s like stepping into another world.

When I go hiking or backpacking, I travel with no home. On the trail, I pass through a lot of places. Some views are so spectacular I wish I could build a house there. Some swamps are so mosquito infested I wish they would put the trail somewhere else. Some woods are so quiet and still I have to stop in peaceful reverence. Yet no matter how beautiful or how painful, I am still just passing through.

There’s a concept in the backpacking world called “light” hiking. That is the thought that most backpackers take more than they need therefore making their packs heavier. Consequently, they move slower with more pain and less enjoyment. The “light” hikers carry only what they need to be safe, travel more ground per day, feel less sore the next day, and overall have a more enjoyable experience.

Now I’ve read the books on this, but the problem is when I’m packing for a trip, I start thinking about how hungry I’ll be and how cold I’ll be and what if it rains and what if it’s hot. I can know in theory that I should leave some of this stuff behind, but in reality, it is harder to execute.

Don’t be afraid to leave things behind. The truth is we will enjoy the journey of life far more with less baggage. Jesus is our living bread and promises to never leave us nor forsake us. He WILL take care of us. We can read that truth in the Bible, but then we head out into the real world, and we get scared. I might need this. Or I might need that. Don’t be afraid to leave things behind. We can’t just read books about the Christian journey, we need to go out and experience it.

There’s so much to see and go through- pleasant green valleys and dark valleys of the shadow of death. They’ll be places we’ll want to stop and stay and places we wish we never had to go through. They’ll be places where worship will come easy and places where it’s all we can do to keep walking forward without bitterness and anger. Yet no matter what our sojourn brings us, remember, we are just passing through. As enjoyable and painful as the journey is, some day we will be done. And then we will be home.

The Fruit of the Spirit: Peace by Dan McCrea

Peace, the perspective a language a challenged layman.

There are times I wish I was a better student of the English language. Oh, I do okay, but my written and verbal command of my native tongue is, more than I would care to admit, weak. I grew up in Brighton Park, a working class neighborhood on Chicago’s south-west side. The grandson of immigrants, I was a fourth generation McCrea living in a two-flat purchased by my father’s grandparents. As a native Chicagoan, I grew up speaking like all Chicagoans, replacing “th” with “d” as in “dem, dese, dose and dere” rather than correctly saying “them, these, those and there.” I also have a tendency to drop the “g” off of “ing” as in “shoppin’ cart” rather than “shopping cart.” The list of my verbal infractions can be long and is often times met with humorous rebuke from my wife. Kim, a native Badger, who will in an interesting tone, respond to my infractions with a question. “Dan, where is the frun-chroom in our home?” Indeed, Kim’s not so subtle correction was in reference to my calling our living room a “frun-chroom.” My reply to her inquiry is usually something like the following. “Ey, my livin’ room was in da fronna da house.”

In spite of my oral inadequacies, I am fascinated with how people use language, particularly the same word to describe what may be two, or more, different emotions, characteristics or qualities. For example, one may hear “I love my new care” and then hear from the same person “I love my children.” This puzzles me, for I wonder how one word can be used to describe what I hope would be two very different affections for two very different subjects- a car and a child. The Greeks used three different words for three types of love. They had it right.

Love is not the only victim of the English language used widely and carelessly. Words such as excellence, teamwork, partnership, business, marketing and communication have all morphed to the point of where the receiver is unsure of the sender’s intent. For example, my definition of marketing is based on the marketing mix- product, price, distribution and promotion while others us the word, incorrectly in my opinion, solely in the context of promotion.

Well, all of this leads me to the word, “peace,” as it relates to the fruit of the Spirit. What does peace mean to me, to you or to God? I had not really thought about it until I was asked to contribute this devotional. Is the word “peace” carelessly used like the word “love” that I wrote of earlier?

In church we hear “peace be with you” to which we respond with “and also with you.” On the news we hear President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize for promoting peaceful international relations. On gravestones we see “Rest In Peace.” And, often we personally wish for some “peace and quiet.”

Now I’m sure we are all smart enough to know the general meaning of “peace,” but perhaps we should examine a deeper, more Biblical definition of the word,. Originally written in Hebrew, the Old Testament word for peace is shalom. The New Testament, written in Greek, used the word eirene. Since I took neither Greek nor Hebrew in college, I dangerously used Wikipedia as my source for word translation.

Shalom, Hebrew for peace, completeness and welfare. Shalom is often used to mean both hello and goodbye. In review of this definition, we can understand the meaning behind the exchange of “peace be with you” followed by “and also with you.”

Eirene, the Greek word for peace used in the New Testament is similar to Shalom in that the word implies wholeness or completeness. The Greek verb erio means to bind together that which has been separated.

The fruit of the Spirit as written by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23 is as follows: “22But the fruit of the Sprit is love, joy , peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control Against such things there is no law.”

Allow me to propose that although peace is the third fruit, perhaps Paul’s intent was not to highlight or force rank one fruit of the Spirit over another, but to bind the fruits together in hopes of achieving wholeness. We are the fruit of God or the product of accepting God as our Savior while striving for His will. Our fruit is not one quality or two, but all qualities- love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control- bound together creating peace within one’s soul- to be whole with God. Like a tree bears fruit, our usable fruit of the Spirit that is visible to others, is the product or illustration of our relationship with God.

In today’s world we deal with an abundance of technology bombarding us with words, messages and noise to which, as written earlier, we wish for “peace and quiet.” When we seek peace we are, perhaps, searching for completeness; completeness in Christ that can be achieved by giving, producing, and illustrating our control. Think about it, when you were at peace were you hateful, inpatient, unkind or evil? Or were you illustrating the fruits of the Spirit?

Philippians 4:4-7

4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5:Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request s to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard you hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Further reading:
http://www.spirithome.com/fruitssp.html#fruity

Questions for Reflection:

What can I do this week to find peace in my life?
How has God given me peace lately?

Vision of Ministry/Name of Ministry

I've been thinking about the name of the ministry: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater United Methodist Ministry.

I think it's too long.

I've been thinking of new names.

During that process, I've gotten wisdom from two people.

The first person said, "Why don't you get some ideas for other people?" And who better to ask then you who are actually a part of this facebook group?!

The second person said, "You've got to start with a vision, and the name will come out of that."

Very wise, indeed!

So, I'd like your input.

For starters, my vision as best as I can articulate it now is this:

1. Cast the net wide to reach those students who are falling through the cracks- those who aren't being served by other campus ministries.
2. Do events, outings, and activities that will help foster community and connectedness on what can be a lonely college experience.
3. Lead small groups Bible Studies for opportunities of spiritual growth and learning.
4. Invest in a few key individuals to pursue God in a deeper way.

I welcome your thoughts and input. I also welcome your ideas for a name.

Here's what my brainstorming session has come up with so far:

-The Bridge: Connecting You to God and the Campus to the Community
-ROC (Resting On Christ) Solid Campus Ministry
-The Cross & The Flame Warhawk Chapter
-Splash (Like a splash of water on a clear lake, we want to make a lasting impact with our lives and on this campus.)

What do you think?

Gifts from God by Devin Wisman

Romans 12:6-8
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
During a mission trip over the summer to the Bahamas, I was given the opportunity to help out with the weekly Soup Kitchen provided for the homeless people in the area. It was an experience I will never be able to fully describe.
About twenty people had gathered at the gates of the church waiting for food. The church pastor came out and we held a short fifteen-minute service. It was amazing to watch these people who had nothing praise God with song, prayer, and scripture. After the service, we began handing out food. The church volunteers told me to make sure that each person received only one bag. As I began handing out bags, I realized that I had to watch to make sure that they weren’t hiding a bag behind their legs and asking for a second. I also had to start watching their faces, as some people would get one bag, go around the corner to hide it, and then return for a second. It was heartbreaking to watch. All they wanted was a second bag of soup, and I was walking through a buffet line twice a day at our hotel. I served people young and old, families and individuals, children and the elderly. I had to fight back tears as emotion washed over me. It was almost overwhelming.
Eventually we ran out of food and had to lock the church gates again. I think the hardest part was to return to the Vacation Bible School we were teaching. We were working at the richest Methodist church on the island, so the children who came to the VBS were not hurting for money. They had the latest Hannah Montana t-shirts and were well fed. The snacks provided by the church at the VBS were quite large, so when I returned to the VBS during lunch, I found it very difficult to watch them throw away burgers with one bite out of them, knowing that starving people right outside the church gates would have done anything for that burger sitting in the trash. It was quite a mind-shock.
It is in experiences like this that I am reminded of God’s grace and my responsibility to His people. As long as I am capable, I know that I need to work to help those less fortunate. God has been good to me in my life. I am blessed beyond my knowing, and I need to use the gifts God has given me to share His blessings with others.

God's Timing by Monica Digman

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, can be seen in the picture above (DSC00804).

When I was going through my bible I read over many verses, but the one that "spoke" to me was ECC 3:1-8. There are many different ways one could read and understand this passage, but the main theme from the passage is time, that there is time for everything under the sun. But everything happens in "God's time."

I think that the best example of God's Time is when lightening starts a fire in the forest. The forest will get burnt to a crisp and all of the wildlife lose their homes. The whole place is burnt beyond recognition. One may ask, how any good could come from such a destructive force of nature? All of the trees look like a burnt match stuck upside-down in the dirt. It's only when the forest begins to re-grow itself that you can see that the burn was indeed profitable to the undergrowth of the forest, all of the little plants get fertilized from the ash from their fallen brethren.

One doesn't always understand why bad things happen to good people, until afterwards when you see the situation as a "learning situation." I was always taught that "Hind sight is 20/20" you can't change what you did back then and you can only see what you did wrong because only now can you see the big picture.

(I included some pictures, the first is a picture of a fire and the second of undergrowth soon after one, they are NOT the same forest though)

Here is a link to a video of a good example of the destruction and re-growth of nature, provided by Disney.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn1oKz9V7NY

CAN YOU SEE THE FOREST THROUGH THE TREES?

~They didn't love their life so much As to shrink from death, Inspired in their footsteps We will march ahead.
Don't be shocked that people die, Be surprised you're still alive~ ("Cassie" Flyleaf)

Anxiousness by Zach Chudy

Recently I had an experience with school work mounting up. I had 2 exams and a take home exam along with lab work and other reading assignments. This being my last semester before grad school, I wanted to finish up strong and was cruising through this semester.
So I started working on this take home exam and it was not really going well at all. I was unable to understand any of it, and became more and more anxious and stressed out, thinking to myself, “I am going to fail, and even if I do pass how can I possibly do grad school if this gives me so much trouble?”
A few minutes later I stopped myself and said, “What am I doing?” I remembered the verse “don’t be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your request to God.” (Philippians 4:6) And so I tried to relax and say God is in control; everything is ok, and I just couldn’t shake the stress and anxiety. So I prayed and asked God to show me how to cast my cares unto him (Psalms 55:22) and how not to be anxious. And I stopped studying and went outside.
Within the time it took me to walk out of my apartment and down the stairs to the crisp night air, I felt a wonderful peace cover me which has lasted the whole weekend. I am still struggling with figuring out the work but I am slowly getting closer. I am finding out how to enjoy God in the simple task of doing my homework and in the midst of failing to understand my homework, and it is simply awesome. You might think I would end this with a success story, and there will probably be one, but to me what I have said is one already. (The outcome of my grade matters little to me compared with walking in faith with my Savior.)

The LORD will fight for you by Jimmy Kussow

Exodus 14:14 "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

I find this passage of scripture very awesome. It is said by Moses right before the parting of the Red Sea as the Egyptians are running after the Israelites after they had let them go. They were worrying that they had escaped Egyptian control only to fall prey to their superior army. Moses didn’t have this worry at all because he knew the Lord would provide.

We can definitely apply this to our lives today as we scurry around to classes, group projects, and being involved in organizations. You may worry you wont have enough time to do things but God will provide you a way to get everything done. This is definitely the case in my life right now as I search for a job/internship after I graduate. I am going to let God get me a job where he wants me to have one. I am not going to worry but be still before God because he is the worker of miracles.

Contentment & Strength by Samantha Ruehl

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
Philippians 4:11-13

These are the words of the apostle Paul who went through much suffering.

These days we are living in a tough economy and for some of us, especially those who have seen the finer things in life, it can be quiet uneasy. Even if we are not suffering financially we are all suffering in some way.

I am a college student who at this point in time is broke. In this situation I would usually turn to my father who has provided for me my whole life, but due to him currently being laid off I can no longer do this. This situation has really been stressing me out. I have very little money left in my checking account and am not sure what I’m going to do when it’s gone. It is not the easiest time to find a job, especially living here in Whitewater, and my school load is already stressing me out. All of these things have been bringing me down, so I decided I needed to turn to my Heavenly Father. That is when I came across this scripture. I realized that I should be totally content with what I have. There are so many people that are worse off than me, at least I have a meal plan and know I will be fed, a roof over my head, and people who love me. Some people don’t even have that let alone Him who gives me strength.

So next time you feel stressed out or depressed at your current situation remember happiness comes through being content in all circumstances and this is possible through Him who gives us strength.

Purpose Driven People by Alyssa Bocanegra

“Now, my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”
John 12:27-28

This is what Jesus said after he predicted His death.

Jesus lived a purpose driven life.

He knew the call of God, and He did not waver. His mindset was to fulfill His call and Glorify God-even to His death. Because of this, the Kingdom of Heaven was transformed.

The apostle Paul is pretty well known for the persecutions he suffered. He was flogged, imprisoned, shipwrecked- all in a good days work. But, he never wavered from His purpose. He knew that God was calling him to spread the Gospel, and because of his perseverance, the Kingdom of Heaven was advanced.

Now I know that most of us may not have callings anywhere near those of Jesus and Paul.

But what difficult situations are you facing today? What sacrifices is God asking you to make? Have you focused on how to bring God glory through them?

Let us be a purpose driven people- ready to sacrifice to bring God glory!

The Tongue by Owen Cooper

This is the first installment for the school year of a weekly e-mail devotional. Every week a different student will write and share some thoughts from scripture with us all. My prayer is that we may encourage and edify one another through this process.

James 3:1-12

Did you know that the tongue is the strongest muscle in the body? Scripture refers to the tongue again and again as a mighty weapon. The question is: Is it a weapon for good or for evil? Here are some evil uses of our tongue:
Flattery
Lies
Mischief
Wickedness
Boastfulness
Deceit
Destruction

But our tongues can be and should be used for good. We are admonished to use our tongue to:
praise our Lord
encourage one another
speak justice
sing joyfully
bring words of healing and knowledge
teach kindness
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord

How will you use your tongue this week? What can you say to your roommate to cheer them up and encourage them? How can you praise the Lord with your tongue this week? How can you speak justice, healing, knowledge, and kindness into the world?

May God inspire you with ways to inspire others with your words.

Fruit of the Spirit: Joy by Staci Cooper

Fruit of the Spirit: Joy

Go to Nehemiah Chapter 8. Read the chapter and then continue on.....

The Bible, in Nehemiah 8:10 , says "the joy of the LORD is your strength". How can the LORD's joy be my strength? How does that work?

Putting the verse back into its context tells us more about what is being said here. Nehemiah, the governor, directed and completed the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days! He had help from the people who had returned from exile and captivity with him from Babylon. This had been an on going project for almost 100 years! Ezra, the priest, is reading the book of the law, the Torah, to the people who have returned from captivity.

All of the people have assembled to hear the law. Verse 9 says that Nehemiah and Ezra tell the people:
"'This day is holy to the LORD your God, do not mourn or weep.' For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law."

Why is this day holy to the LORD?
Because His people have heard the law, the truth, and their hearts have been convicted of the sins they have committed against God.
They realize that they have broken covenant with God and that God has remained faithful.

Verse 10 Says: "Then he (Nehemiah) said to them 'Go, eat of the fat, and drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.'"

Why are they to eat when they have just been weeping and mourning?
Because eating together is a part of the covenant that God has made with His people, including you and me.

Jesus came and gave us the New Covenant and we are to eat and drink, in rememberance of what He did for us. His body and His blood are what allow us to be in covenant with Him.

Eating and drinking (taking Communion) remind us to look at the covenant God made with us and to examine how we are doing on keeping covenant with Him.

God always upholds His end of the covenant and He knows that we will fail. Yet, He still sent His Son to fulfill our half of the covenant. So that we could live eternally with Him.

Christ is the ONLY ONE that is able to do that. Not our works, our prayers, our thoughts, our zeal, our busyness, or our belief. That is why His grace is SO amazing!

That is why "the joy of the LORD is your strength." Did you catch it?

When we come to the LORD in repentance, in weeping and mourning, for breaking covenant with Him, for sinning, HE invites us to dine with Him.
God says to us, as filthy and dirty as we are, to come to His table.
He clothes us in His robe of righteousness (or reminds us that we are wearing His robe).
He invites us to eat with Him, to drink with Him at His feast of love.
The LORD says to us, “Come and eat with Me, commune with Me, for you have made known your covenant breaking before Me. Come and continue to keep covenant with me for I am filled with joy.”

Then, we are able to stand before our LORD in His strength because we are now keeping covenant with Him. He has restored us to Himself because His Word has instructed us in our shortcomings and we have acknowledged them.

O Beloved, I can't wait for that glorious day when we join Him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!

THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH!!

Questions to think on:

-In what ways do you keep covenant with God?
-In what ways do you break covenant with God?
-What can you do today to find "the joy of the LORD"?

The Fruit of the Spirit: Love by Owen Cooper

The Fruit of the Spirit: LOVE

When I was in college, I had a friend who loved to play this game with songs. Everyone would agree on a word, like “truck” for example, and then we would take turns trying to think of songs with the word “truck” in it. If you couldn’t think of a word, you were out. The last person left would win, and then we’d pick a new word. I remember the time we did the word “love.” That game lasted for 3 days!

How many songs do you know with the word “love”? Lost love, found love, new love, or true love is the topic of most songs. How many catchy “love” quotes do you know? (“Love makes the world go ‘round.” “Love is blind.”)

It’s true that love is all around us, but where does this desire for love, to be loved, and to feel loved come from? The Greek word for love in the New Testament is agape. The Zondervan NIV concordance says that the word agape “in the New Testament [is] usually the active love of God for his Son and his people, and the active love his people are to have for God, each other, and even enemies.”

So the love we are to have for each other and even the love that we give back to God is modeled for us by God Himself! He shows us how to love by how He loves His own Son, Jesus. And He shows us how to love by how He displays His love toward us. And how does He do that?

“God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) This then, truly is an active love. This is not a passive, feel-good-about-myself kind of love. This is a love with teeth.

Read 1 Corinthians 13 below.

1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
I guarantee you that if you google the word love, you will find all sorts of “love,” but most of it will not look anything like what we just read in 1 Corinthians 13 above. Why do human attempts at love fall so short and become so broken? How can we possibly display the agape, God kind of love?

1 Corinthians 13 describes the ideal love, the perfect love. Surely we can’t do that! That’s where our passage about the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians helps us. Here’s what it says right before and right after listing the fruit of the Spirit:

“For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.” (Galatians 5:17-18) “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25)

So it is not our human frail love we have to count on, but through the Holy Spirit of God, we can love like God loves- even better, we can love with God’s love!

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us…We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:16-17a, 19)

Questions for Reflection:
1. Where have you seen agape love at its best?
2. When have you tried to love someone without God’s help?
3. How can you show agape love to those around you?
4. How does God show you that he loves you?
5. How do you show God that you love Him?

The Produce Department by David Kalas

The Produce Department

Walk into Sentry and turn right, and you'll find yourself in the midst of that most appetizing portion of the store -- the Produce Department. Before you get to all the foods that are boxed, canned, bottled, and wrapped, you walk through Nature's section of the store. These foods are not wrapped in plastic or cellophane. These foods are wrapped in things like peels, leaves, and husks.

Admittedly, there is a great deal of modern technology that goes into producing our produce today. Still, the product remains fundamentally the same. Bring into our supermarkets a visitor from the 18th-century -- or anyone earlier -- and he will recognize the apples, oranges, and bananas. The macaroni-and-cheese shaped like Spongebob will not look familiar to him. Neither will the Froot Loops, the Fritos, or the Fanta. But he will know what he's looking at when he walks through the Produce Department, for it most resembles what every generation of humanity has known.

Indeed, the Produce Department is the part of our grocery store that most resembles Eden -- the fruit-filled garden, which was God's first home for human beings (Genesis 2:7-17).

God's first instructions to His Creation was to "be fruitful" (Genesis 1:22, 28; see also Genesis 8:17; 9:1, 7; 35:11) It is within the very design of produce to re-produce, and this design reflects God's will for all of Creation. And so we see, as the Scriptural story unfolds, that He continues to want to see fruitfulness from His creatures.


Fruitful Living

At the beginning of the Book of Psalms, we read a brief, poetic description of the righteous person -- the true man or woman of God. The Psalmist describes for us what this individual does and does not do. And, along the way, we are told that this exemplary person is "like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season" (Psalm 1:3 NIV).

The Old Testament understanding of righteousness was a thing that functioned the way that it was designed to function. A righteous human being, therefore, was understood to be one who lived the way that God designed a human being to live. And so the image of a fruitful tree was a natural metaphor for a righteous person.

Conversely, a wicked person is often identified in terms of a tree that does not bear fruit. John the Baptist warned that the judgment of the wicked would be like the cutting down of trees that fail to bear fruit (Matthew 3:9-10). And Jesus, likewise, indicated that you could tell the righteous from the unrighteous by "their fruit," echoing the prospect that any tree failing to produce good fruit would be cut down and thrown into the fire (Matthew 7:15-20).

Evidence of the mercy of God, however, is the fact that even the sinful are urged to bear fruit. Specifically, there is a sort of fruit that a sinner is capable of: the fruits of repentance. John the Baptist urged the crowds that came to hear him preach, saying, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance" (Luke 3:7-8 NRSV).

Meanwhile, once a person has repented of his or her sins and has come to salvation in Christ, there is a new and different kind of fruitfulness that God desires.


God's Orchard

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Galatia, he impressed upon them the differences between a life lived according to the flesh and a life lived according to the Spirit. He detailed for them what each kind of living produces. And the produce of a Spirit-lived life he appropriately referred to as "the fruit of the Spirit."

According to Paul, "The Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23 TEV).

Produce, you know, is what comes naturally. You have to "make" macaroni. You have to "make" Froot Loops. But you don't have to make an apple or an orange or a peach. They grow naturally on the trees that produce them. And, likewise, the spiritual fruit Paul itemized are supposed to come naturally out of a certain kind of tree: namely, the individual who is living under the influence of the Spirit of God.

We have a phrase to capture that which is abundant and free. For we say of our limited resources, "You know, that stuff doesn't grow on trees." Well, fruit does grow on trees. It is God's design that trees produce and reproduce. There is fruitfulness and abundance in His will for nature, as well as in His will for human beings.

This, then, is truly fruitful living, and this is true righteousness: to live a life filled by the Spirit of God is to live the way God designed us to live. And that life blossoms forth in the virtues that reflect and resemble their Source.

Finally, we recall that insight of the Psalmist: that the righteous person is like a tree "which yields its fruit in season." That raises the question of the "seasons" for the spiritual fruit. What exactly is the "season" for self-control? What is the "season" for patience? If you and I are really allowing the Spirit to do His strong and lovely work within us, then we will be like that fruitful tree in Psalm 1: when the need rolls around for kindness, humility, or whathaveyou, we'll be there with the ripe produce!


Personal Reflection

As we embark on a several-week e-study of the fruit of the Spirit, give some personal thought to these fruit individually.

Here, again, is the list. As you read it, who is the person in your life experience that comes first to mind as exemplifying that particular fruit? As you read it, which fruit do you think others would say characterizes you? As you read it, which fruit do you especially lack? And, as you read it, consider a recent occasion in your life that was perhaps the "season" for each.

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Faithfulness

Humility

Self-Control

Why this blog?

I've been receiving so many good devotionals and e-mail Bible Studies from students and church members that I wanted to get them out there for more people to see. What if you signed up late? Now, you can go back and look at the previous ones. So this will sort of be the archives for what everyone has written.