March, second half :)

Here’s the reading for the second half of March. We’re a little ways into Deuteronomy, then we’ll be reading Joshua and a little bit of Judges.

Keep the Lord in your thoughts and prayers, and bear with Sam and I through midterms! We promise more will be coming your way!

Love, us

Mar 15: Deut 11-13

Mar 16: Deut 14-16

Mar 17: Deut 17-20

Mar 18: Deut 21-23

Mar 19: Deut 24-27

Mar 20: Deut 28-29

Mar 21: Deut 30-31

Mar 22: Deut 32-34; Ps 91

Mar 23: Josh 1-4

Mar 24: Josh 5-8

Mar 25: Josh 9-11

Mar 26: Josh 12-15

Mar 27: Josh 16-18

Mar 28: Josh 19-21

Mar 29: Josh 22-24

Mar 30: Jud 1-2

Mar 31: Jud 3-5

March, first half

The reading for the next two weeks!!!

Mar 1: Num 14-15; Ps 90
Mar 2: Num 16-17

Mar 3: Num 18-20

Mar 4: Num 21-22

Mar 5: Num 23-25

Mar 6: Num 26-27

Mar 7: Num 28-30

Mar 8: Num 31-32

Mar 9: Num 33-34

Mar 10: Num 35-36

Mar 11: Deut 1-2

Mar 12: Deut 3-4

Mar 13: Deut 5-7

Mar 14: Deut 8-10

Running towards the watering hole

“Heroes are people like you and me. Sometimes we are afraid. But God is with us. The key is don’t be afraid. You will be a hero if you are afraid and you still go on. Don’t take anything for granted. Be faithful of what God is giving you. Winners are those who lead, with peace in their heart, a relationship with God. “

These words were spoken by Willy Santiago, a man from Cuba who came to speak at church tonight. He was speaking to the people who were assigned mission trips this summer. While I’m not going through the church, I am going to Uganda this summer. The dates haven’t been finalized, but I AM GOING TO UGANDA THIS SUMMER. Probably late July/early August.

Now comes the point in my journey where I begin comparing every action, every thought I have in Boulder to what it would be like if I were in Uganda. I look to the Word with new life, new inspiration, new ways to interpret its meaning. While I haven’t been blogging that much up to this point, inspiration smacked me in the face tonight like an elephant running towards a watering hole.

We shouldn’t take anything for granted in this world, because everything we have and everything we encounter is a gift from God. Who am I to decide what’s good for me and what is too hard? God isn’t surprised by anything we do; He’s the one who set it in motion. I need to learn to trust in Him, and hold His hand wherever he may take me. I want to fly with God by my side, trusting that if he throws me in any direction He will also be there to catch me when I land.

Uganda is waiting for me. I’m terrified, but I’m going on.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.youtube.com%252Fwatch%253Fv%253Dz2CEPBUi8nI&h=bfb954c6ab5c913f91c092330969d50a&ref=nf

Living in Boulder, I'm always so blown away how people cannot see the beauty of the flatiorns as God's creation. Rather, they're just the result of some magnificent explosion that was the result of the universe cooling....... Basically, by pure happenstance, this world was created.... Furthermore, my physics teacher told us this week that humans are simply a byproduct of dead, exploded stars. And if it were not for the remains of these stars, we humans wouldn't be around. Doesn't that make you feel good to know that there's no greater purpose for you and that we're just recycled material...?


God's creation is so magnificent and it blows me away how people see it as either a mistake or as pure chance that everything came together perfectly to create the world we have today. 


Piper writes in his book Taste and See a resolution that we should make in order to see God's creation for what it really is:


"I shall open my eyes and ears. Once every day I shall simply stare at a tree, a flower, a could, or a person. I shall not then be concerned at all to ask what they are but simply be glad that they are. I shall joyfully allow them the mystery of what Lewis calls their 'divine, magical, terrifying and ecstatic' existence."


In Him, for Him, and through Him,
Sam

5 weeks down, 47 ta go!

I'm still working on catching up on all of my reading, but will hopefully be up to date soon. As for this weeks' reading, enjoy!!


Feb 7: Ex 25-27
Feb 8: Ex 28-29
Feb 9: Ex 30-32
Feb 10: Ex 33-35
Feb 11: Ex 36-38
Feb 12: Ex 39-40
Feb 13: Lev 1-4


As we all go out to our daily lives, doing our own things, and interacting with a variety of different people, remember that everyone is alive, but not everyone truly LIVES. I fear I get lulled into a false sense of security here in my "cush" life and do not thank God enough for the awesome gift He has given us... Thank you Father for LIFE.

Uganda Trip Update

Well it's 12:09 AM Friday morning and I can't sleep, sooo... what better thing to do than read my Bible and post on our blog?


I received an email from Becky Watson, the woman leading the GRI missions trip, and she informed me that "door has been closed for the March dates[...]due to factors of cost, numbers of the team, and other in country logistics." The trip has been rescheduled for this summer, July 7-22.


Honestly... I thought I would've been more disheartened at the news of the trip's postponement. However, when I read the letter, my first reaction was that of peace rather than of angst or sadness. As I had explained in my previous post about this Uganda trip, there had been several complications leading up to the preparation for this trip as well as some inner turmoil about whether or not this was truly what God wanted me to do at this point in my life.


Well, as humans, dumb as sheep, sometimes we need God to point out his will to us "in plain English." I guess this is him, as Becky put, "closing the door" and I couldn't be more at peace about it. I do still feel led to go to Uganda, and whether that's with GRI or some other organization or whatever God has in store for me, I am comfortable in the knowledge that God's plan is God's plan.


After all, God's God. I'm not.

Persecuted Church Update

NIGERIA: CHRISTIANS KILLED

The Voice of the Martyrs contacts reported that the violence was triggered by a Muslim attack on St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Nasarawa Gwong, in the Jos North Local Government Area. “It appears to the Christians here that elements inside the Nigerian Muslim community actually prepare for events like this and then look for an incident which they can then escalate into a crisis. The intent is to drive Christians out of this area down to the south,” VOM contacts reported.

Church leaders said Muslim youths also attacked buildings belonging to the Christ Apostolic Church, Assemblies of God Church, three branches of the Church of Christ in Nigeria and the Evangelical Church of West Africa. On Jan. 18, authorities imposed a curfew, and the city is under the close control of Nigerian troops.

Hundreds of believers have reportedly been wounded. “We have been witnessing sporadic shootings in the last two days,” Rev. Chuwang Avou, secretary of the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria told Compass Direct News a few days after the attacks began. “We see some residents shooting sporadically into the air. We have also seen individuals with machine guns on parade in the state.” 
The Voice of the Martyrs has people on the ground in Nigeria assisting believers. VOM is providing medical assistance and other resources to those affected by the attacks. VOM has supported persecuted believers in Nigeria for more than 20 years. VOM also helps widows through the Family of Martyrs Fund and provides their children with free education. Pray that VOM contacts will be able to provide the spiritual encouragement and resources that believers in Nigeria need. Pray for peace and for the protection of believers

Where did January go???

Here's this weeks' reading!


Jan 31: Ex 4-6
Feb 1: Ex 7-9
Feb 2: Ex 10-12
Feb 3: Ex 13-15
Feb 4: Ex 16-18
Feb 5: Ex 19-21
Feb 6: Ex 22-24


Confession: I've gotten a little behind on my reading... Please pray for me to set aside time, no matter how busy my week is, to read God's word and to spend time in prayer!

March Uganda Trip Update

God is GOOD, ALL the time, and ALL the time, God is GOOD.


After getting involved with Invisible Children* nearly 5 years ago, both Teri and I have dreamed of going to Uganda, to live and aid the peoples, both young and old, of this war torn and devastated, third world country. About a month ago while sitting in "big church" at Riverside, we listened with open mouths and yearning hearts about a trip to Uganda with an organization called Global Refuge International. It so happened to be during our spring break, going to the part of Uganda that we dream of going to, with uncanny details that seemed to be perfect. We thought, maybe a little too eagerly, that God threw open the door for both of us and we were heading to Uganda this March!


As it turns out, there were many hinderances getting to the primary meeting and when we finally did have the meeting, we found, to our dismay, that the dates had changed. The meeting progressed, and we suggested that they move the trip back to its original dates so that we would still have the possibility of going... Surprisingly, they said they'd consider it!


So we continued to pray about it and pursue it... Teri checked with her professors and found out that the few days she'd be missing were crucial to her studies and would cripple her semester grades. So, to her dismay, she had to pull out. Me? Well, I filled out the application and handed it in to the group leader and am waiting to hear back from her.


Looking at this whole process, the hinderances have been... interesting. Sometimes, I wish that it was all smooth sailing, but these bumps along the way are, in actuality, one of the best things that could be happening. I feel like they cause me to pray harder about the trip and truly evaluate if this is simply MY heart and mind wanting me to go, or if it's God's heart for me to go. I pray that if it's really not His will, than he will not allow my application to be accepted and I will gladly save my money for another trip. However, if it IS His will, then I pray that the door will remain open and I will be heading to Uganda in a month and a half!


Please continue to pray for Teri and I; both in our future world travels and in our every day journey down the narrow path. We couldn't do it without fellow Brothers and Sisters helping guide our feet in prayer and encouragement!


*For those of you who do not know what Invisible Children is, please visit the website at www.invisiblechildren.com. There is too much to some up in a single blog, but if you would like further information about it, please feel free to contact Teri or me.

Week 4 Reading!!

Jan 25: Gen 38-40

Jan 25: Gen 41-42

Jan 27: Gen 43-45

Jan 28: Gen 46-47

Jan 29: Gen 48-50

Jan 30: Ex 1-3

Jan 31: Ex 4-6

Feb 1: Ex 7-9