The Challenge for Monday Nite Lofters

The challenge went out to the students from LS and Lincoln Middle Schools at the Monday nite Loft meeting. What is keeping you from running the race with God the best that you can run. Hebrews 12:1-3 tells us 'to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entagles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. We are to fix our eyes on Jesus.' Notice at the end of the video the young man looks to the cross. How about us? Are we being held back by some baggage as we seek to live for the Lord Jesus Christ. We can pray for ourselves and the students at the Loft to focus on Christ alone.

Sweetly Broken Lyrics

On the side bar you will see a group of 4 videos off YouTube. The song is Sweetly Broken by Jeremy Riddle and video by different people to add visuals to the amazing words. On Thursday at the after school Bible Club I was showing the students the blog and the video and thought I should place the lyrics on the blog. So here you have them.

Jeremy Riddle and Sweetly Broken
To the cross I look, to the cross I cling
Of its suffering I do drink
Of its work I do sing
For on it my Savior both bruised and crushed
Showed that God is love
And God is just
(Chorus:)
At the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love,
Im sweetly broken, wholly surrendered
What a priceless gift, undeserved life
Have I been given
Through Christ crucified
Youve called me out of death
Youve called me into life
And I was under Your wrath
Now through the cross Im reconciled
(Chorus)
In awe of the cross I must confess
How wondrous Your redeeming love and
How great is Your faithfulness
(Chorus 2x)

Entering the Blog world

Wow, when I finished college in 1981 I had completed all my papers and projects without a computer. Texting and Facebook and even cell phones were unheard of. We would send out letters to people that were interested in what was happening in our lives and ministries like Lancaster YFC where I was hired in '82. We didn't have the internet. Wow, how times have changed. Entering this Blog world and instant message world is interesting to say the least. I am not big on talking. I don't usually talk for the sake of talking so this IM, Facebook, Texting world is a little out of my zone. But I have always been willing to learning anything. I never thought I could type without having written the words on paper first. This typing and thinking at the same time is something I never thought I could do but most of us can do most anything with practice. So here I am thinking and typing at the same time. God is so good and so amazing in how He works in our lives I thought there has to be a way of portraying that to the world.It seems that blogging may be a way that I can take part. So as you see me in the picture, sitting on a bench between two of the ponds at our cabin on Saturday. I hold a toad that is getting ready to jump. I too am a 'toad' jumping into this blog world with the desire to show off how amazing God is and how He is amazing in Karen and my life and the life of our family. Part of getting the message of how great our God is in our world is to get the word of this blog out. So that is something I want to do. I go from day to day and think that was so cool and God is so great, I could put on our blog but I don't always take the time. Maybe this will become my journal of the stuff of praise that the world can know. Karen and my world isn't any more important than your world, God is at work all over. It is just that this blog can be a small piece (puzzle piece) in the amazing picture that can be put together by all those willing to give the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father glory. Join with us in this praise of God. Note: the toads at the cabin were so loud of there praise to God when we were up on Saturday it seemed like is was a chorus of praise. I want to be a 'toad' praising like that. :) Don

Praise as a Way of Life

What a great evening praising our Lord with the children's choir at church. It just reminds us of the importance of living a life of praise. This morning as we were in our worship service we were hearing about how to win over anxiety. The key is two things: stop being anxious about anything (that sounds good but how do I do that if that is my problem) the second thing is to pray about everything. What a life that is to pray and then to praise. We can only do that as we keep our eyes on the amazing God of the universe. So the challenge is to not worry about anything. We are not saying that no anxious thoughts will come into our lives but we should not harbor those thoughts but instead we should pray and praise. What a great way to start our day and week.

Happy Birthday Kristy and Beach Adventure

Thanks Karen's mom and brothers for a great time enjoying the house in Wildwood, NJ over the weekend. What a great time do some birding (birdwatching) and just mess around in God's creation of the beach. See slide on side bar. It was a great opportunity to celebrate Kristy's 20th birthday. Just getting away can be refreshing. What fun we can have as a family, thanks Heavenly Father!

Meeting for prayer at Mickey D's

There is so much to share of what is happening in our lives and the opportunities to live out Christ as truth everywhere we go. I guess I will have to spend more time blogging just to give more glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ :) Today, this morning I had the chance to leave the house at 5:35 AM on my bicycle and ride to the McDonalds (see bike locked under sign) near McCaskey High School just a short distance from Lincoln. I met with Jared a McCaskey East teacher. What a great time to be encouraged and talk thru scripture and pray for our students and teaching. We were discussing where we think our students hearts are when it comes to the types of soils as Jesus gave the parable in Mark 4. We know many have hearts that are like the path, the gospel is sown but the evil one comes along and snatches it away. We also believe many heart soils are filled with 'rocks' that hinder healthy growth of the seed. We thought many christian hearts are like the soil that has thorns and thistles that choke the plant and don't let it produce much fruit. Wow, there is no way we can do this work alone. Thanks for your prayers!!

We are Made in the Image of God

What a fun nite at the Loft taking pictures at our annual Digital Picture Scavenger Hunt. A list of possible pictures with a point value are given to each of five teams. The teams had 4-5 students and 1-2 adult leaders that drove the team around taking pictures for the craziness of it. Dumpster 'diving' to wading in a creek kept the teams active and having a blast. As we enjoyed rootbeer floats we were reminded that we as humans are a special creation of God made in His Image. We are so special He died for us. Thanks to all who pray for this every Monday nite service to 6th-8th grade youth. See the slide show for the winning teams pics.

The Joy of Worshipping with a church family

I know I haven't always wanted to go to church but I have learned that I need too. Most of the time I want to and it is such a joy to be with people of a like precious faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. What a joy to laugh with our small group (the binoculars please: an inside joke with our small group) and learn the need to perservere in prayer.
What a fun time with some of the college students for lunch. Thanks for the peppers, Blake! The next college age lunch is in two weeks.
More times with a church family but not 'our' local assembly. What a great time viewing the Truth Project DVD with a group of LS students. We praise God for revealing Himself in His designed creation. This time is truly a time of worthship with a mix of students from many different local assemblies.
And finally a great time with our own Grace Student Ministries. Being connected with the Body of Christ is a must and a great joy!!!!!!
I knew it would be a marathon day but what a joy. I sit here getting ready to finalize my lesson plans for school this week and hear the children in the playroom with some neighborhood children laughing and playing games waiting for pancakes. Wow, God you are amazing. Worship comes in many ways and various places.

What a great day for a bike ride!

It sort of came together at the last minute, the details anyway. Karen and I went over our calendars and decided that today would be one of those day I could plan a bike trip with Jeff Bitner and some of the GSM Jr. High guys. It did not work for Jeff to help but I decided that I could plan this one myself. You never know who is going to be able to go but it would even be fun if only Keith and just went on a ride. It looked there would be six of us; Ryan, Luke, Jonathon, Daniel, Keith and I, then at the last minute Jeff decided he could go. The Heritage Bike Trail in York County is were we went. What a nice trail! We started with prayer and it was neat to see God with us. He reminded me to bring a tow rope. I had to be towed on one trip because I broke my chain so that is something I like to take on trips. We needed it. Three of us came back to the car and trailer while 4 others went on down the trail. We needed to make the connection at the end. We 3 in the car got to the town of Glen Rock and did not see the other 4 so I took off on my bike back up the trail. I was racing down the trail and had gone about 2 miles when I saw a fisherman. I was ready to pass him and I felt prompted to stop and ask if he had seen 4 bikers. I passed him and then decided to go back. I turned around and went back and asked him if he had seen 4 bikers. He said no and that he had been there about an hour. I thought maybe they had not come through. as I was looking up I saw someone way down the trail. I went toward the biker and realized it was Jeff trying to catch and tell me they had gone on. All that to say we have a great God that takes care of every detail and makes our connections at the right time.

Praise God for a great safe trip and a chance to spend some time with youth!!

See slide show for pictures.

Joining the Online Blog World

What a scary thot to be joining the online world and the virtual world community. I have been wanting to do this for a while. My three oldest children have Facebook pages. I thot I would let them enjoy that aspect of the virtual community. This Blog is a great way to have the world see the amazing work that God is doing and a great way to communicate the power and work of God in our lives. We praise God for the opportunity to be His messengers of the Truth.