I am ending the week just as I began it…mixed emotions.  On one hand we have served for a week in Denver and met some great people.  We learned about life stories and how people in need are no different than any other…we are all people.  For some kids this week will make a lasting mark and spark to their spiritual journey, however, it appears for other kids this was just a week away with friends and we did some cool stuff.

My greatest reflections are these…a person’s attitude in life no matter what circumstances they living in is the number one indicator of future success.  Not success by the world’s standards but measured more by a personal scale.  Secondly, practicing your faith and prayer are the best ways to live, breathe and engage in a relationship with God.  Neither of these is earth shattering or mind blowing…they are simple, straightforward truths.  Yet they seem so difficult for some people to grasp and then do.

Please pray for our youth and community and we begin the journey home tomorrow.  I hope my presence has made a difference to others this week and I pray that we have made an impact in the life of those we encountered.

Peace be with you.

Why do I do it?  Why do I go out with youth on mission trips and retreats and teach confirmation classes?  Why do I spend time driving endless hours, sleeping on floors, waking up early, working hard all day for the benefit of others for no pay and getting to bed late only to get up the next day to do it all over again?

I do it with the hope of making an impact on their life…I do it to try and give them the input and connections that I may have missed as a youth.  I do it to show them who Jesus Christ is and what he did for them.  I do it to show them the love of God through my words and actions.  I do it to help ignite a spark in their spiritual lives.

Most importantly I do it because I believe that this is exactly what my Lord and Savior has blessed me with the time, talent and ability to do and it would be a terrible thing to waste those gifts.

Lastly, I do it because I love getting opportunity to spend time with others that can make a difference on their spiritual journey that could impact them for the rest of their lives.

Peace be with you.

Today we served in two completely different environments.  The majority of the day was spent at a Boys and Girls Club for children ages K-6.  They all come from very difficult circumstances in life for a variety of reasons.  We spent the day with them doing some classroom work like reading and science projects and we also had time to play games and be outside at recess time.  The kids, like all kids, have their good moments and not so good moments.  They really just love having people there to spend time focusing only on being with them, talking to them, listening to them and laughing with them.  To spend the the day sharing time with the littlest of God’s children is a place of true joy for me.  Their smiles and laughter are contagious and they really bring out the simplicity of how just spending time with others makes a significant difference in their day.

The evening portion of the day we spent at a Salvation Army senior assisted living center where we played BINGO with the residents and shared conversations and dessert. What a great way to spend a couple hours of your day.  This is a group of people that enjoy the opportunity to meet new people, learn about each other and play some pretty competitive BINGO for prizes that are household items that they can use where they live.

In both circumstances the kindness of putting the needs of others before your own makes such a difference to people.  Whether it is the youngest people, oldest people or people who are struggling in life…it is so important to choose to show kindness and not get so caught up in me, my  and I.  The world constantly tells us a message of selfishness, get yours and stand up for your rights…this type of selfish attitude is a primary problem that leads to the injustices of hunger and homelessness.

The bible has many things to say about kindness, our verse for the day today speaks clearly about how God sees kindness…

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? – Micah 6:8

I know how it is easy to get caught up in the day to day business of life but I pray that that all of us will be more aware of how we are treating others we encounter more often as the following statement is really true…give a stranger one of your smiles today as it may be the only act of kindness they receive all day.

Peace be with you.

Look around where you are right now…do you have access to food, shelter and clothing? So often I have taken the basics in life for granted yet this has all been provided by our heavenly Father.  We spent today meeting and greeting the people and community we are serving this week.  Many of the people in need are working hard to find there way in this world, they have amazing faith.  Like many us, some keep doing things the same way they always have and yet they, like us, expect a different result from their actions.

We met people who are very kind and we shared conversations with them that are regular everyday conversations but people looked at us differently because we were talking while sitting on the sidewalk in downtown next to a person who is homeless. The key to that statement is the word ‘person’…not homeless.

When I stop and reflect on my life and think about all the things to be thankful for it is astounding to me.  God loves us so much and he is with us each day.  The two greatest commandants are to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself.  As humans many of us struggle with these on a daily basis, especially love thy neighbor.

Peace can be found.  Galatians 5:22-23…the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self control.  Say a prayer of thanks for all that God has already done in your life.  I know after this day my heart is overflowing with gratitude for all the love, gifts and blessings he has provided in my life…starting with the opportunity to be in relationship with Him.

Peace.

It is another new year, we have a new city to serve and a mix of youth who have been serving every year along with some energetic new comers.  As I have stated in the past there is no better way to experience growth in faith then to spend a week focusing on only 1 thing…serving people in need with youth and other adults of faith.  We laugh together, sing together, tell stories and we cry together.  This week will be similar and yet very different.  We arrived this evening, we have been welcomed by people everywhere we have stopped.  I look at this trip with mixed emotions…the core group of young people I have been traveling with the last 4 years is on there last trip together.  We have grown in faith so much and every year when we get home it is always so hard to maintain the momentum.

I strive to focus only on the positive of even having the experience in the first place rather than worry about what happens after…God walks with us everyday no matter where we are in life and in the world.  These trips are great training for being able to focus on looking for where God is at work in your life.  It is one thing to know about God which is how I spent the majority of my life…but to truly know him is a whole different deal.  It is a relationship full of joy, peace, comfort and contentment.  I am looking forward to seeing how he shows up this week and I pray that I can be a light to others.  Please pray for our group.

Peace.