Students of Grace...

Pictures

2011-08-12T23:49:00.001-04:00

Today was our last day at Herald O. and I actually remember to take pictures. Before I post the pictures I just want to remind you to ask your kids about their experience at Herald O. because all of the kids touched our hearts this week. We hope to stay connected through out the school year with herald o because they have an after school program ever day from 3-6. And our students are really excited about staying connected with kids at H.O.D.

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Location:Philly

The fifth day

2011-08-12T07:45:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was an incredible day serving in Philadelphia. Once again our day started out at herald o. spending time with the kids, singing songs, laughing, and having them hang all over us in the pool! And yes another day went by that I forgot to take a picture but that is what today is for.

After herald o. we went to a place called Inglis House. Inglis house is a community for people living in wheel chairs. It was an awesome opportunity for our students to meet new people and for them to break down stereotypes that they previously had. We all meet people who made us laugh, this one lady, Melissa loved to tell this one joke and here it is, "what did the chicken and the hen say? Cluck cluck coo coo happy halloween." yes it makes no sense but that is why it is so funny. We also happy the opportunity to help a number of the residents practice for their keen games (there version of the special Olympics) which was a lot of fun. I could go on for a long time about all of the people that we meet but you will just have to ask us more about them when get home.

Our day wasn't over yet because last night we got to make some bag lunches and go down to Logan Square and pass them out to the homeless. There is no way that we would have been able to pass out dinner to everyone there but that was not the purpose of last night. We were just using the lunches as a mean to start a conversation with the homeless. We split up into two groups with six lunches each and it took us almost 2 hours to pass them out because of the awesome conversations that we got to have to the people we meet. This was another incredible experience where stereotypes were broken down for our students.

I could go on but I have to go down stairs and make my lunch before we head out for our last day serving this week. I don't think today is going to be easy for our students to say goodby to the kids at herald o so you can be praying for that. Thanks for all your prayers and we will see you tomorrow morning.

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Location:Philly

Day 4

2011-08-11T07:24:00.001-04:00

Well the third time wasn't a charm because I still forgot to take pictures at Herald O. but hey we are still there for two more days so instill have time. Yesterday (yes I said yesterday because I was to tired last night to stay up and type the blog post so right now it is Thursday morning) after the morning devotions and lots of singing with all the kids we got to go swimming at a community pool. Since the vast majority of the campers can not swim we were all pretty tired after the hour and half of carrying kids around in the water but it was such a blast. It is s good thing that we had so much fun because we are doing it again today!

After Herald O. We went to the 3300 block of 9th street to meet up with founder and president of Ray of Hope, Ray. I have worked with ray in past years so I knew that we were going to be working hard yesterday afternoon. Ray of Hope does a variety of projects and yesterday we were helping beautify a city block that had just become littered in trash and weeds over the years. Our students work their butts off for almost 4 yours picking up almost every kind of trash that you can think of. Just as we were packing up the van when we were finished I heard someone say "I am never going to litter again!". Here are some before, during and after pictures of our work day.

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Location:Philly

Day 3 in the city of brotherly love

2011-08-09T23:41:00.001-04:00

Today was another great day. I have to apologize because I totally forgot to take some pictures at Herald O. They say the third time is a charm so we will see if that comes true tomorrow. It is amazing how much our students have have connected with the kids at the camp at Herald O. and it is such a blessing for me to take a step back every once and awhile and seeing our students help a child work on their craft, tie their shoe, play basketball, take them to the bathroom, it doesn't matter what the task is they are right there to help the kids out. Tomorrow we get to go swimming with the kids at a community pool, as long a we don't get another crazy rain storm like we had today.

This afternoon we went and volunteered at City Team Ministries in Chester. City Team provides a number of different services to the community and the homeless but the project that we were helping out with was their back to school project they have. Every year they hand out over 2,000 book bags filled with school supplies to kids who other wise would not have any supplies for the new school year. We had they opportunity to play a small part in this great ministry by sorting though donations they have received and taking innovatory on everything that we sorted which included and counting over a thousand pencils. Here are some pictures of our time at City Team.

Our CSM host, Nora, shared with us a quote by Mother Teresa and I thought the quote really connected with not only the work that we were doing today at City Team but everything that we are doing this week. Mother Teresa once said, "it's not how much you do...but how much love you put in that action. We were just played a tiny part in the work that the city team ministry is doing for the kids in the community but our students really put a lot of love into the work they did.

We headed to south street for dinner and at at Jim's steaks for dinner even though I tried multiple times to get our host to take us to Pats for cheese steaks because they are the best at Pats! But trust me I am not going to pass up a cheese steak and everyone else was excited about getting a real Philly cheese steak too. After dinner I thought I would take everyone out for ice cream so we walked down south street in the rain to the dairy queen that I ate at last year to find out that it was closed, not just the day but closed for good. So we walked back to this frozen yogurt place we saw and it turned out to be a create your own dessert and boy was it DELICIOUS! The only problem is that you pay by the ounce so by the time everyone was done we had over 5 pounds of frozen yogurt and toppings but it was worthy every penny!

So that was our day in a nutshell. Thank you for all of your prayers and you should be proud of your kids because they have been such a blessing to be serving with and have done everything and more that has been asked of them to do!

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Location:Philly

Philly Day 2

2011-08-08T23:50:00.001-04:00

This post might end up being little shorter then I intended it to be and that is because I had the post almost finished and I hit the wrong button and lost the first draft that I had. So boo on me.

Before the day got started i was excited about what God had in store for us because in previous years i have served at both the Herald O. Davis day camp and the Mary Jane Enrichment Center, the two ministry sites were scheduled to serve at. My expectations did not let me down because today was a great day serving in Philadelphia.

As soon as we walked in the doors at Herald O. the kids we giving us hugs, asking our names, playing games, they were so excited to see us that they got up from eating their breakfast to spend time with us. The rest of the morning until about 1:00 we sang songs, played games, did crafts, and just spent time loving the kids. Our students are so excited to be going back every day this week and really forming relationships with the kids. We we so busy with the kids that I totally forgot to take pictures so I promise to do my best and take pictures while we are at Herald O. tomorrow.

After we at lunch at a park off of Kelly drive we were off to Mary Jane's Enrichments Center. I am not sure if words can really describe Mary Jane's it is one of those places that you just have to serve at to get a real understanding of their incredible ministry. The ministry is run by an amazing woman, Ms. Williams and her son John. Mary Jane's provides housing for anywhere between 20 and 30 people as well at 3 meals a day. We had the opportunity to help serve dinner. Even though out students worked hard bring in a van full o bread, rolls, and donuts. Made gallons of ice-tea and helped serve dinner they felt as though they received more by just being a part of that ministry then they were able to give and I believe that is a great testimony to what God can do in our lives if we are able to allow God to use us and serve others.

Here are some pictures of our time at Mary Jane's

Mmmm mustard and relish

After a yummy Vietnamese dinner and shooting tapioca balls at each other we went to the rocky steps for the days debrief and prayer. As well as some fun on the rock steps and other statues. Take a look.

Okay well maybe this post ended up being just long enough. Thanks for all of the prays. Please leave a comment because I will pass the messages on to the students. God Bless.

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Location:Philly

Philadelphia Day 1

2011-08-07T23:17:00.001-04:00

Well our road trip to Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, was about 14 hours and 40 minutes shorter then our trip two weeks three weeks ago Chicago however I heard the question "are we there yet" about 10 more time in the short drive tonight. Anyway we made it safe and sound to the CSM (center for student missions) housing site in west Philly.

After we got unpacked, beds made, quick orientation, we were our way to dinner at New Delhi, an all you can eat Indian. I was very impressed with our students willingness to try some new foods and every one enjoyed dinner. The best part was when I jokingly told them that they were all out of vanilla and chocolate ice-cream so they would have to branch out and try something new for dessert and everyone loved the new dessert they got.

After dinner we went on a prayer tour of Philadelphia to start our ministry this week. Our prayer tour took us to all different parts of the city. Common places like love park and city hall, all places our students have been before. We were also driving in Kensington under the L and other parts of philly that our students have never been too.

During one portion of the prayer tour we had the opportunity to get out of the van and sit under a bridge and talk about homelessness with our students. The image that I remember the most from the prayer tour is watching everyone try and figure out where they were going to sit on the dirty ground and then watching them come to a realization that this could be where someone is going to have to sleep tonight. God has blessed us with so much and I am so thankful for the opportunity that we are going to have this week to be a part of the great work that God is doing in this great city.

Thank you for all of the prayers.

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Location:Philadelphia,United States

The Journey Home - Part 1

2011-07-23T18:31:00.001-04:00

Well we made it to Firelands Presbyterian Church in Port Clinton, and Pastor Jeanne Gay greeted us with with a smile and 16 beach towels (would have been 18 but we dropped Gabe and Dalia off at O'Hare airport to catch a plane to Boston to meet the rest of their family in Cape Cod). So off to lake Erie we went to swim in our second great lake in one week. Another great Midwest thunderstorm ended our swim part a little early but that was okay because we got back in time to shower and now some wonderful members of the church are cooking a fish fry for us and dinner is just about to be served so I am going to go.

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Location:Port Clinton, Ohio

Hugs hugs and more hugs

2011-07-23T01:11:00.001-04:00

I can not believe that today is Friday night and tomorrow morning we will be starting our two day journey back home to Jenkintown. This has been an incredible week and it has been amazing to see God working in the hearts of our students. All of the students knew that they would be coming to Chicago go serve others but they had no idea that their hearts we going to be so broken for the people of Chicago and go so attached to some kids in 5 days but both of those things happened to everyone.

God is doing some amazing work in Chicago and we were truly blessed to be a part of that this week. Tonight we had the opportunity to serve as a whole group at a soup kitchen in the Uptown section of Chicago. Since Ed had been split up in two groups all week it was awesome to be able to serve together on our last afternoon.

We served close to 200 people tonight and one of the really neat things about this ministry is that they serve there guests restaurant style. The men, women, and children are served drinks and dinner and do not have to stand in line and feel like a number but have the opportunity to feel like guests. We were all busy for s solid hour and forty five minutes serving drinks, dinner, and salt, pepper, and sugar. It has been a blessing to watch our students step out of their comfort zone, be venerable, and have to rely on God to help serve his beautiful children.

I know that our students are coming home as s changed person because I have heard their stories and listened to them as they explained how God has been working in their lives. When we return home be sure to ask them how God touched hearts and listen to the stories they have to share (you might want to give them until Monday to really talk before you ask to many questions). I challenge you to discus how you as a family can continue to serve the poor, hungry, homeless, and those in prison so that this week in Chicago doesn't stop when we get home but instead to uses this week as a catalyst for what we are about to do in Jenkintown and the surrounding areas.

Thank you for all of your prayers this week. Here are some random pictures that I have had from this week.

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Location:Chicago

Jonah Devo - Day 6

2011-07-22T07:54:00.000-04:00

Friday, July 22, 2011 – Day 6

*Read Jonah 4:1-4 – Why so Angry?

Chapter 4 opens up with Jonah’s pride creeping back onto the scene, which causes Jonah to become angry. We also find out that real reason that Jonah originally boarded the ship to Tarshish. Jonah wasn’t afraid to go to Nineveh because of what harm might come to him, although that would have been understandable, but rather Jonah was afraid because he knew that his God was the one true God, a loving God, that if he preached to the people of Nineveh they would repent and be forgiven. He knew that the gentiles would receive God’s grace, and his pride was having trouble accepting that fact. Israel was supposed to be a light to the world, but Jonah let his pride take over, which resulted in him seeing the Israelites as better than the rest of the world. God’s decision to be merciful to the Ninevites offended his own pride so much that he would rather die than witness the salvation of the gentile nation.

I can still remember the night, as if it was yesterday, even though it was almost 10 years ago, that I finally understood God’s call in my life and submitted to His will. I had many different emotions running through my body that night and anger was definitely one them. I think that anger gets a bad rap most of the time, and I believe that most people would say that anger is a bad thing.. I am not one of those people. I think that anger is a very healthly emotion and I wish that people would get angry more often that is as long as it is Godly anger and not anger that is sinful and self destructive

RBC Ministries explains the two different types of anger as follows –

Selfish anger is provoked when we believe we've been treated unjustly or unfairly. We want something, we don't get it, we feel deprived, and now someone is going to pay for having treated us this way (James 4:1-4). The goal is revenge. When driven by vengeance, we demand that someone pay now for the injustice we've suffered. We impatiently demand immediate execution of justice according to our specifications, and refuse to allow time for God to work in the hearts of those who have offended us (James 1:19-20). Our anger becomes a caustic acid intended to burn those we feel have burned us unfairly. When offended, we can be ruthless, hard, unreasonable, and devoid of mercy in our response.

Conversely, godly anger is provoked in us when we witness persistent violations of God's standards of justice (Psalm 119:53). There is an appropriate time to be outraged over those who hold God in contempt and mar the beauty of His creation. The goal of godly anger is to warn the person who has breached God's divine law so that once exposed they can have the opportunity to change (Ezekiel 3:18-21). This kind of anger is like iodine, an ointment intended to purge infection and promote healing in the recipient (Proverbs 27:6). It is painful at first, but in the end, it soothes and heals.

Godly anger is motivated both by the love of Christ that works in us to extend His love to others (2 Corinthians 5:14), and by the fear of His coming execution of perfect justice (2 Corinthians 5:11). Godly anger is marked by a confidence in God's longsuffering character (Psalm 86:15; 2 Peter 3:9), knowing that only He is qualified to carry out vengeance equitably. Godly anger refuses to resort to personal acts of revenge now, but is willing to wait for God's wrath to be poured out against evil in His good time (Psalm 73:16-19; Romans 12:19).

Questions:
1. Why is Jonah angry with God?

2. In v. 2 we learn the real reason for why Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh. What, if anything, does this tell us about the heart of Jonah? His motivation?

3. Why does Jonah ask God to kill him?

4. In Chapter 1 Jonah’s disobedience brought him near death. Compare his reaction to God’s saving grace in his own situation vs. his reaction to God’s grace and mercy towards the Ninevites:

5. How would you interpret God’s response in 4:4?

6. Have you ever tried to control God, and then got angry when He did not conform to that image?

7. What is your motivation for being on this mission trip?

Other things to explore…
1) In 4:3, Jonah recites Moses’ revelation of God’s blessed character. Read Exodus 34: 6

2) Read 1Kings 19:4 and compare Elijah’s request to die with Jonah’s request to die.

Take away…
God is God and we are not; God is not bound by our limits, prejudices or misconceptions.

Prayer Starter

As we near the end of the trip, it's likely that you're feeling a bit run down. This is our last day of work. Ask God for the strength to continue to show forth Jesus' love among the people with whom we are working. Ask him for the strength to recognize the things these people can give to YOU! And pray for the people and the neighborhoods with whom and in which we are working. Be sure to leave spaces during your prayer where you listen for God's side of the conversation.

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Mmmm... Tacos

2011-07-22T00:31:00.001-04:00

Well, we were experiencing a swell day as we traveled down to Lake Michigan and swam about and played frisbee in the lake and then returned for some fantastic showering in the massive football locker room. However, after ruining those efforts by sitting outside in the sweltering heat and then playing games we were a slightly less high-spirited bunch. But we soon found that those robust males within our group that require feeding equal to that of a small horse were not to be disappointed as hundreds of delicious steak tacos were on the menu. But as Kev, Fez, and Glazer were finishing up the last of their tacos before heading into worship a woman jokingly asked all passersby if they wanted more tacos since they were not allowed inside. But after half a tin was thrown away we quickly intervened, hating to see any food wasted - especially delicious food as this. We swooped in and rescued approximately 50 tacos loaded with steak. We then had to hide it under an impromptu sign upstairs in a corner so we could retrieve it later and devour it.

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Location:Chicago

A Day with the YMCA Kids

2011-07-21T17:56:00.001-04:00

Dalia: I got splashed with cold water!

Miles: Wait… we'll get to that. We have to go in order.

Today we went to the YMCA Day Camp again. At first when we went there, we were sort of surprised because they told us just to go to the Y and play with the kids. But the Y staff seemed to be doing a good job at that.

Connor: Oh! We have to include the White Castle and the incredible pains we had in our intestines because of the gas. And how I ran out of toilet paper…

Ned: And I had to rescue him…

Miles: Back to our story. The boys and I sat at the table with the kids and we quickly fell in love with them because they were really cute and just attached to us within a minute. They asked us if they could come home with us.

We played with them and broke up fights. Sometimes they deserved it. But we played Knockout on the basketball court at the park, soccer in the parking lot against the fence, cards and board games under the pavilion…. And of course, every day includes lots of water fights. It starts right away in the morning and goes pretty much all day long. The Y counselors bring it on with water balloons they give to the kids.

We did other things to help out at the Y too. Ned watered flowers. Dalia and Maggie cleaned the girls' locker room.

Dalia: I squeegee-ed!

Nick: And Miles gave something like fifty piggy back rides. All our necks are really sore.

Miles: One kid is an awesome chess player...

Maggie: One girl told me that you can't curse because if you curse, it means you haven't gone to high school and all your teeth are going to fall out.

Miles: We definitely have a crew of kids!

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Location:Chicago

Jonah Devo - Day 5

2011-07-21T07:24:00.001-04:00

Thursday, July 21, 2011 – Day 5

*Read Jonah 3:4-10 – Action Items

In verse four, Jonah begins to go into the city. We know from verse 3 that it would take three days to get through the city, but after only one day of proclaiming God’s message it spread through the whole city, even to the king. He had one simple message, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown” (v.4). Jonah didn’t have to give a forty minute sermon over and over again throughout Nineveh; too often we over think and analyze the work that God has planned for us. There will be times when His work will look hard, but He will make it easy on us. Jesus said, “…my yoke is easy and my burden is light” - Matt 11:30. It is our responsibility to do God’s work, to preach His word, as He has commanded and whoever has ears to hear will hear and will come to God. When we do the simplest things for God or say the simplest things, as Jonah did, and God provides fruit, then the glory is all His.

In verse 5 through 8, we see Nineveh come to repentance. They repented in sackcloth and ashes, by fasting and by turning away from evil. Sackcloth was made from camel or goat fur and was often black. It often covered the whole body, including the head. Ashes were either put on the head or sat on. There is a lot of symbolism here because you would usually only see these actions when people lost a loved one, however here in Jonah the people were mourning their sin. It was also a common practice to fast during a time of mourning because there were so many legalistic rights they had to abide by. Both the mourning and fasting were demonstrations of their remorse.

The last thing mentioned as part of repentance is the turn from evil. They quit doing what did not honor God. When we are in sin, we must mourn that sin in order to get rid of it, to truly repent. To mourn our sin is to show a hearts desire for repentance. If we are not convinced to the point of mourning that our sin is wrong, then we cannot be fully repentant of it.
In verse 9, we find out that they repented because of the possibility that God might decide not to destroy them. Even the Ninevites recognized that a return to God would bring blessing upon them and deliver them from wrath.
There are two things that we learn about God from this passage. First, when we serve Him, we need to do so in humility and according to His strength. This way, as mentioned before, God gets all the glory, not us. Secondly, there is no sin which keeps us from coming to Christ. We never have committed too much sin, or any sin so heinous that God will reject us. As we sin, we must recognize the error of our ways, mourn our sins and repent of them.

Questions:
1. What did Jonah say to the people of Nineveh? (see Jonah 3:4) And what do you think of the message he gave to them (too long, too short, too harsh?)

2. How did the people of Nineveh respond to Jonah’s words? (see Jonah 3:5)

3. What was the King’s reaction to the message Jonah brought? (see Jonah 3:6-9)

4. Was Jonah successful?

5. In what ways has God shown you compassion? Has it ever happened at a time when you were wandering from God?

6. In what ways have you shown repentance?

Other things to explore..
1) Listen to the Unshackled radio program at www.unshackled.org which airs dramatic presentation that tell the stories of people who have repented and changed their life’s direction. The recordings are made in Chicago at Pacific Garden Mission.

2) Write up your own story about God’s work in your life (your testimony).

3) Read Joel 2:12-14. How does this passage compare with Jonah 3:6-9?

Take away...
It is not just our hearing of God’s word that pleases him, but our responding to it; God’s always ready to show mercy and compassion to anyone willing to seek him. If we simply proclaim what we know about God, we may be surprised at how many people will listen.

Prayer Starter

Today we're going to focus on a prayer of praise. Praise God for the people He has brought into your life on this trip. Praise him for the things you are learning. Praise him for the work that he is doing in the city of Chicago through CCM and other ministries. Be SPECIFIC… name names! Then just be still and listen for what God is saying to you today.

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Jonah Devo - Day 4

2011-07-20T08:03:00.001-04:00

Wednesday, July 20, 2011 – Day 4

*Read Jonah 3:1-3 – Serving in Weakness

I know that today’s reading was only three verses but there is still a lot of good material that we can extract from them. Verse1 makes it very clear that there was a waiting period before God called upon Jonah again. It wasn’t as though the moment that Jonah hit dry ground after he was vomited out by the fish he wiped himself off and headed for Nineveh. It may have been that he needed some time for physical healing or simply that God allowed him that time for spiritual renewal. What we do know is that Jonah was called a second time to go to Nineveh.

If you are not careful you can miss something important in verse 2. Up to this point in the story, God has not told Jonah exactly what message to preach. God has told Jonah in 1:2 that he would “cry out against it” and now in verse 2 God says, “…call out against it the message that I tell you.” We live in a world where we have to know exactly what we are going to do, when it is going to happen, what the outcome is going to be and if we don’t have all of those answers well then there is a good chance that the plan won’t happen. Here is the good news about serving God, we don’t have to have a full understanding to be able to serve Him; we just have to be willing.
God can use us more if we serve out of weakness than out of our strength. God told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” In response Paul wrote, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” - 2 Corinthians 12.9:10. God desires to use us in the areas that we are weak. Why? So that He alone gets the glory.

When I was growing up (and still to a great extent) I had very poor reading comprehension. I would read things over and over and have very little idea what I was reading. That’s one of the reasons I loved cooking so much, I didn’t have to read anything to understand what tastes went together and know when to pull a steak off the grill so it was medium rare. God’s plan for my life was student ministry but my plans were to become a chef and open my own restaurant someday that I would name Joel Christopher’s. When I finally answered God’s call in my life to student ministry that meant I was going to have to rely on Him to give me the strength and ability to do His work. The good news is that God can do great things with our weakness, and I am blessed that God has chosen me to share His word to His people.
Now an area which is considered strength for me is cooking. God has used me in a number of ways to bless people from behind the stove, but in the last few years, God has made it abundantly clear that He will use me elsewhere. I have no choice but to submit to His good and perfect will regardless of my own personal desire.

This is not to say that we should immediately discard any talents that we might have; rather we should be aware of where God desires us to serve. Often that will be in our weakness, but it will always be for His glory. If we find ourselves receiving the glory, we must change our direction.

Questions:
1. What command does Jonah receive here and how does it compare with the command God gave him earlier, in Jonah 1:2?

2. Describe Jonah’s response and how it compares to the one in Jonah 1:3.

3. Do you think Jonah’s task was a desirable one? Why or why not?

4. What requirements, if any, exist for giving someone a second chance?

5. How do you react when you have messed up and are given another chance to do something?

Other things to explore...
1) Ancient Nineveh (across the Tigris River from modern-day Mosul, Iraq) has a fascinating history that can be researched online. It became the capital of Assyria around 700 BC (see 2 Kings 18:17-19:37). Some scholars speculate that the name Nineveh derives from Nina, the name of a Babylonian fish goddess.

2) A great example of someone who got a second chance is Peter. He denied knowing Jesus (John 18:15-18, 25-27). After Jesus was killed and rose from the dead, he and Peter meet again, read about it in John 21.

Take away...
Serving God is not an earned position; despite our mistakes and weaknesses, God still asks us to carry out his work.
Prayer Starter

Prayer isn't always about asking for things. Sometimes it's just telling God something. Are there any things for which you'd like a second chance? Tell God where you've messed up, and ask him for a second chance. In Christ, we are promised that second chance! Now take a few moments and quietly listen for what God is asking you to do with *your* second chance. Close your prayer by thanking God for the second chances that come through Jesus.

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Location:Chicago

Jonah Devo - Day 3

2011-07-19T18:31:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, July 19, 2011 - Day 3

*Read Jonah 1:17 – 2:10 - Praying in the Deep

Let’s break this prayer down…
• Verse 2 is a general statement about where he was at. Jonah equates the collective experience from the time he was cast into the water to the time he was swallowed by the fish as being in the ‘belly of Sheol.’ Sheol means grave. Jonah was certain he would die.
• Verse 3 begins the sequence of events. Jonah recollects being cast into the sea. We know it was the sailors who threw Jonah into the sea but here Jonah says, “For you [God] cast me into the deep.” Jonah says that because he knew that God was working sovereignly through the sailors so he can say that God cast him into the sea. He was in deep water and the waves were pushing him under.
• Verse 4. Jonah, at this point, feels he is so far from God that he cannot ever return.
• Verse 5. At this point Jonah is sinking in the ocean. The seaweed is wrapped around him.
• Verse 6. Jonah has reached the base of the mountain. He is at the bottom of the ocean. He feels he has sunk as low as he can go in his life at this point.
• Verse 7 is when things really start to change for Jonah. Up until this time Jonah has let his pride build up a wall between himself and God. On top of that Jonah’s rejection of God’s plan was so great that he was brought to the point of death before he was willing to repent. We see this wall in verse 4 when Jonah says, “I have been banished from your sight.” This doesn’t mean that God doesn’t know what Jonah is doing or that He doesn’t care. It couldn’t be any further from the truth; God was watching Jonah very closely. Jonah is saying his banishment has to do with his ability to be connected to God. Jonah could not come to God in prayer until his heart was free from sin. “If I had cherished sin in my heart, The Lord would not have listened” - Ps. 66.18. The same is true for us when we refuse to repent and ask for forgiveness of our sin, we are unable to connect ourselves to God.
When Jonah was about to die, “fainting away” to death (v. 2:7), his heart reflects a true desire of repentance. As a result, he was not only saved physically from the discipline, but he was also restored to fellowship so that his prayers could reach God (v. 2:7). For us as well, we have to recognize our sin and have a true desire to be rid of it and we are restored to fellowship. This does not mean that the sin has stopped yet or that the discipline has stopped, but we are able to pray to God, because our heart is now right.

Questions:
1. Do you think God was punishing (disciplining) Jonah when he had him swallowed by the great fish or was it an act of love (deliverance)?

2. Do you think Jonah got what he deserved?

3. What did Jonah do from inside the fish? (see Jonah 2:1)

4. Describe the emotions expressed in the first part of Jonah’s prayer. (Jonah 2:2-6) What words or images stand out to you?

5. How does Jonah’s perspective change at the end of the prayer?

6. What “worthless idols” do you think Jonah is referring to? (see Jonah 2:8)

7. When and how is Jonah’s rescue completed? What reasons can you think of for why God would rescue Jonah?

Other things to explore...
Read Matthew 12:39-41, How was Jonah’s experience used by Christ?
The prayer of Jonah is rooted in Psalms; many phrases are “borrowed” from passages in that book.
See Psalm 107:17-32 for a poem story similar to the content of Jonah.

Take away...
“When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord...” (Jonah 2:7) Let’s not take God for granted and only turn to him when we are in the midst of a tough time. Connect with God in prayer during good and bad times, and you will have a stronger spiritual life.

Prayer Starter

Today's prayer will be a bit different. Read Jonah 2:2-10 as a prayer. Read it out loud if that helps. As you are reading the words aloud, try to think of them as your words in a conversation with God. So you can make this prayer your own, allow images of the people and situations you encountered yesterday - and you expect to encounter today - to flow through your thoughts as you read this prayer. When you are done reading, spend a little time listening for what God is saying to you before you close your prayer.

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Location:Chicago

CCO Day 2

2011-07-19T13:30:00.000-04:00

Here are will's thoughts on our VBS at CCO today...

Today's CCO experience was much less chaotic than yesterday's. We were able to keep the group, which was slightly smaller than yesterday's, at a decently calm level throughout the day. With this more relaxed mood it was much easier to get the kids to participate in prayer and song which made the day much more enjoyable for everyone. I feel like we're starting to get the hang of this.

Here are some pictures of our day at CCO today -

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Chicago

Whatcha gona do with that Peanut Butter

2011-07-19T05:34:00.001-04:00

Monday was an incredible day here in the Windy City. It started out with both groups trying to control chaos at our morning ministry sights. Even with all of the craziness and kids running all over the place everyone was thankful that we had the opportunity to minister to these children and to just love on them. You can be in prayer for all of the kids at the morning YMCA and CCO because we will be working with them all week. Pray that they will be able to be focus, listen, and be respectful.

At about 2:30 we all got our first shower after not being able to shower for right around 60+ hours. As dirty as we felt it was a good reminder to all of us how we take for granted some of the luxuries that we have in life and the ability to shower whenever we want to is definitely one of those luxuries.

Monday night was an incredible night. We were split up into three different groups and sent off with map into different areas in the city. Our objective - to get an understanding of what it might feel like to be w homeless teen on the streets of Chicago. Each group of six (5 students and 1 adult) had 12 dollars for dinner, what an experience it was for our students to have to really think about how to spend money so everyone had a full stomach and didn't go to bed hungry and fast food restaurants were out of the picture because fast food places don't let homeless people in.

Each group came back after 4+ hours of incredible stories of people they meet, homeless people they prayed with, one group was even feed by two veterans who were either homeless or living in poverty but they were so joyful in being able to serve their rice and beans and tortillas to one of our groups. They wanted nothing to do with the 12 dollars we had and were just thankful to be able to serve us from their "table".

I could go on about the stories from Monday night but you will just have to wait until we get home but make sure you ask us about them because I know we will never forget them men and women that we meet.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Chicago

Jonah Devo - Day 2

2011-07-18T07:47:00.001-04:00

Good morning it is a sunny and hot day here in windy city. I knew Nick liked sports but I didn't know that he liked to sleep with basketballs. Here is what I saw when I woke up 5 minutes ago.

Anyway here is todays devotion.

Monday, July 18, 2011 – Day 2

*Read Jonah 1:7 – 16 – God Desires All

Did you know…
Jonah lived in a polytheistic culture. This means that they believed in many gods. But, they were not polytheistic in the same way that modern Hindus are, for instance. They do not worship many gods. Most of the cultures of this time would worship one god, but recognized many gods as being real. Where you lived, or came from, determined what god you would worship. In their eyes, gods were strictly cultural even though they believed them to have power. The men on the ship were hoping that since their gods did not help them that maybe Jonah’s would. They recognized the power of the one true God, even though they were not in submission to Him.
Casting lots is a common practice of many ancient cultures. No one knows exactly what the practice looked like. It could be sticks or rocks or whatever that is thrown into the air or onto the ground. Casting lots was their way of determining truth. The Israelites understood that God controlled the outcome of the lot (Prov. 16:33). In this case, they wanted to find out who was responsible for the storm.

Back to the story…
I love how descriptive this passage of scripture is because it gives you such a clear picture of the different encounters between Jonah and the other men. This passage starts out with an incriminating series of questions. The men believed so wholly in the lots that they had to find out what Jonah’s story was. When he told them, the results were terrifying to them. Why? The cultures surrounding the Israelites surely knew that they claimed to worship the one true God.

You can almost see the light bulb come on for them. They were able to see now that the one true God had caused this storm that threatened their very lives. And they became “exceedingly afraid” because earlier Jonah had told them he was fleeing from this very same God. At this point they realize that their gods are man-made, and false, and that Jonah’s God is a higher authority.

The main part that I want to talk about from this passage is when Jonah realizes that the only way to save the other men was for him to leave the boat and that meant getting wet because the boat was out to sea. But was that really the only way? Many people see this section as a turning point, when Jonah begins to value others higher than himself. They see it as a change of heart. However, it is most certainly not a change of heart.
Jonah cared about others from the beginning. Jonah’s issue is that he holds his own pride in higher esteem than his very life and at this moment his pride is bursting at the seams. The storm has already begun to open the eyes of the sailors, men who didn’t even believe in the one true God; however it has not caused any change in the heart of Jonah.

Questions:
1. Have you ever been told that Christianity is not for everyone? Do you believe that?

2. What are some things that we/you serve instead of Christ?

3. Has your pride ever affected your relationship with God?

4. What is God’s plan for you? How has He used you in the past?

5. What can we learn about God’s love from the sailors in this passage?

6. What is salvation?

Take away…
God has a plan for His people. What is this plan? It is to draw others to Christ. We all play a different role in the plan, but that is the plan. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God desires that all mankind come to Him to be saved, regardless of their culture or their values. It is our role as followers of Jesus Christ to be leading others to Him, that they too might be saved just as the sailors were.

Prayer Starter

Take just a few moments and talk with God in prayer. You might ask him what His plan is for you today. Be sure to take time to listen for his answer! Also pray for the people you are about to meet today. Ask God to give them soft hearts to see Jesus reflected in you. And ask God to give YOU a soft heart so you can see Jesus reflected in THEM!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:N Albany Ave,Chicago,United States

Road trip part 2 - Complete

2011-07-18T00:35:00.001-04:00

Well we made it safe to Chicago and as I type this everyone is in bed. Well I think I should actually say on there bed because it is so hot that no one will be going in there sleeping bags or under their covers. This week is looking like it is going to be the hottest week of the summer and that is just fantastic. I am proud of our students because they are not complaining about the heat as well. We are all excited to get to our ministry sights in the morning and a spend the morning playing with kids and having the opportunity to love them just the way that God loves us.

We are also all excited about getting to shower tomorrow afternoon because the church that we stayed at in Canton didn't have showers and we were not able to shower today so let me tell you we are all smelling good.

Tonight we went on a two hour prayer tour around the city and all of the students had their hearts broken for the people of the city especially the kids. So if you could pray along with us people of the city we would be very thankful.

Good night

Joel

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:N St Louis Ave,Chicago,United States

Jonah Devo - Day 1

2011-07-18T00:19:00.001-04:00

The advisor team put this devo together for the students so I thought that I would share each days devo with you all to do at home.

Sunday, July 17, 2011 – Day 1

*Read Jonah 1:1-6 – Freedom of the Will

We are faced with choices every day of our lives. Some minor. Some major. Here God was calling Jonah to go and minster to the people of Nineveh. Jonah didn’t want anything to do with Nineveh so he bought himself a ticket and caught the next boat out of town and headed in the opposite direction to Tarshish. Jonah was from Israel and God was calling him to Nineveh, which happened to be a major city in the Assyrian empire, so let’s just say that the Ninevites didn’t really get along with the Israelites. Nineveh was known for their violence and idolatry.
When God calls us to a task, whether it is as specific as Jonah’s or as general as how we are to treat those around us, we have a choice whether to respond to the call or to go against God, which is sin. Wait -sin? Yes, to deliberately (or unintentionally for that matter) go against God’s will is sin. God does not give us an option when it comes to His plan for us. God has great plans for us and we know this from the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).
Often times we look at God’s calling as an option to consider alongside with our plans. I know this personally all too well. I can remember the first time I heard God call me into student ministry, I was still a senior in high school on a retreat in Ocean Grove, NJ but I was to focused on my plans and my dreams and couldn’t be bothered by Gods call.
My refusal to submit to God led me into a storm, not one with eighteen foot wave swells but one that left me feeling like I was drowning. Any time that you, Jonah, or I refuse to do God’s will we have to be willing to face the consequences. Just as any loving parent disciplines their disobedient child, God will discipline us just the same. Hebrews 12:11 says, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” God’s love for us is so strong that even if we do go against His will He will use our sin to make us grow.

Questions:
1. What are some ways that you have exercised your will?

2. Aside from breaking commands, what are some ways that you have rejected God’s will for you?

3. What are some ways that you abide in God’s will?

4. Are there any areas of sin in which you are unrepentant?

Prayer Starter

Spend a few minutes in conversation with God… that is, take time out to pray! To get you started, just tell God how you feel about Him… is it love, doubt, anger? Whatever it is, he'll understand. Then, ask God to give you the wisdom to understand His will for you, and the strength to follow it. Take time to listen to what He is saying to you as you pray

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Chicago, IL

Road Trip Part 1 of 2 - Complete

2011-07-16T23:00:00.000-04:00

Well we made it safe to Canton, Ohio. It was a rather uneventful trip, but that is always a good thing when you are traveling across the country. The only hiccup that we had was Curt missing the exit for 80 but he meet up with us when we stopped for gas. We actually made some pretty good time since we only had to stop twice, I was very proud of our students and not asking to go to the bathroom every hour.

We got into Canton right around 4:30 and played some football and frisbee as we waited for the Youth Pastor here to welcome us and show us around the church. We were then surprised with a delicious lasagna dinner. They made us feel right at home.

After dinner a bunch of us headed over to the Pro Football Hall of Fame since it is only 5 miles form the church we are staying at. We would have made it there a little sooner but curt missed a turn again. Since we had a football in the van we had to play a little pick up game on the field right outside. Here are some pictures.

Tomorrow morning are going to go to Worship here at 9:00 and then hit the road for part 2 of our road trip. Thanks for all the prayers.

Location:John Knox Presbyterian Church

Whats your iPad

2010-10-04T12:45:00.000-04:00

If you were at the morning worship service a couple weeks ago then you know from Pastor Sandy’s 10 Commandment song that we are not supposed to covet. Well for the last couple of weeks something has been grabbing my attention and that is apples iPad. I can remember when they first came out and I never thought that the iPad would be something that I would want, but here I am now wishing that I was typing this on an iPad. Last night when I got home from 6Eleven (thanks to everyone who came out to 6Elven we had a great night) I was watching the Bears game and since the Bears forgot their offensive line in Chicago it was not a fun game to watch. In efforts to boost my moral since the Bears were do miserable I tried coming up with a list of the different ways that I would be able to use an iPad for our student ministries to justify spending the $499 it costs for one. I was definitely able to come up with a variety of ways that it would be helpful but then I remind myself that Laura and I are closing on a house at the end of the month and there is no way I am going to be spending money on a iPad when we are going to be buying things like a refrigerator, washer and dryer. Now if the iPad could wash and dry my cloths I would go out right now and buy one however I don’t think you can download that app.

What is it with the latest gadget, fashion trends, and that hot item that grabs our attention. My prayer for all of us today is that whatever your iPad is in your life right now that you will allow God in your life and allow Him to help remove that want that you have.

Bible Study for Middle School Students

2010-09-08T11:50:00.000-04:00

A Great Article

2010-09-01T12:44:00.008-04:00

I came across this article today on a website that I visit a couple times each week www.thesource4ym.com and I thought that I would share it with you all. In effort to not have this article take up the enitre blog page click on "read more" at the bottom of the post to finish reading the article.

What Kids (Really) Want

Their Greatest Desire May Surprise – and Change – You

An article from David R. Smith at TheSource4YM.com

8/26/2010

Every teen wants a cool cell phone. Most want slick cars. Many want the latest video game. No surprise, right? But there’s one thing teenagers want that may surprise you—especially since it doesn’t cost a dime.

But that doesn’t mean it’s gonna be cheap, either.

Disappearing Face Time

If you’re part of a typical American family, you’re constantly strapped for time. Life is busy, work is demanding, and kids participate in every sort of extracurricular activity imaginable. Tag on chores, school, and homework, and you’ve got a recipe for family members living together…yet isolated in silos.

There’s little to no “face time.”

In fact, Dr. Robert Evans, author of Family Matters, notes, “A typical father will spend less than three minutes per day alone with a child who has reached his or her teenage years.”

And this shortfall of face time couldn’t come at a more crucial—or ironic—moment. In a landmark study by the Associated Press and MTV, performed in 2007, researchers discovered that a whopping 73 percent of teens said their mothers and/or fathers made them “happy.” (No, that’s not a typo.) And when asked, “What one thing in life makes you the most happy?” the most frequent answer given was “spending time with family.” (Nope, that’s not a typo, either!)

You might be thinking to yourself: “Yeah, but that was three years ago. The iPhone was invented, and reinvented, several more times since that research was performed. Kids don’t want me around; they want stuff, entertainment, and whatever else my hard-earned money buys.”

Well...

In a brand new survey by Family Circle, 25 percent of teens claimed they wanted more time with their parents. In fact, one 16-year-old guy actually said, “I think it’d be cool if my parents worked less, just because I’d get to see them more.”

Granted, 70 percent of the kids interviewed said they were content with the amount of attention they received from their parents, but mark this in your heart: 95 percent of teens are paying very close attention to how much quality time parents spend with them.

So, what should we do this?

Giving Them What They Want
Too often parents give up or give in and just end up giving kids what they want instead of what they need. So, how cool is it—in this regard—that what kids want is actually what they need?

Finally, we can—with some confidence—give them what they want.

As noted previously, what kids want most is not a piece of tech gear or a car or a new article of clothing. That’s good news on the wallet, right?

Sure, but to give kids what they want most of all, we must be willing to pay the price in terms of time.

Parents may have to give their calendars a makeover—or a total overhaul. Perhaps a TV show has to go. Or maybe a hobby or two. Some parents may even have to calculate what all those long hours and overtime pay is actually costing them at home.

Why? Because three minutes a day just doesn’t cut it.

There are no shortcuts, either. Many parents may be tempted to inject themselves in between all that’s going on in their kids’ lives rather than whittle away some intentional face time. For instance, instead of taking the better route of having healthy conversations over meals, we might resort to just sending our kids more text messages each day. (After all, it’s commonly known that kids prefer that system of communication more than any other.)

But texting isn’t the same as good, old-fashioned face time…and our kids know it. Jonathan McKee, in his book CONNECT: Real Relationships in a World of Isolation, contends that “technology is a great tool, but it’s just a tool. Nothing replaces face-to-face relationships.”

Functional Face Time
Creating family face time will look different from house to house. Some families are closer to the target than others. But the results will look very similar for most families: Happier, healthier kids.

My friend Steve—a busy and successful professional—has two kids in college; one boy and one girl. They’re both solid kids. Did they get that way by accident? Are some kids better than others? Are some just easier to raise?

Perhaps it has something to do with Steve’s intentionality and sacrifice.

Every week he and his daughter have a date night; neither his wife nor his son is invited. The two of them go out to dinner (and maybe some ice cream) and just talk. Nothing fancy, nothing expensive. But it’s his dedicated time with her—totally focused on her needs, thoughts, concerns, as well as their relationship.

During those hours each month, Steve talks about following Jesus, what kind of young man she should be looking for in life, her studies, and so forth. He says for him it’s a rich time, but if you talk to his daughter—and I have many times—she lives for those moments with her dad. Those times make her feel very special.

For you parents, if a (whole) night per week sounds impossible to give up—shoot for something more manageable at first. If it’s one night per month, do it. If it’s an uninterrupted dinner hour at home, do that. Whatever you choose to start with, be intentional about setting—and keeping—that incredibly important appointment.

Time is our most precious commodity. Every human being eventually runs out of it, and there’s absolutely nothing we can do to change that.

Yes, this face time with your kids will cost you…but it will be well worth the investment.

Bible Memory #2

2010-08-12T13:29:00.001-04:00

This has been a fun week with VBS every morning. I have been in charge of Rocket Rec. and this week would not have run as smooth as it has with out my three helpers, Patrick, Vincent, and Derek. Those three guys have been the best! In honor of VBS this week I thought that I should use today’s Bible Booster verse for our 2nd week of Bible Memory. So this week Bible verse come from Psalm 29:4

“The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.”

Seat Belt Ad

2010-08-10T13:42:00.000-04:00

So this youtube video was shared with me last week and all I have to say is WOW! This is seriously one of the best ads that I have ever seen. I always wear my seat belt but if I was Simonne who did not this video would totally make me change my habits.

Habits...Bible Memory

2010-08-05T10:55:00.001-04:00

Habits, we all have them and whether we want to admit it or not they are a part of who we are as individuals. One of the underlying parts of my ministry is trying to instill good habits into the lives of the students, parents, and the advisors that are a part of the student ministry. Each letter in the word HABITS represents a different habit that we need to consistently working on so we can continue to grow in our faith with Jesus Christ.

The Habit that I am going to introduce to you today is Bible Memory. Some people have the gift of reading a Bible verse once and then they have it memorized, and those people drive me crazy, however everyone else has to spend time living in Gods word to be able to have it stored in our memory bank. One of the best things about Bible Memory is the time that we get to spend reading God’s Word and meditating on His Scripture.

Each week I am going to post a Bible verse and I am going to challenge you to join me in memorizing that Bible verse. How awesome will it be that in a year we will have 52 verses stored in our memory so that we can call on God’s Word when we need to.

Our first passage comes from Ephesians 4:29 –

“Let no corrupting talk come out of you mouth, but only such as is good for build up, as fits the occasion, that it my give grace to those who hear.”

In a world where it is so easy to fake fun of people, curse, gossip, and hurt other people lets spend time this week reflecting on these words from Paul. My prayer is that as we spend time this week in God’s Word that we will begin to see a change in words that come out of our mouths.

Back Home

2010-08-03T11:19:00.000-04:00

Well we made it home safely and almost injury free. Curt cut his finger pretty bad while trying to pull some duck work out the floor but we were all thankful that he still had 10% of his tendon still connected in his middle finger. If he would have cut all the way through the tendon then he would have had to have surgery right away but with 10% still remaining he was able to get stitched up so he could meet with this own doctor at home.

We had a great time in Camden, NY with the people from Cluster 13 Ministries. They are incredible people and do great work in the name of Jesus Christ. God was at work in all of our hearts this past week. If you have the time I ask that you watch this nine minute video from our mission trip.

2010-07-29T00:52:00.001-04:00

Day 3 - Do Work...

2010-07-29T00:49:00.001-04:00

Today was another great day on the work sites, despite the temperature getting up to 90 degrees. There is not a whole lot to update about the two jobs that we are working on, other then the fact that as the week goes on we get closer and closer to finishing the roof and well the bathroom on the other hand the longer the week goes on the more things we find wrong with the bath room. You would have thought that this situation was taken right out of a television comedy where the husband wants to make one minor fix in the bathroom and well you know the story ends and we are hoping that our story ends differently by Friday evening. (I apologize for the run on sentences but it is 12:30 in the morning and I am really tired but I also wanted to give everyone an update on our day so that means you get long run-on sentences with bad grammar.)

Every day when we get back from the worksites and after we have had the chance to go over to the school and shower we all (students and adults) find some quite time and do our devotions (props to Curt Equi for doing an awesome job putting them together). I wanted to share a little bit with you about some of my thoughts during my devotion time today. One of the questions that were asked was, “What are some of the most rewarding things you’ve done on the Mission Trip do far? Were they worth your effort?” That was an easy question for me to answer and it had nothing to do with any of the physical labor that we have been doing this week. The most rewarding thing that I have done with this week is to get to really get to know the five students (and two adults) who are on this trip. I just started working at Grace on July 11 and I didn’t meet Connor and Nick until this past Sunday which was the day we left for the mission trip but yet I already feel like I have know these guys for years and it is only Wednesday evening. It is amazing what God can do in your life in just a few short days when you come together as the Body of Christ and work together as one unit. I am so excited to be on team here at Grace Pres and I know that God has great things in store for the student ministry.

I am excited to get some sleep tonight to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to get back to work on the roof in the morning. Thank you for taking the time to check out our blog and please do not be afraid to leave a comment!

Day 2, back on the grind...

2010-07-28T00:05:00.000-04:00

After a productive day 1 the crew couldn’t really think their efforts would match up to the amount of work we all had put in yesterday, they may or may not have been right. Chris, Ted, Joel, Kev, and Andy just about finished the first part of the roof, which was a stellar accomplishment. But more hard work was to come. At lunch time the team made a devastating trade that broke the heart of millions, Kevin and Ted switched with Nick and Connor to the most disgusting job of all time…. Sewage leaks.

With rotted wood and a stench none of you can fathom, the job for Ted, Kevin and Curt (our outstanding leader) seemed impossible or the three just didn’t seem up for such a tumultuous job. Crawling in the muck and mire of the under belly of a rotted house the trio got right to work. Digging, hammering, screwing, and breaking and entering were all in the agenda and unfortunately so was covering our noses, all this for one bathroom floor.

Through all the hard work time was lost, at the house of Harlen Marks, keeping the team from the long awaited barbeque. But before food came the shower, the best part of day, everyone could finally wash off the stench of the house (there are no words on earth to describe this smell.) The barbeque was nice, the food was delicious, and the food seemed to never end, leaving the team with even more leftovers then they had before.

(Words by Teddy H.)

Day 1

2010-07-27T00:26:00.000-04:00

Today was an amazing day and we are so blessed to have the opportunity to be in service up here in Camden, NY. In effort to not make this the worlds longest post with tons a photos I decided to put a little slideshow together from Day 1 well actually it was Day 2 put it was our first day on the work sites so we are calling it Day 1. I thought that I would let some of our students help me out with today post so you could have the chance to hear how they thought today went.

Today was our first day of work. The weather was positively magnificent. After a delay to get more materials for our work, the day’s work finally began. Teddy, Chris, Andy, Joel, and I (Kevin Hull) started putting together scaffolding at a house to make our job (putting a metal, snow-proof roof over shingles) easier. After that feat was accomplished, we were able to stand at roof level safely. Then we had some real fun, nailing boards across the roof with a nail gun. After a scrumptious lunch, we locked into a groove: Chris and Tom (the world’s dumbest or strongest man) handled screwing the aluminum roof over the original roof; Teddy and I handled the important job of scaling the roof with wood planks and nail-gunning them down; Joel cut the wood precisely to our imprecise measurements, and Andy killed wasps. By the end of our work day we had finished putting the aluminum over half of the roof on the front side of the house.

The day according to Nick…

We went to this guy’s house, and he, like, told us about how he had prostate cancer and messed up his shoulder real bad and his bad knees too so he had troubles taking showers with his bathtub and that’s why he needs us to take it out and give him a shower. And also, his floor was kinda’ squishy, so that was a reason too. So, we (Conner and me – Nick), first we cut off some of the the trim molding and tear it back and unscrew a bunch of things so we didn’t mess up the bath tub and that kind of thing. Then we put down a tarp over the bathtub and kind of went to town on it – the bathtub – with sledge hammers. Then after we did about half the side, we had to take out the toilet so we could get a full swing and break that bath-tub up. That thing was big and heavy… made of cast iron, you know. Bring the power-house swing and all that. OK. So after we smashed up the tub and brought all the pieces outside, we had to salvage the trim so we could pull up the floor and check out what was under it. Find out why it was all squishy. After we (wait, I have to pick a scab… OK) got off the trim, we were all really hungry, you know, like starving, so we called Joel, and we were like, “Hey, man, it’s lunchtime, seriously” And we had lunch. And it was awesome. Um. During lunch I refilled my bottle with a little Gatorade and Connor did too (“No I didn’t”) so I refilled MY bottle with a little Gatorade and that was good because I definitely needed a little Gatorade later on. OK. Cool. Cool. So we came back to the bathroom and it was time to rip up the floor, so we ripped up the floor, like we were supposed to. And we checked under it and you know, it was bad. Yeah, it was bad. IN the one corner you could tell there had been a bunch of bugs. The floor was real bad, like a 4x4 area. Curt had to saw through it, break up some wood panels. Saw through it again. Break up some more wood panels. So we finally got to the bottom. And then we had to go to the bathroom, so we went to Dollar General (Wait, you were working in a bathroom and you had to go to a bathroom?) Yeah, because the bathroom wasn’t working. After we went to the bathroom at the Dollar General, I bought a water bottle and a little popsicle thing and I bought Connor a water bottle too. And that was good… refreshing water. We needed some nourishment. And I forgot to mention that with all the bugs and sawdust that was flying up when we were breaking it up, and porcelain chips from when we were breaking up the tub, iron chips potato chips you name it, we were sweeping it up. We had to pick our noses with all the dust in the air and eventually we got those, what do you call them – surgeon masks, medical masks, gas masks, whatever. Then we tore up a little more floor, cleaned up a little bit, tried to go home, then Curt found out his oil leaked in his toolbox and he had to clean that up and that took a few minutes, then we left.

2010-07-27T00:25:00.001-04:00

Welcome to Camden, NY

2010-07-26T00:26:00.001-04:00

Well we made it safe to Camden, NY and we actually made it here by 4:30 which is about an hour sooner than we originally thought we were going to make it into town. The car ride up was uneventful, which is always a good thing. We did drive through a heavy rain storm but we made it out safe and then had this beautiful view.

Some wonderful people at the Vienna United Methodist Church cooked us a wonderful dinner. You know those Methodists they know how to feed you well. Here is another beautiful view of God’s creation. This picture was taken from the window in the fellowship hall of the Vienna UMC.

After dinner we had the opportunity to drive around to the homes that we are going to be working on this week. All of our students are excited about the opportunity to be God’s hands and feet this week as we serve not only His children but God as well.

Thank you for all of your prayers and check back later for more updates.

The Threat of Thunder Won’t Stop Us

2010-07-23T13:33:00.000-04:00

Monday was a perfect day for a pool party and conveniently enough we had a pool party scheduled for our student ministries program. It was another hot and humid day in July, actually a little too humid because as time got closer for our party to start so did the threatening thunder storm. I was happy to see that a number of our students still made it out to our pool party and cook out even though we had to make them get out of the pool a couple of times when we saw lighting.

It all worked out because when we were not in the pool swimming we were staying dry in the back porch eating cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chips, and some fruit. By the time we were finishing our dinners the storm was about passed and we were able to get back in the pool. The passing of the storm even left us this beautiful rainbow for us to look at with awe.

This was another wonderful opportunity for me to get to meet more of our students here at Grace and I am thankful the Deviney’s were gracious enough to open up their home and pool for us!

Good Eats

2010-07-20T13:56:00.000-04:00

The High Ground Service on Sunday ended minutes before noon so my son, Austin Luke, was not going to be able to make the 45 minute drive home without screaming because he would inevitable get hungry so we had to get lunch around church. Knowing that Austin loves eggs and pancakes Laura and I thought we would just drive over to IHOP (yes I know I-HOP is right across the street but with a 1 year old it was easier to drive). Well there was not a parking place to be found and there were people standing outside waiting to be seated so we knew there was no way that we were going to be able to eat at I-HOPE.

Earlier in the week I found a little pizza place in the Jenkintown Square Shopping Center so we continued on driving through the I-HOP parking lot to the pizza place. After getting Austin out of the car and walking around the side of the building we find out that the pizza place is closed on Sundays. Our quest for lunch was not going very well and by this point it was not just Austin who was screaming because he was hungry but we all were hungry at this point. Then across the parking lot we spotted her, Rosey’s BBQ.

If you have never eaten at Rosey’s then you need to go there right now because their food is finger licking good! I was so happy that I-HOP was packed and the pizza place was closed because other wise I would have not been able to enjoy the “crunchy spicy sandwich”! This sandwich was packed with delicious pulled pork, slaw, and spicy potato chips. Half way through eating the sandwich I had to stop and take a picture of this piece of art and trust me this picture does not give this sandwich justice.

I can not wait to go back and try some of their other items on the menu especially their ribs. If anyone wants to get lunch just let me know and to quote Rosey’s BBQ we can get some “southern taste up north” together.

Monday Rewind 7.19

2010-07-19T13:02:00.000-04:00

If you were not at the 9:30 service on Sunday then you missed an excellent sermon by Pastor Jim. (and no this is not just me trying to get some bonus points because it is only my second week on the job) Pastor Jim preached on the familiar passed of Mary and Martha from Luke 10:38-42. If you don’t have a Bible close by here is the passage,

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

We can all find ourselves in Martha’s shoes okay maybe not because we are busy cleaning the house and cooking an elaborate dinner; but because we distracted by facebook, sports, work, friends, television, co-workers, this list could go on forever because we all have distractions in our lives. When we look at this passage Martha was not doing a bad thing she was cleaning her home and cooking dinner for Jesus! A majority of the time the distractions in our lives have nothing to do with Jesus Christ, but that does not mean that they never are. As Jesus points out to Martha, we need to take a step back and make sure that we have our priorities in order and the first item on all of our lists has to be Jesus Christ.

As Pastor Jim pointed out Martha kind of gets labeled with a bad image here and we forget that Martha has incredible faith. Later on in the Gospels it is Martha’s faith that helps bring her brother Lazarus back to life. In John 11:27 Martha says to Jesus, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”

There is a lot that we can learn from Martha and I pray that this week you will spend sometime looking at the priorities in your life. It is just as important for us to have our priorities in order during the good time when “Jesus is coming over for dinner” so that when we are faced with difficult situations like Martha was with the death of her brother, we will be able to have the same faith a Martha and be able to lean on Jesus Christ for our strength.

Please feel free to let me know what distractions you have in your faith journey so I can be praying for specific situations this week.

World's Largest Skateboard

2010-07-16T14:04:00.000-04:00

I don't know where you go about getting one of those skateboards but I want one. I guess that it would also be helpful if you had enough open space to use it and I am thinking that Jenkintown is not going to cut it. You have to admit that having one of those would be a lot fun.

Pool Party/Cookout 7.19.2010

2010-07-15T12:44:00.000-04:00

So I have never seen the Deviney’s pool but I think it is safe to guarantee you that it looks nothing like that kiddie pool. I have enjoyed meeting everyone so far and I hope to meet more new faces at our pool party and cookout on Monday night at the Deviney’s house from 6:30 – 9:00. If you need directions or the Deviney’s address call Joel at the church office or on his cell 908.581.2298.

We’d like to have a rough count so that there will be enough food, so please e-mail me back to let me know if you will be attending. My email address is joel@gracejenkintown.org. Remember friends are always welcome to come and we encourage you all to invite your friends.

First Day

2010-07-13T22:06:00.000-04:00

I woke up this past Sunday a little earlier then usually because I had all different thoughts running through my mind because this was my first day at Grace Pres. Excited about new journey God is leading me on but nervous about not getting to church on time. Excited about meeting new faces but sad about not seeing familiar faces. Those were just some of the thoughts and emotions running through my mind but as soon as my family and I got to Grace (we were early) we were welcomed with open arms and able to enter the Sanctuary ready to worship our Creator.

After a yummy lunch with the Hull Family, a 40 minute drive back to Lambertville, a nap, watched Spain win the world cup, and another 40 minute drive back to Jenkintown I was ready for the students to arrive for a challenging round of miniature golf at the newly remodeled Hilltop Golf. Fun was had by everyone who attended except when we had to play hole number 11. I think that was the hole with the most ridiculous layout for a miniature golf course. After everyone finished up their round of golf we walked down to Dairy Queen because there was really no other option then to walk to DQ since it was so close. Here are some pictures of us enjoying our ice cream!