Be Aware so you can Be The Light

The team scriptures

The guys –  1 Thessalonians 5:11, Matthew 5:16, Galatians 6:2,

The girls – Hebrews 10:24, Proverbs 16:24

 

We began the day with a wonderful breakfast prepared by the chef (and I really mean chef) We heard that he makes the best cinnamon rolls and we told him we didn’t know that when we set up our meal plan.  He told he had all the stuff and would be glad to change our menu … sooooo…. Looking forward to trying them out in the a.m.

As we prepared to start the day each team – guys and gals – met and talked about their focus scriptures for the next 2 days.  Inward and outward.

We wrapped quite a few presents for Meals on Wheels and it is always is such a blessing to them.  The M.O.W. team already has enough to do with preparing and delivering and then cleaning up, to add wrapping well over 100 presents is a little daunting.  The cook told me, “You don’t know what a blessing this is. We look forward to your kids coming and helping us every year.”

M.O.W. packed us a lunch so we enjoyed lunch at Johnson Park then divided up and began conquering our Christmas Conspiracy Project.

Let’s just say … THEY WERE PUMPED!  I love it when our students make themselves available to God, and get to become ‘the answer to someone’s prayer’.

What each did was great.  2 new ideas!  I love that.  Not sharing until they come home and can tell you themselves.

After dinner (homemade lasagna… can we say we are NOT eating camp food! This was not Stouffer’s folks)

We gathered and talked again about our scriptures and then I gave instructions about our prayer walking the ‘Walk of Lights’ in Johnson Park by the water… sooooo beautiful!  Filled with scenes from the nativity and at the end….  An empty cross.  The Savior has risen!

We all walked through once and enjoyed the lights… then took our time walking through again asking the Holy Spirit to show us who to pray for and what to pray!  We met up at the end and shared just one thing we prayed for.  It was very encouraging as many prayed for the same thing.

One group still has to finish their project in the morning. Our ministry in the morning is a rehab/nursing home.  We’ll be doing either crafts, Christmas carols or Bingo!  If we are lucky … all three!  😀

It has been a blessing to be with your students these past couple of days.

A BIG Thank you to my leaders:  Amy Smith, Liz Swanson, Jack Shackelford and student leader Blake Wilson.

Your students have been challenged to ‘represent’ in every situation.  They have stepped up to the challenge.  While they are all getting their Starbucks and I am sitting here writing, I am looking at all the people that are amazed at this group of 7^th graders that are quiet, respectful and enjoying each other’s company … meantime, the face they made when we walked in … is no longer there.

This morning while wrapping the presents, an elderly lady was decorating the small tree in the center.  She told Mrs. Smith and I. “I am so impressed with these young people.  What grade are they in?”  “7^th”  “The seventh grade?  And they are behaving like this? They have quite the decorum. I do not think I have ever seen anything like it!”

We have fun but we are respectful and aware …. of EVERYONE around us. THEN, others notice, and want to know … Why?  How?  Who are you?

THEN … we can say who we are … and why we are doing what we are doing … and WHO we know…  Jesus … His story … our story … becomes ‘the story’ !  Fun huh?

It’s the BEST EVER! ! ! !

See you tomorrow afternoon around 2:30ish!

Mrs. g

 

 

Blessed to be a Blessing

When His Story becomes a part of our story – Blessings are going to happen!

We got to the city of Burnet in perfect timing. We were close to the front of the line which was great because by the time they opened the gates, the line had wrapped around 4 blocks!

Main Street Bethlehem is celebrating 25 years of sharing the story of God’s great love toward us in that he sent his son Jesus to the world! What a love story that can become a part of each of our own life stories.

We had dinner and then headed to our cabins, unloaded the trailer and found our beds for the next 2 evenings.

 

We ended our evening with a bonfire and talked about this opportunity that each of us were going to have these next 2 days to maybe share the story or BE the story to someone else.

We spent time in prayer:

• Praising and thanking God for His son Jesus
• Asking God to help each one of us to glorify Him through our actions to one another
• Praying for our time with Meals on Wheels in the morning – to be a blessing
• Praying for our Conspiracy Project tomorrow – we are asking God to give each team creative ideas on ways to bless others without them knowing – may we be the answer to someone else’s prayers
• May everything we do bring glory and honor to God

 

Tomorrow morning we will be heading to Meals on Wheels.  We help them sort, wrap and tag all the Christmas presents for the clients that receive daily meals.  It will be very eye opening for our students.

Each person/client will get 2 presents. Ex: 1 pair of gloves & 1 pair of socks, 1 bottle of shampoo and 1 toothbrush and toothpaste.

We will be praying over the gifts that each person receives exactly what they have need of.

When we’ll be eating a meal with the cooks and drivers and sometimes clients/people that come to the center to eat.

After lunch we will begin our conspiracy project.  Which is really a truth project.  We will be figuring out ways to bless others.  This is soooo much fun and the testimonies that come out of this each year are very touching.  It is also a way for your student to grow in their faith. When we pray and ask God to help us and then we see that we are able to hear his heart for others and the blessing we can be, it is so encouraging for each one of us on this trip.

After dinner we will head to the trail of lights where we will do a little prayer walking and then Starbucks and then back here for our debriefing.

 

Have a blessed day!  Ask God to give you divine appointments during your day.  Share His story.  Be His story. We are blessed to be a blessing and this Christmas season is filled with all kinds of opportunities to be his eyes, his hands, his heart to others.

 

Mrs. G