Saturday, June 13, 2009

New Hampshire/Vermont

God has blessed me with great opportunities to share His love and to enjoy Him through relationships and through His creation. I am done with my New Hampshire/Vermont stint of my trip and arrived on the Mass. north shore last night. In New Hampshire I reconnected with my old roommates from college the first weekend, and throughout the week ended up helping out at the school that Amy (my old volleyball coach) works at. I helped chaperon a 7th grade trip to Old Sturbridge Village, I taught gym class for 3rd grade and 5th grade one day. I thought I was better at dodge ball, but the 3rd graders definitely showed me up. The main reason I came to New Hampshire was to help with the high school trip to Boston, but I ended up helping with the vermont trip instead, which i loved because i got to spend more time working with Amy,

and we camped on a farm
and we ate good food
and went hiking
and had solo time where we could just be quite and listen out in the woods near a stream
and we got to dig a grave for a blind sheep
and we got to trim some trees
and go sailing on Lake Champlainand build relationships with high schoolers and demonstrate a life lived for Christ

anyway, i had an excellent time.

Friday, June 5, 2009

a way where there is no way

Today I was reading 2 kings 6 & 7.  I'll give you my brief synopsis.  OK, so there's famine in Samaria, so bad that some are even eating their children. There's the opposing Syrian army camped just out side the city. Inflation is at an all time high.  It all looks so hopeless, doubt and despair fills the city. Hunger, disease and death are everywhere.  But once again God offers a way where there is no way.  The Syrians hear a large army approaching quickly and assume somehow the Israelites have gotten some assistance from another area.  They flee quickly leaving everything burdensome behind, discarding more stuff as they go along their way.  Little do they know, there is actually no army approaching, but God has only made them think that there was.  Soon the Israelites discover that the Syrians have fled their camp and left all their belongings behind.  Skeptical at first the Israelites finally loot the Syrian camp.  Prices drop back to normal and the town is saved. God provided for the Israelites, not because of the boldness of the city, or because they deserved it, but because of His grace.  Elisha alone declared it and believed it would happen.  This story reminded me to believe when things are hopeless.  when there appeared to be no way to God, He provided a way through Jesus.  When things appear hopeless in your life, cry out to Jesus, God will provide a way where there is no way.