Be Still and Know that He is God

"Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act." Psalm 37:7a

Many of us are in a "waiting" phase of our lives right now. Everything seems to be frozen in time, as plans are cancelled and we struggle to find a new normal.

This verse, then, is quite the encouragement.  It is teaching me that I can use this time to be still.  I can still my body, and my mind.  I can still my anxiety and come into the presence of God.  Now, instead of my own actions, I will have to trust in God, and wait for Him to act!

Our camp theme this year is going to be, "Be Still and Know that I am God." Now is the perfect time to practice that, as we hope and pray that camp will still happen.  But, above all, we know that we can trust the Lord, whatever the outcome.

I'm adding some camp pictures to the blog today, to remind us to pray for camp this year.

 Pray that all of us can be still in the presence of the Lord, as we place our trust in Him!

My Favorite Things (and ways YOU can help😉)

I'm sure most people know the classic song from The Sound of Music.  The chorus states: "When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad!"

That's actually kind of Biblical, although in times like these, Psalm 77 counsels us to think back on the great things God has done and be encouraged.

Check it out.  Psalm 77: 10- 12 says: "And I said, 'This is my fate:  the Most High has turned his hand against me. But then I recall all you have done, O Lord  I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts.  I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works." (The whole Psalm is pretty great.  You should read it.)

As we are quite disappointed that Akina might not be meeting for a few weeks, I'm posting several of my favorite "Akina things." These are pictures that are reminders of the fun and good God has accomplished in the past.  They are reminding me that he is not finished yet.  There is much more in store😀.

Also, we can SERVE the community in this time.  Keep your eyes peeled for small group, low exposure service opportunities happening in the next few weeks, including food service to doors of families, prepping meal bags, cleaning at Akina, etc.  This is the time servants of Christ can shine for Him!

PLUS- Save the date of May 15, at 7:00 for an amazing dinner and a chance to hear how YOU can help at Akina.  Looking forward to it😁!

Enjoy the pictures!

We Met Kyle Jorris!! (Among Other Really Cool Things!)

This past Saturday, we had the amazing opportunity to bring 8 kids, two teen chaperones, and some amazing leaders to an event called the "Kids XP."

I'm going to go out on a limb and admit I was a little nervous bringing kids to an all day event. However, it was better than I could have ever hoped for. We saw kids dancing in worship, laughing in joyful anticipation of the Word given, and having an amazing time.  Several kids that we brought even responded at the altar time. We were so blessed to be part of this event.

The Akina students really loved the speaker at the event named Kyle Jorris.  And no wonder! This kid was funny, an amazing puppeteer, and could ride a 9-foot unicycle while juggling machetes.  They loved him so much, that they begged to meet him after the show.

I, once again the downer, did not think we could, but wisely remained silent as one of our amazing leaders led the charge, and guess what?  He came out just for our group!  The whole way home, the kids kept saying, "We met Kyle Jorris!"

Thanks Minnesota District Council for the amazing scholarships, and chance to come.  This was amazing!