Promises, Promises

I’ve decided to not feel guilty about breaking my promise to post more regularly.  Guilt is overrated.  Besides, I have enough guilt for other things so not blogging is the least of the concerns. 🙂

I’ve been working this afternoon on my sermon for next Sunday.  I’ll be preaching for our pastor who is out of town that day and since I’m gone most of next week on vacation, I knew I needed to commit today to working on it.  Its coming along.  A topic close to my heart.  "Surviving the Wilderness of Validation" – a wilderness I frequently push myself into.

The last few weeks have been busy with big youth events.  About three weeks ago, 38 of my youth participated in a 30 Hour Famine weekend.  We didn’t eat for 30 hours.  They asked for pledges. We raised quite a bit of money to give to World Vision to starve world hunger.  The youth also led members of the congregation to sponsor 25 children through World Vision.  Some wonderful things. There were some great lessons on gratitude for the food that we have and conviction for sharing with those who have not.

Then this last weekend was our DiscipleNow Weekend.  Our theme was "Gimme God’.  We worked on getting back to the basics and really focusing on the relationship.  Not a focus so much on the emotional but really focusing on commitment.  Relationship is about commitment even when, especially when, you don’t feel it.  God was definitely present and it was exciting to see the Spirit at work.  The hard part is always afterwards but that was the point of the weekend so hopefully we are expecting it and will still encourage one another to be faithful in all and through all things.

Peace – Melissa