SACRIFICE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8s1q4xUUZ0

Sorry that it is in a different language, but if your wanting to get the full effect. There is none better.

What have any of us had to sacrifice in our lives? Maybe some spare time? Maybe a couple of dollars here and there? I mean have we really given up something that was important to us? Something, or someone that we truly loved? My guess is that most of us, including myself would have to say, well, no. At no point in my life have I had to sacrifice for anything. Not for school, not for a place to lay my head at night, food or water, clothing, the privilege of living in a free country. None of these things have I had to sacrifice for. I complain about the smallest things each and everyday and never for a moment stop and realize how blessed I truly am. Did you notice the people on the train? They had no recollection of what happened just twenty feet from them. The father gave his innocent son's life for the messed up lives of the people on that train, and they, at that moment, did not have a care in the world. That is exactly what God did when he sent his son Jesus to die for us sinners. Jesus died for all of us. He died for the righteous, the unrighteous and everyone in between. Could you have done the same? I'm going to be honest in saying that I don't know if I could. Maybe it is because I am spoiled, or weak in the faith, or maybe it is because I have not had to sacrifice for anything. Lets be thankful. Be thankful for Jesus who loves us even when we fail. Be thankful for God who sent his son to make that sacrifice even when we turn our backs on him. God loves and only wants to be loved in return. Giving our lives to God is no doubt a sacrifice. But the sacrifice could not compare to the one He made.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Use Your Talents For Something Great.

Another story told at Camp Wiregrass

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty."

Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."

Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter" ... and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree so I'll take this one", and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark. The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.

Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time. Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

Matthew 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city set upon a hilltop cannot be hidden." Use your talents for God and he will make you the light of the world. Just as the third tree did.

-the girls.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

The Starfish Story
adapted from The Star Thrower
by Loren Eiseley (1907 - 1977)

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one."

In today's day and age, I think that many of us have the attitude of the wise man. There are so many people we are surrounded by on a day to day basis. How can we make a difference? I think the simple way to make a difference is to stand out from the world. In Romans 12:2 it says "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Standing out from the world will no doubt make a difference. Sure, you will go through trials and tribulations, but what a difference you can make when you withstand all of those challenges.(Matthew 5:10 -Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.) You never know how many people you will affect by being yourself and standing up for the one who matters the most. Think about it, the people who are remembered throughout history didn't sit back and follow the crowd.

You're Never Alone

Recently, there has been many tragedies going on close to home. Between a middle school shooting an hour away and a 7th grade child taking his own life, these past few weeks have been emotional and hard to bare for many people. Things like this make me wonder... What is wrong with the world? What are people thinking? Why would anyone have these thoughts? There are so many questions I want answered but the real question is, Did these people know God? I wish I knew the answer to that question, but I do know that I need to start taking a higher stand to show people the way. These tragedies were devastating, but I think many have learned a lot from this. The first thing I thought of was Psalm 121:7-8 "The Lord will keep you from all harm- he will watch over your life, the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." My mom showed me this verse after 9/11 and it has stuck with me ever since. Today the world is a scary place, and if your anything like me you worry about things you have no control over. This verse helps me get through my hard times and sad days, it shows me there is still hope. Second, I thought of Matthew 6:34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Here is another verse where we are told not to worry. God is always with us and will always take care of us. He will NEVER give us more than we can bare. So in these hard times, count your blessings and look to God, your friends and family to lean on, they will never let you fall. And always remember, you're never alone.

-The girls-

When You Have Strength From Above, You Don't Have To Imagine

The Beginning of Team Hoyt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxqe77-Am3w

In the spring of 1977, Rick told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Far from being a long-distance runner, Dick agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair and they finished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, "Dad, when I'm running, it feels like I'm not handicapped."This realization was just the beginning of what would become over 1,000 races completed, including marathons, duathlons and triathlons (6 of them being Ironman competitions). Also adding to their list of achievements, Dick and Rick biked and ran across the U.S. in 1992, completing a full 3,735 miles in 45 days. More...
In a triathlon, Dick will pull Rick in a boat with a bungee cord attached to a vest around his waist and to the front of the boat for the swimming stage. For the biking stage, Rick will ride a special two-seater bicycle, and then Dick will push Rick in his custom made running chair (for the running stage).Rick was once asked, if he could give his father one thing, what would it be? Rick responded, "The thing I'd most like is for my dad to sit in the chair and I would push him for once."The 2009 Boston Marathon was officially Team Hoyt's 1000th race. Rick always says if it comes down to doing one race a year he would like it to be the Boston Marathon: his favorite race. Dick Hoyt hopes that he is able to push Rick in the Boston Marathon when he is 70 years old (2011)! Neither Dick or Rick are ready to retire yet.

This is from http://www.teamhoyt.com/about/index.html

In Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Throughout my, and I'm sure many of our day to day lives we are consumed with the hustle and bustle of the world. With school, work, family, and friends our lives in this day and age are..well, busy needless to say. But the one sole thing that can get us through the simple stresses and struggles of life is God and his son Jesus Christ. If we trust in Him enough to get through the small struggles, there is no doubt in this world that he will do more than enough to help us through the major struggles we all might have. Look at Team Hoyt. Not only did the father and son go through the struggles of everyday living ,(because obviously living to them is not as easy as the average person) but they also went throught the struggle of completing the race that they had set before them. Let God take over the little things and he will guide you through the big ones.
-The girls-