New faces

It’s always encouraging to me to see new faces at church and in the youth group. At very least, it shows that we/I are doing something interesting. There were several in church on Sunday morning and I know there was one in the pm. (She’s a really good frizbee player, too!) Kudos to those of you who brought friends to church on Sunday. I hope that I, as well as the group, made a good first impression. You only get one chance to make a first impression, you know?

Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed”. Sounds pretty good, eh? I think this is one of those simple truths in God’s word that is really easy to get our minds around, but we get caught up in other things that keep us from actually taking hold of it. There’s a Saturn commercial out now featuring a fellow, obviously, trying to buy a car. The salesman finishes his pitch and the young man asks about “the catch”, to which the salesman replies, “There is no catch”. The young man persists to find out about the hidden cost or expectation in the man’s offer, but he continues to hold to the fact that the offer is as stands. It’s really quite amusing. Anyhoo, I think the same thing is true of our Lord. He offers us a promise that is there for us to take…no strings attached. The verse says our “plans will succeed” if we only commit to the Lord what we do. The Hebrew word used here is better translated as established. Our plans will be established if what we do is for God. Either way you look at it, when we work for the Lord, the things we hope for will be set up and built up before us. No strings attached. Sure, the guy will have to pay for the car. And sure, we will first have to commit ourselves to God’s work. But the trade off seems to be in our favor, because if we are committed to the Lord and working for him, our plans will be his plans, and he will more than gladly give us the desires of our hearts, because they are the things of his heart as well.

Too bad, so sad: There will be no Adventure Trip this weekend. Maybe later in the fall.
Wednesday Aug 18: First day of school, first Big Deal of the year. Swimming party at Wilkinson’s (7224 N Haywood Farms Rd). Sr. High bring snacks & Jr. High bring drinks. See you there.
Oct. 1-3: National Missionary Convention Windows of the World Teen Convention Peoria, IL.

Later…