A week in review...

Some very "wise" people say that as you get older, time seems to go faster. Even for my few short years on this earth (20 yrs. as of July 13th), I have been able to experience this phenomenon. Last week, we started our 3rd week of Backyard Bible Clubs! The week went really well and there were about 8 kids that we were able to meet. Of course, there were also many funny moments, (during one of the lessons, I was teaching that God is omniscient and a 5-yr old boy decided to try and count how many hairs he had on his head, unfortunately, he could only count to 20!)

In addition to doing the Bible clubs, Marsha and I were also going to the Women's Rescue Mission twice a week to help with some painting jobs. In the two weeks that we painted, we were able to finish 3 rooms! It was a lot of fun to be able to get "dirty" and do some work! :) (the head of maintenance was impressed with our neatness, still somehow I always ended up with quite a bit of paint on me!)

On Thursday night, I went to a weekly outdoor concert. It was held on the spacious lawn of a assisted living home complex. The artists were local men who were singing old Simon and Garfunkle songs! It was lots of fun to enjoy the beautiful summer evening!

For my birthday, my wonderful family came to visit me! Since I am going to be in Billings all summer, they wanted to come and see me (cuz they wuv me!). Also, Marsha was going to be leaving and then I would be alone for several days, so they remedied my "loneliness" by coming up! We had a great time together! It was lots of fun playing tennis (actually, we didn't always "play", but rather chased balls). We drove up to the Beartooth Mountains and hiked around for a couple of hours. Then after the 2 1/2 hr. hike, we stopped at the Candy Emporium (for my little brothers and sisters! :)

All in all, things have been going really well in Billings. God is working in the hearts of the people here, and I have the privilege of being used by God to accomplish His purpose! God is so good, and He continues to show me His faithfulness and love each day!

A morning in the Word...

It always amazes me how a person can have been saved for many years and be reading the Bible, but never grasp all of the amazing truths found within it! Or maybe that is why it is called "living and active..."!? The other morning I was reading my devotions when several thoughts came to my mind.

I was reading in Exodus where God is speaking to Moses and telling him what He is about to do in redeeming His people from bondage in Egypt. In chapter 6 verse 2, the Lord says, "I Am the Lord, I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name the Lord I did not make Myself known to them." The same God that came to Abraham and covenanted with him, and the one who appeared to Isaac and Jacob, is the same God Almighty that was going to bring the children of Israel out of slavery. Not only was God now known as the Almighty God, but also as Lord, the Lord, and the One who would save them. In the revelation of the different name of God, we are also able to see the change in relationship between God and man.

When we are young or first saved, often our knowledge of God is very limited and we see Him as Almighty God. With that name, we know Him to be powerful, wise, gracious, merciful, sovereign, holy, etc. The more we learn about the character of God, we see Him as our Lord. Not only is He the Almighty God, but He is our Head and Master. Then, and oh the joy of coming to know our God as Father!

Jesus Christ came to earth. He is the Son of God and people mocked and hung Him on a cross because He claimed to be God. He showed the people who the Father was because He came and bore witness about the Father. As children of God, we have received the adoption as sons, to be children of God, with the privilege of calling God "our Father"! Galatians 4:4-7 say, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba, Father!' So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God."

May we continue to grow in the knowledge of our Father! And as we come to know Him more, may we grow in our love for Him, and our desire to live as His children ought!