Don't Slip

1Peter 1:13-15

 

So think clearly and exercise self-control.  Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.  So you must live as God's obedient children.  Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires.  But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.

 

 

Going up to the boys bath house at Alpine camp right now is hard work.  You either have to go around to the back lot and take the about 50 steps up or you can climb up the hill at the front lot.  I like to take the front lot hill way and decided to do so this morning.  I needed to take a box of soap up to the janitor closet...no big deal.  So, box in hand, I began the jaunt up the hill which is short but quite steep and this time of year, covered with snow.  I soon realized that this was maybe not a great idea with the limited grip on my snow boots.  I struggled and slipped trying not to totally lose it and fall down at which time I probably would not stop until I hit the shale road at the bottom.  The thought of the embarrassment (not to mention the pain) that this would cause me spurred me to focus and actually concentrate on where I chose to put each footstep.  After more effort than I care to admit, I made it to the bath house, out of breath, and contemplating what made me think that was a good idea.

 

 

That snowy hill is a lot like my life.  And I wonder, do I keep alert living every moment aware of God's gracious salvation to me?  Are my thoughts clearly focused on obeying his will in everything I do?  Do I exercise self-control in my desires and how I think realizing I am set apart as God's?  If not...I just might slip.

Be Still. Pray. Listen.

 

 

Mark 1:35,37,38 Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.

  When they found him, they said, "Everyone is looking for you."

 But Jesus replied, "We must go...and I will preach...That is why I came."

 

Do I feel like everyone is looking for me, wanting or needing something from me? How do I handle the pressure of work, home, life? Do I confuse people's expectations with God's or feel a conflict between what I know God wants and what people want for me? 

Jesus took time to be with God.  Because of their relationship, Jesus was not confused about what he was supposed to do.  He was not conflicted with people's expectations of him.  He knew what God wanted him to do and then obeyed.

How about me?
 

 

 

Winter is Here!

It has been a year of precipitation.  We had lots of snow last winter and lots of rain through the summer.  The fall brought more rain, so much that there were mud slides, rock slides, and many houses were destroyed as they fell into the river as it ate the banks away.  Even now that winter has come and it has snowed only negligibly, we are dealing with a road that is caving at the edges of the cliffs.  They have begun placing cement barricades that encroach the road so that vehicles will not drive where the road has caved and fallen down the cliffs.  The beautiful part is the frozen water that has run out from between many of the walls of rock we drive beside.  It has created beautiful falls of frozen water that brightly decorate the shear vertical faces of dark shale.

Life for us has been good, hard, fun, and challenging.  At camp, we have had the privilege of serving many groups of people from all different backgrounds,ages and walks of life as well as our community and eachother. Through our church family, God has taught us that serving is not something we "do" or a project, instead it is our identity; who we are when He is in control of our lives and that our willingness to obey this calling is directly related to our true understanding of the gospel.  Our prayer is that we can say with James "I am a servant of God and of Jesus Christ."  So our hearts sincerely focus on abiding in Jesus; being in him so he can work in us, through us, and continually transform us.




First day of school K-12 at Glacier View.  Ally is to the right
of their principle Wendy Taylor and Brandon to the left
in this picture.

Our new car from friends and family.  We are
so thankful for a reliable vehicle.  Thank you!
We  couldn't resist taking a picture of it by this
beautiful waterfall on the way to Valdez.

Brandon recently celebrated his 11th birthday.

Ally, Brandon, Dara, and Joel.



Ally in Unalakleet with her mixed six volleyball team from
Glacier View.  They played well although Ally dislocated
her knee cap tearing a ligament.  She has about a six week
recovery ahead of her and will now be an encourager of
her team for the rest of the season.