Colombia Mission Trip

You are invited to join us on a missions journey, June 23-30, 2012. Our team will be working alongside of I.N. Network at the La Rosa de Saron (the Rose of Sharon) school in Barranquilla, Colombia.

Approximately 450 local students attend this school. They receive an excellent education with medical attention, nutritious meals, footwear and clothing. 

Many students live in modest homes with dirt floors, no electricity or water. In their community the unemployment looms around 80% with the majority of homes being maintained by single mothers. This is who we will be sharing with, loving on and being Christ to! We are so excited to see what God does in, through and in spite of us!

A daily update and Prayer guide can be found at Corinth Missions. 
We are counting on your prayers throughout this trip, so please pray us up! :)

Rollerskating

Rollerskating is just like riding a bike, right? You just get out there and do it. These were the thoughts that I had as I was helping elementary students tie their incredibly long skate laces. All around me were excited, and some nervous faces anticipating this last day of school spent at the roller rink. "Mrs. Cobb can you help me untie this knot?", they all seemed to make these requests at the same time! 

Once the children were all laced up, it was my turn to get my skates on. First, this required that I would stand up on my skates, (It's a long way from the floor for this lady!) In front of me was first carpet, I was amazing on this safe surface, yet looming behind it was the polished rink! This could get ugly?

"Fake it till you make it", I muttered and off I went. Literally 10 seconds in and a first grader falls in front of me which snowballed into one embarrassed teacher laying on her back! Of course I jumped up and continued skating, praying that the other teachers did not see me fall.

After re-acquainting myself to gliding across the roller rink, I got my groove back. It felt good to have the skating rhythm again. 
For the next 2 hours I skated with and around falling and almost falling students. Holding many little hands and being desperately held onto was a big highlight to this day. Here are a few of my favorite skaters.

No way Nicole- Skates are on, they are in the rink, barely holding onto the railing, adamant that they will not skate!

I'm shuffling Sally- With their feet doing the quick shuffle this skater goes really slow. One time around the rink and they are tired.

Off balance Olly- Like a comedy show, this skater flails their arms and legs desperately trying to stay upright. Often they run into the side of the rink and hold on for dear life.

Watch me now Wally- Speed racer has nothing on this skater. With the greatest of ease they glide around the rink swishing in and out!

Each of these skaters had to start somewhere. None of them were Wally's right away, it took practice, lots of falls and determination.

Spiritually, we too have to start at the beginning, learn along the way, take some spills, get back up and eventually find our spiritual rhythm.

I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. Psalm 119:7

Learning His ways takes time, but it is so worth it!.  Matthew 11:29-30

You Don't have to Believe in God

This is a re-posting from last year.  I saw it this morning and thought that someone needed to read this again!

A billboard has gone up in Grand Rapids and several other cities in America. 

Personally, I don't know how to hope, care and love without God.  I have been walking with Him since I was 14 years old. Everything I have learned about caring for others has been modeled for me by other Christians and through God's loving care for us. 

According to livingwithoutreligion.org Atheists can hope, care, love and live, all without God. I am positive that they can!  Every person has the ability to portray these attributes, because they were created in the image of God.

According to their website "there is one major difference between the hopes many religious people have and the hopes the nonreligious have: the nonreligious do not look to God to fulfill their hopes. There is no supernatural being to make sure everything will turn out OK. Nothing is guaranteed."

Dictionary.com defines Hope- the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best. 

The bible speaks about hope many times. The Hebrew and Greek words that are used for "hope" can be translated to mean "a strong and confident expectation." What we hope for is something that we are confident of. 

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what  is seen was not made out of what was visible.

  Hebrews 11:1-3

The title of the website, "Living without religion" intrigues me.

I too try and live without religion. 

I want more than rules, affiliation and titles. 

I want a relationship!

I want to be known by the creator 

I want to have a personal relationship with Him. 

I want to rely on His wisdom, strength, grace and forgiveness

Many who claim to not need Jesus say that they can do it by themselves.  That their hope is in themselves. 

A horse is a false hope for victory; Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength. Psalm 33:17

I know that I can NOT do it by myself! My hope is not in myself. I am fully aware that God is bigger and smarter and wiser and more gracious and more faithful etc. etc. than I could ever be. 

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 

So although it is true that You Don't have to believe in God, 

You don't have to put your hope in Him,

I wouldn't,

couldn't,

even think of,

doing life without Him!

Fishing anyone?

My husband is not a fisherman. He doesn't own a pole, tackle or bait. Yet on this day, out with an experienced friend, he caught a beauty.

The poles were carefully prepared with the right hook and bait. All Kevin had to do was listen to his friend's instruction and then wait and watch until it was his time to reel one in.

The key for this successful fishing trip was the sharing that occurred.

The bible is full of verses that speak about the importance of sharing life together.

Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
(Proverbs 11:14)

A wise man is strong, yes, a man of knowledge increases strength; for by wise counsel you will wage your own war, and in a multitude of counselors there is safety. (Proverbs 24:5)

Every purpose is established by counsel; by wise counsel wage war. (Proverbs 20:18)

Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established. (Proverbs 15:22)

Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days.(Proverbs 19:20)

Cease listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. (Proverbs 19:27)

Simply translated

We need each other! 

Life is meant to be done together!

Idiom Lesson

An idiom is a group of words or a phrase that means something different than what the words are literally saying. Passed down through tradition and culture these sayings are easily understood by people whose have been born in the United States. However, many people with English as a second language will think that the phrase is to be taken literally.

Consider how confusing these idioms would be if you               were not a native English speaker

Zip your Lip

Don't put your foot in your mouth

Time flies 

Pay through the nose

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink

Under the weather

Hot head

Every dog has his day

Throw in the towel

I was teaching a group of third graders recently about Idioms. We talked about the phrases and and then they had to guess what they meant. Their responses were priceless. many had heard the idioms but had no idea what they meant. I asked a sweet brown eyed girl if she understood what "You will catch more flies with honey than with vinegar" meant. Her answer was, "because the honey was sticky, the flies would get caught in it". She was kinda right!

Did you know that there are more than 1000 idioms in the bible?

Consider these two.

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.

Romans 12:20- 

Culturally in that day neighbors would often borrow hot coals from each other and fill the containers for each other. Many items were carried on ones head, fruit, vegetables even containers with hot coals. This idiom represented the ultimate in neighborly hospitality. 

Then there is this biblical idiom

He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father.

Luke 9:59

At first it sounds as though Jesus is being cruel and uncaring, however in this culture it doesn't mean that the father was dead. The man was basically saying, "Let me hang out with my father and then after he dies-someday, I will follow you". 

Knowing the background changes the meaning.

Understanding the cultural meanings behind these sayings is crucial. 

What I learned from this idiom lesson. 

Most people have heard that Jesus Loves them. For some it is as foreign of a concept as an idiom. For others it is difficult to believe that anyone, especially Jesus could love them. 

Understanding that Jesus's whole purpose in coming to earth was to restore, redeem, renew and reestablish us, changes how we view this verse.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Spiderman-woman?

We all wear masks sometimes. Some of these masks people can see and others, we know they are there, but others may not be aware of how many we have. Through the years I have become a master mask wearer.

How many of these masks do you wear?

• I'm feeling great! When you are tired or sick.
• I'm okay with whatever decision is made. When you clearly have an opinion.
• I'm not disappointed. When you really are.
• I can do it by myself. When you have no idea what to do next!
• I'm fine. When life has thrown you one to many curve balls.
• I'm happy. When all you want to do is cry.

Why do we do this?

No one has it all together all of the time.  It doesn't make you weak or fragile to share your struggles with others! 

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. Ephesians 4:25

How do we take the masks off?

Trusting, grace filled relationships are key! 

I have been blessed to have a circle of friends who I can be completely honest with. It is the most refreshing experience to do life with them. 

There is no need to be fake. No masks required in these special friendships. 

This took some work, lots of grace, trust and time to develop. In this special place, I can finally be real without fear of judgement or disapproval.  I think that this is what the church is in Acts was experiencing "All the believers were together and had everything in common" 

We were not meant do do life alone or to live behind a mask. So take a risk, find a safe place and share who you really are.

Paleo Sweet and Sour Pineapple Chicken

What could be better than chicken and pineapple? Paleo chicken and pineapple of course!

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts cubed
1 bell pepper green sliced

1 bell pepper orange or red sliced
1 onion sliced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup pineapple cubed
1/2 cup pineapple juice

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup honey

Salt and pepper

Directions

• Brown chicken in coconut oil then set aside
• Saute onion and bell peppers
• In separate bowl mix the vinegar, arrowroot powder, pineapple juice and honey.
• Combine the chicken, pineapple and bell peppers into the same pan. Add the chicken stock and let boil. Stir in the vinegar, arrowroot mixture and cook for 3 minutes.

I love the sweet and sour taste of this dish. Sometimes in life the oddest combination of things give us great pleasure.

Think about how often have we

Grown closer to others because of a difficult situation.

Learned the value of life because of death?.Appreciated the life we have because of seeing someone with very little. 

Found peace when there is stress.

Only by the presence of God is this possible!

I believe that in the midst of what seems to be the most sourful times in our lives the Holy Spirit comes and reveals to us His presence.  It is then that we experience His sweet peace, comfort, rest, joy and hope. 

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. John 14:26

Are you a button pusher?

Pushing buttons is an interesting phrase. It evokes thoughts of those round objects that are on clothing or the infamous red button that you aren't suppose to touch, except in an emergency! In other situations it is a personal button that someone has pushed. Things would be so much less complicated if we knew what those buttons were!

This week my aunt was in town and never was the button more obvious to me then when my mom and her sister were together. One day my aunt asked my mom something and my mom became a different person. It didn't matter what was being asked of her by her sister, the answer was NO! So being the button pusher that I am, I childishly told my aunt to "watch this" and I asked my mom the very same question. Immediately my mom said yes!

There is something about siblings that can push our buttons. Perhaps its because the have so much first hand knowledge of what bugs us, or have fresh memories of us torturing them with our teasing and childhood games.

I think about our two daughters and think, "Yeah, they can definitely push each others buttons".

 Memories of them in the back seat poking each other, laughing, shouting, laughing, screaming, crying, staring, sticking out their tongues, crossing their eyes, all the while saying, "Mom she touched me!" These and so many more fill my mind when I think of pushing buttons.

I am glad that God included the button pushers in the bible. Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his brothers, Sarah and Hagar and so many others. It reminds me that it can be difficult to live together peacefully.

To all of us who have buttons and those want to push them, this verse is for us!

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18