By ldevette on 1/24/2008 9:50 AM

The theme for the winter retreat was Survivor, and we certainly had to survive some cold weather! Luckily (I think) the kids didn’t seem to be affected by the below zero temps as much as the adults. We had a number of challenges including a freezing game of capture the flag and a very tasty baby food challenge (for some reason people didn’t seem to enjoy the baby food that much though…) The two teams: Team Mukwanago and Team Eskimo competed very well against one another and the winner came down to the last challenge when Team Eskimo pulled out the victory by only 50 points (each challenge was worth at least 100 points, so 50 is not that much). Saturday afternoon was spent outside in the freezing temperatures tobogganing, snow tubing, and playing a fierce game of broomball. We spent time talking about Peter and how our lives are a lot like his life and what we can learn from him because of this. Following each “tribal council” the students were sent to “exile island” for a time with God. They were encouraged to...

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By ldevette on 1/7/2008 12:07 PM

I keep coming back to this idea of being a light in the darkness. Last night we talked about how John the Baptist was preparing the way for the true Light to come and how when we start a revolution it is about bringing our single light and helping to turn on more lights as we go. Have you ever been someplace where they do a candle lighting ceremony? As you stand in the dark holding your unlit candle only one person has light, the leader. That person then lights another person's candle, then they each light another candle, then those four light four more candles, those eight light eight more candles, and in a very short amount of time all the candles are lit. A revolution is like this, it begins with you having your light and then lighiting someone elses candle, then both of you light another, and your light grows exponentially. I'm not good at math, so I'm not going to try to do any here, but in just a few short passes you have reached a hundred people. That's what I think most revolutions are, one person ready...

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By ldevette on 12/3/2007 2:43 PM

Have you ever heard the story/poem called “Footprints”? It’s pretty cool.

 

Footprints

 

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there were one set of footprints. This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints. So I said to the Lord, “You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there have only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?”The Lord replied, “The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand, is when I carried you.”

 

-Author Unknown

 

Why do I share this with you? Well, in thinking...

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By ldevette on 11/19/2007 12:34 PM

Last night we talked about how well we really know God. I used the example of me and Brad Pitt. I know quite a bit about Brad Pitt, but I don’t really know him. In contrast, I also know a lot about my close friends, but what I know is more about who they are instead of just what they do. Our relationship with God is a lot like this. We can know a lot about God, like knowing the Ten Commandments, knowing about the Plagues, knowing how many books are in the Bible, knowing a lot of Bible stories, but not really know God. To really know God we must know Jesus his son by opening up our hearts to him and we must spend time with God. When we do this we change. It’s like you and your friends. If you are only nice to someone because your mom said you had to be or else you would be grounded that person isn’t really your friend. But, when you are nice to someone because you want to be they are a real friend. You do what you can to make your friends happy and not make them sad and/or angry.  When you live obeying the rules...

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