Day 70– Sep 7, 2005, Wednesday: Nature Devotions

On the left we are learning sign language as a class from Mary.

This morning we had worship with the kids and parents together. We had a cool time of Nature Devotions. The kids went and found anything that God made and then we (the parents) talked to them about what it represents to us. Jonny found a pair of plants. Ruth told him how the plant started out as a seed and grew and grew and could someday have fruit ….like our lives as Christians. To me, I thought it would some day grow into a tree and it made me think of Zaccheus and how he had to climb the tree to see Jesus. It made me think how we have to strive for Jesus. We can’t just sit back and let life happen, we have a part to play. Everyone else shared their thing and it was really cool how we each picked out a different idea of God through nature.

We then had a time again with Neil. He spoke about Righteousness (being right with God). He talked about how Americans typically try to attain righteousness: through belief, good works, being a good person, or through religion. All of these fail. He spoke of Galation 2:19-20 and how we obtain righteousness through Affection (Christ’s love) and through Substitution (Christ took my sin in place of me). It was a great talk and I do it injustice by just blurting down the main points.

Then Neil blessed all of us parents by giving each couple a $60 gift certificate to Outback steakhouse across the street. Actually he said a friend of his from home wanted to do it for us. This is how he is though, he talks the talk, but he also walks it. I can’t wait to have a nice steak and a nice date.

Tonite Ruth went to an optional with Neil speaking about relationships. Usually we both can’t go to the nighttime stuff because the kids go to bed, so I went last night, she goes tonite. Apparently it was a good talk. Neil has a habbit of saying great one liners and also picking out people in the audience and in this case embarrassing them. Tonite one of the staff guys, Matt, was his guinea pig and got very embarrassed when asked some pointed questions about girls. Wish I could have been there.

Below is the pile of Donuts that Neil brought in. I hadn't had a donut in a while....They were awesome!