Friday, October 31, 2008

Journey 08


Today marks day one of Journey. Tonight over 500 college students in the Rocky Mountain Region will gather in Estes Park, Colorado for the annual Journey Fall Conference. The theme is Love God and Love People, and I'm praying for everyone to really encounter Jesus this weekend.

We have over 50 students from UCCS!

I have the privilege of emceeing the meetings with my friend, Clint this weekend. We are planning a little Spartan Cheer for the kickoff tonight and will be giving away some great prizes.

Please pray for our speaker, Johnny Square, and all the workshop leaders as they present truth from the Word to these students. Also pray that lives would be changed and God would be praised.

Be sure to check back to see what God did at Journey!!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Spahhhh Day

It only happens twice a year. . .you know, painting the toes. The first time celebrates the end of my beloved summer infusing a last bit of vibrant coral color into the more earthy tones of fall, and the second at the annual Navigators Women's Spa Day.

Spa day inserts an afternoon of tranquility into a hectic midterm schedule for the UCCS ladies. Stations are set up to encourage maximum relaxation and enjoyment including facials, nails, and even a quiet time room. I personally frequented the edibles station snagging cucumber sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies.

Rounding the corner into the evening we enjoyed a meal together cooked by two fantastic mom's of our students. I then had the privilege of speaking to the ladies about how to abandon the worries and anxieties of life, because, unfortunately there would not be a women's spa day every weekend to escape to. But I did get to tell them about God, and a few of his mighty attributes that can melt away any fear or stressor.

Out of Lamentations 3 Jeremiah shares how well he remembers all his troubles. With the pain and hardships fresh in his mind he says,

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope.
Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning,
great is your faithfulness."
(Lamentations 3:21-23)
So many hard things YET he chose to call to mind the great and loyal love of the Lord, his unfailing compassion, and his strong faithfulness. Jeremiah put his hope in the Lord to act and carry him through troubling circumstances.
My prayer is that the women of UCCS Navigators would look to the Lord in times these times of worry and anxiety and put their hope in him. So many are chosing to do this already and it is a great source of joy (both for me and them).