Uprooted

This morning in my quiet time I read Proverbs 12. Verse 3 of that chapter reads,
^"No one can be established through wickedness,
but the righteous cannot be uprooted."
By itself this verse is a great truth, but in perspective with my weekend, this verse was especially fitting. On Saturday afternoon my dad and I spent 4 painstaking hours trying to remove a tree stump from my front yard. Needless to say I'm moving a lot slower today as a result.

My brother and I cut the tree down earlier this summer, and over the past few weeks I have been digging the stump out and cutting its roots. I thought I had gotten all of them, but after chaining it up and trying to pull it out it was clear that we still had work to do. We dug deeper and deeper, kept chopping more roots, and enjoyed the encouragement and jokes from my neighbors. Finally as the sun disappeared the stump finally came out. We were dirty, stinky and dog-tired.

As I read Proverbs 12:3, that tree stump came to the forefront of my mind. It wasn't a huge tree. At its thickest point it was maybe 16 inches in diameter. The stump had been cut off from most of its roots and the rest of the tree for nearly 3 months. Still it wasn't going anywhere fast.

Colossians 2:6-7 says, "⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."

God encouraged me with those words from Proverbs and Colossians this morning. As I think about how difficult it was to uproot that tree, I love to think about how soundly God roots us in faith and the righteousness He gives us. When we put our trust in Him, He is faithful, and nothing can seperate us from Him.

(I can't forget to thank Clayton for letting me borrow his truck, Kevin for letting me borrow his chains, and my dad for working hard even with two knee replacements. Thanks!)


Links:
Jodi's Blog in Haiti
This is the blog of the missionary family in the Mole St Nicolas in Northwest Haiti. Such a cool update. Be praying for them!

Google Energy
Have you ever wondered how much electricity a Google Search uses? This article tells you that and a lot more info on how much energy Google takes up. Pretty interesting.

Benefits of Teens Being in Small Groups
Veteran youth minister Doug Fields writes a post about Student Ministry from the perspective of a Dad. He has come up with a great list of benefits small groups have for families and students.

Engagement Photos
My Uncle Denver put this link on his facebook page. By far the most interesting Engagement photos I have ever seen. Is that a zombie coming over the hill?

Headed to Haiti

Our team leaves for Haiti bright and early tomorrow morning. Pray for us, we return on July 1st. You can get updates on the trip here:

http://molehaiti.wordpress.com/

 Thanks,
Matt

Year In Review Part 4

October
Bigger Picture: A new law was passed that made it illegal for federal employees to text while they were driving. This is unconfirmed, but it's been reported that this was the deciding factor in Paris Hilton ending her Hilton for President 2012 campaign.

In My World: Alicia and I got to spend a week down in Gatlinburg. It was a blast! We got a great cabin up in the mountains that was beautiful. We went hiking and the leaves were all sorts of colors. Very Relaxing and very fun.

In Student Ministry: Parkside teamed up with White Oaks, Lakeside, and Mount Carmel Christian Churches for a Middle School Retreat. We learned about Daniel and how it takes character to make the right choice when no one else is. We were also graced with a wonderful tribute to Michael Jackson, and the spectacle of Joe Robinson tackling poor Miles.

November
Bigger Picture: The Yankees won the World Series which means all of New York celebrated and the rest of the US remembered how much they hated the Yankees.

In My World: My dad and I got to do something we had never done before. We went up to that town up north and watched the Buckeyes play Michigan. My dad and I made a great road trip out of it too. We ran into the whole OSU team as they were riding up to Ann Arbor, and got to talk with a lot of them after the game too. The best part was getting to experience it all with my dad. The second best part was doing the O.H... I.O. chant in THEIR stadium as the Buckeyes won

In Student Ministry: We got new Dodgeballs. That may seem trivial and silly, but our dodgeball games became much more competitive with the new hardware. I may be remembering wrong, but I think it was also in November that Brian Roberts nearly survived incredible odds in a dodgeball match by sacrificing himself and diving all over the floor to dodge and evade the throws.

December
Bigger Picture: Avatar the movie came out. I know there have been other 3D movies, but James Cameron took it too a whole new level and created a new world.

In My World: Alicia and I, and both of our families had a great Christmas. We got to see all of our families and spend quality time with them too. It was a lot of fun. My sister got me a Shock Ball that randomly shocks whoever holds it. I am still having a lot of fun with that one.

In Student Ministry: December was a great month for Student Ministry. On Sunday mornings in the Gathering Place the church listened to people share stories about how the Christmas story was personal to them. 2 group leaders and a student got to share their stories. They did a great job of sharing their story and how it connected to Christ coming to earth. It was also neat because students help led an effort to raise money for Kids Against Hunger to buy meals to send to Haiti. Not only did they help raise the money. They also helped pack the meals with people of all ages.