Teen Disciples and Teen Leaders Retreat - "As One"

Last weekend, over thirty of us attended a Seattle Church Teen Disciples and Teen Leaders Retreat. We had a fun and inspiring time together. Enjoy the pictures from our time together!

Darin Ford

Everything New

In Revelation 21:5, we see a vision of Him who is seated on the throne, promising to make all things new. I'd like to suggest, on this New Year's Day of a new decade, that this is an old promise, one we have heard again and again, season by season. In fact, each year the Winter comes, where all lies dead or dormant, and then this celebration we call New Years. Shortly after, the Spring sweeps onto stage, shoving every Winter backdrop off to the side.

Spring looms then. New birth. New possibilities. New growth. And we are right to be preparing for that right now.

What then are your ideas about things "new" in your life? It seems obvious to me that God wants us thinking like this, so let's do that thinking. Here's some of mine:

1. In 2010 I'd like Lynne to have first place (after God of course) in my life. I'm not sure anything has had first place in the past few years--I've allowed so many demands and needs to take the oxygen out of the room. In 2010, I'd like it to be obvious to her that she is #1!!!
2. I want to walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8). "Walk" is the operative word here. What does it mean for us to walk together, day by day. I want to renew my search to find out.
3. Surrender more, do less, and be content--since "each day has enough trouble of its own"
4. Search for daily inspiration. Is that a run? Yoga? Cheesecake? Whatever. We all have so many "shoulds" in our lives, and often these are good and appropriate. But if we don't take care, the shoulds run everything and we forget to make real choices--what do we WANT to do for God and for each other? What choices inspire us?

May God guide us with clarity as we work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (and, I pray, with joy!) in the 2010's...

love,

Scott