Water For Life

By Alan

"Water, Water, Everywhere and not a drop to drink."

Samuel Coleridge wrote "The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" and spoke those famous words, talking about being at sea and surrounded by undrinkable sea water. Imagine the frustration of those sailors, dying of thirst, but unable to partake of billions of gallons in water surrounding them.

For the very short period of time when I was in Mexico with others building simple housing, I had to be constantly aware of water. We were forced to drink water when our bodies told us it wasn't needed. We often had heat stroke cases among our team for those that forgot. We had to truck our own drinkable water in with us, because, as we were constantly reminded, the local water was safe for those that were locally raised, but potentially quite harmful to our non-locally raised bodies. We still had to use local water to mix concrete and stucco for walls, and it was often tempting to just splash it into our mouths to cool off the desert heat. But that would have been risky at the least, and dangerous at the worst. Water, but not to drink.

Most of us reading online with Internet connections have never encountered anything like real thirst or life threatening dehydration. We live in a world of privilege, where drinkable water is not only a common thing, we trivialize it. We use pure clean water to drink, prepare food, wash our face and hands, or wash our dishes. But, we also use that same pure water for washing the dog, watering the lawn, washing the car, or even just running down the drain because we aren't bothering to use it right now.

How many people in this world can afford to waste pure water?

God has known this all along. The role of water is such a basic fundamental understanding throughout the Bible, that it continues as a theme from the beginning to the end.

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Worthy

By Pat

As part of a recent morning devotion, I read Luke 7:1-10. This is the story about the Roman officer, called a centurion, who had a highly valued servant who was gravely ill. The centurion sent some elders to Jesus in hopes of Jesus healing the servant. Now, the theme of this particular story is usually that of the centurion's great faith by sending someone else to plead his case, and knowing that Jesus didn't have to come in person to provide healing. His faith was strong, and Jesus, impressed with his great faith, healed the servant. But when I read it, something else popped out at me.

Verse 4 tells us that the elders approached Jesus and earnestly pleaded, "This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." They made sure Jesus knew the centurion was a good man, worthy of a "favor," a blessing. But don't we all think like that sometimes? Our mindset is sometimes that the more good works we perform, the more worthy we are to have our prayers answered our way, and favors granted. This, however, is not the case. Regardless of who or what we are and what we've done, God loves us equally and, by virtue of that great love and mercy, we are not required to keep tabs of our good deeds in order to receive a blessing from God. We don't need to remind God how good we are, or have others remind Him on our behalf, for He already knows our good and our bad and He treats us as we treat our children; equally and fairly.

"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:6-9)

Pat is a good friend who is passionate about her faith and her family. She works from home supporting a family business, and loves to read, write and garden when she can, and spends every spare moment with her grandkids.

One Word At A Time: Home

By Ginny (MAD21)

Home: The place in which one's domestic affections are centered.

We've all heard the saying: "Home is where your heart is." But what does that mean, really? I currently live in Maryland, but I have always considered my "home" to be in Idaho because that's where I grew up, I said for years it was where my heart was. But honestly, my heart is wherever my husband and kids are. So I ask myself, since they are here, does that make my home in Maryland? I still won't concede.

I lived in seven different dwellings before I got married. I loved the little house I rented in the years just before I got married. It had so much character and potential. I had a lot of good memories there. I bought my first house with my husband just before we got married, we've been in that same house ever since. It's the longest I've ever lived in one place, 11 years. It feels odd at times, especially since a lot of our furniture has also been in the same location since we moved in, too. So since we own this home, and it's where I've lived the longest, does that make it home?

It calls to you.

Perhaps our general definitions of home are a bit shallow. It has to be more than where you currently have an address and more than just where you sleep or keep your belongings, or even where you grew up. I believe "home" is a place that calls to you. It's a longing or desire to be somewhere or with someone. A place where you are surrounded my memories and feel secure. A place where you are loved and wanted.

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Summer Rain

By Lauren D

I went on a mission trip to Tennessee with my church youth group last summer. We worked on several houses that belonged to eldery and low-income families. We spent the week painting, cleaning, clearing debris, and making repairs. After one of our work days, we went back to where we were staying to take showers and get out of our work clothes. When everyone was done, we went outside to play Frisbee until it was time to meet up with the leaders and go to dinner and Chapel.

After about ten minutes of play time, we were hit by one of those summer downpours. It felt so good just running around without a care in the world, it was amazing. The rain eventually started slowing down and then came to a stop, all of the teens were sitting in a circle on top of a hill. We started talking about what a blessing water is. One of the other things we were doing while on this trip was collecting money for a charity that builds wells all around the world. We spent some time wondering how many lives could be saved by bottling up the water from just one rainy day.

I think we get too used to having water whenever we want it. We don't appreciate what a real blessing it is. Not only can we drink as much as we want, we don't have to worry about getting sick from drinking it. My friends and I agreed to hold each other accountable for not wasting water all during this trip, and even after we got home. We agreed to try and continue to support people who are bringing clean water to those who don't have it.

So here I am, asking you to help Ginny and her friends this month as they try to raise money for charity: water. So that they can go build some more wells for families who don't have clean water. Ask yourself... then go and ask all of your friends and family:

How important it is to you to have clean water?

Then ask yourself (and others) how much you could sacrifice to help to provide that same blessing for other people around the world. It doesn't matter what the dollar amount is. Every little bit helps. You may only be able to give a few dollars, but if you can get all of your friends and family to donate, too, all together it can really add up.

Go. I challenge you to make a difference in the life of a family. Be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Lauren is finishing her freshman year in high school. She loves drama, music, crazy nails, frogs and anything green. She's not a "get your hands in the dirt and dance with bugs" kind of person, but if you need someone to love on your kids or scrub your walls, she's your girl. Like most teens, her life pretty much revolves around school work and friends, but she has a huge heart for Jesus and takes every opportunity to serve His kingdom.

Fingerprint Friday: Gardens

By Ginny (MAD21)

If you have been around me much for the last month, you know how hard I've been working on our flowerbeds and yard. I wasn't able to do a whole lot last year because of all the excavations being done to our property, so it was long overdue for some major work. Several of the bushes I planted after the excavations were finished last fall had died, too, only adding to the workload. Fortunately the store agreed to replace them, but that still means I have more work.

Honestly, I have thoroughly enjoyed all the hard work. I've never been much of a gardener, but I've learned a lot over the years. It's more fun than I thought it would be (aside from the weeds, and bugs!!). Several years ago, I planted two varieties of Lilies. When I bought them they were really cheap, really small, and several of them didn't grow back in the second year. But in the years since they have totally taken hold and have not only come back each season, they are multiplying like crazy and are just beautiful.

The Lilies I planted in the front bed that started out as just a few plants, have multiplied enough I have been able to plant them all around the flowerbed. The picture on the top right is the plant I am most excited about.... it has 16, yes SIXTEEN flowers on ONE stem. I have never seen that happen. The one on the bottom right is one of the plants that didn't come back the second year. I think it's safe to say it's doing great now! There is a life-lesson in there somewhere, I'm sure. It's amazing how something so weak and small can, after lots of love and attention, end up so beautiful and fruitful.

Everything is actually just about finished. I have one more round of weeding to do (can anyone tell me why God created those?!); as soon as our replacement bushes have arrived I will get them in the ground; and we are putting the mulch down on Saturday. I don't think I've ever been happier with how everything looks around our house. It only took 11 years!

Many years of hard work in the yard have taught me several things. One thing is that no matter how much we work at something, like growing grass from seed, or planting bushes and flowers, we can't force life into something. God wants us to work, we have a role in this world, but we always need to remember that He is the one who gives things life. He is the only one who can give life. It's one of his fingerprints, and one I am very, very thankful for.

Fellow blogger Beki at The Rusted Chain has a really great weekly post she does every Friday called "Fingerprint Friday." We are to look around and see where we can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Anywhere? Go find out where Beki saw God this week, and be sure to check out the other bloggers who linked their stories as well.