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March 31, 2005
March 05
The Power of Being Little
> by Paul
God has a way of gently showing you your ineptitude sometimes. He loves to take you through a series of circumstances that show how utterly in control he is and how small a role you play.
Our trip to Chicago with the students over spring break was a really good time. We had a chance to be with the students, an opportunity to get a taste of what our summer will be like, and an opening to share our faith with other Christians and with lost people on campus. A couple of people in our group had the incredible privilege of seeing others put their trust in Christ for the first time. Nothing else shows God’s power then to watch as someone understands his love for the first time.
The biggest thing however that has recently convinced me of God’s enormity and our insignificance is how he (not me) has raised our support. We are standing on the doorstep of being released to the campus and that is incredibly thrilling. It has been a God-sized task and he has come through with God-sized miracles!
Financial support has basically not come from our effort but from many unexpected places and even when it wasn’t asked for. We have put forth our own effort and stood in our own strength and have failed, but God has simply been waiting for an opportunity to show us his power, his power through someone little. And so we have become weak that Christ’s power may rest in us.
We are not yet done. But, I am confident that God is big enough to finish for us if we will trust in him and go out in faith. This time it’s for his glory and his glory alone. +
Chicago – Here We Come!
> by Christie
As the summer rapidly approaches, the idea of living in downtown Chicago is becoming more of a reality for me. I am getting more and more excited about it as the days go by.
Paul and I, along with about twenty students, will be living within a few blocks of the University of Illinois-Chicago campus for the SALT (Spiritual and Life Training) Program. Our purpose will be to strengthen our relationship with God through reaching out to those around us.
One aspect of the summer that I am looking forward to is building deeper relationships. Since coming to Ames almost a year ago now, I have had the opportunity to get to know several people from the Rock. However, with our frequent traveling schedule, it has been hard to stay consistent in those friendships. I am excited to spend eleven weeks with a small group of people and hopefully build some rewarding relationships.
My main responsibility for the summer will be food. I will be cooking for the entire group six nights a week and doing all the grocery shopping. While this may seem crazy to some, I am actually looking forward to these tasks. Cooking is one of my favorite pastimes, and I also enjoy grocery shopping. We’ll see if I still feel this way at the end of the summer! +
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Posted by paul at March 31, 2005 02:17 PM
Comments
Christie! Guess what! My mom found my recipe binder when they were moving a couple weeks ago. She's been holding it hostage, but gave it to me over Easter. There's a lot of stuff missing from it though, so I'll have to check the Knapp St garage in my tub-o-support-raising.
Posted by: Autumn at March 31, 2005 06:52 PM