Daniel Fast
As I mentioned in my first newsletter I began my year fully immersed into the Daniel Fast. Through the three weeks I learned that this fast is nearly impossible without a community supporting you and most importantly God. With people in my church doing this fast along side me it allowed us to grow into so much more than friends, but into a family that nearly had dinner together for a week and a half (may not sound like a long time, but that was half of the fast). Making sure each other were getting enough food and not starving and laughing at each other at our weird cravings for foods that we normally wouldn't want to eat; we got to experience what God was doing in each others hearts during the day and learning to challenge each other in our times with God. Being vulnerable with each other was definitely something God was showing us how important that is to be able to grow not just as individuals, but also as friends and a community. During my personal times with God He had put two things on my heart. 1) Stop feeling awkward and just talk about GOD where ever: coffee shop, school, work, grocery store, walking around town, car ride etc. it doesn't just need to take place at church or youth group. God is everywhere so why not talk about him everywhere you go! 2) Get involved into peoples lives( not drama but living life together), investing time and having them realize there is someone out there who truly cares about them and their walk with God. God has especially put it on my heart to spend time with the girls at my youth group, through my walk with Jesus I have benefited immensely when people have taken their time to sit down with me over time and pour into my life and just lived life with me. So God is calling me to do the same with these girls. The Struggle is Real Life Group First off, thank you all for your consistent prayers. This life group would not have been able to happen without your support and encouragement. During this 7 week life group the author gives us a topic every week about what the studies all have in common. She goes over; Life is a choice-choose wisely, The struggle starts the story, At just the right time-Jesus, The past impacts but does not define my future,Wisdom takes work-and it's worth it. This is not a fluffy book it's about our struggles and not just the 'light cute' ones, but the struggles that we don't normally talk about or try really hard not to think about. She challenges us to dig in to them with God and ask Him to reveal them to us. She states that these hurts and struggles that have happened were not apart of God's plans for us, BUT He will choose to help us through them and show us that there is glory at the end of it all. The more we realize that these struggles don't define our future you will be able heal from them and walk into the future God has for us. Teacher Tatum Being called Miss. Van Horn by my students may never get old. Knowing that I get to go to work and being able to love on them: may that be giving them movement breaks, reminding them to use their manners, reading the questions and writing their answers while they tell me what to write, reading them a book, helping them learn new sounds and words... the list can go on and one. You may ask well doesn't that get tiring? My answer to that is yes, doesn't your job get tiring, but I just have to remind myself that this is what God had called me to at this moment in my life and pray for God to refill me of patience. If I don't live my life through the passions I have than life would be meaningless and boring. I get the opportunity to show these kids God's love for them through reading for them and laughing at their not so silly jokes as we talk from one class to the next. I wouldn't change that for anything because it's what makes my days better. Winter Camp You may have heard or saw through social media that winter camp was cancelled. With this news came a lot of emotions and tears. My church has being going to Sugar Pine for 30+ years and has never cancelled camp before, so this was a first. The camp had called our senior pastor a few days before we were to leave for camp and said that the road very unsafe to dive on, so they decided to cancel it. With that news all the pastors that were involved with camp and were going to send students felt it on their heart that something still needed to happened and couldn't let everyone's hard work from the fundraisers and excitement go to waste.They explained to us staff that God had put it on their heart and was wanting to show these kids that He can show up anywhere not just at camp. In less than 24 hours the pastors got about a full day of camp together. Friday night and Saturday morning we gathered at North County Christian Fellowship for worship, God Squad 'New Crew' danced six dances all together, and Pastor Jeremy from the Bridge(he was going to speak at winter camp) was able to crunch three nights worth of talking into about two hours of talking hah. He emphasized on the story of Jesus and the woman at the well (John 4). In this story it talks about how Jesus( a Jew) took a route that Jewish people didn't take because they did not want to be around the Samaritan people, BUT Jesus choose to take this route because He knew He would meet a woman that needed to meet him. He didn't judge her for her past doings or for her race but instead loved her for who she was. She had never experienced that before and went back to tell everyone in town what had happened t her. Jeremy told this story to emphasize that God will break all cultural bounders to meet you where you are in life and will love you for who you no matter what you have done. BUT the most exciting event that happened out of the two days is that when we had an alter call at least one girl from my youth group stood up and walked up to the front in front of everyone to accept that Lord! Now that is worth two months of fundraising and late nights at the church to get everything ready. Everything is worth it to be able to see someone accept the Lord. What is coming next/Prayer Points!!!!
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AuthorTatum Van Horn Archives
November 2019
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