When the world moves so quickly around you, it can be easy to feel lost, overwhelmed or alone. School, work, family, and life can be a lot to juggle, but we have the good news! Being a part of Jesus’ team means you are never alone.

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am with them.” Matthew 18:20

In context, this verse is saying that if two or more agree, than it be done. Refer back to this verse when you are feeling down, having a bad day or just need to be reminded of the power of Christ.

Where there are two or three believers, Christ is with them. This means that whether you are surrounded by your friends, your family, your fellow church-goers, or even your team, you stand firm together as a Church. There is no need for a building, a choir or a massive congregation. No matter where you are and what may be going on around you, you have the complete ability to relish in and share Christ’s love.

When we consider that if two or three agree, and it be done, this becomes a very powerful passage. This makes the littlest of tasks, suching as waking up and taking on the day, easier when you have those around you to pray it be good and in God’s will.

This is so important to remember the next time you feel scared, nervous or unprepared. Nothing is stronger than the support you have from God and those who follow Him. With every step, He is with you and the Church is there to encourage you. The Church IS your team and your family. You got this.

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It’s time to refresh as a new season begins. 

The  weather  is  warming  up  and  flowers  are  beginning  to  bloom,  that  means  it’s  about  that  time  to  put  away  leftover  holiday  decorations  and  sweaters,  for  some  extra  closet  room.  As  we  wind  down  from  Spring  Break  and  enter  the  start  of  the  spring  season,there  is  much  to  declutter  in  all  areas  of  our  life.  Just  as  we  tend  to  the  mess  in  our  home,  sometimes  our  mental  space  can  need  just  as  much  attention! 

This  is  the  time  to  assess  what  works  and  what  doesn’t  work,  kinda  like  that  outfit  we’ve  had  in  our  closest  for  the  past  9  months  that  we  haven’t  touched  once.  It  may  be  time  to  just  let  it  go.   

The  Art  of  Letting  Go 

Face  it,  letting  go  isn’t  easy.  Whether  it’s  letting  go  of  people, habits, or  those  worn  out  shoes  you’ve  been  meaning  to  toss  out  for  months, we  must  be  ready  and  willing  to  embrace  a  new  chapter  in  our  lives.  It  starts  with  removing  things  from  your  life  that  don’t  uplift  you  or  help  you  grow.  Accept  that  you  have  outgrown  this  item,  person,  or  situation. 

Once  someone  or  something  has  served  its  purpose  in  your  life  there  is  no  longer  a  need  to  hold  on  to  it.  When  it’s  all  over  and  done,  your  mind  will  feel  just  as  refreshed  as  your  home.   

Spring  cleaning  doesn't  have  to  be  a  drag.  When  you  incorporate  something  you  like  to  do  into  your  routine,  whether  it’s  listening  to  your  favorite  music,  dancing  while  you  clean,  or  treating  yourself  and  the  kids  to  some  ice  cream  after  all  of  your  hard  work,  a  sweet  and  well  deserved  reward  and  makes  this  yearly  task  a  little  more  bearable.  You  have  to  do  it  anyway,  so  might  as  well  make  it  something  you  can  enjoy.  

Falling  to  your  knees  doesn’t  have  to  be  a  bad  thing.  It’s  not  a  sign  of  weakness,  but  preparation  for  strength.  When  life  gets  tough  and  you  lose  the  will  to  stand,  fall  to  your  knees.  Fall  to  your  knees  and  let  it  all  come  down.  Let  pain  and  heartache  leave  your  body  just  as  quickly  as  it  came.  Fall  to  your  knees  and  pray.   

Through  tears  and  prayer  you  let  God  know  of  all  your  troubles  and  your  sorrows,  not  to  smite  him,  but  to  let  it  be  known  and  heard  by  someone  other  than  yourself,  by  someone  bigger  than  yourself. 

Sometimes  we’re  afraid  of  being  weak,  but  even  the  strongest  people  have  fallen  to  their  knees.  When  we  try  to  take  care  of  our  families,  children,  or  spouses,  and  neglect  our  own  well-being,  things  can  begin  to  feel  overwhelming.  We  may  feel  more  irritable,  anxious,  or  just  unhappy. 

No  one  likes  to  feel  like  they  can’t  handle  the  things  that  life  throws  at  them.    We’d  like  to  know  that  we  can  do  things  all  on  our  own.  Well  guess  what?  Sometimes  you  can’t  do  it  all  on  your  own.  This  beautiful  life  can  get  really  hard  and  become  too  much  of  a  load  for  one  person  to  carry.  The  good  thing  is  that  you  don’t  have  to  be  strong  all  by  yourself.  You  have  a  Father  in  heaven  to  lift  the  weight  up  off  your  shoulders.  Allow  him  to  guide  you  through  the  darkness  because  without  it  you  wouldn’t  know  light. 

“For  this  reason  I  bow  my  knees  before  the  Father, from  whom  every  family  in  heaven  and  on  earth  is  named,that  according  to  the  riches  of  his  glory  he  may  grant  you  to  be  strengthened  with  power  through  his  Spirit  in  your  inner  being,so  that  Christ  may  dwell  in  your  hearts  through  faith—that  you,  being  rooted  and  grounded  in  love,  may  have  strength  to  comprehend  with  all  the  saints  what  is  the  breadth  and  length  and  height  and  depth,  and  to  know  the  love  of  Christ  that  surpasses  knowledge,  that  you  may  be  filled  with  all  the  fullness  of  God.”  (Ephesians  3:14-19) 

​It’s  okay  to  fall  to  your  knees.  Say  a  prayer,  sing  your  heart  out,  or  cry  your  eyes  out,  but  let  God  hear  you.  Don’t  be  ashamed  when  you  are  weak,  it  only  means  that  when  you  get  up  off  the  ground  you  will  be  stronger  than  you  were  before. ​

​The additional hour of sunshine added to our day serves as the perfect reminder to shed some light on our blessings in even our darkest hours. 
 
When we only focus on every task on our calendar that we still need to complete, next month’s bills, or other things that cause us stress, it’s easy to neglect the good things that happen to us. Regardless of how small, the good things are just as important. Blessings come in all shapes and sizes, so when you’re feeling down, take a few minutes to pause and reflect on the little things throughout your day that worked out. 
 
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” 
 
Be Mindful 
 
When we practice being mindful we’re able to catch ourselves in the act of self-doubt. Be mindful that you are an imperfect. Whatever you are going through you will overcome. Sometimes things don’t work out the way we plan, but they always work out the way He plans. 
 
Practicing Mindfulness 
 

1. Breathing: Give yourself a few minutes when you’re feeling overwhelmed to sit or lay down, and repeatedly take slow deep breaths. As you are doing this, notice the things that are going well in your day. 
2. ​Acceptance: Allow yourself to be in the present moment and put aside worries of the future or burdens from the past. Accept your situation and surroundings and acknowledge that you are in control of your feelings. 
3. Mindful Walk: This is something you can do with your children as well. Go for a walk as a family and pay attention to the sights and sounds of your surroundings. If you’re at a familiar spot, try to point our things you never noticed before. Even if you visit a new spot, take it all in and enjoy it.  

Soak up the extra hour of sunshine with your family and be mindful of all your daily blessings. It’s okay to pause, breathe, go for a walk, and allow light to shine through you. ​

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It has always been a passion and objective in our lives to continuously strive to not only 
better ourselves, but also better the lives of others. This mission represents a great 
responsibility and a very serious commitment to our community. With wanting to 
influence the lives of others comes the duty of letting others influence ours.  
 
It starts in our home; we influence our children and hope they grow up to be better 
versions of us. They then go to school and share the values, which we have built and 
reinforce well before they came into our lives. As they keep growing, lessons come our 
way and new values are built. The existing ones get stronger and so on. We learn from 
them. 
 
We go to church; taking the time to go listen to the Lord and be a part of our community 
is imperative. People all around us teach us how to be better individuals. By sharing their 
stories they show us the importance of thinking of others before giving priority to 
materialistic and unimportant worries of life.  
 
One of our favorite quotes is, 
 
“Success isn't just about what you accomplish in your life; it's about what you inspire 
others to do,” – Unknown.  
 
Part of our mission is also taking shots. This includes believing in people and the good in 
the world. God has taught us the path of compassion and selflessness that we not only 
want to travel, but also want to share with people.  
 
We hope that every day we inspire and influence someone for the better. Most 
importantly we pray that every day we have people come into our lives to inspire us as 
well. ​

Any parent knows that raising children is full of highs and lows. In our experience, one of the most rewarding parts of being a parent has been watching the lessons we try over and over again to teach our children finally sink in. As frustrating as it can be to try to teach a child a new skill, nothing compares to the feeling of watching them master it. But have you ever thought about what would happen if the roles were reversed?

Our children are growing up in a different world than the one in which we did. They are learning to use new technology from the time they enter preschool and are learning about the systems and societies in which they live in new and innovative ways. They seem to have no problem figuring out how to use smartphones or tablets, and some of the games they are playing are preparing them for things like coding. Chances are, we could learn a thing or two from them.

This week, try asking your kids to teach you something they have learned this year. Whether it is how to use a particular app on their tablet, do a drill they learned at a sports practice, or play a game they made up with their friends, giving children the opportunity to be the teacher for a change will help build confidence and will make them feel proud of whatever skill they are able to teach mom or dad. You will probably be impressed by the things they can do that you may not have even realized. It will also be a chance to spend quality time as a family in a new way that will make your children feel accomplished.Seeing what they can teach you may be even more fulfilling than seeing them grasp the things you try to teach them. Even though you may have to swallow your pride and come to grips with your age, you will be surprised by what you learn and how much fun you have learning it from your own children.

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As parents, we always find ourselves stressing the importance of working hard in school. Even though our children are young, it is so exciting to see them learn a new concept or master a new skill. The math, science, reading, writing and history they are learning is truly going to be the basis of the rest of their education and we cannot wait to see them learn and grow in the future. However, some of the most important things children are going to learn can’t be taught in a classroom. We think that the social skills our children develop early on are just as important as what they are read from their textbooks, but are perhaps even harder to teach and to master; that is why we see such value in encouraging children to play sports.
 
Through sports, kids learn skills they will take with them for the rest of their lives. They learn the value and importance of physical fitness and begin to find what kinds of exercises they like. They learn how to work through pain. They also discover that success doesn’t come without hard work; they realize that they have to practice to be good enough to win. When they do win, they feel a sense of accomplishment. Most coaches or organizations teach children how to win graciously. And how to be a good sport when they lose. Losing also teaches kids that sometimes things are not going to go their way, no matter how hard they worked. They learn to channel disappointment into motivation; even the best athletes have a bad race or a game that doesn’t go their way, so they must use these setbacks as motivation to work even harder to do better next time. Sports also teach kids the importance of teamwork and the relationships between childhood teammates often turn into lifelong friendships. Through sports, kids often learn how to prioritize and plan a schedule. Even if the parents are the ones doing the planning and organizing, kids see that if they want to be a part of a team, they have to commit their time to being at practice and at games, even if that means sacrificing other things they want to do.
 
Even if your child is never the MVP or decides that he or she wants to pursue other interests, trying a new sport is almost always a beneficial endeavor. Nothing teaches these important life lessons quite like being involved in sports. We encourage any parent to look for a team or organization for their child or children to participate in. Who knows, the adults might learn a thing or two as well!

This week we will celebrate Good Friday and Easter, commemorating the most important moment in the Christian faith; the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Even when we look past the Easter eggs, family dinners, and other worldly distractions of the holiday, it is still easy to forget the true weight of why we are celebrating.

Most of us know the gist of the story; Jesus died on a cross and a few days later, when his friends went to visit his grave, he was nowhere to be found. On Easter Sunday, we celebrate his resurrection and his sacrifice. We think of Christ as noble and selfless. We are thankful for all he has done and sing his praises in church. But once we leave, the impact of the Easter story often fades into the back of our minds.

There is another part of the Easter story that is perhaps less well-known. Matthew 27 tells the story of the actions and events leading up to Christ’s death. In those days, it was tradition for the governor to come before the masses and let them essentially vote on one prisoner to be released. Pilate asked the crowd if they would prefer he release Barabbas, a notorious criminal – think the equivalent of a serial killer today – or Jesus, the innocent “King of the Jews,” whom even Pilate said “had done no evil.” The crowd shouted their vote and it was unanimous: Barabbas should get to be released. Jesus would be crucified.

Perhaps your first thought when reading that story is “that doesn’t seem fair!” If such injustice happened in our own lifetime, we would probably be outraged, in disbelief.  But do we have that same sense of disbelief, confusion, or outrage when we think of Christ dying for our own sins? We often forget to take it personally. We lose sight of the direct impact Jesus’s death has on our own individual lives. It is easy to remember that he is our Lord, but how often do we forget that for believers, he is our savior - and the true weight of what that means. Perhaps it is because we forget that we need to be saved. Romans 5 says “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” If we’re honest, it is tempting to consider ourselves those “good people” that perhaps one would even dare to die for.  No matter what you are guilty of, how seemingly big or small your crimes, the Bible tells us in Romans 5:10 that “none is righteous, no, not even one.” We are all Barabbas – how blessed we are to have a loving God who willingly died in our place so that we may live freely.
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This Easter season, as we celebrate what Christ did for us, let’s rejoice in the fact that we get another chance. Ask God to give you an awe and reverence for Christ’s grace and love that lasts past Easter Sunday. Because of His sacrifice, those who put their trust in Him can have eternal life!