NCAA picks

March Madness has been so much fun this year.  Not quite as fun as cheering for an underdog like George Mason last year, but still fun.

My bracket this year is pretty much toast.  I picked UNC to get upset early on, Villanova to get taken down, and Illinois to make a run. Oklahoma was supposed to win the tournament over Michigan State after the two took down Pitt and Memphis, respectively.  

Though most of the bracket was filled out without bias, I must admit that my picking Illinois was because I wanted them to win.  I thought they had a chance, so I was comfortable picking them.   Unfortunately, I did the bracket on our mission trip to Minnesota and failed to find out that Chester Frazier was indeed out for the tournament.  Might've done that one differently...Still, it was almost more fun to fill out the bracket how I WANTED the tournament to work out rather than based on my opinion of the teams' level of play.  I wanted to see Blake Griffin play basketball and I really wanted to see MSU (Big Ten team) knock down a no. 1 seed.  

Glad to see Michigan State is still in it!

I don't think many of the people who follow our blog are sports fans.   If you are, who are you picking for the last 3 games? 

 I'm taking MSU to beat UConn, UNC to beat Villanova, and UNC to take the championship over MSU.  I hope I'm wrong.  I really want Michigan State to win.  However, it really doesn't seem likely after watching Ty Lawson.  That dude is unreal.

Whichever teams you pick, enjoy the rest of the tournament!

-dave

Minnesota Mission Trip

This week we took a group of 9 students (13 of us in all) to Nett Lake, MN. David's parents work with a church on the Bois Forte Indian Reservation at Nett Lake. We traveled the 12 hours north to work with the church and the local grade school. The trip was a blast! This was our fourth spring break journey to Nett Lake and the kids really look forward to our group's return. Our group hosted an after school program Mon-Wed for the grade school and then helped out with open gyms in the evenings for the junior high and high school kids. We even had an opportunity to participate in a Math Fun Day on Wednesday and meet a lot of the kid's parents.

When we arrived on Saturday night, David and I talked with the group about being attentive to the Spirit promptings and to be intentional with one another during our time on the Rez. It was amazing to see them take to this heart and live it out. They not only were looking for every opportunity to help around the church and serve one another but they were learning the kid's names and finding every way possible to hang out at the school.

Our memory verses for the week was 1 Peter 4:7-11. Verse 10 says "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others." We experienced this on the trip. We had a super hero drawing option for the after school program where the kids could make up their own super heros. We had a science experiment class where they used rulers to make a catapult. We played volleyball and basketball. Everyone's gifts were used to connect with the children of Nett Lake.

The Peace of Peter - Acts 12

I have been rereading the book of Acts the last couple of weeks. Acts is probably my favorite book of the Bible if I had to pick which is really hard to do. I love the hope, action, and amazingness (blogger says that is not a word but I am going to keep it anyways) of the stories that make up Acts. God has been teaching me a lot about testimonies and the importance of sharing the stories of our lives the last couple of months. Acts is jammed pack full of stories of the early church and how God kept providing, expanding, and changing what it meant to follow Jesus. This read through I have decided to read Acts in the Message for the first time. (Thanks for the inspiration Debra!)

Today, I read through chaps 11 and 12 and this one phrase in chapter 12 will not get out of my head. I have been chewing on it all morning. It says in verse 6 "That night, even though shackled to two soldiers, one on either side, Peter slept like a baby." Peter slept like a baby. Now for this to make sense her is some context: King Herod, in hopes of uping his popularity with the Jews, decided to start persecuting some of the Christ Followers. He killed James, brother of John and threw Peter in prison. After passover, Herod was planning to make a public spectacle of torturing and killing Peter. The night before it was to take place verse 6 happens. Peter is chained with a death warrant and he is sleeping like a baby. SLEEPING LIKE A BABY!! What ?!? Peter was not freaking out, he was not planning his escape route, he was not weeping, he was not yelling at God or making baragins with God if God would spare his life, all things that would run through my mind. No, Peter is at peace.

I was thinking when was the last time a slept like a baby...It has been awhile. I don't have a death sentence weighing over me, all I have is some events to plan or meetings to attend. However, I am still waking up after nights of stressful dreams and my mind is racing. Where is the peace?

I think Peter was so confident with God's decision about his life that he did not need to stress or worry. Peter must have trusted God whether his life was going to end with death the next day or if God was going to miraculously provide an escape. It didn't matter if it was going to be martyrdom or rescue, Peter knew God would be there. Peter trusted in God's love and had given himself over as a servant. It was no longer Peter who lived but Christ living through him. And there was peace.

Peter was able to write in 1 Peter 5:6-7 " So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.' (the message) or ⁷ Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (NLT)."

Be carefree because God cares about you. This is coming from a man on the night before he was sentenced to die was sleeping like a baby. Peter knew stressful and dangerous situations and He is living out his command.

Peace. We can have it, the Spirit is wanting to give it....what is bogging us down? I know I am letting a lot of the little things stress me out and I am giving into worry over God's provision. The little worries are starting to shape me and my world view and cloud my view of the truth in situations.

I didn't mean for this to come out like a sermon....just thoughts about sleeping like a baby.

-linds

Happy Birthday Lindsey!

My wonderful wife, Lindsey, just turned 24 on March 1! Happy Birthday Lindsey!

It's so crazy to think that we are growing out of the typical college student age. Though we aren't necessarily looking forward to getting older, we're both pretty stoked about finally being able to rent a vehicle at a reasonable price and getting a break on our insurance! Both seem so expensive!

We had a great time this weekend at the Winter Retreat for Illinois Campus Ministries. Randy Gariss spoke on relationships and did a fantastic job. I'd heard a lot about his message before, but had never heard him speak. God is really doing something phenomenal through that guy! What a wonderful message he shares about finding our identities in God as opposed to our significant other, friends, accomplishments, etc.

In other news, we are having our annual Celebration Dinner this Friday! Christian Student Fellowship is celebrating its 15th year of ministry this year!!! Come join us at Rochester Christian Church at 6:30!

It's going to be a crazy ride the next few weeks for us. Next Saturday we will be loading up and heading out at 6 a.m. for our mission trip to Nett Lake Indian Reservation, MN to hold an after school program on the rez and generally to continue our relationships with the kids up there. We will be 40 miles south of Canada, so we're gearing up for some cold. Mom said they have 2 feet of snow on the ground right now. I can't wait to sled!!

Well, that's all for now!
-dave