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Today’s
Verse: “Wherefore
seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us
lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us
run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author
and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of
God.” – Hebrews 12:1-2
What are some
“weights” you could lay aside that would help you run the race of life?
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Catching up: If you came by our
house you’d probably hear the pitter patter of little feet meandering down the
hall, that’s right our little girl Maggie has begun walking. It was exciting to
watch her take those first steps and also see her quickly learn this new skill.
We also got to celebrate her first birthday in February and watch her enjoy
cake for the first time (a picture below). Needless to say, it’s been an
exciting adventure watching Maggie grow. The adventure doesn’t stop there
though. Four days after Maggie’s birthday, we celebrated the birth of our
second precious girl. Arwen Grace Walsworth was born February 20th
weighing 7lbs and 2 ounces. The plan was to have a home birth however God had
other plans again. The change in plans was nothing like Maggie’s emergency so that
is a sigh of relief. This time was due to Arwen taking her time cooking in the
oven or so we thought. Once Megan got within what we believed to be a day or
two from the 42 week mark, we scheduled an ultrasound to make sure the baby was
cooking evenly. Arwen looked great but the ultrasound showed that Megan’s fluid
was a little low. They decided that the wisest choice would be to get this baby
moving. We came home long enough to pack our stuff and give Maggie to Megan’s
mom before returning to the hospital. The next morning they started with
induced labor and it wasn’t long before Arwen was born. Megan was extremely
relieved that this labor and delivery was way shorter than last time. It was
slightly disappointing to not be able to have the home birth we were wanting,
however the nurses did their best at making the room feel as close to home as possible.
We had a couple of other praises at our house besides the birth of our new
little one. Now that little hands can find
objects on top of various furniture (cups with liquids), we began praying for a
way to put down some kind of flooring over our sub-flooring in the living room.
We were thrilled when we were able to get the materials and with the help from
some of our much appreciated friends we had it finished in no time. Plus due to
our growing family and car issues, we’d been on the lookout for a “new”
vehicle. The Lord has also supplied the opportunity for us to purchase a used
Toyota Minivan. We are truly blessed and thankful for all He has done for us
recently. As for the extended family, it has been currently growing. With the
latest arrival of our new niece Miss Madelynn in January, we now have 16 nieces
and nephews and we expecting another one any day now.
Camp: Over the
fall and spring our efforts at camp have been focused on finishing up the
kitchen addition. Having it finished for this summer will make the kitchen
staff’s life much easier. With a recent gift to camp, we will be moving on to
the continual remodeling of the rec. building next. Now for the summer, the
pressure to get things opened up and cleaned is upon us. Some days it can be
overwhelming all the preparations that need to be made however we’re excited
for the camp season. This year’s theme, “Kingdom Chronicles”, is based on the
Kingdom of God and set in the medieval time frame. It’s been fun being creative
as we plan games and crafts to match the theme and teach biblical truths. Megan
has been especially focused on the crafts as well as skits for chapel time. As
for me, the reins have been handed over and I’ve been put in charge of
counselor training this year. It’ll be an exciting but also a learning
experience, I’m sure. We have also been in the process of contacting churches
to present the ministry to them and to share what God is doing in the lives at camp.
We appreciate all those who are praying with us as the Lord supplies the prayer
and support partners we need to walk the journey He has planned for us.
Work O.U.T./Butterflies: We
do enjoy mentoring the young men and women that attend the Bible study and feel
honored that God has given us this opportunity. Some days it’s not easy fitting
it into our schedule however, we are convinced this is something God wants us
to continue doing. He hasn’t failed in giving the strength and time to make
them fit into our life. Recently, Megan has been especially excited for two of
the regular attending young ladies that will be graduating this year and will
be starting their own exciting journeys as adults. It has been encouraging to
see all these teens continue to grow in their relationship with Lord as they
seek the paths that the Lord has designated for them. It will be exciting to
see what the Lord has in store for them in the years to come.
Praises:
Ø For the ability to purchase a van
and flooring.
Ø The safe arrival of our little
girl, Arwen.
Prayer Requests:
Ø For strength during this busy
season of our lives.
Ø That we will be able to finish
all the plans we have for this summer’s camp.
Ø That we will have patience as we
trust God to supply our needs.
Goofing
off just for fun (Not a True Story): One day last summer, I (Lucas) had realized that the outside of the
gymnasium needed to be repainted. So I found some paint in the workshop and got
to painting while the campers were swimming. After finishing the first side, I
realized that I didn’t have enough paint to finish the rest of the gymnasium.
So I went to check for more paint, but all I could find was paint thinner. Then
the thought hit me, I’ll add thinner to my paint, so I’ll have more paint to go
around the entire gym. After I had finished painting, I was so proud of my work
as well as my idea. That night, a thunderstorm came through camp and it rained
hard. The next morning I got up, and to my embarrassment I found the other
three sides of the gym’s washed from it’s fresh coat of paint. As I stood there
ashamed and depressed that my work was in vain, Megan was walking over to me
and noticed what had happened. “What have I done?” I mumbled. “Well, thankfully
the devotions this morning gave you the answer to the problem. You did do the
devotion this morning right?” She asked looking at me. “Yeah,it was about
turning from sin and living a new life, but what does that have to do with the
gym?” I asked puzzled. She smiled and said, “You must ‘Repaint and thin no
more’”.
THANK YOU
FOR TAKING TIME TO READ OUR NEWSLETTER!
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| Fun in the snow :-) |
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