How does GOD fit into our lives?

I'm busy, I'll just skip praying tonight.
I'm busy, I'll do my devotions tomorrow.
I'm tired from studying late last night, I'll skip talking to God in the morning today.

Sound familiar?  We've all heard and said these excuses.

Admit it, we're BUSY.  School, work, church, community service, piano, extra-curricular activities.     

But, the REAL question is: How does God fit into our busy lives?

GOD should come FIRST.  Always.

He's the one who created you!! Isn't that a good enough reason? 

God knows our every step, and He plans our life.  (Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.) 

He even knew we were going to exist even before the thought crossed out parent's minds.

We, as creation, would feel really lost without our creator.  

Have you ever gotten lost/separated from your parents when you were young? That's what it feels like when you're ignoring God.  You feel LOST.   

Most importantly, HE LOVES US.  He longs to have a RELATIONSHIP with us.

(Sent Son to die for us.... knows our every move... our father in heaven...)

Challenge:

Put Him first.  For as long as you want.  Comment below about your experiences.  I want to read them!!

~Naomi

United Way's Coats for Kids Campaign

We've had our first of many tastes of winter. It's getting colder by day, and there's TONS snow on the ground. In about one and a half months, it will be Christmas.

Our winter gear is coming out: changing our car tires to winter, putting on toques, mittens, hats, a warm coat, and bringing out the snow shovels.

Homelessness and poverty are all things that "happen in life" and that we are aware of, but most of the time, we never exactly act.  Now, we can.

Since 1992, United Way has been organizing a campaign called Coats for Kids & Families.  It is a campaign that provides winter clothing (coats, hats, mittens, scarves, etc.) for the less fortunate who can't afford them.  Last year, 10,794 coats were collected, cleaned, sorted, and distributed.  We can do better, with your help, than that THIS YEAR.  

United Way is asking the community at large to donate new and gently worn coats and outerwear by dropping them off at one of our Drop-Off locations. Page the Cleaner has partnered with United Way to provide a professional dry-cleaning to all gently worn donated items. Once cleaned, the coats are brought to United Way’s In Kind Centre where groups of volunteers sort and package the coats to be delivered to social agencies who distribute the items to the people who need them.

For more information on drop-off locations, please visit the Coats for Kids & Families website here.

Halloween

THINK: Pumpkins, candy, costumes, decorations.  At the end of the day, is it REALLY worth it?

What's the big deal about it?  It's really only a couple hours, one day at most.  Why do we need to celebrate it? 

Year after year, North Americans spend thousands of dollars on Halloween costumes and decorations.    They make a big deal about it.  

Halfway around the world, there are children and people who are starving to death, and are about to die from malnutrition and other unfortunate causes because they don't have the right food and are drinking muddy water.  

What are we doing?  

That's right, we are spending thousands of dollars on stupid clothing that we only will ever wear once or twice.  Halfway around the world, people don't even care about what they wear.  They care about surviving, while we are spending money on decorations that are only up for one week a year.  This money could be used to feed a child, a family, a community, a village, several villages, a country, maybe even a couple of countries.  We spend this money for our own selfish reasons that aren't even worth it.  

Why do North Americans spend this money on such unnecessary reasons?  It's not like we are going to die if we don't buy as many decorations or re-use an old costume from couple years ago.  We could donate the money saved to good causes -- Compassion Canada, Red Cross-- organizations that help those who aren't as fortunate as us.  

It doesn't matter how old you are, or how much money you have.  What matters most at the end of the day is that you made a difference in somebody else's life.

The question is: What will YOU do?