Welcome BACK!!

Hey ladies! Get ready for a great semester starting in just one week! Emily, Lydia, & I are excited to lead this group and look forward to all that God is going to show us and teach us together. See you next Tuesday at Emily's Apartment at 7 p.m. in Woodley Park! Email one of us if you still need the directions!

Taking a break

So we are taking a break for this fall semester.... stay tuned in the spring for what's to come.

Week of Justice Schedule

Really encourage you guys to go check out one of the week of justice events one night this week. The event on Thursday night will be at Senate Park off Constitution Ave. And please continue to keep Carmel and the rest of the Uganda team in your prayers.

How is it August already?

Although I missed you girls this week, I have to say that the family vacation in Florida was much needed. It was great to get out of DC for a few days and I've accepted the fact that I am in a long distance relationship with the beach and, although it was hard to say goodbye, I'm happy to be back in DC. And yes those are my chubby feet, not my 4 year old niece's!

Okay so here's what's going on this week:

WEEK OF JUSTICE!

Come out to Ebz this Sunday for the kick off of Week of Justice. The team I went to Kenya with will be starting off the week sharing about our experience. You will also learn about ways you can get involved in missions and how you can use the resources God has given you to bless others. So, if you aren't tired of hearing me talk about Kenya yet, come out and listen to me talk about it some more Sunday night starting at 6p.m. If I can find the final schedule of the other events going on each night next week then I'll post them for you. Or if someone else has it please post.

30,000 STEPS for $30,000

Check out how you can help raise money for the Uganda trip that Carmel is going on! Here is the link :http://theaterchurch.com/30k/

SCREEN ON THE GREEN

Monday, August 6 - Bring a picnic, a blanket, & a frisbee and come out to see "All the Kings Men" playing on the lawn inbetween the Capitol Bldg. & the Wash. Monument. The movie starts at sundown but plan to get there early for a spot. I'll head down after work and throw the frisbee with whoever wants to run around before the movie!

Anything else?

Sending Carmel off with Prayer, Love and Soap

And many thanks to Lisa for the toys! :)

James is awesome!

4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Favorite James verses

Hi everyone!

I have had such a great summer with you ladies! I have learned and grown so much from this study and our discussions. Stayed tuned for our next activities. My favorite verses are below!

James 1:25

But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

James 2:22

You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.

James 3:17

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

James 5:16

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Caution: Work not in progress

Thanks for the gift ladies! This provided at least 10 minutes of entertainment at work for me this morning. I put a couple more pics from last night below too. I had a great semester with you girls and will miss you! Hope everyone will make it out to a "screen on the green" with us in a couple weeks.

Favorite Verses from James

Looking forward to seeing you all tonight and recapping our semester study. I pulled out a few of my favorite verses from James. Feel free to add yours as well.

1:17 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

1:25 "But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does."

2:5 "Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?"

3:9 - 11 "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?"

3: 13 "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom....3:16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."

4:2b & 3 "You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."

4:6a "But he gives us more grace."

4:7 & 8a "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you."

5: 5 "You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter."

5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. "

Pictures from Uganda fundraising night!

Here are the pictures from Uganda fundraising night. Enjoy!

Upcoming Events:

Tonight, July 19 - Come out and support Carmel and her trip to Uganda!

Monday, July 23 - Come out to Buffalo Billards at 7:30p.m. with our own "Dr. Phil" as she celebrates making it through her defense earlier that day and will officially be graduating with her PhD! Woo hoo!

Tuesday, July 24 - Last group meeting of this semester! We will wrap up some final thoughts on our study of James and spend some time in prayer and fellowship. Bring some snacks to share with the group and we'll see you there! Oh yes, and don't forget to bring in some toiletries or other items that Lydia can take with her to the girls orphanage in Mexico!

More Pictures from Sunday!

I am doing my blog duty and posting the pictures I took at Baptism by the Bay. Thanks Ger for having space in the car to take me and Happy Belated Birthday Carmel!

Full Weekend

Well our group certainly had a full weekend!

Inservice

Thanks to Janine, Gina, Skye, Jill, & Lisa for helping Emily & I pack lunches Saturday afternoon. We actually got them all to fit inside Emily's refrigerator!

And another thank you to Janine, Jill, Steph, & Lisa for passing out lunches on Sunday before the 11:30a.m. service. It was a blessing for Emily & I to serve with you ladies this weekend!

Baptism by the Bay

We also had our very own Hortencia get baptised yesterday evening with about 20 others from NCC at Baptism by the Bay. So awesome to see her taking that step of faith and obedience that God has called her to. Her excitement was written all over her face. Congratulations Hortencia! Looking forward to seeing how God will use this as a catalyst to move you forward with Him.

James Chapter 5

1) Does James seem to be condemning all rich people? If so why? If not how can one be a good rich person?

2) The word "then" connects 5:7-12 to 5:1-6. Our patience should be based in part on what James said in the previous paragraph. Why would 5:1-6 lead to an exhortation to be patient?

3) Why should expecting the Lord's coming make you patient (5:7-9)?

4) What will prevent patience from becoming laziness and inactivity? How is it possible to be patient and yet active?

5) A sign of impatience is frivolous swearing. Why is it so offensive to God? (5:12, Mttw 5:33-37) What does swearing, especially by using God's name, do to our witness before unbelievers?

6) How does the attitude of confidence and certainty regarding prayer in verses 13-20 relate to James 4:15?

7) Only God can bring a sinner back and save him (John 6:44, Ephesians 1:7). So what does James mean by saying that one of us should bring the wanderer back and turn him from the error of his way?

James Chapter 4 Questions

1. How does it affect you to know that God considers your pursuit of selfish goals adultery?

2. What are some of the symptoms of friendship with the world? How can we as Christians live in the world and be relevant without being "friends" of the world?

3. God provides plenty of grace for us to overcome our envy, craving for
pleasure, and consequent quarreling. He offers abundant grace to
respond to Him with full devotion. Why does He give us this grace only
if we are humble, never if we are proud?

4. Have you ever wondered why you don't feel God near to you? According to 4:8, is this a failure on God's part or on our part? What should we do when God seems far away?

5. Do you actions show that you are doubleminded or singleminded in your devotion to God? Who does your behavior show is really first in your life?

6. What is a person saying about God and self when he makes plans without
consulting God? What would be the humble attitude toward plans (4:15)?

Let's Go Nats!

Well I'm definitely glad I decided to go out to my very first Nationals game despite the stickyness. It turned out to be quite a nice evening with my half-smoke and $4 bottle of water (minus the cap they take from you because they don't want you to throw it in the stands). Too bad we lost! But I'm glad I got to hangout with you guys. Hope Jumbo Slice was all you hoped for and more!

Here are Lydia's pictures:

Happy Fourth of July!

I hope you all had a great day yesterday. What a blessing it is to live in this country and have the freedom to worship Jesus freely! Do not let this day, week, year go by without thanking God for the opportunities we have here and how we can use what we have to bless others. Also, remember to keep our country's leaders in our prayers.

Luke 12:48 "From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more."

James Chapter 3

Here are the questions for next week's study.

1. The tongue is "set on fire by hell" (James 3:6) and Satan is "the father of lies" (John 8:44). Does this mean that Satan, not we, is responsible for our evil words? Why or why not?

2. Animals can be tamed because God gave man dominion over them at Creation. Why can't man tame his own tongue? (James 3:8) If it isn't possible to attain perfection by completely taming our tongues, how, then, can we control our tongues and become mature (Matthew 19:25-26 James 1:5-8)?

3. Why do you think humility or meekness is such an essential sign of wisdom?

4. In contrast to the maker of disorder is the maker of peace. In light of 3:13-18, what do you think it means to be a peacemaker?

5. Sowing in peace produces a harvest of righteousness (3:18). Why do you suppose peacemaking and righteousness are connected like this?

Upcoming Events!

Nats Game!
Thursday July 5th
Feel free to bring friends!
Opening pitch (the best part!!): 7:05pm
Cost: $5 (Can't beat that) We'll get the tickets at the game that night.
Time/Meeting Place: Let's meet at the top of the escalators at RFK stadium metro stop (street level) at 6:45pm.

It should be fun (even if you don't like baseball)!

Service Opportunity
July 14 & 15
What we need:
Saturday - A group of 5 -10 girls willing to put together about 75 brown bag lunches. We can do this at Emily's or my apartment. I figure we can do this around 11a.m. and then go grab some lunch together or perhaps go to the zoo? =)
Sunday - A larger group of us to pass out the lunches from about 10:45 - 11:30a.m. at Union Station. (Also if anyone with a car is willing to help Em & I get the lunches to Union that'd be awesome.)

This is a great opportunity to serve and "walk" our "talk" this semester. I encourage everyone who is available to come out and take the time to pass out lunches and really engage the people you meet. A lunch is great but a sincere smile and encouraging word can go much farther.

Be still my soul

I experienced God in a very different way this weekend than Kristen did. (Yikes, I give her credit b/c I put on that pack that she carried on her back and I nearly fell over!) I experienced God in a beautiful way that I haven't experienced in quite some time. I was able to just rest on Saturday and He restored me in a lot of ways. I was telling my mom tonight that I just feel like I have had such a reflective past few days. Actually, since Alden left for his wilderness adventure in Alaska I have been able to just rest and be with God in a non hurried way. I am sure camping or just getting out of your element in any way can help you to connect with God in a new way. For me, just resting at my place for a whole day was out of my element and just felt so restorative. The Lord really just wants us to be still sometimes so that He can speak to us. I love it!!