2015 is almost half way over. Seems like we were wishing everyone a Happy New Year just the other day. It’s crazy how fast time seems to go when we’re all so busy with this, that or the other.
“Be still, and know that I am God!” is one of those verses that seems so simple. If we could slow down and actually live this verse on a daily basis, maybe we could enjoy the time that is flying by a whole lot more knowing that God wants to be a part of our lives. Finding the time to “be still” seems to be the elusive task. Maybe sticky notes placed strategically throughout my house and desk will help with remembering that. I hope and pray that it will.
Chrysalis is in between Journeys for the time being, and I would encourage everyone to pray for a renewed interest in Chrysalis and what it can mean for our young people. We have had to place the High School Flights on hold for now due to a lack of Caterpillars. The last Young Men’s Journey did not happen due to timing and other factors. It hurts our hearts when we have to call a Journey because there weren’t enough young folks signed up. These young people are the future leaders of homes, families, businesses and yes, even government. Chrysalis is one of many tools that can be used to help ensure that these leaders have the foundation of Jesus Christ to make decisions in life that will inevitably affect us all. I hope that you will join the Chrysalis Board in praying that we will soon have waiting lists for our Journeys and many more lives will be transformed by the experiences had on a Chrysalis.
Again, if you have any questions about Chrysalis, please let me know and I will do whatever I can to get them answered.
Fly with Christ!
Denise Chumley
weezydc@gmail.com
806.928.0925
We came into March with expectations of having a full Journey for the young men of our community. Jason Lindeman and his amazing team were ready and willing to share Jesus with them as were we. Unfortunately, those expectations weren’t met, and the Journey did not happen. So many times we look for Jesus, as did the women who visited His tomb, with expectations of finding something tangible that we can place our hands on, see, smell or hear. Those women were asked “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!” Not what they were expecting at all. As Easter arrives this month, we can have hope that when our expectations on Friday aren’t met, just remember, Sunday is coming!
Psalm 104:19 says, “You made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to set.” Spring is just around the corner, we just have to get through all the snow, ice and cold that seem to be a weekly occurrence of late. Although the moisture we’ve received will help all the flowers and lawns, and also help the farmers prepare for the upcoming growing season. Our aquifer will also be replenished to give vital water to the life cycle. So, there is a method behind the madness of a later winter!
February…the month for love. The media would have you believe that love is all about what we can buy for those we love to show them how much we love them. But, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” It was a free gift that no other earthly gift can ever come close to matching. I can’t say I don’t enjoy chocolate or a nice bouquet of flowers, but it pretty much fails by comparison to the gift of eternal life.
A huge thank you goes out to Ashley Yates and her team for getting 2015 started out with a bang. Young Women’s Journey #36 saw six young women either accept Christ as their Savior or rededicate their lives to Him. There were many obstacles that were overcome in order for this Journey to have happened, but everyone was faithful and God did amazing things for those new butterflies and we look forward to see how He continues to work in them.
As we move into this new year, I was reminded of new beginnings and fresh starts. Now I don’t know how many of you remember Kenny Roger’s song “The Gambler”, but it’s now featured in a Geico commercial so it’ll probably be stuck in your head the next time you see it. Which is a good thing in regards to the new year. How does this relate you ask? We all have stuff that we tend to keep around for 
various reasons, be it physical or emotional. As the song goes, “You’ve got to know when hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em; know when to walk away; and know when to run.” I pray that through the transition into a new year, you might take those words to heart, and find the time to take inventory of sorts. Hold on to what you need to, fold what you don’t. Walk away from what isn’t good for you, and run from what is keeping you from nourishing your relationship with our Creator. I know I’ll never hear this song the same way again, even if it comes in the form of a commercial.
