Psalm 119:105

YOUR WORD IS A LAMP FOR MY FEET, A LIGHT ON MY PATH. Psalm 119:105

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Merry Christmas!

HIGH SCHOOL CHAPEL
Tuesday: The four high school choirs sang selections from their recent Christmas concerts. Below is a photo of the Varsity Choir and a short video of the Concert Chorale




YouTube Video

Thursday: We watched a slideshow made by Grace Berens that highlighted Student Ministries' chapels at Westside & Humboldt, and the Humboldt dinner. We watched a Christmas video. We ended chapel with a rousing Christmas carol sing with the small band of Lanenga/Pelt/Miller.



MIDDLE SCHOOL
In addition to singing Christmas carols, we were treated to Christmas music by the Middle School Orchestra and Freshman Girls Choir.







CHAPELS AFTER CHRISTMAS:
High School: Tuesday, Julia Pattison. Thursday, Mr. Mitchell
Middle School: Mr. Davidson

Location:Timothy Christian Schools, Elmhurst, IL

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Psalm 19, Singing, Prayer, Lindloff

HIGH SCHOOL CHAPELS
TUESDAY: I "dramatically" presented Psalm 19. The Psalm is about God's world, God's Word and our walk. The student band then led us in worship through singing.
Guess who our drummer is:



THURSDAY: Mr. Lindloff let us peak in on his family during their advent devotional time. His wife and children joined him on the stage. Mr. Lindloff led the family with a short advent liturgy and then told a Bible story with little wooden figures. The chapel was captivating for his kids and the high school kids!



MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAPEL: We had an advent prayer chapel: private prayer, praying together, drawing, sharing prayer requests, reading the Bible. It was awesome to see the middle schoolers take the time so seriously and be engaged with prayer.






NEXT WEEK
High School: Choir and Christmas Chapel
Middle School: Christmas Chapel

Location:Timothy Christian Schools, Elmhurst, IL

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Thinking of Others, Thinking of Advent

HIGH SCHOOL CHAPELS
TUESDAY: Ashley, from WAR Chest Boutique, spoke about how this store in Naperville helps "Women At Risk". The problem of human trafficking is much bigger than we realize. Timothy Christian is partnering with this store for an event called "aDress the Issues".  See the school's website for  more information.

Students Anthony and Sarah shared about their heart for Africa by promoting an event called Afrocka. Money raised as these events has contributed to building a Christian school in Kenya. Then Grace shared about her heart for autistic children at Elim Christian School in Palos Heights. Grace works there in the summers. She described how difficult the work can be and also how God has given her such a love for these kids.


THURSDAY: Students, Lexi and Kate, along with Mr. Mitchell shared about a service opportunity at By the Hand in Chicago. The video below explains this ministry more.



Also on Thursday we had a time of advent prayer. Students spread throughout the auditorium to pray. On the stage we had a tall cross, blankets, Bibles, paper, and art materials (pencils, crayons, markers). It was a holy time of prayer, as silence, except for those praying together, fell over the auditorium.

MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAPEL
On Wednesday we had a chapel focused on the persecuted church. We watched a video. Students read stories about current persecuted Christians and prayed for them. To help us remember to pray for persecuted Christians, wristbands are being sold for $1.
NEXT WEEK
High School: Singing with the student band on Tuesday and Mr. Lindloff on Thursday
Middle School: Time of advent prayer on Wednesday

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Elmhurst Police at Chapel?

BOTH MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL CHAPELS THIS WEEK: Frank Visconti of the Elmhurst Police Department spoke on Wednesday to the middle school and on Thursday to the high school. He is the police officer/detective assigned to York High School.

Officer Visconti shared his testimony and a message from God's Word, focusing on the difference the cross of Christ makes in our lives. He committed his life to Jesus Christ sixteen years ago. This was the result of the witness of an Elmhurst pastor, tragedy in a middle school, receiving a Bible from an atheist, and of course, the Holy Spirit working on his heart.



NEXT WEEK
High School: Tuesday-2 students will share about ministries they are involved in. Thursday-Advent prayer chapel
Middle School: Wednesday-the Persecuted Church

Location:Timothy Christian Schools, Elmhurst, IL

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Thanksgiving Video from my home (and with my dog)


YouTube Video


HIGH SCHOOL CHAPEL on Tuesday: We spent about 20 minutes with an open mic for students and faculty to share what they are thankful for. What a great, encouraging community time!
MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAPEL: Mr. Bosman led us in an extended singing time. We concluded with students sharing what they are thankful for.
NEXT WEEK: Frank Visconti, an Elmhurst police officer, will be speaking in both chapels.

Location:Elmhurst, IL, United States

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Care Convention & the Band (acoustic set)

HIGH SCHOOL CHAPEL ON TUESDAY:
The theme of the chapel was "caring". It began with a little skit with Becka, Andrew V. and myself. It is hard to explain, but I pretended to get mad at Andrew. It certainly got people's attention! Next Jimmy Larkin talked about our Compassion child, Odenel, and the needs of Haiti in light of Hurricane Sandy.

The main part of the chapel highlighted the 7th grade Care Convention. Many high school students volunteer for this yearly day-long event by being small group leaders or support staff. We heard from a couple small group leaders and then saw three of the skits the support staff performed.



MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL CHAPEL ON WEDNESDAY:
The student-led worship band led in two chapels back to back. It was an acoustic set, and they did a great job. More importantly, they led everyone in worshiping our great, glorious and gracious God.

YouTube Video

NEXT WEEK: Special Thanksgiving chapels with opportunities to share what students are thankful for.

Location:Timothy Christian School, Elmhurst, IL

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Guys & Girls and Middle School students lead chapel

HIGH SCHOOL CHAPEL ON TUESDAY:
The girls met in the audiorium with our speaker from last week, Alyssa Paulsen. She spoke about how it is so important for girls to base their sense of worth in God and not in guys. The picture below is Alyssa with her cousin and TC student, Hayley. Both of them are involved in the USA Ambassador pageant. See last week's post for more info about this program.



The guys met in the gym with Justin Burkholder, youth pastor and husband to one of our Spanish teachers. He spoke about the internet and moral purity. His message was direct and heart-felt. He spoke about why sexualized images are harmful, the path to freedom from this trap, and how important it is to commit to Jesus & receive forgiveness.



MIDDLE SCHOOL: Here are some of the highlights: Jill played a flute prelude; Tearney opened with prayer; Arianna sang a song she wrote; many students read favorite Bible passages along with Samantha sharing a summer spiritual highlight. Olivia, Kaleigh & Luke played guitar while Ava & Aliyah sang "Forever Reign". Then Andy, Jonah & Michael played "Pharaoh, Pharaoh". Matthew closed us in prayer!

NEXT WEEK: HIGH SCHOOL--Care Convention skits & testimonies and Student band leads in worship. MIDDLE SCHOOL: the high school student band will also lead the MS chapel.

Location:Timothy Christian Schools, Elmhurst, IL 60126

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Miss USA Ambassador, Adams' Band & Hymn Chapel

HIGH SCHOOL CHAPELS
TUESDAY: Alyssa Paulsen spoke about defining our image on what God thinks of us and not on what the media tells us. Alyssa is a junior at Wheaton College and is the 2012 National Title holder as Miss USA Ambassador. This pageant focuses on "success through leadership, integrity, character & confidence."

THURSDAY: "5 Hymns Every Christian Should Know". Of course there are more than five, but these were selected to guide our worship time from adoration to the cross to our faith to our response. Before each hymn, the history of the hymn was read. A combination of faculty and students came to the stage to help lead. The instrumentation--piano: Mrs. Lanenga, violin: Ms. Salvatori, viola: Miss Sommars, flute: Mr. Pelt and Miss Luy. WHAT HYMNS did we sing? Watch the video to find out!


MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAPEL
WEDNESDAY: We welcomed Mrs. Adams' husband, Vinnie, and his band (Adam, Jacob & Anthony) to lead us in worship. Take a look:


NEXT WEEK: High School--girls in the auditorium and guys in the gym for separate chapels.
Middle School--students will lead the chapel with Scripture, testimony and song.


Sunday, October 28, 2012

My Brother and the Student Band

BOTH HIGH SCHOOL & MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAPEL ON TUESDAY: My brother, Cliff, spoke. He and his family (his wife and three children) are missionaries with YWAM, based in Perth, Australia. It is one of the biggest YWAM bases in the world with over 20 ministries and many different training schools: http://www.ywamperth.org.au/.

Cliff told about his call to missions which began while he was in middle school. As he spoke about his missions work, he made this point to the students: Listen for God's Voice, calling you, directing you. He challenged everyone to live with a "kingdom of God" perspective. It was the general consensus from my classes that while we don't really look alike, we speak alike.


HIGH SCHOOL CHAPEL ON THURSDAY: Alex Johnson led the student band as we worshiped God by singing, Take It All, From the Inside Out, One Thing Remains, How He Loves, Our God. About 30 students stayed after chapel to keep singing!


NEXT WEEK
High School: Alyssa Paulson, Wheaton College student, on Tuesday and "5 Hymns Every Christian Should Know" on Thursday. Middle School: Mrs. Adams' husband and band will be with us to lead in worship.

Location:Timothy Christian School, Elmhurst, IL

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Encourage One Another

HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAPEL: Both chapels were on Tuesday and were the same except Will Roelofs lead singing in the middle school chapel and Mr. DeKoekkoek shared a story in the high school chapel about challenging students to be more open about their faith at Timothy.

Theme of the chapel: encouragement to talk more about our faith and how our Bible reading is going. The chapel featured 4 skits about school life: reading the Bible on the bus, freshmen asking a senior about his Bible reading, trying to impress girls with fake spirituality, and volunteering to pray with a friend. There was a volleyball video that highlighted how the varsity team encouraged one another after each point whether they won the point or not. We need to be encouraging each other daily. Last, Becka, Anthony and Nathan shared about how they are being challenged in their Bible reading.

YouTube Video

THIS WEEK
High School: Tuesday--Cliff Wiener, Thursday--singing with the student-led band
Middle School: Tuesday--Cliff Wiener

Location:Timothy Christian School, Elmhurst, IL

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Most Spiritually Powerful Chapel of the Year!

HIGH SCHOOL CHAPEL ON THURSDAY: This post will not do justice to the spiritually rich time we had in chapel, but I will try. The chapel ended with the stage and front filled with students seeking God and desiring to put Jesus first in their lives.



It was simply "WOW!". The theme of the chapel was Christianity, the message of the Bible, at its essential core is not religious deeds but a relationship with Jesus Christ.

We opened in prayer, a reading of Hebrews 4:12-13, and singing "Revelation Song." I briefly talked about the importance of a relationship with Jesus. We watched an "I Am Second" video of Wayne Huizenga, Jr.'s testimony (see below). Then I invited students to take a step of faith and get out of their comfort zone and come forward.



TUESDAY'S CHAPEL: The high school was lead in worship by the Kuyper College worship team and choir on Monday. This college group from Grand Rapids was not only skilled, but also passionate about worship!

MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAPEL on Wednesday: we had Andy Pasek from Elmhurst CRC speak. He gave the students a great challenge to be faithful in reading God's Word.

NEXT WEEK: Both the middle school and high school chapels will be on Tuesday. The chapel will feature some humorous skits and serious challenge about encouraging one another in reading God's Word daily.

Location:Timothy Christian School, Elmhurst, IL

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Service, A Miracle, and "Now is the Time"

HIGH SCHOOL CHAPELS
TUESDAY: Jimmy started off by sharing about our school's Compassion Child, Odnel Selus in Haiti. He challenged everyone to donate spare change from lunch. We then highlighted two service opportunities. Harriet Boerman spoke about New To You Resale. Sam and Tommy told us about their service experiences with New To You. Then Lisa, Kathy and Melissa shared about how students can serve at Park Place, right next door to Timothy!



THURSDAY: Through speaking and a video, Mr. Woudstra shared how this summer God spared the Navigator's Colorado camp, Eagle Lake, from a raging forest fire that was headed right to the camp.



MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAPEL: Kate, Ellie, Philip and Jason, four high school students, shared how God worked in their lives in middle school. The chapel emphasized how spiritually important middle school is. Now is the time to really seek Jesus and be praying for God's direction in their lives!


NEXT WEEK: High School. Monday: Kuyper College choir leads us in worship. Thursday: Wayne Huizenga, Jr. "I Am Second" video. Middle School: Andy Pasek from Elmhurst CRC.

Location:Timothy Christian School, Elmhurst, IL 60126

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Community Building in Chapel

HIGH SCHOOL CHAPEL
TUESDAY: We split up into our chapel seating sections. Each teacher took their group somewhere, inside or outside, to have a small group time. The purpose was to get to know better those sitting around you in chapel. Besides a sharing time, Psalm 19 was read, and there was a time of prayer.
I lead a group, and we met under my favorite tree on campus!






THURSDAY: Two 1st grade classes visited us and sat on the stage. We sang songs in English and Spanish. Judy read from Psalm 100. I told a story based on the Octoberfest set. The theme was thankfulness. The story was about Bob the grumpy bear, Berry the bluebird, Belinda the bumble bee, and Gary the goat. The chapel ended with the 1st graders saying the Lord's Prayer and leading us in the motions as we sang "Awesome God."



No middle school chapel last week due to the Wednesday late start.

NEXT WEEK: High School, Tuesday--New To You and Park Place will present service opportunities. Thursday--Mr. Woudstra will share about the miracle of Eagle Lake, CO from this past summer. Middle School--4 high school students will share about how God worked in their lives when they were in middle school.

Location:Timothy Christian School, Elmhurst, IL

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Missions and Singing

HIGH SCHOOL CHAPELS
TUESDAY--We had one more chapel with students sharing about summer mission/serve trips. We heard from Shannon & Emerson and Charity. Then students from the youth groups of Elmhurst CRC and Lombard CRC shared. It is really good to hear what students did. The chapel becomes profound when students share from their heart how God worked in their lives.
THURSDAY--Chapel began with Justin and Daniel sharing about their church's serve trip. Then the student-led band led us in singing. The video gives you just a taste of the chapel (but doesn't truly reflect the wonderful, worshipful time of singing!).

YouTube Video

MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAPEL
"Three Seasoned Professionals", Hoeksema, Sytsma and Peterson, shared about what God impressed upon them this summer. We then saw a slideshow of student summer pictures.


NEXT WEEK: High School: Tuesday--chapel seating section sharing & prayer outside, or maybe inside. Thursday--a special chapel with the 1st graders, a time of singing and a story. Middle School--no chapel due to the late start.

Location:Timothy Christian School, Elmhurst, IL

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Do You Smell? and Student Missions

HIGH SCHOOL
Tuesday: Chapel began with a Scripture reading from Matthew 25 by Mr. Lindloff, Vince Williams and Mr. Wiener's sophomore classes. We then sang "Speak O Lord" led by Mrs. Raley on the piano, John Hoheisel on the violin, and the chamber choir. Mr. Boven spoke and asked the question, "what do you smell like?" He talked about all sorts of interesting smells from wonderful to disgusting. But then he asked how we as Christians smell? 2 Corinthians 2:14, But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.


Thursday: we heard student testimonies from summer missions/serve trips to Kentucky, an Indian reservation in Wisconsin, El Salvador, and Philadelphia.


MIDDLE SCHOOL: After singing with Mr. Pelt and Mr. Wiener, we heard from the teachers briefly about a summer highlight and a word of spiritual encouragement. It was made into a contest. First, 3 tall teachers (you can guess who) came to the stage and 4 student contestants had to guess what teacher went with what summer photo. Then we had 4 lovely lady teachers take the stage.


NEXT WEEK: High School: Tuesday-more mission trip sharing and Thursday-first singing chapel of the year with our student band. Middle School-teacher summer photo guess and sharing by "3 seasoned professionals", and student sharing about summer spiritual highlights.

Location:Timothy Christian Schools, Elmhurst, IL

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Chapel Theme for 2012-2013

BOTH HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL: The chapel theme of the year was introduced: "His Word in our Hearts" with the verses Psalm 119:10-11, "I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Practically speaking, all students were challenged to READ THE BIBLE EVERYDAY. I have made a Bible reading plan for those who need a plan. You can find it by clicking the link on the right side of this blog. All students were asked to write down their Bible reading goal for the year. The video below shows how students were called to respond.



HIGH SCHOOL'S Thursday chapel: After a slideshow of students by/in trees from the summer, we had a prayer chapel. It was a time of worship, confession and petition. Part of the time was silent prayer. All the students respected the silence. God was in our midst.

NEXT WEEK. High School on Tuesday: Mr. Boven speaking; Thursday: student testimonies from summer mission/serve trips. Middle School: teachers share about their summer & a word of spiritual encouragement.




Location:Timothy Christian Schools, Elmhurst, IL

Sunday, September 2, 2012

First Week of TC Chapels, week of 8/27/12

HIGH SCHOOL CHAPELS
We started school with a chapel talk by our new principal, Mr. Mitchell. He began by allowing students to ask him questions about his life (What sports do you like? Why did you come to Timothy? Are you Dutch?). The picture below summarizes his challenge to the students. He also invited students to write service ideas on the white board in his office.




On Thursday we had a chapel we do at the beginning of every year. About 10 teachers submit a picture from their summer. Four teams of students (from student council) have a contest guessing what teacher goes with what picture. The teachers then share a Scripture and how the photo related to their walk with God. The photo below is from Mr. Hartgerink from his daughter's wedding.



MIDDLE SCHOOL CHAPEL
Chapel began with an "introduce yourself to others" game with cash prizes (total value: $4). We then all crowded on the stage for the singing of some fun, camp songs led by Mr. Gesch and Mr. Wiener. Arianna read Ps. 1:1-3. Mr. W. gave a talk on the purpose of chapel using a Duncan Keith bobble head and trail mix.




Location:Timothy Christian Schools, Elmhurst, IL

Sunday, August 26, 2012

What bothers you?

I, along with other teachers, took a prayer walk around Timothy's campus the other morning. As I prayed, I came across one of the biggest Buckthorn tree/shrubs I have ever seen. It's an invasive species. I wanted to cut it down. It bothered me (but I easily redirected myself back to prayer!).

What bothers you? The answer to that question can reveal a lot about you. Think about it...what bothers you? DO YOU GET BOTHERED BECAUSE YOU DO NOT GET YOUR WAY OR BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT LIVING FOR GOD WHOLEHEARTEDLY? One path leads to increased frustration. The other path leads to repentance and God's grace. Matthew 6:33.








Location:Timothy Christian High School, Elmhurst, IL

Sunday, August 19, 2012

The Heavens Declare

So my family went to the Chicago Air & Water Show yesterday. I spent a lot of time looking up and being amazed. I thought of Psalm 19 which says "The heavens declare the glory of God. The skies proclaim the work of his hands." But here I was at the show gazing to the "heavens" and marveling about the power, ingenuity, and engineering skill of mankind. I'm not criticizing the show and really cool airplanes. I am just making this point: we can sometimes be so amazed with technology and forget how amazing God is. Spend time looking at God's world and God's Word (maybe Psalm 19) and think about how nothing compares to God's power, ingenuity, engineering skill...and love.





Location:Oak Street Beach, Chicago, IL

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Making Decisions

Have to make a big decision? Here are some thoughts...

1. Use the pressure of the decision to increase your motivation to pray and surrender to God in all areas of your life.
2. Seek advice and wisdom from others you trust and if possible let some time pass.
3. Make the decision and trust in God's providence. You don't need to be nervous. Your life is in God's hands. Proverbs 3:5-6

Oh, yes, one more thing...go for a prayer walk in the woods. The photo is from a recent walk of mine at the Morton Arboretum.




Monday, August 6, 2012

A Level Life is a Prayerful Life

Successful home construction involves making sure the house is level. When you enter a home you notice so many things, but you probably are not impressed by the house being level. Nevertheless, this behind the scenes reality is necessary. Personal prayer happens behind the scenes. It involves faith because you are not "doing" anything. But in God's economy, prayer matters; it is essential. Mark 1:35, "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." A LEVEL LIFE IS A PRAYERFUL LIFE. How is your prayer life?




Tree Pictures Due

INCOMING TCHS STUDENTS: in order to enter the "pick your chapel seat" contest, please send a picture of yourself and a tree to mactrees40@gmail.com by this coming weekend. Please pass the word along to others who may not receive this message. Thanks!




Sunday, July 29, 2012

Drought

Although recent rain has greened the grass, the effects of this summer's drought remain. You may know that I notice trees. I took a picture of a sad tree in the park--a tree that may not survive the drought. How has your summer been spiritually? Are you well-watered or in a drought. Jesus says in John 4 that he gives abundant, living water. Do not look to the world to satisfy your thirst for security and significance, for love and meaning. Look to Jesus. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33




Sunday, July 22, 2012

Sitting By A Pond

Weeping Willows and Linden trees,
Sitting here makes me feel at ease,
Wild flowers and meadows green,
Create a setting so serene,
The pond, the fountain, even the geese,
My heart is glad, my soul's at peace,
The rich, blue sky and the clouds pure white,
Top off this scene with endless delight.
My God, you're an artist beyond compare,
And now please hear my simple prayer,
Make me a picture, a sculpture, a song,
That lets the world know to you I belong.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Caring for People

During the youth serve trip to New Orleans, I got to know Christina (her picture was in last week's post). She works on homes full-time and gets paid hardly anything. Her car has near 300,000 miles on it. But her smile is big and her heart is huge. She is committed to helping people who are still suffering from the after affects of Hurricane Katrina. Christina's life is totally focused on being a blessing to others. Briefly I met Robert Green, who survived the hurricane on top of his roof and the roof of a floating car, and who lost his mother and a granddaughter during the flooding. He shifted his plans for retirement because he heard God's call to help the people in his neighborhood in the lower ninth ward. POINT: to deeply care for people means to sacrifice for people. How is God calling me to serve others in Jesus' name?





Sunday, July 8, 2012

When Plans Change

This week I was with my church's youth group. For months we had planned to go to Colorado Challenge, a week filled with challenging and fun activities, like rappelling and white water rafting. Due to forest fires, our trip was cancelled. Fortunately we were able to organize a serve trip on short notice. We went to work on homes in hot and humid New Orleans. The picture is of my work group and the home owner of the house we were working on (I learned some mean drywall skills). The house was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina and the family survived in a neighbor's attic. Anyway, it was a great week, but in different ways than the potential Colorado trip. POINT: when plans change, don't complain. Trust in God. Look for how he is leading you and what he is teaching you. What did I learn last week? I will share that with you next week. Proverbs 3:5-6.




Location:New Orleans, LA

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Going out on a limb




Very often in life we are confronted with taking risks, but we hesitate. We like the familiar, the comfortable. However one of the best ways to grow in faith is to...(you have heard this before), get out of your "comfort zone". A great question to ask yourself is "how is God calling me to be bold in my faith in Jesus Christ?" I would like to hear how you are answering that question: mactrees40@gmail.com. Also TCHS students please send me some tree pictures with you in the picture. Psalm 1

Location:Grand Junction, CO

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Living in Peace

Our family was in Colorado last week. One afternoon we hiked the Grizzly Creek Trail in the Glenwood Canyon along Interstate 70. At one point we stopped and sat on a huge boulder in the shade right next to the creek/small river. We were quiet and listened to the rapids and soaked in the beautiful surroundings. Then it hit me...all of the stress of life's responsibilities and frustrations of life's difficulties were gone. It all seemed so far away. I was at peace in God's presence, in God's creation.

But God offers us peace wherever we are. One way to look at the Sabbath rest God calls us to, is to weekly pull away from everything that stresses or burdens us. Put it in God's hands. We usually do not like to relinquish control, but we need to. Just rest in God's love, peace and presence. It is real and nourishing and needed. Simply live Psalm 23. It will change your life.




Location:Grizzly Creek, Colorado

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Silence in the woods

This past week I led my TC summer camp, Outdoor Explore. I usually have about ten students. This year twenty-eight 5th through 8th graders signed up (my wife helped me lead the camp).

I save one of my favorite hikes for last. On Friday we hiked in the creek at Waterfall Glen. At one point I was so struck by the beauty of God's creation, I asked everyone to be quiet for about two minutes. Even though the group was large, everyone was quiet. We looked at and listened to nature. Students were challenged to pray and/or just contemplate God's presence and greatness. It was such a worshipful time. How about you doing this outside this summer?

Psalms 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God;

This is a camp photo, but not of Waterfall Glen:





Location:Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve, DuPage County, IL

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Tree Walk (surprise, surprise)

My daughter is playing in a summer basketball league in Lisle. This is a new thing for both of us. I went to a couple of games this week and both times arrived early. To be honest, my first thought was we left too early, and now I have to wait around. But then I thought...waiting means an opportunity to go on a tree walk! Little did I know that Lisle High School is right next to the "crown jewel" ( I read this on a plaque) of the Lisle Park District. It is a park with vast open spaces, trees, lakes, hills--beautiful.
A FRUSTRATED PLAN CAN RUIN YOUR DAY OR OFFER YOU A WONDERFUL UNPLANNED OPPORTUNITY. Be on the look out for opportunities to marvel at God's world, to pray for and help the needy, and to be a light for Jesus.







Location:Lisle High School, Lisle, IL

Saturday, June 2, 2012

God's World and Word

ATTENTION all incoming students to Timothy Christian High School:
Take a great picture of you and a tree. There is a prize! The student with the best picture from each class will get to choose their chapel seat for next year. Email the picture to mactrees40@gmail.com.

Also please e-mail to mactrees40@gmail.com thoughts on how God has spoken to you through the Bible this summer. Thanks!




Location:Timothy Christian High School, 1061 Prospect, Elmhurst, IL 60126

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Last Week of TCHS Chapels

May 22: Senior Chapel. Seniors sit on the stage to watch the 17 minute, 500 plus picture slideshow that Mackenzie put together. To close, the faculty formed a circle around the soon to be graduates and prayed.

May 24: Last chapel of the year. With the seniors gone, students sat where they wanted to. The time began with asking random students what they are doing this summer. We then had a time of Scripture, song, challenge, and prayer.

'12-'13 TC High Students: remember the tree contest! Send photos with you and a tree to mactrees40@gmail.com. Also send devotional highlights from the summer to this address as well.







Location:Timothy Christian High School, 1061 Prospect, Elmhurst, IL