Overwhelmed??

I usually associate the word overwhelmed with tasks, frustration, grief, busy schedules, expectations, etc...but as I hear this song in this Lenten season, I am reminded of the greatest feeling of being overwhelmed I have ever experienced. Think about these lyrics:

"I delight myself in You..captivated by your beauty, I'm overwhelmed, I'm overwhelmed by You. God I run into Your arms, unashamed because of mercy, I'm overwhelmed, I'm overwhelmed by You. I know the power of Your cross, forgiven and free, forever you will be my God. 

And all that you have done is so overwhelming."

When I think about the great love He has for ME, I am overwhelmed. My heart overflows with joy knowing that He has taken away my sin through His great sacrifice. He carries all of my burdens, all of my frustrations, all of my grief, all of my failed expectations. He is beautiful, He is wonderful, He is glorious. I want to be overwhelmed if it means that I can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in my midst. Thank you Jesus for loving me and helping me to be unashamed because of Your mercy.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  John 3:16

God's Not Dead

Please join us for a night of fellowship, fun, food, and movies!!

February 21st 

5:00 p.m.

Free dinner (Spaghetti and Garlic Bread)

Adults' and Young Adults' Movie Choice-God's Not Dead

Children's Movie Choice-Frozen

If you are looking for a new church home or school home, representatives will be available to give tours and provide you with important information. 

PTL Chili Cook Off

Our first annual P.T.L. Chili Cook-Off and Family Minute-To-Win-It Game will be held on February 17th starting at 6:00 p.m. If you have a famous chili recipe that you want to make and share, please fill out the form and return to the school office by February 12th.

Schedule of Events

6:00-6:15 Prayer/Devotions

6:15-7:00 Chili Tasting/Judging

7:00-8:00 Minute to Win It Games

8:00-8:15 Closing Devotions/Refreshments

Amazing Things

I was driving down the road the other day and saw a sign in front of a school that said "Amazing Things Are Happening Here." As a principal, this brought a smile to my face because I know that amazing things do happen in schools. Teachers work hard to make learning fun and exciting, they share their passion so that students can become lifelong learners, they peek curiosity, they answer questions, they provide comfort...and the list could go on and on.

My thoughts traveled to the many amazing things happening at Bethlehem Lutheran School. In the past few months our students have ministered to the elderly at Healthsource, they have shared the story of the birth of Jesus Christ with community members through the Boars' Head festival, they have made Christmas cards for veterans, collected toiletries for rehabilitation patients, sang for the Salvation Army, prayed for each other, comforted each other, encouraged each other, and again..the list could go on and on.

Our school is so much more than academics though. Sure, we teach standards, we hold our students to high expectations, and we challenge their thinking...but the most amazing things happen here when we teach them how to live like Christ!! This is a daily occurrence on our campus, in our homes, and around our community. Our students are being shown what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ and they have multiple opportunities to put this into practice. AMAZING THINGS ARE HAPPENING HERE!

God Does Not Call the Equipped..He Equips the Called

"God Does Not Call the Equipped..He Equips the Called"

This was the takeaway I had from the LEAP meeting I attended yesterday and I have to admit, I was thankful in that very moment for these words of truth. There is a great sense of peace in knowing that God will prepare me for whatever He calls me to do. And the thing is this, He is constantly calling me to places that bring me great pause, He tests me often, and sometimes requires things of me that are uncomfortable.  I stop and wonder "Can I do this? What happens if I fail? What if the outcome is not what I expect?" and then He reminds me that He is continually preparing me to do all He has in store for me. I find great comfort in His faithfulness. 

So, the good news is that God prepares us and equips us to do all things He calls us to do. Roman 8:28 states, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose" and  I Thessalonians 5:24 says, "He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it."

Remember, God is faithful even in the small stuff, so cry out to Him and ask Him to continue to supply you with all you need to carry out His calling in your life. To God Be the Glory!!

Church Blitz

I am proud to announce that the students were given a goal to be intentional about attending worship on Sundays (or Saturdays or Mondays...whichever day your family attends).

The goal was to reach 80% so that Mr. Parks would have to sleep on the roof overnight, and today we calculated church attendance for the last two weeks for all grades and it averaged out to 82.7%. Great job! Mr. Parks will be on the roof the beginning of next week!

While setting goals is fun and energizing, and we will certainly set some more of these goals to get our kids engaged, the real purpose is to encourage our families to come together for a time of worship.

We teach our children each day about the gospel of Jesus Christ and we walk with them as they grow their faith. An important part of this process is to worship regularly so that they can build a personal relationship with their Lord and Savior. Matthew 18:20 says, "For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am in their midst." What comfort there is in knowing that when we worship, the Holy Spirit surrounds us with His presence.

We are blessed to have the opportunity to be in His word and praise His name together through song as the body of Christ. Walk with us as we continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus as the church! If you are looking for a church home, please feel free to join us on Sunday mornings or Monday evenings. If there is anything we can do to support you in your journey, please reach out to the principal or a teacher, we would love the opportunity to pray with you!

To God Be the Glory!

More of You...Less of Me

As I was driving home the other night after a really long day, a song came on the radio with a lyric that caught my attention. It made me stop and ponder the greatness of God and think about my real desire to get closer to Him. The lyric was this.. "Empty me of myself until the only thing that is left is MORE OF YOU AND LESS OF ME." 

So many times we find ourselves preoccupied with our own "stuff" that we lose sight of what God has in store for us. Decisions, thoughts, actions often become about the things of this world and are not focused on the promises made by the One True King...I don't know about you, but I want more of Him in my life in every way. 

Romans 5:8 says, "Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored (The Message).

This once again reminds me we need to spend time in worship and in His word so that our eyes are always fixed on Him. Lord, increase in us!