Weeks 13 & 14: Psalm 100

Psalm 100: A Psalm of Praise;
or rather of thanksgiving

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, He is God!
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to Him; bless His name!
For the Lord is good;
His steadfast love endures forever,
and His faithfulness to all generations.

Hello friends and family:

How fitting is it during this season of Thanksgiving to start this blog with a reminder of the goodness and greatness of the Lord and that we should be entering into his presence with Thanksgiving each and every hour of our lives. Our happy God should be worshipped by a happy people; a cheerful spirit is in keeping with his nature, His acts, and the gratitude which we should cherish for his mercies. What a powerful feeling when we enter into His gates with Thanksgiving Oh! How thankful I am for His lasting faithfulness and uncompromising love.

Thanksgiving 2006 was spent in Colorado Springs with my dear friend Megan. It was a joyful time spent with some other young Christians. The fellowship was splendid and the food was out of this world (thanks again Megan!!) That would be Megan and Karen working hard (or playing) in the kitchen Thanksgiving afternoon. It was pretty rough not being able to spend Thanksgiving with my family and friends back in Delaware. However, the Lord has provided me with a family out here and it was a wonderful experience. I thank Him constantly for all of his provisions that He has prepared for me ahead of my arrival out here in Colorado. I would love to hear some of the things you all have been thanking the Lord for this past year!

This weekend I was also able to visit my cousin, Scott, and his family. He has three adorable girls who I was able to meet for the first time. I look forward to spending more time with them while I am out here. It is great having friends and family throughout the state for me to visit.

Last week with the guys was spend mostly working on the house for Habitat. The guys have been very diligent on getting the roof done. It is a joy watching them work and give some time of themselves by helping others. They are very proud of the work that they have done. One of the guys who volunteers for Habitat is from Lancaster! He has been out here since September and is a Christian as well. He grew up in a Mennonite family back in PA so we have had some opportunities to share with eachother. That has been a blessing as well.

Saturday we took the guys cross country skiing. Well, it was supposed to be cross country skiiing. However, it turned into extreme skiing on cross country skis! The guys had a blast playing in the snow, even though most of them fussed about it initially! I ended up smacking my tailbone against the jump and am still quite sore, even though it has been a week!

Well, I am about to head back into the field, for my second to last rotation. It has been a wonderul ride so far out here in Colorado and I cannot thank all of you enough for all your prayers and support. Now, onto the prayer requests:

1. Please continue to pray for Toney E. Unfortunately his temper has gotten the better of him and he was discharged from the program unsuccessfully last week. He does not have much by the way of a supporting family and at this point is back in detention. The owner of the program had a lengthy conversation with him and I pray that his words will sink into Toney.
2. Please pray for Dave, one of the guys who was on my rotation. He will not be back for the rest of the season due to being burnt out. This is a very tough job and one can be burnt out very quickly very easily. Please lift him up. We had gotten quite close this past fall and I hope to be able to stay in contact with him.
3. Please pray for the young men as they face their last three weeks out here. Please pray that they will be able to go home to a loving and nurturing living situation that will support a positive lifestyle for these young men. Young men who have been in the system have very little to no aftercare once they have completed a program like ours. Unfortunately they get lost and many wind up where they were before.
4. Please pray for me as I plan for my two months off. I am extremely excited about seeing my family during Christmas. Please pray for all of us as we spend time together.
5. Please continue to pray for Lindon, Dalston, Carson, Chris M., CJ, Josh S., and Josh V. These young men have all finished the program and have returned back home. Please pray that the Lord watches over them and keeps them as they struggle with this hard time of adjusting back into their lives. I see and hear from Dalston and Lindon regularly and they are doing reasonably well. I ask you to lift these young men up.
6. Please pray for me as I enter myfourth month out here. I am beginning to miss home. Please pray that I stand firm with the Lord and in His Word. Please pray that He gives me strength and guidance and to remember that I am doing His work and doing it for His glory, not mine!

Well, that should be about it! The temperatures are dropping as is the snow!! I have yet to get to the slopes but I plan on it very soon! As always, I look forward to hearing from you all...and hopefully seeing many of you out here shortly!

Love in Him Always,
Chas