Lent Day 27, Monday, March 31, 2025

“Forgive Someone Else”

We have begun the fourth week of Lent, so if you’ve made a Lenten Commitment, you might already be more than halfway through!  On the other hand, if you haven’t chosen to do anything specific for God this Lent, that’s okay.  This is the perfect time and day to begin.

Our Challenge today is to forgive someone else.  This is one of the more difficult Daily Challenges we’ll face this year.  Why?  It’s not easy to forgive someone for the pain they’ve caused us, especially when we are right.  No matter who we are, we have a great desire to be correct. 

This is a topic that could be stretched in many ways.  For instance, sometimes we want to be more than right.  We want to be proven correct, and we want an apology.  Then, at times, we want the other person to make a full admission of guilt, requiring them to provide a complete understanding of the specifics involved, as if it will somehow make us feel better.  Other times, we push it so far that we require a public apology and statement of our righteousness so that we can be justified in an embarrassment (or even slander) that we experienced.

Forgiving someone can be tricky, often because we will only offer it under certain circumstances.  We tend to put conditions on our forgiveness, some of which are so restrictive that forgiveness can never be granted.  Yes, yes…this is all basic stuff, but this is also very difficult. 

True forgiveness, like the forgiveness God offers to each of us, doesn’t come with conditions or requirements (Thank God!).   Instead, the forgiveness that God offers is provided to us out of God’s goodness, not our potential for good behavior or understanding of the bad thing we did. 

Today’s Challenge for Lent is to forgive someone for what they did to us.  Don’t worry about making them apologize.  Don’t even worry about making contact with them (although that would be fine if we did).  Instead, let’s go to God in prayer and seek to forgive that person from the purest intentions of love and grace.

We can do this one.  It won’t be easy, but we’ll be surprised at how much accomplishing this one task will help our day, week, and a lifetime of well-being.

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”  (Colossians 3:13, NIV)

 Lent Day 26, Sunday, March 30, 2025

“Defeat the Ghost of Easter Past”

If you’re reading this early in the morning, you might think that you’re seeing something wrong.  No worries:  You are correct.  Today’s Challenge for Lent is to Defeat the Ghost of Easter Past.

So, assuming that most people recognize the Ghost of Christmas Past from Charles Dickens’s 1843 novel, “A Christmas Carol”, today’s Challenge is along the same lines.  However, instead of the ghost carrying us back to review our past, we’re going to do it ourselves by committing to move forward, past the pains of the past. 

Our previous pains, mistakes, and regrets are powerful restraints that can prohibit us from moving forward.  The issue with them is not that they are hurtful.  Instead, our problems arise because we are unable to let them go.

Our pains and sufferings are real enough.  They are also valid, regardless of our age or context.  The fear they caused was bad enough, and many of us are still haunted by those fears.

Today’s Lenten Challenge is to Defeat the Ghost of Easter Past.  Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross and the resurrection that follows accomplishes many things on our behalf.  One of them is that we don’t have to allow ourselves to be prisoners forever.  We are promised a perfect life after this one, but we are also promised that this life can be much better as we allow God the opportunity to heal us so that we can experience lives of hope, joy, and love.

What is your ghost?  What haunts me?  Today’s Lenten Challenge is to kick them to the curb and burn rubber, leaving nothing but a plume of smoke and lessons learned for another day.

“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”  (Philippians 3:13-14, NLT)

 Lent Day 25, Saturday, March 29, 2025

“Thank a Military Member”

Today is National Vietnam War Veterans Day, remembering those men and women who bravely served the United States in the Vietnam War.  Approximately 2.7 million servicemen and women were involved in the War, over 58,000 of whom lost their lives.

Crossing two decades of the 1960s and 1970s, the Vietnam War involved five U.S. Presidents, thousands of public officials, and hundreds of millions of people who struggled to understand the issues.  Unfortunately, the public’s reception of the returning soldiers was not always hospitable, adding incredible insult to an already severely wounded soldier and their loved ones.

We don’t have to go into the details to be thankful.  Someone else was brave enough to fight for the liberties we experience and enjoy.  We can show our gratitude by telling someone who served in the Armed Services our most heartfelt thanks for their service.  God gave the gifts of courage, commitment, and duty to a few people who need to be recognized.  Find one of them this weekend and give them a genuine “Thank You” for their service.  

“We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right.”  (2 Thessalonians 1:3a, ESV)

 Lent Day 24, Friday, March 28, 2025

“Caffeine-Free!”

Argh!  It’s the dreaded “Caffeine-Free” Friday, one of the Daily Challenges that repeats each Lenten Season.  If you haven’t noticed, each Friday, we face a different dietary challenge.  The good news is that each Challenge is only 24 hours.  The bad news is that we can’t consume caffeine today.

Have no fear!  As with all our Friday, diet-related challenges, if you haven’t consumed any caffeine today, you’re already well ahead of the curve.  Simply count backward to the last caffeine you consumed and begin counting from there.  Once you arrive at 24 hours, you’re in the clear.

Another good thing about today’s Challenge is that all sugar is okay.  So are all meats, cheese, and everything else.  Come to think about it, considering the only thing I can’t have today is caffeine, this should be simple!  The rest of the world is available to me!

If you’re thinking about Adam and Eve, then you’re on the right track.  The first two people God created, Adam and Eve, could eat and drink anything they wished.  Only one thing, the tree in the middle of the garden, was forbidden.  As long as they avoided that one thing, they were safe.  

But as you probably know, Adam and Eve finally gave in to their desires and took from the tree, against God’s Command.  Of course, in that original story, we’re not told how long they made it without giving in to the temptation.  They may have lived for thousands of years in the Garden of Eden before they broke the rules.

Compared to the Garden of Eden, today’s Challenge is simple:  Caffeine-Free for 24 hours.  We can do this and honor God.  If you start to fall apart and think you’re not going to make it, take a few moments to pray, giving God thanks for the coffee bean.  After all, God created coffee, so it can’t be all bad!

“No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.”  (1 Corinthians 10:13, NRSVue)

 Lent Day 23, Thursday, March 27, 2025

“Donate Food”

Today’s Challenge for Lent is another easy one, but it might be the most important one of the entire Season.  Why?

In the United States alone, there are more than 47 million hungry people, including 1 in 5 children.  This amounts to about 13.5% of the population.  Considering that the US is typically considered the most wealthy and capable country in the world, the hunger statistics are astounding.

One in ten people in this country is hungry today.  If we drove into town today, we’d probably see evidence of those who are hungry.  Some of them are standing on the street corner with cardboard signs, while others are walking along the busy street from place to place.  Most people in need, however, aren’t peddling for handouts.  Most of them are working marginal jobs for menial pay.  Multiple families live in the same home, sharing one car and trying to get everyone to school and work.

Speaking of school, 14 million children in the United States experienced hunger last year.  Thankfully, many children are able to eat at school.  But unfortunately, when they get home, they don’t eat.  That means that Spring Break could be a week without food.  Summer vacation could be several months without meals available.

Even if we want to ignore the statistics, we shouldn’t ignore our neighbors, the child who sits next to our child in the classroom, or the adults who struggle to find work that can sustain them.  Today, let’s collect non-perishable food.  Make plans to donate the food to a local shelter, nonprofit, and especially your local church. 

At the Chapel, we are dedicating the entire month of April to helping with food insecurity.  Lot’s of churches will be doing the same, but if they aren’t, the church will know where the food can go.  Get it to them.  If we give the world hunger problem some attention, we can make a real difference. 

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in…” (Matthew 25:35, NIV)

 Lent Day 22, Wednesday, March 26, 2025

“Pray for 15 Minutes”

Landing in the middle of the week, it’s time to add a little fertilizer to our Lenten Journey.  Whether we’ve been steadfast since Ash Wednesday or just happen to be accidentally reading this article, consider giving God 15 minutes today in prayer.

Praying to the LORD doesn’t take any training or expertise.  Each of us has our own unique and valuable approach to prayer.  Some folks like to read prayers written by modern-day pastors or theologians from long ago.  Other people talk to God just as they talk to a friend or family member, while some folks direct their quiet thoughts into whispers of words upon their lips.

However you talk to God, take some time to be intentional about it today.  For those who struggle with concentration, break it up into three separate five-minute prayers or something similar.  Although the 15 minutes is most helpful, it might be impossible for some people for a variety of reasons.

The purpose of this Lenten Challenge is to help in the development of our relationship with God.  The more time we spend with the LORD, the more we begin to understand God’s work in our own lives and the world beyond. 

Get a jumpstart on the rest of the week!  Pray for 15 minutes today!

“Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”  (Romans 8:26-28, The Message)

 Lent Day 21, Tuesday, March 25, 2025

“Read for One Hour”

Today’s Lenten Challenge, to read for an hour, was chosen for several reasons.  First, reading is a healthy activity.  Second, today is National Tolkien Reading Day, referring to the popular and influential author J.R.R. Tolkien.

J.R.R. Tolkien, most well-known as the author of “The Lord of the Rings” series, has inspired the imaginations of countless children and adults with intense characterizations and moral and ethical lessons.  Readers don’t have to know about Tolkien’s deep Faith to enjoy the fantastical adventures of a variety of endearing characters in Tolkien’s stories.

However, once we become aware of Tolkien’s Faith, it is difficult to not see Tolkien’s Christian lessons that are prevalent in the stories.  As a close friend and colleague of the author C.S. Lewis, the author of “The Chronicles of Narnia”, the two authors met regularly to discuss their books and Christian Faith.

Though both Tolkien and Lewis were incredibly successful and important authors, the resulting films that were produced years later have exposed billions of people to their works who may have previously not discovered their writings.  In particular, Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” series is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential film series ever made, winning 17 Academy Awards and being named by the Library of Congress for preservation in its National Film Registry in 2021.

All this is cool, but guess what?  It all began with a book, and, though films and videos are wonderful, nothing and no one else is nearly as creative as our own imaginations.  And, of course, the creative kind itself is a gift from the great Designer: God.

Read for an hour today. Yes, you can break it into segments if needed, but open a book and let your imagination take off! 

“Examine everything carefully and hang on to what is good.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:21, CEB)

 Lent Day 20, Monday, March 24, 2025

“Bless Someone Today”

Today’s Lenten Challenge is to bless someone else.  Since it’s Monday, this is the perfect day to tackle this Challenge.  Mondays are normally met with tired eyes and limited smiles, especially for those who are beginning another week of work.  So, on the day in which lots of folks normally struggle to enjoy their own day, we’re challenging ourselves to try and bless someone else, thereby giving up our own needs to help fill a need for someone else.

How can we bless someone today?  The ways and means are endless.  Oftentimes, any interaction with another person can prove to yield potential blessings.  The task could be to help someone with a project, give someone a gift, assist another person with their health needs, or offer any other manner of assistance.  This is not something that requires a lot of effort.  Instead, blessing another simply requires us to pay attention to those with whom we have contact today, and genuinely listen to them.

What needs can we fill?  How can we help someone else?  The LORD will provide plenty of opportunities to bless another person, so pay attention!  We might just discover that in blessing another person, we receive blessings in return. The frowns of Monday could then very easily become a great joy on this first day of the week.

“Make sure you don’t take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship—a different kind of “sacrifice”—that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets.”  (Hebrews 13:16, The Message)

 Lent Day 19, Sunday, March 23, 2025

“Eliminate One Fear”

As we begin another week during Lent, we address something that everyone faces:  Fear.

What do we fear?  The dark?  A certain person?  A situation that we are involved in?  A place that haunts us?

Everyone fears something.  Some of us battle fear daily while others of us are able to stash it for a while.  What we don’t realize is how much that fear controls our lives.  Sure, the more serious the situation might be, the greater the impact on us.  But no matter where we are or whom we are thinking about, God is already involved in that situation.  

Sometimes we use God as a crutch in these instances, leaning on the LORD and even calling upon the LORD to help us overcome the fear.  However, most of the time we are probably calling upon God to temporarily help us when we should be seeking the LORD to eliminate it completely.  Oh, sure, we might be calling upon the LORD to fix something completely.  However, if we don’t do our part by becoming vulnerable to the LORD’s work, we might just be using a bandage on the problem.  

We shouldn’t be satisfied with the temporary fix.  We should always be seeking the permanent fix of the fears that control us.  When we are faithful, God answers and provides.  Fear does not need to control us any longer, but we must do our part.

This Lenten Challenge is a great opportunity to address something that we’ve avoided for much too long.  What is it that we fear?  Can we give it to the LORD today, permanently?  Yes, we can!

“For God did not give us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.”  (2 Timothy 1:7, NET)

 Lent Day 18, Saturday, March 22, 2025

“Eliminate One Bad Habit for 24 Hours!”

Ouch!  Today’s Lenten Challenge should be difficult for most of us, but not impossible.  All of us have something we know that we need to eliminate.  However, instead of getting rid of it for six weeks or an entire year, today’s Challenge is just one day.

What do you need to give up?  Coffee?  Alcohol?  Smoking?  Cursing?  Something more extreme? 

Unfortunately, we know what problem we need to give up, so don’t shy away from it.  Just one day.  We can do this, and in the process, demonstrate to the LORD that our worst habit is NOT more important than our God.

Eliminate One Bad Habit for 24 hours!  It’s going to be difficult but we can pull this off!

“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.”  (Proverbs 16:3, CEB)

 Lent Day 17, Friday, March 21, 2025

“No Sugars In Food or Drink”

Arggh!  This Friday, the Lenten Challenge is literally for the birds.  Birds are happy with unpolluted drinks, but not me.  If I can’t get my sugar and caffeine, I’m likely to be a little edgy.  Thankfully, caffeine is okay today, as long as I don’t add any sweeteners.  Dad gum!  No Mountain Dew!

I’m not convinced that this Challenge is good for me.  Natural sugars are okay, which should be helpful.  Orange Juice is fine because the sugar is natural.  I suppose one could say that honey, molasses, and the like are okay, but brown sugar and maple syrup are illegal.  The real point of this challenge is for me to pay attention to how much sugar and artificial sweetener I put in my coffee, how much Mountain Dew and Coca-Cola I drink each day, and how often I choose sugar-added foods and drinks at restaurants. 

Thankfully, this Challenge only lasts for 24 hours.  Since I haven’t consumed any sugar since dinnertime last night, I only need to make it to about 7 pm tonight before I consume sugar.  Essentially, by the time dessert is served tonight, I should be in the clear.  Of course, I gave up sweets for the entire Lenten Season, so dessert isn’t going to help.  At least I’ll be able to have my normal morning drinks tomorrow morning.  No big deal!  I’ll make it!

Today’s Lenten Challenge is to remove sugars and sweeteners from our diets today.  No Mountain Dews, no sweetener in your coffee, and if your normal creamer is filled with sugar and artificial flavors, that’s illegal, too.  Be smart.  Be creative.  Do something for God.  No matter what you do, God will honor it.

“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power.  For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.” (Revelation 4:11, NIV)

 Lent Day 16, Thursday, March 20, 2025

“Plant a Seed, Flower, Plant, or Herb!”

When was the last time we planted, anything?  Last week?  Last year?  Never?   

Today is the first day of Spring!  Warmer weather and the anticipation of swimsuits and swimming pools abound.  The changing weather is one sign of a new season, but the emergence of new growth is what many people notice. 

Are you a flower and plant person?  Or do you prefer crops and herbs?  Maybe trees, fruits, and berries are your thing.  Whatever you prefer, God is the One who creates it all.  Sure, we can do all kinds of things with science and horticulture, creating bigger tomatoes and fluffier roses.  However, only God can create the seeds, roots, foliage, and produce.

If your thumb is green, this will be an easy Challenge.  However, if your brown thumb kills every plant by touch, this won’t be easy.  Don’t fret; we have confidence in you.  One option might be to purchase a plant or save the seeds from your apple or lemon.  Then, search the web for instructions on how to care for what you’ve chosen, and follow the directions.  It’s not difficult to make the effort, but like so much of life, God just needs our participation and assistance along the way.

So, what will it be?  What will you and God choose to grow?  Don’t miss this Challenge.  If you can’t plant today, do your research today and plant this weekend.

It’s the first day of Spring!  In honor of the LORD, get busy planting something!

“Let my teaching fall on you like rain; let my speech settle like dew.  Let my words fall like rain on tender grass, like gentle showers on young plants.”  (Deuteronomy 32:2, NLT)

 Lent Day 15, March 19, 2025

“Read the Bible for 15 Minutes!”

Today’s Challenge for Lent is to read the Bible for 15 minutes.  This should be an easy task to complete, but if you’re not in the habit of reading at least that long, it’ll be more difficult than you might think.

Let’s be frank:  Reading the Bible is, in fact, something really easy to do but very difficult to accomplish.  People don’t read the Bible for lots of reasons.  Some say it is out of date.  Others say it’s boring.  Some folks might say that the Bible doesn’t make sense.  I’ll agree that all these reasons, plus many more, might be valid.  However, in the process of agreeing with you, I need you to agree with me:  You need to be reading the Bible more often.

Now that we have that settled, let’s talk about the importance of reading God’s Word.  We don’t read the Bible just because it is full of wisdom.  We don’t read it just because it helps us to make more solid, effective, and lasting decisions.  Nor do we read the Bible just because it gives us tangible examples of how to live our lives.  No, we’re supposed to be reading it because it is God’s Word, and it would be good for us to hear a message from God every day.

It’s okay if you don’t agree with each of my reasons… just read it today.  Completing this Challenge will make a difference that will satisfy me and benefit you.  In fact, I’ve scheduled this Challenge on a Wednesday, so if you don’t have anything to do, join us for Bible Study at 10 am in person at the Chapel or 5:30 pm in person and online (Zoom live and recorded), and you’ll accomplish this devotion and be somewhat entertained at the same time.  

“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  (Psalm 119:105, ESV)

 Lent Day 14, Tuesday, March 18, 2025

“Hand Write and Mail a Letter”

When was the last time we wrote a letter to someone in our own handwriting?  Some of us might be old pros at today’s Lenten Challenge, while others haven’t written and mailed a letter in years.  Many more of us haven’t received a hand-written, mailed letter, in a very long time.  But even still, our non-sending or non-receiving shouldn’t keep us from both this week!

There’s something special about receiving a hand-written letter.  Some folks might consider it inefficient, and in some respects, that may be true.  However, the time and effort required to send a handwritten letter is something that everyone can understand.  Even more, when we receive a letter, it’s impossible not to recognize that someone else cares.

Today’s Challenge for Lent is an easy one.  It’s also easy to procrastinate and even avoid because it’s going to take some time to accomplish.  Don’t let this fall by the wayside!  We have the opportunity to change the direction of someone’s day or even give some direction to someone’s week. 

We’re about to provide someone with something special.  Think about someone who needs it and make it happen!

“So continue encouraging each other and building each other up, just like you are doing already.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:11, CEB)

 Lent Day 13, Monday, March 17, 29025

“Be/Wear Green”

Today’s Lenten Challenge is to Be/Wear Green in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.  Green is the color we most associate with St. Patrick, so we’ll likely see plenty of green today.  Some folks will wear green to prevent from being pinched by leprechauns if we get too close to their hidden treasure.  Others will wear green to honor the Church since green represents the color of life, something that was very important to St. Patrick.  Still, other folks will wear green because this is the one day we can wear special outfits from our closets.

Of course, since today’s Challenge is to Wear Green, we’ll have one more viable reason to act accordingly.  But part of the Challenge is also to “Be Green”, representing the Bold example of St. Patrick.  As a young man, St. Patrick was captured at his home in Britain and enslaved by pirates who took him to Ireland.  Six years later, he escaped, returning to Britain to eventually become a priest.  Sometime after his ordination as a priest, St. Patrick felt that he was called by God to return to Ireland as a missionary of the Church.

After returning to Ireland, St. Patrick established over 300 churches and several monasteries during his lifetime.  The churches flourished.  The monasteries played crucial roles in preserving and copying the Bible in multiple languages, and many people considered these monasteries the finest centers of education in the world.

But why green?  St. Patrick was originally associated with the color blue.  It wasn’t until much later that the color green was adopted by the Irish to represent defiance of foreign rule.  The Irish people wanted independence and were willing to put their lives on the line to achieve it.  They adopted the shamrock as a symbol to remember the courage of St. Patrick, and as the Irish crossed the oceans to America, green became the standard color for everyone on St. Patrick’s Day.

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, Be and Wear Green today.  By doing so, you’ll keep the leprechauns at bay.  But remember, if you do get pinched and you’re wearing green, it’s because you’re close to the secret stash, so open your eyes, and you might get lucky!

“Don’t forget to pray for me. Pray that I’ll know what to say and have the courage to say it at the right time, telling the mystery to one and all, the Message that I, jailbird preacher that I am, am responsible for getting out.”  (Ephesians 6:19-20, The Message)

 Lent Day 12, Sunday, March 16, 2025

“Take a Step in My Faith Journey”

On the second Sunday of Lent, we consider something good for all of us:  We are asked to move forward in our relationship with the LORD.

Okay, what does this mean?  This is where I’ll put on my pastoral hat for a few moments while also leaning on years of experience working with people to help them strengthen their relationship with the LORD.  I’m qualifying my comments because I want you to know that I have seen some incredible, even miraculous things occur in the lives of people because they were striving toward the LORD.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  If you decide to start praying and reading your Bible today, I don’t expect you to hit the lottery.  Nor will all of your problems go away.  All I can do is assure you that when our hearts and minds are aligned with God, good things happen.  Sometimes, the good thing is nothing more than a new attitude towards our problems.  For some of us, that would be a miracle.  Other times, the good thing that happens is a blessing that appears from nowhere, like a refunded deposit from a utility company or a neighbor who asks us to dinner.

Recognizing that our relationship with God can always use some improvement, the next step is figuring out how to develop our relationship.  I don’t know where you are in your walk with the LORD.  You may still be on the starting blocks, or you might be just feet from the finish line.  Wherever you are, here’s something I do know about your situation:  You already know, without question, exactly what you need to do to improve your relationship with God.  Think about it.  Now that you have it in mind, anchor it so that you don’t forget.

Today’s Challenge is to take the next step in your Faith journey.  God is already waiting to deliver and is excited about your future together.  Today is the day! 

“When you search for me, yes, search for me with all your heart, you will find me.”  (Jeremiah 29:13, CEB)

 Lent Day 11, Saturday, March 15, 2025

“Clean Out the Closet and Drawer!”

Woohoo!  It’s the second Saturday of Lent, bringing us to face a Challenge that we’ve avoided for a long time.  Today’s Challenge is to clean out that dreaded closet and/or drawer! 

If you’re asking yourself which one to clean out, you’re probably able to answer your own question.  If you have more than one closet and drawer that needs help, do them all.  You might have issues, and it’s time to fix them.  Yes, yes, I know this is painful.  Trust me, I’m not excited about this one because I’m one of those who is asking, “Which one?”

As you may know, earlier this week (Wednesday, March 12), we were challenged to clean and organize.  At that time, we were specifically asked to avoid closets and drawers so that we could prepare for today’s Challenge. 

The reason we need to complete this Challenge is that our junk closets and drawers have become an excuse for why we don’t need to put things away.  When we make excuses over and over again, it can become habitual in other areas of our lives.  The junk drawer isn’t sinful or problematic on its own, but the pattern of behavior could become trouble.  That’s why we’re doubling up this week and tackling two clean-outs in the same week.

Today, clean out that junk closet and drawer.  The season of Lent represents an opportunity for us to do something for God since God has already done so much for us.  These Challenges, as silly as they may seem, give us an opportunity to demonstrate to God that we are thankful.

Can we do it?  Yes, we can!

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”  (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT)