NEGST Steps 1-13-2008

Dear NEGST Team,

It was great spending time with you on Friday evening. I was encouraged that you are all so excited about returning to Kenya and NEGST in January 2009. Here are some important dates to put on your calendar.

Jan 15-29, 2009 Planned dates for our NEGST trip

March 10, 2008 at Judy Parker's, NEGST team meeting (we're celebrating Polly's birthday and Carol is bringing the chocolate cake.) Judy will send directions and coordinate the food as we get closer to that date.

June 20-22, 2008- Retreat at Ed & Carol Fischer's B&B in WV, lodging and breakfast are on us.

We will need volunteers to host in August, October, and December. The host can pick the dates.

For those of you in the drama, please come to the March event prepared to perform your lines for the first skit. It will be our first chance to perform without a rehearsal. Check with Anita, she has the DVD(in MaryBeth Kirschman's mailbox at Grace) that you could perhaps borrow to see the VBS series of skits associated with Son Treasure Island. It will be our first opportunity for peer review. We will perform each of the remaining 4 skits at the next meetings.

I am so encouraged to have each of you on this team. If you know of others, just as talented and as special as you, we are open to growing our team. So, if they may be interested, please let me know. If we have a larger team is is easier to distribute the workload, and free up team members so they have more flex time.

Ed Fischer
Qwest Communications
Global Account Manager
Government and Education Solutions
410-694-4745 Office
410-299-1947 Cellular
edwin.fischer@qwest.com

January 13

God Is Faithful

Great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:23b

While driving to church one Sunday morning, I was feeling rather discouraged. As I crested the hill, I noticed the gospel sign on a brother’s mailbox post. It read: “God Is Faithful.” Only three words, but, oh, what a message they contained! This message, reminding me that God is faithful and true, lifted my spirits and gave me fresh courage. He will keep and fulfill His promises to us.

We can look to faithful brethren for help and for an example. But they are only human. With time they may disappoint us. We remember those who once were faithful pillars in the church, brethren who cried out against sin and were seemingly infallible, yet they proved unfaithful

But not so with our God. He is not made of flesh and blood as man is. He is not vulnerable to the temptations and snares of the devil. It is impossible for Him to let us down and disappoint us.

We can depend on Him. What He said thousands of years ago is still true today and will be throughout eternity. How would it be if we did not know whether God was going to be in the mood to help us or be with us tomorrow? Might he take a day off, and His grace be insufficient for our needs?

Praise God! Our Lord is not so! He is faithful, unchangeable, and dependable. Therefore, we can face tomorrow and whatever the future holds with a calm
trust. We need not be of those whose hearts fail them for fear (Luke 21:26).

Mark Coblentz, Flemingsburg, KY

God never sends a burden to weigh us down without offering his arm to lift us up.

Bible Reading: Hebrews 6:9-20; 1 Corinthians 1:8, 9
One Year Bible Reading Plan:
Matthew 10:24–42
Genesis 31, 32