Day 17: Quiet

To begin, click the word 'quiet' below (and come back when you're done):

QUIET

For some of you that may have been tough.
You may still be in overdrive from the big push to finish the semester. But good news! Finals are over, the weekend has arrived, and in some cases many of you are even enjoying a beautiful winter snow. As we all take time away from school, work, roommates, and homework, it can still be hard to find quiet time, to stop and rest. But it is when we forget to take quiet time that we can become weary and tired. 


God promises to always give us rest. As this first official day of Christmas break has begun, I encourage you to take a minute of quiet time today and spend it with God, maybe begin by reading the Christmas account, found in Luke 2:1-20.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." -Matthew 28:28-29

-Kyla Stigdon, CYM Coordinator

Day 5: And that...is love.

            "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." -Romans 5:6-8

              Everyone has one of those times. The really good days. You know which ones, the ones where you feel like the world has done nothing wrong to you and you've felt like such a perfect, ideal person. But those sort of feelings last only a couple of hours or a day, and you're back to where you're getting a bad grade on a test, spreading rumours about your ex, and feeling, overall, pretty yucky.

                  On those good days, Jesus loves you enough that He would die for you. On those bad days, Jesus loves you enough that He would die for you. While we were (not just feeling, were) helpless and sinners, Christ died for us. This passage states that probably no one would even dare to die for even a good (in the Bible, meaning godly) man. But Jesus, the Son of God, gave us the greatest gift, His life. May you remember in this time up until Christmas that Jesus loves you and gave up His life for you. And that is love.

-Matthais Meckes, CYM Leader, Team Living Water

Day 4: Stressed?

As the semester draws near to an end, it can be difficult to find that last extra push to get things done.  Papers, projects, presentations, and finals loom over our heads.  The end is in sight, but it never seems to get here.  Sleepless nights spent working and studying don’t help either.  At some point it can seem futile to be doing so much work for things that you don’t think will matter down the road.

Ecclesiastes 3:22 (NIV) says: "So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?"

At the time when work and school can seem meaningless, remember that they too are gifts from God.  Only seeing them this way makes it worth the effort!

-Amber Birkmire, CYM Leader Team Koinonia

Day 3: Your biggest trouble, gone!

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Take this weekend and week before finals week to rest and thank God for the blessings in your life. Although these times are busy and stressful, we are almost to the end of the semester! Pray for focus and strength to get through this last week, and remember that our biggest trouble on earth has already been taken care of: Jesus has forgiven our sins, and carrying that burden is now light!

-Allison Dodgers, CYM Leader: Team 7:12

Day 2: What are you thankful for?

Thankful ‐(adj) ‐1. Aware and appreciative of a benefit; grateful. 2. Expressive of gratitude.

What does it mean to be thankful? Being thankful is as simple as an action towards God, your parents, your siblings, your friends, or even your acquaintances that shows that you appreciate something that they have done for you. Being thankful should also be an expression of appreciation from your heart.

       Living as a “thankful” person just means that you are making a conscious decision to acknowledge and recognize someone for showing your kindness and compassion, even if you aren’t exactly in the best mood.

      Here’s an example: Say you have an abundance of money. Don’t let this abundance prevent you from recognizing God’s presence in

your life and His goodness towards you. The same thing goes even if you have a shortage of money. (Hello being a college student!) Not having money should not stop you from giving thanks to God, because He is still taking care of and providing for you. 

          Thankfulness is an inward decision to express appreciation, and being thankful is the outward expression of this decision. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16‐18 ‐‐Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.


-Taylor Stone, CYM Leader: Team Rejoice

25 Days until CHRISTMAS

Acts 17: 1-3

 ¹Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. ²And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ."

                  When the disciples traveled it was their custom to go to the gathering place of believers and read the word with one another. There is good reason behind this. If a plant does not receive water, it cannot bear fruit. If a man is not in the word, he cannot for that reason effectively advocate for the truth. Throughout this season, as we prepare for Christmas, let us not give up being in the word. The joy and wisdom we receive from Gods word is endless.  God Bless you today!

-Jordan Schaller, CYM Leader:Team Noiz