What its really ALL about.

~Luke 2:6-
That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village,
guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared
among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them.
They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be
afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone!
The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born tonight in Bethlehem,
the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby
lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!"
Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others-the armies of heaven-
praising God: "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all
whom God favors."

~Isaiah 9:2
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light-a light that will shine
on all who live in the land where death casts its shadow.

~Isaiah 12:4-6
"Thank the Lord! Praise his name!
Tell the world what he has done. Oh, how mighty he is!
Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things.
Make known his praise around the world.
Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy!
For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you."

:D

The "Refugees" had a great time at the Willow Creek

Christmas Eve Service!!!

Thanks so much Wolfgang and Lauren for inviting us!!!!!!!!

My Refuge.

~2 Sam. 22:2-3~

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;

The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the

horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge;

My Savior, You save me from violence.

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Proverbs 30:5
Every word of God proves true.
He defends all who come to him for protection.

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Psalm 62:7-8
My salvation and my honor come from God alone.
He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
O my people, trust in him at all times.
Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.

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O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God,
are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.
~Psalm 59:17

The Franklins

Terri and Barbi Franklin blessed us on Labor Day Sunday

by doing a concert/worship time in the evening!

Mark introduced them.
And then Pastor John prayed.
And then the Franklins gave us quite a concert!

It was so enjoyable and relaxing to listen to them.

It was a truly wonderful way to spend a Sunday evening!

Frog Jumping Contest!

Labor Day Weekend's Frog Jumping Contest was huge!

I don't know exactly how many frogs were entered,

but there sure were a lot of them!

It sure was loud too with everybody yelling for their frogs!

I wonder if frogs can go deaf...

Pancake Breakfast

On the Sunday of Labor Day weekend the Refuge hosted a

pancake breakfast for the campers at Mendota Hills!
We were only planning on about 80 people, and we ended

up serving over 150!!!

Rich made some really great hash browns.

Mourey, Marge, Jill and I made pancakes.Lauren made scrambled eggs.
Jill also shredded the potatoes for the hash browns.

And my Mom made all the sausages!

My dad was the runner, (so were Wolfgang and Crystal)

And Zoe, Rachel and Irene served all the people!

The breakfast seemed to be a hit!

And of course at the end, a meeting of the minds to discuss next year!

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But let those who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them sing joyful praises forever.
Protect them, so all who love your name
may be filled with joy. For you bless the godly, O Lord,
surrounding them with your shield of love.

Remember

Remember to pray for the people who are hurting today.

Beautiful Flowers!

A few weeks ago I snagged Crystals camera and got

a few pictures of these beautiful summer flowers

at the campground.

I love this bright pink!
They stretch up high!
It's like they are aching to see their Maker's face,
just like we do!

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So God has given us both his promise and his oath.
These two things are unchangeable because it is
impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have
fled to him for refuge can take new courage, for we
can hold on to his promise with confidence.
This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy
anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain
of heaven and into God's inner sanctuary.

Almost time!

Its almost time for Christian Celebration Weekend!

And everybodys finishing up all the last minute preparations :)

Come join us, we'll have lots of fun!!!

VBS Pictures!

1st Day! Snack Time! Campfire snacks!

The game time! Its hard to carry weights and move, so let God take away the burdens of your life!!!

Its craft time! We made bookmarks!

Little beach scene snacks! And gettin' ready for a game!

Who's hungry for Jesus?! The kids had to fill a cup up with water by just using little plastic spoonfuls out of a bucket filled with water.

And paper bag puppets!

Oooh! Some edible acorn snacks! More games!

Lots of fun! Paul came to visit!

Mini fruit pizza snacks! More games!!!! :D

There are so many more pictures, and I'll post more next week,

but here are some for now!

We've been having a great week at VBS!

Awwright!

VBS is in full swing at Mendota Hills!
Today is day 3, and we are gonna have lots of fun!

Pictures will be coming soon!

Picture this

A normal July day that DEVELOPES into a special day for Wolfgang!

Happy Birthday Wolfie!!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy Dawn!

                                                       Happy Birthday to a very special person!

                                       "... All things were created by him, and for Him."

                                                                                          -Colossians 1:16

Happy Birthday!!!!

Today is your Birthday Happy Happy Birthday, Today is your Birthday Happy Birthday HEY!!!!

Happy 15th Birthday Zeb.

PJ

While on vacation, Pastor John found 'his' restaurant!

And wouldn't you know it, the restaurant opens

at 11, so there's still time for church in the morning!

(or at least half a service) :)

Be careful!

Exodus 34:14
You must worship no other gods,
but only the Lord, for he is a God who is
passionate about his relationship with you.

That is such encouraging news, to know that our God
wants a relationship with us! But be careful to never
let anything become more important that him, or
turn to another god.

Psalm 96

Sing a new song to the Lord!
Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
Sing to the Lord; bless his name.
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
He is to be revered above all the gods.
The gods of other nations are merely idols,
but the Lord made the heavens!
Honor and majesty surround him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

O nations of the world, recognize the Lord;
recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.
Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
Bring your offering and come to worship him.
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.
Let all the earth tremble before him.
Tell all the nations that the Lord is king.
The world is firmly established and cannot be shaken.
He will judge all peoples fairly.

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice!
Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise before the Lord!
For the Lord is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge all the world with righteousness
and all the nations with his truth.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Its Glenda's birthday today!You are a treasure to all of us!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Happy Birthday To.....

Happy Birthday to Faith!
Hope you have a wonderful Birthday!