-
As I sat in church on Sunday morning, the pastor was sharing about faith rhythms of our homes. He began with the charge that Jesus gave us in Matthew 28:19-20:
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
As he continued on, the pastor shared that spiritually healthy homes are homes where discipleship is taken seriously. To his point he said, "We need to give God to the people in our homes first." While this is a longing, desire, and goal of my heart as I am sure it is yours too, it is also an area, if I am being honest, in which I can do better. Shining the light, love, and JOY of Jesus, being the light, hands, and feet of Jesus, and loving others in our homes and even our world no matter the circumstances first begins with me. How do I do all of these things in a world that is just so broken? How do I ensure that my family is walking in His truth, love, and light? How do I keep my heart, mind, and spirit focused up when life seems to be breaking down around me/us? How do I make disciples around me? The pastor then brought us back to the greatest commandment first taught in Deuteronomy 6:5-9:
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
The action items taken from this passage that I walked away with were:
1. Believe It!
2. Say It!
3. Live it!
4. Share It!
But God in His infinite wisdom, grace, and mercy knew not to leave it there because when I was doing some of my own study later that day, He lead me to the same message/commandments, but this time taught to us again by Jesus in Mark 12:29-33:
"Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."
As I reflect on these passages, the action items from the pastor's teaching, the recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, my own heart, my home, our school, and even our country and world today, I thank and praise God for His timely reminder both on that day and throughout His Word that the presence of His love in this world starts with my own heart! I pray that we can continue to encourage one another so our hearts can be filled and overflowing with the light, love, hope, and JOY of Jesus today and every day!
and
The Jr. Cougar Showcase and Concert!
After several meetings and lots of prayer, it has been officially decided to postpone Jr. Cougar Week/Adventure Days and the Jr. Cougar Showcase and Concert until the spring. Among others, one of the hopes is that we might be able to host portions of the events outside, maybe even under a tent, so stay tuned! The new dates for Jr. Cougar Week/Adventure Days are April 19 - 23, culminating with the Jr. Cougar Showcase and Concert on Friday evening April 23. There has been talk of possibly having the showcase in the gym to allow for more social distancing and the concert outside, but those details have not been finalized yet. We will be further discussing all that surrounds this most special week in our beloved elementary abode in our upcoming team meetings. So make note of the changes on your calendars and take a deep breath....praying and trusting that our show will go on this year! Whoop! Whoop!
Appearance Code Reminder
This is just a reminder that between November 1 and April 1, Jr. Cougars should not wear shorts OR shorts with leggings to school unless the temperature forecast for Morgantown is 60 degrees or above.
Ooey, Gooey Mud!
The cold and the mud are here to stay,
at least for a little while anyway.
But our Jr. Cougars still love be outside to run and play.
Please be sure they have mud shoes here
and appropriate winter weather gear
to keep mostly clean, dry, and warm the little ones you hold do dear!
January 18 - No School - MLK Day
January 21 - Middle School Open House
January 28 - Elementary Open House & Preschool Story Time
February 6 - TSA Regionals
February 8-12 - Jr. Cougar Week
February 15 - No School - President's Day
February 18 - Kindergarten Sneak Peek
March 5 - End 2nd Trimester
March 8 - No School - Teacher In-service
March 31 - April 5 - Easter Break
Thank you for allowing CCS to partner with the Lord and you
to share this part of your child's journey
in growing spiritually, academically, socially, emotionally, and physically.
Go Jr. Cougars!
WHOOP! WHOOP!
WHOOP! WHOOP!
