Activate Blog

What if?

What if? What if there were a miraculous power that God granted you? It would be a one time thing and you could use it for yourself or for the whole humane race? You could get rid of something or give something? What would it be? And why would you do it?

How do you cope...

So,Activate Students, We have had an interesting month or so. How are you all doing, we have had some catastrophic events and such. I guess my question is where are you getting your strength from? And would you share those with the rest of the clan. I feel comforted when I go to the Psalms and get encouraged there, family is always a good place for me to find comfort as well. Where do you get yours? Is there anything that you have felt God leading you to or even speaking to you with? It is always awesome to hear of how people cope and deal with life issues.
so go ahead get comfortable and share your heart with the rest of us.
Thanks in advance for your vulnerability...

What is the cost?

Activate Students, this morning as I am thinking of how great and completely awesome our God is. I am reminded of the cost. Yeah you know what I'm talking about right? Everything worth while has a price tag attached to it, you know what I mean? Life around us goes by so quickly, at times it drags however all in all it goes by super quick. Have you ever considered that it is probably a good idea to think of the things that you are spending your time on? Your time is valuable, you only have 24 hours a day and you want to make sure you are getting the best out of your time right? Well that is the kind of thing I am talking about, we need to realize that there is always a price tag on everything we do and are about. Yesterday is gone, those 24 hours you can never re-claim. It would be interesting if you could rewind, pause or maybe even fast-forward somethings and yet that is not something that is possible in our reality. I know I'm probably going on a tangent here, so keep reading it will make sense in a bit. I am talking about how every thing we do has a cost attached to it, I will give you some examples...

Brad decides to go to a Friday night party that some friends are putting together, the one thing he did not realize was that some of the people at the party belonged to a gang. As the evening progressed some rival gang members drive by and perform a drive by shooting. It just happens that Brad "In the wrong place at the wrong time" is leaving the party and is shoot in the head and dies on the scene. I know this is a drastic story, however one that is true and happens. Brad payed a steep price that was not worth paying, wouldn't you agree?

Next...

Stephanie is a very beautiful and highly intelligent girl, she has had a boyfriend for a couple of years and now she is a sophomore in high school. Life is good, she participates in sports, has good grades and her life seems to be going in the right direction. One night as she and her boyfriend come out of the theater he suggests going for a drive before he takes her home, one thing leads to another and she gives in to his request for sex. You know where this is going, yes she ends up pregnant, her life has abruptly changed. She decides that she is not going to give up her baby to adoption, she wants to raise this child and yes she ends up losing her boyfriend and she is now carrying the waite of a mother and a father. Again a drastic story, yet one that happens frequently.

So the next story is a dozy, check it... read it, read it and read it again and see what God tells you through it.

Joshua 5:1-9

5 When all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and the Canaanite kings along the seacoast heard how God had stopped the Jordan River before the People of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts sank; the courage drained out of them just thinking about the People of Israel.

^2–3 At that time God said to Joshua, "Make stone knives and circumcise the People of Israel a second time." So Joshua made stone knives and circumcised the People of Israel at Foreskins Hill.

^4–7 This is why Joshua conducted the circumcision. All the males who had left Egypt, the soldiers, had died in the wilderness on the journey out of Egypt. All the people who had come out of Egypt, of course, had been circumcised, but all those born in the wilderness along the way since leaving Egypt had not been. The fact is that the People of Israel had walked through that wilderness for forty years until the entire nation died out, all the men of military age who had come out of Egypt but had disobeyed the call of God. God vowed that these would never lay eyes on the land God had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. But their children had replaced them. These are the ones Joshua circumcised. They had never been circumcised; no one had circumcised them along the way.

⁸ When they had completed the circumcising of the whole nation, they stayed where they were in camp until they were healed.

⁹God said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled a way the reproach of Egypt." That’s why the place is called The Gilgal. It’s still called that.

So...there is always a price to pay, the question, what is the cost? And is the reward or what you will reap?, worth the Cost? Something to think about.

How do you inspire?

Get Inspired!
I was able to see this in a magazine recently and I asked myself, what does it take for me to be inspired? Have you asked yourself that question? I think that this is a legitimate question and one that might have different answers for different people. Really it depends on what you are going through or what phase in life you find yourself in.
If we look back to Jesus, we find that he inspired people probably much more than you and I have ever accomplished? It's arguable at least right? Well from what we know Jesus walked the earth for thirty years and then started asking people to follow Him, from what we can tell He was pretty successful. I propose that maybe before we ask people to be inspired buy what we say or do we should walk what we believe. Just a thought, we can all affect and infect our world, however let's make sure that the inspiration we are contributing is a good and positive inspiration? What do you think?

Trying to make you think and be inspired...

Joe Luna

What do you think?

What do you think...

The question is simple the answer is not. What do you spend the day thinking about? Is it your friends, your money, your music, your toys, your fun or what ever else? What do you think?
I have been thinking, just like they say "you are what you eat" I venture to say " YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK", ha... There you go now what? Is your thinking, let's say "stinkin thinkin" or are you consumed with your God?

Just a thought I wanted to share, what do you think? HHMMM!

Joe Luna

Day Five and Six

Day Seven;

The last two days have been so good.
We finalized our turn in summer day camp with Urban Impact Thursday, that was emotional for our students. They are going to miss those little kids that they built relationships with for four days. It was a rewarding time for all involved.

Yesterday we help Ballard Church put there playground toy up, (we are not done yet) that has been interesting. We had some fun games at the park and got to watch a movie.

Today will be a good work day at Ballard Church, getting ready for there second preview service tomorrow...

God is good,
Joe Luna

Urban Impact

Crazy to even think that Summer Day Camp is over for us today. It feels like our students have connected well with all the kids that are being served here and now we have to say goodby. Sad day, none the less it has been a great opportunity for our students to serve, and I think they have also picked up a thing or two.

Excited for tonight, we will be going over to Operation Night Watch. Please continue to pray that God will continue to push our limitations and increase our capacity to love...

Joe Luna

Slurpee

Day Four;

Today was yet another productive and fun filled day. Our Students are connecting more with the students at Summer Day Camp! Just hearing the stories through the day and on the way back to Ballard has been a real treat. Activate and Elevate students are authentically connecting and developing relationships with the Students, interns and staff of Urban Impact.

Our featured picture shows are very own Ryan Harris. Ryan, Eric and I were running some errands around for the program when we decided to stop by Seven Eleven and pick up a Slurpee. Well the interesting thing was that Ryan had never had one before in his lifetime. I guess there is a first time for everything.

Our evening devotions and collage discussions have been intense. Please keep praying for our students and the
Ministry that is occurring.

Joe Luna

Day Three

Day Three;

What a great time, I think we all were tired at the end of today. What a blessing to be able to meet some great kids in the Rainier Valley. Our students had opportunities to hang out and help l kids with math, science and interpersonal skills. It always such a blessing to work with people that don't know the Lord. To be able to witness of His great love and mercy.

Our students have been able to engage wonderfully with each other and other piers to work and play.

Please pray for unity and strength as we continue to engage.

Joe Luna

Day two Activate/Elevate Mission Trip.

Day Two;

We all had the opportunity to go to Rainier Avenue FM Church, wow great place to meet some Awesome people. We were a part of there youth Sunday School and there main service. During the Sunday School hour we had a couple of students share there testimony, it was well received. :)

When we came back to Ballard we all got to hang some door hangers in the community inviting people to Ballard Church for there upcoming pre-view service this Sunday the 24th. Paul Diaz and his crew have been very cool to work with. A couple of students also helped Paul with a huge playground toy that he is building In there gym area.

Tyler led us in a great time of sharing. Four of our students shared there collage/testimony with the rest of the team. It was a great time of getting to know each other and praying for one another. This group is Awesome! :)

Please be praying for our team as this morning (third day) we get to meet some kids.

Blessings,
Joe Luna