AL

· back for 4 months

· hopes to learn and grow closer to God for the next few months

Kevin

· strayed for 8 years

· feel like God is calling him back in university

· hopes this will be the experience that will bring him back to God

JT

· Christians always say there are ups and downs in spiritual walk

· but we can have the assurance that we have been born of imperishable seed

· we can have hope in Christ, whether or not our feelings in God change or not, His love for us is everlasting and never changes

· 1 Peter 1:22-25

· desire Him

JW

· have a cat at home

· started letting him out in the backyard

· worried he might run away

· always checking outside where he is, etc

· every time he would come back

· feel like a parent

· God is like our parent

· we turn away from God from time to time

· but God is always looking out for us, waiting for us to come back home

KW

· 2 terms ago, worked in Montreal

· C4C at McGill

· good change from CCF, focus on evangelism

· more chances to go around campus to talk to people or at work during lunch times could talk to people in food court

· many people in Montreal don't speak English that well, and I didn't speak French lol..sometimes it was a little awkward

· we are fortunate to be in a place where we all speak one language

· lot of chances went to waste because we couldn't understand each other

· lots of people want to talk about the faith

· sometimes we are scared to share our faith, if our intentions are straight, it's actually not that hard

· a lot of people on campus don't have the opportunity to talk about deeper things or about faith

· might be strange to talk to people you don't know, but most people are willing to talk

MC

· been reading a book, which starts off talking about eulogy

· "eu" means good, "logos" means word, good words used to describe someone

· eulogies aren't really for people who die, they should also be said to people who are still alive

· it can be a challenge to tell others the good things they have done, and how they have blessed your life, etc

· if you appreciate something that someone did for you, the best thing to do is to go up to them and give them some good words (eulogies)

· Mary understood about giving people good things/words when they are still alive when she poured expensive perfume on Jesus' feet

· we should bless each other

JQ

· few brothers and I have been able to meet up with Mormon missionaries

· they believe in a gospel that is different than ours

· really scary because 90% of what they preach is really similar to what we believe

· learned a lot because it's one of the few times that I've been challenged to know the doctrines/faith that I believe and to defend it

· study your Bible well, because it's the truth, authority

· KNOW what the gospel is that you believe in, be able to defend with the Word

· many false prophets and gospel that are different than the truth

GL

· been working in Ottawa for past 8 months

· can be difficult to be away from your main spiritual family for a long time

· been doing Bible studies in Ottaw, book study on book called "crazy Love" by Francis Chan

· talks about worrying and stress

· ex. of worry: at work, there's a lot of pressure from supervisor to finish work, first week of school was really hectic, didn't know how to get back to Toronto, etc etc

· if you worry, you're not trusting God and His will for you, not trusting in His Sovereignty in your life

· being able to praise God regardless of the circumstances you're in

· Romans 8:28, Matthew 6

· God is in control, what do you have to worry about?

DM

· Philippians 4:4-9

· a carefree guy, I don't really stress

· stress and worrying shouldn't be attributes of a Christian

· v.8-9

· when you think of good things, the bad things don’t even matter anymore

· hold on to what is good and true

· remember God’s faithfulness in the past, He’s the same yesterday today and forever

PC

· purpose of everything that happens to you if you are believer is to conform you to the image of Christ, to make you more like Jesus, because that is what God has called you to be

· Romans 8:28-30

· If you are a believer, that’s what you want

· To know that all things, sufferings and trials included, is to make you more like Christ, is a huge comfort to know, that it is all to mold you into the image of Christ

JC

· Able to go back home before school term started in Hong Kong

· Able to share to family and church about what I have been learning here in CCF

· True faith brings about change in your life

· Felt a little pride while sharing about his experiences in CCF

· Strength that we draw from is from God

· We can do anything that is according to His Will

· It is only by God’s grace that I’m even able to share

· On plane, was thinking if I died there, that I wouldn’t have anything to regret, thinking of what God would say

· Got “grilled” by customs for bringing too much “net worth” of things back to Canada

· Realized that it’s not what I’m good at that makes me who I am, I need to depend on God

· Ended up getting out ok, God provides

CM

· Didn’t get much sleep the previous term

· Got my mother angry unknowingly

· Through the week that it happened, was in “agony”, was a little stressful, so appeared to be really angry to other people

· I would go home in the night, pray and think about what I did to make her mad

· Realized the investment of time to people that are close to you

· Is really easy for us to spend the time with your friends, and forget about your family

· Focus so much on what is happening in this very moment, time and place and forget about everything else that is happening in the world, in your life

· Often our excuse is that we have work, busy, etc

· It’s about how we spend our time, even if our schedule is busy

· Parents invest so much time, effort and love on you, shouldn’t there be an urge to return some of the love?

· ***sidenote: everyday should be “Mother’s Day”/”Father’s Day”

I started thinking a little bit more about the topic and decided to make a new blog for it. 

http://christfullife.blogspot.com/

Check it out for the blogpost.

---taken from Zondervan Daily Inspiration (link)

You can face anything in life - anything - and have that same inner peace and joy. And when you do, it's contagious. It lifts up everyone else around you. Isn't that the type of person you want to be? Instead of joining over and over again in the whining about how bad things are, just your presence shows others that, hey, life is still a wonderful gift we should all be enjoying.

The other day I was relaxing in my recliner after having spent five hours in the emergency room the night before. I'll admit I was exhausted, and the pain medication wasn't working as well as I would have liked. I looked around and saw my family going about their lives as usual. Video games. Chores. Music. Laughter. My wife, Pat, was fixing breakfast. Even our new little puppy was settling into a comfortable routine and enjoying everyone's efforts to spoil him. A visitor stopped by to chat. Some friends from church surprised me with a birthday cake - I had almost forgotten it was my birthday. So there I sat, surrounded by so much goodness even as I'm feeling lousy. My favorite cake is staring at me, but I have no appetite. My eleven-year-old runs past me, and I don't have enough energy to grab him and wrestle him to the ground like I used to. I'm trying to have a conversation with my guests, but between the short night and the powerful pain pills, I can barely stay alert. And you know what I'm thinking? Can you imagine how close I am to being overwhelmed with what is happening to me?

The words practically shouted from inside of me: "Isn't God great? What a privilege to be his child!"

-Ken Hutcherson, Hope Is Contagious

JW
- in HS, mission trip to Cambodia, met a friend, still in contact
- whose mother left her at a young age, she had to steal for food, etc
- missionary saved her
- where would she be w/o knowing Christ?
- book:
- managed to survive a massacre
- wanted a revenge
- found a camp of Christian missionaries who reached out to him and brought him to Christ
- went back to Cambodia to forgive those who killed his family
- where would he be if those missionaries hadn't reached out to him?
- there are many who don't have Christ in the world
- evangelism, I've always just done the minimum, partly due to frustration
- decided to go to Cambodia to teach english, and be able to meet people there
- I know there are people who are waiting to be delivered

JT
- went to a speaker session hosted by UWIHDA
- Dr. Samanthan Nott, founder of War Child Canada
- overseas missions, feel like it's hard for us to think about the work that needs to be done overseas
- hard to grasp what we can do for people who are distant from us
- part of our social responsibility to go and help these people (not necessary to go on a plane and go somewhere else)
- Ex. Canada Pension Plan invests in one of the top arm producing companies, we can do something about that
- we are more often than not paralyzed to care for these people
- need to stay connected to international health development news, and giving to associations like War Child who can help
- shop responsibly
- ex. mineral called Coltan, used in a lot of electronics.  it is mined in Congo, people sell the minerals for money/weapons, we can ask and make sure we buy products that are mined ethically
- we have to realize the lives lost over in other countries don't matter any less than lives that are lost here in Canada
- how much does it take to care for others, for our friends in need of help?
- serving on Caring Ministry, humbled by how much I need to learn to care for those around me
- we as Christians are called to be ambassadors of Christ
- be more intentional on building the body of Christ

JC
- main message of retreat: challenged to live out our faith, not only think about it, or internalize it, shine our light so that others can we who we are and what makes us Christian
- for me sharing with non Christian friends is not easy
- I used to be really quiet and shy, had a fear of rejection
- prayed for God to speak to me and for Him to use me, for guidance on sharing gospel with friends
- if you feel God tugging on your heart to do something, GO FOR IT, don't just dwell on it, don't just keep thinking of it

MN
- what Urbana encouraged me about: importance of prayer
- most of us pray but we don't pray as much as we actually can, we pray here and there and when we need God
- we need to pray Big and pray Bold
- prayer works!
- 3-10 years old, was worst kid ever (worst of worst)
- failed everything I was doing
- knocked out a kid in Grade 3 needed stitches
- changed schools 5 times in 5 years
- God completely changed my life
- parents didn't know what to do, and so they just prayed
- right now, somehow, God completely changed me, got good grades
- it's a power that we are not using!  we don't take advantage of it
- it doens't take that much time to pray
- Matthew 7:7-11
AM
- does God tell us audibly what to do?
- not for me
- but God opens doors and it requires more faith to do something (not knowing exactly what God has called you) then if GOd just told you "Go to Africa"
- just do what is on your heart

AT
- couple of weeks ago, got a offer from CTI, music ministry that goes to play music and does outreach
- was happy, but having thoughts of whether to take it or not, doubts came up (money, etc)
- Jesus didn't tell you to go and I will give you further instructions, He just says to go
- applied to CTI not knowing whether I wanted to do it, friend said if God opens the door then go for it
- applies to us on campus, Jesus us to go out and make disciples, which is what we should be doing on campus
- don't know what my further instructions are, are what God has called me to do
- from retreat, speaker said that at McMaster, all the fellowships are uniting to back each other up, I want to see that in Waterloo

CM
- winter retreat conclusion: humbly live up your faith for God
- raised in Catholic school
- blinded that being a Christian is not about telling people what you are proud of, you are not better than anyone else
- retreat opened my eyes to being humble
- do things for God not for people
- I'm a big spender, need to look at how your lifestyle can you to pride
- life I'm living is very superficial...do you actually live like a Christian or do you just say it because you are proud of it
- practically live out your life, first step is to think of how you will reach out to people, you need to lay down yourself and put yourself in the shoes of others
- tons of people who don't know about God, what are we so proud of? we are not even doing our job to spread the Word, the gospel!?
- Jesus actively showed people love and humbled himself

DY
- 1 Corinthians 13
- God is calling you to live out your faith
- you can fool everyone around you that you are Christian, and do missions, but if you don't love it is nothing
- you can't fool God
- ask God to help you to love, PRAY
- it's about obedience, even Jesus Christ, right before the crucifixion, asked to take the cup away from Him, but He was obedient to God and loved us
- ask for God, and when He calls you to do something, be obedient

DM
- parable of talents
- money symbolizes things like the resources you have, your time, your abilities, etc
- which servant do you associate more with?
- challenge to think of what you are doing with your talents
- to not live in excess
- in my life, think about the excess: time and money
- better off than a lot of people in this world
- all of us can read (it is a talent), lots of people can't in the world, read the Bible (lots of people want to read it, or own one but they don't)

AC
- want to reach out to those people around
- live in Scarborough in less fortunate area
- you don't have to go to far to do something
- even here there are so many people in need
- how can people benefit from our love?

So I was planning to blog about Urbana each day I was there so that I wouldn’t have to do one huge one afterwards and while it would still be fresh in my head.  Turns out I didn’t, because there was little time to do it while I was in St. Louis.  Sooo that means I will have to do write a blog for the rest of Urbana soon haha…before i forget…expect nxt few days :)