Timber Lakes Newsletter Mar-Apr

Greetings from Timber Lakes! Spring has sprung and with it comes the anticipation of our 2012 summer camping season!

Praise:

As many of you may be aware, on March 4^th we were blessed with the opportunity to see God's hand move at Timber Lakes. This was the day that a major natural gas leak was discovered. Through God's provision, we were sitting on the back deck of the associate director's house and heard an odd rushing sound. Upon further investigation, it was the sound of thousands of cubic feet of natural gas rushing through the meter 50 yards away. Praise God He put us in the exact right place at the exact right time to discover the issue within hours of the leak starting! Now the daunting reality of not having heat or hot water in our facilities or a way to cook for any group was staring us in the face. We took this challenge to the Lord as well trusting and believing in God's provision!

After extensive trouble shooting we found that the gas leak was unfortunately underground. Due to the nature of the leak, the only option was to replace every foot of natural gas line...all 3,000 feet of it! Reluctantly, we were forced to call in a expert to bid fixing the leak, all the while prayerfully seeking the Lord asking for His guidance. The bid came in right at $26,000. This was a crushing blow and would really affect our maintenance budget. Yet, we kept praying and believing that God would not lead us where he can not keep us.

It was at this time that God prompted our hearts to call on Dave Parry, a close friend of the camp, for added counsel and prayer support. By the grace of God, Dave was prompted to call a professional acquaintance Shon, owner of Moore Plumbing. Without ever stepping foot on the camp before or hearing of the ministry, Shon was prompted by God to come alongside us. Shawn arrived March 9^th and within 4 hours God had stirred his heart to halt his other projects and out of his own pocket pay for 100% of the trencher & labor for his crew to lay the 3,000 feet of gas line! This left us with $8,000 (which we are still believing the Lord to provide) for the cost of the pipe and fittings. As of March 15^th 20 hours before the district Men's Retreat, all 3,000 feet had been laid and every building turned back on! NO PIPES FROZE!!!! Dave Perry then graciously donated 100% his time and equipment to back fill the trench. Along with the others mentioned, we would like to thank Gary Chadwell, who took 2 days off and came to help lay the pipe! Praise the Lord!

We are extremely excited to make everyone aware that the 2012 Family Retreat program is officially open for registration!

During this one week program you are invited to Pray, Play, and Provide! During your week there will be family prayer and spiritual growth opportunities. You will have the opportunity to build relationships and play through different activity sessions that will appeal to all age and physical ranges. As you grow together your family will have the chance to provide by engaging in two daily service opportunities (approximately 1 hour each). This has spurred our hearts in such a way that Timber Lakes is subsidizing this program so that no matter what your income level you can participate in the full six day program for just $40 a day for the whole family! This is all-inclusive: meals, lodging, activities, and supplies! Just bring yourself, bedding, and a heart that is wanting to engage your family!

For reservations or information contact us at:

Phone: (785) 242-3422
E-mail: timberlakesretreat@gmail.com

Prayer:

Please seek the Lord and ask if there is a way you could use your gifting to further the ministry here at Timber Lakes. As mentioned before, we are at this time $8,000 off our fiscal plan for 2012 due to the unexpected gas pipe replacement. Please seek the Lord concerning your involvement in this working at Timber Lakes.

We are also seeking donations of used paintball equipment. You might have dusty gear laying in the back of your closet that you would be willing to make a tax deductible gift of! We will be using this equipment as back up gear if there is an unexpected breakage.

As spring cleaning ensues, you may come across some gently used fishing equipment that you no longer have need of. Prayerfully consider making a tax deductible gift of your equipment! We will be using this equipment for ministry opportunities where a staff can take a youth, child, or adult fishing who many times has never have the thrill of catching their first fish!

Many of us have just done our taxes and realized that we could have invested some of our resources in kingdom ministries as opposed to paying into the government. We would ask you to prayerfully consider helping us fully support our missionary couple Skylar & Ashley Lipson. They are only $6,500 away from being fully supported for 2012! Praise the Lord for his provision! Please consider making a tax deductible gift to fully support their ministry efforts here.

Thank you to all who consistently keep us in your prayers. We feel you lifting us and this ministry up! Timber Lakes would not exist without every man, woman, and child's support. May God have all the Glory!

In His Service,

Randall Lipson [Director Timber Lakes]

Tozier Devotional

TOZER DEVOTIONAL
Friday, April 06, 2012 "Tension Between the Old Nature and the New"

Christ in a believer's heart will act the same as He acted in Galilee and Judea. His disposition is the same now as then. He was holy, righteous, compassionate, meek and humble then, and He has not changed. He is the same wherever He is found, whether it be at the right hand of God or in the nature of a true disciple. He was friendly, loving, prayerful, kindly, worshipful, self-sacrificing while walking among men; is it not reasonable to expect Him to be the same when walking in men? Why then do true Christians sometimes act in an un-Christlike manner? Some would assume that when a professed Christian fails to show forth the moral beauty of Christ in his life it is a proof that he has been deceived and is actually not a real Christian at all. But the explanation is not so simple as that. The truth is that while Christ dwells in the believer's new nature, He has strong competition from the believer's old nature. The warfare between the old and the new goes on continually in most believers. This is accepted as inevitable, but the New Testament does not so teach.

A prayerful study of Romans 6 to 8 points the way to victory. If Christ is allowed complete sway He will live in us as He lived in Galilee.

Verse:  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:24-25

Thought:  Christ in us does not mean that we no longer are. Our old nature is not ripped out. Christ will change us and live out through us as we daily live under His control.

Prayer:  Thank You, Lord, for Your patience with me. I sometimes stumble and miserably fail. But You convict me and forgive me. Live through me!