We need your help!

Dear friends,

Once every semester the students of Bear Valley Bible Institute go out on campaigns. The purpose of these campaigns is to expose the students to different forms of work in the Lords church. So far we have seen two campaigns in Colorado. Each one was different; both were beneficial to us in that we have seen many different ways that a person can reach out into their own communities and evangelize.

This semester we have been invited to join the Ripon church of Christ from Ripon, California as well as others at Recharge: Excellence in Ministry in Monterey, California. This event is four days (March 13-17^th), there will be many speakers dealing with many different life topics but especially targeting the workers in God’s church. We will not only be sitting in on the classes, but also will be helping out behind the scenes. We have no doubt that it will be a great experience and that the things we learn will help us when we get back to California in our work for the Lord.

The reason why we are reaching out to you today is because we are in need of help covering our meals and airfare. Our stay has been covered by a generous sponsor.  We have found airfare tickets as low as $202 for each one of us. Dustin and I are both going, and our children will not be joining us. We calculate meals at a per diem of $40 a day. We are trying to raise $564.00. This is not to say that we are looking solely for large donations. We would appreciate any and all help that we can get $5, $10, 20, etc. If there is anyway that you can help, please email me for our address (we can't just put it out there for the world to see).

 We look forward to hearing from you and here is the link for the event; http://rechargeme.org/about as there is still room for anyone who would like to attend.

Thank you! 

Dustin and Fee Rocha

e-mail address is;
mrs.feerocha@gmail.com

Seperation Anxiety

     My youngest child has become obsessed not being left behind lately. I am not talking about being a little sad when I go somewhere without him, I am talking about a knocked out, full fledged, the-world-is-going-to-end kind of hissy fit as I try to walk to the door. He begs, he pleads, negotiates, cried, growls, clings to my legs, purse, arms. Really, if it wasn't to sad I would laugh at the situation. Makes me think of the reaction my husband had after our first dates...okay, maybe not (but that is how it happened in my mind!). So back to my ever so pathetic little guy, what is a momma to do?
    I'll tell you what I want to tell him; I want to let him know that no woman will ever be worth his groveling, his elevated blood pressure, nor his dignity. Ah, but that would be so cruel to say to a four year old, and to be honest, I would like to think that I am (as L'Oreal put it) 'Worth it'.
     So I did what every modern day mother does with a problem, I took it to Google. Some nut on the Internet suggest that I 'hide' from him until he stops crying. Another says that I have in some way scarred him already for him to have this kind of reaction. My gut tells me that this too shall pass. But what if I am wrong? What if this goes on and on? What if...he becomes a full grown man still crying and wailing as he watches me drive away down the street?
     As of today I am going to try something new and radical, I am going to leave him a pile of candy to distract him as I am leaving. Okay, maybe that is a lie, but what am I to do? This is a plea from a mother asking - WHAT DO I DO?!?!

My eyes refuse to see

    'Don't let your eyes refuse to see. Don't let your ears refuse to hear.' is a line from one of my favorite songs, Hold you in my arms by Ray Lamontagne. This is a song about comforting each other in a sad and unpredictable world. I was listening to this song last night and those words haunted me. They repeated over and over in my head. When I decided that I wasn't just having an OCD moment, I realized why it resonated with me.
    Too many times I have walked though my entire day and not once sat for a full minute to marvel at the incredible world that God has created and given to us to enjoy. We do not have to look to far, you don't have to drive anywhere, or even pay for it. It simple is everywhere! We see it in the sunrise and the sunset that we get for free every single day. It is in our children, our marriage, even our furry little friends. how do we refuse to see and hear? Because we take them for granted! Oh, yes, my friends. We assume and feel entitled to being surrounded by beauty and peacefulness. It is easy to take simple moments throughout the day and let them slip through our fingers like sands in an hourglass. Blinded by the bright, shiny world, we take our eyes off of the eternal.
     To bring it into perspective, I want us to consider our children. We give them what we think that they need, we love them and work hard to make thier lives good. How do we feel when they behave like entitled brats? How about when they do not thank us for the hours that we have spent on helping them with school work? Surely I am not alone in feeling disapointed, sad and even a little angry. It shames me to think about God feeling that way due to my lack of gratitude. Psalms 136:4 says  ^{"{Give thanks}} To Him who alone does great wonders, For His lovingkindness is everlasting."  
     Today and everyday, let us be grateful for all that God has given us. Just as he knows how many hairs are on our heads (Matthew 10:29-31), he also knows when we refuse to see His love for us. Let us start TODAY, THIS MORNING, take a moment to see His love and generosity all around us and be grateful for it.