All In Devotional by Stacy Davis - God is Sufficient

Family Fun Icebreaker: How has the person to your left helped you?

Question: How is God Unique?

Today’s Big Idea: God is Sufficient

God is Sufficient; He truly is all that you need, which makes Him unique. In the past few weeks, I have written about how God has always existed (eternal). He is in complete control (sovereign). He is all-powerful (omnipotent). He is everywhere (omnipresent). He is all-knowing (omniscient). All of these qualities make God all you need (sufficient)! God shares in scripture that everything that proceeds out of His mouth is what man needs to live (Matthew 4:4); scripture is God’s Words written down by men appointed by God. Therefore, the wisdom God passes on to you in scripture contains the guidance from Him to help you live life and fully equip you to spiritually thrive in this world.

Talk with God: Read the scriptures aloud.
All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NISB

He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:3 NASB

Walk with God: Read aloud and discuss.
God is aware that you need food, water, and shelter. He provides the earth and everything on it to help mankind. God also gives us an instruction manual for life—the Holy Bible. Just like any set of instructions, the Bible cannot help you very much if you don’t pick it up and read it.

Discuss with your family: Will you commit to spend more time reading God’s Word? What are some valuable things that you have already learned from God’s Word?

Prayer suggestion: Pray for God to help you see His provisions.

I will be praying for you!
Stacy

Stacy A. Davis, Author
Sky Ranch Family Devotionals, from the book All In
© 2015 Stacy A. Davis, Inc. All rights reserved.

All In Devotional by Stacy Davis - God is Omniscient

Family Fun Icebreaker: What is your favorite wise saying?

Question: How is God Unique?

Today’s Big Idea: God is Omniscient

God is unique because He is omniscient, which means that God knows the past, present and future at the same time. The smartest person in the world is very limited in knowledge compared to God. God’s ability to see far is beyond anything you can imagine or understand. God’s knowledge is vast and personal. He knows everything, from how to create a galaxy to the details of you and your life. He knows your thoughts and the words you are going to say before you have formed them on your tongue. He knows when you move, where you go, or the expression on your face. He also knows the best plan for your life. He is not limited by or bound to time like you are. Sometimes, when life suddenly changes direction, God leads you on a different path because His infinite wisdom allows Him to see the big picture.

Talk with God: Read the scriptures aloud.
"You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD." Psalm 139:2-4 NLT

"He counts the stars and calls them all by name. How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!" Psalm 147:4-5 NLT

"Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything." 1 John 3:19-20 NLT

Walk with God: Read aloud and discuss.

It can be both intimidating and comforting to be in a relationship with someone as smart as God. There is no point in lying to God, which removes the pressure of perfection. God loves you despite your wrongdoing. He still desires a relationship with you, even though He knows the truth of your actions.

Discuss with your family: How is it helpful to have a relationship with
someone that you will never be able to lie to?

Prayer suggestion: Pray for God’s help to trust His wisdom.

I will be praying for you!
Stacy

A "Taste" of Sky Ranch Ute Trail - Tori Miller and Angie Tingle

If we can’t actually be at Sky Ranch Ute Trail Family Camp in Colorado right now enjoying the opportunity to be free from the usual daily responsibilities lets, bring just a “taste” of it into our homes.

Thank you Angie for getting the staff, counselors and each family member at camp hooked on your incredible “Ute Trail Granola”…it is the perfect start to anyone’s day, a healthy snack, or can satisfy a sweet tooth.

So, until we can all be back at the most life changing experience, where we build deep family bonds, and strengthen our spiritual walks…lets eat…

  

Angie’s Ute Trail Granola

6 cups of oats

4 cups of nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, and/or pecans)

2 cups raisins

2 cups dried cranberries

1 cup REAL (Grade B) maple syrup

1 teaspoon REAL vanilla

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, and nuts.

In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, and vanilla. Combine both mixtures and spread onto large Jelly roll pan.

Cook for 1 hour stirring every 20 minutes to achieve an even color.

Remove from oven and add raisins and cranberries. Cool then transfer into a airtight container.

Can last up to 6 weeks.

“…and ate together with glad and sincere hearts” Acts 2:46

Tori Miller

SkyMom’s Ministry Director

Photos curtesy of Kyndall Miller J

All In Devotional by Stacy Davis - God is Omnipresent

Family Fun Icebreaker: People can be funny; share a funny experience when you were watching someone and they did something funny.

Topic Question: How is God Unique?

Today’s Big Idea: God is Omnipresent

Another unique characteristic of God is His omnipresence. God is
everywhere at the same time. God is not stuck in one place at one time,
like you and I. God doesn’t have to walk from one person to another to
know what they are doing. God is in all places at the same time. No one
else is like Him. He is present in the depths of the ocean, at the top of a
mountain, with another person across the world, and with you, all at the
same time! No matter where you go, God is present and sees you. Matthew
6:1-6 shares that God actually wants you to do certain good things, like
praying or giving to the poor, in secret. He desires for you to do certain
works for His favor and not the favor of men. Since He sees all things in
secret and in the open, He sees your actions. God then rewards you for your
choices, but you need to trust Him and His timing.


Talk with God: Read the scriptures aloud.

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your
presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the
grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by
the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your
strength will support me. (Psalm 139:7-10 NLT)

You are the God who sees me. (Genesis 16:13 NIV)


Walk with God: Read aloud and discuss.
If you are in need, it is good for God to see you. He sees everything that
happens to you. He sees every good deed you do, along with every bad
deed. When you make a mistake you probably do not want God to see you,
but He does. He keeps notes of all of your behavior. Later, in heaven, He
will ask you about your actions. Makes you think, doesn’t it?

Discuss with your family: Knowing God is always present should comfort
you. Does this information alter your behavior at all? How?

Prayer suggestion: Pray for God to help you see Him.

Grateful - John Morgan

Have you ever had your world turned upside down? Have you had your peaceful life of monotony, that drives you crazy at times, but also lulls you into a sense of security with its syncopation of task and plans, disrupted by an event of total un-known? If you have, you know this storm can be strong and hard. If you have not, take heed. Hard is not always bad. A life without storms may just be a desert.

I am a summer camp director at Sky Ranch. I had been planning a surprise getaway for my wife and me the week before we would start staff training. I had thought that this trip would be the perfect form of relaxation to get me ready for a great, but busy summer. Things did not go as planned. (do they ever?)

A week and a half out from our highly anticipated get away my 7 year old son, Boston, got sick during one of his baseball games. Being a family with three kids we are no stranger to the stomach bug.  As Boston began to complain of his stomach pain we began to re-plan the week to cover the two days of missed school and our friends avoiding us like the plague. But this did not meet our expectations. It destroyed them.

After a day and a half of progressively getting worse we realized this was no bug. We finally gave into our overactive imaginations of what could be wrong with our son’s stomach and we found ourselves rushing to the clinic and then to the ER.

By 2am we found ourselves in ICU with a child that had become so weak he could not stay awake between times that he would vomit. The scans they preformed showed massive infection throughout his entire abdomen. The doctors were trying to get him stable enough to transport to Children’s Hospital in Dallas. We were told that we should prepare ourselves that this could get really bad really quick.

A sleepless night for his mom and me led to a morning of decisions. (perfect combination)  After a night of IVs of Antibiotics the doctors felt he was safe for transport. We decided to make the flight to Children’s.  The brilliant staff at Children’s whisked him into surgery and within a matter of hours we had an answer to the only question we cared about for the last 2 days. Our son had a large hole in his intestine due to what they call a “Meckels Diverticulum”. Essentially, everything from his intestine was spilling out into his gut and poisoning his body from the inside. They were able to remove the damaged section of intestine with this procedure. 

The storm for us was not over yet. We spent a week in recovery at children’s. At times I was scared, grateful, confused, hopeful, inadequate but always dependent. I had no other choice. I had to depend on the Lord. The storm brought clarity of His control and my lack there of.

My son taught me so much through his faith. Never feeling the illusion of control at such a young age he had a great perspective. The day we got home from the hospital one of my friends asked Boston to sum up his time in the hospital in one word. Now, before I give his response, I want you to remember his experience.  My son had 2 IVs in both arms and then one in his hand. He could not go an hour without throwing up for 2 days straight. He had a catheter put in and then pulled out. He also had a tube shoved down his throat not to mention everything that went into the surgery and recovery.  Even after all of that, my 7 year old’s response to summarize his experience was “Grateful”.

(Jeremiah 17:5-8 ESV)

Thus says the LORD:

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.

“Blessed (filled with God defined benefit) is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

I, too, find myself like my son being grateful for the time in the hospital close to the God I love. Not just grateful for provision but grateful for the storm. I am different because of it. May we all learn to be trees that are so planted by his water that we can withstand the storms and droughts and still produce the fruits that spell His name to the world.

How to Eat Healthy on a Budget - Natalie Reed

Most people assume it’s virtually impossible to save money AND eat healthy. But a lot of times, you’ll actually spend less money on healthy food, than if you’re buying all that highly-processed, pre-packaged food. But it’ll take some planning and preparing, so follow these steps to help you get on the right track.

Make Wise Organic Choices

We’re all concerned with consuming unnecessary chemicals in our foods. But before you decide to go “all organic, all the time” and end up spending a ton of money, check out the Environmental Working Group’s “Clean Fifteen” list of fruits and vegetables with the least pesticide load. These are considered clean and perfectly fine non-organic items.

 

The produce determined to have the largest pesticide load are listed as the “Dirty Dozen” and are deemed the fruits and vegetables you should consider buying in their organic form. They’re mostly items with fleshy and tender skins, like fresh berries and lettuce, but surprisingly, you’ll find apples, celery, potatoes and other seemingly “tough” produce also on  the list.

 

Recently, Aldi, the chain of low-cost grocery stores, introduced SimplyNature, a line of all-natural or organic products ranging from cereal, honey, fruit bars and apple juice, to pasta sauce, pizza, salsa and other snacks. The prices of their organic items are comparable to the prices of non-organic items you’d find elsewhere. So, if you’re an “all-or-nothing organic” shopper, you should definitely be hitting your local Aldi.

 

Meal Planning is Vital

Knowing what to serve each day (and having the necessary ingredients stocked) will keep you from eating out, which is expensive and won’t give you as many healthy meal options. Don’t plan your meals based on what you want to eat that week, but instead look at your grocery sales ads and plan your meals around what’s on sale.

 

Buy In-season Produce

When you buy fruits and vegetable that are in-season, it’s cheaper and nutritionally beneficial.  For example, purchasing strawberries in the off-season month of January means the berries were picked before fully ripened and traveled a further distance to reach you, which means they’ve lost more nutrients by the time they get to you.

 

Get Friendly with your  Freezer

I say this all the time: Having a chest freezer is a HUGE way to save money! You can take advantage of loss leaders and deep discounts on meats, dairy, frozen veggies, breads and more. Plus, make double batches of meals and store the extras in the freezer for quick no-hassle dinners down the line.Watch the video here and take a peek inside my freezer.

 

Use Cheap Cuts of Meat 

Less expensive meats, which usually turn out tough in the oven or on the grill, are perfect for using in the crock pot. That cheaper piece of meat becomes tender and juicy after it cooks in the crock pot for 6 to 8 hours. Plus, using your crock pot is more economical than heating up a large oven!

 

Where’s the Beef?

When making your main course meal, occasionally skip the meat and add lower-priced protein sources, like, lentils, brown rice or quinoa. This is a simple and inexpensive way to expand a meal.

All In Devotional by Stacy Davis - God is Omnipotent

Family Fun Icebreaker: If you had all the power in the world, what would you do with your power?

Topic Question: How is God Unique?

Today’s Big Idea: God is Omnipotent

As you journey through the topic of God’s uniqueness, notice how scripture
shares that God is all-powerful or omnipotent. God is powerful. Scripture
tells you that He speaks all things into existence. He is so strong that even
His words have power! Yet, it is difficult for us to even begin to understand
His power. God can do anything and everything. Even if a situation looks
hopeless, remember who God is and know that nothing is impossible for
Him. Remember to think of His great power and have hope through Him.
Romans 15:13 states, “May the God of hope !ll you with all joy and peace
in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in
hope.” This passage explains that God shares His great power, giving His
people hope, joy, and peace through trusting Him. Understanding the
existence of God’s power, which He provides through His Spirit, can help
guide you to trust in Him.


Talk with God: Read the scriptures aloud.

Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth
by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for
you. (Jeremiah 32:17 NIV)

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but
with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26 NIV)


Walk with God: Read aloud and discuss.
God spoke and formed the heavens, all the planets and stars (Psalm 33:6).
Scripture shares that it can be difficult to believe that God spoke such
amazing things into existence and it is only by faith, believing God at His
Word, that you can finally have peace on the subject. Hebrews 11:3 explains
that the universe was made out of things not visible. This means that you
can’t see God, but He made all the things that you can see. When you accept
this difficult concept, it confirms your faith in God.

Discuss with your family: What is the benefit of knowing that you can
turn to God, with whom nothing is impossible, for help?

Prayer suggestion: Pray for God to help you turn to Him when situations
seem impossible.